Jesus' True Identity

For the next few days, we'll spend some time delving into the writings of Darrell Johnson, a wonderful writer, who, when I was very much involved with Young Life, we gleaned alot of our studies from.


Mark 8.27-35 may be the hardest of the hard sayings of Jesus. Jesus and his disciples were traveling through the villages around Caesarea Philippi, a city north of the Sea of Galilee. Caesarea Philippi was a pluralistic city, a city of rich and diverse religious and philosophic heritage. Up to this point in his ministry Jesus had done and said things that had stimulated the question, "Who is this man?" In Caesarea Philippi Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say I am?" After receiving various answers, Jesus then asked the disciples, "Who do you say I am?" Peter, speaking for the Twelve, said, "You are the Christ" (v. 29; Matthew 16.16).

Jesus accepted their answer, but he immediately began to fill those terms--Messiah and Son of God--with unexpected meaning. "The Son of Man," Jesus' favorite way of referring to himself, "must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again" (v. 31). Jesus knew he must leave Caesarea Philippi and make his way to Jerusalem. And he knew that in Jerusalem he must suffer. And not only suffer but be rejected. And not only be rejected but be killed, crucified. And then be raised.

Peter could not handle Jesus' words. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" (Matthew 16.22). Suffering and death did not fit Peter's concept of the Messiah. The Messiah comes in glory and power.

Peter also knew the implication for himself of Jesus' concept of Messiahship. Just as there would be no resurrection for Jesus without crucifixion, so there would be no resurrection for the disciples without crucifixion. Peter had become the mouthpiece of the tempter, repeating the temptation Jesus had resisted in the wilderness.

Nick Naylor and America

(Nick Naylor's (of "Thank You for Smoking" fame) son, Joey, is asked to write an essay on why American government is the best government in the world. Nick gives his son some good advice.)

Joey Naylor: Dad, why is the American government the best government?
Nick Naylor: Because of our endless appeals system....Joey, you're not writing down what I just said, are you?
Joey: Mm-hmm.
Nick: Joey, stop for a second. What is the subject of your essay?
Joey: Why is American government the best government in the world.
Nick: Your teacher crafted that question?
Joey: Yea, why?
Nick: Well, I'll look past the obvious error in syntax for a moment, and I'll focus more on the core of the question. I mean, "A", does America have the best government in the world? And "B", what constitutes a "best government"? Is it crime, is it poverty, literacy? Hmm? And America, definitely not the best. Perhaps not even better than most. We do have a very entertaining government----
Joey: Dad...
Nick: I'm sorry....Are you familiar with the term, "B.S."?
Joey: Bullshit.
Nick: Yes, exactly. "B.S.", if I may, is what questions like the one your teacher posed are made for. Because even if America had the best government, there'd be no way to prove it...


Joey: So what am I supposed to write?
Nick: You can write whatever you want.
Joey: Ok...?
Nick: Write about America's amazing ability to make profit by breaking down trading tariffs and bringing American jobs to Third World countries. Or how good we are at executing felons. They're all correct answers.... You see, Joey, that's the beauty of argument. Cause if you argue correctly, you're never wrong.

charrett 5 Update

An update from umbau's charrette 5 by the student who put the expose on:



five--over

the show was a huge success

the experience was written
from beginning to end
and the vision of the experience was installed
from beginning to end
minus a few elements

there was light ensconcing
suspension
super 8 film rolling
tea pouring
people lying down and watching photographs
paintings of all sizes
graffiti . . .

people came from all over for it
namely : d.c., illinois, north carolina, and the farthest reaches of va
if you couldn't come, you missed it
and i missed you

now...i am starting to wonder what to do next
and getting a little lonely in the meantime
wierd.

jobs are : two sign designs, one solar powered. one menu. and...one poured concrete fountain.

Demands My All

For the next few days, we'll spend some time delving into the writings of Darrell Johnson, a wonderful writer, who, when I was very much involved with Young Life, we gleaned alot of our studies from.

"Life is difficult." That is the way M. Scott Peck begins his very helpful book, The Road Less Traveled.

Most people do not see this truth. Most people believe that life should be easy. The road most traveled is the road of moaning and grumbling about life's difficulties. The road less traveled is the road of accepting life's difficulties and meeting them head-on.

What Peck says about life in general is even more true about life with Jesus Christ.

Discipleship is difficult. Following Jesus Christ is costly. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it very clear that living with him meant walking a road less traveled. "Enter through the narrow gate," he said, "for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7.13-14)

Jesus promises to give anyone who will follow him abundant life (John 10.10), but he makes it very clear from the beginning that to follow him is difficult and costly. He calls us to follow him on the road less traveled.

More Sufi Wisdom

A continued look at the wisdom of the passionate faithfuls of Sufism...

The dervishes seek to love one another, the speak kindly, to show gentleness to one another, and also to serve one another.

A kind, happy expression is a reflection of the contented heart of the dervish.

The Sufi...knows that there is nothing but God, that only the Divine exists, and that any sense of individuality or separateness is an illusion.

Work, marriage, and raising a family can be the essential elements in the development of maturity.

Confronting mortality is one of beginning the process of personal growth.

The Sufi path is not a path of retreat from the world, but a way of seeking the Divine while still actively engaged in the world.

Anyone can learn the outer forms of prayer and worship. Sufism seeks to develop a heart that can pray.

God's favor comes unexpectedly
but only to an alert heart.
Put not your hope in people,
for you will be wounded.
Put your hope in God,
that you may be delivered. --Ansari

Let's Go Shopping!

Let's Go Shopping!

These are the lyrics to a song by Ron Moore that looks in a satirical sense at America's unfortunate non-response to serious problems in our world. After all, going shopping is America's cure-all!

They create God in their own image

Then start a war and blame it on religion.

Genocide, earthquake, famine,

Innocent children crying.

Let's go shopping!

Let's go to the mall!

Let's go shopping,

before the axe falls.

Three inches from being born,

Another baby is aborted.

Thirty million killed in the USA--

In the world: 150,000 a day

Let's go shopping!

Let's go to the mall!

Let's go shopping,

before the axe falls.

Now comes this ape from Babylon,

He says he has all of your answers.

He will promise you your promised land--

If you take his mark upon your forehead or your hand.

Let's go shopping!

Let's go to the mall!

Let's go shopping,

before the axe falls.

Essential Sufism: A Brief Look

If one looks up the definition of Sufism in any dictionary, you probably will get a simple, two word answer: Islamic mysticism. SO what does that really mean? And after looking ay a definition like that, how can you even think of looking at Sufism with an unbiased slant? No, the best definition of Sufism is,

Sufism is a path towards the Truth where there are no provisions except Love. Its method is to look solely in one direction, and its objective is God.

Now there is something you can begin to sink your teeth into. Essential Sufism (from which the below selected passages are quoted from) helps to do just that. It is a portal into the spirit, fables, poems, and prayers of those steeped in traditions and teaching of this passionate faith.

Everything has both outer form and inner meaning. This is especially true in prayer.

This is the essence of prayer, a constantly held goal. It may not be possible to put aside completely all the love and care and temptations of the world, but one can try.

This is the ultimate goal of Sufi practice. First, you must be sincere.

Reaching Ihsan means to reach the goal of Sufism. Ihsan = to worship God as you see Him.

One of the essential reasons for fasting is to develop self-discipline and to control the insatiable ego. If a person is proud of fasting, in terms of the Sufi path, the fast is a failure.

Love is the only force that can transcend the bounds of reason, the distinctions of knowledge, and the isolation of normal consciousness.

"The essence of God is love and the Sufi path is a path of love...love is to see what is good and beautiful in everything. It is to learn from everything, to see the gifts of God and the generosity of God in everything. It is to be thankful for all God's bounties." -- Sheikh Muzaffer

If you take two steps to God, God runs to you.

The general principle is that when you serve the created, you serve the Creator.

charrette 5 and umbau

Umbau's charrette 5 expose was held tonight. For those of you lucky enough to attend, it was truly magical--was it not? The smell of incense still remains with me. These are some of the brightest minds i have come across. They go against the grain. They make ripples.

For those of you unable to come, I now take the opportunity to give you a peek into what happened tonight at charrette 5....


knowledge in the area of action is necessary to function efficiently and objectively, but knowledge is not the means of the transformation of man. -krishnamuri

this exhibition was conceived of and planned within the
span of three months. it is based on the notion that this
community is humming with positive and healthy energy.
such inertia must be vigilantly fostered and maintained.
this show could never have occurred without the
involvement of local artists and businesses.

dream.
consider.
install.
believe.
sustain.

charrette (n.)(v.) rooted in french word for cart of charlot. intense sustained effort, often collaborative in nature, which is utilized in many disciplines to arrive at a solution of some description. typically has a finite deadline and requires taking oneself to the brink of exhaustion to continue to the desired outcome but gives all individuals involved a profound sense of accomplishment and joint ownership.
(wiki paraphrase)

Why we go to Sarajevo...

It says more about this city and its inhabitants than many more grandiose war stories. “Honored’ by particularly heavy sniper fire, one residential section of Sarajevo experienced famine before it hit other parts of town. No one dared to stick his nose outside, much less venture out to the bread truck, for fear that the hyenas and their twins would indulge in a bloodbath.

Then someone had an idea. First, one person managed to get up on the roof of the building in which the sniper had installed himself, and lowered a plastic bag containing a loaf of black bread past the side of the sniper’s window down to the next level, where another person attached a rock to end of the line and managed to throw it to a neighbor waiting behind an open window in the building across the way. As soon as the line had been made taut between the two buildings, probably to the astonishment of the sniper who must have been watching, the bread bag was slid down along the line. Witnesses said that at one point it got stuck on the branch of a tree, but unexpectedly a long pole appeared out of a nearby window and sent the loaf on its way again. Finally understanding what was going on, the sniper opened fire, hoping to hit the bag or the line or whatever he could, but by then it was too late: the loaf had reached the window it was destined for. Deafening applause, shouts of joy, and a few shots rang out from the surrounding buildings.

SARAJEVO, A WAR JOURNAL
by Zlatko Dizdarevic
p. 28

Free Gift

It's been awhile.

This is by Ty Saltzgiver.

"Here we have a paradox. Becoming a person 'in Christ' is definitely free. It cannot be bought. There is not one thing we can do to earn, or to achieve, God's favor. One of the greatest illusions is that by being good, God will love us more. God's love for us is always full and unconditional. He loves you as much right now as He ever will. This is God's grace. Jesus died and was separated from God in our place so that we can be in a relationship with Him. Though undeserved, it is given to us as a true gift.

"On the other hand, to be a true disciple (disciple means follower) of Christ, we must yield to Him the very thing most precious to us- our heart; that is, the very essence of our self. Whatever is most important or precious to us, that is then the god of our life. God must be god of our life so that we can be all that we can possibly be. When we trust Him with our lives, He lives in us and begins to unleash abundant LIFE in and through us from the inside out. Though it can be frightening when we give Christ our heart, He gives us the LIFE we've longed for. We begin to experience healing, meaning, purpose, fulfillment, peace, joy, etc., like we never have before. So it 'costs' us our hearts yielded to follow Christ.

"Have you ever spoken or thought of the difficulty of 'giving up' something to be a Christian? Many say such things as, 'I can't give my life to Christ because I would have to give up my friends and drinking. And I love partying!' Firstly, how can anyone speak of 'giving up' something, when in comparison, you're considering 'giving up' a relationship with the God of the universe, your Creator, the best Friend you'll ever have and abundant LIFE? And secondly, God doesn't say, 'No more sports or friends- become a monk or a nun- sell your possessions and go to Africa.' He does say, 'Seek Me and my Kingdom first and all things things (for LIFE) shall be added unto you' (Matthew 6:33). He is about giving life, not taking it away."

Cistercians dedicate their lives to seeking God according to the sixth-century Rule of Saint Benedict, living the vows of obedience, stability, and conversion of life in the monastic School for the Lord's Service. Their desire is to grow ever more deeply in the love of God, and of their fellow men and women in Jesus Christ. The monk is a man of prayer, living in solitude, apart from society, to worship God through praise, thanksgiving, and intercession in the celebration of the Divine Office and the daily Eucharist. Like every Christian he prays with Christ, who unites all to Himself in faith and love, transmitting our prayer and lives into His perfect communion with the Father. Contemplative monastic life in community reflects this sacramental reality in the ordinary daily round.

The Holy Cross Abbey at Berryville, Virginia

...and so we are going to establish a school for the service of the Lord."
Saint Benedict's Rule for Monasteries Prologue.

General Patton and the Iraq War...

You want a solution to the Iraq War? Well, you've got one....

The Prayer of Eusebius

May I be no man's enemy, and may I be the friend of that which is eternal and abides…
May I never devise evil against any man; if any devise evil against me, may I escape...without the need of hurting him.
May I love, seek and attain only that which is good. May I wish for all men's happiness and envy none. When I have done or said what is wrong, may I never wait for the rebuke of others, but always rebuke myself until I make amends.
May I win no victory that harms me or my opponent…
May I reconcile friends who are angry with one another.
May I, to the extent of my power, give all needful help to those who are in want.
May I never fail a friend who is in danger.
May I respect myself…may I keep tame, that which rages within me…
May I never discuss who is wicked and what wicked things he has done, but know good men and follow in their footsteps.

THE BIRMINGHAM VOWS

1. Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.

2. Remember always that the nonviolent movement in Birmingham seeks justice and reconciliation-----not victory.

3. Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love.

4. Pray daily to be used by God in order that all people might be free.

5. Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all people might be free.

6. Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.

7. Seek to preform regular service for others and for the world.

8. Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue, or heart.

9. Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.

10. Follow the directions of the movement and of the captain on a demonstration.

Good Cigars, Anybody?

At a party I attended last night, two of my best buddies came with me. Whenever an upscale party takes place, there always seems to be a need for the gentleman's favor: the cigar. And we aren't talking the peon's Swisher Sweets, Black & Mild's, or those Dutch Masters. I'm talking the real deal: Partagas, La Gloria Cubana, Romeo y Julieta, Arturo Fuente, Macanudo....you get the picture. There is something deep within men of some cailbre (perhaps stemming from our ancestors of old, or to the aristocracy we experienced during Imperialism) to sit back on a cool evening, look up at the stars, and enjoy a fine cigar (or good pipe--for that matter) ---- all while trying to solve life's little persistent problems.

So men, (or the occasional lady who takes part) what is your preferred cigar?

Ubuntu

UBUNTU

to live and care for others
to act kindly towards others
to be hospitable
to be just and fair
to be compassionate
to assist those in distress
to be trustworthy and honest
to have good morals


South Africa

Tired? Worn out? Burned out?

My girlfriend sent me this passage from the Message last night. As I was going to bed...something told me to turn on the light again, look it up, and read it. It was from Matthew after all--the book which I am currently studying--if it was such a "great" passage, I think I would have remembered it. Not expecting much, I flipped open the pages of the Message and read,

" 'Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.' "

It struck me like a rock. My first thought was that it's simply amazing how Scripture cannot pertain to your life at one moment, and the next, speak straight to your core. This is what happened Sunday night. In those few thoughts, a thousand emotions poured forth...

" 'Are you tired? Worn out?' " You bet I am...and I don't mind telling people. I am about two seconds away from being completely burned out with politics. Save for my position as Secretary of the SRC, it has just become foreign to me. I'm tired of politics--the constant rushing, constant fighting, constant inconsistencies. When one battle ends, another begins...and that isn't a life. Gary's words continue to speak to me even yet...even though he spoke them over two years ago. We who engross our lives in politics (me included)--we need to take a break (and very truly) get a life. I have gotten so that my friends have come second (when you start making excuses for not hanging out with your friends because, "Oh...sorry, man...I'm in the middle of posting a blog..."--that's going to far). And for a moment, (which is when I immediately threw on my brakes and said, "THAT'S ENOUGH!"), the political life and political blogging became an obsession of mine. Hobbies are fine. Obsessions are not. And anyone who says differently is trying to sell you something.

" 'Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.' " When I was in that pit of doubt, when that feeling of depression hit...Christ's words of encouragement could not have come at a better time. They do have a funny way of doing that...it shows you how involved He can be in your life...always knowing exactly what's going on, and wanting so desperately to be there with and for you--as long as you let him. In order for us to recover our life--and indeed, our priorities and our sanity--we must be the first to initiate that rekindling of a relationship with Christ. I was--and progressively still am--so anxious to recover that happiness in my life. I wanted that real rest. And to get it, as He said, you need only to look to Him, His example, His works, and His Word. I have begun to experience a peace that I haven't felt before...a calmness...a perfect feeling that is indescribable.

" 'Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.' " And not only with Him--but close friends too. It took me some time, as I fell into the political trap that so many tend to do...where the debates, rallies, battles, usurpations of power, magnanimous wins, and staggering losses all plague every moment of one's life...that I realized, in the grand scheme of things, for me right now, it's just not a big deal.

• Would I rather be at a debate or having a quite time with the true Man in my life?
• Would I rather be at a protest or hunting with my best friend, Tyler?
• Would I rather be blogging or sitting around a firepit with my four best friends enjoying an Arturo Fuente?
• Would I rather be sleeping in because of a long night debriefing session, or getting up early Sunday morning to go to church?
• Would I rather be working a late night at the campaign office or spending that late night in silent meditation of the Scriptures in the chapel of St. Francis of Assisi?

Come to think of it, they're not really either/or questions...they're questions of who you truly--in the end--own the majority of your life and time too--the people in your life that truly mean something and Christ himself? ..... Or to the political world--where back-stabbing, hollow victories, disparaging losses, and uninterested legislators rule your life?

How Many Dare to Risk?

In 2005, myself, four of my best friends, and a few others traveled to St. Simons, GA to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Camp. The guest speaker was a man by the name of Gary Taylor. The last day of camp, he read to us out of his journal. This is what he said---

"Though there is a sense of wonder in visually soaking up the spectacular--there is potential danger in touching it. Poison ivy, stinging insects, biting ants--all this and more lurks mid itchy grass. I'll walk near it, I'll gladly sit back and observe it, but I won't risk rolling through it--bare-back touching--I want nothing uncomfortable.

"The love of the Father is fresh and growing. It too is beautiful, but it's a love that carries potential danger. It stings my self-sufficiency; it causes my faith to itch in places that I can't comfortably itch to scratch. I'll walk as near to his love as possible, but often I don't want it to touch my bear skin. I like seeing God safely...from afar. I enjoy catching a whiff of his freshness, as a gentle breeze blows favorably in my direction---but touching God involves nearness--nearness requires risk--dare I live willing to risk.

"I must step out of comfort zones and get up from cushioned chairs and venture outside of rooms with picture windows and roll in His grassy love. I don't want to, but I must. I'm embarrassed that I love nature from the air-conditioned side of a sliding glass door. I'm even more ashamed that I love God in much the same way: in climate-controlled, Gary-controlled sanctuaries.

"So Father, this is my prayer-- 'Nudge me, send me--rolling, tumbling down a hill of waist deep, beautiful, itchy, fresh, stinging Creation-infested love, life near You--more that I even realize I need that touching contact with You. But touching you involves nearness--nearness requires risk--dare I live willing to risk....' How about you?"

--Gary Taylor