Dustin Tramel

The Sign Around My Neck

2009-11-06T06:46:00.000-08:00

By DT

We watched the Sandra Bullock movie 28 Days. Her character is an alcoholic who gets sent to a rehab facility for people suffering from many different addictions. When Sandra goes to the cafeteria for her first meal we see that some of the residents have big white signs hanging around their necks. In big black letters they have specific phrases printed on them: "Confront me if I don't ask for help", " Confront me if I people please", etc.

What would the sign around my neck say? What habits prevent me from being open and honest with people? What do I try to keep secret?

A few that come to mind:

Confront me if avoid inconveniencing you.

Confront me if I don't ask for help.

Confront me if I don't share my emotions.

Two things I am reminded of:

1) I am not autonomous. Living well can't be done by myself. Deciding to follow Jesus can be a personal and even private event but the life of a Christian is not. It is public and exposed. If I desire to grow in faith, hope, and love I need more than a desire to do so. My sins can't be worked out on my own in the comfort of my own mind. Other people must be involved in the process of confessing and making things right.

2) Many habits come out of my desire to put myself in control. If I don't ask for help it's because I assume I have whatever it takes to get the job done - I don't need you and I won't put myself in a position to be indebted to you. If I avoid inconveniencing you it's because I'm trying to control the situation so there are no uncomfortable moments.

Working at Lifehouse we learned that developing authentic relationships requires us to be authentic ourselves. But what is authentic? It seems to be a popular word right now both in advertising and spirituality. I think it has to do with being honest and genuine even if it costs us something. You can never really know me unless you know the good, the bad, and the ugly. I can hide or downplay my weaknesses but I end up offering you something that is not truly me. It takes a lot of energy to allow you only to see the good side. To share myself authentically requires me to let go of my desire to control.

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The Moment of Saying Goodbye

2009-10-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

By DT
We have been busy the last month. I forget how much goes into the moving process. There's the collecting of boxes, arranging the moving truck, taking down pictures, tripping over boxes in the night, finding a dollar behind the fridge, and saying goodbye. Katie and I have moved a lot in our six years of marriage and each time the process surprises me again. Each time we begin the moving process I think I have it all figured out - I can anticipate what it will look like and what I will feel. Each time, though, I am surprised by what I find.

We have begun our goodbyes in Portland and last night was our huge goodbye party. Long time friends and new friends showed up. From 1:30pm until 11:30pm we celebrated as people walked through the door. Each of us carries memories and stories but we often forget that others have memories that overlap and inform our own. As people walked through our door I remembered the good and bad from our four years in Portland. As we reminisced, our stories overlapped. People remembered things that I had not. We experienced many events together but the memories became fuller and richer as we mingled them together in conversation. What emerged was a picture of God present in a community of people.

And then the moment of goodbye as we walked people to the door. There is something profound about saying goodbye to people. The reality of the world creeps in as we realize together that time is not fair. Like death, we must face the limitations imposed on us. Unlike death, though, we can walk away from the goodbyes with our lives changed and with the hope of future interactions. That moment usually has the ability to push us to say what we have always wanted to say.

But I hate saying goodbye. I wrestle for a long time with the decision of leaving and moving on. I analyze, I seek advice, I spend hours thinking and writing. Katie likes getting things done quickly but I have to spend time pondering. When I make the decision it is a big moment for me. It feels like an accomplishment. A switch is flipped in my brain and I go into moving mode. I know I will have to say goodbye but the moving process takes a lot of focus. When the moment of goodbye approaches the moving mode is stopped and I am confronted with the reality of leaving the people we love. I am reminded of the value and significance of relationships. In a world obsessed with individual needs it is good for me to be reminded that to survive and thrive I desperately need friends and relationships.

Thanks to all of you who have made time in your schedules to say goodbye to us. Leaving Portland is really hard for us. We have not yet left but already the tears are flowing. Already we are seeing how God has used relationships to change your lives and ours over the last four years.

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Being Killed By The Internet

2009-10-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

By DT
I found an article about 50 things that are being killed by the internet (I posted the link at the bottom). The list reminds me that technology can benefit my life but it can also destroy it or make it more complicated. I think it's wrong to assume that technological advances are always good. And I think it's equally wrong to assume that technology will make our lives better.

Here are some of the items that stuck out to me:

3) Listening to an album all the way through.
Now that we can easily download singles (often weeks before the entire album is released), I find that I rarely listen to an album. Shuffle is now my listening preference. Not buying entire albums may be a good thing for the music industry. It might force musicians to work harder to create quality songs since the money will be made off of singles.

5) Punctuality.
Before celphones and texting, it was rude to show up late to meetings and get togethers. Now we can text people to inform them of our excuses for running late. But is that any less rude? There seems to be a lot less face-to-face confession of lateness. I like to be on time not because of my perfectionism but as a way of showing that I value my relationships. Time is one of the few commodities that I can give people and showing up on time shows that I value our time together.

13) Memory and 15) Photo albums and slide shows.
When I was a kid my family took lots of pictures but not to the extent that people do now. My parents have boxes of photos from my childhood but the pictures numbers in the low hundreds not the thousands that I already have of my girls. Digital photography is creating huge, visual repositories of our past. I wonder how this will affect memory? I don't have many memories from childhood. Most are associated with photos I have seen. Now that my girls have thousands of pictures of their childhood, will they remember more? Kodak recently announced that it was discontinuing its Kodachrome slide film because there is very little demand for it. Our slide shows now take place on flat screen monitors.

17) Watching television together.
We can watch TV and movies whenever and wherever we want. I used to watch The X-Files every Friday night. I often watched with friends because the suspense was better that way. I think Seinfeld was much more funny when watched in groups. For the longest time my family had only one TV. There is something unique about watching together. I think this is why going to the movies continues to be popular despite the advances of home theater technology.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/6133903/50-things-that-are-being-killed-by-the-internet.html

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Journey

2009-10-04T08:40:00.001-07:00

What The College Freshmen Know

2009-09-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Each August since 1988, Beloit College has released the Beloit College Mindset List. It is a list of observations that help to identify the experiences that have shaped the lives—and formed the mindset—of students starting college this fall.

“The Mindset List is not a chronological listing of things that happened in 1991, the year they were born. It is instead an effort to identify the worldview of 18 year-olds in the fall of 2009. Of course, our students come from many backgrounds and different traditions and these generalizations may not apply to all. The list identifies the experiences and event horizons of students and is not meant to reflect on their preparatory education.”

It looks at what they know - or don’t know.

Here’s a few items from the list:
- They have never used a card catalog to find a book.
- Salsa has always outsold ketchup.
- The Green Giant has always been Shrek, not the big guy picking vegetables.
- Magic Johnson has always been HIV-positive.
- Tattoos have always been in style and highly visible.
- Rap music has always been mainstream.
- There has always been a Cartoon Network.
- Their parents could always reach for a Zoloft.
- Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Latvia, Georgia, Lithuania, and Estonia have always been independent nations.
- Phil Jackson has always been coaching championship basketball.
- Ozzy Osbourne has always been coming back.
- There have always been flat screen TV’s.
- They have never understood the meaning of R.S.V.P.
- Everyone has always known what the evening news was before the Evening News came on.
- They have never been Saved by the Bell.
- American students have always lived anxiously with high-stakes educational testing.
- Official racial classifications in South Africa have always been outlawed.
- Conflict in Northern Ireland has always been slowly winding down.
- Migration of once independent media like radio, TV, videos and compact discs to the computer has never amazed them.
- The American health care system has always been in critical condition.
- McDonald's has always been serving Happy Meals in China.
- Condoms have always been advertised on television.
- Nobody has ever responded to “Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”
- There has always been blue Jell-O, chocolate-chip cookie dough ice cream, and Berry Berry Kix.
- There has always been a computer in the Oval Office.
- They have always been able to read books on an electronic screen.
- Most communities have always had a mega-church.
- And someone has always been asking: “Was Iraq worth a war?”

http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/

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A Connection To Days Gone By

2009-08-27T13:23:00.003-07:00

By DT
I am amazed at the power objects have to transport me back in time. I never know what will act as a flux capacitor for me. Last Sunday it was a plastic drink pitcher. At our Lifehouse, people were pouring ice water from a tan, plastic pitcher. I felt tears welling up within me when I saw it. This is a very specific pitcher from the 80's. It has a tan body (I'm sure it came in other colors but tan is very important to this story). The lid is white with a little knob in the middle that you press down to seal it closed.

I saw this pitcher sitting on the refreshment table and for 10 seconds I went back in time to the late 80's, to my house in Denton, Texas.

Growing up, a tan pitcher just like this one could usually be found in my family's refrigerator - full of KOOL AID. Whenever I needed a shot of colored sugar water all I had to do was look for that pitcher.

I'm not sure where the almost tears came from. Maybe it was the reality that my childhood really is gone. Maybe I was reminded that my only connection to my childhood is objects and a few people. I think part of it is a longing for a time when stress and responsibilities were minimal.

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Think Outside The Box

2009-08-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

Supernatural

2009-08-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

By DT
Since the 1970's, Christianity worldwide has been significantly increasing. What has inspired me about the statistics is that the majority of the people who are becoming followers of Jesus are doing so because they have experienced supernatural events: physical healings, dreams, visitations by angels. In America, the obsession with science and technology has created in us a habit of scepticism, even denial, of the supernatural.

I am guilty of this, too. My first reaction to pretty much everything is to look for some rational, natural explanation. Ivy was born with some really tough food allergies. Because the doctors overlooked her food allergies, she was sick and in extreme discomfort the first year of her life. Many people were praying for Ivy along with us.

And then one day, in preparation for submitting her to painful testing, we had to take her off the special diet. There was no reaction to the food in her system! We didn't do the testing and to this day the allergies are gone. My first thoughts were: she's grown out of it, she just needed to adjust. But regardless of what I think, Ivy was healed.

Why are we so skeptical of the supernatural?

Besides our obsession with science and technology, one of the reasons is the abuse of the supernatural. Many churches have used the supernatural (usually the Holy Spirit) to control, manipulate, and oppress people. Others are so uncomfortable with the supernatural that they never speak about it. Then there is the whole New Age movement that has turned the supernatural into a commodity to be bought and consumed at the expense of our individuality.

God is teaching me that there is more going on in the world than the American Dream. There is more going on than politics and science. Have I limited my interaction with God? Have I turned God into a Safe, American God? I think that God, although unchanging, is wild and unpredictable. Is it possible that that I overlooked or missed out on some things? Yes, I think it is. I am trying to be more open toward the supernatural. No, I'm not buying crystals and incense but I am watching for things that can't be explained. I think we all have stories of when we should have died but didn't, should have failed but didn't, should experienced the same predictable outcome but didn't.

God is at work and most of the time it's not in the way we expect.

China is a great example.

The Chicago Tribune: "Today the government counts 21 million Catholics and Protestants—a 50 percent increase in less than 10 years—though the underground population is far larger. The World Christian Database's estimate of 70 million Christians amounts to a 5 percent share of the population, second only to Buddhism.

At a time when Christianity in Western Europe is dwindling, China's believers are redrawing the world's religious map with a growing community already exceeding all the Christians in Italy. And increasing Christian clout in China has the potential to alter relations with the United States and other nations."

The Washington Times, August 3rd 2005 Millions All Over China Convert To Christianity: "Chinese are embracing Christianity in a social revolution that is spreading through town and countryside to the point where Christians already may outnumber members of the Communist Party of China.

'I think human beings need something at a spiritual level,' said Han Dongfang. 'We don't want to believe we are coming from nowhere, going nowhere.'

As a teenager, he was a passionate Marxist but, as an army recruit, became disillusioned over the luxuries enjoyed by the officer class. He arrived in the United States in 1993 after being released from prison on medical grounds; he had contracted tuberculosis in a Chinese jail and nearly died.

One of the driving forces of Christianity's growth in China has been its association with healing powers, particularly in rural areas where basic health services are lacking.

One woman last month told a gathering of hundreds at Kuanjie, the official Protestant church in Beijing: 'My brother's daughter had a virus, which doctors had never seen before. She was on a ventilator and everyone had lost hope. But I prayed for her, and she recovered. Now her family follows Christ, too.'"

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A Voice Calling in the Streets

2009-07-19T16:36:00.001-07:00

By DT
Selected thoughts from my 7/19 sermon.
You don't have to live very long to realize that the choices we make can have serious consequences. It is possible, if not easy, to ruin or destroy our lives by our choices. Just turn on the news or Jerry Springer or Judge Judy. The world is in desperate need of wisdom. I wonder how many people get to the end of their life and realize they have wasted it?

In 21st century America we are overwhelmed with sources of wisdom. There are voices calling out to us from every possible location and language - books, the internet, the news, Dr. Phil, Oprah, religion, science - do this, don't do that, try this technique, follow these ideas, believe this, don't believe that, these are the guaranteed steps.

The problem is not a lack of information or resources.

Who will you listen to? How do we interpret this flood of information? What voice carries the most weight? Is there a voice speaking above all this noise?

Who gets to tell you what to do, how to live your life well?

This is the world of wisdom. We are familiar with the word but what does it mean? Have you ever tried to explain it to someone? I usually think about knowledge, high IQ, an old bearded man sitting cross legged inside a temple, or a professor, a scholar sitting in his book lined office wallpapered with degrees and certificates. We seem to reserve wisdom only for the super educated. Wisdom is something foreign to us, something that doesn't really apply to our daily lives.

I think we misunderstand wisdom. We confuse it with dry, academic knowledge.

At the end of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about wisdom. He uses the illustration of the wise and foolish builders. Jesus says that the wise person hears and obey his teaching by putting them into practice. This wise person has based his life on a firm foundation. However, the fool hears the teachings of Jesus and does not put them into practice. This fool has based his life on a foundation of sand that is easily washed away.

For Jesus, wisdom has great value. Wisdom can be the difference between life and death. Wisdom is not far removed from us but it can be obtained by anyone. Wisdom impacts our daily lives. Jesus expects us to be pursuing wisdom, to live wisely.

The Old Testament writings contain a collection called the Proverbs. This ancient book is wisdom literature - its authors claim that the book will teach us wisdom. However, this is not an ordinary collection of quotes like you might find at a greeting card store. The ancient Jews and the early Christians believed that the Book of Proverbs contains wisdom from the mind of God himself. As a result, it is not a self-help book and it's not a philosophy text book.

For the authors of Proverbs, wisdom is defined as the skill of living in a way that honors God.

The Book of Proverbs is written to teach us the skill of living in a way that honors God. Verses 1-7 of chapter one serve as an introduction. One of the authors tells us that the book will teach us....

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

All wisdom, all knowledge, all information ultimately comes from the mind of God. God is the source, the unchanging foundation of wisdom and knowledge. True wisdom comes from a relationship with God and it begins with an acknowledgment that everything is created and sustained by God.

The pursuit of wisdom begins with the pursuit of God.

Do we fear God?

The authors of Proverbs did. Jesus sure did. Do we fear God? If God is the foundation of wisdom and if our pursuit of wisdom begins with fearing God, what does it mean to fear God?

The fear of God comes from our understanding of who God is and who we are. The author of Proverbs believes and assumes that God is there and he is not silent. Because God created everything, everything belongs to him. The world would not exist without God. He has control over life and death. And yet, even though we are just creatures, God has a deep love for us. He created us and is involved not only in the world but in our lives.

Why don't we fear God? I think one of the reasons is that we overlook some of God's characteristics. We tend to focus on the nice, good, loving parts of God, the truths of God that we are comfortable with. My suspicion, based on my own life and mistakes, is that we have created a SAFE GOD (Mark Buchanan wrote a book about this called Your God Is Too Safe).

Is your God too safe?

We have a God who is our buddy, our friend, a benevolent genie that smiles as he grants our wishes. A safe God never asks us to take risks, never asks us to confess our sins and repent, never asks anything of us. A safe God noes not inspire fear, awe, wonder, or worship. A safe God doesn't ask us to give our money to the poor or love our enemies. A safe God only whispers greeting card slogans into our ears. This is not the God of the Bible.

We serve a God who is not Safe.

God is not safe. He's wild, dangerous, mysterious, he's unpredictable, he is the God who created the universe in all its majesty and then took time to create us. God is not safe and he asks us to do crazy things. He's not safe, but he's good.

Click on these to get a glimpse of God:
Deuteronomy 4:9-13

Revelation 4:1-11

How do we usually respond to fear? Avoidance. We dismiss God, we ignore him all together or we ignore certain truths about him. We've read the Bible or heard the teachings of Jesus but we respond by avoiding them. "I just don't know if it's true, it can't be like this, God would never do that, I don't have enough evidence, that doesn't apply to me."

Defiance: We know God and what he requires. We've heard the teachings of Jesus and we know they're true. BUT - we add the word BUT. "God, I know you ask me not to be greedy BUT I really want that new TV, car, shoes, vacation, fancy dinner, it's all for me. God, you tell me not to sleep around, not to have sex before I'm married BUT it's good practice, it's not a big deal. God, you ask me not to get drunk, not to be controlled by things like drugs and alcohol BUT this is how I relax, I'm not addicted, I can stop any time I want. God, you ask me to give my money to the poor, love my enemies, confess my sins, repent, live a life that honors you, BUT, BUT, BUT.

Obedience: When we understand who God is and who we are, the fear of God should draw us closer to in obedience.

How do you respond to God?

Earlier I asked who gets to tell you how to live? God does. He is the creator of the universe. Everything belongs to him. We belong to him. God has control over life and death. All knowledge, all wisdom, comes from God, he is the foundation. God is to be feared, to be honored, to be worshiped. He alone gets to tell us what it means to live a good life, to not waste it. He's not safe, but he's good. And yet he loves us deeply and intimately. God is the voice that speaks above all the noise. He is calling out to each of us. He invites us. The death and resurrection of Jesus have made a way for us to respond to God and come into his Kingdom as members of his family.

Proverbs 1:20-21
"Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
she raises her voice in the public square;
on top of the wall she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:"

When we try to approach life on our own, not only do we dishonor God by defying and avoiding him, we run the risk of destroying our life. We might come to the end of our life, look back on it, and realize that we wasted it.

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that appears to be right,
but in the end it leads to death.

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About Me

2009-07-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Email: dustintramel@gmail.com
Connect on Facebook: Click Here
Goodreads Bookshelf: Click Here

I'm just a guy trying to figure out what it means to follow Jesus and to live life well. This blog is hopefully a collection of my questions, answers, moments of clarity, moments of doubt, and everything in between as I walk alongside others on this journey called life. This blog hopefully is not a selfish endeavor to promote myself or convince others that I know it all. But seeing as I chose a flattering picture of myself, the line between creativity and selfishness must be blurry.

1 Thessalonians 2:8
"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."

"You have some time left, Mr. Banks. You have some life left.
My advice to you is: live it well."
- Dr. Ellison in Joe vs. the Volcano

"Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, 'Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.' Don't be resigned to that. Break out!"
- John Keating in Dead Poets Society

He watched the kid.
For let it go how it will, he said, God speaks in the least of creatures.
The kid thought him to mean birds or things that crawl but the expriest, watching,
his head slightly cocked, said: No man is give leave of that voice.
The kid spat into the fire and bent to his work.
I ain’t heard no voice, he said.
When it stops, said Tobin, you’ll know you’ve heard it all your life.
Is that right?
Aye.
The kid turned the leather in his lap. The expriest watched him.
At night, said Tobin, when the horses are grazing and the company is asleep, who hears them grazing?
Don’t nobody hear them if they’re asleep.
Aye. And if they cease their grazing who is it that wakes?
Every man.
Aye, said the expriest. Every man.
- from Blood Meridian, by Cormac McCarthy,

page 124

Painting by He Qi

"A competitor is a failed companion."
- Eugene Peterson

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Who is Jesus to me?

By Mother Teresa
Jesus is the Word made Flesh.
Jesus is the Bread of Life.
Jesus is the Victim offered for our sins on the Cross.
Jesus is the Sacrifice at Holy Mass for the sins of the world and mine.
Jesus is the Word - to be spoken.
Jesus is the Truth - to be told.
Jesus is the Way - to be walked.
Jesus is the Light - to be lit.
Jesus is the Life - to be loved.
Jesus is the Joy - to be shared.
Jesus is the Sacrifice - to be given.
Jesus is the Bread of Life - to be eaten.
Jesus is the Hungry - to be fed.
Jesus is the Thirsty - to be satiated.
Jesus is the Naked - to be clothed.
Jesus is the Homeless - to be taken in.
Jesus is the Sick - to be healed.
Jesus is the Lonely - to be loved.
Jesus is the Unwanted - to be wanted.
Jesus is the Leper - to wash his wounds.
Jesus is the Beggar - to give him a smile.
Jesus is the Drunkard - to listen to him.
Jesus is the Little One - to embrace him.
Jesus is the Dumb - to speak to him.
Jesus is the Crippled - to walk with him.
Jesus is the Drug Addict - to befriend him.
Jesus is the Prostitute - to remove from danger and befriend her.
Jesus is the Prisoner - to be visited.
Jesus is the Old - to be served.
To me --
Jesus is my God,
Jesus is my Spouse,
Jesus is my Life,
Jesus is my only Love,
Jesus is my All in All,
Jesus is my Everything. Amen.

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>:|

Video Wall

2009-07-17T11:55:00.001-07:00

Pearls for Pigs

2009-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

By DT
I keep coming back to the idea in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount of treating people like people, not objects, and how this brings honor to God. Our tendency is to focus on people's faults, judge them, and then condemn them by assigning them value and worth - only God can do this. In Matthew 7:6, Jesus tells this really strange proverb:

"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces."

One of the reasons we become fault finders and judge people is that we feel obligated to do so. We think our silence somehow betrays what we believe, or betrays our convictions, or somehow makes God angry. For those of us who are followers of Jesus, this is especially true. Christian culture puts an insane amount of pressure on us to "evangelize." We wear shirts about Jesus, we put "fish" stickers on our cars, we hand out "Gospel tracts" to people, we convince people to go see the newest "Christian" movie, we vote for the right politicians and tell people about our vote, we look for ways to have spiritual conversations. I believe deeply that people need Jesus. I believe deeply that only God can truly transform a broken life. And I believe deeply that Jesus uses us and wants us to tell people about him - yes, to not be silent.

However, I wonder what God thinks about our motivations and our techniques?

In the proverb, what sticks out is that neither the dogs nor the pigs get what they need. They are not helped. I think what Jesus is getting at is rather than judging people and "giving them what they need" (punishment, condemnation, alienation, giving them what they deserve) we are to ask God what people need. Rather than "giving them what they need" by pushing Jesus on people, forcing them, convincing them to believe, we should first check our motives. The line from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade fits well here: "You must ask yourself, are you doing it for his glory or for yours?" Are we trying to change people, judge them, give them what they deserve? Or are we trying to love people as God loves them? (This does not mean that we don't tell people about Jesus)

To live in the Kingdom of God means we interact with people in a different way.

Jesus explains it like this:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:7-12).

I've heard it said this way "Talk to God about people before you talk to people about God."

Penn Jillette, of the famous Las Vegas magician duo Penn and Teller, is an outspoken atheist and the two have a documentary-style program on Showtime called Penn and Teller: Bullshit. Penn Jillette posts a regular video blog and I came across this insightful post from 2008 called A Gift of A Bible that illustrates a little bit of what Jesus was getting at:

"At the end of the show, as I’ve mentioned before, we go out and we talk to folks, you know, sign an occasional autograph and shake hands and so on. And there was one guy waiting over to the side in what I call the 'hover position' after it was all done, big guy, probably about my age... he had been the guy who picks the joke during our psychic comedian section of the show. So he had the props from that in his hand because we give those away, the joke book, the envelope, and the paper, and stuff... And he walked over to me and he said, 'I was here last night at the show, and I saw the show and I liked the show...' he was very complimentary about my use of language and complimentary about honesty and stuff. He said nice stuff, no need to go into it, he said nice stuff.

And then he said, 'I brought this for you,' and he handed me a Gideon pocket edition. I thought it said from the New Testament but also, Psalms is from the New Testament right?.. Little book... And he said, 'I wrote in the front of it and I wanted you to have this, I’m kind of proselytizing.' And then he said, 'I’m a business man. I’m sane, I’m not crazy.'

And he looked me right in the eye and did all of this. And it was really wonderful. I believe he knew that I was an atheist. But he was not defensive. And he looked me right in the eyes. And he was truly complimentary... it didn’t seem like empty flattery. He was really kind and nice and sane and looked me in the eyes and talked to me and then gave me this Bible.

And I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there is a heaven and hell and that people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that, well, it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward... How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? I mean if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn’t believe it, but that truck was bearing down on you, there’s a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that. And I’ve always thought that and I’ve written about that and I’ve thought of it conceptually.

This guy was a really good guy. He was polite, and honest, and sane and he cared enough about me to proselytize and give me a Bible. Which he had written in it a little note to me... just like, liked your show and so on. And then like five phone numbers for him and an email address if I wanted to get in touch. Now, I know there’s no God. And one polite person living his life right doesn’t change that. But I’ll tell ya, he was a very, very, very good man. And that’s real important. And with that kind of goodness its OK to have that deep of a disagreement. I still think that religion does a lot of bad stuff. But man, that was a really good man who gave me that book. That’s all I wanted to say.”

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Split Second Jugdment

2009-06-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

By DT
Selected thoughts from my 6/21 sermon.
I was sitting near the window in a small, local coffee shop the other day. Down the street shuffled a dirty, homeless-looking older man. His hair was greasy and wiry, stained orange by sun and probably alcohol. His clothes were discolored. I have to admit: my first awful thought was oh no, he's coming in here. I wasn't alone, though, everyone else gave him a corner eyed glance of annoyance as he hobbled through the door.

The man sat down in a corner seat and ironically I continued reading a very good book about Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I heard a quiet squeaking noise. The old man is making balloon animals! Lots of them. My second awful thought why does he have to make so much noise! I'm trying to read!

The old man quietly and awkwardly handed out the balloon animals to the kids in the shop. As he did, the faces of the kids and adults brightened with surprise and humor. He asked nothing in return and didn't know how to respond when people said thank you. The entire atmosphere of the coffee shop was changed - kids running around with balloon animals, adults wearing goofy balloon hats. Everyone smiling. I realized how awful it is for me to frequently make quick judgments about others. But we all do this don't we?

Try this experiment: slowly read the following story. You're alone. You take a seat at a deserted bus stop downtown. A young guy is walking down the street towards you. He's wearing dark baggy jeans that are sagging way too low beneath his rump. A red bandana is tied around his head and his hair is in cornrows. He's got a silver chain hanging from his neck.

Quick. Think about the image you have in your mind. I didn't give you much information to go on but automatically you began to piece together a complete image of him. What race was he? Was he smiling? Frowning? Was he skinny or overweight? Did you feel safe?

We do stuff like this all the time. It's how our mind works. It's how we function in the world. We think in stories and images. In a split second we take in a situation and then make conclusions. We connect the dots and fill in the blanks. Most of the time it happens so quickly and so naturally that we are not even aware of it. There's nothing wrong with this. It's how we're wired.

We live in a culture that believes what is happening on the outside is more important than what is going on inside. We value external appearances and pay little or no attention to what is going on inside a person. We value image over substance.

If we're honest, we all know that we end up thinking just like I did in the coffee shop. This is something that is common to all humanity. In the depths of our souls we are mean, nasty, and harsh towards people. We assume the worst. We focus on people's faults and we are usually unforgiving of their mistakes. We categorize people. We stereotype. We judge. We condemn. We judge them for their mistakes and sins and then we throw the book at them. Bang! Guilty! End of story.

The ancient Greek storyteller Aesop wrote a fable based on his observations about people. It's called The Two Bags: Everyone is born into the world with two bags hanging around their neck. The bags are full of faults. The bag in front is full of their neighbors' faults, and the bag behind filled with their own faults. And so people are quick to see the faults of others, and yet are blind to their own failings.

Rather than offer people a welcoming, outstretched hand, we point a critical finger, we offer a clenched fist, or we have a judge's gavel ready to slam down.

Jesus also has something to say about this idea of judging and condemning. In his sermon on the mount he has been telling us who gets into the Kingdom of God and what it looks like to live there. Those who get in must have a righteousness that is not based on appearance. The world is broken but God is breaking into the world. Those who are followers of Jesus are marked by love. The greatest commandments are to love God and love other people. But our sin reveals itself as we act nasty toward each other, as we judge and condemn others.

Matthew 7:1-6
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person's eye. Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces."

Why are we so nasty towards each other? Our tendency is to be fault finders. We quickly point out the flaws and mistakes of others. We hold grudges, we are unforgiving. We focus on the negative. The awful part is that we usually feel better about ourselves when we do all this.

To live in the Kingdom of God, however, means that we are relate to each other in love. The image that we get from the sermon on the mount is a companion. We are companions on this spiritual journey. But, rather than offering people a welcoming, open hand, we offer them a gavel clenched in our fist.

Externally, this looks like exclusion. I worked at a church in the past that was not welcoming of certain teenagers. In our neighborhood there were many youth who dressed in gothic clothing or rode skateboards. Many of them would come to youth events during the week. However, they were looked down upon on Sunday mornings. People would avoid them, give them dirty looks, make cruel remarks to them. It's not surprising that these youth stopped coming to church. There was a disconnect from what they were hearing about Jesus and how they were being treated by his followers.

What the people in the church were saying was: You have to have to change before you can come in here. You have to change before we tell you about the Gospel. The people were forcing the youth to reach a certain standard but really they were making the youth become like them.

This is so wrong! Jesus came to us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8)! He does not ask us to change before he saves us. He asks us to come to him just as we are. He alone has the power to change us. He alone has the power to judge and redeem. Rather than asking us to change, he asks us to become more like him. Jesus asks us not to judge but to do as he did: he hung out with prostitutes, thieves, murderers, adulterers, homosexuals, the dirty, the poor, the sinners, the goths, the skaters.

Jesus is also concerned about what is going on in us internally. Even if we are not excluding people we still judge and condemn people in our hearts. We make assumptions - they will never change. We make judgments - what they did is so awful they should be locked away. We smile, we hold out a welcoming hand, but we are just drawing attention away from our own sins, flaws, and brokenness. We end up thinking we are better than others. We measure ourselves based on the extent of other people's sins. In our hearts we condemn people as irredeemable. We reject and exclude.

When we do, we miss the power of the Gospel of Jesus. No matter what we have done or are doing, no matter how evil we are, there is nothing we can do to make God love us less. There is nobody who has gone so far away from God that he can't bring them back. When we judge and condemn we are saying that the Gospel has limits. There are some who are out of reach, who are not deserving.

Don't get me wrong, God will judge sin. It is appointed for all of us to die once and then face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). However, Jesus came into the world to save sinners and we don't have the authority to judge people.

Why can't we judge? Not only are we NOT God, but in Jesus' words we are all hypocrites. We are just as guilty as the people we condemn. Most of the time we have done exactly what we are judging them for. Many times worse.

My first reaction is: but I have to fix them! Don't they know they are sinners? I have to judge what they are doing! I have to give them my wonderful solution. I have to change them! So we force our gospel on them. We give them something they are not ready to receive. Rather than coming alongside them as a companion, rather than trying to get to know their soul, we feel compelled to force Jesus on them.

If we had the power to change people's behavior, jail would work a whole lot better!

Last weekend some Mormon missionaries came to my door. At first we had some interesting conversation but when it was all said and done I felt pretty awful. We were each so convinced of the truth of our side that we did not allow space for the other. We became objects and love was not expressed. As I closed the door my emotions were all fired up and none of us knew each others names. They came to my door trying to convince me of their truth but I also tried to force mine on theirs. It turned into a boxing match of ideas. I wonder what it would have been like if I invited them in for dinner? They could tell me their story and I could tell them mine. We could interact as people, as companions.

Rather than offer people a welcoming, outstretched hand, we point a critical finger, we offer a clenched fist, or we have a judge's gavel ready to slam down.

Jesus asks us to live a different way. He asks us to give up our need to judge, to condemn, to point the fault finding finger. He asks us to extend ourselves in love and compassion. But the sermon on the mount is not a Dr. Phil self-help book. No, the reality is that we can't meet this standard of righteous living on our own. We can try hard to be nice, to smile, to be accepting, but Jesus is showing us that we are hypocrites in our hearts. What we need is a soul transformation. We need a new heart. That's what Jesus offers us. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside.

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Books That Have Changed My Life

2009-06-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

By DT
Someone asked me a very good question: what books have changed your life? In the moment I knew there were many but I had trouble recalling them. So here is my list after I've had time to look over my bookshelves. These books have deeply and profoundly changed my thinking.

Home to Harmony - I can't count the number of times I have read this book. A work of fiction, it is short stories about a Quaker pastor and his everyday interactions with the members of his church. This book is brutally honest. At times hilarious and other times very sad, it makes me cry a few times and always reminds me that people need Jesus and that we desperately need each other. It also gives me motivation to keep doing what we are doing.

"Occasionally, a simple book feels like home, and its characters become cherished friends. The town's characters include the wise Quaker pastor who narrates the book; a childless couple who spend their life savings (and then some) to save their niece from the grip of her alcoholic parents; and the narrow-minded church elder who 'knew just enough Scripture to be annoying, but not enough to be transformed.' This book is pure joy."

Wild at Heart - Although obviously written for my dad's generation, this book showed me how to think deeply about my soul as a man. It has helped me understand myself and my interactions with others. It's also what convinced me to start seeing a counselor. My one critique is that it assumes real men love sports and the great outdoors. This is just not true.

"Helping men rediscover their masculine heart, this guide to understanding Christian manhood and Christian men offers a refreshing break from the chorus of voices urging men to be more responsible, reliable, dutiful… and dead. God designed men to be dangerous, says John Eldredge. Simply look at the dreams and desires written in the heart of every boy: To be a hero, to be a warrior, to live a life of adventure and risk."

Blue Like Jazz - Gave me permission to think outside the stuffy box of fundamentalist, denominational church that I had grown up in. Showed me that God is at work in the places we assume he is not and that the Gospel of Jesus is more powerful than we give it credit for.

"In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God."

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - A great parable about the human soul. We are capable of good things but lurking in the depths of our souls is something nasty, broken, and downright mean that reveals itself all too often. Our tendency is to hide, cover up, and make excuses for the evil that lurks in our hearts.

Animal Farm - Another great parable. Not only are we broken and awful at a soul level but the result is that our leaders, our groups, and our communities are just as broken. And we usually assume that what we are being told is true. This book always scares me because it shows what happens when we stop thinking wisely about the world and about what is true. This idea from the story says it all: "We are all created equal. Some of us are more equal than others." That is a scary thing to believe.

Solving Tough Problems - This book is shaping the way I think about arguments, disagreements, and conflicts. It has humbled me and has really made me compassionate towards those I assume to be wrong.

"There are no magical solutions here. This is not another 'how-to' book. Instead, Kahane provides us with the very personal story of how he grew from a young expert convinced of the need to provide the 'correct' answers, to an effective facilitator of positive change - by learning how to create environments that enable new ideas and creative solutions to emerge. This book explores the connection between individual learning and institutional change, and how leaders can move beyond politeness and formal statements, beyond routine debate and the defense of their positions, towards deeper and more generative dialogue."

The Shaping of Things to Come - Changed my thinking about the local church and about our place in this world as Christians. Reading it always fires me up and inspires creative thinking. This book is why we have been a part of church planting and it has also given words to the reasons we liked Apartment Life so much and were so good at it. Showed me the importance of seeping through the cracks and crevices of a society in order to be Christ to those who don't yet know him. Jesus moved into a neighborhood and became one of the people.

"Christendom is dying and needs to be removed from its life-support system. Starting with this frank assessment of the current church, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch present an alternative model for ministry in today’s postmodern world. Instead of mourning the demise of the Western church as the center of society, the authors explain how the church can be reborn through incarnational mission, messianic spirituality, and apostolic structure. Church leaders who heed the authors’ call will see death turned into new life through the creation of a vital, missional church."

Amusing Ourselves to Death - Why I hate owning a TV, why commercials make me angry, and why I don't fit in at mega churches.

"A withering and thought-provoking attack on television and what it is doing to us. Postman's theme is the decline of the printed word and the ascendancy of the 'tube' with its tendency to present everything murder, mayhem, politics, or weather as entertainment. The ultimate effect, as Postman sees it, is the shrivelling of public discourse as TV degrades our conception of what constitutes news, political debate, art, even religious thought. He explains that there is no need to fear George Orwell's vision of 1984, but rather to fear an older title of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. One which takes away freedom, the latter giving you all the freedom you want."

Fast Food Nation - Slow down! When we create a world where everything we want is fast, cheap, and to our liking we ultimately rob ourselves of quality and human dignity. This book did not teach me to mistrust big corporations but it did convince me that their love of money causes them to neglect our best interests.

"Fast food is so ubiquitous that it now seems as American, and harmless, as apple pie. But the industry's drive for consolidation, homogenization, and speed has radically transformed America's diet, landscape, economy, and workforce, often in insidiously destructive ways. Schlosser's investigation reaches its frightening peak in the meatpacking plants as he reveals the almost complete lack of federal oversight of a seemingly lawless industry. His searing portrayal of the industry is disturbingly similar to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, written in 1906: nightmare working conditions, union busting, and unsanitary practices that introduce E. coli and other pathogens into restaurants, public schools, and homes. Almost as disturbing is his description of how the industry both feeds and feeds off the young, insinuating itself into all aspects of children's lives, even the pages of their school books, while leaving them prone to obesity and disease."

CLICK HERE to see my books and reviews on Goodreads.com

Let me know what books have changed your lives!

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Seven Pounds

2009-06-19T06:25:00.000-07:00

By DT
We just watched Will Smith's film "Seven Pounds." A carefully constructed and well told story of redemption that ultimately left me deeply sad and disturbed as it messed with my mind. The summary of the movie: "Ben Thomas is an IRS agent with a fateful secret who embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers."

At first glance, the movie works hard to celebrate self-sacrificing love. Those who watch the movie and don't think deeply about it's message will walk away a bit sad, maybe upset, but not without also feeling good, almost satisfied - which seems to be the film's goal. I think the filmmakers wanted to take you through some long, dark days in the life of the main character Ben Thomas - played by Will Smith - but contrast that by ending with the joy that sacrifice and redemption bring. However, they misunderstand redemption and so I walked away feeling deeply sad. That being said, the film raises some important questions about the value of a soul and the possibilities of forgiveness and redemption.

The strength of the movie is based on not knowing how the final scenes will play out so I won't give away the ending. I'll comment on scenes highlighted in the trailer. (And for once, the trailer gives away very little about the story so that we can actually enjoy the movie!)

The story opens with an emotional 911 phone call. Ben Thomas explains that there's been a suicide and the he is the victim. For the next two hours the film goes back in time to explain the circumstances of this phone call. This is all we know about his motivation:

Ben Thomas: [From trailer] In seven days, God created the world. And in seven seconds, I shattered mine.

Something horrible and tragic has happened to Ben Thomas, something that he believes can never be forgiven. As the movie moves toward the very dramatic conclusion we learn that Ben is trying to find redemption for something he did. He is trying to fix the consequences of a huge mistake.

Ben Thomas: [From trailer] I did something really bad once and I'm never gonna be the same!

This is the tension that is so heavy and so well developed in the story. Is forgiveness possible even for the most awful mistakes and choices? Does redemption, making ourselves right again, lie in our response to mistakes? Can we find redemption through our actions? Ben Thomas believes he can. He decides to take his own life. The twist in the story is that he is not planning a typical suicide. He plans to redeem himself by helping others through his death - by giving away his money and body parts among other things. A sacrificial death that will bring life and opportunity to people. A noble, heart-stirring idea but it is flawed.

I felt sad for Ben because he believed that forgiveness and restoration for himself are impossible. He made a terrible mistake that destroyed not just his own life but the lives of others. The real question is: can God forgive him? Can God bring good things out of the tragedy? This is the first mistake of the movie. The power of Jesus provides forgiveness and the chance for restoration to anyone. Terrible tragedies happen (and they are almost impossible to live with) but we underestimate God when we decide that a tragedy is a conclusion. Ben takes on the role of God and judges and condemns himself. The reality is, only God has that role. Mercy triumphs over justice but the tragedy of Seven Pounds is that Ben does not believe it.

The second mistake of the story is the misunderstanding about mercy and redemption. Ben decides to die "sacrificially" and give his body and his money to "good" people as gifts. His desire is to change the lives of people because he has destroyed lives himself.

Ben Thomas [from trailer] It is within my power to drastically change his circumstances, but I don't want to give that man a gift he doesn't deserve.

Throughout the movie, Ben is looking for people who "deserve" his gift. He creates various tests and observations to determine if people are good. Only the good deserve his sacrificial gifts, only the good deserve redemption.

This is why the gospel of Jesus is so unbelievable. It seems unfair. Philip Yancey put it into two sentences: There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.

We don't get what we deserve. Ben Thomas probably did deserve to die: for his tragic mistake but also for the darkness that dwells deep in his soul. The movie assumes that we must make up for our sins and mistakes by doing good. But forgiveness, redemption, restoration, these are gifts from God through the power of the Holy Spirit. They are offered to us all. We don't deserve them but Jesus died so that we don't have to die. This is what the movie misses.

One critic said this: "The fatal flaw of the movie is this: Insofar as Seven Pounds aspires to present a picture of a kind of spiritual redemption, it reveals a profoundly misguided idea of redemption."

Another: "And so the movie appeals directly to the emotions and the tear ducts but bypasses the mind (Who needs plausibility?). And in doing so it, becomes manipulative. Which is a shame, because the story of a man who is at least willing to consider self-sacrifice in a quest for redemption has a lot of potential."

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A Puritan Prayer

2009-04-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

A prayer from a new book I just came acroos: The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions.

Save me entirely from sin.
I know I am righteous through the righteousness of another,
But I pant and pine for likeness to Thyself;

I am Thy child and should bear Thy image,
Enable me to recognize my death unto sin;
When it tempts me may I be deaf unto its voice.
Deliver me from the invasion as well as the dominion of sin.
Grant me to walk as Christ walked,
To live in the newness of His life,
The life of love, the life of faith, the life of holiness.

I abhor my body of death,
Its indolence, envy, meanness, pride.
Forgive, and kill these vices,
Have mercy on my unbelief, on my corrupt and wandering heart.

When Thy blessings come I begin to idolize them,
And set my affection on some beloved object – Children, friend, wealth, honour;
Clean this spiritual adultery and give me chastity;
Close my heart to all but Thee.

Sin is my greatest curse;
Let Thy victory be apparent to my consciousness,
And displayed in my life.
Help me to be always devoted, confident, obedient,
Resigned, childlike in my trust of Thee,
To love Thee with soul, body, mind, strength,
To love my fellow-man as I love myself,
To be saved from unregenerate temper, hard thoughts,
Slanderous words, meanness, unkind manner,
To master my tongue and keep the door of my lips.

Fill me with grace daily,
That my life be a fountain of sweet water.

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The Experience Guide

2009-04-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

By DT
Something I have discovered about myself but I don't understand: I have a deep desire to take people through memorable experiences - especially life changing experiences. There's no simple way to explain it. Maybe a story from my past will help?

I have always wanted to work for Walt Disney as a ride designer - what Disney calls an "Imagineer." I am enamored with the idea of creating rides that take people through an experience. There is so much that goes into creating a ride experience: the environment, the sounds, the colors, the smells, the movements. As a kid I created "rides" in my parents' garage and backyard. The garage was turned into the Tiki Room where I used flashlights for spotlights, a battery operated bird, fake plants, and a tape recording, yes a cassette tape recording, of the Tiki Room show. A refrigerator box on a wagon became the Star Tours motion simulator ride. In the backyard I created multiple versions of the Pirates of the Caribbean using our pool, sunken rocks, flashlights, and an inflatable raft.

Why? Because I wanted to take people through the experiences that I had at the Disney parks. I think this explains why I have always loved concerts and have always wanted to be a magician. When I experience something memorable - either good or bad - I love sharing it with people with the hope that they would experience it some way, too.

Who am I? What am I good at? How do I get paid to do i? I'm having trouble connecting my passions and skills with my career!

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Holy Moments at the Urinal

2009-03-10T06:33:00.000-07:00

By DT
My life is pretty full and super busy right now. I don't get a lot of time to sit and reflect on all that's going on and I get even less sleep. When I do get a moment to myself it really stands out and these random moments come up at unexpected times, like when I was standing at the urinal on Sunday at Lewis Elementary.

We have a preaching rotation at Lifehouse so it was my day to speak. The week leading up included many unexpected events that overwhelmed my schedule. My stress level increased rapidly as I flopped back and forth between studying and managing a crazy life with no time to adequately focus on either. So Sunday morning I found myself, as I usually do on Sunday mornings, with a brief moment of peace and quiet at the urinal.

I realized how deeply I still wrestle with perfectionism. I'm not so nervous anymore about speaking to a large crowd but I am still plagued by perfectionism - will people get it? Will I be clear? Will I remember everything? How many mistakes will I make? What will people think about me?

The problem with my perfectionism, besides my misguided desire to be perfect, it that it confuses my thinking about what is important. The question of what should I do with my life becomes what am I perfect at? Thinking about my sermon I knew that my studying and preparation were not perfect. I really wanted to have a few more minutes to practice. The broken part of my soul spoke up loudly to remind me that maybe I should not be preaching. I'm not that good at it so why should I waste my time with it? I think this is why I have given up and not passionately pursued many of my hobbies. I am constantly aware of my mistakes.

So my moment at the urinal became a holy moment. I don't know how God speaks to people. It's mysterious. But, the thought entered my mind that I am good at some things. My perfectionism does not have to rule my life. Hope briefly welled up in me: God will keep showing me what I am good at.

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Party

2009-03-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

"The prayer to the Father for daily bread was part of Jesus' wider and deeper agenda. At the heart of it stood a central biblical symbol of the Kingdom of God: the great festive banquet which God has prepared for his people. The banquet, the party, is a sign that God is acting at last, to rescue his people and wipe away all tears from all eyes. 'Give us this day our daily bread' means in this setting, 'Let the party continue.'" - N.T. Wright, The Lord and His Prayer

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Heroes

2009-02-28T07:36:00.000-08:00

By DT
A recent national poll asked Americans the question: who do you admire enough to call them your hero? The people being surveyed were not given a list of people to choose from, instead they were free to spontaneously write down whomever they chose.

The Top "Heroes"
1. Barack Obama
2. Jesus Christ
3. Martin Luther King, Jr.
4. Ronald Reagan
5. George W. Bush
6. Abraham Lincoln
7. John McCain
8. John F. Kennedy
9. Chesley Sullenberger
10. Mother Teresa

11. God
12. Hillary Clinton
13. Billy Graham
14. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
15. Mahatma Gandhi
16. Colin Powell
17. George Washington
18. Bill Clinton
19. Condoleeza Rice
20. Oprah Winfrey

Those being surveyed were also asked: what makes a hero?
1. Doing what’s right regardless of personal consequences (89%)
2. Not giving up until the goal is accomplished (83%)
3. Doing more than what other people expect of them (82%)
4. Overcoming adversity (81%)
5. Staying level-headed in a crisis (81%)

What I find interesting about the results is that Americans don't seem to be putting celebrities into the category of hero. Yes, people on the list are famous and many might be considered "celebrities", however, Americans did not choose sports, music, or entertainment icons as their heroes. There seems to be a disntinction between hero and celebrity. This is a good thing, in my opinion.

I am reminded of something Daniel J. Boorsin, an American historian, professor, writer, and Librarian of the United States Congress, wrote about in The Image. Boorstin described shifts he was witnessing in American culture that were due to advertising. He noticed that the reproduction or simulation of an event becomes more important or "real" than the event itself. He coined the term pseudo-event which describes events or activities that serve little to no purpose other than to be reproduced through advertisements or other forms of publicity. Also in his writing he made a distinction between a celebrity and a hero. He defined celebrity as a person who is “well-known for his well-knownness". In other words, “a celebrity is someone famous for being famous.” The celebrity is significantly different from the hero. “The hero was distinguished by his achievement; the celebrity by his image or trademark,” writes Boorstin. “The hero created himself; the celebrity is created by the media. The hero was a big man; the celebrity is a big name.”

In a culture controlled by entertainment, I am glad that Americans seem able to distinguish between a celebrity and a hero. I think this disntinction is important especially when it comes to thinking about how we want to live, about what values we decide to add to our lives. Who are we going to look to for advice for living well? The celebrity? The Hero?

Something that most of the heroes on the list have in common is that they worked hard for something bigger than themselves. They found that what matters most in life is not how we can improve our lives, how we can obtain happiness, or how we get what we want, but rather the most important things in life are connected to seeking the best for others - and this always includes sacrifice and suffering. Looking at the list of heroes, I see that many of their lives were shaped by the sacrifices and suffering brought about by their own choosing - not by the money, fame, or happiness they collected. I also notice that being a hero does not happen by chance. The life of a hero is shaped by a lifestyle that takes place behind the scenes before the hero became a hero.

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10 Ideas for Helping a Homeless Person

2009-02-19T06:01:00.000-08:00

In our neighborhood, homelessness confronts us on a daily basis, it is a very visible need. There are many homeless people who stand on the street corners or frequent the many convenience stores and bars. It is so easy to become numb to the issue because of how often we see homeless people. If the Kingdom of God is about restoration then it is most certainly about alleviating the affects of poverty and homelessness.

Nathan, a really good guy from Lifehouse, works at the Portland Rescue Mission. He and his wife shared this list with us and I found it very helpful. For the past few weeks the kids of Lifehouse had us collecting items like socks, soap, toothbrushes, water bottles, and granola bars. The kids are sorting these items and putting them into large ziploc bags to hand back to us. The idea is that we keep the bags in our cars so that when we come across a homeless person at an intersection we will be able to give them something that meets their immediate tangible needs. The bags also contain vouchers and directions to the Portland Rescue Mission. The PRM works to take care of immediate physical needs as well as long term needs. They also work hard to address the spiritual and emotional needs of the homeless.

10 Ideas For Helping a Homeless Person
1. Anticipate the opportunity and be prepared.
2. Smile and actually say hello. Show respect. It gives dignity.
3. Engage the person. Don't ignore them. Ask what their greatest need is. If money, what will they do with it? Think creatively about how you can help.
4. Offer an alternative. Carry with you inexpensive, healthy food items like granola bars or fruit snacks (not candy).
5. Carry Tri-Met (public transportation) tickets and encourage them to get to Portland Rescue Mission (or a mission in your area) for food, shelter, and other immediate needs.
6. Keep water bottles in your car and offer a refreshing drink.
7. Go out of your way to approach them, rather than crossing the street to avoid them.
8. Afterward, be sure to pray for them... for both their physical needs and their spiritual hunger.
9. Be tender, ready to share hope and encouragement.
10. Don't assume: you know their story or why they are homeless, that they are lazy or incapable of work, that you know the best way to help them.

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On Compassion

2009-01-30T15:09:00.000-08:00

"Peace begins with a smile. Smile five times a day smile at someone you don't really want to smile at at all. Do it for peace. Let us radiate the peace of God and so light His light and extinguish in the world and in the hearts of all men all hatred and love for power. Smile at one another. It is not always easy. Sometimes I find it hard to smile at my Sister, but then I pray. God loves the world through you and through me. Are we that love and compassion? Christ came to be his Father's compassion. God is loving the world through you and through me and through all those who are His love and compassion in the world." - Mother Teresa

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Garbage Collection and Caring for Our Souls

2009-01-26T05:51:00.000-08:00

By DT
Portland has had record breaking amounts of snow this last month. As a result, the city waste management system has not been operating at 100% capacity and they just got back to a normal schedule a few weeks ago. Typically, garbage and recycling are conveniently picked up in front of our house at least once a week. Now, we have over two weeks worth of garbage piled up in and around our garbage can (and so do all our neighbors). Not only is it ugly but it smells!

I usually think very little about garbage collection because it is something that happens behind the scenes. But when the service is interrupted, it quickly becomes a pressing issue. This is a common trend in life. The economy seemed to be going pretty well so most people thought very little about it. If it's working well, why should we spend time thinking about it? However, when it got messy and began to affect us personally, it became like my mountain of rotting garbage - you can't ignore it and you have to take time to do something about it.

One of the upsides of situations like this is that it reminds of us of the importance and value of systems that function behind the scenes. It also reminds us that we must regularly take time to examine our lives (both personally and collectively I think). This is why regular doctor's check-ups are good. Even when we seem healthy to our own eyes, we can still be surprised and thankful to find something we need to change.

The spiritual life of a Christian works a lot like this, too. It is easy to get into routines that seem good or beneficial but it is important to regularly set aside time to examine our souls. Jesus often went off by himself to pray and the disciples devoted themselves to prayer and the study of the Scriptures. In a culture where entertainment and busy schedules flow like a river overflowing its banks, it can be easy to stare so deeply into the waters that we no longer see the river's edge washing away under our feet.

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.

Every now and then it is good to take out the garbage.

A Six Word Life

2008-12-29T06:13:00.000-08:00

By DT
As the new year approaches we usually think about resolutions - either seriously or just for fun. What do I want to do differently, better, or not at all next year. How can we improve our lives? How can we live better. I don't really like resolutions because they seem to add extra pressure and stress to a time of the year that already has plenty of both but the idea is good: It's important to regularly evaluate our life, to reflect on both the good and the bad and to set goals that we can be held accountable to.

Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Can you sum up your life in six words? In the recent bestseller Not Quite What I Was Planning (notice the title is six words), the the editors of storytelling magazine SMITH asked hundreds of readers, some famous and some not, to "summarize your life in six words."

“Well, I thought it was funny.” (Stephen Colbert)
“Maybe you had to be there.” (Roy Blount, Jr.)
“Revenge is living well, without you.” (Joyce Carol Oates)
“Liars, hysterectomy didn’t improve sex life!” (Joan Rivers)

"Still lost on road less traveled."
“Followed yellow brick road. Disappointment ensued.”
“Should have risked asking, he sighed.”
“Dad was Santa. Downhill from there."
"Nobody cared, then they did. Why?"
"Cursed with cancer. Blessed by friends"
"Most successful accomplishments based on spite."
"No wife. No kids. No problems"
"Alone at home, cat on lap."
"Wasn't born a redhead; fixed that."
"Woman Seeks Men--High Pain Threshold."
"Aging late bloomer yearns for do-over."
"Girlfriend is pregnant, my husband said."
"Just in: boyfriend's gay. Merry Christmas."
"Let's just be friends, she said."

What's surprising is how many summaries are painfully sarcastic, pessimistic, or just sad. The world is a mess and we all experience it's brokenness in similar and different ways. I'm not surprised that the Obama campaign did so well. We all are looking for hope that overcomes the craziness of life. Reading through the summaries of people's lives I find much that I can tearfully relate to but ultimately the book reminds me that this world has nothing permanent to offer me. Lasting hope comes only from something outside me and the physical world. The message of Christmas is that God not only moved into our neighborhood but that he has brought his Kingdom with him. The power of evil is defeated and Jesus is at work transforming the world.

I'm not sure how I would summarize my past year let alone my entire life but it is worth thinking about.

I hope my summary could one day be: "Humbly loved God and others well."

The Church and Environmentalism

2008-12-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

By DT
Living in the Northwest we hear a lot about environmentalism. There is a lot of "Doomsday" advertising concerning global warming, deforestation, pollution, animal rights, etc. I have been wondering what our response as the Church should be. We have limited resources as a Church so we must be wise about what we are involved in. How much of our resources should we put into environmental issues and which issues should we be involved with?

God has given us the privilege of managing and taking care of the Earth so I know that we do have a responsibility to take care of our planet. However, I don't want to put a higher value on environmental issues than I do on loving people and seeking God's best for them.

As I read more about the different sides to environmentalism I am realizing that the facts and conclusions are not so black and white. So, prompted by a professor and the book Eco Imperialism, I have been slowly looking into the facts and implications of environmentalism. To start with, I am reading what I can about trees since the Nortwest has quite a few of them. Some research I found from the forestry and agriculture department at the University of Georgia summarizes what I have been reading from some different sources:

Myths and Facts about U.S. Forests

MYTH: We're running out of trees.
FACT: We have more trees today than we had in 1970, on the first Earth Day even more than we had 70 years ago. In the middle of the last century, for example, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut were about 35% forested; today they are 59%.

MYTH: We're cutting more than we're growing for future generations.
FACT: Forest growth has exceeded harvests since the 1940s.

MYTH: We're running out of old growth trees in our ancient forests.
FACT: In the U.S. today there are 13.2 million acres of old growth, i.e. large trees 200 years of age or older. The vast majority of these trees comprising an area the size of New Jersey and Massachusetts combined will remain in their natural condition and will never be harvested due to legal and regulatory prohibitions on logging, road building and even fire fighting.

MYTH: We're running out of wilderness.
FACT: The U.S. has permanently protected 104 million acres of land, much of it forested, in the Wilderness Preservation System. It's part of a larger total of 270 million acres that is off limits to all commercial activity, including logging, mining and grazing.

MYTH: Clear cutting, the practice of harvesting most trees in a given area, destroys the forest.
FACT: Clear cutting is a sound practice that benefits future forests. By mimicking natural wildfires, clear cutting is widely recognized by forest scientists and even by conservation groups such as the Environmental Defense Fund, American Forests, the Society of American Foresters as an ecologically sound technique for reforesting many softwood species. That's because, for their survival, conifer seedlings typically require direct sunlight and cannot survive in shade.