long long overdue (montreat post)

i PROMISE, once i arrive in northern ireland, posts will be more regular.

today's reading music: 'ain't no reason' by brett dennen. listen and think.




much has happened since my last update...most importantly for this post, i was incredibly blessed to be in montreat, north carolina (wow, this story is full of 'norths') as the 'back home group' leader for a group of six phenomenal youth from first presbyterian church in richmond, va. we left richmond, in traditional church-bus style, on the morning of saturday, july 25th.


(for the uninitiated, montreat is a pc(usa) retreat center in the mountains of western north carolina, surrounded by a very small town of the same name).

i traveled there, along with ginna and her mom, to chaperone and serve as devotion leader during the 2009 montreat youth conference, 'world on fire'. we experienced something i have never imagined seeing at a huge youth conference - the entire community of 1100+ high-school students, recent graduates, parents, youth leaders, church leaders, and montreat community members were both inspired and empowered to take action against...

...homelessness, global warming, shootings at the holocaust museum, war in afghanistan, california wildfires, essential drug shortages in africa, the coup in honduras, the mexican drug war, horse murders in miami, fl, unemployment, bombings and terror threats, assassinations, police shootings, identity theft, piracy, bernie madoff, corruption in elections, waterboarding, swine flu, racism, AIDS...

...the list could go on for pages.

we were challenged to think concretely about these 'fires' burning throughout the world, and work to extinguish them...at the same time, the keynote speakers and preacher charged the group with discovering the things that set us on fire for service.

an interesting, yet powerful, dual imagery.

most powerful for me, however, was the charge placed on us by the preacher, john fife. i have NEVER been so challenged by a human rights activist in my life.

he took the worship practice of confession and pardon and used it to remind us that we play a HUGE role in global warming, over-consumption, and social injustice. baptism reminded us to strip away the practices of the world we live in: imperialism, violence, bigotry. taking the bread and cup of Christ reminded us of the church as one: the blessed and the meek, the rich and the poor, the sate and the hungry. giving up our offering called us to commit to economic justice and push for equality. the last night, at the candlelight service, we were called to remove ourselves from our 'safe places,' become an 'uncomfortable church' once again, and serve.

all this coming from a man who, on our first night, said the word 'gospel' far too many times for a presbyterian minister, told ridiculous jokes at the beginning of every sermon, and promised to be 'mildly controversial,' which, in my experience with presbyterians, means he'll probably be talking about evangelism.

how wrong i was.

each night, after returning to the cottage for our back home group discussion/devotion time, we lit candles on the porch and talked about the day. we listed the high points and low points, described our experiences, talked about the fun people we met...but more importantly, this was a time of debriefing from the spiritual challenges set upon us, as well as translating them into personally relevant action. the night of the offering and the challenge to commit to social justice, we spoke of our own passions for service, or as montreat put it, "fire-extinguishing."

we watched the following video:


we all cited the things that really get us going: poverty, environmental injustice, fear, bigotry, disease, hunger, etc...also, terrorism. i'll admit, i was a little shocked to hear that during a conference about peacemaking, non-violence, and justice-building ministry, but it is indeed a worldwide problem...thus, a completely legitimate response. how then, do we respond to this threat of terrorism?

the response i heard throughout most of high school was very delicately and poetically crafted by one of america's greatest, most inspired songwriters, toby keith (please note the dripping sarcasm):

justice will be served
and the battle will rage
this big dog will fight
when you rattle his cage
and you’ll be sorry that you messed with
the u.s. of a.
`cause we`ll put a boot in your ass
it`s the american way
~toby keith, "courtesy of the red, white, and blue"

again, PLEASE note my sarcasm earlier. toby keith's lyrics completely undermine any pursuit of social justice, peace, or a bright future for the world. justice is in no way served by a battle raging, and the u.s. of a. should be sorry that they messed with so many to begin with...which is why there are so many boots aimed at the american ass right now. we seem to forget that we're the ones with tanks, excessive munitions, and a thirst for imperial expansion not seen since rome.

so what is the appropriate Christ-like response to terrorism? look at the response of the church in northern ireland to the latest incidences of sectarian riots and bombings: take in the victims, give them aid, and respond in equal love and welcoming to those who commit violence. stand up like shane claiborne when he journeyed to iraq, protesting in front of tanks that were about to flatten completely innocent towns, and forming relationships with those on both sides of the conflict. follow the path of dr. paul farmer, who, under pressure for the haitian government, was forced to leave his post in the incredibly poor and tuberculosis-stricken central plateau time and time again, and, rather subversively, returned to his post against government orders, time and time again.

all of these individuals have specific gifts, and are taking them directly to the fires burning throughout the world, working towards being as effective for the poor as possible.

frederick buechner said: "the kind of work God usually calls you to is the kind of work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that the world most needs to have done....the place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."

the way we translated this at montreat follows:

what do you love to do? what needs to be done? if you find a situation where the answer to both questions is the same...do that thing.

what are the limitations on these behaviors? look to the book of romans, chapter 12:

9 love must be sincere. hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 ne devoted to one another in love. honor one another above yourselves.
11 never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
12 be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
13 share with the Lord's people who are in need. practice hospitality.
14 bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
16 live in harmony with one another. do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. do not think you are superior.
17 do not repay anyone evil for evil. be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
18 if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
~romans 12:9-18, tniv

even more simply, look to galatians:

13 you, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. but do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
14 for the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "love your neighbor as yourself."
15 if you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
~galatians 5:13-15

meditate on these things throughout the weekend.

love and peace or else,
andy

reasons why

a lot of you have responded very positively upon hearing that i'm traveling to northern ireland for a year of volunteer service. however, i wouldn't blame you if you wondered exactly what help belfast needs. i certainly did.

this is certainly a part of it.

just as the u.s. is suffering through a market crash, so is northern ireland. what i see in that article from the belfast telegraph is that it's just getting worse...the job cuts are now coming in the public sector, too...and while many complain about the quality of service provided by northern irish public servants, they'll still be out of jobs, unable to provide for themselves, their families, and their futures.

that's where things like the east belfast mission step in. working to provide for the homes for the homeless, affordable clothing and furniture for the poor, work for the unemployed, and a community for folks to belong to.

so why am i going to belfast? as far as i know, i'm working with the youth program of the church, and the hosford house homeless shelter affiliated with the mission. to quote the mission's website:

"The local young people face enormous pressure from paramilitary groups and it is widely recognised by political and community organisations in the area that under-age drinking and drug misuse is also a significant problem, contributing in large part to crime and vandalism. Our vision is to offer these ‘at risk’ young people, especially teenagers who are struggling to find their way in life, the chance to be accepted for who they are and spend time in a safe place, while learning new skills that will bring about self-confidence and hope for the future."

any help i can provide with these programs will allow the leaders of the church to focus on bigger-picture goals...which is good for everyone.

love and peace or else,
andy

ps...for all of you that were fans of my long hair...it's gone :(.
pps...for all of you that are fans of hats...now i have a cool one...pictures forthcoming :).