Some rules

We're incredibly talented at getting everything wrong.



I saw a copy of this statue in Moscow a few years ago. I genuinely thought that it had been mislabeled - because I couldn't think of any story in the Bible where Moses grew horns.

When the Bible was first translated into Latin this was one of the linguistic mistakes. When Moses came down off the mountain his face shone with a beam of light ... but it was originally translated that his face had a large horn on it.

Hundreds of years after the mis-translation this beautiful statue was painstakingly carved by a great master. But, it's wrong.

The Jews genuinely believed that they had the whole "Messiah thing" figured out. They thought they knew when he would come, how he would come, what he would look like, and what he would do. They were wrong. When the Messiah came he was backwards of everything they expected. He never had great wealth, he never commanded an army - their Messiah was a homeless teacher/carpenter. They had all these strongly held beliefs, but they were wrong.

I see millions of Christians with very strong opinions. Some Christians believe that it is okay to kill abortion doctors to stop abortion because abortion is murder. Some Christians believe that immigration is a social justice issue and that we should support all immigrants, legal and illegal. Christians on one side of an issue believe very passionately that God hates ___________________ and Christians on the other side of the issue believe very passionately that God supports _________________. Of course both sides manage to pluck a few words from the Bible to tell us all how God feels.

The more I study the Bible the more I realize that I don't really know how God feels about many things - and neither does anyone else. And that's okay.

Here are a few things that I think Christians should think about before declaring how God feels about a topic:

1. How important is this issue in the long run? I know it's important to Fox News and CNN, but how important is it to Jesus and His bride? Is it as important as 30,000 children dying every day? Does a wrong answer to this question send people to Hell? Did Jesus spend any time talking about it? How important is this issue?

2. Does the whole cannon of scripture back up my strongly held belief? Yes, I know what First Hesitations 2:19 says ... , but if that stands in contrast to the life and ministry of Jesus, are you really willing to bet all your chips on this belief? Would you have found the Bible verse that supports your cause on your own? Do you only know it exists in the Bible because of propaganda material you have read that supports your strongly held belief? Is it only mentioned once? In passing? By someone other than Jesus? In a long list that we otherwise disregard? If this issue is really important in the long run I believe that it would be a recurring theme in the Bible.

3. Is there a third way? Solomon charged the women to saw the baby in half, knowing that the mother would want her child to live no matter what. Solomon had two options - mother 1 or mother 2 - but he chose the third way. Do we really believe that the God of this universe will only pick from the two options we clearly see and that God couldn't find a third way? Really? Before we declare that God loves black and hates white or loves white and hates black - let's step back and realize that perhaps God's solution is bigger than we might realize.

4. Are we interpreting the Bible passages correctly to arrive at our strongly held belief? (Hint - if your strongly held belief is based on something in Revelation you should probably tone down your rhetoric a bit!) Are we reading Paul like a new Christian in Corinth or are we reading him like an American sitting inside our air-conditioned den? Leave room for grace in instances where our reading might be mistaken.

5. Does my strongly held belief leave room for the Grace of God in case I'm wrong? When you get to the Pearly Gates will God chuckle amusedly that you really thought ________________________? Or will God grieve that thousands of people are in Hell because you falsely taught ____________________________?

I hope these rules and guidelines help everyone understand where I come from when I write about socio-political topics. I hope these are useful for everyone else, as well.

Rhubarb

It's a good day.

I bought rhubarb in the marketplace this morning. I didn't need rhubarb, it was an impulse buy. Like twinkies, ho-hos, or Taco Bell. But who impulse buys rhubarb. I'm not even sure I remember what rhubarb pie tastes like. I think I've only had it once.

Betty made rhubarb pie. When we were young we would go to Betty's house and have tea and cookies while my mom talked with Betty and Althea. We were always treated like grown-ups - just miniature. I drank coffee like Bill. Bill & Betty were always simply ancient. While I know now that they were about the same age as my grandparents - Bill & Betty always seemed so much older.

Bill had served in the war, the second great one. He had a fun story of how he got drafted. I don't remember it well, but basically - he had an old truck that he was driving even though he was too young to drive on the roads. A cop pulled him over for not having a taillight and found that the driver was unlicensed. He told Bill that he could pay a fine of $400, go to prison for a week, or (if he was really as old as he said!)join the service. Bill had never seen $400 and he had seen the outside of a prison and didn't want to see the inside ... so he chose to join the service.

After tea and cookies we would all go for a long walk. I only loved the walks when we would stroll through the woods behind their house. With them, in those woods, I saw a tranquilized bear, deer, and large fields of blueberry bushes. In season we would pick for hours. My mother always seemed to pick thousands more than my sister and I could. Even Betty's arthritic hands managed to pick faster than us.

So maybe tomorrow I'll work on a rhubarb pie. We'll see.

Lead on, Dr. Height.

“I just keep feeling that social justice is not some kind of utopia, I think it’s a positive reality, and we have to work at it,” - Dorothy Irene Height 1912-2010

Maybe you've never heard of Dr. Dorothy Height. But you should have. She has been awarded 36 honorary Doctorates, she was the only female on the platform while Dr. Martin Luther King gave his I Have A Dream speech, she was proudly on the platform at the inauguration of Barack Obama and she has led more civic organizations than I could recount.

She was a United Methodist of strong faith and character. She fought for the rights of the underprivileged regardless of the opposition. She was friends with Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune even though she was decades younger than them. She has mentored dozens of women who hold prominent positions in government and civic life.

Her book, Open Wide the Freedom Gates, shares her story of fighting for equal rights. Although her death hasn't quite made national headlines, (Newsweek has a wonderful tribute and UMC.org had a great write up, though!)it should have. Her life has irrevocably changed history - her vision has brought elements of social justice to wide swaths of the population who had never known it before.

May her life be an example to all those who wish to follow the risen Christ.

Elizabeth Warren for Supreme Court

I think that Elizabeth Warren would make an excellent Supreme Court Justice.

Here is an article from Newsweek advocating her strengths.

I've been a big fan of Mrs. Warren for a number of years. Before the housing market bubble burst, she was a strong advocate for change. I read an article where she stated that if mortgages and credit cards had the same level of regulations that toasters merit we would be able to avoid impending doom. We didn't fix the system and the doom came full force.

She's a strong advocate for the middle class and poor and used to be a Sunday School teacher. She says she is inspired by John Wesley.

She fits my criteria. She fits President Obama's criteria.

I hope she's the pick!

Process

I'm working on a future sermon for Pilgrims.

It will be based on Romans 5:1-5:

"1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

I think this passage sums up my frustration with a lot of Paul's writing - what he says is good and valuable - but it's so wordy and text dense. I think this would get a C- in a Professor Thomas class. He says so much in each passage and never fully extrapolates any discernible theme. While he makes intriguing points, his work is entirely didactic and lacks a strong sense of catharsis. See - that analysis would have received at least an A- from Ms. Thomas.

I feel that I could spend 30 strong minutes unpacking this package for the students and that their lives really wouldn't profit much from it. I simply don't identify with Paul's writing because it lacks a narrative arc. Instead of the beautiful parables and stories of Jesus I read in the gospels, I hear the teacher from Peanuts when I read Paul's books. Waa, waa, waa, waa, waa.

And this passage is beautiful. It's beautifully intricate and succinctly teaches the process of Christian maturity. It just doesn't reach me in the same way that a story would.

So I'm struggling with how to present it.

I think I'm going to make giant posters with all of the different stages of spiritual growth and put them up around the worship space - maybe I could stand in front of each of them and share a story or two to give some examples.

I'll probably focus on the ideas of suffering, perseverance, and hope more than the other themes - primarily because I feel that these thematic elements are lacking in the personal theologies of some of the students(and like any good teacher, I'm teaching to the test!).

I'll probably talk about my weight loss (75 lbs in 3 years is slow and steady progress - but I'm clearly still on the journey so it works well) and show before and after pictures.

I'm just stuck - this isn't the type of passage that would stop me in my tracks - and need to buckle down and get some ideas flowing.

Any thoughts?

Empire

Several weeks ago I wrote a blog post about the idea of Kingdom. I've been thinking more and more about this topic and reading more. A quick semantic change is in order - I liked the word Kingdom, because Jesus spoke about a new Kingdom - and I like the idea of the one true Kingdom replacing the old kingdom. But, many theologians use the word Empire and perhaps this is a better fit. It's less confusing than having two "kingdoms" and not every empire is a monarchy and therefore not a kingdom.

So, let's focus on Empire for a while.

If you wish to see an emaciated, neutered "church," look no further than a faith and the faithful who side with big business over the little guy, the strong over the weak and the rich over the poor. Find a congregation which proudly hangs their countries flag alongside the Christian flag - with no regard to the thousands of men, women, and children killed by their military each year. Find a building that gets filled on Sundays but sits empty during the week while the homeless sleep outside. In short - look for a church that sees no problem with Empire and you will see a church that has little to do with Christ and his Kingdom.

The problem of Empire is systemic. It surrounds all of us in our daily lives. For a quick example - think about the food that you eat every day.

I don't eat many highly-processed foods any more. Most of my diet is one or two steps away from the farm. This is less a socio-conscious choice and more a reality of living in a different part of the world. In the last two weeks I have had some peanut butter and cinnamon toast crunch my parents mailed to me, McDonald's hamburgers and fries, a bottle of Sprite, and some packaged crab. Beyond these indulgences, everything I have consumed has been preservative free. I can pronounce everything that goes into my body - and that's a wonderful feeling.

In America our tax money goes to subsidies certain crops - corn is an excellent example. Corn is made less expensive so that it can be grown more profitably by more large scale farms. However, most Americans don't eat corn in a significantly higher quantity than any other vegetable. We consume corn byproducts. Corn-syrup is in everything. It's a highly processed sickeningly sweet chemical byproduct of corn and we ingest it daily and give it to our children like candy. No, really, like candy which is usually sweetened using corn syrup. How many foods have you eaten in the last week which weren't produced by a large-scale operation? If you wanted to eat preservative free - would it even be possible? I don't think so - not unless you were quite wealthy.

Ahh, the wealthy. Another nice side effect of Empire. Our economic policy relies on a system which rewards greed. Those who are best at the sin of greed make the most money and Christians don't seem to be fairing too badly at this game. I don't feel that it is necessarily a bad thing for a Christian to be wealthy - I just think we shouldn't try so hard to be wealthy. In pursuit of Empire, we sometimes forget the Kingdom. Our time, energy, and talents go into building up a temporary empire and not into the eternal Kingdom. This is a shame.

The Kingdom of God is like kudzu. If you've never lived in the south, you don't know the ever-present reality of kudzu. It is a plant that is literally unstoppable. It starts off as such a small little plant - it even has a pretty purple flower - but don't be fooled. Kudzu has a bite. It grows, and grows, and grows. It can tear through concrete and wrap it's spindly arms around the inner-workings of your car and cause so much damage. It overgrows everything within a short amount of time.

The Kingdom of God will prevail over Empire. This is a fact - not a prediction, a question, or a guesstimate. There is only one prevalent question. When the Kingdom of God has triumphed over Empire - which side will you have fought for?

Today, life in L'viv might get interesting. There is a large protest against the President scheduled for the main square - these are the same people who ushered in the Orange Revolution - and it might get a little crazy. Later in the day a ragtag bunch of misfits who comprise the tiny United Methodist Church in L'viv will stand in the streets passing out free flowers, toys, and hugs. Which of these two actions is a true protest?

Imagine a world without Empire.

Sermon # 2

[[P.S. I'm functionally off-line for the week. No e-mails or surfing the web ... but I decided to allow myself to publish to my blog because it is my creative outlet and the whole reason I wanted to get away from the internet was because I wasn't being productive enough - so, in summary, I'm offline but on my blog.]]

Last Thursdays sermon went extremely well. I re-worked it a little from what I posted. I went into more detail about how my brother-in-law had to rebuild the engine piece by piece over many months and that it wasn't a quick fix. I think it added a layer of complexity to the sermon that was needed.

The drama team did an excellent job and were definitely better than the actors in the youtube clip. They made it very fun and very Ukrainian by changing all the situations.

After the service there was a great response and a number of people came forward for prayer - one girl even dedicated her life to Christ which was a huge blessing to my life.

I'm preaching again May 6th for Pilgims - the interconfessional worship service at Youth to Jesus. Here's my sermon as it stands right now.

John 13:31-35 (New International Version)
31When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. 32If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

I’ve left a lot of places. I’ve said goodbye more times than I wish to remember.

Sometimes goodbyes are a lot of fun. A going away party is a wonderful celebration with friends and family before going to University or before leaving on a big trip.

Sometimes goodbyes are really painful and sad. I left the United States almost exactly a year ago – when I left I didn’t know how long I would be gone, or where all I would be going while I was gone. My grandmother is in her 80s and has been sick for quite some time. When I said goodbye to her before I left, it was one of the saddest things I have ever done.

Sometimes goodbyes are confusing. Our scripture today shares in one of those times. Jesus gathers his disciples together for a “going away party” in the upper room. Before they eat the meal, Jesus stood up from the table and wrapped a towel around his waist. Acting as the lowliest servant, he began to wash the feet of his twelve students. And, if this wasn’t confusing enough - during the meal he lifts the food and drink and explains that the bread is his body and that the wine is his blood.

And then, after all of these confusing acts, Jesus begins his goodbye speech. Which ends up being – you guessed it – confusing. Jesus explains that he is going away for a little while. He tells these men that they can’t come with him. Jesus tries to explain, in the best way – that He will die, but that this will not be a sad event. At the conclusion of this speech, Jesus gives the disciples a new commandment.

After all the things that were difficult for the disciples to understand, Jesus gives them a commandment that is simple enough for little children to grasp it and complex enough that 2000 years later we are still struggling to live it out.

Love one another. ----- As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

By this all men will know that you are my disciples.


I can’t walk around Ukraine without getting white marks on my coat. Everywhere I go, people are brushing white paint off of me. I try really hard to not brush up against walls – but it always seems that I have white markings on my coat.

People know that I have bumped into a wall by the marks on my coat. There is visible proof that I’m a clumsy American and can’t avoid walls here.

When we “brush up against Jesus” – how do people around us know that this has happened? Do they know we are Christians by our church membership record? By our attendance at events? By our position on the leadership team?

No! They know we are Christians by our love. Our love for one another and the world is like the white mark on my coat. It shows to the world that something has happened – that we have brushed up against Jesus and that we are changed.

The first century church wasn’t perfect – it had its faults – but their love for one another is something we can learn from them. As people began to follow Jesus, their lives were changed. These communities of people loved God and loved each other. They sold all they had and gave to the poor. They shared meals together and helped each other in daily life. When sickness came into the cities and the pagans around them began to head for the hills to keep from getting sick – the Christians stayed behind to take care of the sick. While most people ran and hid out of fear – the Christians remained and served out of love.

They will know we are Christians by our love.

While I was in University, I worked with a wonderful church in Georgia filled with wonderful Christians. My friends from church had wonderful southern names – unique to the region; names like Trey, Kip, Flay, Mignon, and a host of other really enjoyable names. One day I was traveling with one of the pastors to hear him speak to a group in a different church. He began to tell a story about someone in our church.

“I know this man named Kip … Michael, you know him.”

I shook my head in agreement – I certainly knew Kip. He was one of the leaders of the church, he really cared about the youth and young adults, and he drove a little VW bug even though he was a full grown man.

My pastor continued the story, “Kip was the meanest man you’d have ever met.”

I immediately interrupted Pastor Joe to let him know that I had misspoken – I didn’t know the Kip he was talking about. I must have know the other Kip, because the Kip I knew was a nice man, a family man, an excellent business leader, and a great Christian.

The Pastor looked at me and said, “Yes, you do. That’s the point of the story. Kip was the meanest man you’d have ever met – but then he met Jesus, and today he is a loving Christian.

They will know we are Christians by our love.

A few weeks ago I was out walking and I saw an old man getting picked on by a group of drunk men. They were poking him and laughing at him and being very mean. It was really an awful sight.

I had the privilege of watching one of our students, who will remain nameless, gently sit down next to the old man and ask him if he was okay and if he needed help. This friend told the men to stop doing what they were doing and stood up for this old, drunk, stranger.


They will know we are Christians by our love.

Look at the examples from history of great Christians – Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Оmelyan Kovch, John Wesley, or anyone else who is known primarily for their devotion to Christ. Think about their lives and try to think of one word to sum it up. I guarantee that any man, woman, or child who is renowned for their faith will have a life best summed up by the word LOVE. The love of an old woman as she holds dying babies, the love of a Pastor who was willing to sacrifice even his own life so his people could be free, the love of a Greek-Catholic priest who was willing to die to protect the week and vulnerable from the powerful, the love of a leader who believed that the message of Jesus Christ wasn’t just for the wealthy gentlemen – but that Jesus Christ was for all.

Love, love, love, love.

They will know we are Christians by our love.

------


The love of Jesus changes our hearts – our love for one another changes the world.

Within this room, there is the talent, the commitment, the knowledge, the power, and the LOVE to change the world.

We love each other by serving each other. We change hearts, minds, and attitudes – not by arguing for the validity of our beliefs, but by serving others. We change the world by serving people.

Day by day, moment by moment, action by action we are building the future. We are either building into the status quo – doing the normal thing that everyone else is doing – or we are working to change the world.

We’re either working for ourselves or working for God. We are either serving ourselves or we are serving the living Christ through serving others. There are only two options.

The Bible paints a picture of what the world will look like some day. I believe that this is the direction we should be headed – that we should work toward this goal.

Revelation 21:1-5 (New International Version)


1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

This is the vision. This is where we are heading.

We make this a reality by following God, by listening to God’s spirit, and by serving others.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.” And he will use us to do it.

They will know we are Christians by our love. Are you ready?

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon

I'm preaching at Pilgrims - the interconfessional worship service for Youth to Jesus students - next Thursday. Here is my sermon. Please keep me in your prayers as this will be my first long-ish sermon with translation.

John 21:1-19 (New International Version)

1Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias.[a] It happened this way: 2Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3"I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"
"No," they answered.
6He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[b] 9When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."
11Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.12Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.13Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
Jesus Reinstates Peter
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

 
Sometimes in life we don’t know what we should do next. Maybe we have finished university and we’re wondering what is next. Perhaps we are unemployed and there aren’t a lot of jobs open at the moment. Sometimes we just don’t know what our next step in life should be. We have a “what’s next” moment.

The disciples found themselves in just such a situation. Three years ago they left behind their families, friends, and careers to follow a wandering teacher named Jesus. For 3 years they followed him around and learned from him. They asked questions, they listened as wise scholars asked questions, and they watched as Jesus interacted with people.

Jesus didn’t pick favorites. He spent time with everyone. He talked with wealthy, corrupt politicians and he talked with homeless cripples as though he really believed that all people were equal. He healed people from all walks of life and performed many miracles. He turned water into wine and he turned the dead into the living.

The disciples listened as he preached, told stories, and confused the religious elite. They watched as he broke the rules and interacted with people who deserved to be left alone – children, women, ethnic minorities, and the unclean.

They sat confused as he explained that he would be betrayed and killed on a cross.

They betrayed as the guards came for Jesus.

They ran and hid as Jesus of Nazareth, their teacher, was hung on a cross to die.

They shut out the light while they mourned the death of their great leader.

They didn’t believe when the women came with the good news; “He is risen!”

They rejoiced when they saw Jesus the Christ alive from the dead again!


And after this whirlwind of emotion – they … didn’t … really know WHAT to do. They stuck together. They probably spent days talking about the recent events.
“Did you see the scars in his hands and side?” “Can you believe it really happened RIGHT in front of OUR eyes?” But, as time dragged on – they weren’t sure what to do next.

So Peter, always the leader, makes the first move. He decides to go back to his career as a fisherman.

It’s like the emotion on a Monday after a great weekend. Wow! That was great. Now it’s time for work again.  The other disciples decide to join him.

The disciples have a “what’s next moment.” All this amazing stuff has happened in their lives … now what? What do they do now that the mountain top experience is over.

Sometimes in our Christian lives we find ourselves in this situation.

I met Jesus at summer camp when I was 11 years old. I had never been camping before, and I was excited to finally be old enough to go to the same Christian camp my sister had always gone to. I had so much fun at camp. I got to meet new people, breathe fresh air, and spend time with friends. But on Thursday night a woman got up to speak about the Christian faith. I hung on her every word as she told the story of Jesus. I could feel the tug on my heart as she explained that each person needed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I knew I had experienced God’s love through the people around me and that I wanted to give my heart to Jesus. I went forward and prayed at the altar and decided to give my heart to God and become a follower of Jesus Christ.

I had an amazing experiences – we call them “mountaintop experiences” – where I was lifted up so much that I thought I could fly. And then I got home from camp and I just thought, “What next?”

What do I DO with my Christian faith?

…


My brother-in-law has a big Jeep. He and my sister love to go “mudding.” They drive his Jeep around after big rainstorms with the intent of getting everything as muddy as possible. One spring, not too long ago, Mike and Rebecca went mudding after a huge rainstorm. They went up one hill and then down another. They splashed through puddles and got Mike’s Jeep incredibly muddy. Then Mike saw a huge mud puddle. So – he decided to drive right through it.

Show picture.

Mike got stuck – and his engine flooded with mud. Of course the engine would need to be completely re-built. But, what do you think was his first reaction after the engine came to a grinding hault? He turned the key to see if it would turn back on. After this huge event – like all of us – he tried to go back to normal.

After I became a Christian I tried to turn the key in the ignition. I tried to see if I could live my life exactly like I had been living it before; Same friends, same habits, same thoughts – but somehow Christian because of the decision I had made.

My life was about as successful as my brother-in-law trying to turn the key after getting in the mud puddle.

It didn’t work.

It won’t work.

It will never work.

The disciples had the same idea when they had their “what’s next moment.” After all that had happened - the death, resurrection, and sightings of Jesus – their reaction was to go back to life and try to live exactly the same way. They tried to make all of the decisions on their own. After 3 years of following Jesus – 3 years of having Jesus sit in the control seat – they decided it was their turn.

Jesus met them on the beach for breakfast that morning with a hard question?

Who is in control of your life? Who sits in the chair and makes all the decisions?



The Youth to Jesus drama team will perform this skit - in Ukrainian of course.


This story continues with Jesus talking to Peter. While most of the disciples ran and hid when Jesus was crucified – Peter went to the extreme.
Peter betrayed more than anyone else. Although he had promised Jesus that he would never betray Him; Peter found himself in the unenviable position of betraying Jesus – out loud, to a number of people, using foul language – not once, but three times. While Peter desperately wanted to give Jesus the chair – he just couldn’t let it go. He was willing to go to any length to get it back.

So, in today’s scripture we see Jesus talking with Peter. Not scolding him for his failure. Not talking AT him for his mistakes. But talking with Peter.

While sharing a meal with Peter, Jesus asks him “Do you love me?”
Peter sees his chance at redemption and answers,” Yes! Yes!” He was willing to follow Jesus – that he loved Jesus.
Then Jesus did it again. And a third time.

Jesus offered Peter three chances for redemption – Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to make up for each time that he had betrayed his Lord.
And while Peter was finding forgiveness for his betrayals – God was giving Peter a calling for his life.

Feed my sheep. Work with my followers, teach them my ways, preach the good news to them, show them how to live out the faith. Feed my sheep.
When we give God control of our lives – the “what’s next” question is a lot easier. Feed my sheep! “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and surely I am with you always – even to the ends of the earth.” (Matthew 28)

Jesus had told these men that they would no longer be catching fish, but that they would be fishers of men.

There’s an interesting hidden meaning in part of this passage. The fishermen, after following Jesus’ directions, pull in a catch too large to fit inside the boat. Large enough that it should have broken the nets – but it didn’t. 153 fish exactly. Now, it’s more than a little strange to write an exact number of fish caught, don’t you think? Unless that number means something. And it does. 153 is the exact number of known nations at the time of this event.

You will be fisher’s of men … go and make disciples of all nations …
And they did.

Following their “what’s next” moment, the disciples gave Jesus the chair and took up the call to be fisher’s of men for all nations – and 10 out of the 11 faithful disciples ended up giving their lives in this calling.

Jesus is ready to sit in the chair in your life; He has a plan for your life to send you out to go and make disciples – in this student center, in L’viv, and maybe in the furthest corners of the world – but Jesus will not force his plan on you. You have to be willing to give him the chair.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

The 400 Fund

I grew up in a church with more than 100 years of history. Close to 150 years ago, Methodists in a neighboring town saw the need for a Methodist presence in the tiny village of Kane, PA. They sent resources, people, and even a pastor to the emerging community to ensure that the residents could know and grow closer to God. I realize that it is because of those men and women who lived in the 1860s that I call myself a United Methodist, and that ultimately I am a Christian.

The church in which I currently worship will celebrate it's 6 month anniversary in summer 2010. I work with a United Methodist student ministry in L'viv, Ukraine and in January of this year the long-time goal of planting a multi-generational church finally became a reality. Our average worship, 3 months after the first service was held, is 12 people. There is plenty of room for growth - like the tortoise says, "slow and steady wins the race."

This church represents to me, exactly what The 400 Fund is all about. The 400 fund is an attempt to fund the planting of 400 new United Methodist Congregations in 4 years outside of the United States.

A few months ago, at a time in my life when I was living on a very small cost of living stipend, I made a goal of giving $1 to each of these 400 churches. I was inspired by Mary Watson, a Georgia business woman who gave $1,000 for each of the new churches. At the time, $400 was more than half of my monthly stipend, but I came to the realization that for the thousands of people around the world who would become Christians through the planting of United Methodist churches my small gift could be life changing. I was thrilled when I met my goal and sent in my check.

I'm challenging you to support The 400 Fund. Set a personal goal, encourage your children to set a goal(one dime for each church is $40 - about what your child might pay for a new video game) get your Sunday School class involved, make an announcment at church, have a yard sale, do a fundraiser, or do whatever God puts on your heart. In 4 years we can plant 400 new congregations - and with that momentum, who knows how many we can plant in the years after. United Methodist can drop a check in their weekly offering plate made out to their home church with "Advance#400400" on the memo line or anyone can give on-line at GBGM's secure site for The Advance.

He is Risen Indeed!

What Makes an Eagle Fly...Steven Joyce's Boy Scout Eagle Project

Center Avenue United Methodist Church sits on top of a hill in Pitcairn, Pa. It was established in 1892, and from the outside you can tell it once ministered to a large and vibrant community. Over the years, the community of Pitcairn has fallen on difficult times causing the church the church to struggle as well. While the church remains a beacon of hope the community, growth of the church family and community outreach has been a challenge. One solution to this challenge may just have come from a direction not anticipated.

This boost may have come from a teenager who did not listen to those who had low expectations of him; those who tried to tell him he was not able to do things that other kids could do. This teenager had chosen to listen to those who believed in him more than he believed in himself. He chose to listen to Sunday school teachers and pastors who taught him about Jesus and Jesus’ call on each of us to live our faith in our daily lives. This teenager listened to the Plum High School Cross Country Seniors and alumni who expected him to succeed and took a risk and believed in him when others were not so sure. He listened to the scout leaders who taught him skills. He listened to all those voices that believed in him.

Steven Joyce is this teenager and his choice of listening was vitally important because Steven happens to be Autistic. To many people, that label alone would indicate huge limitations. To most people, it would mean he could not be someone who at age 15 could undertake a Boy Scout Eagle project bringing the strength of several churches, 30 volunteers, and almost $1000 to create a new nursery at Center United Methodist Church. Steven hopes this nursery will be one of the seeds to help the church’s ministry and outreach to the community to grow.

Steven and his family are members of the Monroeville United Methodist Church and while members, they met the Bloise family who among others believed in Steven. Cyndi and Frank were two of his Sunday School teachers and their daughters treated him as a dear friend. Cyndi went to seminary, became a pastor, served as Associate Pastor at Steven’s church for six years, and now is pastor of that church on the hill in Pitcairn.

When it came time to pick an Eagle Scout project, Steven knew exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to do something for Cyndi’s church because he said she had believed in him, and as a future Eagle Scout it was his turn to believe in her and her church. He chose the nursery project because he likes little kids and wants them to grow up strong and healthy. Steven believes the way to do grow up strong and healthy is to be at church and being there often begins in the church nursery.

Steven did not know Autistic kids weren’t supposed to be leaders; he did not know that sometimes big churches don’t help smaller churches; he did not know that believing in others wasn’t enough; he did not know his hugs were infectious and would get others motivated. Steven just moved ahead, motivated by his love and his vision, and the bigger church helped in a big way. Steven had as many volunteers as needed and when he needed funds, they materialized. His scout troop, his cross country team, his teachers, his friends and his community were there. As people look at the beautiful, clean nursery, the lesson is not the project itself but rather how God works through us as a connected body, that every small contribution adds up to make a difference of the larger project, and how God does amazing things using unexpected and ordinary people.

What makes an Eagle fly? This Eagle flew with the lift of those who took a risk and believed in him with the bright light of faith as their guide. Steven’s journey to and through his Eagle Project, shows how an honest faith and belief in others can make a big difference in people’s lives.

 

I get dressed up so rarely ... and I think that I look very nice in this picture ... so I decided to post it on here.

The faithful few who stay behind

This is a photograph from The Big Picture's Easter Photo Section (thanks Meredith). The caption reads, "A dog sits in the place where his owner died in an earthquake in Saint Gregorio village near L'Aquila on easter Sunday, April 12, 2009. (REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi)"

To add to the long list of unflattering comparisons we use to describe followers of Jesus (because, really ... sheep?!? Who wants to be a sheep?) I would like to add that we should be like dogs.

This dog shows loyalty to a degree I don't fully know.

The women who went to the tomb showed loyalty to Jesus.

On this day we wait in silence by the tomb.

Kingdom

Jesus spoke out against "Kingdom." Kingdom is a power structure that oppresses the people. The invading Roman army which levied taxes against the Jews was Kingdom. The Jewish Pharisees that made up rules to visibly prove their faithfulness, yet kept crooked hearts hidden internally, belonged to Kingdom.

And "Kingdom" still exists. In companies that choose profits over people every time. In churches that "revere the big Bible on the table but ignore the broken woman in the pew" and in Christians who "polish the brass cross but push aside the confused teenager." (derived from a quote from Rev. Bill Beatty.) Kingdom lives in governments that could end the world with a push of a button, in politicians that disregard human life in any of it's many forms, and in citizens who value their founding documents over the words of Jesus.

Systems that give intrinsic value to people based on their birth right and not on their potential.

White is better than black ... Kingdom.

American is better than Chinese ... Kingdom.

Straight is better than gay ... Kingdom.

Male is better than female ... Kingdom.

Rich is better than poor ... Kingdom.

It surrounds and envelopes us. It overwhelms us and pre-conditions our theology, politics, and thoughts.




I believe that Christians should stand firmly opposed to Kingdom.



There are a few moments in history, as recorded in the Bible, when God looks down on the people and in this God-only mix of frustration, sympathy, love, and anger God says, "You're doing it wrong. Start over, and try it my way this time."

As the people tore their garments and rolled in ash to show their sorrow, God said, "

"Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."
Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
Joel 2:12-13

And as the people fast to show their religiousity, they question God for not doing as they command. The people show up to talk to God with earplugs firmly in place.

3 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.

4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.

5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD ?

6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
Isaiah 58:3-10

I have to believe that these words are more than just words. I have to believe that these are actual directives about the way in which we should conduct our lives.

to loose the chains of injustice...

to share your food with the hungry...

to provide shelter to the poor wanderer...

I have to believe that these are real things - things that I should be doing and things that I should be teaching others to do as well.

These actions destroy Kingdom...

And pave the way for the Kingdom of God.

And as I look at the words, actions, and life of Jesus of Nazareth and compare them to the current actions of His church; I really can't imagine him giving any other message.

"You're doing it wrong. Start over, and try it my way this time."

I don't like when things are labeled incorrectly.

I don't think a "Revival" should ever be labeled until after it has occurred. It drives me nuts when I see churches advertising a revival service the week before it happens. "I mean, we booked the Holy Spirit 3 months ago ..."

I was reading Cross Cultural Servanthood by Duane Elmer in it he writes that too many Christians label themselves "servant leaders." He strongly recommends that Christians don't use the label "servant" until the people around them begin using that term when speaking about them. I thought that was an interesting point.

Something else to drive me nuts. Great.

Sorry everyone - I'm working on 4 sermons for worship at the student center this week. I'm not actually a theology kind of person - and writing sermons basically taxes my theological thoughts to the max. Maybe when they're finished I'll post an outline.

Maybe.

I'm sitting in the student center going through a GIANT box of English language curriculum while listening to folk music and chatting with students. Why are all folk songs longer than 5 minutes? Is that normal?

"I wash my hands of this ... "

Pilate had always been in control.

Calm.
Cool.
Collected.

Everything the world says we should be. A perfect example of everything the business books tell us we should strive to become.

Then the "incident" occurs. The religious snobs he overseas come knocking on his door. They can't come in, of course, because another one of their religious holidays prevents them from entering the praetorium lest they be unclean for their holy day.

Even to a non-religious Roman official their request seems a little strange. They can't enter a building lest they become unclean, but they can come to call for the murder of a rival and not be sullied by THAT. Like a mafia family praying and crossing themselves before the meal when they decide who's going to axe Big Guido from across the river. Pilate hears them out and offers a political sidestep. They step back, and soon the group is foxtrotting together. When the Jewish leaders let it slide that this Jesus fellow is claiming to be God, Pilate knows he has to take action. He has plan A and a plan B waiting in the wings.

And then he meets this Jesus of Nazareth and his footing shows to be a little weak. He really didn't see any fault in Jesus, but he couldn't let the people think that they could challenge Caesar as the one true God. Suddenly Pilate found himself unsure, emotive, and wishing to pardon this humble carpenter turned teacher.

Suddenly Pilate wasn't so much in control. He tries to sidestep, to re-phrase questions, and to filibuster. All for naught. This Rabbi makes him choose. While Pilate had always relished the power to hold life and death in his hands, suddenly he wasn't sure what to do.

He washed his hands.

He would make the hard decision, but only if he wouldn't be held accountable for it.

But this Jesus of Nazareth came to wash hearts.

It's interesting that history (including extra-biblical accounts such as Josephus) remembers Pontius Pilate for this one encounter and ONLY for this one encounter. Nothing else he ever did - no power grab, no consesus-building decision - ever measured up to his part in crucifying Jesus.

I sometimes wonder how long this even re-played in his mind. How many times did he think back to this encounter? Had he done the right thing? Had he made the right call? When the rag-tag bunch of disciples led the greatest people movement ever to hit the Roman Empire, did Pilate ever think about joining in?

Did he ever see that all the water in the world could never wash away his sins - not just the whole "killing the Son of God" thing - but all the sins he had ever committed. Did he ever understand that only the blood he had spilled could wash hearts?

Dirty

I believe Jesus had dirty hands.

When I first arrived in Mongolia, I was surprised at how quickly my hands became dirty. Every time we wash our hands the rinse-water becomes visibly dirty, like after rolling pennies or sorting newspaper back home. Helen told me that when she goes back to the states she doesn't see the point in washing her hands as often because the water always rinses clear.

In the ger district, where most families don't have running water, hands are dirty as a rule. Sometimes when the kids are playing with us, I can't help but see the beauty in their dirty fingernails and think, "I believe Jesus had dirty hands."

In Bible study this week we read the story of Jesus healing a blind man as found in John chapter 9. I'm struck by the fact that Jesus spits in the dirt to make a mud paste to heal the blind man's eyes. I'm in awe of the Great Physician, who uses dirt to heal this man.

In John chapter 2 Jesus performs his first miracle. Jesus helps a family avoid embarrassment after they run out of wine by turning water into wine. Now, I love a good glass of wine and particularly like this story because if nothing else disproves the teetotalers - this story does.

But, I've always felt that perhaps this miracle doesn't quite fit with the others. Maybe it's that Jesus gets thrown into the situation by his mother and wouldn't have chosen to perform this miracle on his own. Or perhaps it's that I want my Jesus to be just a little more social-justice-liberal and I want his miracles to directly help people. I love it when He miraculously heals people, when He raises people from the dead, when He feeds large crowds of people - I love the miracles that give me hope for the moments when I look out my window and see unswerving poverty. But this miracle seems a little less heroic.

I felt this way until I got a little closer to the story.

In the middle of the desert, where the water is undrinkable, after days of entertaining guests -- How much water would a family have on hand who didn't even prepare enough wine for the celebration?

Not much.

What water would they have on hand?

The water that had been used for the ceremonial washing.

Dirty water.

The water that had rinsed all the "unclean" off the party guests.

Unclean water.

So Jesus, thrown into this particular miracle somewhat against his will, looks around the room and sees these large bowls of dirty water - and He sees the possibility.

And the servant follows along; taking this dirty water in a chalice, he serves it to the man at the head of the table - who in turn rejoices that the family has saved the best wine until last.

Perhaps the miracle wasn’t only that Jesus could turn one thing into another, but perhaps the miracle was that He was willing to use what others consider dirty and unclean and to turn it into something truly great.

Jesus spits into the dirt and gives sight to the blind. Jesus takes dirty water and serves the finest wine ever had. This is the miracle.

Jesus still performs miracles. He still takes the dirty, unclean, and unwanted things of this world and uses them to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and to change the world.

Jesus takes us, in all of our sin - dirty, unclean, and unwanted - and uses our lives to heal the sick, to give sight to the blind, and to change the world.

This is the La Choy dragon, the character Big Bird was modeled after. I like seeing the genius of Jim Henson long before he came into his element. I like the idea that a big, silly dragon that encourages housewives to buy a product that is as good as (as good as!) takeout can morph into the big, silly childhood icon we know and love.

He played on.

An old, old man used to play the accordion most nights while sitting on a bench in front of my apartment complex in Konakovo, Russia. I can't imagine he's still alive, but if he is I assure you he would still be out playing; long after dark he would begin his mournful-pop melodies. His voice was other-worldly, but his words were never enunciated quite enough for me to understand. The other neighbors would yell and fuss. Even the crazy old woman who called "Vassya, Vassya, Vassya..." for hours on end to retrieve her long-dead-cat from the out-of-doors would join in the chorus against this old, old man and his lovely music.

I loved the music. I loved every second of it. So deeply authentic and heartfelt - a melody and mood that could paint a portrait - I felt I knew him. His fingers cascading along the white and black dots so quickly, his soul played the notes his fingers missed.

More than anything else, I loved his music because he played on when the world told him to stop. He didn't check the public-opinion polls before making decisions. He played on. He didn't aspire to make the charts or any other such non-sense. He played for the one he loved (and how long had she been dead? Years? Decades?) and it was beautiful.

Sometimes I begin to play my own melody; but when the world crushes in, I stop abruptly. I make sad attempts at apologies to my neighbors and go back inside. The song still rages on in my heart, but my fingers and voice remain still. I make sad attempts at apologies to the one I love and try to change the subject.

Perhaps I'll never play the best or be the best at really anything. Maybe I'll always fall just a little short of "good enough" to serenade the world. But perhaps some day, I'll sit outside at night and play and sing with all my heart. Maybe some will tune it out, others might find it beautiful, and still others will scream and shout. But at least I will have held the courage to make the music for the God I love.

Perhaps some day.

Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance,
and there is only the dance.

T.S. Eliot

Postsecret

Grandparents

My sister and I were taught to refer to our grandparents as Grandma and Grandpa. I'm a little surprised we weren't instructed to use the elongated Grandmother and Grandfather. Perhaps we could have used their first names without being any more formal; "Elaine, could you play Candy Land with me today?" "Dorothy, what time will we watch The Price is Right, today?". Occasionally we would get sloppy and drop the -d- Gran-ma and Gran-pa Airgood and Gran-ma and Gran-pa in Florida. My mother's Italian maiden name was a bit difficult, so locality would suffice.

Grandma and Grandpa Airgood practiced a folk-Christianity that relied heavily on religious tchotchkies and salvation based point systems. Sins such as wearing shorts or earrings inside the house of God lost you points and buying oversized portraits of Jesus gained you points. Grandpa took part in a failed exorcism at one point, but we're not allowed to talk about that. Dorothy's sister, Great Aunt Mabel, was devoutly religious and altogether eccentric - we adored her as children for her saintly wisdom, pull-no-punches debate skillz, and hard-core scrabble re-matches - we feared her for her bad teeth and the way her house smelled like rotting eggs.

Grandma and Grandpa in Florida were very religious. Especially Grandma. We always sang Christian songs, prayed longer prayers, and read our Bibles more studiously when Grandma from Florida came for a visit. I once read the entire book of Esther while Elaine watched over me - pretending all the time that this was normal Friday afternoon happenings. Grandma slapped me once when I tried to kiss her because she thought I was going to spit on her. I must have spoken into her "bad ear" (which never happened to be the same ear as the time before) when I said "I love you, Grandma." When her children were young she would throw her son's playing cards away each week when she cleaned his room - Uncle Randy never caught on to clean his own room and save the cost of a deck of cards.

Grandpa Airgood really loved me. He died after a long fight with several illnesses shortly before I started Kindergarten. He pulled my mother aside and asked that no matter what happened that I always be an Airgood. In pictures taken during those days of sleeping on hospital-safe fire-proof plastic couches, my sister and I always have our hands folded in prayer. They're cute pictures, but "Tchotchky Jesus" didn't pull through for us and Grandpa Airgood died. Not that Grandma Airgood had been particularly blissful before his passing; but she was quite bitter after his death. While photographs of Blaine show funny hats, goofy slippers, and big smiles; pictures of Dorothy show a short old woman sticking her tongue out at the camera. Seriously, in almost every picture we have of Grandma Airgood she's sticking her tongue out. Really. She only shed one tear when they told her she had cancer and a few weeks to live. I was holding her hand when they told her; and I watcher her make her peace with Jesus in that one tear. She didn't stick her tongue out anymore after that.

Grandma and Grandpa in Florida lost their location based moniker when they became the only grandparents left. Grandma and Grandpa are as stubborn as the line of dirt that refuses to be swept into the dustpan. One time Grandpa decided to drive from Florida to Pennsylvania for a football game. My Grandma decided she didn't want to go. So, two days before Elaine's 79th birthday (almost exactly one year after she almost died of an aneurysm and almost one year before it became okay to leave Grandma alone for more than a few hours)Virgil left her to drive to Pennsylvania for a football game. They do most things together, though. They mall walk three miles every morning. This is a real thing, and they couldn't be more proud of it - they would have a bumper sticker if it wouldn't ruin the paint job on their car. They don't want to wake the neighbors when they leave for the mall at 6AM - so they synchronise their door shutting. It's adorable. Granma got tired of having her grandchildren so far away, so she got a teddy bear to replace us. She loves Teddy on an emotional level she has never expressed for me. They come from a different era, and have a hard time expressing affection. Every time I hang up the phone with Grandpa I say, "Love you" to which he replies,"Alrighty then." I only allow my friends to back out of a reciprocal "love you" when they're watching football with the fellas - but I let Virgil slide because he's from a different era. They wrote that they were proud of me once in a letter, and I guess the fact that they still send letters to East Jesus Nowhere or wherever I am at the moment proves that they are at the very least somewhat fond of me.

Ultimately, I believe these people are/were the salt of the earth. I love them dearly - and fully appreciate the fact that they made me (directly and indirectly) the person I am today. They shaped the faith of my parents who shaped my faith. They faced obstacles I could never dream of facing, made good and bad decision from which I could learn, and taught me a lot about what it means to be me.

Today, you will be with me in Paradise.

"Some tell us that following Jesus is a simple matter of inviting him into our hearts. But when we do that, Jesus always asks, 'May I bring my friends?' And when we look at them, we see that they are not the kind of company we like to keep. The friends of Jesus are the outcasts, the marginalized, the poor, the homeless, the rejected - the lepers of life. We hesitate and ask, 'Jesus, must we really have them too?' Jesus replies, 'Love me, love my friends!'" - Peter Storey, former leader of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, in "Listening at Golgotha"

Another song about love.

Love is the most dangerous thing we do every day. Not driving, or operating heavy machinery - but loving others.

Our culture is love obsessed and generally disillusioned. Fourteen year old pop-idols wax eloquent about love - and Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story" will tell of their fourth divorce in a few decades. Love is our cultural heroine; we will do anything, pay any price, and take on any consequence to get our next fix.

But I have a sneaking suspicion that we've simply missed the boat. Language defines culture - and I think the fact that our language uses only one word for all different types of love is problematic at best. We use the same word to describe the feeling that causes a new father to catch his baby daughter's vomit and for the feeling that makes 15 year olds feel that nothing could be more important than getting naked and trying to not make a baby. We also use the same word for the verb of God coming to the earth to die for the sins of the world. This word is incomprehensibly incomplete - and we should face this fact head on.

I'm completely convinced that love is not something that happens - it is a verb and a choice.

Every day we must choose to love others. We must look beyond those who are easy to love - we must look into the eyes of the unloveable and choose to love them.

Racism has no place in the Kingdom of God. Love is a choice.

Against whom do we wage war? Our enemies. Whom were we commanded to love. Our enemies. There is no room for war against our enemies in the Kingdom of God. Love is a choice.

Extreme poverty has no place in the Kingdom of God. How can we love our neighbor and allow her children to die of preventable disease and malnutrition. Love is a choice.

Ageism, Homophobia, Sexism, and other forms of discrimination have no seat at the table in the Kingdom of God. Love is a choice.

Love. There is ONLY room for love in the Kingdom of God. Love destroys terrorism, tears down walls and political boundaries, and moves people to acceptance of Jesus Christ. Love is the most dangerous thing we do every day.

Theological Thoughts for Thursday

Vincent Van Gogh didn’t have much to say for his faith in his thirties. It is clear that he never outright recanted his faith in Jesus Christ. It is also clear that he couldn’t define his faith. The young man who started sketching the poor he was sent to as a missionary, ended up taking his own life at 37. No art history class skips the significance of his contribution to the art world, no theology class would dare to dwell on his contribution to Christian thought.

“That God of the clergymen, He is for me as dead as a doornail. But am I an atheist for all that? The clergymen consider me as such — be it so; but I love, and how could I feel love if I did not live, and if others did not live, and then, if we live, there is something mysterious in that. Now call that God, or human nature or whatever you like, but there is something which I cannot define systematically, though it is very much alive and very real, and see, that is God, or as good as God. To believe in God for me is to feel that there is a God, not a dead one, or a stuffed one, but a living one, who with irresistible force urges us toward aimer encore; that is my opinion.”

Vincent didn’t quite fit in as a missionary. In an era in which missionaries lived in compounds on high hills and ministered to the wretched down below, Van Gogh slept on straw in a closet behind the local bakery. He cried himself to sleep some nights. He fell in love with the people. His superiors accused him of “undermining the dignity of the priesthood” and he was dismissed.

“The more I think it over, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”

Faith is a fragile thing. The God of our childhood doesn’t always last through awkward teen years. The God of our zits, braces, and bad year book photos usually doesn’t make it through 4 years in college. The God who protected us through keggers and bad decisions evolves into the God who watches over our children, and then our grandchildren. Faith is a fragile thing.

We as followers of Jesus must constantly be in a position to reevaluate our faith. We must be willing to see what aspects of God we have invented (hint: if God hates the same people as you …) and what parts are true to Christ and his life and ministry.

Vincent Van Gogh struggled with mental illness and sickness for the rest of his life after his failed attempt at being a missionary. He also painted some of history’s most stunning and well-known paintings. He incorporated the spiritual into many of his paintings – even as he struggled defining his own faith journey, he knew that it was important that the world see God in his artwork.

Theological Thoughts for Thursday

We celebrate Advent with hope and celebration.

But, I can't help but wonder what Jesus was thinking before he left heaven to come to earth as a baby.

Was he nervous? Excited? Afraid?

We know that Jesus, before his execution, prayed that "this cup shall pass, if it be Your will." But, I imagine that Jesus knew - before he came to earth - exactly how it would end.

As we hope and anticipate presents and family meals to commemorate the birth of our Savior - I hope we can pause to remember how magnanimous his birth truly was.

God; being truly perfect, holy, and divine; chose to enter our world - to set up tent among us - and to come as a baby. To shed all outward signs of power, prestige, and divinity and become one of us! To share in our suffering.

Missions is an "incarnational" experience. You can't succeed as a missionary unless you "set up tent" with the people. Unless you live their life, speak their language, eat their food, and drink their water you can't have a full appreciation of their life - and you can't fully share the good news of Jesus Christ. We take our model from the birth story. We live with the people - cast aside all of our titles, prestige, and importance to come and live humble with God's creation - in the hopes that we may find the opportunity to share God's great love.

Dear Jesus,
On this Christmas Eve we praise you for who you are. You are a God who is not afraid to get dirty in rescuing the fallen. You are a God who doesn't care about titles and position, but about love and human dignity. May we learn each day, from your life and ministry, how to love each other and serve humanity.
We love and praise you, Amen.

Merry Christmas friends!
Love, Michael.

3rd Person Christmas Letter

Michael Airgood had a very happy 2009.

His final semester of college was a great time in his life. He felt like a real adult. He finished his job as an America Reads Volunteer - working for 7 semesters with that program was very rewarding. He also worked for a family from church in Toccoa, painting and helping around their new house was very relaxing for him. His third job was running the Wednesday night Upstreet! program at Toccoa First UMC after the children's director left. Some weeks he pulled 50+ hours on top of a normal school schedule ... and he loved every minute of it.

His home was filled with warm gatherings of friends as he tried to cram every get together into his already hectic schedule. By the grace of God, he finished college on time with a decent GPA. He preached his first sermons at Toccoa First UMC and Kane First UMC; both were well received and he looks forward to the opportunities to preach again. Less than two weeks after graduation, Michael Airgood flew to South Korea.

Michael worked as a volunteer language missionary which provided a small cost of living stipend. Basically, the mission wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. Michael had been told that he would be working with middle and high school students who felt called to the mission field. Teaching the international language of English to future missionaries sounded like a great experience. When he arrive in South Korea he found out that he would be teaching student age 3-13 - none of whom wanted to learn English and none of whom had even considered missions. While Michael really enjoyed teaching English to the students (particularly to the youngest kindergarten students) he knew that it didn't quite fulfill his call to mission.

Michael met some wonderful people in the English speaking community in Cheonon. He has made some lifelong friends ... and really enjoyed sharing ridiculous stories from his 7 months of teaching with other people with similar experiences.

In early December, Michael resigned his post at the language school. He decided that he needed to be faithful to his call to missionary service above all else. In early January he will head to Mongolia to serve with the United Methodist missionary community there. In March he is headed to Ukraine. He will be representing the Northeast Jurisdiction in Berlin at the Global Young People's Convocation.

Michael's son, Vassya (the cat) moved to Siberia (Kane, PA) and experienced real snow for the first time. Michael's parents say that Vassya has a very cute way of drying one paw at a time in front of the wood stove. Michael hopes to visit next Christmas and see his son's technique.

This year has been truly monumental in Michael's life. As he takes his first baby steps as an adult he is learning a lot about himself, his call, and his future life.

Love, Michael.

I'm working very hard on forgiving people.

I went and visited my dear friend in a Korea prison today. It was a very sad experience, but one I am glad to have had.

We weren't allowed to speak English, because the guard had to monitor our coversation.

Theological Thoughts for Thursday

Sometimes the postlude is truly an epic event.

It's usually a holiday, perhaps Christmas or Easter, when it happens.

The song works into a grand crescendo. The bravado of the final notes consumes the entirety of the sanctuary. Debbie holds the last combination of notes out for effect and, at just the right moment, she releases her hold on the keys.

The grand instrument falls silent - and the moment happens - the audible, collective gasp, the last breath of the echo, the stunned expression as hands go up; just waiting for the unfamiliar post-postlude applause.

I call it the "well done thou good and faithful servant" moment.

It's the sound I want to hear when I get to heaven. It's the sound that I occasionally want to hear in my life here and now - because I need that comfirmation. I need affirmation in my own life. I need to know that I'm on the right track, doing the right things, and following as I should.

I need that moment now and then.

P.S. This is my 500th blog entry.

I really feel like I'm going to need some therapy after leaving Korea ... or at least some cathartic writing exercises. Be prepared for a few posts in January about my time here!

Dr. Leila Denmark

This is my favorite person ever. Leila Denmark is 111, turning 112 in a few short months.

She is the longest serving pediatrician in American history. She retired at 103.

She was the only woman in her class in Med school.

Oh, she is also a co-developer of the pertussis vaccine.

She doesn't drink cow's milk or fruit juices. She only drinks water, and she thinks you should follow suite ... or at least your children should. She refused cake at her 100th and 110th birthdays because it contained processed sugar.

That might sound a little extremist, but that's what people said when she was one of the first doctors to recommend that pregnant women shouldn't take drugs and that adults shouldn't smoke around children.

It literally feels like everything just fell into place. Dates lined up perfectly. There is clarity where there had been confusion.

I really needed this. Even if things don't go as planned, this sense of calm has been amazing at this point in my life.

I've never felt so at peace with the notion that everything I build up can come crashing down, and everything God has accomplished will stand strong.

Theological Thoughts for Thursday

I used to quote a Bible verse I learned in French class when I was in trouble.

"Car je suis fier de l'Evangile: c'est la puissance de Dieu par laquelle il sauve tous ceux qui croient, les Juifs d'abord et aussi les non-Juifs" Romans 1:16

It really doesn't have anything to do with being in trouble ... but often, in a difficult situation, my mind goes a little blank.

I was climbing Mt Curahee with the youth group kids last year, and I didn't think I was going to make it. I quoted the verse over and over again. I climbed and climbed, and quoted and quoted. And then I threw up. And then I sat down. And then I didn't make it up the mountain.

I'm not a quitter. It's not who I am. And when I couldn't make it up that mountain, it was a real low point in my life. I didn't quote the verse in French anymore. I didn't quote any Bible verse for a while.

I couldn't put my finger on it, but some part of my faith had been crushed under the weight of that mountain.

My part. The me part. The part where it's all about what I have done. I'm a red-blooded American, and we stand proud on our accomplishments. It's hard to move past my culture and accept aspects of faith that fly in the face of my traditions.

It's not about us. It's about God. I was trying to rely on myself and a "magic" Bible verse to get me through difficult situations - and I needed to learn to rely on God.

I think that the Christmas season is a perfect time to re-learn this lesson. As we obsess over the rich, powerful, and in-charge in our daily lives ... Christ comes to us as the lowest expression of our humanity. A poor baby. Born in a backwater. Of possibly illegitate circumstances.

I see this tiny Baby, and He reminds me what my faith needs to look like.

Yeah ... sorry.

OK, so obviously this experiment didn't work out. I haven't been slacking, though. I promise. I had to move out of my home in an emergency situation and I lost my internet. I now have to pay a hefty sum on a per-minute basis ... and I've had a lot to accomplish on the internet these last few days!

I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do for Christmas ... I will be in Korea and will be family-less! It's always fun to try and figure out new ways to celebrate an old holiday. I might go on a cruise - that captures the true spirit of Christmas (well, it captures it at least as well as an x-box would!)

Theological Thoughts for Thursday - Advent 3

We sometimes compare advent to waiting for Christmas gifts. And, truly, Jesus Christ was the world's greatest gift.

But waiting isn't always a positive thing.

Sometimes waiting can be dreadful. It’s not always the wait that is difficult, sometimes it’s what’s at the end of the waiting period that makes it painful.

When we wait for lab results – we don’t wait in anticipation, we wait in dread.

We wait for the other shoe to drop.

When we wait for the police officer to walk up to our car – when we find out if we are going to get a ticket or a warning – we wait in dread.

The religious leaders of the day waited for the coming Messiah filled with anticipation. They longed for the strong and mighty political and military leader they had been promised. Perhaps, had they known what the Messiah would bring; they would have waited in dread.

Jesus came and turned the world upside down. The religious elite could only grasp salvation if they were willing to let go of their power. The poor, brokenhearted, hungry, and meek became the new power-players.

The rules no longer existed – if your intention was to keep trying to work your way into the Kingdom of God; it would be much harder. If you were willing to give up your life – salvation was simple.

We look toward Christmas with anticipation. But, perhaps we should take this season to examine our hearts. Perhaps we should take this moment to decide if we are willing to give up our lives. That might instill at least a moment of dread.

In many ways, I’m part of the religious elite. On Thanksgiving I said the Thanksgiving prayer. I have an eclectic group of friends – some Christian, some not, some anti-religious, some ambivalent. I love all of them and appreciate their unique faith journeys. I was so challenged to pray without using my familiar “Christianese” vocabulary. Praise, grace, mercy, savior … all words that lack meaning outside the context of the Christian church.

Am I willing to give up my power and position? As a Christian, a missionary, a well-behaved church boy? Am I willing to lose all of those titles so that my friends can know the good news? Jesus said, “prostitutes and tax-collectors will enter the Kingdom of God before the religious elite…” and I never got that. I still can’t articulate the meaning I’ve found. But, I think it has something to do with me, with my church, and with my friends.

Anticipation mixed with a little dread?

Advent 2

I recommend a new tradition in gift giving for your family this year. Please read this article about The Advance - Alternative Gift Ideas.

My personaly philosophy is that gifts should be meaningful - not expensive. But, if you have someone who is difficult to shop for; perhaps this could be the perfect gift.

Advent 1

To celebrate Advent I've decided to attempt an ambitious blogging project. I'm going to blog every day until Christmas. I'm not going to promise anything inciteful, just an attempt to think, write, and post during the advent season.

I've managed to only miss a few Thursdays this year ... so we'll see how I do on my new challenge.

Although I tend to discuss politics in a rather abstract way on my blog - and I tend to stay away from particulars - there is one particular issue that I would like to address.

Omar Khadr was 15 when he was captured and imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. He has been there for 6 and a half years without a trial. That's over a quarter of his life.

Holding a child in prison without a trial (and a guilty verdict by an impartial jury!) is a social injustice. It reflects poorly on all Americans - that we would allow our fears and prejudice to overcome our common sense paints a sad picture of our humanity.

Theological Thoughts for Thursday

I watched 2012 this weekend. It's an interesting blockbuster movie. The action scenes are a lot of fun if you can suspend reality.

This isn't a movie review. There are a ton of those out there for this movie - all mixed to say the least.

This is a post where I explore my biggest problem with the film.

6,999,650,482 people die. That's a quick estimate - not an actual number. But it holds up for my point. Most of the world perishes, but we root for one family to "make it" and we're happy when they're alive at the end. It's more comedy than tragedy.

When the main character's plane barely manages to take off from a sinking California, there's a moment of lighthearted banter - while in the background millions of people are dying.

Now, I'm well aware of the fact that it's "just a movie" and as a blockbuster it's supposed to feel good. But it left me feeling empty.

How many times does this scenario play out in our lives? We ALWAYS care more for ourselves than for the world around us.

Tony Campolo was speaking to a crowd of upperclass evangelical Christians. This is his opening statement. "I have three things I'd like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don't give a SHIT. What's worse is that you're more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night."

We care more for the propriety of our event than for the lives of 30,000 kids.

Mike Luckovich is a political cartoonist extraordinaire. He shocked readers across the country a few years back with a striking political cartoon concerning our dead soldiers.




The cartoon provoked a tremendous amount of controversy. Seeing the names of 2000 dead soldiers is heartbreaking. Now consider the fact that nearly 100,000 Iraqi CIVILIANS have died since 2003. Their names could take up most of a newspaper.

We're taught to value our own from a young age. We pick a sports team to cheer for and we immediately show a disdain for their competitors. In some areas of the world, students are taught to hate anyone who doesn't look like and act like them. Our Christian parents teach their Christian children to not hang around with "bad kids" because you are known "by the company you keep." Giving to charity is well and good - after our bills are paid and we've supersized our lives just "one more time."

But Jesus speaks and the world turns upside down. He teaches us to love our enemies. To value others as much if not MORE than we value ourselves.

In the upsidedown kingdom we know the names and faces of the Iraqi civilians (and even their soldiers, God forbid!) who died at the hands of our government. We mourn their deaths with the same passion we show for our fallen soldiers. In the Kindgdom of God we care less about the size of our homes and more about the size of our hearts.

Theological Thoughts for Thursday

In Korea we drink everything from small metal cups. There are no water fountains - all water is dispensed from little machines; either into small slips of paper folded into a cup (it's a soggy mess) or into little metal cups. At church functions everyone is issued a small metal cup.

The first time I drank from a small metal cup, the overwhelming sensation was the size. It was tiny, two gulps or 4 sips small. The other sensation was the cold slipping away. When you put cold liquids into the cup, the coolness transfers to your hand by the 4th sip.

When you put hot liquids into the cup, it's even worse. The cup become much too hot to hold, so you set it down for a second - and by the time you pick it back up, your hot coffee is now luke-warm coffee water.

Metal is a perfect conductor. Which is great for lots of things - like wires that transmit electricity. But that's a terrible predicament for a cup to be in.

It's the opposite of a thermos. It makes hot things cool and cold things warm.

Who wants to drink a luke-warm beverage? Ever?

Revelation 3:16 "So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Hot water is useful. Cold water is useful. Lukewarm water is useless.

But it's not the water's fault - it's the cup. The tiny metal cup is the problem.

Sometimes our faith is hot or cold - sometimes it's usefull to those around us. Sometimes our faith is lukewarm - it's useless to those around us.

It's not the fault of the faith ... it's the fault of the container.

So how do we order our lives to be less like a little metal cup and more like a thermos.

Theological Thoughts for Thursday

I'm reading "God Has A Dream" by Bishop Desmond Tutu.


Bishop Tutu covers a wide range of theological issues. His theology is progressive and inclusive and I'm rarely opposed to anything he writes. His vast experience gives meaning and weight to every word. He calls Christians to a life of social justice; to love others and treat every human as an equal. He sounds the trumpet, alerting Christians to the battle at hand; Christians live in a world where greed is valued as an asset, where fear of the unknown is a political platform, and where faith is linked with scandal and hypocrisy. We are in this world to transform it. God uses us to change the world.

Tutu writes, "You are the indispensable agent of change. You should not be daunted by the magnitude of the task before you."

Mary is the example. Everything is going well for her. She's young, engaged, virtuous ... and then God throws the curve ball of the millennium and knocks her up. The little girl, about to be married, ends up the scandal of the village ... and then gives birth to the savior of the world.

God uses human beings, and uses us in radical ways.

And it seems that everyone acknowledges this fact except those whom God would use. Christians timidly wait for God to act, while their non-Christian brothers and sisters wait for them to act on behalf of God.

Ani DiFranco sings, "The work of God isn't done by God, it's done by people." What an insightful thought. Knowing that others feel this way, how can we not act?

I think that God has BIG plans for each and every one of us - I believe with all of my heart that God has a plan for the transformation of the world; and that you and I are a part of it. God wants to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, end the cycle of poverty, give shelter to those displaced, change hate to love, and end the fear of "other." God wants you to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, end the cycle of poverty, give shelter to those displaced, change hate to love, and end the fear of "other."

What curve ball is God throwing you this day?
What small (or large) step is God calling you to take for the transformation of the world?

Theological Thoughts for Thursday