To Switch or not to Switch?

Somebody help me! I've been trying to decide whether or not to abandon 15 years of faithful PC use to join the growing ranks of Apple users. I hate to admit it but it just seems they now make a far superior product. Any comments, suggestions or ultimate solutions would be greatly appreciated.

I realize that for those of you who are not so dependent on your laptops that it's like an extension of your body may not understand how like a spiritual crisis this decision is. On the road from Eden to Zion these days one must pack a laptop and the time may have come to partake in the forbidden fruit to continue the journey.

Laptop journey thus far Toshiba -> Dell -> HP -> Better HP -> Alienware -> ?

From Garden to City: Exploring Our Collective Journey

Both at Theology on Tap and on Sammy's blog we're beginning to explore this question - why is paradise originally described as a Garden and why does it culminate in a city?

I feel I'm just beginning to explore this topic but here are a few thoughts in process -

1. Layers of Perfection: This discussion challenges my definition of perfection. The Garden of Eden was perfect but perfection is only one dimension of growth. I always assumed it was the only dimension, but now I've realized that can't be. At what point does an artist create the perfect work. The scale of perfection does not even begin to describe the value of art and likewise perfection is merely the environment or the canvas on which things can develop. Eden was perfect but it was NOT the end only the beginning. Zion is a further improvement that humanity can only enjoy at a greater degree of maturity. Luke tells us that Jesus grew in wisdom. Some might wonder how a perfect being can gain wisdom but wisdom is a different dimension. I believe, as bizarre as it might sound, that when Adam and Eve fell in the garden they lost their holiness but they increased in wisdom. This does not justify their action but it may explain one of the reasons it was allowed. They gained the knowledge of good and evil. They did not know that God was good until the Fall because they had never tasted evil. Zion will be a place of far greater wisdom than Eden and I believe it will encompass other improvements that make its form as a city necessary. From garden to city is a journey from innocence to maturity.

2. The purpose of gardens and cities. A garden is designed for discovery, a city is built for progress. When all the peoples of the Earth came together at Babel to form one city God confused their languages because humanity did not have the maturity for that level of collaboration. God intended us to remain on this journey and to not begin a world-wide collaboration that would make unlimited progress possible. In Zion our redeemed state and lifelong wisdom will be rewarded with the privilege of uninhibited collaborations. Imagine minds like Einstein, Newton and Hawking with purified motives and limitless lifespans creating and building this future Kingdom. Imagine the artistic collaboration. Zion is the ultimate unleashing of this process. In a documentary about New York someone described foundation of the city as an "exchange of ideas". The diversity of resources and the relative proximity of inhabitants makes the city the obvious venue for the next stage of our existence.

3. Journey's End - Living in a city is the restful reward of a journey accomplished. We are here to learn to walk by faith. Abraham lived in tents his whole life and resisted the temptation to live in a city (unlike his nephew Lot) because, as Hebrews tells us, "he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." Imagine that! All cities on Earth, even in all their grandeur, are poor reflections of Zion. Donald Trump would blush at the comparison between what he has built and that future city.

Implications - So given this journey how should we live? We live in this awkward state between Eden and Zion where we must balance a life lived by faith and a growing maturity toward city living without embracing a counterfeit city life. When God cursed Cain he told him to be a restless wander and the first thing he does is disobey and build a city. Earthly cities are at the same time humanities greatest achievement and our most shameful rebellion. I think it is no coincidence that the most mature non-Christians I know desire to give their lives in the service of building a better city. Perhaps this is because it is our journey's end and what we were created to experience, however, we must avoid the subtle danger of becoming content with building mud castles on the beach in the shadow of a castle designed for a King (metaphor by CS Lewis).

Ash Wednesday Thoughts...

"The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service, the fruit of service is peace."

"Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness."

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

"Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world."

Quotes from Mother Teresa

Should we observe lent?

I'm a huge fan of following a annual cycle of events that allow you to learn and experience all the aspects of our faith in a balanced and rhythmic way.

Non-Catholics like me who begin to long for these faith rooting traditions typically begin this practice by observing lent - a 40 day period of fasting before Easter.

As I wrestled through whether or not to participate I kept asking questions like -

* What is the overall purpose?
* Why 40 days?
* How does this event fit into the rhythm of the year?

As I probed deeper I began to realize that this event has a very similar purpose to the Jewish high holy days and Yom Kippur in particular where Jews fast and focus on holiness.

Jewish festivals almost always last one-week because they develop rhythm of sevens (7 days, 7 years and 7x7 year to the year of Jubilee) as established by God in the Torah.

I went to the Catholic Encyclopedia to understand the origin of lent and they explain that the Apostles seemed to implement a period of preparation for Easter but it was only one week and was changed to a 40 day period around 300AD.

So let me state my question succinctly - Why should we Protestants "return to our roots" and honor our Catholic heritage if that means following the traditions of a church that completely rejected their Jewish roots in almost every way.

To follow the Catholic calendar established by church tradition with no regard for the Torah means continuing to abandon the Torah calendar established by God.

Yes, I think its fine to add things to the Torah calendar but it should be done to supplement what is already there and not to replace this God given annual rhythm.

It’s wonderful to have an annual rhythm of events but those events must be carefully balanced. It doesn't make sense to spend one week focusing on holiness in the Fall during Yom Kippur and then focus on it again for 40 more days in the winder for Lent.

Shouldn't we spend the week leading up to Easter as Jesus did - focusing on Passover first (our freedom from the slavery of sin by the power of God) and then celebrate the events that led to that freedom - Christ's death burial and resurrection?

From Generation to Generation

Kingdom Living

It's late. The smell of Plumcake tobacco has settled deep into my clothes. I've just returned from "Theology on Tap"- a gathering of men from our community who discuss the deeper points of our journey toward that future city around pint and pipe.

We talked briefly about why we're gathering. I kept thinking about that line from Dead Poet's Society when the teacher told his students something like - "You study math and science to learn how to live, but what we do here is experience what we live for."

We study about God's Kingdom, we seek to expand God's Kingdom, we cultivate God's Kingdom in our hearts but there comes a time when you must simply enjoy God's Kingdom; to enjoy the fruit of redeemed relationships; to enjoy good food and drink; to enjoy the peace that only comes from knowing you've been set free; to know that the Kingdom of God has come and its a good place to be.

The Birth of a New Church

Today marks the beginning point of our church in Fort Thomas.

I'm at the Mammoth Coffee shop in Newport, alone, pondering the meaning of this new thing about to come into existence.

What does it mean to plant a church in a neighborhood where no church currently exists?

The words of John 1:14 keep recurring to me - "The Word [Jesus] became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes..." (The Message)

Over 2000 years ago Jesus became a human being and moved into a small rural village in the northern region of one of Rome's farthest provinces. He came to us, where we live and He came to bring us life.

When Jesus left He sent His Spirit to inhabit the spirits of His followers and declared that the collection of them was His body. The church IS the body of Christ - the physical representative of Christ on this Earth.

So what does it mean when a church moves into a new neighborhood? It means that Jesus Himself - His body - is moving into the neighborhood. The presence of Christ is now living in a little insignificant neighborhood in the north end of Fort Thomas - where me and my family now live.

To the degree that our little band of Christ followers keep in step with the Holy Spirit is the degree to which we, and those in our neighborhood, will encounter Jesus. What a marvelous, mysterious, high and humbling calling, to be the church.

The body of Christ.

Blatherings on Family

Just wrote these rather incoherent thoughts regarding family to a great series of questions posited by a friend. Thought I should put this on public display so ya'll can let me know if I've lost what's left of my mind...

"Overall I must say that this decision about children for me was one step in a long process of changing my entire paradigm about family. It’s difficult for people with a Western mindset to ever understand a passage like Psalm 127. It fits perfectly within a Semitic world-view. I believe our whole concept of family is way out of line and these questions we have (April and I included) about family planning are really symptoms of a much larger issue – an unbiblical view of family (it goes way beyond whether or not you think of kids as a blessing).

We’re a long way from a family like Abraham and Sarah that had over 1000 people in their household, multiple businesses, and lived everyday for the promise of many blessed descendants.

We still live in a world where powerful families rule (think of the last 100 year in America – Roosevelt's, Kennedy's, Bush's etc…) but are taught to think micro thoughts about family. Family is an extremely culturally conditioned concept and it’s nearly impossible to reshape ones view but we’re trying…

One example – You asked if there are some people built to have large families and other who are not. The western answer is obvious…yes. If you have lots of energy and get lots of fulfillment out of kids have lots and if not then limit the number. The Semitic answer is not to consider your energy level or fulfillment level but to consider your family resources. Everyone (in the Semitic world) wants to have as many kids as possible but the number is only limited to the number of passive resources you can leverage to care for your large family. Because these families almost always build family businesses children are ultimately an asset not a liability. There is no greater calling than a calling to serve your family (family=extended as well as future).

April and I have researched the beginning of influential families that have multi-generational impact and without exception they begin by launching family businesses (the above three examples of American families are all cases in point). Having multiple streams of passive income changes the way you think in almost everyway. I think we talked about this at your house a while back but I keep harping on it because I think it’s usually the first step to this new way of thinking.

The next thing you need in order to change your paradigm at a really deep level is you have to change your basic narrative (your story of what the good life is all about). Having a narrative like – grow-up, go to college, get a good job, get married, get more college, get a better job, raise a good family, retire…is totally different from a Semitic narrative about life where you see your life as one in a stream and if you decide to be the Abraham and Sarah of your lineage then you will see yourself and your life as a foundation stone for generations to come instead of seeing your life as a complete cycle with beginning middle and end.

Virtually all ancient cultures – Korean, Italian, Jews, Greeks, Chinese etc… share this basic view of family. Americans are part of a new, very shallow, self-centered culture that is basically incapable of thinking this way. You can find hundreds of common threads in these ancient cultures but in cultures steeped in Enlightenment thinking (which includes most of Western Europe and their American descendants) you’ll find arising our modern short-sighted, me-centered, one or at the most two generational approach to family."

OK...I'd love your feedback on this.

What do you think of the American view of family?
What do you think we've lost that these ancient cultures can teach us?
Is there any hope that we can regain what we've lost?
Is this just a matter of preference and culture or is their a single, superior way to view the family?

Getting to know your neighbors

Now that we're in a new neighborhood I've been thinking of ways to get to know the neighbors.

Here are parts of three articles that list various ways. Some are good some not so much but the ideas are getting me thinking...please feel free to add ideas to these by leaving a comment.

Article 1 -

Organize a block party. Recognize that in our desire to live in a healthy community, we share mutual values. We care that our neighborhoods are safe, that our properties are maintained or that local ordinances give us protection or take away our control. Coordinating a potluck to bring neighbors together is a significant first step in exploring common ground.

Map your block by including names of adults and children and other pertinent information. Make note of any residents with special needs and those who are at home during the day. Become more familiar with children or pets who live on the street. Include this information on your map and share it at your block party. While talking over good food, bring up issues that are of common importance to the group. Some concerns might be good lawn or babysitter services. Or you might want to discuss zoning issues that would affect the composition of the neighborhood. Record these ideas for future reference.

Organize block cooperatives. Coops can be formed around a number of common interests, such as babysitting, outdoor maintenance services or providing transportation for an older neighbor. You might, for example, consider undertaking these tasks in exchange for pet-sitting services.

Organize a block project. Use the information that comes out of a block party to channel groups to action. It might be a spring alley cleanup, expanding an area park to include a skateboard area, or painting a neighbor's house. Constructing a community Garden and scheduling its upkeep are excellent ways to keep neighbors interacting on an on-going basis. At the end of the growing season, hold a community harvest festival. Use that time to plan a fall or holiday activity. Keep the momentum going by establishing a Neighborhood Watch program.

Article 2 -

I have discovered some principles that I believe will help you take this journey. I call them F.I.R.S.T. Conversations – initial conversations with neighbors, or other strangers, that will help you move toward the personal invite into your biblically functioning community. Consider asking questions like these.

F. Family – Most people love to talk about their family. They will tell you about their kids, background, where they moved from, etc. This is a great connecting point especially if you have seen their family out in the yard or driveway.

I. Income – Where are they employed? Do both parents work outside the home? Do you have flextime in your schedule? What time in the evening do you make it home? It is important for you to understand your neighbors' schedules, and to respect their time as a family as well as encourage community involvement.

R. Recreation – What do they enjoy doing - camping, skiing, etc.? This type of information will help you engage the neighbor further by planning group activities that would be appealing to them.

S. Spiritual Interest – Here is where you seek more to understand them than to be understood by them. Utilize spiritual dialogue from movies like Ghost, The Sixth Sense, and even newer movies like Birth. Did you grow up in a church atmosphere? When you attend church, where do you attend? These questions will allow you to gauge the spiritual interest of your neighbors, and give you necessary information when seeking ways to minister to them.

T. Try an Activity – Eventually you simply have to "make the ask." Most unchurched people admit they would accept an invitation to "come over" if someone asked them. This same principle applies to home groups or social activities. Do our best to plan neighbor-friendly activities, and then reach out and ask them to join you.

Most importantly, get out and be with the people you are trying to reach. Ask God each day to give you the vision for the people around you that He has. Offer helping hands whenever possible and listen to their stories as much as you can. Once you have heard their stories, you will most likely be able to share your story as well. Then you will be able to respond to them in the best possible manner.Because

I have chosen to push past my neighbor anxiety, I have already engaged in some meaningful relationships on my cul-de-sac by utilizing the F.I.R.S.T. Conversations. As you step out in faith, I am confident that you, too, will discover that your best friends just might live two doors down."

Article 3 -

Pray
As you start each day, pray that God will fill you with His Holy Spirit so you will be in tune with His plans. Make sure there's no sin you are refusing to confess. Then invite God to take control of your thoughts, motives, actions, speech--everything.

Open your eyes
Ask God to show you your neighborhood, the people in your sphere of influence. Don't limit yourself to the family next door. Remember, the Good Samaritan was far from home when he was neighborly.

Ponder
As God brings people to your mind, evaluate your relationship with them. What do you know about their life or their needs that would give you an opportunity to show you care?

Plan
Now, make a conscious effort to pursue a relationship by setting aside time for them. It may involve extending hospitality, perhaps inviting someone over for coffee or hosting a block party at Christmas. If your schedule seems too full, consider decreasing the number of your regular activities.

Serve
As you get to know your neighbors, listen. Find out what they enjoy, what they struggle with, what motivates them. As you listen, you'll also discover ways in which you can become more involved in their life. Can you babysit at the last minute? Do they need help shovelling the sidewalk?

Give
Give gifts. Time is often the most precious gift, but sometimes a card or a batch or cookies says a lot too.

Be yourself
Be honest about your own life. We don't have to pretend to be perfect. In fact, when we're honest about our struggles, it's an opportunity to explain how knowing Christ makes a difference in our life.

Be bold
And finally, don't be afraid to share how you came to know the Lord. Being a Christian is part of who you are and as you share your spiritual pilgrimage, it will help establish a relationship of trust.

As you build bridges with your neighbors, believe God is at work in their heart. Too often we buy the lie that people don't want to know God, so we don't even attempt to get involved in their lives. Have an expectant attitude. Remember, Jesus came to seek and save the lost and He has not resigned!