Silent

Decompressing Faith, and it's author Lily, will be off the air tomorrow, April 30, 2007, in observance of the:

Silence can say more than a thousand words.

This day shall unite us all about this unbelievable painful & shocking event and show some respect and love to those who lost their loved ones.

On April 30th 2007, the Blogosphere will hold a One-Day Blog Silence in honor of the victims at Virginia Tech. More then 30 died at the US college massacre.

But it´s not only about them. Many bloggers have responded and asked about all the other victims of our world. All the people who die every day. What about them?

This day can be a symbol of support to all the victims of our world!

All you have to do is spread the word about it and post the graphic on your blog on 30th April 2007. No words and no comments. Just respect, reflect and empathy.

See you Tuesday.

Reading for the Macro, Revisited.

The other day I posted about "Reading for the Macro". I have to say how much I appreciate all the comments and conversation this post has generated. Thanks guys.

One of my new acquaintances, Jamie at More than Stone, liked my post and she referred her friend Marcia at Ants Marching to it. [Wow, I'm always humbled when people link to me.] Marcia left a comment here and I followed her profile to her blog.

This is what I found:

Marcia wrote a post the other day called "Post Belief Christianity", where she said a couple things I really liked.

First, she quotes these paragraphs from the comments of a post at Bible Belt Blogger :

"There is a group of us out there who wish to maintain a historic tie to the Christian church but who find it increasingly difficult to believe in the historical truth of much of the bible, including the gospels.

"Elaine Pagels refers to this as a “post belief” christianity, a christianity that focuses on brotherhood and trying to love God and one’s neighbor without requiring as much belief in the historic bases of christianity as even members of the mainline churches typically have."

Then Marcia goes on to add her own comments:

"Here is what resonates with me about this concept: I make myself crazy trying to figure out the Bible and what it means for how I’m supposed to live.

It’s an archaic book written on scraps of parchment in languages I don’t read, and I’m supposed to take that and make a life of it here in an American suburb."

I can't help but relate.

Awhile back I posted about seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, after having attended the Revolution Conference.

"This afternoon Pam and I visited the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. This was an experience in itself, and I fairly felt like meditating afterwords. To see in person some of these historic and sacred documents was nearly overwhelming. To see in printed script, on a document that is over 2000 years old, the name of God "I AM who I AM" left me speechless.

These archaic documents were breathtaking - but only in the sense that they are so very old and were so painstakingly created. The truth is, I truly was rendered speechless by seeing, in ancient manuscript, the words "I Am who I Am", but I only knew that was what I was seeing because the exhibit told me and pointed it out. They are ancient texts, useful and valuable to us, if for no other reason than to piece together the Bible as it stands today, and as proof that people really did have written holy texts so long ago.

But God doesn't live in the Bible of today any more than He lives in those ancient scrolls. God lives in the people, I think the New Testament made that abundantly clear.

Anyhow, I got to thinking about what Marcia said about how we are supposed to mold our suburban lives around these ancient documents written in languages we don't understand.

I will take that a step further and say we are expected to model our life after the lives of people who lived thousands of years ago, in a different culture in a different part of the world. We are supposed to continue to observe all their cultural observances, we are expected to follow their rules, all because the documents written back then say so.

Is it really as complicated as we make it? Could the Bible's primary purpose be to show us examples of the prime directive, i.e."Love God with all your being and love your neighbor as your self"? Rather than being a set of rules and regulations - I see it more as God saying "In that culture, at that time, this is what that prime directive looked like when walked out. I sent my Son to show these people what Love really was, and I want you to learn from this Holy record. The reality of the prime directive will look different for you in your culture in your time, but these are examples for you to start with."

I see the Bible as a story, showing us what God's Love in His Son looked like to these people. I believe the basics are timeless, i.e. give to the poor, care for the sick, gather for worship and meals, pray; but so much of the specifics are contextual, relevant in that day but not in ours.

Maybe I'm over generalizing, but I'm trying to work it out. Like I said in the original post, I am coming out of 2.5 years of Bible avoidance, and I'm trying to come back into it without all the baggage -I want to find out what the Bible is for me, rather than what people tell me it should be.

This is For Gary

Who today said he'd never heard this song.

Here it is, just in case you haven't had a chance to look it up. Hope it works for ya.

Live Like You Were Dying - Tim McGraw

Orthodoxy: Out there or Here with us?

Thanks to Cindy for pointing to this post by Tony Jones. In it, he is talking about a paper he shared while speaking recently at the Wheaton Theology Conference.

I have to share a quote:

"I'll likely publish a version of that paper somewhere, sometime, so I'm not ready to give it all away here. But, the gist of it was that I said that orthodoxy doesn't "exist." Instead, orthodoxy is an event, in the Derridean/Caputoean sense. That is, orthodoxy happens when human beings get together and practice it (talk about God, worship God, pray to God, write books about God, etc.). There's no orthodoxy somewhere out there that one can point to and say, "See that? That's orthodoxy. That's what we're trying to get to."

I don't have much to say about this except it struck a chord with me.

"Orthodoxy isn't something out there that we can point to, it's something that happens here when we gather together."

Interesting. I'll have to think more on that.

A man walks into a bar...

... just kidding. But I did catch a good one today:

Today on a post at Consumerist about the top banks for online banking, they included this image:



Below the post, in the comments, "B" says:

"I see when the money lenders were thrown out of the temple, they didn't land very far away."

Thought it was funny and relevant.

$10 Airfare

If you haven't already heard, Skybus, which debuted yesterday, is offering $10 truly-no-frills air travel.


Here's the deal: As of now, they operate out of Columbus, Ohio.

They intend to serve smaller, less busy (and therefore less congested) airports, with some airfares starting at $10 each leg each way, plus taxes and fees (which run maybe $10) and the cost of checking your baggage, $5 each for up to two bags per person.

The details:

• You have to book each leg separately. So if I wanted to fly from Bellingham to Ft. Lauderdale, I have to book a flight from Bellingham to Columbus and then from Columbus to Ft. Lauderdale.
• There is no meal service included and no outside food or drink is allowed (what, is this Regal Cinemas?) but food and beverages are available for purchase.
• There is no in-flight entertainment
• If you want a blanket or pillow, you have to pay for it - but you get to keep it.
• There is no assigned seating - it's first come first serve, however you can pay $10 to get priority boarding.
• There is no customer service telephone number (everything is web-based)
• You check your own bags
• You won't see many employees in the airport until the flight is ready to board.

As an example, I could book airfare from Bellingham, Washington to Columbus, Ohio for $10, pay $5 each for two checked bags. Including taxes and fees, my total cost one-way is $40.40 - not a bad deal.

However, for the return trip, booked either as a round-trip or as a stand alone flight, I found my fare to be $50-75, plus $10.40 taxes and fees, and the $5 each to check two bags.

All in all, my round trip cost me about $110, still way cheaper than the competition.

The catch? Only a few seats are offered at $10. Others are $50, $75, $100 and up to $300. So book early.

So far their service is limited, but it seems they do have plans to expand.

What I don't know, being on the west coast, is if they intend to add a west coast hub. I can't see myself flying from Bellingham to Los Angeles through Columbus, even if it is only $10.

The Children of Hurin

I have just read to reviews of the new Tolkien work, 'The Children of Hurin', edited from J.R.R.'s manuscripts by his son, Christopher.

Time.com says:

"The Children of Húrin is a darker, bitterer tale than we're used to seeing from Tolkien. Its hero is proud and imperfect and willful — more Boromir than Frodo — and his story is full of accidents and disasters, poisoned barbs and ruinous betrayals and grievous misunderstandings."

And in a less-corporate review, Scott at Theopraxis says:

"The Children of Húrin is an overwhelming success. I was amazed at the depth of story that the book brings, and my opinion of Túrin has forever been altered.

"...for Tolkien, the chief sin is pride, and it always leads to a fall. Morgoth, Sauron, Fëanor, Turgon, Thingol, the Númenóreans, Saruman, Denethor - I could go on and on. All significant characters brought down by their pride, some of good heart, others of evil, but all marred by hubris.

"...it is front and center, and as a result is a work of profound sorrow and lament. But there is something wholesome about the laments of Tolkien as well, something that mourns for what is lost. It is I believe this grief that makes his work so enduring."

I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.

Reading for the Macro

I was cleaning in my room the other day - well, Thursday, to be exact - and I found something I had forgotten I owned:



It's NLT and almost reads like a novel. I never read much of it, I must have bought it 5 or more years ago and have barely cracked the cover.

When I was a church-junkie, there just never was time for casual Bible reading. My Bible studying time was always to get Bible-study answers or as homework for some class I was taking, or research for some "word" I was working on, or simply because I was in church listening to a sermon.

Never "just because".

I mean, seriously, I spent lots of time "in the word" but always with an agenda - there was always something I needed to accomplish. The Bible is our answer book, I was told. It is our guideline for life. It is our tool, and to know God one must know the Bible. It is the definition of our relationship with God and each other. It is Perfect, Complete, Without Error, and Entirely Inspired. It is Holy. It is God.

OK, I threw in that last sentence. It's a statement most evangelicals would disagree with in theory, even if they agree with it wholeheartedly in practice. Oops.

I have done many kinds of Bible study - I am not inept. I know how to use a lexicon. Strong's and Vine's are my friends. I'm not afraid of Greek.

However, I have to admit, I also am an expert at the art of "magic" exegesis: ask God a question and then open the Bible to a random page, preferably with your eyes closed. Aha! There's your answer. If you don't get the answer you want, then shake ... ahem ... open the Bible again.

I was never told this was wrong, and actually had some leaders tell me it was an acceptable means of God communicating with us.

God-As-Magic-8-ball. (And we're scared of Pagans???)

Here's my problem - I always read the Bible expecting that I should learn something profound, or at least useful. Sometimes I did, more often I didn't. Usually I didn't even understand what I read. And often I was sorely disappointed when I didn't learn anything or gain anything meaningful. This was an endless source of shame, because so many people had told me over the years that if I have the Holy Spirit, the Bible will make sense. If it doesn't, then I'm probably not saved. But the sad truth is ...

I. Just.Did.Not.Get.It.

Not, at least, unless someone else was explaining it. [As I have said before, everything I know about the Bible I learned from Beth Moore.]

Everyone else seemed to learn amazing and profound things if they even left their Bible on their nightstand, like some gift of spiritual osmosis. I did try sleeping with my Bible under my pillow, but all that did was give me a headache.

And people were always so excited about the Bible. I wasn't. It's freakin' boring if you don't understand it. Boy did I understand why some kids struggle to pay attention in school if they don't understand the material. It was like I had Biblical dyslexia. I struggled and struggled to get "the secret", but I never really felt like I was "in on it". And the truth is, I secretly worried that I didn't "have the Spirit", even though I knew I did, because I struggled with the Bible so blasted much.

Eventually I gave up. I stopped reading the Bible except when absolutely necessary almost 6 months before I left church. I felt so damn ashamed ... I can't even tell you. I CAN'T. I didn't tell anyone, and of course whenever it was necessary to keep up appearances, I put on a good show. But inside, I was dying. I was dying because the Bible was supposed to be my lifeline and I didn't know what to do without it. Dying because I knew every moment I spent "in the word" at that point killed my faith just a little more.

I haven't read the Bible for almost 2.5 years, and I've loved and hated every minute of it. Loved the peace and joy I have felt in not having to struggle with the text, and hated because it's so WRONG not to read the Bible.

I did receive a glimpse of mercy on the subject last spring from my friend Pam as we were sitting outside a little cafe having lunch. Essentially, she told me this: Jim Henderson of Off-The-Map has been known to say that some people should stop reading the Bible for as much as 5 years.

I thought Pam must be crazy (OK, not really, but she MUST have misunderstood ...). So I looked it up.

Well, she was right. He did. And while these are his comments posted only informally at an E-Bay Atheist blog post, they still ring very true for me:

"I think people who have been brainwashed to treat the bible like a devotional dictionary need to go cold trukey [sic] and completely stop reading the bible for as long as it takes to get that kind of approach “purged” from their brains - it will take at least 5 years."

He goes on to say:

"Think of the bible like a movie and Jesus is the main character - watch the story in your mind - what image(s) are you left with- THAT is the story - not all the words - the words are arguable ... this is how I “saved” the bible for my head- I read it for the macro - the over arching - the themes and I walk away from anything that contradicts that image/theme/macro even if the words are reported to have come from Jesus himself."

Whoa. Macro?

mac·ro /ˈmækroʊ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[mak-roh]

1.	very large in scale, scope, or capability.

2. anything very large in scale, scope, or capability.

Aha. The Big Picture.

So anyhow, back to me. While I did gain a sense of peace from hearing someone I respect say such a thing, it didn't immediately change my practice. I have been patiently waiting for my time to come, for my "cold turkey", my Bible exile to end.

So, I found this 1-Year Chrono Bible, and a few nights ago, I was strangely inspired to pick it up. I got into bed, turned the little lamp on, and turned to April 21st.

I bet you're expecting me to say that the reading for that day was somehow immensely meaningful, like a direct word from God, designed to encourage me to continue reading.

Nope.

It's actually was from Chronicles, about David becoming King of Israel. And since I don't expect to become King of anything anytime soon, I knew it wasn't directed towards me.

Yet I wasn't the least bit disappointed.

It was interesting reading, similar to a novel, like I said. It's really an impressive story. I wonder who owns the film rights ...

Anyhow, I loved reading it (for the first time ever), because I think I have learned over the last two 2+ years that I possess the blessing and the freedom and the liberty to:

"Read it for the Macro".

And I do . And I like it.

Thanks Jim.

I Still Believe

So I've had this song in my head today. It has always been one of my favs but I never really thought about why until today. The version I love is by Tim Capello, from The Lost Boys soundtrack (I know, I know), but the song was originally written and recorded by The Call. I had always wondered if there was some kind of spiritual inspiration for it, but I had never looked into it before.

Today, I looked it up and found this from a 1987 interview with Michael Been of The Call:

"YOUR LYRICS SOMETIMES SEEM TO HAVE BIBLICAL REFERENCES:

Well, I try to write about my own life experiences, and I'm a Christian myself, so I write from that point of view. Although it wouldn't be the type of Christianity commonly practiced these days. I believe it's a vain presumption to think that all people in the world should believe what I believe or that it would necessarily be right for them. I only know that it's right for me. I'm not interested in selling religion; Christianity or otherwise."

A little ahead of his time, dontcha think?

Anyhow for your listening pleasure I submit to you "I Still Believe" by Tim Capello:

(Hint: if you are viewing this post in a feedreader, this audio player may not display. Visit the original post on my blog to hear it)

I been in a cave for forty days
Only a spark to light my way
I wanna give out, I wanna give in
This is our crime, this is our sin

But I still believe, I still believe
Through the pain, and through the grief
Through the lies, through the storms
Through the cries, and through the wars

Oh, I still believe

Flat on my back, out at sea
Hopin' these waves don't cover me
I'm turned and tossed upon the waves
When the darkness comes I feel the grave

But I still believe, I still believe
Through the cold, and through the heat
Through the rain, and through the tears
Through the crowds, and through the cheers

Oh, I still believe

I'll march this road, I'll climb this hill
Upon my knees if I have to
I'll take my place upon this stage
I'll wait till the end of time
For you like everybody else

I'm out on my own, walkin' the streets
Look at the faces that I meet
I feel like I, like I wanna go home
What do I feel? What do I know?

But I still believe, yes, I still believe
Through the shame and through the grief
Through the heartache, through the tears
Through the waiting, through the years

For people like us, in places like this
We need all the hope that we can get

Oh, I still believe

Is it selfish to leave church?

I have been following a series of posts over at Cerulean Sanctum: The Two Christianities, The Two Christianities: Reader Feedback, and The Two Christianities: Comparison Table.

The gist of this series, if I sum it up correctly is this: There are two kinds of Christians - Externally Motivated (EM) and Internally Motivated (IM) .

"Externally-Motivated (EM) Christianity sees the Kingdom of God existing in systems and institutions “erected by God” or by Christians faithful to God. The essence of what it means to be a Christian dwells in hallowed monolithic icons, largely existing outside the believer. We see the expression of EM Christianity whenever we encounter Christian groups and individuals seeking to preserve or defend some aspect of the truth they see encapsulated in a system, institution, or organization."

...

"Internally-Motivated Christianity, in sharp contrast, invests little time and energy in externalities. Its hope is not in systems and institutions because it understands that those succumb to entropic forces. To the IM Christian, the Kingdom of God cannot rest on externalities prone to decay."

So I've been closely following the comments on these three related posts, which at the time of this writing totals close to 150. These are excellent posts, but what I'm going to say has more to do with the comments than the actual posts themselves. The comments have certainly invoked a great deal of interesting dialogue. There is much agreement with the conclusions made in these posts, but there have been some dissenting voices as well.

One thing I have drawn from the comments, although I can't remember if this is something which was specifically said or something I have inferred: It's selfish to leave your church for any reason. Or to put it another way, it's consumeristic. If your current fill-in-the-blank isn't meeting your needs, well, then get a new one.

One commenter referred to a post at Jollyblogger where it is mentioned that in Ukraine church-hopping just doesn't happen because binding to a church is a covenant decision and the pastors would be "horrified" to see people church-hopping. "The pastors would not allow it".

Whether or not this practice is a good thing is irrelevant to this post. But it got me to thinking. Church-leaving is often a result of something deeper than just selfish desire. On the one hand we do have people who church-hop because they don't like the music, don't like the children's programs (or lack thereof), don't like the pews, don't like the...whatever. Then on the other hand we have the people who leave because they don't see a church making a genuine endeavor to fulfill the mission of Christ by unconditionally loving and meeting the needs of the poor and downcast.

I recognize and readily admit that my choice to leave was at least partly personal and emotional, yet justifiable, due to a series of troubling events in the life of a church friend, having deep and lasting impact on many (most) of my close church relationships. These events were a catalyst to me choosing to place my loyalty to a relationship rather than to the demands and opinions of the church - which ultimately resulted in my being ostracized. Was I wrong?Maybe. Could I have chosen to stay? Yes, I think so. It would not have been easy, I would have had to recant my decision to support a hurting individual in order to salvage any measure of respect in the eyes of my friends and leadership. I wasn't willing to do that.

However, these events were a means to an end in relation to the other reasons I chose to leave. Years in the making - a subtle but growing discontentment with the church placing the value of numbers (head counts) and dollars and buildings and programs over the value of healthy and generous relationships in the mission of the church.

I sacrificed a great deal in order to leave. I lost numerous priceless relationships - some of which had the best of intentions of remaining with me, but eventually fell off...some deliberately chose to disassociate from me when I left. Needless to say this wasn't a decision I took lightly, I knew what was at stake.

However, should I have just trusted that the painful experiences I was going through were part of God's plan for me in the church, rather than His plan to get me out of church? Should I have stuck it out? Was leaving the cowardly or selfish way to go?

I'm looking at this with an open mind, but I can't help but think of the relationships I have gained and the spiritual realities I have learned because I went out on this journey. I cannot count the blessings I have experienced because I was hurting too badly to stay. I don't know if it was God's original plan for me to leave, or if I averted His plan when I jumped ship. In any case, i guess He's gracious enough to realize we as humans have no idea what we are doing and hence we'll make mistakes. He takes in all in stride and continues to work with us.

Sometimes Silence is the Loudest Voice

April 30th, 2007

Ht Rick Meigs.

I actually make people think? Whodathunk?

I have received a Thinking Blogger thingamajig from Paul Mayers at One for the Road. Gee, thanks! I didn't really expect to would turn up on this latest list going around ... it's appreciated!

So, I'm supposed to pass it on. Initially I thought, "Who the heck can I name that hasn't already been named?" And sometimes it just seems silly ... but as I thought about it, I realized there are a few people I would like to mention.

Anyhow, I firmly believe in taking the opportunity to recognize each other in this blog wilderness; I don't think any of us do this for fame or fortune, but a pat on the back is welcome once in awhile.

I'm pretty sure I'm not doing this right - I think I'm supposed to put up some guidelines and a little plaque thingy ... but you know me, always one to break the rules ... and I have not verified whether or not these people already have an "award", if they do, well now they have two ... that might also be against the rules, but hey, who cares?

So without further ado...

1. Helen Mildenhall: both her personal blog and the blog she moderates for Off-the-Map, Conversation at the Edge. Helen often makes me think like no one else. She possesses a unique perspective on matters of faith, which I always appreciate learning from. So Helen, here's to you.
   
   
2. I have a friend who goes by TrailLady. She never ceases to amaze me with her insight, and I almost always resonate deeply with what she writes. Sometimes I feel like a kindred spirit, especially the way she relates to nature and the freedom she expresses in her faith. AND she's the lady who introduced me to Celtic Woman .... I think I've probably mentioned her before, but in any case, TL, here's to you.
   
   
3. Gary Means: This guy always makes me think. He's one of the most wise and candid bloggers I know, sometimes even sharing very personal challenges, and yet always doing so in such a way that the reader comes away encouraged by his honesty and insight. Another kindred spirit, seeking a genuine and gentle expression of faith, one which is difficult to find. So Gary, here's to you.
   
   
4. There's this lady who when I first met her I thought she had one of the cleverest blog titles: "Run With It", with this passage from Habakkuk 2:2 "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it." She once toyed with the notion of changing the name, but I'm glad she didn't. Just yesterday she said something profound... "The history of the world and our faith is full of people who felt out of place and out of time." So Cindy, here's to you.
   
   
5. My blog-and-real-life friend who's never afraid to walk on the wild side of Jesus and always embraces the edgy things of faith: Pam Hogeweide. She has a lot on her plate and hasn't been posting much lately, but if you aren't familiar with her blog, poke around because I'm sure you'll find something interesting. So Pam HO-GA-WHY-DUH, here's to you.

Bon Soir...!

This and That

I have been working on a couple of posts, but neither is quite right yet. In the mean time, here's some interesting local stuff I've read lately:

• Portland Porn Shop Gets a Makeover: An inmate work crew has been on the job, transforming the Pink Palace into a place that will soon house the Center for Family Success, a project of the Children's Justice Alliance, whose mission it is to "improve the well-being of children whose parents are involved in the criminal justice system." ALLRIGHT! That's transformation, right in our community!
  
  
• On another local note, Vancouver, Wa. based Burgerville won Food Network's first-ever Better Burger Award for (according to the Portland Business Journal) "its sustainable business practices, including the use of local ingredients and its commitment to purchasing wind-driven electrical power." Inconveniently located for most of America, hehehe.
  
  
• On yet ANOTHER local/Oregon note, please pray for the family of 14 year old Tyler Eklund and his family. Tyler was seriously injured April 5th in a snowboarding accident. A few days ago their Bend area home was broken into while the family is away in Portland where Tyler is hospitalized. The Police have made arrests in the case, thank goodness, but the break-in has to be a greatly unwelcome burden. I don't know them, but I feel moved to ask you to please pray for this family.

OK, moving right along to broader pastures ...

• Bruce at YBMT has a great post titled "Death" on the subject of no longer trying to please God: "I was a mess, trying to “get right” with God. And it wasn’t until I “gave up” that I was able to see the most life-changing picture of God’s love I could have ever imagined!"
  
  
• Next-Wave has it's 100th issue up. They have pulled up some of the best pieces written since it's inception. Some good stuff.
  
  
• And if you haven't seen it yet, Rob McAlpine, a.k.a. RobbyMac has put up an entire subsite devoted to Detoxing From Church. Check it out. You know what really hit me? The "Crabby Detox" ... sigh ... I'm still learning, folks.
  

I guess that's all that comes to mind at the moment...

A Sad Day

Because I have been holed up recovering from my migraine, I just in the last hour or so heard about this day's tragedies.

I pray grace, love, and peace to the victims and their families.

Ouch!

Nasty migraine last night. Will be back when my head can afford the screen time - day or so.

Partaaay

I'm holed up in my room with my laptop and my TV, where I have been for the better part pf the last 14 hours, because it's my 11 year old son's birthday party. I have 7 boys ages 7-13 running around my house. The noise is deafening, but I love it. I love my kids to have this time to goof off and eat loads of junk (which I have adequately supplied) watch movies, play video games, and basically have the run of the house with their friends until the wee hours of the night, only to do it all again at first light.

Without, for once, having mom following them around reminding them not to eat another cookie, to clean up after themselves, or to quiet down because it's LATE.

They are again running around my house after a mere 5 hours of sleep - they've been at it since 7, you do the math. Where do they get the energy?

There are sleeping bags and pillows and socks all over my living room. There are 27 kinds of junk food in my kitchen, along with countless plastic cups, plates, and silverware (sorry, but my environmentally friendly side doesn't cope well with that many dishes). There is a PS2 attached to my entertainment center. There is running up and down the hallway (what the HECK are they doing?) doors slamming as they go in and out while having make-believe laser-gun fights in the yard.

I have a great excuse to eat breakfast, read the paper and surf the net all from under my down comforter.

Life is good - at least until I have to clean up.

New Bible Translation...

Designed especially for the Lost.

From The Shepherd's Scrapbook (follow the link to see it):

"It comes prepackaged in a large crate to protect it in cargo parachute drops. And what an odd logo on the front?!? Even the ISBN appears strange (4815162342). But maybe the strangest of all is that I found it in my backyard with a small parachute resting gently on top of it and a strobe light pulsing away. Anyway, I suppose this new edition serves some purpose in spreading the gospel to a lost people group."

HT Brother Maynard.

Church Sign

Saw this at a Church near our house:


OK - being a member of the body-pierced underbelly of society, I was thinking literally. It took me a minute to figure out what the heck a nose or belly or tongue or eyebrow piercing had to do with Church. Well, in most churches, it represents the lower echelon.

But in this case, they're talking *hands* and *feet*.

Maybe Jesus was just the ultimate goth/punk rebel.


Image courtesy ChurchSignGenerator.

The Island of Misfit Christians?

Today, John O'Keefe at Ginkworld says this:

"i am a misfit. i do not fit in the normal church, and i do not think like a normal church goer - i act different, think different and see things different...

"i tend to think outside the box, and when i am told i have to think inside the box...it is like chaining me to a pole...

"i am, what some call, a "red letter christian" - meaning? i tend to take the words of jesus over any other words in scripture. i do not care what moses said, or what paul said - i care about what jesus said - i filter everything through the words of christ - everything.

"i am a misfit - i know it, i have accepted it and i trust that God made me this way for a reason - so, i live the life of a misfit. for some, to think themselves a misfit seems wrong, well for me it is just being honest with who i am..."

It's encouraging to hear something like this on my journey of learning to be OK with my misfit-ness.

It Is Finished

"It is Finished".

I have studied this passage - been taught about this passage - I have seen dramatic presentations about this passage - I have watched secular documentaries about this passage --- especially from a Charismatic perspective. It's a lot like Star Wars - good finally triumphs and the force is finally with us.

And yet there is still something so mysterious about it to me. Something about it that I have felt the vaguest stirring about in my spirit but never fully grasped - something deeper or more meaningful to me than the ways this passage is most commonly taught. A note or nuance, and when strummed, it sings to me.

Is there anything else to this, I find myself wondering? Are there any other meanings of these three words? I know Jesus was subtle and multifaceted in His teachings. Could we have missed some angle?

In my searching today, I came across the following - the best explanation I have ever read - the one that speaks to my spirit. This is not to say that every other explanation is wrong and this is the right one - simply that this is the one which makes me want to cry. It is the one which causes me to want to cheer, to pray, to care, to change.

It is attributed to Barbara Brown Taylor - one of my newest, 'favoritest' authors - and I found it on ExploreFaith.

"Whether or not he intended it, he finished something else while he was at it. He finished off the religious system that he opposed--not the Judaism of the people but the Judaism of the temple--the careful division between clean and unclean; the posturing clergy who pretended to know which was which; the whole idea that a lamb, or a goat, or a calf was an acceptable substitute for a surrendered human heart. The prophets had challenged it all long before Jesus did, but he received no better hearing than they.

"At the same hour that he died, the parade of Passover animals into the Temple began. For the rest of the afternoon, their owners slaughtered them while priests caught the blood and poured it on the altar. Outside in the courtyard, the corpses were skinned and cleaned according to the law of Moses while Levites sang psalms of praises to God.

"So there were two bloody places in Jerusalem that day--Golgotha and the Temple--both attended by powerful religious people who believed they were doing God's will. Please hear me. This is not about Jews. This is about powerful people in any religious tradition who believe they are doing God's will. Wherever you encounter them, in whatever time or place, it is best to keep your back to the wall. Power and religion are a lethal mix.

"When it was all over on Golgotha, some realized for the first time who the scapegoat had been, and the system that put him to death was doomed. Because he would not respond to their tactics, their tactics were exposed. Because he would not honor their values, their values were revealed. The system did not exist to protect God. The system existed to protect the system. Jesus was the last lamb of God who would die for the people."

My thoughts? The people of the temple are still today carrying on, slaughtering their goats, never missing a step in their rituals. They know nothing else.

That day - everything carried on as planned. The goats were slaughtered, the people forgiven. Many never cast a second thought about this Jesus Who Died Today.

And yet some people lingered at the foot of the cross, staring up at this man they had mocked and murdered by their failure to see. They suddenly wondered if they had missed something - something so significant it would alter the way they viewed their faith heritage. And, oh, how they would struggle. The sudden and breathtaking realization they would be required by their heart and spirit to swim upstream from now on. They didn't ask for this change - it was the last thing they wanted! What would it mean for their lives - to leave their spiritual heritage behind and follow this Jesus? What would they sacrifice because of it?

And, if only for a moment, they doubted themselves - after all - this was the way they had always done it since the time of Moses - who were they to dare call for change? How dare they even question? They would be called heretics for sure - and worse.

But they couldn't help but wonder in the waning hours of this day...

Maybe there no longer was need for a goat; destined to carry away the sins of the people on it's back or by it's blood.

Maybe, Today, He Already Had.

I leave that for you to ponder.

It is Friday and It Is Good.

Goodnight.

Mad World

Warning - useless junk ahead.

If any of you watch Jericho tonight, at the end of the episode there was a song called "Mad World".

I can't tell you how cool it was to hear this song - that took me back in a rush! See, that song was from my very "melancholy" years - those painful years around age 13-14. I actually own this song on vinyl - both 33 and 45 (For those of you younger than 30 you might not know what that means. Tough.).

Mad World has been around the block a few times - finally gaining some of the notoriety it deserves.

But you might not know - it was originally written and recorded in 1982 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith ...

... Otherwise known as Tears for Fears.

For more info - go here.

No one could ever say their music was mainstream - at least with one or two exceptions - but that is what's so awesome about them. They sang about pain and hurt and darkness long before it was "fashionable" to to do.

At least in the early years, their "obsession" with Arthur Janov's "primal scream" therapy is evidenced by the name of their band, as well as in a song called "The Big Chair" (not to be confused with Songs from the Big Chair, which was an album title) which is featured on their 1996 album Saturnine Martial & Lunatic, but was originally the B side of the 1985 single Shout. This song also seems to reference a 1970's movie starring Sally Field about a woman with a real-life case of MPD - called Sybil.

The original album Mad World was featured on was actually titled "The Hurting".

The fact that they were my very favorite band in high school could tell you a lot about what my high school years were like. The soundtrack of my life.

Pretty profound - they were.

Mad World
All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
And their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cos I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad World

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me