josh schmidt

Exiles

Over the past weeks I have been recommending Michael Frost's book "Exiles." A profound call to everyone who takes our image of God seriously. This may have been one of the most substantial books I have read all year, and I plan to make a regular practice of reading it over the years.

Here are some quotes:

"I want to hear a new song, a revolutionary Christ-song that summons from me greater faith in the new world that God is forming within us. Likewise, I want to hear a spoken wordin the assembly that expresses danger, energy, possibility, an opening for newness. So much of our preaching is so overly concerned with the technical questions of getting the truth right that preachers have squeezed all the life out of the gospel. We have thought of the gospel as a fragile and precious object and have held it too tightly, rendering it shapeless and uninteresting. Much of what passes for gospel speech these days is not dramatic or artistic. It is bound by the reason of technique and overly concerned with correctness. It seems stilted and mechanical. We believers hear it presented to us week in and week out, and by virtue of the very fact that we are believers, we put up with it. Our struggle in the twenty-first century will be thet struggle to maintain our commitment to teachings of Jesus and the revelation of the gospel in the New Testament while endeavoring to rediscover a robust, poetic faith that abandons certitude and inanity."
     (Pg. 24-25)

"The new fellowship transcends every limit imposed by family, class or culture. We are not winning people like ourselves to ourselves but sharing the good news that in Christ God has shattered the barriers that divide the human race and has created a new community. The new people of God has no analogy; it is a 'sociological impossibility' that has nevertheless become possible"
     (quoting David Bosch, Pg. 104)

"A genuine Christian environmentalist will recognize that tending and revering the creation is part of God's divine plan for God's people. Too many Christians have spiritualized their faith to the point of marginalizing or ignoring ecology. Some people are environmentalists primarily for humanitarian or aesthetic concerns, others for economic prosperity, public attention, or political gain. Exile, however, are environmentalists precisely because they are Christians."
     (Pg. 250)

If you are looking for your next read make it this book. For more overview (because I couldn't find it listed anywhere online), here are the contents:

PART I: DANGEROUS MEMORIES

CHAPTER 1 - Self Imposed Exiles
                     The Memory: God Will Rescue the Exiled People
CHAPTER 2 - Jesus the Exile
                     The Memory: Jesus Was a Radical and a Subversive
CHAPTER 3 - Following Jesus Into Exile
                     The Memory: Jesus Is Our Standard and Example

PART II: DANGEROUS PROMISES

CHAPTER 4 - Exiled From a Hyper-Real World
                     The Promise: We Will Be Authentic
CHAPTER 5 - The Exile's Espirit de Corps
                     The Promise: We Will Serve a Cause Greater Than Ourselves
CHAPTER 6 - Fashioning Collectives of Exiles
                     The Promise: We Will Create Missional Community
CHAPTER 7 - Exiles at the Table
                     The Promise: We Will Be Generous and Practice Hospitality
CHAPTER 8 - Working for the Host Empire
                     The Promise: We Will Work Righteously

PART III: DANGEROUS CRITICISM

CHAPTER 9 - Restless with Injustice
                     The Critique: You Have Been an Unjust Empire
CHAPTER 10 - Exiles and the Earth
                       The Critique: You Have Not Cared for God's Creation
CHAPTER 11 - Comforting the Oppressed
                       The Critique: You Have Not Protected God's Children

PART IV: DANGEROUS SONGS

CHAPTER 12 - Exiles at the Altar
                       The Song: To God Be the Glory
CHAPTER 13 - The Songs of Revolution
                        The Song: Jesus Ain't My Boyfriend

Looking back

When my life seems to come to crossroads I often fall back on old journals. Journaling may be the greatest, unintentional, hobby I picked up 10 years ago. This week I have spent a lot of time re-reading and the moments of past crossroads are profoundly encouraging. In the midst of ministry I have found this journal entry from July 15th, 2005 very interesting. This is one of the first entries after I realized that God may be calling me to be a leader in reaching a new generation with another way of defining church. I almost never share any of my journal material with others, but this one really spoke to me (ha, I guess I've touched my own heart... that's fun). Enjoy, and remember that this is a journal entry - It may not be written very well.

"So I guess in some ways I am feeling more lost than I ever have, and at the same time the most excited about what the next turn will expose. This journey with my God is becoming more and more confusing, but it doesn't seem to be God that is confusing me, rather my church experience. It seems that the reality of grand and God's pursuit of me is beating its way into my heart but with each new lesson I find myself questioning how it fits with what I've been taught and shown by the church. Somehow my personal experience with the church stands in complete contradiction to the life and ministry of Jesus.

How is it that my Jesus was simple, plain, ordinary, approachable, and gracious, yet the church - the living example of that very life - is indoctrinated, established, big, bold, loud, and waiting for me to come to it; and quite honestly, when I get there, it's quite intimidating.

Where is the soft-spoken leader who really finds himself less than me? where is the man who truly serves me? Sure, they have provided me with the services of programs, ideas, and very neatly prepared time of music and message, but are they serving me? Seems to me I'm serving them. Without me, and all the other 'me's' in that place where would his job be? And if all the 'me's' had no money would we still be served? Would they make the greatest effort to take care of the needs of my life, whether I gave or not? Would they still pursue my happiness with just a little hope that maybe, just maybe, I too would be touched by the hand of Jesus?

These and thousands of others are the thoughts that I assumed I alone carried the load of all these years. But, one-by-one I am seeing and hearing stories of these men and women of grace. But, once again, It seems to contradict what I thought I knew. These men and women don't seem to lead the kinds of lives I was always taught a 'solid Christian life' would have. They seem to be common, have problems, questions, they discuss theology in bars with beer and cigarettes. They are either so far ahead or so far behind (I'm not sure) that they don't particularly get along with 'the church.' Still they walk with confidence, even knowing there may not be support or understanding from those who claim to be working at the same task of serving others for the sake of Jesus. These are men and women who are more passionate about love than about programs (which for one reason or another has become synonymous with ministry).

It also seems that these men and women haven't been collected to one given area; nor will they ever be. There are some here, and some there, each in a different part of the world, each with their own territory that God has called them to.

I have offered my frustrations with, observations of, and challenges to the church, and while my own thoughts are often dismissed, they are coming to a resolution in so many different places, with so many other people.  It is frustrating, but encouraging to know that I am not the only one with this burning desire to see things change. It's good to know that other men and women, despite their personal flaws or imperfections, choose to live the life of Christ best they can. They get it.

Still, despite all these testimonies I feel so alone and so unsure. Those people have communicated with me from thousands of miles away with web blogs, music, and books. They are not here, with me, to talk, to listen, to pray and do.

Who's footsteps can I walk in and learn from?

Where are my training wheels here? I feel like I am going to be learning to ride this bike alone, with help only from a distance.

It's all so strange to though. I mean, why is it all that hard? My goal is to love my God, then my neighbor - how hard is that? It's not in principle, the problem is, I don't know that I've ever seen an example of it with my own two eyes.

My God, won't You guide me? If I am to do this then reveal it to me and if this is my service to you then may my heart say, even in its fear and un-knowingness, SEND ME!

                                                                                    

Mad TV iRack Apple Iraq war parody

Steve Jobs introduces the new "iRack"

Manhattan Measure

New York artist measures the width and length of Manhattan with red yardsticks. This trailer documents the first three days of what will be a year-long project. Check out manhattanmeasure.com for more information.

Out of Order

Hey all,

I have had a horribly frustrating time with my computer. I got the blue screen of death about a month and a half ago, spent three weeks trying to get HP to repair it (in the meantime I was constantly being pitched a new service plan to buy), they took it back, and returned it to me, supposedly fixed. This week (only two weeks later) it did the same thing... So I am frustrated with HP.

All this to let you know that I have been, and am still, unable to blog accept from others computers. So sorry. I will be back at it next week I hope.

PS. Buy Mac!

Why You Should NOT Plant a Church

These are the opening paragraphs to a wonderful article, written in a classic tone....  Check out the link at the bottom.

You’re reading this because in some way you have become involved in the wild-and-wooly world of Church Planting.  This piece has been put in your hand because you’re trying to decide if this is really what you’re supposed to do.  Before we go any further, let’s get one thing perfectly clear.

You are not Belshazzar the King.

Seriously, if I meet one more would-be Church Planter who’s waiting for God to ‘write on the wall’ before he and his wife take the leap into the great unknown, I’m going to have to quit doing what I do and become a ‘motivational speaker’. 

You are not a King.  You are not a Prophet.  You are not an Apostle. You are one simple soul who’s feeling called to walk out the Divine Missional Partnership with God in a specific manner, that being: to copy the Creator in the smallest of ways by creating ‘something from nothing’ a Church where previously there was no Church...

(the rest of the story at Acts 29 )

Sundance

This week on Itunes there is a free download of Big Ideas for a Small World. A thirteen part series on the Sundance Channel discussing solutions for the Global Warming crisis.

This past summer I read a book by Micheal Frost titled, Exiles in which he addresses some of the issues facing Christians as it comes to issues like global warming. I highly, highly recommend giving this book a read this summer.

Lent cross

During a woship time in Lent students sat around a cross on the floor and lit tealite candles while Scriptures from the Mosaic covenant were read. The scriptures focused on the cost of a sacrifice at the Tabernacle. We were ecouraged to consider the cost of the perfect sacrifice.

Q !!!

If you're looking for a new phone, and your looking to get something that got fancy-pants, I highly recomend the Motorola Q from Verizon. I got mine a few months ago and have had no problems. I love the track wheel and layout of the home screen. It is as easy to use as the Blackberry and no fumbling around with that "touch screen" crap from PALM.

I bought the bigger battery (which you will need, the one it comes with lasts a whoppin 3 to 4 hours!), I also bought the expanded memory because im using the camera a lot.

If your looking for a new phone.... Q !!!

It seems Good

I'm re-reading Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell. I loved this book the first time through but there is too much in it to consume it all even in a second reading. Chapter two struck me this week, especially in light of preparing to kick off The Village.

Rob suggests that the Scriptures were never meant to be studied independently. They were written to be read communally, and when they were being studied they were always studied within the context of a community. I wondered how this approach to studying Scripture could affect a community of believers.

Today it is understood that the Pastor is the professional; he/she is paid to study, learn, interpret, and teach. Congregations adopt the theology of one mans teachings (right or wrong). The room for error or deception is very high when there is no accountability. It is said that you can make the Bible say whatever you want it to say when its taken out of context; for example:

"God hates fags!!!"

The damage from even a few teachers, going it alone, without accountability, can and will make headline news, and set those of us back who are trying to show the love of Jesus in our world.

So if this Holy Book was never meant to be studied alone, what would it look like if a community of believers had a team of leaders who refused to teach on any passage or subject before they communally discussed and interpreted it? What if there was not ONE man who decided what "right" in the text, but, SIX, spiritually strong. What if they chewed on it together, then decided, like in Acts 15:28 what "seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us" before ever presenting it to the larger body?

Rob continually makes the point that these Scriptures are alive. They reveal the truest us, and are the guidance to living the realest now. They are deep, hard, powerful, mysterious, and dangerous.

Every generation has interpreted it best they can for their context, we do the same today. If it was meant to be communal than maybe communal it should be.