I am starting a new project called The Isaac-Ishmael Initiative, as some of you know. The focus is on promoting shalom among Jews and Muslims. Simple, right?
As soon as I began to dive into this volatile issue, questions came my way. Good questions, hard questions, though-provoking questions. Here's a major one:
"You are a Jew. What kind of Jew are you?" This question is asked with the unspoken backdrop of, "Have you lost your mind? Are you nuts? A Jew wanting shalom with Muslims? What kind of Jew are you?"
My answer is this: Yes, I am a Jew. I was born a Jew, I will die a Jew (as my father says often).
I am a Jew who follows a Rabbi. His name is Jesus (Y'shua). I'm sold out to him, just as a student of a rabbi in the first century would be sold out to their rabbi.
So am I a "Messianic Jew?" Technically, yes. But I have not associated very much with the messianic movement. And I doubt I will begin doing so. There are two issues that keep me at arm's length from Jewish people who believe Jesus is the Messiah. While we agree on that central fact, we often disagree on these two things:
First, I don't have a dispensational theology. While I believe the Jews still have a vital place in God's redemptive story, I do not believe the Church and Israel are necessarily so distinct peoples of God. And I do not believe that the Church Age is some sort of parenthesis in history;
Second, I am largely agnostic about today's nation of Israel and it's relationship to Israel of the Old Testament. Please hear me on this: I certainly believe that Israel has a right to exist, that there is a legitimate and important place for the modern Israeli state. However, I also believe the Palestinians have the same rights and that the global community of nations needs to be equally committed to the peace of Israel and Palestine. The Palestinians are God's people as much as the Israelis.
Sometimes I feel like this initiative is simply CRAZY. But if the Kingdom of God is truly THE ultimate Kingdom, we can expect God to do "crazy" things. "With man it is impossible, with God all things are possible," Jesus said.
I had an amazing Skype call with my long-time friend Marcus in Geneva the other day. Susy and I have known Marcus and Wendy for some 25 years - we are kindred spirits in so many ways. There are few people in the world with whom I laugh harder than with Marcus and Wendy.
Unfortunately we don't get to spend time with them too often. Oceans and countries separate us. But when we DO get to speak or be together it is like we have been together all the time! It is uncanny really.
So Marcus and I are on this Skype call the other day for an hour. Mind you we have not spoken in many months. And we are talking about our futures, what God is stirring in us, questions we are each wrestling with. And Marcus says a few "prophetic" things and I am like, "SHUT UP!" Well not really. But it was like the voice of God speaking to me and Marcus doesn't have a clue how God is using him. Marcus is saying things which he would not otherwise know because we have not hung out together over the past years.
The really fun part of this is that Susy and I will be in Geneva for a day in late January and we will get some time with Marcus and Wendy face-to-face. Quite the special treat for us really! Can't wait.
I often puzzle over consumerism. The U.S. government says that two-thirds of the economy of this country is due to consumers spending money. When the economy is improving it is because people are spending like mad men!
There is something fundamentally wrong with this picture.
So I figure if I cannot beat it I will join it! Yep, that's right. I am diving into consumerism head first, rolling up my sleeves to spend, spend, spend! Hmmmm, for some reason I am not feeling better about myself!
Well here's an alternative. The good folks at FEEDING THE PIG are all about being realists that we ARE consumers, actually addicted to our consumer tendencies. So Feeding the Pig helps you be a FRUGAL consumer. They give tons of tips on breaking spending habits, free saving tips, and how to "feed" the piggy bank. SAVINGS is really their focus, but they address consumerism as a way to get to saving.
SO here is to 2011 and "feeding the pig!"
Paul Newman's legacy on earth will be experienced for generations to come. Newman died in September 2008, but not before he established himself as one of the greatest philanthropists in history.
When Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward launched the Newman's Own salad dressing line they committed to give ALL the profits away from the company - forever! According to Newman's Foundation they have given away more than $300 million to a wide variety of causes.
We need so many more people and foundations like Newman's Own Foundation. We need people who are more serious about their philanthropy than they are about their business or personal stability.
Paul Newman has been dead for more than 2 years. His company continues to bless hundreds of thousands of people every year.
Here's Paul Newman in his own words:
- "Our work begins with the strong belief that giving back is the greatest opportunity and responsibility for making ours a better world."
“I’d like to be remembered as a guy who tried — tried to be part of his times, tried to help people communicate with one another, tried to find some decency in his own life, tried to extend himself as a human being.”
“We’re very effective recyclers; we take the money and give it back.”
Paul Newman Tribute Video from
Frank M. Siringo on
Vimeo.
I grew up with the notion that all Arabs area Muslims and all Muslims are Arabs. And all of them are the arch enemies of my people - Jews that is. I don't remember being taught to put Arab Muslims on the top of the list of people to despise; I guess I learned it by osmosis.
These days I am becoming more sensitized to the gross generalizations we make about people groups, how we pigeon-hole a culture or religion and paint them in very black and white terms. Here's a classic case-in-point from one of the protests in New York City a while ago over the Muslim Community Center being built at Ground Zero.
Lots of great things are happening in the next month or two. Check back on my blog to hear about some of the things I will be doing. Here's my schedule right now:
- 6-9 January: Attending Gay Christian Network conference in Denver (might raise a few questions I realize);
- 11-15 January: Visit with Brian Rice and Leadership ConneXtions in Pennsylvania;
- 15-16 and 22-23 January: Preaching at Lookout Mountain Church;
- 27 Jan - 4 Feb: Susy and I in Switzerland on ski week with 40+ Crossroads Amsterdam folks. Brian is leading Bible studies in evenings;
- 5-6 February: Attend Board of Directors meeting for SUNY Cortland's Alumni Association;
- 10-11 February: "The Holocaust and the Bible" conference at Denver Seminary;
- 13 February: Beginning five-week course I am teaching, "Isaac and Ishmael: Together and Apart" at Lookout Mountain Church;
- 14-18 February: In Los Angeles for Fuller Seminary course, "Witness in Muslim Contexts."
One of my all-time favorite movies is "Billy Elliot," about a young boy who has a dream to be a dancer - ballet to be exact. Billy pursues his vision even though he is ridiculed by his father and others. His father thinks Billy has lost his mind - Billy is relentless. Inspiring indeed. Check out this clip from the film.
Billy Elliot clip 1 from
Brian Newman on
Vimeo.
Yesterday my friend Dan posted a beautiful tribute to his father who died a couple of weeks ago. You can read it HERE. I can think of no better way to ring in a new year than to see the example of a father and son's enduring relationship.
Thank you for sharing this Dan.
This post is unusual because I am mentioning Susy's and my financial support, i.e. how we are funded to do ministry. First let me say how INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL we are to so many people and churches who give generously toward our ministry. It is humbling and motivating to us.
Some of you know that I was on staff at Lookout Mountain Community Church for several years until the beginning of 2010. For the past year I have had a part-time role in corporate fundraising with Christian Associates (CA). As of January 1st that position is ending and we are returning to a full support raising position with CA.
As of the middle of December we had 80% of our support pledged or given for 2011. This is already a significant increase from September, when we were at about 50% of our support.
If you would like to begin supporting us with CA you can do so by clicking HERE or on the logo below. JustGive is a simple and secure way to give online. In the designation line of the form please write, "Account 41435."
To everyone who is part of our support team on a monthly, annual, or occasional basis, THANK YOU for your abundant generosity!
A couple of years ago a lot of people screamed loudly about the $787 billion bailout of Wall Street, banks, and a load of other things. It was called the Troubled Asset Relief Program and, if I remember correctly, people were upset.
Most folks blamed Barack Obama for this mess, although President Bush recently reminded everyone that it was his administration which passed TARP.
A couple of weeks ago the U.S. Congress and President Obama passed an $850 billion bill which , among other things: extends tax relief to wealthy people (those earning more than $250,000 per year; extends tax relief to middle class folks, extends unemployment benefits, and gives tax breaks to small businesses.
Here is what is bizarre to me: I have heard very little from people complaining about this $850 billion and what it will do to the national debt, while I heard many, many people screaming bloody murder about the $787 billion.
So what gives? Are we yet again avoiding the pain of fiscal responsibility so we can line our pockets with loot? Answer: YES.
OK, let's ADD Up the $787 billion and $850 billion and see what we get. I think it is a whopping $1.637 trillion!
Can you say RED INK?
In 1980 Rhodesia became Zimbabwe when it gained independence from the United Kingdom. Robert Mugabe was a hero of the independence movement and has ruled the country with an iron fist ever since. He has arguably destroyed a country which has subsequently suffered enormously.
Unfortunately the plight of Zimbabwe and the dictatorship of Mugabe has been largely ignored by the United States. The first page of the New York Times today announced, "Fears Growing of Mugabe's Iron Grip Over Zimbabwe." The article noted that Mugabe is organizing his henchmen/political operatives/hacks in the build up to elections next year. The article says,
"In recent months, Mr. Mugabe has been cranking up his party’s election-time machinery of control and repression. He appointed all the provincial governors, who help him dispense patronage and punishment, rather than sharing the picks as promised with Mr. Tsvangirai. And traditional chiefs, longtime recipients of largess from his party, ZANU-PF, have endorsed Mr. Mugabe as president for life."
For those of us who are Americans, we need to have a voice in these kind of matters. The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee is one place to start, more specifically the Subcommittee on African Affairs. Here are the Senate members of the subcommittee:
- Cardin, Benjamin L. (Democrat - Maryland)
- Webb, Jim (Democrat - Virginia)
- Shaheen, Jeanne (Democrat - New Hampshire)
- Coons, Christopher A. (Democrat - Delaware)
- DeMint, Jim (Republican - South Carolina)
- Corker, Bob (Republican - Tennessee)
- Inhofe, James M. (Republican - Oklahoma)
The chairman of the committee - Democrat Russ Feingold was defeated in the election in November. The committee will be re-organized in January when the new Senate goes into Session. But you can write to the committee at:
446 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6225
Fax: (202) 228-3612
We had a great time with 40 or 50 people in our house and around the firepit for Boxing Day yesterday. A great post-Christmas celebration and time to catch up with many wonderful friends. Special thanks to Susy and Carly who created an awesome spread of food and drink! Have a look:
Today is Boxing Day in the United Kingdom. So we are celebrating here in Denver with an Open House at our place, 3 - 7 pm. We expect about 60 people - should be a blast. If you are in Denver you are very welcome!
