Disclaimer: I'm kinda tired as I write this, so it may not represent my fullest and clearest thoughts.
I had a realization tonight that kind of pained me. For the first time in my life I have a girlfriend. It has been a really cool thing, God has been teaching me some cool things and I have experienced some wonderful new parts of life. It is a joy to get to know such an amazing person in that way, I am truly blessed. However, tonight I feel like God has called me to remember some things from the past that I need to hold onto.
As a single person I remember a lot of times feeling like I was a bit of a "leper" because I wasn't in a relationship. The people who were married or in relationships had the things they did because they had someone, and the single people were left to their own. I could pretty much count on someone disappearing as soon as they got in a relationship and once they were married, I pretty much lost hope of ever getting to spend time with them again. There have been exceptions to the rule, and I have been so very grateful for those people. Last Valentine's Day when we (Wing and I) hosted a meal for people in our house churches who didn't have other plans (ie: single people), we had a couple of married couples come. This blessed me so much, that they chose to spend an evening that is very couple oriented with people who so often feel like outcasts. I know one married couple that I have seen at social outings frequently and I've always thought that was wonderful. Another couple I have spent time with did a wonderful job of making me feel welcome spending time with them, even though I could have very much felt like a third wheel. I really believe that many single people feel very excluded and left out, simply because the couples tend to separate from the single people, and those couples who are intentional about spending time with everyone, including the single people, bring a special gift in affirming that singleness is not a lesser state of being, but one which brings a different set of opportunities and challenges.
Now that I'm in a relationship, I'm seeing things from a different angle. And tonight my heart is pierced because I don't know what my single friends are up to. I value the time I spend with my girlfriend and that is very important. I also value the time I spend with other couples, that is also very valuable. But I am reminded of the value of spending time with my single friends. I remember the pain of feeling left out because I was single. I remember how much it has meant when couples were intentional about spending time with the single people. I remember thinking that when I was in a relationship I wanted to be someone who made sure that my single friends were valued and treasured.
So I guess tonight I am reminded that as my relationship continues to grow I need to treasure all my friends equally and that I am going to have to be more intentional in my relationships with some.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
The anti-gospel
"300" was a movie that intrigued me. I don't like a lot of gore, but I do like movies that present the underdog fighting for honor, freedom, justice, and love. To be honest, every time I watch "Gladiator" I cry. So tonight I watched "300" and discovered the anti-gospel.
From the very beginning they make very clear that the weak, disfigured, small, and worthless are discarded. Those who are found worthy are raised to be strong, violent, and proud. Love for country and people are instilled, but because they feel they are better than anyone else. When Sparta is threated by the Persians, the king leads a small group of men out to war. People from other parts of Greece ask to join in, they are allowed to join after being insulted and treated as inferiors. A Spartan who is horribly disfigured asks to help in the battle, and is insulted and turned away because he isn't up to standard. In order to try to get the council to send the whole army, the queen surrenders her honor as a bargaining chip. After the commander of the army's son is killed, he tells the king that his heart is filled with hatred, and the king praises him for it. The idea of 300 men fighting to defend their land and their people has the appearance of something glorious, but it speaks to me nothing worthy of any glory or honor.
To contrast, I love the movie "Gladiator" and feel that in many ways it shows us many things about Christ. Maximus is the leader of the Roman legions, but he does not glory in that role. He faithfully serves his emperor and is a good leader to his men, showing that he respects them and cares for them. When the emperor wants Maximus to take over as emperor after he dies, rather than his son, he does not desire this. Rather he wants to go home to his family and live a simple life. He agrees to be steward of the position long enough to turn power back to the senate in Rome. When the emperor is murdered and they try to execute Maximus, he escapes. He returns home to find his family murdered. He is then taken as a slave and sent to Africa. There he is sold to become a gladiator. He does not desire to fight and is tired of killing. However, he chooses to lead the other slaves in battle so that they might survive. Eventually he is sent to Rome and battle in the Colleseum. There he is brought to confront the new emperor and takes his stand. I don't detect hatred in his motivation, he is not dead set on destruction at the cost of his life. He seeks justice, to restore the people to power and to make things right again. The men he fights with are not the pure bloods and the best, they are slaves, misfits, foreigners, and the least of these. He instills them with pride and worth. He does not fight the evil on the basis of hatred, pride, violence, and strength. He fights evil with love for family and his people, justice, and awknowledging the worth of the life of each person. He fights and gives himself for his people. When given the chance to make a move on the wife of the emperor, he rejects even the possibility. When given the chance to take revenge on his friend who betrayed him, he forgives. I cry at the end of this movie because I see a man who lived his life based on love, honor, justice, and forgiveness. He did not seek his own glory, but it was given to him because he was worthy of it.
That speaks to me so much because that's who Jesus is. Though Jesus deserves all glory, honor, and praise He chose to come on a rescue mission to earth. He set aside everything that He deserved and came as a nobody. He surrounded Himself with people who, in the world's eyes, had no value. He instilled value on every person He met and He stood against the injustice of this world. His actions were guided by love. Jesus could have come as the new emperor of Rome, had all worldly power given to Him, had riches and pleasures beyond our imagination. In doing so, he would just be another tyrant. He came as nothing to show us that He deserves the glory due Him, because He came to serve others and lift them up. His motivation was love and justice and the value of every human soul. He came because He saw that this world was broken and that His people were suffering. He wanted to help them, and He knew that could only happen if the people knew that He was doing it for them and not for Himself.
I think "300" made for a really interesting contrast to the gospel. I can't say I felt for any of those men because they represent what is wrong with this world. We could do with a lot less Spartan kings and a lot more men like Maximus. More than that, we need a lot more people who are living the life of Jesus in this world.
From the very beginning they make very clear that the weak, disfigured, small, and worthless are discarded. Those who are found worthy are raised to be strong, violent, and proud. Love for country and people are instilled, but because they feel they are better than anyone else. When Sparta is threated by the Persians, the king leads a small group of men out to war. People from other parts of Greece ask to join in, they are allowed to join after being insulted and treated as inferiors. A Spartan who is horribly disfigured asks to help in the battle, and is insulted and turned away because he isn't up to standard. In order to try to get the council to send the whole army, the queen surrenders her honor as a bargaining chip. After the commander of the army's son is killed, he tells the king that his heart is filled with hatred, and the king praises him for it. The idea of 300 men fighting to defend their land and their people has the appearance of something glorious, but it speaks to me nothing worthy of any glory or honor.
To contrast, I love the movie "Gladiator" and feel that in many ways it shows us many things about Christ. Maximus is the leader of the Roman legions, but he does not glory in that role. He faithfully serves his emperor and is a good leader to his men, showing that he respects them and cares for them. When the emperor wants Maximus to take over as emperor after he dies, rather than his son, he does not desire this. Rather he wants to go home to his family and live a simple life. He agrees to be steward of the position long enough to turn power back to the senate in Rome. When the emperor is murdered and they try to execute Maximus, he escapes. He returns home to find his family murdered. He is then taken as a slave and sent to Africa. There he is sold to become a gladiator. He does not desire to fight and is tired of killing. However, he chooses to lead the other slaves in battle so that they might survive. Eventually he is sent to Rome and battle in the Colleseum. There he is brought to confront the new emperor and takes his stand. I don't detect hatred in his motivation, he is not dead set on destruction at the cost of his life. He seeks justice, to restore the people to power and to make things right again. The men he fights with are not the pure bloods and the best, they are slaves, misfits, foreigners, and the least of these. He instills them with pride and worth. He does not fight the evil on the basis of hatred, pride, violence, and strength. He fights evil with love for family and his people, justice, and awknowledging the worth of the life of each person. He fights and gives himself for his people. When given the chance to make a move on the wife of the emperor, he rejects even the possibility. When given the chance to take revenge on his friend who betrayed him, he forgives. I cry at the end of this movie because I see a man who lived his life based on love, honor, justice, and forgiveness. He did not seek his own glory, but it was given to him because he was worthy of it.
That speaks to me so much because that's who Jesus is. Though Jesus deserves all glory, honor, and praise He chose to come on a rescue mission to earth. He set aside everything that He deserved and came as a nobody. He surrounded Himself with people who, in the world's eyes, had no value. He instilled value on every person He met and He stood against the injustice of this world. His actions were guided by love. Jesus could have come as the new emperor of Rome, had all worldly power given to Him, had riches and pleasures beyond our imagination. In doing so, he would just be another tyrant. He came as nothing to show us that He deserves the glory due Him, because He came to serve others and lift them up. His motivation was love and justice and the value of every human soul. He came because He saw that this world was broken and that His people were suffering. He wanted to help them, and He knew that could only happen if the people knew that He was doing it for them and not for Himself.
I think "300" made for a really interesting contrast to the gospel. I can't say I felt for any of those men because they represent what is wrong with this world. We could do with a lot less Spartan kings and a lot more men like Maximus. More than that, we need a lot more people who are living the life of Jesus in this world.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Give Me A Story
Larry shared this at church yesterday and I thought it was powerful
Give Me A Story
you want a statement to sum up the mission of God
go ahead
find your statement
make one up to help you
feel secure inside your safety cage of words
belted in by cords of cliches
locked up by logos lifted from sunday school memories
but give me a story
give my friends a story
so that they are not sentenced to meaningless lives
dont give me a story that I can easily believe in
give me a script that I struggle to understand
that stretches my faith,
that demands life insurance
give me a story that will rip me from my career
and pummel me into a quest beyond my capabilities
i need something worth dying for
i have most of my life left to give
but I need a story worthy of my investment
give me a story that I can touch
and smell
a story with real people
a story with a face.
a story with my face
my role
my place
my script
because I am
preselected to be a player
in this story that rolls its plot out in front of me
likearunawaycarpetunravellingfasterthanicanrun
in more directions than I can predict
in more colors than I can comprehend
a story that woos out my potential
and calls me
out of myself
to be who I really am
give me A story
give me THE story
give me MY story
tell me that God is bigger than you
BIGGER than your statements of ink
BIGGER than your powerpoint animations
than your projections of numbers
that make you impressed
but that make God stoop
give me a story that
makes me gloriously
a l i v e
to the purpose of God
makes me run without breath to keep up with His spirit
and at the same time
inviting me to
dance slowly
erotically
with
God
in an
end
les
s
m
o
m
e
n
t
of warm passion
nesting me in peace
and safety
tell me the story in new words
so that I dont trip over lame phrases of impotence
so that my mind does not vanillarize
over trivial expressions
used mindlessly by millions
who use words to steal mystery
from a transcendent God
who speaks freshly
with new mercies every morning
!surprises!
that awaken me from sleep mode
that spark in me new thoughts
dreams of impossible feats
daring adventures
miracles of the Almighty
performed by the hands
and prayers
of backstreet
backstage
people
in goodwill rags
you want a statement?
go ahead
i dare ya
double-dare ya
to box up The Omnipotent
to catch the Spirit of God
to nail the Son
on a cross-word puzzle
go ahead and try
but I wont hold my breath
and you wont hold the mission of God on a bumper sticker
Andrew Jones
Colorado Springs
December 2001
Give Me A Story
you want a statement to sum up the mission of God
go ahead
find your statement
make one up to help you
feel secure inside your safety cage of words
belted in by cords of cliches
locked up by logos lifted from sunday school memories
but give me a story
give my friends a story
so that they are not sentenced to meaningless lives
dont give me a story that I can easily believe in
give me a script that I struggle to understand
that stretches my faith,
that demands life insurance
give me a story that will rip me from my career
and pummel me into a quest beyond my capabilities
i need something worth dying for
i have most of my life left to give
but I need a story worthy of my investment
give me a story that I can touch
and smell
a story with real people
a story with a face.
a story with my face
my role
my place
my script
because I am
preselected to be a player
in this story that rolls its plot out in front of me
likearunawaycarpetunravellingfasterthanicanrun
in more directions than I can predict
in more colors than I can comprehend
a story that woos out my potential
and calls me
out of myself
to be who I really am
give me A story
give me THE story
give me MY story
tell me that God is bigger than you
BIGGER than your statements of ink
BIGGER than your powerpoint animations
than your projections of numbers
that make you impressed
but that make God stoop
give me a story that
makes me gloriously
a l i v e
to the purpose of God
makes me run without breath to keep up with His spirit
and at the same time
inviting me to
dance slowly
erotically
with
God
in an
end
les
s
m
o
m
e
n
t
of warm passion
nesting me in peace
and safety
tell me the story in new words
so that I dont trip over lame phrases of impotence
so that my mind does not vanillarize
over trivial expressions
used mindlessly by millions
who use words to steal mystery
from a transcendent God
who speaks freshly
with new mercies every morning
!surprises!
that awaken me from sleep mode
that spark in me new thoughts
dreams of impossible feats
daring adventures
miracles of the Almighty
performed by the hands
and prayers
of backstreet
backstage
people
in goodwill rags
you want a statement?
go ahead
i dare ya
double-dare ya
to box up The Omnipotent
to catch the Spirit of God
to nail the Son
on a cross-word puzzle
go ahead and try
but I wont hold my breath
and you wont hold the mission of God on a bumper sticker
Andrew Jones
Colorado Springs
December 2001
Friday, August 3, 2007
Staying with those who struggle
I had some opportunities to learn some humility on this trip to Glacier. I had two days where I ended up with heat exhaustion. It really sucks. The first day I talked with the group, after I caught up with them, about the importance of staying together. I felt bad about it because I felt like I was giving a lecture, and I'm sure that some of it came from being hurt, but it had to be said.
In our world today there is a "survival of the fittest" mentality, a desire to be first, the strongest, the best. What happens when the focus is on this is that when someone starts to struggle, they get left behind. When things start getting hard, the strong charge ahead and the weak are left behind to struggle by themselves. However, that is the time when the strong people are needed most. How many rescue situations start by someone saying "where's so-and-so?" and then finding them somewhere far behind on the trail? Sometimes at that point it is too late, as in the case of a young girl who died on an Outward Bound trip recently. This happens in hiking/backpacking, kayaking, life, and relationship with God.
This is the Glory of God, that Jesus "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8) Even though Jesus was God, He didn't take a survival of the fittest approach to life, charging ahead to the finish line. Instead He became one of us, arrived on earth as the bastard son of a poor, low status family, and spent His time on earth with the people who were struggling. His closest friends were fishermen, tax collectors (these guys were worse than the IRS), prostitutes, lepers, and cripples. God saw the struggling and He came to help them. He didn't try to give them helpful advice or yell at them that they did something stupid, He walked them them and helped them with their burden, eventually taking care of the one burden they could do nothing about.
The strong are not the ones who are first to the finish line or to the top of the mountain first. The strong are those with the strength of character to use their strength to help those who are struggling. How many champions are a total jackass and how do we look at people like the firemen who ran into the World Trade Center on 9/11? Often it isn't that the strong have to carry the struggling, many times just walking with them is enough. I know that as I was struggling on our hike that I was stronger when people were with me than when I was walking on my own. When I had people with me I knew that I was going to be ok.
It's really hard to be the one who is struggling. No one wants to be the complainer and no one wants to be the weakest link. We want to be strong and self sufficient. But the truth is, sometimes we struggle and sometimes we need help. Generally when backpacking I'm the one who is checking up on everyone to make sure everyone is ok and I tend to stay behind with the slower people. It was really hard to be the one who was struggling. I know that I went at least a mile debating with myself whether I really was in trouble or whether I was just a whiner. I finally reached a point where I knew I was in trouble, and then I spoke up. However, maybe if I had the humility to admit I was struggling earlier things might not have gotten as bad. Sometimes asking for help is also a matter of whether anyone is going to care. Many people know they need help, but they don't know if anyone cares enough to help, so they keep struggling along on their own. Or maybe it is a matter of someone strong being around to ask for help. If the strong are not among the weak, there is no one to turn to for help.
The desire to be the strongest and the best permeates everything in our culture, and mostly it is glorified. We hold up the sports champion, the successful CEO, and the celebrity. However, what is the cost of glorifying the strong and ignoring the weak? How would our world be different if we had paid attention to those who are hurting and struggling? How many school shootings averted? How many suicides, run aways, drug addicts, and people locked up in prison would have a different story? How many of those people could have changed the world if someone had offered them the strength to make it through their struggle?
I believe that our world would be transformed if we stopped worrying about who was the best and started taking care of those who are struggling. That's why Jesus came to earth and that's what the Church is supposed to do. We've done a pretty poor job of it, but we're working on it.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:10-13
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:1-3
In our world today there is a "survival of the fittest" mentality, a desire to be first, the strongest, the best. What happens when the focus is on this is that when someone starts to struggle, they get left behind. When things start getting hard, the strong charge ahead and the weak are left behind to struggle by themselves. However, that is the time when the strong people are needed most. How many rescue situations start by someone saying "where's so-and-so?" and then finding them somewhere far behind on the trail? Sometimes at that point it is too late, as in the case of a young girl who died on an Outward Bound trip recently. This happens in hiking/backpacking, kayaking, life, and relationship with God.
This is the Glory of God, that Jesus "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8) Even though Jesus was God, He didn't take a survival of the fittest approach to life, charging ahead to the finish line. Instead He became one of us, arrived on earth as the bastard son of a poor, low status family, and spent His time on earth with the people who were struggling. His closest friends were fishermen, tax collectors (these guys were worse than the IRS), prostitutes, lepers, and cripples. God saw the struggling and He came to help them. He didn't try to give them helpful advice or yell at them that they did something stupid, He walked them them and helped them with their burden, eventually taking care of the one burden they could do nothing about.
The strong are not the ones who are first to the finish line or to the top of the mountain first. The strong are those with the strength of character to use their strength to help those who are struggling. How many champions are a total jackass and how do we look at people like the firemen who ran into the World Trade Center on 9/11? Often it isn't that the strong have to carry the struggling, many times just walking with them is enough. I know that as I was struggling on our hike that I was stronger when people were with me than when I was walking on my own. When I had people with me I knew that I was going to be ok.
It's really hard to be the one who is struggling. No one wants to be the complainer and no one wants to be the weakest link. We want to be strong and self sufficient. But the truth is, sometimes we struggle and sometimes we need help. Generally when backpacking I'm the one who is checking up on everyone to make sure everyone is ok and I tend to stay behind with the slower people. It was really hard to be the one who was struggling. I know that I went at least a mile debating with myself whether I really was in trouble or whether I was just a whiner. I finally reached a point where I knew I was in trouble, and then I spoke up. However, maybe if I had the humility to admit I was struggling earlier things might not have gotten as bad. Sometimes asking for help is also a matter of whether anyone is going to care. Many people know they need help, but they don't know if anyone cares enough to help, so they keep struggling along on their own. Or maybe it is a matter of someone strong being around to ask for help. If the strong are not among the weak, there is no one to turn to for help.
The desire to be the strongest and the best permeates everything in our culture, and mostly it is glorified. We hold up the sports champion, the successful CEO, and the celebrity. However, what is the cost of glorifying the strong and ignoring the weak? How would our world be different if we had paid attention to those who are hurting and struggling? How many school shootings averted? How many suicides, run aways, drug addicts, and people locked up in prison would have a different story? How many of those people could have changed the world if someone had offered them the strength to make it through their struggle?
I believe that our world would be transformed if we stopped worrying about who was the best and started taking care of those who are struggling. That's why Jesus came to earth and that's what the Church is supposed to do. We've done a pretty poor job of it, but we're working on it.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:10-13
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:1-3
Glacier Trip Info Posted
Photos, a Google Earth map, a trip summary, and other info about our trip to Glacier National Park has been posted.
Trip Info Here
Trip Info Here
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
River of Doubt
Just finished watching "Hotel Charley Volume 2:River of Doubt" It was interesting, not the standard kayak porn. A lot of the kayak videos are just highlights, this was a bit more comprehensive. It was of expedition trips to Columbia, Costa Rica, India, and Mexico. One of the things I like most about the kayak videos is just the scenery. Many of these places you can't reach any other way, so many times they are untouched. I so would love to have an HD TV and an upscaling DVD player, that would make these look even more sweet. One of the other things about this video is that it wasn't a bunch of hot shots doing stupid things to look cool. These are pretty ordinary guys (other than EJ) and they're just out doing what they love. It was an interesting video. Not the most exciting, but it was interesting.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Canoe Trip
Went on a canoe trip with friends today. We went on the Tippecanoe River up by Delphi. It was a great day for it, we got out early before it got too hot. Sadly, the river wasn't as clean as I remembered it. It was pretty nasty really. I took my kayaks along, to get some time in. It was a good time all together.
Photos and Info
Photos and Info
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