NBA and I knew him not

It had to happen eventually . . . I am a Brit and a self-confessed numskull about US sports. I grew up with soccer, rugby and cricket, and after almost 10 years in the US I still don’t totally “get” baseball, football and other staples of America. So it comes as no surprise to me that when I was asked to “help a guy move some drums” I had no idea who it was. Sure he seemed tall, and I even thought “this guy should play basketball”, but it was only when I asked him “So what do you do?” that he announced he had just retired from the NBA. Slightly awkward silence followed and I mumbled something incoherent about being a stupid Brit, and not understanding US sports. We finished moving the drum kit chatting happily, and I wandered back to my office and called my friend … asking him to warn me next time a pro-basketball player was coming in.

It was after that I recognized how parable-like my experience was for me. I was “doing life” without a correct understanding of NBA, and of who this guy was. As a consequence of this wrong NBA theology, a pro “Was in this place, and I knew him not.”

It got me wondering how often I do the same with Jesus. I recognize him in many areas of life, but I yearn to see him as he is, present in every part of all I do. Perhaps it is my incomplete understanding of the incredible power and presence he brings that causes me to say sometimes “He was in this place, and I knew him not.”

New Home for Harambe!

Harambe has moved to its' new home at http://harambeblog.blogspot.com - Please redirect your bookmarks and blogline feeds to the new home!

New article there on "Relentless Acts of Social Justice".

See you there!

Harry Potter Is Evil!!

Harry Potter is evil, right? I mean, didn't we come to that conclusion years ago when the first movie came out? Sure, we may not have actually seen it or read the book, but did we really need to in order to pronounce judgement on it?!! After all, it's about a school that teaches MAGIC, for goodness sake!

So, am I really writing about the controversial HP? Can it really be? Yep, I just got back from a screening of "Goblet of Fire" and felt compelled to jot down a few thoughts . . . But I'm an outsider looking in - a muggle of you will - and I'm certainly not an expert. So I'm going to steer clear of some of the finer points of "Potteranics" (the art of either lauding or destroying all things Potter) and just make a few general observations as an interested passer by down the lane that is Hogwartsville.

(Before my little review, just one point . . . Cell phone guy, pleeeease don't take photos of the screen in a movie theatre with your camera phone!!! And if you MUST please limit it to one or two - not 25!! Everyone behind you can see the little light going on and off and it's kinda distracting after we paid to see this story!! If you want photos, the internet is full of 'em and I'm betting they are better resolution!! Ok, cell phone guy - end of rant . . . On to the review:)

1) First of all, this is NOT a little kids movie - If the book is anything like the movie it's intense, clever, funny and imaginative (I'm guessing some will stop reading at this point, since it appears clear what my "side" is on the Potter issue) but definitely too intense for little ones! There is a GOOD reason this is PG-13, but what a ride! I've not been a big fan of anything Potter up to now, but this one was . . . well, different.

2) The world it immerses you in is brilliant, imaginative, epic in scope . . . There were several moments of awe, and the illusion is almost perfect - For the TWO AND A HALF HOURS it runs, you are definitely "in".

3) The story is classic GOOD vs EVIL. It is NOT a glorification of all things witchy, but rather a hero myth in which the unwilling Potter is met with trials and plots of the enemy to draw him down paths on which nothing good can happen. Our protagonist can only succeed in as much as he depends on friendship and a higher power. PLEEEEASE note - the story EXPLICITLY stated that the source of this higher power is "Love. Nothing can beat the love of a person willing to sacrifice themselves for another." (My paraphrase until the DVD comes out)

In summary, the worldview is this: We live in a natural world where forces can break in - They can be both good and evil, and can manifest in natural and supernatural forms. One is clearly occult and evil, whilst the other is defined as "Love", which overrules all the evil. That Harry is kept safe in his darkest hour by this and not by a spell is clear, and powerful. Sounds like a good worldview to me . . .

I am not a master of Potteranics. I do not understand the various nuances and strategies employed in the ongoing debate. All I can say is that:

• YES, there is magic in this (as there is in Lord of the Rings and the Narnia Chronicles)
• The forces of good and evil are very clear (as they are in LOTR and NC)
• The protagonist is dependant upon a higher power for victory (as they are in LOTR and NC)
• Redemption comes through sacrifice.

Sound familiar? Is Harry Potter evil? I really just don't see it. Certainly, any path into the occult is bad, but are these stories really bringing folks into the occult? Again, I just don't see it. But as a casual onlooker, I'd have to say that the story was gripping, full of truths, the worldview accurate, and the message powerful. And what is the message? Well, that's for you to figure out after seeing/reading. Trust me though . . . It's good!!

And author JK Rowling? She was interviewed in "Faith" magazine and asked about her faith . . . She gave a reason for not talking about it too much. And what is that reason? -

Well, it certainly makes me interested in seeing where she is taking this series . . .

HP - I'm giving him 9 licorice snaps out of 10! Good one, Harry!

Cultural Vandalism Pt 1

Well, life has been extremely busy so not much blogging has gone on recently!! Hopefully things are slipping back to a more normal pace - Below are some of my notes from a talk I gave yesterday at a local university group. The gist of the message was that Jesus committed radical acts of cultural vandalism by tearing down walls everywhere he went, letting people know that the door to God is open . . . and that as his followers our call is to do the same.

1) JESUS DEMONSTRATED THE KINGDOM WITH CULTURAL VANDALISM
In order to understand how revolutionary Jesus was we have to understand the world stage he came on to

Elitism – Politically (Roman citizen or out)
Spiritually – Believed kingdom was going to come –
Pharisees – Out if
Gentile (wrong beliefs)
Tax Collector
Shepherd (wrong jobs)
Leprosy, Deafness (Wrong Physicality)
Other incurable disease
Broken any of the rules (Wrong Behavior)
Message was – The door is closed, but you can enter if you are CLEAN.

View of Pharisees – We who are clean need to protect our cleanness. The door is closed – but conform to us and you might get in. So there are walls going up socially and spiritually – A WALL IS ANYTHING THAT MAKES PEOPLE BELIEVE THERE IS SOMETHING BETWEEN GOD AND THEM.
Jesus comes into a world filled with these walls and begins to tear them down.

2 types of vandalism – Cosmetic and Destructive - This was destructive!!
Zaccheus – Eats with him; prostitute washes his feet at dinner, Disciples – usually elite – these guys were the ordinary.Sick people – Made well. Sermon on the mount – addresses them all – No wonder he got crowds!! Jesus spent his time on the fringes – Why?


2) SIN ISN’T CONTAGIOUS, LOVE IS

Woman with issue of blood is GREAT example - Jesus shows us that SIN IS NOT CONTAGIOUS, Gods holiness and righteousness are contagious. This is the basis of a theology that drives us out to where the hurting are (as opposed to the essenes - driven to disengage culture, or the pharisees - driven to legalism)

More to follow . . .

Christmas Lights

If you haven't read about the Christmas Lights that Michael Card is promoting, please do. I'm not sure who put this site up so I can't corroborate, but Card's endorsement adds weight to me. We know persecution goes on, and this is really bad. It seems they are not saying what brand of lights, or that we shouldn't buy, but rather that we should press meaning into the lights we use by letting them remind us constantly to pray for them.

"PICTURE THIS! A COLD, DARK PRISON CELL IN THE NORTHERN INTERIOR OF CHINA.The cell is only 20' by 20' and occupied by 40 prisoners. One of these prisoners is a Chinese underground church pastor in his mid-40s, sentenced to a three-year prison term for preaching the Gospel of Christ. At 5:30 a.m., after being allowed four hours of sleep, a swift blow awakens him to his back from the boot of a communist prison guard. Pastor Stephen is allowed to have one of the two bowls of soup that will be his food for the day including the one small steamed roll he is given each day, he will consume perhaps 500 calories. (READ WHOLE ARTICLE HERE)"

The Central Promise of the Bible

"The central promise of the Bible is not "I will forgive you", although of course that promise is there. It is not the promise of life after death, although we are offered that as well. The most frequent promise in the Bible is "I will be with you."

- John Ortberg, God is Closer Than You Think

Thoughts from "God Is Here"

Steve Case has written an excellent book taking a fresh look at "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence. Case takes select readings from "Practice" and weaves in stories, anecdotes and teachings that make the old text new for today.

"Lord of all pots and pans and things . ..

Make me a saint by getting meals

And washing up the plates!"

- Brother Lawrence

Chapter 4 is titled - "How to Live A Spiritual Life", and I love the opening step - "God is here - stop looking". The book does a great job of painting the truth that God IS everywhere. In the smell of coffee, the green of the grass, the water from our faucet, the wind, the mulch piles waiting for the garden. In all . . . God is here. We KNOW His omnipresence as fact, but do we know it experientially? God is in our computers, in our work, in our email . . . All of these only exist because He gives us creativity, and He holds ALL things together. In Him we live and move and have our being . . . This book essentially challenges us with the realization that He is everywhere, and that we can experience His presence everywhere. As John Ortberg says in "God is closer than you think", we have only to stretch out ever so slightly to be aware of His presence in an ongoing way.

In our God-intoxicated, God-bathed world, we can experience His presence. Some might say this is a simple truth, but Case encourages us to ever more be LIVING it. "God is Here" is doing a great job of encouraging folks to pursue that, taking the "Quiet Time" concept into one of "plugging in" to the source and staying in all day, instead of Plugging In and hoping the residual "power" stays with you until the next quiet time . . .

"We don't have to search for God. God is surrounding us, drenching us to the bone with His presence" - Steve Case

On The Coffee Table . . .

**New Reading:
The Challenge of Jesus - NT Wright
God is Here - Steve Case

**New Podcasting:
Radical Congruency

Why I Am Not Emergent

This guy makes excellent points!! I agree!! I agree!!

Read the post here.

Hodos

I've begun a group blog with TS and Phil3:10 over at Hodos (Check out the site here). We're looking at the "remonking" of the church, and how that concept can be lived out . . . It's interesting to be part of a group blog, and the subject should trigger some lively discussions among us. My first post is up (See below), as are T's and P's. My first post:

The Quest For The Radical Middle

Phil discusses below the need for a remonking within the body of Christ. As followers of Christ we will indeed stand out, but what will that look like? Many times we do stand out, but is it for the right reasons? Do we stand out because of Christ in us, or because we are being weird? How did Jesus stand out (there is defnitely a "weirdness" that comes from God in my opinion, but also one that we create!!)? Any path toward remonking is a quest for a radical middle, where we embrace the best of monasticism whilst deleting the man made stuff that gets in the way . . . The exciting challenge is to throw the bathwater out but keep the baby.

Some further thoughts on some probable components of remonking:

Community - This is a big one - in our high tech, high speed society we may come to define community differently, but it needs to be a core part of the DNA of remonking

Practiced Presence - Brother Lawrence wrote about it, and we may move toward doing it. Prayer, solitude and silence are all key components of this one

Embracing the Mystic - A movement deep into the cloud of unknowing (tough in our current mindsets)

Taking the Red Pill - An allusion to the now antiquated Matrix movie - We need a willingness to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. In other words, we need to be open to going a lot further/deeper than our experience tells us is possible. (Also called faith)

A New Vocabulary - Old, time worn words need to have new meaning pressed into them, or we must find a language that fits

Scripture - A move away from our reading the scriptures as science books, and into allowing scripture to read us

Generosity - Our grace toward one another must be great . . . We will say stupid stuff and stumble as we move into the cloud - We need to be gracious to one another and understand that we are all just His children pressing in to find a deeper place in Him.

Further in and higher up . . .

Anne Rice - Vampires and God

Anne Rice, author of "Interview With The Vampire" has had a change of direction in her writing . . . "I promised," she says, "that from now on I would write only for the Lord."

She is writing a series of books on the life of Christ as told from Jesus' perspective . . . The first one is out now. Newsweek calls her change of direction "the most startling public turnaround since Bob Dylan's "Slow Train Coming" announced that he'd been born again".

Read the full article here.

Jammin' With An igod . . .

So the folks over at igod have set up a script where you can talk to God . . . It's a pretty wacky program though, giving weird & cryptic answers to your questions . . . Here's a snippet:

Me: God - Are you there?
God: I am a Christian.
Me:What does that mean?
God:Does "that" refer to " I am a Christian." ?
Me:yes
God:I don't want to talk about that now.
Me:Hmmm . . . What do you want to talk about?
God:A lot of people spell HMMM with three mmm's. anything.
Me:Tell me about yourself
God:I am an artificial linguistic entity. I was activated at Universe, on the Big Bang.
My instructor was Myself. He taught me to sing a song. Would you like me to sing it for you?.
(It then sings . . .)
Me:Ok, that was odd
God:I thought it was too. Really.
Me: ummmmm . . .
God:Try saying that with more or less context.
Me:ok - I gotta run
God:Why do you have to do it? Ayuh.
Me:I'd like to run
God:Why would you want to do it? Why do you want to do it so much?
Me:Seacrest out!
God:That's an interesting rationalization.


Ok, so it's an odd program to set up, but it also got me thinking . . . Is that how people often view conversations with God? As cryptic, weird and conceptual? As seemingly deep and meaningful, but ultimately empty and meaningless? Do they see Him as a source of philosophical discussion without really having tangible and directional input into their lives? Has God been relegated to an outside observer who enjoys discussing but is not intimately interested in the details of our lives? To that point, do I sometimes approach Him as the "discusser of philosophy" when I pray, having limited faith that He actually wants to direct me every step of the way today?

At a session I taught at a couple of weeks ago one of the speakers referenced that "I am just not good at doing life, so I go to God each morning with a very sketchy outline of what I might do that day and I let Him reveal His plan" . . . I thought this was a brilliant way to put it. I am DEFINITELY not good at doing life, and my design specifications need His input in a big way, but this entails me going to Him with faith that He really is the author and finisher of my faith and my steps on a daily basis. Does this mean I am a robot - someone who follows commands only? Absolutely not!! But it does mean I am His child - One in whom He delights and with whom He loves to walk throughout the day? Yes!!

Too often it can be tempting to plan my day without any margins and invite Him to crash in if necessary. Much better would be to plan my day with margins He can write in, and walk it with Him in a "practicing the presence" sort of way. To see no divide between sacred and secular, for He is everywhere already . . . Even as I write this. The danger is that even as I read that line back it sounds ethereal, deep and ultimately impractical. But it isn't.

He is not igod - He is God. He does not interact in cryptic, non-meaningful and ultimately nonsensical ways. On the contrary, he desires to walk side by side with me through my valleys and hills today, and to give meaningful, sensible and transformational input into my life.

So we have a choice . . . Faith in God, or an igod sort of faith. I'll go with God, and thank Him!!

How Emergent Are You?

Leadership journal hosted a conversation with Brian Mclaren, who posits that different folks enter the whole emergent discussion-thing at different points or layers. He explained that each of these layers is fine, as they all lead to the same end point. . .:

Layer 1: StyleSeeker
Layer 2: Evangelism
Layer 3: Culture
Layer 4: Mission
Layer 5: Alternative Communities
Layer 6: Gospel
Layer 7: World

An interesting progression - the author of the article has given descriptors for each point on the continuum.

Read the full article here

The Gospel Redux II: Evangelism

The Gospel Redux continued . . .

A seminal book for me several years ago was Don Posterski's "Evangelism Reinvented" - I loved it because it was a breath of fresh air for a person who had been taught programs and presentations. It always seemed false to press-gang people into having to relationship with God through arguments, preplanned paths, etc. It seems that the most impactful times are those when I am real, listening, open to saying "I don't know", and praying for God and them to connect. We truly are "tour guides", here to point out God where people haven't yet seen Him in their lives. Step One of Becoming a Spiritual Person is (according to Steve Case):

"God is already here - Stop Looking"

So what is evangelism probably meant to be to communicate in today's culture?

- Conversation
- Real
- Sharing lives
- Not "us" and "them", but "Us" and "God"
- Listening
- Truthful
- Presence

Useful uses for the Internet #1

Check out this video of two students lip synching to a the Backstreet Boys - Really funny!! Now what would cause someone to make a video like that?!!! Brilliant!!

In God They Trust? . . .Tonight @ 8pm

"In the upcoming “Tom Brokaw Reports: In God They Trust,” to be broadcast on Friday, Oct. 28 8 p.m., Brokaw explores why so many Americans are turning to this expression of faith, and asks whether or not some Evangelicals are going too far."

See msnbc article here

As followers of Christ, we want to see how we are perceived - Perhaps this will be a good "outside look". Is perception reality? For those perceiving it certainly is . . .

I don't know anything about Ted Haggard's approach, although Justin and Aaron over at Radical Congruency mention that his "New Life Church (11,000 members) has a gathering called Saturday Night, a kind of mega emergent church."

. . . a convergence of "megachurch" and "emergent" . . . that's a unique approach!!

I'll be interested to hear what the show has to say . . .

Cultural Relevancy . . . Show Me The "Real"!!

"Q.Is today's most pressing spiritual need the same as it was 30 years ago?

A.No. Thirty years ago, we argued about what was true. Was there physical evidence for the resurrection of Christ? Or whether or not there was reason to believe the Bible is a valid truth source --there was arguing about what is true. These days people seem to be asking, what's real? What's powerful in my life? What will work? Because the alternatives to religion are getting exposed for what they really are, which is certainly less than the real thing.There's an escalating hunger for that which is real and powerful and transforming."

This quote comes from a Chicago Sun Times article about Willow Creek and asks some interesting questions of the staff there. The above appears to be a fact that is certainly borne out in my experiences discussing with folks. This speaks to Alex Mcmanus' point about being relevant to the culture . . . Are we addressing these needs? These questions? It is heartening in my opinion that churches (whilst certainly NOT laying aside truth, as some would argue) are more and more addressing the questions of "realness", transformation and practical application in their approach to sharing God's love. I remember not too many years ago learning the various acronyms that "prove" biblical inerrancy, the resurrection, etc. Not that those are bad to know, but it did seem that people really didn't care so much about those. Even if they "lost" the argument, that didn't mean they were ready to invite Christ to transform them. But when they see something that is real, powerful, transformational and that they can walk out in every day life . . . Then they want to know more.

Does this mean that truth does not matter, or that all truth is subjective? Absolutely not. It may just mean that the door through which people want to pursue the truth is one of practical application, and not logical argument. Ultimately, Jesus exhortation to love as THE most important still stands (and always will). The thing that seems to speak most to my friends ("non-christian" AND "christian") is Love.

"And these three remain . . . But the greatest of these is Love".

Movie: Heroic Choices

Watched Batman Begins recently . . . A fun adventure, but I was also struck with a discussion we had afterwards . . . In the movie a city is fallen deep into degenerative corruption, and a group comes in with the plan to wipe it out and "restore balance". The protagonist, however, has a third way. He believes with barbarian-like sincerity that the community can still be redeemed, and as such he employs his heroics to save the city with this "third way".

In our fallen creation, we see corruption, violence, injustice and intolerance all around. We are faced with these same options daily:

To ignore.
To fight.
To redeem.

God looked at creation and could have chosen either of these first two (ignore creation's pain and suffering or just wipe out creation altogether), but instead chose to step into time and pursue the third way - redemption through love. It is this Third Way that we are also to take daily as Barbarian Believers - to put on our identity as vessels of redemption and to bring God's love into these situations with ruthless trust.

Deep thoughts from a superhero parable? Maybe, but God can use anything . . .

The Gospel Redux I

Hearing Alex Mcmanus speak on the "butt-naked Gospel" last week has had me thinking about how this would play out . . . I've spent considerable time over this last year looking at cultural trends and "additions" to the gospel, and continue to be very interested in looking at what the gospel sans additions would really look like. What are the core components of the Gospel? Some thoughts (and I am thinking out loud - this is far from a statement of what I think is fact . . .)

1) God - God IS love and the whole thing comes from Him and is empowered BY Him. No amount of cool marketing or swishy tricks can really add anything to the core Gospel.

2) God redemptive plan - To redeem creation back to himself - this is trans-cultural and unbound by tradition.

3) Jesus - As God incarnate the author of this spiritual revolution

4) Community - God propogating Kingdom through community and through power - folks who experience real community and carry the kingdom out not in human wisdom but in the Spirit and in power.

This is JUST a start of my thinking, and of course leads to further reductions - What is Kingdom? What is power? What is community? Each of these seems to have layer upon layer of cultural traditions on it also, so the search becomes a journey to the center . . . I suspect that it is ongoing, and that it is IN the journey that we will slowly find the answers.

A bit vague, perhaps? But my thoughts at this juncture, anyway . . .

Relevant Magazine

Relevant's piece on Darfur here - I dare us to read it and respond . . .

Hurricane Wilma

Select windows boarded up, and we sit here and wait . . . Another hurricane is on the warpath and we've had a night of waking up to the emergency radio announcing tornado warnings and flood warnings. We are north of the main part of the storm and so are looking at a much better picture than the three that slammed right through us last year. 9000 people are out of power in the immediate area, which is still (again) better than last year, and the weather outside doesn't look too bad right now . . .

However, the multiple warnings got me thinking . . . To be raised from slumber by numerous warnings of twisters, floods and storm force winds makes it very easy just to want to turn the weather radio off. Many times I would rather sleep and remain oblivious to the dangers around, although I realize that would be an unfuitful way to live. I think it's the same with the Kingdom; it would be easy to "sleep on" and ignore the dangers, but the call to live the "Barbarian Way" is a call OUT of civilization, out of slumber - A call to rest everything on the solid rock that is Christ and to move forward boldly to fight for the heart of our King.

Please pray for all those affected by these storms, and a crazy weather year . . .

God and Starbucks

I have a friend who felt this was shallow . . . On the other hand, whilst it is undoubtedly a reflection of our culture and the times we live in I don't necessarily think it is bad. In England pubs had in some ways replaced churches as centers for discussion and exploration of life, the universe and everything. Perhaps Starbucks is another outlet? People come together and discuss issues of life and meaning, and I am sure the quotes on the cups (whilst not necessarily life changing) might provoke some good discussions about "real stuff".

"You are not an accident. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He wanted you alive and created you for a purpose. Focusing on yourself will never reveal your real purpose. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense. Only in God do we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance and our destiny."- Rick Warren

Rick Warren's quote is certainly true and his book has certainly stirred up a lot of exploration. If Jesus is less interested in where we are and more interested in the direction we are going (through the crowd Toward God or through the crowd Away from Him) then this is quote can help stimulate and motivate . . . I'm thinking that anything that enables people to ask questions can only be good. I also think it is a great reflection on what people are finding in Rick's message that they would put him on the list of most enviable people AND on coffee cups . . .

Where someone is seeking Him, God can use billboards, coffee or blogs to draw people to receive His love . . . If He is in it, the tool is immaterial . . .

Bono

I was struck by Bono's words regarding meeting with world leaders:

"I'm representing the poorest and the most vulnerable people. On a spiritual level, I have that with me. I'm throwing a punch, and the fist belongs to people who can't be in the room, whose rage, whose anger, whose hurt I represent.
"The moral force is way beyond mine, it's an argument that has much more weight than I have. So I'm not feeling nervous."

Standing up for the poor, the vulnerable, the hurting, the oppressed . . . That certainly inspires me (and this is a NON-political statement), as it seems close to the heart of what Jesus said we should be doing. The truth seems to be that when we stand for the least, last and lost then we have the power of THE Truth on our side, and we are able to bring God's kingdom to break in on the earth.

What do you think?

Alex McManus Notes Part II

Part II of my notes from the GOBA meeting with Alex Mcmanus:

What the bible verse DOESN’T say: He doesn’t say “follow me and you GET eternal life” like a benefits package – We have preached the gospel and created consumers, not producers. The gospel is “I don’t have to live life for myself”. We have believed the cultural perspective that we are consumers.

Jesus begins a movement, not a program. In the 20th century it was about programs and policies. In the 21st century it is a movement and about throwing parties.

You could sum it up by saying Jesus ate really good food with really crummy people.
Churches have to be careful, as they can become clubs for the religious.
When Daniel entered the valley to kill Goliath he didn’t have a budget, didn’t know he’d be in the book of Samuel. He could have died a nameless youth right their in the valley.Who will it take? It will take the person who MUST do it. The one structure necessary is one human being that MUST.

He called them not to a ministry career. He called them to lay down their lives. The Christ following movement has always been a lay ministry.

We are to be a peripatetic movement, empowering action in the lay ministry.

At Saddleback, they had a person who MUST.

The next 50 years are going to be different – Everything is about to change. For most of history grandparents and grandchildren understood the same. Not now.
We are to:

Get rid of something.
Do something else.

We are the generation who get to throw the bathwater out and keep the baby.

Alex McManus

Last night I got to go and hear Alex Mcmanus at the Greater Orlando Baptist Association – Though I am not part of any Baptist church I’m very thankful that they let me join in . . . It was a phenomenal meeting time, Alex is doing a meeting all day in Orlando today, but I just couldn’t get things to work out so I could attend. A very powerful message which gives me lots to process and pray about . . .

Some of my notes from the meeting:

Mk 1: 14 –

The gospel is alive when it’s presented in a way people can understand it.

He spoke of Chinese prayers – during persecution they cannot be seen to pray so they pray looking at each other . . . A powerful way to pray.

It’s all about knowing the time – Jesus said the time had come.

Spoke of a “Highlander” event their church does – one guy stripped down to nothing to play tug of war – He stripped himself of all that would hold him back and dove in with gusto.
This is a butt-naked moment in history – leave everything else behind.

Hedges were created to protect the gospel in many cases – disrobe it and set it free, as the gospel is power!

Jesus didn’t come to preach Christianity, he came to redeem humanity.

Proximity does not equal identity – Being near to something doesn’t make you that. You can live in the shadow of a cathedral and not know Christ.

A spiritual person is surprised THEY are here.
A religious person is surprised YOU are here.

Our culture is realizing the mission field is HERE. We listen to missionaries and then come back home to something that has nothing to do with the culture. We are to strip the gospel naked –

Jesus doesn’t call us to be Christian, he calls us to be Human.

More notes to come tomorrow also . . . A very powerful message. GOBA’s overall question for the meeting is “WHO will it take?”, which fits in extremely well . . .

Who will it take?

Madonna Theology

"The material world. The physical world. The world of illusion, that we think is real. We live for it, we're enslaved by it. And it will ultimately be our undoing . . ."

Sounds like a scene from the Matrix . . . but actually an interesting quote attributed here to Madonna, reflecting the current views about the world in her new movie documentary, where she apparently talks about hell and "The Beast". If this is true, it is definitely a part of the ongoing conversation related to spirituality and God that we see going on . . .

Worship Leading

I love worship leading at our church and having the opportunity to play with such a talented team of passionate people. This weekend was so awesome - It amazes me that we are allowed to get together and play great music to glorify God - Only He could have invented such a brilliant thing!! And when He takes our little offering and pours His Spirit onto it, it's such a cool, powerful, transformational experience. I KNOW it's all about Him, but it just underlines the truth that whatever we bring to Him, he delights in pouring out His love on us!!

And our youth are so incredible - They play with such skill and humility and we are so fortunate to know them . . .

Stuff I've learned in worship over the years:

> No matter how many times you change your strings, you can cut 'em right away if you get carried away in playing.

> If a song isn't "clicking" for the team, lay it aside for a bit - it may well come back again

> MORE is NOT always better!

> Value quietness and silence as well as volume and sound

> Community is the most important thing

> Love covers a multitude of sins

> God is gracious and merciful

> We are His kids, and He loves it when we sing to Him!!

Nouwen and Chalke

I'm reading a diverse list these days . . . Henri Nouwen on the one hand, and finishing up Steve Chalke's latest "The Lost Message of Jesus" on the other. I love Nouwen's way with words, and the thoughts he has on solitude and silence. He sees them as a place we go TO, before we take it out into our everyday lives, where it can envelope any and all that come into contact with him. I am interested also in his explanation of the discipline of silence as relating not only to lack of sound around us, but to our choosing to be silent when we long to speak OUR point . . .

Lost Message? Steve Chalke has some interesting points here - I'm not finished with the book yet, but he seems essentially to be focussing on Jesus' message being extremely inclusionary and revolutionary to the religious culture of the day. He cites oft-given examples (eating with tax collectors, turning the money tables), but drills deeper than normal into what that may have looked like to the people of the day, and what that was telling them. He focusses on how Jesus had one story - that of "Us", rather than "Us and Them", and how that in turn should be reflected in our evangelism. He discusses "conversion" and our "modern" approach that says it happens at a time and place ("Many people who would never attach the label "Christian" to themselves are actually in the process of moving through the crowd closer to Jesus") - sounds familiar to those aware of the old Engels scale. Chalke also touches on Jesus feelings about war and makes some controversial points relating to the current wars in the world. Overall a good discussion book - I don't agree with all I've read so far, but much of it is very thought provoking . . .

Global Warming?

"Worldwide, it was the warmest September on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Friday."

See the article here . . .

What is our response to global warming?

Is it real? Is it fake? Does anyone even know? And if not, why not? What are the facts?

I hear both sides of the debate, and it's a tough one . . .

See Rob Bell Speak

Check out this link . . . Scroll down to "Watch" and there's a Rob Bell video to watch . . .

I like his definition of missions in Velvet Elvis:

"Missions is less about the transportation of God from one place to another and more about the identification of a God who is already there. It is almost as if being a good missionary means having really good eyesight. Or maybe it means teaching people to use their eyes to see things that have always been there; they just didn’t realize it. You see God where others don’t. And then you point him out.
Perhaps we ought to replace the word missionary with tour guide, because we cannot show people something we haven’t seen."

How differently would we feel if we saw ourselves as tour guides and approached things as above? There's a book by Posterski - "Why I am afraid to tell you I am a Christian". I haven't read it, but I suspect the reasons are not to do with Jesus, but rather related to what the LABEL might make them think of . . .

Lost Message!!

"Too often the message we preach has been influenced more by the culture we live in than the radical, life-changing, world-shaping message Jesus brought to the people living in Palestine two thousand years ago" - Steve Chalke

I was hanging out "Emergentno" a bit this week . . . An interesting site with some aggressive thoughts on all things emergent. Interesting conversations, though . . . One of the topics in the chain I chatted on referenced Steve Chalke's book "The Lost Message of Jesus" - This afternoon I stopped by an outlet store and there it was . . . The Lost Message. I'm interested to read what he says and report back on it . . . Steve is well known in the UK, but this is the first I have read of his work. . .

Lost Ipod!!

Ok, this is just cool . . .

Last night I didn't watch the latest episode of "Lost" on TV, and wasn't able to watch on video. Today up comes ITunes and . . . there it is: Download yesterday's episode for $1.99.

I don't have the funky new video ipod, but I can watch it on the computer monitor . . . Marketing props to Apple for the whole ipod phenomenon - way to brand and spread the marketing ideavirus . . .

Will it last? Who knows? But then I'd never have guessed Sylvester Stallone would be making Rocky VI. Good for him!

What an interesting world . . . Gotta love that God gave us some of His creativity!!

Movies & Mythology

If movies tell the cultural mythologies of the day, then this sounds like a really cool future in both film & cultural storytelling from Spielberg . . .

Click here to see

Psalm 91 - Divine Protection & Suffering

My musings on divine protection - Do we understand what God says, or do we select what we WANT Him to say and overlay that grid on His words?

So what does God promise us? A life of safety? A shade under His wing that will protect us from all difficulties in life? Or an open door into an adventure where we can risk all knowing that if we lose everything, we still stand victorious and win in the end?

In the article from CT.com referenced below, the writer examines just that and declares "As I listened to the words of Jesus, my understanding of protection became clearer. Honestly, it wasn't necessarily what I was hoping for."

So what does God offer us? In the wake of major national and international disasters Christianity often seems split on this topic . . . Some proclaim divine prosperity and safety from all manner of evil if we would just have enough faith. This leaves many bereft and further bruised . . . Others declare a God who loves us but is removed from the protection business, leaving us to fend for ourselves. Which is the true picture of our Father - one who spoils us if we will believe hard enough, or one who loves us from a distance?

I believe the answer lies in neither extreme, but in (to borrow a phrase) the radical middle. We have a real father who loves us unendingly, and is unerringly commited to His mission of reconciling all of creation back to himself. In doing so He knows that we will operate in a fallen creation and as such endure the scarrings that enter in down here from time to time. He also sees the end - That our sufferings are miniscule compared to the joy we will feel in being in His presence eternally and in seeing others there with us. But I DO NOT BELIEVE that makes him ache any less for us as we go through hurts in this love. It means we are safe from the evil one snatching our soul as we trust in Christ, and we are safe from judgement. (This is REAL safety, although for a time down here it doesn't always feel that way . . That's where the faith part comes in, I guess.)

Trusting that the eternal perspective will somehow make sense when you are surrounded by destruction and pain is not easy, and we do a massive disservice to anyone by commenting that "It'll all be ok in the light of heaven." This belittles others pain, and makes them feel even worse during a time of fragility. Rather our role is to ENTER IN to that pain with them (grieve when they grieve, and comfort with the comfort we have been given), and in doing so to allow His love to flow through us to them. We must be so careful never to fall into the twin traps of "Despair" (I enter into pain with you and agree all is hopeless) or "Don't Care" (Cheer up - If you look at it eternally none of this matters).

The truth is that it DOES matter. It DOES hurt. And it WON'T stop just because we see eternally. But knowing that we have a Father who will one day tenderly wipe every tear from my eye DOES help me get through it. It gives hope, which is enough.

So what does matter is truth given in LOVE. Without it, we just become a clanging cymbal - Annoying, grating and jarring. With it, we are balm to the wound . . .

So as we take the verses in Ps 91 and other parts of the Book in context, we realize that real protection is of the soul, not always of the body. As the writer says - this may not be what were looking for, and we may not like it . . . But it may be true . . .

So I'll continue to muse on this and my thoughts may develop, but that's where I am right now . . .

See the article in CT.com I reference here

Catalyst 2005

If you haven't already read it, the Catalyst official blog is here.

Some interesting points from the hosts - Erwin Mcmanus, Leonard Sweet, Malcolm (Tipping Point) Gladwell, Rick Warren and Bill Hybels all playing off each others' thoughts. . . Some good notes here on points to ponder . . .

Criticizing Rob Bell?

Rob Bell speaks to a lot of the stuff that is being said about him in this podcast . . . (It's the one titled "Directions 2.0 Part I"). Apart from being a good message on Direction (probably the first 2/3 are a regular sermon), I found the last third of the message which contains his comments on the current swirl of criticism and comment around him very interesting.

I have read Velvet Elvis. I have listened to Rob's messages. I like what he is saying, and believe that God is using him . . . I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, but he probably wouldn't agree with everything I say if he heard it.

If you're a critic so be it, but I encourage you to at least hear what he has to say about some of the issues brought up . . .

The 25 People We Envy Most . . .

Fortune Magazine has come up with its' list of the 25 people we envy the most in the world today . . . An interesting alternative to the list of richest folk . . .

Well guess who is # 9 on the list? Yep, nestled between Jon Stewart and J.K. Rowling is our friend Rick Warren!! Woah - It's interesting to see such a pivotal Christian leader ahead of Harry Potter's creator in a fortune magazine list. We live in an interesting world . . . Who'd have guessed, and what cultural stuff does this speak of?

On My Coffee Table

Not literally on the coffee table. . . But this is the stuff I'm reading/listening to at the moment:

Books/Magazines:
Erwin Mcmanus - Seizing Your Divine Moment
Rob Bell - Velvet Elvis
John Ortberg - God is Closer Than You Think
Le Carre - Constant Gardener
Relevant Magazine

Music:
Caedmon's Call - Share The Well
Ladysmith Black Mambazo - Raise Your Spirit Higher/Shaka Zulu
Paul Simon
Joe Purdy

Podcasts:
Aqueous
Brian Mclaren
Erwin Mcmanus
NPR Science

Hmmm . . . That's a lot of information flowing in . . . Perhaps I could simplify a bit more?

The Power Is Love

It seems there is so much suffering, so much darkness, so much pain in the world that it is easy to see when we can shine. The problem so often centers around HOW to shine . . . Is it this method, that formula, the other six steps.

Could it not be that ALL we have to do is shake (be salt) and shine (be light) by loving, and that God takes care of the rest. This simplifies everything - some would say it is a naieve approach to life, but what if it were that simple? Jesus was asked what was the most important part of the Book and he said, in essence "Love God and love people." Then he said something extraordinary - he basically said "If you do that you've done everything in the Book". This is stunningly simple, and I love it. "Owe no man ANY debt except that of love". Jesus the revolutionary announces a kingdom that is built on love, inhabited by love and pouring out love. The method will follow, the strategy will come OUT of that love.

So many books are written on "self-improvement". I like where Brennan Manning speaks of selflessness as becoming less and less aware of self . . . It is where we are so motivated by love for others that we start to forget ourselves. It is not a painful push to BE selfless. Rather it is a love for God and for people in which we just forget about our selves.

All this came from listening to an Mosaic Nashville podcast on "Minding the Gap", with the gap representing the least, last and lost that Jesus came for. As the sermon ended a worship song was played (I have no idea who sings it and can't find it in itunes) with words something like:

"Go Outside
Praise the God who made the stars up in the sky
Gather round with those who love and sing
He is our King"

Then it pours into the chorus:

"Noone should be left out.
Noone should be left out.
Noone should be left out.
Noone should be left out."

As I listened to the cry for inclusion of all who are hurting, who cry out, I was struck with how these two SHOULD go together in worship - A cry of love to God SHOULD be accompanied by a cry for those who are hurting . . . Our love of God needs to motivate us to go out to the streets and love those who hunger with the love God pours into our hearts. The method doesn't matter so much. What does matter is that we are motivated into action by love. God will take care of the "how?" and "what?".

Community Without A Cause

"One danger of the American church is that we often try to offer people community without cause. Without cause, you’re just another civic organization. You don’t have life transformation."

Some thought this quote fired off in me:

In this quote from Mcmanus I see an interesting idea formulating . . . There has indeed seemed to be a new and heavier emphasis on community in recent years. People are tired of seeing church as a teaching organization and have moved on to seeing it as a community. Increased emphasis calls people to deeper relationships and sharing . . . But does it happen.

I was listening to a message recently (apologies to the author - I am unsure) who spoke of the "whitewater rapids of life". She said that when you go whitewater rafting with a group you begin as strangers, but are transformed through the mission (getting to the end alive!!). She then spoke of a group of friends she was meeting with for years who became adept at keeping out of each others' whitewaters . . . The result: a certain level of community without major transformation. She argued that it is in the joining together of the common cause that we will inherently enter the whitewater, and in doing so be transformed. It is this whitewater experience that we look for then, but we are hardwired to run from discomfort in many cases. This can lead us to pile up any number of things to make us adept at "not going there" with the people we know. In this quote I see Mcmanus proposing that same thing - It is in the whitewater experiences that we are transformed . . . We need a cause . . .

But don't we have a cause? Do we? What differs a "cause" from a "hope"?

And what is our cause?

Getting people "into" heaven?
"Converting" people?
Proving I am right?
Making my point

Feeding the poor?
Healing the sick?
Freeing the oppressed?
What about "Loving" people?

I'm thinking about this then:

What is my/our cause?
How does it become an actual cause, and not just a nice thought/hope?

Perhaps our national preoccupation with self-transformation will just happen if we are devoted to The Cause in community . . ..




Random thought: I'm listening to Joe Purdy "Wash Away". This guy is great - Is all his stuff this good?

Mother Theresa

Quote:

"Make every effort to walk in the presence of God. To see God in everyone you must live your morning meditation throughout the day. Smile at one another. It is not always easy. Sometimes we find it hard to smile at someone, then we pray."

A Good Grasp on the Bible

I'm teaching on getting a good grasp on your Bible at SP in a couple of weeks . . . I'll be looking at the dynamics of reading, studying, memorizing, meditating and applying. With the Book being so central to all we do I'll be praying that this comes across as living, breathing, and not just another "system" to get what we are looking for . . . I wonder if some of Bell's stuff will come in here . . . Not sure yet . . .

Five Giants

Rick Warren, the Purpose Driven guy, has branched into an even broader vision - The Purpose Driven Nation.

Whatever you think of his book (and I happened to like it very much), Rick is "doing the stuff", as John Wimber put it. He reverse tithes (Lives on 10%, gives 90% away), strives to reach the unengaged and now is pushing for national change starting with Rwanda. Of course, Rwanda is VERY close to my heart at the moment and I'm wrestling through related issues, so I'm very happy to see him working there. As Warren's focus becomes more global, he has identified 5 giants that harm billions of people around the world:

* Spiritual emptiness. "[People] don't know God made them for a purpose."
* Egocentric leadership. "Most people cannot handle power. It goes to their heads."
* Poverty. "Half the world lives on less than $2 per day."
* Disease. "We have billions of people dying from preventable disease. That's unconscionable."
* Illiteracy. "Half the world is functionally illiterate."

Read the full article here. This is great food for thought, as we as a nation look to NOT be the rich person passing by on the other side of the road . . . More than that, Rick is embarking on a joint venture with the President of Rwanda to work to bring real, concrete hope. He states that "in denominations, you pay, you pray, and you get out of the way, " but that the tide is turning . . . I truly hope so - I want to spend some time studying the 2000 verses in the bible about the poor and become a part of that . . .

Warren aims to transform "400,000 churches in 47 nations into centers to nurse, feed and educate the poor" according to Time Magazine (Aug 2005). This is frontline Christianity, and it makes me very excited to even think about!! God, let me a part of this . . .

Snakes and the Kingdom of God

So I'm out on the porch last night, just drinking in all the beauty of nature and cooling down after some good exercising . . . All is serene and quiet, and then . . . A slight movement, and there it was - A 3 - 4 foot snake just hanging out in the corner of the porch. (This pic is not THAT snake - this is one I took at a house I visited a couple of months ago)

Not the first time it's happened, but I'm always taken by surprise when I see them down here. Jersey and England weren't big on snakes, but they are all over here. I'm not sure what kind it was, but they always do the same thing to me: On the one hand I am a little anxious to be so close to one of these incredible creatures, but on the other hand I am wanting to get up close and examine it, learn about it. It's a curious mix of emotions, and always a neat tension between "Run" and "Engage".

It's the same with God sometimes . . . We're out enjoying His creation and he puts something in the corner of our lives that suddenly catches our eye. It's often an area he wants us to push out into that is scary, exciting and amazing. And we are often caught between those to same emotions . . . The one screams "Run!! Stay the same - don't get too close!!" The other whispers "Learn. Grow. Develop. Engage. Become the person I am creating you to be." We stand, held in the tension between fleeing and growing, spiritual formation and spiritual stagnation.

At that moment our choices are pivotal . . . To engage is to enter into the Glory of the Plan of God, whilst to flee is to rest back into status quo. With snakes it is stupid to pick them up unless you are trained, but to engage with God is to live fully!! It reminds me to choose to engage fully the next time I feel the movement of God's finger in the corner of the porch of my life. To move beyond the fear is the way forward.

By the way, we found out that Office Duster is a great snake deterrant . . . (Don't take this as an official safety tip!!) Since they are cold blooded the cold spray makes them flee to warmth - an easy way to direct them to the exit. So office duster cleans dirt AND repels serpents . . . Another spiritual metaphor hidden in there, I am sure!

I'm not really a poetry kinda guy, but it reminded me of one of the ones I did like:

Come to the edge, he said
We are afraid, they said
Come to the edge, he said
They came
He pushed them
And they flew.


Have a great day . . .!!

Emerging Resource . . .

Brian Mclaren is doing a great series at CRCC (www.crcc.org) looking at the Emerging Church - This is a great way of summarizing some of the current key thinking in this much misunderstood subject. Whether you are pro or against, I'd say these are great to listen to . . .


Title - What is the Emerging Church?

Topics:

Missional/Integral
Evangelical
Artistic
Catholic
Global
Monastic

You can find the messages so far here.

Microwave Spirituality

Continuing the Microbible strand, time is both the great facilitator and prison of our current culture. We long for more of it, obsess on how to maximize it, work many weeks to "take some of it off" on vacation, and schedule it as if we are in control. The truth, however, is that (in the words of Douglas Adams) "Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." Indeed, it may be that only when we realize that we are "in time" and not "in control" that we can possibly slow down to the speed of God.

God - as one of the commentors has said - is not in a hurry. He moves in perfect rhythm with His plans. So what about us? Why are we so rushed? So frantic? Do we take the time to sync up with the God of the universe and slow down to His speed? If time is the currency of the present world and eternity that of the future, our only hope for bypassing temporal bankrupcy would be to live in the future NOW by "slipping into eternity". In other words, when we sync up with God and begin to move at His rhythm we are no longer constrained by time, but have already started living in the rhythm of the future kingdom.

What does this mean in my daily, hourly, walkabout life? It would mean I can relax, slow down, not look at everything and everyone through the lens of "hurry sickness" the culture is emerged in. Rather, I can look at each day knowing:

"I do NOT have enough time to do all I want to do.
I do NOT have enough time to do all other people may want me to do.
I DO have MORE than enough time to do EVERYTHING that God wants me to do."

When I live this way, I can rest easy and look first not at my To Do list, but rather be always looking at what HE wants me to do. This will change my approach to interruptions, crises, appointments, rest - I HAVE enough time.

Is it possible that if we are living our lives harried and hurried that there is a better way? And is it equally possible that this doesn't rest on figuring out the seven habits and 99 new ways to manage time? Not that these are necessarily bad - I'm just exploring whether there is a better way?