Yeah great song by BTO - I know. I'll have to share my Fred Turner story sometime...anyways - i got a couple responses re my drowning man story below. It's part metaphor and of course there is always truth behind metaphor but emotions are always suspect. Anyways - I have to celebrate the fact that I actually get paid (not much mind you) to teach a course on Mountain Bike Skills! So off I go with 4 of my students to the Sandilands to enter the real classroom - God's creation! Yeehaw (with my apologies to the Duke brothers)!!!
Later,
G
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Monday, September 27, 2004
Drowning...
Drowning with land in sight - the fear of any sailor caught adrift. Well it appears this sailor's ship is taking water and the land is too far off to see. He has been caught in the enigma of loving what he does but hating the constructs of the institution that he is employed by. This institution or "ministry" as it could be so labeled has captured not only his passion but his energy, his being, his time. What does he actually have left? A feeble spirit that is trying to cry out despite the salty gasps of water that drench him in this storm.
The sabbath is but a distant memory now. He has endured three weeks without rest, without a port to refuel & restock his once swift vessel. He has gone through some incredibly stormy waters where he has questioned everything he has been called to do. He attempts to console himself saying that emotions have an ebb & flow to them - this is simply one of those mountains to be climbed. Once triumph takes place at the summit - all the pain & suffering will be worth it. Will it? Will the sacrifice of friendship, of relationships, of family be worth it? Does he put every breath he breathes, every beat of his heart on the altar of an obscene work ethic?
Has he been tricked by actually believing that it is he that makes a difference in this world? How he longs for rest, for air to breathe, for escape! Like a deer pants for water - this lonely sailor pants for restoration, for a place to find renewal, a refuge from the struggle he lives.
Are we not more than mere emotion? Perhaps after a mind is spent - that is all we have left.
Drowning with land in sight.
The sabbath is but a distant memory now. He has endured three weeks without rest, without a port to refuel & restock his once swift vessel. He has gone through some incredibly stormy waters where he has questioned everything he has been called to do. He attempts to console himself saying that emotions have an ebb & flow to them - this is simply one of those mountains to be climbed. Once triumph takes place at the summit - all the pain & suffering will be worth it. Will it? Will the sacrifice of friendship, of relationships, of family be worth it? Does he put every breath he breathes, every beat of his heart on the altar of an obscene work ethic?
Has he been tricked by actually believing that it is he that makes a difference in this world? How he longs for rest, for air to breathe, for escape! Like a deer pants for water - this lonely sailor pants for restoration, for a place to find renewal, a refuge from the struggle he lives.
Are we not more than mere emotion? Perhaps after a mind is spent - that is all we have left.
Drowning with land in sight.
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Reading Paul in a Postmodern Context
What would happen if Paul would write a letter to a postmodern audience? Well Brian Walsh & Sylvia Keesmaat did just that - they recreated Colossians in a very interesting way! Have a peek at their manuscript in pdf format: Colossian Targums. The book is entitled Colossians Remixed: Subverting The Empire and will be available from amazon.ca sometime in November.
G
G
Friday, September 24, 2004
Life in the fastlane...
Life is going way too fast these days... I can't believe I am past the half way point in the course I am teaching! It all seems like a blur. What is this rat-race we are in. Why do we do what we do? I've answered this question to a point in my last two previous posts but I still question the obscene hours that I and so many of my friends & colleagues go through.
I have a friend from high school that has a blog devoted to the exploration of lifestylism. His posts & links have brought to me a number of questions in regards to the choices we make in living the lives that we do. I think many young adults are now questioning the lifestyle choices of the previous generation. Why do we need the two car, 3000 sq ft home, & $100,000 + salary? What is the best way to raise kids in this postmodern society? How do we best educate our children? We all know what a failure the public school system is and universities are not much better. Why do we live the lives we do and are there some better choices that we could make? Perhaps living a life that is simpler and maybe does not require to full-time incomes is the way to go. I will close today's post with two quotes from Thoreau:
I have a friend from high school that has a blog devoted to the exploration of lifestylism. His posts & links have brought to me a number of questions in regards to the choices we make in living the lives that we do. I think many young adults are now questioning the lifestyle choices of the previous generation. Why do we need the two car, 3000 sq ft home, & $100,000 + salary? What is the best way to raise kids in this postmodern society? How do we best educate our children? We all know what a failure the public school system is and universities are not much better. Why do we live the lives we do and are there some better choices that we could make? Perhaps living a life that is simpler and maybe does not require to full-time incomes is the way to go. I will close today's post with two quotes from Thoreau:
Our life is frittered away by detail... Simplify, simplify, simplify! ... Simplicity of life and elevation of purpose.
Go Confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Teaching with Passion (Part II)
Teaching can be one of the most rewarding and most difficult occupations. On one hand you have an incredible opportunity to explore our worlds and on the other - the incredible challenge of keeping people engaged in whatever topic you are teaching on. Obviously the more relevant & applicable the topic - the easier it is. So I struggle on and find those glimpses of "ahas" and "Yeah! I learned something new!"
So here I am, hoping that in some way I actually am doing what I feel passionate about doing. But also realizing that there are always multiple dyadic relationships in a classrom, and naturally I will connect more with certain types of students than others. It may not be realistic to reach everyone but that does not mean I cannot endeavor to do so. I believe St. Paul talks something about "pressing onward and taking hold of the truth?" That's what I feel I am called to do - to keep exploring, to keep striving, and to keep teaching with passion. I don't have all the answers and I definitely haven't reached perfection, not even close but I have to push on and claim what I am called to do. If I don't - there is no reason for me to put the energy I do into each class I teach.
Kicking the darkness till it bleeds daylight,
G
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates.The great teacher inspires. - William Arthur Ward
So here I am, hoping that in some way I actually am doing what I feel passionate about doing. But also realizing that there are always multiple dyadic relationships in a classrom, and naturally I will connect more with certain types of students than others. It may not be realistic to reach everyone but that does not mean I cannot endeavor to do so. I believe St. Paul talks something about "pressing onward and taking hold of the truth?" That's what I feel I am called to do - to keep exploring, to keep striving, and to keep teaching with passion. I don't have all the answers and I definitely haven't reached perfection, not even close but I have to push on and claim what I am called to do. If I don't - there is no reason for me to put the energy I do into each class I teach.
Kicking the darkness till it bleeds daylight,
G
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates.The great teacher inspires. - William Arthur Ward
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Teaching With Passion (Part I)
Amazing how time flies - two weeks of teaching seem like a blur right now. This is year three for me teaching full-time in a college. It has its joys and its struggles - sometimes the joys and struggles are the same but usually I place them in different categories. I made the comment in my classroom the other day that my greatest struggle or frustration is to not be able to have every student leave my class being changed in some way. Not necessarily changed by my input, but by them actually processing the information presented or discussed. I love to teach, I love to share things that I have learned or am learning. I love to see minds explore, process information, create new ideas, and frankly - I love to see minds struggle.
I love this quote from Bruce Cockburn, "But nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight --Got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight..." We need those mountains to climb, to struggle with, and hopefully summit! That is how we learn and how we grow as people.
We are all or should be in pursuit of a calling, a natural or even supernatural pull towards fulfillment. In my case - I have what I believe a spiritual calling to teach. My passion is to inspire others to find their calling and enable them, equip them for the tasks they have been called to. Nothing excites me more than to see students graduate and to actually put their faith, their dreams, their calling into action.
G
He who dares to teach must never cease to learn. - Anonymous
I love this quote from Bruce Cockburn, "But nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight --Got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight..." We need those mountains to climb, to struggle with, and hopefully summit! That is how we learn and how we grow as people.
We are all or should be in pursuit of a calling, a natural or even supernatural pull towards fulfillment. In my case - I have what I believe a spiritual calling to teach. My passion is to inspire others to find their calling and enable them, equip them for the tasks they have been called to. Nothing excites me more than to see students graduate and to actually put their faith, their dreams, their calling into action.
G
He who dares to teach must never cease to learn. - Anonymous
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Conversations
I wanted to make a brief comment on a show that I find intriguing because of its unique playful conversations with God. Joan of Arcadia basic storyline is focused on a teenager named Joan who goes through regular teenage struggles (complete with angst) but has the added issue that God is now talking and appearing to her. Amber Tamberlyn continues to be an amazing actor (for the medium of television) portraying Joan in a very authentic way. Once again the writers for the show ask fascinating questions about God, our existence, & our purpose here on earth. Check it out on CBS's Friday night lineup.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Spam
You should really check out the original blogpost but I had to repeat this particular Kiwi's take on spam:
My name is Spam.
Spam I Am.
I have some stuff I'd like to sell.
Take a look! It's really swell!
I do not want your worthless spam.
I do not want it, Spam I Am.
Spam I Am:$500 software that really rocks!
Just 20 bucks--still in the box!
You are really full of bunk.
I do not want your bootleg junk!
I do not want your worthless Spam.
I do not want it Spam I Am.
Spam I Am:How about some fast cash?
Fifty Thousand in a flash!!!
How stupid do you think I am?
I won't join your shady scam.
You are a sucker, you silly gitch.
If it worked, we'd all be rich!
I do not want your worthless spam.
I do not want it Spam I Am.
Stop it Spam.
Enough's enough.
I do not want your trashy stuff!
I do not want your d___ spam!
I do not want it Spam I Am!
(with apologies to Dr. Suess)
What makes the article so interesting is that it compares spam to some modernist forms of evangelism. The blogger asks the question, "Do the evangelism attempts of your church ever seem like spam to you or others?" A friend of mine recently received one of those cartoon evangelism tracts (that were so big in the 70's) from the local baptist church. You know the ones that show you on a life destined to hell and are backed by of out-of-context verses in a language apparently used by King James. Ironically - the cartoon designed to scare people into heaven out of the fear of burning in hell - just scares people.
Actually, what the cartoon told me is that I know where I won't be going - to that little baptist church on the corner that tells me I'm not "saved" unless I read my bible (KJV only) daily, go to church with a steeple, wear a suit & tie, pray to God daily & do devotions, sing out of a hymn book, etc. Why won't I go there? Well - it seems they've forgotten the simple fact that the things we do (no matter how good or significant) has ever brought redemption. I'm not saying we shouldn't read our bibles or go to a church building. Only that doing stuff like that never made anyone any less of a sinner. Grace saves. Nothing more, nothing less.
Don't spam...be real, be honest, be willing to love others in a way that Christ did. None of us like cheap imitations, empty promises, or gimmicks.
G
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Hurt
Johnny Cash died one year ago today. The Man in Black is someone who I came to deeply respect and love. His music - particularly the American Recordings - not only continues to inspire me as a musician but also my understanding of humanity, God, & love. The video for Hurt is one of the most powerful audio-visual works of art I have ever seen. I grew up on Johnny Cash's songs from my dad's music collection and came to appreciate him again in my late twenties and now in my thirties. The Johnny Cash website has a moving tribute video online right now - I encourage you to check it out.
G
G
Community Part II
I'm in the thick of "prepdom" and teaching - the depth & height of it all I suppose. I love the classroom and stretching those teaching muscles that may have atrophied some over the summer. What is community? It is a question we are investigating in my Interpersonal Processes (Communications) class.
I believe I introduced those few readers of "Musings" to a bit of Martin Buber's take on community but here's a quick refresher: Buber (yes - he has rather unfortunate name) sees three types of relationships on our planet - relationships with people we view as objects (I-Its), people we acknowledge and interact with at some level (I-You), and people that we actually connect with and express ourselves, our beings to (I-Thou). On a continuum it is a move from an impersonal relationship to a interpersonal relationship. The difference is as radical as the relationships you have with your gas jockey to your spouse/love interest.
I believe that we have all been created for relationship and for community. We all long to feel acknowledged, to be more than simply an object or corporate pawn. We all desire to love and be loved. Without love - we have no hope and no faith in humanity or in a relevant concept of God.
I'm sure many of you were struck with shock & horror when viewing CNN or whatever news medium you check daily by the atrocities of the terrorists in Chechnya. How could these extremist Muslims actually kill innocent children, teachers, and parents? For that matter - how can anyone kill another human being?
I think the only way that we as humankind can actually kill each other is when we deny another's existence. In other words - we can only kill when we treat others as not human, as objects, as its. We obviously have no problem with killing "enemies" in a video game - no one actually lost their life, these computer generated people have no job to go back to or families to feed or purpose in life. They are simply pawns for our perhaps warped amusement. Fighter pilots who flew missions over Iraq do not see people on the ground below but strategic targets.
Here's another random thought - maybe we are killing people daily unintentionally by our not acknowledging their existence. Maybe by not striving to get to know our waiters, our bus-drivers, our custodial staff - we are causing others to question their self-worth?
I-Thou relationships admittedly are rare and it is obviously impossible for us to have each one of our relationships be that deep. But I think our world would change radically if we would at least attempt to treat people we meet as more than objects, that we recognize the importance of being acknowledged and treating others respectively.
G
I believe I introduced those few readers of "Musings" to a bit of Martin Buber's take on community but here's a quick refresher: Buber (yes - he has rather unfortunate name) sees three types of relationships on our planet - relationships with people we view as objects (I-Its), people we acknowledge and interact with at some level (I-You), and people that we actually connect with and express ourselves, our beings to (I-Thou). On a continuum it is a move from an impersonal relationship to a interpersonal relationship. The difference is as radical as the relationships you have with your gas jockey to your spouse/love interest.
I believe that we have all been created for relationship and for community. We all long to feel acknowledged, to be more than simply an object or corporate pawn. We all desire to love and be loved. Without love - we have no hope and no faith in humanity or in a relevant concept of God.
I'm sure many of you were struck with shock & horror when viewing CNN or whatever news medium you check daily by the atrocities of the terrorists in Chechnya. How could these extremist Muslims actually kill innocent children, teachers, and parents? For that matter - how can anyone kill another human being?
I think the only way that we as humankind can actually kill each other is when we deny another's existence. In other words - we can only kill when we treat others as not human, as objects, as its. We obviously have no problem with killing "enemies" in a video game - no one actually lost their life, these computer generated people have no job to go back to or families to feed or purpose in life. They are simply pawns for our perhaps warped amusement. Fighter pilots who flew missions over Iraq do not see people on the ground below but strategic targets.
Here's another random thought - maybe we are killing people daily unintentionally by our not acknowledging their existence. Maybe by not striving to get to know our waiters, our bus-drivers, our custodial staff - we are causing others to question their self-worth?
I-Thou relationships admittedly are rare and it is obviously impossible for us to have each one of our relationships be that deep. But I think our world would change radically if we would at least attempt to treat people we meet as more than objects, that we recognize the importance of being acknowledged and treating others respectively.
G
Monday, September 06, 2004
It begins...
Yes - it has begun! College. After a rainy labour day weekend, I made my presence known to the parents of my future students this evening at a welcome dinner & orientation. Am I ready? No - I still need some divine intervention I suppose but I'm sure once I'm back in the classroom I will feel more centred.
My hope is that I will continue to inspire young minds to do great things - to pursue whatever they are called to do in this life. BTW - my soundtrack for this blog entry is Moby's - We Are All Made Of Stars "...no one can stop us now because we are made of stars" It's a song that for me describes the start of a new year. Many challenges lie ahead but it is encouraging to know that there is a purpose for it all. That there is an intent for these created bodies made of the same matter as the glowing night sky! God matter.
It begins...
G
My hope is that I will continue to inspire young minds to do great things - to pursue whatever they are called to do in this life. BTW - my soundtrack for this blog entry is Moby's - We Are All Made Of Stars "...no one can stop us now because we are made of stars" It's a song that for me describes the start of a new year. Many challenges lie ahead but it is encouraging to know that there is a purpose for it all. That there is an intent for these created bodies made of the same matter as the glowing night sky! God matter.
It begins...
G
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