freelance grace

Forgiveness @ Soledad

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 23:25:00 +0000

This is exciting.
Pray for the captive audience at Soledad.
Pray that the freedom of forgiveness will loosen the chains of shame.

Post by Forgiveness Ministries.

Color Me Thine

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 21:05:00 +0000

Black and white can be beautiful, at times.

Color Me Thine

A gorgeous Sunday morning. Caffeine rush and a sleeping family leave time for creativity, but the same old conflict soon arises... color? or black and white?
I'm up for a couple hours, reading, thinking, browsing, watching. Watching the sky over Oakland change from pre-dawn gray to brilliant blue. Others, more perceptive and poetic than I, have written about the beauty of the dusk, and the clarity of even the darkest night. Not me. I need the day. I long for the sun. It's not that I'm afraid of the dark, I don't dread nightfall any more than I fear falling asleep. Indeed, I enjoy a moonlit stroll or some summer stargazing as much as anyone... but I need the daylight because I need to know reality.

The rise of the sun on this Sunday did not create the colors outside my window, it revealed them. My eyes, unable to absorb what's "really out there" are healed of their nightly color blindness and the spectral gradient emerges. It's a blessing, I believe, that the colors of day evolve from the gray rather than suddenly snapping into sight. What if our perception of colors were only switched on or off like an Instagram filter or like a window shade sprung open next to a drowsy spouse who hasn't had her coffee yet? What if, as each day dawned the eye needed a particular threshold of light for the low light rods to hand off color sight to the cones? Yes, our magnificent brains would adapt, but today I'm grateful for the emergent ability of the eye to shift from shades of gray into ROYGBIV reality.

This is the day, with all its colorful resplendence, that the Lord has made... let us rejoice with what is, and be glad in it. This is a lovely day to take stock of whatever it is you believe about reality. The part we can observe now and those parts not yet revealed to our senses. Do the eyes of your heart see the full spectrum of reality? Is there for you, as sometimes happens for me, a flickering back and forth as my soul wavers between dark doubts and vibrant, full spectrum faith?

I'm genuinely interested in your input. As I think about the beliefs expressed or implied by my virtual and face to face friends... I am amazed at both the variety and the reluctance to talk about it. If I sent you off to a COLOR BLINDNESS test there would be 8% of you who would discover (if you haven't already) that you have some level of color vision deficiency. I doubt that anyone would feel embarrassed about it. I doubt that any of your color-seeing friends would shame you about your condition. I would also NOT anticipate that a colorblind friend would insist that the rest of us are wrong and that the colors we say we enjoy are just made up constructs in our heads.

Yet something like this happens very often when people who say they're honestly agnostic are embarrassed by what they perceive to be "faith-pushing". Religious folk of various stripes each have their own areas of black and white thinking. And then there's the aggressive new atheists who insist that the black and white of materialism and secular humanism will soon explain any need for a spiritual life, that indeed no such "thing" exists and that we should all be content to grow up and see the world as they do, without the color of a Creator.

No one should be surprised at this point that I'm going to advocate a gradient view of the spiritual world. There is a need in each of us to be able to "see" in black and white, to see at least some color when it comes to spirituality and to let our "inner eye" (the extra perception of our soul) operate between these realities on a daily basis. What if the wonder of the eye can teach us in this regard. Whether you believe it evolved or was created this way by an intelligent designer... we all agree that the rods and cones in our eyes are key to the perception of color and that (when healthy) they hand off the job of adjusting from darkness to daylight without jarring the brain.

What if that "thing" which many traditions call the soul, has its own set of rods and cones. A person's spiritual sight would then have "night vision" receptors that insist on some things being black and white. The cry for personal justice is an indicator that just such receptors are as real as the rods in our eyes. For example, Mr. Cultural Relativist may insist that it is not for us to judge "tribe X" cannibalism as morally wrong... but if "tribe X" captures C.R.'s child and then invites him to the dinner party, something deeper than survival instinct tells this father that what has happened is "evil" and not just "different".

As colors fade and intensify during this partly cloudy day, I invite your response.

I invite you to gauge your inner sight and talk about it, or challenge my theory if you think it's nonsense.
But friends, let's not keep silent just because we feel insecure or embarrassed by our colorful faith, or lack thereof. Perhaps the shame has mostly come from some of us "religious types" who insist that the Creator of all color also cares about what you say and do and see ... and this flies in the face of what we think is our freedom. Perhaps that's just a reality that we don't want to admit yet.

So "Call it"... Where would you say you're at today?
a. Spiritual but not religious (new age, universe, the force)
b. Non-theistic (agnostic, atheist, philosophical buddhism)
c. Cultural monotheism (non-practicing except for major holidays)
d. Practicing monotheism (Christianity, Judaism, Islam)
e. Evolving
f. Failing
g. Some mix of the above
h. None of the above

Of course, the postmodern fear of absolutes and the modern quest to categorize everything each has negative consequences. But every day you make these judgment calls in all sorts of little ways. Just as GIGO applies to computers and nutrition, so too the spiritual life. Garbage in, garbage out... I know many Christians for example who are barely alive (spiritually) due to their steady consumption of fear based news, angst driven hellfire preaching, conspiracy riddled radio, and rapture ready fiction. It is sad but not surprising that I do not see great evidence of the fruit of faith, hope and love in the lives of these my spiritual brothers and sisters.

Their world is every bit as black and white as the materialist who consumes a steady diet of Nietsche, Freud, Dawkins, Harris and Hitchens to keep reinforcing their unbelief. The evangelist, the jihadist, the scientist and the philosopher are equally blind the moment they believe they have seen all there is to see. Each may attempt to quiet that nagging "inner perception" that there's more out there, but reality is a stubborn thing. It is a prism that draws any available light and bends it ever so slightly to make complex those things we desperately want to be simple.

So embrace your black and whites... and share your spectrum.
How do you see the world outside your window today?

Unfiltered. Reality?

Forgiveness is how God heals the human soul...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Aug 2013 22:33:00 +0000

Luther: "Sin boldly... it is by grace alone that we are saved"
Wesley: "Be holy... for without holiness there are none that shall see God"
Calvin: "For his glory... we are created and redeemed to do good works in him"

For what words & deeds will the reformers of our day be remembered?
I'm going to go with forgiveness as the core element that will both draw the 21st Century Church back to its core and the gravitational force that will draw the lost hurting souls into the Father's loving arms. I'm going to go with today's best teaching on forgiveness as FOUND HERE. Until I can be convinced that the word of God says otherwise I'm going to be heavily promoting the work of this modern prophet - Steve Diehl of Forgiveness Ministries. It has become painfully obvious in my own life that solid theology (while a blessing) is no antidote for sin. It is clear as I examine my own soul that confession and repentance (while good fruit from the Spirit) are incapable of providing the healing my heart longs for.

Forgiveness has, of course, been there all along... why does it seem like I'm just learning so much about it now in the middle of my life? If grace and holiness are the warp and woof of the fabric of our Christian faith, then forgiveness is the very fibre spun into the varied color strings, and stretched on the loom of love.

"Forgiven" is our universal state of being, but "forgiving" is also the art that none but the elect ever master. I have much to learn if my temptations and anger are any indication, but I am grateful for those, like Steve, who have instructed me in the science & craft of the two sides of forgiveness. Even more, I am thankful for the crimson flood of Jesus blood and for the glory of his resurrection, for without these twin historical facts the fabric of our faith would have faded long ago. (Hebrews 9:22 / 1 Cor. 15:12-28 ) Because of the cross and the empty tomb I have an antidote for my doubts and healing for my soul.

500 years ago the bright lights of the Reformation opened the floodgate of scripture and released a fresh current of orthodoxy. While we must keep testing the stream of teaching in the church for the toxins of heterodoxy, we must also recognize the unhealthy stagnation downstream where the Christian faith has ceased to flow due to the man created pools of conservativism vs. liberalism. Neither of these modern dams can contain the Spirit, and I believe the exodus of post-modern Millenials from both mainline and fundamentalist churches is (at least in part) a yearning for a healing stream to flow free once more. I believe that teaching biblical forgiveness is the dynamite that can blow up what we ourselves have erected and I believe that if we have the courage to place this explosive power strategically we will see a mighty river of grace and revival once again.

For more on biblical forgiveness please listen to Focus on Forgiveness Saturdays @ 6pm on AM 1100 KFAX and learn more at www.focusonforgiveness.org

Back to work...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 07:15:00 +0000

same root ~ different fruit

A few days ago Rachel Held Evans caused a stir with her CNN Religion blog -
Why millennials are leaving the church
It set off a buzz of response ... I tried to resist diving too deep into the flood of IMHO's
I just have too much other work to do. Is that so wrong?

I did skim through a sampling of opinions this evening.
What do Allen, David, David and Rachel all have in common?
They all want their opinions about church decline to get liked & shared...
and thus fuel the frenzy about the demise of particular "organizations".

Meanwhile the head of the organism
- the One who calls the Bride his very own -
claims he'll never leave or forsake her.

Maybe a few days of reflecting on generational stats
and the decline of western christendom is a healthy occasional break
- like the 2011 season of scolding vs. adoring of Rob Bell for Love Wins.

but...
let's get back to work...
let's go plant new churches
grafting in new branches on that ancient stock,
and leave the diagnosis of the dying
and the dissection of the dead
to those who count twitter feeds and nurture facebook stats.
let's do what every generation has been called to do,
feed the hungry, nurture souls, preach the gospel.

let's not overthink the job, or underserve this generation.
they've got particular problems of which we should be prophetic critics,
but they've also got great passion which will draw them to new forms of organizing,
they may indeed be post-denominational and post-christendom,
but if the Spirit of the Lord prevails (as is his wont)
they will still be the Church.
let's help them grow.

Spiritus Sanctus non est scepticus

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 07:38:00 +0000

Continuing the concept of faith and doubt,
Since some people that I care about
Had some nice things to say
About my blog yesterday.
.....
I've recently had the opportunity to exercise blind faith in onions.
I couldn't bring myself to do it of course but I did have a momentary
feeling. That rush of WOW when you read something that sounds revolutionary.
.....
My friend re-posted something she read that somebody else got from someone.
When I first read it, I thought "wow, now that's amazing - sounds to good to be true!"
So I went over to SNOPES and sure enough, another miracle cure debunked.
This one was about the preventative health power (and correlative danger) of onions.
You can read the debunking of both HERE and HERE...
a crushing demythologizing effort to be sure.
Old wives beware, the Mikkelson's are out to turn your tales on their tails.
.....
Now, I used to work on an onion farm and my family can certainly confirm
that come harvest time I smelled so bad that no one would get close to me.
This would indeed prevent me from infecting anyone with my germs, and vice versa.
Other than this repellent power however
I'm afraid onions are nothing more than very tasty tubers.
No matter what your grandmother or her ancestors said, that's about it, sorry to say.
.....
Part of me really wanted this to be true,
since most of my family just fought off the cold I had kindly shared with them,
and since none of us wants to get the flu...
I'd hoped that there was more to this than ancient superstition.

Wouldn't it be great if the ordinary flesh of a humble bulb,
could, once cut and hung in the presence of our sickness
absorb all the disease inducing bacteria that invade our homes?
.....
This indeed was the claim of the story:
a recounting of some anonymous doctor from the pioneer past
discovering healthy farmers homes full of freshly sliced roots
while all over town people were dying of influenza.
And then an anecdote from even darker days when garlic & onions
were employed to stop the plague in its deadly march across Europe.
Next thing you know someone will suggest wearing them to ward off vampires.
What's that? Psh. I'm always the last to find out.
......
Again, I was really wanting to see a green light of TRUE! at Snopes
or at least a yellow button verifying that the humble onion had SOME superpowers
that could be verified by scientific inquiry,
even if not to the extent of this incredible claim.

But then I got rather irritated that this popular person was
posting medically inaccurate information...
that 155,111 people liked it
and that 568,710 people had shared it.
Over half a million sharing a sham,
distributing digital snake oil?
This cannot go unanswered.
.....
So in a fit of ... irritation... and in hopes of quelling a dangerous rumor.
I wrote the following:

Hi _______, I don't know who you are, but apparently a lot of other people do.
You've got over 2700 subscribers who seem to love liking, sharing, and reposting your advice. I saw my friend ______ post your bit about onions... and I thought WOW that IS amazing... in fact that's so amazing that I'll bet somebody has already researched it.
Sure enough. Both of the ideas in your post - the "onion germ sponge theory", and the "blame the onion not the mayo" idea were quickly debunked in 30 seconds by fact checking over at SNOPES. ... may I suggest that in the future, since a whole lot of people seem to take your advice for some reason, that you do a little fact-checking before you post something that perpetuates a superstition?
I read through people's responses and I was shocked to see several people suggesting that they're going to "try onions" to keep from getting sick at work, or to help their child heal. They're a healthy veggie but nothing more, some people may think they're engaged in real prevention when in fact all they're doing is smelling up their house! Thanks for listening!

.....
Self-satisfied and smug, I wasn't yet done with my debunking club.
I randomly selected a half dozen of her gullible disciples
and hit them with the Snopes links, hoping they'd see the error of their ways.
.....
Several realizations followed this frenzy of fact checking and "onion faith" stomping:

this may be exactly the same sort of thing my non-theist friends think when they see me post something about my faith in the God of the Bible.
there is great need for healthy skepticism among humans in general and among Christians in particular
faith may be beautiful, but blind faith can be deadly...
and fact checking is a wonderful exercise that a rigorously faith-filled person ought to engage in on a regular basis.

I received a wonderful email from my dad in response to my last post. He suggested among other things that what we Christians claim is actually impossible to believe without divine intervention. Human reasoning as great as it is, can never convince a person that the Almighty God would take on human flesh to save us from our sins... unless the Spirit of God gives someone the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8).

Dad writes: "there is no human being who can believe this. That God would come in damned human flesh and go to hell in the place of his children--this story line is more than any human being should be required to accept. Faith is not a human possibility. The truth is: it is only a divine possibility. ... Doubt is our natural state as we react to the Bible's gospel, but the same Dove who descended on our Savior when he was baptized must take his place within us and he must believe in us and through us, and we believe through him.

As Luther said: Spiritus Sanctus non est scepticus--the Holy Spirit is not an sceptic... We can be nothing but unbelievers in ourselves, but when the Spirit of the living Christ takes his place within our sin damaged hearts, we become believers in spite of ourselves.

I take great consolation that in the age of skepticism...
Spiritus Sanctus non est scepticus
Lord save us from ourselves.
.....
I am a believer in spite of myself, not because of any virtue inherent in me.
I believe that the second person of the Trinity emptied himself of all heaven's glory
and became a human embryo, carried to term by a surprised virgin,
a Jewish girl, incredulous yet obedient,
an unplanned pregnancy that was planned before the dawn of creation.

This unique being, fully human and fully divine, in obedience to his Father,
entered this sin infested world, died a humiliating death, and was raised up Lord of Life.

Having been given the gift of faith to believe that this absurd story is true,
I now ask my yet-to-believe friends:
Wouldn't it be great if the ordinary flesh of a humble human teacher,
could, once cut open and hung in the presence of humanity's sickness
absorb all the disease inducing effects of sin that invade our hearts?
.....
It is every bit as absurd as the onion tale, I know.
Worse yet, if you fact check me,
or any other Christian for that matter,
you'll find ample evidence to declare my story FALSE.
The plague of sin seems, often, to be raging unchecked
among even the best of us.
.....
I can only offer you this:
My healing is just beginning.
.....
You see, like some omni-potent onion cure,
I must recommend both an external and internal remedy.
I point to a blood soaked body impaled to a cross outside ancient Jerusalem...
...believing this event absorbed the penalty not only for my sin but yours...
I also must point within me, for the same Spirit who gave me the gift of faith
now dwells within, regenerating the decaying cells of my soul, and declaring
"behold I am making all things new".

Under a blood-red sky... I will begin again

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 21:50:00 +0000

Saw a big bright shooting star at 1am.
I was on the front porch, new pipe in hand,
welcoming the new year; missing family & friends.
Stunning view of the city, calm.
Even the gunfire & fireworks of Oakland had ceased.
Didn't make a wish, but had the following thought:
The beauty of the lights of my City by the Bay
are only surpassed by the splendor of the lights above.
......
Sad that the world probably sang Imagine as one voice last night,
along with the million cheerfully tipsy voices at Times Square...
It is truly a godless and vain anthem of a generation lost in an empty dream.
The folks now wielding power in this world have grown up believing
(or at least acting as if) "no hell below us, above us only sky"
is the most accurate and honest way to look at the world.
......
The year gone by has had gut wrenching moments of unbelievable pain.
Globally and personally it seems few were calling it a VERY good year.
I've felt the cold grip of doubt seize my mind and attempt to strangle my heart.
The love of many grows cold in these latter days.
The very existence of a Divine Community, a loving Three in One,
seems at times to be a vapor, especially when the Father's favor feels remote.
......
Doubts crept in even during Watchnight service,
to shadow my prayers, and mock my songs...
but the Word from the psalmist rang true:
"My heart and my flesh may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever" (Ps.73)
.......
This song from scripture is relentless in it's depth, honesty and beauty.
It's not a merry melody or a looney tune for new year's eve...
but it makes a great anthem for living out the new year.
If you're already tired of my rant, take a break and go read it now.
......

With zealous vigor a young Bono once sang:
"So we're told this is the Golden Age,
and gold is the reason for the wars we wage...
though I want to be with you night and day,
Nothing changes on New Years Day"
......
Then he promptly went out and made incredible changes in this world,
convincing himself and others that Lennon was wrong.
Peace will come not by eliminating religion, or imagining higher consciousness.
Peace will come when the billion or so who claim the name of Christ...
stop pelting each other with Pharisaical pebbles,
and casting stones at those who sin differently from themselves.
Peace will come when we, the doubting;
the tiny-faith followers of a mighty Savior
chase away the shadows with deeds of justice and mercy,
and stomp the unholy trinity - devil, flesh and worldliness,
with the difficult boot of faith, hope and love.
......
There. Now I've gone and done it.
I turned what was to be a two line facebook status update
into a blog for New Years Day.
...and in the process I've felt the Spirit rise within me.
"We were meant to live for so much more"
than the fickle, wave tossed sort of doubts that so often bewitched me last year.
God owes me nothing, but has promised everything.
I will go on serving, obeying, and trusting
even if I never feel the warmth of his embrace this year.
......
I think I'm longing for certainty, but in this moment I see
If I can merely remember the promise "Lo, I am with thee"
it will be enough.
We want more than this world's got to offer.
......
That shooting star was no mere rock falling from space through empty sky,
nor was it some portend of luck upon which I should pin a wish,
it was a little piece of creation, set in motion long ago,
by a Majesty so infinite and wise
that knew precisely when it would enter our atmosphere,
knew I would be looking up precisely at that moment,
knew it would make me smile, and inspire me to keep writing today,
writing my way out of doubt to be delivered through the door of renewed faith.
......
Go be the change you want to see.
It won't happen because of your resolutions or your resolve.
But Christ in you, the hope of glory, and the zeal of Lord will accomplish this.
Stop doubting, just believe, trust... and obey.

adolescent grace

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 00:43:00 +0000

Grace...
forever descending
forever becoming
She's childlike but not childish.
She says what comes to her mind.
She questions and searches and explores for the sake of joy.
She rejoices in the unsought reminders of the story that tells us who we are.

This playful rendition of the nativity pageant giggled grace to me today
and inspired the reflection that follows:

Kids bubble over with grace.
My kids do anyway...
and not just at Christmastime.

I felt Grace's presence so keenly today. I saw her through my family's eyes.
It's personal, but you're welcome to take a peek...

Sleeping in. First Saturday of Christmas break.
The start of a three-week sabbath rest from weekday, workday, schoolday stress.

My first words offered to Deb, "I love you. How can I serve you today?"
- where did THAT come from? Surely not from me-in-who-I-am-alone.

Rested yet drowsy, I trip downstairs, turn up the heat,
and attend to the coffeemaker while reflecting on yesterdays events.

I was able to smile over the smell of my own morning breath,
Knowing that today's coffee could be slowly sipped
instead of chugged as a drug.
This somehow made it much easier to put away those dishes
while waiting for the Peets to brew.
So Grace answered the question I'd asked,
without Deb needing to verbalize a thing.

Returning to bed, I find my 20 year-old daughter cuddled up next to my wife.
Eros fled the scene, but Philia & Storge' waltzed in
and Grace quickly bridged the gap between
momentary disappointment
and an hour of
college-kid
sandwich,
catching up
with our first-born.

The last few months have been exceptionally difficult for her.
Her awareness of my failures strained our relationship
and her physical distance magnified the emotional distance.
Remote reconciliation is a modern oxymoron.

She's separated from us by 1,950.3 miles and from her boyfriend by 6,503.76 miles.
Until teleporting is a reality we will have to settle
for moderate gratitude that facebook, skype and texting
do indeed keep us connected if not "in touch".

That separation never felt greater than yesterday
when I got the call from her that she'd been in a car wreck.
She'd flown to Cincinnati to visit Deb's aging father.
He made a bad decision on the highway
that could easily have cost them both their lives.

The hand of God delivered them and several others from serious injury.
We prayed for wisdom and asked for favor.
Many of you joined your prayers with ours.
We didn't need to storm heaven to wake the Father,
He was not caught off guard by our plight.
Yet He was pleased to hear so many of his children
uniting their voices, expressing their concerns,
on behalf of our big little girl.

Grace manifested again as a seat opened up
on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
So now we have her home three days earlier than expected.
Simply wonderful.

This Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ with six adolescents in the house. Our oldest just turned 20. Our two boys are 16 and 14... and our youngest, MaryGrace just turned 12. This year we've got the added blessing of two Chinese students both age 17 who are staying with us for the year. That's a lot of adolescent energy, a lot of transition, a lot of opportunity to extend grace and to look for it wherever it may bloom. My friend Jerry posted a remembrance to his facebook wall -12 years ago today they lost their beloved daughter - age 21 - to an aneurysm as she walked across the same college campus where my daughter now studies. A parents grief brings out my gratitude for every single day with four great kids.

Teenagers - no longer carefree children, but not yet worry-driven adults.
They linger in between.
Angst and unexpected angry outbursts. Yeah, we got that.
But mostly a whole lot of grace ... showing up in so many amazing ways.

My kids.
Our story.
Best. Pageant. Ever.

Why did THAT song make me cry?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 23:31:00 +0000

Saturday, April 2, 2011, 1:15pm

So I sit down in my office to work on my sermon.

To make the suffocation of this stained glass cubicle more bearable,

I click on my U2 channel on Pandora.

Perhaps cranking up "The Fly" by U2 set the emotional stage...

It's no secret that a friend is someone who lets you help
It's no secret that a liar won't believe anyone else
They say a secret is something you tell one other person
So I'm telling you child

A man will beg
A man will crawl
On the sheer face of love
Like a fly on a wall
It's no secret at all

Hardly know where to begin with that.

But the guitar solo combined with that phrase "the sheer face of love" ...

probably uncorked something... something powerfully distilled in my soul.

probably uncovered something... like finding yet another hatch

in the 3rd season of my own personal island of LOST.

Next up: Counting Crows "Long December" ...

Is it his voice, that crooning wail?

Is it the sad beauty of those chords in just that order?

or... more likely...

combined with the above,

it is all that plus these words:

And it’s been a long December and there’s no reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better that the last
I can’t remember all the times I tried to tell myself
To hold on to these moments as they pass
And it’s one more day up in the canyon
And it’s one more night in Hollywood
It’s been so long since I’ve seen the ocean... I guess I should

Suddenly my face is in my hands.

A sudden rush of beauty & pain, joy & sorrow.

Tears wash down my face.

Saltwater baptism.

Not enough liquid for even a sprinkling,

but enough emotion for a full immersion.

I wonder if at 12 or 21 or 30 Jesus ever thought...

"maybe this year will be better than the last".

I wonder whether his tears for his friends,

for the city, for me... ever confused him.

I wonder whether I can ever really fully surrender

to him the meaning of my tears for my friends, my city, myself.

(or if i even dare to try)

2:00pm.

No time left for wonder.

There's a sermon to prepare,

there's doctrine to doublecheck,

there's baptism debates to resolve...

Thanks Lord, for the last 45 minutes...

I almost felt human again.

It's been so long since I've seen the ocean,

guess I should.

An Invitation to the Prodigal God Series

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:03:00 +0000

Dena's Surprise

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 18:29:00 +0000

Can you spot the foreigner?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 06:46:00 +0000

Collected some sea glass yesterday.

Finding the green pieces among the millions of stones & pebbles was easy.

The greenish blue pieces weren’t terribly hard to find either.

This is one of the best beaches I've ever seen if you want to find enormous

quantities of sea glass ... and it's a 5 minute walk from our house.

Among the millions of rocks & pebbles, the glass pieces seem few

and far between, until they start to add up in your pocket.

Then, among the millions of rocks & pebbles,

one white one stood out.

I pocketed it with the pieces of glass.

My pocket filled quickly, and as it did,

I thought of that one white pebble.

Surrounded by glass, mostly green with a bit of blue.

Imported out of its comfortable majority of stones,

Suddenly isolated.

Different.

Jostled, engulfed, immersed...

Standing out like a…

like a pebble in a sea of glass.

East doesn’t just meet west here…

it engulfs and overwhelms it,

it rarely pauses to consider your presence.

When noticed, there are stares, comments, laughter,

and the occasional bold child who wants to show off his three English phrases.

I no longer feel the difference by skin color alone,

but rather by something almost chemical.

If minerality = humanity, then it is easy enough to recognize our common ground.

But consider the ages long difference in process.

Sea Glass – a collection of minerals, heated, processed, liquefied, blown, solidified, commodified, utilized, set adrift, broken, pulverized, worn down, washed ashore.

= any particular Asian culture ... or, particularly, Korean culture.

The Pebble – a mineral, broken off some larger piece of the same, worn down, washed ashore.

= in this case, me and my white family in a city of 4.4 million Koreans.

by recent stats Americans here in Busan are less than .05% of the population.

and all expats combined are less than .75%

- over half of the 33,000 foreigners are also Asian (Chinese, Koreans born in China, Vietnamese, etc)

What would the pebble & glass say to each other about their history?

Is what they have in common even enough to merit starting such a conversation?

Is this what my Korean friends mean when they say

– you can’t truly understand the way we are?

I know that I want to try.

We’re only ~~minerals~~ human after all.

Broken.

Washed ashore.

Still tumbled by the waves.

Picked up by a divine hand.

Placed in the pocket of providential care.

Kept.

…and yes,

put on display…

in His blog,

the Church.

Picture how we think...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:53:00 +0000

Living is simple.
Life is complex.

Words have such power,
yet pictures turn "pow" into "DY-NO-MITE!"

a guy who gets to dress up other peoples wordsWe just watched Tim Burton's delicious visualization of
R.Dahl's Chocolate Factory...
we laughed,
we drooled,
we oompa'd and we loompa'd
(this part gave me nightmares when i was a kid)

I dreamed aloud that my kids
(each more graphically talented than i)
would one day turn some great book into some great film.

I began to feel that gloom again,
the one that always says I've got nothing
of value to say, or write, or create...

...and then i stumbled, with help from McNair,
onto this wonder-blog which catalogued
some of the great infographics running around out there.
i immediately found three to send to friends,
i love it when a well done graphic can wrap a complex idea into an interesting package.

i geek out over the educational possibilities.
my right-brain wants to ride a roller-coaster right now...

let's take for example the perplexing task of ordering the
you really want without feeling like a fool.
now you can print this picture, put it in your purse,
whip it out next time you're in line at Peets,
and get the macchiato of your dreams.

now if i could just find someone with the talent and the time
to render my thoughts on discipleship, church history, and the hybrid church...
now, i'm not talkin'
or bar graphs people ...

i want a !

that would be nice.
but for tonite i'll have to settle for words.
sigh.

Countdown to Simplicity

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:38:00 +0000

Simplicity as a standalone life-goal can actually get rather complicated. (Note the failure rate of new year's resolutions to "simplify my life")
When simplicity is embraced as part of a package deal however the fruit can be sweet (not that I have much experience yet in this, but I like what I've tasted thus far)

In a month we'll be back in California.

This year has been a lot more than we expected.

More work than we could have imagined clearing out all the stuff from our big house and paring down to the essentials that could fit in our tiny Korean apartment.
More excitement and suspense than we anticipated as our entry was delayed by a month, and as a bunch of our boxes didn't arrive for several months.
More adventures in dining, exploring, and cross-cultural shenanigans than we could shake a 지팡이 at.
More hospitality and new friendships than we ever thought possible
More hours of teaching, preaching and special engagements than should fit into something i've oxymoronically referred to as a year long "working sabbatical" ...

Yet now it is time to reduce again.
Time to say no to certain engagements.
Time to be selective with experiences for the next 30 days.
Time to start saying goodbye and start planning another transition.

Not that we'll ever unlearn these amazing experiences...
and not that we'll ever unfriend the 100s of people we've met from all over the world... (thank you facebook)

But it is time to reflect and simplify in order that we may press on.
I hope to write more deeply here and less fluff there.

I pray I'll have more gratitude for those golden apples and less irritation with the bad bananas.

I plan to NOT guilt myself into writing a comprehensive "life in Korea" blog...
since it's already been done - check out EAT YOUR KIMCHEE

I plan to eliminate at least half of my online existence... since nobody ever goes to Myspace anymore, ...or Yahoo ...or MSN Live! So you can go there if you want to bid farewell to these forgotten pages, cuz I'm going to kill off one a week!

I think I'll start with MSN ... I haven't been there for at least two years... and never liked hotmail anyway... so, by Friday, nederdave@hotmail.com will be history.

I'm breathing easier already.

"Well Done!"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:52:00 +0000

(from my English Chapel 9/30/09)

Matthew 2:14-30
14 JESUS SAID: “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them...

Today I would like to continue with the unofficial theme of the week, which has been reflecting on the ministry of our president Dr. Sung-su Kim.
This parable is often misquoted and misunderstood but I think it applies to what we have seen and experienced this week. We all want to hear the master say WELL DONE.

• but what does that mean – we must understand WHAT Jesus is trying to teach if we want to know HOW this parable applies to us today.
• This is NOT a story about earning God’s favor by raising lots of money for the church or for a school – No!! And it is NOT even about determining whether you have been given a little or a lot in this life.
• Jesus is NOT trying to show us how to have the greatest reward in heaven… he is trying to show us how to live our lives NOW 100% for HIM!

Several things stood out to me that I had not noticed before in this story…
• The faithful servants did not have to work twice as hard, nor did they risk any property of their own… it was the Master’s money they invested and THE MONEY did all the work!
• The “wicked” servant had a correct view (good doctrine) about the Master’s power and authority… but he failed to wield that power and chose to live cautiously rather than taking a risk.

We are called to be good & faithful stewards of the time, talents, and treasures that the Master has entrusted to us. Just as Jesus commended those who took great risk for him (Beatitudes, the bleeding woman, Peter’s confession, the disciples – we’ve left everything to follow you, the widow’s mite, Mary’s anointing of Jesus feet) …so too it is right and fitting that we commended President Kim for the risks he took for the King on behalf of Kosin University.

If you want to hear the Master say well done… you do not need to wait for him to entrust you with large sums of money (he probably won’t!!) you do not need to wait until you are appointed to a high position (professor, president, senior pastor) YOU ONLY NEED TO RISK WHAT HE’S ALREADY GIVEN YOU!

Many of you have done this already… risking your family and wellbeing to travel far away to study here in Korea. Many of you hope to live lives of great risk for him after you graduate… but I encourage you – DON’T WAIT!! We do not know when the Master will return. We can take great risk (not foolish risk mind you – but prayerful and strategic risks) PRO REGE [for the King] right now – TODAY!

Pres. Kim is a man of action. I don’t know what the Lord will have him do next… but I am CERTAIN that it will not be to sit on his hands or go play golf all week. He will not sit and sulk about this turn of events – indeed he has already given his word to us (again last night at dinner) that he will do all in his power to help the University continue the bold new adventures that began under his leadership.

He is not a man who would wish you to sit and admire HIS accomplishments. I sensed that he was uncomfortable receiving all that attention and praise. Instead I am sure that he would want each one of you to follow his example and TAKE ACTION for the King!

That is why I am proposing that we the International students and professors take the LEAD and start a fund that will help Kosin continue its global and missional focus. I am proposing that we establish an International Student Emergency Fund and that we invite all the Korean students to participate in building up this fund to help International students who encounter special needs. So if for example one of our African students experiences a death in their family back home they could use this fund to fly home without penalty in class and without needing to further burden their host churches who have already taken great risk. Please contact me if you want to help me establish this fund.

Let’s take great risks for God, let’s do it all in the name of our King - Jesus!
To him be the glory for ever and ever - AMEN!

Hello From Busan!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:36:00 +0000

Yeah this is where we live.
We're movin' on up...
to a deee-luxe apartment in the sky...

perspective. on grace.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:40:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Sometimes Grace comes in the dress of perspective.
She smiles but her eyes reveal sadness.
She cries but the tears taste like joy.

What does grace, freelancing as perspective look like?
sorta like the yin and yang...
even when things are bright and cheerful
there is that black spot of doubt...
even when things seem black and hopeless...
there is that spot of light.

Yeah. Sorta like that.
But Grace gives something so much more.
A purpose to what would otherwise be just so much senseless spinning of the wheel. Grace makes certain that we notice the pushes and pulls until the clay takes shape and the Potter's purpose gradually becomes clear.

Today the Potter's purpose for me seems hidden...
but... clay that I am...
I have sensed Grace giving me enough perspective
to know that the spinning, pushing, pulling is getting me... somewhere.

Perspectives:

Hurricane Felicia ~ she's fizzled down to a tropical storm and drifted off to the north.
So the biggest storm we ever prepared for (well, sort of prepared) seems to change her mind and goes off to hit Maui instead of the Big Island.
... I feel relieved that we'll probably get a good night's sleep and won't have patio chairs blowing through the windows.
... yet I feel that little dark patch of disappointment along with my sons that we're not going to "experience the fury".

Keeping Covenant ~ I just read through Hosea in the Message... so powerful.
The love of God enacted as a living parable through his prophet.
From Peterson's introduction: "It is an astonishing story: a prophet commanded to marry a common whore and have children with her. It is an even more astonishing message: God loves us in just this way - goes after us at our worst, keeps after us until he gets us, and makes lovers of men and women who know nothing of real love."

A month ago I got on an airplane. I chose to mark that moment as the first day of my sobriety.
I'm now four weeks into recovery from being a workaholic. I have no idea what that is supposed to look like on a daily basis. Perspective however, gives me some clues. A month of time devoted to my wife, my kids and a houseful of visitors... family and friends who know us and love us (even when we all drive each other a little crazy). I am re-learning the essence of healthy relationships ~ how much time it takes to truly know someone... and how that is just a slice of what it means to truly love someone. Perspective has helped me realize that in the midst of hundreds of good things I would say "yes" to, some of the best things were being lost. My good work is hard. Hard work is good. Goodness is learning to make the hard choice to say "no" when my work takes over my life, or threatens to undo my covenant to my family.

Perspective on moving to Korea:
We made the choice to do something different for a year. We knew it wouldn't be easy. Up until now it has been very easy. My dear friend and co-pastor, Andrew Narm made all the right connections. The invitations to come and teach came from two universities in the same city where Debbie and I could both stretch and grow. A week after arriving in Hawaii we got our first big surprise. An email from my school with a list of documents that we needed in order to secure my E2 Visa. We worked to get what we could online, getting transcripts sent from college and seminary, etc. But now a roadblock. They need my diploma which is packed away in a box somewhere, and fingerprinting that has to be done in my home state.

So... on Wednesday night I fly back to California.
The bright spot - I get to see my beloved hometown of Alameda one more time. The dark side seems huge: my family stays here to pack & clean & ship boxes without me... I have no clue how long the paperwork will take or, for that matter, where to look for my diploma. I will miss the visit of my dear friends Nina & Diggs who fly in the day I leave... many of my good friends in Alameda will be out of town for the week... so the questions pile up.

Why this turn of events? Why didn't we get that list a month before we left home? What is God's purpose in this seemingly senseless and certainly expensive diversion?

No answers yet to these perplexing questions, yet Grace is gently reminding me that the spinning of the wheel has some purpose. Someday, the perspective will be even clearer. I believe this, yet as we zig zag our way across the ocean I certainly covet your prayers. Pray that we will find all we need... pray that Deb's teaching position will get settled (it is currently much more uncertain than mine... another long story). Pray for Perspective... and Peace.

Lil' Brudders... sure grow fast!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:26:00 +0000

2005 Master Lim with Joshua & Caleb
Originally uploaded by nederdave

Hard to believe this was less than four years ago! Joshua and Caleb started learning Tae Kwon Do in the fall of 2005. We've seen lots of growth - physically, relationally, mentally, etc. - and Master Lim has been a constant source of challenge and encouragement.

Lim just recently returned from Korea himself where he made a special trip to Busan to find a suitable TKD studio where the boys can continue their training. Joshua just earned his black belt in June and if they manage to keep in shape this summer we figure Caleb will be testing for his black belt sometime while we are in Korea.

Having never had a brother myself, it has been one of the great joys of my life to watch these two grow. I sometimes joke that they are more like Cain & Abel... or Jacob & Esau... but most of the time they live up to their namesakes. Joshua & Caleb were friends who bravely explored new territory - but they became heroes for their willingness to trust God in the face of a very uncertain future.

It is a powerful example of "freelance grace" for me to see these two boys turn into men before my eyes. I know that their passion for exploration, their appreciation of discipline, and, above all, their love for God will continue to grow. I am grateful for people like Master Lim and all the other teachers and friends who have influenced my sons.

These past two weeks in Hawaii have been a priceless time of reconnection to my family and I have especially had the privilege of spending time with my sons, running the Wai'pio valley and teaching them to spear-fish. I pray that in the years ahead, this time in Hawaii will be remembered as a new benchmark for our family. We've talked openly about how family dynamics can change and how much we as parents desire and intend to work toward emotional & relational health in our family.

NederNews 07.18

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:52:00 +0000

The first edition of our MissionYear Updates!

purpose-less

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:35:00 +0000

Purpose?
We're all supposed to have one.
Preachers are supposed to preach.
Evangelists share the gospel.
We are to do these things effectively
... while seeing everyone
(rich, poor, beautiful, ugly)
... the way that Jesus did.
today... right now... i don't feel it..
i've lost my purpose.
and feel i've lost my way.

"Lord have mercy on me, according to your unfailing love"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:54:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Bridges
&
CityScapes

Where we're heading ~ Busan, Korea.
Some things will look very familiar.
Others... not so much.
Let the adventure begin!

Image via Wikipedia

NederKids crack me up.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:24:00 +0000

at GG Park ~ on our 20th Anniversary
June 10, 2009

GRACE for a web-building NOOB!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 18 May 2009 01:49:00 +0000

ack!
ok - when they SAY that it's website building for dummies...
they really DON'T mean to insult us...
but...
then there are those of us who struggle just to pay attention long enou...
OH LOOK A PUPPY!!!!

:)

THE NEDERHOOD FAMILY PAGE is up ... finally ... at

www.nederdave.com

Mission On My Mind...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 May 2009 06:34:00 +0000

we're less than two months away from our departure
for the greatest adventure our family has yet experienced.

we have been invited to korea ~ i will be teaching seminary
students at kosin university and deb will be teaching english
at the nearby maritime university.

our mission year is described in more detail on the page below:
www.nederdave.com

here's a few of our FAQ's
* fundraising - we need to raise 20-25k for our part of this mission-year

* dates - we leave on july 8 for five weeks of prep as a family
- by mid-august we will be in busan, korea
- after two semesters we plan to return to alameda (june 2010)

* leadership - pastor dan hutt will be stepping into my role after we leave, and when i return we will be co-pastoring in alameda. we will be pursuing bi-vocational ministry work here which will enable us to grow grow our staff and expand the vision for a community based multi-site church.

* teaching - i will be teaching students from 12 countries and six continents how to impact their home communities with the gospel!

we will keep you updated throughout the year.
here on blogger.
on YOUTUBE
and at our family page: NEDERDAVE & FAMILY

peace,
dave

the scarlet grace...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:12:00 +0000

todays blog inspired by my dear friend amy.
who mused through the impulsive media of instant message...
that churches are easy enough to find,
but grace, lovely grace, is so much more elusive...

we can't help but look for her,
indeed, every religion, every human heart secretly longs for her,
but she often eludes our grasp.
indeed she ALWAYS eludes our grasp.
for she was meant to be experienced, not experimented on.
appreciated for her beauty, not bottled up and dispensed by man.
she may take hold of us,
but how could we ever hope to keep her to ourselves?
(better yet why would we even try?)

grace reminded amy of the cry from Scarlet Pimpernel...
may i paraphrase?

we seek her here.
we seek her there.
we churchies seek her everywhere.
is she in heaven?
is she gone without a trace?
that damsel, elusive grace!

i propose a new secret society.

the league of "scarlet grace"...

our captain wears many disguises,
usually appearing as someone in need.
(in need of a demonstration of grace from me. or you.)

wherever the religious have sentenced another
to the guillotine of legalism,
wherever the institution has failed
to free the seeker from sin,
we shall appear and administer grace freely,
binding up the broken,
encouraging the cast out,
embracing the bitter and the skeptical and the abused,

because that is what our captain did. and does.
and will do. through us.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

further thoughts:
as i wrote this another thread uncoiled in my head:
rahab's scarlet cord was not for her to grasp hold of
to make good her escape.
it was purely a marker of grace - saving, rescuing grace...
(joshua 2:17-21)
like the pimpernel's little red flower.
a calling card that he had rescued another.

that scarlet cord winds its way through all of scripture.
from the blood of abel that cried out (gen.4:8-16 / heb.12:23-24)
to the top of moriah where isaac is loosed and a ram is bound (gen.22)
to the doorpost of the hebrew slave whose house is passed over (ex.12:21-23)
to the goat who bleats one last time and then bleeds for the people (lev.16)
to the place of the skull
where time stands still,
where signs find their significance,
where shadows find their source,
where the scarlet thread becomes a tsunami

scarlet grace indeed.

(romans 3:23-26 / hebrews 9:23-28)
(with thanks to mr.spurgeon and francine)

grace notes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 15:59:00 +0000

Yancey says: "A composer of music may add grace notes to the score. Though not essential to the melody–they are gratuitous–these notes add a flourish whose presence would be missed. When I first attempt a piano sonata by Beethoven or Schubert, I play it through a few times without the grace notes. The sonata carries along, but oh what a difference it makes when I am able to add in the grace notes, which season the piece like savory spices."

~ from "What's So Amazing About Grace"