Another Day, Another Taste of Seattle

Went down to the market today, and took a photo of the most interesting thing I saw. A guy on the guitar twirling a hoola hoop. Unfortunately I wasn't able to capture him while he was balancing another guitar on his chin at the same time. Why didn't we see him on America's Got Talent?

He was able to pull out a rhyme as I took the pic. "I ain't on the cover of rolling stone, but I did get on your picture phone..."

Addiction and Grace

This is the latest book I’m reading, recommended by Matthew as it was part of his curriculum at Wheaton.

The most significant thing I experienced in reading this is the distinctive link that freedom has to love. I had not really thought of love giving birth freedom in the way it is described here. It is unassuming to me, yet has made so much sense. This really has given me a different perspective on how the Gospel can be lived out. When I am not bonded/addicted to the things that want to usurp my desire, I am then able to direct this desire to its truest form, which is a love for God and an ability to express this love in freedom to Him and others.

This is more or less same idea of sin and redemption, but explained more in psychological terms, which provides a different perspective. Here are the basic thoughts discussed in the first couple chapters of the book:

God has created us out of love, the love that God simply is, for God is love. Scripture proclaims that this love, from which and for which we are created, is perfect.

Our life on earth is lived out expressing this love in a myriad of different forms. Though dimmed because of the fall, all that we do is in one way or another lived out in the actions that express the desire for this love. In many ways it is good – expressed in love for family and friends. And in other ways it is distorted, through controlling, abusive relationships, sexual perversions, etc. However it is played out, it all comes back to our eternal desire and longing to experience the perfect love that we were born into. This yearning is the essence of the human spirit; it is the origin of our highest hopes and most noble dreams.

Our freedom of will is essential for our participation in a creative loving environment. Free will was given to us for a purpose: so that we may choose freely, without coercion or manipulation, to love God in return, and to love one another in a similarly perfect way. So freedom is what is born out of perfect love. The love that creates us is not enslaving; it is eternally present, and endlessly open.

Working against this boundless love that gives birth to freedom is the powerful force of addiction. Addiction is the absolute enemy of human freedom; it is the antipathy of love. Addiction bonds and enslaves the energy of desire to certain behaviors, things, or people, and these things come to rule our lives. In addiction we are forced to worship these objects of attachment, thereby preventing us from truly, freely loving God and one another.

Most true addictions are impossible to get out of by our own willpower. By our own efforts, we are left helplessly unable to escape the bondage we find ourselves in. This also keeps us from attaining the perfect love we were born out of. We are unable to live out the commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. We can dedicate our entire lives to them, but still fail.

Yet this failure is necessary for us because in this helplessness we can most honestly and completely turn to grace. Grace is our only hope for dealing with addiction, the only power that can truly vanquish its destructiveness. Grace is the invincible advocate of freedom and the absolute expression of perfect love.

Grace itself cannot be possessed; it is eternally free, and like the Spirit that gives it, it blows where it will. We can seek it and try to be open to it, but we cannot control it. Similarly, grace seeks us but will not control us.

Finally, a quote that I feel summarizes what the book is really trying to express:

I live a life infused by the bondage of addiction and the hope of grace; I think we all live such lives. Let us pray that our communal efforts will contribute to that primal, eternal desire that we all share with God: perfect freedom and love for all humankind.

First night on the town

I finally got downtown for the first time last night. My roommate Katie is just trying to start a music career in Seattle and she was playing at an open mic night in a coffee shop located in the middle of the city. A bunch of us went down and met several more students down there. I have to say I think it's so cool that my roommate is doing this; not only do I get to see her play, but it will allow me to easily see what's going on in the Seattle music scene.

The time spent downtown seemed to kick off for me what will be a time of unique experiences in a city that has more of a focus on the arts than most. Last night it was music, and I was able to see a variety of genres, from bluegrass to alternative, and some were really good.

Day 6

We made it! We left after lunch and took the backway from Yakima which Anne suggested. This took us right by Mount Rainier.

A little while later the city came into sight and soon enough we were at my house. It was very easy to find, right off of the major highway that runs through Seattle. I don't think I could've picked a better location, thanks to my roommate Katie who we trusted with our living situation and she came through. I think I will have a great time with the two roommates I have met so far, Katie and Meredith. The other two will be back tomorrow.

I am obviously in major adjustment mode, living right in the middle of this huge city. It is quite a shock to drive out of my street and be in the middle of everything. Looking forward to this new life here.

Day 4 & 5

Our last long day of driving was finally complete when we made it to Aunt Anne and Uncle Joe's place in Yakima, only a couple hours southeast of Seattle. It was great to stop for a couple days and enjoy their hospitality and the beautiful place where they live. Quite a view from their deck! It was also good to see cousin Tanya and her family, who were great to hang out with. Joe took on the kids with a squirtgun and I think he lost that fight.

Day 3

Yellowstone...we were told a couple different ways to get there, and chose to go through a path called the Bear's Tooth. It was the shortest distance from where we were, but basically required going through - or over - the Rocky Mountains. While this was not easy and took some time, the ride through the Bear Tooth Path was amazing; as good as Yellowstone itself. Though half a day was not nearly enough to get the experience that Yellowstone has to offer. A couple days of camping was really needed here.

Day 2

We continued through South Dakota where we entered rolling hills and sign after sign for the corn palace and wall drug stores. The morale was low as we were getting pretty tired of this state, until we came up on the Badlands. We were planning on going to Mt. Rushmore, but when we asked a guy at the gas station he said the Badlands would be worth much more of our time. After venturing through we definitely agreed with him. Right off the highway, it is a must see.

After the Badlands we finally entered another state, Wyoming, where we drove along the edge of the beautiful rocky mountains.

We ended up in Billings, Montana. We thought we could quickly get into a hotel room right off the highway. To our surprise it was full, and then the next hotel we checked was full, and we ended up scrambling around town to get an open room. We happened to stop in this city when a huge fair was in town. Luckily we were able to get the last room a little farther out of town.

Day 1

And it began...if for no other reason, my mid-sized sedan was paying off for this trip. The trunk was about to burst. Mom made a comment about 'wants and needs' as I continued to stuff it with clothes.

We started out early and made it all the way to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. And pretty much the whole way there, the surroundings looked about the same as they do in Michigan. Minnesota brought some big hills after the Mississippi River and then miles and miles of cornfields. Sioux Falls wasn't exactly a happenin' place. But I was able to read a bit more of Irresistible Revolution, and Chapter 3 is my favorite one so far, where Shane talks about his trip to Calcutta to live alongside Mother Theresa. Couldn't help but get very moved by what was going on there, where people were constantly giving of themselves. He described such an amazing community in the midst of so much pain and death.

Starting to Set In

This last weekend I was able to spend some good time with good friends. After my roommate Justin's wedding, Matthew and I were able to go next door to the Black Rose and meet up with Josh and Charlie. We had the perfect atmosphere outside to discuss what's really going on with us, and what's going to happen the next year. Our paths will be diverging to say the least, but we would still carry the common desire to live better. And living better was woven into our dialogue, just like old times back at MSU when we would have thoughts like what it would really look like if we actually lived out everything that we said we believed.

Reality of my upcoming move quickly set in when I said goodbye to Josh the next day, and I knew I wouldn't see him again for quite some time. The next step then came when Matthew headed back for Chicago later that night. Dad set up some last pictures. Hard to see him go.

The Emergent Church

Matthew pointed me towards a good article on the emerging church by D.A. Carson. He does a good job describing a movement that is not easy to define.

http://www.modernreformation.org/dac05emerging.htm

What the Bleep Do We Know?

Just watched this documentary the other night, and many of its ideas were very interesting. I had never really been introduced into the real thought of quantum physics, and the clear as mud theory is described as well as it can be in this film.

I would highly suggest renting it (I got it from blockbuster) and enter into something that attempts to change every way you think about the world. The only thing I didn't like is many of their views of God, in which some quickly make conclusions even in the midst of so much talk about life being mysterious and that we should ask questions instead of drawing conclusions.

Yet I did enjoy how most of the people on the documentary were interested in asking the question why. They were interested in some of the bigger questions in life, exercising the freedom we have as humans to actually think about what is really going on instead of just reacting to instinctual desires. Pretty refreshing to experience the passion of those who want to think bigger – and especially interesting to hear this from those who do not necessarily believe in Jesus as I do. I do not find many irreligious people today who are asking the deeper questions in life.

The part I enjoyed the most by far was the incredibly well taught piece on how our thoughts affect our body. It brought me to a new level of belief in the idea that you can change your life by changing the way you think. I liked the practical demonstrations on our thoughts and body that are shown here more than the way they try to link this to quantum physics. If you do not at least attempt to move towards more positive way of thinking after seeing this, I don’t think you ever will.

As for the more philosophical questions this documentary poses, even after days of mulling over what they had to suggest, it is hard to really know what to do. This documentary needs to be discussed with others after viewing, and I hope to do more of that soon.