Pomomusings

#runrevrun Half-Marathon Training Begins Today!

Adam — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:00:11 +0000

Today begins my 12-week training for the American River Parkway Half Marathon. It seemed like a good idea a few weeks ago to sign up for it. It’s on May 1, just about 2.5 weeks after my 30th birthday. The last time I ran a race it was a 5k and I’m pretty sure I was in 5th grade. I remember doing pretty well – but…that was about 20 years ago, so…

As I was writing this post, Sarah asked me, “So, 3 weeks would be the 28th, right?” That’s the joke (err, I don’t know if it’s actually a joke, per se) around our house. 3 weeks is about the amount of time that I commit to doing something. I ran for a couple weeks back in August (you can see my stats here) but again, it only lasted a couple weeks. I used my Moleskine PDA for about 3 weeks. And I’m sure Sarah could give you other examples as well.

So, this is 12 weeks. I’m using a variation of Hal Higdon’s half-marathon training: it involves running, cross-training, strength and stretching and…rest. It looks slightly intimidating – but also doable. I think I’ll be running the Diablo Trails Challenge 5k on March 20 and I’m trying to find a 10k on April 10th that I can run locally. Hopefully between the training and getting some actual racing experience in, I’ll be ready to drive up to Sacramento on April 30 and run the half-marathon the next morning.

The #runrevrun hashtag used in the title is something that a few folks in ministry started using a few weeks ago. I think part of it is to help with accountability, which is definitely something that I need. I taped up a few of my training schedules around the house for reminders (which is good, because Sarah can see them and remind me of what I need to do each day!) and am going to try and schedule in my runs to help me make sure that I actually do this.

For any of you who have trained for marathons or half-marathons, I’d love to know any tips or helpful advice that you might have. And feel free to check in with me on Facebook and Twitter and see if I’m keeping up with my training.

IntenseDebate Commenting Now Enabled

Adam — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:34:26 +0000

I just wanted to let you know about a recent change here on Pomomusings. I’ve installed the IntenseDebate commenting system onto this blog in the hopes of improving the ability to have discussions here on the blog and to share things from Pomomusings with your other social media platforms.

However, if it’s something that is a hassle or if it’s something that you don’t like the look of (compared to the default WordPress commenting) I probably don’t want to keep it. I only want to keep IntenseDebate if it’s something that will be helpful to all of those who contribute to the discussions here on the blog.

Ordination Update: Finally, A Decision

Adam — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:25:39 +0000

Many of you know that while I had planned on being ordained in December of ‘08 – things didn’t really pan out how I thought they would. It’s been over a year now since it all began – and while I haven’t wanted to rush into a decision concerning next steps, it became more and more clear that I really needed to make a decision. As I saw it, there were many options available to me – including an online ordination petition which over 140 people signed. I received a lot of counsel and advice from family and friends, colleagues, pastors and others. To be honest, there were many times in which I questioned whether even continuing to pursue ordination in the PC(USA) was what God was calling me to.

For the past six months, I’ve been wrestling with this decision. And today, I made a decision to continue with the Presbyterian Church (USA) ordination process.

I know there will be some who cannot understand this decision. Some who I consider close friends. And to be honest, I’m not 100% sure if “I” understand the decision.

As I’ve been attempting to discern where God is calling me, I’ve also been investigating other options. And each time that I would consider other options, there was something that kept pulling me back to being Presbyterian. The most frustrating part of that is that I could not name it. I still can’t name it. Sure there is the whole connectional piece, the vast network of friendships I’ve developed over the past 10+ years of “being Presbyterian” – but I just wasn’t quite sure WHAT it was that kept pulling me back.

And so even amidst that unknowing, I have decided to stick with it. To finish out the process. If all goes according to plan, I will be transferred into the Presbytery of San Francisco as a Candidate, complete three additional educational requirements and some other requirements and hopefully be ordained in the next couple years.

I’m not entirely sure what is drawing me toward the PC(USA). And for now – I’m okay with that. I’m okay with trusting that God is doing something, that God is at work somehow in all of this and that this is the right decision for me.

Will I be frustrated again with the process? With the denomination? With the bureaucracy? You bet! Will I do everything possible in my power to work for change in certain areas if and when I am finally ordained in the PC(USA)? I certainly hope so.

I have had a few meetings with the Presbytery of San Francisco’s CPM and have been impressed with the folks on the committee and they have been very willing to work with me on many areas. And some things are starting to fall into place: I just found out today that I’m eligible for a program at SFTS that will let me take a course for credit for only around $600, which is amazing. Hopefully the financial burden will be considerably less than what I had initially thought would be the case. Though I can say that I’m really not looking forward to more academic work…but, starting Monday I’ll be starting an SFTS Old Testament Prophets course.

For all of you who have been on this journey with me since it began – I have appreciated all your support and care for me this past year. The journey is far from over – but I’m feeling good about this next step.

Remembering: It’s Too Easy to Forget

Adam — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:00:34 +0000

Banksy Graffiti on the Apartheid Wall in the West Bank just outside of Bethlehem

Today I received an email from my buddy Keas Keasler, who is currently on a study trip in the Middle East with Princeton Seminary. The email directed me to a post he wrote entitled “A Pilgrimage (of many sorts) to Israel.” Reading through Keas’s post, as he was exposed to the stories and lives of Palestinians, reminded me of my time spent in Bethlehem and Beit Sahour in the summer of 2005. It seems like such a long time ago and I’m realizing how easy it is to forget. I made friends there. Lived with a family (I recently found out the husband of the couple I lived with passed away a few months ago). I hung out with youth who are probably in their late teens now.

My life went back to normal upon returning to the US. I certainly thought a lot about them…for the first few months. I did a few events on campus at Princeton Seminary…but it was too easy to just let my life slip back into my regular routine and not remember and think about my friends who continued to experience suffering and politically-backed (by both the Israeli and US governments) oppression.

I think there are many readers who have probably experienced similar situations. Perhaps it was a trip to Africa, a mission trip to an extremely impoverished area of Central America, a trip to the Middle East, a trip to Ireland and learning about the conflict there…so often we have these profound experiences where our worldviews our shifted, our “eyes are opened” to suffering around the world and then we struggle with what to do with that newfound information.

Most recently we watch CNN and read the news reports about the massive destruction and rising death tolls in Haiti. It seems that so many folks knew people affected by this tragic earthquake…I spent an hour or so reading news stories today that were simply devastating. So much death – so many people still missing. But what do we do? Sure we text HAITI to 90999 but then we do just go back to our regularly scheduled programming?

Keas’s post – and reading similar things from other friends still more intimately connected to peace and justice work within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – help ground me. They help remind me about my experience and help me remember. If you’re not familiar with the Israeli-Palestinian crisis (and even if you are), I’d recommend giving Keas’s post a read here. I’d also commend the Kairos Palestine Document to you as well. This document comes out of desperation from the Palestinian people. It’s a cry of urgency for a situation that has gone unnoticed by too many in the West:

We, a group of Christian Palestinians, after prayer, reflection and an exchange of opinion, cry out from within the suffering in our country, under the Israeli occupation, with a cry of hope in the absence of all hope, a cry full of prayer and faith in a God ever vigilant, in God’s divine providence for all the inhabitants of this land. Inspired by the mystery of God’s love for all, the mystery of God’s divine presence in the history of all peoples and, in a particular way, in the history of our country, we proclaim our word based on our Christian faith and our sense of Palestinian belonging – a word of faith, hope and love.

Why now? Because today we have reached a dead end in the tragedy of the Palestinian people. The decision-makers content themselves with managing the crisis rather than committing themselves to the serious task of finding a way to resolve it. The hearts of the faithful are filled with pain and with questioning: What is the international community doing? What are the political leaders in Palestine, in Israel and in the Arab world doing? What is the Church doing? The problem is not just a political one. It is a policy in which human beings are destroyed, and this must be of concern to the Church.

We address ourselves to our brothers and sisters, members of our Churches in this land. We call out as Christians and as Palestinians to our religious and political leaders, to our Palestinian society and to the Israeli society, to the international community, and to our Christian brothers and sisters in the Churches around the world.

For me and my call in this world – I need to remember this story. I need to continue to talk about this issue with people I come into contact with. I need to do what I can to continue to bring awareness to this issue…what do you need to remember?

Uncommon iPhone Cases: Create Your Own

Adam — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:25:48 +0000

The above video shows you the new iPhone case that I made at getuncommon.com. These iPhone cases are made by a new company called Uncommon – they’re great because you can create your own case using any image/photo/graphic that you want. The quality of these cases is amazing. Both Sarah and I were VERY impressed with the quality. The website is also a lot of fun to use and create your own designs.

If you’re interested in getting one, I suggest you watch the video above.

Below are the designs that Sarah and I made for our new cases.

Tic Long Returns and Becomes New Executive Director of Youth Specialties

Adam — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:00:52 +0000

Later this morning, Youth Specialties will officially make this announcement, but I wanted you to hear it here at Pomomusings first: Tic Long is now returning to Youth Specialties and will serve as the new Executive Director.

As most of you know, there have been many changes at Youth Specialties in the past year. YouthWorks purchased Youth Specialties on December 16, and while Zondervan will continue to operate the publishing division, YouthWorks is now handling everything else. The other part of the transition that I wasn’t aware of is that now Youth Specialties is operating as a non-profit ministry, instead of a for-profit business. I think that this is a good move and frees YS to be more focused on training, encouraging and supporting folks in youth ministry, rather than being as concerned about money.

And recently, many people have been asking “What’s next at Youth Specialties?” The newest answer to that question is that Tic Long is back. Tic has a long history of over 30 years with Youth Specialties, so he certainly knows what he’s getting (back) into. Tic’s real task is in moving Youth Specialties forward and into new territories – opening YS up to younger voices in youth ministry and empowering a new generation of leaders.

I met Tic at my first NYWC in Sacramento in October of 2002. I think he was walking around with a video camera and asking people about their experiences of the convention so far. We’ve had a few conversations since then and I’ve always found him to be a wonderfully supportive person. He never knew me that well but I got the feeling that he really cared about me, my ministry and God’s call on my life.

I think it’s a great move for Tic Long to come back to serve as the Executive Director and I continue to look forward to what God has in store for YS.

What do you think of this decision to bring Tic back? And what are your hopes for the future ministry of Youth Specialties?

Very Bad Praise Music Lyrics

Adam — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:49:48 +0000

With the recent purchase of a new guitar, and my desire to get back into leading worship and playing my guitar and writing more, I decided it was time to weed through all of the worship music I’ve had on my computer since college and do some categorizing. I made folders (Good Songs, Okay Songs and Bad Songs) and went to work going through them, reading the lyrics, deciding which songs were ones I could sing with integrity & use in congregational worship.

Unfortunately, some of my college favorites made the “Bad Songs” folder, while using the “Okay Songs” folder as a form of purgatory for the ones I wasn’t quite ready to claim as theologically-inappropriate.

While going through the process, I did find some really bad lyrics…many that I’ve sung and used to lead worship in the past…and thought I’d share them with you. Please feel free to share below in the comments some of the lyrics that you find inappropriate-theologically, uber-cheesy or just bad.

Can a nation be changed?
Can a nation be saved?
Can a nation be turned back to you?
We’re on our knees, we’re on our knees again.
Matt Redman – “Can a Nation Be Changed?”

Sure, a nation can be changed…should we sing in worship for our nation to be converted and “saved” and turned back to you? There is the implicit understanding that our nation (while Matt Redman was probably referring to the UK) was previously a “Christian” nation and that everything would be better if it returned to such a state. Not so.

You are my desire, no one else will do
‘Cause nothing else could take your place
To feel the warmth of your embrace
Kelly Carpenter - “Draw Me Close”

Yes…I love me some warm embraces from Jesus. No one else can fulfill that desire…

Friend of sinners, Lord of truth
I am falling in love with you
Friend of sinners, Lord of truth
I have fallen in love with you
Matt Redman – “Friend of Sinners”

Matt, as you’ll see below, really loves this “falling into love” motif with Jesus. Some of his stuff is the strongest “Jesus is my boyfriend and I love him more than anything” type of praise music out there…good stuff.

You call me child and I’ll call you Father
Kisses from heaven of joy and laughter
…
I want to lavish my love on you, Jesus.
David Harper – “I Want to Lavish”

I really don’t know exactly what it looks like to lavish your love upon Jesus…but, this could just be me, but I don’t know that Jesus really needs us to lavish our love on him…I think he’s probably doing just fine. But hey – that could just be me.

In the secret, in the quiet place
In the stillness, you are there
In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait only for you
‘Cause I want to know you more
I want to touch you, I want to see your face
I want to know you more
Andy Park – “In the Secret”

Andy, Andy…oh Andy. Did you read these lyrics before you published this song? Did you think about the fact that talking about finding Jesus in a secret, quiet place, and talking about touching him in that secret, quiet place might have some unfortunate connotations. Let alone the whole “Jesus is my boyfriend & I really, really love him” type of song – the sexual overtones are just a little much…but maybe that’s just me.

The nails in your hands
the nails in your feet
They tell me how much you love me.
The thorns on your brow
They show me how
You bore so much shame to love me.
Richard Cimino – “The Nails in Your Hands”

In addition to “Jesus as my girlfriend” songs – songs about the cross also have some pretty bad theology. Is it true that the only way we know about Christ’s love is through the blood, nails and the thorns on Christ’s brow? And why do we sing songs that are so “happy” sounding about something that was such a brutal and vicious death?

The simplest of all love songs
I want to bring to you
So I’ll let my words be few
Jesus, I am so in love with you.
Matt & Beth Redman – “Let My Words Be Few”

Finally…I don’t know much about how Matt writes his songs…but it seems like maybe he needed a quick one to finish out an album, and he figured, “Hey, I have a little love note that I wrote to Beth once…..maybe I could just pull that out, and stick Jesus’ name in there.” Beth had to give approval, hence she’s listed as the co-author…that seems to work pretty well. Now I just need to find some old emails to Sarah…or better yet, some of those 20 pages “love” letters I wrote to Shannon in 8th grade. A few E-A-B and G-C-D chord progressions, and I might have the next hottest worship album.

What do you think are some of the worst lyrics you’ve sung in worship & praise music…? Please share below…

My First Pair of Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars

Adam — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:00:04 +0000

Update: So, after wearing the low-top laceless Converse All Stars, I realized that my feet just didn’t work too well with that shoe. I need some more support and those shoes just weren’t giving me that. So I went back and exchanged them for a pair of Chuck Taylor hi-tops with laces. I’m currently trying them with some orthotics in them and they feel great! Plus it’s kind of fun to have hi-tops again. I’m very pleased with this pair.

I’ve wanted a pair of Chuck Taylor All Stars since I was in middle school. I never got them then. And then I wanted some in high school – but still didn’t get them for some reason. Then in college, I thought about it again. And I think I went out looking for them one day but just didn’t get around to buying them – don’t know why.

So, when I got the urge this time, I went for it. I just decided, “I want to own a pair of Chuck Taylor All Stars SOMETIME, so it might as well be now.”

However, Sarah thinks they’re a little bit ridiculous. She says if I were tall & lanky, I could pull them off (skinny jeans would probably help as well). But I’m not tall and lanky…and I’m not in high school anymore – but dang it, I have my Chuck Taylor All Stars now.

They are a very comfortable shoe – and it’s not that wearing them makes me feel like I’m back in high school…I’m not sure entirely sure what it is, but I just really like them. They’re fun shoes. And they kind of make me take myself a little less serious…which is probably a good thing for everyone.

Is there something that you always wanted to get when you were younger? Did you get it? Why not…? And if not – why not get it now?

Sex & Youth Ministry

Adam — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:00:16 +0000

Sex and youth ministry. Not necessarily words that normally go together, right? I’d say it’s pretty safe to say that as a whole, we’ve really let our youth down when it comes to talking about sex at church. Before seminary, I served as the Director of Youth Ministries at a small church, and I can pretty safely say that we talked about sex once. One time. In two years.

I’m currently on year two in my current position as Minister for Youth & Young Adults, and while we talked about sex for one month during Sunday School, that’s still only four times in over a year and a half. Four times. I wonder if they are getting information about sex from other sources throughout their weeks? I’d guess that they hear TONS of wrong/bad/unhelpful/unsafe information about sex at school – a lot more than four times a day…

Part of our problem with not wanting to talk about sex in church is that many of us aren’t quite sure what to say. We aren’t sure we did everything right, we aren’t sure that we “know enough” to share with the young people in our churches…we have many good excuses.

And let’s be honest…most of the Christian sex curriculum out there…well, it’s pretty bad. Some of it downright sucks. And perhaps that’s just another good excuse.

So, what’s the answer? Take all of our kids to a True Love Waits event and have them make the True Love Waits pledge?

“Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends, my future mate, and my future children to a lifetime of purity including sexual abstinence from this day until the day I enter a biblical marriage relationship.”

I’m pretty sure that’s not the answer…even though I did take the pledge once when I was at Nazarene Youth Congress in 1995.

If True Love Waits and other abstinence-only focused sexuality programs aren’t the answer, what is…? Unfortunately, I don’t know that I have the answer – but I do have a lot of questions:

How do we best talk with the youth in our programs about sex & sexuality?
How do we live lives that are examples of healthy sexualities for our youth?
And what should our expectations REALLY be in this area when we really only see them for a couple hours out of their busy weeks?
Is the church really the place that youth should be getting information about sex/sexuality? Surely it should be a place where they feel safe to ask questions and a place where they feel it’s okay to talk about sex – but is it the primary place they should be relying upon?

I’d love to hear some of your questions – or if you have any thoughts on this issue, please share in the comments below.

Virtual Community IS Community – RIP @gideony

Adam — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:56:32 +0000

As I finished lunch this past Wednesday, I was checking tweets and saw the above tweet from Bruce Reyes-Chow. Then I started doing some searching through hashtags and people’s tweets, and realized that the news was in fact true: fellow emergent church blogger Gideon Addington had taken his own life.

I didn’t know Gideon personally. I was familiar with his name, we were friends on Facebook through some hyphenmergent connections, and he was following me on Twitter. One thing that is extremely evident after his death is how well-connected he was to so many people all around the world through Twitter/Facebook/Skype and other social media tools.

Gideon’s deep online interactions with people from so many diverse backgrounds is a testament to the man that he was. You can find some personal reflections by folks who knew him in a variety of different ways here, here, here and here. The outpouring of grief, broken hearts, concerns for family and so much more from his online community of virtual friends was overwhelming – and still continues today as there is a #tworship (Twitter Worship) memorial service reflecting on and celebrating the life of #gideony today (from 9am – 9pm PST).

One tweet that stood out to me in all of the sadness and grief of such a tragic situation was from @jonfogle:

Anyone complaining about the superficiality of social networking, e.g. Twitter, wasn’t paying attention today. #gideony

Indeed, there are many who have said that virtual community is NOT real community. And while I understand why some come to that conclusion, and while I would hope that virtual community doesn’t one day become a substitute for the physicality of face-to-face conversations and community, it continues to become more and more evident to me that virtual community IS community. Sure it looks different, it feels different, there are different dynamics involved – but it IS community.

In light of Gideon’s suicide, there are so many people angry, devastated, upset, wondering why…and a large percent of these people are friends of his – virtual friends – who have never been in the same room as him. But these deep relationships have been created and maintained and deepened through Twitter. Yes, Twitter. And Facebook chats…and Skype conversations, and blog posts and all of the things that make up our social media world today.

I grieve the loss of Gideon Addington and the fact that I didn’t get to know him more – whether in person or online. I will pray for his family and all of those whose lives were touched by Gideon.

Faith on Campus Video Contest

Adam — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:07 +0000

Patheos has launched a video contest called the Faith on Campus video contest on their website. It’s being put on in partnership with Washington Post’s On Faith Website. It looks like a really sweet video contest, and the winning entry will win $2,500.

There are three categories that the video must fall into:

“Why I Am A _______ ” (Christian, Jew, Muslim, Atheist, etc.)
“How I Live My Faith On Campus”
“Rituals & Practices Of My Faith”

There have already been some great entries which you can watch here. Patheos is hoping that will be a “fun and exciting opportunity for college and seminary students of all faith traditions to share their faith in a creative way with the world.”

Well – you heard them – get your friends together at school and come up with some great videos entries!

A Theological Statement for Your Critique

Adam — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:01:57 +0000

I recently ran across the following theological statement that belongs to a denomination in the United States. I simply offer it to you for your critique, feedback and thoughts. What do you like about it? What does it offer? What is it lacking? Is this something you could stand behind?

“The [insert Denomination Name] acknowledges as its sole head, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior. It acknowledges as kindred in Christ all who share in this confession. It looks to the Word of God in the Scriptures, and to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, to prosper its creative and redemptive work in the world. It claims as its own the faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds and reclaimed in the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers. It affirms the responsibility of the Church in each generation to make this faith its own in reality of worship, in honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God. In accordance with the teaching of our Lord and the practice prevailing among evangelical Christians, it recognizes two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion.”

While I know you could just google a phrase of this and find out what denomination it is – I’d rather you simply critique it and offer your thoughts without knowing what denomination is behind this statement.

Brian Kershisnik’s “Nativity”

Adam — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:01:14 +0000

Last year around Christmas, I ran across this piece of artwork on Don Miller’s blog. The piece of art is called “Nativity” and the artist is Brian Kershisnik (click on the above image for a more detailed version). I think it is a simply brilliant piece – there is so much I love about it. If you want to get two extremely detailed close-ups of this piece, check out this shot and this one.

First there is the expression on Joseph’s face. Maybe he’s exhausted…maybe he just doesn’t quite know what to do next…or maybe he is so overwhelmed by the realization of what the birth of his baby boy might mean for the future of the world. And then there is Mary – simply caring for her newborn baby boy.

But the most amazing part of this image is the host of angels that are seen to the left, above and to the right of the new family. They obviously take up the majority of the canvas of this image, and their progression is worth noting. On the left, we see anticipation, joy, shock, awe and wonder at what is happening. They are looking around, talking with one another, speaking and singing and praying in bewilderment. One possible interpretation is that these angels portray the anticipation and expectation that occurs during the season of Advent.

However, as they get closer to the Christ-child, they can’t take their eyes off of him. They are wholly worshipping. This is the Christian church as we celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas.

And yet – the angels don’t stay at the manger. They don’t stay at the Nativity scene – they take off. The movement in this image is both toward the baby boy, but then outward and beyond into the world. The angels do worship, but they continue moving on – moving on to share the Good News of the birth, the Good News that has now come to the world. The coming of the Messiah. We see the angels lifting their heads and voices up to the heavens, proclaiming.

As followers in the way of Jesus during the Season of Advent, we wait…we wait in expectant hope. Then, we worship the newborn child. And finally we go out to proclaim.

An Advent Meditation by Danielle Shroyer

Adam — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 07:01:39 +0000

At its heart, the season of Advent is a four-week declaration that the God we follow has decided to be Emmanuel, God-with-us. This is not particular to Advent, as much of Scripture’s story tells us this same important truth. God was with Abraham and Sarah as they embarked into unfamiliar terrain toward a new promised land. God was with the people of Israel as they wandered the wilderness for forty years. God was with the scattered people of God during the time of Babylonian captivity even after Jerusalem’s Temple, a sign of God’s presence, was destroyed. God was with those three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fire, and with Daniel in the lion’s den. We proclaim God is with us because that has been God’s promise to us all along. In the Ark that traveled with us, in the Shekinah that gave light to our path, in the tablets that spoke commandments of life and at the altar where reconciliation was restored, God has been with us.

During Advent, we find ourselves declaring this age-old promise has come to us once again, this time through the rather insane idea that God has decided to become human, of all things. We had become comfortably accustomed to pillars of smoke and fire and a curtained-off Holy of Holies that smelled of incense. We were familiar with God being inside the traveling tabernacle at a safe and manageable distance from our own tents and living quarters. We enjoyed having holy people who would go in the Temple and do the holy things so that we could go about our business and catch the recap.

And then God had to go and make Godself known through the face of a newborn baby, vulnerable and utterly reliant upon human hands. God had to get born right in the middle of a population-saturated city- in a barn, of all places, which is no place for incense and gold plated goblets and fine robes. The barn is where you go to do your work—your dung-slinging work, your hay-bailing work, your messy calf-birthing work. The barn is where you wear the clothes you’d otherwise not be seen in, your hair mussed and smelling not-so-lightly of sheep.

God being with us, until now, seemed such a valiant, victorious kind of affair, like the character in the movie who arrives upon the hill just as the battle/love skirmish seemed lost. Glad as we were to see it, we expected as much. But now God has infiltrated that which we have quarantined the most—the mundane, everyday-ness of things, the space where we actually live our lives and think our thoughts and do our barn-like dirty work. God has become the guest who has arrived at our house when the sheets are dirty, the dishes are piled in the sink and the carpet looks like Fido has brought in fifteen of his friends for a spa day. Not to mention, we have not a THING on hand in the fridge.

We prefer to have a day’s notice for visits like this. We’d like the boundary of the holy to be clearly marked so that we can come toward it only when we feel ready—and also only when we feel like making the trip from our “real lives” over to that fancy, curtain-tastic tent where God lives.

At Advent, we do our best to prepare for the God who knows no boundaries to come and infiltrate all those places that are not company-ready, those places we have wanted for our own, those places we have tried to keep as holy buffer. But if there’s anything we ought to know by now, it’s that God is pretty insistent about this promise. God has decided to be God with us, even when we’re slinging dung in the barn.

*******************************************************************

I’ve heard some really great things about Danielle’s new book, The Boundary-Breaking God: An Unfolding Story of Hope and Promise. While I haven’t had the chance to read it myself, if Jürgen Moltmann sings such praise about the book, it’s bound to be great:

“I am more than grateful for this book by Danielle Shroyer. It is not only, it is also beautiful to live with God’s promise in the heart and God’s enlarging horizon before your eyes. The Boundary-Breaking God is full of memorable stories and quotable sentences, going with us as faithful companions.” (Jürgen Moltmann)

Shroyer was very highly shaped by Moltmann’s theology while in seminary, and you can find Moltmann-theology all through the book – it’s a very hope-filled book. Through this book, Shroyer shares a portrait of Christianity “as a way of life that has always found its meaning on the margins of society. And, in reaching toward the margins, the entire story of God expands to include all of creation.”

I’m looking forward to reading this book over the Christmas break – but I have flipped through it enough to know that it’s going to be a good one. If you’re interested, you can check it out here.

A Hidden Wholeness: A Review

iPhoneographi.es

Adam — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:58:04 +0000

Just wanted to point you to a new site that I’ve just launched called iPhoneographi.es. iPhoneographi.es showcases some of the best in iPhone photography: iPhoneography. This site is inspired both by Chase Jarvis’s idea that “the best camera is the one that’s with you” and Spencer Burke’s concept of monotation.

I recently started experimenting more with the shooting capabilities of my iPhone 3Gs 3 megapixel camera, plus some iPhone image-editing apps, and I was really digging the results I was producing. So I decided to start working more on my iPhoneography. Right now, the photos on iPhoneographi.es are only mine – but in the future, I hope to take submissions as well. If you’re into photography, go check it out. You can grab the RSS feed (which has a few issues I’m still working on) here.

The Rhetorical Function of Geographical Space and Movement in Nationalist Narrative Fiction

Adam — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:25:57 +0000

I just asked my wife, Sarah, what I should blog about, and she said I should write about The Rhetorical Function of Geographical Space and Movement in Nationalist Narrative Fiction. Now, it’s quite possible that she wanted ME to write about this because this is the title of her 30 page paper she’s working on for a class in her PhD program. You know how they say that if you’re a young married couple, babysitting someone’s kids is one of the best forms of birth-control? Well, that’s kind of what it’s like to be married to a PhD student. While I may have had ideas before of maybe, someday wanting to get a PhD, being married to a PhD student has cured me of any such desires in the future. No WAY.

So, I will not be writing about The Rhetorical Function of Geographical Space and Movement in Nationalist Narrative Fiction. I know, that must upset some of you. But I will try and get Sarah to post her paper when she’s done so you can all read it.

But…I do seem to have writer’s block. I don’t have any problems coming up with photos to share on my AdamWC.me site, and I’m really having fun getting into some iPhone photography at the moment. But as far as the written word is concerned…I seem to be struggling a bit to come up with anything I want to share. And the few things I’d love to write about…well, I probably shouldn’t. What do you all do when you have writer’s block? Sit down and just do some stream of consciousness? Wait around for something to just strike your fancy? Forget about it and just move on, and wait for inspiration?

I’d invite you to share some of your ideas for getting past times when you couldn’t think of anything to write or blog about below.

Introducing the Credo Blog Series

The Teaching of the Twelve: Chapter 1

Adam — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:01:18 +0000

I’m happy to be a part of the blog tour for Tony Jones’s new book, The Teaching of the Twelve: Believing & Practicing the Primitive Christianity of the Ancient Didache Community. I have just a few comments on the first chapter, and you can also read some more comments on the first chapter by Thomas Turner of Everyday Liturgy (Tony shares some on the 1st chapter too here).

I think I fall in the category of persons who had heard a little about The Didache, but couldn’t tell you much more than the fact that it was an early document in the Christian church. If you want a quick primer, Tony provides this short description here:

If you don’t know what the Didache is, it is an early Christian document, only rediscovered in 1873 in a dusty library in Nicomedia. At first, many considered it a forgery, but it was quickly determined to be authentic and attested in other ancient documents. Some scholars date it early 2nd century, but there’s a growing consensus that it’s earlier than that. I date it between 50 and 70 CE, contemporaneous with Paul’s letters and before the Gospels.

What I think I found most interesting was when Tony points out the information about the dating of the Didache. As Tony mentioned above, while there is currently still some debate on the issue, it’s most likely written around the time of the Gospels and as Tony mentions in the book, “the Didache records a Christianity seemingly unfamiliar with the theology and writings of the Apostle Paul” (1).

So many times when looking at Christian theology, some folks go straight to Paul (when I was in college, any theological question could be answered by someone going to Romans to see what Paul said). But what was it like to live in a pre-Pauline time? How did followers of the Way of Jesus make sense of their faith and their call to live in a kingdom way before Paul? Perhaps the Didache is one of the documents that can help give us a sense of what that kind of faith-filled life might have looked like.

Finally, I was also interested when Tony wrote that:

“…the Didache contains to mention of clergy or priesthood, nor does it grant bishops ecclesiastical authority, so it wouldn’t have been a very popular book for the burgeoning church hierarchy in the fourth and fifth centuries” (9).

In an age where many are saying we need to get rid of the clergy-laity divide, or at the very least, rethink what that relationship looks like in a flattened world, it will be interesting to see how the Didache handles questions about leadership and authority in the church – or if it even does address any of those questions.

I think it’s great that Tony has taken the time to look into this very important and little book. And I think it will be interesting to read the other persons’s thoughts who are on this blog tour of Tony Jones’s The Teaching of the Twelve. I hope you will pick up a copy for yourself (they make great stocking stuffers!) and join in the conversation.

Transforming Christian Theology: A Review

Adam — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:15:21 +0000

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being asked to present at the “Theology after Google” national conference taking place at the Claremont School of Theology March 10-12. I will share more in the future about what I’ll be presenting, but it is going to be a really wonderful event. The event is part of the Transforming Theology project that Philip Clayton directs. I picked up Philip’s new book, “Transforming Christian Theology: For Church and Society” a few weeks ago, and think it’s an incredibly important and timely book for those of us who find ourselves hoping and working for a progressive Christianity. Philip wrote the book in collaboration with Homebrewed Christianity’s Tripp Fuller – but since I don’t know who wrote which parts, I’ll just be referring to Clayton as the author – though I’m sure Tripp spent a lot of time on the book as well.

I should preface this by saying I heard Philip Clayton read a paper at the Center of Theological Inquiry a few years back, and while there were parts that I really liked – for the most part, I found it to be way beyond me. Sarah and I both spoke with Philip afterward and really enjoyed our conversation; I walked away both very impressed by Philip as a person and a little intimidated by him as a scholar.

So, I found it incredibly interesting that Clayton says this book marks a departure for him of writing theology that is only for the “specialists.” Because of his new understanding of what theology is, more specifically who should be doing theology, he can no longer publish the types of book he had previously been publishing:

“The second step in my transformation is to walk the talk, which means that I must also change how I communicate my reflections on Christian belief and identity. I can no longer publish theology books that are written primarily for specialists. From now on I must write for a broader audience, one that includes ordinary people who are eager to speak clearly and passionately about their faith–and those who are struggling to find out exactly what in the Christian story they really do care passionately about. In this regard, my last book [Adventures in the Spirit: God, World, Divine Action, 2008] represents the end of one era for me, and this book heralds the beginning of the next. Perhaps this will irritate academic theologians and there may be backlash.”

In the book, Clayton walks through three different parts: Theology for an Age of Transition, Theologies That Can Transform the Church, and Theologies That Can Transform Society. One thing I noticed throughout this book is a strong pragmatic bent to it – and Clayton mentions that quite often about the postmodern turn to belief. Theologies today need to work. I think there is an inherent skepticism in emerging generations today if we have air-tight systematic theologies that just…don’t…work. So, this progressive Christianity theology – whatever it ends up looking like – needs to be a theology that works, a theology that makes sense for the world we live in today and one that can be transforming in our lives and in our society.

There is also a call throughout this book to be about the act of rekindling theological imagination. Sarah would like that, as she is always talking about how so many problems we have today in the world and especially in the church stems from our severe failure of imagination. Clayton poses a challenge to many theologians and seminary professors as so much of our theological education today is merely teaching the theology that has been done in the past – and requiring students (those whom we would hope to be creative theologians/pastors in their own right some day…) to simply regurgitate someone else’s theology. How does that help to develop a rich theological imagination?

I know some readers of this blog are skeptical of anything that has the word “progressive” in front of it, let along progressive Christian theology. Many think it’s some namby-pamby/loosey-goosey type of theology. However, one thing that struck me over and over again was Clayton’s call for being passionate and knowledgeable about our beliefs – for holding deep convictions. The oft-quoted 1 Peter 3:15 (“be ready to make a defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you”) is not so much about having the right argument or being 100% certain and confident about our apologetics, rather Clayton writes:

“Instead, its primary call is to give a self-accounting – that is, to be able to explain our strongest motivations and reasons. To do this, we have to make sense of our own actions and convictions to ourselves first. Only then will we have any chance of making sense to other people…” (63)

Clayton talks about how so many mainline and progressive folks seem to care deeply about social justice concerns – but have a hard time saying “why.” What are our theological reasonings for caring so passionately about social justice? Can we point to a specific aspect of our Christian worldviews? Is there a specific scripture that speaks to us? Just because we are “progressives” – it doesn’t get us off for the folk for also being Christian and being able to individually know why we feel called to certain things.

For Clayton, anyone who identifies her-/himself as Christian should probably at some point work through what he calls the Seven Core Christian Questions. In many ways, this is what I have been doing through my Credo series. The seven questions Clayton believe are important to reflect on have to do with:

Theology: questions about God
Christology: questions about the person of Jesus the Christ
Pneumatology: questions about who the Spirit is
Anthropology: questions about what it means to be human
Soteriology: questions about what salvation is
Ecclesiology: questions about the church
Eschatology: questions about the “last things”

So Clayton’s definition of theology is: theology consists of all attempts to answer these core Christian questions for ourselves in light of the contemporary world.

Finally, I really appreciated Clayton’s reflections on what it means to define oneself as a “progressive.” For clearly, just as any of our fabricated labels, it has many definitions. He argues that it clearly should not be used as just an updated term for “bleeding heart liberal” because there are folk who are evangelical but refer to themselves as progressive evangelicals. He believes “progressive” is a term that splits the difference between conservative and liberal. Clayton writes:

“…if you are a progressive, you will tend to emphasize change and newness in what the church is becoming. You don’t have to hold to the modern doctrine called meliorism, the belief that the world is just getting better and better. But you do think there are some positive things that we can learn from the contemporary world – from science, philosophy, technology, social movements, other religions, and so on. This doesn’t mean that you disvalue the Christian tradition and seek to replace it with something different. But it does imply that you look for and value partnerships between contemporary culture and Christian faith…being progressive does not mean that you wish to reject the past. But it does suggest a greater emphasis on innovation, on openness to change…I will use the term progressive to describe constructive theologies that attempt to transform society.” (122)

And what is progressive Christianity’s mission as the church? Clayton looks to theologian John Cobb and quotes him saying that it is “working with God for the salvation of the world.” Of course – the “salvation of the world” is not some type of colonial desire to “save” everyone and to “civilize the natives” – but rather a more holistic understanding of salvation as both individual and corporate.

This was the first book of Clayton’s that I’ve read, and it’s definitely a very accessible book. I really enjoyed it and think it would have been helpful for me to read as I was starting seminary. If you’re interested in what Clayton’s vision for a progressive Christian theology is – for what a transforming theology might look like and how it interacts with our contemporary world, I’d highly recommend this book.

A Brief Reflection on Lisa Larges’ Approval for Ordination

Adam — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:23:58 +0000

This past Tuesday night, at 660th meeting of the Presbytery of San Francisco, the Presbytery narrowly approved Lisa Larges for ordination. Larges is a lesbian who has sought ordination in the Presbyterian Church (USA) for over 20 years. Presbytery Moderator Chuck Fry wrote the following on the Presbytery’s website:

The Presbytery in its 660th meeting voted in favor of sustaining Lisa Larges in her trials of ordination in preparation for proceeding to ordain her as a minister of word and sacrament. The body demonstrated once again that it is capable of dealing with sensitive and polarizing issues in the context of mutual respect, order and love. Those who were present witnessed the work of the Spirit as together we sought to discern God’s will for this body. May this be a lesson as we proceed with our structural enhancements, altered staffing and refocused priorities for the future. (more here)

It was certainly an historic event to be present for, and while I’ve had my own frustrations with the Presbyterian process, I left the meeting feeling proud of the Presbytery for the decision it made. And while #sfpby never made it as a Twitter trending topic, there was a lot of chatter on Twitter about the meeting, both from many who were at the meeting and from many around the country (and world) who were following the live-updates via Twitter.

For many of you – it will not surprise you to know that I was thrilled that Lisa Larges was finally approved for ordination. I met Lisa for the first time before her examination on Tuesday night, and had never heard her speak before. I was incredibly impressed during her examination with her ability to share her call, the passion with which she spoke about following Christ and her ability to remain calm and collected as person after person got up to question her call, her theology and her commitment to Christ and the scriptures.

The Presbytery of San Francisco is an extremely divided Presbytery and I was present for the last major Presbytery vote when the Presbytery voted against Amendment B. So I was cynically very much expecting a similar vote this time around. However, first the Presbytery voted to allow Lisa’s call to serve as Ministry Coordinator for That All May Freely Serve, and after hours of discussion and conversation, voted to ordain Lisa to that position. I will say that while the Presbytery is so divided, the tenor and tone of the questions and discussion were *for the most part* fairly civil and filled with charity. There were of course exceptions to that, and it was disheartening to hear some of the questions and perceptions of some present.

I guess the thing that kept coming up for me was the folks who were so fearful and threatened by Lisa’s interpretation of scripture. Some of the questions/statements seemed to imply, “Lisa – your interpretation of scripture is CLEARLY different than mine. Thus, your interpretation is wrong – or it’s clear that scripture has no authority for you.” The inability of some to see the possibility for the presence of difference is quite frustrating. Now, obviously, this is something that I (and others who are supportive of Lisa and all other LGBT folk in the church) need to work on as well. Sometimes I can find myself too closed off from hearing others perspectives that I don’t agree with – but when I’m at my best, I hope that I can leave room for that difference as well.

There are some who are probably wondering how the Presbytery of San Francisco could approve the ordination of a lesbian woman, according to our polity. I’ll let the polity wonks out there define it in more detail:

Essentially, Lisa was scrupling G-6.0106b, which has traditionally been used to keep gay and lesbian folk from being able to be ordained. Lisa was able to make a theological case for the fact that it didn’t go against the essentials of Reformed faith and polity, and that she could remain faithful to Christ and the scriptures while acknowledging a departure from this section of our church’s polity. This is all something that is possible to do within our current church polity.

Of course – many knew that the celebration would not last long. There was a large group that disagreed with the Presbytery’s actions last Tuesday, and according to this Press Release:

Enough signatures were collected at the close of the meeting to secure a Stay of Enforcement while a remedial complaint is filed with the Synod of the Pacific Permanent Judicial Commission. Mr. Larges’ ordination cannot take place unless all legal hurdles are overcome, which could take another eighteen months.

This was both expected and very sad. This will put her ordination on hold, will consume many people’s time and energy, and will undoubtedly cost a fair amount of money. It’s unfortunate that some people feel obligated to “protect God’s word” by these types of actions. However, it’s also part of the Presbyterian system that allows for this and makes sure that everyone’s voice is heard. Lisa has been waiting for over 20 years – and while I’m sure she’ll be able to handle this additional time – it’s sad that she is being forced to, especially after the Presbytery has now validated her call to ministry and voted in favor of her ordination.

While the actions to delay her ordination are saddening, I’m still very pleased with the way the Presbytery voted last Tuesday, and I am incredibly impressed with Lisa Larges and the way in which she was able to express herself so candidly, honestly and faithfully during her examination. If you want to read her Statement of Faith, you can find it here. Her statement of departure from G-6.0106b can also be found here.

Talking with someone yesterday, she was remarking that one day her children (both currently in middle school) will look back on situations like this and be so utterly confused what all the fuss was about. I’m confident that one day this will not be an issue that we find ourselves debating about. But it’s just unfortunate that we still have a long way to go until then.