I seem to have this habit of writing a lot here and getting a pretty good readership going then torpedoing the whole thing by not posting for a couple of months. So if you are one of the two people that I’m not related to who’s still reading; thanks.
Anyways, I’m back again at least for the next few months.
Every week (mostly) I spend a good deal of time preparing to present some aspect of the message from Mars Hill Church to the community group that I lead. After I complete the discussion I thought it might be personally profitable for me to write out what I came up with, incorporating anything pertinent from the group discussion. This is the material from March 8, 2010.
After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.
And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 5:27-32
This week we continue the study of the life of Jesus examining his interaction with the tax collector named Levi, and in his calling we find some great examples of what it means to practice good community. In this narrative from Luke we see three steps in the process (to borrow some phrases from Driscoll):
Personally, I find the order of the activities particularly interesting. Of course the command to follow Jesus precedes all, for that is where the motivation comes for all that will happen later. But one might expect that the next step will be the revelation of sin in the life of Levi, and the inevitable priod of conviction and repentance that lead to a changed life. Instead we see that after meeting Jesus at the tax booth Levi’s immediate reaction is to call together all his friends and fellow sinners so that they too may come to know Jesus. The life-analysis and study that leads to the revelation of sin, conviction, and ultimately repentance follows, rather than precedes, the starting of this new “community group.”
Instead of having to “get oneself right” in order to participate in relationships with others (both Christian and non-Christian), we see that good community helps “get ourselves right” for relationship with God through conviction of sin and accountability. Thus the importance of involvement in community is stressed as an immediate reaction of the newly-called disciple of Christ.
But what makes good community and, considering many of us are already practicing good community of one sort or another, what are the risks to good community once established? Let’s limit the discussion for the time being to that of Christian community since, after all, this is a blog about Christian community groups.
There are two primary dangers that I see to the practice of healthy community. The first is that the success of our community group would lead to pride that is not focused on Christ. This can either happen in a religious or worldly sense. The second is that in reaching out to sinners we would become so blind to sin that we ourselves fall into temptation.
We find an example of the first risk in Galatians 2:11-14. Here we see that Paul opposing Peter who has refused to eat with Gentile Christian.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, l live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
Galatians 2:11-14
In this case Peter had previously eating with the Gentiles exercising a freedom that he was granted in Christ to ignore the previously strict dietary guidelines that governed what Jews could and could not eat. But, upon the arrival of some Christians of Jewish heritage, Peter pulled back and excluded Gentile Christians from his fellowship. This rejection comes despite Peter’s previous affirmation of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles expressed in the preceding passage: Galatians 2:7-10. Here we see the risk of allowing pride in our community to color our interactions with others. For me, this risk takes the form of wanting to get everything in my life “just so.” I can sympathize with Peter who in his refusal to eat with the Gentiles was reacting to the deep-seated beliefs that have their origin in the strongly-stated Levitical laws regarding what was permissible to eat. Although the laws from the Old Testament regarding food had been made obsolete by the redemption of Christ, there was still an uneasiness that came with the new dietary freedom that undoubtedly created significant discomfort for Christian Jews, Peter in particular. Although selfish and wrong, his decision was at least based on a desire rooted in the commands of the Lord. I’m convicted when I consider how many times I avoid dealing with certain people or situations to avoid discomfort not because of a misunderstood command of the Lord, but purely based on my own selfish desire to have things the way that I want them to be.
Such an attitude is toxic to good community. This not only expresses great selfishness, but it puts us in a position where we are completely ineffective for the spread of the gospel. By ensuring that we allow our “boat to be rocked” in this regard we ensure that the following positive benefits will come out of our community groups:
The second danger to good community is found in 1 Corinthians 5 where we see the unwillingness of the Corinthian church to deal with the explicit sin found among Christian brothers:
It is actually reported that there is w sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 5:1-5
The second risk touches on the need for good community to help us realize our own sinfulness and urge us to repentance. If the first risk of community is being too judgmental, then this second risk is that of refusing to engage in accountability with our fellow Christians. This is important because we are all called to live above reproach, this is how the glory of God is demonstrated in the redeemed and changed lives of Christians. This means that, as good community members, we must be willing to put aside our comfort and have those difficult conversations and interactions in which sin can be exposed and put to death.
In concluding, it’s important to note here that the judgment in this case is not directed to those outside the community, or to non-Christians, but rather to those members of the group who profess to follow Christ and yet still live in sin. In the passage from Luke, and all thought the ministry of Jesus we see his desire to reach out to the “unclean” and help heal them of their sin them as a spiritual physician. So like him, we must be constantly reaching out to the world around us maintaining the delicate balance between internal moral consistency and external unconditional love.
Two days ago my family lost a four-legged friend. For nearly the past 11 years the Roe family dog was a Welsh Corgi named Ginger. This week we decided, based on several medical conditions she was suffering, to put her to sleep.
Those who know me know that I’m not really what you would call an “animal person.” But I’ll admit, Ginger grew on me. 11 years is a long time, and not just in dog-years, and as I considered that “Ginger-dog” will no longer be there to greet me when I visit my parents it seemed a bit like her passing is the close of the childhood chapter of life for both my sister and I.
Ginger was a great dog. I’ll always remember how we had to dig pathways in the snow in the backyard for Ginger because she was too short to get through it on her own. Or how whenever you went to get ice out of the freezer Ginger would bound into to kitchen to demand the ice-cube tax. And how, when you gave her that ice cube, she would spend 3 minutes chasing it around the kitchen because it was too slippery for her mouth.
So, goodbye Ginger, I hope wherever you are you have some warm sun to nap in and a good human to give you love!
Source: http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/charity-who-cares/
One of the more interesting things I’ve seen recently.
This Thanksgiving I traveled all the way from Seattle to Atlanta (again) to, among other things, attend the best college football rivalry game in the country; the Georgia Tech vs. U(sic)GA game. This year the game was the first and only GT game that I attended at Bobby Dodd stadium (readers will recall that I also saw the team play in person at Vanderbilt) and unless you have had your head under a rock for the past few days you probably also know that the game did not go well for us.
Now I don’t really know what qualifies a game as “rough” but here’s what made the game last Saturday rough for the GT faithful. First, we hate UGA. Good, clean hate mind you but hate none the less. Perhaps it’s because most of their fans didn’t even go to the school, and cheer for them because they win a lot and make an easy team to root for. Perhaps it’s because they usually beat us in football. Perhaps it’s because their football players and mascot tear up our field in front of our fans when they win. Whatever. We just don’t like them at all and losing to them only makes that worse. Second, we were actually good this year. Although I’ll admit that I thought the ranking in the top 10 was a bit optimistic, I really do think that we’ve done a good job this year. And in years past when the roles were reversed and U(sic)GA was on top we got trounced. Any of those years we would have loved to play the spoiler to U(sic)GA’s otherwise great season. Why then on the one rare occasion where the roles are reversed are we the ones who provide redemption for our rival’s otherwise mediocre season? Third, the game was so close. Although we were trailing pretty much the entire time, we were always within striking distance. And except for a brief period in the second quarter we had plenty of offensive momentum. This means that for pretty much the entire game we were all on the edge of our seats screaming our heads off hoping that we would take the lead. Right up to the very end. Let me tell you how much fun it was to wake up the next day, unable to speak in anything above a raspy whisper and remember: “oh yeah, we lost to Georgia last night, sweet.” And finally, on the topic of that period in the second quarter, it wouldn’t be a game against the dawgs without a little “coincidence.” How fortuitous that the first play immediately following our recovery of a U(sic)GA fumble for the go-ahead touchdown our star quarterback goes down with a twisted ankle…
Phew, now that’s out of my system.
The rest of the trip was great. I had a great time with friends and like every time I go back I left wondering why I moved so far away. Also, this might sound dumb, but this was the first trip where I realized that I’m really not in college anymore. For the game I was standing with my fraternity just like the old days, except that it wasn’t. Most of my close friends have graduated and in their places are all these new guys who I don’t know. Even those guys that I do know are getting ready to move on to grad school and other things. So the limited connection that I do have there will soon be gone. Even just being around the house or on campus was interesting. For the first time ever I felt more at home at the alumni tailgate then I did anywhere else.
But then, what are my alternatives? I don’t really feel old enough to move to the alumni sections for the games. I mean who really wants to sit through a football game? If I wanted to sit then I’d just stay home where I can camp out on the couch and drink beer that didn’t cost eight dollars a bottle. This might not have been all that bad of an idea given the outcome of the game… Anyways the trip was great and the times were good. So I can’t really complain all that much, even if I’m becoming one of the “old guys.” I’m just not there yet.
Note: This was written last Friday, when I was traveling to Nashville. But since I didn’t have internet then, and had better things to do when I got to Nashville, I haven’t gotten around to posting it until today. Therefore: “today” = “last Friday”.
Today has not been the best day. It started out very early (3:30 am) getting up to get ready for a very early flight out of Seattle. Or, I should say, what was supposed to be a very early flight out of Seattle but ended up being a somewhat early flight out of Seattle due to mechanical problems. This of course meant that my rather loose connection in Minneapolis ended up being a very tight connection, actually too tight as I hustled up to the gate for my Nashville flight right as the door was closing.
Now those of you who have gotten up at such an early hour know how tolerant you are of even the smallest of problems. Yeah, so my limited patience was not really all that thrilled to have to deal with the missed flight. Add to that a headache from lack of sleep and I was not feeling particularly plesant, but the day was not done. Thankfully I was booked on another flight in the mid afternoon. Never mind that this flight was leaving Minneapolis when I was supposed to be arriving in Nashville, at least I had a flight out, right?
Well sort of. As the weather got worse my mid-afternoon flight quickly became a late afternoon flight, and then an early evening flight. The bottom line is that I’ll now be landing in Nashville 4 hours later than I had planned. And I’m certainly not any less tired.
Now you might argue, 4 hours? That’s nothing! And that’s kind of the point. In the wide world of things that could have gone wrong this is a relative non-issue. And that got me thinking. It’s very tempting to rant about all the incompetence of Delta Airlines maintenance or gate agents or whatever, or make baseless claims like, “that’s the last time I ever fly such-and-such airline.” But honestly, I don’t really feel any better afterwards, and it’s not likely anyone’s fault that the plane had mechanical problems, and it’s definitely no one’s fault that the weather wouldn’t cooperate. But that doesn’t mean that it’s any less frustrating to me, particularly when I’m tired and have a headache and don’t want to spend my day off in a weird airport instead of with my friends I only get to see every so often.
One reason this situation was so frustrating was that I had virtually no control and no options. I felt trapped. And as I thought about it (there was plenty of time for sitting and thinking) I realized that I, like the Delta employees, work for a company where our users are in mostly the same position. Many of our products are given to the employees of large companies where there is no option for other solutions, and by virtue of our market dominance in many segments users are forced to use our products, for better or worse, in their personal and professional lives.
We catch a lot of flak at The Empire© about our products, and most all of it is filled with frustration-infused vitriol. The internet is the great equalizer, only there can a trained journalist have the same exposure as the Apple fanboi (or, as I recently heard: ifanboi) commenting on the particle. But prodding aside, many of the complaints I read about The Empire© are strikingly similar to my, and my co-travelers, complaints about the airline industry today. Here are some examples I’ve heard recently where you could easily exchange “Microsoft” for “any particular airline”: “Microsoft employees are rigid, greedy, automatons working for a dying company that can’t innovate and just steals ideas from Apple and Google” or: “I’ve had enough of M$ and I’m switching to Linux/Apple/whatever…” or my personal favorite: “Windows 7 is just re-branded Vista.”
Now I would hope that most rational people would realize that these statements aren’t true. Creating software on any scale is an incredibly complex process, and there’s bound to be compromises that are going to leave people wanting something more, even at Apple (see: iPhone). But none of that really matters to the end users when they are forced to use something that’s frustrating and when they really don’t have any other options. So, while I can’t promise that the products produced at The Empire© will always satisfy, or even placate, our end users I can promise to understand that behind every vicious comment is a user who’s likely tired, with a headache, who just feels trapped in a system that seems illogical and very frustrating. And I promise that I, along with many of my co-workers, will be committed to doing everything that we can to make the experience a little better. If anything, today has taught me a great deal about what it means to be completely pissed at a major corporation.
Phew, it’s been a long week. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get home from work before 8pm any day this week. Considering I leave the house around 6:30 am those are some brutal hours or, as they say at The Empire©, a good work/life balance. Of course I must take some responsibility for this. I had a fair number of errands to run last week, and so the time that I wasn’t working had to be made up somewhere.
Speaking of errands though, here are some words that you don’t want to hear from your mechanic: “what are your long-term plans regarding this car.” Yep, it looks like the long-awaited end-of-the-road is within view for my beloved Rodeo. The details are extensive, boring and really expensive so I’ll spare you. Let’s just say it’s time to start saving for a suitable replacement. I will admit that I kind of saw this coming though, a few months back the ol’ Rodeo started making a groaning noise whenever the clutch was out, and I thought to myself: “that sounds expensive.” Well now I know to myself that: “yes, that sound is really expensive.”
Here’s the thing, I really don’t have to do anything for a while. According to the mechanic the car will likely be good for another 5-10 years, which is why he asked what my “long term” plans were and not what the “rest of the afternoon looked like.” So I really don’t have to do anything immediately, but there is a catch. The noise, which is already perceptibly louder than it was a few months ago, will only get louder the longer I wait. Or as my boss says: “your car is now like a girlfriend, it will keep whining louder and louder until you spend a lot of money on it.”
However, while we’re on the topic of girlfriends, I’d imagine that the transmission noise will preclude any (undoubtedly expensive) relationships from even starting. One earful of my ride will ensure that I remain frugally single for the foreseeable future. This way I’ll never forget why I’m saving up all this money for a new car… awesome! Seriously though, now that I think about it this might work out pretty well. If the noise gets bad enough I might not have to drive anywhere saving valuable dollars on fuel. I can see it now:
Me: So, friend, do you want to go see a movie tonight.
Friend: Sure, that’d be awesome. You have suck kick-ass ideas Matt.
Me: I know, but really we should go. So I’ll drive?
Friend: Um, yeah. I’d really rather not have my neighbors hear you come pick me up, so I’d better drive instead…
Me: Sweet!
Wow, with all these positives its easy forget the fact that my car will soon be making an ear-splitting racket wherever it goes. Er, wait… no, it’s not.
At Microsoft’s newest datacenter in Chicago you’ll see evidence of a new trend in datacenter design and deployment. While the upper floors are more traditional computer-filled rooms the ground floor consists largely of parking spaces for these:
It’s a new concept detailed more completely elsewhere, but the gist of it is that you use self-contained multi-modal containers packed with servers as modular units that can be moved and configured to meet changing demands. There’s also a pretty strong case for disaster recovery and deployment in developing countries as well.
Here’s a video detailing the concept:
Microsoft Generation 4 Data Centers
And another video detailing the actual implementation in Chicago:
Microsoft Chicago Data Center Container Bay
Why I Like It:
One of the great benefits of living in the south is that nearly every house has a front porch. And, even better, many of those porches have swings. The relatively moderate weather in the southeast makes a porch swing something that can be enjoyed nearly year round. A blanket will keep you warm in the winter, and the swinging motion will create a refreshing breeze on even the hottest summer day. The swing on the porch in front of Theta Xi is a great place to sit and sip on a cold drink while watching the world go by.
What Happened There:
I’ve spent countless hours studying, thinking, or just talking with friends on the front porch swing. It also makes for a phenomenal place to end a date. I’m hesitant to mention it, but the swing is one of the main reasons I joined Theta Xi in the first place. My favorite times on the swing by far happened in the early morning when I would take Swat (our house dog) out front to frolic in the yard while I had some quiet Bible study.
Why I Like It:
While it’s not much to look at, and certainly nothing compared with the mountains in Colorado, Stone Mountain will always have a special place in my heart. It’s only a short hike to the top, but since it’s the highest point for many miles you can see forever (the picture above does not do it justice). There’s a cool breeze at the top as a reward for the sweaty hike up.
What Happened There:
I’ve had lunch, played frisbee, and enjoyed the sunset all atop Stone Mountain. The park surrounding the rock is itself something to behold as well, a beautiful oasis of nature in the middle of the Atlanta metro area. When I was younger I used to spend mornings at the park on the weekends making a few extra dollars cleaning up the lawn where they put on the laser show. The only thing I regret missing is the Easter morning sunrise service at the summit.
Mellow Mushroom Patio
Sadly I don’t have a picture from here.
Why I Like It:
Mellow Mushroom is home to some of the best pizza in Atlanta, just shy of Everybody’s. But the patio is what puts Mellow Mushroom over the top. The Mellow Mushroom on Peachtree Street just north of I-85 has a great outdoor eating area shaded by leafy trees and lit by strings of outdoor lights. It’s close enough to Peachtree that you can watch the world go by, but not so close that you are overly distracted by it.
What Happened There:
During the summer of 2007 my fraternity little brother Devin and I were both working in Atlanta and started a tradition of eating at Mellow Mushroom every Monday evening. We called the event Mellow Mushroom Monday or MMM for short. As in, mmm… that’s good pizza! We would head there in the late afternoon after work and hang out watching the sun set and the world go by while we enjoyed a large House Special pizza. During that summer we got to chat about life, work, cars and sometimes girls. It was a great time. Sadly after that summer I only made it back to Mellow Mushroom a few times but, when I did, I was reminded of all those MMM’s Devin and I shared.
Why I Like It:
Where to begin… I started attending Buckhead when I was a freshman at Tech and have made so many good memories and friends there since. As I have grown and changed in the intervening years, so has the church. We’ve moved from a small retrofit grocery store on Roswell road to a brand new facility at Tower Place. Pictured above is my favorite place in the new church building, the KidStuf Volunteer lounge. Although the rest of the building is often bustling and busy all Sunday, this room is usually quiet and a good place to get away for a moment of quiet reflection. Plus it has a fantastic view of Buckhead.
What Happened There:
Mission trips, worship, learning, service, friendship… there are too many memories here for me to put them all down. I’ve served in the family ministry (KidStuf) and in the main service on the production team, and in doing so I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with some great people. I’ve attended the College Ministry where I got to know some of my best friends and certainly ate my fair share of free food. I’ve been challenged by the weekly messages and teaching in the main service. But perhaps the most personally meaningful happening for me was the weekly meeting of my small group, a group of guys with whom I grew quite close to after two years of challenge and accountability as we “did life” together.
Why I Like It:
Jason’s Deli has to be one of my favorite restaurants of all time. Seriously where else can you get so much good, healthy food for so cheap? Between the sandwiches, pasta, and my favorites the chili and baked potato I never ran out of tasty options there. Not to mention the salad bar. Now that alone would put all Jason’s Delis on the list, but what sets the Jason’s in midtown Atlanta apart is it’s unbelievably awesome second floor patio. With views of the skyline that are fantastic day or night and a busy, interesting street below eating there was always an enjoyable experience. Add the free soft-serve ice cream afterward and there is literally no way you cannot like this place.
What Happened There:
While I ate hunger into submission there too many times for me to count, there are several Jason’s experiences that are particularly memorable. I loved going there after church on Sunday with friends as a prelude to an afternoon of hanging out at Piedmont Park only a couple blocks away. In 2009 I spent my entire spring break in my room hammering out the bulk of my thesis. Jason’s was a great place for me to get away from it all for an hour or so and enjoy some good food and fresh air. Other times I would take a good book and read for a few hours while enjoying unlimited iced tea. I was a big fan of reading C.S. Lewis there (I even called the meals “C.S. Lewis dates”), so much so that now whenever I read Lewis I get a strange craving for baked potato and salad. But perhaps my favorite times at Jason’s were actually had at the Tower Place location where the guys from my small group were repeatedly forced by me to go gladly and enthusastically went after our Monday night meetings. I think there’s something special about bonding with great friends over good food, and those times certainly qualified. They will certainly be missed.
Why I Like It:
I discovered what became known as “the thinking spot” when a fraternity brother took a few of us there one afternoon. With the possible exception of the roof of the Civil Engineering building, this spot has the best view of Atlanta I’ve ever seen. And unlike the CE building no keys are required to get in. Any time of the year you could go here at night for a spectacular view of downtown and midtown Atlanta. The spot was relatively secluded, which made it great for just sitting and thinking or praying. Many of my friends upon introduction to the place promptly christened it the “make-out spot” and although I agree that it would be fantastic for that purpose, I wouldn’t know 
So the place will, for now, remain for me: the thinking spot.
What Happened There:
Since discovering the spot almost every major decision I’ve made has spent some time there. The thinking spot has seen the beginning of a lot of relationships, and even the end of some. I’ve been there alone for quiet reflection and prayer, or personal celebration. It was here I decided that I didn’t want to pursue a career in Civil Engineering, and here also that I went many subsequent times to ask God for new direction and revelation. After many frustrating days, I’ve found my sanity here. And after many great joys I’ve thanked God for his blessings here. But my favorite times were when I got to share this wonderful place with friends. Often times a group of us would grab dinner or a couple of beers (or both) and sit and talk for hours enjoying the sights and some good music.
I stop short of saying this is my most favorite place in Atlanta, only because there are so many good things about all the places I’ve been, and even more about the places that I’ve forgotten. But the thinking spot is definitely the place with the strongest emotional ties, and so it seems fitting that it’s the final place on my list. Atlanta was a great home for 6 years and although I miss it, hopefully before long I‘ll be writing all about my favorite places in Seattle.
