While at Greenbelt this last Saturday, I walked by a guy with a Martin Luther King, Jr. quote on his t-shirt. It got my attention so much, I went back and found the guy a minute later and asked him where he got the shirt. He said that he had gotten it at the Make Poverty History demonstrations in Edinburgh during the G8 summits in early July.
The quote went as follows:
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
Ponder. Ruminate. Reflect. Good stuff.
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31.8.05
Greenbelt Arts Festival Report
I had a great time at the Greenbelt arts festival this last Saturday. It was good to finally get a chance to experience it for myself. It’s definitely a more ecumenical kind of gathering, though drawing “artsy Church of England” types more than anything else. I think the best part about it for myself was that it’s different than the usual evangelical subculture that I’ve been immersed in all of my life. It’s so refreshing to be exposed to different perspectives and viewpoints on the Christian faith and to have the freedom to think for myself. I think a lot of conservative/fundamentalist Christians would probably frown on something like Greenbelt, but I’m increasingly of the opinion that God’s truth can stand on it’s own. Yes, we need to address false teaching (Col. 2.16-23; 1 Tim. 1.3-4; 6.3-5; 2 Peter 2.1-3), but I have seen so much arrogance and theological ego demonstrated in the name of “protecting against false teaching” in the evangelical church. This kind of thing often results in an atmosphere of suspicion, paranoia, and mistrust amongst God’s people. (See this blog post by Rhett Smith for a great discussion on the crucial role of humility in theology.)
One of my favourite talks/seminars that I attended was by Steve Stockman, author of Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2. In particular, he talked about how Desmond Tutu’s “abuntu theology” influenced Bono and his song writing. Stockman summarized “abuntu theology” as a theology of human interdependence: “we are human only through the humanity of other humans.” As you might guess, it was essential theology in the context of the fight against South African apartheid, as well as in the continued reconciliation efforts there. I may not be totally on board with all of Desmond Tutu’s theology, but this bit of it I can roll with. It’s essentially a result of a high view of imago Dei (people are made in the image of God) and an accurate depiction of how Jesus treated people during his life and ministry on the earth.
Stockman didn’t go down this particular path, but I think it has staggering implications. Though Jesus was fully God, could it be that He chose to be interdependent on other humans in His full humanity? Was He not in fact even dependent on his mother to feed and clothe him as a child? Of course, it was his connection with and dependence on His Father that Jesus modelled most profoundly for us. How does this dependence on God fuel our interdependence on other human beings, both outside and within the Church?
There were a few other thought-provoking panels and seminars that I went to, as well as some inspiring art exhibitions and concerts with the likes of Kendall Payne, John Davis, and Tree 63. I also ran into Chris Curtis (LCET) and hung out with him during one of the panel discussions. We had a great conversation afterwards as well. We seem to share much of the same thoughts and struggles and questions about the church, so it’s always refreshing and even clarifying to be able to talk to him and get his feedback on stuff.
One of my favourite talks/seminars that I attended was by Steve Stockman, author of Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2. In particular, he talked about how Desmond Tutu’s “abuntu theology” influenced Bono and his song writing. Stockman summarized “abuntu theology” as a theology of human interdependence: “we are human only through the humanity of other humans.” As you might guess, it was essential theology in the context of the fight against South African apartheid, as well as in the continued reconciliation efforts there. I may not be totally on board with all of Desmond Tutu’s theology, but this bit of it I can roll with. It’s essentially a result of a high view of imago Dei (people are made in the image of God) and an accurate depiction of how Jesus treated people during his life and ministry on the earth.
Stockman didn’t go down this particular path, but I think it has staggering implications. Though Jesus was fully God, could it be that He chose to be interdependent on other humans in His full humanity? Was He not in fact even dependent on his mother to feed and clothe him as a child? Of course, it was his connection with and dependence on His Father that Jesus modelled most profoundly for us. How does this dependence on God fuel our interdependence on other human beings, both outside and within the Church?
There were a few other thought-provoking panels and seminars that I went to, as well as some inspiring art exhibitions and concerts with the likes of Kendall Payne, John Davis, and Tree 63. I also ran into Chris Curtis (LCET) and hung out with him during one of the panel discussions. We had a great conversation afterwards as well. We seem to share much of the same thoughts and struggles and questions about the church, so it’s always refreshing and even clarifying to be able to talk to him and get his feedback on stuff.
29.8.05
Finally
Over a month ago Brandon informed me that I could post things on the blog and asked me to write a little something. Needless to say, I've been a little slow at getting it done. My biggest cause for procrastination was not really knowing what to say to all 3 of you who might read this. I'm still not sure what is going to come out so read on at your own risk.
I saw the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" this past weekend. In addition to being pursuaded that Brandon and I should add Itlay to our list of potential places to land, I was struck by another thought. In this movie, a newly divorced woman, Frances, buys a villa in Tuscany on a whim. In the midst of buyers remorse, she is asking why she bought such a large place for herself. She goes on to say she wants a wedding to take place there, people to cook for, and a family to call the villa home. Her dream, of course, is that it will be her wedding, her family who live there.
In one of the last scenes of the movie, someone points out to her that she has gotten her wish. A wedding has taken place. A family has taken residence. She has had people to cook for. But it wasn't her wedding, it's not her family, and those she had been able to cook for are gone.
The thought that came to me was this: sometimes God grants me my desires - but like Frances, I nearly miss it because it does not come packaged the way I thought it would. At that point I have a choice. I can foolishly cling to the way I wanted things to work out and resent that it didn't, or I can let go of that picture and fully embrace the gift God has given me. I know which choice will lead to a more enjoyable, fulfilled life. Guess it's a matter of consistenly applying that knowledge.
I saw the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" this past weekend. In addition to being pursuaded that Brandon and I should add Itlay to our list of potential places to land, I was struck by another thought. In this movie, a newly divorced woman, Frances, buys a villa in Tuscany on a whim. In the midst of buyers remorse, she is asking why she bought such a large place for herself. She goes on to say she wants a wedding to take place there, people to cook for, and a family to call the villa home. Her dream, of course, is that it will be her wedding, her family who live there.
In one of the last scenes of the movie, someone points out to her that she has gotten her wish. A wedding has taken place. A family has taken residence. She has had people to cook for. But it wasn't her wedding, it's not her family, and those she had been able to cook for are gone.
The thought that came to me was this: sometimes God grants me my desires - but like Frances, I nearly miss it because it does not come packaged the way I thought it would. At that point I have a choice. I can foolishly cling to the way I wanted things to work out and resent that it didn't, or I can let go of that picture and fully embrace the gift God has given me. I know which choice will lead to a more enjoyable, fulfilled life. Guess it's a matter of consistenly applying that knowledge.
26.8.05
Faith & Culture
After my little rant about Christianity and the arts the other day, I remembered a quote that I was given by a friend in Stockholm. I'm pretty sure that the book was entitled "What is Culture that Thou Art Mindful of It?," but I can't even find it on Amazon or Powells. The author writes about how C.S. Lewis viewed the relationship between Christianity and culture.
"Lewis’s reply was that the ideal of suspending all cultural activity for the sake of evangelism or the pursuit of holiness was impossible. 'If you attempted,' he argued, 'to suspend your whole intellectual and aesthetic activity, you would only succeed in substituting a worse cultural life for a better.' This is precisely what many religious people do, which is one of the reasons we have such bad music and ugly architecture in Christian settings. Lewis went on: 'You are not in fact going to read nothing, either in the Church or on the [front] line: if you don’t read good books you will read bad ones. If you don’t go on thinking rationally, you will think irrationally. If you reject aesthetic satisfactions you will fall into sensual satisfactions.'"
The attempt to "suspend all cultural activity" by the church has been quite subtle, but I wonder if it has been an underlying cause behind much of the nasty mudslinging against those involved in th emerging church dialogue. I think part of what is driving that dialogue in the first place is the realization that it's impossible to separate culture from faith and the church. There is no such thing as a church that has managed to quarantine itself from culture, thus being purely informed by Scripture. The very language we speak, be it English or American English or high German or Austrian German, carries cultural nuances.
Those churches who do attempt to either separate themselves from culture (or more commonly, simply attempt to ignore or downplay any cultural influence) usually find themselves merely embodying a cultural aesthetic that is about 50 years old. Think about it. How many churches have you seen or been in that still use flannel banners with the words of Matthew 28.19-20 or John 3.16 (or other scripture passages) sewn on with other material? How 'bout those reader boards outside church buildings? Here in England, 3 out of the 4 churches that I've been invited to guest preach at have also asked me to do a little song-and-dance thing for the kiddies at the end of the service. These are usually the churches that still conduct worship singing out of hymnals or use acetates (yankees, read "overhead transparencies"), lead by the senior pastor and accompanied by an older female piano or organ player who can't quite keep a steady tempo, in part because the pastor just informed the piano player of the hymn numbers that morning.
I really don't mean to sound mean or cynical. My point is, as was Lewis's point from the mystery book, any attempt to separate the church from culture results in inadvertently replacing that culture with a foreign or unfamiliar subculture.
A few other ideas/questions about how culture has informed how we do church:
- Just think about how we dress at church. For a lot of years, church goers predominantly put on their "Sunday best," claiming to give God their all in how they dressed. This meant that men wore three piece suits and women wore dresses or skirts. Was this type of dress style informed by Scripture, or by the secular business standards of the day? Today, in most contemporary evangelical churches, people dress however they feel most comfortable, which means casual. Have you ever noticed the fashion news headlines stating that corporate dress standards have gotten more casual and informal? (Just ask my brother what the big wigs at the Microsoft campus in Seattle wear to work.)
- Where in the Bible does it say that the people must sit theatre-style in church, staring at the back of one anothers' heads while all the action happens on a stage? Sounds like what happens at the modern day cinema or the symphony.
- Where in the Bible does it say that local churches must be lead by a single senior pastor (or elder), with a few associate pastors below him (if any at all)? Sounds like the equivalent of the modern day CEO or president of a large corporation.
These are just a few petty examples of modern day cultural influences that I've wrestled with. I think the bottom line is that the church needs to loosen up about culture, while not letting it get in the way of the mission of the church by 1) ignoring it, or 2) getting so consumed by it that the point is lost.
I'll end with one last quote that I think informs the issue rather well:
“. . . the church is a part of the whole; she is both influenced by the world around her and called to influence the world in which she exists. Too often the church does not realize that she is a part of a greater societal and spiritual ecosystem and that her role is to be the very fiber that produces health within that ecological system. . . . The commission erupts out of the great commandment. . . . . When relationships become stagnant and the community of Christ closes itself to the outside world, the result is an institution rather than a movement.” (Erwin Raphael McManus, An Unstoppable Force)
"Lewis’s reply was that the ideal of suspending all cultural activity for the sake of evangelism or the pursuit of holiness was impossible. 'If you attempted,' he argued, 'to suspend your whole intellectual and aesthetic activity, you would only succeed in substituting a worse cultural life for a better.' This is precisely what many religious people do, which is one of the reasons we have such bad music and ugly architecture in Christian settings. Lewis went on: 'You are not in fact going to read nothing, either in the Church or on the [front] line: if you don’t read good books you will read bad ones. If you don’t go on thinking rationally, you will think irrationally. If you reject aesthetic satisfactions you will fall into sensual satisfactions.'"
The attempt to "suspend all cultural activity" by the church has been quite subtle, but I wonder if it has been an underlying cause behind much of the nasty mudslinging against those involved in th emerging church dialogue. I think part of what is driving that dialogue in the first place is the realization that it's impossible to separate culture from faith and the church. There is no such thing as a church that has managed to quarantine itself from culture, thus being purely informed by Scripture. The very language we speak, be it English or American English or high German or Austrian German, carries cultural nuances.
Those churches who do attempt to either separate themselves from culture (or more commonly, simply attempt to ignore or downplay any cultural influence) usually find themselves merely embodying a cultural aesthetic that is about 50 years old. Think about it. How many churches have you seen or been in that still use flannel banners with the words of Matthew 28.19-20 or John 3.16 (or other scripture passages) sewn on with other material? How 'bout those reader boards outside church buildings? Here in England, 3 out of the 4 churches that I've been invited to guest preach at have also asked me to do a little song-and-dance thing for the kiddies at the end of the service. These are usually the churches that still conduct worship singing out of hymnals or use acetates (yankees, read "overhead transparencies"), lead by the senior pastor and accompanied by an older female piano or organ player who can't quite keep a steady tempo, in part because the pastor just informed the piano player of the hymn numbers that morning.
I really don't mean to sound mean or cynical. My point is, as was Lewis's point from the mystery book, any attempt to separate the church from culture results in inadvertently replacing that culture with a foreign or unfamiliar subculture.
A few other ideas/questions about how culture has informed how we do church:
- Just think about how we dress at church. For a lot of years, church goers predominantly put on their "Sunday best," claiming to give God their all in how they dressed. This meant that men wore three piece suits and women wore dresses or skirts. Was this type of dress style informed by Scripture, or by the secular business standards of the day? Today, in most contemporary evangelical churches, people dress however they feel most comfortable, which means casual. Have you ever noticed the fashion news headlines stating that corporate dress standards have gotten more casual and informal? (Just ask my brother what the big wigs at the Microsoft campus in Seattle wear to work.)
- Where in the Bible does it say that the people must sit theatre-style in church, staring at the back of one anothers' heads while all the action happens on a stage? Sounds like what happens at the modern day cinema or the symphony.
- Where in the Bible does it say that local churches must be lead by a single senior pastor (or elder), with a few associate pastors below him (if any at all)? Sounds like the equivalent of the modern day CEO or president of a large corporation.
These are just a few petty examples of modern day cultural influences that I've wrestled with. I think the bottom line is that the church needs to loosen up about culture, while not letting it get in the way of the mission of the church by 1) ignoring it, or 2) getting so consumed by it that the point is lost.
I'll end with one last quote that I think informs the issue rather well:
“. . . the church is a part of the whole; she is both influenced by the world around her and called to influence the world in which she exists. Too often the church does not realize that she is a part of a greater societal and spiritual ecosystem and that her role is to be the very fiber that produces health within that ecological system. . . . The commission erupts out of the great commandment. . . . . When relationships become stagnant and the community of Christ closes itself to the outside world, the result is an institution rather than a movement.” (Erwin Raphael McManus, An Unstoppable Force)
25.8.05
Pearl Jam Bootleg Downloads
In September, Pearl Jam will make yet another fan-friendly move by launching their own online bootleg download store, beginning with a live recording of their sold-out concert at the Gorge amphitheatre on the 1st. Each recording will cost 10 bucks (er, USD, that is. Hey, that's less than £6 Sterling!). As usual, they'll be bucking the system a bit by releasing the hi-res files without Digital Rights Management.
The manager of the fan club says this on the site: "The decision to exclude the DRM is unprecedented for a band of this size, but it's consistent with the band's sensibilities . . . . We want to make it as hassle-free as possible for someone to listen to a show they've downloaded regardless of what music-playing device they use."
How cool would it be if more great bands could get away with doing this kind of thing. Guess most of them would have to bypass the big record labels that own them first. Keep it up Vedder and crew. One of these days maybe the rest of the music industry will follow your example.
The manager of the fan club says this on the site: "The decision to exclude the DRM is unprecedented for a band of this size, but it's consistent with the band's sensibilities . . . . We want to make it as hassle-free as possible for someone to listen to a show they've downloaded regardless of what music-playing device they use."
How cool would it be if more great bands could get away with doing this kind of thing. Guess most of them would have to bypass the big record labels that own them first. Keep it up Vedder and crew. One of these days maybe the rest of the music industry will follow your example.
Prayer for Norway
Coninuing to pray for the peoples of Europe this week. From the 21st-28th I'm praying for Norway. Please feel free to add your prayers in the "comments" section. (One of these days, maybe Blogger will provide a "categories" feature so that I can separate these EuroPrayer entries into their own section. Or, maybe I should move the blog to TypePad or WordPress.)
Prayer for Norway
God of all life, we bow before you and intercede on behalf of the people of Norway. Their religious ties are strong and there is a rich heritage of spiritual sensitivity amongst them. However, we would pray for the strength of the church there. We ask that you would bring pastors, church leaders and the rest of your people to know and be confident in the existence of Your Kingdom so that they can be confident in announcing and demonstrating that Kingdom in Norwegian culture. Please save the church in Norway from becoming an institution. Breathe new life into it so that it is revived as a movement of your hand, bringing hope, healing, and wholeness to those who stumble in the dark and do not have an intimate connection with the Light of the World through His death and resurrection.
AMEN.
Prayer for Norway
God of all life, we bow before you and intercede on behalf of the people of Norway. Their religious ties are strong and there is a rich heritage of spiritual sensitivity amongst them. However, we would pray for the strength of the church there. We ask that you would bring pastors, church leaders and the rest of your people to know and be confident in the existence of Your Kingdom so that they can be confident in announcing and demonstrating that Kingdom in Norwegian culture. Please save the church in Norway from becoming an institution. Breathe new life into it so that it is revived as a movement of your hand, bringing hope, healing, and wholeness to those who stumble in the dark and do not have an intimate connection with the Light of the World through His death and resurrection.
AMEN.
24.8.05
Greenbelt Festival, etc.
I'm hoping to get over to Cheltenham for at least a day or two this weekend to party with the folks at the Greenbelt Festival. I've heard a lot about the event from various sources, but I'm looking forward to checking it out for myself. From what I understand, the opportunity that the organizers give for participation, artistic expression, and creative exchange is unprecedented in the world of Christian festivals. For example, there will be three designated busking stages, where anybody who wants to can set up their instruments and play for anyone within earshot. (Hmmm . . . then again, could prove to be as disasterous as a night of drunken karaoke.) There will also be platforms for poetry, art galleries, web media experiments, drama, and various creative worship experiences, along with teaching times and music performances ranging from rock 'n roll to classical. *sigh* This is the way Christianity should be - wholistic.
I so appreciate the underlying philosophy that seems to drive this festival organization: The Christian faith is meant to pervade all of life, especially including creativity and the arts. It seems that, at one time (or maybe at various times) in history, the Church used the arts to point to the creativity of God and to the aesthetics of faith. At some point (maybe when the reformers took a "throw the baby out with the bath water" approach to art?), the protestant church lost touch with the value of creative expression and collided with this strange "secular vs. sacred" dichotomy, thus relegating the arts to suspicious worldliness.
You'll have to excuse my equivocal little rant. For a much more masterful treatment of these issues please consider reading Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts (by Steve Turner) or any number of works by Francis Shaffer.
So anyway, I'm hoping I can make it up to Greenbelt this weekend.
I so appreciate the underlying philosophy that seems to drive this festival organization: The Christian faith is meant to pervade all of life, especially including creativity and the arts. It seems that, at one time (or maybe at various times) in history, the Church used the arts to point to the creativity of God and to the aesthetics of faith. At some point (maybe when the reformers took a "throw the baby out with the bath water" approach to art?), the protestant church lost touch with the value of creative expression and collided with this strange "secular vs. sacred" dichotomy, thus relegating the arts to suspicious worldliness.
You'll have to excuse my equivocal little rant. For a much more masterful treatment of these issues please consider reading Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts (by Steve Turner) or any number of works by Francis Shaffer.
So anyway, I'm hoping I can make it up to Greenbelt this weekend.
22.8.05
Dallas Willard Interview
Relevant Magazine recently did an interview with Dallas Willard, one of my favourite authors/theologians. It was especially good timing for me to read this interview because I've been thinking a lot about various issues that Willard does a brilliant job of explaining and expanding on, particularly in the area of spiritual disciplines. Rather than being an old fashioned idea of strict piety that only 18th Century puritans practiced, spiritual disciplines (as Willard explains in "The Spirit of the Disciplines" and in various articles) are a means of putting ourselves into contact with the resources that God has given us to truly walk in the way of Jesus. These practices are especially appropriate and relevant for us today. Personally, I'm ready to take my own spiritual discipline to a new level. Regular prayer and Bible study are good, but things like fasting and solitude help us clear the air from the excessive noise and clutter that seems to build up in 21st Century life.
Okay, so I'm sticking my neck out a bit to be blogging about this, realizing that the 3 of you who actually visit my blog site may hold me to the things I'm talking about. Which actually brings up another point about spiritual discipline that Willard suprisingly brings up in the Relevant article. Individual spiritual disciplines alone are NOT enough. I believe (though Willard doesn't get this explicit, and it's something that he doesn't seem to mention much in his writing) that in order for spiritual disciplines to be maximised, they must be practiced in the context of community, that is, in relationships with other believers.
Go ahead. I dare you to ask how one practices solitude in the context of community . . . .
Okay, so I'm sticking my neck out a bit to be blogging about this, realizing that the 3 of you who actually visit my blog site may hold me to the things I'm talking about. Which actually brings up another point about spiritual discipline that Willard suprisingly brings up in the Relevant article. Individual spiritual disciplines alone are NOT enough. I believe (though Willard doesn't get this explicit, and it's something that he doesn't seem to mention much in his writing) that in order for spiritual disciplines to be maximised, they must be practiced in the context of community, that is, in relationships with other believers.
Go ahead. I dare you to ask how one practices solitude in the context of community . . . .
19.8.05
More on Nicolas
This last Monday was the memorial for my cousin, Nick, who was killed on the battlefield in Iraq. As it turns out, he was with a group of 14 Marines en route to recover the bodies of Marine snipers who had been ambushed by insurgents days before. The amphibious vehicle that they were in ran over a massive roadside bomb and immediately killed everyone inside.
From what my parents tell me, there were up to 800 people at the memorial service in Issaquah (Seattle area.)
From what my parents tell me, there were up to 800 people at the memorial service in Issaquah (Seattle area.)
Devotional Thots
This morning was a fruitful time of journaling for me. Probably the coffee, God bless it. Below are some thoughts from my time in the Word and a prayer offered up for The Netherlands.
The prayer for The Netherlands is a result of a European prayer calendar I’ve put together that guides me in praying for every country in Europe throughout the year. This week just happens to be The Netherlands. I’ve taken the “Operation World” CD-ROM and copied/pasted prayer info. into Word documents so that I know how to pray for them. The Word documents allow me to print the information and even drag the info. into my PDA.
Anyway, here are my thoughts and prayers from the morning.
JOHN 7.21-24
Jesus speaks of the Law in ways that are seemingly almost a foreign language to the Pharisees. They read the law for how they can control their ability to fulfil it perfectly. Jesus’ view of the Law is a question of how he can use it to serve others and help them into the Kingdom. Hmmm . . . . This idea needs some more thought regarding how Jesus used truth.
Do church leaders (and other Christians in general, including myself) have a tendency to put reigns on Christianity in the same ways that the Pharisees tried taming the Law of Moses? Could it be an issue of throwing around the label “biblical” to canonize our theological opinions and preferences? We say that truth is objective, but too often it feels like we use that as an excuse to elevate our theological perspective above that of those around us who we disagree with and whom we vilify as “unbiblical.” Our “objective truth” philosophy, it seems, tends to give way too easily to an inflated ego.
Prayer for The Kingdom of the Netherlands
Holy God, we ask for your mercy to be poured down on the country of The Kingdom of the Netherlands. We recognize that their sinful depravity is an abomination to your eyes and you cannot but unleash your wrath on such wickedness.
However, we also recognize that their wickedness is no more deserving of your judgment than any other people group or nation on the earth. Therefore, we pray that, by your grace, you would strengthen your Church in The Netherlands. Cause Dutch believers to be a light of truth, goodness, and beauty amongst their people. Let this presence of a peculiar and alien people shed light on the misery of sin and unrighteousness, that those who do not know you will be drawn to you through their collective light.
Let your people in The Netherlands be separated by doctrinal squabbles no more. Help them find and promote only those truth principals that are necessary to your mission on the earth. Confront them with their finiteness and intrigue them with the mysterious wonder of knowing you intimately, yet with trembling.
The prayer for The Netherlands is a result of a European prayer calendar I’ve put together that guides me in praying for every country in Europe throughout the year. This week just happens to be The Netherlands. I’ve taken the “Operation World” CD-ROM and copied/pasted prayer info. into Word documents so that I know how to pray for them. The Word documents allow me to print the information and even drag the info. into my PDA.
Anyway, here are my thoughts and prayers from the morning.
JOHN 7.21-24
Jesus speaks of the Law in ways that are seemingly almost a foreign language to the Pharisees. They read the law for how they can control their ability to fulfil it perfectly. Jesus’ view of the Law is a question of how he can use it to serve others and help them into the Kingdom. Hmmm . . . . This idea needs some more thought regarding how Jesus used truth.
Do church leaders (and other Christians in general, including myself) have a tendency to put reigns on Christianity in the same ways that the Pharisees tried taming the Law of Moses? Could it be an issue of throwing around the label “biblical” to canonize our theological opinions and preferences? We say that truth is objective, but too often it feels like we use that as an excuse to elevate our theological perspective above that of those around us who we disagree with and whom we vilify as “unbiblical.” Our “objective truth” philosophy, it seems, tends to give way too easily to an inflated ego.
Prayer for The Kingdom of the Netherlands
Holy God, we ask for your mercy to be poured down on the country of The Kingdom of the Netherlands. We recognize that their sinful depravity is an abomination to your eyes and you cannot but unleash your wrath on such wickedness.
However, we also recognize that their wickedness is no more deserving of your judgment than any other people group or nation on the earth. Therefore, we pray that, by your grace, you would strengthen your Church in The Netherlands. Cause Dutch believers to be a light of truth, goodness, and beauty amongst their people. Let this presence of a peculiar and alien people shed light on the misery of sin and unrighteousness, that those who do not know you will be drawn to you through their collective light.
Let your people in The Netherlands be separated by doctrinal squabbles no more. Help them find and promote only those truth principals that are necessary to your mission on the earth. Confront them with their finiteness and intrigue them with the mysterious wonder of knowing you intimately, yet with trembling.
18.8.05
Time in England with Kristy
After the conference, Kristy and I flew back to England together. I booked the ticket for her way back in March, when I was making the big plans to propose. At the time, I wasn't totally convinced that I had the correct ring size, so I thought we could take it down to the jewelry shop in London and have them re-size it for us. As it turned out, the ring was the perfect size!
On Monday, Kristy and I drove down to Canterbury to see the cathedral. It was pretty fascinating, though I don't think it is quite as massive as York Minster Cathedral. However, the historical significance of Canterbury Cathedral to British Christianity probably outdoes York Minster.
On Tuesday, I took Kristy in to London and headed straight for Hatton Gardens, where I purchased the engagement ring. After getting the ring polished up, the guy in the shop showed us some of the available wedding bands. We may end up going back to that same shop, since they've been so good to work with. (Now would be a good time for a quick shout out to the Jewish brothers at "B&G Diamonds," 84 Hatton Gardens.)
After that, Kristy and I spent some time at the British Museum, where we also happened to run into a couple of guys who write for Relevant Magazine. (Brett something, and some other guy.) Later that evening, after a meal at Little Italy's, near Regent's Park, we headed over to the Globe Theatre to see an impressive showing of Shakespear's "Pericles."
On Monday, Kristy and I drove down to Canterbury to see the cathedral. It was pretty fascinating, though I don't think it is quite as massive as York Minster Cathedral. However, the historical significance of Canterbury Cathedral to British Christianity probably outdoes York Minster.
On Tuesday, I took Kristy in to London and headed straight for Hatton Gardens, where I purchased the engagement ring. After getting the ring polished up, the guy in the shop showed us some of the available wedding bands. We may end up going back to that same shop, since they've been so good to work with. (Now would be a good time for a quick shout out to the Jewish brothers at "B&G Diamonds," 84 Hatton Gardens.)
After that, Kristy and I spent some time at the British Museum, where we also happened to run into a couple of guys who write for Relevant Magazine. (Brett something, and some other guy.) Later that evening, after a meal at Little Italy's, near Regent's Park, we headed over to the Globe Theatre to see an impressive showing of Shakespear's "Pericles."
GEM Annual Conference in Budapest
Had a good time at the GEM Annual Conference in Budapest last week. (Click here to see the picture gallery.) Admittedly, the best thing about it was being able to spend some time with my fiance in person after almost 3 months of sporadic IM and Skype discussions. I had an opportunity to lead worship at one of the sessions during the conference. It was incredibly nerve-racking. The organization is full of older folk with strong opinions and preferences for songs/hymns written before 1980. Despite a few looks of boredom and even concern during the worship set, I did get some encouraging feedback from a few people. And I understand that, in a mission of GEM's size, there is a wide variety of perspective, preference, and church experience.
The final song after the message was something I put together to the tune of the old Irish hymn "Be Thou My Vision." I've posted the words below. They don't match the poetic beauty of "Vision," but it was an opportunity to put some of my thoughts and meditations to music.
God of the nations, Creator of all
Strengthen your church to remember her call
Joining Your passion to draw sinners near
Close to Your majesty, without shame or fear
Bridegroom of heaven and Ancient of Days
All things exist for your pleasure and praise
All of creation is held in your hands
Coming together for your purpose, your plans
We are your people the salt of the earth
Chosen to carry your fame and your worth
Let us now glorify your holy name
Dwell in the purpose for which Your Son came
The final song after the message was something I put together to the tune of the old Irish hymn "Be Thou My Vision." I've posted the words below. They don't match the poetic beauty of "Vision," but it was an opportunity to put some of my thoughts and meditations to music.
God of the nations, Creator of all
Strengthen your church to remember her call
Joining Your passion to draw sinners near
Close to Your majesty, without shame or fear
Bridegroom of heaven and Ancient of Days
All things exist for your pleasure and praise
All of creation is held in your hands
Coming together for your purpose, your plans
We are your people the salt of the earth
Chosen to carry your fame and your worth
Let us now glorify your holy name
Dwell in the purpose for which Your Son came
5.8.05
Deja Vu & Misdirected Pleasure
As my spiritual journey takes me into my 30’s, I’m beginning to realize that spiritual growth involves a lot of review. Lessons that were learned long ago in my life have had to be re-visited, chewed on, and wrestled with again and again.
Take, for example, a lesson that was learned from a particularly difficult situation in my life seven years ago. After our engagement was broken off by my fiancé, I was devastated. This may seem at first, to be a fairly natural response to a very difficult situation. However, when your life revolves around the fulfilment of a dream like marriage or full-time ministry service (or in this case, a combination of the two), such circumstances cause your life to spiral out of perspective. For about a month, I looked for relief from my pain, even going so far as to seriously ponder taking my own life. Then, one day, as I prayed, the clouds parted and I remembered the centre of my life, around which everything else revolved. And the “marriage and full-time ministry” ideal was not it. At least, it wasn't meant to be.
Recently I’ve been acknowledging the fact that I will naturally have a tendency to go into my marriage in December desiring a healthy relationship with my wife more than anything else – which will be a mistake with potentially devastating implications. If I choose that path, chances are, I will attempt to change any character weaknesses in her that show up on my “super pastor radar,” thus making her feel like my pet project by how I treat her. Our relational distance will increase and at some point, we’ll be encouraged to spend our life savings on a counsellor who will try to help us (or rather, me) see things that my stubborn ego won’t allow me to see for myself.
If, however, I go into our upcoming marriage with my heart’s desire securely fixed on that which it was created for, I will want the best for Kristy and for our marriage, but I will be free to love, pray for, nurture, and empower her without any pressure to get our marriage healthy by trying to "fix her" (potentially in ways that she may not even need to be fixed!) My joy in life will not be threatened by whether or not my marriage is working out the way I want it to.
I’ve made the same mistake with ministry throughout the years. Too often, a “successful ministry” has become the greatest desire of my heart, overshadowing that which is meant to be the supreme source of my fulfilment and pleasure in life. Now, if I really was some sort of super-pastor – writing best-selling books and speaking in stadiums full of people – I might be able to pull it off. Ministry success would be an ostensibly great source of fulfilment. But it would still be a wrong source and, worse yet, a considerably paltry source of fulfilment in comparison with that which I am designed to find my supreme pleasure in.
It’s only now, after a good twelve years of concentrated ministry experience that I finally feel like I’m able to catch myself when I begin looking to my ministry performance for pleasure and satisfaction in life, rather than looking to my Maker and to the intimacy He has offered me. John Piper puts it this way: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” I think the third word in that statement is debatable, but it’s a helpful and inspiring aphorism. I think another way to put is this: “Only when God alone is the centre of our affections (our fulfilment, pleasure, and satisfaction) are we freed to live the full life that He intended us to live.” When this happens, there is a refreshing freedom to love people and step out in ministry to them, without the restraints of approval addiction or the crippling pressure of expectations and result-driven effort.
It’s something we all do. It’s human nature to look to our own resources to make life work the way we want it to and in such a way that it will bring us joy and fulfilment in life. I, for one, am done trying to make life work. Nowadays I’m just trying to round up all my misdirected pleasure and focus it in on my Creator, where it belongs. Hopefully, 7 years from now, I’ll be a little better at it than I am now.
psalm 63.1-5; jeremiah 24.7; ezekiel 36.26; matthew 22.37-40
Take, for example, a lesson that was learned from a particularly difficult situation in my life seven years ago. After our engagement was broken off by my fiancé, I was devastated. This may seem at first, to be a fairly natural response to a very difficult situation. However, when your life revolves around the fulfilment of a dream like marriage or full-time ministry service (or in this case, a combination of the two), such circumstances cause your life to spiral out of perspective. For about a month, I looked for relief from my pain, even going so far as to seriously ponder taking my own life. Then, one day, as I prayed, the clouds parted and I remembered the centre of my life, around which everything else revolved. And the “marriage and full-time ministry” ideal was not it. At least, it wasn't meant to be.
Recently I’ve been acknowledging the fact that I will naturally have a tendency to go into my marriage in December desiring a healthy relationship with my wife more than anything else – which will be a mistake with potentially devastating implications. If I choose that path, chances are, I will attempt to change any character weaknesses in her that show up on my “super pastor radar,” thus making her feel like my pet project by how I treat her. Our relational distance will increase and at some point, we’ll be encouraged to spend our life savings on a counsellor who will try to help us (or rather, me) see things that my stubborn ego won’t allow me to see for myself.
If, however, I go into our upcoming marriage with my heart’s desire securely fixed on that which it was created for, I will want the best for Kristy and for our marriage, but I will be free to love, pray for, nurture, and empower her without any pressure to get our marriage healthy by trying to "fix her" (potentially in ways that she may not even need to be fixed!) My joy in life will not be threatened by whether or not my marriage is working out the way I want it to.
I’ve made the same mistake with ministry throughout the years. Too often, a “successful ministry” has become the greatest desire of my heart, overshadowing that which is meant to be the supreme source of my fulfilment and pleasure in life. Now, if I really was some sort of super-pastor – writing best-selling books and speaking in stadiums full of people – I might be able to pull it off. Ministry success would be an ostensibly great source of fulfilment. But it would still be a wrong source and, worse yet, a considerably paltry source of fulfilment in comparison with that which I am designed to find my supreme pleasure in.
It’s only now, after a good twelve years of concentrated ministry experience that I finally feel like I’m able to catch myself when I begin looking to my ministry performance for pleasure and satisfaction in life, rather than looking to my Maker and to the intimacy He has offered me. John Piper puts it this way: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” I think the third word in that statement is debatable, but it’s a helpful and inspiring aphorism. I think another way to put is this: “Only when God alone is the centre of our affections (our fulfilment, pleasure, and satisfaction) are we freed to live the full life that He intended us to live.” When this happens, there is a refreshing freedom to love people and step out in ministry to them, without the restraints of approval addiction or the crippling pressure of expectations and result-driven effort.
It’s something we all do. It’s human nature to look to our own resources to make life work the way we want it to and in such a way that it will bring us joy and fulfilment in life. I, for one, am done trying to make life work. Nowadays I’m just trying to round up all my misdirected pleasure and focus it in on my Creator, where it belongs. Hopefully, 7 years from now, I’ll be a little better at it than I am now.
psalm 63.1-5; jeremiah 24.7; ezekiel 36.26; matthew 22.37-40
4.8.05
In Memory of Nicolas
Got some horrible news this evening.
My brother rang my mobile phone from Seattle to tell me that mom and dad had been trying to get a hold of me. My cousin, Nicolas (19), was killed in action during this week's fighting in Iraq.
It was tough to take. Just last week, while I was staying at my parents' place in Washington state, Nick's older sister came over with her husband and 2 yr. old daughter. We talked about getting care packages and e-mail message across to Nick. It's comforting to know that Nick had a relationship with his Creator (at least as far as I'm aware) and, in the long run, that will make things easier to handle for his parents and 9 siblings. I can imagine it's still going to be difficult, however.
The toughest part about it for me personally is being so far away from my family, and wanting to be with them to mourn this loss of a special family member. I had similar feelings when my grandmother died last year and when my neice was born. Guess that's just the nature of living so far away from home.
Please be in prayer for my family, particularly Nick's immediate family. I'm hoping to shop around to see if I can find some decently priced airfare back to the States to attend the memorial service. We'll see if it works out.
My brother rang my mobile phone from Seattle to tell me that mom and dad had been trying to get a hold of me. My cousin, Nicolas (19), was killed in action during this week's fighting in Iraq.
It was tough to take. Just last week, while I was staying at my parents' place in Washington state, Nick's older sister came over with her husband and 2 yr. old daughter. We talked about getting care packages and e-mail message across to Nick. It's comforting to know that Nick had a relationship with his Creator (at least as far as I'm aware) and, in the long run, that will make things easier to handle for his parents and 9 siblings. I can imagine it's still going to be difficult, however.
The toughest part about it for me personally is being so far away from my family, and wanting to be with them to mourn this loss of a special family member. I had similar feelings when my grandmother died last year and when my neice was born. Guess that's just the nature of living so far away from home.
Please be in prayer for my family, particularly Nick's immediate family. I'm hoping to shop around to see if I can find some decently priced airfare back to the States to attend the memorial service. We'll see if it works out.
Pepsi Cans
I recently got an e-mail telling a suspicious story about Pepsi releasing some patriotic cans in the States with a picture of the Twin Towers and the text of the Pledge of Allegiance – minus the words “under God.” Usually it’s pretty easy to sniff out the myriad of bogus e-mails flying around cyberspace. It’ll be interesting to see if this one turns out to be true, since its legitimacy will be as easy to verify as picking up a can of Pepsi in a mini mart. And if you can’t even be bothered to do that, Snopes.com does an admirable job at putting silly chain e-mails and cyberspace rumours to rest.
2.8.05
Back in the UK
Arrived back in England this morning after a long day of travel. Smooth sailing on both legs of the journey - except of course for the 30 seconds I took to step into the loo on board the flight from PDX to Chicago.
As always, a long travel day like that provides ample opportunity for thought and reflection. Was able to capture some of my thoughts on the laptop. As I get settled back in to Luton, I'll post 'em up.
For now, it's really good to be back in England. Strangely enough, on the way up to Luton from Heathrow, it felt more like coming home than when I arrived in the States a few months back.
As always, a long travel day like that provides ample opportunity for thought and reflection. Was able to capture some of my thoughts on the laptop. As I get settled back in to Luton, I'll post 'em up.
For now, it's really good to be back in England. Strangely enough, on the way up to Luton from Heathrow, it felt more like coming home than when I arrived in the States a few months back.