justice in the burbs

check out this video from our very own samsons...

In the land of Oz.....

I am coming to the end of my first week of travel in Australia. My thanks to the Maddocks for their diligence in posting updates to their blog about our journeys. Today I said goodbye to the Maddocks in Melbourne to fly up to Brisbane to spend a couple of days with Ken and Leanne Baker, who were a part of our community during their time at Asbury. The trip has been great thus far and I've had lots of quality time catching up with the Maddocks and meeting some of their friends. As I've visited with them, toured the city of Melbourne, and began to learn a little bit more about Geoff's home country, I've been constantly reminded of what an exceptional privilege it is to have this opportunity. I do not take this opportunity lightly, and I am grateful to my wife, daughter, and the rest of the community for opening up the space for me to come here. I know that I can feel comfortable and at ease here knowing that you are praying for us and helping to support my family while I am away. So, thanks to everyone for helping to make this opportunity possible, and thanks to those of you who have had been diligent about supporting Geoff and Sherry by staying in contact with them and praying for them over the last six-months. I am glad to say that they have felt well supported by the community and are very excited about their upcoming return to Lexington. It is evident that they have missed everyone greatly and are filled with energy and enthusiasm about the things that lie ahead in Lexington. Their sojourn in Australia has been a sacrifice for them and for the rest of the community, where we have all been made to surrender something that is precious to us. However, being able to come here and see the relationships that they have been building and the ways in which they are learning from others and sharing the richness of our own communal journey, has made it clear to me the sacrifice has been well worth it. They have represented our community admirably and have introduced us into a myriad of neat relationships that I'm sure will be fruitful for many years to come. So, thanks again to everyone for praying for us and for helping to make this journey possible. I've got better internet access here in Brisbane (where I'll be until Thursday) and will try to do another post or two before I head back to Melbourne.

pangs of consumption

Affluenza n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Jones. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste, and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the Australian dream (insert U.S. here). 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth.

this one hurts. not that global warming and environmental degradation or peak oil are fun to wrestle with, but i'm finding out that examining our patterns and rates of consumption hurts to the core because, quite simply, i like buying things. there's nothing like a bit of retail therapy to fix anything.

as geoff and i prepare for forge workshops on sustainability and discipleship, we've dug deep into scripture, books on mission, the trinity, the environment and pop culture books like "affluenza" by clive hamilton. "Affluenza" brings a scathing, prophetic critique against consumerism in the west and how it affects everyone everywhere. the fundamental point hamilton makes over and over again is that the problem of affluenza is not so much with consumption itself, but our attachment to consumption and the ways our very identity is intricately bound to it.

i think this gets at the heart of personhood and ethics. as long as i continue to believe that who i am (or want to be) is tied to what i own or buy, i am a willing prisoner to an unjust way of life. it scares me and recently i've been painfully sobered by this diagnosis. and the only way i see my way out of this insidious state of being is the imagination and life of a community of people embodying a new economy and a redeemed identity. whereas a few years ago i would have been reeling without hope or just stuck in denial, i am confident and somewhat at peace that there is another way.

clive's solution "to mountains of waste is not more landfill sites but fewer shopping centres. We cannot solve the waste problem without solving the consumption problem." these authors have borrowed and composed a "wellbeing manifesto" that begins to get at the problem. he's also got a great website with links to others like this one that offer tangible alternatives and solutions to mass produced capitalism and toxic binging on stuff - check out "living green below your means." fortunately and unfortunately, someone is putting creative ideas and resources out there as the stones are crying out but it isn't the church. issues of consumption and affluenza should be at the forefront of the western church's dealing with itself and part of the message of another Way, for the sake of everybody.

Into Great Silence

Synopsis

Nestled deep in the postcard-perfect French Alps, the Grande Chartreuse is considered one of the world’s most ascetic monasteries. In 1984, German filmmaker Philip Gröning wrote to the Carthusian order for permission to make a documentary about them. They said they would get back to him. Sixteen years later, they were ready. Gröning, sans crew or artificial lighting, lived in the monks’ quarters for six months—filming their daily prayers, tasks, rituals and rare outdoor excursions. This transcendent, closely observed film seeks to embody a monastery, rather than simply depict one—it has no score, no voiceover and no archival footage. What remains is stunningly elemental: time, space and light. One of the most mesmerizing and poetic chronicles of spirituality ever created, INTO GREAT SILENCE dissolves the border between screen and audience with a total immersion into the hush of monastic life. More meditation than documentary, it’s a rare, transformative theatrical experience for all.


I went to see this film recently and found it to be one of the most challenging films I've ever seen. It is 162 minutes of virtually no sound. I found myself in an emotional struggle between romanticizing the setting, feeling a sadness for the monk's lonely lifestyle, wishing the film would finally end, and a feeling of spiritual inadequacy. There are several scriptures repeatedly inserted in the film, which remind the viewer that we must give up everything to be a disciple of Christ. I couldn't help but thinking about how difficult it was to sit in silence with this film and my thoughts for a few hours, but how these monks give their whole lives to this life of contemplation. What does it mean to give up everything? It seems like so many things are gifts from God. Are we to give those up too? Perhaps some other folks will get around to watching this film eventually. I would love to hear your opinions.

Peace, Jeremy.

contemplative life

i've been convicted recently to return to the practice of contemplation. there's so much peace in that practice for me. coincidently, this week's merton quote was on contemplation.

"Contemplation is more than a consideration of abstract truths about God, more even than affective meditation on the things we believe. It is awakening, enlightenment and the amazing intuitive grasp by which love gains certitude of God's creative and dynamic intervention in our daily life. Hence contemplation does not simply "find" a clear idea of God and confine Him within the limits of that idea, and holds Him there as a prisoner to Whom it can always return. On the contrary, contemplation is carried away by Him into His own realm, His own mystery and His own freedom. It is a pure and virginal knowledge, poor in concepts, poorer still in reasoning, but able, but its very poverty and purity, to follow the Word "wherever He may go."

Thomas Merton. New Seeds of Contemplation. New York: New Directions Press, 1961: 5.

so, i am encouraged.

incompatible with society

last weekend, geoff and i had the opportunity to sit down with some families with young children in melbourne (part of the red network) and talk about life in mission as a family. a friend, missionary and fellow american, john jensen, had invited us to join him, his wife and daughter to share our experiences - good, bad and redeemed - about mission, working on the margins, community living and the role of children in all of it.

before leaving for this gathering, we had a nice chat to will and lisa samson. at the end of our catching up, we asked them for some advice in this area (it was a rare chance to include other voices of our community in conversations we're having with people over here). they shared several things with us based on years of experience with three children. they said:

1) accept that mistakes will happen and decide that the most important thing you can do is raise your children to be followers of jesus.
2) that we don't believe our own theology sometimes and it requires tremendous trust to live a life of mission with your children.
3) always be brutally honest with your kids (and during the session john and raquel offered the exact same wisdom).

our discussion with this group in melbourne went well (for almost three hours) and folks were open about their fears, hesitations and uncertainties. who knows what god will do with what we had to say about it. if nothing else, we wanted to testify to the rich and abundant life we've experienced in all our years with communality, especially now with children.
as i reflected on the occasion and all the issues to be considered in raising children in a missional community with commitments to god's kingdom ways, this quote from jacques ellul seemed quite relevant (which came from shane's book):

"christians should be troublemakers, creators of uncertainty, agents of a dimension incompatible with society"

reminders from psalm 104

geoff and i have been studying a brilliant mission text by christopher wright called "the mission of god." it is a sweeping work framing scripture, our understanding of god, the story of israel and creation with a missional hermeneutic. throughout the book, he weaves between the particular and the universal of god's mission. we've found it exceedingly helpful as we've worked with mary fisher through theological questions of mission and planned for our forge workshops on the environment and sustainability.

from genesis 1 & 2, wright reminds us that "creation is intrinsically good. god defines it, not humans. and that the goodness of creation is theologically and chronologically prior to human observation. all created order was divinely affirmed before humanity arrived on the scene."

then he goes on to quote a meditation from a guy on psalm 104 who notes how the poet’s celebration goes way beyond the earth’s provision for human need:

"God planted the cedars and other trees and waters them fully. Birds build nests in them. The stork is singled out in particular: God made fir trees for the storks to nest in, and he made storks to nest in the fir trees. He made high, inaccessible mountains for the wild goats to run and jump upon, and he made wild goats to do the jumping and cavorting. He created the vast expanse of rock-covered earth in eastern Jordan for rock badgers to live and play in, and he created rock badgers for the rocks. Storks and goats and badgers do not serve mankind. They do what is appropriate to them, and God provided a place that is itself fulfilling its function when it ministers to the needs of its special creatures. I know of no more direct word in the Bible about the independent significance of things and creatures on which man does not depend for life. The creative and powerful anthropocentrism of biblical religion is here beautifully qualified: God has interest in badgers and wild goats and storks for their own sakes. He has interest in trees and mountains and rock-cairns that simply serve non-human purposes.”

words from merton

"God seeks Himself in us, and the aridity and sorrow of our heart is the sorrow of God who is not known in us, who cannot find Himself in us because we do not dare to believe or trust the incredible truth that He could live in us, and live there out of choice, out of preference. But indeed we exist solely for this, to be the place He has chosen for His presence, His manifestation in the world, His epiphany."

The Hidden Ground of Love: 157 "

Fragility

Today I found out some news about a close friend of mine. He made a choice that essentially is going to destroy his life, his marriage, his job. I am still in and out of the grace of shock and the pain and anger of the bursts of reality that flicker in and out of my mind like a flourescent light bulb ready to expire. When news like this comes, what are we supposed to do? I feel the utter sense of helplessness in this situation; all I can do is pray. That sounds so weak, yet I have to believe that there is still hope in the situation. Driving to and from work and lunch, my mind went back and forth like a tennis ball in a tennis match; I simply couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that this decision is utterly going to wreck his life. And then there is the anger that is surfacing because of the lies that he's been telling me and our other four close friends. Of course, the question of whether or not we had been "accountable" enough came up, but at the end of the day, I think we can only be as accountable as the information we've been given. And then, fragility pops into my head while I'm framing a window on the house we're currently remodeling. You know, I live my life so care free sometimes; I make choices without regarding the consequences, then deal with them as they come, but most of my consequences are pretty minor. Granted, there have been the consequences that weren't so minor, but the Spirit of the Lord and my community have brought me through those. Yet, what do you do when you don't have community per se because you've moved eight hours away from the only community that you know and then made a life-destructive decision? So many questions, so much helplessness, little, yet present, hope against hope. Why? Why make such a decision knowing that if you're found out it's going to wreck you and the people closest to you? Ugghh...life sometimes seems like a pane of glass; one decision, like a tossed stone, can shatter it. And then there are those who are there to help, cutting themselves on the shards lying at the feet of the broken.

glimpses from the footscray church

our adopted church during our time in melbourne is in footscray. we've loved this congregation and all its diversity and the surrounding area brimming with the color and movement of immigrants and refugees. there seems to be alot of creative energy and connection happening among several families living in the neighborhood and attending the church. from the church's bulletin this is a sample of one of their many efforts to be a community in mission:

slow down

"the theme of today's service is "slowing down." one of the most urgent challenges for christians in the rich nations of the west is to reject the idolatry of the fast-paced, 'in-it-for-what-i-can-get' consumer culture that rules our society.

while this culture is powerfully alluring, it is also powerfully destructive. it is the consumer economy that is driving the climate change that threatens the planet. it is the consumer economy that drives the growing gap between rich and poor across the world.

consumerism and work habits play a major role in family breakdown, breakdown of community, depression and addictive behaviours. in short, it is bad for the world and it is bad for us.

jesus said, 'i came that you may have life and have it in abundance.' can we trust god enough to look for true life outside our consumer culture?"

as a group of christians, one way they are exploring this prevailing issue of consumerism is through "household covenants." this covenant covers savings & investment, debt, giving, environment, consumption, poverty & marginalisation, work & sabbath. they've based the covenant on some work done by folks in the u.s. on sabbath economics. see this website for more information - www.bcm-net.org. we are looking forward to bringing some of this material home to share with our family in lexington.
(sherry)

Sunday at Eloheh

Apologies that this was not announced in our High Street Meeting, but an important note is that the Lexington crew will be joining the Jessamine County folks at Eloheh this Sunday.

Original Message from Randy Woodley:

This Sunday, June 24th from about 2 PM 'til dark we will host a Baptism/Cherokee Water Ceremony for our children, Redbird and Young and will have a feast.

We will provide the meat and non alcoholic beverages and ask that if you are able, please feel free to bring a side dish, dessert, beer, wine, etc. We will be relaxing, roasting a lamb and a goat all day, and will eat at the house at about 6 PM. The ceremony will take place at our creek at about 5PM.

Bring your lawn chairs, swimming suits, suntan oil, beach balls, etc. and have a nice day relaxing. We will set up a slip and slide, kiddie pools (and one big enough for bigger kids like the adults to cool off in), and a sprinkler to run through. We'll also have a little hayride and a place for the kids to feed and pet baby goats and lambs.

The Woodley's farm is located at 1672 Brumfield Lane, south of Nicholasville. If you are in need of detailed directions, please call Lisa or Clinton at 252-4623.

New Poems

I have not written much poetry in quite some time. It seems to me that the academic process blocks much of my creative powers. Yet, the other day as I was reading a new book, "Through the Eyes of Another," I was struck by a quote detailing the difference between the hermeneutic of the ordinary reader and the hermeneutic of Biblical scholarship/exegetical work. The author wrote that the latter studies for knowledge and power and the former for hope and expectation, the former primarily made up of marginalized and oppressed people groups. So, the two poems here revolve around the idea of hope and expectation. I pray that, as a student of Biblical scholarship, my own desires would shift from knowledge and power to hope and expectation. The two are both untitled. I hope that they bless you all. Peace. Dan
____________________________________________

Pink, orange, and yellow shades of twilight
linger here still at nine twenty in the evening.
Dusk makes no rush to push forward
the hands of time; impatience seems foreign today.

The smell of an ultralight cigarette hangs in the air,
evidence of shared conversation and lack of confidence.
And the most recent memories still echo laughter
off of the well acousticed walls.

A hole in the day, a moment of hope and expectation,
carved out of the wooden monotony of one hundred forty eight hours
passing fifty two times throughout a life span -
one brief hour full of love and light and contagious illumination.

Here we reach filthy hands deep into wells of water
that churns and turns and bubbles with life giving stuff,
and as we cup the fluid into our mouths, over our heads,
we drink, and are bathed, in something deeper than the blood we spill.
_________________________________________________

Here do I sit waiting, patiently or impatiently, I am unsure.
For what, I am certain. The strength of a yearning desire
to no longer search for knowledge and power
but to adventure into hope and expectation.

Here do I lay, shedding skins of past goals,
peeling away blinding scales of false promises -
denuded, born again naked before the only goal
for which any and all strivings are made worthy.

Here do I rest, brought to peacefulness, returned
to a brief moment of intimate darkness where all is settled,
save for the dust and ashes of something dead swirling
in a wind that I have never seen.

Here do I reach out, to touch that which gives life,
to be embraced by that which I can only touch
with the finger tips of my imagination
and caress and kiss with the often uttered prayers of my lips.

Follow up on the Kensington Fire

For those of you who are interested in how you can help in the wake of yesterday's Potter Street/Kensington fire that destroyed the Simple Way Community Center and many of their neighbor's homes, there is a link to a relief fund below. With characteristic compassion and swiftness they have moved to assist their neighbors and you can participate in that effort, or help with their own internal community needs as they seek to rebuild. Simply follow the link below to the Simple Way website and you will find more specific instructions there. Thanks....


http://www.thesimpleway.org/

Please pray for the residents of Potter Street

As some of you may already know, there was a major fire early this morning on Potter Street in Philadelphia where our dear friends from the Simple Way reside. I am deeply saddened to report that the Simple Way house at 3200 Potter Street was very badly damaged, and from what I've heard, has been condemned and will probably be torn down soon. I just got off the phone with Chris Lahr and he told me that apparently everyone is ok, though it sounds like Shane made a pretty narrow escape and everyone has lost a lot of valuable personal articles. I think that I can safely speak for anyone who has ever been to 3200 Potter when I say that we've all lost something that is a vital part of our unfolding communal story. This place has truly been one of the most important and life changing destinations for Christian pilgrims in America over the course of the last decade. I know that it is a vital part of my own experience of new birth, a vital part of my relationship with my wife and our understanding of who we are, and is place that has brought a tremendous amount of joy and holy challenge to many of the people that I love. So, I grieve this news, I grieve for our very dear friends at the Simple Way, and I grieve for the people of Potter Street and the surrounding areas. Few of us have the kind of amazing friendship and support network that the Simple Way has, and I know that we will all come around them to love and uphold them during this very difficult time. Meanwhile, I know that they will be loving their neighbors as they always have and doing what they can to assist them in the midst of their own grief and struggle, and I know that the rest of us will be honored to join them in this work. But for now I know that many of us simply want to give thanks that our friends are alright, to grieve for their (and our) loss, and to take some time to think about what that amazingly unlikely place, 3200 Potter Street, has meant to us.

Grace and Tragedy in Kensington

I just received word that there was a 7-alarm fire in Kensington this morning, which is the home of our friends at the simple way. Miraculously, no one was killed or seriously injured. However, their house at 3200 was destroyed. It was a home, a meeting place, an afterschool center. It had a beautiful mural created during the simples' 5-year party, an amazing mosaic in the bathroom, and hours upon days upon years of blood, sweat, tears, and laughter. Those of us who visited know how special it was.

We grieve with them, and pray for restoration of all that happened there, and thank God that no one died.