Books: Mudhouse Sabbath
Posted by Troy | Filed under Books
I became mildly obsessed with Lauren Winner after hearing her lecture at Calvin College a couple years ago.
Then I became rather obsessed with her after reading Real Sex and hearing her various lectures/podcasts on that book that were floating around the interweb.
I finally finished reading Mudhouse Sabbath, and though it took a little more concentrated effort on my part than Real Sex or Girl Meets God, it was still incredibly insightful and offered more of Lauren’s unique perspective on how Christians have either lost touch with our Jewish heritage or in some cases adapted certain traditions.
While Girl Meets God unveiled the connectedness between the Judaism of Lauren’s youth and her new-found Christian faith by way of comparing the holidays over her years of conversion, Mudhouse Sabbath compares eleven Jewish customs and how they have found a place—in one way or another—in her life as a Christian.
Her chapter on prayer was (like its Girl Meets God counterpart) was especially challenging to me, and the section on food was great…
To consider how food connects us to God… where our food comes from, what God might think of our food, etc.
Really each chapter was perfectly concise and had just enough oomph to make you stop and consider.
While many of those Old Testament traditions have found a place in some way in western Christianity, it was her chapter on mourning that seemed to stand out as something in particular that we as Christian-ized westerners seem to have no construct.
We may succeed sometimes as a community supporting those widowed within the few week following their losses…
but then what?
Tags: arcade fire, Books, death, Faith, Lauren Winner
The Prodigal’s Brother
Posted by Troy | Filed under Bible Study, Books
The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in [the celebration]. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. The son said, “look how many years I’ve stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!”
His father said, “Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!” —Luke 15:28-32 —The Message
Tags: Faith, Parable, Tim Keller
Theology from Green Day: Surrender
Posted by Troy | Filed under Faith, Music
Surrender.
A theme predominant in the New Testament.
One of which I’ve been acutely aware for a long time—and equally aware of my own inability to do so.
Funny in a way that even the act of surrendering is something I attempt to do in my own strength.
Tags: Faith, green day, Music, surrender
Thanks a lot, God
Posted by Troy | Filed under Faith
I’ve been praying lately.
I mean… I normally pray regularly but not really instinctively and not with real faith.
But lately I’ve been praying for real.
and not just that, but other areas of my spirituality have come more into focus and taken the forefront of my life.
Tends to happen when I face great trials.
Smaller trials I try to fix on my own… unemployment, relationships, fears… I believe I can fix those things
(I can’t)
but then when it becomes a matter of life or death… then I realize that I have no control.
and my focus turns back to God.
I’ve got to believe that God cares so deeply about me that he’ll do anything to keep me close.
Break my leg if You must
But keep me close to You
Here’s the sad thing…
I Love Rob Bell
Posted by Troy | Filed under Faith
I love Rob Bell.
Velvet Elvis is definitely one of the most important books I’ve ever read.
I could have read Blue Like Jazz first, but I didn’t.
You see, I’d emerged from a culture that valued piety over honesty (of course no one was honest enough to ever say so)…
and to read a book that was so honest written by a pastor? well…
It really changed me and the way I view myself, God, the church, and the world.
Honestly though, I was writing in fragments before he made it popular.
Way before.
Anyway…
I enjoyed an interview with Rob over at Burnside Writers.
a few of my favorite excerpts:
On concise writing:
The first century rabbis were not praised for going on and on and on and on. Great rhetoric has never been about how many words one can fill the air with, it’s always been about how clean and uncluttered and lean an idea can be articulated.
On unity and cooperation:
The center of Jesus’ teaching is “Love your enemies.” Making enemies isn’t interesting. Fear isn’t interesting.
Fear is great for fund-raising. It’s great to raise money on talk radio that way. Create an enemy and you’re set. But we’d prefer to have a meal with the enemies. That’s more interesting.
First Day of School
Posted by Troy | Filed under Autism, Parenting
Sometimes I’m surprised to hear parents excited to send their kids back to school… like having them around is a huge pain that they’d just as soon avoid.
I get that kids are a lot of work and they definitely have a way of wearing your nerves quite thin…
I’d still rather be around them most of the time than not…
My son went to his first day of kindergarten this past week.
It was tough enough with our oldest… we cried the whole walk home from dropping her off for the first time.
But this time is different.
Because he has autism, we have no idea what to expect.
Reassurance comes from friends in the form of “Oh, he’ll be OK… do great… etc.”
Which is more than likely true, but not really the issue.
We don’t want him to be OK.
We want him to get the most out of each day.
to excel…
to fly…
Will dropping him in the hands of an overloaded public school teacher give him that opportunity?
Would keeping him home with mom?
Nobody knows, and that’s just the thing… at some point you have to make a decision…
at some point you have to have faith.
Tags: Autism, Faith, original photo, Parenting, school
Death Almost Killed Me
Posted by Troy | Filed under Cancer, Faith
Since I was first diagnosed with cancer in 2000, I’ve had several occasions when I wondered if I might die…
If I’d be alive the next day, week, month, or year…
But only one time did I actually think, “this is it.”
It was around February, a very depressing time of year in northern Michigan… gray, cold, wet…
I was home with my family recovering from a round of chemotherapy and the long trip back from the Cleveland Clinic.
I came down with a cold.
When you’re on chemo, a cold can kill you… and the way I felt (physically), I thought this one just might.
I even snapped at my wife, who was dying a bit herself, trying to take care of me.
The next Sunday, we somehow dragged ourselved out of the house to get to church…
Tags: Cancer, Faith, illustration, original illustration
On a Spiritual Journey
Posted by Troy | Filed under Culture, Faith, Film
Francis: Well, I guess I’ve got some more healing to do.
Jack: Gettin’ there though.
Peter: Anyway… definitely gonna add a lot of character to you.
Tags: darjeeling limited, Faith, movies, wes anderson
Leap of Faith
Posted by Troy | Filed under Faith, Thoughts
One of the most common illustrations used to teach kids about faith is the “chair.”
You believe that chair will hold you when you sit down… trust… faith… it’s easy…
Seems to me that faith is more like hurdling off a cliff into a pitch dark abyss… no idea what’s below… water? moon bounce? giant spikes?
Or maybe it’s more like being sucked into a black hole… no control… but you are there… no choice but to believe.
Tags: Faith, kids, original illustration
Kid Rock Bible Camp
Posted by Troy | Filed under Humor
Our church is running a Vacation Bible School with a curriculum from Gospel Light called “Son Rock Kids Camp”
Of course we keep inadvertently calling it “Kid Rock Bible Camp”
This is something I find hilarious.
