May 2, 2011

easter hymn: dead and gone by T.I.

If you’re wondering why I’m (a) still talking about Easter and (b) using a rap video to do it…well, welcome to the party. Rewind it back about a week, and it’ll all make sense.

Easter is about life. It’s about celebrating that Christ lives and makes a definitive statement about the sovreignty of God by conquering death and sin. And it’s also celebrating that we’ve been invited into that present reality as well as that new eternity.

There’s a process in getting to the place where we can really celebrate, however. It starts with the realization that things are skewed. Our self-identity, our way of being, our orientation to God…it’s off. In T.I.’s case it’s that ‘hood mindset that propogates a cycle of violence. In your case it’s whatever it is. I can’t tell you specifically, and even if I could you wouldn’t want me to display it for the public record in this space. But the journey into the robust reality (or: into the compelling story) that God has for us starts with that self-awareness coupled with God-awareness.  Apart from a healthy dose of either of those elements it’s tough to find our way back home.

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new. –2 Corinthians 5.17 (NRSV)

1You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ*—by grace you have been saved… –Ephesians 2.1-5

Renew and Restore

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April 28, 2011

by popular demand, a rant on how leggings aren’t pants

Somehow, it has become common practice in this country for women to wear leggings as pants. A curious phenomenon to gain such wide acceptance, for sure. Are leggings not merely opaque hosiery? Appropriate underneath a skirt or capris, certainly. But not under a long shirt or sweater. And certainly not under a short shirt or sweater. Why?

Because. Leggings are not pants. They’re so not pants, it’s appropriate to call then “notpants”.

I can make an extensive list of things that aren’t pants.  Sweaters aren’t pants. Jackets aren’t pants. Shoes? Not pants in the slightest. But at the top of that list, the unequivocal champion of all things that are not pants has got to be leggings. And no matter what Gap and Target try to tell you, Jeggings are second place in the race for notpants supremacy. I don’t care if your denim long underwear has belt loops and pockets, you can’t just strut around wearing them as pants.

My stance on the subject is well known. So well know that I got called out on The Social Network last week when I announced that my daughter was running around the park wearing a pink gymnastics unitard (complete with built-in shorts), leggings as pants (over the unitard), red Columbia fleece, pink socks and ruby red slippers. But two layers of notpants does not pants make, and one of my most staunch anti-notpants allies was quick to point out my hypocrisy.

  • Nikki D.: Oh snap. She’s one of “those” leggings as pants wearers? I didn’t see it coming….

    (18 April at 20:13 )
  • Me: We have a special dispensation in this house that allows kids under 8 to wear notpants. But when she’s old enough to understand, we’ll certainly have a chat with her about how leggings are not pants. (18 April at 20:24 )
  • Nikki D.: Start the conditioning now. Its like the DARE program for children in elementary school…cut them off before they know what drugs are. I’m sure you would be supported to start the notpants program in the schools. (18 April at 20:29)

Nikki has a point. But my wife thinks that little girls in leggings are really cute, even if she agrees with me that any woman who sported the leggings was not worthy of The Manny’s affection*. So we shall pose the question to the masses. Is it appropriate to have a leggings as pants dispensation for kids, or should we hold a strong line and not contribute to the systematic desensitization of notpants in our culture?

*True story, bro. When The Manny was being The Manny, he would sometimes go on dates. First question we’d ask was what he thought of the lady. Second question? Pants or notpants? A “notpants” answer earned the gong faster than a prolific belcher. We wouldn’t let The Manny settle for just anyone, you know.

Renew and Restore

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April 27, 2011

let Malcolm X blow your mind for a minute

“And because I had been a hustler, I knew better than all whites knew, and better than nearly all of the black ‘leaders’ knew, that actually the most dangerous black man in America was the ghetto hustler. Why do I say this? The hustler, out there in the ghetto jungles, has less respect for the white power structure than any other Negro in North America. The ghetto hustler is internally restrained by nothing. He has no religion, no concept of morality, no civic responsibility, no fear–nothing. To survive, he is out there constantly preying upon others, probing for any human weakness like a ferret. The ghetto hustler is forever frustrated, restless, and anxious for some ‘action’. Whatever he undertakes, he commits himself to it fully, absolutely. What makes the ghetto hustler yet more dangerous is his ‘glamour’ image to the school-dropout youth in the ghetto.These ghetto teen-agers see the hell caught by their parents struggling to get somewhere, or see that they have given up struggling in the prejudiced, intolerant white man’s world. The ghetto teen-agers make up their own minds they would rather be like the hustlers whom they see dressed ‘sharp’ and flashing money and displaying no respect for anybody or anything. So the ghetto youth become attracted to the hustler worlds of dope, thievery, prostitution, and general crime and immorality.”

–From The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As told to Alex Haley

I could expound on that passage all day, but I’ll hold back.  I’d rather you spend the time rereading it five times.

And when your done, remind yourself that these words were published over 45 years ago. That’s almost half of a century.

Now, start asking serious questions about why they’ve been able to remain true to this day.

Renew and Restore

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April 26, 2011

how soccer explains…hospitality

Sociologists might suggest that Jews do hospitality so well because they have spent so many centuries being the stranger and the friendless. It is also true that Jewish (and so also Christian) sacred Scripture is thick with the practice of hospitality. More than once, God instructs His people to welcome the stranger because ‘you were strangers in the land of Egypt…Early Christian communities continued these practices of hospitality, attempting to feed the poor, host travelers, visit the imprisoned, invite widows and orphans to join them at mealtime — all expressions of a capacious notion of hospitality.”

–Lauren Winner in Mudhouse Sabbath

Last month I had the opportunity to venture to Denver and attend the Portland Timbers first ever match as an MLS team. I had high aspirations for the trip, and it lived up to most of them. Certainly, there was one part of the trip that exceeded all expectations…the pregame tailgate.

For this particular match, somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 members of the Timbers Army descended on Denver for the match. Most rolled in from Portland, but there were a handful of us exiles who made our way from the far reaches of the country. We made for quite the conspicuous mass. Clad in green. Proudly Portland weird. It was quite the crew.

While it was a big night for the Timbers Army, it was also a big night for the Colorado Rapids supporters. The Rapids won the MLS cup last year, and were celebrating their well-earned victory this particular night. You could forgive them if they were too preoccupied to notice the new kids. They had victories to revel in and a top-dog status that it was their right to properly invoke.

That night the Colorado supporters enjoyed themselves. But you know what? They also went out of their way to make sure that we enjoyed ourselves as well. One particular group (The Bulldog Supporters Group) opened up their local watering hole to the Timbers Army. They invited the entire Timbers Army to their customary pregame tailgate celebration. Instead of smoking one hog, they smoked two. They more than doubled the amount of libation they usually keep on hand for matchday. It was a feast fit for a king, and they were totally cool with the foreigners and aliens crashing their party.  In fact, they insisted on it.

To understand this in its full context, you need to know that the Timbers Army has a reputation. We’re a bit rowdy. Some might say obnoxious. And when you roll like that into someone else’s crib, they can be understandably defensive. Where any response ranging from ambivalence to mild hostility would have been expected and accepted, they opened up their arms and embraced the opponent in their own house while absolutely lavishing us. It was pure class. Even the song/chant war that broke out at the end of the meal was good-natured in its enthusiasm. It was like a jovial soccer version of West Side Story.

One mark of maturity and depth is the ability to be a gracious host. When done right, it can be an embodiment of healthy humility. It shows that we are grounded in the reality that what we have is not our own and that we have been showered with acts of grace and mercy along our own journeys. And if shows that we aren’t so full of ourselves as to be overcome by narcissism to the point where we are blinded to opportunities to love.

I’ll know I’ve reached a point of spiritual maturity when I can be a gracious host to L*kers and S*unders fans. I have some growing to do before I’m to that place, however.
Renew and Restore

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April 25, 2011

easter hymn: jesus walks by kanye west

It all started as a joke. I walked out of my office on Thursday and announced to anyone who was around that I was pumped for my solo at church on Easter morning. And then I proceeded to bust into the chorus of Jesus Walks. Chuckles and head shakes all around. Nobody’s shocked. Everyone’s amused.

Once I had that out of my system, it was time to get back to work. I retreated back to my office, set Jesus Walks on repeat and continued with the project I had been working on. But the more I listened to the song, the more it made sense. It really is an Easter hymn. The imagery. The themes. Even the theology of the song. Certainly some of the language and the fact that Kanye carries a lot of baggage keeps me from actually being able to sing it in church.

But this site ain’t no church.

–

Easter is not just one day. You knew that, right? Of course you did. Because you know that on the liturgical church calendar Easter Sunday kicks off a seven week Easter Season that runs all the way to Pentecost.

Here’s an idea: What if we spend time exploring music that embodies the themes of Easter today, and each of the next six weeks? It’s an idea inspired by a talk my friend Aaron gave last month about art and the prophetic witness in worship. It’s an idea inspired by my crazy notion to someday write a dissertation or teach a class on the Theology of Hip-Hop. It’s an opportunity for me to see if such an exploration will be received by the community as refreshing or heretical.

–

(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down
(Jesus Walks with me)
The only thing that that I pray is that my feet don’t fail me now
(Jesus Walks)
And I don’t think there is nothing I can do now to right my wrongs
(Jesus Walks with me)
I want to talk to God but I’m afraid because we ain’t spoke in so long

To the hustlers, killers, murderers, drug dealers even the strippers
(Jesus walks with them)
To the victims of Welfare for we living in hell here hell yeah
(Jesus walks with them)

–

29And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. 30The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” 31And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. 32“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”–Luke 5.29-32 (NASB)

–

Yeah. ‘Ye nailed that, lyrically. But I love the visuals in this version of the video just as much, if not more. Jesus never leaving ‘Ye. Faithfully pursuing him. Going places that the church won’t go and manifesting power through images that amount to modern-day accounts of the stories we read in the Gospels.

There’s very much a sense of the embodied Easter there. A question of what difference it makes in this life if Jesus really did conquer death and everything that encompasses. A question of how well the community is doing ministry like Jesus did ministry, and amongst the types of people Jesus ministered to. You may bristle, or you might find yourself invigorated, but I’m convinced there’s a prophetic message in the art here. And I’m convinced we can find other prophetic messages if we listen intently enough.

Renew and Restore

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March 17, 2011

jalen rose, grant hill and my racial self-identity

A trifecta of nostalgia has been taking me back to my formative years this past week. The anniversary of The Notorious BIG’s death, the death of Nate Dogg and ESPN’s feature on the Fab Five. That last one has gotten the most play over the last couple of days. It’s unsurprising, considering how volatile the subject matter is.

Truehoop has a good video recap of the combustible portion of the Fab Five feature, where Jalen Rose gets real.

Schools like Duke didn’t recruit players like me,” explains Jalen Rose in the video. “I felt that they only recruited black players that were Uncle Toms. … I was jealous of Grant Hill. He came from a great black family. Congratulations. Your mom went to college and was roommates with Hillary Clinton. Your dad played in the NFL as a very well-spoken and successful man. I was upset and bitter that my mom had to bust her hump for 20-plus years. I was bitter that I had a professional athlete that was my father that I didn’t know. I resented that, moreso than I resented him. I looked at it as they are who the world accepts and we are who the world hates

In response, Grant Hill has some published some pointed words in the New York Times.

To hint that those who grew up in a household with a mother and father are somehow less black than those who did not is beyond ridiculous. All of us are extremely proud of the current Duke team, especially Nolan Smith. He was raised by his mother, plays in memory of his late father and carries himself with the pride and confidence that they instilled in him.

The sacrifice, the effort, the education and the friendships I experienced in my four years are cherished. The many Duke graduates I have met around the world are also my “family,” and they are a special group of people. A good education is a privilege.

Just as Jalen has founded a charter school in Michigan, we are expected to use our education to help others, to improve life for those who need our assistance and to use the excellent education we have received to better the world. …

I caution my fabulous five friends to avoid stereotyping me and others they do not know in much the same way so many people stereotyped them back then for their appearance and swagger. I wish for you the restoration of the bond that made you friends, brothers and icons.

I’m behind Hill’s response. It’s eloquent. It’s pointed. It needed to be said. However, I’m not convinced that Jalen Rose is the bad guy here. If you call someone an “Uncle Tom” on national TV it’s going to get attention. But in context, I think Jalen Rose is channeling the voice of his teenage self. In doing so, he shows a level of vulnerability and honesty that rings true to a pathology that is prevalent among urban black boys even to this day.

It reminds me of a story my boss used to tell when I was doing urban ministry. He was at the Boys & Girls club one day and noticed there was a boy who was studying while most of the other kids were playing around. When the boy’s dad arrived to pick him up, he started tearing the kid down.

“Are you studying? Don’t you know that only white kids study? Are you trying to act white?”

My boss would then pose a question as he wrapped the story. How damning is that? This idea that you, because of the color of your skin, are expected to do poorly in school. When your racial self-concept is negative, that’s a huge problem.  It was a problem for Rose and made him “jealous” and resentful as a teenager working through expectation, racial reality and self-concept.

On a personal level, I find the “conversation” between Rose and Hill interesting.  My family looked more like Grant Hill’s family*.  Two parent. Valued education. Suburban. That was the environment I grew up in, with the added dynamic that I’m biracial.  And yet, I always disliked Duke and Grant Hill.

*Actually, of all the people in the film, my experience would most resemble Chris Webber (kid of color from the ‘burbs) with the exception that I wasn’t actually that good at basketball. Minor difference.

It goes all the way back to when I was 10 years old and Duke played UNLV in the National Semifinals. Played and BEAT UNLV, as a matter of fact. I really wanted UNLV to win that game, and to an extent I think my rooting interest was racial. UNLV was mostly black and had serious swag. Not to hate on the Fab 5, but they get credit for a lot of stuff that UNLV actually pioneered. It wasn’t like 10 year-old me was sitting around saying, “I hate Duke because they’re white”. It was more a matter of really being drawn to UNLV, to their “blackness” and their style, and then being ticked that Duke had derailed them.

That sentiment carried over through the years. When the Fab 5 rolled around, I fully embraced them. I had a Michigan hat. A Michigan shooting shirt. I bought the wristbands and shoes I saw the Fab 5 wearing and sported them on the court. And yet, all the while I was killing it academically. Getting good grades all through high school. Doing internships in medical labs during the summer. Without being aware of it, I was living a dual reality. To be successful (and cool with the white kids at my school), I had to be Grant Hill.  To be cool with my black teammates, I had to be Jalen Rose. And my white friends found my “Rose-ness”…I don’t know…interesting, endearing, exotic, whatever.

My impression of Jalen Rose is that he’s grown up a lot since his Fab 5 days. Dude is a pro and has seen a lot of the world over the years.  I honestly wish that the part of the movie in question were longer, because that would have given more room for nuance and reflection. Probably wouldn’t have been entertaining and combustible, though.

As I process all of that, I’m struck again at how one of the most important tasks for those who work with urban black youth is to help them develop a positive racial identity. One that embraces the reality that it’s ok to be black and smart. One that doesn’t define blackness by cultural norms and stereotypes that are detrimental to overall personal and community wholeness. And that’s a tough calling, because the pull of those cultural norms and stereotypes can be so strong.

You can keep handing out your backpacks and school supplies, if you want. But without a paradigm shift it won’t do a ton of good.

Renew and Restore

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February 16, 2011

life imitating art (or, a photo essay showing how VW and Star Wars mesmerized my daughter)

 

 

We’ve all seen The Commercial*. Was it the best of the Superbowl? A lot of folks think so. But this cat from the D makes a debate of the subject, especially considering how “comically and poorly” (to quote The Manny) the VW commercial was cut for television.

*If you haven’t seen the making of the commercial…well…you’re missing out.

While I was digging that Em joint, the rest of the family was resoundingly in the Darth camp. Particularly my daughter.  She was just hanging in the room while the Super Bowl was on, but when that Imperial Death March kicked in her eyes instantly locked on the television. For the next thirty minutes she hummed the IDM and bombarded me with questions about the commercial. What was the boy doing? Why was he wearing that mask? Had she seen Star Wars? Is Darth Vader scary? Where was Darth Vader’s Light Saber? And where did that boy get that mask?

Finally, I asked her if she wanted me to bring my Darth Vader mask home from the office. She already knew I had it there, because she points it out every time she visits. But not before she checks for the Darth Vader Fathead behind the door. It’s tradition.

Considering the fact that the kid’s total Star Wars viewing time consists of the last 20 minutes of Episode IV, the saga has certainly captivated her imagination. She’s already obsessed, as witnessed to by the fact that she rocked that Vader mask for an entire week. If the good folks at Volkswagen are looking to make a sequel to their ad, I can help them with casting. Granted, we might need a little help with wardrobe as we have not yet mastered the ominously dark Sith wardrobe as of yet.  In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

This one has a nice “Darth Fonz” vibe. Could use a leather jacket.

 

Some nice mixed symbolism here. Darth Mask. Valentine’s Shirt. Ruby slippers. Craziest light saber ever.

 

And then there’s this. Darth Pink Cowgirl. That’s something.

Star Wars. A lifetime of joy for the kid in all of us, regardless of what grumpy, snobby, curmudgeony German film critics want you to think.

Renew and Restore

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February 8, 2011

when the teacher becomes the student (or, women as leaders)

Urban Entry isn’t the only class I’m teaching this semester. It’s a class I’ve been looking forward to teaching for over a year, so it’s the one I tend to gush about. And discussions on race and solutions to the plight of urban America get me fired up, so there’s that.

*get back on track, dude*

Yeah, so I’m also teaching a Leadership and Administration class. The class consists of a solid and diverse group of students, and it’s been fun exploring concepts of leadership with them. The way I had the class set up initially however, we almost missed a vital area of discussion.

Women as Leaders.

Fortunately, one of the students at the college posted a great TED Talk in her Twitter feed.  It’s by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, and explores at why a smaller percentage of women than men reach the top of their professions. The talk is so good that I’m willing overlook the fact that she helps run one of the most egregious privacy violators on the internet.

The topic of Women as Leaders is near and dear to my heart. Primarily because of my wife’s journey to balance her life as a professional and a mother. But also because of the experiences I’ve had with women who are called into ministry. In seminary, in churches, everywhere.  Like in a lot of fields, it’s just harder for women in ministry to get respect and have a voice in the game.  Even in denominations that affirm women in ministry, it can be an uphill battle.

So we are going to spend an entire week (and by ‘entire week’, I mean ‘two 90-minute sessions’) of our Leadership and Admin class talking about women in leadership. The class is required to watch the Sandberg talk and write a reflection on it. And the students must also review the Evangelical Covenant Church’s Called and Gifted material which I think is particularly well done.

I hope three things come out of the week. 1) I want to be honest with the ladies in the class regarding the challenges they will face as women in ministry, 2) I want the ladies to be affirmed in their callings and 3) I want the guys to have an awareness of what ministry is like on the other side of the gender line. Even if students chose to be a part of denominations that don’t ordain women, I think there can be improvement in the voice that women have in churches. I hope it ends up being a healthy and constructive dialogue. Granted, in Christian circles it also has the potential to blow up faster than an unholy union of Diet Coke and Mentos, but I’m praying for the former.

Renew and Restore

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February 7, 2011

black history month wisdom

Craig Ferguson has the best late night show on television. I’ve thought that for a long time, and it was reinforced last week when he had Dr. Cornel West on. Not just for a segment, either. For practically the entire show. It’s perhaps one of the most interesting and constructive dialogues on race between a white man and a black man that has ever been broadcast on television. And it’s funny, so there’s a bonus. There’s a lot I’d like to say about their conversation, but I’ll leave the editorializing at that. You have 45 minutes of absolutely profound Youtube video to watch*. You don’t need to waste time reading my thoughts. But I would be interested in hearing your thoughts if anyone is interested in having a conversation below in the “comments” section.

*Now there’s a statement that isn’t often made.

I’ll embed the next part of the interview, and include links to the last two parts (one of which is a bit PG-13).

Part III Part IV

Renew and Restore

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February 4, 2011

a tempting job opportunity

image via www.royals.com

I love my job. A lot. I’m not looking for a different job. I’m not applying for any other job.

But that doesn’t mean I’m above temptation.

The Manny emailed me earlier this week with an interesting career opportunity.  It appears that the Kansas City Royals are hiring a new mascot. And according to the job description, this is a full time position.

I’ve never considered entering the mascot profession before. Now that I’ve had a few days to try on the idea, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’d be amazing at it.

A little known fact about me is that I’m an enthusiastic dancer. Not a good dancer. But an enthusiastic dancer. My gangly arms and legs can move in ways you wouldn’t think possible. And these hips don’t lie, baby. These hips don’t lie.

And certainly I can be far more sporting than the previous people who have filled the Sluggerrr* role.

That’s right, people.  “Sluggerrr” with three, and EXACTLY three, “R’s”. No more. No Less. The King of the Jungle. The King of Baseball.

A couple of years ago The Manny and I attended a late season Royal’s game. They were playing the Tigers (The Manny’s favorite team), and it was Buck Night.  All of the $1 hotdogs, peanuts and small sodas you could digest/afford. Too bad for us, we didn’t know we’d have an opportunity to get FREE cooled hotdogs chucked our way in the seventh inning from Sluggerrr.

As fate would have it on this particular night, Sluggerrr did the famed hot dog launch from our section.  Shot a few out of the hot dog gun. Dropped some over the ledge to the lower level. Even soft-tossed some to us fans in the upper deck.

The longer Sluggerrr’s schtick goes on, the more kids gather around him pandering for a cold dog. One particularly portly kid is getting quite excited, and starts slapping his chest as he screams at the loveable lion. “C’mon Sluggerrr! Hit me with a dog! Right here! Let’s see what ya got!” This goes on and on and I start to get worried that the insufferable lad is going to pass out. The way his face is turning red, he’s clearly diverted all blood flow to his head to the point where that vein on the side of his dome is struggling to stretch far enough to accomodate the rush. His air intake-to-usage ratio is way too low. Seriously, how long can he keep this up?

Finally, Sluggerrr has had enough. He’s been pushed over the edge. As if having to get people fired up for the worst team in baseball in triple-digit heat isn’t indignity enough, now Little Jet Porkins is being an insufferable little brat. So Sluggerrr does what any self-respecting mascot would do.

He starts chucking hot dogs right at the kid’s chest. Not tossing. Not lobbing. Chucking. Finger-down fastball chucking.

Other than a little rivalry between Dmitri Young and my friend John T. at my first Royals game ever one 4th of July, Sluggerrr’s meltdown is my favorite Royal’s memory.

That’s what happens when you root for what I would have to imagine is the losingest team of the last decade. When the product on the field rarely brings you joy, you hold onto any memories that make you smile. And that one makes me smile.

Will I be applying to be the next Sluggerrr? No. But if it wasn’t for the four hour commute, I’d think about it.

Renew and Restore

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