I read this today over here.
“More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.” ~ Henri Nouwen
Just thought I'd share it with whoever's out there reading (or waiting 3+ weeks to read). Yes, I know, I've been absent. I've been busy. I've been doing the things this quote talks about, and not doing the other things this quote talks about. Can you figure out what I've been doing and not doing? I'm doing better this week though - 3 chances already to just hang out, be with, and love people because God made them! And it's only tuesday. I may also be needing something to somewhat distract me from a new reality in my life. But it's all good, and it works out well for everyone involved! Even better.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
God doesn't do mediocrity
Yesterday I started reading 'Crazy Love' by Francis Chan. I've heard great things about this book, so my expectations were pretty high. I made it through the first few chapters - it's good stuff. I was totally tracking with him, and was pretty excited, until I came to chapter four, which is titled 'Profile of the Lukewarm'. In this chapter, Chan gives a series of 'you might be a lukewarm Christian if...' statements. I made it through the first few unscathed, but the list seemed to never end, and by the time it did end, I had some thinking to do. And I have more to do, so we'll save that for another post.
What I wanted to think some more about tonight came from the first chapter of the book. Before you go any further, click here to watch a short video.
What I got out of this video was that God doesn't do anything halfway. The vastness of our galaxy and universe, in contrast to God's knowledge of every single person on earth is staggering. Additionally, the complexity of the system - how creation, in all its different aspects works exhibits God's ingenuity and perfect design. As I watched the video, I couldn't help but see how God didn't create something 'halfway', or something that 'would work'. God created an amazing world. And it didn't end there.
How is it that we so easily fall into the trap of thinking of ourselves of average? Not great? Mediocre? When we believe these lies, we not only sell ourselves short of a life that is much bigger, grander, larger than what we could imagine, but we also sell God short. God didn't create average, not great or mediocre. God created spectacular. God created phenomenal. And each of us, every person who has ever existed and ever will exist is a part of that. But I think first we have a couple of choices to make. The first, is that we have to choose to believe the things that God says about us. And not just believe it like 'oh yeah, it says that in the Bible', but believe it like LIVE IT OUT. That's the second choice: to live it out. It means taking risks. It means doing things that will probably make you really uncomfortable, to prove to yourself and God that the things God says about you are true. And it's a long road.
Psalm 139:14 says 'Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it'. Do you know it? Do you live that out?
God doesn't do mediocre.
I've been on this journey for a while. I am going to be on this journey for the rest of my life. I often fall into that trap of thinking that I'm not great, not spectacular. But other times I believe, and the more times I choose to believe, the less times I fall into that trap. The less times I fall into that trap, the more I am free to be the very best I can be, which is the me that God created me to be. It may not look phenomenal or spectacular to anyone else, it may even look like mediocrity to others, but to God, it is perfection.
What I wanted to think some more about tonight came from the first chapter of the book. Before you go any further, click here to watch a short video.
What I got out of this video was that God doesn't do anything halfway. The vastness of our galaxy and universe, in contrast to God's knowledge of every single person on earth is staggering. Additionally, the complexity of the system - how creation, in all its different aspects works exhibits God's ingenuity and perfect design. As I watched the video, I couldn't help but see how God didn't create something 'halfway', or something that 'would work'. God created an amazing world. And it didn't end there.
How is it that we so easily fall into the trap of thinking of ourselves of average? Not great? Mediocre? When we believe these lies, we not only sell ourselves short of a life that is much bigger, grander, larger than what we could imagine, but we also sell God short. God didn't create average, not great or mediocre. God created spectacular. God created phenomenal. And each of us, every person who has ever existed and ever will exist is a part of that. But I think first we have a couple of choices to make. The first, is that we have to choose to believe the things that God says about us. And not just believe it like 'oh yeah, it says that in the Bible', but believe it like LIVE IT OUT. That's the second choice: to live it out. It means taking risks. It means doing things that will probably make you really uncomfortable, to prove to yourself and God that the things God says about you are true. And it's a long road.
Psalm 139:14 says 'Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it'. Do you know it? Do you live that out?
God doesn't do mediocre.
I've been on this journey for a while. I am going to be on this journey for the rest of my life. I often fall into that trap of thinking that I'm not great, not spectacular. But other times I believe, and the more times I choose to believe, the less times I fall into that trap. The less times I fall into that trap, the more I am free to be the very best I can be, which is the me that God created me to be. It may not look phenomenal or spectacular to anyone else, it may even look like mediocrity to others, but to God, it is perfection.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Two books down
I love to read. I could do it for days and weeks on end without complaining. I haven't done it enough lately.
Today I read one complete book (The Purity Code by Jim Burns, which is a book for parents and teens about sexual purity, God's thoughts on the subject, and God's desire for us to live the best life possible.)
Today I also finished another book I've been working on for about a year and a half. Shameful, I know. Part of me thinks I should just start over again, because I'm sure it's kind of lost it's effect in the year and a half it's taken me to get through it. Nevertheless, it is the inspiration for this edition of thought provocation.
The book is 'Jesus for President' by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw. First of all, a little background on Shane. He lives in Philly in an intentional community (read hippies that live together). He is passionate about God, the poor and marginalized, and politics. This book is about all of them. Before continuing, can I just say that I love this man, his passion, and I can only hope to be as inspired, convinced and moved to action as he is.)
A couple of quotes to share:
Talking about 'hell and damnation' sermons that were all too familiar from his childhood 'But have you ever noticed that Jesus didn't spend much time on hell?...We see Jesus spending far more energy loving the hell out of people, and lifting people out of the hells in which they are trapped, than trying to scare them into heaven.'
Shane's mom is quoted as saying 'Perhaps there is no more dangerous place for a Christian to be than in safety and comfort, detached from the suffering of others.'
'Church father Ignatius said that if our church is not marked by caring for the poor, the oppressed, and the hungry, then we are guilty of heresy - and a new reformation is long overdue.'
In the words of Ghandi 'There is enough for everyone's need but not enough for everyone's greed'.
Okay, just one more thing, I promise. In response to Ignatius' challenge, Shane's community initiated a 'relational tithe' which is a group of friends around the world taking care of each other and their neighbours. USING A BLOG (I see potential...) They respond often to situations of poverty, homelessness and even natural disasters. Out of this also came a conference, in which people were trained in interdependence and alternative economics. Rather than support huge corporations, essentially empowering the rich to become more rich, the attendees of the conference brought skills, talents, etc. to barter for further training. 'We'll never forget seeing Shane's uncle, who doesn't have much to do with anything that smells religious, taking some nuns fishing. It was a great image of the kingdom.'
I think my world's been turned upside down. And for good reason. Now I'm far from a hippie, and I really like having my own space, and my own things, but this is challenging me to rethink this lifestyle I have (and enjoy!) Also, don't hear me saying that we all need to become Shane Claiborne, live like him, and do all the same things - we are the entire body of Christ after all. But I am pretty sure that it has implications for me concerning my time, my resources, and my attachment to the things I have. Are they really mine, or are they resources of the kingdom? (Don't worry, I know the answer. Now I just need to live it out a little more.)
So just a warning - expect another book report in place of a blog post tomorrow, as I continue the downward motion through the stack of books I haven't been reading in the last 2 years. Or more.
Today I read one complete book (The Purity Code by Jim Burns, which is a book for parents and teens about sexual purity, God's thoughts on the subject, and God's desire for us to live the best life possible.)
Today I also finished another book I've been working on for about a year and a half. Shameful, I know. Part of me thinks I should just start over again, because I'm sure it's kind of lost it's effect in the year and a half it's taken me to get through it. Nevertheless, it is the inspiration for this edition of thought provocation.
The book is 'Jesus for President' by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw. First of all, a little background on Shane. He lives in Philly in an intentional community (read hippies that live together). He is passionate about God, the poor and marginalized, and politics. This book is about all of them. Before continuing, can I just say that I love this man, his passion, and I can only hope to be as inspired, convinced and moved to action as he is.)
A couple of quotes to share:
Talking about 'hell and damnation' sermons that were all too familiar from his childhood 'But have you ever noticed that Jesus didn't spend much time on hell?...We see Jesus spending far more energy loving the hell out of people, and lifting people out of the hells in which they are trapped, than trying to scare them into heaven.'
Shane's mom is quoted as saying 'Perhaps there is no more dangerous place for a Christian to be than in safety and comfort, detached from the suffering of others.'
'Church father Ignatius said that if our church is not marked by caring for the poor, the oppressed, and the hungry, then we are guilty of heresy - and a new reformation is long overdue.'
In the words of Ghandi 'There is enough for everyone's need but not enough for everyone's greed'.
Okay, just one more thing, I promise. In response to Ignatius' challenge, Shane's community initiated a 'relational tithe' which is a group of friends around the world taking care of each other and their neighbours. USING A BLOG (I see potential...) They respond often to situations of poverty, homelessness and even natural disasters. Out of this also came a conference, in which people were trained in interdependence and alternative economics. Rather than support huge corporations, essentially empowering the rich to become more rich, the attendees of the conference brought skills, talents, etc. to barter for further training. 'We'll never forget seeing Shane's uncle, who doesn't have much to do with anything that smells religious, taking some nuns fishing. It was a great image of the kingdom.'
I think my world's been turned upside down. And for good reason. Now I'm far from a hippie, and I really like having my own space, and my own things, but this is challenging me to rethink this lifestyle I have (and enjoy!) Also, don't hear me saying that we all need to become Shane Claiborne, live like him, and do all the same things - we are the entire body of Christ after all. But I am pretty sure that it has implications for me concerning my time, my resources, and my attachment to the things I have. Are they really mine, or are they resources of the kingdom? (Don't worry, I know the answer. Now I just need to live it out a little more.)
So just a warning - expect another book report in place of a blog post tomorrow, as I continue the downward motion through the stack of books I haven't been reading in the last 2 years. Or more.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Looking forward
Things I am looking forward to in 2011:
becoming an auntie again - to a nephew this time
a ski trip with our Sr. High students next weekend
at least 2 trips to Ontario (April & May)
summer (cause that last one didn't count)
change
challenge
growth
new opportunities ???
the unknown
Okay, so a few of those I might not really be looking forward to, but in light of yesterdays post I feel obligated to add them. I know that in a year I'll look back again and be glad I went through whatever I went through.
becoming an auntie again - to a nephew this time
a ski trip with our Sr. High students next weekend
at least 2 trips to Ontario (April & May)
summer (cause that last one didn't count)
change
challenge
growth
new opportunities ???
the unknown
Okay, so a few of those I might not really be looking forward to, but in light of yesterdays post I feel obligated to add them. I know that in a year I'll look back again and be glad I went through whatever I went through.
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