We're getting ready to do another installment of our Theology at the Forge (TATF) series through Karis. This is one of our missional (culturally engaging) events in tandem with our Movies and Mindmaps series where we watch a film and discuss the wordlview presented in it. With TATF, however, we focus on a current cultural trend or social issue. I wanted to outline the basic premise of why we do this here. But first, to give credit where it's due. None of this is original. We got the idea from the Journey church in St. Louis, who does similar event at the Schlafly Bottleworks there. Plus, people used to do this stuff at pubs and taverns all the time!
Perhaps the first question on your mind is this: Why call it Theology at the Forge? This is a common question. (The Forge part is simple - we meet at the local restaurant, The Forge and Vine.) At Karis, we operate from an assumption, which we believe to be biblical, that we all operate out of some sort of functional theology - some view of who God is. Even the most stauch atheist or the most apathetic agnostic has a view of how the world works and who God is, or who he is not, that drives how they function in the world. We don't make our decisions in a vacuum, nor do we react to the diffiuclties of life without reference, conscious or unconscious, to our own experience, beliefs, assumptions, etc. So our use of the word "theology" here is in the broadest sense possible, reflecting the basic belief that everyone is a theologian. It's really more a matter of whether we're good or bad theologians. I could elaborate much more on this point, but for now I think I'll keep it there.
A second question relates to our choice of topics. For example, this next Monday, Nov. 17, out topic is: "Go Big or Bail Our: The economic collapse and what's next." So, you may ask, if we're supposed to be talking about theology, why are we talking about economics? And here I must address another common misconception about theology. Not only do we all have some sort of theology, but that theology in the end must relate to our real, daily life, or it ceases to function and fades away for some other, more functional theology. If I discover that my view of the world is inaccurate, then I must scrap it for one I find to be more accurate, or else live a divided life where I hold certain things to be true even though I find no evidence at all for them or see no possible connection between them and the real world I face. So, for example, when looking at the current economic decline, huge questions come into play. Whom do you trust? The government? The market? God? Your own ability to pull through? That's just one example of a huge question with major theological weight. How you answer it, and thus how you then make decisions about what do do with your money, will have drastic ripple effects on your entire life. So, as we learn theology, may we never fail to draw the lines of connection to the most practical and even seemingly mundane aspects of our lives.
A third question you may have: Is this just a church event or something for broader interaction with the community? Well, as I said, this is a missional event. It's designed to be something where both Christians and others of different beliefs and faiths are present, dialoging over the issue at hand. This serves many purposes. For the Christians present, it forces them to think through their own beliefs and assumptions about God and his world, and to see whether their picture is accurate and if it has a real impact on how you live, as it should. For non-Christians present, it does the same thing for their own worldview. We should each be challenged to see how our assumptions stack up to reality, and thus to change them if they don't. On one hand, the Christian should not be afraid of the possibility that someone outside Christian faith might at some point in the discussion articulate one piece of a more biblical picture of the world better then they do. As Christians, we should be humble enough to see God's truth wherever it comes to us (as it lines up with his word, of course). On the other hand, a non-Christian should likewise be humble enough to admit that Christians aren't the only ones bringing their "faith" into this. Everyone is bringing assumptions - it's just a matter of which ones actually explain reality and offer us the best possible way to live in this world. Lastly, on this point, I would say these discussions offer a benefit to the community at large, which is another aspect of what we believe it means to be missional. It is our hope that through these discussions, we'd be able to participate in serious discussions about major issues. The economy affects all of us dramatically. How can we strive together with our community to respond well to this? There will be some fundamentally different opinions between a Christan and a non-Christian, but there is some common ground to be sought, to be sure, and some common goals to work toward. Good Christians seek the common good of their communities.
So, that's a little insight into why we do Theology at the Forge. Would love to see comments and questions! If you're here in Columbia, you are welcome to join us on Monday, Nov. 17, at 7pm at the Forge and Vine downtown on 7th street. Hope to see you there!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
new songs at karis - 10.26.08
I'm sure you all at this point think I will only post when I'm doing new songs at Karis. You'd be quite warranted to believe that. But one of these days I will do more....one of these days. For now, it's another new tune. We actually taught this one last week, but I didn't have a chance to blog on it until now. And we're repeating it this week anyway for some reinforcement.
Song Title: We Are Listening
Author: Jeremy Quillo (of Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY)
Why did I choose it? This is a great prayer to sing in preparation to hear and receive God's word together when we gather. It sort of combines the attitude of the psalmist in Ps. 119 (Lord, how I love your law!) and the reality that Christ has come as the living Word to live and die for us (John 1) into one rich prayer for God to speak to us and give us the faith to receive and respond appropriately to his word. There's so much here, really. It's an expression of our desire to hear his word and savor it, a pronouncement that we come to listen to his Word rather than to sit in judgment on it, a statement of faith that Christ has come as the living word, and an acknowledgment that we are weak in our ability to understand or really even receive God's word, so we pray for the "eyes to see" and the "faith to hear that the Word has come...that the Word is here." Lastly, it's an affirmation with so many of the psalmists that we are to seek God's word "morning and evening" - not only on Sundays when we gather, but throughout the week in our homes, personally and with our families. I hope this song will conform us more to God's will by revealing our weak desire for his word and turning us to the only one who can change our hearts and deepen that desire - Christ.
My favorite line: "Father I/ long to see Christ/ the truth in new life/ The Word that made the universe/ Father, speak/ Now I believe/ I have been set free/ by that the Word that lived and died for me."
I love this verse because I think it does exactly what I said I hoped above - points to Christ. He is the theme and center of Scripture, so all proper longing for God's word is not merely a longing for moral gudiance (though that is part of it) or skill in apologetic argument. Rather, we long for the Word because it shows us Christ - and he is the living Word who truly guides us into truth and shapes our lives according to God's will. When we come to the Word and the Holy Spirit illuminates it for us, we see Christ as more glorious than we saw him yesterday. It's awesome to be able to sing a prayer for this together when we meet.
Why teach it right now? This is one of those themes I have been hoping to inject into our life of "songs, hymns and spiritual songs" a bit more. We need to come prepared to hear from God, and what better way to move toward that place in our hearts than to sing it and let the Spirit move as we pray. Last week, the sermon was on the transfiguration, where God the Father speaks from heaven about his Son, who has suddenly shown a bit of his glory for his disciples, "This is my Son - listen to him!" Much of the rest of Luke's gospel (which we're currently studying at Karis) is an unfolding of that command. Jesus will say and do many things that will confuse and even upset the disciples, but they must put aside their pride and objections and listen to God's beloved Son. It is the same for us today, so I thought it appropriate to start singing this song together now.
Can you hear it? Yes, here. For that matter, listen to any stuff Sojourn has available here. Great stuff!
Much to update on the Daugherty front....coming soon I hope.
Song Title: We Are Listening
Author: Jeremy Quillo (of Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY)
Why did I choose it? This is a great prayer to sing in preparation to hear and receive God's word together when we gather. It sort of combines the attitude of the psalmist in Ps. 119 (Lord, how I love your law!) and the reality that Christ has come as the living Word to live and die for us (John 1) into one rich prayer for God to speak to us and give us the faith to receive and respond appropriately to his word. There's so much here, really. It's an expression of our desire to hear his word and savor it, a pronouncement that we come to listen to his Word rather than to sit in judgment on it, a statement of faith that Christ has come as the living word, and an acknowledgment that we are weak in our ability to understand or really even receive God's word, so we pray for the "eyes to see" and the "faith to hear that the Word has come...that the Word is here." Lastly, it's an affirmation with so many of the psalmists that we are to seek God's word "morning and evening" - not only on Sundays when we gather, but throughout the week in our homes, personally and with our families. I hope this song will conform us more to God's will by revealing our weak desire for his word and turning us to the only one who can change our hearts and deepen that desire - Christ.
My favorite line: "Father I/ long to see Christ/ the truth in new life/ The Word that made the universe/ Father, speak/ Now I believe/ I have been set free/ by that the Word that lived and died for me."
I love this verse because I think it does exactly what I said I hoped above - points to Christ. He is the theme and center of Scripture, so all proper longing for God's word is not merely a longing for moral gudiance (though that is part of it) or skill in apologetic argument. Rather, we long for the Word because it shows us Christ - and he is the living Word who truly guides us into truth and shapes our lives according to God's will. When we come to the Word and the Holy Spirit illuminates it for us, we see Christ as more glorious than we saw him yesterday. It's awesome to be able to sing a prayer for this together when we meet.
Why teach it right now? This is one of those themes I have been hoping to inject into our life of "songs, hymns and spiritual songs" a bit more. We need to come prepared to hear from God, and what better way to move toward that place in our hearts than to sing it and let the Spirit move as we pray. Last week, the sermon was on the transfiguration, where God the Father speaks from heaven about his Son, who has suddenly shown a bit of his glory for his disciples, "This is my Son - listen to him!" Much of the rest of Luke's gospel (which we're currently studying at Karis) is an unfolding of that command. Jesus will say and do many things that will confuse and even upset the disciples, but they must put aside their pride and objections and listen to God's beloved Son. It is the same for us today, so I thought it appropriate to start singing this song together now.
Can you hear it? Yes, here. For that matter, listen to any stuff Sojourn has available here. Great stuff!
Much to update on the Daugherty front....coming soon I hope.
Friday, September 5, 2008
another new tune(s)
I could just ignore the fact that I once again have not posted in ages. But let's just acknowledge that and move on. You may be wondering what's up here in Columbia. Well, lots really. In fact, if there are any of you still reading this thing, you will have to remain in suspense a bit longer before I update you on the many goings on with the Daugherty family and the exciting things happening with our church and life here. Today, I post only to tell again of another new tune at Karis. Next week comes the update. So, hold your breath...all two of you.
As for this week's music at Karis I am excited to introduce another great new song. Really, I'm kind of introducing a song and a half this week. I;ll explain the half part later. As for the main new song:
Song Title: At Your Feet
Author: Tim Smith (Worship Pastor, Mars Hill Church, Seattle)
Why Did I Choose It? This song is really grooving with me right now. It's a powerful song of adoration, and I think we are somewhat lacking in those at Karis. We strive so much to be a gospel-centered church, weaving the gospel of Christ and his sacrifice for us into so much of our music, that sometimes I think it can be easy to forget that we're called to adore God not only for what he has done but also for who he is. In fact, the gospel becomes more and more beautiful to us, and Christ becomes more and more our treasure, when we see more fully the holiness of God and how far from his perfections we really are. So historically, the church has tended to open with some form of adoration in response to a Scriptural or other liturgical call to worship. Holy, Holy, Holy would be a prime example of a hymn of adoration that would be perfect for use early in a worship gathering - a song that draws our attention to some aspect of God's glory and perfections.
So this week at Karis, we'll be using "At Your Feet" as a response of adoration to our opening call, which will be a combination of the Jeremy Quillo (of Sojourn Community Church) song "Come and Sing" and Psalm 8 ("O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name..."). The lyrics draw attention to the fact that God's creation declares his glory (Psalm 19) - as we look around, we see God's power in all he has made. But further, it takes Jesus' declaration that God is able to bring praise from the "very stones" if we keep silent (Luke 19:40), and turns it into a call to respond to God's glory with the appropriate response: falling at his feet. The basic idea of the first few verses is, if I see your beauty and don't open my mouth, don't change to conform to you, you will raise up rocks to praise you. So, instead, we cry out with the rocks as the only creatures who have a choice in all of creation. Fall at his feet and declare his glory!
Musically the song evokes a bit of a classic U2 feel, with open spacious verses and a driving rock chorus. The mix between those two elements creates at once a feeling of awe as we sing the verses and bursting energy as we cast ourselves down before the Lord. This tune is as good as any classic and I think it will spread wide within the church as it already has in the Acts 29 network.
My favorite line:
"Wind blows
Skies rain and if I stay
Unchanged
The trees will raise their arms and
Cry out to the Lord Most High."
I love the tie-in there between worship and holiness. With that line, we're singing that if we don't respond to God with our whole being, not only singing and declaring his glory, but also actually changing in response to him (and only by his grace), then the trees will declare his glroy more loudly than we will. We are the only creatures that he has made that can consciously repond with our whole being. The trees simply declare his glory. We, on the other hand declare it with our lips, our hands, our changed lives. I hope we will soak in that truth as we sing this song.
Why teach it right now? On one hand, as I said, I simply think we need more good songs of adoration to sing at Karis, and this one is tops on my list right now. But also, in light of what we're looking at this week, "A City of Light," I wanted to have a chance to dwell together on the truth that looking at God leads to that whole response of praise and ultimately of becoming a light that declares his glory in everything we do as changed people and a transformed community. We're looking at Luke 8:16-18 this Sunday, about being a city on a hill. It's a great time to meditate on what a true response of worship looks like - what it looks like for our church to truly join with the rocks in declaring his glory in the way we were made to, in his image.
Can you hear it? Yes. Go here and scroll almost to the bottom to the list of songs under the band The Parsons. It's in that list. Enjoy!
Now, you're still wondering what the half-song is. Every now and then you come across a little bit from a song that was not intended to be written for corporate Christian worship, but that contains such a nugget of beauty and truth that you can't help but grab onto it. The song "This Low" by The Swell Season is just one of those songs. If you have seen the film Once, you're familiar with this band, even if you didn't realize it. That's the main two folks from the band in that movie, and all of the music is theirs. My wife, parents and I had the chance to see them live back in May, and it was one of the most moving experiences of beauty I have ever had. This paricular song was a highlight of the night, one in which I think I really did have an experience of transcendant worship as they song the long, outro chorus. So it's that chorus that we're using this Sunday to finish our corporate worship with a note of sending. Basically, the lyrics just vamp over various themes in regard to praising "the Light" and sharing it. I think it will be a powerful thing for us to close after taking the supper together, singing together to "raise the Light, Praise the Light, thread the Light (as in weaving the Light into our world like artists), crave the Light, spread the Light..." and so on. It's incredible how, because we are made in the image of God, we all have a sense of the trandscendant God and a right response to him, even if we can't nail it down. There is a certain vagueness in the song as it was written, but it captures a truth about how we should respond to the Light of God, by craving it and thus becoming light ourselves. Good stuff. Check this band out. Many of their songs contain these kinds of nuggets.
As for this week's music at Karis I am excited to introduce another great new song. Really, I'm kind of introducing a song and a half this week. I;ll explain the half part later. As for the main new song:
Song Title: At Your Feet
Author: Tim Smith (Worship Pastor, Mars Hill Church, Seattle)
Why Did I Choose It? This song is really grooving with me right now. It's a powerful song of adoration, and I think we are somewhat lacking in those at Karis. We strive so much to be a gospel-centered church, weaving the gospel of Christ and his sacrifice for us into so much of our music, that sometimes I think it can be easy to forget that we're called to adore God not only for what he has done but also for who he is. In fact, the gospel becomes more and more beautiful to us, and Christ becomes more and more our treasure, when we see more fully the holiness of God and how far from his perfections we really are. So historically, the church has tended to open with some form of adoration in response to a Scriptural or other liturgical call to worship. Holy, Holy, Holy would be a prime example of a hymn of adoration that would be perfect for use early in a worship gathering - a song that draws our attention to some aspect of God's glory and perfections.
So this week at Karis, we'll be using "At Your Feet" as a response of adoration to our opening call, which will be a combination of the Jeremy Quillo (of Sojourn Community Church) song "Come and Sing" and Psalm 8 ("O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name..."). The lyrics draw attention to the fact that God's creation declares his glory (Psalm 19) - as we look around, we see God's power in all he has made. But further, it takes Jesus' declaration that God is able to bring praise from the "very stones" if we keep silent (Luke 19:40), and turns it into a call to respond to God's glory with the appropriate response: falling at his feet. The basic idea of the first few verses is, if I see your beauty and don't open my mouth, don't change to conform to you, you will raise up rocks to praise you. So, instead, we cry out with the rocks as the only creatures who have a choice in all of creation. Fall at his feet and declare his glory!
Musically the song evokes a bit of a classic U2 feel, with open spacious verses and a driving rock chorus. The mix between those two elements creates at once a feeling of awe as we sing the verses and bursting energy as we cast ourselves down before the Lord. This tune is as good as any classic and I think it will spread wide within the church as it already has in the Acts 29 network.
My favorite line:
"Wind blows
Skies rain and if I stay
Unchanged
The trees will raise their arms and
Cry out to the Lord Most High."
I love the tie-in there between worship and holiness. With that line, we're singing that if we don't respond to God with our whole being, not only singing and declaring his glory, but also actually changing in response to him (and only by his grace), then the trees will declare his glroy more loudly than we will. We are the only creatures that he has made that can consciously repond with our whole being. The trees simply declare his glory. We, on the other hand declare it with our lips, our hands, our changed lives. I hope we will soak in that truth as we sing this song.
Why teach it right now? On one hand, as I said, I simply think we need more good songs of adoration to sing at Karis, and this one is tops on my list right now. But also, in light of what we're looking at this week, "A City of Light," I wanted to have a chance to dwell together on the truth that looking at God leads to that whole response of praise and ultimately of becoming a light that declares his glory in everything we do as changed people and a transformed community. We're looking at Luke 8:16-18 this Sunday, about being a city on a hill. It's a great time to meditate on what a true response of worship looks like - what it looks like for our church to truly join with the rocks in declaring his glory in the way we were made to, in his image.
Can you hear it? Yes. Go here and scroll almost to the bottom to the list of songs under the band The Parsons. It's in that list. Enjoy!
Now, you're still wondering what the half-song is. Every now and then you come across a little bit from a song that was not intended to be written for corporate Christian worship, but that contains such a nugget of beauty and truth that you can't help but grab onto it. The song "This Low" by The Swell Season is just one of those songs. If you have seen the film Once, you're familiar with this band, even if you didn't realize it. That's the main two folks from the band in that movie, and all of the music is theirs. My wife, parents and I had the chance to see them live back in May, and it was one of the most moving experiences of beauty I have ever had. This paricular song was a highlight of the night, one in which I think I really did have an experience of transcendant worship as they song the long, outro chorus. So it's that chorus that we're using this Sunday to finish our corporate worship with a note of sending. Basically, the lyrics just vamp over various themes in regard to praising "the Light" and sharing it. I think it will be a powerful thing for us to close after taking the supper together, singing together to "raise the Light, Praise the Light, thread the Light (as in weaving the Light into our world like artists), crave the Light, spread the Light..." and so on. It's incredible how, because we are made in the image of God, we all have a sense of the trandscendant God and a right response to him, even if we can't nail it down. There is a certain vagueness in the song as it was written, but it captures a truth about how we should respond to the Light of God, by craving it and thus becoming light ourselves. Good stuff. Check this band out. Many of their songs contain these kinds of nuggets.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
new tuneage
We've got another new one coming down the pipes this week at Karis...
Song Title: Help My Unbelief
Author(s): Lyrics by John Newton; Music and Chorus lyrics by Clint Wells
Why did I choose it? It is all too easy too neglect an essential aspect of our worship: the expression of doubt and confusion, the mourning over our own hardness of heart. The psalmists did not fear such barren plains, and nor should we. We need songs that give expression to our unbelief and put melody to our pleading with God to increase our faith and open our eyes. Rather than pretending that our faith is flawless and perfect, we can humbly express our doubt as a body and in doing so, proclaim our trust in our Sovereign Lord to overcome our unbelief and deepen our faith. I can't tell you how many conversations I have had with brothers and sisters who say "I can't feel God's presence. I want to repent but I don't even feel that I can!" This is common Christian experience as we wait for the Lord to reveal himself to us and overcome our sin and blindness. Let's not ignore it, but pray with each other as we sing, proclaiming with the father in Mark 9:24 - "I believe; help my unbelief!"
My favorite line:
The second verse -
"I would but can’t repent,
Though I endeavor oft;
This stony heart can ne’er relent
Till Jesus makes it soft.
Till Jesus make it soft."
As we sing this, those whose hearts are hardened will come alongside those whose are softened, having their burdens borne by brothers and sisters and praying together that Jesus would break through and melt the ice. Is that not a beautiful picture?
Why teach it right now: We're going through the Gospel of Luke at Karis, in which we are seeing the stark contrast between the response of faith and the response of unbelief in Jesus' various encouranter. This Sunday we land on the story of John the Baptist and his disciples questioning whether Jesus is truly the Messiah (Luke 7:18-35). Jesus response is clear: look at what he has done. "Blessed is the one who is not offended by me," he say. Much of our unbelief comes as we in our sin take offense at Jesus. He doesn't fit our expectations exactly...he calls us to turn from some tightly held sin...he shows love to someone we'd rather he didn't. What a great opportunity to, in repentance, pray that he would overcome our doubt, overcome our offense and increase our faith and love for him.
Can you hear it? There is a clip here - just scroll downward to the title. and click on the mp3 clip.
Song Title: Help My Unbelief
Author(s): Lyrics by John Newton; Music and Chorus lyrics by Clint Wells
Why did I choose it? It is all too easy too neglect an essential aspect of our worship: the expression of doubt and confusion, the mourning over our own hardness of heart. The psalmists did not fear such barren plains, and nor should we. We need songs that give expression to our unbelief and put melody to our pleading with God to increase our faith and open our eyes. Rather than pretending that our faith is flawless and perfect, we can humbly express our doubt as a body and in doing so, proclaim our trust in our Sovereign Lord to overcome our unbelief and deepen our faith. I can't tell you how many conversations I have had with brothers and sisters who say "I can't feel God's presence. I want to repent but I don't even feel that I can!" This is common Christian experience as we wait for the Lord to reveal himself to us and overcome our sin and blindness. Let's not ignore it, but pray with each other as we sing, proclaiming with the father in Mark 9:24 - "I believe; help my unbelief!"
My favorite line:
The second verse -
"I would but can’t repent,
Though I endeavor oft;
This stony heart can ne’er relent
Till Jesus makes it soft.
Till Jesus make it soft."
As we sing this, those whose hearts are hardened will come alongside those whose are softened, having their burdens borne by brothers and sisters and praying together that Jesus would break through and melt the ice. Is that not a beautiful picture?
Why teach it right now: We're going through the Gospel of Luke at Karis, in which we are seeing the stark contrast between the response of faith and the response of unbelief in Jesus' various encouranter. This Sunday we land on the story of John the Baptist and his disciples questioning whether Jesus is truly the Messiah (Luke 7:18-35). Jesus response is clear: look at what he has done. "Blessed is the one who is not offended by me," he say. Much of our unbelief comes as we in our sin take offense at Jesus. He doesn't fit our expectations exactly...he calls us to turn from some tightly held sin...he shows love to someone we'd rather he didn't. What a great opportunity to, in repentance, pray that he would overcome our doubt, overcome our offense and increase our faith and love for him.
Can you hear it? There is a clip here - just scroll downward to the title. and click on the mp3 clip.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
new songs at karis
I'd like to start a new series on my blog today featuring the various songs we teach at our church here in
In any case, at Karis we value a good balance of rich, historic hymns that span the history of the church along with great new songs that are written from the modern context and give voice to our praises, prayers and longings in our own vernacular. So at Karis, you'll sing your share of "thees" and "thous" but you'll also sing a wonderfully singable chorus such as "How Great is Our God." This is of great value for many reasons, but I'll just mention two. First, singing old hymns that have stood the test of time gives us a way of connecting with the saints who went before. The language may be different at times, but they still give expression to the very same struggles we face today and give us hope as we join old warriors of the faith in writing God's truth on our hearts through song. And that leads to my second point. Many of the older hymns give a richer and broader expression to the truths of Scripture and Christian experience we so need to meditate on. Our modern vernacular simply does not contain as many of the tools for a beautiful, diverse vocabulary of prayer and praise. The language itself hasn't failed, we just aren't as adept at using it. Given this fact, I find that a healthy mixture of rich, old hymns (often set to modern music) mixed with the better modern praise choruses provides a great way for us to deepen our capacity for reveling in God's truth and to express the full range of Christian experience (hymns offer more opportunity for voicing our pains an trials than most modern choruses), while still embracing the strengths of simpler modern language and choruses. Both offer great vessels for our praises - especially when used together.
But don't get me wrong. There is much being written today that I think will stand the test of time. Great songwriters are more and more using their gifts to serve their local congregations, but then they are also being noticed by the broader church as well. This is exciting to me because it goes against the grain of the "praise and worship" industry. Many of these songs we use are written by songwriters who will likely never "make it big" in the industry, but that's ok - great, even! These songwriters are faithfully serving local bodies, yet their songs are also being used by God as a blessing to the church universal. For instance, at Karis, we use several songs written by Joe Day and Tim Smith, pastors at
Song Title: Come and Sing
Author(s): Jeremy Quillo
Why did I choose it? Again, this song has a psalm-like quality. This is one of those prayers written in the midst of joy - an eager expression of praise to God. Yet it looks with wisdom toward the troubles that will inevitably come and says "I will walk through the valley but I still hear his voice..." It echoes a life lived "before the throne of God" as the record from whence it came is titled. As the folks from Sojourn say, "This life is a rich and varied experience of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, prayer for guidance, prayers of repentance and communal sharing of God’s peace, blessing and love." In other words, as we live before the throne, we know that everything we do is in God's sight and is brought as an offering through Christ alone. Given this reality, the song, though in a sense a "call to worship," serves more as a call to gathered worship. It implies that we have been worshiping and enjoying God's work throughout the week, and so as we come together for our meeting, we are literally overflowing with melody toward God. This song is a joyful encouragement to let that song loose! "Come and bring him your song," it invites. Further, continuing in the vein of the psalms, there is present here an understanding that this exuberant singing gives the watching world a witness ("We must sing if or hearts have been changed by God. Let the whole world know that he has come.") As such, the invitation to sing becomes one both for the moment of gathered worship - a potentially powerful, eye-openeing moment for those who do not yet know Christ - and also for a life of metaphorical song, bursting in God's praises as our friends and neighbors watch and wonder.
My favorite line:
The second verse -
"I will walk through the valley but I still hear his voice
For the words of the Lord are in my heart
I will rise in the morn' with the joy that is my strength
Remembering the sound of his voice."
There is the full perspective of the Psalms. "I have joy now, but I will again walk through the valley. Yet I have God's very word on my heart and know his voice. He will sustain me through life's trials. I will sing." The psalms are replete with exhortations to sing to God - we do well to obey, and it's a joy!
Why teach it right now: Our community is in need of more avenues for expressing the joy of singing to our God, and of more calls to an overflowing gathered worship. This song fit the bill the minute I heard it, and I can't wait to hear our congregation take hold and sing.
Can you hear it? I don't know of anywhere online that you can hear it right now. But if you search for the album Before the Throne by Sojourn on iTunes, you can listen to a clip or download the song. Check it out!
I hope that before long our community here at Karis will begin to write some songs for our own use in gathered worship. We certainly have been blessed with talented artists, so I think it's only a matter of time.
Monday, June 23, 2008
a worthwhile read
I just finished Tim Keller's book, The Reason for God, in which he outlines answers to major objections to the Christian faith, alongside a robust defense for the Christian worldview as the perspective that makes the most sense of reality. This isn't your typical "facts of history and science" approach, though there is certainly some of that. Rather, Keller takes what I think is a more thorough and ultimately more winsome approach to explaining Christianity.
The first half of the book focuses on seven major objections that are common in our culture For example, Keller devotes chapters to questions such as "How can a good God allow suffering?" and "Hasn't science disproved Christianity?" He deals with these questions on all fronts, offering not only scientific or historical evidence where appropriate, but also sound philosophical, logical and moral arguments, appealing to the deeper presuppositions that often underly our more superficial objections. His main assertion is that the objection to the "blind faith" of the Christian is ironic because we actually all put our faith in something. Many of our beliefs about the nature of reality are actually based upon blind belief in other fundamentals. So, Keller would argue that the Christian faith is actually the most reasonable and consistent explanation for the way the world works. It is not a "blind leap," even as many of its claims can not be proved beyond all doubt. Rather, as he argues in the second half of the book, God has given us an abundant number of clues that point to him and his overarching story. His explanation of the biblical perspective on ultimate reality is clear and compelling. You just may find many of your stereotypes against Christianity disarmed as you sort through his humble yet bold arguments.
I would commend this book to anyone, whether a mature Christian or an unsure skeptic. Keller's is one of the best voices of our day to speak for the Christian faith, as he embodies the paradox of a truly humble, gospel-changed heart that can hold forth biblical truth with love and conviction, not sacrificing an ounce of either.
The first half of the book focuses on seven major objections that are common in our culture For example, Keller devotes chapters to questions such as "How can a good God allow suffering?" and "Hasn't science disproved Christianity?" He deals with these questions on all fronts, offering not only scientific or historical evidence where appropriate, but also sound philosophical, logical and moral arguments, appealing to the deeper presuppositions that often underly our more superficial objections. His main assertion is that the objection to the "blind faith" of the Christian is ironic because we actually all put our faith in something. Many of our beliefs about the nature of reality are actually based upon blind belief in other fundamentals. So, Keller would argue that the Christian faith is actually the most reasonable and consistent explanation for the way the world works. It is not a "blind leap," even as many of its claims can not be proved beyond all doubt. Rather, as he argues in the second half of the book, God has given us an abundant number of clues that point to him and his overarching story. His explanation of the biblical perspective on ultimate reality is clear and compelling. You just may find many of your stereotypes against Christianity disarmed as you sort through his humble yet bold arguments.
I would commend this book to anyone, whether a mature Christian or an unsure skeptic. Keller's is one of the best voices of our day to speak for the Christian faith, as he embodies the paradox of a truly humble, gospel-changed heart that can hold forth biblical truth with love and conviction, not sacrificing an ounce of either.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
the simple life, part 4
And finally...the last installment in my series on simplicity. After lingering for probably too long on this, I finally wanted to springboard once more off of Foster and talk about the outward manifestations of this discipline. As I've said all along, the inward reality is the foundation and thus the first thing to cultivate. However, of course this must actually make a difference in real day-to-day habits. Surely one wouldn't cultivate an inward spirit of simplicity, a humble trust in the Lord, and then just follow after every material whim the culture spins out. So, I just wanted to share Foster's list of suggestions here for some guidance in outward simplicity. This list is by no means exhaustive, nor is it a set of strict biblical rules. It's merely intended to create some guiding principles. Hopefully you will find it as helpful as I have. As with any spiritual discipline, if we are cultivating a deep intimacy with God in Christ, then we will be equipped by the Spirit to discern the best ways to respond to the challenges of any given time and place, just as He equips us to do all to the glory of God and in freedom rather than a spirit of legalism.
1) Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status. We spend exorbitant amounts of money simply trying to impress people we don't even know (and maybe don't like!). Being somewhat utilitarian in our approach to purchases doesn't mean we have to entirely neglect aesthetics, expression, etc. But it certainly wouldn't hurt to cut our spending drastically on passing fads and fashions simply to impress people.
2) Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you. The search for simplicity is a quest for freedom. This is most fundamentally an inward freedom (hence my previous 3 posts). But we are addictive creatures because we are worshipers. So this can happen with small things (coffee perhaps?) or bigger things (sex, drugs) or even deeper things (approval, power). True freedom means being a slave to none of these things and only to Christ. Look around our culture, or even at your own life, and you'll see addictions everywhere. I see them in my own every day! As Foster says, "watch for undisciplined compulsions."
3) Develop a habit of giving things away. I'm especially terrible at this one. I am a pack rat through and through. And of course, I'm selfish. I keep things I don't need "just in case" I may want to use it again some day. This is a compulsion worth fighting! On one hand, this is good because it simplifies our life - more stuff means more complexity! But even moreso, it will help us cultivate a sacrificial life - giving up in order to give to others.
4) Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry. In other words, be skeptical of advertising and marketing and its many promises (if you read this, Jason, don't hit me!) So much stuff is being made and ad firms being created to try to sell that stuff to people who don't need it, while the creation wastes away and people go hungry. Most of the needs that advertisers press on inside us cannot be met by material things. (See the "Gospel of Consumption" article I linked to last month.) I actually feel like my well-being will increase when I imagine myself at a helm of a brand new iBook, but really....really?
5) Learn to enjoy things without owning them. As Foster puts it, "If we own it, we feel we can control it; and if we can control it, we feel it will give us more pleasure." Oh the glory of the library I never use! The beauty of the public parks that I ignore! The enjoyment of trading a good book or album with a friend....on and on.
6) Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation. Indeed, we have much more in common with the dust and the birds than with the gadgets we tend to worship. God made us from the dust. Could we not connect with him more deeply if we cultivate a deeper love for his handiwork in all its magnificence?
7) Be skeptical of "buy now, pay later" schemes. American is learning this the hard way now with all of the mortage foreclosures. Debt truly is a deep bondage. We should be very, very careful to take on only what is necessary.
8) Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech. This seems like a bit of a tangent off the main topic of simplicity, but is it really? This is about a holistic simplicity, and simple speech is but one aspect of that. As Foster says, we would do well to "make honesty and integrity the distinguishing characteristics of [our] speech." True simplicity means letting your yes be your yes and your no be your no.
9) Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others. This requires passionate discernment and a tenacious fight against our own tendency toward apathy. Foster asks great questions: "Do we sip our coffee and eat our bananas as the expense of exploiting Latin American peasants? In a world of limited resources, does our lust for wealth mean poverty for others? Should we buy products that are made by forcing people into dull assembly-line jobs? Do we enjoy hierarchical relationships in the company or factory that keep others under us? Do we oppress out children or spouse because we feel certain tasks are beneath us?" No simple answers here - but a willingness to search out these answers and respond rightly is what's important.
10) Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God. Here I would perhaps change his wording slightly. Because we are worshipers and sinners by nature, we often are distracted from true worship by having a love for good things that is disproportionate to our love for God. Some times we must shun even good things to reorient ourselves rightly and wholly toward God. But often we must simply put those things back in their rightful place. For example, I love music. At times, this love becomes idolatrous and I can make it something that draws me to God, when really Christ is the only mediator of God's presence. At these times, I usually need to repent and put music back in its rightful place in God's creation - good, but not essential. At times, I have had to abstain from music entirely, but this is not usually the case.
There is much more that could be said on this topic. John Piper's thoughts on living a "wartime lifestyle" (see his great book, Don't Waste Your Life) add another important dimension to the table. But here I will stop. I hope this has been a helpful exploration for you. May we all find our needs abundantly met in Christ, who gives us rest from our endless strivings and the frantic pace of our modern world.
Shalom.
1) Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status. We spend exorbitant amounts of money simply trying to impress people we don't even know (and maybe don't like!). Being somewhat utilitarian in our approach to purchases doesn't mean we have to entirely neglect aesthetics, expression, etc. But it certainly wouldn't hurt to cut our spending drastically on passing fads and fashions simply to impress people.
2) Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you. The search for simplicity is a quest for freedom. This is most fundamentally an inward freedom (hence my previous 3 posts). But we are addictive creatures because we are worshipers. So this can happen with small things (coffee perhaps?) or bigger things (sex, drugs) or even deeper things (approval, power). True freedom means being a slave to none of these things and only to Christ. Look around our culture, or even at your own life, and you'll see addictions everywhere. I see them in my own every day! As Foster says, "watch for undisciplined compulsions."
3) Develop a habit of giving things away. I'm especially terrible at this one. I am a pack rat through and through. And of course, I'm selfish. I keep things I don't need "just in case" I may want to use it again some day. This is a compulsion worth fighting! On one hand, this is good because it simplifies our life - more stuff means more complexity! But even moreso, it will help us cultivate a sacrificial life - giving up in order to give to others.
4) Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry. In other words, be skeptical of advertising and marketing and its many promises (if you read this, Jason, don't hit me!) So much stuff is being made and ad firms being created to try to sell that stuff to people who don't need it, while the creation wastes away and people go hungry. Most of the needs that advertisers press on inside us cannot be met by material things. (See the "Gospel of Consumption" article I linked to last month.) I actually feel like my well-being will increase when I imagine myself at a helm of a brand new iBook, but really....really?
5) Learn to enjoy things without owning them. As Foster puts it, "If we own it, we feel we can control it; and if we can control it, we feel it will give us more pleasure." Oh the glory of the library I never use! The beauty of the public parks that I ignore! The enjoyment of trading a good book or album with a friend....on and on.
6) Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation. Indeed, we have much more in common with the dust and the birds than with the gadgets we tend to worship. God made us from the dust. Could we not connect with him more deeply if we cultivate a deeper love for his handiwork in all its magnificence?
7) Be skeptical of "buy now, pay later" schemes. American is learning this the hard way now with all of the mortage foreclosures. Debt truly is a deep bondage. We should be very, very careful to take on only what is necessary.
8) Obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech. This seems like a bit of a tangent off the main topic of simplicity, but is it really? This is about a holistic simplicity, and simple speech is but one aspect of that. As Foster says, we would do well to "make honesty and integrity the distinguishing characteristics of [our] speech." True simplicity means letting your yes be your yes and your no be your no.
9) Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others. This requires passionate discernment and a tenacious fight against our own tendency toward apathy. Foster asks great questions: "Do we sip our coffee and eat our bananas as the expense of exploiting Latin American peasants? In a world of limited resources, does our lust for wealth mean poverty for others? Should we buy products that are made by forcing people into dull assembly-line jobs? Do we enjoy hierarchical relationships in the company or factory that keep others under us? Do we oppress out children or spouse because we feel certain tasks are beneath us?" No simple answers here - but a willingness to search out these answers and respond rightly is what's important.
10) Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God. Here I would perhaps change his wording slightly. Because we are worshipers and sinners by nature, we often are distracted from true worship by having a love for good things that is disproportionate to our love for God. Some times we must shun even good things to reorient ourselves rightly and wholly toward God. But often we must simply put those things back in their rightful place. For example, I love music. At times, this love becomes idolatrous and I can make it something that draws me to God, when really Christ is the only mediator of God's presence. At these times, I usually need to repent and put music back in its rightful place in God's creation - good, but not essential. At times, I have had to abstain from music entirely, but this is not usually the case.
There is much more that could be said on this topic. John Piper's thoughts on living a "wartime lifestyle" (see his great book, Don't Waste Your Life) add another important dimension to the table. But here I will stop. I hope this has been a helpful exploration for you. May we all find our needs abundantly met in Christ, who gives us rest from our endless strivings and the frantic pace of our modern world.
Shalom.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
a ridiculous attempt
In a time of reflection today, I was struck by the sheer vastness of the term "God's glory" and my inability to wrap my mind around it. It's something that can't really be described or boiled down, yet it is inescapable in life. All of our experiences contain quiet echoes and faint allusions to it. During this thought process, I came across a question: how would you describe God's glory to someone with no experience with Christianity or the Bible? That's a great question. So here was the feeble attempt that somehow came out of me this morning:
What is glory? It is the vastness of an ocean spread to infinity before your eyes. It is the peace of bright green hills rolling and unfolding into a deep blue sky. It is the slow, terrifying movement of the Mississippi, unwinding endlessly in its journey, dividing the land and veiling the merciless tumult beneath.
Glory is the resolved and purposeful march of the ant as it relies on wisdom more unswerving and trustworthy than any we have known. It is the majestic strength and resilient poise of the lion, the cunning speed of the cheetah. It is the stable loyalty of the canine who disarms you with with his profound love. It is the splendor of a good an victorious king bearing news of peace and holding forth hope when it had seemed all but lost. It is the immovable safety of that king's castle and the tested might of the city walls.
Yes, and more. Glory is the assurance of a well-timed and wise word as it breathes meaning back into your soul. It is the illuminating phrase of the poet, the resonant laughter of the comic, the quiet resolution of the tragedy. It is the lift of a soaring melody over a steady march, the lilting sway of a slow waltz, the trumpet call of an anthem and a perfect cadence out of chaos.
Yet further, though words are increasing in their inadequacy. It is the fierce pursuit of a friend who pulls you out of the mire time and again. It is the untapped reservoir of his persistence to see you through, the heart-felt relief at his mouth closed, ears and arms open wide. It is the anticipation of shared joy and pain, of understanding and being understood.
I hesitate to press on. But it is still more. It is the enfolding warmth of a lover's embrace. Here my words are faltering... The joyful abundance of her smile, the epic and fearsome story in her eyes, the thrilling touch of her skin and the bold wonder of bodies entwined. It is the ecstasy of this union and the profound fear of rejection mingling with the plea for acceptance. It is the uncertain but proved trust in her faithfulness. It is the brilliance and beauty of beholding the life that came forth from this oneness, the the sweet speechlessness in its presence.
Yes, glory is the truth of life to come and a world made right. It is the mystery of love. Food in every mouth and justice in every hand. This all is glory, yet it is still much more. We have tasted, we have seen, but we know not the slightest of the fullness, the greatness, the sturdiness of this anchor of all things.
What is glory? It is the vastness of an ocean spread to infinity before your eyes. It is the peace of bright green hills rolling and unfolding into a deep blue sky. It is the slow, terrifying movement of the Mississippi, unwinding endlessly in its journey, dividing the land and veiling the merciless tumult beneath.
Glory is the resolved and purposeful march of the ant as it relies on wisdom more unswerving and trustworthy than any we have known. It is the majestic strength and resilient poise of the lion, the cunning speed of the cheetah. It is the stable loyalty of the canine who disarms you with with his profound love. It is the splendor of a good an victorious king bearing news of peace and holding forth hope when it had seemed all but lost. It is the immovable safety of that king's castle and the tested might of the city walls.
Yes, and more. Glory is the assurance of a well-timed and wise word as it breathes meaning back into your soul. It is the illuminating phrase of the poet, the resonant laughter of the comic, the quiet resolution of the tragedy. It is the lift of a soaring melody over a steady march, the lilting sway of a slow waltz, the trumpet call of an anthem and a perfect cadence out of chaos.
Yet further, though words are increasing in their inadequacy. It is the fierce pursuit of a friend who pulls you out of the mire time and again. It is the untapped reservoir of his persistence to see you through, the heart-felt relief at his mouth closed, ears and arms open wide. It is the anticipation of shared joy and pain, of understanding and being understood.
I hesitate to press on. But it is still more. It is the enfolding warmth of a lover's embrace. Here my words are faltering... The joyful abundance of her smile, the epic and fearsome story in her eyes, the thrilling touch of her skin and the bold wonder of bodies entwined. It is the ecstasy of this union and the profound fear of rejection mingling with the plea for acceptance. It is the uncertain but proved trust in her faithfulness. It is the brilliance and beauty of beholding the life that came forth from this oneness, the the sweet speechlessness in its presence.
Yes, glory is the truth of life to come and a world made right. It is the mystery of love. Food in every mouth and justice in every hand. This all is glory, yet it is still much more. We have tasted, we have seen, but we know not the slightest of the fullness, the greatness, the sturdiness of this anchor of all things.
Monday, June 9, 2008
the simple life, part 3
We're moving toward the practical realm here, and I think there are some worthwhile Biblical reflections that will help us to get from the inward to the outward. There is a danger in cultivating any spiritual discipline, but I think especially this one, that we will lean toward overly pietistic forms. It would be quite easy to think about Jesus' commands to seek the kingdom and his righteousness with a sort of aloof, esoteric spirituality. We could take this command to basically mean we need to get out of the world, away from all of the distractions of the physical realm, alone with God to seek His kingdom. But this would be in direct contradiction to the teaching.
In the search for simplicity, we must guard against the dangers of Gnosticism that have been prevalent for ages. Gnosticism is the basic idea that the physical world is evil, and that true spirituality is only attained by disconnecting ourselves from it. With this view, seeking the kingdom might become nothing more than a perpetual monastic retreat. However, while retreat is a part of true spirituality, it is not the full extent of it. We must remember a few things:
1) That God created this physical world, and called it very good. Creation is, as John Piper says, "God's glory gone public." God has a passion and love for the material world. It is intended to point us to his glory by all of its awesome majesty, pleasures and beauty. (Genesis 1, Romans 1)
2) That God originally blessed mankind's relationship with the created order, setting him as steward over it, and calling him to cultivate it and use the stuff of creation to make a human culture that would reflect the glory of the Creator. (Genesis 1-2)
3) That it is our sin that has distorted the original goodness of the created order. Genesis 3 shows us that the immediate result of the first sin was a disruption of man's relationships - with God, one another and creation itself. Now the world is falling apart, and we inherently abuse and serve the created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1). Our use of the material world for twisted ends is not due to the inherent evil in it, but the evil in us.
4) Christ is the ultimate "Amen!" to the goodness of God's creation. God comes to us "in the flesh," fully entwined in the grit of physical reality. Christ displays for us in his Incarnation the restoration of man and his relationship to the material world. God cared enough about his creation that he willingly entered it and lived a life in it.
5) That God's redemptive purposes extend to the entire creation. He is at work not to bring us into some fluffy heaven where we all float around in a happy spirit land, but instead he works to renew the entire creation and make it once again very good. He will restore all of the brokenness that we have wrought on the physical world. (Isaiah 11, Revelation 21)
This is all important because it provides important perspective for how we should "seek the kingdom and his righteousness." Part of this seeking will of course involve retreat and separation from the confusion of the world. We must get before the face of God and seek to have our eyes opened to him in all of his glory. But we must also seek to bring the reality of the restored creation (aka. the kingdom) into the real world. This cannot be done by forsaking all things material. Instead, part of displaying the kingdom means displaying a right relationship with the material world. We show what it looks like to enjoy created things, but without our very life depending on having them. We show the world what kingdom stewardship looks like, using the material things to cultivate a beautiful culture that reflects God's glory. Any desert retreats should be for the purpose of drawing us back to this God-given work. So let us not seek to escape the "burdens" of the real world, but instead seek to restore the right and God-intended balance to our relationship with it. This must be done in community with our fellow man and with deep reflection on God's redemptive purposes in Christ.
In the search for simplicity, we must guard against the dangers of Gnosticism that have been prevalent for ages. Gnosticism is the basic idea that the physical world is evil, and that true spirituality is only attained by disconnecting ourselves from it. With this view, seeking the kingdom might become nothing more than a perpetual monastic retreat. However, while retreat is a part of true spirituality, it is not the full extent of it. We must remember a few things:
1) That God created this physical world, and called it very good. Creation is, as John Piper says, "God's glory gone public." God has a passion and love for the material world. It is intended to point us to his glory by all of its awesome majesty, pleasures and beauty. (Genesis 1, Romans 1)
2) That God originally blessed mankind's relationship with the created order, setting him as steward over it, and calling him to cultivate it and use the stuff of creation to make a human culture that would reflect the glory of the Creator. (Genesis 1-2)
3) That it is our sin that has distorted the original goodness of the created order. Genesis 3 shows us that the immediate result of the first sin was a disruption of man's relationships - with God, one another and creation itself. Now the world is falling apart, and we inherently abuse and serve the created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1). Our use of the material world for twisted ends is not due to the inherent evil in it, but the evil in us.
4) Christ is the ultimate "Amen!" to the goodness of God's creation. God comes to us "in the flesh," fully entwined in the grit of physical reality. Christ displays for us in his Incarnation the restoration of man and his relationship to the material world. God cared enough about his creation that he willingly entered it and lived a life in it.
5) That God's redemptive purposes extend to the entire creation. He is at work not to bring us into some fluffy heaven where we all float around in a happy spirit land, but instead he works to renew the entire creation and make it once again very good. He will restore all of the brokenness that we have wrought on the physical world. (Isaiah 11, Revelation 21)
This is all important because it provides important perspective for how we should "seek the kingdom and his righteousness." Part of this seeking will of course involve retreat and separation from the confusion of the world. We must get before the face of God and seek to have our eyes opened to him in all of his glory. But we must also seek to bring the reality of the restored creation (aka. the kingdom) into the real world. This cannot be done by forsaking all things material. Instead, part of displaying the kingdom means displaying a right relationship with the material world. We show what it looks like to enjoy created things, but without our very life depending on having them. We show the world what kingdom stewardship looks like, using the material things to cultivate a beautiful culture that reflects God's glory. Any desert retreats should be for the purpose of drawing us back to this God-given work. So let us not seek to escape the "burdens" of the real world, but instead seek to restore the right and God-intended balance to our relationship with it. This must be done in community with our fellow man and with deep reflection on God's redemptive purposes in Christ.
Monday, June 2, 2008
the simple life, part 2
To continue my thoughts on simplicity in a consumer culture, I’d like to spend one more post examining the inward part of this discipline before discussing what it looks like outwardly. I left off last time discussing the need for a “kingdom-first” mentality. This, I agree with Foster, is the core principle here. Listen to how emphatic he is on the matter:
Focus upon the kingdom produces the inward reality, and without the inward reality we will degenerate into legalistic trivia. Nothing else can be central. The desire to get out of the rat race cannot be central, the redistribution of the world’s wealth cannot be central, the concern for ecology cannot be central. Seeking first God’s kingdom and the righteousness, both personal and social, of that kingdom is the only thing that can be central to the Spiritual Discipline of simplicity.
This point is worth considerable reflection as we face the oppressive force of a society bent on endless consumption, boundless “growth” and individual success. There are many arguments for what will actually cause change in our society. What Foster is arguing is ultimately that redirected worship, which happens first individually and then has communal implications, is the only hope for lasting change. Given this fact, he also points out that it is possible to exhibit outward signs of simplicity without actually having it in spirit, which will ultimately lead to breakdown.
So how do we know if we are cultivating the inward reality? There is certainly no fool-proof way to be sure, but there are major things we can observe. Foster points out from the same passage we’ve been discussing (Matthew
1) We receive everything we have as a gift from God. “What we have is not the result of our labor, but of the gracious care of God.” How absent this spirit is from our society! How absent I find it in my own heart! We strive hard because we think we must provide everything for ourselves, not trusting God to take care of us. Then we have pride because we “earned what we have.” This is counter to seeking the kingdom.
2) We trust God to take care of and protect our possessions (and other things, ie. our reputation). When we are truly seeking the kingdom, we know that our Father will take care of everything else. We still can take normal precautions such as locking the door, but we know it’s ultimately God who cares for us. And if something should happen, which is certainly possible, we know that God will care for us even in that. We no longer fret over maintaining and protecting everything we have.
3) We have our goods (and ourselves) available to others. “If our goods are not available to the community when it is clearly right and good, then they are stolen goods. . . We cling to our possessions rather than sharing them because we are anxious about tomorrow.” When we no longer fear for our provision and protection, and entrust it to God, then we are free to share and give freely and generously.
(*These are taken from Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster)
Friday, May 30, 2008
into the wild
If you haven't yet seen the film and read the novel Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, I highly recommend both. They each highlight particular aspects of one young man's intense spiritual quest to find fulfillment, completion and meaning in the raw, open wilderness of Alaska. If you haven't seen either, and you're not familiar with the story of Chris McCandless, I won't spoil the outcome for you. But both versions of the (true) story probe deep into a curious, restless and passionate soul, in in so doing provide an insightful look at the human condition.
The film (directed by Sean Penn) does a marvelous job of bringing forward the key elements of McCandless' story, emphasizing the unexpected transformation he undergoes in the wild and bringing it home with full emotional impact. The book, while holding its share of poignant moments, fills out the details of McCandless' psyche a bit more, exploring the story from a journalistic perspective that can be a bit dry and overly informative but is nonetheless quite illuminating.
To top all that off, the film's soundtrack, written and performed by Eddie Vedder, of Pearl Jam fame, is phenomenal. Vedder was the right man to convey the raw grit and subtle beauty of this story. Journalistically, in film, and musically, this is an all-around well-told story of tragedy and unanticipated redemption.
The film (directed by Sean Penn) does a marvelous job of bringing forward the key elements of McCandless' story, emphasizing the unexpected transformation he undergoes in the wild and bringing it home with full emotional impact. The book, while holding its share of poignant moments, fills out the details of McCandless' psyche a bit more, exploring the story from a journalistic perspective that can be a bit dry and overly informative but is nonetheless quite illuminating.
To top all that off, the film's soundtrack, written and performed by Eddie Vedder, of Pearl Jam fame, is phenomenal. Vedder was the right man to convey the raw grit and subtle beauty of this story. Journalistically, in film, and musically, this is an all-around well-told story of tragedy and unanticipated redemption.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
the simple life, part 1
The “Gospel of Consumption” article I discussed in my last post has been part of a larger stream of thought for me this month. As we live in this consumer culture, I believe we find a war of sorts going on inside of us – a war of desires. On one hand, having bought into this consumer gospel, we consistently live according to its doctrine: the more you buy, the bigger the house, the nicer the appliances, the happier you will be. Yet, we also consistently find that this doesn’t actually prove to be true in reality. Then, when we look around at all of our accumulated stuff, we begin to hate it because all it really does is complicate our lives and give us more to worry about, more to maintain. So at the very same time that we desire more, we also find in ourselves a strong desire for less. We hunger for a simpler life that is not spent maintaining all of the things that don’t actually make us any happier.
This desire for simplicity is no secret. In fact, it seems to be a fairly consistent theme in the films and literature of our culture. Films such as Fight Club and, more recently, Into the Wild, explore the depths of this human desire and potential responses to it. Songwriters such as Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Bono (U2) and Jay Farrar (Son Volt) regularly explore the emptiness of a consumer culture and identity, while juxtaposing it against the deeper spirituality inherent to us humans. Indeed, filmmakers and songwriters, who in many ways act as prophets of our day, regularly pit those two realities against one another. Is our identity what we own? Or is it something deeper? Something both simpler and more complex? We long for a life that finds its meaning not in what we own or in a successful career, but in the depth and security of our relationships (with God and others). We all know that the label on our jeans doesn't say anything about who we are, yet somehow we can't help defining ourselves this way. (It may be far more subtle, by the way. Do you drink Kaldi's Coffee, or Folgers? Shop at Wal-Mart or Whole Foods?)
So how would we cultivate this inward reality? Foster points to Matthew 6:25-33, where Jesus explains that we don't need to worry about having what we will need, for God will provide our needs if we simply "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness." This is the foundation for a simple life. The reality is that we will spend our lives in pursuit of something. That's how we are made - we all worship something, whether it's God or something else. The only way to true simplicity is to renounce these other gods (whether it be the latest gadget or anything else) and seek first God's kingdom and righteousness. This means that our day-to-day priorities are determined by God and not our own passing fancies. And surely if we hope to break out of our current stream, then we must have hope in a different one. The fact that Christ is Lord, and that His Kingdom is here now and will be fully here in time, gives us a totally different world view from which to work. To pursue this kingdom means seeking a place where the last are first, where possessions are shared, and where justice is established. It is a place much different from the one we know.
It’s easy to respond to the consumer culture with frustration and anger, and come up with many possible solutions. Like I said, many already do this in various ways within our culture. But, as Foster says, we need a “place to stand” in order to see true change within ourselves and in society as a whole. Seeking the kingdom is a reorientation of our desires and pursuits so that they are pointed toward the right place, and the only place in which they can be fulfilled. Could it be that the pursuit of contentment we see so freely at work in our consumption habits is actually a reflection of a deep desire to pursue something meaningful? What if we redirected that pursuit toward that which actually lasts? That is what Jesus is saying – don’t store up treasure where everything fades away, store it in a place that endures! Seek first the kingdom – my Father’s eternal kingdom! This isn’t a killing of our desires for happiness – it’s the only place they can be fulfilled. True, in seeking genuine simplicity, we will kill some of our desires and die to ourselves. Jesus said boldly, "Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it." (Luke 9:24) So in the end we do not lose. What will remain is our life, more pure and full and human than we can possibly imagine from where we stand. So this must be the starting point for any journey toward simplicity. Only here are we free to look at our possessions and pursuits in a new light.
So what would this new pursuit look like? How might we bring Christ’s Lordship to bear in every area of our lives, both personally and publicly? How might we pursue his righteousness and make that our primary concern over what we have or what we think we need? These are good questions to chew on before moving forward with this discussion.
Friday, May 2, 2008
consumed
There is a fabulous article in the latest issue of Orion Magazine entitled "The Gospel of Consumption." It explores the cultural shift that took place during the 1920s that led to the consumer culture we now know. To understand the world we live in, it is helpful to look back and realize that there was a time when people functioned differently.
It is staggering to realize that what we often assume now as "just the way the world works" is really only a result of the cumulative choices of people, especially people in power. The Industrial Revolution that began in the 1800s led inevitably to a crossroads. We had gained previously unknown abilities and powers to produce. So a choice was laid before Americans. Now that we could produce our basic needs at a much higher rate, would we seek to use that power for good? Would we seek new and creative ways to use our newfound extra time?
Americans made a choice, and it was the folks with the money that led the way. The article references a 1929 magazine article by James Kettering, director of General Motors Research. The title of the article was "Keep the Consumer Dissatisfied." And there you have the beginning of the culture we now know, live and breathe. As the article says, "he was defining a strategic shift for American industry - from fulfilling basic human needs to creating new ones." The author of the article, Jeffrey Kaplan, goes on to say:
"Business leaders were less than enthusiastic about the prospect of a society no longer centered on the production of goods. For them, the new 'labor-saving' machinery presented not a vision of liberation but a threat to their position at the center of power."
Listen also to these words from President Hoover's 1929 Committee on Recent Economic Changes:
"Economically we have a boundless field before us; that there are new wants which will make way endlessly for newer wants, as fast as they are satisfied."
Consider the prophetic nature of that statement, made almost 80 years ago. These are the beginnings of a movement we have yet to see the end of, but one which is beginning to run its course whether we want it to or not. What began in the 1920s has played out in the creation of a society where the consumer is "king" (or slave?). The wants of the individual, or the creation thereof, drive everything about the world we know. But inevitably, the wants and felt needs of people will collide with reality. The natural world and human community have limits to what they can support.
Think about it from a different perspective: we just watched The End of Suburbia for our monthly Movies and Mindmaps discussion at Karis. This documentary explores this problem from another angle: It specifically focuses on how the suburban movement, which is deeply connected with the larger consumer movement in Western culture, has led us to the current era of peak oil and waning natural resources. The consumer mentality that began in the 1920s, though put on hold a bit during the Depression and World War II, was ultimately indoctrinated in post-WWII America. This "gospel of consumption" became: "Tired of the toil of city life? Move out to the country, live the good life away from the bustle of your workplace. Have your own space, and plenty of it. Fulfill the American Dream and have whatever you need." And heck, that was probably a pretty compelling vision in a society that had just seen some pretty bleak years.
But, as the article argues, all we've done is create a busy world where we run around like crazy in order to keep up our lifestyle of comfort and consumption. We sense that we don't really need it all, but nonetheless we work incessantly to get more, more, more. We could have a bigger house with more privacy. We could climb one more rung in the corporate ladder. We could get the latest technological device to manage our insane schedules. On and on the list could go. But what's the point? That's the great question the Orion article asks. Here's a staggering statistic: we were the richest country on the planet in 1948. Most of the world has not caught up even to where we were then. If we returned to 1948 levels of production and consumption, we could work 2.7 hours a day, and make everything we need!
Now, of course that may not be realistic or even desirable. But it illuminates an important truth for us. Our production and consumption is way beyond what is needed for us to live happy and abundant lives. This production could be aimed toward providing for the real needs of poor people throughout our country and the rest of the world, and we could do this while still working less. Many in our society work 60, 80, 100 hours a week, just to keep producing and consuming. What if we fundamentally had our priorities changed? What if we remembered that our most basic needs are spiritual, relational, and simple physical (read: food and clothing)? What if we were grounded in a deeper reality than the one marketers sell to us every day?
The businessmen of the 1920s paved the way for a society that looks to marketers to create needs, and so we have consumed the world around us with little regard for the less fortunate, the environment, or future generations. We gladly bought their vision, because we are selfish and greedy just like they are. But now we face the hard truth that our own earth can't even support our endless cravings much longer. And we face the even harder truth that the consumer vision is spiritually bankrupt. As God's image-bearers, we are first and foremost relational, moral and creative agents, not consumers. We are made to pour out for the betterment of the world God gave us, not for the endless bloating of our own selves.
The Kingdom of God, which Jesus first pronounced and displayed, turns all of this on its head. It's only in that culture that we can be returned to our rightful state as healthy and whole image-bearers of a good and gracious God. It's only there that my neighbor - rich or poor, strong or weak - matters more than myself. It's only there that we are defined not first by what we have or buy or produce, but by an identity as children of a loving King. It is not a Kingdom that can be bought and sold, but one that is freely given where there is faith in the good promises of the King. In his Kingdom, the last shall be first. So when will we stop our endless strivings and willingly become poor so that we can become a part of this Kingdom? Will we be last in a world obsessed with being first?
The article closes with a great point: "If we want to save the Earth, we must save ourselves from ourselves. We can start by sharing the work and the wealth. We may just find there is plenty of both to go around." The question that remains, though, is: who will save us from ourselves? We haven't proven to adept at that. The force for real change must come from the outside, not within. The gospel of consumption teaches us to live for our own gain at others' expense. The gospel of Christ teaches us to die that others might live. Which will create a good and just society?
Read "The Gospel of Consumption."
It is staggering to realize that what we often assume now as "just the way the world works" is really only a result of the cumulative choices of people, especially people in power. The Industrial Revolution that began in the 1800s led inevitably to a crossroads. We had gained previously unknown abilities and powers to produce. So a choice was laid before Americans. Now that we could produce our basic needs at a much higher rate, would we seek to use that power for good? Would we seek new and creative ways to use our newfound extra time?
Americans made a choice, and it was the folks with the money that led the way. The article references a 1929 magazine article by James Kettering, director of General Motors Research. The title of the article was "Keep the Consumer Dissatisfied." And there you have the beginning of the culture we now know, live and breathe. As the article says, "he was defining a strategic shift for American industry - from fulfilling basic human needs to creating new ones." The author of the article, Jeffrey Kaplan, goes on to say:
"Business leaders were less than enthusiastic about the prospect of a society no longer centered on the production of goods. For them, the new 'labor-saving' machinery presented not a vision of liberation but a threat to their position at the center of power."
Listen also to these words from President Hoover's 1929 Committee on Recent Economic Changes:
"Economically we have a boundless field before us; that there are new wants which will make way endlessly for newer wants, as fast as they are satisfied."
Consider the prophetic nature of that statement, made almost 80 years ago. These are the beginnings of a movement we have yet to see the end of, but one which is beginning to run its course whether we want it to or not. What began in the 1920s has played out in the creation of a society where the consumer is "king" (or slave?). The wants of the individual, or the creation thereof, drive everything about the world we know. But inevitably, the wants and felt needs of people will collide with reality. The natural world and human community have limits to what they can support.
Think about it from a different perspective: we just watched The End of Suburbia for our monthly Movies and Mindmaps discussion at Karis. This documentary explores this problem from another angle: It specifically focuses on how the suburban movement, which is deeply connected with the larger consumer movement in Western culture, has led us to the current era of peak oil and waning natural resources. The consumer mentality that began in the 1920s, though put on hold a bit during the Depression and World War II, was ultimately indoctrinated in post-WWII America. This "gospel of consumption" became: "Tired of the toil of city life? Move out to the country, live the good life away from the bustle of your workplace. Have your own space, and plenty of it. Fulfill the American Dream and have whatever you need." And heck, that was probably a pretty compelling vision in a society that had just seen some pretty bleak years.
But, as the article argues, all we've done is create a busy world where we run around like crazy in order to keep up our lifestyle of comfort and consumption. We sense that we don't really need it all, but nonetheless we work incessantly to get more, more, more. We could have a bigger house with more privacy. We could climb one more rung in the corporate ladder. We could get the latest technological device to manage our insane schedules. On and on the list could go. But what's the point? That's the great question the Orion article asks. Here's a staggering statistic: we were the richest country on the planet in 1948. Most of the world has not caught up even to where we were then. If we returned to 1948 levels of production and consumption, we could work 2.7 hours a day, and make everything we need!
Now, of course that may not be realistic or even desirable. But it illuminates an important truth for us. Our production and consumption is way beyond what is needed for us to live happy and abundant lives. This production could be aimed toward providing for the real needs of poor people throughout our country and the rest of the world, and we could do this while still working less. Many in our society work 60, 80, 100 hours a week, just to keep producing and consuming. What if we fundamentally had our priorities changed? What if we remembered that our most basic needs are spiritual, relational, and simple physical (read: food and clothing)? What if we were grounded in a deeper reality than the one marketers sell to us every day?
The businessmen of the 1920s paved the way for a society that looks to marketers to create needs, and so we have consumed the world around us with little regard for the less fortunate, the environment, or future generations. We gladly bought their vision, because we are selfish and greedy just like they are. But now we face the hard truth that our own earth can't even support our endless cravings much longer. And we face the even harder truth that the consumer vision is spiritually bankrupt. As God's image-bearers, we are first and foremost relational, moral and creative agents, not consumers. We are made to pour out for the betterment of the world God gave us, not for the endless bloating of our own selves.
The Kingdom of God, which Jesus first pronounced and displayed, turns all of this on its head. It's only in that culture that we can be returned to our rightful state as healthy and whole image-bearers of a good and gracious God. It's only there that my neighbor - rich or poor, strong or weak - matters more than myself. It's only there that we are defined not first by what we have or buy or produce, but by an identity as children of a loving King. It is not a Kingdom that can be bought and sold, but one that is freely given where there is faith in the good promises of the King. In his Kingdom, the last shall be first. So when will we stop our endless strivings and willingly become poor so that we can become a part of this Kingdom? Will we be last in a world obsessed with being first?
The article closes with a great point: "If we want to save the Earth, we must save ourselves from ourselves. We can start by sharing the work and the wealth. We may just find there is plenty of both to go around." The question that remains, though, is: who will save us from ourselves? We haven't proven to adept at that. The force for real change must come from the outside, not within. The gospel of consumption teaches us to live for our own gain at others' expense. The gospel of Christ teaches us to die that others might live. Which will create a good and just society?
Read "The Gospel of Consumption."
Saturday, April 5, 2008
dangit
So I really didn't want to be that guy who started a blog, posted a couple times and then disappeared. Oops. I'm that guy. I could start into my excuses about how busy the last few months have been, but alas, everyone knows that story, so instead I'll save that and just try this again.
Honestly, I think I need to just spit out a basic "journal entry" of sorts to get myself back into the mindset of posting. The past few months have been very busy, at times a bit too much so, but they have been marked by much of God's grace. It began with the Resurgence Conference in
From there it was back to
The following three weeks were the busiest, as leading music in church always comes to a head for Good Friday and Easter. Good Friday is always one of my favorite worship services to plan, as we put the focus heavily on music and the reading of Scripture - all with the aim of powerfully portraying the weight and significance of the crucifixion. Taking communion with my community here on that night is always one of the more affecting moments of worship of each year. And of course, to follow that with the joyous celebration of Easter as we remembered again the resurrection of Christ, overall makes for the
Next up was
So here we are, back in
And with that, we're caught up. Please feel free to chastise me if I do not resume a more regular flow of posting.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
thy blood was shed for me
Although I love the Lenten season, I often find it difficult to actually observe it. In the end, I think it reveals how much restructuring my whole life needs, not just for this one season a year, but for every day. Not enough space is made for prayer. My ears are not open and my heart is not as attentive as it should be. I live like a frantic, worried soul when I should be at peace.
Richard Foster's book, Celebration of Discipline spoke deeply to me this week. Two of his chapters revealed to me what I lack (among many other things): simplicity and solitude. He refers to these as two of the outward disciplines, but stresses that the outward manifestation flows from an inward reality. "It is possible for a person to be developing an outward lifestyle of simplicity and to be filled with anxiety," he says. The inward must come first. This is what Lent should be about: a pursuit of the deeper inner realities of the Spirit-filled life; those realities that can only express themselves outwardly.
Strangely enough, all of that was simply an intro to what I am actually posting about. My point is that I am actively trying to observe Lent and go deeper, so here is something to that end.
I'll be teaching the song "Thy Blood Was Shed For Me" in church tomorrow. This is a somber and penitential hymn originally written by Charles Wesley and put to new music by Matthew Smith, one of my favorite modern hymn-writers. The melody is wonderful in its ability to capture the two sides of repentance the lyrics portray. First, we see our sin and grieve over it. But then, we leap in faith into Christ - casting our sins onto Him. So musically this works itself out beautifully. The start of each verse is low, quiet and sorrowful, a deep meditation on our poverty. But then the melody immediately soars like an insistent plea as the lyrics turn from sorrow over our sin to a surrender to Christ and his ability to cleanse us. My ability to describe it stops here - I can't begin to portray the arrangement in words. You can hear part of the song as Smith's website. Just scroll through the tunes on the main page.
It's a fitting melody, but ultimately it is the words that anchor a hymn in place. And these lyrics powerfully portray our situation both apart from Christ and in communion with him. Here they are in full:
Let the world their virtue boast and works of righteousness
I, a wretch, undone and lost, am freely saved by grace
Take me, Savior, as I am; let me lose my sins in Thee
Friend of sinners, spotless Lamb, Thy blood was shed for me
They blood was shed for me
Full of truth and grace Thou art and here is all my hope
False and foul as hell, my heart, to Thee I offer up
Thou wast given to redeem my soul from iniquity
Friend of sinners, spotless Lamb, Thy blood was shed for me
Thy blood was shed for me
Nothing have I, Lord, to pay nor can Thy grace procure
Empty, send me not away, for Thou knowest I am poor
Dust and ashes is my name, my all is sin and misery
Friend of sinners, spotless Lamb, Thy blood was shed for me
Thy blood was shed for me
That first verse is especially relevant to our Lenten journey. This is ultimately where we must go: seeing the depth of our lostness, we turn from self-boasting to see the breadth of Christ's fullness and we declare "Take me, Savior, as I am. Let me lose my sins in Thee!" In this season of the "Christian Passover" may we speak these words and know their truth: "Thy blood was shed for me."
Richard Foster's book, Celebration of Discipline spoke deeply to me this week. Two of his chapters revealed to me what I lack (among many other things): simplicity and solitude. He refers to these as two of the outward disciplines, but stresses that the outward manifestation flows from an inward reality. "It is possible for a person to be developing an outward lifestyle of simplicity and to be filled with anxiety," he says. The inward must come first. This is what Lent should be about: a pursuit of the deeper inner realities of the Spirit-filled life; those realities that can only express themselves outwardly.
Strangely enough, all of that was simply an intro to what I am actually posting about. My point is that I am actively trying to observe Lent and go deeper, so here is something to that end.
I'll be teaching the song "Thy Blood Was Shed For Me" in church tomorrow. This is a somber and penitential hymn originally written by Charles Wesley and put to new music by Matthew Smith, one of my favorite modern hymn-writers. The melody is wonderful in its ability to capture the two sides of repentance the lyrics portray. First, we see our sin and grieve over it. But then, we leap in faith into Christ - casting our sins onto Him. So musically this works itself out beautifully. The start of each verse is low, quiet and sorrowful, a deep meditation on our poverty. But then the melody immediately soars like an insistent plea as the lyrics turn from sorrow over our sin to a surrender to Christ and his ability to cleanse us. My ability to describe it stops here - I can't begin to portray the arrangement in words. You can hear part of the song as Smith's website. Just scroll through the tunes on the main page.
It's a fitting melody, but ultimately it is the words that anchor a hymn in place. And these lyrics powerfully portray our situation both apart from Christ and in communion with him. Here they are in full:
Let the world their virtue boast and works of righteousness
I, a wretch, undone and lost, am freely saved by grace
Take me, Savior, as I am; let me lose my sins in Thee
Friend of sinners, spotless Lamb, Thy blood was shed for me
They blood was shed for me
Full of truth and grace Thou art and here is all my hope
False and foul as hell, my heart, to Thee I offer up
Thou wast given to redeem my soul from iniquity
Friend of sinners, spotless Lamb, Thy blood was shed for me
Thy blood was shed for me
Nothing have I, Lord, to pay nor can Thy grace procure
Empty, send me not away, for Thou knowest I am poor
Dust and ashes is my name, my all is sin and misery
Friend of sinners, spotless Lamb, Thy blood was shed for me
Thy blood was shed for me
That first verse is especially relevant to our Lenten journey. This is ultimately where we must go: seeing the depth of our lostness, we turn from self-boasting to see the breadth of Christ's fullness and we declare "Take me, Savior, as I am. Let me lose my sins in Thee!" In this season of the "Christian Passover" may we speak these words and know their truth: "Thy blood was shed for me."
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
the cult of celebrity, and more
This week has brought two separate but related conversations about the state of our celebrity-soaked culture. The second one is more direct. On Monday night, our church hosted its bi-monthly cultural discussion, Theology at the Forge. The design here is basically to create a public forum where people are challenged (first as humans and citizens) to look at themselves and the world around them a bit more critically. The basic underlying questions for our meal discussion are ones such as: what's wrong with society? What can be done to make it right? What do trends in society teach us about human nature? About ourselves? What good can be found? How can we create more of this good? What underlying beliefs have led to the "texts and trends" we find in our culture? In short, culture is a product of worldviews. When people get together, they inevitably live out on a communal level what their desires and passions are. At Karis, we think discussing such things is worthwhile, and it's essential for shaping us into people who live more and more consistently with reality, rather than by false presuppositions.
But I have diverged from my point, I hope that brief description is enough! In this particular installment of TATF, we discussed "The Cult of Celebrity: Who's Your Role Model?" When we look at our culture today, we see that the influence of celebrity culture is undeniable. The magazines we read, the news we watch, the fashions to which we adhere, even the causes we back up...many of these are a result of our subconscious connection with what flows from Hollywood. The first discussion that I was involved in, on Sunday night, went even deeper into this. We looked at the checkout lane of a grocery store from a theological perspective. This stems from an article in Everyday Theology called "The Gospel According to Safeway." The authors basically argue that the checkout lane is preaching a certain vision of the good life, and it is one that we often passively accept. Better sex, easy weight loss, convenient solutions and quick sugar fixes are all at your fingertips as you impatiently wait for the obnoxious mom with 3 kids in front of you to finish checking out. In fact, the authors argued that celebrities are the de facto symbol of the good life. They have everything we want (or think we want): wealth, fame, money, sex, and so, hard as this may be to digest, we idolize them (aka. we worship them). And what we worship shapes who we are.
But of course, the answer here isn't that all mass media or all celebrities are bad. Nor is it to say that there is no place for thoroughly enjoying a musician's work or an actor's films. Rather, this raises many pertinent questions for anyone living in 21st-century western civilization. Here are some that came up Monday night:
1) The death of Heath Ledger is all over the media. We hear more about this than about the deaths overseas, or for that matter, in our own communities. What might this say about our culture? About human nature?
2) Why do you think we are obsessed with celebrity gossip? (People is the most-read magazine).
3) The January issue of Esquire is peppered with advice from celebrities on how to live life. Would you say our culture equates fame with wisdom? Do we place more trust in celebrities for advice than our own friends and neighbors who know us?
4) It seems like soft news (ie. the Daily Show or the Tonight Show) are taking over as our source of information. Is this a good or bad trend? What does it say about our culture as compared to past ones?
5) Does fame equate to moral or spiritual authority? (Oprah would be a good example here)
6) What about the way celebrity culture defines beauty for us? Is this healthy?
7) So what might be an alternative vision for the good life in these areas already mentioned? If the life promised by the magazines is unrealistic, then what is realistic? (We can't really answer a question like that if you don't figure out what is true and foundational to reality).
I hope these questions are helpful. I'm sure there are many more that could be asked. I obviously have opinions on them, but I'll leave it at that for now. Feel free to post a comment - this could be good conversation!
But I have diverged from my point, I hope that brief description is enough! In this particular installment of TATF, we discussed "The Cult of Celebrity: Who's Your Role Model?" When we look at our culture today, we see that the influence of celebrity culture is undeniable. The magazines we read, the news we watch, the fashions to which we adhere, even the causes we back up...many of these are a result of our subconscious connection with what flows from Hollywood. The first discussion that I was involved in, on Sunday night, went even deeper into this. We looked at the checkout lane of a grocery store from a theological perspective. This stems from an article in Everyday Theology called "The Gospel According to Safeway." The authors basically argue that the checkout lane is preaching a certain vision of the good life, and it is one that we often passively accept. Better sex, easy weight loss, convenient solutions and quick sugar fixes are all at your fingertips as you impatiently wait for the obnoxious mom with 3 kids in front of you to finish checking out. In fact, the authors argued that celebrities are the de facto symbol of the good life. They have everything we want (or think we want): wealth, fame, money, sex, and so, hard as this may be to digest, we idolize them (aka. we worship them). And what we worship shapes who we are.
But of course, the answer here isn't that all mass media or all celebrities are bad. Nor is it to say that there is no place for thoroughly enjoying a musician's work or an actor's films. Rather, this raises many pertinent questions for anyone living in 21st-century western civilization. Here are some that came up Monday night:
1) The death of Heath Ledger is all over the media. We hear more about this than about the deaths overseas, or for that matter, in our own communities. What might this say about our culture? About human nature?
2) Why do you think we are obsessed with celebrity gossip? (People is the most-read magazine).
3) The January issue of Esquire is peppered with advice from celebrities on how to live life. Would you say our culture equates fame with wisdom? Do we place more trust in celebrities for advice than our own friends and neighbors who know us?
4) It seems like soft news (ie. the Daily Show or the Tonight Show) are taking over as our source of information. Is this a good or bad trend? What does it say about our culture as compared to past ones?
5) Does fame equate to moral or spiritual authority? (Oprah would be a good example here)
6) What about the way celebrity culture defines beauty for us? Is this healthy?
7) So what might be an alternative vision for the good life in these areas already mentioned? If the life promised by the magazines is unrealistic, then what is realistic? (We can't really answer a question like that if you don't figure out what is true and foundational to reality).
I hope these questions are helpful. I'm sure there are many more that could be asked. I obviously have opinions on them, but I'll leave it at that for now. Feel free to post a comment - this could be good conversation!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
an intriguing election year
I'm sure I'm not alone in my increased interest in this year's election race. Part of it, for me at least, is that I am more informed than I was four years ago, and more able to think critically about politics and the role of government. I was fairly naive in 2004. I'm still naive now, just not quite as much so! But the other part of it is simply that it's an exciting race, at least on the Democratic side. It looks like it will probably come down the wire for Clinton and Obama, which should make the next 6 months quite interesting.
In any case, my point for this post isn't so much to discuss candidates or what's happening in the race. Rather, I wanted to provoke some thoughtful engagement in some important issues. Jim Wallis' book, God's Politics, has been immensely helpful in forming not so much my specific stances on issues, but in teaching me how to think about my role both as a Christian and a citizen (which go hand in hand) in the political arena. The central point of Wallis' book is that the best role for any faith community is to stand outside the central political sphere and speak prophetically to both the Right and the Left. Rather than letting the church become an arm of the Religious Right or of an opposing liberal agenda, God's people should speak truth across the board, and call biblical values in all political issues. For example, as Wallis points out, poverty is just as much a moral concern as abortion is. This has hit home with me. Perhaps this is why I resonated quite a bit with what John Edwards had to say in his campaign.
So, to illustrate a point, let's look at the poverty example. We could stand within the same old debate and listen to the conservatives on one side say "you can't just give people handouts; you need to hold them responsible!" Or the liberals on the other side saying "but these issues are systemic - it's all about society's oppression!" But here is why I like Wallis - he does neither of these. I post here a quote from his blog in which he describes a discussion he had on a conservative Christian radio station:
Finally, his challenge to all Christians who say it's the church's responsibility to deal with poverty, should cause us to pause. If we say that, then are we doing anything about it? Do we actually have those relationships? Or do we just look like hypocrites? How can we respond to this challenge?
It will be an interesting year indeed.
In any case, my point for this post isn't so much to discuss candidates or what's happening in the race. Rather, I wanted to provoke some thoughtful engagement in some important issues. Jim Wallis' book, God's Politics, has been immensely helpful in forming not so much my specific stances on issues, but in teaching me how to think about my role both as a Christian and a citizen (which go hand in hand) in the political arena. The central point of Wallis' book is that the best role for any faith community is to stand outside the central political sphere and speak prophetically to both the Right and the Left. Rather than letting the church become an arm of the Religious Right or of an opposing liberal agenda, God's people should speak truth across the board, and call biblical values in all political issues. For example, as Wallis points out, poverty is just as much a moral concern as abortion is. This has hit home with me. Perhaps this is why I resonated quite a bit with what John Edwards had to say in his campaign.
So, to illustrate a point, let's look at the poverty example. We could stand within the same old debate and listen to the conservatives on one side say "you can't just give people handouts; you need to hold them responsible!" Or the liberals on the other side saying "but these issues are systemic - it's all about society's oppression!" But here is why I like Wallis - he does neither of these. I post here a quote from his blog in which he describes a discussion he had on a conservative Christian radio station:
"When our discussion turned to the subject of poverty, I brought up how all too often our lack of relationship with the poor is a deeper problem than our ideological debates about how to solve poverty – how very few of us, including liberal Democrats, including Christians, have real relationships with the poor.
As a committed Christian and committed conservative, Thor [Tolo, the Christian radio host] believes it's primarily the church's responsibility to address poverty—not the government's. Even so, he admitted, "I feel very convicted by what you just said," and admitted his lack of relationship with poor people, even though he had concerns about government helping to promote a cycle of dependency.
I said we need a grand alliance between conservatives and liberals on the issue, an alliance that calls on liberals to address family breakdown, out-of-wedlock births, and other dimensions of poverty involving personal responsibility, and for conservatives to champion strategic investments in housing, health care, and education—with clear outcomes and results.
But I added, "When did Jesus ever call his followers to serve only the deserving poor?"
Smiling, he conceded the point. It's hard to disagree with Jesus."
What do you think of Wallis' point here? Is it possible to engage in these debates on a deeper level? Can the church stand outside these issues and be consistently biblical? I find myself much more hopeful, thanks to folks like Wallis, that she can.Finally, his challenge to all Christians who say it's the church's responsibility to deal with poverty, should cause us to pause. If we say that, then are we doing anything about it? Do we actually have those relationships? Or do we just look like hypocrites? How can we respond to this challenge?
It will be an interesting year indeed.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
ash wednesday, a day late
Yes I realize I am belated on this entry. I hoped to post it yesterday, but alas, these things are not always so simple! I wanted to initiate/invite some reflection for Ash Wednesday (yesterday), as we enter the season of Lent.
To state it briefly, Lent literally means "springtime." This is a fitting description, not because it falls on the transition from winter to Spring (at least in our part of the world), but because it paints a picture of new life. Lent has historically been a season of repentance and renewal for the church - a time of once again looking at oneself and to the sacrifice of Christ for a new sense of the unity offered by Jesus to his followers. This is a unity that places us in Christ fully - in His death and His resurrection. So we remember his call to die to ourselves, to "take up our cross and follow" him. But we also remember that through His conquest of death, we have the hope of new life, both in eternity and in small vignettes of the Kingdom here and now.
In other words, it is not merely a drab and morbid season of self-sacrifice and meditation on the sufferings of Christ. Rather, it is a time in which we take action to promote a greater unity with Christ in our own lives and those around us. So, yes, giving to the poor and fasting are fitting pursuits in this time. Through such acts we simultaneously cry to God for His life-giving love and faithfulness and we proclaim to our community the greatness of the Kingdom Christ brought in with his life, death and resurrection.
This 40-day sojourn (46 including Sundays) from Ash Wednesday through Good Friday, culminating in Easter Sunday, is my favorite season on the church calendar. As with all traditions, there is a constant danger of becoming legalistic or simply going through the motions. But when observed with a heart longing for a deeper sense of God's presence in our world, these times can bring great refreshment and renewed purpose. Holy Communion comes with a profound and vivid sense of vitality for me this time of year. I invite you to join with the church around the world in remembering the beautiful sacrifice and redeeming life of Jesus Christ. We shall all shout on Easter Sunday: "He is risen!"
I'll leave you with a simple poem from Oscar Wilde called "The Ballad of Reading Gaol":
And thus we rust life's iron chain
Degraded and alone
And some men curse, and some men weep,
And some men make no moan:
But God's eternal Laws are kind
And break the heart of stone.
And every human heart that breaks,
In prison cell or yard,
Is as that broken box that gave
Its treasure to the Lord,
And filled the unclean leper's house
With the scent of costliest nard.
Ah! happy those whose heart's can break
And peace of pardon win!
How else may man make straight his plan
And cleanse his soul from Sin?
How else but through a broken heart
May Lord Christ enter in?
Blessings to you this (day after) Ash Wednesday. May our hearts break, that He may enter in and heal them.
To state it briefly, Lent literally means "springtime." This is a fitting description, not because it falls on the transition from winter to Spring (at least in our part of the world), but because it paints a picture of new life. Lent has historically been a season of repentance and renewal for the church - a time of once again looking at oneself and to the sacrifice of Christ for a new sense of the unity offered by Jesus to his followers. This is a unity that places us in Christ fully - in His death and His resurrection. So we remember his call to die to ourselves, to "take up our cross and follow" him. But we also remember that through His conquest of death, we have the hope of new life, both in eternity and in small vignettes of the Kingdom here and now.
In other words, it is not merely a drab and morbid season of self-sacrifice and meditation on the sufferings of Christ. Rather, it is a time in which we take action to promote a greater unity with Christ in our own lives and those around us. So, yes, giving to the poor and fasting are fitting pursuits in this time. Through such acts we simultaneously cry to God for His life-giving love and faithfulness and we proclaim to our community the greatness of the Kingdom Christ brought in with his life, death and resurrection.
This 40-day sojourn (46 including Sundays) from Ash Wednesday through Good Friday, culminating in Easter Sunday, is my favorite season on the church calendar. As with all traditions, there is a constant danger of becoming legalistic or simply going through the motions. But when observed with a heart longing for a deeper sense of God's presence in our world, these times can bring great refreshment and renewed purpose. Holy Communion comes with a profound and vivid sense of vitality for me this time of year. I invite you to join with the church around the world in remembering the beautiful sacrifice and redeeming life of Jesus Christ. We shall all shout on Easter Sunday: "He is risen!"
I'll leave you with a simple poem from Oscar Wilde called "The Ballad of Reading Gaol":
And thus we rust life's iron chain
Degraded and alone
And some men curse, and some men weep,
And some men make no moan:
But God's eternal Laws are kind
And break the heart of stone.
And every human heart that breaks,
In prison cell or yard,
Is as that broken box that gave
Its treasure to the Lord,
And filled the unclean leper's house
With the scent of costliest nard.
Ah! happy those whose heart's can break
And peace of pardon win!
How else may man make straight his plan
And cleanse his soul from Sin?
How else but through a broken heart
May Lord Christ enter in?
Blessings to you this (day after) Ash Wednesday. May our hearts break, that He may enter in and heal them.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
on starting a new blog
This new blog has been a long time in the making for me. There are probably a few out there who remember my original blog from my college days. I started it smack in the middle of the early craze. You know, back when these things were all the rage for the new and bizarre exhibitionist-style diary entries. At first, it was a funny phenomenon. As with most technologies, I was a bit luddite in my resistance. Finally I gave in an joined the online journaling community. But eventually I realized that simply making my journal public wasn't enough to motivate me to continue the trend. So I put aside for a few years.
But I think I am finally ready to re-enter the fray. Over the past few years, the approach to blogging has expanded and matured, and what I now see excites me. The possibilities for this medium are relatively broad, in both good and bad ways. I hope, of course, to use mine for good.
I guess I like to think of the blog world, or at least its potential, as a natural extension of local community onto a broader scale. For all my criticisms of other modern fads such as Facebook, the same could be said of their potential as well. If you are well-rooted in your own community, finding purpose and identity on a daily basis, then these tools become less about ego-stroking or image-crafting than they are about creating further opportunities for dialog over the many challenging tasks and struggles that face us humans in our day. These tests are both personal and communal, and as such they demand engagement in both realms. So, I say, shall we not thoughtfully probe these questions and challenges in the quiet places as well as in the furnace of relationships, both local and abroad? That's what I suppose would be the greatest potential use of the blog world.
I've chosen an interesting title for my new endeavor: "A Love Stronger than our Fear". It comes from the title of a song by one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Derek Webb. He wrote it most immediately as a response to the dark times of war in which we find ourselves, looking for a better way to respond to enemies than with violence and oppression. "What would you do if someone put a gun to your head," he questions, "and asks you to tell them a lie? What would you say if you were pushed that way, to betray yourself to keep yourself alive?" These questions certainly apply to life in a world of potentially endless war. But I think they apply more deeply, as Webb also applies them, to every challenge we face within ourselves and around us. "Because there is a day that's been inaugurated, but has not yet come. And we can proclaim, by showing that there's a better way." That's ultimately what I am hoping a lot of the conversation from this blog is about: that better way, the love stronger than our fear.
This is personal for me in so many ways. Even this act of beginning a new blog is an attempt to proclaim that love that overcomes fear. One of my biggest reasons for doing it is to stimulate my long-suffocated impulse to write. I think I have been given an ability to put words to good use. I want to cultivate it, I want to go somewhere with it and steward it. But nothing scares me more than the thought of putting some of my writings - poems, essays, anything, out here for anyone to see and evaluate. What if I'm proven wrong? What if the gift is in my head, made up for my own ego? This is me saying there is a love stronger than that fear, so I don't have to hide under a rock any more, never knowing how God might put my hands to use.
In the same way, this touches the broader areas of life in community for me. Some of my recent readings have given me great hope for a deeper engagement with the world around me. That world meets me daily, in the beautiful fellowship of my church and in the wider, mostly yet untouched community of the broken and hurting world that seeks restoration so badly. I know the One who promises that restoration. Indeed, there is a better way to be explored, to know, to proclaim.
All of life really is interconnected, so this blog won't really have one particular theme. Rather, I simply hope this will be a place where we can avoid shallow intellectual babble, but instead go deeper. For as Richard Foster says, "The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people." I hope you'll join me in this endeavor.
Words from another of my favorite songwriters, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, provide a suitable end to this post/beginning of this blog. These words were written at a great turning point in his life from constant despair to a disposition of hope. I leave you with them: "Maybe the sun will shine today, the clouds will blow away. Maybe I won't feel so afraid. I will try to understand...either way."
But I think I am finally ready to re-enter the fray. Over the past few years, the approach to blogging has expanded and matured, and what I now see excites me. The possibilities for this medium are relatively broad, in both good and bad ways. I hope, of course, to use mine for good.
I guess I like to think of the blog world, or at least its potential, as a natural extension of local community onto a broader scale. For all my criticisms of other modern fads such as Facebook, the same could be said of their potential as well. If you are well-rooted in your own community, finding purpose and identity on a daily basis, then these tools become less about ego-stroking or image-crafting than they are about creating further opportunities for dialog over the many challenging tasks and struggles that face us humans in our day. These tests are both personal and communal, and as such they demand engagement in both realms. So, I say, shall we not thoughtfully probe these questions and challenges in the quiet places as well as in the furnace of relationships, both local and abroad? That's what I suppose would be the greatest potential use of the blog world.
I've chosen an interesting title for my new endeavor: "A Love Stronger than our Fear". It comes from the title of a song by one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Derek Webb. He wrote it most immediately as a response to the dark times of war in which we find ourselves, looking for a better way to respond to enemies than with violence and oppression. "What would you do if someone put a gun to your head," he questions, "and asks you to tell them a lie? What would you say if you were pushed that way, to betray yourself to keep yourself alive?" These questions certainly apply to life in a world of potentially endless war. But I think they apply more deeply, as Webb also applies them, to every challenge we face within ourselves and around us. "Because there is a day that's been inaugurated, but has not yet come. And we can proclaim, by showing that there's a better way." That's ultimately what I am hoping a lot of the conversation from this blog is about: that better way, the love stronger than our fear.
This is personal for me in so many ways. Even this act of beginning a new blog is an attempt to proclaim that love that overcomes fear. One of my biggest reasons for doing it is to stimulate my long-suffocated impulse to write. I think I have been given an ability to put words to good use. I want to cultivate it, I want to go somewhere with it and steward it. But nothing scares me more than the thought of putting some of my writings - poems, essays, anything, out here for anyone to see and evaluate. What if I'm proven wrong? What if the gift is in my head, made up for my own ego? This is me saying there is a love stronger than that fear, so I don't have to hide under a rock any more, never knowing how God might put my hands to use.
In the same way, this touches the broader areas of life in community for me. Some of my recent readings have given me great hope for a deeper engagement with the world around me. That world meets me daily, in the beautiful fellowship of my church and in the wider, mostly yet untouched community of the broken and hurting world that seeks restoration so badly. I know the One who promises that restoration. Indeed, there is a better way to be explored, to know, to proclaim.
All of life really is interconnected, so this blog won't really have one particular theme. Rather, I simply hope this will be a place where we can avoid shallow intellectual babble, but instead go deeper. For as Richard Foster says, "The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people." I hope you'll join me in this endeavor.
Words from another of my favorite songwriters, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, provide a suitable end to this post/beginning of this blog. These words were written at a great turning point in his life from constant despair to a disposition of hope. I leave you with them: "Maybe the sun will shine today, the clouds will blow away. Maybe I won't feel so afraid. I will try to understand...either way."
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