Back to School

So, I've been away from the blog for a little while, but I'm planning on getting back into it as the kiddos head back to school. And since that favorite of topics, "what I did on my summer vacation" will be flying through the air, I thought I'd offer a sliver.

The thing that has remained with me this summer was an encounter with some lovely folks from Faceless International. Check out their site for more info (I don't want to do wrong by them). As they shared about their mission, they showed this video of how some people live around the world. I was moved, so I thought I would bring the video to Show & Tell.

While I hope you like it, I really hoped you are moved by it.

A Missional Response to Pentecost

I sat through church yesterday and listened to a Pentecost sermon and the traditional Acts passage and heard something new.  God was speaking.

Before, I focused on how this passage encourages us all to speak.  We are to share.  To tell our story.  The Spirit will give us the ability to do something amazing.  But, hearing the story again yesterday, it became clear.  We aren't supposed to do anything extraordinary.  We're supposed to pay attention.  While we have a responsibility to share our story, we are given the gift to experience other's stories.  The Spirit reveals God's work in other's lives.  And we're brought into the adventure.

This subtle shift in focus has earth shattering implications.  I will be able to see God in others.  I can witness the Spirit of God moving.  I can hear the Good News even when I don't "speak the language".  Because the Spirit opens me.

Now comes the hard part, I have to sit and listen.  This doesn't excuse me from sharing my story, but it requires that I trust that God will open me to experience the Spirit's movement in those around me.  

Come Holy Spirit, come.

Redefinition

So I just recently reintroduced myself to our Wii.  It has been a little rough, but nothing unexpected.  But it's gotten me thinking.  How individualistic have we become when the word pronounced "we" is spelled with two i's?  Is this the last nail in the coffin of community?  Even our super-participatory gaming isolates.

(I'd be willing to bet there's a reason for the name, but was too lazy to research.)

Extreme Sheep LED Art

I have decided that if I have to be a sheep, this is the kind of flock I want to hang with.

Time for Fish on Fridays

Finish up your Hurricanes everyone, Mardi Gras is drawing to a close and Lent is closing in on us.  Lent feels like and uninvited house guest that I knew was in town and planning on staying for a while, but I'm not really sure I want around, especially not for an extended period of time.  Growing up, Lent was more about giving something up, something you really liked.  We were just told that you give something up during Lent.  It wasn't until I was older that I began to hear hints of why people gave things up.  It wasn't until much later that I heard the term "sackcloth and ashes".

I love the tradition of Ash Wednesday leading into Lent, but am struggling to understand the correct context.  It seems like the Gospels would discourage being marked by ash (the example of Pharisees who make themselves look gaunt while fasting), so should we metaphorically put on sackcloth and ashes?  This also leads me to consider what fasting/lamenting looks like when done in community.  Is the example of the Pharisee about how one person makes a show, saying "look at me", but in community with humility it says "we journey together".

I think one of the challenges facing our church today is how do we follow the WAY together.  The nature of our joy and celebration, as well as, the experience of spiritual disciplines must change as we (re)learn what it means to be the body of Christ.

So here's the proposed test.  I think it would be healthy if every time we see one of our "ash-marked" brothers/sisters tomorrow, take the time to say a prayer for that person.  Maybe this can be the year we truly give something up for Lent, ourselves.

Love Like a Dog

The silent victims of recent lifestyle changes have been our dogs, Rufus and Gertie.  Parenting takes some much of our time and energy that they've been left to spend most of their time with each other.  Now fortunately for everyone involved, they love each other and play all the time.  But my heart breaks regularly when I let them out without getting a chance to spend any time with them.

Now, if this was me, I would more than likely hold a grudge and pout.  But not Rufus and Gertie.  They still treat me like its Christmas morning each time they see me.  They bounce and wag and lick like they haven't seen me in days.  And I feel loved (and a little guilty).

Is it simply canine disconnect, or am I capable of this loving reflex?  I would love to see [insert something] and overflow with joy and excitement.  Moreover, I'd like to see [whatever] and be authentically moved in response to my encounter.

While responding to this kind of reception is natural, I am now resolute to be the origin of such joy.  (Actually the conduit of the joy, but that didn't line up with the rest of what I had been saying.)

Today's Blog Title

As I was driving to work today, I began to think about an upcoming sermon I've been asked to share.  My mind was wandering to the proposed title that I gave the sermon and I'm wondering if I've handcuffed myself with the title.  Now with a long-ish drive and the mind exploring the wilderness inside my head I began to wonder the appropriate place of the sermon title.

I work with a pastor who has very strong opinions about signs in front of churches and the people who pat themselves on the back for their own cleverness.  While I can understand the distaste for bad signage, are we doing the same thing for people on Sunday morning?  Only are we displaying our cleverness for the lucky few who enter the building by offering witty sermon titles?

Knowing your context, how would the congregation respond if there were no sermon title?  Would there be panic; I'm pretty sure not.  But I'm curious to know if the absence of a title could/would draw people deeper into the message.  (Or would this become just another "marketing tool" to grab people?)

I suppose someone knows how this all came about.  I'd like to think it had something to do with the passage titles found in some translations.  Someone thought it necessary to give us a taste of what's to come.  Maybe pastors thought this was a good idea; and then the good idea became a cute idea and now we have books on "effective sermon titles".

Any which way, I'm now at work and trying to get my mind back to the tasks at hand.  First order of business, create a slogan for our Student Ministries.

All Things

This past Sunday, I heard a Sunday that used 1 Corithinans 9:16-23 as one of the texts.  The driving force of this passage is Paul's insistence on becoming all things to all people so that he can win some for Christ.  

As I've been reflecting on the sermon and passage, something began to jump out to me.  All of the things Paul is talking about becoming, slave/free/man/woman/Jew/Greek/weak, are all acceptable.  Even when Paul talks about the Law, he never acts in contradiction to the law, he only operates outside of its boundaries.

What implications does this have for us, then?  What does it look like to go outside of the "rules" and still follow them?  I suppose if I had the answer to this question I'd be awesome (or famous).  But I'm sure that walking in Paul's shoes requires that we begin to understand the heart of Christ with more clarity.

This means loving first and asking questions second.  It means we put our agenda on the back burner and listen to the stories of others.  And it requires much from us; we must be so in love with Jesus that we are not seduced into the lifestyle of those we are loving.

Dynamic Twins - one,two

We recently started a series on Christian music with our students. I find the whole nature of Christian music intriguing and think that, when done well, it offers healthy supplementation of the music diet.
It scares me to look back on what my options were back in the day. I'd listen to the Dynamic Twins just to try Christian rap, but I always felt like I was staying in the music relationship out of obligation.
I'm excited that there are now great artists who are getting a chance to share God's gifts.
I am curious to know who you're listening to today, or better yet, who you've suffered through (maybe you liked it then, and that's okay).

The Big JC

I struggle to comprehend the Lordship of Christ.  Growing up in America, all I know centers on how important my voice is.  I have a say.  I am important and everyone should consider my thoughts.

The friend perspective of Jesus fits better with my lifestyle.  I can get ahold of Jesus when I like, but don't have to consider Him unless I'm interested.  The problem is that Jesus is more than my friend.  I can't claim to have a nominal relationship with the One who gave me life and invites me to live it in the fullest.

Even if I limit my relationship with Jesus to friend, I'm not a good friend.  There's so much more I could know about Him.  This video offers joking insight into Jesus, but I feel there's truth in the idea that I should know Jesus better.  

(Check out more Matt Geiler on Youtube)

It amazes me how little it takes.

I can't begin to express how excited I am that we've been above freezing the last two days.  The weather heads had begun keeping track of how many days we spent below freezing and how many days of snow and precipitation (12 days below [big deal for here] and 14 days of snow [45 of 50 with precip.])  I'm just so tickled that I can be so giddy about 40.  I guess it doesn't take that much.

It only leaves me the question, how can I tap into my simple joy when it seems like there's no hope?  Thoughts?

Windy City Memories

Last year, we took a class field trip.  I know that I'm supposed to be too old for field trips, but Dubuque Seminary has a required field trip for one of the classes.  The class, entitled Mission in Context, looks at the how the nature of the environment shapes the expression of mission.  Three options were available, Rural, Native American, and Urban.  I went to Chicago with the Urban adventure.

We traveled to a number of churches, two well-respected Mainliners a number of "successful"  black churches and a New Church Development.  One of the clear highlights was attending Tha House Hip Hop church.  As one might guess, the church features worship using hip hop music.  It was amazing how powerfully the congregation responded to hearing and responding to the Gospel in their own language.  A real powerful witness.

I confess I chuckled a little as I thought about this year's class having to suffer the freezing weather.  But as I remembered the trip with fondness, I know that the circumstances only make the story sweeter.

A little present from the mind of Tyler to remember the trip...

Stay warm

A View Askew

A few days ago I was having a conversation with some students and they strongly advocated that in order to fully experience something, you need to experience the opposite.  So in order to be faithful, you need to have a time of infidelity.  To understand loyalty, you need to betray.  In order to love, you have to despise.  In order to be righteous, you have to sin.

The last one creates conflict for me.  I find it difficult to think that living a "good" life requires living recklessly first.  Why do I need to exist selfishly before I can live selflessly?  

As I wrestle this concept, it strikes me as explicitly humanist.  It feels like experience becomes the savior and that one can do anything once one has done everything.  Is there any intersection with this worldview and Christ?  

This worldview seems to believe we can only know we need a savior by living without one.  While this might feel true, how do we come to an understanding of needing a savior if one doesn't already exist.  It seems completely necessary that the Savior is already there and available.  (And He is.)

One other thought that leads to the conclusion of humanism:  is the opposite construction of this worldview true?  Does living with a Savior (or religion) lead to an understanding that one doesn't need any?  My real fear is that this is the trap of believing this way; eventually, we are good on our own and don't need any help.

I believe the beauty of the Gospel is that any/all of our experiences are void unless we are living in Christ.  My experience might inform me, but the freedom of "real" living comes with experiencing something beyond the world as I (or my experiences) limit it.

In My Day

About a month ago, I had a conversation with an older gentleman in our church.  He was reminiscing about when he was younger and actually said, "When I was in school, I walked a mile to school in 20 below weather.  And my dad called to make sure my mom made me wear a warm coat."  Get out of here.  I didn't really think that this story happened to anyone.  I was wrong.

And it's got me thinking about any tales that I'll tale about "back in my day".  Sadly, I don't think many exist.  I could complain about school uniforms being more restricted, but that's not really all that bad.  And that leaves me with very little to hold onto.

Then it hit me - are we losing the notion of a unique story?  Am I a part of a generation that hasn't had a codifying event?  The Boomers had Vietnam and Reaganomics.  The Millenials are being formed in a post 9/11 world with dot.com potential and a President inspiring the country.  The single event (at least the one most identified by others) that gets listed for Gen X is the explosion of the Challenger in 1986.  The identifying marker of my generation is failure?  Not exactly something to rally around.

I think one of the greatest challenges facing American culture centers around a generation that has slipped between the cracks.  At first Gen X was cool and trendy, until society realized something "cooler" and more adaptable followed in their wake.  The generation that struggled to find a home in the Boomer world wasn't ready for the fluidity of the emerging landscape.  

To add insult to injury, the Boomers who recognized a new landscape leapfrogged the Gen X folks and grafted in Millenials to help them transition, more fluid and ready for what's next.  So an entire generation sits displaced.  Not fit for the old world, not equipped or overlooked for the new one.  We reach back to find our story and are grasping at straws.

As I've been searching for the story, I wonder if the most appropriate story resembles what the first Easter Saturday must have felt like.  The one between death and resurrection.  The one that gets lost in our own celebrations.  What do we do with the time in between?  Fortunately for us, we know that One's death leads to our resurrection.  But how does that inform how we approach today?   

I guess that leaves a generation to hope against hope.  More importantly, we must become a generation that is ready to believe when the unexpected happens.  How do we respond when we encounter the Resurrected One who calls us to something beyond?  Do I know the Story well enough to hear that call to become a part of something better? 

And I wait, hoping against hope that there's more to this story.  And maybe I'll be able to share about what it was like in my day...

Gangsta Deuce Deuce

I had been following the 12 days of Christmas as my Facebook status, but with Epiphany that came to an end.  I struggled to find something funny enough and decided my ill fated high school hiphop career could provide a humorous jumping off point.  I asked the question what should my new stage name be.  My friend Val suggested the website http://rapstarname.com/.  So I visited and learned that my new persona should be Gangsta Deuce Deuce (with Natalie being Lucious Tricky and Lainey being Dee Dee Fresh).  I feel like at least the ladies belong with George Clinton and the P Funk.

While this is all clearly ridiculous, it makes me sad to think that there's no way I would attempt to "rap" again.  I'm now too old, or too self aware, or just plain scared.  It would be so liberating to be free to have fun like I did in those days.  

I wonder if it's possible to live with that kind of adventure and remain a responsible adult.  I'm not really sure, but I am fairly confident that Gangsta Deuce Deuce can (and will) handle his biznazz.

RE:Solutions

One of my New Year Resolutions is to try and blog a few times a week.  And, if I'm being honest, this is the resolution that I'm the most afraid of.  I have plenty of things to say, I'm just a little nervous about sharing them and leaving them "out there".

As I've wondered about what to post on first, I realized that the notion of creating a resolution requires that at some point there was a solution.  How can we have a re-solution unless we've had a solution to begin with.

This leads me to wonder, what was my original solution?  I feel compelled to offer the Sunday School answer "Jesus".  And, I must confess that I only stumbled across the solution.  I'm not creative enough to imagine a Savior that loves me the ways that Jesus does.  But I'm grateful for the Jesus solution.

This leads me to wonder about resolution.  Does that mean Jesus again?  Is this a theological issue like justification/sanctification?  Or maybe it all falls into some other category.  

All things being equal, I'll try and start blogging with the tension of not knowing.  Maybe this will be the place that I work it out or it begins to make more sense.

Resolutions were much easier when it was just about dieting...