Serving the poor ain't popular

So, church today rocked. Imagine this, we talked about *gasp* racism, classism, prejudice, etc. It was great. We came to talk about it via our current series (don't remind me how megachurchy that is..)on Headline news. Our pastor started off with the struggle in the Gaza Strip, with the evacuation of Israelites and the resulting Israelite/Palestinian violence against one another.

He didn't get into who is wrong or right. He did not wave the, "America, protector of the Israelites, God's chosen people" flag. Rather, Tim (the pastor) discussed how Jesus tore down those walls of separation and division. He incorporated Jesus's interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well, as well as his choice to make a Samaritan the protagonist of his later parable, aptly titled, "The Good Samaritan." Although it is not yet posted, in a few days or weeks, you will be able to find the entire message here under Aug. 21/22. It will be up sometime this week. Don't worry, I won't let you forget it in a few weeks, I'll post another entry when it is up.

In other news, and purely by chance (or God, or something), our church made the front page of the Chicago Trib today. Although the story is cast in a controversial way, in order to sell papers,that's not the real story. Our church is starting a campus in Pilsen, not to "save" all the Catholics like the article implies, but as a natural outpouring of our church's mission to serve the poor and to break down the walls that divide us all.

Part of our church's mission is:

Reconcile with people of different cultural and economic backgrounds. CCC has a church presence in culturally and economically diverse communities so that all people can reconcile with God and with each other.

Redistribute their financial and material resources to assist under-resourced communities. CCC attendees contribute to and support organizations, schools, businesses, and other churches as we help meet the felt needs (physical, spiritual, educational, economic, and social) in struggling communities.

Relocate to under-resourced communities. CCC attendees live, work, and serve with indigenous leaders from struggling communities.


Also, the Sunday that made me post about our church few weeks ago has the sermon now available.

I don't write this to brag about "my" church. I just feel such a thankfulness to God that he has given me the awesome privilege to feel accepted and in tune with a church family, for the first time ever in my 25 years. This congregation has been so therapeutic for me, undoing years of negative and abusive doctrine and church experience. But I am also sad, because I know this place is not where God has called me forever, and I want to stay because it just feels so darn uplifting to be where people are willing to answer God's call and do His work.

It's amazing that God brought me to a conservative, private, evangelical, Christian college in the white suburbs of Chicago to teach me about poverty. We attend church in the #3 "best place to live" in the nation (for rich people, that is) for Godto take me out of my comfort zone and make me meet everyone He loves, head on in such a place. That, to me, is a miracle.

Patriotism and the War in Iraq...

So, my mom's older brother (he turned 50 this year), my Uncle, is a pastor of a SBC church in Virginia. Before that he was in Georgia. He has his M.Div. from an SBC seminary. He's not as uptight as you would think. He loves beer and a good cigar. But my mother wonders why his emails provoke my ire. Below are the two forwards that I received today. One is an image, the other is supposedly a joke...uh, sure.



There are so many things wrong with this, that I'll let you guys make the comments.



Here is the joke that he thought the rest of us couldn't live without...

[Gotta get me one of these!]

I just got my new Lexus RX400h and returned to the dealer the next day,
complaining that I couldn't figure out how the radio worked. The
salesman
explained that the radio was voice activated. "Watch this!" he said.
"Nelson!"

The radio replied, "Ricky or Willie?"

"Willie!" he continued ... and "On The Road Again" came from the
speakers.

I drove away happy, and for the next few days, every time I'd
say,"Beethoven!" I'd get beautiful classical music, and if I said,
"Beatles!"
I'd get one
of their awesome songs.

One day, a couple ran a red light and nearly creamed my new car, but I
swerved just in time to avoid them.

"ASSHOLES!" I yelled.

The French National Anthem began to play, sung by Jane Fonda and
Michael
Moore, backed up by John Kerry on guitar, Al Gore on drums and Bill
Clinton
on
sax.

I LOVE this car!

And this is why I am an anomaly in my family. This is why I sit tight lipped at extended family functions..and the fact that I don't do so with my parents and brother makes them very uncomfortable. At least Kevin loves me.

The Nature of God

So, I was back home in Tennessee last week, where 98% of my blood relatives live. Over dinner, my brother, his girlfriend, and I were having a conversation about the nature of God. My brother always has been a perfectionist. He'd tear up his own drawings even when he was a toddler, because they weren't like what he saw in his head, of course. He even once told my Uncle that "I know about more things than my mama knows" at the ripe old age of four.

But all the same, we got to talking about how we view God. Both my brother and I view God, The Father, as punitive. He is ultimately displeased with our depravity. What we have to offer is never good enough. He doesn't like us unless we're trying hard enough. Since we can never try hard enough, God is never pleased with us.

Now, the difference is that over the last two years, I have learned (and talk about nearly every week in my own personal therapy) that God is not only just but merciful and loving. God delights in me. He loves me. He is my refuge and peace. Now that I know that...I'm trying to believe. Having an even harder time experiencing it.

Now, brother's girlfriend, who grew up in a nominally Christian family, experiences God as that refuge and peace. She didn't seriously come to be a Christian until a few years ago. God, He is her lover. So, what is it that my brother and I learned in the Church, from our parents, etc. that we both internalized God as this punitive force to be feared? I can see how we got some of it from my parents...and I definitely see how we got it in church. It makes me sad, but also knowing that I know better due to the journey God has led me on for the past two years is nice. Kinda confirms He is there and he does love me. But I don't experience that yet.


Another discussion we had, at the same dinner, is about how one can KNOW one knows God. See, my brother got off on this lie that my Church growing up told me. That lie is that "Faith is not a feeling, it's a fact." (We would sing it, like a game, stand up, sit down, for every word beginning with F). Well, telling someone with my personality to divorce feelings from your faith is like telling me to cut off my left hand and write a letter.

But my brother claimed that our faith is held in our rational mind, and is not to get boogered up by all those tricky feelings. At this exact moment, I began to see how God has been working to dispel these bad theologies and beliefs through my theological and psychological education. So, I asked my brother...

1.) So, we're all fallen, right? Yeah.
2.) And our falleness is pervasive, affecting our minds, right? Yeah.
3.) So our feelings are more fallen than minds? And God gave us feelings, but they aren't part of being made in his image? Well..good point. Something to think about.

Now, I don't know how much my feelings and my rational mind play into my faith, but I know that they are both important. And that the Holy Spirit is that small still voice that works through my emotions...A LOT more often than I give him any creedence in my hyperactive "rational" mind.

And that's all I have to say about that.

So, go on over here...

Adam has one hell of a post over here. For anyone struggling to overcome the lack of genuiness in the Church, you'll appreciate this.

Mahna Mahna!

Please tell me that you remember this! From the Muppets Show, remember? I've been listening to it nonstop, it is joyfully stuck in my head. My husband and I walk around going "Mahna Mahna!" do do do "Mahna Mahna!" Bobbing our heads, etc.

Have a listen Mahnamahna/