It seems to me that any business or establishment that identifies itself as having the primary purpose of bubbling Christians off from non-Christians is basically ridiculous.
Solid fellowship is one thing, but purposeful removal from the 'world' of our neighbors, co-workers, and friends is antithetical to the basic message of the Great Commission. I am not the first one to throw stones here, as it is obviously more comfortable to stick only with people who look like me, act like me, believe like me, and the like... but what a narrow-minded, sad view of how to live life.
God created us all as unique with unique talents and giftings, and we also struggle and sin in our own ways too. And as Christians it is the penultimate selfishness to cordon ourselves off into comfort. There's plenty of time for comfort and security in in eternity. I write these things as a challenge to myself.
A 'Christian' establishment should be the most welcoming, inclusive, loving environment on the planet... not condoning sin patterns and behaviors, but relating to people and living a God-honoring life alongside them so as to allow them to see what it means to know Christ.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Judging Books By Their Covers
Well, we all do it.
Literally and figuratively. I work in publishing. We judge books by their covers all the time. In fact, I judged three books by their covers in the last 2 days, 2 of these books don't even exist yet, and the other one had a type-o on it.
Standing at B&N or browsing through Amazon or wherever affords lots of opportunities to pass major judgment on the quality, content, marketability, and subjective attractiveness of a book. I mean, if a book cover stinks, you'll never know if the 65,000 words inside might have changed your life because you won't bother picking it up. Conversely, if the book cover is awesome, I mean, just the coolest thing you've ever seen, you buy it, and the insides reek of mundane ramblings, then you're out of luck (and $15.99 poorer).
So, we judge books by their covers, websites by their first-glance, churches by their parking lots, and people by their appearances...
It's not necessarily fair, but first impressions do matter. So, without approving judge-at-first-sight behaviors, I must concede that they happen. And then work toward putting my best first foot forward as a Christian instead of putting my best first foot in my mouth as a Christian.
Literally and figuratively. I work in publishing. We judge books by their covers all the time. In fact, I judged three books by their covers in the last 2 days, 2 of these books don't even exist yet, and the other one had a type-o on it.
Standing at B&N or browsing through Amazon or wherever affords lots of opportunities to pass major judgment on the quality, content, marketability, and subjective attractiveness of a book. I mean, if a book cover stinks, you'll never know if the 65,000 words inside might have changed your life because you won't bother picking it up. Conversely, if the book cover is awesome, I mean, just the coolest thing you've ever seen, you buy it, and the insides reek of mundane ramblings, then you're out of luck (and $15.99 poorer).
So, we judge books by their covers, websites by their first-glance, churches by their parking lots, and people by their appearances...
It's not necessarily fair, but first impressions do matter. So, without approving judge-at-first-sight behaviors, I must concede that they happen. And then work toward putting my best first foot forward as a Christian instead of putting my best first foot in my mouth as a Christian.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Hope
There are at least two kinds of hope.
One kind is inextricably tied to faith: It is an expectation based on trust in God. This kind of hope believes that God has his best in mind for us. This kind of hope breeds a sort of confidence that because of who God is and, more pertinently, what he has done for us on the cross of Christ, we are guaranteed a part in his future actions. "I have faith in what God has done... so, my hope for the future is in him alone."
The other kind of hope is the kind that we read about in the newspapers and the best-seller lists: This kind of hope is more of a feeling. It is really an unfounded desire that what we want to happen is what is going to happen. "My hope is that these things will happen and because they should happen--they will happen. I hope."
The first kind is what we find in 1 Peter 1:3: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
The second kind is more like having a feeling that the stock market is going to go my way today.
Interesting how the same word that can elicit huge emotion is made to mean so many different things. This is why language is so dangerously beautiful.
(On a side note: I am so grateful for my wife, Rachel, and the conversations she starts and the ways she makes me think through things, like 'hope.' Yay for marriage.)
One kind is inextricably tied to faith: It is an expectation based on trust in God. This kind of hope believes that God has his best in mind for us. This kind of hope breeds a sort of confidence that because of who God is and, more pertinently, what he has done for us on the cross of Christ, we are guaranteed a part in his future actions. "I have faith in what God has done... so, my hope for the future is in him alone."
The other kind of hope is the kind that we read about in the newspapers and the best-seller lists: This kind of hope is more of a feeling. It is really an unfounded desire that what we want to happen is what is going to happen. "My hope is that these things will happen and because they should happen--they will happen. I hope."
The first kind is what we find in 1 Peter 1:3: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
The second kind is more like having a feeling that the stock market is going to go my way today.
Interesting how the same word that can elicit huge emotion is made to mean so many different things. This is why language is so dangerously beautiful.
(On a side note: I am so grateful for my wife, Rachel, and the conversations she starts and the ways she makes me think through things, like 'hope.' Yay for marriage.)
Thursday, December 04, 2008
A theology of busy-ness
Well, in this current season of life, my wife and I have become very aware of how so very busy we are. When you add up holiday celebrations, regular work, extracurricular work/teaching, writing, taking classes, and general hanging out, it sometimes adds up to more than a lot.
Now we are grateful for all these opportunities to pursue passions, love people, and be productive, absolutely. When faced with the opposite (boredom, misdirection, and sloth) it isn't hard to choose busy-ness. In fact it is this busy-ness that allows us to really savor different moments, different people, different skills, and make better use of all our time.
There aren't going to be huge profundities here or anything, but I think our lives ought to be a constant balance of work and rest. The difficulty arises when the in between times of hobbies, extra work, learning, etc. are both rejuvenating for the mind and draining for the body. Is it rest? Or is that just more and more and more work?
We'll see. But a more concerted effort will be made in the near future to just sit and awe at the grace of God for where He has brought us and where He is bringing us.
And the best part of our busy-ness at this early stage of our marriage is that we get to do these things and be busy together... at different functions or just at our house typing, typing away.
Now we are grateful for all these opportunities to pursue passions, love people, and be productive, absolutely. When faced with the opposite (boredom, misdirection, and sloth) it isn't hard to choose busy-ness. In fact it is this busy-ness that allows us to really savor different moments, different people, different skills, and make better use of all our time.
There aren't going to be huge profundities here or anything, but I think our lives ought to be a constant balance of work and rest. The difficulty arises when the in between times of hobbies, extra work, learning, etc. are both rejuvenating for the mind and draining for the body. Is it rest? Or is that just more and more and more work?
We'll see. But a more concerted effort will be made in the near future to just sit and awe at the grace of God for where He has brought us and where He is bringing us.
And the best part of our busy-ness at this early stage of our marriage is that we get to do these things and be busy together... at different functions or just at our house typing, typing away.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Regrets
Yesterday I had a really great conversation about whether having regrets was biblical.
So, as the two of us spoke frankly about these issues we decided that it was really a matter of semantics: one man's regrets could be biblical, while another man's regrets might be sin (or at least a waste of time)... and if it is just based on one's definition, then we figured that we might as well go to the keeper of definitions: the big, red, Webster's on the shelf:
Regret (n): sorrow aroused by circumstances beyond one's control or power to repair
Well, hmmm. Then it would seem as if the operable word here might be "sorrow."
If your idea of a "regret" is saying: "Man, if I could go back and do that over again, I would," then we all have those. The problem arises when you model your life after Uncle Rico ("back in '84 if the coach had put me in we'd have won the championship"), basically saying that "because 'A' happened, my life is 'B' and 'C', and I will live the rest of my life in light of those consequeces."
Do I believe that I make tons of mistakes? Do I believe in God's providence in my life? Do I believe that I am the person I am today because of all the good and bad decisions I have made? Do I believe that God loves me and desires the best for my life? If I say "yes" to these questions then the result of my mistakes, my bad decisions, and my neutral decisions that ended with a bad result are all opportunities to learn and to be dependent on God. They are not opportunities for making excuses ("If this had happened, then I wouldn't have all these other problems") and they are not opportunities for playing the big "what if" game with life... that is a quick way to waste a few precious decades.
The Apostle Paul wrote this in his second letter to the Corinthians (in response to their response to his previous letter--which dealt with some harsh things):
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it--I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while--yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:8-10)
Godly sorrow becomes repentance and allows us to revel in God's goodness, mercy, and grace on our lives--it focuses on the wickedness of sin (which leads toward our own abhorrence of it) . Worldly sorrow brings death (both in this life and the next) because it is a selfish sorrow which focuses solely on the consequences of our sin (which are generally not pleasant and result in a "woe-is-me even though it is my own fault" syndrome).
So, no, I do not think regrets are biblical as these regrets generally cause us to be more focused on ourselves and less focused on God. If our "regrets" cause us to be more focused on eradicating the sin from our lives, rather than on eradicating the consequences of our sin from our lives, then they are useful for a time in order to understand better what God has done for us.
So, as the two of us spoke frankly about these issues we decided that it was really a matter of semantics: one man's regrets could be biblical, while another man's regrets might be sin (or at least a waste of time)... and if it is just based on one's definition, then we figured that we might as well go to the keeper of definitions: the big, red, Webster's on the shelf:
Regret (n): sorrow aroused by circumstances beyond one's control or power to repair
Well, hmmm. Then it would seem as if the operable word here might be "sorrow."
If your idea of a "regret" is saying: "Man, if I could go back and do that over again, I would," then we all have those. The problem arises when you model your life after Uncle Rico ("back in '84 if the coach had put me in we'd have won the championship"), basically saying that "because 'A' happened, my life is 'B' and 'C', and I will live the rest of my life in light of those consequeces."
Do I believe that I make tons of mistakes? Do I believe in God's providence in my life? Do I believe that I am the person I am today because of all the good and bad decisions I have made? Do I believe that God loves me and desires the best for my life? If I say "yes" to these questions then the result of my mistakes, my bad decisions, and my neutral decisions that ended with a bad result are all opportunities to learn and to be dependent on God. They are not opportunities for making excuses ("If this had happened, then I wouldn't have all these other problems") and they are not opportunities for playing the big "what if" game with life... that is a quick way to waste a few precious decades.
The Apostle Paul wrote this in his second letter to the Corinthians (in response to their response to his previous letter--which dealt with some harsh things):
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it--I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while--yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:8-10)
Godly sorrow becomes repentance and allows us to revel in God's goodness, mercy, and grace on our lives--it focuses on the wickedness of sin (which leads toward our own abhorrence of it) . Worldly sorrow brings death (both in this life and the next) because it is a selfish sorrow which focuses solely on the consequences of our sin (which are generally not pleasant and result in a "woe-is-me even though it is my own fault" syndrome).
So, no, I do not think regrets are biblical as these regrets generally cause us to be more focused on ourselves and less focused on God. If our "regrets" cause us to be more focused on eradicating the sin from our lives, rather than on eradicating the consequences of our sin from our lives, then they are useful for a time in order to understand better what God has done for us.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Are we the dumbest generation?
Probably.
I am reading this book called The Dumbest Generation by a guy named Mark Bauerlein. I have not even read most of it, but this is not a book review, yet. I saw it for the first time in B&N like 3 months ago and just checked it out from the CPL recently.
The whole premise of the book is that the dawn of the information superhighway, the answers to all our questions being so readily available, and the sheer amounts of technology that are available today have led our generation (<30 years old) to be poised at the forefront of human ingenuity, the pinnacle of modern thinking, and the golden digital age of globalization... but instead we are a generation of do-littles that are largely unable to wisely converse, smartly problem-solve, and/or work hard toward a difficult goal. The technology that we have at our disposal has caused us to become codependent on it and on each other--which, in turn, has made us experts at communicating with ourselves... about nothing.
Quite a dreary picture. Also, kind of a funny one. Because the guy who is writing it is constantly on the defensive (not wanting to sound like an old grandpa: "back in my day...") and those of us in that generation are on the defensive (if we can put down our video games, blackberrys, and stop typing mercilessly on our blogs) so as to not sound like mindless drivelers.
I'll let you know how the book turns out, but for now, I'd probably say that he is pretty right on. Young people are wasting droves of time, forgetting how to read books (maybe he thought we wouldn't even pick this one up), not learning how to work hard, unable to have a real face-to-face conversation, and trying their best to do the minimum amount required.
Instead of being the tool it was promised to be, technology has become our crutch (try to leave home without your mobile or not connect to the Internet for even half a day)... we'll see what happens. It certainly is a scary new world.
I am reading this book called The Dumbest Generation by a guy named Mark Bauerlein. I have not even read most of it, but this is not a book review, yet. I saw it for the first time in B&N like 3 months ago and just checked it out from the CPL recently.
The whole premise of the book is that the dawn of the information superhighway, the answers to all our questions being so readily available, and the sheer amounts of technology that are available today have led our generation (<30 years old) to be poised at the forefront of human ingenuity, the pinnacle of modern thinking, and the golden digital age of globalization... but instead we are a generation of do-littles that are largely unable to wisely converse, smartly problem-solve, and/or work hard toward a difficult goal. The technology that we have at our disposal has caused us to become codependent on it and on each other--which, in turn, has made us experts at communicating with ourselves... about nothing.
Quite a dreary picture. Also, kind of a funny one. Because the guy who is writing it is constantly on the defensive (not wanting to sound like an old grandpa: "back in my day...") and those of us in that generation are on the defensive (if we can put down our video games, blackberrys, and stop typing mercilessly on our blogs) so as to not sound like mindless drivelers.
I'll let you know how the book turns out, but for now, I'd probably say that he is pretty right on. Young people are wasting droves of time, forgetting how to read books (maybe he thought we wouldn't even pick this one up), not learning how to work hard, unable to have a real face-to-face conversation, and trying their best to do the minimum amount required.
Instead of being the tool it was promised to be, technology has become our crutch (try to leave home without your mobile or not connect to the Internet for even half a day)... we'll see what happens. It certainly is a scary new world.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Editor as Mentor
Editing a piece of writing is a whole lot like taking a mentoring role in a younger person's life...
Picture yourself, the editor, when the author has just given you their baby, akin to their firstborn, their book, their precious, the 75,000 words they fought for with blood, sweat, and fingernails -- and said, "Okay, I've done everything I can with this thing. Please understand my heart for this project, please understand how much it means to me, please understand how this will have my name on it, please understand that I am being very vulnerable right now in letting you in on my secret little world." And then you're given the oft "envied-in-theory" task of taking their life's work, which is pretty good, and making it shine...
Now, as a mentor, you've been given the oft "envied-in-theory" task of coming alongside someone who needs or wants some guidance. They might well have had some amazing parents who brought them up and taught them the way they should go, but, in the end, the job of helping to form an effective life is not just a job for super-mom and/or super dad... So, mom and/or dad is able to see this mentor person as a complement to their child-rearing (not a threat), a help in times of trouble, a voice of encouragement when they feel as if their input is no longer valued.
In the end, authors get their names on books, and children are officially a reflection of their parents, but in reality, if it's not a collaborative effort (editors and mentors), they will just stay pretty good, not quite at potential--just shy of shining and often short of greatness.
Picture yourself, the editor, when the author has just given you their baby, akin to their firstborn, their book, their precious, the 75,000 words they fought for with blood, sweat, and fingernails -- and said, "Okay, I've done everything I can with this thing. Please understand my heart for this project, please understand how much it means to me, please understand how this will have my name on it, please understand that I am being very vulnerable right now in letting you in on my secret little world." And then you're given the oft "envied-in-theory" task of taking their life's work, which is pretty good, and making it shine...
Now, as a mentor, you've been given the oft "envied-in-theory" task of coming alongside someone who needs or wants some guidance. They might well have had some amazing parents who brought them up and taught them the way they should go, but, in the end, the job of helping to form an effective life is not just a job for super-mom and/or super dad... So, mom and/or dad is able to see this mentor person as a complement to their child-rearing (not a threat), a help in times of trouble, a voice of encouragement when they feel as if their input is no longer valued.
In the end, authors get their names on books, and children are officially a reflection of their parents, but in reality, if it's not a collaborative effort (editors and mentors), they will just stay pretty good, not quite at potential--just shy of shining and often short of greatness.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
A Partial Analysis
I am taking one graduate school class this semester. It is a course centered around analyzing the needs in different communities. For our big project we have partnered with a local church in the far southwest reaches of Chicago to help them assess the neighborhood and needs that exist within walking distance of the church building.
So, for 3 hours each, two days in a row, we knocked on doors and asked people what kinds of needs exist in their communities. Where are they hurting? Where might the local church step in to help them in their most dire need? Is it teen pregnancy centers? Food pantries? Teaching English? Counseling? Bible Studies? In addition to being cold and feeling inadequate for the task, several of us purposed to find answers to these questions...
And while the answers are still being tabulated and the stats have yet to come in, my overwhelming feeling was one of helplessness. When asked to rate certain needs on a 1-to-5 scale, most realistic people gave me a look as if I was crazy and then said, "Well, these are all pretty big needs... do you want me to name some more?"
I am now trying to figure out what to do in light of this experience and these Scriptures:
Matthew 25
Acts 4
So, for 3 hours each, two days in a row, we knocked on doors and asked people what kinds of needs exist in their communities. Where are they hurting? Where might the local church step in to help them in their most dire need? Is it teen pregnancy centers? Food pantries? Teaching English? Counseling? Bible Studies? In addition to being cold and feeling inadequate for the task, several of us purposed to find answers to these questions...
And while the answers are still being tabulated and the stats have yet to come in, my overwhelming feeling was one of helplessness. When asked to rate certain needs on a 1-to-5 scale, most realistic people gave me a look as if I was crazy and then said, "Well, these are all pretty big needs... do you want me to name some more?"
I am now trying to figure out what to do in light of this experience and these Scriptures:
Matthew 25
Acts 4
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
I'm Back Baby - For Real This Time?
Okay… after 2 years and 2 months away, I have finally decided that this blogging business is worth it.
Here’s why I will be blogging once again:
-Learning to write more succinctly is a skill that needs constant sharpening
-I like having a place to say stuff
-At least 2 people have asked me about it in the last 26 months
-It takes discipline. I need more of that
-Writing is really fun, and I claim it is my favorite thing to do, so… I better do it
I believe in the near future I will cover such topics as: heaven and hell, global missions opportunities, whether America is going down the crapper, the minor prophets, marriage budgets, editing books, the value of graduate school education, human capital, where we find our value, and what the Church can learn from the American college fraternity…
Here’s why I will be blogging once again:
-Learning to write more succinctly is a skill that needs constant sharpening
-I like having a place to say stuff
-At least 2 people have asked me about it in the last 26 months
-It takes discipline. I need more of that
-Writing is really fun, and I claim it is my favorite thing to do, so… I better do it
I believe in the near future I will cover such topics as: heaven and hell, global missions opportunities, whether America is going down the crapper, the minor prophets, marriage budgets, editing books, the value of graduate school education, human capital, where we find our value, and what the Church can learn from the American college fraternity…
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