The Fire Escape

Mr. McLaren directed my attention to a recent article written by Melissa Etheridge and I thought it was worthy of sharing. You know how I am about sharing other people’s writing. I wish people would just calm down…to all the people freaking about about the inauguration, CHILL OUT! Anyways, to read the entire article (it’s not too long, don’t be shy. Go HERE For an excerpt read below:

“I told my manager to reach out to Pastor Warren and say “In the spirit of unity I would like to talk to him.” They gave him my phone number. On the day of the conference I received a call from Pastor Rick, and before I could say anything, he told me what a fan he was. He had most of my albums from the very first one. What? This didn’t sound like a gay hater, much less a preacher. He explained in very thoughtful words that as a Christian he believed in equal rights for everyone. He believed every loving relationship should have equal protection. He struggled with proposition 8 because he didn’t want to see marriage redefined as anything other than between a man and a woman. He said he regretted his choice of words in his video message to his congregation about proposition 8 when he mentioned pedophiles and those who commit incest. He said that in no way, is that how he thought about gays. He invited me to his church, I invited him to my home to meet my wife and kids. He told me of his wife’s struggle with breast cancer just a year before mine.

When we met later that night, he entered the room with open arms and an open heart. We agreed to build bridges to the future.

Brothers and sisters the choice is ours now. We have the world’s attention. We have the capability to create change, awesome change in this world, but before we change minds we must change hearts. Sure, there are plenty of hateful people who will always hold on to their bigotry like a child to a blanket. But there are also good people out there, Christian and otherwise that are beginning to listen. They don’t hate us, they fear change. Maybe in our anger, as we consider marches and boycotts, perhaps we can consider stretching out our hands. Maybe instead of marching on his church, we can show up en mass and volunteer for one of the many organizations affiliated with his church that work for HIV/AIDS causes all around the world.”

“Church is people.

People who live a certain way in the world.

People who have authority in the world, but authority that comes from breaking themselves open and pouring themselves out so that the world will be healed.

The authority that the church has in culture does not come from how right, cool, or loud it is, or how convinced it is of its doctrinal superiority.

As Paul says, “we don’t fight with those weapons” A church’s authority comes from somewhere else – it comes from how we’ve been broken open and poured out, not from how well we’ve pursued power and lobbied and organized ourselves to triumph. This is why when Christians organize politically and start flexing that muscle, making threats about how they are going to impose their way on others, so many people turn away from Jesus.

Jesus’ followers at that point are claiming to be the voice of God, but they are speaking the language of Caesar and using the methods of Rome, and for millions of us it has the stench of Solomon.

It’s not the path of descent

It’s not weak resonating with weak

It’s not the Way.

It’s not the Eucharist.

What the Eucharist does is particularize the exodus story in time and space. Exodus is the ultimate picture of salvation.

People in slavery, rescued by the grace of God and brought to a land flowing with milk and honey.

People told to “get up, because this is the night!”

People who were led into a new tomorrow, one unlike today.

People who were then told to leave the corner of their field, the olives they missed on the first pass, the grapes they didn’t pick on the first round.

Why were they told to do this?

So that the poor in their midst could pick them up.

People who were told to do this because “I am the Lord our God, who brought you out of Egypt”

How are they taught to keep the exodus, the grace of God, alive in their lives?

By remembering the poor.

When you give unconditionally, you will be reminded of the God who gives unconditionally.

When you extend grace to others in their oppression, you are reminded of the grace extended to you in yours”

From Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell

THANK YOU Brian McLaren for your recent post on all the “controversy” surrounding Cizik’s resignation and Obama’s pick of Rick Warren. It is MUCH NEEDED and a MUST READ.

Click HERE, YES, RIGHT HERE

An ad might pop up when you click the link, just choose the option to skip it and it will take you to the post.

Bon Iver’s “For Emma, Forever Ago” is better than pizza (which is a REALLY big deal for me).

Right up there with Radiohead when I say, this must be what heaven is like.

I noticed that my posting can sometimes be more negative. Perhaps this is because I treat my blog as somewhat of a journal (a very public one) and journals are good ways to get things off my chest and think things out. I apologize and will try better to focus on the happier things in life. Something that has been a challenge of mine for sometime now….I will continue to try, I promise (to start, how cool are the snowflakes on my blog?? love it). Thank you for your patience.

“Oh my friends I’ve begun to worry right
where I should be grateful, I should be satisfied,
oh my heart I would clap and dance in place,
with my friends I have so much pleasure to embrace.
But my heart is returned to sister winter, but my heart is as cold as ice.”
~ Sufjan Stevens

Recently I attended a Christmas play. It was so fun and cute to watch all the kids singing and dancing. It reminded me of when I was in Christmas plays and one time, the play was about Christmas celebrations around the world. I had to dress up and pretend I was German. I thought I was so cool (correction: I WAS cool). Christmas plays are fun ways for children to display their talent and to bring in peeps from the community. Although I liked it, there was one thing about it that concerned me (not sure if that’s the right word, perhaps I should say, thing that made me sad). Forgive me ahead of time for perhaps “reading into it” too far, I understand the purpose and the intent, but I guess I’m just sensitive (or some would say, overly critical).

The play was about things that can distract us from the real meaning of Christmas being the coming of Jesus Christ. It took place mainly in a mall and did a good job at portraying how Christmas has mainly become about consumerism. Which I FULLY agree with. We have turned this holiday into buying buying buying, and then stress about buying. The part that left me feeling a bit sad was when they had people asking for donations as another example of how our culture has missed the Christmas meaning mark. There was a representation of organizations who encourage you to make a donation in the name of a loved one, portrayed as distractions from the real meaning of Christmas. Now, coming from an organization that does exactly that (asks for donations), of course I’d be a bit bothered by this. Isn’t generosity at the FOUNDATION of the Christmas story (from a Christian perspective)? How generous of God to send Jesus to us, to die for us, to redeem us and reconcile us to him. The ultimate example of generosity, of giving to us, even though we did/do not deserve it. THAT is Christmas. It’s symbolic of God reaching down to those of us in need and giving us infinitely more than we could EVER ask for OR deserve. That is Christmas (to me anyways). So the question is, how should be pay tribute to that act now? In my opinion, to give to others, yes maybe even organizations that help those in need, that should be EXACTLY what we are doing during Christmas (again I’m saying this from a Christian perspective of Christmas). As Rob Bells says:

“When you give unconditionally, you will be reminded of the God who gives unconditionally. When you extend grace to others in their oppression, you are reminded of the grace extended to you in yours”

We should give to those in need because HE gave to us when we were (and still are) in need. How are we teaching our children and others about the Christmas story? Are we simply teaching them about Jesus coming and allowing us a place in heaven? Shouldn’t it be a story about generosity and about sacrifice in hopes that in realizing the grace that was extended to us, that we might be more willing to help those around us…with their spiritual AND physical needs? I believe Christmas is also about being grateful for generosity displayed, for the families we have been blessed with and their generosity in getting us some “treats” for Christmas as well. I’m not anti gifts, that is giving too, I’m not about spending our entire paychecks and maxing out our credit cards on the PERFECT gifts and making it all about that though. I’m also not about just looking at a nativity scene or going to a Christmas Eve service and not allowing that TRUTH to play out in our lives and our actions. I believe that Jesus expects so much more from us than just acknowledgement in our hearts. This is just me talking though, perhaps you believe/think differently, and that’s ok…perhaps leave me a comment and tell me what you think the “real” meaning of Christmas should be (not what it currently is, but what you wish it was about).

No offense to the Christmas play, honestly, I was honored to be there. One part of it just reminded me of a problem I have with a lot of churches in our culture focusing so much on the individual and our PERSONAL relationship with Christ (and a problem with myself too, I definitely am not the perfect example of generosity and am in a constant battle to develop that side of me). Just because that one thing bothered me, doesn’t mean I didn’t appreciate the rest and wasn’t proud of the children and the people who organized the play.

That being said, I ate WAY TOO MANY chocolate truffles today….at least I made them myself (for some reason that helps me in my justification).

I leave you with some words from Rob Bell from his book Jesus wants to Save Christians (warning, I might be posting more from this book later on):

“Jesus wants to save us from making the good news about another world and not this one.

Jesus wants to save us from preaching a gospel that is only about individuals and not about the systems that enslave them.

Jesus wants to save us from shrinking the gospel down to a transaction about the removal of sin and not about every single particle of creation being reconciled to its maker.

Jesus wants to save us from religiously sanctioned despair, the kind that doesn’t believe the world can be made better, the kind that either blatantly or subtly teaches people to just be quiet and behave and wait for something big to happy “someday.”

The bible begins with Abel’s blood crying out from the ground.

The bible ends with God wiping away every tear.

No more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain.

Hope.”

I recently visited Dave Bruno’s blog (a local San Marcos author and friend of Floresta) and he posted a nice blog dedicated to our new pilot project in Burundi. I thought I’d share it with you HERE

I would urge you to consider the non profits during this holiday season. The economy has hit the non profit world hard. Giving is down and several of our partner organizations are being forced to close their doors. I pray that when you think about this season of giving, that you will consider the non profits who support those less fortunate than us around the world. They depend on people like you to give generously to them in order to continue programs that give people food and clean water. I know the economy has hit us all very hard, but perhaps we can cut back on our extra little treats, like Starbucks or, in my case, itunes purchases (guilty), in order to prevent others around the world from having to cut back on their water or their meals. Anyways, check out his blog, he’s a writer, so it’s much more well said than mine.

Oh, and since you’re in the reading mood. Check out Dave’s book review on a book about Christian giving RIGHT HERE Pretty good stuff.

Many blessings friends and family!

I’ve had the hiccups 8 times today….

Lucky me.

Today my mom came and met me for lunch at Pick up Stix near my work, which was really nice. I rarely eat chinese food, but today, for some reason, was different. It was great AND it’s Wonton Wednesday, which makes it double great (triple even). Here is what my fortune cookie had to say about me:

“You will be recognized and honored as a community leader”

Perhaps it was meant for Mr. President elect….I guess I can understand the confusion.