Job 26:14

I keep reading various news reports, the latest just this week, of the unusual number of military suicides, particularly among army veterans. Other statistics that don’t receive as much press are the staggering number of substance abuse issues that are appearing, and alarmingly, the disproportionate number of veterans who are incarcerated or otherwise working their way through the legal system. The link to the article is above, but here are the opening paragraphs of the report:

WASHINGTON, Jan 13, 2010 (IPS) - Suicides among United States military veterans ballooned by 26 percent from 2005 to 2007, according to new statistics released by the Veterans Affairs (VA) department.

“Of the more than 30,000 suicides in this country each year, fully 20 percent of them are acts by veterans,” said VA Secretary Eric Shinseki at a VA-sponsored suicide prevention conference on Monday. “That means on average 18 veterans commit suicide each day. Five of those veterans are under our care at VA.”

The spike in the suicide rate can most clearly be attributed to the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the high number of veterans returning to the U.S. with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

To connect the dots, the middle east is the most spiritually volatile region on earth, the home of biblical Babylon and the epicenter of the visions of the Book of Revelation. Is it coincidental that it has become the cradle of devotion to a demon god and jihad by suicide? The military is fighting a war in “the devil’s sandbox” or as I often put it, on hell’s manhole cover. The psychological toll can’t be written off, but a spiritual root cause is not taken seriously. After all, isn’t that Revelation stuff just myth and superstition? Seriously…isn’t it?

~~~

Our greatest task is not to do things, but to believe things.

-Oswald Chambers

Intriguing…I’ll start following that site.

This fellow, Chad Estes, the guy on the clip, is from Boise. Apparently, he’s a former pastor of a fairly large congregation, but decided to, as his blog tag-line says, go on “a journey from fear to love, from rules to relationship, and from religion to freedom.”

He is not alone in that. Lots of people have begun to question their understanding of the church and finding their questions leading them to places they never expected to go. Many are amazed to find that there is living, active, relational faith outside of organizations and buildings. Moreover, they are discovering anarchy and heresy aren’t the inevitable outcomes of journeys off the well-worn path, or at least any more so than in the inherited structures of our parents and grandparents.

What I’ve discovered on that journey (we started meeting almost exclusively in homes in 1990) is that the real joy in following Jesus is in the relationship. Early on, I thought that meant that there needed to be a “clean break” from the traditional, but as the adventure unfolded I realized there was a flaw in that thinking. Breaking relationship can hardly be considered a good way to deepen fellowship within the body of Christ. Consequently, as we pursued the “simple church” course, we realized that if we kept our attitude right we could encourage our brethren in the more structured world, even as we deepened relationships outside it.

What I think I see happening now, is diversification. It isn’t “either-or” when it comes to church community, it’s “both-and”. Whereas, in the early days, we had to talk persuasively to convince people we weren’t a protest against the traditional church, nowadays there seems to be a growing understanding that the message of the gospel can—even must—be delivered on multiple channels. Furthermore, bricks and mortar needn’t create a Bastille. Buildings may serve a community; they don’t have to confine it. When buildings contain systems that control, dominate, and confine the followers of Jesus, they might better become real estate—galleries, coffee shops and bookstores. But when they shelter a community of faith; one that meets by love, mutual respect and gracious interdependence, such places become a light in the city.

Church Alumni from Recycle Your Faith on Vimeo.

No physician can give health and happiness to the man who enjoys his affliction. For such a man health and happiness are always contradictory.

~Calvin Miller, The Singer

This is a pretty cool way of dealing with health care costs without traditional insurance! It sounds a lot like what Paul says in Galatians: “bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” It’s pretty affordable, too–240.00 a month for Jody and I.

What’s got me bothered right now is that the health care reform bills that are coming out of Washington may make it mandatory to buy government-approved health insurance. So where will that leave those of us who want to take care of each other through a cost-sharing pool? What if it becomes “buy government-approved health insurance or pay a fine.” Yikes! I hope our legislators build enough flexibility into these bills to let people be responsible for one another if they choose. I’ve already sent a note to our Representative. Now, it’s wait and see…

when cyberspace meets face2face

Does this ever happen to you? You get this cool idea and you tell somebody about it and they just look at you like you were a chicken that just laid a square egg. And then they say something like, “that’s nice” or, “cool,” and then they go with some other subject and you know they’ve already forgotten your great idea?

You haven’t had that happen? I was afraid of that… It’s just me who has really great and really dumb ideas. Well, anyway, I have this great (maybe really dumb) idea. Since computers can be so isolating, what if somebody hosted a “faceblog?”

So, what’s a “faceblog?” Call it a “cybersation,” a web-born conversation where the blog post is open to comments from real people (moving faces and everything) in the audience. And as long as we’re at it, let’s throw in coffee, tea, food and a microphone — eat and drink the first ones, talk in into the other. People could bring a recent blog post — their own or a favorite from the blogosphere and they or somebody else could read it “open mic” — kinda like karaoke blogging.* There could be a blog, and then people could “comment” around a table; maybe another blog and talk; then throw in some music for a change of pace; do a couple more blogs…comment, talk some more. Real time, face-to-face interaction. What a concept.

* No hate speech, sex talk, shock-jock stuff and potty-mouth rants or really long rambles. Just thoughtful observations — four minutes or less — about life, God, the universe, and related subjects. Make them serious or funny; poignant and thoughtful; critical, maybe even angry, but always respectful.

A possible faceblog

• I am sitting in the smoke filled Alexander the great airport. Time with biljana was incredible today. Have seen Gods incredible hand at every turn this week. Been here 2 hrs so far-hope they open up for ck in soon. Eyes are burning from smoke and been up since 6am yesterday. Hope to sleep the hour and half to vienna. Been up for almost 22 hrs at this pt.

She is on the plane and will be off email until Vienna. Keep her in prayer for a safe trip.

(Tue, 9:28p PDX - 6:28a Skopje) It went well last night. I would guess that about 45 women came. They seemed to understand well what I was saying-tho it tired maria out to translate for me. Shared on some of the main pts of sonship. Today and tomorrow are my last days in cntry. It won’t be long now. I agree that the skype thing really helps and it was fun to see your face as we talked.

Jody will be dropped off at the airport at around midnight Thursday, local time. Her flight home leaves at 4am (about 7pm Thursday our time) with stop-overs in Vienna and Washington, DC on her way home to Portland on Friday night at around 8pm. Please offer up prayers of thanksgiving and for a safe, uneventful trip home.

• (Tues, 6:24am PDX - 8:26am Skopje) Yesterday was opposite of the rest of the trip — filled with eating. I had lunch here at the house at around 2. A sandwich. Then sasha and maria picked me up and took me to a favorite restaurant — wonderful salads and things I have never tasted and chicken wrapped in bacon with melted cheese inside. [Then] it was around 4 and I am stuffed. We go see the remodel of their apartment and then go to Gordica and Bruno’s apt. They are newly married and she is the proconsul to the president of macedonia. We thought it was for coffee but he is a gourmet cook and has prepared a 3 course meal –antipasta and quiche and a cabbage and beet salad then pasta and chops and then fruit.  Just roll me home. Thank goodness it wasn’t like that the rest of the time. Will be picked up by sasha and maria at 10:00 and will stay with them until after I speak tonight. [I will be] sharing some of the sonship study stuff.

• (Sunday, October 18, 11:25am PDX - 8:25pm Skopje) I am now back in skopje and have returned to the home of the missionary family. They were running fevers last night and vomiting. They seem to be on the mend now but would really appreciate your prayer for divine protection and for their speedy healing. Glad to have a few minutes to myself. Sasha picked us up from the bus station and delivered me here. Met their kids–makes me miss all my kids and grandkids. Looks like my time will be occupied this week, which will make it pass quicker for me.  Just pray that I stay well and my energy keeps up.