Constructively Dissatisfied

Better never begin; once begun, better finish.

2009-06-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

The best stories are about leaving home.

Think about it. I could name a few. I just watched Into the Wild (twice).
Lord of the Rings, Pilgrim's Progress, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Through Painted Deserts (nonfiction), We're enthralled by the character that feels constrained by the normal. That breaks free and dives into the unknown. We find wisdom in the story. Our spirits are lifted.

But we rarely see what life is like for the protagonist after the journey. After ordinary becomes ruined. Are we to believe they lived content after such adventures?

Tolkein probably had it right when Frodo suffered in the Shire from wounds received in the journey and the feeling of being out of place until setting off on the sea.

What about the character that left, accomplished, and suffers? Where is the movie about him?

Old Brown Book, Long Been with Me

2009-06-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

I have a nice brown leather book that was written long ago. It followed me through Kalamazoo. It waited for me while I lived in a faraway land. It now keeps me company in Baltimore. In all this time, it has served chiefly as decoration. In the odd event that I did crack it open, it's binding quickly found relief as it closed again. It was purchased from the cheap "should just give it away" rack in a bookstore on Westnedge Avenue.
I opened it again the other day and learned immediately that wisdom hid within its pages all that time but that wisdom must be received in the right time and place to be recognized for the truth it brings. If the student is not ready, he will not learn. Here are some words I found... and if you know me and my life... you'll understand...

"When God brings the blank space, see that you do not fill it, but wait. The blank space may come in order to teach you what sanctification means, or it may come after sanctification to teach you what service means."

"God's order has to work up to a crisis in our lives because we will not heed a gentler way... If the crisis has come to you on any line, surrender your will to Him absolutely and irrevocably"

"He forecast in his mind where the test would come, and the test came where he did not expect it."

Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost For His Highest. Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing, 1963.

Revival for mine blogging spirit?

2009-06-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

I think it is time to write again.

Bloggin' while in Vietnam...

2007-10-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

One Story Written in Hanoi

Shane Claiborne on NPR's Speaking of Faith

2007-07-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

The NPR program "Speaking of Faith" hosted Shane Claiborne back in May but I just found it. It's well worth a listen. Shane shares many of the same stories from his talks and his book but Krista Tippett's different questions and reactions were refreshing. Great to hear the news of the revolution getting out into different streams of media and culture.... http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/newmonastics/index.shtml

It's True...

2007-07-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

I am leaving for Hanoi, Vietnam on August 9th.

Summer Reading List

2007-05-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

To make up for my poor performance in Ms. Feldt's AP English summer reading program senior year of high school.... I'm voraciously reading thru June and July. Life is changing and I'm growing and here is the water and fertilizer.

In progress

Mountains beyond Mountains - Tracey Kidder - The biography of Dr. Paul Farmer, an infectious disease physician, idealist, and founder of Partners in Health, an international health and social justice organization. This book was given to me by an amazing woman on her way out of the country to help save the world.

Vietnam: A Dragon Embattled Vol. 1- Joseph Buttinger - It seems like it would be advantageous to learn more about this country this summer. This volume, the first book I've checked out from the library for non-paper writing reasons since I was a kid is an old, cloth bound tome that just feels good to hold in your hands.

Christianity Rediscovered - Vincent J. Donovan - Written by a Catholic missionary in Tanzania who abandoned the traditional "mission compound" approach to evangelism in favor of bringing the naked gospel to the Masai tribes and letting it grow and redeem within their cultural context. I loved this book two years ago and it has taken on new meaning to me now.

The Voice of Matthew - Lauren F. Winner - Lauren's retelling of the Gospel of Matthew in more narrative form with her interpretations included. It's a refreshing way to re-read my favorite Gospel.

No Greater Love - Mother Teresa - An amazing book. The Gospel according to Momma T. "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."

Coming up next

The Lives of the Desert Fathers

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Vietnam: A Dragon Embattled Vol. 2

Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream - Barack Obama

Survival Kit for Overseas Living

The World is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman

Remember...

2007-04-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this more for me than for anyone else so that I may remember there is more going on in our lives than we usually perceive.

Well, this sucks...

2007-04-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,2053020,00.html

A dim view of the future from the UK's Ministry of Defence.

Whole Foods

2007-04-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

In my quest to get "back to basics" so I can make wise, healthy decisions about where my life is going, I'm working to return to eating right. So, I went to the grocery store two nights ago and got hooked up! Hummus, tomatoes, mangoes, bananas, cantaloupe, brocolli, peas, tofu, all grains are whole wheat, OJ, Bolthouse Farms fruit purees, eggs, Kashi cereals. I can't wait to make bruschetta, tofu stir fry, black bean pizza, and spaghetti. Good, whole meals that make me feel great and save money by keeping me from eating out.

On the subject of eating out, I will not be eating anywhere except for home, Food Dance Cafe, Chin Chin, Sushi Ya, or one of the two Lebanese restaurants in town. It is impossible to find anything the least bit healthy at any other Kalamazoo restaurants. (that I am aware of anyway)

Remember food is medicine you take every day. If you need ideas, here is a great place to start...

The World's Healthiest Foods

The diagnostic test tells me I need to eat more boiled spinach and romaine lettuce. I can't say I was exactly estatic about that.

Do the right thing this St. Patrick's Day

2007-03-14T18:14:00.000-07:00

Good Quote

2007-03-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

The following was the e-mail signature of a cool person that just e-mailed me. I liked it and thus, had to blog it.

Beloved young people, about to choose your life’s vocation,
ponder how we are called to goodness
and how the older generation - my own, I regret -
is leaving you a heritage of so much selfishness, of so much evil.
Renew, new wheat, newly sown crops,
fields still fresh from God’s hand
children, youths: be a better world.

Oscar Romero, The Violence of Love, page 66, July 23, 1978

Behind the Sunni-Shi'ite Divide

2007-02-23T07:18:00.000-08:00

TIME Magazine: "Behind the Sunni-Shi'ite Divide" (Click for article)

This article is one of the best I've found to help explain the deep problems playing out in Iraq. It describes the many centuries-old schism in Islam that split Muslims into the Sunni and Shi'ite sects. And it saddens me as it confirms my suspicion that no amount of American troops or rebuilding dollars can overcome these old animosities to bring peace to Iraq. It would take tremendous examples of forgiveness and a transformation from a culture of intolerance to one where freedom of religion is a foundational tenet. This is not the culture in Iraq and we cannot impose this change from the outside. It must come from within the hearts of the Iraqi people.

The Misery of the Human Condition (and the Hope that springs eternal)

2007-02-19T12:54:00.000-08:00

I had the great opportunity to view the move Babel on Saturday night at the Little Theater on WMU's east campus. (good call Scott) My first thought after this brilliant movie concluded was, "Wow, they really captured the misery of the human condition." And a slight depression followed me thru the night and into our church service Sunday morning.

Each character in the film is a victim of their circumstances in some tragic way. The two Moroccan boys are victims of innocence and the consequences of an act they did not understand. The tourist wife is a victim of chance as a bullet strikes her on a vacation we see she had no desire to even be on. The Mexican nanny is a victim of an economic system and an immigration policy fundamentally at odds with one another. Finally, the Japanese woman is a victim of a loveless life in a world with which she can barely communicate.

There is not much meaning to find in this movie and the general sentiment as we left was that at least the filmmaker did not make us suffer as much as he could have. Eventually, circumstances shifted for at least a few characters and life will continue for them (well, not really, because they are fictional) with new problems and a continued reliance on chance. They suffered and we just simply experienced their pain. As a reviewer Dave Calhoun wrote, "If misery is your pornography, Babel is your holy grail."

This movie could have simply passed into my memory as a movie I once saw and any depression would have lifted with next episode of M*A*S*H or Reno 911. However, Sunday at The River, Rob preached on The Lord's Prayer. (Matthew 6:9-13) Specifically he preached on verse 10...

"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

It was an excellent message about God establishing His kingdom on earth and how it is currently at odds with the kingdom of darkness. As the kingdom of heaven advances, it renews the world, pulling all things towards Him. We as Christians then are to seek after that kingdom desperately as our hope. (And there was a parable about losing a dog named Fred. It was just a really good talk.)

What struck me and stayed with me that morning was the film I had seen the night before. For the characters who represent so much of humanity, their hope was built on nothing more than circumstance. It reinforced for me that we believe in something so much greater than chance. We believe in a God who is jealously pursuing us and redeeming this world throughout history, pulling it toward redemption and better days. When I feel unloved, I seek Him. (unlike the girl who threw herself on others for just a chance at knowing another human's touch) When I'm in trouble, I pray for help. (unlike the man who, while his wife lay dying, looks disbelievingly at another man in morning prayer.) I believe in destiny. (unlike perhaps the woman who now looks across the border at the life she once knew, now lost.)

They say hope springs eternal. But for so many, it does not. And why should it if we are all just blowing around in the breeze? Instead, life in the kingdom of He who "is before all things and in Him all things hold together" gives us the hope that we can rise above circumstances no matter how difficult this life will be.

We are not better than those who rest on chance. But we have a hope beyond ourselves.

Wow

2007-02-06T13:28:00.000-08:00

In my last 17 months of professional life, I have:

Sent 2,167 e-mails
Received over 4,000 e-mails

So, I have to wonder... what have I been talking about in this monstrous volume of communication? Because I can only clearly remember about 50 of them being valuable.

Honoring a Champion

2007-02-04T09:59:00.000-08:00

5 Streams

2007-01-19T20:56:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed this article entitled "Five Streams of the Emerging Church" featured on Christianity Today's website. LINK It's been quite awhile since I had much discussion regarding "emergence".

The 5 proposed streams "flowing into the emergent lake" are:

1. Prophetic Rhetoric

The emerging movement is provacative and prone to exaggeration.

2. Postmodernism

Some in the emergent movement minister to postmoderns, some with postmoderns, and others as postmoderns. Still, postmodernism's relativism and preference towards narrative truth is a major if not the most powerful influence upon the emerging church.

3. Praxis

The emerging church's core is the desire to build a new ecclesiology and what is most noticeable about the movement is its practices, especially in worship, life, and a missional orientation - towards the redemptive work of the church.

4. Post-evangelicalism

The emerging movement is a protest against much of modern evangelicalism. Bullseye.

5. Politics

This really bothered me as I hope the emerging movement will transcend the normal left-right political discussion. However, as Brian McLaren has become outspoken with the Call to Renewal organization (which is very left-leaning) and I discover that many emergent-esque believers vote Democrat, I wonder if this writer is correct and that a political orientation toward the left will become characteristic of the emerging church. Even I, as I shifted in the last few years to a more emergent-styled thinking have seen an impact on my political views. (Obama '08) However, I guarantee the Democratic Party will not understand this vein of Christianity no matter how many votes it brings them. I hope we all beware the centers of power.

Nice short, to-the-point article. It reminds me how much I miss these discussions that were such a part of my life 1-2 years ago. Although, I think many of my conversations with my fellow believers in Kzoo are part of the emerging conversation but we don't call it that... and that may be a beautiful thing.

Crowder!

2007-01-14T16:07:00.000-08:00

Message to the Dems or "Don't tell Mama. I'm for Obama."

2006-12-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

In two years, you could conceivably take my vote with this guy...

You will likely not take my vote with this gal...

Two years ago you could have conceivably had my vote with this guy...

You definitely lost it with this guy...

I think this is true for a good number of ideologically balanced conservatives, especially those with a faith perspective. But alas, I anticipate the established front-runner will get the nomination, as has been the case in every presidential election I have experienced. But if there is any wisdom left in the Democratic Party, I hope they come around to their senses.

Welcome home Coach

2006-11-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

Mark Dantonio - 24th Head Football Coach at Michigan State University

Notable Quotables from the Press Conference.... (yes, I watched the entire hour)

"It's tremendous to be a Spartan. To me, I know the phrase 'boldness by design' exists here right now. I can tell you as a Spartan, whenever I walked into any school in America, whether that was in Michigan, Ohio, the East Coast, in Florida, Texas, California, I walked in with boldness because I knew I represented something that was special. I knew I represented something that had history behind it, had tradition behind it, had championships behind it, a place that was nationally known for its athletics, not just basketball and football, but for its entire athletic program. I am so, so proud to be here today, to represent Michigan State University in this capacity."

"I'll stand up here today and tell you that my faith is very, very important to me. Our players will have an opportunity to express that faith at any time they wish to do so."

" He could come to Michigan State because he can win championships here, you have the opportunity to play against the best. You're going to put 78,000 people in this stadium here, you're going to play in front of a national television audience, play big time football. You'll have a chance to be a part of a great tradition. The facilities here. There are so many different reasons. You want to be a veterinarian, you should come here. Criminal justice, engineering, education, those aspects of this school. All the different things, all the past.

You know, history is the best indicator of the future. It's been done before. There's tremendous love for Michigan State University. I know the state is split right down the middle. If it really were to be known, it's probably a lot more green, and getting a lot more greener today than it was yesterday.

That's bold."

Bobby

2006-11-25T08:32:00.000-08:00

Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, Lindsay Lohan, Elijah Wood, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy, Christian Slater, Lawrence Fishburne, Shia LaBeouf, Emilio Estevez, Martin Sheen, Heather Graham, Ashton Kutcher.... quite the cast.

I saw this movie with my sisters last night. I recommend it. It was not a historical drama like I expected (and hoped) it would be. It's more of a multiple plotline story set against the backdrop of the assassination night of Robert F. Kennedy, attorney general in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations and candidate for the presidency in 1968. The movie itself did not present much of Kennedy's life or work, although anytime it was done by showing newsreels or by using excerpts of his speeches as narration, it was very well-done and inspiring.

RFK seemed to be, in what little I saw, to be a true idealist. It was said that some African-Americans at the time were hanging a picture of Bobby in their respective homes. He spoke against apartheid while visiting South Africa. He ran for the presidency with plans for an honourable withdrawal from Vietnam. I plan to do some reading on his work and life, that was tragically cut short by a Palestinian assassin. (though it has been widely speculated that the conspiracy was much deeper and darker)

"Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it." June 6th, 1968, RFK's last speech

Wow

2006-10-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

A=excellent B=good C=satisfactory D=unsatisfactory

Teaching expertise of : Josh A 74% B 24% C 0% D 0%

This just came across in my e-mail. It is my rating from the audience at our leadership retreat last month where I talked on our new improvement approaches in our Lean management system. I'm pretty happy with the ratings... they were the highest of my group. (which is nuts because I thought the team did a better job than me)

Pretty good considering I was literally freaking out the night before.

The most unlikely of groups...

2006-10-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

I just attended one of the best small groups of my life. And I know a thing or two about small groups.

Thank you Dan, Debbie, Bill, Charlotte, Jason, Zach, Tony, Sharita, and Eddie. You all have lives different from mine in so many ways. You are much older and younger than me. You've put my struggles in perspective. You accepted me more quickly than any other group I've ever been a part of. You just wanted to hear about me and tell me a piece of your story.

It's amazing that following the way of Christ brought all of our stories into unison for just one rainy night at The River. I look forward to fellowshiping with you all again... being taught and encouraged by each of you.

Deep in Enemy Territory

2006-10-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning was spent in Ann Arbor for a Prospective Student Day at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health. I'm interested in their Master's of Health Services Administration (MHSA) program. My friend Bo has that degree, is actively involved in the department, and recommends it. It has also been ranked #1 by US News since 1993. (as they did not fail to mention!)

The building was beautiful... (and I must admit I've not given UM enough credit for their campus)

School of Public Health

Nearby dorms

It was a decent experience but probably not worth the 1 1/2 hour drive. They ran out of lunches before I could eat and they never gave us a tour of the building. They also did not speak very much on the operations of healthcare systems. One of the current students shared this as a frustration of the program. The school seems to focus on the policy side of health. I'm looking to stand alone in operations. Still, it was an impressive place and the alumni network is probably the best in the nation.

I'll keep looking but could find myself here soon.

David Crowder Band in Kalamazoo

2006-10-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

I went to see the David Crowder Band and Third Day at Wings Stadium with Rachel and her parents. We also met up with Jason and one of his buddies from out-of-town. It was enjoyable but the number of songs Crowder played was depressingly low. He played Here is Our King, Your are my Joy, Wholly Yours, I Saw the Light, Sing like the Saved, and O Praise Him. The crowd was primarily there to see Third Day and so the energy was low. I seriously need to catch Crowder at a good venue with some Crowder fanatics...

All in all though... a good Thursday night with friends.

A dearth of depth

2006-10-05T18:46:00.000-07:00

I think I've gone this whole week without having a single deep thought. And this disappoints me because I then have nothing to blog about.

Our Tuesday Cru small group was better because we had one freshman show up. Solid guy too. We read John 4, the woman at the well. We figured out that Jesus met this Samaritan woman where she was at, breaking all stereotypes and custom. He pointed out her living situation to her but did not condemn her for it. He communicated the message of salvation to her in a way she could understand. He rose above the worship debate (temple or mountain?) by showing that that the real way to worship was in spirit and in truth. (place does not matter/all about the heart)

This led us to some conclusions...

We need to cross into the Samarias of our time. For instance, if I knew my friend had 5 previous serious relationships and was now living with a boyfriend, would I even dare to start a spiritual conversation with her?
Most everyone knows sin is sin. We cannot convict them of it. All we can do is offer a better way.
In many debates, the correct answer is usually "above the line". For example, should you tithe 10%? The real point is that you give your all to the Lord. The percentage is not of importance. The same can be said for so many issues that divide us... women in leadership, homosexuality, spiritual gifts, abortion, social issues, even music... So often we pick a point on the line and will die to defend it. But we never look up.

The best part of this study is that when I made it, I had very few conclusions prepared.

Random side note: There are at least three people right now that I would love to talk to but if I called them, they would not pick up the phone or call me back. This saddens me...

The Gathering Storm...

2006-10-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've seen this all play out before. Think 2002. I remember watching the message boards in Bobby William's last year and how crazy rumors suddenly became fact. I remember the team giving up and losing big... to Wisconsin, to Michigan, to Penn State. I have hope that John L. will turn the tide somehow but it seems like another lost season. Next Saturday is very very frightening.

Smith has no answers after Spartans fall hard again - Detroit News 9/30/06
A new low - LSJ 10/1/06

(Although, after spending the weekend in East Lansing, I know that the great Michigan State University is bigger than football. And things look extremely positive. Campus is getting more and more beautiful every year. The students seemed especially friendly. East Lansing is a great town and is developing wisely. Lou Anna K. Simon is doing a great job.)

A Year in Review (In Ten Pictures or Less)

2006-09-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

And it has been all about the people.

(clockwise from upper left) Tony, John, and I at Matthew's Wedding. Me in Colorado unaware that a blizzard was imminent. Me running an 8k in Chicago. Pearce and I at MSU. The Fantastic Four on New Year's Eve.

Mandi and I. (I look like a thug.) Charlie, Michael, and I at the Bresa. Ashley and I. Me at Clint's Wedding. My sisters and I on Mackinac Island.

Tony Campolo

2006-09-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

This crazy sociologist just won't leave me alone. I just keep going back for more and more of his podcasts. Looks harmless enough right? Ha... yeah right. He has the nerve to actually ask us to do Jesus taught. Well, I'm hooked. And that's the Gospel truth. I'll add more later...

Mission Year Podcast 2: Tony Campolo - Getting Beyond the Kingdom of Ticky-Tack

This was a very important sermon for me to hear at just the right time in my life. The funniest thing about Tony is that he at first comes across as a classic Baptist preacher... but listen a bit longer and I guarantee you'll like what he has to say... though it is hard teaching.

My favorite quotes:
"I'm not hear to tell you about what Jesus can do for you. I'm here to tell you about how Jesus can make you to be the kind of person that really loves people."
"There is nothing more boring than this guy with his Porsche who is like 'I've got a jacuzzi.' Big deal..."
"You say, 'What? Do you want to turn us all into Mother Theresa?' Yeah. That's what I would like"
"I want you to go back to your home churches and have people say, 'We don't understand these kids anymore. They're weird.'"
"I know what you're saying. You're saying, 'Campolo, you're making Christianity too hard. I mean goodness, I was ok with this belief stuff but you're asking me to change the whole way in which I live.' Of course I do! That's what Christianity is all about. Changing the whole way you live."
"Oh, the world is so full of dead people..."

More to come...

The New Apartment

2006-09-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

The view from Portage St. It's still a work in progress but you can see the multi-colored movie theater to the far left of the apartments.
The living room... furniture coming soon.
My bedroom, including my childhood bed. Who says you have to grow up?
The kitchen. We need more cabinet space but all the appliances are brand new.
The view upon entry from the hallway.

I think it's going to be a great year in Kalamazoo. I walk to work and never have to actually go outside between my apartment and my office building. (Skywalk!) Should be nice come winter time.

My roommate Kyle is just going to be a cool guy to get to know. I think we have a similar sense of humor and while we have a lot of common ground, our opinions will differ on a number of things as well. I'll appreciate his perspective on many things.

I miss this place....

2006-09-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

Ministry

2006-09-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

This is Goldsworth Valley 3 at Western Michigan University. The second year of Campus Crusade for Christ at WMU began this week and this is where I'll be helping out as a Cru volunteer. I'm really hoping God blesses our ministry and that the Spirit is preparing men in Valley 3 for our encounters with them. Western is ready for some truth...

15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2nd Timothy 2:15)

My prayer for the semester...

A fresh start

2006-08-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

Because it's my blog...

The Colson-McLaren Conversation

2006-07-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a conversation with Scott, I wanted to post easy links to these articles... Chuck Colson, a leader of the modern evangelical church and Brian McLaren, a generally accepted leader of the emerging movement/conversation wrote some articles and letters addressing each other a few years back.

The Postmodern Crackup - Chuck Colson (12/03)

An Open Letter to Chuck Colson - Brian McLaren

Chuck Colson's Response - Chuck Colson

Emerging Confusion - Chuck Colson (6/06)

I think both men have some excellent points. I think it is, however, reasonably clear that postmodernism is not on its way out in the culture. Who is "right"? I do not know but I have to respect intelligent reasoned discourse between two obviously deep thinkers...

Guster

2006-06-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

Got the new Guster CD.... I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'm reserving judgement until I listen through it a few more times. But I miss bongos and difficult-to-interpret lyrics about girls, high school, and hummingbirds. Still, I have to give these guys credit for staying strong more than a decade after they started. From Notre Dame in '99 when I first saw them, to Michigan State in '05, to today... they are my soundtrack of life.

First Post

2006-06-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

June 24th, 2006 in Kalamazoo, MI. I'm starting this blog to help myself wrestle with thoughts on life, work, God, the church, and the future. I see it as a personal journal that I left open on a coffee shop table for all the world to see. Whether it goes anywhere beyond myself, I don't know.

All I know is, my life is nowhere near where I'd like it to be and yet, I have this strange hope deep inside that something great is coming. These thoughts started stirring within during the Crowder concert last weekend and they just keep building. It's funny how powerful hope can be.

So here goes, I'm plunging into life and this blog will (I hope) record part of the journey. So many potential amazing things may be ahead. Lean transformation at work, the search for fellowship in this city, learning to live out the Gospel day by day, and looking for where God is leading me next. Where will I be on June 24th, 2007?