Jun 07 2008
I recently became acquainted with Kim Winston who has a book and web site on the use of prayer beads. Kim writes that through the use prayer beads she is making her way back to God. I think this is a great example of how reclaiming ancient spiritual practices can make tried and ways of being connected to God fresh and accessible to all kinds of people. Check out her web site at Bead One, Pray Too
Popularity: 6% [?]
Jun 07 2008
Last night as we watched the events unfold that ended the Democratic primary process and gave Barack Obama the nomination, the reactions of my family stick in my mind.
My son (who favors Obama a bit according to his peers) asked “Did he do it?” “Did he get it?” When I replied he did his reaction was YESSSS!!!!! with a fist pump.
Later as I watched the Obama’s speech with me wife she said, “I’m worried for him, do you think he is safe?” My response I don’t know.
As I listened to Tom Brokaw talk about how the younger generation was more color blind than his I wondered how real that statement was and whether I really wanted the younger generation to be color blind.
So what was my reflections? I am still processing the church resignation thing and I watch a movie yesterday called Carbon Copy starring George Segal and a young Denzel Washington. The premise of the movie (which seemed cheesy to me when it first came out) is a white guy discovers he has a son from a relationship (fling) with a black woman he eventually left to marry into the ultimate WASP family. When his son shows up tries to may his father pay for the way his mother was hurt everything goes into the toilet for this well to do white guy. He loses all of the things he came to expect as a white person, job family, clubs etc.
When he finally comes to grips with white privilege he tells his WASP father-in-law that the real issue is not just that blacks come into the game with two strikes its that the game is rigged so blacks can’t even get a third swing. Later on he tells his son “when I saw you all I saw was black”. In other words he didn’t see a person he saw his mental model of a whole race and then attached all he assumptions and preconceived notions about that race to the individual.
I wonder if that is what is happening with Barack Obama right now. I wonder if we are at a true moment in history when we can move beyond race as a defining factor? Or maybe if Obama is successfully it will be despite his race and because he is politically smart enough to beat at system that say to people like him two strikes and you are out!
Popularity: 6% [?]
Jun 07 2008
Last night as we watched the events unfold that ended the Democratic primary process and gave Barack Obama the nomination, the reactions of my family stick in my mind.
My son (who favors Obama a bit according to his peers) asked “Did he do it?” “Did he get it?” When I replied he did his reaction was YESSSS!!!!! with a fist pump.
Later as I watched the Obama’s speech with me wife she said, “I’m worried for him, do you think he is safe?” My response I don’t know.
As I listened to Tom Brokaw talk about how the younger generation was more color blind than his I wondered how real that statement was and whether I really wanted the younger generation to be color blind.
So what was my reflections? I am still processing the church resignation thing and I watch a movie yesterday called Carbon Copy starring George Segal and a young Denzel Washington. The premise of the movie (which seemed cheesy to me when it first came out) is a white guy discovers he has a son from a relationship (fling) with a black woman he eventually left to marry into the ultimate WASP family. When his son shows up tries to may his father pay for the way his mother was hurt everything goes into the toilet for this well to do white guy. He loses all of the things he came to expect as a white person, job family, clubs etc.
When he finally comes to grips with white privilege he tells his WASP father-in-law that the real issue is not just that blacks come into the game with two strikes its that the game is rigged so blacks can’t even get a third swing. Later on he tells his son “when I saw you all I saw was black”. In other words he didn’t see a person he saw his mental model of a whole race and then attached all he assumptions and preconceived notions about that race to the individual.
I wonder if that is what is happening with Barack Obama right now. I wonder if we are at a true moment in history when we can move beyond race as a defining factor? Or maybe if Obama is successfully it will be despite his race and because he is politically smart enough to beat at system that say to people like him two strikes and you are out!
Popularity: 6% [?]
Jun 03 2008
Over the weekend Barack Obama resigned from Trinity Church in the wake of another tirade by the pundits about his being responsible for what a preacher said in his church.
Obama Quits His Church - The Caucus - Politics - New York Times Blog
I am disappointed. I’m disappointed because he said he would speak the truth even when we didn’t want to hear it. I’m disappointed because the decision seems more political than principled. I’m disappointed it seems the accessory price or pound of flesh for a black man to pay to gain credibility. I’m disappointed because I wonder if it is worth it?
While browsing the web I came across this quote. I don’t know if it is accurate or not but It certainly relevant.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy - Martin Luther King Jr.
I’m disappointed!!!!!
Popularity: 6% [?]
Jun 03 2008
Over the weekend Barack Obama resigned from Trinity Church in the wake of another tirade by the pundits about his being responsible for what a preacher said in his church.
Obama Quits His Church - The Caucus - Politics - New York Times Blog
I am disappointed. I’m disappointed because he said he would speak the truth even when we didn’t want to hear it. I’m disappointed because the decision seems more political than principled. I’m disappointed it seems the accessory price or pound of flesh for a black man to pay to gain credibility. I’m disappointed because I wonder if it is worth it?
While browsing the web I came across this quote. I don’t know if it is accurate or not but It certainly relevant.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy - Martin Luther King Jr.
I’m disappointed!!!!!
Popularity: 6% [?]
May 30 2008
Welcome to another episode of adventures in missing the truth.
Priest Mocks Clinton in Sermon - AOL News
WARNING RANT AHEAD
Maybe I reading the wrong papers or viewing the wrong political pundits. But I heard them all say the same thing about Hillary Clinton thinking that she was the inevitable democratic nominee.
So once again Obama must be responsible for what everyone who is in anyway connected to him says. First it was a black man now he has to be responsible for whites as well. OK where is Clinton’s responsibility for here husband’s remarks. I must be so stupid because I don’t get it. How is it that anything no matter how true that ruffles the gender sensibilities of the Hillary Clinton folks be so rapidly overblown when patently offensive stuff others say about Obama gets downplayed.
This white priest is once again falling subject to the demonization of a particular group of people for speaking the truth. Does anyone say, This is one sermon from the guy. Look at who he is and what he has done to help people in the church the past? Does anyone say yes maybe he didn’t way it is the nicest way but its true?
Instead it becomes another Barack Obama problem. For which he must apologize. Geraldine Ferarro has yet to apologize for saying that Obama was here he was because he was black. (read political affirmative action)
If the cost of having the first black president is having to miss, ignore or deny the truth about race, and gender issues; if we must deny the truth of white previlege rather than expose it, I wonder if it is worth it.
THIS RANT IS NOW COMPLETE
Popularity: 6% [?]
May 30 2008
OK so it is clear that i wasn’t very clear in my thoughts in this post damned if you do damned if you don’t. This is not about being politically for Obama or Clinton. It is my observation of how differently we relate to politicians based on their race or gender.
It has been my observation that black men in America are on the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to the social pecking order. Black men are attached to all kinds of assumptions, preconceptions and cultural scripts. If we are articulate, we are the exception. If we aren’t, we prove “the point”. If we succeed we benefited from affirmative action. If we don’t we prove “the point”. If we get frustrated about how we are perceived, we are the “angry black man.” If we seek compromise and consensus we are “sellouts” and not fighters. If we protest, we aren’t patriotic, loyal, or team players. If we treat women poorly we are “dogs”. If we greet each other as friends we are “dogs”. Our friends actions are reflected on all of us.
In the same way that the way we can recognize that some people view Hillary Clinton through the lens of her gender we need to recognize and admit that some maybe many people view Obama through their of his race and gender. In this culture, despite his biracial international roots he is distilled to simply being a black man. With that comes all the historical and social mental models that we (that is all of us black and white) attach to black men.
We can wish that we can move beyond race but it isn’t going to happen right now. I am curious why some Anglos who support Obama sound like they are patting themselves on the back that they are supporting a “black man”. In a truly character not race oriented society that wouldn’t be. But it is.
I’m not upset that it is. I just then we need to admit it and talk about it. We need to talk about it in the church and not demonize each other when we do. We need to talk about it with friends and be gracious to each other when we do. We need to talk about it in general and ask what if there is something shaping my perspective that I’m not conscious of. We will never get beyond race until we deal with race and its place in the cultural conversation. We readily talk about sexism and but hyper when we try to talk about racism. But we unable to have a real conversation about race.
This morning I read an essay written by my biracial son who sees his mixed heritage as an opportunity and a challenge. He wonders if his black friends see him as black or white; if his white friends see him as black or white. He is wrestling at the ripe old age of 14 with the social perception that young men of his skin color simply “black”. The dream is not yet realized that our children’s character would matter more than their (socially constructed) race.
Popularity: 6% [?]
May 30 2008
OK so it is clear that i wasn’t very clear in my thoughts in this post damned if you do damned if you don’t. This is not about being politically for Obama or Clinton. It is my observation of how differently we relate to politicians based on their race or gender.
It has been my observation that black men in America are on the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to the social pecking order. Black men are attached to all kinds of assumptions, preconceptions and cultural scripts. If we are articulate, we are the exception. If we aren’t, we prove “the point”. If we succeed we benefited from affirmative action. If we don’t we prove “the point”. If we get frustrated about how we are perceived, we are the “angry black man.” If we seek compromise and consensus we are “sellouts” and not fighters. If we protest, we aren’t patriotic, loyal, or team players. If we treat women poorly we are “dogs”. If we greet each other as friends we are “dogs”. Our friends actions are reflected on all of us.
In the same way that the way we can recognize that some people view Hillary Clinton through the lens of her gender we need to recognize and admit that some maybe many people view Obama through their of his race and gender. In this culture, despite his biracial international roots he is distilled to simply being a black man. With that comes all the historical and social mental models that we (that is all of us black and white) attach to black men.
We can wish that we can move beyond race but it isn’t going to happen right now. I am curious why some Anglos who support Obama sound like they are patting themselves on the back that they are supporting a “black man”. In a truly character not race oriented society that wouldn’t be. But it is.
I’m not upset that it is. I just then we need to admit it and talk about it. We need to talk about it in the church and not demonize each other when we do. We need to talk about it with friends and be gracious to each other when we do. We need to talk about it in general and ask what if there is something shaping my perspective that I’m not conscious of. We will never get beyond race until we deal with race and its place in the cultural conversation. We readily talk about sexism and but hyper when we try to talk about racism. But we unable to have a real conversation about race.
This morning I read an essay written by my biracial son who sees his mixed heritage as an opportunity and a challenge. He wonders if his black friends see him as black or white; if his white friends see him as black or white. He is wrestling at the ripe old age of 14 with the social perception that young men of his skin color simply “black”. The dream is not yet realized that our children’s character would matter more than their (socially constructed) race.
Popularity: 6% [?]
May 29 2008
One of the most powerful lessons learned in my recent diversity training with Steve Robbins is the power of asking the question, what if? I have applied that learning to the recent conversations about race and the emergent ( not necessarily emerging ) church. So here are some what ifs that I am pondering.
What if the mental model of those anglos emergents unwilling to address race issue doesn’t allow them to see how limited their world view is?
What if they are just interpreting race though a limited cultural lens?
What if they are just falling in intentional intolerance because they can’t see the other options and don’t have all the information?
What if they haven’t critically examined their point of view?
What if we are all trying too hard to be nice?
What if we all buy into sub-conscious cultural messages?
What if some of us are just closed minded?
What if some of us are open minded when we don’t feel attacked?
What if there are many other what if around this conversation that I can’t even come up with?
Popularity: 6% [?]
May 29 2008
I came across this post a mustard seed church over at some strange ideas It has some interesting thoughts about the mustard seed being an appropriate metaphor for church growth and multiplication. Since our church Mosaic Life has been exploring possibilities of growing beyond addition I was engaged by the idea.
One of the recent challenges of around church planting and growth has been the growing sense that bigger isn’t always better. But how to stay committed to growing the church for the kingdom? I have never felt comfortable the either being a large church or a house church which are the two options that are most commonly presented. So this mustard seed church which grows to a certain size and then propagates itself through multiplication is intriguing. As much as I hate the idea of another adjective based church, this is definitely worthy of further exploration.
Popularity: 7% [?]
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Disciplines of the Spirit by Howard Thurman
God of the Oppressed by James H. Cone
To Live in Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City by Mark R. Gornik
Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be by Kevin DeYoung
unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity… and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman
