Saturday, December 30, 2006

set theory 301


Andrew Jones, the Tall Skinny Kiwi, has done it again. If you need to get up to speed on "set theory," start at this click. If not, check this out:

"THE FOOTWASHING CHANGED THE MAKEUP OF THE GROUP. THE TEAM OF TWELVE DISCIPLES WAS NOW A DIVIDED GROUP COMPRISING ELEVEN FEET AND ONE HEEL. IT WAS AGGREGATED BY JESUS NOW AS DIRECTIONAL RATHER THAN CATEGORICAL, 'CENTERED,
RATHER THAN 'BOUNDED,' GROUPED BY THEIR COMMON COMMITMENT TO THE IDEOLOGICAL CENTER RATHER THAN DELINEATED BY THE BOUNDARY LINE OF 'MEMBER' OR NON-MEMBER.'


HIRSCH AND FROST FIND THESE CONCEPTS OF 'BOUNDED' AND 'CENTERED'(TAKEN FROM MISSIOLOGIST PAUL HIEBERT) INSTRUMENTAL IN DESCRI BING MINISTRY IN THE EMERGING-MISSIONAL CHURCH. IT IS THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CENTERED SET RATHER THAN THE BOUNDED ('WELLS' RATHER THAN 'FENCES') WHICH ALLOWS FOR MASSIVE
DIVERSITY AND FOR A DEEPER UNDERLYING UNITY BASED ON JESUS. THIS IS ALSO HELPFUL IN UNDERSTANDING THE REJECTION OF THE JEWS THAT PRECEDED THE MiSSION TO THE
GENTILES. THE JEWISH NATION (A CULTURALLY BOUNDED SET)HAS REJECTED THE GOSPEL OF JESUS, BUT THE JEWS (AN IDEOLOGICALLY CENTERED SET) HAVE BECOME DIVIDED BETWEEN THOSE WHO HAVE REJECTED AND THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS. LUKEMAKES IT CLEAR, IN THIS PASSAGE, AND THOSE THAT FOLLOW, THAT WHEREVER THERE IS REJECTION, THERE ARE ALSO JEWS WHO RECEIVE THE MESSAGE GLADLY AND BECOME
FOLLOWERS OF JESUS.

AT THE FOOTWASHING, JESUS SAID TO PETER, 'IF I DO
NOT WASH YOU, YOU HAVE NO PART WITH ME'(JOHN 13: .TO SHARE IN THE LIFE AND MISSION OF JESUS IS TO REPRESENT HIM AS AMBASSADORS. 'WHOEVER ACCEPTS THE ONE I
SEND, ACCEPTS ME, AND WHOEVER ACCEPTS ME ACCEPTS THE ONE WHO SENT ME'(JOHN 13:20). PERHAPS THIS IS ANOTHER KIND OF GROUPING: A 'DISTRIBUTED SET,' AGGREGATED BY THOSE WHO PARTAKE IN THE MISSION OF CHRIST AND THOSE WHO REFUSE."

-ANDREW JONES, 'THE ELBOW OF ACTS'..PP 153-34 IN 'THE DUST OFF THEIR FEET' BY CHRIS SEAY

Sunday, December 17, 2006

But is it george harrison or keith richards at 2:22?

I have already blogged the lyric and some interpretation on the U2 song "Window in the Skies" song here)



but NOTHING has prepared us for the official video. ..
How many people can you name in it (and watch carefully, U2 ARE in it) "
If you need help, get in on the debate on who's who here

Have fun:

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Review: "Off-Road Disciplines"


"Dude...you have never heard of Earl Creps? He is amazing!," one of my mentors gushed in astonishment.

"Tell me more, o Master.."

"Well, for one, he speaks on all the same issues you do...you know, church and culture stuff. I think he even uses U2 clips like you do. Secondly, dude, he is YOUR AGE and a cool guy. I mean how many guys your age are cool?," he winked.

It turns out my mentor was right.

On all counts.

Again.

The catch is: this mentor of mine is younger (!) than me (and even younger than Earl Creps..turns out Earl is 53; I am a mere 47!). Mentor Kevin-- young, passionate church planter --is all of..34! What can I..seasoned and reasoned old man with a seminary master's degree; pastoring my third church (especially after becoming a bit famous and infamous in my second church), learn from such a young buck?

I have lost count of the ways.

But I didn't know what to call it (this process of learning from "the younger") until Earl Creps' new book, "Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders" hit. Of course, a title like that would've enticed me....as did the glowing blurbs by Leonard Sweet, Todd Hunter and Ed Stetzer (more cool guys "my age,") on the back cover...

...but my mentor's recommendation; that sold it.

It's "reverse mentoring."

One of the things I love about this book is, that in a non-cheesy way; eschewing the seduction of reduction(ism), Creps coins phrases that capture a category of reality that missional leaders must wrestle with: "sacred accidents," "situational geography," "tiempos mixtos" "orthodoxy creep" (no, it's not me!) . A key category throughout the book is "the sought,"
as alternative to what we have called "the lost." And the whole book is a huge and holy help in aiding old modern farts like me jack up their "get-it" factor regarding this "new species" of humanity that is the younger crowd: "homo postmodernus." (43)

Divided (united, actually) into six "personal disciplines" (personal transformation, sacred realism, "POV," reverse mentoring, and decreasing) and six "organizational disciplines (missional efficiency, blending differences, discernment, making room, surrendering and passing the baton), this book focuses on cultivating our being and identity; as opposed to knocking out "Twelve and a Half Easy Steps to a Porpoise-Driven, Seeker-Sensitive, Power-Point (I love Creps' three rules for his use of Power Point..but I beg you to buy the book to find them..on page 45) Sermon through Prayer and Bible Study.": Creps is not one to knock prayer and Bible study..in fact, this books builds on those foundational "on-road-disciplines," and suggests that only through complentary "off-road" disciplines will they be "bolstered" in a way that is (as our church calls it ) "engaged to Jeus and engaging culture".

Indeed, "The only answer is found off-road." (53)

My friend, who is head of a vital ministry that counsels those wanting out of sex addiction, often says that any given time, the client's chair in his office is occupied by a tired saint who has been told by well-meaning pastors and leaders, "Just pray and read the Bible....and if that doesn't work...try harder." Earl Creps understands that "trying harder" is just trying...and harder. Especially in these changing days, only off-road disciplines; worked creatively into our on-road "prayer and Bible study" adventure as missional leaders will bolster us.

So I will center this review around one of those disciplines; highlighted in
Chapter Four: "reverse mentoring; " as it is arguably central to the book; but definitely to my learning curve on the off-road adventure.

"Reverse mentoring," then, is---and nearly every word here is loaded and leaded---:

"A very specific form of friendship in which the junior instructs the senior, not as a replacement for other forms of mentoring but as an essential complement to them." (42)

To the painful point:


"Do I possess the humility to accept instruction from a nine-year old?" (51)

Wait, a 34-year old is one thing, Earl, but continue...

"Jesus said that things hidden from the wise have been revealed to 'little children' and that entering the Kingdom requires becoimg like them. How many times have I missed the Kingdom because I insisted on being the adult in the relationship?"

Uh, Ouch.

And oh, thanks.

It could be that our church is perhaps a bit ahead of the curve on this one. In a mode that
is hopefully more "postmodern-sensitive" and interactive than the old wineskin "children's sermon, we
desire to give prophetic place...even preference.. to children. They sometimes lead the way, as we "interview them" about their Godlife; or have them walk through a picture they have drawn during the worship service. (But then we are often offroad enough to occasionally have "adults" lose their adulthood and construct collages in a church meeting..Yes, I mean in "the" Sunday morning service ; and not "in place of" the sermon; but as the sermon. Go figure. Pictures, and story of that zaniness here).
So at this point, I felt encouraged that we have been doing something right. But on a related point, Creps nailed me. I repent. And tell this story:
Recently, a single dad in our fellowship; a new attender, brought a teenage daughter...maybe a "sought one," as Creps would have it. After the gathering, someone told me how glad they were that she ...a real live "homo postmodernus had come, but asked if I had noticed that throughout the service..even during the preached messsage, she was apparently text-messaging someone on her cell phone.
That's odd, I thought. I congratulated myself and this other saint that we had not fallen into an "old whineskin" response of judging her for "not paying attention (passively, as Jesus of course wants it) during the (holy)sermon/lecture" ...we just though it odd; but a sign of the times. And yes, a bit disrepectful.
I repent.
I just learned from my (elder) mentor, Earl Crepps, that I might just literally post in the back of the church for me to remember:
"If they are not texting, they are not listening."
!
That line was worth the price of the book; though it almost lost/cost me.
"As a result, when speaking to millenial audiences, I now request that they text at least one time during my presentaton, asking only that the message pertain to our subject in some way." (48)
Now, it may well be wishful /wistful thinking to assume that this young gal's text message was "Hey julie, i m visiting this kool chrch..its gr8..the pastor is way cool..4 his age..lol...."( or ideally, "jules..i am listening to a kool sermon on 4givness, & i realized i may have not 4given u...")and not: "hi julie..help..sos..my dad made me come 2 church..this sux.."
Creps elsewhere notes that in the seminary classes he teaches:
"I encourage every class particpant to be online at all times" (148)
!!
The author backs up that hardwon thesis with a moving and must-read story(183) , including transcript of an email that a student of his received from his son...during class..yes, related to the topic.
This sheds new light on the old-school teacher's sarcastic and shaming line upon "catching" someone passing a note in class: "Can that be shared with the whole class?"
Perhaps nowadays, the question is inflected with on-tiptoe hopefulness; and the expected answer is "Of course!"
How many of us--in a public place-- have been annoyed by overhearing someone's cell phone conversation; or having a stranger overhear..even comment on..our "private" cell phone conversation? Instead of griping about the evil postmodern shift that allows that..work at celebratiung and expoliting the good news of that irreversible shift.
Crepps gives account of learning this, from "reverse mentors," and, in a memorable vignette, in an airport.
I realized as I read, that though I have not made official what I recently did by default: allowing (even requiring?) text-messaging "in church. And I have already (even pre-Creps) made the leap to allowing (bordering on requiring) that cell phones be left ON during worship...because as I sometimes announce with a smile : "We might get a phone call from God; and we don't want to miss that!" (Ironically this paradigm shift happened in me after reading the exact same book (Doug Pagitt's challenging "Preaching Reimnagined") thjat Eral Creps was reading in the airport the day he received his wake-up/shake-up call regarding cell phone culture).
In God'subiquitous humor and eccentric economy, one Sunday, as I was "leading in prayer"; my cell phone rang. Actually, it vibrated (it was in my pre-enlightened days as a pre-postmodernie)..I only later played the message; it was my bank letting me know my account was in danger of being overdwawn! Glad I didn't take that call in church(:
Or perhaps it would have been a huge God-moment for the whole flock!
But more recently a first time attender apologized when his cell phone rang during announcement time. We were able to laugh and say "Well, actually that is not against the rules here..we actually encourage it.. Go ahead and get it; it might be a call from God. "
It was.

Shocked but relieved at our unorthodox but technology-freindly church ettiquette, he excused hismelf and took the call. As a result we were able to pray...as a group.. for this "sought one"'s father, as he was rushed into emergency surgery.
These lessons about technology shift all trace back to reverse mentoring. Crepps gives numerous accolades to younger folk from the emrging trible who have explained the culture (even "language") of newer technology. I guess my only regret about Crep's book is I would love to hear more on this. Im particular, because he is from a Pentecostal stream with openness to prophesy among the Body, what would he say about what I have called "open-source Wiki-church"? What would he say about our common mentor Bono, who has moved into pomo text-messaging?
I guess the other place I wanted more was to hear him say clearly what he has implied: ideally we shouldn't call it "reverse mentoring," as that still implies the "other way" (Top-down) is "forward" and thus the correct way. When I teach my class on cross-cultural communication for leaders, I love to start with: "Fill in the blank with the first thing that comes to your mind regrading these two questions: 'In England, they drive on the ____ side of the road.' and 'The direction of the Hebrew language script, compared to our English left-to-right flow, is ____."
You may have guessed that "wrong" is the wrong first answer; and "backwards" is the wrong second answer. Those choices still assume an ethnocentric, starting with-and compared to-me ethnocentrism/imperialism. In England, the left side is the right side. Hebrew language is forwards as it flows right to left.
These cultures do not see themselves as wrong and backwards.
I know Creps would agree..he speaks of "reciprocity" (51) and longs for the day when so-called reverse-mentoring will become normative and formative for Chrisleaders. Once, I stopped myself from introducing my young friend as "someone I am mentoring,"...or more appropriately, "someone who is mentoring me." I instead, with a quick grasp at the right words said "We have a symbiotic, mutual-mentoring thing going on."
---------------------
Needless to say, I love the book. No weaknesses to name so far; only the aforementioned places I wanted to hear more. Hey, I would love to know if he has taught on "bounded, centered and fuzzy sets,"( read more about them, and see some at this link) and I will do my best to talking him into including such in his next book.
A professor once taught me that a book...and thus a book review..is woefully incomplete and basically useless unless the reader can grab a baton and cite an "action point; " a lesson learned from the book that one is at least experimenting with; and at best incarnating and making pratical by taking it to heart, and to the streets...
Here's mine. Since our congregation is now meeting in a room next to the Babylon Nightclub (literally!), I might as well get real about touching the offroad real world!
Keep me accountable.
This is my action point. It's way off the beaten road for me; but a discipline I dare to believe is God-ordained for me.
And in the league and lineage of Ole Anthony's "Truths I Never Learned in Church, " it's something I never learned in seminary..
I vow to move towards doing some...most...okay, all??!!...my "sermon preparation" in a "secular arena."

Did I just lose my seminary degree? Or at least my salvation?
Actually, I went to a really cool seminary that might even amen this...especially certain professors.
Being an older, modernity-groomed Boomer; but one who passes much of the hilarious " You may be emerging if ..." test here; but still a 47 year old white guy with a wannabe goatee..making me an emerging church wannabe....
I have tended to view "sermon preparation" as something to be "done" in the prayer closet, ivory tower, pastor's study. I have baptized this idolatry with my Myers-Briggs introversion preference; and spiritualized it with sanction by all the right mentors (but not of the "reverse" tribe)..
In recent years, as an increasing number of my younger...or even "my age"... pastor friends have made the coffee shop a sermon-prep place; I have been befuddled. How do they do it? Are they just extroverts? Caffeine addicts? Multitaskers? And what about all thse interruptions..
..that are not interruptions at all!
When I grow up, I want

to be more like Earl Crepps:
"Over time, drinking coffee and writing sermons in the presence of the sought cultivated changes in my approach without ever involving a conscious decision....I blame Bob and Ran (his reverse mentors). Under the influence of their friendship, drinking coffee with the sought became almost sacramental., convincing me that (emphasis mine) sermons sbould be composed only among them. (69)

Only?
Earth to Earl!
Pastors study? Seminary library?
Dang, he's right. He's on Earth.
Excuse me, I think I am now on the way there; to St. Arbucks.
And on the way to an off-road way.
I will likely run into there...by way of 'sacred accident, " my trusted "reverse" mentor (the one who introduced me to Earl Creps material, thnk God..I think!).....and more importantly; the sought...
..who can and must mentor me as well.
I have recently been calling myself a "goatherder," that is, a pastor-type for non-Christians (pre-Christians? seekers? No, the beloved "sought". But so far the only sign this is my calling is to goats is my goatee (Earl's is cooler). The true sign is where I spend my time..and my preparation.
I need help and healing to be found "arranging my life so God gets the chance to take the initiative. This means spending time in places where God is very active,..'
How would you finish that quote; where is God particularly"very active"? I hope just as St. Earl does:
",,,in other words, among the sought whom God loves so much." (186)
So, here I go: goatee trimmed; computer in tow, and on my way to a latte..
To paraphrase Willie Nelson, "Off the road again..."
There I'll be able to tell my (reverse) mentor (who actually reverse-mentored me into getting a myspace...even before Earl Creps got one!)
"Dude, you were right...again.. this time about Earl Creps."
Who I trust would be glad if, though we gleaned from his book, forgot his name and fame; and got to the adventure of seeking the sought...
...which means I can end this review, with the same words and spirit that "Off Road Disciplines" (nearly! last paragraph) ends with; an evidence that I am finally as an old dude, getting missional; getting to the mission of the Great Commission:
"I'm outta here."

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

genuflection to academia and thus a theatre of morality


(The Church of Ireland) is so beholden to the Enlightenment, to the mores of modernity, and so in genuflection to academia, that the Church is suspicious of faith in any experiential sense, and has become a theatre of morality ...(15)

I think I understood grace instinctively before I did intellectually...A MOTHER'S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE--AGAPE-- leads to grace. Without it, religion would suffocate because it creates an impossible standard.. (18)..(I prefer) Christ's attempt to bring you out of religiosity to an impossible standared one can't reach without grace...Grace is the reason I have kids. Grace is the reaason I'm here (21)

Bono in "The God Factor" by Cathleen Falsani

Monday, December 11, 2006

All the Jesus clips in one place...enjoy

The response has been wonderful to the famous dubbed clips of old Jesus movies we have been showing for worship. I have posted some of these before; but because so many are asking, I'll post them all here.

(If I have to explain that these are satrical, have profound prophetic messages to the church, and folks shouldn't be offended by them, you are probably on the way wrong website):

The first are from www.vintage21.com, are are usually oranized by "Jesus Video 1", 2, 3 or 4 (these are all on one page on youtube here):

Jesus Video 1: Jesus doesn't have time for Peter

Jesus Video 2: Jesus gives rules for First Christian Church, and confronts a follower for missing prayer meeting for the Super Bowl:



Jesus video 3: Jesus tells all the disciples what they have recently done wrong:



Jesus Video 4: Jesus rides on a donkey, cleanses the temple,and steals money from Pharisees:




Here are the clips from Elevation Church; usually in a series called "Misconceptions of Jesus" (these are all on youtube here)

Misconceptions of Jesus 1: Jesus Club-Jesus Loves Righteous People:




Misconceptions of Jesus 2: Jesus Loves Red States:




Misconceptions of Jesus 3: Jesus Sells Insurance:

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Fitzcarraldo




If you don't know about

a)The Irish band The Frames, especially the masterpiece song "Fitzcarraldo"

b) The German director Warner Herzog, especially the masterpeice (? I haven't seen it...some call it that...some call it nuts) film "Fitzcarraldo"...

...Learn more about the amazing Frames at their Myspace site or YouTube Steve Stockman, Irish pastor and author of "Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2," interviews lead singer Glen Hansard here.


...Lear more about the film here. The Frames wrote the song about the character in the movie, who was so intent and obsessed with his dream to introduce Peruvian Indians to his passion (opera music!) that he did whatever it took to recah the remote tribe...including pulling a ship over a mountain (!!).

Well, lots of stuff will preach from the film: faithfulness to the vision, Quixotic quest or faithful to the call, etc. The irony is Herzog's crazy quest to complete the film was crazed and quixotic..so intense he says a Latin American priest (filmed on location) urged him to include prostitutes as part of the movie's production crew so the the male actors wouldn't go crazy in the jungle!!)

!

Back to the Frames song:

Hansard is very intruiging spiritually, he has Christian background and is God-hanuted, In one of my favorite chilling live versions of "Fitzcarraldo, " he strikes me as a great pastor. He introduces the song with "...because all of us sometimes feel like we're pulling ships up mountains..."


Check out the song...lyrics... a small audip sample here..keep seraching, or buy it..

Saturday, December 09, 2006

messianic software and apocalyptic fixes

"A song, an act of rebellion, a piece of messianic software: all kinds of weird and wonderful memes and metamememes are fighting for our imaginations, and pull us out of the apocalyptic fix we're in. So here's the question we're asking for 2007:

Can a global network of culture jammers and creatives--a tribe of fired-up meme-warriors launch a tsunami of cognitive dissonance to wake humanity up?"

-Adbusters, p. 8, Jan/Feb 2007
---------

I have not read a more articulate and loaded depiction of our cultural situation, and the church's challenge in the midst of it! I just wish the words were written by a Christian (they may well have been, but Adbusters is not a Christian magazine....though former editor of this magazine has now launched how own similar 'zine: Geez.com) to the church.

Either way, a word to the church!

See this post for more:

"GEEZ:adbusters, culture jamming, holy fools"

Friday, December 08, 2006

the Devil is God's Devil

the devil is God's devil..
excerpt from
this rant
just in time for my Christmas message, based on the classic Ray Van Der Laan "In the Shadow of Herod" video we'll show..
I occasionally enjoy playing devil's (uh, I should say "angel's") advocate when I preach and teach. I often ask a group "shock-value" questions as a wake-up and shake-up call to the necessity and validity of the vertiginous (yes, it's a word!) encounter; the test of temptation. In light of the fact that "sometimes we can't make it on our own, " and need to go with Jesus to hear, and experience, a challenging and dizzying "Sermon Way Up the Mount," disciples need to remember to remember that in those disequilibrating times when elevation gives birth to vertigo, let the Spirit be midwife, and what will mercifully be born again and again in you is untold freedom and hilarious strengthening. Here, then is the first question I might cast out: "How many ever pray the Lord's Prayer, including the line 'Lead us not into temptation?'"


And since all answers are a nodding "yes and amen," the subsequent question has earned a hearing: "Would, or could, GOD ever lead anyone, then, into temptation?; especially since we have been taught by Jesus Himself to pray it would never happen?" Since most have detected that, by my mischevious inflection and sly smile the expected right answer is "Of course!," it's an appropriate time to take holy advantage of the stunned to silence room and have them turn from their shock to either Matthew 4:1 or Luke 4:1. Either verse reads right on the lines that "God, the Holy Spirit" is without apology recognized; indicted as the Agent leading someone into a very real and literally demonic temptation. And just who that Someone is, is telling and is troublesome: "Then the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." Granted, and important to highlight: God does not do the tempting; the tempter is clearly the devil, but in God's stunning sovereignty, he has personally arranged the time and place of the temptation; He Himself has set the boundaries and parameters of the boxing ring; He himself is out in front ushering Jesus..and often us..right into a head-on . What in heaven's name and hell's court is going on?

THE DEVIL IS GOD'S DEVIL

"The devil is God's devil!," a much better theologian than me, but one also famous/infamous for "shock value sound bytes" quipped a few hundred years ago. By that biting byte, Martin Luther has not more than he could chew in hand..er, mouth. He meant simply that God is so supernaturally and sovereignly 'in charge' that he is even in charge of, Superintendent of; in fact he created, "Ol' Scratch."..Satan himself. Which is why the Spirit can risk, allow, even set-up our wilderness temptations with Satan. He can trust, that like Jesus, who "at the end of this satanic temptation, came out of the wilderness stronger and more full of the power of the Spirit, and more prepared to minister than ever, " (Luke 4:13-14). We who follow in the footsteps of Christ, even and especially when they lead to the devil's door, we pass the test! And the joke is on the dumb devil, Ol Scratch scratching his damned head as we..the eternally undamned and newly undammed…come out stronger in Spirit. And if Romans 8:28's al- inclusive sweeping claim that "God works all things together for good for those who love God, and are the called according to his purpose" is taken at face and faith value, that "all things" includes "all" all things, including satanic temptation, and Satan himself. With that Romans verse in mind, a more modern theologian, one who is in league with Luther (and U2) in that she was also earthy in a heavenly way, one tested and tempted in the evil vileness and extreme vertigo of Ravenbsruck concentration camp, one Corrie Ten Boom, offered this prescription, "When the devil sticks his gun of accusation or condemnation in your face, just stuff Romans 8:28 in the barrel of that gun, and turn things around by stuffing it back in his face."

THE MOST SHOCKING SCRIPTURES IN THE BOOK

Let's take the test. Only two possible answers for each question below: A)God or B)Devil. Choose only one each time. Sounds easy, so take the test, without looking up the accompanying Scriptures until you have turned in your exam. (Number two pencil only, please):

1.)Who sent an evil spirit to terrorize Saul? (1 Sam. 16:14; 18:10)
2.)Who sent a deceiving and lying spirit? (1 Kings 22:22)
3)Who authorizes satanic harassment of Job (Job 1:12)
4)Who can destroy both body and soul in hell? (Matthew 10:28)
5)Who sent a deceiving influence, so that wicked people are damned? (2 Thess. 2:11)

How did you do? Isn't it obvious that the only correct answer to each of the above is..God!?
Huh? Is that the good news or the bad news, you ask? Whose side are you on, anyway? Cool down, mama! Now you can look up the Scriptures, and triple check that I am not just making this up, or nuts. I think the lesson, though so much more should be said to be sure our theology is biblical and balanced, is: God is so sovereign that he uses..and even though we are not as comfortable as these Scriptures sometimes are in saying so, He is some sense "sends"…. evil, and wrings good purposes out of them. He is not evil, nor the author of evil; and does not enjoy our suffering and evil; he does not want AIDS, cancer, rape, slavery, etc…...but the devil is God's devil. God is either good and sovereign or not. These Scriptures, stretching and shocking as they are, actually steer us towards his radical "in charge-ness," He is ridiculously sovereign. The devil is active, but he is on a leash…a long one, granted..but God's grabbing the other end.
OK, four more questions. Ready? Of course not! Same two possible answers, God or the devil, for these below:


1)Who sees to it that a sinner is saved? (1 Cor. 5:5)
2)Who is the god of this world? (2 Cor 4:4)
3)Who helps keep Paul humble? (2 Cor, 12:7)
4)Who teaches Paul not to blaspheme? (1 Tim 1:20)

All done? You got an "A" of course, if every answer above is, as verified by the verses, .the devil! Don't get me wrong, the devil ain't good, but he works for God at the end of the day. Church folks don't get this. Bono gets it. As much as he hates, and campaigns against the devil's evil (and he and we should) …God uses evil. He wins. Satan is trumped and checkmated in the End. This is the full-orbed gospel.
Yes, these are the other shocking questions I love to ask at church gatherings. Did they work?

HOLY LINGERING OR LUNCH WITH THE DEVIL: THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

"This generation will be remembered for three things: the Internet, the war on terror, and how we let an entire continent go up in flames while we stood around with watering cans. Or not," Bono preached to evangelical congregations on his Africa awareness tour, hoping for crumbs from our generous spread and table. "Let me share with you a conviction," he often challenged a hushed church, " God is on his knees to the church on this one. God Almighty is on his knees to us, begging us to turn around the super tanker of indifference on the subject of AIDS."

He is right. Even though we can lean back on the lavish and wild sovereignty of God to work good out of evil, nowhere does that justify us doing nothing so that evil (temporarily) prevails because we know that it will (at the End) be vanquished. And there is enough evil and suffering in the world..and in us; we don't need to ask for any additional of either, even if we know they force us to grow....

DUELING DEMONIC DUALISM

C. S. Lewis, as previously mentioned, is such a lamppost...
Lewis was at his best at reminding us of eveything we should've known: there are not two gods, God and the devil, who have always existed and are opposites in the all-American "good guy, bad guy" scenario. This ridiculous theology, though, is often our default, unconscious understanding. Many evangelicals will actually suggest that the devil has always existed, and always been bad; forgetting that "Evil is only fallen good," and God made Lucifer; made him good; he simply chose to fall and attempt to claim God's throne.

That is Christianity; the "good and bad eternal opposite" jive is dualism, related to the hell of extreme Hellenism. But the radical monotheism of Christianity, by design is a one-God deal; and He so big that the buck stops with Him, meaning laments like "Jesus.. I know You're looking out for us..but "sometimes Your hands aren't free?" are doubts cased in honest faith, which can stand up in Gethsemane, Vertigo or hell-on-earth


"The Truth Isn't Sexy"

 The Truth Isn't Sexy
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But that's another blog post.

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Thursday, December 07, 2006

U2's Streets..over the years

I so often use these clips of U2's "Where The Streets Have No Name," that I decided to put 'em all in one convenient place...for my sake, and for those who've asked. It is many folk's vote for most chilling God-song. It flexes a bit each tour, but as the boys have said it is the one song that always "achieves liftoff" or "allows God to walk through the room."

Some of the versions available:


Shooting the video in downtown L.A. Typical madness on top of a liquor store, where the streets have names (7th and Main):


From Rattle n Hum movie:


Mexico City, 1997..starts with Bono on his knees in prayer...will he make his cue?:



Last night of POP Tour, 1997, Johannesburg:




New Years , Midnight, 1989/90:




Boston, 2001, braodcast live as halftime of NBA Playoffs! ..starts with a congregant's hand raised in worship, followed by Bono praying from Psalm 116: "What can I give back to God for the blessings that he has poured out on me? I'll lift high the cup of salvation. A toast to God.. I pray in the name of God, I'll complete what I promised God I'll do. And I'll do it together with his people." Bono completely lost in worship at 4:22 as he (as my son says) "starts flying":



Slane Csste, 2001: Wow.
Many have asked to see this clip below; having heard me teach on it. The set up:

How about this amazing live version of U2 doing "Where The Streets Have No Name" only days after Bono's father died ("It was his send-off")...so you have the

incredibly emotional prayer/death wail/tongues leading into outright worship-in/midst-of grief including an old-fashioned "glory run"...and that all in the first minute and half before the song "starts"! (read about this phenomenon in the aricle and comments here)....Then at the close of the song, "like the heavens have opened..Bono appears to be actually experiencing the beatific vision at stage right" (Beth Maynard,p.120, "Get Up Off Your Knees: Preaching the U2 Catalog")...."Note how the band behaves at curtain call moment at the end (p. 180)." What is drummer Larry looking at, Who is Bono applauding? Why can't guitarrist The Edge keep his eyes open? (from 5:01 till the end).Watch the clip already:

..>
(of course, U2 are no strangers to a theology of "death and Jesus"...click THIS for my teaching on all that)




Super Bowl, 2002 Halftime...What can be said? On the heels of 911, Pastor Bono is allowed to speak/prophesy over America...it's way better than that other famous Super Bowl halftime musical guest...no wardrobe malfunction, but a different Psalm prayed (twice) than usual: Psalm 51:5: "Oh Lord, open Thou my lips, that my mouth may show forth Thy praise." :

Chicago, 2005,,,starts w/spiritual warfare for Africa...connecting the principalities with US African connections:

Brazil, 2006: localizes the prayer to Latin American nations:

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Amen, Kev

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Jon Piper is bad

John Piper is bad:



Extended version with Piper commentary:

Dare you to climb...better yet, ride a Corolla..to the top of the Andes

I am missing Peru today.

Some of you reading this will know that ache by this time next year.

Someday (manana) I will figure out how to transfer some digital photos from my movie camera; but in the meantime this page will be full of borrowed and stolen photos.

But today I get to fill the ache, and God-shaped hole..with a few pix and links to sign up a few of you for that ache. Come with us next year.

How did I ever wind up here (third from left below, next to Jesus...uh, Pastor Jesus) on top of the Andes, where many gringos croak due to lack of oxygen?:

I mean, the view from 17,000 feet from the lake at Mt Huaytapallana is fabulous, as you can see ..





...But to find out how I got coaxed up there (not knowing we would watch some of these glaciers suddenly melt into avalanches before our eyes...uh, due to prayer!?) is another story (read it and weep here)...

I mean the trip from Lima to Hunacayo was "interesting" enough..
Only 120 miles..but there is a reason it can take 8 hours! Read about that wild ride here (see the section delicately titled "Elevated Vetigo makes me sick") and catch a view or three of it below..




The bus route passes and parallels (as if that word ever applies to these winding roads!) the highest railroad bridge in the world ..







But it's worth it to arrive at our beautiful "home" in Peru, the mountain valley city of Huancayo...11,000 feet and 500,000 beaufiful people:




Some of the beautiful people include these four (two of which are the adopted daughters of our church members (and current missionaries in Huancayo) Ken and Cathie Metz. Can you guess which are Gabby and Sheyla?:




And if you don't fall in love with our ministry team there (jazzed to Jesus here below about the new truck some of you reading were able to buy them):






...And if you are umoved by the kids of Huancayo:




...you may be beyond hope!









Besides, St. Christina and the others who venture on the next trip there will want to meet St. Hector, pictured below. How many ex-Satanists do you know. Read his amazing story here, and participate in the sequel next year (Leave me a comment to reserve a spot)






Monday, December 04, 2006

postmodern phone call from hell

For a song that is "supposed to be" about "a guy making a phone call from hell...but he admits he likes it there," (Bono's usual spin); the classic U2 piece "The Fly" sure works on multiple levels.


For such a mysterious and multiplex song; which teases a lot about what "the secret" is...the secret is pretty open on the recent tour:

And it is, in recent incarnation, not just/anymore a "phone call from hell," but also/instead a "text message from heaven." But like many words from God, there a few places where God doesn't spell out the whole revelation...we get to, by faith and guesswork, piece together the message.

What do I mean?

What does this text, prohected as a backdrop to THE FLY mean?

LETTERSBECOME WORDS
BECOME SENTENCES
BECOME LIES
BECOME YOU.

I _____ my friend
she always _____
it never really _____
What is the _____
Why do you _____
You fill in the gaps
You are the difference


You need to watch the amazing video below. But for context..



As she often does, Beth Maynard offers hugely helpful insights on the most recent concert version. Please preview her 3-part series on the song here, here, and here...with the third post full of good stuff on the intent behind the "text message" version you can watch here.




The video version I have chose in extra intriguing; as it was filmed in Brazil, and incudes some of the "fill in the blank" projections in Portuguese...
.


Clip of English version:




The secret is BEHIND YOU
The secret is INVISIBLE NOW
The secret is LOUD ENOUGH
THE SECRET IS WHAT YOU never want to see/never want to hear/never want to believe

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