"In theory, there should be no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is."
"It ain't over 'til it's over."
"It's deja vu all over again."
"You can observe a lot by watching."
"Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical."
"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there."
"You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours."
"The future ain't what it used to be."
"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future."
"It gets late early out here."
"Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded."
"He must have made that before he died."
"You wouldn't have won if we'd beaten you."
"If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be."
"When you come to a fork in the road....take it."
"I always thought that record would stand until it was broken."
"Never answer an anonymous letter."
"I want to thank you for making this day necessary."
"I didn't really say everything I said."
jawpoetrynow
This is my back up blog when I want to put something out there with out feedback. I plan to put more Informational stuff here so it is available for a longer period of time.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Do You Believe this? Remembering Mark Tiersma
Born: February 14, 1924 Death: October 6, 2004
Service: October 12, 2004 Officiating: Rev. George G.Vink
Scripture: John 11: 17-26
Message: “DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?”
Dear Arlene, Peter & Thea, Jude & John, Brenda & Carlos, Ben & Janine, brothers, sisters, family and friends,
As you know, Mark, your husband, father/heit, brother, fellow believer, did not view death as a friend to be welcomed! He wanted to live! He deeply desired to have more years with his friend and wife of 59 years. He wanted to delight in the lives of his children and grandchildren. He saw life as good, as something to be relished. He enjoyed being among the living. Here too he demonstrated a world & life view consistent with what he had been taught from God’s Word. Death, whether it comes slowly or quickly, despite all attempts to the contrary, remains the enemy of life!
We heard the Psalmist(116:15)say it. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Years later, the apostle John would hear a voice from heaven say, “Write:Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” (Rev. 14:13a) But, the blessing is based on the truth of what we read in John 11 as he tells us the encounter between Jesus and the Lazarus family. To be blessed, you’ve got to “die in the Lord” or be one “of his saints.” We bury those we love with the good confidence that they will rise again! We read that too at the graveside from I Corinthians 15.
That’s the truth of Paul’s writing to the Corinthian church. Then we will be vindicated in our faith! Then we will experience the joy of being with Jesus, never having been beyond His power to redeem! Death is strong, but Jesus is stronger! He never lets us go! Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus! The comfort in death is what comes when we confess our belonging to Him! It’s what Mark confessed and it’s what we heard again as we laid his bodily remains in the earth. I recall our Adult Ed. Class’ discussion on comfort (trooste) when with a twinkle in his eye as well as a strong voice he leaned forward and recited,“…that I belong to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ!”
If there was someonewho wanted to do what the song “Find Us Faithful” is all about, I suggest it was Mark Tiersma. Did you hear it? “May all who come behind us, find us faithful.” A kind and gentle man of faith gave his testimony to family and friends. His words were consistent with his deeds. Originally a somewhat shy person, he desired more and more to let others know that he had a purpose in life which included making sure that they knew the truth of Jesus’ claim, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Believing it leads to a full life, here and now, and then in dying, to a realization that the dying is a final journey that all must make, but those who “die in the Lord” don’t really die but go from this life to another! Mark is with his Lord, his Redeemer. He was more than confident of that certainty, and as he said his farewells, wanted to make that clear to all.
The question we must now ask is the question that Jesus Himself asked his friend Martha, “Do you believe this?” Do you? Do I? Will you imagine hearing Mark ask you? Whether in the language of his newly-loved country, “Do you believe this?” or that of his schooling, “Geloof gij dat?” or that of his mother tongue, “leauwe jo dat?”
Jesus came to his friends to comfort them. They weren’t expecting a resurrection from the dead. Lazarus was dead and already buried. His sisters were grieving. In the midst of her grief, Martha chastises Jesus for not being there to prevent Lazarus’ death and assurances of his eventual rising weren’t good enough for this outspoken sister! It’s almost as if you can hear her, “I know….I know…don’t tell what I already know….”and we see the patience of Jesus as He deals with her. A patience with people that some like Mark exemplify more than others.
Jesus follows it with one of the wonderful, powerful “I AM…” statements.
It’s not the traditional comfort stuff that Jesus is giving this griever. Jesus wants her to believe in Him! When one with Christ in faith, then death still means life! Bodily death, whether caused by cancer, heart failure or a car accident, cannot end the new life that is yours in Christ. In Christ, you can live forever. Let’s ask it again, “Do you believe this?”
The new life we have in Christ, does not come just at the end of life. It’s new life in the way we farm our fields or the way we treat our cows or love our family. When, in the language of John 3, we are “born anew,” we have passed from death to life. But, that doesn’t happen without believing in Jesus!
Mark believed it! Arlene believes it! Do you? It’s a rather grandiose claim isn’t it? “I am the resurrection and the life!” We’re so inclined to respond with, “Yes, but….” while struggling with the realities of life. How do we explain God’s inactivity when we suggest He could get involved and stop some terrible things? How do we make sense of a world where families feud over finances while losing the most important relationships? We cannot, and we will not.
Walter Brueggemann in a great sermon talks about our being governed by “Yes, but.” He suggests it’s our proud capacity to control or our fearful need to control that makes us resist God’s power for newness, and as such it becomes an act of atheism. We limit or box God in, the God who came in His Son and said, “I am the resurrection …”and went on to raise His friend Lazarus. “Do you believe this?”
Mark Tiersma, husband, father, brother and friend, believed and wanted you to know it. Yes, tears came when we talked about his dying, even weeks before his actual final breath. He wanted to live longer, not being too quick to think of himself as old! After all, what was being 80? He was willing to do what needed to be done, not as a denial of the truth that he believed, but as an affirmation of the joy and goodness of life! So too, we grieve best, when we shed our tears but go on with life! We share the memories, while also affirming life by living as those who believe that God cares about how we live it. He gives us life to live it to His glory. He gave Mark unique gifts that have impacted us all in some ways. Do we thank Mark, or thank God? What do you think Mark would have us do?
Mark spoke of his Lord, and in the stillness of the night, would be caught singing to and about his Lord. Imagine it again would you? Hear Mark’s voice, “There is a Redeemer….God’s own Son…”followed by, “Thank you, O My Father…..” We sang it. “Do you believe it?”
Martha answered, “Yes Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God….” and then called her sister Mary. Jesus is deeply moved by the death of Lazarus and how it affected Mary and the others. He knows the pain of death, the separation it involves, weeps, and raises Lazarus! “Do you believe this?”
As we go from this time of remembrance, let’s not forget that question that Jesus puts to all of us, not just Martha! Do you believe His claim?
Believing it made all the difference in life and in death for Mark. It can for you too! Believe it and be living it! Believe it and find comfort. Believe it and make sure your life shows it so that those who come behind you will also find you faithful. Then too, you will hear from the Lord Himself, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Amen.
Service: October 12, 2004 Officiating: Rev. George G.Vink
Scripture: John 11: 17-26
Message: “DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?”
Dear Arlene, Peter & Thea, Jude & John, Brenda & Carlos, Ben & Janine, brothers, sisters, family and friends,
As you know, Mark, your husband, father/heit, brother, fellow believer, did not view death as a friend to be welcomed! He wanted to live! He deeply desired to have more years with his friend and wife of 59 years. He wanted to delight in the lives of his children and grandchildren. He saw life as good, as something to be relished. He enjoyed being among the living. Here too he demonstrated a world & life view consistent with what he had been taught from God’s Word. Death, whether it comes slowly or quickly, despite all attempts to the contrary, remains the enemy of life!
We heard the Psalmist(116:15)say it. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” Years later, the apostle John would hear a voice from heaven say, “Write:Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” (Rev. 14:13a) But, the blessing is based on the truth of what we read in John 11 as he tells us the encounter between Jesus and the Lazarus family. To be blessed, you’ve got to “die in the Lord” or be one “of his saints.” We bury those we love with the good confidence that they will rise again! We read that too at the graveside from I Corinthians 15.
That’s the truth of Paul’s writing to the Corinthian church. Then we will be vindicated in our faith! Then we will experience the joy of being with Jesus, never having been beyond His power to redeem! Death is strong, but Jesus is stronger! He never lets us go! Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus! The comfort in death is what comes when we confess our belonging to Him! It’s what Mark confessed and it’s what we heard again as we laid his bodily remains in the earth. I recall our Adult Ed. Class’ discussion on comfort (trooste) when with a twinkle in his eye as well as a strong voice he leaned forward and recited,“…that I belong to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ!”
If there was someonewho wanted to do what the song “Find Us Faithful” is all about, I suggest it was Mark Tiersma. Did you hear it? “May all who come behind us, find us faithful.” A kind and gentle man of faith gave his testimony to family and friends. His words were consistent with his deeds. Originally a somewhat shy person, he desired more and more to let others know that he had a purpose in life which included making sure that they knew the truth of Jesus’ claim, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Believing it leads to a full life, here and now, and then in dying, to a realization that the dying is a final journey that all must make, but those who “die in the Lord” don’t really die but go from this life to another! Mark is with his Lord, his Redeemer. He was more than confident of that certainty, and as he said his farewells, wanted to make that clear to all.
The question we must now ask is the question that Jesus Himself asked his friend Martha, “Do you believe this?” Do you? Do I? Will you imagine hearing Mark ask you? Whether in the language of his newly-loved country, “Do you believe this?” or that of his schooling, “Geloof gij dat?” or that of his mother tongue, “leauwe jo dat?”
Jesus came to his friends to comfort them. They weren’t expecting a resurrection from the dead. Lazarus was dead and already buried. His sisters were grieving. In the midst of her grief, Martha chastises Jesus for not being there to prevent Lazarus’ death and assurances of his eventual rising weren’t good enough for this outspoken sister! It’s almost as if you can hear her, “I know….I know…don’t tell what I already know….”and we see the patience of Jesus as He deals with her. A patience with people that some like Mark exemplify more than others.
Jesus follows it with one of the wonderful, powerful “I AM…” statements.
It’s not the traditional comfort stuff that Jesus is giving this griever. Jesus wants her to believe in Him! When one with Christ in faith, then death still means life! Bodily death, whether caused by cancer, heart failure or a car accident, cannot end the new life that is yours in Christ. In Christ, you can live forever. Let’s ask it again, “Do you believe this?”
The new life we have in Christ, does not come just at the end of life. It’s new life in the way we farm our fields or the way we treat our cows or love our family. When, in the language of John 3, we are “born anew,” we have passed from death to life. But, that doesn’t happen without believing in Jesus!
Mark believed it! Arlene believes it! Do you? It’s a rather grandiose claim isn’t it? “I am the resurrection and the life!” We’re so inclined to respond with, “Yes, but….” while struggling with the realities of life. How do we explain God’s inactivity when we suggest He could get involved and stop some terrible things? How do we make sense of a world where families feud over finances while losing the most important relationships? We cannot, and we will not.
Walter Brueggemann in a great sermon talks about our being governed by “Yes, but.” He suggests it’s our proud capacity to control or our fearful need to control that makes us resist God’s power for newness, and as such it becomes an act of atheism. We limit or box God in, the God who came in His Son and said, “I am the resurrection …”and went on to raise His friend Lazarus. “Do you believe this?”
Mark Tiersma, husband, father, brother and friend, believed and wanted you to know it. Yes, tears came when we talked about his dying, even weeks before his actual final breath. He wanted to live longer, not being too quick to think of himself as old! After all, what was being 80? He was willing to do what needed to be done, not as a denial of the truth that he believed, but as an affirmation of the joy and goodness of life! So too, we grieve best, when we shed our tears but go on with life! We share the memories, while also affirming life by living as those who believe that God cares about how we live it. He gives us life to live it to His glory. He gave Mark unique gifts that have impacted us all in some ways. Do we thank Mark, or thank God? What do you think Mark would have us do?
Mark spoke of his Lord, and in the stillness of the night, would be caught singing to and about his Lord. Imagine it again would you? Hear Mark’s voice, “There is a Redeemer….God’s own Son…”followed by, “Thank you, O My Father…..” We sang it. “Do you believe it?”
Martha answered, “Yes Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God….” and then called her sister Mary. Jesus is deeply moved by the death of Lazarus and how it affected Mary and the others. He knows the pain of death, the separation it involves, weeps, and raises Lazarus! “Do you believe this?”
As we go from this time of remembrance, let’s not forget that question that Jesus puts to all of us, not just Martha! Do you believe His claim?
Believing it made all the difference in life and in death for Mark. It can for you too! Believe it and be living it! Believe it and find comfort. Believe it and make sure your life shows it so that those who come behind you will also find you faithful. Then too, you will hear from the Lord Himself, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Amen.
Monday, February 23, 2004
Helping readers and writters get the basics -- a tool to start with...
Before beginning a formal spelling program, students need to be able to read and spell the following words automatically. The top ten word list below make up 25% of all running words. One of these words will be found in every four words.
a be of we and I the you in to
The words on the following list make up 50% of all running words. This means that one of these words will occur, on the average, in every two words.
a· after· all· an· and· any· are· as· at· been· but· by· can· come· do· ever· for· from· get· give· go· good· great · had· has· have· he· him· his· how· I· if· into· is· it· know· leave· letter· like· made· make· many· may· me· more· most· must· my· no· not· now· of · often· on· one· only· or· other· our· out· part· said· say· see· shall· she· should· so· some· such· take· than· that· the· their· them· then· there· these· they· this · those· though· time· today· under· upon· us· use· very· was· were· what· when· where· which· who· will· with· would· you· yours
Some things are best learned as a foundation to reading... I am finding that flash cards of these basic words are very helpful.
a be of we and I the you in to
The words on the following list make up 50% of all running words. This means that one of these words will occur, on the average, in every two words.
a· after· all· an· and· any· are· as· at· been· but· by· can· come· do· ever· for· from· get· give· go· good· great · had· has· have· he· him· his· how· I· if· into· is· it· know· leave· letter· like· made· make· many· may· me· more· most· must· my· no· not· now· of · often· on· one· only· or· other· our· out· part· said· say· see· shall· she· should· so· some· such· take· than· that· the· their· them· then· there· these· they· this · those· though· time· today· under· upon· us· use· very· was· were· what· when· where· which· who· will· with· would· you· yours
Some things are best learned as a foundation to reading... I am finding that flash cards of these basic words are very helpful.
Friday, February 20, 2004
Friday Spiritual Retreat with Fuller Class & LA InnerChange Team
We arrived at the Mater Dolorosa Passionate Retreat center about 8:45am. The whole grounds visually resonated with the story of the Passion of Christ. Their Mission Statement being:
We are a Passionist Retreat Center,
Preaching the Passion of Jesus Christ. We
Seek to welcome all who wish to hear the
Message of the Passion, through our
Traditions of preaching, hospitality, and
Compassion. We resolve to place our
Focus on the Passion of Jesus Christ and
Its relevance to the lives of people today.
We also resolve to foster and promote
Spiritual growth and renewal through
Passionist retreat programs and by
Providing a peaceful environment of
Prayer and reflection.
I am usually more tuned into the resurrection than the crucifixion. I brought to the retreat the intention of facing my inner sorrow over the twenty plus deaths of people I have known. (Only 2 of these deaths are because of violence.) This retreat context was more than appropriate for processing this sorrow. The first sense I got during the retreat after the morning prayers was the sense that this was just a beginning for me and that this is going to be an important season to pay attention to lent -- the death and resurection of Jesus Christ. I also think that Mel Gipson’s Passion of Christ is going to play a large role in this journey. Being thirsty the first opportunity we got I sought and found a coffee dispenser. All while my mind was rushing to how I could pursue using this film to reach out to others. It became clear that I was facing the first of several walls in my soul to being still.
I paced around the outside of the main building. Soon I found a strange sort of comfort on the back steps that led to the main buildings cooling & heating system. There was an empty cross, worked into the masonry. I was happier with a more "Protestant" Cross. I also found comfort in the concrete steps and the white noise made by the mechanical systems. I started to pray and the call to “Be still and acknowledge God as God” was still burning in my chest. I could not be still so I got up to wander again. Arriving at the Northwest corner of the building I was reminded again of my intention by a Raven who started cawing and would not stop.
I literally retreated to the room where we were going to have the centering prayer exercise. I got myself a second and third cup of coffee. Then I finally settled down into praying my expanded version of the Jesus, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me a sinner. Father I ask for strength, Jesus I ask for your heart, Holy Spirit I ask for power and inspiration. This focused on for about 30 minutes calmed me down to begin to be still. I was surprised by my desire to read which has been numbed out for several months began to come back to me with surprising force. Also I was glad to discover that I could read academic material. My concentration for reading has been so disrupted that I have been listening to scripture more often than reading it. I brought with me Wendy Beckett's book, "The Mystical Now Art and The Sacred". Its pages nourished my heart and mind.
I joined the optional centering prayer exercise. The image of letting any ideas, other than my prayer focused on Christ himself, flow down river like a drifting boat was freeing and liberating. Soon I began to be still and the twenty minutes set aside for this was over.
I was drawn outside and found the fifteenth station of the cross -- the empty tomb. I found comfort in this affirmation that Christ is raised for the Passionists as well as for us Protestants. Then I wandered to the station of Mary holding the dead body of Christ. It drew me. I was temporarily distracted by some coins that someone had placed in the hands of Jesus. Then it hit me. I did not get to see the body of Barbara Brown, or Dr. Loder. There were others that I did not get to say good by to. I want to grow in my capacity to acknowledge the lives that I have loved that are now gone from us. The statue proclaimed engagement. I somehow had grown detached. I am reminded that God wants to meet me in the realities that I want to distance myself from the most. I rested in this space resonating with the symbols of loss and realizing God’s kindness to me in this time. Then I noticed that a stone in the base of the statue setting was cracked and loose. I followed an impulse to touch it. Part of it fell off and landed in my hands. There I sat next to “Mary holding Jesus” while holding a piece of their statue in my hands. I am still trying to understand the power of this moment for me. All I can say is that I took a piece of that stone home and it was as if I could both embrace and accept that the body of my friend Dr. James Loder has been committed to the ground.
The results of this retreat are still in process for me. I have learned that silence can help me make the transition into academic work and study. This is a timely insight for me. I have not had such concentration for a couple years now because of some issues with Post Traumatic Stress. I will see if this is a more permanent closure to this chapter in my life. For now I can read again; if I take some time for silence. We also decided as a team to set 1 Friday morning a month for a similar time of prayer and retreat. I am looking forward to all this season of lent will offer. I am thankful for the gift of the space, time, and intentional silence.
We are a Passionist Retreat Center,
Preaching the Passion of Jesus Christ. We
Seek to welcome all who wish to hear the
Message of the Passion, through our
Traditions of preaching, hospitality, and
Compassion. We resolve to place our
Focus on the Passion of Jesus Christ and
Its relevance to the lives of people today.
We also resolve to foster and promote
Spiritual growth and renewal through
Passionist retreat programs and by
Providing a peaceful environment of
Prayer and reflection.
I am usually more tuned into the resurrection than the crucifixion. I brought to the retreat the intention of facing my inner sorrow over the twenty plus deaths of people I have known. (Only 2 of these deaths are because of violence.) This retreat context was more than appropriate for processing this sorrow. The first sense I got during the retreat after the morning prayers was the sense that this was just a beginning for me and that this is going to be an important season to pay attention to lent -- the death and resurection of Jesus Christ. I also think that Mel Gipson’s Passion of Christ is going to play a large role in this journey. Being thirsty the first opportunity we got I sought and found a coffee dispenser. All while my mind was rushing to how I could pursue using this film to reach out to others. It became clear that I was facing the first of several walls in my soul to being still.
I paced around the outside of the main building. Soon I found a strange sort of comfort on the back steps that led to the main buildings cooling & heating system. There was an empty cross, worked into the masonry. I was happier with a more "Protestant" Cross. I also found comfort in the concrete steps and the white noise made by the mechanical systems. I started to pray and the call to “Be still and acknowledge God as God” was still burning in my chest. I could not be still so I got up to wander again. Arriving at the Northwest corner of the building I was reminded again of my intention by a Raven who started cawing and would not stop.
I literally retreated to the room where we were going to have the centering prayer exercise. I got myself a second and third cup of coffee. Then I finally settled down into praying my expanded version of the Jesus, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me a sinner. Father I ask for strength, Jesus I ask for your heart, Holy Spirit I ask for power and inspiration. This focused on for about 30 minutes calmed me down to begin to be still. I was surprised by my desire to read which has been numbed out for several months began to come back to me with surprising force. Also I was glad to discover that I could read academic material. My concentration for reading has been so disrupted that I have been listening to scripture more often than reading it. I brought with me Wendy Beckett's book, "The Mystical Now Art and The Sacred". Its pages nourished my heart and mind.
I joined the optional centering prayer exercise. The image of letting any ideas, other than my prayer focused on Christ himself, flow down river like a drifting boat was freeing and liberating. Soon I began to be still and the twenty minutes set aside for this was over.
I was drawn outside and found the fifteenth station of the cross -- the empty tomb. I found comfort in this affirmation that Christ is raised for the Passionists as well as for us Protestants. Then I wandered to the station of Mary holding the dead body of Christ. It drew me. I was temporarily distracted by some coins that someone had placed in the hands of Jesus. Then it hit me. I did not get to see the body of Barbara Brown, or Dr. Loder. There were others that I did not get to say good by to. I want to grow in my capacity to acknowledge the lives that I have loved that are now gone from us. The statue proclaimed engagement. I somehow had grown detached. I am reminded that God wants to meet me in the realities that I want to distance myself from the most. I rested in this space resonating with the symbols of loss and realizing God’s kindness to me in this time. Then I noticed that a stone in the base of the statue setting was cracked and loose. I followed an impulse to touch it. Part of it fell off and landed in my hands. There I sat next to “Mary holding Jesus” while holding a piece of their statue in my hands. I am still trying to understand the power of this moment for me. All I can say is that I took a piece of that stone home and it was as if I could both embrace and accept that the body of my friend Dr. James Loder has been committed to the ground.
The results of this retreat are still in process for me. I have learned that silence can help me make the transition into academic work and study. This is a timely insight for me. I have not had such concentration for a couple years now because of some issues with Post Traumatic Stress. I will see if this is a more permanent closure to this chapter in my life. For now I can read again; if I take some time for silence. We also decided as a team to set 1 Friday morning a month for a similar time of prayer and retreat. I am looking forward to all this season of lent will offer. I am thankful for the gift of the space, time, and intentional silence.
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
A Paper written by Jorge Meza for a Religion class
Jorge Meza
1-16-04
Catholic Christianity
Resurrection of the body of Jesus Christ
What do we mean by the resurrection of Christ? Jesus Christ came into this world to die as our replacement for our sins. The sinless Son of God came to give his life as a payoff for many. On that first Good Friday, Jesus was crucified. We know he died because one of the Roman soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear to ensure his death. Some of his disciples then buried his body in a new tomb.
While Jesus was alive, he had predicted that he would rise from the dead. He challenged his enemies: "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. He was speaking about his body. Jesus also told his disciples many times that he would be killed by the leaders in Jerusalem, but be raised to life on the third day. The leaders who killed Jesus were aware of this prediction that he would rise from the dead. Although they did not believe it, they wanted to ensure that it would not happen, so they set a guard around the tomb. Pilot gave the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body, and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.' 'Take a guard,' Pilate answered. 'Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.' So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
The strategy of the chief priests and Pharisees did not succeed. Even with their efforts, Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus brought a number of people to life from the dead, including Martha's brother Lazarus, who had been dead for four days. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ was different. It was not just revival, as was the case with Lazarus, who later died again. On the third day Jesus was raised from the dead with a transformed body that was clothed with immortality and glory. His resurrection body could appear and disappear, go through material objects, and ascend to and descend from heaven.
On Easter morning some women and apostles went to Jesus' tomb expecting to find his body. But the tomb was empty, and the angel at the tomb told them, "He is not here he has risen!" Later they saw their risen Lord face to face.
Because of the miracle of Christ's resurrection, Jesus' depressed and disappointed disciples were instantly transformed. They began to preach the gospel with power. Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity. These disciples of Jesus willingly suffered for their faith. They could not produce the body of Jesus Christ and put a stop to Christianity. The Jewish believers, meanwhile, were so impressed by this miracle that they began to worship on the day of Christ's resurrection, Sunday.
My references The Bible, and the Resurrection Stories by Jerome Neyrey
I do believe in the resurrection of the body. Jesus is my savior.
My role in this was simply a trip to the library and the encouragemnet that the resurection of Christ might be a good doctrine to explore. Influence for the good is so often about just being there for others.
Jorge Meza
1-16-04
Catholic Christianity
Resurrection of the body of Jesus Christ
What do we mean by the resurrection of Christ? Jesus Christ came into this world to die as our replacement for our sins. The sinless Son of God came to give his life as a payoff for many. On that first Good Friday, Jesus was crucified. We know he died because one of the Roman soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear to ensure his death. Some of his disciples then buried his body in a new tomb.
While Jesus was alive, he had predicted that he would rise from the dead. He challenged his enemies: "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. He was speaking about his body. Jesus also told his disciples many times that he would be killed by the leaders in Jerusalem, but be raised to life on the third day. The leaders who killed Jesus were aware of this prediction that he would rise from the dead. Although they did not believe it, they wanted to ensure that it would not happen, so they set a guard around the tomb. Pilot gave the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body, and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.' 'Take a guard,' Pilate answered. 'Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.' So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
The strategy of the chief priests and Pharisees did not succeed. Even with their efforts, Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus brought a number of people to life from the dead, including Martha's brother Lazarus, who had been dead for four days. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ was different. It was not just revival, as was the case with Lazarus, who later died again. On the third day Jesus was raised from the dead with a transformed body that was clothed with immortality and glory. His resurrection body could appear and disappear, go through material objects, and ascend to and descend from heaven.
On Easter morning some women and apostles went to Jesus' tomb expecting to find his body. But the tomb was empty, and the angel at the tomb told them, "He is not here he has risen!" Later they saw their risen Lord face to face.
Because of the miracle of Christ's resurrection, Jesus' depressed and disappointed disciples were instantly transformed. They began to preach the gospel with power. Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity. These disciples of Jesus willingly suffered for their faith. They could not produce the body of Jesus Christ and put a stop to Christianity. The Jewish believers, meanwhile, were so impressed by this miracle that they began to worship on the day of Christ's resurrection, Sunday.
My references The Bible, and the Resurrection Stories by Jerome Neyrey
I do believe in the resurrection of the body. Jesus is my savior.
My role in this was simply a trip to the library and the encouragemnet that the resurection of Christ might be a good doctrine to explore. Influence for the good is so often about just being there for others.
Thursday, February 05, 2004
My Friend Brian Bake Emailed these 2 articles to me
Super Bowl sleaze
by Jim Wallis
Next year, put your kids to bed BEFORE the Super Bowl.
I'll admit it, I like a good football game, and this turned out to be a very
good one, after a boring, slow start. But what everybody was talking about
the next day was the baring of Janet Jackson's right breast. Justin
Timberlake's little grope and tear-off of Jackson's bustier was the finale
to their simulated-sex dance done to a song called "Rock Your Body," which
ends with the romantic line, "I gotta have you naked by the end of this
song." And that's just what he did. But that was only the crude climax to
what Washington Post television critic Tom Shales called "the Super Bowl of
Sleaze."
The rest of the MTV-produced halftime show had lots more bumping and
grinding, crotch-grabbing rappers, and background girls tossing off their
wardrobes to "I'm getting so hot, I wanna take my clothes off."
Then there were the commercials, often creative and funny at Super Bowls,
but this year featuring horse flatulence, a trained dog that bites men
(again) in the crotch to steal their beers, a monkey leering at a girl's
breasts and suggesting they go upstairs, and several ads for erectile
dysfunction. Bud Light clearly won the night's award for most stupid, crude,
and banal ads, while only Homer Simpson seemed to offer any healthy and
funny alternative fare.
My 5-year-old son, Luke, was playing with his friends in another room but
walked in just in time to see a spot for Van Helsing, an upcoming and yet
unrated horror film that featured very disturbing and graphic images of
horrific violence. Seeing the fanged monsters leering at us through the
screen literally stopped him in his tracks.
After substantial public outcry, CBS and MTV issued unconvincing apologies
about how surprised they were at Janet's bare bust (in this first public
revelation of the Jackson family values), while young Timberlake tried to
blame the whole thing on a "wardrobe malfunction." Two days later, Jackson
admitted the stunt had been planned, saying: "The decision to have a costume
reveal...was made after final rehearsals."
You want to know why people join the Religious Right? It may have less to do
with wanting to take over the country than being desperate to protect their
kids from the crass trash and degrading banality that media conglomerates
like Viacom (which owns both CBS and MTV) seem to think is just fine family
entertainment for Super Bowl night. Fortunately, my kids were in bed before
the halftime show, but next year we may just go with Mary Poppins in the
other room.
Some people think that only right-wing conservatives care about such moral
pollution. Wrong. Most parents I know, liberal or conservative, care a great
deal about it, as do most self-respecting women and men. It defies
stereotypes to suggest that a healthy moral consistency applies to personal
and sexual ethics as well as to social and political values. It's time to
break out of those old ideological shibboleths and forge a unified front
against the amoral corporate greed that violates all our ethics - personal
and social - creating a system that sells beer and breasts in the same
advertising plans just to make a buck.
I don't recommend joining the Religious Right, but do call Viacom, CBS, and
MTV. Tell them that you're not a member of the Religious Right, not a
puritan, and not afraid of sex (but think it's great with somebody to whom
you're committed!). Especially if you're a liberal progressive type, tell
them that. And if you're a parent, ask them if they have any kids and if
they would want them watching the lowlife ads and actors they put on TV last
Sunday night. Tell them to put it on cable where the voyeurs who want to
watch Timberlake and Jackson paw each other can pay for it. Tell them that
you're angry. Tell them that they're not entertaining, interesting, or even
sexy. Tell them that their soulless and mindless "entertainment" won't sell
anymore, at least not to you. And tell them to keep their garbage away from
your kids.
To call each network executive:
Tom Freston
Chairman, MTV
212-258-8000
Leslie Moonves
President, CBS
323-575-2345
Sumner Redstone
CEO, Viacom
212-975-5005
Sacred Distractions:
Concerning the Art of the Spoken Word
By David Hopkins, http://monkhouse.org/david , e-mail to david@next-wave.org
So, if the "medium is the message"…
Marshall McLuhan’s Understanding Media is the one of the greatest books of
this century (in the same company as Alvin Toffler’s Third Wave and Jean
Baudrillard’s Simulations). He was one of the first scholars to analyze the
proliferation of media images and the impact of simulated images. In
Understanding Media, McLuhan develops his famous statement: "the medium is
the message."
There is something in the event of watching TV, which is 100% TV and nothing
else. The growing popularity of Real TV type shows is an
indication ( America’s Funniest ,Survivor ,Road Rules ,Real World ,Cops ,Big
Brother, etc). The viewer is fascinated that all of these events have been
captured on film. The principle appeal is voyeurism. The message is the
television itself. Even now as you read these words on the Internet, there
is something in the experience that is simply saying, "I am reading words on
the Internet and nothing more." Cynical? Maybe. But I can recall countless
times when people have told me: "They have gone to Church." And yet, they
fail to remember anything beyond that. They only recall the experience of
"going to Church." That was the message.
Our society has adapted to a new world of media images. For the most part,
these images are fast paced and high impact. They attack the brain with
ambitious over-load, reaching critical mass. The seduction is so great; you
may not even realize how may "images" you actually take in. The images are
there. We are simultaneously nauseated by these images and lonely
without them. When I was in Moscow, the McDonald’s golden "M" comforted me
so much. It told me home still exists. These images communicate something
transcendent, however shallow the concept.
How is it, with this mass market for images, we are expected to
shut ourselves into a large room every Sunday morning and be
subjected to sensory deprivation? The focal point of the modern
church-event is the sermon, the teaching moment, whatever. One person stands
before many people and talks about stuff. No images. No hope of being
distracted. We are only stimulated by intangible and invisible sound waves
from a single voice. In some traditions,it has been fashionable
to make the sanctuary as plain as possible (a Puritan influence,
no doubt). This way we will not be distracted from the message.
We look at our watch, hoping the preacher will be brief and
witty. This wit is not for the purpose of the message, but to
maintain our enthusiasm and trust. I roll my eyes at sermons that begin with
cute jokes. The message behind this medium? Christianity is all about
receiving information and processing it in the appropriate manner. Is it any
wonder people make a distinction between the worship portion of a
service and the sermon? In doing so, we reduce worship to an event that
prepares us for a sermon. We have completely flipped our priorities! The
sermon should continue in worship.
Is our response to give a better performance through the same medium?
What if I just preached a better message? What if I used better
illustrations? What if I used better jokes? What if I used props?
What if I used a large screen to post my informational outline? What if I
used video clips?
In the end, it is still an info-sermon. And while this event is
highly valuable to the modern world (I would never completely
disregard its worth), I suspect a postmodern world would receive it
differently. Some people will always enjoy a well performed info-sermon, but
our emerging culture desires something more narrative than informative to
replace a life that lacks story (read Richard Stone’s The Healing Art of
Storytelling ). A new medium may emerge, allowing new creativity, as the
proto-typical sermon is marginalized.
The Art of Spoken Word
Along with teaching high school English, I am fortunate to be one of the
pastors at Axxess . My community allows me freedom to experiment with new
media for our worship. One thing particularly close to my heart is
transforming what we know as a "sermon." God Yahweh called me by His Spirit
to preach . He gave me the freedom to be creative in my method of
expression. This spoken word should not just be a medium for communicating
information to mass audiences. Spoken word must express beauty and create
space within worship for contemplation and to initiate conversation.
As a result , I rarely (if ever) use a power point to outline my notes. I
use power point to display random images during the time I speak. These
images may or may not have any connection to what I am saying.
They may be advertisements I found on the Internet. They may be
of pictures from a movie or of a celebrity. I may show an image of a family
or put a word phrase on the screen. Does it distract my audience? Yes and
this is exactly what I want to have happen. I was inspired by U2 ’s Zoo TV
tour . The popular rock band used a blitz of random media images and
statements on several large screens during their concert. The experience was
unforgettable.
Since the congregation will occasionally be distracted (remember
our short attention spans), at least I can choose what distracts! The
congregation is now active in choosing what they will pay attention to. Many
good American pragmatists and utilitarians probably shudder at my approach.
The pragmatist wants to construct an environment that focuses all attention
to the pulpit. But my goal is not just to transfer information. It is to
stimulate the mind. And maybe within that space God Yahweh will create His
own message.
Possibly the most interesting phenomenon of combining random
images with spoken word is the fact that people create their own meaning to
connect the two mediums. A person talked with me after one of my messages.
She was in tears. She had never heard such a powerful Gospel account. As she
recalled the experience, I realized she had made emotional connections
between the images and my words. Connections I never anticipated, but
connections that communicated to her experience. It re-affirmed something I
had concluded long ago: No matter how sincere people are, they
hear what they choose to hear. I cannot transfer meaning---I only give the
setting in which people construct meaning. The Spirit of God Yahweh will
speak to a broken heart. We must trust the Spirit for the message. Our words
can only do so much.
I use images to remind people of the medium itself. I believe the
images encourage sacred distractions, which remind us that words fall short.
They are words, nothing more. A "good sermon" is not about using the right
words. It is all about the experience of worship. As Paul said (I
Corinthians 2:2):
"And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive
words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that
your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
Have we forgotten? I hope, in good postmodern fashion, to be
reflective on my own medium. And in the process, I allow people to look
beyond the medium to something transcendent.
The direction I hope to take with spoken word
In the near future, within the next few months, I hope to use
more random images interwoven with my words. I hope to use multiple screens
each with different images . I would like to get more people
involved in the creative process. I would like those involved in media
advertising and film to use their gifts to engage congregations
during worship. I plan on inviting a club DJ friend to create some ambient
music and tones all while I am preaching. Soon in an upcoming message, I
hope to show mute clips from Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows (without the
subtitles).
The goal is not to get more and more strange with my media
explorations. If that were my aim, I would very quickly exhaust my efforts.
That pursuit would descend into nihilism. This exploration is for the sole
purpose of engaging a culture where we are. If the Church is to be
expressive, we must not only understand media and art, but also be
purposeful in introducing these elements into our worship.
Techno, in its many subgroups, occasionally uses "sound bites"
from preachers and revivalists. Moby (one of my favorite artists) uses some
interesting Gospel clips in his most recent album Play . Why
can’t we use "sound bites" from the rave culture? Why can’t we
sample pop culture, instead of simply critiquing it?
Is it just a show?
I don’t know yet. I’m still experimenting. But I sure hope not.
In fact, I hope to create an art that is truly genuine in its
approach to glorifying the Gospel. I will admit, to a degree, all
art is a performance. Art has an audience. Art evokes a reaction or
response. I am sincere in my efforts. But I don’t know how to
measure whether or not it "works." All I know is for my circumstance and
setting, it creates a beautiful atmosphere for our worship. If you are a
preacher or storyteller, you should do whatever is appropriate for your
circumstances and your settings.
The modern info-sermon sought a response: the submission of
understanding to a set of principles we call "Christianity." I hope the
postmodern spoken word will allow more multi-layered responses. I hope
people would walk away with a certain need to fill in the spaces with their
own experiences and to give their own responses. I hope people will think,
not just accept. I hope people will see the power of God is more than words.
And words cannot fully contain the greatness of the God Yahweh. Words cannot
fully describe my experience with God. They fall short. Should I be so
presumptuous to imagine a sermon is enough? Instead, I allow room
for distractions, for gaps, and multi-layered moments. These
ambiguities only heighten the need for a person to seek a completion with
their own experience of the one true God.
David Hopkins , age 23 [ http://monkhouse.org/david ] is a
contributing editor for Next-Wave. He recently graduated
from Texas A&M University at Commerce with a degree in
English and Philosophy. David has enrolled to Fuller
Theological Seminary's distance learning program.
by Jim Wallis
Next year, put your kids to bed BEFORE the Super Bowl.
I'll admit it, I like a good football game, and this turned out to be a very
good one, after a boring, slow start. But what everybody was talking about
the next day was the baring of Janet Jackson's right breast. Justin
Timberlake's little grope and tear-off of Jackson's bustier was the finale
to their simulated-sex dance done to a song called "Rock Your Body," which
ends with the romantic line, "I gotta have you naked by the end of this
song." And that's just what he did. But that was only the crude climax to
what Washington Post television critic Tom Shales called "the Super Bowl of
Sleaze."
The rest of the MTV-produced halftime show had lots more bumping and
grinding, crotch-grabbing rappers, and background girls tossing off their
wardrobes to "I'm getting so hot, I wanna take my clothes off."
Then there were the commercials, often creative and funny at Super Bowls,
but this year featuring horse flatulence, a trained dog that bites men
(again) in the crotch to steal their beers, a monkey leering at a girl's
breasts and suggesting they go upstairs, and several ads for erectile
dysfunction. Bud Light clearly won the night's award for most stupid, crude,
and banal ads, while only Homer Simpson seemed to offer any healthy and
funny alternative fare.
My 5-year-old son, Luke, was playing with his friends in another room but
walked in just in time to see a spot for Van Helsing, an upcoming and yet
unrated horror film that featured very disturbing and graphic images of
horrific violence. Seeing the fanged monsters leering at us through the
screen literally stopped him in his tracks.
After substantial public outcry, CBS and MTV issued unconvincing apologies
about how surprised they were at Janet's bare bust (in this first public
revelation of the Jackson family values), while young Timberlake tried to
blame the whole thing on a "wardrobe malfunction." Two days later, Jackson
admitted the stunt had been planned, saying: "The decision to have a costume
reveal...was made after final rehearsals."
You want to know why people join the Religious Right? It may have less to do
with wanting to take over the country than being desperate to protect their
kids from the crass trash and degrading banality that media conglomerates
like Viacom (which owns both CBS and MTV) seem to think is just fine family
entertainment for Super Bowl night. Fortunately, my kids were in bed before
the halftime show, but next year we may just go with Mary Poppins in the
other room.
Some people think that only right-wing conservatives care about such moral
pollution. Wrong. Most parents I know, liberal or conservative, care a great
deal about it, as do most self-respecting women and men. It defies
stereotypes to suggest that a healthy moral consistency applies to personal
and sexual ethics as well as to social and political values. It's time to
break out of those old ideological shibboleths and forge a unified front
against the amoral corporate greed that violates all our ethics - personal
and social - creating a system that sells beer and breasts in the same
advertising plans just to make a buck.
I don't recommend joining the Religious Right, but do call Viacom, CBS, and
MTV. Tell them that you're not a member of the Religious Right, not a
puritan, and not afraid of sex (but think it's great with somebody to whom
you're committed!). Especially if you're a liberal progressive type, tell
them that. And if you're a parent, ask them if they have any kids and if
they would want them watching the lowlife ads and actors they put on TV last
Sunday night. Tell them to put it on cable where the voyeurs who want to
watch Timberlake and Jackson paw each other can pay for it. Tell them that
you're angry. Tell them that they're not entertaining, interesting, or even
sexy. Tell them that their soulless and mindless "entertainment" won't sell
anymore, at least not to you. And tell them to keep their garbage away from
your kids.
To call each network executive:
Tom Freston
Chairman, MTV
212-258-8000
Leslie Moonves
President, CBS
323-575-2345
Sumner Redstone
CEO, Viacom
212-975-5005
Sacred Distractions:
Concerning the Art of the Spoken Word
By David Hopkins, http://monkhouse.org/david , e-mail to david@next-wave.org
So, if the "medium is the message"…
Marshall McLuhan’s Understanding Media is the one of the greatest books of
this century (in the same company as Alvin Toffler’s Third Wave and Jean
Baudrillard’s Simulations). He was one of the first scholars to analyze the
proliferation of media images and the impact of simulated images. In
Understanding Media, McLuhan develops his famous statement: "the medium is
the message."
There is something in the event of watching TV, which is 100% TV and nothing
else. The growing popularity of Real TV type shows is an
indication ( America’s Funniest ,Survivor ,Road Rules ,Real World ,Cops ,Big
Brother, etc). The viewer is fascinated that all of these events have been
captured on film. The principle appeal is voyeurism. The message is the
television itself. Even now as you read these words on the Internet, there
is something in the experience that is simply saying, "I am reading words on
the Internet and nothing more." Cynical? Maybe. But I can recall countless
times when people have told me: "They have gone to Church." And yet, they
fail to remember anything beyond that. They only recall the experience of
"going to Church." That was the message.
Our society has adapted to a new world of media images. For the most part,
these images are fast paced and high impact. They attack the brain with
ambitious over-load, reaching critical mass. The seduction is so great; you
may not even realize how may "images" you actually take in. The images are
there. We are simultaneously nauseated by these images and lonely
without them. When I was in Moscow, the McDonald’s golden "M" comforted me
so much. It told me home still exists. These images communicate something
transcendent, however shallow the concept.
How is it, with this mass market for images, we are expected to
shut ourselves into a large room every Sunday morning and be
subjected to sensory deprivation? The focal point of the modern
church-event is the sermon, the teaching moment, whatever. One person stands
before many people and talks about stuff. No images. No hope of being
distracted. We are only stimulated by intangible and invisible sound waves
from a single voice. In some traditions,it has been fashionable
to make the sanctuary as plain as possible (a Puritan influence,
no doubt). This way we will not be distracted from the message.
We look at our watch, hoping the preacher will be brief and
witty. This wit is not for the purpose of the message, but to
maintain our enthusiasm and trust. I roll my eyes at sermons that begin with
cute jokes. The message behind this medium? Christianity is all about
receiving information and processing it in the appropriate manner. Is it any
wonder people make a distinction between the worship portion of a
service and the sermon? In doing so, we reduce worship to an event that
prepares us for a sermon. We have completely flipped our priorities! The
sermon should continue in worship.
Is our response to give a better performance through the same medium?
What if I just preached a better message? What if I used better
illustrations? What if I used better jokes? What if I used props?
What if I used a large screen to post my informational outline? What if I
used video clips?
In the end, it is still an info-sermon. And while this event is
highly valuable to the modern world (I would never completely
disregard its worth), I suspect a postmodern world would receive it
differently. Some people will always enjoy a well performed info-sermon, but
our emerging culture desires something more narrative than informative to
replace a life that lacks story (read Richard Stone’s The Healing Art of
Storytelling ). A new medium may emerge, allowing new creativity, as the
proto-typical sermon is marginalized.
The Art of Spoken Word
Along with teaching high school English, I am fortunate to be one of the
pastors at Axxess . My community allows me freedom to experiment with new
media for our worship. One thing particularly close to my heart is
transforming what we know as a "sermon." God Yahweh called me by His Spirit
to preach . He gave me the freedom to be creative in my method of
expression. This spoken word should not just be a medium for communicating
information to mass audiences. Spoken word must express beauty and create
space within worship for contemplation and to initiate conversation.
As a result , I rarely (if ever) use a power point to outline my notes. I
use power point to display random images during the time I speak. These
images may or may not have any connection to what I am saying.
They may be advertisements I found on the Internet. They may be
of pictures from a movie or of a celebrity. I may show an image of a family
or put a word phrase on the screen. Does it distract my audience? Yes and
this is exactly what I want to have happen. I was inspired by U2 ’s Zoo TV
tour . The popular rock band used a blitz of random media images and
statements on several large screens during their concert. The experience was
unforgettable.
Since the congregation will occasionally be distracted (remember
our short attention spans), at least I can choose what distracts! The
congregation is now active in choosing what they will pay attention to. Many
good American pragmatists and utilitarians probably shudder at my approach.
The pragmatist wants to construct an environment that focuses all attention
to the pulpit. But my goal is not just to transfer information. It is to
stimulate the mind. And maybe within that space God Yahweh will create His
own message.
Possibly the most interesting phenomenon of combining random
images with spoken word is the fact that people create their own meaning to
connect the two mediums. A person talked with me after one of my messages.
She was in tears. She had never heard such a powerful Gospel account. As she
recalled the experience, I realized she had made emotional connections
between the images and my words. Connections I never anticipated, but
connections that communicated to her experience. It re-affirmed something I
had concluded long ago: No matter how sincere people are, they
hear what they choose to hear. I cannot transfer meaning---I only give the
setting in which people construct meaning. The Spirit of God Yahweh will
speak to a broken heart. We must trust the Spirit for the message. Our words
can only do so much.
I use images to remind people of the medium itself. I believe the
images encourage sacred distractions, which remind us that words fall short.
They are words, nothing more. A "good sermon" is not about using the right
words. It is all about the experience of worship. As Paul said (I
Corinthians 2:2):
"And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive
words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that
your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
Have we forgotten? I hope, in good postmodern fashion, to be
reflective on my own medium. And in the process, I allow people to look
beyond the medium to something transcendent.
The direction I hope to take with spoken word
In the near future, within the next few months, I hope to use
more random images interwoven with my words. I hope to use multiple screens
each with different images . I would like to get more people
involved in the creative process. I would like those involved in media
advertising and film to use their gifts to engage congregations
during worship. I plan on inviting a club DJ friend to create some ambient
music and tones all while I am preaching. Soon in an upcoming message, I
hope to show mute clips from Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows (without the
subtitles).
The goal is not to get more and more strange with my media
explorations. If that were my aim, I would very quickly exhaust my efforts.
That pursuit would descend into nihilism. This exploration is for the sole
purpose of engaging a culture where we are. If the Church is to be
expressive, we must not only understand media and art, but also be
purposeful in introducing these elements into our worship.
Techno, in its many subgroups, occasionally uses "sound bites"
from preachers and revivalists. Moby (one of my favorite artists) uses some
interesting Gospel clips in his most recent album Play . Why
can’t we use "sound bites" from the rave culture? Why can’t we
sample pop culture, instead of simply critiquing it?
Is it just a show?
I don’t know yet. I’m still experimenting. But I sure hope not.
In fact, I hope to create an art that is truly genuine in its
approach to glorifying the Gospel. I will admit, to a degree, all
art is a performance. Art has an audience. Art evokes a reaction or
response. I am sincere in my efforts. But I don’t know how to
measure whether or not it "works." All I know is for my circumstance and
setting, it creates a beautiful atmosphere for our worship. If you are a
preacher or storyteller, you should do whatever is appropriate for your
circumstances and your settings.
The modern info-sermon sought a response: the submission of
understanding to a set of principles we call "Christianity." I hope the
postmodern spoken word will allow more multi-layered responses. I hope
people would walk away with a certain need to fill in the spaces with their
own experiences and to give their own responses. I hope people will think,
not just accept. I hope people will see the power of God is more than words.
And words cannot fully contain the greatness of the God Yahweh. Words cannot
fully describe my experience with God. They fall short. Should I be so
presumptuous to imagine a sermon is enough? Instead, I allow room
for distractions, for gaps, and multi-layered moments. These
ambiguities only heighten the need for a person to seek a completion with
their own experience of the one true God.
David Hopkins , age 23 [ http://monkhouse.org/david ] is a
contributing editor for Next-Wave. He recently graduated
from Texas A&M University at Commerce with a degree in
English and Philosophy. David has enrolled to Fuller
Theological Seminary's distance learning program.
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
A Recomended resource list for folks who met Jude and I at Urbana
Urban Mission/Brief Bibliography – Jude Tiersma Watson
Bakke, Ray, Theology as Big as the City. IV Press
Bosch, David, Spirituality of the Road. Wipf and Stock.
Christian, Jayakumar, God of the Empty-Handed. MARC
Conn, Harive and Manuel Ortiz, Urban Ministry. IV Press 2002
Costas, Orlando, Christ Outside the Gate.
Dudley, Carl and Nancy Ammerman, Churches in Transition. Jossey-Bass.
Gornik, Mark, To Live In Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City.
Eerdmans 2002
Grigg, Viv, Cry of the Urban Poor. MARC
Kretzmann and McKnight, Building Communities from the Inside Out.
Law, Eric, The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb: A Spirituality for Leadership in a
Multi-Cultural Society. Chalice 1993
Linthicum, Robert, Empowering the Poor. MARC
Lupton, Robert, Theirs is the Kingdom. Harper and Row. 1989
McKnight, John, “Why Servanthood is Bad” in Other Side. April 1989
Myers, Bryant, Walking with the Poor. MARC.
Myers, Bryant, Working with the Poor. MARC.
Ortiz, Manuel, One New People: Models for Developing a multi-ethnic
Church. IV Press 1996.
Perkins, John, Beyond Charity. Baker Books.
Sanders, Cheryl, Ministry at the Margins. IV Press.
Van Engen, Charles and Jude Tiersma, eds. God So Loves the City. MARC.
White, Randy, Journey to the Center of the City. IV Press.
Videos:
Bread and Roses
Central Station (Brazilian film, subtitled in English)
Joy Luck Club
Slam (on Hip Hop)
Mother Teresa (narrated by Attenborough)
Entertaining Angels (about Dorothy Day)
Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee)
My Family (Mexican family in LA)
Music: (none of these are Christian CDs but a relevant challenge to the church)
KRS ONE Spiritual Minded
Staind – Portrays honest human pain.
Mystic Cuts for love, Scar for Freedom.
Biblical Passages:
John 1:14 (the Message)
The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.
Micah 6:8
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.
Jonah Nehemiah Isaiah 58
Luke’s Gospel
2 Corinthians
Bakke, Ray, Theology as Big as the City. IV Press
Bosch, David, Spirituality of the Road. Wipf and Stock.
Christian, Jayakumar, God of the Empty-Handed. MARC
Conn, Harive and Manuel Ortiz, Urban Ministry. IV Press 2002
Costas, Orlando, Christ Outside the Gate.
Dudley, Carl and Nancy Ammerman, Churches in Transition. Jossey-Bass.
Gornik, Mark, To Live In Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City.
Eerdmans 2002
Grigg, Viv, Cry of the Urban Poor. MARC
Kretzmann and McKnight, Building Communities from the Inside Out.
Law, Eric, The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb: A Spirituality for Leadership in a
Multi-Cultural Society. Chalice 1993
Linthicum, Robert, Empowering the Poor. MARC
Lupton, Robert, Theirs is the Kingdom. Harper and Row. 1989
McKnight, John, “Why Servanthood is Bad” in Other Side. April 1989
Myers, Bryant, Walking with the Poor. MARC.
Myers, Bryant, Working with the Poor. MARC.
Ortiz, Manuel, One New People: Models for Developing a multi-ethnic
Church. IV Press 1996.
Perkins, John, Beyond Charity. Baker Books.
Sanders, Cheryl, Ministry at the Margins. IV Press.
Van Engen, Charles and Jude Tiersma, eds. God So Loves the City. MARC.
White, Randy, Journey to the Center of the City. IV Press.
Videos:
Bread and Roses
Central Station (Brazilian film, subtitled in English)
Joy Luck Club
Slam (on Hip Hop)
Mother Teresa (narrated by Attenborough)
Entertaining Angels (about Dorothy Day)
Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee)
My Family (Mexican family in LA)
Music: (none of these are Christian CDs but a relevant challenge to the church)
KRS ONE Spiritual Minded
Staind – Portrays honest human pain.
Mystic Cuts for love, Scar for Freedom.
Biblical Passages:
John 1:14 (the Message)
The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.
Micah 6:8
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.
Jonah Nehemiah Isaiah 58
Luke’s Gospel
2 Corinthians
Saturday, January 31, 2004
Martin Luther King's Rule of Life
Martin Luther King's Rule of Life
I am studying Christian Spirituality at Fuller & It is Black history month. I just put out my rule of life... I thought it a joy and a source of humility to reflect on MLK's rule of life. Let me know if you develop a sense of what God might be calling you to.
MLK's Rule:
Meditate Daily on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Remember always that the nonviolent movement in Birmingham seeks justice and reconciliation.
Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love.
Pray daily to be used by God in order that all might be free.
Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all might be free.
Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.
Seek to perform regular service for others and the world.
Refrain from violence of fist, tongue, or heart.
Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.
Follow the directions of the movement and the captains of a demonstration.
SOUL FEAST: an invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life by Marjorie J. Thompson p.140
I am studying Christian Spirituality at Fuller & It is Black history month. I just put out my rule of life... I thought it a joy and a source of humility to reflect on MLK's rule of life. Let me know if you develop a sense of what God might be calling you to.
MLK's Rule:
Meditate Daily on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Remember always that the nonviolent movement in Birmingham seeks justice and reconciliation.
Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love.
Pray daily to be used by God in order that all might be free.
Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all might be free.
Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.
Seek to perform regular service for others and the world.
Refrain from violence of fist, tongue, or heart.
Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health.
Follow the directions of the movement and the captains of a demonstration.
SOUL FEAST: an invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life by Marjorie J. Thompson p.140
Monday, January 26, 2004
John Tiersma Watson Jaw1 “Rule of Life” 1/21/04
SP 508 Spiritual Disciplines
I was at first surprised about how difficult this exercise is for me. To begin I had to come to terms with why this was so. It is forcing me to realize that I have been avoiding some key disciplines that would force me to look at the pain in my heart. Upon reflection I found it interesting in the chart by Benedict Groeschel that you handed out in class that pain plays an important role in spiritual development. “Even Jesus learned obedience by what he suffered”. To write this I had to get back in touch with my pain.
Why I ache inside is easy enough to point at. Starting back in July of 2001 a friend of ours, Jose Barajas, was gunned down in our neighborhood. He was 10 weeks from graduating from Collins College of art and design. He was one of the founding members of an artist guild I help start called LA Street Productions. This event triggered some issues inside of me with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I still on and off have trouble with the kind of concentration necessary for reading. I have overcome most of the struggle I was having about writing through starting an online journal :)
Since July of 2001 I have known over 20 other people who have died. Some have died suddenly, others from diseases, and a few from old age. The death since Jose’s passing that I struggle the most with is the sudden death of my friend and mentor Dr. James Loder. It is also still strange to me that my grandmother’s death about a year ago has been a large source of grace for me. I count myself fortunate to be part of an interdenominational missionary order among the poor called InnerChange:. Without this Spiritual Fellowship, and the support they have given me, I would be much worse off than I am now.
I have up to this point preferred the active work of mission to the exploring of the devotional life. (Even in prayer I have preferred intercession more than meditation or listening prayer.) Thankfully, others who have seen my need to root my soul in God, continue to encourage me surround me. It is because of their encouragement, in part, that I am taking this class at Fuller on Spiritual Disciplines.
I have also witnessed how my suffering has made it easier to understand many of my neighbors and the pain in their personal stories. I am grateful to be part of an intentional community that is not a stranger to suffering and loss, but rather we are a community of faith that makes friendship and solidarity with the poor a priority (Ecclesiastes 4, Isaiah 58, Matthew 25).
Here is my current rule of life. It is striking to me that I have never bothered to write it down until now.
I. Frequently
A prayer of the heart. This is a modified version of the “Jesus Prayer” taught to me by Mrs. Arlene Loder. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on me a sinner. Father I ask for Strength… Jesus I ask for your heart… Holy Spirit I ask for Power and Inspiration….”
To often quote and reflect on the fact that, “The quality and content of our lives is built on the quality and content of our relationships with God, ourselves, one another, and our environments”(a jaw1 proverb).
Reflecting on particular passages of scripture that I believe God has called me to make central to my life: II Peter 1:3-11, Isaiah 58, Ephesians 3:14-2.
II. Daily
Walking 1 or more miles a day (First Opportunity of the morning)
Listening to the Bible on CD About 5 Chapters a day . (Sometimes in my CD player while I walk) I have learned that I am an oral learner. I am joining a group in my church that has covenanted together to read the whole Bible this year.
Journaling & Prayer about the highs and lows of a given day or days. The forms here will vary (see weekly)
Spiritual Reading in Luke – this is a Lectio reading that is done by each member of the LA InnerChange team whenever we have first year apprentices. This I will often do at the end of the day.
Praying over the next calendar day noting anything that needs attention.
Sleep Mon.-Thurs. (in bed by 10:30 and lights out by 11:00). This is important to counteract my tendency to slip into a hyper-vigilant way of being that is connected to PTSD.
II. Weekly
Tuesday, InnerChange Intercessory prayer 8:00-9:00 AM
Wednesday, Class for continuing study. 6:30-9:00 PM
Thursday, Community Breakfast & Luke devotions – a community Lectio Divina reading covering the part of Luke we read throughout the week. 8:00-10:15 AM
Sunday, Worship once or twice depending on whether I bring a friend from the neighborhood to church with me for one of these services.
Journaling on line “Blogging” at least weekly www.jawpoetry.blogspot.com
Journaling in a private journal
Journaling in a public scrapbook, which includes the scraps that I have collected that week that I want to keep.
Guided prayer or a Communion service with my current preference being an Online prayer guide.
III. Monthly
Meeting with a mentor
Visiting a Church in the Larger LA Area
“Holy Wandering”, or Pilgrimage
IV. Quarterly
Retreats for prayer, study and reflection
V. As Needed
Creating and/or paying attention to Poetry, Collage, Art, Street Art (especially Graffiti Art)/Folk Art/Outsider Art/performance Art and Photography
End Notes: Simply assessing where I currently stand has been a good exercise for me. The Items in italics I am going to pay special attention to during the class. My need to press more inward is not yet reflected in this document except that I will schedule a retreat this quarter and use some of the retreat time to reflect on this fact. Scheduling in time for study, hospitality, and celebration is also missing and finding ways to plan ahead may help in making sure that these vital realities are not neglected. I have used as an excuse up to this point that I have to stay flexible and available to those in my neighborhood who are not as time oriented as I am. In fact I have become the most event-oriented person in our Missional community. How I set time aside for the items that are not a daily routine is another area of needed growth.
SP 508 Spiritual Disciplines
I was at first surprised about how difficult this exercise is for me. To begin I had to come to terms with why this was so. It is forcing me to realize that I have been avoiding some key disciplines that would force me to look at the pain in my heart. Upon reflection I found it interesting in the chart by Benedict Groeschel that you handed out in class that pain plays an important role in spiritual development. “Even Jesus learned obedience by what he suffered”. To write this I had to get back in touch with my pain.
Why I ache inside is easy enough to point at. Starting back in July of 2001 a friend of ours, Jose Barajas, was gunned down in our neighborhood. He was 10 weeks from graduating from Collins College of art and design. He was one of the founding members of an artist guild I help start called LA Street Productions. This event triggered some issues inside of me with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I still on and off have trouble with the kind of concentration necessary for reading. I have overcome most of the struggle I was having about writing through starting an online journal :)
Since July of 2001 I have known over 20 other people who have died. Some have died suddenly, others from diseases, and a few from old age. The death since Jose’s passing that I struggle the most with is the sudden death of my friend and mentor Dr. James Loder. It is also still strange to me that my grandmother’s death about a year ago has been a large source of grace for me. I count myself fortunate to be part of an interdenominational missionary order among the poor called InnerChange:. Without this Spiritual Fellowship, and the support they have given me, I would be much worse off than I am now.
I have up to this point preferred the active work of mission to the exploring of the devotional life. (Even in prayer I have preferred intercession more than meditation or listening prayer.) Thankfully, others who have seen my need to root my soul in God, continue to encourage me surround me. It is because of their encouragement, in part, that I am taking this class at Fuller on Spiritual Disciplines.
I have also witnessed how my suffering has made it easier to understand many of my neighbors and the pain in their personal stories. I am grateful to be part of an intentional community that is not a stranger to suffering and loss, but rather we are a community of faith that makes friendship and solidarity with the poor a priority (Ecclesiastes 4, Isaiah 58, Matthew 25).
Here is my current rule of life. It is striking to me that I have never bothered to write it down until now.
I. Frequently
II. Daily
II. Weekly
III. Monthly
IV. Quarterly
V. As Needed
End Notes: Simply assessing where I currently stand has been a good exercise for me. The Items in italics I am going to pay special attention to during the class. My need to press more inward is not yet reflected in this document except that I will schedule a retreat this quarter and use some of the retreat time to reflect on this fact. Scheduling in time for study, hospitality, and celebration is also missing and finding ways to plan ahead may help in making sure that these vital realities are not neglected. I have used as an excuse up to this point that I have to stay flexible and available to those in my neighborhood who are not as time oriented as I am. In fact I have become the most event-oriented person in our Missional community. How I set time aside for the items that are not a daily routine is another area of needed growth.
Saturday, October 11, 2003
Upon reflection it is interesting that my grandparents on my mother’s side, my mom, Jude and I have all been influenced by the writings of Charles Dickens. Yesterday in the midst of being sick I finished listening to “A Tale of Two Cities” on our CD player. My Grandfather read this book to his children. I first read it in high school and it changed me forever. Dickens as an author seems to understand something about the human spirit and its struggles with the dark sides of life. He draws people into an examination of both the human soul and the soul of society in a manner that is healthy. In a manner that encourages Faith, Hope, and Charity.
I was recently told that three street in downtown LA use to be named Faith, Hope, and Charity. That Charity is now “Grand” and is near the center “Bunker Hill” of our financial district. Faith was changed to Figueroa or Flower (I do not remember which), and Hope still remains Hope, but is left alone without the symbolic support of Faith and Charity. Hope was divided to build our public library. (Our hope is in our current cultures are so rooted in what we think we know and what we think we can learn; I’ve never heard of a street named Humility) None of us make it through life without inner strength and external support. I wonder what Charles Dickens would write about such a change of landscape. I don’t think he would have missed their metaphorical nature.
Soren Kierkegaard warned against a time when people’s greatest hope would be to somehow get more money. That people would console themselves with the idea if they only had enough money they would have been able to live the life that they really wanted to live. In contrast to this one third of John Wesley’s sermons in the last 5 years of his life was on the Christian uses of wealth.
If you want to get some strange looks. Try doing a public reading of Isaiah 58. I hope to do this on Monday night -- if I am well enough – at Luna Tierra Sol (not a “Christian” context). I hope to connect with those in this context that would be drawn to the truth expressed here.
While these thoughts are not poetry… I hope that they stir the pot of your imagination as you look out into the world. What are the realities that feed your soul?
Peace and Grace,
John TW
I was recently told that three street in downtown LA use to be named Faith, Hope, and Charity. That Charity is now “Grand” and is near the center “Bunker Hill” of our financial district. Faith was changed to Figueroa or Flower (I do not remember which), and Hope still remains Hope, but is left alone without the symbolic support of Faith and Charity. Hope was divided to build our public library. (Our hope is in our current cultures are so rooted in what we think we know and what we think we can learn; I’ve never heard of a street named Humility) None of us make it through life without inner strength and external support. I wonder what Charles Dickens would write about such a change of landscape. I don’t think he would have missed their metaphorical nature.
Soren Kierkegaard warned against a time when people’s greatest hope would be to somehow get more money. That people would console themselves with the idea if they only had enough money they would have been able to live the life that they really wanted to live. In contrast to this one third of John Wesley’s sermons in the last 5 years of his life was on the Christian uses of wealth.
If you want to get some strange looks. Try doing a public reading of Isaiah 58. I hope to do this on Monday night -- if I am well enough – at Luna Tierra Sol (not a “Christian” context). I hope to connect with those in this context that would be drawn to the truth expressed here.
While these thoughts are not poetry… I hope that they stir the pot of your imagination as you look out into the world. What are the realities that feed your soul?
Peace and Grace,
John TW
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
The Christian Call to Restorative Justice
Copyright © 2002 Center for Action and Contemplation -All Rights Reserved.
"Whoever did this will be brought to justice!" Hardly a day goes by that we don't see that angry promise in the newspaper or hear it on the evening news-whether it is voiced by the president in response to a terrorist act, the local sheriff at the scene of a crime, or a distraught victim or family member. Before you read any further, pause a moment and ask yourself: what does it mean to be brought to justice? When you hear the demand for justice, what images come to your mind?
If your first responses include images of police, jail and courtrooms, and your concepts primarily have to do with punishment; you are among the vast majority of Americans. Crime and punishment seem to go together like horse and buggy. For most of us, justice means going through the legal processes of accusation, arrest, establishing guilt and imposing punishment, most often in the form imprisonment (even execution).
If, however, your responses to the meaning of justice have to do with accepting responsibility, repenting, making restitution and reestablishing well-being, you are on the path of restorative justice-the path that began when God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden with the promise their estrangement was temporary and that the journey would ultimately bring them back into God's healing embrace. This is the promise Christians believe was fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ-healing and restoration through God's radical and amazing grace.
The justice of God, upon which Christian faith and hope are dependent, is restorative justice. None of us has ever prayed, "Lord, give me what I deserve for my sins! Punish me to the full extent of the law!" But, when it comes to how we think about and do justice in regards to others, many of us who call upon God for mercy and compassion for ourselves experience no qualms at demanding "an eye for any eye" for "those who trespass against us." "Love one another as I have loved you," is the directive of the one who redeemed us from our sins-not because of our merit but because the justice of the cross is restorative.
Restorative justice flows naturally from fundamental Christian principles and values: repentance, forgiveness, restitution and rehabilitation. It is also the dynamic that animates Native American systems of justice, as well as that of other indigenous peoples. It has become the norm for the juvenile justice system in New Zealand and, in the United States; Minnesota is a leader in integrating restorative justice approaches into its justice systems. For the most part, though, both the American justice systems and the American mindset are based upon systems of justice that are retributive and punitive.
The faint voices of the restorers and healers around the world are drowned out by the cries for justice, revenge and retaliation. This is true not only in the obvious places such as Israel, Palestine, and Northern Ireland, but also in U.S. national policies toward the "axis of evil," and even in our individual hearts as we wrestle with the hurts experienced everyday within our families and friendships. So, let us look more closely at what is meant by "retributive justice" and "restorative justice," how each works in practice, and how we can promote restorative justice in our hearts, homes and homeland. The path from Eden to restorative justice is both a human challenge and a personal spiritual quest.
Retributive Justice is premised upon returning hurt for hurt. Retributive systems of justice equate the crime committed to a violation of law and an offense against the State. The legal processes of retributive justice create an "us" verses "them" contest in which "the People" (represented by police, prosecutors and judges) seek to prove guilt, then to punish it. For the most part, victims and offenders become observers, as lawyers manipulate the truth and consequences as part of an elaborate game. At the end, justice is declared done if the procedural rules have been followed, guilt has been assigned and punishment meted out. Most often, victims go home unhealed. Offenders are warehoused for a term of years, most often returning to society more dysfunctional than when they entered prison.
Restorative Justice focuses upon healing hurts and restoring peace in hearts and communities. It starts with the presumption that victims and offenders are part of one family from which no one can be permanently excluded, and that what we do, good or evil, affects us all. Restorative systems approach crime as a violation of persons by persons. The legal processes of restorative models actively involve victims, offenders, their families and friends (and, perhaps, pastors, employers or other community members) in the goal of healing the injuries and restoring well-being for all involved. In restorative justice, police, lawyers, judges and others work with the victims and offenders toward a resolution that all accept as just. Restorative justice requires the offender to accept responsibility for the harm done and to make restitution. Besides healing and restitution for the victims, the conclusion may also mandate what the offender needs to heal and rehabilitate, such as drug treatment, counseling or vocational training. Punishment, when it is part of the sentence, is not punitive but purposeful toward the ultimate restoration of the offender.
Not every victim nor every offender is capable of pursuing restorative justice. For those who are, however, doing so provides the best potential for a win-win-win result, in which victim, offender and the community find healing of the past and restored hope for the future. Hurts keep hurting-whether they are the victim's, the offender's or the community's-until they are made redemptive-exchanged for healing and, if possible, reconciliation. Retributive justice stays focused on what happened in the past. What good might be possible in the future is irrelevant. The restorative way begins with the harm done in the past, but measures justice done by the good that results in the future.
"I don't want your brother to die and I will do everything in my power to prevent it," were the compassionate words Bud Welch offered Timothy McVeigh's sister, Jennifer, while they cried together and he held her face in his hands. Welch's daughter, Julie, was killed in the Oklahoma City bombing. He went through a long period of rage, craving revenge, before he allowed himself to feel the healing of forgiveness and was able to reach out "as family" to Jennifer, as innocent as Julie and injured to her depths, too. Even now, Bud Welch tours the country speaking against the death penalty.
International attention focused on Laramie, Wyoming, in 1998, after Aaron J. McKinney and an accomplice lured Matthew Shephard from a bar, drove out of town, tied him to a fence, savagely beat him and left him to die because he was a homosexual. In the courtroom, as the jury was preparing to decide whether to impose the death penalty, many wept as Matthew's father, Dennis, spoke lovingly of his son as a person who could only see the good in others, and who had been "my hero, now gone forever." Then, turning to Matthew's killer, he stunned the courtroom with: "Mr. McKinney, I give you life in memory of the one who no longer lives." The Shephards had requested the prosecutor not to seek the death penalty, and life in prison without possibility of parole was imposed instead.
Freeing ourselves from locked-in mindsets is not easy. Changing the ways we see, think and do things takes time. But the awe-inspiring witness of Bud Welch and Dennis and Judy Shephard prove that it is possible. There are not only spiritual and humane considerations, but also many practical, fiscal and political reasons to pursue restorative approaches to justice. With 2,000,000 Americans incarcerated, or on parole or probation, and with a 67% recidivism rate after incarceration, even those who run the misnamed "corrections" systems acknowledge building more prisons is not the answer. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" demeans victim, offender and society, and perpetuates the cycle of violence and harm it fruitlessly seeks to eradicate.
Japan utilizes parallel restorative and retributive systems. Depending upon the nature of the crime, the offender's willingness to acknowledge guilt, express remorse and make compensation, and the victim's willingness to receive compensation and to pardon, the determination is made whether to pursue a restorative or retributive process. When the victim and offender can agree to a just resolution, punishment is usually lenient. Incarceration is the exception, rather than the norm, and long-term imprisonment is used only for the most unusual cases. Japan has a very low crime rate.
Since 1989, New Zealand's juvenile justice system has totally built upon the restorative principles followed by the native Maoris. All juvenile facilities have been closed, except a few for youth who commit horrendous crimes, but, even in them, the emphasis is on education, therapy and skill development. For those who do not accept responsibility for the crimes, a parallel traditional system is in place.
Minnesota's Carver County Sheriff's Department and Woodbury City Police Department set up Family Group Conferencing before or after sentencing in juvenile court (or as an alternative to it). The process brings together victims, offenders, the families of both and other community resource persons to talk about how the crime has affected their lives, and to decide how the harm done might be repaired.
New York, Arizona, Missouri and California are among the states moving from incarceration for minor first and second offense drug crimes to treatment of the addiction that leads to robbery and theft. The goal is to rehabilitate and restore addicts, not to punish addiction.
"Volunteers in Parole" matches attorneys and judges as mentors for parolees who have been discerned as most determined to change their lives. The program is co-sponsored by the State Bar of California, county bar associations and the State Department of Corrections. Its goal is to break the cycle of recidivism and to restore parolees as contributing members of society.
The path and promise that began in the Garden, the story of God's relationship with humanity, is rightly called "salvation history." In the biblical stories of wandering and restoration, punishment for sin has as its purpose not revenge, but redemption. Restoration is the goal. And, when an individual or the nation repents and turns again to God, it is the father of the prodigal son who races out to embrace and heal. These stories are not just those of our faith ancestors, but they are yours and mine, as well. They are not stories of abandonment but stories of hope. To do restorative justice does not mean that those who break the law and harm the peace of the community should not be held accountable, nor does it mean there should not be punishment, including prison for the small numbers who truly threaten the safety of the community. It does mean, however, that we refuse to equate punishment with justice, and justice with prison.
Precisely because we are Christians who have been redeemed by the restorative justice of God in spite of our many sins and failings, we are obligated to practice restorative justice in our homes and personal relationships, and to speak the truth to legislators and neighbors that even those who harm us remain one of us. The redemptive journey that began at the closed gates of Eden does not end for any of us until the gates of the Kingdom-opened wide by radical and amazing grace.
A. Companion is a former Roman Catholic priest who has experienced firsthand the retributive system of justice as a defendant, convict and parolee, as well as the restorative power of God's amazing mercy and grace ministered through others. A. Companion is in the process of establishing Restoration House, a transitional community for parolees in the Sacramento area. During his time in prison, he wrote two books: Peace and Justice Shall Embrace: Toward Restorative Justice and Wounded Wounders: Stories of Men in Prison. The books may be ordered online at iUniverse.com, toll free 1-877-823-9235, or through your bookstore. Royalties from his books support Restoration House.
-A. Companion
October - December 2002: Restorative Justice
Copyright © 2002 Center for Action and Contemplation -All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2002 Center for Action and Contemplation -All Rights Reserved.
"Whoever did this will be brought to justice!" Hardly a day goes by that we don't see that angry promise in the newspaper or hear it on the evening news-whether it is voiced by the president in response to a terrorist act, the local sheriff at the scene of a crime, or a distraught victim or family member. Before you read any further, pause a moment and ask yourself: what does it mean to be brought to justice? When you hear the demand for justice, what images come to your mind?
If your first responses include images of police, jail and courtrooms, and your concepts primarily have to do with punishment; you are among the vast majority of Americans. Crime and punishment seem to go together like horse and buggy. For most of us, justice means going through the legal processes of accusation, arrest, establishing guilt and imposing punishment, most often in the form imprisonment (even execution).
If, however, your responses to the meaning of justice have to do with accepting responsibility, repenting, making restitution and reestablishing well-being, you are on the path of restorative justice-the path that began when God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden with the promise their estrangement was temporary and that the journey would ultimately bring them back into God's healing embrace. This is the promise Christians believe was fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ-healing and restoration through God's radical and amazing grace.
The justice of God, upon which Christian faith and hope are dependent, is restorative justice. None of us has ever prayed, "Lord, give me what I deserve for my sins! Punish me to the full extent of the law!" But, when it comes to how we think about and do justice in regards to others, many of us who call upon God for mercy and compassion for ourselves experience no qualms at demanding "an eye for any eye" for "those who trespass against us." "Love one another as I have loved you," is the directive of the one who redeemed us from our sins-not because of our merit but because the justice of the cross is restorative.
Restorative justice flows naturally from fundamental Christian principles and values: repentance, forgiveness, restitution and rehabilitation. It is also the dynamic that animates Native American systems of justice, as well as that of other indigenous peoples. It has become the norm for the juvenile justice system in New Zealand and, in the United States; Minnesota is a leader in integrating restorative justice approaches into its justice systems. For the most part, though, both the American justice systems and the American mindset are based upon systems of justice that are retributive and punitive.
The faint voices of the restorers and healers around the world are drowned out by the cries for justice, revenge and retaliation. This is true not only in the obvious places such as Israel, Palestine, and Northern Ireland, but also in U.S. national policies toward the "axis of evil," and even in our individual hearts as we wrestle with the hurts experienced everyday within our families and friendships. So, let us look more closely at what is meant by "retributive justice" and "restorative justice," how each works in practice, and how we can promote restorative justice in our hearts, homes and homeland. The path from Eden to restorative justice is both a human challenge and a personal spiritual quest.
Retributive Justice is premised upon returning hurt for hurt. Retributive systems of justice equate the crime committed to a violation of law and an offense against the State. The legal processes of retributive justice create an "us" verses "them" contest in which "the People" (represented by police, prosecutors and judges) seek to prove guilt, then to punish it. For the most part, victims and offenders become observers, as lawyers manipulate the truth and consequences as part of an elaborate game. At the end, justice is declared done if the procedural rules have been followed, guilt has been assigned and punishment meted out. Most often, victims go home unhealed. Offenders are warehoused for a term of years, most often returning to society more dysfunctional than when they entered prison.
Restorative Justice focuses upon healing hurts and restoring peace in hearts and communities. It starts with the presumption that victims and offenders are part of one family from which no one can be permanently excluded, and that what we do, good or evil, affects us all. Restorative systems approach crime as a violation of persons by persons. The legal processes of restorative models actively involve victims, offenders, their families and friends (and, perhaps, pastors, employers or other community members) in the goal of healing the injuries and restoring well-being for all involved. In restorative justice, police, lawyers, judges and others work with the victims and offenders toward a resolution that all accept as just. Restorative justice requires the offender to accept responsibility for the harm done and to make restitution. Besides healing and restitution for the victims, the conclusion may also mandate what the offender needs to heal and rehabilitate, such as drug treatment, counseling or vocational training. Punishment, when it is part of the sentence, is not punitive but purposeful toward the ultimate restoration of the offender.
Not every victim nor every offender is capable of pursuing restorative justice. For those who are, however, doing so provides the best potential for a win-win-win result, in which victim, offender and the community find healing of the past and restored hope for the future. Hurts keep hurting-whether they are the victim's, the offender's or the community's-until they are made redemptive-exchanged for healing and, if possible, reconciliation. Retributive justice stays focused on what happened in the past. What good might be possible in the future is irrelevant. The restorative way begins with the harm done in the past, but measures justice done by the good that results in the future.
"I don't want your brother to die and I will do everything in my power to prevent it," were the compassionate words Bud Welch offered Timothy McVeigh's sister, Jennifer, while they cried together and he held her face in his hands. Welch's daughter, Julie, was killed in the Oklahoma City bombing. He went through a long period of rage, craving revenge, before he allowed himself to feel the healing of forgiveness and was able to reach out "as family" to Jennifer, as innocent as Julie and injured to her depths, too. Even now, Bud Welch tours the country speaking against the death penalty.
International attention focused on Laramie, Wyoming, in 1998, after Aaron J. McKinney and an accomplice lured Matthew Shephard from a bar, drove out of town, tied him to a fence, savagely beat him and left him to die because he was a homosexual. In the courtroom, as the jury was preparing to decide whether to impose the death penalty, many wept as Matthew's father, Dennis, spoke lovingly of his son as a person who could only see the good in others, and who had been "my hero, now gone forever." Then, turning to Matthew's killer, he stunned the courtroom with: "Mr. McKinney, I give you life in memory of the one who no longer lives." The Shephards had requested the prosecutor not to seek the death penalty, and life in prison without possibility of parole was imposed instead.
Freeing ourselves from locked-in mindsets is not easy. Changing the ways we see, think and do things takes time. But the awe-inspiring witness of Bud Welch and Dennis and Judy Shephard prove that it is possible. There are not only spiritual and humane considerations, but also many practical, fiscal and political reasons to pursue restorative approaches to justice. With 2,000,000 Americans incarcerated, or on parole or probation, and with a 67% recidivism rate after incarceration, even those who run the misnamed "corrections" systems acknowledge building more prisons is not the answer. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" demeans victim, offender and society, and perpetuates the cycle of violence and harm it fruitlessly seeks to eradicate.
Japan utilizes parallel restorative and retributive systems. Depending upon the nature of the crime, the offender's willingness to acknowledge guilt, express remorse and make compensation, and the victim's willingness to receive compensation and to pardon, the determination is made whether to pursue a restorative or retributive process. When the victim and offender can agree to a just resolution, punishment is usually lenient. Incarceration is the exception, rather than the norm, and long-term imprisonment is used only for the most unusual cases. Japan has a very low crime rate.
Since 1989, New Zealand's juvenile justice system has totally built upon the restorative principles followed by the native Maoris. All juvenile facilities have been closed, except a few for youth who commit horrendous crimes, but, even in them, the emphasis is on education, therapy and skill development. For those who do not accept responsibility for the crimes, a parallel traditional system is in place.
Minnesota's Carver County Sheriff's Department and Woodbury City Police Department set up Family Group Conferencing before or after sentencing in juvenile court (or as an alternative to it). The process brings together victims, offenders, the families of both and other community resource persons to talk about how the crime has affected their lives, and to decide how the harm done might be repaired.
New York, Arizona, Missouri and California are among the states moving from incarceration for minor first and second offense drug crimes to treatment of the addiction that leads to robbery and theft. The goal is to rehabilitate and restore addicts, not to punish addiction.
"Volunteers in Parole" matches attorneys and judges as mentors for parolees who have been discerned as most determined to change their lives. The program is co-sponsored by the State Bar of California, county bar associations and the State Department of Corrections. Its goal is to break the cycle of recidivism and to restore parolees as contributing members of society.
The path and promise that began in the Garden, the story of God's relationship with humanity, is rightly called "salvation history." In the biblical stories of wandering and restoration, punishment for sin has as its purpose not revenge, but redemption. Restoration is the goal. And, when an individual or the nation repents and turns again to God, it is the father of the prodigal son who races out to embrace and heal. These stories are not just those of our faith ancestors, but they are yours and mine, as well. They are not stories of abandonment but stories of hope. To do restorative justice does not mean that those who break the law and harm the peace of the community should not be held accountable, nor does it mean there should not be punishment, including prison for the small numbers who truly threaten the safety of the community. It does mean, however, that we refuse to equate punishment with justice, and justice with prison.
Precisely because we are Christians who have been redeemed by the restorative justice of God in spite of our many sins and failings, we are obligated to practice restorative justice in our homes and personal relationships, and to speak the truth to legislators and neighbors that even those who harm us remain one of us. The redemptive journey that began at the closed gates of Eden does not end for any of us until the gates of the Kingdom-opened wide by radical and amazing grace.
A. Companion is a former Roman Catholic priest who has experienced firsthand the retributive system of justice as a defendant, convict and parolee, as well as the restorative power of God's amazing mercy and grace ministered through others. A. Companion is in the process of establishing Restoration House, a transitional community for parolees in the Sacramento area. During his time in prison, he wrote two books: Peace and Justice Shall Embrace: Toward Restorative Justice and Wounded Wounders: Stories of Men in Prison. The books may be ordered online at iUniverse.com, toll free 1-877-823-9235, or through your bookstore. Royalties from his books support Restoration House.
-A. Companion
October - December 2002: Restorative Justice
Copyright © 2002 Center for Action and Contemplation -All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, April 30, 2003
A friend emailed this to me...
Neil's Story
On July 20, 1969, as commander of the Apollo 11Lunar Module, Neil
Armstrong was the first person to set a foot on the moon. His first
words after stepping on the moon, "That's one small step for man, one
giant leap for mankind," were televised to earth and heard by millions.
But just before he reentered the Lander, he made, he made the enigmatic
remark, "Good Luck Mr. Gorsky."
Many people at NASA thought it was a causal remark concerning some rival
Soviet Cosmonaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either
the Russian or American Space programs.
Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the "Good
Luck, Mr. Gorsky" statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled.
On July 5, 1995 in Tampa Bay, Florida, while answering questions
following a speech, a reporter brought up the 26-year old question to
Armstrong. This time he finally responded. Mr. Gorsky had died, so Neil
Armstrong felt he could answer the question.
In 1938 when he was a kid in a small midwest town, he was playing
baseball with a friend in the backyard. His friend hit the ball, which
landed in his neighbor's yard by the bedroom windows. His neighbors
were Mr. and Mrs. Gorsky. As he leaned down to pick up the ball, young
Armstrong heard Mrs. Gorsky shouting at Mr. Gorsky. "Sex you want sex?!
You'll get sex when the kid next door walks on the moon!"
Neil's Story
On July 20, 1969, as commander of the Apollo 11Lunar Module, Neil
Armstrong was the first person to set a foot on the moon. His first
words after stepping on the moon, "That's one small step for man, one
giant leap for mankind," were televised to earth and heard by millions.
But just before he reentered the Lander, he made, he made the enigmatic
remark, "Good Luck Mr. Gorsky."
Many people at NASA thought it was a causal remark concerning some rival
Soviet Cosmonaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either
the Russian or American Space programs.
Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the "Good
Luck, Mr. Gorsky" statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled.
On July 5, 1995 in Tampa Bay, Florida, while answering questions
following a speech, a reporter brought up the 26-year old question to
Armstrong. This time he finally responded. Mr. Gorsky had died, so Neil
Armstrong felt he could answer the question.
In 1938 when he was a kid in a small midwest town, he was playing
baseball with a friend in the backyard. His friend hit the ball, which
landed in his neighbor's yard by the bedroom windows. His neighbors
were Mr. and Mrs. Gorsky. As he leaned down to pick up the ball, young
Armstrong heard Mrs. Gorsky shouting at Mr. Gorsky. "Sex you want sex?!
You'll get sex when the kid next door walks on the moon!"
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
The Movie Scratch is a fascinating documentry about Hip Hop DJing which demonstrates how cultural learning happens...from discovery to new identity formation. Love to see it and discuss it with anyone...
Here is a partial Play list for the Hyperesthesai Show. Thank you Eric for Introducing me to a lot of this. Thank you Boy1 for the memories of the KRSOne Concert.
Too many fools going for the twisted
they have insisted to lead with out
knowing where they are going
the Blind lead the blind anyway
that is why I will stay with the righteous
Wisdom talking truth head rockers
And forget those fools out there just to be clocking dollars
Too many fools going for the twisted
they have insisted to lead with out
knowing where they are going
Love of the art starts with love in your heart
that is why I will stay with the righteous
Wisdom talking truth head rockers
And forget those fools out there just to be clocking dollars
Know love just don't speak it
experience peace throught the force of reconciliation,and restoration
Be it...be the blessing yall... this is the testimony inwhich i am a part.
jaw 2003
Too many fools going for the twisted
they have insisted to lead with out
knowing where they are going
the Blind lead the blind anyway
that is why I will stay with the righteous
Wisdom talking truth head rockers
And forget those fools out there just to be clocking dollars
Too many fools going for the twisted
they have insisted to lead with out
knowing where they are going
Love of the art starts with love in your heart
that is why I will stay with the righteous
Wisdom talking truth head rockers
And forget those fools out there just to be clocking dollars
Know love just don't speak it
experience peace throught the force of reconciliation,and restoration
Be it...be the blessing yall... this is the testimony inwhich i am a part.
jaw 2003
Monday, April 28, 2003
I went to visit a psyche professional today. To in part work at understanding better how my personality and the LA invironment together with stress has impacted my learning capacity and how to regain a sharper learning posture for the next phase of my life. "Everything we do in life is based on what we learn" jaw . It is interesting to reflect on how certain kinds of stress can impact learning. We as a culture need to wrestle with things like Garbarino's work on Children in danger, and raising children in a toxic environment...A link to some of his books on Amazon dot com.
Saturday, April 26, 2003
They say life is like a box of Chocolates
I wonder at the content and quality of this sort of life???
The victory of taste over faith and reason
Is as simple as a box of Chocolates
Without the insight and fortitude of Character
Indulgence wins every time
Now we have advertisements and marketing aimed at this
To entice you to buy more – even at the cost of Character.
The style of the enticement is so “cool” or funny
Commercials themselves have become
The object or our collective attention
Spirituality is about attention
If some form of Chocolates have the center of your attention
What will happen to the content and quality of your life,
and our life together
There is a sweeter center of life that is not bought nor sold
Rooted in giving and receiving God’s love
Rooted in the wisdom that will bless the generations
You can forget all of this for a Box of chocolates, a case of beer, a new play station game… a new car (and all the car payments) is what you need, can’t miss this movie, or that TV show, and
The monster of gluttony grows along with our greed
Life can be reduced to and so defined by one’s desires
One can forget who one is really; -- we call this addiction.
Consumption -- the chocolate factories, the cigarette companies, the Columbian cartel and our children’s favorite TV show
Are all dependent at their current levels of consumption…
Dependent on our greed.
They say life is like a box of Chocolates
I wonder at the content and quality of this sort of life???
I wonder at the content and quality of this sort of life???
The victory of taste over faith and reason
Is as simple as a box of Chocolates
Without the insight and fortitude of Character
Indulgence wins every time
Now we have advertisements and marketing aimed at this
To entice you to buy more – even at the cost of Character.
The style of the enticement is so “cool” or funny
Commercials themselves have become
The object or our collective attention
Spirituality is about attention
If some form of Chocolates have the center of your attention
What will happen to the content and quality of your life,
and our life together
There is a sweeter center of life that is not bought nor sold
Rooted in giving and receiving God’s love
Rooted in the wisdom that will bless the generations
You can forget all of this for a Box of chocolates, a case of beer, a new play station game… a new car (and all the car payments) is what you need, can’t miss this movie, or that TV show, and
The monster of gluttony grows along with our greed
Life can be reduced to and so defined by one’s desires
One can forget who one is really; -- we call this addiction.
Consumption -- the chocolate factories, the cigarette companies, the Columbian cartel and our children’s favorite TV show
Are all dependent at their current levels of consumption…
Dependent on our greed.
They say life is like a box of Chocolates
I wonder at the content and quality of this sort of life???
Sunday, April 20, 2003
I recently received this email about Barbara J. Buckland:
Buckland - Barbara J., August 2, 1942 ˆ April 14, 2003, died peacefully at
Surrey Memorial Hospital. Predeceased by her parents, she is survived by
her brothers, Don (and Sarah) and Richard (and Mary) and her aunts and
uncle, Mollie Sarvela, Kirstine Griffith and Sandy and Miram Buckland.
Her many friends and relatives delighted in the joy and happiness she
brought to each day and will miss the courage and faith she showed in her
battle with cancer. A celebration and memorial of her life will be held at
the Church of the Epiphany at 10553 ˆ 148th Street, Surrey, BC, Canada at 12
noon on April 22, 2003. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the
charity of your choice.
A loss is felt personally when someone takes to heart your own journey in life and somehow becomes part of that journey. Barbara naturally did that by her courage to grow in love. (Gal 5:6b, II Peter 1:3-11)
I first met Barbara as a Fuller student in Jude Tiersma Watson’s class Introduction to urban Missions. I had brought two friends into Jude’s class to share a little of their life’s stories with the class. That evening she began to pray for Willie Hartsfield. The care in her heart for Willie continued for all the years she was at Fuller and long after she graduated and moved back to Canada. Willie soon after that class made choices that landed him in prison; Barbara continued to pray for him and corresponded with him regularly. Willie also began to entrust his own thoughts, cares, and concerns to her and began to pray for her when he discovered that she had cancer. She became one of the tangible evidences for Willie that Christians have learned something about the source of love rooted in God (Eph. 3:14-21).
Jude and I were also recipients of her letters. What we will miss is far beyond just the joy of getting mail; -- we will miss her voice and the kindness expressed in those letters. Willie will miss the mail even more than we will simply because she continued to remember him over these five years while he was in prison. And now he will not be able to thank her for her caring thoughts of him. Every sign of love makes a profound difference. She maintained correspondence across the miles with a good number of friends. I am wondering if there will be any effort to collect these letters and keep them for the sake of the church. So much of the wealth of souls living out of the heart that God gave them for the world in mission is meaningfully preserved for the rest of the church to reflect on by their collected letters and journals.
If anyone is inspired to write Willie at this time his address is (for the next year or so):
Willie Hartsfield D08585
450-2-60 Low
Avenal State Prison
PO Box #9
Avenal, CA. 93204
Buckland - Barbara J., August 2, 1942 ˆ April 14, 2003, died peacefully at
Surrey Memorial Hospital. Predeceased by her parents, she is survived by
her brothers, Don (and Sarah) and Richard (and Mary) and her aunts and
uncle, Mollie Sarvela, Kirstine Griffith and Sandy and Miram Buckland.
Her many friends and relatives delighted in the joy and happiness she
brought to each day and will miss the courage and faith she showed in her
battle with cancer. A celebration and memorial of her life will be held at
the Church of the Epiphany at 10553 ˆ 148th Street, Surrey, BC, Canada at 12
noon on April 22, 2003. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the
charity of your choice.
A loss is felt personally when someone takes to heart your own journey in life and somehow becomes part of that journey. Barbara naturally did that by her courage to grow in love. (Gal 5:6b, II Peter 1:3-11)
I first met Barbara as a Fuller student in Jude Tiersma Watson’s class Introduction to urban Missions. I had brought two friends into Jude’s class to share a little of their life’s stories with the class. That evening she began to pray for Willie Hartsfield. The care in her heart for Willie continued for all the years she was at Fuller and long after she graduated and moved back to Canada. Willie soon after that class made choices that landed him in prison; Barbara continued to pray for him and corresponded with him regularly. Willie also began to entrust his own thoughts, cares, and concerns to her and began to pray for her when he discovered that she had cancer. She became one of the tangible evidences for Willie that Christians have learned something about the source of love rooted in God (Eph. 3:14-21).
Jude and I were also recipients of her letters. What we will miss is far beyond just the joy of getting mail; -- we will miss her voice and the kindness expressed in those letters. Willie will miss the mail even more than we will simply because she continued to remember him over these five years while he was in prison. And now he will not be able to thank her for her caring thoughts of him. Every sign of love makes a profound difference. She maintained correspondence across the miles with a good number of friends. I am wondering if there will be any effort to collect these letters and keep them for the sake of the church. So much of the wealth of souls living out of the heart that God gave them for the world in mission is meaningfully preserved for the rest of the church to reflect on by their collected letters and journals.
If anyone is inspired to write Willie at this time his address is (for the next year or so):
Willie Hartsfield D08585
450-2-60 Low
Avenal State Prison
PO Box #9
Avenal, CA. 93204
Thursday, April 17, 2003
Just read the poem below and in response, I send a
little appreciation of a little gift. This is from a subway
ride last week, when my hands were chilled to the point of
pain:
Underground, my hand finds comfort
where the cold chrome has been warmed
by another hand.
Love,
Tink
This was e-mailed to me by one of my aunts -- Thanks!!!
little appreciation of a little gift. This is from a subway
ride last week, when my hands were chilled to the point of
pain:
Underground, my hand finds comfort
where the cold chrome has been warmed
by another hand.
Love,
Tink
This was e-mailed to me by one of my aunts -- Thanks!!!
A Musing about Life
Witness Life
Witness Death
Tell the truth with your song
Take time to bless
Be remembered as a blessing...
For It is better to offer our lives to the living
...and our souls to the living God
Ponder life
Stay amazed
Every moment of life we have is a gift
...share the gift
Witness life
Take time to bless
Ponder life
Worship God with gratitude...
Joy beyond what words can say
comes to those hearts that realize how to receive
every “good” of life as a gift
Humble gratitude
Child like in wonder... Yet submitted to God
Witness... Tell the truth with your song
...share the gift
Live
Live Righteous
Witness... Tell the truth with your life
...live the gift
Jaw1
Witness Life
Witness Death
Tell the truth with your song
Take time to bless
Be remembered as a blessing...
For It is better to offer our lives to the living
...and our souls to the living God
Ponder life
Stay amazed
Every moment of life we have is a gift
...share the gift
Witness life
Take time to bless
Ponder life
Worship God with gratitude...
Joy beyond what words can say
comes to those hearts that realize how to receive
every “good” of life as a gift
Humble gratitude
Child like in wonder... Yet submitted to God
Witness... Tell the truth with your song
...share the gift
Live
Live Righteous
Witness... Tell the truth with your life
...live the gift
Jaw1
As we get older and know more people we will find ourselves overseeing and witnessing the whole of the human life span more and more consciously if we care to pay attention. Birth and Death, Weddings and Funerals, Celebrations and real reasons for tears — what matters the most is that we do not lose our capacity to love (Matthew 24)... even in a world gone wrong. “God help me look at life as it really is and continue in your Love. In Jesus Name Amen.”
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
Daily Meditation: April 16
by Henri Nouwen; from Bread for the Journey , Harper Collins, New York, 1997
To Let the Word Become Flesh
Spiritual reading is food for our souls. As we slowly let the words of the Bible or any spiritual book enter into our minds and descend into our hearts, we become different people. The Word gradually becomes flesh in us and thus transforms our whole beings. Thus spiritual reading is a continuing incarnation of the divine Word within us. In and through Jesus, the Christ, God became flesh long ago. In and through our reading of God's Word and our reflection on it, God becomes flesh in us now and thus makes us into living Christs for today.
Let's keep reading God's Word with love and great reverence.
by Henri Nouwen; from Bread for the Journey
To Let the Word Become Flesh
Spiritual reading is food for our souls. As we slowly let the words of the Bible or any spiritual book enter into our minds and descend into our hearts, we become different people. The Word gradually becomes flesh in us and thus transforms our whole beings. Thus spiritual reading is a continuing incarnation of the divine Word within us. In and through Jesus, the Christ, God became flesh long ago. In and through our reading of God's Word and our reflection on it, God becomes flesh in us now and thus makes us into living Christs for today.
Let's keep reading God's Word with love and great reverence.
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
Saint Patrick has been someone we have been thinking about and learning from in LA InnerChange this season before easter. Christ is risen... what does it look like to live that way with confidence...
[4/14/2003 3:08:26 PM | John Tiersma Watson]
Jude and I watch a little TV together Saturday night. We do not do this very often. TV has a negative effect on me. I get lost in it too easily. Still Funny home videos are worth a good laugh. I am usually disappointed when we watch the news on TV. Public radio seems to work better for us and Jude can get the weather on the internet. Videos and DVD’s are better than TV with commercials. I would rather read a book or write in my journal, but that requires a certain amount of inner stillness and focus. The path of least resistance is often not a friend to our souls.
Jude and I watch a little TV together Saturday night. We do not do this very often. TV has a negative effect on me. I get lost in it too easily. Still Funny home videos are worth a good laugh. I am usually disappointed when we watch the news on TV. Public radio seems to work better for us and Jude can get the weather on the internet. Videos and DVD’s are better than TV with commercials. I would rather read a book or write in my journal, but that requires a certain amount of inner stillness and focus. The path of least resistance is often not a friend to our souls.
[4/14/2003 3:07:07 PM | John Tiersma Watson]
Nikkei had her birthday party in the neighborhood. It was a big community gathering with over 50 people in attendance. I like how family oriented these gatherings can be. I wish that for the young men that drinking beer wouldn’t be the main pursuit. In these gatherings it is always striking to me how difficult it is for young men to find a healthy path.
Nikkei had her birthday party in the neighborhood. It was a big community gathering with over 50 people in attendance. I like how family oriented these gatherings can be. I wish that for the young men that drinking beer wouldn’t be the main pursuit. In these gatherings it is always striking to me how difficult it is for young men to find a healthy path.
[4/14/2003 3:06:15 PM | John Tiersma Watson]
Saturday was about visitation. What a privilege to go to people’s homes and seek to offer encouragement and insight. Hope is fuel for the soul. Hope in God roots us in this reality with the expectation that good can flow through our lives – even in crucifixion. Evil in itself is not good; we don’t “Do evil that good may come out of it”. Rather nothing is beyond God’s power to redeem (except the refusal to embrace redemption when it comes). What a privilege to speak into people’s lives the courage to live.
Saturday was about visitation. What a privilege to go to people’s homes and seek to offer encouragement and insight. Hope is fuel for the soul. Hope in God roots us in this reality with the expectation that good can flow through our lives – even in crucifixion. Evil in itself is not good; we don’t “Do evil that good may come out of it”. Rather nothing is beyond God’s power to redeem (except the refusal to embrace redemption when it comes). What a privilege to speak into people’s lives the courage to live.
[4/13/2003 11:51:29 PM | John Tiersma Watson]
Today a friend from the neighborhood called in the AM and joined Jude and I at church... we enjoyed lunch together... He says he likes our church because the pastors speak clearly and plainly and that the people aren't judgemental. Late afternoon I played some cards with two young teens -- Jose and Jesus. Jude and I had a good walk... during the walk Boy paged me ... we decided to hang out at a local coffee shop in the ... I wrote some letters while he studied "The Rise of Western Civilization" for a history class.
Today a friend from the neighborhood called in the AM and joined Jude and I at church... we enjoyed lunch together... He says he likes our church because the pastors speak clearly and plainly and that the people aren't judgemental. Late afternoon I played some cards with two young teens -- Jose and Jesus. Jude and I had a good walk... during the walk Boy paged me ... we decided to hang out at a local coffee shop in the ... I wrote some letters while he studied "The Rise of Western Civilization" for a history class.
[4/12/2003 12:23:49 AM | John Tiersma Watson]
Today has been about spending some time with Jude... Writing a friend in Jail... Giving out a few copies of my web based radio show to a few neighbors... Figuring out my taxes (Thank you Paul S. so much for your help!!!)... and long conversation with Werner Pastran (a good friend and one of the members of LA Street Productions).
It also has been about reflecting on the joy of friendship and the realities of pain.
Joy of seeing Jude smile in that special way that says without words -- I love you.
The Pain of seeing the Rockwood Street Gang and the 18th Street gang cross out each other's tags and the knowledge that violence and death can follow such markings on our public walls.
Joy in seeing Melanie in her role of serving Communidad Cambria... Showing us a little fruit of her labours on behalf of the building and the community that lives there...
Pain in listening to my friends discuss where to buy the most beer at the cheapest prices as they plan a far from sober weekend...
Joy in sharing a cup of coffee on our fire escape with Jude...
Pain in knowing that my friend Werner is planning to move to San Francisco -- I will miss you bro... Keep you focuss and keep the faith...
Joy as Paul describes his plans to get together with his love interest Ardith...
Pain as I write out a $900.00 check to the Federal Government as what I still owe in taxes...
fun... playing a few Daniel Amos songs on our car's CD player...
Tasty food brought home by Jude after meeting with Chris A. from Savoys... one of our favorite local Thia restaurants...
There is no greater Joy than to know the source of Love in this Universe and to discover that God wants to pour out that love into our hearts and through our hearts.
Today has been about spending some time with Jude... Writing a friend in Jail... Giving out a few copies of my web based radio show to a few neighbors... Figuring out my taxes (Thank you Paul S. so much for your help!!!)... and long conversation with Werner Pastran (a good friend and one of the members of LA Street Productions).
It also has been about reflecting on the joy of friendship and the realities of pain.
Joy of seeing Jude smile in that special way that says without words -- I love you.
The Pain of seeing the Rockwood Street Gang and the 18th Street gang cross out each other's tags and the knowledge that violence and death can follow such markings on our public walls.
Joy in seeing Melanie in her role of serving Communidad Cambria... Showing us a little fruit of her labours on behalf of the building and the community that lives there...
Pain in listening to my friends discuss where to buy the most beer at the cheapest prices as they plan a far from sober weekend...
Joy in sharing a cup of coffee on our fire escape with Jude...
Pain in knowing that my friend Werner is planning to move to San Francisco -- I will miss you bro... Keep you focuss and keep the faith...
Joy as Paul describes his plans to get together with his love interest Ardith...
Pain as I write out a $900.00 check to the Federal Government as what I still owe in taxes...
fun... playing a few Daniel Amos songs on our car's CD player...
Tasty food brought home by Jude after meeting with Chris A. from Savoys... one of our favorite local Thia restaurants...
There is no greater Joy than to know the source of Love in this Universe and to discover that God wants to pour out that love into our hearts and through our hearts.
[4/10/2003 4:44:01 PM | John Tiersma Watson]
I am very Glad to have Jude back from her travels to Cambodia. She was away for about 2 weeks. The flight itself took 17 hours. Her contribution to the conference that she spoke at was well recieved -- A view of life passages and it's impact on mission. She is now resting and will hopefully be back in the swing of life by Monday -- "Lord Willing".
I have heard from some of you that the Cambodia section of the InnerChange website isn't up and opperational. I will check on that. We have started a ministry to those who are living with HIV and AIDS in Cambodia. Anyone out there feeling called to a challenging compassionate ministry???
[edit]
I am very Glad to have Jude back from her travels to Cambodia. She was away for about 2 weeks. The flight itself took 17 hours. Her contribution to the conference that she spoke at was well recieved -- A view of life passages and it's impact on mission. She is now resting and will hopefully be back in the swing of life by Monday -- "Lord Willing".
I have heard from some of you that the Cambodia section of the InnerChange website isn't up and opperational. I will check on that. We have started a ministry to those who are living with HIV and AIDS in Cambodia. Anyone out there feeling called to a challenging compassionate ministry???
[edit]
Larae Screen is a friend of mine who is one of the most high strung naturally intense artists I know. She and I at times differ in the way we see the world. Her words are persuasive and she has often led me to new thoughts and insights. I am thankful for our friendship and conversations over the years. chek out her website!
I am at my Web Cast... Spinning Ad-Seg, Rez, The Cranberries, Mystic, Dylan, Barry Taylor, and more. The Show is dedicated to Rosa, Rez, and Gabe & Racheal (my brother and sister). I am reflecting on how we loose friends and loved ones to these mean streets. It is time to tell the truth about what is going on.
[4/7/2003 1:01:10 AM | John Tiersma Watson]
Today started for me with a communion service at the Vinyard West Side in Culver city (11:00am-12:30pm).
The afternoon the mission team got together to pray over at Jenny's house -- a house blessing. It was clear how some visiting friends were touched deeply in their hearts... that the Holy Spirit was moving in unique way. When youg people who aren't use to lengthy times of prayer stay attentive for over 2 hours... God is doing something special (1-6pm).
Got together with Wil & Boy to prepare for our art show at Fuller Seminary starting tommorrow. (7-10pm)
Went to an intenet cafe' until midnight. (10:15-12:00pm)
Finishing my blog... (1:00am)
Today started for me with a communion service at the Vinyard West Side in Culver city (11:00am-12:30pm).
The afternoon the mission team got together to pray over at Jenny's house -- a house blessing. It was clear how some visiting friends were touched deeply in their hearts... that the Holy Spirit was moving in unique way. When youg people who aren't use to lengthy times of prayer stay attentive for over 2 hours... God is doing something special (1-6pm).
Got together with Wil & Boy to prepare for our art show at Fuller Seminary starting tommorrow. (7-10pm)
Went to an intenet cafe' until midnight. (10:15-12:00pm)
Finishing my blog... (1:00am)
Thank you for all of your prayers for this service and for the Family and Friends.
In Loving Memory of
Jorge Eufemia
August 27,1973 – March 25, 2003
INTRODUCTIONS & WELCOME, GENESIS 2:7
THE LORD’S PRAYER
GOSPEL READING
LUKE 23:32-34a, 39-43
REFLECTION ON THE GOSPEL
A SHORT HISTORY OF JORGE’S LIFE -- See Prior entry
A TIME SHARING & REFECTION TOGETHER
PSALM 23 & REFLECTION
CLOSING PRAYERS EPHESSIANS 3:14-21
BENNEDICTION
In Loving Memory of
Jorge Eufemia
August 27,1973 – March 25, 2003
INTRODUCTIONS & WELCOME, GENESIS 2:7
THE LORD’S PRAYER
GOSPEL READING
LUKE 23:32-34a, 39-43
REFLECTION ON THE GOSPEL
A SHORT HISTORY OF JORGE’S LIFE -- See Prior entry
A TIME SHARING & REFECTION TOGETHER
PSALM 23 & REFLECTION
CLOSING PRAYERS EPHESSIANS 3:14-21
BENNEDICTION
[4/5/2003 7:06:07 PM | John Tiersma Watson]
Jorge Eufemia
Born in Los Angles August 27th 1973
He went on to the Next life on March 25th 2003
He was born in LA
Moved to Houston Texas for a year when he was 3 years old.
Grew up into a strong young man in Manhattan New York (from 1979-1989).
He and his family returned to Los Angeles
In the summer of 1989.
He met Rosa, the love of his life on Maripossa Street in 1990.
He started High School in the Bronx New York
Went to High School at Hollywood High School
And latter about the age of 20 he finished and received his High School diploma through a program of self-study.
He was always a man of action
He loved sports: Hockey and Basketball, Riding BMX bikes and Skate Boarding.
He loved art and Music: He collected comic books, Japanese animation, and Science Fiction movies; He liked a wide range of Rock music from the Cranberries to Metalica to Mana
He was very skilled at drawing and painting. These gifts were respected and cherished by his family!!!
On some occasions he was employed to paint murals.
You would never question the strength of his mind if you had the chance to play chess with him.
He was clever, funny, and not afraid of expressing his love for his wife, his mother and family openly and often.
His precious life was cut short…
For this we cry out to God
And we commit ourselves to support his immediate family…
He is survived by:
Rosa his wife, their son Amadeo
Vivian his mother
Oscar his brother
Barbara his sister
And the rest of his family
And Friends
Jorge Eufemia
Born in Los Angles August 27th 1973
He went on to the Next life on March 25th 2003
He was born in LA
Moved to Houston Texas for a year when he was 3 years old.
Grew up into a strong young man in Manhattan New York (from 1979-1989).
He and his family returned to Los Angeles
In the summer of 1989.
He met Rosa, the love of his life on Maripossa Street in 1990.
He started High School in the Bronx New York
Went to High School at Hollywood High School
And latter about the age of 20 he finished and received his High School diploma through a program of self-study.
He was always a man of action
He loved sports: Hockey and Basketball, Riding BMX bikes and Skate Boarding.
He loved art and Music: He collected comic books, Japanese animation, and Science Fiction movies; He liked a wide range of Rock music from the Cranberries to Metalica to Mana
He was very skilled at drawing and painting. These gifts were respected and cherished by his family!!!
On some occasions he was employed to paint murals.
You would never question the strength of his mind if you had the chance to play chess with him.
He was clever, funny, and not afraid of expressing his love for his wife, his mother and family openly and often.
His precious life was cut short…
For this we cry out to God
And we commit ourselves to support his immediate family…
He is survived by:
Rosa his wife, their son Amadeo
Vivian his mother
Oscar his brother
Barbara his sister
And the rest of his family
And Friends
[4/5/2003 6:50:42 PM | John Tiersma Watson]
Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968
"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also
internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you
refuse to hate him."
"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we
arrive at that goal."
"Through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder.
Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can't establish truth.
Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can't murder hate. Darkness
cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that..."
"A time comes when silence is betrayal. Even when pressed by the demands of
inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their
government's policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit
move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought
within one's own bosom and in the surrounding world.... "Some of us who have
already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling
to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with
all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must
speak. For we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems
so close around us.... "We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence
or violent co-annihilation. We must move past indecision to action. If we do
not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful
corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion,
might without morality, and strength without sight.
"Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves in the long and bitter,
but beautiful struggle for a new world...."
"We will not build a peaceful world by following a negative path. It is not
enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and
sacrifice for it. We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion
of war but the postive affirmation of peace. We must see that peace
represents a sweeter music, a cosmic melody, that is far superior to the
dischords of war. Somehow, we must transform the dynamics of the world power
struggle from the negative nuclear arms race, which no one can win, to a
positive contest to harness humanity's creative genius for the purpose of
making peace and prosperity a reality for all the nations of the world. In
short, we must shift the arms race into a peace race. If we have a will- and
determination- to mount such a peace offensive, we will unlock hitherto
tightly sealed doors of hope and transform our imminent cosmic elegy into a
psalm of creative fulfillment."
"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the
starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and
brotherhood can never become reality. I believe that unarmed truth and
unconditional love will have the final word."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968
"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also
internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you
refuse to hate him."
"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we
arrive at that goal."
"Through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder.
Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can't establish truth.
Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can't murder hate. Darkness
cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that..."
"A time comes when silence is betrayal. Even when pressed by the demands of
inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their
government's policy, especially in time of war. Nor does the human spirit
move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought
within one's own bosom and in the surrounding world.... "Some of us who have
already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling
to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with
all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must
speak. For we are deeply in need of a new way beyond the darkness that seems
so close around us.... "We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence
or violent co-annihilation. We must move past indecision to action. If we do
not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful
corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion,
might without morality, and strength without sight.
"Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves in the long and bitter,
but beautiful struggle for a new world...."
"We will not build a peaceful world by following a negative path. It is not
enough to say we must not wage war. It is necessary to love peace and
sacrifice for it. We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion
of war but the postive affirmation of peace. We must see that peace
represents a sweeter music, a cosmic melody, that is far superior to the
dischords of war. Somehow, we must transform the dynamics of the world power
struggle from the negative nuclear arms race, which no one can win, to a
positive contest to harness humanity's creative genius for the purpose of
making peace and prosperity a reality for all the nations of the world. In
short, we must shift the arms race into a peace race. If we have a will- and
determination- to mount such a peace offensive, we will unlock hitherto
tightly sealed doors of hope and transform our imminent cosmic elegy into a
psalm of creative fulfillment."
"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the
starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and
brotherhood can never become reality. I believe that unarmed truth and
unconditional love will have the final word."
[4/5/2003 6:48:38 PM | John Tiersma Watson]
Things you are missing out on by not living in our hood
1. Morning tamales, only $1.00 each, delivered right to the sidewalk.
“Tamales, de puerco, de pollo, champurrado…” imagine a deep, throaty voice, 6:30 AM…
2. 8 one dollar stores within walking distance. Hey, good stuff, you just gotta search for it
full moon rising above the skyscrapers downtown.
3. a neighbor kid buying us an ice cream from the nightly ice cream truck. – sometimes there are three!!
4. Antibiotics sold right on the street! IDs too.
5. No Telemarketing!!!
6. Seeing Chris bring/take Edison to church
7. Fresh Homemade Donuts and coffee available 4:00 am to 11:00 pm
8. Fresh Tortilla’s Available at the local Panaderia… you can even watch them being made from the corn… the 9. Flan they sell is very good too.
9. Thai food…right in the corner mini mall, cashew nut chicken, huge portion for 4.49. The cook is Thai, her husband Mexican.
Things you are missing out on by not living in our hood
1. Morning tamales, only $1.00 each, delivered right to the sidewalk.
“Tamales, de puerco, de pollo, champurrado…” imagine a deep, throaty voice, 6:30 AM…
2. 8 one dollar stores within walking distance. Hey, good stuff, you just gotta search for it
full moon rising above the skyscrapers downtown.
3. a neighbor kid buying us an ice cream from the nightly ice cream truck. – sometimes there are three!!
4. Antibiotics sold right on the street! IDs too.
5. No Telemarketing!!!
6. Seeing Chris bring/take Edison to church
7. Fresh Homemade Donuts and coffee available 4:00 am to 11:00 pm
8. Fresh Tortilla’s Available at the local Panaderia… you can even watch them being made from the corn… the 9. Flan they sell is very good too.
9. Thai food…right in the corner mini mall, cashew nut chicken, huge portion for 4.49. The cook is Thai, her husband Mexican.
[4/5/2003 6:37:18 PM | John Tiersma Watson]
I found in James H. Cone’ s book “The Spirituals and the Blues” an echo of part of my own heritage expressed in words that helped me identify the African--American part of me as what I’ve always called my existential view of life. “Truth is experience, and experience is the truth. If it is lived and encountered, then it is real…without any attempt to make philosophical distinctions between divine and human truth.” (pg. 106) Black music is a natural echo of life’s experience. Authenticity is simply a natural extention of this perspective. This I believe continues through all forms of music that can be identified as having black roots. KRS ONE accuses Nelly of being a “wack” rapper and a “house nigger” (ie. Not really black). And that he is voicing popular themes in a style that is detatched or disconected from the lived experience of black life and turning to the industries formula of Sex, Drugs, and Self- Promotion. NAS talks about many of the same themes but in a way that remembers his roots. What was said of Mahalia Jackson’s music is that, “Honesty of Emotion is Mahalia’s first concern; communication of emotion is second,” … this could be said in general about African—American music. This is a practical existentialism or “authenticity”. Cone argues that this authenticity is true for both Spirituals and the Blues. I say this is obvious from the inside because it comes from the same kind of “Black” soul.
I would add that Gospel is caught up with the experience of God revealing God’s self. The Blues caught up in the experience of the soul, (in the post slavery experience of having some measure of space for self-reflection). I think that the split between these two is a result of the influence of European culture. African culture is as I know it much more holistic.
I think that Cone underestimates the power experienced in spirituals as an actual in-breaking of the kingdom of God not yet realized. Gospel has its roots in the spirituals in this sense. On the back of a Mahalia Jackson Record album I have she is quoted as saying, “I knew the Blues, but there is despair in the blues; I sang God’s music because it gave me hope. I still need the hope and happiness God’s Music Brings. I find it a personal triumph over every handicap, a solution to every problem, a path to peace”. In terms of authenticity I would contend that the blues are at best an authentic assertion of being. Spirituals are at best an assertion of God’s kingdom being shared in as one living soul in the truth of that. For black people this did not necessarily make the songs other worldly. Rather it emboldened some to act against the odds and to escape to freedom. To not surrender the Ideal to the present real is for me the power of worship songs and “Spirituals”. They anticipate the “Future of God” where what is true to God stands. I believe that Gospel Music in this sense stands alongside the psalms and the prophets in their nature and intent. Not as Scripture, but as the human side of expressing theology (communicating about God) as experienced here and now. The music of the soul in this case is part of the communication. What is said through music is more than what can be said with just words -- this is true for all music.
I found in James H. Cone’ s book “The Spirituals and the Blues” an echo of part of my own heritage expressed in words that helped me identify the African--American part of me as what I’ve always called my existential view of life. “Truth is experience, and experience is the truth. If it is lived and encountered, then it is real…without any attempt to make philosophical distinctions between divine and human truth.” (pg. 106) Black music is a natural echo of life’s experience. Authenticity is simply a natural extention of this perspective. This I believe continues through all forms of music that can be identified as having black roots. KRS ONE accuses Nelly of being a “wack” rapper and a “house nigger” (ie. Not really black). And that he is voicing popular themes in a style that is detatched or disconected from the lived experience of black life and turning to the industries formula of Sex, Drugs, and Self- Promotion. NAS talks about many of the same themes but in a way that remembers his roots. What was said of Mahalia Jackson’s music is that, “Honesty of Emotion is Mahalia’s first concern; communication of emotion is second,” … this could be said in general about African—American music. This is a practical existentialism or “authenticity”. Cone argues that this authenticity is true for both Spirituals and the Blues. I say this is obvious from the inside because it comes from the same kind of “Black” soul.
I would add that Gospel is caught up with the experience of God revealing God’s self. The Blues caught up in the experience of the soul, (in the post slavery experience of having some measure of space for self-reflection). I think that the split between these two is a result of the influence of European culture. African culture is as I know it much more holistic.
I think that Cone underestimates the power experienced in spirituals as an actual in-breaking of the kingdom of God not yet realized. Gospel has its roots in the spirituals in this sense. On the back of a Mahalia Jackson Record album I have she is quoted as saying, “I knew the Blues, but there is despair in the blues; I sang God’s music because it gave me hope. I still need the hope and happiness God’s Music Brings. I find it a personal triumph over every handicap, a solution to every problem, a path to peace”. In terms of authenticity I would contend that the blues are at best an authentic assertion of being. Spirituals are at best an assertion of God’s kingdom being shared in as one living soul in the truth of that. For black people this did not necessarily make the songs other worldly. Rather it emboldened some to act against the odds and to escape to freedom. To not surrender the Ideal to the present real is for me the power of worship songs and “Spirituals”. They anticipate the “Future of God” where what is true to God stands. I believe that Gospel Music in this sense stands alongside the psalms and the prophets in their nature and intent. Not as Scripture, but as the human side of expressing theology (communicating about God) as experienced here and now. The music of the soul in this case is part of the communication. What is said through music is more than what can be said with just words -- this is true for all music.
[4/4/2003 12:09:00 AM | John Tiersma Watson]
Daily Meditation: April 3
by Henri Nouwen; from Bread for the Journey Harper Collins, New York, 1997
The Importance of Receiving
Receiving often is harder than giving. Giving is very important: giving insight, giving hope, giving courage, giving advice, giving support, giving money, and, most of all, giving ourselves. Without giving there is no brotherhood and sisterhood.
But receiving is just as important, because by receiving we reveal to the givers that they have gifts to offer. When we say, "Thank you, you gave me hope; thank you, you gave me a reason to live; thank you, you allowed me to realise my dream," we make givers aware of their unique and precious gifts. Sometimes it is only in the eyes of the receivers that givers discover their gifts.
Daily Meditation: April 3
by Henri Nouwen; from Bread for the Journey Harper Collins, New York, 1997
The Importance of Receiving
Receiving often is harder than giving. Giving is very important: giving insight, giving hope, giving courage, giving advice, giving support, giving money, and, most of all, giving ourselves. Without giving there is no brotherhood and sisterhood.
But receiving is just as important, because by receiving we reveal to the givers that they have gifts to offer. When we say, "Thank you, you gave me hope; thank you, you gave me a reason to live; thank you, you allowed me to realise my dream," we make givers aware of their unique and precious gifts. Sometimes it is only in the eyes of the receivers that givers discover their gifts.
[4/4/2003 12:06:26 AM | John Tiersma Watson]
My friend Fred Eichleman shared with me the following story in a email...
That was not the apologetic approach that I would have taken (nor I...JTW). Our
pluralistic Orthodox friend was confronting our atheist friend in
our living room because he was trying to teach Annie, our daughter,
that evolution was correct. He was saying that humans are monkeys.
She, our orthodox friend was exasperated in debating him and finally
resorted to calling him a monkey. He was hurt and called her
arrogant. It happened before we could stop it.
Afterwards, I warmly confronted my atheist friend on why he was
hurt. He had just said that humans were monkeys! That meant he was a
monkey! I told him he should be a proud monkey and not embarrassed
to be a monkey, IF that was what he really thought.
My friend Fred Eichleman shared with me the following story in a email...
That was not the apologetic approach that I would have taken (nor I...JTW). Our
pluralistic Orthodox friend was confronting our atheist friend in
our living room because he was trying to teach Annie, our daughter,
that evolution was correct. He was saying that humans are monkeys.
She, our orthodox friend was exasperated in debating him and finally
resorted to calling him a monkey. He was hurt and called her
arrogant. It happened before we could stop it.
Afterwards, I warmly confronted my atheist friend on why he was
hurt. He had just said that humans were monkeys! That meant he was a
monkey! I told him he should be a proud monkey and not embarrassed
to be a monkey, IF that was what he really thought.
LA ST Prod. has 10 pieces of art spread throughout the Fuller Seminary campus for an art show called LOOK Closer. I could arrange time for some personal tours... though many of the offices are open Mon.-Fri. 9 to 5 ish. Props to Werner and Wil who hung the art work.
[4/1/2003 10:00:37 PM | John Tiersma Watson]
Heather (One of LA IC's Interns) and Greg have announced their intention to get married. Kim (Another intern) instigated an outing / Celebration for them today at the Oak Tree Inn chinese food restaurant. It was a great spot for food and dinner conversation. Thanks Kim!... even though you high jacked our Tues. Community reflection time to do it.
[edit]
Heather (One of LA IC's Interns) and Greg have announced their intention to get married. Kim (Another intern) instigated an outing / Celebration for them today at the Oak Tree Inn chinese food restaurant. It was a great spot for food and dinner conversation. Thanks Kim!... even though you high jacked our Tues. Community reflection time to do it.
[edit]
[4/1/2003 11:55:38 AM | John Tiersma Watson]
LA St Prod. will be on Fuller Semiary's Campus For thier Art Week. Check out our art Starting April 7th!!!
By Justin Bell
The inner city neighborhoods of Los Angeles. We see them on the news. We drive through them on our way to the airport. We may even do some casual ministry there. But do these neighborhoods mean anything tangible to us? Is the inner city a place that we can taste, touch, see, or breathe?
For most of us here at Fuller (myself included), lesser-resourced neighborhoods like Westlake (near Pico Union) are not a part of our daily experience. Though we do, indeed, sometimes experience moments of hope, sadness, and/or guilt regarding these areas of our city, these feelings are far too often vague and sporadic. I think this is due to the fact that we haven’t yet been saturated by the stories of the people out of the inner city. Indeed, we have looked at these stories before, but we haven’t taken the time or looked closely enough at them to allow them to speak over against us—to change our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors at the individual level.
On Monday, April 7, during the Community Arts Festival here at Fuller, we’re going to have an amazing opportunity to look closer at life in the heart of Los Angeles—an opportunity to have the inner city speak over against us. A guild of artists called LA Street Productions, from around Westlake, will be presenting a gallery of work from 12pm-1pm in the Travis Breezeway. Having already spent some time with these men, I can say that they are not only amazing artist, but they are also amazing individuals who have overcome countless obstacles to develop themselves both personally and professionally. They are painters, they are poets, they are sculptors, and they are architects. More than just an art group, they are friends—friends who are willing to sharpen each other and even die for each other if necessary.
Though they are closely linked by their passion for art, each of these artists’ works is unique in mode, theme, and expression. Wilburd Estrada, primarily a painter, has been influenced by David Alfaro Siqueiros and Van Gogh. His painting, For Caesar Chavez (pictured above), reinterprets Siqueiros’ commentary on industrialism in terms of the injustice Latino’s have received with American immigration laws. “Freedom in America is a limited freedom,” Estrada says, “many Latinos aren’t allowed to have it, and when they finally do get it, they become slaves to credit banks.”
Alberto Castenada focuses on written word. His poem Rush Hour describes the streets as “a catwalk for women dressed in luxurious lust.” Those who drive through his neighborhood in fear and disgust are “veiled by pride and satisfaction”. While their “tinted windows go up, a man’s value goes down.”
His works spanning the mediums of architecture, printmaking, and painting, Werner Pastran is a “jack-of-all-trades”. One particular painting of his, Defaced, draws upon techniques found in street tagging. Himself never a street tagger, Werner says that he had hoped, through using these techniques, to criticize the spirit of hate, anger, and disillusionment that he believes is so widespread in the graphitti community. As an alternative to much the negative art that he sees around him, Werner tries, with every piece, to communicate the values of love and humility.
LA Street Productions was founded in 1997 by John Tiersma Watson, an InnerChange LA staffperson and husband of Professor Judith Tiersma Watson in the School of World Mission. Primarily made up of “11/2ers”—Latinos raised in 1st generation American homes—the group submits their work to public, private, and church galleries throughout the year. To help buy art supplies, the guild originally created and sold affordable trading cards throughout their neighborhood. Today, LA Street Productions still supports itself on trading cards, but also accepts donations.
Please come to the gallery in the Travis Breezeway April 7 and meet the incredible artists that make up LA Street Productions and view their work. There is a lot we can learn from these guys! Also, comic book artist Jim Krueger and visual artists Macha Suzuki and Moto Okawa will be there as well. And don’t forget that there’s pizza!
To find out more about LA Street Productions, visit their webpage at www.sonserver.com/lasp.
LA St Prod. will be on Fuller Semiary's Campus For thier Art Week. Check out our art Starting April 7th!!!
By Justin Bell
The inner city neighborhoods of Los Angeles. We see them on the news. We drive through them on our way to the airport. We may even do some casual ministry there. But do these neighborhoods mean anything tangible to us? Is the inner city a place that we can taste, touch, see, or breathe?
For most of us here at Fuller (myself included), lesser-resourced neighborhoods like Westlake (near Pico Union) are not a part of our daily experience. Though we do, indeed, sometimes experience moments of hope, sadness, and/or guilt regarding these areas of our city, these feelings are far too often vague and sporadic. I think this is due to the fact that we haven’t yet been saturated by the stories of the people out of the inner city. Indeed, we have looked at these stories before, but we haven’t taken the time or looked closely enough at them to allow them to speak over against us—to change our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors at the individual level.
On Monday, April 7, during the Community Arts Festival here at Fuller, we’re going to have an amazing opportunity to look closer at life in the heart of Los Angeles—an opportunity to have the inner city speak over against us. A guild of artists called LA Street Productions, from around Westlake, will be presenting a gallery of work from 12pm-1pm in the Travis Breezeway. Having already spent some time with these men, I can say that they are not only amazing artist, but they are also amazing individuals who have overcome countless obstacles to develop themselves both personally and professionally. They are painters, they are poets, they are sculptors, and they are architects. More than just an art group, they are friends—friends who are willing to sharpen each other and even die for each other if necessary.
Though they are closely linked by their passion for art, each of these artists’ works is unique in mode, theme, and expression. Wilburd Estrada, primarily a painter, has been influenced by David Alfaro Siqueiros and Van Gogh. His painting, For Caesar Chavez (pictured above), reinterprets Siqueiros’ commentary on industrialism in terms of the injustice Latino’s have received with American immigration laws. “Freedom in America is a limited freedom,” Estrada says, “many Latinos aren’t allowed to have it, and when they finally do get it, they become slaves to credit banks.”
Alberto Castenada focuses on written word. His poem Rush Hour describes the streets as “a catwalk for women dressed in luxurious lust.” Those who drive through his neighborhood in fear and disgust are “veiled by pride and satisfaction”. While their “tinted windows go up, a man’s value goes down.”
His works spanning the mediums of architecture, printmaking, and painting, Werner Pastran is a “jack-of-all-trades”. One particular painting of his, Defaced, draws upon techniques found in street tagging. Himself never a street tagger, Werner says that he had hoped, through using these techniques, to criticize the spirit of hate, anger, and disillusionment that he believes is so widespread in the graphitti community. As an alternative to much the negative art that he sees around him, Werner tries, with every piece, to communicate the values of love and humility.
LA Street Productions was founded in 1997 by John Tiersma Watson, an InnerChange LA staffperson and husband of Professor Judith Tiersma Watson in the School of World Mission. Primarily made up of “11/2ers”—Latinos raised in 1st generation American homes—the group submits their work to public, private, and church galleries throughout the year. To help buy art supplies, the guild originally created and sold affordable trading cards throughout their neighborhood. Today, LA Street Productions still supports itself on trading cards, but also accepts donations.
Please come to the gallery in the Travis Breezeway April 7 and meet the incredible artists that make up LA Street Productions and view their work. There is a lot we can learn from these guys! Also, comic book artist Jim Krueger and visual artists Macha Suzuki and Moto Okawa will be there as well. And don’t forget that there’s pizza!
To find out more about LA Street Productions, visit their webpage at www.sonserver.com/lasp.
[4/1/2003 11:51:08 AM | John Tiersma Watson]
Hi I am in the studio with Kim & Miriam. We have the joy and privelege to think about, share, and dialogue about media... we even get to make our own... why not have your own Blog??? Check out Boy1... a big shout out to my friends... My mom has a web page... see the links... Wayne lytle has his own company... Check out Animusic... this is a social world where we get to wrestle with the content and quality of our lives... which is built on the content and quality of our relationships with God, Ourselves, One Another, and The Environment. Love...Love deeply... learn to connect with God the source of Love and discover where love will take us.
Hi I am in the studio with Kim & Miriam. We have the joy and privelege to think about, share, and dialogue about media... we even get to make our own... why not have your own Blog??? Check out Boy1... a big shout out to my friends... My mom has a web page... see the links... Wayne lytle has his own company... Check out Animusic... this is a social world where we get to wrestle with the content and quality of our lives... which is built on the content and quality of our relationships with God, Ourselves, One Another, and The Environment. Love...Love deeply... learn to connect with God the source of Love and discover where love will take us.