Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Birth and Death

3 posts in one day!

I've been reading Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton lately and it just revealed the most amazing...revelation (to me anyway). In speaking of God as the Creator, Chesterton compares Him to any other creator (small "c") who, upon creating, becomes separate from his creation. By its very nature a poem becomes free of the poet once he has penned it and even a mother feels the absence of her child once it is born; birth and death at once. In this way God has granted freedom to his creations and we move away from Him. Imagine the sheer delight of God as he breaths life in Adam's nostrils and a moment later the utter anguish as his created loses his wind!

On Second Thought

I just realized that the stress might be getting to me just a bit after I brewed half a carafe of coffee onto the counter!

Free At Last! Free At Last!

Today saw the last of the old apartment as we fulfilled our final walkthrough and passed with flying colors (praise the soul who invented the Magic Eraser...Mr. Clean was it?). Now all that's left is setting up the new place with 5 different people who all have different opinions about everything from where the silverware goes to which side the toilet paper roll faces (front or back, let's take a poll). Actually it's not that bad at all, but I do feel the tension between taking care of people and taking care of stuff. Obviously people come first, but whilst moving in it is hard to keep that priority there. For instance, last night Adam and Amanda were over and Erika and I were trying to move in the very last of our stuff. Eventually I had to drop the stuff, regroup, and focus properly.

It's amazing how our stuff and the details surounding it gets in the way of everything, rather than facilitating a better life as it suggests!

Friday, August 26, 2005

Positive Is As Positive Does

It's supposed to be a calm before the storm right? Well, I'm hoping that's true becuase I think a storm might be coming for me, but right now I am not in a calm. In fact, I am in a really good state: Washington...no wait, other kind of state (just for you Deb).

Everything is going so well right now even with the dreaded move this weekend. I feel connected to God by so many things, I'm loving reading more again, I like work, I love "church". All's well in Chuckiston. And today was even better, despite the fact that I got up so early (8:30). I got so many things done, with everything fitting into my schedule perfectly (including some extras). I also had time to ponder God and creation, go for lunch with Erika, laugh at the Fringe.

Now all that's left is to wait for the other shoe to drop and crush me, like what seems to be happening to almost everyone around me.

Looking back, I have seen a distinct trend of negativity in blogs of late. Maybe it's just a phase, a dark night of the soul, but it seems to be happening to so many people and for quite a while now. I don't want to seem like a killsad, but I think some positivity is needed, and as Ali is proving sometimes you just have to be positive to be positive.

Thursday, August 25, 2005

I Am Brian McLaren

Rather than spewing a tirade of quotations from "a Generous Orthodoxy" I will simply recommend that you read the book for yourself. It is an excellent approach to forming a new way of life that is both orthodox (meaning "right thinking") and generous (seeking to love and unite everyone under the banner of Christ rather than to create another denomination); I don't know where the title comes from though. Throughout this approach many branches and styles of Christianity are examined for their good, bad, and ugly, thus offering a good summary of where we have come from and how to reconcile the past 2000 years of numerous "one-and-only" belief systems.

I should really write for book jackets. Charles Elves of Nowhere Important says...

It's an easy read and it saves me all the trouble of repeating everything Brian says.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

I Am Not Brian McLaren

I'm going to let this quotation from Brian McLaren's "a Generous Orthodoxy" speak for itself:

"people holding to the vision of Jesus Christ - the kingdom of God - never believe that the ways of violence lead to peace. For them, there is no way to peace, but rather peace itself is the way to life in God's kingdom."

Friday, August 19, 2005

Here A Mystic, There A Mystic

Okay, I realize I didn't give everyone enough time to leave comments on the last post, but I have so many things to blog about that I have to get them out or I will go insane...or just forget about them altogether.

Once agian readings from Generous Orthodoxy intersected my own thoughts (maybe Brian McLaren is reading my thoughts for ideas for his next best-seller). Anyway, one of the chapters talks about the mystical side of our faith. Come to think of it there really isn't a rational side to faith, faith is itself mystical, and that is the point of this entry.

It has been said that upon the very edge of reason and logic lies faith. The very furthest point that your mind can possibly fathom, on the very tip of that horizon is the place where faith takes over and procedes from there. And here's the mind-splitting, paradigm-shifting, crotch-grabbinly delicious point: Christianity Is Mystical. You are a mystic.

Not many things in the Christian faith check out logically, in fact, most of them are counter-intuitive. A god who created the world with pure will, who exists in three distinct parts, but not, who becomes all man and all God, a woman who gets pregnant without sex so that she can birth God in order that He might die, thus magically removing all sin and the power of death, miracles, angels, demons, healings, smitings...no, no, no Christianity is totally rational and straightforward.

Two things strike me about this realization. The first is that we are so anxious to "prove" our beliefs to non-Christians and to ourselves that we have no appreciation for the sheer absurdity of this God we serve (editor's note: the use of the term absurd in reference to God is in no way a slandering of the infallible character of said Deity, but is rather intended to reflect and intensify His very positve, but contrary nature in juxtaposition to that of the world. This blog neither supports nor condemns any fallout consequent to the misunderstanding of said term. In addition, if you don't like it read Kierkegaard or go back to Russia). What really drove this point home was a conversation, or rather overheard converstation, with a non-Christian in a bar. He was marvelling at an earlier conversation with Christians who denied the mystical cant of Christianity. Using some of the above examples, he pointed out the absurdity (editor's note: not used as per above) of this denial. It really struck me as to how obvious it is to others that our beliefs are quite out there.

I realize that this need to "prove" ourselves is a result of good intentions. The age of reason has instilled a great need to systematically evaluate everything, for good or ill, and it has extended to this day. While I do see the good of checking ourselves and avoiding a faith without introspection I think we have gone to far, and the result is that our dependence upon the absurd is dead. We need to regain the sense that our God is not of this world's logic and is not normal or reasonable or safe. I think G. K. Chesterson sums it up in his comparison of reason and poetry: "The poet only asks to get his head into the heavens. It is the logician who seeks to get the heavens into his head. And it is his head that splits." We don't need to reduce God to a finite understanding. We need only find glimpses everywhere we go.

The second striking is that we are so scared of all things mystical: healings, exorcisms, tongues, pentacostals. What a contradiction in terms to believe in a God of such power and marvelous variety and to condemn the fantasmical outworkings of his unworldly might. The problem is that these things are not controlable or measurable. These things are not safe. But then God is not safe...but he is good.

We are scared of the mystical because it is not explainable or rational, it is neither impirical nor producale on whim. If I see someone performing an exorcism I can't prove that it's real or point to tangible signs of its validity. I can test the fruit of the person who performs it, but it is beyond the scope of this world's logic to describe it.

So before you all start pretending that you can speak in tongues (I think Matt's pretty good at that some times) and casting demons out of your house plants, a word of warning. The mystical and spiritual worlds are not safe. There is need to test the spirits and to regard everything with a level of discretion, but we need to open up to the truth that is out there (oiy!). It's more a matter of mindset than anything, a realization that we serve an indescribable, unimaginable God whose simplest movings are beyond anything we can dream. God is so much more than any of our human analogies can warrant.

If you believe in this God, you are a mystic.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

You Who?

As promised here is one of the posts I have had in mind from times spent abroad.

I did some really hard thinking last week. Actually it started the week before that and took root in a conversation Erika and I had with Derek and Rachel, and was reinforced by readings in Brian McLaren's Generous Orthodoxy. It centers on the idea of missionalness...missionality...missionalicitude...being missional. The realization I came to is a hard, hard wake-up call, one that was central to Christ's life and one that has been too oft set aside.

While most agree that Christ's birth and death were ultimate symbols of selfless love (after all, greater love has no one than this...), but it was His life that we are to imitate, and that life was completely selfless. Not a single thing that He did was for His own benefit. Even the "taking time for himself" which we like to remind everyone of was to seek His Father's will. Here is the crux: Faith is not about you. Prayer is not about you. Worship is not about you. Service is not about you. Church is not about you. Giving is not about you. Harsh? You bet! It's the Great Reversal: first last and last first.

The most amazing part about this truth is that it seems too simple to grasp at times. It can't be that easy. Well, it's not that easy, but it is simple. I, for one, am tired of hearing "I need to find a church that meets my needs" and "I need to get my own crap together before I can help others." This is shite and we all know it.

Now I am the first to admit that I am nowhere near Christ's selflessness, but I think that our excuses for our watered-down attempts are runnig out and wearing thin. Ask not what Christ can do for you...yeah, I can't even finish that cheesiness, but look to others first, you're taken care of, your salvation is assured, now work! Let's stop asking WWJD because we already know: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, teach the thirsty, spread love, hope, and charity, extend healing and helping, eat with sinners, talk with outsiders, touch lepers, comfort mourners, replace ritual with relationship...oh yeah, and dying for the sins of the world. That's kind of a tough one to live up to.

In short, Christ's purpose in coming among us was to seek and save the lost, which He accomplished by his death and resurrection, but it was His life that showed us what difference that salvation makes. I guess another way to look at it is that the Kingdom of God is not for the Kingdom of God. It's not a club to get into so that we can reap the benefits or the security. It's an upside-down kingdom, where the even the king subjects himself to those "below" him.

Well, there it is. Let the backlash begin.

Monday, August 15, 2005

Pithy Posting Party

Okay, so catching up on a week's worth of blogging takes a long time, about 5 hours to be exact and I haven't even touched Simon of Space yet! Needless to say, today's post will be short.

Well, I'm back from vacation and I feel great. I get so bogged down by this city and this life here that I forget what I'm truly like after awhile. But now I'm back to more of my real self. I know I've been a total bastard of a person the past few months (feel free to agree or disagree), but today I feel fantastic and can't wait to be super-fun-happy-Chuck again.

Told you it would be short...but there's lots more blogging from holidays in store.

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Allow Me To Shed Some Light

I totally forgot to blog about the craziness of yesterday.

It all started when Charles of Hopefully-His-Name-Is-Not-Repeated-Too-Often-In-This-Story rolled out of bed early (that's 9:30 folks) and went to pick up his buddy Welco Matt. You see, they had planned to go to the far-off land of Seburn and to lend a hand in ridding that land of the Hideous Shed. Now, as we all know, there is no venture worth taking unless it is fully funded by coffee and slurpees and so our boys availed themselves of such accoutrements and also made provision for those who were not so well versed in the art of venturing.

Upon arriving in the land of Seburn our stalwart heroes entreated The Great Paul to allow them passage and provisions for the forthcoming onslaught upon the Hideous Shed. But The Great Paul was renowned for his exploits and forays into untold danger and, not being one to back down from a challenge, he offered his services in what was to be the greatest conquest of our time.

As provisions and battle plans were being discussed a young wastrel happened by and inquired as to the intended purpose of the small gathering. After exchanged pleasantries it was learned that this wastrel was none other than Mack of the Craw, whose legendary battle axe had slain the great Sunfire Beast with a single blow. An immediate brotherhood was shared among the men and it was decided that they would leave for their quest at once. Sadly their enthusiasm was waylaid as one thing stood in the way of the eternal banishment of the Hideous Shed. The Bin of Eternal Frustration was nowhere to be found, and whose absence would prove detrimental to the cause at hand.

Fortunately for our young lads the Great Paul's gallantry was eclipsed only by his hospitality and so it was decided that all would enter the great hall and much merriment would be made. And much merriment was made with Welco Matt's deep drum rhythms, Mack of the Craw's sweet tinkling of the Stick of Perpetual Rain, Charles of Hopefully-His-Name-Is-Not-Repeated-Too-Often- In-This-Story's gentle melodies on the lute, and The Great Paul's skillful mastery of the Cup from the Halls of Horton. Yes, it was a momentous occasion of offering sweet music to the Lord of the Harvest, although the three lads were somewhat concerned about the Great Paul's continual mutterings of "ta-ti-ti-ta" and "kal-a-bash-i" and such.

Due to the uncertain whereabouts of the Bin of Eternal Frustration our intrepid fellowship decided to set out after the Hideous Shed in hopes of weakening its resolve in order to ease the future burden of the final onslaught with the help of the Bin. Little did they realize the folly of their actions, a realization of such littleness that it would have ensured the realization of the littlest folly-induced action...or so the saying goes.

In order to speed this thing along I will spare the details of the trek through the land of Seburn to the lair of the Hideous Shed; it was mostly just silliness anyway. Then at last the Shed was spotted and insipid fear was struck into the hearts of all but The Great Paul (I said he was gallant, not necessarily the sharpest card in the pile). The plan was to attack the sides of the monstrous beast in an attempt to expose the vile innards, thus allowing easy access to the Shed's vulnerable spots for latter removal to the Bin. That was the plan, but it proved a difficult task to be sure. Mack of the Craw let fly his battle axe upon the southern flank, while The Great Paul unleash a maelstrom of impunity upon the north with his stout Bar of Crows. Next Welco Matt attempted his famed smash technique, while Charles of Hopefully-His-Name-Is-Not-Repeated-Too-Often-In-This-Story cheered and offered unwelcome suggestions from the sidelines.

At first things seemed to be going smashingly (especially for Welco Matt) as flesh was torn from the Shed's sides and vile smelling entrails poured out, but the Hideous Shed was not regarded as the fiercest of beasts for naught. At the onset of our heroes' second wave of attack the Shed revealed its awful secret weapon: the Swarming Wasps of the Running and the Screaming Like Wee Girls. Many a young lad had fallen prey to the Swarming Wasps of the Running and the Screaming Like Wee Girls and Mack of the Craw decided that this was not his time to join them as he turned tail and fled, leaving behind his battle axe and muttering something about Jeff of Truck.

Now, the closest anyone has come before to defeating the Hideous Shed was Angus the one-eyed barber, who had faked a supernatural healing by the Holy Spirit. After narrowly escaping the Shed's sinister clutches he made known its singular weakness, calling for the removal of the Wasp's Nest of Oppression. Luckily our heroes knew of this secret and made haste to acquire the Hose of Wooshy-Wooshy Power and with it to cut out the heart of the beast.

It was to be a two-pronged attack: Charles of Hopefully-His-Name-Is-Not-Repeated-Too-Often-In-This-Story manned the Hose while The Great Paul and Welco Matt took turns assaulting the Shed, attempting to expose the Nest of Oppression. This was Welco Matt's opportunity to shine and he took full advantage, unleashing massive blows with the cowardly abandoned battle axe. Blow after somewhat misguided blow was leveled upon the beast's side as Welco Matt sucked in great gulps of oxygen, having lost his prior skill with the axe. The heavy, suppressive cover-fire supplied by the Hose of Wooshy-Wooshy Power proved most useful in keeping the Swarming Wasps of the Running and the Screaming Like Wee Girls at bay. The Great Paul also proved his mettle, prying layer upon layer of axe-loosened flesh from the Shed.

At last the Nest was uncovered as The Great Paul pulled it from its hiding place. But this was not a time for triumphant ballyhoo, no, this was a time for running and screaming like wee girls, and that's just what they did. Charles of Hopefully-His-Name-Is-Not-Repeated-Too-Often-In-This-Story was the first to go down as he clutched his head and screamed like a wee girl, "I'm hit." The Great Paul, who had a penchant for laughing at others in their distress, was the next to feel the icy grip of death amid a cacophony of self-propelled laughter and wee girl screaming. Perhaps it was the fact that his parents were killed in a tragic Swarming Wasp accident or perhaps it was the slurpee takings its full effect, but I think nary an eye has seen a man move faster than did Welco Matt that day, a truth made more remarkable if you know him at all.

But in the end our heroes did prevail as Welco Matt used one last blast from the Hose of Wooshy-Wooshy Power to quell the threat and The Great Paul and Charles of Hopefully-His-Name-Is-Not-Repeated-Too-Often-In-This-Story engaged in the time-honored Swarming Wasps of the Running and the Screaming Like Wee Girls Antidote Dance, which consists of hopping and scratching and chanting the sacred words that can not be repeated here. The Hideous Shed was exposed, awaiting the Bin of Eternal Frustration (which held up to its name) and its final demise. The heroes (those who remained anyway) clapped arms, a new bond of brotherhood formed.

And the best part of this adventure is that you can decide how it ends. The Hideous Shed is not yet fully removed from the land of Seburn and The Great Paul could use any hero willing to render his/her services. So please call the Great Paul and bring this adventure to a happy ending.

Father Nature Here

Okay, hands up. How many people read the "must read" link on Paul's blog? That's what I thought. Well, to sum up, we are killing the earth that God gave to us and charged us to keep, this sucks, and we should change it? How was that Paul? At any rate your Crazy Neighbourhood Chuck has found an easy way for y'all to help. They're called Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and they allow you to invest in green energies and offset your own personal energy burden on the environment. One such options is located right in our own backyard. You can buy Wind Power Certificates from the Pembina Institute here. You can calculate your personal energy use or go with the national average. The average for Canada is 8000 kWh and you can buy 8 certificates to offset that for $18 per year! $18 per year! $18 per year! Sunk in yet? If you have more questions ask David Suzuki here.

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Meals On Wheels

Isn't it amazing how the simplest foods can be the most satiafying. Maybe it was just the company, but today for lunch Paul, Matt, and I shared soup and bread and it was perfect. I would rather have had that simple meal than a 5 course, gourmet meal. It also got me thinking about the meals that Jesus ate with His disciples and anyone else who would join Him for that matter. What strikes me is how natural it was: Jesus and those He loved lounging around a table dipping bread together, sharing company, and talking about the Kingdom. Is this not the most straightforward imagery of what we are to do in this life - to join together with anyone who will have us and share basic needs, extend true love, and talk about the Kingdom? Is the great banquet table to come not the perfect image of what we are to do on this earth?