Here it is, a summary of what I learned this semester...
In no particular order...
1. The Church often fails in how we talk about the Holy Spirit. We either ignore the Spirit completely or overemphasize the Spirit--all in a way that does not accurately convey who we say we believe in the Holy Trinity. This has PROFOUND implications in theology and practice. In the words of Dr. Turner, it is all about learning about who the person of the Holy Spirit is!
2. There are some major problems with substitutionary atonement. If we are not talking about what we are saved for then we lose the mission of God. The mission is not "saving" but getting involved in why and how God is saving. God is saving more than human souls--God is redeeming the world for a purpose. Yet again, understanding this has HUGE implications for ministry. This is huge for evangelism, how we explain salvation, how we ignore sanctification, etc. It also ties in very closely with a diminished view of the Creator God, the Resurrection of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit.
3. Protestantism has some problems. These limitations are most present in #1 and 2. We make things all about the cross, all about Jesus, all about Scripture. There is nothing wrong with these things, as they are critical yet not the full story and therefore not the full Gospel.
4. Hitting children in NO way fits into what we as the Church believe about God, humanity and how people learn. And it is WAY more theological than we would EVER want to imagine.
5. There is a Church that exists in the prison. And unlike my previous thoughts before taking a class in Prison Ministry, it isn't just because prisons are filled with those who are innocent or political/religious prisoners. If we want to really know what redemption means, then we desperately need to hear from these Brothers and Sisters.
6. This semester Sam Wells wanted to give us the gift of knowing how to dismantle arguments. And therefore I learned that you can argue about something until you are blue in the face both thinking you are right unless you learn how to explain the perspective in which you or another person is coming from. In the words of Dr. Jennings, it means getting closer rather than moving apart.
7. There is great beauty in redeeming birth and death from insitutions. Both are a windows into what it means for us to be creatures who were made by and for God.
8. The nation-state is an Enlightenment concept and therefore there are some real problems with it. We would be wise to not see it as providence, but to see it as an imperfect tool to help us to get closer to the type of people and world God would want us to be.
9. I need to learn more about the theology of beauty and the body.
10. The beauty of the Church is that we are supposed to provide the gift of alternatives to the rest of the world. We are freed for new ideas and are being sanctified by the Creative force of the Holy Spirit.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
The National Championship and the Church
Okay, forgive me people, but Duke basketball analogies are constantly on my mind...and even for Carolina fans it has the potential to bring good news...
1. The little things
This year Duke had one of those teams that in the beginning of the year no one thought would make it very far. I remember losing so much of my confidence with the loss of Greg Paulus (the emotional heart), Gerald Henderson (the slasher), Elliot Williams (the up-and-coming freshman) and some of our key bench players (Dave McClure, Marty Pocious, and Olek Czyz). But in the ashes of these loses emerged a Duke team that relied on teamwork and became winners because they were a unit rather than talented individuals. What would the Church be like if we could learn to play like a team that works well together rather than be rugged individuals? What would the Church looked like if we learned how to cherish our memories together? What would it look like if we learned to look for miracles in small places?
2. The Glory of Victory
Although I watched the game from Cameron, it took me a few days to realize that we had won. It began to sink in once I saw the bookstore fill with National Championship t-shirts. When campus started to flood with outside visitors. When even the ghettos of Durham were even pumping out their own $5 T-shirt designs in honor of the win. When the coaches and players returned to give their testimony. When we as fans gathered to remember and talk about what happened. Even in the days and weeks afterward folks began to proudly wear their newly minted Duke gear. And then it made me realize that someone else, namely the team, had to secure this win so that the rest of us could have the right to say that "we" too had won the National Championship. I think this is what Church is supposed to be like. Gathering to remember, to witness, to testify...all because someone else secured our victory and gave us a right to have a new name (National Champions/Beloved of God) written on our chests and hearts.
3. The Discipline of Celebration
The excitement around following the win was amazing. It came with deep laughter, light-hearted love and amazement and butterflies! I can't help feeling the elation again when I watch videos from Cameron where the students erupt into pure joy!!! My eyes water, my heart skips a beat and a smile cannot be quieted from my face. At first I jokingly told my friend Allison who is an IV staffworker at Duke to play Cascada's "Everytime We Touch" at the regional summer camp in front of everyone at dinner. I knew that the song would cause the Crazies to jump out of their seats and into a jumping frenzy! To rationalize it I said, "Just tell the others to enter into our joy" and to "rejoice with those who rejoice." And then I realized that maybe that isn't too far from the Church's job. If we practiced these disciplines of sharing with one another and celebrating together then how much more could we learn to be One with each other as Jesus prayed while in the garden of Gethsemane (John 16)?
1. The little things
This year Duke had one of those teams that in the beginning of the year no one thought would make it very far. I remember losing so much of my confidence with the loss of Greg Paulus (the emotional heart), Gerald Henderson (the slasher), Elliot Williams (the up-and-coming freshman) and some of our key bench players (Dave McClure, Marty Pocious, and Olek Czyz). But in the ashes of these loses emerged a Duke team that relied on teamwork and became winners because they were a unit rather than talented individuals. What would the Church be like if we could learn to play like a team that works well together rather than be rugged individuals? What would the Church looked like if we learned how to cherish our memories together? What would it look like if we learned to look for miracles in small places?
2. The Glory of Victory
Although I watched the game from Cameron, it took me a few days to realize that we had won. It began to sink in once I saw the bookstore fill with National Championship t-shirts. When campus started to flood with outside visitors. When even the ghettos of Durham were even pumping out their own $5 T-shirt designs in honor of the win. When the coaches and players returned to give their testimony. When we as fans gathered to remember and talk about what happened. Even in the days and weeks afterward folks began to proudly wear their newly minted Duke gear. And then it made me realize that someone else, namely the team, had to secure this win so that the rest of us could have the right to say that "we" too had won the National Championship. I think this is what Church is supposed to be like. Gathering to remember, to witness, to testify...all because someone else secured our victory and gave us a right to have a new name (National Champions/Beloved of God) written on our chests and hearts.
3. The Discipline of Celebration
The excitement around following the win was amazing. It came with deep laughter, light-hearted love and amazement and butterflies! I can't help feeling the elation again when I watch videos from Cameron where the students erupt into pure joy!!! My eyes water, my heart skips a beat and a smile cannot be quieted from my face. At first I jokingly told my friend Allison who is an IV staffworker at Duke to play Cascada's "Everytime We Touch" at the regional summer camp in front of everyone at dinner. I knew that the song would cause the Crazies to jump out of their seats and into a jumping frenzy! To rationalize it I said, "Just tell the others to enter into our joy" and to "rejoice with those who rejoice." And then I realized that maybe that isn't too far from the Church's job. If we practiced these disciplines of sharing with one another and celebrating together then how much more could we learn to be One with each other as Jesus prayed while in the garden of Gethsemane (John 16)?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Great Expectations
In the past few days, expectations has hit me over the head--but this time, in a positive way. It is fascinating to me how much our lives revolve around having expectations and reacting to them. In the therapy world, there is a lot of talk about the pressure and reality of false expectations. I find it really interesting that we often leave discussions of "expectations" in the realms of dating and sex. These conversations arise out of relational conflict, so it made me pause to think that perhaps "expectations" are present throughout our relationship.
For example, I utterly and completely clash with my family when we go on vacations. I get mad and angry when my precious vacation time is violated. For instance, at the beach I want to sleep in, grab breakfast at home, read all day long on the beach, return for a shower, go out to eat, watch a rental movie and go to bed--and most importantly--NEVER turn on the television. So when I get woken up early, get conned into an afternoon activity or get sucked in by a TV that's left on, I end up feeling angry and resentful. In reality, we simply have different ideas (and therefore expectations) of what a vacation is like.
To avoid the drama this year, I tried hard to state clearly to my family what I wanted to do on our vacation. I even tried to do some flexible planning so that I wouldn't get grumpy and frazzled so that some of my expectations could be fulfilled. I tried to gage from others what they wanted to do as well. Although my attempts didn't work out so well, I think next time I would advocate assertiveness and sharing my expectations and preparing folks for the inevitable emotions that come with unmet expectations.
Now the old therapy discussions of false expectations is real. If you are on a limited budget, you probably can't expect to go on a $100 per person dolphin sight-seeing excursion, but you can use other people to help you identify realistic desires and help others to realize them. For example, if dolphins are what propels the desire then go visit the Aquarium or if its about the adventure, rent a kayak or jet ski.
"Go with the flow" or "just be open" never really works. Just as one of my history professors says that every "unbiased" historian has an ideology, every just-wanna-be-open-person has expectations. I think underneath that attitude is a desire for people-pleasing and stifling ones desires so that they won't be hurt. I think that there are some rare occassions where "going with the flow" is real, but it comes out of a deep desire for abiding with ones company. In that sense, one's expectation is to enjoy and be with people. I don't think that either is a more holy place than the other.
One of the things that I'm finding about being honest about expectations and setting boundaries is that it leaves room for you to enjoy what you have. Having expectations is inevitable, so things become less messy when you can be honest about them. But it also creates room for beauty. There is a bizarre mix of healthy goal-setting and even a more authentic sense of openness when expectations are clear. Acknowledging expectations allows you to truly enjoy something for what it is. For instance, if you say that you want to spend a week reading on the beach or take an excursion then you can not only enjoy those moments, but there is a sense of fulfillment that your goal has been met. Perhaps it didn't radiate every expectation you had for it, but there is a sense of satisfaction of "crossing something off your list" as my friend Katie describes it. And then if you take care of some of your more important expectations, then you have room to explore other things without feeling of loss when your own needs and desires aren't met.
So the word is...figure out your expectations, communicate them, compromise and enjoy :)
For example, I utterly and completely clash with my family when we go on vacations. I get mad and angry when my precious vacation time is violated. For instance, at the beach I want to sleep in, grab breakfast at home, read all day long on the beach, return for a shower, go out to eat, watch a rental movie and go to bed--and most importantly--NEVER turn on the television. So when I get woken up early, get conned into an afternoon activity or get sucked in by a TV that's left on, I end up feeling angry and resentful. In reality, we simply have different ideas (and therefore expectations) of what a vacation is like.
To avoid the drama this year, I tried hard to state clearly to my family what I wanted to do on our vacation. I even tried to do some flexible planning so that I wouldn't get grumpy and frazzled so that some of my expectations could be fulfilled. I tried to gage from others what they wanted to do as well. Although my attempts didn't work out so well, I think next time I would advocate assertiveness and sharing my expectations and preparing folks for the inevitable emotions that come with unmet expectations.
Now the old therapy discussions of false expectations is real. If you are on a limited budget, you probably can't expect to go on a $100 per person dolphin sight-seeing excursion, but you can use other people to help you identify realistic desires and help others to realize them. For example, if dolphins are what propels the desire then go visit the Aquarium or if its about the adventure, rent a kayak or jet ski.
"Go with the flow" or "just be open" never really works. Just as one of my history professors says that every "unbiased" historian has an ideology, every just-wanna-be-open-person has expectations. I think underneath that attitude is a desire for people-pleasing and stifling ones desires so that they won't be hurt. I think that there are some rare occassions where "going with the flow" is real, but it comes out of a deep desire for abiding with ones company. In that sense, one's expectation is to enjoy and be with people. I don't think that either is a more holy place than the other.
One of the things that I'm finding about being honest about expectations and setting boundaries is that it leaves room for you to enjoy what you have. Having expectations is inevitable, so things become less messy when you can be honest about them. But it also creates room for beauty. There is a bizarre mix of healthy goal-setting and even a more authentic sense of openness when expectations are clear. Acknowledging expectations allows you to truly enjoy something for what it is. For instance, if you say that you want to spend a week reading on the beach or take an excursion then you can not only enjoy those moments, but there is a sense of fulfillment that your goal has been met. Perhaps it didn't radiate every expectation you had for it, but there is a sense of satisfaction of "crossing something off your list" as my friend Katie describes it. And then if you take care of some of your more important expectations, then you have room to explore other things without feeling of loss when your own needs and desires aren't met.
So the word is...figure out your expectations, communicate them, compromise and enjoy :)
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Abounding Beauty
(this is Jen fixing a previous post, May 6)
For the past few weeks, my mind has been incredibly opened to the power and presence of beauty. Perhaps it is the arrival, the in-breaking and the blossoms of Spring that have sprung this one on me. I have a tendency to let reality stifle creating beauty in my life. But for some reason, beauty makes me thankful, hopeful and joyful. This should not be a surprising find given that some Catholic friends I met who have a prison ministry in their home spoke so much about a theology of beauty and how their home was meant to reflect that.
When I actually get around to cleaning my house, it pushes me to be more thankful for what I have. There is something bizarrely wonderful about taking care of something, polishing it up, experssing a hidden inner beauty, and having the comittment to tidy everything up just a week later. But I know that when my house it clean, I get a chance to rejoice in the beauty that I create through decorating as it fuses with God's gifts: bright sunlight coming through a room, an inherited piece of furniture or birds chirping as background music to a beautiful morning waking up in a room of calming colors.
I'm finding that beauty abounds in the most unexpected of places and it brings joy to my heart! Typically I identify beauty as costly and shallow, but the joy in my heart is what cries out for a balance. Look at the woman who anoints Jesus with oil--she is a testimony of abundance and beauty where she pours an expensive perfume on the Savior's feet. As the disciples get tongue tied wondering why this woman should let something go to waste, Jesus reminds them that this woman will be remembered for her faith for generations.
Now I am an opponent of the health and wealth Gospel, but I cannot deny that this woman used something costly and material and used it to point to the new reality of the coming Kingdom that Jesus would inaugurate with his death and resurrection. Perhaps there is room to experience and express beauty as a reminder of the coming Kingdom and the beauty of the love and character of God.
Posts for the coming weeks: The Theology of the Body, The Creative Spirit...who knows, maybe I'm slowly becoming Catholic!
For the past few weeks, my mind has been incredibly opened to the power and presence of beauty. Perhaps it is the arrival, the in-breaking and the blossoms of Spring that have sprung this one on me. I have a tendency to let reality stifle creating beauty in my life. But for some reason, beauty makes me thankful, hopeful and joyful. This should not be a surprising find given that some Catholic friends I met who have a prison ministry in their home spoke so much about a theology of beauty and how their home was meant to reflect that.
When I actually get around to cleaning my house, it pushes me to be more thankful for what I have. There is something bizarrely wonderful about taking care of something, polishing it up, experssing a hidden inner beauty, and having the comittment to tidy everything up just a week later. But I know that when my house it clean, I get a chance to rejoice in the beauty that I create through decorating as it fuses with God's gifts: bright sunlight coming through a room, an inherited piece of furniture or birds chirping as background music to a beautiful morning waking up in a room of calming colors.
I'm finding that beauty abounds in the most unexpected of places and it brings joy to my heart! Typically I identify beauty as costly and shallow, but the joy in my heart is what cries out for a balance. Look at the woman who anoints Jesus with oil--she is a testimony of abundance and beauty where she pours an expensive perfume on the Savior's feet. As the disciples get tongue tied wondering why this woman should let something go to waste, Jesus reminds them that this woman will be remembered for her faith for generations.
Now I am an opponent of the health and wealth Gospel, but I cannot deny that this woman used something costly and material and used it to point to the new reality of the coming Kingdom that Jesus would inaugurate with his death and resurrection. Perhaps there is room to experience and express beauty as a reminder of the coming Kingdom and the beauty of the love and character of God.
Posts for the coming weeks: The Theology of the Body, The Creative Spirit...who knows, maybe I'm slowly becoming Catholic!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Duke Basketball: Favorite Images from 2009-2010's
Return of the Champions!!
In your face!! I bet Harrison Barnes wishes he signed with Duke! Next year you can skype your one-and-done status.
Jon Scheyer--never afraid to battle for the ball. Check out Jon's mom who has a petrified look on her face. Is it scary that I did the exact same thing she did?! Mr. Scheyer seems to think his tough son will be alright.
Only regular season shot that I can't find is Miles Plumlee getting stiches in his head and coming back for a dunk!
Zoubs picking up Wojo after the National Championship game!
Nolan in front of the 1980 Championship logo after winning his own championship in 2010. His late father won in the same city in 1980!
Nolan Smith as Johnny Dawkins for his attempt at winning hte dunk competition
The bye-bye Vasquez poster! Word of advice to the Crazies for next year: use hand sanitizer before touching the blue sharpie to sign posters to avoid all-campus flu-like symptoms outbreak!
Getting my game face on before the Duke-UNC game. Thanks Dad for the paint job!!
And the Div School is back to foul shot antics. Glad to say that these folks might one day be your pastor :)
In your face!! I bet Harrison Barnes wishes he signed with Duke! Next year you can skype your one-and-done status.
Only regular season shot that I can't find is Miles Plumlee getting stiches in his head and coming back for a dunk!
Zoubs picking up Wojo after the National Championship game!
Nolan in front of the 1980 Championship logo after winning his own championship in 2010. His late father won in the same city in 1980!
And of course, who can live without my view of Duke winning the 'Ship from inside Cameron! With Zoubek "Z" in view. Rushing the court. Screen view.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Jen's Trend Alert!!
Here it is, a few of my favorite things!
2. Chambray
photos, tenthousandvillages.com, double hoop brass earrings made in Kenya $18, scrollwork hoop earrings made in India $16, layered spirals earrings made in Kenya $10.50
1. Nail Polish
Check out O.P.I.'s You Don't Know Jacques--Matte or Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Commander in Chic. I never thought that I would be a nail polish fan.
2. Chambray
photo: Gap tote, $34.50
3. Bags from saribari.com
Inexpensive bags made from discarded sari's and stitched together by women in Calcutta's red light district. FAIR TRADE!!
photos: saribari.com, approx $20
4. Earrings from Ten Thousand Villages
photos, tenthousandvillages.com, double hoop brass earrings made in Kenya $18, scrollwork hoop earrings made in India $16, layered spirals earrings made in Kenya $10.50
5. Leather Flip Flops
photos: abercrombie.com, leather flip flops $46 also available in kids
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