The culture vs. the story...

I read the scriptures and find myself falling in love with Jesus. The gospels bring out an incredible love that I am struck by my lovelessness. His compassion for those who are on the fringe is compelling me to look at the fringe. Poor in Spirit people have a place. The meek have a place. Those who are oppressed have a place.

But not in the culture. The culture is about getting it right. Having our plastic ducks lined up. Being naked and ashamed but condemning those who's clothes are tattered. Tearing apart words and ideas that are unfamiliar because those gospel words have been removed or rationalized away and never taught. Sitting in school and defining but never doing anything with the information that could set people free. Getting so puffed up by our education or business cards so that our eyes swell shut in seeing just how bad many people in the world have it.

The culture is making a dollar off of scripture just because it has a catchy tune associated with it or it appeals to a daughter on Fathers Day to give it to her dad.(I saw a bible entitled "The Encouragement Bible.") T-shirts and bumperstinkers that use these same words of love to express condemnation to those who haven't heard the whole story yet but are getting sick of t-shirts and bumperstinkers that misrepresent the love of Jesus and don't stick around for the ending.

Institutional budget that are set so that it is attractive for people to come to give money to a budget that is set so that it is attractive for people to come to give money to a budget that is set so that it is attractive for people to come to give money to a budget that is set so that it is attractive for people to come to give money to a budget that is set so that it is attractive for people to come to give money to a budget that is set...

"The culture has no clothes!" a child yells out as the culture goes by in a parade to honor the culture. Everyone in the culture is shocked that it would be said even though they all knew it a long time ago...

Story...

"Ivan Illich was once asked what is the most revolutionary way to change society.
Is it violent revolution or is it gradual reform?
He gave a careful answer.
Neither.
If you want to change society,
then you must tell an alternative story."
Tim Costello

Third World Communities...

Lately I have been thinking about ministry and a new way of getting people into full time ministry. Full time ministry use to be going to seminary and getting a Masters of Divinity degree and then finding a church to preach, baptize, bury, and marry. Now people who aren't professionally trained in anything but in compassion begin missions that bring focus to needs in some of the third world countries. Invisible Children, Village Schools, LifeWaters, and others that are clear examples of people with a heart and understanding of needs doing Kingdom Work without a denomination backing. Yes there are many in denoms who set up mission agencies throughout the world, but I see a group of people who are not waiting for the Institution to begin something they just do it. And the backing comes with the rock band entrepreneurial understanding of what will attract the attention and hearts of this generation.

I have been encouraging college students to reinvent some of the mission thinking that goes to third world countries and set up missions of aide and gospel. Can we start developing and ordaining people to begin doing that in the USofA in third world communities? I use this term not as a pejorative term but more as a description of need and possibilities. I think about some of the communities just in the San Joaquin Valley where the poverty level, single mothers rate, drug and alcohol problems are staggering. Communities that get hit hard when the weather causes devastation and it takes acts of Congress to relieve the problem but never affect change in the hearts and lives of those who's lives are precariously teetering on the kindness of others. Once the devastation is no longer titillating enough for media consumption the film and talking head crews pack up along with the hearts, pocketbooks, and attention of the viewing public. Leaving behind a worse poverty than before the devastation.

My son, Simon tells me of his trip to the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans and how still many homes and businesses are without any greatly needed repairs and the deepening of despair is taking the place of help that isn't coming as much when it was the thing to do with a youth group. Those who come down to spend a week or so are greeted with a heartfelt thanks and love for remembering them.

What if we start ordaining community organizers, social workers, water engineers, solar engineers, nurses, school teachers, and other disciples who are professionals that are needed to change the course of a community to accept their Call into third world communities as well as third world countries. What if the Church and not the government started programs to turn around hearts, souls and minds to health and contribution to the community. We need to begin to look at the church budget of finances and time to see what we value and most of it is oiling a system instead of creating opportunities of releasing people to mission.

Well, well, well... done.

My friend, Michelle Sanders, a month ago got her journals into the Anthropologie's stores throughout the US and now she is getting them placed in England.

Congrats, my dear friend. The worm turned in a favorable direction.

I knew her when...

Full days...

Today was a long day. A great time with my men's small group, a tasty bearclaw pastry, couple of accidents, a basketball sprain, a girl fight, a water pipe break-o-rama which resulted in a rather large hole (6'x6'x6') in front of the office, a gas pipe leak, a wonderful line dance, hayride and petting zoo for the Week in the Forest campers, and a few other things that I cannot talk or type about.

But the worse thing was saying goodbye to my friend, Jenn McCarty. She was the Accommodations coordinator, but more important, she is a woman of God. I trust her. I am proud of her. She is wise, caring, Christ-centered, beautiful, and hard-working. A Proverbs 31 woman. I say that with all due respect. She is off to be a Residence Director for a christian college near Sacramento.

Well done, my friend. It was an honor to serve next to you...

This week...

We are in week 4. High School, Outpost, AIM, and A Week in the Forest for people with Developmental Disabilities are the programs going on.

Keith Beebe, a professor at Whitworth University and a friend, is the speaker for this and the next HS camp. He is talking about the Kingdom and has entitled his talks, "The Revolution Jesus Started."

Beth and Michelle are the nurses which make the week fun and secure. These are very caring women who take their profession and confession seriously and they are always ready to laugh or make me laugh.

This week also is pretty stressful because Outpost is going off grounds, High School brings people who are dealing with so much, a lot of medications and needs in the Forest, and AIM is at the end of its second of a two week program. The leadership in all of these programs are incredible. New ideas that are built on the past bring a lively consistency to the programs.

We are very concerned about the water situation as this was a very dry winter. Streams are still running but very slowly. We are implementing Navy Showers and minimized the watering of lawns. High concerns about what the autumn will be like. We are having some thundershowers predicted for today, which will hopefully bring some showers and bring some relief to the lawns and dusty roads...

Conversations from under the blue...

I know I have said it many times but I love what I get to do. I get to sit and shepherd college age people. (I hate putting them with an adjective that they have to be college age, but when they are older they don't think much of me.) I get to have conversations with the future. I meet with them now outside at my office.

I use to meet with people off campus, we would hop in their car with an ice chest and beverages and sit in the middle of a forest, by a stream, or just down the road away from distractions and interruptions. Sometimes we talk of their futures, sometimes about their pasts, pray for their pain or confusion, sometimes we sit and talk about Jesus from their experiences and questions.

I met with our Activities Director, Jonathan, today and talked about his philosophy of programming, the church, music, and many other great things. I am really enjoying being with him this year. I have know him since he was a freshman at our high school camp many years ago. He just graduated from Gordan.

One of the activities that he did last night was a labyrinth and hand-washing. I drove up at around 10:00pm and saw on the "green" a wonderful sight of christmas lights in a formation and high schoolers walking meditatively through the maze. It was a delight to see and watch them experience it. When the students came up from the vespers to the green they were instantly quiet and in awe. It was great to see something that grabbed their attention.

I ask Jonathan what was he thinking when he designed it and he said, "Things need to have a bit of magic in it to make it meaningful..."

I like that.

One of my favorite days...

The Saturday after the Fourth of July, I treat the staff and friends to a BBQ. I am the Chief Barbequer. This year Dan and Suzanne Kimball and Steve Juarena came and started up the BBQ at 8:30am to cook Pork Butt and Beef Ribs slowly until 6:00pm. The Pulled Pork was incredible. Fell apart and was so flavorful. These friends know how to BBQ and love us. We are very blessed to have them work so hard for this dinner. It blesses the staff and me very much.

I made a Cactus Mango Sauce which turned out very good, and Josh Krane and Katelyn Anderson made a great sauce using Root Beer as its base. Josh Haas made a great potatoe salad, bread, and a wonderful vegetarian meal for 15 or 20 veggies that we have on staff. He also made a great cobbler with a bit of chili and a couple of other spices. Very good with a slight kick.

It is a lot of preparing for 45 minutes of consumption. But the smiles (with sauce on it) is worth the time.

I was missing a few messy faces from previous summers...

Popi Update...

Ben on top, Jack on the bottom at 6 months.

Beginning week three...

Many who have been here know that two things begin to happen during this week. The staff shirt is stained with the sweat of the first two weeks and it is becoming a part of the fabric. This either creates a rhythm or it creates a spiritual dementia.

Some find their calling's heart and begin to move with its beat and to the people whom they are being called while others begin to think about things off the hill and wondering what is going on.

To many a conversation with someone about their heart and head is more important than a concert or a party.

Some spend off time going up the mountain to stretch their experiences that add to their lives and faith while others go down the hill to see a movie which is forgotten by breakfast the next morning.

Questions are asked to find out more about something said or done by those who are following but accusations and gossip are central to those who have mentally and spiritual departed.

I am amazed by those who start developing lifelong spiritual friends who will support and encourage them from now on versus those who go down and get a tattoo that stays on the surface but never reaches the heart or soul.

This is the week that decides for many what tomorrow will bring. I am always impressed with those who have to work through feelings of "been there, done that..."