Just Like The Disciples

Monday night I was with my friend Casey.

At one point I brought up the new Billy Graham Museum & Library in Charlotee, NC. Ever since I found out about this project I've been slightly unsettled about it. Mind you, I don't want to be or even come accross as judgmental and narrow-minded, but the idea of a 27-million dollar museum meant to capture the history of the Good News & evangelism; especially the evangelistic efforts of Billy Graham, seems a bit miss-guided to me. Prior to talking with Casey, I hadn't mentioned my concerns to anyone. Mostly because I don't want to come across as bitter and cynical towards a legacy one man worked tirelessly to integrate into the lives of countless Imago Dei.

But, at the same time, it seems that Graham's legacy, and the goal of the Good News, is to restore man to an unbroken relationship with God where man can find hope, rest, and lasting purpose. And I can't help but wonder if the 27-million dollars spent to create this museum could have been better used to continue Graham's legacies over seas, meeting the needs of so many across the globe. What better way to commerate a life well lived than to continue his work when he himself is unable- but certainly not unwilling.

Casey brought up a valid point, though. Many of my complaints echo those of the twelve, who, when the woman doused Jesus' feet with the contants from the alabaster box, questioned her actions and thought the wealth should be spent of the poor.

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor." Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her. -Matthew 26:6-13 (Luke 7; Mark 14)

While I see my friend's point, I'm curious if there is real application to my concerns here. The woman, a known sinner, came before Jesus, repentant and in adoration. She followed up, acting on her conviction. And, I still hear the words of James who wrote in His letter to the 12 tribes of Israel,

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. -James 1:27

I do not believe faith and evangelism were ever meant to be static and spectator-oriented. And although I do believe it will be a source of inspiration and hold very real meaning for so many, I wonder what will be done with the money generated from this attraction? Is the legacy of love and restoration that defined the life of Christ being turned into a means for profit? I believe Christ had harsh words for those who took lightly the purpose of life... and most specifically, His Father's house.

Even Billy himself expressed concern that the monument was too much about him and not enough about God. But before this comes a bashing blog I must say, that even misguided, Billy's son Franklin has a love and respect for his father and the legacy that he lives for that is seldom found.

Do you have any thoughts?

PS-I think I may have suffered a tick/spider bite. I'm a bit frustrated because it's beginning to engulf my left thigh which means I need to seek medical attention if it does not improve or it worsens by tomorrow afternoon. That's rather annoying and I would appreciate some more of those prayers. Muchas Gracias!

Rights & Responsibilities

Aza's latest "focus" in his life has been "rights & responsabilities." Really, it's about boundaries, but using the words rights & responsibilties can help give a person a better understanding of what healthy boundaries look like. (I'm not sure if that's actually what Aza means when he says rights and responsibilties, but I'm guessing my interpretation isn't too far off.)

I have a situation I learned about a couple days ago that has me very unsettled and left me wondering what I should do in response; where the boundaries lay. Here's a short synopsis of the situation and my thoughts regarding it:

A youth pastor of a youth group I am formarly affiliated with called the parents of the youth in their ministry and told them not to allow their teens over to another student's house because they're dating a much older individual (I think the age difference is 7 years). Now, as iffy as the dating may seem to you, the parents of this teen are very involved with their child and have done a phenominal job raising them and setting boundaries for them.

The problems I have with this part of the story: (a few of them, anyway)
1) The youth pastor is usurping parental authority, which is #1...
2) The YP has no biblical basis for calling the student's actions wrong/sinful
3) If the YP disagreed with the situation, they should have addressed the student and parents, not the social group
4) The student's right to feel safe/accepted/loved/valuable has been deeply violated
5) The YP has over-stepped his rights and responsibilities, which is spiritual abuse.

When I found out about this situation I asked if the Senior Pastor had been approached. I was told that yes, they had been, and the SP said the youth group was seperate from the rest of the church and diverted responsibility.

The problems I have with this part of the story: (again, a few of them)
1) *too angry for words*
2) the church funds and houses the ministry and should be willing to step in and take action when wrong is done
3) the SP is failing to take responsibility for the junk that happens in the ministries under their care
4) The lack of action to protect the rights and health of this student
5) By lack of action the SP is, sadly, being spiritual abusive

So, I've been left to wonder the past few days where my responsibilities are. I'm no longer at that church, but I know of these horrible things happening to a young and amazing student. And, if I should act, what should that action look like/consist of?

If you have any thoughts, please share them.

Asher

Thinking, thinking, thinking...

(look to the post below for pics of the handsome Justus)

For mood-music for this post, listen to this song:



I can always tell when I'm due to figure a thing or two out... I don't sleep. It's not worry, just the thought & decision-making process I go through and have gone through since a child. So much to consider and I'm not really sure which path is best. Lucky for me there's grace for mistakes... still, though...

My grandmother recently asked me if I'd like to take some classes at our CC, just to stay in the swing of things... the answer: yes. Next question: what? I already have a B.S. Yes, I'd love to go to graduate school, but it isn't in the cards, financially, right now. And, how am I to pay for this? Another loan isn't going to happen, I'd rather wait on that for my Masters. The other option is my grandmother... and while I know she'd do it for me, I really don't want her to; I feel compelled to take responsibility for my life and work towards financial independence. I already feel guilty for living in her home and not paying real rent. Something inside me says I should be more adult by now. Without my grandmother's financial support I probably wouldn't have finished Cornerstone. I was and am the great hope of the Kennedy-clan. My older cousins completely ruined any real chance of graduating college and having a real career. And then there's me...

I graduated, but my career choice broke the hearts of my parentals; I brought my family honor for 3 seconds as I received my diploma cover, and then watched their hopes fade as I continue(d) to struggle to find a niche within my field.

I'm waring within myself, trying to figure out where I "should" be. What is the measure of success, anyway? There are so many different opinions about this and I feel like, even at 23, I'm shouting at the top of my lungs, "Won't somebody show me the way? Won't somebody tell me where I should be right now?" I'm sure many of you are like, "psshh... the answers are easy! Why don't you know?" Well, trust me, the answers aren't so black and white.

Is it "success" that I'm serving dinners out of my home every Monday night and encouraging people to be open about their concerns and doubts and rough stuff? (The Haven...) Maybe, but the pressure from somewhere that I feel to be financial secure and independent is unrelenting, let me tell you...
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And what of relationships? I use to think that relationships were solid and that you could depend on them... on people... for extended whiles. And I'm sure that's how it's suppose to be, but it's not where our culture is. Relationships change more often than I get my oil changed... I lost my mentors when I graduated college, my mother and father figures when I left my home church, and more good friends in the past 12 months than I'm sure is healthy. I'm to a point where I just assume some one's going to pick up and leave, lose interest, or shuffle me out like I'm an assigned responsibility rather than a privilege to know. I understand that the above sounds rather negative, but I don't really mean it to be. This new grasp on the fluidity and temperance of relationships in the American culture allows me to move on without being hurt or let down.
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I want kids. I believe I will be a great mother. Perfect? No... but great.

Queen of Catan

- I beat my manager at a game of catan... oooo... let the smack begin...

In other news, here are some great thoughts (found in the Bible and/or John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life )

In response to existential thought...

"How many times can a man look up and not see the sky? There is a sky up there to be seen. You may look up ten thousand times and say you don't see it. But that has absolutely no effect on its objective existance. It is there. And one day you will see it? There is an answer. The answer, The answer, my friend, is not yours to invent or create. It will be decided for you. It is outside you. It is real and objective and firm. One day you will hear it. You don't create it. You don't define it. It comes to you, and sooner or later you conform to it--or bow to it." (page 17)

"You can't go on 'seeing through' things forever. The whole point of seeing through something is to see something through it. It is good that the window should be transparent, because the street or garden beyond it is opaque. How if you saw through the garden ,too? It is no use trying to 'see through' first principles. If you see through everything, then everything is transparent. But a wholly transparent world is an invisible world. To 'see through' all things is the same as not to see." (cs lewis qtd in piper, 2o)

And Jordan and I discovered this verse while forming our philosophy of min for a website we're launching...

"We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves by themselves, they are not wise. We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you... but let him who boasts, boast in the Lord." - First Corinthians 10:12-13, 17

And a cool word from CS Lewis... quidity... the "thingness" of a thing... =)

-Asher