One Scandalous Party

Tony Campolo had a significant influence on me when I was in graduate school and thinking about the implications of his teachings for my own future, vocation, etc. I have other friends who have read more and been more influenced by Campolo-- I was a latecomer to the Campolo party. One friend recently told me about he and his best friend in college could be found walking around campus quoting Campolo word for word. Campolo has influenced thousands of young women and men to take significant risks for the kingdom of God.

One of the stories that has stayed with me over the last few years is the story he tells about Agnes, a prostitute in Honolulu he met while speaking at a conference for pastors and ministers. How he met a prostitute is interesting in and of itself.

Campolo could not sleep one night while in Hawaii due to the time change. He went looking for a place to eat in the middle of the night and stumbled upon a donut shop in a shotty area of town. While Campolo was having coffee and donuts, a group of women walked into the dining establishment. Campolo knew these were not your regular dinner partners--these folks were full-fledged women "of the night."

He writes in The Kingdom of God is a Party:

I overheard the woman sitting beside me say, "Tomorrow's my birthday. I'm going to be thirty-nine."

Her friend responded in a nasty tone, "So what do you want from me? A birthday party? What do you want? Ya want me to get you a cake and sing 'Happy Birthday?'"

"Come on!" said the woman sitting next to me. "Why do you have to be so mean? I was just telling you, that's all. Why do you have to put me down? I was just telling you it was my birthday. I don't want anything from you. I mean, why should you give me a birthday party? I've never had a birthday party in my whole life. Why should I have one now?"

When I heard that, I made a decision. I sat and waited until the women had left. Then I called over the fat guy behind the counter and I asked him, "Do they come in here every night?”

"Yeah!" he answered.

"The one right next to me, does she come here every night?"

"Yeah," he said. "That's Agnes. Yeah, she comes in here every night. Why d'ya wanta know?"

"Because I heard her say that tomorrow is her birthday," I told him. "What do you say you and I do something about that? What do you think about us throwing a birthday party for her right here tomorrow night?"

A cute smile slowly crossed his chubby cheeks and he answered with measured delight, "That's great!..."

"Look." I told him, "if it's OK with you, I'll get back here tomorrow morning about 2:30 and decorate the place. I'll even get a birthday cake!"

"No way," said Harry (that was his name). "The birthday cake's my thing. I'll make the cake.”

At 2:30 the next morning, I was back at the diner. I had picked up some crepe-paper decorations at the store and had made a sign out of big pieces of cardboard that read, "Happy Birthday, Agnes!" I decorated the diner from one end to the other. I had that diner looking good.

The woman who did the cooking must have gotten the word out on the street, because by 3:15 every prostitute in Honolulu was in the place. It was wall-to-wall prostitutes...and me!

At 3:30 on the dot, the door of the diner swung open and in came Agnes and her friend. I had everybody ready (after all I was kind of the M.C. of the affair) and when they came in we all screamed, "Happy birthday!" Never have I seen a person so flabbergasted...so stunned...so shaken. Her mouth fell open. Her legs seemed to buckle a bit. Her friend grabbed her arm to steady her. As she was led to sit on one of the stools along the counter we all sang "Happy Birthday" to her. As we came to the end of our singing with "happy birthday dear Agnes, happy birthday to you," her eyes moistened, when the birthday cake with all the candles on it was carried out, she lost it and just openly cried.

Harry gruffly mumbled, "Blow out the candles, Agnes! Come on! Blow out the candles! If you don't blow out the candles, I'm gonna hafta blow out the candles." And, after an endless few seconds, he did. Then he handed her a knife and told her, "Cut the cake, Agnes. Yo, Agnes, we all want some cake.”

Agnes looked down at the cake. Then without taking her eyes off it, she slowly and softly said, "Look Harry, is it all right with you if I... I mean is it OK if I kind of... want I want to ask you is...is it OK if keep the cake a little while? I mean is it all right if we don't eat it right away?"

Harry shrugged and answered, "Sure! It's O.K If you want to keep the cake, keep the cake. Take it home if you want to."

"Can I," she asked. Then looking at me she said, "I live just down the street a couple of doors. I want to take the cake home, OK? I'll be right back. Honest!"

She got off the stool picked up the cake, and, carrying it like it was the Holy Grail walked slowly toward the door.

As we all just stood there motionless, she left. When the door closed there was a stunned silence in the place. Not knowing what else to do, I broke the silence by saying, "What do you say we pray?”

Looking back on it now it seems more than strange for a sociologist to be leading a prayer meeting with a bunch of prostitutes in a diner in Honolulu at 3:30 in the morning. But then it just felt like the right thing to do.

I prayed for Agnes. I prayed for her salvation. I prayed that her life would be changed and that God would be good to her. When I finished, Harry leaned over the counter and with a trace of hostility in his voice, he said "Hay! You never told me you were a preacher. What kind of church do you belong to?"

In one of those moments when just the right words came, I answered, "I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for whores at 3:30 in the morning."

Harry waited a moment and then almost sneered as he answered, "No you don't. There's no church like that. If there was, I'd join it. I'd join a church like that!”

A Fresh Word

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of speaking and teaching at the ZOE Conference in Lubbock in Texas hosted by the Monterey Church of Christ... It was, for several reasons, a rewarding experience. Each ZOE Conference is challenging and engaging for I enjoy working with church leaders from all over the country asking the question, “How might we better navigate the river of the Gospel between the banks of Scripture and Culture?”

On Friday, I co-taught a leadership class with one of my chief mentors/rabbis, John York. We talked with women and men in critical leadership positions about understanding the emerging context of practicing the Christian faith in North America.

On Saturday, I taught three classes on the subject of “experiencing God”—with a social justice twist, of course. We talked about seeing the image of Christ in the least of these and the “throwaway’s” of the larger world. I told some stories about the work Kara and I have done with college students from Rochester College and family members from the Rochester Church in Cass Park. Cass Park… one of the worst neighborhoods in one of this country’s most dangerous cities. I told them part of the story of Professor Jack, which I’ve shared with others in many different contexts.

One man, who came in for the third class of “experiencing God” in the margins, shared his testimony of being rescued from addiction, powers, and desires now leading the Monterey Church of Christ in working with incarcerated persons and persons who are without family, shelter, and basic needs. The spirit of God radiated from his very words.

But God was trying to speak to me in more subtle ways that Saturday in Lubbock.

One woman sat through most the three classes without saying a word. She was also volunteering as a servant for the weekend, helping with the hospitality room for the speakers. After I was done teaching this sixth class (third class of day two), she found me sitting at a table, exhausted from the two days of work.

“Josh. I just want you to know something. You’ve really blessed me.”

“Thank you for the kind words, I put a lot of time into this, I appreciate your words.”

She jumped in “…several years ago, I had a son named Josh. He fell off of cliff in a tragic accident. My only son Josh would’ve been about your age. I’ve been through a dark, dark time in my life…God has been faithful, but it was a dark place. And I can’t help but think that my Josh would’ve been serving the Lord much as you are doing with the poor and vulnerable of Cass Park.”

This friend-in-Christ went on to share more of her journey, how she’d completely quit church, experienced a tough divorce, come to faith (again) because of the grace and love the Monterey Church. Her words were fresh words of faith needed for this preacher on this particular day.


This, my friends, is why we cannot be Christians unless we are a part of Christ’ church. All of our stories bleed into one, a tapestry of redemption and transformation.

I'm Due

Since 1995, I've picked the Kansas Jayhawks to win the NCAA Tourney--so far I'm 0-11. But this is the year, I can feel it. Ok, it could just be the crazy weather in Michigan. It was 70 on Tuesday, it snowed last night.



Florida vs. Kansas

Kansas

GTown vs. Memphis

GTown

Kansas over GTown in a classic matchup.

I saw GTown at Madison Square Garden last week in the Big East Tourney–they look like an NBA team. I think they could take Charlotte, Memphis, and the Clippers right now!

But I’m fiercely loyal to KU after having grown up in Wichita. I’ve picked them every since ‘95–I’m due!

PS Kevin Durant could be this year’s Carmello Anthony, which would be bad news for KU fans.

Twins

28 years ago today, Jason Dale Graves entered the world. Born into a family of love, grace, and Christian discipleship he’s emerged to be a young successful “who’s who” in the Michigan banking world. In high school, he became an all-state tennis player after only having a few years of real experience. He was third on the varsity golf team after one full season of practice. To say Jason picks up on things is like saying Howard Stern is drawn to controversy, both are huge understatements.

Jason, at 28, is a VP of Commercial Loans for Key Bank in Ann Arbor, MI. But more than that, he is a true ambassador of God’s grace in the world. I do not know many young men as successful as Jason who give the amounts of money to kingdom efforts like Jason and his wife Alayna. He is thinking carefully and intentionally about ways he can be a light in the dark world that is often “American banking.” He is out in the streets rubbing elbows with all kinds of folks “preaching the gospel, using words when necessary.”

T-ball, youth basketball, Friday night fights in the basement, traveling, triumphs (Both of us becoming all-state our senior year, he in tennis, me in basketball), and defeats (low points I cannot mention on a public blog)—Jason Dale Graves has been my best friend and closest confidant.

One little known fact: Jason and I are twins. 28 years ago Phil and Kathy Graves found out that they were having two sons, not one. The problem: they found out after Jason had already been delivered! Phil went to get McDonald’s for his young wife, and he came back to the revelation that his family just went from 3 (my sister was three at the time) to 5!

For the next several years, Jason and Josh Graves would be inseparable. Like Jacob and Esau, they’ve not always modeled the God-filled life with perfection, but God has been faithful to both of them, using their paltry gifts for the benefit of his activity on this earth.

May God continue to use these "jars of clay." Happy Birthday Jason.

Lubbock, New York, Rochester

I just spent a week in NYC (the Bronx specifically) with eleven college students and three faculty/staff from Rochester College. We spent time in prayer, meditation, reflection, serving the poor at the Bowery Mission and local hospital, visiting some of the most historic churches in the United States such as Brooklyn Tabernacle, Riverside (Baptist) Church, St. Paul’s, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

We also spent the majority of the time with the leaders of the Bronx Fellowship of Christ, an emergent church movement led by a stellar team of ministers. They are bridging the gap of economics, race, and gender in "Jesus ways."

However, the most important part of being in The City (or any city for that matter) are the faces. Black, White, Hispanic, Puerto Rican, Laocian, Eastern European and African. Young, old, and middle age. Optimistic, worn-down, beaten, hopeful, and unsure.

These faces are the faces God’s heart beats for. These faces are the faces that reveal Jesus in our midst. THese faces are the faces that remind us of the sanctity of life.


------

Here’s a great article in the Detroit Free Press per people trying to live as “lights” in the city of Detroit.

The Tomb Belonging to Jesus?

James Cameron claims to have found the ossuary boxes belonging to Jesus and Mary Magdalene. An ossuary is simply a "bone" or "collection box" common to the Ancient Near Eastern world. Some will remember the big hoopla that was raised by believing archaeologists a few years ago when the "James Ossuary" emerged on the scene. The ossuary read "James, the son of Joseph, the brother of Jesus"--to which many people joked, "at least it did not read 'Jesus, the son of Joseph, the brother of James.'"

Well, Cameron now claims claims that he's found this little piece of archaeological intrigue.

Here is a piece of the article:

The filmmakers said that statistically there was a one in 600 chance that the names found on the inscriptions were not the family of Jesus.

They also argued that the name 'Mariamene e Mara, the only inscription written in Greek, translated to Magdalene's real name.

If this was the tomb of Jesus, the revelations are likely to raise the ire of Christians because the discoverywould challenge the belief that Jesus was resurrected and ascended to heaven.

The documentary comes on the heels of the huge success of the novel The Da Vinci Code, which contends that Mary Magdalene had a child with Jesus.

But Dr. Shimon Gibson, one of the archaeologists who discovered the tomb, told Reuters at the news conference he had a "healthy scepticism" the tomb may have belonged to the family of Jesus.

In Jerusalem, the Israeli archaeologist who also carried out excavations at the tomb on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, disputed the documentary's conclusions.

The archaeologist, Amos Kloner, said the 2,000-year-old cave contained coffins belonging to a Jewish family whose names were similar to those of Jesus and his relatives.

"I can say positively that I don't accept the identification (as) ... belonging to the family of Jesus in Jerusalem," Kloner told Reuters. "I don't accept that the family of Miriam and Yosef (Mary and Joseph), the parents of Jesus, had a family tomb in Jerusalem."

"They were a very poor family. They resided in Nazareth, they came to Bethlehem in order to have the birth done there - so I don't accept it, not historically, not archeologically," said Kloner, a professor in the Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv.

After they were discovered, the bones were reburied according to Orthodox tradition, leaving just the boxes with inscriptions and human residue to be examined though DNA testing.

Professor L. Michael White, of the University of Texas, said he also doubted the claims were true.

"This is trying to sell documentaries," he said, adding a series of strict tests needed to be conducted before a bone box or inscription could be confirmed as ancient. "This is not archeologically sound, this is fanfare."

Jay Leno, not typically thought of as a theologian made an interesting point this week concering the insinuation that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a child together and the new evidence supports this: "If we can't even identify who the father of Anna Nicole Smith is, what makes us so arrogant that we think we can identify a two thousand year old relic and how Jesus might be the father?" (my paraphrase).

Ultimately, belief in Jesus and the resurrection starts with belief. One cannot prove or disprove the ressurection. We cannot go back and watch the instant replay or videotape history. One must start with faith in order to see a raised Christ. Or, as C.S. Lewis once wrote, "I believe in Christianity as I do the sun. Not only because it is risen, but by it, I see everything else."

Something or someone happened to those earliest followers of Jesus. Something or someone that would cause them to risk and lose their lives. They did not benefit financially or socially from preaching the risen carpenter--their lives got more and more difficult. Yet, the early churched really believed that Jesus, through God's power, had overcome death, sin, darnkness and violence.

The greatest argument for an empty tomb, is a spirit filled carried away church (paraphrase of Clarence Jordan's comments in The Sermon on the Mount).

Walk on: U2’s Mission

Bono et al are enigmatic figures for many. In his new book Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2, Steve Stockman takes the reader through the making, formation and journey of (arguably) the greatest rock band on the planet: U2.

There are many highlights in this book. Here are a few:

• Stockman gets behind the meaning and historical/personal situations that produced many of the lyrics in U2’s music. The chapter in which he deals with “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (and how many have misunderstood the meaning of the song) is the worth the price of the book alone.

• The author deals with the controversy surrounding U2’s love/hate relationship with evangelical faith and American “Wal-Mart” Christianity.

• Bono’s spirituality (love for Christian community, social justice) fills up many of the pages and anecdotal narratives making this an accessible book for readers of all levels of interest. Bono once said in an interview, “…Faith in Jesus Christ that is not aligned to social justice—that is not aligned with the poor—it’s nothing.”

• Bono’s own apparent ethical contradictions get some attention in the research and reflection in the pages of Walk On.

I’m not finished with the book, but the highlight so far has been the background regarding Bono’s influence in the war/tension/hate between the Protestants and Catholics in Ireland. If music is the primary language of humanity, the most palatable way we experience genuine change, I’m grateful we have women and men ala Bono et al articulating a prophetic voice in an apathetic world. He may not fit the classic definition of fundamentalist Christian, but he certainly has his pulse on the importance of embodied ethics as we all enter into this post-Christian era in the West. As I’ve said often, quoting someone much smarter than me, “In a pluralistic world, a religion will be judged on how it treats its non-adherents.” I don’t know a finer example in the crazy world that is music/film/entertainment than U2.

So…do you have a favorite U2 song? My favorite is “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”…listed below.

I have climbed highest mountain
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you

I have run
I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I have kissed honey lips
Felt the healing in her fingertips
It burned like fire
This burning desire

I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

I believe in the kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
Well yes I'm still running

You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

Martin Matters

I am intrigued by white people’s response to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Full disclosure: I believe he is the single most important leader in American history…yes, even among such influential people as Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, FDR, Clara Barton, Einstein, et al.

The responses to Dr. King’s influence range from cultural icon to charismatic preacher; social revolutionary to pawn of his time.

In this month in which many are recognizing the contributions of African-Americans, I think it is appropriate to honor and discuss Dr. King.

To be succinct, here are the reasons Martin matters.

1. He called to America to be who she said she was; a place where “all men were created equal with unalienable rights”. What does “all men mean”? The US has spent several decades trying to decipher that dynamite-packed phrase.

2. He showed the Church and America that change can happen through creative non-violence. Though I am not convinced that one has to be committed to non-violence in order to be a Christian, I believe wholeheartedly, that we ignore the teachings of those who practice and espouse non-violence to our own peril. See the work of Lee Camp, John Howard Yoder, Walter Wink and Chuck Campbell for the best ruminations on non-violence in the modern word.

3. He reminded the Church that the Way of Christ must always be, in some respect, counter-cultural. If some major aspects of the Christian faith do not critique the cultural norms (whether it is Jamaica, Sudan, Russian, or Malaysia)—is it really the Gospel of Christ?

4. He possessed the courage to speak truth to the powers that be regardless of the outcome or consequence. As happened with Jesus and Paul, the religious people were ready to marginalize and kill Martin for his commitment to justice.

5. He reminded Christians of Jesus and Paul’s radical commitment to living out the “love for God, love for neighbor” message of Judaism and Christianity.

There is a great deal of commercial sentimentality regarding the life and teachings of Dr. King within and outside the black community. People tend to use Dr. King for whatever purpose they are aiming to achieve. I’m interested in none of the former. His time and life was messy full of irony and contradiction, just as our lives are today.

The best treatment of Dr. King and the era in which he worked is found in the writing of Pulitzer Prize winner Taylor Branch: Parting the Waters; Pillar of Fire; At Canaan’s Edge. I encourage you to sample this ground-breaking work.

My favorite King line these days: “A religion that cares about the souls of men but not men’s bodies might be a religion, but it is not the Christian religion.”

I love the American story. There are parts of it that I believe we have not dealt with (e.g. the mistreatment of Native Americans, Slavery, and Women) but I also believe it is one of the great experiments in the history of civilization. It is a story with so much hope and grace.

By honoring one who called America to be “who she claimed she already was”, we honor those secessionist, radicals who once signed those treasonous documents known as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

Update: My friend Sara Barton pointed this out to me regarding Dr. King and his being recognized as a martyr for the Christian faith.

Drunk on Jesus

I spent a good part of my adolescent years in Wichita, KS. Actually, I lived in a suburb (if Wichita can have a suburban section) of Wichita: Hayesville. I was/am the proverbial preacher’s kid. My father, whom some of you know, worked for Children’s Hospital before receiving the call to forsake career and comfort for the work of full-time ministry. My earliest memories of being alive are found in two places: my family (of which I’m a twin, one sister, and two incredible parents) and my church.

There are many things that shaped my early on. Some sociologists tell us that we shape our primary convictions or core convictions by the time we are twelve years old. We spend the rest of our lives building upon or deconstructing those core convictions—for good and for bad. “Children are the world’s best recorders, but the worst interpreters.”

My dad drove a school bus when we were younger. Not because he wanted to necessarily but because he was a great dad: the church we served barely paid him enough money to pay the mortgage and buy groceries, let alone support a family of five. Every Friday, dad picked up Jason and I on the big yellow bus (we were the coolest kids on Maywood St.—who else got to go for joy rides after hours?).

My dad never complained. I recall one time being confused by my mother’s emotional outburst upon opening the mailbox. It seems that several of the church members knew our financial straits (and the squirrelly payment tactics of the church treasurer) and decided to leave our family a sizable sum of money. Both my mother and my father were constantly hopeful, full of energy and dedication to the church and to our family. Lights in a dark world; wisdom in the midst of foolishness; speaking psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.

My (twin) brother and I had two best friends growing up: Brian and Chris Lemons. Both were standout soccer players at an early age. Both would go on to become all-state performers. Brian was the one everyone looked up to: highly intelligent, athletic, spiritual, and full of life. He was the one we all wanted to be.

The Graves family moved back to Michigan after an awful church split and Brian’s family remained in Wichita. We stayed in touch sporadically over our teen years. Brian was selected, during his senior year of high school, to play on the United States National Soccer Team as its starting goalkeeper. Brian had opportunities to play at several universities upon graduation. He chose to play for a small college in Nebraska that some of you are familiar with—York College. At York, Brian was a BMOC—Big Man on Campus. He was passionate about his faith in Christ, and determined to break down the artificial walls constructed between various ethnic groups. He detested legalism in the church. He despised racism. He was the epitome of a young follower of Jesus trying to make a difference, under the guidance of God’s spirit, in the lives of those who surrounded him.

Brian died in a fatal car crash ten years ago this past month. I was at a friends house (still in high school) when the phone rang. It was my mother, weeping profusely, “Josh, Brian’s dead.” My body went numb and soul froze. I don’t remember much after that. Brian Allen Lemons. Born in 1977, dead at the age of 20. So much promise, and potential snuffed away by the cruel jaws of death. He would never marry, accomplish all goals, or even bring children into this world. If you don’t question God over these sorts of incongruities in life, you might want to rethink the God you worship.



Thousands showed at Brian’s funeral in Wichita up wearing t-shirts that bore the slogan, “the power of one”—a testimony to Brian’s influence: light in a dark world; wisdom in the midst of foolishness; speaking psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.


All of these memories came flooding back to me because of the death of Adam Langford and Moses Kimezi : two beloved leaders in the work this church is so closely tied to in Jinja, Uganda.





I was with one of John and Sara Barton’s close friends and former in Uganda this past weekend as I taught at a conference in California. This friend recalled similar stories of Adam Langford. The parallels of Brian and Adam were astounding. Here’s one of the ironies of this story for my family: Adam Langford’s teammate at Oklahoma Christian on the soccer team was Chris Lemons the brother of Brian Lemons. Apparently Chris and Adam were extremely close during college. Chris lost his brother ten years ago, now loses a dear friend almost ten years to the day.

A few stories emerged out of the last few weeks that show you what kind of zest and vigor Adam embodied. Having never met him personally, many of us are reliant upon these stories to shape his character and demeanor.

Apparently Adam lived most of his life under the shadow of his older brother Ben Langford who’s on the current Jinja team. According to many, Ben was an amazing high school athlete. In the ninth grade, Adam told the soccer coach he’d like to play for him.

“What’s your name son?”
“Adam Langford.”
“Langford…Langford…say, are you Ben’s brother?”
“No, Ben is my brother.”

During Adam’s junior year, he was a part of school history winning a state championship in Oklahoma. The final game came down to a shoot out. The score in this overtime session was tied: 4-4. The younger brother was faced with the ultimate opportunity: miss the kick and the match goes into a second overtime. Score and he’s just marched his team to a state championship! What’s happens next is the stuff legends are made of.

Adam felt the tension—it could’ve been cut with a knife. He walks over to the student section, which is dead silent, staring at them. In a burst of emotion from somewhere deep inside, Adam lifts his hands in the air as a conductor preparing a symphony. Adam, in the tradition of Babe Ruth and his famous “point” in the World Series of , declared victory before he’d even scored the goal!

As this story is being relayed to me, I’m thinking, “Either way this guy’s going down in history. He’ll either be the hero who called his own shot or the goat who choked after a cocky display of male testosterone.”

Adam’s story (or Moses, or Brian, or my dad for that matter) is not merely a story about interesting people—they’re stories of people who’ve been filled by God’s spirit to overflow capacity. “Adam Langford and Moses Kimezi died January 16 as they worked to take good news to the poor and proclaim the joy of Christ. Both Moses and Adam were like that: the spirit of Christ oozed from their pores and their quick laughing smiles…Adam Langford was the kind of person that people were drawn to, whether children watching him balance a soccer ball on his foot, coffee growers he was helping the day he died, Source Cafe employees he worked alongside. Adam was in Uganda to proclaim good news to the poor, and he died in a tragic way but the love and joyful way he lived his life will make an indelible impression on Ugandans for decades to come.”

Lights in a dark world; wisdom in the midst of foolishness; speaking psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.



Coming Alive


A writer whose name I’ve long forgotten wrote this concerning Christian vocation, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Instead, ask what makes you come alive, because what the world needs is people who’ve come alive.”

All of this has been heavy on my heart and stabbing at my soul. And then, I open up Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and read these words:

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. 10 Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; 13 but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." 15 Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20 giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.


The NIV really messes up the interpretation of this text in verses 19ff. Instead of reading, “19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” the NRSV rightly translated this text “19 as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20 giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”



The NIV makes this sound like a command from Paul. Oh contrare mon frere. This is not a command, this is a description of what the spirit-filled life looks like. It’s not "do this, do this, do this." It’s “don’t be drunk on wine, be drunk on Jesus. And when you are drunk on Jesus you will find yourself living like this: singing praises and worship to God add the oddest times, in the strangest of circumstances.

In the Church of Christ tradition, this passage has been used to defend acapella music. We ignore the worship context of I. Co 11-14 when Paul talks about women who are leading, prophesying, etc. in the church. And in this passage, we create a context (we say that this is talking about corporate worship) that isn’t even there! How does that work exactly!

Examined or Enacted?

I love to study, read, reflect and study some more. I loved learning the Greek language in seminary. I enjoyed studying the Arian controversy in the early church and the debates among the Patristic Fathers (the what and the who?). I become fixated in the details of the narrative when I study the Civil Rights Movement, or the Bay of Pigs Invasion. I love to learn and drink deeply from good books.

But here’s what I’m slowly learning, the older I get. The Bible isn’t so much interested in being examined as it is interested in being enacted. The students I teach and serve at Rochester College are teaching me this. Most of them don’t know the first thing about the New Testament when they come to my class. They are brilliant by the end of the semester, but that’s because they have a great teacher!

These students can’t explain the synoptic problem, the messianic secret of Mark, or the authorship debates regarding the Gospel of John. They don’t know the Council of Nicea from the latest hot video on MTV. But many of them get it. They understand that Scripture wants to be lived out more than it wants to be litigated by reason and analysis. They understand that God desires for his children to perform the text, not live in years and years of pondering.

Some of our churches "got too many people who know too much Bible but don’t intend to do a thing with the knowledge they possess."

Paul reminds us this morning that we are to be, all metaphors aside, drunk on Jesus.

We choose to be intoxicated with the love and power of Jesus. We do not desire to be inebriated on individualism; sloshed on selfishness; or wasted on worldly ways—rather we choose to be consumed by the power and presence of God in our lives. We choose to follow in the tradition of St. Paul, Brian Lemons, Adam Langford and others—drunk on Jesus for life.

The Whole Story

One of the major critiques of White Christianity (in the West at least) has been its emphasis on the death of Jesus over and above the life that led to the cross. Some are guilty of "vampire Christianity" (Dallas Willard's phrase)--we only want Jesus for his blood, ignoring the way he teaches his followers to live.

Parting the Waters is one of the most insightful and carefully constructed narratives capturing the heart of America during the King years. Here's an excerpt:

In Baltimore, after nearly a decade of persistent negotiations, the city’s white and Negro Baptist preachers came together to discuss the role of the church in a time of racial tension. The meeting itself was a historic event, a gathering of uneasy strangers, and for the occasion the preachers of each race selected a representative to speak about their common religious heritage…

Vernon Johns reacted to a sermon by a white preacher which primarily emphasized the death of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins and promise of heaven. Here's what Johns said in response to the sermon.

“The things that disappoints me about the Southern white church is that it spends all of its time dealing with Jesus after the cross, instead of dealing with Jesus before the cross,” he growled and a number of the Negro preachers already were sinking inwardly toward oblivion.

Johns turned to the white preacher who had just sat down. “You didn’t do a thing but preach about the death of Jesus,” he said. If that were the heart of Christianity, all God had to do was drop him down on Friday, and let them kill him, and then yank him up again on Easter Sunday. That’s all you hear. You don’t hear so much about his three years of teaching that man’s religion is revealed in the love of his fellow man. He who says he loves God and hates his fellow man is a liar, and the truth is not in him. That is what offended the leaders of Jesus’s own established church as well as the colonial authorities from Rome. That’s why they put him up there.”


Telling the whole story of Jesus is not easy. But if we are to be faithful to the message of God revealed in scripture, one must deal with Jesus' life, not simply one understanding of his death.

Here's my focus for this week from N.T. Wright:


The longer you look at Jesus, the more will you want to serve him in his world. That is, of course, if it's the real Jesus you're looking at. Plenty of people inside the church and outside it have made up a "Jesus" for themselves, an invented character who makes few real demands on them. He makes them happy from time to time, but doesn't challenge them, doesn't suggest they get up and do something about the plight of the world--something the real Jesus had an uncomfortable habit of doing.

This weekend I'm in Fresno, CA with some good friends who put on the ZOE Conference. The conference is quite unique--it's a resource to encourage churches all over the United States to stay faithful to following the Way of Christ in a consumer culture. My task is to present the theology and practice for living life in search of God in the places, people, and spaces we would least likely suspect (an idea I tend to call the "margins").

Now that the Garth Brooks saga is behind us (ok, I'm over it)--we can get on with kingdom things.

UPDATE: I just read one of the best pieces I've come across in Christianity Today or her affiliates--and it's written by some friends (Wade Hodges and Greg Taylor from Tulsa, OK). Check this out. It's a must read.

Me and My Girl

UPDATE: I forgot to mention this detail. On the other side of the wall (that you can't see) is a large screen tv...50 plus people were watching me perform this Garth Brooks classic--unbeknownst to Kara and I. Needless to say, I was slightly surprised when I got out of the car.

The Messiah of Morris Avenue: Jesus in the Bronx

The Messiah of Morris Avenue by Tony Hendra (author of Father Joe) is one of the better novels I’ve read over the last few years. A friend of mine, spiritual guru really, suggested I read this.

The story is simple. In the Bible, Jesus of Nazareth came to redeem Judaism (“to do for Israel what Israel could not do for herself,” as N.T. Wright has written). Jay of the Bronx comes to redeem Christianity. In the person of Jay, God attempts to call Christianity back to it roots of radical hospitality, love, and solidarity with the marginalized around us. And like the first time God walked among us, the religious and politicians form a strange marriage and end up killing Jay, the son of God.

I would not classify this novel as a Christian novel; one that could be purchased at the Family Christian Bookstore for its theology is far deeper than most “Christian” novels. This novel challenges the way we do “church” America, and the way we think about ethics, discipleship, faith, and worship.

I am going to use this novel for an upcoming trip to the Bronx in which several college students from Rochester College will be working with The Bronx Fellowship of Christ, a house church movement in one of New York City’s largest boroughs.

Some of my favorite segments of the novel:

Depicting the rich young man who wants to follow Jesus (Pg. 167):

We were taken downstairs to the dressing rooms by security, and standing by the NO ENTRY ARMED ENFORCEMENT sign was a short-haired familiar-looking woman in jeans and a baggy sweater. She was holding a brown-paper supermarket bag and looked a bit scared as we approached. Jay gave her the one-arm bear hug: “Bobbi! You did it?”

She nodded. I wouldn’t have recognized her, though I’d interviewed her for an hour. Stripped of the Grecian ringlets, the plastic mask, the body armor of designer clothes, she was a person, not a billboard. Instead of Chanel, she smelled of peace.

She handed him the bag, which was stuffed with bundles of C-notes. My guess was it contained at least a hundred grand. Without even looking at it, Jay gave it to Maria. “Now I can follow you,” said Bobbi.

“You sure can.” Jay laughed, hugging her again. And in we went.

Addressing those who claim that “God is on their side” (192):

I have always hated wars waged in my name. God is on our side! Gott mit uns! Deus Vult! God Bless America! I am on no one’s side. I am not on America’s side, or Islam’s, or Israel’s, or Europe’s. I have never been on the British, German, the Spanish, the Dutch, the Catholic, or the Protestant side; I did not uphold the Crusades, not Muhammad. I did not guide the hand of David or Solomon, or the hand of Caesar or Alexander or Ptolemy.

And…the Lord’s Prayer (150)

…in heaven and in our hearts, blessed be Your name and blessed by your infinite strength.

Feed us with the food we need, teach us to sow the seed of love, hold our hands when we walk alone and afraid.

Forgive us the evil we have done to Your other children and help us forgive those who have done evil to us.

The real genius of the book is the way Hendra captures the “otherness of Jesus.” Think about Jesus for a moment. Here are some generally accepted facts about this carpenter Messiah as understood from the Gospel accounts: Jesus is born in a barn. Jesus is Jewish, a minority in the Roman schema (I often remind my students that Jesus is not a Christian). Unlike Paul, Jesus isn’t even a citizen in his own nation. Some might say he is an alien. Jesus is from Nazareth, not exactly a cutting edge city producing great thinkers. Remember the infamous line from the Gospels, “What good can come from Nazareth?” Jesus and his father are carpenters, more migrant workers than middle class; he does not appear to hold any elite positions. He has no special education that the reader is made aware of as do some of his contemporaries; Paul and Josephus to name a few. Jesus depends on the generosity of others during his ministry. Jesus is voluntarily homeless. Jesus is crucified as a criminal; a political insurgent who threatens Rome’s power in the region and Judaism’s tests of orthodoxy. Churches would not hire this Jesus. Moms would think twice before letting their daughters date this Jesus (borrowed from a piece I wrote for Wineskins).

And to have your imagination captured by the Jesus of Scripture and the Jesus of Morris Avenue, you’ll have to dive into the world of this book for yourself.

Christians in the Trenches: Denver, CO

Tonight I'll be in Downtown Denver, hanging out with some new kingdom friends: the people who run Dry Bones: rescuing homeless teens one person at a time. Go here for their blog and here for their website. For a story out of this work that will keep you up tonight, go here.

They rely on Christians from all over the country to support their work, consider it. Here's a recent blog entry.


"God with us"

I was asked the other day to write a few stories from the streets of times when I knew that "God was with us". My response was that "God is with us" always. When I think about "God with us", I keep thinking about telling the story of the time I had a sandwich with a street kid, or the time I rode the Free Mall Ride, or when I hung out at Civic Center Park (all of which happen almost every day). In other words, I see God every day on the streets - He's always "with us". In fact, Dry Bones' goal is to join God on the streets wherever we find Him at work - which turns out, is ALL over the place. It's a good place to be. God blesses everyone as He shows up - street kids and myself alike.So here's three stories or instances that I can put my finger on and say, "God is with us".

1. Last week, the Bedford Home Church was feeding our weekly Thursday night meal. A street kid that I've known for 5 years came walking up. He was visibly upset. He started talking to one of the other street kids. Their voices started getting louder and louder. The next thing I knew, he ran off into the park. About 20 minutes later, he came walking back up to the meal. He grabbed some food and began to eat. I walked over to him and said, "Are you ok?" Tears began to well up in his eyes and he said, "Sorry I ran off. I had to get away for a minute. I ran to the top of the hill in the park. I sat up on top and decided to pray. I asked God, 'Where are you?!!!' I'm so sick of the streets. I'm so sick of this street life - the drugs, the lying, the stealing, all of it! Matt, I just wish that God was here with me." We talked for a good while longer. He talked about how he's tired of making excuses for the bad choices that he keeps making over and over again. "I'm ready to own up to my mistakes," he said. "More than anything. I miss God. I feel like He used to be a part of my life, and now He's left me! I used to pray all the time. Tonight's the first time I've prayed in over a year. Why doesn't God show up? Where is He? I asked God to let me feel Him again - I want to know that He's with me?! Why doesn't He show up right now!?" I reached over and put my arm on his shoulder and pulled him close. My friend slowly looked up at me and his tear-filled eyes and mine connected. "I think He is here right now," I said. He smiled. We talked for a good while longer and then he left. Of course, I'm not God, but I can join God. God continues to connect us to people that need Him. God is pursuing hearts all across this city, mine included . . . In that pursuit, He often uses His people to express, "God with us". We're now connecting this kid with a professional Christian counselor - on his request. We'll keep walking with him as far as the road goes.

2. This week, Nikki and I sat at Starbucks with a street kid named, "Joe". We hadn't seen him in about 2 months. When we saw him on the streets, he ran toward us and jumped on me - almost knocking me over. He gave me the biggest hug ever and was genuinely excited to be reunited with us. We were standing there in the middle of a huge group of street kids - all buying, selling, and smoking pot. Suddenly, Joe didn't care about any of that stuff any more. He pulled Nikki and me to the side and said, "Can we go get some coffee and talk?" And so we did. We talked for over an hour. He poured his heart out over a cup of coffee. We talked about his week, the past two months, and his life - how his father had sexually abused him when he was a little kid. When it was time for us to leave, he walked us over to the the Free Mall Ride and we told him that we loved him. After that, we simply said, "See ya later." That was it - "God with us". We showed up at the park at a time when Joe was really hurting and looking for comfort. Instead of drugs, in that moment, God's presence in the park connected us with him.

3. Yesterday, Nikki and Rebekah talked to a young girl, "Samantha", who had recently found out that she was pregnant. She told Nikki and Rebekah that she wouldn't abort the baby because she didn't believe that abortion was right. She did, however, tell them that she had been drinking and drugging extra hard that week. She had even gotten in a couple of fights. "Perhaps, with any luck, I'll mis-carry," she said with tears rolling down her cheeks. Nikki and Rebekah didn't yell at her. They didn't start hitting her over the head with a Bible. They simply listened, loved, and then said the words that God would want her to hear. "You will be ok. Your baby is precious. Give this baby a chance. We will help you put your baby into the care of an awesome adoptive family if that's what's best. God cares for you and He cares for this baby. This will be ok." Samantha calmed down and listened. She realized in her own heart that self-abortion was just as wrong as going to an abortion clinic. Nikki and Rebekah will see her again tonight and again tomorrow and again next week . . . "God be with us" - We beg you!Eight kids that had left the streets have showed BACK up downtown just this week. We'll keep showing up to join God on the streets as we believe that He is definitely "with us".

Sacred Ink

Lauren Winner, one of the best current thinkers on the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, wrote a provocative book a few years back entitled Girl Meets God. In this memoir, Winner includes a reflection on her four tattoos: “a teal crescent moon on my ankle, a band of autumnal leaves braceleting around my left arm, a purple flower embedded in a purple star just over my left breast, and a small wreath of laurel leaves…”(152).

A glutton for all things history, Winner also notes:

There is a long tradition of Christian tattooing. Procopius of Gaza, a historian who lived in the late fifth century, noted that many Christians in Europe wore tattoos of the sign of the Cross on their arms. In the sixteenth century, pilgrims to the shrine of Loreto in Italy got tattoos, often of the Virgin Mary or St. Francis, to commemorate their trip. Around the same time, European visitors to Palestine came home with tattoos of the Jerusalem cross. George Sandys, an Englishman traveling in Europe in the second decade of the seventeenth century, observed, “They…mark the Arms of Pilgrims, with the names of Jesus, Maria, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Jerusalem cross, and sundry other characters.” Christians not only associated tattoos with Christ’s stigmata, but with two verses in the New Testament—Paul’s words in Galatians 6 about carrying “the marks of Jesus tattooed on my body,” and the prophetic vision in Revelation 19 about the writing on Christ’s thigh (154).

To read about women and men from the church I serve who are living with missional purpose in the Metro Detroit area, read this.

Reading: A Spiritual Discipline

This is a great time of year to catch up on reading and to think about what books you would like to tackle for 2007. Here are some suggestions for both.

New Wineskins has some good pieces: A Conversation with Brian McLaren is excellent; Greg Taylor has compiled some interesting reflections and a movie review per Mary, the mother of Jesus; and some young kid named Josh Graves has also written a piece on experiencing God in the margins. Wineskins can be read at www.wineskins.org.


Some of the best books of 2006:

Gilead
Winner of a Pulitzer Prize, this book chronicles four generations of preachers from Pre-Civil War Kansas to middle twentieth century Iowa. Non-violence, John Brown, aging, fatherhood, legacy, truth, dignity are all major themes in this instant classic.

Irresistible Revolution
The most challenging book I've read in 2006 (thanks to Andy Harrison, Sara Barton et al for making me read this). This book challenges the absence of Christians practicing hospitality and solidarity with the poor as well as our true allegiances. "The real tragedy in the West is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor. The real tragedy is that rich Christians do not know the poor." If we knew the poor, of course we'd care, be involved, fight for justice.

The Color of Law
A novel I read because of the rave reviews it has received, this story asks questions about life in Dallas, Texas. A rich young lawyer has it all (the wife, perfect child, huge mansion, fancy car, large salary) trades his identity to represent a woman he believes is being exploited and abused by a hopeful presidential candidate. I understand this is the author's first novel--absolutely a home-run.

Simply Christian
I'm amazed at NT Wright's ability to write on the scholarly level as well as the popular level. This book, written for the masses, is as fine an introduction to the Christian faith as I've read. It is written in the similar vein of Mere Christianity, but with sensibility to the emerging shape of the post-Christian post-modern West.

Parting the Waters
An engaging narrative surveying the United States during the first stretch of Martin Luther King's leadership with the SCLC. This book does a masterful job of focusing on King without losing the broader picture of crucial attitudes and events happening around the United States. This book affirms what I've believed for a few years: Martin Luther King is the most important American of the twentieth century, perhaps the most important American ever. Why? He challenged us (all of us) to think seriously about those cherished lines, "That all men are created equal..."

Girl Meets God
Lauren Winner writes a memoir that treats serious subjects (sex, fidelity in marriage, faith, Eucharist, holy calendar, Judaism and Christianity) with a holy playfulness. She also treats rather routine projects (like cooking, reading, traveling) with great reverence. At the heart of the memoir is the tension Lauren walks in with her conversions to Judaism and Christianity. Christians who believe that the Bible starts with Matthew's genealogy, must read this "journal-esque" spiritual steak and potatoes.

Leaving Church
My favorite spiritual writer continues to churn out prophetic book after prophetic book. If you've not read Taylor, this is an excellent introduction.

The Four Voices of Preaching
OK. Only a few of you would even consider reading this. It's worth it...for the two of you that is.

Some of the books I look forward to reading in 2007

The Real Mary
Jesus and His Death
Evil and the Justice of God
African Bible Commentary
Next Christendom
The New Faces of Christianity
The Unfolding Drama of the Bible
Messiah of Morris Avenue
Pillar of Fire
Freakonomics
Gates of Fire

So...What are you reading in 2007?

Peace.

The Heart of God

A snippet from the Dec. 24th Christmas homily at the Rochester Church with myself and Patrick Mead.

* * *

Joseph, the illegitimate father of Jesus has much to teach us. In Matthew’s Gospel, Joseph is the focal point—the one on whom all the angels and creation lean in asking, “What will he say? Will he say yes to God?” Will he believe the angel or will he chalk it up to bad Chinese food or stress at the office? What will this Joseph think? Will he allow his wife-to-be to endure shame, and gossip. “There’s goes Jesus—who’s his father anyway?” It is scary to think, that had Jesus been born today, he might be a candidate for abortion.

In our own age of people who raise children without benefit of marriage, the issue of legitimacy sounds a bit quaint, but the heart of the story is much bigger and more profound than that. The heart of the story is about a just man who wakes up one day to find his life wrecked: his wife pregnant, his trust betrayed, his name ruined, his future revoked. It is about a righteous man who surveys a mess he has had absolutely nothing to do with and decides to believe that God is present in it…He claims the scandal and it gives it a name. He owns the mess—he legitimates it—and the mess becomes the place where the Messiah is born (Barbara Brown Taylor in Gospel Medicine, 156-157).

I’m really glad that Joseph didn’t do what many Christians say they would do in any given situation, “Well, I’ll just do what the Bible tells me to do,” as if the Bible can just be mined for any situation without thought or interpretations. As one man reminded me this week, do we know what the Bible Joseph read instructed him to do in this situation? It instructed him to take the woman out “and stone her death in front of the people,” what about that (Deut. 22)? Joseph understood that the Scriptures must always be read through the heart and character of God. I’m glad he didn’t just read the Bible and do what it says.

I'm glad he "read" scripture and life through the heart of God.

Jack, Dry Bones

Since the passing of Professor Jack, I've not felt the urgency to write. I've been quite empty actually. I'm slowly healing from the sudden loss; Kara and I are pouring our money and time into another young man, who I plan on writing about in the future.

In a few weeks, I'll be in Denver, Colorado to witness a good friend get married. While I'm there I'm also going to spend some time with the radical followers of Jesus who run Dry Bones, a ministry for the young poor and young homeless of inner city Denver. Here is a recent reflection from one of the directors of this ministry effort.

Conversation is the most amazing invention. I guess someone invented it. However it came about I am glad to have it. I cannot imagine life without conversation. How lifeless life would be if all we had were just the facts and only the facts. I sat with one of my friends this week and utilized the incredible life asset of conversation. We sat and conversed about the trivial and the serious poking fun at both. We discovered things we liked and disliked. Sitting there enjoying conversation I found out my friend really wanted to explore a certain job opportunity he always dreamed about doing. The one thing he felt stood in his way was a physical appearance issue that kept him from pursuing his dream. Through life choices, he has literally destroyed his teeth. At a very young age, he has only nubs of teeth were once pearly whites gleamed. The consequence is bigger than he could have known. He has lost the confidence that anyone would take him seriously with a mouth full of bits and pieces of teeth. Not to mention the constant pain he endures. He said he wanted to get his teeth fixed first and then nothing would stop him. It dawned on me that this very conversation had empowered him to have the confidence to share with me his struggles and hopes so maybe just maybe I could use conversation to help find a way to reach his dream. It is obvious I cannot pull teeth much less repair them. However, I can converse about it. I asked him if it would help if someone went with him to the free clinic to check on getting him some help. With a look of curious expectation, he answered yes. I added what if they stayed with you and then bought some ice cream afterwards. He said that could work. I told him I would love to do that for him all he had to do is tell me when and where.

Later that evening my friend asks if Monday would be ok for us to go to the clinic. You bet I said and we made the arrangements. He smiled. I mean he smiled! Maybe I do know who it was that invented this conversation thing. Maybe you do as well:

Support Robbie Goldman/Dry Bones Denver

455 S Youngfield Ct

Lakewood, Co 80228

www.drybonesdenver.org

www.goldman-kr.blogsot.com

Remembering Jack

Some of you have heard me talk, write and get excited over Professor Jack, a man I’d been honored to work with in Cass Park and the Salvation Army Shelter across from the Masonic Temple downtown.

I got a call yesterday from Francis, one of Jack’s friends in the shelter.

“Josh…it’s not good.”

“What’s not good?”

“It’s Jack, man. He died. They rushed him out of here to Detroit Receiving. I know you were working with him, I know you were close. I just thought I’d call to tell you.”

“Francis, you have no idea how much this phone call means to me…”

I attended the viewing and funeral for John “Jack” Iannuchi yesterday and today. Here’s the death notice from the Detroit News:

IANNUCCI JOHN B

December 05, 2006 "JACK" Age 50, December 1, 2006. Loving father of Melissa Iannucci (Rich Thompson), Jacqueline, Lia, and Ezra. Cherished grandfather of Devin, Sydney, and Zoe. Dearest son of John (Yolanda) and the late Barbara. Brother of Patricia (Jon) Iannucci-Waller, Lea, Dino, Nancy (David) Welke and the late Frank. Uncle of Dylan, Alex, and Isabella. Former husband of Patty. Liz, mother of Jack's son Ezra. Funeral Wednesday Noon at the A.H. Peters Funeral Home, 20705 Mack Ave. at Vernier Rd., Grosse Pointe Woods. Visitation Tuesday 2-9 p.m. with a Rosary at 7 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Salvation Army, 16130 Northland Drive, Southfield, MI 48075.

* * *

Last night, Jack’s daughters huddled around my phone to listen to his voice. I had saved a voicemail he’d left me last week wishing me a belated Happy Thanksgiving. “I’m really sorry I can’t make it,” (we were supposed to have dinner together) “I’ve just been feeling awful lately.” His sisters and daughters had not heard his voice in quiet some time. You haven’t lived until men like Jack leave you messages on your phone.

The family, to my complete surprise, asked me to have a part in the funeral today because Jack told us about the “priest he’d been working with.” Never had I been so proud to be called “priest.”

I could barely get the words out at the funeral. I told his family that Jack had a mind of great intellect. My 200 plus hours of undergraduate and graduate education in college were no match for his wisdom. More than a great mind, Jack had a huge heart. “Very few people,” I stammered, “possess great knowledge and great love. Jack—your father, brother, husband, and grandfather—was such a person.”

Here’s a photo a college student took one Sunday afternoon we spent in Cass Park. Jack is on the park bench in the middle.

I’m feeling a little numb right now. I’m not really sure if I should share something so intensely private on the World Wide Web. Yet…I know…deep down that Jack’s story need’s to be told.

Tonight, as I drive home from work, I’ll be thinking about Jack. It will be about 18 degrees outside, Jack would say: “cold as hell, man.”

I’m a better follower of Jesus for knowing Jack. Even more important, I’m a better human being.

Am I an American (or...German, Ugandan, Canadian) Christian or a Christian American?

One of the highlights of 2006 was the time I was able to spend at the Pepperdine Lectures with my friends Klint and Rachel Pleasant, Chris Lindsey, John York (my chief mentor), Rubel Shelly (my rabbi), Greg Taylor (my newest spiritual friend), and Sara Barton (my co-worker in campus ministry at Rochester College).

Perhaps more than the great lunches (thanks John and Rubel) and the great conversations—I’ve been most impacted by Randy Harris’s three day lecture: The Kingdoms of God and the Kingdoms of Man.

Randy was a good friend to me the year I spent coaching and studying at ACU. Klint, Randy and I had some great conversations over good Mexican food (something we don’t have here in Metro Detroit). Our conversations usually covered everything from the theology of Mark’s passion narrative to the NCAA basketball tournament.

***

On the third day of Randy’s session, he challenges the class to ask themselves if they are more influenced by American values or the values of God’s Kingdom. He asks seven questions in response to that underlining one. I’ve listed his question along with my own questions for further clarification.


1. SIMPLICITY: How is my life being simplified? Am I on a path of consuming or emptying?

2. HOSPITALITY: Who sits at my table? Who I do welcome into my home on a regular basis? Do I spend time with those who “have little to offer me” in terms of reputation, societal standing and reputation?

3. PRAYER: For what and for whom do I pray? Do I pray for others first or for myself? Do I pray for my enemies in public as Jesus instructs us? Do I pray for the soldiers of all nations involved in a given war or only for those who fight for the country I live in?

4. SPEECH: Has my speech been affected? Do I say only “that which love requires”? Am I covertly racist towards persons who do not look like me? Am I prejudice against a particular gender?


5. RELATIONSHIPS: How are my relationships? Do I have relationships with people who would not be considered “elite”? Do I bring peace, wholeness, and joy or chaos, fraction and contempt? Do I suck the life out of people or do I breathe new life into my friends?

6. ADDICTIONS AND DESIRES: How am I doing with my addictions? More than sex, drugs, rock-n-roll (which should not be on this list)—am I still a shop-a-holic convinced that happiness comes in the things I buy? Am I still addicted to being comfortable? Am I cutting back on my time and money given to sports? Movies?


7. FIDELITY: Am I increasingly indifferent to my circumstances? In times of plenty and in times of want, do I remain committed to the Way of Christ regardless of the circumstances around me?

NOTE: In my Introduction to the New Testament class (Rochester College) on Friday--we had a great discussion concerning this topic. I'm so proud of our students ability to think criticially and humbly per their walk as disciples of Jesus. There were several ideas and points raised that I'd not thought about concerning this issue. This has been as rewarding a semester teaching as I've had.


How do you score on this test?

The Rochester Church is going to be considering each of these seven areas in 2007 during a CNX (Wedesday) Series "THE (ORIGINAL) MARKS OF A CHURCH"


Peace this Advent Season.

Josh