Holding my net

This was taken from the excellent book featured to the left: Heretic's Guide to Eternity.

Burke quotes a web journalist Tim Boucher as saying:

Religions are our attempt to give form to the Divine because we suck at contemplating infinity.

Burke adds: Religions are the nets we cast in hopes of catching God. But it's like trying to catch the sea with a net. It's much more likely that we'll just get ourselves tangled up, and god will slip through. I think god wants us to follow and imitate him as he playfully slips our nets and challenges us to reach new levels and understanding of love.

What a great image of God slipping our nets. It's like as soon as we want to trap him into any form or make up some kind of law regarding his nature, or determine that god is like... God finds a way to slip of that confine and show us that he is still in fact God. I wonder today what confines I have that he has already slipped out of as I still hold my net?

Challenge of Jesus Part 2 His Message (Part 1)

There’s a story in Luke chapter seven that has captured my imagination for a number of weeks now. That’s the amazing thing about the stories of Jesus Christ, they tend to capture the imagination for long periods of time. At least they do for me. And this story encompasses a radical rabbi who bucks the authority of the religious people of his time, a woman of questionable character, and a religious zealot who takes issue with both. The story goes a bit like this…

One day, while Jesus was trying to interface with the religious people of his day, he made a small success and was invited to dinner by a religious leader named Simon. When Jesus arrived at Simon’s house Simon was inhospitable and rude as he provided no way for Jesus to wash his feet nor did he offer Jesus any oil to slick back his hair. Now these things were customary in those days as traveling on dirt roads had the unfortunate consequence of collecting dust in the hair and on the feet. As Jesus attempts to dust off his feet and pulls his hair back, he begins to question the motives of his host.

Now during the course of the evening a well known woman “a sinner” as she is called in the story (which probably meant that she was a prostitute) found out that Jesus was nearby at this dinner. So she invited herself to the event (many dinners were spectacles for entire towns to watch) in hopes of seeing this famous rabbi who bucks the authority of the religious people. What desire drove her to such boldness? Did she hear the stories of healing and forgiveness? Had she heard Jesus’ prediction of his death and was so determined to see him before that could possibly happen?...

She arrives at the dinner and notices that that Jesus has not been offered the courtesies accustom to an honored guest and wasn’t he a rabbi after all? She makes her way behind Jesus and is overwhelmed by him to tears. What brought about these tears? Certainly a lifestyle of selling her soul and body to feed herself and her children could well enough bring tears. But God knows too well the injustice dealt her by her husband. A divorced woman has little chance and little choice. She’s well aware of her shortcomings, but in this man she seeks a different kind of hope. She has always heard that the life she lives is punishment from God for her many sins and she wants desperately to believe otherwise. And so the tears flow and she falls at Jesus’ feet.

Not having a towel she allows her tears to bath Jesus’ feet and like so many times before, she lets her hair down for yet another man. Only this time she isn’t looking for payment for her next meal. She had heard that this rabbi cancels out sins and does so in a way that truly liberates people. Her hair is dirty. Now his feet are clean. And she had brought something very special around her neck. If her life could afford one thing it would be to anoint this one man with something so exotic and so elaborate… if the rumors she had heard were even half true then there was no one more worthy than he was. She pulls the bottle and begins to lavish very expensive oils on his feet.

As she does this, Simon thinks that Jesus must not be as great a prophet as he has heard or else he would not allow a whore to touch him this way. Jesus sensed his thoughts and saw the disgust on his face. Jesus rebukes this religious leader telling him that she bathes him in tears and oil because she feels she has lost much and has much to regain with her piety. Then he basically says to Simon, “You do not feel this way because you justify your sin and assume God is on your side. You think you have little to forgive so you kick the wounded while their down. And you believe you are better than most everyone.”

Then Jesus did something a rabbi didn’t have the authority to do. He says to her “you are forgiven”. Now at this point in Jewish history it was well understood that only God could forgive and for that only by sacrifice. Sin of this “magnitude” would have required much outward show of remorse. She would have had to have been purified at the temple and gone though other rites in order to be declared forgiven. The reality was, there was little institutional hope for her forgiveness. There was little hope the “God” would ever find favor in her again. Yet, a popular but radical rabbi says “You are forgiven.” And the hushed murmurs begin… who is this guy that he can do what can only be done by God. Is he greater than our God and His temple?

Hearing these murmurs, Jesus thinks, I’ll one up them here and he says to her: Go in (Peace) your faith has saved you.

This is such a radical story of Grace and it is my belief that this kind of Grace can only flow from God himself.

Jesus is radical about the grace he shows in this passage...

1. He allows this “sinner woman” to touch him. In a time and place where people believed that sin and its repercussions could be transmitted by physical contact, Jesus purposefully allows and encourages this woman’s affections.
2. Jesus lifts the piety of a woman (a prostitute at that) up and over that of the religious. In other words he dishonors his host and sides with woman. In this day a woman couldn’t even testify in court. Jesus holds her piety up as greater than that of the religious leader.
3. He steps well above his role as a rabbi and side steps “God” and the temple, by forgiving her of her sins. This is at great risk as he is claiming that the Temple is no longer necessary (as he does through most of the gospels).
4. Finally he restores for her the relationship between her and God. Now this short blog entry is too small to expound on this one, but I believe (as do others) that Jesus’ message may have been less about living in heaven or hell forever and more about restoring peoples faith in God and God’s disposition them. He offered Eternal life which he defined as intimacy with God and with Himself.

This is just the first of many stories of Jesus that blow my mind about who he was/is. The more that I get to know him, the more in love with him I find myself. I often overhear people talk about Christians and how judgmental or condescending they are. Truly I have had my own experiences with these “kind of Christians” as well. I wonder, do they even know Jesus? Do they really? But it’s easy to say these things. What about me. What about the kind of grace I show to others? Who in my day might be the woman needing this kind of radical grace. Will they find Jesus’ radical kind of grace in me?

What in Hell is going on?

Yesterday I got a call from a gentleman who had just recieved leave from Iraq. He asked about books for new believers who were in the military. He had "just recieved salvation" and was wanting to grow in his new faith. More importantly he was affraid that as a soldier he would have to return to Iraq and he was affraid that he would lose his "salvation" and go to hell if killed someone or "did something wrong". I really felt for this guy. One thing I picked up on during our conversation was that whomever he heard from about Jesus was heavy on the "saved" and "hell" language. It is bothersome to me that Christians are so heavy on the "hell' language. The Old Testament is silent about the "hell" issue (and KJV freaks should be careful of the world Sheol in the O.T. it isn't hell). In fact hell doesn't even enter the Jewish mindset until the influence of zorastrianism during the 400+ years between the O.T. and N.T. Furthermore, in the N.T. there seems to be an odd reversal on behalf of Jesus who takes hell language and turns it back on religious zealots who used hell as a way of controling the masses. All of that to say, why are we so freaking heavy on the hell language as Christians? Do we speak of Jesus as aversion to hell because we have nothing really positive to say about Jesus himself. As though his life, ministry, and teachings are void of anything beneficial. Why do we take the liberty of inflicting hell on others where Christ refused to. Oh wait, Jesus defined his way of eternal life as: "That you may not go to hell." I pray, my friend from Iraq, that you come to know the fullness of Jesus Christ. The Christ who promised RESURRECTION and THE ETERNAL KIND OF LIFE that wasn't about escaping hell or even living forever in heaven. But about knowing intemately our creator God and his son Jesus whom He sent. Let the religious zealots have their hell talk. Lord knows there are plenty of them out there all too ready to try and manipulate people into their form of religiousity. Sorry, on behalf of sane Christians everywhere, that you ran into one.

Beautiful Collision

"When our depravity meets His divinity it is a beautiful collision"......By David Crowder

Becoming...

We must become the change we want to see in the world'

Mahatma Gandhi

Another picture of all the girls

In China we bought all the girls "silks" to take this picture. If I remember right these outfits were about $6 a piece. You can't see it, but Lilly's outfit has dragon flies embroyderd on the silk. Dragonflys and ladybugs are considered lucky in China. Luczi did real good taking the pictures. Wendi and I were a little surprised as she doesn't always take to strangers well. Perhaps having her sisters there made it easier.

My Favorite of all Pictures

This is one of my favorite pictures of Luczi. There is so much love represented in this picture. You see this is my Dad. I call him Dad even though genetically we are not related. I call him Dad, because this is what he CHOSE to be to me. I call him Dad because when I didn’t have one, he willingly and lovingly became my need. I call him Dad because he played soccer with me, helped me fix my bike, and celebrated my accomplishments. Amongst all the things my Dad taught me he taught me most that love is something one chooses to do. Certainly he never sat me down and gave convincing stories about love being a “higher calling” or something fancy like that. He simply did it! And in this picture, he’s doing it again. Loving Luczi beyond biology. What my Dad doesn’t know is that when I struggled to understand how I would respond to Luczi and how I would be able to love her, it was his love for me that inspired me on. It was his love for me that told me, I can love what isn’t mine. Perhaps (and not to sound too sappy here) it always has been his love for me that has shown me most what God’s love is like.

Seeking His Face Part 1

For the past two years I have had one single and consistent passion in my spiritual life… to get to know Jesus.

I’m not talking about the warm fuzzy thing associated with “going to church” or religiosity, I’m talking about acquainting myself with the Jesus of History.

What a fun 2 years it has been. I view Jesus, his ministry, and his message so much differently than I did two years ago. I am still excited as I have been reading books like: The Challenge of Jesus and the Original Jesus by N.T. Wright and The Desire of the Everlasting Hills by Thomas Cahill (Read anything you can get your hands on by Cahill), Josephus by Paul Meire and of course the NEW TESTAMENT. We don’t do enough of this as Christians. At least I don’t run into too many Christians who think about or talk about Jesus outside of their addiction to their warm fuzzy. Rarely do I run into the Christian who says “Man, I’m really struggling with my preconceived ideas about Jesus or “this Jesus of history is quite different that the one I grew up to “know” or believe in”. For me this has been an awe inspiring two years of “seeking his face” and the good news is there is plenty more for me to read J I hope to share some of these joys in this blog over the next few weeks and I look forward to your responses. Please feel free to post in the blog site as opposed to emailing me directly.

Yeah Tubes

Well, after six weeks of fighting ear infections Luczi got her tubes placed yesterday. She did very well, but in the end was tired of all the people wearing all blue. Over the past six weeks she has been poked with needles and forced fed medicine and had little cold disks put over her chest enough. We're on to happier days!!!

A message on living the Gospel

Pathway Friends: Skip to end for questions for Sunday School or to rehash read entirely.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to teach at our church "Pathway". Over the past couple of years I have been studying two things passionately: the life and ministry of Jesus and the nature of the gospel (in light of former). I've posted some of the notes from my message (entitled Living the Epic Story) below along with some questions that I am still struggling with and believe are worthy of attention among christians. My bias (as we all have them on every topic) is that I believe that contemporary Christianity has focused too narrowly on issues of sin and salvation and in doing so has created an anemic faith. My arguement is that instead of "telling the Gospel story" perhaps there is room in Christianity for "living the gospel story". This is the first of many messages focusing on learning to live out the gospel reflecting on the narrative of scripture and not simply relying on a few passages. Most specifically these are the questions that we will reflect on Sunday during our Sun School gathering:

Generally for the message I presented the dicotomy between the Worldview of the Ancient World vs. the Worldview of Ancient Judeism

All other ancient beliefs about god(s) have the following beliefs behind them…

(A very simplified list)

1. Almost all ancient deity stories include an element of “god” making war against the chaos (usually associated with great monsters). For instance the Greek god Zeus makes war with Uranus (god of sky) and Gaia (goddess of earth) and their children. By defeating them, he establishes world order.
2. The God or gods are generally associated with a particular place like the Nile River and were claimed by their adherents to have battled other deities and won, thus making them the champion God or creator.
3. God or gods were distant, removed by both space and emotion from their creation.
4. Humans were either pawns in elaborate games between the gods or else they loathed by the gods or both. One’s only hope was to appease them in this life through sacrifice and hope that in the next life one could settle in a land in whom’s god they have found favor.

Early Judaic Worldview (of Genesis account):

1. God works within the confines of chaos and intimately speaks order into the world.
i. Spirit = wind or breath
2. There is not an account of God making war to assume his position; it is a given in the text.
3. God is intimately involved in all aspects of creation. He even calls most of them “good”.
4. God is very intimately involved in the creation of man.
i. In His image (v. 27) selem
ii. A blessing (v.28)
iii. A commission: rule over the earth

At the core of these differences in worldview is the idea that Early Jewish teaching (be they oral or written) taught that God was right among His people and intimate with his creation. This worldview was radically different from the ancient cultures that Judaism (even at it’s earliest start) was emersed in. They really believed that God was among them.

As I think of how we begin to live out the gospel, I am often faced with the same question that many face when they find themselves in the position of sharing the gospel. What do I believe about God? And I wonder how I would answer that question if asked now. Would I begin with “I believe God is right here, right now”? Better yet, if someone I knew was curious about faith would they say to me “You live like someone who’s convinced that God is right in your midst”.

Questions to think about for Sunday’s Meeting:

1. What is (are) our cultures Worldview(s) about God/Religion? (Bear in mind that there may be more than one viewpoint)?
2. More specifically what do they believe about God's proximity to His creation?
3. Does Contemporary Christianity believe the same things?
4. What would our faith (as a community) look like if we really believed that God was right among us?
5. Is there anything preventing us from really living this way?
6. Do I live like God is right here with me? How so? How not?

For my friends at Pathway

The thoughts and questions I promised WILL be posted tomorrow. Thanks for checking in. I will email the church list when I post them.

Also, my friend Chris Brewer has some interesting thoughts on evangelism and the gospel. Simply click on the Chris' Blog link at your right.

Sorry

For my friends whom I mentioned to check this site regarding a conversation at church yesterday in Sunday School, I chose not to post so as to avoid offense. I did however speak to each one of you one on one and felt that was a better way to handle my thoughts.

Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite books of all time. The subtitle at the bottom reads: A conversation in spiritual theology. And that is precisely what it is. It is not a book about theology. It is a book about how our spirits engage and interact with what we believe. The Chapter (2) on creation alone is worth every expensive penny that this book is. Check out this quote that talks about Jesus as he plays in creation...

You would think that believing that Jesus is God walking among us would be the most difficult thing [to believe about Christianity]. It is not. It turns our that the hardest thing to believe is that God's work - this dazzling creation, this astonishing creation, this cascade of blessings- is all being worked out in and under the conditions of our humanity: at picnics and around dinner tables, in conversations and while walking along road, in puzzled questions and homely stories with blind beggars and supporting lepers, at weddings and funerals. Everything that Jesus does takes place within the limits and conditions of our humanity. No fireworks. No special effects. Yes, there are miracles and plenty of them. But because for the most part they are so much a part of the fabric of everyday life, very few notice. The miraculousness of miracle is obscured by the familiarity of setting, the ordinariness of the people involved... [page 34]

...Everything Jesus does he does with his hands deep in the soil and flesh of creation. [P. 92]

What I love about this book is what Peterson doesn't do in this book. He isn't trying to convince us of a position. He's not trying to teach us some new perspective. It is not void of theology, but the main thrust of the book is not about learning it is about engaging. He is simply using the creation story and giving us a way in which we can begin to live within the context of the story. It is simply a MUST READ book.

31,000 ft to find...

Okay, so Saturday was my sisters wedding. Of course I traveled to California by airplane to be there (oh, what a story) and was so blessed to be a part of it. On the plane out of Orange County, I was reflecting on the past 23 hours, on a conversation I had with parents on the way to the airport, and on some things I have been reading lately in scripture and in other books. I was doing all this with my eyes closed and my ears full of Moby (which by the way if you don't listen to Moby, you may be missing one of the most underappreciated artists of our time). While I was doing all that I noticed with my sense of touch... heat... on my arms and it felt nice.
For those of you who don't know, I live in Michigan. For the past 90 days or so we have had cloud coverage and snow flurries. Within those 90 days I've been to China and California both. In 90 days the first glimpse of the sun that I have had was at 31,000 ft. For those of you who live in Michigan, let me assure you, the sun is still there and the sun is still warm.

We're still here

Wow, It's been 16 days since I've posted. Luczi is doing so good. We've heard from other couples in our group and most of the girls are doing great, but there are some who are not adjusting very well at all. Luczi is finding lots of attention in her two sisters and is loving that. She's eating a lot lately. Wendi is giving here two jars of baby food three times a day plus her 8oz. bottles. We can tell she is growing already. She's very curious about the world around her and we can't wait till spring when we can take her out to see the "real world".
All and all things are very good. I will be away for the weekend at my sisters wedding so Wendi will have lots of fun with the girls.
Posted is my on of my favorite pictures with Luczi thus far. Like a reptile Luczi sometimes checks the world around her with her tounge. She has done it less lately, but every once and while it reappears. And of course dad sometimes gets in the action too.

Home a few days now

Thanks for logging back on!!! Luczi is home 4 full days now and is doing pretty good. Luczi left China with a double ear infection the results of which were long hours of crying, frustration, vomiting, and to top things off a mild case of eczema. The bonus for us was that for the two long rides (China to LA and LA to Chicago) we had an extra seat between us. After some small doses medicine, Luczi slept for some long periods of the trip. All and all the fussiness and the illness helped keep her awake and have made the time transition quite easy. She has still had some rough days here at home and keeps herself on guard while sleeping. She hasn’t quite settled into the reality that this is forever. She has attached herself to Wendi and they have bonded well. I am a little jealous, but she and I do okay late at night where she finds comfort in my arms when she is overly tired and can’t find rest. I hold her tight (as I did my other two girls) and she falls asleep. The wonderful people in our church (we love you all) have helped by providing meals which takes some stress off Wendi as I am at work all day.

For the most part we are doing just fine and even with some health issues, Luczi is blossoming into a wonderful member of our little family. Chloe and Lilly are having some adjustment issues and every time Wendi leaves Chloe thinks Wendi is going away again for a long time. She has fits and screams for Mom, but she has always been a child full of anxiety. It will take time for her to “heal” from our 9 day abandonment of her too. We really felt that we would have seen this kind of thing from Lilly, but Lilly has been (other than battling for attention) doing great.

So there is the update, sorry it took a few days to post. Posted is picture of Luczi this morning playing in her exerciser and reflects one of the more long term periods of playing and happiness since our return home. And that of course makes us very happy.

Thanks again for tuning in and we’ll post more sometime this week.

Last Posting from China

Greetings. These are our final hours here in China. Posted is the famous Red Sofa shot that adoptive groups take with all the babies in a group (Luczi is at the far left in dark red). Our group had 10 babies. Nine families and one set of twins. On a whole, the babies have all done very well which has been great for all of us as a group. Some came with some health problems which frustrated some parents because it slightly delayed the bonding process. But within hours diagnosis' had been made and treatments helped each rebound quickly. Even as I am typing below Luczi is vomiting. I guess we'll be taking her to the doctor at 1pm.

All of are very ready to come to our homes but most of us are leary of long plane rides that await us. Fortuneately we have the advantage of the world spinning toward us this time. That cuts 3 hours off our ride. Oddly though we will leave Guanzhou at 9:30pm on Friday January 27th and arrive at Los Angles International Airport at 5:50pm Friday January 27th. We will be on a plane for more than 12 hours and arrive 4 hours before we leave. Fun Huh!!!

As to our arrivals... We arrive at Los Angeles International Airport at 5:50pm (flight number 327) and invite any of our friends who would like to meet Luczi to come and join us. We will need to go through customs so please don't show up at 5:50 as you will likely have a wait. Certainly all of our friends and family are welcome. Anyone interested can contact my (Jeremy's) parents for information.

We arrive in Grand Rapids on Saturday, January 28th at 10:00am (flight number7039). Again we invite any of our friends and family who would like to great us to come. We've missed you all and so many of you have been waiting for Luczi to come. We would be honored to see you there.

As we draw near the end of this trip, we want to thank each of you again for your support. So many have help us financially. Many more have been a prayer support. Our hearts are filled with gratitude as we think of each of you. And we pray God's blessing for your part in His work of bringing Luczi home. We love you all.

It's beautiful here

This was taken in the foyer of our hotel. Obviously there is a waterfall behind us. What you can't see is the pond below with huge gold fish swimming and some very large paper fish and paper flowers light up over the pond. It is a gorgeous site to see. At pond level and to our right is where we eat breakfast every morning. The expression on Luczi's face is indicative of how much she doesn't like to sit still... She's a very busy baby. Wendi thanks you in advance for your prayers.

A medical exam

Yesterday we had our final medical exam. We have a small fever (likely because we are teething), but other than a little exzema by our ears we're fit as fiddle. Luczi is a happy baby and has certainly bonded with us in such a short time. Personality wise... all I can say is look out Chloe and Lilly because here comes Luczi.

Another Picture

This is Wendi and I just outside the Ching Ping Market the day before we got Luczi. The red ball you see behind us lined the buildings and sky behind us. These are decorations in preparation for Chinese New Year. It really made the Plaza (we were on our way to) very beautiful. There is no American holiday that compares to the excitement that is present among the people here for the New Year. Not even Christmas. Chinese new year is based on the lunar cycle. Pretty cool huh!!