NOW, BUT NOT YET

Overheard...

2010-05-10T13:52:00.002-05:00

Jim Byrne: "Hey, how many fellows does it take to screw in a lightbulb? NONE! There host moms do it for them!"

Also overheard at Youth Family: "How many fellows does it take to screw in a light bulb? Thirteen: one to screw it in and twelve to stand around and figure out how to integrate belief and behavior."

True, Good, and Beautiful Part II

2010-02-23T22:18:00.002-05:00

Two weeks ago fellow Teryn Oglesby offered her thoughts on the Christian cultural mandate. This week she comments on how her fellow Buxton interns, Rizwaan and Sarah, view the idea of a cultural mandate from the lens of their respective faiths.

GMA: Do the faiths of the other interns at Buxton have their equivalents of a cultural mandate?

TO: The Cultural Mandate and the Great Commission are things strictly Christian in nature and purpose. However, Rizwaan and Sarah do have a desire for others to follow their faiths as well.

Sarah has expressed concern over the declining number of Jews in the United States and the secularization of her religion. Though she would welcome anyone wishing to convert to Judaism, she admits that unless someone from outside the faith expresses such interest, most Jews are concerned with edifying those within their community.

Muslims are interested in sharing their faith with others but, as Rizwaan explains it, they do not seek to convince individuals unless the individual themselves seeks out more information.

Rizwaan is more excited to educate and inform people of the true character of Islam to dispel the myths and negative images of violence put forth by the media. He would greatly welcome a new convert to Islam as a new brother in his faith, but it is not something he feels compelled to seek out.

GMA: What do your fellow interns think of the idea of a cultural mandate?

TO: Evangelism is very difficult for Rizwaan and Sarah to grapple with when interacting with Christians. Sarah is extremely uncomfortable with the idea that Christians act with a sense of entitlement over Jews and somehow view them as incomplete without accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior.

The concept of integrating principles of Christianity into the workplace with the purpose of transforming culture is a fairly foreign idea as well. Rizwaan explains how Muslims over the years have moved to new areas and sought to conform to culture instead of trying to change it.

GMA: Final Thoughts?

TO: Problems with the cultural mandate arise when our own pride and personal agendas get in the way of Christ's purpose of redeeming the entire world. I am convinced that this can be answered by simply remaining so close to the Lord that He is increased while we continually decrease. If all Christians could live in this knowledge by showing grace to those around us, I believe the cultural mandate becomes less of an obligation and more of an outpouring.

There are ways to introduce people lovingly to Christ and to always meet them where they are in sharing our faith the way Jesus did. As an act of both love and trust in God's plan, I believe we are first called to just be in relationship with people and to share life with them. We are the cultural mandate lived out if we only engage ourselves with those around us.

True, Good and Beautiful: Questions About the Christian Cultural Mandate

2010-02-11T23:11:00.004-05:00

Cultural Mandate: The call for Christians to exercise their God-given gifts to extend and advance the Kingdom of God over all areas of life.

A few weeks ago the Fellows had the opportunity to hear from Mark Rodgers, managing director of Wedgwood Circle, about the role Christians play in creating and shaping culture, and ever since we've been considering how we as Fellows can fulfill our cultural mandate.

2010 Fellow Teryn Oglesby has a unique view of Christians and culture. Teryn is an intern at the Buxton Initiative, and organization dedicated to interfaith dialogue. Her interactions with the other interns, one Muslim and the other Jewish, give her daily opportunities to consider how religion and culture intersect. Below is the first of a two part interview with Teryn.

GMA: Describe your interpretation of the Christian cultural mandate:

TO: The Christian cultural mandate goes hand-in-hand with Christ's calling for us to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (MT 28:19). Christ uses the phrase "all nations," drawing our hearts to focus not only on personal salvation, but redeeming culture as a whole.

The cultural mandate is a call to remember Christ's transforming power and love that was given for all. As His followers, Christians are called to share His message boldly in a way that the whole world may come to know Him.

GMA: How do you see yourself living out the cultural mandate in what you do at Buxton? In Church? In other areas of your life?

TO: The cultural mandate has changed the way I view my personal faith in the context of the world. The idea of using institutions to tweek cultural norms is a fairly new concept. Part of me is confused as to how this looks in all areas of my life - do I share Christ only when others ask? How do I witness in a way that doesn't push other away? Where is the line between the amount I share and where and with whom? How do I stand up to the monsters of secularization, individualism, and materialism that pervade culture?

At work I am blessed to be able to share my faith anytime I wish since the purpose of my job is to get to know my colleague's faiths and for them to know mine. The cultural mandate is being furthered every time I explain I explain the Biblical reasoning behind proselytizing, a concept that often makes them uncomfortable and causes them much angst.

At church, when I spend time with my small group of sixth grade s and live as an example of Christ's unconditional love and service, I believe the cultural mandate is spreading to their hearts as well.

Part two features Teryn's observations about how Islam and Judaism view the idea of a cultural mandate.

Doggie-Head Half-Tilt

2010-01-25T11:59:00.003-05:00

What does progress this year look like for you? For some, progress looks 20 pounds lighter. For others, it looks like finding a job or a significant other. A few weeks ago, the Fellows met with Mike Metzger, a consultant at the Clapham Institute, who posed quite a different definition of progress: "to the degree the city around you flourishes, so will your faith flourish." So what? Well, according to the December 19th issue of the Economist, " The idea of progress forms the backdrop to a society." However, Metzger contends that we as a culture don't live by ideas, but by desires. Two cultural views of progress are in contention here, one based on ideas, the other on actions.

The major difference between the Economist and Metzger is the length of their views on progress. The Economist claims that moral sensibility is "the fundamental engine of progress," and defines moral sensibility in this manner: "People can distinguish between what is and what ought to be." This is a two-chapter view of progress, based on "ought" and "is." However, this is a short view, one that lacks two essential chapters.

The Economist's view of progress is hopeless. The writers claim that "there are no guarantees that the gap between ought and is can be closed." Metzger disagrees. His view is four-chapters long; in addition to "ought" and "is," he includes "can" and "will" as the final chapters of what he refers to as a "four-part gospel." "Ought" is creation as God intended it, "Is" is creation after the fall, "Can" is what Christ has accomplished, i.e., redemption, and "Will" is what Christ will do - restoration, the bridging of the gap between "ought" and "is." And because Christ is faithful, we are guaranteed this gap will be bridged.

What a two-chapter gospel and a four-chapter gospel require of us is vastly different. The Economist cites American philosopher Susan Nieman, who states that "Human dignity requires the love of ideals for their own sake, nothing more." Furthermore, the Economist concludes that all God asks of men is to strive for progress.

According to Metzger's view of progress, Christians are to work towards progress, but not for its own sake. God asks us not to strive for progress and nothing more, but to love Him with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and then love our neighbors as ourselves. To love our neighbor is to care about the degree to which they flourish. Only love of God can bring this about, not love of ideals. Consider the many atrocities committed in the twentieth century in the name of ideals and progress. Or consider John Lennon, who loved humanity in the abstract (take another listen to "Imagine") but did some nasty things to actual individuals (as all people are prone to do, lest anyone thinks the Fellows have a beef with Lennon. We don't. Long live the Beatles).

"Why is the modern view of progress so impoverished?" the Economist asks. It is impoverished because views such as those held by the Economist are only half the story, and stories without an end are unreadable.

For more on Mike Metzger and the Clapham-Institute: http://doggieheadtilt.com/

Here We Go!

2010-01-01T16:19:00.002-05:00

"Farewell to the decade of fear," runs columnist Michael Barone's adieu to the '00's. From the Y2K scare to 9/11 to the current recession, the events of the past decade certainly cast a pall on prospects for the future. Barone's advice for handling the next decade is no more inspiring: "Many surprises are bad news, and they should often be regarded with fear." Jesus offers more hopeful advice: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me" (JN 14:1)With this assurance Christians move forward, grappling with the dominant emotion in our world, one that poses a serious challenge to discipleship in our era - fear. But why? Why move forward into a future supposedly full of fear and trepidation?

Rolling Stone called the '00's the "Decade of Lost Chances." Humanity senses something has been lost, a feeling existing long before the '00's ever happened. With this feeling comes a sense of urgency to recover what is lost and recorrect what is wrong.

The disciples understood this sense of urgency. The gospel of Mark begins with Jesus proclaiming the Kingdom of God: "The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (MK 1:15) Each of the disciples immediately respond to this exhortation - when Jesus calls them, the follow "at once" and "without delay" (MK 1:18,20). This is the response of the Fellows. Jesus has called us to the Fellows Program, and we have followed in order to help proclaim and usher in the Kingdom that is now, but not yet. It is why all thirteen of us move forward into the future despite the climate of fear surrounding it. The time has come.

The fellows are halfway into the Fellows program, and the world is one day into the new decade. Why face the future? In the words of '80's indie rocker Paul Westerberg, "It's too late to to turn back - here we go!"

A Case of the Mondays

2009-03-28T16:00:00.003-05:00

The Fellows Program is an explosion of activity. Most of us are fresh out of a college, just off our 12-hour weeks and 12:30 classes. Now we are reading books and writing papers in graduate school one day, answering calls from angry constituents or creating spreadsheets on Capitol Hill another, and trying to lead a group of boisterous 6th graders or melodramatic seniors the next. The sheer volume and variety of experiences is part of what makes the Fellows program so challenging and rewarding. From Sunday to Saturday, we never stop living and learning, sharing it all with the 12 friends at our side. Yet, while all these things are a piece of the program, they are not its essence; Monday is.

Every Monday morning we get up early. The guys and girls meet separately for breakfast and accountability. Here we hold each other to higher standards we profess and lift each other up towards the Lord in any and every area of life. Then, we head to class for three hours in the morning. During the first semester, the Rev. Dr. Art Lindsley firmly planted our feet in the foundations of our faith. During this second semester, Dr. Steve Garber challenges us to decompartmentalize our lives, to connect what we know and believe to how we actually live every day, and to see in all things what is good and true and beautiful. At night we come together as whole group over a meal to join in fellowship, worship, and discussion, growing as a family in our journey to follow Christ in a broken world.

Monday is about accountability, coherency, and community. Monday is the Fellows Program; everything else is practice. And it is all the Mondays which I will take with me for the rest of my life, no longer just a wide-eyed college student but much more of a mature and complete man of God. Yes, I will always remember and treasure my time on Monday, because life is full of Tuesday-through-Sundays.

One fellow's response to "Sex is Easier than Love" by Steve Garber

2009-03-24T23:29:00.006-05:00

I sometimes amuse myself by entertaining the thought that our generation, our current society, is the most debauched and soulless in all of human history, as if Los Angeles had somehow surpassed Babylon, Prague had become worse than Sodom, and modern Rome had sunk far below its ancient counterpart. It seems a natural thought to assume that just as we think our triumphs and advances go far beyond all that was achieved before us, so too do our dire circumstances and grave challenges make the storms of the past appear only summer showers. We so long to be the greatest—or the worst, as it were—that we often imagine it were the case. The truth is simultaneously more horrifying and more encouraging.

Yes, the current age of godless secularists and half-hearted theists abounds in immorality of every kind. But what ageage has not? We’d have to go back to the time before the angels guarded Eden with their swords of fire. We’ve traded the gross idolaters of the past for the gross idolaters of the present. The names of the false gods may have changed, but their preferred method of worship remains the same. As Professor Garber stated in his article, there is something very basic, very human, about sexuality. It is no surprise, then, that the primary manifestation of this false worship is a corrupt practice of sex. If you were creating a god, and your deepest desire was for sexual intimacy, would you not create a god who allowed it if not demanded it? They are deluded, of course, and merely ruin what they hope to obtain, but they know nothing else. In many ways it is a sobering thought, offering little hope. Like Sisyphus, we push and pull, but any progress we make is instantly erased.

I distinctly feel this tension as a child of God in a fallen world but even more so as a redeemed soul in a fallen body. I can sympathize with those whose deepest desire is for intimacy of mind and body. Sometimes I, too, chase that desire through fruitless means and come up empty. What I know, however—and what the world cannot understand—is that my deepest desires, sexually or otherwise, are not mountaintops to which the stone can never quite be rolled. Rather, I have real hope, for both this world and my own flesh. My deepest desires do not exist to torment me or lead me astray but are instead the desires of God himself. Distorted though they may be, by my own doing, they are waiting to be redeemed. The fact they can be called “distorted” at all implies that they are good at root. As Plantinga puts it, even to do what is evil we must use what is good. Therefore, the goal of our lives, as young people, is not to eliminate our desires or even to control them, to squirrel them away until we can finally unleash them, but to use them as God intended in every relationship. Like in everything else, we are to live in peace with our longings, not fighting them tooth and nail. As a Christian in America I have a hard time submitting to this and even harder time imagining what it might look like, so ingrained I am to resist sexual desire and to feel guilty if I entertain it in the slightest. I think what I need is a fuller understanding that all good things ultimately come from God. No exceptions. God created sex, and he did not make Adam and Eve wait, holding it over their heads as some sort of incentive. It was a gift, free and good. Sin changed everything, but God’s gifts were still present. We merely misused them. To use them correctly is to honor God. To hide them is to disown Him. Now that Christ has come, we are no longer slaves to distorting sin but can use every good gift God has given us to glorify his name and advance his purposes on the earth.

So then, there is hope for both me and the world. My body is marred by the fall, but it is still a gift from God. So too were Canaan, Babylon, Assyria, and Rome under the weight of sin, each in its time, as America is now. Yet Christ did not come to destroy the earth but to renew it. This world may be ever in decline, but take heart. The Kingdom of Heaven hastens its arrival.

Living on a Prayer...

2008-03-18T22:24:00.004-05:00

By Anne Womack

…At least that’s how I feel. A prayer of gratitude and of joy. As I sit down to reflect on the past four months in my life; months of change and transition, of growth and refinement, I desire so badly to pinpoint some specific truth or insight that has shaped this time-some exact lesson that I have learned. And, I suppose, I could do that if I really tried. But rather than do that, I think I have to focus on the simple (or maybe not so simple) fact that the Lord is faithful and is constantly carrying out His redemptive work in my life.
I can’t help but see it. I see it in seminary class; in having deep theological questions answered and having new ones arise. I see it in Bible study, in the fact that though many times I have not run after Him, He has pursued me and has met me in places that I never would have imagined. I see it in good conversations, in the affirmation from others of the work of the Holy Spirit in and through my life when I feel ill-equipped and unproductive.
And mostly, I see it in relationships. I see it in a host-family who is not afraid to love me—to give selflessly and care not just for my needs, but also for my character. I see it in a director who cares limitlessly for us, not just as “Fellows,” but as humans-as travelers down this road together. I see it in old friends taking new roles and new shapes. I see it in new friends, friends that from the beginning have taken a risk in loving me--not knowing what they would receive in return. And as those new friendships have grown I have seen the Lord’s faithfulness in the deepening of those friendships; the fear of new relationships being replaced by the joy of love and life in community.
So in light of these relationships and this community, and in light of the Lord’s faithfulness to this midway point, I can’t help but offer the words of the great 80’s poet, Bon Jovi, to those joining me this year on our journey:

“Oh, we’re halfway there.

Oh, livin on a prayer.

Take my hand and we’ll make it, I swear.

Oh, livin on a prayer.”

Love Stinks!

2008-03-18T22:19:00.003-05:00

By John Meinen

We all know (and some via painful experience) that "guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days." We're human – read: selfish, spoiled, and rotten. To put it bluntly, we stink! Peter, fisherman by trade and famous disciple who denied Jesus three times, would most certainly agree. You see, Peter was no stranger to the brokenness of the human condition, nor was he a stranger to the God-awful stench of rotting fish. Maybe that's why in his first letter to His elect, Peter writes, "Love each other deeply…[and] offer hospitality to one another without grumbling" (1 Peter 8-9).

I love the juxtaposition of these two verses – to love each other deeply and to be hospitable without grumbling. In a way, to love is to be hospitable, and to be hospitable is to love. Either way you look at it, love and hospitality are hard work, hence Peter's shushing.

In light of this truth, what my host family has done for me this year is nothing short of amazing. I was a stranger; they opened their home (and hearts) to me. I was hungry; they let me raid their fridge. I was tired; they gave me a bed to sleep in (rent free). Growing up, I longed for a younger brother; now, I've "adopted" two. My room is messy, I squeeze the toothpaste from the middle, and occasionally I leave the dishes in the sink – and trust me folks, we're way beyond day three! And though I can only imagine how hard it must be at times, the Taylors love me despite my figurative – shoot, maybe even my literal – smell. God knows I love them too.

The funny thing is this: Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Sometimes that's a whole lot easier than loving those under the same roof. Yet day in and day out, the Taylor family loves deeply. And in doing so, my host family is imparting me with one of the greatest – if not the greatest – lessons to be learned as a TFC Fellow: how to love. And there's nothing fishy about that!

Walking Down the Streets of Their Hometown...

2008-02-24T20:34:00.004-05:00

In my first week in Falls Church, I had to ask a lot of questions, so I could get to work. “Which bus route comes by the house and goes to the metro station?” “Which metro line takes me to my office?” I was new to the neighborhood. I needed answers to these questions, so I could become a functioning member of the community. Asking someone for help wasn’t hard. It just made sense.
So why was it hard for me to ask for help in Anacostia?
During the last weekend in October, The Falls Church Fellows spent a fun and rainy weekend living, eating, working, and playing at the Southeast White House in Anacostia. Part of our weekend was spent experiencing life as members of the community. In our scenario, we had fifteen dollars to purchase a four-person meal from a local grocery. We also didn’t have a car, and one member of our team had asthma, meaning we couldn’t walk more than four blocks at a time.
Before we headed out into the rain, we sprawled out bus maps in the dining room trying to plot out the best routes for our journey. Once we reached the first busy intersection, however, the assuredness of our plan had washed away like the marker line on our soggy bus map. We were lost, and we needed help. But before asking for help, we paused. We didn’t feel safe because we had imagined that this wasn’t our neighborhood. Anacostia was the type of place where we had been taught to serve, not to be served.
When Jesus became flesh and moved into the neighborhood (John 1:13), He didn’t just pick the neighborhoods with good schools and green lawns. Jesus dwells in all neighborhoods, meaning that we are free to be lost, ask questions, and find answers in Anacostia and in Falls Church. We shouldn’t be surprised when we get good directions in a new neighborhood. Instead, we should give thanks because Jesus is who He says He is, and His Gospel continues to be bigger than we imagine.

A Reflection on the Virtue of Indebtedness

2007-07-15T21:21:00.000-05:00

I recently awoke from a long slumber of disillusionment; the sort of disenchantment with ones own nation, history and traditions that often accompanies the college years. In the grand Renaissance style corridor of the Jefferson building, my love of country was reborn. I had been advised that the Library of Congress was the single most beautiful interior space in all of the nation’s capital. Having visited a number of structural masterpieces in Europe, I wasn’t expecting to be so utterly speechless upon entering the Library’s Great Hall. As our tour guide expounded on the significance of the architectural and ornamental details, my awe deepened. An attempt on my part to give a summary of what I heard would not do justice to the guide’s thorough knowledge of the space and its history. I will however, humbly share a few significant insights about the Jefferson Building. If you have visited the Great Hall and gazed upward toward the magnificent stained glass ceiling, you may have noticed that a place of prominence is dedicated to the thinkers and writers of old. Among those honored are Dante, Homer, Milton, Shakespeare, Moliere and Moses. This theme of commemoration runs throughout the building. The reticence is even more striking due to the juxtaposition of the Great Hall and the East Mosaic Corridor through which you pass to enter the great Reading Room. Stepping into the corridor, you leave behind the resplendent natural light of the Great Hall and the space around you diminishes in both brilliance and scale. This serves to underscore the humility of the names of the early Americans, distinguished in various fields of Arts and Science, which can be found on the low ceilings of this darkened corridor. They are almost literally in the shadow of those who have gone before. The reading room, equally ornate and spectacular a space as the Great Hall, pays homage to great men and great civilizations of yore. Plato, Beethoven, Michelangelo, Heredotus, Columbus, St. Paul, Homer and Shakespeare, among others, watch over the Library’s patrons, guiding them from up above, as they delve into the depths of knowledge accumulated over the centuries.
Meic Pearse and Wendell Berry both address the theme of ancestry in Why the Rest Hates the West and “It Wasn’t Me,” among other stories in Berry’s collection That Distant Land. Pearse identifies the peculiar property of the West, namely the United States, to “reject an obligation to reproduce the ways of their ancestors, or to be faithful to the memory of their forefathers.”[1] He argues that it was this very principle of rebellion upon which the United States was founded.[2] Certainly there was a breaking with the past that greatly shaped the American story. Nevertheless, the Library of Congress, built just shy of a century after the Revolutionary War, is a testament to some recognition of our indebtedness to the past. It is also evidence of the constructed American ideal of progress. The progress which is elevated in the Jefferson building is a progress that does not reject its ancestors, but rather stands on their shoulders, aware and grateful.
It Wasn’t Me captures in story the right relationship of indebtedness which the Great Hall and the East Corridor illustrate in structure. Through the character of Wheeler Catlett, the upright lawyer, Berry extols the virtues of gratitude and obligation. Wheeler sympathizes with Elton Penn’s desire for independence, but he understands that true independence is in fact a fiction. Wheeler explains to Elton Penn, “you’re a man indebted to a dead man. So am I. So was he. That’s the story of it. Back of you is Jack Beechum. Back of him was Ben Feltner. Back of him was, I think, his own daddy. And back of him somebody else, and on back that way, who knows how far? And I’m back of you because Jack Beechum is, and because he’s back of me, along with some others.”[3] Berry is tapping into some part of our collective memory as a nation; a memory of a time when we were thankful to those who had gone before us. We yearned for their wisdom instead of scoffing at it.
In Why the Rest Hates the West Pearse exposes a culture that has forgotten to thank its ancestors. And in It Wasn’t Me, Berry causes us to remember a time when saying thank you was the right thing to do. These men are prophetically calling us to assess our collective forgetfulness and the damage is has caused. We may have to lay our postmodern paradigm at the door, but it would behoove the storytellers, thinkers, lawmakers and homemakers of this nation to enter the Great Hall and allow its lessons to reshape and redirect us. It would also serve us well as readers to enter into Wendell Berry’s distant land and marinate in the lessons of Port William, Kentucky.

[1]Pearse 38-39.
[2] Pearse 96; Ch. Killing the Past
[3] Berry 284.

Longing to be Covenantal: A Journal Entry from Katherine

2007-06-09T11:08:00.000-05:00

Parallel Messages from Wendell Berry & Meic Pearse

Longing to be Covenantal

I am a very different person than Wheeler Catlett. Well, I will begin with the obvious. I am not a man; I am not a lawyer; I do not live in a small, farming community; I am not bound by my locale nor have I ever experienced an authentic connection to my land. My world is quite a contrast from the Port William community that Wheeler considers home. I am a 21st century young adult with all the promise that a quality education and privileged upbringing seems to provide, and the horizon is seemingly filled with endless possibilities of fruitful life, labor, and love—yet, the allure and subtle resonation of a fictional community called Port William.

We live in an opportunistic culture of consumerism and individualism—a culture where wealth, appearance, and influence are highly prized and praised. We are granted opportunity and comfort. Many of us are given all that we need to succeed and more. There is a deep tide of invincibility that seems to exist—a tide that has led to what Meic Pearse calls cultural imperialism. In a Western culture complete with all that we need to survive and thrive, the actual reality of a messy, broken world can be ignored or suppressed all too easily. The blessings and progress of modernity have come with consequences, and in his book, Why the Rest Hates the West, Meic Pearse gives a powerful account of the formation of a cultural, barbaric “juggernaut” that lacks the ability to truly relate to much of the surrounding world. Pearse’s description of the Western world’s current, cultural climate juxtaposed with the endearing simplicity of Wendell Berry’s Port William community seems to offer a powerful picture of truth when read in relationship to each other.

Berry’s characters have an authentic tie to their land. They understand the power of place and the sense of belongingness, community, and obligation born by this connection to place. They have a deep understanding of their past, their ancestors, and their relationship to others. They seem to know what it means to love their neighbor. In the story “It wasn’t Me,” Wheeler Catlett beautifully sums up the values of such a community:

Everything about a place that’s different from its price is a gift. Everything about a man or a woman that’s different from their price is a gift. The life of a neighborhood is a gift. I know that if you bought a calf from Nathan Coulter you’d pay him for it, and that’s right. But aside from that, you’re friends and neighbors, you work together, and so there’s lots of giving and taking without a price—some that you don’t remember, some that you never knew about. You don’t send a bill. You don’t, if you can help it, keep an account…(288).

Giving without receiving or without remembering—this is a foreign concept to the society in which we now live. Wheeler’s determination in this story to secure the farm for Elton and his wife shows his commitment to not only the living but also the dead. He was willing to risk his own reputation and willing to risk failure in order to fulfill a commitment he made to a dear friend who had died. This is merely one instance where Wheeler exemplifies an understanding of the significance to place and relationships.

The ideas of obligation, duty, and neighborly living are natural, seemingly inherent in the way in which Wendell Berry’s characters live (example from another story…). It is exactly the loss of such values that Meic Pearse articulates to be one main reason in which we cannot relate to other cultures in our world today. Most cultures are still intricately infused with religious morality, ties to people, family, and land. They are committed to a network or community in a way that we, in the West, no longer are. They accept, appreciate, and value the concepts of obligation, duty, and respect. Pearse asserts that in order to begin relating to other countries and cultures again, “we will need to be reconverted to the truths about morality, family, and social relations that we have lately come to reject as oppressive. We will, therefore, need to become much less quick to reject each and every claim of duty as being somehow an infringement of our rights” (168). This, he says, will allow us to “rejoin the human race.”
Together Meic Pearse and Wendell Berry’s accounts are a poignant pair. We read a more directive description from Pearse in which he explicitly explains why we are not successful in our relations with much of the world. Pearse gives a direct call of to Westerners. He gives a call to be thoughtful. He gives a call to understand. Berry attempts to teach us through his stories appealing to our imaginations and the past. He gives us a sense of what we are missing. He gives us a sense of loss. Maybe this is why I can relate to an unlikely character like Wheeler Catlett as Berry strikes a chord of truth by indirectly giving us a picture of authentic community and belongingness.

As members of the Body of Christ, we ought to be dutiful, accepting responsibility and obligation as vehicles to give. We ought to seek genuine community and become increasingly more familiar with what it looks like to love our neighbors. We ought to seek cultural reconciliation and learn to love those who are different than us. We ought to serve and love those who did come before us—those from whence we came. Both Berry and Pearse remind us of virtues that are easily lost in the cultural waves we have experienced since the advent of modernity. All these “oughts” point to truth. I am not so different than the simple, small town lawyer character, Wheeler Catlett. I long to be covenantal.

I am inspired to recapture these truths.

See Wendell Berry's That Distant Land and Meic Pearse's Why the Rest Hates the West

What do you love?

2007-06-04T12:18:00.000-05:00

This is a great Clapham Commentary that was just sent out today. Mike asks us to think about the most important question: What do you love.

Click here to read the essay.

Lessons from a good family

2007-05-21T06:52:00.000-05:00

Living with a family that is not my own has been a humbling lesson. It has been interesting to watch and participate in new traditions and customs with a different family. As a fellow, I got to partake in almost all the aspects of family life. My host family always made me feel included. Before dinner, I would help set the table and keep my host mom company in the kitchen. After dinner and on weekends, I would spend time with my host dad reading in the study or enjoying meaningful conversation about life, work, current events, and faith. My host sister and I had many great opportunities this year to go to concerts together, hike the Billy Goat Trail, re-decorate the basement, bike to Mt. Vernon, celebrate each other’s birthdays, and of course, snuggle up, eat popcorn, and watch movies together. During autumn, I had the fine privilege of raking leaves around the yard. During winter, I shoveled snow for the first time in the history of my life!

While my relationship with each family member is unique, I still value each one of them equally. It is indescribable the impact my host family has had on my life. I am still amazed that they would allow me to live in their home for a year and be so gracious. The family I live with has taught me the value of being real. Every moment I walk in the door, the father of the house always stands up and with a huge grin and says “welcome back, welcome home, Emily!” I have every intention of staying in touch with them, and making visits back to Falls Church no matter where I end up. I always remind my host sister that if I Ieave the DC area, I will never be more than a plane ride away.

Lessons I have learned from my host family:

A good family is not one in which no problems or conflicts occur
A good family creates a sense of community by sharing in responsibilities.
A good family welcomes and invites people into their home.
A good family practices traditions and retells stories.
A good family extends grace to one another.
A good family breaks bread and enjoys meals together.
A good family prays for one another.
A good family is thoughtful and considerate and always sends birthday cards.

Jefferson vs. Wilberforce

2007-05-20T23:25:00.000-05:00

Wilberforce and Jefferson

The most thoughtful question for any person living in a fragmented world is whether or not a person is capable of leaving a legacy. This has been a mystery for many people throughout the history of the world, including my self, my longings, and my divine purpose on this Earth.

It seems to be a rarity to find a man or a woman who willingly decides to commit and remain faithful to a calling from God. Wilberforce was a man of great knowledge and wisdom, which was evident in his thoughts, words, and deeds. Jefferson however, only loosely held onto his convictions, and never choose a path higher than personal achievement or the ‘say-so’ of others. The difference is obvious, it was not the circumstances that determined anything for these well-to-do politicians, it was actually how these men choose to deal with problems and tensions in their public and private lives.

Wilberforce’s love for humanity spurred him onto great action. He was a man who was willing to risk his reputation, stature and selfish desires to commit to a cause higher than himself. Wilberforce never divorced the idea of doing work apart from God. By Wilberforce’s example, we see that the acknowledgement of God’s calling upon one’s life will more than likely give the faithful person strength and endurance. The article seems to reveal that in Jefferson’s life, isolation produced a weak identity and a uninspiring character, while Wilberforce seemed to be a thriving visionary, with Christ sustaining him all the while. At the end of the day, Wilberforce believed not in himself, but the power of God through him. He relied on others for guidance, hope, and inspiration. He built his life around community and mutual trust in people. Even Wilberforce’s desire to hear and know his calling from God, begin his lifelong journey to bring about justice and freedom for every human being.

Patterns of Intentionality

2007-05-20T23:23:00.000-05:00

‘Patterns of intentionality’
If the chief end of man is to love God and enjoy him forever, what does that mean every day in my life as an image bearer of him? What experiences in the life thus far have stirred my affection for Christ and the kingdom of God? When I have considered what I care about, I realize that my passions are constantly evolving. Looking back on my short life, the strongest common denominator reveals that my love of God is rooted in the things that God himself loves, defends, and cares about – # 1 his beloved people of every nation, # 2 his miraculous creation, and # 3 justice for every child of God. J. Piper says, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” As I dive into the desires of my own heart, I find great pleasure in seeing splendor, and I believe through this, God is glorified. In light of my own experiences, I love finding beauty in obvious and hidden places.
God also helps me see what is good, right, and true when I am relishing in his beauty and creation. God has also given me a passion to care for the defenseless, poor, and neglected. I find Isaiah 1:17 a mandate if I am to bear the image of God. It reads, “learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” By spending time in an orphanage in Guatemala, building a house for someone less fortunate, or working in a soup kitchen, these things have helped me go deeper into my relationship with the living God. God’s compass is what helps me to see and navigate what is good, pure, and beautiful. I am starting on a path to see these things in my life began to shape my character, and that gives me hope. I want to be in the presence of people who have hearts that yearn for God’s kingdom and for God’s will to be done on this Earth as it already is in Heaven.

Book Review: Why the Rest Hates the West by Meic Pearse

2007-05-20T22:44:00.000-05:00

Steve peacefully and boldly utters truth in such a way that I experience what feels like an intellectual collapsing at the knees. As I emerge from a heap of confusion and shock at my own ignorance, it isn’t little birdies that circle my head, but rather the broken pieces of a failed paradigm that no longer have a place at the table in my thinking. Such was my experience when he asked that we compare the works of Wendell Berry to Meic Pearse’s book, Why the Rest Hates the West. Berry chronicles the lives of characters living in a rural American community. In every way, his tales reflect the values that exist at the heart of what it means to be a Christian. And yet, if Berry paints a picture of American life the way it ought to be, Pearce’s picture is a much more gruesome image of the way it is. If you’re looking for something to read for pleasure, let this one pass. This story is not for the faint-of-heart or for the American who refuses to believe that ideals upon which our country was founded have not been entirely honored by the culture that has inherited them. I found myself reluctantly and remorsefully nodding my head as I read through his account of our feeble-mindedness and our often-blind claims of cultural superiority.

However, don’t be fooled. This is also no manifesto of an anti-institutional liberal. In fact, neither traditional conservatives nor card-carrying liberals will find a home in Pearse’s survey of the contemporary international politics. In more ways than one, his critique transcends the common distinctions we rely on for understanding our political world. Like Berry, he seeks to explain reality with an uncompromisingly faithful worldview.

Pearce argues against the tendency to reduce world conflict to the level of economic equalities or religious fanaticism saying that these diagnoses are not only short sighted but also dangerously misplaced. Instead, he asserts that it is the West’s export of a culture that has made us the enemy of our non-Western brothers and sisters. This culture, in the name of freedom, dishonors the traditional values which once defined us.

I highly recommend Berry’s book to any Christian who desires a more comprehensive look at contemporary events. Check it out here.

The Four Chapter Gospel

2007-05-20T22:34:00.001-05:00

Under the tutelage of Steve Garber and Mike Metzger, the Fellows class of 2006-2007 have identified and embraced the most beautiful and often overlooked explanation of the Gospel. In academic circles it is termed the “Four Chapter Gospel.” The four points are simply explained as Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation. Within the greatest story ever written, we believe all aspects of our humanity (including all of creation) was once pristine and perfect. This creation idea explains how the world and the people living in it “ought” to be.

But, we recognize that because we are all born of Adam, creation and humans living in creation, now currently live in a fallen state. The fall would explain how the world actually “is” as we struggle to make sense of it. But, as people of faith, we are privileged because we still have hope. To be hopeful is an exceptionally relevant and vital part of life. Even while we mourn, we also mourn with hope.

We recognize that, with the divine help of the Spirit, one-day the world “can” look different as we usher in the Kingdom of God by becoming His ambassadors. It is invigorating to visualize a redeemed world. Some examples from this year would include: a world where cars and bikes share the road, where people work for proximate justice, and where beautifully designed buildings reflect creation.

Lastly, we wait and consider what a new heaven and a new earth will look like. For the final consummation, we dream of what the world “will be” like as it parallels the beginning of Creation. As we keep the end in mind, we recognize the brokenness of the world and hope for total and perfect restoration. As the title of our Blog suggests, the Kingdom of God is “now, but not yet."

Who am I?

2007-05-20T21:08:00.001-05:00

Perhaps "Charlotte Simmons" is not the correct answer to that question, but in many ways I can identify with her world. Here is a journal entry written in response to Tom Wolfe's novel:

Tom Wolfe is nothing short of a cultural genius. In so many words he has encapsulated the sacramental tension of being both an embodied human and a temple of the Lord’s presence in an environment that is flamboyantly and shamelessly sexualized. Everything is sexual, and in a sense it should be if sexuality is a gift from God (a good thing). However, the sheer debasement of our most human qualities can only suggest that we view ourselves not as the recipients of a gift, around which is care, concern and restriction, but rather as animals of entitlement who are sexual only out of necessity and therefore deserve to be satisfied in the moment of desire.

One of the most powerful tools that Wolfe uses to establish a context for the novel is the interlacing of lyrics to popular rap songs into the prose—not unlike Shakespeare who often introduced music into his plays, Wolfe is driving home the point that even the subtext of this culture is sexualized. I often am troubled by the ease with which I, a co-heir with Christ in the Kingdom of God, dance and sing to the lyrics of songs that glorify Satan’s effect on God’s gift. Is this not a form of a distorted worship? Did David not sing and dance before God? What do we worship when we callously sing words which hold broken things in the highest esteem.

Although thus far Wolfe has not offered any sort of redemptive resolution, I am struck by how this man, who does not profess faith, has so accurately described Sin and its ramifications. Unlike Sex in the City, another attempt at cultural analysis, I am Charlotte Simmons does not offer a single glamorous look at life on this college campus. Even the arrogance, laziness, and contempt for knowledge are brought to light. The criticism is thorough and fair.

Our reading over the past few weeks is inspiring a paradigm shift in my understanding of sexuality. After coming through college and adolescent life, I felt that the only option I had to be faithful to the Lord was to reject and suppress sexuality until due time. I’m gaining a far more complete perspective that honestly looks at the culture we have created and offers more than an overly simplified diagnosis for change. I feel inspired to love my God more and more as I begin to see how he intended for things to be rather than simply rejecting how they are.

"So what's this fellows program thing you've been doing?"

2007-05-20T19:19:00.000-05:00

*This post is a copy of an article that was featured in The Falls Church Current Magazine.

Fellows Update by Sarah Foley
So, what's this fellows program thing you've been doing?-I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard this question over Christmas break. Better yet, I wish I had a nickel for each time I struggled to explain what this year is really all about without sounding like an absolute snob! How do you tell someone that you have been welcomed into a community that desires to sacrifice time and energy that you might learn about life, love, and yourself in the context of the gospel without coming across as elitist or self-righteous? So, basically you learn about Jesus, work three days a week, hang out with teenagers, live for free in one of the most expensive cities in America, and build relationships."

Me: "umm.yeah..."

In all fairness, it's pretty amazing. Blessings, which we in no way deserve, have been freely given to us since the day we arrived last September. In so many ways the fellows program has given us a tangible picture of the gospel. When I think about this year, it's no wonder that I cannot help but marvel at the Lord's goodness and provision.

In order to flesh that out a bit, let me give you a few snapshots of what we've been up to the past two months:

In seminary we are learning the importance of peeling back the complex layers of God's creation in order to understand our place within it. In doing so, we've seen, perhaps for the first time, the implication of the cultural mandate and its requirement that we become proactive agents of redemption in the world. Steven Garber is teaching us to be sensitive to the sacramental and transcendent nature of life-we're learning to see art and sexuality and even economics through the lens of our deepest longings for reconciliation with the creator God. We've watched clips from popular films and discussed readings as diverse as Tom Wolfe and Wendell Berry. There have been tears as we confront brokenness, and yet the prospect of being used to restore creation has inspired us to think practically about how we "practice resurrection," as Berry so aptly describes it.

In our weekly seminar, Dick Foth has met with us on two occasions to discuss the value and development of meaningful relationships-a process which he claims starts with history giving and ends with being able to dream together. As our group learns more about each other, it has become possible for us to see each person's God-given potential. How much fun it has been to dream about the ways each of us will be able to serve the Lord's Kingdom! Before this year I understood fellowship (spoken of in a Christian context) as a means of accountability only. However, now that I live and breathe in a context of true fellowship, I see that it functions also as a way to know myself and my God.

As believers, we know that we live in a constant state of grace, but as fellows that grace is all the more easily detected. Never in my life has the gospel been so palpable-you can taste it in the meals we share with one another, hear it in the stories of our teachers and mentors, see it in the way that we are allowed to serve our community, and know it by the assurance of the Holy Spirit who has been so present in our time together at The Falls Church. Honestly, I often wonder if I'm not missing something-if there isn't a hidden fee or a required 5 year parish commitment lurking within the fine print! It would certainly explain why The Falls Church community has opened itself to us so unreservedly. Thank you for all you're doing for us. We are relishing the gospel and the Lord's blessing as He is showing it to us
through you. And we are having a great time.

2007-05-20T11:24:00.000-05:00

"Bloggers belong to the same cultural shift that is transforming journalism, business, mass media, education and politics.”

Bednar, Tim. http://e-church.com/Downloads/We%20Know%20More%20Than%20Our%20Pastors.pdf

Remember Your Creator

2007-05-20T10:27:00.000-05:00

*Below is a letter I crafted to give as a gift and encouragement to my 8th grade girls I disciple.

Dear Girls,
I have discovered that there is great value in choosing what is pure, beautiful, and good on this Earth. I can guarantee you that your greatest pleasure will be found where your heart intersects with God’s heart. I hope you search for music that reflects truth, always find honest friends, seek out art that speaks honestly about the human condition, and realize that there is only one absolute truth. The world will suggest something different, but as daughters of the King you get to represent a different standard. I can tell you that from my own experience, people will respect and honor your convictions as you begin to navigate through high school, college, and beyond. Life is a gift from your Heavenly Creator, and whatever you do in this life is a gift back to God. I am still learning the importance of yearning for the Kingdom, and my hope is that you too would partake in this exciting adventure.
For a real life application, I would like you to take a piece of paper (folding it hot-dog style) and on the left hand side write the words “Stirs my affection” and on the right hand side right the words “robs my affection.” Now, make a list of examples in each column that either stirs or "robs your affection" for Christ. You can even add hypothetical examples to your list. I believe by doing this you will have a greater understanding of how the Lord will be present or absent in situations in your life. Franz Kafka said that "a good story is an ax for the frozen sea inside us." I believe that this applies to the gospel, truly the greatest story ever written. As you grow to learn to fall in love with Jesus and His Word, may this quote serve as a reminder to the power of a story that explains our desires, hopes, fears, and pains.
As you enter into high school, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite authors, websites, musicians, and artists that are always trying to portray things that are true. They understand and appreciate that the kingdom of God is "now but not yet." Remember, if Christ is living inside you, the Holy Spirit will guide and direct you, as the Bible promises. With that in mind, here is a list of some fellow truth seekers who are trying to usher in God’s Kingdom. Will you join together in their work? I pray that you too would begin to love the things that God loves, and hate the things in this world that grieve our God. I found out about some of these people during high school and college, and these influences continue to shape how I view and value the world I live in.

Musicians:
Wild sweet orange, Mat Kearney, Taylor Sorenson, Shane & Shane, u2, Sufjan Stevens, Need to Breathe Authors:
Walker Pearcy, Richard Foster, Dorothy Sayers, Dallas Willard, Oswald Chambers, CS Lewis, NT Wright, and Francis Schaeffer Links: Toms shoes Worldvision Buckner Orphan Care International The Mocha club Human Rights Watch Habitat for Humanity Biblegateway Christiananswers.net

Lastly, I leave you with a special quote. It comes from an introduction to a wonderful book entitled, The Fabric of Faithfulness, written by my beloved teacher, mentor, and friend, Steve Garber. ENJOY!

"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, when all possibilities lie open before you and you can offer all your strength intact for his service. The time to remember is not after you become senile and paralyzed! Then it is not too late for your salvation, but too late for you to serve as the presence of God in the midst of the world and the creation. You must take sides earlier – when you can actually make choices, when you have many paths opening at your feet, before the weight of necessity overwhelms you." – Jacques Ellul, Reason for Being: A Mediation on Ecclesiastes

I love each of you with all my heart, and I can not wait to see how God works in your life as you follow after Him on a daily basis in a rigid search of what is true, beautiful, and good.

Much love,
E*

2007-05-18T14:19:00.000-05:00

“In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square inch of which the Christ, who alone is sovereign, does not declare, 'That is mine!'”
- Abraham Kuyper

2007-05-15T19:20:00.000-05:00

Hilarious.

Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front

2007-05-14T13:28:00.000-05:00

by Wendell Berry

Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.
So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.
Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millenium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.
Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years. Listen to carrion - put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a woman near to giving birth?
Go with your love to the fields.
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn't go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.

Wisdom by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

2007-05-14T11:09:00.000-05:00

Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the cohesive life

"Christ did not, like a moralist, love a theory of good, but he loved the real man. He was not, like a philosopher, interested in the universally valid, but rather in that which is of help to the real and concrete human being. What worried him was not, like Kant, whether the "maxim of an action can become a principle of general legislation," but whether my action is at this moment helping my neighbor to become a man before God. For indeed, it is not written that God became an idea, a principle, a programme, a universally valid proposition or a law, but that God became a man."

--Dietrich Bonhoeffer "Ethics"

So, what's it like to be a fellow?

2007-05-14T10:50:00.000-05:00

Let's be honest, it's almost impossible to really explain what this programs all about without giving a more tangible idea of how we spend our time. So, here's a snapshot:

Sunday-

9:30 or 11:00 am: Sunday worship at the Falls Church

5:00-7:00 pm: Crossroads (middle school ministry)
7:00-9:00 pm: Cornerstone (high school ministry)

Half of our group works with middle school students while the other half works with high school students. We meet with the kids for dinner, worship, games, and teaching.

Monday-

9:30 am-12:30 pm: Class

On Monday mornings we meet for class at the church. Our class work is divided into semesters—during the fall we study under Mike Metzger and during the spring we study under Steve Garber.

6:00-9:30 pm: Roundtable

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers…And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people…”
excerpt from Acts 2

On Monday evenings we gather at Morna’s house for dinner and discussion. We take turns cooking, cleaning, leading worship and choosing discussion topics. This time serves as an opportunity to reflect on our lives together, devote ourselves to prayer, and learn from one another’s experiences and interests. We also laugh. A lot. Maybe too much.

Tuesday- Work Day

Wednesday- Work Day

7:30-9:00 pm- Youth group leaders meeting

Each week we meet with Jim Byrne, the student ministry pastor, and all the other volunteers for dinner and teaching. Jim shares, from his years of youth ministry experience, about how to minister effectively to our students.

Thursday- Work Day

Friday-

8:00-9:30 am- Bible study with Regis

Each Friday morning Regis guides us through the complexity of the narratives in the Old Testament. Our approach to study has been to view the Old Testament through the “prism of Christ.” We’re learning to recognize the dynamism of scripture and the presence of Christ throughout history.

9:30-11:30 am- Seminar

Our seminar speakers have been men and women from all walks of life who are able to shed light on what it means to “tear a corner off the darkness” by interweaving their faiths with their vocations. We’ve also heard from experts in financial planning and etiquette who have helped us gain a vision of what it means to be Christ’s ambassadors to the world.

Saturday- glorious rest and free time

Free time responsibilities-

Meet with our individual mentors
Lead small groups of middle school or high school students
Hang out with and disciple the students in our small groups
Spend time with our host families and help out around the house
Investing in our friendships with one another
Class work and reading
Attend retreats