pat dawson's blog

Re-thinking Christmas Giving

2010-12-02T10:29:00.002-05:00

Are we helping or hurting those we are serving?

Good take on Proverbs 30

2010-10-22T17:08:00.007-04:00

"Two things I ask of you, O LORD;

do not refuse me before I die:

Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you

and say, 'Who is the LORD?'

Or I may become poor and steal,

and so dishonor the name of my God."

-Proverbs 30:7-9

1. Keep falsehood and lies far from me
2. Give me neither poverty nor riches

What a dangerous prayer to pray! 'Give us this day our daily bread' is often prayed but it's prayed with the expectation that God will provide what we need plus more. What Francis Chan is challenging us with is something you will almost NEVER hear in a typical Sunday sermon.

Give me only my daily bread.

CCDA Reflections & More

2010-09-15T23:16:00.003-04:00

1. We need to move beyond one-way relationships. We need to think creatively on how to move to two-way and ultimately three-way relationships. It's all about empowerment. One-way relationships foster dependency and strip away dignity. Two and three way relationships are all about empowering individuals and restoring dignity. A Three-Way Partnership

2. Books and resources that have shaped my thinking on God and ministry are great at teaching principles but not necessarily meant for setting the standard. It was encouraging to hear other people struggle with the same kind of questions and come up with completely different answers. I've unfortunately begun to think of certain christian community development principles as absolute practices that must be followed strictly. However, what has worked for one family might not work the same for another family. And as I came to realize last week.. it's ok. I shouldn't be discouraged because our (Emily and I) path has looked different to this point.

3. Relationships are so much more important than any bit of knowledge that I expected to gain from the conference. I missed half of the main sessions because I was engaged in some deep conversations with friends that I know I'll be in ministry partnership with for a long time. I don't regret it at all. I think a big reason why I love CCDA, is that it's for people to network with like-minded individuals. It provides a safe place for these kind of life-giving relationships to be maintained. I am continually encouraged and spurred on by many of my CCDA friends!

4. The landscape for urban ministries and the inner city is rapidly changing. For the good and the bad. NOW is the time to implement different practices to make sure the poor are also beneficiaries to the new norm of our American cities being gentrified and taken over with a new type of urban dweller.

5. It's ultimately about God and his gospel and not us. God had the vision for CCDA long before it was founded. He needs to continually get the glory and not us (Matthew 5:16).

6. We need to be about the best thing, Jesus.

7. On a personal note, I miss Chicago!

A Little Leaven

2010-08-02T19:36:00.007-04:00

On August 13th we will be hosting a neighborhood block party at the Bragg St. Mini Park. After brainstorming about ways to continue our outreach to our neighbors in South Park, we have decided to host a block party. The vision is for this to be a South Park neighborhood block party. Not to be exclusive (all are really invited!), but to highlight and demonstrate the capacity that South Park has when residents and community partners come together for good.

Little did we know that God has much bigger ideas than we could ever imagine for this event. Through our network of relationships, BB&T has committed to coming alongside us at n2n and South Park by not only providing volunteers but funding as well! Hopefully out of this will come not just manpower and funding, but a long lasting relationship between a national branch bank and those who reside in South Park.

I’ve heard it said one time, that “everything depends on the vision”. If we take that to be true, then our vision for this event is not just a onetime block party with food, fun and games. Instead we envision this becoming an annual summer event (if not more) that will only get better as people of resource are bridged to the people of South Park. Maybe out of this event, we will be able to connect our neighbors with personal finance classes and budgeting workshops. With the need for affordable housing rising in a neighborhood that is primarily (90+%) renter occupied, maybe we will be able to offer home ownership as an option by making available low/moderate income housing loans.

The property across from n2n, 4 acres of an old city bus depot, is what I like to describe “the key to the neighborhood”. I truly believe that whatever that becomes, the neighborhood will ultimately reflect. Maybe out of this we will be able to link people who aren't business savvy with those that are, and with those who want to start a business with those that have already started them before? In 10 years that property could be filled with businesses, shops, restaurants, etc. that provide goods and services to South Park. The adjacent streets could be filled with families who now own instead of rent their homes. Instead of disinvestment in the neighborhood there will investment. Instead of the dollar constantly leaving the neighborhood it will circulate hands multiple times and create an economic machine within South Park.

Does a massive exodus of the residents of South Park need to happen in order for this vision to be fulfilled? Not at all! The capacity to do all of this is already here. The bridge that is being built to those of resource is all that’s needed.

Is this too lofty or ambitious of a vision? When looking with kingdom eyes, I believe it is not. It is simply a movement of God’s people and the kingdom of God at work, on earth as it is in heaven.

So we pray that August 13th will be the spark that will start a really big fire. I mean it only takes a little leaven to make the whole loaf rise, right?

Colorado 14ers

2010-07-29T23:27:00.000-04:00

Mt. Huron - Elev. 14,003 ft.

Mt. Oxford - Elev. 14,153 ft.

View from Mt. Belford - Elev. 14,197 ft. (Mt. Oxford in the distance)

Mt. Massive Golf Course - Highest in America

Conflicting Value Systems

2010-07-12T12:53:00.004-04:00

I saw a link to a poll asking if people (presumably Americans) agreed with the new immigration law in Arizona. 95% of the people sadly said they agreed with it.

This is a clear example structural sin that must not be ignored by the faith community. Structural sin that needs changes to come from the top.

When I say conflicting values systems I'm talking about Kingdom values vs. American values. Kingdom values recognize that we shouldn't oppress and do wrong to the immigrant among us but instead we should have compassion and love them as ourselves:

"And if a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The strangers who sojourn with you shall be to you as the natives among you, and you shall love them as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord, your God." -Leviticus 19:33-34

American values on the other hand see the immigrant among us as a threat and that they are a "problem".

There might actually be a third and arguably more dangerous value system that is a cross between American and Kingdom values. Comprised of the fusion between both so that there isn't much distinction. The kind of value system that will take a stand on something and fight with fervor that it is the will of God or the most God-like. Most notably, taking a side on a critical issue and deeming it the Christian thing to do and demonizing the other side.

I read this open letter by faith leaders to President Obama and I hope he actually reads these kind of things. While I enjoyed all of it, I especially liked the phrasing from the Hindu scripture that said, "The guest us a representative of God." Goes in line with the Christian Bible that whatever we to the "least of these" we do unto Jesus (Matthew 25:40).

With all that said, the issue on immigration is critical, people of faith need to take a stand and recoginize this as a structual sin, we need to work towards change, raise awareness, not stand idle and pray that changes can happen from the top.

Here is the open letter to President Obama by America's faith community leaders: Dear President Obama

We're Just Selling the Wrong Thing

2010-06-10T10:52:00.010-04:00

The following is a write up from when David Spickard, CEO Jobs for Life, came and visited one of our S.O.A.R. Jobs for Life classes. I remember this particular class very well as it was one of my favorites so far:

We're Just Selling the Wrong Thing

June 09, 2010

David Spickard, CEO Jobs for Life

Recently, I visited a Jobs for Life class and listened to the conversation as the students and champions discussed the Parable of the Talents. In the story, Jesus describes a man who entrusts his servants with talents. To one, he gives five, another three, and another one. The story goes on to describe how each servant used the talents he was given.

As the students discussed the story, they began to uncover the talents they've been given and the way they have used those talents. This particular class is part of a city effort to reduce gang violence and the students are young men mostly 18-25 years old with prison records and a history of gang involvement.

The discussion became more and more animated until one student raised his hand. When he began to speak, you could hear a pin drop.

He said, "You know God has given us so many talents. I bet you everyone in this room knows how to be a great salesperson. We target our market, know our product, we're great communicators, and we work extremely hard. After all, we stand out on the street corner selling all day...We're just selling the wrong thing."

The silence was then interrupted by laughter, everyone realizing his point and wondering what it meant for them.

Sitting there listening, I was struck by the laughter. Why is that funny? How could standing on the street corner selling drugs all day be something to laugh at? I then realized what is painfully true...Selling drugs for this group is as ordinary and normal as it is for me to get up and go to work at Jobs for Life each day. It's the industry of the community, their way to make a living, feel valued, and create a legacy.

The conversation continued. One after the other began to build on the idea that God created them with unique gifts and talents and He meant for them to use them for good, not evil. One talked about making a brighter future for his kids, another talked about wanting to be a positive influence in his community, still another talked about the dreams he had to own his own business.

As they spoke, I thought to myself, "I wish every businessperson in this city could hear this conversation." These men are gifted, they're talented, and they desire good, not evil. They would be a tremendous asset to anyone who hired them.

Who knows what they'll be selling then?

Why Character Matters

2010-05-26T09:44:00.000-04:00

"Character is a slowly forming thing. You can no more force character on someone than you can force a tree to produce fruit when it isn't ready to do so. The person has to choose, again and again, to develop moral muscles and skills which will shape and form the fully flourishing character." -N.T. Wright

Book Review: After You Believe

2010-05-20T14:31:00.001-04:00

Another great resource for what happens between the point where we believe and the life on earth after that. Not enough could be said about that middle period in which he believe (and thus are saved) and in the time when we will spend it with God in eternity. N.T. Wright again does a great job of putting the Bible in its original context in order to speak to 21st century listeners.

Kingdom Networking / S.O.A.R.

2010-04-29T21:03:00.008-04:00

When I reflect upon my personal employment history, I've worked as a busboy, a waiter, a babysitter, a land development intern, a roadway engineer, and as an outreach worker here at Neighbor to Neighbor (n2n). While all those jobs on the surface might be unrelated, there is a key link between all of them. To get my foot in the door, I needed a connection. While they are needed and very helpful, I didn't need a youth employment program or anything else along those lines. I simply needed a connected neighbor that was willing to share their networks with me.

We are about to begin the S.O.A.R. program (more information below). Within our S.O.A.R program we have a 30-hr paid internship available for each participant that completes the 8-week Jobs for Life training curriculum. Upon completion, we will have a graduation and a job fair aimed at placing each participant with a career-based employer.

Below is a list which identifies our participant's work experience and/or key areas of interest. If you, your employer or someone you know would consider bringing on an intern during the month of July, please have them call or email Cas directly and he will personally meet with them and discuss in detail the program and each participant.

Participants key areas of experience and interest:

Truck Driver
Moving Company
Landscaping
Warehouse
Painter
Computer network/IT
Interior Design
Light Construction
Retail
Business (office assistance)
Building Maintenance
Youth Outreach
Restaurant/Cooking/Wait staff
Carpenter (licensed)
Metal Stud Framing

At n2n we are called to build communities of hope, justice, and compassion. Lack of opportunity and resources is a justice issue. Come partner with us as we aim to provide equal access to the resources of God's kingdom.

Sharing your networks and connections are vital to the success of the S.O.A.R. project. Would you consider partnering with us by sharing your networks and connections?

Information on the S.O.A.R. Project: S.O.A.R. (Southeast Raleigh Pastors Organizing for Action and Results) is a collaborative group of churches and non-profits that desire to see significant change in the gang crisis affecting our city. This project seeks to target 20 young men, 18 and older, who are at-risk of gang involvement, and provide them with job-training, internships, male mentors and various support services. This project has been funded by the Department of Juvenile Justice and will fuse Jobs for Life curriculum, male mentorship and a MAD House Basketball-type league. Upon graduation from the Jobs for Life class each participant in the program will receive a paid 30 hour internship at a place of employment.

To get a hold of Casanova (Cas) Womack, our S.O.A.R. Director, call him directly at 919-389-6301 or email him at casanova@n2noutreach.org

Misguided Cuts

2010-04-20T14:35:00.001-04:00

One of the headlines today in the New York Times read: School Districts Warn of Even Deeper Teacher Cuts

"School districts around the country, forced to resort to drastic money-saving measures, are warning hundreds of thousands of teachers that their jobs may be eliminated in June."

Budget cuts. Money-saving measures. What that is, is simply sacrificing the future for the present.

Couple that with the fact that prisons look at 2nd/3rd grade test scores to determine how many prisons they should build to accommodate the future prison population.. and you have a very broken, very twisted link between the present state of education in our country and the future prison population.

Geoffrey Canada says, that right now we are experiencing the "educational equivalent of Hurricane Katrina". Sadly, I think he may be right.

Our Vegetable Garden

2010-04-06T13:31:00.006-04:00

The garden box is 4' x 8'. Once we prepared the soil we (Emily and I) dug trenches to put in our border. If you are facing west (or away from the road) the slope in our yard goes to the back left corner of our box. If you look closely you can see some stones (or riprap for all my civils out there) that will act as erosion control because it drains to that corner (the wood along that edge is purposely not as deep as it should be so there is a gap of about 4 inches at that corner). You can't see it well, but the rows are diagonal so that the water will flow towards that corner. My North Carolina State education is going to work! I usually don't post personal stuff like this on here.. but I was just too excited about how great this thing turned out.

Hopefully we'll be able to grow romaine lettuce, jalapenos, green peppers, basil, green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes.

Welcoming "Reform"

2010-03-28T16:24:00.002-04:00

"Let's look at the word "reform." In essence, it is an attempt to fix what is broken. The health care system was working for some and not working for others. All this unnecessary drama over something that was broken and needed fixing. Let's have some civility here and stop the name calling. This is not socialism, Marxism, or Fascism, or whatever -ism is your favorite hate-filled word. The best of what government can do is to look out for the well being of all people, not just the privileged few. It won't always get it right, but I like to see the government at least try." (taken from a blog post by Dr. Soong-Chan Rah)

Too often we emphasize individual sin and neglect systematic/structural sins in our society. If we ourselves as individuals are sinful, the systems we create are by default sinful as well. It seems then that "reform" (aka 'an attempt to fix what is broken') should be something that we welcome instead of resist. Whether it's reform to our education, immigration, criminal justice, or health care systems (etc.).

As Christ followers, instead of reacting with hostility and angst when the word "reform" gets tagged alongside anything, let's welcome it recognizing that the sinful systems we've created will always need to be reformed.

A Fresh Take

2010-03-22T12:19:00.002-04:00

I posted this on another blog site that my bible study on Wednesday nights keeps up with. It's primarily talking about the passage in Luke 10:25-37 about the Good Samaritan. Thought I'd share it on here as well, especially since I've been slack recently about keeping this updated:

The main point of this story growing up has always been about how to be like the Good Samaritan. With our task being to try to live a more compassionate life and extending mercy to those in need. There are obviously more things you can draw out from this passage, but for the most part this is the main message that is communicated.

I think the fact that the focal point of the story is an interaction between a Jew and a Samaritan can’t be overlooked. We know from Sunday school and from sermons that there was hostility between the two but it’s not something that truly resonates with us. Here are a few real life examples that I wrote down that help me (and hopefully you too) put it into perspective:

Native Americans (oppressed) and early European colonialists (oppressors)
Jews (oppressed) and Nazis (oppressors)
African slaves (oppressed) and White slave owners (oppressors)
Undocumented immigrants (oppressed) and “Americans" (oppressors)

You could take any of those instances and plug them into the story and it gives the same effect. For example, if Jesus was living in Nazi Germany and was talking to an audience of Nazis and explained that it was a Jew who was the neighbor to the wounded Nazi on the side of the road imagine the uproar. It most definitely would not be a footnote. Or if Jesus lived during the time when there was slavery in America. Imagine Jesus telling this story to a bunch of White slave owning southerners and it was an African slave (who to them was 3/5 of a person at best) who was the neighbor to the wounded white slave owner imagine the uproar. Again, it would definitely not be a footnote.

Luke doesn't necessarily capture the scene that I'm almost certain ensued but that shouldn't take away from the fact that it is central to the story.

Last night I suggested that the story of the Good Samaritan is all about Reconciliation. Not just racial reconciliation as it might come off, but Reconciliation. Reconciliation is not just about race. Though race is a huge part of it, the Reconciliation that God calls us to be about includes every system in the human world (socioeconomic, family, gender, etc.).

The Gospel simply doesn't reconcile us to God but it also reconciles us to others. That's why this story is to key. Two people, polar opposites, and the neighbor (the oppressed one) helps the wounded man (oppressor) and they are reconciled to one another.

I really hope that doesn't come off as harsh. We are no where near that point. I just happened to use extreme examples (Jews and Nazis for example) to drive my point home.

Maybe you know the feeling of getting home from a mission trip, service project, or something like that and we have this overwhelming feeling like we've been the ones changed. Showing that in more cases then we want to admit, we need these kind of relationships that are living giving both ways (reciprocal relationships).

Examining our own lives, where are situations where we can let others love, encourage, and teach us? Especially from people we would least likely expect to receive love, encouragement, and learn from. Like Kyle said, we're almost taught to have this Christian mindset where we need to be going out and sharing our faith and living out the Gospel to be a light to others. But what if being in that mindset causes us to not see our need for others. Maybe we need someone who fits that 'Good Samaritan' mold in our lives and are incomplete and lacking when we don't allow those kind of reciprocal relationships to form.

Let us pray that God would give us the eyes to see and the heart to receive love and encouragement from co-workers, non-believers, those on the margins of society, and those who we would least likely expect. And pray that God would reveal to us our need to cross all barriers for the Gospel.

Creative Capitalism

2010-02-10T12:19:00.002-05:00

"Progress means not changing, but changing for the better." -C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

I say that because as I read Creative Capitalism I was encouraged that these big successful business men were coming to the conclusion that the current way that we do things (the 'system') doesn't work for all (the poor in particular) and needs to be amended. Not to say we need to have a complete overhaul, but that change (progress) needs to happen because it would be for the better.

At the same time I was reading about Creative Capitalism, these words, spoken by Christian community developers, continued to ring loudly: "How can we harness market forces so that the poor are also beneficiaries."

The following is an exerpt from the book (an executive summary of Creative Capitalism). Whether or not it will come to fruition is debateable. But I'm thankful that God is bringing business/economic savvy people to the table, regardless if they recognize that it's Him changing their hearts or not! (disclaimer: I don't necessarily agree with all of the wording or reasoning but I think it's still a good step in the right direction.)

1. Today's miracles of technology benefit only those who can afford them. Markets respond only to "demand", not to "need".

2. This is a systematic flaw in the free-market system. Further technological innovation is less important than systematic innovation to mend this flaw.

3. The world is getting better, but not fast enough and not for everyone. Great advances in technology therefore make inequity worse. About a billion people are left out. For example, climate change will impose the worst effects on those least responsible for it.

4. Why? Because in "a system of pure capitalism," the incentive to serve people rises as their wealth rises and falls as their wealth falls. This system needs to be changed so that there is incentive to serve poor people too.

5. Self-interest is just one or two forces in human nature. The other is "caring for others." The genius of capitalism is that it makes self-interest serve the general interest. Philanthropy and government are supposed to address our "caring for others," but there isn't enough philanthropic or government money to solve the world's problems.

6. A revised capitalist system would both make a profit and improve the lives of the have-nots.

7. A revised system should use profit incentives where possible. But even where profits are not possible, there is a market-based incentive that can be used: recognition. Positive recognition is good for a company's reputation, good for attracting customers, and good for attracting employees.

8. Creative capitalism is a system where incentives for both profit and recognition motivate both self-interest and caring for others.

9. Under creative capitalism governments, businesses, and non-profits work together.

10. "This hybrid engine of self-interest and concern for others serves a much wider circle of people that can be reached by self-interest or caring alone."

11. Example: Corporation donating money or products. Or, even better, corporations spending money or using technology to find new markets in poor countries.

12. Example: "tiered pricing." A drug company has a valuable patent and charges full monopoly price in the developed world, but lets poor-world manufacturers produce less than one dollar a dose.

13. Sometimes there is a "direct role for government": creating market incentives for companies to help the poor. For example, the FDA rules that if you develop a new treatment for a neglected disease, you get priority review by the FDA for some other drug.

14. Another approach: Help poor-world businesses do business in developed world.

15. Another example: the Bono ("RED" campaign) model. Sell products with a small percentage of the profits going to worthy causes in the poor world. People will pay more for products associated with these causes.

16. "What unifies all forms of creative capitalism is that they are market-driven efforts to bring solutions we take for granted to people who can't get them."

17. Corporations should allow "top innovators" to spend part of their time on issues facing people too poor to be customers. This "takes the brainpower that makes life better for the richest, and dedicates it to improving the lives of everyone else."

Now that is and would be progress.

Charity

2010-02-06T11:33:00.000-05:00

"Ancient Hebrew wisdom describes four levels of charity. The highest level is to provide a job for one in need without his knowledge that you provided it. The next, lower level is to produce work that the needy one knows you provided. The third level is to give an anonymous gift to meet an immediate need. The lowest level of charity, to be avoided if at all possible, is to give a poor person a gift with his full knowledge that you are the donor." -Bob Lupton, Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life

Levels of Charity:

1. Providing a job without the recipient knowing who provided it

2. Providing work and the recipient knows it was you that provided it

3. Giving a gift anonymously to meet an immediate need

4. Giving a gift and the recipient knows it was you that provided it

This is interesting. I'm sure the most frequently practiced levels of charity go from numbers 4 through 1. It's also true that it's easier to perform level 4 charity and subsequently harder to perform three than it is two and one.

Maybe you have to start at number four before you can move to other higher forms of charity. Number four then being the bottom or base of compassion.. an entry way so to speak. If anybody is interested in reading more about how to go from betterment to development, or to go deeper into development. I'd suggest reading Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life. This book and others have helped to shape my thinking when it comes to ministry to the poor.

Outliers

2010-01-11T22:35:00.007-05:00

I'm not sure the background of the author, but the book is not in the Christian mainstream by any means (Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell). Not to say he doesn't have a faith background (?), but I love the conclusions that he makes.

A professor that specialized in intelligence testing, set out to do a unique study. The professor in charge of this experiment ran all of the necessary tests over and over on California school children in the 1920's. He ran them until he had found literal child geniuses, 730 total. He and a team of people followed them all through their lives and some of them lived up to the billing of being a genius and made a name for themselves (Group A). Some of them kind of did, but definitely not to the level you'd expect (Group B). And others not at all (Group C).

It was essentially billed as a failed social experiment because it was thought that with the right IQ, it would be almost impossible to not 'succeed'. However, as life played itself out among these 730 children, results were varied.

(pause)

If you know the story of Bill Gates, Bill Joy, or even the Beatles then you know that they had immense amount of intelligence and talent. If you take a close look at their lives and their career, you'll see that coupled with this immense amount of intelligence and talent was extraordinary opportunities, timing, and let's face it.. luck. (To get the details of their story and more read the book). In other word's forces outside themselves were arguably the biggest catalyst for their success.

(play)

Back to the children now. So if these children (the C's, who are now adults) didn't make a name for themselves and weren't able to leverage their intelligence and talent to its full potential, then what happened? Or better yet, what didn't happen?

Here is the first half of the author's conclusion:

"The results were deeply distressing. Let's not forget how highly gifted the C's were. If you had met them at five or six years of age, you would have been overwhelmed by their curiosity and mental agility and sparkle. They were true outliers. The plain truth of the study, however, is that in the end almost none of the genius children from the lowest social and economic class ended up making a name for themselves."

This is the first half, and if you stopped there what kind of conclusions would you make? If you were asked to pinpoint the problem or figure out who is to blame, you would undoubtedly blame the parents for lack of support or the individual person because it must have been something that they did to squander all of their God-given gifts.

But if anything can be learned from the story of Bill Gates, Bill Joy, or the Beatles, (again saving the details.. just read the book trust me) they each required something far more than just themselves to help propel them to reach their full potential.

Here is the second half of the author's conclusion:

"What did the C's lack, though? Not something expensive or impossible to find; not something encoded in DNA or hardwired into the circuits of their brains. They lacked something that we could have been given to them if we'd only known they needed it: a community around them that prepared them properly for the world. The C's were squandered talent. But they didn't need to be." (emphasis added)

The C's lacked opportunities, they lacked a caring network of adults, they lacked a way to the mainstream, they were isolated, they were cut off.

If we take an honest look at our lives, we'll see that our achievement is less about our talent than it is about the opportunities that we've been given. I mean seriously, how any times have I said, heard, or seen it in practice about how "it's all about connections." Whether it pertains to getting an interview, a job, into college, etc.

We are all about building communities of hope, justice, and compassion at n2n. Built into that, is creating networks that result in communities of hope, justice and compassion. Bridging people and connecting people together that otherwise would never have had any interaction and contact. The HOSTS mentoring program at n2n is a great example of that. Pairing caring adults with youth. And like I've said before, the relationships that form in HOSTS go both ways. The mentor and the mentee need each other and they are not complete without one another. (read: A Lasting Picture)

Because like Malcolm Gladwell said, they (the C's) lacked something we could have been giving to them if we'd only known they needed it. All youth need to be surrounded by a network of caring adults. Adults that choose to leverage their gifts and talents for others because there is not equal access to the resources of God's creation.

How God's kingdom works though, is that when we look at these youth and see that they need something that we have.. God flips the script. And says, no it's actually you that's lacking and needs to be changed too. Reciprocity.

People aren't granted with equal access to God's creation (that's a justice issue). In terms of what it means to be Christian, what kind of emotions does this evoke in us? And what are some practical ways that we can move beyond and into action?

Van Driving

2009-12-23T12:20:00.001-05:00

It's funny how God uses something that seems so trivial on the outside, like van driving, and uses it to advance His kingdom. Without understanding the culture of van driving in urban ministry, it's easy for one on the outside looking in to diminish the task as grunt work. Pick up and drop off. With the REAL work being whatever that person is being picked up and dropped off for. I beg to differ. Van driving always ends up being more than a ride.

One day it took me over an hour to find one of my younger friends house. It was late, about 8:15 on a school night, and he had been in my van for over an hour. I ended up taking him through the Burger King drive-thru to get him something to eat because I felt so terrible. We conversed back and forth about his recent football season, talked about his family, and about what he likes to do. Both of us laughing and enjoying each others company. I then proceeded to tell him that I enjoyed spending time with him and that I appreciated him as a friend. He didn't respond. A few seconds later, he slowly uttered the words, "nobody's ever told me that before.. well my Mom has, so I guess you're the second person." Van driving always ends up being more than a ride.

When I slip into the thinking that what I do on a day to day basis as n2n is small and trivial, I'm constantly reminded of how absurd that is. Am I really limiting God's ability to use anything and everything to what I think is fit for Him to use? Because let's be honest, van driving is not sexy. But then again, neither is being born in a manger, riding in on a donkey, washing feet, dying on a cross, etc.

Instances like the one above (and there are many) remind me that my work is not about driving vans or helping run youth outreach programs. My job is about providing opportunities for relationships, discipleship to take place, and for reconciliation to happen. Sometimes it takes driving a van (just about everyday) for me to be reminded of that. Maybe I've been brainwashed (nah), but van driving is what the golf course is to the business world for urban youth ministry. And you can take that to the bank.

Mission Year.. In Charlotte!

2009-12-16T10:29:00.001-05:00

I just found out that Mission Year just recently started in Charlotte. I remember working with some people that did Mission Year in Chicago when I was interning at Breakthrough.. so it's exciting to hear that Mission Year has come to North Carolina!

Mission Year is a year long urban ministry program focused on Christian service and discipleship. They take teams of young people, place them in an area of need, and help them to serve people and create community. They are committed to the command of Jesus to "love God and love people," by placing the needs of our neighbors first and developing committed disciples of Christ with a heart for the poor.

Here is the link: Mission Year - Charlotte

Tink & Terry

2009-12-08T17:59:00.004-05:00

Meet Tink and Terry. They are in third grade and sixth grade respectively. Both boys live within walking distance of the n2n center (1200 S. Blount St.) and are regular faces around n2n and the surrounding neighborhood. They are involved in bible studies at Ship of Zion church up the road and in our HOSTS mentoring program. They sometimes visit Tapestry Church they even stop by on a day when there is no program to watch a movie or play connect 4 with some of the staff.

Without trying to sound cliché, kids like Tink and Terry are our future. More specifically the future of the neighborhood in which they live. I strongly believe that there is a strong correlation to their future and the future health of their neighborhood. If they (or youth like them) continue to fall into the same destructive patterns, their neighborhood will reflect that. However, if they replace those destructive patterns with new patterns of living, their neighborhood will reflect that instead. Thus making it all the more important that we learn to listen and make time for them in our lives right now. I’m reminded of these words:

“The fundamental building blocks of the kingdom are relationships. Not programs, systems, or productivity. But inconvenient, time-consuming, intrusive relationships. The kingdom is built on personal involvements that disrupt schedules and drain energy. When I enter into redemptive relationships with others, I lose much of my “capacity to produce desires results with a minimum expenditure of energy, time, money, or materials.” In short, relationships sabotage my efficiency. A part of me dies. Is this perhaps what our Lord meant when He said we must lay down our lives for each other?” -Theirs is the Kingdom by Bob Lupton

Between the staff at n2n, volunteers, mentors, and other community leaders, God has been putting people in the lives of youth just like Tink and Terry. These ‘redemptive relationships’ are happening. In our HOSTS mentoring program, Tink and Terry have been placed with wonderful adult mentors (Tom, Emily, Lindsay, and Alex). In about two months Terry will be playing MAD House Basketball and will have a MAD House Coach. I hear stories from Tink about how Pastor Chris from Ship of Zion takes him fishing. Tink and Terry have bible study leaders. When I asked Tink what he was learning in bible study he told me about his favorite person in the bible, Paul, and how God rescued him from jail. He also told me about Joseph and Peter. Pretty amazing isn’t it?

At the same time God is putting people in the lives of these youth, God is also putting them into our lives. The teaching and subsequent learning not only occurs from the mentor to the mentee but also from the mentee to the mentor. Both benefit and grow from their relationships with each other and whether we realize it or not, we need each other. We are not complete without one another. Maybe we haven’t thought of it like that, but that seems to be the way the kingdom works.

Book Review: Through the River

2009-11-28T20:13:00.000-05:00

The content of this book is presented in a way that is easy to understand. With terms that aren't commonly thrown around in everyday conversation, the two authors do a great job of presenting the material. They focus primarly on three different truth lenses. There are more 'truth lenses' but most are just slight variations of the three major ones.

The context of each of the three different truth lenses (Positivism, Instrumentalism, and Critical Realism) is told through an analogy of a place called River Town. It's not hard to make connections to real life. Rock Dwellers, Island Dwellers, and Valley Dwellers (Positivism, Instrumentalism, and Critical Realism) are all portrayed very accurately to the kind of people we all know. It even helps you to understand why you view certain things the way you do depending on which you relate to the most.

It takes no real shots at either 'group' of people as it's written in a way that is respectful of whoever the reader may be. It outlines the positives of each one and calls us to move forward and engage one another with love to truly advance the Gospel. However, I have the same conclusion that many reviewers have already expressed. Those who need to read the book the most will not be the ones who read it.

Some reservations: It may come off as a 'dry read'. It seems like it might be one of those books that many people will give up on after a chapter or two. I admit, it was a struggle at times but it did challenge me to rethink how I engage people who have different world views/truth lenses/etc.

Book Review: The Justice Project

2009-11-12T20:32:00.001-05:00

There are many books that discuss the same subject matter (biblical & social justice, caring for the poor, etc.). With this in mind, one might be deterred assuming it's nothing more than the same rhetoric. However this book is unique in many ways and does a few things really well:

1. It captures a wide spectrum of voices in the Christian faith. Names that you'll know and recognize and names that you won't.

2. It is both long and short at the same time. You can spot read, as each chapter (for the most part) is not dependent on the preceding chapters. There is no "fluff", it gets straight to the point.

3. It does a great job of moving from the purely theological discussions about biblical justice to the actual tangible examples of biblical justice being done. It strikes a remarkable balance between the two.

5. It doesn't hold back at all. It hits many of the hot button topics debated in many Christian circles. Instead of picking a side and making a case, it challenges us to think about God's justice in certain situations.

6. It helps to answer many questions that disgruntled Christians might be asking themselves when frustrated by the perceived lack of action done by the Church. For instance, whole chapters discussing: "What good can come from our frustration and anger at injustice?" and "What are some good first steps in seeking justice - for both individuals and faith communities?"

Overall, I would recommend this book for those seeking to live out God's call for us to be a people who act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

"And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God." -Micah 6:8

Don't be fooled thinking it's another book with the same rhetoric. The Justice Project is refreshing, comprehensive, and well written.

Embracing Diversity

2009-11-10T11:29:00.000-05:00

I am continuing to learn what it means to be in cross-cultural relationships. I think its imperative for white Christians to join into this conversation. Instead of being on the sidelines and jumping into the game late I hope the Church will lead the way on embracing diversity.

Our neighborhoods are for the most part segregated. Our schools would be segregated (because of the neighborhoods) but we enforce busing to help with that. It's still fact, but almost sounds clique now, that Sunday mornings are the most segregated part of the week. Various experiences, books, and speakers continue to challenge me when it comes to cross-cultural relationships.

At the CCDA conference last year, Dr. Soong-Chan Rah made the point that if white Christians have never had a non-white mentor then they are more colonialists than missionaries.

Meaning that though there intentions might be good, they are undoubtedly pushing their way of thinking as a white Christian (read: Meaning that though my intentions are good, I am undoubtedly pushing my way of thinking as a white Christian male). With the tendency to be dominant and to take control, it magnifies my need to take a back seat to listen and learn. And in a Christian world that is right now and increasingly multi-cultural/multi-ethnic and no longer a western white centered faith, it makes it all the more important to recognize this and celebrate this.

It takes a lot of hard work. It isn't a romanticized notion or something that is an act that we should desire to seek praise from. It requires us (read: white Christians) to give up what culture has instilled in us, that we have power, privilege, and status. Good questions to ask ourselves, are:

How do I relinquish power and therefore empower someone? Important because of our tendency to hold onto power in relationships.

How do I restore/maintain someone's dignity? Important because though we may have great intentions, being in cross-cultural relationships will require us deal with some inner demons. Like it or not, we've all be instilled with a bit of racism. Maybe not the over the top kind that we're used to reading about in history class, but that covert kind of racism that simmers below the surface.

Jesus gives great examples throughout scripture. In John 4 for example, Jesus doesn't come to the well, take the bucket for himself and get his own drink. Instead, Jesus relinquishes power by communicating that he himself had a need and asking the Samaritan woman to give him a drink. Jesus also didn't shun the woman and look down upon her for being a Samaritan, instead he restores the woman's dignity by interacting with her as a Jew and she a Samaritan.

In Philippians 2 Paul talks about how Jesus '..did not not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself.' Made himself nothing? Taking the very nature of a servant? How about that for giving up power and status. On top of that he humbled himself in the process.

God continually embodies a downward movement (Luke 9:25) and it shouldn't be any different for us. For me, this is timely. How to give up power and status in relationships (cross-cultural and otherwise) and therefore empower someone and restore/maintain their dignity is the ever present struggle I find myself in.

I recommend this book for all who want to read more about this: The Next Evangelicalism.

I also would like to take the time to steal the some words from Jeff, my pastor at Visio Dei. Though he was speaking on an entirely different subject matter, he challenged us with some questions that are still applicable to this:

Are we willing to let the Bible tell us something that we don't want to hear? Are we willing to let the Bible steer us in a direction that we're not exactly comfortable with?

Meaning, are we willing to let God reveal to us things in scripture that we wouldn't normally see, that we choose to overlook, or have been culturally trained to not see?

What Ifs

2009-10-29T00:54:00.000-04:00

"Poverty is a very complex problem, and one must be careful to not appeal to simplistic explanations of it's causes." -C. Rene Padilla, The Justice Project

It's impossible to pinpoint the exact cause of poverty (aside from the Sunday school answer of "Sin", but come on right?). I laugh when I think of myself trying to give my take on a subject that is far beyond my reach and expertise (do I even have an expertise?). However, from study, from observation, from learning from others, and from some personal experiences, I offer you a quick synopsis of steps in the right direction towards alleviating poverty:

1. What if there was public policy in the place that required you to live in the neighborhood or community in which you provide services to. Think of the impact of having teachers, police men, doctors, pastors, and anybody who provides 'services' to a community actually be present in the community. Not commuters into the community, but rather committed stable neighbors. Think of the snowball effect that would have on the community as a whole?

2. What if there was an incentive for teachers to teach in high-need schools? I know there are steps being taken to make this happen, but what if there was a nationwide incentive program for teachers to teach where the need is the highest? Imagine the benefits of having this newfound pipeline of some of the best and brightest teachers teaching kids who need them the most.

3. What if having male elementary school teachers became normal? Think about the benefits some kids would receive by having a male in a leadership and authoritative role in their life. Kids, especially boys, need to have an influx of quality older male role models in their lives. Especially from a young age (hence elementary school teacher). And from the little I've seen, most kids don't even see, must less have, a male teacher until about late middle school or so. I don't know if there is research to support this claim, but having more male elementary school teachers teaching in high-need schools will reap great rewards over time.

4. What if there were laws that required developers to include a certain percentage of affordable housing units in new housing developments (inclusionary zoning)? In Raleigh, inclusionary zoning is not a required practice. Instead, what is happening all over the city is missed opportunities. For example, the new North Hills housing developments off Six Forks Rd. have ZERO units set aside for affordable housing. The lack of movement to enact laws and requirements to build and set aside units for affordable housing will undoubtedly lead to a variety of problems including concentrations of poverty, lack of entry to jobs, and the whole school reassignment issue. Davidson was the first city/town in North Carolina to adopt a mandatory ordinance. Come on Raleigh!

5. What if gentrification could be harnessed for something good? I believe it can but the greed and desire for these new transplant neighbors to make good on their investment hinders true community from ever forming. Gentrification as an evil entity is a slow way to exploit and displace people. At the same time gentrification can have many great perks. It is something that can be good and life-giving. In this form, it's a necessary step towards revitalization. The great community developer Nehemiah in the Old Testament didn't call all the people of Persia to come and inhabit Jerusalem. He called one of ten to come and dwell in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11:1-2). Because all or too many of the Persian people coming to live in Jerusalem would have been detrimental to the existing make-up of the city. So, what if gentrification could be harnessed for good?

6. New question stemming from number five above, What if the Church community tithed it's people in this way? (notice: Church, Big C)

Those are just a quick six and I might add more later if I get the chance to.

New Books

2009-10-06T08:10:00.000-04:00

The next two books that are being sent to me will hopefully be more interesting than the first. I've already read some stuff from the authors and contributors for The Justice Project so that read should be good. It's the kind of book where each chapter stands by itself and you don't necessarily have to read it in order. So because of that fact, what's most likely to happen is I'll spot read a few chapters and claim I've 'read it'.

And since they are so slow to post new books to choose from, I went ahead and chose another one too (there were only two new choices). It's titled Through the River.

"Through the River, a new book by Jon and Mindy Hirst (with Dr. Paul Hiebert), encourages us to examine our assumptions about truth and how those assumptions affect our relationship to the world at large. In so doing, the Hirsts offer a new perspective on truth that allows us not only to better understand how we view truth but how we might become better equipped to communicate truth in a combative culture. Their claim is that “our ability to struggle through the concept of truth in today’s world is crucial to determining our success in the Christian life, our relationships and our kingdom work.”

Hopefully this time I'll take more time in writing a detailed review. My first one was done without me adding much detail as to why I thought it was a poor read, but I'm feeling much more optimistic about these two books.

Book Review: A Prayer to Our Father

2009-10-01T11:02:00.000-04:00

The premise of the book was to document the findings of a study of the Hebrew origins of the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). A Christian and a Jew embarking on this journey together, putting aside differences in their faiths, and taking a fresh look at the Lord's Prayer from the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew.

Sounds interesting enough right? Well, as great as a topic that it was, the book fell very short of my expectations.

The first half of the book describes their journey from day one on how they met to how they feel like they've found the actual spot in which Jesus taught the sermon on the mount. They visited numerous sites that were said to be the spot in which he delivered the sermon on the mount. They critiqued each one and made their conclusion on which location he actually taught on.

It was obviously a passion of the authors to find the exact location. However, reading about it for the first half of the book wasn't very engaging for me as a reader. It read more like a treasure hunt, which did in fact keep me engaged for a while, but it dragged on for way too long.

Once they started to dive into the Hebrew orgins of the Lord's prayer it did pick up a bit. Obviously, some of the original language gets watered down by the time it is translated to English, so there were a few interesting points that were made. Similarly, I think their actual study and findings were watered down too much by the time they wrote the book. They didn't expound very much on their 'discoveries' and a common theme that was lacking throughout the book was depth.

The pages in the book did a poor job of reflecting what must have been a complex and challenging study. Maybe that's what they set out to write, a book that was easy to read. However, it left me very disappointed and wanting much more.

Hope Over Fear

2009-09-11T11:53:00.002-04:00

"I believe our nation works best with robust and civic dialogue and civil debate. For mature societal conversations to take place, at least two mature parties are required, and looking back over this summer, a second party is hard to find. The Obama administration needs a worthy loyal opposition, just as any group in power does, and the president himself often says so. But people who shout “Hitler, Nazi, socialist” don’t constitute a worthy loyal opposition."

This is an excerpt from an article titled "A Plea for a New Generation of Republican Leadership". It's borderline prophetic as days after the article was published on Sojourners, Rep. Joe Wilson from (where else) South Carolina disrupted Obama's speech to Congress by shouting "You lie!". Stay classy South Carolina.

To make this post a bit more redemptive, this is another article (by a Republican) that is a bit old now but it's from someone that I've admired from afar, read his books, quoted him, brushed shoulders with (once at the 2008 CCDA conference), listened to his podcasts, and also subscribe to his 'Urban Perspectives' newsletter. I'm a big fan.

I love the opening line because I think it's easy for to demonize all Republicans (for those of us on the pro-health care reform side) as heartless and greedy: "Just because I'm a political conservative doesn't mean I lack compassion for those who can't afford adequate medical coverage."

Later in the article he says, "I seriously doubt that health-care reform can be accomplished without raising our taxes, but, frankly, that's one of the taxes I wouldn't mind paying. Compared to the costly wars we have funded recently, health care seems like a rather redemptive investment."

Here is the link: Republicans Want Health Care, Too

Three Things

2009-08-25T21:14:00.001-04:00

Here are the three things that I've learned so far from being married (not the only three, just three that I choose to share right now):

1. It's really set up to bring you closer to God. Being married, you get to experience someone that tries to love you as close to unconditionally as they can. Doesn't mean the expectation is perfection but rather it means they are striving hard to emulate God's love for us. And that, in essence, creates this tangible example of God's love for us. It helps bring your closer to God because you have a physical example his love for us.

2. Painful reality that we are broken and that we carry baggage that isn't easily left at the door. No matter how long that baggage has stayed dormant, it's bound to rear it's ugly head. But because of #1, there is the chance for resurrection. Though there is 'death' in our lives, marriage creates a unique opportunity for that death to be replaced with new life.

3. Everybody's love story is different and God's timing in everybody's love story is different. Comparison will only steal away joy.

4. I know I only said three, but I have a fourth thing I've learned. Ain't nobody cuter than these two:

Online 'Book Club'

2009-08-21T11:49:00.000-04:00

I'm probably more excited than I need to be when it comes to this 'book club' type deal I signed up for. I had to submit a few writings, write a bio about myself and my life, and fill out this short application, but after a few weeks I heard word that I was accepted (I'm sure everybody is, it's nothing prestigious).

So how it works is they'll send me a list of new christian books every couple of weeks or so, and I look through it and see if there are any that I would like to read. If any of them are interesting to me, I tell them I want that particular book and they send it to me free of charge. All I have to do is read the book within 30 days (piece of cake) and write a review about it and post it either on my blog here or on their site (how hard can that be?).

So I actually heard word a couple of weeks ago that I was accepted. So for the past couple of weeks I've been anxious to see the first wave of books. Well they finally came (only three were released) and I chose 'A Prayer to Our Father' as my first read.

The premise of the book is exploring the Hebrew origins of the Lord's Prayer. A Jewish Bible scholar and an African-American pastor collaborate to 'uncover the truth about the most beloved prayer in the Christian world'.

Sounds interesting enough. And whether I like it or not, all I'm required to do is give it a review from my point of view. Can't wait to get started..

From the Womb to Graduation

2009-08-13T22:27:00.000-04:00

If birth to five years old is the most important part of a person's life and most indicative of that person's future, then more models like this must be replicated. This is worth the read about a non-profit in Harlem, NY called 'Harlem Children's Zone' that is committed to each stage of a person's life. Literally from the womb to college graduation.

Justice or Socialist?

2009-07-29T12:01:00.000-04:00

Justice is close to God's heart. Reading through the scriptures makes that very clear.

"And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God" - Micah 6:8

"For the word of the Lord is right and true;
He is faithful in all He does
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of His unfailing love." -Psalm 33:4-5

I recently read this interesting article about how to view biblical justice with some of the raging debates of today (tax plans and health care). Is the direction we are headed more towards a biblically just system or socialism? I love the line stating that, "If the issue of how our wealth is linked to others' poverty makes us defensive, we will find it hard to do Christian community development."

It's really not hard to figure out why people get so upset and angry when terms like 'universal' or 'redistribution' come into play. Anything that challenges the existing power structure will be met with fierce resistance. But like Dr. Soong-Chan Rah asks, "when did we equate capitalism with Christianity?".

Here is the article: Justice or Socialist? - UrbanFaith.com

Good News for All

2009-07-28T13:53:00.000-04:00

I've been reflecting a lot lately about how the Gospel is good news for all. Not just the few who choose to believe and walk with Jesus, but the Gospel was intended to be good news for ALL. Because the true Gospel is not just good news for the individual. Jesus cannot be labeled just in terms of a personal savior anymore.

Read through Jesus' most extensive teachings on the kingdom of God (the sermon on the mount) and you'll see the following trend. Jesus starts each lesson by saying "You have heard that it was said..". Then he gives his listeners/followers a new way/interpretation by then saying "But I tell you..".

Examples:

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." -Matthew 5:21-22

"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." -Matthew 5:27-28

"You have heart that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." -Matthew 5:43-44

I think the most interesting observation that I've read in the last month or so, was how Jesus never went back and tried to 'convert' anybody. There are no accounts of Jesus running back to the rich young ruler trying to persuade his that he 'didn't really mean what he said about selling everything he had and giving to the poor'. There just isn't...

And that's ok, because you have to look at the bigger picture. Some people will believe and become practitioners of this new way of life and some won't. But here is the kicker:

"Even if only a few would practice this new way, many would benefit. Oppressed people would be free. Poor people would be liberated from poverty. Minorities would be treated with respect. Sinners would be loved, not resented. Industrialists would realize that God cares for sparrows and wildflowers - so their industries should respect, not rape, the environment. The homeless would be invited in for a hot meal. The kingdom of God would come - not everywhere at once, not suddenly, but gradually, like a seed growing in a field, like yeast spreading in a lump of bread dough, like light spreading across the sky at dawn." -Brian McLaren

Christian is a great noun and a poor adjective.

Follow Us!

2009-06-25T22:03:00.001-04:00

Follow n2n on facebook!

Become a fan: Neighbor to Neighbor Outreach

What's our response?

2009-05-20T01:45:00.000-04:00

Here are some startling statistics that I heard off the River City podcast:

The United States is..

1st in gross domestic product
1st in the number of billionaires
1st in health expenditures
1st in military technology
1st in defense expenditures
1st in military weapon exports

The United States is also..

Highest in relative child poverty
Highest in birth rate among teens ages 15-19
Last in protecting children against gun violence
Highest in number of persons incarcerated

Not to mention, we also have the widest gap between the rich and the poor.

So what's our response to this? Anger? Numbness? Compassion? Apathy? Blame? Attempts to justify and distance ourselves from "those people" who perpetuate the problem?

In light of the injustices of our world and our cities, preaching a gospel that Jesus is just our personal savior is dangerously incomplete. Jesus not only is our personal savior but he is our societal savior. Just because certain things are in their current state, doesn't mean they have to be in the future. A gospel preached/taught/proclaimed with no talk about action and change for right now is no gospel at all.

I'm not exactly sure where I got this quote, or who is responsible for it but I like it. It's been written a few times in the journals that I keep.

"Jesus' teachings are suicidal to the rich, powerful, and the privileged." (more on this in a bit)

Again what's our response to that statement? What's my response to that statement? Angry? Annoyed? Dismissal?

If I'm honest all three of those for me. Wherever I turn, it seems that Jesus is continually revealing to me that the way to life and 'life to the full' is to die to myself daily (Mark 8:34-35). And it's true, the way of the kingdom is a downward pull.

Displacement

2009-05-04T13:24:00.001-04:00

"Christianity was never meant to be safe. We are just promised that when we walk into danger, God is with us... ...Perhaps the most dangerous place for a Christian is in safety and comfort, for we need to follow the way of the one who left all comfort, born a baby refugee, and wandered Galilee a homeless rabbi." -Shane Claiborne

I like Henri Nouwen's take on the same subject. How as Christians we should be moving away from the 'ordinary and proper places'. But not because we've come to recognize it as good social policy, but because we are following the example of our God (Philippians 2:1-11).

Stuff White People Like

2009-04-23T00:30:00.000-04:00

This list is hilarious. And the explanations given are even funnier. But sadly I identify with way too many of these.. (Stuff White People Like)

Just skimming through the list quickly, I identified with 35 of them.

Good Investment

2009-04-15T23:52:00.000-04:00

This is pretty exciting (click here).

Two Years..

2009-03-26T13:46:00.000-04:00

"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?" -1 Corinthians 15:55

Through death comes life. Because of the victory we have through Christ's death and resurrection, days like today don't have to be filled with deep sadness. I'm sad yes, Jason was one of my best friends and he will always be missed. However, two years ago there was victory as Jason went to be with his heavenly Father.

Today I'm reminded of the lives that Jason saved through his decision to be an organ donor. Through his earthly death, there has sprung up new life. His story, life, and spirit is very much alive. And for that I'm thankful.

This by no means encapsulates his entire life, but here are some good pictures (click here) from his foundations website.

Also: Ray of Hope

Servant God

2009-03-20T14:58:00.000-04:00

"Here we see what compassion means. It is not a bending toward the underprivileged from a privileged position; it is not a reaching out on high to those who are less fortunate below; it is not a gesture of sympathy or pity for those who fail to make it in the upward pull. On the contrary, compassion means going directly to those people and places where suffering is most acute and building a home there. God's compassion ts total, absolute, unconditional, without reservation. It is the compassion of the one who keeps going to the most forgotten corners of the world, and who cannot rest as long as there are still human beings with tears in their eyes. It is the compassion of a God who does not merely act as a servant, but who expresses the divinity of God through servanthood." -Henri Nouwen

Jesus' compassion is characterized by a downward pull. He came not to be served but to serve. He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant. He humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.

It's hard to wrap your mind around that when it seems like an 'upward pull' and upward mobility is what we're all about and what we strive for in life. Sometimes I wish following Jesus was easier. But therein lies the mystery of the Christian life.. that if we lose our life for Jesus and for the gospel, that we will actually find life (Mark 8:35). And that's not some twisted oxymoron either, because as Henri Nouwen puts it, the downward pull is not a movement away from God, but a movement toward God.

It's worth the time.

2009-03-15T23:36:00.000-04:00

"...Now I've read through the bible a couple of times and I have yet to find a single passage that talks about the right to bear arms. Now don't get me wrong, that's a constitutional ammendment. I'm not opposed to the right to bear arms, I'm just saying that I have yet to find a single reference in the bible that says we have the right to bear arms. However, I have found over a hundred passages that talk about showing care, compassion, justice, and mercy for the alien and the immigrant among us. Now my question is, when I walk into a typical evangelical church, why and I more likely to find members of the NRA than I am to find members who are concerned about immigration reform? Is that a cultural Christianity based upon western white culture or is that a biblical Christianity? We are held captive to the western white cultural captivity of the church." -Dr. Soong Chan Rah

This was from the last CCDA plenary session. It was a powerful message, especially if you've (like me) grown up in this kind of western white church that he talks about.

To find and listen to the whole message click here (it's pretty long though) or you can borrow the DVD from me.. it's worth your time.

The Word became flesh..

2009-02-17T01:58:00.000-05:00

If you've ever been to the North Hills part of Raleigh, it's pretty amazing. I remember back in the fall of 2003 it was a stand-alone JC Penny's (the remnants of an old mall), and it wasn't anything that special. Fast forward 6 years later and suddenly that area of town has it's own culture and vibe. It's been dubbed as Midtown Raleigh, or just simply North Hills. On a side note, it's quite fascinating to see the efforts to divide Raleigh into areas of town, and then to use those new names in conversations. Almost as if we're trying to convey how big of a city Raleigh is. But on a lighter note, it is pretty sweet. Even though I would never shop at any of the stores there.

I interned at this civil engineering firm (The John R. McAdams Co.) in the summer of 2006. They are one of the key firms that helped to design the new addition that is going up on the other side of Six Forks Rd. And back then we were actually working on stuff for this particular project. So I feel as if I somehow played a part in making this new addition to North Hills possible. Actually, if anybody that works at John R. McAdams read that they would laugh pretty hard, but let me dream for a second.

Since those days, I've taken an interest in learning more about housing laws and about biblical housing justice. Not at all the same, but being exposed to commercial development was a gateway to residential development. I'm still reading Making Housing Happen, but I stumbled upon this article this past weekend. It's pretty interesting, it's about inclusionary zoning in Raleigh. I honestly don't know much about the Independent Weekly in Raleigh/Durham (as far as it's credentials), but it always seems to have stories that I wish got press in the regular paper.

Being a first time home buyer, my eyes have been a bit more open with it comes to evaluating a neighborhood or a community. I've always had this 'not in my city' mentality when it comes to areas of concentrated poverty and race. That stuff was only present in the BIG cities. But it's amazing at how quickly the dynamics of a neighborhood change, especially in Raleigh. Things as miniscule as fences, creeks, cemetaries, or even tree lines provide barriers between the affluent and the not so affluent parts of town.

I remember a couple years ago reading some books by John Perkins and Bob Lupton and they talked about how it's easy to get people on board with wanting to help the poor and help then to get out of poverty. But once you get on the subject of living among the poor and 'moving into the neighborhood' things get real tense.

However, if we take the words, attitude, and example from Jesus seriously.. maybe that idea won't seem so radical. As Bob Lupton beautifully puts it, programs are a poor substitute for what neighbors do best. Jesus didn't just sit on his butt, he moved into the neighborhood. I mean seriously, lucky for us right?

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:5-11, NIV

"The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood." John 1:14, The Message

It's easy to write these thoughts down but it's incredibly hard to figure out what they mean and how to put it into practice. These thoughts and more have been stewing in my head for quite some time. More to come..

Hope

2009-01-28T11:33:00.000-05:00

"Thus says the LORD, 'I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.' Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each man with his staff in his hand because of age. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.' " Zechariah 8:3-5, NASB

This is typically the vision of anybody who is in the work of community development. Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. The 'streets' reclaimed, safe thriving neighborhoods, the elderly sitting on front porches, families talking and laughing with other families, children playing in the streets, etc.

However when children are able to look beyond the present situation and have that kind of picture in their minds, we need to be quick to affirm and nurture that hope and that dream. I was moved this past week after talking to one of my middle school friends. He was venting some frustration about how his Mom is very strict and won't let him run around the neighborhood like the other kids. After explaining to him that even though he might not like it now, one day he is really going to appreciate and love the fact that his Mom was protective of him. Then there was a breakthrough, silence for a few seconds as he processed what I had just said. This is what followed:

"Yeah, I guess I can see how you might be right. But man, when I get older and have a family.. I'm going to have a big playground set in my backyard. And all my kids are going to be able to play on it and they won't have to worry about any of this stuff that goes on out here."

It was a special moment that God allowed for me to be a part of. I kind of stumbled in my mind for a second on how exactly to respond. I was then privileged to enforce the importance of him holding onto and remembering that hope and that dream.

Out of the mouth of babes right?

The Power of 'Story'

2009-01-13T02:39:00.000-05:00

To me, the question of "what's your story?" is powerful. The image that it evokes in my mind is very caring and compassionate, because in order to ask that question you will undoubtedly have to be prepared to listen to a lengthy response. Thus taking up our precious time and interrupting our delicate schedules. Each persons story and journey is vastly different than one another. Each of us being shaped differently by our experiences with our family, friends, environment, etc.

So shortly after meeting someone new I pounce on the first opportunity (it has to be the right time and place) to be able to ask them the simple, short, profound question of "what's your story?"

It broke my heart again today to hear the responses of some new friends of mine. Barely teenagers and they have gone through more than I think I could handle. But after dropping them off and having a few hours to process what was beginning to happen, I had an epiphany. I'm not sure if that's the correct language, but I had a 'vision' or sorts. It's pretty cheesy but I still love it..

So I had this vision of each person having a written account of all of their days. Almost like a diary that everybody maintained with great diligence. A record of all the details of the day. And it was a 'real-time' diary too, not one of those write your entry before you go to bed diaries. So basically if you read previous days entries it would read like a story. So I had this vision that as soon as I met these guys and got to know them, I somehow made it into this 'diary' and entered into their story.

So at the instant that I came on the scene it would read something like, "I met a guy named Pat today..."

And then I started to think what would be said after that? Would I just settle for making an appearance in this 'diary' of sorts or would my encounter and friendship help to rewrite their story? And would there be any mention in this 'diary' about how I introduced them to another friend of mine named Jesus?

Real cheesy I know, but this thought, or 'vision', stirred my spirit today nonetheless.

Can I get an Amen?

2009-01-08T02:52:00.000-05:00

In the past few days, I've had the chance to take some time and reflect on this past year and to set some goals for the year 2009. Some new ideas birthed out of this time. Or maybe it was just old ideas but I was able to make tangible connections.. whatever the case here are some of those thoughts:

Being in urban ministry is a lot more like being a good neighbor than an overseer of different programs. Bob Lupton (seriously what a stud) says it best, "Programs are a poor substitute for what neighbors do best". There is a great deal of truth to that.. especially how it has played out in my ministry at Neighbor to Neighbor. If you dissected my job description it seems to fall in line with what a good neighbor should do.

For instance, I help out with transportation (van driver) to and from the center for various activities. I also try to be a good role model for the youth in the way I live my life and in the way that I engage them (through conversation, hanging out, playing basketball, etc.). And maybe most importantly, it's always at the forefront of my mind to restore or affirm one's dignity. Especially since my background comes more from the side of the 'oppresser' rather than the 'oppressed'. (I'm trying to think of things in more of that context than just black or white.)

Being white in urban ministry definitely has it's difficulties.. and something I struggle with the most is the temptation to take control and run the show. If I don't see something I like or I see something that I would rather have run a different way I have urges to step in and to not just make suggestions but to change it to fit my thinking. And if we want to take it a bit deeper, my 'thinking' is without a doubt shaped by my experience as a white male.

I'll never forget this one particular point that Dr. Soong Chan Rah made at the CCDA conference. These weren't his exact words, but he made a point about how white missionaries in urban areas need mentors who are non-white. Because what will eventually happen is you are more likely to become a colonizer instead of a missionary. Pushing our values and our way of thinking on other people. Which only works against restoring or affirming one's dignity. We are all created in the image of God.. and because of that we all have worth and value. Making each of our voices and insight essential. We (I) must never forget that.

So all that to say this, a big goal of mine for 2009 is to be in intentional/life-giving/reciprocal/communal relationships with non-white males. And what's amazing, is months before 2009 even started I met some guys who fit that criteria and have been such an encouragement to me.. praise God.. I mean seriously, can I get an Amen?

Lost in Translation

2009-01-04T14:08:00.000-05:00

"For years, English speaking Christians read a Bible that said little about justice. In the older King James Version (KJV), the word justice never occurs in the New Testament, and rarely in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word mishpat is mistranslated as "judgement" about 100 times and as "justice" only once." -Ownership, Land, and Jubilee Justice, Making Housing Happen

I mean, seriously take a look at Amos 5:24 from two different translations. Essentially it's one word that's different but it changes the whole meaning:

"But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream." KJV

"But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." NIV

Let judgment run down. Think about the image that evokes..

Later in the same chapter of the book I'm still currently reading (Making Housing Happen) it talks about how most translators interpret the Greek word dikaiosyne as "righteousness", even though a growing number of scholars will insist that it means both "justice" and "righteousness" or justice/righteousness.

With what might be a more accurate translation, take a look at this well known verse and see how it comes alive in a new way:

"Set your mind on God's kingdom and his justice." Matthew 6:33

Suddenly.. the Bible has even more texts about justice. Which if we're honest, that's more consistent with the themes that run throughout scripture.

Theirs is the Kingdom

2008-12-22T12:32:00.000-05:00

I read Bob Lupton's 'Theirs is the Kingdom' about a year and a half ago. At the time I wasn't a huge fan and advocate of the book. I can't remember my reasoning exactly, but it probably had something to do with the fact that it was difficult for me to 'connect'. I had a hard time being able to place myself in his stories because I didn't have similar experiences of my own. I even remember telling a friend that I just felt like something was missing.. even though at the time I had no idea what.

I pulled out the book recently and started reading some of the stories again. The stories have come alive this second time around. The chapter titled 'On the Corner' really came alive to me as I now can 'connect' on a deeper level. He paints this picture of men ranging in age from fourteen to forty hanging out on the corner to tell stories, to boast, to taunt, to gamble, and to establish or maintain their place in the pecking order of the street.

After painting this picture he goes on to comment on the absence of the talk of marriage and kids, of family plans and dreams for the future, and that he'll get the urge to step in and shout:

"..But this isn't real! Don't you have the same emotions, the same desires for deep permanent relationships, the same hopes and dreams for a family as the rest of us?"

I've been in similar situations and had the same kind of thoughts in my head rolling around in my head that I wanted to shout out for all to hear. However, what he said next summarizes my same thoughts that quickly set in:

"But you remain silent, because you realize you have not seen life through their eyes. You don't know how it feels to be chronically jobless with no legal capacity to support a wife or family. You don't understand how strong young men get trapped in a permanent pool of unneeded labor at the bottom of our economic system. And you wonder: how does it feel to be both disdained by society and impotent to achieve within your culture even the most basic position of respect - the head of the household?"

In the book I have an 'I' written above every 'you'. So it would read "But I remain silent, because I realize I have not seen life through their eyes..." and so on.

Powerful stuff.

Enter The Story

2008-12-20T11:07:00.000-05:00

A friend and co-worker showed me this website (Advent Conspiracy). Watch the promo video:

God with us.

2008-12-14T18:21:00.000-05:00

"If there is one word to be distilled from the Christmas story, it is Immanuel. God with us. God enters into the midst of the human drama with all its tenderness and terror, its exhilaration and devastation, and participates with us in the full, unedited range of human experience. He enters quietly, to unsuspecting individuals, without public fanfare. He reveals Himself in both blissful elation and in troubling perplexity. His appearance takes people off guard, is often baffling, but always life-changing. Immanuel. Indeed, He is with us still." -Bob Lupton, FCS Ministries

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

Chaos & Peace

2008-12-05T10:56:00.000-05:00

Last night I was reminded again of the thin line between chaos and peace.

Through a similar situation in the past, and through conversations with a good friend, I was given some much needed clarity on how and why these situations happen.

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension, but the presence of Justice" -MLK Jr.

I like to add to that list.. true peace is not merely the absence of conflict, anger, frustration, stress or any number of related things. Because despite the absence of those things, it only takes one incident, or one conflict to light the fuse and then all of the underlying anger, frustration, stress, pain, etc. gets unleashed. Thus there is no true peace.

Barack Obama described this 'tension' in a much more eloquent way, calling it 'quiet riots':

" 'Quiet riots' happen when a sense of disconnect settles in and hope dissipates. Despair takes hold and young people all across this country look at the way the world is and believe that things are never going to get any better.

You tell yourself, my school will always be second rate. You tell yourself, there will never be a good job waiting for me to excel at. You tell yourself, I will never be able to afford a place that I can be proud of and call my home.

That despair quietly simmers and makes it impossible to build strong communities and neighborhoods. And then one afternoon a jury says, 'not guilty' -- or a hurricane hits New Orleans -- and that despair is revealed for the world to see." -Barack Obama

In the neighborhoods and communities that we work in, these quiet riots go about day after day. Most go unnoticed due to their underlying nature, but it only takes one incident to serve as a reminder that we still have much work to do.

I'm thankful for God's faithfulness and how He gives us glimpses to let us know that what we do matters. I'm also thankful for reminders like tonight that while what we do matters, we still have a lot of work to do to bring forth biblical justice.

Ownership

2008-12-04T14:13:00.000-05:00

Justice is an ownership issue..

"Destruction is certain for you who buy up property so others have no place to live. Your homes are built on great estates so you can be alone in the land." Isaiah 5:8, NLT

Who owns the pond?

2008-12-03T10:09:00.001-05:00

"Give a person a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a person to fish and he eats for a lifetime. That's a lie! The real issue: Who owns the pond?" -Dr. John Perkins

Give a person a fish equals charity. Teach a person to fish emphasizes job skills. But if the person doesn't own or have access to the pond he can be denied the right to fish in the pond. Gaining access to the pond requires a whole different kind of work that the Church doesn't get too involved with. It requires dealing with the power structures and systems of our day. Good works that our Lord requires of us (see Micah 6:8 and the story of Esther).

"Justice is an economic issue. Justice is a management issue. Justice is an ownership issue. Justice has to do with equal access to the resources of God's creation." -Dr. John Perkins

History has taught us that without justice/ownership freedom is lost. Segregation and sharecropping replaced slavery - a system that is a few notches above slavery. They were freed from slavery but there was no just system that followed. No justice and no ownership. "40 acres and a mule" was just a pipe dream.

The question of 'who owns the pond?' is one that can be applied to any number of situations. It speaks to who and what operates the systems that are in place? In my opinion, it's a good starting point in discovering where injustice occurs on a systemic level because it'll uncover where power and privilege lie. What you'll most likely find, is that the answer or solution can be something deep and embedded and just plain nasty.

It'll mess with your head a bit and seem overwhelming when you start to connect the dots. Brokenness, sin, or injustice isn't something that is contained and isolated, instead it overflows and effects all.

Lucky for us, Jesus' message was centered on the good news of the kingdom. The good news of the kingdom doesn't just give hope for the future. It also gives hope that a better present is possible. And what's interesting.. is that we don't have to look far in order to find the kingdom..

"The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:20-21

The kingdom of God is within us. I'm not a theologian, nor did I go to seminary (not yet) but that passage has always been hard for me to comprehend. One of those verses that I liked to skip over because it wasn't easy to grasp. However, I think Jesus provides much needed clarity in some later teachings:

"But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." John 16:7

This is another one that is puzzling because on the surface it doesn't seem to make sense that it would be any better for Jesus to go than to stay. However, He is sending the Counselor (or Holy Spirit) in his place. It's a promise that God will be with us. And in Acts 1 before the ascension he reminds the disciples of this promise. In Acts 2 this promise is fulfilled and the church begins...

And it's through this institution of the church, that God has chosen for his message of the kingdom to be carried out. Apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5). If our motives are of human origin they will fail (Acts 5:38). But if it is from God you will not be able to stop it (Acts 5:39).

So.. who owns the pond?

Urban Farming, etc.

2008-12-01T23:34:00.000-05:00

urban farming. innovative, resourceful, intelligent, renewable, organic, strategic..

I like it..

I love to read about movements like this. Movements towards creating a 'greener' economy..

It's also interesting to hear arguments and read about studies conducted on the effects of healthy agriculture in neighborhoods and its correlation to crime. Basically saying that healthy trees, flowers, and green grass are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they could help to build self-esteem, community strength, and prevent crime. (similar to Guiliani's theory about broken glass, trash, and graffiti in New York City.)

After all, we as humans, created in the image of God, were given a divine task to be good stewards of the environment. We are to manage the earth and its resources according to the rule of the One who owns it.

"The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." Genesis 2:15

I hope movements towards urban farming, landscape design, and other methods of creative, strategic and sustainable horticulture practices catch on.

The Black List

2008-11-29T19:06:00.000-05:00

The Black List: Volume One is a documentary in which Journalist Elvis Mitchell interviews twenty-two African American leaders, ranging from athletes and academics to politicians, social activists, and artists to help to paint a picture of what it means to be black in America. It's insightful and interesting to hear each of their stories. It's worth your time..

Chris Rock had some interesting (and humorous) thoughts on equality:

He said that as revolutionary as Jackie Robinson was to baseball in 1947, he didn't necessarily bring equality with him. It was only in the 1970's that you began to see equality in baseball because that's when you saw some bad black baseball players. (To which my Dad agreed that yes, that's when there was the first emergence of bad black baseball players).

He goes on to say that when minorities are allowed to suck and are welcomed back, that's when there is true equality.

“True equality is the equality to be as bad as the white man, …That’s really Martin Luther’s King’s dream coming true.”

Building the Kingdom

2008-11-26T03:03:00.000-05:00

"The people of the Kingdom have a unique mandate to care for the needs of the vulnerable and the voiceless. Our scriptures are quite clear about this. It has been from antiquity both our birthright and our responsibility. We cannot rightly take joy in the rebirth of the city if no provision is being made to include the poor as co-participants. It will not be enough to offer food baskets at Christmas to migrating masses of needy people who are being driven by market forces away from the vital services of the city. Nor will our well-intentioned programs and ministries suffice for those being scattered to unwelcoming edge cities. We must be more intelligent than this. More strategic." -Bob Lupton

"..there is a vast untapped reservoir of giftedness ready to channel into the work of the Kingdom – secular sounding gifts like deal-making, lending, insuring, lawyering, marketing, architecture, real estate developing to name but a few. Under the Lordship of Christ, these become spiritual gifts ideally designed for the work of Biblical justice." -Bob Lupton

If we want to get serious about breaking the cycle of poverty, we must be more intelligent, and more strategic.

I've heard great analogies that speak to this very idea. For instance, let's say that a factory is located near a river. The pollution that is created at that factory is dumped into the nearby river. 25 miles downstream the effects are seen and felt. So people begin to clean up the river at that spot. And they continue to do so. Some progress is made, however the pollution doesn't stop, and despite the efforts to clean up and stop the pollution from spreading to other parts of the river, it eventually does. While the cleanup efforts are still ongoing, a new group of people actually go to factory that is creating all of the pollution. And they attack the problem from it's source.

Relief work is so important. Assistance in monthly rent payments or utility bills, providing transportation needs, educational tutoring, food pantries, shelters, and any other type of immediate relief work is extremely important and necessary.

However, community development can be broken into two parts. Community development through relief/aid, and community development through systemic changes.

Because if we want break the cycle of poverty, we'll need to continue to provide those relief services as well as becoming more strategic to battle these systems that continue to oppress and impoverish. We as followers of Jesus need to tap into this vast reservoir of giftedness and become an active part of God's kingdom. From people at the grassroots level all the way to the CEO level.. all have a vital role in building God's kingdom 'on earth as it is in heaven'.

be a Doer.. not a Hearer..

2008-11-25T10:12:00.000-05:00

The front page of Raleigh's News and Observer reads: Food donations fail to meet greater need

For those in Raleigh, I hope that they take the time to read this article and I hope it sinks in. Especially to those like me who don't have to worry about where my next meal will come from. Especially if you are a follower of Jesus and you have what the poor don't. Power, Privilege, Mobility, Excess, etc..

I'm thankful for the food that has been (or will be) donated for families in and around Raleigh but it's heartbreaking to hear about the 80 families on the waiting list for beds at the Salvation Army shelter, especially as I sit in a heated house with a bed ten feet away.

I hope over the holiday season, and especially beyond, we will remember the words of Jesus, and understand their full meaning, when he says:

"The poor will always be with you.." Matthew 26:11

Familiar passage to us, but to a first century disciple this was more then just social commentary by Jesus. Jesus is making a direct reference to a passage in Deuteronomy that would have been so clear and so easily understood by a first century disciple or a first century hearer.

"There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land." Deuteronomy 15:11

For those who have power, privilege, mobility, and excess.. especially those that follow Jesus, let's be openhanded toward our brothers and towards the poor and needy in Raleigh, or in your city.

"Therefore, the question is, how can we see suffering in our world and be moved to compassion as Jesus was moved when he saw a great crowd of people without food (Matthew 14:14)? This question has become very urgent at a time when we see so much and are moved so little" -Henri Nouwen

Let us move beyond our emotion and into creative action.

Krumping

2008-11-15T16:17:00.000-05:00

This is a video from the CCDA Conference.. After seeing it again I have the same initial thought as I had before: I need to take krumping lessons..

Moving Beyond Emotion

2008-11-14T10:41:00.000-05:00

"As long as religious people are well dressed, well fed, and well cared for, words about being on solidarity with the poor will remain pious words more likely to evoke good feelings than creative actions." -Henri Nouwen

Great Example

2008-11-09T15:25:00.000-05:00

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Mark 1:35

Sleeping in is easy, waking up early and spending time with your Creator is hard.

Being Still

2008-11-09T12:27:00.000-05:00

"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Being busy is easy, but being still is hard.

Slowing Down

2008-11-08T15:35:00.000-05:00

Being slow to speak and slow to anger is harder than you’d think. I don’t like to associate myself with either political party or with a church denomination because I think they all stand for some great things and some not so great things. I don’t mind discussions or debates, but when people stake claim to something and do so in the name of Jesus, and I don't necessarily agree with them, I get heated. And it’s in those moments that I’m trying to learn to just sit back and listen more instead of being in attack mode.

I just get so passionate about us as Christians being set free from what holds us captive. Politics or denominational affiliations, to name a few, have held Christians captive for years. Instead of recognizing that we are under the same Lordship, we tend to bicker, argue, and debate over details and the meaning of words or phrases.

Instead we should be united in our convictions with a common purpose and mind (Philippians 2:1-2). Jesus didn’t die for church doctrine or for your political party. Jesus didn’t die so we could spend our time arguing over who is more right than the other.

Yes, there is much to be said about guarding ourselves against those wolves in sheep’s clothing and against false teachers. But again, Religion that our God accepts is that we guard ourselves against the pollution from this world, AND that we care for the poor and the marginalized (James 1:27).

Here is an interesting question that the one person (if there is one) who reads this can help to answer. The way I’ve come to grips with some of the hot topics that really create the most division that I’ve seen in the Church (predestination/free will, limited atonement/universal atonement, conditional salvation/once saved always saved) is recognizing that there are valid arguments and evidence to back each particular view (maybe that's wrong in itself.. but anyways). So this question was asked to me:

How can you be in direct ministry with somebody that believes the opposite from what you do? (pertaining to those three things I listed)

And my question back to them was is it really that important to get all of those details correct? Aren't there more important things we should be discussing and uniting against? And that if it truly was one or the other it would explicitly say it in the Bible instead of leaving the door open for these different interpretations.

Then I made the general statement that I know each camp can back up their view with an ample amount of scripture. But uh.. that didn’t go over very well either. And the conversation just went farther and farther south after that. Any thoughts?

Fat Cats

2008-10-31T14:27:00.000-04:00

Exxon Mobil set a quarterly profit record for a U.S. company Thursday. A cool $14.83 billion. The Fat Cats get fatter.

In the 2008 tax year, households in the bottom 20 percent will receive $26 due to the Bush tax cuts. Households in the middle 20 percent will receive $784. Households in the top 1 percent will receive $50,495. And households in the top 0.1 percent will receive $266,151. The Fat Cats get fatter.

I mean seriously, "There's no way like the American Way" right?:

But what is great though, is our freedom as the American people to make our own decisions and to not be coerced into voting one way or the other. Like I've said in previous posts, this presidential election will not by any means solve our nation's biggest problems. But it could be a step in the right direction.

Barack Obama and John McCain nor any other human will ever be our true savior. For me however, a step in the right direction means a vote for Barack Obama.. and I'll love you same whether you agree or disagree. But ultimately you can vote however you like:

The Need for Change

2008-10-29T12:31:00.000-04:00

“The richest 1 percent of the world’s population owns almost 40% of total wealth, and the richest 5% owns 70% of the wealth. Take the assets of the world’s three richest individuals and you have the wealth that exceeds the combined gross domestic product of the world’s 48 poorest countries.”

According to the United Nations Development Program, “In today’s world, deepening impoverishment and increasing enrichment appear to go hand in hand. In 1969 the incomes of the wealthiest 20% of the world population were 30 times higher than those of the poorest 20% of the earth’s people. By 1990 that gap had doubled: the incomes of the wealthiest 20% were 60 times higher than those of the poorest 20%. The difference factor is now 83.”

I don’t think it’s an unfair statement to say that the systems, laws, and practices that are in place reward/favor the few and oppress/exploit the many. I’ll be bold enough to say that there is no way in which you could argue otherwise. That is unless we are still being held captive by this imperialistic, individualistic, and capitalistic theology. Because for those of us that are, or have been, we will tend to shy away from the questions and issues that challenge our status quo.

Somewhere along the way we’ve adopted this notion that following Jesus and being a Christian is affiliated with the “American Dream” or protecting the American way of life, with no regards to the cost or the consequences. That American prosperity is linked to the blessings and favor of God. That capitalism and God go hand in hand.

We’ve created a monster so to speak. Brian McLaren calls it a ‘suicidal system’. Capitalism has become God-like. This newfound theology has been further defined as ‘theocapitalism’. I’m not at all advocating for socialism, that would just be taking things to the extreme opposite and be just as harmful (maybe even more). The problem however, is at the roots.. deeply entrenched underneath all of the weeds and thorns that have sprung up from this broken and skewed system. McLaren articulates this current phenomenon well:

“....the problem isn’t corporations themselves: the problem is the spiritual ideology of theocapitalism that drives many corporations to live for a single bottom line: profit for shareholders, without concern for three other essential bottom lines: the common ecological good, the common social good, and the ultimate good under the gaze of our Creator. Sadly theocapitalism is running the show, driving the prosperity system to pursue progress through rapid growth, serenity through possession and consumption, salvation through competition, and freedom to prosper through unaccountable corporations.”

Without some kind of systemic change, this cycle of oppression and exploitation will continue. The cycle of poverty will continue and the gap between the rich and the poor will continue to widen and deepen.

Our savior is not Barack Obama, nor is it John McCain. I don’t want to over-spiritualize this but we really need to put Jesus back in his rightful place as our savior, and to steal the words of Shane Claiborne, our president.

"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes." -Psalm 118:8-9

Are we ignoring the whole Gospel and message of Jesus, and instead picking out the parts that sound good and protect our way of life? Are we being influenced by a system that works in our favor? All good questions that warrant thought, discussion, and reflection.

I feel like once Christians catch on and let go of what they’re being held captive by, THAT is when real change will happen and the church can function how it's intended to function. So until then my endorsement for president is Jesus. As far as who is getting my vote this coming tuesday.. I've made up my mind, and it all has to do with CHANGE. Tuesday will be one step in the right direction.

The Red Pill

2008-10-25T02:55:00.000-04:00

During Friday night's plenary address at the CCDA conference, Dr. Arloa Sutter posed a great question:

How are we with people that don't get it?

She was referring to the people that don't get that the Gospel has an equal element of social action and justice as it does with the personal redemptive aspect. People that don't get that Christ's death and resurrection reconciled us to God and reconciled us to each other. People that don't fully embrace the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5) that we have been entrusted with.

I know for me, I have a hard time articulating with both truth and love, that Christians (some of them close friends) have huge gaps in their faith practice. That their theology has gaping holes. I'm beginning to think that the religion of Christianity that is being practiced by most is not what Jesus intended.

What did Jesus intend then?

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." -James 1:27

In very simple words, care for the poor and care for yourself.

Again there is an equal emphasis on the personal as well as the social aspect of Christianity. They are inexorably linked. How often is it however, that we focus so much on keeping ourselves from being polluted by the world that we enter into a state of isolation from the world? It's obvious we're not to be OF of the world, but it's just as obvious that we are in fact IN the world.

That's why it's so interesting that when you continue to read in James 2, he speaks/warns of this very thing. Immediately after making this connection (again) he commands us to not show favoritism towards the rich while neglecting the poor, and follows that by making a convincing case about the importance of our faith and how it plays out in our deeds. (Read James 2)

He closes by making this simple yet resounding conclusion:

"..faith without deeds is dead." -James 2:26

So this begs another question, If our faith in Jesus doesn't compel us to action (with a special emphasis on the poor) what good is it?

A Lasting Picture

2008-10-08T14:52:00.000-04:00

When I see glimpses of God’s kingdom I get chills. Seeing the mentors at Neighbor to Neighbor interact with their kids is something to see. Looking across the room at the mentors of all ages and all backgrounds helping each kid with their schoolwork in a way that is loving and nurturing, to me, is a glimpse of the kingdom. There are kinks and sometimes things don’t go accordingly, but if we truly believe in the reconciling power of Jesus and the Gospel then these types of occurrences can happen and should happen.

As followers of Jesus we are to live as if the kingdom of God is and can be a present reality. The words: ‘Thy kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..’ should take on a new meaning. No longer is it the pre-game/post-game football game prayer, but it’s a prayer and an invitation for each of us to live with a kingdom focus and to view our world through a kingdom lens.

‘On earth as it is in heaven.’

The presence of God is everywhere; we’re just trained to look past it. We are trained that what we have (Jesus) is what they don’t have. The call to ‘love others with the love of Christ’ gets skewed and becomes a selfish quest to ‘convert and save’. But the invitation Jesus gives us is not a bomb-shelter where the ‘saved’ go and wait, but he invites us to live with a kingdom focus.

‘On earth as it is in heaven.’

What if we took Jesus serious when he talked about being present in the ‘least of these’? What if Jesus is calling us to live radically different then what we've been taught by others? What if Jesus is making a point that the kingdom he’s inviting us into has a level of reciprocity?

Seeing the mentors interact with their kids, I imagine that the teaching and subsequent learning not only occurs from the mentor to the mentee but also from the mentee to the mentor. Both benefit and grow from their relationships with each other, and whether they realize it or not, they need each other. They are not complete without one another. That seems to be the way the kingdom works..

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ Matthew 5:3

The Body of Christ

2008-09-22T11:40:00.000-04:00

I recently accepted an offer to become the Outreach Coordinator for a ministry based out of Southeast Raleigh called Neighbor to Neighbor (n2noutreach.org). It comes after a long year of God opening doors and giving me opportunities and then for reasons I can't explain, taking them away and closing those doors. The list is exhaustive as far as what I've looked into and pursued. In some cases I've gone just about as far as you can go and all I had to do was say 'yes' but God made it clear that I had to say 'no'. I have a peace about this situation though. It really is an amazing opportunity that I'm going to be stepping into.

I’ve gotten a lot of interesting responses from people when they hear about my new job.

I’ve had some people be genuinely interested in hearing about the ministry and why I’m pursuing that. But I’ve had an overwhelming amount of people give me a puzzled look with a Rob Burgandy-esque “good for you??” followed by "we need people like you." I still haven't figured out a good response for that..

For the last week, I've been reminded and humbled when reflecting on the importance and the functionality of the Body of Christ or the Church.

Read 1 Corinthians chapter 12. It'll get you pumped up about being a part of the Church. It's easy to wrongly place people on a pedestal based upon what they choose to do with their lives (occupation, acts of service, etc.). And it's just as easy to do the opposite. Condemn others and place ourselves upon the pedestal. That's not how it works though.

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Different gifts, different kinds of service, and different kinds of working, but the same Spirit, Lord and God.

God equips each person with a different set of gifts and talents that are tailored for His service and His work (Ephesians 2:10). God calls people to pursue full time ministry, corporate business jobs, public office, parenting, you name it. Neither one is a higher or a more noble calling if that is what God is calling you to pursue.

As the Church we are many parts but one body (verse 20). It's humbling to be reminded of that.

It's also encouraging for me to know that God calls people to enter into the God-less parts of society and is able to use them to change laws and practices that systematically oppress people and for them to battle structural sin from the top.

Take the story of Esther for example.. the only thing I ever knew about that book growing up was that God was not mentioned in that particular book. But instead of it just being cool trivia, what if it's a testament to having to go into those God-less parts of society to take on structural sin? Esther wins a beauty pagent, gets in with the king, finds out about this plot to kill the jews, and is able to persuade the king against doing that. She is able to use her royal position and influence the king who has the final say.

How much different would our lives be if we viewed it as if we were in each moment for a purpose, that God placed us in each situation for us to act, and that wherever we are, He's prepared us 'for such a time as this'.

The Body of Christ, just like the Christian faith, is designed to be holistic, integral, and balanced. We just need to be patient, listen, and be obedient as we ask, seek, and knock..

Oldies but Goodies

2008-09-14T15:41:00.000-04:00

I recently stumbled upon my old journal that kept from the summer of 2007. I spent it working with an urban ministry in East Garfield Park on the west side of Chicago. To say the least, my experience there continues to impact every facet of my life. My worldview has been drastically altered by my experiences there..

A big theme of my writings revolved around the decisions I make. Looking back on my journal a year removed, I realize that I am still struggling to answer the same questions I was asking myself a year ago.

I was taken aback by how segregated the city of Chicago was. You could literally cross certain streets and it would change from being predominantly african-american to predominantly latino or predominantly white. And the select neighborhoods that had more of a diverse mix didn't mean that it was a peaceful harmonious situation. It meant that gentrification had begun and it was only a matter of time before the poor were displaced. So you could imagine the angst this creates..

So the obvious question I then asked myself was 'why do I choose to live where I do?' It's a question I've never given much thought to, or explored in depth. However I can see how subconsciously I rule out certain areas and places.

I was challenged to look at scripture through a different lens and what resulted was life-changing. Mostly simple stuff, but profound nonetheless..

Something that became fascinating to me was studying Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus, in agony and distress, prays that we will be brought to complete unity and that we will be 'one'.

"I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17:22-23

The Gospel reconciles us to each other and that doesn't just include crossing denominational or theological lines. It requires us to cross racial, socioeconomic, and gender lines as well (see John 4). At no point would I have argued against that, but it had never become a reality to me.

I don't think I'm alone when I say this, but most of us have been riddled for years (20+ years for me) of having our culture and the media instilling assumptions, stereotypes, and fear about those racially different then us. Maybe that's why I feel such a strong calling to be involved in ministry that values racial reconciliation and views it as being necessary to bring about God's kingdom.

So one year later, lease running out, new job looming, I'm faced with more of the same questions. There are some quotes at the end of my journal that still resonate to me today. I don't know where these quotes were generated from, I'm assuming I read it one of the many books I read in that summer, or it came from a sermon or talk I heard I heard that summer, or maybe I'm just real intellectual..

"If we are not a part of the ethnic solution then we are inherently a part of the ethnic divide."

Which is then followed by this phrase in bold:

Ask, Seek, Knock..

2008-09-06T13:34:00.000-04:00

"The disciples came to him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’ " Matthew 13:10

“This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” Matthew 13:13-17

"Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable." Matthew 13:34

Why didn't Jesus speak in a more direct way?

Jesus resists being clear and direct. It's rare for Jesus to ever answer a question directly. His answers invoke more questions, involve stories, and are full of metaphors. Jesus chooses mystery over clarity. This undoubtedly conjures up confusion and frustration. WHY would Jesus do this??

I believe Jesus gives us and respects our free will. Parables and stories don’t coerce us into an understanding of Jesus or a relationship with Jesus. They respect our free will, our dignity, and leaves us free to discover, ask more questions, seek answers, and ultimately choose for ourselves.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, Seek, Knock..

However the process of asking, seeking, and knocking involves periods of waiting, patience, desire, persistence, frustration, and silence. We cling to the promise that when we ask, seek, and knock, that the door will be opened (verse 8). What’s painful is that it may take a while. (Psalm 77)

I've come to the conclusion that there are no easy answers or obvious explanations. Maybe that why I've always been told that the Bible is the living word of God. You can revisit scripture time and time again and because there are layers upon layers built into Jesus’ teachings. Not just one answer or one explanation.

Jesus requires us to continually depend on him and not in our independent thinking. He desires us to hear with our ears, see with our eyes, and understand with our hearts. And to do that we need to:

Ask, Seek, Knock..

Excessive Confidence.

2008-08-31T11:25:00.000-04:00

"...a disease shared by the Christian religion.. ..excessive confidence." - Brian McLaren 'Everything Must Change'

At first read I gave a slight 'hm..' and kept on. But then I came back and read it again. Lightbulb moment. And as my mind went through the process of taking the words on the page and applying them to tangible events in history, it was like playing connect the dots. Accept every time I connected a dot I just shook my head in disgust.

Throughout history kings, dictators, presidents, white supremists, and those who have held power and privilege have wrongly used faith as justification to push their own personal agendas. They’ve perverting scripture and Jesus to defend their own rationale or to protect the status quo. And what's scary is what they practiced and preached was not only tolerated by those that followed, but accepted and adopted as truth. And what’s even scarier is the level of certainty in which they carried it out.

Hitler viewed Jesus as a 'fighter' and that his greatest moment was when he was a fighter and not a sufferer. He also viewed the eradication of the Jews as 'fighting for the work of the Lord'. Scary..

White supremists held the stance that Africans were descendants from Cain, and that the mark that God left on Cain (Genesis 4:15) was ‘black skin’. In Genesis 9:25-27 Noah curses his son Ham (father of Canaan) and states that he will be a slave to his brothers. Thus giving them Biblical justification for their racism and enslavement of Africans. Real Scary..

Some broad instances include the crusades, the holocaust, witch trials, slavery, and abortion clinic bombings to name a few.

Philippians 3 talks about how our confidence should be in Christ and not in our own flesh, and it preludes with a stern warning to ‘watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.’ The same ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ that Jesus warns us about (Matthew 7:15).

My point is to not be a downer or a pessimist but I think the confidence that we are supposed to have in Christ needs to be revisited. The message and teachings of Jesus need to be revisited. We need to look at God’s word with a fresh perspective. We need to look to Christ alone for direction and strength.

We need the pray for wisdom and the ability to discern what we hear and read from others, and not just agree with it. We need to approach podcasts we listen to, books we read, opinions of others, politicians we like, etc with skepticism. Not to be postmodern, or to be an elitist, or to be one that cannot trust anyone or anything, but rather someone who can guard themselves against those wolves in sheep’s clothing that Jesus warns us about. And take what we hear and read and hold it up to scripture and prayer to determine its validity.

Our confidence should come from Christ alone, and not in our, or anybody else's, opinions/interpretations.

'...the Mainstream?'

2008-08-16T19:36:00.000-04:00

Recently I was asked a question that completely caught me off guard, but not because I didn't have thoughts on this particular topic, but more so because it came at a time when the topic of conversation revolved probably around something trivial like sports, so literally out of the blue...

"What do you think it'll take for African-American youth to join the mainstream..?"

And my immediate response was, "What exactly do you mean by 'the mainstream'?"

And after further conversation it was broken down into much more manageable 'PC' kind of questions, questions that revolved around education, gangs, housing, culture, etc.

I don't exactly remember where the conversation went from there, but some of the questions that spawned are ones that I've been struggling with for the last couple of years. These questions paint with a broad brush so there are obvious exceptions, but for example, why do minority and poor youth end up at low performing/low funded schools? Why is the draw to join a gang so powerful? Why do minorities and the poor live in deteriorating communities? Why are schools, neighborhoods, and the workplace still for the most part homogeneous? The list goes on and the list is long.

The mainstream Christian would argue that the absence of Jesus is the reason issues such as these exist, and that if 'Jesus' were present in their lives and in their communities that it would alleviate these issues. Or that the problem is systemic so it’s the Governments job to find the solution. Or that this is simply a matter of personal responsibility. Or it’s just the way the world is and despite our efforts evil and brokenness will remain.

Ultimately the answers to these types of questions aren’t quick and easy. Often times when you dive deeper and seek answers you will end up with even more troubling questions.

Despite your stance on the source of the ‘solution’, here’s another question to ask yourself if you haven’t already, what does Jesus have to say about this?

Is our sole purpose as followers of Jesus to get as many people on our boat as the world sinks? Or does following Jesus mean getting our hands dirty with the injustices of today?

I believe a personal relationship with Jesus and following him has everything to do with fighting injustice and defending the poor. But at the same time it's dangerous to minimize the personal, redemptive, healing, and transforming power that Jesus has in our individual lives.

The Christian faith should be holistic, integral and balanced.

(See Isaiah 1, Matthew 9:12, Matthew 25:31-46)

take a read, chew on it, let it simmer. more later..

Here We GO...

2008-07-25T00:21:00.000-04:00

I don't know what to think as I enter into the world of blogging. The few times I kept a journal of my thoughts and what I was learning I loved it. It was always amazing for me to be able to put things in writing and be able to look back on it.

However a huge problem arose. My mind is on speed and my hand is like molasses. So typing works much better for me rather than writing on a page.

I don't know who will end up reading this. I'll make a decision later whether I'll leak my blog to friends. For those that might read this, you might be asking yourself, "Pat, why don't you just type thoughts on a word document and just save it on your computer?" And that crossed my mind, but it'd feel like I'd be writing a paper or something, and this blogging thing feels completely different..

So with that said, Here We GO...