girl: whats that?
me: what do you think?
girl: i don't know.
me: it's a bird!
girl: it's a parrot.
why bother asking.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
ugh, rat cage.
“Perhaps a lunatic is simply a minority of one.” – 1984, George Orwell
i have so many thoughts swimming through my head. i just finished reading “the irresistible revolution.”
it’s nice to know i’m not as crazy as it sometimes feels i am. that’s hard to break down. example: i voted third party in the last election. some people’s comments made it seem like i was naïve or didn’t put enough thought into my vote. i’m not crazy.
i am taking two major thoughts away from this book.
1) the vision and drive to help eradicate poverty in other countries, and even in our own, is coming largely from unbelievers. this should not be. but if we don’t cry out, the rocks will, right? and they have been…
2) “Almost every time we talk with affluent folks about God’s will to end poverty, someone says, “But didn’t Jesus say, ‘The poor will always be with you’?” Many of the people who whip out this verse have grown quite insulated and distant from the poor and feel defensive. I usually gently ask, “Where are the poor? Are the poor among us?” The answer is usually a clear negatory…Far from saying in defeat that we should not worry about the poor, since they will always be among us, Jesus is pointing the church to her true identity – she is to live close to those who suffer.”
that’s a big one for me. i hear that objection a lot. and it has always been unsettling. anytime you get worked up about poverty, someone says that! as if that’s an excuse for not weeping for those who suffer. not just donating money or serving dinner to homeless people on thanksgiving, but actually grieving the fact that people live in poverty. are the poor with me? not just out in the world somewhere, but sitting on my front porch or in the pew next to me at church.
it is hard to have passions and dreams that other people explain away, or don’t feel themselves.. it is discouraging to feel hope for change, but not know how to bring it about. this book has definitely helped me process a lot that has been stirring inside me for the past few years. which is too long. when i graduated, i had a super hard time trying to find a job. even though i have one of those magical college degrees. so i began to imagine how hard it must be for people who don't have one...which opened the door to a lot more questions.
and now i can never go back to ignoring poverty, or how it happens. or blaming the people in poverty for not working hard enough.
i don’t feel like saying anything else. i don’t really know what to say. or do. but i’m so glad i go to a church that has the same crazy dreams, and can help me figure it all out.
just read these quotes. believe it or not, i narrowed it down.
Meanwhile, many of us find ourselves estranged from the narrow issues that define conservatives and from the shallow spirituality that marks liberals. We are thirsty for social justice and peace but have a hard time finding a faith community that is consistently pro-life or that recognizes that there are “moral issues” other than homosexuality and abortion, moral issues like war and poverty.
We can admire and worship Jesus without doing what he did. We can applaud what he preached and stood for without caring about the same things. We can adore his cross without taking up ours. I had come to see that the great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor.
If you ask most people what Christians believe, they can tell you, “Christians believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that Jesus rose from the dead.” But if you ask the average person how Christians live, they are struck silent. We have not shown the world another way of doing life.
Sometimes we speak to change the world; other times we speak to keep the world from changing us. We are about ending poverty, not simply managing it. We give people fish. We teach them to fish. We tear down the walls that have been built up around the fish pond. And we figure out who polluted it.
We try to make the world safe, knowing that the world will never be safe as long as millions live in poverty so the few can live as they wish.
It is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer just a missions project but become genuine friends and family with whom we laugh, cry, dream, and struggle.
Once we are actually friends with folks in struggle, we start to ask why people are poor, which is never as popular as giving to charity.
When the church becomes a place of brokerage rather than an organic community, she ceases to be alive. She ceases to be something we are, the living bride of Christ. The church becomes a distribution center, a place where the poor come to get stuff and the rich come to dump stuff. Both go away satisfied (the rich feel good, the poor get clothed and fed), but no one leaves transformed. No radical new community is formed.
As we consider what it means to be “born again,” as the evangelical jargon goes, we must ask what it means to be born again into a family in which our sisters and brothers are starving to death….It also becomes scandalous for the church to spend money on windows and buildings when some family members don’t even have water.
I’m convinced that God did not mess up and make too many people and not enough stuff. Poverty was created not by God but by you and me, because we have not learned to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Look into the eyes of the ones who are hardest for you to like, and see the One you love.
While most activists could use a good dose of gentleness (after all, it is a fruit of the Spirit), I think most believers could use a good dose of holy anger.
…what is crazier: one person owning the same amount of money as the combined economies of twenty-three countries, or suggesting that if we shared, there would be enough for everyone?
Someday war and poverty will be crazy, and we will wonder how the world allowed such things to exist. Some of us have just caught a glimpse of the beauty of the promised land, and it is so dazzling that our eyes are forever fixed on it, never to look back at the way of that old empire again.
i have so many thoughts swimming through my head. i just finished reading “the irresistible revolution.”
it’s nice to know i’m not as crazy as it sometimes feels i am. that’s hard to break down. example: i voted third party in the last election. some people’s comments made it seem like i was naïve or didn’t put enough thought into my vote. i’m not crazy.
i am taking two major thoughts away from this book.
1) the vision and drive to help eradicate poverty in other countries, and even in our own, is coming largely from unbelievers. this should not be. but if we don’t cry out, the rocks will, right? and they have been…
2) “Almost every time we talk with affluent folks about God’s will to end poverty, someone says, “But didn’t Jesus say, ‘The poor will always be with you’?” Many of the people who whip out this verse have grown quite insulated and distant from the poor and feel defensive. I usually gently ask, “Where are the poor? Are the poor among us?” The answer is usually a clear negatory…Far from saying in defeat that we should not worry about the poor, since they will always be among us, Jesus is pointing the church to her true identity – she is to live close to those who suffer.”
that’s a big one for me. i hear that objection a lot. and it has always been unsettling. anytime you get worked up about poverty, someone says that! as if that’s an excuse for not weeping for those who suffer. not just donating money or serving dinner to homeless people on thanksgiving, but actually grieving the fact that people live in poverty. are the poor with me? not just out in the world somewhere, but sitting on my front porch or in the pew next to me at church.
it is hard to have passions and dreams that other people explain away, or don’t feel themselves.. it is discouraging to feel hope for change, but not know how to bring it about. this book has definitely helped me process a lot that has been stirring inside me for the past few years. which is too long. when i graduated, i had a super hard time trying to find a job. even though i have one of those magical college degrees. so i began to imagine how hard it must be for people who don't have one...which opened the door to a lot more questions.
and now i can never go back to ignoring poverty, or how it happens. or blaming the people in poverty for not working hard enough.
i don’t feel like saying anything else. i don’t really know what to say. or do. but i’m so glad i go to a church that has the same crazy dreams, and can help me figure it all out.
just read these quotes. believe it or not, i narrowed it down.
Meanwhile, many of us find ourselves estranged from the narrow issues that define conservatives and from the shallow spirituality that marks liberals. We are thirsty for social justice and peace but have a hard time finding a faith community that is consistently pro-life or that recognizes that there are “moral issues” other than homosexuality and abortion, moral issues like war and poverty.
We can admire and worship Jesus without doing what he did. We can applaud what he preached and stood for without caring about the same things. We can adore his cross without taking up ours. I had come to see that the great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor.
If you ask most people what Christians believe, they can tell you, “Christians believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that Jesus rose from the dead.” But if you ask the average person how Christians live, they are struck silent. We have not shown the world another way of doing life.
Sometimes we speak to change the world; other times we speak to keep the world from changing us. We are about ending poverty, not simply managing it. We give people fish. We teach them to fish. We tear down the walls that have been built up around the fish pond. And we figure out who polluted it.
We try to make the world safe, knowing that the world will never be safe as long as millions live in poverty so the few can live as they wish.
It is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer just a missions project but become genuine friends and family with whom we laugh, cry, dream, and struggle.
Once we are actually friends with folks in struggle, we start to ask why people are poor, which is never as popular as giving to charity.
When the church becomes a place of brokerage rather than an organic community, she ceases to be alive. She ceases to be something we are, the living bride of Christ. The church becomes a distribution center, a place where the poor come to get stuff and the rich come to dump stuff. Both go away satisfied (the rich feel good, the poor get clothed and fed), but no one leaves transformed. No radical new community is formed.
As we consider what it means to be “born again,” as the evangelical jargon goes, we must ask what it means to be born again into a family in which our sisters and brothers are starving to death….It also becomes scandalous for the church to spend money on windows and buildings when some family members don’t even have water.
I’m convinced that God did not mess up and make too many people and not enough stuff. Poverty was created not by God but by you and me, because we have not learned to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Look into the eyes of the ones who are hardest for you to like, and see the One you love.
While most activists could use a good dose of gentleness (after all, it is a fruit of the Spirit), I think most believers could use a good dose of holy anger.
…what is crazier: one person owning the same amount of money as the combined economies of twenty-three countries, or suggesting that if we shared, there would be enough for everyone?
Someday war and poverty will be crazy, and we will wonder how the world allowed such things to exist. Some of us have just caught a glimpse of the beauty of the promised land, and it is so dazzling that our eyes are forever fixed on it, never to look back at the way of that old empire again.
november 7th.
what do you do when one of your best friends gets MARRIED, and you can't go to the wedding?
you feel sad that you can't be there.
you think about how the word "congratulations" is not quite enough to convey what you feel.
you steal a picture of them off of facebook to put on your blog, and don't really care how creeped out you would feel if someone did that with your picture.
you remember how a few months before they started dating, you totally called it. which is more impressive when you remember that you didn't know her name, and he lived in another country at the time.
but mostly...
you thank God for something so wonderful, and rejoice with them from halfway across the country.
and once again request that their first daughter be named allison. or renee. just because.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
b.s.
don't know why this song is in my head today. i've never even seen the movie.
there's one movie coming out i'm excited to see. arrested development.
i thought about that today because a new teacher at our school is from england. and we were talking today (and she is so nice!), and she was talking about england. so i started talking about how i've never been there, but i really love english/british writers. because they're so smart. and funny.
and it reminded me of a few episodes of arrested development. when michael dates a mentally disabled person who has a british accent, he just doesn't notice because of her accent. because it makes her sound smart.
best mocking of stereotypes ever.
there's one movie coming out i'm excited to see. arrested development.
i thought about that today because a new teacher at our school is from england. and we were talking today (and she is so nice!), and she was talking about england. so i started talking about how i've never been there, but i really love english/british writers. because they're so smart. and funny.
and it reminded me of a few episodes of arrested development. when michael dates a mentally disabled person who has a british accent, he just doesn't notice because of her accent. because it makes her sound smart.
best mocking of stereotypes ever.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
october 31, 1517.
it was interesting to read the 95 theses today. because luther didn't want to split from the catholic Church, he just wanted to reform it. so it's clear he still thought the pope was cool. and purgatory. but i ignored that and was encouraged by the Truth.
i enjoyed celebrating reformation day today. it makes me want to study more reformation literature.
by Scripture alone, by faith alone, by grace alone, through Christ alone, glory to God alone!
luther threw down.
from the 95 theses:
37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.
42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.
43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;
44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.
45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.
54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word.
55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons, which are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell, with single processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.
79. To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms, which is set up [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal worth with the Cross of Christ, is blasphemy.
86. Again: — “Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?”
92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Peace, peace,” and there is no peace!
93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Cross, cross,” and there is no cross!
94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell;
95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace.
and "a mighty fortress is our God," a hymn he wrote:
1. A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
2. Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth, his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.
3. And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.
4. That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.
i enjoyed celebrating reformation day today. it makes me want to study more reformation literature.
by Scripture alone, by faith alone, by grace alone, through Christ alone, glory to God alone!
luther threw down.
from the 95 theses:
37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.
42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.
43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;
44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.
45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.
54. Injury is done the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or a longer time is spent on pardons than on this Word.
55. It must be the intention of the pope that if pardons, which are a very small thing, are celebrated with one bell, with single processions and ceremonies, then the Gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.
79. To say that the cross, emblazoned with the papal arms, which is set up [by the preachers of indulgences], is of equal worth with the Cross of Christ, is blasphemy.
86. Again: — “Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?”
92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Peace, peace,” and there is no peace!
93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Cross, cross,” and there is no cross!
94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell;
95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace.
and "a mighty fortress is our God," a hymn he wrote:
1. A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.
2. Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right man on our side,
the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth, his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.
3. And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.
4. That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.
i feel dirty.
i have always been one of those people who will only read one book at a time. it bothers me to read more than one. my mind is invested in whatever i'm reading, so it's hard to invest in more than one.
somehow, i have found myself reading four books at once.
four.
here is how this slippery slope unfolded:
i started reading frankenstein. cool. my one book.
then my neighborhood group started reading a book together, so that's two. but i felt ok about it because i only read a chapter a week, and i'm doing it with other people. it's called "how people change" and it is interesting.
then...
i don't know how or why...
but i started reading a book called "lincoln and douglas: the debates that changed america." i read from every genre, but this is my first history book. i feel like i'm cheating on frankenstein. frankenstein is good, but like all classic literature...i kind of hate it, but i'm sure i will love it when i read the last few pages. i got bored with it, and started reading about lincoln. i have a pile of unread books and it was in the pile. just sitting there.
book four...
i went over to a house. these people have my dream book collection. so many different genres. quality books in each of them. i picked one up and said "were you telling me about this book? someone was." and next thing i know, it was being lent to me.
the irresistible revolution by shane clairborne.
i want to immediately rebel against anything rob bell validates, but it's good. i'm not that far into it, but i understand the thought process so far.
anyway.
i'm a literature whore. i don't know how this happened.
and if you need more material with which to mock my nerd qualities:
today i am attending a reformation day party. there will be a powerpoint presentation about church history, and then a viewing of the movie "luther." and at some point today i'm going to read the 95 theses. for fun. and because it's the anniversary of when he posted them.
happy reformation day!
somehow, i have found myself reading four books at once.
four.
here is how this slippery slope unfolded:
i started reading frankenstein. cool. my one book.
then my neighborhood group started reading a book together, so that's two. but i felt ok about it because i only read a chapter a week, and i'm doing it with other people. it's called "how people change" and it is interesting.
then...
i don't know how or why...
but i started reading a book called "lincoln and douglas: the debates that changed america." i read from every genre, but this is my first history book. i feel like i'm cheating on frankenstein. frankenstein is good, but like all classic literature...i kind of hate it, but i'm sure i will love it when i read the last few pages. i got bored with it, and started reading about lincoln. i have a pile of unread books and it was in the pile. just sitting there.
book four...
i went over to a house. these people have my dream book collection. so many different genres. quality books in each of them. i picked one up and said "were you telling me about this book? someone was." and next thing i know, it was being lent to me.
the irresistible revolution by shane clairborne.
i want to immediately rebel against anything rob bell validates, but it's good. i'm not that far into it, but i understand the thought process so far.
anyway.
i'm a literature whore. i don't know how this happened.
and if you need more material with which to mock my nerd qualities:
today i am attending a reformation day party. there will be a powerpoint presentation about church history, and then a viewing of the movie "luther." and at some point today i'm going to read the 95 theses. for fun. and because it's the anniversary of when he posted them.
happy reformation day!
Friday, October 30, 2009
buzz.
today at work we trick-or-treated across the street at a fire/police station. it was as cute as it sounds. 100 or so kids crossing the street in their costumes, getting candy from friendly firemen, and taking pictures with fire trucks.
the costumes included:
ladybugs
lions
bees
monkeys
princesses
fairies
cheerleaders
a candy corn witch
cats
pumpkins
elmo
dinosaurs
turtle
batman
superman
so cute. kind of cliche, but definitely cute.
best moment of the day:
after the fire station visit, we crossed through the parking lot of an office building to get to a nursing home. while passing through the lot, there were 3 adult pirates. taking a smoke break. while 100 children passed.
that happened.
other cuteness:
i saw a kid in another class taking a nap in his superman costume. cape and all. the man of steel all tuckered out.
batman was in my class last year. he was walking in front of me in the costume parade, and kept looking back over his shoulder to wave at me.
but no one
no one
no one
is as cute or cool as this little girl. my niece is a flower this year.
the costumes included:
ladybugs
lions
bees
monkeys
princesses
fairies
cheerleaders
a candy corn witch
cats
pumpkins
elmo
dinosaurs
turtle
batman
superman
so cute. kind of cliche, but definitely cute.
best moment of the day:
after the fire station visit, we crossed through the parking lot of an office building to get to a nursing home. while passing through the lot, there were 3 adult pirates. taking a smoke break. while 100 children passed.
that happened.
other cuteness:
i saw a kid in another class taking a nap in his superman costume. cape and all. the man of steel all tuckered out.
batman was in my class last year. he was walking in front of me in the costume parade, and kept looking back over his shoulder to wave at me.
but no one
no one
no one
is as cute or cool as this little girl. my niece is a flower this year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
