Five semesters ago I began my freshmen year of college. When I entered campus I was filled with expectations and hopes for the coming years. Much has changed since that fateful day that I first stepped out of the Chapel doors and walked over to the beckoning group of friends sitting in the grass. When I started college I was filled with ideas and refused to be held down by labels. I grew up in a world where labels were rarely used and my church was filled with people of all sorts of "labels", but it was as if they did not actually exist. A wise woman at my church once described my home church as the place that "labels" were taken off and hung on the coat rack until the end of the service.
So as I embarked on this journey to independence I began with only one label which was "Christian." That label alone has many positive and negative connotations with it and I spent many nights pondering if I should even call myself that. Some may ask if I was having a crisis of faith, but I would say quite the opposite. I knew fully well what I believed, but I was having a crisis of trying to label it. Should I call myself "Christ Follower"? "Peacemaker"? "Follower of the One True King"? "Nazarene"? Before college labels were nothing to me and I was able to embrace that, but now I began to wonder. I managed to survive my freshmen year with this mentality that I did not need a label and people would know who I was by my actions. This mentality is why one of my favorite age old hymns was They'll Know we are Christians by our Love. That is all that I wanted.
As I progressed in the academic world I quickly noted that labels were everywhere. People, including myself, were receiving scholarships for simply choosing the label "Nazarene." Connections were made based on what label you were. I soon learned that in order to survive in this world you needed to have certain labels. In order to gain one must embrace the labels they have always been given. I also noted that when arguments arose the label you had either reinforced the argument or killed it. I began rethinking this whole idea of labels, to which led to taking on labels that I thought defined myself.
Of course, I started with the basics: Christian and Nazarene. As I began to explore what I looked for in a Nazarene church I attached another label: Liturgical; meaning I felt that I best enjoyed liturgical worship services. As the year went on the election season approached and since I was at the age of voting a new label was added. Throughout the year I read more blogs, news articles, and theology books and began labeling myself based on views that I seemed to agree with. I started calling myself "Liberal", "Pacifist", "Independent", "Emergent", "Hippy", and so on. This list would only grow the more that I thought I could identify myself with a certain group or affiliation. The empty "label" slate was filling up by the minute with one new idea after another.
Then the questions arose. "Why are you this?" "Why aren't you that?" "Are you sure you are really that?" I began to realize that I did not often fully understand all the connotations that came with the labels I gave myself. I found that I was often confusing people on what my stances were. To some people I seemed liberal and to others I seemed mildly conservative. More often than not these labels required a lot of explaining. If people did not have the time to hear an explanation they would just create assumptions on what my labels meant. One evening as I was contemplating all of this it hit me. The labels we give ourselves create preconceived personas that others project on us. Whether or not they are accurate representations of ourselves, they are what people see with these labels. It was this realization that has brought me here today to record this decision.
I am giving up labels again.
This may be a challenge, but I am ready for the task. Instead of wearing myself down with all of these labels that describe who I am, I am going to let my actions do the talking. I am going to let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing unto the Lord. Not my labels, but my actions. I am a "Christian" because I follow Jesus Christ the true rightful King, I am a member of the "Nazarene" denomination, and my name is Tanner. Want to know about my beliefs? Talk to me and see what I do. I hope to overcome the negative connotations that arise from the label "Christian" and instead pray that you will know that I am a Christian by my love.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Monday, December 23, 2013
Tanner's Top 10 Fiction Books
As promised I will now write my "Top 10 Fiction books." This list may be more difficult because I have not read many fictions novels lately, but I used to read them all the time in high school. These are just 10 of my current favorites that I would recommend. So if you are looking for a good read, enjoy fiction novels, or just need a little taste of escapism, I hope one or all of these books can take you on an adventure that's worth your while.
1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
This book was one that captured my attention so much I read it all in one day. I am typically a slow reader and this one made me literally not want to put it down. The Fault in Our Stars is the story of Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters, two Indianapolis teenagers who meet at a Cancer Kid Support Group. It is a beautiful story that reminds you the beauty of living. I recommend this to anyone especially if you are new to John Green books or enjoy books in the YA section.
2. Paper Towns by John Green
This book was the fiction that got me reading fiction again. Near the end of my Senior year I had stopped reading fiction books almost entirely. I had a friend recommend and loan this book to me and as I began to flip through the pages I soon did not want to put it down. Paper Towns tells the story of Q and his girl-next-door crush, Margo Roth Spiegelman. After a spontaneous adventure night of revenge, Margo goes missing and Q believes she has left him clues to find her. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew. This is a beautiful story of uncovering the true feelings of people underneath the paper lives that they live. I recommend this to anyone especially if you enjoy YA novels.
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
As much as I enjoy the entire series, the 7th book is one of my all time favorites. It happens to be the only book that I currently own in the series, due to the fact that I was not allowed to read the series growing up. For those who have been living under a rock for the past 16 years or who have been banned from reading this series (Silly concept, since their parents likely did not read the series either and further more could not truly know what was in the books...) the Harry Potter series follows the life of Harry, a wizard, and his posse, Ron Weasley & Hermione Granger, as they attend Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. As they uncover the secrets of Hogwarts they embark on many adventures on a quest to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort. I have chosen the Deathly Hallows as my favorite in the series because it is the final one that ties everything up. I also enjoy it for the Christian illustrations that can be seen all throughout the book. I recommend this book to anyone who has read the first 6 and enjoys a good YA fantasy.
4. The Gandalara Cycle Volumes 1&2 by Randall Garrett and Vicki Ann Heydron
For this next recommendation I present a 7 book series, however I recommend them all as one because the books are so short (around 100 pages a piece, with the final book being 300 pages) they could equal the length of a decent sized book. I found that the Wikipedia description of the series puts it perfectly: "Ricardo Carillo, an aging language professor with a terminal illness, is flirting with a captivating young woman on a Mediterranean cruise ship. They both watch with wonder, and a growing horror, as a dazzlingly beautiful star quickly grows to engulf the sky and then crashes into the ship. Ricardo awakens in a blinding hot desert, with no idea where he is and a dead man by his side.Without knowing how or why, Ricardo finds himself inhabiting the body of a strong, healthy, young man named Markasset. Ricardo quickly learns that Markasset is wanted for murder and the theft of a precious and powerful gemstone, the Ra'ira. Ricardo has only a smattering of Markasset's memories, and no idea if he is guilty or innocent. But with the help of a giant warcat named Keeshah, with whom he shares a telepathic bond, and the beautiful illusionist, Tarani, Ricardo sets out on a quest to recover the missing gemstone and clear his new name. I recommend this great scifi to anyone who enjoys a good adventure book and especially to those beginning to broaden their horizon's from YA books.
5. Blink of an Eye by Ted Dekker
Throughout my high school years I read many of Ted Dekker's books because they all fascinated me. He always seemed to have different ways of getting you to think. This particular book presented a great way to view the future. The story tells the tale of how a certified genius, Seth, is given the ability to see the future by God, but the future is not what we would think it to be. When Seth sees the future he does not see one set in stone future, he sees all the possible futures that could happen based on each choice he could make and he is left to choose which one he wants. After discovering this power, Seth meets Miriam, a runaway Saudi Arabian Princess whose fleeing a forced marriage. With this new found ability Seth helps Miriam find protection from those who are trying to recapture her. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good adventure novel.
6 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Set in a dystopian future, Fahrenheit 451 tells of a world where books are outlawed and firemen are those who are required to burn any that they find. In the beginning of the novel we meet Guy Montag, a fireman, and one night on his way back from work he meets Clarisse McClellan a teenage girl whose free-thinking ideals and liberating spirit cause him to question his life and perceptions. Bradbury created a prophetic world with a message that we may need to hear today in our disconnected world. I read this book in a political fiction class my senior year of high school and I would recommend it to anyone.
7. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Those who know me, know that I am one who hates sad stories; yet there is something about this tale that captivates me. This is the beautiful story of two friends, Lennie and George, who are displaced migrant ranch workers who are in search of job opportunities during the Great Depression. This is a great book for those who enjoy the classics. I find this to be a great book for teenagers and adults alike to read, I would not recommend it to children, though it may be an easy read, due to the language throughout it.
8. 1984 by George Orwell
In stark contrast to Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (which I would recommend, but it's not a Top Ten), 1984 presents a dystopian society where there is an omnipresent government known as Big Brother, public mind control, and a very strict, oppressive political party that persecutes all individualism and independent thinking which is defined as thoughtcrimes. The protagonist is Winston Smith, a member of the Outer-party who works in re-writing past newspaper articles and secretly dreams of rebelling against Big Brother. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopian novels.
9. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
This is the 3rd and final book in the Hunger Games trilogy and yet it is my favorite book of the three. Often times I have heard that this is the least favorite of people, so that is why I wanted to recommend it. Though it is incredibly different than the former books, it ties up everything very nicely and does a great job at showing the atrocity of violence in the world. This series tells the tale of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark the two "star-crossed lovers" who survived the Hunger Games and started a rebellion against the corrupt government known as, The Capital. I especially enjoy this book for the back stories on the characters all throughout the book. I recommend this book to anyone who reads the first two books and enjoys a good YA dystopian novel.
10. Reflex by Steven Gould
Author of Jumper and Helm, Steven Gould has become one of my favorite Science Fiction authors. After reading Helm and then seeing the movie for Jumper I had to Gould's two part series on teleportation. Reflex is the exciting sequel to Jumper (which the movie completely changed) which tells the story of David Rice, a man who learns that he was born with the ability to teleport places. The first novel centers around David trying to come to terms with the fact that he is what they call a Jumper and that there is a group of people who want him dead. Reflex however picks up on his life where he is happily married and working for a National Security Agency on jobs that he finds to be morally acceptable. Early on in the novel, David is captured by a powerful criminal organization that has found a way to contain Jumpers. The novel jumps between David's life as a captive and his wife Millie's adventure to save him as she discovers that she's gained the ability to jump. I recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction and anyone who reads Jumper first. You do not have to see the movie and I even recommend that you do not compare the movie to the book in any way, shape, or form.
These are 10 of my top favorite fiction novels. These 10 were incredibly hard to choose and there are many more I could include on this list. I hope you enjoy the adventures that these novels will take you on. If I mentioned a book that is the final book in the series I hope that you will read the whole series and not just the book I mentioned.
Grace & Peace.
1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
This book was one that captured my attention so much I read it all in one day. I am typically a slow reader and this one made me literally not want to put it down. The Fault in Our Stars is the story of Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters, two Indianapolis teenagers who meet at a Cancer Kid Support Group. It is a beautiful story that reminds you the beauty of living. I recommend this to anyone especially if you are new to John Green books or enjoy books in the YA section.
2. Paper Towns by John Green
This book was the fiction that got me reading fiction again. Near the end of my Senior year I had stopped reading fiction books almost entirely. I had a friend recommend and loan this book to me and as I began to flip through the pages I soon did not want to put it down. Paper Towns tells the story of Q and his girl-next-door crush, Margo Roth Spiegelman. After a spontaneous adventure night of revenge, Margo goes missing and Q believes she has left him clues to find her. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew. This is a beautiful story of uncovering the true feelings of people underneath the paper lives that they live. I recommend this to anyone especially if you enjoy YA novels.
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
As much as I enjoy the entire series, the 7th book is one of my all time favorites. It happens to be the only book that I currently own in the series, due to the fact that I was not allowed to read the series growing up. For those who have been living under a rock for the past 16 years or who have been banned from reading this series (Silly concept, since their parents likely did not read the series either and further more could not truly know what was in the books...) the Harry Potter series follows the life of Harry, a wizard, and his posse, Ron Weasley & Hermione Granger, as they attend Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. As they uncover the secrets of Hogwarts they embark on many adventures on a quest to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort. I have chosen the Deathly Hallows as my favorite in the series because it is the final one that ties everything up. I also enjoy it for the Christian illustrations that can be seen all throughout the book. I recommend this book to anyone who has read the first 6 and enjoys a good YA fantasy.
4. The Gandalara Cycle Volumes 1&2 by Randall Garrett and Vicki Ann Heydron
For this next recommendation I present a 7 book series, however I recommend them all as one because the books are so short (around 100 pages a piece, with the final book being 300 pages) they could equal the length of a decent sized book. I found that the Wikipedia description of the series puts it perfectly: "Ricardo Carillo, an aging language professor with a terminal illness, is flirting with a captivating young woman on a Mediterranean cruise ship. They both watch with wonder, and a growing horror, as a dazzlingly beautiful star quickly grows to engulf the sky and then crashes into the ship. Ricardo awakens in a blinding hot desert, with no idea where he is and a dead man by his side.Without knowing how or why, Ricardo finds himself inhabiting the body of a strong, healthy, young man named Markasset. Ricardo quickly learns that Markasset is wanted for murder and the theft of a precious and powerful gemstone, the Ra'ira. Ricardo has only a smattering of Markasset's memories, and no idea if he is guilty or innocent. But with the help of a giant warcat named Keeshah, with whom he shares a telepathic bond, and the beautiful illusionist, Tarani, Ricardo sets out on a quest to recover the missing gemstone and clear his new name. I recommend this great scifi to anyone who enjoys a good adventure book and especially to those beginning to broaden their horizon's from YA books.
5. Blink of an Eye by Ted Dekker
Throughout my high school years I read many of Ted Dekker's books because they all fascinated me. He always seemed to have different ways of getting you to think. This particular book presented a great way to view the future. The story tells the tale of how a certified genius, Seth, is given the ability to see the future by God, but the future is not what we would think it to be. When Seth sees the future he does not see one set in stone future, he sees all the possible futures that could happen based on each choice he could make and he is left to choose which one he wants. After discovering this power, Seth meets Miriam, a runaway Saudi Arabian Princess whose fleeing a forced marriage. With this new found ability Seth helps Miriam find protection from those who are trying to recapture her. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good adventure novel.
6 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Set in a dystopian future, Fahrenheit 451 tells of a world where books are outlawed and firemen are those who are required to burn any that they find. In the beginning of the novel we meet Guy Montag, a fireman, and one night on his way back from work he meets Clarisse McClellan a teenage girl whose free-thinking ideals and liberating spirit cause him to question his life and perceptions. Bradbury created a prophetic world with a message that we may need to hear today in our disconnected world. I read this book in a political fiction class my senior year of high school and I would recommend it to anyone.
7. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Those who know me, know that I am one who hates sad stories; yet there is something about this tale that captivates me. This is the beautiful story of two friends, Lennie and George, who are displaced migrant ranch workers who are in search of job opportunities during the Great Depression. This is a great book for those who enjoy the classics. I find this to be a great book for teenagers and adults alike to read, I would not recommend it to children, though it may be an easy read, due to the language throughout it.
8. 1984 by George Orwell
In stark contrast to Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (which I would recommend, but it's not a Top Ten), 1984 presents a dystopian society where there is an omnipresent government known as Big Brother, public mind control, and a very strict, oppressive political party that persecutes all individualism and independent thinking which is defined as thoughtcrimes. The protagonist is Winston Smith, a member of the Outer-party who works in re-writing past newspaper articles and secretly dreams of rebelling against Big Brother. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopian novels.
9. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
This is the 3rd and final book in the Hunger Games trilogy and yet it is my favorite book of the three. Often times I have heard that this is the least favorite of people, so that is why I wanted to recommend it. Though it is incredibly different than the former books, it ties up everything very nicely and does a great job at showing the atrocity of violence in the world. This series tells the tale of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark the two "star-crossed lovers" who survived the Hunger Games and started a rebellion against the corrupt government known as, The Capital. I especially enjoy this book for the back stories on the characters all throughout the book. I recommend this book to anyone who reads the first two books and enjoys a good YA dystopian novel.
10. Reflex by Steven Gould
Author of Jumper and Helm, Steven Gould has become one of my favorite Science Fiction authors. After reading Helm and then seeing the movie for Jumper I had to Gould's two part series on teleportation. Reflex is the exciting sequel to Jumper (which the movie completely changed) which tells the story of David Rice, a man who learns that he was born with the ability to teleport places. The first novel centers around David trying to come to terms with the fact that he is what they call a Jumper and that there is a group of people who want him dead. Reflex however picks up on his life where he is happily married and working for a National Security Agency on jobs that he finds to be morally acceptable. Early on in the novel, David is captured by a powerful criminal organization that has found a way to contain Jumpers. The novel jumps between David's life as a captive and his wife Millie's adventure to save him as she discovers that she's gained the ability to jump. I recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction and anyone who reads Jumper first. You do not have to see the movie and I even recommend that you do not compare the movie to the book in any way, shape, or form.
These are 10 of my top favorite fiction novels. These 10 were incredibly hard to choose and there are many more I could include on this list. I hope you enjoy the adventures that these novels will take you on. If I mentioned a book that is the final book in the series I hope that you will read the whole series and not just the book I mentioned.
Grace & Peace.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Tanner's Top 10 Non-Fiction Books
Many of my friends and colleagues that know me well know that I try to be very well read. My room contains a large bookshelf that is filled and I also have three shelves filled with books. I have developed a "library system" of sorts so that I can loan out my books to others. Along with that, I am often asked by friends for book recommendations and so as the year comes to an end I've decided to give a "Top 10 non-fiction books I would recommend for the new year." These books aren't in any specific order, but are simply books that I would recommend.
9. Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?: Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World by Brian McLaren
We live in a very blended culture filled with many religions. It can be hard discerning, as Christians, how we should interact with other religions. Having read the short story prequel, the girl with the dove tattoo, I decided to give this book a try. It is a wonderful look at how we should treat others in other religions. McLaren presents many personal stories and examples on what we should do. He proposes a new faith alternative, one built on "benevolence and solidarity rather than rivalry and hostility." I felt McLaren beautifully shows us how to better live Christ-like lives with those around us. I recommend this book to all.
1. A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband "Master" by Rachel Held Evans
I recently had the privilege of reading this book and more often than not I found myself exclaiming, "amen" to the book. I find this book to be very enjoyable and informative on what it means for women to be "biblical." I would recommend this to men and women alike especially those who are tired of hearing "women should be silent". Overall this was a book that reminded me that importance of women all throughout scripture and is a great reminder to everyone that men and women are equal. I recommend this to all who want an enjoyable read.
2. Simply Christian: Why Christianity makes sense by N.T. Wright
At the end of this past summer I had the privilege of reading this book. For those who enjoyed Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis this was a 21st century look on what it means to be Christian. If you ever need a way to best explain this way of Jesus to a postmodern world, this is the key book to read. It's engaging to readers and helps even age old Christians get a fresh look at Christianity.
3. Love Wins: a book about heaven, hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived by Rob Bell
I read this book my freshmen year of college and since then it has been one of my favorites. Rob does a brilliant job at asking the tough questions that people seem too afraid to tackle. I feel Rob's website description of the book describes it well, "Rob Bell addresses one of the most controversial issues of faith—the afterlife—arguing, would a loving God send people to eternal torment forever…? With searing insight, Bell puts hell on trial, and his message is decidedly hopeful—eternal life doesn't start when we die; it starts right now. And ultimately, Love Wins." So instead of jumping on the bandwagon of what people have told you, pick up a book, and read for yourself.
4. Love Does: discover a secretly incredible life in an ordinary world by Bob Goff
This past January I spent a month in the country of Belize and I could not have picked a more fitting book. Goff is an inspiring and incredible man who does not just talk about life, but he actually lives life. Love is so much more than a thought or idea it is something that we were intended to do. Love Does tells beautiful stories of what can happen when we love in our actions. I have never met someone who had disliked Goff's book. I recommend this to everyone who can read.
5. Blue like Jazz: Nonreligious thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller
I had the privilege of reading this book near the end of my freshmen year and I could not put it down. Miller tells stories from his life to show that God is still present and moving in our postmodern world in ways that we might never have guessed. It is a fresh, lively perspective on life, love, and redemption. I suggest you read it to find out why Don says, "I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." I recommend this to anyone.
6. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Own Life by Donald Miller
Upon reading Blue like Jazz I highly recommend reading Don's follow up book. I read this book on my adventurous summer working for the Non-profit YouthWorks and decided it is a great book especially for those in the twenty something's range. Don explores what it means to create a good story for your own life. Read about Miller's life as he edits it and reinvents his life while providing ways for you to reinvent yours. I recommend this book to anyone who are trying to figure out what to do with their lives.
7. The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne
This is one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. Though there are moments that Shane goes farther than I would, he has become one that I see Jesus in and hope that I could be like one day. Shane tells his stories of communal living, serving under mother Teresa, starting up a non-profit known as the simple way, feeding and living with the homeless, and striving to live as a peacemaker for Christ. This is an inspirational book on changing the world with little acts of love. I recommend this book to all.
8. Insurrection: To Believe Is Human To Doubt, Divine by Peter Rollins
This book has been monumental in my philosophical thinking. Written by a Christian, postmodern, philosopher which there are few of. Rollins explores what it truly means to doubt. Rollins is less concerned on discussing life after death and more concerned on life before death. Amazon describes this conquest by saying, "In order to unearth this truth, Rollins prescribes a radical and wholesale critique of contemporary Christianity that he calls pyro-theology. It is only as we submit our spiritual practices, religious rituals, and dogmatic affirmations to the flames of fearless interrogation that we come into contact with the reality that Christianity is in the business of transforming our world rather than offering a way of interpreting or escaping it. Belief in the Resurrection means but one thing: Participation in an Insurrection." I was blown away by this book and it really challenged me to work towards transforming the world for Christ. I recommend this book to Christians who feel they are strong in their faith. 9. Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?: Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World by Brian McLaren
We live in a very blended culture filled with many religions. It can be hard discerning, as Christians, how we should interact with other religions. Having read the short story prequel, the girl with the dove tattoo, I decided to give this book a try. It is a wonderful look at how we should treat others in other religions. McLaren presents many personal stories and examples on what we should do. He proposes a new faith alternative, one built on "benevolence and solidarity rather than rivalry and hostility." I felt McLaren beautifully shows us how to better live Christ-like lives with those around us. I recommend this book to all.
10. Velvit Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell
My list would not be complete without one of the very first theology books I have ever read. I may have read ones before this, but this book is what got me reading others. This was a great look at theology and how many follow a form of Christianity called "Brickianity" and how we should instead treat Christianity like a trampoline with many springs that hold it up. Bell is well-versed in Jewish teachings and draws from rabbinic wisdom and stories freely. If all that is not enough, also know that it is an easy book for anyone to read. So even if you don't enjoy Love Wins I would greatly recommend you try out this book.
Well those are my top ten non-fiction books for the new year. I hope that at least one of these books leaves an impact on you. As you read them I pray you will have an open mind that is willing to learn from these great authors. You may not agree with everything they say, but you might still get great insight from them.
Next blog post: "Tanner's Top Ten Fiction Books."
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Let me tell you about my Brother...
In the midst of the week before finals, as I write a 12 page topical paper on the word "Light", I have decided it was time to take a break and reward myself with a blog post. As I was writing about how we are called to bring Jesus' light to the world, I felt it was very fitting for today. As I awoke today I was reminded of a man who always seems to bring light into the room even though I never would have expected this of him when we first met. It all started in the latter part of my high school career.
It was a typical youth group night when we noticed that someone new had entered our community. At first glance one would see a tall, skinny, camouflage-clad, unshowered, young man who teeth and nails appeared to have avoided the sink. Then he opened his mouth and what appeared to be words came out. I could hardly tell what he was saying except for the occasional explicit word. We learned his name was Travis and he was 22, although his mental capacity was hardly that. As a good youth group we welcomed him in, while keeping a eye on him. Mid-lesson, he got up and left unexpectedly.
As the weeks progressed, I began to see him at Sunday morning services and around the town. We, as the church, slowly found out more and more about this mysterious young man. We learned that he lived with an unnamed relative in town and that the town had, for the most part, showered him with love; giving him rides to places whenever he needed. Pretty soon it became a common occurrence to look outside the window and see Travis driving his imaginary bicycle around the church and our yard. The more he attended our church, the more his language got better and the more we could understand him.
After awhile Travis started calling my Father "Papa" and my siblings and I "Brother" and "Sister", which went from a weird interaction to an expectant loving remark. Then when we had our Vacation Bible School and I was dressed as a crazy figure for the children, Travis felt the need to follow me around and tell me he wanted to be like me. Travis wanted to be a super hero like his brother. He followed me so close, he even followed me to the urinal adjacent to mine. Awkward as it was, this was the beginning of a very close friendship. As the weeks progressed we learned that Travis loved our church because we didn't kick him out like that "explicit word church did." As the Pastor's family we would all sit in very front row and Travis started joining us up front like he was one of us; a part of our family. I still remember, with tears near my eyes, looking over and seeing Travis with his eyes closed and hands raised singing praises to God in his very broken English. I remember looking over to my Father, motioning over to Travis, and saying "This is the Kingdom of God, this is what it's all about!"
As the end of my high school approached, I stopped seeing Travis as often. By the time that I went off to college I had not seen him for awhile; however when I returned home for break I was greeted at the door one day by Travis. He had come to drop off a t-shirt that he got for me. I have no idea where he got it, what he did to get it, but it said "Yahweh: When the World says No way, we say Yahweh." It was a beautiful representation of Travis. I have not seen him this past year and I am not sure where he is, but I know that whenever I do see him, I see Jesus in Him. So today, I wear this t-shirt in honor of my dear friend Travis.
I hope and pray that everyone can experience a Travis sometime in their life. To end this post, I am reminded of when Christmas Eve of my Senior Year approach and while many were taking family pictures, Travis joined the Risser family for our family picture. I will forever remember Travis as one of my brothers; I am not from a family of 8, I am from a family of 9.
It was a typical youth group night when we noticed that someone new had entered our community. At first glance one would see a tall, skinny, camouflage-clad, unshowered, young man who teeth and nails appeared to have avoided the sink. Then he opened his mouth and what appeared to be words came out. I could hardly tell what he was saying except for the occasional explicit word. We learned his name was Travis and he was 22, although his mental capacity was hardly that. As a good youth group we welcomed him in, while keeping a eye on him. Mid-lesson, he got up and left unexpectedly.
As the weeks progressed, I began to see him at Sunday morning services and around the town. We, as the church, slowly found out more and more about this mysterious young man. We learned that he lived with an unnamed relative in town and that the town had, for the most part, showered him with love; giving him rides to places whenever he needed. Pretty soon it became a common occurrence to look outside the window and see Travis driving his imaginary bicycle around the church and our yard. The more he attended our church, the more his language got better and the more we could understand him.
After awhile Travis started calling my Father "Papa" and my siblings and I "Brother" and "Sister", which went from a weird interaction to an expectant loving remark. Then when we had our Vacation Bible School and I was dressed as a crazy figure for the children, Travis felt the need to follow me around and tell me he wanted to be like me. Travis wanted to be a super hero like his brother. He followed me so close, he even followed me to the urinal adjacent to mine. Awkward as it was, this was the beginning of a very close friendship. As the weeks progressed we learned that Travis loved our church because we didn't kick him out like that "explicit word church did." As the Pastor's family we would all sit in very front row and Travis started joining us up front like he was one of us; a part of our family. I still remember, with tears near my eyes, looking over and seeing Travis with his eyes closed and hands raised singing praises to God in his very broken English. I remember looking over to my Father, motioning over to Travis, and saying "This is the Kingdom of God, this is what it's all about!"
As the end of my high school approached, I stopped seeing Travis as often. By the time that I went off to college I had not seen him for awhile; however when I returned home for break I was greeted at the door one day by Travis. He had come to drop off a t-shirt that he got for me. I have no idea where he got it, what he did to get it, but it said "Yahweh: When the World says No way, we say Yahweh." It was a beautiful representation of Travis. I have not seen him this past year and I am not sure where he is, but I know that whenever I do see him, I see Jesus in Him. So today, I wear this t-shirt in honor of my dear friend Travis.
I hope and pray that everyone can experience a Travis sometime in their life. To end this post, I am reminded of when Christmas Eve of my Senior Year approach and while many were taking family pictures, Travis joined the Risser family for our family picture. I will forever remember Travis as one of my brothers; I am not from a family of 8, I am from a family of 9.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
It's time for men to step up.
Around 7 years ago I saw the movie Taken for the first time and it introduced an entire new world to me. This world was not a happy world and it was not a fictional world. This world was the world of human trafficking. Every day countless vulnerable men, women, and children all over the world are being exploited in many ways. This very fact breaks my heart because not all of these individuals have Liam Neison as their father who is going to run to their rescue. Not all of these victims have even the slightest bit of hope that they will ever see true love. A simple action movie introduced me to this idea.
Then a few years later a friend introduced me to a non-profit known as Love146 (www.love146.org) which is dedicated to helping prevent, rescue, and provide rehab for victims of human trafficking. I immediately fell in love with this organization, which was not faith-based but many of the workers were followers of Christ. This fact showed me that people of others faiths were more than willing to become involved in this issue. They showed me that slavery is a universal injustice, not just a Christian one. They also showed me hope and gave me a face to this injustice. They talk of a time where they went undercover to a brothel to plan a raid to save the victims. They walked into a dark room that led to a window where one could be shown all the little girls for sale and they noticed that they all had a number attached to them. Not only that, but they noticed that all these girls had lost all their hope and if you looked into their eyes you saw despair alone. All the girls watched cartoons with sorrow filled faces. Then among all this hopelessness they noticed one girl in a red dress among them that still had a flair of hope and fight in her eyes. This girl had not given up yet, and this girl is where they got their name. For the number attached to this hopeful young girl was 146.
Then Spring of my freshmen year I expressed my interest in stopping human trafficking to some friends in my classes. One day one of these friends introduced me to a documentary entitled Nefarious: Merchant of Souls (www.nefariousdocumentary.com) which was put together by the International House of Prayer (IHOP). After much discussion and a viewing of the documentary we felt a need to show it to our campus. This passionate friend went to the professor in charge of the social justice small group and many emails later we had our event set up. It was a Tuesday night on campus without offering a chapel credit. We had over 200 show up that night to watch this documentary of those working to save victims, of traffickers who have found Christ, and all the other redemptive ways that God has worked in human trafficking and continues to work. This showing inspired the neighboring college (Kenyan college) to have a showing of the documentary which spread the word even farther in our small college town.
Then after a long rut of talking about human trafficking but not doing much about it, I got a Facebook invitation for a Women At Risk (www.warinternational.org) event at a local baptist church. I immediately planned out that time in my calendar to attend for this was exactly the kind of event I needed to remind myself of my passions for stopping this injustice. To celebrate the first 2 months of my relationship with my girlfriend we attended this event of shopping for a cause and then hearing the President of WAR speak. Becky McDonald spoke about growing up in Pakistan and experiencing people she knew going through these very issues. Becky showed us how much we need to be involved in stopping this injustice and how hard it can be. She told us a story of Sweetie. A baby who is being raised in a brothel, inside a box, tied to a pole with a red cord. This young girl is being raised to not know what real love is like. Becky shared about her struggle and journey in trying to save this girl. She asked for prayer that we can give Sweetie a new red cord...a red cord like the one outside of Rahab's window...one that shows she is a part of God's family.
Throughout all these events, especially tonight there is one thing I noticed. The amount of men at these events is lacking. At every one of these events women quickly flock to rise up, but there are hardly men. Tonight at the WAR event as I looked around the only men there besides me where 3-4 middle-aged and elderly men with their wives. There was no one in the millennial generation. There were no single guys there. Why is that? Why are guys not stepping up and getting involved in this cause? We need a generation of men to rise up and become involved in stopping this injustice. This tragedy is not a gender issue, it is an issue for all. Male, Female, Transgender. We must all unite and work towards ending this slavery. We have ended one form of slavery before so we can do this again. We just need men to step up and join women in this fight. As a man, I challenge my gender to make ourselves known as those who fight this injustice instead of being viewed as the "bad guys" involved in it.
Become Involved. Pray for Sweetie. MEN RISE UP.
Then a few years later a friend introduced me to a non-profit known as Love146 (www.love146.org) which is dedicated to helping prevent, rescue, and provide rehab for victims of human trafficking. I immediately fell in love with this organization, which was not faith-based but many of the workers were followers of Christ. This fact showed me that people of others faiths were more than willing to become involved in this issue. They showed me that slavery is a universal injustice, not just a Christian one. They also showed me hope and gave me a face to this injustice. They talk of a time where they went undercover to a brothel to plan a raid to save the victims. They walked into a dark room that led to a window where one could be shown all the little girls for sale and they noticed that they all had a number attached to them. Not only that, but they noticed that all these girls had lost all their hope and if you looked into their eyes you saw despair alone. All the girls watched cartoons with sorrow filled faces. Then among all this hopelessness they noticed one girl in a red dress among them that still had a flair of hope and fight in her eyes. This girl had not given up yet, and this girl is where they got their name. For the number attached to this hopeful young girl was 146.
Then Spring of my freshmen year I expressed my interest in stopping human trafficking to some friends in my classes. One day one of these friends introduced me to a documentary entitled Nefarious: Merchant of Souls (www.nefariousdocumentary.com) which was put together by the International House of Prayer (IHOP). After much discussion and a viewing of the documentary we felt a need to show it to our campus. This passionate friend went to the professor in charge of the social justice small group and many emails later we had our event set up. It was a Tuesday night on campus without offering a chapel credit. We had over 200 show up that night to watch this documentary of those working to save victims, of traffickers who have found Christ, and all the other redemptive ways that God has worked in human trafficking and continues to work. This showing inspired the neighboring college (Kenyan college) to have a showing of the documentary which spread the word even farther in our small college town.
Then after a long rut of talking about human trafficking but not doing much about it, I got a Facebook invitation for a Women At Risk (www.warinternational.org) event at a local baptist church. I immediately planned out that time in my calendar to attend for this was exactly the kind of event I needed to remind myself of my passions for stopping this injustice. To celebrate the first 2 months of my relationship with my girlfriend we attended this event of shopping for a cause and then hearing the President of WAR speak. Becky McDonald spoke about growing up in Pakistan and experiencing people she knew going through these very issues. Becky showed us how much we need to be involved in stopping this injustice and how hard it can be. She told us a story of Sweetie. A baby who is being raised in a brothel, inside a box, tied to a pole with a red cord. This young girl is being raised to not know what real love is like. Becky shared about her struggle and journey in trying to save this girl. She asked for prayer that we can give Sweetie a new red cord...a red cord like the one outside of Rahab's window...one that shows she is a part of God's family.
Throughout all these events, especially tonight there is one thing I noticed. The amount of men at these events is lacking. At every one of these events women quickly flock to rise up, but there are hardly men. Tonight at the WAR event as I looked around the only men there besides me where 3-4 middle-aged and elderly men with their wives. There was no one in the millennial generation. There were no single guys there. Why is that? Why are guys not stepping up and getting involved in this cause? We need a generation of men to rise up and become involved in stopping this injustice. This tragedy is not a gender issue, it is an issue for all. Male, Female, Transgender. We must all unite and work towards ending this slavery. We have ended one form of slavery before so we can do this again. We just need men to step up and join women in this fight. As a man, I challenge my gender to make ourselves known as those who fight this injustice instead of being viewed as the "bad guys" involved in it.
Become Involved. Pray for Sweetie. MEN RISE UP.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Awake
"I want to travel the world and see so many places!" "Then do it!" "I don't have any money..." "Well then get a job and work until you do. If you have these passions, go out and live life." "I don't want to get a job...that would make me too busy in life." She concluded as she sat back down to enjoy the latest romantic comedy that she had rented. I have had many conversations like this with people.
"I want to write a book one day." "Then write one!" "No, I don't have time and I don't think people will read my writings...maybe one day though." He said as he returned to reading his favorite author. I have said these very words many, many times.
How often in our lives do we do this? How often do we dream of living a better life, but convince ourselves that we cannot live up to that? How often do we think that one day in the far off future we will be able to finally live out those dreams? Why is it that we think our dreams will be handed to us on a silver platter? Why is it that we wait around until things seem to feel right? What is it that we are missing out on by not living in the now? By not pursuing those dreams and passions right now? If we are truly passionate about something shouldn't we want to do whatever it takes to live that dream? Or is that all this generation is: a bunch of dreamers who don't live?
Recently, Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee wrote a book series entitled the Mortal trilogy. I have not had the privilege of reading them yet, but to my knowledge they tell of a world where people are dead and do not realize it. Where all emotions except for fear have been eliminated and so people do not live out passions and dreams because they no longer exist. Then in this story, I am told the main character discovers there is an Order that has vials of blood that will awaken people to emotions. That it will awaken people to truly live again. Thus ensues this grand adventure to awaken the world from being dead. (Deepest apologies to any inaccuracies to the book).
At first glance when one hears of a book trilogy like that they may think: Wow what a great dystopia, it's a good thing we aren't like that. But I would like to ask, are we like this? Do we get caught up in fear that we do not live out our dreams? Or even more frightening do we get caught up in our comfort that we do not truly live? Do we need an Order of Christians to remind people why Christ came? To awaken us to be people who live?
God empowered us with His Spirit to go out and do incredible things in His name. To further His kingdom in a variety of different ways. God gave us passions to direct how we, specifically, would build His kingdom. By not enacting these passions, by not following our dreams, are cheating God? Do we have the audacity to say that God's gifts through passions aren't good enough and we shouldn't be so idealistic? Or should we do whatever we can to live out these dreams all for God's glory?
Now, when reading this it could be easy to think I am talking about simply one's vocation. Those thinking that may argue, "Not everyone has a passion for a particular vocation. Not everyone feels a calling." To that argument, I would agree. That is why I am not talking about vocation. I am talking about the things you want to do with your life. What you want to be known for. What you desire to do. By living out these dreams with God leading you, you are truly living life.
So, my challenge is that we would stop saying what we want to do one day, but that we would work to do that in the here and now. Will it take time to enact these dreams? Sure, but the time we invest in preparation will make the dream all the more worth it. The point here is not to rush through preparation, but to encourage people to actually get up and figure out what they need to do to live out these dreams. To choose to live and then act on that.
"Awake O' Sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light." -Ephesians 5:14b
"I want to write a book one day." "Then write one!" "No, I don't have time and I don't think people will read my writings...maybe one day though." He said as he returned to reading his favorite author. I have said these very words many, many times.
How often in our lives do we do this? How often do we dream of living a better life, but convince ourselves that we cannot live up to that? How often do we think that one day in the far off future we will be able to finally live out those dreams? Why is it that we think our dreams will be handed to us on a silver platter? Why is it that we wait around until things seem to feel right? What is it that we are missing out on by not living in the now? By not pursuing those dreams and passions right now? If we are truly passionate about something shouldn't we want to do whatever it takes to live that dream? Or is that all this generation is: a bunch of dreamers who don't live?
Recently, Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee wrote a book series entitled the Mortal trilogy. I have not had the privilege of reading them yet, but to my knowledge they tell of a world where people are dead and do not realize it. Where all emotions except for fear have been eliminated and so people do not live out passions and dreams because they no longer exist. Then in this story, I am told the main character discovers there is an Order that has vials of blood that will awaken people to emotions. That it will awaken people to truly live again. Thus ensues this grand adventure to awaken the world from being dead. (Deepest apologies to any inaccuracies to the book).
At first glance when one hears of a book trilogy like that they may think: Wow what a great dystopia, it's a good thing we aren't like that. But I would like to ask, are we like this? Do we get caught up in fear that we do not live out our dreams? Or even more frightening do we get caught up in our comfort that we do not truly live? Do we need an Order of Christians to remind people why Christ came? To awaken us to be people who live?
God empowered us with His Spirit to go out and do incredible things in His name. To further His kingdom in a variety of different ways. God gave us passions to direct how we, specifically, would build His kingdom. By not enacting these passions, by not following our dreams, are cheating God? Do we have the audacity to say that God's gifts through passions aren't good enough and we shouldn't be so idealistic? Or should we do whatever we can to live out these dreams all for God's glory?
Now, when reading this it could be easy to think I am talking about simply one's vocation. Those thinking that may argue, "Not everyone has a passion for a particular vocation. Not everyone feels a calling." To that argument, I would agree. That is why I am not talking about vocation. I am talking about the things you want to do with your life. What you want to be known for. What you desire to do. By living out these dreams with God leading you, you are truly living life.
So, my challenge is that we would stop saying what we want to do one day, but that we would work to do that in the here and now. Will it take time to enact these dreams? Sure, but the time we invest in preparation will make the dream all the more worth it. The point here is not to rush through preparation, but to encourage people to actually get up and figure out what they need to do to live out these dreams. To choose to live and then act on that.
"Awake O' Sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light." -Ephesians 5:14b
Monday, November 4, 2013
The gift of presence.
"Let's try to make the game more difficult by adding in more to hit." Garrett excitingly suggested as we played our makeshift version of Fooseball in the upper room of a small pizza joint. It had been our 2nd official hangout night with Garrett after watching him play in the marching band for the football game. Garrett has just begun junior high and really only has one friend, Corey, due to being homeschooled and being rather shy. Not only that, but Garrett has a mild case of asbergers syndrome which I have rarely dealt with. Corey, the most extroverted person I have ever met, sees Garrett for who he really is and has been looking out for him in band. Corey however is Mormon, so Garrett is the only student over 6th grade who attends our church.
As an intern at the church I have even been tasked with building up a youth ministry beginning with relational tasks with Garrett and his friends. This task seemed daunting at first, but the more I have talked with Garrett the more receptive he has become. Our first outing after his game was to Taco Bell and one could see he felt that Corey overpowered his talking and he had to warm up to us. This pizza joint was our second time together and he was so warmed up to us that he made sure to point out when his next home game was. It did not take us long after we finished our pizzas to rush upstairs to compete in Fooseball.
Once we arrived we quickly saw the ball was missing and when I was ready to just give up, Garrett improvised and showed us what we could use for a replacement ball. This led to many stylized and unique games of Fooseball. I've been learning in the end youth ministry is about walking with students in their life events and giving them the gift of presence. But you do not just give them the gift of presence, they return it. When you and your students are fully present with each other it creates a trust that should continue to grow. Programs are much needed and very beneficial, but at the end of the day if no one in your group feels loved then your programs have not done what they were created to do. I would like to end by sharing that I am learning so much from the mind of my friend Garrett that I hope to take what I am learning with me once I go into other ministries in my life journey.
Disclaimer: this is a true event, the names for the teenagers have been changed for privacy for themselves.
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