Go Bears! Fight Hunger!

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Guerilla Evangelism

Wow, lots of religion in today's news.

This story is funny, in a sad way. A company that sells a talking Jesus doll who quotes the Bible offered to donate 4000 dolls to Toys for Tots and was rejected.

Good for Toys for Tots! I think that these dolls are perfectly fine and would make a great gift, for a Christian girl or boy, but what a mess if a Jewish or Muslim kid received one of these.

Is this what Jesus had in mind when he said to make disciples of all nations? Is this responsible evangelism?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0611150119nov15,1,16059.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Catholic Bishops Speak about Homosexuality

The cover story of today's Redeye reads: "Catholic Church to Gays: Don't Act, Don't Tell."

US bishops have released a statement, "Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination," which seems to be a mess of pastoral theology. On the one hand, it attempts to be welcoming to homosexuals, noting that it is not a sin to be attracted to people of the same sex and seemingly making a place within the church for gays and lesbians. However, according to the bishops, it is a sin to act on such attraction and homosexuals should not be overly open about their sexuality.

It seems to me that the bishops are trying to provide a genuinely pastoral response to the Catholic gay community, but I'm not sure how effective these guidelines will actually be in real pastoral situations. What kind of message is it to tell your flock that God loves you for who you are, but don't act on your natural desires and certainly don't tell anyone about it. I just don't think such a middle ground approach will be very effective.

Of course, I'm not sure the Presbyterian Church is doing any better. You could make a pretty strong case that our national rules and practices are just as middle ground and just as ineffective. Sure, there are churches that are completely open and welcoming to the GLTB community and there are churches that are not, but as a national body we've been sending mixed messages for years, and I don't think that our most recent General Assembly actions are any different.

The cultural and religious wars over sexuality are painful and slow. How I wish that we could fast forward to a conclusion, but that doesn't seem to be God's way. Two thousand years into this movement called Christianity and over three thousand years since an ancient people named Israel began its journey with God, we're still trying to figure out what it is that God intends for us and how we are to live that out.

You can read the Redeye story and leave your own comments at http://redeye.chicagotribune.com/red-111506-church-main,0,2123267.story .

Out of the Mouths of Babes

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/illinois/chi-ap-il-immigrationactivi,1,5031863.story?coll=chi-newsap_il-hed

The Associated Press and the Chicago Tribune have been following the story of a Mexican mother, an illegal immigrant, and her son, a US citizen, who are living in a church in Humboldt Park. Yesterday, the boy, a second-grader named Saul Arellano, spoke to Mexico's 500-member congress, asking their help to lobby the US government to stop the deportation of his mother, Elvira Arellano. As you might imagine, there has been some controversy surrounding the boy's trip to Mexico on behalf of his mother. Illegal immigration has become one of America's most heated debates, and if the Arellano's win this case, it will set a major precedent for more than 4.9 million children of illegal immigrants facing deportation.

What do you think about this issue?

What is at stake?

What are our responsibilities to these families?

What do you think about a child being so deeply involved in this debate?

What should the church's stance be? Many church leaders and communities have become involved in efforts to protect illegal immigrants. Is this our calling? What do you think about the church in Humboldt Park?

Go Deep

From my good friend Ed Polus...

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me?

Madonna is all over the news again, mostly for the controversy surrounding her adoption of a motherless child from Malawi. It seems that the Material Girl doesn't have the charm of Brangelina when it comes to adopting babies from impoverished foreign countries. But it makes for great publicity.

There has also been some controversy about Madonna's upcoming televised concert special. When she sings the song "Live to Tell" during her current "Confessions" world tour, Madonna adorns a crown of thorns and climbs up on a cross in a mock crucifixion. Check out the pictures:

Conservative Christian groups have successfully forced Madonna and NBC to edit out the crucifixion when the concert is televised next month. Such groups in America and Europe have claimed that Madonna is committing blasphemy.

For her part, Madonna claims that she is not blaspheming at all. According to CNN.com, "Madonna issued a statement last month insisting her act was 'neither anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous. Rather it is a plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another and to see the world as a unified whole.' 'I believe if Jesus were alive today, he would be doing the same thing,' she said, adding that her specific intent was to bring attention to the extreme poverty in Africa."

You may recall that this is not the first time Madonna has stirred controversy regarding religious imagery. In her video for "Like a Prayer" way back in 1989 featured Madonna, with the stigmata of bloody palms, dancing in front of field of burning crosses while religious statues cried blood. I actually thought it was a good video.

Now all of this raises an interesting question: What constitutes blasphemy when it comes to using images of a cross or crucifixion?

To an extent, I think Madonna has a point. The cross is a symbol of redemptive suffering (if you believe in such a thing) and has been used in art to portray universal suffering. Have you seen Marc Chagall's "White Crucifixion" at the Art Institute? It uses a very Jewish Jesus on the cross to make a powerful statement about Jewish suffering. Is this blasphemy?

But on the other hand, I often wonder if Madonna simply pulls stunts like this just to get attention, whether it's for a cause or not. If that's the case, maybe it is blasphemy.

Blasphemy or not, this raises at least one more interesting question. I often notice that rock stars, rappers, and movies stars frequently wear crosses around their necks, often when doing things that the man who made that cross famous probably wouldn't approve of. I'm never really sure what that means. Is it a sign of faith? A talisman or charm for good luck? A fashion style? Or to the point of this discussion, is it blasphemy?

How many of us wear crosses? Do we always live our lives in a way that reflects what that cross means? It's a heavy burden. When Jesus said, "take up your cross and follow me", did he have in mind a Madonna concert or "do your chain hang low"? Or are we missing the point altogether?

TV Ethics

For better or for worse, legal and medical dramas on television continue to be one of the most culturally significant venues for public debate about important ethical and moral issues. I find the remarkably timely and insightful "ripped from the headlines" storylines of the Law & Order family of shows especially engaging.

Last night NBC ran a rerun of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit that raised some interesting issues relevant to youth. The episode, “Influenced”, focuses on a high school girl who claims to be raped by two of her male friends in the school bathroom. It turns out that she actually invited them for the rendezvous so that she could loose her virginity in order to date (and have sex with) an older boy who only “hooks up” with non-virgins.

In the process of their investigation, the detectives discover a teen culture saturated with casual sex. A video produced by the high school students reveals that many of the teens are having sex as just another form of entertainment, a way to spend time at parties or between turns playing video games. In fact, the students had developed a kind of game of their own, with “players” receiving points for having sex, more points being awarded for multiple partners and public locations.

All of this raises some interesting questions about and for teen culture:

• How prevalent is this kind of casual sex among teens today? Is it really as common and widespread as depicted in this show?
• What does sex mean for teens today? Is it purely physical gratification? What connection, if any, is there to committed relationships?
• How much pressure do teens feel to have sex?
• How early does this kind of behavior and pressure begin?
• And of course, the age old question: at what age and under what circumstances is it appropriate and healthy to engage in sexual relationships?

As if this wasn’t enough for a good discussion, the episode, in classic Law & Order fashion, took a twist and went in a completely different direction. It turns out that the girl in question was diagnosed with bipolar disorder the year before and was prescribed medication to help her regulate her illness. Believing that she was cured (the medications were actually working) and under the influence of a rock star with an anti-psychiatric drugs agenda, she goes off her medication and runs her car off the road, seriously injuring several pedestrians and killing another young girl.

The trial and the remainder of the episode then became a debate about the use of psychiatric drugs in children and youth. The questions raised by this element of the episode were equally compelling:

• How widespread is mental illness among our population? Among teens?
• Have we moved beyond the negative stigmas associated with mental illness in the past? If not, how can we?
• Is it safe and responsible to medicate our children with drugs when we don’t fully understand how they work?
• Are the side-effects of such drugs a reasonable price to pay for the benefits?
• Are we overmedicating our kids? Does every kid with a short attention span have ADHD? Are we doing more harm than good by medicating these children?

These are all great questions, questions that should be discussed among teens and families. While there is certainly a lot of garbage on TV, there are also some diamonds in the rough that should be watched and talked about. Episodes like this one are good examples of how entertaining television can also prompt important conversations.

Fourth Pod: Born Under a Bad Sign

This coming Sunday, October 22, is our second Fourth Pod. What's a Fourth Pod you ask? A Fourth Pod is a discussion about faith and life. The topic is introduced and explored with music, videos, and more.

The playlist for this week's Fourth Pod is called "Born Under a Bad Sign", from the classic blues song by Albert King. Using this and other songs, we'll think about luck, fate, destiny, and providence (I know, a scary church word).

Do you believe in luck? Does everyone have a fate or a destiny mapped out for them? What about free will? Do you pray for divine intervention right before a test? Does Jesus really care who wins your soccer game?

Come talk about these and other topics on Sunday at 12:30 in the Crow's Nest.

Fourth Pod Playlist: Born Under a Bad Sign
(click song titles for lyrics)
1. Albert King -- Born Under a Bad Sign -- Blues
2. Social Distortion -- Bad Luck -- Alternative
3. The Black Crowes -- Sister Luck -- Rock
4. B.B. King -- Bad Luck -- Blues
5. Creedence Clearwater Revival -- Tombstone Shadow -- Rock
6. Johnny Winter -- Bad Luck and Trouble -- Blues
7. Britney Spears -- Lucky -- Pop
8. Primus -- Is It Luck? -- Rock
9. Soilwork -- Fate In Motion -- Rock
10. Billy Joel -- We Didn't Start The Fire -- Rock
11. The Producers -- You Never Say Good Luck On Opening Night -- Soundtrack
12. Clint Black -- A Good Run of Bad Luck -- Country
13. Elvis Presley -- Good Luck Charm -- Rock
14. Guys and Dolls -- Luck Be a Lady -- Soundtrack
15. Bad Religion -- Destined For Nothing -- Alternative
16. Rush -- Free Will -- Rock
17. Alicia Keys -- Karma -- R&B/Soul
18. Metallica -- Frantic -- Rock

Turtle Power: Looking for God in All the Wrong Places

Last month a woman in suburban Burbank made headlines by claiming that an image of the Virgin Mary appears on the underside of her pet turtle.

While I'll let you judge this turtle for yourself, for me this brings back fond memories of other "miraculous" sightings...

Also last month, workers in a chocolate factor found a column of chocolate drippings in the shape of Mary...

Do you remember the image of Mary on the Fullerton Ave. underpass of the Kennedy last year?

Then there was the grilled cheese Mary sold on eBay for $28,000...

And the Mother Teresa cinnamon bun, aka the "Nun Bun"...

And the Jesus fish stick...

And the Jesus that appeared on the side of a Presbyterian church (yes, a Presbyterian church) in Bradenton, Florida after a pressure washing ...

And countless Jesus tortillas over the years...

You can't make this stuff up!

Now, whether or not these are hoaxes, strange coincidences, or the power of an omnipresent God breaking into the mundane corners of creation, I don't know. What I do know is that these things happen all the time and that some people really believe in them. It gives them hope and inspires faith.

But what is faith? Is it finding "proof" of God's existence in philosophy, well-crafted arguments, the wonders of creation, or a fish stick?

God is here; I have no doubt about that. But oftentimes, I think we look for God in all the wrong places.

Where do you see God in your life?

Healthy Body Image

A CNN article titled "Skinny Models Banned from Catwalk" reports that a top-level fashion show in Madrid has turned away significantly underweight models, a first in the fashion industry. The move comes after years of protests that girls and young women develop eating disorders as a result of efforts to emulate the super thin models that frequent catwalks and advertisements. As you would expect, many in the fashion industry aren't taking kindly to the ban and feel that they are being used as scapegoats for eating disorders.

I think a move away from unhealthily thin models and actresses is a good thing. A Spanish official hit the nail on the head when she said that "Fashion is a mirror and many teenagers imitate what they see on the catwalk."

It's about time that someone takes responsibility for the body images that our culture promotes. Now, who will take responsibility for the boys and young men who abuse their bodies with steroids and excessive weight training?

What do you think?

Five Years Later

Like many people, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 will always be a singular moment of my life. I remember exactly where I was and how I felt. The only previous event that held this kind of time-stopping significance for me was when the space shuttle Challenger exploded in January of 1986.

I was in third grade for that first disaster, in graduate school for the second. The kids that are seniors in high school now were in seventh grade for 9/11 and this year’s sixth graders were in first grade. Do you remember where you were and how you felt when you found out about the attacks?

9/11 was also a defining moment of my career as a pastor and a theologian. It was the beginning of my second year of pastoral ministry. The church I was serving at the time hosted a community candle light vigil on that evening. It was a moving service that provided much needed comfort in the immediate wake of the tragedy.

Several member of our youth group were in attendance that evening and we spent some time talking with them, processing the unthinkable events that had just happened. We had a youth retreat the following weekend in Saugatuck. We began with a somber time of candle lit prayer, and I admit that I was glad to be away from the city for a few days.

Two days after the attacks I began an adult Bible class that surveyed the entire Bible. Immediately I was faced with jarring questions: What does the Bible have to say about a disaster like this? Where is God in all of this?

These questions have continued to shape my studies and my ministry over the past five years. Where is God in our lives—during the good times and the bad? Does the Bible have anything relevant to say about our lives today? While I am convinced that God is always present in our lives and that the Bible does in fact continue to be a valuable resource for life today, figuring out all of the details is not always easy.

But I believe that it is a worthy endeavor to wrestle with those details in every aspect of our lives. This is something that I want to bring to our time together in Fourth Church Youth. Let’s look at our lives and the world around us and ask where God is. Let’s take those dusty old Bibles off our shelves and think about what those ancient words might have to say to us today. We might be surprised at what we find.

These are some of the thoughts that yesterday’s 9/11 commemorations inspired in me. What memories, reflections, or thoughts do you have about that day five years ago?

I'm as Christian as fried chicken and baked ham...

...or is it bread and grape juice?

Old school comic Jackie Mason is suing the religious group Jews for Jesus because they have used his picture in a pamphlet they have been distributing. You can read about the story here. Jews for Jesus are Jews who believe that Jesus is the messiah but continue to consider themselves Jewish, maintain various Jewish practices, and have adapted some Jewish traditions to reflect their faith in Jesus.

In a statement related to his lawsuit, Mason had the following to say: "While I have the utmost respect for people who practice the Christian faith, the fact is, as everyone knows, I am as Jewish as a matzo ball or kosher salami."

It got me thinking, what food would I use to describe my faith? Every church potluck I've ever been to has always had fried chicken. And where I come from, we always had ham as part of our Christmas and Easter meals (which I always think must be a subconscious way of proving that we aren't Jewish). But of course, the classic Christian food is bread and wine (or grape juice for most of us Presbyterians).

So, what food would you use to describe your faith?

Survival of the Ethnically Superior?

In an effort to combat weak ratings in the competitive world of so-called "reality" television, the pioneer show Survivor is trying a new gimmick: at the beginning of the new season, the 20 competitors will be divided into four tribes according to their ethnicity—black, white, Hispanic, or Asian. As usual, as the tribes are whittled down, the remaining contestants will be combined into mixed tribes later in the season.

Though I admit to finding it interesting and entertaining from time to time, I've always been a little bothered by the basic premise of Survivor. Instead of promoting teamwork, cooperation, and community—values desperately needed in our world today—it privileges the kind of cut-throat individualism and power politics that always seem to lead to trouble. Rather than finding ways to incorporate the particular skills and contributions of each tribe member into a coherent whole, the show specializes in identifying and eliminating the weakest link.

But Survivor's controversial new ploy seems even more questionable. Is this kind of racial division and competition really what we need in our world today? Racism is as much a problem now as it ever was and racial intolerance continually threatens the possibility of living in peace and harmony as a global (or even local) community. Will our inherently racist society be able to resist the temptation to proclaim one race superior to the others as the Survivor season plays itself out? Thank God one of the tribes is not Arab or Middle Eastern!

In contrast to Survivor, the church (at its best) is a place where everyone is welcomed and accepted unconditionally, regardless of their race, gender, economic status, or any other distinction we create in order to separate people from each other. Instead of eliminating the so-called weakest link, the church (at its best) identifies the particular gifts every person brings to our community and finds ways to use those gifts for the benefit of all. No one is voted off the island. Everyone has a place. Everyone has a role to play.

This is what we try to do at Fourth Church Youth. This is a safe place. You will always be welcomed. You will always be accepted. You will always be loved. Give it a try.

Room for Dialogue

The cover story of last week’s Chicago Reader, “His God Doesn’t Hate Fags”, profiles Andrew Marin, an evangelical who teaches classes on homosexuality and faith and is conducting research on spirituality and religion in GLBT communities. Taking a stance decidedly different from those evangelicals who try to “save” gays and lesbians from their homosexuality or those who do in fact claim that “God Hates Fags”, Marin has won the respect of both evangelicals and homosexual activists.

While for the most part he maintains standard evangelical positions on homosexuality (it is a sin, he claims, but he remains silent on the question of whether or not it is a choice), he has managed to create a space for dialogue, something that is often lacking in the culture wars about sexuality.

Indeed, sexuality is one of the issues currently pushing denominations like ours to the breaking point. But instead of thoughtful dialogue, the debate often devolves to rigid volleys of simplified sound bites and predetermined positions. The Presbyterian Church, like many other churches, needs the kind of dialogue Marin seems to have cultivated. This is a complicated issue and all sides have much to learn from each other.

Of course, the cynic in me wonders if Marin’s work is all a ruse to gain an inside front for the prevailing evangelical crusade against homosexuality. For now, though, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Homosexuality is a big issue facing our church today. What do you think about what Marin is doing? Where do you stand on this issue? What are ways that we can foster dialogue and education in our congregation and denomination?

Making Melodies In My Heart

The Music of Sr. High WorkCamp 2006

1. Crazy [Gnarls Barkley]
2. Born in the USA [Bruce Springsteen]
3. Bossy [Kelis featuring Too $hort]
4. Satisfaction [Benny Benassi & The Biz]
5. Hips Don't Lie [Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean]
6. Over My Head (Cable Car) [The Fray]
7. U and Dat [E-40 featuring T. Pain & Kandi Girl]
8. One Week [Barenaked Ladies]
9. It's Goin' Down [Yung Joc featuring Nitti]
10. Run [Snow Patrol]
11. Breaking Free [High School Musical]
12. Hamburg Song [Keane]
13. Chain Hang Low [Jibbs]
14. Unwritten [Natasha Bedingfield]
15. Do It To It [Cherish]
16. Bad Day [Daniel Powter]
17. Sweet Home Chicago [Eric Clapton]

I couldn't actually find an MP3 of "Making Melodies In My Heart", but you can read the lyrics (slightly different from what we learned) and sing along yourself here. Also, be sure to check out Summer Jam!!!

WorkCamp 2006

WorkCamp 2006 ROCKED!!!

Youth: Flo, Marilyn, Gabby, Josh, Krystal, Morgan, Jacob, Gabrielle, Ashley, Stephanie, Cassie, Jeff, Grant, Elsa, Betsy, Dana, Ben, Jake, Christie, Stu, Devin

Adults: Jessica, Ryan, Dee, Natasha, John

Where: Seattle and Yakima Valley, Washington

When: July 30-August 6, 2006

What: We began in Seattle with Multifaith Works, doing maintenance at a low-cost home for people suffering from HIV and AIDS. While in Seattle we also visited University Presbyterian Church, Pike Place Market (it closes at 6 pm??!!), and the Space Needle. We then headed east to The Campbell Farm in the Yakima Valley. In addition to our work on the farm (man, I miss that compost station), we worked on various service projects in the area. We also had a blast floating down the Yakima River and visiting Boulder Cave. Best of all, though, were the bonds that were formed by the end of the trip. Many of us started the week as strangers but we all ended the week as friends. I can't wait to see where things go from here!