We're one
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other
- U2, One
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Dirt
Coming up at Point Loma is a "theology on tap" discussion about the question "does God have a plan?" I've been thinking about it a lot because I don't really think I understand the significance of the question. I don't like it too much. To me it seems regardless of the answer to that question, we have to live and make choices. In my experience God hasn't given me a lot of insight into the specifics of this "plan" before I live it, and I find he cares more about the way that I live than the what that I live. He tells me the way more than the what.
However, certain pericapies (yes!) in the Bible seem to show that who and what we are is kind of out of our hands. That's discouraging to me, especially when I read the parable of the sower and I start to think about which dirt I am. We are the dirt in that parable right? That's what I thought. Anyway, if I am the dirt with the thorns, I'm not too happy about that. But I don't really know how to go about changing that. I really want to be good dirt, however my life has shown that I definitely am a little thorny. ha. What I mean is in the past, the worries, pleasures, and greed in the world get in the way of the growth of the word of God in my life. And I feel like I have seen people who are good dirt, and I'm not like them. If I'm stuck being throny dirt I'm pissed.
Jesus, what's your point, why would you even tell us this parable if we had no hope of change. Can I be good dirt?
However, certain pericapies (yes!) in the Bible seem to show that who and what we are is kind of out of our hands. That's discouraging to me, especially when I read the parable of the sower and I start to think about which dirt I am. We are the dirt in that parable right? That's what I thought. Anyway, if I am the dirt with the thorns, I'm not too happy about that. But I don't really know how to go about changing that. I really want to be good dirt, however my life has shown that I definitely am a little thorny. ha. What I mean is in the past, the worries, pleasures, and greed in the world get in the way of the growth of the word of God in my life. And I feel like I have seen people who are good dirt, and I'm not like them. If I'm stuck being throny dirt I'm pissed.
Jesus, what's your point, why would you even tell us this parable if we had no hope of change. Can I be good dirt?
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Homelessness is the new Africa, except a hell of a lot cheaper
It seems to be the trend nowadays. Maybe it's not a trend, but a revolution (or maybe its a trend brought on by someone else's Revolution--sorry, i couldn't resist making that reference...it was Irresistible...ha. maybe only i thought that was funny, but that's ok because that makes up 33% of the people who will read this) Anyway, yes homelessness. I had a long meeting with Becky Modesto yesterday about bread of life and homeless ministry. We talked about ways to handle all the eagerness to get involved. The thing is, having all the people who want to be involved is kind of overwhelming because homelessness is a very fragile thing, and its quite rude to think that just because you bring a few PB&J's and the best intentions you have the right to come into someone's living space and stay awhile. Oh crap, did I just convict myself?
In response to all the interest, we (some really spiritual people with leadership positions) are going to be taking steps to educate the point loma community (get over it) about homeless ministry. During my meeting with Beck-dawg she asked me if I found any unexpected prejudices while doing ministry. As much as I hate this, I really do have prejudice against the point loma community. I have a lot of doubt about the sincerity of this sudden interest in homelessness. I don't think people realize the commitment that homeless ministry takes and I only say that because I am only starting to realize it. In homeless ministry we don't minister to the homeless, we minister to homeless people, ideally. Ahh I'm getting frustrated writing this because I don't understand anything this paragraph is done.
Well actually what I really wanted to say was that if I really cared about homeless ministry, I think I would get really excited about all the sudden enthusiasm of homeless outreach. After all didn't Paul say that the important thing is, whether from false motives or true, that the word of God is preached? And how can I judge people's motives without even giving them a chance. I hope that in the future I can have more faith in point loma and ultimately more faith in God and his work in the ministry. I hope that I can look past my doubts and concentrate on the opportunities we have. We are the church and we should be in this together and I really don't want my prejudice to get in the way of God's justice. I know that none of us really know how to do good homeless ministry, but we can learn if we are taught.
In response to all the interest, we (some really spiritual people with leadership positions) are going to be taking steps to educate the point loma community (get over it) about homeless ministry. During my meeting with Beck-dawg she asked me if I found any unexpected prejudices while doing ministry. As much as I hate this, I really do have prejudice against the point loma community. I have a lot of doubt about the sincerity of this sudden interest in homelessness. I don't think people realize the commitment that homeless ministry takes and I only say that because I am only starting to realize it. In homeless ministry we don't minister to the homeless, we minister to homeless people, ideally. Ahh I'm getting frustrated writing this because I don't understand anything this paragraph is done.
Well actually what I really wanted to say was that if I really cared about homeless ministry, I think I would get really excited about all the sudden enthusiasm of homeless outreach. After all didn't Paul say that the important thing is, whether from false motives or true, that the word of God is preached? And how can I judge people's motives without even giving them a chance. I hope that in the future I can have more faith in point loma and ultimately more faith in God and his work in the ministry. I hope that I can look past my doubts and concentrate on the opportunities we have. We are the church and we should be in this together and I really don't want my prejudice to get in the way of God's justice. I know that none of us really know how to do good homeless ministry, but we can learn if we are taught.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Ok so here's an email that I wrote to a couple of profs on campus. Not all of them replied and none of them replied in great detail, but I still found it interesting. Check it out:
Hi,
A friend and I have been talking lately about how our options (as Christians) for ministry and our ideas for hope and change are limited by our rules and assumptions as Americans. In our discussion we started talking about passages in the Bible like those found in Romans 13:1-7. Can statements like, “there is no authority except that which God has established” be applied to our government today? What responsibilities (if any) do we have as citizens to the American government? To what extent are we to let the laws of the land determine our actions (especially when these laws limit ministry opportunities)? Obviously these aren’t easy questions to answer, but I assume you all have had to come to some sort response to these struggles. Hopefully in getting multiple responses, my friend and I will be able to come to some sort of conclusion. Thanks.
Maddie Flaig
Soph. nursing major
Hello Mary. I suppose if it applies to the US, then it must also apply to Iran, North Korea, the former Iraq, and so on.
There is much, much more that can be said about all this -- and I'd be happy to meet with you (and/or your friends), but just can't type all that out right now. Suffice it to say that, as far as I'm concerned, the Church is our most fundamental social / political identity, and it is not subject to human boundaries, borders, languages, etc. I do not believe at all that being a Christian obliges us to be unquestioning supporters of our country -- and that in fact it will always move us toward resistance against collapsing Christianity into national identity / support.
Dr Lodahl
Maddie,
Good to hear from you. Wow. This is a big question (and a really good one!). Of course, much too big to give a quick answer to. Let me at least suggest an important starting point for the scripture texts angle. As a biblical scholar, I would want to put on the table that all of our consideration of biblical passages like the Romans one must begin by thinking about them in context. What was the context of Paul's statements there? Why does he say them? This is important because, as you know, we do not simply take whatever the Bible says and apply it directly to our situation (ex: women covering their heads in church!). So, we should not feel like such passages demand that we give a certainly loyalty to a government, especially when such a government is acting in ways that are clearly out of keeping with the messages of love and forgiveness found in the Gospel.
Does that help any?
Thanks for thinking about this stuff!
Best,
Dr. Kelle
Maddie,
Since I do not know you or the context of your question I can only reply in general terms (but will be happy to be more specific if you want to talk in detail).
Does Romans 13 apply today?--Yes. If it was true for the Roman dictatorship, it is certainly true for the U.S. By the way, when I lived in the USSR in the 1980's Christians there also recognized that it applied to their government.
Of course, there is always the great Acts 4:19-20 qualification--all Christians recognize that the laws of God are superior to the laws of man.
Blessings on you as you wrestle with these issues.
Prof Wood
Hi,
A friend and I have been talking lately about how our options (as Christians) for ministry and our ideas for hope and change are limited by our rules and assumptions as Americans. In our discussion we started talking about passages in the Bible like those found in Romans 13:1-7. Can statements like, “there is no authority except that which God has established” be applied to our government today? What responsibilities (if any) do we have as citizens to the American government? To what extent are we to let the laws of the land determine our actions (especially when these laws limit ministry opportunities)? Obviously these aren’t easy questions to answer, but I assume you all have had to come to some sort response to these struggles. Hopefully in getting multiple responses, my friend and I will be able to come to some sort of conclusion. Thanks.
Maddie Flaig
Soph. nursing major
Hello Mary. I suppose if it applies to the US, then it must also apply to Iran, North Korea, the former Iraq, and so on.
There is much, much more that can be said about all this -- and I'd be happy to meet with you (and/or your friends), but just can't type all that out right now. Suffice it to say that, as far as I'm concerned, the Church is our most fundamental social / political identity, and it is not subject to human boundaries, borders, languages, etc. I do not believe at all that being a Christian obliges us to be unquestioning supporters of our country -- and that in fact it will always move us toward resistance against collapsing Christianity into national identity / support.
Dr Lodahl
Maddie,
Good to hear from you. Wow. This is a big question (and a really good one!). Of course, much too big to give a quick answer to. Let me at least suggest an important starting point for the scripture texts angle. As a biblical scholar, I would want to put on the table that all of our consideration of biblical passages like the Romans one must begin by thinking about them in context. What was the context of Paul's statements there? Why does he say them? This is important because, as you know, we do not simply take whatever the Bible says and apply it directly to our situation (ex: women covering their heads in church!). So, we should not feel like such passages demand that we give a certainly loyalty to a government, especially when such a government is acting in ways that are clearly out of keeping with the messages of love and forgiveness found in the Gospel.
Does that help any?
Thanks for thinking about this stuff!
Best,
Dr. Kelle
Maddie,
Since I do not know you or the context of your question I can only reply in general terms (but will be happy to be more specific if you want to talk in detail).
Does Romans 13 apply today?--Yes. If it was true for the Roman dictatorship, it is certainly true for the U.S. By the way, when I lived in the USSR in the 1980's Christians there also recognized that it applied to their government.
Of course, there is always the great Acts 4:19-20 qualification--all Christians recognize that the laws of God are superior to the laws of man.
Blessings on you as you wrestle with these issues.
Prof Wood
Sunday, October 7, 2007
loving God and loving people
Here's something tough to chew on. So I was talking to Rabbi Jeff today and we came to an interesting realization. I was talking about how hard it is to share my struggles with people even though ideally I should be able to rely on God's worth in me enough to not be afraid of what people think of me. If we look for our validation in God then other people's opinions of us shouldn't matter right?
Well Rabbi Jeff thought that idea was misguided. He said that in the same way we love God by loving others, God loves us through the love of others. That its acutally ok to get our validation from others. What a beautiful thought, maybe. Acutally its not because unlike God, people can be nasty to each other without just reason. We can't trust others the way we trust God, right? So then how do we go about putting our hearts in the hands of others?
It seems like we get stuck somewhere on either end. That we either look for love and validation only from God and then we are stuck in the guilt-ridden misery of trying to pretend that we don't care what others think or we are whores to our friends and have no sense of intrinsic worth. I've made no conclusion yet, sorry.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
Well Rabbi Jeff thought that idea was misguided. He said that in the same way we love God by loving others, God loves us through the love of others. That its acutally ok to get our validation from others. What a beautiful thought, maybe. Acutally its not because unlike God, people can be nasty to each other without just reason. We can't trust others the way we trust God, right? So then how do we go about putting our hearts in the hands of others?
It seems like we get stuck somewhere on either end. That we either look for love and validation only from God and then we are stuck in the guilt-ridden misery of trying to pretend that we don't care what others think or we are whores to our friends and have no sense of intrinsic worth. I've made no conclusion yet, sorry.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
Saturday, October 6, 2007
homeless ministry
There are so many people who want to be involved with homeless ministry. Enough that I feel like we could really do something. Maybe we already are. I was talking to a lady last tuesday who said that Point Loma kids had a pretty good reputation on the streets.
Here's a prayer for it (is it really biblical to write prayers on a blog?):
God, I don't want to pretend to be the answer to homelessness. I help me to simply be obeidient to you. Guide me as your hands and feet and help me to see your face in those I touch. Make this path straight. In your son's name. Amen.
Here's a prayer for it (is it really biblical to write prayers on a blog?):
God, I don't want to pretend to be the answer to homelessness. I help me to simply be obeidient to you. Guide me as your hands and feet and help me to see your face in those I touch. Make this path straight. In your son's name. Amen.
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