Shalom: a caring, sharing community where there is none to fear.

The words that serve as a title to this post are from Walter Brueggemann, early in his book entitled "Peace".  

It's no small irony that I walked into my home carrying this book tonight.  As I left my car I passed a young african american man who was cutting through the empty lot next to my house.  He walked through the grass, stopped next to the trailer parked in front of the house with the words "Sunshine Gospel Ministries" on it, bent over, placed a metal object on the tire that clanked as it hit the wheel well, and moved on without saying anything to me. 

I knew what it was.  I knew he'd stashed a gun.  

I went in the house, let Jessie, our dog, into the yard, and grabbed a glove.  I recovered the gun and called the cops.  

Soon, another young man (not the first one) came and looked. Seeing me on my porch he said "I just dropped my wallet here. . . .did you see it?"

"No", I said.  Caleb had come out and joined me on the porch.  He saw the gun, retrieved his camera and took a couple photos.  

Shortly later, both the guys came back, looking carefully under the wheel well, this time no without pretense. "Hey, you know what we are looking for. . . let me get my stuff back".   

"look, I'm a pastor"  (the nuance of ministry leader vs. pastor seemed inane to describe at the moment). . . "I can't do it".    "Be safe. . . " they said, and walked away.  

Caleb had gone in the house and come back.  I gave him my phone, told him to call the police again and tell them to get here quickly.  

5 mins later (30 mins gone by from the 911 call, no police) the second guy returned.  

"look, can I talk to you?"  I approached the fence.  

"hey, this is a grown man. . . just like you are a grown man. . . and he needs his gun" #2 says to me.  "well, I'm a pastor" I said, repeating my well intentioned partial obfuscation, "I can't" . 

"there's no need to get the police involved. .. and you don't have to give it to me. .  just put it back where you found it . . . and there doesn't have to be any trouble. . . "

"Look, I am a minister, and there is too much violence out here. .  I just can't. I can tell you about Jesus, but I can't give you the gun back.  The police are on the way."  He tried one more time. .. . "Look, there is no reason for you to remember me or me to remember you.  I just don't want anyone to get hurt. .  just put it back where you found it. . . "

I told him no again and he left.  About 3 or 4 mins later the TAC team arrived (cops in unmarked cars).  The retrieved the 380 out of the flower pot where I had put it.  I'd met these guys before at the site of a shooting a block from here.  "we know you" they told me. . . and then after shining their flashlights on my front door (the 100+ year old glass one) the coughed with some disgust. . . "still haven't changed out that door huh?!"  They took basic descriptions and headed out, the gun in tow.  

I returned to my book. "where there is no one to fear". . . I prayed.  

Our Father, who art in heaven. . . thy kingdom come. . . on earth as it is in heaven. . . where there is no one to fear.  

Exploring urban entrepreneurialism

As Christians we must hold to fundamental economic principles.  Work is good, we were made for it.  Freedom is crucial, it allows us our ability to conduct the work we were intended to do.  Creativity is a must. . . it is an essential part of our expression of the "imago Dei" stored within us from the creation.  

As an urban ministry we've begun looking carefully at what it means to support, encourage and teach entrepreneurialism and the creation of free, creative work as an element of what it means to bring renewal. . . shalom. . . well-being. . . redemption. . .  to the urban environment. 

Today I had the privilege of listening in as one of our students, Brittany Fisher, competed in a semi-finals business plan competition.  It was great.  Brittany did a classy job of writing and presenting a plan to start her own resume consulting business.  We were and are really proud of her. 

As an organization we are considering plans for a coffee shop, a T-shirt production company, and 3 other businesses.  So this meant that hearing the plans thought through was actually really encouraging.  I mean, what types of businesses would thrive here?  What sort of work in the city would express freedom and creativity?

We got to hear some other ideas as urban kids expressed their visions for businesses.  One was an online music magazine fusing R&B and Funk.  Another was an organic coffee shop.  Then there was the urban clothing line for pregnant teens. . . and the company that creates organic pouches that fit into "any standard sized bra" for those who prefer not to carry a purse.  

These were some true urban perspectives~!

Why we need Caris Pregnancy Centers.

I had a chance to listen to a presentation by the Executive Director of Caris Pregnancy Centers today.  As someone who is strongly pro-life, yet feel like my view of pro-life has widened beyond the normal view held within the evangelical community, I was wondering how I would react.  

My personal tension has been in hearing the discussion about the subject of abortion become one in which a sense of panicked yelling about unborn children is the primary means of communicating about it.  The woman doing the presentation started by saying that our normal discourse in the past few decades has been "if you love the woman your are pro-choice, and if you love the child you are pro-life."  Perhaps an oversimplification yet it did ring true to me.

So she suggested that we start by realizing the God loves them both and so should we.   Our rhetoric, our discourse and our demeanor has often not communicated this in the Christian community public discourse.  (Remember the standard Paul sets up for an elder?  that he is viewed as respectable in the eyes of unbelievers? I think this is an apt comparison for considering how we are viewed as believers on the whole as we interact on this issue.  Does the pregnant teen think we love her, while she is considering ending her pregnancy?)  

She suggested that they worked with about 2500 women last year and 2/3 of them carried their children to term.  There were about 20,000 abortions in cook county last year.    She also indicated that as the economy worsens, abortions tick upward. Their vision is to work with 10,000 women annually by 2011.

Most women who find Caris do so through the internet . . .  people search the internet in response to traumatic news such as unplanned pregnancy.  So normal things like billboards don't really work.  Yet among the highest rates of abortion are lower income communities and they have the least access to technology.  (I suggested they optimize their internet pages for mobile searches).  They indicated they are increasingly counseling via text messages!

Planned parenthood reports that the reasons given for abortion are most often a lack of emotional/social support and lack of practical resources. . . this happens to be exactly what Caris focuses on.  

Their 3 core mission aspects are: Commitment to the woman and her child, Counseling, and Connection to resources.  

One of the most amazing things she said was that virtually every women at some point says "I'd like to keep the child if. . . . ".  that presents great hope for working with women, supporting them and their children. 

Only 1% consider adoption nationally so while we like to talk about that, the reality is that it is almost a non-starter for women considering abortion.  Most women consider abortion in the 8-10 week window, most women opting for adoption don't consider it seriously until the 3rd trimester.  

She framed this as a justice issue which really resonated for me.  Justice for the child, but also for the mother.  I would add that we must frame it as a grace issue.  If we as believers don't love and fully understand the grace of God in our lives we will not be able to tolerate all that it takes to actually love women by providing them the emotional support and practical resources they need.  It is far easier to rant on facebook about our government policies than it is to provide all of the emotional support and practical resources needed to an actual woman and child.

I think we have an interesting crisis of conscience when we agonize over the number of abortions yet have no sense of concern for the mothers.  And that concern means loving sexually promiscuous mothers who are sometimes irresponsible, have other children, have had other abortions and such. In other words grace to the mother is very messy business that I fear we don't want to get caught up with.  

Here is the interesting thing:  the church thinks that Caris needs the churches money to go out and reach out to girls and women of all ages who are in crisis (remember when they were called crisis pregnancy clinics?).  As I listened I couldn't help thinking that it is we the church who need Caris!  We need them to teach us to love the unlovely, the broken and those whose unrighteousness is just like ours. . . except theirs is exposed. (What would I look like if my sin hung on my like a 9 month pregnancy?)

I think we have no business suggesting that we love the child and must speak up on their behalf if we can't love the mother. 

The Rice and Wine (understanding urban ministry)

Twitter and Facebook

Well I just updated to actually use twitter. . . we will see how that works. . . 

or should I say:  wl c how tht wrks. . . ?

I have to learn this new language.  I also began looking at how we use facebook at an organizational level for both Sunshine and Bridge Builders.  I sense that short (twitterish) messages via facebook will be a good way to connect for missions teams as youth leaders are in that next generational communication trend.  

you can follow me (that sounds weird but maybe that makes me old?!) www.twitter.com/joeladamsh

Peace. 

Homeschoolers, Hitler and Obama

We are a homeschool family.  We've had at least one of our kids in homeschool for the past decade.  We are not a die-hard homeschool family, but we do see and have experienced the benefits.  We've tried to overcome some of the obvious short-comings and argued with those who sometimes suggest that homeschooler are inherently socially inept, short-changed and culturally unawares.  These criticisms are normally overblown hyperbole from folks who have either been exposed to a few extremists, or are not plugged into the homeschool community and speak from prejudicial ignorance.  

So I've been a homeschool defender, until now.  I'm shaken.  

This week I was at a speech and debate regional tournament in which my wife and I had several experiences listening to a line of reasoning that says we as a nation, having fallen in love with a Hitlerish figure who has no substance but is a seductive soothsayer full of promises of a brighter future and willfully lulled an apathetic nation under his spell.  Just as the apathy of the Germans allowed them to blindly fall in love with and under the spell of a charismatic leader only to suffer the consequences, so too the United states is headed for a genocidal future. 

The assumption here, which is uniquely white, republican (and includes almost all self described evangelicals) is that the election of President Obama signals God's abandonment of our country into moral decline and debauchery.  Of course this was the same thing people felt about the election of JFK and Clinton and in the intervening years Reagan and the Bushes amounted to a reversing of courses.  

There is a clear association for many of my fellow-evangelicals of defacto equality between Christian virtue and Republican ethics. Yet literally 90% of our fellow members of the body of Christ around the world, and a similar % of our non-white brothers and sisters in the US, do NOT see it this way.  They spoke out almost universally against the war against Iraq, they developed deep distrust of our last President and welcomed with tears of Joy the present administration.

So the general view of US evangelicals rejects the outlook of the body of Christ around the world.  Now, within one of the most culturally isolated (yep, I said it) sub-cultures of US evangelicalism a new line of reasoning, a new line of rhetoric, a new line of hysteria, is developing as Obama is directly identified as a 21st century Hitler.  

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I was recently at the National Association of Black Evangelicals annual conference.  Let me just say for the record that these folks did not vote in lock-step for Obama, but these fellow believers would likely consider this race-baiting dialogue that I witnessed as a return to overt, explicit racism.  You can disagree with him but do it in substance on issues rather than in racially based fear-mongering.  To do that is to foment racist overtones to supplement the already ubiquitous "racialization".  

I have personally both admired and been dismayed by our new President.  My goal is is not to argue for his public virtue, but as I said a year ago, the current election cycle and administration is virtually guaranteed to create further, deeper divisions within the body of Christ. . . that for Christians should be a paramount concern.  

My question is:  Is this a homeschool (white-republican-evangelical) phenomena?  Or is this a larger Evangelical theme building upon the "socialist" labels being applied to the administration?

Mobile blogging from my blackberry?

Mobile Blogging from the NBEA

I've been blessed to attend the National Conference for the National Black Evangelical Association here in Chicago (Oak Lawn) yesterday and today.  

The conference is the beginning of rejuvenating a movement within the black church. I've been really blown away by the sessions I've attended so far and really blessed to be introduced to some new teachers/thinkers as well as reacquainted with some folks I've already been familiar with.  

Carl Ellis is an amazing thinker and teacher.  He's the author of Free at Last (highly recommended) which helps enormously to understand the story of the descendants of Africans within the US who have trusted Christ.  He taught yesterday through a cultural analysis of the black community and its subcultures as well as the role of the black church in this time period.  (the role of the black church in the Age of Obama). . .  he team taught it with theologian/teacher  Mr. Potter.  Very powerful.  Both of these guys are in the PCA which adds a layer of interest for me!

I was also really blessed by the workshop that Dr. Trulear presented yesterday on prison ministry.  He has worked with the Annie E. Casey foundation to develop a program that includes churches engaging before and after those that have been incarcerated return from prison.  It was a really enlightening thought process in which the church is encouraged to consider this type of ministry beyond what is normally just an evangelistic service.  They've developed a set of materials, available for free, that can empower literally ANY church to be involved in this highly important work.  Click here for information on working with children whose parents are incarcerated as well as a larger prisoner outreach ministry.  well researched, great, great info!

The Next Evangelicalism, a review

I have listened to Prof. Soong Chan Rah of North Park College and Seminary for about two years.  He has spoken most often on the topic of this new book, published by IVP.  The first time I got a recording from my young staff, it created a sensation of sorts.  

He had asserted that "If you plan to be a missionary and you enter another culture to carry the gospel but you have not ever had a non-white mentor or spiritual leader you will not be a missionary but rather a colonialist"  (my approximation).  Strong stuff!

This new book builds on themes that are in my estimation undeniable.  First, that the growth within Evangelicalism in the present and future is largely within minority, poor and immigrant communities.  Citing statistics based in the Boston area, I think this assessment has proven to be quite accurate.  

If the overall argument of the book is that (a) the US evang. church is changing demographically and (b) that the leadership and primary influence of the church is held tightly in the grasp of white evangelicals, then I think it is hard to dispute.  Next, Rah critiques the central weaknesses of the cultural realities of a white/western dominated evangelicalism; namely materialism, individualism and racism. Finally, the author asserts that those who make up the future of this church have exceptionally important perspective and value to add but are too often marginalized.  

The central value to this book is in its description of the coming reality of the future of Evangelicalism and the cogent articulation of the unique weaknesses of the church especially as explored through the immigrant/non-white perspective.  These twin ideas that the future of the church is non-white, and from a non-white perspective the evident weaknesses in our church are strategically and relationally insightful.

A perhaps secondary but I think great contribution to literature available to white churches and church leaders is the description of the role of the ethnic minority or immigrant church. Rah's telling of his own story and lacing in the role the church played in his life and that of his friends was captivating.  It's almost like I knew my brothers in the Korean church played a unique role within US society but I couldn't tell the story (of course!).  This is just a beautiful chapter and made me want to more closely identify with the role of the outsider to US culture that our immigrant believer brothers and sisters play.  

As someone that lives as a minority in my community and church, this really resonated with me.  For about 10 years I was in a denomination that had a huge Korean presence (PCA).  My current reality has changed the way I reflect on the reality of my former denomination.  I hope my brothers in the white church that seem to "humor" the Korean presbyterians will read this and gain a new admiration for our korean brothers!  

The weakness in the book, in my mind is the too often repeated phrase "white western captivity of the evangelical church".   As I read the book I realized that Rah regards himself in the role of a prophet rather that "bridge builder" per se.  In other words he's not concerned with those who may be offended.  That's what prophets do.  The downside to prophets, however, is that they don't make very good teachers, which is where I think Rah is actually strongest.  I think he wants to be both but can that work?  Will he actually persuade someone who doesn't basically agree with him already?  I'm not sure.  

One last point:  Rah partially unfolded an expansion of his thinking (which builds on the work of Walter Bruggeman in Peace) about the differing perspectives on the culture of "suffering" vs. the culture of "celebration".  This too needed further development. .  needs. . . I should say.  I hope he writes more about it in the future.  

All in all, a strongly recommended book. . .  but with my own bent toward bridge building vs. prophesying  I would just caution the reader, don't let the use of the phrase "white western captivity" distract you from hearing the substance behind the provocative wording. 

Who is Joel Hamernick?

I had the privilege of sharing my story at a downtown men's bible study recently.  If you've wondered how a suburban white kid ended up serving Christ and living in the city. . . here it is:

chicago fellowship.  

Getting the Blues

The experience of Adam:

"cursed is the ground because of you;

in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life. . . 

by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, 

till you return to the ground. . . "

The experience of John Milton as expressed in Paradise Lost:

"O miserable of happy! Is this the end 

Of this new glorious world, and me so late

The glory of the glory, who now, become 

Accursed of blessed.

What Can I increase, 

Or multiply but curses on my head?"

The experience of Muddy Waters: 

"Well if I feel like tomorrow, like I feel today

I'm gonna pack my suitcase, and make my getaway.

I be troubled, I'm all worried in mind, 

And I never be satisfied, And I just can't keep from cryin'."

"[The]Exile [we find in scripture] points us to our lostness, wandering. . .  We want to rush on in the biblical story. We want to rush on in our lives.  We want Easter Sunday, when the sun rises and the morning returns the light.  The blues makes us wait in darkness."

Adapted from Stephen Nichols "Getting the Blues, what blues music teaches us about suffering and salvation" Brazos Press, 2008.  

Guitar Hero

I have a new guitar hero. I've been reading Stephen Nichols book called "Getting the Blues; what blues music teaches us about suffering and salvation".  

There are several very compelling themes that he unfolds but among the best is a short discussion about a song Blind Gary Davis sings called "Crucifixion".  If you have a rhapsody account you can find it and listen to the song.  

I started there and couldn't help but listen to a series of songs and just come away with this sense that (a) this man loves the salvation the Christ brings from the brokenness of this world and (b) man this brother can play a guitar the way its supposed to be played!

I can't seem to post any of the you tube videos at the moment but search for blind gary davis and you'll find some cools stuff (unfortunately youtube doesn't seem to have crucifixion).

Great Songs:  Death don't have no mercy; Trying to get home; I belong to the band

What I'm really reading. . .

It's been so long since I updated my reading list that I can't remember how to do it!!

So I guess I'll delete it and start over.  I find that so often I get only part way through books and that so many of them are on my shelf unfinished.  I have to read based on my mood.  When I'm tired I find I can only read history.  I've been tired a lot lately.  

So the Sweet Land of Liberty, a history of civil rights in the north; The Forgotten Many, a re-reading of the depression and FDR New Deal era; and Pillar of Fire by Taylor Branch (2nd of 3 part trilogy about America in the King years).  I usually get about 20 pages read in a sitting.  

Then when I'm feeling reflective I continue to wrestle with tougher short theologies such  as Bruggeman's Prophetic Imagination and Wolterstorff's Until Justice and Peace Embrace. 

I've also gotten through Reconciling All Things (Rice and Katongole) which was really helpful discussion and purchased another book in the series called Living Gently in a Violent World by Hauerwas and Vanier.  Also started but haven't gotten too far in Race, a Theological Account (J. Kameron Carter) which will clearly be the most difficult book I read this year.  

Lastly I am reading a small book from the Acton institute on Justice and a great little book by Stephen Nicols called "Getting the Blues".   Wonderful stuff.  hope I can finish them all in the next couple of months!! 

End of a great Bridge Builders week

After my rant last  month about short term missions (STM) not always being a good thing. . . I need to share about our projects and approach this past week.  

First let me say that probably all STM projects have some really cool, redeeming aspects and that ours clearly is not perfect.  But I will say we have gone out of our way to work really hard to make it biblically based, wise, effective and community oriented. 

We hosted about 80 folks from 5 different schools:

Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids MI

Judson University, Elgin, IL

Furman, Greenville, SC

Kennesaw State University,  Atlanta, GA 

Emory University, Atlanta, GA 

The 3 southern schools came as a part of Reformed University Fellowship groups. . . 

Here is what we did:

We spent nearly 20 hours in large and small group settings learning, talking, praying, thinking about themes related to our community. The history of the community.  The cycle of poverty. Issues surrounding race and ethnicity.  Understanding causes of and responses to the poor.  

We spent a similar amount of time in various work projects.  We built a fence (and rebuilt it as the neighbor kids tore some of the posts out the first night!) We hired a local artist to create 3 mural designs and the students did the painting.  We nearly finished one, and got started on a second.  They are awesome,  beautiful, community affirming projects that will be mounted very publicly in our community.   We made significant efforts to support Christ Bible Church in repairs in the food pantry, cleaning in the church and other things that the church helped identify as needed projects. 

We continued work on a community mapping project in which we are using google maps to document the foreclosed buildings in our area. . . something that will allows us to work with local neighbors to stay on top of the huge numbers of buildings that are threatening the stability of various blocks.  We started an ebay store! 

We sent the students into different parts of the city, connecting with about a dozen different ways God is at work in the city.  In short we cast vision for what it means to effectively understand, love and join God at work in the communities of the city. 

Praise God for a great week.  Thanks ya'll!!!

Short Term Missions: A waste?

Ok, I'm going on the record, most short term missions trips are a waste.  

I am tiring of explaining to short term missions agencies and groups that when they say "we want to serve you" what they mean is "we are coming on our terms, our time schedule, our choice of age (often too young) and spiritual maturity (never a consideration -- evidently ministry in our community is viewed as something anyone can do. . . ).  I have spoken to at least one group each week over the past 2 months that want to come and "serve".  They have money, they have people, they have time. .  .  but they haven't a clue about how they come off or about our community. 

The average group wants to come and save our neighborhood (they say "serve" but I know better). Yet, they have no intention of long term relationship.  They have no cultural understanding of the community.  At the first sign of trouble they run out of patience because ministry here isn't "efficient".  Meanwhile at home their church is vigorously praying for their safety (and NOT for the community they are coming to save, evidenced by the fact that as soon as the students leave, the prayers and concern stop).  They appear to think they are better than the residents of our community.  They give the impression they think Jesus shows up with them and leaves with them. 

They think they are needed to give and have no clue how to receive, nor that they need anything from Christians in our community.   They seem to have no clue how much work it is on our end to host them.  

Think about this reverse portrait:  how about your group stays home and sends us the money you were going to spend coming here?  We'll pack up a van and show up with our kids and serve you!  We'll run a program for the kids in your church and tell them about Jesus and assume that they've never heard about him before.  We'll just ask that you let us go around your neighborhood drawing kids from random homes, we'll use the name of your church to get kids to come out.  We will use cultural expressions of music, language, communications style, social mores and others that are from our neighborhood -- making the assumption that to be effective we'll just do what is natural in our neighborhood.  And if you have time to tell us a little bit about the people who live in your community before we serve them, that would be great, but we don't really need to know. .  we'll just work off of our (mostly negative, patronizing) assumptions.  

The amazing thing to me is this:  virtually every missionary I have ever spoken to who is honest about short termers feels this way, but for fear of alienating home churches they don't say it out loud.  

Another element of the scandal:  many short term missions groups MAKE TONS of MONEY off the groups and don't give that money to the communities they are serving!  It's gross.  

So can short term missions be effective?  Yes.  First, find a permanent fixture ministry in a specific community and get to know them.  Second ask them if they have the time/capacity to teach you about the community.  Third, listen a lot (including reading books, watching movies, eating the food, listening to the music).  Fourth, through #3, learn!  Fifth, fall in love with the community.  Six, enter into along term relationship with the community THROUGH the permanent fixture ministry.  

Ask them HOW you can serve and WHEN they could use you.  And be patient, if they are any good at what they do it will be difficult for them to get you involved!!   Only a process like this will work out a way of being effective in service.  It is way too easy to serve badly, self-righteously, ignorantly.  Those who remain in the community need you, but you need them too -- especially to minister effectively.  

I know this probably sounds a bit tough, but as my pastors says, "It's tight, but its right!"

Retaining "Minority" Students

Each year as I speak at colleges (usually white evangelical institutions) about things related to urban ministry, the topic of racial diversity, or the lack of it, comes up.  

Occasionally -- often in fact -- school administrators tell me how hard they are trying to recruit and retain students.  Usually this means that a couple of people on the staff with a passion for it, sometimes under the direction of a school president who shares this passion, are working with recruitment and student retention.  

The numbers are staggering about how few minority students make it through.  The Urban Educational Institute says that only 2.5% of Hispanic and African American boys in Chicago will complete a 4 year college degree by the age of 25.  When you consider that this includes a VAST majority of such graduates making it through state schools and HBCUs, private evangelical institutions are failing abysmally at successfully providing education to about 25% of our country - most of whom come from higher than national average religiously committed communities.  

These schools are often in close proximity to an urban area that has much higher percentage of Hispanic and Black residents. Yet they are very white institutions graduating even whiter graduating classes. 

Next week I will be speaking with a faculty group about this issue.  Because it has funding implications for these schools it is a high priority.  I'll share some thoughts and invite your comments.

At the heart of the issue are a series of things all of which come back to what the institution understands and values.  

1. Culture-blindness.  The institutions neither understand, nor value Black or Hispanic culture.  They might even dress up some of the worship or school's art exhibits but beyond this they rarely go out of the way to learn, value, appreciate or celebrate the culture.  Students often feel not just "not valued" but often devalued.  The institutions often think they are culture or color neutral, which demonstrate the collective blindness and lack of understanding. 
2. Sense of Safety.  In my experience when one crosses cultural boundaries it leads to feeling unsafe until one begins to understand the culture -- truly speak the language so to speak -- or perhaps when a truly trustworthy person acts as an ambassador in a highly personal way.  "Where should we go on vacation?" for a white family is a very different question for that of a black family.  Whites, as the dominant culture assume the whole country is fair game, safe, approachable. .  . except for urban neighborhoods possibly.  But students from minority communities are likely to feel unsafe in a cornfield, where many of these institutions exist.  The cornfield example is just one of many I could highlight. . . but this gets back to the lack of understanding that most white institutions exhibit.  Good intentions don't overcome this.  Inside the institution there are many, many other things that are prone to create a lack of sense of safety, a discomfort, a distrust.  This discomfort or fear makes staying focused on school a huge challenge. How long would you stay in a place where you fear you will be treated unfairly, you feel discomfort, or sense there are lots of unwritten rules no one is sharing with you?
3. The lack of cultural interpreters.  These institutions usually have precious few people who are around (classrooms, athletic fields, lunch rooms, hallways, dorms, etc..) who can help Black/Hispanic students understand, laugh about, negotiate, and express healthy anger about the context they find themselves in.    This has to do with economics as much as race.  The cultural jump from a low income household to a middle class or upper middle class school environment is as tough as the racial span. 
4. Lack of retention of minority faculty.  
5. Lack of minority leadership.
6. Lack of sacrificing sacred cows. 
7. The donor base. 
8. Racial and Cultural isolation of faculty.
9. Theological and Sociological arrogance. 

I would love to ask those of you who have braved this territory a few questions:

1.   If you as a minority made it through, what was the thing that helped you most? 

2. If you didn't, what was the biggest factor(s)?

3. What is the thing you find most troublesome about your experience?

4.  Want to share a crazy story?

Love for corrupt politicians?

I sat in a Starbucks yesterday working on our budget. . . . way too many numbers on a computer screen makes my head spin. 

Next to me sat George W.  (not bush!).  George is a man about 70 I would guess.  We struck up a conversation and I found out that he is a working man, now retired.  Maintenance mostly which I took to mean cleaning with small repairs now and again.  George was dressed respectfully in the way you can with clothes closet charm.  the suit coat and slacks don't quite match, both a dark green and nice material but not often washed and not quite the same. 

The white cotton dress shirt was likely a size or 3 too big, as the sleeves hung out from the coat, but that made room for the 2 layers of white long-johns underneath for warmth.  This was a man of respect and simple means and probably a great backstory. 

As we spoke he shared that he was behind in the rent and looking for odd jobs to try to make it right.  His landlord has taken him to court twice and hit him with the court costs, but the landlord hasn't shown up.  So he still has his place but went from being behind by $400 to now $800 with court costs.  

his rent is $605.  his income is $635 per month.

As we spoke George pulled a bus card from his wallet and told me how the card gave him free access to public transportation.  This was a blessing because he has had cancer a few years ago and while it is in remission, he had gone 2 years without a doctors visit -- because he never had money to ride the bus and get around town for appointments, check-ups, medication and other things.  Rod Blagojevich, who negotiated free public transportation fare for all seniors in IL, is his hero.  probably saved his life literally.  

As we spoke I remembered that my wife reminded me that our kids have health care only because Blagojevich used an executive order to provide the medical care program for children in IL that we are under.  That's why she voted for him last time.  I did too come to think of it.  

So while the whole world is casting aspersions (and rightly so) we should remember that like all of us, Rod Blago is not all bad. 

local history: 3 black US Senators

Since Reconstruction there have only been 4 black senators elected to the US senate.  

3 of the 4 live within about a mile and a half of our home.  I've met our

 current senator (Burris) and think highly of him and his wife, who taught in the Moody Grad School for

 several years. 

Obama's live (or did until this week!) at 51st

 and Greenwood (you can google map their address and see the big brick home!) and I've run into Carol Moseley Braun at the Valois cafe.  

Wild stuff!

More Trouble with "Success"

I sat quietly as a well intentioned student dutifully read aloud my bio to a roomful of listeners, ready for my workshop.  It spoke about my position, work experience and even a bit about my interests and family.  

Earlier in the day I had listened as the bio of another speaker (a really good one too!) was carefully reviewed. . . all the great things he's done for God.  

Call me cynical. . . but I just keep retreating, shrinking, pulling back internally from "great things" done for God.  I was physically ill late last year upon visiting a new church and freshly remodeled portion of an evangelical school. . . clearly millions upon millions had been spent in both cases.  A close friend recently recounted for me how "X" dollars would be spent by his church in a missions project of great efficiency and great effect.  the kind of thing where if you spend these dollars a clear prediction of how many churches will be established can be certain.  

This is exactly the kind of "winning" presentation that I am urged, pushed, influenced, and encouraged to use to portray our work at Sunshine. . . but I just don't buy it.   Don't get me wrong, we are working on our marketing and I know its important.  I just don't know if the "image" is true.  At the very least its an incomplete picture and in that sense, its not true.  

What kind of person or church always grows, always wins, always triumphs, always experiences efficiency and decorum, always impresses, always reflects strengths? No true church or person does.  So if that's all that is presented. . . if that is what is put forward as "success". . . our honesty, and integrity, and understanding are in jeopardy. 

Yet the true church perseveres through adversity, the true Christian loves without concern for accomplishment, fame, reciprocation or adulation.  The true Christian fails, even in this unrequited love of neighbor.  

I don't think God's work is efficient.  I don't think it is predictable in a scientific, expedient, rational way.  There are few Christian leaders I've known who lead out of weakness and suffering, and what Paul calls his resume of garbage.  

How do we want to be introduced?  Whose list of deeds do we want read aloud on our account? 

 

How's this:  imperfect dad, faulty husband, inefficient minister, lowly neighbor, slow learner, one growing only by God's grace, doing small things for a Great God.  Hungry for another round of communion. . . one of sovereignly propped up faith. 

a sense of belonging to places of pain. . .

Chris Rice and Emmanuel Katongole have written a short book on Reconciliation that is a really helpful new resource for those who are interested. It's called Reconciling All Things, A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing.  (IVP). 

Perhaps the most important thing they suggest, aimed at those who are passionate about Reconciliation, is to take a time out.  They argue that without a theological framework for understanding our topic, we will run amuck being faddish, individualistic, justice-fighting or "rescuers" like fireman racing into save everyone.  These are all quite unsustainable, unwise and unbiblical notions.  

They ask "what and where are the patterns of life and social structures to sustain a vision of reconciliation?"  and  "the question we want to ask is, reconciliation toward what?"

Quite rightly the authors suggest that for Christians reconciliation is a gift of God.  It can't be pursued like a check off added to the long list of "to-do's" or well intended newest church "programs."  Real reconciliation is anchored in the dramatic legacy of the story of God. It is about creation-fall-redemption-culmination.  It is interlaced into this story of redemption.  To find it cheaply or quickly scheduled into our strategic plans or even our "calling" is to miss the point.  

The legacy of the story of God includes the idea that some of the wounds of Christ are yet to be fulfilled.  That is, Paul tells us that for the Christian we are going to fill up the suffering of Christ that is not yet complete.  The process of reconciliation is anchored in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.   Suffering is part of the deal to enter into reconciliation.  (Rice sites the experience of many IV staffers who found that literal death set in early for many who thrust their life into reconciliation).  

So I am in agreement with Rice and Katongole that we must pull back, reflect and develop a theology sufficient to sustain us in a walk.  I am also in agreement with them that this is NOT primarily for experts, scholars, pastors or ministry leaders.  It is for ALL who call themselves Christians.  

What I don't completely understand is how.   How do we find the space in our lives to pull back?  It seems like a luxury I don't have.  How do we engage the body of Christ beyond the experts and leaders and a handful with a passion?  I don't know but hope I can learn.  

Such communities of reconciliation are not possible without transformative experiences and engagements sustained by prayer and listening to God, life together worshiping communities, a sense of belonging to places of pain, the long term power of persuasion, and practices such as the capacity to absorb pain without passing that pain on to others.  All of these arise from the deep conviction about God and Jesus Christ. 

more to follow. . .