Insight

Recent Trips...and other things

2012-01-23T07:15:00.000-08:00

After a long time away from the old blog (pretty much my entire time here in seminary), I have decided to resume occasionally posting. To kick it off, here are a few pictures from my recent trips:

Boston - Oct 2011
Fenway Park

Israel Study Tour - May 2011
Dome of the Rock

The Church "Visible" and "Invisible"

2009-08-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

I am reading a book for my History of Christianity class and something struck me about how the author reflected on The Church. In his commentary about Church history, he made reference to an idea (I believe from Calvin actually) about The Church's "visible" and "invisible" qualities.

First, let's talk about the "Church Visible". This is "the tension between the church as God's people, born of the Spirit, and it's visible human organization" (Dowley, p 20). The Church Visible is always going to reflect the culture within which it exists and the necessity of the community. The visible part of the church has it's shortcomings. The structure and organization of the church is fallible and we must be prepared to constantly scrutinize any dated and ineffective structures. This is an especially touchy subject for me. I tend to be very critical of the visible aspects of a church. However, it is important to understand the "Church Invisible".

The "Church Invisible" is best summarized as the transcendent qualities of Christian community that are necessary following "The Way". These would include a conglomeration of abstract and concrete ideas such as "love your neighbor as yourself". The church invisible is simply the general role that Christian communities play in the world. The Church is the Bride of Christ and is therefore commissioned to be the source of organization for Christ's followers. These invisible qualities can take form in many different ways through the church visible.

We can be critical of the church visible because it is good for us to have effective methods of pouring out the invisble qualities of the Church. We need to be ok with revising and refreshening the church visible. By doing this, we are not threatening the invisible qualities, but instead we have the opportunity to strengthen Christian community in the world.

This also gives us a foundation to embrace global Christianity. We can understand that the Church as a whole may have very different "visible" qualities, but the "invisible" qualities can be consistent. Christian communities exist to bring people to faith, support people in faith, and pour out God's blessings to others. This will (and should) look different depending on the context.

I hope I described these ideas well. They are kinda foggy in my head and it's hard to write them out.

The King Beetle...(more mewithoutYou discussion)

2009-08-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

It's what the people want..........more mewithoutYou discussions (you know who you two are)

While spending 6-8 hours a day studying for my summer Biblical Greek class, I had plenty of time to listen to music. Of course, I listened to the new mewithoutYou album about 20 times. The song "The King Beetle on the Coconut Estate" has repeatedly caught my ear. Not only is it a great song musically, but the story is incredible. Here's a couple thoughts:

1. The whole scenario of a beetle colony seeking to figure out this "great light" is amazing. It's like we (the listener) are viewing the whole situation from a divine perspective. Us listeners know what the "great light" is. It's fire of course. We understand it and know what it is like. If the fire is a metaphor for God, then this story must be portrayed through the lens of the divine.

2. The first beetle who attempts to figure out what the "great light" is gives us a glimpse into what happens when we try to quantify God in finite, mathematical, or otherwise human terms. This professor tries to understand God through academia, but ends up with "neither a light nor a heat in his words". In his studying and quantifying, he lost his passion.

3. The militant beetle who tries next to figure out the "great light" has an equally difficult time. He attempts to conquer the fire with bravery and violence. But this is obviously not how we come to know the "great light".

4. The climax of the song comes when the Beetle King is "utterly changed into fire". He explains that our true father is "the life within all that you see." He is the provider, sustainer, and in order to know him, we must fly "headlong into the blazing unknown."

Beautiful.

Here's the full song lyrics:

As the Moon rose and the hour grew late, the day help on a Coconut estate raked up the dry leaves that fell dead from the Trees, which they burned in a pile by the lake.

The Beetle King summoned his men, and from the top of the Rhododendron stem: Calling all volunteers who can carry back here, the Great Mystery's been lit once again.

One Beetle emerged from the crowd in a fashionable abdomen shroud, said:
I'm a Professor, you see, that's no mystery to me...
I'll be back soon, successful and proud. But when the Beetle Professor returned he crawled on all six, as his wings had been burned, and described to the finest detail all he'd learned.
There was neither a light nor a heat in his words.

The deeply dissatisfied King climbed the same stem to announce the same thing, but in his second appeal sought to sweeten the deal with a silver Padparadscha ring.

The Lieutenant stepped out from the line as he lassoed his thorax with twine, thinking: I'm stronger and braver and I'll earn the King's favor.
One day all he has will be mine!
But for all the Lieutenant's conceit he, too, returned singed and admitting defeat: I had no choice, please believe, but retreat...
It was bright as the sun, but with ten times the heat!
And it cracked like the thunder and bloodshot my eyes, though smothered with sticks it advanced undeterred.
Carelessly cast an ash cloud to the sky, my Lord, like a flock of dark, vanishing birds.

The Beetle King slammed down his fist: Your flowery description's no better than his!
We sent for the Great Light and you bring us this?
We didn't ask what it seems like, we asked what it IS!

His Majesty's hour at last has drawn nigh!
The elegant Queen took her leave from his side, without understanding but without asking why, gathered their Kids to come bid their goodbyes.

And the father explained: You've been somewhat deceived...
We've all called me your dad, but your True Dad's not me.
I lay next to your mom and your forms were conceived, your Father is the Life within all that you see.
He fills up the ponds as He empties the clouds, holds without hands and He speaks without sounds, provides us with the Cow's waste and coconuts to eat, giving one that nice salt-taste and the other a sweet.
Sends the black carriage the day Death shows its face, thinning our numbers with Kindness and Grace.
And just as a Flower and its Fragrance are one so must each of you and your Father become.
Now distribute my scepter, my crown and my throne and all we've known as 'wealth' to the poor and alone...
Without further hesitation, without looking back home, the King flew headlong into the blazing unknown!

And as the Smoke King curled higher and higher, the troops, flying loops 'round the telephone wires, they said: Our Beloved's not dead, but His Highness instead has been utterly changed into Fire!!!

Why not be utterly changed into Fire?...

Oh Blog, It's Been A While

2009-07-31T10:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't posted anything on this blog for months. I have a good excuse: 1st, I wanted to leave my band's music video at the top of the page for a while so people would watch it. Now that I'm not in the band anymore, I feel ok pushing it down the page. 2nd, I have been preparing to move to Chicago. Now that I'm here, it's time to ramp up the blogging.

I've got a thought for those of you who love analyzing lyrics (you know who you are). I have been listening to mewithoutYou's new album It's All Crazy, It's All False, It's All A Dream, It's Alright and the closing line from the song "A Stick, A Carrot & String" really got me thinking. Here it goes: "The snake who held the world, a stick, a carrot, and a string, was crushed beneath the foot of your not wanting anything."

This line, in the context of the whole song, helps me understand how Jesus' actions defeated Satan's temptation to have earthly things. Jesus defeated evil by extending grace to us. I've got more thoughts on this, but it's time to sign off. Later!

Addition: 8/3/09

Here's the full lyrics for the song:

the horse's hay beneath his head
our Lord was born to a manger bed
that all whose wells run dry
could drink of his supply

to keep him warm, the sheep drew near
so grateful for His coming here
come with news of grace
come to take my place
the donkey whispered in his ear
"child, in 30-some-odd years
you'll ride someone who looks like me
untriumphantly"

the cardinals warbled a joyful song
he'll make right what man made wrong
bringing low the hills
that the valleys might be filled

then "child", asked the birds
"well, aren't they lovely words we sing?"
the tiny baby layed there
without saying anything

at a distance stood a mangy goat
with the crooked teeth and a matted coat
weary eyes and worn
chipped and twisted horns

thinking "maybe I'll make friends someday
with the cows and the hens in the rambouillet
but for now, I'll keep away
I've got nothing smart to say"

there's a sign on the barn
in the cabbage town
"when the rain picks up
and the sun goes down
sinners, come inside
with no money, come and buy

no clever talk, nor a gift to bring
requires our lowly, lovely king
come now empty handed, you don't need anything"

and the night was cool
and clear as glass
with the sneaking snake in the garden grass
deep cried out to deep
the disciples fast asleep

and the snake perked up
when he heard You ask
"if you're willing that
this cup might pass
we could find our way back home
maybe start a family all our own"

"but does not the Father guide the Son?
not my will, but yours be done.
what else here to do?
what else me, but You?"

and the snake who'd held the world
a stick, a carrot and a string
was crushed beneath the foot
of your not wanting anything

Troubadour Music Video!

2009-03-02T15:49:00.000-08:00

¡Troubadour! Show - Feb 28

2009-01-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

Come see my band, ¡Troubadour!, on Feb. 28!

Portland Pictures

2009-01-20T00:41:00.000-08:00

Sarah and I just got back from a weekend trip to Portland, Oregon. We went with a couple friends for a fun weekend and a preview of Western Seminary. Here are a few photos:

The Willamette River in downtown:

Downtown:

MAX Light Rail Station:

Powell's City of Books:

Western's Classrooms:

Chapel:

The view from Western's front porch:

Show Pictures

2009-01-04T01:24:00.000-08:00

For all you who couldn't be at the show on Friday night, here are some pics:

¡Troubadour! - Live on Jan. 2

2008-12-12T22:26:00.000-08:00

My band's upcoming show...

Check out our myspace: ¡Troubadour!

I'm an Uncle!

2008-12-02T15:01:00.000-08:00

Ruth, Kyle, and baby Parker:

My nephew, Parker, was born on Wednesday, November 26, 2008, at 6:50am. He was due on January 23, 2009, but he is doing very well. He is very healthy and my sister, Ruth, is doing great.

Achievement Gap

2008-12-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

I recently saw an interview with an economist named Roland Fryer. He pointed out some statistics concerning low achievement in schools by American children. He noted that minority students are showing especially low performance and have the highest drop out rates. I could elaborate on these statistics, but many of these issues are well known and the information is widely available for your own research. The interesting thing about this interview was his solution to the problem.

In New York, Washington D.C., and Chicago, schools are beginning to offer money to students for good performance in school. Fryer stated that a student can earn $50 every five weeks for an "A" grade in each class. That is a possible $250-300 every five weeks! This innovative strategy is in the beginning stages and no one knows if it will work. However, I believe there is a fundamental flaw in this strategy: a need for basic parenting.

In the last few years, I have become increasingly aware of the importance of mentorship, investment in others, and serving people. It is pretty clear from the Scripture that we are called to serve and sacrifice for others. We are to live in community and learn and grow together. This includes some valuable lessons about parenting. I am not a parent, but I do have a couple people that I am mentoring. Investment in others is a key to healthy development as a human being. I know my parents taught me so many important lessons and this is the key to healthy child development.

The social crisis America is experiencing in education, finances, and morality must be addressed from a healthy perspective that looks at core problems. Healthy mentoring, an attitude of service, and a worldview of sustainability must be present for a cultural shift. I may be simplifying complex issues, but I know that in this specific example of paying children to succeed, the core problem of terrible parenting must be addressed to really solve this problem.

Breaking Point

2008-11-20T11:29:00.000-08:00

We are at a breaking point in the Church. There must be a revolution in how we deal with the complex issues of our day. There are a few points I want to make on this subject:

1. The moral movement of our society is a symptom of a sickness in the Church and is a signal at our ineffective methods by which we deal with issues in this world.

The fact that our society is struggling with issues that challenge Godly values is an indicator that Christians are failing to influence our neighbors with the love of Christ. With divorce rates, abuse, and other issues plaguing Christians as much as non-Christians, it is obvious that we are not upholding a Godly example for the rest of our society. We have traded deeply devoted, loving relationships for shallow imitations of God's intent for us. Our church communities have created a group of converts who hold a faith that has little bearing on their daily lives. They see the American dream and God's dream for humanity as synonyms. We have lost our creativity in dealing with people's life change through the power of God.

Additionally, we have failed to realize that the means by which we influence society have been corrupted. We have been convinced that we can control the morality of our society by wielding political power. This is the same dangerous trap that Jesus was tempted with, Constantine fell to, and American Christianity has been co-opted by. We must learn to resist the temptation to achieve immediate results through political power when Jesus taught us to take the long, slow, difficult road of serving and suffering for those in need. By getting deeply involved in people's lives, we can experience real life change by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2. The Church must find common ground to unite to be "like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." (Phil 2:2).

This point is so important in light of how divisive social issues have become in recent years. There are simple Biblical truths that we must use as our foundation, but the way we express those truths in our relationships with others can differ. Since a grounded Christian worldview is becoming the minority in America, we must rethink what it means to be effective in living a life of love, and showing others the Kingdom of God here on earth. I have some interesting ideas on this issue, but I don't have the time to write them all down now. However, these are questions we need to be asking in the Church. This is a new time, a new generation, and a new opportunity to help God in His work of redeeming His creation.

Touching Story

2008-11-12T19:30:00.000-08:00

A professor of mine helped publish this video about his mother and aunt who are 95 years old. This is a great story about two people who are deeply moved by the election of Barack Obama. Check it out here.

A Night in Chicago...

2008-11-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

I'm in Chicago right now visiting a graduate school. We flew into the city on Saturday afternoon and spent the afternoon at the Chicago Art Institute and at Pizzeria Due in downtown Chicago. The pizza was amazing! We also went to Millennium Park and Grant Park to walk around and see these historic sites. I will post some pictures soon,

Early Christians

2008-10-23T14:15:00.001-07:00

I just ordered a book on-line that I have wanted to read for months:

The Early Christians: In Their Own Words published by the Society of Brethren. I have heard so much about this particular book. I'm so excited to read the writings of these early Christians.

Also, in my excitement I checked out two books from the MLK Library at SJSU: Documents in Early Christianity and Justin Martyr. These are great so far.

Happy / Sad

2008-09-30T14:15:00.001-07:00

Things are crazy!

I am getting the last few details worked out for Hillside's Men's Retreat coming up this weekend. I am co-leading the planning committee and we have been working on this project since March. We have 140 people signed up to attend. The weekend event is being held at Mt. Hermon Conference Center in the Santa Cruz mountains. We have a speaker flying in from Kansas and numerous activities, seminars, and testimonies planned. I'm just trying to nail down the last few things this week. This event is something I look forward to every year, but this week has been stained by some unfortunate news.

My project for new coffee at Hillside has been shut down. This may not sound like a big deal, but this has been a passion of mine for a year now. The coffee organization we have been working with is called Dominion Trading Co. This company is redefining how consumer dollars are spent. They donate 60% of their profits back to the Rift Valley in Ethiopia (were their coffee is grown) in the form of profit sharing, infrastructure investment, and church planting.

After some struggle for funding, much miscommunication, and some other unfortunate decisions, the support for this organization has been cut off. I am very disappointed.

I won't go into detail about the decision and the process. But I will say that this is another notch on my bed post of disappointment and frustration. I feel defeated. Part of what makes me most frustrated is that I know it doesn't have to be this way. The decision process did not have to occur like it did. I know I'm being vague, but talk to me in person for a further explanation.

Two Things...

2008-09-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

1. I'm quitting my job at TruGreen LandCare. Sarah and I have decided that it is time for me to focus more on school and getting ready for graduate school next fall. Since we have a living situation now that allows us to have a little less income, I am re-prioritizing my schedule to focus on the things that are important: Sarah, other people, and my own sanity.

2. I am taking Greek this semester at San Jose State. This is a pre-requisite for graduate seminary and I am excited to begin my graduate studies with this amazing course. It has already been challenging, but I am working hard to do well in this class because it is a foundation for the rest of my seminary studies.

Hallelujah

2008-08-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite songs.

Here's the original version by the writer Leonard Cohen:

And a cover by Jeff Buckley:

There is a better recording of the Jeff Buckley version, but I couldn't embed it because it was posted by Sony BMG on youtube. Click here to view it.

And here are the lyrics:

"Hallelujah"

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Stories

2008-08-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

I just listened to a podcast by Brian McLaren when we taught at Mars Hill Bible Church in G-Rap, Michigan. There are a few points I want to make echoing his lesson. He spoke of stories that people adhere themselves to. These stories have been portrayed throughout history and we experience them now. Stories such as the domination story, the victimization story, the consumption story, or the isolation story are ways in which we try to either maintain power, retaliate at an oppressor, legitimize our selfish lifestyle, or retreat from the chaos of this world.

In history, people have chosen one of these stories to live by. Here are some examples:
-Power/Domination Story: "If we control everyone else, then we will be safe"
-Victimization Story: "If people would only realize the suffering we have gone through."
-Consumption Story: "If I just had that house, that car, or that tech gadget, I would be happy."
-Isolation Story: "If we stay away from all the bad stuff in the world, then we will be ok"

These are only a few of the "stories" McLaren spoke of. Essentially, he attempted to boil down different worldviews. Here is the important part: American Christians have co-opted Jesus to support their "story". Jesus with a machine gun, televangelism, Christian radio, Christian products, liberation theology, and many other examples.Instead of Christians embodying a new life in Jesus, we use Jesus to legitimize our selfish and misguided agenda. Jesus taught a different message.

The American Church is entrenched in an invasive culture that is constantly influencing us toward different stories. Advertisements, political platforms, friends and family, school, and many other influences draw us away from a new perspective and new life in Jesus. We mix messages and "stories" together causing explosive reactions. Jesus becomes militant, discipleship becomes book-smarts, and evangelism becomes judgement.

If you want to listen to this podcast, click here.

More thoughts on American Culture and Christianity

2008-08-15T08:58:00.001-07:00

As I have been thinking more about The Church, I realize that my perspective often is very narrow. I focus on the Church in the US, while there are more true followers of Jesus elsewhere in the world. However, my passion is for the American Church and its struggle to justify wealth, power, and success while preaching a gospel of humility, meakness, and peace.

This morning, I was reminded and challenged further in my understanding of cultural Christianity in the US. The guest speaker at our church stated that recently he was surprised to learn of a movement in Islam where people were coming to Jesus, transforming their lives, and yet still maintaining their cultural Islamic practices. They pray 5 times a day, maintain their dietary restrictions, and yet they have chosen to follow the one true God and be redeemed by the blood of Jesus.

If you're like me, you may not be able to envision this. It's not that I don't think its possible, it's that I'm fairly ignorant about Islam and what following Jesus would look like in that culture. The reason he mentioned this stemmed from the book of Galatians. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter in part to tell the people to not let things such as cultural difference, views on the Law, or other barriers keep people from truly and honestly choosing to follow Jesus.

One example was the argument that Gentiles should become Law-abiding Jews before they can choose to follow Jesus. To cut to the chase, Paul basically said this: there is no correct way to follow Jesus in terms of cultural practices, regional proximity, or any other restriction. It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we are redeemed. It is by loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves that matters. How someone models God's love, grace, peace, and forgiveness is different in different culture and circumstances.

Here's the challenging part of this for the American Church: we have packaged Christianity in such a way that many people want nothing to do with Jesus because of our actions. We export not only our faith in Jesus, but our cultural understandings, doctrine, and worship practices to the rest of the world. On a more dangerous level, we have mixed our culture with our faith. The American Dream becomes God's Dream. I have personally talked to people who look at American Christianity and see militarism, war mongers, greedy, wealthy, selfish, arrogant, and clueless people.

Americans try to justify our culture with our faith. We build our priorities, purpose statements, and church budgets around the subversive priorities of our culture. Its time for an awakening.

One last thing, I heard a pastor from Kenya speak at the Urbana Missions Conference in Dec. 06. He said this concerning The Church in Africa, "To drink from the cup of Western Christianity is to drink from a poison chalice."

Burdens

2008-08-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

I've been struggling today with some thoughts about The Church (capital C). In so many ways I have been feeling burdened to challenge The Church in its understanding of what it means to be a Christian. This connects to my feelings on my trip to Africa.

Here's my main beef: the line between the pursuit of the American Dream and following Jesus has become so blurry. Instead of challenging the culture we live in, the Church reinforces the values and way of life of popular culture. Mostly, this is not overt. We subversively applaud home ownership, career success, wealth, selfishness, greed, individualism, and consumption. The identity of a Christian in the United States closely resembles that of any other citizen pursuing the American Dream.

There are a few reasons (among many others) that I want to highlight which cause this problem. First, our Church leaders and pastors have an inadequate or incomplete understanding of theology and philosophy. This is a bold statement for me, an undergraduate student, to make. However, I feel that many pastors and leaders in the Church lead with minimal training in philosophy, theology, and sociology. They make assumptions based on ancient philosophical and/or theological debates without really examining these ideas. The congregations learn about the Christian faith without truly understanding how their doctrines and theology was formed. My comments are a stab at the schools these leaders attend also, but not intentionally. I feel that many pastors and teachers stop learning and seeking understanding after they graduate. These leaders have a narrow and unchallenging understanding of philosophy, theology, and pop culture.

Second, I believe that there has been a co-opting of political hot topics by Christians. We have chosen the wrong channels by which we engage our culture. Instead of the work of the Spirit, we rely on our votes to enforce our moral agenda on the rest of society. We do not express love. Instead, we express judgement on others. We are commanded by God to love others and live according to a different constitution. We are citizens of heaven and God is our King. Its time we started acting like it.

Third, I believe we have a blindness to the rest of humanity due to our wealth, success, and power in the United States. With our busy schedules, lattes, and our "drive-thru" lifestyle, we have blinded ourselves from not only the suffering in our own backyard, but the suffering of humanity across the globe. Sure we read about Darfur, Tibet, and New Orleans, but we fail to take any action or even ask tough questions about how those events occur. American Christians live in a dream world and must come to understand how our success and power has placed us in a dangerous situation. God has always worked through the weak, the poor, and the incompetent. He has always warned against power, earthly kingdoms, and religious systems of authority. We must change our perspective as Christians in a society that has everything. We are not fulfilling the mission of Christ in our culture. We are conforming.

Africa Journal: Part 3

2008-07-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

7.15.08:

I am now on a flight from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to Dubai, UAE. This is the first leg of our three-part journey back home. I didn’t get to journal as much as I had hoped. I have been extremely busy on this trip, and sitting down to type out my thoughts was kinda low on the priority list.

Here’s what has happened in the last week:
-We had a very successful VBS at HOPAC
-Robbie broke his arm at VBS while playing tag with a couple kids.
-I got to spend time with kids from all over the globe again.
-Our team met with many of the missionaries who serve in Dar es Salaam in order to hear about their work. We spent an afternoon with Steve and Carole Lyons and dinner with Merle Weins.
-We went on a two-day safari at Mikumi National Park. Almost everyone on our team got sick from some bad curry we ate at a hole in the wall restaurant in rural Tanzania.
-We had a debrief meeting with Gil and Amy Medina.

Now that I’ve caught up with the details of the last week, I want to comment on our opportunity to meet with each missionary. In particular, meeting with the Lyons was eye opening. We met at their house for a few hours. Their house is in the middle of a very poor neighborhood in Dar. I can’t remember the name of this community, but many of them are poor H and M’s and live on less than two dollars a day. Imagine the most pitiful World Vision video you’ve ever seen; that is this neighborhood. As with any traveling within Dar, our group of white Americans stuck our like a sore white thumb in the middle of urban Africa. After weaving in between rows of concrete form houses in this dense neighborhood, we arrived at a gate. When the security guard let us through, we found a regular Tanzanian house in the middle of this intensely impoverished community. It was like an island in a sea of poverty. Just outside of the Lyons’ living room window was a loudspeaker that blasted the call to prayer four or five times a day. We talked with the Lyons for a couple hours about their ministry. Here’s the highlights:

-They are trying to reach this community through English teaching, Bible studies, and narrative worldview classes.
-They are developing a program to train Christian nationals to teach in local villages. This is a way for someone to enter a specific community and begin helping the local people and introduce the people to Jesus.
-They are developing a missionary training program. The structure is to take a group of people that will stick together for two years. In this time, they will take language classes, meet once a week of prayer, worship, and team building, they will write papers, they will read books, and they will also interact with the community they want to reach.

Our team also had an opportunity to meet with K and her interns for an evening. They are working as teachers, youth camp leaders, and neighbors of H’s and M’s in Dar. This group was great. We already had an opportunity to spend time with them at Bamba, so this was simply a continuation of our orientation.

Lastly, we met with Merle Weins who is the Area Director for ReachGlobal Africa. He is the one in charge on the ground in Africa under my dad. He is such a great guy. Whenever I see him, I just want to spend more time learning about what he does and who he is. Merle is truly a marvelous and personable guy.

Before I sign off for now, I want to make a short list of the unique things I will miss about Dar es Salaam:

-Soda in a glass bottle for 300 Tanzanian Shillings (25 cents)
-The delicious curry (even though is gave me a stomach ache most of the time)
-Traveling by taxi. Imagine New York taxi drivers to the max.
-The intense amount of pedestrians on the road at all times of the day.
-Driving on the left
-The warm Indian Ocean
-Going with the flow
-Swahili

Actually, I have one more thing to write about. After doing the camp at Bamba, the VBS at HOPAC, learning about all the different ministries in Dar, and experiencing the culture of Tanzania, I was initially not feeling the urge to want to dive deeper into a ministry like this. Not that I didn’t have a great time serving and living in Dar for three weeks, I just simply didn’t feel called to pursue this ministry as a long term thing. But now that I’ve left, I miss it. I miss the kids from HOPAC. I miss Gil, Amy, and Grace. I miss the different culture and great people. I’m not sure what this means because I still think God is calling me into pastoral ministry in the United States. But I miss Dar already. Maybe it is just a temporary feeling, but it something. I will have to pray about it more. I know that God will make it clear to Sarah and me how we are best suited to serve God and pursue the Kingdom. I will write more later.

7.16.08

I am now on the second leg of my flight. It feels like the same day, but technically it is now Wednesday, July 16, 2008 where we are in the air. However, it is still Tuesday in San Jose. I thought of something to write now after I watched the movie Juno.

I have recently been having problems dealing with committees, vision statements, and theological learning. So much of my time has been spent trying to figure out what ministry I should be involved in or what theological issues I can pick out of a Sunday’s sermon. In this movie, a 16 year old girl gets pregnant and decides not to have an abortion. She finds a family that wants to adopt her baby. The story depicts her struggles dealing with the father of her baby, her parents, the other kids at school, and the adoption parents.

After watching the struggle and bravery in this situation, I felt empowered to help people like her. It’s time we stop pointing the finger at teenage moms and instead lend a hand. Instead of Christians legislating a pro-life agenda, we need to embrace the mother and child with loving arms because that’s what they need.

I’m learning that life isn’t so easy. No one has made all the right decisions. Jesus died so that we could live; not so that we can pretend like we have it all together while pointing that finger at those sinners. We can’t keep neglecting people who are hurting and need love.

7.16.08 (Part 2)

I’m now on the last leg of the trip home. We had a very long layover in New York. Our plane from Dubai to NY arrived at 8:00am and our flight to the Bay Area left at 6:00pm. We are flying jetBlue for the this last part of the journey and they have sweet TV screens on the back of the seats, much like Emirates Airlines. According to the live map, we are somewhere over central Utah, cruising at 509 mph at 38,158 ft.

I have spent most of this flight trying to stay awake by drinking authentic NY Dunkin Donuts’ coffee, reading, listening to music, and watching Family Guy on the built-in TV. Sarah has literally been asleep from the moment we left the ground. I’m glad she is getting some rest and it helps her deal with her usual battle with airsickness.

Now that this trip is officially coming to an end, this will be the last bit of writing I will do before I write some reflections in a few days or weeks.

As I have pondered the events of this trip more thoroughly and prayed about where God is calling me to serve at this time, I have a few comments to make. As I wrote before, I think I’m still leaning toward seminary and pastoral ministry in the United States. I still feel a burden for the American church. I long for an opportunity to teach others about God, shepherd a community of believers, and reach out the my home culture. I’m not ruling out overseas missions, or other options within the United States either. I guess I just feel “it”. You know, that feeling of longing, burden, and calling. I feel God calling me to be a local church pastor.

Additionally, I have recently desired to spend more time with my family. My grandparents aren’t getting any younger, I don’t want to compromise my relationship with my parents, now is the best time to hang out with my brothers before they settle down, and my sister is due to birth my nephew or niece in January (saying that way sound pretty selfish, but its kinda fun to say it that way). I just want to take advantage of all the opportunities I can to savor the relationships I have with family and friends.

I guess that’s all for now.

Africa Journal: Part 2

2008-07-06T05:20:00.000-07:00

7.06.08:

We just got back from the 3rd annual International Youth Camp at Bamba Beach on Friday. It is now Sunday and I have had a couple days to recover. I enjoyed getting to know kids from all over the world. Here’s the names of a few of the kids I got to know:

Valient – An Irish-American living in Dar es Salaam with two younger siblings: Janae and Benji
Alli – A Asian-Indian living in Dar es Salaam
Lucy – A British girl living in Dar es Salaam
Savanna – A British girl living in Dar
Josh – An Irish boy living with his missionary parents in Dar
Heung Muk – A Korean boy living with his parents in Dar.
Josiah – An Australian boy living in Dar
Robert – A half Massai warrior, half Austrian boy living in Dar es Salaam.
Merlin – A half Tanzanian, half American boy who happens to be Jane Goodall’s grandson.

These are just a few of the kids I got to know. It was an amazing experience to learn some Swahili, learn about African and European culture, and learn how to be patient. That is one thing that all of our team has learned. When the schedule was messed up or something didn’t happen on time, these kids were just fine with standing around doing nothing. They were comfortable talking with each other for hours without any structure. Our team knew that we must be flexible, but these kids changed our perspective. We were stressing out, but these kids were so understanding and helpful. Overall it was a successful week. By success, I mean that no one was severely injured and the permanent missionaries here furthered their reputation in the community. Beyond that, we also had great teaching, games, individual discussions, and great singing.

The facilities were interesting. I slowly learned to embrace our trickling shower and steady diet of rice, curry beef, and spinach; realizing that many people don’t have those things. By the end of the week, I didn’t want to leave. I found it difficult to part ways with these amazing kids. They opened my eyes to a larger world beyond with United States. I felt welcomed and comfortable with this diverse community.

PS - I will add pictures of our trip later. The internet connection is too slow.

Africa Journal: Part 1

2008-06-28T23:34:00.000-07:00

6.26.08: My first day in Africa:

On Tuesday, June 24, we spent a day touring New York City. This was my first time in New York and it took my breath away. The cityscape is incredible; the high rise buildings seemed to have sprouted up from the ground like wildflowers enveloping the island. We went atop Rockefeller Center and gazed at the monstrous Empire State Building and the beautiful Central Park. This city is truly a unique and special place; a city built on the ingenuity and greed of the most powerful nation on earth. The history and culture are interesting and I enjoyed spending time in Central Park, Times Square, and walking the streets.

In JFK airport, I met a man from Kenya. We were in the bathroom and it was under construction. I was waiting in line to use the only toilet and this man asked me if this was the only toilet. When I responded, he said, “How can this be? When I’m in Kenya, they always talk about The Great New York. How can there only be one toilet in The Great New York?” He was very funny and I enjoyed talking to him.

Then we left to go to Africa. Our flight from New York to Dubai was great. The airline had amazing food and great service. We were basically treated like kings and queens. Here’s how a typical flight goes:

-The moment the plane gets in the air, they hand out a warm moist towel to freshen up.
-Then they served beverages. You can order anything you want (including adult beverages) for free.
-Then they served a three course meal.
-Then another round of beverages.
-Also, the entire flight there are unlimited movies, TV shows, and music.

As soon as we got to Dar es Salaam, it was apparent that we basically went from one side of the world to the other in more ways than one. Not only did we jump 10 time zones, but we also went from one of the wealthiest cities on earth to one of the poorest. The difference was incredible. Dar es Salaam has 5 million people spread out over a city with a 30 mile diameter. The unemployment rate is about 40%. New York is quite the opposite.

We took a taxi from the airport to Gil and Amy Medina’s house. Our driver was named John Francis and he was so funny. Not only was he a great driver, weaving in and out of traffic and speeding, but he was also a creative mechanic. Still 30 minutes from Gil and Amy’s house, the shifter detached from the transmission. Ian and I found a piece of wire on the ground on the side of the road and John crawled under the car and successfully attached his shifter back onto the transmission with a 5 inch piece of wire. Quite possibly the best part about this whole situation was John’s cell phone. About every 10 minutes, John would get a phone call. His ring tone was “We wish you a merry Christmas”. That song will forever be stuck in my head.

Basically, Dar es Salaam is a unique place, but a shock is relation to experiencing New York for a day. To go from one extreme to another in 24 hrs is really a unique experience.

6.28.08:

Today we went to see the camp in order to be prepared for the next week. This was quite an experience. Buses and taxis are always interesting. Not only do the drivers rarely obey traffic laws, speed and proximity to other motorists and pedestrians is relative. Potential accidents were measured in inches, not feet. Although, I had a great time; I hung my head out the window and took in the sights with great joy.

We made a stop by K’s apartment in Dar. It was a suite in a brand new building in downtown. The view from her sixth floor balcony was incredible. Downtown Dar is a unique sight. The hustle and bustle of thousands of pedestrians, honking motorists, and run down buildings is like nothing I could imagine in San Jose.

The camp exceeded all of our expectations. I imagined concrete forms buildings with no running water and thin mats on the ground for a bed. Instead, there were concrete form buildings with running water and beds. The water pressure was enough to flush the toilets, but not enough to run a shower. Finally, after 3 days of showers and pampering at the Medina’s we will get to experience buckets baths and dirty clothes for a week. Now we’re on a missions trip.

On the way home, our bus had some problems. The rear dualy wheels on the driver’s side came detached from the axle and began sliding off the bus. With 17 people on board, this was a potentially a dangerous situation. The driver brought the bus to a halt and the on-board mechanic went to work. The wheel was inches from coming completely detached from the bus. If this were to happen, the bus would have tipped over with everyone inside. After some interesting techniques to jack the bus up, the mechanic attached the wheels back onto the bus and away we went. Praise God for keeping us safe.

6.29.08:

The last three days at the Medina’s have been great. They have a shower, hot water, comfortable beds, a ping-pong table, and power. Their house is beautiful; a well kept yard, washing machine, full kitchen, two bathrooms, and matching décor make us feel guilty. I thought we were going to rough it in Africa. We have been treated like kings and queens. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very thankful. Today, we start camp. More to come about our experiences after camp.

Troubadour

2008-06-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

I think I forgot to post something about my band, even though we have been writing songs and practicing for months now. To make a long story short, I was asked to play bass for a band with some friends: Robbie, Andrew, and Jeremiah. We've been working on writing songs for a little while and we hope to play some shows here in San Jose.

The band is called "Troubadour", which means wandering musician (if you didn't already know). We have a website you can check out if you'd like: Troubadour Sound. We don't have any recordings up on the site yet, mostly because he haven't recorded anything yet.

I am so excited to play music with these guys. It's hard to describe the style. I call it "awesome rock", but for those not in tune with my imagination, it sounds like mewithoutYou/Jimmy Eat World/Radiohead/At The Drive-In. Since Robbie and I are going to Africa for 3 weeks this summer, we will probably record after we get back. And we are planning on booking our first show for August. T-shirts, CD's, and fun will be available in August (hopefully).

I'm going to Africa!

2008-06-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I are leaving for Africa in less than two weeks!

Our team that is putting on a camp for some high school kids in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania is leaving on June 23 and we'll be in Africa for 3 weeks. I am so excited!!! Honestly, I'm looking forward to the flight over there because I've heard that international flights are infinitely better than domestic flights.

More importantly, I'm excited to be able to hang out with some high school students, make friends, and help Gil and Amy Medina (our host missionaries) while we are there. I'll try to post some updates. We'll also have a regular email update for our whole team. If you would like to be on that list, let me know.

The Ghetto, or not

2008-05-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

I have something on my mind I just need to say something about it. As many of you know, Sarah and I recently moved to a house here in San Jose. This great retired couple let us "housesit" for them while they are in Turkey for a year serving as missionaries. In a conversation I had with a friend a month ago, I was disturbed by a comment with guy said.

He wanted to know where I was moving to, so I told him the approximate location of the house. He said, "Oh, that's almost in the ghetto man." This comment really made me mad. Here's why:

-The term "ghetto" comes from the era of the Jewish Holocaust (I think). This is where the Jews were required to live while they were being persecuted. Using this term to describe a neighborhood today is an insult.

-Secondly, I resent the fact that someone felt like they had to warn me that I might be moving into a bad neighborhood. It was like this person was saying that this "ghetto" neighborhood was not an acceptable place to live. Well, there are plenty of good people who live in this neighborhood and many of these people cannot help their economic or social condition.

-I felt like this person had a certain standard for a "good" home. It really bothered me that someone could make a comment like that. Why do I deserve a "better" neighborhood? Maybe I'm part of the reason why there are these "bad" neighborhoods. Maybe instead of retreating to the "good" neighborhoods, I could be an influence for God's love in this "ghetto".

(By the way, the neighborhood I live in is great! I don't know what this guy was referring to because I love this place!)

Colson, Boyd, Claiborne

2008-04-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

An election year special, here is a fabulous discussion between Chuck Colson, Greg Boyd, and Shane Claiborne concerning the role Christians should play in politics and government.

Chuck Colson was a part of the Nixon Administration and was imprisoned for his involvement in Watergate. After turning to Christ, he founded Prison Fellowship which ministers to prisoners. He has also authored many books on Christianity and politics.

Greg Boyd is the founding pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, MN (yeah baby!). He is the author of the book Myth of a Christian Nation.

Shane Claiborne is a founding partner of a community called The Simple Way in Philadelphia, PA. He has recently come out with a book called Jesus for President.

Please check out THIS link to see a video of the discussion.

Chuck Colson

Greg Boyd

Shane Claiborne

Death Cab

2008-04-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

I know this video has already gotten around, and Jon Havens has posted it on his blog. But I can't help but post it here.

Death Cab for Cutie - I will Possess Your Heart

Moving, puppy, and reCRE8

2008-04-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

I'm ashamed to say that I haven't posted on this blog for over a month! There has been so much going on, I hope to put some more stuff on here soon. Here's what's happening:

-Sarah and I moved out of our apartment and into a house. We spent most of my spring break packing and moving into this house which we are staying at for the next year while the owners are on a missions trip to Turkey. They have graciously asked Sarah and I to stay at their place while they are gone and we are so grateful for this blessing. It's not that we are living in a house. I'm actually not that excited about living in a house because of the yardwork, upkeep, and the fact that it is too big for just 2 people. But, our living expenses are significantly less and we are thankful for that. Plus, now we have a party pad!

-Since we moved into a new house, we decided to get a dog! We adopted a lab/border collie mix from the Humaine Society of Silicon Valley and she is amazing. Her name is Rory and she is 9 months old.

-Another amazing thing that is happening: reCRE8. Our college group at Hillside is no longer doing a regular "church service" style group. We are not doing a set of music, 30 min lesson, and then go home. We are spending time in prayer, then getting together in action groups that are focused on specific topics such as environment/sustainability, community connectedness, arts/culture, and social justice. The idea is that the college students will go to the main service to get their teaching/music, then we put our faith to action in small groups every Sunday morning. This is a little revolution of sorts in terms of "Sunday School". We want to inspire action and put our faith into practice.

Headache - Hope

2008-03-04T14:01:00.000-08:00

I'm getting a headache (figuratively) from some of the things going on in my church community. Some of the issues I've been advocating for, such as turning our focus outward and setting a missional priority, have been deflated. Recently, I have become frustrated by so many missed opportunities to reach people, while we make things more comfortable for the people who are already Christians. So often, we've been taught to place harmony and comfort as a priority over transformation, healing, and dealing with the tough questions.

I'm kinda fed up with the notion of "if we build it, they will come" mentality. It may work in other regions, but the Bay Area does not have a community that is used to church culture. They are not inclined to show up early on Sunday morning and stay for 3 hours. We need to ask some different questions.

Basically, I'm getting a headache from beating my head against the wall with some of this stuff. I want to see transformation, life change, redemption, and humility. I do think there is hope though. Our college group is trying some new things. We are doing something called "Recre8" this year. Basically, on Sunday mornings our college students will be involved in sub-groups that have specific action plans. Each group will spend the morning working out details of their projects. These action-oriented groups will be putting into practice our faith by focusing our strengths, talents, and skills toward a specific purpose based on a way we want to reach people with the love of Jesus. We are living out the gospel.

Free Day!

2008-02-29T16:53:00.000-08:00

Today is February 29! That means today is a free day. This day doesn't exist other years, so there is no reason why today should be just like the others.

As I was thinking about what to do today, knowing that today doesn't really exist, I figures it wouldn't matter whether I went to work or not (I still went to work because I'm responsible). I could just sleep all day, or watch TV, or read a good book. It really doesn't matter what I do because today doesn't exist. It's a free day!

So, what did you do today?

Computer Buyer's Nightmare

2008-02-27T11:54:00.001-08:00

I just bought a new Macbook less than two weeks ago and guess what...Apple just upgraded their computers.

Yup, the same price I paid for my computer will now get you twice the RAM, more hard drive space, and a faster processor. Bummer! So, after a little research I found out that there is a buyer protection policy at Apple. If a new and improved product comes out within two weeks after you buy the same product, you can return it for the new one or be gives a credit for the price difference.

So, I called and explained the situation. They were very nice, but I got put on hold for more than 20 minutes! Because of the delay, they offered to let me return my computer (free shipping and no re-stocking fee) and they are shipping me the new configuration at no extra cost. Amazing!

"Do [correction: To] whatever makes me love You more"

2008-02-25T20:18:00.001-08:00

First of all, I just tested the battery life of my new Macbook today: 6 hours! That's just word processing and web surfing, but still, 6 hours is a long time.

In other news, I have a line from a mewithoutYou song that I have been thinking about for a while now. It comes from the song "C-Minor" on the album Brother, Sister. The line is "do whatever makes me love You more"

Correction: per Robbie's comment, I have misquoted. The line is actually "to whatever makes me love you more." That's what I get for trying to quote someone without reading the liner notes.

In the context of this song, the writer is asking God to do whatever makes him love God more. I feel that this is one of the best descriptions of "God's will" I have heard. The writer is basically saying that no matter what happens in his life, he simply wants it to make him love God more. This is really what God's will is; a course of life that makes us love God more.

For more, see the comments...

Recently, I have also read another description of God's will in the book The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren. He writes, "The Greek word that lies beneath our English word will can also be translated wish. But to say, 'May your wish come true' sounds rather fairy-tale-ish and creates other problems. But I have found the idea of, 'the dream of God for creation' does the job quite nicely. 'Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven' could thus be rendered 'May all your dreams for creation come true.'"

So, to put these two ideas together I feel that a major aspect of the "dream of God" is for us to love him more; no matter the circumstance. Good times, bad times, things we don't understand, things we cannot change; we should desire to love God more no matter what. We must say, "do whatever makes me love you more" even if it means being challenged, transformed, or broken.

My first 24 hrs as a Mac-head

2008-02-19T12:43:00.000-08:00

Ironically, my new Macbook arrived while I was at a friend's house showing him how to create a Powerpoint presentations on his new Macbook. Sarah called me and told me that a package had arrived for me and it was shaped like a computer.

I tried as hard as I could not to speed as I drove home to open my new computer. Let me take a moment to describe the packaging, because it is important:

Inside the plain brown box was a simple, sleek, and (dare I say) sexy white box with the words Macbook printed in simple letters on the front. Appropriately, this box was the home for my white Macbook as it traveled over the Pacific to my front door here in Silicon Valley. There was even a handle on top. After cracking the seal, I lifted the flaps on the box to see an elegantly designed styrofoam bed that only added to the sleek look of my computer. I then pulled out my computer which, according to my wife Sarah, looked like a toy computer. It was simple, white, and had the Apple symbol on top.

After admiring the design of this wonderful machine, I opened it up and decided to let the leopard loose (the operating system is called OS X Leopard). Naturally, it took about 3 minutes to complete the initial setup and less than an hour to make a complete transition of all my files, music, and photos. It was so easy. Also, this computer is obviously faster than my other computer. It has twice the memory and a much faster processor. I had already learned the ins and outs of the new operating system by watching the video tutorials on Apple's website. Some of the features are incredible, such as screen sharing, Time Machine, and Spaces.

Later in the evening, I had a meeting with some guys from Hillside. Daniel Garcia was there and he has a Mac with Leopard also. So, we set up a video chat with each other and shared files and pictures with each other. We also shared our screens so I could type notes while Daniel watched. It was amazing.

Later, Sarah and I had a great time messing around with the built in camera and Photobooth. If you have seen the kind of pictures you can take with this camera, you'll be familiar with this. But if you haven't, here's a taste of how much fun Photobooth is:

Back to my roots

2008-02-13T22:40:00.000-08:00

I have just bought a new Apple computer. Yes, that's right...a mac.

I am a part of the first generation of human beings to grow up with personal computers. My dad bought his first laptop when I was entering grade school (its funny to think about that computer now). We had a couple of mac computers when I was growing up. I loved them, but when I entered high school, my parents bought a PC. Consequently, I learned how to use a PC also and therefore became very comfortable with either system. When I bought my first laptop as I entered college, I got a PC because of its price and familiarity. But things have changed.

My HP computer has been great. I have had it for almost 3 years and I have typed hundreds of pages of essays on it for school. Unfortunately, it is dying. It crashes (more often than before) and it is getting very slow. I know there are ways to salvage a PC by reformatting the operating system and such, but it's time for a new computer.

I just ordered a new Macbook.

Since I have not used a mac for over 6 years on a regular basis, I am going to document my experiences here. I am interested to see the performance differences and the new OSX Leopard. This should be fun.

Erwin! (updated 1/31)

2008-01-28T22:34:00.001-08:00

Today I got the chance to sit in on a taping of a series of seminars by Erwin McManus. He was asked by a christian television station to record a bunch of seminars that will be aired on TV in the spring and summer.

The studio was small; there were only about 25 people in the audience. About 12 people from my church overwhelmed the other attendees. Some of the other people who went were our Worship Pastor, Senior Associate Pastor, Men's Ministry team leaders, Junior High Director, Director of Women's Ministries, and our Leadership Development Team Leader. I sat about 10 ft. from Erwin as he spoke about his books Unstoppable Force and Uprising. It was amazing.

I have been getting very discouraged with the ministries I am involved in at my church. I feel like I am being chewed up and spit out by the system. Yesterday I had a bit of a breakdown as I struggled to understand why I felt my passions being sucked out of me.

Erwin inspired me so much today. He reminded me that people are really what matter. He reminded me to go after my passions. I understand more fully how the church should be and I know things can get better. I'm still struggling with all the pain of trying to create change and inspire extraordinary things in the church. Sometimes I cry, sometimes I whine, sometimes I scream, and sometimes I leap for joy (although more rarely). Things are hard, but God is Good.

Update: 1/31/08
Here is a comment I left on a special blog set up for the participants of this seminar series from my church:

- I am becoming more and more aware that Hillside's Ethos does not match up to the values written down on paper. Our mission statement is "Introducing people to Jesus, and inspiring everyone to follow him fully." However, the areas of ministry that accomplish these values often slip under the radar and have the fewest volunteers. Even the 4 principles we subscribe to (Caring, Reaching, Growing, Developing) become lost in the culture of Hillside. I personally know people who have left Hillside because their leadership abilities have been stifled, or their spiritual/emotional needs have been neglected. These young leaders that left Hillside went on to other churches to become lay-leaders, paid staff, and pastors.

Honestly, I believe that Hillside has many values that are not stated in the mission statement. These unsaid values shape the culture of our church. For example: loyalty, longevity, family, and harmony. I have come to understand that Hillside is a place where (if you fit the right criteria) you can fit in like a family. The problem is that I believe we miss much of the challenge to "follow Jesus fully" when we get blinded by our desire to avoid conflict, keep the status quo, and put a smile on because we're with our family.

Trip to Delaware

2008-01-09T23:04:00.000-08:00

I just got back from Dover, Delaware. I spent 5 days with my Grandma, Mom and Dad, and my brothers and sister. We flew out to attend my grandfather's memorial service on Sunday. It was a great trip; I enjoyed spending time with family and celebrating the life of my grandfather. Here are a few pictures from Sunday:
(Click on the pictures to see a larger view)

This chapel was built in 1780.

The next day, we drove to Philadelphia which was only 1.5 hours away. We did some touring and here are some of the pictures:

That's us in front of the Liberty Bell

That's Independence Hall
(Where they wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution)

That's me ordering a Philly Cheesesteak off the street
(The best sandwich I've ever had)

Here we are at the Philadelphia Museum of Art at the Rocky Statue

Here we are running up the steps of the Museum of Art
(Just like Rocky)

Here we are doing our best Rocky impression. I know, crazy tourists.

We had a great time.

Post #101

2007-12-31T06:57:00.000-08:00

This is my last post for 2007, and it happens to be my 101st post. 2007 has been good to me and I'm excited for 2008. Here's a recap of 2007:

-Got engaged to Sarah: Jan 13
-Moved out of my parent's house: March 6
-Married on July 7
-Honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas: July 7-15
-Began tutoring at Farm Drive Center: Sept 6
-Turned 21 on Sept 9
-Led Hillside's Men's Weekend: Oct 5-7
-Begin playing semi-pro baseball: Nov 4
-Visit my grandparents in Texas: Nov 8-12
-Rob Bell: The Gods Aren't Angry Nov 12
-Start a social action group at Hillside Church: Nov 27
-Grandfather died: Dec. 25

Now for 2008! What's coming up this year:

-Trip to Delaware for my grandfather's funeral: Jan 4-8
-Sarah's (21st) Birthday: Jan 14
-DisneyLand for Sarah's B-day: Jan 19-21
-Matt Randleman's wedding: March 31
-Chase Hughes' wedding: June 28
-Trip to AFRICA: June 26 - July 17 (3 wks)
-I am THE leader for Men's Retreat Weekend 08: Oct. 3-5

As for now, I am enjoying my break from school. I am spending a lot of time with Sarah and reading The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Happy New Year!

Some writing...

2007-12-21T17:21:00.001-08:00

Here's some of my recent writing:

The sun wiggled its way through the curtains and the faint hum of the morning rush hour hypnotized me as I lay in bed regretfully anticipating the air raid siren formerly known as my alarm clock. This morning began like many others; my snooze button got its thirty minute workout in before I even rolled out of bed and the coffee maker automatically prepared a liquid slap in the face to make sure I was conscious. Ah, the wonders of technology.

I knew a long day lie ahead, but I did all I could to resist it. My busy life and my apathy were fighting a fierce war with guns, grenades, and camouflage. My boss tried to flank my TV with some artillery, while my pillow and the Youtube guerrillas fought back with small arms fire from behind some trees. Maybe I could call in sick today, or maybe I could say that my grandma died, again. This battle raged on every morning as I hunkered down on my box spring trench.[..]

Recent Projects...

2007-12-04T23:13:00.000-08:00

I have been a little busy lately. However, some of my busy-ness has been fun stuff. I have been working on a few projects that are a hobbie of sorts:

I made a workbench and a bookcase in the last two weeks. Here's a few pictures:

Texas

2007-11-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

Sarah and I are going on vacation in Texas this weekend. I know what you're thinking, Texas? Yes, we are going to visit my grandparents for the weekend.

Sarah and I were unable to go to Minnesota last summer because some other things got in the way (a wedding). So, we are going to go hang out in the South of Texas for 4 days.

My grandparents live at a place with a golf course and tennis courts, so I'm going to golf everyday.

San Jose Yankees

2007-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

I joined a baseball team!

We are called the San Jose Yankees. The league is a semi-professional adult baseball league and it is highly competative (It's called the National Adult Baseball Association - NABA). I'm very excited to be able to play on such a good team. They needed another pitcher and another infielder, so they gave me a chance. We have our first game this weekend and I'm slated to pitch in relief. I've been working out and getting ready for a while and I think I'm ready to get back into competative baseball. This league had a lot of ex-college players and a few ex-minor leaguers. We can only use wood bats and some of these guys throw in the 90's. Awesome!

If you want to come see some of my games, click here to look at my schedule.

Also, school has finally calmed down for a while. Finals are the next big thing to worry about, but I think I'll do fine.

*This week, 11/4, I'm teaching in our college group. I'm excited because its been a while since I've taught. We are in a series from the book of Numbers and I'm teaching Ch 13 which is an amazing text.

October

2007-10-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

Wow, I didn't realize that I haven't posted on my blog since Sept. 23. I think I reached my limit of things to do this semester. Here's a little life update:

-I just finished leading our Men's Retreat for Hillside Church (I hate the name "Men's Retreat", it should be called something else). This is a weekend camp-like event for the men of our church. There were 140 guys and it went very well. I was able to have a lot of influence in the theme and lessons. I hand picked the seminars and told the main speaker what topics I wanted him to talk about. The theme was "Passion". We dove into topics like the priesthood of all believers, being a minister, postmodernism, Kingdom business, and using your passions to establish God's Kingdom. These are all topics that I thought might be touchy subjects, but it was well received. The weekend has started some great discussion about missional church.

-I have been tutoring 4th and 6th graders at the Farm Drive Center twice a week. These kids are great, but they can be hard to deal with sometimes. (If you can, pray for one boy named Saul, he is having some trouble at home and he really needs a big brother/dad figure)

-I have been overwhelmed with work lately. The 2 weeks before the men's weekend I was leading, I was bombarded with a huge project. Then this week I was asked to do twice my usual workload. At the same time, my range-finder broke. (That is my most important piece of equipment) Bummer.

-My Tuesday small group started. We're studying The Secret Message of Jesus. So far, the guys are excited and we've had some great discussions.

-I got the new iPod Touch for my birthday. I could never afford something like that by myself, so I pooled together all my birthday money and bought one.

-I've been writing some music lately. I've got a couple songs, but they're no where near finished. I need to work on lyrics. I can write the music part easier than the lyric part. I just need to write more anything.

-I'm getting excited about seeing Rob Bell on November 12. Sarah and I will be flying back from Texas that day. We are going to see my grandparents for the weekend. I need a vacation.

By the way, I love David Bazan.

McLaren Study

2007-09-23T23:06:00.000-07:00

I have decided to lead a small group for the Gathering on Tuesday nights at 8 o'clock at my apartment. We are going to read Brian McLaren's book The Secret Message of Jesus. I am hoping to discuss some foundational truths about Jesus Christ and his message. I have been reading this book for a few weeks (I am not done yet because I have too many books for school to read also) and I think it is great. Any college guys are welcome. I'm really looking forward to this.

Word of the Week...

2007-09-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

I just heard a public speaker say this word and I thought it was worthy of an entire blog post:

Verklempt
overcome with emotion; clenched

Go ahead.......I know you want to say it. VERKLEMPT.

Use it in a sentence.........."That book got me all verklempt!"

Use it in an essay..........."Then the main character became verklempt."

Tell your girlfriend during a chickflick........"I'm getting verklempt."

Isn't it a great word?............VERKLEMPT.

Make a comment about a famous person........."That baby looks quite verklempt."

I really like this word.

Big Basin, School, and headaches...

2007-09-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

I've got a lot to say.

First, I was able to go camping with a bunch of kids from the Farm Drive Center last weekend. We went to Big Basin in the Santa Cruz mountains and it was so much fun. The only bad part was the three smelly boys I had in my tent. They are great kids, but they stink! The same three guys are going to be in my kidtrek group this year at the Center. I'm going to tutor them and hang out with them two days a week. Some of the kids were asking great spiritual questions and we were able to connect with them in a unique way.

Second, I started school a couple weeks ago and I forgot how much I don't like it. I thought my classes were going to be good, but most of them have turned out to be lame. I think it is the professors. They don't teach well and they don't go deep into the topics. I also dislike homework very much. It always seems to get in the way to other things I want to do.

Third, I've had a headache for almost 3 days now. I was sick with a cold from Thursday to now, but all the stress of school and work and Men's Retreat and life have given me a constant headache. I'm keeping up with things, but its definitely difficult.

Lastly, I am going to have a meeting with our new pastor soon. I'm excited to get to talk to him about some of my dreams for Hillside. He seems interested in having me be more involved. Yeah!

By the way, here's some pictures from the Big Basin Camping Trip:

Thanks Patty, great pictures!

Mornings

2007-08-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

I've been getting up early lately to spend a little time reading the scriptures and praying. It's been great. I've been reading mostly from the minor prophets. I've been struggling with some ideas about restoration.

Recently, I've been wondering whether all the prophesies about a new heaven and new earth, new wine, new grain, a restoration of creation to be ruled by compassion, love, grace, and justice have been fulfilled through Jesus already. I realize Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is available here and now, but does that mean that we are able to receive eternal life and we have to wait it out in this broken world until Jesus comes back to restore all things? Or has the restoration already begun and is a process God started with Jesus? Maybe the restoration of creation has begun, but won't be complete until Jesus comes back.

Here is a link to a passage that I read this morning which is amazing. Click here.

School...Here We Go Again

2007-08-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

So I'm starting a new semester at THE San Jose State University. Here's a quick list of my classes (for those of you with ADD):

Comm 100W - Writing
Engl 117 - Film, Literature, and Culture
Envs 152 - Environmental Global Disaster
Soci 154 - Non-conforming Behavior
Soci 162 - Race and Ethnic Relations

I'm really excited about the Film/Lit class. That should be fun.

Research Project: Part 1

2007-08-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

So here are a few cool things that I found right off the bat:

-The major religions that have dominated history began somewhere between 650 BC and AD 650. Why?

-Christianity began in a Western Society. Yes, it sprang out of the Jewish culture which is Middle-Eastern, but Christianity launched into the Graeco-Roman world. This had a major effect on how the structure of the Church developed with hierarchies of leadership, logic, and other Western ideals.

-There was very little success of Christianity in the non-Occidental world (non-Western). Why?

-In the 8th and 9th Centuries, the Church experienced a prolonged struggle with the use of images. Does this have a connection to the struggle of the use of images while the Israelites were wandering through the desert in the time of Moses? Maybe there is a pattern to how people and God are in a tug of war over understanding God in a tangible or intangible way?

The integrity of the Gospel

2007-08-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about how I should live life as a follower of Jesus. I was reading the Sermon on the Mount last night and I came to a point where I decided that there can be nothing in my life that compromises the integrity of the Gospel.

What I mean is that my entire life needs to be focused on Jesus Christ. Every decision I make, everything I purchase, every person I meet must uphold the teaching of Jesus Christ. I have to devote my whole life to Jesus. I've been trying to do this for a while now, but it gets me depressed sometimes. I mourn, I pray, I listen, I sing. I am seeking God, but there are so many influences that pull me apart. There are Christians telling me things that I know aren't how Jesus taught us to live. There are non-Christians who tell me ways to live that are not of God. I just want to find the good and latch onto it. I want Jesus.

Church History Research Project

2007-08-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

So I have decided to untake and rigorous research project. This is not for school, it is just my own crazy idea. Here's why: I feel that there is something important to be learned from church/Christian history. If we can understand the ups and downs of the church, the advancements and recessions of Christianity, and the historical events in which these events took place, we may be able to find a pattern or relationship that could provide some insight into where the church is headed in the coming years.

I want to map out church history and world history together and look for patterns, connections, and repetition. I hope to be able to place these findings within the grand plan of God's redemption of this world to find out where we are now. Basically, I want to find out where to put my energy in changing the world for Jesus.

So, this blog is going to be some sort of a journal for my study in addition to my regular posts. I want to eventually piece together the blog posts I write about this topic into a paper or book or something. This should be fun. (but it might take 10 years)

Music

2007-08-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

I've been having some major trouble with music lately. I don't know how to describe it. I play music every week for church, but I don't feel like I'm authentic. I feel like I'm so uncreative, I feel inadequate, I feel unworthy.

I can be so inspired by music. Music can be such an indescribable connection to the Holy. But I don't feel like the music I play is anything close to a reflection of who God is. I'm so far away from that.

Here's a link to some music that is truely awesome. It's a song called "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us!" by Sufjan Stevens. Please listen to it. (Sorry, the audio quality is not the best)

I Hate Yearbooks

2007-07-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

I flipped through my high school yearbook a couple of days ago. That was a mistake. I love looking at yearbooks so much I hate it.

Everytime I open a yearbook or look at a photo album, I relive the memories in my mind and I begin to feel depressed. Don't get me wrong, I had an amazing time in high school. That was a time of life I will never forget because I had so many great experiences with so many great friends. But those memories conjure up so many other feelings now.

When I think about that time of life, I know that I can never experience that again. I'll never be 17 again. I'll never be that athletic again. I'll never go to a school dance again. I'll never be able to get away with ______ again. High school was a time of life when I experienced my most challenging, yet defining moments. I miss it to be honest.

Sabbath

2007-07-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

This is an expansion to my previous post entitled "A little writing..." in which I described me feelings toward vacations.

I was convicted a few months ago that I have an addiction to production. I feel worthless when I'm not producing something. I just felt like I was wasting time if I wasn't doing something useful.

What I came to realize is that I cannot live like that. God loves me regardless of what I produce and I should not qualify my existence by the things I can do. I needed to be redeemed from the bondage of my issues with self-worth. I felt like I was defined by the things I produced rather than being a child of God.

Therefore, I decided to take a day off every Saturday. I vowed not to produce anything. No homework, no work, no house cleaning. I just relax. It is amazing.

That's how I cope with life and get a vacation with God every week.

Please Listen to This...

2007-07-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

My mentor, Daniel Garcia, spoke at Hillside Church on July 8 and you should watch his lesson. It is amazing. I was moved incredibly. To watch the video online, click here.

A little writing...

2007-07-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

Finding Myself Again

Have you ever gone on a trip somewhere and forgot what home was like? I mean a real vacation where you get to truly relax and actually breathe. I love those trips.

Imagine walking down a lowly highway after your car broke down. It’s 97 degrees outside and the only shade is your hand tiredly held above your head. The long walk to the nearest service station seems to take days, and you feel like you swallowed the sun. At this point, your car seems so trivial because all you can think about is how thirsty you are and how unfair life is. When you enter the service station, the first thing you grab is a chilled bottle of water. The sound of the pressure releasing and the seal being cracked are like choirs of angels singing praises in the heavens. The first gulp hits you like a tidal wave of ice cold bliss. It feels like icicles are forming down your throat. What a magical feeling; all because of something so simple. This is my vacation.

I felt like this on my vacation. I love trips that feel like a cool breeze on a hot summer night. I want to forget everything that I forgot to do. I want to be someone new.

But when I come back, I’ve forgotten who I am. Life hits me like a charging bull with its horns of bills and its hooves of work. I am pierced by the credit card company and trampled by my boss. Trying to get up I’m hit by dirty clothes and kicked by dirty dishes. Tattered and bruised I crawl into bed to recover from the woes of life. I remember now. As I stare at the ceiling and glance at the clock I remember who I am. I remember how life is on planet earth. I’ve found myself again. I’ve been thrown back into the ocean and I’m treading water again. “Just stay afloat,” I tell myself. I hope that tomorrow I’ll wake up on dry land where I can breathe and look out over the great sea and not feel the need to cross it. Maybe tomorrow I’ll be on vacation again.

Honeymoon Pictures...

2007-07-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

We are back! I would like to post a few pictures of our trip to Cabo San Lucas. It was so much fun and it was a truely relaxing vacation.

Cabo

2007-07-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

Its almost Saturday! I'm not as stressed out as I thought I would be. I have almost everything done, so I'm trying to spend a little time with out of town family and friends. Sarah and I are going to Cabo San Lucas for a week, so this will probably be the last post I write until we get back.

I've had so many thoughts and ideas in the last few weeks, but I've been too busy to post them. I'll catch up later.

Worship Conference

2007-06-26T20:34:00.001-07:00

So I'm at a conference at Saddleback Church for music/worship leaders. My friend Ben Bajarin is a seminar speaker and he asked me to be on his "tech team". Basically, I just run the powerpoint for his presentation. He wanted me to come so I could experience the conference and meet a bunch of people.

While we were here, we got to hang out with a rock star. This guys named David Pack, who is a famous singer/songwriter from the 60's and 70's (his band was called "Ambrosia"), let us play his vintage one-of-a-kind guitars. I played a Taylor guitar that was made for President Bill Clinton. There are only two in existence. He is such a nice guy and I enjoyed getting to know him. You should look up his music on iTunes. Search for "Ambrosia".

Coming Events

2007-06-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

So I'm getting married in 2 weeks and I'm a starting to feel a little stressed. I think its just work that is stressing me out. I only have a few things left to do for the wedding on July 7, but I was just bombarded with (I just paused while writing this to answer the phone concerning more work to do) a lot of work and I'd rather spend my time getting things finalized for the big day. Oh well, everything will work out.

Coming together

2007-06-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Things are coming together. I had a meeting with a church planter named Dave Gschwend today and its amazing to see how things connect.

I've been pondering some ideas about community, church structure, and unrealized potential in the Christian community. Dave used to be a pastor here in San Jose and in Santa Cruz, but now he is planting house churches in San Jose, Santa Cruz, and Monterey. The ideas he shared about authentic community, organic relationships, and real life transformation are the same ideas I have been struggling with for weeks now. It was amazing to see the ways God is moving in Dave's church planting endeavors.

Last week, I attended a luncheon for CityTeam International's church planting ministries. There were church planters from every continent (except Antartica) and their stories were amazing. For example, a group of 200 people who were given simple training planted 40,000 churches in a matter of years. It comes down to obedience and multiplicaton. These people plant house churches.

I was talking to Dave about this CityTeam thing when he asked me, "Was there a guy named Ned Yost there?" I told him there was, and he told me that this guy was staying at his house! Ned Yost (I think this is the right name) is a church planter from Indonesia.

All that said, I've noticed a movement going on. God is moving powerfully in small communities and house churches. Its so exciting.

Heart Ache

2007-06-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

My heart aches right now.

I feel like there is a huge tension created by untapped potential. I could do more, my church could do more, the world could do more. I am convinced that our generation is capable of solving global issues and creating so much positive change. We are in a position that previous generations could only dream of in terms of transportation, communication, and resources to solves global problems.

The reason why my heart aches is that I want this potential to be realized. All these thoughts motivate me to be ambitious and influence people to being acting on these ideas. I believe the Holy Spirit is poised and ready to empower us to do great things in the name of Jesus Christ! Let's get to it.

Work...

2007-06-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I said it before, but I work for a landscaping company. I do estimates for properties that we are trying to bid for their business. I'm just about to leave for work, but there was something interesting about the property I'm about to measure.

I have some information about this property called The Barrington Bridge Community. Here is their slogan: Exceptional Privacy and Distinction.

I think that is great, a community where people don't have to think about interacting with the less fortunate members of society. Fantastic, a community that has set up a gate to keep the beggars out (Luke 16:19-31).

mewithoutYou

2007-06-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

I realized why I like mewithoutYou so much. Aaron Weiss is not fake.

I was listening to a different band in my car today and I felt like this person was putting on a show. I didn't feel that they really meant it. I love the way mewithoutYou displays struggle, pain, heartache, and despair. These are real feelings and their music perfectly paints a picture of the struggle.

This makes me wonder about the music we sing at our churches every week. Is it real? Is it authentic? Do I actually feel the words that are being sung? I've stood there so many times and just sung because that's what I'm supposed to do. I think I mean the words I sing.

I know there are other musicians who are being real. MewithoutYou just slaps me around and allows me to be real.

(By the way, I posted this picture again because I like it a lot. It makes me feel like I'm at a concert.)

Way to go Brian!

2007-06-05T16:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Barnes and Noble to purchase a couple books. One of these books was The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren. As I went to check out, this girl at the cash register looked at the book and asked me what it was about.

It turns out she has a friend who was a Christian and became an atheist. This cashier has thus decided to read some books about Christianity to understand what her friend went through. She told me that she has read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and a couple other books.

So, when she looked at the title of Brian McLaren's book and saw the cool cover design, she was interested in knowing what the secret was. She asked me what the book was about and I said very cleverly, "I dunno, I haven't read it yet." But I continued to explain that it was a book about the gospel of Jesus that sheds light on the way American pop-Christianity has missed the point. She wrote down the title and told me she was going to read it.

Way to go Brian McLaren! That clever title and the cool cover design worked! I can't wait to learn to secret too.

mewithoutYou at Slim's

2007-06-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

I went to see mewithoutYou at Slim's in San Francisco last night. It was an amazing show. There were other bands there including The Snake The Cross The Crown and Manchester Orchestra. But the highlight was mewithoutYou.

This is the first time I had seen mewithoutYou live, and I guess I was struck by the raw emotion they put into their music. I could sense the tension, passion, and anguish as Aaron Weiss grabbed my soul and shook it around. I love the depth of the lyrics and the way they portray their struggles through music. It is so inspiring.

But today, I feel weird. I have this sense of "back to the daily routine" in me. I don't want the daily routine. I want specialness all the time. Also, there were a few guys at the show that I haven't really talked to in a while, but I was very unsocial. I've just had so many ideas, inspirations, and struggles and I want to talk to people who are experiencing the same thing. My questions/issues/hopes for the church, issues with my own lifestyle, and longing for something deeper have driven me to seek people who want to truely follow Jesus. People who notice the problems with this world and want to do something about it.

I love mewithoutYou.

Beauty

2007-06-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

I recently had a conversation with a friend about beauty. We had a disagreement about the basis by which we define beauty. Let me explain.

I sense two camps here: those who think beauty is on the inside and those who think beauty is on the outside. I'm going to use these two broad definitions to explain my theory on beauty.

In my recent discussions, I was asked the question, "Could you admit that a woman was beautiful when she walks past?" I replied, "no." Thus began our debate. I said that I could not submit that a woman was beautiful just by looking at her. I told my friend that I felt it was not right to label a woman beautiful unless I understood her personality, etc. My friend took a different stance. He claimed that he could look at a woman and innocently call her beautiful by looking at her exterior features. This point of view believes that there is something inheirantly engrained in us that can recognize beauty.

If you think about this topic in sociological terms, the beauty we know today is socially constructed. Media and advertisements have created a definition of beauty. As women, and men for that matter, begin to strive for these ideals a spiral begins to refine the definition. If you look at models in the last 100 years, the women have gotten thinner, taller, and more unnatural. It is the system which has defined beauty.

If you think of beauty as going beyond the surface, you begin to see a much deeper and more meaningful definition. I believe God intended human beings to be beautiful creations that reflect the image of God. This involves much more than our physical bodies. God desires that our whole being be transformed to be like Christ. I have a friend that I can honestly call beautiful. She does not neccessarily meet the socially constructed criteria for beauty, but she possesses something unique and special that simply radiates "beauty".

I just do not feel right calling a woman beautiful according to a superficial definition when there is so much more to people than their outward appearance. Some of the most beautiful people I know do not fit the definition of pop-beauty.

Ouch!

2007-05-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

I just got my wisdom teeth pulled this morning. I chose to get put out for the procedure and it was great! I'm in some pain now, but I'm feeling much better. It doesn't look like I'll be out of commission for very long.

They gave me a sedative to take one hour before the appointment and I had quite the time getting to the dentist's office. Sarah drove me over to the office and I was pretty out of it.

My left cheek it pretty swollen, but I have to teach on Sunday in the Gathering so I hope its better by then.

More on Isaiah 58...

2007-05-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking more and more about this chapter in Isaiah. I'm actually teaching on this chapter in our college group at Hillside on June 3. As I have been pondering this passage, I've run into a few people and had a few experiences that have shed some insight into the meaning of this. I'm searching for meaning and understanding because I feel that this chapter draws some very clear connections to the Christian culture we live in today.

One thing I have questioned is the authenticity of the Christian community I'm a part of (and all Christians for that matter). I'm in no place to judge them, and I've got my own problems, but I can't help but see more potential in people. Jon Havens wrote about a similar situation, so there must be something profound about Isaiah 58 if we both are contemplating the same ideas about our generation.

There are many things I'm concerned about, but specifically I believe that there is such a lack of community. What I mean is, people are not living in a way that they depend on God and each other. We have become self-sufficient people who have lost true community. For example, I've run into some people who don't mind talking with people who are not like them; discussing God, politics, family, whatever. They will go to outreach events and serve food to the homeless. But what happens then? They retreat back to their close knit family and friends who think the way they do and they never establish lasting relationships with these people who actually need it (I'm guilty of doing this also). There is still a separation between the Christian and the non-Christian. We don't accept them as we do our own kind. There is an "us" and "them" mentality.

Also, there are problems with how we connect to each other at the church. We get together and give each other Jesus backrubs at our small groups and put on a smile and act like we have it all together on Sunday mornings. Then we retire back to our homes and get away from the people that challenge us and are different from us. Why can't we be real and authentic? Why can't we relieve the oppression in our own lives and in the lives of others?

I think I'm just feeling cynical today, but there is so much potential in the church and its not being tapped into. We were created for so much more than emtpy religiosity and fake personnas. Read Isaiah 58, its amazing.

Public Transportation

2007-05-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

I've decided to ride public transportation as often as I can. I get a VTA year pass from San Jose State, so I can ride any VTA public transit. My truck doesn't get very good gas mileage and I don't want to contribute to emission problems and American dependancy on oil. So, lightrail here I come!

Isaiah and Amos

2007-05-08T09:15:00.000-07:00

I am convinced that these books are two of the most compelling and relevant books of the OT for our generation. The words Isaiah and Amos spoke carry so much power and weight today that I believe these are dangerous books to read.

I've been repeatedly convicted by Isaiah and Amos, among other things, about the condition of the American church (including my own church) and my own life. Allow me to elaborate.

Isa 58:5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?

Isa 58:6“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Isa 58:7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Isa 58:8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Isa 58:9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

Isa 58:10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

Isa 58:11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

Isa 58:12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

I have a friend who challenged me a few years ago by saying, "Spend your life on God". I didn't know what this meant at the time, but I'm learning what that means. I think Isaiah 58:10 sheds some light on what this means.

Am 5:21 “I hate, I despise your religious feasts;
I cannot stand your assemblies.

Am 5:22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.

Am 5:23 Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.

Am 5:24 But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Wow! What can I say? What good are our worship services when we ignore justice? How can we gather and worship when we don't make a priority of helping those in need?

Summer Reading List

2007-04-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to read these books for a few months, but life has been crazy. This semester was a little more difficult than I thought it was going to be. I had too many books, papers, and projects which have consumed most of my mental capacity. Although, I did read Irresistible Revolution last month. Here's the books I'll be reading this summer (if you want to have a book club, give me a call):

Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven, But Nobody Wants To Die by David Crowder

God's Politics by Jim Wallis

The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren

The Church

2007-04-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

I've been contemplating the idea of "church". I've come across a few ideas recently which I feel give some insight to what church is.

"The purpose of the church cannot be to survive or to thrive, but to serve. And sometimes servants die in the serving."
-Erwin McManus, Unstoppable Force

"I've been trying to remove the word 'churches' from my vocabulary. We are not churches, we are 'the church'."
-Shane Claiborn, Irresistible Revolution

"A fascinating question came in [during a Townhall Meeting] in which somebody said that they were concerned that in working with the poor, [Mars Hill] would not be partnering with any secular organizations. As I reflected on that later, [aside: 'I'm trying to edit'] let just say, if you have a piece and I have a piece and those two pieces match, I don't care this person's religion, background, worldview, perspective. I don't care whether they skip the 'under God' part of the Pledge of Alliegence; I don't care where they're coming from. If they have a piece that matches my piece, I want to hook those two pieces together."
-Rob Bell, We Already Are (Matthew 28), Sermon at Mars Hill, 4.15.07

Vocab

2007-04-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a word I read in a book for school. I wasn't sure what it meant, so I looked it up.

indignation: a strong distaste for something unjust.

I hope someone would describe me with this word.

Check out the new look!

2007-04-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

In other news, here is something the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans which I've been thinking about recently:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

School

2007-04-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

I'm having some trouble focusing on school right now. I've got so many things brewing in my mind concerning such bigger things. Seriously, Irresistible Revolution has really made me think and I'm still trying to sort through all that stuff. My view of the gospel has been challenged and I've got lots of questions. I consider that a good thing and I want to figure out what it means to follow Jesus. I'm just trying to figure out my place and how I'm supposed to live out my faith. It's a tough road, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Maybe school is a place where I can implement the things I'm learning. I just hate all the homework and long classes. Oh, well.

Any Thoughts...

2007-04-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

So I read this parable of Jesus in Matthew the other day and I've been struggling with it ever since. Here it is:

Mt 22:1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:
Mt 22:2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.
Mt 22:3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
Mt 22:4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
Mt 22:5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business.
Mt 22:6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.
Mt 22:7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
Mt 22:8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.
Mt 22:9 Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’
Mt 22:10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
Mt 22:11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
Mt 22:12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.
Mt 22:13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Mt 22:14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

WHAT! This guy killed the people who didn't come to his party and he burned their cities? Then he invited good and bad people to his feast and then kicked a guy out for not wearing the right clothes?

Does anyone have any thoughts?

A Must Read...

2007-04-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

This book has articulated some thoughts, questions, and stuggles that I have been dealing with recently and you should read it. Shane Claiborne is a founder of the Simple Way (www.simpleway.org) and he has served alongside Mother Teresa (or Momma T as Shane calls her) and has been to Bible College and Seminary. This book gives incredible insight into raw discipleship, community, serving, and what the Church could be. I feel like this book is setting free some ideas and visions I have been having about what it means to follow Jesus. Please check it out. It is definitely on my must read list.

You can read a sample chapter from Irresitible Revolution here.

Rob Bell Q&A Recap

2007-03-08T10:10:00.000-08:00

Wow.

I don't know what to say. Rob Bell is so inspiring for me that I'm speechless right now. I hardly slept last night because I can't figure out what I am feeling. There is this ache in my soul right now and I can only recall feeling this way once before: after the Origins Conference at Mosaic.

I went to a question and answer session last night at UC Berkeley with Rob Bell, author of Velvet Elvis and Sex God. I got a chance to talk to him for a few minutes and I loved it.

Rob Bell has challenged me to rethink my faith, ask questions, explore the possibilities, love God more, improve my relationships, and make a difference in the world. Through this, God has brought the brokeness in this world to the forefront of my mind. My soul is in pain because this world is in pain.

It hurts me to know that this world is broken. My soul yearns to make a difference. I want to focus my life on loving God, following Jesus, and restoring this world to the way God intended it by ending oppression, fighting injustice, and caring for those in need.

My soul aches because this world aches. As a Christian, I want to heal the pain.

Almost caught up

2007-02-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

Today I actually feel like I'm caught up with my life. Almost at least.

I still have reading to do for school this week, but I've finished all my current projects for work. Maybe that's actually the only thing I've caught up on. I still have laundry to do and my room is getting messy again. Trying to keep my life organized always seems to be futile. I've got other stuff on my mind that keeps me busy.

Reader Beware: Serious World Changing Stuff

2007-02-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

Wow, I love Martin Luther King, Jr.! I just read a speech he gave in 1967 concerning Vietnam and I have been so inspired. I had to read it for one of my classes and I really think you should read it too.

Like the post title says, beware. This is a long speech, but completely worth it. I am going to be starting a discussion on the Gathering Internet Lounge (my other blog for the college group at church) about this speech. Please check out the speech by clicking here. It will open your eyes to some serious topics that touch our lives today.

Check Out The New Links ------>

2007-01-27T17:23:00.000-08:00

I just updated my links to the right. There is now a link to three Gathering sites:

1. The Gathering Internet Lounge (Our blog with discussions, announcements, etc.)
2. GWAM: The Gathering Weekly Audio Magazine (Our weekly podcast)
3. The Gathering Homepage (Our website with pics, news, etc.)

Also, there is a link to the Origins Project. This is a leadership conference held in Pasadena, CA by Erwin McManus and his staff at Mosaic. I went to the conference last May and it was amazing. (If you want to read about my experience at Origins last year click here) I would recommend that you go, or at least check out the link.

Happy clicking.

Social Change

2007-01-25T22:12:00.000-08:00

I'm taking an interesting class at San Jose State this semester: Social Change

The professor is pretty good and I think this one should be interesting. I've been sensing lately that God is stretching my worldview and perspective. I have been becoming increasingly aware of global issues is society, health, and economics. I feel such a strong compassion for people that are in need. I want to free the oppressed, heal the sick, and bring the poor out of the cycle of poverty. The world needs the transformational and redemptive power of Jesus. (I know I sound like a motivational speaker.) But I see this class as an opportunity to open up the discussion about how Christians should be treating social problems locally, nationally, and globally. I don't mean I am going to preach to my class about Jesus. I mean I am going to dialogue with the teacher and students about humanitarian issues and I am going to model how Christ would address social change. I'm really looking forward to this class.

Wedding Planning

2007-01-25T22:06:00.000-08:00

Surprisingly, this whole planning thing hasn't been too bad. Of course, I haven't been engaged for two weeks yet, but we have already gotten a lot of planning done. I think it helps that Sarah has had this whole thing planned out in her head since she was conceived. Girls are like that. I think the planning will get much more difficult later, but for now I am surviving.

Big News

2007-01-13T23:53:00.000-08:00

She said yes!

That's right, I'm getting married! I asked Sarah to be my bride on Saturday. It was an amazing day. More detail later.

We have set a date: July 7, 2007

Wasting Time

2007-01-11T21:35:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking. There are so many people now-a-days that are arguing about Church, theology, and such. There are conflicting styles, different ideas, unique preferences, and weird issues that cause all kinds of drama in the Church. There are so many people that fight over things that are just a waste of time.

Ok, some of these issues need to be adressed because the church needs to continue to change and evolve to be impactful. But some of these problems are getting in the way of what is really important. Here's my rant:

There is so much hurt in the world and so many people that need Jesus. How can we be consumed in arguements about our style preference? There is so much good to be done and so many people to love in this world that I can't stand spending so much time being engulfed in self-absorbed arguements.

I believe that we need to concentrate on living out what we believe. Too many people spend their precious time and energy trying to prove themselves right when there are people in need. It's time to act. We are so blessed and we have so much stuff. This world is in pain and I want to love everyone in it. Let's exercise out faith, rather than become obese Christians.

Urbana 2006

2007-01-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

WOW.

Urbana was amazing. Imagine 22,000+ college and young adults in one place singing, dancing, and praising God. It was an awesome experience.

This conference helped change my worldview and perspective. I heard messages from Christian leaders in Kenya, Sri Lanka, Canada, Europe, and the United States. These people helped give me an idea of what is going on in the world. I was greatly inspired about what potential there is in global Christianity as Christians from all 6 continents unite to fight global issues. I'm so inspired to be a part of it.

One of the coolest things was the last night's session with all 22,000 people. We had a gathering on New Year's and we ushered in 2007 while worshiping God. It was amazing. I would recommend that every Christian attends this conference at least once in their life. It is eye opening.

Road Trip: Day 5

2006-12-23T19:52:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I'm writting this a few days late. Here is the update for the last day of our trip.

What a long day. We arrived in San Jose at 7:30am on Thursday. That's right, 2800 miles in 3 days. I talked my dad into pulling an all-nighter to beat my mom and grandparents home (they flew back from Georgia on Thursday morning). At first, my dad didn't want to drive all night, but I tricked him into it. I told him he was right, we should stay at a hotel room because he was getting too old to pull all-nighters on road trips. I told him he couldn't keep up with me anymore. It worked.

So, we left El Paso, TX at 7:00am local time and headed toward New Mexico. We spent the majority of the daylight traversing New Mexico and Arizona. As we entered California, we decided to go all the way to LA. We didn't want to fight traffic the next morning, so we went through the city at about 10:00pm.

Ok, cool story. I learned some trucker language on Wednesday night. I was passing a trucker in a big rig when he flashed his headlights at me. I learned that this was the signal to tell me that it was clear for me to come back into the right lane. Well, if they can do then I can try it too. I purposefully went slower so truckers would have to pass me (I know, lame huh). When they signaled to merge back into the right lane, I flashed my headlights to help them out. To my surprise, the trucker flashed his tail lights at me, to say thank you of course. I felt like I was in a special club or something. Although that's not exactly a noteworthy club.

After getting through LA, we drove up to San Luis Obispo and took an hour long nap. Then we grabbed some more coffee and I finished off the trip by driving the remaining 3 hours to San Jose. My own bed never felt so good.

In conclusion, our trip was successful. We made it back to San Jose without an car trouble, major setbacks, or other problems. I'm still recovering, but it was fun. Thanks for following along.

Road Trip: Day 4

2006-12-19T21:17:00.000-08:00

(9:17pm PST)
I’m now sitting in a comfortable hotel in El Paso, Texas surfing the web. My dad and I drove over 800 miles today from Shreveport, Louisiana to El Paso, Texas. At a cool 60 miles per hour in our rental truck, that translates to almost 14 hours of actual driving time, not counting stops to relieve ourselves and get some more food and coffee. We are ahead of schedule and I think we may get back to San Jose in 4 days instead of 5. We’ll see I guess.

Texas is a huge state. We spent the whole day driving and there were only oil wells and scrub brush as far as the eye could see. It also rained all day today. We drove right through a major storm system that was moving east. It poured for hours at a time and there was lightning occasionally. It seemed that every time we got into some heavy rain I was driving the truck. When my dad drove, the weather was pleasant and we didn’t encounter any nasty rain. Oh, well. Our plan is to get to the border of Arizona and California tomorrow. I think we may even get farther than that if we can keep that same pace we had today. I’m going to take a hot shower and go to bed. Good night.

Road Trip: Day 3

2006-12-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

(12:42pm PST)
We are just about to cross the Alabama/Mississippi border, Ya’ll! After getting started this morning at 8:30am Eastern Time, we have driven almost 400 miles. We gained an extra hour of time when we crossed into the Central Time Zone. We expect to make it to Shreveport, Louisiana tonight. I haven’t acquired a southern accent yet, but its on the tip of my tongue. Well, more to come tonight.

(2:48pm PST)
I just finished watching the movie Unbreakable in the truck. I brought my computer and I let my mind take a vacation while my dad drove us across the state of Mississippi. Its just about dark here and we are going to switch drivers here soon. I’m gonna need a good cup of truck-stop coffee to gag me awake. I am going to keep writing updates as we travel since I brought my computer. My next update will be from Louisiana. That’s all from Mississippi, ya’ll.

(2:52pm PST)
Oh, I almost forgot. This trip has given me the opportunity to think about stuff and clear my head. Thus, I’ve discovered a new passion of mine: southern sweet tea. That right, this beverage is amazing and I’d recommend driving to Georgia just for the sweet tea. Its worth it.

(8:29pm PST)
Its 10:30pm here in Shreveport, Louisiana. We made our goal and we are tired. I drove the last 150 miles to arrive here and I think my dad and I are going to go to bed soon so we can get up at 5:00am and get on the road by 6:00am. We’re hoping to get all the way across Texas tomorrow. Its weird because we went across Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana today and tomorrow we are going to spend the same amount of time going across most of Texas. Anyway, I’m going to bed, I’m tired. Oh, the hotel we are staying at does not have internet access so I’ll have to upload this tomorrow (I know what you’re thinking, “What! No internet! How can that be!”). Apparently, there is no internet in Louisiana. Luckily, tomorrow we’ll be in Texas. I here they have the internet there.

Road Trip: Day 2

2006-12-17T21:54:00.000-08:00

(9:48pm PST)
Today is finally over. I thank God I’m still alive after all the work we did today. I’d like to say that this was the hardest day of our trip, but I don’t want to speak too soon. We packed up the rental truck with stuff from 9:00am – 10:30pm (with breaks for lunch and dinner of course). Then, to top it all off, we hooked up the trailer which we will be hauling my Mom-mom and Pop-pop’s Ford Crown Victoria on. Let’s just say, the truck moaned and groaned a lot when we pulled out of the apartment complex to drive over to our hotel tonight. We finally finished getting everything set up at about 12:30am. What a day. I’m going to bed because we are going to try driving 700 miles tomorrow and hopefully make it all the way to Shreveport, LA. I know, crazy eh. Well, more to come tomorrow.

Road Trip: Day 1

2006-12-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

(1:46pm PST)
Today is a travel day. My parents and I left the Bay Area at 9:00am this morning. Our flight made a connection in Denver Colorado. I got the window seat and I must say, the Rocky Mountains are one of the most beautiful things God created. The snow looked like powered sugar on the mountain tops as we sailed thousands of feet above the Rockies. It was a brisk 30 degrees in Denver, but luckily we didn’t have to leave the airport terminal.

Our plane left Denver and we headed to Atlanta Georgia at about 1:30pm Mountain Time. Currently, I am cruising at 563 mph at 39, 777 ft. in a Frontier Airlines A319 Airbus. Not that this information is important at all, but there is a cool flat-panel screen on the back of every seat that shows a live map with a little plane showing where we are right now. As a matter of fact, we are right over top of Wichita, Kansas right now. I’m excited, how about you?

(2:12pm PST)
I broke two records today. Are you ready? I traveled at 650 miles per hour in an airplane today and flew at over 40,000 feet. Crazy huh. I think it’s amazing that I am moving at over 600 mph and I feel the same and as when I sitting still. By the way, I’m fascinated with Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (just ask Jon Renfro). By the way, Little Rock, Arkansas is coming up on the right. That’s all for now.

(8:15pm PST)
Its 11:15pm here is Perry, Georgia. We just arrive about 30 minutes ago and spent some time at my Mom-mom and Pop-pop’s apartment before we checked into the hotel. Just to back-track a little bit, we landed in Atlanta, GA at about 6:30pm local time. We then got out rental car and headed for Perry, GA where my Mom-mom and Pop-pop live.

Ok, funny story about the rental car situation. If you know my mom at all, she can get a little worked up about things when you throw her a curveball. My dad and I are only going to be here for one day until we leave with the rental truck, so my mom is going to fly back with my grandparents and take the rental car back. Since my dad didn’t want to pay the extra money to add another driver to the rental contract, my mom was the only one who could drive the rental car. The twist comes because the rental company did not have anymore full-sized cars at the cheaper rates, so the rental company bumped us up to a luxury car. My mom is now the proud renter of a brand new Chrysler 300 and she is driving at night on highways she is unfamiliar with. Fourth of July came early this year because there were fireworks as we navigated through central Georgia.

Tomorrow we’ll load up the truck and get everything prepared for departure. We have a 16 foot truck and a trailer that we will tow my Mom-mom and Pop-pop’s Crown Victoria on. Should be fun.

Oh, I almost forgot. My palm-pilot was stolen on the airplane today. I'm sad, but not because of the Palm-pilot. The Palm was a six year old model and I got it for free from a friend of my dad. I didn't use it very much. But, what really kills me is that I had a very sentimental token in the leather case of the palm-pilot. Greg Marcelo gave me some money from Puru when he went on a missions trip there a few years ago. That bill from Puru was very meaningful to me and now its gone. Well, I guess there's more to life than Palm-pilots and money. Life goes on.

Life

2006-12-12T23:29:00.000-08:00

My life is crazy right now. I'm almost done with finals at school and I've got tons of work to do for my new job. More posts to come, I promise.

Also, as of Saturday, I'll be taking a road trip from Georgia to California in an effort to move my mom-mom and pop-pop to San Jose. My dad and I will be driving a rental truck across the country. I'm going to use this blog to post a trip journal. Should be fun.

Day Three in Minnesota

2006-11-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

From Sunday

It wasn't as cold today. The temperature was about 35 degrees. What great weather!

This morning, we went to church with my family to Faith Church. It is the Evangelical Free Church in Wahpeton, North Dakota. I enjoyed it a lot.

Next, we went to lunch with my grandparents, my cousins, and my aunt Jan. Then, we packed up and met my parents in Fergus Falls, Minnesota to drive down to Minneapolis to catch our plane. We left Minneapolis at about 9:00pm local time and arrived in San Francisco at about 11:20pm local time.

I enjoyed our trip. I don't know what it is, but I still feel like Minnesota is home. I have some weird connection there and I love being there. Call me crazy, but Minnesota is one of my favorite places.

Day Two in Minnesota

2006-11-13T19:37:00.000-08:00

Again, I wrote this a few days ago.

Well, I’m on the road right now between Fargo, North Dakota and Wahpeton, North Dakota. We had a very busy day. Here’s how it went:

1. We left my aunt and uncle’s farm in Northern Minnesota in the morning to go to Grand Forks, North Dakota to go to my cousin’s college football game. He plays fullback for the University of North Dakota.

2. We watched my cousin Trent play his football game that afternoon. We made big poster-board signs that read, “TC=TD” and “Trent, you’re my hero!” (his full name is Trent Christensen for those that didn’t make the connection that TC was his initials.) He loved the signs and they made his teammates laugh.

3. We then went out to dinner at The Royal Fork restaurant in Grand Forks, ND. It is kinda like Fresh Choice in San Jose.

4. Now, we’re on the way to my other aunt and uncle’s house in Wahpeton, ND.

I must say, I love Minnesota and North Dakota. Some of my favorite people live here. It’s interesting to hear people out in Minnesota say, “The weather’s not too bad right now; it’s only 20 degrees outside.” I hear the same thing in San Jose, just with a 50 degree difference in temp.

I love hanging out with my cousins. We have such a great time together. We only see each other once a year, but we pick up right where we left off. We laugh and hang out and I have such a great time with them.

That’s about it for today.

Day One in Minnesota

2006-11-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

I wrote this post a few days ago while I was in Minnesota. I couldn't get internet access, so here it is.

Today, I arrived in Minneapolis, MN at 6:00am. My sister Ruth and my brother Brad and I took the red eye flight from San Francisco last night. My parents picked us up at the airport because they were already here. We immediately drove south to Rochester, MN to visit my grandmother in Mayo Clinic. She was hospitalized again because she developed an infection in addition to her disease. But, this morning right as we arrived at the hospital the doctors came into her room to talk to her. What they said was amazing.

They told her that after all the tests they have done on her, the disease she had somehow practically disappeared. They told her that it hadn’t spread to any other parts of her body and that it is pretty much gone! They will be taking her off the medication she was on, which was making her very sick. This is a huge answer to prayer. Praise God.

I’ll never forget the look on my grandmother’s face when I walked into her hospital room today. She had been worried that she would never see us again. This disease had caused her to question whether she would even be around to see us this weekend. When the doctors told her that the disease had been halted and we showed up to see her, she couldn’t contain her joy. I practically burst into tears when I saw the pure joy on her face. She reached out frantically to give me a hug and I embraced her praising God that I got to see her. Today was huge for her because the news about the disease subsiding gave her hope about the future. She was talking about being able to see Greg’s graduation and the rest of her grandchildren get married, etc. I can’t explain how emotional this morning was.

So, I’m on the road right now on the way to meet my auntie Konnie, my uncle Kent, and my cousins Trent and Trevor for dinner in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I’ll publish this as soon as I can get internet access. Stay tuned for day 2.

mewithoutyou

2006-11-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

I must say, these guys are awesome. I appreciate their creativity and I love the lyrics in their songs. In the song "The Dryness & The Rain" from their new album Brother, Sister there is a line in particular that I loved. It goes something like this:

"The fish swims in the sea, while the sea is in a certain sense contained within the fish. Oh, what am I to think what the writing of a thousand lifetimes could not explain if all the forests' trees were pens and all the oceans ink."

This is so beautiful.

Amazingly, I was talking to my dad about this particular lyric when he told me that he had already heard that in a song. He went on the sing to me an old hymn entitled "The Love of God". The third verse goes like this:

"Could we with ink the oceans fill and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill and every man on earth a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above would drain the oceans dry, nor could the scroll contain the whole though stretched from sky to sky."

Amazing!

May I quote Solomon: "There is nothing new under the sun!"

I then thought for a while about how the previous generations had similar metaphors and imagery to communicate the nature of God but in a different style. Today, our generation appreciates the same beauty, just in a different style. Interesting.

Also, I love the last track "In a Sweater Poorly Knit". Its like a dream.

David Sedaris

2006-10-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

I was in Santa Cruz last night hanging out with a couple friends. We went into Book Shop Santa Cruz in downtown and I picked up David Sedaris' book Me Talk Pretty One Day. So far, its quite funny. I've read the first two short stories and his stories are pretty fun to read. I decided that I need to read some books just for my own enjoyment. I've been reading a lot of dense theology books and books about church and such, not to mention text books for school (not that I don't enjoy these books, except the text books). This should give my brain some relief.

David Sedaris:
Also, last night we went into a couple guitar shops and music stores. My favorite was a small record store just off of Pacific Ave. I bought U2's album WAR on LP. It sounds amazing on my turntable.

Plans

2006-10-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

I know this album came out a while ago, but I just listened to it in detail. Death Cab For Cutie's album Plans is amazing; particularly, the song "What Sarah Said". It seriously made me cry.

My grandmother was just in the hospital for about a week because she was diagnosed with a crazy disease that killed her kidneys. She is much better now and is home from the hospital, but I still remember the feeling when I heard that her life might be in danger. I got home from church on Sunday two weeks ago and my dad told me that her condition had worsened. He told me he wanted me to talk to her on the phone (implying that it may be the last time I talk to my grandma). It was all I could do not to cry while talking to her. Memories began coming to mind of summers spent at my grandparents' lake cabin. I remembered her kind smile as she called me in from the lake shore for dinner. I used to sit next to her in the car every chance I could get when I was young. She is such a comforting person. The thought of never being able to say, "I love you, grandma" choked me. Talking to her for those few minutes that day was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I can only imagine how hard things must be for my grandfather. This song is my way to understanding how he might feel.

I thanks God that she is doing better. I'm going out to Minnesota in a few weeks to visit her.