Two Poems from Rainer Maria Rilke--Book of Hours..Love Poems to God

Sometimes a man rises from the supper table
and goes outside. And he keeps on going
because somewhere to the east there is a church.
His children bless his name as if he were dead.

Another man stays at home untile he dies,
stays with plates and glasses.
So then it is his children who go outinto the world,
seeking the church that he forgot.

A Love Poem to God--Poem #2
Extinguish my eyes, I'll go on seeing you.
Seal my ears, I'll go on hearing you.
And without feet I can make my way to you.
without a mouth I can swear your name

Break off my arms and I will take hold of you
with my heart as with a hand
Stop my heart and my brain will start to beat
And if you consume my brain with fire
I'll feel you in every drop of my blood.

Now Reading....Following Jesus by NT Wright

Here are a few quotes:

God's exaltation of Jesus vindicates not only him and his cause, but his way; and that way is the way by which his followers to must walk.

Over against the love of power, the ascention of Jesus sets the power of love (103)

The victory of Jesus over evil in the world is not simply a fait accompli which could be disproved by the continuance of evil to this day. It is a victor waiting to be implemented through his followers (104)

It's tyrants that want to blow the world to bits, God wants to re-create it. (60)

I am convinced that...reading the Bible in little snippets--is a second-order activity; the primary activity ought to be reading the Bible in large chunks, to get its full flavor and thrust (xi)

Holiness

Keith (see link on sidebar) was thinking about holiness in his last post. And he was talking about how Christians often get perfection and holiness conflated into the same idea. I think he is correct. Where our paths go in a different direction is when we discuss how this works.

The word for holiness in Scripture means set apart, it does not mean perfect. Throughout the Scripture God tells his people to"Be Holy as I am Holy". And, througout Scripture, when we violate this command, it is often because we have surrendered to a pattern of sin as a community or an individual. And, often, at this point, in the biblical witness, God's people are told to repent.

As I begin to reflect on what the call to holiness means, I don't think it is exclusive of being morally pure, or as Keith says "a person of truth". But as I think about this, especially after leading a study of Leviticus in our young adult group recently, I see it differently. I think holiness is about living as the unique God-called and God-created self and community of people that God has made you to be. Some of those uniquenesses have to do with structuring our moral lives in a way that keeps us best connected to God and to one another. That is part of claiming your specialness in God. But holiness is also about living out the purposes and passion that God has specifically called you and your community into, and is particular to your specific situation.

Holiness, as Keith intimates, is about being a reflection of God. About being image bearers of God as he is revealed in the Holy Scriptures. Each of us is called to reflect God's light. Some ways of doing that, the Bible claims, are universal to everyone. And some, Scripture also teaches, are about your specific uniqueness and call.

Dare to be special. Dare to be set apart. Dare to claim your uniqueness and live as God made you to live.

God Bless!

Late Night Phone Calls and Song of Songs

So, I was having this conversation with this friend that I had a crush on about a year or so ago. It is good we are friends...and probably a good thing nothing serious came out of the feelings I had for her at the time. Anyway...she was sharing what spiritual gifts she thought she had and she said that when she was trying to figure it out she thought that the gift of celebacy was a possibility. What was my first thought. "I still haven't lost it...there aint a woman I cant scare". Not that I have nearly that much power...but I thought it amusing that are next phone conversation after last summer had the gift of celbacy mentioned up front. (She now believes she has the gift of mercy)

Anyway..today was a discussion on the Song of Songs in our young adult bible study. What we were trying to do was answer some people's questions about the book, and at the same time share the Biblical ethic of sexuality in a more positive way. And I thought it worked. Setting out a goal and a vision that Scripture presents in the way of romantic love and human sexuality instead of just yelling NO really loud. My teaching style is more like fascilitating a discussion, listening for and pointing to the work of the Spirit in the group, and being the expert on Scripture. And, in the middle of the whole process I came to the realization that about everyone in the room had more sexual experience than I did. (which is why many times it is more important for me to fascilitate than to dictate when I teach). Then i started thinking about my conversation with my friend the night before...and wondering if I had the gift of celebacy. Then in my mind I screamed "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Celebacy in my opinion, is not something bad. In fact, it can be very healthy. Nor do I believe it to be a spiritual gift as most Christians would understand that term. I do believe it, in many ways, to have been a blessing in my life. Strangely enough, I think I am better prepared for relationships, romantic or otherwise, because I have chosen to live this way at this point in my life. And, also strangely enough, the discipline has made me a uniquely honest and open person in a way that I might not have otherwise.

There are some unique writings on the matter:

The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris--there are a few chapters on how celebacy forms one's spirit.

Singles at the Crossroads by Albert Hsu--A brilliant book

The Struggle--As Marko once said--The book with everything you ever wanted to know about masterbation.

anyway..that is what was on my mind

The Church and the Da Vinci Code

I often tell people, if I am going to watch one movie this summer, it is probably going to be the Da Vinci code.

When I say that...people either know I have been reading Dan Kimball's blog, or they look at me pretty funny.

Apologetically, it presents a fascinating challenge for the church. Because it challenges the church to think and work in a new direction on understanding and explaining their faith.

Most Christians, if they have any expertise in the field of theology called apologetics tend to have a lot of training on how to speak about Christianity as having valid truth claims. The aim was to gain inclusivity. Namely, that Christian truth be accepted alongside other truths

Now...with its emphasis on gnosticism and alternative stories, I think the Da Vinci Code leaves us with a different challenge. And that challenge is more about what makes the experiences and truths of the Christian community different from the truth claims of the Masons or any other group.

The task of commending Christianity in the past was to how to commend the faith as on par and the same of other truths. The task of people understanding and explaining the Christian faith in the future will be attempting to explain the uniqueness of its truth.

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

Abyss

Hands waving
in the air
Feet searching
for somewhere
to be placed

Screaming
with nobody
to hear
Clinging
with noone
to hold
Looking
with nowhere
to see
Falling
with noplace
to land
Crashing
with nothing
to break the fall

  

  

  

  

Meme (tagged by Becca and Len--done on my space a couple of weeks ago)

I am not helpless or hopeless

I hurt when I feel rejected or alone

I love to laugh

I hate feeling looked down on judged

I hope everything comes together soon for this summer

I hear people say things that never come out of their mouth

I crave a kiss from a sexy woman

I cry alone (always alone)

I care about making the world a better place

I always brush my teeth before I go to bed (mom will be proud)

I long to be perfect

I feel that I feel more than I let on to others

I listen to music constantly

I hide a lot of myself that I dont want people to see

I drive to just relieve stress sometimes

I sing in the car really loud

I dance whenever I get the chance and am in the mood--but especially at weddings.

I write every day

I play on my laptop when i am bored

I miss being close to family

I search for all my options before I make decisions. To a fault

I feel trapped in my life a lot.

I know God is God and I am not

I fail more often than I succeed

I dream of writing a book that influences people for years to come

I sleep late whenever I can

I wonder if I will be in Colorado next year

I want to wake up next to a woman and have the first thing I see be her smile.

I worry I am stuck

I have the best mother in the world

I fight for everything I get

I wait for the next big thing in my life

I need to see as many of you fill out this little survey as possible

Divine Interuption

The last week in April I was frantically trying to catch up from everything that had piled up from my trip to be with my mother. Yet, somehow, all my best laid plans for catching up just were not working. Right when I would start getting something accomplished, the phone would ring. Or, as soon as I was ready to conquer the next thing, an emergency of one sort or another would arise. Whether it was long but lengthy conversations over MySpace or Instant Messaging on the computer, unexpected staff concerns, or visits that I needed to make, my week went nothing like I planned it to.
There are times where our non-work lives happen like this as well. We have our goals. We have our plans. We have all our ducks in a row. And then all the interruptions happen. We fall in love. Unexpected children are born. A car breaks down. We get ill. The life of ministry I live is not that much different than the rest of life. We have all sorts of interruptions and unexpected twists and turns.
And if you are like me, the interruptions at life and work can sometimes get frustrating. We want to be in control. We want to be in charge of what is happening.
We want to accomplish things. We want to feel important. We have a to-do list and a honey-do list after all.
The thing is, the important things in life (and ministry) often come in the form of an interruption. Both my sister and I came into existence while my parents were using birth control. Yet, my mother consistently tells us were the best thing that has ever happened in her life. We were an interruption. But a wonderful and important one. Which of us hasn’t been taken aback by an unbelievably beautiful sunset? Again, an interruption.
The Bible is full of interruptions. Especially in the life and ministry of Jesus. The feeding of the five thousand happened because everything did not go according to plan. Jesus arrives late to a healing of a young child because he is interrupted by a woman who wants to be healed. Instead of taking away an illness, Jesus then resuscitates a dead person. And, the parable of the Good Samaritan shows us that
the one who can move away from his or her agenda to love and serve another human being is the one who is faithful to the Scriptures and the Gospel. Even the Easter resurrection is an interruption of the grief of the women and the apostles.
So I looked at the interruptions in my plans for the week, and I chose to see them as opportunities and blessings. And I told myself over and over again, “interruptions are not just a part of the ministry, they ARE the ministry!”. And I was blessed. Because once I got past the fact that the interruption were keeping me from all my busywork, I remembered that the interruptions were what I got into ministry for in the first place. It just took more trust and faith in God to see it.

Is anyone else having issues with Blogger?

A little inspiration

New Music

A kid in my youth group used my computer without my permission when I was gone and uploaded $30 onto my account by accident. He told me to keep it. I was stoked! I purchased these three albums.

My fave songs on each:

Toby Keith
Runnin' Block (I know it is not appropriate but is a fun and playful story)
Get Drunk and Be Somebody
A Little Too Late
Hell No
(You should be able to listen HERE

Fogerty
Cenerfield (Fogerty)
Have You Ever Seen the Rain (CCR)

Shooter Jennings
Fourth of July
Steady at the Wheel
(You should be able to listen HERE

Also downloaded:
Seashores of Old Mexico--George Strait
Fightin' For--Cross Canadian Ragweed
Unwritten--Natasha Benningfield

As you can tell I was in a country music/southern rock kinda mood

Why I am single

I was talking with my mother about one thing she loves to talk about tonight. Her grandchildren. I informed her that she better enjoy them because they will probably be her only grandbabies. Mom of course protested...with the common retort "i have not given up on you yet!"

Then a long debate ensued about the level of my marriagability.

My mom tend to hold out hope by sharing about someone who is more overweight than I am that is getting married. This, however, depresses me more. Mostly this because it makes me feel like I am more hopeless than I originally thought before my mom brought up this issue. It is never good for a single person to hear their marital status referred to like a long term illness. It is also never good when someone cites second hand anecdotal evidence as your only hope in a situation. Also, I know my appearance is not the only issue I have to deal with in finding someone to share my life with. I may be a fat man...but I am definitely a good looking man of girth.

Anyway...after mom offered several other explanations on why I am single and things I can do about rectifying this to make her happy, I have come up with a short list of reasons why I think that I am single in addition to the issues of appearance:

1. I am a minister. Yes, I know all of you know ministers who are married. But most of you know ministers who were married in college or soon after. This is because evangelical christian young adults are horny little boys and girls like the rest of us, and yet often committed to abstinence. So they either get married young so that they can have sex like little bunny rabbits right away, or they have lapses of self-control without birth control and get married to raise the Jr. that is coming. Or people feel called into ministry later, when they already have a family.

But I must tell you....ministry seems to be a major turnoff to lots of women. Especially good women.

And the complex thing about me is....I am not churchy even though I am a church worker. I AM THE FRIAR. I wear Corona T-shirts under my suit on Sunday morning just to be ornery. I have a hula girl in my car, and whiskey on the top of my microwave. So, I am not the typical catch for clergy chasing single women either.

2. I am overly transparent I don't have a lot of "game". That does not mean that I am not charming. But it means that I just don't have a lot of tolerance for the cat and mouse stuff in dating. If I am wondering if something might work out between us, I will just ask you if there is something happening. If I have a crush on you, I will be really nervous about the whole issue for a while, then I will get to a point where I decide I need to make a bold move and do something like send flowers. If I am frustrated, I dont hide it well. If I am twiterpated I dont hide that well either. I am generally not the type of person to hide most of my faults. They are many and apparent to all.

Intellectually most women think all this is a good thing. Deep down they want more of the mystery and the game though.

Not to mention...if I like someone...sometimes I stutter. And stare to much. And get really uncordinated around this person. It is kinda pathetic.

3. I am not an extrovert. Most first dates are like job interviews. And while I am good at answering specific questions, and I am good at asking questions, I usually dont switch gears well. When I listen, I listen. I listen to the words. And the words behind the words. But the date comes to an end, and the woman gets freaked out a little. She has told me her life story, and I remember most of what she has had to say, yet she does not know anything about me.

4. My work habits. I dont have weekends. I work most Saturday nights and all day Sunday. I get up late and stay in the office late.

5. My financial situation Most women in their 20s want a good looking man who is sexy as all get out. Most women that I know in their 30s can still appreciate good looks, but even more than looks are looking for a financially secure man. I work for a church. Enough said.

6. I have not made a long term commitment There a lot of women who see a single man in his 30s as a man who has commitment issues. They prefer someone who is divorced or lived with someone over someone who had a 7 month dating relationship their sophomore year in college.

7. I am argumentative If you are my friend or girlfriend for any length of time, I will get in an argument with you that will make you angry and never want to talk to me again. Often, it will happen in the following manner. You will be spouting off you opinions on this and that or the other. You will assume I agree with you on everything. In fact, I am slowly getting angry at your self righteousness and arrogance. At some point I will ask you a question which makes it clear that I think you should think about things from a broader perspective. You will get angry, and feel like I am not listening to you or supporting you.

Example:
Issue that is on my mind: girlfriend is kind of angry and kind of an emotional bully. Then this situation comes up.

"Did you see that b***h cut me off right before I pulled out. G** dam**, I am going to get out of this car and snatch her scalp bald headed if she does not get out of my way"

me: silence and increased body tension that is visually apparent

woman: do you think I am a little bit crazy?

me: Honestly

woman: Yes (in that calm before the storm sort of tone of voice)

me: I think you are giving that woman a lot of power over you and she probably didnt mean to pull out in front of you. maybe you should look at things from the other persons perspective.

woman: did I tell you I had a pool league tournament this weekend so we wont be able to get together?

8. Being picky. As my mom says about being single...it all depends on how far down in the gene pool you want to go. If you want to fish in the dregs of the human gene pool, you can probably find someone to be with you. I prefer to skim off of the cream of the crop at the top. (I am not talking about appearance when I speak about this)

9. Overly intellectual I analyze everything. I study everything.

10. Can't read signals I feel like there was this meeting of the rest of the world where they discussed how to understand if you are being flirted with, if someone likes you etc. The classes consisted on how to communicate these signals and how to read this mysterious code. I missed it all. So, there are times where I think someone is hinting that they are open to something and they are not (like calling 4 times a week or having me take relationship tests and then telling me how compatable we are or calling me "my prince charming" on several occasions and smiling at me a lot.)

There are other times where I am being flirted with and someone likes me but I dont have a clue because they feel they are communicating interest and I think they are just being friendly.

Again, I dont read signals well.

Which of these sounds the most like you...and the least like you..

do you agree or disagree with my self assesment?

sermons...are supposed to be one of the moments in regular Christian living where heaven and earth meet (140)

If ,therefore, those called to office and leadership roles in the church remain content to merely organize and manage the internal affairs of the church, they are leaving a vacuum right where there ought to be vibrant, pulsating life (139)

The Christian "rule of faith" does not in fact stifle scholarship; even if it provokes the scholar to try to articulate that rule with greater accuracy and elegance, that itself will be a worthy task (136)

The New Testament offers us glimpses of where the story is to end: not with us going to heaven" as in many hymns and prayers, but with new creation (126)

People who had never heard the phrase 'just war' have suddenly discovered the need to think about it--and about biblical impulses, perhaps even gospel imperitives, toward pacifism. (17)

It is wrong to confuse devotion to authority (in relation to Scripture) (32)

part of growing up is learning the art of giving (17)

For the heart to see rightly, the hand needs to give generously (16)

God's goods are not for sale. You cannot buy them with money or good deeds. God doesn't make deals. God gives. (26)

No life worth living is possible without generosity (20)