Back in Bama and no clue what to do

As many of you out there already know, I'm back in bama. If you have been following the Powell saga to this point, you may remember that Holly took a full-time job teaching english at SEU. She went down and began teaching and left me in Huntsville to tie up loose ends before coming down. The weekend before I was to move down to join her, we get a phone call that literally changed our lives. It was our adoption agency with some big news. (You can read about this part on our adoption blog peace for your journey) Long story short, we had 24 hours to get down to Guatemala. When we got there we had this beautiful little 3 day old girl waiting on us. The problem is that the same reason that we went down to Guatemala (shakeup in the governmental procedures for adoption) now made it too risky for us to move to Florida. There is one part of the adoption process called PGN which is known for giving "privios" which are requests for further or reproduced legal documents. We cannot produce our documents that were certified in the state of Alabama if we are living in Florida! So, Holly and i found ourselves sitting in a hotel room in Guatemala with a little girl and the understanding that we could no longer continue with the move to Florida.

Here's one little twist that you will find amusing: the same weekend that I am sitting in my hotel in Guatemala is the same weekend that the Church was giving Holly and I our farewell party! Not only that, but that following Wednesday was my going away party from the youth group (we drove straight from the airport to this party. We didn't even have time to go home first and we live on the Church property!) So, as we sat in Guatemala we had no house to come back to and no job. Talk about a fun week. To save you some of the details, we talked to the Church and they agreed to take us back on staff here which gave us our house back and one of our jobs. Honestly our heads are still spinning from the quick turn around. Thanks for praying for us during this time. It's been a wild ride and I am sure will get even wilder before its over with!

ESTAMOS AQUI EN GUATEMALA!!!!!!!!!

I AM A PAPI! (THAT'S FATHER FOR THE SPANISH IMPAIRED)

As most all of you know, Holly and I have been in the midst of an adoption process. We are trying to adopt a little baby girl from the country of Guatemala. Well, we received our "paper ready" status last week. This past Thursday we received a phone call from our agency stating that Guatemala's president would possibly give a decree that would shut down adoptions. The only way around such a declaration would be to sign power of attorney by the close of business on Friday...IN GUATEMALA CITY! Well, along with 10 other families Holly and I boarded a planed within six hours of hearing the news and were off to Guatemala City! We arrived here Friday at noon, signed our POA by 4 and had our new baby girl in our arms by 4:30! Here's a quick recap: we get a phone call Thursday at noon, I am on a plane to meet holly by 5, in Guatemala Friday at 12, signed POA by 4, and had our baby girl in our arms by 4:30! (You can read more about the process and the events of the day on our adoption blog, peace for your journey.)

Here's the stats on our new baby girl. We are going to call her Isabella. She was born September 26 slightly prematurely. She weighed 4 pounds 12 ounces and is absolutely the most beautiful baby girl in the world! She is getting to stay with us in our hotel the entire length of our stay. However, we are not allowed to leave the hotel with her. Thankfully, there are a lot of restaurants and shopping places in the hotel. We have decided not to publicly, however, most of the people that read this blog are friends and I would love to send a picture over to you. Just let me know.

We will be back from Guatemala on October 3.

Got to run. Isabella seems a bit hungry. Buenos tardes!

Chris

Auburn vs LSU

If anyone needs me tomorrow, I will be at the Auburn/LSU game in Auburn! Props to my friend Andy who offered up one of their passes for the game. I received the offer to go hang out with these friends at a game, however, the only day that I could make it was for the LSU game (ie the biggest game of the year thus far for all non-football fans). Honestly I thought that there was no way that it would work out. I figured there was a waiting list for these tickets and I would be close to the bottom. However, God has smiled upon me. Not only do I get to spend the day in Auburn at the game, but I get to do so with friends that I don't get to see much. Good times, good friends, and maybe we will find some good food.

War Eagle!

Solomon update

Several days, weeks, months, years, ago I posted an entry centering around Solomon. My question was this: "why is Solomon named 'Jedidiah' by God through the prophet Nathan? Did everyone simply forget about this name that he was given? Why did God himself refer to Solomon as 'Solomon' instead of Jedidiah?" I had a gut feeling that the inclusion of the name in the text was there for a specific reason. I have to admit that I still don't feel that I have the complete answer, but here are my further thoughts on the subject.

(1) Solomon is conceived at the same time that God judges David's sin by killing his son conceived in sin. Solomon is the first "legitimate" child of David and Bathsheba. I believe, along with several other scholars, that God's naming of Solomon as 'Jedidiah' is a way of showing David that he still has a chance of fulfilling his God-given destiny. The name Jedidiah means "beloved of God." God hasn't given up on David and shows this through the naming of Solomon.

(2) Here's where I venture out in my interpretations. The first thought is one that seems to be the consensus of the scholars that I have referenced. This second thought is mine and may venture away from the beaten path. Here's the deal. After Solomon takes the leadership of Israel, he begins to build the kingdom that we all know of so well. Solomon's temple is the envy of the nations, Solomon's wealth is known by all (look at the queen of Sheba narrative). The list of Solomon's achievements go on and on. However, if you look closely at the text it appears that all is not well. The kingdom is built upon the backs of slave labor. Apparently the memory of the Israelites is relatively short. (remember I am the Lord that brought you out of Egypt!) The kingdom becomes a kingdom that continues to grow in its pursuit of wealth and power. This pursuit of wealth and power becomes the impetus for Solomon's acclimation into the deities of his political marriages. As you can see this road goes downhill quickly.

In reflecting upon this, and thinking of our present situation in the US and the way that most American's live their lives, I can't help but to think that the narrative of Solomon is being lived out right here in the US. While I was thinking on this one day I just simply said to myself, "that's what happens when you forget that you are the beloved of God." I think myself solved the mystery for me. What if the writer is showing us that Solomon, though beginning with good intentions, somehow allowed his pure intentions to become perverted thinking that HE could build the kingdom that would be the fulfillment of God's plan? What if all along, God was asking Solomon to participate in what GOD was building, resting in the knowledge that God has chosen Solomon and rooted him in the one who created all things? What if we, in present day US, lived our lives working with God, building his kingdom instead of trying to build our own? What if we rested in the name that God has already given us, "beloved of God" and quit trying to build a name for ourselves?

I know that this interpretation is highly tainted by my present social location. But after all, aren't all interpretations tainted by such? Just a thought. Please give me some feed back and let me know what ya think!

Shalom,
'Jedidiah'

No, I'm not dead

It's official...I am not dead. Several of my blog-mates have told me that they planned a blogging funeral for me, however, I am back from the dead. Here is the reason for my long departure from blogging...I'm moving. Yeah, I know, you were expecting something bigger. Maybe like I had a winning lottery ticket and was afraid to give away my identity. Instead of striking it insanely rich, here are the real details. Read on and I think you will see the problem.

After 5.5 years at College Park, Holly and I are packing up our bags and moving back down to central Florida. Holly is now a full time faculty member at Southeastern University teaching in the English department. We were contacted about the position on a Saturday back in July. (For all of you COG people out there, it was the Saturday before General Assembly) We had a group of youth that we were taking up to Indianapolis to compete in the national teen talent competition. We were scheduled to leave that Sunday. Here's where the fun starts. We were given until Monday morning to make the decision knowing that we would be with youth group students for the next week. Please don't get me wrong, I love being with students on trips. However, this is not the most conducive environment for making such a large decisions. So in an effort to involve our pastor in the decision process, Holly and I decided to talk with him that Sunday before leaving for General Assembly. Here's the really weird part...that Sunday morning he has a heart attack. Needless to say, our meeting with the pastor was not a high priority for him that day. That Sunday, with our pastor in the hospital, the group left for Indianapolis. Through a long series of events, Holly and I decided that she would accept the position at Southeastern. Another problem here is that we could not tell our pastor when we returned because of his heart condition. Thankfully, he is in process of making a great recovery. However, we were only able to make our plans public (ie I resigned) two Sundays ago. And it is at this point that we arrive at my somewhat excusable reason for leaving the blogging community. In short, all I have had going on in my life has been centered around this move. Since it was not public, I had nothing else to blog about! Now that the move is out in the open, I don't have time to blog as I am now single (until I join Holly at SEU) trying to pack one house and get another house ready to sell!

Please excuse my blogging delays, but please be aware that I am not dead and will be back to ranting frantically before you know it.

Shalom,
Chris

PS Does anyone know of any open jobs in Central Florida?

Solomon?

This post is primarily a question posed to all of you biblical scholars out there. I am doing some research for a series of wednesday night youth talks entitled "the beloved of God." While doing some research I came across 2 Samuel and the narrative of David, Bathsheba and the birth of Solomon. I have read that passage before but never noticed that God declared through the prophet Nathan that Solomon's name was to be Jedidiah "beloved of God." Please tell me how I got through a Christian College and even a seminary without noticing this?! Anyway, further research has shown that the name Jedidiah is not mentioned anywhere else in scripture. In fact, every time that God speaks or refers to Solomon, God uses the name Solomon and not Jedidiah. I have a couple of ideas of what could possibly be behind this. I would love some feedback though from you OT scholars out there.

Shalom.

*Image at the top is from http://www.sxc.hu and was posted by brainloc

Downtown Huntsville

I live in Huntsville. I like this city...sometimes. It is a great city that has a great mix of big city life (we have all the major restaurants: 2 Cracker Barrels, and coming soon a PF Changs. wooooohoooo!!!) and the quite country life. We have just enough people in the city to offset the fundamentalist bible belt beliefs found in the rural areas of the south (though this thought is by no means dead in the city!) The city is definitely growing into a metropolitan feel and well, Holly and I want to move into a condo downtown. I realize that this is not practical and would cost twice as much as a place in the suburbs but we would love to have the experience! I guess I can't complain because I only live 1 mile away from downtown now. Holly and I take great pleasure in walking our dogs through big spring park, sometimes even venturing into the historic twickenham district. I realize that its just a dream, a really big and not practical dream, but I am allowed to dream!

Shalom.

PS If anyone is wanting to surprise Holly and I with a condo, we would really like to have one in the 301 east development (www.301east.com). We are not too picky, so we will accept any of the condo floor plans that you want to buy for us. Thanks.

The Secret Message of Jesus

I just finished reading the secret message of Jesus last week. Let me say first of all that I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone. Having said that, if you have read McLaren's other works, then you have a good idea of what he is going to say in this book. Here's my problem with the book, the presupposition of the book's title "The Secret Message of Jesus" is that the message that is included in the pages following this title are in some way a revelation of a "secret" message of Jesus. I guess that I have been in this whole emergent conversation a little too long now, but the message given in the book is simply a restatement of the message of Christ that others are teaching who are taking serious the hermeneutical issues of postmodernity. What I mean by all of this rambling is that it is hard to believe that there are people that this message would be new to thereby requiring the book's revealing of its secrecy. I guess we all see through our own presuppositions, however, it is hard to understand why some are fighting so hard against works like this and others that are trying to take serious the words of Christ in light of cultural and social factors. Here's the basic message of McLaren (or rather Jesus') secret message:

The book is in three movements; the context of the message, wrestling with the message and what the world and our spirituality would look like if we took this message seriously. I have to say that the best part of the book lies in the second and third sections. The major point of the book is that the message of Jesus has been so watered down by the gospel of accommodation that is has lost its pointed edge that pierces through injustice, poverty, bondage, sickness, environmental concerns, and even severs connections with the empire when they become too entangled with the church. If you know the term holistic salvation, then you know what McLaren is saying here. In essence, the gospel is good news to all people and all creation. God is in the process of saving us and our world, not just our souls (though this is part of the plan). I don't understand why some of the fundamentalist critiques of this book bash McLaren for including these aspects? Do they want or look forward to the rest of creation blowing or burning up? I understand that we should be concerned with saving people's souls, but what about the rest of the person? Can their bodies be healed? Can their minds be healed? Can their families even the world around them be healed? I just don't understand sometimes.

One of the main things that sticks out to me in the book is the chapter on seeing the kingdom. McLaren talks of a guy who goes to Sea World with his family. As the guy and his family are watching the killer whales swim in synchronization, he finds himself wiping away a tear as he is overcome with emotion. He realizes that his daughter is doing the same thing. He finally comes to the conclusion that moments such as these are moments that we see the world as it once was, as it will be, with whales dancing in harmony. I can relate. I have had these moments. We are never given a big picture of what the kingdom of God looks like. We merely have a series of still images that give a particular angle, a new vantage point for seeing what the kingdom of God is like. You can't know the totality of the kingdom's economics, but you can know that it is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than a rich person to enter the kingdom. You don't know exactly what you will do in the kingdom, but you know that you have potential like a mustard seed, though its small, you can produce a hundred times more. The parables, Jesus' teachings, etc. were all glimpses of the kingdom, not a picture. The kingdom of God is about a way of life and not only about an existential belief in a God who cares only about moral behavior. McLaren does a great job of helping us see this.

Has anyone else out there read the book? I would be interested to hear what you have to say about it.

Now, for some comic relief, here are some links to reviews of the book from the fundamentalist community.

Southern View Chapel Book Review
emergent no blog

Dr. King and my trip to Montgomery

It's funny how you miss things. I was born in Montgomery and lived in Wetumpka (just outside of Montgomery) for several years. I knew that Montgomery was famous for it's historical sites. However, living in the south we were primarily told about the Little White House or as it is also known, the First White House of the Confederacy. Oh yeah, there's also a small Church where some black guy pastored next to the Capital. We never were really told to much about this little insignificant church though, just the Capital and the little white house.

Well, this past Monday Holly and I found ourselves headed down to Montgomery to complete some adoption paper work. I finally took the time to go and visit that little insignificant church were the black man pastored. I visited the Dexter Ave King Memorial Church. This is the Church that Dr King pastored from 1954 to 1960. We were not able to go inside the Church but had a great time touring the outside. It is an incredible feeling to stand on those steps and realize that Dr King and many other civil rights leaders have walked those very steps. I am sorry that many revere the little white house of the confederacy more than this little church. But, that's kind of the way that it goes. Those that fight for themselves get applauded as heroes and those that fight for others often come from and find themselves in the fringes. They are the ones that get passed by. I see this as sort of a paradigm of the church throughout history. When the church has really been working as the people of God participating in the Missio Dei, it has found itself in the minority role where its prophetic voice stands out and rings loudly against a sea of sameness. I pray that we will not loose the "small" prophetic voice of the church. While the rest of the world is fighting for what they deem necessary, may the Church of God (not necessarily the denomination) continue to fight for justice and God's kingdom from the fringes without fanfare. Visiting the King Memorial Church only took a few minutes but will be a few minutes that I will not quickly forget.

Shalom.



*Notice the scripture text that is being used in the next service. I find this very fitting.*

My new addiction

Here's my new addiction: Othello (sometimes known as Reversi). Actually I am addicted to the computer version and have not actually played the real life version. I had never played this game until about two weeks ago and now I can't quit!

Film Review: Capote

After much anticipation, Holly and I finally set down long enough to watch Capote last night. I have to say first and foremost, the film was great! If you are not in any way attached to Capote, ie love of literature, love of people with really weird voices, etc., then you may find the film a little "weird" or even slow. The film tells the story of Truman's interaction with Holcomb, Kansas that would later become his novel "In Cold Blood." There were several themes that one has to wrestle with in watching this film. First of all, Truman gets in way over his head in attempting to tell the stories of the murderers (In Cold Blood is the story of two guys that murder a family of four in Holcomb). In essence, he uses the guys to get the story that he needs to write his historical novel. What he is unprepared for are the bonds that he builds with both the murderers and the families in Holcomb. This aspect of the film is all to real. How many times do we use people to get what we want? We often justify it with "well, this is going to be the greatest book ever written. They are going to die anyway, so why not get their story..." and the list goes on and on. We are inherently selfish creatures. We must, however, learn to live a life that is welcoming and accepting of each "other" that we encounter. Each person has a story, even the person on death row, and if we listen long enough, we just might hear echoes of our own stories in theirs. This is precisely what happens to Capote. He connects with the murderer because their stories are so similar. He even states, "It's as if we were raised in the same house. He happened to go out the back door and I went out the front." The film closes with his quote, "there are more tears shed over answered prayers then unanswered prayers." The quest to write the perfect novel ended up costing Capote his life. The people that knew him, said that he was never the same after the events of Holcomb. His answered prayer turned out to be the beginning of the end for Capote. What was the answered prayer? Watch the movie.

Shalom.

It's great to be alive

Here are three reasons that it is great to be alive right now:

1. Stanley Cup finals. I am a little bit ticked that they kept the rest of the season from us. Still, I am happy to get what little hockey I can. Congrats Carolina!

2. Game 6. The Heat are still alive.

3. World Cup. I have never watched the World Cup before, but I am loving it! It's hockey without the ice and bad headaches!

Shalom.

Camp Update

Thanks to all that are helping me out with this camp issue. Here's the basic data for the past week. The week went much better than last year. The speaker, music, everything just seemed to work better. One reason could be the lack of students. This year was an incredibly low year in numbers. I know people have to make budget through tuition, but I like the smaller camps. Packed camps are for the birds. Finally, student's lives were changed and for this I thank God.

Now, here's my critique/response to the previous comments:

1. (Good idea) THERE'S NO BANQUET HERE!!! Thank God they got rid of the banquet. This idea never made sense to me. They preach all week about remaining pure and not to lust and then place a dinner entirely centered around finding someone of the opposite sex as a focal point of the week. I guess you're not supposed to lust while eating.

2. (Good idea) They got rid of the baptismal service. The students were told to go back to their home churches and ask their pastor to do the baptism in the presence of friends and church family. What a concept!

3. (Bad idea) Pete is right about providing a crisis point for youth. I also agree that camp USED to do that. Students have changed. My students were offended by what they called "scare tactics" to get them to come to the altar. Perhaps we are trying a little to hard to create the crisis moments in the services. Students can see through the facades. Perhaps we could place them in a different environment altogether to create a space for the crisis moments. Students expect these moments at camp. In a sense we are commercializing them by perpetuating the traditional camp cycle (saved night, sanctified night, Holy Spirit night, go change your world night). In essence our students are paying $100 for a spiritual guarantee. I know that this is oversimplifying the issue, but it does go through my head.

4. (Bad idea) Cheesy games must go. Here's a revolutionary idea: let the students go take a nap in the afternoon. This is the most requested activity at camps nationally. (data supporting this conclusion was not available at time of publication) The camp that I would like to take our students to is down in Daytona. The students are involved in a large scale service in the morning and evening with major bands and such, and then are pretty much free during the day to be on the beach, go shopping, etc. But this is all done as a youth group.

5. (Good idea) Use camps to build youth groups!!! Each year at camp our guys in the youth group are split up from the girls in the youth group for most of the day. I like the camps that allow the youth groups to be together during the day. The friendship aspect of camp is great. However, those friends leave when camp is over. We need to spend more time building communities of faith that are stronger when they get back home.

6. (Good idea) Be real!!! This ties in to #3. There are crisis experiences all around us. We have to teach our students to acknowledge them as such and understand that the ground upon which they walk, the rooms in which they sit, etc. are all holy spaces. Let's teach students to find these holy spaces and discern the voice of God wherever they are. Yes, we must even teach them to discern the presence of God while sitting in the theater watching Harry Potter! (I am sorry to say that this was an issue at camp this year) Students no longer accept the world of the "Holy bubble" nor should we expect them to. I guess my critique here is more of a theological critique but still, we need to look at things such as this.

Final point. I am all for experiences etc. that will impact the lives of students. After all, that's my purpose in life, to bring students into an understanding of and a life in the presence of God. I guess that's why I take the camp issue so personally. In many cases, we as youth ministers have limited opportunities to take students out of their normal surroundings and place them in a sitting that is conducive to them hearing from God. When someone messes up one of these chances, I take it personally. These are real lives that we are playing with here, and we cannot allow traditions or politics get in the way of creating a spiritual experience for them.

Shalom.

Gone

If anyone needs me this week I will be unavailable. I'm at Camp! I will most definitely have a lot to talk about when I return due to my love/hate relationship with denominational camps. I am thinking about forming a secret society for youth pastors who are afraid to come out of the closet and tell their true feelings of denominational camps. True, there was a day in the past that I looked forward to making the trip south to the mountains. Now I am less enthusiastic. I see youth culture drastically changing before my eyes, and I see denominational camps failing to account for those changes in their programming and service structures. Perhaps its just me, but if you are a youth minister and are needing to come out of the camp closet, leave a comment and I'll let you know about our first Denominational Camps Anonymous meeting.

Shalom.

Post-graduation

I have officially received my monthly kick from Pete and have decided to get my butt in gear and write something. This past month has been an incredible month. I finally got all of my papers in, which for a while there I wasn't sure was going to happen. The whole graduation thing was good. I was happy to say that I was from the seminary. The ceremony, reception, and commissioning service were all very well put together. I received my 5,241st Bible at the commissioning service. When we got there for graduation practice, which turns out to be simply fill out a bunch of forms practice, I was very disheartened to not see a star by my name. A star indicates that you graduate with honors. I thought for sure that I would get a little star but alas, there was none. However, I asked about it and sure enough, I was supposed to have a star! I offered to draw a star in all of the programs but they didn't like that too much. The ceremony had a very moving keynote address given by Dr. Gause. I was greatly impressed. The other speeches in the awards ceremony were equally impressive. There was a constant theme of empowering women for ministry that kept surfacing in the ceremony and service (not a shocker for those that have been through the seminary). What was a shocker though, was the complete disregard for inclusive language by the denominational leader that spoke. I was greatly disappointed in the language that was used during this part of the ceremony. There is much work to be done my friends.

The picture at the top of this post is a picture of one of the things that my incredible wife gave me for graduation. I wanted a mountain bike, however, she got a VW Beetle when she got her MA and she didn't want me to be able to say that I got her a Bug and she got me a bike. So, she got me this incredible book shelf and a shopping spree at a bookstore for graduation! I loved it! We have many book cases in our house, however, this is the first nice real wood case that we have had. I use it in the living room to shelve my "I want company to see these" books. Here are some of the books that she got me as well:


The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
Exclusion and Embrace by Miroslav Volf
Theology of Hope by Jurgen Moltmann
The Coming of God by Moltmann
A Social Reading of the Old Testament by Walter Brueggemann
Texts under Negotiation: The Bible and Postmodern Imagination by Bruegemann
Bum Rush the Page: a def poetry jam
Signs in Contemporary Culture: An Introduction to Semiotics by Arthur Asa Berger
Planting Missional Churches by Ed Setzer
Conetmplative Youth Ministry by Mark Yaconelli

My wife rocks!

Shalom.

Carman

I know as a youth minister, I am not supposed to lead people into sin. However, I cannot help but post this cd cover even though many of my brothers and sisters out there will stumble into jealousy, envy, and even lust. I am sorry, but my good friend and youth sponsor extraordinare, Danielle, braved a Carman concert and brought me back an autographed copy of this "Ultimate Praise" cd. I think that I could die happy now. I feel that I have a special connection to Carman himself. Are you ready to R.I.O.T.? Do you know who the Champion is? Have you ever received a Witches Invitation? I recently read an interview with Derek Webb in Relevant Magazine. He said that the Christian industry was falling into a state of ordinary cheesiness. Perhaps the way out of the Cheesiness of contemporary Christian music is through the stylings of Carman! Come on, the guy not only sings, but he also talks through his songs, raps, acts, and dances (have you seen the video to A2J? Now that's hot!). What could be more relevant in our day that Carman?*



*I realize that reading the above may be a bit painful for Danielle. I would just like to take this time to affirm you as the coolest person on earth for getting this autographed cd. You rock Danielle!

Da...............................Vinci

Just as a point of reference, you must say the title to this post as if you were one of the superfans found on Saturday Night Live. "DA................VINCI." Ok, now that we have that out of the way, I would like to say that I am not trying to rip off of my friend Pete's blog, however, I also went and saw the DaVinci Code on Saturday night. Here's my take.

First of all, it was so great to actually go see a movie. Granted, I have been told that seeing this movie will send me to hell, so all in all, I guess it all balances out. (BTW, I finally watched the Chronicles of Narnia on Friday night, so I guess that means that I can still make it to heaven.) The movie, from a critical perspective, was just an ok movie. It is worth seeing, but there were some odd cuts, slow dialogue, and even some mediocre acting by Mr. Hanks. (Did I mention predictable at times?) Still, I would recommend seeing it over the Flight 93 and DEFINITELY over RV.

Secondly, here's my take on the whole sacrilegious side of things. WHO IN THE WORLD FEELS THREATENED BY THIS MOVIE!!!!!???? I just don't get it. I did not leave the movie questioning my faith. I did not leave the movie thinking that Jesus was not divine. I DID leave the movie a little hungry however, and, a Nestle's Crunch Ice Cream Bar later, I was fine. Here's what I did think was worthy of noting in the film: the relation of semiotics to this whole debate.

I had never stopped to realize that this entire issue is an issue of symbols! Indeed the film opens in a lecture on "religious symbology." The relationship between a symbol and the way that we perceive reality through the interpretation of those symbols are of great interest to me. What the movie taught me has nothing to do with Constantine, or marriage. What the movie taught me, or rather affirmed in my spirit, is that we should all check our usage of religious cultural symbols and question what they are telling others. What does our use of the cross in jewelry and fashion really represent? Is it possible that the symbol of the cross once meant something that is so much more in depth than what it is used for now? Are there symbols, or images of Christ that have been so assimilated into culture, or rather viewed through specific cultural lenses, that they no longer look anything like the Jesus Christ that actually walked on this earth? I left the movie questioning my faith to the extent that I want to be open to critiquing the cultural symbols that have replaced, or become synonymous with our religious symbols.

If you can't tell, here's my suggestion. Go see the film if you want to know what it's about. (or if you simply want to tick off the fundamentalists who are trying to make Ron Howard go bankrupt.) The film is good, but don't expect too much. And finally, make sure that you don't go in the middle of a thunderstorm - you stand less of a chance of getting struck by lightening on the way out of the theater.

KKK

For the past few weeks, I have really not liked living in the South. Let me back up and say, thanks for putting up with my sabbatical from blogging. I have been focused upon school work so I haven't had the chance to blog, but I'm back for better or for worse. (You can thank Pete for the constant kicks needed to get blogging again.)

Now, for the real post: the image used here was printed in the Huntsville Times a couple of weeks ago. Apparently the KKK held a rally in Northern Alabama, where I live, protesting the current imigration issue. I couldn't believe it, the KKK is actually calling for Black and White people to ban together to kick the "Mexicans" out. The protest itself, or rather the very fact that it happened, was enough to tick me off. What pushed me over the edge however, was the image that I have placed above. That is an eight year old kid that is wearing the official dress of the KKK. Does this fire anyone else up?! Eight years old and the kid is already being taught a form of hatred that is so dark many of us will never be able to comprehend it. What's worse, is that the kid will be taught that the hatred inside of him is actually based upon scripture.

I wish that I could spend enough time, and knew enough words to express the feelings I have for these people. Still, I am forced with the fact that the gospel of Christ must be the good news for even those hiding behind their white masks. I recently faced this issue on an even more personal basis. Our former neighbors were not necessarily the neighborly type. He was a former Marine that got a kick out of spitting his chewing tobacco on my support peace sticker on my car. The day finally came for this family, who lovingly screams obsenities at each other, to move out. Why did they move out? Well, apparently the city of Athens, which is close by, is 87% white. Finally, they can let their children and grandchildren play in the yard again. I struggle to love people like this. But still, the way of peace means peace in all situations. I am learning what this means and what it looks like in practice. Until I have an answer for my reaction to such hatred and prejudice, I have a proposition: let's deport the KKK. Just a thought.

Shalom.

Theologian Quiz

Everyone else has done this, and, since I would jump off a bridge if everyone else did it, I decided to take the quiz. I was a little upset that Moltmann didn't take the top spot. I like him.

Anselm 73% J�rgen Moltmann 73% Martin Luther 67% Friedrich Schleiermacher 53% Charles Finney 53% John Calvin 47% Paul Tillich 40% Jonathan Edwards 40% Karl Barth 40% Augustine 20% Which theologian are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Real Update

I was looking over the last several posts and noticed that I have not posting anything serious in quite a while. So here's my serious post.

I purchased Brian McLaren's new book The Secret Message of Jesus the other day and have been thinking about its premise for quite some time. I am not one of those people that looks for the secret codes, etc. that are found in the Bible. Thus, when I saw the title of McLaren's book, I had to say that my first thought was, "oh no! They got McLaren!" Thankfully, the book is not a rendering of secret code language, but is an attempt to peel back the layers of what we have superimposed culturally upon the message of Christ. The freedom that comes from such a presupposition is very freeing to me. I have become more and more aware lately of the gaping differences between the Jesus of scripture and the Jesus of the Church. My heart breaks every time I see the way that we have watered down the message of Christ. Here's a good case in point.

I am constantly amazed by youth. I love working with youth, they will act like they don't care and don't know anything one moment, and then the next moment will give you a truth that you have never seen before. Last Sunday I was sitting in Sunday School and was facilitating a discussion on the call of the disciples. We were reading from Luke 5, where Jesus gets in the boat with Simon. One of the students noticed that Jesus waits until right after Simon began to catch fish before calling him to "fish for men." Here's a guy who makes his living by catching fish. He has caught nothing, and then finally gets what he is looking for, he finally has enough money to live for a while, and then Jesus calls him to leave it! What a rip off! Is this the way that God works? We work our whole life trying to get what we need to make it, and then, just when we think we have it, Jesus says, "ok, I've got something better. I know you worked hard and you've finally arrived, but, well...it doesn't really matter anymore! There's something bigger out there to which you can give your life!"

This is exactly how I feel right now. I have been liberated by the fact that I don't have to accept the culturally watered down version of Christ. Furthermore, I have been liberated because this revelation leads me to believe that there is no such thing as a utopian ideal out there. My life is not about what I can work towards, it is about what I give myself to. I know that there is another way of reading this above scripture. If there wasn't, then TBN would be off the air. I appreciate the fact that there are multiple readings of the scripture that constantly keep each of us in check. However, I also understand that the scriptures are all about a new way of life. I can't help but wander if we are simply just adding Christianity on to our idealized American Dreams. What if the call of God is bigger? What if the call of God is to abandon the American Dream and devote ourselves to something that is bigger? What if there is no Utopian Ideal? Then again, what if there is a utopian ideal that we refer to in passing as the Kingdom of God and what if we are completely missing it by not living in it?

Shalom.

Update for Pete

Here's an update for Pete.




HI.



Shalom,
Chris

Emergent Friends

I made this banner a while back and would like to make it available for all of those thinking of making the plunge into the emergent world. Perhaps this could be a way to ease into the conversation without having to throw away all of your (deleted word) McDowell books. (BTW I am wondering what the youth people are thinking in the COG by partnering with him?) I originally made this for my atcscelerate profile, but then I got too frustrated with the message board and quit. My loss is your gain. Now you can use this banner as a way of announcing your thinking of being an emergent leader.

Thesis Update #3

Home sweet home. For the past few weeks, the table in the picture has been my home away from home. I am off campus this semester, so I have been using the University of Alabama in Huntsville's library as my quiet place to study. This is the table that I have claimed. It is in a back corner of the third floor surrounded by books on literary theory. Somehow, I am hoping that by surrounding myself with books related to what I am studying will make me smarter...it's not working. Currently I am writing the crappiest thesis that has ever been written. Below is an outline of the crappiness. I was able to send in a rough draft last week. I should find out this coming week from my advisor exactly how bad it really is.

Chapter One – My Story

Chapter Two – Postmodernism
- The Cartesian Experiment
- Social, Economic and Technological Imperatives for Changing Philosophies
- The Rise of Postmodernism
- Nietzsche: Postmodern Prophet
- Deconstruction and the Postmodern Worldview
- Pluralism and the Other
- Postmodernity as a Social Construct
- Postmodernity and globalization

Chapter Three – Truth Redefined
- Truth in Community
- Truth in Experience
- Truth in Beauty
o Christianity and Art in Conversation
o Art and the Postmodern Condition
o The Subjective and the Objective in Art

Chapter Four – Pentecostalism and Postmodernity
- Pentecostal Spirituality as Point of Dialogue with Postmodernism
- Deconstructed by God
- Pentecostalism and Babel
- Pentecostal Virtues and Affections
- Pentecostal Spirituality as Embodiment of the Other
- Pentecostal Spirituality as Realization of Postmodern Ideals

Chapter Five – Prophetic Youth Ministry
- Deconstructionist polarities as a means of a discipleship starting point
- Space in Ministry
o Space of Beauty
o Space of Community
o Space of Experience
- Biblical foundation for prophetic discipleship systems
- Journey
- Mission
- Community
- Discipleship System in Light of Development Theory
- Student Interpretations
- (T)truth in the Discipleship System
- Praxis
- Analysis

Stations of the Cross

Last night in PNEUMA was our annual Stations of the Cross gathering. We have had this gathering for the past four years, but this year was different. This past February we joined groups with an inner-city ministry that was already in place at our church. I was not sure how students that are bussed in from the projects in Huntsville would take a contemplative prayer service. I was amazingly pleased at the results. We had an incredible time with the gathering, but at the end of the night I went home frustrated.

If you are not familiar, the Stations of the Cross is an experiential service that is put together in many churches chronicling the final hours of Christ's life. Ours this year was a hybrid service that used only 5 prayer stations. What I am frustrated at is the fact that many cannot see the validity of such services from a Pentecostal perspective. You can still be a Christian, even a Pentecostal, and have candles in a worship gathering. Participating in a Stations of the Cross gathering does not negate one's Protestant Christian identity. The Stations of the Cross is not a Catholic thing to do, it is a catholic thing to do. I think that it is time for the Pentecostal church to revisit Christian tradition. Yes, the Pentecostal movement is now 100 years old. (BTW If you would like you can go visit the 100 year anniversary and listen to a bunch of preachers that I, as an emergent Pentecostal Christian, cannot believe are speaking for me and what I represent. Sorry, I guess that's another post.) However, just because we claim Barney Creek and Azusa Street as momentous times for the Pentecostal identity, we still have 2000 years of Christian identity that we must not discard.

I believe that the reformation was needed. I am not Catholic, nor to I agree with Catholic theology. I feel that many of the early Church traditions, especially in relation to the sacraments, etc., were misrepresented and misunderstood by the Catholic Church. However, I do not disregard tradition in order to protest the incorrect use of tradition. My question is this: can we as Pentecostal Christians reaffirm the Christian year? I lament the fact that I have not heard a word mentioned about Lent in many of our Churches. I lament the fact that Easter is primarily a time when we ask people to come into our Churches so that we can evangelize them as they pay their yearly respects. There is a bigger issue at hand here: we have ended up using the holy days that benefit us. We can fill out larger reports on Easter and Christmas because people come to our Churches. Besides, these are happy days, who wouldn't want to celebrate them? What about Good Friday? What about Lent? The issue of death and the cross had to be encountered before the resurrection could happen. Of course, no one is interested in dying, only celebrating victory and life. I feel the ways that many of our churches today are using Easter completely cheapens it as a holy day. If we cannot celebrate the resurrection, and identify with Christ in His death, throughout the year, then we have no business asking people to come into our Churches for one Sunday out of the year.

Please do not misunderstand me, I love Easter Sunday! I wish however, that we could get rid of the marketing that is associated with it and simply let the cross be on display in our churches and our lives. I want to identify with Christ in his death so that I can also identify with him in his resurrection. Please Pastors, consider embracing the Christian year. We are a part of a bigger tradition. I don't want to ever forget that.

Just say no

We all know that crack kills. What I am convinced of, however, is that it is not crack killing our society. Rather, what is killing our society is found in the words remix and sequel. Yes my friend these are the killers of our grand society.

I know right now there are some that are calling me an enemy of truth, because I am stating my dislike for sequels by posting an image of Matrix Reloaded. I added the above image with fear and trembling, however, not even the Matrix could escape the world of crappy sequels. Lucas tried to get around the sequel by declaring the last three Star Wars films as "prequels." (I dare not comment on these films lest someone cast some sort of Jedi curse on me.) Still, none can escape the wasteland that is sequel world.

Now, lest you think that I am only against sequels, you are wrong. I am equally against remixes and remakes. Case in point, David Crowder is one of the most amazing musicians out there. However, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES pick up a copy of Sunsets and Sushi thinking it is a good representation of David Crowder. I know that I really should like this album, after all the subtitle is Experiments in Spectral Deconstruction. I appreciate the thought and I understand that music is just as fluid as language, but I'm sorry Derrida, leave Mr Crowder out of this. Why do this to yourselves artists? The money is not worth it (well, ok I say that as I am writing this being broke). Anyone heard the Kelly Clarkson remix? How about Beyonce? (Maybe she was a bad example because you have to start out with something good in order to ruin it with a remix. She simply took garbage to a whole new level) PLEASE, don't miss understand me here. I LOVE MUSIC! Good music that is, of the non-remix type. So here's the moral of the story: we don't need a Matrix 4, A 50th anniversary remake of Herbie the Love Bug, or Michael Jackson's greatest hits sung by David Hasselhoff. Please, just say no to sequels, remakes and remixes. That is what it will take to save this country.

Peaceful living

I was listening to Relevant Magazine's podcast the other day and heard something profound. The podcast was interviewing Donald Miller author of Blue Like Jazz. They were speaking of issues of Christians and peace. Most often we think of issues of peace as dealing with war. Though this is an aspect of the issue, the whole picture requires that we live peaceful lives with those around us and those we come into contact with. Miller was speaking of a friend that is a peaceful person, one of those people you just like to be around because they are always putting someone else first. Miller said he asked his friend one day, "how do you do it? How do you go through your day without getting angry with people and telling the off?" The friend's reply startled me. He talked of how he treated every encounter with someone as a choice. If the person was irritating him, then he would simply ask the question, "what forces are at work right now trying to get the best of me in this situation?" He continued by stating that each moment is an opportunity to allow peace and the way of Christ to rule over each situation, thereby living the kingdom of God in the present.

Wow...I needed to hear that.

Shalom.

PS As a follow up, there is a very interesting article in the latest edition of Relevant Magazine that talks about practical ways of living a non-violent life. Very good stuff.

Lessons from a young pilot

My dad sent this picture to me a week or so ago. I have added this to the things I must do before I die. I must find this airport and land there. This is added to my previous dream of flying between Marsh Harbor and Treasure Cay on Abaco Island in the Bahamas. I have flown this route before but not as PIC (Pilot in Command). Well, I got to thinking about these goals and my relatively young career as a pilot and here are the lessons that I have learned thus far.

First of all, for all of you newby and aspiring pilots out there, remind yourself of your aircraft's fuel system before doing "fun maneuvers" to impress your friends. I took a couple of guys up flying one day from my youth group. A friend of mine showed me how to do zero g parabolic maneuvers. They are a blast to do so I told the guy in the front to grab his keys, place them in his open hand, hold on to his seat and watch. The first maneuver went well, the keys came floating up and the guys loved it. So, we decided to do it again. I forgot, however, that I was in a Cessna 172, that means the engine is gravity fed. I think you get the picture, on the next maneuver the engine starts sputtering. Please make sure you have a fuel pump active before doing this.

Secondly, always check the gradient of the runway that you are going to. All of my flying has been primarily around the Huntsville area, mainly between Decatur, Madison County and Huntsville International. I decided though, to venture up to Cleveland TN, without noticing the gradient of the runway. Let me just say that everything ended fine, but gravity pulling your plane downhill does not help you stop.

Finally, there is a little airport just north of Madison county that is in an open field. Always check the terrain! An open field on a hot summer day, a plowed field at that, means one thing for a pilot: a bumpy ride. The plowed field throws up thermals that create large amounts of lift. This helps you fly, but not land. Furthermore, the runway is bordered by tress. If you have a quartering headwind, then drop below the trees, guess what happens? Combine the loss of a headwind with the immediate loss of an updraft when you leave the field, and all of this at slow flight, it's not a pleasant experience. My advice, get the heck out of there. I know, I know, I'm a wimp.

Thesis update #2

Ok, here's an update on my thesis for all of those out there that are completely bored and want to continue reading. First of all, I found myself earlier this afternoon, broom in hand, cleaning out the back corners behind the stage of the Wherehouse (our youth facility). Finally it occurred to me, I will do anything to procrastinate writing this thesis. So...I came home and started this blog. Now, for an update on what I have actually written (and will be writing in ten minutes).

I laughed yesterday when I read a post on the actscelerate message boards. I saw a post where someone defined postmodernism in a single word using a web encylclopedia. I laughed when I thought about the obsurdity of this. So, I now have ironically come up with my own one sentence definition: postmodernism is a theory of language. There...I did it. This is where all of my focus is now turned: semiotics. The study of semi trucks. Ok, not really. But I have found myself engrossed in the theory of linguistics. Here's the basis. I have devoted much of my energy in the first portion of this thesis to distinguish between postmodernism and postmodernity. The first is the theory of linguistics as expressed in the world of academia. The second consists of the influence of such thought in popular culture. Remember postmodernism was first introduced to the masses when it was applied to architecture. The world of postmodernity is a reaction to a globalized society.

Now, here's how I see this fitting in to our discipleship practices. Look at theories of systems change. Primarily the differences between continuous and discontinuous change. The postmodern condition is an interruption of discontinuous change. This interruption is a time in which people find themselves without a way to interpret reality around them. Just listen to the tone of many fundamentalists, among other groups, out there. They have retreated into an extreme apologetic condition in order to retain a specific linguistic construct that makes sense of reality. The problem is that one cannot universalize this particular language. Thus, we cannot understand each other, much less make sense of the ever changing world around us. What I am stating then, in this thesis, is that our discipleship models must be a place in which people can ultimately find a linguistic construct with which one can make sense of the world. In this sense, the discipleship system becomes a datum that allows one to venture out from and return to in order to make sense of the world. In this situation, the discipleship system becomes a point of assimiliation that fits quite nicely with James Loder's theories.

We can take this a step further to show Derrida's influence upon meaning in linguistic symbols, or rather meaning that happens in the spaces between the symbols. To say that a text is dependent upon the reader is an assertion that should be welcomed by Christians, especially Pentecostal Christians. The text is always "the other" of Levinas, and furthermore, one only knows one's self in relationship to the other. Thus, to know the scriptures, is to be known by the scriptures. This is a much more dynamic and pneumatological understanding of the scriptures than the dichotomized view of "the universal Truth of the Word of God." By the way, Yoder points out that the "Word of God" is a term brought about by the enlightenment project to place emphasis upon the rationalistic attempt at knowing God through intellectual accent provided by preaching and reading of the scriptures. The "Word of God" in scriptures is the Logos, the Word of God that is God. Thus, to experience the "Word of God" is to experience the "Word who is God." The interaction of the text with the life of the person, is where meaning exists. This does not diminish the relevance of the scriptures, but enhances the role of the Spirit in relationship to the reader.

Well, there is so much more I want to say here. Other discoveries that I have made over the past week include finding the roots of nihilism in the enlightenment project, not in postmodernity. Also, I have discovered that relativism, the straw man of postmodernity set up by the enlightenment thinkers or "fundies," is actually a carrying forward of the thoughts from Kant and other modernists. The more I read from pomo writers, the more I see that the Christian faith can actually come alive today. I would like to say Thank You to all of those out there fighting to set free faith from the holds of rationalistic thought that has, in many cases, killed it. Nietzsche was right, "God is dead" in the enlightenment era controlled by rationalism. I wish that we could truly understand this.

Salvation and the Environment

I was listening to my favorite radio station the other day. You guessed it, I was listening to Sonlife radio, and well, I thought I would try and get some feed back to see what you other fine people out there think. The topic for the day was environmentalism. They began the discussion by speaking as if they were going to expose the heresies of modern protestant Christianity. Their reasoning was this, why is the modern church preoccupied with things like the environment, when it should be concerned only with "the cross of Christ." They spoke very condescendingly of Christians who fell for the trap laid by people trying to distract the church from what it is meant to be.

They continued by saying that the scriptures do not say that we are to take care of the environment. Scripture, according to them, states that we are to worry about humans first since God gave the earth to humans to rule over. In short, a Christian is not to be concerned with taking care of the environment, only preaching the "cross of Christ."

Now, here are my questions: first of all, can we really say that we are in tune with the Spirit of the creator God while at the same time disregarding the very creation of the creator God? Since when have we dichotomized the salvific work of Christ on the cross? Does all creation not groan with humans for redemption? I have to believe that the very fact that creation is groaning for redemption implies that creation can be somehow redeemed. I am not equating a tree with a human, don't get me wrong. But what if the salvific work of Christ includes more that just one's "soul." What if while on this earth, we understood that our entire body was in need of redemption? (One look at most televangelists shows that they are not concerned with the redemption of our physical bodies.)

Many that are reading this are probably aware of the work that Dr. Cheryl Johns from the Church of God Theological Seminary has been a part of. She was a part of several evangelicals that signed a document on creation care.
Christianity Today has also had an article appear on the topic of Global Warming and a Christian's response. By posting this, I am not advocating that one take a position on Global Warming, you can work out your own salvation with fear and trembling regarding this. However, I am asking that we consider our actions toward the environment as Christians, regardless of global warming. In other words, I don't want to be concerned about the environment simply because something bad could happen to it. I want to be concerned because I am in awe of the creator God that created all things. My response to God's presence then, should be an attitude of reverence and desire to care for that which emanates from God's own being. I am tired of the dichotomization of salvation. God's salvific work is not only for the soul, but for the WHOLE PERSON! Likewise, God's salvific work is not only for humans but for all of creation. The choice that we have in interacting with each other, as well as the environment, is in reality a choice of participating with God in the salvific work of the cross that is actualized through the Holy Spirit being present in our actions.

After Graduation!

The past few weeks I have been constantly consumed with school work. I thought that I would have finished the first draft of my thesis by now, but well...I kind of forgot about the papers etc, due from my J-term classes. So, the thesis is on hold right now. In case you can't tell, I am in way over my head right now. And that, ladies and gentlemen, brings me to the reason for writing this post. Yes, I am procrastinating, but I though I would fill you all in on what I am looking forward to doing after graduation. Here goes! (in no particular order)

- nothing
- watch three movies back to back in the theater (I don't really care what they are as long as it doesn't look like cable guy or the pink panther)
- Go catch as many sunsets as possible (thanks for the idea Donald Miller)
- Read whatever I want to. Yes I may even read a fiction book! (I think I'll start with Caramelo by Sandra Cisernos)
- Watch pointless reality shows, or maybe not.
- Make a film - ok this one is serious. I have recently got my canon 518 working. Yes that is a picture of the camera at the top of the page. It is an 8mm film camera. That's right...film. I am wanting to get a more professional version one day, but I'm broke and this is the entry level camera that a lot of film schools are using now.
- be a youth pastor - technically I am a youth pastor right now, but seminary doesn't leave any time to actually BE a youth pastor.
- Work out - quit laughing. I really do like to exercise, I just haven't had a chance in a really long time.
- Blog
- Start flying again
- Go to Guatemala
- Stay in Guatemala
- Come back from Guatemala
- Rock my little Guatemalan sweetheart to sleep
- Go eat at Rosie's

Please let me know if there is anything else that I should consider. I guess I'll go get started on some school work now.

Shalom

Myspace

Ok, this post is primarily for youth pastors and pastors out there, but I need feedback from everyone. Here's the deal - there's been a lot of hype about myspace lately. I have a myspace account as you can see pictured above. I joined myspace for two reasons: to connect with friends from SEC and COGTS as well as to connect with the students in my youth group. I have found myspace to be a very beneficial community to be a part of. Now having said that, I am worried about some of the ethical considerations of myspace. I am not one of those fundamentalist types that says "throw the computer out," but I do think there are some questions that we need to ask.

First of all, I don't see a problem with students hanging out in online communities. I do have a problem with students hanging out in communities and pretending to be someone they are not. If you have studied postmodernism for any amount of time, you are probably well aware of the existence of co-equal truths and narratives as the basis for reality. What this simply means is that where two or three are gathered together there is reality. (No this is not in the Bible) Derrida would say that one only knows one's self to the extent that one is in relationship to the other. What I am saying is all of this, is that the relationships established on myspace, and other communities such as this one, provide the relationship to the other. Thus, what happens in these communities, and the resulting identities that students create become THE reality. Just in case you are in my youth group and are reading this, this post is not about anyone in our youth group. I am very proud of you guys for being yourself on your spaces. However, many of your friends are not.

Secondly, I am worried about predators of the students. Do you other youth pastors and parents advocate a limit to the amount of information that is shared on such spaces? Let's take this blog for instance. I am very blunt about what I believe and give details of my life. I understand what I am doing and am doing so to get feedback from friends, participate in community, and simply have an outlet. I am 26 and overweight. I am not a 16 year old female that is attractive. Thus, my thoughts are interesting only to those that want to think about issues. I am worried that the day to day information that is shared by many of these students, though innocently posted, becomes the substance that some perverted predator might feed on. I am not trying to cry wolf here, I just want some feedback on this. I know that I am presenting extremes, but I am concerned about the safety and well being of the students that I work with because I consider them friends and brothers and sisters in Christ.

See-ya

Just wanted to let everyone know that I may be out of pocket for a week or so. I think the first draft of my thesis is due on Tuesday. So...I have to come up with a thesis. If you need me over the next week I will be in either the office, the library, Little Rosie's or on the road going to one of the aforementioned places. I'll try to keep updates as I go along.

Here's the first update.
Tonight's objective is to sort through the "postmodern background." This is the part that I am not looking forward to. I have done a lot of reading on this and a lot of listening in lectures and such, and well...there's just nothing really to say about it. I get frustrated in reading and writing the same things over and over again and I feel like I am just writing the same thing that everyone else has written. Herein lies a great critique of the writings in the emergent movement: 1) don't write 50 books that all same the same thing. Emergent was and is a great idea. Let's keep thinking. I don't need 3000 different people to tell me that the autonomous self-knower is dead. 2) Get to the heavyweights on the subject. What I mean by this, is that I have read most every book in the emergent/ys line, as well as others, and thought I had a good understanding of postmodernism. Then I actually took the time to read Derrida, Levinas, Hooks, Havel, and others, and found out that I knew relatively little about Postmodernism. I have often wondered if many that are writing the "theology and postmodern" books have even read these guys. I know there are some, like Jones and McLaren that have read them, but I'm not sure about the others. Finally, I had a class this J-Term on Postmodernism and Pentecostalism that was taught by a guest lecturer from a seminary in Prague. She introduced us to many great eastern thinkers. If you are interested in the Emeregent conversation, check out some of the major eastern thinkers like Kozlowski, Ouspensky, Bulgakov, etc. Well, that's it for now. I'll keep everyone updated.

Shalom

Podcasts

I'm addicted. I have recently discovered the joys of Podcasts and thought I would get a little help from my friends out there. I am including a listing of the Podcasts that I currently subscribe to (so that you can get to know me better and we can become the bestest of friends), but I need your input. Have a favorite podcast that I should check out? Let me know.*

- Imago Dei Community Church - Pastor Rick McKinley from Portland. This is the Church home of Donald Miller for all of you Postmodern junkies out there.

- Mosaic Los Angeles This is the home of Erwin McManus' Church in LA. Holly and I went this past summer to the Pasadena campus. Good stuff.

- NPR Pop Culture Update I listen to this because I am a Republican.

- The Relevant Podcast This is a Podcast from Relevant Magazine. They had Derek Webb on last week. Good stuff.

- xxxchurch Great stuff. If you've never seen the "Kittens" video, download it now!

- Youth Specialties Exactly what it sounds like.

- simply youth ministry Podcast from Doug Fields and friends. (Don't tell my friends in Energent that I listen to this.)

*Please no ultra-conservative political podcasts. I don't think I can take much more of the madness.

Fear and Politics

I'm back finally. Sorry for the long break. Ok, so my friend Pete (aka the artist formerly known as "pomopete" who now is known by the symbol "&") recently posted an entry about a double meaning behind Cheney's hunting accident. He asked if this was symbolic of the administration missing the mark. Well, my comment regarding this post was that the administration has not only missed the mark, but is not quit sure what the target is! I was going to leave it at that, but I recieved a very kind and courteous comment from one of the many conservatives that are trying to preserve Christian values. So, I thought I would follow up.

I was wrong. I said that the present administration doesn't know what the target is. Well, after doing some reading this week, I think I have found the target. Not only that, but I discovered that the target has been clearly defined. The target? Fear.

Jim Wallis has written some great things about this in his book God's Politics. He seems to think that the problem with the present administration is a lack of vision. (Remember in your comments that I am giving Wallis' view right now!) He goes on to say that the present administration is running on fear. Since September 11, he states, the US has operated its poilicy completely out of fear. To put this in another way, the US is vulnerable and came into contact with that vulnerability through the events of 9-11. All it took was for one person to say that they could repurchase our invulnerability, at the expense of our American sons and daughters. Oh yeah, the expense also includes our brothers and sisters in the middle east. This is a high price to pay to say that we are invulnerable. We experienced hell on September 11. For those in Iraq, including Arab Christians, they now live in hell.

Thomas Merton said that the root of all war is fear - Jesus said, "Fear not."

Coretta Scott King Funeral

I am saddened today. Not only at the loss of Coretta Scott King, but I am also saddened for her family in light of yesterday's funeral. Most everyone has already had a chance to see the news coverage of the funeral. My heart goes out to the King family. At a time of great loss, they did not really have a chance to grieve. Instead of walking past friends and family, they walked down an aisle surrounded by strangers and secret service people. Instead of greeting each other at the front door of the Church, the front door became a rallying point where those not allowed in began to chant.

I understand that both of the Kings were public figures. They were both prophetic voices in a culture that had lost its way. It is in this that I can understand yesterday's funeral as a "success." I feel that in the same way that both Coretta and Dr. Martin Luther's voice were needed at specific places and on specific issues, so some of the voices that spoke at the funeral needed to be heard. I hate that it took the passing of a revolutionary to allow them to be heard.

One of the voices that stuck out to me was that of Rev. Joseph Lowry. After shaking the president's hand, he proceeded to say the following: "we know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there, but Coretta knew that there are weapons of misdirection right here." He went on to close by saying of Coretta, "...Glory, glory, hallelujah. And after 40 years, almost 40 years...together at last, together at last, thank God almighty, together at last."

To the King family: I am sorry that the funeral of your beloved mother, sister, aunt, cousin, etc. turned into a political showdown. I am sorry that you were placed on display to morn before 10,000 spectators. But I applaud you and your family for maintaining a prophetic voice through your lives, and, as we saw yesterday...even through your deaths. May you rest in peace Coretta.

Def Poetry

As many of you know, I am absolutely hooked on Def Poetry Jam. So, I thought that I would take just a moment and share with you something that grabbed my attention last week. This quote was so profound (at least to me) that I have had it stuck in my head ever since I first heard it. It is at the beginning of episode 5 on the season 3 dvd. Each episode begins with a quick poem, lyric, quote, etc. performed by Mos Def. And it was Mos Def that said the following:

"And after all these years, the Sun never says to the Earth, 'you owe me.'
Look what happens with a love like that...it lights up the whole universe."

And all God's people said, "AMEN."
- Shalom

Bono Sermon

"Stop asking God to bless what you are doing. Get involved with what God is doing - because it's already blessed." This is just one of the many moments during Bono's recent speech to those attending the National Prayer Breakfast that makes you stop and think. I know that people often talk bad about celebrities that use their mouths too much. I must admit, I am one of those. However, I am in full agreement with what Bono is doing in his efforts to relieve extreme poverty in the world. I was in a Church service where the Pastor openly declared Bono as not being a Christian because he "dropped the f-bomb." Well, judge as you will. I happen to think that many in the Church are merely reacting to the fact that Bono has given the Church a wake up call and has reminded us of how we have forgotten our Biblical mandate to relieve suffering and oppression in the world. After all, it was Bono that pointed out the 2100 references to oppression and poverty in the scriptures. So, for what it's worth, I'm with you Bono. Keep up the good work. Check out Bono's Speech that he gave for yourself. You will be glad that you read it.

How many youth pastors...

Just wanted to show you what it looks like when you cram three youth pastors into the back or a VW Beetle. And we must ask the question: how many youth pastors can fit in bug? Thanks for the good times Pete and David!

Heaven or Hell?

Ok, I read this today and I feel that I have to include this on the blog. This is not my list so you can go to The Wittenburg Door to read the actual article. I am simply posting this because I feel that it is my job to partner with Sonlife radio in telling the one's I love and care about (you) whether or not you are worthy of the kingdom of God. Read, then pray. It's that simple.

- If you are a fan of inter-league play in Major League Baseball, you are not a Christian.
Heaven's gates are closed to you if you have ever used the phrase "da bomb".
- If you own a Kenny G CD, then Jesus is not your friend.
- Men who wear fashion necklaces can forget about eternal life.
- Women with ankle tattoos have no place in God's kingdom.
- People who call me "Big Guy" may not be going to Hell but they will spend quite a while in purgatory.
- Anyone who calls me at dinner time with "terrific news about your current mortgage loan" is on a greased pole to Gehenna.
- Those with an excessively long order at Starbucks are in danger of the eternal hot foot.
- If Ringo is your favorite Beatle, God doesn't want your business.
- If you wear a mullet, surprisingly, God is cool with that.
- But if you wear a gimme cap that reads "Bikini Inspector" you have crossed God's line.
- People with cell phones that play "La Bamba" will incur God's wrath.
- Anyone remotely involved in writing the last episode of Seinfeld is most certainly not a Christian.

Pentecostal Spirituality and the Other

The following is an attempt to think through my present context of being in a Pentecostal Church, with postmodern critiques of reality. Emmanuel Levinas set forth the "foundation" (I hope you catch the humor in this) of postmodern philosophy by giving us the concept of the other. The other is always found relationally. One only knows what one knows through a series of interconnected relationships with the other. Thus, the "great evil" of subjectivity is in essence the "great evil" of placing ourselves in relationship to another. This is a scary thing. You may have already guessed it...our challenge becomes this: how does one live one's life in relationship to the other, constantly respecting the otherness of the other, without attempting to devalue the other through assimilation of the other? Assimilation of the other is a metanarrative and thus introduces colonial language into our discussion. Such language is ultimately, in its rawest form, oppressive. Yes, I am a Christian that does not believe in metanarratives. I'll save further thought on that for another post. Back to the subject at hand...

Levinas, as well as Derrida, were Jewish, and in keeping with an understanding of the other, their writings must be understood in light of their personal context. (Yes, we will interpret through our own socio-cultural lenses. Don't get ahead of me here.) The tradition of Derrida and Levinas place them within a context of messianic hope. Thus, when we reread Levinas and Derrida in light of such, we can see that the other is always a relationship of unfulfillment. The reality of the relationship, and being for that matter, is the relationality. By this, we can only will for the other that which is just to come. In understanding this, we can see how postmodernism is a philosophy of longing for fulfillment of that which is just out of reach. Ultimate justice, ultimate love, ultimate peace (all of which are relational qualities) cannot be expected in fulfillment in the present. We wait, we work and we strive for them in the present, understanding fulfillment is to come. Now, let's place this in light of the Christian narrative from the prospective of pentecostal spirituality.

In class last week, Dr. Augustine spoke of the connection between the fulfillment of the Spirit in the believer as being the incarnation of Christ. To understand this further, let's look at the birth narrative of Christ (the Messiah that Levinas and Derrida await). Mary is greeted by an angel that declares that the salvific plan of Christ will come to fulfillment in and through her womb. Marry's acceptance of this is found in her complete submission to the will of God, "I am the Lord's servant...May it be as you have said." Just before this verse, Mary is told that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and overshadow her. The point that Mary is overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, is the point through which the incarnation of Christ becomes a reality. The incarnation of Christ is the ultimate event of the other. In this case, the other exemplifies what is labeled by postmodern philosophers as the "ultimate hospitality toward the other." Christ does this, not by coming in the rich, or at a distance, but by a humble incarnation into the confines of the other, into physicality, into time, into space, thereby becoming reality, a reality in which we meet the ultimate other. If you are reading this and find yourself within the pentecostal tradition, then I plead with you to reevaluate your experience in and through the Holy Spirit as the very event of the incarnation of Christ into your specific socio-cultural setting. The other invites each into a relationality by which and through which we understand the reality that is ours. How do you attempt to do this, to come into such a relationship with the other? The ultimate deconstructionist: the Holy Spirit. Paul says "I die daily." This is ultimate hospitality of the other, not only the other of God, but incarnates itself in the other of our neighbor. This is a long way from the doctrine of the Holy Spirit presented in our churches, youth ministries, and...oh did I mention youth camps? God help us. (And that's just all I got to say about that!)

Dr. King

I have a question for the Church in America: why are we afraid to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr? I have asked this question in the past and received answers that point to moral shortcomings, or the ever popular, "he didn't do anything for me." Dr. MLK was a man. (No big shocker here I guess.) Like any other man, King fell short of having a sinless life. I understand this line of reasoning. However, if this is the attitude that we must take in deciding what we allow to be a part of our services, we will have to throw one of the most beautiful collection of worship and lament poetry ever: The Psalms. Sure, King was unfaithful to his wife, and no one wants to say that this was wrong. David not only committed adultery, but also covered it up with murder! Abraham pimped out his wife to save himself. Do I need to mention Jacob and Esau? I think you get the point; the scriptures are full of people, just like me and you, that are imperfect. Yet, somehow, God, in God's infinite grace, declared such sinners as worthy of Christ's life. We do not know the condition of Dr. King when he died. We do not know if he had accepted the forgiveness of Christ for his sins. What we do know is that God used him, in spite of his human condition, to do what many other "sinless" pastors would not do: speak to a divided and racist culture. I often wonder if Dr. King would be excluded from our Sunday celebrations if he would have been white and lived such a life? After all, many of the founders of our country were known to have mistresses, and yet we speak of these founding fathers as the moral founders of this "great Christian nation." We sing the songs of American independence and praise the founding fathers in our pulpits but ignore Dr. King's life and sacrifice. Does anyone else see a problem developing here? Just wondering.

I am presently in Cleveland. Last night, Monday night, I took some books to this used bookstore in Chattanooga called McKay's. It was a rainy night and of course, all the parking spaces were full causing me to park as far away from the door as possible. As I pulled in to my very distant parking space, wondering if the rain would let up in a minute, a radio tribute to Dr. King came on the radio. I was stunned. All of this time I have heard about Dr. King, read sermons of Dr. King, and even seen clips on TV of Dr. King, but I had never just sit and soaked in his words as he spoke them. I sat in the car as the beads of rain rolled down the window and listen to him quote a spiritual and dream of a day in which all people would be "free at last, free at last, thank God all mighty we are free at last." I felt as if I were in Washington that day, preparing myself to go back home and find the fight of justice and equality. (Thankfully I don't have to do that right? After all, it is 2006.) The radio tribute continued to include the final sermon given by Dr. King in Memphis just before he was shot. I sat and listened as he prophetically declared that, if he didn't make it another day, he wanted to give the hope today that he had been to the top of the mountain and seen the promised land. I heard him say that at his funeral he did not want people to be reminded that he had degrees from specific schools, or had a Nobel peace prize, etc. He said that he wanted to be remembered as one who fought for equality, one who fought for justice, one who fought for the way of peace. I listened...and I cried. I was hoping that in some way the rain running down the windshield would wash away the injustice of the past, I was wishing that it would wash away our failure to understand the biblical mandate for freedom and justice. I was wishing that it would wash me clean of the 26 years of my life that I did not fight as hard as I could have for the ways of peace, freedom, justice, and equality. I pray that we as a Church will never forget what it means to be a force for good and justice in the world. I pray that we would constantly seek to understand what the fight for equality, justice, and peace means in our particular situations. I realize that formal segregation is gone. I realize that we are now more accepting now than ever of "the other." I also realize that in our journey for equality, we have allowed other injustices to arise without out acknowledgement. AIDS is the new leprosy, the poor are often held captive by our greed, the searching are turned away from our churches, and the hurting are simply ignored. I pray that we will take up the call for justice and peace in these, and whatever other situation we find ourselves in. May we remember the life of Dr. King by participating in the call for justice and peace understanding that it is ultimately not Dr. King that has called us to do so, but the one by whom, through whom and to whom all creation exists; the author of true peace...Christ.