My Part of the Conversation

I’ve been reading this recent book by Donald Miller, “Searching for God Knows What”. I really like Donald Miller, and his book “Blue Like Jazz” made him an instant celebrity in the Christian book world. Dave says he’s whiney, because he gets to be part of a really cool community, but doesn’t realize how great he’s got it. I’ll admit, he comes across whiney sometimes, but he’s artsy, and artsy people are dramatic. Their whines are more dramatic, but they know how to party. They also see stuff the rest of us miss. My wife is artsy.

Anyway, It’s funny how you can read something and be drawn to totally different stuff than someone else. Dave told me Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell was great in the last few chapters. Eddie White said it started good, but the last few chapters weren’t that great. I think I really only liked chapters 4 and 6. Eddie Parish really liked “Blue Like Jazz”, but found “Searching For God Knows What” too slow. In just 2 chapters of “Searching for God Knows What”, I’ve been real impressed.

He talks about how for a long time he had this view that God was like Santa. This was beneficial for 4 reasons: 1)You didn’t have to interact with Santa, cause he just came and gave you stuff and only took a bite of cookie before disappearing for 365 days 2) He was black and white- you either made his list or not 3)He gave you stuff based on behavior 4) Bad kids got presents anyway. Interacting with Santa is a simple formula. Same with God.

(As a side note, isn’t it interesting that American depictions of Santa are way fatter than European ones?)

But it really isn’t like that. Simple formulas fall short, because following God means following a being with identity, desires, emotions, and character. He is love. He’s powerful and unchanging. And He is complex. We tell people to not cheat on their taxes or punch their annoying neighbor in the pie-hole, to read their copy of a 2000 collection of documents, and pray to this being (which consists of asking Him for a bunch of stuff). Then we’re good Christians and can go to heaven and not burn forever getting poked with a big read pitchfort.

What if I viewed being married as a simple formula? What if I said that all I have to do is buy flowers once a month, take out the trash, change a few diapers (Hudsons, not mine- I’m responsible for my own), and listen to her talk about her day? You’d say, sure, those are good things, but there’s more. Way more. Kate expects me to comfort her sometimes, to work, to stop working and listen, to leave her alone, and even to argue with her (yes, you do Sweetheart:) ) I need to know when it is the appropriate time for each. But more than all of it, she wants me to love her. The rest will come together if my inside is right.

God’s the same way. We can’t just do a bunch of stuff and say we’re his children. We need to walk with Him. The whole deal is relational. He’s not full of contradictions or cruelty, but He’s still complex and difficult to understand. We can only begin to understand Him and walk with Him when we start deciding we’re going to love Him and follow Him. The rest will come together if the inside is right. It’s not like Santa who never cries or gets upset and is always happy and jovial and gives presents to everyone because he’s a simple little genie-like creature. He’s real. When I see God the same way, I can’t believe in Him, and I’m right, because that God doesn’t exist.

Most of the time, I’d rather just leave God milk and cookies. It’s easier. But, it’s unfulfilling and meaningless to serve an imaginary God. So often, I hear people talking about what Jesus would think about such-and-such. Most of the time they are just trying to support something they believe anyway (and many times they have never really read the Bible to know anything about Jesus in the first place). They make references to an unreal, imaginary God who masquerades as the divine creator but is really just a hollow, empty shell.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want Santa anymore. I want the real thing.

(Note: If you want any of the books listed in this post, buy them after clicking on their links. I’ll get a little percentage of the profits, maybe enough to buy a Jolly Rancher in ten years)

There’s a new site out there, that’s got a lot of potential.

It’s called HU Buy. It’s an online auction site that gave some fits to the administration at Harding University, my alma mater.

My friend Matt found out about the site when he was at a competition where college groups presented a business idea to businessmen who judged their idea. Apparantly these guys from Harding really impressed the judges quite a bit with something they were already doing, and won $20,000 (They could have just sold 20 XBOX 360’s, but that’s another story).

What makes the site cool, is that it focuses on local auctions centered around the university. College students are constantly posting messages to sell textbooks, computers, dorm fridges, ugly couchs, term papers- stuff like that. These guys created a site that brings people together, allowing them to make contact with people they live near. They make money from local businesses buying ad space. It’s a pretty simple idea, but looks pretty cool. It also helps students save money on over-priced textbooks that the university sells, and gives them the chance to make a little cash off their own books (not something that makes the University bookstore very happy, I’m sure).

Right now, they aren’t selling many things because they just put the site back up after having it down for several months to revamp it and make it better.

On a personal note, I will be updating more regularly. It was nice to take a couple days of rest for my brain for Thanksgiving. I’ll put more up as it comes to me.

I’m Back.

I’m refreshed, renewed, and invigorated.

Well, mostly.

The conference was something. Eddie told me to take my siv with me. He was right. There was a lot of good stuff, but a lot of stuff to sort through, too. That had less to do with the practical youth ministry advice out there, but more to do with some feelings I had.

It’s amazing how consumer-istic our culture is. Even in ministry circles, people are breaking down the door looking for new books, materials, computer programs, web resources, music CD’s, devotional literature, games, camps, retreats… the list goes on. You should just see the exhibit hall. It was full the the brim of people saying “buy what I’m selling so that your ministry can finally be effective”.

Now, I’m not saying that some products can’t help us. I have a few myself that I love using. Some help me think, some give me ideas and insights, and others help me be more efficient. But, I can live without those things. I already have all that I need- God has given me a life IN HIM. He equips me with everything else. Some products can be useful tools, but they are not indespensible.

I grow weary of all the hype, ads, and promotions. I’m tired of my mail box being packed with more “stuff” that will all make my ministry better. I see all that stuff and my heart aches for Italy. They are fortunate for the few resources they have, including Bibles written in some form of contemporary language. They don’t have the products, books, or resources that we do. They don’t have a market for it. But they do have churches struggling to make a difference, struggling to fight off the growing complacency of their people and take hold of Christ’s kingdom. Without Wow CD’s or WWJD bracelets, they push forward, trying to figure out what it means to be light in a dark world.

How have we as Americans come to put so much emphasis in what we buy? Why can’t we have confidence in what God has already given us?

Tomorrow morning Kate, Hudson, and I will head off for the Youth Specialties NYWC (National Youth Workers Conference) in Nashville. We’ll stay with Kate’s family while there.

I have mixed emotions about attending the Conference. Dave and I went to the one in Anaheim last year. We had a good time and I got some good info. But, I left feeling uneasy about the state of the Church in America. It seemed like a lot of flash compiled with a lot of “buy me” videos. Parts of the Conference seemed very consumer driven and commercial. I actually left feeling tired.

That being said, I heard some great speakers, got some priceless information, and heard some good music. Worth the trip, all together.

This year, I should see tons of friends from college there, since lots of my Knights buddies will be there (including our very own Mike Lewis, The Jesus Painter).

I’ll bring the scoop when I get back.

Later.

Okay, so this is cool.

Check out Kayak.com. It checks a group of websites to find the best fare for your next trip.

Okay, so there are a bunch of sites that do that. Well, bunch the button on their Buzz section. they use an interactive Google Map to show you the best fares to 25 top searched cities from the location you put in.

Cool. Very cool.

Thanks to Jimmy Calahan for the tip about this.