What does God think about people walking away from their homes?

Solomon’s Porch topic for tonight: People in SE Michigan are walking away from their homes in alarming rates. Houses in Redford are down up to 80% in value over the last five years. This current trend is expected to continue for at least two more years as individuals walk away from mortgages that are twice(or more) the value of their home. Some questions to ponder for SP tonight: what would God say about this trend? Should people of faith view this differently that others? At what point, if any, is it acceptable to walk away? Does the responsibility of a person of faith change in a different market, where your home goes up in value and you stand to make significant profit? Those questions and questions from the gallery are all welcome at SP tonight from 7-8 pm at Panera Bread, located at Schoolcraft and Middlebelt. As always, if you cannot be present but have something to add to the discussion, e-mail me today and I will include your thoughts as part of our conversation.

Introduction of God sightings!

Friends:

I recently attended a conference of the Transformational Leaders Initiative for the ELCA. At the conference, I was inspired by my colleagues who are doing so much creatively to spread the Kingdom to the world. We are hoping to instill one of the creative ideas into the life of our church here in Redford, Michigan. It is called God sightings, and here is how it will work. Thanks to Dave Daubert for introducing this initiative to our group.

God Sightings


Purpose: It is important for people of faith be reminded that God is present in worship, at church, in the community, and the world. With that in mind we are starting a new initiative at St. John’s that allows us to share all the places that we see God at work in the world. Starting this week, we will be using the board in the Narthex to chronicle all the places that we see God alive in the world. The three questions we will ask ourselves each week are as follows:

1. Where did you see God in the world around you this week?
2. Where did you witness God’s using someone else as a blessing in the world around you this week?
3. Where did you see God using you this week?

Names are optional, but I would encourage each of you to name and claim how you witnessed God working in us and through us this week.


I am looking forward to seeing this initiative grow in strength and be a blessing to the people of SJLC.

Do we really need billion dollar stadiums to watch athletic events?

Friends:

Tonight we meet for “Solomon’s Porch” at First Cup coffee house, Five Mile and Inkster Rd. to discuss issues of the day, to delve into how faith and life connect within any given topic, and see where the Spirit leads us. The topic for tonight:
Last Sunday night was the season premiere of Sunday Night Football featuring the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. It was a time to introduce the new Cowboy stadium to the masses. At a cost of 1.2 billion dollars, it is one of the most expensive stadiums ever built. Yes, you read correctly, 1.2 billion. It will hold its pricey title until next season, when the New York Giants unveil their new 1.6 billion dollar field. The new Texas stadium features, among other things, a 600 ton Jumbotron television screen in the middle of the field, and at 3 million square feet it is three times larger than the field that the Cowboys played on last year. Owner Jerry Jones notes only 7% of football fans have ever been to an NFL game and he wants to encourage more fans to come out and experience live football. That experience does come with a price, however. The average price for a family of four to enjoy an NFL game with all the trimmings (tickets, food and drink, programs, caps and parking) is $412.64. At the new Texas stadium, that price is $758.58.

There are lots of places to join in the conversation of this topic. Do we really need billion dollar stadiums to watch a football game? Should we be spending a house payment to enjoy live football? What might be a better use of those funds? In most stadium situations, public and private monies are partnered together to build stadiums, touting the revenue that will be produced by having state of the art venues like this one, is it worth it? As people of faith, should we be speaking out against this type of excess, and if so, how? Should we be boycotting live events? Should we be advocating for a reallocation of these funds? Does it matter if it is private or public monies? Certainly people like Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys do a share of charitable giving, but is a one billion dollar stadium over the top?

Bring your opinion tonight to SP from 7-8 pm. As usual, if you cannot make it but have a comment to share, let me know today via e-mail. I look forward to seeing many of you tonight!

Solomon's Porch featured in the Redford Observer

Check out our article here

This is great news for our church. The next Solomon's Porch will be Tuesday, September 22nd at 7pm. I hope to see many of you there.

Check out this feel good video from Belgium.

I know it is still Lent, but watch these Norwegian boys tear up "Hallelujah"

Is Leonard Pitts on the mark?

I usually enjoy the writing of columnist Leonard Pitts. Today in the Free Press he asks if religions are driving people away from the church. Read the article here. I think he is on to something when he wonders if people of faith are paying attention. What do you think?

Is Al Gore good for the environment?

Friends:

The folks over at RELEVANT magaizine are asking that question in "The gospel of Al Gore", a must read that can be found here. In this particular article, the writer takes Gore to task for his "create life" stance while being a pro-choice abortion advocate. Read the article and let me know what you think. Is Al Gore the right poster child for the enviornmental issues that our world is facing?

What do you think of what Louis CK had to say about our recession times?

"Saving Grace" returns Monday, March 2nd at 10pm

"Saving Grace" returns this Monday on TNT. It is a great show that takes a long, hard look at issues of faith, redemption, repentance and grace without all the fluff that often accompanies programs surrounding faith issues. I will be blogging each Tuesday about the newest episode. Check the blog on Tuesday and join in the conversation by commenting.

What do you think of what Penn has to say about being given a Bible?

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What do you think of this quote?

"The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next. The difference between the two is the difference between living fully and just existing."

Michael E. Gerber

Is he right? Where do you fall on this spectrum?

Theology on Tap begins February 12th

Theology on tap”: Have you or someone you know ever wanted to ask a pastor a question about faith, life, God, and how they all connect? If so, “Theology on tap” is for you. Beginning Thursday, February 12th, from 6-9pm Pastor Bob will be at Micho’s Bar and Grill, 25524 Five mile just east of Beech Daly, to respond to questions and be in conversation with all who gather about how God may or may not be making Himself present in our contexts. This will be a great opportunity to invite friends and family who may not ever attend a church service but have questions about religion, God and Jesus. Please invite them to come out and explore faith and life and how they connect. By the way, Micho’s has really good food so make a night of it! This will become a regular monthly ministry of St. John’s in 2009.

New weekly book club starting at First Cup Coffee House beginning February 27th

Our weekly book club will restart Friday, February 27th from 10-11am at First Cup Coffee House, Five mile and Inkster Road. We will be discussing John Ortberg’s new book, Faith &Doubt. If you are interested please speak to Pastor so that we can place a bulk order to keep the price of the books down. Pastor will buy your beverage each week. Being present in our community is an important aspect of our redevelopment process. Join us each week as we discuss faith, life, doubt and how they interact with each other.

Check out this song responding to Gaza from Brian Mclaren

Read what he has to say at www.brianmclaren.net

One way to pray President-elect Obama into his new role

Freinds:

This is from David Crumm, a former columnist for the Free Press:

Read The Spirit

342: An Inaugural Prayer for President Barack Obama — and All of Us Posted: 12 Jan 2009 12:11 AM CST This is part of our ongoing coverage of the spiritual power blossoming around the historic transition in Washington D.C. We've already taken a look at several examples of spiritual activism focused on the inauguration. Stay Tuned! Throughout the coming week, we'll have much more. TODAY, well in advance of the inauguration weekend (including the King holiday and Inauguration Day), we're publishing this special prayer we hope you'll share with others. An Inaugural Prayer for President Obama and Us By the Rev. Marsha M. Woolley CREATING GOD OF LANDS AFAR AND MINE… On tiptoe we stand…expectant, eager, hopeful, anticipating…peering over the edge from what has been and on the threshold of what is to come; longing for, yearning for a better way, a more holistic way, a more gracious way of living in this country and in the world. It seems the whole world is holding its breath, daring to believe that the mess we’ve created is not permanent; that you have indeed raised up in our midst one who can lead us in ways that will restore the values and character upon which this land was once established. In this inaugural time, O God, we hold our breath…praying that the good identified in Barack Obama will be used to turn around the hollow systems that have led us down selfish paths, to mend the broken bureaucracies that have led to inertia and inaction, to discard the worthless wasting of precious resources, and to pave new avenues of liberty and justice for all people. Yet, keep us from holding our breath… as if this one appointed man can or should — or is even expected to — heal this country alone. Indeed, keep us all breathing and alive and active as agents of the change so desperately needed, as aides in the healing process, and as willing participants in the necessary sacrifices required of us all. As we breathe in the hope and anticipation of this new beginning, let us exhale and rid ourselves of the well-learned skepticism we hold for government and our leaders. As we breathe in our desire for affordable health care and living wages for all, let us exhale and rid ourselves of the sense of entitlement and selfish greed that consumes so much of how we live. As we breathe in and hold up this new First Family, let us exhale and rid ourselves of any too-high expectations we have for them to “fix” this country. As we inhale and realize our desire to know all about them and to watch them at all times, let us exhale, and respect their need for privacy, and grant them the gentle times of family togetherness. As we inhale and confess our expectation that this new President will be wise and powerful and able to live up to the promises of his campaign, let us, in our exhaling, come to understand that he will only be as wise and powerful as we allow him to be; that the only change that will happen is the change we all choose to make happen together. Indeed as we breathe in, recognizing that we are inspired and motivated by what we’ve heard from this elected one, let us also slowly breathe out and realize that what we have really heard is a voice being given to the stirring of our own hearts. Oh, it’s true, O God, we are on tiptoe…as expectant as anyone can be…praying that you might be able to create in our midst a new way of living that better honors your creation, that more fully respects your desire for community, that more urgently works for peace and justice for ALL. To that end, we dare ask that your hand of blessing be upon President Obama — chosen not for the color of his skin but for the content of his character — that he might guide and lead us in the ways You would have us go. Thru him and with him, make us all agents of good…in our homes, in our communities, in our country and in this world. Gracious God, for all the possibilities, promise and privilege of the freedom we enjoy and celebrate this day, we humbly offer our thanks, not only with our lips, but also with our lives. In earnest hope that a new day has indeed been inaugurated in our midst, we pray. Amen. CARE TO READ MORE? STAY TUNED! Over the next two weeks, ReadTheSpirit will provide a series of soul-stirring stories as we approach the inauguration, including more of our daily Interfaith Heroes stories. As we approach Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday, you’ll find fresh insights into the interfaith roots of America’s civil rights movement. VISIT MARSHA’S WEB SITE: Marsha is the senior pastor of a Newburg United Methodist Church in Livonia, Michigan. SHARE THIS PRAYER! We invite you to share this prayer as we approach the inauguration. To do so, include the Rev. Marsha M. Woolley’s name as author and a link back to http://www.ReadTheSpirit.com/ PLEASE, Tell Us What You Think. Not only do we welcome your notes, ideas, suggestions and personal reflections—but our readers enjoy them as well. You can do this anytime by clicking on the "Comment" links at the end of each story. You also can Email ReadTheSpirit Editor David Crumm. We're also reachable on Facebook, Digg, Amazon, GoodReads and some of the other social-networking sites as well, if you're part of those groups. (Originally published at http://www.ReadTheSpirit.com/)

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Great new "Jesus" song from Brian McLaren

Check out this song, just in time for Christmas, from friend Brian McLaren.

Check out a new version of "Stand By Me"

This is from the producers at www.playing for change.com. Great video!

A new way to revitalize Detroit?

Does acre upon acre of barren blocks offer a chance to reinvent Detroit?

An interesting question in today’s Detroit Free Press offers a fresh look at a generation old problem of what to do with empty land currently taking up great blocks of space in Detroit. Our Solomon’s Porch coffee house discussion will look this week at one person’s take at a solution. The Free Press article can be found here.

Information for the discussion:
-A new map shows how to tuck the land mass of Manhattan, San Francisco and Boston into Detroit. All three urban areas would fit snuggly within Detroit’s 139 square miles with room to spare.
-Detroit’s population has declined from a high of 2 million in 1950 to under 900,000 in 2008
-the writer’s conclusion: hopes and plans to repopulate the city and redevelop the city’s vacant land are unrealistic, at least for another generation. Some redevelopment deals will succeed, but realistic Detroiter’s should seize the opportunity to become a leaner, greener city for the 21st century.
-When speaking of the best use of vacant land, urban farming is generating the most buzz. What if Detroit could provide a significant amount of fruits and vegetables for its population and the surrounding areas?
-All the mayoral candidates are mum on this topic at the moment. Why do you think that is?
-Did you know that Detroit was once called the city of Elms, a green city known for its parks?
-studies concluded in the fall of 2008 that all of Detroit’s current population needs around 50 square miles for living space. The remaining 89 square miles could be used for other purposes.


Faith issues: How are we called, if we indeed are called, as people of faith, to participate in the revitalization of Detroit’s vacant land? Would advocating for the greening of Detroit be connected to care of Creation? What sort of voice should people have that live outside of Detroit proper but are affected by the issue of vacant property and population decline in our largest city? What other uses of the land make sense to you? How should the church be involved in this process?

Bring ideas to these questions as well as some of your own to our Solomon’s Porch coffee house discussion tomorrow night at First Cup coffee house starting at 7 pm.

Can different faith expressions live together under one roof?

Lately I have been thinking a great deal about how different people, sometimes from different generations, approach Christianity and how it is to be lived out. When new approaches enter into the fray there usually is some sort of backlash against those who are attempting to look at the same story and how it speaks to us today from a different perspective. Sometimes this happens within a church context that is attempting to invite newer voices to the table of discussion. It is often hard for these new expressions to gain validation as they attempt to figure our how these new communities experience faith, life and how faith and life connect in their context. Doug Pagitt, author of “A Christianity Worth Believing”, writes of a perspective from a church that is creating a new way in the midst of the old one. I think what he writes about can be of benefit to those of us who are journeying together at St. John’s and asking God what sort of new thing we are attempting to create.

Pagitt writes the following after giving a sermon to a church like the one described using Saul as an example. He writes, “Saul was a man of deep faith and conviction who was persecuting the new movement because it seemed to abandon what he believed to be the true, faithful way. Saul was not trying to kill the things of God; he was trying to keep them alive. But we know that he was literally killing what God was doing-and the people who were doing it.” (page 215)

Pagitt continues: “I hoped the people would recognize that in the earliest days of Christianity-just as it is now-people who were motivated by the certainty of their belief assumed that they were perfecting life with God when in actuality they were blocking fresh expression of what God was doing. I hoped they would see that even when we question the conclusions of others, we can do so without questioning their faithfulness. I hoped by telling the story of the faithful but misguided attempts of Saul, I could encourage the people to be more patient, more grace-filled, and more open to those who held to a different version of the Christian story.” (page 216)

The question becomes, how do we live in the tension of new approaches while acknowledging both the old and the new faith expressions are attempting to be faithful to how God in working in and through the process? Is it possible to keep the process expression driven and not personality driven? I believe it can happen, but the further question that haunts me is simply can people parse their faith into process driven discussions without the personality of the person coming through? Does this need to happen? When two “rival sides” journey together with how God can be expressed in a faithful way through those who follow, how can we effectively mediate a productive, worthwhile discussion that enables both expressions to be recognized and honored in a meaningful way?

Let me know what you think.

Be blessed.