It is now thirty-two minutes into Easter so perhaps I can be the first to officially tell you Happy Easter in 2007.
What is Easter? As a child Easter was that day when I had to wear wear my hair curly from sponge rollers and wear some cute pastel dress my mom had sewn for me. Normally we would go to church like any other day but cuter then go to the great-grandparent's house afterwards for lunch and the Easter egg hunt.
As we got older what did Easter become? A three-day weekend with some religious significance. We always had Monday off and it seemed in my ignorance catholic discrimination. But now I'm realizing I was from a sheltered bread of Christian that Easter did not mean more to us.
But I don't want to blame myself too much. I'm going to blame others for this one. I don't know who specifically. But since coming to Wheaton a whole new world of religious traditions has been revealed to me. From church history, catholic and high church traditions, and practices of the evangelical stream. I love it all. I love the liturgical calender. I love the symbolic structuring of life around salvation. Thank you Wheaton for this exposure and for giving meaning back to Easter. I had never heard of Maundy Thursday before this year. I had been to a Seder before but this year I went to two. On Sunday night (4/1) I went to First Baptist of Wheaton. Then Tuesday night (4/3) I went to a reformed Synagogue in Lombard. Both of these experiences were meaningful and really helped set my heart and mind for this year's Easter. I missed Maundy Thursday services (stations of the cross at Via Christus or Foot washing at the Anglican Church) I didn't attend Good Friday services because of work and tonight I went to a movie party at one of the Via Christus member's houses. "The Last Temptation of Christ" It didn't really prepare my heart for Easter. I think I'll have to figure out how to use my new Daily Offices book in the morning to prepare my heart again for Easter. This is a very important day of the year. We don't take it seriously enough, or at least traditionally I haven't. Easter is when the fourth Seder cup is fulfilled. Easter is Christ's Resurrection. It is our hope and eternity. Easter is the reason our lives are oriented the way they are. Easter is the reason for all motivation, all desire, all joy. Easter gives us life. It is a day to celebrate because once we were in a lost in the desert but now we have been delivered to new life where all have a place of importance. Because of Easter Christ gives us strength to spend our lives not seeking material gain but instead seeking redemption for all people (this for me means working to overthrow injustice and oppression and accepting people who have been abused to realize their value and hope and joy).
On Easter we welcome people to the feast. Christ gave himself for humankind in the name of love. What does that mean? What can that look like? On Easter we must love. Because of Easter we must continue to love. And on our personal day of Easter, when we are resurrected it will be because of love. Praise God.
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Friday, March 02, 2007
Love
God answers prayers.
It's a pretty cool deal actually.
When I walk I try to pray. But most of the time it seems I get too busy starring at the sidewalk, or where it should be underneath all the ice, while listening to some punk or folk music that totally distracts my thoughts, or at least allows me to enter that absent minded state where our brains can check out. This time I kept my thoughts captive and asked God to teach me specific how to love more purely.
Then I walk into the doors of where I work and began my day. I worked hard, it passed quickly. Then I coordinated our weekly French Press seminar addressing the issue of Fair Trade and social responsibility. Then I went home. Simple. Nothing more or less then the normal day of work. Then I found myself in the basement listening and reading the words of an ordinary man Rob Bell who just happens to have been able to highlight beauty in the ordinary and be able to point it out so that others can see it as well. I soaked that in. I'm still processing a lot of what I read tonight. But I know God intended for these words to have brought to me today in answer to my request and now a journey begins.
Praise the Lord that He believes in us even when we fail to believe in ourselves.
What does it mean to truly love? Love, I believe is what we are called to do first and foremost. God is love. Jesus is God. We are called to follow Jesus. We are called to take on the yoke of love, to be love, to be like Jesus. And so we begin to consider what is loving in situations throughout our day.
Example from last week, between classes chilling at a coffee shop. Reading some book on what chruches should look like or some-such and then I begin to look around the room and see a table to my right, two men, discussing discipleship. Then I look to my left and there is a table of 6 men talking about their church, I think they were a ministry meeting. Then I look in front of me and it's a woman sitting alone reading a Christian magazine. Then I look to the far side of the room and I see a professor reading a big theology text. And it goes on and on. I say nobody in there reading a great piece of literature, nobody telling a story to a friend about their childhood, no dating couples talking about their love, no old women sharing recipes. None of it. Just religious discussions in a coffee shop. And this is what it seems like all the time. Christian talk everywhere. It's inescapable. And that day I had a mini-panic attack being surrounded by Christian talk. My thinking through my experiences tells me that talk is cheap.
What sparked the prayer today, what got me to look up rather than down was a license plate on a Mercedes that was customized to read, "THE WORD." This can be interpreted many different ways. I thought of two and neither is loving. The more loving of the two is a memory of a joke that I think Mike tells about college kids naming their bed, "the word" so they can sound spiritual saying they are off to spend time in "the word." In this case meaning I'm going to go off to my expensive SUV. I bet you can figure out what my less loving interpretation was on your own.
Where does this frustration (mask for the anger underneath) come from and how can I get rid of it? And so I prayed. I am now going to make a conscientious effort to see beauty in more things. For instance the fact that now because of the Mercedes people will see "THE WORD" and maybe wonder about it and maybe think I should read the Bible or maybe somehow this license will produce fruit. And maybe it is a miracle that the owner of this vehicle know about "THE WORD." From my experience reading the word I get the feeling that now many people with money figure out what it means. So maybe I should rejoice that people with money can move toward Christ. I look all over Wheaton and other suberbs and I should be rejoicing a lot because rich people do know Christ.
However this is not how I normally think. This is not how I normally interpret the world around me. And so I'm learning the way of love. There is not distinction in love of who does it better. And what process of love is more acceptable. If love is given than the receiver is receiving love. There is no formula for the one right way to love. My way to love is no better than your way. Love is love. My problem now with love is I haven't let it heal or transform all of me.
And again I say, I am beginning a new adventure right now.
It's a pretty cool deal actually.
When I walk I try to pray. But most of the time it seems I get too busy starring at the sidewalk, or where it should be underneath all the ice, while listening to some punk or folk music that totally distracts my thoughts, or at least allows me to enter that absent minded state where our brains can check out. This time I kept my thoughts captive and asked God to teach me specific how to love more purely.
Then I walk into the doors of where I work and began my day. I worked hard, it passed quickly. Then I coordinated our weekly French Press seminar addressing the issue of Fair Trade and social responsibility. Then I went home. Simple. Nothing more or less then the normal day of work. Then I found myself in the basement listening and reading the words of an ordinary man Rob Bell who just happens to have been able to highlight beauty in the ordinary and be able to point it out so that others can see it as well. I soaked that in. I'm still processing a lot of what I read tonight. But I know God intended for these words to have brought to me today in answer to my request and now a journey begins.
Praise the Lord that He believes in us even when we fail to believe in ourselves.
What does it mean to truly love? Love, I believe is what we are called to do first and foremost. God is love. Jesus is God. We are called to follow Jesus. We are called to take on the yoke of love, to be love, to be like Jesus. And so we begin to consider what is loving in situations throughout our day.
Example from last week, between classes chilling at a coffee shop. Reading some book on what chruches should look like or some-such and then I begin to look around the room and see a table to my right, two men, discussing discipleship. Then I look to my left and there is a table of 6 men talking about their church, I think they were a ministry meeting. Then I look in front of me and it's a woman sitting alone reading a Christian magazine. Then I look to the far side of the room and I see a professor reading a big theology text. And it goes on and on. I say nobody in there reading a great piece of literature, nobody telling a story to a friend about their childhood, no dating couples talking about their love, no old women sharing recipes. None of it. Just religious discussions in a coffee shop. And this is what it seems like all the time. Christian talk everywhere. It's inescapable. And that day I had a mini-panic attack being surrounded by Christian talk. My thinking through my experiences tells me that talk is cheap.
What sparked the prayer today, what got me to look up rather than down was a license plate on a Mercedes that was customized to read, "THE WORD." This can be interpreted many different ways. I thought of two and neither is loving. The more loving of the two is a memory of a joke that I think Mike tells about college kids naming their bed, "the word" so they can sound spiritual saying they are off to spend time in "the word." In this case meaning I'm going to go off to my expensive SUV. I bet you can figure out what my less loving interpretation was on your own.
Where does this frustration (mask for the anger underneath) come from and how can I get rid of it? And so I prayed. I am now going to make a conscientious effort to see beauty in more things. For instance the fact that now because of the Mercedes people will see "THE WORD" and maybe wonder about it and maybe think I should read the Bible or maybe somehow this license will produce fruit. And maybe it is a miracle that the owner of this vehicle know about "THE WORD." From my experience reading the word I get the feeling that now many people with money figure out what it means. So maybe I should rejoice that people with money can move toward Christ. I look all over Wheaton and other suberbs and I should be rejoicing a lot because rich people do know Christ.
However this is not how I normally think. This is not how I normally interpret the world around me. And so I'm learning the way of love. There is not distinction in love of who does it better. And what process of love is more acceptable. If love is given than the receiver is receiving love. There is no formula for the one right way to love. My way to love is no better than your way. Love is love. My problem now with love is I haven't let it heal or transform all of me.
And again I say, I am beginning a new adventure right now.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Reconciliation
I wonder if reconciliation is not our number two task this side of life. Most of my life I think I've been trying to define what I am not, who I'm not associated with, what I don't do, etc...
There has been enmity between people and other people and with God. I want to be intentional about not building more walls of separation but to tear down those walls that we all build up to draw nearer to each other and to God. Our number one task will come later. I'm sure you already know where I'm going with this one anyway.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (this whole paragraph is awesome really)
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."
And the cat is finally out of the bag, I can share my secret that many of you already know but I didn't want to make it public until I at least talked with my mom. That has been done with the most positive results so here is the news: I'm applying for Word Made Flesh. The last of my paperwork will get mailed out tomorrow then hopefully I'll have a phone interview Wednesday the 7th that you could be praying about. I emailed the servant team leader in Kolkata today that one of my Wheaton friends knows. Her name is Beth, you can pray for her also. I was greatly encouraged reading her newsletter from the begining of this month. It was sprinkled throughout with such bold love. God has been leading me by the hand in this direction and I've been shocked at how simple it has been to follow this leading. God has paved the way thus far. Road blocks are inevitable at some point but currently I just have such peace. Peace that passes understanding. peace...I like to meditate on that. With this peace I must walk boldly into the unknown knowing I will not go alone. Praise God!
And lastly, I ATE TIM-TAMS TODAY!!!!! They were so ooey-gooey delicious. Reminded me of my first experience with Tim-Tams just after returning from China while I was still recovering from the time change and realizing the impact of it all. Wow. Once again, all the events of life are pointing towards the call and I feel peace. Amen
This is what Wikipedia has to say...
Reconciliation may mean the following:
- Reconciliation may be seen as part of a process of restoring a relationship gone wrong, typically as the result of one party causing a rift, by putting an end a relationship of enmity and by substituting for one of peace and good will. This may be the relationship between individuals or between nations or between God and human beings.
- Reconciliation is a Roman Catholic sacrament in which a priest proclaims forgivness of confessed sin.
- Yom Kippur is a Jewish holiday, considered by Jews to be the holiest and most solemn day of the year; its central theme is atonement and reconciliation.
- The Southern Truth and Reconciliation group is formed by individuals in Atlanta, Georgia, to assist local communities in the South where racial violence had made racial separation a fact of daily life.
- Reconciliation is the process of healing cultural divisions between non-indigenous and indigenous Australians.
There has been enmity between people and other people and with God. I want to be intentional about not building more walls of separation but to tear down those walls that we all build up to draw nearer to each other and to God. Our number one task will come later. I'm sure you already know where I'm going with this one anyway.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (this whole paragraph is awesome really)
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."
And the cat is finally out of the bag, I can share my secret that many of you already know but I didn't want to make it public until I at least talked with my mom. That has been done with the most positive results so here is the news: I'm applying for Word Made Flesh. The last of my paperwork will get mailed out tomorrow then hopefully I'll have a phone interview Wednesday the 7th that you could be praying about. I emailed the servant team leader in Kolkata today that one of my Wheaton friends knows. Her name is Beth, you can pray for her also. I was greatly encouraged reading her newsletter from the begining of this month. It was sprinkled throughout with such bold love. God has been leading me by the hand in this direction and I've been shocked at how simple it has been to follow this leading. God has paved the way thus far. Road blocks are inevitable at some point but currently I just have such peace. Peace that passes understanding. peace...I like to meditate on that. With this peace I must walk boldly into the unknown knowing I will not go alone. Praise God!
And lastly, I ATE TIM-TAMS TODAY!!!!! They were so ooey-gooey delicious. Reminded me of my first experience with Tim-Tams just after returning from China while I was still recovering from the time change and realizing the impact of it all. Wow. Once again, all the events of life are pointing towards the call and I feel peace. Amen
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Lent
"When people are starving, it is not food that is in short supply, it's justice." -Eduardo Galeano
"We who are not poor, not hungry, cannot by fasting share the lot of those who are. But we can turn the attention and energy that hunger gives us to what Galeano says....The difference between the fasting of the wealthy and the constant hunger of those who are poor: "For those who eat well, Lent is a call to austerity, a call to give away in order to share with those in need. But in poor lands, in homes where there is hunger, Lent should be observed in order to give to the sacrifice that is everday life the meaning of the cross....Feeling in one's own flesh the consequences of sin and injustice, one is stimulated to work for social justice and a genuine love for the poor."
"The fasting we do in Lent is about this love for the poor and thus the hunger for justice to be done."
Quotes taken from "Get Hungry for Lent" and article in U.S. Catholic from February 2005 pg. 24-27. Written by Gabe Huck
"We who are not poor, not hungry, cannot by fasting share the lot of those who are. But we can turn the attention and energy that hunger gives us to what Galeano says....The difference between the fasting of the wealthy and the constant hunger of those who are poor: "For those who eat well, Lent is a call to austerity, a call to give away in order to share with those in need. But in poor lands, in homes where there is hunger, Lent should be observed in order to give to the sacrifice that is everday life the meaning of the cross....Feeling in one's own flesh the consequences of sin and injustice, one is stimulated to work for social justice and a genuine love for the poor."
"The fasting we do in Lent is about this love for the poor and thus the hunger for justice to be done."
Quotes taken from "Get Hungry for Lent" and article in U.S. Catholic from February 2005 pg. 24-27. Written by Gabe Huck
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Day of Prayer and deep meditation
So the past two days were near miserable for many reasons but today had a completely different feel to it. I've been waking up before my alarm all week (maybe I adjusted to EST while on the East Coast the past two weeks) and have spent that time in prayer and reading to slowly center my day in the Lord. I have to confess this is a practice that I have always desired but have never made any effort to maintain. So today I went from waking up slowly in prayer and reading (while cooking sticky rice) to going up to school to sit around in the lounge and reading for another hour about spiritual warfare. After that with was 45 minutes of intimate prayer time with 5 of my closest peer in the ICS program. Then we went to the spiritual conflicts class. After that two of these friends pulled me aside to lay hands on me and pray over me. Why all this prayer today? God has definitely been speaking to me.
I've been pouring my thoughts into studying about folks like Francis and Claire, Patrick and Brigid, and the lives of other dedicated preacher/missionary/servant types that had a special calling to the poorest of the poor. Jesus was born amongst the poorest through the detestable unwed teenage child. His friends were smelly fishers, disgusting leapers, and worthless disabled. (these adjectives are not my opinion but the common perception of people by the general society at the time)
So I'm praying. I'm about to go to work. It is a place where I can relax and shut down on what I'm doing to enter the routine of the task all the while process these things that are weighing heavy on my heart.
Please join me in prayer at this time. I'm confused. I am broken and being made more and more aware of this all the time. I'm not okay and you're not okay so what are we going to do about it?
Oh but I don't want to end on a sad note, today I rejoice in the grace we have. I rejoice that there are options for us. I rejoice that I'm here in Wheaton surrounded but information from people, books, experiences that keep drawing me nearer and nearer to the Lord. Now I hunger and thirst for a season in life where I will no longer feel pressured to find meaning through studies and find fullness in life in living as the least, as only a servant, and rejoicing in that lowly position. Praise God!
I've been pouring my thoughts into studying about folks like Francis and Claire, Patrick and Brigid, and the lives of other dedicated preacher/missionary/servant types that had a special calling to the poorest of the poor. Jesus was born amongst the poorest through the detestable unwed teenage child. His friends were smelly fishers, disgusting leapers, and worthless disabled. (these adjectives are not my opinion but the common perception of people by the general society at the time)
So I'm praying. I'm about to go to work. It is a place where I can relax and shut down on what I'm doing to enter the routine of the task all the while process these things that are weighing heavy on my heart.
Please join me in prayer at this time. I'm confused. I am broken and being made more and more aware of this all the time. I'm not okay and you're not okay so what are we going to do about it?
Oh but I don't want to end on a sad note, today I rejoice in the grace we have. I rejoice that there are options for us. I rejoice that I'm here in Wheaton surrounded but information from people, books, experiences that keep drawing me nearer and nearer to the Lord. Now I hunger and thirst for a season in life where I will no longer feel pressured to find meaning through studies and find fullness in life in living as the least, as only a servant, and rejoicing in that lowly position. Praise God!
Friday, December 29, 2006
Moments of Conversion: Part 7
Moments of Conversion: Part 7
On the Porch with Mallory
On the Porch with Mallory
July 2006
So this past summer I was a youth intern at South Plains Church of Christ. I've been a member of that church since 1998 and getting remain there through college was one of the few benefits of not moving off for college. I watched many of my friends struggle to get plugged in at churches they hadn't grown up in. I guess I lucked out. For the summer intern gig, I had been helping with a couple of the classes during my last year at LCU and just on a whim asked if they were looking for summer interns, and BAM, I had a job. I spent most of the first month of summer finishing up a couple history classes then spent the last couple months traveling with the youth group and helping to coordinate the weekly service projects. It was an easy fun job that basically I had an excuse to hang out with some really cool peeps.
The last couple weeks of summer were fast and furious. The beginning of July we went to Mexico to work and play at an orphanage. Then I came home for three days of service projects and frantic packing. Then the two interns (I'm one) went off to prepare the camp a couple days before the rest of the group got there. The last week was a camp run by the youth group for the younger kids at church. I was in charge of the freshmen and sophomores who volunteered their week to do dishes and coordinate whatever needed work during the week. This was a great bunch of young men and women. During our free time they would school me at hacky-sack and we would sneak off at night to crack open glow sticks and have techno parties. This high energy fun was necessary to encourage good attitudes for carrying trash and scrapping syrup off breakfast trays.
I didn't end my time in Lubbock very well. No details here. My youth group didn't know what I'm referring to either. I would stay up particularly late at night (I couldn't sleep) that week, out on the porch of the director's cabin. It was a good watch point to make sure my students wern't sneaking around or getting into too much trouble. One night a young lady, Mallory, joined me on the porch. She sensed that all wasn't well with me. It was easy to pass it off as my nervousness for moving the day after getting back to town. We talked for a long time. She was a huge encouragement to me that night. Her family has been through a lot over the years and I've been with them through a lot of it as well. Her family adopted me very quickly after I started attending the church, I had babysat for their girls, went on their family vacations to the lake, and watched their school performances. Mallory informed me that for years she had looked up to me (God knows why) and lots of other fluffy cute things that are not going to be written here either. Her saying these things to me would just be slightly uncomfortable on any given day but on this particular day, in light of my recent mistakes, she was unknowingly convicting me and reminding me whether I want it or not I am in a position of influence and leadership. This means that I have a responsibility to God and people around me. I don't want to influence people. I mess up all the time. But I do want people to know Jesus and I know Jesus gave us an example of how we should live.
So this past summer I was a youth intern at South Plains Church of Christ. I've been a member of that church since 1998 and getting remain there through college was one of the few benefits of not moving off for college. I watched many of my friends struggle to get plugged in at churches they hadn't grown up in. I guess I lucked out. For the summer intern gig, I had been helping with a couple of the classes during my last year at LCU and just on a whim asked if they were looking for summer interns, and BAM, I had a job. I spent most of the first month of summer finishing up a couple history classes then spent the last couple months traveling with the youth group and helping to coordinate the weekly service projects. It was an easy fun job that basically I had an excuse to hang out with some really cool peeps.
The last couple weeks of summer were fast and furious. The beginning of July we went to Mexico to work and play at an orphanage. Then I came home for three days of service projects and frantic packing. Then the two interns (I'm one) went off to prepare the camp a couple days before the rest of the group got there. The last week was a camp run by the youth group for the younger kids at church. I was in charge of the freshmen and sophomores who volunteered their week to do dishes and coordinate whatever needed work during the week. This was a great bunch of young men and women. During our free time they would school me at hacky-sack and we would sneak off at night to crack open glow sticks and have techno parties. This high energy fun was necessary to encourage good attitudes for carrying trash and scrapping syrup off breakfast trays.
I didn't end my time in Lubbock very well. No details here. My youth group didn't know what I'm referring to either. I would stay up particularly late at night (I couldn't sleep) that week, out on the porch of the director's cabin. It was a good watch point to make sure my students wern't sneaking around or getting into too much trouble. One night a young lady, Mallory, joined me on the porch. She sensed that all wasn't well with me. It was easy to pass it off as my nervousness for moving the day after getting back to town. We talked for a long time. She was a huge encouragement to me that night. Her family has been through a lot over the years and I've been with them through a lot of it as well. Her family adopted me very quickly after I started attending the church, I had babysat for their girls, went on their family vacations to the lake, and watched their school performances. Mallory informed me that for years she had looked up to me (God knows why) and lots of other fluffy cute things that are not going to be written here either. Her saying these things to me would just be slightly uncomfortable on any given day but on this particular day, in light of my recent mistakes, she was unknowingly convicting me and reminding me whether I want it or not I am in a position of influence and leadership. This means that I have a responsibility to God and people around me. I don't want to influence people. I mess up all the time. But I do want people to know Jesus and I know Jesus gave us an example of how we should live.
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