Rethink Monthly - Nov / Dec 2008

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RETHNK MONTHLY

SPECIAL SECTION | SALEM DREAM CENTER

RETHINKING GOD IN TODAY’S CULTURE.

JESUS WRECKED MY LIFE

+LEFT Page 18

BEHIND FAMILIES OF DEPLOYED DEAL WITH ABSENCE Page 8

SERVING SALEM, KEIZER AND THE MID-WILLAMETTE VALLEY WWW.RETHINKMONTHLY.COM

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

CONTENTS

NOV/dec 2008

18 16

22 EDITORS/PUBLISHERS >

Bo Lane > bo@rethinkmonthly.com Melissa Lane > melissa@rethinkmonthly.com

SALES MANAGER >

LeAnn Lane > leann@rethinkmonthly.com

ART DIRECTOR >

Vin Thomas > vin@rethinkmonthly.com

CREDITS >

Images by: Bethany Furumasu, Daniel Shippey, Aaron Brown, Ben De Rienzo. All images used by permission.

2_RETHINK MONTHLY

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS >

Randy Mooney, Anthony Trask, John Fehlen, Rachel Brown, Craig Oviatt, Michael Yoder, Shane Claiborne

WRITERS’ GUIDELINES > write.rethinkmonthly.com

TO SUBSCRIBE >

RETHINK Monthly is a free publication and can be picked up locally within Salem, Keizer and the mid-Willamette valley. You can also purchase a subscription at: subscribe.rethinkmonthly.com

REACH US >

RETHINK, Inc PO Box 17316 Salem, OR 97305 Phone: 503-856-4430 Fax: 503-394-7121 info@rethinkmonthly.com www.rethinkmonthly.com After you’ve read every single word of this magazine and have shared it with all your friends and family, please consider recycling it - or add it to your collection of Rethink Monthly magazines and save it forever.

MATTHEW

WEST

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tHE ALPHA

editoRial I get in my car, close the door, and turn the ignition. As the engine roars almost as loud as my empty belly, I look toward my wife Melissa and begin the process; an endless conversation that has grown notorious amongst the Lane family.

“Where are we going to eat?” I ask.

She hates when I ask and, truth be told, I hate asking.

We’ve already made the decision not to leave the house until that question has been answered but, impatiently, we’re already in the car. And, of course, were ravenous.

“Whatever sounds good to you, wife,” I say politely.

“No honey, I’m fine with whatever you want,” she responds. Deep down I know that isn’t quite the truth so I do what every good husband would do; I push a little more. “Melissa, beautiful Melissa, whatever you want to eat is what I want to eat.”

Back and forth we go. “Bo, I always decide. This time it’s up to you.”

I thought to myself, why is a decision that’s so easy become so difficult at times? In many areas of my life, I find myself asking that same question. But there are also times when decisions to be made are overwhelmingly complex, leaving me at a loss. This was the case on November 4th, 2008, when it came time to fulfill my civic obligation.

I knew exactly what (and, for the most part, who) I wanted to vote for and which measures I wanted to see collapse in front of Oregonians eyes. Filling out the ballot took less than five minutes. It was rather easy; easy until the time came to make my decision regarding the 44th president of the United States.

So I did what any other God-fearing, Christ-like person would do; I left it blank. Well, at least for the entire twelve minutes it took to get to the County Clerk’s Office.

The ballot sat impatiently on the passenger seat and as I looked down, those six names stared vigorously back at me. They were forcing me to make yet another decision, one of countless magnitude and one I was not looking forward to.

As I found one of two last parking spaces available, I turned off the car, took a deep breath, and called my wife.

“Melissa, who should I vote for?” I pleaded. “Pray about it,” she said, “and then you’ll know what to do.” I heeded her advice and mustered something short. I looked back at the ballot and thought that writing in Chuck Norris might be a better decision after all. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the first time that thought invaded my mind. But listening to my better judgment, I decided against Mr. Texas Ranger

4_RETHINK MONTHLY

and chose something more Christ-like: an elimination process that has been around for more than 150 years.

“Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers make him pay, fifty dollars every day. My mommy told me to pick the very best one and you are not it.”

Cynthia McKinney was the first to go. Then Nader.

Ironically and unintentionally, the last two candidates filled the Democrat and Republican slots. Needless to say, this didn’t make my decision any easier.

Sitting in my car that rainy Oregon afternoon allowed me time to think about the transition we as Americans are facing. I thought about the election and how it was bringing so many people together yet at the same time ripping so many others apart. I thought about all the difficult decisions and the sensitive issues presented. And I realized that we, regardless of popular opinion, have ultimately landed in the place God had preordained for us. And in that place lies yet another decision. Do we choose to hold fast and trust in God’s faithfulness and unfailing wisdom?

Or do we set our minds on the distractions and fears instilled in us from our enemy?

In a world where it appears that all hell has broken loose, let us be reminded that where sin abounds, grace abounds even more. Knowing this, let us choose grace over condemnation. Let us choose Christ’s love over our own personal agendas. And let us choose prayerful dedication for leaders, rulers, and presidents over the lament of frustrating outcomes.

Let us choose according to the desires God has placed upon our hearts, even if they’re the hardest decisions we’ll ever face. And in this season, let us be thankful that God has everything – even our country’s financial and political positions – under control.

Ultimately, Melissa and I made a fruitful decision. Our teamwork landed us in a pleasant little restaurant on the north side; one with a great view and stunning golden arches.

Coming Jan. 16-17, 2009

special guests

Gary & Marie Wiens

International House of Prayer Northwest

Mike & Angela Pinkston

Formerly of Northwind School of Worship

brought to you by the salemhouseofprayer

limited registation

BURNSHINE is not just an event. It a prophetic declaration over the entire Northwest that now is the time for the Burning and Shining Lamps to arise and take their place on the wall all throughout the Northwest.

We are asking God for 10,000 intercessors to fill 10 houses of prayer established, emerging, or not yet born, throughout the Northwest from Alaska to Redding, California and from Salem, Oregon to Boise, Idaho.

We believe that NOW is the time to begin to lift a CALL both practically and prophetically for the Burning and Shining Lamps to come forth.

BURNSHINE exists to be a conduit for that call to ring out like a trumpet blast throughout the Northwest. Come join us in joining with Lord to see His Kingdom come and His will done in the Northwest as it is in heaven!

www.burnshine.com

LIFE CAN BE TOUGH.

Sometimes, all you need is a sense of humor to roll with the little challenges, but at other times the struggles are more serious. Family issues, financial problems, illness, unexpected loss – it’s not always a laughing matter.

We can’t eliminate the problems, but at Hope Point Church we’re exploring how God can get us through the tough stuff, all while discovering friendship, support and encouragement.

Don’t come up short, join us this weekend!

We’re on a roll.

Stop,look & listen

BY RANDY MOONEY

Sitting in Governor’s Cup recently, enjoying my morning java and Sudoku, I overheard the following conversation: Guy 1 says, “I don’t consider myself a Christian. I mean, I don’t like Christians so why would I be one? I like Christ though.” Guy 2 responds, “Well, I’m a Christian.”

Silence filled the conversation and, even though I was eavesdropping, I anxiously waited a response. But the conversation turned to other items in the news to ease the new awkwardness.

I have heard phrases before of those who say they follow Jesus but don’t want to be labeled as a Christian. Or even those who do not follow Jesus showing much disdain towards Christians. Sadly, I get it.

At one time Jesus said “all would know you are my disciples if you love one another.” For a moment, let’s just focus on Christians loving Christians within the local gathering of believers (churches). Hypocrisy runs deep as we find new and creative ways to gossip about others under the disguise of prayer. Churches have been torn apart by those that would take sides on an issue. We argue over the pettiest of things like paint color and song choice and easily get distracted from the things we should be thinking about: loving Jesus and loving others.

So, what is a Christian known for nowadays? Unfortunately, it’s not their love but often times, their hate. Having been a pastor for many years I have seen the slippery slope of loving those in the world slide down to focusing on self. It starts at the top with looking at the world outside of ourselves, seeing the needs, meeting those needs, making new friends and spreading the love of Christ to everyone. It ends with a vicious focus on “self” to make ourselves comfortable after putting in our dues of serving. It’s almost as if we gave followers of Christ permission to retire from the faith after they receive their “gold watch” of following after Christ for a few years.

I am not immune to this either.

Recently I was asked, along with others, to determine some of the bigger needs in the Salem-Keizer area. As we went around the table, many of the others were sharing big needs that they knew of, and even shared of how some of these big needs are being met from the church. I felt the circle closing in on me and as it tightened, I was beginning to sweat on the inside. I sat there and was dumbfounded that I could not think of one legitimate need within our community. What makes it so harsh for me is that I have always thought of myself as “cutting edge,” knowing what is going on in the world and how the church “should” operate to meet people’s needs.

I could talk hours on spiritual matters and tell you how bad the world is and as I talked with my mouth flapping away, I would be saying nothing that mattered to my neighbor.

6_RETHINK MONTHLY

So, who is my neighbor? Jesus asked a similar question after talking to those gathered around him. He shared the story of the Good Samaritan. To sum up the story: a guy gets beaten up, robbed and left for dead on the side of the road.

A conservative religious person saw him and took off on the other side of the road, leaving him alone - probably on his way to a Bible study. A liberal religious person saw him and took off on the other side of the road, leaving him there - probably on the way to save a tree and all. But a loud, obnoxious, scar-faced, cigarette-wielding, cat-loving, country music playing, single mother of four on her way to collect her monthly food allowance from the state saw him and had compassion on him. She took care of him when no one else would. Jesus turned around and asked bluntly, “Which was a neighbor?”

Just as in the story that He shared, many people have good excuses for not loving and not taking care of people. Unless you actually take care of somebody, it doesn’t really mean anything. It seems that in this story, a good neighbor sees a need and extends a hand to meet that need. Not in a “look at me as I SERVE people” way but rather it should be done in the same way we were instructed to approach dangerous situations: “stop, look and listen”.

STOP - Stop worrying about your life for a few moments.

You’re life should not be so busy that you can not see beyond your own self. Stop and ask God to remove the busyness.

LOOK - My bet is that there are many needs right in front of you that have simply been overlooked. Ask your neighbor, nearby school, or social service center. Many churches are looking seriously at the needs of their own neighborhoods, asking those churches near you might show some other areas where you can serve.

LISTEN - When you go to a needed situation, actually take the time to listen to what the need is and what they actually want. It does no good to give starving families free tickets to Disneyland when what they want is a good meal.

As I move from looking at myself and only the things that matter to me to looking at those around me, I will then see the opportunities to be like. I won’t be perfect. I will mess it up. I will be selfish. But by God’s strength, not my own, I will try. And as I try, the bad aroma that Christians have left of their own selfishness will be replaced by a more pleasing aroma of one who desires to honor and look to Jesus.

Randy’s not the intel guy, the dairy guy, or the preacher from Mission, Mississippi, He is, without a doubt, a sinner saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. Randy has a beautiful wife of over 15 years and has have two wonderful girls.

Check him out at www.randymooney.com.

change

BY JOHN FEHLEN

4

It’s been said that only a baby with a wet diaper likes change.

Without a doubt transition can be difficult. Starting a new job, playing with a different team, or experiencing the physical and emotional changes that come with growing older can all be a struggle.

For example, I’m moving.

I just assumed the lead pastor role at West Salem Foursquare Church. After 16 great years at another church, my wife and I sensed a change in our hearts, and so we leaned wholly into God – who, by the way, is strong and sure in times of flex.

With this new assignment there is so much excitement, and yet with it comes so much change…and that can be intense.

Often we would rather have things stay the same for as long as possible to minimize the adjustments and the corresponding season of awkwardness.

God is all about change though. The Bible calls us to “repent and turn” (John 4:17) and demands that we become a “new creation in Christ “ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We’re even challenged by Jesus to be “converted and become as little children” (Matthew 18:3) in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Change is required. Change is good.

Change keeps us fresh. It cultivates a dependence upon God. It sure keeps things stimulating, rather than life-less and boring. Admit it: who really wants life to be that way? So, commit yourself to always keep growing, changing and becoming all that God would have you become.

Here are some “change concepts” to consider. Listen to a different style of music for a month or read your Bible out in the middle of an open field or empty parking lot. Sit in a different place at church next weekend or eat some food that you’ve never tried before. You could introduce yourself to someone you don’t know in the hopes of making a new friend or even go on a short-term missions trip – that’ll change you for sure!

Change is good. As a matter of fact, it is wonderful. Jesus went to the cross so that we could experience the greatest change of all…salvation…a change of heart.

On the weekend of Oct 18, West Salem Foursquare Church announced that John Fehlen had been appointed as senior pastor, filling the position vacated when Pastor Robert Flores accepted the Presidency of Life Pacific Bible College in Los Angeles, CA. John, his wife Denise and their four children have been part of Stanwood Foursquare Church located in Stanwood WA, for 15 years; 10 of those years Pastor Fehlen has served as senior pastor.

John’s wife Denise is also a licensed Foursquare pastor.

What does it mean to be in the world, but not of it?

Every generation must answer the most basic ethical question of the Christian faith, “What does it mean to be in the world, but not of it?”

Answering correctly yields relevance, something the world deeply desires, but rarely sees. The Fine Line re-envisions what it means to integrate Christianity with culture.

For more information on the book and the BLOG TOUR schedule go to www.karyoberbrunner.com

AVAILABLE DECEMBER 2008

l

lEFt BehINd i i i FAMILIES OF DEPLOYED DEAL WITH ABSENCE

by RACHEL BROWN Photo by Ben De Rienzo benderienzo.com

8_RETHINK MONTHLY

The luster of the wedding ring hasn’t faded, nor has dust settled on the faces in the photo album. But something has changed. The bathroom counter meant to accommodate his and her creams, lotions and after-shave has become allfemale terrain. The master bedroom is now occupied by a friend.

Life hasn’t stopped for Anna Finel, 21, in the absence of her husband John Finel —currently stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, waiting to ship out on Feb. 15, the day after Valentine’s Day. It hasn’t even paused. Strangely enough —some might even say miraculously — the talks over the phone and the frequent text messages sent sporadically throughout the day are enough to keep them going: her in college, him on the base. Thousands of miles apart.

Finel isn’t alone.

With over 145,000 U.S. troops deployed to Iraq, and 110 fatalities of Oregon soldiers, many families have a friend, brother or son who’s left behind a cold bed, vacant chair, and empty spaces on the bathroom counter. For some of these women, like Finel, it’s a husband.

Anna Finel knew what she was getting into when she married John, the high school sweetheart she met while working at the Kentucky Fried Chicken in Tillamook, Ore. For military wives, a husband who’s gone is “part of the package,” says Finel.

“If someone wants to be married to someone in the Army, they should know what they’re getting into.”

In fact, she knew she was going to marry him before they started dating.

What she didn’t know was how short their time would be. John Finel was known as something a troublemaker, a “good bad body,” says Finel with a smile. She was a local girl, smart, headed for college. Somehow, six months at KFC and the suicide of a coworker brought them together.

After graduation, he left for Bend, then Nevada, eventually enlisting in the Army. It was something he’d always wanted to do, says Finel. “He fits into the Army well.”

They got engaged the day before he left for boot camp, ironically speeded up by the need for more time. She told him, “You need to tell me now if we’re going to get married, because I need more than two months to plan a wedding.”

With thousands of miles in between, two busy schedules to work around, and the Army’s lack of communication, orchestrating the event was chaotic. Eventually, they found a day, Sept. 7, 2007, when she wouldn’t be in school.

The seventh rolled around and his AIT training hadn’t finished. “They told him he could get married the week before, or the week after…smack dab in the beginning of the school year,” Finel says ruefully.

Hurriedly, they postponed the wedding to Sept. 15. The change of date meant that Finel had to call all the guests. “That’s 300 phone calls,” she says. To this day, her wedding invitations still read Sept. 7.

After the wedding, they spent a brief honeymoon in Lincoln City — spanning the entirety of one night — only to return the next morning to pick up the tables and chairs they had borrowed from a school for the ceremony. That afternoon they stopped by her house to unwrap wedding gifts and “right after we opened the presents,” says Finel, John left for Nevada to commence his two-weeks of training.

The speed with which everything happened would set the tone for their first year as newlyweds. Once again, separation ensued.

Finel stayed in Oregon to continue her education, and John was reassigned to Fort Hood in central Texas. “It’s very hard being separated because of the school thing,” says Finel. From the day they were married, she says, they’ve lived together “as man and wife” for only four and a half months of the last two and a half years.

Currently, he waits to ship out on Feb. 15. Although he’ll be landing in Kuwait, Finel doesn’t know where her husband will end up. Despite the lack of information, her commitment to him and their marriage is one certainty she can trust. “You have to realize it’s not easy,” she says. “It’s going to be a lot of work. You can’t punk out.”

Angela Fowler, 21, another college student who married into the Army, knows a thing or two about changes in plans. Scheduled to walk down the aisle during the summer of 2008, her plans changed abruptly when her fiancé, Paul Fowler, a Black Hawk mechanic, came home in May from overseas deployment in Afghanistan for “Rest & Relaxation.”

After watching their tentative dates for their summer wedding fall through, both of them realized their options were fading. The day after John returned to the U.S. for his 18-day-long “R&R,” she told her mom they were getting married. Four days later, in a small affair consisting of family and pastor, Fowler was escorted down the aisle wearing a green dress to match her husband-to-be’s military uniform.

The next 14 days they spent together were bliss. And when it was time for Paul Fowler to be dropped off at the airport to catch his flight back to Afghanistan, it was Fowler, now in the role of wife, who waited on the sidelines for her husband to check through security.

Like Finel, Fowler was aware of the challenges facing her as a military wife. “I definitely knew what I was getting into,” she says in a gentle voice, her quiet gestures framing her words. Being the wife of a soldier is “the hardest job in the Army,” she says. “No matter how many goodbyes you go through, they never get better.”

Months before, while she completed a semester abroad program in Germany, the wife of a soldier living on base had warned her of the sacrifices to come. The woman, who she met while helping out with a church youth group located on the military base, told her that out of the ten years she’d been married, she and her husband had spent three years physically together.

Fowler listened, but made the plunge anyway. “Pretty much all of our relationship is long distance, but I know that I can communicate with him,” she says confidently. Ironically, Fowler can read his voice better than she can make sense of his facial expressions. “If I hear him talking, I can tell if he’s hiding something,” she says. That carefully attuned ear, that sixth sense some might call female intuition, keeps the worries at bay.

And it makes the moments she can actually reach out and touch her husband all the more special. “It makes you really enjoy the time you get together,” she says. “Every moment is precious. If you want to fight about something, you put it on the backburner for later, because all you have is this moment.”

While she patiently waits for his return, life has assumed a routine of sorts, in which her husband fades in and out of the background. Instead of making a home out of an apartment filled with hand-me-down furniture, Fowler lives with a teeming, screaming hall of girls on her campus. “I’m married, but I get to live with my girlfriends,” she says with a laugh.

And though she’d rather share a bed with Paul, who “hogs the pillow,” than with anyone else, she appreciates the effort her roommate makes to include her in a life without Paul. “She’s the best roommate I could have regarding the circumstances,” she says.

The loads of homework, late night movies, and shrieks echoing down the halls are never enough to mask the absence she feels, however. Like clockwork, every morning her husband calls her in her dorm room to wake her up. “Sometimes it gets lonely, because I don’t really have anyone to talk about the marriage thing, but I just keep going.”

Although Fowler initially didn’t want her husband to join the Army —a desire she calls “selfish” on her part—she’s not the first to put up a fight.

Melody Taylor, the mother of a 20-year-old son in the Navy who recently returned from Iraq, did all she could to persuade her son from enlisting. “We try to dissuade him from going into the military…We tried every angle we could.”

Her objections proved ineffective, however, in putting a stop to the child dreams of a 20-year-old who’d grown up strategizing over his own miniature soldiers.

“He wanted to do that,” says Taylor referring to her son’s passion for giving his life in service to his country. “He wanted to be where the action was…He wanted to make a difference…He wanted to be someone’s hero.”

Rachel Brown is a senior Communications major and news editor of her school newspaper, the Hilltop News at Corban College in Salem. When not fretting over her future, she enjoys swooning over the “Twilight” series, jogging, and the occasional dance party or two.

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IS GAY OK?

BY ANTHONY TRASK

It was a beautiful, mild Friday evening in the city of Seattle during the month of May. The skies were clear and the city was alive with people coming and going in and out of dance clubs, posh restaurants, and late night coffee shops. A good childhood friend and I spent the evening touring the city via motor scooter. He had lived in Seattle for several years and wanted to show me parts of the city that could only be seen on a Friday evening under the stars.

We went up and down steep city streets, in and out of alleys, and stopped to look at panoramic viewpoints.

Some things, however, were a little unique about this evening: 1) My good friend and I were not touring the city on two individual scooters, but on one; 2) This scooter didn’t have a normal black ‘pleather’ seat like most scooters do, it had a bright flowered one; and 3) My childhood friend, who I was closely straddling from behind on a small flowered scooter seat is not straight like me, he is gay.

I am a Follower of Jesus Christ; a Christian. And I know that because of what I am about to say, some of you may think that I am a bigot and may even hate me. But GAY, to say it bluntly, IS NOT OK. I can say that, not because my faith is based on my opinions, beliefs, experiences, or the cultural norms of my day, but because it is based on the Word of God - a love letter from God to His people which has not changed since it was penned thousands of years ago.

And the Bible is explicitly clear that homosexuality is not God’s will for man, thus making it sin.

We live in a world that, for some reason, tries to justify homosexuality; tries to make it seem normal. We live in a world where homosexuals compare themselves to persecuted ethnic minorities in order to gain acceptance. We live in a world where scientists work tirelessly to trace homosexuality to a specific gene within our DNA to show that homosexuals are born homosexuals.

And we live in a world where special interest groups fight viciously to insure that homosexual couples have the opportunity to get married just as heterosexual couples have been doing for millennia.

We also live in a world where this same way of thinking has crept into the church. We live in a world where churches affirm homosexuality in order to appeal to a broader base of people; thus growing their congregations, limiting their persecution from the world, and increasing their giving. We live in a world in which churches do away with Scriptures that condemn homosexuality by claiming that certain words have been mistranslated or that those same Scriptures were intended only for a specific time and/or culture. We live in a world where “gay affirming” churches rejoice when a Christian music superstar comes out of the closet and uses him as a tool to further their agenda.

And sadly, we live in a world where certain churches are so desperate to justify their homosexual lifestyle that they make preposterous claims that King David, Ruth, The Apostle Paul, and even Jesus was gay.

Something else to consider though, is that we live in a world with prideful pastors and lying elders. We live in a world with lustful Sunday school teachers and gluttonous worship leaders. We live in a world with revenge-obsessed soccer moms and hypocritical grandpas. We live in a world of disobedient teenagers and worry-laden fathers. We live in a world with selfish church custodians and stealing Bible scholars. And we live in a world with unforgiving youth pastors and idolatrous church board members. The list goes on and on.

The point is that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” The point is that all sin - short of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit - is forgivable through 10_RETHINK MONTHLY

the saving power of Jesus Christ. The point is that one’s sin of homosexuality is no worse than one’s sin of using God’s Name in vein. The point is that we are all held accountable for all of the sins we commit against God - even the ones we’re not aware of. The point is that Jesus Christ loves us so much, whether we struggle with homosexuality or hate for our enemies, that He lived a life that we were unable to live, died an agonizing death that we deserved to die, and rose from the grave to give us an abundant, eternal life we do not deserve.

It’s a matter of the heart. You cannot be a Christian (one who has put their faith in the saving power of Jesus Christ, loves Him with all of their heart, and follows His example through the power of the Holy Spirit), yet continue to love sin. You cannot be a Christian, yet pick and chose which Scriptures apply to your life. You cannot be a Christian, yet be unrepentant towards the sins that you struggle with. Being a Christian means that you and your sin have been confronted by a Holy God, and your response is to allow God to change you and conform you into His image.

There is no difference between Johnny and Jane (the fornicating, shackedup “Christian” couple who sit on the front row of your church every Sunday), and Bill and Steve (the gay couple who feel too uncomfortable to even enter the doors of your church for fear of rejection). There is no difference between Doug (the “Christian” husband who sits with his wife on the back row of your church every Sunday while Tina, the young woman he is having an affair with, sits in the balcony in shame), and Lisa and Megan (the lesbian couple who won’t even walk down the same side of the street as your church because of how they have been treated).

For far too long the Church - myself included - has been pointing the long, narrow finger of judgment at those whose lives have not been transformed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ and has not been pointing the accountable a finger of judgment and correction back at its own.

When I look at the people who Jesus hung out with - prostitutes, lepers, Samaritans, the poor, uneducated, demon afflicted, dishonest tax collectors, the sick, disabled, widows, and children - I am ashamed, not of Jesus, but of myself and the Church. It makes me realize who I need to be spending time with today. I need to make myself available today so that I can invite people into the Kingdom that Jesus established - one that will never end.

So, let me go back to that night in Seattle. As the night grew later, my friend wanted to show me what he called the city’s “gaybourhoods”. It was at that point, while holding onto my gay friend, cruising through Seattle on the flowered seat of a little motor scooter that I thought, just for an instant, “What if the people here think that I am his new boyfriend?” The verse about avoiding the “appearance of evil” sprung into my mind. But those thoughts were quickly replaced when I realized that this is probably right where Jesus wants me - riding on the back of a motor scooter with my gay friend through the neon-lit streets of Seattle’s gaybourhoods.

And it was at that moment when that night became one of my fondest memories. For an instant everything was balanced and where it should be.

Because after all love wins in the end.

Anthony Trask is the husband of one wife and the father of two children. He currently spends his time with over 50 international high school boys as a dean at an international boarding school in Southern Oregon. You can check out his blog and listen to some of his teachings at www.anthonytrask.com.

Salem Interfaith Hospitality Network

helping faith communities help local families

Sulema & Lionel came to Salem with their hopes high. They left family and friends behind; they heard there were opportunities in Oregon. At least the minimum wage was higher. However, what they didn’t know was that Salem was going through an economic slump. Jobs were scarce and they needed jobs to get an apartment. So, they stayed in a motel until their money ran out. Then they thought, “What next?” With three children to feed and find a home for, where were they to turn in this new community?

This is the reality; they are about to become another statistic in Salem’s homeless population, over 3000 in 2007.

Over the past 12 months Salem Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) has heard similar stories more than a hundred different times. Salem IHN is a coordinated effort of 36 different congregations that have declared they are going to stand against homelessness by providing emergency housing and compassionate care, empowering the families in their journey towards self-sufficiency.

Salem IHN has a Day Center and administrative offices in an unpretentious house in West Salem on Edgewater Street. It is a small organization in comparison to some of the other players taking a stand against homelessness. It serves families, parents with children under the age of 18 – four families at a time. Fourteen churches open their facilities as Host Congregations to provide dinner, a place to sleep, breakfast, and interested volunteers who will help children with homework, give parents a needed break, or just sit and listen should the families desire to talk. They take on this responsibility one week at a time on a rotating basis. While another 23 congregations provide support in the way of volunteers, supplies, and finances.

“If a church is going to take seriously the call of Jesus to care for the poor,” says Rev. Chris Haydon of host congregation Trinity Covenant Church, “this is the easiest way to do it. Salem IHN delivers them to our doorstep. We simply concentrate on loving and caring for them while they are here.”

During the day-time hours the families are transported to the Salem IHN Day Center where they meet with the Family Case Manager to set goals and objectives that will lead them successfully to self-sufficiency. They get connected to the agencies that are set up to provide them with the resources they will need, such as the Oregon Department of Human Services and employment agencies. Time will be spent in discussing and learning life skills, money management, and parenting, depending on the specific needs of the family.

800 volunteers will give over 10,000 hours to provide the care for the 50 or so families that will go through the network this year. Over the past two years, 80% of those who have come into the network continue to successfully navigate the road to self-sufficiency.

Sulema & Lionel stayed at Salem IHN for two weeks. During their stay they proceeded to register with the agencies that would provide them with the resources necessary to tide them over until they found jobs. The job hunt did not go well. While they were here they heard news that Sulema’s mother in Arizona was ill. One of the goals of Salem IHN is to help families make the best decisions possible to be successful in their pursuit of self-sufficiency. For Sulema & Lionel, it was working with their extended family in Arizona and arranging for the possibility of return so Sulema could care for her mother and draw from the support team they had left.

There are countless stories of lives Salem IHN has helped. Ralf came to the network with his two boys after he had injured his back and was unable to work. The bills piled up and eventually they lost their house. Salem IHN was able to get into them into a transitional housing apartment and assisted with Ralf getting a new job.

In order to accomplish these tasks, Salem IHN relies on volunteer helpers to staff many activities. Help is always needed. You can volunteer with a Host Congregation to provide meals or be an overnight host. Or babysit while parents are in training sessions or at interviews. There is also a need for office assistance in the Day Center. And sharing in the life of a family by being a mentor in an area such as life-skills, finances, parenting, or career counseling can be a very rewarding experience.

Salem IHN exists solely through the generosity of individuals, businesses, faith communities, and organizations. Your donations are always appreciated. If you would like to provide financial, in-kind, material or volunteer support to Salem IHN, please contact the Day Center office at 503-370-9752.

RETHINKMONTHLY.COM_11

SaleM DREAM CENtER “LOVE THEM UNTIL THEY ASK WHY”

WHAT IS THE SALEM DREAM CENTER The entire mission of the Salem Dream Center consists of going out into the Edgewater district of West Salem and loving people. We want to make life better. We want to help people achieve a better lifestyle. If they need medical help, well, that’s easy. We take them to our free medical clinic. If they need a bed, we find it. If they need food, we feed them. If they need clothes, we get them what they need.

Some people tell us we only enable them to do less. We just smile and tell them to read Matthew 25:40. “Whatever you do for the least of these my brothers you do for me.”

We’re doing what Christ told us to and, best of all, when we do it we're doing it for Christ. If we don't show people that God is good with our actions, how will they ever believe it? If we reach out and love people and demonstrate Gods love, and if we're received, so also is the one who sent us.

The Salem Dream Center is different than some other ministries.

It’s not about any church or denomination. It’s not about what we can achieve. It’s about God. And we’re open to anyone joining us as long as they come without an agenda. That is, without any agenda other then loving people without expectation.

We work closely with the Boys and Girls Club, Family Building Blocks, Union Gospel Mission, Salvation Army, Walker Middle School, and four local churches and support their efforts. The way we see it: If we all come together and just love people, how can we go wrong?

JAMES MINISTRY The James Ministry reaches out to the homeless. A great number of those people are homeless simply because they lack medical care. We work not just to feed them and clothe them, but to draw them into the

12_RETHINK MONTHLY

Free Medical Clinic. The first step, for a large portion of those people, is to get off the slab and to do that they need to obtain quality medical care and the proper medications.

One success story is about a family who had been homeless for more than a year. He has high blood pressure, and she has diabetes.

They lost their jobs after losing their medical insurance. Without their needed medication, they became so ill that they couldn’t work; therefore losing their jobs, and then their home.

We found them under the bridge. After talking with them and recognizing their need, we brought them into the clinic where they received preventive medical care. Once they became stable on their medications, their entire life changed.

That was three years ago. Today they both work and live in the Edgewater neighborhood. Their cute little home is now adorned with beautiful hanging plants lining the front.

SALEM FREE MEDICAL CLINIC The free Medical Clinic is one of the greatest components of the Salem Dream Center. It also is the area that gets a lot of flack. People think we enable others to do less. We think that is wrong. We help people by improving their quality of life. We help those who need medications in order to be productive and excel in their work and home. We provide nutritional teaching, job placement assistance, social services, and more.

We are not just a medical clinic, we are a resource center. Not only do we provide quality medical care, we feed ever patient lunch and provide them with clothing once a month if needed.

We do whatever we can because we know that “whatever we do for the least of these,” we’re also doing it for Jesus.

RICHARD’S StORY

BY CRAIG OVIATT

Above: Bethany, Richard, and Amanda (Craig’s daughter) What is it like when you step up to the edge of the unknown? When you get that feeling of panic in the pit of your stomach, and become vividly aware that in this very moment everything will change?

And then stepping off the edge... You can’t do that! You will be dashed to pieces on the rocks below! But... What if you did not hit the ground?

What if by some miracle you began to soar instead?

This is how I felt on October 2nd of 2004 when I took my first step off the edge. I will never forget that day. I knew I wasn’t qualified or equipped, but there was no turning back. Why not? I signed a contract with God. I was doing my devotionals on an ordinary day. My process is SOAP, Scripture – Observation – Application – Prayer. Find the Scripture, write an Observation, find how I can Apply it to my life and then write a Prayer. And then… sign my name. This daily SOAP process has changed my life forever.

That morning I read Matthew 25:31-46 about the separation of the sheep and the goats. This is why God put me on this earth! I was purposed for God, and purposed to serve all mankind in His name.

My pastor, Todd Gould, quoted this passage the following Sunday and then shared his desire to begin an outreach in the Edgewater district of West Salem. It would be called the Salem Dream Center. The mission would be to demonstrate God’s love through tangible acts: to clothe, feed, and love others.

I listened in awe. This was exactly what I had read and felt the day before. As soon as the service was over I rushed to sign up. There were dozens of areas to serve. I checked off everything except the section titled “Home Visitation.” I left the section completely blank.

Soon I met with Ryan, a Dream Center leader, to discuss the Dream Center. He asked me how I wanted to be involved. “I’ll do anything, I’ll even scoop dog poop out of people’s back yards,” I quickly replied.

He smiled, thought for a moment, and said, “We want you to be a block pastor.”

I looked him in the eye and, in the most respectful way possible, replied “Ryan, what part of ‘I’ll scoop dog poop’ didn’t you understand? I don’t know the Bible well enough to preach. I can’t recite scripture and I don’t have a clue how to talk to strangers about God. This isn’t who I am. If someone were to ask a question I would just stand there and look like an idiot.”

Ryan smiled and said, “And that is exactly why we want you to be a block pastor.”

Days earlier I told God I would live the biblical life He asked of me. I was

stuck. God had answered my prayer, but not how I wanted. This wasn’t fair at all! I told Ryan that if this went bad, it was on his head, not mine. Ryan wisely replied “No, it’s on God’s head. And I think He can handle it.”

A few weeks later I stepped off the perverbial edge of my cliff and into the Edgewater neighborhood, fondly nicknamed felony flats by the outsiders. Thankfully I was accompanied with two others from Salem Dream Center. I was terrified as I walked up to the first door. I’m a big guy and not easily intimidated, but I was way out of my comfort zone.

I knocked, and there stood a man who looked just like ZZ Top. He had a long gray beard and matching salt and pepper hair. His name was Richard.

We spent time with Richard and his two roommates, Doug and Bill, talking of nothing really spiritual. He made me feel welcome and seemed sincere when he said that he looked forward to me coming back the next Saturday.

The men were former Bikers, the type we all know and perhaps fear.

They were open about being in recovery for addictions and some of their stories were…well, colorful, to say the least.

I guess that was one of my first profound lessons, one that I knew, but didn’t truly live: Don’t judge a man by the ink on his arms, the scars on his face, or who he was. In fact, don’t judge at all, lest you be judged.

One Saturday Richard was in terrible pain. He had hurt his neck and he could hardly move. I felt so guilty. All I could do was talk to him and tell him I was sorry. We had this rule: Don’t push God unless they ask. Richard wasn’t asking, so we waited to pray for him after we left his house. I felt even worse.

At the Salem Dream Center we strive to follow the example that Christ set. He went to the people, and fed, clothed, healed, and loved them. Our axiom is “Love them until they ask why!” That’s what Jesus did. It worked for Him, so why not us?

The next week before arriving we prayed God provide us the opportunity to pray with him. We arrived to find the small living room filled with big, tough guys... There was more leather, tattoos, and hair than empty space.

I looked into Richard’s blue eyes and all I saw was pain. He was hurting so bad he could hardly sit up. I made small talk until I couldn’t handle it any more. I quietly asked, “Would it bother you if I prayed for you?” At that he held up his hand and said, “Please. I need it.”

I reached for his hand, and one by one his big tough friends began to place their hands on Richard or on one another’s shoulders. My prayer was quiet and short, but God heard it. It didn’t seem like the right time or place to pray, but as soon as I took the first step, God moved and His power filled the room.

The next day I saw my dear friend Dr. Marion Reynolds. I told her about Richard and how he would not take any medication because he was a recovering addict. She immediately asked me to take her to his house. Marion gave him a full examination and provided him with a month’s supply of nonaddictive medications. The following day she connected Richard with a specialist so he was able to get surgery to repair the massive damage in his neck.

This house call was the beginning of the Salem Free Medical Clinic.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 RETHINKMONTHLY.COM_13

Craig Oviatt is the Director of the Salem Dream Center and is on the pastoral staff at West Salem Foursquare Church. Craig is married to Renee’, the love of his life, and has four wonderful children (Amanda, Melissa, Courtney, and Justin), a son-in-law (Chris), and one beautiful granddaughter (Natalie). Craig is a member of the Polk County Systems Integration Team and a regular attendee of the West Salem Neighborhood Association.

He loves to write, read, cook, and be at Dream Center.

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Dream Tree Gift Wrapping Party

Christmas Tree Delivery December 21st

December 20th

From 5PM until finished in the West From 6:30PM to 8:00PM in the Edgewater District of West Salem Salem Foursquare Youth Center It’s time to wrap all of the gifts that has been provided by Red Robin and others for our adopted families in Edgewater. Lasagna dinner will be provided and participants are welcome to bring their favorite Christmas treats. The Christmas celebration will be in full bloom – a Christmas movie playing on the big screen, Christmas music, lots of gifts in need of hands to wrap them with care, and fun.

Once again, we have been blessed by members of WSFC who have a loving desire to provide Christmas Ham Dinners and other food staples to our adopted families in Edgewater.

To date we have received sufficient donations to provide 30 families with a complete Christmas ham dinner and other food valued at $40.00 per family.

Because of their generous donations, we encourage you to shop at Party Depot and dine at Red Robin, and make sure to thank them for supporting the Dream Center.

Karo Thom and Pete's Place on State Street have organized and ordering all of the food and passed it on to us at their wholesale cost. Please make an effort to thank them for their support of Salem Dream Center by visiting their restaurants.

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities, please contact Craig Oviatt at craig@wsfc.org or call 503391-4346.

If you are interested in making a donation, or “adopting” a family, please contact Craig Oviatt at craig@wsfc. org or call 503-391-4346.

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Little did we know only one year later Richard would be healthy, white water rafting and teaching others how to raft on some of the most challenging rivers in our state.

I vividly remember the day Richard asked, “Why do you do this?” It caught me totally off guard. I looked at him and told him it was because Jesus loved me so much that He died for me. I told him how Jesus had taken me out of a selfish and hateful life and blessed me with forgiveness and love, and…well, I just had to share this love.

I told him about Matthew 25 and that I knew in my heart that’s why God made me. With sincere conviction he replied that it was not possible that God could love or forgive him. That he had done too much wrong and caused too much pain.

I looked into those deep blue eyes and saw the same pain I saw that first day that I prayed for him. I told Richard that God loved him unconditionally – He loved him when he was a thief, addict, and hurting others that he loved. He loved him just as much as the very moment he was born. And during the times he was doing wrong, God was there. God was crying. He was crying because one of His children that He loved so much couldn’t feel His love.

Richard looked me in the eye and said, “But how could God ever forgive me for all I’ve done?” I told him all he had to do was ask, and God would completely forgive.

That day Richard turned his life over to Christ. That day Richard felt God’s embrace once again.

As time passed Richard became a bit of an undercover evangelist. He would meet someone at NA or AA who needed mentoring and he would invite them white water rafting. He’d ask them if they knew God just before the boat went over a rapid. If they said no, he told them they’d be yelling for God’s help real quick! Richard was giving back; he was living Matthew 25.

The Saturday before Easter in 2008 Richard passed away of natural causes. His daughter asked me to perform the memorial service. She said, “Dad loved you like a son and I can’t think of anyone else who should do this.

Will you?” I accepted.

More then 250 people attended the service, most of whom were in NA or AA, all of whom Richard positively impacted. At the end of the service, 35 people accepted Christ.

It’s bewildering to think of how God works when we step out and do what He wants. That day in October of 2004 I knew I wasn’t qualified or equipped. All I knew was that I was broken and had very little to offer. The only thing that I felt I was qualified to do was scoop dog poop out of back yards, but God knew something else and God used Todd and Ryan to help me see it.

God knew that all the pain and sorrow, all the scars and fears that I thought made me unqualified, were exactly the opposite: They made me perfectly qualified. God used each wound of mine to reach Richard. God is enough. By His power mighty things happen – That is, when I approach the edge and step out in faith.

Dream Tree Gift Delivery

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RICHARD’S STORY CONT.

GET INVOLVED with SALEM DREAM CENTER. HERE ARE A FEW STARTING POINTS.

Bringing Light & Sound To Edgewater

December 22nd

December 22nd

From 9:00AM to 12:00PM in the Edgewater District of W. Salem at the Oak Village Apts

From 8PM to 9:30PM in the Edgewater District of W. Salem at the Oak Village Apts

With great festivity we will go door to door, delivering Dream Tree gifts that were provided by members of WSFC and Red Robin. We will meet at Walker Middle School at 9:00AM where we will share a brief devotion and pray before we go as a group up the street to the Oak Village West Apartments.

We will be walking through the Oak Village West Apartments singing Christmas Carols as one group. While we are doing this we will be installing bug lights in the currently vacant light sockets outside of the apartments and delivering boxes of light bulbs for inside, as well as Christmas candy to all the apts.

Once there we will begin distributing the gifts. Adults will accompany local children as we take gifts to the respective homes.

Playing Santa is one incredible feeling!

Light bulbs have been donated by Keizer Electric. Please make sure to remember them and thank them for their support. They have been such an incredible blessing to the Dream Center and our adopted families in Edgewater.

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities, please contact Craig Oviatt at craig@wsfc.org or call 503-391-4346.

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities, please contact Craig Oviatt at craig@wsfc.org or call 503-3914346.

coming soon to DVD

KUNG FU PANDA Releases November 9

Enthusiastic and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of kung fu around... Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of kung fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five, under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu.

But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a kung fu master into reality?

SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2 Releases November 18 Four young women continue the journey toward adulthood that began with “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” Now three years later, these lifelong friends embark on separate paths, but remain in touch by sharing their experiences with each other as they always have - with honesty and humor. Discovering their individual strengths, fears, talents and capacity for love through the choices they make, they come to value more than ever the bond they share and the immeasurable power of their friendship.

WALL•E

Releases November 18 After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL•E discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL•E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet’s future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans. Meanwhile, WALL•E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most exciting and imaginative comedy adventures ever brought to the big screen.

HANCOCK

Releases November 25 With great power comes great responsibility – everyone knows that – everyone, that is, but Hancock.

Edgy, conflicted, sarcastic, and misunderstood, Hancock’s well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake. Hancock isn’t the kind of man who cares what other people think – until the day that he saves the life of PR executive Ray Embrey, and the sardonic superhero begins to realize that he may have a vulnerable side after all.

NARNIA // PRINCE CASPIAN Releases December 2

One year after the incredible events of “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,” the children find themselves back in that faraway wondrous realm. During their absence, the Golden Age of Narnia has become extinct and is now under the control of the evil King Miraz. The children soon meet an intriguing new character: Narnia’s rightful heir to the throne, the young Prince Caspian, who has been forced into hiding as his uncle Miraz plots to kill him in order to place his own newborn son on the throne.

Photo by Aaron Brown

freedom now In the words of the great philosopher Kris Kristofferson, “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” Well, nothing, that’s all the market left me.

It’s been a roller coaster ride over the last month, watching the daily stock market report. “We’re doomed!” No, it’s ok.

“This is the end!” No, this is a great time to buy. You get the picture.

People (most often my wife) ask me, aren’t you worried?

Well, the answer is, kind of. Oh, I’m not worried about my investments, or lack thereof. I’m not even that worried about the cost of living going up and my standard of living going down. Truth is there certainly is some room to wiggle. Not that we’re rich by any means. Well, maybe by the world’s standards, we really are.

My friend Al is currently in the Philippines. The people of the village he ministers to are rejoicing over the well they put in on his last visit. Prior to that, they only had running water for a few hours a day. “Fill them buckets up guys.”

The only water stored at my house is the algae green water in my pool. While I choose between chicken and pork, they choose between fish or fish. While I try to pair my pork with the right starch they try to decide how much rice they can spare for dinner. This, of course, is only one example. This scene is played out all over the world. To be sure, many in the world may be in envy of the riches of Al’s village.

So, back in the old US of A, what are we to make of all this?

Well, I think for starters, we need to wake up, and realize that the wealth – or maybe, more rightly, the faux-wealth – we have enjoyed in this country hasn’t really brought us the satisfaction we (and our fathers) thought it would. Oh, of course it helps put us at ease when we can meet the basic necessities of life; food, water, sleep, and breathing. That’s the base level of human needs, as told by the famed psychologist Albert Maslow.

Next comes physical security, employment, resources, morality, family, health and property. Can’t argue with that.

Next we seek friendship, family, and sexual intimacy. All good. Unfortunately, Maslow never realized that by overindulging in resources and property, we might actually prevent ourselves from successfully reaching the higher levels of the hierarchy of needs. An example of this is when a man chases 16_RETHINK MONTHLY

By Michael Yoder

the next promotion because it will mean even more resources and PROPERTY, while ignoring the needs of his wife and children. In this scenario, everyone gets more, but no one gets satisfied. Even though they think they should be, they find themselves with an empty feeling thinking, “Maybe if I get more…?” Like, a puffed rice cake, more never is enough. In the end everyone’s miserable and no one knows why. After all, we’re meeting our need, right? Love and belonging have given way to things.

So, all this got me thinking. If we can’t put our faith in things, what can we put our faith in? Well, it would be a cliché to say God. Of course, there’s a reason sayings become clichés. When I look back on the history of mankind, I realize it is our faith in God that has made the difference in our satisfaction. Starting with Abraham, it was faith in God that set him apart from all others. Not his goodness. Not his virtue.

Not all of his things or successes. It was faith in God. Something bigger than he was. Something more significant than he was. Yes, he could have worked a little harder. Accumulated more property. Been a better person even. Wouldn’t have mattered. Wouldn’t have satisfied.

I just finished watching a couple of videos by Louie Giglio about our indescribable God. In the videos, Louie shows through cosmic examples, how enormous and powerful God is and, consequently, how insignificant and small we all are. The images of the universe truly are eye opening. Through it all, he makes a profound revelation that the universe screams out the presence and power of God. As I watched the images flash through, as Louie explained them, I couldn’t help but realize that the God, who created all of that, really is big enough to take care of me and all my needs. Oh, the world and all its financial crisis’ are still here. It’s just that, now, they don’t seem so very big at all. Maybe Kris was right after all. Freedom really does only come when you have nothing left to lose.

Michael Yoder is a married father of three children. He has been involved in local youth ministry for over twenty years and currently oversees the Youth Program at Bible Center Fellowship in Salem, OR. His current position as the Assistant Superintendent of Transitional Services at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem puts food on the table and a roof over his family’s head.

“

quotei t “

FILMS LOOPS VISUAL LITURGY STILLS

4

Entourage has become a curse for Mark Wahlberg on Sundays - because people approach him in church with story lines and requests to be on the hit show. Wahlberg, who is the producer of the series - which is based on his early days in Hollywood, admits a family trip to church has become a business meeting and he'd like others to leave him alone when he's worshiping.

He says, "I go to church and people ask me if they can be on Entourage, what's gonna happen. I go to church to worship, I don't go to church to talk about it. The stuff that I did with my entourage back in the day is stuff that I'm not proud of and I'm asking forgiveness for; I don't want things brought up in church, but, if you go to church in Beverly Hills, those kind of things happen."

And his fellow worshipers don't just bug him about Entourage. He adds, "I get scripts, resumes, books - people tried to come up to me with a children's book before and I wouldn't take it. They got upset with me. This is church."

Legendary rock guitarist Carlos Santana recently said he wants to open a church in which he would be a priest after he announces his retirement.

But that won’t be for another six years because 61-year-old Santana intends on becoming a minister when he is 67, and the location he has chosen is in Maui, Hawaii.

Santana, who is about to release a two-disc album with the title Multi-Dimensional Warrior, is presently halfway through his Live Your Light tour, which finishes at the end October in Concord, Cali.

Santana said he wants to move on to another form of communication after he gives up music as a career.

“I’m not sick of what I do, but I find that God gave me the gift of communication even without my guitar and with the ability to get people unstuck with certain sections of the Bible having to do with guilt, shame, judgment and fear.”

FACT: Mark was a scheduled passenger on United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. He reportedly cancelled his place on this flight at the last minute to visit a childhood friend in Toronto.

FACT: Santana’s father was a mariachi violinist. Oh, and he’s #15 on the Rolling Stone's List of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

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A COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS CREATING VISUAL MEDIA FOR THE CHURCH TO RE-ORIENT GOD'S PEOPLE AROUND JESUS' MISSION TO MAKE ALL THINGS NEW. WWW.TWOTP.COM

SO, YOU’RE IN A BAND.

AND YOU NEED PICS. THAT AREN’T LAME.

WWW.BENDERIENZO.COM

615.478.4796

BEN@BENDERIENZO.COM

Jes wr my

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us ecked life

by Shane Claiborne

I know there are people out there who say, “My life was such a mess. I was drinking, partying, sleeping around ... and then I met Jesus and my whole life came together.” God bless those people.

But me, I had it together. I used to be cool. And then I met Jesus and he wrecked my life.

The more I read the gospel, the more it messed me up, turning everything I believed in, valued, and hoped for upside-down. I am still recovering from my conversion. I know it’s hard to imagine, but in high school, I was elected prom king. I was in the in-crowd, popular, ready to make lots of money and buy lots of stuff, on the upward track to success. I had been planning to go to med school. Like a lot of folks, I wanted to find a job where I could do as little work as possible for as much money as possible. I figured anesthesiology would work, just put folks to sleep with a little happy gas and let others do the dirty work. Then I could buy lots of stuff I didn’t need. Mmm ... the Ameri-

Photo by Bethany Furumasu

can dream.

But as I pursued that dream of upward mobility preparing for college, things just didn’t fit together. As I read Scriptures about how the last will be first, I started wondering why I was working so hard to be first. And I couldn’t help but hope that there was something more to life than pop Chris tian ity. I had no idea what I should do. I thought about leaving everything to follow Jesus, like the apostles, and hitting the road with nothing but my sandals and a staff, but I wasn’t sure where to pick up a staff.

But as I pursued that dream of upward mobility preparing for college, things just didn’t fit together. As I read Scriptures about how the last will be first, I started wondering why I was working so hard to be first. And I couldn’t help but hope that there was something more to life than pop Chris tian ity. I had no idea what I should do. I thought about leaving everything to follow Jesus, like the apostles, and hitting the road with nothing but my sandals and a staff, but I wasn’t sure where to pick up a staff.

There were plenty of folks talking about the gospel and writing books about it, but as far as I could tell, living out the gospel had yet to be tried in recent days. So youth group got a little old — the songs got boring, the games grew stale, and I found other places to meet fi ne women. I wasn’t sure the church had much to offer. Of course, I didn’t dare stop going to church, convinced that “going to church” is what good people do, and I didn’t want to become like “those people” who don’t “go to church.” Heathens. Ha. So I sucked it up and went every week, often cynical, usually bored, but always smiling. continued on page 14.

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Jesus Wrecked My Life.

All the youth used to sit in the back row of the balcony, and we’d skip out on Sunday morning to walk down to the convenient mart for snacks before slipping back into the balcony.

“I recall thinking that if God was as boring as Sunday morning, I wasn’t sure I wanted anything to do with him.”

And I remember joking with friends that if someone had a heart attack on Sunday morning, the paramedics would have to take the pulse of half the congregation before they would find the dead person. Yes, inappropriate, but funny, and I’m not sure it was far from the truth. A solemn deadness haunted the place. I learned in confirmation classes about the fiery beginnings of the Methodist Church and its signature symbol of the cross wrapped in the flame of the Spirit. Where had the fire gone? I learned about John Wesley, who said that if they didn’t kick him out of town after he spoke, he wondered if he had really preached the gospel. I remember Wesley’s old saying, “If I should die with more than ten pounds, may every man call me a liar and a thief,” for he would have betrayed the gospel. Then I watched as one of the Methodist congregations I attended built a $120,000 stained-glass window. Wesley would not have been happy. I stared at that window. I longed for Jesus to break out of it, to free himself, to come to rise from the dead ... again.

Jesus Freak.

Then a couple of new kids transferred to our high school, and I heard a few rumors about them. They were from a “charismatic,” nondenominational congregation that was much more “radical” than the United Methodists; they spoke in tongues and danced in the aisles. All right, I must admit, something in me was secretly fascinated. I wanted to see passion. But of course, I dared not admit my interest and joined my other friends making weird looks and cult jokes. So one day in the lunchroom, I was talking with some of my Methodist friends when we saw the two new students in the cafeteria, and I was commissioned (okay, dared) to go sit with them and ask them about the speaking in tongues, as all my friends looked on, snickering. Part of it was in jest, but there was another part of me that was intensely curious. Looking back, it’s amazing they even gave me the time of day. But like good evangelicals, they invited me with open arms to worship with them, and I went. I quickly grew to admire their reckless, unguarded worship. And I met people who lived like they believed in heaven and hell, who cried and worshiped like they were actually encountering God. Before long, I ended up joining that congregation. I became a Jesus freak. I tried to convert everybody, from heathens to pastors.

I organized the See You at the Pole meetings at our school, where hundreds of us met at the flagpole to pray, committed to bringing prayer back into the public schools. I was passionately pro-life and anti-gay, and I tore apart liberals. I helped organize the local BushQuayle campaign, running around slapping bumper stickers on cars whether the owners wanted them or not. Nobody could stop 20_RETHINK MONTHLY

us Jesus freaks. I went to the malls to do goofy skits and hand out religious tracts to try to save innocent shoppers from the fires of hell. To this day, I have a certain respect for those religious fanatics who stand on street corners. At least they have a sense of urgency and passion and live as if what they are saying is true.

It was awesome being a Jesus freak, and I did it for almost a year, but the fiery newness of it died out, and when they actually let us pray in school, it sort of lost its glamour. I saw the messiness of church politics and egotism. I was driven mostly by ideology and theology, which isn’t very sustainable, even if they’re true. I wondered if Jesus had anything to say about this world, and I began to question how much he cared whether I listened to Metallica.

Sometimes when we evangelized, I felt like I was selling Jesus like a used-car salesman, like people’s salvation depended on how well I articulated things. And that’s a lot of pressure. I even heard a pastor explain that he used to work in the corporate world and now he was in a “different kind of business” with the “best product in the world.” But I wasn’t sure I was even selling them the real thing.

Sometimes it felt like Jesus was a blue-light special at Kmart, or like I was in one of those infomercials in which people are way too happy to give you lots of cheap stuff you don’t need. Really, all I had was a lot of Christian clutter, in my bedroom and in my soul. I began to doubt whether the Bible stories looked like they did in Sunday school. I needed some relief for my overchurched soul. So I became quite disenchanted with the church, though I was still fascinated with Jesus.

I wanted to study and learn about Jesus. I wanted to see people who tried to live out the things that Jesus taught. My youth pastor pointed me to a little college up in Pennsylvania, Eastern College (later named Eastern University), where there were a number of wild Christians. One of them was the short, chubby dude, Duffy Robbins, who had spoken at the youth event where I got born again each year. And another was a wise, sassy, spitfire (and spitting) preacher named Tony Campolo, who chaired the sociology department. When I mentioned the possibility of going there, my family freaked. No one went North. My aunts warned me, “You are gonna git Yankified.” My mom, who was already pleading with me to leave the fanatics and come back to the Methodists, told me, “If God wants you to go to school in Philadelphia, then God can pay for it.” I guess God did. Before long, I was given a presidential scholarship and I headed to Philly.

Jesus in Disguise.

In college, I got involved in every club and student group, from the clown troupe to the gospel choir. But I just didn’t meet God in the halls of the Christian college like I had expected I would. One night, I was hanging with two buddies who told me they were going down to the city to hang out with their “homeless friends.” I was a little startled. First, I couldn’t believe that there were people living on the streets of Philly through the winter. (Keep in mind, I’m from Tennessee.) And second, I was puzzled that my college buddies, Chris and Scott, who sat around listening to death metal and talking like Beevis and Butthead, had become friends with them.

So they invited me, and I went . . . again and again. In fact, every chance we got, we would head for the city. At first I was scared to talk to anyone lest they hear my Southern accent and think me an easy target for a mugging. (I tried to fake a Philly accent, but that ended up sounding more British.) I was in for a lot of surprises, least of which was that not everyone who goes downtown after dark gets mugged. On one occasion, I left my credit card in my room at school in case we ran into trouble and I got my wallet stolen downtown. I returned the next day only to find that a colleague had stolen it from my dorm room (and charged hundreds of dollars on it) while I was in the “dangerous” city streets. The people in the alleys stole only my heart. Eventually, they became my friends. I met

some of the most incredible people I’d ever met. We would stay up all night and hear each other’s stories. It became harder and harder to come back to the comfort of our dorm rooms and leave our neighbors in their cardboard boxes (and to talk about “loving our neighbors as ourselves” in New Testament classes).

One night my friend Chris said to me, “I’ve been reading Mother Teresa.” I knew we were in trouble then. He continued, “She says that we can’t understand the poor until we begin to understand what poverty is like. So tonight we are going to sleep out on the street.” My jaw dropped. I asked him not to mention this to my mom, and we headed out for the streets. Night after night, we would head down. The Bible came to life for us there. When we read the Bible on the streets of Philly, it was like watching one of those old-school 3-D movies with the red glasses. Before, we had never put the glasses on (so it just looked weird). But now the words jumped off the pages.

We read in the Scriptures that God says to take good care of strangers, for we could be entertaining angels without knowing it (Heb. 13:2). And I really think we saw angels and demons. One night we met a precious, fragile old woman who looked just like a granny about to pinch your cheek. As we walked by, she began whispering, “Jesus is dead. Jesus is dead,” louder and louder until it became chillingly eerie. At a loss for words and taken a little off-guard, we just began quietly humming the tune of an old worship song. She put her hands on her ears and began shaking her head, her whole body squirming as if we were running our fingernails down a chalkboard. She rocked back and forth, shouting, “Get away from me!

Get away from me!” And then she scurried down the street with her hands on her ears. I didn’t even know if I believed in angels or demons, but I had the distinct sense that we were encountering them. They just looked so much different than they do in the horror movies and Hallmark cards.

At first, the supernatural was hard to recognize. I began to realize that the transcendent comes in many forms. Perhaps the devil is just as likely to wear a three-piece suit as to have horns and a pitchfork. And perhaps the angels look more like the bums in the alley than like feathered white babies.

I saw one woman in a crowd as she struggled to get a meal from one of the late-night food vans. When we asked her if the meals were really worth the fight, she said, “Oh yes, but I don’t eat them myself. I get them for another homeless lady, an elderly woman around the corner who can’t fight for a meal.”

I saw a street kid get twenty bucks panhandling outside of a store and then immediately run inside to share it with all of his friends. We saw a homeless man lay a pack of cigarettes in the offering plate because it was all he had. I met a blind street musician who was viciously abused by some young guys who would mock her, curse her, and one night even sprayed Lysol in her eyes as a practical joke. As we held her that night, one of us said, “There are a lot of bad folks in the world, aren’t there?” And she said, “Oh, but there are a lot of good ones too. And the bad ones make you, the good ones, seem even sweeter.”

We met a little seven-year-old girl who was homeless, and we asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up. She paused and then replied, “I want to own a grocery store.” We asked her why, and she said, “So I can give out food to all the hungry people.”

Mother Teresa used to say, “In the poor we meet Jesus in his most distressing disguises.” Now I knew what she meant.

I found that I was just as likely to meet God in the sewers of the ghetto as in the halls of academia. I learned more about God from the tears of homeless mothers than any systematic theology ever taught me.

Excerpt from “The Irresistible Revolution” by Shane Claiborne © 2006 by The Simple Way, published by Zondervan ISBN # 0310266300. Used by permission.

the music

josh hilliker These days, especially as an independent artist, it seems nearly impossible to break through. Even when you can you are forced to connect with an ever-changing culture while also being “unique”, this can prove to be a daunting task. Worship artist Josh Hilliker has figured it out though, Josh’s soothing vocals, pleasing melodies, and uplifting original lyrics touch believers - and unbelievers - of all ages. Shortly after arriving on the scene Josh began drawing early comparisons to John Mayer, Shane & Shane and Bebo Norman, Josh has found his own unmistakable original sound - a smooth blend of folksy pop, blues and soul-stirring worship.

A singer/songwriter, worship leader, and “music minister’s kid” from Tuscaloosa, AL, Josh grew up in church singing hymns of the faith. Learning to play guitar at an early age, he pursued music by playing in local rock bands throughout high school and college. At the age of 19 he felt called to use his musical gifts to serve Christ. Josh says, “God revealed to me that I was using the gifts He had given me to glorify myself. I was playing college baseball and playing in a rock band so from the outside it looked like a pretty cool lifestyle, but inside I was a wreck. I realized that day that God had a plan for my life and I surrendered to follow Him.” Over the past few years, Josh has been traveling across the southeast, performing at churches and venues of all sizes and sharing the stage with some of Christian music’s top artists like Casting Crowns, Big Daddy Weave, Shane & Shane, Warren Barfield, Aaron Shust and Shawn McDonald. He has also appeared in CCM, Relevant, and Power Source magazines, been featured on the Gospel Music Channel’s Music Download Monday (gospelmusicchannel.com), and led worship for World Changers, Centrifuge and Student Life camps. While admitting he has grown immensely as a songwriter and performer from these “stage” experiences, it’s his “life” experiences, and a fresh call to authenticity, that are beginning to shape his ministry. “I’m learning to embrace vulnerability,” he says. “I 22_RETHINK MONTHLY

Photo by Daniel Shippey

www.JoshHilliker.com want to be as transparent as I can in both my writing and my performances so that Christ, and only Christ, is glorified. I’m not perfect and I don’t have it all together… and if I’m honest about my struggles, and honest about my weaknesses, then people will see God’s grace at work in a real person’s life.”

Josh’s debut CD, Where Can I Run? (January 2005), earned rave reviews from Power Source and grassrootsmusic.com and his first single, “Sail Away”, received airplay nationwide.

Josh Hilliker Live (March 2007), his second project, features two new original songs, covers of popular worship songs like “All The Earth” and “More Precious Than Silver”, and a bonus studio track of his latest single, “Who Is Like You”, winner of the Indie New Music Challenge six weeks in a row (newreleasetuesday.com).

Currently, Josh is writing for his second studio album set to be produced by award winning producer Scotty Wilbanks (Third Day, Decemberadio, Echoing Angels), Josh has also recently signed with Consumed Artist Agency, a premier indie booking and management agency based out of Atlanta, GA. Josh, his wife Amy, and their two little girls, Campbell Joy and Rilee Elizabeth, make their home in Tuscaloosa where - when not on the road - Josh can be found leading worship at Capstone Church on the University of Alabama campus.

With two successful recording projects and his touring schedule rapidly expanding, Josh is accepting God’s call on his life and music. “I’m excited about what the future holds, “ he says. “God has blessed us in so many ways, and despite all of my failures, He has always been faithful. You know, I am inconsistent… but He is consistent. I am weak in so many ways, but He is the definition of strength. His grace is tangible… it’s real… and that’s the message I want to share. That’s what I want to write and sing about.”

Be sure to check Josh out at www.joshhilliker.com and Josh’s music is now available at grassrootsmusic.com, cdbaby.com, independentbands.com and on iTunes.

bookreviews

JESUS WANTS TO SAVE CHRISTIANS

I CAN’T STAND authors BRUCE BICKEL & STAN JANTZ

authors ROB BELL & DON GOLDEN

Many non-Christians find the behavior of some Christians more off-putting than inviting. Some Christians do too! Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz take a refreshingly honest and often humorous look at some believers’ outlandish behaviors. This candid book will bridge the communication gap, helping Christians share their beliefs more freely without… judgmental attitudes, hypocrisy, and condemnation... confusing mixtures of politics and the gospel... defensive positions in the “God vs. Science” debate Bickel and Jantz encourage Christians to avoid making uninformed opinions about the beliefs of others. At the same time, they help unbelievers discover the truth about God without becoming distracted by Christian behavior and unprofessional Christian media and entertainment. This passionate call to authentic Christianity will help believers and non-Christians alike move past peripheral issues and communicate openly and honestly about God.

There is a church not too far from us that recently added a $25 million addition to their building.

Our local newspaper ran a front-page story not too long ago about a study revealing that one in five people in our city lives in poverty.

This is a book about those two numbers.

It’s a book about faith and fear, wealth and war, poverty, power, safety, terror, Bibles, bombs, and homeland insecurity, It’s about empty empires and the truth that everybody’s a priest, it’s about oppression, occupation, and what happens when Christians support, animate and participate in the very things Jesus came to set people free from.

It’s about what it means to be a part of the church of Jesus in a world where some people fly planes into buildings while others pick up groceries in Hummers.”

4

JESUS FOR PRESIDENT

4

I’M FINE WITH GOD...

IT’S CHRISTIANS

authors SHANE CLAIBORNE & CHRIS HAW

Jesus for President is a radical manifesto to awaken the Christian political imagination, reminding us that our ultimate hope lies not in partisan political options but in Jesus and the incarnation of the peculiar politic of the church as a people “set apart” from this world.

In what can be termed lyrical theology, Jesus for President poetically weaves together words and images to sing (rather than dictate) its message. It is a collaboration of Shane Claiborne’s writing and stories, Chris Haw’s reflections and research, and Chico Fajardo-Heflin’s art and design.

A fresh look at Christianity and empire, Jesus for President transcends questions of “Should I vote or not?” and “Which candidate?” by thinking creatively about the fundamental issues of faith and allegiance. It’s written for those who seek to follow Jesus, rediscover the spirit of the early church, and incarnate the kingdom of God.

Building Bridges.

Building Bridges. www.salemlf.org

Building Bridges. www.salemlf.org

www.salemlf.org sam@salemlf.org