"I have no hope for Detroit. Detroit will never change." (what I hear from most everyone when I say that we're moving to Detroit)

"They made their own beds, they can sleep in them. We have our own problems, let them fix their own." (Southern Republican senators)

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Jesus, Gospel of St. Matthew)

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Insanity

We're giving up the suburban comforts we have known since 2007. There will not be a shopping mall two miles from our house. There will not be two Starbucks, five CVS, and two McDonald's within five minutes of us. We won't have access to a small lake (that is way too overcrowded in the summer, I should add) and we won't be able to walk to Dairy Queen.

And I am so thankful.

You see, I've come to realize that we've politicized and commercialized our faith and ministries so much that we cannot separate it from the American Dream. Our churches own prime real estate and operate with six (or seven) digit yearly budgets, featuring all of the latest technology, the latest entertainment and enough programmed, age/gender/relationship-status ministries and commitees to make those damned Socialists jealous. And yet, our churches have the same divorce rate as our evil pagan society. Teens still get pregnant in the churches of abstinence and promise rings, the excommunicated kids who discovered marijuana discover it again and again, and a vast majority of those age 18 and up walk away from the church forever (unless, of course, they want their children to be baptised).

The American Dreamchurch

The solution, our churches say, is to do the same thing, just more of it (fie on Einstein for saying "Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results."). All the while, they promote the good citizenship, the individualism, and the American ideal of having a nice house, a 10% tithe, and kids who can memorize at least one Bible verse each week.

What happened to the Great Commandments? Why is it that we try to "conquer and divide" them into separate, manageable parts? Going to church, taking a leadership role in your congregation (maybe it's being an usher, maybe it's teaching Sunday School) and making sure we "leave time for God" in the midst of our PTA meetings and soccer games. We're encouraged to join a small group that fits our current life-stage (see previous paragraph), maybe help out in the soup kitchen once or twice, and perhaps even attend a mid-week service every once in a great while.

Of the World, and In It Too

Benjamin Franklin spent a year trying to make himself sinless, and he wasn't a Christian. Celebri-letes are always finding time to get in a photo op at a soup kitchen or daycare. The NBA Cares. ABC cross-promotes their television programs by sending their stars to cannodle with Ty Pennington and maybe paint a fence (see "Chambers, Justin" or "Nanny, Super"). Bart Ehrman and John Shelby Spong are fluent in what the Bible says, knowing a million times more verses by heart than your Honor Student, and yet their lives are in no way reflections of Christ (Ehrman is out to prove Jesus isn't Christ, Spong is essentially an agnostic/all-religions type). Statisically, every other young married couple in your church will still divorce, whether or not they watch the right films and join the right small groups. But at least we have the freedom to worship and own buildings, right?

Broken Record

Surely, we say, the church needs money to do ministry. We need to hire skilled, educated ministers and program staff to teach our kids how to live as Christians. We need our buildings so that we have a place to house our ministries, our small groups, and to have a physical presence in our communities.

But what about the places in the world today where the Gospel is illegal? Where the body of Christ doesn't own buildings? Where the body of Christ doesn't have Kirk Cameron, Rick Warren, Willow Creek and Hillsongs to provide them with the tools to do church? The church is growing by leaps and bounds. Whether "church" is a chapel or a meeting under a tree, the church in the Third World continues to grow at a rapid pace. Why?

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus

"Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." John the Baptizer

The church that lacks the programs and the wealth spreads like wildfire, and the church that overflows with the programs and wealth charts their growth on X/Y graphs with percentage points in a fiscal-year business meeting. And yet we call for increased tithing, new strategic plans, and more programs.

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Why Detroit

Rome didn't have a lot of "potential."  When St. Patrick went to Ireland, I'm sure people reminded him that he was a slave there not too many years prior. Countries all over Africa have been ravaged by AIDS, famine and war. And yet the workers must still labor for the harvest.

It's true, the Detroit City Council is about as unpredictable as Britney's next career faux pas. The potential is there for four mayors to hold office within 14 months. Bob Corker hates the auto industry, and tens of thousands are unemployed. One in 47 people are homeless within the city and just shy of 50 percent of those homeless are families. The needs are great, and the politics are not.

Didn't Christ call us to serve the least of these?

The reality is that our churches have placed our cultural and societal values on a pedestal, and have tried to make church fit into them. We build our churches to look like malls. We make sure to offer "something for everyone." Burger King Jesus, if you think about it.

Called to Serve

The truth is, we're all called to serve, each of us in our own place. But the problem (in this context) lies with how far from service the suburban church has strayed. The "Field of Dreams" just doesn't work. Bright shiny lights don't reflect God's love anymore than standing on the street like Rorschach yelling "Repent! The End is Near!" A pastor once asked me something to the effect of: "if we can't live like Christ Monday through Saturday, are we really his followers on Sunday?"

It doesn't matter if it's Detroit, suburbia, or rural North Dakota. We're called to Love God and Love Others. But we can't do that if we don't take the time to build the relationships with those who don't know Christ and meet them where they are at. No strategic plan or mission statement ever changed a life. Only a life (and the leading of the Holy Spirit) can change another one.

Crazy, just not Lindsay Crazy

Call me crazy, but I see a mission field. For whatever reason we commend those who become missionaries far away, but we'll be damned if we'll support anything local that requires us to get "in the trenches." Detroit is broken just like your own neighborhood, and for once in my life I can say that I no doubt feel God pulling us into the city. This means I'll share with you my vision, my heart, and probably sound like a lunatic. Oh, and I'll ask for your [financial] support and [honest] prayers. And we will both know that I'm crazy.

"If we are crazy, then it is because we refuse to be crazy in the same way that the world has gone crazy."- Peter Maurin

For weeks now, I have been begging/whining/yearning for a Snuggie. You know, Snuggie: The Blanket with Sleeves.

So when Sharon, Matt and I ended up at Walgreen's at 3:00 AM, imagin our joy to find them available for significantly cheaper than they cost through the interwebs. But I have noticed that many people are not on the Snuggie bandwagon. @Ohrebecca, for example, has been an outspoken hater of the joy we have been experiencing with our new Snuggies. But let's consider the great benefits to the Snuggie.

1. You can wear it anywhere.

If you are comfortably seated on the couch but are called away for a minute, you do not have to put The Snuggie on the floor, or the end of the couch, or wherever. It comes with you. You stay warm. +1 Snuggie.

2. You look like a monk.

Monks are pious, or at least seem pious (depending upon the monk, I suppose). Snuggies make you look monk-like, which makes you look very peaceful and reflective. +1 Snuggie.

3. It has the best hospital gown quality.

Open back. This is epic. You can still moon people like you can with normal clothes, yet you get the warmth and style of ultra-soft fleece. +1 Snuggie.

4. You can wear as much or little as you want.

I hate pants, socks and shoes. My Snuggie accepts me for that and says "that's okay, you don't need to wear any of those. Just wear me." +1 Snuggie.

Finally, it is perfect for movie quotes. Replace your favorite noun with "The Snuggie" and you've got a great quote. Consider the following:

"Here's looking at you, Snuggie."

"We're not in The Snuggie anymore."

"I love the smell of The Snuggie in the morning."

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his Snuggie."

 "Show me the Snuggie!"

And finally, a dialogue:

"Do you want answers?"

"I want the Snuggie!"

"You can't handle the Snuggie!"

Understand now why I love the Snuggie?

On Monday my friend Joe (the Pastor, not the Plumber) posted his prayers for election day, a short, thoughtful and Christian approach to the election. Now that the election (with a few "too close to call" state races) is over, I call on all of us as Christians to move forward in the name of Christ.

We have differing opinions on the best way to run the country.