Hall of Fame Coach

Tonight, Rochester College Men's Basketball Coach Garth Pleasant will be inducted into the Michigan Basketball Hall of Fame. Coach is the winningest active coach in Michigan college basketball.

It was such an honor to play for him. I wish I could be there for it. I was there for his 500th win (one of the highlights of my playing days) . . . tonight will be special. 

Right now, I know what he's doing. He's trying to figure out how he can get out of giving an acceptance speech.

Coach: We're proud of you and we love you a great deal.

Wiesel Continued . . .

I don't quite know how to describe the Elie Wiesel event from this past week. Patrick's recollection contains a great story.

The auditorium was at capacity by 6:30 p.m.--Wiesel didn't enter the room until 7:20 p.m. When he finally entered, the entire room (about 950-1000) erupted in sincere applause. There's something special about having a force like Wiesel in a smaller, more intimate setting. I suppose it would be similar to listening to Eric Clapton play in a smaller venue, or hearing Maya Angelou recite her work in a high school auditorium. The venue was large enough for the event to feel important, small enough that the audience felt like participants, not spectators (as happens in church most Sundays).

As for the speech . . . Wiesel stood in one spot the entire 50 minute presentation. He weaved rabbinic wisdom and story-telling, with personal wisdom and lessons regarding "the power of language for forgiveness and reconciliation." There were times he strayed into philosophical fields and historical nuance, but, for the overwhelming majority of his speech, he kept the diverse crowd within reach.

There were too many great quotes to list in their entirety (e.g. "I am defined by me relation to you. If I honor you I honor God. If I dishonor God I dishonor you." Or . . . "After the Holocaust, of any other profession, writers committed suicide at a higher rate than any other profession. Why? Because, writers need words to make sense of their life. And survivors of the Holocaust shared one conviction in common: we had no words for the abandonment we'd experienced." Or . . . "A handshake sometimes has the weight of a poem." Or . . . If Auschwitz did not end racism in the West, what could?")

Wiesel shared several incredible stories of his work in reconciliation with well-known world conflicts and leaders. One story lingers in my heart . . .

Following Nelson Mandela's release from prison, Wiesel held a reconciliation conference in which he invited the then President of South Africa, along with Mandela. After listening to Wiesel and Mandela describe the brutality of ethnic genocide and institutional racism, the young president stood up and declared to the entire audience, "I was born into apartheid, it's all I've ever known. My fervent wish is that I now am able to attend its funeral."

We only get one brief shot to make a difference in this world. Most of us might not have the opportunity (or burden) to impact the world to the degree of Elie Wiesel. I am certain however, that with our very words, we can create and heal more worlds than we'd ever thought possible. I left the Wiesel event with more hope than I've had in a long time. Enough hope to think that God might do his best work in the midst of human chaos and suffering.

The Perfect Time of Year

Today marks the beginning of a new college semester. I love this time of year. Students are back on campus at RC, energy is ever-increasing. RC is under new leadership this year; Rubel Shelly is serving as President. Though we became close in a different context (I interned at Woodmont Hills his final year), I have enjoyed watching the creativity, excellence and life he's already brought to campus.

Rubel's a fantastic thinker, writer, teacher, and minister (I tell people he gets more done by 9am than I do in an entire day). More than anyone I know, Rubel is a pure leader. He has that rare ability to draw people into his vision and convictions and I'm confident that his tenure (however long or short) will be a tremendous blessing for RC. The dozens of men and women who serve as faculty and staff at RC deserve to have such a leader at this critical juncture in the life of the school.

I'm constantly challenged to rethink my own vocation in light of his influence. There are certain things (the "it" factor) you can't buy or get with a degree . . . Rubel has that "thing."
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Rochester College is hosting an evening with Elie Wiesel (one of the most important voices of the twentieth century in my humble opinion) Thursday night at our church. I read Messengers of God last year and now consider it my "go to Torah supplement"--I can't wait to sit up close as he challenges our community.

Education and Spirtual Formation

Saturday’s graduation at Rochester College was an interesting event. I sat and watched student after student (some I know well, others seeing for the first time) receive their diploma. Near the very end, a young handicap female student came onto the stage. All of the sudden, the room changed. The meaning of the day became all together different. She carefully controlled her wheelchair and with a deep smile accepted the diploma she’d worked tirelessly to attain. And she graciously accepted the rousing applause offered by the audience.

I often forget what a privilege education is. For a young minister just beginning his doctoral work, it was a powerful reminder that each person is their own “story”—presented with challenges, questions, and obstacles unique to their own circumstances. Some folks are dealt a relatively easy “hand.” That would be me. Others are dealt a hand of hardship and adversity. And, yet, many find a way to take on the strength of that which they overcome.

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My small group is doing an intense study on “spiritual disciplines” right now. There seems to be a great deal of buzz around the phrases “spiritual formation” and “spiritual disciplines.” As one of my friends pointed out, this is not the same discussion as conversations of old regarding sanctification, holiness, and morality. This is an attempt to historically connect with the practices that have stood the test of two thousand (or more) years.

The formation stream has many tributaries.

• Holiness: Having pure thoughts, words, actions, and overcoming temptation.
• Contemplative: Spending time with God in prayer and meditation.
• Social Justice: Helping the invisible among us.
• Charismatic: Nurturing and exercising my spiritual gifts by the power of the spirit.
• Evangelical: Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and reading the Scriptures.
• Incarnational: Unifying the sacred secular areas of my life while showing forth God’s presence.

Over the next few months, our group is going to spend two weeks reflecting and responding to our study of each stream. For the next two weeks, we’re focusing on the “contemplative stream.” Silence, breath prayers, devotional reading and personal written prayers will be our focus.

Confession: I’m strong in the “social justice” and “Incarnational” streams but struggle in the “charismatic” and “contemplative” (unless academic reading counts) areas.

How about you?

The Bible and The Color of Water

Tonight, I begin co-teaching Luke-Acts for ministry majors at Rochester College. I usually begin the class the way I was taught by one close friend: we talk about Scripture.

I will inevitably talk about two important elements of reading and interpreting the Bible. By the way, simply reading is interpretation. First, we’ll discuss location. Physical location is crucial for, as is the case with real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. Where you read shapes what you read. Most people read the bible individually in a cozy space. However, what if you read, for instance, Jesus words about wealth and simplicity in the slums of Calcutta? Or the suburbs of Dallas, Texas? One’s physical location directly determines one’s “found meaning.”

Also, we will discuss social location. Who you are, shapes what you read. I’ve now taught for three years at the college level with students from all different perspectives. I can tell you that white men read the bible quite differently than black women (just one example). The point: we must read the bible in various spaces with various people to experience the rich depth and power of God’s story. I will never forget the time an African American female student twice my age stood up after I retold the Ruth/Boaz story and declared, "Josh, I'm still looking for my Boaz."

After talking about “location” we’ll discuss “nature.” I’ll deconstruct the myth that the bible is a rule-book or collection of timeless principles and (attempt to) make the case that the Bible was meant to be reading as a holy unfolding drama in which you and I are just as vital to the Message as was Lydia, Phoebe, Paul, and Peter.

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I was able to read The Color of Water last week during the early morning hours of life in the city. It’s an amazing piece of American cultural life. This biography is about the life of a white Jewish woman who marries a black man during the 1940’s in New York City and her subsequent journey of raising “mixed” children in a politically divisive world. The author, James McBride, is the product of this woman’s determination and love for he is one of her sons.

The book challenges many assumptions that under-girds politics in these United States, both left and right, political and conservative. It’s a story of family, suffering, poverty, identity, faith, Jesus, and hope. I suggest it to anyone wrestling with the question, “What does it mean to be human?”

The "D"

I just returned from our annual Rochester College/Rochester Church of Christ Urban Formation Week.

It was, to say the least, a great week. I'm worn out. 

I'll write more in the coming days (I think).

For now . . . I'll simply say this. Perhaps more than most places, Detroit is the ultimate paradox. There is an abundance of life, creativity, history, energy, diversity, talent, light and hope. And yet, there is an equal amount of death, stagnation, despair, idleness, homogeneous tribalism, darkness, and depression. I love Detroit and I mourn for Detroit--all in the same breath. 

God is on the move. I saw that truth up close and personal.

Out of the ashes . . . God does his best work.  

Upside Down Leadership

If you want to be a viable Christian leader in the emerging postmodern world you have no other option than to practice what you preach. The days of Star Search Leadership (when people followed because the leader was slick or dynamic) are dead. And that's a good thing.

Period.

Some churches are led by ministers/leaders who do not consistently put themselves in risky “scenarios”—their intellectual faith might be strong, but the embodiment of said faith is non-existent. And, at last, Christians and non-Christians alike are calling their bluff.

I’m preparing to lead an urban plunge formation retreat this coming week to downtown Detroit. For an entire week, we’ll be living in Cass Park at the Hope Baptist Center with a group of Christians from Michigan State University and Grand Valley State University.

Myself and several college students/young adults from Rochester College and Rochester Church of Christ will spend our time: working with a diverse church (Hope Community Church), volunteering in shelters, attending worship gatherings with diverse groups of believers, hearing lectures/presentations on the history and “world” of Detroit, social class simulations, museums, one underground railroad visit, repairing homes, Love Feast in Cass Park (our normal tradition), tutoring for students, reading, journaling, hosting a music conference, sleeping in shelters, living among the homeless in Hart Plaza and hosting a basketball tourney with a local church (you know who’s excited about that).

These are some of the things we’ll be engaged in throughout our stay.

This is an urban spiritual formation retreat. The focus is on the spiritual development of those who’ve given their week to hear the rhythms of Jesus’ teaching and how they intersect with the rhythms of life in a complicated city like Detroit. This is not about “fixing” Detroit. It’s about understanding what God might in fact already be doing.

This is the third urban spiritual formation trip I’ve led. The last two were hosted in the Bronx. Now, we take seriously the call of God to be immersed in our own backyard.

Pray for us.

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Last night, 30 of us from my church gathered in a home to say “good-bye” to one of our beloved sisters in Christ. This new follower is going to join a holistic community in Arizona to focus on her emotion, spiritual and psychological self.

The blessing time was amazing. Skaters. Preachers. College Students. Auto Executives. Uncles. Family. Young Adults.

All under the liberating name of Jesus blessing our fellow sister to find out what it is in this life that “makes her come alive.” For the world needs people who’ve come alive.

Lazy Saturday

This is a great time of year to live in Michigan. The fall/winter is upon us, and though the sun will disappear for a few months, it is a time to catch up with old friends for life's pace seems to lessen.

We are here, to borrow from Annie Dillard, "as witnesses," nothing more, nothing less.

Today, I watched my alma mater battle the University of Detroit in basketball. RC gave them a good game but came up short down the stretch. I watched the game with my brother and a few former teammates. Conversation and stories hold friendships together. If God never gives me another blessing, I have been overwhelmed with the amount of genuine friendships in my lifetime; relationships that shape and sustain.

As 2007 starts to come to a close, I am anxious to see what 2008 has in store; namely what God will be up to this go-around.

2007 had its interesting trips. Denver, Fresno, Lubbock, NYC, Tulsa, Malibu/L.A., Orlando, Atlanta, Nashville (twice), and Abilene were all on my destination list this year.

I also learned that my wife loves two things about Detroit: the homeless community and Detroit Tigers baseball. BTW—yesterday is the one year anniversary of Professor Jack’s death. To read about Jack, click here.

Kara and I also made new bonds, reconnected with friends of old, and said good-bye to others: some because of job loss, and relocation. At least two friends were lost to death.

If age 0-25 marks the spring season…
If age 25-50 marks the summer…
If age 50-69 marks the fall…
And, if age 70 marks the winter…

I’m going to enjoy this “summer season,” for even though I know the thermometer reads 30 degrees in Detroit, this is a great time to be alive.

I think it was Irenaeus who once wrote, “The glory of God is a person made fully alive.”

Hoops

Saturday was a highlight day for me. Every year the Rochester College Men’s Basketball program hosts an alumni game for those of us who…well…played basketball…hence alumni. It way obvious that many of us are a step slower, a few pounds heavier, with increasing receding hair lines.

Getting to see Coach Pleasant is a highlight. If you don’t know, he has the most wins of any active coach (I believe he’s currently at 620 plus) in Michigan men’s collegiate basketball. Click here to read more about him.

As a young man, eighteen years of age and green to the top, he took me under his wing (along with Coach George Evjen) and made a man out of me. Spending my college years under his leadership, wisdom and mentoring was perhaps the single greatest reason for entering ministry and for wanting to teach at the college level.

Little known fact: I was an all-state basketball player coming out of a large Greater Detroit public high school. I wasn’t convinced, at least as not as much as my father was, that going to Rochester to play basketball was the best decision. Ten years later, I can say that God’s hand was in this decision.

I owe Coach more than I’ll ever be able to repay.

Wednesday of this week, I had lunch with Coach Pleasant. We traded funny stories, like the time on our annual Florida trip I convinced everyone to get wet at the bottom of large water ride, only to ditch the scene at the last moment. While everyone on our team jumped around soaking wet, I calmly re-entered the scene pretending I’d shared in their suffering. The only problem: One of our coaches taped the entire thing.

Coach must have replayed that clip ten times in the hotel room that night.

Or the time a referee said to me at the onset of the second game of a back to back: “Must have been a tough game last night against Northern State.” We’d just played Northern State (where legendary and former Lipscomb University coach Don Meyer now coaches) the night before. Our second game, which began only twelve hours after the first had ended, was against one of the top NCAA D2 schools in the nation (they were ranked #5 at the time).

“What do you mean,” I asked?
“Well, looks like you got your tooth knocked out.”
“Oh…no, that’s just how my teeth look. I have a crooked tooth.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, son,” replied the ref.

Coach Pleasant heard the entire conversation and laughed all the way through the first give minutes of the game. Incidentally it was about the only thing we had to smile about the entire trip. Let’s just say that Thanksgiving in South Dakota is not all it’s cracked up to be.

There are dozens of stories I’m thinking of right now…I’ll save them for another time. For these pivotal years, these young men and coaches were my community. We were a church. We were a brotherhood. We were dysfunctional (not all of us made the best decisions). We were family. We were each other’s best friends and greatest critics.