young voices

In defense of Christian contemporary music

I have a confession; my contemporary Christian music library is huge. Christian pop, rock and worship can all be found in abundance in our apartment. Why is it a confession for a pastor to admit that he listens to contemporary Christian music? I’m not sure.

Probably it has to do with the many times in university and currently that I have heard my contemporaries bashing what I know and love. I hear people saying contemporary Christian music is shallow, boring, and individualistic, and I hear people questioning its purpose.

Confessing our fossil fuels sins

Christians are taught that taking a Sabbath from work is an important spiritual discipline, but some Mennonites in Winnipeg organized a Sabbath from consumption.

Consumption Sabbath, which took place on Earth Day (April 22), included a time for people to “confess” their fossil fuel sins, “testify” to the healing power of living simply, and make pledges for the future.

On Consumption

I have never quite known what to do with Earth Day.

“Ever” is perhaps a bit of a strong word. Up until six or seven years ago I did not even know it existed. True, the United Nations did not recognize April 22 as International Mother Earth Day until 2009, but celebrations have been held on that day since the 1970's.

On Consumption

I have never quite known what to do with Earth Day.

“Ever” is perhaps a bit of a strong word. Up until six or seven years ago I did not even know it existed. True, the United Nations did not recognize April 22 as International Mother Earth Day until 2009, but celebrations have been held on that day since the 1970's.

(De)construction

I’ve mentioned before that I enjoy collaging (collage-ing?), which I guess makes me an amateur collageur (collage-ist?). Anyway, I like to cut up colourful papers and glue them onto cardboard. I find it relaxing, but, in another sense, I see it as a subversive act. Yes, it’s true. Making collages is one of my little ways of fighting capitalism, with all the awful wastefulness and inequality and deceitful rhetoric that comes along with it. Allow me to briefly but passionately explain why.

1. It’s a way of reusing, which is one eco-step better than recycling.

Born to Die (that we may live)

Our newborn King lies in a manger bed
Swaddled in clothes, by his mother lain,
Soon to wear a crown of thorns upon his head.

A jealous king desired to see him dead,
Command that every child his age was slain,
Our newborn King lies in a manger bed.

Shepherds in fields heard what the angels said,
Worship for their King they could not contain,
Soon to wear a crown of thorns upon his head.

Wise kings in the East by a star were led,
But in Bethlehem they would not remain,
Our newborn King lies in a manger bed.

The Church as an Outpost

A book study I am a part of is reading James Bryan Smith’s 'The Good and Beautiful Community.' In a chapter entitled 'the serving community' Smith all too quickly mentions a metaphor for the Christian community that was new to me. His metaphor was to view the church as an outpost. Though he didn’t expand I thought I would take the opportunity to articulate a few thoughts that came through my reading and pondering.

Knowledge and uncertainty

One Sunday morning I was sitting in the pew trying to pay attention and think critically about the sermon I was listening to, and my mind started to wander. As the sermon moved to the topic of interpreting a parable in Mark 2, I caught myself thinking that I knew this already, that I understood the parable and the interpretation, and could learn nothing new about it.

Should we get rid of the cross?

What does the cross mean to you (if it means anything)? I’ve heard this question asked a few times recently, and have been surprised at some of the answers. For some, you see, the cross is a disturbing symbol of the violence of the ancient Romans, who tortured people to death on these things; in other words, it’s an instrument of execution. We might as well have a lethal injection table set up at the front of our churches, if we want to update the symbol! So why would we, especially since we’re a peace church, for crying out loud, want to have crosses in our places of worship?

What are we working for?

One of the privileges of doing a Ph.D. is that you get plenty of time (I’m talking a decade) to think about the meaning of work. In our society, it seems, work is synonymous with money – making money is the only reason people drag themselves off to work every day, because money equals the ability to buy things equals happiness and the enjoyment of life, right? If a job pays enough, we’re supposed to be willing to do it. And of course, the higher a job pays, the better a job it must be – at least that’s how it pans out if you measure work primarily in terms of money.

A poem on occupation

Perhaps this is a little late for the Canadian context, as most (all?) of the occupy settlements in this country have been removed. But I thought I would share a poem I wrote during the height of the actions in my city of Winnipeg about what I was seeing. While I have some conflicting ideas about this protest, I hope that in the years to come we do not forget it.

Occupied(?)

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