I went with my two boys this past week and watched "Princess and the Frog". It was kind of throw back to the old-school Disney animated feature: strong female character, chaos, and big musical numbers. It certainly wasn't as funny as others but it was solid. My big reason for going? New Orleans was the city of choice! And that reminded me that this year we're bringing another team to New Orleans.
Our first trip was in December 2005, only months after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. What we saw that year is hard to describe. In many ways, seeing the Ninth Ward completely wiped out was surreal. In many ways it looked like we entered into a war zone but instead of bombs, homes were destroyed by water and the force of the wind. We were called to help one homeowner in the Ninth Ward that year all she wanted was for us to recover some money in a little storage container. The rest of the house was waterlogged, unable to be salvaged.
But now after five years we're heading back for what probably is our last time in New Orleans. First, I'm grateful that we have been able to partner with Castle Rock Community Church. We've gone from cleaning up to actually helping to rebuild the city. There's still a long ways to go but the fact that we've hung in there to help make a difference in a city that desperately needed outside help is something very special to me. In many ways, New Orleans, like Calcutta, India and Jerusalem, Israel feel like home away from home. It's because I've spent time there and gotten to know people.
The other thing that always strikes me is the caliber of people that we have brought with us. They could spend their money and time elsewhere. But instead they choose to come with us, using their time, talent, and skills to help rebuild some pretty poor parts of New Orleans. Oh yea, the food is great, and it's fun to be there but there's a bigger reason to go... to give our lives to something redemptive... something that is at the very heart of the gospel. I consider it a real privilege to co-labor alongside some pretty cool people. I'm so impressed with their desire to actually pay a portion of the trip out of their own pocket and their love for the Savior which leads them to loving those who are on the margins.
There is much to do with college students! But it's always works out well when we combine great teaching and training on how to live life well in the Spirit connecting that with works of compassion and mercy! Spiritual formation is best "caught" when we intentionally teach on the heart while we give our bodies to laboring for God's Kingdom. We lead with the body and then check our hearts. Spiritual formation always has a missional component. I can't wait to get back to Castle Rock to see fiends and to engage our students in something that will hopefully shape their worldview for the rest of their lives!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Best Reads of 2009
As the year winds down , let me quickly list the top books I've read this year in no particular order. Maybe I'll do something along the lines of movies next...
The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan
The divide between Israel and Palestine continues to draw the world's focus toward a small piece of land in the Middle East. The book is based on a story that Tolan did for National Public Radio. The book is incredibly helpful in describing the history behind the conflict in the format of a narrative. While it does not reach back into history as far as I would want it to, it provides enough context so that the average person can at least get a basic grip on how complex the problem is. What's even more powerful is that it speaks of the power of hope, that we can work to understand while not completely agreeing.
Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller
How in the world does a 60-something year old pastor in Brooklyn, New York become so popular among young adults? Read the book and you'll see Keller's style and understand why. What he unpacks is something that we all know... we are just as idolatrous as those who have come before us. Our version is not with wooden statues but just as pernicious as we take things, people, and ideas and make them ultimate in our lives. He does a fine job representing the pastor/shepherd/theologian/philosopher that used to be the norm in churches.
John Coltrane: His Life and Music by Lewis Porter
When it comes to bebop there was no one else like 'Trane on the sax. When you listen to him, his phrasing is an expression of his soul (I think jazz as an art form points entirely to the complexity of the soul, and not the brain, and ultimately to God). While his music was genre changing, his life was ultimately sad. One of the better biographies of a man who shaped American music. Next I'm up for reading a biography of Miles...
Soren Kierkegaard's Christian Psychology: Insight for Counseling & Pastoral Care by C. Stephen Evans
Ok, this is a bit harder of a read because one needs to be somewhat familiar with Kierkegaard's life and the framework of his concepts. However, what he represents is the philosopher who was also spiritual theologian and contributed greatly to what authentic faith looks like. I know this sounds cliche but this is a must read for all pastors who are in the trenches with people trying to grow. His understanding of sin as building your identity on anything else other than God is helpful in pastoral care.
The Quest for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield
One of my favorite books of 2009. Yep, sat me down with a Guinness and started reading about the history of the company. All I have to say is, "Oh my, what a great book!" I had all my categories blown away when I understood the spiritual legacy that Arthur Guinness left as a part of the Guinness Brewing Compnay. More than that, the book is riveting when it recounts the great impact the company had on its employees, eliminating poverty and unemployment, and spiritual awakening. If more companies today involved in the capitalistic enterprise understood the importance of ungirding the profit motive with virtue, I think it would change corporate America for the better. Now I wish someone would now write a book about all the great spiritual discussions that occurred in a pub...
The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need by Juliet Schor
Schor is a professor of sociology at Boston College. The book is a bit dated but the effect is powerful nonetheless. We buy what what we don't need and it's left many people with a habit that will not help them do well in life. Companies work hard at creating "needs" that are either artificial or superficial. What's worse is that it's acceptable today to consume. I'm certainly not advocating ceasing buying things but the book will make you think twice before just jumping in to buy something. It's shocking that the vices of greed and gluttony are presently acceptable.
Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden
Just finished it. This biography of Jonathan Edwards cements him as one of the influential (if not the most influential) pastor/theologians in American history. What strikes me about Edwards is his deep understanding of theology and philosophy is well-thought through whether you agree with him or not), as well as an interest in how the Holy Spirit works in justification and sanctification. If you like reading biographies and are interested in discovering one of the great influences on modern day evangelicalism, this is a good read.
Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity by Lauren Winner
The Paradigm Shift college ministry spent quite a bit of time this summer working through a biblical theology on sex and the body. Probably one of the best times of reading and study I've had. And no, it's not because the topic was sex! My interest in talking about this subject is due to the fact that the church doesn't. Oh, we do maybe once a year and it's largely the message of "don't do it" said by people brought in. Winner's book is not only compelling (she has a background it seems in spiritual formation) but she has a good grasp of historically how the church has dealt with the subject. And she has a great understanding of chastity not as something to mock but something that is a real virrtue (connected to the cardinal virtue of temperance). Confused? Read the book and it should become clear.
Life on the Vine by Phillip Kennison
Great book on the virtues lived out in a robust sense of community. Kennison looks at the Fruit of the Spirit and offers relevant and practical insight into how this is lived out in the context of our lives together. For those who enjoy good reads on spiritual formation, this is a very helpful book.
The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan
The divide between Israel and Palestine continues to draw the world's focus toward a small piece of land in the Middle East. The book is based on a story that Tolan did for National Public Radio. The book is incredibly helpful in describing the history behind the conflict in the format of a narrative. While it does not reach back into history as far as I would want it to, it provides enough context so that the average person can at least get a basic grip on how complex the problem is. What's even more powerful is that it speaks of the power of hope, that we can work to understand while not completely agreeing.
Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller
How in the world does a 60-something year old pastor in Brooklyn, New York become so popular among young adults? Read the book and you'll see Keller's style and understand why. What he unpacks is something that we all know... we are just as idolatrous as those who have come before us. Our version is not with wooden statues but just as pernicious as we take things, people, and ideas and make them ultimate in our lives. He does a fine job representing the pastor/shepherd/theologian/philosopher that used to be the norm in churches.
John Coltrane: His Life and Music by Lewis Porter
When it comes to bebop there was no one else like 'Trane on the sax. When you listen to him, his phrasing is an expression of his soul (I think jazz as an art form points entirely to the complexity of the soul, and not the brain, and ultimately to God). While his music was genre changing, his life was ultimately sad. One of the better biographies of a man who shaped American music. Next I'm up for reading a biography of Miles...
Soren Kierkegaard's Christian Psychology: Insight for Counseling & Pastoral Care by C. Stephen Evans
Ok, this is a bit harder of a read because one needs to be somewhat familiar with Kierkegaard's life and the framework of his concepts. However, what he represents is the philosopher who was also spiritual theologian and contributed greatly to what authentic faith looks like. I know this sounds cliche but this is a must read for all pastors who are in the trenches with people trying to grow. His understanding of sin as building your identity on anything else other than God is helpful in pastoral care.
The Quest for God and Guinness by Stephen Mansfield
One of my favorite books of 2009. Yep, sat me down with a Guinness and started reading about the history of the company. All I have to say is, "Oh my, what a great book!" I had all my categories blown away when I understood the spiritual legacy that Arthur Guinness left as a part of the Guinness Brewing Compnay. More than that, the book is riveting when it recounts the great impact the company had on its employees, eliminating poverty and unemployment, and spiritual awakening. If more companies today involved in the capitalistic enterprise understood the importance of ungirding the profit motive with virtue, I think it would change corporate America for the better. Now I wish someone would now write a book about all the great spiritual discussions that occurred in a pub...
The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need by Juliet Schor
Schor is a professor of sociology at Boston College. The book is a bit dated but the effect is powerful nonetheless. We buy what what we don't need and it's left many people with a habit that will not help them do well in life. Companies work hard at creating "needs" that are either artificial or superficial. What's worse is that it's acceptable today to consume. I'm certainly not advocating ceasing buying things but the book will make you think twice before just jumping in to buy something. It's shocking that the vices of greed and gluttony are presently acceptable.
Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden
Just finished it. This biography of Jonathan Edwards cements him as one of the influential (if not the most influential) pastor/theologians in American history. What strikes me about Edwards is his deep understanding of theology and philosophy is well-thought through whether you agree with him or not), as well as an interest in how the Holy Spirit works in justification and sanctification. If you like reading biographies and are interested in discovering one of the great influences on modern day evangelicalism, this is a good read.
Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity by Lauren Winner
The Paradigm Shift college ministry spent quite a bit of time this summer working through a biblical theology on sex and the body. Probably one of the best times of reading and study I've had. And no, it's not because the topic was sex! My interest in talking about this subject is due to the fact that the church doesn't. Oh, we do maybe once a year and it's largely the message of "don't do it" said by people brought in. Winner's book is not only compelling (she has a background it seems in spiritual formation) but she has a good grasp of historically how the church has dealt with the subject. And she has a great understanding of chastity not as something to mock but something that is a real virrtue (connected to the cardinal virtue of temperance). Confused? Read the book and it should become clear.
Life on the Vine by Phillip Kennison
Great book on the virtues lived out in a robust sense of community. Kennison looks at the Fruit of the Spirit and offers relevant and practical insight into how this is lived out in the context of our lives together. For those who enjoy good reads on spiritual formation, this is a very helpful book.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Most Powerful Subgroup
I want to continue on a theme from a few days ago. In reading about the life of Jonathan Edwards, it became apparent that the seeds of the First Great Awakening were connected to young adults. At least early in his career, Edwards seemed to have a good connection with young adults and it was their response to Edwards' teaching that laid the foundation for the work of the Spirit.
Though there is not a strict connection, revivals, awakenings, and new movements of God's Kingdom have seen their genesis with college aged/young adults. I do not know of a recent book that chronicles movements in history that began among young adults. I recall a book many years ago by Patty Burgin, when she was with Crusade staff, wrote about the powerful percent. In the book she asserted (at that point) that only 1% of the world's population have the opportunity to attend a university.
It's here that two things have happened. First, those that attend university tend to be the ones who shape society and culture for the future. In that sense, college students are absolutely critical to reach as they are the shapers of countries. Second, it is out of this subgroup that new expressions of expanding God's Kingdom were launched. College is not only an extreme privilege (Some estimates are that still 1% of the world's population has a college degree) but it's also the place where God stirs new dreams and passions for a lost and dying world and for the Church, God's holy bride. We can speculate why God has chosen young people, college students to lead the way. But that's another discussion. The fact is that throughout church history God has used young adults to shift the prevailing paradigm.
A couple of examples will suffice...as noted, young adults were central to the beginning of the First Great Awakening here in the U.S. Later in history (1806), five student at Williams College in Massachusetts began gathering to pray. At one of their meetings a thunderstorm broke out and they rushed to the shelter of a haystack. This was the beginning of the first solid North American missions work. In the first fifty years over 1,000 students were sent to the mission field. Both the Student Volunteer Movement and Intervarsity have their origins in the Haystack Prayer movement.How about Jim Elliot? It probably escapes most of us who know about his life that it was his college years that mostly launched him into serving on the missions field until he was martyred in Ecuador. And we can continue with the start of Campus Crusade and the Navigators! I used to serve the Crusade so the story of Henrietta Mear's influence on Bill Bright and Dawson Trotman (who would go on to found The Navigators ministry) at Forest Home was recounted for new staff. It was through the influence of Dr. Mear's that both men began to pray and received direction from the Spirit to reach the college campus. More recently, we have all been affected by the Passion movement with Louis Giglio.
This is the short answer to why even devote time and energy to college students. The strategic nature of reaching collegians with a compelling and lasting picture of the gospel is critical to the health of the Church both here in the States and also around the world. God uses college students! If this is the case, it is in our best interest then to invite our college students to participate in something big and not just "youth group". It has everything to do with making the kind of disciples whose hearts are enlarged to love God and others, who are re-trained to live life well with the Great Commission and Commandment in mind (and not just more behavior modification and getting people pumped up).
Though there is not a strict connection, revivals, awakenings, and new movements of God's Kingdom have seen their genesis with college aged/young adults. I do not know of a recent book that chronicles movements in history that began among young adults. I recall a book many years ago by Patty Burgin, when she was with Crusade staff, wrote about the powerful percent. In the book she asserted (at that point) that only 1% of the world's population have the opportunity to attend a university.
It's here that two things have happened. First, those that attend university tend to be the ones who shape society and culture for the future. In that sense, college students are absolutely critical to reach as they are the shapers of countries. Second, it is out of this subgroup that new expressions of expanding God's Kingdom were launched. College is not only an extreme privilege (Some estimates are that still 1% of the world's population has a college degree) but it's also the place where God stirs new dreams and passions for a lost and dying world and for the Church, God's holy bride. We can speculate why God has chosen young people, college students to lead the way. But that's another discussion. The fact is that throughout church history God has used young adults to shift the prevailing paradigm.
A couple of examples will suffice...as noted, young adults were central to the beginning of the First Great Awakening here in the U.S. Later in history (1806), five student at Williams College in Massachusetts began gathering to pray. At one of their meetings a thunderstorm broke out and they rushed to the shelter of a haystack. This was the beginning of the first solid North American missions work. In the first fifty years over 1,000 students were sent to the mission field. Both the Student Volunteer Movement and Intervarsity have their origins in the Haystack Prayer movement.How about Jim Elliot? It probably escapes most of us who know about his life that it was his college years that mostly launched him into serving on the missions field until he was martyred in Ecuador. And we can continue with the start of Campus Crusade and the Navigators! I used to serve the Crusade so the story of Henrietta Mear's influence on Bill Bright and Dawson Trotman (who would go on to found The Navigators ministry) at Forest Home was recounted for new staff. It was through the influence of Dr. Mear's that both men began to pray and received direction from the Spirit to reach the college campus. More recently, we have all been affected by the Passion movement with Louis Giglio.
This is the short answer to why even devote time and energy to college students. The strategic nature of reaching collegians with a compelling and lasting picture of the gospel is critical to the health of the Church both here in the States and also around the world. God uses college students! If this is the case, it is in our best interest then to invite our college students to participate in something big and not just "youth group". It has everything to do with making the kind of disciples whose hearts are enlarged to love God and others, who are re-trained to live life well with the Great Commission and Commandment in mind (and not just more behavior modification and getting people pumped up).
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Subculture of Young Adults
Ok, there's lot to learn theologically and philosophically when reading the biography of Jonathan Edwards but over the past week I've run into a little historical fact that I was not expecting. My friend Ben Hines encouraged me over lunch to write a blog about college ministry. Here's an initial attempt at it.
Edwards is best known for his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and he doesn't get much love for it. He's depicted as a narrow minded, intolerant, angry Christian. That's the farthest thing from the truth. In fact Edwards had much success as a pastor ministering to young people in Northampton, MA. In many respects his ability to "connect" with the young adults sowed the seeds for the First Great Awakening.
But even then there was a subculture present. There were certain practices among the young adults that were part of their culture, much of it lived under the radar. Here are some examples: tavern-haunting (yes, they bar-hopped back then), playing cards (probably not Texas Hold 'Em), reading "titillating" material and excessive drinking. One thing that had parents really concerned for their kids about was the practice of night frolicking. I'm still not sure what exactly frolicking is, but I think it has to do with hanging out with no good intentions. It seems like a lot of the frolicking among young adults in colonial America was done at taverns.
But the one that surprised me was a practice called, "bundling". Now don't misunderstand me, I don't take sexual sin lightly but the name "bundling" cracked me up. "Bundling" was the New England practice where parents would allow their older children to spend the night together with friends in the same bed (and I'm assuming mixed gender), partially clothed. It was allowed with the explanation that parents trusted children but certainly with the proverbial winking of the eye because everyone knew what was going on. Bundling was supposed to be a way to get to know another person with some clothes on in bed! In some perverse way it was probably thought of as a way to decrease sexual temptation. I understand the thinking to be if you can lay in bed with someone of the opposite sex with clothes on, then you won't be tempted, as if the presence of clothes acts like a natural barrier to temptation! Of course, that was not just naive, that was stupid. Because of this practice, there was an increase in pregnancies before marriage. Marsden in his book "Jonathan Edwards: A Life" cites that premarital sex was commonplace back then but as long as the couple married there was no stigma attached.
Wow! All this to say that there was a young adult subculture present back then even in post-Puritanical times. In fact, I'll write about this in the next few days but it was the subculture itself that was affected by the Holy Spirit in conjunction with Edward's preaching. God has always used those on the fringes, the subcultures, to affect change! This is one of the reasons why ministering to collegians is strategic in nature. Throughout history it's been the seed of change as religion is expressed.
Edwards is best known for his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and he doesn't get much love for it. He's depicted as a narrow minded, intolerant, angry Christian. That's the farthest thing from the truth. In fact Edwards had much success as a pastor ministering to young people in Northampton, MA. In many respects his ability to "connect" with the young adults sowed the seeds for the First Great Awakening.
But even then there was a subculture present. There were certain practices among the young adults that were part of their culture, much of it lived under the radar. Here are some examples: tavern-haunting (yes, they bar-hopped back then), playing cards (probably not Texas Hold 'Em), reading "titillating" material and excessive drinking. One thing that had parents really concerned for their kids about was the practice of night frolicking. I'm still not sure what exactly frolicking is, but I think it has to do with hanging out with no good intentions. It seems like a lot of the frolicking among young adults in colonial America was done at taverns.
But the one that surprised me was a practice called, "bundling". Now don't misunderstand me, I don't take sexual sin lightly but the name "bundling" cracked me up. "Bundling" was the New England practice where parents would allow their older children to spend the night together with friends in the same bed (and I'm assuming mixed gender), partially clothed. It was allowed with the explanation that parents trusted children but certainly with the proverbial winking of the eye because everyone knew what was going on. Bundling was supposed to be a way to get to know another person with some clothes on in bed! In some perverse way it was probably thought of as a way to decrease sexual temptation. I understand the thinking to be if you can lay in bed with someone of the opposite sex with clothes on, then you won't be tempted, as if the presence of clothes acts like a natural barrier to temptation! Of course, that was not just naive, that was stupid. Because of this practice, there was an increase in pregnancies before marriage. Marsden in his book "Jonathan Edwards: A Life" cites that premarital sex was commonplace back then but as long as the couple married there was no stigma attached.
Wow! All this to say that there was a young adult subculture present back then even in post-Puritanical times. In fact, I'll write about this in the next few days but it was the subculture itself that was affected by the Holy Spirit in conjunction with Edward's preaching. God has always used those on the fringes, the subcultures, to affect change! This is one of the reasons why ministering to collegians is strategic in nature. Throughout history it's been the seed of change as religion is expressed.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Jonathan Edwards pt. 1
My journey this month is to devote myself to prayer and study. I am using the life and sermons of Jonathan Edwards to spur prayer and thought. This really is the first week of sabbatical that I've felt I can get on with what the process of renewing and refreshing that comes with sabbatical.
First, let me say this about Edwards. You cannot read "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and conclude that Edwards preached singularly about hell, fire and damnation. Nor can the modern man quickly conclude that all the myths associated with an older picture of religion are dispelled making Edwards irrelevant to modern life. Actually, if you read what was going on in people's lives there are many similarities today! It strikes me that Edwards was a well thought through theologian, philosopher, and practitioner of identifying the Spirit's work in people's lives. In fact, consistent with the Puritanical tradition, he was interested in understanding the role of beauty and its drawing power upon a person. Many of his sermons reflect on the beauty of Christ. That does not strike me as a pastor who was quick to damn people to hell. If you read about his life, in the context of what was going on religiously at the time, he is much more of a shepherd leading people in deep reverence to the throne of a beautiful God.
Second, you cannot get away from the fact that when Edwards preached he used two primary forms of communication. First, he was incredibly logical in his preaching. He simply moves from one point to another then ending with application. He was not a motivational speaker, focusing on positive things. One thing that characterized his teaching was he "led" people to inevitable conclusions. When he got to the application part, the work that was done before to communicate truth left true seekers of God no option but to respond in repentance. But also his sermons utilize both logic imagery to not only paint the horrors of life without God but the beauty of life with God. His sermons utilize word pictures that spark the imagination of a person, both in the horror of life where one is left to one's own resources or the incredible attractiveness of following Christ.
Our preaching of the Scriptures to collegians should reflect both - a well thought through presentation that moves from point to point leaving very little untouched. It should stir the minds of people to think and reflect upon the reasonableness of our faith. Yet, it should use words to communicate beyond the mind. it should use words that drive truth to people's hearts. The Spirit should be able to use our words to stir affections in our hearts for God and His Kingdom. More on this later when I reflect on Ed Clowney's thoughts on Christ-centered preaching later in January.
First, let me say this about Edwards. You cannot read "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and conclude that Edwards preached singularly about hell, fire and damnation. Nor can the modern man quickly conclude that all the myths associated with an older picture of religion are dispelled making Edwards irrelevant to modern life. Actually, if you read what was going on in people's lives there are many similarities today! It strikes me that Edwards was a well thought through theologian, philosopher, and practitioner of identifying the Spirit's work in people's lives. In fact, consistent with the Puritanical tradition, he was interested in understanding the role of beauty and its drawing power upon a person. Many of his sermons reflect on the beauty of Christ. That does not strike me as a pastor who was quick to damn people to hell. If you read about his life, in the context of what was going on religiously at the time, he is much more of a shepherd leading people in deep reverence to the throne of a beautiful God.
Second, you cannot get away from the fact that when Edwards preached he used two primary forms of communication. First, he was incredibly logical in his preaching. He simply moves from one point to another then ending with application. He was not a motivational speaker, focusing on positive things. One thing that characterized his teaching was he "led" people to inevitable conclusions. When he got to the application part, the work that was done before to communicate truth left true seekers of God no option but to respond in repentance. But also his sermons utilize both logic imagery to not only paint the horrors of life without God but the beauty of life with God. His sermons utilize word pictures that spark the imagination of a person, both in the horror of life where one is left to one's own resources or the incredible attractiveness of following Christ.
Our preaching of the Scriptures to collegians should reflect both - a well thought through presentation that moves from point to point leaving very little untouched. It should stir the minds of people to think and reflect upon the reasonableness of our faith. Yet, it should use words to communicate beyond the mind. it should use words that drive truth to people's hearts. The Spirit should be able to use our words to stir affections in our hearts for God and His Kingdom. More on this later when I reflect on Ed Clowney's thoughts on Christ-centered preaching later in January.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Update on sabbatical
Here is the question I'm working with while on sabbatical... What do I look toward for salvation other than God? I'm really interested in the issue of idolatry in my heart. If idolatry is relying upon something other than God for meaning, purpose, and identity and if idolatry is pervasive and often "hidden", then what idols are there in my life?
There seem to be only a few ways to determine the centrality of idolatry in one's life. The first is frustrated expectations. We all have expectations - some legitimate, some illegitimate, some unspoken, some spoken. As I have thought about this the past few years, it's the ones that are unspoken, the hidden ones, that sneak up and bite us reminding us of their illegitimacy. Think of when you have been frustrated with life or with another person? Do you have a reason to be angry? This was God's question to Jonah in chapter 4 that revealed the hidden expectations and hidden idols that Jonah had in his heart.
I think a second way that idolatry is revealed is when something is taken away. Think about when something you treasure is removed from your life. Is your response more like a child that pouts because something has been taken away? Our reaction in anger or frustration or even confusion is a reminder of what we actually think brings us security and identity. Just because we think we are modern does not entail that we are free from idolatry. It's on the front end of the Ten Commandments so it still must have relevancy today!
This quest has become central for my sabbatical. The reason? Kay's been busy this week with getting ready for the Repast program at church. That has meant in very simple terms that I run with the house while she's gone much of the day. My first reaction to having to "delay my sabbatical" was revealing! I noticed that I was getting frustrated even though I knew she would be gone this week! I knew that I would have to run with things especially with Christopher still sick. I knew that I would have to cancel spending a few days out in the desert on my own so that I could be available for the boys and responsibilities around the house. And I was frustrated. Why? Honestly, because my will in seeking pleasure on MY sabbatical was being frustrated. I think a whole lot more about me and my own pleasure than I would care to admit. This first "hurdle" in my time off revealed simply what I place more importance in - my will and the seeking of pleasure.
Here is part of John Baille's prayer this morning:
Thou art hidden from my sight:
Thou art beyond the understanding of my mind:
Thy thoughts are not as my thoughts:
Thy ways are past finding out:
Yet hast Thou breathed Thy Spirit into my life:
Yet hast Thou formed my mind to seek after Thee:
Yet hast Thou inclined my heart to love Thee:
Yet hast Thou made me restless for the rest that is in Thee:
Yet hast Thou planted within me a hunger and thirst that make me dissatisfied with all the joys of earth.
There seem to be only a few ways to determine the centrality of idolatry in one's life. The first is frustrated expectations. We all have expectations - some legitimate, some illegitimate, some unspoken, some spoken. As I have thought about this the past few years, it's the ones that are unspoken, the hidden ones, that sneak up and bite us reminding us of their illegitimacy. Think of when you have been frustrated with life or with another person? Do you have a reason to be angry? This was God's question to Jonah in chapter 4 that revealed the hidden expectations and hidden idols that Jonah had in his heart.
I think a second way that idolatry is revealed is when something is taken away. Think about when something you treasure is removed from your life. Is your response more like a child that pouts because something has been taken away? Our reaction in anger or frustration or even confusion is a reminder of what we actually think brings us security and identity. Just because we think we are modern does not entail that we are free from idolatry. It's on the front end of the Ten Commandments so it still must have relevancy today!
This quest has become central for my sabbatical. The reason? Kay's been busy this week with getting ready for the Repast program at church. That has meant in very simple terms that I run with the house while she's gone much of the day. My first reaction to having to "delay my sabbatical" was revealing! I noticed that I was getting frustrated even though I knew she would be gone this week! I knew that I would have to run with things especially with Christopher still sick. I knew that I would have to cancel spending a few days out in the desert on my own so that I could be available for the boys and responsibilities around the house. And I was frustrated. Why? Honestly, because my will in seeking pleasure on MY sabbatical was being frustrated. I think a whole lot more about me and my own pleasure than I would care to admit. This first "hurdle" in my time off revealed simply what I place more importance in - my will and the seeking of pleasure.
Here is part of John Baille's prayer this morning:
Thou art hidden from my sight:
Thou art beyond the understanding of my mind:
Thy thoughts are not as my thoughts:
Thy ways are past finding out:
Yet hast Thou breathed Thy Spirit into my life:
Yet hast Thou formed my mind to seek after Thee:
Yet hast Thou inclined my heart to love Thee:
Yet hast Thou made me restless for the rest that is in Thee:
Yet hast Thou planted within me a hunger and thirst that make me dissatisfied with all the joys of earth.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The necessity of sabbatical
The Scriptures point to a rhythm and regularity of life. In the first book, we read of God's creative act - six days on, one day rest. this is reiterated to the Hebrew children upon leaving Egypt - God's people are to work six and take one day off. And it gets even more interesting! This principle of work and rest is extended to the land in Exodus. Six years the land is to be worked and then the seventh is a year of rest where the land is allowed to lay fallow. This culminates in the Year of Jubilee... seven cycles of sabbatical years that was connected to the poor, debt, and restoration.
This is quite a remarkable principle and has direct application for those in college ministry. First, how well do we model the principle of Shabbat? If we really think that our students are too busy how well do we as "the professionals" model taking a day off during the week? Honestly, I'm not good at it. I like work and the nature of ministry is that the work is never completed. There are always issues and programs that call for me to place my identity in just how much I can get done. I'm very aware of my propensity to approach ministry by doing it in the power of the flesh rather than in the power of the Holy Spirit. I've been trained to get things done. And ministry seems to carry with it this demand that I'm always on. How in the world do I actually take a Sabbath when I'm on call 24/7?
Now this is not the case at the church where I work, but there are hidden expectations from other pastors to work harder and longer. It gets put in this way: we should work just as hard as those in the marketplace. Or we should work as hard as the senior pastor does. Wow. That seems to be laden with hidden expectations. What does that mean? Fifty hours a week? Sixty? What must a pastor sacrifice in order to "get the job done" with excellence? It feels like such a moving target where I'm not ever sure what excellence really is. Again, that's not the case where I work but the fragmentation of our own hearts and leaning toward overwork and nature of ministry contributes to not taking a Sabbath. How can I expect students to take an intention break in their week or lives when I don't model that for them?
Second, it points to the need for those of us in ministry to not just take a Sabbath but actually take an extended sabbatical. It's not reserved purely for those in academics. It's actually a time to pull back, to see the dispositions of our own hearts and how much trust we put in our own ability to get things done. It's a chance to examine habits and beliefs and to create space to actually partner with God. If we our desire is for students to grow then an extended paid time away has tremendous value for our own spiritual growth.
I'm on the front end of an extended sabbatical now. Ev. Free Fullerton allows me the chance to take one week for every year I've worked once I get past seven years. So finally in year eight I'm taking about two months off from work, and that's while still being paid. And I don't even plan to show up on Sundays to attend church! Rather than waste the time, it's a time to open to the Holy Spirit to allow Him to direct areas in which to grow. It's a chance to visit other churches and see how young adults are reached. It's the space to actually think about college ministry to see where the Lord wants to move it into the future. More on this later, but I'm taking the advice of a co-worker who just returned from his sabbatical and told me: "just let the ground lay fallow." I'm not sure how many college pastors get the opportunity to take a sabbatical but I'm of the opinion that it's more important than we think.
This is quite a remarkable principle and has direct application for those in college ministry. First, how well do we model the principle of Shabbat? If we really think that our students are too busy how well do we as "the professionals" model taking a day off during the week? Honestly, I'm not good at it. I like work and the nature of ministry is that the work is never completed. There are always issues and programs that call for me to place my identity in just how much I can get done. I'm very aware of my propensity to approach ministry by doing it in the power of the flesh rather than in the power of the Holy Spirit. I've been trained to get things done. And ministry seems to carry with it this demand that I'm always on. How in the world do I actually take a Sabbath when I'm on call 24/7?
Now this is not the case at the church where I work, but there are hidden expectations from other pastors to work harder and longer. It gets put in this way: we should work just as hard as those in the marketplace. Or we should work as hard as the senior pastor does. Wow. That seems to be laden with hidden expectations. What does that mean? Fifty hours a week? Sixty? What must a pastor sacrifice in order to "get the job done" with excellence? It feels like such a moving target where I'm not ever sure what excellence really is. Again, that's not the case where I work but the fragmentation of our own hearts and leaning toward overwork and nature of ministry contributes to not taking a Sabbath. How can I expect students to take an intention break in their week or lives when I don't model that for them?
Second, it points to the need for those of us in ministry to not just take a Sabbath but actually take an extended sabbatical. It's not reserved purely for those in academics. It's actually a time to pull back, to see the dispositions of our own hearts and how much trust we put in our own ability to get things done. It's a chance to examine habits and beliefs and to create space to actually partner with God. If we our desire is for students to grow then an extended paid time away has tremendous value for our own spiritual growth.
I'm on the front end of an extended sabbatical now. Ev. Free Fullerton allows me the chance to take one week for every year I've worked once I get past seven years. So finally in year eight I'm taking about two months off from work, and that's while still being paid. And I don't even plan to show up on Sundays to attend church! Rather than waste the time, it's a time to open to the Holy Spirit to allow Him to direct areas in which to grow. It's a chance to visit other churches and see how young adults are reached. It's the space to actually think about college ministry to see where the Lord wants to move it into the future. More on this later, but I'm taking the advice of a co-worker who just returned from his sabbatical and told me: "just let the ground lay fallow." I'm not sure how many college pastors get the opportunity to take a sabbatical but I'm of the opinion that it's more important than we think.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Sabbatical
I feel like I've been in denial. I'm about ready to enter into something called a "sabbatical" and since I'm not sure what do do with it, I've been avoiding having to come to grips with certain facts. The basic problem is that I really identify with ministry. It's what "I do" and I've been "doing" it (as if you do ministry to people!) for quite awhile now. This is the first sabbatical that I'm actually going to take!
There was always talk within Campus Crusade of giving staff a sabbatical, but it was always attached to support raising. Most staff never take the opportunity and if they do, there is a tremendous amount of guilt associated with it especially if support is low. The closest to a sabbatical on Crusade staff was the summer right after Kay and I were married. It was a very leisurely summer of doing pretty much nothing except for thinking about support.
It's really hard to think about taking time completely off when it's been ingrained in you that ministry is something that you "do." When you take the time off and actually reflect it's clear how much identity is attached to what you do. I suspect that this is what's going on when people retire and then turn around and go back to work. Or they sit around and get bored around the house. It is amazing to stop and think about how much of who we sense we are is attached to what we do or who we are with - work, school, family, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc. The very fact that i am mandated to take time off reveals just how much I associate who I am with what I do and the people I'm with.
Since I can be honest about it, here's the background for sabbatical. The biblical basis for sabbatical revolves around the idea of seasons. In Exodus 16, there is a pattern of work - six days on, one day off. How well we hold to a sabbath is the subject of another blog. But the point is that there is a rhythm to the week, to life. Then in Leviticus 25 this is extended to the land. The point of all of this is work, rest, and renewal. The point of sabbatical is to rest and be renewed while still employed. It is more than a gesture of appreciation from the church. It is an intentional break to rest and be renewed. It seems primary that in the rest one would see how attached one is to work in terms of identity, production, and whatever else lies in the heart.
But it's also a time of renewal. It's time to let the ground lie fallow so that it becomes restored, renewed to foster new life. Here's the general plan:
1. To not let the mind dominate in terms of planning and execution (C.S Lewis in "On the Reading of Old Books". This is not to discourage all sorts of reading and learning but it is to remind me not to plan in way that cuts out the spontaneous working of God.
2. To plan for regular times of reflection, silence, and contemplation (Henri Nouwen, "The Way of the Heart")
3. To not try and do too much. I don't want to fill my days with things to do. I want to have the space each day to simply ask, "Lord, what would you have of me today?"
4. To pursue meeting with a spiritual director each week (depending on their availability during the holiday season)
5. To actually spend time reflecting on Christian spirituality as it relates to young adults. My plan will include reading a wide spectrum of books, all intended to shed light on what it looks like for Christians to grow. James Wilhoit wrote about the uniqueness of the college experience as, "the need to expand character formation beyond ethical training and moral decision making. While these roots are necessary, there is also a pressing need for the development of righteous virtues, affections, commitments, and patterns of living rooted in a right understanding of God and self."
That's it! Sunday is my last day until February 1, 2010! Keep checking the blog for updates on what the Lord is teaching me! Pray that the Lord would use this time in my life to renew and refresh me!
There was always talk within Campus Crusade of giving staff a sabbatical, but it was always attached to support raising. Most staff never take the opportunity and if they do, there is a tremendous amount of guilt associated with it especially if support is low. The closest to a sabbatical on Crusade staff was the summer right after Kay and I were married. It was a very leisurely summer of doing pretty much nothing except for thinking about support.
It's really hard to think about taking time completely off when it's been ingrained in you that ministry is something that you "do." When you take the time off and actually reflect it's clear how much identity is attached to what you do. I suspect that this is what's going on when people retire and then turn around and go back to work. Or they sit around and get bored around the house. It is amazing to stop and think about how much of who we sense we are is attached to what we do or who we are with - work, school, family, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc. The very fact that i am mandated to take time off reveals just how much I associate who I am with what I do and the people I'm with.
Since I can be honest about it, here's the background for sabbatical. The biblical basis for sabbatical revolves around the idea of seasons. In Exodus 16, there is a pattern of work - six days on, one day off. How well we hold to a sabbath is the subject of another blog. But the point is that there is a rhythm to the week, to life. Then in Leviticus 25 this is extended to the land. The point of all of this is work, rest, and renewal. The point of sabbatical is to rest and be renewed while still employed. It is more than a gesture of appreciation from the church. It is an intentional break to rest and be renewed. It seems primary that in the rest one would see how attached one is to work in terms of identity, production, and whatever else lies in the heart.
But it's also a time of renewal. It's time to let the ground lie fallow so that it becomes restored, renewed to foster new life. Here's the general plan:
1. To not let the mind dominate in terms of planning and execution (C.S Lewis in "On the Reading of Old Books". This is not to discourage all sorts of reading and learning but it is to remind me not to plan in way that cuts out the spontaneous working of God.
2. To plan for regular times of reflection, silence, and contemplation (Henri Nouwen, "The Way of the Heart")
3. To not try and do too much. I don't want to fill my days with things to do. I want to have the space each day to simply ask, "Lord, what would you have of me today?"
4. To pursue meeting with a spiritual director each week (depending on their availability during the holiday season)
5. To actually spend time reflecting on Christian spirituality as it relates to young adults. My plan will include reading a wide spectrum of books, all intended to shed light on what it looks like for Christians to grow. James Wilhoit wrote about the uniqueness of the college experience as, "the need to expand character formation beyond ethical training and moral decision making. While these roots are necessary, there is also a pressing need for the development of righteous virtues, affections, commitments, and patterns of living rooted in a right understanding of God and self."
That's it! Sunday is my last day until February 1, 2010! Keep checking the blog for updates on what the Lord is teaching me! Pray that the Lord would use this time in my life to renew and refresh me!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Pascal's thoughts on diversions
The last blog was an introduction to the theologian/philosopher/scientist Blaise Pascal. He is rightfully receiving more attention as some of his thoughts (Pensees) are a wonderful examination of human existence and the connection to the Gospel. The last blog recounted Pascal's suggestion that the unending sense of need that people try to fill actually points to the Gospel of Christ. The hole that seems endless can only be filled by something (or someone) that is endless.
Here's where I think it gets interesting and pretty accurate in terms of how people actually live. Pascal tells us that people use diversion in their life to avoid realizing that they are, in fact, empty. What he meant by that through busyness and entertainment people can actually try to remove the dissonance that they feel so strongly. The word that Pascal uses is "diversions". Yikes! Here’s a guy who lived a long time ago and yet I think he's pinpointed something that is true! Think about everything that people try and fill their emptiness with, craving something like meaning and purpose, satisfaction and fulfillment, but nothing seems to actually work. If a person doesn't want to acknowledge a personal Creator God who made them and knows the depth of their aching need and the void inside of them, what must they do to "ignore" so great an impulse? Pascal suggests that people divert themselves in order to avoid the real solution.
Pascal writes, "We run heedlessly into the abyss after putting something in front of us to stop us from seeing it." The shallowness of our lives is so apparent from the "stuff" that we put in our lives to fill us. I'm sorry but there is no amount of information about Jon and Kate Gosselin that adds to the "good life". People cannot face the fact that they are empty and so they fill their lives up with junk. Pascal uses a French word that is very direct and literally means "crap." I think it's what the apostle Paul gets at in Philippians 3:8 when he uses the Greek word, "scubula". It does not literally mean "dung" or "refuse". Those are too sanitized. You get the shock value of the contrast?
All of this is connected to our heart. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to watch over our hearts from out of our hearts flows our real life. What Pascal did write was, “The heart has reasons that reason does not know.” For an old dead dude, that’s pretty accuate! Pascal was focused more on the hearts of people rather than trying to rationally prove God's existence. I think the formal proofs for God’s existence are helpful and they have their place. But what if we followed the lead of Pascal and C.S. Lewis and Ravi Zacharias and Kierkegaard and start with the condition of people and what they feel in every day life? I think that would help the gospel message connect more with people.
Here's where I think it gets interesting and pretty accurate in terms of how people actually live. Pascal tells us that people use diversion in their life to avoid realizing that they are, in fact, empty. What he meant by that through busyness and entertainment people can actually try to remove the dissonance that they feel so strongly. The word that Pascal uses is "diversions". Yikes! Here’s a guy who lived a long time ago and yet I think he's pinpointed something that is true! Think about everything that people try and fill their emptiness with, craving something like meaning and purpose, satisfaction and fulfillment, but nothing seems to actually work. If a person doesn't want to acknowledge a personal Creator God who made them and knows the depth of their aching need and the void inside of them, what must they do to "ignore" so great an impulse? Pascal suggests that people divert themselves in order to avoid the real solution.
Pascal writes, "We run heedlessly into the abyss after putting something in front of us to stop us from seeing it." The shallowness of our lives is so apparent from the "stuff" that we put in our lives to fill us. I'm sorry but there is no amount of information about Jon and Kate Gosselin that adds to the "good life". People cannot face the fact that they are empty and so they fill their lives up with junk. Pascal uses a French word that is very direct and literally means "crap." I think it's what the apostle Paul gets at in Philippians 3:8 when he uses the Greek word, "scubula". It does not literally mean "dung" or "refuse". Those are too sanitized. You get the shock value of the contrast?
All of this is connected to our heart. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to watch over our hearts from out of our hearts flows our real life. What Pascal did write was, “The heart has reasons that reason does not know.” For an old dead dude, that’s pretty accuate! Pascal was focused more on the hearts of people rather than trying to rationally prove God's existence. I think the formal proofs for God’s existence are helpful and they have their place. But what if we followed the lead of Pascal and C.S. Lewis and Ravi Zacharias and Kierkegaard and start with the condition of people and what they feel in every day life? I think that would help the gospel message connect more with people.
Monday, September 28, 2009
May I introduce Blaise Pascal?
One of my favorite theologians/philosophers is Blaise Pascal. He’s who I had in mind when I titled the blog, "Pensees of a Pastor". He was a French scientist who lived in the 1600’s and believe it or not he invented some things that we even use today like the syringe, the hydraulic press and the adding machine (ok, that’s so old school!).
There was a time when Pascal was religious, at least on the exterior. Then something happened. He had a Holy Ghost moment, a spiritual “aha”, that he speaks of as his point of conversion. He ended up writing "pensees", which is French for “thoughts.” So really his book is a collection of his thoughts with no particular order to it. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in Pascal – Thomas Morris, James Houston, and Peter Kreeft – to name a few who have tried to organize his thoughts to give it some order. What I love about this is that it gives some context to Pascal's famous "Wager". It really takes an understanding of what leads up to the Wager to truly understand it for what it is.
Pascal is considered by some to be the precursor to Christian existentialists. He wasn’t opposed to the rational proofs for God. He just thought it was more helpful to start with what you and I experience in life – what we feel, what we sense as intuitions. I’ve always thought that was extremely helpful in getting people who are not Christian to think about God because the very thing you can’t ignore is what you sense daily about you and about life.
One thing that interested me was did you know that the quote we attribute to Pascal, he never said? The quote is something like, “There is a God-shaped vacuum inside each person that can only be filled with God.” I’ve read his writings and that's not exactly what he wrote. My best guess is it was summarized from this Pensees… “What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.” [Pascal, Pensees #425].
So he said something close to it at least. Let me explain what Pascal is saying in this Pensees: Have you ever sensed that your needs are unending? You know how it goes… You buy an ipod and then a newer model with more gigabytes or wi-fi comes out. All of a sudden your ipod is so “ancient” Ugggh. I was happy once I bought it but now I really want the newer model! I have to be honest with you when I say that I’m never satisfied with what I have. It seems like my needs are unending, insatiable, like I’m on a path to consume more and more.
Here’s something to think about. What if that internal abyss you sense inside is not something that can be filled with anything temporal? What if the “hole” inside that you try to fill to get rid of the feeling is actually endless? That “hole” can only be filled with an endless person. Your deepest longings cannot be met by any “thing” or finite person, but by someone who by His nature is endless or eternal. What Pascal is pointing to is the "faint remembering" that we were once filled to the brim with someone infinite and immutable (unchanging) but this was radically changed at the Fall. This is simply one way in existence that we "sense" eternity. More on Pascal next week...
There was a time when Pascal was religious, at least on the exterior. Then something happened. He had a Holy Ghost moment, a spiritual “aha”, that he speaks of as his point of conversion. He ended up writing "pensees", which is French for “thoughts.” So really his book is a collection of his thoughts with no particular order to it. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in Pascal – Thomas Morris, James Houston, and Peter Kreeft – to name a few who have tried to organize his thoughts to give it some order. What I love about this is that it gives some context to Pascal's famous "Wager". It really takes an understanding of what leads up to the Wager to truly understand it for what it is.
Pascal is considered by some to be the precursor to Christian existentialists. He wasn’t opposed to the rational proofs for God. He just thought it was more helpful to start with what you and I experience in life – what we feel, what we sense as intuitions. I’ve always thought that was extremely helpful in getting people who are not Christian to think about God because the very thing you can’t ignore is what you sense daily about you and about life.
One thing that interested me was did you know that the quote we attribute to Pascal, he never said? The quote is something like, “There is a God-shaped vacuum inside each person that can only be filled with God.” I’ve read his writings and that's not exactly what he wrote. My best guess is it was summarized from this Pensees… “What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.” [Pascal, Pensees #425].
So he said something close to it at least. Let me explain what Pascal is saying in this Pensees: Have you ever sensed that your needs are unending? You know how it goes… You buy an ipod and then a newer model with more gigabytes or wi-fi comes out. All of a sudden your ipod is so “ancient” Ugggh. I was happy once I bought it but now I really want the newer model! I have to be honest with you when I say that I’m never satisfied with what I have. It seems like my needs are unending, insatiable, like I’m on a path to consume more and more.
Here’s something to think about. What if that internal abyss you sense inside is not something that can be filled with anything temporal? What if the “hole” inside that you try to fill to get rid of the feeling is actually endless? That “hole” can only be filled with an endless person. Your deepest longings cannot be met by any “thing” or finite person, but by someone who by His nature is endless or eternal. What Pascal is pointing to is the "faint remembering" that we were once filled to the brim with someone infinite and immutable (unchanging) but this was radically changed at the Fall. This is simply one way in existence that we "sense" eternity. More on Pascal next week...
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The wrong kind of curiosity
Have you ever noticed just how relentless the "news" is in providing us updates on everything and everyone famous? Certainly it is driven by an entertainment culture that voraciously feeds on the latest escapades of sports figures, actors and actresses, and "reality stars". Why do I have to sift through the news to get a picture of the health care debate and at the same time read about Octomom's latest escapades? What interest do I have in Sean Merriman's either virtuous or vicious behavior toward a certain reality tv star? Why do I care about what's happening with Jon and Kate? Why are the Gosselin's even important to talk about? Or maybe even more disturbing... in the end is the story in the newspaper because that's what we deeply care about?
I guess my point is not to say that you are completely evil if you have any interest in these kinds of stories. For sure, they even peak curiosity within me! The first question I have to ask myself is, "Why such curiosity about another's life, even misfortune?" Their life seems so compelling.
Thomas of Aquinas was the master synthesizer and organizer of theology. If you have ever read the Summas (which if you have a mind for theology they are classics) you begin to see just how brilliant he was. But on to Thomas' categorization of the virtues and opposed vices. I was caught off guard a bit with the vice called "curiositas".
What the early Christians identified was that this particular vice was opposed to learning as a good. They saw the development of the mind (and Thomistic thinking is pretty rational) in study as a virtue. It was learning for the sake guiding one toward flourish or live life as it was intended to be lived. This virtue of "studiositas" was connected to greater virtues such as modesty and ultimately temperance and humility. In other words, to be modest is in some way to be temperate and humble in life. That's something for us to think about today!
But the opposing vice connected to "studiositas" was called "curiositas". It was not the curiosity of learning, but curiosity for the sake of simply curiosity. It's the curiosity that is referred to when we say, "Curiosity killed the cat." What fascinated me was that Thomas connects this vice to immodesty. In other words, it was not immodesty in outward appearance but immodesty in the inner person. When one is curious just to know the facts about something, curious just to know what is largely irrelevant, or curious just to be titillated in some way, and none of this makes any appreciable difference in how one lives life, this is immodest. Just as one can be immodest in dress, one can be immodest in the ways that one spends time gathering information about. One can be immodest in terms of what interest them or what one cares about.
When people open themselves up to what is offered as "reality" today, they are actually living in non-reality in the sense that it teaches them very little on the skill of living their own life. While we might end up fascinated with the Gosselins, what appreciable difference does this make in instructing us how live in the present? Do we crave tabloid kind of news because we just have to know the details about someone else's life. Now here's the big question... is my craving, my curiositas related to the fact that I'm bored with my own life that I have to live vicariously through the "exciting" life of another? Is the life that God has offered to me that boring such that I have to find excitement in the life of another? That is the wrong kind of curiosity and is certainly an issue of the heart.
I guess my point is not to say that you are completely evil if you have any interest in these kinds of stories. For sure, they even peak curiosity within me! The first question I have to ask myself is, "Why such curiosity about another's life, even misfortune?" Their life seems so compelling.
Thomas of Aquinas was the master synthesizer and organizer of theology. If you have ever read the Summas (which if you have a mind for theology they are classics) you begin to see just how brilliant he was. But on to Thomas' categorization of the virtues and opposed vices. I was caught off guard a bit with the vice called "curiositas".
What the early Christians identified was that this particular vice was opposed to learning as a good. They saw the development of the mind (and Thomistic thinking is pretty rational) in study as a virtue. It was learning for the sake guiding one toward flourish or live life as it was intended to be lived. This virtue of "studiositas" was connected to greater virtues such as modesty and ultimately temperance and humility. In other words, to be modest is in some way to be temperate and humble in life. That's something for us to think about today!
But the opposing vice connected to "studiositas" was called "curiositas". It was not the curiosity of learning, but curiosity for the sake of simply curiosity. It's the curiosity that is referred to when we say, "Curiosity killed the cat." What fascinated me was that Thomas connects this vice to immodesty. In other words, it was not immodesty in outward appearance but immodesty in the inner person. When one is curious just to know the facts about something, curious just to know what is largely irrelevant, or curious just to be titillated in some way, and none of this makes any appreciable difference in how one lives life, this is immodest. Just as one can be immodest in dress, one can be immodest in the ways that one spends time gathering information about. One can be immodest in terms of what interest them or what one cares about.
When people open themselves up to what is offered as "reality" today, they are actually living in non-reality in the sense that it teaches them very little on the skill of living their own life. While we might end up fascinated with the Gosselins, what appreciable difference does this make in instructing us how live in the present? Do we crave tabloid kind of news because we just have to know the details about someone else's life. Now here's the big question... is my craving, my curiositas related to the fact that I'm bored with my own life that I have to live vicariously through the "exciting" life of another? Is the life that God has offered to me that boring such that I have to find excitement in the life of another? That is the wrong kind of curiosity and is certainly an issue of the heart.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Living Contradiction
Have you ever felt like you were made for something more than just the temporal? Either there was a deep longing in you for something in the future? Hope for something greater or that you could be something greater? Or the deep yearning for things to be restored to working condition?
Writers, philosophers, poets, singers have all expressed this in some way. Here are a few voices:
Solomon, who was the wisest man on earth wrote, "God has also set eternity in their hearts…" Thoreau wrote, "In eternity there is something true and sublime." He goes on to write, "Time is a stream I go a-fishing in. I drink in it but when I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. It's thin current slides away but eternity remains." Bob Dylan poetically wrote these lyrics, "Inside the museums, infinity goes up on trial
Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while"
The song, "VIsions of Johanna" is Dylan's heartfelt expression of the human longing for the eternal. The fact that there is nothing finite that can fill us or give us a sense of substantial sense of well-being. This should be a reminder that we were created for the eternal. Only something (or someone eternal) can fill the eternal longings of the heart. And yet we find ourselves living in the finite. That is the tension or pull between the two is incredibly strong.
I like reading Blaise Pascal, a French scientist/philosopher/theologian who lived from 1623-1662. I agree with Doug Groothius and consider Pascal the original Christian existentialist! In one of Pascal's Pensees (French for "thoughts" or "musings") he observes that the human condition brings with it a sense of deposed royalty. That is, people sense in their life that they have lost something grand or eternal, which he calls it a faint memory of royalty. The human condition seems to be "caught" in between eternality and temporality. What i mean by that is we sense that there is something eternal to us and yet we find ourselves living as if the temporal were all there was. If we are honest, in our every day lives we have touch points with the eternal - we sense that we were made for something greater, we hope to become something more... we sense that our bodies are important but there is something else to "me", something immaterial, we long for justice, for redemption, for healing.
Soren Kierkegaard put it like this - humans have the capacity for great things, great plans, nobility and virtue, expressing beauty, and gaining knowledge about the real world. Yet they also behave in incredibly boorish and even hurtful ways. It leaves us with a natural sense that something about us is broken. There is the faint memory of the infinite, eternal, and freedom while at the same time acting in ways that are contradictory, what he labels as "finite", "temporal", and "necessity". Kierkegaard's point is that existence is to synthesize that which appears to be contradictory. It is, in the power of your freedom, to take that which desires the eternal and to bring it to the concreteness of everyday experience.
I have often thought about the lengths people must go to resolve the conflict between the temporal and eternal and to defend the living contradiction they are. How do you resolve the conflict in your own mind? How do you live with this sense of eternity while at the same time, live in the ordinary? How do you resolve the contradiction? As a point of discussion, what do you think? I'll add a few more thoughts in the days to come.... Shalom!
Writers, philosophers, poets, singers have all expressed this in some way. Here are a few voices:
Solomon, who was the wisest man on earth wrote, "God has also set eternity in their hearts…" Thoreau wrote, "In eternity there is something true and sublime." He goes on to write, "Time is a stream I go a-fishing in. I drink in it but when I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. It's thin current slides away but eternity remains." Bob Dylan poetically wrote these lyrics, "Inside the museums, infinity goes up on trial
Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while"
The song, "VIsions of Johanna" is Dylan's heartfelt expression of the human longing for the eternal. The fact that there is nothing finite that can fill us or give us a sense of substantial sense of well-being. This should be a reminder that we were created for the eternal. Only something (or someone eternal) can fill the eternal longings of the heart. And yet we find ourselves living in the finite. That is the tension or pull between the two is incredibly strong.
I like reading Blaise Pascal, a French scientist/philosopher/theologian who lived from 1623-1662. I agree with Doug Groothius and consider Pascal the original Christian existentialist! In one of Pascal's Pensees (French for "thoughts" or "musings") he observes that the human condition brings with it a sense of deposed royalty. That is, people sense in their life that they have lost something grand or eternal, which he calls it a faint memory of royalty. The human condition seems to be "caught" in between eternality and temporality. What i mean by that is we sense that there is something eternal to us and yet we find ourselves living as if the temporal were all there was. If we are honest, in our every day lives we have touch points with the eternal - we sense that we were made for something greater, we hope to become something more... we sense that our bodies are important but there is something else to "me", something immaterial, we long for justice, for redemption, for healing.
Soren Kierkegaard put it like this - humans have the capacity for great things, great plans, nobility and virtue, expressing beauty, and gaining knowledge about the real world. Yet they also behave in incredibly boorish and even hurtful ways. It leaves us with a natural sense that something about us is broken. There is the faint memory of the infinite, eternal, and freedom while at the same time acting in ways that are contradictory, what he labels as "finite", "temporal", and "necessity". Kierkegaard's point is that existence is to synthesize that which appears to be contradictory. It is, in the power of your freedom, to take that which desires the eternal and to bring it to the concreteness of everyday experience.
I have often thought about the lengths people must go to resolve the conflict between the temporal and eternal and to defend the living contradiction they are. How do you resolve the conflict in your own mind? How do you live with this sense of eternity while at the same time, live in the ordinary? How do you resolve the contradiction? As a point of discussion, what do you think? I'll add a few more thoughts in the days to come.... Shalom!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The pull of busyness
I have made an observation about being overseas and then returning. There is a rhythm to being overseas that is fairly simple: get up from sleep, eat, minister with every ounce of my being, take moments to reflect upon God's grace and providence for the day, crash and wake up to do it again. It really is a simple rhythm that some have called, "a spiritual greenhouse". The reason is that when God is central to what we do each day and there's time to reflect on Him and His provision for the day, then it makes life fairly simple and growth happens. No computers, no to do list, no scheduling, lack of abundance of meetings, no work, no kids' events! Life gets real simple... simple enough that one has the space to pay attention to God.
But what happens upon returning? I think for many of us who have gone to India and Israel we can attest to the fact that we jump right back into it. In fact, this morning I even remarked to someone, "I'm back in the swing of things." What I meant was that I'm ready to start ministering again. But as I reflected on it, what I really meant was that I'm ready to be busy again! How do I know? Because the initial temptation I faced this morning was, "Do I want to offer the day to God or do I just want to start in on all that has to get done?" Why is it that busyness seems to rear its head after such a wonderful time of ministering and listening to God? Why does life have to get complicated again with multiple layers? Why do I gravitate toward busyness? And my response to people when asked, "How are you?".... "Oh, life is pretty busy." Is that making a statement about my identity?
Some of the layers of life seem unavoidable. For instance, I cannot tell my son, "No birthday party last night because it complicates things too much and I would rather spend the time relaxing and listening to God!" My son would "boo" me out of the house!! But as I have noticed my propensity to just jump into the day with no sense of pausing to offer my heart and the day to God is troubling. There seems to be something that the Enemy uses to distract us from the ultimate good, to rest in our relationship with God in light of the Cross that no sense of striving can accomplish.
This summer I re-read quite a bit of Soren Kierkegaard. He is a bit complicated to understand for a couple of reasons. First, he was really smart and smart people sometimes forget that they need to communicate to ordinary people. Second, he is responding to a form of philosophy (and its implications for theology) that he thought were harmful (the Hegelian influence in thought). But third, he writes often in pseudonyms - Climacus, Anti-Climacus, Johannes de Silentio - that often confuse people. Are they speaking for SK or not?
Rather than go into his thinking (especially the controversial stuff), he makes a suggestion about the Christian life. It is one of suffering. But he does not define suffering in the ordinary sense, like experiencing pain. He defines it as "dying away to immediacy." You and I in our busyness tend to commit ourselves to relative ends. That is, in the scheme of things they are fine. Some are even considered noble, worthwhile. However, they are all relative in the sense that they are not the highest goal - one's proper relationship to God in love. He says this dying to the immediate or temporal is "to express existentially the principle that the individual can do absolutely nothing of himself, but is as nothing before God." In short, suffering is dying to the immediate needs and things of the day and to offer myself in such a way to the eternal God resigning myself to the fact that I can do nothing of myself. We enter willfully into suffering because that is the expression of my dependency upon God. This becomes clear when we understand that the word "suffering" originally had a double meaning: "to feel pain" but also, "to allow, to let, to take up a passive relation toward something." We suffer when we look at our busy lives and reflect with God, "That is not what defines me nor is that the final goal of life."
In the end, I am busy and jump into busyness because I honestly believe that much of life is up to me. There is an underlying belief that my part is substantial and its up to me earn something in my life. While some of life here in the west seems unavoidable, the busyness of life is more ingrained in me then I want to admit or even desire. Its understandable why busyness would rob me of joy because there is no longlasting joy in the temporal, in the immediate. Joy is only found when one is clearly recollected in Christ. Certainly this is not an apologetic for dropping everything. Rather, it is a reminder that busyness can function as a mask to keep me from exploring the deeper beliefs of my heart in relation to God.
"Of all that shall come to me this day, very little will be such as I have chosen for myself. It is Thou, O hidden One, who dost appoint my lot and determine the bounds of my habitation. It is Thou who has put power in my hand to do one work adn hast withheld the skill to do another. It is Thou who dost keep in Thy grasp the threads of this day's life and who along knowest what lies before me to do or to suffer. But because Thou art my Father, I am not afraid. Because it is Thine own Spirit that sirts within my spirit's inmost room, I know that all is well. What I desire for myself I cannot attain, but what Thou desirest in me Thou canst attain for me. The good that I would I do not, but the good that Thou willest in me, that Thou canst give me power to do." John Baille, Day Nine Morning Prayer. Taken from
But what happens upon returning? I think for many of us who have gone to India and Israel we can attest to the fact that we jump right back into it. In fact, this morning I even remarked to someone, "I'm back in the swing of things." What I meant was that I'm ready to start ministering again. But as I reflected on it, what I really meant was that I'm ready to be busy again! How do I know? Because the initial temptation I faced this morning was, "Do I want to offer the day to God or do I just want to start in on all that has to get done?" Why is it that busyness seems to rear its head after such a wonderful time of ministering and listening to God? Why does life have to get complicated again with multiple layers? Why do I gravitate toward busyness? And my response to people when asked, "How are you?".... "Oh, life is pretty busy." Is that making a statement about my identity?
Some of the layers of life seem unavoidable. For instance, I cannot tell my son, "No birthday party last night because it complicates things too much and I would rather spend the time relaxing and listening to God!" My son would "boo" me out of the house!! But as I have noticed my propensity to just jump into the day with no sense of pausing to offer my heart and the day to God is troubling. There seems to be something that the Enemy uses to distract us from the ultimate good, to rest in our relationship with God in light of the Cross that no sense of striving can accomplish.
This summer I re-read quite a bit of Soren Kierkegaard. He is a bit complicated to understand for a couple of reasons. First, he was really smart and smart people sometimes forget that they need to communicate to ordinary people. Second, he is responding to a form of philosophy (and its implications for theology) that he thought were harmful (the Hegelian influence in thought). But third, he writes often in pseudonyms - Climacus, Anti-Climacus, Johannes de Silentio - that often confuse people. Are they speaking for SK or not?
Rather than go into his thinking (especially the controversial stuff), he makes a suggestion about the Christian life. It is one of suffering. But he does not define suffering in the ordinary sense, like experiencing pain. He defines it as "dying away to immediacy." You and I in our busyness tend to commit ourselves to relative ends. That is, in the scheme of things they are fine. Some are even considered noble, worthwhile. However, they are all relative in the sense that they are not the highest goal - one's proper relationship to God in love. He says this dying to the immediate or temporal is "to express existentially the principle that the individual can do absolutely nothing of himself, but is as nothing before God." In short, suffering is dying to the immediate needs and things of the day and to offer myself in such a way to the eternal God resigning myself to the fact that I can do nothing of myself. We enter willfully into suffering because that is the expression of my dependency upon God. This becomes clear when we understand that the word "suffering" originally had a double meaning: "to feel pain" but also, "to allow, to let, to take up a passive relation toward something." We suffer when we look at our busy lives and reflect with God, "That is not what defines me nor is that the final goal of life."
In the end, I am busy and jump into busyness because I honestly believe that much of life is up to me. There is an underlying belief that my part is substantial and its up to me earn something in my life. While some of life here in the west seems unavoidable, the busyness of life is more ingrained in me then I want to admit or even desire. Its understandable why busyness would rob me of joy because there is no longlasting joy in the temporal, in the immediate. Joy is only found when one is clearly recollected in Christ. Certainly this is not an apologetic for dropping everything. Rather, it is a reminder that busyness can function as a mask to keep me from exploring the deeper beliefs of my heart in relation to God.
"Of all that shall come to me this day, very little will be such as I have chosen for myself. It is Thou, O hidden One, who dost appoint my lot and determine the bounds of my habitation. It is Thou who has put power in my hand to do one work adn hast withheld the skill to do another. It is Thou who dost keep in Thy grasp the threads of this day's life and who along knowest what lies before me to do or to suffer. But because Thou art my Father, I am not afraid. Because it is Thine own Spirit that sirts within my spirit's inmost room, I know that all is well. What I desire for myself I cannot attain, but what Thou desirest in me Thou canst attain for me. The good that I would I do not, but the good that Thou willest in me, that Thou canst give me power to do." John Baille, Day Nine Morning Prayer. Taken from
Monday, August 10, 2009
Entry into the world of blogging
I have made the decision to continue to blog after the Israel trip. But I had to get clear again on the purpose of why I would do such a thing. After all, I can point to numerous stories of people using the blog in a way where they could emotionally vent. Then you throw in some pastors who have blogged and written something to vent or even worse, heretical. I want to do neither, especially the heretical part!
Here's what I propose this blog is for. First I want to blog to share some thoughts I have about what Lovelace calls a "live faith". That is a faith that is is alive, continually being renewed and revived. If anything is true in the fast pace of life where everything and everyone clamors for our attention (Mark 1:37), how is our faith constantly renewed. By the way, if you ever want to read a great book (albeit a bit academic) on sanctification and spiritual theology, Lovelace's book is one of the best.
Second, I'm writing this not so much about catharsis but to encourage and challenge. I don't see this necessarily as a devotional. But it is something that can be used by a person to reflect and recollect in their relationship with God. If my comments seem a bit critical at times, the heart is to urge us back to God's heart. And please keep in mind that my comments are not directed toward any individual or the church I work for but rather general comments about the state of evangelicalism.
Third, my training is in theology and philosophy. So I hope that this blog serves to bridge the chasm between good thinking and good living. That seems to be the heart of integrity! As a result, I really do think that there are modern problems that have ancient solutions. In our quest for answers, we moderns must be careful that we do not buy into the notion that any good idea started with modern times. Many wonderful theologians and philosophers (pastors in the old days were considered the resident theologian/philosophers) have been neglected other than to use them in divisive ways leading people to fall in one camp or another. I certainly hope that the blog leads us to the heart and mind of God.
Fourth, in the process of being trained for ministry, I discovered the heart. From my time with people who teach at Talbot's Institute for Spiritual Formation, I have been exposed to wonderful spiritual writers throughout history. I am deeply concerned that our understanding of the gospel is less than full (I use that word not in the Pentecostal sense but in the sense that we have neglected some aspects) and a result we have end up with a stunted view of sanctification. So the attempt of this blog, at least in part, is to recapture a robust picture of the Spirit's work in our lives as He conforms us to the image of Christ.
Here's what I propose this blog is for. First I want to blog to share some thoughts I have about what Lovelace calls a "live faith". That is a faith that is is alive, continually being renewed and revived. If anything is true in the fast pace of life where everything and everyone clamors for our attention (Mark 1:37), how is our faith constantly renewed. By the way, if you ever want to read a great book (albeit a bit academic) on sanctification and spiritual theology, Lovelace's book is one of the best.
Second, I'm writing this not so much about catharsis but to encourage and challenge. I don't see this necessarily as a devotional. But it is something that can be used by a person to reflect and recollect in their relationship with God. If my comments seem a bit critical at times, the heart is to urge us back to God's heart. And please keep in mind that my comments are not directed toward any individual or the church I work for but rather general comments about the state of evangelicalism.
Third, my training is in theology and philosophy. So I hope that this blog serves to bridge the chasm between good thinking and good living. That seems to be the heart of integrity! As a result, I really do think that there are modern problems that have ancient solutions. In our quest for answers, we moderns must be careful that we do not buy into the notion that any good idea started with modern times. Many wonderful theologians and philosophers (pastors in the old days were considered the resident theologian/philosophers) have been neglected other than to use them in divisive ways leading people to fall in one camp or another. I certainly hope that the blog leads us to the heart and mind of God.
Fourth, in the process of being trained for ministry, I discovered the heart. From my time with people who teach at Talbot's Institute for Spiritual Formation, I have been exposed to wonderful spiritual writers throughout history. I am deeply concerned that our understanding of the gospel is less than full (I use that word not in the Pentecostal sense but in the sense that we have neglected some aspects) and a result we have end up with a stunted view of sanctification. So the attempt of this blog, at least in part, is to recapture a robust picture of the Spirit's work in our lives as He conforms us to the image of Christ.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Waiting at Ben Gurion Airport
We had big plans today but a few things kind of messed it up. First we wanted to see a bit more but the heat really sapped our energy. I could tell that the team was really dragging because they are tired. But we did see the ancient site of Meggido where the final battle in Revelation will take place. Then we traveled to Caesarea to see Herod the Great's palace he built on the Mediterranean Sea. The ocean looked great so we decided that on the way to the airport we would swim in ocean at the old port city of Joppa after lunch. That was cut short by all the trash in the ocean. We took our showers and called it a day.
So here we are at Ben Gurion Airport waiting to check our bags in at 8 pm. We have. Mixed feelings - we want to come home to family but we want to stay to keep exploring. It's been a GREAT trip but I think I'm looking forward to gettinng back. We'll see you in about 24 hours!!
Jon (for the team)
So here we are at Ben Gurion Airport waiting to check our bags in at 8 pm. We have. Mixed feelings - we want to come home to family but we want to stay to keep exploring. It's been a GREAT trip but I think I'm looking forward to gettinng back. We'll see you in about 24 hours!!
Jon (for the team)
Monday, July 27, 2009
Winding things down
Right now we're at Beit Bracha - a Christian prayer and retreat center located just outside of Tiberias on Galilee Lake. The weather has been really hot but we're hanging in there. Both yesterday and today have consisted of a bit of touring and down time. The team is tired and in some ways they have tremendously mixed feelings about the end of the trip. They are sad to leave Israel but are excited to get home.
The last few nights we have been debriefing the trip. I think this is one of the most crucial parts of the trip. We bookend it with good training on the front end and good debrief on the back end. We have probably spent close to three hours working through the trip and sharing what the Lord has done in our lives. I think what's hard is trying to describe the Lord's internal work in our hearts. We wish that we could put words to it to describe it more clearly.
Yesterday we had some deeply spiritual moments on the lake and in some of the churches. It's almost surreal to think that this on the northern end of this lake Jesus spent much of his time ministering! Probably to the person we would say that our time on the lake yesterday was a highlight. We also visited a few churches that mark significant places of Jesus' ministry. Then we ended the afternoon with a baptism service in the Jordan River!
Then today we traveled to a few more churches and then to Nazareth. We visited the church in Cana of Galilee (John 2) to see where Jesus changed water to wine at a wedding ceremony. And after lunch and a swim in the lake, we're back at Beit Bracha for some down time before dinner. No debrief tonight but we'll walk around the town of Tiberius.
Then tomorrow we begin the descent into Tel Aviv and eventually back to the US. We'll be going through Megiddo (the future site of Armageddon) and then into Caesarea to see the ruins of Herod's summer palace on the Mediterranean. We'll walk around Tel Aviv for a bit before we have dinner and then board the plane to start the trip back. Just so you know we will touch down at LAX at 10:30 am. We have drivers ready to pick up the team and bring us back to the church. We will see you there around 12-12:30 pm.
We all agree that it's been a full trip. In some ways it's felt like it's been two trips - one to Jerusalem and then a week of camp. With the caliber of students on the trip it's no surprise though that the trip has gone incredibly well. We did what the Lord had for us at camp and we have remained open to Him while in Jerusalem and in Galilee. And there has been no drama or sickness on the trip! I hope that when we return we will be able to put into words just what we have experienced. Thank you for your prayers and we'll see you in a few days!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Camp is over!
I need to keep this short because we are leaving in a few minutes. Camp was a huge success! I will let everyone tell you their stories but I think for the first year we accomplished what we set out to do. I think about the seeds of reconciliation we are planting for the future.
I have been thinking much about the Desert Fathers, many of whom lived in Jersusalem as second century Christians. The monastic movement originated from their influence. Largely the movement began as Constantine authorized that Christianity was the religion of the empire. Some Christians began to move then to the desert to escape the cities and the influence of the city. While we might argue with some of the extreme expressions of their faith in denying themselves so much in order to follow Christ, their basic belief was that the Christian life one of struggle and in the desert the struggle with the sin in one's heart became apparent.
As I shared with the camp counselors, every generation has a struggle and if we in the west think it's any different then we are sadly mistaken. This generation of college students has a struggle that they must embrace if they are to begin to deal with the deep sin that lies in their hearts. This generation of young Israeli and Palestinian believers have a struggle they must embrace - not one of violence but one marked by the Spirit. Messianic and Palestinian believers in Jesus must not get tired of the struggle to live out the peace of Christ which surpasses all of our human understanding. This is a huge task but I am confident that God is doing something in people's lives here that will astound people in the future.
Today we are headed out for a bit of touring! We are leaving in a few minutes for the Dead Sea and Qumrun (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered). Exciting day but busy! Then we are off to the Sea of Galilee where we will have a few days of debrief in a Christian run retreat center close to the city of Tiberias. These will be great days as we begin to share what God did in us and through us! I might not be able to write another blog until we return so if not, we'll see you all on Wednesday! Thanks for praying for us and the camp. We sensed the incredible covering of prayer while we've been here!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
First full day of camp
This is why we came! Yesterday the kids arrived in the late afternoon to a Baptist run camp outside of Tel Aviv in Petah Tikvah. It's actually a very modest camp that looks a lot like a park in Orange County. There's not much development out here except for the signs that the camp has lost space over the recent years. A baseball field replaced an open field where a lot of the older campers remember playing. Seriously, I've never seen men's fast pitch softball but they play it here! And believe it or not, the wireless internet connect is in a dugout on one of the fields (No, I'm not sitting in the dugout with the baseball team... they are on a different field).
The weather has been hot and more on the humid side than Jerusalem. But we have heard there is quite the heatwave in Southern California so I guess we're blessed to have cooler weather here. I would say this though... this is cool compared to India....
Most of the kids speak English but of course they fake not understanding to manipulate our students! And we see right through it! The camp is a mixture of kids that come from Palestinian homes in Nazareth and Jerusalem and kids that come from Messianic homes. But even with that said, the stories of their lives are important to listen to. Some who live in Jerusalem are isolated because they live in a Kibbutz (a small community-work like living arrangement). Others might not venture outside of their respective ethnically divided areas. On top of all this, we have some kids from Darfur, Sudan ... children of refugees who escaped the civil war there. But the kids are sitting (as Kay and I are doing our students' laundry) listening to a message from the Bible on reconciliation. How do we love each other when there is so much history of mistrust and even hate on both sides?
I had the opportunity to converse with some of the young counselors who are here as well working with Musalaha. Even their discussions expressed how difficult it is to reach some agreement due to the nature of the conflict. Yet, there seemed to be at least the willingness to explore the other side's point of view. When they asked me what I thought, I told them that it's on the shoulders of every younger generation to give thought and to incarnate (flesh out) a new picture of what brotherhood in Christ is to look like. Other generations had to do this and now it's our turn. We can't back away from this or get tired of speaking about it even though there is no change. This is our vocation, what God has called us all to.
Please continue to pray for our students. The kids keep them up late and then get up early so they are not getting as much rest as they did before. Their health and rest is important if they are going to keep this up until Friday. Also pray for these kids' hearts. They have to make a lot of space for others. Finally, please continue to pray that the rest of our support as a team comes in. We still so desperately want to be at full support as a team. But now that I'm here in the middle of this, I'm convinced that God has invited us to be a part of something very unique in a situation where many people have lost hope. If you asked our students, they are not naively optimistic when they the next generation has hope that Christ can heal wounds with true biblical reconciliation.... Thanks for being such supporters of what we're doing! We have even more stories to tell now!
Shalom,
Jon (for the team)
Saturday, July 18, 2009
A day in Bethlehem
At least early on the process, I was a bit apprehensive about going to Bethlehem. After all, it's in the West Bank and ruled by Fatah. The checkpoint was ominous as we pulled our passports out in the bus. But to our surprise, we moved through the checkpoint quickly and on to Bethlehem Bible College for a lecture and lunch with some guests. Bethlehem Bible College is a recognized college in the West Bank whose purpose is to train men and women in the ministry that they might stay and minister to their people.
But it was our lunch that was the highlight. Over falafels we met with some of the college students at the Bible college to have lunch with them in order to get to know them. What we all realized is how easy it is to lump Palestinians all into one kind of person. Yet, here before us were Palestinian young men and women who loved the Lord and wanted to reach their own people group! We heard their stories about the difficulties they face both in being Christian and Palestinian. The sense is that they do feel like they are on the extreme margins. Our hearts went out to them as we first prayed for them and then exchanged names so we could add them as Facebook friends. The internet really does provide a level of community!
We toured a bit around the city - the church where the shepherds saw the star pointing to Christ's birth, the Herodian - Herod the Great's residence that he built in a mountain, and the Church of the Nativity that marks the place where Christ was born. We even had time to visit a Palestinian refugee camp to minister to people, to hear their stories, and to see the wall that was erected to separate Israel from the West Bank. It was one of the best days that we had but yet one of the heaviest as we all understood the weight of the conflict. There's a lot more to tell but that will do for now!
Today we are headed out to church and then on to camp outside of Tel Aviv. Our spirits and health are great! The excitement level is huge as all the preparation the last few days - exploring Jerusalem and Bethlehem and the lectures - has acclimated us to the Land. We are ready to minister to the kids. There will be 64 kids there from 9-12 years old, both from Palestinian Christian and Messianic families. That does not mean that these kids have chosen to follow Messiah personally but they will have opportunity to do so. Nor does it mean that these kids have had the chance to talk about reconciliation in an age appropriate way. We look forward to the opportunities that God has for us in Petah Tikvah... Door of Hope!! Thanks for praying for us!
Friday, July 17, 2009
I couldn't write anything last night because I was exhausted! Yesterday we had the whole day with a tour guide to walk through Jerusalem. First of all, the entire Old City that is walled in is about 1 square kilometer. It really isn't that big but once you start adding up and down and little alleyways it gets strenuous. Second thing you need to know is that the Old City is broken up into four sections or quarters, the Christian Quarter (where we are staying), the Muslim Quarter, the Jewish Quarter, and the Armenian Quarter.
We met our guide at 9:30 and proceeded to Christ Church, the first missional church to the Jews planted in this area, built around 1849. We met with and heard about the church from a Messianic Jew, Hadar. Wow! What a moving story of how God worked in her life. Then it a sprint to get to the Temple Mount before it closed for afternoon prayers. We just made it and I know I speak for the team when I say that it was quite a moving experience. I'll let them tell you when you see them. Three of the world's great religions - Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all have a vested interest in this small plot of land called the Temple Mount. Then we moved down to see the Western or Wailing Wall. Again, it was an incredibly powerful picture of people's petitions to God. Then it was on to an assortment of places during the afternoon. Finally we ended visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Mixed feelings there but it was a good way to end the day and lots of walking. Well.. that is... until after dinner when we had a new rush of energy. We bought tickets and walked around the wall that surrounded Jerusalem!
Today was more training at Musalaha to prepare us for our week with the kids. Then in the afternoon it was more walking! This time we made it up to the Mount of Olives and then walked down to the Garden of Gethsemane. Of all the days we've been here today was incredibly moving as we had a devotional in what's thought to be the garden where Christ prayed to the Father to let the cup pass from Him. Finally, we walked again to join a Messianic Congregation for their Sabbath celebration. The body of Christ is big and diverse as all of us agree how great it is to hear people pray in their native tongue instead of English. All of us are pretty exhausted from walking so much!
Would you continue to pray for us? The team really is bonding and that's important for the work we have to do at camp. And after walking something like 9-10 miles in two days not a peep of complaint from anyone. This really is a a stellar team. But pray that the Lord would keep us focused now that we have a few days before we head to camp to start preparations. We understand 65 kids will be coming now.
As we were having a devotional in the Garden today, we all reflected on the magnitude of Christ's work on the Cross for us, and not just for us, for the whole world! We are blessed to stand in the gap to bless these kids who come from such different backgrounds. But what we do share in common is our humanity and the historical fact that Jesus paid a penalty that we couldn't afford to pay. Thank you for your prayers and support!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
First Day in Jerusalem
Today was our first full day in Jerusalem. It was up not so early to get breakfast in the hotel. If thee's one thing that won't happen on the trip, it's our going hungry. Every meal is a buffet meal of absolutely wonderful salads, kabobs, hummus, pita, and fruit. None of us are going hungy and we're actually eating vegetables and fruit. That was a rare occurence while in India.
The morning was training at Musalaha's headquarters. We broke bread with them for lunch and even had something like Indian naan! The training was excellent and started the preparation for what camp will look like. What we learned is how difficult it is to reconcile and restore a relationship if there is no trust present. What we are doing is helping these kids who come to camp begin the process of building trusting relationships with "the other."
After lunch we toured Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. It was a pretty heavy time, especially reading and listening to video recordings of people who had survived the death camps. It was all a fresh and stark reminder of what happened prior to WW2 in much of Europe under Hitler's regime. It's a sad episode in modern history, one that had a great effect on the modern world's willingness to open up land for the state of Israel.
One great story! We walked to a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf about 10 minutes from our hotel. As they were walking they found a Palestinian young man and as the conversation went along they realized that he was a new Christian. In fact, five months ago he was baptized after "seeking" for about three years. It was the most wonderful thing to have our students actually engage in conversation with a young Palestinian and then find out that he was a brother in Christ! He was so excited to meet us that he joined us for coffee on a beautiful summer Jerusalem night.
All of us have lots of questions, some that we will get answers for, others that we will wait and trust God in His timing. But we are all committed to the reconciliation process. Please continue to pray for our health and team unity. I think at this point I'm the only one with kind of an upset stomach but I'm sure that's in store for many others.
Tomorrow we are on a day long tour of Jerusalem. Then Friday we have a lecture in the morning and the afternoon is free. That evening we will visit a Messianic church close by as they celebrate the Sabbath, Shabbat. Thanks for praying for us! We are blesesed and sense your prayers!
Shalom,
Jon
The morning was training at Musalaha's headquarters. We broke bread with them for lunch and even had something like Indian naan! The training was excellent and started the preparation for what camp will look like. What we learned is how difficult it is to reconcile and restore a relationship if there is no trust present. What we are doing is helping these kids who come to camp begin the process of building trusting relationships with "the other."
After lunch we toured Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. It was a pretty heavy time, especially reading and listening to video recordings of people who had survived the death camps. It was all a fresh and stark reminder of what happened prior to WW2 in much of Europe under Hitler's regime. It's a sad episode in modern history, one that had a great effect on the modern world's willingness to open up land for the state of Israel.
One great story! We walked to a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf about 10 minutes from our hotel. As they were walking they found a Palestinian young man and as the conversation went along they realized that he was a new Christian. In fact, five months ago he was baptized after "seeking" for about three years. It was the most wonderful thing to have our students actually engage in conversation with a young Palestinian and then find out that he was a brother in Christ! He was so excited to meet us that he joined us for coffee on a beautiful summer Jerusalem night.
All of us have lots of questions, some that we will get answers for, others that we will wait and trust God in His timing. But we are all committed to the reconciliation process. Please continue to pray for our health and team unity. I think at this point I'm the only one with kind of an upset stomach but I'm sure that's in store for many others.
Tomorrow we are on a day long tour of Jerusalem. Then Friday we have a lecture in the morning and the afternoon is free. That evening we will visit a Messianic church close by as they celebrate the Sabbath, Shabbat. Thanks for praying for us! We are blesesed and sense your prayers!
Shalom,
Jon
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Trying to get out of town
There's one thing I'm looking forward to... it's getting on the airplane headed first to Philadelphia and breathing a sigh. If it didn't get done by then, it's not going to! Can't wait.
I was at a beautiful wedding today. Jay and Grace Williams gave their daughter away to her high school sweetheart! It always gets me when the doors fling open in the back, the crowd stands, and in comes a beautiful woman dressed in white. Of course, we know what the groom is thinking as he's staring at her as she approaches him... "Wow, I did really well!" And everyone in the crowd is thinking either, "I can't wait to get married" or "She's gorgeous."
It reminded me that when Jesus returns He's coming to Jerusalem. In a few days we will see the Kidron Valley the very place were Messiah is expected to return. And when He comes He will come for His Bride, the Church. And she will be given to Him in all of her radiant splendor. As the Bride enters, the angelic hosts will stand up - this is who Christ died for. And in her beauty she will give herself to the Groom. And He will look into her eyes and reiterate His intention to have her and to hold her. His promise is good and will never be broken. As He looks at her, He remembers that she has always been the object of His undying love. Even though she has given herself to other lovers, she has always been His. But that's the past because now in her radiance she is stunning! And because of this I pray, "Lord do not tarry any longer!"
Thank you for your prayers and support! Look for the article about our team in the OC Register tomorrow morning! And please join us in praying that the Lord provides the balance of our team support. We are still about $10,000 short. But just as He was faithful to invite us to go, He is faithful and will provide what we need on this trip! We leave Monday morning at 6:45 am from the north campus parking lot. If you're up come and see us off!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The team met for lunch yesterday at Sahara Falafel in Anaheim. This is an area called "Little Gaza" but it's not like "Little India" in Artesia. The Middle Eastern stores are spread out a bit more. Plus, there's a Honeybaked Ham down the street. Don't anticipate seeing many places that serve ham in Israel.
The food was unbelievably good! Wow! We tried a number of dishes but most stuck to beef and chicken shawerma, shish tawook, and falafel. It was hysterical watching all of us trying to figure out how to stuff it all in pita bread. Oh my the hummus was outstanding... ummmm... hummus. We thought, we actually might eat well while we are there!
As far as the team goes, I think we're starting to gel. I realize that it's hard to bring a team together before you leave on the trip. But once we're in the air bonding will happen. Plus the nature of the trip forces us to work with each other to pull the camp off. I'm thrilled about this team.
We are about 80% of the way there for support. Trusting that the Lord knows what He's doing and the balance will get raised. This Sunday an article will come out in the OC Register about our team and what we're doing in Israel. Maybe that will stir others in the area to give!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Right now we are two weeks out from leaving for Israel! All the details are coming together and the team is working hard to raise the balance of support as well as take care of details for Musalaha camp.
I am hitting a good break in my schedule. Actually I thought that it would have come sooner but things have a way of getting backed up. But it's all good now! I want to continue to write some meaningful devotionals for the times when we visit something that connects deeply to our faith. I've written a couple already and I'm looking forward to the challenge of writing the rest in the next two weeks.
More to follow but I want to get in the habit of writing a blog on a regular basis. This is all so new to me that I'm learning this as I go. Thanks Aaron Delani for tutoring me!
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