Gas In McDonough GA

This is a picture of the Citgo just down the street from my house in McDonough, GA on the evening of August 31 2005. When I passed this same station this morning the sign for Regular gas said $2.59/ gal. That is a $1.00 hike in less than twelve hours. When I saw this it scared me to death, not because I am going to have to pay more for gas but because of the frenzy people were in trying to get gas. We were on empty so we had to get gas. We waited in line for 35 minutes in our small town to get gas. People were freaked out, it looked like we were under attack, maybe some people feel like they are. I just wish I had other travel options, I already carpool to school with Daniel. This is just weird. I have to say though, I do not feel that bad for us with our crazy gas prices, there are alot of people who have lost everything because of this hurricane, I hope we can move our focus from our gas woes and to our brother and sisters who are suffering so heavily to our South.

Gas Shortage

This is scary but I'm also kinda excited as well. Maybe now we'll really have to consider ways to use less gas. I've already got a feeling I'll be buying a bicycle in the near future. Our usage habits of gasoline will truly change only when the economics dictate it. I think we may finally be reaching that point.

Preaching Re Imagined Review

First off it is important to thank Doug Pagitt and Zondervan for the free copy of Doug's new book Preaching Re Imagined to review. In the introduction Doug challenged the reader to jump around in the book and read what sparks interest, as difficult as it was I took his advice. I read the book and found it to be a fresh imaginative and sincere engagement of a sticky and often abused office in local congregation. I found his distinction of what Jesus' prophetic function meant and means now very helpful for a society hell bent on pacifying its members. His citation of The Onion's policy of not accepting letters from readers and the similar attitude many "speachers" have is both funny and tragically accurate. Pagitt has the ear of the post modern church if not by his words then by his ability to hear others. A must read voice in the maze of preaching theory.
Pax
Stephen Ingram

The Elevation of Vocation is an Abomination

How do we define ourselves? In our culture today we largely define ourselves by our vocation. I don't know if this is right. This came to mind in one of my classes the other day when we were discussing the idea of God's call on a person's life. Someone asked how an aspiring minister can discern God's call on one's life. All of us in the class, and I suppose all of us in seminary, are there because we have discerned some sort of call on our life to serve God in a ministerial setting. But 90% of seminary is determining what sort of vocation that calling will become. I don't doubt that God calls certain people to vocations such as pastor, or other vocations such as doctor or lawyer, but I worry about our society when we wrap up our identity in those vocations. I raise this question because of all the things I've done in my life that I never felt a particular "call" to do. I've waited tables off and on for the last 8 years. Did I ever feel called to wait tables? Not really. But I felt called to pay my rent and have money to put gas in my car with. Was I somehow doing a disservice to God because I wasn't in ministry during those times? I don't think so.

Vocation, and in some sense a "calling" to vocation creates a hierarchy in life that doesn't need to be in the kingdom of God. I think this mainly because the only people I know who speak of a calling to their vocation are those in the seemingly respectable or noble professions. Doctor, pastor, teacher, ect... It's easy to define yourself as one of these vocations. But what do you do when life throws you a curveball? When your church fires you, when budget cuts eliminate your job? Are you less of a person in God's eyes because you are no longer doing the vocation you were "called" to? The answer is no. So I challenge myself and our faithful readers to define themselves and all those around us as more than just our vocation. Let us define ourselves as citizens in the Kingdom of God. Let our truest vocation be participation in the ongoing redemption of this world in the name of Jesus Christ.

My Candidate for the New James Bond

Hello Money Penny, my name is Pat, Pat Robertson. Deadly Assassin Pat Robertson coming to a Communist Leader near you.
Pax
Stephen

I Did Not Realize How Different..

I had no clue the divide between what I think is good ministry to youth and how others view it as heretical. I just ran across these two, 1 2 linked blog posts. I must say Tony was very gracious, more than I think I could have been. It really is interesting how limited people's view of God's interaction with humanity is as well as Humanity's history with God, i.e Church History. I really hope this does not come across as biting, it really does disturb me at the lines that are being drawn and what those lines are going to mean for the future of the church. I am saddened.
Pax
Stephen

Back To School, to Show Dad I'm No Fool...

I am very happy about the beginning of school. I find myself, towards the end of every Summer, getting very disgruntled with people at my church. It is not usually anything they are doing, it seems maybe that it is what they are not doing that frustrates me. I love being in an academic community. I love to sit around in a world that has no consequences, no doctrinal obligations, and no need for me to have to please pissy people. No, the scholary community it is a great place to live in the theoretical and really explore whitout constraints what I am doing. I am not foolish enough to lift this world on high and praise it unconditionally, but it is a nice release from the everydayness of local ministry.
Pax
Stephen

$42.34

I filled up my car with gas last night. I drive a 2001 Toyota Camry with a V6 engine. The tank holds about 15 or 16 gallons, and I let it get low enough that my gas light came on. I pulled up to the pump knowing full well that gas now costs about $2.60 a gallon right now. But I filled it up and the total came to $42.34. If a tank of gas is now costing me around $40 dollars every time I fill up, gas is now going to cost me between $160-$200 a month. That's over %10 of my monthly paycheck. I believe we have reached the point where I have to consider commute alternatives. With class starting tommorrow, I'm definitely considering buying a bike that I can ride the mile or so from my apartment to McAfee. But would the cost of a decent bike be offset by the savings in gas? I'll have to think about that one. Riding the MARTA bus isn't really an option because with the walk to the stop by my apartment and the walk from the stop by McAfee to the building I might as well just walk the entire way. Is walking an option in this heat with a backpack on? I don't think so. And so my suggestion is that all of us McAfee students who live in Lake Louise actually get serious about carpooling. Anyone interested?

Sabbath

Over the past couple of weeks I have not posted, thank you Adam for reminding me. It is not for a lack of a book deal, nor a lack of things to write about. No I have actually been really busy, I know it is hard to imagine, but with a pregnant wife, Adam's Wedding, a Family Vacation this past week and the kids starting school I have really not had the time or the energy to write anything. I did however recieve Doug Pagitts pre Release copy of Preaching Reimagined in the mail this week after agreeing to read and review it on the Blog. I will read it quickly and post on here soon. I am planning on writing some catch up posts over the next few days and getting back in the swing of things. Oh yeah the wedding was great, Adam was awesome and Jana was beautiful not to mention being able to hang out with some close friends for a few days, great weekend!
Pax
Stephen

I'm now a husband

As of last Saturday I'm officially a married man. Jana and I had a great ceremony and really fun reception. Thanks to all of friends and family who attended and showed their support. You helped make it a great time. The honeymoon to Savannah was great as well. We visited Fort Pulaski, did a walking ghost tour, ate and some great restaurants, and generally just relaxed. If you're ever in Savannah I especially recommend The Old Pink House. Great food and great service. Now I'm back in the office trying to get ready for fall and Jana and I are working on getting the apartment together.

I'm also going to officially call Stephen out on his lack of posts. He was the truly gung-ho one about this blog back in May when it started. I guess because we haven't already been offered a book deal he's given up all together.

Flavored Condoms and Lectio Divina

Myles Werntz has a blog I particularly enjoy reading. This post made me think of one particular day on the trip to Puerto Rico.

Wednesday was an off day in the middle of the week for us. Buses took us to downtown Caguas for a few hours where the kids could shop and then on to the beach for the afternoon. After we arrived at the beach, the chaperone of another group we shared the bus ride with pulled one of my chaperones aside and informed us that one of our youth was in the back of the bus reading the ingredients off of a box of flavored condoms. Nice huh?

After we got back from the beach we held a group meeting. We said we didn't know who bought the box and we didn't really care because what bugs me most was that no one during either the purchase of the condoms or the reading of them on the bus stepped up and said that it was inappropriate for the trip. When the purchaser volunteered himself, I thanked him for admitting to it, but I also pointed out that is was someone besides him who was pointed out for reading them on the bus. And know one listening in the group thought to stop it. So I was disappointed that as a group know one used better judgement. There was no punishment but a warning was given that step out of line again and the snorkeling trip on Saturday would most likely be cancelled. The kids were sulking but I think they understood my frustration.

Later that night we had devotional. Since there was no work day to reflect on, I took the section of scripture that verse for the day came from and did my own version of lectio divina with it. The passage was I Corinthians 9:19-27. I read it to them five different times, each time asking them to listen from a different perspective. First I told them about Paul, the author of the passage, and asked them to put themselves in his place as I read the passage. Then I told them about the church in Corinth, asked them to imagine they were there, and then read it again. Then I told them to imagine they were part of an oppressed minority anywhere in the world at any time in history, and read it again. Then I told them to imagine they were someone else at our church, and read it again, Finally I told them to come back to right where they were at this moment, and read it to them one more time. I gave them a few minutes to reflect, and then asked them to share what they had heard. I told them the usual Sunday School answers were off limits, they had to tell me what really struck them or what bothered them or what they didn't understand or what new thing they may have heard.

To my surprise everyone really seemed to love this exercise. Many didn't like the idea of Paul changing who he was to win others to Christ. Others said imagining they were someone else at the church gave them a new perspective on both the text and that person. I didn't offer any answers to the questions and challenges they raised, I only reminded them that every generation has to wrestle with the text and come to their own conclusions about it. And I reminded them that one of the beauties of the text is that throughout one's life the same text will come to mean different things. The important thing was that we learned to listen with fresh ears each time we heard the text. It was truly one of those moments when I think everyone "got it."

From flavored condoms to lectio divina in about 8 hours. The highs and lows of youth ministry may just kill me. But I think the highs are good enough to sustain me through the lows.

To my WC crew

This post is for my workcamp crew. You heard me talk on and on about Jana but I didn't have any pictures with me. So this is one of our engagement pics. I hope all of you are well and take the time to visit this blog occassionally and even comment if you feel so led.

Yesterday Sucked

Yesterday was really rough, there's no other way to say it. My car is busted. It broke down at about 10:00 p.m. Monday night. I was leaving a meeting and it wouldn't start. Tried to jump it and it still didn't work. Luckily a friend is letting me borrow her car for a few days. Jana's dad came down yesterday and we cleaned up the terminals and got the car to start but the battery wouldn't hold the charge. He's coming today to put a new battery in it and if that's not it then it's the alternator and I'll have to put it in the shop.

Why this week of all weeks? I really don't have the money to fix any of this right now. I spent most of yesterday in the office where things aren't particularly good either. The Labor Day Retreat I'm planning for the church just doesn't seem like its going to come together.

And I'm really scared right now about the wedding. I feel like I can't even take care of myself and yet on Saturday I'm going to commit to always put Jana's needs before my own. Honestly right now I'm fucking terrified.

Sorry if this wasn't very cheerful.

Back from Puerto Rico

I don't know what Stephen's excuse for the lack of posting is, but I've spent the last week in Puerto Rico with the EPC youth on a mission trip. It was awesome but I'm glad to be back. I plan on writing about a few specific meaningful moments in the trip after I've had a few days to reflect, but for now here's a few pics. One is from one of the forts on the island's coast, one is a group shot, and go ahead and laugh at the one of me. It was totally posed and not my idea in any way. But it makes me laugh.