For Christmas my son gave me an XBox 360 game: Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition.
Really an addictive game. Wandering through the wasteland around Washington DC a couple hundred years in the future.
A lot of the decisions that you make affect the course of the game and how it plays out. You can be good or bad or neutral (karma in the game).
At one point you will come across a character named Fawkes. Depending on your karma he may be recruited to help you out in the future.
I am not really good at video games and tend to die a lot (think it has to do with the fact that I was in college when Pong came out). But it sure makes it a lot easier to have Fawkes along with me during this game.
He has saved me from a lot of grief along the way so far. The big guy can carry whatever I give him. And he has unlimited ammo. And his thick skin lets him take a lot of damage. And he tends to see danger before I do. He's got my back.
Now I realize that this is just a video game and Fawkes is just a figment of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) of the game engine.
But it really points out just how tough it is to "go it alone." Having someone to rely on is valuable.
Kind of like life. God did not make us to go it alone, he made us to live in community with others. This includes not only our spouse and kids, but other members of our families and our friends and others. Life is easier in community
We will still have challenges and trials and things won't go the way we want to go. But having others that we can rely on when things get tough can make all the difference.
Oh, sure, Fawkes can be annoying at times. He makes the same stupid Zen comments that don't make sense, over and over and he blocks the door all too often when I am trying to get out of a room.
But it sure is handy to have him around to help me get over my mistakes...
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Small Circles
We tend to run in small circles.
I don't mean that we go out and physically run in small circles. That is boring. But when you think about it our sphere of contact ends up being pretty small.
It was kind of driven home when I was looking at a website recently that has had some impact both on us and for people around the world. The author has written some very popular books. They recently published some statistics on the readership of the website.
They average around 40,000 unique viewers a day. From around the world. So that is out of billions of people. In the grand scheme of things it is a small part of the population.
We may have lots of contact with people in the course of performing our jobs, or at church or at school. But ultimately we have a pretty small circle that we are involved in.
And that is OK.
You see I have to deal with whoever is in front of me right now. That is my responsibility. Not to change the world.
To develop relationships with those around me.
And if I can have impact with the small circle that I run in, I can be content with that...
I don't mean that we go out and physically run in small circles. That is boring. But when you think about it our sphere of contact ends up being pretty small.
It was kind of driven home when I was looking at a website recently that has had some impact both on us and for people around the world. The author has written some very popular books. They recently published some statistics on the readership of the website.
They average around 40,000 unique viewers a day. From around the world. So that is out of billions of people. In the grand scheme of things it is a small part of the population.
We may have lots of contact with people in the course of performing our jobs, or at church or at school. But ultimately we have a pretty small circle that we are involved in.
And that is OK.
You see I have to deal with whoever is in front of me right now. That is my responsibility. Not to change the world.
To develop relationships with those around me.
And if I can have impact with the small circle that I run in, I can be content with that...
Monday, March 30, 2009
Community
Amidst all the busyness of day to day life, my mind keeps going north to Moorhead, Minnesota where my parents live and the flood rages.
Talking with my Mom and Dad and with my sister and reading the paper on line just drives home how important community is. Not the noun community, the verb community.
This is where life is lived with each other. This is where college and high school kids stop to help unload a stranger's pickup truck of sand bags at a stranger's house. This is where people go to church for support when their house is surrounded by flood waters and they don't know if it will still be there when they get back.
This is where a guy sits in his living room in shock at the rising waters while friends and neighbors battle on in the basement to save his home. This is where a guy works all day at this job and then goes and works half the night to help strangers defend their homes.
It's where young and old come together to do what seems to be impossible. It's where people drive four hours to help fill thirty pound sand bags in a stadium filled with sand and bags. It's where the colleges let out class and the students go to work helping the neighbors they haven't met in a city that may be their home for only a short time.
It's where the wife in a home threatened by rising water takes the time to feed the people that she doesn't know (and may never see again) that stopped to pile some more sand bags on the dike simply because the job needed doing.
Community is more than a place to live, it is a place where life is lived with each other. It is a place where when troubles come people band together and do their damnedest to solve the problem instead of sitting around and waiting for the government to do something. It's a place where leaders lead instead of wringing their hands.
Its where a sense of peace comes when all possible has been done and everything is in God's hands for good or bad.
Community is a place that I miss an awful lot at times like this...
Talking with my Mom and Dad and with my sister and reading the paper on line just drives home how important community is. Not the noun community, the verb community.
This is where life is lived with each other. This is where college and high school kids stop to help unload a stranger's pickup truck of sand bags at a stranger's house. This is where people go to church for support when their house is surrounded by flood waters and they don't know if it will still be there when they get back.
This is where a guy sits in his living room in shock at the rising waters while friends and neighbors battle on in the basement to save his home. This is where a guy works all day at this job and then goes and works half the night to help strangers defend their homes.
It's where young and old come together to do what seems to be impossible. It's where people drive four hours to help fill thirty pound sand bags in a stadium filled with sand and bags. It's where the colleges let out class and the students go to work helping the neighbors they haven't met in a city that may be their home for only a short time.
It's where the wife in a home threatened by rising water takes the time to feed the people that she doesn't know (and may never see again) that stopped to pile some more sand bags on the dike simply because the job needed doing.
Community is more than a place to live, it is a place where life is lived with each other. It is a place where when troubles come people band together and do their damnedest to solve the problem instead of sitting around and waiting for the government to do something. It's a place where leaders lead instead of wringing their hands.
Its where a sense of peace comes when all possible has been done and everything is in God's hands for good or bad.
Community is a place that I miss an awful lot at times like this...
Monday, March 23, 2009
Sandbagging
My Dad just celebrated his 79th birthday.
I found out today that he is a sand bagger.
A little background.
I grew up in Moorhead Minnesota which is right across the Red River of the North from Fargo North Dakota. The towns sit in the middle of the Red River Valley which is basically flat for 20 miles in each direction from the river.
Every few years there seems to be a major flood with a lot of overland flooding. This is where the water runs over the land spreading out across the valley.
A couple of weeks ago, there was a major snow storm with a bunch of snow dumped on the area. Then it got up to 50 degrees this past weekend with some rain. And the ground is still frozen. So there is a lot of flooding in the area.
Sheriffs have closed roads and requested that schools cancel classes. One county closed 30 roads and said absolutely no travel after dark since they can't tell what roads are washed out. Portable flood barriers are being brought in to help control the damage.
The National Guard is being called up to help out.
Water systems are being shut down to prevent contamination and people are being asked to conserve water (seems a little strange in a flood). Stores are staying open late to allow people to buy flood supplies.
The colleges and tech schools have let out students to help sandbag. High school students are skipping class to sand bag. Prisoners are serving their sentences by filling sand bags.
Neighbors are helping neighbors and a community comes together.
I have to remind myself that the stuff is only stuff. Tough as it would be to be flooded out it is only stuff. But there are lives at stake. People are working too hard and stressed out watching the water rise.
And my 79 year old, retired teacher, cancer surviving father is down at the river helping two of his friends sand bag their homes.
I found out today that he is a sand bagger.
A little background.
I grew up in Moorhead Minnesota which is right across the Red River of the North from Fargo North Dakota. The towns sit in the middle of the Red River Valley which is basically flat for 20 miles in each direction from the river.
Every few years there seems to be a major flood with a lot of overland flooding. This is where the water runs over the land spreading out across the valley.
A couple of weeks ago, there was a major snow storm with a bunch of snow dumped on the area. Then it got up to 50 degrees this past weekend with some rain. And the ground is still frozen. So there is a lot of flooding in the area.
Sheriffs have closed roads and requested that schools cancel classes. One county closed 30 roads and said absolutely no travel after dark since they can't tell what roads are washed out. Portable flood barriers are being brought in to help control the damage.
The National Guard is being called up to help out.
Water systems are being shut down to prevent contamination and people are being asked to conserve water (seems a little strange in a flood). Stores are staying open late to allow people to buy flood supplies.
The colleges and tech schools have let out students to help sandbag. High school students are skipping class to sand bag. Prisoners are serving their sentences by filling sand bags.
Neighbors are helping neighbors and a community comes together.
I have to remind myself that the stuff is only stuff. Tough as it would be to be flooded out it is only stuff. But there are lives at stake. People are working too hard and stressed out watching the water rise.
And my 79 year old, retired teacher, cancer surviving father is down at the river helping two of his friends sand bag their homes.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Waterfront
Was watching NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams tonight waiting for the local weather to come on so that I could find out how much snow we are supposed to get in the blizzard tonight (answer: three inches, should totally shut down the city - according to the weather wonks).
The final segment was about a church in Schaumberg, IL named Waterfront Community Church.
The story focused on it's policy of giving away 100% of the offerings.
They meet in the local high school. The pastor's office is a local coffee shop with Internet access. Praise band practices in someones house during the week.
And they use the offerings to help people in need.
All the offerings.
People who need medical help.
People who need financial help.
People who have lost their jobs.
People who need to know Christ.
And this was portrayed on the national news.
They don't have a lot of overhead.
Unlike most churches.
I'll be honest. I don't know how the Pastor is supported and I think there are some other staff.
But I do know this: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
At first glance it looks as though one church has a good start on this verse.
The final segment was about a church in Schaumberg, IL named Waterfront Community Church.
The story focused on it's policy of giving away 100% of the offerings.
They meet in the local high school. The pastor's office is a local coffee shop with Internet access. Praise band practices in someones house during the week.
And they use the offerings to help people in need.
All the offerings.
People who need medical help.
People who need financial help.
People who have lost their jobs.
People who need to know Christ.
And this was portrayed on the national news.
They don't have a lot of overhead.
Unlike most churches.
I'll be honest. I don't know how the Pastor is supported and I think there are some other staff.
But I do know this: Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
At first glance it looks as though one church has a good start on this verse.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Living Water: Pregnancy of the Holy Spirit
Chapter five of Living Water by Brother Yun this morning.
Interesting chapter (as usual). The author uses the story of Mary becoming pregnant through the Holy Spirit as his primary illustration.
Brother Yun makes the statement: "Do you realize that God wants all Christians to be pregnant with the Holy Spirit today? He wants to give you a vision for His kingdom that originates from Heaven, not from yourself. He desires that all of His children would be overshadowed by His presence in such a way that they are changed and give birth to something in their lives that brings many into His kingdom."
I think that the idea of being "pregnant with the Holy Spirit" is a tough thing for men in particular to relate to. I think that it is much easier for women to relate to especially when the metaphor turns to giving birth.
Unfortunately I think that today many people are not seeking the Holy Spirit in their lives. They are content to do the religious activity that is often required by the organized church and not truly seek God's will in their lives. To many, "worship" is an hour or so obligation each week where they want to be entertained. They watch the praise band perform because they don't know the words to the songs. They listen to a lecture from center stage. They smile fake smiles and say fake things and then go home and live life as if they don't know Christ.
They are the Christians who have found Christ and pulled out the lawn chair and plopped down and said: "Made it. Wake me when Christ returns. Let me know if you need anything."
And then if the church calls they may be willing to go to work if it doesn't get too spiritual.
Again to quote Brother Yun: "Today much Christian activity seems to originate with human plans, and it is then carried out in human strength with human results. It has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God."
Unfortunately, I have seen far too many church projects bathed with a minimum of prayer and then presented to "the body" as the Lord's will and then miserably fail because they are actually our human wants and desires and not actually God's will.
The last quote from the book for today: "Unfortunately, there are many in the church today who will do all they can to stamp out your call and enthusiasm for the Lord." I have experienced this first hand.
This comes under the guise of: "We've never done it that way before." or "We've prayed about it and it is not the Lord's will." or "We have to make things suitable for the community." or "You'll have to go through training." or "What you want to do just won't work out." or any of a hundred other excuses to just keep on keeping on and not seek the Lord's will for His Church.
And we have to keep that in mind: It is His Church, not our church.
Interesting chapter (as usual). The author uses the story of Mary becoming pregnant through the Holy Spirit as his primary illustration.
Brother Yun makes the statement: "Do you realize that God wants all Christians to be pregnant with the Holy Spirit today? He wants to give you a vision for His kingdom that originates from Heaven, not from yourself. He desires that all of His children would be overshadowed by His presence in such a way that they are changed and give birth to something in their lives that brings many into His kingdom."
I think that the idea of being "pregnant with the Holy Spirit" is a tough thing for men in particular to relate to. I think that it is much easier for women to relate to especially when the metaphor turns to giving birth.
Unfortunately I think that today many people are not seeking the Holy Spirit in their lives. They are content to do the religious activity that is often required by the organized church and not truly seek God's will in their lives. To many, "worship" is an hour or so obligation each week where they want to be entertained. They watch the praise band perform because they don't know the words to the songs. They listen to a lecture from center stage. They smile fake smiles and say fake things and then go home and live life as if they don't know Christ.
They are the Christians who have found Christ and pulled out the lawn chair and plopped down and said: "Made it. Wake me when Christ returns. Let me know if you need anything."
And then if the church calls they may be willing to go to work if it doesn't get too spiritual.
Again to quote Brother Yun: "Today much Christian activity seems to originate with human plans, and it is then carried out in human strength with human results. It has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God."
Unfortunately, I have seen far too many church projects bathed with a minimum of prayer and then presented to "the body" as the Lord's will and then miserably fail because they are actually our human wants and desires and not actually God's will.
The last quote from the book for today: "Unfortunately, there are many in the church today who will do all they can to stamp out your call and enthusiasm for the Lord." I have experienced this first hand.
This comes under the guise of: "We've never done it that way before." or "We've prayed about it and it is not the Lord's will." or "We have to make things suitable for the community." or "You'll have to go through training." or "What you want to do just won't work out." or any of a hundred other excuses to just keep on keeping on and not seek the Lord's will for His Church.
And we have to keep that in mind: It is His Church, not our church.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Community
Interesting sermon over at Lord of Life Church today.
Pastor Burt Garwood talked about Missional Community.
Mission and community must go together.
Mission without community has no passing on of work.
That means that there can be work but if community is not built, then the work fails to continue.
Community without mission is just a clique.
A group of believers without a mission to reach out into the world outside is just a social club.
A social club can add new members and grow but without mission there is no growth. By that I mean that hearts are not changed.
The Pastor also talked about the concept of Gather and Deploy.
We gather to worship and then deploy to serve others.
Good sermon.
Pastor Burt Garwood talked about Missional Community.
Mission and community must go together.
Mission without community has no passing on of work.
That means that there can be work but if community is not built, then the work fails to continue.
Community without mission is just a clique.
A group of believers without a mission to reach out into the world outside is just a social club.
A social club can add new members and grow but without mission there is no growth. By that I mean that hearts are not changed.
The Pastor also talked about the concept of Gather and Deploy.
We gather to worship and then deploy to serve others.
Good sermon.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Norwegian Blood
Twice today I have been reminded about Norwegian blood.
The first was an article about a woman in Duluth, Minnesota who fell and couldn't get up. She ended up crawling to her car but couldn't get up to get into it. So she lay in the driveway in subfreezing temperatures for over four hours.
Her body temperature dropped to 60 degrees (Fahrenheit) before it was all said and done. She will be fine after incredible efforts from the doctors.
The other reminder was talking with my daughter where I reminded her that she has Norwegian blood flowing in her veins. I grew up thinking that there is a stoicism that goes with that heritage. You don't want to get too excited about anything because people might think you are getting too uppity.
It is the classic Garrison Keillor portrayal of the Norwegian American.
Humility is part of it as well as enduring hardship without complaint and thriving on your won efforts.
Modesty also comes into play for if you toot your own horn you "don't know your place."
There is a problem with all this: it makes it difficult to ask for help when you need it. If I ask for help I am weak. Which is a load of crap! Part of living is being in community with others and helping others when they need it. Part of living is having the courage to ask for help and giving others the chance to help us.
I am reminded of the life expectancy of the mountain men of the 19th century. These men often had a string of horses and supplies with them but most were lucky to make it out of their 30's. Many lived alone and had to do everything themselves. There was no one to share the burdens of just living with them. So many died young. (Of course I know there were exceptions to this generalization so you don't need to point them out to me.)
But if anything I have to remind myself daily that I live in community with others and not in a vacuum. I need that community to truly live and help others to live.
The first was an article about a woman in Duluth, Minnesota who fell and couldn't get up. She ended up crawling to her car but couldn't get up to get into it. So she lay in the driveway in subfreezing temperatures for over four hours.
Her body temperature dropped to 60 degrees (Fahrenheit) before it was all said and done. She will be fine after incredible efforts from the doctors.
The other reminder was talking with my daughter where I reminded her that she has Norwegian blood flowing in her veins. I grew up thinking that there is a stoicism that goes with that heritage. You don't want to get too excited about anything because people might think you are getting too uppity.
It is the classic Garrison Keillor portrayal of the Norwegian American.
Humility is part of it as well as enduring hardship without complaint and thriving on your won efforts.
Modesty also comes into play for if you toot your own horn you "don't know your place."
There is a problem with all this: it makes it difficult to ask for help when you need it. If I ask for help I am weak. Which is a load of crap! Part of living is being in community with others and helping others when they need it. Part of living is having the courage to ask for help and giving others the chance to help us.
I am reminded of the life expectancy of the mountain men of the 19th century. These men often had a string of horses and supplies with them but most were lucky to make it out of their 30's. Many lived alone and had to do everything themselves. There was no one to share the burdens of just living with them. So many died young. (Of course I know there were exceptions to this generalization so you don't need to point them out to me.)
But if anything I have to remind myself daily that I live in community with others and not in a vacuum. I need that community to truly live and help others to live.
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