I just made a visit to my old elementary school, and turns out my old grade six teacher is still teaching there. I ended up being asked to come back and speak to the school about future possibilities as a returning student.
It reminded me of the incredible need for intentional living. Too often we end up simply going through the motions and haphazardly end up where ‘the system’ leads us or wherever external forces push us.
The first girl I ever dated was in grade six, and it was completely un-intentional.
We were watching a movie in class, the lights were a bit dim. I was kicking back with one arm behind my chair. Some punk kid behind me, pulls a prank I wish I thought of, and quickly places my arm around the shoulders of the girl sitting next to me.
I completely freeze up. She turns, smiles, places a hand on my lap.
I didn’t flinch for the rest of the film. And with that, we were officially dating.
It lasted about a week. We figured we were still young and wanted to leave our options open.
Thank God.
I believe the Apostle Paul calls this being tossed back and forth by the waves.
How might we all live more intentionally each day?
Why do we do this to ourselves? Who says we need a home that large or that fine?
I just recently realized that Bono closes off the song “beautiful day” with the statement “what you don’t have you don’t need it now”… which I flesh out as – the things you don’t already have today, you probably don’t need tomorrow. What would it look like to live with that type of freedom?
Sometimes I flip through catalogs or take another pass around a store, with no other intention than seeing what else I don’t have, that I might be able to purchase.
What is going on with the world when six-percent of it’s population, consumes half of it’s resources?
There’s even a site called allconsuming.net that allows you to list out all the books, entertainment, and restaurants you’ve consumed like a trophy case.
Fulfilling perceived needs costs so much more than meeting actual needs. Why do we do it?
Our enslavement goes beyond material consumption as well. I’m wrapping up a book by Marva Dawn right now, “Is it a lost cause”, and she quotes what Neil Postman calls Low Information-Action Ratio (l.i.a.r. is the cheesy acronym they use). The point is that more than ever we spend time consuming information that we can’t/don’t do anything about.
We’re a generation enslaved – to products, to comfort, to amusement, to information.
And somewhere in all of this, Jesus has something to say.
I’m working my way through Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw’s Jesus for President right now. It’s especially interesting in light of the presidential campaigns right now.
The book is a phenomenal read. Not quite as random as Irresistible Revolution, but just as powerful.
Jesus for President is a project in renewing the imagination of the church in the United States and those who would seek to know Jesus. I love quotes like this:
A great paradox and humor of God’s audacious power: a stuttering prophet will be the voice of God, a barren old lady will become the mother of a nation, a shepherd boy will become their king, and a homeless baby will lead them home.
The book walks through the narrative of the Scriptures with a political, grassroots lens from the margins. It’s such a contrast from how I was exposed to the biblical text early in my Christian journey. I’m encouraged on every page and feel honored that I’ve inherited such a wonderful Story as I read it.
The biggest thing with the book for most will probably be the packaging. Each page is uniquely designed and arranged. It definitely appeals to the senses. My only problem is I love writing and underlining throughout all the books I read, and this one is just too beautiful to mark up.
I’f you’ve been living solitude the last day, check out Barack Obama’s major speech on race recently delivered (2 million views on youtube in less than 2 days!). Much of it is in response to his former pastor Jeremiah Wright’s outright racist comments, but it’s so much more. I suspect it’s stuff Obama’s been thinking for quite a while now.
And if you haven’t seen the DNC2004 breakthrough speech. You must go back and watch it. Part 1 and 2.
The net’s been abuzz with the boldness and riskiness of the speech. Some say it’s the most important and historic speech since MLK’s. I expected about as much from Obama.
Obama’s not without his flaws, but here’s why the church needs to stop, listen, and understand the whole Obama-phenomenon
- Obama is the first truly postmodern presidential candidate. He publicly offers us insights into the state and trajectory of our culture. He also has the capacity to shape and influence it.
- Just as Christ believes in us more than we might believe in Him, so does Barack. A big part of the media critique to Barack’s speech is that it was brilliant, but too nuanced and sophisticated for the average ‘knucklehead’ in America. Obama actually dares to think better of American than that.
- Obama knows how to subtly subvert the establishment and the culture to ‘forgotten ways‘. As much as Barack declares it, I really don’t know how much “I am my brother’s keeper” was on the founding father’s minds, but it’s a truth embedded somewhere in our souls. Obama injects it into the conversation as if it always was. Just as emerging leaders today need to not reject the church, but embrace her, and gently call her back to Jesus, the one we’ve ignored but has always been there.
- In response of Jesus’ prayer of becoming ‘one, the church is desperately in need of unity. If you read “The audacity of hope”, you’ll he how he’s always had a politics of unity. He refuses to vilify people and find ways of honoring even those he strongly disagrees with. As the church we need to re-learn how to honor the image of God within every person, no matter how broken. If we really do believe in a sovereign God at work in all places, I’d go as far as saying we need to find ways to honor all that reflects God in every faith group and orientation, no matter how God’s fingerprints on them might seem.
- Barack has built his campaign on being better together; in policy, funding, speeches, etc. The future of the church will not be driven by lone-ranger super-star pastors. Hillary Clinton may be ready-on-day-one and fight like there’s no tomorrow, but does her extraordinary efforts come even close to an entire army of people willing to do the same inspired by Barack? The church needs to learn how to inspire the masses again. Just as God inspires (breathes into) humanity
- Transcendence and Imminence – When will.i.am was being interviewed about his “yes we can” song a reporter asked what many people of Obama’s critics are asking – What exactly is all this transcendent talk of ‘change’ that you’re so excited about specifically referring to? I love will.i.am’s answer – “Obama changes… me”. Does it get any more personal and transformational than that? We, the church, need to stop fighting over the peripherals and fight for the hearts of our people.
I’m working my way through Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw’s 
