Addressing Kenya, on a lighter note...

This clip from Ricky Gervais (Creator of the Office) and company is hilarious and makes a good point. Thanks to Marko for the heads up about it

True Life Spoof: I'm an Emo

My friends Ryan and Luke just made this True Life Spoof on the life of an emo high schooler. one of the funniest and most spot on videos I've seen in awhile. enjoy

sunny day musings

joy = driving fast in my car to Hannah's house, sun shining, windows down, shirt off, dirt caked on my hands, and Mysterious Ways from U2 cranking at full blast.

word to the wise: people will continue to be in your space no matter what and you can't dictate just how your life will go, so roll with it and look for how God might be using interruptions, annoyances, and inconveniences to open doors for flexibility, patience, service, and love which will transform your world. or allow yourself to be frustrated with it and wallow in self pity. the latter is debilitatingkills off your relationships, and will send you spiraling into depression, run from it - the Holy Spirit has an amazing ability to help you reevaluate what intitially seems like a crappy situation and turn it around. an expectant, hopeful life that anticipates God is fun....i do enjoy following Jesus.

even when there seems to be total silence from God and no silver lining, God is present, perhaps not active in the way you'd like, but present. Jesus suffers with us, his cross is an eloquent picture of that. it is not just about Jesus suffering in our place, it is about Jesus suffering with us and having the unique ability to fellowship with us through our darkest times. in our deepest loneliness Jesus goes deeper still, for he bore what we won't, abandonment by the Father. the good news is that hidden in that horrible, "end," was a new beginning, resurrection. so let each of us be attentive to whatever we feel is at the end, and begin to look in hidden places for the new beginning God has in store.

wading into God's new creative work

"don't outsource your conception of what church communities ought to be to any other time.
this is not something to outsource. you were invited to be people who form communities of hopeful, optimistic Christianity. and you are called into that endeavor completely, theologically and ecclesiologically........ You need to be fully engaged in the formation of what it means to be people who live as a church in Christian community without having to outsource it to any other period of time, because the time that we live in is as good a time for the gospel, as good a time for theology, and is as good a time for creating church community as any period of time......we have the opportunity to do wonderful things in collaboration with God's continuous plans for this world"

Doug Pagitt at North Park

New Beginnings

It is official. Hannah and I are the proud renters of a 100 year old, 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath, sweet home at 180 S. 20th Street in the Old Towne East neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. We signed the lease and paid the deposit today. Our move in date is May 1st, but the landlord gave us the keys and the freedom to paint, clean, and move in furniture in the meantime. I will post pictures real soon.

It is an exciting and eclectic neighborhood to move into that is a great central location for living downtown. The couple blocks surrounding us have been redeveloped and the neghborhood is popular among the rich, white, homosexual community. We are just a short walk from Franklin Park, the biggest park in downtown Columbus, and only a mile from downtown.

But, 2 of the poorest neighborhoods in Columbus are only blocks away, an area with both physical and spiritual needs. One where we could see ourselves ministering for a long time. We will also be just a mile from a developing muslim community and 2 miles from Bexley, a predominantly Jewish area. The opportunities for the gospel will be endless. We have already established a fun relationship with both our landlord and property manager. I was interested to see how they (both are gay), would respond to me being a minister. Not even an issue, we had good honest conversations, and already have an invitation to the next neighborhood party or to play our landlord's (he lives 4 houses down) sweet 150 year old piano which has been meticulously preserved.

God is good. It will be fun to partner with him in his new creative work in this community, and to see how he will use this move to refine us.

Roommate Needed

Hannah and I found a house today that we are excited about renting.
It is a real nice duplex in Olde Towne East at Bryden and 20th. 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, new appliances, flooring and carpet, and completely refurbished and clean interior. The only catch is that the landlord needs a tenant soon.

I am looking for a roommate to help with rent the first 2 1/2 months. April 1st - June 15th. You would have your own room and pay about $250 a month. If you or anyone you know would be interested in an arrangment like this please contact me asap. jeddearing@gmail.com

beautiful sound

check out this great performance from Arcade Fire - the song is from their new album, Neon Bible that Matty B turned me onto. you have to love the accordion and violin infused rock sound.

the midnight office

BRETHREN, take care lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

The deceitfulness of sin is a powerful thing - what a great verse from the writer of Hebrews.

I like the emphasis on "exhorting each other every day." Too often we don't dig into one anothers real junk by asking the questions which bring light into dark places and allow truth in love to be spoken. According to Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, that is how we will grow up into Christ. Let us make a commitment to challenge one another to say no to sin and yes to Christ day in and day out that we might more and more be transformed, live within the blessings of obedience, and reflect God to the world.

a little bit of pride

so I have a couple minutes to kill after work, before a friend arrives. I am surfing around online and find a poem I wrote posted on someone elses website. someone I've never met. kind of cool.
he gave me credit for it.

I have to say, I think my poem went well with his picture...

Global Warming as a Moral Issue

This is a portion of a letter composed by Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family and other voices from the conservative corner of the evangelical movement, addressed to the National Association of Evangelicals.

More importantly, we have observed that Cizik (NAE Vice PResident of Government Relations) and others are using the global warming controversy to shift the emphasis away from the great moral issues of our time, notably the sanctity of human life, the integrity of marriage and the teaching of sexual abstinence and morality to our children. In their place has come a preoccupation with climate concerns that extend beyond the NAE’s mandate and its own statement of purpose.

The line that bothers me within this paragraph is "are using the global warming controversy to shift the emphasis away from the great moral issues of our time,"
Now, I understand that issues relating to abortion, marriage, and sexuality are all important. However, if the preservation of our earth isn't an important moral issue, I'm not sure what is. The Earth and its resources sustain life, and from the beginning (see Genesis 1), care for the earth has been a primary mandate for mankind.

Whether global warming is a reality or not is hotly debated, but care for the earth should always be a moral issue that we have a pulse on. We should at the least, be actively particpating in the conversation. If Christians aren't a prophetic voice in this area we miss caring for the very earth God created for our enjoyment and his glory. Oh yeah, he looked down on it and and called his creation good.

I wonder if this kind of thinking stems from a thin eschatology that supposes we will all be wisked away to another place high in the sky? Christians realize that Jesus will be returning to earth right? And that for a season he is going to rule here? Personally, I'd like to present him with an earth that has been cared well for.

plateau or pruning

i feel like I've plateaued in my spiritual life and personal growth, they tend to go hand in hand.

what is going to bring transformation? seeking God no doubt, but will he reveal that key to transformation or does he have me in the middle of a long slow process that I can't see unfolding because I'm inside of it? for one of the first times in my life I feel inadequate. I suppose thats a start to transformation, total brokenness. this lent has been all about pruning so far. maybe that means change is on its way. I hope so. Come on God's Word, be true.

I don't feel like I'm living out my call any more. The things that used to get me excited and reignite me don't anymore. Where is God taking me? Is there sin in the way? Is it how I spend my time? Do I need to return to things of the past or press onto new practices in the future? These are all questions I am asking right now.

All I know is that I didn't feel this way a year ago when I got back from Europe. Or for that matter, Today, 6 years ago as Cisco and I began our drive to Orlando to attend GCM's support training to learn how to raise money to move out here. Today, 6 years later I completed my resume to start hunting for a job outside of ministry. Not quite the way I pictured this going.

I understand that God's divine hand is in this and that in time, hopefully soon, I'll get why he is taking me down this trail, and truly see that it is him and not just my own deficiencies or other human's choices that are determining this.

I truly want to be partnering with God in his new creative work he is doing in the world right now. It is exciting to see the way he is moving within neighborhoods, cities, states, and countries. I know I will play a key role in bringing Jesus' new creative efforts to the city, but where, when, how, and with who are all so up in the air.

patience, thats what I need - this reminds me of a little something, something Axel Rose penned.

...little patience, mm yeah, ooh yeah,
Need a little patience, yeah
Just a little patience, yeah
Some more pati... (ence, yeah)
I've been walking these streets at night
Just trying to get it right (Need some patience, yeah)
It's hard to see with so many around
You know I don't like being stuck in a crowd (Could use some patience, yeah)
And the streets don't change but maybe the name
I ain't got time for the game

thick in the head

great conversation today with Pastor Jim.
his humility and conviction to follow God's prompting is encouraging.

We had a pretty sterile conversation yesterday, and this morning during his QT he felt God prompting him to follow up with me. I was feeling the same thing today, then he knocked on my door, thats when you know the Spirit is working.

I haven't had many 20 minute conversations that included tears, laughter, conviction, sadness, exhortation, compassion, dreaming, and encouragment all rolled up into one.
we don't always see eye to eye, but he is a guy worth following.

ps...you may be sick in the head, apparently I'm thickheaded.
we get these two things solved and I'm pretty sure we take over the world.