Happy New Beginning!

Have I mentioned that New Years Eve/Day is my favorite holiday? That may seem weird compared to all the great holidays like Christmas or Easter or Presidents Day...yeah. But this holiday brings to mind the way I'm living compared to the way I want to live and the hope of a new beginning. I'm not talking simply about gaining more muscle or loosing a few pounds but more about deep longings of the heart. For instance, "Is my life making a real difference in the quality of this world?", "Am I really living in such a way that my life will have really counted for things that are eternal?", "Am I becoming the kind of person that naturally does the kinds of things Jesus did?". And I find myself asking questions of God like, "How did you work in my life this past year?" and giving thanks for it. And others, "What things do you still want to change in me?", "In what ways do you want me to trust in you more?", "What dreams do you have for my city that you want to include me in?". This one I love to dream about, "What do you have planned for my future and how do you want me to be intentional with my year so that I am prepared?". That one keeps me going these days. I can see what may be coming in the future where I am able to serve God in my "sweet spot" where I am most gifted and affective alongside my bride and deep spirited friends. That helps me to be intentional with my time and opportunities in the present. God is good.

Happy Reflecting,

ps. the pic is of my Uncle and I on our birthday in Oct. He's my Dad's twin so having the same DNA he is technically my Dad as well but going by the law and also by the birds and...um...the...you know...bees...well...um...yeah...

O Come O Come Emmanuel!

Just a little something to give your Christmas a different perspective...

Isaiah 9:6-7
"For to us a child is born, to us a child is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace/Wholeness. Of the increase of his government/reign and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty (The Lord of the Angel Armies) will accomplish this."

Mary's Song
Luke 1:51-53
"He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty."

So what is she singing about the very first Christmas?
She's singing about how EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT NOW! God has entered the world in a way never seen before and now there's real hope that all can be different and aligned with the way God wants them.

Where do you need God to move in your life? Where have you lost hope?

Celebrate our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Shalom/Wholeness/Completeness today.

T.U.M.R

Trees for Underspirited Muncie Residents

Apparently there is an organization who's mission statement is, "Brightening Muncie...One Tree At A Time."
And apparently they saw a need to brighten our Christmas Spirit by dropping off a Christmas tree to our Christmas Tree-less porch.

The deliverer rang the doorbell and took off with out identifying themselves. Have a look at the note that was attached!
What a great Christmas treat that has definitely "brightened" our living room and spirits!

life as ministry, work as mission, play as worship

The Shema was repeated everyday by the people of Israel "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." It's found in Dueteronomy 6:4. We usually use this statement to prove the pure nature of our God. Our God is pure in the unity of His Godhead but according to "The Shaping of Things to Come" by Hirsch and Frost this Shemawas introduced at a time when gods were plentiful. God of the field, god of the sky, god of the stream, god of fertility etc. And this statement was an attack on the heathen religious polytheism (many gods) rather than just a statement about theology. It was a call for the Israelites to live their lives under the Lordship of One God. It was PRACTICAL not just theological.
The call is to live under the God who is the God of every sphere of life. Where Polytheists can compartmentalize their gods the people of God cannot but live their whole lives out under the Lordship of one God. God of our politics, God of our finances, God of our family life, God of our office work, God of all our life. "It frees us to see life as ministry, work as mission, and play as worship. If all are embraced under the impulse of the unification of life under God, then life itself becomes missional worship."

Snow

"I hate snow, I hate snow!" Those words didn't come out of my mouth today. Though they did come out of my buddy Danny's. You're insane man!

I've been so happy today because of the Snow. Here's some reason I think this is so.
Hope: Things are visibly different outside than they were yesterday. What else could be different?
Quiet: It's not as noisy outside after it snows. The snow soaks up all the echoes. It feels like things are less chaotic. It's peaceful.
Clean: Things that are ugly are covered up. They now appear crisp, clean and pure. Surely similar to how our Creator sees us after being washed by the cleansing blood of Jesus.
Bright: No interior lights needed if you open the shades today! the light is just reflected off everything. cars, streets, ground, roofs, window sills, trees, fenses, hats, shoes...you get the point. And I wonder if this reflection of such bright light that brings me such joy will be exponentially outdone when in heaven God radiates with such brilliant light that we don't even need a sun!

Danny there may be a snow like affect in Heaven buddy! You know it's too hot in Hell for it.

Happy,
Ben

Amazing Grace

I watched Amazing Grace for the first time today. I have been deeply moved by the passion, courage, perseverence and singleness of mind in William Wilberforce. He didn't waste his life. He had a conviction about how the world should be. He had a gift of speaking and singing that he leveraged unto that conviction. When he was loosing sight of the dream he had a wife that breathed on the lingering spark and inspired him to carry on, a true helpmeet.

Jen and I just last night were directed to John 15. We imagined a life that produced fruits of all different kinds from every action and pursuit it put effort towards. This life when presented before God would arrive with all the fruit it produced. The fruit that was motivated by a love for God and a love for other people, that added to the furthering of God's everlasting Kingdom, that would be "at home" with God forever would remain when tested by the presence of God. But the fruit that represented the pursuit of selfish gain, popularity in the eye's of man, passive comfort, indifferent laziness and prideful disobedience would be burned up and disappear. The life would then be standing there before God with the realization of how it was wasted or how it was leveraged for the eternal purposes of God. The most intense moment and most important moment it will ever experience.

We don't want to waste our lives. In John 15 Jesus says we must remain in him to bear fruit that will last. Remain all day long, every day long, our whole life long. The comforts of the world can be bypassed when I think of the reality of life eternal. Suffering can be endured when I know the fruit will be the kind that lasts forever. We want to stand before Jesus and the kingdom and know that our lives were poured out and counted for part of the beauty that we now see!

doxy or praxy?

So once a week we have a church history class where lately we have been surveying creeds.

I read this tonight from The Shaping of Things to Come:
"What is more interesting is that none of the creeds get to talk at all on right living, the very topic the Bible itself cannot seem to talk enough about. In its Hellenistic bent, doctrine shifted from right acting to right thinking. This has been referred to as the distinction between orthopraxy and orthodoxy. Orthopraxy is a system that believes that right living provides the context for us to embrace right thinking...The reverse is called orthodoxy. It assumes that if we change a person's thinking, we will change the way he or she lives. But there is too much evidence to the contrary. Many great theologians have "thought" rightly about Christian teaching, but their lives have not necessarily mirrored their beliefs."

New Photos!

Our good friend Brandy Cunningham is a professional photographer (www.brandycunninghamphotography.com) who does portraits, weddings, babies you name it. She just snapped some pics quickly of us when she and some friends were over for dinner last month. Here's some of what she shot. Enjoy!...actually i'm having trouble loading them. So I'll get them on here later!
Thanks Brandy!

Friends

So Michael Jackson is a disturbed human being but he penned some great lyrics,

"I'm gonna make a change, uh, for once in my life. It's gonna feel real good. It's gonna make a difference. Gonna make it right....I'm starting with the man in mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways."

I've made lots of changes in my life and the most recent has been to withdraw from Seminary at Anderson which I haven't commented on yet here. But here goes.

What did I want out of Seminary?
I wanted a season set aside to dig deep into the great history of this story we are a part of (church history). I wanted to wrestle with questions of who God is, Why he made me, and What that means for our world. I wanted a season to dig into the bible and discover afresh what it has to say. I wanted to do all this among a group of deep spirited friends in the context of life and service and relationships.

What did I get?
I got all the resources I could handle informing me of new ideas, questions, and answers in the form of books. I was learning much as I sat in my chair at home and read. What was completely lacking was a sense of connection and relationship with the professors and students that I desperately wanted in order to really wrestle with the content and apply it to life in real time. How can we accurately discern the things of God in a vacuum? That's what I felt was happening. Now mind you I'm not bashing seminary but I was not in a place to interact with anyone accept during class time as I lived and worked in Muncie.

What I did?
I found what I was looking for in an internship at Muncie Alliance Church. From 8-12 M-F we wrestle with the contents of the Bible, the Mission of God, the changing Culture, Church History, and so much more. We serve together at the Muncie Mission and clean the facilities here at MAC together. We eat lunch together every day and we worship together and live in community (many in the same house together). There are 12 of us. We teach eachother, challenge eachother and all in the context of real life, in real time. Wasn't that how the disciples learned?

How It's going.
I love it. "It feels real good". I've made deep friends and feel like I've got family up in Muncie now.

Shalom,

Surviving the Breakdown

The Brown County Breakdown almost got me! It was perfect weather, low 50's, when we took off from the North entrance of BCSP. I took off with the second group of riders toward the highest point of the trail at Hesitation point where I took in the sights of the rolling forested landscape and downed a cliff bar and water. Then we crossed the road to some brand new, never ridden trails. I was pleasantly suprised by their flow (ability to ride with momentum for you non mt. bikers). That trail took us to the roads in the campground area which connected us with the fire roads down to the first sag stop. After eating some bananas and filling up my camelback I joined a new group of riders toward Nebo Ridge in the Hoosier National Forest. We got to the trail head from a mile or so of gravel roads and began our 2 mile climb. By this time my legs were yelling at me. I was about to yell back at them when I got to the last two miles of the trail which are fast and rolling. At that point I pushed 20+ mph to the end where we took another break with a total of 31 miles under our belts. Now we would have to decide to go for the 75/100mi route or the 60mi. My legs began to yell at me, warning that they may let me down if we head for the longer route. So I gave in remembering last year's pain and agony of walking up hills unable to pedal. A jeep trail led back in to Nebo Ridge and then back to the first SAG stop where this time they were serving Pizza King and had a blue grass band playing! I had three pieces, two gels and some liquids to help get me back through BCSP. I wasn't looking forward to this last part. I'd already been walking up some hill on my way into Nebo Ridge. I remembered the long pleasant descent down to the SAG stop where I was sitting and that meant I had to climb all the way back up. I had 18 miles to go and figured if I put it off too long I might not ever get my legs moving again. So of course, in pain and agony with some joy, I walked and biked up the long rocky fire roads and determined when I got to the paved roads of the park I'd take them as a shortcut back to the car but when I reached the familiar landscape of the mt bike trails some new inspiration hit me and I decided to hop back on the trail and tough it out. In the process I ran out of water and decided to go ahead and cut the ride a bit short of the sixty. The day ended at 53 miles. I burned 4312 calories but got to enjoy a cold malted beverage, pulled pork, potatoes, pasta and rolls with apple butter in an attempt to replenish them. It was a good painful day. I think I learned something about suffering in the process. In Mt. Biking its a given that there will be times of suffering. It's intrinsic to the sport. The question is will you suffer well? You suffer well by operating a few disciplines. Those are: pacing yourself, keeping your eyes ahead at the goal (top of the hill) and keeping well nourished. I find many parallels here to life, don't you?

The Brown County Breakdown

I'm getting my bike and body ready for this year's Brown County Breakdown. This is the 3rd annual epic ride that raises money for the Hoosier Mt. Bike Association. I have ridden each year. Year one I rode the 35 mile loop in the freezing rain and mud. Last year was great weather and I rode the 55 mile loop. This year there is going to be great weather and a 100 mile loop that I plan to conquer! It'll be a slow going day enjoying God's creation and the site of turning leaves.
This video was taken at the 2005 breakdown and includes the song from which the event was named. Pray my legs don't give out on me! Shalom,
Ben

Hey, Hey, Hey

I'm back from Boulder! What a great trip. Leading worship for a city-wide prayer gathering and Roots Church worship not to mention spending time with my buddy Ramin on the mt. bike trails in the mountains! Here's a pic of Ramin and Isaiah. I got to hang out with that little guy too.
Here's another pic of Ramin's back yard. Yep his back yard is a mountain!
BTW you can keep up on all the roots happenings by vistiting thier website rootschurch.com
Shalom

Caught between truths

I've had my first day of class which included to classes, a chapel service and comunity lunch. It was a good day. One of my assigned readings is a book called "Caught Between Truths". Its an interesting look at the paradoxical thoughts and ideas in the Christian faith. The idea is that truth is found in the midst of these pradoxes. Here's a couple examples of biblical paradox
1. In Exodus it says that Pharaoh hardened his heart and also that God hardened it. Which one was it? Both.
2. Jesus said salvation is available to the one who choses to come, although none choose to come unless the Father first draws them. Paradox

The Hewbrews had no problem fitting these kinds of things together even when not fitting together comfortably. They were judged to belong together. But we are more influenced by Greek and Roman culture so we find this extremely difficult at times and resort to excluding what we don't understand and focusing on what now has become a "half-truth".

Interesting.

Better

I'm feeling better today. I connected with some people that I didn't get to connect with yesterday at the orientation. God has given me more hope and joy. Those two things are so powerful are'nt they? Hope and Joy? Can't you just see it on my face?

PS. I read Psalm 40 outloud this morning and with the passion I imagine the writer had when he wrote it and it simply moved me. Try it. It expressed my hearts cry this morning.

A New Chapter

Imagine a book where nothing really changed from chapter to chapter. The main characters are living in the same place, they are experiencing the same emotions, they are interacting with the same people about the same things, things are just always "good" and never change. Would you buy that book? Would it be a good story? No!

God asked me that today as I sat in fear at the Seminary orientation. I was really scared and asking questions.
"God, do I have what it takes to succeed in this?"
"God, do I have the support I need to make it through this?"
"God, do I really connect with these people in this room?"
"God, did you really call me to this, or was this just one of my good ideas?"

Relationships are so huge for me. If I have a group of trusted voices encouraging me in something I know I can do it. But, I am majorly separated from those up here. Jen is strapped to the call schedule and doesn't always have much to give. I feel vulnerable, scared.

In the midst of those feelings God reminded me of the story he's writing. There will be certain threads throughout the story but many things will change. Location, emotions, jobs, friends, some times will be climactic and some will be low and building times. Its these ebbs and flows that make a good story. And God is authoring a good story.

I still need those encouraging words and prayers for my fears are not gone. I still greive my friends back in Indy. To every season turn, turn, turn,

holy smokes, it's been a year minus a day!

As you can see I haven't been blogging at all for the last 364 days. I guess I didn't have a reason too. I lived in proximity to all my friends and family. I didn't need to have an online "jounal" cuase I already have an "offline" one. But now my bride and I have moved to Muncie and have a much harder time keeping in touch with everyone. So I'd say that's a great reason for a blog. My goal is to write about what is going on in our lives, hearts, and minds during our time in here in Muncie. Please feel free to check this often and even use it as a discussion board for whatever may come up.

Just a short update to get started. I just finished a Greek intensive class at Anderson University. It was the first class in a plethora of classes I'll be taking for the Mdiv program. It was crazy hard but rewarding. I studied way more in the past three week than in a whole year of undergrad! (undergrad was more of a social education for me...) So I have a few days off then will begin the fall Semester with 4 classes: Spiritual Formation, Constructive Theology, Life and Thought of the Christian Church (NT), and Formation of the People of God (OT). This will be more up my alley. Lot's of reading, thinking, discussing, writing and living.

Shalom,

Ps. Here's my friend Steve who came up this weekend. He's a handsome chap!