The Sound of Scott

It’s crazy to think that Jesus came to earth roughly 2008 years ago… Thats so many years. I wonder if he ever made a new years resolution. “This year I’m going to heal thirty people. Next year I’m going to save the world…” He probably never had to make a resolution, because he probably never felt the need to start new. I think that’s what drives us to do this anyway. We somehow feel that because the earth completed another rotation around the sun that it some how clears us of our past and helps us with a fresh start. “This year is going to be different… I’ll really do it this time.” We mess things up for ourselves so much that the only alternative seems to start new. Why? Because we realize that if we keep living a certain way it will only lead to destruction. Maybe while the earth revolves around one sun our lives should be revolving around a different kind of son. Maybe instead of celebrating another new year to start over we could celebrate another year spent focused on Christ. Maybe our resolution this year should be for a faith centered on and revolving around Christ and then next year we can look at how He (re)newed our lives. There a some phrases from songs that have been sticking out to me lately, and I’d like to offer them up as a prayer of sorts… I’ve modified them and mixed them together a bit. I suppose that this would be my resolution…

Christ be the center of my life. Be the place we fix our eyes. Be the center of our lives. Be my everything. God in my living, breathing, waking, sleeping, resting, working, thinking, speaking, hoping, dreaming, watching, waiting, laughing, weeping, hurting and healing… be my everything.

Turn your ear to heaven and hear…

Let me put seven disclaimers on this post…
1. I’m not going to be politically correct.
2. I’m going to speak my mind… in detail.
3. I’m going to be slightly hypocritical because I’m not perfect.
4. I’m going to overstep boundaries.
5. I’m going to share thoughts which may not actually accomplish any good.
6. All of my points have flaws… I get it.
7. Get ready for a long… very long read.

So why write it?
I’m not really sure other than I want to change the world and tell people about it. And I must say that I definitely feel uncomfortable publishing this post on the internet and I don’t know what if any repercussions this may have, but I imagine that anything negative to come out of this will just further prove my points.

As I said in the title very few things make me mad, and I just want to share some of my thoughts about the things that do. So here they are.

Bashing People
Somewhere between Genesis and now people decided that it was ok to ridicule people who are different for reasons like disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and others. When did it become ok to undervalue God’s creation? You don’t have to agree with the things someone says or does to accept them as a human being. We’re all sinners right? So sites like Apprising Ministries make me mad. Here’s another example for you. These guys I met in San Francisco made this satire video called Bullwhip Guy as a direct assault on Rob Bell.

Bureaucracy
If you want to do something just do it. Understand that there are many processes in place for good reasons but there are still others in place for very stupid reasons. A lot of these processes come from a lack of trust for people. Do we have to view everyone as a potential bad guy? Do we have to view every idea as potentially bad?

The Education System
Who’s to say what we should and shouldn’t know? Why do you have to pay to take Biology if you want to be an English teacher? Why do we have to get graded on assignments that are nothing more than busy work? I think that parents should be responsible for teaching their kids what they want them to know and then they should go and study what they want/need to know.

Political Correctness
If I think that something is wrong with the system whether government, church, or society I should be able to take it to someone and talk about it without having to worry about getting shot down, loosing a job, or some other consequence. The founders of our countries were rebellious traitors. Am I a traitor if I think that something can be done differently? For example I like to question everything we do to be able to establish that it has relevance and purpose. If something is out of place I should be able to just say it without dancing around it with cute little phrases.

Copyright Law
Enough said… I think that I’ve covered this one in detail before. Long and short of it… If you present an idea to the world it should be to God’s credit and put out there for the enhancement of society and our culture rather then held to yourself.

Hypocrisy
Don’t tell me you believe something you don’t live by.

Gossip
Have a problem? Take it to the source.
(you can email me anytime)

The Things That Break God’s Heart
There are many people walk by unnoticed, uncared for and lost, and they’re literally dying while we stand by and watch.

Jesus’ Approach To These Things…
1. Bashing People
- Pretty much reserved for the hypocrites
2. Bureaucracy
- Jesus really seems to do whatever he wants
- The biggest bureaucratic process he experiences is the very one that killed him
3. The Education System
- Jesus educated the dropout not-good-enough guys to become his disciples. That’s some pretty good specialized training right there.
4. Political Correctness
- Calling someone a “son of hell” is probably not very pc.
5. Copyright Law
- Jesus wrote a book. It’s a best seller and it’s not under copyright.
6. Hypocrisy
- (see point 1 as well as 4)
7. Gossip
-He doesn’t.
8. The Things That Break God’s Heart
- (see Matthew 1-John 21)

Sorry For The Rant

I was talking with some friends today about the universe and I suggested a theory of mine that the universe is like a sphear rather than a flat plane or other shape. I did a little googleing and found out that this was not a new idea. There’s more support for a flat universe, but I still like the idea. This is what NASA has to say about it…

“The density of the universe also determines its geometry. If the density of the universe exceeds the critical density, then the geometry of space is closed and positively curved like the surface of a sphere. This implies that initially parallel photon paths converge slowly, eventually cross, and return back to their starting point (if the universe lasts long enough). If the density of the universe is less than the critical density, then the geometry of space is open, negatively curved like the surface of a saddle. If the density of the universe exactly equals the critical density, then the geometry of the universe is flat like a sheet of paper. Thus, there is a direct link between the geometry of the universe and its fate.”

I’m going to do my best to capture everything that has happened in the last hour and a half, but I don’t think I will be able to do it justice. I woke up this morning at 10:00 from a beautiful twelve hours of sleep… the first in a long time. I helped my dad with some google map stuff and then he and my brother left the house. A certain amount of excitement ran over me as I decided to go eat breakfast at Starbucks and do some reading. I put on a big comfy sweater and went out the door. The walkway from my house was covered in pedals from our black cherry rose bushes and I could smell the clean air thanks to the rain last night. The clouds were just right, the weather… perfect. I went over to Starbucks, ordered a peppered bacon sandwich and an eggnog latte. I have to admit I probably won’t get the eggnog latte again, but it was worth the try. I’m still drinking it now because it’s not bad, just not as brilliant as some other drinks. Anyways… I sat down by the window in what seemed like a surreal scene from a movie and I began to read chapter two of the Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. As I read I was deeply moved and pulled in so many directions… excitement, disappointment, joy, compassion, hope and so much more. For the most part I was just captivated. The story he told was so amazing and inspiring. I just felt this need or call to do and be something good, something right, something just and Christ-like. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about the church and what a new kind of church would look like. I came to an important conclusion this morning. I think a new kind of church needs to be reading the newspaper… Seems simple enough right? But you ask why? I think we need to have deep understanding and awareness about what is going on in the community around us, and if we see that something is wrong we need to find creative new ways to make it right. God is a God of Justice, and we are his hands and feet. As Shane mentioned in his book, if people wonder why God lets so much bad happen on earth, it’s because we allowed it to happen. We need to make a difference. It’s time to save the world.

I apologize in advance for the length of this blog, but this has been a mind bottling week and I have a whole lot to say… So here it is…

I had three really amazing conversations that all delved me deep into thought. I love theology and I love philosophy, and when you throw in a little bit of coffee and friends it makes for a really good time. So much happened in these conversations, that I can’t just write about all of them on here. Bits and pieces will leak out in time through my regular blogs, but all of these conversations are very connected on deeper and larger scale. I’ve really been inspired lately to want to write a book. I’m not a literary genius nor a poet in the simplest sense of the word, but I have a longing desire to piece together my thoughts, theories and observations about the world in a long cohesive blog better known as a book. As friends of mine have pointed out, it’s a very scary thing to just put your thoughts out there for someone to read, but I’ve gotten used to that with the few people who read my blog. You have to be careful too, because there’s a certain amount of prestige in the whole idea of being an author of any type, but I don’t want to be an author really. I’d actually be alright with publishing under another name… too bad Dr. Seuss is already taken. It’s so weird that I’m talking about this right now because I intended to write more about the week and here this came out. I guess I’ve been bottling up the idea for a while now. But back to the week…

Lyz and I saw Dan in Real Life the other night, and It was amazing! Steve Carell is a phenominal actor and is brilliant in this movie. The music is great… The story is great… And it’s full of subtlety and humor. All around just a good flick.

Twenty minutes ago I finished watching Stranger than Fiction for probably my seventh time or so. You can’t walk away from that movie and not feel great… Man. I’m seriously feeling kinda random and scatterbrained as I write all these thouhts out, but I guess it gives you a better glance into the inner workings of my mind.

These theological conversations all leave me feeling a bit as if I was just a part of something really big… something much bigger than myself. I often wonder where the people around me will end up one day, and how our lives will intertwine in the future. I wonder if sometimes I’m sitting with the next C.S. Lewis or even- oh I don’t know… but you get the idea. If I ever do write this book, even if it’s twelve years from now, I’m sure these conversations and the notes scribbled down in them will find their way into the pages.

I’m really excited about the future right now. There’s a lot to look forward to… but of course there always will be.

Weather forecast this week: windy… (in a metaphorical sense)

Ever since I was a kid I’ve always had a fascination with the wind. Something about it is so mysterious and yet captivating. I love to stand outside in the winter and feel the wind rush across my face. There’s an excitement when it’s moving fast, and there’s peacefulness when it’s a gentle breeze. The soothing quality of the wind is a constant reminder of the soft whisper of God’s voice in the quiet. The harsh wind is a symbol of God’s strength and power. It’s interesting to see the roll that wind plays in the scriptures. In Old Testament times God uses the wind to accomplish miracles like in the parting of the Red Sea. In the New Testament when Jesus calmed the storm the disciples said, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Jesus compared our faith to the wind when he spoke with Nicodemus. “You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3) The wind is so mysterious. Our faith is so ambiguous some times. How do we really live it out? How do we share it? How do we capture the wind? I think that these are truly some of the most important questions we need to be asking. I don’t know all the answers, but I do know that I want my life to be about Capturing Wind.

My friend Gavin asked a good question about this. He said, “when you say capture, do you mean like how the sails of boats capture wind? or is it like the idea of trapping some wind in a jar?”

I really love the idea of sailing, although I hadn’t considered it. It really implies that we are in tune with God and his will. To sail with the wind is to trust God for his direction. But the original meaning intended by the word capture is actually different from both ideas. Maybe a better word would be convey… How do we convey the wind? How do we show someone something that’s invisible? How do we live our lives in a way that people can see that our sails are up? In the case of this metaphor Gavin is right. (Go back and read the rest of what he said if you didn’t…) We can’t bottle it up or place it in a neat little package… it would loose it’s life. The wind is much bigger than a jar, a box or three points on a jumbotron. Maybe we can’t capture it at all in this sense. I guess we just have to point out the effects of the wind, and show people where to stand to feel the breeze. Lots to think about… “I’m sailing!”

In one of my favorite musicals, Singing in the Rain, there’s this funny part where Lina is telling the main character Don how much she loves him, and he replies with this great line… “There is nothing between us. There has never been anything between us. Just air.”

I don’t know why that popped in my head today, but once it got there my mind started to wander. I began to think about how many times we think we are showing love towards other people, but all they see is the air between us.

I think sometimes we say we love God, and we might even appear to outwardly, but God looks past all that, and goes right to the heart. Are we living in such a way that the only thing between us and God is air, or do we live in a constant relationship full of conversations, struggles and joy? Many times in the Bible we find Jesus admonishing the religious leaders of his day, because they were appearing to do the right things, but their hearts were far from him.

The pharisees were alive because they were breathing, but I would argue that they weren’t truly alive because they were breathing the wrong air. Maybe the air between us and God should really be something sacred, because we’re breathing it with the rest of his creation. God created plants which produce the air we breathe. He breathed into us the breath of life and with this breath we should whisper, pray and shout his name. I think I want my life to be all about helping other people to breathe… to breathe in God and breathe out the air of this world.

The other day I was watching this show on TV about Charles Manson, and they were replaying clips from an interview with him from twenty years ago. There’s no doubt that the guy is crazy… enough drugs will do that, but it was still very interesting to hear what he had to say. I think that if he was brought up in a good environment and didn’t get messed up on drugs that he would have probably become one of the great thinkers of our day. I know… it sounds crazy and very controversial, but I think it’s true. How did someone like him turn into a cult leader whose followers committed murder? How did such a smart man become entangled in so much sin? There are two basic views of humanity. One says that everyone is basically good, and wants to do good things. The other view say that everyone is born evil and wants to sin. Well which is it? If its a mix of the two then are we good people who sin or sinful people who do good? It’s easy to say that Hitler and Manson were evil people and that we’re good people, but were they always that way? And are we always that way? Maybe the answer is in itself a paradox. Perhaps we are born with desire to do something, to have something or be someone… and this desire is neither good or bad. Lets call this the X Factor for now. (lame term… but keep tracking) Suppose that the X Factor is something good. Now lets suppose that it’s also a person… so a someone rather than a something. If we want to be like the X Factor then we have to be good, but there’s a danger. At some point we can start to want what the X Factor has and so we find our selves playing the roll of the X Factor without being like the X Factor.If your completely confused then substitute the X Factor with God. God is good. People want to be like God. (we’re basically good) But some times we want what God has… the universe, control, all that stuff. People want to be God. (we’re basically evil) So you see that your on your perspective of God determines weather everyone is basically good or bad… or both.

So obviously it’s a good thing to want to be like God in his character, but why do we sin? Why do we try to be God? Why do we fall?

Playing God leads to Chaos Theory… The idea behind chaos theory is that everything moves from order to disorder. I think that this has been the natural progression of everything on earth since the fall. The further we get from God, the more crazy things on earth become. Playing God and trying to do everything without his help doesn’t work so well either, as we saw in Bruce Almighty. But while the earth and everything on it is moving towards chaos and sin we still have another force with much greater power opposing it. Obviously I’m talking about LOVE… not the sappy kind you get in romance novels in the grocery store but the kind of love that’s full of truth, sacrifice and God.

To live out this lifestyle is to live in the Kingdom of God rather than the chaos. I simply call it Kingdom Theory… the ongoing restoration of the world by the way we live. It’s up to us to take all the chaos and sin and transform them into life and truth.

So we need Kingdom theory to reverse the process, but how do we practically live in the Kingdom?

At the xrds fall retreat (Equip 07) I’ll be discussing this topic in more detail.