Are You Emerging? Why Or Why Not?

Thanks to Iggy and Bruce Reyes-Chow for this interesting challenge:

Bruce Reyes Chow sent out this challenge on Twitter: ""I am emergence" post coming today. Want in? In 140 WORDS or less, blog/FB about it WITHOUT defining by what you are NOT and I'll link back."

I am emerging because I believe:

*theology shouldn't be systematized but experienced and lived out
*God is beyond the boxes that we try to contain Him/Her in
*God requires mercy and not sacrifice
*Jesus wants us to live in peace and unity with one another
*the Kingdom of God is here and now but not yet
*God repairs broken communication lines through the Cross
*we were created in the image of God yet through the fall of man that image has been fragmented but through the living example of Christ we have a way of reflecting the image of God again
*there is unity in diversity as God created individuals that experience Him/Her differently and therefore individuals have their on unique ways of expressing their experience with God
*theology is for the Church and the Church is for community/fellowship
*just as Jesus is the Incarnation of God---the Church is to be the incarnation/the Body of Christ to the world
*God's love is beyond the borders, dams and fences we try to build around it
*Jesus should be at the center of all our words and deeds
*we should seek justice everywhere for all God's creatures regardless of culture, class, sexuality, gender, economies, geography, etc.
*at the very root of God is love so that His/Her love should flow through us as we live amongst others
*God is imaginative, creative in His/Her goodness which bears reckless promises and limitless possibilities
*God will not abandon us---His/Her wayward Pilgrim Church---no matter what issues or challenges of the day we may face---God through Christ is always with us

PCUSA Releases First Preliminary Report Of The Civil Union and Christian Marriage Task Force.

Here is a snippet from the first draft:

Draft of Preliminary Report
of the
Special Committee to Study Issues of Civil Union
and Christian Marriage
to the
219th General Assembly (2010)
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
September 2009

Introduction

As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:27-28).

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), like most mainline denominations, is wrestling with the issue of same-gender marriage. Responding to this struggle, the 218th General Assembly (2008) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) directed the Moderator “to appoint a special committee,representing the broad diversity and theological balance of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), to study the following, including any policy recommendations growing out of the study:

• the history of the laws governing marriage and civil union, including current policy debates;
• how the theology and practice of marriage have developed in the Reformed and broader Christian tradition;
• the relationship between civil union and Christian marriage;
• the effects of current laws on same-gender partners and their children; and
• the place of covenanted same-gender partnerships in the Christian community.”

As members of Christ’s church, we differ profoundly; but can we also see that those who disagree with us are seeking to love one another with God’s grace, advance the radical inclusiveness of the gospel, and promote biblical faithfulness? Though we reach very different conclusions, can we rejoice that our church is willing to wrestle together prayerfully with the question: How do we extend the grace of God to all, calling all persons—regardless of sexual orientation—to repentance and conversion, so that all will experience God’s gracious intention for humanity?
In many ways, life in the body of Christ is not unlike a marriage: In the course of our life together, there are good days and bad days, good times and challenging times. There is great joy and wrenching pain. We talk, we laugh, we cry. We agree and we disagree, and occasionally we get angry and are tempted to walk away. But like any Christian marriage, in the body of Christ we know that the One who holds us together is more important than the arguments that threaten to tear us apart. That One is Jesus Christ, who said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

Read the rest: Here.

Mothers' Days And May Birthdays

(Above is my grandfather Jack and I at the beach-house back when it was decorated in retro 70's chic and what not. Below is my sister's baby picture.)

We had an interesting Mothers' Day as my dad broke his wrist painting the other week, so he's having orthopedic surgery today. Anyways, my sister came down Saturday and surprised us which was great because May 10th was her 26th birthday---so we celebrated Mother's Day and her birthday. The year my sister was born Return of the Jedi hit the theaters which my dad took me to to get me out of my mom's way. Star Wars has always played a significant role in my life as my dad introduced me to it via HBO---on their honeymoon, he and my mom saw the original one in theaters which had come out a few weeks before their wedding. The December my brother was born in 1984, I got a bunch of Star Wars stuff for Christmas---but anyways enough of the retro Star Wars geekiness. Today is my grandfather Jack's 87th birthday. I'd also like to wish my friend Bruce Reyes-Chow a happy belated on his 40th---he's only a decade older than me, but he doesn't look it. Anyways, if you want to see Bruce's baby picture go here: What I want for my 40th birthday. And with that---here's to more Mothers' Days and birthdays.

It's Time: Week 9---Hope

So this Sunday was the end of our church-wide series, It's Time and our last lesson was on hope, which I think is appropriate for these troubling times. In Sunday School, we discussed how hope has changed for us from when we were children till now. First, while we're on the subject of hope, I just want to say that I hope to start writing poetry and lyrics again next year as this year has been a dry period for me. You'd think with all that's been going on this year, I could find plenty of inspiration, but no such luck. Anyway, I've mainly been writing theological articles this year, but here is the only thing poetical/lyrical I've written all year: It's Larry Norman influenced:
SONG FOR MARY-KATE
(Currin)

Baby, you look so lonely
I’ve seen you in all those magazines
You’ve been living for fashion
Traveling all those party scenes
But you look so empty…you don’t know what to do
I think it’s about time that you look into the Truth

I’ve got the answer…right here on my lips
Have a little bit of Jesus…He’s sealed with a kiss

Now, you once were in Vegas
You played a Full House in your deck
And you once were one of Degas’ dancers
So graceful in your dress and steps
But now you look such a wreck…you don’t know what to do
I think it’s about time that you look into the Truth

I’ve got the answer…right here on my lips
Have a little bit of Jesus…He’s sealed with a kiss

Well, Baby…what are you doing
Doing with yourself
You can’t keep running back to the same ole things
With your heart upon the shelf
Baby, you really need to change

Because Baby, you look so lonely
I’ve seen you in all those magazines
You’ve been living for fashion
Traveling all those party scenes
But you look so empty…you don’t know what to do
I think it’s about time that you look into the Truth

I’ve got the answer…right here on my lips
Have a little bit of Jesus…He’s sealed with a kiss

Yes, I said: “I’ve got the answer…right here on my lips
Have a little bit of Jesus…He’s sealed with a kiss


©2008 T/H Songs, INC. & GB Lyrics, CO

Also, I'd like to direct you readers to my cyber friend, Bruce Reyes-Chow's excellent Podcast from January of this year on the subject of hope---specifically about hope within the PCUSA as he is the Moderator of the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), but the Podcast ties in well with our lesson. Here is the description of Bruce's Podcast off his Podcast Blog: "Hope---Bruce talks a bit about Hope plus the Song by David LaMotte." Oh by the way, thanks for stopping by this post: TheoPoetic Musings: It's Time: Weeks 5 And 6, Bruce!

From one Bruce to another---here's a Bruce Springsteen song that gets to the heart of our discussion in Sunday School and speaks to these times of economic difficulties: Here are the full lyrics with my commentary on the relevant parts:

The Promised Land
(Bruce Springsteen)

On a rattlesnake speedway in the Utah desert
I pick up my money and head back into town
Driving cross the Waynesboro county line
I got the radio on and I'm just killing time
Working all day in my daddy's garage
Driving all night chasing some mirage
Pretty soon little girl I'm gonna take charge

CHORUS
The dogs on Main Street howl
'cause they understand
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister I ain't a boy, no I'm a man
And I believe in a promised land (The chorus particularly speaks to hope in the midst of desperate times.)

I've done my best to live the right way
I get up every morning and go to work each day
But your eyes go blind and your blood runs cold
Sometimes I feel so weak I just want to explode
Explode and tear this whole town apart
Take a knife and cut this pain from my heart
Find somebody itching for something to start (Here the call to a new start is the key to putting hope in action.)

CHORUS

There's a dark cloud rising from the desert floor
I packed my bags and I'm heading straight into the storm
Gonna be a twister to blow everything down
That ain't got the faith to stand its ground
Blow away the dreams that tear you apart
Blow away the dreams that break your heart
Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted (Here the hopeful action takes place.)

CHORUS
I believe in a promised land... (The refrain ties the narrator to the Ancient Israelites and their search for the Promise Land though sometimes our own "Promise Lands" are right before our eyes but we wander blindly and aimlessly pass them.)

Copyright © Bruce Springsteen (ASCAP)

Speaking of the Promise Land, here's a song by Rich Mullins (one of the most prolific songwriters to come out of the Contempory Christian Music/Jesus Movement, in my humble opinion) off his last album, The Jesus Record which captures the hope the Ancient Israelites had:


The original version on Disc One: The Jesus Demos is better, but I couldn't find a video for that. Here are the full lyrics to the above song:

My Deliverer

(Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker)

Exodus 2:23, Exodus 3:8, Second Samuel 22:1-7
Psalm 40:16-17, Psalm 70, Isaiah 53:5
Matthew 2:13-21, Luke 4:18-19, Revelation 6:13

Joseph took his wife and her child and they went to Africa
To escape the rage of a deadly king
There along the banks of the Nile, Jesus listened to the song
That the captive children used to sing
They were singin'

My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by

Through a dry and thirsty land, water from the Kenyon heights
Pours itself out of Lake Sangra's broken heart
There in the Sahara winds Jesus heard the whole world cry
For the healing that would flow from His own scars
The world was singing

My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
He will never break His promise - He has written it upon the sky
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by

My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
I will never doubt His promise though I doubt my heart, I doubt my eyes
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by

My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
He will never break His promise though the stars should break faith with the sky
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by

My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by

My Deliverer is coming

The Jesus Record is a great album so if you don't have a copy---get one. Anyways, hope was a great theme to end our series with as we are approaching Advent season.

It's Time: Weeks 5 And 6

I've gotten behind on Blogging on our Sunday School lessons, so I combined these 2 past lessons as they explore similar themes. Week 5 was about churches discovering their God-given mission and week 6 was on fulfilling the Great Commission. These 2 themes are pretty straight forward, so without rehashing the familiar---we discussed what we feel God called us to do talent-wise. For those who haven't seen yet here is a paper I wrote on my calling: TheoPoetic Musings: Christian Ministries.

For me theology and literature are my calling as well as being a whistleblower on Militant Fundamentalist Evangelical Christendom or Right-Wing Traditional Orthodoxy or SBC Baptists or Ultra-Conservative Hyper-Christianity or whatever label one wants to slap on Fungelical orgs., while at the same time being weary of Hyper-Left Christianity as either extreme are dangerous and impede our following Christ---and that is one of the reasons I Blog, now. I started out Blogging in order to share my John Study that I did this Summer with my church friends, who aren't on Facebook---but quickly discovered why Bruce Reyes-Chow calls: Blogging a Spiritual Discipline.

Random Cuteness

So the above link comes from Bruce Reyes-Chow's Blog and is a video of his middle child imitating Nickelodeon's iCarly. Reminds me of my grandma's stories about my dad imitating Elvis. Anyways, I just thought I'd pass the cuteness along to those who haven't seen it yet. You can also click here or here to access the post as well.

Some Blog posts of interest

On the book,"The Shack": http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/shack-attack.



On Lego Martin Luther: http://www.reyes-chow.com/2008/01/when-luther-and.html.



And check out Karl Barth Rap, also on Bruce Reyes-Chow's Blog: http://www.reyes-chow.com/2008/01/karl-barth-rap.html.