Name that Ball!

Tonight we wrapped up Wednesday nights with our junior high students, and it was a BLAST!  We had games, snacks, and a whole lotta laughs.  I think the room and surrounding hallways smelled like b.o. in about 10 minutes, which might be a new record.  Lito Solorio had two sweet games planned, both of which I've never played before.  

The first was a sock game, where everyone stands in a circle around a trash can.  You put a sock between two people, and the object is to yank the sock out of the person's hand standing next to you, or make them hit the trash can, and they're out.  Last one standing wins.  At first it was just a lot of tugging, pulling, and dodging of the trash can, but after a while, some students got pretty strategic and ganged up on the sponsor's by clothes lining them to the ground.  Genius.

The next game might've been even better.  "Name that Ball!" is probably the best game we've played all year.  Here's how it works:  Get 10 or so kids and send 'em out to the hallway.  Find a youth leader (usually a guy who can make a scary face) and put his head between two 6' tables.  Along the tables, you place different kinds of balls.  We had  a purple bouncy ball, a basketball, KJ's head, and then a frisbee (again, funny Lito).  You cover the table with black table cloth's (hiding KJ's body),  then put the balls on the table, and put t-shirts over the balls.  The student's walk in one at a time, and the crowd cheers them on.  You tell them that the object of the game is to lift up the t-shirt and "Name that Ball!" and whoever does it in the fastest time wins.  Greg Hafer was "timing" the game, but actually timing the screams.  One of our 7th grade girls won with a record 3 seconds.  Our last contestant was Dan Mitchell, who had happened to play the game before.  To KJ's surprise, he didn't scream, but instead smashed a whip cream pie in KJ's face, which is fun for pretty much everyone except KJ.

It was a good wrap up with lots of laughs and memories.  Friday night we have our 8th grade girls slumber party, so that'll actually be the last time with my girls before they head off to high school.  This is the completion of my 2nd year as a junior high volunteer, and honestly, I don't think ministry gets better than this.  It's a smelly, funny, difficult, inquisitive, awkward, wholly lovable age group, and I'm hooked.

Strangers?

Last night on my way out of Joplin, I noticed my car looked like crap (thanks rainstorm).  So I thought I'd run it by the wash on 20th and Rangeline... you know, the shady one with bad lighting and bums everywhere.

I pull in and notice a couple of semi's in the back with the driver's standing outside next to two very scandalously dressed ladies.  Well, "ladies" is probably a bit of a reach.  I go through the wash and then drive around to the vacuum's, where I notice a man pacing back and forth.

Before I continue, let me fill you in on something.  I'm very...stupidly-brave.  I've picked up hitch-hiker's, camped alone, talked to stranger's in the abandoned train station by Landreth Park, and all sorts of other things I would never tell my parents.  And as crazy as this sounds, I have good judgement.   These things all sound unsafe, but I feel okay about them.  There are times when I've said no because it was too dangerous, or I had a bad feeling, but not many.   I mean, as a Christian, what's the worst that could happen...heaven?

So back to the man.  He's standing towards the front of my car with a white trash bag over his shoulder.  He's talking (to no one), and pacing.   He looks about 40 with a balding head and glasses that cover his face.  If you put him in a suit, he would look like your friendly neighborhood investor.  If you gave him a mug shot, he would look like a serial killer.  I wouldn't be surprised if I saw him at Edward Jones or on the 10 o'clock news.

I get out of my car and start organizing all my crap, and at this point he's on my left and moving further away from me. Five minutes later I'm done and I start to reach for the vacuum, and he's standing to my immediate right... like we're talking within my arm span, which bothers me for two reasons: 1) I'm usually very aware of my surroundings, and the fact that I didn't see (or even hear) him circle around and start walking towards me in that HUGE open area was unreal, and 2) I had no idea how long he'd been standing there, that close to me.  And let's add a third: His trash bag was on the ground next to him and he had one hand in his coat pocket and the other in his jean pocket.

This is one of those times when I just didn't feel scared.  I was a little startled, but I don't even think I jumped, and I certainly didn't show it in my face.  I guess more than anything I was pissed that I didn't notice him sooner, and I was a little curious as to why I couldn't see his hands, but I didn't feel the need to get away.  Maybe I've got more fight than flight in me.

He started stuttering.  "S-sss-sp-spare a quarter for a loaf of bread?"  He was making direct eye contact with me, and he never broke it, which is good.  Now that he was closer, I noticed other things, like that he was clean-shaven, he didn't really smell like a bum, and he had a burn-tan, like the kind you get when you work in your yard all day.  He wasn't fidgety, he wasn't scary, he didn't look cracked out... he was just a guy.  I said, "Yeah, actually I have a couple of bucks," and handed him the cash in my back pocket.   He took it, said, "Have a good night," picked up his trash bag, and walked away.   I vacuumed my car and headed for home.  I turned down 20th street and there he was, walking by Aldi's with a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk.   He actually bought groceries.

I wish I knew his name, and his story.  I wish I knew where he was from, what growing up was like, and what his family was/is like.  And I wonder if he ever thinks about Jesus...if he's bitter, if he's apathetic, if he's a follower.  I guess I really want to know how alike we are, because I bet it's more than I could imagine.

Commune with the Muses

As my friend Lori would say, I'm a "mega cause-hopper."  I'm a sucker for marketing.  I hop on bandwagons regularly.  I have these great ideas and I begin things, and I would say I actually finish about half.

It's something I'm working on. 

I've knocked the dilemma down to this: somewhere along the way, I get very un-inspired in what I'm doing.  It's not the first, or even second roadblock that does it... but three or more, and I throw in the towel.  I read something today that made me feel a little better about this though.  "People often say that motivation doesn't last.  Well, neither does bathing.  That's why we recommend it daily." -Zig Ziglar 

Funny.  Almost as funny as being named "Zig Ziglar."  

that's it, im movin to seattle.

So on the way back from Cincy Believe, someone started up Mark Driscoll's podcast from the community of Mars Hill, Seattle.  It was on humor in the bible, and it was amazing.  It was the first time I'd been exposed to this podcast, and I've been a regular listener since.  Three things:

This summer I was given Dick Staub's, "The Culturally Savvy Christian,"  which I initially hated, then liked, and now love.  Listen to Mark, pick up Staub's book, and then continue life with a better perspective of Jesus and culture.

"Go to the city and see what people are doing with their time, talent, and treasure.  Who or what are they worshipping other than Jesus?"  Then he identified some modern-day temples, i.e. a restaurant, sports arena, big screen, or another person.  I work with non-christians, and after some reflection, MOST of our conversations are those four things.

"Timeless truth, timely method."  Mark had several criticisms of emerging churches.  I'll save you the chatter, but his opinion is that such things like Jesus as the only way, hell being reality, the virgin birth, and all other debated ideas in the emergent church is primarily how the gospel is being distorted and/or compromised.  The scripture content was Acts 17, and Mark elaborates on the effectiveness of Paul being in the city (where culture is made), meeting with people, and quoting the poets or "rockstars" of their day as a better way to relay Jesus.  He affirmed the mission of Mars Hill was to present the timeless truth of Jesus in a timely, or culturally relevant manner, which in the opinion of a twenty-something, will absolutely appeal to every twenty-something.  and above.  and below.

He talked about "creative class cities," which is something I haven't heard of, but through the wonders of wikipedia, was able to learn about in 2 minutes.  These urban arena's are where most of America's ever-changing culture comes from, and listed were Chapel Hill, Seattle, Portland, Austin, and San Francisco.  What enables these cities (according to Dr. Richard Florida of Toronto),  is the "3 T's,"  or talent (a highly concentrated populus of talent in all of the arts), tolerance (for all of the diversities), and technology (a large population of feigns for the cutting edge).  Something I'll do more reading on.

And a side note, if you live in Joplin, let's put on some new eyes and stop treating this city like an overgrown-midwest-hick-town and start shaping it for the city we really desire, one that's exciting, productive, artistic, and utterly in love with Jesus.  That said, I have no practical ideas on how to make this happen.  :0)  And if you still don't want to love Joplin, or just plain love everything about the Mars Hill community, then Jon Hill said it best at the end of the humor sermon, "That's it, I'm movin to Seattle!"

Really?

Across from me is a professor at MoSo, I'm not sure of what, discussing with a student, in a thick accent, COMPLETE with bad grammar (get ready for it...), the gun she's recently purchased and how she'd like to say a thing or two to those "(insert expletive) arabs driving up the oil prices and ruinin' [definitely leave off the "g"] our economy."  Because gas prices are apparently the only indicator of the instability of our economy, and it's no one's fault but those (expletive) arabs.  

And while we're on the conversation of professors at Southern, I'd like to say this about the emails I receive from my psych professor:  "Alot" is two words.  I fortunately had an English teacher teach me this.  Let's repeat the mantra:  "a lot, two words.  a lot, two words.  a lot, two words."

Let's add the absence of these things to the list of what I miss about a D-1 school.  

it's all about perspective

So while casually browsing through the JoMo library, I discovered "The Interpreter's Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes,"  and while I'd like to say that I've wowed the world and read the first 9 volumes in a month, the truth is, I started with volume 10, and I'm still on volume 10.  Yes, they're that good.  

I love reading.  Finding words I don't know or thoughts I've never thought or discussed is a cool discovery in the whole adventure, but my favorite, my absolute favorite thing to have happen when reading is to discover, right there in print, an idea that I've had or something I've felt, but could just never quite articulate.  I love finding someone who can so eloquently put into words some truth I've known but couldn't speak.  And it happened this morning, in this "great read" over coffee and a bagel.

Epehsians 3:17-19

"...And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how high and long and wide and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Aside from having heard it in a popular song or two, this section of scripture was introduced to me during a particularly rough period of time in my senior year by Janice French, who prayed these verses over my life.  Two months and one cool encounter later, we again met as a d-group and she discussed why she chose this verse, and these words have since in my life always been a reminder of God's persistence in pursuing me, and His ability to take care of me in all of the ways that I need.

So as I'm reading this exegesis and exposition, there are three significant things that stick out to me, all of them ideas that we know and are familiar with, but they are just said so well, I thought I'd share it as a reminder.  

"Every life has some kind of roots and foundations: the beautiful and distinctive thing about the Christian life is that it is rooted and grounded in love."

"The highest knowledge of God and of his truth is not an individual attainment, nor a privilege reserved for a few.  It is given to the community of Christian believers, and it can be appropriated by an individual only as he shares in the life of the community...[height, depth, width, length], i.e., the full scope of the divine purpose; the redemptive activity of God in all it's perspectives."  Community, community, community.  I had a conversation over the summer about how my Christian life came to be.  My very first church event, ever, was Believe in the 8th grade.  I didn't get it (grace) then, I didn't know the "Jesus story," but Believe was my first taste of community.  That was enough to get me interested.  Now, every time the Believe Dream Team rolls out for a new event, I just think of all the 8th graders in different cities in a different era with different backgrounds, but with one true and common thing to learn: the beauty of community.

And this last one, this is long, so trek with me.

"God is a 'Thou' and not an 'It.'  To know something as an 'It' is one thing.  To know something as a 'Thou' in a love relationship is very different."  He then uses a couple of illustrations, but here's my pick:  "A psychiatrist, in so far at least as he is a scientist and not also a friend, may deal with a patient as an 'it.'  The relationship is impersonal.  The Christian minister and fellowship deal with the 'it' as a person--one to be forgiven and loved...indeed the contrast between the two forms of knowing is infinite.  They belong to different worlds of experience...all personal 'I-Thou' relationships are different in kind from 'I-It' relationships.  The 'I' is no longer master.  No person can be manipulated as can a piece of matter or a rational idea.  A personal relationship involves either love or hate, either trust or distrust, either committal or withdrawal.  The dimensions of experience in a love relationship become infinite."  

Changing "It" to "Thou" constitutes an entire shift in worldview.  Choosing to approach God in that way signifies the change that takes place inside.  That was me in the 9th grade at summer conference "getting it" for the first time, and this is the first time I've thought of articulating my conversion in this way.  Thank you Mr. Theodore Wedel, whoever you are.

sully's bucket list

learn to:

ride a horse
fly a plane
speak arabic and french
play guitar and piano
write a contributing article to the times.
publish a book
build furniture
publish melange (oliver!)
live abroad
finish 20 classics
spend some time in the middle east

...sounds about right.