Detached and Hypocritical

Well, I am winding down the school year with my last class. I have loved the reading and reflecting I have been doing on the inner city, homelessness, and the response of the church, but I am still feeling detached and hypocritical about the whole thing. The problem is that I do not live in the urban setting that I am reflecting on. Yes, Pasadena is a city in many different ways, but it is a far cry from Skid Row. Here I am, born and raised in the suburbs of Southern California, and I am supposed to offer some insight to how the church should engage the problem of homelessness in the city. I am leaning towards reflecting on possible ways for the suburban church to respond in a holistic way, beyond mere guilt and shame for the "great white flight". Hopefully I will get some more direction before I start writing this weekend. Oh yea, and I have senioritis...I just want to be done.

Still Healing from the Trades

So, the new baseball season is off and running, and I must say I am still excited about what the Dodgers can do this year. I am concerned about our catching and the fielding we have seen so far from Furcal, which could mean that Izzy will actually be able to come back to his old position. Even with all the positive aspects of this season so far, our starting pitching and hitting, I am still healing from the trades and break up of the team two years ago. I still remember opening up the newspaper to see that Paul Loduca had been traded in the middle of the season. I will readily admit that I cried when I read that story. Paul had become my favorite player for the Dodgers, showing that he loves the game, loves to hustle, was a great leader, and enjoyed playing in Los Angeles. The fans loved him, he had the best average on the team, and we were in first. But then we traded him for a soon to be injured Penny.

The tainted history of this and the other trades has left me feeling tentative about finding a new favorite. Right now Repko is probably my favorite player, but that makes me think I will just be more disappointed when he is traded mid-season. I know, I know, that is just bitterness talking, but like this title said, I am still healing.

Where Does the Time Go

Wow, I have really stunk at reflecting on this blog lately. It seems like with the prospect of moving, finishing classes, and work, I hardly find time to think of anything interesting to say. So, I will comment of the book I am reading, The Brothers K. The book took me about 80 pages to get into, but now I don't want to put it down. Issues of family, religion, identity and baseball are all wrapped up into this wonderfully written and often hilarious novel. I laughed out loud at least three times last night in bed. I think Shannon finds me ridiculous when I laugh out loud to myself, but what can I say, I even laugh out loud when I am watching TV or a movie alone.

Pat Robertson Spreads the Love Again

Once again,

Pat Robertson is at it again, spreading the love of Jesus by declaring radical Muslims as "satanic" and bent on world domination. Pat also goes on to say that Islam is not a religion of peace and that it is all about world domination. I wonder if Pat is willing to look into the different interpretations of the Qur'an out there, where there are many faithful and loving/peaceful Muslims who are trying to serve their god well. I can think of quite a few times in history where Christianity has represented itself as bent on world domination in the guise of evangelism. Oh well, just thought I would rant and rave a bit.

What is Mission?

Okay, I know it has been a long time since I posted anything on this blog. I am going to chalk it up to the full time job, the two classes I am finishing up, and my new found love of poker. That last part is a whole other topic altogether, one that I may post about some day.

My most recent class of Spirituality and Mission was quite interesting, since our Professor stepped out of her usual method of teaching. There was no lecture, just a question about how we define mission. Of course, there were all sorts of different answers, spanning from the modern idea of proclaiming a "truth" to a people who "need" to hear it, to a idea of a missional lifestyle, living out every day and each contact with people as a chance to reflect the love of Christ.

But then...things got really interesting. Our Professor reflected on a recent article she had read about the typical Modern, Western method of Missions. This usually involves a big T propositional Truth that some group has had revealed to them (the gospel) and sharing/proclaiming this Big T truth to a people in another context, finding some way to sneak the story into some format they can understand. Within this method, the Gospel is usually understood as 1) All are sinners 2) You need to repent 3) Ask Christ into your heart. Now, I know this is an extremely simplified version of the message that is preached, but this is pretty much what I get from the people on the street corners in Old Town Pasadena or at 3rd Street in Santa Monica. Basically, it is the watered down version of the Warrior attitude the Church adopted to evangelism in Modernity...We must prove them wrong!!!

Our Professor then went on to talk about how she has a major problem with this understanding of Mission, especially because it is centered on propositional evangelism. The idea that there is a Big T truth out there and that we know it is arrogant and borderline dangerous for our own faith, especially within the particular cultural context we come from. It is so easy for the Western Church to walk into another cultural Context, lets say Kenya, and to present this individualized Western concept of our faith, assuming that it is the correct way of understanding the narrative of Scripture and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. What this fails to realize is that the other context is subverted because it is primarily a context centered on community, while ours celebrates the individual.

So, our Professor argued for an approach that honors the particular historical context that God chose to reveal himself through Jesus Christ. We must bring this context and continuing biblical drama to anyone we are sharing this story with, so they are then able to read it within their own context, seeing how God has invited them into this larger narrative of love, relationship, and kingdom living. What is interesting to me is that people in the class wanted the Professor to draw it out in a diagram form. Once we try to develop a formula or diagram, we have succumbed to some of the negatives of the Modern, rationalistic mentality. There are some things we can participate in that still remain a mystery...isn't that what it is all about to live and walk humbly with our God. There are things we know of and participate in with our living Creator, but there is still so much more we don't know...and it is alright to admit this.

I was glad that we had this discussion in class. It was interesting to see that the majority of questions and comments about defining mission centered on the "decision moment" of evangelism and conversion. We didn't even begin to describe the holistic aspects of Mission, including Social Justice, care, ethics, loving our neighbors, and many more could be added to this list.

It was also interesting to hear many talk of how many people THEY had brought to a decision to follow Christ. The moment we think WE can do this, we have lost sight of the kingdom work we are doing. We have the privilege and honor of participating in the work that God is doing across the world, but we do not have a monopoly on God. We need to realize that by the time we come to any "decision" moment with a person, God has already been working and planting seeds in this persons life. Now it is our job to help them participate in the body of Christ and avoid using and living phrases like "my God" and "my Jesus". I am not discounting the relationship a person can have with this wonderful, living God, but we are called into the community of believers. It is all too exciting to see what it looks like to live out the fruits of the Spirit in a daily context, participating in the wonderful work that OUR God is doing.

Putting Others Before Myself

Our Pastor at Christian Assembly has started an amazing sermon series on the fruits of the Spirit. I loved his opening sermon on the topic as he pointed out to the congregation that it is not about "being" more loving or patient or humble, but rather, it is about remaining in the Vine (John 15) and abiding in Christ. Encountering Christ every day in individual and communal situations is an exciting and wonderful way to live life to the fullest. Seeing each contact with students, friends, family, and the person on the street as a contact with Christ, reminds me of the humanity of Christ, which is something we all too often forget about in our Churches. We can easily lift Christ up to this other-worldly God who has very little interaction with his disciples. Yet, all throughout the Gospels, we are reminded of the incarnation of Christ in human form. The implications of this are astounding, and Eugene Petersen writes well on this topic in the Third part of his book "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places." Needless to say, yesterdays sermon was on the first of the fruit of the Spirit, love. Mark chose the text of Philippians 2:1-11 to discuss the humble nature we must take on in our lives with our community and the world around us. Phil 2:3 stuck out as a glaring reminder of how little I truly love those around me... "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." I am excited to passionately engage Christ in others around me this week as I try to flush out this verse. It is so easy to "love" the person who has the same political views as I, the same personality, or the same interests as I. It will be a wonderful ride this week as I try to love each of the 50 plus students I will be advising beyond myself. Thank God for the example and teaching of Christ that I can shoot to emulate through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Disrespect at Fuller?

This may be more of a post towards the folks who are students at Fuller. Recently I have been noting the amount of people in my class that either talk, play games, im, or edit their photos during class. The numbers are staggering...I would say I could count at least 20 people every night doing some sort of other project on their computers during the lecture, and this doesn't include the two or three people that carry a conversation in front of me (man I need to keep my anger in check because I just want to slap them up side the head at that point). After breathing and calming myself down last night, I began to wonder if this is less of a form of disrespect and more of a result of our distracted generation. Has technology and our lack of attention spans formed us in such a way that we cannot focus on one thing for too long. I know I spend time on the internet at home, while an informative TV show is on in the background. So, is this the same type of "multi-tasking" that I see in class? And even if it is, should it be happening? I don't know if anyone else struggles with this in class, but man, sometimes I get really annoyed.

Walking in the Morning

I am always amazed at how beautiful the city of Pasadena is in the early morning. Today I went for a 3 mile walk at about 6:30am, and I am always pleased with the fewer cars and the shorter waits at the crosswalk. However, there is something clean and crisp about the morning that energizes you in a way that is hard to describe. Something I noticed today was that the Sunrise did not catch my attention. I may of been in a daze of waking up, or I was just to out of it to notice. Yet, this reminds me of the daily presence of our God that I tend to not notice. Here is this life sustaining force, rising in the morning to give life to God's creation, and I don't remember seeing it come up. My prayer for today is to notice the everyday wonders that I pass by on a daily basis.

A New Love

So, I have recently found a new game that I absolutely love. Poker!!! I know this is a big fad these days, but coming from a gaming family, I will be playing this one for quite a while. I love this game, all the different variants involved and all the odds and rules you can learn. Plus, you gotta love the time you can spend around a table with a bunch of friends.

Frustration With Technology

Well, this weekend turned out to be a great one. Shannon and I got to hang out quite a bit, I got to do some fun reading, and my parents were over for most of Sunday, looking at open houses with us. The one hitch was the constant router problem I have been having in our apartment complex. To share a wireless router with people in the complex is a mixed blessing. It is nice to pay so little for the internet, but it comes with a price. If the router has a problem it annoys everyone, and not just me, so I get to hear about. Also, if anyone has a computer issue, I am the fall back guy. Shannon has made me promise not to tell anyone that I enjoy working with computers when we move to our next place, but I have a hard time not speaking up and trying to help. Especially if people show gratitude and appreciation, then it doesn't really bother me. Anyway, so the router we have been using was rendered useless this weekend by a firmware upgrade. It had been dropping the signal pretty consistently the last few months, and I was in the process of trying to fix it. Many posts on the support website showed that this was a common problem, but I was past the ninety day warranty, so some money would have to come out of my pocket to fix the dang thing. Needless to say I didn't want to deal with the problem anymore, and I sure didn't want to purchase a similar model or the same brand for that matter. So, I went ahead and purchased a rockin' Mimo G+ by Belkin, and I am loving it. Plus, it comes with a lifetime warranty, so at least the company stands behind their product. If you want to know which brand to stay away from, send me an email, and I will let you know.

A Weekend Away with MLK on the Mind

So, I had another wonderful weekend, spending time with the in-laws and some great books (C.S. Lewis and Desmond Tutu). It would be pretty tough to ask for anything more. I started thinking about my guitars this weekend, and how they sit in my apartment taking up space. When I first started playing the guitar, it was so wonderful to just hear the new music I could learn. But over the years I have grown accustomed to playing with other, so now I no longer enjoy the guitar on an individual level. This is good and bad. So, now I have to wonder...do I sell them or keep them?


On another note, here is an excerpt from MLK talking about being "dissatisfied". This continues to make me realize that so much still needs to be done.

So, I conclude by saying again today that we have a task and let us go out with a "divine dissatisfaction." Let us be dissatisfied until America will no longer have a high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds. Let us be dissatisfied until the tragic walls that separate the outer city of wealth and comfort and the inner city of poverty and despair shall be crushed by the battering rams of the forces of justice. [,et us be dissatisfied until those that live on the outskirts of hope are brought into the metropolis of daily security. Let us be dissatisfied until slums are cast into the junk heaps of history, and every family is living in a decent sanitary home. Let us be dissatisfied until the dark yesterdays of segregated schools will be transformed into bright tomorrows of quality, integrated education. Let us be dissatisfied until integration is not seen as a problem but as an opportunity to participate in the beauty of diversity. Let us be dissatisfied until men and women, however black they may be, will be judged on the basis of the content of their character and not on the basis of the color of their skin. Let us be dissatisfied. Let us be dissatisfied until every state capitol houses a governor who will do justly, who will love mercy and who will walk humbly with his God. Let us be dissatisfied until from every city hall, justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. Let us be dissatisfied until that day when the lion and the lamb shall lie down together. and every man will sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid. Let us be dissatisfied. And men will recognize that out of one blood God made all men to dwell upon the face of the earth. Let us be dissatisfied until that day when nobody will shout "White Power!" - when nobody will shout "Black Power!" - but everybody will talk about God's power and human power.

Tired of theory, yearning for practice

I think this title could sum up a good part of the way I have felt in the past few years. My journey of faith has had its ups and downs, and I know I have grown a lot in the downs. But lately, it seems that I have produced so much theory and speculation about what I know about God, the culture, and the way we should respond, while being completely void of any practical application to my own life. Early on in my faith I spent probably about two hours a day reading and praying to the God I was learning to love and admire. My passion was amazing, and it was a complete gift from God. But as I continued in my studies, I became rigid in my spiritual disciplines, to the point that it was not longer love that drove me, but rigid patterns for the day. So, I have gone back and forth, longing for the personal devotion I once had in the beginning, while still wanting to maintain the importance of the community of believers that I am a part of. I do think our "personal Jesus" mentality is detrimental to the Western world, but I know I have over reacted to the individuality of the faith in America by denying our Creator a personal relationship with me on a deeper level. Just writing the words "personal relationship" makes me want to cringe at the individualized faith I have abhorred for so long, but I know I have lost out in the meantime. As I have struggled to build a faith and theology centered on the love and work of Christ, I have narrowed it down to the topic of Social justice. Somehow I have come to think that I have God figured out, when I really know nothing at all. I long to encounter God in a new way, changing my life as I know it and filling me with a deeper love and care for the world around me. I long for an incarnational lifestyle that integrates my personal faith with the public world I am a part of. I do not want to box this awesome God in, thinking I can somehow have all the answers when I really just need to shut up and listen to God. I long to love and know God more than I ever have in the midst of a community of believers who see their faith as not a private matter, but as a part of the family of God. I long to approach God in the way described here....

"Religion has not tended to create seekers or searchers, has not tended to create honest humble people who trust that God is always beyond them. We aren't focused on the Great Mystery. Religion has rather, tended to create people who think they have God in their pockets, people with quick, easy, glib answers. That's why so much of the West is understandably abandoning religion. People know the great mystery cannot be that simple and facile. If the great mystery is indeed the Great Mystery, it will lead us into paradox, into darkness, into journeys that never cease...That is what prayers is all about."---Richard Rohr


Now all I can do is jump in to this Great Mystery with fear, excitement, and amazement, knowing that our God is faithful and loving...even to a nerd like me.

The Year of Better Friendships

I am always amazed (unfortunately) at how much fun I have with a group of friends, playing cards, or dominoes, or some sort of board game. You wouldn't think I would be amazed at this point in my life, at least when it comes to this concept. I have always loved games and the social aspect of them, but I guess I need a reminder here and there that I can have a much better time doing those things than sitting at home in front of the idiot box. Kind of a side resolution I have for myself this year is to be more intentional about the relationships I have, providing for more opportunities of leisurely gaming and socializing, opening up our tiny apartment to as many people that can fit in at one time. Oh, and I plan to read more (but that's just because I can't get enough of books)

A Wonderful Time With Family

So, Shannon and I got home late last night after a five hour delay in Dallas, due to a mechanical failure on our first plane. The good news is that we finally made it to Los Angeles, since there was no guarantee that we would do so. The time with my family was a blast. Shannon and I enjoy every moment we get to spend with them, and we had a wonderful Christmas together. This was the first Christmas where my nephew had a small sense of what was going on. It was absolutely wonderful to see him soak it all in, and I felt myself having withdrawals from his laughter and hugs today. I can't wait to see them all again, and I felt wonderfully blessed this week.

Where did the Time go

For some reason it seems like these past few weeks have been incredibly busy and tiring. I guess part of that could have to do with the full time work and the half of my IDL I have already done this December. I wish I had some incredibly thoughtful and insightful things to say, but I am running dry. Yesterday, Shannon and I both got some time off, so we spent the day hanging out and setting up our new iMac that just arrived. She really enjoys the computer, and it is fun to see her take control of different programs. I will check in later during the holiday, and I hope you all have a fun and relaxing time.

Syriana

So, I saw the movie Syriana this weekend, and I must say that I was not totally impressed. The movie did not offer any kind of new information that I had not already heard or seen, and the plot was completely convoluted. Basically, I lost track of who all the evil, white oil men were. Needless to say, I would hold off seeing it in the theatre, maybe if someone else rents it one night and you have nothing to do. Well, I am in the midst of my Introduction to Islam class, and I am sure I will have some posts reflecting what I am learning. It was interesting having some background before I saw Syriana, and I feel like I am getting a better grasp on the topic. Until then...

Weekend of bachelorhood

Well,

It has been a while since I have had a chance to sit down and put my thoughts on the screen. I have had a pretty busy week, and Shannon left today for a 5 day business trip. I am going to be a bachelor for the weekend, and that makes me very sad. I can't even think of what I might do later tonight, especially since most people I know have finished finals and I sold my Xbox. I hope to get some reading done and to work on a class for the Winter quarter...I know, nothing but excitement. You should check out this link on the Christian Peacemaker team in Iraq...it is a compelling story. There are links to other blogs on the topic, and I think you will be amazed.

Vegas Baby, Vegas

Well, I got back from an amazing trip to Las Vegas. I am still recovering a bit (too little sleep with too much alcohol). But the weekend was a complete success, since all four of us came back on top. You can't really ask for much more than that. I have found a new favorite game to play (Craps), and I plan on spending much more time with this game when I go again. Shan will be heading out of town this weekend, so I hope to get a lot of homework done and possibly a poker game at my place. We shall see...

Peace keepers in Iraq

Check out this post on the Christian peace keepers who were abducted in Iraq.

World Aids Day

I am so far removed from any real or authentic experience of the pain and suffering people throughout the world are experiencing in the Aids epidemic. Here is a wonderful and thoughtful post from another student here at Fuller.