Taco Salad=Heaven. April 24, 2008

I know I want to have a discussion about the last post and the movie Amazing Grace with all of you eventually, but I am going to postpone that for a little while and give everyone a chance to watch it.  I really hope some of you that are perhaps readers and don’t ever comment will give me some of your insights as well.

 

But for today I wanted to talk about something else.  It’s taco salad day here at Fairfield, which means everyone, no matter what job they do here or how unhappy they may be with that job, everyone is in a good mood today, and everyone, VPs and janitors alike, are eating in the caf today.  Taco salad day is one of those things that cause the community I work in to rally.  We all love this meal, and it is prepared very well at Fairfield, and you won’t find a gloomy face at Fairfield today, which is far about what standard around here is.

 

And as I walked through the hallway, being greeted by smiles that are typically frowns, I started thinking about the need for something to rally around.  For Christians it’s our love for our God and Savior.  For those of us in the Louisville area it’s the Kentucky Derby; (small side note here, I never used to find much merit in the Derby because I’m not a huge fan of gambling in general, but all of the events leading up to that Saturday in may, Thunder, the balloon race, etc, have a way of making Louisville bright, and for that I am thankful.)  For those that live in New Orleans it’s Mardi Gras and here at Purdue it’s things like Grand Prix and football games. 

 

So what things happen in your communities that make people rally together?  What do you have that changes the dynamic of your community and replaces the commonplace with excitement and togetherness?  It can be any community really, your church community, your family, your work community, whatever.  I’m just interested in hearing your stories of community.

 

And again, if you read this blog and have time to respond, even if I don’t know you, I’d love to hear from you.  The fun thing about mass communication is that it can bridge even the most distant of communities. 

Your mission, should you choose to accept it…. April 14, 2008

I have a homework assignment for everyone.  Don’t worry, it’s a fun one. 

 

Between now and, let’s say, April 25, everyone needs to rent and watch the movie Amazing Grace.  I watched it this weekend, and it was very good.  There are several themes that I would like to hear your thoughts and reactions to.  Here’s a list of a couple of mine that I’ve come up with, and I’m seriously proposing that you all watch it and we begin writing an open forum discussion on here.  I think a lot can be gleaned from discussing this movie.

 

For one, there’s the most obvious theme of overcoming injustice and the Christian obligation/desire to “fight” if you will, for the oppressed and stand up for what is just.  This is mainly displayed through the slavery theme in the movie, but I bet we could display a couple more if we wanted to.

 

Another thing that occurred to me…God really doesn’t limit who He imparts wisdom to.  I think it’s been the tendency in culture to associate wisdom with age…which I guess is mostly true.  But sometimes we mistake the wisdom we gain from experience and living in this world for Godly wisdom, when really it’s just callousness (like in the case of many of the older members of parliament in the movie.)  Now don’t get me wrong…I don’t think old people are stupid…that’s not what I’m saying.  I am saying, however, that through the movie the scripture “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young but set and example” was running through my head and it encouraged me.  I think God desires to impart His wisdom on all who are searching it…not just those who have “earned it” through years of experience.  It makes me think that I need to step back from many situations and recalculate my idea of what wisdom and good leadership are.  “For the wisdom of man is the foolishness of God.”

 

Another is that of mixing politics and Christ.  In the movie William Wilberforce seemed to do a good job of balancing both; he was using his political power to push a good agenda.  It reminds me of Bonhoeffer…a pacifist that was willing to knock off Hitler for the greater good.  But this raises certain ethical and theological dilemma for me….where is that line?  Where can Christ and politics be coexistent, and where should they not mesh.  When is it ok to “push” our beliefs in the political arena and when do we need to rely on a more “grass roots” kind of movement?  (Granted, politics in William Wilberforce’s day were probably a little different than they are currently…)  It’s something I’ve been trying to sort out the past year and unfortunately I don’t think I’ve gotten very far. 

 

So do me a favor and comment, and go watch the movie.  You’ll be all the better for it, I really do believe.

A Change in Perspective. April 7, 2008

As I sit here in my office eating a bowl of Campbell’s Tomato Soup, some saltine crackers, and a Jell-o Pudding Cup for lunch (yes I am 5 years old) I have one story on my mind…

 

For those of you who know me, particularly those of you who’ve known me a long time, know that one of my greatest loves in life has been the game of softball.  I joined little league for the first time during the summer between my fourth grade year and fifth grade years of elementary school.  I had never played any sports before; and even seldom had I ever picked up a ball and thrown it in the backyard with Micah during the summers of our childhood; but somehow instinctively I picked up the ball at that first “tryout” (everyone makes little league after all) and a shortstop was born.  It came natural to me, like I had always known exactly what to do with that funny looking neon green ball. 

 

Batting, however, was another story.  It’s not that I don’t have a good swing; my swing caught the eye of a 19 year old male counselor one year at Bible camp and would forever change my love life.  But I just couldn’t seem to make contact with the ball.  I tried and tried.  I hit off of tees at practice, I did drills, but I just couldn’t seem to consistently make contact. 

 

I tell you all of that to get here– my freshman year of high school.  My arm and fielding ability had gotten me on the team and I was ok with that.  But batting was still my Achilles heel, and was keeping me out of the starting line up.  So there I stood in the batter’s box, swinging furiously at pitch after pitch from the machine, failing miserably to make contact with the majority of balls that were zooming my way.  And I will never forget what happened next.  My coach Kenny yelled at me across the field (he was an intimidating, yet excellent coach) “Stop trying to hit the ball with the bat and start watching the ball as it hits the bat….let it come to you instead of chasing after it.”  And like most epiphany’s I’ve had in life, it hit me suddenly, and hit me quite hard, and immediately I learned how to make contact with a ball. 

 

All I needed was that change in perspective.

 

A couple of weekends ago I had the privilege of spending some time with a group of my friends at a retreat in Converse, IN.  Our preacher from Elmwood, Gilbert, was our keynote speaker for the trip.  Gilbert’s lessons focused on “The Table.”  We spent some time discussing and learning about the “table” life of the body of Christ.  It was a nice topic for me (and hopefully everyone else on the trip) because communion is something that’s been eating at me since my sophomore year of college.  You see, I don’t really care for the way communion is done, and I started wondering how we might benefit from changing it.  In college I went through a time where I was heavily considering observing the Lord’s Supper every day, by myself.  But something didn’t seem right about that.  It seemed it would be too lonely and/or ritualistic. 

 

It was the lack of community that it was missing.  But I admit that as of recent I’ve been keeping my mind and my mouth shut so that I don’t get labeled as being a “change agent” or even worse “liberal” (I hope you are sensing the sarcasm.)  And so I was happy to hear someone else (Gilbert) speak of their desire to go back to the Bible and rethink the way we’ve been doing communion. 

 

I’ve heard the argument time and time again that we shouldn’t “do” communion every Sunday because it becomes meaningless.  I disagree.  I think we should be wanting and desiring to come to the table with other believers on a much more frequent basis than once a week.  My heart and mind are telling me that we’re missing out on the affirmation provided when we sit down with one another, breaking bread, and declaring the Lord’s love for us. 

 

What do you think?  Does the church need a change of perspective on communion?  Does anyone have experience with developing healthy habits for church life in this regard and can anyone give examples of how they’ve made the Lord’s tables intimate when you’re worshipping with a congregation of 300?  I’m very interested in hearing some response.

22 April 2, 2008

I reread this Psalm last night and it was exciting for me.  Do you ever have those days where something in the text just really jumps out and gives you cold chills? 

 

Psalm 22 (English Standard Version)

Why Have You Forsaken Me?

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

 1^(A) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?     Why are you so^(B) far from saving me, from the words of my^(C) groaning?
2O my God, I cry by^(D) day, but you do not answer,
   and by night, but I find no rest.  3Yet you are^(E) holy,
   ^(F) enthroned on^(G) the praises^[a] of Israel.
4In you our fathers trusted;
   they trusted, and you delivered them.
5To you they^(H) cried and were rescued;
   in you they^(I) trusted and were not put to shame.  6But I am^(J) a worm and not a man,
   ^(K) scorned by mankind and^(L) despised by the people.
7All who see me^(M) mock me;
   they make mouths at me; they^(N) wag their heads;
8^(O) “He trusts in the LORD; let him^(P) deliver him;
   let him rescue him, for he^(Q) delights in him!”   9Yet you are he who^(R) took me from the womb;
   you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. (And Jesus grew in wisdom, and stature, and favor in God and man….)
10On you was I cast from my birth,
   and from^(S) my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11Be not^(T) far from me,
   for trouble is near,
   and there is^(U) none to help.  12Many bulls encompass me;
   ^(V) strong bulls of^(W) Bashan surround me;
13they^(X) open wide their mouths at me,
   like a ravening and roaring lion.  14I am^(Y) poured out like water,
   and all my bones are^(Z) out of joint;
my^(AA) heart is like^(AB) wax;
   it is melted within my breast;
15my strength is^(AC) dried up like a potsherd,
   and my^(AD) tongue sticks to my jaws;
   you lay me in the dust of death.   16For^(AE) dogs encompass me;
   a company of evildoers^(AF) encircles me;
they have^(AG) pierced my hands and feet^[b]— 17I can count all my bones—they^(AH) stare and gloat over me; 18^(AI) they divide my garments among them,
   and for my clothing they cast lots.  19But you, O LORD,^(AJ) do not be far off!
   O you my help,^(AK) come quickly to my aid!
20Deliver my soul from the sword,
   my precious life from the power of^(AL) the dog!

 21Save me from^(AM) the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued^[c] me from the horns of^(AN) the wild oxen!  22^(AO) I will tell of your name to my^(AP) brothers;
   in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23You who^(AQ) fear the LORD, praise him!
   All you offspring of Jacob,^(AR) glorify him,
   and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24For he has not despised or abhorred
   the affliction of^(AS) the afflicted,
and he has not^(AT) hidden his face from him,
   but has heard, when he^(AU) cried to him.  25From you comes my praise in the great^(AV) congregation;
   my^(AW) vows I will^(AX) perform before those who fear him.
26^(AY) The afflicted^[d] shall^(AZ) eat and be satisfied;
   those who seek him shall praise the LORD!
   May your hearts^(BA) live forever!  27All^(BB) the ends of the earth shall remember
   and turn to the LORD,
and all^(BC) the families of the nations
   shall worship before you.
28For^(BD) kingship belongs to the LORD,
   and he rules over the nations.  29All^(BE) the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
   before him shall^(BF) bow all who go down to the dust,
   even the one who could not^(BG) keep himself alive.
30Posterity shall serve him;
   it shall be told of the Lord to the coming^(BH) generation;
31they shall^(BI) come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet^(BJ) unborn,
   that he has done it.  

So, maybe I’m alone on this…or maybe you’ve all realized this as deeply as I did while rereading it last night and I’m just rehashing old news for you, but the whole thing sounds pretty reminiscent of the crucifixion.  The part that really got me though, was verses 19 and 20.  “Deliver me from the sword.”  And Christ was delivered from the sword, because they went to him to break his legs and found that he was already dead.  Then they pierced his side and water ran out of the wound.  And I think the real irony (maybe it shouldn’t be called irony…I don’t know) is that right before he was crucified he said, “those who live by the sword will die by the sword.”  And Christ didn’t live by the sword, and he didn’t die by it either.  Am I drawing too much out of this, or does this kind of thing excite everyone else too?