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Sorry, but I will never say that you are not a Christian

Feb 22nd, 2012 by Bruce Reyes-Chow

Feel free to comment on the original post on www.reyes-chow.com.

Romans 12:14-19 (TNIV)

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not think you are superior.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

I would like to think that politics mixed with religion has always produced a nasty concoction, but despite our efforts to detroy one another somehow we have made it through as a country. While that very well may be true, it seems as if today’s political and religious rhetoric is getting particularly nasty.  I have no interested in “making nice” or having any false sense of community, but rather I choose to FIGHT that with which I disagree with the strong graciousness that my understanding of faith calls me to.  So . . . before any more of us start walking down the easy path of judgementalism echoing the “You are not a Christian!” chorus, I offer this confession and prayer that has been going through my head as of late.

If you say that you are a Christian, no matter how much I may want to deny any validity to the faith you claim . . .

I will never say that you are not a Christian.

I may not be able to find a common church community with you,  worship with you or even be in the same room with you, but . . .

I will never say that you are not a Christian.

I may vehemently disagree with your interpretation of Scripture about marriage, homosexuality, capital punishment, war, poverty and a whole other list of social and cultural issues, but . . .

I will never say that you are not a Christian.

I may feel called to speak and act against the version of Christianity that you espouse because I believe it to exclusive, hateful and denies the God-given dignity that every human being has, but . . .

I will never say that you are not a Christian.

I may want God to come down and with a mighty act silence your voice and the voice of those who hold your theological, political and ideological positions; for this I ask for forgiveness, but . . .

I will never say that you are not a Christian.

You may not feel the same about me and those like me, but if you claim the Christian faith, I will always see you as a brother or sister in Christ, a created child of God and a faithful person seeking God’s will upon your life; and for this reason . . .

I will never say that you are not a Christian.

Lord hear our prayer.

Amen.

If you jive with this, please consider signing the “We are Christianity” petition.

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We are Christianity: An Open Letter to Frustrated Christians in the United States

Feb 12th, 2012 by Bruce Reyes-Chow

This letter originally appeared on www.reyes-chow.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

My name is Bruce Reyes-Chow and I too am a Christian. I am also a Presbyterian minister, a husband, a father and a Democrat.  Identifiers claimed, I write to you today because I am frustrated with the singular version of Christianity that is dominating today’s public and political discourse.

Like many of you from across the theological and political spectrum, I am disturbed by the religious rhetoric that is defining Christianity in the United States today: one that employs inflammatory rhetoric over civil discourse, favors easy-answers over nuanced thought and seeks political victory over the common good. This is not the Christianity that I live. I believe that faithful Christians – from “liberal” to “conservative” – can vigorously disagree on significant social and political issues like abortion, marriage equality, health care, etc. without tearing down the dignity of the other, giving up the complexities of faith or inflicting pain upon another member of the Body of Christ.

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22

The Christianity that I embrace compels me to follow God’s calling into the world, and to do so with vigor, discipline and love.

I am generally against unity based on a negative, but we are at a time when remaining silent is a luxury that we can no longer afford.  For if the current dominant version of the Christian faith continues to be cast as the one true version, the great diversity of our collective thought and theology will further cease building up the body as a whole. At some point our participation in the abdication of the Christian voice in the United States to the version of Christianity that politicians, pundits and the media would like it to be can no longer be tolerated. Unless we want our Christian faith to continue to be defined for us, we must seize this time, join our voices and reclaim the diversity of Christianity in the United States that we all know exists.

All together now . . . We are Christianity!

Because there is a broad expression of Christianity in the United States and lifting up a singular alternative would only perpetuate the idea of one “right” Christianity, taking a pledge or signing a contract would be silly.  Instead, if this letter resonates with you - Blue Dog Roman Catholic Democrat or a Log Cabin Episcopal Republican - you are invited to publicly claim your spot in the larger Christian family by adding your name to the “We are Christianity!” petition and/or liking and uploading a photo to the Facebook Page .

Other than that, I hope that you will take every opportunity to model graciousness, extend respect and shower dignity as you passionately, publicly and faithfully live and express your Christian faith.

May the peace of Christ be with you.

Bruce Reyes-Chow, Christian

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My Blogging Hiatus and an Invitation to Guest Blog

Jan 18th, 2012 by Bruce Reyes-Chow

Reposted from www.reyes-chow.com.

[photo by Brandon Christopher Warren]

They say that men think about sex a lot. There is some debate on about exactly how often, but  it is probably safe to say, it is often. For those of us in the sharing and opining business – speakers, bloggers, preachers, writers, etc. – the number of times in a day that we think about sharing and opining would probably give the mental libido a run for its money.

Just as a healthy libido – or albino of you don’t watch your auto-correct – is a generally good thing, for us bloggers, our natural “blog first, focus later” mindset can often be detrimental to the completion of longer-term projects.  With a proposal submission and a manuscript deadline needing my  attention, I am taking a blogging hiatus for the next few months.  Don’t worry, I am not dropping of the grid or anything.  I’ll still be twittering, facebooking and posterous-ing (?), but my personal blogging energy will be directed towards the completion of these dang books ;-)

In the mean time, if you feel so inclined, you are invited to guest blog.* If you already have a healthy blog somewhere else, this might not be for you, but if you want to use my blog to jumpstart your blog, gain a little visibility and/or reach a different audience, feel free to submit your ideas and we shall see. I help you get some visibility and you keep my blog traffic going, a win-win. No guarantees that I can take everyone, but I am hoping to post content from a guest blogger a few times a week. I do not need to agree with you, just hope that whatever issue or question that you tackle, you will invite conversation and interaction.

The four questions that I am asking folks to address are any/all of the following:

  • “You can’t ask that?” – Ask and answer your own provocative question about faith, life, social issues, whatever. . .
  • “Top 10 Reasons I Love My City” – Here is your chance to lift up why you love where you live.
  • “Dear Church . . .” – A chance to write an open letter pleading, encouraging or challenging “the church.”
  • “Five Books Every X Should Read” – Share five books that should be required reading for any historic fiction lover, quilters, parents, snake wrangler, 3rd grader, etc.

If you are interested SUBMIT YOUR GUEST BLOG IDEA HERE.

So that’s it. I am still around, but have given myself the public challenge to focus, focus, focus.  If you want to stay “in the know” about my upcoming books and other things, please feel free to sign up for my monthly eLetter.

* Guests posts will only appear on www.reyes-chow and not on my other blogging platforms: SFGate, Huffington or Patheos.

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My 2012 New Year’s Resolutions

Jan 4th, 2012 by Bruce Reyes-Chow

Reposted from www.reyes-chow.com.

[photo by kkalyan]

Last end of the year I promise [twitter year in review | blogging year in review]

I have never really been a “New Year ‘s Resolutions” kind of guy. I figure if you want to try to accomplish something meaningful, just go out and try. Why wait?  That said, since I am a horrible predictor and the new year really is a good time to think about hopes for the future, I have given in. Here are a few new things that I will try to check off the to do list in 2012.

10 – Santa dropped a new guitar in my stocking this year, so I will play my guitar at least twice a week.

9 – I have had a copy of Rosetta Stone Tagalog installed on computer for the past 18 months without ever using it, so at least once a week I will work on my Tagalog.

8 – Someone needs to get less Husky Boy so I will complete at least one P90X cycle.

7 – Finally writing a book on social media and the church, so I will meet my May Shook Foil Books deadline.

6 – No longer preaching every Sunday and missing somewhere to use words good, I will launch BRC and Friends Radio Show.

5 – With my Oakland A’s rebuilding . . . AGAIN . . . I will go to more baseball games than I did last year.

4 - I will take more pictures.

3 – I will not work past 10pm.

2 – I will not let chaos, messiness and piles bother me.

1 –  I will be kinder to those I love.

Those are doable, right?

I think so.

Some other folks who have made some kind of new year committment/s:

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My 2011 Twitter Year in Review

Jan 3rd, 2012 by Bruce Reyes-Chow

This is re-posted from www.reyes-chow.com.

Next in line for my “year in review” posts . . . Twitter.*

As I traveled back through a year full of tweets I was struck by how much I tweet. I know that some folks have unfollowed me because I tweet too much or tweet about certain things too often, but hey, as my twitter profile says, ” . . . i tweet a lot.” 30,000 Tweets here I come!

I was also struck by how quickly the memories came flooding back: where I was sitting, who was around me, how I was feeling and what was going on in the world. Trying to find one for each month was just not going to happen, so I decide to give a few for each month: T = Thoughtful, S = Sassy and R = Random. If you click on the OT, it will take you to the Original Tweet where you can reply or retweet as you please.

JANUARY

  • T - During times of violence and grief, there is a fine line between voicing righteous indignation and fanning the flames of hatred. [OT]
  • S – To make my schedule look more inviting, I’m contemplating referring to my “meetings” as “caffeinated relationship building opportunities.” [OT]
  • R – When we told the girls to cover everything in the car that people might want to steal, “Should we cover our Pillow Pets?” #toocute [OT]

FEBRUARY

  • T - Do progressive and conservative Christians see faith so differently, that we might be better off looking at our conversations as interfaith? [OT]
  • S - With all due respect to the great orators in the room, sometimes leadership is seen not by your words, but your ability to restrain them. [OT]
  • R - Sometimes I have no idea what other people are talking about. I suspect I am not the only one. [OT]

MARCH

  • T - For those who are able to see uncertainty as a gift, the gift isn’t actually uncertainty, but the luxury and privilege to see it as such. [OT]
  • S - Sometimes I wonder if the church’s talk of radical “change” w/o doing so has now become the new status quo. Okay, I don’t really wonder. [OT]
  • R - You better be walking someone through a heart transplant operation if you are talking on your phone while using the urinal. Gross. [OT]

APRIL

  • T - Evil “wins” when we allow the overwhelming nature of the world’s suffering to convince us that our actions cannot make a difference. [OT]
  • S - When I’m tempted to sling scripture like ninja stars at those who disagree w/me, I remember how much I LOVE IT when they are headed my way. [OT]
  • R - OH in regards to epic rap battles: “Mozart would totally kick Justin Bieber’s a$$!” [OT]

MAY

  • T - Wanting a unified voice is great, as long as we remember that a lack of dissention often leads to the marginalization of the voiceless. [OT]
  • S - When it comes to being community, there is a fine line between being a prophet in your own “hometown” and just being an jerk. [OT]
  • R - After 11+ years as their pastor, two months of goodbyes and a really lazy morning, time to get ready for my final Sunday evening w/@mbcc. [OT]

JUNE

  • T - If theological and political conversations do not deepen our understandings of one another’s humanity, honestly, I am not interested. [OT]
  • S – I use a disproportionate amount of my Jedi skills evicting people from seats near power outlets, “This is not the table that you seek.” [OT]
  • R - I never feel more like an entitled spoiled brat than when I find myself getting so FRUSTRATED over slow and intermittent internet access. [OT]

JULY

  • T - On this July 4th, I’m thankful for this nation where we can passionately and openly debate the very nature of what it means to be patriotic. [OT]
  • S - While I understand why the Prosperity Gospel is attractive, that is no excuse for any church to preach it. IMNSHO. [OT]
  • R - “Cool Whip, the duct tape of dessert toppings!” [OT]

AUGUST

  • T - Where Americanism and Christianity split is believing that one’s own survival and success leads the way to dignity and justice for all. [OT]
  • S - Would love to hear a #Irene news lead-in, “We’ve decided to report from inside the studio and not unnecessarily put our people at risk.” [OT]
  • R – Having the kind of morning when everyone sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher. [OT]

SEPTEMBER

  • T - As Georgia prepares to execute #troydavis. . . helplessness in the face of injustice is where many of us sit this night. [OT]
  • S - Love when people accuse parents of “indoctrinating” their children with certain values . . . Um, I think that’s actually called “parenting.” [OT]
  • R - Some smooth lyricist should write, “It’s the end of the church as we know it.” And, yep . . . I feel fine. [OT]

OCTOBER

  • T - Most churches can’t be all things to all people, but I best most churches could be more things to more people if they wanted to be. [OT]
  • S - Amazed at how suddenly San Francisco can cool down . . . me thinks the naked dude that I saw this am might soon regret today’s “outfit.” [OT]
  • R - I know there are ideological differences, but at some level, shouldn’t Tea Party folks be outraged by what’s happening to Occupy folks? [OT]

NOVEMBER

  • T - I’m amazed at the ways we compartmentalize Jesus, for his radicality rests in the way he harmonizes being prophet, pastor, priest and poet. [OT]
  • S - If San Francisco Propositions A and H both pass we’ll be saying, “Sure, we’ll fund public schools . . . as long as they are segregated.” [OT]
  • R - In order to stand in solidarity with future generations, I now think email is passe, so I may or may not get back to you. [OT]

DECEMBER

  • T - The church will never be on the forefront of change if it takes so long for us to change that we arrive just in time to be behind again. [OT]
  • S - Dear lady sitting RIGHT next to me, I know we all pass gas, but lifting up a cheek, discharging at me w/o nary an “excuse me” is not okay. [OT]
  • R- You might be the “spell check generation” if you have no confidence in your spelling without the presence or absence of a red squiggly line. [OT]

Whew! That’s a lot of  140 characters chunks of life. For those who have followed, retweeted, mentioned and/or replied to be in 2011, thank you. I can’t wait to see what 2012 offers!

  • Follow me on Twitter [FOLLOW]
  • Like my Facebook Page [LIKE]
  • Read my Blog [READ]
  • Subscribe to my monthly eLetter, “Bruce’s Brain” [SUBSCRIBE]
And last but not least . . . my Twitter Wordle

*All Twitter statistics measured by Crowdbooster.

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2012 Prayers of the People on Facebook

Jan 1st, 2012 by Bruce Reyes-Chow

This post was reposted from www.reyes-chow.com.

[Photo By aussiegall]

I know that for people of all faiths prayer is an incredibly important part of life, not only for one’s own sense of connecting to God, but also in order to stay connected to the people around them. As social media gets further embedded in our everyday lives, this sense of who is “around” us changing, offering an opportunity to expand our understanding and experience of community. Prayer has always been a means to cross-over bounds of geography, personal experience and other divisions in order to lift up a common hope that God’s love, hope, peace and joy will be made known and Social Media, when used well, can be a powerful means of further crossing those bounds.

Over the past few years on my Facebook Page I have regularly called for people to lift up joys and struggles for the community to hold in prayer. I suspect that most folks who have responded don’t know each other personally and only share this common bond of one Facebook Page and an open spirit to share prayers and pray for others. From global tragedies to deeply personal struggles, folks have gift the community with the hopes and struggles of their lives. And by these actions, I have been deeply moved.

So in 2012, I thought I would try something a little different. While I will still occasionally offer a call to prayer, I am also inviting folks to join in on a year-long “Prayers of the People” Facebook journey. I have created a simple note of explanation, but am asking folks to offer their prayers of hope or struggle there, like other prayers so people know that others have heard and commit a very small part of ne’s Facebook energy to stepping a little deeper into what it can mean to be a community gathered in prayer.

I hope you will join us.

2012 Facebook “Prayers of the People”

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My 2011 Blogging Year in Review

Dec 28th, 2011 by Bruce Reyes-Chow

Re-posted from www.reyes-chow.com.

Like so many of us, whenever I get to the end of a calendar year, I am always surprised how quickly the year has gone by. I am not a big journaler of the pen and paper variety, but I have been known to tweet, blog and Facebook on occasion, so these three platforms are my de facto journal and scrapbook for the year.  As I come to the end of 2011, I am taking some time to look back at these three platforms in order to remember the journey, introduce myself to new connections and keep some important conversations going. Each list will include 1o’ish offerings that evoked some meaningful memories for me.

First up . . . 2011 posts that will give a glimpse into the life that has been Bruce. This year’s biggest blogging event for me was that, from April-October, I was part of the Patheos blogging team. After blogging in that setting for a bit, I decided to go back on my own and as I explained in my post, it was not them . . . it was totally me.  So another reason that I am doing this recap is to get folks reconnected to my blog and rebuild my google juice.  I am still going back through thousands of posts, fixes links, tagging and organizing, but all-in-all I am pretty happy with where I am. Still, I would very much appreciate some subscription love!
Below are 12 posts, one from each month, along with an honorable mention and link to each month’s posts. If you have time to click through and take a read, you’ll get a pretty good glimpse of the world according to Bruce. Good luck.

JANUARY - Ten Ways Liberal Christians Lose Credibility

I think most folks have a sense of the general beliefs of a “liberal” Christian.  As with “conservative” Christians who are seeking the will of God and the mind of Christ, most liberals have a common perspective with which faith is lived: Homosexuality is not a sin, but a gift; approach Scripture with a lens of Spirit of the law v. letter of the law; affirm reproductive options, etc.  There is no “platform” per se, but there is a general openness and freedom with which faith is lived.

Honorable Mention: Bikram Yoga Newbie: Sweaty, Bendy and Spent - January Posts

FEBRUARY - My Apology to Justin Bieber, Sarah Palin, A-Rod and My Mom

I can hear my mother’s gentle reprimand echoing as I type this. Throughout my life whenever her children would talk bad about someone with undue toxicity.  Be it politics, sports or pop culture, she would say, “You know, even ______ has a mother who loves him.”  Eyes would roll and we would go on our way, but we would stop.

Honorable Mention: A Letter About Love to my Daughters on Valentine’s Day – February Posts

MARCH - Why This Father Parents Without Fear

As I walked down the hallway towards the hospital room, I knew the next few moments would be difficult.  It was not the fact that I was there to say goodbye to my grandmother who was laboring through her final hours on this Earth, for she had lived a good life that was flavored with grace and strength.  It wasn’t the familiarity of the hospital, as I had been there to say goodbye to many others before and I understand the grace and grief of death.  Nope, it was the fact that “he” would be there, my step-father, D., would be there playing the role of diligent son as he waited for his mother to pass away.

Honorable Mention: The Big Sort of the Presbyterian Church – March Posts

APRIL - Why Easter Worship Service Should be Nothing Special

I am not talking about taking away the men’s breakfast or canceling the Easter Egg hunt . . . as I would never encourage anyone to invite the wrath of a disappointed, empty-basket-holding toddler. Some of the special things that we do around this time are just lovely.  What I would challenge us to think about is doing something radically different for our Easter worship services by not really doing anything radically different for our Easter worship service.

Honorable Mention: Girls Can’t Play Baseball – April Posts

MAY - Pastoral Transitions in a Social Media World

Creating these boundaries are often difficult to maintain, especially when the pastor stays in the area. Most of us have heard of many a pastors have an unhealthy influence on a congregation after their time is as pastor is done. With the best of intentions and love, many pastors who can’t let go can end up doing harm to the very community that are trying to help. Usually geography helps to build separation, but in this day and age of social media, geography no longer can be assumed to be a determining factor in creating healthy space between the pastor and the congregation.

Honorable Mention: Bobby Jindal, Birth Certificates and the Politics of Race – May Posts

JUNE - Reflection on “Whites See Racism as a Zero-Sum Game That They Are Now Losing” Study

We often treat our own ability to see people as complex and created human beings as some kind of commodity that is doled out based on merit and/or availability furthering the idea that if am going treat this person with a generous spirit, then I must have to take something away from someone. And even worse, we fall into the destructive trap of believing that if I see someone else being treated with a generous spirit, then obviously something is being taken away from me.

Honorable Mention: You Might be a Progressive Christian If . . . – June Posts

JULY - A Few Thoughts on Gun Violence and Liberty

Now I understand that any restrictions or regulations voluntary or otherwise, make some people cringe, but honestly, these seem like pretty reasonable practices and would not be that difficult to enact. Not only would I think any firearms dealer who adopts these would create better relationships with the community, but would also be able to rent knowing that they are helping to prevent death.

Honorable Mention: Puppies, Butterflies and Kum Bah Yah – July Posts

AUGUST – A Dog’s Letter to Her New Family

As I have learned, the “We want a dog!” PAC made up of the three smaller girl humans has been diligently working on Mom and Dad for quite awhile. Thank you for proving to Mom and Dad that you were ready. I know you had to dog-sit for a month, be on good behavior and basically prove that you could be responsible for me. You all are awesome! But at the same time, don’t let them fool you or milk it too much as I think they are pretty excited to have me too.

Honorable Mention: The Importance of Being Spiritual AND Religious – August Posts

SEPTEMBER - Words of Advice for Soccer Parents

At some point we can push our kids too far. Yes, we all want our kids to thrive and sometimes they do need to be challenged to keep moving forward, but knowing the difference between parenting that sucks the joy from an activity and parenting that helps them improve in ways to unlock new experiences is crucial. I know far too many adults who, as children, enjoyed playing an instrument or participating in an activity only to lose all enjoyment because of parental pressures to succeed. Sometime, our kids just need to do things because it’s a fun thing to do.

Honorable Mention: Applauding Executions Might be American, but it is Not Christian – September Posts

OCTOBER - Reflections on Glee’s Asian-F Episode

So yes, this was cliché and everything was tied up in a cute red ribbon at the end of the show, but sue me, I was moved by seeing a new generation get pushed on the realities of some  - NOT ALL – Asian Americans today.  Sure there is always a danger that now every Asian American must now claim Team Tina or Team Mike, but I think there were some great subtleties that were present that deserve notice.

Honorable Mention: The Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street Movements: Similarities and Differences – October Posts

NOVEMBER - Latifundialization and the Future of Occupy Wall Street

There is something profound about the nature of land and space in movements that have taken place across the generations. From being able to sit at a lunch counter of one’s own choosing to the owning of ones farming land, generation after generation across the world have found land and space crucial to the impact of any movement for social change. Today, just as in Biblical times, controlling land and space operates as a measure and statement of power.

Honorable Mention: The Unexpected Safety of the Radical Jesus – November Posts

DECEMBER - “You Can’t Post That!” and the Future of What We Share on Facebook

At some point, the very people whom we have been warning about the evils of beer party picture posting will be in charge of the very hiring practices that so many of us are weary of today. I suspect as this transition happens, potential employers will not be looking for a complete absence of party pictures, but will be more likely to give an understanding “pass” for what they may see because, well, they remember doing the same thing and will not hold it against the applicant.

Honorable Mention: Dear God, I Would Like My Presbyterian Church (USA) Back – December Posts

For the future, all of my posts appear with some being reposted on various other blogging sites: The Huffington Post, SF Gate, Patheos, Day1 and others. Thanks to all who have commented and read over the past year, thanks for hanging out in 2011 and I can’t wait to see what 2012 offers!

  • Follow me on Twitter [FOLLOW]
  • Like my Facebook Page [LIKE]
  • Read my Blog [READ]
  • Subscribe to my monthly eLetter, “Bruce’s Brain” [SUBSCRIBE]

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For Those Who Struggle During Christmas, You Are Not Alone

Dec 23rd, 2011 by Bruce Reyes-Chow

Reposted from www.reyes-chow.com.

Like many people celebrating Christmas, whether as a spiritual discipline or social experience, there is no calm before the storm for me. In fact, it seems like Christmas Eve EVE might even be the storm before the calm. Every year I commit to getting everything done early, but more times that not, I’m right in the mix of the final gift buying frenzy, braving the crowded grocery store fighting over that forgotten ingredients and mentally preparing for the interaction marathon that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and the Day After Christmas that is my family’s life.

And breathe.

In many ways, this rush is part of the experience, or at least part of what Christmas has become. Sometimes it makes me sad to see how much about Christmas is not about the hope, joy, love and peace that I understand it to be, while at other times, I am tickled by the genuine change in the tone of interactions that happens during this time of the year. From the skip in a business person’s walk, to the tough guy in a Santa hat, whether you think someone has declared war on Christmas or you are declaring your own war on those who have declared war on those who are declaring war . . . this is a pretty wonderful time of the year time of the year.

But, I know, not for everyone.

As I go into these last days, like everyone else, I try to remember the many people for whom this is not a joyous time of the year. With themes of joyous parties, happy families and generous giving surrounding us, those who struggle with depression, estranged family and/or economic survival are often forgotten.  I don’t lift this up in order to compel feelings of guilt or to cast aspersions on folks who are living large during this time, but simply as a nod and a word to those who struggle with these times to say that you are loved.

  • You are loved by this stranger.
  • You are loved by people that you might not expect.
  • You are loved by God.

And yes, I know that my words offered on a blog post will not heal your spirit, reconcile families or feed your body, but in this, I hope you know that there are many who show this love not only during the holidays or not only with words, but who are there for and with you when you need them.  I don’t know where the words and actions will come for you, but I believe there are those people for all of us: it might be your neighbor who has invited you to join them for a meal, or maybe it’s that stranger sitting at the table next to you at the cafe with whom you share a brief conversations or when it is really bad, it’s that suicide hotline that you never would have imagined that you would ever need.

So, while I wish those who are struggling all of the joy, peace, hope and love that I can muster, my greatest hope is that you know deep in your soul that you are not alone.

In fact, if you click on over to this link on my Facebook Page, feel free to say hello, share your story and I bet some folks will hang out with you for a bit.

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Be the Change: Margot Starbuck and the Special Sinner Project

Dec 18th, 2011 by Bruce Reyes-Chow

Reposted from www.reyes-chow.com.

One of my many ongoing projects, the Be the Change series highlights people who I encounter during my travels and who are doing the hard work of changing the world for the better. Subjects are chosen by me with no committee or proposal process, so if you know of a person or project that you think is doing something that is making the world a more just, compassionate and peaceful place feel free to let me know.

Highlighted this week is a person I just met at a recent Red Letter Christians gathering. Margot and I had some great conversations, share some church connections and I think “clicked” in terms of approach to the world.  Margot is the author of Unsqueezed: Springing Free from Skinny Jeans, Nose Jobs, Highlights and Stilettos and the more recent, Small Things with Great Love: Adventures in Loving Your Neighbor.

You can connect with Margot in all of the usual ways: website | facebook | twitter | eMail

Now on to my interview with Margot Starbuck.

Tell me a little about yourself . . . who is Margot Starbuck?

Though I’d love to say “internationally-acclaimed award-winning rap artist,” it simply isn’t the case. Yet.  What I do more often is sit in a squishy chair, think thoughts and write stuff.  I also wait in terminals to board airplanes, visit colleges and conferences, and speak some of the words I thought about in the squishy chair. (I considered lying, to make it sound so much better than that, but my children—ages 10, 11, 12—are now old enough to find this interview online.  So there’s that.)

The stuff I care about & write about & speak about, of course, comes from my own journey from childhood in Chicagoland, college in sunny Santa Barbara, Princeton Theological Seminary, internship at Urban Promise in Camden NJ, PCUSA ordination to chaplaincy among folks with disabilities, finally landing at HOME in Durham, NC—with stops to be schooled along the way by grass roots savants in Mexico, South Africa and El Salvador.

The messages closest to my heart: When our experience lies about who we are — hissing that we deserved to be left, or weren’t worth showing up for or sticking around for or staying clean for — God speaks the true word, “I AM with you and for you.”  When retailers lie about who we are — insisting that girls’ and women’s bodies are ornamental, made to be viewed, rather than instrumental — Jesus reminds us that our physical bodies are actually for loving God and loving people.  When our comfort lies about who we are — when the privileged become captives in a homogenous home/work/church triangular ghetto — the Spirit nudges us out of our comfort zones to engage with a world in need.  And, of course, there’s the Special Sinner Project.

Tell me a little about the Special Sinner Project and how did you get involved in it?

I’m not going to lie: It wasn’t even called the Special Sinner Project until Bruce coined that awesome phrase that I love.  You can learn more HERE, but basically I’m wanting to hear the stories of folks who’ve been judged, by Christians (though maybe not all of them) to be a Special sort of Sinner.  You can probably paint that picture without my help, but it would certainly include: the young adult who comes out of the closet, the church staff member accused of impropriety, the mom who supports her kids by working as an exotic dancer, the married woman who has an abortion or the single one who doesn’t.  I think you get the idea.

The reason for the Special Sinner Project is my hunch that a lot of Christians want to love their neighbors who they see as “other”, but have no idea what that looks like.  For many of us, our gut tells us that refusing to attend the after-party following Drag Queen Bingo, or giving the silent treatment to the teacher accused of molestation or refusing to acknowledge the existence of our adult child’s partner isn’t really “love” at all.  We are dying to do it differently but we have no idea how.  To move forward, we need for any who are willing to tell us what love does and does not look like.

In 10 years, what do you hope people will be saying about the Special Sinner Project?

In my imagination, here’s what I’d love to receive in my inbox in ten years…

“Dear Margot, I get it.  I finally get it.  I had been taught that if I was a faithful Christian I had to launch every failed relationship with the sinner I was targeting for salvation with, “I need to let you know that your behavior is sinful.  But God loves you and I love you.” I couldn’t imagine any other way of relating to people whose values didn’t jibe with mine.

Honestly, since the Special Sinner Project, ‘sinner’ isn’t even a word I use anymore.  Instead of seeing an “other,” more often now I see someone who’s a lot like me.  When I was finally given permission to drop the “Special Sinner” business, I could finally treat people with the kind of dignity and respect I’d want shown to me. It turns out that everyone I’d been taught to objectify as a sinful other was actually a beloved child of God, created in God’s image.  Who knew?! Because God wasn’t waiting for anyone to clean up their act before they could be loved unconditionally, I didn’t have to demand it either!  Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, I’m free at last.

Respectfully, An Ex-Hater”

I have a vivid imagination.

How can people get connected to and support the Special Sinner Project?

You can find some info about how to participate at Sinners Speak.  If you have 3 people who read your blog, or 12 friends on facebook, or 2 Twitter followers, you can help out by posting the opportunity!

It’s easy! Copy and paste the following:  ”Has the Church identified you as a Special sort of Sinner?  Find out and speak your mind @ http://www.margotstarbuck.com/Sinners_Speak.html“

Pay it forward a bit . . . what are 2-3 projects, companies or people that you think are doing some good work in the world these days?

LOCAL: in Durham, North Carolina, precious teens who’ve been marginalized by poverty, broken families, structures and various disabilities are finding out—through folks who are committed to loving them—that in Jesus Christ, God is FOR THEM at Reality Ministries. When kids flood in to the Reality Center every school day at 4pm, the kingdom of God is a REALITY.

GLOBAL: When I was a little kid, I had this big idea that if every affluent household on the globe, beginning with the very richest, was partnered with and commissioned to share with every poor household on the globe, beginning with the very poorest (so that middle families sort of met in the middle) we could eliminate poverty.  I was a weird little kid.

In adulthood, I have learned that the sort of resource-sharing among the body of Christ that allows people to be experience release from the sticky web of poverty, is ACTUALLY HAPPENING through the child development work of Compassion International.  Hear about what I saw with my own eyes in El Salvador (and see my cutie kids), here.

Again, you can connect with Margot today: website | facebook | twitter | eMail

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REVIEW: 25 Books Every Christian Should Read from Renovaré

Nov 27th, 2011 by Bruce Reyes-Chow

This review originally appeared on www.reyes-chow.com.

A Patheos.com Book Club selection, 25 Books Every Christian Should Read has me conflicted. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to lose much sleep over this, but I do think that this book raises significant questions about the nature and perception of American Christianity. In a nutshell, if you are one who dreams of a day when the perception that “real” Christianity is only informed by European male theology and spirituality is shattered, you may need to hold your breath a little longer. While this collection certainly tells an important part of the Christian story, it does not tell the entire story.

Now let me be very clear in that I think this is a fine book.  There is great value for all Christians in exploring the roots of our tradition, experiencing a wide variety of diversities and pushing oneself to explore thought outside of our comfort zones. I read many of these books as I went through seminary. Seeing some of the titles again sent cold shivers down my spine as I remembered painful nights when I had to read and read and read again because I just didn’t get it. At the same time, titles like, Institutes of the Christian Faith by John Calvin and Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship, brought back fond memories of discovering some wonderful insights about my own Christian walk.

25 Books with its rich content and  solid gathering of contributors, some of whom, I know personally and greatly admire left me wanting. As I skimmed the selections – the main 25 as well as the supplemental lists of some contemporary faith leaders – all I could think about was who was not included and I had an overwhelming sense of being drawn back into a very narrow version of the Christian faith.  When I first received the book, I thought to myself, that’s cool, these are classics and they sit in a particular context. If there is a disclaimer about who is NOT included for whatever reason, that would be good enough for me. Again, these are great folks and Renovaré is a greatly respected organization and I am not just looking for ways to ding “the man” on race and gender issues.

No such luck, so let the dinging begin.

While there are disclaimers and explanations regarding the types of books chosen, in looking at the parameters for author selection and backgrounds of the editorial board, the only diversities that are lifted up are learning styles, literary genres and Christian traditions. There is no mention to the fact that the body of writings and people involved in the project are male and white. Again, I was not expecting a forced selection to satisfy some kind of nebulous quota, but for a book of this nature and import to NOT acknowledge some of the cultural realities that make it difficult to include more writings from women or those from Africa, Asian or Latin America is glaring. I am the first to admit that I do not have any suggestions for Global South theologians who would fit within the parameters of this book, but if the group of people with such stature who are called together to make the selections do not deem any writings deserving inclusion, this should be acknowledged.

Again, the initial list of 25 are fine and with the aforementioned disclaimer I would have been cool with the list.  After all, they were not talking about contemporary writers. So imagine my excitement to see that at the end of the book there is a “Best Contemporary Authors” section. Redemption cometh for sure . . . bring on the brown folk!  Doh . . . all nine of the contemporary authors are white and Anne Lamott is the lone women.  I did not go through and check out  the backgrounds of all the contributors or the editorial board, nor did I check to see under what publishing banner they all write, but when it comes to developing a list of contemporary authors that shape and form current Christian thoughts and there is only one woman and no people of color, there is a huge part of the story that is missing.

I do not think 25 books is trying to be the be all and end all of a Christian collection, so I have no reservation in recommending this book as one part of your library of the Christian faith. That said when you do buy this book, I hope that takes its place on the shelf as only part of your personal canon of readings, because while an important part of the story, it is only part of the story.

A few contributors were asked to list some of their formative books, here are some highlights:

And to play along, knowing that I too will leave folks out, here are my five six formative books . . .

PS: And in case you were wondering, I have only read seven of the 25.

PPS: In full disclosure, all of the book links go through my Amazon Affilaite account, so I received a small percentage of each purchase. Such is the life of us consultant and reviewer types. You can find all of the 25 books, plus my suggestions in my 25 Books +6 List.

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