• Archive of "friends" Category

    Catching Up

    September 16, 2008 // 6 Comments »

    I don’t really like it when a full week goes by and I don’t have a chance to blog – it’s like I get creatively constipated and then I don’t know where to begin.

    Aside from just getting back into the swing of things and playing catch up since returning from Afghanistan, I have been busy doing a variety of things – getting the new house settled, wrapping up the online course I have been teaching, and training for a 1/2 marathon, along with other life-randomness.  So, where to start?  How about the 1/2 marathon.

    My New Year’s resolution was to get a 1/2 marathon under the belt before the year’s end.  I found out that there is one in Akron on Sept. 27, and since I had 2 friends doing the race (one doing the full marathon and another the 1/2), I decided to give it a go.  Afghanistan came at a bad time in terms of training, so I hit it hard as soon as I made it back.  Well, the left knee, as it has been doing for years, continued to give me trouble and I had to go see an orthopedist.  He read through a previous MRI and did an x-ray.  You should have seen his face when I told him I was training for a 1/2 marathon in 2 weeks?!  He actually said, “You’re running on this?”  I just started rehab this morning and we’ll see how much that helps.  Next stage is a fluid injection to make up for the cartlidge that is damaged and/or missing, and then surgery will be a last resort.  So, sadly, no race for me, at least not this month.  There is another one here in Memphis in December, so perhaps then.

    Semi-related, as a part of training and moving to midtown, I have been frequenting the downtown YMCA, which is a great facility.  There is a trolly that goes back and forth, though it ends a mile from my house.  The other day, I ran down to the Y, worked out some there, and took the trolly back, and ran the last mile.  It’s a cool part of downtown Memphis that I was excited to experience for the first time.

    My friend Joey stumbled on a newspaper article last week about a gathering in a local establishment called Beer and Bible, facilitated by Phyllis, Tickle, someone I have been wanting to meet ever since moving to Memphis.  I had the opportunity to go and participate in the discussion last week and just loved it.  It was about the most eclectic group of folks you can imagine who used the 7 deadly sins as a jumping off point for discussion.

    I also had the chance to accompany my friend Jon and a few other guys who do some work with FCA at Carver HS to a football game.  Carver is a school in urban Memphis with few resources and about 30 guys on the team.  The team they played is an over-resourced suburban school with about 30 guys/position.  Needless to say, Carver got crushed, but it was fun to be back on the sidelines of a HS football game.

    What else?  With the help of some friends, lots of painting at my new place has gotten accomplished and I also added a few pieces of furniture as I seek to create an inviting and hospitable sort of place.  Pictures forthcoming.

    The class.  I am in the final stages of grading final papers for the first go-around of an online class for Fuller – The Emerging Church in the 21st Century.  The class was filled with great discussion and insights.  The majority of students feel as though they have a lot more clarity on what the EC discussion/movement is all about and I have reall enjoyed helping them to explore their questions, misgivings, and thoughts in general.

    Lastly, while the website leaves a little to be desired, the atmosphere at Republic Coffee doesn’t.  I am writing this from their location – one I very quickly become a huge fan of.  If you’re around midtown, check it out.

    Posted in bible, coffee, emerging church, friends, Fuller Seminary, memphis, midtown

    The Midtown Memphis Move-in

    August 11, 2008 // 1 Comment »

    Well, thanks to this lovely crew (not pictured, but equally awesome are: Jon O., Greg J., and Russell M.  I managed to get all my stuff in my new home yesterday afternoon.

    move in crew

    And the unpacking, sorting, and arranging has commenced.

    I am in need of a fridge, some furniture, and some other odds and ends (Bueller, Bueller…), but I was pleased to find (after 4 months of separation from my stuff, which lingered in storage), that I had most of what I needed for the house.

    If you are someone who needs my new house address, feel free to drop me a line and I’ll be happy to send it to you.

    Now, I wonder who likes to paint????

    Living here has already paid off.  I am less than a mile from my good friends, the Watson’s.  Around 10:30 last night Matthew called and asked if I could come over and stay with Nathan, their 2 year old.  He and Lisa were gonna have to take Elias (their new born) to the hospital as he was running a 101 fever.  I was so happy to.  In my mind, this is a major part of what “living in community” is all about.  You are close enough to those you want to share life with that you can be there for one another.  Far from experiencing this as a burden or bother, this request was precisely the sort to make me feel “at home.”

    Thus begins the journey of discovering the truth of this popular bumper sticker…

    midtown is memphis

    Posted in community, friends, memphis, midtown

    David Ford – I’m Alright Now

    August 5, 2008 // 1 Comment »

    I promised Amy from David Ford’s label a while back that I would blog about his most recent video.

    What can I say, it’s a great song and a great video.  The video didn’t quite strike me the way “Go to Hell” did, but it’s still go that simple-cool thing going for it.  I enjoyed the lyrics which communicated a sort of hopeful yet honest sense of regret.  Because of a recent conversation with a good friend, I got hung up on one line in particular.

    Everybody wades through the same colored *$@%
    But it doesn’t drag everyone down

    The friend I was talking to feels absolutely broken.  Feelings of emptiness, loss, fear, doubt, and frustration are dominating this persons life right now.  This person has been far (at least from their perspective) from God for a good long while, but in the midst of this brokenness, their inclination is to run to, rather than away from, God.  I don’t know what to attribute this to other than grace.  There is often no telling what our reaction to adversity and trials will be, but David is right – since the pain of life is common to all, we must ask ourselves, how come some get drug down and others don’t? But I’ll tell you what, having a community that loves and supports you sure doesn’t hurt!

    Posted in friends, video

    Keepin Up With the Jones’

    August 3, 2008 // No Comments »

    These are my Jones’: Clay, Emily, and Evelyn.

    more awesome pictures of the Jones’ here courtesy of E. Wiggs – photographer extraordinaire

    I say “my” Jones’ because I love em.  In my short 4 months of life in Memphis, I have developed a deep fondness for these folks.  In order to test my faith, however, God has led them to move on to Seattle.

    Emily, who did a masters degree in spiritual formation at Talbot in Southern California (and who guest blogged here not so long ago), has been one of my greatest theological/ecclesial comrades.  Clay, a kindred spirit, has talked at length of the horror he feels when he thinks of leading a normal or average Christian life.  Both of these folks would just assume call it quits before imagining lives not given over to the Kingdom of God.  Their moving will be a huge loss to our church community and to me personally.

    Seattle should write a personal note to Memphis and say thanks for lending them the Jones’.

    Gonna miss you guys!

    Posted in friends

    My 4th

    July 9, 2008 // No Comments »

    I spent the 4th of July with friends and family back in Ohio and on Pelee Island on the Canadian side of Lake Erie.

    I left Memphis Wednesday night, was supposed to switch planes in Detroit and then get into Akron/Canton.  Unlike my brother, for whom traveling is almost always filled with surprises of the negative sort, things often work out in my favor when I travel and this was no exception.  Instead of landing in Detroit, adverse weather forced us to land in Columbus where I was able to get off the plane affording me the opportunity to see my friends Ryan and Heather (6ish months pregnant with twins).

    Then, my friend Pam drove me 1/2 way up to Canton while my friends Jay and Clay drove 1/2 way down to pick me up.

    I spent Thursday in Canton trying to soak up as much time with my community of friends and former students as I possibly could.

    Babs and I had breakfast at John’s Bar and Grille where we happened to see a former professor of mine, John Geib.  Then, we went over to hang out with Caris and JJ – 2 of my favorite kids in the world.

    Josh came down to visit me at Muggswigz that afternoon, then Lauren joined us.  The thee of us went to visit Lauren’s sister Olivia at work where I received my typical huge-and-excited Olivia hug – always a treat!

    A number of us went out for dinner together and then caught Hancock later in the evening.

    I was off early in the morning to catch a plane over to Pelee Island where I spent some time my my grandma, mom, brother Alex and his girlfriend Michelle, my cousin Beth and her husband Kale, and my long-time high school bud, Kenny.  Of course there were all kinds of other cottager friends who were there for the weekend – which was filled with plenty of boating, jet skiing, cards, bonfires, fireworks, and other goodness.

    Ken and I tackled the 2 mile hike out to Fish Point, the southern most part of the island and a feat I have been wanting to accomplish for as long as I can remember.

    All in all, a great way to spend a weekend.

    Posted in family, friends, travles

    Yoder, Crosses, the Universe, and My Friends

    June 20, 2008 // 2 Comments »

    A few weeks ago I came across a quote by John Howard Yoder…

    The people who bear crosses are working with the grain of the universe.

    Instantly I had all sorts of thought flow through my mind. But, instead of posting myself, I though about asking a couple friends, a guy and a gal to jot down their thoughts on the quote. They had really no background or context, I was just looking for them to react to the sentiment of the quote. Zach (not blogging…yet) and Emily are 2 amazing folks that I have had he chance to get to know here in Memphis and I loved what they had to say. I (and I assume they) are anxious for your reactions.

    I’ve been pondering this John Howard Yoder quote for the past few days. The first time I read it I couldn’t figure out what the heck it meant… but as I thought about it, it started to come alive and make a little sense. Here are a few of the things that come-up for me upon reflection of this truth.

    Jesus said in Matthew 10 that “anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Cross-bearing is crucial to discipleship. Bearing a cross in the 1st century world was a tragic and excruciating experience… one that ultimately required your life. Similarly, Jesus asks us for the total commitment of our lives to Him. He wasn’t just asking for our affection or time, but everything we have to give. Cross-bearing involves sacrifice as the process of following Him in submission and giving Him our everything will necessarily bring heartache and pain. We are told to expect the pain, that this road we walk is not smoothly paved to heaven. The giving of our lives to Jesus will bring us confusion and failure… opportunities to be drawn closer to Christ Himself.

    I wonder if what Yoder was getting at was something along the lines of the idea that the Cross of Christ instituted a new reality, a revolutionary dynamic, a new normal in our universe. That in the same way the life and death of Jesus could be described as sacrificial, emptying, and forgiving, those qualities were infused into our universal reality as the way God intended for the life of His people to be lived. That all justice and truth in the Kingdom of God would retain these elements, and therefore turn what is “natural” for us upside-down. Maybe this is what Jesus was referring to when He said “the first will be last, and the last will be first.” Those who are first in the Kingdom of God will likely walk a road of sacrifice and self-emptying, similar to their master. And that this is the way it is meant to be in our world, God purposefully using the weak to shame the strong.

    If this is true, then what kind of implications does that have for our daily spiritual formation? When future heartache comes my way, how will I embrace it? Walking a road of sacrifice feels very unnatural, like something is definitely not how it should be and needs to be fixed, thus our initial prayer of “Why me?!” How might our hearts be transformed if we understand our pain as a part of what IS a natural process of God’s kingdom on earth? Perhaps we would embrace the internal darkness and emptiness that sometimes is a part of our own spiritual journeys as an inherent piece of what God is creating in us. Instead of thinking that something must be wrong with us or God is not near, we could take comfort in the knowledge that our personal journey will go through periods of dryness and times when God does not seem near… but that itself goes with the grain of the universe in asking us to submit and sacrifice the experience of our souls for greater unity with Christ.

    If this is true, maybe we would embrace opportunities to share in the suffering of others, knowing that we are sharing in the sufferings of Christ and walking the same road He did. We would see that those who are struggling with great pain and personal sacrifice are mirroring a reality of the Kingdom of God. If their lives are following a natural course of the universe, perhaps we should seek to enter their reality and where Jesus is meeting them in it.
    Beyond personal pain, how might this concept affect our view of the world? American Christians tend to be activists. We hire lawyers and go after those who would deny us religious freedom. We expect our rightful place to be in the top leadership of the country, making and affecting laws for our psuedo-Christian nation. We think it’s our job to bring the Kingdom of God to earth through legislation and lawsuits…not suffering and self-emptying. It seems easier somehow to accept a theology of personal suffering, but the idea that the Church as a whole might be persecuted and oppressed… well, we don’t accept that in America. Freedom is a gift, but what if the demanding assertion of that freedom has less to do with having a triumphant witness to the word, and more to do with a refusal to follow in the footsteps of a Christ who did not demand his rights but gave his life as a sacrifice?

    “The people who bear crosses are working with the grain of the universe.” Are we these kind of people? The Cross of Christ has instituted a new reality in which the Church on earth will not necessarily be marked by success and power, but tragedy and persecution. If we are to look like Jesus, we must mirror His sacrifice and self-emptying and expect that God will give us opportunities to bear a cross, to give our lives, in following Him. We must see that Christian “success” is more about uniting with Christ through the sharing of his sufferings than touting our latest victory or building project. If we embraced this idea as the normal path of God’s creation, how much more closely might we resemble our Master?

    Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

    In Yoders quote, “people who bear crosses are working with the grain of the universe” Yoder is offering both a commentary on the state of the fallen universe and the inevitability of suffering that will happen within it.

    As sin entered the world with the fall of man, the perfectly harmonious relationship with God was broken and man was left to live with physical separation from God and the repercussion that accompany this distance. There would now be physical pain, hardship and death. Thus the grain of a perfect universe is reversed to become one of physical suffering and death.

    In addition, Yoder offers us a statement about our own comforts. If Yoder is correct in his assertion that the universe is essentially an environment where suffering is normative, then the idea that comfort goes against the grain of the universe must also be true. This becomes evident as we see multitudes finding no consolation in the pursuit of comfort. This truth becomes self evident as we see people try to anesthetize themselves to the pain and hardship of a sin nature. We see countless examples the vain pursuit of comfort result in feelings of purposelessness and spiritual disorientation or apathy. We see professed Christians in crisis of faith because God is seen clearer through blessings than through suffering. The idea that God wants you to be rich, have two cars, a house, 2.5 children and live happily ever after may be true, but it is not the greatest truth. The greatest truth is that God wants what God wants regardless of our ability to find comfort in that.

    If this were the end of the story it would paint a pretty bleak picture of human existence. However, God’s relationship with man, however fractured, is a Christian’s source of comfort. Because of this fact, comfort and pain are not mutually exclusive and quite likely coexist in our lives. Comfort does not indicate the absence of suffering only the assurance that we will be fully restored someday. Yoder’s statement is true; humanity was purposed for glorification of God and not the glorification of self.

    Posted in friends, Jesus, kingdom, quotes

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