As the winter weather has lifted over Southeast Michigan, hope and anticipation has begun to set in. My students are doing everything they can to avoid coming to school, teachers and staff are crushed with the realization that snow days are gone until next year, and my hopes and dreams for Detroit are continuing to grow.

With that comes louder doubters and naysayers, the types that want to remind you that your dreams "can't happen" or that you are not big enough to make it happen. It is frustrating to say the least, but at the same time inspiring. More than a few people said that I shouldn't work in Detroit, and I've now been at the school for over two years. Several people were vocal about our move, saying that we'd move back to the suburbs within months because Detroit is such a tough place to live.

Instead, we're pressing on, even more focused than before. The daylight in the morning makes me feel inspired, not tired. The sunshine and the rain give me the extra bounce in my step to see all of my 2010 goals become reality. Woodward Theological Society is already a reality and has a lot in store for this year and that will be the truth many times over as the winter gives way to spring and then summer.

So don't change the channel, you won't want to miss this. Love Wins.

Hey Buddy.

It's been two years since you moved off of this place. Two years that, for many, have been been as raw as that very day at Hospice. A lot of tears have been shed and more than a few livers have ached, as we have all grieved a life on earth without your smile, your wit, your insane sense of humor.

Yet, in the strangest of ways, you have made us stronger. You have made us more caring, more loving, more filled with love and joy for the little things, and the bigs ones too. IN a way, the loss of you has been filled with so many Dylan-esque moments that it is hard to stay sad for very long.

I've said this before, and others have said it before me, but it bears repeating: my heart is heavy and light today. Heavy with the sadness that I can't call you, text you, laugh with you, and get into some sort of trouble with you. Light with the joy that your memory brings, your laughter when I hear it in the wind, the pictures,  and the stories that will forever remain things of legend.

So live on, my friend. Carry that Party Princess stuffed animal around like it is the Queen of Sheba. Wander the Halls of Henry Ford, making the staff and patients alike laugh with no limits at our ridiculous antics. The Guinness Man and Harrison Ford will never be mere things, but triggers of happy, joyous thoughts.

You, Sir, make me smile.

With Hope and Love,

Dean

Thanks to Judson Press and Plant with Purpose, I had the opportunity to review Scott Sabin's new book, Tending to Eden. Sabin, the executive director of a Christian nonprofit evironmental organization, writes what has been billed a "practical and holistic resource for environmentally conscious congregations." With that in mind, my thoughts are reflected below.*

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Summary

It is clear from the beginning that Sabin has a lot of experience working in Christian environmental renewal. Many of his stories come from his experiences leading Plant with Purpose (formerly Floresta USA), an organization that works in Christian relief and development around the country. 

In his introduction, Sabin lays out five primarily relationships that he believes are the most important for Christians to keep in mind.

1. Relationship with God.

2. Relationship with Neighbors.

3. Relationship with Ourselves.

4. Relationship with Creation.

5. Relationship with the Creation and God.

These relationships lay the foundation for the entire book and Sabin's arguments within.

The years working hands on has given Sabin a healthy balance in his perspective. His organization works hard to reverse deforestation in third world countries, but they have also had to deal with cycles of consequences and have adjusted their methods to best reflect God and respect for Creation. Sabin seeks to knock down misperceptions about the work they do, saying, for example:

People often assume deforestation occurs because people don't know any better, but many poor frarmers have a profound understanding of how their land works. I have had Haitian and Dominican farmers give me detailed descriptions of how a watershed functions. But Haitina farmers also have a proverb that says, "Either this tree must die, or I must die in its place...The problem is not ignorance, but a lack of opportunity and options. (p. 15)

Sabin is critical of his own "Hezekiah attitude ("At least it won't happen in my lifetime")" as being "not only selfish [but] misplaced." (p. 83) He incorporates many directives and encouragements to taking postive action domestically and globally.

Dean's Thoughts

I like the easy with which Sabin presents his perspective. He includes a lot of background and forethought into his arguments and doesn't hesitate to include other voices when they lend to his narrative. Sabin is humble enough to admit the shortcomings that he and his organization have suffered, all while holding steady to his underlying Scriptural basis for the work that they and many others are doing.

Prior to reading the book, I was unaware of the depth of both the problem and the amount of work being done to dramatically change lives. Sabin's arguments are not new or revolutionary, but he tells them in a fresh, positive perspective. I would encourage you to read more about the organizatio and check out Scott Sabin's Tending to Eden when you get a chance. I think you'll find it enriching to your life and your own perspective on impacting Creation in a positive, Christ-reflecting way.

*I was not reimbursed for this review, nor did I receive a published copy of the book. I reviewed a pre-published galley copy to review that was shipped at the publishers expense.

As I work to get back into the regular habit of blogging, I have a lot of things to say. In bullets:

• We are weeks into the semester at Cristo Rey already, and having more classes has been a great learning experience for me. More students, smaller classes, more lesson planning. It presents more challenges for me as I continue to learn the ropes of being a high school teacher.
• Mike and I officially pulled the wraps off of Woodward Theological Society. This is an exciting prospect for everyone involved and we're pleased with the response so far (check out the initial interview as well as the list of the steering committee members on the website).
• I'm wrestling, openly, with what to do next fall. There are many things in the works and many discussions in progress involving school, vocation, etc.
• I just got a bag of coffee from Land of A Thousand Hills that has an incredible story. Look for it later today.
• I want to get another tattoo.

Talking is a common thread in my life. Being the passionate person that I am, my thoughts and opinions have a tendency to carry emotion and purpose that may not be necessary. This is true, I am sure, for all of us, but proving the superiority of a collegiate sports rivalry or a coffee brand over another are not, exactly, in the world we live in.

Sure, many of my opinions come from my beliefs and the way that I read the Scriptures that found them.* Reading Matthew 25, for example, I find it hard to believe that someone would care more about "personal freedoms" and political "liberty" over, say, taking care of our neighbors. I'm strongly opposed to dispensationalism because I don't believe it is Scriptural (read, "it is heresy") and I think the whole Hagee/Lahaye reading of Revelation is bunk. Again, this has merit, specificaly because your way of reading Revelation directly affects your views of the future both personally and corporately.

Unfortunately, I have let many of the arguments and debates become the emotionally and time consuming factors in my life. Instead of acting on what I believe, I have been talking an awful lot about what to do, who to vote for, and all the other American distractions we have created for ourselves. Intentionally or not, some friends have managed to point out my significant failings here, and I would like to spend the next few moments making commitments and moving forward.

Commitment #1: Silence is not a bad thing.

Monastics have often reflected on the need for silence and how that gives us an aloneness with God that we often lack in our busy world. To take this one step further, I think that there are times that I have missed hearing God's voice, or God's nudge to "go and do," because I was talking to loudly myself. I have no doubt that there is a time for speaking, a time for debating (see "St. Paul" in the Encyclopaedia Britannica**) and a time for teaching, but that time is not always now. Perhaps we all have gotten so lost in the noise of cable news, talk radio, and the people we work with that we cannot hear God ourselves. He lays out some very clear expectations for our lives (see "Bible, the" and more specifically "the Gospels") yet I have fallen content with talking about them, rather than living them. I'm going to try to spend more time in silence***, listening for the still small voice.

Commitment #2: Less Clutter.

Physical clutter can be a huge distraction for any of us, especially for me. My ability to get distracted by just about anything**** can make a twenty minute task take all day. As a result, my life is less productive and I spend more time reorganizing over and over again rather than pushing forward on the projects and tasks I want to accomplish.

In addition, I am involved in many things, some of which are good ideas but lack the value that I hoped to see in them when I first pursued them. In other cases, they bore fruit for a season but that season is clearly over, and I am working to extract myself from what has become mundane and laborious work, not service.

Commitment #3: Fewer Places of Contention.

As I came to these realizations recently (thanks, again, to several friends who spoke with me about these things), it has become apparent how deeply we all struggle with this. Within the body of Christ, we have deep disagreements about many things, and a healthy discussion and respect for one another is key to our human experience. But at other times, the hostility and unwillingness to bear one anothers burdens is unbelievable and, frankly, sinful. I recognize that I have put myself into these situations and stirred up the bee's nest many times, and this is a wrong thing to do. As a result, I will be backing away from certain forums, outlets, and if need be, people, to create healthy boundaries. 

We are all made in the image of God. The Mother Theresas. St. Francis and St. Benedict. The pregnant single teen. The dirty homeless guy, the drug addict, and the guy that always smells like booze. You. Me. Let's respect each other, respect ourselves, and listen for that still small voice that speaks to us in the Scriptures, through the church fathers, and in our times of prayer and solitude.

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*Lest my beliefs sound "personal" it should be noted that I read, and continue to read, many theologians and saints on the Scriptures. So the way I read the Scriptures is informed by two millenia of work and thought on the subject, not just me in 2010.

**Does anyone even use the Encyclopaedia anymore? What about World Book?

***And as much as it pains me, this silence will be music free. Ugh.

****You think "oh look, something shiny" is a joke, right? Woe is me, it isn't.

(eventually a picture of Kirstie Alley with her mouth hanging open will grace these posts, but I am having a problem with the technical side of things at the moment and have not worked out the kinks quite yet)

Looking Backward, Moving Forward:

I know you all come here for breaking news, so I announce this here first: 2009 is officially over.

I personally announced this moment in my own life by closing out my existing journal (one that lasted for several years of hit or miss writing) and opening a new one. I found myself quickly listing off many dreams for 2010, ones that deviate from the traditional "Make, then Break" resolutions that most of us fret over for a few weeks each year. These are dreams which are big and small, easy to achieve and extremely far out of reach, but Sharon has taught me that even the biggest dreams are worth pursuing.

A few choice snippets from the list (those that I am willing to share in this forum):

• Simplify in every sense of the term
• Buy Local
• Pull someone back from the edge
• Have a story to share every day
• Live Hope, Give Hope, Every day, Any way.

Books of the Completed and Started Varieties:

I closed 2009 by shelving anything that I sat semi-finished, a physical way to close out the old year. My target this year is to read 52 books (a book a week) and I did not want any lingering struggles in the way.

Barbara Rossing's The Rapture Exposed was first up this year. Thanks to a thoughtful gift from Patrick and Margaret, I was able to read Rossing's critique of prevailing dispensationalist readings (or misreadings?) of Revelation and the ethic of John that pervades it. It was a great read, one made a little bit more unique by the fact that Margaret was able to get the author to personalize it with a note for me. How cool!

Now up is Annie Dillard's The Maytrees, a recent Swaptree acquisition and a long-time resident of the to-read shelf. Dillard has been a big literary influence on my own writing and I also had the opportunity to take a seminar class on her works at Hillsdale: having new material from her is always a joy for me.

Those of the Tune-age Variety:

I picked up Lady Gaga on vinyl this week. Both albums. Enough said.

Rattling of the Proverbial Cage:

The man who asked for the hot dog at Starbucks the other night, then f-bombed me when I told him we didn't carry hot dogs. Next time?

Geocentric Reflections:

One week to get back into the routine, then we'll pick up with some Corktown opportunities the following week. Bible Study & Coffee Night, anyone?

For the second time this week (and first this year, of course), we had the blessing of celebrating at a dear friends' wedding. Earlier this week we celebrated with my childhood friend on our third anniversary; this first day of 2010 we rejoiced at the marriage of Marty and Sarah.

When they first announced their marriage intentions, Marty and Sarah saw a marriage blessing on the wall at our house, a blessing that was said over us at our wedding in 2006. It is one that the pastor uses often, and Sarah loved it and asked if we would share it at their wedding. Some internet searching discovered the origins as Dr. Louis H. Evans, a Presbyterian minister who wrote the words for his sons wedding in 1950. Enjoy these beautiful words:

O God of love, Thou hast established marriage for the welfare and happiness of mankind. Thine was the plan, and only with Thee can we work it out with joy. Thou hast said, "It is not good for man to be' alone.' I will make a help meet for him." Now our joys are doubled since the happiness of one is the happiness of the other. Our burdens now are halved, for when we share them, we divide the load.

Bless this man. Bless him as provider of nourishment and raiment, and sustain him in all the exactions and pressures of his battle for bread. May his strength be her protection, his character be her boast and her pride, and may he so live that she will find in him the' haven for which the' heart of a woman truly longs.

Bless this woman. Give her kindness that will make' her great. Give' her a deep sense of understanding and a great faith in Thee. Give her that inner beauty of soul that never fades that is found in holding fast the things that never age.

Teach them that marriage is not living merely for each other; it is two uniting and joining hands to serve Thee. Give them a great spiritual purpose' in life. May they seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and the other things shall be added unto them.

May they not expect that perfection of each other that belongs alone' to Thee. May they help each other in their weaknesses, be swift to praise each other's points of comeliness and strength, and see each other through a lover's kind and patient eyes.

Now, Gracious Lord, bless them and develop their characters as they walk together, Give them enough tears to keep them tender, enough hurts to keep them humane, enough failure  to keep their hands clenched tightly in Thine, and enough success to make them sure they walk with Thee.

May they never take each other's love for granted, but always experience that breathless wonder that exclaims, "Out of all this world you have chosen me'!" When life' is done and the sun is setting, may they be found then, as now, hand in hand, still thanking God for each other. May they serve Thee happily, faithfully, together, until at last, one shall lay the other into the arms of God.

This we ask through Jesus Christ, great lover of our souls. Amen.

For most of us, this time of year is one of celebration with family and friends. We rejoice in the great year we had or that the pains of the past twelve months are laid to rest with the changing of the calendar. Anticipation, and perhaps fear, fill our hearts and minds as we make plans and goals.

Lost in the "Auld Lang Synes" and botoxed Dick Clarks are those on the margins, the homeless, the suffering and the orphans. Thousands sit at home alone, mourning the emptiness of being without a dear one for the first time this holiday season. Depression and anxiety reign supreme in many lives, and times of gatherings, of parties and reflections shine light on our loss and suffering more than any other time.

As we all change our desk calendars at work on Monday, let us not forget to walk with hope and joy at new beginnings. May we surround those around us with Love and Peace, as we do not know how deeply someone might suffer in silence. We have the opportunity to change the direction of one life, but we will not if we never take the risk of being involved.

Let us be Hope, for hope gets us through the darkest of days. Let us be Peace, for peace is the necessary contrast to the roars of anger bitterness. And let us be Love, for love is the movement, and truly, Love Wins.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an article covering new evangelical churches in the city of Detroit. "In Detroit, Some See Grounds for Church Planting" at first served to encourage me as much for its potential as its actual reach. In the end, however, I was discouraged by its lack of focus and how easily it reverted to the the national stereotypes of Detroit.

For starters, the article takes the subtitle "New Evangelical Congregations Take Root in Depressed Areas, but City's Deep Burdens Sometimes Hinder Mission" and reflects that in two churches. Obviously brevity and focus must come into play, and some level of editing is out of the hands of the journalist, but I wonder how restricted the results will be when such a limited perspective is pursued. It was disappointing that the article was limited to evangelical congregations, when a lot of good work is being done in other parts of the Christian tradition as well.  

But they are never far from the realities of Detroit. Mr. Russ once had his car stolen, only to recover it himself in a confrontation with thieves. Another Mack Ave. pastor, Leon Stevenson, and his wife were robbed at gunpoint in front of their home last fall. (emphasis mine)

I would love to ask the journalist what he means by this. Is he suggesting that auto theft, confrontations with thieves, and being robbed at gunpoint are the "realities" of Detroit? That seems like a stretch. Sure, some of us have had vehicles stolen, but how many of us have been robbed at gunpoint? For that matter, how many other church people in other cities have been robbed at gunpoint and thus reflect the realities of their own cities? That seems like a cheap generalization that could very easily be experienced by a minimal percentage of church workers in Detroit. Who knows? It seems the journalist does not.

Mack Ave.'s founders say they sense a lingering skepticism toward outsiders -- particularly whites -- who settle in the city. Indeed, a few of the founding members of the church ultimately left, deeming the divide too wide.

There are two problems with this perspective. For starters, a limited sample size will suggest that the large majority of young churches in greater Detroit are being started by neighborhood newcomers, which doesn't seem to be true in my experience. But again, because so few church people were included in this article, it is portrayed as the normative experience. Secondly, fear-of-newcomers is a problem that is not exclusive to Detroit, or Michigan, or urban settings. This sense of "lingering skepticism" is often part of any established community, and while it is not my place to critique the persons interviewed for the story, I do take issue with the summation of the article.

Mr. Stec, who is white, had racial epithets directed at him on the street, and says he ultimately felt unwelcome and unsafe. After deciding he didn't feel comfortable relocating his wife here, he took a job at a church outside Des Moines, Iowa, instead. "I wouldn't necessarily discourage anyone" from going to Detroit," says Mr. Stec. "But I would certainly preface it with the realization that it's going to be difficult."

Moving is difficult. Starting something new is difficult. Again, we're left with this contention that this is somehow "different" or "worse" in Detroit, something that will provoke the reader to perpetuate the stereotypes and perceptions of the city in their general conscience.

Final Thoughts

This is intended to be a constructive critique of the article and not a derision of the work of this journalist and publication. If they are considering a piece about Detroit in the future, I would hope they would consider the following suggestions:

• Keep It in Context.
  • If something is not exclusive to Detroit, please don't portray it as such. Our city and region face plenty of difficulties, and we do not need help damaging our image globally with falsely unique problems.
• Let History Be History.
  • Yes, Detroit has a checkered history when it comes to economy, religion and race. Some of that is not exclusive to Detroit (see "Keep it in Context" above), and while negative history can loom larger than an elephant, there is a certain point where history must become exactly that. Yes, some people are racist, but I have experienced very little of it living in the city of Detroit this year. Yes, we had riots in 1967, but that was two generations ago, and the constant reference to it in contemporary journalism makes me wonder why so many continue to push that as the "Detroit identity."
• Get the Bigger Picture
  • Of those that I have met, a large majority of church workers in Detroit work bi-vocationally and are not blessed/burdened with the reliance on outside-of-the-city support. Mack Ave. is the first church I have encountered in Detroit that is planting with such a large and costly staff. The challenges reflected by Mack Ave. do not necessarily reflect the challenges facing each new church work in Detroit, and I would contend that they are creating a whole new set of challenges because of the staff choices they have made. The idea that Mack Ave. is typical to the Detroit context is problematic at best.
• Don't Assume The Ending of the Story
  • Each time I read an article about Detroit, it always seems that the summation is prewritten. "Everything is tough, nothing has changed in 40 years, and there is probably no hope for this place." The closing paragraph leaves the reader with a negative perspective based on one ex-Detroiter's lasting thought, one which again contradicts my "Keep it in Context" principle above.

Highlight of the week:

Celebrating December 27 at Andy and Emilie's wedding. Andy and I grew up together and it is a real honor to share that day with them every year (although we win by 3 years!). It was a beautiful service and an awesome reception at the Iroquois Club in Bloomfield Hills.

Books of the Completed and Started Varieties:

I finished Pride and Prejudice and Zombies this weekend and am still reveling in the joy that was reading it. It is extra cheap on Amazon right now (less than $9!) so you should go pick it up and read it immediately.

Also finished this week is Peter Leithart's Solomon Among the Postmoderns, an interesting look at postmodern thought and intellectualism in contrast with Solomon. Because of the familial relations I will refrain from a review, but I would encourage you to read it and post your thoughts (and thanks to Mike for loaning me his copy to read).

Thanks to plenty of gift cards, I have purchased a few volumes of the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible, the finally edited and published Yoder work, Leitharts's Deep Exegesis, and a book discussing racial influences on theology. Lots of good winter reading ahead.

Music I’m digging:

Nothing much new on this front, other than listening to the latest offerings from 30 Seconds to Mars and After Midnight Project thanks to the recent concert experience.

Ministry Update:

The Christmas gift/grocery delivery went off without a hitch. We were able to bless many people who in turn bless their friends and neighbors, and it was a very rewarding experience.

Looking Forward To:

2010. New challenges, new wins, new opportunities to reflect Christ's love and sacrifice.