In God's economy, there is no scarcity of resources. Just as there is no scarcity of God's love, there is no scarcity of food for the hungry, shelter for the destitute, or clothing for the naked.
The basic principle of economics is that resources are scarce, and it is precisely this scarcity that gives things their value. Capitalism takes natural resources, which God gave us to provide our basic needs, and turns them into a commodity.
What gives you your value? Your possessions? God doesn't care about what you "own." Your intelligence? God doesn't care about from which school you did or did not graduate. Your unique ability? God doesn't care how you market yourself. God loves you for who you are, wherever you are and whatever you do. After all, like a parent, he created you.
How you respond to God's love will give God joy or pain. To imagine, that we can cause pain in the heart of God! Yet how much more so if we were to give our brothers and sisters joy - so, too, will God celebrate. How audacious!!
I'm reminded of some U2 lyrics:
"Where you live should not decide
Whether you live, or whether you die."
What a world look like where pay were undifferentiated, regardless of what you did? What would a world look where the poor were our celebrities, our role models? What would a world look like where resources, such as access to water, food, shelter and good health, were available regardless of wherever you live?
Maybe it would begin to look like the Reign of God.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Engaged!
Now that I've completed seminary midterm stuff, as in two papers and two tests within two days, I'm able to come up for a breath of fresh air... and declare the rumors (you may have heard) true: Yes, I am in fact engaged to a lovely Ms. Emily Ruth Presley. My version of events, with confirming photos:
It all started when the landing gear got stuck. I was leaving Oakland on my way to meet Emily in the Atlanta airport, where we would continue on to New Orleans, when the plane turned around because the pilot couldn't get the landing gear up. Thankfully it was stuck in the 'down' position. After a second try the next day at noon on the same plane, and the same problem occurred, they put me on a different plane and I arrived almost 12 hours later than expected. Meanwhile, Emily had arrived in New Orleans and spent the entire day getting to know my uncle, Lee, who was celebrating his birthday.
Together At LastLee, his partner Doug, Emily and I proceeded to have a wonderful few days in New Orleans, complete with a (day) tour of Bourbon St., various delicious ethnic foods, and even a wading through the streets of NO during a particularly heavy downpour. On Wednesday, October 24th, we flew back to Atlanta, where we would each part our separate ways...
...or so SHE thought! I had secretly made arrangements to fly back with her to Detroit. We had a tearful goodbye at the gate before she boarded the plane, before I then through on a friend's hooded sweatshirt and beanie, and acted like I was on the cellphone to cover up more of my face. I ended up just a few persons behind her in line on the plane, but had put her in the back of the plane and myself in the front. When we deboarded in Detroit, she was quite shocked to see me standing there!
"Oh No He Didn't!"Her mom picked us up from the airport, and we had a good laugh at how I surprise her... little did anyone know this was just the precursor to the main event. A few hours later I took her to dinner at a nice Italian place in her hometown of Northville, MI. We then went for a walk in the historic park in her town, and came upon a large white gazebo decorated with rose petals and candles, and nicely arranged with a wooden bench, some crates with a large single candle on top and a dozen roses (I had enlisted her uncle Ed, an interior designer, to assist me). By now she new this was probably it... I bumbled through some nice words, saying what I could remember from what I had planned to say, and then got down on one knee and the rest is history.
Engaged in the Gazebo by Candlelight
So, thanks to all who have played an integral role in our relationship - Emily and I both tremendously value your impact on our lives, and we look forward to continuing on this life journey together.
No, really, WE'RE ENGAGED!
May this story bless your day today. It was a lot of fun in the making.
It all started when the landing gear got stuck. I was leaving Oakland on my way to meet Emily in the Atlanta airport, where we would continue on to New Orleans, when the plane turned around because the pilot couldn't get the landing gear up. Thankfully it was stuck in the 'down' position. After a second try the next day at noon on the same plane, and the same problem occurred, they put me on a different plane and I arrived almost 12 hours later than expected. Meanwhile, Emily had arrived in New Orleans and spent the entire day getting to know my uncle, Lee, who was celebrating his birthday.
Together At Last
...or so SHE thought! I had secretly made arrangements to fly back with her to Detroit. We had a tearful goodbye at the gate before she boarded the plane, before I then through on a friend's hooded sweatshirt and beanie, and acted like I was on the cellphone to cover up more of my face. I ended up just a few persons behind her in line on the plane, but had put her in the back of the plane and myself in the front. When we deboarded in Detroit, she was quite shocked to see me standing there!
"Oh No He Didn't!"
Engaged in the Gazebo by Candlelight
So, thanks to all who have played an integral role in our relationship - Emily and I both tremendously value your impact on our lives, and we look forward to continuing on this life journey together.
No, really, WE'RE ENGAGED!
May this story bless your day today. It was a lot of fun in the making.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Hiking Mt. Tam
There was treacherous wildlife, like this (hardly) poisonous banana slug (at least 5 inches long!)
And the views just didn't stop... the Bay Area looking South, with San Fran rising out of the waters
Hiking Mt. Tam, cont'd
Nori and Myself, overlooking Mt. Tam State Park and Lake Lagunitas
Talitha and Julia, mountain climbers extradinaire, with the Bay and Tiburon Point in the background
Rachel checks out the view, with North Bay and the Richmond Bridge as a backdrop
Two others, Raphael and Elizabeth, joined us at the top with much-needed rations...Who needs Fed-Ex when we've got door-to-mtn-top service?!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Why is Love so Hard?
I've been thinking about this question lately, both in the context of ministry and in life. In particular, I think about how hard it can be love others whom you disagree with or don't know very well. And how much HARDER it sometimes is to love those whom you agree with and know really well!
I think one answer that sheds some light on this question is that we are all needy beings. Our neediness makes us want to control others and the future; makes us jealous of others and their seeming happiness; makes us lonely and wanting of relationship; makes us less perceptive of the truth about ourselves so we feel better; and all of this tends to make us fearful.
In Sondra Wheeler's book, What We're Made For, she sees the Christian faith directly addressing our needs/neediness. She says that, "Worship Limits Control-Seeking", "Communion Responds to Jealousy", "Prayer Answers Loneliness", "Confession Corrects Self-Deception", and Confidence in God Rescues Us from Fear.
While this is a bit formulaic, it helps me think creatively about how and why ministry is so important in this world. No where do we find that money or leisure or travel or shopping or eating or sleeping are an answer to our needs. Only by going beyond ourselves in love do we begin to see past our own needs and rest in God's assurance.
And yes, to do this thing called love is hard. Yet the fruit is worth eating... and sharing.
I think one answer that sheds some light on this question is that we are all needy beings. Our neediness makes us want to control others and the future; makes us jealous of others and their seeming happiness; makes us lonely and wanting of relationship; makes us less perceptive of the truth about ourselves so we feel better; and all of this tends to make us fearful.
In Sondra Wheeler's book, What We're Made For, she sees the Christian faith directly addressing our needs/neediness. She says that, "Worship Limits Control-Seeking", "Communion Responds to Jealousy", "Prayer Answers Loneliness", "Confession Corrects Self-Deception", and Confidence in God Rescues Us from Fear.
While this is a bit formulaic, it helps me think creatively about how and why ministry is so important in this world. No where do we find that money or leisure or travel or shopping or eating or sleeping are an answer to our needs. Only by going beyond ourselves in love do we begin to see past our own needs and rest in God's assurance.
And yes, to do this thing called love is hard. Yet the fruit is worth eating... and sharing.
Listening as Surrender
Tonight in my class, Pasor as Community Organizer, we reflected on how the act of listening can (and possibly should) be an act of surrender. We shared the times when we've felt most hurt by someone. Oftentimes it is by someone we love and trust. At these times, I've felt betrayed, lost, not trusted, misunderstood... I felt the biblical phrase "and his heart was hardened" applied directly to me.
Listening as Surrender meands giving of your time to people, being vulnerable to what they share, being open to whatever happens, and giving your full attention to what they are saying. I've heard that only 15% of communication is verbal: the rest is tone and body language. It takes 110% percent of our attention to fully understand someone. How much are you giving?
Think about the people who truly listen to you. Name them. How are they surrendering their time, their perrogative to do something else, in order to simply be with you? These are some of the most important relationships you can have.
Who do you truly listen to? In a play off of Ghandi's words to be the change you want to see in the world, be the listener today. See what God does in your heart.
Listening as Surrender meands giving of your time to people, being vulnerable to what they share, being open to whatever happens, and giving your full attention to what they are saying. I've heard that only 15% of communication is verbal: the rest is tone and body language. It takes 110% percent of our attention to fully understand someone. How much are you giving?
Think about the people who truly listen to you. Name them. How are they surrendering their time, their perrogative to do something else, in order to simply be with you? These are some of the most important relationships you can have.
Who do you truly listen to? In a play off of Ghandi's words to be the change you want to see in the world, be the listener today. See what God does in your heart.
Monday, October 8, 2007
John Bell: Loving Our Bodies
Today we had the privilege of having Rev. John Bell, founder and member of the Iona Community in Scotland, and known throughout the world as a wonderful musician and songwriter, talk in our Introduction to Ministry class. He said a number of remarkable, insightful things, of which I paraphrase below.
While the body is subject to the brain, the Word didn't become intelligence but flesh. We are a ministry of bodies, in that all we do and see is physical. Therefore, we must LOVE our bodies; God won't give us another one. To love ourselves and each other, we must love our bodies.
The questions for discernment he gave us: What is God doing in your life and the world? Now that you've identified these things, how can you help to be a part of that work? How do we dare to be a part of God's ministry in the world without getting in the way?
Just as discipline in exercising our bodies is loving them, so we must exercise our love through discipline, in doing what is hard but right, difficult but true. In this way, we love at our utmost, using all of our strength, mind and soul.
While the body is subject to the brain, the Word didn't become intelligence but flesh. We are a ministry of bodies, in that all we do and see is physical. Therefore, we must LOVE our bodies; God won't give us another one. To love ourselves and each other, we must love our bodies.
The questions for discernment he gave us: What is God doing in your life and the world? Now that you've identified these things, how can you help to be a part of that work? How do we dare to be a part of God's ministry in the world without getting in the way?
Just as discipline in exercising our bodies is loving them, so we must exercise our love through discipline, in doing what is hard but right, difficult but true. In this way, we love at our utmost, using all of our strength, mind and soul.
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