It turns out we've had a larger influx of bald eagles this winter in our area. I'm not sure what that's about, but I'm going to keep my eyes open. That sight is worth looking for!
http://blogs.augusta.com/node/2115
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Busy, Busy, Busy
Sorry for the absence. Too much to do, and not enough time to accomplish everything. This week I've been into all the usual stuff, plus spent good time with my Ghanaian missionary friends Rev. Kirk & Nicole Sims, attended all sorts of meetings planning some upcoming events, spent a day in ATL at a North GA UM conference subcommittee meeting (I won't even tell about the 6+ hour travel time which is usually 5 hours!!), & experienced the regular mysteries and miracles which seem to come with the job. I'll try to catch up on some of the more interesting happenings with posts in upcoming days. Though I must confess that now through mid-April looks to be a continuation of this last week. I wonder if anyone would miss my personally therapeutic ramblings?
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Shameless Society and Sin?
I'm reading an interesting book by a professor who is comparing early Methodism with life today. Actually his writing is more of a critique and corrective to Methodism today than anything else. While that might bore you to tears, he does get into a subject that could create some discussion.
The prof gets into some broader issues about society, and how that tends to shape religious folk more than anything. Said another way, Methodists (and any other group for that matter) replaced our earliest historic peculiarities which made us different with a "bland acceptable almost civil religion." So the focus becomes upon us, people like us, and the national or cultural status quo in our religious thinking and practice.
Now this is where the argument gets interesting. The challenge is how a religious group conceptualizes and practices their need of God, and then how this is revealed as the group defines their theology/doctrine, e.g. say their understanding of sin. Notice how various groups define sin in different ways that matches their position in the nation and world. If we are so enmeshed in our society, culture, or subculture that we can't take a step or two away from it for a realistic view we may totally abandon a way of thinking or living, even if it is a historical and primary tenet of our religious heritage.
Here's the striking passage in one section of the book which brings this all home. Dr. Scott Kisker in "Mainline or Methodist?" writes:
"Americans will do anything, say anything, consume anything in the pursuit of the measures of worldly happiness. We are not a shameful society. We are more accurately a shameless one.
"People in societies defined primarily by consumer capitalism are not walking around wondering what they can do to win the approval of an angry God. We live in a culture of entitlement. We simply assume, no matter how we live, that God should accept us.
"Even when people recognize they are not living how they should, the offer of God's forgiveness and acceptance has very little impact. People are more likely to think, 'Why wouldn't God forgive me? My sins deserve forgiveness as much as the next persons. Of course God loves me. I'm lovable.'"
I'm curious how this strikes you. What are your thoughts on the topic/s?
The prof gets into some broader issues about society, and how that tends to shape religious folk more than anything. Said another way, Methodists (and any other group for that matter) replaced our earliest historic peculiarities which made us different with a "bland acceptable almost civil religion." So the focus becomes upon us, people like us, and the national or cultural status quo in our religious thinking and practice.
Now this is where the argument gets interesting. The challenge is how a religious group conceptualizes and practices their need of God, and then how this is revealed as the group defines their theology/doctrine, e.g. say their understanding of sin. Notice how various groups define sin in different ways that matches their position in the nation and world. If we are so enmeshed in our society, culture, or subculture that we can't take a step or two away from it for a realistic view we may totally abandon a way of thinking or living, even if it is a historical and primary tenet of our religious heritage.
Here's the striking passage in one section of the book which brings this all home. Dr. Scott Kisker in "Mainline or Methodist?" writes:
"Americans will do anything, say anything, consume anything in the pursuit of the measures of worldly happiness. We are not a shameful society. We are more accurately a shameless one.
"People in societies defined primarily by consumer capitalism are not walking around wondering what they can do to win the approval of an angry God. We live in a culture of entitlement. We simply assume, no matter how we live, that God should accept us.
"Even when people recognize they are not living how they should, the offer of God's forgiveness and acceptance has very little impact. People are more likely to think, 'Why wouldn't God forgive me? My sins deserve forgiveness as much as the next persons. Of course God loves me. I'm lovable.'"
I'm curious how this strikes you. What are your thoughts on the topic/s?
Friday, January 23, 2009
$27 that Changed the World
Have you heard about microfinancing? Do you know about the "banker of the poor?"
"Sometimes, a small amount of seed money is all it takes to break the cycle of poverty. The growing microfinance movement is planting seeds of health and financial independence around the world, and both borrowers and investors are reaping the benefits. "
"In the early 1970s, a young economics professor returned to his native Bangladesh after earning a degree at Vanderbilt University on a Fulbright scholarship. The professor, whose name was Muhammad Yunus, soon found a teaching position in the port city he’d grown up in, at Chittagong University. But beyond the city limits, a famine was sweeping the countryside. The elegant theories of his textbooks, Yunus discovered, seemed increasingly irrelevant next to the widespread desperation of the poor. "
"In search of a better understanding of what was happening, Yunus ventured into a nearby village, where he met women surviving on the profits from bamboo stools, which they made and sold for pennies a day. Their profits could be greatly increased, they told him, if they were not indebted to the local lender, who loaned them the money to buy their supplies and also bought their finished stools at a set price. "
"To help the women pay off their debts and buy a supply of their own materials, Yunus loaned 42 villagers a total of $27. No longer in debt to the lender and able to sell their stools to the highest bidder, the women increased their daily profits from a few cents to more than a dollar."
Read more of this story and the larger project:
http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.4860827/
"Sometimes, a small amount of seed money is all it takes to break the cycle of poverty. The growing microfinance movement is planting seeds of health and financial independence around the world, and both borrowers and investors are reaping the benefits. "
"In the early 1970s, a young economics professor returned to his native Bangladesh after earning a degree at Vanderbilt University on a Fulbright scholarship. The professor, whose name was Muhammad Yunus, soon found a teaching position in the port city he’d grown up in, at Chittagong University. But beyond the city limits, a famine was sweeping the countryside. The elegant theories of his textbooks, Yunus discovered, seemed increasingly irrelevant next to the widespread desperation of the poor. "
"In search of a better understanding of what was happening, Yunus ventured into a nearby village, where he met women surviving on the profits from bamboo stools, which they made and sold for pennies a day. Their profits could be greatly increased, they told him, if they were not indebted to the local lender, who loaned them the money to buy their supplies and also bought their finished stools at a set price. "
"To help the women pay off their debts and buy a supply of their own materials, Yunus loaned 42 villagers a total of $27. No longer in debt to the lender and able to sell their stools to the highest bidder, the women increased their daily profits from a few cents to more than a dollar."
Read more of this story and the larger project:
http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.4860827/
Thursday, January 22, 2009
ASBO Jesus
There is something about the British sense of humor and critical eye that I really enjoy. I found this on http://asbojesus.wordpress.com/2009/01/14/628/ where Jon can be found. He writes about himself and the name of the blog "The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus":
"btw. for the non british among you… an ‘asbo’ is an ‘anti-social behaviour order’… the courts here award them to people who are deemed to be constant trouble in their neighbourhoods… presumably according to their neighbours!"
LOL I really appreciate that sort of view of Jesus. Too often we make it out as if everything we think and do as the Church is exactly like God thinks! This blog tries to share that satirical viewpoint of the Church that challenges and portrays Jesus the troublemaker. He seemed to be that way for the institutions and authorities of his day, so there's no reason to think that wouldn't hold true in our day.
ASBO Jesus shares this from Jonny Baker
"btw. for the non british among you… an ‘asbo’ is an ‘anti-social behaviour order’… the courts here award them to people who are deemed to be constant trouble in their neighbourhoods… presumably according to their neighbours!"
LOL I really appreciate that sort of view of Jesus. Too often we make it out as if everything we think and do as the Church is exactly like God thinks! This blog tries to share that satirical viewpoint of the Church that challenges and portrays Jesus the troublemaker. He seemed to be that way for the institutions and authorities of his day, so there's no reason to think that wouldn't hold true in our day.
ASBO Jesus shares this from Jonny Baker
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
"Confession"
What is it about the winter, staying inside where it is warm, and writing which speaks truth? Here's another Wendell Berry favorite as it captures what I know to be true of myself.
"Confession"
by Wendell Berry
I wish I was easy in my mind, but I ain't.
If it wasn't for anger, lust, and pride, I'd be a saint.
And a quote for the day:
Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.
"Confession"
by Wendell Berry
I wish I was easy in my mind, but I ain't.
If it wasn't for anger, lust, and pride, I'd be a saint.
And a quote for the day:
Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.
Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A Warning
Here's another Wendell Berry poem that I resemble!
"A Warning to My Readers"
by Wendell Berry
Do not think me gentle
because I speak in praise
of gentleness, or elegant
because I honor the grace
that keeps this world. I am
a man crude as any,
gross of speech, intolerant,
stubborn, angry, full
of fits and furies. That I
may have spoken well
at times, is not natural.
A wonder is what it is.
A quote for the day:
"The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority."
Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.
"A Warning to My Readers"
by Wendell Berry
Do not think me gentle
because I speak in praise
of gentleness, or elegant
because I honor the grace
that keeps this world. I am
a man crude as any,
gross of speech, intolerant,
stubborn, angry, full
of fits and furies. That I
may have spoken well
at times, is not natural.
A wonder is what it is.
A quote for the day:
"The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority."
Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.
Monday, January 19, 2009
A Journey in This Day
I've enjoyed the poetry of Wendell Berry for many years. The Kentucky farmer, professor, and poet/writer speaks to my heart and life with his rural imagery, his turn of phrase, and his keen life observations using the everyday setting and circumstances of his home which he knows so well.
"Traveling at Home"
From A Part
Even in a country you know by heart
it's hard to go the same way twice.
The life of the going changes.
The chances change and make a new way.
Any tree or stone or bird
Can be the bud of a new direction. The
natural correction is to make intent
of accident. To get back before dark
is the art of going.
Quote for the day:
"If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live."
Martin Luther King, Jr., speech, Detroit, Michigan, June 23, 1963.
"Traveling at Home"
From A Part
Even in a country you know by heart
it's hard to go the same way twice.
The life of the going changes.
The chances change and make a new way.
Any tree or stone or bird
Can be the bud of a new direction. The
natural correction is to make intent
of accident. To get back before dark
is the art of going.
Quote for the day:
"If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live."
Martin Luther King, Jr., speech, Detroit, Michigan, June 23, 1963.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
"Talking One Another Into Things"
I seldom find much from a bishop that catches my attention. I'm pleased to find this exception.
Here's an excerpt:
"Then it dawned on me. What I need most out of a covenant learning community are trusted colleagues who are willing to talk me into things. When I’m mulling over various options and have a notion of what needs to happen, I need someone to push me forward, to say 'go for it!' When I’m counting the cost and measuring the resistance, I need trusted friends who say, 'Be bold and audacious. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Take the risk. Don’t play it too safe. Just do it!'"
http://www.fivepractices.org/detail.asp?pkvalue=320&pageid=14
Here's an excerpt:
"Then it dawned on me. What I need most out of a covenant learning community are trusted colleagues who are willing to talk me into things. When I’m mulling over various options and have a notion of what needs to happen, I need someone to push me forward, to say 'go for it!' When I’m counting the cost and measuring the resistance, I need trusted friends who say, 'Be bold and audacious. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Take the risk. Don’t play it too safe. Just do it!'"
http://www.fivepractices.org/detail.asp?pkvalue=320&pageid=14
Saturday, January 17, 2009
True Celebration of MLK Day
I'm curious if anyone celebrates a day for MLK by serving in the community? If you are looking for that let me know and I can hook you up Monday. After all, our dreams and our actions work hand in hand. What better way to pay tribute to MLK than to usher in the reality?!
I recall a guy at grad school who would open his apartment window that overlooked the center of campus and he'd replay some of MLK's greatest speeches. Imagine walking to campus with a focus on class, the assignment you didn't read, your own little world, and having words echo through the open campus disrupting your individual march:
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I recall a guy at grad school who would open his apartment window that overlooked the center of campus and he'd replay some of MLK's greatest speeches. Imagine walking to campus with a focus on class, the assignment you didn't read, your own little world, and having words echo through the open campus disrupting your individual march:
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
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