Righteous Indignation, Ch. 12 (p 87-93)

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 12 (p 85-93)
Redemption for Radicals: Jewish Congregation-Based Community Organizing -- Rabbi Jonah Pesner

(1) While the two primary examples in this chapter relate to health care (general access/coverage and nursing home care), the two over-lapping themes of community organizing and story-telling can be applied to any social justice issue.

The first example of community and stories was especially powerful for me because my wife and I personally struggle with health care access and cost. If there is a time for organizing on this issue, it is now as Daschle begins tackling this issue anew. What is your health care story?

(2) "Though the story of the recent Massachusetts health reform is powerful, it is not unique. It is but one example of Jewish participation in the emerging movement called Congregation-Based Community Organizing (CBCO)" (p 88).

The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation website lists three CBCO characteristics:

1. Congregants engage in one-to-one conversations within their synagogue, and often with other congregations, about their social justice passions.
2. Leaders engage in extensive clergy and lay leadership training and development.
3. Synagogue leaders work side-by-side with dozens of faith institutions and progressive organizations in their community, across lines of race, class, and faith.
   

Would your local congregation be open to telling their stories? What social justice passions would you want to discuss? What would it take to get the spiritual leaders of your faith community to engage in this conversation? How open is your community to working with people of other faiths? How open are you?

[More resources at/by Interfaith Funders, Unitarians, DART and YouTube.]

(3) "For people of faith, the first step toward justice is when we cry out" (p 89). The examples given of people who listened to the cry are Pharaoh's daughter, Moses and God.

I once prayed that God would open my ears to the cry of the oppressed. It wasn't long before I was overwhelmed. Cries from every direction were disorienting. Where to start? What to do? What was the first priority? "Okay, God. There is too much. Your kingdom come; your will be done. And how can I be a part of that right here, right now?"

What was the first cry for justice that you remember hearing? When have you cried out? Did anyone listen and respond?

(4) Since this blog is for "ordinary radicals," let's look at the definition of radical given on page 90.

"The radical is that unique person to whom the common good is the greatest personal value.... The radical is so completely identified with mankind that he personally shares the pain, the injustices, and the sufferings of all his fellow men" (p 90; quoted from Reveille for Radicals by Saul Alinksy).

How radical am I? In what ways do I share in the pain, injustice and suffering of others? How does this lead to their redemption? And to my own? If the common good is not my greatest personal value, what is?

(5) "First and foremost, [the Exodus story] teaches that in every time and place, redemption is possible. It begins with a cry... It continues with rage at the injustice, and a willingness to act. It requires leadership and relationships.... The people must begin to articulate their story..." (p 91).

Crying, rage, willingness to act, leadership, relationships and story-telling. Where am I at on these themes? Am I crying or hearing some else's cries (or both)? Do I have rage? At what? Am I willing to act? Am I acting? Am I offering leadership? Am I follow others who are more experienced than I? What condition and quality are my relationships? Are there key relationships I need to focus on to bolster community change? I am telling my story, listening intently on other's stories, providing an environment what words can be shared and heard?

(6) "In the globalized twenty-first century, justice transcends categories of race, class, and faith. Today, standing together for redemption means discovering our shared suffering and being challenged by each other's divergent traditions" (p 91).

What groups do I still not listen to? Why? What barriers am I allowing to stop their story? What stories am I telling myself about these groups? What suffering might I share in common with them? Am I open to hearing anything from this group's faith tradition?

(7) "The power for systemic change emanates from the Divine, but it comes only from authentic relationships both inside the Jewish family and beyond, with other communities who share a vision of a world redeemed. We can harness the power of our relationships and engage together in bold, public action, across lines of faith, class, and race, and address the structural sources of economic and social injustice" (p 93).

"Redemption isn't just for radicals. Redemption is for everyone" (p 93).

May we build relationships across barriers of faith, socio-economic class, age, ethnicity, political party, and every other characteristic we use to describe "them" and "us." And in these relationships, may we find divine power to build a more just world.

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 8 (p 60-66)

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 8 (p 60-66)
Jewish Textual Practice and Sustainable Culture -- Rabbi Natan Margalit, PhD

(1) "As my wife nurses our infant, I wonder about the reports that a mother's milk may contain dangerous levels of pesticides--one small example, but perhaps no better symbol, of how the sacred circle of life that connects us all has been badly damaged. Largely due to human intervention, the earth is out of balance" (p 60).

What other examples of our damaged connections are most meaningful to you? When did you first realize the interconnectedness of life?

(2) "...we will need more than technical solutions to solve this crisis" (p 60). The rest of the paragraph develops this idea.

I have met some resistance to this idea when talking with people, even environmentally conscious ones. There is this idea that we don't need to change our lifestyles and ways of thinking, only our light bulbs and sources of electricity. That is, new technology will discover ways for the American way of life to continue without disruption. We don't need to travel less; we just need electric cars with more nuclear generators. We don't need to break the consumption addiction; we just need to buy organic and recyclable merchandise.

What do you think? Will technology mean that no deeper changes are needed? Many of us are driven to buy and consume--Shop worker killed in sale stampede. What drives this? What can change it/us?

(3) "In the modern world, we've broken that pattern of connection. We isolate, separate, and distance ourselves from one another, from the world, and even from our own being" (p 64).

Besides automatic garage door openers (and online book clubs), how do we distance ourselves from others? What impact does this have on our sense of fulfillment? In what ways do you work to connect with others, the world, and yourself?

(4) In describing the "gardener's ethic," Rabbi Margalit states that "our task is not to worship pristine wilderness, but to work the land with stewardship and caring" (p 65). He continues, "The good gardener knows that to vanquish nature would be self-defeating, as he ultimately depends on nature's bounty for the fertility of his garden. The gardener, the garden, and nature are actually all parts of a larger whole." "A Jewish eco-theology starts from this same sense of belonging to a larger whole."

What do you think of the "gardener's ethic" versus the "wilderness ethic"? How do you react to these paradigms? How can we apply the gardener's ethic to society--economies, food production, manufacturing, etc.? What does this look like compared with what is commonplace?

(5) "It is a spiritual practice to construct economic, agricultural, and social modes that work together in dynamic patterns. When we do this, the whole world will be as happy as a new creation and as sweet as new life" (p 66).

God bless your spiritual practice. May our hearts and minds be open to wisdom, change and new patterns. May we bring a little happiness and sweetness to those people, plants and animals in our sphere of influence.

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 4 (p 31-37)

Righteous Indignation, Ch. 4 (p 31-37)
Preaching What I Practice -- Margie Klein (Ed.)

I really appreciated the mixture of personal experience and biblical teaching in Klein's essay. I do enjoy a good story of someone's journey now and again.

(1) "How could I move from direct service, with its focus on mitigating an individual's hardships, to social justice, which would address the source of those hardships?" (p 32).

I believe that this is a central question many of us are asking. What's your story? How have you made the jump? Or, what is keeping you back from working at the structural level (I can think of a number of good and not-so-good reasons)?

(2) "Justice, justice, shall you pursue" (Deut. 16:20, read in NIV here).

In all that I do, am I seeking justice? In the grocery store, at work, with my spouse and family, in my free time... am I committed to creating a more just world?

(3) The section titled Sanctifying Our Work was powerful for me (p 33-34). My wife and I keep moving (geographically), so it has been hard to build up a community of co-conspirators. And even back when we had one, I encountered this same spiritual issue--our friends who were active in local nonprofits were our tightest community, and our friends from church had little interest in any type of volunteering or even attending our social issues movie nights. So I love this story of sharing Sabbat dinners.

(4) "King and other religious leaders of the civil rights movement taught that emulating Jesus meant caring for the poor and marginalized in society and working to change the systems that dehumanize them. In Jewish terms, if every person is created in the Divine image, then mistreating a worker is a desecration of God" (p 35-36).

Do you believe you are created in the image of God? Do you believe that everyone you see is created in His image? How might this realization affect how we live, drive, shop and eat if we were to always keep this in mind? I think it can provide a deep, lasting and meaningful motivation for service and social action.

(5) "...like the great prophets in our tradition, we must cultivate a vision of redemption. In the midst of the darkest times, we must likewise envision a better world and prepare to make it so, even though it seems irrational to believe in transformative change" (p 36).

Again, this reminds me of Thomas Merton's Letter to a Young Activist.

Redemption. To redeem. To save. To heal. To mend. To restore. There is no action for change where there is no belief that redemption is possible. We must hold on to our belief in redemption and repentance if we are to do our work for today. What do you turn to when you lose hope?


Just as in every chapter, I have many more passages underlined and starred than I'm able to comment on in this post. Maybe it's more important for me to ask questions than to add commentary.

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 13 (p 341-358)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 13 (p 341-358)
Crazy But Not Alone

(a) "In a world of smart bombs and military intelligence, we need more fools, holy fools who insist that the folly of the cross is wiser than any human power" (p 343).

That reminds me of Michael Card's old song, "God's Own Fool" (watch the simple revolutionary who goes before us + bonus).

Seems I've imagined Him all of my life
As the wisest of all of mankind.
But if God's Holy wisdom is foolish to men
He must have seemed out of His mind.
For even His family said He was mad
And the priests said a demon's to blame.
But God in the form of this angry young man
Could not have seemed perfectly sane.

God, keep us a little crazy. Don't let us settle back into the normal that you are delivering us from.

(b) Community of Communities (p 348): www.communityofcommunities.us. Even if you're not in an intentional community housing situation, what is your community like? What kind of support group of fools have you put together?

(c) "Because it is small like the old mustard seed, it is possible to miss the little revolution spreading across our land, cross-pollinated by an ongoing web of relationships and a common vision--of alternatives to existing worldly structures, of bartering economies, of money collectives for emergencies (instead of insurance), of prophetic interruptions to war and theft, of sustainable urban gardening and eco-energy alternatives, of using trash and wreckage of the consumptive world to create things that bring life and beauty" (p 348-349).

That is one long and beautiful sentence. For those who want to pursue this in other venues, check these out: Papa Festival, A Sustainable Faith, School(s) for Conversion, CCDA Institute, Word and World, Geez Magazine, Sojourners, SC Faith in Action and Fight with Tools.

(d) "So to the young 'uns: we have to remind ourselves to stay anchored in the church, for we need roots and wisdom" (p 353).

Charissa reminds me of St. Augustine's quote from time to time: "The church is a whore, but she's my mother" (p 354). I found that quote again today in an article by Tony Campolo--Why the Church is Important (Christianity Today, 1 May '07). It's a good article to go along with this chapter.

Why is the church (i.e., the body of Christ, the community of disciples) still important to you, even if you have a bent away from institutional religion?

(e) "We believe poverty can end even though it is all around us. We believe in peace even though we hear only rumors of war. And since we are people of expectation, we are so convinced that another world is coming that we start living as if it were already here" (p 355).

Increase our faith! (Luke 17:5)

: : :

Thanks for sharing the adventure of processing this book together.

Grace and Peace,
Jeff

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 12 (p 317-340)

By Travis, O.R. Conspirator Extraordinaire

(a) "We can easily become so driven by our vision for church growth, community, or social justice that we forget the little things, like caring for those around us. An older charismatic woman told me, 'If the devil can't steal your soul, he'll just keep you busy doing meaningless church work.'"

This quote hit me like a ton of bricks. As did a few others that I'll share in a few minutes. This chapter was very hard for me to swallow. I think mostly because I am now employed by the church and it is a constant battle to try to figure out what thing is "more good" to do than the other. It reminds me of the new NOOMA DVD by Rob Bell called "Shells". You can drown in a sea of goodness. Sometimes we have to say no to a lot of good things in order to say yes to the ONE thing that God has called us too. The rub, however, is finding that ONE thing.

Or at least it is for me. I'm the music director at my church and I constantly see other areas where I could serve but I have to say no because I'm paid (and feel led for now) to lead my church in worship. But sometimes (and I've had to learn to sense this) I have to stop and help others in very special moments. Whenever they are in pain or lonely. And it gets hard sometimes. Especially when other people (other staff, my volunteers, etc.) are depending on me.

Is the devil keeping me busy with good things? What do I need to say "no" to so that I can say "yes" to the one or two things God has laid on my heart to do?

(b) "The early prophets would say that a church that spends millions of dollars on buildings while her children are starving is guilty of murder."

(c) "Giving to the poor should not make its way into the budget; it is the budget."

Whewww. Another hard one to swallow. Being on staff sometimes confuses things. Last week we were talking about hiring a new person to clean the church. An important thing to consider. However, after doing a little math, I wasn't as happy as everyone else around the table about the bid because we were getting ready to pay the janitor more than me. And more than the property manager (who was in charge of researching the bids and organizing the potential janitors!!!).

Money is a difficult thing to handle within the church. It is a blessing but it is also a burden to realize that my salary is paid for by church members. Some of them struggling to get by. Additionally, it is true that "giving to the poor" does get tossed in right beside the music ministry budget, the youth budget, the utilities budget and everything else. Or the congregation is asked to give to the church and then give additionally to the poor. Times are getting harder. We're entering a resession. Which is more important?

Am I really giving to the poor? Am I putting the needs of others before my own? Does a big building, big screen, drums, stained glass, pews, chairs, sound system, lights, make a church? Is there any hope to change the modern church? Is the modern church wrong? Or just misguided?

Side note: I thought it was really interesting to read about Shane's work and dealings with Willow Creek. That is were I first experienced worship, where I've learned about leadership, and bought into the idea that the local church is the hope of the world. I had a problem with the idea of them building a new building as well but couldn't put my finger on it. I guess I thought the first building was big enough. But, I had never thought about it from the perspective that many lives could have been blessed with those dollars. But who knows how many have been changed since the new building and growth that has happened at Willow since?

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 10

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 10
Extremists for Love

(a) John Perkins and Christian Community Development Association (CCDA). Of John's various books, I most want to read Let Justice Roll Down, Beyond Charity and Linking Arms, Linking Lives. Check out the CCDA Institute.

What would you ask John if you were sitting across the table from him?

(b) The story about the Iraqi lady on page 277 is just crazy. Who do I need to see twice a month (or more frequently) to gain a little perspective?

(c) "It is this third way, Wink writes, that teaches that 'evil can be opposed without being mirrored... oppressors can be resisted without being emulated... enemies can be neutralized without being destroyed'" (p 280).

That quote from The Powers That Be is further developed in Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way. Excellent little book.

How's my imagination? What new solutions are just beyond our mental horizons?

(d) "The only thing harder than war is peace. The only thing that takes more work, tears, and sweat than division is reconciliation. But what more beautiful things could we devote our lives to?" (p 285).

What reconciliation has God helped you achieve? With Him, friends, family, enemies, the planet, ideologies, etc.? What reconciliation is needed next?

This ministry of reconciliation we've been given is beautiful--2 Corinthians 5:18.

(e) "I was able to be the face of another kind of Christian extremist, another ordinary radical ready for a revolution that dances and laughs" (p 288).

What kind of Christianity am I the face of? How close to The Way is my "brand"? In what ways has God been making my "version" closer to reality? What inconsistencies are most pressing for an upgrade?

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 9

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 9 (p 243-266)
Jesus Is for Losers

(a) "The church is a place where we can stand up and say we are wretched, and everyone will nod and agree and remind us that we are also beautiful" (p 245).

A week ago three of us visited Mars Hill and met a young lady flying solo. Our new gang of four ended up sharing communion while briefly sharing our personal stories that need Jesus' last word. It was really powerful for me; the embodiment of this quote. The sermon will be online for a few weeks. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

(b) "Many of us want the same things. We want the world to be rid of evil. We want justice. We want to liberate the oppressed. The question is, How do we do that?" (p 247). This quote is given in the context of the parable Jesus told about letting the weeds and wheat grow up together (Matthew 13). Pulling up the weeds may kill the wheat at the same time.

So how do we do these grand things--liberate, bring justice, etc.?

And who are the weeds that need pulled? Is it the capitalists or the communists? Is it the Republicans or the Democrats? Is it the religious fundamentalists or the atheists? Is it the multinational corporation CEO or the single welfare mother?

Everyone has a different "weed" they want to pluck. If we each try to pull our favorite weed, won't we all be torn down by someone? So Jesus said, let it grow; don't call down fire from heaven on everyone you disagree with. Teach and live love as you understand it. The Holy Spirit is working on every heart, to bring it to the side of love. Use no violent means of weeding the garden. God will divide the two groups with His wisdom and love when the time is right. And we must remember that today's weed (Saul) may be tomorrow's wheat (Paul), so we can't give up on anyone. We shouldn't attack someone just because we label them a weed today.

So this partially answers the "how" question. With love. With forgiveness. With passion. With effort. With words. With reason and rationality. With self sacrifice. With kindness and goodness. With generosity. With the other cheek. With humility. With the Holy Spirit. With help. With a vision for a better world based on cooperation and community. With the understanding that God is the gardener, not me.

The subsequent pages describe this in positive detail (p 247 - 252).

(c) "We will hurt no one... We will love evildoers, even if it costs us our lives. And then we will see evildoers become extremists for grace. This is the story of our faith" (p 253-254).

How well am I playing my part in the "story of our faith"?

(d) "We know that we cannot do life alone, and the good news is that we don't have to. We are created for community" (p 254).

I am thankful for the people that are becoming our community in this new place. In addition to living it, I'd also like to read these books about community: Deep Economy, School(s) for Conversion, Organic Community, The Small Community, The Community of the Future, and Plan C (each considering community from a different perspective).

(e) "Dear God, liberate us from the logic of redemptive violence" (p 261).

The Shining Lady story sets up the Timothy McVeigh account well. Of all the stories in this book, I think I share this one about Timothy, Bud and Julie the most. Amazing.

(f) "There is something scandalous about grace. It's almost embarrassing that God loves losers so much" (p 262-263).

I start to squirm a bit when I feel moved to pray, "Jesus teach me to love like you do." Okay, more than a bit.

(g) "When we look through the eyes of Jesus, we see new things in people. In the murderers, we see our own hatred. In the addicts, we see our own addictions. In the saints, we catch glimpses of our own holiness. We can see our own brokenness, our own violence, our own ability to destroy, and we can see our own sacredness, our own capacity to love and forgive. When we realize that we are both wretched and beautiful, we are freed up to see others the same way" (p 264).

This just might be the most important paragraph in the book. May we spend some significant time meditating on this one paragraph alone. And then the next one. And...

(h) "When we have new eyes, we can look into the eyes of those we don't even like and see the One we love" (p 266).

Jesus, give me new eyes. Who do I need to look at again for the first time today?

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 6c (p 180-189)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 6c (p 180-189)
Economics of Rebirth

(a) “The reality of divine multiplication is realized only when we allow ourselves to be dependent on God and live in radical interdependence with one another” (p 180).

What am I depending on for security, happiness and fulfillment? How well is it working? What is God depending on me to do? Why do so many of us crave independence? Given that independence is a complete myth, what can I do to embrace interdependence today? How can I play my part well?

Some of my favorite stories in the whole book are in this chapter—Jubilee on Wall Street, Indian kids sharing ice cream, Mother Teresa’s feet, neighbors who trade cars for food, and the family who takes in the pregnant lady. Classics.

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 6b (p 169-180)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 6b (p 169-180)
Economics of Rebirth

(a) “…God did not mess up and make too many people and not enough stuff. Poverty was created not by God but by you and me, because we have not learned to love our neighbors as ourselves” (p 169-170).

Am I willing to take some responsibility for the poverty in the world, or do I just blame corrupt business men, politicians and the systems they create? Could it be that my apathy has been one cause? Could my voting, spending and eating habits be perpetuating and intensifying poverty for some people in some places? How long am I willing to sit still and contemplate the ramifications for my decisions and lifestyle before I start justifying and excusing and explaining?

(b) “The Jubilee… aimed to dismantle structures of social-economic inequality by releasing each community member from debt…, returning encumbered or forfeited land to its original owners…, and freeing slaves…” (p 171).

Who could use a Jubilee from their credit cards? We had always kept our cards paid off until I got hurt two years ago. It’s amazing how fast things can change. "But if people could get out of debt like that, how could industrialists get rich?" Yes, good question. Maybe God has other priorities.

(c) “It is miraculous how the abundance of God and the gifts of the children of God are able to provide mystically for people’s needs” (p 179).

When have others provided for you? How have you shared your abundance with others recently?

One of the biggest gifts I’ve received from a community member was a home. An elderly lady had to leave her home and enter an assisted living center. Her daughter allowed us to live in the vacant home with very low rent for a year while she prepared to sell the house. I’m sure I’ll never be able to repay them for the gift that meant so much while we were in the middle of a rough stretch.

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5c (p 136-146)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5b (p 136-146)

Another Way of Doing Life
By Travis, O.R. Conspirator Extraordinaire

(1) "We've been very careful at the Simple Way never to claim that we have the corner on the market for "radical Christianity." Nor have we even tried to spread a brand or model." (p 137) (italics & bold mine).

I'm so glad that I don't see "IR" mouse pads or coffee cups. I'm sorry to offend anyone but give me a break. Just go to Amazon.com come and search Purpose Driven Life or Your Best Life Now and see what comes up. Do we need calendars and planners promoting this stuff? Daily devotions? I tried to find a link to the mouse pads. I know I've seen the Purpose Driven Life mouse pads but I could not find them online. I know that the intentions are good but when someone without a christian background sees this stuff, what does it communicate? Personally it turns me off and makes me feel like I'm being sold another product. Another brand. Another model.

What do I buy into? In a highly consumer driven society how do I determine what is needed and what is junk? How do I vote with my dollars?

(2) "And the incredible thing is that the stories of ordinary radicals are all over the place, stories of everyday people doing small things with great love, with their lives, gifts, and careers." (p 137)

What am I doing? How am I doing small things with great love?
Last week after church myself and some friends went to the hospital to visit an older woman from our congregation. The idea was birthed out of the sermon topic. We have been doing a series about how God interacts with us through our 5 senses and how we use those senses to interact with the world. We wanted to sing songs to this woman (who loves praise and worship time) and be a sweet fragrance in a dying world (we studied the sense of smell at church). She ended up ministering to us and touching us (I think) more profoundly than our ministry to her.

(3) "Some may leave their jobs. Others will redefine them." (p 140) "So not everyone responds in the same way, but we must respond." (p 142) (italics & bold mine)

How are you responding? I love how he gives many examples all throughout the book about people ministering in many different and unique ways. Amazing. Beautiful. Freeing. Inspiring.

I'm constantly reviewing this one. Right now I'm considering taking a job at the church. Is this what God wants? Is this the best use of my talents? Is this where I need to focus? Am I doing it for a paycheck?

(4) Jesus was not simply a missionary to the poor. He was poor -- born a baby refugee from the badlands of Nazareth, wandered the world a homeless rabbi, died the rotten death of insurrectionists and bandits on the cross, executed by an oppressive empire, buried in a borrowed tomb. Jesus was crucified not for helping the poor people but for joining them. That is the Jesus we follow." (p 144) (italics his)

Do you follow this Jesus? Does it make you uncomfortable?

These facts really disturb me. They rail against the Jesus I learned about at church in my little bible class growing up. It's not pretty. It's not clean. It's too real.

But I'm learning more about, and my heart is being moved to follow this Jesus. To see this Jesus. It's hard. It's uncomfortable. It's exciting.

(5) "What the world really needs is not more churches but a Church" (p 146)

I love how he talks about this concept. That we are all the embodiment of Christ on earth. It reminds me of the story about someone asking C.S. Lewis (I think) which church they should attend and he says that you should go to the one closest to your house! Interesting. How many of us drive out of our community in order to be in another community? Just a question. Questions are good.

I still pose the question: What would it look like if a church impacted the community within its mile radius? Imagine every church on every corner.

That's all for me......until next time. Peace be with you.

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5b (p 126-136)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5b (p 126-136)
Another Way of Doing Life

(1) "...the only way I know to invite people into Christian faith is to come and see. After all, I'm not just trying to get someone to sign a doctrinal statement, but to come to know love, grace, and peace in the incarnation of Jesus, and now in the incarnation of the body, Christ's church" (p 126).

If someone knew nothing about "Christianity," what would they think is important to God based on your local faith community? What does your part of "the incarnation of the body" show the world? Originally, I wrote these questions about the individual, but then I changed them to include the entire faith community. Which question is more useful or telling, the one focusing on the individual or on the community?

(2) "We are trying to shout the gospel with our lives" (p 127). --Sister Margaret

(3) "It is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer just a missions project but become genuine friends and family with whom we laugh, cry, dream, and struggle" (p 128).

I just deleted my thoughts on this section of the book. It was just too hypocritical. Shane's quote stands.

(4) "People do not get crucified for charity. People are crucified for living out a love that disrupts the social order, that calls forth a new world" (p 129).

This reminds me of a t-shirt I saw today at Herbivore Clothing--"All My Heroes Have FBI Files." The shirt references a serious and thought provoking case.

(5) "Today the church is tempted by the spectacular, to do big, miraculous things so people might believe, but Jesus has called us to littleness and compares our revolution to the little mustard seed, to yeast making its way through dough, slowly infecting this dark world with love" (p 132).

We'll be getting back to this theme in a later chapter. This past weekend I read Jim and Casper Go to Church; my boss wanted me to read it. I was intrigued by Casper's reaction to the big shows, the "spectacular" shows, the churches put on--lights, fog machines, huge screens. He basically asked, "Is this how Jesus told you to do church?"

(6) "...wealthy countries like ours have the highest rates of depression, suicide, and loneliness. We are the richest and most miserable people in the world" (p 133).

It was hard for us moving back to the U.S. from South Korea because suddenly all our co-workers and church members lived so far away. We were used to having our community in one neighborhood, and suddenly, they were spread over three cities. We felt disconnected, disoriented. Eventually, we moved into a big home on a golf course (family friends let us stay there for next-to-nothing until they were ready to sell it), but it didn't compare to having friends close by, a community.

We just recently moved again, so we're working on building a new community. What can you do this week to welcome someone who's new to your neighborhood, business or church? What has someone done to make you a part of a group, to build you into their community? "Community is what we are created for" (p 134). "But that doesn't mean community is easy" (p 135).

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5a (p 115-126)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5a (p 115-126)
Another Way of Doing Life

(1) “…what people are really wondering is whether there is life before death” (p 117).

Does my life show the world another, a better, way to live?

(2) “And the kingdom that Jesus speaks so much about is not just something we hope for after we die but is something we are to incarnate now” (p 117).

Sometimes I’ve heard or read people express the idea that Jesus’ teachings sound good, but they just don’t work here on this planet—love your neighbor, forgive, turn the other cheek*. But Shane brings up a good point in the quoted paragraph. These teachings don’t fit heaven; they were expressed specifically for planet Earth with its sin problem. We don’t need the teaching “turn the other cheek” in heaven because no one will slap the right cheek to begin with. Jesus’ hard words might not sound like actions we can live here, but clearly he wasn’t giving us advice on how to live later. It is meant for here and now.

(3) “We knew that the world cannot afford the American dream and that the good news is that there is another dream” (p 119).

This is so true. Already the world is feeling the pinch of limited resources with growing demand. Prices from steel to corn are rising as countries grow their economies in ways patterned after the United States. Demand for oil, food, water and all value-added resources will continue to rise. It has been estimated that for the entire population of the planet to live like North Americans, we would need seven more planets of resources. The U.S. style of life and production is simply not sustainable on a world-wide scale (or even within our borders, but that’s another discussion).

(4) “We narrowed our vision to this: love God, love people, and follow Jesus” (p 121).

That about covers it. What is my mission statement? What guides my decision-making process? How do I decide what to say yes and no to?

(5) “We share life with our neighbors and try to take care of each other” (p123).

What a great statement; reminds me of Galatians 6:2. This line is in the fun description of The Simple Way on pages 122 - 126. I want to quote the whole section here. It’s like the Sermon on the Mount to me.

Our upstairs neighbor is a retired gentleman who likes to garden. He knocked on the door the other day to see if we wanted another tomato plant. He had a couple extra and wanted to share because Charissa’s tomato hadn’t made the move so well. It’s a little thing, but it was really kind of him.

Neighbors can build community with the smallest of kindnesses. Charissa had taken him a plate of homemade cinnamon roles when we moved in, and that had opened the way to more conversations. How can I build community with people around me today?

*As explained by Walter Wink in Jesus and Nonviolence: The Third Way.

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 2 (p 53-67)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 2 (p 53-67)
Resurrecting Church

Here are five quotes that stood out to me. What caught your attention, moved you, or connected with you?

(1) “They reminded us that we all need each other and assured us that if we all shared with one another, there would be enough for everyone” (p 57).

This is something Charissa and I are trying to live. It’s easy to lend some things; for me it’s books and documentaries. Other items, the Vitamix for example, reveal a streak of selfishness. We could live with so much less by learning to share. How many lawn mowers does one neighborhood or one church community really need? Or cars?

(2) “My second instinct was to cry because of how far the church had become removed from the poor” (p 63).

When we came to this new church, we joined a study class that does try to serve. They’ve built a Habitat for Humanity house. They get names of pregnant women with financial problems and donate dressers to them full of baby supplies and clothes. Plus they regularly help people in the community with dollars and cents. It’s really beautiful, and now we’re leaving again. What are you doing along with your local faith community? What’s your story?

(3) “At that moment, we decided to stop complaining about the church we saw, and we set our hearts on becoming the church we dreamed of” (p 64). What is your dream for your faith community?

(4) “Over and over, when I ask God why all of these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I can feel the Spirit whisper to me, “You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet” (p 65).

I had an experience just like this a few years ago. It went something like this, “God, why don’t you do something about this.” “Jeff, why don’t you?” You can read about it in a talk I gave in South Korea—I don’t know why. It was eerie to read this story.

(5) “We do indeed have a God of resurrection, a God who can create beauty from the messes we make of our world” (p 67). What “beauty from the messes” have you seen? What have you been a part of?

As always, feel free to address these questions and quotes or anything else that you'd like. Consider the general questions.