Short memories

So I went to the Civil rights museum. I dont have much to say other than it wasnt so long ago. I wonder how many people really know what I think.  At the end of these videos ive attached King’s response to Bham clergy that asked him to calm down.  Thank you for heros. 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYqsJizN4gI&hl=en&fs=1]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0FiCxZKuv8&hl=en&fs=1]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAoyrMjH0bU&hl=en&fs=1]

I also have attached some of his response to clergy in Birmingham that wrote him while he was in jail.

Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Segregation, to use the terminology of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, substitutes an “I it” relationship for an “I thou” relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful. Paul Tillich has said that sin is separation. Is not segregation an existential expression of man’s tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Thus it is that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong.

I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

I have heard numerous southern religious leaders admonish their worshipers to comply with a desegregation decision because it is the law, but I have longed to hear white ministers declare: “Follow this decree because integration is morally right and because the Negro is your brother.” In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churchmen stand on the sideline and mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard many ministers say: “Those are social issues, with which the gospel has no real concern.” And I have watched many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which makes a strange, un-Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular.

There was a time when the church was very powerful–in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being “disturbers of the peace” and “outside agitators.”‘ But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were “a colony of heaven,” called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be “astronomically intimidated.” By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests. Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church’s silent–and often even vocal–sanction of things as they are.

I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil-rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.

Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Published in:
King, Martin Luther Jr.

Comment from www.tennessean.com

It’s not just the economy that has affected this firm. I have many friends who have worked for BSSB/LifeWay over the years. A decision was taken in the early 1990′s to walk away from its distinctive Baptist identity (the renaming from Baptist Sunday School Board to LifeWay), and identify itself as a generic provider of product to the evangelical marketplace. It abandoned its core loyal following in the attempt to to chase after a market it did not know, and which did not know it after it attempted to change its identity. This approach proved unsuccessful, to state it mildly.

Several reorganizations followed, consolidations and downsizings, as it attempted to recover from this blunder. Amongst the executives fired was the guy who susequently oversaw the marketing of one of the best selling books of the past twenty years, in any market. He had attempted to place the book at Lifeway, and they would have none of it.

Economies go through cycles, and we’re definitely heading through the down cycle just now. But this firm’s woes run much deeper.

Let’s wish them well, and hope they get their legs back under them.
8/2/2008 8:57:20 PM

Problem

Ok so I had planned to go to Santa Fe. Here is the problem sometimes when you come up with something spontaneous you dont check dates. Anyway one of the biggest weekends of the year in Santa Fe is the “Indian market”  I blew it. Oh and they canceled my rafting trip.  Thanks travel insurance. So what does that mean.  Well since my hope was to get away going to a town that swells to 100,000 people plus exhibits doesnt really appeal to me.  Question to anyone out there. How would you like a house guest for 3 nights.  Aug 21-24. I’ll stay out of your way.  I need an unfamiliar place.  Let me know.  Its very sad. My cry for help.

Off I go

So I head off again to South Africa. I’m really looking forward to it.  May be the last time that I can do this. I think I may need to go back to the old vacation travel. Anyway Ive taken considerately less stuff and will leave  a lot of it there. Ive been trying to get down what a weeks worth of stuff looks like. This is a pretty short trip I think.   We’ll see how that works out.  The last two weeks have been a blur of impromptu meetings and birthday celebrations (oh by the way my b-day is on the 11. Ive celebrated in South Africa the last three years. I usually am at camp but I guess that has changed.  I also am trying to bring just one pair of shoes. Yup one pair. I do have some flip flops. I usually bring two but this time im giving my self a challenge.  I think I will mostly be documented this trip..Ive asked about who is going and do I need to round up folks etc etc.  I dont even know who has my medical forms. So we’ll see how that goes. Lets just hope no one asks me any questions other than do I need to hold on to this form.  Im not flying delta  so no miles for me. Dont know if i’ll keep my status which I only like for the free upgrades. I may make a small trip just to keep that up. Oh I think im going to go to Jamaica for a couple days to see mom then may go back to see my dad. Ah divorce is so nice.  So im off.

The Fish Company Newsletter

Ok folks out there. I’ve got a little issue. I have no idea how many people find their way to this blog that would cause any 4th grade english teacher to jump off the nearest cliff but I’m in need of your help. I have decided to take an unconventional route in writing a news letter for Student Life. For some of you who don’t know that’s who I work for. Anyway put that out of your head and forget about that. Anyway our department was asked to take on News letters for lets use a code name “The Fish Company.” So as you will read in the brief description below I’m taking the fish company’s newsletter more towards a sort of online magazine. This could pretty much bomb but hey life is filled with risk right? Well here I am. {Oh dont worry there is a copy editor.} Anyway. I’m looking for people from the blogesphere who should have their musing and insights brought to light. I have already asked for and commissioned some of you for help. Aaron Ivey, Steven Bush, Dustin Beasley, Taylor Robinson. I am at the moment working on my article called “Im thirty and haven’t changed the world…yet” Let me know if you would like to be part of this endeavor. Lets help each other as we navigate not being quite dead yet. “Figure that out” I want us to be heard and I want to give you a voice. So let’s talk. Feel free to pass this on. I’m looking for some ladies.

The Fish Company Newsletter

Why a newsletter?

A couple of weeks ago I was approached to take on the task of revitalizing the newsletters for The Fish Company. These newsletters will go out to Youth Ministers and adults who are involved with The Fish Company in some way. The first question I asked was what’s the age group of our audience? I knew the groups we were sending the newsletters to, but I needed to know the age of the typical reader. They then asked me what age group I would like to target.

I thought about it a bit and answered, “Mine.”

What does that mean you ask? It means this: I can pretty much write—and direct others to write—for people 20-35 years old. Any older than that and I start to get out of my area of expertise. They agreed, so here we are.

So why this newsletter? Simple. The Fish company would like to communicate with the leaders they serve. I believe there is an age group of ministers, both male and female, that have many of the same struggles and joys that we here at The Fish Company have. But, honestly, we don’t talk about this enough with each other. I believe that ministers my age are looking to connect more and more with each other and with the world around them. My hope for this newsletter is not just to show you the new things going on at The Fish Company, but for it to be a place where you can be challenged and educated about the world around you.

What’s in it?

I want this to be more than a newsletter. Whereas normal newsletters let you know the happenings of an organization, this newsletter will show the heart of an organization. Many of the articles you’ll read will either be written by people at The Fish Company, or people I have met in the blog world. My hope is that as this continues to grow we can solicit people outside of my circle. The first few issues will rely heavily on story ideas from the Fish Company staff. As the newsletter evolves, the goal is for readers to contribute to stories, expressing their collective desire to communicate with this generation of youth workers.

I want this newsletter to be informative and entertaining without being too heavy. My thought is that a person should be able to read every article in one sitting. That’s why the length of the articles will only range from 400-600 words. But the newsletter won’t just be writing. Here is what we are planning in terms of structure.

There are four distinct sections that we will always have in each issue.

Media— The media section will cover all things media, from how to use it correctly to what it accomplishes. During our events we get a lot of ministers that ask how we did a certain video or set, and what type of equipment to they need to do it. In the media section we will give users a little peek under the hood, and also give a little advice how to meaningfully use media.

World— We believe the world is our community. We can no longer only consider things that happen in the US as the end of the story. In the world section we want ministers outside of the country to have a place to be heard. We want the newsletter to be a place where we highlight the work they are doing. We want to encourage ministers to guide their students towards lives of servanthood. The world section will be used to expand minters’ and students’ worldviews.

Message— The message section is in tended to be the voice of the twenty-to-thirtysomething youth worker. After all, we are part of a unique place in history. We grew up watching technology make incredible strides. We watched as computers became integrated into our daily lives. We saw the start of the worship movement. And in our professional lives, we are transitioning from being managed to being mangers. In the message section our hope is to deal with issues that effect our students . . . and us.

Truth— It seems over the past few years there has been a resurgence of the Bible not just being what we open to teach our students, but a book central to our daily lives. During the truth section, we will always come back to what the Bible says about a particular issue. I believe we sometimes forget how truly practical the Bible is. We assume that “teaching and rebuking” is only meant for our students. In the truth section we will tackle big issues and work through them together.

Marketing— The name says it all, right?

Waste of Time— The waste of time section is just that. From Youtube clips, to podcasts, to interesting websites, to flash video games . . . you’ll find it here. Listen, we know you are busy. Everyone needs a few moments of down time to unwind. You’ll find plenty of options for doing just that in the waste of time section.

Extra— The extra section will be a sort of bonus section for us. We want to keep you in the loop of the cool books we’re reading, blogs that have affected us, music we are listening to, and so on.

So there it is.

Oprah big give

8:00 She intros saying what if we gave you some money

Lets see if they get some bucks to give away.

Oks so this time they get 4800 bucks to give away. This is pretty good challenge the boys are teaming up the girls are independent. Miss America is asking the Librarian what she would do.

Miss America is doing the single mom route pay off school.

Black American dude is working with the military guy. slomo shots of the kids.

Wheel chair girls just asked a guy on the street.

You know there was a show that did something like this. Well it wasnt a show until someone saw them and turned it into that. I’ll see if I can find it.

Boys are at a childrens home.

I found it it was called Random 1 one of their rules was they won’t just give you money.

8:15 Wheel chair lady (this may be rude I’ll get her name soon) is helping out a family whose child is handicapped.

I do have a samll story about a guy I met this weekend. His name was Lou. Lou was a little different. He was looking for the actors and I couldnt find them so I talked with him for a bit. Once I got over my own issues we talked for a bit. He said he was a clown and a juggler. And yes he was a juggler. Because he talked a little different and looked a different i automatically talked real slow and got uncomfortable. Why is that. I got to get over crap like that. So that was Lou. good kid. not like the rotten little kid I caught stealing from the store. then lied about it. Ugh.

8:30 Ok the english I think black guy is giving out 400 bucks at a time at the hospital neo unit. Pretty creative huh. Just hand out cash.

Miss america gave up and is just getting stuff from Target. Plug Plug. and is going to give it to the homeless.

OMG. I just saw an ad for a show what wold you do. I will be watching that show.

8:45 Ok the wheel chair lady is a TV producer.

Country girl got on a radio station. She Did a great job. Helping out an auction. The groups that are doing the best is the ones that use the money to help them give more and not just handing out cash.

Oh and the surprise they had was that they need to give away the car

Ok we are in the wrap up the music is playing and let the tears ensue

The black woman gave a spa day to women infected with Aids. Platt said it right it will not have the last word. The wheel chair lady helped her family communicate with their daughter and sister. I think I know who is going home. handing out cash…lame

The dudes working on the denver children’s home. that’s a big deal. they raised in two days 248,000 dollars. that’s huge. That is a big give. Go big or go home.

The dude giving cash to the Military guy. Lame it was even less than how much oprah gave him.

One of the black guys are going home.

well well the military guy got kicked off for giving the car to the manager.

This was not a bad episode. Keep it coming oprah.  here is what I liked. They had to find someone. Someone at random. I think I hope what it shows is that need is usually just a couple blocks away.  What ever you think of oprah anything that we can do to shine a light on pockets of hope will change lives.  It seems so daunting.  I’ll see you next week.

Sitting

So I’m in the worshiping  waiting for Jeremy Riddle’s band to get here or I guess not waiting because i ont really do anything with them so I’m really just sitting here.   I wrote what I think was an interesting email to my boss just kinda outlining some hopes for the upcoming years.  I’m moving on 12 or 13 years now. I continue to hope that I am an asset and not a hindrance to the place i work. I guess they will tell me when I am.  I’ll get a  pick slip or maybe a  hardy pack on the back.

Watching Jason walk around the stage move lights.  Lonnie is touching up spots on the stage. Nick is playing video through the system. Matt is sliding faders up and down. Andy will start playing  videos on the back wall. Ross is moving cymbals an drums around. Jared is well doing what ever he dose now, Shorty is digging in and out of a tool box complaining about the weight. Ben is playing aroudn with something on a computer cant really see what he’s doing.   Me, I’m just sitting here about to start a devo that student life oh sorry life bible study did.

My hope

So I was thinking about this on the way to best buy to pick up some toys. I bought some speakers and such.. but that is not the reason of my hope. So here is what I was thinking about.   I dont want a typical family.  I want forgive the term a multicultural family. But let me not get ahead of myself. I was talking to friend of mine whitney and we kinda fell into a discussion about taking risk. Well not really a discussion because we were ichatting  anyway that’s what got me thinking.  So I decided to write it down. I guess I could write some vague face book message like  “working it out” or “hoping it happens soon” or “Maybe she’ll look at me” and put it out there only looking for someone to ask me “so what was that about”  Taylor another friend of mine thinks I did that in an earlier post.  Sorry to tell you Taylor I saw something in Relevant magazine and wanted to see if it would work so I played around with it a bit. I wrote about some highschool stuff ok Im getting way off course here.  Family.  I say find who you love and open up your pool a bit.  it seems to me to be a waste to define your parameters in first deciding if they look like you.  I was going to talk about a personal experience but I need to ask permission before doing that.  Not being vague being nice which I have been accused of not being.  (side note just started watching a short called West Bank story will tell you about that later)  Any way I want a house filled with culture.  Life seems so short

You know funny that I say this and the point to this short is just like west side story only its the west bank. An Israeli soldier falls in love with a waitress at a kabob house.  You laugh so much you have to cry.  But that’s another story.  She gave gave him humus and he thought they sad Hamas the comedy insues. The Kosher King shop is encroaching in on the Kabob house the kosher machine is now on the other side of the fence.

So now that I have side tracked myself numerous times I should start to conclude. My I should have married Angelina Jolie.  Whatever you think of her I like the idea of what her family looks like.  Ok so yeah. Oh yeah and thats why I like Love Actually great pictures of love.

If you saw me today it looked like I was having a crappy day. not really crappy I’m kinda living in a fog right now.  Camp is underway and I’m a little out of it. I almost picked a fight with one of my bosses. Stupid move.  Tour for next year is underway and I need to see how I will fit in there and im off in the  morning to Atlanta.  Here is a secret and dont tell anyone I would do it all over again. I’ll get it together tomorrow.

Oh and Im trying a new thing well its not new.  no reading over posts.