From Sacred Space...
Something to think and pray about this week
Family meals are at risk. The table can be a place where the preparation of food reflects mother's or father's care, and where parents and children can sit, enjoy, argue, joke, listen, have their voice heard, tease, attack and be attacked, but not walk out. Today couples prize a chance to enjoy a meal with their children. As work or other pressures increase, fast food and TV take over, we find families who never eat together. In some parts of the world the children grab something from the fridge and ‘graze', a can in one hand, junk food in the other, their eyes fixed on a TV screen. One reckoning is that, in the USA, 40% of meals are eaten in cars. It is no accident that Jesus placed a meal - the Eucharist - at the centre of the Christian family. It is around a common table that a family really lives together. Don't let that disappear. Find a time, at least once a week, for slow food, not fast.
If you're looking for a way to pray briefly at your computer, check out sacred space:
http://www.liturgy.co.nz/virtualchurch/sacreadspace.html
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Loyalty
Today on NPR's Morning Edition, Steve Inskeep reported that a recent survey shows that number of Americans "swap faiths." (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19354039)
"According to the study, more than one-quarter of American adults (28 percent) have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another religion — or no religion at all. If change in affiliation from one type of Protestantism to another is included, 44 percent of adults have either switched religious affiliation, moved from being unaffiliated with any religion to being affiliated with a particular faith, or dropped any connection to a specific religious tradition altogether...Among Americans ages 18 to 29, one-in-four said they are not affiliated with any religion."
This isn't surprising to me, but it is troubling. With so many religious options, freedom of religion in America, and a "do it yourself" society, such findings aren't surprising. But what doesn't show up in the findings is the fact that while people might switch or give-up on religion, there is a desire for "spirituality." A couple of examples: the book The Secret remains on the top ten list of many best-seller lists and Oprah recently promoted "A Course in Miracles," by Marianne Williamson...both examples are new age, not Christian, moves toward spirituality.
In October, the Wall Street Journal ran the story, "Teaching My Son to Respect The Boss." Journalist Steve Stecklow shares his experience sharing his love for Bruce Springsteen with his 14 year old son. When Springsteen showed up in Hartford, Stecklow took his son to pass on, one generation to another, his passion for the Boss' music. Jesse, Stecklow's son got the full experience of a Springsteen concert including beer spilled on his shirt from another concert goer. Much to Stecklow's delight, Jesse purchased a concert t-shirt after the concert and wore it to school the next day. A new generation of Springsteen devotees? Time will tell.
There is something to learn for Christian parents about passing on their passion for our Lord (boss) Jesus Christ (a.k.a...the man upstairs). Instead of leaving Jesse with CDs of Springsteen's career or bombarding him with renditions of "Born to Run" or "Born in the USA," and sharing stories of days gone by why dad likes Springsteen...Stecklow gave Jesse an experience with Springsteen. The experience was the turning point.
For Christians, unless our faith in the living Christ (not religious practice) is real, vibrant, authentic, and grace-filled...and our children experience the blessing of it, our children will continue to walk away from or "swap faiths." The Christian movement is precisely that...a movement propelled forward by the Spirit, grounded in Christ, informed by centuries of theologians to help us keep on the right road and not falling into the ditches.
Bottom line, if you want to teach your children to "respect the Boss" (love and experience Christ), then show don't tell. Take them to the weekly gatherings of Christians in the public space. We don't have t-shirts to sell, but we will have blessings to freely share.
"According to the study, more than one-quarter of American adults (28 percent) have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another religion — or no religion at all. If change in affiliation from one type of Protestantism to another is included, 44 percent of adults have either switched religious affiliation, moved from being unaffiliated with any religion to being affiliated with a particular faith, or dropped any connection to a specific religious tradition altogether...Among Americans ages 18 to 29, one-in-four said they are not affiliated with any religion."
This isn't surprising to me, but it is troubling. With so many religious options, freedom of religion in America, and a "do it yourself" society, such findings aren't surprising. But what doesn't show up in the findings is the fact that while people might switch or give-up on religion, there is a desire for "spirituality." A couple of examples: the book The Secret remains on the top ten list of many best-seller lists and Oprah recently promoted "A Course in Miracles," by Marianne Williamson...both examples are new age, not Christian, moves toward spirituality.
In October, the Wall Street Journal ran the story, "Teaching My Son to Respect The Boss." Journalist Steve Stecklow shares his experience sharing his love for Bruce Springsteen with his 14 year old son. When Springsteen showed up in Hartford, Stecklow took his son to pass on, one generation to another, his passion for the Boss' music. Jesse, Stecklow's son got the full experience of a Springsteen concert including beer spilled on his shirt from another concert goer. Much to Stecklow's delight, Jesse purchased a concert t-shirt after the concert and wore it to school the next day. A new generation of Springsteen devotees? Time will tell.
There is something to learn for Christian parents about passing on their passion for our Lord (boss) Jesus Christ (a.k.a...the man upstairs). Instead of leaving Jesse with CDs of Springsteen's career or bombarding him with renditions of "Born to Run" or "Born in the USA," and sharing stories of days gone by why dad likes Springsteen...Stecklow gave Jesse an experience with Springsteen. The experience was the turning point.
For Christians, unless our faith in the living Christ (not religious practice) is real, vibrant, authentic, and grace-filled...and our children experience the blessing of it, our children will continue to walk away from or "swap faiths." The Christian movement is precisely that...a movement propelled forward by the Spirit, grounded in Christ, informed by centuries of theologians to help us keep on the right road and not falling into the ditches.
Bottom line, if you want to teach your children to "respect the Boss" (love and experience Christ), then show don't tell. Take them to the weekly gatherings of Christians in the public space. We don't have t-shirts to sell, but we will have blessings to freely share.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
India
I realized that it had been a month since I'd been to this blog. Reason, I was in India for a couple weeks and kept a separate blog with my friend Eric Whitehead. Check out the musings on that blog from our recent trip: aslcinindia.blogspot.com
Mike
Mike
History repeats itself
HD DVD players are out, blu-ray is in. I'm glad I didn't buy a HD DVD player in the past few months...whew. It reminds me of the Beta vs VHS battle in the early 80s. Beta was out, VHS was in. Fortunately, we had a VHS player at that time. Then like now we our family didn't lose money on technology. I guess I did learn something from my parents after all, not to jump into trends too quickly. It's not a wait and see attitude based in apprehension and fear of risk. It is more of observation about what will have lasting power, and jumping in, with wisdom, to a trend/movement.
Is this to say those who bought HD DVD players are unwise and those who bought blu-ray are wise? Absolutely not. It would have only been unwise to buy either HD DVD or blu-ray because the "herd" moved us that way, we felt an impulse to do so, or felt like we "had to have it" to keep up with the proverbial "Jones" family. Wisdom gives us patience and allows us to take calculated risks moving into the future.
From Solomon, "To get wisdom is to love oneself; to keep understanding is to prosper." (Proverbs 19:8)
Thanks for reading
Mike
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