The ups... downs... and all arounds....

As a man who walks with God, we have to recognize that we stumble... we have to admit that we fall. We enter seasons where we just struggle to get by and make sense of what God's calling is for us. I feel like the last few weeks has been a season like that for me. It has been hard to really make sense of what it is that God is calling me to do. In that time, I have lost some of my ambition to live a more examined life, I have lost some of my ambition to really get into scripture, to blog, to lead, to learn, et... Some of us know what this time in our lives is like... So today I wanted to write post about what to do when you find yourself in a rut...

One of the best things you can do is go back to the basics... meet with your friends... old friends that build you up and have a history with you in your walk with God. For me this looked like sitting down with Corey Grazul the Youth Pastor at Family Bible Church and dreaming again... Remembering what it would feel like to plant a church... Remembering what it would feel like to use my mind to advance his Kingdom... It felt good, I began to feel the Spirit moving in me again...

A second thing that should be done is holding yourself accountable... Dig up some of your old writing or if you are a thinker like myself, remember the goals that you set for your life and ask yourself if you are really meeting those goals. Begin with easy goals and challenge yourself to engage God again by allowing Him to transform your heart again. Let HIM IN!!! Really this looks like allowing yourself once again to be accountable to God. Perhaps some of you can relate to the act of minimizing God's voice in your head...

A third step that one might choose to engage in is getting back into the Bible. I know it is tough, I know that people struggle staying disciplined, but you've got to do it, find some way, listen to it online, or on a podcast. whatever you can do...

Hopefully these steps can help somebody else out there who is finding themselves in spiritual rut...

Grace and Peace,

Jon

Updates... and such...

So about two weeks have passed since I ratified my new anti-pop habit. The only thing that was tough about that transition was that I had a killer headache the first day, but since then the temptation has been relatively low to go back to the addicting drug. Admittedly, it was something that I gave up because it had a benefit to me. 

I'm thinking about trying something new... I'm going to buy my bag, which one I'm not sure yet, and then I am going to put my budget on Ice. Save from food purchases and trips to visit Elizabeth, I am going to stop buying Cords for Chapel, new things for others and myself. I am going to conscientiously attempt to make myself the substitute for the stuff I buy. Rather then buy something for somebody, what would it look like to be with them. Rather then buying something for a ministry, maybe I could find a way to be the ministry. 

The reduction in the amount of stuff that I own is super important, right now I think that all the stuff that I own in this world could fit into two carloads (they might have to be my dad's van) but I think that is decent for everything that I own. But I really hope, for the time being to get it down to one. And I want to stop finding so much satisfaction in having the next thing, what if I just try and be the next best thing that I want to have...

For the next month, I am going to resist every temptation to buy a new thing, and to spend money in unnecessary ways... I know economists are telling me that this is a bad time to start becoming conscientious about my finances, but it is for my own good and sanity in the long run...

God bless,

Jon

To the Smell of Burning Leaves...

It isn't thrilling to wake up to the smell of burning leaves with the smoke so think that you wish you could drop to your knees and breath through their shirt... I couldn't help but wonder why in the world the Albion department of Parks and Recreation insisted on burning all the leaves down at Victory park. It smells bad, and those leaves could have decomposed and fed the nutrient base for the soil in the park. I didn't get it. Admittedly, in order to let them decompose, you would likely have to transport them somewhere, but none-the-less, how much CO2 was sent into the atmosphere? 

The entire College campus looked like it was midday Los Angeles... Maybe something should be done about burning leaves....

The Common Dilemma...

Let me set up my predicament...

I'm a poor College Student, I don't have a lot of liquid capital... Riding home from school today on my bike the strap on my computer bag snapped. My computer (which I just bought) went crashing to the ground. Thankfully, though the strap was apparently pretty cheap on my bag, the bag was able to protect my computer pretty well. So now, I have no way of transporting my computer too and from school. The way I see it, I have 3 choices and I am going to ask for some feedback to help me decide what to do...

Choice 1.

Forget buying a bag, when you need to transport your computer, throw it in your backpack and don't worry about having a special case for your laptop. It is the most environmentally friendly choice because you are not buying a new bag, you are not shipping a new product to you. Everything works, except that you carry your computer around a lot, and if something happens to your backpack, there is no protective layer.

Choice 2.

Buy a cheap, but nice messenger bag that you have wanted to be able to sport for a while. The pieces of this bag probably are assembled in a shop where people are being paid below average wages so that the product can be sold at the cheapest possible price. Your morals scream no, but your pockets scream yes.

Choice 3.

Foot the bill, be true to your morals. Shop at the stores that you know endorse your passion for social and environmental justice, pay a little more, but know that your money is headed to a company that is taking care of more than just their best interests. It'll cost more, but what is money anyway?

I think a lot of people run into this... it is the classic shop at Wal Mart or your local grocer dilemma. You'll likely save 10-15% shopping at Wally-world as my grandfather affectionately calls it, but will you "save" in the long run, and what are you really saving with your dollars?

Just a thought,

Cheers,

Jon

There comes a point when you just get sick of it...

Yeah, no doubt, I was hoping the title would grab people's attention...

Sorry if you feel cheated after reading this post, but I was thinking today... just me, in my room, with some soft music on kind of thinking. I went to go take a couple of my finished pop cans over to put beneath the sink where me and my roomates put our cans. I returned bottles and cans about a week ago, and already the storage space was filled with cans. I realized, that even though those cans were bound for a recycling plant they still had to be melted at extremely hot temperatures to melt, and must be remolded into new cans at extremely hot temperatures...

I should just drink water. I have a Water Bottle. An aluminum one and a plastic one to be honest. I have one of the special Swiss water flasks because my dad gave it to me because he thought it was kinda weird, and who could blame him. But I'm absolutely sick of drinking pop for one thing because it is unhealthy, so says Elizabeth, and I really am ready to make a change. The 20 Faygo pops that I have left over in my house I hope to be able to give to guests of my appartment or roomates before the end of the semester. This one of my goals for this semester, and hopefully I can drink more Chai... It is more earthy anyway. 

Cheers,

Jon

My Thesis at Albion College

I got the opportunity to talk about my thesis with a small group of people the other day in preparation for my presentation next Thursday. It was interesting what kinds of conversations were spurred out of my idea that evangelicals, who are interested in environmental activism all of a sudden, are getting louder and louder. The conversation centered around this group that we are trying to start at Albion College called "Religious Study This!" Where the religious studies dept. at Albion hosts an evening discussion about some religiously relevant issue. This coming Thursday, I'm going to be presenting my thesis.

Anyway, in talking about my thesis, one student raised the point that it is arrogant for humans to assume that they have enough power to be able to alter the planet enough to cause global warming. After all, the planets temperature has only changed a degree or two in the last 150 years anyway, and it still seems to be within the median temperature of the last 10,000 years. It's been colder, but it has also been hotter he claimed.

Not really knowing enough about the geological and meteorological history, the point had to be conceded. But though Climate Change seems to be the buzz phrase of the decade, I don't feel like the evangelical agenda is limited to just this idea. Climate Change is part of a broader understanding of the relationship that man has with nature, and I want to make that clear in my thesis. The notion of stewardship must extend beyond just talking about climate change and reducing carbon emmissions. I think that God's expectation for Christians is that they would do their best to curb species extinction, do a better job of preserving wildlife in general, and make a concerted effort to sustain the worlds resources. The criticism was well lifted, and I'm afraid I have given only a superficial defense of my thesis, at a deeper level, the critisism again brings up the eschatology of the world. Why does it matter if humans are messing up the Earth if Jesus is coming anyway. Isn't it pretentious to assume that we can even mess up something that God created I heard him ask as a subtext to his line of questioning.

No, I don't think it is. While it is a mighty assumption to believe that humans could mess up the relationship that they have with creation, one need read no further then Genesis to find a story in the Bible where man messed up their relationship with creation through sin. Psalms echos the idea that it is human sinfulness that perpetuates the bad relationship that humans have with the Earth that God created.

So, I hope that I have answered the question at least a little bit. Yes, the church needs to expand it's defintion of stewardship, or at least make sure that they are taking part of conservation efforts as well as the effort to reduce Carbon Emissions, but I think that humans have a great ability to do harm, which sets up the opportunity for us to work to restore our relationship with creation.

Cheers!
Jon

Violence towards the Earth...

The other night I was reading through the first Chapter of Habakkuk. I had never known what the book was about, so I figured I would plant myself there and figure out just that. In the first chapter, I discovered something of particular interest to the issues on this blog. The first thing that I think is super intersting is in the second chapter of the book, it says that because of Man's violence towards the Earth, woe will come to man's cities. This is God's response to Habakkuk who is asking God's forgiveness for the sins of his peoples. This verse, along with several others from the chapter further drive home the point that God has a passion for His creation. His word tells us that in Habakkuk....

Cheers,

Jon

The Psalms...

A lot of treatment has been given to Genesis when it comes to environmental Christianity. People have no problem talking about stewardship, and dominion, but little is thought is given to how David talked about the environment. His treatment of the Earth in the Psalms and Proverbs articulates perfectly God's intention for us as human beings with regards to the environment. David talks about the environment punishing those who oppose God. Maybe that is the kind of circumstance that we find ourselves in. Because man's sinfulness often times makes the environment pay, perhaps God's check and balance system will be the environment paying us back. Maybe some of us should take a deeper look into the Psalms, because nearly 30 percent of the pastors who have become more environmentally conscientious in the last 10 years have decided to do so because somebody in their congregation pointed out scripture to them and they decided to get more interested in the topic. 

It might be worth it to give the Psalms some consideration, count the times that David writes about mountains, storms, rivers, animals and all else. Perhaps we will see God's heart for the Earth and all of creation...

God's blessing,

Jon

A student reflects...

As a student at Albion College, I had the privilege of attending a Michigan Student Sustainability meeting the other day. We broke up into groups and discussed 5 areas of strategic planning to become more sustainable as a College community. The 5 groups were, food, grounds, recycling, energy, and the other one that eludes me. I went to the recycling meeting... There we talked about new ideas to encourage recycling at Albion College, what could this look like? How can we encourage the College to recycle more?

Here's my idea...

At every garbage in residence halls, put a scale right next to the garbage, and have a log above the scale. Mind you, this project would have to be done completely upon the honors system but as people throw away their trash, curiosity will lead them to weigh how much trash they are throwing away. (Perhaps this will also help people pour out their McDonald's cups filled with leftover Dr. Pepper). Also encourage students to weight their recycling... Leave them with the challenge to reduce the amount of trash they accumulate throughout the course of the year. You can attach prizes to this as well, but my hunch is that weight is something empirical, and it is something that kinda tugs at your heart strings, especially if you were to inform students of how much total weight is leaving the dorms in a given month. Information is paramount, and perhaps by recycling more, we can save more...

Cheers!
Jon

A Burner That is Cold to the touch...

Okay, scientists have got me this time... How is it that a burner used in place of a stove top is capable of generating enough heat to boil a pot of water while at the same time remaining cool to the touch. These new burners are 90% more energy efficient, which is awesome. I don't understand it at all... but one should check it out...

http://www.greenandmore.com/diva-induction-cooktops.html?itemId=111&navContext=ln_energy_saving

Thanks Be to God!

I had the honor last night of introducing now Dr. Bill McKibben, (Newly a Doctor thanks to Albion College's honorary doctorate of humane letters. I was so thankful to get to meet somebody who has really done something to advance the kingdom of God. It is humbling sometimes to be able to shake hands with somebody who has made a difference. Somebody who's passion has inspired others. His humility and his breadth of knowledge gave the campus a positive exposition to the year. Dr. McKibben's message was this, we need to reduce carbon levels in the Earth's atmosphere to 350 ppm fast. It is like the Earth has diabetes and we need to keep our numbers down. He told stories of people around the world who were chipping in and it struck him, as it struck me that people, who have done nothing to cause this problem are willing to do their part to help reverse a problem that has emerged out of industrialized nations.

The United States produces nearly 25% of the worlds yearly carbon emissions. Fascinating how quickly we pointed our long righteous fingers at China when they started using Coal, it was our waterways that Rachel Carson was referring to in Silent Spring, not theirs. Yet it is a worldly problem. Bill McKibben suggested last night that we begin to change the way we make decisions. I like the thought, because I think a lot needs to change with the way we make decisions. Not only should the environment be a good candidate for moral consideration, but I think social welfare, family structure, and justice should be prime additions to decision making process of super-national organizations worldwide.

Many people like beginning paragraphs with "we live in a world where" and I think that introduction is strangely inadequate for it's popularity. Perhaps a better substitution would be "We are actors in a world which needs us to change our script."

I pray we can rise to the occasion, or perhaps, lower ourselves. I pray we can find a way to get to 350, because we are already at 382, and the world is getting more and more interesting.

Be Blessed,
Jon

The Latest from Online Christian Bookstore....

Yeah, so it happened, in my last mailing for "Online Christian Bookstore" I thumbed through the catalog and came across a section of books that are about the environment....

It happened.

Complete with titles like "The Green God" and "Our Father's World" the latest in popular Christian publication seems to have taken interest in the movement already underway. Pastors, Lay-people, and church members take note... Christianity is continuing it's quest for a defensible eco-stewardship model.

A common Enemy Unites Even the Oldest of Foes...

Though the emergence of a conservative Christian voice on behalf of the environment seemed unlikely only a decade ago, it seems like another step towards a broader agenda for evangelicals has been taken. Though more work must be done before the Christian effort could be classified as a grassroots movement, progress has been made in a top down fashion in churches in the 21st century. Now churches as close as Ann Arbor Michigan, and as far as Utah, and Washington, the voices of evangelical leaders have encouraged visible change in both the physical make up of churches, or in the minds and lifestyles of church members, changes are being made. As nearly 80 churches in the state of Michigan alone have signed agreements and implemented plans to become more environmentally friendly.

For example, in March, during Holy week, Churches bought eco-palms, or branches from palm trees that are extracted in more environmentally friendly ways to help make sure that the plant survives. Though the branches are significantly more expensive, churches were willing to pay the price to ensure that they were not promoting holy week at the expense of wildlife in Mexico.

The title of this entry, "A Common Enemy Unites Even the Oldest of Foes" comes from the second Disney Chronicles of Narnia movie. The statement is a powerful one I think because it is so true. When a new universal adversary arises, it becomes the responsibility of all to respond to it. In the modern world the universal adversary is a growing environmental crisis. There are many empty seats around the strategic planning table for environmental issues. I'm proud to say evangelicals are staking a claim on their seat.

A Scriptural Reason to Believe in the Green Christian

Many people turn to the Wisdom of David as recorded in the Psalms to help point their lives in a Godly direction. The Bible tells us that his heart was one after God's own. Many take solace in that, knowing that if they could conform their hearts to be like David's then perhaps they would find themselves in the grace of God.

The truth is, David didn't live a sinless life, and Jesus' life is infinitely more worth following than David's. But, if we look at some of the things David thought about, and some of the things that he was passionate about, and thought about maybe we can step closer to the life that Jesus wants us to live.

David is not silent about the environment. His Psalms are literally filled with references to why it is important for man to look after the Earth. In many places David refers to the Earth as "the Lords and everything in it." Ps. 24. Clearly, though God gave man dominion over the Earth in Genesis, the Earth still belongs to Him. God created it. It's His. Maybe the parable of the Talons can help us understand our scenario. Yes talons were given to three different men, but the question wasn't over ownership. The talons were always owned by the master. What separated these men was what they choose to do with the talons they were given. Maybe it is like that with the Earth. Not that the central meaning of Christianity is taking care of creation. But it was given to us for us to use. Maybe we should do a better job of taking care of our talons.

Psalm 19 says that the Heaven's declare the Glory of God. All the creatures are to praise him. David's Psalms are filled with references to the Earth. Next time you are looking through Psalms, check out how David feels about the creatures of the Earth. Furthermore, some of his Psalms suggest that those that are cruel by not rotating crops, and behaving sinfully towards the Earth suffer the wrath of creation through storms and droughts. Sound familiar?

living the examined life.

NASCAR is rapidly becoming America's favorite sport, much to my dismay as one who will always believe Baseball is America's pastime. The objects everyone comes to watch on NASCAR race day are cars, engineered and designed to go speeds of 200+ miles per hour.

People come, see the race, cheer for the winner, and probably a couple of scary crashes, and leave. What they don't know, is at the end of the race cars go through a 100+ point inspection. Here are a couple of things that are done to the cars.

1. Tire pressure is taken
2. The height of the roof and spoiler are measured.
3. The cars are weighed.
4. The shocks, sway bars, and nearly twenty other pieces are removed and measured.
5. Almost two hours later, after the car has been nearly completely disassembled, the inspection is done, if the car has passed every single test, it passes.

I think that there is a powerful metaphor in this process. A story we can all learn from. For those of us that believe in God, we believe that at the end of our lives there is going to be a bit of a shakedown... We believe God is going to hold us accountable for everything we said and did in our lives. I think we go through the post race tests just like the race cars do. In some ways we are taken apart, and examined by God. In Romans 14.12 Paul writes that each of us must give an account of our lives before God. I think that is similar to the way that the racers have to give an account of their entire car before the judges of the race. Recognizing that there is no shortcut that Jesus can not serve as atonement for, I ask us what would it be like to examine our lives as the pit crew goes over their car before the race begins.

I call this living an examined life. Let me try to pass on some practical wisdom... This has some pretty interesting and simple action steps when it comes to taking care of the environment. It is application time... Lets see some of the ways that we can examine our lives before we start the race...

1. Consider setting a goal... that usually works for how much trash you want to let out of your household over the next week. Try to reduce the amount of stuff you throw away week by week, month by month.... it might help you pause and examine your decision next time you are at a trash bin in your place.
2. Buy a bike... for some of us, this saves us a lot. Bikes help us get places, and they reduce your carbon footprint... speaking of, perhaps turning off your lights, your computer, and your television might help save you money, and the world energy. Biking gives you exercise, which makes you healthier, and helps you sleep well at night.
3. Consider reusing things before you throw them away. A friend of mine made pop bottle top art. The piece looked amazing. Pause for a moment before trashing something to see if it is usable again.

I hope that these few suggestions will help you examine your life a bit close. Living the examined life can be fun, and rewarding... Needless to say, examining your parts before they get inspected after the race cuts down on the anxiety of the inspection.

Cherio!

What Kind of Environmental Christian Are you?

Answer the following questions to determine what perspective you come at the environmental crisis from... Then please feel free to add your thoughts to the survey located on the right side of the window...

Group 1
1. Do you see caring for creation as a responsibility given by God in the Bible? Y or N
2. Do you see the root of the environmental crisis as the result of human sinfulness? Y or N
3. Do you see man's role in the environment as caretaker, or gardener? Y or N
4. Do you think that God should be the ultimate authority regarding creation care? Y or N
5. Do you believe religion is the "sacred canopy" that can restore values in humans? Y or N

Group 2
1. Do you see caring for creation as a responsibility of humans because it is just? Y or N
2. Do you believe humans should live more sustainably for the betterment of humans? Y or N
3. Do you think the environmental crisis has been brought about by social injustice? Y or N
4. Do you see the enssential environmental issues as health and pollution problems? Y or N
5. Do you think that the best way to address the environemental crisis is to "fix" society Y or N

Group 3
1. Do you see God as immanent or in all places including in nature? Y or N
2. Do you think man is equal to the rest of creation in all being a part of God's creation Y or N
3. Do you think that the root of the environmental crisis is human alienation from nature Y or N
4. Do you associate yourself with postmodern Christianity? Y or N
5. Are you most concerned with wilderness preservation and species extinction? Y or N

If you felt like you answered Y mostly to Group 1:
-You are likely a part of the Christian Stewardship Ethic party
-Your prescribed response to the environmental crisis is to correct doctrine; and to restore Christianity as a guide to saving creation.
-You may see an evangelical endeavor in redeeming creation.

If you felt like you answered Yes mostly to Group 2:
- You may identify yourself more with the Eco-justice camp.
- Your prescribed response to the environmental crisis is to correct praxis; to beceome involved in the government, and grass roots mobilization of eco-justice oriented movements.
-Your ultimate purpose in becoming active in environmentalism may be a deep sense of justice that moves you to become a part of a environmentally liberating movement.

If you felt like you answered Yes mostly to Group 3:
-You may identify yourself with the Creation Spirituaty Ethic camp.
- For you the prescribed response to the environmental crisis may be to correct your spirituality, change Christian worldview so that God becomes more a part of creation.
- For you the ultimate purpose of the environmental movement may be to restore man's relationship with the environment.
- You likely see an intrinsic value to nature as well.

Please feel free to cast your vote in the survey to the right...

Because God don't create Junk...

A simple statement.

The first time I ever heard that claim was at a convention put on by the Catholic Church called the National Chaplain's Association for Youth at Risk. One of the preists there, was sharing his thoughts on successful programs for restoring childrens lives who are spiritually mending. He told the gathered chaplains there that one of the things he tells his kids is that God don't create junk...

The statement got me to think about creation. I realized that in Genesis 1, when God said that all of his Creation was good, He meant it. God don't create junk. When God created poison ivy, and the lion, he didn't create junk. When God created the mosquito, and the blue whale, he didn't create junk. If one were to believe that God is the creator of everything in the world, then shouldn't humans take responsibility for guarding and taking care of creation. After all, when a human comes into stewardship of a original monet painting, he does his best to preserve and care for the painting. Monet didn't create junk, and neither does God.

An Unexpected Union...

The meeting could not have been more random. Nor could it have been more welcomed. Saturday, just after a Tornado had blasted through Albion Michigan, leaving 55,000 homes in the greater Albion area without power, I walked down to the "golden arches" knowing that they had power, and cold beverages with cups that have "free refills" plastered all over them. So much for protesting blanket consumerism. Walking in, I ran into Erica Tauzer, the president of Albion's Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition. She graciously asked me to join the coalitions meeting, and there I sat for nearly four hours. It was a beautiful synthesis of two star-crossed parties. The religious and the environmental. More to come.

A New Begining to an Old Story

It began in a fruit and vegitable garden. A garden that grew on land just recently seperated from the sea on an earth that had just recently had been illuminated by a light that had distinguished itself from the darkness. It began simply, and God said it was good. It was here among the fruit trees that God told man he was to rule over all living things.

This verse has been misunderstood for centuries, but at least that verse has recieved some attention, unlike the next verse which has been recited in church congregations and Sunday School classes for ages, but has never sunk in.

"And God saw all that he had made, and it was very good"

Christians and Western culture have recieved a bad wrap, and maybe somewhat justifyably for their understanding that humans have a higher niche on the ecological food chain than the rest of the environment. Yes, I think Christians assert themselves as sentries over creation which means God placed man in a special spot. But what responsibility did God leave us in when he told man that creation was good?

Christians in the 1960's were called out by a man named Lynne White, who wrote in Science Magazine that the Judeo-Christian perspective on man's role in the environment was to blame for our modern environmental crisis. Some of his accusations ring true. So to the accusations of humanity, I believe Christians should plea guilty as charged to the assertion that man has an established role in creation as tender of the garden. However, when the more serious accusation of whether Christians have actually served as sentries over creation is lodged, perhaps we have some explaining and apologizing to do.

Please join me over the next couple months as I examine in depth, the Christian calling of stewardship and how Christians can become more a part of the restoration of the garden God said was good.