Have you not heard?

Mark Driscoll on Joplin, MO

2009-04-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

So currently, I am reading Mark Driscoll's book, "Confessions of a Reformission Rev.: Hard Lessons From an Emerging Missional Church" (great book, btw, I would highly recommend it!) and I came across a very humorous analysis he gives about Joplin, MO.

"We have added a number of new elders. One of them is a very bright young man in his twenties named Mike, who moved from Joplin, Missouri, to Seattle to work at Microsoft. I have taught at conferences in Joplin a few times and must report that it is among the most peculiar places on earth. First every item on every menu at every restaurant comes covered in gravy. Second, the town is filled with large fireworks stands because rednecks apparently like things that blow up. Third, the big emloyer in town is FAG ball bearings, and the town is filled with large white billboards that simply say FAG in large black letters (I am not making this up)." (page 156)

Having lived in southwest Missouri my whole life, and currently living in Springfield (only an hour from Joplin) I can personally attest that all three of these are true, and I can also attest that Joplin is certainly one of the weirdest places I have visited as well. Pastor Mark, if you ever read this blog post, here are a couple things you need to know:

1. Spend most of your time in Springfield if you come here; too much time spent in Joplin will make you crazy.

2. Fireworks are fun, and we do like to blow things up. There's not as much to do with our free time here as there is in Seattle.

3. We are not all rednecks in SWMO, and I enjoy making fun of them as much as you probably do.

4. About FAG bearings...well, actually, I don't think I need to say more. You pretty much covered that.

What places do you think are weird? What things about those places make them weird?

Ryan Ferguson Recites Hebrews 9 and 10

2009-04-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hebrews was written as a sermon in written form (due to the author's reluctant absence from the body he was writing to). Thus, it is intended to be preached orally to the audience. Ryan Ferguson has the right idea!

Obsessed

2009-04-01T23:23:00.001-07:00

So I have a new (or relatively new) obsession. Can anyone guess what it is?

Well, if you guessed...

then you win the jackpot. (Sadly, I'm broke, so you'll have to settle with a pat on the back)

For all of you out there who don't know, Google is the best thing since whatever the last best thing was!!!

Yeah, yeah, we all know you can do a Google search for pretty much anything on the WWW. But if that is all ya'll use Google for, you're definitely missing out. So for all you Google novices out there, I'm going to give you a little taste of heaven (aka Google previews).

(Cue shameless plug and free advertisement for Google)

Google Pack

Chrome (best web browser in the world; Firefox and IE have nothing on this one!)
Gmail (if its not your default email account, get with the times)
Docs (who knew you could create, edit and share documents through Google?)
Calendar (blows Outlook out of the water!)
Chat (IM client through your Gmail address)
Earth (satellite photography, 3d buildings, even outer space)
Picasa (upload all your pics to an online photo album)
and more

Blogger (the web's most popular blog engine)

Maps

Search Engine

Youtube (if you don't know what youtube is, do us a favor and stay off the internet, please!!)

1-800-GOOG-411 (free directory assistance; or text the keyword to 466453)

Google Checkout (PayPal is a thing of the past for all you eBayers)

Google Reader (never miss an important blog update and share comments on your friends' blogs)

and more!!!

And Google makes it even easier with products like Google Desktop (included in Google Pack) and iGoogle.

And for you lucky ones like me, you can even use all of Google's awesome (and always-free) services on your cell phone, including Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Documents, Chat, and more.

So go, my young Google apprentices, and explore all that it has to offer you. Then come back and share with me (via my blog comment section) which Google products you enjoy the most.

Paradoxes

2009-03-31T19:09:00.001-07:00

I am a paradox. (My apologies to Sister if this sets the tone for the entire blog reading and causes your brain to explode.)

Reading through some blogs and subsequent blog comments the other day, I came across this comment: "At some points I feel like I am looking right directly into your eyes and at other times I am looking up at you. I have disciplined myself to look at others higher than myself." I immediately had to reread the comment again, and the lightbulb of conviction (ya'll know what I'm talking about) flicked on in my head.

As I sat pondering this comment, conviction poured over me. I realised that this is not how I generally treat people in my life. At least in my mind, I tend to categorise people based on how much enjoyment I get out of spending time with them, or on what they can do for me. Rarely (if ever) do I consider what they are hiding behind the facade they show the world. I never consider their struggles, and if I do, it is generally with an internal attitude of disdain.

God knows I have struggles of my own. Bad ones. Ones I tend to keep on their leash when others are around. But its like my brain has a disconnect in it. When I judge someone for the struggles they have, I never stop to consider the fact that I am no better than they are.

Today, when reading this blog comment, the Lord convicted me about how prideful I really am.

How I tend to look down on people in their imperfections.

How I carry myself like I'm better than so-and-so.

And then, the paradox.

I am so insecure with myself sometimes. In certain social settings, I feel inadequate. I feel as though people can see right through me. Can see my struggles, my fears, my sinful ways.

Maybe I use my pride / judgments to cover up these insecurities. Maybe I use assertiveness to hide my awkwardness in certain social settings. But why?

I want to be able to look a person in the eyes and have compassion on them when I see in them a struggle I find myself dealing with as well. I want to feel that empathy that comes from connecting on a level deeper than the superficial, day-to-day level on which most people interact. And I want to be able to look up to those people who are real and vulnerable enough to be open and honest enough to reveal their insecurities and struggles.

Many times in the Gospels, Jesus, teaching his "kingdom ethics" (most of which turn the ethics of worldly kingdoms on their heads), honors humility:

the first shall be last, and the last shall be first

he who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted

whoever is greatest among you, let him be your servant

This is the paradox of Jesus' 'kingdom' ethics. To live in this world, but to live as members of a different Kingdom, and as such, to abide by the 'laws' (if you will) of that Kingdom.

Compassion. Empathy. Humility. These are all characteristics that every person possesses to some degree or another. But do we allow our lives to be dominated by them? No. Do we allow them to govern our interactions with fellow human beings, believers and non-believers alike? No.

When a person is at their lowest point in life, whether because of poor choices, broken relationships, job loss, the loss of a loved one, or whatever the case may be, do we demonstrate Christ's love to them and share in their pain? Or do we kick them and beat them up even more, forcing them to feel even more isolated in their pain and struggles? Do we step out of our comfort zones and bring comfort to those who need it the most?

I offer as an alternative that we begin obeying Christ's command -- "deny yourselves, take up your cross daily and follow me". We don't carry crosses alone; not even Jesus carried His alone. When I see someone struggling to survive under the heavy loads he bears -- loads of sin, temptation, internal struggles -- instead of standing there with my square stance and my arms crossed over my chest, amusing myself with someone else's pain, perhaps I should extend a helping hand, look him square in the eyes, and show him that his pain is my pain, that his burden is my burden, and that I am going to help him carry that burden as far as need be.

This is the friend I want to be, and this is the Christ-follower I am called to be.

So maybe next time I see a person being real about their struggles, reaching out for another human being to feel a warm embrace or to know they're not all alone in this vast universe, maybe I will take a moment to consider my struggles. Maybe I will look him deeply in the eyes and see the pain inside his soul and I will realise that his pain is my pain.

Or maybe I will discipline myself to look at others as higher than myself. As someone I can look up to as a model of Christ-like behavior. It goes against normal human behavior, but as members of a New Kingdom, it is the only way. And it is a paradox.

Covenant (Part 1)

2009-03-10T13:43:00.001-07:00

God is always communicating with His people. Throughout history, God speaks. And many times He uses people as His means of speaking to the world (notable exceptions include pillars of cloud and fire, burning bushes, random donkeys, etc.).

The Israelites, who had entered into a sacred covenant relationship with God on Mount Sinai, have, over and over again, broken covenant with God. They were called out of their oppression and bondage in slavery and brought out into a life of freedom by God in order to be a reflection upon the earth of this "God who Delivers". Their covenant with God is the means by which God will reveal who He is to the entire world. Israel, by remembering who this God is and what He has done for them by delivering them from an oppressive, evil nation, is supposed to become the antithesis of Egypt: they are to become a nation who shows compassion upon the poor, brings liberation to the oppressed, and treats everyone with justice and righteousness.

But they fail.

Over and over again.

As Israel settles into the Promised Land--a land where they are free from bondage--they begin to enslave the people who live in that land. And as the nation grows, so does Israel's likeness to Egypt, until, by the time of King Solomon, slave labor is used to build the very temple in which this liberating God is to be worshiped. Ironic, huh?

As Israel's wealth grows and its kingdom expands, so does its military strength. King Solomon builds military outposts and imports horses and chariots from Egypt in order to protect...

The oppressed?

The poor?

The outcasts?

No. He strengthens Israel's military in order to protect the vast amounts of wealth and power that he has accumulated, and to continue propagating the oppression of the less fortunate. The covenant seems to be all but forgotten.

But some people in Israel do not follow the status quo. They have not forgotten the covenant they had made with God on Sinai. These dissenters--prophets, they are called--step up and allow their voices to be heard.

They speak for God.

For the covenant.

For those being enslaved.

They have not forgotten Moses' warnings about what will happen to Israel if she breaks covenant with God. They have not forgotten the deliverance that brought them out of slavery in the first place. And, speaking as God's mouthpiece, they protest the evils that Israel is propagating. Israel has become complacent. Israel has taken advantage of their freedom. And if they do not honor the covenant that they have made with God, they may very well end up back where they started.

In the Egypt of slavery and bondage.

Are their voices heard?

Does Israel listen to God?

Does Israel honor the covenant she made with him?

Are the slaves freed and oppression ended and military might diminished?

As the story goes, a new empire rises up, taking Israel captive, killing many and taking many others as slaves. Their entitlement to the special position as "the people of God" only goes so far. They are back where they started.

The oppressed have become the oppressors, who become the oppressed again.

Stay tuned for part 2, coming soon.

Captionize 1

2009-02-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

Alright everyone, as part of my new blog, one of my weekly postings is going to be "Captionize". Here are the rules of engagement: Every Wednesday, I will post a randomly selected picture on my blog and provide a few possible captions that I think are entertaining/outlandish/downright hilarious. In my comments section, you as my wonderful blog-readers will have the opportunity to vote on which caption you like the best. Or if you are feeling creative, feel free to post your own caption and we will see which caption(s) are the most popular.

For this week, here is the picture:

Caption #1: France's military draft.

Caption #2: San Francisco welfare queue.

Caption #3: Mattel releases a new line of Ken dolls; Barbie commits suicide.

A New Era

2009-02-18T19:18:00.000-08:00

Well, a new era has begun in the blogosphere. Thats right!! Matt has decided to start blogging (again) and what better way than to create a new blog. Previously, I was blogging at www.onceinagreatwhile.blogspot.com, but I decided a new change was in order. For those of you who know me well, you will probably throw your head back and laugh heartily at me and say, "Oh you silly Matt, you won't keep up a regular blog." Well, mon frere, you might be right. Or wrong. The important thing is, I am going to make a concerted effort to post several times a week on here. So be sure you check back regularly and PLEASE, for the love of Jebus...leave comments!!!