Tag Archives: faith

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Conversations that make you think

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My parent’s where in town this weekend. I’m blessed to have to of the most amazing people that have graced the face of this earth as my parental units. I’ve learned to appreciate them more and more as I’ve interacted with a great many people who weren’t nearly as blessed as I was to have such loving and caring fathers and mothers.
I grew up thinking I could do anything, cause my mom told me (and still tells me) that I can. Even this weekend we had conversations that renewed me with an energy that I can accomplish any task I set my mind to. My dad is a doer much like me, and our conversations are very much a reflection of that. I’ve got umpteen new projects running through my head that I’d love to start working on, and know that I can accomplish if I stick to it.

I also love my parents because I can be real with them. Most of the things I say and believe I usually don’t bring up in conversation with folks cause they’ll get offended or argue, or a great many other things. With my parent’s though I can be real and honest.
My dad and I had a great discussion on stewarship, resources and the lifestyle we choose. He challenged me and encouraged me to think of things in a different light. Those conversations always help me further refine my beliefs and help me remember my values.

Thanks Mom and Dad.

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FreeDerekWebb.com coming September 1st

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From Derek Webb:

i love music. i have grown up with music as a close confidant. and i believe in the power of music to move people. there’s something remarkable about the way a melody can soften someone to a new idea.

as an artist (and often an agitator), this is something i am keenly aware of. my most recent record ‘mockingbird’ deals with many sensitive issues including poverty, war, and the basic ethics by which we live and deal with others. but i found that music has been an exceptional means by which to get this potentially difficult conversation going. and this is certainly an important moment for dialogue amongst people who disagree about how to best love and take care of people, to get into the nuances of the issues.

one of the things that excites me most about the future of our business is how easy it is becoming to deliver music to people who want to hear it. i heard a story once about keith green caring so much that people were able to hear and engage with his music that he gave it away for free, which was a very difficult and expensive thing to do at that time. it’s actually never been as simple as it is today to connect music with music fans. and i want people to have a chance to listen to mockingbird and engage in the conversation.

so this is why, on september 1st, we’re launching freederekwebb.com, a place where anyone can go online and not just hear but actually download, keep, and share ‘mockingbird’ completely for free. In addition, freederekwebb.com will give you an opportunity to invite your friends to download ‘mockingbird’ in order to get them in on the conversation as well.

we hope this bold campaign will provide a jumping off point for conversations about all of these issues, and communicate my commitment to playing my part in starting them. so please help us spread the word: on september 1st, ‘mockingbird’ will be set free!

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Sorry I’ve been neglecting you…

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I feel bad about not posting more on here. For one there are a million things running through my head, which is usually a good reason for me to post umpteen times. And with my limit on internet time (only 30 minutes a day), you’d think I’d have more time to write off-line and then post things for you. Sorry, that’s not happening.

I guess my mind is just in a whirlwind waiting to settle down with this community and housing thing. I’ll let you know the outcome when I know but I got to stop any play by play which might mean very little posting in the next couple days.

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Skepticism about travel

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I’m certainly open to other thoughts and opinions on this one, but lately I’ve been pretty skeptical of travel. I’ll explain more later, but I wanted to throw something out there and see how many people wanted to commment back on it.

I’ve always wanted to travel the world, backpack Europe, cruise the USA and South America, and visit lot’s of countries. Now, I’ve felt like all those desires are really just selfish. It just seems wrong when there is so much need in the world for me to be spending my leisure traveling. Even if I did it in the name of “missions” and a desire to help people, I just don’t think it would fly in my mind. I’m feeling lately that my desire to travel is something I need to forego in this lifetime.

Now, I’ve made exceptions, I’ve traveled and will travel to visit family and friends on occassion. I’m not saying you have to stay in one place forever, but short term stuff just seems tough for me to justify in my mind.

I know people will have opinions on this one, let me hear them.

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Future writing topics

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Through recent conversations, readings and other things I’ve been listening to, I’ve begun a list of things I’d like to write about. The problem with this list is it is a list of things that is going to require me to do a little research, refrencing things and so forth. It won’t be writing off the cuff like I usually do. I think I’m capable of doing this, it’s just going to take a little more effort on my part. I am a poor motivator of myself though. Rather, I do well with interaction and dialogue. That being said here are some short summaries of things I would like to write about soon.

Who am I Trying to Follow?- I’ve been meaning to do this one for a long time. The title of my blog means a lot to me and I’ve realized it probably needs some interpretation. I’d like to write a series of post about who it is I’m trying to follow and more importantly, why. I have hesitated in writing this before because a direct response to this question can often result in misinterpretation. Sometimes, I think it would be better for someone to read my writings and determine from that the answer to the question. This series will come, it just might take me a while to be satisfied enough to post it.

Christianity and Anarchism- I’ve been listening to the audio CD from a recent conference on this topic put on by Jesus Radicals. It’s sparked a renewed interest in me and a desire to articulate my beliefs as it relates to this. Just to get you slightly interested, I think I would say I’m in many ways an anarchist in my beliefs. I would even say, I think Christianity is far more Anarchist then it is capitalist. More to come later.

Universalistic thinking- I don’t know if I just made up that word or not, but this topic is going to be way touchy. This conversation has popped up a number of times in a couple circles I’ve been a part of and I feel the need to articulate some of my thoughts on the issue. If you don’t really know what I’m getting at you might just have to stay tuned for the post. Basically I want to discuss the idea of faith and it’s exclusiveness or lack thereof.

That’s it for now. I’m afraid if I make my list any longer I won’t end up writing on any of them. Hopefully I can post something about one of these topics in the next week, while it is still fresh in my mind. Stay tuned.

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Brilliance from Benny boy: Discipline and Goals

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At the age of twenty, Benjamin Franklin, partially reflecting on Philippians 4:8, wrote a list of virtues he felt where important to a disciplined life:

1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.

2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.

3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.

4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.

5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.

6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.

11. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

12. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

As I’ve been re-looking at my goals and trying to put them in a order and format that I can really keep to and appreciate, I’ve decided to go with a similar format to Benny’s.

I listed these virtues in a quick brainstorm last night, so I’m probably going to change them around at different points.

Moderation: Avoid extremes. Simply meet needs

Justice: Live in a way that is un-oppressive.

Simplicity: Free my life of unneccessaries

Discipline: Live as I plan, not on a whim.

Grace: Allow myself and other’s God’s redeeming grace.

Humility: Remain a follower (of Christ)

Prayer: Submit my life and desires to God

Ambition: Use every minute as if my last.

Sacrifice: Forego worldly pleasures and wants.

Passion: Let my passion fuel my actions.

What are your virtues?

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Threads: Relevance

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RELEVANCE: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

-adaptation
-incarnational living as opposed to attractional
-understanding
-relevant to Jesus
-method changes, message remains without compromise
-communicating in the language of the culture
-others focused

Paul’s famous line: “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”

The idea of being relevant to culture and people is a wonderful idea. In some circles this is called, “contextualization,” the idea that we are taking the gospel and putting it into a context that the receiver will understand. I wrote an essay to get my major approved in college on that very topic.
To often though I think we use this idea of being “Relevant” as justification for fulfilling our own desires. We justify as being “Relevant” our country club membership, boat, drinking, smoking, watching certain movies, going out to eat, and many more things. I think we need to be more skeptical of “relevance” when i is beneficial or pleasurable for ourselves.

Contextualizing is considering that regardless of how direct a translation “washed white as snow” is, it is going to make no sense to someone who has never seen or heard of snow.
Relevance and Contextualization also seeks to recognize that talking to someone about your views on abortion or homosexuality is going to take something other then a “love the sinner, hate the sin,” approach. A person who never had a loving father in their life has no direct context with which to understand God as a “loving father.”

I really like the line above that says: “incarnational living as opposed to attractional,” because that acknowledges that we need to be careful not to cloak our self-gratification in a false effort to be “relevant.”

I love the idea of relevance because it really gets to the nitty gritty. It’s practical, it’s specific, it’s something we can sit and talk about and really take some action on. And I really think we need to spend more time in the church doing that. It seems we spend most of our time talking about abstract, philsophically or touchy-feely things, and then we walk out the door with no real challenge on our lives what so ever. Let’s get dirty and talk about how we can be more relevant to our culture.

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Initial thoughts on the PAPA Festival

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I’ve been meaning to sit down and write about my time at the PAPA Festival all day, but I kept procrastinating on it, mainly because I’m not sure I have that much to say. This wasn’t an academic or informational gathering per say. There where learning sessions, but the majority that I went to were more discussions then they were information which I could share with you.

I will point out that there where white folks with dreadlocks there then I’ve ever seen in one place. Makes you wonder. Lot’s of very ‘alternative’ folks out there looking very much like the normal crowd because they made of the majority at this gathering.

I enjoyed myself for a good number of reasons. I ran into a ton of random people with all sorts of unique connections which was a pretty cool thing. I think I’ll post on the random people I met next.

Mainly, I think the thing I enjoyed most was just being around a whole bunch of “Christians” that actually shared my value system. Too often I feel outcast or alienated as being too “radical” or liberal or something similar. The folks I seem to share values with are ones whose motivation is not following Jesus at all, but something completely different usually. So it was good to be ‘worshiping’ and fellowshipping with others who share my values and my beliefs and motivation.

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Threads: Surrender

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SURRENDER: Matthew 20:26-28- “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

-fluid & organic with continual movement
-interdependence
-there are no sacred cows
-there’s no length we won’t go to in order to connect people with Jesus
-ain’t no mountain high, ain’t no valley low
-adapting & empowering not controlling
-we’ll put God first no matter what, anything is going to submit to that
-leave the 99 to get the one
-humble, humility, humble submission
-doesn’t mean there isn’t any structure but God is the structure
-show us the best structure that will unleash the full potential of your spirit
-both structure and spirit are always present together; one is never absent of the other

I’ll be honest this sounds more like a list of catch phrases then any deep practical thoughts on Surrender. The word “surrender” is often seen in a negative light, as it is commonly considered as “giving up” or “quitting.” In our day of constant wars the thought of idea that our troops would “surrender” seems weak and cowardly.
Interesting too that the Bible verse referenced above does not even use the word “surrender” instead it’s talking about serving. My personal thought is this idea of surrender makes no sense, unless seen in light of Love. Christ surrendered his power as God and became a human. Husbands surrender their wants and desires to their wives. Like a little child who wants their way, we must surrender our ambitions to a parent who knows what is best for us. Maybe surrender is an out dated word though?
I’ll be honest Surrender does not sound like a easy thing, and it certainly does not seem like an enjoyable thing. It really is a giving up of something.

I guess I see it as odd that a main tenent of our belief system can be this idea of “surrender” and yet we still look so similar in all that we do to our unbelieving neighbor who has no desire to surrender anything?
I know there’s that song “I surrender All” but when besides the song can one declare something like that? Can you make that statement while eating out with your church friends? Can you say you surrendered when your buying that new gadget, when your living in your comfy house, while driving in your luxury car? Can you say you’d surrendered all when enjoying the latest concert, taking a vacation cruise, or watching the game?

It’s a good song and all, but do you know anyone who is really “Surrendering All?”