how to properly whiten your elephant

(reposted from Dec. 14th, 2008)

..because I've seen it done oh so wrong...I figured I'd share this with the general public.
(from our friends at Wikipedia)

Gifts are wrapped, but are not labeled to reflect a specific sender or recipient. Gifts are typically inexpensive, humorous items or used items from home and sometimes, they are just plain trash; the term white elephant refers to a gift whose cost exceeds its usefulness. While the first use of this term remains an item of contention among historians, a popular theory suggests that Ezra Cornell brought the term into popular lexicon through his numerous and frequent social gatherings, dating back to as early as 1828.

All participants draw a number (from a hat, perhaps) to determine their order.

The participant with #1 unwraps any gift from the pile and then shows it to everyone. Each successive participant, in the order determined from the drawing, can either 1) "steal" an already opened gift (if there's one they really like) or 2) be adventurous and go for a wrapped gift from the pile. If the participant chooses to steal, the person whose gift is stolen now repeats their turn and either 1) steals another person's gift (they cannot immediately steal back the gift that was just stolen from them) or 2) unwraps a new gift.

This cycle of stealing can sometimes continue for a long time, until a new gift is chosen, at which point the turn is passed to the participant with the next number from the drawing. (An alternative to the drawing is to sit in a circle and take turns in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.)

Since items can be stolen, the item in your possession is not yours until the game is over. However, this is often amended with a rule declaring a gift "dead" or "safe" after it has been stolen a certain number of times (usually two or three). This helps the process go more smoothly (avoiding, for example, the hypothetical scenario of the same gift being stolen by every successive participant) and limits the disadvantage of being among the first to choose gifts.

(I particularly like that they created links to explain "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" :) )

Revolution of Spirit

I've been chiseling through some essays in honor of Richard Shaull, who was an author and missionary largely to South America. It's a book I purchased a long time ago on a clearance rack, and never actually read until recently I was stuck without a book for a day or two.

The essays focus on "Ecumenical Theology in Global Context", 1998, featuring authors who approach the hope of Jesus Christ as it relates to many different disenfranchised communities around the world. It's been a good read for sure. I'll leave with you a few quotes from Maria Marta Aris-Paul's essay, "Latin American & Caribbean Immigrants in the USA: The Invisible and Forgotten".

"One of the things that confuses us when we come to this country is the notion of freedom. We confuse being free with doing only what we want. We forget about responsibility and moral principles. This is where our spirituality comes in."

"Many go to church on Sundays, where they expect to receive spiritual comfort and where the priest is supposed to supply whatever it is that will provide that support. When a community is physically and emotionally drained from daily living, how is it going to learn to be that new model of church which requires of its members time, commitment, responsibility, and more hard work?"

"I believe that to reconstruct the church we need to have small projects. We need to gather in small groups, in mutuality, forming small communities of faith who can look at our own lives and see where the Holy dwells among us. Our small communities can have a ripple effect on the larger society."

walking...

It began with expectation/desire for something extra-ordinary, after all, I was giving up much more than the usual time for silence. I was apart from the everyday. I wanted something of substance to take back into the week with me, an insight or experience with God that would "wow" anyone who heard. I was spending time in His creation, with the words of Psalm 40 and the Beatitudes on my mind...

It wowed me, for sure. The way that I was wowed when taking a walk with my wife when we were dating. No giant "happening". No experience to take back and brag about. Simply, soaking in the time we were able to spend together. I walked with God. :) Looking forward to more....

like a well-intentioned car wreck....

So I've twittered a couple times about Focus on the Family's annual effort to get upset over retailers who don't use the word "CHRISTmas" enough. I didn't think it deserved much publicity. But some of this is so painful to believe is out there...it's almost entertaining.

Under the "comments" posted for why a particular business might be viewed/boycotted for being "Negative" towards CHRISTmas:

for GAP: "Made 2 purchases at the GAP yesterday and I was wished happy nothing."

"Very offended by the recent advertisement. How dare they suggest we celebrate what we want?"

for Banana Republic: "Since you are only selling "Holiday Gifts" and I only buy "Christmas Gifts", there will be no need for me to shop in your store."

for Best Buy: "Used Christmas music without Christmas words." (hehe...my favorite)

"I've spent my last dollar at Best Buy. ...We have to start standing up for what we believe in ... Best Buy - you lost a good customer!"

Oh man. For real. Retailers are here to....(drum roll please) MAKE MONEY. It's unfortunate, I know, but it's there. It's precisely the reason God has called us to be a light in the darkness, not a light in a room even dimly lit. We cannot place expectations of Christ-like-ness on those people and entities not transformed by Christ.

If anything, continuing to personify retail locations....perhaps those who have removed the word "Christ" from advertising or who are (gasp) celebrating other religious holidays....should be the stores we frequent the most often, and with the most amount of Love.

pax

As a fan of pacifism, especially lately, I'm excited about spending a week focusing on peace in our home. We definitely live in a world that needs more Christians who stand out among a natural pace of reaction and defense that seeks to prove, establish, or defend one's position or rights in so many ways. You see it in the 2 and three year old children in my house and the friends they play with. You also see it in the much older grown ups who play with countries and businesses, instead of toys.

In a large sense, seeking to live humbly helps us in our pursuit of peace. Sometimes when we strive to do this, we simply focus on the needs of others. But that may only work so far as others and their needs remain our focus. When we've met their needs, or are moved to a new environment, it's very easy for our attention to shift back to ourselves.

But when, in pursuit of humility, we practice the emptying and letting go of our "selves"....we make room for Christ. We prepare for what is to come, and we live in reality more than ever before. The reality of a God who has created us in His image....a God who's identity was always to give up Godself and Gods' rights for us.

Philippians 4:7 tells us that the peace that comes from emptying and letting go of ourselves for the sake of Christ and His reality - brings with it a peace that is beyond understanding. Living from such a peace will lead us to a life that others, and even ourselves at times...do not understand. I pray that my life, and the life of my family, continues to become less understandable....

(knowing full well that it's BOTH those who are following Christ, AND those who are quite far from what He is about....who may be praying that prayer.)

Jesus = Reality

"Action in accord with Jesus, is action in accord with reality"
- Stanley Hauerwas

I remember standing on the edge of a large natural amphitheater, with the Sea of Galilee very close in view. Green rolling hills, birds overhead, and imagining the words of Jesus from the "Sermon on the Mount" being spoken.

Specifically, the "Beatitudes". I will post those verses at the end of this post, because I think it's important to think of them, along with these words. It's important to realize this is not a list of "actions & rewards", such that we might strive to be (poor in Spirit, mourning, meek, etc.) in order to be Blessed.

Jesus was not speaking these words as a way of "transforming" or even "offering a new or alternate" reality. Jesus was revealing what actually IS reality. He was doing this with his entire life/being/death/resurrection/etc. To live for myself, or for many of the things this world has to offer offers a "false" sense of reality.

In His message to the crowds, He was describing reality in a way most of them had never heard before. He was also telling them what life may be like for those who recognize this reality. It will probably lead you to a place where you find yourself poor in Spirit, mourning, meek, hungry and thirsty for things to be made Right, etc...and if so, "Good!!!"

3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely ^F31 on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

expectation in sports and worship

An interesting connection was made in comments to a recent blog post of mine (on Facebook, even if none of ya'll commented here). The reference to what expectations one brings to a sporting event, compared to the expectations we may bring to a worship service.

I've been to both a worship service AND a major sporting event in the past week, so I figured I'm qualified to make a few comments. I agree that there are interesting things to note.

The obvious one would be participation versus consumerism. "Liturgy" literally means "the work of the people". I think it's important that we as worship leaders find ways to integrate response and active participation in some form of those we are leading. I also believe when I come to worship, I come wholly expecting to participate as actively as possible in the context provided...possibly even outside the lines a bit. :)

But maybe not so obviously, how often do we actually "expect" God to do something extra-ordinary in our worship time together? I think it often falls into the "ah....another worship service just like last week", or possibly even the "WHOO HOO, ANOTHER WORSHIP SERVICE LIKE LAST WEEK!!"....depending on your approach. I think both extremes can miss out...although I think I like hockey more than basketball.

I desire the healthy expectation that comes from regular movements of the Spirit in our times together, much like the ebb and flow of a basketball game. Being able to accustom ourselves to how and where the Spirit is moving in our lives, and through us in our community.

But I also desire the random, out of nowhere, unexpected in occurrence and/or method, bursting forth uncontrollable moments of the Spirit, much like a goal being scored in a hockey game. Being completely surprised and taken off guard by the offensive and overwhelming presence and urging of the Spirit, both in our lives and through us in our community.

Ah well...as I've said before....our prayer is that we would reflect the worshipers God is looking for in John 4:23...