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Recent Census Bureau numbers show that nearly 1 in 6 Americans lives in poverty. |
If you missed the segment, you can listen to it here: Poverty Experts Describe Situation in Chicago
Thursday, September 15, 2011
WBEZ reports on the poverty situation in Chicago
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Front Porch Interview with Douglas Van Ramshorst
This month we're hitting the streets with an old college friend of mine, Doug Van Ramshorst. Doug and I both attended Lincoln Christian University, and we both followed paths to urban ministry in Chicago. Doug has been working at Emmaus Ministries since 2005 where he is now their street outreach coordinator helping men overcome a life of male prostitution.
TE: How did you get connected to Emmaus?
DVR: In November of 1998 I packed a bag and headed to Chicago, to stay with a Christian Community in Uptown for the weekend to get a feel for the life that I thought God was calling me into.
I was shown my bed, dropped off my stuff and headed out to the streets to get my hands dirty. Within an hour I was solicited by a 60 year old woman at Burger King, I got lost and I was conned out of some of my belongings. Defeated, I found myself sitting on a skateboard ramp, crying. One of the Christian community members came out and sat next to me. He was in a band that I really looked up to, so I was nervous. He asked me what was wrong, I blubbered on for about 20 minutes about God's will this and God's will that. He listened and then offered me this advice: "Don't worry about God's will. Just try things. If it fits, stick with it."
After that weekend, I went back home and continued to co-lead a Bible study for punk rock kids and work in the heating and air conditioning field. At the Bible study, we started dealing with kids taking hard drugs, kids getting abused at home and kids that were... well, having kids. These were real problems and technical school didn't prepare me to offer any solutions.
So I went to Bible college
I visited Emmaus my junior year in college as a part of an urban ministry class. We showed up, unannounced. We couldn't find the place because there was no sign. When we finally found it, we buzzed up and asked if we could check out their drop-in center and the voice on the other end of the buzzer said, "Absolutely not.” The guy let us into the office and explained that we would have to go through training and commit to a year of service in order to meet any of the guys in the center. Some of the students I was with were kind of miffed that they had that attitude, but for me a light turned on. I liked that they respected their clients enough to not have obvious signage and gawking college students dropping in whenever they wanted. He sat us down and showed us a terrible promo video before sending us back to Wilson Avenue to fend for ourselves.
By my senior year, I was so sick of Christians that I planned on taking my ministry degree back to the ‘burbs and opening up a bulk coffee and tea store. But then, much to my chagrin, I realized that I had to complete a full-time, semester-long internship with an approved ministry. After trying to weasel out of it twice and failing, I remembered Emmaus and thought, "I could deal with that for four months.”
My internship ended, but I stayed on, because they needed some help. At the end of the summer, the then Outreach Coordinator, Larry Hope, was gearing up to take on a new role at the ministry, so I asked for his old job.
Time and space tell a funny little joke in that long-winded story. Remember the skateboard ramp, where I was blubbering on about not wanting to do urban ministry? I can see it from our office window. It just took me seven years to travel from 920 West Wilson to 921 West Wilson.
TE: You’re like the post office of street outreach –“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds” (Herodotus). In fact I heard that you were out on the street on the night of that crazy blizzard back in February. First, why in the world would you do that, and second, what was it like for you on that night?
DVR: Yeah... that blizzard was a trip! I have done well over 1,200 nights of outreach and I have yet to cancel due to weather. New volunteers often ask, "What do you do when it rains?" and I say, "You get wet.” Those crappy nights are important. The guys see us out there on those negative 12 degree nights and they know that we aren't kidding around.
On the holidays I literally pray that we don't see anyone. I hope to God that our guys aren't out, selling themselves for a place to stay on Christmas. But, I almost always see at least one. I can't tell you what it feels like to have a guy smile despite those circumstances, but that is why we do it... just in case.
TE: As you know, there are lots of misconceptions about the poor and about urban problems. For instance, working with the homeless at Breakthrough, I find that a lot of people just assume that “all these guys have to do is stop being lazy and get a job.” What kind of misconceptions have you encountered about the streets as it relates to your work?
DVR: I guess the biggest surprise for me was realizing how many of our guys, and the homeless population at large for that matter, suffer from severe mental illnesses. I have a client that suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. How is he supposed to just go apply at Target and live a normal life?
I have also realized that it is really cool to be boring. I always thought you had to have some torrid testimony in order to be effective. But the plain truth is that no matter who you work with, just being genuine is all that matters. I don't pretend that I lived some rough life before I came to Jesus or something crazy like that, I just live my life with them as I do with my friends and family.
TE: Christian sociologist, Jacques Ellul, in describing the unfortunate reality of city life said that “the city must, in order to stay alive, have its night shifts, the accumulation of a proletariat, alcohol, prostitution, [etc.] . . . And it is simply false to say that we can do away with all this and still keep the city.” What are your thoughts about that, and how might a statement like this square with people like you and me (pastors, social workers, and volunteers) who flock to cities like Chicago with a vision for transforming (saving?) the city?
DVR: Wow, Jacques Ellul... I haven't heard that name in a while. I guess I am not looking to save the city. That seems like a nice thought, but the plain truth is that Babylon will be Babylon. I just want to buy someone a cup of coffee and find out how his weekend was.
TE: How can people get involved with Emmaus? Or, for those in other places, how might they engage locally in a similar ministry or address similar issues that Emmaus faces?
DVR: We are pretty open to volunteers. You have to apply, go through a couple of days of training and commit to a regular shift with us on outreach, in our drop-in center or in the office. Al Tauber is the best guy to talk to about that. He is our Educational Ministries guy.
As for those in other areas…get educated. I hung out in the same area that I work in now since I was 16, but I had no idea what was going on there.
TE: Tell us about your band. And, as a fellow drummer, I’m curious - What kind of a kit do you play, and what kind of sticks do you use?
DVR: I have basically been playing with the same guys for the past decade. We just change names and play different types of punk music. The current amalgamation is our attempt at pop music... I say "our attempt" because it still ended up being a punk rock band, but a little more palatable. We are now called "The New Brunette" and I am having more fun with them than ever.
As for equipment, I play a tiny 3-piece Premier kit: 18 inch kick, floor tom, snare, a big ride cymbal and some hats. I buy the big brick of no name sticks and keep everything held together with stuff I buy at ACE hardware. The little kit pushes me to be more creative and it all fits in my [Chevy] Cavalier. My wife is my roadie, so she appreciates the smaller dimensions.
TE: Rahm Emmanuel is now the new mayor of Chicago. If he instituted one restaurant that all city residents had to eat in, which one would you hope it would be?
DVR: Oh, hands down the Vienna Beef factory's cafeteria. It is for [their employees], but is open to the public. Oh man…I could eat there everyday.
If you have someone in mind that would make for a great Front Porch Interview, email me at tescobar@breakthrough.org
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Redeeming a Few Bad Apples in the Family Tree, Part 2
In my previous post I drew attention to Matthew's inclusion of five intriguing women in his geneaology of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. One might first assume that these were women of great dignity and nobility to merit such recognition in the divine geneaology. But a closer look shows that they seem to be more surly than sophisticated. Kind of like this sketch of Queen Elizabeth on SNL.
So what was Matthew thinking in including these embarrassing women in Jesus' family tree? Here's what I think. Matthew is giving us a major clue about how God operates in the world. What Matthew shows us is that God is loving, forgiving, merciful, inclusive, creative, and even a little humorous. He can handle a little scandal. He doesn't condone it, but he redeems people and their sitautions, and finds a way to write them into his story to show that he (not us) is in control of history.
Why is this important to women this Mother's Day? Witnessing the stories of all the great women in my life has given me some clues about a woman's experience in the world. I know that you have endured hardships, many of which at the hands of men. I know that you have had to work around a system that often seems set up against you, that exerts double standards, and that forces you to compromise your values. I know that you have been mistreated, deceived, taken advantage of, shamed, and dismissed. I know that you have had to bear the burdens of entire households. I know that you have anxieties and insecurities and that you have struggled to reconcile your self image in an airbrushed world. Women, I know that you know that you are imperfect. But does your imperfect pedigree make you less valuable to God?
No. What Matthew is telling you, ladies, is this: Despite your pedigree, God is writing you into his salvation history.
Yes, God may have some things to patch up in your life, but he's got a spot for you in the story.
But there's more to it. The second point I find about Matthew's geneaology I think is connected to a statement that the Apostle Paul makes in a letter to Timothy. Now, before I share the connection, I just need you to hear me out. I'm about to go out on a limb here, but I think it's a good limb. So don't tune out until I finish this next point.
In 1 Timothy 2:15 Paul says that women will be saved through childbearing. (Stay with me). Some manuscripts even say that "women will be saved by the birth of the Child." I'm going to stick with that nuance. Paul draws an allusion to Eve in the Garden of Eden where women's "role" was established. I'd actually like to read women's "opportunity." And when I say opportunity, I mean that, regardless of all the power and privilege that men have wielded throughout the ages, there is one thing men could not do that only a woman could: give birth to Jesus.
Now, I don't want to get into the theology of Paul's statement. And I want to state very clearly that I am not interested in discussing literal gender roles, or "Annie Get your Gun" stuff. But I am interested in viewing that statement in light of Matthew's geneaology and based on John 1:10-13. John basically says that the way Jesus' salvation enters the world has nothing to do with any human actions or value systems, nor any gender roles nor none of that. It was only something that God could do in his own God-style. And for some reason God needed to use the uniqueness of women.
That reason, I believe, is this: Women, you were uniquely designed to give birth to Jesus, to Salvation.
Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary were unwitting bearers of the Savior of the world. So if there is any inspirational take-away to you ladies this Mother's Day, it is that, despite your pedigree, God is writing you into his history so that you can "give birth" to Jesus in the world around you.
Women, you have the unique ability of bearing Jesus in the world that men do not have. God has enabled you and has called you to bring Jesus to life in the world around you through your leadership, your vision, your talents, your creativity, your relationships, your ministry, your community, and yes, your motherhood. And this is true whether or not you ever become a physical mother. And based on John 1, this is a power that no man on earth can give to you. It is God himself who put that in you. And I know that, just like these five women, you will do whatever it takes to bear Jesus in your world.
Before I head out, I have to share a quick word with the men about their takeaway from this. (It's important that we don't isolate men and women from each other when it comes to fulfilling God's will; Gender separation is exactly how the enemy got us in this predicament to begin with.). We can take our cues from the male counterparts in Matthew's geneaology. What we see is that these guys ultimately did three things:
In closing, women, I would like to leave you with this blessing...
...May you display the righteous determination of Tamar.
...May you receive the faithful security of Rahab.
...May you experience the redemption of Ruth.
...May you have the restored dignity of Bathsheba.
...May you find favor in the eyes of the Lord as Mary did.
...May God write you into his story despite your pedigree,
...and may you bear Jesus abundantly in the world around you!
And may you have a happy Mother's Day.
So what was Matthew thinking in including these embarrassing women in Jesus' family tree? Here's what I think. Matthew is giving us a major clue about how God operates in the world. What Matthew shows us is that God is loving, forgiving, merciful, inclusive, creative, and even a little humorous. He can handle a little scandal. He doesn't condone it, but he redeems people and their sitautions, and finds a way to write them into his story to show that he (not us) is in control of history.
Why is this important to women this Mother's Day? Witnessing the stories of all the great women in my life has given me some clues about a woman's experience in the world. I know that you have endured hardships, many of which at the hands of men. I know that you have had to work around a system that often seems set up against you, that exerts double standards, and that forces you to compromise your values. I know that you have been mistreated, deceived, taken advantage of, shamed, and dismissed. I know that you have had to bear the burdens of entire households. I know that you have anxieties and insecurities and that you have struggled to reconcile your self image in an airbrushed world. Women, I know that you know that you are imperfect. But does your imperfect pedigree make you less valuable to God?
No. What Matthew is telling you, ladies, is this: Despite your pedigree, God is writing you into his salvation history.
Yes, God may have some things to patch up in your life, but he's got a spot for you in the story.
But there's more to it. The second point I find about Matthew's geneaology I think is connected to a statement that the Apostle Paul makes in a letter to Timothy. Now, before I share the connection, I just need you to hear me out. I'm about to go out on a limb here, but I think it's a good limb. So don't tune out until I finish this next point.
In 1 Timothy 2:15 Paul says that women will be saved through childbearing. (Stay with me). Some manuscripts even say that "women will be saved by the birth of the Child." I'm going to stick with that nuance. Paul draws an allusion to Eve in the Garden of Eden where women's "role" was established. I'd actually like to read women's "opportunity." And when I say opportunity, I mean that, regardless of all the power and privilege that men have wielded throughout the ages, there is one thing men could not do that only a woman could: give birth to Jesus.
Now, I don't want to get into the theology of Paul's statement. And I want to state very clearly that I am not interested in discussing literal gender roles, or "Annie Get your Gun" stuff. But I am interested in viewing that statement in light of Matthew's geneaology and based on John 1:10-13. John basically says that the way Jesus' salvation enters the world has nothing to do with any human actions or value systems, nor any gender roles nor none of that. It was only something that God could do in his own God-style. And for some reason God needed to use the uniqueness of women.
That reason, I believe, is this: Women, you were uniquely designed to give birth to Jesus, to Salvation.
Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary were unwitting bearers of the Savior of the world. So if there is any inspirational take-away to you ladies this Mother's Day, it is that, despite your pedigree, God is writing you into his history so that you can "give birth" to Jesus in the world around you.
Women, you have the unique ability of bearing Jesus in the world that men do not have. God has enabled you and has called you to bring Jesus to life in the world around you through your leadership, your vision, your talents, your creativity, your relationships, your ministry, your community, and yes, your motherhood. And this is true whether or not you ever become a physical mother. And based on John 1, this is a power that no man on earth can give to you. It is God himself who put that in you. And I know that, just like these five women, you will do whatever it takes to bear Jesus in your world.
Before I head out, I have to share a quick word with the men about their takeaway from this. (It's important that we don't isolate men and women from each other when it comes to fulfilling God's will; Gender separation is exactly how the enemy got us in this predicament to begin with.). We can take our cues from the male counterparts in Matthew's geneaology. What we see is that these guys ultimately did three things:
1) They saw God at work in the lives of these women.Judah saw God at work by recognizing Tamar's righteousness, so he confessed his sin, married her and helped her bear Jesus through the family tree. Joshua saw Rahab's faith in the Lord, so he kept his word to this Canaanite prostitute and provided her with the opportunity of integrating into the Israelite community, where she married and gave birth to Jesus through the family tree. Boaz recognized Ruth's faithfulness and integrity, so he redeemed this Moabite widow and helped her to bear Jesus in the family tree. David realized his sin and married Bathsheba into the royal family, helping her to give birth to Jesus through the family tree. Joseph believes the Angel about this divine baby and he decides to honor Mary by marrying her and legitimizing both of them into the family tree of Jesus. If men could do those things with the women in their lives, then Jesus will come to life in amazing ways throughout the world.
2) They humbled themselves to obey God on account of that.
3) They created the opportunity for them to bear Jesus in the world.
In closing, women, I would like to leave you with this blessing...
...May you display the righteous determination of Tamar.
...May you receive the faithful security of Rahab.
...May you experience the redemption of Ruth.
...May you have the restored dignity of Bathsheba.
...May you find favor in the eyes of the Lord as Mary did.
...May God write you into his story despite your pedigree,
...and may you bear Jesus abundantly in the world around you!
And may you have a happy Mother's Day.
Redeeming a Few Bad Apples in the Family Tree, Part 1 (A little Mother's Day Inspiration)
This post goes out to all the great mothers and excellent women in my life.
The end of April was exciting for wedding planners ... On April 29 Kate Middleton became the Duchess of Cambridge in one of the most publicized weddings in a long time. No, I didn't get up in the middle of the night to watch Kate and William tie the knot, nor did I care how many times the couple kissed at their wedding. (C'mon people!) But I do have two females living in my house, and we have one TV, so I was forced to watch some of the coverage. Something I found interesting is that Kate comes from a "common family," coal miners in fact. This of course makes for the perfect Disney plot - a common girl marries the prince. And heck, if she could do it, then anyone could do it, right ladies? Well, not quite...the Middleton's have some dough and seem to be well-connected, and the media coverage about Kate did reveal that deeper in her lineage lies more dignified ties to the royal family. But you get the point...according to royal lineage standards, she was just the girl next door. Yet, I can't help but wonder: what will future British generations think about a coal mining family infiltrating the royal pedigree?
Something similar seems to have happened in a royal lineage that we find in the Bible. In chapter 1 of Matthew's Gospel, Matthew starts right away with a family tree tracing Jesus' royal and divine pedigree back to King David and ultimately to the patriarch Abraham. A quick word on Biblical geneaologies, compiling a list of descendants was very important in ancient times. As a primarily oral culture, geneaologies served as the only source of history that many people would ever know. Furthermore, geneaologies arbitrated things like inheritances and property allotments, and validated offices for priests and kings. And much like modern family trees, they provided a sense of cultural identity and social status (see John 6:41-42). So for Jesus to be touted as the King of Kings, God's highest priest, and the Messiah, it would be important to demonstrate his royal and divine bloodline.
But my good friend Arloa Sutter drew my attention to something else that I had never noticed before. (Probably because I skip over lists in the Bible so much!) Omissions and broad generational strokes are also common in geneaologies. For instance, you find names of unimportant or embarrassing family members left out, people who might minimize or disgrace the family pedigree. (Sorry Uncle Larry.) Also, given the patriarchal focus of that culture, women have much less emphasis in family trees, and are likewise often omitted altogether. So geneaologies are thoughtful and selective. Matthew details that he only lists 41 people from the time of Abraham to the time of Jesus.
Ok, so based on all of that, here's where it gets interesting. Matthew lists five women in his geneaology.
Surely these must have been exceptionally dignified women to crack into the geneaology of the Chosen One. I mean, this is a royal and a divine lineage now. Only the best should be in here, right? We'll, let's take a closer look at each of them:
Tamar (Gen. 38). A widow twice over who was shamed and unjustly neglected by the men in her life and who resorts to deception and indignity in order to, essentially, do the right thing (pass on her family line). She disguises herself as a shrine prostitute and convinces Judah, her father-in-law, to sleep with her. Interestingly enough, she has twin boys. The oldest of which was Perez, who passes on the family line and also makes it into Jesus' family tree.
Rahab (Joshua 2, 6). Rahab expresses her fear of the Lord and helps the Israelites occupy the Promised Land. But she was a foreigner, a Canaanite. And she was a prostitute. But the Israelites honor their deal with her and spare her family. She apparently marries an Israelite and gives birth to a son named Boaz. They both make it into the geneaology. And she is considered a woman of great faith in the New Testament (Hebrews 11).
Ruth (she has her own book!). Ruth was a Moabite woman. The Moabites were not well regarded among Israelites. They had incestous family roots (Gen. 19) and they just generally did not get along with each other. Nevertheless, Ruth marries into an Israelite family. But she and her mother-in-law Naomi, and her sister-in-law Orpah, all become widows. Ouch. Instant poverty and helplessness. But because she is faithful, hard working, and humble, Boaz (Rahab's son!) marries and redeems her from obscurity. She is then blessed with a son named Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David. They all made it into the geneaology.
Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). She and King David get caught up in an adulterous affair. David tries to fix it by killing her husband, and loyal Israelite soldier, Uriah. Of course, none of those things ever work out well, but David ultimately repents of his sin, and they suffer the consequence of a stillborn child. David marries Bathsheba and she gives birth to Solomon. They all made it into the list.
Mary (Luke 1). Mary is just a teenager from a small town when she finds out that she is going to give birth to a very special child by way of the Holy Spirit. She becomes pregnant, but she's still only engaged to Joseph. How do you explain that one and not get a stone thrown at you?
Um, Happy Mother's Day?? Clearly these were not dignified women to be in, what one would think, the most dignified and utterly important geneaology in history. On the contrary. These were powerless, hopeless, shameful, scandalous, embattled, simple, and otherwise insignificant women. Certainly there were better mothers that could have made the list. Moms who who made delicious apple pies, took their families to church each Sunday, and served faithfully on the PTA, no? So why these ladies? If geneaologies are so thoughtfully crafted, what was Matthew thinking?
(To be continued...)
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| The Royal Wedding 2011 |
Something similar seems to have happened in a royal lineage that we find in the Bible. In chapter 1 of Matthew's Gospel, Matthew starts right away with a family tree tracing Jesus' royal and divine pedigree back to King David and ultimately to the patriarch Abraham. A quick word on Biblical geneaologies, compiling a list of descendants was very important in ancient times. As a primarily oral culture, geneaologies served as the only source of history that many people would ever know. Furthermore, geneaologies arbitrated things like inheritances and property allotments, and validated offices for priests and kings. And much like modern family trees, they provided a sense of cultural identity and social status (see John 6:41-42). So for Jesus to be touted as the King of Kings, God's highest priest, and the Messiah, it would be important to demonstrate his royal and divine bloodline.
But my good friend Arloa Sutter drew my attention to something else that I had never noticed before. (Probably because I skip over lists in the Bible so much!) Omissions and broad generational strokes are also common in geneaologies. For instance, you find names of unimportant or embarrassing family members left out, people who might minimize or disgrace the family pedigree. (Sorry Uncle Larry.) Also, given the patriarchal focus of that culture, women have much less emphasis in family trees, and are likewise often omitted altogether. So geneaologies are thoughtful and selective. Matthew details that he only lists 41 people from the time of Abraham to the time of Jesus.
Ok, so based on all of that, here's where it gets interesting. Matthew lists five women in his geneaology.
Surely these must have been exceptionally dignified women to crack into the geneaology of the Chosen One. I mean, this is a royal and a divine lineage now. Only the best should be in here, right? We'll, let's take a closer look at each of them:
Tamar (Gen. 38). A widow twice over who was shamed and unjustly neglected by the men in her life and who resorts to deception and indignity in order to, essentially, do the right thing (pass on her family line). She disguises herself as a shrine prostitute and convinces Judah, her father-in-law, to sleep with her. Interestingly enough, she has twin boys. The oldest of which was Perez, who passes on the family line and also makes it into Jesus' family tree.
Rahab (Joshua 2, 6). Rahab expresses her fear of the Lord and helps the Israelites occupy the Promised Land. But she was a foreigner, a Canaanite. And she was a prostitute. But the Israelites honor their deal with her and spare her family. She apparently marries an Israelite and gives birth to a son named Boaz. They both make it into the geneaology. And she is considered a woman of great faith in the New Testament (Hebrews 11).
Ruth (she has her own book!). Ruth was a Moabite woman. The Moabites were not well regarded among Israelites. They had incestous family roots (Gen. 19) and they just generally did not get along with each other. Nevertheless, Ruth marries into an Israelite family. But she and her mother-in-law Naomi, and her sister-in-law Orpah, all become widows. Ouch. Instant poverty and helplessness. But because she is faithful, hard working, and humble, Boaz (Rahab's son!) marries and redeems her from obscurity. She is then blessed with a son named Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David. They all made it into the geneaology.
Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). She and King David get caught up in an adulterous affair. David tries to fix it by killing her husband, and loyal Israelite soldier, Uriah. Of course, none of those things ever work out well, but David ultimately repents of his sin, and they suffer the consequence of a stillborn child. David marries Bathsheba and she gives birth to Solomon. They all made it into the list.
Mary (Luke 1). Mary is just a teenager from a small town when she finds out that she is going to give birth to a very special child by way of the Holy Spirit. She becomes pregnant, but she's still only engaged to Joseph. How do you explain that one and not get a stone thrown at you?
Um, Happy Mother's Day?? Clearly these were not dignified women to be in, what one would think, the most dignified and utterly important geneaology in history. On the contrary. These were powerless, hopeless, shameful, scandalous, embattled, simple, and otherwise insignificant women. Certainly there were better mothers that could have made the list. Moms who who made delicious apple pies, took their families to church each Sunday, and served faithfully on the PTA, no? So why these ladies? If geneaologies are so thoughtfully crafted, what was Matthew thinking?
(To be continued...)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
If humans have free will, then I choose . . . oatmeal
The thing about the free will debate (and often theology in general) is that it becomes so otherworldly and lofty that we often overlook the relevancy of the debate at the floor level. The debate rages at the heights of soteriology (views on salvation) and other metaphysical realities. But I don’t often see people discuss the implications of free choice with everyday things in life, especially discussions that didn’t bring it back to salvation or metaphysics somehow.
Now, I’m not writing to split hairs about whether Calvinists or Arminians, or compatibilists or incompatibilists have it right. More than likely, since we’re humans, they both have it right and wrong. This is also not to make light of this classic debate. And granted, what transpires below may also be very sloppy theology! But I just want to view the debate from a more practical lens and bring it down from the rafters, just for a moment.
I want to discuss the importance of choice among those who routinely are not able to choose, or who are prevented from choosing. Many people who live in impoverished areas are constantly chosen for: someone else chooses where they will live, what kind of food they will eat, when they will get up and when they will sleep, where they will work, when they can shop, where they will attend school. This kind of lack of freedom is an overall lack of an ability to participate in the exchange of life. How does that affect people? And is that what God wanted for us?
I’ll give you a specific example. Have you ever volunteered at a food pantry? Many traditional pantries are set up like this: food is donated, volunteers gather together to sort and bag the food, and then the volunteers hand those bags to the pantry clients. “God bless yous” and “Thank Yous” are exchanged. But many people fail to realize what happens later. A lot of those clients end up dumping half the bag of food because it’s not food they would ever choose to eat.
Does that seem a little ridiculous or unappreciative to you?
Well, when you go to the grocery store, what would you do if a clerk greeted you at the door, and began filling your cart before you had a chance to say hello? Now, would you want that for yourself?
So there’s a movement happening among food pantries that I’m glad Breakthrough is a part of. It’s the “client-choice” food pantry model. Basically, a client-choice pantry is set up more like a grocery store. It may look differently at each pantry, but the bottom line is that people get to pick what they want to eat. It’s not really that genius. It should be a no-brainer. And the more I think of it, I’m dumbfounded that it has taken so long for well-meaning food pantries to pick up on it. Duh, people should be able to choose what kind of food they want to eat!
We don’t go far as to place any forbidden or poisonous fruit in our Fresh Market food pantry that people are warned to avoid…or else! But at a client-choice food pantry, “choosing” allows people to be human at a most basic level. (And I’ll smack you if ask me whether God determined or knew that they would choose oatmeal over tomato sauce). This goes a long way with a person’s overall quality of life. Yet, those of us with resources and “power” take for granted how important our choices are with everyday things.
No, there is no such thing as absolute freedom. That is unfathomable. God also establishes many paths for us according to his will. But to be an everyday human, we do have choices within our given environment. And I find that the more determined a person’s life is with the everyday choices of eating and sleeping and working, then the more despairing they tend to be.
Now you can draw your own metaphysical conclusions from this example and bring it back up to the salvation rafters and all if you want. But there is a simpler experience of free choice that calls us to consider whether or not we are living as humans right now. At the floor level, freedom is a symbol of human dignity. And I think that’s why God gave us at least a little bit of freedom. It makes such a big deal with the smallest things in life.
Honestly, who knows the mind of the Lord and what all that freedom talk means when the final bell rings. Yes, it’s important and fun (for some) to debate about it. But do we debate enough about what might happen at an everyday level if more choice was infused into the lives of those from whom it has been absent for so long?
Since one of the major themes of Deuteronomy related to righteousness and justice is how people choose to live, let’s think about what is preventing so many disenfranchised people from being able to do so. We must not think of freedom as simply a matter of metaphysics or salvation, because we have a lot of other smaller and more critical life choices to make in our ministries and lifestyles before we have any business talking about how or whether we’re saved. Because if we choose to overlook how our choices affect the choices of others, we may find ourselves hanging with the goats.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Responding to Panhandlers: thoughts on how to really help those on the streets
Arloa Sutter and Yolanda Fields, leaders at Breakthrough Urban Ministries, discuss how to respond to panhandlers.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
I will not blog about Rob Bell...I will not blog about Rob Bell...I will not blog about Rob Bell...
So I waited a whole week for the smoke to clear about the Rob Bell hype, and I tried resisting. But the pressures in my neighborhood are far too great for my fingers to sit idly. Here are some things that I wanted to throw out there in relation to Rob Bell.
Like many others, I was amazed by the following:
*The controversy over the contents of a book that the world has yet to read.
**The piping hot tweets of Johnny P.
***The marketing genius of it all - a classic evangelical cocktail bomb.
But there are two thoughts that I want to discuss today.
The first one is short and sweet. I hate Twitter. Twitter is to social commentary what a car is to a drunk leaving a party. A crash happens and people get hurt. (Of course, you can tear apart my logic and question whether that means that I hate cars. So maybe I can't stand the "drunks" who use Twitter). John Piper lost his credibility with me when he got behind the wheel after being intoxicated by the hype.
Second, and mainly, I'm curious about the way that Rob Bell's dissenters have sharply criticized his views. Not so much that he has been criticized, but how. A lot of people are really concerned about whatever he is going to say in this book, and they have gone into orange-alert mode to defend the faith. He is being rebuked.
But is it appropriate to criticize a person like Rob Bell in this way? Has he warranted the kind of serious correction that we find, for instance, in Galatians?
Furthermore, is his line of work the type that needs to invite this level of critical dialogue? I'm not talking about the critical, popular buzz. I'm talking about the fact that heavy-hitting, professional theologians are engaging the situation. The way that I understand the nature of professional theologians (professors at universities) is this: Professors engage in high-level academic research that invites criticism from peers. That's how they mature intellectually. Delivering and receiving criticism is a primary response to work that is produced. A great example is the career of a theologian like Reinhold Niebuhr.
Rob Bell is not a professional theologian. He doesn't teach at a university. The way I understand Rob Bell is that he is a teaching pastor who produces materials to help laypeople (mostly) connect better with God. Creating pastoral dialogue and reflection is a primary response to the kind of work that pastors like him produce. And to that end, pastors are concerned about reaching unity in their churches, and within the Church at large.
But I haven't seen a lot of unity around the hype of a book entitled Love Wins.
Now...is he above criticism or rebuke? Of course not. But has he been criticized too soon? And has he really earned a rebuke? Yet?
And really, my main questions for discussion are...
What deserves a Christian rebuke, and what is the appropriate way for doing it? And/or, what is an appropriate way to criticize pastoral-level writers and speakers?
Can you help me with this?
Like many others, I was amazed by the following:
*The controversy over the contents of a book that the world has yet to read.
**The piping hot tweets of Johnny P.
***The marketing genius of it all - a classic evangelical cocktail bomb.
But there are two thoughts that I want to discuss today.
The first one is short and sweet. I hate Twitter. Twitter is to social commentary what a car is to a drunk leaving a party. A crash happens and people get hurt. (Of course, you can tear apart my logic and question whether that means that I hate cars. So maybe I can't stand the "drunks" who use Twitter). John Piper lost his credibility with me when he got behind the wheel after being intoxicated by the hype.
Second, and mainly, I'm curious about the way that Rob Bell's dissenters have sharply criticized his views. Not so much that he has been criticized, but how. A lot of people are really concerned about whatever he is going to say in this book, and they have gone into orange-alert mode to defend the faith. He is being rebuked.
But is it appropriate to criticize a person like Rob Bell in this way? Has he warranted the kind of serious correction that we find, for instance, in Galatians?
Furthermore, is his line of work the type that needs to invite this level of critical dialogue? I'm not talking about the critical, popular buzz. I'm talking about the fact that heavy-hitting, professional theologians are engaging the situation. The way that I understand the nature of professional theologians (professors at universities) is this: Professors engage in high-level academic research that invites criticism from peers. That's how they mature intellectually. Delivering and receiving criticism is a primary response to work that is produced. A great example is the career of a theologian like Reinhold Niebuhr.
Rob Bell is not a professional theologian. He doesn't teach at a university. The way I understand Rob Bell is that he is a teaching pastor who produces materials to help laypeople (mostly) connect better with God. Creating pastoral dialogue and reflection is a primary response to the kind of work that pastors like him produce. And to that end, pastors are concerned about reaching unity in their churches, and within the Church at large.
But I haven't seen a lot of unity around the hype of a book entitled Love Wins.
Now...is he above criticism or rebuke? Of course not. But has he been criticized too soon? And has he really earned a rebuke? Yet?
And really, my main questions for discussion are...
What deserves a Christian rebuke, and what is the appropriate way for doing it? And/or, what is an appropriate way to criticize pastoral-level writers and speakers?
Can you help me with this?
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Front Porch Interview with Walter Brueggemann
I’m starting a new segment called Front Porch Interviews where I interview down-to-earth people who are making unique and meaningful contributions to urban spirituality and leadership.
I had the privilege of kicking off my first interview with renowned theologian, Walter Brueggemann. I caught up with him while he was in Chicago at the SCUPE Congress on Urban Ministry. He was invited in as one of the plenary speakers on the congress’ theme of peacemaking. And I thought I would pick his brain about his career, his book Peace, and his perspective on Chicago. We met over a cup of tea and hot chocolate. To my surprise, he was the hot chocolate guy.
TE: One of your theological themes is imagination – why is imagination such an important theological concept to you?
WB: The word imagination comes from the word image. We all have an “image of reality.” And that image is often dominated by a “market ideology” – the self-seeking paradigm that says that we need to be anxious about ensuring our own affluence and security. An imagination is our ability to think otherwise about the world. Jesus’ parables are clear examples of seeing the world as “otherwise.” Imagination, therefore, is the center of teaching and preaching ministries because we will not act better than we can imagine. Without discipline our imagination is dominated by market anxieties. The gospel task is to imagine outside the market ideology.
TE: Speaking of imagination, I have always enjoyed your writing style. Not all theologians go down as smoothly as you do. Your style seems to be so rhetorical and even poetic. Some of your stuff sounds like you’re starting to preach a little bit! To what do you attribute your writing style?
WB: They say that good writers shouldn’t use adjectives, but I think I use three adjectives in every sentence! I have actually had to work a lot at writing well. And my writing stays close to my oral style. I actually write longhand. I even catch myself talking out loud when I write.
TE: In your book Peace you explore shalom, the biblical notion of peace (wholeness). And you explain that one feature of shalom that God gives (as a gift) to the world is a sense of order. And therefore you suggest that the world is safe, and that this reality calls for wonder, amazement, gratitude, and a more whimsical view of life overall. While I appreciate (and I think I grasp) this view, I know many people in my city who wouldn’t. For instance, mothers who refuse to let their kids play in the neighborhood for fear of losing them to the streets. So how do you explain a perspective like this to people who live fearfully amongst chaos and violence daily?
WB: Great point. Granted, I don’t get to speak much to that kind of an audience. But overall, our talk of gratitude has to be matched by our walk. Our walk as Christians has to be speaking gratitude to those who live among violence and chaos. It won’t do for the church to talk about the assurances and promises of God, and not actually walk and live them out. So we have to develop a neighborhood fabric that lives out the reality of gratitude.
TE: Why do you think this is so hard for Christians to do?
WB: It is because that market ideology is such a powerful force. We inhale it constantly. Many people would say that this anxiety is inherently human. I say that is ideological production. And it is a totalizing mindset that is hard to get out of. It’s why Jesus ended up with 11 disciples.
TE: One particular element of peacemaking that is relevant to my ministry is access to healthy and affordable food. Breakthrough runs a dynamic food pantry on the west side of Chicago in an area that has been recently dubbed a food desert. Many people in that community do not experience the “shalom” of eating a regular healthy meal, especially in community with others. And this, of course, is just symptomatic of other problems in blighted urban areas where resources are not distributed evenly between the have and have nots. But eating plays such an important role in the human condition. You have written that “at the table is where shalom really exists.” How do you think the church might develop a theology of food that can lead to more peacemaking/justice in urban areas?
WB: [At the SCUPE conference] I spoke about the food fight that exists between those who want to accumulate and those who want to share. The manna story in Exodus is the lead story because the wilderness is a food desert. And in the food desert there is no reason to expect food. But the Israelites complained and God gave them food. And Jesus’ feeding miracles are a re-performance of that manna story. So the Church must enact a similar ministry of manna to produce food systems, turning the desert into a table, allowing people to expect and imagine otherwise in the food desert. Food pantries like yours are good examples of how we re-perform the Jesus miracles and the manna story. The battle in Church is to help people see that the Gospel is about food; it is about producing and distributing resources to the have nots. To quote the Sri Lankan evangelist D.T. Niles, “Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.” I take that to be a material statement overall. But churches get too preoccupied with orthodoxy and church systems and all that [we forget about the holistic nature of the gospel.]
TE: Are you working on any interesting project(s) right now?
WB: I’m working on a book about prophetic preaching. It focuses on the prophetic theme of loss, and not so much on God’s judgment. The prophets connect social loss to the reality of God, which is an almost impossible topic for middle-class or more affluent churches to embrace. But this is especially relevant today when you think about the economy and how so many people are “losing”– losing jobs, homes, pensions, etc. The market ideology wants us to deny the reality of loss.
TE: What do you think about Chicago, and where do you eat when you come into town?
WB: I don’t really know too much about eating in Chicago! Although I did eat at The Berghoff while I was here this week, and that was excellent.
About Chicago, I recently read Richard C. Longworth’s Caught in the Middle, and I was struck by his thesis that the Midwest generally missed the wave of globalization, except for Chicago, because Chicago is a collage of generative people – a lot is riding on the function of Chicago. So we’ll see how Rahm Emmanuel does.
If you have someone in mind that would make for a great Front Porch Interview, email me at tescobar@breakthrough.org
 |
| Walter Brueggemann |
I had the privilege of kicking off my first interview with renowned theologian, Walter Brueggemann. I caught up with him while he was in Chicago at the SCUPE Congress on Urban Ministry. He was invited in as one of the plenary speakers on the congress’ theme of peacemaking. And I thought I would pick his brain about his career, his book Peace, and his perspective on Chicago. We met over a cup of tea and hot chocolate. To my surprise, he was the hot chocolate guy.
TE: One of your theological themes is imagination – why is imagination such an important theological concept to you?
WB: The word imagination comes from the word image. We all have an “image of reality.” And that image is often dominated by a “market ideology” – the self-seeking paradigm that says that we need to be anxious about ensuring our own affluence and security. An imagination is our ability to think otherwise about the world. Jesus’ parables are clear examples of seeing the world as “otherwise.” Imagination, therefore, is the center of teaching and preaching ministries because we will not act better than we can imagine. Without discipline our imagination is dominated by market anxieties. The gospel task is to imagine outside the market ideology.
TE: Speaking of imagination, I have always enjoyed your writing style. Not all theologians go down as smoothly as you do. Your style seems to be so rhetorical and even poetic. Some of your stuff sounds like you’re starting to preach a little bit! To what do you attribute your writing style?
WB: They say that good writers shouldn’t use adjectives, but I think I use three adjectives in every sentence! I have actually had to work a lot at writing well. And my writing stays close to my oral style. I actually write longhand. I even catch myself talking out loud when I write.
TE: In your book Peace you explore shalom, the biblical notion of peace (wholeness). And you explain that one feature of shalom that God gives (as a gift) to the world is a sense of order. And therefore you suggest that the world is safe, and that this reality calls for wonder, amazement, gratitude, and a more whimsical view of life overall. While I appreciate (and I think I grasp) this view, I know many people in my city who wouldn’t. For instance, mothers who refuse to let their kids play in the neighborhood for fear of losing them to the streets. So how do you explain a perspective like this to people who live fearfully amongst chaos and violence daily?
WB: Great point. Granted, I don’t get to speak much to that kind of an audience. But overall, our talk of gratitude has to be matched by our walk. Our walk as Christians has to be speaking gratitude to those who live among violence and chaos. It won’t do for the church to talk about the assurances and promises of God, and not actually walk and live them out. So we have to develop a neighborhood fabric that lives out the reality of gratitude.
TE: Why do you think this is so hard for Christians to do?
WB: It is because that market ideology is such a powerful force. We inhale it constantly. Many people would say that this anxiety is inherently human. I say that is ideological production. And it is a totalizing mindset that is hard to get out of. It’s why Jesus ended up with 11 disciples.
TE: One particular element of peacemaking that is relevant to my ministry is access to healthy and affordable food. Breakthrough runs a dynamic food pantry on the west side of Chicago in an area that has been recently dubbed a food desert. Many people in that community do not experience the “shalom” of eating a regular healthy meal, especially in community with others. And this, of course, is just symptomatic of other problems in blighted urban areas where resources are not distributed evenly between the have and have nots. But eating plays such an important role in the human condition. You have written that “at the table is where shalom really exists.” How do you think the church might develop a theology of food that can lead to more peacemaking/justice in urban areas?
WB: [At the SCUPE conference] I spoke about the food fight that exists between those who want to accumulate and those who want to share. The manna story in Exodus is the lead story because the wilderness is a food desert. And in the food desert there is no reason to expect food. But the Israelites complained and God gave them food. And Jesus’ feeding miracles are a re-performance of that manna story. So the Church must enact a similar ministry of manna to produce food systems, turning the desert into a table, allowing people to expect and imagine otherwise in the food desert. Food pantries like yours are good examples of how we re-perform the Jesus miracles and the manna story. The battle in Church is to help people see that the Gospel is about food; it is about producing and distributing resources to the have nots. To quote the Sri Lankan evangelist D.T. Niles, “Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.” I take that to be a material statement overall. But churches get too preoccupied with orthodoxy and church systems and all that [we forget about the holistic nature of the gospel.]
[Side bar – a great Brueggemann article to read about this is "Enough is Enough"]
TE: Are you working on any interesting project(s) right now?
WB: I’m working on a book about prophetic preaching. It focuses on the prophetic theme of loss, and not so much on God’s judgment. The prophets connect social loss to the reality of God, which is an almost impossible topic for middle-class or more affluent churches to embrace. But this is especially relevant today when you think about the economy and how so many people are “losing”– losing jobs, homes, pensions, etc. The market ideology wants us to deny the reality of loss.
TE: What do you think about Chicago, and where do you eat when you come into town?
WB: I don’t really know too much about eating in Chicago! Although I did eat at The Berghoff while I was here this week, and that was excellent.
About Chicago, I recently read Richard C. Longworth’s Caught in the Middle, and I was struck by his thesis that the Midwest generally missed the wave of globalization, except for Chicago, because Chicago is a collage of generative people – a lot is riding on the function of Chicago. So we’ll see how Rahm Emmanuel does.
If you have someone in mind that would make for a great Front Porch Interview, email me at tescobar@breakthrough.org
Monday, January 17, 2011
Bucket List Practice #11 - Reconciling
Throughout the month of January I am creating a Bucket List in which I will suggest one New Year’s Practice each day that will give you a taste of living an integrated life for 2011. (By integrated, I mean one in which your faith, your character, your relationships, your responsibilities--all elements of your life--are in agreement.) Each one is meant to be exercised in one day. Please feel free to share about your experience in the comments section below. We will move through four different themes of living an integrated life. The second week January we'll explore practices about how we relate to others.
We are changing gears again this week to move into our third theme, which focuses on how we relate to other people. With today being Martin Luther King, Jr. day, there's not a better day to start such a theme!
Today's practice is reconciling. I'm sure that at various points in your life you may have experienced conflict with others, albeit from a family dispute, racism, some form of abuse, or even the guy who cut you off on the expressway. If we really think about it, most of the hurt we find in our lives comes from people. And we find ourselves both being the offenders and the offended.
Dave Schmelzer, pastor in Boston and author of Not the Religious Type, says that this is a result of "sin". We think of sin as being a bad person and having vices. But Schmelzer says that the Bible really describes sin (the antithesis of righteousness) as a breakdown of relationships. So "sin" embodies our shortcomings that destroy relationships, starting first with God, and then with other people. And so he has an insightful description of what makes Jesus so unique as a "religious" figure, referring to him as the Great Reconciler, the one who breaches broken relationships. His take is that no other religious figure has it in their agenda to tear down walls the way Jesus does. Whereas we as sinful humans want to exclude, draw lines, and bear grudges, the Bible shows that Jesus wants to include, draw in, and forgive. And the Bible also says that this is something that he has passed on to us.
So today, in honor of and inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr., begin the process of reconciling whatever kind of broken relationship you're facing. Resolve recent arguments, surrender any racist or prejudices attitudes, seek forgiveness from someone you've harmed, forgive someone who has harmed you. It's not easy, trust me. But it's the only way.
We are changing gears again this week to move into our third theme, which focuses on how we relate to other people. With today being Martin Luther King, Jr. day, there's not a better day to start such a theme!
Today's practice is reconciling. I'm sure that at various points in your life you may have experienced conflict with others, albeit from a family dispute, racism, some form of abuse, or even the guy who cut you off on the expressway. If we really think about it, most of the hurt we find in our lives comes from people. And we find ourselves both being the offenders and the offended.
Dave Schmelzer, pastor in Boston and author of Not the Religious Type, says that this is a result of "sin". We think of sin as being a bad person and having vices. But Schmelzer says that the Bible really describes sin (the antithesis of righteousness) as a breakdown of relationships. So "sin" embodies our shortcomings that destroy relationships, starting first with God, and then with other people. And so he has an insightful description of what makes Jesus so unique as a "religious" figure, referring to him as the Great Reconciler, the one who breaches broken relationships. His take is that no other religious figure has it in their agenda to tear down walls the way Jesus does. Whereas we as sinful humans want to exclude, draw lines, and bear grudges, the Bible shows that Jesus wants to include, draw in, and forgive. And the Bible also says that this is something that he has passed on to us.
So today, in honor of and inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr., begin the process of reconciling whatever kind of broken relationship you're facing. Resolve recent arguments, surrender any racist or prejudices attitudes, seek forgiveness from someone you've harmed, forgive someone who has harmed you. It's not easy, trust me. But it's the only way.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Bucket List Practice #10 - Downsizing
Throughout the month of January I am creating a Bucket List in which I will suggest one New Year’s Practice each day that will give you a taste of living an integrated life for 2011. (By integrated, I mean one in which your faith, your character, your relationships, your responsibilities--all elements of your life--are in agreement.) Each one is meant to be exercised in one day. Please feel free to share about your experience in the comments section below. We will move through four different themes of living an integrated life. The second week January we'll explore practices related to ourselves.
Today's practice is to downsize. However, our American culture is always about supersizing. Bigger, more, faster. But indulging ourselves more causes us to lose balance in our lives. When "bigger" and "more" are served for dinner, then obesity, greed, debt, and exploitation are what's burped out. We need to integrate the concept of "enough" if we want to live to the fullest. I like how Charles Wesly put it:
"Christians should give away all but the plain necessities of life; that is...wholesome food, clean clothes, and enough to carry on one's business."So today we will practice simplifying our consumption habits. There are many ways to practice that within one day. Maybe when you eat, don't go for seconds (and don't load up your plate either!), or eat about a fourth of what you would normally eat. If you tend to work a lot and get caught up in the rat race, then maybe just work a standard shift tomorrow. Or if you're thinking about making a purchase in the next couple days, maybe go for the generic brands, or decide steer away from a loan for something you don't really need. Either way, look at what you tend to gobble up the most, and just take much smaller bites today. You'll be fine.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Bucket List Practice #9 - Flossing
Throughout the month of January I am creating a Bucket List in which I will suggest one New Year’s Practice each day that will give you a taste of living an integrated life for 2011. (By integrated, I mean one in which your faith, your character, your relationships, your responsibilities--all elements of your life--are in agreement.) Each one is meant to be exercised in one day. Please feel free to share about your experience in the comments section below. We will move through four different themes of living an integrated life. The second week January we'll explore practices related to ourselves.
Today's practice is flossing. If you brush your teeth regularly, but your breath still stinks a little, flossing will help because you've got to get rid of the food that's marinating between your teeth and gums. But flossing is much more critical to an integrated, healthy life besides just improving your breath. Studies are showing that unhealthy teeth and gums can lead to heart problems and diabetes. So just the simple practice of flossing and rinsing (in addition to regularly brushing of course) can have a broad impact on your overall life and health.
So today, get some floss and get in between those teeth. And make a dentist appointment too while you're at it.
So today, get some floss and get in between those teeth. And make a dentist appointment too while you're at it.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Bucket List Practice #8 - Moving
Throughout the month of January I am creating a Bucket List in which I will suggest one New Year’s Practice each day that will give you a taste of living an integrated life for 2011. (By integrated, I mean one in which your faith, your character, your relationships, your responsibilities--all elements of your life--are in agreement.) Each one is meant to be exercised in one day. Please feel free to share about your experience in the comments section below. We will move through four different themes of living an integrated life. The second week January we'll explore practices related to ourselves.
We're changing gears a little this week. Last week our focus was related to us and God. This week's focus is related to yourself.
Today's practice is to move around and be active. Exercise is typically the number one New Year's resolution, and rightly so if you want to live an integrated life. It boosts our energy, strengthens our muscles and bones, helps our heart, lowers stress and much more. Those are all things that we engage on a daily basis, so I think we all agree how important exercise is! But many of us reading this probably have desk jobs where we sit most of the day. And the more electronic gadgets we have created, the more sedentary our lifestyle has become. At least Nintendo Wii was brilliant enough to combine video games and exercise.
But, keeping in the spirit of the Bucket List, the point of this suggestion is not to turn you into Richard Simmons over night. (Actually, I would never wish over anyone to turn into Richard Simmons.) The point is for you to get a taste of integrated, healthy living. And if you choose to be more active or exercise regularly, even better! Bonus 50 points for me.
So today, let's get the blood flowing and practice moving around more often than you normally would. Integrate a little more activity into your daily routine. If you usually use an elevator, take the stairs. Do some pushups when you get up in the morning. Instead of driving, walk or bike if the place is near enough. Or maybe catch a pick-up basketball game before or after work. Those are just some ideas. Of course, don't over-do it, especially if you decide to walk 30 miles to work or if your health currently limits some of your physical activity. Oh, and make sure to stretch. I'd hate to hear about people pulling hamstrings walking up a flight of stairs.
We're changing gears a little this week. Last week our focus was related to us and God. This week's focus is related to yourself.
But, keeping in the spirit of the Bucket List, the point of this suggestion is not to turn you into Richard Simmons over night. (Actually, I would never wish over anyone to turn into Richard Simmons.) The point is for you to get a taste of integrated, healthy living. And if you choose to be more active or exercise regularly, even better! Bonus 50 points for me.
So today, let's get the blood flowing and practice moving around more often than you normally would. Integrate a little more activity into your daily routine. If you usually use an elevator, take the stairs. Do some pushups when you get up in the morning. Instead of driving, walk or bike if the place is near enough. Or maybe catch a pick-up basketball game before or after work. Those are just some ideas. Of course, don't over-do it, especially if you decide to walk 30 miles to work or if your health currently limits some of your physical activity. Oh, and make sure to stretch. I'd hate to hear about people pulling hamstrings walking up a flight of stairs.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Bucket List Practice # 7 - Resting
Throughout the month of January I am creating a Bucket List in which I will suggest one New Year’s Practice each day that will give you a taste of living an integrated life for 2011. (By integrated, I mean one in which your faith, your character, your relationships, your responsibilities--all elements of your life--are in agreement.) Each one is meant to be exercised in one day. Please feel free to share about your experience in the comments section below. We will move through four different themes of living an integrated life. The first week January we'll explore practices related to our relationship with God.
Today's practice is resting. To rest means to stop working! I'm ashamed that I have to define it, but we are workaholics. One of the best ways to live an integrated life by connecting with God is simply to do nothing. The narrative in Genesis 1 shows the ultimate "to do" list. Then chapter two describes something remarkable that God did:
So, you've worked very hard all these last 6 days with this bucket list. It's day 7. The Boss took a day off, so you should too!
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.God made the universe, and then he took a break. I'm sure I'd be tired after doing that; I have a hard enough time keeping up with my own non-universe related tasks. And as hard as we work ourselves, we seldom take a break. It's interesting, though, because God doesn't actually need rest. But the story says that he blessed that day and made it holy. Making it holy doesn't mean that you need to read a Bible or go to church all day. To be holy or sacred in this sense means that it's set apart as a special day to take a load off. God is giving us permission, and almost insisting, that we take a day off. It's an example for us that shows how important it is to set aside regular time to relax and recharge.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
So, you've worked very hard all these last 6 days with this bucket list. It's day 7. The Boss took a day off, so you should too!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Bucket List Practice #6 - Fasting
Throughout the month of January I am creating a Bucket List in which I will suggest one New Year’s Practice each day that will give you a taste of living an integrated life for 2011. (By integrated, I mean one in which your faith, your character, your relationships, your responsibilities--all elements of your life--are in agreement.) Each one is meant to be exercised in one day. Please feel free to share about your experience in the comments section below. We will move through four different themes of living an integrated life. The first week January we'll explore practices related to our relationship with God.
Today's practice is fasting. Fasting is intentionally abstaining from food for spiritual purposes (whether that be for guidance, overcoming temptation, healing/deliverance, or for times of crisis). People often react to the concept of fasting like they do to running - "Why in the world would you choose to do that?" But there's something very powerful about fasting that makes it important to living an integrated life. Mahesh Chavda, pastor and author of The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting, explains why:
So today, practice fasting. A standard fast means no food, only water. That would be the ultimate challenge for one day. But at the very least, follow a basic principle of making some kind of substantial sacrifice in your eating habits for 24 hours. Maybe skip one or two meals. Maybe just eat vegetables or only drink juice. And then just spend the the time you would normally eat (or when you are hungry) gobbling up some prayer or sacred reading instead, to fill yourself with the food of God. If you want an inspiring example, check out how Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days before he began his ministry. Imagine starting 2011 that way! But let's just take it one day at a time.
Today's practice is fasting. Fasting is intentionally abstaining from food for spiritual purposes (whether that be for guidance, overcoming temptation, healing/deliverance, or for times of crisis). People often react to the concept of fasting like they do to running - "Why in the world would you choose to do that?" But there's something very powerful about fasting that makes it important to living an integrated life. Mahesh Chavda, pastor and author of The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting, explains why:
It is likely that at some point in your life and ministry, you have been stopped cold or greatly hindered by obstructions. That thing, whatever is...will not budge until you combine your prayers with fasting. When you combine your prayers with fasting, you suddenly drop a hydrogen bomb on the mountain that is blocking your call and divine assignment. Fasting boosts the intensity and effectiveness of our prayer at least tenfold, and often a hundredfold!There are lots of difficult situations that you may be carrying into 2011; fasting helps us overcome them by weakening ourselves in order to rely on God's power. But in addition to giving us a boost over challenges, fasting helps to reorient our priorities and bring balance to our life against our overly indulgent culture that wants to appetize us to consume more and more. Fasting reminds us that we don't live on food alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
So today, practice fasting. A standard fast means no food, only water. That would be the ultimate challenge for one day. But at the very least, follow a basic principle of making some kind of substantial sacrifice in your eating habits for 24 hours. Maybe skip one or two meals. Maybe just eat vegetables or only drink juice. And then just spend the the time you would normally eat (or when you are hungry) gobbling up some prayer or sacred reading instead, to fill yourself with the food of God. If you want an inspiring example, check out how Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days before he began his ministry. Imagine starting 2011 that way! But let's just take it one day at a time.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Bucket List Practice # 5 - Trusting
Throughout the month of January I am creating a Bucket List in which I will suggest one New Year’s Practice each day that will give you a taste of living an integrated life for 2011. (By integrated, I mean one in which your faith, your character, your relationships, your responsibilities--all elements of your life--are in agreement.) Each one is meant to be exercised in one day. Please feel free to share about your experience in the comments section below. We will move through four different themes of living an integrated life. The first week January we'll explore practices related to our relationship with God.
Today's practice is trusting. Many think that success is a combination of hard work or good luck And we worry whether we've done enough or whether we're going to catch a break. And when we fail, we either feel inadquate or absurd. There is definitely a hard work side. We have to give our best efforts to our responsibilities. And yes, we all know that there are a lot of factors that are beyond the control of hard work.
But let's drop this idea of luck because there is a personal God who has purposes for the world and a calling for you. So I think St. Augustine nailed it when he said, "Pray as if everything depended on God. Work as if everything depended on you." Things are not left entirely up to chance, nor are they entirely dependent on you. It's you and God. But God takes the lead and the burden, as well as your inadequacy and your absurdity. The main question is, do you trust in God to accomplish your goals?
A proverb from the Bible says, "Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed." That word commit used in this verse literally means to roll something away. Basically, we are encouraged to let go of our plans and turn them over to God. So essentially you no longer hold on to your goals; you entrust them to God. Trust is critical to an integrated life because those who trust in God will not only achieve, but will experience satisfaction. Plus it helps with our humility, which is essential to integrity.
So today, take your greatest goals for 2011, and roll them over to God. And then work your butt off to accomplish them. Does that make sense? If not, no worries. It will work. Trust me.
Today's practice is trusting. Many think that success is a combination of hard work or good luck And we worry whether we've done enough or whether we're going to catch a break. And when we fail, we either feel inadquate or absurd. There is definitely a hard work side. We have to give our best efforts to our responsibilities. And yes, we all know that there are a lot of factors that are beyond the control of hard work.
A proverb from the Bible says, "Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed." That word commit used in this verse literally means to roll something away. Basically, we are encouraged to let go of our plans and turn them over to God. So essentially you no longer hold on to your goals; you entrust them to God. Trust is critical to an integrated life because those who trust in God will not only achieve, but will experience satisfaction. Plus it helps with our humility, which is essential to integrity.
So today, take your greatest goals for 2011, and roll them over to God. And then work your butt off to accomplish them. Does that make sense? If not, no worries. It will work. Trust me.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Bucket List Practice #4 - Sacred reading
Throughout the month of January I am creating a Bucket List in which I will suggest one New Year’s Practice each day that will give you a taste of living an integrated life for 2011. (By integrated, I mean one in which your faith, your character, your relationships, your responsibilities--all elements of your life--are in agreement.) Each one is meant to be exercised in one day. Please feel free to share about your experience in the comments section below. We will move through four different themes of living an integrated life. The first week January we'll explore practices related to our relationship with God.
Today's practice is sacred reading. By sacred reading, I mean the divine writings that are the foundation of your beliefs. For Christians, that is the Bible. But it may well be the Sunday morning comics for you. Who knows? I have included sacred reading as an integrated practice because the authors of the Bible refer to scripture as the bread of life--the spiritual nourishment that strengthens a person's character. A lot of New Year's resolutions focus on eating healthier, but does that ever include soul food? (I don't mean fried chicken and greens.)
When it comes to spiritual dieting, it is true that you are what you eat. As Jesus said to his followers, who you are flows from what is in your heart. So if your life has been feeling like an upset stomach lately (i.e., making poor decisions, mistreating people, feeling depressed, cynical, or envious), evaluate what you have been feeding your soul. A steady diet of sacred reading offsets the junk food that we consume from TV, tabloids, the internet, and even from conversations. It gives us a bigger picture of life. It helps us know what God wants from us.
So today, I suggest a reading of the hearty poem in Psalm 119. And you might need to lean back and loosen your belt when you're done.
When it comes to spiritual dieting, it is true that you are what you eat. As Jesus said to his followers, who you are flows from what is in your heart. So if your life has been feeling like an upset stomach lately (i.e., making poor decisions, mistreating people, feeling depressed, cynical, or envious), evaluate what you have been feeding your soul. A steady diet of sacred reading offsets the junk food that we consume from TV, tabloids, the internet, and even from conversations. It gives us a bigger picture of life. It helps us know what God wants from us.
So today, I suggest a reading of the hearty poem in Psalm 119. And you might need to lean back and loosen your belt when you're done.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Bucket List Practice # 3 - Praying
Throughout the month of January I am creating a Bucket List in which I will suggest one New Year’s Practice each day that will give you a taste of living an integrated life for 2011. (By integrated, I mean one in which your faith, your character, your relationships, your responsibilities--all elements of your life--are in agreement.) Each one is meant to be exercised in one day. Please feel free to share about your experience in the comments section below. We will move through four different themes of living an integrated life. The first week January we'll explore practices related to our relationship with God.
Today's practice is prayer. Prayer is just having conversation with God. It really is that simple; there are no magic words or special occassions. But once we let that thought of "talking with God" sink in, the profound weight of it can be intimidating. It's kind of like the double-take feeling I had when I found out I was going to be a dad. "We're having a baby! Wait...we're having a baby!!" So, yes, the immensity of prayer can leave us speechless. Yet, I like how N.T. Wright describes prayer in his Simply Christian,
For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever.
Amen.
Today's practice is prayer. Prayer is just having conversation with God. It really is that simple; there are no magic words or special occassions. But once we let that thought of "talking with God" sink in, the profound weight of it can be intimidating. It's kind of like the double-take feeling I had when I found out I was going to be a dad. "We're having a baby! Wait...we're having a baby!!" So, yes, the immensity of prayer can leave us speechless. Yet, I like how N.T. Wright describes prayer in his Simply Christian,
Pulling the Rope of Life
Andrius KovelinasWe are called to live at the overlap both of heaven and earth--the earth that has yet to be fully redeemed as one day it will be--and of God's future and this world's present. We are caught on a small island near the point where these tectonic plates--heaven and earth, future and present--are scrunching themselves together. . . . Christian prayer is about standing at the fault line . . . holding heaven and earth together like someone trying to tie two pieces of rope with people tugging at the other ends to pull them apart.
Prayer gives us the opportunity to cause earthquakes of positive change in the world around us just by having a simple conversation with God.
So today, pray the the Lord's prayer. It's a basic prayer that many of us grew up reciting. I have provided a different translation in order to help you walk through each line with fresh attentiveness.
and the glory forever.
Amen.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Bucket List Practice # 2 - Celebrating
Throughout the month of January I am creating a Bucket List in which I will suggest one New Year’s Practice each day that will give you a taste of living an integrated life for 2011. (By integrated, I mean one in which your faith, your character, your relationships, your responsibilities--all elements of your life--are in agreement.) Each one is meant to be exercised in one day. Please feel free to share about your experience in the comments section below. We will move through four different themes of living an integrated life. The first week January we'll explore practices related to our relationship with God.
Today's practice is celebration. Yes, we are bombarded in our society by negativity and trouble. Jesus even affirmed that to his followers, but he also told them, "Take heart, for I have overcome the world." Celebration is based on victory. And the big picture of life, as Jesus says, is that there are winners on his team. But celebrating in life is easier said than done. As I have written elsewhere, a life of joy and celebration will not come to you. You must come to it. Richard Foster, in his Celebration of Discipline says,
 |
| Front: celebrating a victory and popsicles after the game. Rear: only popsicles. But even that's not so bad. |
The decision to set the mind on the higher things of life is an act of the will. That is why celebration is a discipline. It is not something that falls on our heads. It is the result of a consciously chosen way of thinking and living. When we choose this way, the healing and redemption in Christ will break into the inner recesses of our lives and relationships, and the inevitable result will be joy.So take a moment to reflect on the victories in your life and celebrate them (everybody has at least one victory if you're reading this today because you woke up and you're alive). But actually celebrate them. I mean, act as if your football team just scored a 50 yard touchdown to win the Super Bowl. Do something. Sing a song. Do a little dance. Share some good news with a friend. Let out a yelp for joy or clap your hands. It may feel silly, but let loose and do something tangible to practice celebration. It will be like a ray of sunshine bursting through the clouds of cynicism and depression around you.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Bucket List Practice # 1 - Listening
Throughout the month of January I am creating a Bucket List in which I will suggest one New Year’s Practice each day that will give you a taste of living an integrated life for 2011. (By integrated, I mean one in which your faith, your character, your relationships, your responsibilities--all elements of your life--are in agreement.) Each one is meant to be exercised in one day. Please feel free to share about your experience in the comments section below. We will move through four different themes of living an integrated life. The first week January we'll explore practices related to our relationship with God.
The only way to find out is to zip the lip and listen. That is today's practice. Unplug everything and do what the Psalmist writes: "Be still, and know that I am God." Let there be no other voice today, not even yours, but the voice of God telling you what to be about this year. And let that set the course for your life in 2011.
I'll start us off this year with a bit of a paradox for a New Year's resolution Bucket List. The most powerful line (and perhaps most well-known) in Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life is this: "It's not about you." It seems a little counter-intuitive to put that out there in a conversation related to New Year's resolutions for ourselves. We live in a task-oriented, "doing" culture where we are always on the go asking, "What do I have to do?" That's usually the pick-up line that sparks our courtships with New Year's resolutions. But to live an integrated life means that we have to "be" a certain kind of person in order to "do" those resolutions. And it's usually our own shortcomings that cause us to resolve to live better. So I think the best place to begin this year is humbly acknowledging that this life is bigger than us. And could it be that God actually has something in mind for us this year, even something better than what we want for ourselves?
The only way to find out is to zip the lip and listen. That is today's practice. Unplug everything and do what the Psalmist writes: "Be still, and know that I am God." Let there be no other voice today, not even yours, but the voice of God telling you what to be about this year. And let that set the course for your life in 2011.
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