Brave girl

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g8cmWZOX8Q]

 

Thanks Marcus for this video.

Technorati Tags: environment video

Practicing "Church"

For years, I've been uncomfortable with phrases like "going to" church and "doing" church and so on. I think that a better phrase is "practicing" church. To me, this works in two ways.

1. Just like doctors "practice" medicine, we too are called to be experts in ecclesiology and continually refining our craft, pushing ourselves to grow as experts and to offer a healing, hope-giving, practice of faith.

2. Taken literally, we must "practice" church for we fall so short of "doing" that at best we practice.

As a drummer, I practiced daily, and I mean DAILY. In high school, there wasn't a class that I wasn't either practicing or writing. Then, I would spend hours at home honing my skills. I wanted to be the best that I could (truthfully I also wanted to be the best period, but I grew up). After high school, I continually learned and grew as a drummer. I added kit playing, hand drumming, xylophone, marimba, all sorts of percussion. Then, I dove headlong into learning to play jazz, the blues, country even polka. I knew that without being able to play in different modes/feels, I would never be able to rise above my limitations.

The church is more than what we do, it is who we are. We are the bride of Christ, we are the whore who continually rejects their husband for "far less affectionate lovers." We are (for good and for bad) one body that is Christ to the rest of Creation. I truly believe that we must move beyond programs and services and into "practice." Our organizations should feel more like hospitals than self-help seminars. They should be an oasis for the thirsty, a resource for the poor and a food pantry for the hungry. The church needs to be the welfare system of the world. It has been said that the church is the only institution that exists for its non-members. That is true.

We have forgotten our first love, and traded it for ourselves. Look at most "churches" today and you'll find 5 steps to ... but you'll rarely find a homeless person who has found a home.

 

Technorati tags: practicing church, church, christianity

Western Seminary

I just got back from my time at Western Sem. It was awesome! To see my pictures, click on the web album on the right.

More soon!
Chad

Photos

I have uploaded new pictures from our recent Emergent Cohort gathering with Doug Pagitt (I had to leave early because I was sick, so there's actually ony a shoulder picture of Doug, sorry bud).

Then, last night, the current leaders/potential leaders of Tapestry got together for a Cinco De Mayo party/dreaming meeting. So, here's a web album of these events.

 

Emergent/Tapestry

Affluenza and Stewardship

The Rich Young Ruler - Luke 18

18A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 20“You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’” 21And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 25“For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Three insights: (summarized from Relevant Magazine, May-June 2007) 

Donald Miller - "This guy had said 'I do everything right,' and Jesus said ' well, do this.' And he couldn't do it. Jesus was trying to say, ' See you aren't ok; you are sick just like everyone is sick.' Then He says, 'I'll heal you.' But the young man said, 'no thanks, I want to stay sick.' The real problem is addiction, and the addiction is money. We live in a culture that's addicted to money and to what money can buy us.

Tony Campolo - "There is no doubt that this story is about money. He goes on in the rest of the chapter when the apostles are asking Him about the meaning of what he just done. He says specifically about riches, "It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Jesus asks us if we will settle for the material aspects of your life, or are you going to live for spiritual gratifications? Are you going to be My disciples?"

Shane Claiborne - "He says, 'Sell everything and give it to the poor.' He doesn't just say, 'Sell everything; He says, "Give it to the poor.' I believe that - from over and over in Jesus's teaching - Jesus is showing that our faith has to be connected to the poor." A certain posture is needed to make the connection. "I think it's so important to not get stuck in. 'Oh, I've got to give up everything out of duty.' Just as the Scriptures say sell everything you have and give it to the poor, they also say we can sell everything we have and give it to the poor, but if we don't have love, it's meaningless."

Money is the drug of our culture, and we are all addicts. And, just as addicts must detoxify and go through withdrawal, Miller believes that God gives us the principle of tithe to help us. Just as in the OT and God asks for the first fruits (10%), He also asked the farmers to let their fields die every seven years. This odd request actually benefited the farmers because it served to fertilize the land which ended up producing better crops. We too must learn that giving to church communities begins to teach us withdrawal and through it we begin to live life as givers rather than takers.

In the second chapter of Acts, this was evidenced in the lives of the first Church. They shared everything in common, selling all their possessions. This is the NT law that Jesus gives us, not just a hard 10% but a life of giving to others. Imagine our communities living life together in servanthood to each other, and to those outside of us! Where needs of the other take precedence over personal desires.

I Speak Standard English

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Inland North   You may think you speak "Standard English straight out of the dictionary" but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like "Are you from Wisconsin?" or "Are you from Chicago?" Chances are you call carbonated drinks "pop."
The Midland
North Central
The West
The Northeast
Philadelphia
Boston
The South
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

 

I just that since I can't talk right now, I'd find out how I talk so what I can again, it will be with an intelligence that I had not yet afforded myself. Yes dad, "The South" is still in me as you can see on the chart.

Tonsillitis It is!

 

3. Lingual Tonsil

(not actual photo of chad)

From Wikipedia: Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils in the mouth and will often, but not necessarily, cause a sore throat and fever. Symptoms may also include pain in the tonsil area and inability to swallow and/or painful swallowing. White spots may also appear on the tonsils. These white spots may be raised and they cannot be scraped off.

Ok, so Mel took me to  the ER at St. Lawrence Hospital in Lansing per the recommendation of my local doc. I had gone in again this morning because the anti-biotic's he gave me were not helping, in fact, my throat had gotten worse. So, he gave me another cocktail of anti-biotic's and told me it was probably mono and pneumonia (pneumonio if you are from spring hill). Well, early this afternoon whilst I lie in bed barely able to speak, my fever came back again so I called Mel to come to the rescue. She called the doc who then said, "take him to the ER." 

Now we all know that the show "ER" has little to do with reality, but the local ER in Ionia has more in common with the Red Neck Comedy Tour than a hospital. So, I insisted we go to St. Lawrence (which has 2x less wait than Sparrow).

I gave many a vile of blood for testing, had an additional throat culture (my local doc gave me one this morning), and a well deserved drink via the nice IV unit. Then, they sent me for chest and throat x-rays, and handed me a cup for a specimen. After a couple hours, they came back in to tell us that I did NOT have strep, mono or the flu. I did however have white growths in my neck and swollen tonsils. 

They then injected some steroids in my IV to help the swelling go down.

At 8:00pm, the doc came in and confirmed that I did in fact have tonsillitis and that they don't hardly ever take them out of adults due to high risks for something he didn't go in to. They gave me 500 mg more steroids to swallow and sent me out with two scripts for a new anti-biotic and steroids.

At approximately 9:30pm, we were finally able to eat dinner (after missing lunch, I was too worn to make it) and I thought it would be a good idea to eat at Las Hacienda Amigos, my new favorite place in Lansing (plus w/ Cinco De Mayo only one day away, what the heck!). I had three tall icy glasses of cherry coke and some mexican food. The coke was from heaven. Gracias Amigo's, Gracias.

So, that's it, the long boring story of my medical day. I won't have a voice for awhile, which is good news for many people.

Buenas Noches.

 p.s. Ice Cream Donations Being Accepted To Ease The Throat. Fried Mexican Ice Cream Acceptable.