[AC] Advent Conspiracy from Jon Collins on Vimeo.

posted by Kelly @ 2:16:00 PM 

yesterday, the sermon was focused on Joseph, the father of Jesus. i can't say that Joseph is given a lot of face time in scripture. i can't say that what we do know about him is anything worthy enough to even form an opinion. it's only seven verses in the whole of the christmas story.

The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:

Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").

Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.

it was proposed yesterday that Joseph was a man of few words, that he gracefully gathered Mary up on a donkey to journey back to bethlehem, that he negotiated with the innkeeper only enough to gain a humble shelter. and maybe this is true. or maybe he talked so incessantly, that Matthew found it beneficial to include only what was necessary. either way, he kinda gets shafted. and it doesn't help much that he virtually disappears after Jesus turns 12. we hear nothing more of Joseph as Jesus becomes the man who is the Messiah. his purpose seems only to legitimize the birth of Christ.

but i think maybe there's more. Joseph had planned to marry, and after hearing the news of her pregnancy, he had planned to end things quietly. and then the dream. the Lord appeared to him, sought him out, and said, "Mary is pregnant to fulfill the prophecy, and you will call him Immanuel, which means 'God with us.' "

Joseph, you have a purpose, you are part of the plan. God is not abstractly coming for the sins of the world, he is coming for you, you and Mary. so after he is born, when you cradle him for the first time, and his eyes open and look up into the eyes of his mother and father, it is then that you will know:

He is here. God is with us.

posted by Kelly @ 2:29:00 PM 

I had the opportunity this weekend to attend the National Youth Worker's Convention put on by Youth Specialties here in Atlanta. It was a good conference, over 5500 youth workers from all around the country attended and the general sessions and breakouts were really quite diverse and helpful as far as resourcing, ideas, networking, and personal spiritual growth and development. It was a wonderful experience and I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to attend.

Sunday morning's session had worship led by none other than the David Crowder Band. It has been quite a long time since I have heard Dave Crowder or Chris Tomlin. I was thrown back to the old days when I was completely encapsulated in the mega-church idea. I have since grown and have often viewed corporate, rock-star generated worship as forced, even mechanical. I have alluded to it being similar to the travelling circus in the sense that it's odd-ness is one of the reasons people come out to look. I have poked fun at the songs with their sappy lyrics and the worship leaders with their unintentional hip-ness preventing any authentic expression of worship.

However, this week, in the middle of worship with David Crowder, my position has since changed. As I jumped up and down in the middle of O Praise Him, I realized that this rock concert-like expression of worship is very much connecting others to God. I realized that rock concerts have been the medium teenagers and adults alike have flocked to in an effort to connect with their artists through the experience of live music. I have seen all my favorite bands live, and I thought about the best concert experience I've had. It was the U2 concert on the All That You Can't Leave Behind tour. In that arena, I felt taken away by the music, the lights, the show, but more by the experience of this music with those that were in the arena with me. It was as if we were all connected to something larger than us.

I feel that it was the same in the worship experience I had this weekend. I don't think that worship with God comes primarily through music, nor do I think that "big show" mentality is the way we need to be the church, but I do think that there is some value within this corporate, rock concert-like worship experience. I think communion with God happens in that space. I know it happened this weekend.

posted by Kelly @ 2:49:00 PM 

i had lunch with two friends yesterday that i rarely see. the conversation for us involved many things, one of which was how the church could better allot resources and personnel. i reflected back over our conversation later and thought of the many conversations i have had like this over the last few years. and i came to this conclusion: i am tired of having this conversation.

i am tired of discussing the problem unless we discuss solutions. i think it was Ghandi who said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." he also said, "You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing, there will be no result." it's very easy to talk about what we should be doing. let's actually DO it.

these friends who i had lunch with are actually the exception. they are out there, on the front lines, deeply involved with ministry. they are solutions people. but it's not enough. there are far too many who will simply discuss the issue and far too few who will do anything to make a change.

i'm sick of the rebels, where are the reformers?

posted by Kelly @ 3:33:00 PM 

i joined the masses this weekend and saw American Gangster on saturday night. the theater was packed. the 8:00 showing was sold out, so we bought tickets for the 9:00, and when we showed up at 8:30, the line to get in was already stretched around the lobby. when we left the movie at 11:45, the line for the midnight showing was just as long.

the film was brilliant. i found it interesting that frank lucas, portrayed by denzel washington, focused almost solely on family values, loyalty, and community. the cop investigating him, portrayed by russell crowe, was a guy who couldn't get his life together, betrayed his wife and son, yet pursued honesty in his work. quite a juxtaposition.

near the end of the movie, frank lucas opens up to the cop and said its always been about the white man taking what he has. he came from nothing, and out of that, he built something. he became the largest supplier of heroin in this country. i was tense. i was sitting in a packed theater, most of the other patrons there were african-american, and i wondered how many of them felt the same way. i wondered how this story would resolve where yet another "white man" arrested the "black criminal."

i live in a primarily african-american community, i attend a primarily african-american church. and i wondered a lot about the divide. i can't deny that race is a factor in my neighborhood. what does it mean to be Christ?

i think i am constantly learning.

posted by Kelly @ 2:21:00 PM 

I know it's been a very long time. I have no real explanation other than I started a new job, took on the youth programming at church, and continued grad school. does that suffice?

however, i revamped, am in the process of adding new stuff, and promise to strike up the band once again and shower you with my thoughts and blessings.

soon...

posted by Kelly @ 11:29:00 AM 

This week at church we learned that our impromptu piano player just celebrated her 80th birthday. Before the service, I had a conversation with her where she told me that her father, a Baptist minister, used to advertise on his revival fliers for people to come and hear the 3 year-old girl play piano. She said that she would have to sit on someone's lap to reach the keys, but she played it all by ear.

Today, she is able to pick out any tune, and her hands fly over the keys. I sit in amazement. And to think that she's been doing this for 77 years! Quite a blessing.

Happy Birthday, Miss Sarah!

posted by Kelly @ 4:43:00 PM