Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Friday, October 05, 2007
We wouldn't watch sports if...
Ok...So I've had this thought for a couple years now, and am finally beginning to formalize its implications.
I say this definitively (I write that because, well, I'm writing, and you may not be able to pick up how sure I am of this by simply reading a bunch of words written in boring font...But I digress): We would not be interested in watching sports the way we do, in this day and age, if they didn't wear such video game like UNIFORMS.
This goes, pretty much for ALL sports, though I think it is probably one of the single biggest reasons that football is so popular. They've got the best accessories in sports. They ARE a living video game (This is the other reason why football is king--its seamless transition to a video game format--And look how NFL broadcasts do all their graphics in similar video game format).
As a kid--any of you ever "design"
football uniforms/helmets while sitting in school? Baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey (which by the way might not even exist as a spectator sport,at least in the U.S., were it not for the exceptionally cool jerseys--or sweaters, to put it in puck lingo--they wear and can market. We barely care about it now because it doesn't translate to t.v. well for those of us uninitiated. (See also Soccer.) Even, well maybe especially, NASCAR--I mean, seriously, I know there are some car guys out there who love to hear a hemi rumble, but for most people, would there be much interest at all if they couldn't associate their team/driver with those colorful uniformed cars and sweet driver jumpsuits?! And we don't even care that the uniform is just graphically well placed and displayed sponsor icons! But this country loves it some NASCAR.
Hmmm.....What's missing in mass spectator viewing popularity
(mind you; no less the athletic prowess involved)? Swimming and Diving; wrestling (the real kind); tennis; track and field; cycling... All of these have A fanbase, no doubt. But they don't have mass media appeal. There are, admitedly, a variety of reasons for that, but lack of an "eye candy"/video game type uniform sets them all behind the eight ball to start. Now, Golf, on the other hand, is it's own animal. To me golf's uniform is The Course itself. The one's that the Tour plays on week in and week out have a beauty and uniqueness to them that even those of us who are only occasional golfers like to see.
The only people caring about what the actual golfers are wearing are the people who play the sport and want you and I to know that they play the sport/game... What I'm saying is that golf is an island. And let's be honest, without Tiger, golf would have waned in popularity as a spectator sport in the modern era (Again, I think video games help this too). Please note: None of this is a critique of any one sport. We like to think up various reasons why certains sports do well and others don't as spectator sports.. and there is more than likely truth in most intelligent assessments. But we are a VISUAL valuing culture. We like color, cartoonish designs, and change. In the sports above--we get them all. Quick question: What is one of the reasons any of us like reading the extremely mediocre, written (literally) at a 5th grade reading level USA TODAY? THE COLORFUL DESIGN of it's front pages.
That is one of the reasons they did it that way in the first place. Similar concept. And local newspapers have taken a cue from USA TODAY...Compare them now to even 15 years ago and you see the use of much more color...And then look at the Wall Street Journal. You really have to want to read it.Uniforms unify...hence their desgnation. They unify us around a certain team. They, obviously, help the teams know who's who. But they could do that with shirts/skins or wearing just plain white/grey, etc. But that doesn't sell and it doesn't attract interest. Now I know sports have always been around with varying levels of uniform emphases...But even in ancient times, gladiators and the like got to use/wear stuff that most people did not. And the ancient Olympics--hey, they were naked. How great of a uniform is that? And heck, those guys even had to fight against Centaurs, who had the coolest uniforms ever.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Embrace Your Mess
From Mike Yaconelli in his book Messy Spirituality...
“Sadly, spiritual is most commonly used by Christians to describe people who pray all day long, read their Bibles constantly, never get angry or rattled, possess special powers, and have the inside track to God. Spirituality, for most, has an otherworldly ring to it, calling to mind eccentric “saints” who have forsaken the world, taken vows of poverty, and isolated themselves in cloisters.
“Nothing wrong with the spirituality of monks. Monks certainly experience a kind of spirituality, a way of seeking and knowing God, but what about the rest of us? What about those of us who live in the city, have a wife or husband, three children, two cats, and a washing machine that has stopped working? What about those of us who are single, work sixty to seventy hours a week, have parents who wonder why we’re not married, and have friends who make much more money than we do? What about those of us who are divorced, still trying to heal from the scars of rejection, trying to cope with the single-parenting of children who don’t understand why this has happened to them?
“Is there a spirituality for the rest of us who are not secluded in a monastery, who don’t have it all together and probably never will?
“The answer is yes!
“What landed Jesus on the cross was the preposterous idea that common, ordinary, broken, screwed-up people could be godly.”
ahhh....Freedom for the weary.
“Sadly, spiritual is most commonly used by Christians to describe people who pray all day long, read their Bibles constantly, never get angry or rattled, possess special powers, and have the inside track to God. Spirituality, for most, has an otherworldly ring to it, calling to mind eccentric “saints” who have forsaken the world, taken vows of poverty, and isolated themselves in cloisters.
“Nothing wrong with the spirituality of monks. Monks certainly experience a kind of spirituality, a way of seeking and knowing God, but what about the rest of us? What about those of us who live in the city, have a wife or husband, three children, two cats, and a washing machine that has stopped working? What about those of us who are single, work sixty to seventy hours a week, have parents who wonder why we’re not married, and have friends who make much more money than we do? What about those of us who are divorced, still trying to heal from the scars of rejection, trying to cope with the single-parenting of children who don’t understand why this has happened to them?
“Is there a spirituality for the rest of us who are not secluded in a monastery, who don’t have it all together and probably never will?
“The answer is yes!
“What landed Jesus on the cross was the preposterous idea that common, ordinary, broken, screwed-up people could be godly.”
ahhh....Freedom for the weary.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Iraq War Creating A Safer World?
I don't claim to know as much about this conflict in Iraq as I ought, but I try to know as much as I'm able to absorb. I would find it humorous, if it were not so deadly serious in its consequence, that part of President Bush's justification for this war in Iraq had to do with "known" links between Sadaam Hussein and Al Qaeda. As with most of our nations justification for entering this war, this one proved to be falacious, aside from the fact that Hussein and Bin Laden had met but maintained a general dislike of each other.
NOW, on the other hand, we see Al Qaeda's influence and activities rampant throughout Iraq. We also see Iran's heavy handed, yet "covert," influence throughout Iraq as well. We must be fairly convinced by now that the words "Mission accomplished" uttered by our President shortly after Baghdad was taken are some of the most ridiculous ever uttered. They rank up there with, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman...Miss Lewinski," and "Read my lips: No new taxes."
Only problem is the falacious, arrogant nature of the current President Bush's words only add fuel to the out of control fire that is our current (whether real or perceived) foreign policy. Do we actually think our nation is safer as a result of these actions? Do we think any nation is better off based on what we've done in Iraq? And understand, I'm not saying our military has done a bad job on their end. To the contrary, I would say they've probably done as best they can considering what they were thrust into. I am saying the remarkable nature of our currernt administration's lack of foresight and planning(?) of this venture have proven to be more damaging than helpful. And some folks have been helped, withouth question. But when we start talking about long range security as a result of our actions there, well, we certainly can't be saying this with a straight face. Again, not because of our military, but more because of the policies, motivations, and actions of the current administration.
As a side: If you are a follower of Christ, anywhere in the world, I would say the world has become more, not less, hostile toward you. Being a Christian in Iraq has not been made easier, but more dangerous, as an idea of "Imperial America" and Christian continue to be increasingly viewed as synonymous. This has long been the case, but the constant point of Bush being a "Christian President" does not help, nor does the fact that so many in the evangelical camp so aggressively support what we're doing over there.
Read below first of Christians in Iraq and then of some in Turkey. The story in Turkey may seem like a bit of a disconnect, but note that with two of the men, Necati Aydin and Ugur Yuksel, comes the first known martyrdom of Turkish converts from Islam since the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923. Maybe there is no connection to what our nation is doing in Iraq, but maybe there is. So are we quelling radicalism or exacerbating it? And this second occurence in a nation that has a strong desire in it to remain governmentally secular.
http://www.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&length=long&lang=en&idelement=4834
http://www.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=news&length=long&lang=en&idelement=4836
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
A Few Random Thoughts on Sacrifice
A few weeks ago I was listening to "The Herd," on ESPN radio...and Colin Cowherd, (whom I do like and find pretty funny and who is one of the few guys on radio who while classically "over sure" of himself and his opinions, generally offers some fairly good perspective on things--if not revolutionary) made some comments on Ash Wednesday about Lent. What Lent was about, in very basic terms, how it involved giving something up, etc. Anyway, he brought up how this involved sacrifice. "Another reason," he noted, "I'm not big on religion." Continuing, he sized up his relationship to sacrificial living along these lines:
"I sacrifice everyday. I'm 42. I've got a family. I've got a good job. And I drive a Honda CRV everyday. If that's not sacrifice, I don't know what is."
That perspective didn't necessarily surprise me, but it's clarity did. And while I realize that he says such things to illicit response from listeners, I think he succinctly stated what, in reality, we, especially in the West, believe. We would never say it, and I think for most of us, we don't like the fact of it, but scratching below the surface of our false humility and proper social platitudes that dominate so much of our dialogue, lies this ugly reality. The big problem is that we end up, more often than not, assessing it in one of two ways:
1. We act like this is not really how we feel and, as a result, don't really have to question whether or not our attitudes and priorities need to change or be challenged.
2. We think such ways of living really are a great sacrifice.
Why do we do this? Because we cannot help but compare ourselves to anyone who has more or doesn't "sacrifice" in the ways we do. They have a new Lexus. They bought a whole home entertainment system with an LCD screen. They only have 2 kids and built a 4500 sq. ft. house. They have 40 pairs of shoes.
MEANWHILE, we (our poor, Mother Theresa in the West self), only drive a four year old Honda. We only have 200 cds, two ipods for me and my spouse (with the external speaker hook-ups), and high speed internet and cable, watched on our piddly 60" t.v. We only have a 3000 sq. ft. home...with 3 kids! We only have 10 different pairs of shoes. It's a wonder we are even alive.
We have made it so that in our country we maintain a very small paradigm in which to think or talk about sacrifice. We are a consumer culture...period. You are, I am, we are, "they" are. It is one of, if not the greatest, blocks to a deeper walk with Christ and more significant relationship with others. Why? Because to build a society around such a core value is antithetical to the Kingdom Jesus was/is about building in and through us. It is why we are so drawn to health & wealth preaching, thinking and praying in this country--whether this is explicitly or implicitly done(Ever concertedly asked for prayer that you would get the specific asking price for your house, if not more, when you were selling it? Ever really thought about why you needed that specific price?). Because our thoughts on blessing and the favor of God are wrapped up with a theology of the"American Dream." And even those of us who attempt to live even slightly outside of an overtly consumer mentality, still demand the cheapest prices for things (regardless of what that means about where the "cheap" things we buy are made, if the people who made them are paid a fair wage, if they are even old enough to be working, if they are voluntarily working or are forced to), and our right to get cafe lattes on demand.
Maybe we need to see sacrifice through a different lens. Is it sacrifice if it doesn't cost anything? Convenience? (Perceived) Safety? Best school district? Our sweet tooth? Things we own? Food preference? Employment "value" of our higher education cost?
Maybe God calls us, not in every instance but probably most, to things like the lower paying job. Healthier living at the cost of what we most enjoy eating. Getting rid of lots of our stuff--the good stuff, some of which we still even like but don't really need, so we don't need such a big house. Being a part of serving, living, and helping to change the rougher part of town at the cost of the best school district. Why? So that we might draw nearer to God and rely on Him more than our things. So that we might love others more than our stuff. So that we might reflect the values of the Kingdom of God and not the Empire of Man. So that we might experience life and life to the full here...now.
I am as guilty as anyone of ignoring such pleas on God's part to my heart. The pleas that come from his heart and his actions in coming to earth. But I must, you must, we must first admit that we are actively ignoring Him in our hearts, especially when it comes to talk of sacrifice.
"I sacrifice everyday. I'm 42. I've got a family. I've got a good job. And I drive a Honda CRV everyday. If that's not sacrifice, I don't know what is."
That perspective didn't necessarily surprise me, but it's clarity did. And while I realize that he says such things to illicit response from listeners, I think he succinctly stated what, in reality, we, especially in the West, believe. We would never say it, and I think for most of us, we don't like the fact of it, but scratching below the surface of our false humility and proper social platitudes that dominate so much of our dialogue, lies this ugly reality. The big problem is that we end up, more often than not, assessing it in one of two ways:
1. We act like this is not really how we feel and, as a result, don't really have to question whether or not our attitudes and priorities need to change or be challenged.
2. We think such ways of living really are a great sacrifice.
Why do we do this? Because we cannot help but compare ourselves to anyone who has more or doesn't "sacrifice" in the ways we do. They have a new Lexus. They bought a whole home entertainment system with an LCD screen. They only have 2 kids and built a 4500 sq. ft. house. They have 40 pairs of shoes.
MEANWHILE, we (our poor, Mother Theresa in the West self), only drive a four year old Honda. We only have 200 cds, two ipods for me and my spouse (with the external speaker hook-ups), and high speed internet and cable, watched on our piddly 60" t.v. We only have a 3000 sq. ft. home...with 3 kids! We only have 10 different pairs of shoes. It's a wonder we are even alive.
We have made it so that in our country we maintain a very small paradigm in which to think or talk about sacrifice. We are a consumer culture...period. You are, I am, we are, "they" are. It is one of, if not the greatest, blocks to a deeper walk with Christ and more significant relationship with others. Why? Because to build a society around such a core value is antithetical to the Kingdom Jesus was/is about building in and through us. It is why we are so drawn to health & wealth preaching, thinking and praying in this country--whether this is explicitly or implicitly done(Ever concertedly asked for prayer that you would get the specific asking price for your house, if not more, when you were selling it? Ever really thought about why you needed that specific price?). Because our thoughts on blessing and the favor of God are wrapped up with a theology of the"American Dream." And even those of us who attempt to live even slightly outside of an overtly consumer mentality, still demand the cheapest prices for things (regardless of what that means about where the "cheap" things we buy are made, if the people who made them are paid a fair wage, if they are even old enough to be working, if they are voluntarily working or are forced to), and our right to get cafe lattes on demand.
Maybe we need to see sacrifice through a different lens. Is it sacrifice if it doesn't cost anything? Convenience? (Perceived) Safety? Best school district? Our sweet tooth? Things we own? Food preference? Employment "value" of our higher education cost?
Maybe God calls us, not in every instance but probably most, to things like the lower paying job. Healthier living at the cost of what we most enjoy eating. Getting rid of lots of our stuff--the good stuff, some of which we still even like but don't really need, so we don't need such a big house. Being a part of serving, living, and helping to change the rougher part of town at the cost of the best school district. Why? So that we might draw nearer to God and rely on Him more than our things. So that we might love others more than our stuff. So that we might reflect the values of the Kingdom of God and not the Empire of Man. So that we might experience life and life to the full here...now.
I am as guilty as anyone of ignoring such pleas on God's part to my heart. The pleas that come from his heart and his actions in coming to earth. But I must, you must, we must first admit that we are actively ignoring Him in our hearts, especially when it comes to talk of sacrifice.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Been a long time
I know it's been a while since I last put anything up here, but no one reads this, so it doesn't really matter does it? I wish I was a more consistent writer, but I just don't feel like I have the time or mental energy to spend crafting witty thoughts and comments together on a daily basis. I don't know how some of these folks do it, unless it's written into their job description.
I have been thinking alot these days...I suppose that could be said for every day for just about every one of us. But my thoughts have been all over the place of late. But, of course, the most pertinent of things is what has drawn me out of hiding to actually type something today: the NCAA Tournament. Since my alma mater, Ohio State, is a number one seed i guess I'm excited. But I'm probably more nervous and pessimistic than excited....especially since the football team's debacle in the desert against Florida. I would much prefer to to be about a three seed with limited expectations. The other quandary I'm in with regard to the tourney is that my two other favorites, Xavier and Tennessee, happen to fall into the same small "sweet 16 possible" group with OSU. How much of a bummer is that? Well, at least I can say that a team I'm pulling for has a better than average shot of making it past the Sweet 16. But somehow, some way, probably none of them will. My pessimism runneth over.
Well...nothing like very "surfacy" sports thoughts to get the ball rolling again. But coming up in the next day or two: A Larry King like commentary on multiple topics, but with more commentary on each thing. Oh stop...You're salivating.
P.S. Go to the link...Has nothing to do with basketball. Everything to do with doing something with our lives that matters.
I have been thinking alot these days...I suppose that could be said for every day for just about every one of us. But my thoughts have been all over the place of late. But, of course, the most pertinent of things is what has drawn me out of hiding to actually type something today: the NCAA Tournament. Since my alma mater, Ohio State, is a number one seed i guess I'm excited. But I'm probably more nervous and pessimistic than excited....especially since the football team's debacle in the desert against Florida. I would much prefer to to be about a three seed with limited expectations. The other quandary I'm in with regard to the tourney is that my two other favorites, Xavier and Tennessee, happen to fall into the same small "sweet 16 possible" group with OSU. How much of a bummer is that? Well, at least I can say that a team I'm pulling for has a better than average shot of making it past the Sweet 16. But somehow, some way, probably none of them will. My pessimism runneth over.
Well...nothing like very "surfacy" sports thoughts to get the ball rolling again. But coming up in the next day or two: A Larry King like commentary on multiple topics, but with more commentary on each thing. Oh stop...You're salivating.
P.S. Go to the link...Has nothing to do with basketball. Everything to do with doing something with our lives that matters.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
OSU/Florida Debacle
As an OSU alum and big Buckeye fan, my thoughts:
1. Florida kicked the crap out of us, no ifs, ands or buts.
2. Their defense dictated the game, as was plain to see. And their speed was the difference. OSU has not matched up against anyone in the past few years with that kind of comparable speed...Yes I said comparable. And yes, I would also give Florida the speed edge. When OSU won the Title in '02 and '03, Miami ran into the same situation--not having played a team with that kind of defensive speed in a long time.
3. As is often the case, the returned kick-off to start the game is a bad omen. I told the crowd at my house as much as soon as it happened.
4. I agree with your FOX blast...And had pretty much decided midway through the game that it was the real reason OSU would lose. Where's ABC when you need 'em?
5. The long wait between end of season and this game was/is ridiculous...especially for Ohio State. You can't help but be a step slower, at least early in a game when you've been off for 51 days! Florida's was plenty long too...but OSU's was ridiculous.
6. Many will say that this outright proves who the toughest conference in the country is. Not so fast. Florida was the best team, hands down tonight, deserving of the National Championship. Still, that game played 10 times, finishes 5 and 5. OSU looked as bad (in large part to how well FL played) as they have in 3 years. Florida looked as good as they have in about 7 years. They had everything to play for and nothing to lose. OSU had expectations to play for and everything to lose. (SEE Miami in 2002-03 when they lost to OSU). BUT, the Big 10 went 2-1 against SEC powers in bowls this year. And, this little nugget came from the pen of John Pennington (in Saturday's Knoxville News Sentinel): Florida's win over the Bucks means that in the last 14 head-to-head bowl games, the "toughest" conference in America is now 6-8 against those poor slobs from the Big 10. Of course, I do think that top-to-bottom, the SEC is probably the toughest conference, but that point gets WAY overplayed, and is not as absolute as the football mad southeasterners wish us all too believe. Passion bears out quite a bit...And the SEC is far and away the most passionate about their football. But just because you're more passionate does not mean your teams are that much better. It just means you have a slightly greater form of idolatry when it comes to your feelings about college football than every other conference and/or team in the country. Except, that is, for OSU which really worships the Buckeyes as ridiculously as any SEC school.
8. I'm less a fan of Urban Meyer than I was before. Was he still petitioning for Florida to get a shot at the Title in the post game interview with Chris Meyers. Urban, you won. Please shut your hole for a minute. And somebody wipe that smug, condescending, smirk off your face. Get over the chip on your shoulder deal. Wow, I really miss Steve Spurrier as their coach. At least his smugness came with humor on the side.
THAT IS ALL. This one stung.
1. Florida kicked the crap out of us, no ifs, ands or buts.
2. Their defense dictated the game, as was plain to see. And their speed was the difference. OSU has not matched up against anyone in the past few years with that kind of comparable speed...Yes I said comparable. And yes, I would also give Florida the speed edge. When OSU won the Title in '02 and '03, Miami ran into the same situation--not having played a team with that kind of defensive speed in a long time.
3. As is often the case, the returned kick-off to start the game is a bad omen. I told the crowd at my house as much as soon as it happened.
4. I agree with your FOX blast...And had pretty much decided midway through the game that it was the real reason OSU would lose. Where's ABC when you need 'em?
5. The long wait between end of season and this game was/is ridiculous...especially for Ohio State. You can't help but be a step slower, at least early in a game when you've been off for 51 days! Florida's was plenty long too...but OSU's was ridiculous.
6. Many will say that this outright proves who the toughest conference in the country is. Not so fast. Florida was the best team, hands down tonight, deserving of the National Championship. Still, that game played 10 times, finishes 5 and 5. OSU looked as bad (in large part to how well FL played) as they have in 3 years. Florida looked as good as they have in about 7 years. They had everything to play for and nothing to lose. OSU had expectations to play for and everything to lose. (SEE Miami in 2002-03 when they lost to OSU). BUT, the Big 10 went 2-1 against SEC powers in bowls this year. And, this little nugget came from the pen of John Pennington (in Saturday's Knoxville News Sentinel): Florida's win over the Bucks means that in the last 14 head-to-head bowl games, the "toughest" conference in America is now 6-8 against those poor slobs from the Big 10. Of course, I do think that top-to-bottom, the SEC is probably the toughest conference, but that point gets WAY overplayed, and is not as absolute as the football mad southeasterners wish us all too believe. Passion bears out quite a bit...And the SEC is far and away the most passionate about their football. But just because you're more passionate does not mean your teams are that much better. It just means you have a slightly greater form of idolatry when it comes to your feelings about college football than every other conference and/or team in the country. Except, that is, for OSU which really worships the Buckeyes as ridiculously as any SEC school.
8. I'm less a fan of Urban Meyer than I was before. Was he still petitioning for Florida to get a shot at the Title in the post game interview with Chris Meyers. Urban, you won. Please shut your hole for a minute. And somebody wipe that smug, condescending, smirk off your face. Get over the chip on your shoulder deal. Wow, I really miss Steve Spurrier as their coach. At least his smugness came with humor on the side.
THAT IS ALL. This one stung.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
What does this say about us? (<---click here to read)
This is an article about my alma mater. I love The Ohio State University, but I don't know that it would be for the reasons mentioned in this article. It's not that it's all bad, but I think it speaks to the clear misplacement of our priorities. And know that I am a big sports fan...But I'm growing less so every year. Anyway, I know OSU is the biggest in a lot of things, not just in what this article is talking about. But in regard to the articles subject matter. I don't think being the biggest equals being the best. (Below is the link as well)
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2007-01-04-ohiostate-finances-cover_x.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2007-01-04-ohiostate-finances-cover_x.htm
Friday, January 05, 2007
The Book Issue
Not that anyone really cares to know what I've been reading, but it's good for me to put down what it is that I've been reading and when, for future reference. Anyway, I just finished a great book called Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith, by Rob Bell. This was an excellent book and one I highly recommend. Bell provides excellent analysis of Scripture, who Jesus is-really is/was-and what the life of faith in Christ often looks like in it's ugliness (missing the point) but also what it could be and is designed to be (getting the point). He's very honest about the difficulty of following Jesus, but reminds us that the difficulty is a good thing. When it becomes easy, well, then it's probably just an add on that is merely another placebo in a world of placebos.
Near the end of the book, Bell makes a great point about who we are as the Church and who we should be:
"I am learning that the church is at its best when it gives itself away. And this is because blessing is always instrumental. Let me explain. In Genesis 12, God tells a man named Abram that he's going to bless him, and through him, he is going to bless the whole world. This is the birth of the Jewish people, whom God wants to use to reach everybody. This blessing is instrumental in nature. God wants to use Abraham, to flow through him, to have him be the conduit through whom God can bless everybody else. Abraham is just a vessel. God doesn't choose people just so they feel good about themselves or secure in their standing with God or whatever else. God chooses people to be used to bless other people. Elected, predestined, chosen-whatever words people use for this reality, the point is never the person elected or chosen or predestined. The point is that person serving others, making their lives better...
"So what is a group of people living this way called? That's the church. The church doesn't exist for itself; it exists to serve the world. It is not ultimately about the church; it's about all the people God wants to bless through the church. When the church loses sight of this, it loses its heart. This is especially true in the world we live in where so many people are hostile to the church, many for good reason. We reclaim the church as a blessing machine not only because that is what Jesus intended from the beginning but also because serving people is the only way their perceptions of the church are ever going to change. This is why it is so toxic for the gospel when Christians picket and boycott and complain about how bad the world is. This behavior doesn't help. It makes it worse. It isn't the kind of voice Jesus wants his followers to have in the world. Why blame the dark for being dark? It is far more helpful to ask why the light isn't as bright as it could be."
This is a small bit in a much larger context, and might even, as a result of including it here sans context, be misunderstood. But the point he is getting at is so true, isn't it? We protest abortion, the "homosexual agenda," the breakdown of family values (a term I loathe and is such a ridiculously misconstrued and contrived idea as it is used in modern day vernacular), paying too much in taxes to a "godless government," the liberal media, blah, blah, blah...But we don't take seriously God's commands to love the poor, the sick, the foreigner (with our giving not only of our money, but of our time and our touch), take good care of His creation, and to be an advocate for those most hurting in our society and in our world. Anyway, a great book for anyone...whether you think much of the church or not. And especially for anyone who wants to take a look at Jesus apart from his forced partnership with conservative America. That is all. Try the veal.
I include the following in hopes that someone will actually have thoughts, reviews, questions, whatever about these books. Some other books I'm into or am getting ready to dig into:
Those which are coming soon:
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin (This one is great but may take me two years to get through!)
The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South, by Philip Jenkins
The Audacity of Hope, by Barak Obama (as my conservative friends and family cringe....)
The Peaceable Kingdom, by Stanley Haurwas
Those which I am currently in:
Traveling Mercies, by Anne Lamott (This is a great book and of a very different sort when you are talking about someone's unique journey to faith in Christ...In other words, Lamott came to Christ kicking and screaming...and still does some of that. She is very funny and very vulnerable about her life in this book. HIGHLY RECOMMEND)
The Propehtic Imagination, by Walter Brueggemann (Just started....Will let you know how it is...So far, I like very much. A little academic in how he writes, but if you can get into that, it seems to be an excellent read.)
Near the end of the book, Bell makes a great point about who we are as the Church and who we should be:
"I am learning that the church is at its best when it gives itself away. And this is because blessing is always instrumental. Let me explain. In Genesis 12, God tells a man named Abram that he's going to bless him, and through him, he is going to bless the whole world. This is the birth of the Jewish people, whom God wants to use to reach everybody. This blessing is instrumental in nature. God wants to use Abraham, to flow through him, to have him be the conduit through whom God can bless everybody else. Abraham is just a vessel. God doesn't choose people just so they feel good about themselves or secure in their standing with God or whatever else. God chooses people to be used to bless other people. Elected, predestined, chosen-whatever words people use for this reality, the point is never the person elected or chosen or predestined. The point is that person serving others, making their lives better...
"So what is a group of people living this way called? That's the church. The church doesn't exist for itself; it exists to serve the world. It is not ultimately about the church; it's about all the people God wants to bless through the church. When the church loses sight of this, it loses its heart. This is especially true in the world we live in where so many people are hostile to the church, many for good reason. We reclaim the church as a blessing machine not only because that is what Jesus intended from the beginning but also because serving people is the only way their perceptions of the church are ever going to change. This is why it is so toxic for the gospel when Christians picket and boycott and complain about how bad the world is. This behavior doesn't help. It makes it worse. It isn't the kind of voice Jesus wants his followers to have in the world. Why blame the dark for being dark? It is far more helpful to ask why the light isn't as bright as it could be."
This is a small bit in a much larger context, and might even, as a result of including it here sans context, be misunderstood. But the point he is getting at is so true, isn't it? We protest abortion, the "homosexual agenda," the breakdown of family values (a term I loathe and is such a ridiculously misconstrued and contrived idea as it is used in modern day vernacular), paying too much in taxes to a "godless government," the liberal media, blah, blah, blah...But we don't take seriously God's commands to love the poor, the sick, the foreigner (with our giving not only of our money, but of our time and our touch), take good care of His creation, and to be an advocate for those most hurting in our society and in our world. Anyway, a great book for anyone...whether you think much of the church or not. And especially for anyone who wants to take a look at Jesus apart from his forced partnership with conservative America. That is all. Try the veal.
I include the following in hopes that someone will actually have thoughts, reviews, questions, whatever about these books. Some other books I'm into or am getting ready to dig into:
Those which are coming soon:
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin (This one is great but may take me two years to get through!)
The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South, by Philip Jenkins
The Audacity of Hope, by Barak Obama (as my conservative friends and family cringe....)
The Peaceable Kingdom, by Stanley Haurwas
Those which I am currently in:
Traveling Mercies, by Anne Lamott (This is a great book and of a very different sort when you are talking about someone's unique journey to faith in Christ...In other words, Lamott came to Christ kicking and screaming...and still does some of that. She is very funny and very vulnerable about her life in this book. HIGHLY RECOMMEND)
The Propehtic Imagination, by Walter Brueggemann (Just started....Will let you know how it is...So far, I like very much. A little academic in how he writes, but if you can get into that, it seems to be an excellent read.)
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