Hotel Rwanda

The weekend was a busy one. My wife and I finally bought a new couch. We will still just have a rocking chair as furniture, along with our card table and two folding chairs in the eating area, but the new couch will be much appreciated.

Friday night we met up with our good friends Kate and Gilbert in Nashville to see Hotel Rwanda. I’ll just tell you that it is a must see. Don Cheadle’s performance was amazing in the role of Paul, the manager of a posh Rwandan hotel caught up in the middle of a horrible genocide. Don’s character, based on real events, showed compassion towards a thousand Tutsi refugees and hid them from Hutu-led slaughter. Even though I was only 11 at the time, I do not recall hearing about the horrible events that took place in Rwanda back in 1994 (Dafur is in the middle of a genocide now but is not widely covered in the media). The movie portrayed the powerful nations of the world almost ignoring the people’s plea for aid. One character in the movie said that people, when they heard of the terrible news would say, “’Oh my God’….and then go on eating their dinner.” What’s more appalling was the fact that most Rwandans involved in the killing were churchgoers, even though this wasn’t discussed in the movie.



Brian McLaren wrote a moving article for Leadership Journal discussing his feelings on the movie and comparing it to the popular Passion of the Christ. I must say this movie was powerful and challenging. It showed a nation crying out for help when none came. It showed a man dealing with his own struggles of helping others in the midst of persecution and pain. It showed the effects of political agendas and the devastation left by war. If you go see this movie, it will not be easy to sit through or walk out of feeling the same, but maybe that’s not a bad thing.

Wilco and NPR

Do yourself a favor and listen to Thursday's broadcast of Talk of the Nation on NPR. The band Wilco performs and talks with host Neal Conan.

Link

Thinking Beyond Nice

Last night I finished up a book called Kingdom Come by Allen Wakabayashi. It was recommended to me by fellow blogger Bill Bean. This book was an easy read but challenged me to view salvation more holistically. I liked it because he comes from a campus ministry background (Intervarsity), and that bleeds through his pen every once in a while in his writings.

After reading Larry James' blog this morning, I wanted to quote something from the book. This quote comes from Michael Emerson and Christian Smith's provocative book Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America.

White evangelicals, without any necessary intent, help to buttress the racialized society. Like their forbears during the Jim Crow segregation who prescribed kindness toward people of other races and getting to know people across races, but did not challenge the Jim Crow system, presentday white evanglicals attempt to solve the race problem without shaking the foundations on which racialization is built. As long as they do not see or acknowledge the structures of racialization, they inadvertently contribute to them.

Summary: In our nation, white evangelicals have tended to encouraged others to make friends across the racial barrier and treat others kindly (a good thing), but have not changed the structures that imprison people into bondage. Ouch! As a member of the white evangelical population, I repent.

I Hate Taxes!

Who doesn't? Sheesh. Last night my wife and I had a consultation visit with our accoutant Joe. This small firm did my accounting when I was a campus ministry intern for 2 years so I know Joe real well. If you are a minister or in ministry, you know the difficulty of taxes especially with this particular occupation. So for the past two years I had to raise all of my income, which went through the campus ministry and then to me whenever I needed it. The problem was they didn't take taxes out so I was considered self-employed.

Well I had paid a ton in taxes for these past 2 years and thought I was finished paying the IRS and expected to be getting some money back since my wife and I both work and we both work in "normal" jobs. Even when Joe was figuring out our W2 he said that it looked like we might get $400 plus back. Boy, we were both pumped up about this. Then he added the ministry part from this past year. Good news! We'll get money back, right? Uh......yeah.......no.....no we have to pay over $1000 for our April 15th due date. A $1000!!! That is what I make a month!!! So Joe, Jennifer and I went over everything to make sure that was correct. Sure enough Joe was right on the money. So come April 15th the wonderful folks at the IRS will be getting a check from us for over $1000 and a pair of my dirty underwear.

On the way home, we were discussing money matters and the odd question came up: "Do monks have to pay tax?" (I thought you'd like this Terry) I told Jennifer that they didn't but she thought otherwise. It was like a Seinfeld moment.

J: "Of course monks pay taxes."
C: "No they don't. They don't have any income."
J: "But they have to work, right?"
C: "Well yeah, they work, but not like a normal job. They work in their monasteries."
J: "Do they fundraise money?"
C: "I don't know."
J.: "How do they eat?"
C: "They grow their own vegetables in a garden."
J: "How do they buy clothes?"
C: "They make them."
J: "How? With a sowing machine?"
C: "No, they make them by hand."
J: "No they don't."
C: "Yeah they do. I mean...I guess they do. I'm sure monasteries are different in different places. Why are we talking about monks anyway?"

This random conversation helped get our minds off of the enormous amount we have to pay the government this Spring. So does anyone know if monks pay taxes?

Loving Jennifer

Being married is great. Jennifer, my wife, is an awesome woman and I am truly thankful we're together. Last night I had to finally face the music and sit down for 3 hours to take my midterm for newly appointed PhD, Phillip Camp. It was not pretty, I'll just say that. It wasn't anything like Tony described, but it was no picnic.

But during my long hours of studying and reading boring commentaries, my wife was so wonderful. She cooked, cleaned, offered to drive, did laundry and went grocery shopping. Now, she does all the things normally, but my eyes were open to her willingness to serve me even when we weren't sending a lot of time together. So when she enters school next semester for her Masters, I'll be remembering and honoring all that she did for me while I suffered through my Masters program. But it probably helps that she is smarter than me and won't have to study as much. So here's to my lovely beautiful wife, Jennifer Lynn Christian!

What's Up Doc?

I caught this story Sunday morning on CBS This Morning. It seems as if the loveable Bugs Bunny (and 5 other Looney Tunes) will transform once again only this time he will become an edgy, futuristic crime fighter named Buzz. Not only will Buzz look drastically different from what we all grew up on, the new bunny contains superpowers such as laser vision and martial arts expertise. I am not able to find a picture of the new Bugs yet but I'm sure he's out there somewhere ready to pounce on any nasayers that disapprove of the change.

For me, I thought the new Bugs looks a tad scary. But maybe I don't want to submit to change just yet. After hearing of the news, I found a short essay by John O'Keefe over at Ginkworld. He addresses the similarities of the transitioning hare to the church. I agree with him that change is needed but should it be because we need to meet people's needs? I once heard that Willow Creek, in its embryonic stages, sent out surveys in their community and asked people what they desired "church" to be. I don't know if this is true, but it seems as if this approach is just creating a safe environment for people to gather and join a social club per say, and we have too much of that as of now going on. (I'm not dissing W.C. but one must proceed with caution in "meeting needs") No matter how much outward change takes place within the walls of a church, authenticity and reconciliation can't be checked off on any survey or written in any mission statement. These are the seeds a community will more or less cultivate over time.

Meeting people's (pre-Christian pilgrims) needs is a way to serve the community at large, but shouldn't be our main goal (I believe this is what O'Keefe is getting at). Love is. Loving those outside the church is what must happen, and again, this isn't an easily bulleted point to mark off the 6 simple steps to church growth. No, this inclusive love goes beyond races, sexual orientation, social classes, family background, occupations, neighborhood residence, and physical handicaps. We are called be God's healing hands in seeking and supplying reconciliation to our neighbors wherever they reside. Yes, meeting needs will happen through this, but change in an church must first ask herself, "Who does God desire us to be in our context?"

Ethics of Giving

While driving into downtown Nashville this morning, I saw a man at the corner of an intersection begging for money. At least that is what I thought he was doing. I couldn't see him very well because I was in the far lane turning and he was across the street. I began to wonder how much money those people pull in from just standing at a busy intersection just off the interstate and beg other motorist for change. We've all been there, right? Sitting in our cars uncomfortable wondering if we should give this dude a buck or two, anxiously waiting for the light to turn green so we can leave this individual from our consciousness.

In the past I have had several conversations about the ethics of giving with college students. What is o.k. to give? Do we just give and not engage the person? Do you give only if there are exceptions?

I have wrestled with this issue many times in my mind. There have been times where I've given what I had to a beggar. Other times I haven't given anything and just turned the other way. And then I've offered to give them rides, buy them a meal, but not blindly given them money. I know the second option shouldn't even be an option but I chosen it before, shamelessly. I wonder what other people's ethic is for giving. Obviously I'm only covering those I consider homeless or poor and not engaging those within our neighborhoods, families, churches, businesses, schools, etc. They are apart of our ethic as well, which maybe the factor that should shape our answer.

Should we just give without question? Does that continue to hurt the system, where people will just use the money in harmful ways? How should we think in redemptive ways? Should we question and see the real need and then give? What is your ethic of giving?

Let's Talk About SEX

After reading an article by New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof, I have come to the conclusion that most parents, especially (in my opinion) Christian parents, avoid having the "sex talk" with their kids in hopes that the school system will step up and teach their kids the values of abstinence. (Actually I remember my dad giving me the sex talk. thanks pops.) The Bush budget seems to be making that a reality, one in which most evangelical Christian parents will support. But there is a catch...

To summarize Kristof's article, he states that the Bush Administration budget is shelling out more cash, almost 3 times as much as 2001, for "abstinence only" sex education. Kristof supports abstinence and says the President means well, but in the end this move by Bush becomes a tad naive. The problem becomes when the education is all about abstinence only and a refusal to teach about contraception. These programs are typically barred by law from mentioning condoms or other forms of contraception - except how they can fail. Studies have shown that silence about sex actually leads to more sex, even unprotected sex. Moreover, unprotected sex leads to more unplanned pregnancies, more abortions and more kids with AIDS. So why give more tax dollars to this when the nation is cutting school as well as health programs?

Let's be realistic people and responsible adults. I'm all for the abstinence idea, as long as it doesn't neglect the teachings of contraception. I hope to teach my kids the treasure of sex as well as abstinence, but I know that most American kid's view of sex is as low as holding someone's hand. "What's the big deal," they say. If the school system is going to be silent, then parents must give the realistic dimensions of intercourse, including both abstinence and contraceptives. Besides, shouldn't the parents be the ones who initiate the conversation in the first place, instead of a secondary source? Let's think and act redemptively about sex, especially in teaching our children.

Immortal / I'm mortal

On my way to work this morning I was contemplating human’s mortality. (What were you smoking on the way to work, Clark?) My thoughts were guided by my recent experience of an Ash Wednesday service where the importance was on our humanness and God’s boundless mercy. Death became an ever-present reality in my brain. Not that I am scared of dying, but just the fact that all creation is headed towards death either slowly or more hastily than others. These thoughts threaded a connection with my Lenten devotional book, Cross-Shattered Christ. Yesterday I read the chapter entitled The Second Word, which gives meditative thoughts about Jesus’ words on the cross, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

The author stressed the point how humans want to be remembered. We live defeating lives in the hopes and aspirations of not being forgotten. Our cry echoes that of the thief’s request, “please remember me Jesus.” Rather than ask to be remembered for something significant, he asks to be thought of when Jesus enters into his kingdom.

For me, I fear being forgotten. I tremble at the fact that my life might be a meaningless spec in history’s skyline. Sounds stupid, right? Well, my pride gets the best of me, desiring to be “known.” Sometimes I wonder if I’m making “contacts” with writers, doctors, professionals and professors for the single fact to be remembered. If this is true, then my care becomes etched into a totempole of desired immortals. All of this is in vain, I finally realized. This is a meaningless search to be known and for others to remember me, even when I pass from this frail earth. Father, forgive me.

Do-si-dos

A lady from work gave me a box of these today. What are your favorite Girl Scout Cookies?

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

Life is nice tonight. Its Saturday night and my wife is painting a beautiful sea landscape, we're listening to Counting Crows and I'm messing around with my media player. I'm ripping music from my CD's to the laptop.

Seeing as I haven't posted about my first Ash Wednesday service, I thought I'd do that now. So last Wednesday my wife and I drove a short distance to St. Marks United Methodist Church for their Ash Wednesday service. The only thing we knew about the service before entering through their doors was the part of the service where they applied the ashes on your forehead in the sign of the cross.

It was a somber hour of worship. We sang in the style of Taize, which means a repeated, reflective type of songs. (You sing about lines worth of music) In the back was a guitar player, harpist and flute player who played quiet yet sweeping pieces that filled the room and resonated within your soul. We sang, read from Scripture, chanted the Lord's Prayer, received the ashes on our foreheads, and we all existed quietly out the back at the conclusion of the service. It was sacred space for sure. We were reminded of our mortality, sinfulness and delicacy in the Master's hand. From dust we were made, and from dust we shall return. A message that's not heard much in our busy lives. We live and act as immortals, the masters of our own space. Surely we are all in control. Our lives are not ashes, but beautiful masterpieces with which we had sculpted and perfected through mediums all our own. Right? So we think. But our lives are masterpieces, even if constructed from that grey substance called ashes. Only the Artist can make what's shapeless and void into something that explodes into brilliant pastels and hues across the atmosphere of this universe forming incredible architectural continuity. Yes ashes, ashes we all fall down, but we wait in expectantly for the Architect to resurrect redemption from these grey clumps.

Thom Yorke interview

For those interested, Thom Yorke (lead singer of the band Radiohead) was interviewed by a British Christian magazine called The Third Way. The article appeared in the December 2004 issue. To read follow this link.

AUDIOBLOG

Tangible Unity

During class last night we ended our discussion with talk of how unified the tribes of Israel became, especially after their conquest through the land of Canaan (seen in the book of Joshua). What was striking was the unity of these different tribes, living together in the same land. Our conversation moved away from the ancient days of Israel into our current context. The question was posed, “How will others recognize/tangibly see unity among our communities?” We can become unified by certain dogmas or beliefs, but will others outside our communities actually see our connectedness? One idea that sprung up was the idea of halting integration among the group. What I mean is not having a youth group or college group or young married group or preteen group in our churches but seeing the individual as one person who makes up the larger community. This could help our integration as a body and purposely join those that might never talk to each other or encounter one another outside of Sunday mornings. Churches can do a great job of putting a person where “they” think he or she needs to fit, all the while making them feel more segregated among the larger group. No group feels more separate from the community than the singles classes/groups in churches (my general assumption/opinion). So how can we bring forth the notion of unity?

I would suggest first asking God what he desires for your community to be in your particular setting. (Doug Pagitt’s book makes this point extremely clear.) Secondly, depending on your answer from the first question, I would propose a community that sees someone as apart of the community rather than a separate entity in the many subgroups churches contain. If a 15 year old enters the building, the church sees him or her as a 15 year old, not as someone who needs to be in the youth group. (Pagitt again brings more clarity on such an issue in his book) Granted there are times where we need to be around others our own age. But if we truly seek a monastic experience with each other, won’t we yearn to live among the entire community, crying babies and elderly hard-of-hearing people too? What if during our time together, we didn’t dismiss the children to “children’s church” but incorporated them into the worship? What if those kids could witness how their parents and other adults pray, sing, dance, and worship together? What if we rethought our educational/learning process and create avenues for people to learn via mentoring, experiential style teaching, social activism, etc? What if we walked after this ideal called “community” more intentionally instead of throwing around the term as some quaint dream state?

Quotes from Hauerwas

"Mystery does not name a puzzle that cannot be solved. Rather, 'mystery' names that which we know, but the more we know, the more we are forced to rethink everything we think we know."

"It is my conviction that explanations, that is, the attempts to make Jesus conform to our understanding of things, cannot help but domesticate and tame the wildness of the God we worship as Christians."

Lent

Transfiguration Sunday was this past Sunday which leads us toward Lent, a 40 day journey beginning with the sorrowful Ash Wednesday and ending in triumph on Easter. Since working with a Methodist publishing house, I have learned many things in regards to the Christian calendar. Seeing as how I didn't participate in Lent or Holy Week or Pentacost growing up, I am willing to dive deep into other traditions and ancient practices to face my own humanity as well as experience God's holiness and transformative grace. For those who are beginners to the Lent season or wanting more explaination, click here.

My wife and I agreed to attend an Ash Wednesday service at the local St. Marks Methodist church. I'm still in prayer for what I need to abandon during this 40 day pilgramage. Each week I'll read from Stanley Hauerwas' Cross-Shattered Christ: Meditations on the Seven Last Words. This was recommended to me by my co-worker who is also reading this during Lent. It is a small book with 7 chapters, which works wonderfully during the 7 weeks of Lent. I say this not to stand before you as a model of piety or appear more spiritual than my audience, but as a longing to experience Easter in a more powerful way. I desire Easter to move beyond bright new clothes, anticipation of Spring weather and a lazy midafternoon nap after a large Sunday ham lunch. I want God to invade my space and bring me to my knees as I participate in history's greatest story ever told. O Lord, begin with me, with us. Here. Now.

Johnny Cash Day

Saturday in Nashville, February 5th, 2005 marked the offical day dedicated to the man in black, Johnny Cash.



"I am persuaded that nothing can separate me from my love of my God, my wife, and my music. Life is rich when I come home, after hours in the studio, feeling as frayed as a hundred Big G strings, and curl up to June Carter. She’s a soft, fluffy Mama Bear. That’s when I give God a 'Thanks a lot, Chief.'" - Johnny Cash

The Decade of Roma Inclusion

Eight former communist countries in central and eastern Europe pledged to improve the plight of Roma (gypsies), the continent's poorest, biggest as well as youngest minority. Their plans spreads over the next 10 years. In a declaration signed by 5 heads of government and 3 deputy prime ministers, the alliance pledged to abolish discrimination and heal the rift that separates the Roma from the rest of the Europeans. The meeting was held for one-day in Sofia with the help of one man, international financier and philanthropist George Soros. On a side note, Soros has donated more than 30 million (23 million euros) to the Roma Education Fund. After these politicians signed it, the statement was handed to a seven-year-old gypsy girl named Bojidara, who plans to keep a journal of the main events in her life until 2015 to gauge whether they will keep their promise.

Romania is the country with the largest Roma population in Europe. 7 in 10 Roma do not have access to running water, while 8 in 10 cannot afford prescription drugs. Finally 2 in 10 have actually finished primary school, one survey found.

My story has somewhat deep roots in the country of Romania. Near the end of my stay, for the second time, I actually felt like an eastern European (good thing I didn't say I look like one because I sure don't look anything like an eastern European). I've eaten their food, walked their streets, spoken their languge (poorly, remind you), lived in their flats, drank their wine and danced among their rich traditions. While over there I incountered many Roma. Many were beggars and lived on the streets, one of which was named Elvis. He was a small boy who suddenly showed up during on of our VBS days. We gave him a VBS shirt and we all hugged on him and played games together. He couldn't speak much English, but had a million dollar smile. Even though he was dirty and smelled, the group loved him as their own. I hope these countries keep their promise and bring societal freedoms as well as healing to these people.

The Nightmare Continues

If you've seen the movie Garden State, the main character "Large" screams into a large naturally formed abyss near the end of the movie to experience healing of a life lived in pain and despair. I'm extremely tempted to do the same in the midst of my co-workers. Why you ask? Because this morning got off to a very bad start. But more than that; it is a continual bad result in a seemingly endless process. Let me explain shortly.



This is a diagram of a tooth implant. My tooth (one of the top front) was knocked out at an early age by a baseball (not your fault Dad). Since then I have had numerous visits to the dentist, oral surgens, and endodontists meaning countless shots, drills, x-rays, rinsing and spitting to say the least. Luckly I haven't become an anti-dentite, but boy it is sure tempting. Back in the fall of 2003, I went to a Nashville recommended oral surgeon to start the procedure of a dental implant. Well, the process should have only taken 6-9 months, but if you know me, I'm not that lucky. It's been over a year and a half now and it is still not finished. I left the house at 6:30 this morning to meet with my dentist thinking, "This is it, my final visit." I even said to my wife, "When I get home from work, I'll have my tooth in my mouth finally." Uhhhhh, no you won't Clark. Seems as though something inside the implant broke and they have to get it out and put another screw inside my mouth. While this (hopefully) won't involve having a completely new implant, they will have to take the screw (not shown in the picture) that is inside the implant out and replace it. So my woes continue, not knowing what will happen next along the implant journey. Anyone want to trade places with me?

Justifying Genocide, part 1

While enrolled in Joshua, Judges, Ruth graduate class this semester, Dr. Philip Camp is requiring us to read Show Them No Mercy: 4 Views on God and Canaanite Genocide. I’m re-reading it because we have to write a report on it. The book is written by 4 contributors who each take a different angel on the accounts of genocide in Joshua and seek to justify/explain/argue it. After their chapter, the other 3 authors write shortened critics covering that particular chapter.

The first chapter, which is penned by C.S. Cowles, states a case for Radical Discontinuity. In summary, Cowles wrestles with the harmonization of a loving God fully portrayed in the life of Jesus and the warrior God of Israel who instructs his people to “utterly destroy” the inhabitants of Canaan. In all honesty, I have (as well as others) struggled with this idea for some time now. What do we do with the God in the Old Testament who seems to have a chip on his shoulder and the loving peaceful hippy Deity that we see in the New Testament (besides the wrathful tale of Ananias & Sapphira)? Cowles continues his essay by stating that the Old Testament’s message is not of and by itself a Christian message, since it is not Christocentric. He points out the distinction between the old and new covenants, but he extends that boundary to include the text of Jesus telling Peter to put down his sword (somewhere near the end of Luke) as directly countermanding Moses in forbidding the use of violence of any sort. Cowles continues by saying that the will of God could never be attributed to such atrocities as holy war (herem for you Hebrew junkies). The author attempts to resolve this matter by adding that people like Joshua and Moses mistakenly thought that God was authorizing such a gruesome policy.

Cowles has more to say, but I’ll stop boring you. I don’t agree with several of Cowles’ points. But I can see myself in Cowles because he attempts to cover the idea of genocide actually happening by somewhat running away from the problem at hand. I don’t like reading about the Israelites killing men, women, children, and livestock. Really everything that breathes except a few items for the Lord’s treasury like gold and silver. It hurts. It is so difficult to see other human tortured for the sake of God's name. Cowles seems like a pacifist in his writing, which I am finding myself more and more aligned with that idea, especially after taking a class from Lee Camp and reading his book, Mere Discipleship. Deliberately taking another human’s life is definitely prohibited in the life of a Christian. Should a Christian join the military or police force and quiet possibly be in a situation to kill another human being? I don’t know the answer to that question. Who really is our enemy? I think I know the answer to that one though. Is war ever justifiable? I don’t think so, but yet I doubt myself. What are we to do with the eschatological scenes of Revelations which portrays the Prince of Peace as one who “judges and makes war,” who is “dressed in a robe dipped in blood,” and from whose mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations”? I know that many of you have already addressed issues that pertain to your certain faith/belief in regards to war over the past few months, especially surrounding the war in Iraq. I still don’t know the answers and I probably will never attain them, but I know and believe that God desires peace on this earth. Maranatha!

Curse You, Punxsutawney Phil

Sufjan Stevens, The Shins and The Kingdom

Finally used my Barnes&Noble gift card from Christmas today. Coming to me in a couple of days via UPS is a book mentioned by a follower blogger Bill Bean. It's a book published by Intervarsity called Kingdom Come. For the past year the subject of the Kingdom has wetted my appetite. I'm looking forward to reading this once I finish my Canannite Genocide book (no joke). I almost chose Jim Wallis' new release, God's Politics, but that will have to wait.

Along with my single book purchase are two CD's. Yes I don't have an iPod like all you Apple freaks out there, I'm still kicking it with my compact discs baby! One of album is the latest (2003) from a band called The Shins titled, Chutes Too Narrow. I first heard their music from the movie Garden State and have been intrigued by them ever since. The second album is Sufjan Stevens, a singer-songwritter who plans on putting 50 albums out that are all state related. His first was called Michigan which I haven't heard.

Here is a song from his Seven Swans album.
When he took the three disciples
to the mountainside to pray,
His coutenance was modified, his clothing was aflame.
Two men appeared: Moses and Elijah came,
they were at his side.
The prophecy, the legislation spoke of whenever he would die.

Then there came a word
of what he should accomplish on the day.
Then Peter spoke, to make of them a tabernacle place.
A cloud appeared in glory as an accolade.
They fell on the ground.
A voice arrived, the voice of God,
the face of God, covered in a cloud.

What he said to them,
the voice of God: the most beloved son.
Consider what he says to you, consider what's to come.
The prophecy was put to death,
was put to death, and so will the Son.
And keep your word, disguise the vision till the time has come.

Lost in the cloud, a voice. Have no fear! We draw near!
Lost in cloud, a sign. Son of man! Son of God!