fatty (almost) fall down
Vital Conversation for Our Future Together
1 week ago
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
five minute movie review: the departed
as mentioned previously, last friday the pixie decided that she really wanted to see scorcese's new film and i decided to surrender to her desire so long as we could count the departed as a chick flick. so on friday night i happily dodged a devil wears prada caliber bullet and we headed to the AMC down at the dirtmall.
if you like convoluted mob stories, can stomach ultra-violent gun play and enjoy star-studded ensemble casts you'll love this movie. the performances by the major players were excellent and mark wahlberg stole the show as detective dignam. i was surprised that the theme of this movie, which i'd summarize as "everything is what it is and also something else," lines up so well with a number of other narratives that i've enjoyed this year such as mark winegardner's crooked river burning. i am constantly fascinated with the contradictory polarities of both character and action that plague my life and, i suspect, plague others as well. i am also more and more convinced that stark authenticity and consistency of character and action is one of the most attractive features of Jesus' life and needs to be an essential characteristic of those who choose to embody Christ's gospel and compassion in this world. in the end the departed is, at least in part, a testimony to the dualities that appear to serve but often utterly doom our personal lives. thus, i think the story of the film's protagonists is as an excellent diagnosis of the human condition and, in a subtle way, serves as a stark warning for those of us who call ourselves Christians.
Monday, October 09, 2006
evangelicals worried that teens won't acquire the fire
on friday the NYT ran a front page story that focused on "acquire the fire's" youth revivals and evangelical's concerns about the faith of their children. apparently ron luce, the director of AQF, has frequently noted that if we fail to properly evangelize and indoctrinate our teens only 4% will grow into "bible-believing christians." these claims are highly suspicious insofar as they rely on a dated study by thom rainer, who admits in the body of the article that these figures are not current, and the surveys of evangelical pollster george barna, who tends to define "bible believing christian" in unmistakably modern terms that would paint many of us as apostate ee-vangelicals (i.e., belief in biblical inerrancy, an embrace of biblical "absolutes," etc.). while i agree with sociologists such as christian smith (who is interviewed in the article and recently co-wrote soul searching: the religious and spiritual lives of america's teenagers - a book i am dying to read) that the state of american christianity is not quite so dire, i do believe that we need to effectively proclaim the story of Jesus to america's teens, find more effective ways to incorporate them into the body of Christ and empower them to participate in the mission of God. however, i do not think that mass youth rallies that merely stir up religious enthusiasm and the ongoing propagation of a christian subculture (i.e., by countering the consumerism of the world by creating christian brands such as luce's branded by God line and the ever popular, sexually subversive wait wear line) is going to do the trick.
rather, in order to effectively share the story of Jesus with teens, incorporate them into the body and empower them to participate in the mission of God i think we need to: free them to create new and engaging forms of worship instead of just consuming the rah-rah shit we've been serving up for the last 30 years, find opportunities for them to serve in transformational ways and environments (i'm thinking of letting them discover the spirituality of cleaning toilets at places like l'arche and creating callouses on their hands as they dig wells in sub-saharan africa) and teach them how to actively subvert the consumeristic culture of the western world instead of simply teaching them to support and sustain the "sanctified" ee-vangelical sub-culture of middle america.
in short, i respect the passion of people like ron luce, but fear that his methods are not going to produce the ends that he seeks. i'd love to hear what you think about these matters. i'd especially like to hear what youth ministers have to say.
on friday the NYT ran a front page story that focused on "acquire the fire's" youth revivals and evangelical's concerns about the faith of their children. apparently ron luce, the director of AQF, has frequently noted that if we fail to properly evangelize and indoctrinate our teens only 4% will grow into "bible-believing christians." these claims are highly suspicious insofar as they rely on a dated study by thom rainer, who admits in the body of the article that these figures are not current, and the surveys of evangelical pollster george barna, who tends to define "bible believing christian" in unmistakably modern terms that would paint many of us as apostate ee-vangelicals (i.e., belief in biblical inerrancy, an embrace of biblical "absolutes," etc.). while i agree with sociologists such as christian smith (who is interviewed in the article and recently co-wrote soul searching: the religious and spiritual lives of america's teenagers - a book i am dying to read) that the state of american christianity is not quite so dire, i do believe that we need to effectively proclaim the story of Jesus to america's teens, find more effective ways to incorporate them into the body of Christ and empower them to participate in the mission of God. however, i do not think that mass youth rallies that merely stir up religious enthusiasm and the ongoing propagation of a christian subculture (i.e., by countering the consumerism of the world by creating christian brands such as luce's branded by God line and the ever popular, sexually subversive wait wear line) is going to do the trick.
rather, in order to effectively share the story of Jesus with teens, incorporate them into the body and empower them to participate in the mission of God i think we need to: free them to create new and engaging forms of worship instead of just consuming the rah-rah shit we've been serving up for the last 30 years, find opportunities for them to serve in transformational ways and environments (i'm thinking of letting them discover the spirituality of cleaning toilets at places like l'arche and creating callouses on their hands as they dig wells in sub-saharan africa) and teach them how to actively subvert the consumeristic culture of the western world instead of simply teaching them to support and sustain the "sanctified" ee-vangelical sub-culture of middle america.
in short, i respect the passion of people like ron luce, but fear that his methods are not going to produce the ends that he seeks. i'd love to hear what you think about these matters. i'd especially like to hear what youth ministers have to say.
Friday, October 06, 2006
memorandum from captain random
unfortunately i do not have time to post anything meaningful today, so i’m going to regularly assault you with meaningless drivel instead. enjoy.
if you love me, you’ll buy me greg boyd’s a myth of a christian nation. i know that a number of you hate boyd’s theological conceptions, but i’ve had the opportunity to connect with this man personally and can confirm that he has an incredible passion for the gospel and pastoral heart. i’ve also heard that he lost upwards of 1,000 members of his congregation after preaching on the sermons that inspired this new book. that takes balls. so even if this book is a rehash of yoder and hauwerwas i want to read it.
last night, while brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed, i realized that the two Christ-followers that i relate with most are godric from buechner’s spectacular novel by the same name and the whisky priest from graham greene’s the power and the glory. the first figure slept with his sister and founds his most intimate communion with snakes and the second lived a rather luxurious life that was built on the backs of his peasant parishioners. although there is much to loathe about these two figures, both of them were carried along by the sustenance of the sacraments and a certain, inescapable sense of holiness (for the priest this holiness rested in the exaltation and administration of eucharist. godric found that this holiness was etched upon and administered through his hands) that attracted people to them and served as their primary means of blessing the world. i feel much the same way insofar as there is much to loathe about my pessimistic, misanthropic and mostly hidden self, yet i have been capture by the inescapable and inestimable beauty, truth and goodness of Jesus Christ’s life and, for some reason, feel compelled to share the stumbling journey of discipleship with others. i suppose that my purpose would be clearer and my ministry would be more metrically satisfying if i related with rick warren or bill hybels. but there you go.
i crossed a line in the sand last night when i chose not to watch my name is earl, which, along with the office, cade lovingly recorded for me, so that i would have the eighth episode of the wire. if you haven’t caught the wire yet and you’re into law and order type television, you’re really missing out. although he makes some poor decisions, such as having his elementary school children perform ad hoc surveillance on a dangerous drug dealer and drinking more than mel gibson on the sabbath, i’m beginning to suspect that detective mcnulty is my new hero.
one of the strange things about spending 40-45 hours a week in an office environment is realizing how often people talk about the same damn thing over and over and over. i have a co-worker who has been talking about her impending move to georgia for at least one hour a day for eight months. her husband’s contract work here in the commonwealth has been extended yet again, meaning i am going to hear about “how nice people are” in georgia and details about every amenity in her house for yet another month. she’s a nice person and i don’t mind working with her, but i wish she would stop turning back to the same damn subject like a broken record. on the bright side, now that i’ve endured her repetitious stories for eight months, i can empathize with dr. james, holli-brooke and the pixie who have hear my shopworn jokes and my ragged edged tirades time and again. in the end, i’m utterly amazed that any of us put up with each other.
as reported elsewhere cade and i went to see high fidelity: the musical on tuesday night. although the first fifteen minutes completely sucked – which means death for sermons, operatic voice pieces and, i fear, musicals – the rest of the first half sucked less so and the second half was rollicking if not balls-to-the-wall fun. i thought cade’s critique of the guy who played rob was spot-on and his trumpeting of christian anderson, who played dick to incredibly poignant and comedic effect, as the scene stealer of the show was spot-on. i would also add that the girl who played liz has a sass that is electric, but unfortunately cannot sing, and the way the second half of the score ironically references and subsequently apes musical genre (there is an excellent lyle lovett inspired tune called, fittingly, “i slept with someone who slept with lyle lovett”) is brilliant. all in all, once i endured the painful first fifteen minutes (which included lines that were almost straight out of the book, but not quite. i.e., “my records are not organized alphabetically or chronologically but, wait for it, autobiographically;” “some people will never get over the night their band opened for radiohead.” i almost wanted to scream, if you are going to use the source material, don’t alter it in such stupid ways!) i had a really great time. in sum, high fidelity is a half-great and altogether good musical.
the pixie and i are going to see scorcese’s new flick the departed this evening. know that kellie has wanted to see this film for some time, so i’m thinking it should be considered a worthy substitute for the chick flicks that she often wants me to see with her. should it count or not? help us out here.
hey cade, sorry i’m stepping out on you concerning the departed. the globe finally reviewed high fidelity and you can find the article here.
the best movie almost no one is watching:
unfortunately i do not have time to post anything meaningful today, so i’m going to regularly assault you with meaningless drivel instead. enjoy.
if you love me, you’ll buy me greg boyd’s a myth of a christian nation. i know that a number of you hate boyd’s theological conceptions, but i’ve had the opportunity to connect with this man personally and can confirm that he has an incredible passion for the gospel and pastoral heart. i’ve also heard that he lost upwards of 1,000 members of his congregation after preaching on the sermons that inspired this new book. that takes balls. so even if this book is a rehash of yoder and hauwerwas i want to read it.
last night, while brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed, i realized that the two Christ-followers that i relate with most are godric from buechner’s spectacular novel by the same name and the whisky priest from graham greene’s the power and the glory. the first figure slept with his sister and founds his most intimate communion with snakes and the second lived a rather luxurious life that was built on the backs of his peasant parishioners. although there is much to loathe about these two figures, both of them were carried along by the sustenance of the sacraments and a certain, inescapable sense of holiness (for the priest this holiness rested in the exaltation and administration of eucharist. godric found that this holiness was etched upon and administered through his hands) that attracted people to them and served as their primary means of blessing the world. i feel much the same way insofar as there is much to loathe about my pessimistic, misanthropic and mostly hidden self, yet i have been capture by the inescapable and inestimable beauty, truth and goodness of Jesus Christ’s life and, for some reason, feel compelled to share the stumbling journey of discipleship with others. i suppose that my purpose would be clearer and my ministry would be more metrically satisfying if i related with rick warren or bill hybels. but there you go.
i crossed a line in the sand last night when i chose not to watch my name is earl, which, along with the office, cade lovingly recorded for me, so that i would have the eighth episode of the wire. if you haven’t caught the wire yet and you’re into law and order type television, you’re really missing out. although he makes some poor decisions, such as having his elementary school children perform ad hoc surveillance on a dangerous drug dealer and drinking more than mel gibson on the sabbath, i’m beginning to suspect that detective mcnulty is my new hero.
one of the strange things about spending 40-45 hours a week in an office environment is realizing how often people talk about the same damn thing over and over and over. i have a co-worker who has been talking about her impending move to georgia for at least one hour a day for eight months. her husband’s contract work here in the commonwealth has been extended yet again, meaning i am going to hear about “how nice people are” in georgia and details about every amenity in her house for yet another month. she’s a nice person and i don’t mind working with her, but i wish she would stop turning back to the same damn subject like a broken record. on the bright side, now that i’ve endured her repetitious stories for eight months, i can empathize with dr. james, holli-brooke and the pixie who have hear my shopworn jokes and my ragged edged tirades time and again. in the end, i’m utterly amazed that any of us put up with each other.
as reported elsewhere cade and i went to see high fidelity: the musical on tuesday night. although the first fifteen minutes completely sucked – which means death for sermons, operatic voice pieces and, i fear, musicals – the rest of the first half sucked less so and the second half was rollicking if not balls-to-the-wall fun. i thought cade’s critique of the guy who played rob was spot-on and his trumpeting of christian anderson, who played dick to incredibly poignant and comedic effect, as the scene stealer of the show was spot-on. i would also add that the girl who played liz has a sass that is electric, but unfortunately cannot sing, and the way the second half of the score ironically references and subsequently apes musical genre (there is an excellent lyle lovett inspired tune called, fittingly, “i slept with someone who slept with lyle lovett”) is brilliant. all in all, once i endured the painful first fifteen minutes (which included lines that were almost straight out of the book, but not quite. i.e., “my records are not organized alphabetically or chronologically but, wait for it, autobiographically;” “some people will never get over the night their band opened for radiohead.” i almost wanted to scream, if you are going to use the source material, don’t alter it in such stupid ways!) i had a really great time. in sum, high fidelity is a half-great and altogether good musical.
the pixie and i are going to see scorcese’s new flick the departed this evening. know that kellie has wanted to see this film for some time, so i’m thinking it should be considered a worthy substitute for the chick flicks that she often wants me to see with her. should it count or not? help us out here.
hey cade, sorry i’m stepping out on you concerning the departed. the globe finally reviewed high fidelity and you can find the article here.
the best movie almost no one is watching:
the pixie and i had the opportunity to see half nelson a couple of weeks ago and i really enjoyed it. the movie follows the story of mr. dunne, an idealistic inner city school teacher, and drey, his favorite student and confidante. throughout the movie mr. dunne is trying to teach his eighth grade history students the theory of dialectics in hopes that they will understand the changes that have taken place in history and hopefully participate in social movements to come. the primary irony of the film is that although mr. dunne is obsessed with change on a social and political level, he cannot see any significant changes in his life. his personal stasis is particularly problematic because he is not only a dedicated inner city school teacher, but also an unrepentant crack head. as the friendship between mr. dunne and drey slowly unfolds one keeps hoping that their friendship will bring change to the rather precarious states of both of their lives. yet, as the movie so eloquently shows, we can rarely predict the people and events that will entice, entreat or even force us to change. moreover, sometimes we have to wonder whether change will ever occur at all. half nelson is not an inspiring movie, but it is, in my opinion at least, an incredibly true movie insofar as it both reminds us of both the potential for and our relative inability to engineer change. i think a lot of preachers, counselors, parents and anyone else who is infinitely invested in the lives of others would really benefit from seeing this film that reminds us that, ultimately, change is out of our hands and, hopefully, is in God’s.
hug it out bitch!
this weekend j & b celebrate 6 years of marriage. kudos to them! i would love to commend their union as one of the best examples of the beauty, truth and goodness that i have ever seen and at the same time remind people that often things don't work out quite that well.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
further evidence that (former felon) charles colson is losing his mind
on charles colson and prison fellowships'* blog gina dalfonzo reminds us that the real tragedy of the mark foley scandal is not that he sought to sexually abuse young boys or that the republican leadership apparently overlooked such charges in order to sustain their political hegemony. nope, the real scandal is how the liberal media is using this scandal to bring down the god-fearing, flag waving, fag hating republican party.
i'm tempted to disagree with dalfonzo's assessment that i've posted below, but i'm sure that if we knew all the information that the republican leaders did about this scandal we would realize that their protection of foley and their counterspin against the "so called liberal media" was really in the best interests of god, country and, of course, homeland security.
"It's too early, I suppose, to know the whole truth for certain. At this stage, all we know is that it appears that someone knew something and kept quiet temporarily for reasons of their own. Until everything comes out -- and in this politically charged climate, maybe it never will -- should we say anything at all? Maybe not much, but I think there's at least one thing we can and should say with certainty. It used to go without saying among grown-ups that the exploitation of children and teenagers for any reason -- including wanting to retain power or wanting to overthrow those in power -- is a complete and utter disgrace. Apparently, it no longer does go without saying. Because whoever knew and withheld this information for their own purposes is morally just as guilty as Mark Foley."
* let us hope that this web site is not attached to their 501C3 tax deductible organization. if it is, their exemption should be challenged.
on charles colson and prison fellowships'* blog gina dalfonzo reminds us that the real tragedy of the mark foley scandal is not that he sought to sexually abuse young boys or that the republican leadership apparently overlooked such charges in order to sustain their political hegemony. nope, the real scandal is how the liberal media is using this scandal to bring down the god-fearing, flag waving, fag hating republican party.
i'm tempted to disagree with dalfonzo's assessment that i've posted below, but i'm sure that if we knew all the information that the republican leaders did about this scandal we would realize that their protection of foley and their counterspin against the "so called liberal media" was really in the best interests of god, country and, of course, homeland security.
"It's too early, I suppose, to know the whole truth for certain. At this stage, all we know is that it appears that someone knew something and kept quiet temporarily for reasons of their own. Until everything comes out -- and in this politically charged climate, maybe it never will -- should we say anything at all? Maybe not much, but I think there's at least one thing we can and should say with certainty. It used to go without saying among grown-ups that the exploitation of children and teenagers for any reason -- including wanting to retain power or wanting to overthrow those in power -- is a complete and utter disgrace. Apparently, it no longer does go without saying. Because whoever knew and withheld this information for their own purposes is morally just as guilty as Mark Foley."
* let us hope that this web site is not attached to their 501C3 tax deductible organization. if it is, their exemption should be challenged.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
don't look now but...
we're on the verge of having an intriguing conversation about the evangecube. if you have a minute, please take a moment to read the original post and dive into the dialogue. i'd like to thank brian - who works for the parent company of evangecube - for re-initiating the conversation and dave, danny, et. al for their responses.
we're on the verge of having an intriguing conversation about the evangecube. if you have a minute, please take a moment to read the original post and dive into the dialogue. i'd like to thank brian - who works for the parent company of evangecube - for re-initiating the conversation and dave, danny, et. al for their responses.
mid-morning time waster: the high fidelity edition
tonight at 8 pm cade and i are heading down to the big, bad city to see high fidelity: the musical. since i am a huge nick hornby fan – i think he is one of the wittiest and unexpectedly humane novelists on the planet – and i believe that both the novel and the movie version of high fidelity offered us perhaps the most striking portrait of 20 something, white, western males (circa 1997 anyway), i am a little bit nervous about this production.
cade’s take is that we will have a great time whether the musical is excellent or awful, for if it is excellent it will provide an effective vehicle for the proclamation of the gospel of high fidelity to the masses* and if it is awful we can openly ridicule it during the performance and in our post-curtain recap.**
anyway, in honor of tonight’s premier, I would like for us to spend a few moments penning a few lyrics for the new musical. that way, if the songs suck, we can provide the writers with both healthy critique and provocative suggestions. here are the lyrics i’ve penned thus far.*** feel free to edit my lyrics or provide lyrics of your own.
“sarah, sarah,
schizophrenia's in your eyes,
your eyes
oh sarah, sarah,
you broke my heart when you said goodbye
goodbye
sarah, sarah,
now i could bag you without having to try
to try”
"charlie, you f*cking bitch,
you sucked his d*ck
the dreaded MARCO!
charlie, open the door
you stupid whore
let’s work it out!”
“what came first,
the music or the misery?
first yoko busted up the beatles,
now laura says she's leaving me.”
* i’m not joking about this “gospel” label, nor do i take the term lightly. i have personally witnessed the movie version serve as a sort of sacrament for ex-girlfriends and consider anything that can explain my neuroses, make people laugh about my relational inabilities and maybe even release me from a little personal responsibility an absolute gift from God.
** for my part, i am committed to booing and scoffing at the piece during the performance if it sucks. if my experience sucks, i suppose everyone else’s should as well.
*** if you find these lyrics a little raunchy and in bad taste, blame hornsby. each line i’ve penned is inspired by lines in the book or in the musical.
tonight at 8 pm cade and i are heading down to the big, bad city to see high fidelity: the musical. since i am a huge nick hornby fan – i think he is one of the wittiest and unexpectedly humane novelists on the planet – and i believe that both the novel and the movie version of high fidelity offered us perhaps the most striking portrait of 20 something, white, western males (circa 1997 anyway), i am a little bit nervous about this production.
cade’s take is that we will have a great time whether the musical is excellent or awful, for if it is excellent it will provide an effective vehicle for the proclamation of the gospel of high fidelity to the masses* and if it is awful we can openly ridicule it during the performance and in our post-curtain recap.**
anyway, in honor of tonight’s premier, I would like for us to spend a few moments penning a few lyrics for the new musical. that way, if the songs suck, we can provide the writers with both healthy critique and provocative suggestions. here are the lyrics i’ve penned thus far.*** feel free to edit my lyrics or provide lyrics of your own.
“sarah, sarah,
schizophrenia's in your eyes,
your eyes
oh sarah, sarah,
you broke my heart when you said goodbye
goodbye
sarah, sarah,
now i could bag you without having to try
to try”
"charlie, you f*cking bitch,
you sucked his d*ck
the dreaded MARCO!
charlie, open the door
you stupid whore
let’s work it out!”
“what came first,
the music or the misery?
first yoko busted up the beatles,
now laura says she's leaving me.”
* i’m not joking about this “gospel” label, nor do i take the term lightly. i have personally witnessed the movie version serve as a sort of sacrament for ex-girlfriends and consider anything that can explain my neuroses, make people laugh about my relational inabilities and maybe even release me from a little personal responsibility an absolute gift from God.
** for my part, i am committed to booing and scoffing at the piece during the performance if it sucks. if my experience sucks, i suppose everyone else’s should as well.
*** if you find these lyrics a little raunchy and in bad taste, blame hornsby. each line i’ve penned is inspired by lines in the book or in the musical.
Monday, October 02, 2006
i say it best, when i say nothing at all
this year the pixie and i spent the saturday before easter in one of our favorite places, columbus, ohio. before the pixie capitulated to my desire to marry her, she served with xenos - an enormous columbus-based cell-church that has an incredible campus ministry, is equipping hundreds of young people with the biblical and practical skills they need to lead transformational communities and, in the end, completely defies description – and we love to re-connect with that incredible community and revisit the streets and sights that provided the context for our courtship as often as possible.
anyway, on saturday night paul and becky alexander surprised us by cooking up a huge dinner and filling the house with our old xenos friends. sometime after dinner, while sitting out on the alexander’s porch with paul, ryan and aaron we began to discuss the theology and mission of the church. after one of the guys seemed to short-change the ministry of martin luther king by suggesting that his efforts to secure civil rights and tireless advocacy on behalf of the poor had less eternal significance than simply “sharing the gospel,” i openly challenged his limited definition of the gospel and thus fulfilled my part-time role as theological provocateur.
as our conversation continued i could not help but be overwhelmed by pure, unmitigated passion these dear brothers had for sharing the liberating gospel of Jesus with others. every time we visit our friends at xenos they are a part of a new home church, because their last church incorporated so many new people into the body of Christ that they outgrew their meeting space. moreover, nearly every time i hang out with xenoids I meet another young man or woman that they are educating and mentoring in hopes that this person will help lead one of the next wave of home churches. xenos’ passion for evangelism and church planting is absolutely contagious. so much so, in fact, that i often leave columbus wondering what i’m doing wrong.
while i am proud of what sinners and saints has accomplished over the past four years and am constantly amazed by the intriguing ways that our s & s alumnus are pursuing the Kingdom of God throughout the country, i cannot deny the fact that our little community has never been all that effective at inviting others to receive the grace of God and participate in the life of Jesus in this brief time before the renewal of all things.* i don’t say that to either deride our community, which i love deeply, nor to deny the fact that we have seen a couple of wonderful people incorporated into the body of Christ over the past four years. rather, i simply mention that fact because it is true.
i mention all of this because i pondered this truth while sitting on the alexander’s porch, and, in my own way, confessed to the guys that i would like to share both their unmitigated passion for proclamation and certainty regarding their theology and missiology. however, as it was, i had to confess that i simply did not see gospel ministry as having such a singular focus on evangelism, my ever-evolving theology made me leery of propositional evangelism** and my diverse ecclesiology has led to a little church that, while undoubtedly vibrant, is probably not the most well-defined landing place.***
all of this to say, i wish i could tell you that i have “one pure and holy passion,” but i don’t. i am passionate about a number of things, including proclaiming the good news, incarnating Jesus’ compassion and creating alternative communities and none of these passions can claim primacy over the other. but although i cannot reduce my mission to a singular goal,**** i can work a lot harder at doing the things i love and spend a lot less time worrying and toiling at things i hate. i suppose that’s more than enough musing about my personal mission. it’s time to get on it.
* i suppose that instead of providing this wordy description i could have simply said “evangelism,” but i’d rather not.
** which these cats use to unquestionably great effect.
*** paul responded to my confession by suggesting that maybe my diverse experiences have made my mission all the more complicated. i suppose that might be true, but fear that my life would be far less meaningful without the diverse experiences i’ve enjoyed and even those i’ve simply endured.
**** anybody who suggests that i embrace a pithy statement from the westminster confession or a concept from john piper as my singular focus can expect to run a three legged race to the hospital (so that i can get my foot out of your ass).
this year the pixie and i spent the saturday before easter in one of our favorite places, columbus, ohio. before the pixie capitulated to my desire to marry her, she served with xenos - an enormous columbus-based cell-church that has an incredible campus ministry, is equipping hundreds of young people with the biblical and practical skills they need to lead transformational communities and, in the end, completely defies description – and we love to re-connect with that incredible community and revisit the streets and sights that provided the context for our courtship as often as possible.
anyway, on saturday night paul and becky alexander surprised us by cooking up a huge dinner and filling the house with our old xenos friends. sometime after dinner, while sitting out on the alexander’s porch with paul, ryan and aaron we began to discuss the theology and mission of the church. after one of the guys seemed to short-change the ministry of martin luther king by suggesting that his efforts to secure civil rights and tireless advocacy on behalf of the poor had less eternal significance than simply “sharing the gospel,” i openly challenged his limited definition of the gospel and thus fulfilled my part-time role as theological provocateur.
as our conversation continued i could not help but be overwhelmed by pure, unmitigated passion these dear brothers had for sharing the liberating gospel of Jesus with others. every time we visit our friends at xenos they are a part of a new home church, because their last church incorporated so many new people into the body of Christ that they outgrew their meeting space. moreover, nearly every time i hang out with xenoids I meet another young man or woman that they are educating and mentoring in hopes that this person will help lead one of the next wave of home churches. xenos’ passion for evangelism and church planting is absolutely contagious. so much so, in fact, that i often leave columbus wondering what i’m doing wrong.
while i am proud of what sinners and saints has accomplished over the past four years and am constantly amazed by the intriguing ways that our s & s alumnus are pursuing the Kingdom of God throughout the country, i cannot deny the fact that our little community has never been all that effective at inviting others to receive the grace of God and participate in the life of Jesus in this brief time before the renewal of all things.* i don’t say that to either deride our community, which i love deeply, nor to deny the fact that we have seen a couple of wonderful people incorporated into the body of Christ over the past four years. rather, i simply mention that fact because it is true.
i mention all of this because i pondered this truth while sitting on the alexander’s porch, and, in my own way, confessed to the guys that i would like to share both their unmitigated passion for proclamation and certainty regarding their theology and missiology. however, as it was, i had to confess that i simply did not see gospel ministry as having such a singular focus on evangelism, my ever-evolving theology made me leery of propositional evangelism** and my diverse ecclesiology has led to a little church that, while undoubtedly vibrant, is probably not the most well-defined landing place.***
all of this to say, i wish i could tell you that i have “one pure and holy passion,” but i don’t. i am passionate about a number of things, including proclaiming the good news, incarnating Jesus’ compassion and creating alternative communities and none of these passions can claim primacy over the other. but although i cannot reduce my mission to a singular goal,**** i can work a lot harder at doing the things i love and spend a lot less time worrying and toiling at things i hate. i suppose that’s more than enough musing about my personal mission. it’s time to get on it.
* i suppose that instead of providing this wordy description i could have simply said “evangelism,” but i’d rather not.
** which these cats use to unquestionably great effect.
*** paul responded to my confession by suggesting that maybe my diverse experiences have made my mission all the more complicated. i suppose that might be true, but fear that my life would be far less meaningful without the diverse experiences i’ve enjoyed and even those i’ve simply endured.
**** anybody who suggests that i embrace a pithy statement from the westminster confession or a concept from john piper as my singular focus can expect to run a three legged race to the hospital (so that i can get my foot out of your ass).
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Friday, September 29, 2006
musing...
in one of his little spiritual autobiographies, the sacred journey i think, frederick buechner talks about “a time in between a time.” if memory serves, he describes a time in between a time as the space that takes place in between the margins of tragedy and hope, darkness and light, ethereal promise and earthy fulfillment. buechner believes that the way we muddle through these middle spaces almost determines how we will react and respond to the more startling and kairos-tinged times.
i suppose that’s a long winded way of admitting that i am currently living in a time in between a time. at this moment i am not overwhelmed by the many personal and professional deaths that have been as common this year* as bloated corpses are on an iraqi highway. however, i am also not in a space where i am leaning into and receiving the life that lies before me. in this tenuous position between the polarities i am learning to listen because there is precious little i have to say and i am longing to be obedient to Jesus lest i continue to add to the smoldering wreckage that has resulted from my disobedience.
so that’s where i’m at. i hope this post provides a little orientation for those i stumble into and perhaps walk forward with during this ordinary season.
* for the record, I am including the cardinals in this group.
in one of his little spiritual autobiographies, the sacred journey i think, frederick buechner talks about “a time in between a time.” if memory serves, he describes a time in between a time as the space that takes place in between the margins of tragedy and hope, darkness and light, ethereal promise and earthy fulfillment. buechner believes that the way we muddle through these middle spaces almost determines how we will react and respond to the more startling and kairos-tinged times.
i suppose that’s a long winded way of admitting that i am currently living in a time in between a time. at this moment i am not overwhelmed by the many personal and professional deaths that have been as common this year* as bloated corpses are on an iraqi highway. however, i am also not in a space where i am leaning into and receiving the life that lies before me. in this tenuous position between the polarities i am learning to listen because there is precious little i have to say and i am longing to be obedient to Jesus lest i continue to add to the smoldering wreckage that has resulted from my disobedience.
so that’s where i’m at. i hope this post provides a little orientation for those i stumble into and perhaps walk forward with during this ordinary season.
* for the record, I am including the cardinals in this group.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
humbled
this afternoon i quickly checked statcounter to see how many hits i've had and whether the man is watching over my shoulder. at first glance, i was blown away by the number of hits i'd received today and began to feel a little proud of my little place in the big, bad internet.
then i clicked on the came from link and found that over 45 of my hits and no less than 30 of the direct links came from google searches that utilized at least two of the following search terms: dustin, diamond, screech, saved by the bell and dirty sanchez.
i don't know whether these searches, and the fact that they led directly to my blog, teach us something about the perverse fetishes of internet users or simply raise questions about the quality of my character.
ugh. those of you sickos can find the sanchez shot you're looking for here. the rest of you can spend a little time praying for my salvation.
this afternoon i quickly checked statcounter to see how many hits i've had and whether the man is watching over my shoulder. at first glance, i was blown away by the number of hits i'd received today and began to feel a little proud of my little place in the big, bad internet.
then i clicked on the came from link and found that over 45 of my hits and no less than 30 of the direct links came from google searches that utilized at least two of the following search terms: dustin, diamond, screech, saved by the bell and dirty sanchez.
i don't know whether these searches, and the fact that they led directly to my blog, teach us something about the perverse fetishes of internet users or simply raise questions about the quality of my character.
ugh. those of you sickos can find the sanchez shot you're looking for here. the rest of you can spend a little time praying for my salvation.
five minute book reviews
as i mentioned a month or so ago, i think wonderboys is one of the finest, unnoticed films of the decade. after lavishing such praise on the movie, joolz encouraged me to start reading michael chabon's (who wrote the book off of which the movie is based) books. that made sense to me, so i used part of the barnes and noble gift certificate leanne and art gave me to purchase kavalier and clay.
fortunately, i was not disappointed.
kavalier and clay is an epic novel that follows josef kavalier's escape from nazi occupied prague and his subsequent life in new york city. upon arrival in the empire city he partners with his cousin sammy clay as together they create a superman-knockoff comic called the escapist. the plot is too sweeping to adequately summarize in five minutes, but, from my perspective anyway, the book is a chronicle of a young man who throughout throughout his personally tragic and professionally successful life wrestles with the advice of his mentor and master magician bernard kornblum to "focus on what you are escaping to, not on what you are escaping from." for joe kavalier, as well as for myself, alluding the entanglements of the past in order to focus on living a creative and beneficial life both in the present and into the future, is an epic struggle. this whimsical, yet weighty novel challenged me to reach towards the future without denying the tragedies and triumphs of the past. this book won the pulitzer prize for a reason. you should read it.
also purchased with the aforementioned gift card: chuck klosterman IV. this five minute review has turned into a fifteen minute mess, so i'll just say this. klosterman has the unique ability to see and effectively communicate how everything is connected. if you're interested in reading intriguing profiles of bands like radiohead and wilco, wonder how kevin arnold's insecurities are incarnated by common americans and enjoy prose that practically demands to be consumed like crack, you'll dig klosterman.
as i mentioned a month or so ago, i think wonderboys is one of the finest, unnoticed films of the decade. after lavishing such praise on the movie, joolz encouraged me to start reading michael chabon's (who wrote the book off of which the movie is based) books. that made sense to me, so i used part of the barnes and noble gift certificate leanne and art gave me to purchase kavalier and clay.
fortunately, i was not disappointed.
kavalier and clay is an epic novel that follows josef kavalier's escape from nazi occupied prague and his subsequent life in new york city. upon arrival in the empire city he partners with his cousin sammy clay as together they create a superman-knockoff comic called the escapist. the plot is too sweeping to adequately summarize in five minutes, but, from my perspective anyway, the book is a chronicle of a young man who throughout throughout his personally tragic and professionally successful life wrestles with the advice of his mentor and master magician bernard kornblum to "focus on what you are escaping to, not on what you are escaping from." for joe kavalier, as well as for myself, alluding the entanglements of the past in order to focus on living a creative and beneficial life both in the present and into the future, is an epic struggle. this whimsical, yet weighty novel challenged me to reach towards the future without denying the tragedies and triumphs of the past. this book won the pulitzer prize for a reason. you should read it.
also purchased with the aforementioned gift card: chuck klosterman IV. this five minute review has turned into a fifteen minute mess, so i'll just say this. klosterman has the unique ability to see and effectively communicate how everything is connected. if you're interested in reading intriguing profiles of bands like radiohead and wilco, wonder how kevin arnold's insecurities are incarnated by common americans and enjoy prose that practically demands to be consumed like crack, you'll dig klosterman.
Monday, September 25, 2006
COHORT UPDATE
Due to my bad forsight and a (meaningless) Red Sox game, We are moving the location of tonight’s September Cohort meeting to the North Station Boston Beer Works Located at 112 Canal St., Boston, MA 02114. See you there at 7 pm.
Due to my bad forsight and a (meaningless) Red Sox game, We are moving the location of tonight’s September Cohort meeting to the North Station Boston Beer Works Located at 112 Canal St., Boston, MA 02114. See you there at 7 pm.
boston's emergent cohort will be pulling taps and talking theology at the fenway beerworks (61 brookline ave., boston, 02215) this tuesday night at 7 pm.
this month we're going to start the conversation by confessing one thing about our church participation/heritage that each of us has come to view as antagonistic to our current understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. we're hoping that in the midst of this conversation a common topic will emerge, so thatwe can then discuss ways in which we can move forward and act to overcome those trends both in our individual lives, in our local congregations, and in the global church.
if you're interested in joining us for conversation or simply want to taste the works fine selection of microbrews, we hope you can take the time to join us. if you have questions about the gathering feel free to contact me at gentry13@gmail.com.
Jesus died and after one...two...three days was raised again!
on friday afternoon my good buddy and fellow SS slave dave invited me to attend a boston church planting collaborative meeting on Saturday morning. although i am usually hesitant to attend such gatherings, i decided that it might be good for my Spirit to share my current struggles with life and ministry, listen to the stories of others and enjoy a little mutual encouragement.
so after our weekly s & s guy’s breakfast i jumped in the car with dave and his buddy danny and we wound our way down to the big bad city. although we had a bit of difficulty locating the emmanuel gospel center in the south end (which is pathetic. because city on a hill used to meet around the corner) we eventually found the building, miraculously found free parking behind the egc and eagerly entered the building.
unfortunately, as soon as we sat down in the conference room i knew we were screwed. for sitting there before us, in all it’s gaudy glory, was an oversized evangecube.
we should have bolted right then and there, but, out of respect for ralph kee and the leaders of the egc, we didn’t. and so we were subjected to a two and a half hour seminar that provided us with a pedantic, step by step tutorial on the evangecube (did you know that Jesus died for our sins? have you heard that accepting the cross of Christ is the only way that you’ll ever make it to the seventh nebula of the ing galaxy where God dwells?), wooed us with the amazing numbers of people who have been "converted" after some white bread southern baptist from salado, texas unfolded God’s plan right before there very eyes and challenged to partner with E3 partners as they support indigenous pastors…by providing them with a cartons of the evangecube and training them how to unfold God’s glory by manipulating the magic box right before the unsaved millions’ very eyes.
i cannot emphasize enough how much i loathe the evangecube.
i cannot help but wonder whether we should count "conversions" when the only true metric we have for salvation is whether we "persevere unto the end."
i wholly agree with my friend who derided the presentation as "the exaltation of cube in the temple of revivalism."
i cannot help but wonder why we evangelicals are so eager to profess that Jesus is the Christ, but so hesitant to reorder our lives around and accompany others along the way of the Lord.
i cannot help but hope that i, alongside the people of God, can begin to pursue Christ’s mission and incarnate God’s Kingdom with the same intense passion that old line evangelicals sought conversions.
i’m thankful for the fifteen minutes i had to connect with my brothers and sisters in Christ after the presentation. i’m constantly amazed by how many intriguing, provocative people have chosen to incarnate Christ’s compassion, proclaim the gospel and pursue the Kingdom in the boston area.
on friday afternoon my good buddy and fellow SS slave dave invited me to attend a boston church planting collaborative meeting on Saturday morning. although i am usually hesitant to attend such gatherings, i decided that it might be good for my Spirit to share my current struggles with life and ministry, listen to the stories of others and enjoy a little mutual encouragement.
so after our weekly s & s guy’s breakfast i jumped in the car with dave and his buddy danny and we wound our way down to the big bad city. although we had a bit of difficulty locating the emmanuel gospel center in the south end (which is pathetic. because city on a hill used to meet around the corner) we eventually found the building, miraculously found free parking behind the egc and eagerly entered the building.
unfortunately, as soon as we sat down in the conference room i knew we were screwed. for sitting there before us, in all it’s gaudy glory, was an oversized evangecube.
we should have bolted right then and there, but, out of respect for ralph kee and the leaders of the egc, we didn’t. and so we were subjected to a two and a half hour seminar that provided us with a pedantic, step by step tutorial on the evangecube (did you know that Jesus died for our sins? have you heard that accepting the cross of Christ is the only way that you’ll ever make it to the seventh nebula of the ing galaxy where God dwells?), wooed us with the amazing numbers of people who have been "converted" after some white bread southern baptist from salado, texas unfolded God’s plan right before there very eyes and challenged to partner with E3 partners as they support indigenous pastors…by providing them with a cartons of the evangecube and training them how to unfold God’s glory by manipulating the magic box right before the unsaved millions’ very eyes.
i cannot emphasize enough how much i loathe the evangecube.
i cannot help but wonder whether we should count "conversions" when the only true metric we have for salvation is whether we "persevere unto the end."
i wholly agree with my friend who derided the presentation as "the exaltation of cube in the temple of revivalism."
i cannot help but wonder why we evangelicals are so eager to profess that Jesus is the Christ, but so hesitant to reorder our lives around and accompany others along the way of the Lord.
i cannot help but hope that i, alongside the people of God, can begin to pursue Christ’s mission and incarnate God’s Kingdom with the same intense passion that old line evangelicals sought conversions.
i’m thankful for the fifteen minutes i had to connect with my brothers and sisters in Christ after the presentation. i’m constantly amazed by how many intriguing, provocative people have chosen to incarnate Christ’s compassion, proclaim the gospel and pursue the Kingdom in the boston area.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
overheard
in ichurch, his most recent article on christianitytoday.com, associate editor skye jethani provides an apt diagnosis of consumerism, the disease that threatens to plague all of our communities, and begins to sketch the way towards a pastoral response. this same territory is covered in a more comprehensive manner in colossians re:mixed, which is a handbook for christians who are seeking to subvert the empire of consumerism and a treatise that i highly recommend. here are a couple of quotes from jethani's article to whet your appetite:
"As Mark Riddle observes, 'Conversion in the U.S. seems to mean we've exchanged some of our shopping at Wal-Mart, Blockbuster, and Borders for the Christian bookstore down the street. We've taken our lack of purchasing control to God's store, where we buy our office supplies in Jesus' name.' "
"In consumer Christianity, however, church leaders function as religious baristas, supplying spiritual goods for people to choose from based on their preferences. Our concern becomes not whether people are growing, but whether they are satisfied. An unhappy member, like an unhappy customer, will find satisfaction elsewhere. As one pastor enthusiastically said, "The problem with blended services is that half the people are happy half the time. With a video venue, you can say, 'If you don't like this service style, try another one!' "
"The church does not exist to supply comfort, ease, and convenient services to religious consumers. And God is not a commodity that exists to make you feel better."
in ichurch, his most recent article on christianitytoday.com, associate editor skye jethani provides an apt diagnosis of consumerism, the disease that threatens to plague all of our communities, and begins to sketch the way towards a pastoral response. this same territory is covered in a more comprehensive manner in colossians re:mixed, which is a handbook for christians who are seeking to subvert the empire of consumerism and a treatise that i highly recommend. here are a couple of quotes from jethani's article to whet your appetite:
"As Mark Riddle observes, 'Conversion in the U.S. seems to mean we've exchanged some of our shopping at Wal-Mart, Blockbuster, and Borders for the Christian bookstore down the street. We've taken our lack of purchasing control to God's store, where we buy our office supplies in Jesus' name.' "
"In consumer Christianity, however, church leaders function as religious baristas, supplying spiritual goods for people to choose from based on their preferences. Our concern becomes not whether people are growing, but whether they are satisfied. An unhappy member, like an unhappy customer, will find satisfaction elsewhere. As one pastor enthusiastically said, "The problem with blended services is that half the people are happy half the time. With a video venue, you can say, 'If you don't like this service style, try another one!' "
"The church does not exist to supply comfort, ease, and convenient services to religious consumers. And God is not a commodity that exists to make you feel better."
mid-morning time waster: completely psychotic co-workers
this morning while listening to voicemails and filing paperwork at my desk, the guy who sits in the adjacent cube began aggressively berating his roommate. after he had railed about that son-of-a-bitch doing this and that motherfucker doing that he concluded by saying, "i swear i'm going to cut him up into little pieces and vacuum up the evidence." then, as if that pronouncement wasn't alarming enough, he concluded by proclaiming "i feel absolutely homicidal right now."
if the same co-worker hadn't told me two months ago that "if you hear about someone going on a homicidal spree through downtown beverly, you can be sure i'm the killer," i suppose i could have taken this morning's rant with a grain of salt. but as it is, i am a bit scared. if you happen to see a bullet riddled office space on CNN this evening and repeated phone calls to me go unreturned, please tell my mother i love her.
have you had any encounters with homicidal co-workers? if so, do tell.
this morning while listening to voicemails and filing paperwork at my desk, the guy who sits in the adjacent cube began aggressively berating his roommate. after he had railed about that son-of-a-bitch doing this and that motherfucker doing that he concluded by saying, "i swear i'm going to cut him up into little pieces and vacuum up the evidence." then, as if that pronouncement wasn't alarming enough, he concluded by proclaiming "i feel absolutely homicidal right now."
if the same co-worker hadn't told me two months ago that "if you hear about someone going on a homicidal spree through downtown beverly, you can be sure i'm the killer," i suppose i could have taken this morning's rant with a grain of salt. but as it is, i am a bit scared. if you happen to see a bullet riddled office space on CNN this evening and repeated phone calls to me go unreturned, please tell my mother i love her.
have you had any encounters with homicidal co-workers? if so, do tell.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Friday, September 15, 2006
mid-morning time waster: "i'm not here to teach. i'm hear to learrrn."
lately my life has been a bit crazy. i’ve been thinking about life after the SS, preparing to unite two friends in marriage this weekend and trying to be a good husband to the pixie and a good daddy for dizzy. fortunately, in the midst of all the craziness, i’ve continued to be a model pedagogue. here’s what i’ve been learning:
when you dream about mr. stomach fighting mr. anus, you’re in for a long night.
cigarettes are not acceptable substitutes for asthma inhalers.
the dark, sexy russian at the poker table just might have more in common with yakoff smirnoff than a scheming ringer.
prayer changes things.
but christian cliché’s still suck.
there’s a fine line between a funny cynic and a dream killer.
benadryl-d really should be taken in recommended doses.
loose canons have shitty moorings.
contrary to popular opinion, there are biblical commentaries that are well-written.
so what are you learning?
lately my life has been a bit crazy. i’ve been thinking about life after the SS, preparing to unite two friends in marriage this weekend and trying to be a good husband to the pixie and a good daddy for dizzy. fortunately, in the midst of all the craziness, i’ve continued to be a model pedagogue. here’s what i’ve been learning:
when you dream about mr. stomach fighting mr. anus, you’re in for a long night.
cigarettes are not acceptable substitutes for asthma inhalers.
the dark, sexy russian at the poker table just might have more in common with yakoff smirnoff than a scheming ringer.
prayer changes things.
but christian cliché’s still suck.
there’s a fine line between a funny cynic and a dream killer.
benadryl-d really should be taken in recommended doses.
loose canons have shitty moorings.
contrary to popular opinion, there are biblical commentaries that are well-written.
so what are you learning?
Monday, September 11, 2006
musing...
four or five years ago i had the opportunity to hear jean vanier, the founder of l'arche, friend of henri nouwen and altogether remarkable human being speak at the university of toronto. unfortunately i do not remember much of what jean said on that cold winter night, but i do remember him telling us that at the heart of l'arche was a belief in the giftedness of each individual. jean said that the true mission of each l'arche assistant was to carefully identify the giftedness of each physically and/or mentally disabled core member of their community and persistently encourage the core members to share their gift with the community and, indeed, with the world. jean then promised the assistants that as we struggled to identify and facilitate the birth of each core member's gift we would be surprised to find that the core members would serve as midwives who helped identify and give birth to our deepest gift as well. in sum, jean said, Christ has called us to serve as midwives for one another as together we seek to fully experience the image of God that is impressed upon each person.
i thought about jean's words today when i read about a friend who is constantly serving as a midwife to someone in his local community.
i also thought about how often i neglect to notice the image of God in others, much less help the individuals i love, much less those i hate, give birth to their greatest gift. far too often i spend my time berating people for their apparent deficiencies rather than loving them enough to help give birth to their greatest gift. Christ have mercy.
four or five years ago i had the opportunity to hear jean vanier, the founder of l'arche, friend of henri nouwen and altogether remarkable human being speak at the university of toronto. unfortunately i do not remember much of what jean said on that cold winter night, but i do remember him telling us that at the heart of l'arche was a belief in the giftedness of each individual. jean said that the true mission of each l'arche assistant was to carefully identify the giftedness of each physically and/or mentally disabled core member of their community and persistently encourage the core members to share their gift with the community and, indeed, with the world. jean then promised the assistants that as we struggled to identify and facilitate the birth of each core member's gift we would be surprised to find that the core members would serve as midwives who helped identify and give birth to our deepest gift as well. in sum, jean said, Christ has called us to serve as midwives for one another as together we seek to fully experience the image of God that is impressed upon each person.
i thought about jean's words today when i read about a friend who is constantly serving as a midwife to someone in his local community.
i also thought about how often i neglect to notice the image of God in others, much less help the individuals i love, much less those i hate, give birth to their greatest gift. far too often i spend my time berating people for their apparent deficiencies rather than loving them enough to help give birth to their greatest gift. Christ have mercy.
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