Love is...

-->

Love is free

Love holds no merit, no system of payment and return on investment

Love gives

Love laughs

Love cries

Love is like a mother – forever increasing in care, compassion, and hope for her child

Love is like a father – protector, provider, and mentor

Love is many things…

But let’s remember that all of the words and metaphors we can create to describe love, is an attempt to put words to the very nature of God.

God is love.

With the same breath that he breathed life into humanity, he breathes love into all of creation.

So with the love of God, the Father, may we too love one another.

Peace,
Ross

The Uncanny Resemblance Between the GOP Debate and the 2015 VMA’s…

Yes, you read that right.  I’m connecting the dots (with great concern) that the GOP candidates resemble the same cultural disappointment and inevitable future that I saw, while watching last night’s VMA awards.

If you watched the VMA’s, i’m sorry that you lost those 2-3 hours of your life.  You’ll never get them back.  If you watched the FOX NEWS, GOP Debate on August 6th, again I apologize that you wasted those 2-3 hours of your life.  They are gone.

So where’s the resemblance?

Last night on the VMA’s and a few weeks ago at the GOP debate, we saw political-products project a future that is healthy for no one.  Both “events” were pure spectacle; individuals pandering to selfishness, power, and extremism, with no regard to what future implications may be.

On one hand, Donald Trump embodies a "self-made-man" that’s popular for speaking his mind - regardless of truth, sexism, equality, and public health and/or policy.  On the other hand, Miley Cyrus embodies a "self-made-woman" that’s popular for speaking her mind - regardless of truth, exploitation, and or health.

**I use “quotes” because they are made by inherited fame, wealth, obnoxiousness, gaming the system, and media machines.

They do what they do, because they want to.  They are bought by no one (at least that’s what they spew).  And despite their grotesque representation of culture and outlook for the future, they are gaining in popularity and influence.

Miley is a court jester and the crowd goes crazy.  Donald is a carbon copy, only his crowd is older and whiter.

INFLUENCE - really?

Yes, both have incredible influence. 

Miley’s circus and over-the-top antics poured into nearly every acceptance speech, performance, and video at the VMA’s.  The crowd ate it up hook, line, and sinker.  Donald’s candor and language, and basic disregard for human life (i.e. women, immigrants, foreigners, etc) have pushed the other candidates further to the extreme. 

Case in point: we’re now treating immigrants like Fed-Ex packages.

Miley is a product of her label.
Donald is a product of his brand.
(And both have laughable hair.)

Art and politics have always danced together; and at times, have created better cultures.  They push the limits beyond status-quo.  They create conversations that work to build better societies.  I cannot say that for the GOP field or the VMA’s. 

We will be worse-off if we are lead by these jokers with microphones.  We can of course throw our money and support to them.  But don’t complain when you inherit the future you’re applauding - nothing short of an exploitation-circus.  

The Heart > Human Tradition

If you're someone that comes from a tradition that follows the lectionary calendar, you'll notice that the following text (from Mark 7) is the Gospel text for August 30, 2015.  However, regardless of your church method (mainline, non-denominational, charismatic, house-church, etc.), tradition is a factor.  Sometimes positive and welcome.  And sometimes anti-movement, anti-vision, anti-Christ.

Traditions, rules, constitutions, by-laws, the past - can all cripple a people (and person) of authentic living.

Mark 7 reads something like this:
-->

So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live^[d] according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” ⁶ He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,

‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me;
⁷ in vain do they worship me,
    teaching human precepts as doctrines.’

⁸ You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”

What do we do with passages like these?

As we gather in a body called church, called community, called family...

we gather on the backs of the faithful ancestors of our faith – hundreds of years of tradition that has culminated into this moment, this living, breathing, worship experience (no matter the day of the week).

But if we take pause and honestly look at our worship, how much of it praises brick and mortar, method and style, personal preference and programming, man made rules and constitutions and Roberts rules of order?

How much of our worship is actually idolatry?

Our prayer today is that our hearts be transformed, that our minds be transformed, that this holy place be transformed into the church – the bride of Christ – the people of God, with hearts aligned to Spirit and hands aligned to Jesus.

 Amen.

 After all, we are a people with transformation at our core...why not live it?

Peace,
Ross 

 

The Idolatry of Certainty

Greg Boyd speaks about the idolatry of certainty here. 
He says, "They call faith "faith" for a reason."
Greg Boyd speaks on faith and embracing doubt!

Peace,
PMP

Fair Trade...BIBLES?

Over the weekend, a friend let me know about a great deal on bibles.
She told me that The Dollar Store was selling leather-bound bibles!

Leather-bound.
Bibles.
One Dollar.

Something doesn't add up.

Q: How can a bible (which is hundreds, if not thousands of printed pages), be bound in leather, shipped across the globe, neatly positioned on the shelf, marketed to the public, and sold by a cashier, for one dollar?

A: It can't.

Somewhere a farmer is not being paid fairly for the hide of his cattle.  Somewhere else, a printing press is running pages of scripture, and the workers aren't being paid fairly.  In another location someone loads shipping containers for little-to-no money.  And once the "product" arrives at the local Dollar Store, a worker unloads a shipment of bibles to the rack, for an unsustainable wage.

And for what?
What is being evangelized here?

In this case, has commerce prostituted the Word of God?
How can this be reconcilled?
How can the very book that promotes shalom, justice, equality, and grace, be sold at the expense of so many?

What's worse (possibly) is that I've tried to google "fair trade bibles" for over 20 minutes, and cannot find a single purchasing option!

Remember that the way(s) we purchase speaks volumes about the God we serve.

Peace,
Ross 

Constants

There are certain constants in life.  One of those constants is time.  We are all bound to a 24 hour day and a 7 day week.  No matter your vocation, passion, and effort, you have limits.  Steve Jobs was bound to these limits.  President Obama is bound to these limits.  Every single person, regardless of how productive or unproductive they may be, is bound to these constants.

So as you dream big and work towards creating more beauty, shalom, and justice in the world, consider the following:

What can you (and only you) do?
What were you created to do?
What are your passions?

Do that!

But what about all of the other random tasks that are required to pull off said passion, job, project, and dream(s)?

That's where being a leader comes into play.

Good leaders surround themselves with other individuals that resonate with your dreams and momentum.  Good leaders never hoard vision and work.  Good leaders delegate, empower, and turn loose the passions and dreams of other people.

So the next time you find yourself against a time-crunch, ask yourself what can you (and only you) do.  Ask yourself what you were created to do.  And finally ask yourself if you have appropriately surrounded yourself with individuals that you trust to carry the torch of your passion.

The world may be full of constants, but you don't have to be bound by them.  

Peace,
Ross 

What are you reading?

It's said that all great leaders read...a lot.
Great leaders are constantly learning.
Great leaders are great learners.
Great leaders never assume they "know" everything.
Great leaders don't read to support their already held beliefs either.
Great leaders read to push belief, position, comfort, and ideas.

Because what you read tells a lot about how you lead...

Do you resonate with this list?
If so, what are you reading?

Peace,
Ross