Unreasonable [poem]

Love sat down with hateand wondered aloud "why do you hate me?"

Hate answered love with another question "why do you love me"

Both answered aloud at the same time "Don't know! Just do."

Your Opinion Needed: new column

I have been asked to create and maintain a column in a soon to be created quarterly produced by the church I pastor at. My column is to address faith and culture, and more particularly, faith IN culture. What does it look like to live out our faith in our culture? What does faith look like in our culture? A column title is required of me soon, and I have been brainstorming by myself (not really a brainSTORM I suppose). I have narrowed down to 3 possibilities. Please help me with some feedback about these options. (No! I will not even consider calling it "Fulture".)

Which do you like most? Why?

Less Than 3 City (<3C) The most connected culture we have ever had realizes what "Less Than 3" means; it is what you would type to form a heart in text. I love the idea of Christians developing a love for their city. The first step to reaching any group is developing a love for that group. You cannot serve or reach anyone you do not first love.

Lost in Translation: speaking the languages of culture and faith The first thing any good missionary knows you have to do before reaching a foreign culture is to learn the language. As far as most American Christians go, the culture around them is increasingly foreign. Further, most Christians simply do not speak the language of their city, their culture. That needs to change if we are going to reach our cities.

Urban Missionary This seems almost self-explanatory; at least to those of you who read this blog. But without assumptions like that: Though my official title is "pastor", my real ministry identity is that of missionary. I am trying to apply all the same understandings of what missionary would be and do for a "foreign" culture for this urban culture that is increasingly foreign to most Christians. I am still trying to be a light in a culture that most Christians would rather attack for being too dark.

-------

Alright! What are your thoughts? You may also share completely different ideas if you have them.

Why we celebrated Osama's death

When Saddam Hussein and Osama BinLaden were killed, there was celebration. At a glance it seemed to me a bit like a world of savages celebrating the death of a human being. I understood it though the celebration of death seemed savage to me; regardless of whose death we were celebrating. It felt like a denial of mercy and life, but that is not what I am writing about right now.

Today I read Proverbs 11, and verse 10 struck this chord in me.

"when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy."

There is no question of the wickedness of Osama and Saddam. I am not too certain you have to be a follower of Jesus to question that. How it felt to celebrate their death, again, is not the point, but the realization that this is going to happen when wicked people are gone.

The question for me (and you) today hits at the reality that how you live your life is how you will be remembered when you are gone.

Can you imagine people celebrating that you were finally dead and gone?

What if we broke this detail down a little further?

What do people think and say of you after you leave? After you graduate? After you retire from the company? After you move out of your neighborhood? After you leave your church? After you move to your next job?

After you walk away from a conversation?

How we interact with people and live our lives impacts how we will be remembered.

I do not want people to celebrate the moment I finally leave them, but that factor is determined by how I interact with people now.

Wild at Heart: in the city

What is it about downtown that makes me feel like John Eldredge? For those who don't get the reference, the majority of this entry will make no sense...well maybe it will.

I do enjoy being outside.  I love camping and I enjoy a good hike.  I do enjoy the mountains though I'm not too inclined to carry a pocket knife at all times or attempt to round up my meals with only my bare hands and my multi-tool (I do own one).

Though I do enjoy the outdoors, I actually sense myself "coming alive" when I am wandering the streets of midtown Chicago, San Fransisco, or Sacramento.  Something about being in the big metropolitan city atmosphere that makes me feel like Hiro on the first season of "Heroes" the first time he shows up in Times Square.  I feel like that every time.  I want to say hello to every uninterested city-dwelling passerby because everyone should be so excited to be there.

I like walking blocks at a time to a small "swanky" coffee shop to sit and read by the storefront window.

I like walking along with my white earbuds connecting my ears to my front jeans pocket.

I like finding a parking place (don't too much enjoy the search for one).

I enjoy old houses, studio apartments, and flats.

I enjoy small independent business among large corporate business.

I enjoy small city parks that almost feel like the mayor is playing a real life version of sims city where the city is dying of low oxygen and lacking recreation.

I enjoy diversity.

I enjoy visiting places "Christians don't normally go".

I enjoy endless individuals, which represent endless relationships I could have.

I enjoy that thing in my heart that leaps at the vision of me getting to know a lot of people in this room, this coffee shop, this park, this city.  It is that thing that leaps within me to think about how many friendships I could create down here, and how many of those friendships could lead to a difference made in how someone sees Christians.

How many people could I meet downtown that could one day be talking to someone else who says, "I hate Christians.  All Christians are..."  Could the people I meet say to their friend, "Well, I actually have this friend I met at the coffee shop who is different than that."

My heart leaps at the possibility of building life-changing friendships before or even instead of converts.

There are so many friendships to be had downtown, and I would love to see people come to Christ, but there are a lot of people who need to trust Christians before they will ever trust Christ.

Now I am wild at my heart to make that a reality in a place where I feel God's pleasure on my heart every time I am there.

QUESTION: What are the lies OTHER people tell themselves?

After yesterday's post, I wanted to rephrase the question for further answers. Yesterday, the question brought great answers regarding the lies we tell ourselves. I intentionally listed that question first as I imagined that today's question is easier to answer. It is always easier to see the problems other people have than our own. But question remains for today.

The question: What are the lies OTHER people tell themselves? The context: whatever you like (about relationships, about our faith, about work, about creativity, about addictions, about passions, about life in general)

Examples: He will love me if I put out. My dream is not worth pursuing because…. They don’t and couldn’t like me because… I will always be alone. Life is pointless. God could never love ME.  Facebook is real community. The Raiders are a good football team. This product will make my life better. I deserve this.

Please respond with your answers here.

You mail email your anonymous responses to info@ragamuffinpc.com 

QUESTION: What are the lies we tell ourselves?

I am working on a project right now, and I need your brainstorming feedback. The question: "What are the lies we tell ourselves?" The context: whatever you like (about relationships, about our faith, about work, about creativity, about addictions, about passions, about life in general)

Examples: He will love me if I put out. My dream is not worth pursuing because.... They don't and couldn't like me because... I will always be alone. Life is pointless. God could never love ME.  Facebook is real community. The Raiders are a good football team. This product will make my life better. I deserve this.

So, the question has been asked; please respond here with your answers.

You may anonymously email your lies to info@ragamuffinpc.com

Lions and your Community

Have you ever seen a national geographic or animal planet special on lions? Somewhere I once heard that lions sleep away the majority of their day.  That sort of fact makes me wonder how they can be name the king of the jungle. It may have something to do with what I’ve seen on National Geographic. I have watch as a lion, now in hunting mode, waits in the grass, watching.  They are skilled hunters.  They sneak!  They wait! They watch! They are present even when the prey does not ever know.

When the moment is “right”, the lion runs after the herd.  Still he does not just run in and nab anything.  The lion is a wise hunter.  He chases the herd for a short time, creating a stampede.  Even still, the lion waits.  He watches!

What is he waiting for?  What is looking for?

He’s looking for the weakest one.  As the herd runs, the lion waits for the weak one that cannot keep up with the rest. He looks for the one unaware of the impending danger.  He wants and watches for the one unable to keep up with the protection of the herd, of the group, the pack.

Once the one begins to trail behind the rest, unaware of the impending danger, the lion pounces, attacks, and devours in a matter of seconds.  The actual attack is short and quick.  The prowl is the real wisdom of the entire thing, because while the lion prowls, the prey is too comfortable and unaware; it is unprotected by its own apathy and naivety.

The lion may appear lazy and a non-threat, but it is that sort of assumptive naivety that the king of the jungle preys upon.

1 Peter 5:8-9 reads, “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

We have a very present enemy who longs to keep individuals away from the heart of God.  If we really care about those in our community we will realize a couple things.

1. We cannot isolate ourselves from the community or the group. 2. We cannot allow other people to isolate from the group.

We have an enemy who prowls like a lion waiting for the one that isolates themselves from the group, the one who is unaware of the danger and he attacks that one person.

I Want to Go to There: booking schools, retreats, etc.

In the next year, my hope is to pursue opportunities to do more of what I love. Speaking! I am preparing my calendar for speaking engagements over the next year.

Please inquire here if you are interested.

TOPICS: pursuit of faith in college, making the most of college, recovery from distorted images of God, faith in pain and hurt, faith and creativity, general topics such as grace, gospel, and faith. I would love to chat with you about anything YOU might need.

New Album: MuteMath

Mutemath is one of those bands I tried over and over again per suggestion of different friends. It took several tries, but at once they became strong favorites. They remain one of (if not THE) best live show I have every seen. They have a new album set to release in October, and this is the first single they've let loose. I can't wait. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvrfoU3SS4U&w=560&h=349]

Dog lessons on being lesser

A couple friends of mine have a young chocolate lab named Teague.  They've done very well at training the dog.  He is a very well-mannered and behaved dog.  I remember a moment at a dog park in the Santa Clara area when Teague was playing with a smaller dog.  Teague didn't realize how much bigger he was, and he simply overpowered the other dog.  He was only playing, but because of his size and power, the other dog had no chance.  So my friend grabbed Teague and laid him out belly up and placed the smaller dog over him, allowing the smaller dog to pin Teague down.  From that moment, the smaller dog was able to continue playing with Teague. Reflecting on that moment has taught me a great lesson in earning trust from people.  In order to earn the trust of people, you often have to place yourself "below" them.  You have to removed the level of threat that you otherwise bring.  You humble yourself and place yourself below them and even serve them.  It is in this posture of relationship that people come to trust you.

Even Jesus, our greatest example of trust, humility, relationship, and service did not come to be served by the culture but to serve the culture.  God emptied himself, laid himself down and allowed smaller people to trample on top of him and pin him down.  he is ultimately worthy of being trusted.

Once you can be trusted, you can speak the gospel to ANYONE no matter what culture they're from.

I just don't like that guy

I can think of a few friends of mine who fall into a particular category.  They are those I remember being around before I actually knew them, and from what I had known (which was very little) I had determined that I didn't really like them a whole lot.  For different reasons (most of them unfounded) I had this bizarre resentment  or frustration with them. Then the crazy thing happens.  Maybe its at a party for a common friend.  Maybe its a team we both end up on.  Whatever the means, the crazy moment occurs when I actually have/get to interact with that person.  Then I come to discover new things through conversation and my previous doubts about this person begin to melt away.  Eventually over time these individuals become great friends who I can't believe I ever doubted or wondered about.

Really, every human relationship is like this.  Every relationship we have is weaker or stronger depending on which doubts we have faced and either disproved or proved.  These doubts we have about people are essential elements to human relationships.  They are inevitabilities.  The big difference is in what we have done with those doubts.  Have we come to know that person through connection and communication, and having done that, have we proved our doubts accurate?  Or have they been proven as mere assumptions that have stifled our ability to have a great friendship?

Faith operates much the same way.  I have different doubts about faith, and I only grow closer to the heart of God when I confront those doubts and determine whether they are accurate or if they have only been assumptions that keep me from connecting more intimately with the heart of God.