SEE JOSIAH RUN

(Approaching soapbox)

(On my soapbox—beginning to speak)

As I was listening to some secular radio, I got to thinking about how much money is used in this world for the purpose of entertainment and the luxury of self-pleasure (<——I know it sounds bad but it’s meant to, but if you would prefer…”pleasure-seeking”).  Whether it be sex, drugs, or Rock and Roll, the reason why drug dealers are drug dealers, the reason why pimps are pimps, the reason why self-indulgent rock stars are self-indulgent rock stars

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/music/kanye_west_shows_off_his_diamond_vukh2FidDdUTlwPuDZoD0L?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=

is because there’s pleasure in it and for that pleasure there’s a lot of money that comes along with that.    And that’s the reality for all of us who doesn’t do the “hard-core” stuff, but oh…how we still do the soft-core stuff.  And we sure put a lot of money into it.  And if time is money.  Add the time on top of the money.  That’s a lot of money. 

So what’s the connection between secular radio and this thought? 

Well, it’s because I was (as I usual do) having a difficult week and I was turning on the radio to get my mind off of whatever billion-of-thoughts that clouded my mind at the time and I was “bumpin’” with the music.  Then, as I was listening to my Hot 9-7 (Because it’s not ninety-seven…it’s nine-seven!) and Power 105 and I’m 92.3 NOW!  (And who listens to z100 anymore!!!)  And it took me back to that thought when I was back in High School thinkin’…

“Man, I just want to go clubbin’, get my DANCE on and bump with the music and throw my cares away! ‘cuz you know I was born to tear up that dance floor!” 

Then, my mind was flooded with thoughts of how much is spent to “DANCE our lives away”; how much people spend on the ALMIGHTY WEEKEND to escape the doldrums of the weekly grind; both in public and in secret.  How much money, how much of our time, how much of our thoughts, how much of our hearts…

Clubs pouring in mini-fortunes every weekend and young people throwing away mini-fortunes to release the angst that’s been piling up through a week of frustrating money-making.  In addition, all the personal and emotional drama that fills every weekend is un-apologetically equated with our times in Vegas (“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”)…but what a toll on our wounded souls.  And on Monday, going back to the same state of mind—feeling as if life had no meaning and purpose…so all that’s left to look forward to is the next weekend.  What an investment!?!?!?

We’re doing this in this world of ours thinking that we deserve it…that we’ve earned it…that we are self-justified to release ourselves from our depressing lives by opening up the tab and letting the weekend FLOW!

But what is it’s toll?  We’re feeding a insatiable beast with junk food that seems to never fill the hunger of our heart.  And the growling inside for more grows as we simultaneously try our best to tame the beast…sex…drugs…mind trips…physical pleasure…new experiences…material things… placate it by feeding it scraps.

And today, I read an article like this. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/magazine/24volunteerism-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2?src=ISMR_HP_LI_LST_FB) (Praise the Lord!)  That the world isn’t all like this…and that there are people giving their lives and of their lives so that basic pleasures and needs of others can be satisfied. 

Though, where I live and the things that I’m exposed to (Secular radio and other forms of media) influences my mind to drift off to seek an escape.  A place to please myself and a place where I can cast my cares aside and get the adrenalin flowing, get the serotonin flowing, get the endorphins flowing. 

But I guess Jesus knew something.  That when we get other things flowing like compassion, peace, justice, and love, that joy comes along with it.  That fulfillment warms us like a warm quilt by a campfire with a cup of hot cocoa in hand.

But I know, charity and philanthropy is not the-end-all-be-all of self-fulfillment and purpose within all our lives.  All of us are multi-dimensional beings that make us who we are.  I can’t argue that in any form, but what’s been weighing down on me is the thought that if we (we, being educated and growing Asian-American adults with a steady flow of income that many of our immigrant parents could only dream of in their blue-collar years of working off of each paycheck, which is mostly my peers) could be as serious about caring for our community and addressing some major issues that could be solved by a transforming of our wealth into actual help for those who need it in this world as we are for our Almighty Weekends—that could be substantial change.

e.g. These mini-fortunes that feed the businesses and the bank accounts of all these “self-pleasure” industries and turning them into mini-fortunes that feed mouths. 

“But that’s not fair for all those people making honest livings out of these industries…and the people that want to indulge in these industries with the money that they’ve rightfully earned”  no…really? hmmm…fair.

http://www.wfp.org/hunger/stats

http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/hiv_aids/facts_figures.php

http://www.iast.net/thefacts.htm

Being a pastor, I can make excuses that there’s rarely anything that I do with my time or money that is used for self-pleasure.  Weekend?  What weekend? (i guess, in the eyes of the world)  As is with most pastors, we in fact “live for the weekends” but in a different way.  (oh the irony!  oh the competition!)  And our time and our money?  It’s all for paying bills, supporting our families, or supporting our ministries, but that would be a lie as well; and essentially it’s all an excuse.  Because I have more than enough.  My family has more than enough.  Our self-pleasure…My family and I spend much too much than we’re supposed to on food…that’s for sure. 

And this rant on this soapbox could go on and on.  But it’s about that time…

Time to shut up and show up. 

Put my bumpin’ music on…

And put my dancin’ shoes on…

become a dancer who dances upon injustice…

how about you?

Here’s an option… (one of so so many!)

http://www.onedayswages.org/

Like mini-sunsets, but just a whole lot closer.  Love it!

We had a Q & A session with our junior high kids tonight.  Here are the top two on the funny list…

1.  Have you been fat?

2.  Are there pancakes in hell?

Obviously two.  What a weekend?!  Is this some sort of a sign?

But I want to make sure it’s clear that “beyond the Korean-American church” doesn’t mean abandoning the Korean-American church.  As the next generation, (as I shared with my wife one day) we have the very difficult task of reaching both ways.  One arm reaching back to our heritage and to the church that raised us, but reaching forward to the current culture and context that we are a part of.

We have the very important role of being the translator that speaks both languages.  We are in the middle translating to both sides.  Why because I believe we are called to it.  We can’t abandon one and reach towards the other, but we can’t settle with one and not reach the other. 

That is what I feel is my cross to bear. 

So I definitely got to start on the personal goal of learning to pray and preach in Korean…God help me!

(Funny how God works, but I drafted this and then someone asked me about something similar to this…confirmation that I need to share from my heart.  Here we go…) 

My grandparents were avid supporters of pastors and churches—hard workers in the world and, in the same manner, hard workers in the church.  They believed in the Biblical principle of God’s anointed and fully supported the anointed leader of the body in which they were a part and built it together.  They always prayed for and gave their life to better the lives of the pastors that they were partnered with and helped grow the congregation. 

My father’s generation continued that tradition.  But it was mixed with worldly security and personal gain as our family moved to the lavish lifestyle of America.  The hard work mentality was passed down from the first to the next, but the emphases were a little different.  But after seeing the devotion to the church of his parents and the lack thereof in his, he changed his lifestyle and gave his life to serving the ministry of the church and found his place, becoming a missionary to Paraguay. 

And here I stand, called to continue the calling to serve the church and love the church.  Not my church, but the church that Christ laid His life down for.  The faith in action in different ways in previous generations has left a mark in my life and now I see the spiritual blessing in my family and the progression of it through the generations.  In this same commitment to love and serve, I have heard God’s call to be a servant of the church as a full-time pastor with the vision that the Spirit of Christ breathes within me.  I see a progression.  I see a passing down of common passions that bear fruit not only in the present generation, but in the generations that follow. 

I write this because something has been on my heart and mind for quite a while now.  If we look at the progression of faith and church-life in the Korean American church, there is a progression and there is a blessing.  The question is where does the progression lead and what does it mean for the generations to come?

The church, as I know it, is the Korean-American church.  It is the context that I am most familiar with.  Watching the documentary of “God in America” this past week on PBS, I realized that the Korean-American church has incorporated a lot of different theologies and faith traditions found within the history of faith in America and has translated it into our Korean-American context and essentially made it ours.  That’s what Koreans have been good at and has led to the growth of our nation and our ethnic presence within the global community.  In so many ways, the belief of manifest destiny in America is one that Korean-Americans have translated into our own—declaring that, for some, Korean-Christians reflect a new Israel—carrying the torch for Christianity in this world.  (I’m still wary of claiming that)  Sounds very familiar because that’s what most of the Christian pilgrims that first embarked on their journey to the land called “America” sought for their own communities. 

But what I struggle with is progression.  Is this progression and blessing meant only for the Korean-American church?  Are our accomplishments within in the landscape of Christian spirituality and church-life the very obstacle preventing us from making an impact in the greater Christian community?  Is our Korean “brand” of Christianity not “marketable” in the global community?  Or is it, but only for Koreans/Asians?  Or are the present blessings of resources and spiritual leadership leading us into something else beyond the Korean-American church?  That’s where my heart leans…towards something beyond the Korean-American church.  What’s a major obstacle?  Perhaps pride. 

Whether it be the pride I hold in the way that I view my spirituality and have grown into my relationship with the church through the Korean-American context or the pride that we hold as thriving Korean American Christians that see—like the older generation that holds dearly their way as THE way to do church, this pride in so many ways restrains our generation from the progression that I foresee as our next step or even just pride on a whole different level regarding our own ethnic heritage; it’s pride nevertheless.  Whichever way I look at it, it’s there—a pride that is creating a reluctance to progress into something more. In fact, we might not be ready for that “something more”, but I can see it on the horizon and it’s calling out to me.  (Maybe this is not pertaining to all, but just me. At this moment I can’t say…still processing through this)

It’s like when I reflect upon my family.  Each generation of faith produced different fruit…not similar fruit.  The fruit was all and is all for the Glory of One, but it was different fruit within each generation.  (In brief as I see it…1. Support pastor, build church 2. Go outside of church, build church 3. Be a pastor, build church)  Every generation had something to add.  In the same way, I see the generations within the church today.  I reflect upon the fruit of generations past and they are still here today, but what is the fruit of our generation and generations to come as we await the return of our Lord? Is it the same or is it supposed to be a shade different?  Are we trying to replicate an old model that doesn’t work because the one who created the old model says it works?  Oh, the questions…

Maybe “progress” isn’t the right word, but I think it sounds better than “evolve”… and this is under the assumption that we are not under the hands of progress, but we are in the hands of a living God that relates to us and desires to walk with us as we progress in accomplishing His will. 

It’s just my hope to see in myself and in my church a people that look back on the path that has been traveled, the ground on which we stand in the moment, and the horizon where our future lies and seek God’s presence and leading in all of the above.  We need to progress.   

Just had to get this in writing and out there for people to see because it’s been like a thorn in my side that I’ve been wanting to get out and examined…

Examine please.

I know that this response may seem harsh and there were some instances that a reply like this turned people away from church because it really tugged at people’s heart strings in a negative way. In the end, it does…n’t sound right or fair because there are so any instances when animals do amazing things, but I firmly believe that animals weren’t created for Heaven. Are animals in many instances “heavenly” in the way that some display genuine character and even times compassion (dolphins and apes saving children in danger) but when we look at the animal kingdom, it’s a very deep question. Are humans just another part (as in, distant relative) of the animal kingdom or is there some sort of distinctiveness and set-apartness for human beings? As Scripture says…there is. We are made in God’s image (Genesis 1-2). We have been given dominion over the animal kingdom. We are sinners separated from the divine love that was intended for us from the beginning of creation, but through Jesus Christ we are able to be reunited (lover to beloved). When we say Heaven, we are not just speaking of a very nice place for eternity. Don’t we wish that for everything that we love? But when we say Heaven, we’re talking about a place of eternal fulfillment in the presence of God. Our wounded soul finding ultimate healing and spiritual wholeness in a relationship with our Creator eternally. Which begs another question in the end…will there be animals in heaven at all? In the first 5 days of creation, God created the animal kingdom and said that it was good. So even before sin, there were animals to display God’s joyful creative power. Animals were in the Garden of Eden (Delight) with Adam and the first woman (not called Eve until after the fall) and God. As God said, the animals couldn’t satisfy the companionship for Adam so God provided the first woman. But there was some sort of companionship or relationship there. But in Heaven will we need that companionship as much as we need it on earth? I don’t think so. But will there be animals to display God’s glory, I hope so. In the end, there’s only glimpses of the glory of the beauty of God’s creation in the animal kingdom on earth and it is all temporal. It’s important to know the difference between what is meant for the temporal and what is meant for the eternal. Our “puppy loves” in this world (whether it be for actual puppies, for inanimate objects, or even for people) should never outweigh the “greater love” that we all seek and pursue. In other words, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 16:20-21) Hoping this word is well taken and chewed on because it sure isn’t easy and personally (an animal lover myself) it’s not funny at all. Dead serious.

So what am I supposed to do with this?  I had a thought that I needed to write down some of the ideas that are running through my head and to have people out there in the world comment on some of these things, because I find myself in front of my computer and in front of people much younger than me.  I guess I’m looking for some feedback so I decided to blog and now I opened a tumblr.  But I have no clue what I’m supposed to do. 

But oh well…here we go.  Social Media…Chapter 2.  (Chapter 1 = Facebook)