But, I read this about his mythical athletic prowess, and it is of course laughable. Many North Koreans cite these stats!  Certainly it is impossible to know if they truly believe his monikers are accurate – “Best Leader Who Realized Human Wisdom,” “Master of Literature, Arts, and Architecture,” “Humankind’s Greatest Musical Genius,” “World’s Greatest Writer,” and “Greatest Man Who Ever Lived.” – or they were just coerced.  Few really know, as informational transfer is so restricted.

We at least know that the Humankind’s Greatest Musical Genius is wrong.  Nickleback gets that one.

No?  Who then, Creed?

Sorry, back on track here… It is so easy to look into another culture and see how they misconstrue reality…how they miss the point.  It made me stop and reflect a bit about how we do the same.  Things that seem self-evident to us can be very easily seen through by others.  Cultural nuances that we are blind to.  It makes me want to be very deeply rooted and carefully reflective.  It makes me want to be sure that I am among people who will help me to make sure I see myself and the world the way that God would have me.

Sure, I would never say I shot 5 (or 11) holes in one in a single day.  But what other lies might I be very willing to tell myself? Makes me think of a Proverb that says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”  

Let’s pray, for the sake of the South Korean people, that Kim Jong Un will do better.

A bully in middle school taught me why.

There was a kid who lived near me (I won’t name a name as I am always surprised to see who reads this)  who loved to mess with me.  It kind of became his thing.  I was a small kid with… ladies prepare yourselves…  a bad haircut, bifocals, braces with headgear…  That’s right.  Add to that an almost complete lack of coordination, and a very smart mouth that often moved a bit faster than my brain.

Needless to say, I talked myself into a lot of situations.

This guy, who was much bigger, decided I would be his bullying muse for the year.  I tried to fight back – verbally, physically. I tried being nice.  Nothing would work.

Then I decided to simply render his insults irrelevant.  He would make a comment and I’d say “not bad.”  He would shove me when he walked by and I would say “nice form.”  The first thing that did is it calmed me down.  The next thing it did was it removed the audience he loved to get by messing with me.

I took his audience away.

In Proverbs 16 we are told that a wise persons’s heart makes their speech wise and more persuasive.  I have learned over the years to tame my mouth -most of the time.  Sometimes that means overlooking a wrong, other times to speak against it.  Both of those pieces of wisdom are given to us in Proverbs and both are right.

But I think of this response as neither overlooking or speaking against.

I think Proverbs 26.4,5 shares the tension we walk in…

4 When arguing with fools, don’t answer their foolish arguments, or you will become as foolish as they are. 5 When arguing with fools, be sure to answer their foolish arguments, or they will become wise in their own estimation.

Both are true.  When you understand the proverbial wisdom nature of, well, Proverbs, then you see these aren’t in contradiction. They are both right.  Wisdom therefore, needs to guide us into which one we invoke.  I think, today, verse four.

People have tried for years to speak wisdom and truth into these folks’ lives.  I tried when they last came to Tech.  I spoke with Shirley Phelps-Roper, unsurprisingly to no avail.  They want the audience, they are somehow energized by the counter-protests.  Their revenue stream is dependent on getting big numbers of web-hits, drawing big crowds.   So, now, like my middle school bully, let’s move past them.

Let them come.

Ignore them.

With the prayer-filled hope that they will just fade away.

Here is the story from Tamara Gignac of the Calgary Herald.  Please know, it isn’t the heart of what Paul Ade is doing that is the problem as much as the cheese factor of the naming.

CALGARY — Tiny ghosts and goblins hoping for sugary snacks may find something odd in their loot bags this Halloween: a bible.

A Calgary pastor is promoting Jesus Ween, a faith-based alternative to the traditional holiday fare of candy and spooky garb.

Instead of chocolate bars and gummy bears, he’s asking people to shun demonic costumes and instead dole out pocket-sized bibles or other “Christian gifts.”

The idea has caught on in communities across North America, according to Jesus Ween creator Paul Ade. He’s hoping it will bring a new perspective to an otherwise pagan festival, he said.

“I do not associate myself with ghosts, demons, Satan and witches. These are things I want to get rid of,” he said.

“If it’s OK for a child to know about demons, it should also be OK for a child to know about Jesus.”

Jesus Ween has attracted international attention, with media reports circulating as far away as Britain.

The Calgary man’s efforts to reinvent Halloween even prompted parody south of the border, with recent gags from U.S. pop culture satirist Stephen Colbert and late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel.

Ade admits he was surprised by some of the negative reaction from the media, but insists he doesn’t take the criticism personally. “I can take a joke. I can laugh. This is not about saying, ‘Jesus for everybody and nothing else,’” he said.

As of Thursday, Jesus Ween had more than 4,000 supporters on Facebook. Fans of the movement have erected billboards in Toronto and some people have put bumper stickers on vehicles.

The pastor has 200 “kid-friendly” bibles ready to distribute to Calgary children on Monday. “I don’t think we’re ruining anybody’s fun. Getting a bible is not getting a bomb. It’s nothing really bad,” Ade said.

But some local Christians say they see nothing pious about Jesus Ween and wonder why the anti-Halloween movement has attracted followers at all.

The insertion of Jesus into a harmless holiday reserved for treats and spooky pumpkins is a turnoff, argues John Van Sloten, the pastor of New Hope Church.

“I think it’s awful. It feeds into the stereotype that to be a person who follows Christ is to be against everything outside of the church,” said Van Sloten.

“I’m kind of appalled by someone doing this.”

Paul Verhoef, a Christian chaplain at the University of Calgary, isn’t a fan of the idea either. If people feel compelled to put a religious twist on the day, he’d rather they perform simple acts of kindness on Oct. 31.

For instance, students at the university are dressing up in costume and asking for food donations to give to the Interfaith Foodbank, an event dubbed Trick or Eat.

“If you want to respond to Halloween in a way that says, ‘Let’s live our lives more deeply in a particular faith,’ Jesus Ween seems on the lower end of a thousand possibilities,” said Verhoef.

Nevertheless, Ade says he has the support of much of the city’s evangelical community, to say nothing of the scores of supporters in other parts of Canada and the United States.

He’s optimistic Oct. 31 will soon be associated with Jesus, not bloody zombies and evil spirits. “Those that love the idea have not been as vocal as those who don’t,” he said. “Most of the Christian pastors we’ve talked to personally believe this is a great deal.”

Like many holidays celebrated in North America, Halloween — which means All Hallows Eve — has both pagan and Christian roots.

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

They would be right.  My last posts were in the buildup to my sabbatical in May.  It does beg the question, how has the cyber-world managed without having me dropping quality content a couple of times a week?  :)  

I’m back.  And I have been reflecting on my reflecting.

Last February marked the start of my 15th year with [nlcf].  Last April I turned 40.  Last August, Emma, our youngest started at Blacksburg Middle School and our oldest, Noah, started High School.   In September I developed my first knee issue.

Many things that remind me that I am getting older.  Don’t get me wrong, overall I like getting older.  I like the wisdom that God is giving me as I walk through life.  I love the experiences that I am acquiring, love seeing our kids get older and take on new challenges, inlcuding the always overlooked middle child, Seth (I should know, I was a middle too). If I have to grow older, God has given me the greatest woman that I could ever hope for to grow old with.  

But, it begs the question, if 15 years, likely 1/3 of my work life is already in the books, is there anything that God would like to say that I haven’t been willing to hear, able to hear, ready to hear?  In Romans, Paul was led by God to write a very simple statement that is quite a bit more complex to live out than it seems.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Rom 12.2

Seems fairly straightforward, no?  But that was just my question to God.  Am I being more conformed to the pattern of this world, or more conformed to the pattern of the kingdom of God?  It would seem the difference would be obvious, but it isn’t, at least not to me.

• Has my effort to build God’s kingdom actually been about building mine?
• Has my focus on what God is calling me to do actually become a way to tune him out?
• Has the fact that for the past 15 years my walk with God and my job have been so intertwined made it so that my relationship with God is less about God and more about my job?
• And if I don’t have this to do full time, what will it be like for me at home?  Will the kids want me there, Tracy?

I really wasn’t sure about any of these things.  But I knew God was walking me into a time where he could bring much or all of that into clarity.  Sometimes its great to get answers, and other times, the scariest thing God could do is give us a strait-forward answer to our question.  

Over the next few weeks I’ll share some of the thoughts I came across.  I don’t claim that they will all help anyone else.  My hope is that they will, but the main purpose of this is to reflect on my reflection.

Peace, Jim

And I rarely think they are funny enough to make me actually laugh.  The Most Interesting Man in the World, and Chuck Norris jokes notwithstanding.

But ever since I found the site anti-joke.com, I have been laughing every time I go to it.

My favorite so far.

Three blind mice walk into a pub.  They are all unaware of their surroundings, so to derive humor from it would be exploitative.

Like I said, no purpose.  But it made me laugh on a cold and dreary day.

Peace, Jim

One thing that I am using to go through this season is a book that I also mentioned yesterday.  It is called Prayers Plainly Spoken by Stanley Hauerwas. I will be reading these prayers, in addition to scripture, and reflecting on them throughout the day.

I want to share something that he wrote on the book-flap.

If anything, these prayers are plain.  They are so because I discovered I could not pray differently than I speak.  In other words, I thought it would be a mistake to try to assume a different identity when I prayed.  I figured… that God could take it, because God did not need to be protected.  I think I leaned this over the years by praying the Psalms in church. God does not want us to come to the altar differently from how we live the rest of our lives.  Therefore I do not try to be pious or use pious language in these prayers.  I try to speak plainly, yet I hope with some eloquence, since nothing is more eloquent than simplicity.”  Stanley Hauerwas

Here is today’s prayer…

LORD ALMIGHTY,  we say we want to serve you, we saw we want to help others less fortunate than ourselves, we say we want justice.  but the truth is, we want power and status because we so desperately need to be loved.  Free us from our self-fascination and the anxious activity it breeds, so that we might be what we say we want to be — loved by you and thus capable of unselfish service. AMEN.”  Stanley Hauerwas

One thing that I am using to go through this season is a book that I also mentioned yesterday.  It is called Prayers Plainly Spoken by Stanley Hauerwas. I will be reading these prayers, in addition to scripture, and reflecting on them throughout the day.

I want to share something that he wrote on the book-flap.

If anything, these prayers are plain.  They are so because I discovered I could not pray differently than I speak.  In other words, I thought it would be a mistake to try to assume a different identity when I prayed.  I figured… that God could take it, because God did not need to be protected.  I think I leaned this over the yearsby praying the Psalms in church. God does not want us to come to the altar differently from how we live therest of our lives.  Therefore I do not try to be pious or use pious language in these prayers.  I try to speak plainly, yet I hope with some eloquence, since nothing is more eloquent than simplicity.”  Stanley Hauerwas

So, I pray this prayer is an encouragement to you to reflect on today.

Peace, Jim

“Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of prayer.  What an extraordinary thing that we can pray to you, unburden ourselves before you, place our cares, woes and joys before you.  I confess I find praying an awkward business.  I keep thinking, Who am I to pray?  But I know that to be false humility, hiding my prideful desire to be my own creator.  So we pray a prayer of joy in prayer, asking that we become your prayers for one another. AMEN.”

Over the years I have come to understand the whole deal a bit better.  I have come to understand the 40-day period of fasting, prayer, generosity and scripture reading as something that is much more robust than something that keeps us trim.  A period that was symbolically set at the 40 days prior to Easter after the period of time that Jesus was in the wilderness fasting and preparing for his earthly ministry to begin.  Simply put,and likely overly simply put, we take these days to reflect and consider what Christ did in his life, death and resurecttion.  We prepare our hearts for what needs to be the biggest day on a follow of Christ’s calendar, the day he phyically showed that even death wasn’t strong enough to hold him.  Even death has been overcome.

But I cannot think of the last time that I felt led by the Lord to give anything up for it.  I don’t belong to a denomination or group of churches that mandates engaging in this process.  So, while most years I would spend time to prepare for the resurrection of Jesus, I never fully engaged the season.  I just never sensed that God would telling me to and so I chose not to.

This year is different.  And I cannot fully tell you why.

I know some things that are likely part of it.  Last month marked my fifteenth year on staff with [nlcf], and in a few weeks I will turn forty.  Both are things that draw you to a reflective place. (And that make you feel old!)  Also, for three months this summer our church’s board has approved my taking a sabbatical to rest/reflect and also to write.  Again, something that begs a period of self-consideration.

The questions I am asking myself right now are:

• Are my external and internal realities in agreement?
• Am I allowing Christ to shape my soul into whatever he wants as opposed to my trying to use him to get what I want?
• As I look back over the years, are there consistent fears, wounds, or areas of rebellion that I refuse to let the Spirit work on with me?
• Am I truly living my life in light of the simple but incredibly difficult challenge of the Beatitudes that Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount?
• As anyone whose gifts are demonstrated publicly or that is a part of the authority structure of the body should, I ask, am I humble enough, faith filled enough and in love with Christ as I would want anyone I know to be?
• Am I living a life that demonstrates what I am very aware of; that God’s kingdom on earth is real, I have experienced it first-hand and that I am called to simply be a witness to that fact?

There are plenty of others, but those give me enough trouble for now!

Hence… my celebration of the season of Lent.  You in?

Over the course of Lent I am going to be posting a some prayers from a book that a good friend of mine, John Chandler, recently gave me.  It was written by Stanley Hauerwas and titled, Prayers Simply Spoken.  John will no doubt be almost as excited to be tagged in my post as he was when his alma mater UNC beat Duke for the ACC Championship a few days ago! Or, maybe not quite…

But back to Hauerwas… I have found that when I am trying to reflect, that having something to help guide me (either the entire time or just at first) is a very helpful thing.  So, I will be posting simple prayers of his and if you would like, you can take them as I do, and cut and paste them into your calendar – or, if you are quaint enough to still use paper, then you can write it out – and then reflect on them throughout your day.

Either way, tomorrow it begins.  Come on Lent… Bring it!

Peace, Jim

Assayas: I think I am beginning to understand religion because I have started acting and thinking like a father. What do you make of that?
Bono: Yes, I think that’s normal. It’s a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma.

Assayas: I haven’t heard you talk about that.
Bono I really believe we’ve moved out of the realm of Karma into one of Grace.

Assayas: Well, that doesn’t make it clearer for me.
Bono: You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics; in physical laws every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It’s clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I’m absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that “as you reap, so you will sow” stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff.

Assayas: I’d be interested to hear that.
Bono: That’s between me and God. But I’d be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I’d be in deep s—. It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out for Grace. I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity.

Assayas: The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that.
Bono: But I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says: Look, you cretins, there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness, and there’s a mortality as part of your very sinful nature, and, let’s face it, you’re not living a very good life, are you? There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That’s the point. It should keep us humbled . It’s not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.

Assayas: That’s a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it’s close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has his rank among the world’s great thinkers. But Son of God, isn’t that farfetched?
Bono: No, it’s not farfetched to me. Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn’t allow you that. He doesn’t let you off that hook. Christ says: No. I’m not saying I’m a teacher, don’t call me teacher. I’m not saying I’m a prophet. I’m saying: “I’m the Messiah.” I’m saying: “I am God incarnate.” And people say: No, no, please, just be a prophet. A prophet, we can take. You’re a bit eccentric. We’ve had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey, we can handle that. But don’t mention the “M” word! Because, you know, we’re gonna have to crucify you. And he goes: No, no. I know you’re expecting me to come back with an army, and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah. At this point, everyone starts staring at their shoes, and says: Oh, my God, he’s gonna keep saying this. So what you’re left with is: either Christ was who He said He was the Messiah or a complete nutcase. I mean, we’re talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson. This man was like some of the people we’ve been talking about earlier. This man was strapping himself to a bomb, and had “King of the Jews” on his head, and, as they were putting him up on the Cross, was going: OK, martyrdom, here we go. Bring on the pain! I can take it. I’m not joking here. The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me, that’s farfetched Bono later says it all comes down to how we regard Jesus:

Bono: [I]f only we could be a bit more like Him, the world would be transformed. When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my s— and everybody else’s. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was He just a religious nut? And there it is, and that’s the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it.

From Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas, by Michka Assayas

He may deny it, sure it might be an inconvenient truth to him.  But we know.  We know.

Enjoy this useless but still awesome post.

Peace, Jim