Canticles of the Unhomed
Monday, July 25, 2005
Ah, Sweet, Sweet Houseness
It was a good night.
As a "church planter" there are times when Chuck and I can become quite fustrated or discouraged with the lack of progress, or even an abundance of regression. There are times when there are only three of us there on a Sunday afternoon, and it is easy for me to think, "What the hell am I doing? I am a complete failure." This is something that not too many people outside of "ministry" can understand. Its more than just not being successful. You pour your life into this venture, and you attach a certain amount of your identity to it. When the House slumps, I slump. This is actually quite a struggle for many of us, so be sure to pray for the church planter in your life.
However, my Master has been kind to me, and has spared me from the worst of it; I keep seeing these moments of Houseness, and that warms and encourages my heart. I am largely pleased with the state of the House, if not content.
Last night for example. We had a good meeting; it was the first that we had as a full group in a long time, so it was good to reconnect with everyone, hear everyone's stories and listen to their lives. We took communion, which was the first time since Mack's baptism like a month ago. We had incredible discussion as we discussed communion, and then as we unpacked 1 Corinthians 5. We shared a meal together, and hung out long into the night. Cortney was sick, so Chuck and I, along with Mack, did our pastoral duty and took commuion to her, and prayed for her. Then it was hang-out, poker, and conversation late into the night.
Moment of Houseness Number 1: Taking communion with my community; praying with them, and breaking the loaf and sharing the cup. It was powerful, solemn and moving, at least for me.
Moment of Houseness Number 2: Answering in depth questions about communion from a "non-Christian" and helping them understand the very fundamentals about communion.
Moment of Houseness Number 3: Hearing others in the group other than me answer those questions, and being impressed with everyone's willingness to engage eachother, and more than just academically answer questions, but rather speak TO the person, and reveal themselves doing it.
Moment of Houseness Number 4: Watching Jeff struggle with dealing with someone, and watching him earnestly try to love this person, though it was hard for him to do so. Seeing him grow has been awesome.
Moment of Houseness Number 5: Sitting around the dinner table with Erika, Adam, Charity, Mack, Jeff, Amanda, Chuck and Jeremy and just laughing for the sake of laughing; enjoying their company and their conversation over salad and spaghetti.
Moment of Houseness Number 6: The impromptu drumming circle at the dinner table, and how much we sucked.
Moment of Houseness Number 7: Taking communion to Cortney and watching Mack and Chuck minister to her, and seeing her spirits lift.
Moment of Houseness Number 8: Having a profound discussion about community and interdependence with Carmella, and making a new friend.
Moment of Houseness Number 9: Hugging Jeremy after telling him that there will be no castings out a la 1 Cor 5.
Moment of Houseness Number 10: Praying with my arm around Cortney as Mack, Chuck and Carmella laid hands on her.
Moment of Houseness Number 11: Playing poker with Chuck and Allister until the wee hours, and soundly beating both of them. :)
Moment of Houseness Number 12: Sitting in Keegans with Chuck until five in the morning listening to him tell me about his life, and then dreaming and visioncasting together over apple cinnamon milkshakes and root beer.
That was alot of moments. But, we have alot of Houseness, and I happen to love these people. It's easy being a church planter when a Sunday goes right. But things are building; we will be in a house of our own by September, hopefully we'll be signed in as an official "Evangelical Free Church of Canada" church in October, and soon we will be looking beyond ourselves to mission and service. I like these directions.
BTW, Chuck and I were talking about it last night, and technically, I am NOT a church planter. At the House, we are not building a church, but a lifestyle. Man, I think my cliche meter just blew up. :)
As a "church planter" there are times when Chuck and I can become quite fustrated or discouraged with the lack of progress, or even an abundance of regression. There are times when there are only three of us there on a Sunday afternoon, and it is easy for me to think, "What the hell am I doing? I am a complete failure." This is something that not too many people outside of "ministry" can understand. Its more than just not being successful. You pour your life into this venture, and you attach a certain amount of your identity to it. When the House slumps, I slump. This is actually quite a struggle for many of us, so be sure to pray for the church planter in your life.
However, my Master has been kind to me, and has spared me from the worst of it; I keep seeing these moments of Houseness, and that warms and encourages my heart. I am largely pleased with the state of the House, if not content.
Last night for example. We had a good meeting; it was the first that we had as a full group in a long time, so it was good to reconnect with everyone, hear everyone's stories and listen to their lives. We took communion, which was the first time since Mack's baptism like a month ago. We had incredible discussion as we discussed communion, and then as we unpacked 1 Corinthians 5. We shared a meal together, and hung out long into the night. Cortney was sick, so Chuck and I, along with Mack, did our pastoral duty and took commuion to her, and prayed for her. Then it was hang-out, poker, and conversation late into the night.
Moment of Houseness Number 1: Taking communion with my community; praying with them, and breaking the loaf and sharing the cup. It was powerful, solemn and moving, at least for me.
Moment of Houseness Number 2: Answering in depth questions about communion from a "non-Christian" and helping them understand the very fundamentals about communion.
Moment of Houseness Number 3: Hearing others in the group other than me answer those questions, and being impressed with everyone's willingness to engage eachother, and more than just academically answer questions, but rather speak TO the person, and reveal themselves doing it.
Moment of Houseness Number 4: Watching Jeff struggle with dealing with someone, and watching him earnestly try to love this person, though it was hard for him to do so. Seeing him grow has been awesome.
Moment of Houseness Number 5: Sitting around the dinner table with Erika, Adam, Charity, Mack, Jeff, Amanda, Chuck and Jeremy and just laughing for the sake of laughing; enjoying their company and their conversation over salad and spaghetti.
Moment of Houseness Number 6: The impromptu drumming circle at the dinner table, and how much we sucked.
Moment of Houseness Number 7: Taking communion to Cortney and watching Mack and Chuck minister to her, and seeing her spirits lift.
Moment of Houseness Number 8: Having a profound discussion about community and interdependence with Carmella, and making a new friend.
Moment of Houseness Number 9: Hugging Jeremy after telling him that there will be no castings out a la 1 Cor 5.
Moment of Houseness Number 10: Praying with my arm around Cortney as Mack, Chuck and Carmella laid hands on her.
Moment of Houseness Number 11: Playing poker with Chuck and Allister until the wee hours, and soundly beating both of them. :)
Moment of Houseness Number 12: Sitting in Keegans with Chuck until five in the morning listening to him tell me about his life, and then dreaming and visioncasting together over apple cinnamon milkshakes and root beer.
That was alot of moments. But, we have alot of Houseness, and I happen to love these people. It's easy being a church planter when a Sunday goes right. But things are building; we will be in a house of our own by September, hopefully we'll be signed in as an official "Evangelical Free Church of Canada" church in October, and soon we will be looking beyond ourselves to mission and service. I like these directions.
BTW, Chuck and I were talking about it last night, and technically, I am NOT a church planter. At the House, we are not building a church, but a lifestyle. Man, I think my cliche meter just blew up. :)
Friday, July 22, 2005
No Woman, No Cry
In the spirit of others that seem to like posting song lyrics, this is a song on which I have been leaning relatively heavily of late. I don't know why, I guess it just reminds me that the universe is more or less unfolding as it should.
No Woman, No Cry
(Bob Marley, as done by Xavier Rudd)
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
Cause I remember when we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown
Observing the hypocrites
Mingle with the good people we meet
Good friends we have, Oh, good friends we have lost
Along the way
In this great future,
You can't forget your past
So dry your tears, I seh No woman no cry
No woman no cry
Little darling, don't shed no tears
No woman no cry Said I remember when we use to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
And then Georgie would make the fire lights
I seh, log would burnin' through the nights
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge
Of which i'll share with you
My feet is my only carriage
And so i've got to push on thru,
Oh, while i'm gone
Everything 's gonna be alright
Everything 's gonna be alright No woman no cry
No woman no cry
I seh little darlin'
Don't shed no tears
No woman no cry
(Bob Marley, as done by Xavier Rudd)
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
Cause I remember when we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown
Observing the hypocrites
Mingle with the good people we meet
Good friends we have, Oh, good friends we have lost
Along the way
In this great future,
You can't forget your past
So dry your tears, I seh No woman no cry
No woman no cry
Little darling, don't shed no tears
No woman no cry Said I remember when we use to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
And then Georgie would make the fire lights
I seh, log would burnin' through the nights
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge
Of which i'll share with you
My feet is my only carriage
And so i've got to push on thru,
Oh, while i'm gone
Everything 's gonna be alright
Everything 's gonna be alright No woman no cry
No woman no cry
I seh little darlin'
Don't shed no tears
No woman no cry
If you haven't had the chance to check Xavier Rudd out, check out his website; he's got some mp3 samples of his music, but you should go and buy his albums. Its great for mellow grooving kind of moods. He's got this really great acoustic/world kind of sound, with a real global cultural consciousness. Check out one of his videos here. Requires Windows Media Player.
On Eating and Drinking
These are the words of Kahlil Gibran:
Then an old man, a keeper of an inn, said, "Speak to us of Eating and Drinking."
And he said:
Would that you could live on the fragerance of the earth,
and like an air plant be sustained by the light.
But since you must kill to eat, and rob the young of its mother's milk to quench your thirst,
let it then be an act of worship,
And let your board stand an altar on which the pure and the innocent of forest and plain are sacrificed for that which is purer and still more innocent in many.
When you kill a beast say to him in your heart,
"By the same power that slays you, I to am slain; and I too shall be consumed.
For the law that delivered you into my hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand.
Your blood and my blood is naught but the sap that feeds the tree of heaven."
And when you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart,
"Your seeds shall live in my body,
And the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart,
And your fragrance shall be my breath,
And together we shall rejoice through all the seasons."
And in the autumn, when you gather the grapes of your vineyard for the winepress, say in you heart,
"I to am a vinyard, and my fruit shall be gathered for the winepress,
And like new wine I shall be kept in eternal vessels."
And in winter, when you draw the wine, let there be in your heart a song for each cup;
And let there be in the song a remembrance for the autumn days,
and for the vineyard, and for the winepress.
And he said:
Would that you could live on the fragerance of the earth,
and like an air plant be sustained by the light.
But since you must kill to eat, and rob the young of its mother's milk to quench your thirst,
let it then be an act of worship,
And let your board stand an altar on which the pure and the innocent of forest and plain are sacrificed for that which is purer and still more innocent in many.
When you kill a beast say to him in your heart,
"By the same power that slays you, I to am slain; and I too shall be consumed.
For the law that delivered you into my hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand.
Your blood and my blood is naught but the sap that feeds the tree of heaven."
And when you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart,
"Your seeds shall live in my body,
And the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart,
And your fragrance shall be my breath,
And together we shall rejoice through all the seasons."
And in the autumn, when you gather the grapes of your vineyard for the winepress, say in you heart,
"I to am a vinyard, and my fruit shall be gathered for the winepress,
And like new wine I shall be kept in eternal vessels."
And in winter, when you draw the wine, let there be in your heart a song for each cup;
And let there be in the song a remembrance for the autumn days,
and for the vineyard, and for the winepress.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Things That Make You Go "Hmmm..." and Bleed From the Ears
So I was sitting around with Joe the other day trying to solve the problems of the universe over a latte, when we started to talk about certain statements made by professors that baked our noodles. One particular offering by Joe continues to mock my existence and betray my gross stupidity. But then, Joe didn't get it either, so I don't feel so bad.
This has pretty much been dominating my esoteric thinking quota, and every time I think I get it, it slips out of my grasp like a wet fish. If I get it wrong, Joe can correct me.
It went something like this:
... an understanding of the Patristic trinitarian formulation exposes time, space and motion as the created analog of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...
It's one of those things that are either obscenely profound, or its complete nonsense.
As I have been mulling it over, and getting a headache doing it, my thinking is leaning to an almost Einsteinian articulation of space/time with the idea of motion being the deterministic engine that drives the whole thing. Man, I'm either going to have to start writing this crap down to keep it straight or take up watching reality TV to dumb me down so I don't think of stuff like this.
And yet, I can't believe that its purely mechanistic, that there has to be a deeper, esoteric layer to this as well.
I do my best thinking in the shower, so I think I will be spending alot of time on my personal hygiene.
This has pretty much been dominating my esoteric thinking quota, and every time I think I get it, it slips out of my grasp like a wet fish. If I get it wrong, Joe can correct me.
It went something like this:
... an understanding of the Patristic trinitarian formulation exposes time, space and motion as the created analog of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit...
It's one of those things that are either obscenely profound, or its complete nonsense.As I have been mulling it over, and getting a headache doing it, my thinking is leaning to an almost Einsteinian articulation of space/time with the idea of motion being the deterministic engine that drives the whole thing. Man, I'm either going to have to start writing this crap down to keep it straight or take up watching reality TV to dumb me down so I don't think of stuff like this.
And yet, I can't believe that its purely mechanistic, that there has to be a deeper, esoteric layer to this as well.
I do my best thinking in the shower, so I think I will be spending alot of time on my personal hygiene.
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Okay, So I Feel Bad...
Okay, so ranting about Lakewood Church and the Osteens has pricked my conscience. You see, I am not so pure.
Last week I was courted by a large (weekly attendance: approx 8,000) church to head up their Young Adult ministry. They offered me the job, telling me they wanted to go more in a "post modern-slash-emergent" direction. In other words, a celtic prayer and a candle. They offered me $67,000/yr and a annual budget of $175,000-$200,000, and a congregation of 1,500 people twixt the ages of 18-35. They had offered me this job in the past, and I declined. I speak at their conferences and retreats, so they know me, and I have lots of contacts with their senior pastoral staff. Dream come true?
The worst part was that I was tempted. It took someone smarter (and hotter) than me talking me through it Friday night to help me come to a decision that I can live with.
The point is, my claim of moral/philosophic/theological purity is dubious to say the least.
But, its my blog. If you don't like it, go back to Russia. :)
Last week I was courted by a large (weekly attendance: approx 8,000) church to head up their Young Adult ministry. They offered me the job, telling me they wanted to go more in a "post modern-slash-emergent" direction. In other words, a celtic prayer and a candle. They offered me $67,000/yr and a annual budget of $175,000-$200,000, and a congregation of 1,500 people twixt the ages of 18-35. They had offered me this job in the past, and I declined. I speak at their conferences and retreats, so they know me, and I have lots of contacts with their senior pastoral staff. Dream come true?
The worst part was that I was tempted. It took someone smarter (and hotter) than me talking me through it Friday night to help me come to a decision that I can live with.
The point is, my claim of moral/philosophic/theological purity is dubious to say the least.
But, its my blog. If you don't like it, go back to Russia. :)
Watching CNN Was My First Mistake
Watching CNN was definately my first mistake.
So I was flipping around the channels last night after a particularly good conversation, feeling pretty good about myself, the world, and my place in it, and I came across Pastors Joel and Victoria Osteen of Lakewood Church, in Houston Texas, being interviewed on CNN. Total buzz kill.
I think I may of watched it for five minutes before I was forced to either change the channel or start yelling, throw the remote at the TV, and then throw the TV against the wall. I didn't want to do that, since Mack and I have plans to use that TV for the House Entertainment System. So, I changed the channel.
Let me just begin this rant by saying that I am sure that the Osteens are genuine Christians that love God and only want to do his work, and are accomplishing their calling the best way that they know how. I am confident that God is in their church, and that salvation can be found in their teaching, and that lives are being changed by their ministry that they are making a difference for the good in Houston. Also, I have never been to their church, talked to the Osteens, nor anyone from their church. I have visited their website, read some of their matierals, but that's it. Whew.
That being said, I wanted to track Joel down and kick the shit out of him. So I guess this church just bought an old arena and 15 months and 75 MILLION DOLLARS later, it opened on Sunday. This church, according to CNN, is the first church in the US to average over 30,000 attenders a week. I watched the interview, and it showed video from their opening service; I guess there were 57,000 people there. I really hope i got that figure wrong. I really, really do. It looked more like some surreal cross twixt a Kenny G concert and the main stage at the National Republican Convention. This thing used to be a SPORTS ARENA; there were banks of seats, people so far away from the stage that they were just an indistinct blur of people. The CNN video was replete with close ups of ecstatic, closed eyed, singing faces as they worshipped. Classy. In the middle of this stage was a giant, golden, revolving globe, complete with a choir loft the size of several middle-class houses and an orchestra pit. There's a blurb on CNN.com about the event. Check it here.
As I watched this I got this sinking feeling in my stomach and this tinny, biley taste in the back of my mouth. When the CNN cameras focused on the sunny, smiling faces of Joel and Victoria, I should have known that I should have just changed the channel, and turned my thoughts to the wonderous four hours I had just spent. But no, oh no! I had to listen to them talk. Mistake number two.
The CNN interviewer challenged them on the validity of spending almost 90 MILLION dollars on a building, when so many people in Houston had no medical insurance, food, clothing, etc, etc. Yes! I thought. Yes! Leave it to the secular, liberal media to nail these guys! As the question was asked I could see the carefully crafted smile slowly drift off of Victoria's face as her pretty boy Joel leapt in. He talked about God blessing them to grow, that they could be positioned so much better to grow in their new building, and that the money needed to be spent. Victoria chimed in, saying that they believed in a positive God, and that they believed in a God that wanted to make people's lives better. They talked about WANTING to open schools and hospitals. They didn't go into details about those plans, however. The rest of the interview that I watched was lost in a red haze of anger.
Ugh. I can't keep this up. Just go out and buy Joel's book, okay? It's called "Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living Your Full Potential." 'Nuff said.
So I was flipping around the channels last night after a particularly good conversation, feeling pretty good about myself, the world, and my place in it, and I came across Pastors Joel and Victoria Osteen of Lakewood Church, in Houston Texas, being interviewed on CNN. Total buzz kill.
I think I may of watched it for five minutes before I was forced to either change the channel or start yelling, throw the remote at the TV, and then throw the TV against the wall. I didn't want to do that, since Mack and I have plans to use that TV for the House Entertainment System. So, I changed the channel.
Let me just begin this rant by saying that I am sure that the Osteens are genuine Christians that love God and only want to do his work, and are accomplishing their calling the best way that they know how. I am confident that God is in their church, and that salvation can be found in their teaching, and that lives are being changed by their ministry that they are making a difference for the good in Houston. Also, I have never been to their church, talked to the Osteens, nor anyone from their church. I have visited their website, read some of their matierals, but that's it. Whew.
That being said, I wanted to track Joel down and kick the shit out of him. So I guess this church just bought an old arena and 15 months and 75 MILLION DOLLARS later, it opened on Sunday. This church, according to CNN, is the first church in the US to average over 30,000 attenders a week. I watched the interview, and it showed video from their opening service; I guess there were 57,000 people there. I really hope i got that figure wrong. I really, really do. It looked more like some surreal cross twixt a Kenny G concert and the main stage at the National Republican Convention. This thing used to be a SPORTS ARENA; there were banks of seats, people so far away from the stage that they were just an indistinct blur of people. The CNN video was replete with close ups of ecstatic, closed eyed, singing faces as they worshipped. Classy. In the middle of this stage was a giant, golden, revolving globe, complete with a choir loft the size of several middle-class houses and an orchestra pit. There's a blurb on CNN.com about the event. Check it here.
As I watched this I got this sinking feeling in my stomach and this tinny, biley taste in the back of my mouth. When the CNN cameras focused on the sunny, smiling faces of Joel and Victoria, I should have known that I should have just changed the channel, and turned my thoughts to the wonderous four hours I had just spent. But no, oh no! I had to listen to them talk. Mistake number two.
The CNN interviewer challenged them on the validity of spending almost 90 MILLION dollars on a building, when so many people in Houston had no medical insurance, food, clothing, etc, etc. Yes! I thought. Yes! Leave it to the secular, liberal media to nail these guys! As the question was asked I could see the carefully crafted smile slowly drift off of Victoria's face as her pretty boy Joel leapt in. He talked about God blessing them to grow, that they could be positioned so much better to grow in their new building, and that the money needed to be spent. Victoria chimed in, saying that they believed in a positive God, and that they believed in a God that wanted to make people's lives better. They talked about WANTING to open schools and hospitals. They didn't go into details about those plans, however. The rest of the interview that I watched was lost in a red haze of anger.
Ugh. I can't keep this up. Just go out and buy Joel's book, okay? It's called "Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living Your Full Potential." 'Nuff said.
On Death
These are the words of Kahlil Gibran:
Then Almitra spoke, saying, "We would ask now of Death."
And he said:
You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.
In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
And he said:
You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.
In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.
Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
Mmmm... Houseness
So, it has been awhile. So much has happened... no wait, there is too much... I will sum up... sorry Chuck.
Here's some pics... let's call it "FUN WITH CAMERAPHONES"
Me in a Mickey Mouse hat from a recent poker night. Ah, yeah.
Is that just a really small hat, or do I just have a really HUGE head?
This is Mack. He's my buddy. Check out his slightly unhinged blog here.
He's selling his car, BTW. Its a steal of a deal, too. If you go check it out, make sure its on a rainy day at night.
So happy birthday to Ali, of whom I would post a pic if I had one. I took one, but when I changed phones I lost it. Anyway, it was her birthday on Sunday, we spent the day in the park, played some frisbee, fed chips to squirrels, watched Jorgen almost kill himself under the bridge at the Legislature (leave it to Jorgen, the lifeguard INSTRUCTOR, to find a way to drown himself in six inches of water) and then watched "Million Dollar Baby" at a bar that I am sure was showing the movie illegally. But, hey, that's Edmonton, baby.
Just so you know, I am planning to be TOTALLY IMMATURE for at least a week; maybe six days. (That's for you)
Here's some pics... let's call it "FUN WITH CAMERAPHONES"
Me in a Mickey Mouse hat from a recent poker night. Ah, yeah.
Is that just a really small hat, or do I just have a really HUGE head?
This is Mack. He's my buddy. Check out his slightly unhinged blog here.He's selling his car, BTW. Its a steal of a deal, too. If you go check it out, make sure its on a rainy day at night.
So happy birthday to Ali, of whom I would post a pic if I had one. I took one, but when I changed phones I lost it. Anyway, it was her birthday on Sunday, we spent the day in the park, played some frisbee, fed chips to squirrels, watched Jorgen almost kill himself under the bridge at the Legislature (leave it to Jorgen, the lifeguard INSTRUCTOR, to find a way to drown himself in six inches of water) and then watched "Million Dollar Baby" at a bar that I am sure was showing the movie illegally. But, hey, that's Edmonton, baby.
Just so you know, I am planning to be TOTALLY IMMATURE for at least a week; maybe six days. (That's for you)
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Worship 4 Justice
Okay, so I'm just getting onto this now, when its pretty much too late, but here it is. I wish I would have known sooner. This is something that Kelly is involved in, and props to her for bringing it to my attention. I have, in talking to her about this, felt convicted that my view of social action and justice are perhaps too local in scope, and not global at all. This is only one of the many good influences she's had on my life.
Worship 4 Justice is a number of open air worship concerts (she's gonna kick my ass if I get this wrong) designed to enhance awareness of and support for what's happening in Darfur, Sudan. They're happening in and around Washington DC with the support of Brian McClaren's church, and a number of other organizations. The last one is tomorrow. Please check out the website here. And if you have no idea what's going on in Sudan, check this out too. Do some reading.
This is all so important right now with the G8 Summit earmarking 50 billion dollars for African aid. Admittedly, there is some skepticism out there. Many of the G8 countries provided less than firm committments to doubling the aid, and we have less than a stellar record for follow through when it comes to African aid. While Bono and Bob Geldof are effusive in their praise for the summit's resolution, not all anti-poverty advocates are so optimistic. Check this article out.
Howeve
r, I think that Russia eliminating just over 11 billion dollars worth of sub-Saharan African debt is a good thing and a good step in the right direction. That being said, Kelly spent years in Africa and is many hundreds of thousands of times more able to speak to the problem of African poverty than me; I'm mostly just parroting things she's told me.
You should talk to her.
My question is, what is the best way for the money and resources to be distributed. I guess the the majority of it will take the form of crisis response, food, education, nutrition and infrastructure. I wonder if maybe the UN World Health Organization might be a good candidate for this? In any case, I think the UN in general would be ideally suited to be involved. I know it is naive of me to assume that the UN would be able to work without the politics that bog down so many good things, but there has been no lack of initiatives in the past to help Africa and we have yet to see anything actually hit the ground.
In any case, I would call you all to pray for Worship 4 Justice, for the G8 summit, and the thousands of people dying in Africa. We have been talking about missional living... well, there you are.
Worship 4 Justice is a number of open air worship concerts (she's gonna kick my ass if I get this wrong) designed to enhance awareness of and support for what's happening in Darfur, Sudan. They're happening in and around Washington DC with the support of Brian McClaren's church, and a number of other organizations. The last one is tomorrow. Please check out the website here. And if you have no idea what's going on in Sudan, check this out too. Do some reading.
This is all so important right now with the G8 Summit earmarking 50 billion dollars for African aid. Admittedly, there is some skepticism out there. Many of the G8 countries provided less than firm committments to doubling the aid, and we have less than a stellar record for follow through when it comes to African aid. While Bono and Bob Geldof are effusive in their praise for the summit's resolution, not all anti-poverty advocates are so optimistic. Check this article out.
Howeve
r, I think that Russia eliminating just over 11 billion dollars worth of sub-Saharan African debt is a good thing and a good step in the right direction. That being said, Kelly spent years in Africa and is many hundreds of thousands of times more able to speak to the problem of African poverty than me; I'm mostly just parroting things she's told me.You should talk to her.
My question is, what is the best way for the money and resources to be distributed. I guess the the majority of it will take the form of crisis response, food, education, nutrition and infrastructure. I wonder if maybe the UN World Health Organization might be a good candidate for this? In any case, I think the UN in general would be ideally suited to be involved. I know it is naive of me to assume that the UN would be able to work without the politics that bog down so many good things, but there has been no lack of initiatives in the past to help Africa and we have yet to see anything actually hit the ground.
In any case, I would call you all to pray for Worship 4 Justice, for the G8 summit, and the thousands of people dying in Africa. We have been talking about missional living... well, there you are.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Barechested Poker... boo-yah!
So, on Sunday after the House, Chuck and Jeremy and I hung out and played poker and drank beer until four thirty in the morning. As befitting a male-fest like that, eventually, we all ended up with our shirts off playing poker and drinking beer.
What? It was hot.
It was another moment of Houseness. The Hoegaarden... the crappy flops... the companionship... it was a moment of perfect Houseness. And here's some pics...
Chuck and the sweetness. Mmmm... Hoegaarden... glgllhlhhh...
Edmonton at night, from the window of a speeding car, taken with a .3 megapixel cameraphone.
Hmm... for some reason this pic is much bigger. Blogger at its best. I would've posted more pics, but I forgot that I didn't transfer them all off my phone.
Anyway, we had a good time; male-bonding and all that. Poker, beer, bare chests... we even started talking about our feelings.
Okay, so maybe less beer next time. Besides, you haven't lived until you see Jeremy hopped up on MacEwan's.
Peace y'all.
What? It was hot.
It was another moment of Houseness. The Hoegaarden... the crappy flops... the companionship... it was a moment of perfect Houseness. And here's some pics...
Chuck and the sweetness. Mmmm... Hoegaarden... glgllhlhhh...
Edmonton at night, from the window of a speeding car, taken with a .3 megapixel cameraphone. Hmm... for some reason this pic is much bigger. Blogger at its best. I would've posted more pics, but I forgot that I didn't transfer them all off my phone.
Anyway, we had a good time; male-bonding and all that. Poker, beer, bare chests... we even started talking about our feelings.
Okay, so maybe less beer next time. Besides, you haven't lived until you see Jeremy hopped up on MacEwan's.
Peace y'all.
Blindsided
It is simply amazing how the best things in the world can happen out of the blue. My dad always warned me that is not the bigs things going horribly wrong that I should worry about, it is the things you could never imagine blindsiding you on a Tuesday afternoon - those are the things that change your life.
For example, who would have thought that a simple email to an intriquing blog would lead to the most wonderful thing imaginable?
Or who would have thought that I would be able to speak and find someone who hears me, not just listens to my words, decodes my language, understands my point or my context, but actually hears me?
Or who woudl have thought that I could have found a muse that could focus and direct my creative drive? That I would find someone to create for?
Hmm... food for thought.
For example, who would have thought that a simple email to an intriquing blog would lead to the most wonderful thing imaginable?
Or who would have thought that I would be able to speak and find someone who hears me, not just listens to my words, decodes my language, understands my point or my context, but actually hears me?
Or who woudl have thought that I could have found a muse that could focus and direct my creative drive? That I would find someone to create for?
Hmm... food for thought.
