Shopping as a substitute for relationships?

Farmer and blogger Sharon Astyk said in a podcast with Krys Boyd (released 10/1/08) was articulating the experiment her family did one year to not buy anything other than food or fuel that the year exposed to her that "shopping is a substitute for relationships." Her point was that if they needed something instead of going to the store they were able to go to their neighbors house and talk with them and seek out the item(s) they might need to borrow.

In addition she said that the average American uses 30 times the amount of resources of the average Kenyan (who on average has 4 kids). Her point is that population issues are nothing compared to the issues of consumption. This is not an excuse of having loads of kids, but sometimes pregnancies happen, so we need to have the ability to deal with these unexpected pregnancies.

Heschel quotes and famous picture

"Racism is man's gravest threat to man - the maximum hatred for a minimum reason."

"In regard to cruelties committed in the name of a free society, some are guilty, while all are responsible."

"Remember that there is a meaning beyond absurdity. Be sure that every little deed counts, that every word has power. Never forget that you can still do your share to redeem the world in spite of all absurdities and frustrations and disappointments."

"All it takes is one person… and another… and another… and another… to start a movement"

"Wonder rather than doubt is the root of all knowledge."

"A religious man is a person who holds God and man in one thought at one time, at all times, who suffers no harm done to others, whose greatest passion is compassion, whose greatest strength is love and defiance of despair."

"God is of no importance unless He is of utmost importance."

"Self-respect is the fruit of discipline, the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself."

"Life without commitment is not worth living."

"A Jew is asked to take a leap of action rather than a leap of thought."

Why reform and not create new a new church?

On a the praxis podcast D.G. made a comment as to articulate his calling to reform the Methodist church he said something (and I will not quote just summarize what I get from it):

We serve a crucified Lord, whoever said this work would be easy? Why is it there are some young people who run up against a polity which may make things difficult they stop? If we love the UMC then we must be willing to fight change the polity and not run from it just because it is 'difficult'.

YA Summit observations

The Fall Summit of the CTC in 2008, focused on young adult ministry. I met D.G. Hollums who is a "Cultural Architect at Th3 Waters" in Kentucky. He was a fascinating fella and I learned a lot from him. I cannot begin to type all that I learned but I know that his influence in my life (for the day it was) will shape my future. He has several blogs (the one to the left is his) and several podcasts (they guy podcast and praxis podcast are the ones I am most interested by). He and his Sr. minister, Gary, told me that if I had to read one book I should read:

The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21 Century Church by Michael Frost

So I want to read that (I think that I added that to my goodreads book list, as well as organic church, and if the Buddha dated).

In another line on this summit, I ran across some quotes from people:

"I think altar calls are crazy. Asking people to come to the front and give their life to Jesus in one moment. I have never had a single relationship begin that way in my whole life."

"We live in a world of best guesses and not yets."

"For the word of God among us. For the Word of God within us. Thanks be to God."

"Third places are thin places"