(1747,38,'2011-11-08 08:00:46','2011-11-08 16:00:46','For those of you who don’t live with gamers or who have not heard of <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_effect_2\" target=\"_blank\">Mass Effect 2</a>, it’s an action role-playing space epic video game. As any good space epic goes, there is a species that is the cause of full colonies disappearing overnight. Commander Shepherd, the main character, is tasked with stopping this relatively unknown destructive force by taking his eclectic team planet-hopping to save the galaxy. The graphics in the game are absolutely stunning, the dialogue between species is thoughtful and well done (which I learned to appreciate from my love of the <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Redwall-Book-1-Brian-Jacques/dp/0142302376/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1320295383&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">Redwall</a> books growing up), and your in-game actions and dialogue choices impact the characters around you and your relationships with them (and even carry through into the next game).  Some of you might even recognize one of the characters as Yvonne Strahovski, who plays Sarah Walker in the TV show “Chuck”.\r\n\r\nSo, now that I’ve outed myself as a nerd, or at the very least the wife of a gamer, what does this have anything to do with blame?\r\n\r\nOne of Shepherd’s team members is a woman named Jack. Jack was experimented on as a child by an elitist organization called Cerebus. She somehow managed to escape and ever since has been a very hard individual. She keeps to her quarters away from the main traffic areas of the ship. She is suspicious the moment anyone asks anything close to a personal question.\r\n\r\nFor those of you who might play the game, I don’t want spoil anything so I won’t tell you how this situation arises, but at some point in the game Jack runs into a friend, Aresh, who was another child who had been experimented during same time she was. They talk for a minute, re-establishing a connection and they start to talk about what happens when the conversation gets weird. As the conversation continues, Aresh reveals that he is trying to <em>rebuild</em> the set of experiments that were performed on him.\r\n\r\nWait, what? That’s crazy. Why would anyone try to duplicate the awful experimentation performed on him as an innocent, defenseless child?\r\n\r\n“I’m rebuilding [the experiments]. What they were looking for… It must have been important. So I’m going to try to find it myself. They must have had good reasons for what they did!”\r\n\r\nI was only half paying attention to what was happening on the TV screen until this moment. It struck me: what a fascinating take on how people process traumatic events. Aresh wasn’t trying to harm other people; he was only trying to find meaning in what happened.\r\n\r\nYou see two people who experienced the same situation growing up and it produced two different effects. One is inked from head to toe, is a loner out in the universe and keeps to herself. Another, haunted by what happened, seeks to try to find the good intentions from the perpetrators, even if they are buried deep. There must have been a good reason that they found it okay to experiment on kids. It must have been a case of sacrificing for the greater good. He was trying to discover the greater good so he could finally put his past to bed.\r\n\r\nI am aware that this is a very extreme analogy for people like you and me. We aren’t on a spaceship bringing justice to the universe, but the one thing we all have in common is that bad things happen to us and we all have to find a way to deal with it.\r\n\r\nSome people (like me) shove it way down into a jar inside and shut the lid. They keep filling the jar until it explodes. Some people deal with it head on and are abrasive to everyone around them until they can work it out. Some people give the past its space but keep everyone at a distance for the rest of their lives. Some people, like in the case of Aresh, go back to the scene of the crime and try to find evidence of a heart or conscience somewhere—anywhere!—even if there are only tiny scraps of it left.\r\n\r\nFrom the outside we all can see that Aresh has a few screws loose, but he can’t see that. To him, having lived through that, the only way he can come to terms with what happened is if he suffered for a greater cause. He is dealing with his lifelong pain the only way he knows how.\r\n\r\nWhat about you? Do you have a coping mechanism that you go back to in times of need? How does that mechanism affect you and the people around you in the long run? How do you come to terms with your memories?\r\n\r\nA lot of people I know would tell me to “give it to God.” But what does that really mean? How do I actually just give it to God? There is a measure of pain I need to work through on my own. Giving it to someone else so it can magically disappear feels like I’m giving up and letting the other party win. It feels like a cop-out and like I’m not strong enough to slay my own dragons. Sometimes I can’t tell if that’s a pride thing or a human thing.\r\n\r\nI can identify with Aresh on a level because I like to think that people carry around the same heart and brain that I do. So when people commit crimes without batting an eyelash or, as one of my friends said, “sit over their Wheaties in the morning trying to figure out ways to screw people,” I have no way of processing it. It’s outside of my understanding of how the universe is supposed to work.\r\n\r\nThankfully, there is no right or wrong way to handle grief or pain. Can you identify with Aresh? How do you process painful events? How do you put your past to rest and find peace?\r\n\r\n<em>Photo credit: <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/25722571@N08/5458462891/\" target=\"_blank\">JaseCurtis</a></em>','Finding Meaning In Our Trauma','','publish','open','open','','finding-meaning-in-our-trauma','','','2011-11-07 09:19:58','2011-11-07 17:19:58','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=1747',0,'post','',0),(1271,20,'2011-10-26 15:19:11','2011-10-26 22:19:11','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  Sometimes it just feels like the air we breathe.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which societal messages are able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a common anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now going viral?  The issue is also called materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material will bring much more - happiness, fulfillment, an \"experience.\"\n\nChristians confess that there is an inherent hunger in human beings that cannot be satisfied by what the material world offers.  The human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn1\">[i]</a>  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.\n\nThe most troubling fact is that this desire is very difficult to control.  The drive to consume is sustained by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  Moreover, economic and religious desires are often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the material world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon though for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consumption as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable - but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to addictive desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.\n<div>\n\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\n\n<div>\n\n<a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref1\">[i]</a> Wolfhart Pannenberg and Duane A. Priebe, <em>What Is Man? Contemporary Anthropology in Theological Perspective.</em> (Fortress Press, 1970), 8.\n\n</div>\n</div>','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-8','','','2011-10-26 15:19:11','2011-10-26 22:19:11','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(1269,1,'2011-10-26 15:15:04','2011-10-26 22:15:04','','female_voice','','inherit','open','open','','female_voice','','','2011-10-26 15:15:04','2011-10-26 22:15:04','',1258,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/female_voice.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(1270,1,'2011-10-26 14:42:12','2011-10-26 21:42:12','<div>\r\n<blockquote>Feminism to me is the crazy belief that women and men are both created in God’s image and that each of us deserves a life of freedom and opportunity inside or outside the Church.</blockquote>\r\n</div>\r\n<strong>It began like any other day by </strong><strong>logging on to the internet, as I gratefully sipped my coffee and slowly woke up.</strong>\r\n\r\nScouring various sources, I saw a new book on women was out titled <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F1414337302%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26tag%3Dhansresodevei-20%26linkCode%3Das2%26camp%3D217145%26creative%3D399373%26creativeASIN%3D1414337302&amp;h=cAQF09IvWAQHLC8jkQwJq03PMm3_t4ngP4ePDIj1gc6-nYg\" target=\"_blank\">The Resignation of Eve: What If Adam\'s Rib Is No Longer Willing to Be the Church\'s Backbone?</a> (I have to admit that is a clever title.)  It has women’s stories of their experiences in the Church written <em>by a man</em>?  Giving it very little further thought, I wrote this comment on Facebook:\r\n<blockquote>“While I find it highly ironic that it requires a man to tell these women\'s stories to in order for them to be heard, and though I have not obviously read this book since it is not yet out, still there must be something important here if he does as he alleges and has <em>listened to women</em> talk about their experience in the Church.   It seems sketchy to me though ...”</blockquote>\r\nI copied a few friends and that began the banter, then a lively discussion about women and access, why women don’t trust their own voices, why it takes a man for women’s stories to be \"heard\", how men (may) self-promote more than women, and why the only thing women are invited to write and speak on are soft topics, and we even discussed our theological grounding for our perspectives.  It was <em>much</em> more civil than many internet discussions, as several of my friends across the globe, and locally, began to discuss!\r\n\r\n<strong>But I have to go back, even further.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis story really began a few weeks ago as I sat perched on the edge of my chair, once again at the computer.  I was trying to gather my thoughts.  Sighing deeply and knowing that being on the computer was the last thing I needed.  I needed time alone.\r\n\r\n<strong>And the<em> </em><em>lack of it</em><em> </em>was weighing heavily on my spirit. </strong> I knew that what I really needed was to turn it all off, especially the technological barrage, and find – time – to – think.  And <em>not</em> time while doing last night\'s dishes, or throwing another load in, or while picking up the endless socks, books and dog toys.  <em>Not</em> time driving my son to the doctor or waiting.  Time spent on the responsibilities of home life can be a meditation, but <em>not</em> what I needed.\r\n\r\n<strong>I needed noiseless, exclusive solitary time with Yahweh.  </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong></strong>How often do we really find this kind of time? I cannot underscore how important solitary thinking time is for me spiritually and creatively.  It helps me be less impulsive.  It centers me.  It makes the anxiety, anger, and disappointments of life fade away, lacking the importance I might have given them.  My priorities sift and sort and I am more circumspect.  In that place, I find my quavering voice.\r\n\r\n<strong>Here’s what I had been thinking about.  </strong>When it all first occurred I definitely tried to ignore it.  I kept thinking how <em>obsessive</em> I was being.  I kept telling myself I was being ridiculous, absurd, unreasonable, and even disagreeable.  Doubting my own inner voice is a frequent problem that I have.  I had tried to ignore the nagging voice inside me until finally I accepted that this was not going away!\r\n\r\n<strong>I\'ve been thinking about</strong> <strong>the lack of </strong><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">presence and example</span></strong><strong> of</strong> <strong>women in <em>the Church</em>.</strong><strong>  That Sunday at my church in particular, women were </strong><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">simply spectators</span></em></strong><strong>, the audience, the bystanders, the recipients and beneficiaries.  </strong>\r\n\r\nAnd the more I thought I could not remember the last time one of the teaching pastors suggested a book they were reading written by a woman.  Women are never quoted in my church.  Female theologians or scholars are never referenced or even mentioned, probably because the pastors don’t read them.  I can\'t remember the last time, if ever, a pastor in my church has suggested or referred to or quoted a female theologian, religious author, or historian.  <em>Am I the only one that notices these things?</em>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>T</em><em>he entire thing</em><em> </em></strong><em><strong>makes me very sad</strong></em><strong>.  And so tired. <strong> I am tired of the male dominated culture on the platform, as authors, as experts, as theologians, as speakers at conferences and in the Church at large. </strong></strong>Considering women are half the church (some would say more) I do not buy the argument that there aren\'t capable women to select from, though I\'ve been told that very thing.  \"The women haven\'t risen up who have the gift of teaching.\"\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Risen up</em><em>?</em></strong>   To be honest, one would think in a service-by-gifts based church there must not<em> be</em> any qualified gifted female teachers.   I attend an EFCA church of 5,000. You do the math.\r\n\r\nI would guess that many people, but especially women, will not put themselves forward (i.e. rise up) because of self-doubt, true humility or a combination of motivations.\r\n\r\nI think it is very likely that <em>there are</em> gifted, wise articulate women who are not yet comfortable with their own voice, but have natural instincts for leadership or teaching that could be taught, mentored, helped to find their voice.  Who knows?\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Will we ever know if they are not given the opportunity? And what a loss not to hear from them!  </em></strong>\r\n\r\nI believe it harms us to rarely hear the spiritual voices of women and for me personally, it hampers my faith and my journey with Christ.  Thank God that we have the example of Jesus who took risks for women, ministered with, received from and listened to women.  He was our example of reconciliation and grace in the lives of women.  If only the church modeled their behavior toward women after Jesus. Sadly the Church is ignoring the stories of women in the Bible, and of women historically and in the Church worldwide today.  Women have been actively participating in the work of the church since its inception.  Women are missionaries, teaching in seminaries, running nonprofits and leading in higher education.  Women are writing and want to write on more than “soft or women’s issues.”  But in the Church women are still finding their voice.\r\n\r\n<strong>I have to confess that I do not want my feminist radar (that\'s what my daughter calls it) to always go off in church.</strong>  It is distracting, sometimes painful and it is utterly exhausting.  It steals some of the joy out of my spiritual life, like recently when we attended a one man show at church.  The actor introduced us to eight characters (both in the Bible and fictional) who had met Jesus.  It was powerful.  <a title=\"Curt Cloninger\" href=\"http://curtcloninger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Curt Cloninger</a> is supremely talented.  Sadly, in the entire two and a half hour show, women were invisible – utterly missing – other than being mentioned as briefly as whores and spinsters.  I tried hard, I really did.  I used all kind of energy that night trying to forget that I was <em>the invisible woman</em> and simply experience the show.  And it worked -- almost.\r\n\r\nYes, I tire of voicing what I believe.  And I have considered asking God to take it away – this feminist awareness – to either shut it up or get me out – but for now I stay.  And I continue to work to find my voice and listen, getting those times alone so that I can have something solid to say with a circumspect and healthy heart.  I hold on tight to Jesus in those moments when I want to quit the Church.  And I consider that as long as I can think out loud on my <strong><a title=\"Logic and Imagination\" href=\"http://logicandimagination.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">blog</a></strong> and places like <strong>Provokotive</strong> and as long as I have a few people in my life that I can express my pain and rancor to, I\'ll survive, for now.','?? title ??','','inherit','open','open','','1258-revision-3','','','2011-10-26 14:42:12','2011-10-26 21:42:12','',1258,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1258-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1272,20,'2011-10-26 15:20:35','2011-10-26 22:20:35','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  Sometimes it just feels like the air we breathe.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which societal messages are able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a common anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now going viral?  The issue is also called materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material will bring much more - happiness, fulfillment, an \"experience.\"\n\nChristians confess that there is an inherent hunger in human beings that cannot be satisfied by what the material world offers.  The human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn1\">[i]</a>  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.\n\nThe most troubling fact is that this desire is very difficult to control.  The drive to consume is sustained by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  Moreover, economic and religious desires are often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the material world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon though for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consumption as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable - but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to addictive desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.\n<div>\n\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\n\n<div>\n\n<a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref1\">[i]</a> Wolfhart Pannenberg and Duane A. Priebe, <em>What Is Man? Contemporary Anthropology in Theological Perspective.</em> (Fortress Press, 1970), 8.\n\n</div>\n</div>','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-9','','','2011-10-26 15:20:35','2011-10-26 22:20:35','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(1273,1,'2011-10-26 13:00:04','2011-10-26 20:00:04','What does this image say to you?','Banksy On Violence','','inherit','open','open','','1252-revision-2','','','2011-10-26 13:00:04','2011-10-26 20:00:04','',1252,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1252-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1274,1,'2011-10-26 15:45:18','2011-10-26 22:45:18','Banksy has such a beautiful way of saying the obscene.','Banksy On Violence','','inherit','open','open','','1252-revision-3','','','2011-10-26 15:45:18','2011-10-26 22:45:18','',1252,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1252-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1275,20,'2011-10-26 15:22:29','2011-10-26 22:22:29','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  Sometimes it just feels like the air we breathe.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which societal messages are able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a common anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now going viral?  The issue is also called materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material will bring much more - happiness, fulfillment, an \"experience.\"\n\nChristians confess that there is an inherent hunger in human beings that cannot be satisfied by what the material world offers.  The human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.<a title=\"\" href=\"#_edn1\">[i]</a>  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.\n\nThe most troubling fact is that this desire is very difficult to control.  The drive to consume is sustained by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  Moreover, economic and religious desires are often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the material world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon though for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consumption as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable - but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to addictive desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.\n<div>\n\n<hr align=\"left\" size=\"1\" width=\"33%\" />\n\n<div>\n\n<a title=\"\" href=\"#_ednref1\">[i]</a> Wolfhart Pannenberg and Duane A. Priebe, <em>What Is Man? Contemporary Anthropology in Theological Perspective.</em> (Fortress Press, 1970), 8.\n\n</div>\n</div>','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-10','','','2011-10-26 15:22:29','2011-10-26 22:22:29','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(1277,20,'2011-10-26 16:16:43','2011-10-26 23:16:43','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  Sometimes it just feels like the air we breathe.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which societal messages are able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a common anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now going viral?  The issue is also called materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material will bring much more - happiness, fulfillment, an \"experience.\"\n\nChristians confess that there is an inherent hunger in human beings that cannot be satisfied by what the material world offers.  The human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.\n\nThe most troubling fact is that this desire is very difficult to control.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that the drive to consume is sustained by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted.  My former seminary professor Roger Olson recently wrote a blog post <a title=\"Roger Olson: Can a Christian Work in the marketing field?\" href=\"http://http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> asking whether in many cases Christians can even work in the marketing field with integrity in the first place!  Moreover, Rieger contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the material world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the irreversible social costs incurred on society as a whole.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon though for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consumption as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable - but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to addictive desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   This is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state political realm?  or both?  Would the latter risk being too divisive?','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-12','','','2011-10-26 16:16:43','2011-10-26 23:16:43','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(1278,20,'2011-10-26 16:18:43','2011-10-26 23:18:43','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  Sometimes it just feels like the air we breathe.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which societal messages are able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a common anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now going viral?  The issue is also called materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material will bring much more - happiness, fulfillment, an \"experience.\"\n\nChristians confess that there is an inherent hunger in human beings that cannot be satisfied by what the material world offers.  The human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.\n\nThe most troubling fact is that this desire is very difficult to control.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that the drive to consume is sustained by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted.  My former seminary professor Roger Olson recently wrote a blog post <a title=\"Roger Olson: Can a Christian Work in the marketing field?\" href=\"http://http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> asking whether in many cases Christians can even work in the marketing field with integrity in the first place!  Moreover, Rieger contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the material world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the irreversible social costs incurred on society as a whole.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon though for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consumption as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable - but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to addictive desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   This is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state political realm?  or both?  Does the latter usually risk too much division/compromise?','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-13','','','2011-10-26 16:18:43','2011-10-26 23:18:43','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(1279,20,'2011-10-26 16:25:07','2011-10-26 23:25:07','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  Sometimes it just feels like the air we breathe.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\r\n\r\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which societal messages are able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a common anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now going viral?  The issue is also called materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material will bring much more - happiness, fulfillment, an \"experience.\"\r\n\r\nChristians confess that there is an inherent hunger in human beings that cannot be satisfied by what the material world offers.  The human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.\r\n\r\nThe most troubling fact is that this desire is very difficult to control.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that the drive to consume is sustained by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted.  My former seminary professor Roger Olson recently wrote a blog post <a title=\"Roger Olson: Can a Christian Work in the marketing field?\" href=\"http://http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> asking whether in many cases Christians can even work in the marketing field with integrity in the first place!  Moreover, Rieger contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the material world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the irreversible social costs incurred on society as a whole.\r\n\r\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon though for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consumption as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable - but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to addictive desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   This is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state political realm?  or both?  Does the latter usually risk too much division/compromise?','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-14','','','2011-10-26 16:25:07','2011-10-26 23:25:07','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(1373,20,'2011-10-28 15:18:58','2011-10-28 22:18:58','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which society is able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  You also hear the word materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material offers something else: happiness, fulfillment... a certain image or experience.In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about the innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a universal anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now gone viral?  I mean, people aren\'t just born with preferences for television sets.  Our preferences typically  emerge from a context of social relations.\n\nOf course there is a difference between our basic needs and deepest desires.  Theological anthropology has said that human beings live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming and searching.  Some people say there is a \"God-shaped hole\" in each us - a void.  This too can be a good a thing.But this desire can be distorted.  It can be harnessed by globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.\n\nEven more troubling, this desire is very difficult to control.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that in today\'s world the drive to consume is frequently propelled by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted.  Obviously recognizing this, one of my former seminary professors Roger Olson recently wrote a <a title=\"Can a Christian Work in the Marketing Field?\" href=\"www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">blog post</a> asking if Christians should even work in the marketing field at all!  Rieger further contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we tend to project our desires and ideals from the physical world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the potential social costs that can be incurred on society\'s most vulnerable citizens as a result.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon, however, for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consuming and selling as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable, but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to various addictive, superimposed desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   And this is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state-political level?  Is it both/and?  Does the latter usually risk too much division and compromise?  What am I missing?','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-24','','','2011-10-28 15:18:58','2011-10-28 22:18:58','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/28/1148-revision-24/',0,'revision','',0),(1280,20,'2011-10-26 16:36:31','2011-10-26 23:36:31','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  Sometimes it just feels like the air we breathe.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\r\n\r\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which societal messages are able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a universal anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now gone viral?  The issue is also called materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material will bring much more - happiness, fulfillment... a certain image or experience.\r\n\r\nChristians confess that there is an inherent hunger in human beings that cannot be satisfied by what the material world offers.  There is a difference between our basic needs and our desires.  Accordingly, the human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.\r\n\r\nThe most troubling fact is that this desire is very difficult to control or restrain.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that the drive to consume is propelled by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted - so much so that one of my former seminary professors Roger Olson recently felt compelled to write a blog post <a title=\"Roger Olson: Can a Christian Work in the marketing field?\" href=\"http://http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> raising the question of whether Christians should even work in the marketing field at all!  Moreover, Rieger further contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the material world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the irreversible social costs incurred on society as a whole.\r\n\r\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon though for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consumption as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable - but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to addictive desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   This is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state political realm?  or both?  Does the latter usually risk too much division/compromise?','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-15','','','2011-10-26 16:36:31','2011-10-26 23:36:31','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-15/',0,'revision','',0),(1281,20,'2011-10-26 16:36:37','2011-10-26 23:36:37','<p>I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  Sometimes it just feels like the air we breathe.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.</p>\r\n<p>Despite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which societal messages are able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a universal anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now gone viral?  The issue is also called materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material will bring much more - happiness, fulfillment... a certain image or experience.</p>\r\n<p>Christians confess that there is an inherent hunger in human beings that cannot be satisfied by what the material world offers.  There is a difference between our basic needs and our desires.  Accordingly, the human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.</p>\r\n<p>The most troubling fact is that this desire is very difficult to control or restrain.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that the drive to consume is propelled by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted - so much so that one of my former seminary professors Roger Olson recently felt compelled to write a blog post <a title=\"Roger Olson: Can a Christian Work in the marketing field?\" href=\"http://http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> raising the question of whether Christians should even work in the marketing field at all!  Moreover, Rieger further contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the material world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the irreversible social costs incurred on society as a whole.</p>\r\n<p>As communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon though for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consumption as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable - but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to addictive desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   This is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state political realm?  or both?  Does the latter usually risk too much division/compromise?</p>\r\n','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-16','','','2011-10-26 16:36:37','2011-10-26 23:36:37','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-16/',0,'revision','',0),(1282,20,'2011-10-26 16:54:50','2011-10-26 23:54:50','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which society is able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about the innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a universal anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now gone viral?  You also hear the word materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material offers something else - happiness, fulfillment... a certain image or experience.\n\nIt is true that Christians have traditionally confessed to having an inherent hunger that cannot be satisfied by anything in this world.  There is a difference between our basic needs and our desires.  Accordingly, we could say that the human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.\n\nThe most troubling fact is that this desire is very difficult to control or restrain.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that the drive to consume is propelled by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted - so much so that one of my former seminary professors Roger Olson recently felt compelled to write a blog post <a title=\"Roger Olson: Can a Christian Work in the marketing field?\" href=\"http://http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> raising the question of whether Christians should even work in the marketing field at all!  Moreover, Rieger further contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the physical world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the potential social costs that can be incurred on society\'s most vulnerable citizens as a result.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon, however, for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consuming and selling as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable, but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to various addictive, superimposed desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   And this is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state-political level?  Is it both/and?  Does the latter usually risk too much division and compromise?  What am I missing?','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-17','','','2011-10-26 16:54:50','2011-10-26 23:54:50','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-17/',0,'revision','',0),(1371,20,'2011-10-28 14:59:02','2011-10-28 21:59:02','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which society is able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  You also hear the word materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material offers something else: happiness, fulfillment... a certain image or experience.In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about the innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a universal anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now gone viral?  I mean, people aren\'t just born with preferences for television sets.  Our preferences typically  emerge from a context of social relations.\n\nIt is true that Christians have traditionally confessed to having an inherent hunger that cannot be satisfied by anything in this world; there is a difference between our basic needs and our desires.  Accordingly, we could say that the human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - a desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.\n\nEven more troubling, this desire is very difficult to control.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that in today\'s world the drive to consume is frequently propelled by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted.  Obviously recognizing this, one of my former seminary professors Roger Olson recently wrote a <a title=\"Can a Christian Work in the Marketing Field?\" href=\"www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">blog post</a> asking if Christians should even work in the marketing field at all!  Moreover, Rieger further contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the physical world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the potential social costs that can be incurred on society\'s most vulnerable citizens as a result.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon, however, for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consuming and selling as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable, but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to various addictive, superimposed desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   And this is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state-political level?  Is it both/and?  Does the latter usually risk too much division and compromise?  What am I missing?','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-23','','','2011-10-28 14:59:02','2011-10-28 21:59:02','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/28/1148-revision-23/',0,'revision','',0),(1283,20,'2011-10-26 17:20:14','2011-10-27 00:20:14','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which society is able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about the innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a universal anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now gone viral?  You also hear the word materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material offers something else: happiness, fulfillment... a certain image or experience.\n\nIt is true that Christians have traditionally confessed to having an inherent hunger that cannot be satisfied by anything in this world; there is a difference between our basic needs and our desires.  Accordingly, we could say that the human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.  It too has some other names.  To oversimplify, it\'s akin to what Marx called fetishism and Freud later described as the surrogate object of desire.  For Kierkegaard it was a type of despair.  Buddhists might just refer to it as attachment.\n\nMost troubling is that this desire is very difficult to control or restrain.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that the drive to consume is propelled by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted - so much so that one of my former seminary professors Roger Olson recently felt compelled to write a blog post <a title=\"Roger Olson: Can a Christian Work in the marketing field?\" href=\"http://http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> raising the question of whether Christians should even work in the marketing field at all!  Moreover, Rieger further contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the physical world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the potential social costs that can be incurred on society\'s most vulnerable citizens as a result.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon, however, for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consuming and selling as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable, but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to various addictive, superimposed desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   And this is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state-political level?  Is it both/and?  Does the latter usually risk too much division and compromise?  What am I missing?','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-18','','','2011-10-26 17:20:14','2011-10-27 00:20:14','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-18/',0,'revision','',0),(1284,20,'2011-10-26 17:21:41','2011-10-27 00:21:41','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which society is able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about the innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a universal anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now gone viral?  You also hear the word materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material offers something else: happiness, fulfillment... a certain image or experience.\n\nIt is true that Christians have traditionally confessed to having an inherent hunger that cannot be satisfied by anything in this world; there is a difference between our basic needs and our desires.  Accordingly, we could say that the human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.  It too has some other names.  To oversimplify, it\'s akin to what Marx called fetishism and Freud later described as the surrogate object of desire.  For Kierkegaard it was a type of despair.  Buddhists might just refer to it as attachment.\n\nMost troubling is that this desire is very difficult to control or restrain.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that the drive to consume is propelled by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted - so much so that one of my former seminary professors Roger Olson recently felt compelled to write a blog post <a title=\"Roger Olson: Can a Christian Work in the marketing field?\" href=\"http://http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> raising the question of whether Christians should even work in the marketing field at all!  Moreover, Rieger further contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the physical world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the potential social costs that can be incurred on society\'s most vulnerable citizens as a result.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon, however, for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consuming and selling as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable, but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to various addictive, superimposed desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   And this is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state-political level?  Is it both/and?  Does the latter usually risk too much division and compromise?  What am I missing?','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-19','','','2011-10-26 17:21:41','2011-10-27 00:21:41','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-19/',0,'revision','',0),(1285,20,'2011-10-26 17:24:54','2011-10-27 00:24:54','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which society is able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about the innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a universal anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now gone viral?  You also hear the word materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material offers something else: happiness, fulfillment... a certain image or experience.\n\nIt is true that Christians have traditionally confessed to having an inherent hunger that cannot be satisfied by anything in this world; there is a difference between our basic needs and our desires.  Accordingly, we could say that the human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.  It too has some other names.  To oversimplify, it\'s akin to what Marx called fetishism and Freud later described as the surrogate object of desire.  For Kierkegaard it was a type of despair.  Contemplates in the Christian tradition have talked about it as the \"false self.\"  Buddhists might just refer to it as attachment.\n\nMost troubling is that this desire is very difficult to control or restrain.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that the drive to consume is propelled by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted - so much so that one of my former seminary professors Roger Olson recently felt compelled to write a blog post <a title=\"Roger Olson: Can a Christian Work in the marketing field?\" href=\"http://http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> raising the question of whether Christians should even work in the marketing field at all!  Moreover, Rieger further contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the physical world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the potential social costs that can be incurred on society\'s most vulnerable citizens as a result.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon, however, for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consuming and selling as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable, but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to various addictive, superimposed desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   And this is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state-political level?  Is it both/and?  Does the latter usually risk too much division and compromise?  What am I missing?','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-20','','','2011-10-26 17:24:54','2011-10-27 00:24:54','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-20/',0,'revision','',0),(1288,0,'2011-10-26 22:52:17','2011-10-27 05:52:17','Topics related to culture and faith\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Sara Haniz\nAUTHOR EMAIL: Sara.Haniz@yahoo.com\nAUTHOR URL: http://www.shaniz.tumblr.com\nSUBJECT: Provoketive Magazine Writing For Provoketive\nIP: 119.56.124.203\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Sara Haniz \n    [Email] =&gt; Sara.Haniz@yahoo.com\n    [Existing Blog or Website] =&gt; http://www.shaniz.tumblr.com\n    [List the topic you are interested writing about] =&gt; Topics related to culture and faith\n    [Current or New WordPress Login Name (We\'ll send you a password.)] =&gt; shaniz054\n)\n','Sara Haniz - 2011-10-26 22:52:17','','publish','open','open','','1938c94fa7c0c760fed64944d04d7214','','','2011-10-26 22:52:17','2011-10-27 05:52:17','',358,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=1288',0,'feedback','',0),(1286,0,'2011-10-26 18:20:43','2011-10-27 01:20:43','Social justice, faith, mission, marriage... and more.\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Hannah Starkey\nAUTHOR EMAIL: thoughtandmusing@gmail.com\nAUTHOR URL: http://thoughtandmusing.com\nSUBJECT: Provoketive Magazine Writing For Provoketive\nIP: 202.134.24.226\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Hannah Starkey\n    [Email] =&gt; thoughtandmusing@gmail.com\n    [Existing Blog or Website] =&gt; thoughtandmusing.com\n    [List the topic you are interested writing about] =&gt; Social justice, faith, mission, marriage... and more. \n    [Current or New WordPress Login Name (We\'ll send you a password.)] =&gt; hstarkey\n)\n','Hannah Starkey - 2011-10-26 18:20:43','','publish','open','open','','8ac606d21a8bf02aff87184fc784ed89','','','2011-10-26 18:20:43','2011-10-27 01:20:43','',358,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=1286',0,'feedback','',0),(1287,20,'2011-10-26 17:26:45','2011-10-27 00:26:45','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which society is able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about the innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a universal anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now gone viral?  You also hear the word materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material offers something else: happiness, fulfillment... a certain image or experience.\n\nIt is true that Christians have traditionally confessed to having an inherent hunger that cannot be satisfied by anything in this world; there is a difference between our basic needs and our desires.  Accordingly, we could say that the human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.  It too has some other names.  To oversimplify, it\'s akin to what Marx called fetishism and Freud later described as the surrogate object of desire.  For Kierkegaard it was a type of despair.  Contemplates in the Christian tradition have talked about it as the \"false self.\"  Buddhists might just refer to it as attachment.\n\nMost troubling is that this desire is very difficult to control or restrain.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that in today\'s world the drive to consume is frequently propelled by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted - so much so that one of my former seminary professors Roger Olson recently felt compelled to write a blog post <a title=\"Roger Olson: Can a Christian Work in the marketing field?\" href=\"http://http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> raising the question of whether Christians should even work in the marketing field at all!  Moreover, Rieger further contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the physical world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the potential social costs that can be incurred on society\'s most vulnerable citizens as a result.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon, however, for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consuming and selling as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable, but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to various addictive, superimposed desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   And this is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state-political level?  Is it both/and?  Does the latter usually risk too much division and compromise?  What am I missing?','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-21','','','2011-10-26 17:26:45','2011-10-27 00:26:45','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1148-revision-21/',0,'revision','',0),(2658,1,'2011-11-28 07:06:03','2011-11-28 15:06:03','While recently visiting a (Won) Buddhist temple, I heard one practitioner refer to Jesus as a Buddha. I was struck by the generosity of calling the leader of another faith one’s most cherished, revered term. In Won Buddhism, as I understand it, there is an effort for each person to embrace their Buddhahood and see the Buddha in another, so the statement was not at all unusual in that context. However it did lead me to a place of introspection about my own faith path. Could I, raised a Christian, return the favor? Could I say “Buddha is a Savior, Redeemer”?\r\n\r\nI have been frustrated and turned off by the churches I have visited that seem to place their God high above any other God. If there truly is one God, isn’t that one God as high as any God can be?\r\n\r\nI recently attended a conference at a megachurch in the Midwest. And I was disturbed by two of the things I experienced there. One of those things was the lead pastor (who I have followed and respected for many years) saying that “Christianity was the only Religion about Love”. Really? Really? Have you explored any other religions? My personal experience with other, non-Christian religions is they really are about love. They are about getting out negativity so the love can flow in. The second thing that disturbed me during my megachurch experience was surprisingly, the music. Although the music was inspiring and energetic, the lyrics were anything but. One song in particular featured the message: “Our God is stronger than your God, Our God is greater than Your God, etc.” Really? Are we in seventh grade or something? Are we really that competitive?\r\n\r\nTo me it seems when you have to tell someone your God is better, stronger, greater, more loving…than perhaps deep down you have some doubts on this topic?\r\n\r\nWhat if there is only one God, and this one God is manifested in many beautiful names? Those names could include Jesus Christ, Wonderful, Counselor Allah, Buddha, and scores of other names.\r\n\r\nIf we believe in one God, let’s start living and talking like it, and stop being so competitive. Start accepting that that one God is so brilliant that he made many ways to show himself before us all.\r\n\r\nThere are passages in the Bible that really resonate with me around this issue, for instance, this one from John (10:16) As Jesus said, \"And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd\".\r\n\r\nPerhaps the variety in religion is part of God’s big plan, and we should start showing some respect. Why wouldn’t God show up differently in the varied landscape of world culture. In this quote by theologian Emanuel Swedenborg (Divine Providence 254) he seems to call this idea out quite clearly. \"When a religion has been implanted in a nation, the Lord leads that nation according to the precepts and dogmas of its own religion. He has provided that there shall be in every religion precepts like those in the Ten Commandments....The nation that regards these precepts as Divine and lives according to them from a religious motive is saved.\".','Jesus is a Buddha','','inherit','open','open','','2624-revision-6','','','2011-11-28 07:06:03','2011-11-28 15:06:03','',2624,'http://provoketive.com/2011/11/28/2624-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(1292,1,'2011-10-27 09:00:02','2011-10-27 16:00:02','Virtually <a href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=occupy+oakland&amp;ie=utf-8&amp;oe=utf-8&amp;aq=t&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;client=firefox-a#q=occupy+oakland&amp;hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;hs=trS&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;prmd=imvnsu&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=nws&amp;ei=HnipTpvbAY6asgLJ0L2iDw&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=mode_link&amp;ct=mode&amp;cd=5&amp;ved=0CBkQ_AUoBA&amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&amp;fp=2662daf986d7c86a&amp;biw=1202&amp;bih=756\" target=\"_blank\">every major news source</a> is being forced to deal with the events in Occupy Oakland.  The following account is from <a href=\"http://www.occupytogether.org/2011/10/26/occupy-oakland-will-continue-to-stand/\" target=\"_blank\">Occupy Together</a>.\r\n<blockquote>\"<a href=\"http://occupiedmedia.com/2011/10/occupy-oakland-raided/\">Police tore down the Occupy Oakland encampment</a> early Tuesday morning around 5:00am. There were estimated to be over 200 officers in riot gear present to remove protesters, set up a barricades and clear the encampment. About 75 arrests were made and bail was set at $10,000 each protestor, holding them until their arraignment. After, police shut down the second encampment at Snow Park.\r\n\r\nAs demonstrators returned to Oscar Grant Plaza, the police read them the Riot Act and gave them a five minute warning to leave. Shortly after the warning, ABCs helicopter news coverage ended their live broadcast. Moments later tear gas, flash bangs, and beanbags were launched at the crowd.\"</blockquote>\r\nScott Olsen, Iraq war vet, is reported to be in <a href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/26/occupy-oakland-veteran-critical-condition?newsfeed=true\" target=\"_blank\">critical condition</a> with a fractured skull and brain swelling from the events. Scott was hit with a tear gas canister as the events unfolded.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/OZLyUK0t0vQ\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"500\" height=\"284\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nIn many ways these scenes unfold like a scene from Al Jazeera and the streets of Beirut.  One writer even compares Olsen to <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi\" target=\"_blank\">Mohamed Bouazizi</a>, a street vendor who set himself on fire in December 2010 to protest how he was mistreated by state police.  It\'s sad at the same time it\'s tragic.\r\n\r\nBut my question is this.  <strong>How does the Occupy movement make you feel?</strong>  Are we seeing revolution in a nation that was born out of revolution?  It\'s far from being a small movement anymore. Oakland will only create fuel for the movement. <strong>But how will you act?</strong>','Occupy Oakland','','publish','open','open','','occupy-oakland','','\nhttp://www.occupytogether.org/2011/10/26/occupy-oakland-will-continue-to-stand/','2011-10-27 09:00:02','2011-10-27 16:00:02','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=1292',0,'post','',7),(1293,1,'2011-10-27 08:25:16','2011-10-27 15:25:16','','Occupy_Together','','inherit','open','open','','occupy_together','','','2011-10-27 08:25:16','2011-10-27 15:25:16','',1292,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Occupy_Together.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(2076,1,'2011-11-10 12:12:39','2011-11-10 20:12:39','A six-part series exploring sex before marriage by Ally Spotts, author of <em><a href=\"http://www.allyspotts.com/asking-all-the-wrong-questions\" target=\"_blank\">Asking All The Wrong Questions</a></em>.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2011/11/09/why-are-christians-saving-sex-for-marriage-part-1/\">Why Are Christians Saving Sex For Marriage: Part 1 - Questions</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2011/11/11/why-are-christians-saving-sex-for-marriage-part-2/\">Why Are Christians Saving Sex For Marriage: Part 2 - Trust</a>\r\n\r\nWhy Are Christians Saving Sex For Marriage: Part 3 - Friends\r\n\r\nWhy Are Christians Saving Sex For Marriage: Part 4 - Happiness\r\n\r\nWhy Are Christians Saving Sex For Marriage: Part 5 - Value\r\n\r\nWhy Are Christians Saving Sex For Marriage: Part 6 - Lust','Why Are Christians Saving Sex For Marriage','','publish','open','open','','why-are-christians-saving-sex-for-marriage','','http://provoketive.com/2011/11/09/why-are-christians-saving-sex-for-marriage-part-1/\nhttp://www.allyspotts.com/asking-all-the-wrong-questions\nhttp://provoketive.com/2011/11/11/why-are-christians-saving-sex-for-marriage-part-2/','2011-11-11 11:42:33','2011-11-11 19:42:33','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=2076',0,'post','',0),(1295,1,'2011-10-27 08:53:44','2011-10-27 15:53:44','Virtually <a href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=occupy+oakland&amp;ie=utf-8&amp;oe=utf-8&amp;aq=t&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;client=firefox-a#q=occupy+oakland&amp;hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;hs=trS&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;prmd=imvnsu&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=nws&amp;ei=HnipTpvbAY6asgLJ0L2iDw&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=mode_link&amp;ct=mode&amp;cd=5&amp;ved=0CBkQ_AUoBA&amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&amp;fp=2662daf986d7c86a&amp;biw=1202&amp;bih=756\" target=\"_blank\">every major news source</a> is being forced to deal with the events in Occupy Oakland.  The following account is from <a href=\"http://www.occupytogether.org/2011/10/26/occupy-oakland-will-continue-to-stand/\" target=\"_blank\">Occupy Together</a>.\n<blockquote>\"<a href=\"http://occupiedmedia.com/2011/10/occupy-oakland-raided/\">Police tore down the Occupy Oakland encampment</a> early Tuesday morning around 5:00am. There were estimated to be over 200 officers in riot gear present to remove protesters, set up a barricades and clear the encampment. About 75 arrests were made and bail was set at $10,000 each protestor, holding them until their arraignment. After, police shut down the second encampment at Snow Park.\n\nAs demonstrators returned to Oscar Grant Plaza, the police read them the Riot Act and gave them a five minute warning to leave. Shortly after the warning, ABCs helicopter news coverage ended their live broadcast. Moments later tear gas, flash bangs, and beanbags were launched at the crowd.\"</blockquote>\nScott Olsen, Iraq war vet, is reported to be in <a href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/26/occupy-oakland-veteran-critical-condition?newsfeed=true\" target=\"_blank\">critical condition</a> with a fractured skull and brain swelling from the events. Scott was hit with a tear gas canister as the events unfolded.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn many ways these scenes unfold like a scene from Al Jazeera and the streets of Beirut.  One writer even compares Olsen to <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi\" target=\"_blank\">Mohamed Bouazizi</a>, a street vendor who set himself on fire in December 2010 to protest how he was mistreated by state police.  It\'s sad at the same time it\'s tragic.\n\nBut my question is this.  <strong>How does the Occupy movement make you feel?</strong>  It\'s far from being a small movement anymore. Some of the <a href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=occupy+wall+street&amp;hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;hs=9dn&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;prmd=imvnsu&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=isch&amp;ei=zXmpTpH9Mq_gsQLaoKnoCw&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=mode_link&amp;ct=mode&amp;cd=2&amp;ved=0CCUQ_AUoAQ&amp;biw=1202&amp;bih=756#hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;hs=Cen&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&amp;tbm=isch&amp;sa=1&amp;q=occupy+wall+street+comic&amp;pbx=1&amp;oq=occupy+wall+street+com&amp;aq=1&amp;aqi=g3g-S1g-sS1g-S5&amp;aql=1&amp;gs_sm=e&amp;gs_upl=1294l9086l0l11692l4l3l0l0l0l0l255l721l2-3l3l0&amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&amp;fp=7f9bd0d8e2ff78e7&amp;biw=1202&amp;bih=756\" target=\"_blank\">editorial comics</a> are absolutely <a href=\"http://judicial-corruption.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/wallst_facebook.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">brilliant</a>.  Oakland will only create fuel for the movement.','Occupy Oakland','','inherit','open','open','','1292-revision','','','2011-10-27 08:53:44','2011-10-27 15:53:44','',1292,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1292-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1296,1,'2011-10-27 08:54:44','2011-10-27 15:54:44','Virtually <a href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=occupy+oakland&amp;ie=utf-8&amp;oe=utf-8&amp;aq=t&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;client=firefox-a#q=occupy+oakland&amp;hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;hs=trS&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;prmd=imvnsu&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=nws&amp;ei=HnipTpvbAY6asgLJ0L2iDw&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=mode_link&amp;ct=mode&amp;cd=5&amp;ved=0CBkQ_AUoBA&amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&amp;fp=2662daf986d7c86a&amp;biw=1202&amp;bih=756\" target=\"_blank\">every major news source</a> is being forced to deal with the events in Occupy Oakland.  The following account is from <a href=\"http://www.occupytogether.org/2011/10/26/occupy-oakland-will-continue-to-stand/\" target=\"_blank\">Occupy Together</a>.\n<blockquote>\"<a href=\"http://occupiedmedia.com/2011/10/occupy-oakland-raided/\">Police tore down the Occupy Oakland encampment</a> early Tuesday morning around 5:00am. There were estimated to be over 200 officers in riot gear present to remove protesters, set up a barricades and clear the encampment. About 75 arrests were made and bail was set at $10,000 each protestor, holding them until their arraignment. After, police shut down the second encampment at Snow Park.\n\nAs demonstrators returned to Oscar Grant Plaza, the police read them the Riot Act and gave them a five minute warning to leave. Shortly after the warning, ABCs helicopter news coverage ended their live broadcast. Moments later tear gas, flash bangs, and beanbags were launched at the crowd.\"</blockquote>\nScott Olsen, Iraq war vet, is reported to be in <a href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/26/occupy-oakland-veteran-critical-condition?newsfeed=true\" target=\"_blank\">critical condition</a> with a fractured skull and brain swelling from the events. Scott was hit with a tear gas canister as the events unfolded.\n\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/OZLyUK0t0vQ\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"500\" height=\"284\"></iframe>\n\nIn many ways these scenes unfold like a scene from Al Jazeera and the streets of Beirut.  One writer even compares Olsen to <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi\" target=\"_blank\">Mohamed Bouazizi</a>, a street vendor who set himself on fire in December 2010 to protest how he was mistreated by state police.  It\'s sad at the same time it\'s tragic.\n\nBut my question is this.  <strong>How does the Occupy movement make you feel?</strong>  It\'s far from being a small movement anymore. Some of the <a href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=occupy+wall+street&amp;hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;hs=9dn&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;prmd=imvnsu&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=isch&amp;ei=zXmpTpH9Mq_gsQLaoKnoCw&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=mode_link&amp;ct=mode&amp;cd=2&amp;ved=0CCUQ_AUoAQ&amp;biw=1202&amp;bih=756#hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;hs=Cen&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&amp;tbm=isch&amp;sa=1&amp;q=occupy+wall+street+comic&amp;pbx=1&amp;oq=occupy+wall+street+com&amp;aq=1&amp;aqi=g3g-S1g-sS1g-S5&amp;aql=1&amp;gs_sm=e&amp;gs_upl=1294l9086l0l11692l4l3l0l0l0l0l255l721l2-3l3l0&amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&amp;fp=7f9bd0d8e2ff78e7&amp;biw=1202&amp;bih=756\" target=\"_blank\">editorial comics</a> are absolutely <a href=\"http://judicial-corruption.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/wallst_facebook.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">brilliant</a>.  Oakland will only create fuel for the movement.','Occupy Oakland','','inherit','open','open','','1292-revision-2','','','2011-10-27 08:54:44','2011-10-27 15:54:44','',1292,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1292-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1297,1,'2011-10-27 08:54:48','2011-10-27 15:54:48','Virtually <a href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=occupy+oakland&amp;ie=utf-8&amp;oe=utf-8&amp;aq=t&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;client=firefox-a#q=occupy+oakland&amp;hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;hs=trS&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;prmd=imvnsu&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=nws&amp;ei=HnipTpvbAY6asgLJ0L2iDw&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=mode_link&amp;ct=mode&amp;cd=5&amp;ved=0CBkQ_AUoBA&amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&amp;fp=2662daf986d7c86a&amp;biw=1202&amp;bih=756\" target=\"_blank\">every major news source</a> is being forced to deal with the events in Occupy Oakland.  The following account is from <a href=\"http://www.occupytogether.org/2011/10/26/occupy-oakland-will-continue-to-stand/\" target=\"_blank\">Occupy Together</a>.\r\n<blockquote>\"<a href=\"http://occupiedmedia.com/2011/10/occupy-oakland-raided/\">Police tore down the Occupy Oakland encampment</a> early Tuesday morning around 5:00am. There were estimated to be over 200 officers in riot gear present to remove protesters, set up a barricades and clear the encampment. About 75 arrests were made and bail was set at $10,000 each protestor, holding them until their arraignment. After, police shut down the second encampment at Snow Park.\r\n\r\nAs demonstrators returned to Oscar Grant Plaza, the police read them the Riot Act and gave them a five minute warning to leave. Shortly after the warning, ABCs helicopter news coverage ended their live broadcast. Moments later tear gas, flash bangs, and beanbags were launched at the crowd.\"</blockquote>\r\nScott Olsen, Iraq war vet, is reported to be in <a href=\"http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/26/occupy-oakland-veteran-critical-condition?newsfeed=true\" target=\"_blank\">critical condition</a> with a fractured skull and brain swelling from the events. Scott was hit with a tear gas canister as the events unfolded.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/OZLyUK0t0vQ\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"500\" height=\"284\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nIn many ways these scenes unfold like a scene from Al Jazeera and the streets of Beirut.  One writer even compares Olsen to <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi\" target=\"_blank\">Mohamed Bouazizi</a>, a street vendor who set himself on fire in December 2010 to protest how he was mistreated by state police.  It\'s sad at the same time it\'s tragic.\r\n\r\nBut my question is this.  <strong>How does the Occupy movement make you feel?</strong>  It\'s far from being a small movement anymore. Some of the <a href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=occupy+wall+street&amp;hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;hs=9dn&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;prmd=imvnsu&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=isch&amp;ei=zXmpTpH9Mq_gsQLaoKnoCw&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=mode_link&amp;ct=mode&amp;cd=2&amp;ved=0CCUQ_AUoAQ&amp;biw=1202&amp;bih=756#hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;hs=Cen&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&amp;tbm=isch&amp;sa=1&amp;q=occupy+wall+street+comic&amp;pbx=1&amp;oq=occupy+wall+street+com&amp;aq=1&amp;aqi=g3g-S1g-sS1g-S5&amp;aql=1&amp;gs_sm=e&amp;gs_upl=1294l9086l0l11692l4l3l0l0l0l0l255l721l2-3l3l0&amp;bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&amp;fp=7f9bd0d8e2ff78e7&amp;biw=1202&amp;bih=756\" target=\"_blank\">editorial comics</a> are absolutely <a href=\"http://judicial-corruption.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/wallst_facebook.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">brilliant</a>.  Oakland will only create fuel for the movement.','Occupy Oakland','','inherit','open','open','','1292-revision-3','','','2011-10-27 08:54:48','2011-10-27 15:54:48','',1292,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1292-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1307,64,'2011-10-27 09:47:07','2011-10-27 16:47:07','<strong>I Never Thought</strong>\n\nMy trick-or-treating years were in the 70\'s.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially it is a homeless person, I did not consider my costume in any terms other than it was <em>cheap and convenient</em>.  You see my parents didn\'t have the money to buy costumes nor were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.\n\n<strong><em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.</strong>\n\nI realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.\n\n<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>\n\nI read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually utter them.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other students and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.\n\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1299\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" /></a>\n\nThe problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are: <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african\">African American &amp; African</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian\">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican\">Native American</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic\">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>\n\nIf like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.\n\n<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, culture or people group implying that identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  It is white people creating symbols to define other races and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history.</strong> There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  Here are a few examples:\n<ul>\n	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example<a title=\"Big Kahuna\" href=\"//www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Tribal-Tiki-Warrior-Costume/dp/B000EIGZ5C%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa32991-\" target=\"_blank\"> this</a> “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>\n	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort.b Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanes, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these <a title=\"Glasses\" href=\"http://www.motifake.com/20741\">Chop Suey Specs</a>.   Or if you sound it out phonetically to make it “Asian-sounding” like the \'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask.\' <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1301 alignleft\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"240\" /></a></li>\n	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear sombreros, over-sized mustache, and a poncho. I’m no <a title=\"Understanding Hispanic Culture\" href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">expert</a>, but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from <em>at least</em> 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they have beautiful and distinct languages, cultures and heritages.</li>\n	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like the puzzling \"Tighty Whitey\" costume complete with a \"jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees\" are wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you or I value it or not.</li>\n</ul>\nUniversity of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href=\"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html\" target=\"_blank\">noted</a>:\n<blockquote>\"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people\'s minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups.\"</blockquote>\nSome may say lighten up Melody!  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not \"in fun.\"\n\nIt’s just not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different from us.  And, here\'s a crazy thought perhaps even learn more about that which we do not at first glance understand.\n\nOur friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they (too) are made in God’s image.\n\nThen God said, \"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\" Genesis 1:26 NIV\n\nThe bottom line here:  Just think!\n\nOther Resources:\n\nKudos to <a title=\"The Root\" href=\"http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes\" target=\"_blank\">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.\n\nThanks to <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge\">Jarrah Hodge</a> for some <a title=\"Cool Costume Ideas\" href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21\" target=\"_blank\">cool costume ideas </a> and I can’t resist adding her list of<a title=\"Feminist Costumes\" href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/\" target=\"_blank\"> Feminist costume choices.\n</a>','??? title????','','inherit','open','open','','1298-revision-7','','','2011-10-27 09:47:07','2011-10-27 16:47:07','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1298-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(1301,64,'2011-10-27 09:31:02','2011-10-27 16:31:02','','ILLEGAL ALIEN-400','','inherit','open','open','','illegal-alien-400','','','2011-10-27 09:31:02','2011-10-27 16:31:02','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1299,64,'2011-10-27 09:22:46','2011-10-27 16:22:46','','li-halloween-stars-620','','inherit','open','open','','li-halloween-stars-620','','','2011-10-27 09:22:46','2011-10-27 16:22:46','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1302,64,'2011-10-27 09:37:48','2011-10-27 16:37:48','<strong>I Never Thought</strong>\n\nMy trick-or-treating years were in the 70\'s.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially a homeless person, I didn’t think about my costume in any terms other than it was cheap and convenient.  You see my parents didn\'t have the money to buy costumes nor do were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me, or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.  <em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.\n\nI realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.\n\n<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>\n\nI read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually say those words.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other student and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.\n\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1299\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" /></a>\n\nThe problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are:\n\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african\">African American &amp; African</a>\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian\">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican\">Native American</a>\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic\">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>\n\nIf like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.\n\n<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, culture or people group implying that racial identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  It is white people creating symbols to define other races, and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history.</strong> There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  This includes:\n<ul>\n	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example<a title=\"Big Kahuna\" href=\"//www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Tribal-Tiki-Warrior-Costume/dp/B000EIGZ5C%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa32991-\" target=\"_blank\"> this</a> “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>\n	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort.b Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanes, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these <a title=\"Glasses\" href=\"http://www.motifake.com/20741\">Chop Suey Specs</a>.   Or if you sound it out phonetically to make it “Asian-sounding” like the \'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask.\' <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1301 alignleft\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"240\" /></a></li>\n	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear sombreros, over-sized mustache, and a poncho. I’m no <a title=\"Understanding Hispanic Culture\" href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">expert</a>, but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from <em>at least</em> 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they have beautiful and distinct languages, cultures and heritages.</li>\n	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like the puzzling \"Tighty Whitey\" costume complete with a \"jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees\" are wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you or I value it or not.</li>\n</ul>\nUniversity of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href=\"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html\" target=\"_blank\">noted</a>:\n<blockquote>\"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people\'s minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups.\"</blockquote>\nSome may say lighten up Melody!  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not \"in fun.\"\n\nIt’s just not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different from us.  And, here\'s a crazy thought perhaps even learn more about that which we do not at first glance understand.\n\nOur friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they (too) are made in God’s image.\n\nThen God said, \"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\" Genesis 1:26 NIV\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOther Resources:\n\nKudos to <a title=\"The Root\" href=\"http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes\" target=\"_blank\">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21\">http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21</a> Thanks to <strong><a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge\">Jarrah Hodge</a> for </strong>some cool costume ideas and I can’t resist adding her list of Feminist costume choices <a href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/\">http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/</a>\n\nHere’s something I found about understanding Hispanic Culture. <a href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\">http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf</a>','??? title????','','inherit','open','open','','1298-revision-2','','','2011-10-27 09:37:48','2011-10-27 16:37:48','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1298-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1300,64,'2011-10-27 09:24:54','2011-10-27 16:24:54','<strong>I Never Thought</strong>\n\nMy trick-or-treating years were in the 70\'s.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially a homeless person, I didn’t think about my costume in any terms other than it was cheap and convenient.  You see my parents didn\'t have the money to buy costumes nor do were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me, or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.  <em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.\n\nI realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.\n\n<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>\n\nI read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually say those words.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other student and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.\n\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1299\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" /></a>\n\nThe problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are:\n\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african\">African American &amp; African</a>\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian\">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican\">Native American</a>\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic\">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>\n\nIf like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.\n\n<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, culture or people group implying that racial identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  It is white people creating symbols to define other races, and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history.</strong> There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  This includes:\n<ul>\n	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example this “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>\n	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort. Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanses, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these Chop Suey Specs\' <a href=\"http://www.motifake.com/20741\">http://www.motifake.com/20741</a>   Or if you sound it out phonetically that makes it “Asian-sounding” like the \'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask\' <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Fee-Ling-Asian-Halloween-Mask/dp/B000VP79LC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;s=apparel&amp;qid=1256223149&amp;sr=8-3;\">http://www.amazon.com/Fee-Ling-Asian-Halloween-Mask/dp/B000VP79LC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;s=apparel&amp;qid=1256223149&amp;sr=8-3;</a></li>\n	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear \"<a href=\"http://www.zoogstercostumes.com/products/fm59543.html\" target=\"_blank\">a sombrero, oversized moustache, poncho and pants</a>.”  I’m no expert, <a href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\">http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf</a>  but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from at least 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they are beautiful and distinct cultures and heritages.</li>\n	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like this puzzling \"<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Tighty-Whitey-Costume-Child-Large/dp/B001F7P52K\" target=\"_blank\">Tighty Whitey\"</a> outfit (complete with a \"jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees\") is wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you value it or not.</li>\n</ul>\nUniversity of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href=\"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html\" target=\"_blank\">noted</a>:\n\n\"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people\'s minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups.\"\n\nSome may say lighten up.  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not in fun.\n\nIt’s not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different and perhaps even learn more about what we do not at first glance understand.  Our friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they are made in God’s image.\n\nThen God said, \"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\" Genesis 1:26 NIV\n\n&nbsp;\n\nOther Resources:\n\nKudos to <a title=\"The Root\" href=\"http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes\" target=\"_blank\">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21\">http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21</a> Thanks to <strong><a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge\">Jarrah Hodge</a> for </strong>some cool costume ideas and I can’t resist adding her list of Feminist costume choices <a href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/\">http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/</a>\n\nHere’s something I found about understanding Hispanic Culture. <a href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\">http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf</a>','??? title????','','inherit','open','open','','1298-revision','','','2011-10-27 09:24:54','2011-10-27 16:24:54','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1298-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1303,64,'2011-10-27 09:38:41','2011-10-27 16:38:41','<strong>I Never Thought</strong>\r\n\r\nMy trick-or-treating years were in the 70\'s.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially a homeless person, I didn’t think about my costume in any terms other than it was cheap and convenient.  You see my parents didn\'t have the money to buy costumes nor do were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me, or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.  <em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.\r\n\r\nI realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.\r\n\r\n<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>\r\n\r\nI read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually say those words.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other student and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1299\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african\">African American &amp; African</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian\">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican\">Native American</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic\">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>\r\n\r\nIf like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.\r\n\r\n<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, culture or people group implying that racial identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  It is white people creating symbols to define other races, and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history.</strong> There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  This includes:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example<a title=\"Big Kahuna\" href=\"//www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Tribal-Tiki-Warrior-Costume/dp/B000EIGZ5C%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa32991-\" target=\"_blank\"> this</a> “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>\r\n	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort.b Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanes, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these <a title=\"Glasses\" href=\"http://www.motifake.com/20741\">Chop Suey Specs</a>.   Or if you sound it out phonetically to make it “Asian-sounding” like the \'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask.\' <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1301 alignleft\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"240\" /></a></li>\r\n	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear sombreros, over-sized mustache, and a poncho. I’m no <a title=\"Understanding Hispanic Culture\" href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">expert</a>, but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from <em>at least</em> 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they have beautiful and distinct languages, cultures and heritages.</li>\r\n	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like the puzzling \"Tighty Whitey\" costume complete with a \"jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees\" are wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you or I value it or not.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nUniversity of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href=\"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html\" target=\"_blank\">noted</a>:\r\n<blockquote>\"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people\'s minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups.\"</blockquote>\r\nSome may say lighten up Melody!  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not \"in fun.\"\r\n\r\nIt’s just not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different from us.  And, here\'s a crazy thought perhaps even learn more about that which we do not at first glance understand.\r\n\r\nOur friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they (too) are made in God’s image.\r\n\r\nThen God said, \"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\" Genesis 1:26 NIV\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOther Resources:\r\n\r\nKudos to <a title=\"The Root\" href=\"http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes\" target=\"_blank\">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21\">http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21</a> Thanks to <strong><a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge\">Jarrah Hodge</a> for </strong>some cool costume ideas and I can’t resist adding her list of Feminist costume choices <a href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/\">http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/</a>\r\n\r\nHere’s something I found about understanding Hispanic Culture. <a href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\">http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf</a>','??? title????','','inherit','open','open','','1298-revision-3','','','2011-10-27 09:38:41','2011-10-27 16:38:41','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1298-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1304,64,'2011-10-27 09:38:48','2011-10-27 16:38:48','<strong>I Never Thought</strong>\r\n\r\nMy trick-or-treating years were in the 70\'s.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially a homeless person, I didn’t think about my costume in any terms other than it was cheap and convenient.  You see my parents didn\'t have the money to buy costumes nor do were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me, or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.  <em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.\r\n\r\nI realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.\r\n\r\n<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>\r\n\r\nI read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually say those words.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other student and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1299\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african\">African American &amp; African</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian\">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican\">Native American</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic\">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>\r\n\r\nIf like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.\r\n\r\n<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, culture or people group implying that racial identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  It is white people creating symbols to define other races, and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history.</strong> There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  This includes:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example<a title=\"Big Kahuna\" href=\"//www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Tribal-Tiki-Warrior-Costume/dp/B000EIGZ5C%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa32991-\" target=\"_blank\"> this</a> “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>\r\n	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort.b Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanes, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these <a title=\"Glasses\" href=\"http://www.motifake.com/20741\">Chop Suey Specs</a>.   Or if you sound it out phonetically to make it “Asian-sounding” like the \'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask.\' <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1301 alignleft\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"240\" /></a></li>\r\n	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear sombreros, over-sized mustache, and a poncho. I’m no <a title=\"Understanding Hispanic Culture\" href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">expert</a>, but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from <em>at least</em> 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they have beautiful and distinct languages, cultures and heritages.</li>\r\n	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like the puzzling \"Tighty Whitey\" costume complete with a \"jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees\" are wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you or I value it or not.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nUniversity of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href=\"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html\" target=\"_blank\">noted</a>:\r\n<blockquote>\"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people\'s minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups.\"</blockquote>\r\nSome may say lighten up Melody!  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not \"in fun.\"\r\n\r\nIt’s just not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different from us.  And, here\'s a crazy thought perhaps even learn more about that which we do not at first glance understand.\r\n\r\nOur friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they (too) are made in God’s image.\r\n\r\nThen God said, \"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\" Genesis 1:26 NIV\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOther Resources:\r\n\r\nKudos to <a title=\"The Root\" href=\"http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes\" target=\"_blank\">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21\">http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21</a> Thanks to <strong><a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge\">Jarrah Hodge</a> for </strong>some cool costume ideas and I can’t resist adding her list of Feminist costume choices <a href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/\">http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/</a>\r\n\r\nHere’s something I found about understanding Hispanic Culture. <a href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\">http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf</a>','??? title????','','inherit','open','open','','1298-revision-4','','','2011-10-27 09:38:48','2011-10-27 16:38:48','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1298-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(1305,64,'2011-10-27 09:40:45','2011-10-27 16:40:45','<strong>I Never Thought</strong>\r\n\r\nMy trick-or-treating years were in the 70\'s.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially it is a homeless person, I did not consider my costume in any terms other than it was <em>cheap and convenient</em>.  You see my parents didn\'t have the money to buy costumes nor were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.\r\n\r\n<strong><em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.</strong>\r\n\r\nI realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.\r\n\r\n<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>\r\n\r\nI read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually say those words.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other student and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1299\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african\">African American &amp; African</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian\">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican\">Native American</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic\">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>\r\n\r\nIf like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.\r\n\r\n<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, culture or people group implying that racial identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  It is white people creating symbols to define other races, and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history.</strong> There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  This includes:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example<a title=\"Big Kahuna\" href=\"//www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Tribal-Tiki-Warrior-Costume/dp/B000EIGZ5C%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa32991-\" target=\"_blank\"> this</a> “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>\r\n	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort.b Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanes, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these <a title=\"Glasses\" href=\"http://www.motifake.com/20741\">Chop Suey Specs</a>.   Or if you sound it out phonetically to make it “Asian-sounding” like the \'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask.\' <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1301 alignleft\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"240\" /></a></li>\r\n	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear sombreros, over-sized mustache, and a poncho. I’m no <a title=\"Understanding Hispanic Culture\" href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">expert</a>, but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from <em>at least</em> 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they have beautiful and distinct languages, cultures and heritages.</li>\r\n	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like the puzzling \"Tighty Whitey\" costume complete with a \"jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees\" are wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you or I value it or not.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nUniversity of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href=\"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html\" target=\"_blank\">noted</a>:\r\n<blockquote>\"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people\'s minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups.\"</blockquote>\r\nSome may say lighten up Melody!  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not \"in fun.\"\r\n\r\nIt’s just not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different from us.  And, here\'s a crazy thought perhaps even learn more about that which we do not at first glance understand.\r\n\r\nOur friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they (too) are made in God’s image.\r\n\r\nThen God said, \"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\" Genesis 1:26 NIV\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOther Resources:\r\n\r\nKudos to <a title=\"The Root\" href=\"http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes\" target=\"_blank\">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21\">http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21</a> Thanks to <strong><a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge\">Jarrah Hodge</a> for </strong>some cool costume ideas and I can’t resist adding her list of Feminist costume choices <a href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/\">http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/</a>\r\n\r\nHere’s something I found about understanding Hispanic Culture. <a href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\">http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf</a>','??? title????','','inherit','open','open','','1298-revision-5','','','2011-10-27 09:40:45','2011-10-27 16:40:45','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1298-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(1306,64,'2011-10-27 09:40:51','2011-10-27 16:40:51','<strong>I Never Thought</strong>\r\n\r\nMy trick-or-treating years were in the 70\'s.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially it is a homeless person, I did not consider my costume in any terms other than it was <em>cheap and convenient</em>.  You see my parents didn\'t have the money to buy costumes nor were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.\r\n\r\n<strong><em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.</strong>\r\n\r\nI realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.\r\n\r\n<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>\r\n\r\nI read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually say those words.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other student and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1299\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african\">African American &amp; African</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian\">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican\">Native American</a>\r\n<a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic\">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>\r\n\r\nIf like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.\r\n\r\n<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, culture or people group implying that racial identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  It is white people creating symbols to define other races, and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history.</strong> There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  This includes:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example<a title=\"Big Kahuna\" href=\"//www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Tribal-Tiki-Warrior-Costume/dp/B000EIGZ5C%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa32991-\" target=\"_blank\"> this</a> “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>\r\n	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort.b Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanes, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these <a title=\"Glasses\" href=\"http://www.motifake.com/20741\">Chop Suey Specs</a>.   Or if you sound it out phonetically to make it “Asian-sounding” like the \'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask.\' <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1301 alignleft\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"240\" /></a></li>\r\n	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear sombreros, over-sized mustache, and a poncho. I’m no <a title=\"Understanding Hispanic Culture\" href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">expert</a>, but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from <em>at least</em> 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they have beautiful and distinct languages, cultures and heritages.</li>\r\n	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like the puzzling \"Tighty Whitey\" costume complete with a \"jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees\" are wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you or I value it or not.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nUniversity of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href=\"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html\" target=\"_blank\">noted</a>:\r\n<blockquote>\"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people\'s minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups.\"</blockquote>\r\nSome may say lighten up Melody!  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not \"in fun.\"\r\n\r\nIt’s just not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different from us.  And, here\'s a crazy thought perhaps even learn more about that which we do not at first glance understand.\r\n\r\nOur friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they (too) are made in God’s image.\r\n\r\nThen God said, \"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\" Genesis 1:26 NIV\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOther Resources:\r\n\r\nKudos to <a title=\"The Root\" href=\"http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes\" target=\"_blank\">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21\">http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21</a> Thanks to <strong><a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge\">Jarrah Hodge</a> for </strong>some cool costume ideas and I can’t resist adding her list of Feminist costume choices <a href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/\">http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/</a>\r\n\r\nHere’s something I found about understanding Hispanic Culture. <a href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\">http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf</a>','??? title????','','inherit','open','open','','1298-revision-6','','','2011-10-27 09:40:51','2011-10-27 16:40:51','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1298-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(1308,64,'2011-10-27 09:52:10','2011-10-27 16:52:10','<strong>I Never Thought</strong>\n\nMy trick-or-treating years were in the 70\'s.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially it is a homeless person, I did not consider my costume in any terms other than it was <em>cheap and convenient</em>.  You see my parents didn\'t have the money to buy costumes nor were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.\n\n<strong><em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.</strong>\n\nI realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.\n\n<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>\n\nI read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually utter them.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other students and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.\n\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1299\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" /></a>\n\nThe problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are: <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african\">African American &amp; African</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian\">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican\">Native American</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic\">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>\n\nIf like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.\n\n<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, a real culture or actual people group implying that this identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  </strong>It is white people creating symbols to define other races and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history. There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  Here are a few examples:\n<ul>\n	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example<a title=\"Big Kahuna\" href=\"//www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Tribal-Tiki-Warrior-Costume/dp/B000EIGZ5C%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa32991-\" target=\"_blank\"> this</a> “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>\n	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort.   Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanes, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these <a title=\"Glasses\" href=\"http://www.motifake.com/20741\">Chop Suey Specs</a>.   Or if you sound it out phonetically to make it “Asian-sounding” like the \'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask.\' <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1301 alignleft\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"240\" /></a></li>\n	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear sombreros, over-sized mustache, and a poncho. I’m no <a title=\"Understanding Hispanic Culture\" href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">expert</a>, but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from <em>at least</em> 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they have beautiful and distinct languages, cultures and heritages.</li>\n	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like the puzzling \"Tighty Whitey\" costume complete with a \"jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees\" are wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you or I value it or not.</li>\n</ul>\nUniversity of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href=\"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html\" target=\"_blank\">noted</a>:\n<blockquote>\"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people\'s minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups.\"</blockquote>\nSome may say lighten up Melody!  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not \"in fun.\"\n\nIt’s just not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different from us.  And, here\'s a crazy thought perhaps even learn more about that which we do not at first glance understand.\n\nOur friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they (too) are made in God’s image.\n\nThen God said, \"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\" Genesis 1:26 NIV\n\nThe bottom line here:  Just think! <strong><em> </em></strong>\n\n<strong><em>Turn on your brain and open your heart.</em></strong>\n\nOther Resources:\n\nKudos to <a title=\"The Root\" href=\"http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes\" target=\"_blank\">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.\n\nThanks to <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge\">Jarrah Hodge</a> for some <a title=\"Cool Costume Ideas\" href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21\" target=\"_blank\">cool costume ideas </a> and I can’t resist adding her list of<a title=\"Feminist Costumes\" href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/\" target=\"_blank\"> Feminist costume choices.\n</a>','??? title????','','inherit','open','open','','1298-revision-8','','','2011-10-27 09:52:10','2011-10-27 16:52:10','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1298-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(1309,1,'2011-10-30 16:45:27','2011-10-30 23:45:27','<strong>I Never Thought</strong>\n\nMy trick-or-treating years were in the 70\'s.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially it is a homeless person, I did not consider my costume in any terms other than it was <em>cheap and convenient</em>.  You see my parents didn\'t have the money to buy costumes nor were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.\n\n<strong><em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.</strong>\n\nI realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.\n\n<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>\n\nI read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually utter them.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other students and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.\n\nThe problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are: <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african\">African American &amp; African</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian\">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican\">Native American</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic\">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>\n\nIf like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.\n\n<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, a real culture or actual people group implying that this identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  </strong>It is white people creating symbols to define other races and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history. There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  Here are a few examples:\n<ul>\n	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example<a title=\"Big Kahuna\" href=\"//www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Tribal-Tiki-Warrior-Costume/dp/B000EIGZ5C%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa32991-\" target=\"_blank\"> this</a> “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>\n	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort.   Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these <a title=\"Glasses\" href=\"http://www.motifake.com/20741\">Chop Suey Specs</a>.   Or if you sound it out phonetically to make it “Asian-sounding” like the \'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask.\' <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1301 alignleft\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"240\" /></a></li>\n	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear sombreros, over-sized mustache, and a poncho. I’m no <a title=\"Understanding Hispanic Culture\" href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">expert</a>, but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from <em>at least</em> 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they have beautiful and distinct languages, cultures and heritages.</li>\n	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like the puzzling \"Tighty Whitey\" costume complete with a \"jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees\" are wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you or I value it or not.</li>\n</ul>\nUniversity of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href=\"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html\" target=\"_blank\">noted</a>:\n<blockquote>\"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people\'s minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups.\"</blockquote>\nSome may say lighten up Melody!  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not \"in fun.\"\n\nIt’s just not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different from us.  And, here\'s a crazy thought perhaps even learn more about that which we do not at first glance understand.\n\nOur friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they (too) are made in God’s image.\n\nThen God said, \"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\" Genesis 1:26 NIV\n\nThe bottom line here:  Just think! <strong><em> </em></strong>\n\n<strong><em>Turn on your brain and open your heart.</em></strong>\n\nOther Resources:\n\nKudos to <a title=\"The Root\" href=\"http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes\" target=\"_blank\">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.\n\nThanks to <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge\">Jarrah Hodge</a> for some <a title=\"Cool Costume Ideas\" href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21\" target=\"_blank\">cool costume ideas </a> and I can’t resist adding her list of<a title=\"Feminist Costumes\" href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/\" target=\"_blank\"> Feminist costume choices.\n</a>','We Are A Culture Not A Costume','','inherit','open','open','','1298-autosave','','','2011-10-30 16:45:27','2011-10-30 23:45:27','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1298-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(1402,1,'2011-10-28 13:38:18','2011-10-28 20:38:18','<strong>I Never Thought</strong>\r\n\r\nMy trick-or-treating years were in the 70\'s.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially it is a homeless person, I did not consider my costume in any terms other than it was <em>cheap and convenient</em>.  You see my parents didn\'t have the money to buy costumes nor were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.\r\n\r\n<strong><em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.</strong>\r\n\r\nI realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.\r\n\r\n<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>\r\n\r\nI read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually utter them.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other students and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1299\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are: <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african\">African American &amp; African</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian\">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican\">Native American</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic\">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>\r\n\r\nIf like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.\r\n\r\n<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, a real culture or actual people group implying that this identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  </strong>It is white people creating symbols to define other races and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history. There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  Here are a few examples:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example<a title=\"Big Kahuna\" href=\"//www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Tribal-Tiki-Warrior-Costume/dp/B000EIGZ5C%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa32991-\" target=\"_blank\"> this</a> “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>\r\n	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort.   Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these <a title=\"Glasses\" href=\"http://www.motifake.com/20741\">Chop Suey Specs</a>.   Or if you sound it out phonetically to make it “Asian-sounding” like the \'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask.\' <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1301 alignleft\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"240\" /></a></li>\r\n	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear sombreros, over-sized mustache, and a poncho. I’m no <a title=\"Understanding Hispanic Culture\" href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">expert</a>, but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from <em>at least</em> 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they have beautiful and distinct languages, cultures and heritages.</li>\r\n	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like the puzzling \"Tighty Whitey\" costume complete with a \"jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees\" are wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you or I value it or not.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nUniversity of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href=\"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html\" target=\"_blank\">noted</a>:\r\n<blockquote>\"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people\'s minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups.\"</blockquote>\r\nSome may say lighten up Melody!  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not \"in fun.\"\r\n\r\nIt’s just not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different from us.  And, here\'s a crazy thought perhaps even learn more about that which we do not at first glance understand.\r\n\r\nOur friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they (too) are made in God’s image.\r\n\r\nThen God said, \"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\" Genesis 1:26 NIV\r\n\r\nThe bottom line here:  Just think! <strong><em> </em></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Turn on your brain and open your heart.</em></strong>\r\n\r\nOther Resources:\r\n\r\nKudos to <a title=\"The Root\" href=\"http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes\" target=\"_blank\">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.\r\n\r\nThanks to <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge\">Jarrah Hodge</a> for some <a title=\"Cool Costume Ideas\" href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21\" target=\"_blank\">cool costume ideas </a> and I can’t resist adding her list of<a title=\"Feminist Costumes\" href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/\" target=\"_blank\"> Feminist costume choices.\r\n</a>','??? title????','','inherit','open','open','','1298-revision-10','','','2011-10-28 13:38:18','2011-10-28 20:38:18','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/28/1298-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(1310,0,'2011-10-27 10:02:18','2011-10-27 17:02:18','I have an artistic piece, it features the creation of a human and the conversation between God and Soul.  I also have a few Life pieces.  They range in topics; trust in people vs. trust in God, the handicap of not giving all you have, etc\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Ashley Bowie\nAUTHOR EMAIL: albowie83@gmail.com\nAUTHOR URL: http://ashleybowie.com\nSUBJECT: Provoketive Magazine Writing For Provoketive\nIP: 64.134.157.183\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Ashley Bowie\n    [Email] =&gt; albowie83@gmail.com\n    [Existing Blog or Website] =&gt; ashleybowie.com\n    [List the topic you are interested writing about] =&gt; I have an artistic piece, it features the creation of a human and the conversation between God and Soul.  I also have a few Life pieces.  They range in topics; trust in people vs. trust in God, the handicap of not giving all you have, etc\n    [Current or New WordPress Login Name (We\'ll send you a password.)] =&gt; ashleybowie\n)\n','Ashley Bowie - 2011-10-27 10:02:18','','publish','open','open','','1d23519b6c7f77e874b8a50183189065','','','2011-10-27 10:02:18','2011-10-27 17:02:18','',358,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=1310',0,'feedback','',0),(1311,48,'2011-10-29 07:00:26','2011-10-29 14:00:26','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I love to ponder the complexities of personality theory: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much do genetics or the environment determine personality? What personality tests are the most accurate?\r\n\r\nI have taken pretty much every free personality test available online (and there are more than a few). I have also taken the official version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as part of one of my college psychology courses. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is purely based off my writing style and the personal information I\'ve disclosed in my posts.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality; however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\r\n\r\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the CAV (Christian Approved Version): spiritual gifts inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their listing of gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories also include other gifts referred to in miscellaneous places in scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few. What \"gifts\" should actually be included in spiritual gift inventories is debatable and perhaps a great topic to tackle at another point in time.\r\n\r\nSo, why all the buzz with spiritual gift inventories? Well, we all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way, and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise. If you haven\'t taken one, I highly suggest that you do. (If you google \"spiritual gift inventory\", you will find at least a couple free spiritual gifts tests.)\r\n\r\nThat being said, I have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as excuses. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help someone in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, God calls us to do a lot of things, regardless of our individual spiritual gifts. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13: \"Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.\"  If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27: \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" If you think that you can sit on your derrière all day long just because you don\'t have the gift of serving,  you might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples in Luke 22: 25-27.\r\n\r\nPerhaps the bigger issue is that we focus too much on ourselves, who we are, and what we are gifted at (or not gifted at). We place an inordinately high value and focus on the gifts, like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but forget what Paul said next:\r\n<blockquote>\"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,<span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: 11px;\"> </span>but do not have love, I gain nothing.\"  1 Corinthians 13:1-3</blockquote>\r\nSpiritual gifts, after all, aren\'t really gifts to keep for ourselves. God give these gifts to help serve, edify, and build up the other members of the Body of Christ.  To use your gifts, it certainly does help to actually understand and know what they are; the difficulty is finding a way to be self-reflective without being self-absorbed.','Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Excuses','','publish','open','open','','spiritual-gifts-and-spiritual-excuses','','','2011-10-29 07:00:26','2011-10-29 14:00:26','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=1311',0,'post','',4),(1312,48,'2011-10-27 10:42:26','2011-10-27 17:42:26','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I often ponder the complexities of personality: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much of personality is determined by genetics or by environment? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every personality test I can find for free online (there are a few). I also took an official Myers-Briggs test as part of a psychology course I took in college. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is based purely off my writing style and information I\'ve disclosed about myself in the articles I have currently published.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality, however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we know have the more spiritual and Christian version: Spiritual Gifts Inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, Spiritual Gift inventories get their different gifts from Romans 12 (exhortation, giving, leadership, mercy prophecy, service, and teaching), 1 Corinthians 12 (administration, apostle, discernment, faith, healing, helps, knowledge, miracles, prophecy, teaching, tongues, interpretation of tongues, &amp; wisdom) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories also add in other gifts that are alluded to in other places throughout scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary','Spiritual Gifts as Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision','','','2011-10-27 10:42:26','2011-10-27 17:42:26','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1313,48,'2011-10-27 10:53:55','2011-10-27 17:53:55','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I often ponder the complexities of personality: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much of personality is determined by genetics or by environment? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every personality test I can find for free online (there are a few). I also took an official Myers-Briggs test as part of a psychology course I took in college. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is based purely off my writing style and information I\'ve disclosed about myself in the articles I have currently published.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality, however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the more spiritual and Christian approved version: Spiritual Gifts Inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their different gifts from Romans 12 (exhortation, giving, leadership, mercy prophecy, service, and teaching), 1 Corinthians 12 (administration, apostle, discernment, faith, healing, helps, knowledge, miracles, prophecy, teaching, tongues, interpretation of tongues, &amp; wisdom) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories, for better or worse,  also add in other gifts that are alluded to in other places throughout scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few.\n\nWe all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise.\n\nI have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as an excuse. Do you want to act like a complete jerk and douche canoe? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help a friend in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, a lot of the thing','Spiritual Gifts as Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-2','','','2011-10-27 10:53:55','2011-10-27 17:53:55','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1314,48,'2011-10-27 11:00:38','2011-10-27 18:00:38','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I often ponder the complexities of personality: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much of personality is determined by genetics or by environment? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every personality test I can find for free online (there are a few). I also took an official Myers-Briggs test as part of a psychology course I took in college. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is based purely off my writing style and information I\'ve disclosed about myself in the articles I have currently published.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality, however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the more spiritual and Christian approved version: Spiritual Gifts Inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their different gifts from Romans 12 (exhortation, giving, leadership, mercy prophecy, service, and teaching), 1 Corinthians 12 (administration, apostle, discernment, faith, healing, helps, knowledge, miracles, prophecy, teaching, tongues, interpretation of tongues, &amp; wisdom) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories, for better or worse,  also add in other gifts that are alluded to in other places throughout scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few.\n\nWe all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise.\n\nI have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as an excuse. Do you want to act like a complete jerk and douche canoe? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help a friend in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, we are called to do a lot of things, regardless of our giftings, if we are followers of Christ. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to\n\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts: Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-3','','','2011-10-27 11:00:38','2011-10-27 18:00:38','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1315,48,'2011-10-27 11:30:45','2011-10-27 18:30:45','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I often ponder the complexities of personality: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much of personality is determined by genetics or by environment? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every personality test I can find for free online (there are a few). I also took an official Myers-Briggs test as part of a psychology course I took in college. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is based purely off my writing style and information I\'ve disclosed about myself in the articles I have currently published.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality, however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the more spiritual and Christian approved version: Spiritual Gifts Inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their different gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories, for better or worse,  also add in other gifts that are alluded to in other places throughout scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few.\n\nWe all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise.\n\nI have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as an excuse. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help a friend in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, we are called to do a lot of things, regardless of our giftings, if we are followers of Christ. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13 \"For judgment is without <strong>mercy</strong> to him that hath showed no <strong>mercy</strong>: <strong>mercy</strong> glorieth against judgment.\" Or really, what 1 Corinthians 13 has to say about love (my synopsis: don\'t be a jerk). If you think you don\'t have to share the gospel with others, take a look at the Great Commission: . If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at <strong>James 1:27 \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after<strong>orphans</strong> and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" Don\'t think you need to serve? You might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples, </strong>','Spiritual Gifts: Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-4','','','2011-10-27 11:30:45','2011-10-27 18:30:45','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(1316,48,'2011-10-27 11:34:34','2011-10-27 18:34:34','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I often ponder the complexities of personality: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much of personality is determined by genetics or by environment? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every personality test I can find for free online (there are a few). I also took an official Myers-Briggs test as part of a psychology course I took in college. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is based purely off my writing style and information I\'ve disclosed about myself in the articles I have currently published.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality, however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the more spiritual and Christian approved version: Spiritual Gifts Inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their different gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories, for better or worse,  also add in other gifts that are alluded to in other places throughout scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few.\n\nWe all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise.\n\nI have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as an excuse. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help a friend in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, we are called to do a lot of things, regardless of our giftings, if we are followers of Christ. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13 \"For judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.\" Or really, what 1 Corinthians 13 has to say about love (my synopsis: don\'t be a jerk). If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27 \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" Don\'t think you need to serve? You might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples regarding serving others in Luke 22: 25-27.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts: Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-5','','','2011-10-27 11:34:34','2011-10-27 18:34:34','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(1317,48,'2011-10-27 11:36:14','2011-10-27 18:36:14','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I often ponder the complexities of personality: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much of personality is determined by genetics or by environment? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every personality test I can find for free online (there are a few). I also took an official Myers-Briggs test as part of a psychology course I took in college. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is based purely off my writing style and information I\'ve disclosed about myself in the articles I have currently published.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality, however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the more spiritual and Christian approved version: Spiritual Gifts Inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their different gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories, for better or worse,  also add in other gifts that are alluded to in other places throughout scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few.\n\nWe all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise.\n\nI have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as an excuse. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help a friend in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, we are called to do a lot of things, regardless of our giftings, if we are followers of Christ. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13 \"For judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.\" Or really, what 1 Corinthians 13 has to say about love (my synopsis: don\'t be a jerk). If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27 \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" Don\'t think you need to serve? You might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples regarding serving others in Luke 22: 25-27.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts: Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-6','','','2011-10-27 11:36:14','2011-10-27 18:36:14','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(1318,48,'2011-10-27 11:52:32','2011-10-27 18:52:32','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I often ponder the complexities of personality: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much of personality is determined by genetics or by environment? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every personality test I can find for free online (there are a few). I also took an official Myers-Briggs test as part of a psychology course I took in college. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is based purely off my writing style and information I\'ve disclosed about myself in the articles I have currently published.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality, however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the more spiritual and Christian approved version: Spiritual Gifts Inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their different gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories, for better or worse,  also add in other gifts that are alluded to in other places throughout scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few.\n\nWe all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise.\n\nI have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as an excuse. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help a friend in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, we are called to do a lot of things, regardless of our giftings, if we are followers of Christ. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13 \"For judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.\"  If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27 \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" Don\'t think you need to serve? You might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples regarding serving others in Luke 22: 25-27.\n\nPerhaps the bigger issue is that we focus to much on ourselves, who we are, and what we are gifted at (or not gifted at). We focus on the gifts, like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12, and forget what Paul said next:\n<p>\"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.</p>\n<p>Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices wit h the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.\" 1 Corinthians 13:1-8</p>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts: Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-7','','','2011-10-27 11:52:32','2011-10-27 18:52:32','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(1319,48,'2011-10-27 12:13:42','2011-10-27 19:13:42','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I love to ponder the complexities of personality: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much do genetics or the environment determine personality? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every free personality test I can find online (and there are more than a few). I also took the official version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as part of a psychology course I took in college. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is based purely off my writing style and personal information I\'ve disclosed in the articles I have currently published.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality, however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the more spiritual and Christian approved version: spiritual gifts inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their listing of gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories also include other possible gifts referred to in miscellaneous places in scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few. What \"gifts\" should actually be included in spiritual gift inventories is perhaps a great topic to tackle at another point in time.\n\nSo why all the buzz with spiritual gift inventories? Well, we all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise. If you haven\'t taken one, I highly suggest that you do. (If you google \"spiritual gift inventory\", you will find a couple free options.)\n\nThat being said, I have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as an excuse. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help a friend in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, God calls us to do a lot of things, regardless of our gifts. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13 \"For judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.\"  If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27 \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" Don\'t think you need to serve? You might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples regarding serving others in Luke 22: 25-27.\n\nPerhaps the bigger issue is that we focus too much on ourselves, who we are, and what we are gifted at (or not gifted at). We place an inordinately high value and focus on the gifts, like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but forget what Paul said next:\n<blockquote>\"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.\"  1 Corinthians 13:1-3</blockquote>\nSpiritual gifts, after all, aren\'t really gifts to keep for ourselves. God give these gifts to help serve, edify, and build up the other members of the Body of Christ. The trick is finding a way to self-reflective without being self-absorbed.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-8','','','2011-10-27 12:13:42','2011-10-27 19:13:42','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(1321,48,'2011-10-27 12:25:50','2011-10-27 19:25:50','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I love to ponder the complexities of personality theory: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much do genetics or the environment determine personality? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every free personality test available online (and there are more than a few). I have also taken the official version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as part of one of my college psychology courses. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is based purely off my writing style and personal information I\'ve disclosed in the articles I have currently published.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality; however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the more spiritual and Christian approved version: spiritual gifts inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their listing of gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories also include other gifts referred to in miscellaneous places in scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few. What \"gifts\" should actually be included in spiritual gift inventories is debatable and perhaps a great topic to tackle at another point in time.\n\nSo, why all the buzz with spiritual gift inventories? Well, we all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way, and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise. If you haven\'t taken one, I highly suggest that you do. (If you google \"spiritual gift inventory\", you will find a couple free options.)\n\nThat being said, I have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as an excuse. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help someone in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, God calls us to do a lot of things, regardless of our individual spiritual gifts. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13: \"Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.\"  If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27: \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" Don\'t think you need to serve? You might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples regarding serving others in Luke 22: 25-27.\n\nPerhaps the bigger issue is that we focus too much on ourselves, who we are, and what we are gifted at (or not gifted at). We place an inordinately high value and focus on the gifts, like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but forget what Paul said next:\n<blockquote>\"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,<span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: 11px\"> </span>but do not have love, I gain nothing.\"  1 Corinthians 13:1-3</blockquote>\nSpiritual gifts, after all, aren\'t really gifts to keep for ourselves. God give these gifts to help serve, edify, and build up the other members of the Body of Christ.  To use your gifts, it certainly does helpThe difficulty is finding a way to be self-reflective without being self-absorbed.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-9','','','2011-10-27 12:25:50','2011-10-27 19:25:50','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(1322,48,'2011-10-27 12:31:37','2011-10-27 19:31:37','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I love to ponder the complexities of personality theory: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much do genetics or the environment determine personality? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every free personality test available online (and there are more than a few). I have also taken the official version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as part of one of my college psychology courses. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is purely based off my writing style and the personal information I\'ve disclosed in my posts.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality; however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the more spiritual and Christian approved version: spiritual gifts inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their listing of gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories also include other gifts referred to in miscellaneous places in scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few. What \"gifts\" should actually be included in spiritual gift inventories is debatable and perhaps a great topic to tackle at another point in time.\n\nSo, why all the buzz with spiritual gift inventories? Well, we all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way, and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise. If you haven\'t taken one, I highly suggest that you do. (If you google \"spiritual gift inventory\", you will find at least a couple free spiritual gifts tests.)\n\nThat being said, I have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as an excuse. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help someone in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, God calls us to do a lot of things, regardless of our individual spiritual gifts. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13: \"Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.\"  If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27: \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" If you think that you can sit on your tookus all day long just because you don\'t have the gift of serving,  you might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples regarding serving others in Luke 22: 25-27.\n\nPerhaps the bigger issue is that we focus too much on ourselves, who we are, and what we are gifted at (or not gifted at). We place an inordinately high value and focus on the gifts, like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but forget what Paul said next:\n<blockquote>\"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,<span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: 11px\"> </span>but do not have love, I gain nothing.\"  1 Corinthians 13:1-3</blockquote>\nSpiritual gifts, after all, aren\'t really gifts to keep for ourselves. God give these gifts to help serve, edify, and build up the other members of the Body of Christ.  To use your gifts, it certainly does help to actually understand and know what they are; the difficulty is finding a way to be self-reflective without being self-absorbed.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-10','','','2011-10-27 12:31:37','2011-10-27 19:31:37','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(1323,0,'2011-10-27 12:52:18','2011-10-27 19:52:18','Christian faith and culture\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Matt Appling\nAUTHOR EMAIL: thechurchofnopeople@gmail.com\nAUTHOR URL: http://thechurchofnopeople.com\nSUBJECT: Provoketive Magazine Writing For Provoketive\nIP: 99.69.204.147\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Matt Appling\n    [Email] =&gt; thechurchofnopeople@gmail.com\n    [Existing Blog or Website] =&gt; thechurchofnopeople.com\n    [List the topic you are interested writing about] =&gt; Christian faith and culture\n    [Current or New WordPress Login Name (We\'ll send you a password.)] =&gt; mattappling\n)\n','Matt Appling - 2011-10-27 12:52:18','','publish','open','open','','e898b25852383c95cc777a98850d3f9b','','','2011-10-27 12:52:18','2011-10-27 19:52:18','',358,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=1323',0,'feedback','',0),(1324,48,'2011-10-27 12:53:21','2011-10-27 19:53:21','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I love to ponder the complexities of personality theory: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much do genetics or the environment determine personality? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every free personality test available online (and there are more than a few). I have also taken the official version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as part of one of my college psychology courses. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is purely based off my writing style and the personal information I\'ve disclosed in my posts.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality; however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the more spiritual and Christian approved version: spiritual gifts inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their listing of gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories also include other gifts referred to in miscellaneous places in scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few. What \"gifts\" should actually be included in spiritual gift inventories is debatable and perhaps a great topic to tackle at another point in time.\n\nSo, why all the buzz with spiritual gift inventories? Well, we all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way, and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise. If you haven\'t taken one, I highly suggest that you do. (If you google \"spiritual gift inventory\", you will find at least a couple free spiritual gifts tests.)\n\nThat being said, I have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as excuses. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help someone in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, God calls us to do a lot of things, regardless of our individual spiritual gifts. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13: \"Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.\"  If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27: \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" If you think that you can sit on your tookus all day long just because you don\'t have the gift of serving,  you might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples in Luke 22: 25-27.\n\nPerhaps the bigger issue is that we focus too much on ourselves, who we are, and what we are gifted at (or not gifted at). We place an inordinately high value and focus on the gifts, like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but forget what Paul said next:\n<blockquote>\"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,<span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: 11px\"> </span>but do not have love, I gain nothing.\"  1 Corinthians 13:1-3</blockquote>\nSpiritual gifts, after all, aren\'t really gifts to keep for ourselves. God give these gifts to help serve, edify, and build up the other members of the Body of Christ.  To use your gifts, it certainly does help to actually understand and know what they are; the difficulty is finding a way to be self-reflective without being self-absorbed.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-11','','','2011-10-27 12:53:21','2011-10-27 19:53:21','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(2643,1,'2011-11-28 06:30:53','2011-11-28 14:30:53','<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This coming Sunday marks the beginning of the Advent season.  The church is four weeks away from celebrating the birth of Christ and the welcoming of the Prince of Peace into the world.  It is a time of anticipation, of expectation, and of longing.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It is fitting that the first week of Advent symbolizes hope.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Advent season brings hope in a more just world.  Hope that peace will overcome war.  Hope in reconciling with our fellow man.  Hope that suffering will soon be no more.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Looking at the world today, Advent has never seemed more real.  Tens of thousands of people are in the streets crying out for truth, for righteousness, for justice.  While it cannot be said that the Occupy movement is a religious movement, there is <em>something</em> universal, something spiritual about it.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Critics say that the movement is too varied, leaderless, and directionless to be effective.  While there is some truth that there isn’t a short list of 30-second sound bytes to define what Occupy is about, that is sort of the point.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The people are the message.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If the Occupy movement was about a singular policy position, as another recent political movement has been, it would have collapsed at the first sign of opposition from the status quo.  Two and a half months later, the voices have only grown stronger.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">People from all across the demographic spectra are coming together for something more powerful than the critics realize.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hope.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hope is the unifying force that binds this diverse group of people, professional and student, young and old, black and white, together in the face of stiff and sometimes violent opposition.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The kind of hope that is birthed from the understanding that we, as a society, are not only responsible to each other but for each other as well.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hope in the promise of ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hope that people see that the Kingdom truly is “at hand”.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hope that justice will be restored.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hope in a better world yet to come.</p>','An Unruly Advent Season','','inherit','open','open','','2560-autosave','','','2011-11-28 06:30:53','2011-11-28 14:30:53','',2560,'http://provoketive.com/2011/11/28/2560-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(2644,1,'2011-11-23 14:04:59','2011-11-23 22:04:59','<p style=\"text-align: justify\">This coming Sunday marks the beginning of the Advent season.  The church is four weeks away from celebrating the birth of Christ and the welcoming of the Prince of Peace into the world.  It is a time of anticipation, of expectation, and of longing.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">It is fitting that the first week of Advent symbolizes hope.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The Advent season brings hope in a more just world.  Hope that peace will overcome war.  Hope in reconciling with our fellow man.  Hope that suffering will soon be no more.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Looking at the world today, Advent has never seemed more real.  Tens of thousands of people are in the streets crying out for truth, for righteousness, for justice.  While it cannot be said that the Occupy movement is a religious movement, there is <em>something</em> universal, something spiritual about it.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Critics say that the movement is too varied, leaderless, and directionless to be effective.  While there is some truth that there isn’t a short list of 30-second soundbytes to define what Occupy is about, that is sort of the point.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The people are the message.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">If the Occupy movement was about a singular policy position, as another recent political movement has been, it would have collapsed at the first sign of opposition from the status quo.  Two and a half months later, the voices have only grown stronger.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">People from all across the demographic spectra are coming together for something more powerful than the critics realize.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Hope.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Hope is the unifying force that binds this diverse group of people, professional and student, young and old, black and white, together in the face of stiff and sometimes violent opposition.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The kind of hope that is birthed from the understanding that we, as a society, are not only responsible to each other but for each other as well.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Hope in the promise of ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Hope that people see that the Kingdom truly is “at hand”.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Hope that justice will be restored.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Hope in a better world yet to come.</p>','An Unruly Advent Season','','inherit','open','open','','2560-revision-2','','','2011-11-23 14:04:59','2011-11-23 22:04:59','',2560,'http://provoketive.com/2011/11/23/2560-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(2624,106,'2011-11-29 09:00:23','2011-11-29 17:00:23','While recently visiting a (Won) Buddhist temple, I heard one practitioner refer to Jesus as a Buddha. I was struck by the generosity of calling the leader of another faith one’s most cherished, revered term. In Won Buddhism, as I understand it, there is an effort for each person to embrace their Buddhahood and see the Buddha in another, so the statement was not at all unusual in that context. However it did lead me to a place of introspection about my own faith path. Could I, raised a Christian, return the favor? Could I say “Buddha is a Savior, Redeemer”?\r\n\r\nI have been frustrated and turned off by the churches I have visited that seem to place their God high above any other God. If there truly is one God, isn’t that one God as high as any God can be?\r\n\r\nI recently attended a conference at a megachurch in the Midwest. And I was disturbed by two of the things I experienced there. One of those things was the lead pastor (who I have followed and respected for many years) saying that “Christianity was the only Religion about Love”. Really? Really? Have you explored any other religions? My personal experience with other, non-Christian religions is they really are about love. They are about getting out negativity so the love can flow in. The second thing that disturbed me during my megachurch experience was surprisingly, the music. Although the music was inspiring and energetic, the lyrics were anything but. One song in particular featured the message: “Our God is stronger than your God, Our God is greater than Your God, etc.” Really? Are we in seventh grade or something? Are we really that competitive?\r\n\r\nTo me it seems when you have to tell someone your God is better, stronger, greater, more loving…than perhaps deep down you have some doubts on this topic?\r\n\r\nWhat if there is only one God, and this one God is manifested in many beautiful names? Those names could include Jesus Christ, Wonderful, Counselor Allah, Buddha, and scores of other names.\r\n\r\nIf we believe in one God, let’s start living and talking like it, and stop being so competitive. Start accepting that that one God is so brilliant that he made many ways to show himself before us all.\r\n\r\nThere are passages in the Bible that really resonate with me around this issue, for instance, this one from John (10:16) As Jesus said, \"And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd\".\r\n\r\nPerhaps the variety in religion is part of God’s big plan, and we should start showing some respect. Why wouldn’t God show up differently in the varied landscape of world culture. In this quote by theologian Emanuel Swedenborg (Divine Providence 254) he seems to call this idea out quite clearly. \"When a religion has been implanted in a nation, the Lord leads that nation according to the precepts and dogmas of its own religion. He has provided that there shall be in every religion precepts like those in the Ten Commandments....The nation that regards these precepts as Divine and lives according to them from a religious motive is saved.\".','Jesus Is A Buddha','','publish','open','open','','jesus-is-a-buddha','','','2011-11-28 07:06:17','2011-11-28 15:06:17','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=2624',0,'post','',44),(2625,106,'2011-11-27 11:02:10','2011-11-27 19:02:10','','An Alternative to Competetive Christianity','','inherit','open','open','','2624-revision','','','2011-11-27 11:02:10','2011-11-27 19:02:10','',2624,'http://provoketive.com/2011/11/27/2624-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1328,13,'2011-10-27 14:08:37','2011-10-27 21:08:37','Last year I met with a couple of friends for beer and conversation (two of my favorite things!). Let me just preface by saying that at the time neither person I was talking with knew my full life story. Neither has journeyed with me through deep struggles or has seen the way that Christ has transformed me. They only know the Kara they see sitting in front of them today. Yet, I sit here amazed that God showed up and gave me the words to share something that not even the closest of my friends knew at the time.\r\n\r\nHere’s what God revealed that day: I can’t define but I can <strong>see</strong> what forgiveness looks like in my life. I can be free from guilt. I don’t fear sharing my life with others because frankly I don’t care if it makes them uncomfortable– being comfortable is for wimps.\r\n\r\nOver ten years ago my mother was killed in a car wreck. I guess I should say “accident” but that would require me to believe that there are accidents in life… which I don’t.  I was 16 years old and just starting to figure out who I was. On that hot Texas morning I instantly became a mom figure to my two younger brothers and had to put aside the normal life issues that a teenager deals with. There were more important things to deal with. Of course everyone around my family helped in their own way. People brought dinner to us for over 8 months. Notice I said dinner, not plural. Even now I still can’t look at a chicken casserole without wanting to vomit. Others sent beautiful cards and letters expressing their heartfelt sympathies with phrases like “I understand”, “I know what you’re going through”, “Your mom is in a better place so you shouldn’t feel sad”. Gee, thanks guys.  I had therapists diagnosing me with things like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and my favorite “anger and rebellion issues”.  Please don’t think that I’m not grateful for other people helping my family. I’m beyond grateful for all that the hundreds of compassionate souls did for us. I’ve also come to the conclusion that the best thing you can do for someone in grief is to stop talking and just listen. The best thing anyone did for me during that time was sit next to me and just listen to me cry, scream, and share my thoughts.  I had a running list of reasons why I was mad and justifiably so:\r\n\r\n<em>*My mother was dead. I had watched her die.\r\n</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*My father was hurting and I couldn’t fix him. No one could.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*My brothers were only 6 and 10 and would grow up without their mother too. Elijah at 6 years old would never really remember her.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*I didn’t understand why God let this happen. He should have known right?</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*This really REALLY screwed up my life. My social life was dead. I had a family to take care of. I couldn’t enjoy high school and therefore chose to just stop going for a few months.</em>\r\n\r\nI was royally pissed off and I wanted everyone to know about it. Not understand it, just know it. In the midst of all of this I found myself placing blame on many people. First, my dad for driving our car. Didn’t he see the other driver run the red light? That only lasted until I regained some sort of common sense. Next, I blamed God (this continued in some form for years to come). I blamed myself. I was sitting in the back of the car until 5 minutes before we left our house. My mother insisted that I sit up front with my dad and she would take my place in back. <strong>She took my place.</strong> Ugh. The guilt of thinking “it could have/should have been me” stuck with me for too long. Finally, I landed on the most obvious choice: the man in the other car.  The idiot who didn’t think to pay attention while driving. The drunk driver.\r\n\r\nHis name is Robert. For many years I’ve thought about him and instantly felt sick to my stomach. He utterly repulsed me. How could someone take another life and essentially get away with it? He spent no time in jail, never paid a dime in damages. <strong>He was free. I however was not. </strong>The anger and complete desire to never forgive this man honestly drove many of my decisions for the next few years. I was reckless and didn’t care what others thought or how my choices might affect them.\r\n\r\nThere’s so much more of the story to share here and although I won’t write it out right now, I did share my complete story, the good bad and really ugly to those 2 friends at a bar last fall. In that moment God said this to me, “Let go, stop running and just forgive Robert.” Really God? Really??? I had to first figure out what forgiveness was and what it wasn’t. <em>Forgiveness is not a pardon</em>. It’s not me saying that what he did to my family was OK, nor is my act of forgiveness based on his ownership of his mistake. I shouldn’t expect for him to one day find  a way to apologize to us. Would that really help? I can’t wait for him to confront me. <strong>This is not about him anymore.  This is about me and God. Period. </strong>My decision to forgive Robert is not based on anything other than my desire to: 1. authentically be who I am 2. grow closer to Jesus 3. feel freedom.\r\n\r\nI read <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Journey-Daybook-Wisdom-Faith/dp/0060663766\" target=\"_blank\">this</a> recently which included the following: Forgiveness, the Way of Freedom by Henri Nouwen. You know when you read something and it hits you like a brick in the face? Your first reaction is “Damn, that really hurt!” followed by, “Yeah, I probably deserved/needed that.”  All this to say, you’ve been warned:\r\n\r\n<em>“To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, “I no longer hold your offense against you” <strong>But there is more.</strong> We also free ourselves from the burden of being the “offended one.” As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God.”</em>\r\n\r\nI don’t have a complete definition of what forgiveness is for me but I now know what it looks like in my life and relationships. I no longer cling to anger. I am not defined by what others have done to me or by being a victim of anything. <strong>I am a beloved child of the King. I am free.</strong>','Forgiveness Ain\'t Easy','','publish','open','open','','forgiveness-aint-easy','','','2011-10-27 14:08:54','2011-10-27 21:08:54','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=1328',0,'post','',4),(1329,13,'2011-10-27 13:14:24','2011-10-27 20:14:24','','forgive1','I\'m dropping the stone of anger and choosing a different way. Forgive.','inherit','open','open','','forgive1','','','2011-10-27 13:14:24','2011-10-27 20:14:24','',1328,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/forgive1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1330,13,'2011-10-27 13:11:25','2011-10-27 20:11:25','&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nLast year I met with a couple of friends for beer and conversation (two of my favorite things by the way!). Let me just preface by saying that at the time neither person I was talking to knew my full life story. Neither has journeyed with me through deep struggles or has seen the way that Christ has transformed me. They only know the Kara they see sitting in front of them today. Yet, I sit here amazed that God showed up and gave me the words to share something that not even the closest of my friends knew at the time.\n\nHere’s what God revealed that day: I can’t define but I can <strong>see</strong> what forgiveness looks like in my life. I can be free from guilt. I don’t fear sharing my life with others because frankly I don’t care if it makes them uncomfortable– being comfortable is for wimps.\n\nOver ten years ago my mother was killed in a car wreck. I guess I should say “accident” but that would require me to believe that there are accidents in life… which I don’t.  I was 16 years old and just starting to figure out who I was. On that hot Texas morning I instantly became a mom figure to my two younger brothers and had to put aside the normal life issues that a teenager deals with. There were more important things to deal with. Of course everyone around my family helped in their own way. People brought dinner to us for over 8 months. Notice I said dinner, not plural. Even now I still can’t look at a chicken casserole without wanting to vomit. Others sent beautiful cards and letters expressing their heartfelt sympathies with phrases like “I understand”, “I know what you’re going through”, “Your mom is in a better place so you shouldn’t feel sad”. Gee, thanks guys.  I had therapists diagnosing me with things like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and my favorite “anger and rebellion issues”.  Please don’t think that I’m not grateful for other people helping my family. I’m beyond grateful for all that the hundreds of compassionate souls did for us. I’ve also come to the conclusion that the best thing you can do for someone in grief is to stop talking and just listen. The best thing anyone did for me during that time was sit next to me and just listen to me cry, scream, and share my thoughts.  I had a running list of reasons why I was mad- and justifiably so:\n\n<em>*My mother was dead.</em>\n\n<em>*My dad was hurting and I couldn’t fix him. No one could.</em>\n\n<em>*My brothers were only 6 and 10 and would grow up without their mother too. Elijah at 6 years old would probably never really remember her.</em>\n\n<em>*I didn’t understand why God let this happen. He should have known right?</em>\n\n<em>*This really REALLY screwed up my life. My social life was dead- I had a family to take care of. I couldn’t enjoy high school and therefore chose to just stop going for a few months.</em>\n\nI was royally pissed off and I wanted everyone to know about it. Not understand it, just know it. In the midst of all of this I found myself placing blame on many people. First, my dad for driving our car. Didn’t he see the other driver run the red light? That only lasted until I regained some sort of common sense. Next, I blamed God (this continued in some form for years to come). I blamed myself. I was sitting in the back of the car until 5 minutes before we left our house. My mother insisted that I sit up front with my dad and she would take my place in back. <strong>She took my place.</strong> Ugh. The guilt of thinking “it could have/should have been me” stuck with me for too long. Finally, I landed on the most obvious choice: the man in the other car.  The idiot who didn’t think to pay attention while driving. The drunk driver.\n\nHis name is Robert. For many years I’ve thought about him and instantly felt sick to my stomach. He utterly repulsed me. How could someone take another life and essentially get away with it? He spent no time in jail, never paid a dime in damages. <strong>He was free. I however was not. </strong>The anger and complete desire to never forgive this man honestly drove many of my decisions for the next few years. I was reckless and didn’t care what others thought or how my choices might affect them.\n\nThere’s so much more of the story to share here and although I won’t write it out right now, I did share my complete story, the good bad and really ugly to those 2 friends at a bar last fall. In that moment God said this to me, “Let go, stop running and just forgive Robert.” Really God? Really??? I had to first figure out what forgiveness was and what it wasn’t. <em>Forgiveness is not a pardon</em>. It’s not me saying that what he did to my family was OK, nor is my act of forgiveness based on his ownership of his mistake. I shouldn’t expect for him to one day find  a way to apologize to us. Would that really help? I can’t wait for him to confront me. <strong>This is not about him anymore.  This is about me and God. Period. </strong>My decision to forgive Robert is not based on anything other than my desire to: 1. authentically be who I am 2. grow closer to Jesus 3. feel freedom.\n\nI read <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Journey-Daybook-Wisdom-Faith/dp/0060663766\" target=\"_blank\">this</a> recently which included the following: Forgiveness, the Way of Freedom by Henri Nouwen. You know when you read something and it hits you like a brick in the face? Your first reaction is “Damn, that really hurt!” followed by, “Yeah, I probably deserved/needed that.”  All this to say, you’ve been warned:\n\n“To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, “I no longer hold your offense against you” <strong>But there is more.</strong> We also free ourselves from the burden of being the “offended one.” As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God.”\n\nI don’t have a complete definition of what forgiveness is for me. I do know what it looks like in my life and relationships now. I no longer cling to anger. I am not defined by what others have done to me or being a victim of anything. I am a child of God. <strong>I am free.</strong>','forgiveness ain\'t easy','','inherit','open','open','','1328-revision','','','2011-10-27 13:11:25','2011-10-27 20:11:25','',1328,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1328-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1337,13,'2011-10-27 13:23:17','2011-10-27 20:23:17','Last year I met with a couple of friends for beer and conversation (two of my favorite things by the way!). Let me just preface by saying that at the time neither person I was talking with knew my full life story. Neither has journeyed with me through deep struggles or has seen the way that Christ has transformed me. They only know the Kara they see sitting in front of them today. Yet, I sit here amazed that God showed up and gave me the words to share something that not even the closest of my friends knew at the time.\n\nHere’s what God revealed that day: I can’t define but I can <strong>see</strong> what forgiveness looks like in my life. I can be free from guilt. I don’t fear sharing my life with others because frankly I don’t care if it makes them uncomfortable– being comfortable is for wimps.\n\nOver ten years ago my mother was killed in a car wreck. I guess I should say “accident” but that would require me to believe that there are accidents in life… which I don’t.  I was 16 years old and just starting to figure out who I was. On that hot Texas morning I instantly became a mom figure to my two younger brothers and had to put aside the normal life issues that a teenager deals with. There were more important things to deal with. Of course everyone around my family helped in their own way. People brought dinner to us for over 8 months. Notice I said dinner, not plural. Even now I still can’t look at a chicken casserole without wanting to vomit. Others sent beautiful cards and letters expressing their heartfelt sympathies with phrases like “I understand”, “I know what you’re going through”, “Your mom is in a better place so you shouldn’t feel sad”. Gee, thanks guys.  I had therapists diagnosing me with things like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and my favorite “anger and rebellion issues”.  Please don’t think that I’m not grateful for other people helping my family. I’m beyond grateful for all that the hundreds of compassionate souls did for us. I’ve also come to the conclusion that the best thing you can do for someone in grief is to stop talking and just listen. The best thing anyone did for me during that time was sit next to me and just listen to me cry, scream, and share my thoughts.  I had a running list of reasons why I was mad and justifiably so:\n\n<em>*My mother was dead. I had watched her die.\n</em>\n\n<em>*My father was hurting and I couldn’t fix him. No one could.</em>\n\n<em>*My brothers were only 6 and 10 and would grow up without their mother too. Elijah at 6 years old would never really remember her.</em>\n\n<em>*I didn’t understand why God let this happen. He should have known right?</em>\n\n<em>*This really REALLY screwed up my life. My social life was dead. I had a family to take care of. I couldn’t enjoy high school and therefore chose to just stop going for a few months.</em>\n\nI was royally pissed off and I wanted everyone to know about it. Not understand it, just know it. In the midst of all of this I found myself placing blame on many people. First, my dad for driving our car. Didn’t he see the other driver run the red light? That only lasted until I regained some sort of common sense. Next, I blamed God (this continued in some form for years to come). I blamed myself. I was sitting in the back of the car until 5 minutes before we left our house. My mother insisted that I sit up front with my dad and she would take my place in back. <strong>She took my place.</strong> Ugh. The guilt of thinking “it could have/should have been me” stuck with me for too long. Finally, I landed on the most obvious choice: the man in the other car.  The idiot who didn’t think to pay attention while driving. The drunk driver.\n\nHis name is Robert. For many years I’ve thought about him and instantly felt sick to my stomach. He utterly repulsed me. How could someone take another life and essentially get away with it? He spent no time in jail, never paid a dime in damages. <strong>He was free. I however was not. </strong>The anger and complete desire to never forgive this man honestly drove many of my decisions for the next few years. I was reckless and didn’t care what others thought or how my choices might affect them.\n\nThere’s so much more of the story to share here and although I won’t write it out right now, I did share my complete story, the good bad and really ugly to those 2 friends at a bar last fall. In that moment God said this to me, “Let go, stop running and just forgive Robert.” Really God? Really??? I had to first figure out what forgiveness was and what it wasn’t. <em>Forgiveness is not a pardon</em>. It’s not me saying that what he did to my family was OK, nor is my act of forgiveness based on his ownership of his mistake. I shouldn’t expect for him to one day find  a way to apologize to us. Would that really help? I can’t wait for him to confront me. <strong>This is not about him anymore.  This is about me and God. Period. </strong>My decision to forgive Robert is not based on anything other than my desire to: 1. authentically be who I am 2. grow closer to Jesus 3. feel freedom.\n\nI read <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Journey-Daybook-Wisdom-Faith/dp/0060663766\" target=\"_blank\">this</a> recently which included the following: Forgiveness, the Way of Freedom by Henri Nouwen. You know when you read something and it hits you like a brick in the face? Your first reaction is “Damn, that really hurt!” followed by, “Yeah, I probably deserved/needed that.”  All this to say, you’ve been warned:\n\n<em>“To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, “I no longer hold your offense against you” <strong>But there is more.</strong> We also free ourselves from the burden of being the “offended one.” As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God.”</em>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI don’t have a complete definition of what forgiveness is for me but I now know what it looks like in my life and relationships. I no longer cling to anger. I am not defined by what others have done to me or by being a victim of anything. <strong>I am a beloved child of the King. I am free.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','forgiveness ain\'t easy','','inherit','open','open','','1328-revision-2','','','2011-10-27 13:23:17','2011-10-27 20:23:17','',1328,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1328-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1331,48,'2011-10-27 13:15:46','2011-10-27 20:15:46','','http://www.dreamstime.com/-image16545624','','inherit','open','open','','httpwww-dreamstime-com-image16545624','','','2011-10-27 13:15:46','2011-10-27 20:15:46','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Surprised-Man-with-Gift.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1332,48,'2011-10-27 12:57:14','2011-10-27 19:57:14','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I love to ponder the complexities of personality theory: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much do genetics or the environment determine personality? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every free personality test available online (and there are more than a few). I have also taken the official version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as part of one of my college psychology courses. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is purely based off my writing style and the personal information I\'ve disclosed in my posts.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality; however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the more spiritual and Christian approved version: spiritual gifts inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their listing of gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories also include other gifts referred to in miscellaneous places in scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few. What \"gifts\" should actually be included in spiritual gift inventories is debatable and perhaps a great topic to tackle at another point in time.\n\nSo, why all the buzz with spiritual gift inventories? Well, we all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way, and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise. If you haven\'t taken one, I highly suggest that you do. (If you google \"spiritual gift inventory\", you will find at least a couple free spiritual gifts tests.)\n\nThat being said, I have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as excuses. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help someone in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, God calls us to do a lot of things, regardless of our individual spiritual gifts. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13: \"Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.\"  If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27: \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" If you think that you can sit on your tookus all day long just because you don\'t have the gift of serving,  you might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples in Luke 22: 25-27.\n\nPerhaps the bigger issue is that we focus too much on ourselves, who we are, and what we are gifted at (or not gifted at). We place an inordinately high value and focus on the gifts, like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but forget what Paul said next:\n<blockquote>\"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,<span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: 11px\"> </span>but do not have love, I gain nothing.\"  1 Corinthians 13:1-3</blockquote>\nSpiritual gifts, after all, aren\'t really gifts to keep for ourselves. God give these gifts to help serve, edify, and build up the other members of the Body of Christ.  To use your gifts, it certainly does help to actually understand and know what they are; the difficulty is finding a way to be self-reflective without being self-absorbed.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-12','','','2011-10-27 12:57:14','2011-10-27 19:57:14','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(1333,48,'2011-10-27 13:16:18','2011-10-27 20:16:18','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I love to ponder the complexities of personality theory: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much do genetics or the environment determine personality? What personality tests are the most accurate?\r\n\r\nI have taken pretty much every free personality test available online (and there are more than a few). I have also taken the official version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as part of one of my college psychology courses. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is purely based off my writing style and the personal information I\'ve disclosed in my posts.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality; however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\r\n\r\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the more spiritual and Christian approved version: spiritual gifts inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their listing of gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories also include other gifts referred to in miscellaneous places in scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few. What \"gifts\" should actually be included in spiritual gift inventories is debatable and perhaps a great topic to tackle at another point in time.\r\n\r\nSo, why all the buzz with spiritual gift inventories? Well, we all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way, and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise. If you haven\'t taken one, I highly suggest that you do. (If you google \"spiritual gift inventory\", you will find at least a couple free spiritual gifts tests.)\r\n\r\nThat being said, I have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as excuses. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help someone in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, God calls us to do a lot of things, regardless of our individual spiritual gifts. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13: \"Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.\"  If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27: \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" If you think that you can sit on your tookus all day long just because you don\'t have the gift of serving,  you might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples in Luke 22: 25-27.\r\n\r\nPerhaps the bigger issue is that we focus too much on ourselves, who we are, and what we are gifted at (or not gifted at). We place an inordinately high value and focus on the gifts, like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but forget what Paul said next:\r\n<blockquote>\"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,<span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: 11px\"> </span>but do not have love, I gain nothing.\"  1 Corinthians 13:1-3</blockquote>\r\nSpiritual gifts, after all, aren\'t really gifts to keep for ourselves. God give these gifts to help serve, edify, and build up the other members of the Body of Christ.  To use your gifts, it certainly does help to actually understand and know what they are; the difficulty is finding a way to be self-reflective without being self-absorbed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-13','','','2011-10-27 13:16:18','2011-10-27 20:16:18','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(1336,13,'2011-10-27 13:23:25','2011-10-27 20:23:25','','forgive1','I\'m dropping the stone of anger and choosing a different way. Forgive.','inherit','open','open','','forgive1-2','','','2011-10-27 13:23:25','2011-10-27 20:23:25','',1328,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/forgive11.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1334,48,'2011-10-27 13:19:37','2011-10-27 20:19:37','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I love to ponder the complexities of personality theory: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much do genetics or the environment determine personality? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every free personality test available online (and there are more than a few). I have also taken the official version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as part of one of my college psychology courses. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is purely based off my writing style and the personal information I\'ve disclosed in my posts.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality; however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the CAV (Christian Approved Version): spiritual gifts inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their listing of gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories also include other gifts referred to in miscellaneous places in scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few. What \"gifts\" should actually be included in spiritual gift inventories is debatable and perhaps a great topic to tackle at another point in time.\n\nSo, why all the buzz with spiritual gift inventories? Well, we all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way, and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise. If you haven\'t taken one, I highly suggest that you do. (If you google \"spiritual gift inventory\", you will find at least a couple free spiritual gifts tests.)\n\nThat being said, I have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as excuses. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help someone in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, God calls us to do a lot of things, regardless of our individual spiritual gifts. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13: \"Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.\"  If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27: \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" If you think that you can sit on your tuches all day long just because you don\'t have the gift of serving,  you might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples in Luke 22: 25-27.\n\nPerhaps the bigger issue is that we focus too much on ourselves, who we are, and what we are gifted at (or not gifted at). We place an inordinately high value and focus on the gifts, like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but forget what Paul said next:\n<blockquote>\"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,<span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: 11px\"> </span>but do not have love, I gain nothing.\"  1 Corinthians 13:1-3</blockquote>\nSpiritual gifts, after all, aren\'t really gifts to keep for ourselves. God give these gifts to help serve, edify, and build up the other members of the Body of Christ.  To use your gifts, it certainly does help to actually understand and know what they are; the difficulty is finding a way to be self-reflective without being self-absorbed.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-14','','','2011-10-27 13:19:37','2011-10-27 20:19:37','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-14/',0,'revision','',0),(1335,48,'2011-10-27 13:20:23','2011-10-27 20:20:23','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I love to ponder the complexities of personality theory: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much do genetics or the environment determine personality? What personality tests are the most accurate?\r\n\r\nI have taken pretty much every free personality test available online (and there are more than a few). I have also taken the official version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as part of one of my college psychology courses. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is purely based off my writing style and the personal information I\'ve disclosed in my posts.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality; however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\r\n\r\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the CAV (Christian Approved Version): spiritual gifts inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their listing of gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories also include other gifts referred to in miscellaneous places in scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few. What \"gifts\" should actually be included in spiritual gift inventories is debatable and perhaps a great topic to tackle at another point in time.\r\n\r\nSo, why all the buzz with spiritual gift inventories? Well, we all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way, and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise. If you haven\'t taken one, I highly suggest that you do. (If you google \"spiritual gift inventory\", you will find at least a couple free spiritual gifts tests.)\r\n\r\nThat being said, I have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as excuses. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help someone in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, God calls us to do a lot of things, regardless of our individual spiritual gifts. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13: \"Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.\"  If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27: \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" If you think that you can sit on your tuches all day long just because you don\'t have the gift of serving,  you might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples in Luke 22: 25-27.\r\n\r\nPerhaps the bigger issue is that we focus too much on ourselves, who we are, and what we are gifted at (or not gifted at). We place an inordinately high value and focus on the gifts, like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but forget what Paul said next:\r\n<blockquote>\"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,<span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: 11px\"> </span>but do not have love, I gain nothing.\"  1 Corinthians 13:1-3</blockquote>\r\nSpiritual gifts, after all, aren\'t really gifts to keep for ourselves. God give these gifts to help serve, edify, and build up the other members of the Body of Christ.  To use your gifts, it certainly does help to actually understand and know what they are; the difficulty is finding a way to be self-reflective without being self-absorbed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-15','','','2011-10-27 13:20:23','2011-10-27 20:20:23','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-15/',0,'revision','',0),(1338,13,'2011-10-27 13:25:23','2011-10-27 20:25:23','Last year I met with a couple of friends for beer and conversation (two of my favorite things!). Let me just preface by saying that at the time neither person I was talking with knew my full life story. Neither has journeyed with me through deep struggles or has seen the way that Christ has transformed me. They only know the Kara they see sitting in front of them today. Yet, I sit here amazed that God showed up and gave me the words to share something that not even the closest of my friends knew at the time.\n\nHere’s what God revealed that day: I can’t define but I can <strong>see</strong> what forgiveness looks like in my life. I can be free from guilt. I don’t fear sharing my life with others because frankly I don’t care if it makes them uncomfortable– being comfortable is for wimps.\n\nOver ten years ago my mother was killed in a car wreck. I guess I should say “accident” but that would require me to believe that there are accidents in life… which I don’t.  I was 16 years old and just starting to figure out who I was. On that hot Texas morning I instantly became a mom figure to my two younger brothers and had to put aside the normal life issues that a teenager deals with. There were more important things to deal with. Of course everyone around my family helped in their own way. People brought dinner to us for over 8 months. Notice I said dinner, not plural. Even now I still can’t look at a chicken casserole without wanting to vomit. Others sent beautiful cards and letters expressing their heartfelt sympathies with phrases like “I understand”, “I know what you’re going through”, “Your mom is in a better place so you shouldn’t feel sad”. Gee, thanks guys.  I had therapists diagnosing me with things like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and my favorite “anger and rebellion issues”.  Please don’t think that I’m not grateful for other people helping my family. I’m beyond grateful for all that the hundreds of compassionate souls did for us. I’ve also come to the conclusion that the best thing you can do for someone in grief is to stop talking and just listen. The best thing anyone did for me during that time was sit next to me and just listen to me cry, scream, and share my thoughts.  I had a running list of reasons why I was mad and justifiably so:\n\n<em>*My mother was dead. I had watched her die.\n</em>\n\n<em>*My father was hurting and I couldn’t fix him. No one could.</em>\n\n<em>*My brothers were only 6 and 10 and would grow up without their mother too. Elijah at 6 years old would never really remember her.</em>\n\n<em>*I didn’t understand why God let this happen. He should have known right?</em>\n\n<em>*This really REALLY screwed up my life. My social life was dead. I had a family to take care of. I couldn’t enjoy high school and therefore chose to just stop going for a few months.</em>\n\nI was royally pissed off and I wanted everyone to know about it. Not understand it, just know it. In the midst of all of this I found myself placing blame on many people. First, my dad for driving our car. Didn’t he see the other driver run the red light? That only lasted until I regained some sort of common sense. Next, I blamed God (this continued in some form for years to come). I blamed myself. I was sitting in the back of the car until 5 minutes before we left our house. My mother insisted that I sit up front with my dad and she would take my place in back. <strong>She took my place.</strong> Ugh. The guilt of thinking “it could have/should have been me” stuck with me for too long. Finally, I landed on the most obvious choice: the man in the other car.  The idiot who didn’t think to pay attention while driving. The drunk driver.\n\nHis name is Robert. For many years I’ve thought about him and instantly felt sick to my stomach. He utterly repulsed me. How could someone take another life and essentially get away with it? He spent no time in jail, never paid a dime in damages. <strong>He was free. I however was not. </strong>The anger and complete desire to never forgive this man honestly drove many of my decisions for the next few years. I was reckless and didn’t care what others thought or how my choices might affect them.\n\nThere’s so much more of the story to share here and although I won’t write it out right now, I did share my complete story, the good bad and really ugly to those 2 friends at a bar last fall. In that moment God said this to me, “Let go, stop running and just forgive Robert.” Really God? Really??? I had to first figure out what forgiveness was and what it wasn’t. <em>Forgiveness is not a pardon</em>. It’s not me saying that what he did to my family was OK, nor is my act of forgiveness based on his ownership of his mistake. I shouldn’t expect for him to one day find  a way to apologize to us. Would that really help? I can’t wait for him to confront me. <strong>This is not about him anymore.  This is about me and God. Period. </strong>My decision to forgive Robert is not based on anything other than my desire to: 1. authentically be who I am 2. grow closer to Jesus 3. feel freedom.\n\nI read <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Journey-Daybook-Wisdom-Faith/dp/0060663766\" target=\"_blank\">this</a> recently which included the following: Forgiveness, the Way of Freedom by Henri Nouwen. You know when you read something and it hits you like a brick in the face? Your first reaction is “Damn, that really hurt!” followed by, “Yeah, I probably deserved/needed that.”  All this to say, you’ve been warned:\n\n<em>“To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, “I no longer hold your offense against you” <strong>But there is more.</strong> We also free ourselves from the burden of being the “offended one.” As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God.”</em>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI don’t have a complete definition of what forgiveness is for me but I now know what it looks like in my life and relationships. I no longer cling to anger. I am not defined by what others have done to me or by being a victim of anything. <strong>I am a beloved child of the King. I am free.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;','forgiveness ain\'t easy','','inherit','open','open','','1328-revision-3','','','2011-10-27 13:25:23','2011-10-27 20:25:23','',1328,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1328-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1339,13,'2011-10-27 13:25:27','2011-10-27 20:25:27','Last year I met with a couple of friends for beer and conversation (two of my favorite things!). Let me just preface by saying that at the time neither person I was talking with knew my full life story. Neither has journeyed with me through deep struggles or has seen the way that Christ has transformed me. They only know the Kara they see sitting in front of them today. Yet, I sit here amazed that God showed up and gave me the words to share something that not even the closest of my friends knew at the time.\r\n\r\nHere’s what God revealed that day: I can’t define but I can <strong>see</strong> what forgiveness looks like in my life. I can be free from guilt. I don’t fear sharing my life with others because frankly I don’t care if it makes them uncomfortable– being comfortable is for wimps.\r\n\r\nOver ten years ago my mother was killed in a car wreck. I guess I should say “accident” but that would require me to believe that there are accidents in life… which I don’t.  I was 16 years old and just starting to figure out who I was. On that hot Texas morning I instantly became a mom figure to my two younger brothers and had to put aside the normal life issues that a teenager deals with. There were more important things to deal with. Of course everyone around my family helped in their own way. People brought dinner to us for over 8 months. Notice I said dinner, not plural. Even now I still can’t look at a chicken casserole without wanting to vomit. Others sent beautiful cards and letters expressing their heartfelt sympathies with phrases like “I understand”, “I know what you’re going through”, “Your mom is in a better place so you shouldn’t feel sad”. Gee, thanks guys.  I had therapists diagnosing me with things like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and my favorite “anger and rebellion issues”.  Please don’t think that I’m not grateful for other people helping my family. I’m beyond grateful for all that the hundreds of compassionate souls did for us. I’ve also come to the conclusion that the best thing you can do for someone in grief is to stop talking and just listen. The best thing anyone did for me during that time was sit next to me and just listen to me cry, scream, and share my thoughts.  I had a running list of reasons why I was mad and justifiably so:\r\n\r\n<em>*My mother was dead. I had watched her die.\r\n</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*My father was hurting and I couldn’t fix him. No one could.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*My brothers were only 6 and 10 and would grow up without their mother too. Elijah at 6 years old would never really remember her.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*I didn’t understand why God let this happen. He should have known right?</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*This really REALLY screwed up my life. My social life was dead. I had a family to take care of. I couldn’t enjoy high school and therefore chose to just stop going for a few months.</em>\r\n\r\nI was royally pissed off and I wanted everyone to know about it. Not understand it, just know it. In the midst of all of this I found myself placing blame on many people. First, my dad for driving our car. Didn’t he see the other driver run the red light? That only lasted until I regained some sort of common sense. Next, I blamed God (this continued in some form for years to come). I blamed myself. I was sitting in the back of the car until 5 minutes before we left our house. My mother insisted that I sit up front with my dad and she would take my place in back. <strong>She took my place.</strong> Ugh. The guilt of thinking “it could have/should have been me” stuck with me for too long. Finally, I landed on the most obvious choice: the man in the other car.  The idiot who didn’t think to pay attention while driving. The drunk driver.\r\n\r\nHis name is Robert. For many years I’ve thought about him and instantly felt sick to my stomach. He utterly repulsed me. How could someone take another life and essentially get away with it? He spent no time in jail, never paid a dime in damages. <strong>He was free. I however was not. </strong>The anger and complete desire to never forgive this man honestly drove many of my decisions for the next few years. I was reckless and didn’t care what others thought or how my choices might affect them.\r\n\r\nThere’s so much more of the story to share here and although I won’t write it out right now, I did share my complete story, the good bad and really ugly to those 2 friends at a bar last fall. In that moment God said this to me, “Let go, stop running and just forgive Robert.” Really God? Really??? I had to first figure out what forgiveness was and what it wasn’t. <em>Forgiveness is not a pardon</em>. It’s not me saying that what he did to my family was OK, nor is my act of forgiveness based on his ownership of his mistake. I shouldn’t expect for him to one day find  a way to apologize to us. Would that really help? I can’t wait for him to confront me. <strong>This is not about him anymore.  This is about me and God. Period. </strong>My decision to forgive Robert is not based on anything other than my desire to: 1. authentically be who I am 2. grow closer to Jesus 3. feel freedom.\r\n\r\nI read <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Journey-Daybook-Wisdom-Faith/dp/0060663766\" target=\"_blank\">this</a> recently which included the following: Forgiveness, the Way of Freedom by Henri Nouwen. You know when you read something and it hits you like a brick in the face? Your first reaction is “Damn, that really hurt!” followed by, “Yeah, I probably deserved/needed that.”  All this to say, you’ve been warned:\r\n\r\n<em>“To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, “I no longer hold your offense against you” <strong>But there is more.</strong> We also free ourselves from the burden of being the “offended one.” As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God.”</em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nI don’t have a complete definition of what forgiveness is for me but I now know what it looks like in my life and relationships. I no longer cling to anger. I am not defined by what others have done to me or by being a victim of anything. <strong>I am a beloved child of the King. I am free.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','forgiveness ain\'t easy','','inherit','open','open','','1328-revision-4','','','2011-10-27 13:25:27','2011-10-27 20:25:27','',1328,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1328-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(1340,13,'2011-10-27 13:25:54','2011-10-27 20:25:54','Last year I met with a couple of friends for beer and conversation (two of my favorite things!). Let me just preface by saying that at the time neither person I was talking with knew my full life story. Neither has journeyed with me through deep struggles or has seen the way that Christ has transformed me. They only know the Kara they see sitting in front of them today. Yet, I sit here amazed that God showed up and gave me the words to share something that not even the closest of my friends knew at the time.\r\n\r\nHere’s what God revealed that day: I can’t define but I can <strong>see</strong> what forgiveness looks like in my life. I can be free from guilt. I don’t fear sharing my life with others because frankly I don’t care if it makes them uncomfortable– being comfortable is for wimps.\r\n\r\nOver ten years ago my mother was killed in a car wreck. I guess I should say “accident” but that would require me to believe that there are accidents in life… which I don’t.  I was 16 years old and just starting to figure out who I was. On that hot Texas morning I instantly became a mom figure to my two younger brothers and had to put aside the normal life issues that a teenager deals with. There were more important things to deal with. Of course everyone around my family helped in their own way. People brought dinner to us for over 8 months. Notice I said dinner, not plural. Even now I still can’t look at a chicken casserole without wanting to vomit. Others sent beautiful cards and letters expressing their heartfelt sympathies with phrases like “I understand”, “I know what you’re going through”, “Your mom is in a better place so you shouldn’t feel sad”. Gee, thanks guys.  I had therapists diagnosing me with things like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and my favorite “anger and rebellion issues”.  Please don’t think that I’m not grateful for other people helping my family. I’m beyond grateful for all that the hundreds of compassionate souls did for us. I’ve also come to the conclusion that the best thing you can do for someone in grief is to stop talking and just listen. The best thing anyone did for me during that time was sit next to me and just listen to me cry, scream, and share my thoughts.  I had a running list of reasons why I was mad and justifiably so:\r\n\r\n<em>*My mother was dead. I had watched her die.\r\n</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*My father was hurting and I couldn’t fix him. No one could.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*My brothers were only 6 and 10 and would grow up without their mother too. Elijah at 6 years old would never really remember her.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*I didn’t understand why God let this happen. He should have known right?</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*This really REALLY screwed up my life. My social life was dead. I had a family to take care of. I couldn’t enjoy high school and therefore chose to just stop going for a few months.</em>\r\n\r\nI was royally pissed off and I wanted everyone to know about it. Not understand it, just know it. In the midst of all of this I found myself placing blame on many people. First, my dad for driving our car. Didn’t he see the other driver run the red light? That only lasted until I regained some sort of common sense. Next, I blamed God (this continued in some form for years to come). I blamed myself. I was sitting in the back of the car until 5 minutes before we left our house. My mother insisted that I sit up front with my dad and she would take my place in back. <strong>She took my place.</strong> Ugh. The guilt of thinking “it could have/should have been me” stuck with me for too long. Finally, I landed on the most obvious choice: the man in the other car.  The idiot who didn’t think to pay attention while driving. The drunk driver.\r\n\r\nHis name is Robert. For many years I’ve thought about him and instantly felt sick to my stomach. He utterly repulsed me. How could someone take another life and essentially get away with it? He spent no time in jail, never paid a dime in damages. <strong>He was free. I however was not. </strong>The anger and complete desire to never forgive this man honestly drove many of my decisions for the next few years. I was reckless and didn’t care what others thought or how my choices might affect them.\r\n\r\nThere’s so much more of the story to share here and although I won’t write it out right now, I did share my complete story, the good bad and really ugly to those 2 friends at a bar last fall. In that moment God said this to me, “Let go, stop running and just forgive Robert.” Really God? Really??? I had to first figure out what forgiveness was and what it wasn’t. <em>Forgiveness is not a pardon</em>. It’s not me saying that what he did to my family was OK, nor is my act of forgiveness based on his ownership of his mistake. I shouldn’t expect for him to one day find  a way to apologize to us. Would that really help? I can’t wait for him to confront me. <strong>This is not about him anymore.  This is about me and God. Period. </strong>My decision to forgive Robert is not based on anything other than my desire to: 1. authentically be who I am 2. grow closer to Jesus 3. feel freedom.\r\n\r\nI read <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Journey-Daybook-Wisdom-Faith/dp/0060663766\" target=\"_blank\">this</a> recently which included the following: Forgiveness, the Way of Freedom by Henri Nouwen. You know when you read something and it hits you like a brick in the face? Your first reaction is “Damn, that really hurt!” followed by, “Yeah, I probably deserved/needed that.”  All this to say, you’ve been warned:\r\n\r\n<em>“To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, “I no longer hold your offense against you” <strong>But there is more.</strong> We also free ourselves from the burden of being the “offended one.” As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God.”</em>\r\n\r\nI don’t have a complete definition of what forgiveness is for me but I now know what it looks like in my life and relationships. I no longer cling to anger. I am not defined by what others have done to me or by being a victim of anything. <strong>I am a beloved child of the King. I am free.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','forgiveness ain\'t easy','','inherit','open','open','','1328-revision-5','','','2011-10-27 13:25:54','2011-10-27 20:25:54','',1328,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1328-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(1342,4,'2011-10-30 07:01:17','2011-10-30 14:01:17','“And I’m not going to stand and wait,\r\nNot gonna leave until it’s much too late.\r\nOn a platform, I’m gonna stand and say\r\nthat I’m nothing on my own.  And I love you please come home.”  --  “A Message, by Coldplay\r\n\r\n[embed width=500 height=284]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_4hp_KxO48[/embed]\r\n\r\nThe person in the video is one of the Distillery’s (my faith community) Copastors and founders, Carolyn Turnidge, an asset to our little community in Albany.  She brought this song to us as “A Message” so to speak, and we got the message.  But, we got so much more than that. I apologize that the song starts so abruptly, but our camera operator started the recording a bit late.\r\n\r\nThe idea behind the song for us as a church is that we truly are nothing on our own.  We were meant to be with each other.  I have often heard people say things like “all I need is my Bible and my Heavenly Father to be whole,”  “I don’t listen to anyone but the Holy Spirit,” and “The Bible is the only friend I need.”  All of those statements and statements like them in my experience are false.  As in “not true.”\r\n\r\nWe need each other.  It’s a given.  This is one of those things that God says from the beginning in the simplest of statements, \"It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen 2:18)  God was with “Man” at the time by the way, so what was God talking about?  For the man was certainly not alone with the Holy Trinity by his side day after day.  Was God merely saying that man needs a single partner?  Was he only talking about Eve?  I don’t think so.  What we do know is that God created man (woman) not to be exclusive of other men (women).   In fact he created us to be with others like us.\r\n\r\nJesus himself gathers together 12 disciples.  Twelve people to share his day-to-day with, not to mention all of the folks he surrounded himself with on a regular basis.  Yes there were periods of time that Jesus separated himself from the crowds and the disciples, but for the most part Jesus seems to be saying to humanity, “I am nothing on my own.”\r\n\r\nNow before you get offended, think about it. On his own, Jesus would have been a no one. No one would have even known who he was. He needed the people around him as much as they needed him. If Jesus did not have such a huge following -- if he was not constantly surrounded by people, the Pharisees would not even have noticed him. He may not have even been crucified.\r\n\r\nAlso found in scriptures are the classic lines “Where two or three or gathered in my name, there I will be also,” (Matt 18:20) almost as if to insinuate that God prefers to deal with us in numbers or crowds rather than as single solitary individuals.  There is certainly evidence of this in the scriptures.  In fact there are indications in the early history of the church that the Bible itself was not meant for a single reader scenario but was created and distributed to communities of followers.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday the communities would go through the scriptures together as friends and often times as combative family members when they disagreed.  So it seems to me that Christianity, the Bible, and God are all meant to be approached in groups of people, not as single solitary individuals.\r\n\r\nIt is only in America in the last 60 years or so that we have even heard the words “personal savior” used in relation to Jesus.  The whole concept of a personal savior is exclusively American in that we are all about the individual here aren’t we?  “Personal” property, “Personal” space, “Personal” brand --  these are all American terms born out of capitalism and the idea of independence.  These terms and things associated with them are not bad in and of themselves, but we have to acknowledge that they and the ideas behind them come from our individualistic culture, and did not exist in the time of Jesus.\r\n\r\nBack then everyone shared, worked together for the community’s success, and worshiped together a God of the community, not of the individual.\r\n\r\nSo we come back to Carolyn’s song.  Well, the song by Coldplay I mean.  There is something so beautiful about the kind of desperation in which we approach each other.  Part of the verse says “I am not going to stand and wait,” while the other part says “..not gonna leave until it’s much too late.”  It’s that part of each of us that want to keep whatever dignity we seem to have, while at the same time desperately and almost pathetically we cling to each other.   We are nothing on our own.  We all need each other as much as we need God, and as much as we need the Bible.\r\n\r\nNow you might think that this is an argument for church, or that I am saying that you have to go to church to be a good Christian.  No, I am not saying that.  There are other ways for us to be with each other that do not include church.  For me, my little community of faith gives me the “we” I need in order to approach God and the Bible on a regular basis, for others it may be your work crowd, or your family or a circle of good friends.  What do you think about the whole “Personal Savior” phrase and what do you do as far as being with others that works for you? Keep in mind that I am not speaking out against personal time with God here, but merely speaking exclusively about community in this post.','I\'m Nothing On My Own','','publish','open','open','','im-nothing-on-my-own','','','2011-10-30 08:29:31','2011-10-30 15:29:31','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=1342',0,'post','',5),(1343,4,'2011-10-27 14:04:19','2011-10-27 21:04:19','“And I’m not going to stand and wait,\nNot gonna leave until it’s much too late.\nOn a platform, I’m gonna stand and say\nthat I’m nothing on my own.  And I love you please come home.”  --  “A Message, by Coldplay\n\n[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_4hp_KxO48&amp;w=560&amp;h=315]\n\nThe person in the video is one of the Distillery’s (my faith community) Copastors and founders, Carolyn Turnidge, an asset to our little community in Albany.  She brought this song to us as “A Message” so to speak, and we got the message.  But, we got so much more than that.  I apologize that the song starts so abruptly, but our camera operator started the recording a bit late.\n\nThe idea behind the song for us as a church is that we truly are nothing on our own.  We were meant to be with each other.  I have often heard people say things like “all I need is my Bible and my Heavenly Father to be whole,”  “I don’t listen to anyone but the Holy Spirit,” and “The Bible is the only friend I need.”  All of those statements and statements like them in my experience are false.  As in “not true.”\n\nWe need each other.  It’s a given.  This is one of those things that God says from the beginning in the simplest of statements, \"It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen 2:18)  God was with “Man” at the time by the way, so what was God talking about?  For the man was certainly not alone with the Holy Trinity by his side day after day.  Was God merely saying that man needs a single partner?  Was he only talking about Eve?  I don’t think so.  What we do know is that God created man (woman) not to be exclusive of other men (women).   In fact he created us to be with others like us.\n\nJesus himself gathers together 12 disciples.  Twelve people to share his day-to-day with, not to mention all of the folks he surrounded himself with on a regular basis.  Yes there were periods of time that Jesus separated himself from the crowds and the disciples, but for the most part Jesus seems to be saying to humanity, “I am nothing on my own.”\n\nNow before you get offended, think about it.  On his own, Jesus would have been a no one.  No one would have even known who he was.  He needed the people around him as much as they needed him.  If Jesus did not have such a huge following -- if he was not constantly surrounded by people, the Pharisees would not even have noticed him.  He may not have even been crucified.  \n\nAlso found in scriptures are the classic lines “Where two or three or gathered in my name, there I will be also,” (Matt 18:20) almost as if to insinuate that God prefers to deal with us in numbers or crowds rather than as single solitary individuals.  There is certainly evidence of this in the scriptures.  In fact there are indications in the early history of the church that the Bible itself was not meant for a single reader scenario but was created and distributed to communities of followers.\n\nOn Saturday the communities would go through the scriptures together as friends and often times as combative family members when they disagreed.  So it seems to me that Christianity, the Bible, and God are all meant to be approached in groups of people, not as single solitary individuals.\n\nIt is only in America in the last 60 years or so that we have even heard the words “personal savior” used in relation to Jesus.  The whole concept of a personal savior is exclusively American in that we are all about the individual here aren’t we?  “Personal” property, “Personal” space, “Personal” brand --  these are all American terms born out of capitalism and the idea of independence.  These terms and things associated with them are not bad in and of themselves, but we have to acknowledge that they and the ideas behind them come from our individualistic culture, and did not exist in the time of Jesus.\n\nBack then everyone shared, worked together for the community’s success, and worshiped together a God of the community, not of the individual.\n\nSo we come back to Carolyn’s song.  Well, the song by Coldplay I mean.  There is something so beautiful about the kind of desperation in which we approach each other.  Part of the verse says “I am not going to stand and wait,” while the other part says “..not gonna leave until it’s much too late.”  It’s that part of each of us that want to keep whatever dignity we seem to have, while at the same time desperately and almost pathetically we cling to each other.   We are nothing on our own.  We all need each other as much as we need God, and as much as we need the Bible.\n\nNow you might think that this is an argument for church, or that I am saying that you have to go to church to be a good Christian.  No, I am not saying that.  There are other ways for us to be with each other that do not include church.  For me, my little community of faith gives me the “we” I need in order to approach God and the Bible on a regular basis, for others it may be your work crowd, or your family or a circle of good friends.  What do you think about the whole “Personal Savior” phrase and what do you do as far as being with others that works for you?  Keep in mind that I am not speaking out against \n\n&nbsp;','I\'m nothing on my own','','inherit','open','open','','1342-revision','','','2011-10-27 14:04:19','2011-10-27 21:04:19','',1342,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1342-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1344,1,'2011-10-29 07:01:35','2011-10-29 14:01:35','“And I’m not going to stand and wait,\r\nNot gonna leave until it’s much too late.\r\nOn a platform, I’m gonna stand and say\r\nthat I’m nothing on my own.  And I love you please come home.”  --  “A Message, by Coldplay\r\n\r\n[embed width=500 height=284]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_4hp_KxO48[/embed]\r\n\r\nThe person in the video is one of the Distillery’s (my faith community) Copastors and founders, Carolyn Turnidge, an asset to our little community in Albany.  She brought this song to us as “A Message” so to speak, and we got the message.  But, we got so much more than that. I apologize that the song starts so abruptly, but our camera operator started the recording a bit late.\r\n\r\nThe idea behind the song for us as a church is that we truly are nothing on our own.  We were meant to be with each other.  I have often heard people say things like “all I need is my Bible and my Heavenly Father to be whole,”  “I don’t listen to anyone but the Holy Spirit,” and “The Bible is the only friend I need.”  All of those statements and statements like them in my experience are false.  As in “not true.”\r\n\r\nWe need each other.  It’s a given.  This is one of those things that God says from the beginning in the simplest of statements, \"It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen 2:18)  God was with “Man” at the time by the way, so what was God talking about?  For the man was certainly not alone with the Holy Trinity by his side day after day.  Was God merely saying that man needs a single partner?  Was he only talking about Eve?  I don’t think so.  What we do know is that God created man (woman) not to be exclusive of other men (women).   In fact he created us to be with others like us.\r\n\r\nJesus himself gathers together 12 disciples.  Twelve people to share his day-to-day with, not to mention all of the folks he surrounded himself with on a regular basis.  Yes there were periods of time that Jesus separated himself from the crowds and the disciples, but for the most part Jesus seems to be saying to humanity, “I am nothing on my own.”\r\n\r\nNow before you get offended, think about it. On his own, Jesus would have been a no one. No one would have even known who he was. He needed the people around him as much as they needed him. If Jesus did not have such a huge following -- if he was not constantly surrounded by people, the Pharisees would not even have noticed him. He may not have even been crucified.\r\n\r\nAlso found in scriptures are the classic lines “Where two or three or gathered in my name, there I will be also,” (Matt 18:20) almost as if to insinuate that God prefers to deal with us in numbers or crowds rather than as single solitary individuals.  There is certainly evidence of this in the scriptures.  In fact there are indications in the early history of the church that the Bible itself was not meant for a single reader scenario but was created and distributed to communities of followers.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday the communities would go through the scriptures together as friends and often times as combative family members when they disagreed.  So it seems to me that Christianity, the Bible, and God are all meant to be approached in groups of people, not as single solitary individuals.\r\n\r\nIt is only in America in the last 60 years or so that we have even heard the words “personal savior” used in relation to Jesus.  The whole concept of a personal savior is exclusively American in that we are all about the individual here aren’t we?  “Personal” property, “Personal” space, “Personal” brand --  these are all American terms born out of capitalism and the idea of independence.  These terms and things associated with them are not bad in and of themselves, but we have to acknowledge that they and the ideas behind them come from our individualistic culture, and did not exist in the time of Jesus.\r\n\r\nBack then everyone shared, worked together for the community’s success, and worshiped together a God of the community, not of the individual.\r\n\r\nSo we come back to Carolyn’s song.  Well, the song by Coldplay I mean.  There is something so beautiful about the kind of desperation in which we approach each other.  Part of the verse says “I am not going to stand and wait,” while the other part says “..not gonna leave until it’s much too late.”  It’s that part of each of us that want to keep whatever dignity we seem to have, while at the same time desperately and almost pathetically we cling to each other.   We are nothing on our own.  We all need each other as much as we need God, and as much as we need the Bible.\r\n\r\nNow you might think that this is an argument for church, or that I am saying that you have to go to church to be a good Christian.  No, I am not saying that.  There are other ways for us to be with each other that do not include church.  For me, my little community of faith gives me the “we” I need in order to approach God and the Bible on a regular basis, for others it may be your work crowd, or your family or a circle of good friends.  What do you think about the whole “Personal Savior” phrase and what do you do as far as being with others that works for you? Keep in mind that I am not speaking out against personal time with God here, but merely speaking exclusively about community in this post.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','I\'m nothing on my own','','inherit','open','open','','1342-autosave','','','2011-10-29 07:01:35','2011-10-29 14:01:35','',1342,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1342-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(1345,4,'2011-10-27 14:04:53','2011-10-27 21:04:53','“And I’m not going to stand and wait,\r\nNot gonna leave until it’s much too late.\r\nOn a platform, I’m gonna stand and say\r\nthat I’m nothing on my own.  And I love you please come home.”  --  “A Message, by Coldplay\r\n\r\n[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_4hp_KxO48&amp;w=560&amp;h=315]\r\n\r\nThe person in the video is one of the Distillery’s (my faith community) Copastors and founders, Carolyn Turnidge, an asset to our little community in Albany.  She brought this song to us as “A Message” so to speak, and we got the message.  But, we got so much more than that.  I apologize that the song starts so abruptly, but our camera operator started the recording a bit late.\r\n\r\nThe idea behind the song for us as a church is that we truly are nothing on our own.  We were meant to be with each other.  I have often heard people say things like “all I need is my Bible and my Heavenly Father to be whole,”  “I don’t listen to anyone but the Holy Spirit,” and “The Bible is the only friend I need.”  All of those statements and statements like them in my experience are false.  As in “not true.”\r\n\r\nWe need each other.  It’s a given.  This is one of those things that God says from the beginning in the simplest of statements, \"It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen 2:18)  God was with “Man” at the time by the way, so what was God talking about?  For the man was certainly not alone with the Holy Trinity by his side day after day.  Was God merely saying that man needs a single partner?  Was he only talking about Eve?  I don’t think so.  What we do know is that God created man (woman) not to be exclusive of other men (women).   In fact he created us to be with others like us.\r\n\r\nJesus himself gathers together 12 disciples.  Twelve people to share his day-to-day with, not to mention all of the folks he surrounded himself with on a regular basis.  Yes there were periods of time that Jesus separated himself from the crowds and the disciples, but for the most part Jesus seems to be saying to humanity, “I am nothing on my own.”\r\n\r\nNow before you get offended, think about it.  On his own, Jesus would have been a no one.  No one would have even known who he was.  He needed the people around him as much as they needed him.  If Jesus did not have such a huge following -- if he was not constantly surrounded by people, the Pharisees would not even have noticed him.  He may not have even been crucified.  \r\n\r\nAlso found in scriptures are the classic lines “Where two or three or gathered in my name, there I will be also,” (Matt 18:20) almost as if to insinuate that God prefers to deal with us in numbers or crowds rather than as single solitary individuals.  There is certainly evidence of this in the scriptures.  In fact there are indications in the early history of the church that the Bible itself was not meant for a single reader scenario but was created and distributed to communities of followers.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday the communities would go through the scriptures together as friends and often times as combative family members when they disagreed.  So it seems to me that Christianity, the Bible, and God are all meant to be approached in groups of people, not as single solitary individuals.\r\n\r\nIt is only in America in the last 60 years or so that we have even heard the words “personal savior” used in relation to Jesus.  The whole concept of a personal savior is exclusively American in that we are all about the individual here aren’t we?  “Personal” property, “Personal” space, “Personal” brand --  these are all American terms born out of capitalism and the idea of independence.  These terms and things associated with them are not bad in and of themselves, but we have to acknowledge that they and the ideas behind them come from our individualistic culture, and did not exist in the time of Jesus.\r\n\r\nBack then everyone shared, worked together for the community’s success, and worshiped together a God of the community, not of the individual.\r\n\r\nSo we come back to Carolyn’s song.  Well, the song by Coldplay I mean.  There is something so beautiful about the kind of desperation in which we approach each other.  Part of the verse says “I am not going to stand and wait,” while the other part says “..not gonna leave until it’s much too late.”  It’s that part of each of us that want to keep whatever dignity we seem to have, while at the same time desperately and almost pathetically we cling to each other.   We are nothing on our own.  We all need each other as much as we need God, and as much as we need the Bible.\r\n\r\nNow you might think that this is an argument for church, or that I am saying that you have to go to church to be a good Christian.  No, I am not saying that.  There are other ways for us to be with each other that do not include church.  For me, my little community of faith gives me the “we” I need in order to approach God and the Bible on a regular basis, for others it may be your work crowd, or your family or a circle of good friends.  What do you think about the whole “Personal Savior” phrase and what do you do as far as being with others that works for you?  Keep in mind that I am not speaking out against personal time with God here, but merely speaking exclusively about community in this post.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','I\'m nothing on my own','','inherit','open','open','','1342-revision-2','','','2011-10-27 14:04:53','2011-10-27 21:04:53','',1342,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1342-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1346,1,'2011-10-27 13:26:51','2011-10-27 20:26:51','Last year I met with a couple of friends for beer and conversation (two of my favorite things!). Let me just preface by saying that at the time neither person I was talking with knew my full life story. Neither has journeyed with me through deep struggles or has seen the way that Christ has transformed me. They only know the Kara they see sitting in front of them today. Yet, I sit here amazed that God showed up and gave me the words to share something that not even the closest of my friends knew at the time.\r\n\r\nHere’s what God revealed that day: I can’t define but I can <strong>see</strong> what forgiveness looks like in my life. I can be free from guilt. I don’t fear sharing my life with others because frankly I don’t care if it makes them uncomfortable– being comfortable is for wimps.\r\n\r\nOver ten years ago my mother was killed in a car wreck. I guess I should say “accident” but that would require me to believe that there are accidents in life… which I don’t.  I was 16 years old and just starting to figure out who I was. On that hot Texas morning I instantly became a mom figure to my two younger brothers and had to put aside the normal life issues that a teenager deals with. There were more important things to deal with. Of course everyone around my family helped in their own way. People brought dinner to us for over 8 months. Notice I said dinner, not plural. Even now I still can’t look at a chicken casserole without wanting to vomit. Others sent beautiful cards and letters expressing their heartfelt sympathies with phrases like “I understand”, “I know what you’re going through”, “Your mom is in a better place so you shouldn’t feel sad”. Gee, thanks guys.  I had therapists diagnosing me with things like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and my favorite “anger and rebellion issues”.  Please don’t think that I’m not grateful for other people helping my family. I’m beyond grateful for all that the hundreds of compassionate souls did for us. I’ve also come to the conclusion that the best thing you can do for someone in grief is to stop talking and just listen. The best thing anyone did for me during that time was sit next to me and just listen to me cry, scream, and share my thoughts.  I had a running list of reasons why I was mad and justifiably so:\r\n\r\n<em>*My mother was dead. I had watched her die.\r\n</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*My father was hurting and I couldn’t fix him. No one could.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*My brothers were only 6 and 10 and would grow up without their mother too. Elijah at 6 years old would never really remember her.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*I didn’t understand why God let this happen. He should have known right?</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*This really REALLY screwed up my life. My social life was dead. I had a family to take care of. I couldn’t enjoy high school and therefore chose to just stop going for a few months.</em>\r\n\r\nI was royally pissed off and I wanted everyone to know about it. Not understand it, just know it. In the midst of all of this I found myself placing blame on many people. First, my dad for driving our car. Didn’t he see the other driver run the red light? That only lasted until I regained some sort of common sense. Next, I blamed God (this continued in some form for years to come). I blamed myself. I was sitting in the back of the car until 5 minutes before we left our house. My mother insisted that I sit up front with my dad and she would take my place in back. <strong>She took my place.</strong> Ugh. The guilt of thinking “it could have/should have been me” stuck with me for too long. Finally, I landed on the most obvious choice: the man in the other car.  The idiot who didn’t think to pay attention while driving. The drunk driver.\r\n\r\nHis name is Robert. For many years I’ve thought about him and instantly felt sick to my stomach. He utterly repulsed me. How could someone take another life and essentially get away with it? He spent no time in jail, never paid a dime in damages. <strong>He was free. I however was not. </strong>The anger and complete desire to never forgive this man honestly drove many of my decisions for the next few years. I was reckless and didn’t care what others thought or how my choices might affect them.\r\n\r\nThere’s so much more of the story to share here and although I won’t write it out right now, I did share my complete story, the good bad and really ugly to those 2 friends at a bar last fall. In that moment God said this to me, “Let go, stop running and just forgive Robert.” Really God? Really??? I had to first figure out what forgiveness was and what it wasn’t. <em>Forgiveness is not a pardon</em>. It’s not me saying that what he did to my family was OK, nor is my act of forgiveness based on his ownership of his mistake. I shouldn’t expect for him to one day find  a way to apologize to us. Would that really help? I can’t wait for him to confront me. <strong>This is not about him anymore.  This is about me and God. Period. </strong>My decision to forgive Robert is not based on anything other than my desire to: 1. authentically be who I am 2. grow closer to Jesus 3. feel freedom.\r\n\r\nI read <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Journey-Daybook-Wisdom-Faith/dp/0060663766\" target=\"_blank\">this</a> recently which included the following: Forgiveness, the Way of Freedom by Henri Nouwen. You know when you read something and it hits you like a brick in the face? Your first reaction is “Damn, that really hurt!” followed by, “Yeah, I probably deserved/needed that.”  All this to say, you’ve been warned:\r\n\r\n<em>“To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, “I no longer hold your offense against you” <strong>But there is more.</strong> We also free ourselves from the burden of being the “offended one.” As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God.”</em>\r\n\r\nI don’t have a complete definition of what forgiveness is for me but I now know what it looks like in my life and relationships. I no longer cling to anger. I am not defined by what others have done to me or by being a victim of anything. <strong>I am a beloved child of the King. I am free.</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','forgiveness ain\'t easy','','inherit','open','open','','1328-revision-6','','','2011-10-27 13:26:51','2011-10-27 20:26:51','',1328,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1328-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(1347,1,'2011-10-27 14:08:37','2011-10-27 21:08:37','Last year I met with a couple of friends for beer and conversation (two of my favorite things!). Let me just preface by saying that at the time neither person I was talking with knew my full life story. Neither has journeyed with me through deep struggles or has seen the way that Christ has transformed me. They only know the Kara they see sitting in front of them today. Yet, I sit here amazed that God showed up and gave me the words to share something that not even the closest of my friends knew at the time.\r\n\r\nHere’s what God revealed that day: I can’t define but I can <strong>see</strong> what forgiveness looks like in my life. I can be free from guilt. I don’t fear sharing my life with others because frankly I don’t care if it makes them uncomfortable– being comfortable is for wimps.\r\n\r\nOver ten years ago my mother was killed in a car wreck. I guess I should say “accident” but that would require me to believe that there are accidents in life… which I don’t.  I was 16 years old and just starting to figure out who I was. On that hot Texas morning I instantly became a mom figure to my two younger brothers and had to put aside the normal life issues that a teenager deals with. There were more important things to deal with. Of course everyone around my family helped in their own way. People brought dinner to us for over 8 months. Notice I said dinner, not plural. Even now I still can’t look at a chicken casserole without wanting to vomit. Others sent beautiful cards and letters expressing their heartfelt sympathies with phrases like “I understand”, “I know what you’re going through”, “Your mom is in a better place so you shouldn’t feel sad”. Gee, thanks guys.  I had therapists diagnosing me with things like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and my favorite “anger and rebellion issues”.  Please don’t think that I’m not grateful for other people helping my family. I’m beyond grateful for all that the hundreds of compassionate souls did for us. I’ve also come to the conclusion that the best thing you can do for someone in grief is to stop talking and just listen. The best thing anyone did for me during that time was sit next to me and just listen to me cry, scream, and share my thoughts.  I had a running list of reasons why I was mad and justifiably so:\r\n\r\n<em>*My mother was dead. I had watched her die.\r\n</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*My father was hurting and I couldn’t fix him. No one could.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*My brothers were only 6 and 10 and would grow up without their mother too. Elijah at 6 years old would never really remember her.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*I didn’t understand why God let this happen. He should have known right?</em>\r\n\r\n<em>*This really REALLY screwed up my life. My social life was dead. I had a family to take care of. I couldn’t enjoy high school and therefore chose to just stop going for a few months.</em>\r\n\r\nI was royally pissed off and I wanted everyone to know about it. Not understand it, just know it. In the midst of all of this I found myself placing blame on many people. First, my dad for driving our car. Didn’t he see the other driver run the red light? That only lasted until I regained some sort of common sense. Next, I blamed God (this continued in some form for years to come). I blamed myself. I was sitting in the back of the car until 5 minutes before we left our house. My mother insisted that I sit up front with my dad and she would take my place in back. <strong>She took my place.</strong> Ugh. The guilt of thinking “it could have/should have been me” stuck with me for too long. Finally, I landed on the most obvious choice: the man in the other car.  The idiot who didn’t think to pay attention while driving. The drunk driver.\r\n\r\nHis name is Robert. For many years I’ve thought about him and instantly felt sick to my stomach. He utterly repulsed me. How could someone take another life and essentially get away with it? He spent no time in jail, never paid a dime in damages. <strong>He was free. I however was not. </strong>The anger and complete desire to never forgive this man honestly drove many of my decisions for the next few years. I was reckless and didn’t care what others thought or how my choices might affect them.\r\n\r\nThere’s so much more of the story to share here and although I won’t write it out right now, I did share my complete story, the good bad and really ugly to those 2 friends at a bar last fall. In that moment God said this to me, “Let go, stop running and just forgive Robert.” Really God? Really??? I had to first figure out what forgiveness was and what it wasn’t. <em>Forgiveness is not a pardon</em>. It’s not me saying that what he did to my family was OK, nor is my act of forgiveness based on his ownership of his mistake. I shouldn’t expect for him to one day find  a way to apologize to us. Would that really help? I can’t wait for him to confront me. <strong>This is not about him anymore.  This is about me and God. Period. </strong>My decision to forgive Robert is not based on anything other than my desire to: 1. authentically be who I am 2. grow closer to Jesus 3. feel freedom.\r\n\r\nI read <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Journey-Daybook-Wisdom-Faith/dp/0060663766\" target=\"_blank\">this</a> recently which included the following: Forgiveness, the Way of Freedom by Henri Nouwen. You know when you read something and it hits you like a brick in the face? Your first reaction is “Damn, that really hurt!” followed by, “Yeah, I probably deserved/needed that.”  All this to say, you’ve been warned:\r\n\r\n<em>“To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, “I no longer hold your offense against you” <strong>But there is more.</strong> We also free ourselves from the burden of being the “offended one.” As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God.”</em>\r\n\r\nI don’t have a complete definition of what forgiveness is for me but I now know what it looks like in my life and relationships. I no longer cling to anger. I am not defined by what others have done to me or by being a victim of anything. <strong>I am a beloved child of the King. I am free.</strong>','forgiveness ain\'t easy','','inherit','open','open','','1328-revision-7','','','2011-10-27 14:08:37','2011-10-27 21:08:37','',1328,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1328-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(1348,4,'2011-10-27 14:07:22','2011-10-27 21:07:22','“And I’m not going to stand and wait,\r\nNot gonna leave until it’s much too late.\r\nOn a platform, I’m gonna stand and say\r\nthat I’m nothing on my own.  And I love you please come home.”  --  “A Message, by Coldplay\r\n\r\n[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_4hp_KxO48&amp;version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0]\r\n\r\nThe person in the video is one of the Distillery’s (my faith community) Copastors and founders, Carolyn Turnidge, an asset to our little community in Albany.  She brought this song to us as “A Message” so to speak, and we got the message.  But, we got so much more than that.  I apologize that the song starts so abruptly, but our camera operator started the recording a bit late.\r\n\r\nThe idea behind the song for us as a church is that we truly are nothing on our own.  We were meant to be with each other.  I have often heard people say things like “all I need is my Bible and my Heavenly Father to be whole,”  “I don’t listen to anyone but the Holy Spirit,” and “The Bible is the only friend I need.”  All of those statements and statements like them in my experience are false.  As in “not true.”\r\n\r\nWe need each other.  It’s a given.  This is one of those things that God says from the beginning in the simplest of statements, \"It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen 2:18)  God was with “Man” at the time by the way, so what was God talking about?  For the man was certainly not alone with the Holy Trinity by his side day after day.  Was God merely saying that man needs a single partner?  Was he only talking about Eve?  I don’t think so.  What we do know is that God created man (woman) not to be exclusive of other men (women).   In fact he created us to be with others like us.\r\n\r\nJesus himself gathers together 12 disciples.  Twelve people to share his day-to-day with, not to mention all of the folks he surrounded himself with on a regular basis.  Yes there were periods of time that Jesus separated himself from the crowds and the disciples, but for the most part Jesus seems to be saying to humanity, “I am nothing on my own.”\r\n\r\nNow before you get offended, think about it.  On his own, Jesus would have been a no one.  No one would have even known who he was.  He needed the people around him as much as they needed him.  If Jesus did not have such a huge following -- if he was not constantly surrounded by people, the Pharisees would not even have noticed him.  He may not have even been crucified.  \r\n\r\nAlso found in scriptures are the classic lines “Where two or three or gathered in my name, there I will be also,” (Matt 18:20) almost as if to insinuate that God prefers to deal with us in numbers or crowds rather than as single solitary individuals.  There is certainly evidence of this in the scriptures.  In fact there are indications in the early history of the church that the Bible itself was not meant for a single reader scenario but was created and distributed to communities of followers.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday the communities would go through the scriptures together as friends and often times as combative family members when they disagreed.  So it seems to me that Christianity, the Bible, and God are all meant to be approached in groups of people, not as single solitary individuals.\r\n\r\nIt is only in America in the last 60 years or so that we have even heard the words “personal savior” used in relation to Jesus.  The whole concept of a personal savior is exclusively American in that we are all about the individual here aren’t we?  “Personal” property, “Personal” space, “Personal” brand --  these are all American terms born out of capitalism and the idea of independence.  These terms and things associated with them are not bad in and of themselves, but we have to acknowledge that they and the ideas behind them come from our individualistic culture, and did not exist in the time of Jesus.\r\n\r\nBack then everyone shared, worked together for the community’s success, and worshiped together a God of the community, not of the individual.\r\n\r\nSo we come back to Carolyn’s song.  Well, the song by Coldplay I mean.  There is something so beautiful about the kind of desperation in which we approach each other.  Part of the verse says “I am not going to stand and wait,” while the other part says “..not gonna leave until it’s much too late.”  It’s that part of each of us that want to keep whatever dignity we seem to have, while at the same time desperately and almost pathetically we cling to each other.   We are nothing on our own.  We all need each other as much as we need God, and as much as we need the Bible.\r\n\r\nNow you might think that this is an argument for church, or that I am saying that you have to go to church to be a good Christian.  No, I am not saying that.  There are other ways for us to be with each other that do not include church.  For me, my little community of faith gives me the “we” I need in order to approach God and the Bible on a regular basis, for others it may be your work crowd, or your family or a circle of good friends.  What do you think about the whole “Personal Savior” phrase and what do you do as far as being with others that works for you?  Keep in mind that I am not speaking out against personal time with God here, but merely speaking exclusively about community in this post.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','I\'m nothing on my own','','inherit','open','open','','1342-revision-3','','','2011-10-27 14:07:22','2011-10-27 21:07:22','',1342,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1342-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1349,1,'2011-10-27 14:09:59','2011-10-27 21:09:59','Last year I met with a couple of friends for beer and conversation (two of my favorite things!). Let me just preface by saying that at the time neither person I was talking with knew my full life story. Neither has journeyed with me through deep struggles or has seen the way that Christ has transformed me. They only know the Kara they see sitting in front of them today. Yet, I sit here amazed that God showed up and gave me the words to share something that not even the closest of my friends knew at the time.\n\nHere’s what God revealed that day: I can’t define but I can <strong>see</strong> what forgiveness looks like in my life. I can be free from guilt. I don’t fear sharing my life with others because frankly I don’t care if it makes them uncomfortable– being comfortable is for wimps.\n\nOver ten years ago my mother was killed in a car wreck. I guess I should say “accident” but that would require me to believe that there are accidents in life… which I don’t.  I was 16 years old and just starting to figure out who I was. On that hot Texas morning I instantly became a mom figure to my two younger brothers and had to put aside the normal life issues that a teenager deals with. There were more important things to deal with. Of course everyone around my family helped in their own way. People brought dinner to us for over 8 months. Notice I said dinner, not plural. Even now I still can’t look at a chicken casserole without wanting to vomit. Others sent beautiful cards and letters expressing their heartfelt sympathies with phrases like “I understand”, “I know what you’re going through”, “Your mom is in a better place so you shouldn’t feel sad”. Gee, thanks guys.  I had therapists diagnosing me with things like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and my favorite “anger and rebellion issues”.  Please don’t think that I’m not grateful for other people helping my family. I’m beyond grateful for all that the hundreds of compassionate souls did for us. I’ve also come to the conclusion that the best thing you can do for someone in grief is to stop talking and just listen. The best thing anyone did for me during that time was sit next to me and just listen to me cry, scream, and share my thoughts.  I had a running list of reasons why I was mad and justifiably so:\n\n<em>*My mother was dead. I had watched her die.\n</em>\n\n<em>*My father was hurting and I couldn’t fix him. No one could.</em>\n\n<em>*My brothers were only 6 and 10 and would grow up without their mother too. Elijah at 6 years old would never really remember her.</em>\n\n<em>*I didn’t understand why God let this happen. He should have known right?</em>\n\n<em>*This really REALLY screwed up my life. My social life was dead. I had a family to take care of. I couldn’t enjoy high school and therefore chose to just stop going for a few months.</em>\n\nI was royally pissed off and I wanted everyone to know about it. Not understand it, just know it. In the midst of all of this I found myself placing blame on many people. First, my dad for driving our car. Didn’t he see the other driver run the red light? That only lasted until I regained some sort of common sense. Next, I blamed God (this continued in some form for years to come). I blamed myself. I was sitting in the back of the car until 5 minutes before we left our house. My mother insisted that I sit up front with my dad and she would take my place in back. <strong>She took my place.</strong> Ugh. The guilt of thinking “it could have/should have been me” stuck with me for too long. Finally, I landed on the most obvious choice: the man in the other car.  The idiot who didn’t think to pay attention while driving. The drunk driver.\n\nHis name is Robert. For many years I’ve thought about him and instantly felt sick to my stomach. He utterly repulsed me. How could someone take another life and essentially get away with it? He spent no time in jail, never paid a dime in damages. <strong>He was free. I however was not. </strong>The anger and complete desire to never forgive this man honestly drove many of my decisions for the next few years. I was reckless and didn’t care what others thought or how my choices might affect them.\n\nThere’s so much more of the story to share here and although I won’t write it out right now, I did share my complete story, the good bad and really ugly to those 2 friends at a bar last fall. In that moment God said this to me, “Let go, stop running and just forgive Robert.” Really God? Really??? I had to first figure out what forgiveness was and what it wasn’t. <em>Forgiveness is not a pardon</em>. It’s not me saying that what he did to my family was OK, nor is my act of forgiveness based on his ownership of his mistake. I shouldn’t expect for him to one day find  a way to apologize to us. Would that really help? I can’t wait for him to confront me. <strong>This is not about him anymore.  This is about me and God. Period. </strong>My decision to forgive Robert is not based on anything other than my desire to: 1. authentically be who I am 2. grow closer to Jesus 3. feel freedom.\n\nI read <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Journey-Daybook-Wisdom-Faith/dp/0060663766\" target=\"_blank\">this</a> recently which included the following: Forgiveness, the Way of Freedom by Henri Nouwen. You know when you read something and it hits you like a brick in the face? Your first reaction is “Damn, that really hurt!” followed by, “Yeah, I probably deserved/needed that.”  All this to say, you’ve been warned:\n\n<em>“To forgive another person from the heart is an act of liberation. We set that person free from the negative bonds that exist between us. We say, “I no longer hold your offense against you” <strong>But there is more.</strong> We also free ourselves from the burden of being the “offended one.” As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God.”</em>\n\nI don’t have a complete definition of what forgiveness is for me but I now know what it looks like in my life and relationships. I no longer cling to anger. I am not defined by what others have done to me or by being a victim of anything. <strong>I am a beloved child of the King. I am free.</strong>','Forgiveness Ain\'t Easy','','inherit','open','open','','1328-autosave','','','2011-10-27 14:09:59','2011-10-27 21:09:59','',1328,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1328-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(1350,4,'2011-10-27 14:09:32','2011-10-27 21:09:32','“And I’m not going to stand and wait,\r\nNot gonna leave until it’s much too late.\r\nOn a platform, I’m gonna stand and say\r\nthat I’m nothing on my own.  And I love you please come home.”  --  “A Message, by Coldplay\r\n\r\n[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_4hp_KxO48?rel=0&amp;w=500&amp;h=284]\r\n\r\nThe person in the video is one of the Distillery’s (my faith community) Copastors and founders, Carolyn Turnidge, an asset to our little community in Albany.  She brought this song to us as “A Message” so to speak, and we got the message.  But, we got so much more than that.  I apologize that the song starts so abruptly, but our camera operator started the recording a bit late.\r\n\r\nThe idea behind the song for us as a church is that we truly are nothing on our own.  We were meant to be with each other.  I have often heard people say things like “all I need is my Bible and my Heavenly Father to be whole,”  “I don’t listen to anyone but the Holy Spirit,” and “The Bible is the only friend I need.”  All of those statements and statements like them in my experience are false.  As in “not true.”\r\n\r\nWe need each other.  It’s a given.  This is one of those things that God says from the beginning in the simplest of statements, \"It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen 2:18)  God was with “Man” at the time by the way, so what was God talking about?  For the man was certainly not alone with the Holy Trinity by his side day after day.  Was God merely saying that man needs a single partner?  Was he only talking about Eve?  I don’t think so.  What we do know is that God created man (woman) not to be exclusive of other men (women).   In fact he created us to be with others like us.\r\n\r\nJesus himself gathers together 12 disciples.  Twelve people to share his day-to-day with, not to mention all of the folks he surrounded himself with on a regular basis.  Yes there were periods of time that Jesus separated himself from the crowds and the disciples, but for the most part Jesus seems to be saying to humanity, “I am nothing on my own.”\r\n\r\nNow before you get offended, think about it.  On his own, Jesus would have been a no one.  No one would have even known who he was.  He needed the people around him as much as they needed him.  If Jesus did not have such a huge following -- if he was not constantly surrounded by people, the Pharisees would not even have noticed him.  He may not have even been crucified.  \r\n\r\nAlso found in scriptures are the classic lines “Where two or three or gathered in my name, there I will be also,” (Matt 18:20) almost as if to insinuate that God prefers to deal with us in numbers or crowds rather than as single solitary individuals.  There is certainly evidence of this in the scriptures.  In fact there are indications in the early history of the church that the Bible itself was not meant for a single reader scenario but was created and distributed to communities of followers.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday the communities would go through the scriptures together as friends and often times as combative family members when they disagreed.  So it seems to me that Christianity, the Bible, and God are all meant to be approached in groups of people, not as single solitary individuals.\r\n\r\nIt is only in America in the last 60 years or so that we have even heard the words “personal savior” used in relation to Jesus.  The whole concept of a personal savior is exclusively American in that we are all about the individual here aren’t we?  “Personal” property, “Personal” space, “Personal” brand --  these are all American terms born out of capitalism and the idea of independence.  These terms and things associated with them are not bad in and of themselves, but we have to acknowledge that they and the ideas behind them come from our individualistic culture, and did not exist in the time of Jesus.\r\n\r\nBack then everyone shared, worked together for the community’s success, and worshiped together a God of the community, not of the individual.\r\n\r\nSo we come back to Carolyn’s song.  Well, the song by Coldplay I mean.  There is something so beautiful about the kind of desperation in which we approach each other.  Part of the verse says “I am not going to stand and wait,” while the other part says “..not gonna leave until it’s much too late.”  It’s that part of each of us that want to keep whatever dignity we seem to have, while at the same time desperately and almost pathetically we cling to each other.   We are nothing on our own.  We all need each other as much as we need God, and as much as we need the Bible.\r\n\r\nNow you might think that this is an argument for church, or that I am saying that you have to go to church to be a good Christian.  No, I am not saying that.  There are other ways for us to be with each other that do not include church.  For me, my little community of faith gives me the “we” I need in order to approach God and the Bible on a regular basis, for others it may be your work crowd, or your family or a circle of good friends.  What do you think about the whole “Personal Savior” phrase and what do you do as far as being with others that works for you?  Keep in mind that I am not speaking out against personal time with God here, but merely speaking exclusively about community in this post.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','I\'m nothing on my own','','inherit','open','open','','1342-revision-4','','','2011-10-27 14:09:32','2011-10-27 21:09:32','',1342,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1342-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(1792,77,'2011-11-07 07:20:23','2011-11-07 15:20:23','As a teenager, I was one of those kids who hadn\'t a clue what I wanted to be when I grew up. My twenties came and life just kind of happened.  I had opportunities.  I took advantage of them.  I gave it my all.  And life unfolded from there. By the time I was 23 I was in a mid-level retail management position overseeing about 20 employees. And I thought to myself that by the time I was in my thirties I wanted to be a senior level manager in my company with a big profit sharing portfolio on a trajectory toward retirement by my mid-forties.\r\n\r\nAfter learning of the disproportionate number of those managers who ended up dead early of heart attacks or divorced, I opted for a move into another industry in my thirties. As life continued to unfold I looked ahead to my forties with a desire to be successfully self-employed and financially independent.\r\n\r\nI entered my forties over three years ago and today I am neither successfully self-employed nor financially independent.  And with another decade of life well underway I am once again looking ahead to the next milestone, the age of 50, and thinking about where I want to be, where I feel I need to be, when I arrive at that number which at the moment scares the hell out of me.  Fifty?  Me?  No way.\r\n\r\nI am learning something valuable in my forties that I didn’t grasp in the first few decades of life.  And that is the necessity of finding balance and forward momentum in the midst that which is less desirable while longing for my preferred future.  The Chinese call a similar tension in life the Yin Yang.  It is the interconnectedness and interdependence between seemingly polar opposite forces.  Light. Dark. Positive. Negative. Happy. Sad. Difficult. Easy. Complex. Simple.\r\n\r\nTranslated into the Zen of work, it looks something like this.  You know what you were created to do, but circumstances seem to prevent you from doing it.  You know what you are great at.  But real life demands that you devote a lot of time and energy to other things that you aren’t so great at.  You have your dreams.  Yet reality always seems to get in the way causing your dreams to be deferred for perhaps another decade or two, or three, or five.\r\n\r\nSounds frustrating doesn’t it?  It can be.  After a couple of decades, I think most people simply give up.  The ones who do surrender are the ones who misunderstand the nature of Yin Yang.  It isn’t a battle in which negative overcomes positive, or positive overcomes negative.  To the contrary, one is dependent upon and gives rise to the other in turn.  Both are required.  Both are unavoidable.  And the person who finds fulfillment in life and work is the person who learns to cooperate with the negative to bring about the positive and in the midst of the positive is strengthened, prepared, and emboldened to endure the negative that will come in turn.  The Yin Yang symbol demonstrates this interdependence. White on one side (representing light, positive, happy, easy and simple with black on the other representing dark, negative, sad, difficult, and complex.  Yet there is the presence of a black circle in the midst of the white side and the presence of a white circle on the black side.\r\n\r\nSo here you are in the midst of living and working and dreaming about the future.  You may have a very good job with a great company, surrounded by positive, talented people. But you still dream about someday finding that career “sweet spot” wherein it’s nearly impossible to distinguish between work and play.  You have a vision for the thing you’d love to be doing.  But you aren’t there.  You don’t know how to get there.  You keep waiting for all of the stars and planets to align perfectly so you wake up one morning and all you’ve dreamed about is right outside your door waiting for you to step onto the scene.  But life doesn’t happen that way.  Yin. Yang. Tick. Tock.\r\n\r\nLook again at the <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yin_and_Yang.svg\">taijitu symbol</a>.  In the forward portion of the dark side is a circle of light. And herein lies the secret of maintaining forward momentum toward your dream career. Hidden in plain sight within your present reality are daily moments of preparation for the future you dream about.  Remember, the Yin Yang concept does not teach us that one force or one reality conquers the other.  Dark doesn’t conquer light.  Light doesn’t conquer dark.  They interplay and give rise to one another.  Your goal is not to find a means of escape from your present reality to enter the career of your dreams.  Your goal is to undergo hands-on training for the career of your dreams in the midst of your present reality.\r\n\r\nEven if the work you dream about doing bears little resemblance to what you do today, there are basic fundamentals that are common across the entire spectrum of our work.  And mastering those fundamentals is a prerequisite to successfully entering your preferred future.\r\n\r\nWhat will you need to know about people in your dream job?  You can master it in your present job.\r\n\r\nWhat will you need to know about business in your dream job?  You can master it in your present job.\r\n\r\nWhat will you need to know about marketing in your dream job?  You can master it in your present job.\r\n\r\nWhat will you need to know about finance in your dream job?  You can master it in your present job.\r\n\r\nWhat will you need to know about leadership in your dream job?  You can master it in your present job even if leadership isn’t a formal part of your job description.\r\n\r\nAll of these things are common themes in work and business.  Every day that you wake up to do the work that you have to do while waiting to do the work you’d love to do you are presented with  and surrounded by moment after moment, opportunity after opportunity, to prepare for the work of your dreams.  Recognizing those moments and seizing those opportunities will keep your heart and mind in balance with life today as you maintain forward momentum toward what you were created to contribute to this world.','Here Today; Where Tomorrow?','','publish','open','open','','here-today-where-tomorrow','','','2011-11-07 09:18:03','2011-11-07 17:18:03','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=1792',0,'post','',3),(1352,4,'2011-10-27 14:10:03','2011-10-27 21:10:03','“And I’m not going to stand and wait,\r\nNot gonna leave until it’s much too late.\r\nOn a platform, I’m gonna stand and say\r\nthat I’m nothing on my own.  And I love you please come home.”  --  “A Message, by Coldplay\r\n\r\n[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_4hp_KxO48?rel=0]\r\n\r\nThe person in the video is one of the Distillery’s (my faith community) Copastors and founders, Carolyn Turnidge, an asset to our little community in Albany.  She brought this song to us as “A Message” so to speak, and we got the message.  But, we got so much more than that.  I apologize that the song starts so abruptly, but our camera operator started the recording a bit late.\r\n\r\nThe idea behind the song for us as a church is that we truly are nothing on our own.  We were meant to be with each other.  I have often heard people say things like “all I need is my Bible and my Heavenly Father to be whole,”  “I don’t listen to anyone but the Holy Spirit,” and “The Bible is the only friend I need.”  All of those statements and statements like them in my experience are false.  As in “not true.”\r\n\r\nWe need each other.  It’s a given.  This is one of those things that God says from the beginning in the simplest of statements, \"It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen 2:18)  God was with “Man” at the time by the way, so what was God talking about?  For the man was certainly not alone with the Holy Trinity by his side day after day.  Was God merely saying that man needs a single partner?  Was he only talking about Eve?  I don’t think so.  What we do know is that God created man (woman) not to be exclusive of other men (women).   In fact he created us to be with others like us.\r\n\r\nJesus himself gathers together 12 disciples.  Twelve people to share his day-to-day with, not to mention all of the folks he surrounded himself with on a regular basis.  Yes there were periods of time that Jesus separated himself from the crowds and the disciples, but for the most part Jesus seems to be saying to humanity, “I am nothing on my own.”\r\n\r\nNow before you get offended, think about it.  On his own, Jesus would have been a no one.  No one would have even known who he was.  He needed the people around him as much as they needed him.  If Jesus did not have such a huge following -- if he was not constantly surrounded by people, the Pharisees would not even have noticed him.  He may not have even been crucified.  \r\n\r\nAlso found in scriptures are the classic lines “Where two or three or gathered in my name, there I will be also,” (Matt 18:20) almost as if to insinuate that God prefers to deal with us in numbers or crowds rather than as single solitary individuals.  There is certainly evidence of this in the scriptures.  In fact there are indications in the early history of the church that the Bible itself was not meant for a single reader scenario but was created and distributed to communities of followers.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday the communities would go through the scriptures together as friends and often times as combative family members when they disagreed.  So it seems to me that Christianity, the Bible, and God are all meant to be approached in groups of people, not as single solitary individuals.\r\n\r\nIt is only in America in the last 60 years or so that we have even heard the words “personal savior” used in relation to Jesus.  The whole concept of a personal savior is exclusively American in that we are all about the individual here aren’t we?  “Personal” property, “Personal” space, “Personal” brand --  these are all American terms born out of capitalism and the idea of independence.  These terms and things associated with them are not bad in and of themselves, but we have to acknowledge that they and the ideas behind them come from our individualistic culture, and did not exist in the time of Jesus.\r\n\r\nBack then everyone shared, worked together for the community’s success, and worshiped together a God of the community, not of the individual.\r\n\r\nSo we come back to Carolyn’s song.  Well, the song by Coldplay I mean.  There is something so beautiful about the kind of desperation in which we approach each other.  Part of the verse says “I am not going to stand and wait,” while the other part says “..not gonna leave until it’s much too late.”  It’s that part of each of us that want to keep whatever dignity we seem to have, while at the same time desperately and almost pathetically we cling to each other.   We are nothing on our own.  We all need each other as much as we need God, and as much as we need the Bible.\r\n\r\nNow you might think that this is an argument for church, or that I am saying that you have to go to church to be a good Christian.  No, I am not saying that.  There are other ways for us to be with each other that do not include church.  For me, my little community of faith gives me the “we” I need in order to approach God and the Bible on a regular basis, for others it may be your work crowd, or your family or a circle of good friends.  What do you think about the whole “Personal Savior” phrase and what do you do as far as being with others that works for you?  Keep in mind that I am not speaking out against personal time with God here, but merely speaking exclusively about community in this post.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','I\'m nothing on my own','','inherit','open','open','','1342-revision-5','','','2011-10-27 14:10:03','2011-10-27 21:10:03','',1342,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1342-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(1353,4,'2011-10-27 14:24:03','2011-10-27 21:24:03','','Carolyn','','inherit','open','open','','carolyn','','','2011-10-27 14:24:03','2011-10-27 21:24:03','',1342,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Carolyn.gif',0,'attachment','image/gif',0),(1354,4,'2011-10-27 14:14:15','2011-10-27 21:14:15','“And I’m not going to stand and wait,\r\nNot gonna leave until it’s much too late.\r\nOn a platform, I’m gonna stand and say\r\nthat I’m nothing on my own.  And I love you please come home.”  --  “A Message, by Coldplay\r\n\r\n[embed width=500 height=284]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_4hp_KxO48[/embed]\r\n\r\nThe person in the video is one of the Distillery’s (my faith community) Copastors and founders, Carolyn Turnidge, an asset to our little community in Albany.  She brought this song to us as “A Message” so to speak, and we got the message.  But, we got so much more than that.  I apologize that the song starts so abruptly, but our camera operator started the recording a bit late.\r\n\r\nThe idea behind the song for us as a church is that we truly are nothing on our own.  We were meant to be with each other.  I have often heard people say things like “all I need is my Bible and my Heavenly Father to be whole,”  “I don’t listen to anyone but the Holy Spirit,” and “The Bible is the only friend I need.”  All of those statements and statements like them in my experience are false.  As in “not true.”\r\n\r\nWe need each other.  It’s a given.  This is one of those things that God says from the beginning in the simplest of statements, \"It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen 2:18)  God was with “Man” at the time by the way, so what was God talking about?  For the man was certainly not alone with the Holy Trinity by his side day after day.  Was God merely saying that man needs a single partner?  Was he only talking about Eve?  I don’t think so.  What we do know is that God created man (woman) not to be exclusive of other men (women).   In fact he created us to be with others like us.\r\n\r\nJesus himself gathers together 12 disciples.  Twelve people to share his day-to-day with, not to mention all of the folks he surrounded himself with on a regular basis.  Yes there were periods of time that Jesus separated himself from the crowds and the disciples, but for the most part Jesus seems to be saying to humanity, “I am nothing on my own.”\r\n\r\nNow before you get offended, think about it.  On his own, Jesus would have been a no one.  No one would have even known who he was.  He needed the people around him as much as they needed him.  If Jesus did not have such a huge following -- if he was not constantly surrounded by people, the Pharisees would not even have noticed him.  He may not have even been crucified.  \r\n\r\nAlso found in scriptures are the classic lines “Where two or three or gathered in my name, there I will be also,” (Matt 18:20) almost as if to insinuate that God prefers to deal with us in numbers or crowds rather than as single solitary individuals.  There is certainly evidence of this in the scriptures.  In fact there are indications in the early history of the church that the Bible itself was not meant for a single reader scenario but was created and distributed to communities of followers.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday the communities would go through the scriptures together as friends and often times as combative family members when they disagreed.  So it seems to me that Christianity, the Bible, and God are all meant to be approached in groups of people, not as single solitary individuals.\r\n\r\nIt is only in America in the last 60 years or so that we have even heard the words “personal savior” used in relation to Jesus.  The whole concept of a personal savior is exclusively American in that we are all about the individual here aren’t we?  “Personal” property, “Personal” space, “Personal” brand --  these are all American terms born out of capitalism and the idea of independence.  These terms and things associated with them are not bad in and of themselves, but we have to acknowledge that they and the ideas behind them come from our individualistic culture, and did not exist in the time of Jesus.\r\n\r\nBack then everyone shared, worked together for the community’s success, and worshiped together a God of the community, not of the individual.\r\n\r\nSo we come back to Carolyn’s song.  Well, the song by Coldplay I mean.  There is something so beautiful about the kind of desperation in which we approach each other.  Part of the verse says “I am not going to stand and wait,” while the other part says “..not gonna leave until it’s much too late.”  It’s that part of each of us that want to keep whatever dignity we seem to have, while at the same time desperately and almost pathetically we cling to each other.   We are nothing on our own.  We all need each other as much as we need God, and as much as we need the Bible.\r\n\r\nNow you might think that this is an argument for church, or that I am saying that you have to go to church to be a good Christian.  No, I am not saying that.  There are other ways for us to be with each other that do not include church.  For me, my little community of faith gives me the “we” I need in order to approach God and the Bible on a regular basis, for others it may be your work crowd, or your family or a circle of good friends.  What do you think about the whole “Personal Savior” phrase and what do you do as far as being with others that works for you?  Keep in mind that I am not speaking out against personal time with God here, but merely speaking exclusively about community in this post.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','I\'m nothing on my own','','inherit','open','open','','1342-revision-6','','','2011-10-27 14:14:15','2011-10-27 21:14:15','',1342,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1342-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(2370,100,'2011-11-18 09:07:11','2011-11-18 17:07:11','[caption id=\"attachment_2373\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Joshua Hanson\"]<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/joshua-hanson.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-2373\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/joshua-hanson-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis week we talk with Joshua Hanson, one of the founders of Nomad’s Land in Alabama. Nomad’s Land is a 40-acre property that’s becoming a place of rest for weary travelers built around sustainable building and agriculture.\r\n\r\nJoshua talks about his “rock-n-roll” lifestyle following the grateful dead and other bands around the country, ending up meeting with a shaman who bathed him in cow manure and how a group of ex-hippies showed him a love he hadn’t experienced anywhere else.\r\n\r\n[audio http://somethingbeautifulpodcast.com/podcast/111811.mp3]','Something Beautiful - Joshua Hanson','','publish','open','open','','something-beautiful-joshua-hanson','','','2011-11-18 09:07:11','2011-11-18 17:07:11','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=2370',0,'post','',0),(1356,0,'2011-10-27 17:39:39','2011-10-28 00:39:39','The teachings of Jesus Christ, as they relate to social justice and how we priorities our time and focus, to \"Bear one another\'s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.\"  (Galatians 6:2)\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Margaret Ann (\"Maggie\") Schaaf\nAUTHOR EMAIL: margaretanns@gmail.com\nAUTHOR URL: http://www.myheartcry.wordpress.com\nSUBJECT: Provoketive Magazine Writing For Provoketive\nIP: 173.20.245.138\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Margaret Ann (\"Maggie\") Schaaf\n    [Email] =&gt; margaretanns@gmail.com\n    [Existing Blog or Website] =&gt; www.myheartcry.wordpress.com\n    [List the topic you are interested writing about] =&gt; The teachings of Jesus Christ, as they relate to social justice and how we priorities our time and focus, to \"Bear one another\'s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.\"  (Galatians 6:2)\r\n\n    [Current or New WordPress Login Name (We\'ll send you a password.)] =&gt; MyHeartCry\n)\n','Margaret Ann (\"Maggie\") Schaaf - 2011-10-27 17:39:39','','publish','open','open','','a85d0d376f641102684b07c309a10a37','','','2011-10-27 17:39:39','2011-10-28 00:39:39','',358,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=1356',0,'feedback','',0),(1357,0,'2011-10-27 23:30:55','2011-10-28 06:30:55','culture, justice, faith, politics, sports, literature\n<!--more-->\nAUTHOR: Christopher Cocca\nAUTHOR EMAIL: chriscocca@gmail.com\nAUTHOR URL: http://chriscocca.com\nSUBJECT: Provoketive Magazine Writing For Provoketive\nIP: 64.121.69.66\nArray\n(\n    [Name] =&gt; Christopher Cocca\n    [Email] =&gt; chriscocca@gmail.com\n    [Existing Blog or Website] =&gt; chriscocca.com\n    [List the topic you are interested writing about] =&gt; culture, justice, faith, politics, sports, literature \n    [Current or New WordPress Login Name (We\'ll send you a password.)] =&gt; christophercocca\n)\n','Christopher Cocca - 2011-10-27 23:30:55','','publish','open','open','','17b3b9fcdb033c1f8b44b7786ee9679c','','','2011-10-27 23:30:55','2011-10-28 06:30:55','',358,'http://provoketive.com/?post_type=feedback&p=1357',0,'feedback','',0),(1798,1,'2011-11-08 09:39:11','2011-11-08 17:39:11','<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/perception.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1799\" title=\"perception\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/perception.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"567\" height=\"422\" /></a>\r\n\r\nCopyright Rainer Galea, <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/pages/fluid-ink/121128974566421\">Fluid Ink</a>','Fluid Ink ','','publish','open','open','','fluid-ink','','','2011-11-08 09:39:11','2011-11-08 17:39:11','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=1798',0,'post','',0),(1360,64,'2011-10-28 10:56:17','2011-10-28 17:56:17','<div>\r\n\r\nFeminism to me is the crazy belief that women and men are both created in God’s image and that each of us deserves a life of freedom and opportunity inside or outside the Church.\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<strong>It began like any other day by </strong><strong>logging on to the internet, as I gratefully sipped my coffee and slowly woke up.</strong>\r\n\r\nScouring various sources, I saw a new book on women was out titled <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F1414337302%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26tag%3Dhansresodevei-20%26linkCode%3Das2%26camp%3D217145%26creative%3D399373%26creativeASIN%3D1414337302&amp;h=cAQF09IvWAQHLC8jkQwJq03PMm3_t4ngP4ePDIj1gc6-nYg\" target=\"_blank\">The Resignation of Eve: What If Adam\'s Rib Is No Longer Willing to Be the Church\'s Backbone?</a> (I have to admit that is a clever title.)  It has women’s stories of their experiences in the Church written <em>by a man</em>?  Giving it very little further thought, I wrote this comment on Facebook:\r\n<blockquote>“While I find it highly ironic that it requires a man to tell these women\'s stories to in order for them to be heard, and though I have not obviously read this book since it is not yet out, still there must be something important here if he does as he alleges and has <em>listened to women</em> talk about their experience in the Church.   It seems sketchy to me though ...”</blockquote>\r\nI copied a few friends and that began the banter, then a lively discussion about women and access, why women don’t trust their own voices, why it takes a man for women’s stories to be \"heard\", how men (may) self-promote more than women, and why the only thing women are invited to write and speak on are soft topics, and we even discussed our theological grounding for our perspectives.  It was <em>much</em> more civil than many internet discussions, as several of my friends across the globe, and locally, began to discuss!\r\n\r\n<strong>But I have to go back, even further.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis story really began a few weeks ago as I sat perched on the edge of my chair, once again at the computer.  I was trying to gather my thoughts.  Sighing deeply and knowing that being on the computer was the last thing I needed.  I needed time alone.\r\n\r\n<strong>And the<em> </em><em>lack of it</em><em> </em>was weighing heavily on my spirit. </strong> I knew that what I really needed was to turn it all off, especially the technological barrage, and find – time – to – think.  And <em>not</em> time while doing last night\'s dishes, or throwing another load in, or while picking up the endless socks, books and dog toys.  <em>Not</em> time driving my son to the doctor or waiting.  Time spent on the responsibilities of home life can be a meditation, but <em>not</em> what I needed.\r\n\r\n<strong>I needed noiseless, exclusive solitary time with Yahweh.  </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong></strong>How often do we really find this kind of time? I cannot underscore how important solitary thinking time is for me spiritually and creatively.  It helps me be less impulsive.  It centers me.  It makes the anxiety, anger, and disappointments of life fade away, lacking the importance I might have given them.  My priorities sift and sort and I am more circumspect.  In that place, I find my quavering voice.\r\n\r\n<strong>Here’s what I had been thinking about.  </strong>When it all first occurred I definitely tried to ignore it.  I kept thinking how <em>obsessive</em> I was being.  I kept telling myself I was being ridiculous, absurd, unreasonable, and even disagreeable.  Doubting my own inner voice is a frequent problem that I have.  I had tried to ignore the nagging voice inside me until finally I accepted that this was not going away!\r\n\r\n<strong>I\'ve been thinking about</strong> <strong>the lack of </strong><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">presence and example</span></strong><strong> of</strong> <strong>women in <em>the Church</em>.</strong><strong>  That Sunday at my church in particular, women were </strong><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">simply spectators</span></em></strong><strong>, the audience, the bystanders, the recipients and beneficiaries.  </strong>\r\n\r\nAnd the more I thought I could not remember the last time one of the teaching pastors suggested a book they were reading written by a woman.  Women are never quoted in my church.  Female theologians or scholars are never referenced or even mentioned, probably because the pastors don’t read them.  I can\'t remember the last time, if ever, a pastor in my church has suggested or referred to or quoted a female theologian, religious author, or historian.  <em>Am I the only one that notices these things?</em>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>T</em><em>he entire thing</em><em> </em></strong><em><strong>makes me very sad</strong></em><strong>.  And so tired. <strong> I am tired of the male dominated culture on the platform, as authors, as experts, as theologians, as speakers at conferences and in the Church at large. </strong></strong>Considering women are half the church (some would say more) I do not buy the argument that there aren\'t capable women to select from, though I\'ve been told that very thing.  \"The women haven\'t risen up who have the gift of teaching.\"\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Risen up</em><em>?</em></strong>   To be honest, one would think in a service-by-gifts based church there must not<em> be</em> any qualified gifted female teachers.   I attend an EFCA church of 5,000. You do the math.\r\n\r\nI would guess that many people, but especially women, will not put themselves forward (i.e. rise up) because of self-doubt, true humility or a combination of motivations.\r\n\r\nI think it is very likely that <em>there are</em> gifted, wise articulate women who are not yet comfortable with their own voice, but have natural instincts for leadership or teaching that could be taught, mentored, helped to find their voice.  Who knows?\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Will we ever know if they are not given the opportunity? And what a loss not to hear from them!  </em></strong>\r\n\r\nI believe it harms us to rarely hear the spiritual voices of women and for me personally, it hampers my faith and my journey with Christ.  Thank God that we have the example of Jesus who took risks for women, ministered with, received from and listened to women.  He was our example of reconciliation and grace in the lives of women.  If only the church modeled their behavior toward women after Jesus. Sadly the Church is ignoring the stories of women in the Bible, and of women historically and in the Church worldwide today.  Women have been actively participating in the work of the church since its inception.  Women are missionaries, teaching in seminaries, running nonprofits and leading in higher education.  Women are writing and want to write on more than “soft or women’s issues.”  But in the Church women are still finding their voice.\r\n\r\n<strong>I have to confess that I do not want my feminist radar (that\'s what my daughter calls it) to always go off in church.</strong>  It is distracting, sometimes painful and it is utterly exhausting.  It steals some of the joy out of my spiritual life, like recently when we attended a one man show at church.  The actor introduced us to eight characters (both in the Bible and fictional) who had met Jesus.  It was powerful.  <a title=\"Curt Cloninger\" href=\"http://curtcloninger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Curt Cloninger</a> is supremely talented.  Sadly, in the entire two and a half hour show, women were invisible – utterly missing – other than being mentioned as briefly as whores and spinsters.  I tried hard, I really did.  I used all kind of energy that night trying to forget that I was <em>the invisible woman</em> and simply experience the show.  And it worked -- almost.\r\n\r\nYes, I tire of voicing what I believe.  And I have considered asking God to take it away – this feminist awareness – to either shut it up or get me out – but for now I stay.  And I continue to work to find my voice and listen, getting those times alone so that I can have something solid to say with a circumspect and healthy heart.  I hold on tight to Jesus in those moments when I want to quit the Church.  And I consider that as long as I can think out loud on my <strong><a title=\"Logic and Imagination\" href=\"http://logicandimagination.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">blog</a></strong> and places like <strong>Provoketive</strong> and as long as I have a few people in my life that I can express my pain and rancor to, I\'ll survive, for now.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo Credit: <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/llimaorosa/1351327769/\" target=\"_blank\">Llima Orosa</a></em>','The Voice Of The Feminine','','inherit','open','open','','1258-revision-5','','','2011-10-28 10:56:17','2011-10-28 17:56:17','',1258,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/28/1258-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(1359,64,'2011-10-26 15:17:00','2011-10-26 22:17:00','<div>\r\n\r\nFeminism to me is the crazy belief that women and men are both created in God’s image and that each of us deserves a life of freedom and opportunity inside or outside the Church.\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<strong>It began like any other day by </strong><strong>logging on to the internet, as I gratefully sipped my coffee and slowly woke up.</strong>\r\n\r\nScouring various sources, I saw a new book on women was out titled <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F1414337302%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26tag%3Dhansresodevei-20%26linkCode%3Das2%26camp%3D217145%26creative%3D399373%26creativeASIN%3D1414337302&amp;h=cAQF09IvWAQHLC8jkQwJq03PMm3_t4ngP4ePDIj1gc6-nYg\" target=\"_blank\">The Resignation of Eve: What If Adam\'s Rib Is No Longer Willing to Be the Church\'s Backbone?</a> (I have to admit that is a clever title.)  It has women’s stories of their experiences in the Church written <em>by a man</em>?  Giving it very little further thought, I wrote this comment on Facebook:\r\n<blockquote>“While I find it highly ironic that it requires a man to tell these women\'s stories to in order for them to be heard, and though I have not obviously read this book since it is not yet out, still there must be something important here if he does as he alleges and has <em>listened to women</em> talk about their experience in the Church.   It seems sketchy to me though ...”</blockquote>\r\nI copied a few friends and that began the banter, then a lively discussion about women and access, why women don’t trust their own voices, why it takes a man for women’s stories to be \"heard\", how men (may) self-promote more than women, and why the only thing women are invited to write and speak on are soft topics, and we even discussed our theological grounding for our perspectives.  It was <em>much</em> more civil than many internet discussions, as several of my friends across the globe, and locally, began to discuss!\r\n\r\n<strong>But I have to go back, even further.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis story really began a few weeks ago as I sat perched on the edge of my chair, once again at the computer.  I was trying to gather my thoughts.  Sighing deeply and knowing that being on the computer was the last thing I needed.  I needed time alone.\r\n\r\n<strong>And the<em> </em><em>lack of it</em><em> </em>was weighing heavily on my spirit. </strong> I knew that what I really needed was to turn it all off, especially the technological barrage, and find – time – to – think.  And <em>not</em> time while doing last night\'s dishes, or throwing another load in, or while picking up the endless socks, books and dog toys.  <em>Not</em> time driving my son to the doctor or waiting.  Time spent on the responsibilities of home life can be a meditation, but <em>not</em> what I needed.\r\n\r\n<strong>I needed noiseless, exclusive solitary time with Yahweh.  </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong></strong>How often do we really find this kind of time? I cannot underscore how important solitary thinking time is for me spiritually and creatively.  It helps me be less impulsive.  It centers me.  It makes the anxiety, anger, and disappointments of life fade away, lacking the importance I might have given them.  My priorities sift and sort and I am more circumspect.  In that place, I find my quavering voice.\r\n\r\n<strong>Here’s what I had been thinking about.  </strong>When it all first occurred I definitely tried to ignore it.  I kept thinking how <em>obsessive</em> I was being.  I kept telling myself I was being ridiculous, absurd, unreasonable, and even disagreeable.  Doubting my own inner voice is a frequent problem that I have.  I had tried to ignore the nagging voice inside me until finally I accepted that this was not going away!\r\n\r\n<strong>I\'ve been thinking about</strong> <strong>the lack of </strong><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">presence and example</span></strong><strong> of</strong> <strong>women in <em>the Church</em>.</strong><strong>  That Sunday at my church in particular, women were </strong><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">simply spectators</span></em></strong><strong>, the audience, the bystanders, the recipients and beneficiaries.  </strong>\r\n\r\nAnd the more I thought I could not remember the last time one of the teaching pastors suggested a book they were reading written by a woman.  Women are never quoted in my church.  Female theologians or scholars are never referenced or even mentioned, probably because the pastors don’t read them.  I can\'t remember the last time, if ever, a pastor in my church has suggested or referred to or quoted a female theologian, religious author, or historian.  <em>Am I the only one that notices these things?</em>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>T</em><em>he entire thing</em><em> </em></strong><em><strong>makes me very sad</strong></em><strong>.  And so tired. <strong> I am tired of the male dominated culture on the platform, as authors, as experts, as theologians, as speakers at conferences and in the Church at large. </strong></strong>Considering women are half the church (some would say more) I do not buy the argument that there aren\'t capable women to select from, though I\'ve been told that very thing.  \"The women haven\'t risen up who have the gift of teaching.\"\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Risen up</em><em>?</em></strong>   To be honest, one would think in a service-by-gifts based church there must not<em> be</em> any qualified gifted female teachers.   I attend an EFCA church of 5,000. You do the math.\r\n\r\nI would guess that many people, but especially women, will not put themselves forward (i.e. rise up) because of self-doubt, true humility or a combination of motivations.\r\n\r\nI think it is very likely that <em>there are</em> gifted, wise articulate women who are not yet comfortable with their own voice, but have natural instincts for leadership or teaching that could be taught, mentored, helped to find their voice.  Who knows?\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Will we ever know if they are not given the opportunity? And what a loss not to hear from them!  </em></strong>\r\n\r\nI believe it harms us to rarely hear the spiritual voices of women and for me personally, it hampers my faith and my journey with Christ.  Thank God that we have the example of Jesus who took risks for women, ministered with, received from and listened to women.  He was our example of reconciliation and grace in the lives of women.  If only the church modeled their behavior toward women after Jesus. Sadly the Church is ignoring the stories of women in the Bible, and of women historically and in the Church worldwide today.  Women have been actively participating in the work of the church since its inception.  Women are missionaries, teaching in seminaries, running nonprofits and leading in higher education.  Women are writing and want to write on more than “soft or women’s issues.”  But in the Church women are still finding their voice.\r\n\r\n<strong>I have to confess that I do not want my feminist radar (that\'s what my daughter calls it) to always go off in church.</strong>  It is distracting, sometimes painful and it is utterly exhausting.  It steals some of the joy out of my spiritual life, like recently when we attended a one man show at church.  The actor introduced us to eight characters (both in the Bible and fictional) who had met Jesus.  It was powerful.  <a title=\"Curt Cloninger\" href=\"http://curtcloninger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Curt Cloninger</a> is supremely talented.  Sadly, in the entire two and a half hour show, women were invisible – utterly missing – other than being mentioned as briefly as whores and spinsters.  I tried hard, I really did.  I used all kind of energy that night trying to forget that I was <em>the invisible woman</em> and simply experience the show.  And it worked -- almost.\r\n\r\nYes, I tire of voicing what I believe.  And I have considered asking God to take it away – this feminist awareness – to either shut it up or get me out – but for now I stay.  And I continue to work to find my voice and listen, getting those times alone so that I can have something solid to say with a circumspect and healthy heart.  I hold on tight to Jesus in those moments when I want to quit the Church.  And I consider that as long as I can think out loud on my <strong><a title=\"Logic and Imagination\" href=\"http://logicandimagination.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">blog</a></strong> and places like <strong>Provoketive</strong> and as long as I have a few people in my life that I can express my pain and rancor to, I\'ll survive, for now.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo Credit: <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/llimaorosa/1351327769/\" target=\"_blank\">Llima Orosa</a></em>','The Voice Of The Feminine','','inherit','open','open','','1258-revision-4','','','2011-10-26 15:17:00','2011-10-26 22:17:00','',1258,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1258-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(1361,1,'2011-10-28 10:57:24','2011-10-28 17:57:24','<div>\r\n\r\nFeminism to me is the crazy belief that women and men are both created in God’s image and that each of us deserves a life of freedom and opportunity inside or outside the Church.\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<strong>It began like any other day by </strong><strong>logging on to the internet, as I gratefully sipped my coffee and slowly woke up.</strong>\r\n\r\nScouring various sources, I saw a new book on women was out titled <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F1414337302%2Fref%3Das_li_ss_tl%3Fie%3DUTF8%26tag%3Dhansresodevei-20%26linkCode%3Das2%26camp%3D217145%26creative%3D399373%26creativeASIN%3D1414337302&amp;h=cAQF09IvWAQHLC8jkQwJq03PMm3_t4ngP4ePDIj1gc6-nYg\" target=\"_blank\">The Resignation of Eve: What If Adam\'s Rib Is No Longer Willing to Be the Church\'s Backbone?</a> (I have to admit that is a clever title.)  It has women’s stories of their experiences in the Church written <em>by a man</em>?  Giving it very little further thought, I wrote this comment on Facebook:\r\n<blockquote>“While I find it highly ironic that it requires a man to tell these women\'s stories to in order for them to be heard, and though I have not obviously read this book since it is not yet out, still there must be something important here if he does as he alleges and has <em>listened to women</em> talk about their experience in the Church.   It seems sketchy to me though ...”</blockquote>\r\nI copied a few friends and that began the banter, then a lively discussion about women and access, why women don’t trust their own voices, why it takes a man for women’s stories to be \"heard\", how men (may) self-promote more than women, and why the only thing women are invited to write and speak on are soft topics, and we even discussed our theological grounding for our perspectives.  It was <em>much</em> more civil than many internet discussions, as several of my friends across the globe, and locally, began to discuss!\r\n\r\n<strong>But I have to go back, even further.</strong>\r\n\r\nThis story really began a few weeks ago as I sat perched on the edge of my chair, once again at the computer.  I was trying to gather my thoughts.  Sighing deeply and knowing that being on the computer was the last thing I needed.  I needed time alone.\r\n\r\n<strong>And the<em> </em><em>lack of it</em><em> </em>was weighing heavily on my spirit. </strong> I knew that what I really needed was to turn it all off, especially the technological barrage, and find – time – to – think.  And <em>not</em> time while doing last night\'s dishes, or throwing another load in, or while picking up the endless socks, books and dog toys.  <em>Not</em> time driving my son to the doctor or waiting.  Time spent on the responsibilities of home life can be a meditation, but <em>not</em> what I needed.\r\n\r\n<strong>I needed noiseless, exclusive solitary time with Yahweh.  </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong></strong>How often do we really find this kind of time? I cannot underscore how important solitary thinking time is for me spiritually and creatively.  It helps me be less impulsive.  It centers me.  It makes the anxiety, anger, and disappointments of life fade away, lacking the importance I might have given them.  My priorities sift and sort and I am more circumspect.  In that place, I find my quavering voice.\r\n\r\n<strong>Here’s what I had been thinking about.  </strong>When it all first occurred I definitely tried to ignore it.  I kept thinking how <em>obsessive</em> I was being.  I kept telling myself I was being ridiculous, absurd, unreasonable, and even disagreeable.  Doubting my own inner voice is a frequent problem that I have.  I had tried to ignore the nagging voice inside me until finally I accepted that this was not going away!\r\n\r\n<strong>I\'ve been thinking about</strong> <strong>the lack of </strong><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">presence and example</span></strong><strong> of</strong> <strong>women in <em>the Church</em>.</strong><strong>  That Sunday at my church in particular, women were </strong><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">simply spectators</span></em></strong><strong>, the audience, the bystanders, the recipients and beneficiaries.  </strong>\r\n\r\nAnd the more I thought I could not remember the last time one of the teaching pastors suggested a book they were reading written by a woman.  Women are never quoted in my church.  Female theologians or scholars are never referenced or even mentioned, probably because the pastors don’t read them.  I can\'t remember the last time, if ever, a pastor in my church has suggested or referred to or quoted a female theologian, religious author, or historian.  <em>Am I the only one that notices these things?</em>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>T</em><em>he entire thing</em><em> </em></strong><em><strong>makes me very sad</strong></em><strong>.  And so tired. <strong> I am tired of the male dominated culture on the platform, as authors, as experts, as theologians, as speakers at conferences and in the Church at large. </strong></strong>Considering women are half the church (some would say more) I do not buy the argument that there aren\'t capable women to select from, though I\'ve been told that very thing.  \"The women haven\'t risen up who have the gift of teaching.\"\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Risen up</em><em>?</em></strong>   To be honest, one would think in a service-by-gifts based church there must not<em> be</em> any qualified gifted female teachers.   I attend an EFCA church of 5,000. You do the math.\r\n\r\nI would guess that many people, but especially women, will not put themselves forward (i.e. rise up) because of self-doubt, true humility or a combination of motivations.\r\n\r\nI think it is very likely that <em>there are</em> gifted, wise articulate women who are not yet comfortable with their own voice, but have natural instincts for leadership or teaching that could be taught, mentored, helped to find their voice.  Who knows?\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Will we ever know if they are not given the opportunity? And what a loss not to hear from them!  </em></strong>\r\n\r\nI believe it harms us to rarely hear the spiritual voices of women and for me personally, it hampers my faith and my journey with Christ.  Thank God that we have the example of Jesus who took risks for women, ministered with, received from and listened to women.  He was our example of reconciliation and grace in the lives of women.  If only the church modeled their behavior toward women after Jesus. Sadly the Church is ignoring the stories of women in the Bible, and of women historically and in the Church worldwide today.  Women have been actively participating in the work of the church since its inception.  Women are missionaries, teaching in seminaries, running nonprofits and leading in higher education.  Women are writing and want to write on more than “soft or women’s issues.”  But in the Church women are still finding their voice.\r\n\r\n<strong>I have to confess that I do not want my feminist radar (that\'s what my daughter calls it) to always go off in church.</strong>  It is distracting, sometimes painful and it is utterly exhausting.  It steals some of the joy out of my spiritual life, like recently when we attended a one man show at church.  The actor introduced us to eight characters (both in the Bible and fictional) who had met Jesus.  It was powerful.  <a title=\"Curt Cloninger\" href=\"http://curtcloninger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Curt Cloninger</a> is supremely talented.  Sadly, in the entire two and a half hour show, women were invisible – utterly missing – other than being mentioned as briefly as whores and spinsters.  I tried hard, I really did.  I used all kind of energy that night trying to forget that I was <em>the invisible woman</em> and simply experience the show.  And it worked -- almost.\r\n\r\nYes, I tire of voicing what I believe.  And I have considered asking God to take it away – this feminist awareness – to either shut it up or get me out – but for now I stay.  And I continue to work to find my voice and listen, getting those times alone so that I can have something solid to say with a circumspect and healthy heart.  I hold on tight to Jesus in those moments when I want to quit the Church.  And I consider that as long as I can think out loud on my <strong><a title=\"Logic and Imagination\" href=\"http://logicandimagination.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">blog</a></strong> and places like <strong>Provoketive</strong> and as long as I have a few people in my life that I can express my pain and rancor to, I\'ll survive, for now.\r\n\r\n<em>Photo Credit: <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/llimaorosa/1351327769/\" target=\"_blank\">Llima Orosa</a></em>','The Voice Of The Feminine','','inherit','open','open','','1258-revision-6','','','2011-10-28 10:57:24','2011-10-28 17:57:24','',1258,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/28/1258-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(1362,1,'2011-10-25 22:24:16','2011-10-26 05:24:16','<em>This is part three in my series about the six reasons why I left the church based off of the article \"<a href=\"http://www.barna.org/teens-next-gen-articles/528-six-reasons-young-christians-leave-church\" target=\"_blank\">Six Reasons Why Young Christians Leave Church</a>\" by the Barna Group. Now, I realize that there are vast differences between when and how guys and girls first experience sexuality, so this by no means is to be a blanket generalization for anyone.</em>\r\n\r\n<em>Miss the first two parts of this series? Read <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2011/10/23/where-the-church-lost-me-i/\" target=\"_blank\">part one</a> and <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/2011/10/23/where-the-church-lost-me-ii/\" target=\"_blank\">part two</a>.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>Reason #4: “Young Christians’ church experiences related to sexuality are often simplistic, judgmental.”</strong>\r\n\r\nOne of my favorite bloggers, Christian Piatt, wrote about this recently on <a href=\"http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christianpiatt/2011/10/sex-is-dirty-save-it-for-marriage/\" target=\"_blank\">his blog</a>:\r\n<blockquote>\"Amy and I speak to youth and young adults pretty often about something we call embodied spirituality. The idea is that, contrary to what you may have learned in the past, you do not have to de-sexualize yourself to be a good person – even at church. We’re told in some ways that sex is a dirty thing, and that our bodies are something to be ashamed of. But then we also get the message that sex is something special to save for marriage. Something about these two values doesn’t match up.\"</blockquote>\r\n<a href=\"http://behappyhealthywhole.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">My sister</a> and I were talking about this recently and she said:\r\n<blockquote>“There’s a difference between protecting and isolating.”</blockquote>\r\nUp until I was about 18 I was almost unaware that I was not simply a brain walking around. I don’t mean that literally, but things like lust and sexual thoughts were just theoretical issues. While my ex-boyfriend and I were in our long-distance relationship, he sent me a picture of him wearing a new outfit. I don’t remember what it was exactly, but I think it was a new suit coat or something. I said he looked “snazzy”. He was immediately offended because he was looking for a word with a little bit more heat. He asked me one night why it wasn’t natural for me to use words like “sexy” and “hot”. I explained that I had essentially turned all that off because growing up in church I was always told that anything to do with the body was sinful.\r\n\r\nOnce a year, there was a three week long purity series where the Sunday school class was split up by guys and girls. (Funnily enough, nothing made me want the guys back together with us more than this annual series. <em>Just make it stop!</em>) This Sunday school course was the most awkward thing in church since clapping. (What is this \"rhythm\" you speak of?)\r\n\r\nFirstly, the female leaders who ran the series couldn’t say the word “sex”. For a while they said “ex” and then eventually avoided it all together by referring to it as “it”. This does not setup a good precedence for an honest conversation. I get it: it’s awkward to talk about that post-movie hotness you had with your spouse the other night with teenage girls that seem like little bright-eyed deer that shouldn\'t have to deal with this messy, acutely intimate thing called sex. And while church may not be the place to teach about sex, the youth sponsors talked as if they were not just taking on the role of our mentor in the church place but also in the rest of our lives. So, unfortunately, sex questions fall under that category. Aside from my parents, you are the set of adults I see the most. Lead with honesty and frankness.\r\n\r\nNext was the “modest clothing demonstration”. The girl they used to model the outfit was built just like me (six feet tall, thin frame). They bought a full outfit for her that was a size small. It fit her well; the outfit wasn’t too tight and it fit her frame nicely. But explained then the leaders demonstrated how this outfit was indecent because if you reach your shoulders and arms as high as you can with zero regard to your shirt it <em>may</em> show a tiny bit of skin. Or how if you bend in half with your legs straight (which no girl I know does this anyway) you<em>might</em> see a bit of her back. So then the model left the room and changed into the same outfit but with all the items one size up. This time the outfit clearly didn’t work. You could tell neither piece was the right size because it didn’t lay correctly or fit in the right places, but this outfit was praised as modest, beautiful, and how all good young women should dress.\r\n\r\nThe message was clear: the second, less fitting, one size too large outfit was much godlier. God doesn’t want your clothes to fit. Loose clothing, like cleanliness, is next to godliness! If you look and feel good in your own clothing you’re making the boys stumble. Cut it out.\r\n\r\nNot only were there messages of de-sexualization (women, your bodies are the manifestation of temptation so to be really godly you need to wear parkas), but there were very blatant mistakes in the material of the lessons. There was The List. The List detailed all the physical steps through to actual intercourse. It was a list of eight items starting at “hand holding”. It was designed to show that if you get to step number four with guy A, you are going to want to jump to step four with guy B. That makes sense. What didn’t make sense was that “heavy petting” was number six and the last physical step that two people commit before inserting tab A into slot B was “hugging”. HUGGING. (I wish I was joking.) If hugging is the last step before sexin’, then I have definitely been around (<a href=\"http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljj7z5fHsr1qdf6w8o1_250.gif\">if you know what I mean</a>).\r\n\r\nOutside of the purity series, this fear of anything sexual showed up in places like our non-dancing prom (because dancing requires you use your hips, and hips are sinful): Senior Banquet. We were endlessly told we were not allowed to wear strapless dresses. Reason being? “The boys will wonder where your bra is.” I told this to my friend <a href=\"http://theawesomeproject.net/\" target=\"_blank\">Drew</a> and he responded, “Well yeah, but that’s purely academic!” Plunging necklines? Fine. Dresses so tight they may as well have been air brushed? Fine. But don\'t you <em>dare</em> let those boys think that there are such things as strapless bras in this country or have a modest neckline by not showing cleavage!\r\n\r\nThe message was reinforced in literature as well. I specifically remember reading several sob stories about sex in the Christian girl’s magazine Brio (by Focus on the Family). The stories always included the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The phrase “all the way.” Example: “I never thought that I would go all the way with a guy.”</li>\r\n	<li>The <em>girl</em> must be uncomfortable or unsure and the <em>guy</em> must be pressuring her. Example: “I knew it was wrong, but he kept unbuttoning my shirt and told me to relax.”</li>\r\n	<li>The phrase “it just happened”. They are sure to insinuate that if you kiss someone, even just a little, your body will go into a frenzied auto-pilot and you will have manic sex against your will. Example: “I never thought I would get pregnant and I never thought I would have premarital sex, but it just happened…” Cue mournful voice. Like <a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425210/\" target=\"_blank\">Slevin</a> said after his girlfriend claimed that her infidelity was an accident: “What like… He tripped, you fell?” (Maybe he Kansas City Shuffled his way into her pants. You never know with that movie.)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nIf these had all be isolated incidents it might not have been so bad, but altogether these things told me that my body was something to be ashamed of. Anything that made me feel confident or beautiful was me bringing my brother down. The only thing I knew to do was be afraid and suppress anything corporeal.\r\n\r\nNow, for all intents and purposes, this works to the leaders’ advantage. It did keep me from promiscuity through high school (and I am trying to learn to be thankful for that) but it did for all the wrong reasons. It wasn’t because I had been informed and was making smart decisions; it was because I was operating solely out of fear and ignorance. It’s fine when you’re 15 and you don\'t instinctively describe something as \"steamy\". What’s not okay is when you’re not far from getting married and you have to suddenly have to turn all of those signals back on that you spent the first 18-20 years of your life ignoring. After being told that your body is sinful over and over, how do you transition to wild, mind-blowing sex? Talk about major signal confusion. Through age 18: sex is sinful, God hates sex! By the time you get married: sex is great, have lots of it! This is a common problem for newlywed Christians. They have no healthy respect or understanding of their bodies and suddenly they are supposed to know what they like in bed and how to fulfill their partner’s desires too? (Some friends of mine started <a href=\"http://couplingforcouples.blogspot.com/?zx=3bbe204db1a81e96\" target=\"_blank\">a blog</a> about this very subject to help unprepared people work through this.)\r\n\r\nIf you have a kid in your life that’s approaching the age where you need to start talking about stuff like this, consider finding ways to express to them the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The body is an amazing thing. There are reasons why people create nude statues out of marble. It’s not because they love porn. It’s because the human body is an incredibly beautiful, intricate, glorious thing. Don’t be afraid of it.</li>\r\n	<li>Sex is biological. Like hunger and thirst, the need to be sexual and to have sexual encounters with another person is part of what you are made to do. This is absolutely normal.</li>\r\n	<li>Just because sex is biological doesn’t mean you need to exploit it or doing anything before you are ready to handle the consequences and how your life will be changed by it.</li>\r\n	<li>You are not just a body. While sexual thoughts and impulses are completely normal, you have the ability to control what you choose to do with them. Despite popular belief, the opposite sex can control all those things too.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThis is just for starters, and I have no idea how I’ll handle this conversation with my kids, but I know I’ll start there because I don’t want them to get on the other side of this issue and feel unprepared. I want them to have healthy attitudes towards their own bodies and other peoples’.\r\n\r\n<em>Next I\'ll be talking about how the church is unfriendly towards those who doubt.</em>','Where the Church Lost Me: Part III','','inherit','open','open','','1052-revision-7','','','2011-10-25 22:24:16','2011-10-26 05:24:16','',1052,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/25/1052-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(1363,1,'2011-10-26 09:10:48','2011-10-26 16:10:48','A five-part series exploring the tensions of church life, by <a href=\"../author/deannaogle/\">Deanna Ogle</a>.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://wp.me/p1CKLQ-gJ\">Where the Church Lost Me: Part 1: Shallow and Antagonistic</a>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"../2011/10/26/where-the-church-lost-me-part-ii/\">Where the Church Lost Me: Part 2: Exclusivity</a>\r\n\r\nWhere the Church Lost Me: Part 3: Simplistic Sexuality\r\n\r\nWhere the Church Lost Me: Part 4:\r\n\r\nWhere the Church Lost Me: Part 5:','Where The Church Lost Me','','inherit','open','open','','1241-revision-5','','','2011-10-26 09:10:48','2011-10-26 16:10:48','',1241,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/26/1241-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(1366,1,'2011-10-28 13:35:02','2011-10-28 20:35:02','Today is a rather profound day for women in the world and it just might go unnoticed. Reuters is reporting that the British Monarch has <a href=\"http://news.yahoo.com/girl-british-royal-succession-rules-change-104444789.html\" target=\"_blank\">changed it\'s rules regarding succession</a>. Commonwealth leaders agreed to drop rules that give sons precedence as heir to the throne. In other words, if Prince William and his wife Kate have a girl, she can become the ruling monarch.  Under the old rules, a younger brother would be given precedence.\n\nBritish Prime Minister David Cameron called the rules of succession outdated.\n<blockquote>\"The idea that a younger son should become monarch instead of an elder daughter simply because he is a man, or that a future monarch can marry someone of any faith except a Catholic, this way of thinking is at odds with the modern countries that we\'ve all become.\"</blockquote>\nWhat is interesting about the post-modern age is that many deeply held traditions are being overturned.  And the excuse given is that it is simply outdated.  But does outdated mean it was wrong in the first place or has simply outlived it\'s usefulness?\n\nAnd what does this say to the women of the world?  Is it recognition or redemption for something that should have happened a long time ago?\n\nWhat do you think?','British Royal Changes It\'s Rule For Women','','inherit','open','open','','1364-revision','','','2011-10-28 13:35:02','2011-10-28 20:35:02','',1364,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/28/1364-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1367,1,'2011-10-28 13:35:14','2011-10-28 20:35:14','Today is a rather profound day for women in the world and it just might go unnoticed. Reuters is reporting that the British Monarch has <a href=\"http://news.yahoo.com/girl-british-royal-succession-rules-change-104444789.html\" target=\"_blank\">changed it\'s rules regarding succession</a>. Commonwealth leaders agreed to drop rules that give sons precedence as heir to the throne. In other words, if Prince William and his wife Kate have a girl, she can become the ruling monarch.  Under the old rules, a younger brother would be given precedence.\r\n\r\nBritish Prime Minister David Cameron called the rules of succession outdated.\r\n<blockquote>\"The idea that a younger son should become monarch instead of an elder daughter simply because he is a man, or that a future monarch can marry someone of any faith except a Catholic, this way of thinking is at odds with the modern countries that we\'ve all become.\"</blockquote>\r\nWhat is interesting about the post-modern age is that many deeply held traditions are being overturned.  And the excuse given is that it is simply outdated.  But does outdated mean it was wrong in the first place or has simply outlived it\'s usefulness?\r\n\r\nAnd what does this say to the women of the world?  Is it recognition or redemption for something that should have happened a long time ago?\r\n\r\nWhat do you think?','British Royal Changes It\'s Rule For Women','','inherit','open','open','','1364-revision-2','','','2011-10-28 13:35:14','2011-10-28 20:35:14','',1364,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/28/1364-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1368,1,'2011-10-28 13:35:43','2011-10-28 20:35:43','Today is a rather profound day for women in the world and it just might go unnoticed. Reuters is reporting that the British Monarch has <a href=\"http://news.yahoo.com/girl-british-royal-succession-rules-change-104444789.html\" target=\"_blank\">changed it\'s rules regarding succession</a>. Commonwealth leaders agreed to drop rules that give sons precedence as heir to the throne. In other words, if Prince William and his wife Kate have a girl, she can become the ruling monarch.  Under the old rules, a younger brother would be given precedence.\r\n\r\nBritish Prime Minister David Cameron called the rules of succession outdated.\r\n<blockquote>\"The idea that a younger son should become monarch instead of an elder daughter simply because he is a man, or that a future monarch can marry someone of any faith except a Catholic, this way of thinking is at odds with the modern countries that we\'ve all become.\"</blockquote>\r\nWhat is interesting about the post-modern age is that many deeply held traditions are being overturned.  And the excuse given is that it is simply outdated.  But does outdated mean it was wrong in the first place or has simply outlived it\'s usefulness?\r\n\r\nAnd what does this say to the women of the world?  Is it recognition or redemption for something that should have happened a long time ago?\r\n\r\nWhat do you think?','British Royal Changes Its Rule For Women','','inherit','open','open','','1364-revision-3','','','2011-10-28 13:35:43','2011-10-28 20:35:43','',1364,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/28/1364-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1369,64,'2011-10-27 09:52:23','2011-10-27 16:52:23','<strong>I Never Thought</strong>\r\n\r\nMy trick-or-treating years were in the 70\'s.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially it is a homeless person, I did not consider my costume in any terms other than it was <em>cheap and convenient</em>.  You see my parents didn\'t have the money to buy costumes nor were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.\r\n\r\n<strong><em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.</strong>\r\n\r\nI realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.\r\n\r\n<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>\r\n\r\nI read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually utter them.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other students and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1299\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/li-halloween-stars-620.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"349\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are: <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african\">African American &amp; African</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian\">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican\">Native American</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic\">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>\r\n\r\nIf like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.\r\n\r\n<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, a real culture or actual people group implying that this identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  </strong>It is white people creating symbols to define other races and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history. There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  Here are a few examples:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example<a title=\"Big Kahuna\" href=\"//www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Tribal-Tiki-Warrior-Costume/dp/B000EIGZ5C%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa32991-\" target=\"_blank\"> this</a> “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>\r\n	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort.   Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these <a title=\"Glasses\" href=\"http://www.motifake.com/20741\">Chop Suey Specs</a>.   Or if you sound it out phonetically to make it “Asian-sounding” like the \'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask.\' <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1301 alignleft\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"240\" /></a></li>\r\n	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear sombreros, over-sized mustache, and a poncho. I’m no <a title=\"Understanding Hispanic Culture\" href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">expert</a>, but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from <em>at least</em> 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they have beautiful and distinct languages, cultures and heritages.</li>\r\n	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like the puzzling \"Tighty Whitey\" costume complete with a \"jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees\" are wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you or I value it or not.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nUniversity of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href=\"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html\" target=\"_blank\">noted</a>:\r\n<blockquote>\"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people\'s minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups.\"</blockquote>\r\nSome may say lighten up Melody!  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not \"in fun.\"\r\n\r\nIt’s just not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different from us.  And, here\'s a crazy thought perhaps even learn more about that which we do not at first glance understand.\r\n\r\nOur friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they (too) are made in God’s image.\r\n\r\nThen God said, \"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\" Genesis 1:26 NIV\r\n\r\nThe bottom line here:  Just think! <strong><em> </em></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Turn on your brain and open your heart.</em></strong>\r\n\r\nOther Resources:\r\n\r\nKudos to <a title=\"The Root\" href=\"http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes\" target=\"_blank\">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.\r\n\r\nThanks to <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge\">Jarrah Hodge</a> for some <a title=\"Cool Costume Ideas\" href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21\" target=\"_blank\">cool costume ideas </a> and I can’t resist adding her list of<a title=\"Feminist Costumes\" href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/\" target=\"_blank\"> Feminist costume choices.\r\n</a>','??? title????','','inherit','open','open','','1298-revision-9','','','2011-10-27 09:52:23','2011-10-27 16:52:23','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1298-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(1403,1,'2011-10-29 09:56:23','2011-10-29 16:56:23','<strong>I Never Thought</strong>\r\n\r\nMy trick-or-treating years were in the 70\'s.  Back then, I honestly never thought about whether it was okay to dress up as a Hobo which was my costume of choice.  Thinking back, though essentially it is a homeless person, I did not consider my costume in any terms other than it was <em>cheap and convenient</em>.  You see my parents didn\'t have the money to buy costumes nor were they so rampantly available as they are today.  Is it just me or have costume stores been increasing?  It has made Halloween less creative and more expensive, though admittedly more convenient.\r\n\r\n<strong><em>But that does not mean </em><em>that we can turn of our brains and close our hearts when we walk into Halloween Superstores</em>.</strong>\r\n\r\nI realize now that a Hobo was a horrible thing to be for Halloween.  Those that find themselves homeless are real people, many of whom are certainly down on their luck and are oppressed by a society that makes assumptions about their worth.  Our stereotypes about the homeless are in many cases downright wrong. No-one would choose to be unshaven, dirty or poorly dressed and they are not all alcoholics.  But I digress.\r\n\r\n<strong>“We are a culture not a costume.”</strong>\r\n\r\nI read those words recently and it broke my heart that college kids have to actually utter them.  They were students at Ohio University who went so far as to develop an awareness campaign “We are culture not a costume” to educate other students and to fight the use of hurtful Halloween costumes that stereotype ethnic groups and cultures.   For their brave effort they have been mocked and criticized, but the haters are so wrong.\r\n\r\nThe problem is that there are many beautiful cultures and people groups that are parodied, mocked and imitated today by unthinking or ignorant people.  (Not to mention how women are sexualized in every single profession and identity imaginable but that is not what this is about.)  Some of these are: <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#african\">African American &amp; African</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#asian\">Asian American, Asian, &amp; Pacific Islander</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#nativeamerican\">Native American</a>, <a href=\"http://education.byu.edu/diversity/culture.html#hispanic\">Hispanic &amp; Latino Americans</a>\r\n\r\nIf like me, you<em><strong> just never thought</strong></em>, I would encourage you to start thinking.  I cannot let another Halloween pass without writing this essay.\r\n\r\n<strong>Any costume that dresses you up as a real person, a real culture or actual people group implying that this identity can be boiled down to a recognizable outfit is wrong.  </strong>It is white people creating symbols to define other races and then appropriating those symbols without any acknowledgment of their history. There is no part of any culture or history that should become a synonym or a stereotype.  Here are a few examples:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Native indigenous cultures -- Anything Native American or “tribal” or for example<a title=\"Big Kahuna\" href=\"//www.amazon.com/Kahuna-Tribal-Tiki-Warrior-Costume/dp/B000EIGZ5C%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquidooa32991-\" target=\"_blank\"> this</a> “Big Kahuna Fat Tribal Tiki Warrior.</li>\r\n	<li>Or the use of “Asian” stereotypes of any sort.   Asian Americans are highly diverse, with dozens of ethnic backgrounds and languages, including individuals from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Laotion, Philippine, Thai, and Vietnamese ancestry.  How can this be summed up, for example by these <a title=\"Glasses\" href=\"http://www.motifake.com/20741\">Chop Suey Specs</a>.   Or if you sound it out phonetically to make it “Asian-sounding” like the \'Fee Ling Yu Asian Man Halloween Mask.\' <a href=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-1301 alignleft\" src=\"http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ILLEGAL-ALIEN-400-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"240\" /></a></li>\r\n	<li>Mexicans and other immigrants are not “illegal aliens” nor do all the other Latinos in the U.S. do not wear sombreros, over-sized mustache, and a poncho. I’m no <a title=\"Understanding Hispanic Culture\" href=\"http://old.diocesephoenix.org/fc/CatecheticalLeadership/ChurchDocs/UnderstandingtheHispanicCulture.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">expert</a>, but I think people that we call “Hispanics” or Latinos in the US come from <em>at least</em> 20 different countries and cultures including Colombian, Venezuelan, Mexican.  In the US we tend to lump them all together but they have beautiful and distinct languages, cultures and heritages.</li>\r\n	<li>Ghetto or Gangsta are in and of themselves parts of American culture that should not be mocked or stereotyped, if we don’t understand them.  I will be the first to admit the impulse to pull up or pull down the pants of young men that I see wearing their belt at their knees.  I find it silly, but even so things like the puzzling \"Tighty Whitey\" costume complete with a \"jumpsuit that makes it appear you are wearing your pants around your knees\" are wrong.  Rappers are culture in and of themselves whether you or I value it or not.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nUniversity of Toronto researcher of stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, Alison Chasteen <a href=\"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/10/26/halloween-racist-costumes.html\" target=\"_blank\">noted</a>:\r\n<blockquote>\"We know from past research that exposure to stereotypical images can activate stereotypes in people\'s minds and influence their subsequent behavior…That is why efforts such as this one in Ohio are needed to educate people about racist images in an attempt to reduce stereotypical portrayals of minority groups.\"</blockquote>\r\nSome may say lighten up Melody!  It’s only in fun.  I’m not laughing.  And neither should you.  We cannot be a part of perpetuating racism and bigotry, no matter our reasons and especially not \"in fun.\"\r\n\r\nIt’s just not funny. This Halloween let’s respect and honor those that are different from us.  And, here\'s a crazy thought perhaps even learn more about that which we do not at first glance understand.\r\n\r\nOur friends deserve our respect.  And perhaps one day we will treasure them as much as our Lord did, for they (too) are made in God’s image.\r\n\r\nThen God said, \"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.\" Genesis 1:26 NIV\r\n\r\nThe bottom line here:  Just think! <strong><em> </em></strong>\r\n\r\n<strong><em>Turn on your brain and open your heart.</em></strong>\r\n\r\nOther Resources:\r\n\r\nKudos to <a title=\"The Root\" href=\"http://www.theroot.com/multimedia/racially-insensitive-halloween-costumes\" target=\"_blank\">The Root</a> for pointing out these racially and culturally insensitive costumes.  If you don’t read The Root, you should.\r\n\r\nThanks to <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jarrah-hodge\">Jarrah Hodge</a> for some <a title=\"Cool Costume Ideas\" href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/?s=costume&amp;searchbutton=go%21\" target=\"_blank\">cool costume ideas </a> and I can’t resist adding her list of<a title=\"Feminist Costumes\" href=\"http://www.gender-focus.com/2010/10/21/feminist-halloween-costumes/\" target=\"_blank\"> Feminist costume choices.\r\n</a>','We Are A culture Not A Costume','','inherit','open','open','','1298-revision-11','','','2011-10-29 09:56:23','2011-10-29 16:56:23','',1298,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/29/1298-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(1370,20,'2011-10-28 14:53:23','2011-10-28 21:53:23','I’m usually pretty good about being conscious of what I buy and what I eat – taking an interest in where things are made, by who, for how much, and so on.  And yet, I’m still a consumer.  I might purchase fair trade coffee and chocolate, but I’m still addicted to coffee and chocolate.  My wife tries to shop only for clothes made in the U.S., but she still really likes to shop.   So I started wondering how much of this is just human, and how much of it is culturally constructed.\n\nDespite the fact that many Christians themselves get caught up in this pattern of behavior, there seems to at least be some level of awareness in the church about the problem.  This is a good thing.  Less understood though is the extent to which society is able to increasingly produce in us an insatiable desire for consumption in the first place.  You also hear the word materialism, but this could be a misnomer.  Material-ism implies the absolutization of the material, when in fact the lie we are fed is that the material offers something else: happiness, fulfillment... a certain image or experience.In their genuine intent to encourage counter-culturalism, we might hear pastors talk about the innate human drive to always want more.  But how much of this is rooted in a universal anthropology vs. just a modern Western phenomenon now gone viral?  I mean, people aren\'t just born with preferences for television sets.  Our preferences emerge from  context of social relations.\n\nIt is true that Christians have traditionally confessed to having an inherent hunger that cannot be satisfied by anything in this world; there is a difference between our basic needs and our desires.  Accordingly, we could say that the human condition is such that we live with a kind of openness directed toward possibility in the world, always becoming.  This does not have to be a bad thing.  Some have called it the \"God-shaped hole.\"  But there is another level of desire that is perhaps more artificial or at least less natural - namely, the desire that is harnessed by the power of globalizing market forces in such a way as to induce complacency in our individualism and trivialize any concern about our unsustainable standard of living.\n\nMost troubling is that this desire is very difficult to control or restrain.  Theologian <a title=\"Joerg Rieger homepage\" href=\"http://www.joergrieger.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Joerg Rieger</a> argues that in today\'s world the drive to consume is frequently propelled by economic mechanisms and reinforced by the advertising industry.  The deceit of this system is increasingly taken for granted - so much so that one of my former seminary professors Roger Olson recently felt compelled to write a blog post <a title=\"Roger Olson: Can a Christian Work in the marketing field?\" href=\"http://http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2011/10/can-a-christian-work-in-the-marketing-field/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> raising the question of whether Christians should even work in the marketing field at all!  Moreover, Rieger further contends that economic and religious desires often parallel each other.  This is illustrated by the way we often project our desires and ideals from the physical world onto the divine and thus replace the transcendent God with an idol.  If desire is shaped by the production of wealth in a given society, this process can have a subconscious effect on people’s deepest convictions and ultimate values.  This means that the way culture teaches us to view wealth has a tremendous impact on the kind of people we become - not to even mention the potential social costs that can be incurred on society\'s most vulnerable citizens as a result.\n\nAs communities that are supposed to be convicting, healing and nurturing us on the path to holiness, churches have a vital part to play in resisting co-optation by the marketplace.  Sadly it’s not uncommon, however, for Christian congregations to become complicit in the cycle of consuming and selling as well, even if only in very subtle ways.  To a degree this might be unavoidable, but it’s imperative for us to be sensitized and attentive to how we succumb to various addictive, superimposed desires.  I’m interested in how the church can be a place that enables Christians to subvert the status quo in this regard.  I know there are many tangible ways to do this, but I’m curious as to what others have seen and discovered about how our local practice can transcend systems that resist and suppress change.   And this is the other questions I\'m really wrestling with right now: should our faith communities primarily strive to create alternative economies under the shadow of empire, so to speak, or should we actually strive to have transformative agency at the state-political level?  Is it both/and?  Does the latter usually risk too much division and compromise?  What am I missing?','That to Which Your Heart Clings, Part I: Diagnosing Consumerism   ','','inherit','open','open','','1148-revision-22','','','2011-10-28 14:53:23','2011-10-28 21:53:23','',1148,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/28/1148-revision-22/',0,'revision','',0),(2184,77,'2011-11-15 09:00:07','2011-11-15 17:00:07','Far too many work environments in our time and place  are cesspools of mediocrity.  It wasn’t always this way, but in recent generations, something dreadful has happened to the work ethic of our society. Every so often you hear of a company or an organization that grabs headlines, generates buzz about performing at the top of their industry, and becomes known as a place with very low turnover and a line of applicants desperate to get through the door. They are a rare find.\r\n\r\nBut even in the countless places where dreams of excellence go to die, you’ll find people who are just…weird.  They’re weird because they are remarkable performers in dreadfully unremarkable environments.  Mediocrity is a strong undertow in these places that can pull under even the most professionally valiant.  Yet some manage to keep their heads above water and not only survive, but swim strongly against the current.  They are looked down upon by colleagues who prefer the mind-numbing mediocrity they’ve created.  They are the topic of toxic conversations in the break room.  People wish they would surrender to the status quo or simply go away so that any threat of the bar being raised for everyone else would be eliminated.  Some do, and go silently into the night.  Some stay strong.  And every so often one or two “weird” people manage to bring enough freshness, creativity, and positive energy into the environment that the waters are cleansed, the toxicity is neutralized, and excellence goes viral.\r\n\r\nAs you begin a new workweek, give some thought to ways that you can introduce healing “weirdness” to your mediocre workplace. Tell us in the comment section what you came up with. Here are three suggestions to prime the pump:\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Read a non-fiction book, on your own time, that applies to your work, and identify a dozen or so principles or practices that you can begin implementing immediately. Need a suggestion? <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Raving-Fans-Revolutionary-Approach-Customer/dp/0688123163/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1321110678&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard</a> is a great quick and easy read on the subject of customer service.</li>\r\n	<li>Commit to finishing every special project given to you by your supervisor <em>ahead</em> of schedule. Late is typical. On-time is expected. Early is delightfully weird.</li>\r\n	<li>What do you see as a weakness in your company? Are customers chronically unhappy? Do employees work in unsafe conditions? Are there inefficiencies that impact profitability or productivity? Observe them, name them, then approach your supervisor and ask his/her permission to pull together a task force to brainstorm ideas for improvement.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<div>Okay, it\'s your turn. Business in America needs you to be weird. Go. Now.</div>','There\'s Nothing Wrong With Weird','','publish','open','open','','theres-nothing-wrong-with-weird','','','2011-11-14 08:32:39','2011-11-14 16:32:39','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=2184',0,'post','',1),(1374,87,'2011-10-28 17:55:45','2011-10-29 00:55:45','','MyHeartCry','','inherit','open','open','','profile-picture','','','2011-10-28 17:55:45','2011-10-29 00:55:45','',0,'http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/PROFILE-PICTURE.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(1375,20,'2012-03-24 13:59:18','0000-00-00 00:00:00','<blockquote>This is what gets left out, I was realizing: not just left out of the national political debate but also left out of religious discourse.  Politicians talked about welfare - usually to blame and scapegoat - and occasionally made speches about poverty.  There was no shortage of talk about the poor and social services from church leaders of all stripes.  But the experiences of people such as my volunteers, the texture and specificity of their incarnate lives, were missing from the story of what Christianity was like now in contemporary America.\n\nAnd just as I\'d looked for the unofficial truth, as a reporter, on the edge of things, I believed I was discovering , at the food pantry, our people\'s significance to the real story.  They were on the margins of society, and often on the margins of the church, but their lives were full of meaning.  They threw light not only on the overlooked parts but on how the whole system worked.  These poor lives illuminated middle-class life - our anxiety, our reliance on managing and fixing feelings rather than having them, our desire to punish.  They made clear the limitations of religions that cast out every member whose reality didn\'t fit inside church doctrines.  Their lives showed the profound resourcefulness and strengths of the weak.  the thing that astonished me sometimes - listening to tales of terrible damage, psychosis, loss - was not how messed up people could be but how resilient; how, in the depths of suffering, they found ways to adapt and continue.\n\n- Sarah Miles, <em>Take this Bread</em></blockquote>','','','draft','open','open','','','','','2012-03-24 13:59:18','2012-03-24 20:59:18','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=1375',0,'post','',0),(1376,38,'2011-10-29 03:17:59','2011-10-29 10:17:59','<em>This is part four in my series about the six reasons why I left the church based off of the article <a href=\"http://www.barna.org/teens-next-gen-articles/528-six-reasons-young-christians-leave-church\" target=\"_blank\">\"Six Reasons Young Christians Leave Church\"</a> by the <a href=\"http://www.barna.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Barna Group</a>.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>Reason #5: \"The church feels unfriendly to those who doubt.\"</strong>\r\n\r\nAfter being frustrated with the <a href=\"http://www.soullikeaspider.com/blog/2011/10/9/where-the-church-lost-me-part-i.html\" target=\"_blank\">lack of challenging content for my age group</a>, realizing how <a href=\"http://www.soullikeaspider.com/blog/2011/10/12/where-the-church-lost-me-part-ii.html\" target=\"_blank\">clueless I was about other religions and their beliefs</a>, and opening my eyes as to the <a href=\"http://www.soullikeaspider.com/blog/2011/10/16/where-the-church-lost-me-part-iii.html\" target=\"_blank\">overly-simplistic nature of sexuality</a> I had been presented with, I began feeling discontent. Each one of these things would have been excusable on their own, but with them all together I began to get a feel of the nature of what I had grown up with. There were rumblings in my bones that I couldn’t ignore anymore.\r\n\r\nThe one thing that finally sent me throttling to the face of disillusionment was when my mother wasn’t allowed to work in the youth group. After going on a youth retreat as a chaperone, she wanted to take the next step and be a regular youth leader. When she spoke to the pastor about this, they said she couldn’t work with the youth without her husband. My father is not a social butterfly by any stretch of the imagination, and my mom is, so it was a little bit crazy to expect my dad to come along to something that she was very clearly suited for and he wasn’t.\r\n\r\nMy mom decided that maybe they would change their minds once they saw her working with the kids so she decided just to start showing up. The second week she came to youth group they had someone standing outside of the door to the youth group guarding to prohibit her from coming in.\r\n\r\nI understand why they would put the couples-only stipulation on youth workers: they want the couples to show kids how to have healthy romantic relationships and be able to go to either adult for advice if need be. I would have been fine with married leaders principle had they followed it. Less than a month after my mother was literally barred from the room, the single son of the events manager of the church showed back and they let him start working immediately with the kids, and he was one of seven other single individuals working in the youth group during this time (most of which were kids of the pastors or deacons).\r\n\r\nHow could they do this to her? They punished her because my father isn’t social-inclined? How could they preach Sunday after Sunday about how they needed people to get into ministry and then <em>physically block</em> her from even entering the room? If someone has the desire and the ability wouldn’t you be tripping over yourself to get them? I want to give the staff the benefit of the doubt that maybe something else was going on behind the scenes that I don’t know about, but it appeared as blatant favoritism.\r\n\r\nBy the time I hit sophomore year of high school I was so desperately craving content I could wrestle with and people who could really get into my head that I made the mistake of opening my mouth. All I wanted was more. I could have bowed out quietly (like smarter people after me did), but I thought that if I started voicing some of my opinions to the right people that they could help me find what I was looking for or find ways to improve what was going on. But instead of seeing my questions and feelings as a desire for something more, it was taken as a <em>personal</em> attack on the staff and the church.\r\n\r\nIt didn’t take long before friends and leaders were each asking me what was wrong, and after I told them each one of them clobbered me. Some lectured me, some got offended, and some chose to yell right over me. I was reminded a few times that \"Pastor John is not Billy Graham.\" I wasn’t expecting Billy Graham. When someone talks for twenty full minutes about how he is going to step on some toes, how he didn’t want to offend anyone, but that he needed to share the truth, I just want there to be something more substantial than telling me to do my devotions.\r\n\r\nMy doubt was perceived as a threat. Even though I was at church every time the doors were open, was actively involved in ministry, worked with the elementary kids in <a href=\"http://awana.org/\" target=\"_blank\">AWANA</a>, was on the worship team, and was very active in Sunday School, the <em>moment</em> I started asking questions and challenging the status quo I was voted off the island. I did everything right by them. I followed all of the rules and expectations put in front of me but once I questioned things I became a black sheep.\r\n\r\nI remember telling the whole story to one of my best friends while working on desserts for the giant Christmas dinner we put on every year. The kitchen refrigerators were already full so we opened all the windows in the children’s classrooms and then shut the doors to create make-shift refrigerators. We were filling crepes when I told him what was going on and that I was considering trying out a different youth group. I remember shivering and the dull smell of confectionary sugar filling my nostrils as he told me how I couldn’t do that because I would be \"divorcing the church\" and that I would practically be breaking a blood contract with the body if I left.\r\n\r\nLater, Mr. Darren, one of the leaders, set aside some time to talk to me to see what was wrong. He had been hearing things but wanted to hear the whole story from me. I felt particularly close to Mr. Darren and his wife; aside from having the mother of all crushes on their son, I spent a lot of time with them at church and outside of church. I would go over to their house occasionally and they always made a point to talk to me when they saw me. They even called me their niece on a couple of occasions.  They made me feel loved and important.\r\n\r\nI skipped out on the last few minutes of youth group one night sat in the small church library across the table from Mr. Darren. He said he could sense something was off about me over the last couple of weeks and wanted to know what was happening. I had kept this information from him mostly because I needed time to figure it out and I didn’t want him and his wife to be disappointed in me. But since he took the time out to ask me, I took it as a sign that he cared and I could be honest with him, so I shared my story.\r\n\r\nHe proceeded to tell me that he had been in youth ministry for twenty years and that this was as good as it got. Pastor John was the best he had ever seen and I wasn\'t going to find anyone better. He told me that my role in the church was changing and that from here on out I would never get anything from church. I would need to start spending all my time making sure <em>other</em> people got \"fed\" at church.\r\n\r\nIn a sense he had a point. I can’t expect to be spoon-fed or fuel my entire spiritual journey on sermons but I was still devastated. Name after name flew by of leaders I had offended and friend after friend crossed me off their lists. I thought Darren and his wife would be the ones who, even if they couldn’t relate, would still love on me and help me through. But instead I was told to just buck up, be content and to stop expecting things. (This was accidentally the last time we ever spoke, which makes me even sadder.)\r\n\r\nI was crushed. I guess more than anything I felt hung out to dry. For years my superiors told me not to just be spoon-fed by the stuff I hear on Sundays but to desire to know more and take learning into my own hands. So, when I tell them that I’m hungry and I want something more, I’m abandoned? If you are going to talk about sparks be prepared for the fire if it catches.\r\n\r\nI was left alone. The leaders weren\'t there for me when I needed them the most. Even if they thought I was just being a bratty teenager, nothing was worse there than them crushing the eager spirit that I thought they wanted to see in me. The message was loud and clear: they wanted fair weather youth, and my questions and I were no longer welcome.\r\n\r\nPeter Rollins talks about how important doubt is in a religious setting in his book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Speak-Peter-Rollins/dp/1557255059/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1319866840&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">\"How (Not) to Speak of God\"</a>:\r\n<blockquote>\"For instance, take the example of two people getting married with the firm conviction that the union will last as long as they both live. In this state of obvious delusion no real decision needs to be made. The future is believed to be so certain that the decision to marry requires no decision at all. Yet if two people understand that their relationship will face various hardships, that the future is uncertain and that there are no guarantees, then, far from preventing a decision, this is the very point when a real decision needs to be made. The vows of marriage are not so much affirmations of what one believes will take place but rather the promises that one will work towards ensuring that it will indeed happen. […] A love that requires contracts and absolute assurance in order to act is no love at all.\"</blockquote>\r\nIn the aftermath, there were four people who didn’t toss me out like a dead fashion trend. One was a leader who listened to me and said that he could relate to me a little and then showed me some note-taking tips that helped him extract more meaning out of sermons. The other three were friends who treated me no differently after admitting to my doubt. These are the friends I have carried with me for the last decade and who, even if we grow apart, I will always feel grateful for. They each in their own words said \"You’re not crazy. I don’t feel the exact same way, but you’re definitely not crazy.\"\r\n\r\n<em>The fifth and final installment will be about how the church is over-protective.</em>','Where the Church Lost Me: Part IV','','publish','open','open','','where-the-church-lost-me-part-iv','','','2011-11-01 20:55:49','2011-11-02 03:55:49','',0,'http://provoketive.com/?p=1376',0,'post','',8),(1377,38,'2011-10-28 23:10:32','2011-10-29 06:10:32','<em>This is part four in my series about the six reasons why I left the church based off of the article <a href=\"http://www.barna.org/teens-next-gen-articles/528-six-reasons-young-christians-leave-church\" target=\"_blank\">\"Six Reasons Young Christians Leave Church\"</a> by the <a href=\"http://www.barna.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Barna Group</a>.</em>\n\n<strong>Reason #4: \"The church feels unfriendly to those who doubt.\"</strong>\n\nAfter being frustrated with the <a href=\"http://www.soullikeaspider.com/blog/2011/10/9/where-the-church-lost-me-part-i.html\" target=\"_blank\">lack of challenging content for my age group</a>, realizing how <a href=\"http://www.soullikeaspider.com/blog/2011/10/12/where-the-church-lost-me-part-ii.html\" target=\"_blank\">clueless I was about other religions and their beliefs</a>, and starting to open my eyes as to the <a href=\"http://www.soullikeaspider.com/blog/2011/10/16/where-the-church-lost-me-part-iii.html\" target=\"_blank\">overly-simplistic nature of sexuality</a> I had been presented with, I began feeling discontent. Each one of these things would have been excusable on their own, but all together I began to get a feel of the nature of what I had grown up. There were rumblings in my bones that I couldn’t ignore anymore.\n\nThe one thing that finally sent me throttling to the face of disillusionment was when my mother wasn’t allowed to work in the youth group. After going on a youth retreat as a chaperone, she wanted to take the next step and be a regular youth leader. When she spoke to the pastor about this, they said she couldn’t work with the youth without her husband. My father is not a social butterfly by any stretch of the imagination, and my mom is an absolute social butterfly, so it was a little bit crazy to expect my dad to come along to something that she was very clearly suited for and he wasn’t.\n\nMy mom decided that maybe they would change their minds once they saw her working with the kids so she decided just to start showing up. The second week she came to youth group they had someone standing outside of the door to the youth group guarding to prohibit her from coming in.\n\nI understand why they would put the couples-only stipulation on youth workers: they want the couples to show kids how to have healthy romantic relationships and be able to go to either adult for advice if need be. I would have been fine with married leaders principle had they followed it. Less than a month after my mother was literally barred from the room, the single son of the events manager of the church showed back and they let him start working immediately with the kids, and he was one of seven other single individuals working in the youth group during this time (most of which were kids of the pastors or deacons).\n\nHow could they do this to her? They punished her because my father isn’t social-inclined? How could they preach Sunday after Sunday about how they needed people to get into ministry and then <em>physically block</em> her from even entering the room? If someone has the desire and the ability wouldn’t you be tripping over yourself to get them? I want to give the staff the benefit of the doubt that maybe something else was going on behind the scenes that I don’t know about, but it appeared as blatant favoritism.\n\nBy the time I hit sophomore year of high school I was craving content I could wrestle with and people who could really get into my head that I made the mistake of opening my mouth. All I wanted was more. I could have bowed out quietly (like smarter people after me did), but I thought that if I started voicing some of my opinions to the right people that they could help me find what I was looking for or find ways to improve what was going on. But instead of seeing my questions and feelings as a desire for something more, it was taken as a <em>personal</em> attack on the staff and the church.\n\nIt didn’t take long before friends and leaders were each asking me what was wrong, and afterward I told them each one of them clobbered me. Some lectured me, some got offended, and some chose to yell right over me. I was reminded a few times that \"Pastor John is not Billy Graham.\" I wasn’t expecting Billy Graham. When someone talks for twenty full minutes about how he is going to step on some toes, how he didn’t want to offend anyone, but that he needed to share the truth, I just want there to be something more substantial than telling me to do my devotions.\n\nMy doubt was perceived as a threat. Even though I was at church every time the doors were open, was actively involved in ministry, worked with the elementary kids in <a href=\"http://awana.org/\" target=\"_blank\">AWANA</a>, was on the worship team, and was very active in Sunday School, the <em>moment</em> I started asking questions and challenging the status quo I was voted off the island. I did everything right by them. I followed all of the rules and expectations put in front of me but once I questioned things I became a black sheep.\n\nI remember telling the whole story to one of my best friends while working on desserts for the giant Christmas dinner we put on every year. The kitchen refrigerators were already full so we opened all the windows in the children’s classrooms and then shut the doors to create make-shift refrigerators. We were filling crepes when I told him what was going on and then told him I was considering trying out a different youth group. I remember shivering and the dull smell of confectionary sugar filling my nostrils as he told me how I couldn’t do that because I would be \"divorcing the church\" and that I would practically be breaking a blood contract with the body if I left.\n\nLater, Mr. Darren, one of the leaders, set aside some time to talk to me to see what was wrong. He had been hearing things but wanted to hear the whole story from me. I felt particularly close to Mr. Darren and his wife; aside from having the mother of all crushes on their son, I spent a lot of time with them at church and outside of church. I would go over to their house occasionally and they always made a point to talk to me when they saw me. They even called me their niece on a couple of occasions.  They made me feel loved and important.\n\nI skipped out on the last few minutes of youth group one night sat in the small church library across the table from Mr. Darren. He said he could sense something was off about me over the last couple of weeks and wanted to know what was happening. I had kept this information from him mostly because I needed time to figure it out and I didn’t want him and his wife to be disappointed in me. But since he took the time out to ask me, I took it as a sign that he cared and I could be honest with him, so I shared my story.\n\nHe proceeded to tell me that he had been in youth ministry for twenty years and that this was as good as it got. Pastor John was the best he had ever seen and I wasn\'t going to find anyone better. He told me that my role in the church was changing and that from here on out I would never get anything from church and would need to start spending all my time making sure <em>other</em> people got \"fed\" at church.\n\nIn a sense he had a point. I can’t expect to be spoon fed or fuel my entire spiritual journey on sermons but I was still devastated. Name after name flew by of leaders I had offended and friend after friend crossed me off their lists. I thought Darren and his wife would be the ones who, even if they couldn’t relate, would still love on me and help me through. But instead I was told to just buck up, be content and to stop expecting things. (This was accidentally the last time we ever spoke, which makes me even sadder.)\n\nI was crushed. I guess more than anything I felt hung out to dry. For years my superiors told me not to just be spoon-fed by the stuff I hear on Sundays but to desire to know more and take learning into my own hands. So, when I tell them that I’m hungry and I want something more, I’m abandoned? If you are going to talk about sparks be prepared for the fire if it catches.\n\nI was left alone. The leaders weren\'t there for me when I needed them the most. Even if they thought I was just being a bratty teenager, nothing was worse there than them crushing the eager spirit that I thought they wanted to see in me. The message was loud and clear: they wanted fair weather youth, and me and my questions were no longer welcome.\n\nPeter Rollins talks about how important doubt is in a religious setting in his book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Speak-Peter-Rollins/dp/1557255059/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1319866840&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">\"How (Not) to Speak of God\"</a>:\n<blockquote>\"For instance, take the example of two people getting married with the firm conviction that the union will last as long as they both live. In this state of obvious delusion no real decision needs to be made. The future is believed to be so certain that the decision to marry requires no decision at all. Yet if two people understand that their relationship will face various hardships, that the future is uncertain and that there are no guarantees, then, far from preventing a decision, this is the very point when a real decision needs to be made. The vows of marriage are not so much affirmations of what one believes will take place but rather the promises that one will work towards ensuring that it will indeed happen. […] A love that requires contracts and absolute assurance in order to act is no love at all.\"</blockquote>\nIn the aftermath, there were four people who didn’t toss me out like a dead fashion trend. One was a leader who listened to me and said that he could relate to me a little and then showed me some note-taking tips to help him extract more meaning out of sermons. The other three were friends who treated me no differently after admitting to my doubt. These are the friends I have carried with me for the last decade and who, even if we grow apart, I will always feel grateful for. They each in their own words said \"You’re not crazy. I don’t feel the exact same way, but you’re definitely not crazy.\"\n\n<em>The fifth and final installment will be about how the church is over-protective.</em>','Where the Church Lost Me','','inherit','open','open','','1376-revision','','','2011-10-28 23:10:32','2011-10-29 06:10:32','',1376,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/28/1376-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(1378,38,'2011-10-28 23:10:50','2011-10-29 06:10:50','<em>This is part four in my series about the six reasons why I left the church based off of the article <a href=\"http://www.barna.org/teens-next-gen-articles/528-six-reasons-young-christians-leave-church\" target=\"_blank\">\"Six Reasons Young Christians Leave Church\"</a> by the <a href=\"http://www.barna.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Barna Group</a>.</em>\r\n\r\n<strong>Reason #4: \"The church feels unfriendly to those who doubt.\"</strong>\r\n\r\nAfter being frustrated with the <a href=\"http://www.soullikeaspider.com/blog/2011/10/9/where-the-church-lost-me-part-i.html\" target=\"_blank\">lack of challenging content for my age group</a>, realizing how <a href=\"http://www.soullikeaspider.com/blog/2011/10/12/where-the-church-lost-me-part-ii.html\" target=\"_blank\">clueless I was about other religions and their beliefs</a>, and starting to open my eyes as to the <a href=\"http://www.soullikeaspider.com/blog/2011/10/16/where-the-church-lost-me-part-iii.html\" target=\"_blank\">overly-simplistic nature of sexuality</a> I had been presented with, I began feeling discontent. Each one of these things would have been excusable on their own, but all together I began to get a feel of the nature of what I had grown up. There were rumblings in my bones that I couldn’t ignore anymore.\r\n\r\nThe one thing that finally sent me throttling to the face of disillusionment was when my mother wasn’t allowed to work in the youth group. After going on a youth retreat as a chaperone, she wanted to take the next step and be a regular youth leader. When she spoke to the pastor about this, they said she couldn’t work with the youth without her husband. My father is not a social butterfly by any stretch of the imagination, and my mom is an absolute social butterfly, so it was a little bit crazy to expect my dad to come along to something that she was very clearly suited for and he wasn’t.\r\n\r\nMy mom decided that maybe they would change their minds once they saw her working with the kids so she decided just to start showing up. The second week she came to youth group they had someone standing outside of the door to the youth group guarding to prohibit her from coming in.\r\n\r\nI understand why they would put the couples-only stipulation on youth workers: they want the couples to show kids how to have healthy romantic relationships and be able to go to either adult for advice if need be. I would have been fine with married leaders principle had they followed it. Less than a month after my mother was literally barred from the room, the single son of the events manager of the church showed back and they let him start working immediately with the kids, and he was one of seven other single individuals working in the youth group during this time (most of which were kids of the pastors or deacons).\r\n\r\nHow could they do this to her? They punished her because my father isn’t social-inclined? How could they preach Sunday after Sunday about how they needed people to get into ministry and then <em>physically block</em> her from even entering the room? If someone has the desire and the ability wouldn’t you be tripping over yourself to get them? I want to give the staff the benefit of the doubt that maybe something else was going on behind the scenes that I don’t know about, but it appeared as blatant favoritism.\r\n\r\nBy the time I hit sophomore year of high school I was craving content I could wrestle with and people who could really get into my head that I made the mistake of opening my mouth. All I wanted was more. I could have bowed out quietly (like smarter people after me did), but I thought that if I started voicing some of my opinions to the right people that they could help me find what I was looking for or find ways to improve what was going on. But instead of seeing my questions and feelings as a desire for something more, it was taken as a <em>personal</em> attack on the staff and the church.\r\n\r\nIt didn’t take long before friends and leaders were each asking me what was wrong, and afterward I told them each one of them clobbered me. Some lectured me, some got offended, and some chose to yell right over me. I was reminded a few times that \"Pastor John is not Billy Graham.\" I wasn’t expecting Billy Graham. When someone talks for twenty full minutes about how he is going to step on some toes, how he didn’t want to offend anyone, but that he needed to share the truth, I just want there to be something more substantial than telling me to do my devotions.\r\n\r\nMy doubt was perceived as a threat. Even though I was at church every time the doors were open, was actively involved in ministry, worked with the elementary kids in <a href=\"http://awana.org/\" target=\"_blank\">AWANA</a>, was on the worship team, and was very active in Sunday School, the <em>moment</em> I started asking questions and challenging the status quo I was voted off the island. I did everything right by them. I followed all of the rules and expectations put in front of me but once I questioned things I became a black sheep.\r\n\r\nI remember telling the whole story to one of my best friends while working on desserts for the giant Christmas dinner we put on every year. The kitchen refrigerators were already full so we opened all the windows in the children’s classrooms and then shut the doors to create make-shift refrigerators. We were filling crepes when I told him what was going on and then told him I was considering trying out a different youth group. I remember shivering and the dull smell of confectionary sugar filling my nostrils as he told me how I couldn’t do that because I would be \"divorcing the church\" and that I would practically be breaking a blood contract with the body if I left.\r\n\r\nLater, Mr. Darren, one of the leaders, set aside some time to talk to me to see what was wrong. He had been hearing things but wanted to hear the whole story from me. I felt particularly close to Mr. Darren and his wife; aside from having the mother of all crushes on their son, I spent a lot of time with them at church and outside of church. I would go over to their house occasionally and they always made a point to talk to me when they saw me. They even called me their niece on a couple of occasions.  They made me feel loved and important.\r\n\r\nI skipped out on the last few minutes of youth group one night sat in the small church library across the table from Mr. Darren. He said he could sense something was off about me over the last couple of weeks and wanted to know what was happening. I had kept this information from him mostly because I needed time to figure it out and I didn’t want him and his wife to be disappointed in me. But since he took the time out to ask me, I took it as a sign that he cared and I could be honest with him, so I shared my story.\r\n\r\nHe proceeded to tell me that he had been in youth ministry for twenty years and that this was as good as it got. Pastor John was the best he had ever seen and I wasn\'t going to find anyone better. He told me that my role in the church was changing and that from here on out I would never get anything from church and would need to start spending all my time making sure <em>other</em> people got \"fed\" at church.\r\n\r\nIn a sense he had a point. I can’t expect to be spoon fed or fuel my entire spiritual journey on sermons but I was still devastated. Name after name flew by of leaders I had offended and friend after friend crossed me off their lists. I thought Darren and his wife would be the ones who, even if they couldn’t relate, would still love on me and help me through. But instead I was told to just buck up, be content and to stop expecting things. (This was accidentally the last time we ever spoke, which makes me even sadder.)\r\n\r\nI was crushed. I guess more than anything I felt hung out to dry. For years my superiors told me not to just be spoon-fed by the stuff I hear on Sundays but to desire to know more and take learning into my own hands. So, when I tell them that I’m hungry and I want something more, I’m abandoned? If you are going to talk about sparks be prepared for the fire if it catches.\r\n\r\nI was left alone. The leaders weren\'t there for me when I needed them the most. Even if they thought I was just being a bratty teenager, nothing was worse there than them crushing the eager spirit that I thought they wanted to see in me. The message was loud and clear: they wanted fair weather youth, and me and my questions were no longer welcome.\r\n\r\nPeter Rollins talks about how important doubt is in a religious setting in his book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Speak-Peter-Rollins/dp/1557255059/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1319866840&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">\"How (Not) to Speak of God\"</a>:\r\n<blockquote>\"For instance, take the example of two people getting married with the firm conviction that the union will last as long as they both live. In this state of obvious delusion no real decision needs to be made. The future is believed to be so certain that the decision to marry requires no decision at all. Yet if two people understand that their relationship will face various hardships, that the future is uncertain and that there are no guarantees, then, far from preventing a decision, this is the very point when a real decision needs to be made. The vows of marriage are not so much affirmations of what one believes will take place but rather the promises that one will work towards ensuring that it will indeed happen. […] A love that requires contracts and absolute assurance in order to act is no love at all.\"</blockquote>\r\nIn the aftermath, there were four people who didn’t toss me out like a dead fashion trend. One was a leader who listened to me and said that he could relate to me a little and then showed me some note-taking tips to help him extract more meaning out of sermons. The other three were friends who treated me no differently after admitting to my doubt. These are the friends I have carried with me for the last decade and who, even if we grow apart, I will always feel grateful for. They each in their own words said \"You’re not crazy. I don’t feel the exact same way, but you’re definitely not crazy.\"\r\n\r\n<em>The fifth and final installment will be about how the church is over-protective.</em>','Where the Church Lost Me: Part IV','','inherit','open','open','','1376-revision-2','','','2011-10-28 23:10:50','2011-10-29 06:10:50','',1376,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/28/1376-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(1379,38,'2011-10-28 23:12:53','2011-10-29 06:12:53','<em>This is part four in my series about the six reasons why I left the church based off of the article <a href=\"http://www.barna.org/teens-next-gen-articles/528-six-reasons-young-christians-leave-church\" target=\"_blank\">\"Six Reasons Young Christians Leave Church\"</a> by the <a href=\"http://www.barna.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Barna Group</a>.</em>\n\n<strong>Reason #4: \"The church feels unfriendly to those who doubt.\"</strong>\n\nAfter being frustrated with the <a href=\"http://www.soullikeaspider.com/blog/2011/10/9/where-the-church-lost-me-part-i.html\" target=\"_blank\">lack of challenging content for my age group</a>, realizing how <a href=\"http://www.soullikeaspider.com/blog/2011/10/12/where-the-church-lost-me-part-ii.html\" target=\"_blank\">clueless I was about other religions and their beliefs</a>, and starting to open my eyes as to the <a href=\"http://www.soullikeaspider.com/blog/2011/10/16/where-the-church-lost-me-part-iii.html\" target=\"_blank\">overly-simplistic nature of sexuality</a> I had been presented with, I began feeling discontent. Each one of these things would have been excusable on their own, but all together I began to get a feel of the nature of what I had grown up. There were rumblings in my bones that I couldn’t ignore anymore.\n\nThe one thing that finally sent me throttling to the face of disillusionment was when my mother wasn’t allowed to work in the youth group. After going on a youth retreat as a chaperone, she wanted to take the next step and be a regular youth leader. When she spoke to the pastor about this, they said she couldn’t work with the youth without her husband. My father is not a social butterfly by any stretch of the imagination, and my mom is an absolute social butterfly, so it was a little bit crazy to expect my dad to come along to something that she was very clearly suited for and he wasn’t.\n\nMy mom decided that maybe they would change their minds once they saw her working with the kids so she decided just to start showing up. The second week she came to youth group they had someone standing outside of the door to the youth group guarding to prohibit her from coming in.\n\nI understand why they would put the couples-only stipulation on youth workers: they want the couples to show kids how to have healthy romantic relationships and be able to go to either adult for advice if need be. I would have been fine with married leaders principle had they followed it. Less than a month after my mother was literally barred from the room, the single son of the events manager of the church showed back and they let him start working immediately with the kids, and he was one of seven other single individuals working in the youth group during this time (most of which were kids of the pastors or deacons).\n\nHow could they do this to her? They punished her because my father isn’t social-inclined? How could they preach Sunday after Sunday about how they needed people to get into ministry and then <em>physically block</em> her from even entering the room? If someone has the desire and the ability wouldn’t you be tripping over yourself to get them? I want to give the staff the benefit of the doubt that maybe something else was going on behind the scenes that I don’t know about, but it appeared as blatant favoritism.\n\nBy the time I hit sophomore year of high school I was craving content I could wrestle with and people who could really get into my head that I made the mistake of opening my mouth. All I wanted was more. I could have bowed out quietly (like smarter people after me did), but I thought that if I started voicing some of my opinions to the right people that they could help me find what I was looking for or find ways to improve what was going on. But instead of seeing my questions and feelings as a desire for something more, it was taken as a <em>personal</em> attack on the staff and the church.\n\nIt didn’t take long before friends and leaders were each asking me what was wrong, and afterward I told them each one of them clobbered me. Some lectured me, some got offended, and some chose to yell right over me. I was reminded a few times that \"Pastor John is not Billy Graham.\" I wasn’t expecting Billy Graham. When someone talks for twenty full minutes about how he is going to step on some toes, how he didn’t want to offend anyone, but that he needed to share the truth, I just want there to be something more substantial than telling me to do my devotions.\n\nMy doubt was perceived as a threat. Even though I was at church every time the doors were open, was actively involved in ministry, worked with the elementary kids in <a href=\"http://awana.org/\" target=\"_blank\">AWANA</a>, was on the worship team, and was very active in Sunday School, the <em>moment</em> I started asking questions and challenging the status quo I was voted off the island. I did everything right by them. I followed all of the rules and expectations put in front of me but once I questioned things I became a black sheep.\n\nI remember telling the whole story to one of my best friends while working on desserts for the giant Christmas dinner we put on every year. The kitchen refrigerators were already full so we opened all the windows in the children’s classrooms and then shut the doors to create make-shift refrigerators. We were filling crepes when I told him what was going on and then told him I was considering trying out a different youth group. I remember shivering and the dull smell of confectionary sugar filling my nostrils as he told me how I couldn’t do that because I would be \"divorcing the church\" and that I would practically be breaking a blood contract with the body if I left.\n\nLater, Mr. Darren, one of the leaders, set aside some time to talk to me to see what was wrong. He had been hearing things but wanted to hear the whole story from me. I felt particularly close to Mr. Darren and his wife; aside from having the mother of all crushes on their son, I spent a lot of time with them at church and outside of church. I would go over to their house occasionally and they always made a point to talk to me when they saw me. They even called me their niece on a couple of occasions.  They made me feel loved and important.\n\nI skipped out on the last few minutes of youth group one night sat in the small church library across the table from Mr. Darren. He said he could sense something was off about me over the last couple of weeks and wanted to know what was happening. I had kept this information from him mostly because I needed time to figure it out and I didn’t want him and his wife to be disappointed in me. But since he took the time out to ask me, I took it as a sign that he cared and I could be honest with him, so I shared my story.\n\nHe proceeded to tell me that he had been in youth ministry for twenty years and that this was as good as it got. Pastor John was the best he had ever seen and I wasn\'t going to find anyone better. He told me that my role in the church was changing and that from here on out I would never get anything from church and would need to start spending all my time making sure <em>other</em> people got \"fed\" at church.\n\nIn a sense he had a point. I can’t expect to be spoon fed or fuel my entire spiritual journey on sermons but I was still devastated. Name after name flew by of leaders I had offended and friend after friend crossed me off their lists. I thought Darren and his wife would be the ones who, even if they couldn’t relate, would still love on me and help me through. But instead I was told to just buck up, be content and to stop expecting things. (This was accidentally the last time we ever spoke, which makes me even sadder.)\n\nI was crushed. I guess more than anything I felt hung out to dry. For years my superiors told me not to just be spoon-fed by the stuff I hear on Sundays but to desire to know more and take learning into my own hands. So, when I tell them that I’m hungry and I want something more, I’m abandoned? If you are going to talk about sparks be prepared for the fire if it catches.\n\nI was left alone. The leaders weren\'t there for me when I needed them the most. Even if they thought I was just being a bratty teenager, nothing was worse there than them crushing the eager spirit that I thought they wanted to see in me. The message was loud and clear: they wanted fair weather youth, and me and my questions were no longer welcome.\n\nPeter Rollins talks about how important doubt is in a religious setting in his book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Speak-Peter-Rollins/dp/1557255059/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1319866840&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">\"How (Not) to Speak of God\"</a>:\n<blockquote>\"For instance, take the example of two people getting married with the firm conviction that the union will last as long as they both live. In this state of obvious delusion no real decision needs to be made. The future is believed to be so certain that the decision to marry requires no decision at all. Yet if two people understand that their relationship will face various hardships, that the future is uncertain and that there are no guarantees, then, far from preventing a decision, this is the very point when a real decision needs to be made. The vows of marriage are not so much affirmations of what one believes will take place but rather the promises that one will work towards ensuring that it will indeed happen. […] A love that requires contracts and absolute assurance in order to act is no love at all.\"</blockquote>\nIn the aftermath, there were four people who didn’t toss me out like a dead fashion trend. One was a leader who listened to me and said that he could relate to me a little and then showed me some note-taking tips to help him extract more meaning out of sermons. The other three were friends who treated me no differently after admitting to my doubt. These are the friends I have carried with me for the last decade and who, even if we grow apart, I will always feel grateful for. They each in their own words said \"You’re not crazy. I don’t feel the exact same way, but you’re definitely not crazy.\"\n\n<em>The fifth and final installment will be about how the church is over-protective.</em>','Where the Church Lost Me: Part IV','','inherit','open','open','','1376-revision-3','','','2011-10-28 23:12:53','2011-10-29 06:12:53','',1376,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/28/1376-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(1380,1,'2011-10-29 06:59:04','2011-10-29 13:59:04','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I love to ponder the complexities of personality theory: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much do genetics or the environment determine personality? What personality tests are the most accurate?\n\nI have taken pretty much every free personality test available online (and there are more than a few). I have also taken the official version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as part of one of my college psychology courses. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is purely based off my writing style and the personal information I\'ve disclosed in my posts.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality; however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\n\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the CAV (Christian Approved Version): spiritual gifts inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their listing of gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories also include other gifts referred to in miscellaneous places in scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few. What \"gifts\" should actually be included in spiritual gift inventories is debatable and perhaps a great topic to tackle at another point in time.\n\nSo, why all the buzz with spiritual gift inventories? Well, we all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way, and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise. If you haven\'t taken one, I highly suggest that you do. (If you google \"spiritual gift inventory\", you will find at least a couple free spiritual gifts tests.)\n\nThat being said, I have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as excuses. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help someone in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\n\nUnfortunately, God calls us to do a lot of things, regardless of our individual spiritual gifts. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13: \"Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.\"  If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27: \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" If you think that you can sit on your tuches all day long just because you don\'t have the gift of serving,  you might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples in Luke 22: 25-27.\n\nPerhaps the bigger issue is that we focus too much on ourselves, who we are, and what we are gifted at (or not gifted at). We place an inordinately high value and focus on the gifts, like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but forget what Paul said next:\n<blockquote>\"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,<span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: 11px;\"> </span>but do not have love, I gain nothing.\"  1 Corinthians 13:1-3</blockquote>\nSpiritual gifts, after all, aren\'t really gifts to keep for ourselves. God give these gifts to help serve, edify, and build up the other members of the Body of Christ.  To use your gifts, it certainly does help to actually understand and know what they are; the difficulty is finding a way to be self-reflective without being self-absorbed.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-autosave','','','2011-10-29 06:59:04','2011-10-29 13:59:04','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/29/1311-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(1381,1,'2011-10-27 13:20:35','2011-10-27 20:20:35','I am a personality test junkie. Part of this is no doubt due to my interest in psychology. I love to ponder the complexities of personality theory: Does it form early in development and remain unchanging and static? Or is it more plastic, changing as we age? How much do genetics or the environment determine personality? What personality tests are the most accurate?\r\n\r\nI have taken pretty much every free personality test available online (and there are more than a few). I have also taken the official version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as part of one of my college psychology courses. (100 points goes to the first reader who can guess what my Myers-Briggs type is purely based off my writing style and the personal information I\'ve disclosed in my posts.) Introspection and self-reflection is pretty inherent to my nature, and psychology tests are another tool to that end. I have plenty of information about the inner-workings of my self and personality; however, I wonder if I am using that information to grow or find my place in the world, or if it\'s just more information I\'m hoarding.\r\n\r\nIf personality tests weren\'t enough, we now have the CAV (Christian Approved Version): spiritual gifts inventories. These are all the rage in Christian conferences, churches, small groups and ministries. I\'m pretty sure I\'ve taken at least three different versions at different times in my life. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, spiritual gift inventories get their listing of gifts from Romans 12 (prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy), 1 Corinthians 12 (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues) and Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). Some spiritual gift inventories also include other gifts referred to in miscellaneous places in scripture, such as celibacy, hospitality, martyrdom, musical talent, and voluntary poverty, to name a few. What \"gifts\" should actually be included in spiritual gift inventories is debatable and perhaps a great topic to tackle at another point in time.\r\n\r\nSo, why all the buzz with spiritual gift inventories? Well, we all have a desire to know why God created us in our own unique way, and what His Will is for our life. Knowing what your particular spiritual gifts are is certainly a good place to start in determining what direction to take in your life, be it ministry, vocation or otherwise. If you haven\'t taken one, I highly suggest that you do. (If you google \"spiritual gift inventory\", you will find at least a couple free spiritual gifts tests.)\r\n\r\nThat being said, I have noticed an unfortunate tendency in both myself and others to use spiritual gifts as excuses. Do you want to act like a complete jerk? Claim you don\'t have a mercy gifting. Don\'t want to share the Gospel with others? Claim you aren\'t an evangelist. Don\'t want to tithe, give to the poor, or help someone in need? Claim you don\'t have the gift of giving. Don\'t want to serve others? Claim you don\'t have the gift of serving or the gift of helps.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately, God calls us to do a lot of things, regardless of our individual spiritual gifts. If you think you can be a douche canoe to others just because you haven\'t been endowed with the supernatural gift of mercy, you may want to check out James 2:13: \"Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.\"  If you think lacking the spiritual gift of giving gets you off the hook for helping others, you may want to look at James 1:27: \"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.\" If you think that you can sit on your tuches all day long just because you don\'t have the gift of serving,  you might want to consider Jesus\' words to the disciples in Luke 22: 25-27.\r\n\r\nPerhaps the bigger issue is that we focus too much on ourselves, who we are, and what we are gifted at (or not gifted at). We place an inordinately high value and focus on the gifts, like those listed in 1 Corinthians 12, but forget what Paul said next:\r\n<blockquote>\"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,<span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: 11px\"> </span>but do not have love, I gain nothing.\"  1 Corinthians 13:1-3</blockquote>\r\nSpiritual gifts, after all, aren\'t really gifts to keep for ourselves. God give these gifts to help serve, edify, and build up the other members of the Body of Christ.  To use your gifts, it certainly does help to actually understand and know what they are; the difficulty is finding a way to be self-reflective without being self-absorbed.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Spiritual Gifts and Spiritual Excuses','','inherit','open','open','','1311-revision-16','','','2011-10-27 13:20:35','2011-10-27 20:20:35','',1311,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1311-revision-16/',0,'revision','',0),(1382,1,'2011-10-27 14:24:24','2011-10-27 21:24:24','“And I’m not going to stand and wait,\r\nNot gonna leave until it’s much too late.\r\nOn a platform, I’m gonna stand and say\r\nthat I’m nothing on my own.  And I love you please come home.”  --  “A Message, by Coldplay\r\n\r\n[embed width=500 height=284]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_4hp_KxO48[/embed]\r\n\r\nThe person in the video is one of the Distillery’s (my faith community) Copastors and founders, Carolyn Turnidge, an asset to our little community in Albany.  She brought this song to us as “A Message” so to speak, and we got the message.  But, we got so much more than that.  I apologize that the song starts so abruptly, but our camera operator started the recording a bit late.\r\n\r\nThe idea behind the song for us as a church is that we truly are nothing on our own.  We were meant to be with each other.  I have often heard people say things like “all I need is my Bible and my Heavenly Father to be whole,”  “I don’t listen to anyone but the Holy Spirit,” and “The Bible is the only friend I need.”  All of those statements and statements like them in my experience are false.  As in “not true.”\r\n\r\nWe need each other.  It’s a given.  This is one of those things that God says from the beginning in the simplest of statements, \"It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen 2:18)  God was with “Man” at the time by the way, so what was God talking about?  For the man was certainly not alone with the Holy Trinity by his side day after day.  Was God merely saying that man needs a single partner?  Was he only talking about Eve?  I don’t think so.  What we do know is that God created man (woman) not to be exclusive of other men (women).   In fact he created us to be with others like us.\r\n\r\nJesus himself gathers together 12 disciples.  Twelve people to share his day-to-day with, not to mention all of the folks he surrounded himself with on a regular basis.  Yes there were periods of time that Jesus separated himself from the crowds and the disciples, but for the most part Jesus seems to be saying to humanity, “I am nothing on my own.”\r\n\r\nNow before you get offended, think about it.  On his own, Jesus would have been a no one.  No one would have even known who he was.  He needed the people around him as much as they needed him.  If Jesus did not have such a huge following -- if he was not constantly surrounded by people, the Pharisees would not even have noticed him.  He may not have even been crucified.  \r\n\r\nAlso found in scriptures are the classic lines “Where two or three or gathered in my name, there I will be also,” (Matt 18:20) almost as if to insinuate that God prefers to deal with us in numbers or crowds rather than as single solitary individuals.  There is certainly evidence of this in the scriptures.  In fact there are indications in the early history of the church that the Bible itself was not meant for a single reader scenario but was created and distributed to communities of followers.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday the communities would go through the scriptures together as friends and often times as combative family members when they disagreed.  So it seems to me that Christianity, the Bible, and God are all meant to be approached in groups of people, not as single solitary individuals.\r\n\r\nIt is only in America in the last 60 years or so that we have even heard the words “personal savior” used in relation to Jesus.  The whole concept of a personal savior is exclusively American in that we are all about the individual here aren’t we?  “Personal” property, “Personal” space, “Personal” brand --  these are all American terms born out of capitalism and the idea of independence.  These terms and things associated with them are not bad in and of themselves, but we have to acknowledge that they and the ideas behind them come from our individualistic culture, and did not exist in the time of Jesus.\r\n\r\nBack then everyone shared, worked together for the community’s success, and worshiped together a God of the community, not of the individual.\r\n\r\nSo we come back to Carolyn’s song.  Well, the song by Coldplay I mean.  There is something so beautiful about the kind of desperation in which we approach each other.  Part of the verse says “I am not going to stand and wait,” while the other part says “..not gonna leave until it’s much too late.”  It’s that part of each of us that want to keep whatever dignity we seem to have, while at the same time desperately and almost pathetically we cling to each other.   We are nothing on our own.  We all need each other as much as we need God, and as much as we need the Bible.\r\n\r\nNow you might think that this is an argument for church, or that I am saying that you have to go to church to be a good Christian.  No, I am not saying that.  There are other ways for us to be with each other that do not include church.  For me, my little community of faith gives me the “we” I need in order to approach God and the Bible on a regular basis, for others it may be your work crowd, or your family or a circle of good friends.  What do you think about the whole “Personal Savior” phrase and what do you do as far as being with others that works for you?  Keep in mind that I am not speaking out against personal time with God here, but merely speaking exclusively about community in this post.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','I\'m nothing on my own','','inherit','open','open','','1342-revision-7','','','2011-10-27 14:24:24','2011-10-27 21:24:24','',1342,'http://provoketive.com/2011/10/27/1342-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),