A Space to Think

Finally

2006-12-06T15:01:00.000-08:00

The semester is finally over. I finished my last of 3 15-20 page papers yesterday at 7 PM. It was a great feeling. I hope to have more free time between now and the Spring semester which begins in late January. I am taking one 3 hour course between now and then; it's an "immersion" course through Perkins. 15 students, and one professor will be going to Germany from December 27 to January 7. I am really excited about it. We will be spending a lot of time at seminaries in Germany, including the one United Methodist seminary in Germany. The best part is that we will spend some time at the University of Tubingen, where we will meet with Jurgen Moltmann. I have read several of his books, and am very excited about speaking with him. We will also be visiting several castles and other historical landmarks. Before we embark there are 6 or 7 books we have to read, and afterward a 20 page paper is due. Between now and then I'm going to be visiting the great American cities of Amarillo, TX and Knoxville, TN.

Irenaeus

2006-11-12T19:36:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last few days exclusively reading the works of Irenaeus for a paper in my Patristic Anthropology and Soteriology course. It's pretty interesting stuff; very foundational for our Christian tradition. Besides all my reading for seminary, I have "read" some interesting books lately on CD while driving around in my car. This list is affected by what is available at a local library. Recently I've read (listened to) "Freakonomics", "Will in the World" (a bio of Shakespeare), "The Testament" by John Grisham, "To Kill a Mockingbird", "How to Read and Why", maybe a couple others I've forgotten. It's been interesting; in particular the Freakonomics book (from 2005) has been illuminating, though somewhat depressing because it reveals many of the ways in which all the things we do are related to the desire for money. I've pondered the fact that an economic analysis of the church would likely be quite enlightening and disheartening. How often is our message influenced by the desire for money? What are we afraid to say, or afraid not to say, because of the threat of a loss of cash? Have we ever said things we don't even believe, simply because of economic incentives?

Life

2006-11-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

I started this blog during the summer, when I was on a break from Seminary coursework. At that point I was able to post every few days, but since classes have been in full swing I've been suprised how hard it is to keep this blog up to date. One thing I've been thinking about is how many different segments there are in all of our lives. We have our work life, our home life, our friends life, our family of origin life, and for some our school life. This blog has mainly focused on my involvement in the church, but I've been struck by how this is only one part of my life. I think one thing we are all seeking is a wholeness-an integration of all the disparate parts of our lives. When these parts are sharply divided I think we tend to feel somewhat hypocritical. How can we learn to integrate all the parts of our lives?

Wikipedia

2006-10-02T09:11:00.003-07:00

I found a few Perkins School of Theology faculty members on Wikipedia. Here is the page for Charles Curran, a professor of moral theology (ethics). Here is the page for Bishop William Oden, Bishop in Residence at Perkins. Here is the page for Bishop John Wesley Hardt, Bishop in Residence Emeritus at Perkins, who is a really cool guy.

William Willimon, John Cobb, and more

2006-10-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

Here is an cool website with a bunch of articles and sermons. I enjoyed some of the sermsons by William Willimon, Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of the UMC. Also, somewhere in there is an article or two by John Cobb, the process theologian who is also a United Methodist.

Father Joe

2006-09-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

I have been incredibly busy lately with classes and work at the church. The amount of reading has been ridiculous, though enjoyable. I also spend quite a bit of time driving to all corners of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (officially called the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metroplex according to Wikipedia), and I've begun to listen to books on CD so this time is well-spent. I just finished listening to "Father Joe" by Tony Hendra, a recent New York Times Bestseller. This memoir is about the life of Hendra, a comedian who was in "Spinal Tap" (he may have wrote it-don't know), and his lifelong relationship to a Benedictine monk on the Isle of White. Sounds sort of boring I guess, but it's actually great. I'd like to do a book study of it here at the church, probably with adults since parts of it are, I suppose, PG-13 (church people can be such prudes). (On a side note, it's always interesting to me that church goers would be offended to watch certain movies or read certain books within the walls of the church that they just gobble up when they're at home. Come on-let's just be honest with ourselves. First of all, the Christian life is not contained within the church building. Second, prudes just get on everyone's nerves).
Anyway, I highly recomend Father Joe. Father Joe is a great example of what good ministry can be.

New Beginnings

2006-08-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

Well this has been my longest blogging hiatus since I began this thing. For the past few weeks I've sort of been in "limbo", as the summer seemed to be ending yet the fall just wouldn't start. Last week I spent the week visiting my family in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was a great break, and I loved being with my parents and brother. The high in East Tennessee (where I was) was about 83 every day, while it was about 107 degrees in Dallas/Fort Worth. Oh yeah-my youth were telling me last night at UMYF that their high school band changed their policy for how hot it has to be outside for them to not practice marching. It used to be that if it was 100 degrees, they were not allowed to march outside on the field. This year they changed it to where they are allowed to march unless it's over 105 degrees. And Republicans still try to say that Global Warming is fiction. Oh, and my youth also said that the football team has a similar rule, but with them, the coaches just openly lie and say, "oh it's only 94 degrees today". Apparently, if they just assert this, then it's okay to practice. Someone help us.
I went to Perkins today for chapel and to buy books, and my first classes are tomorrow. I'm taking a lot of courses that end in -ology. I'm actually really excited about the beginning of the semester. I'm really interested in the courses I'll be taking, and I've also missed the aspect of community that I find at Perkins. Having people you can talk to honestly, and who understand the trials of church work is absolutely crucial to survival in ministry.
Incidently, the books for just one of my classes cost $200. Also, here is an article about how Pluto has been demoted to "dwarf" status.
Fall is a really cool season. This is an exciting time of life!

Billy Graham

2006-08-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

I thought this was an interesting article.

A River Runs Through It

2006-07-31T10:43:00.000-07:00

I've always thought the movie "A River Runs Through It" was fantastic, and though I heard the book was even better I was doubtful. However, I've read about half of it now, and it is great. The opening line: "In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing" tells a lot about what is wonderful about this short book. I highly recommend it.

Watch This!

2006-07-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

This show rocked. Wish it was still on.

Update

2006-07-28T09:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, well it looks like I spoke too soon. In a previous post I discussed A New Kind of Christian by Brian Mclaren, mentioning that I thought he didn't recognize that maybe this new kind is really not that new at all. I finished the book last night, and found that I was wrong; he does pay homage to examples of the new kind of Christian in history. Especially on the very last page, when, after all the emails, the narrator says that "Neo" wouldn't really like the title "new", because he would say that his ideas aren't really new. I thought the book was really interesting.

Hip-Hop Liturgy

2006-07-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting article. This Eric Turner guy seems to think that his understanding of Jesus is the only one that is objective and somehow unrelated to his own cultural milieu.

New Kind of Christian

2006-07-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'm about 3/4ths of the way through A New Kind of Christian by Brian Mclaren, and I thought I'd share my current thoughts. First, I greatly enjoy reading the book, particularly because of the narrative approach. It seems like it would be a great book for persons to read who have been turned off by the church because it seemed too old-fashioned, convservative, backwards, etc. I do think that the book is largely a reaction to what may be called fundamentalism, or perhaps "close-minded evangelicalism". As a result, I wonder what the book has to say to more "mainstream" Christians (those who attend the Mainline churches), for whom many of Mclaren's ideas do not seem so "New" at all. For example, at times he discusses topics like social justice, or salvation as communal rather than individualistic and other-worldly (beam me up, Scotty), but fails to acknowledge that several denominations stress those issues already, or that many Christian traditions have done so throughout Christian history. Don't get me wrong-I like Brian Mclaren's ideas and enjoy reading his books. I just wonder what this book has to say to United Methodists (though I know, we are not monolithic), who may feel that this "New Kind" of Christian is simply the Christian they have always been. Is it possible that Mclaren is like Christopher Columbus, mistakenly believing that he had found the "New" world? (Forget for a moment that Columbus thought he was in the West Indies). Columbus got off the boat and was like, "I found a 'new' world!" And perhaps we "mainline" Christians are like the native Americans, who were like: "Umm... we've been here for a while...".

Quote

2006-07-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

I thought of an interesting quote today that I came across several months ago. I believe it was in the introduction of Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria that Beverely Tatum quoted a statement made by a colleague that:
"Nothing is quite so practical as a good theory".

This statement interests me because I think it corrects the false dichotomy of distinguishing between that which is theoretical and that which is practical. This misconception is manifested in seminaries in the construction of a dichotomy between schools that focus on theology and schools that focus on practical ministry. Schools that self-identify as institutions focused on practical ministry may imply that any other focus would be impractical-academics sitting around discussing lofty ideas that have no relevence in the world or even the church. While I believe that it is crucial for ministry to be both practical and relevent, I wonder how this is possible without theological reflection. The original quote I mentioned could be altered to apply to the church:
In ministry, nothing is quite so practical as good theology.

Back from Mission Trip

2006-07-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I returned home from CTCYM 2006 in Colorado. It was quite an experience. It was an inspiring trip, and much less stressful than I had expected in would be. Our living center was at the First UMC in Limon, Colorado, which is on the high plains in eastern Colorado, a place where no mountains can be seen. Here at Meadowbrook UMC, we all knew before we were assigned a location that we would be sent to the flat plains of Colorado. There was no doubt about it. When we were informed of our location, it was, indeed, out on the eastern plains. Turns out-the plains are beautiful and the people of the communities in which we worked were amazing. I've never met people so nice.
I was an "adult" on a work team, which was a great experience.
Our living center was comprised of our church (Meadowbrook UMC in Ft. Worth), and St. John's in Georgetown, TX. Our groups got along extremely well, and I greatly enjoyed getting to know the people of St. John's.
At the closing rally, I ran into the youth group of First UMC, Midlothian, TX, which I grew up in-from 6th grade all the way to graduation. When I was in high school, a man in his 70's would go on our mission trips every summer. We couldn't get over the fact that every year he would once again agree to attend the trip. He was in his late seventies.
So it was an emotional experience when I was at the closing rally of CTCYM in Colorado Springs and I saw this same man walking to the front to take Communion. He looked pretty much the same, only now he uses a cane. His name is Troy Lewis. When I realized he was still going on the mission trips, even now, I nearly cried.
During the rally, my former youth group saw me, and I saw them, and we waved and smiled and laughed. After the rally I went to them immediately to say hi. One of my good friends, Charlie, was there. He's in college now, and went as a volunteer with FUMC Midlothian. Troy gave me a hug. It was crazy because now I'm a youth minister, and I was there with the youth group in which I now work, and here was the group that nutured me in my faith and raised me up into a faithful Christian.

The benefits of being a connectional church are so immense and numerous.

The words of Charles Wesley's hymn "And Are We Yet Alive" are profoundly expressive of the emotions I felt when I ran into my old youth group:

And are we yet alive, and see each other's face?
Glory and thanks to Jesus give for his almighty grace!

Preserved by power divine to full salvation here,
again in Jesus' praise we join, and in his sight appear.

What troubles have we seen, what mighty conflicts past,
fightings without, and fears within, since we assembled last!

Yet out of all the Lord hath brought us by his love;
and still he doth his help afford, and hides our life above.

Then let us make our boast of his redeeming power,
which saves us to the uttermost, till we can sin no more.

Let us take up the cross till we the crown obtain,
and gladly reckon all things loss so we may Jesus gain

When I saw my old friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ, I thought "And we we yet alive, and see each other's face?"

Why?

2006-06-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

I read a lot of blogs written by youth pastors, seminary students, and persons in other variations of vocational ministry. For those who are in some form of full-time or part-time ministry, what is the first thing that pops into your head if I ask the question: "Why are you in ministry?"
During the last few years I've thought a lot about the various motivations that influence persons to seek careers in the church and in ministry. And I must be honest-at times I come to rather cynical conclusions. It's just that it sometimes seems that people seek careers in ministry to build up their own ego-to narsistically satisfy that part of themselves that wants to be on the stage and wants to feel respected, important, and sacrificial. But then I come in contact with clergy and other vocational ministers who are so caring, giving, and profoundly selfless that my cyncism quickly falls away.
I am reminded of the angry letter John Wesley sent to Francis Asbury after Asbury had the gumption to name a college after himself and take on the title of "bishop" rather than superintendent. In the "Dear Franky" letter, Wesley writes:

I study to be little; you study to be great. I creep; you strut along. I found a school; you a college! Nay, and call it after your own names...! One instance of this, of your greatness, has given me great concern. How can you, how dare you suffer yourself to be called Bishop? I shudder, I start at the very thought! Men may call me a knave or a fool, a rascal, a scoundrel, and I am content; but they shall never by my consent call me Bishop! For my sake, for God's sake, for Christ's sake put a full end to this!

A short time later Asbury sat by silently as John Wesley's name was deleted from the Discipline.

Feel free to comment on this question:

Why are you in ministry?

Article

2006-06-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

I plan on making some copies of this article and distributing them to members of my church.

Reinhold Niebuhr

2006-06-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

At one of the evening worship services at the Central Texas Annual Conference this year, the bulletin contained a quote by Reinhold Niebuhr. It is so profound that I've been thinking about it for weeks now:

Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime,
Therefore, we are saved by hope.
Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;
Therefore, we are saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone.
Therefore, we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our own;
Therefore, we are saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.
-Reinhold Neibuhr

Reading

2006-06-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

I should be spending all my time reading for my United Methodist History course. And I did read most of Wesley and the People Called Methodist by Heitzenrater. And I've been reading The History of American Methodism by Frederick Norwood as well as the brand new Wesley for Armchair Theologians by Dr. Billy Abraham. But for some reason I still am drawn to books that are not assigned. It's not that my professors are assigning books I'm not interested in. I sometimes am more drawn to reading a book after the class is over. Luckily there's no real way to sell your books back like in undergrad. So I've been reading a great book called Who Comes in the Name of the Lord: Jesus at the Margins by Harold J. Recinos. I had Dr. Recinos for a course at Perkins last fall, and though I read about half of this book during the semester, when it was assigned, I'm now reading it all, and I'm not reading it too quickly. It is very compelling book, and I think it could contribute in a great way to the emergent conversation. I noticed that the syllabus for my evangelism course next fall has a recommended reading list (in addition to the required list). On the recommended list is Who Comes in the Name of the Lord by Dr. Recinos, as well as A New Kind of Christian by Brian Mclaren. I think this will be an interesting class.

Discretion

2006-06-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

Why do judges so obviously make decisions along party lines?

I find

2006-06-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

this to be moderately humorous:

Hmm...

2006-06-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

This is my first post, so I don't really know what to say. I feel sort of pretentious in setting up a blog, as if I think others would care to read what I have to say. I suppose I'll use this blog mainly as a way to keep up with what I'm reading, and to talk about what I've read and any other thoughts I may have. I'm taking a summer course at Perkins right now, but I am managing to still do outside reading as well. Anyway, we'll see how this goes.