Here's to finishing another journal!

As another year comes to a close I have finished yet another one of my many journals. I have written about my experiences, taken notes from lectures, prayed long drawn out prayers, and have often asked the question "why" this year. There have been so many places that I have journeyed to and a diverse amount of new experiences in this year of 2014. 

I began my year with a trip to Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Chicago. On this trip we explored many diverse cultures and ministries in both Christian and other religious contexts. We visited the Temple of the Reformed Church of the Ladder Day Saint, a Hindu Temple, the church Jacob's Well, a Hindu worship service we were invited to by a group we ran into at the Plaza, and many more places. I learned a lot about each culture we studied and examined how to best spread the gospel with each culture we analyzed. 

If this trip did not satisfy my wanderlust then the one in March certainly did at least for awhile. I journeyed with a small team to Cascade Pichon, Haiti to help build a school. Here I fell even more in love with development and working with other cultures. I got to see the beauty of all ages working together to build this place of learning and of a people working together to do their best with what they have. I learned about "dégagé" and creative lifestyles: it makes one want to strive to live simpler. In preparation for this trip I gave up social media in an effort to live more simply during the Lenten season and this mindset only continued after this trip. Haiti was life changing and was a trip my life had been building up to through my experience in Belize and then with my involvement in collecting shoes for Haiti for the past two years. This trip affirmed my love for cross cultural missions. 

After an amazing trip, much to my lovely girlfriends dismay, I ventured to Birmingham, Alabama and then New Orleans, Louisianna for an exciting and busy summer working for youthworks. This trip affirmed my calling into youth ministry and helped me gain experience working with nonprofits. During the summer I really began to value community and see the importance of longevity and intentionality. I grew incredibly close to my team this year which showed me how invested into people's lives I can get in such a short time period. I had experienced this last summer, but my team in NOLA really showed me what a team family can be like. 

Finally after 3 full months I returned to Ohio to see my lovely girlfriend and spend a few days volunteering at the camp that she works at. It was a nice transition from not seeing her and working 17 hour days. Returning to college and my dearest love, I had decided to focus on investing in the local community and giving back where I could. In order to do this I became a Student Mentor and Academic Peer Mentor at my university in order to invest into the lives of freshmen and those in my living area. If this did not keep me busy enough I decided to take on another job while striving to be actively involved with my local church--a small group of roughly 39-40 people who meet in a storefront. I became an Ambassador for YouthWorks which successfully fulfills my love of recruiting and allows me to stay connected with this organization which I have grown to love. Throughout my busy schedule I began learning a few French words when I would work in the cafeteria because my coworker is a native of Montreal and her first language was French.

In the midst of my busy schedule I was diving into my theology courses discussing Christian Holiness and Open theism. Through my theology course I realized that I believe in a cross between open theism and process theism. I was able to express my thoughts on open theism and God's foreknowledge through a paper that shares my belief that God fully knows the past, present, and is journeying into the many known and unknown possibilities of the future because God's very nature is love. This topic was one I had been thinking about all year. 2014 was a year of questioning and wrestling with God's nature and my own calling.

In the midst of all these findings I made one of the highest decisions of my life. I spontaneously proposed to my lovely girlfriend after the end of a fun weekend trip to Lexington, Kentucky. The rest of my year has been spent planning a wedding, reading theology, reading the life changing book "The Sparrow", learning to crotchet, traveling to both sets of families, and slowly becoming coffee experts with both automated and manual coffee makers. 

As this year has come to an end it is easy to reflect on the good and bad parts of this crazy and adventurous year. I have learned many new skills, have gained new ideas and I have learned more what it means to love others. This morning I received a huge affirmation that my calling is for Youth ministry when I student from Youth Works contacted me on facebook and asked me for advice on how to get HIS youth group on a missions trip. It was exactly what I needed to end this year on a good note. I have also started making hats and now one pair of mittens so I would say it's gonna be a good year. 

So here's to 2015! Here's to graduation, to getting married, to moving to a new town, to starting a new post-grad job, learning to make new clothes, and living a life of simplicity with my almost wife. Here's to a new year of adventures and love! Let us all love!

The Waiting Season

Waiting. Waiting is an element that is pervasive all throughout life. Every human being experiences some form of waiting. There is waiting for the weekend to end and finals to begin. Waiting for my wedding in August. Waiting to finish my current loom project. Waiting to find a job for after graduation. Waiting for the coming of Christ and the day the world will be renewed. There is so much waiting. As I have been sitting in my apartment since 2 A.M., listening to my "Folksy Christmas" Spotify playlist, and looming I cannot help, but think about the advent season that we are in. Advent is a beautiful time to reflect on this idea of waiting. Advent is a wonderful time during the Church calendar that can help us better anticipate the coming kingdom.

As I have been reflecting this evening I have been reminded that waiting does not mean being stagnant. Waiting is about anticipating and preparing for the outcome. I am preparing for finals through studying, planning my wedding by working out the necessary details, anticipating a future job by searching for one, and anticipating the coming of the Kingdom by working to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven on earth in the here and now. As I wait for the caffeine in my system to wear off so that I can sleep I have decided to read the lectionary readings for church tomorrow and reflect on them as I prepare for the second full week of Advent. The Gospel reading comes from Mark 1:1-8, which says,

 "The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John the baptizer appearedin the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The other readings (Epistle, Old Testament, and Psalm) go along excellently with this passage which is all about preparing and anticipating for the coming King. In Mark's retelling of this story, we see this radical homeless guy going around and declaring that the Lord is coming and we need to prepare. John is not just sitting around in some Synagogue, but instead he is out in the wilderness baptizing people with water and preparing the way for the coming King. How often do we do nothing when we are waiting? I think the good news of the Gospel this week is that we can do something while we wait. We are called to prepare the way and anticipate. We all can find ways to help usher in the Kingdom as we wait for the Age to Come. This can be done through helping out at your local homeless shelter, helping your elderly neighbor with their groceries, asking for forgiveness, shopping ethically for the holiday seasons, babysitting for those parents that never get a day for themselves, treating the cashiers at your favorite convenient stores with respect and love (as well as those who work at your least favorite stores), getting to know people with developmental disabilities, loving the hard to love and getting to know their stories, and so many more things. There is so much brokenness in this world which means there is so much more we can be doing as we anticipate the day when all things will be made into how they were intended to be. 

May we continue into this Advent season with an attitude of anticipation that is coupled with action.

Hope in the midst of darkness

Tonight I decided to join friends to view the Premier showing of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1 and I was incredibly impressed with its accuracy to the book and its excellent portrayal of the terrors of violence and war. This particular book in the trilogy was always my favorite and I would easily say that this movie adaptation exceeded expectations. There are two particular scenes that really stood out to me in this movie and these scenes are not what people would expect because they were short interruptions into the overall theme. [SPOILER] The first scene took place in the middle of the movie when Gale tells Katniss that they were given permission to go above ground in District 13 to go hunting. In this scene they are preparing to shoot an animal and then notice that the creature had seen them and is not moving for it does not appear scared. Katniss points out that this animal is not scared of them because it had never been hunted before. They then decided not to kill the animal and walked down by the river to sit there feeling the wind on their skin and hearing the water flow below them. This scene was so simple and yet it showed humanity and goodness in the midst of the terrible war going on all around them. While everywhere was chaotic and seemed to have no silver lining, they were able to still value the innocence of this animal and take a few minutes to experience the beauty of nature. The other scene was when they were all taking shelter on the 40th floor of District 13 and Katniss was using a flashlight to play with Prim's cat while everyone watched and laughed. This scene resulted in a revelation for Katniss, but that is not what made me enjoy it. This scene showed once again that in the midst of trials, violence, and destruction the protagonists were able to find joy in a little game. They were able to bring about a few moments of goodness.

So often in our life we get so caught up in the injustices in this world. We see all those people who have been marginalized. We feel the pain that many have felt and gone through. It can be so easy to get caught up in the chaos of life that we miss out on the little events in life. We can miss the good and develop feelings of hopelessness, when in reality there is goodness and hope all around us we just have to find it. This brings to mind something I witnessed at church during the past two weeks. We have recently gained a few younger members to our small congregation of 40 and we have the blessing of worshiping alongside these children. For the past two weeks there was been a toddler who has walked into the middle of the aisle and started dancing to the music. This little boy has no embarrassments or inhibitions, but was simply celebrating through dance. This is something we often neglect because we get caught up in tradition and even the distractions of life, but this little boy brought that into perspective for us. This little boy reminded me of the good news of the gospel. This boy reminded me that is really is GOOD NEWS. This little boy brought goodness into our little church and brought smiles to all in this busy, chaotic world.

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs" (Matt. 19.14. NRSV).

Awakenings

This evening I watched the incredible Robin Williams movie, Awakenings. I had gone into this movie with good expectations of how it would be but, there was no way I could have predicted how much I loved it. Just when I believe that I have seen the best Robin William's movie I see another one that tops that.

The movie tells the true story of the neurologist Dr. Sayer who gets hired at a local hospital in the Bronx and ended up working with catatonic patients.Over time, through analyzing the patients, he discovers that they will respond to certain stimuli that relate to their reflexes. Through research he discovers that the L-Dopa drug allows the patients to be "awakened" and bring them back to reality. This appears to be an incredible break through for the hospital. Once the patients are awaken they all begin sharing what they like, don't like, what they want, and things they like to do. At one point the De Niro's character, Leonard, expressed that he wanted to be able to go on a walk, to get to know people, to do things that regular human beings take for granted. Leonard talks about how he was locked up for many years in his mind and could not do anything and now he wants to just live life.

So often in life we need reminders like this one from Leonard. We can so easily take for granted the little things in life like taking a walk. We can take for granted the loved ones who are all around us. We can take for granted the simplest touch of a fellow human being. As I reflect on my evening I realize how often I take for granted the times that I spend going on walks with my girlfriend. We do not always go on walks but, when we do I do not realize how lucky we are to be able to walk around and enjoy this simple freedom. To be able to take in every smell, to see all the forms around us, and to feel the air and the ground and everything around us. To not be trapped in our brains but, to be able to explore the world.

[SPOILER]

At the end of the movie the drug begins to wear off and they soon realize that the effects were not permanent. Over time the residents returned to their dormant state but, this time things were different. This time the doctors and nurses realized that these people were still living; they realized that they had thinking minds that knew they were there. This is shown very beautifully at the end when you see the nurses and visitors treating the non-responsive residents as if they were still acting. They were treating them as humans and showing them dignity by putting make-up on some, leading some to the window so they could see out of it, and talking to some of them.

As followers of the Way, we need to be about waking people up and reminding them of the beauty of life all around them. We need to value and appreciate each others humanity. We need to show our neighbor that we see value in them and love them. We need to awaken one another up to our true potential; our true humanity.

 “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” 

(Eph. 5.14. New Living Translation).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAz-prw_W2A 

Why Left Behind should be left behind.

I just returned from seeing the Left Behind remake and I am reminded of many memories of my childhood. This poorly done remake focuses solely on the plane ride of those who were left behind after the rapture. This movie was laced with horrible acting, awful implications (such as an elderly woman with Alzheimer's disease getting left behind or the one Arab in the movie being a Muslim who gets left behind), horribly cheesy Christian merchandise on the items of all the Christians, and simply put horrible theology. If that was not bad enough the movie ends [SPOILER] with the plane finally landing, everyone embracing, and the three protagonists, Ray, Chloe, and Buck holding hands as Mark 13:33 plays across the screen. As the credits played to Jordan Spark's rendition of I wish we'd all been ready I could not help but, see the evangelistic theme of the film. It was clear that this horrible theology was turned into a movie to draw in people so they will be scared into Salvation. This worries me and is not how I believe Salvation should work. It may have worked before but, it hardly works now and seems pretty manipulative.

This idea of the rapture comes from Dispensational Premillennialism theology which did not even originate until the 19th century by a Revivalist known as John Nelson Darby. As cheesy as this film was it worries me. The fact that Hollywood finds a need to remake this film makes me worry that people will see this and buy into the theology of escapism. Left Behind and these ideas of the rapture lead to thoughts of the earth--which God created and said was good in Genesis--being evil and meant to be destroyed and that we should be taken from it. This line of thinking can lead Christians to believing we should not care for the earth because one day we will leave it. I find the words of protagonist Chloe Steele in this new adaptation to accurately describe how we should view this theology when she says, "The God my mother talked about would never do this!" 

Instead we should view Revelation as liturgy for what has happened filled with allegories, metaphors, and symbols. We need to view Revelation as we would view the entirety of Scripture: out of a hermeneutic of love. The point of Scripture is God's love and his saving grace. Scripture tells us Jesus is coming to renew this earth that He said was good and building the Kingdom of Heaven here. This is not escapist theology. This is a theology of caring for creation, of loving your enemies and neighbors, of showing everyone what God's love looks like and how we can better build God's kingdom here. A Kingdom without violence, terrors, hate, isolation, exclusion, and destruction. A Kingdom where people are not Left Behind.

For more great resources on this see:
Reading Revelation Responsibly: Uncivil Worship and Witness by Michael Gorman 
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thepangeablog/2014/06/05/a-raptureless-theology/
Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright

Jonah and Redemption

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
 But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. 3 And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” 5 Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.
6 The Lord God appointed a bush,[a] and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” 10 Then the Lord said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”-Jonah 3:10-4:11

When I heard this passage read as the Old Testament Lectionary reading on Sunday I could not help but be reminded of high school. Since the my early high school years I had a passion of letting people know how Jonah actually ended. I got so tired of seeing the flannel graph adaptations where kids assume that Jonah changed his ways after he preached to Ninevah. People often neglect the fact that he was bitter, had prejudices, and wanted God to destroy this city of the Assyrians. How often do we, as Christians, act just like Jonah here?

How often do we preach that God is loving and wants to forgive us if we are repentant but, then assume that God will obliterate anyone who thinks differently than we do? We look at horrible situations like ISIS and demand retribution but, as the Pastor at church so greatly pointed out, modern day Ninevah would be like ISIS. Yes, what they are doing is some of the most horrendous and dehumanizing things but, we have to wonder how God views them and if they are in the scope of God's redeeming love and forgiveness. It can be easy to think of our enemies, of that person right down the street that just gets under your skin, and say we'll "pray for them" while secretly hoping that they "get what they deserve" for the way they treat us. Instead maybe we should walk over, share the good news of redemption, and get to know their story. When we pray for our enemies let's actually mean it and hope for God's redemption to come into their lives.

Why do we do ministry? Why do we preach the "good news" and why should we even live out the "good news"? Is it to fulfill an obligation? Is it because we're told we have to? Or is it because it's actually good news? Is it that God actually does have mercy and chooses to love all of us? Is sharing the good news a response to the grace we have been given?

Let's stop whining about why we cannot have instant gratification or why sometimes we are uncomfortable. Let's stop assuming that God won't do what God says God will do! If God says that He is merciful and will free us then that is what God will do! Let's get up and share this good news with the assurance that God is one who forgives. God provides new life. And God can redeem even the worst of foes. 

The Pineapple Incident...

It's the end of the day and I am exhausted. I have done a lot throughout this particular day and I was ready just to crash into my bed. There were good aspects of the day and there were bad aspects. I was ready to return to dreamland in hopes to escape certain moments of this particular day. I was tired of thinking for right now.

As I climbed up into my top bunk I reflected on my entire day. I thought of things I could have done differently and then I pondered whether or not I would want to have done them differently. I felt bogged down and exhausted. As I began to lay my head down I caught a whiff of something fruity. Something was off. Luckily I looked at my pillow before I set my head on it. There was an odd shaped lump in my pillow. I pulled it out to examine my discovery and found...

A simple prank. I found myself chuckling and wanting to share with others this reference to an unanswered HIMYM episode. This simple act brightened my night. It took my mind off of the craziness of the day and focused on the fact that I have acquired a pineapple. How great is that? It put today into a better perspective. It's senior year and even though I do not know where I am going next I know where I am today. I need to live in the present with my community in the here and now. I need to enjoy the little things. I need to partake in godly play, as one of my former youth ministry classes taught. I need to find a balance between all the academics and ministry opportunities to play with others. We are made for community and relaxation.

So take a step back, live in the present, and give someone a pineapple. Who knows? You may just make their night.