Writings From the Grassroots

A Sabbath Rhythm: If God Will Send His Angels

This week for a Sabbath Rhythm I chose a song to remind us that Sabbath is for connecting, perhaps even experiencing rest from the anxiety and restlessness in our lives.  In a time of unrest we want rest.  In a time of war, peace.  This song speaks to me in profound ways.  I hope it will for you too.

Here are the Lyrics. 
Nobody else here baby no one else here to blame
No one to point the finger...
It's just you and me and the rain
Nobody made you do it, no one put words in your mouth
Nobody here taking orders when love took a train heading south
It's the blind leading the blond
It's the stuff the stuff of country songs

HEY IF GOD WILL SEND HIS ANGELS
AND IF GOD WILL SEND A SIGN
AND IF GOD WILL SEND HIS ANGELS
Would everything be alright?

God has got his phone off the hook
Babe would he even pick up if he could?
It's been a while since we saw that child
Hangin' round this neighbourhood
See his mother dealing in a doorway
See Father Christmas with a begging bowl
Jesus sister's eyes are blister ...
THE HIGH STREET never looked so low

It's the blind leading the blond
It's the cops collecting for the cons
So where is the hope and where is the faith ... and the love?
What's that you say to me
Does love... light up your Christmas tree?
The next minute you're blowing a fuse
And the cartoon network turns into the news

HEY IF GOD WILL SEND HIS ANGELS
AND IF GOD WILL SEND A SIGN
WELL IF GOD WILL SEND HIS ANGELS
WHERE DO WE GO

Jesus never let me down
You know Jesus used to show me the score
Then they put Jesus in show business
Now it's hard to get in the door

It's the stuff it's the stuff of country songs
But I guess it was something to go on

HEY IF GOD WILL SEND HIS ANGELS
I SURE COULD USE THEM HERE RIGHT NOW
WELL IF GOD WILL SEND HIS ANGELS
WHERE DO WE GO...

An Expressive Politic; Faith

I have been a Christian my whole life.  I have been a Citizen of this country my whole life.  At times the two have melded together.  At other times the two have been at diametrically opposed places.  Can we as Christians be both and?  Or must we choose either or?  With the emergence of the Emergent Christians I have been intrigued with their expressive, creative and experiential faith.  For some this has been a difficult emergence of various expressions of being Christian: Follower of Jesus.  Others have embraced it as they would a second cousin they never knew they had.  I personally, have read most of the books that have come out of emergent and I have enjoyed them.  They have uprooted some tired beliefs, and propelled me to new heights of insight as a living way.  A way beyond personal piety and toward a communal redemption.  The way of restoration and wholeness. So a few days I was reading a CNN report titled, Evangelical touts 'Jesus for President'.  You can read the whole article HERE.  Shane Claiborne is beyond emergent in good ways.  You will enjoy it.
 

My Two Year Ministry Anniversary

This June marks my second year in full-time ministry.  So far I have been in the Imperial Valley and I am loving it.  This picture is a cake that one of my two churches bought for me to celebrate this occasion.

Leadership Journal

This post is for anyone that is in a leadership position at a local church.  Last week I was in a Christian Bookstore, I was browsing through the magazine rack and I came across the Leadership Journal.  I am always reticent to buy magazines from Christian Bookstores for fear that they will only support that Christians retreat into a subculture of Christian books, Christian music, Christian Clothes, Christian Jewelry etc.  and further isolation themselves from their surrounding world and immediate context.  However as I read through this magazine I found it to be an indispensable tool for anyone in ministry.  This Journal is filled with deeply insightful articles in particular in the current issue there is an article Three Overlooked Leadership Roles (you can read this article by clicking HERE) by Alan Hirsh.  The journal also contains helpful resources, preaching helps and is loaded with snippets of information of current trends and cultural feeling that is supported by good research.  Check it out.

A Sabbath Rhythm: Tourists to Pilgrims

TOURISTS TO PILGRIMS

If you are searching for something more than temporary spiritual relief, then Christian spirituality is a source for a deeper life. We are all seeking depth, meaning and fellow
travellers to share the journey with. Our highly consumptive, technological culture has produced a generation of spiritual tourists who pursue a deep place of rest, but have no perceivable destination. Buying a new car, clothes or gym membership gives temporary relief but doesn’t bring lasting rest or centeredness. Even with our relative wealth, we still have a deep inner poverty.

The ancient narratives of Christian spirituality offer renewed, contemporary wisdom into this context. Exploring and embodying the teachings of Jesus through prayer, contemplation, and the practise of community, helps us become more truly human.

Life is a journey of ‘human becoming’, within which we shift from being lonely tourists to fellow pilgrims whose destination is God in whom we find rest.

Encouragement
Wisdom sayings from Jesus:
Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Prayer for the Journey
Christ be before me,
Christ be beside me,
Christ be all around.
May the peace of Christ go with me, wherever God may send me.
May God guide me through the wilderness, protect me through the storm.
May God bring me home rejoicing at the wonders God has shown me.
May God bring me home rejoicing
once again into our doors.
Amen

This is another one of the dekhomai postcards.

 

My Christianity

This past Monday, I was invited to lecture at the local college on Christianity.  It was a world religions class, my task was to present a clear and concise picture of Christianity.  Preparing was much more difficult than I had anticipated.  I was fortunate to be able to present Christianity as I have observed it, and what I felt Christianity should be like.  At a time when Christian's have taken a lot of heat, and perhaps are viewed as intolerant I was excited to present a more reconciling view of Christianity.  Through out the lecture I weaved in Biblical Narrative and Social Commentary. In a sense I was able to paint my picture of Christianity in its rawest, stripped of everything that gets in the way of embracing God in order to most appropriately engage our world. 

I set up the lecture in three different movements (as in a movement in a Symphony-I had just finished reading Simply Christian and Wright talks about movements, mine don't reflect his book)

Movement One:  ORIGINS - Most Christians agree that central to our understanding of our origins is that God is behind the created order.  Humanity is created in the image of God (Which would later play a central role in the lecture) and as such, there is harmony about life - a way things 'ought' to be and 'could' be.  Like all of humanity is equal, one person isn't more valuable than another.  And when one person is treated as anything other than equal - all of creation 'ought' to care, and do whatever it takes to make it right.  One might even call it our role, or rasion d' etre.  This reason for existence comes in movement two.

Movement Two:  REASON FOR EXISTENCE - The Biblical narrative tells of the actions of humans, at times, have created a separated mode of existence, between God and humanity.  Perhaps we could say this happens when humanity lives outside the harmony of God, we call this sin.  At the center of who we are, and why we are - is Jesus and his work reconciliation.   If Jesus, does indeed, reconcile us to God, if he bridges this chasm, then it makes sense that we enter a new mode of existence.  One in which we are in harmony with God again.  The New Testament writer Paul calls this, a 'new creation'.  A new Origin.  A new origin in which the hope is that humanity will live in  harmony with God, and what is important for God now becomes intimately important to this new creation.  Namely, reconciliation, restoration, redemption - wholeness.

Movement Three:  MODUS OPERNADI (or mode of operation) - This 'new creation', if they really hold true to the reconciliation in Jesus, then must live in such a way that takes part in the work of God in this world.  Where their task is to work towards what 'ought' to be, what 'should' be, and what 'could' be.   

So there it is.  This was the sequence of the lecture.  I didn't think of putting it into three movements, which now I think would have been more clear.  I don't presume to say that there are only three major realities/ ideas in the Biblical Narrative.  These are just what thought I could accomplish in the hour I was given.  Hope you have enjoyed this. It was much more difficult to put this lecture together because I wanted to keep on talking and speaking of my faith, however time did not allow me. I hope to flesh this out more in the future.  Tell me your thoughts.