New Beats, Ageless Rhythmns

"The Justice Project" Book Discussion

revdavidneuen — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:05:00 +0000

During the month of November, the High Street Church Mission Team will be focusing on the topic of justice. Not only will the team be highlighting ministries of justice that the church supports financially, but we will also offering opportunities for learning and discussion around the topic of justice and how each of us can become agents for change by living for God’s kingdom intentions.

Beginning November 18^th, I will be offering a book discussion group at the church centered on the topic of church doing justice. We will be using the 2009 title, “The Justice Project” edited by Brian McLaren, Elisa, Padilla, and Ashley Buntin Seeber as our discussion centerpiece. “The Justice Project” is a collection of essays on the meaning of Christian justice and what justice looks like for a range of national and global concerns. I am excited to read, discuss, and be challenged by this book with others from the congregation.

You can have you voice heard and your questions raised by joining us in the discussion. Simply visit the High Street Church Outreach Discussion Board to make your own comments and to share your ideas. Even if you are not able to read the book with us, we would love to hear your perspectives on the church doing justice for today’s world.

How to Worship

revdavidneuen — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:22:00 +0000

I was wondering how to inspire folks to have a deeper and richer experience in worship. Perhaps this video will do the trick.

or maybe not !

A Colorful Canyon beyond a Darkened Lens

revdavidneuen — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:50:00 +0000

During our recent hiking trip to Cloudland Canyon state park, I attempted to capture some images of the fall leaves. As I raised my camera to capture the awesome beauty, I had to maneuver between and around branches and leaves that pushed against my jacket and reached to block my view. I could never quite clear the view of these dark branches and so inside the picture they remained.

It occurred to me that this picture aptly portrays my life in faith and thanksgiving. This past Sunday I shared my thoughts on Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian church about giving thanks in all things. Sometimes it is difficult to be thankful when our perspective of the world is darkened by the grizzly features of death and decay, of hardship and hopelessness. We each suffer plenty of challenges and we constantly encounter the reality of pain and frustration. The dark stuff is too close to ignore and to plentiful to erase completely. We want Jesus to clear out our darkened lens.

Beyond the obstructions of sin and injustice, is a life of creative color and majestic beauty. In Jesus Christ, God has already entered our world saved the day. We can discover signs of his redeeming acts already present in his world if we focus our eyes beyond that which is closest and clearest, darkest and dreariest. Even in our moments now, there are powerful reflections of God’s miraculous creative design, Christ’s redemptive grace, and the Spirit’s sustaining power.

We can see both the beauty and the blah and that is by God’s design. We can never ignore areas that need transformation and healing just as we are should never miss out in beholding God’s spectacular and endless entrance into our midst. So let’s not be afraid to open our eyes and see the colorful canyon that is beyond the darkened lens.

Fall Colors and our Lives

revdavidneuen — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:42:00 +0000

Last week, Addison, Cindy, and I enjoyed a weekend in the North Georgia mountains hiking and soaking in the fantastic and vibrant fall colors. We spent two nights at Cloudland Canyon State Park which boasts a beautiful gorge lined with trees that were changing with the seasons. We took a Saturday stroll down into the george, nearly 1200 steps until we reached the small yet ferocious creek that had carved out the canyon walls. the hike was incredible, the waterfalls within were spectacular and the overall experience was life giving. But the view of the changing leaves was nothing to impressive. Deep within the forest all you could see were dead leaves on the path and green leaves still perched to their limbs. It was from the top of the canyon, way above the forest floor, that we could witness the changing colors and the variety of beautiful shades and hues.

Sometimes when we take a look at our lives up close we don’t witness anything spectacular. Maybe we see the same shade of green found on every other tree. Maybe we see spots that are just dried up and when want those habits and those pieces of us to just fall off and blow away in the wind. But when God sees us, he see the image of us that spans a lifetime, created for a divine purpose, born to reflect God’s holy image to the world. We too are always changing, always growing and always moving, displaying a radiant image of color that can only be seen if we open our eyes to the bigger picture and dim our eyes to those up-close faults that grab our attention.

What a miraculous God who can look upon us and his beloved creation and see a incredible portrait of color and life. What a transforming and powerful God, who can move us to see ourselves, our family, our community in this light.

Stitching up the Enemy: Thoughts and Remarks

revdavidneuen — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:53:00 +0000

I often visit World Press to check out global news headlines and stories. The site recently featured the article “Stitching up the Enemy, ” a piece about Dr. Ben Lulu an Israeli doctor who regularly treats Palestinian patients.

Here is a segment of that article:

“Once I had to operate on a terrorist who attempted a suicide attack on a regiment of Israeli soldiers. One of the soldiers wounded in this attack was a friend of mine. A technical mishap resulted in this terrorist getting wounded and not killed. When he arrived at the hospital I already knew about my friend being wounded but still I worked hard to save his fingers.

When Palestinian prisoners or wounded terrorists arrive at the hospital for medical care they are well behaved, since even they know when ‘the game is over,’” explains Dr. Lulu. “Even though these people are fierce enemies of my country, I have never had second thoughts about treating them. I would probably even do my best to ensure they get the best medical care, as for some this would be their first encounter with an Israeli civilian. In my heart I hope that receiving such good care in an Israeli hospital will reduce the hatred they feel towards us. Giving these terrorists the best medical care is also some kind of protest on my part. In spite of their relentless efforts to hurt us we still have the decency to treat them humanely,” he said. (Click here to read the article in it’s entirety.)

Wherever you look, you find signs of heated antagonism between groups that disagree with one another. Whether this is between political parties and the healthcare debate, or nations and foreign policy, discussion appears to have no room for open concern for the other. We we may not retaliate against those we disagree with but we often close ourselves off to interacting with them. When it comes to cultural, political, or religious differences we can convince ourselves that a lack of hostility is actually peace making. I wonder how I tend to close myself from those I disagree with?

What I admire about Dr. Lulu is that he extends himself in ministry to those who are considered the enemy. He displays not just an absence of heat but an outreach of compassion. He vows to give his very best in care for the opposition. In moments of conflict and disagreement, how can we give ourselves fully to care for the wounds of our adversary? Perhaps the question for you is, “Should we?”

Monday Morning Devotion (That arrived on Tuesday)

revdavidneuen — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Sunday in worship, I spoke on the powerful prayer and words of assurance found in Ephesians 3. Within this prayer we witness the author’s profound faith as he boldly lifts up the listeners with grand expectations. He calls us to remember that God can “do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine!”

What is the widest longest, highest, deepest thing you can think of or imagine? In 2004, I took a trip to the Grand Canyon and was overwhelmed by the immense size of this natural miracle. My wife and I also hiked to the bottom of the canyon which gave us a real appreciation of its towering heights and sweltering depths. It is hard to imagine anything larger, more remarkable, more overwhelming and enormous.

Well, God’s love for us is bigger!

God’s acceptance of us and reach for us is far beyond our ability to comprehend or our mind to imagine. But this scripture passage prays that our lives may be filled with the fullness of this love and that we will begin to comprehend with greater awareness the transforming impact of this love. May the limitless power of God’s Spirit touch you in an special way today

Never Easy as It Seems

revdavidneuen — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:21:00 +0000

During the second week of August our family took a vacation to Lancaster county Pennsylvania. While we were there, we had the privilege to see a musical production of the creation story at the Sight and Sound Theatre. This theatre is the producer of some of the most impressive and large scale biblical musicals in the world. The special effects were outstanding with the use of huge sets and unbelievable lighting and technology. The entire Garden of Eden surrounded the audience and live animals walked through the aisles and gathered around Adam in a naming celebration. Visually, the show was extraordinary.

There were a few interpretative moves in the story telling that left me pondering. I’ve never quite imagined Adam naming the Brontosaurus, nor his family using a Wooly Mammoth to gather field grains. Plus I’ve really been willing to follow theologically this story of disgruntled angels, one in particular who becomes Satan, who want to plot against Adam because they are not getting enough attention or power from God. However, one continuous thread of the narrative did gain my attention and still has me thinking.

After the fall, Adam and Eve were wandering, trying to find a new place to call home, a place to begin a settled life. Eventually they start a family and the family grows exponentially. In their family life together, Adam and Eve attempt to teach their children about the garden, the peace and harmony of life, about God’s intimacy and abiding presence. But again and again many within their family, those only separated from the garden by only one or two generations, are not willing to believe because they can not see or experience God in the way Adam and Eve describe. Their hardships and the tempting alternatives make God appear unbelievable and unnecessary.

Sometimes I lapse into this understanding that God was so much more easily discernible or understandable during the era of Old Testament history. I have fooled myself into believing that that faith came so much easier, that teaching your children or community the shared faith was an effortless task. God was simply more visible and more evident. But this show illuminated that even these ancestors of the faith struggled with same struggles we have today. “Where is God in the midst of difficult times? If God is so close why do we feel so alone? How do I get through to my family and neighbors and tell them about the impact that God has had on my life?” The struggles to pass on the faith, the willingness to remain faithful and obedient to God when so many others were turning away; Adam and Eve are really quite similar to most of us in the audience, minus the fig leave costumes of course.

For me, its always easier to struggle with the questions of faith knowing that those in Scripture, even those most intimate with God, are right there struggling with me.

Learning to Drive

revdavidneuen — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:33:00 +0000

This article appeared in the July 22, 2009 edition of High Street “Tower Topics.” I really wanted to share some images that bring the article to life.

It may not be a quick moving vehicle, but there is no mistaking the lime green Arctic Cat as it
cruises down University Avenue with power and authority. The three-year-old driver weaves the two seat jeep from curb to curb and can even hop through a front yard or two if he is in the mood. Of course there is the occasional pit stop in the middle of the ride to explore the neighborhood or to draw with chalk on the road just travelled. Addison loves his ride-on toy and we equally enjoy the walks down the street as he drives forward. I use the word “drive” very liberally here. Addison loves to push the pedal to the floor and make that car roar forward. But, he hasn’t really figured out the idea of steering yet. In fact, there are moments when he is looking and pointing around without a worry about keeping his hands on the wheel. Of course, this is the moment Mom or Dad bends low to steer the little guy and his jeep back on course. For now, it is up to us to keep him out of the puddles, ditches, and the neighbors flower beds. It also takes a couple yells of “STOP!” at the end of the street to get his mind back on the road as the jeep screeches to a halt. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to keep that vehicle going straight as Addison bumps the wheel or turns it just slightly causing the jeep to drift off the path until his parents can return it on its way.

I can’t help but wonder if God sometimes feels like the driver of millions of little three-year-olds
who can’t quite steer the toys they are riding. So often we push our lives forward, pedal to the
floor, moving more quickly than we need to go. In those moments our eyes can leave the point of focus, which is the mind and heart of Christ, and instead we start watching the world around us. Our hands are grabbing for selfish desires and our minds lose track of where we are heading. Before we know it, we are off course and we are crashing into more than the neighbor’s lilies. Now we are riding the corrupted road and we are unwilling and incapable of maneuvering back on course. But, there is someone who gives us guidance, whose Holy Spirit continues to move us in the way that will take us forward. While we may choose to veer off course again, he is the one who attempts to correct our steering. God in Jesus Christ nudges us through his Word, through his church, and through his people, to find our way again, his Way which is the truth and the life of the kingdom. With our hands again on the wheel and God’s Spirit driving our heart, we experience the fullness of Christ as we steer together towards the dreams and identity God has set for us.

So, if you are coming through our neighborhood, watch out for weaving traffic. Keep your eyes open for an underage jeep driver and for all kinds of God’s people finding the direction of God’s leading.

How I Discovered the Poverty of my Heart and Mind

revdavidneuen — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:59:00 +0000

On Saturday July 11th, I attended a poverty simulation led by Team Work for Quality Living and hosted at High Street church. I was excited about the event and eager to discover what I would learn. I knew that each participant was assigned a role-play part of a family member in poverty. While playing your part and using the resources you had been given, you had to try to survive for one month. I was looking forward to seeing what it was like to interact with various agencies to ask for aid and to see how difficult it might be to apply for food stamps or divide the paycheck to cover the bills. Silently in my mind I had this challenge to try and beat the system and prove that I could make it.

The event arrived and I was assigned a part. (I will use apostrophes to describe the imaginary characters and settings.) I was a “middle aged woman” living with my “daughter” and her family and struggling with health problems that would not allow me to work, take care of myself, or travel alone. As the simulation got underway, I realized that I was stuck at “home,” unable to get out and interact with the community agencies because of my illness and because our family lacked any transportation. For one whole “week” (15 minute session) I just sat at home wondering what I could do. This is not how I thought the activity was going to play out. The next “week,” I did decide to venture out and walk in the community but I was picked up by a “police officer” and taken to the police department for being lost and left without supervision. The simulation ended and the only money I ever handled was giving my “disability check” to my “son-in-law” so he could manage the family’s bills.

At the close of the simulation I was frustrated and disappointed. This was not what I imagined the simulation to be. I had not gotten to interact with any of the help agencies or learn how to manage my limited budget. “I didn’t learn anything,” I thought. “This was just a waste of my time.” I was completely at the mercy of my “son-in-law” and “daughter” to take care of me. I had tried to play my role as best I could, but I didn’t feel like I did much of anything.

It wasn’t until I was back at home (back in reality now) that this experience really got working on me. I was being selfish, close-minded, and insensitive. I might have gotten stuck with a role I didn’t want, but it represents real people who are living in poverty situations with little to no means to care for themselves. I might have wished for a role where I could be out searching for resources, but real life situations have left many individuals physically and mentally unable to do this work. I might have believed that I could have handled the task better than my “daughter” and “son-in-law” and wished I could have switched roles with them, but in real life there are often individuals who must depend on family to care for them even with these family are not prepared for the challenge.

The more I reflected on the simulation, I realized just how much I did learn from the experience. I discovered that I have great difficulty depending on others to help me. I have difficulty when life and it’s many factors are out of my control. I have difficultly slowly down and not being part of the action and the solution. I have difficulty when I’m not achieving something with my time, when there is not something valuable to show for it. These are discoveries I noticed from simulating a life in poverty. But these are not just poverty issues but deeply spiritual issues. As I discovered this poverty of the heart and mind and began to ask questions of my faith and my ministry?

–How can I trust enough to let myself go into the care of others and the purposes of God?
–How does God see my life as important and valuable when I’m not achieving or producing?
–How can I care for others and share the love of Christ with those who struggle with this kind of poverty, whose greatest need may not be money for utilities but a sense of worth when they are unable to care for themselves?

The struggle to escape poverty looks differently for each person as they try to take that next step. I just happened to discover how difficult it is to take that next step when you can’t walk.

So my prayer is this:
Come Holy Spirit and lead me on. Set me at peace knowing that you care for me and will take care of me. Move me to trust in your guidance. Empower me to to follow your lead. And then stretch me and move me to take the next step, to be the love of Jesus that helps to carry those souls that poverty simply will not allow to move. Thanks for this challenging experience God. Amen

A Faith Investment?

revdavidneuen — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:40:00 +0000

For the past few weeks, I have been reading “Hope Lives, ” a book of daily reflections and questions that lead to engagement with those in poverty. One of the early thoughts from the author that struck me is that we (I) usually approach ministry and faith like a banker wondering if we are getting the right results for our investment. If we are willing to make a comment with our finances, our spirit, or our time, we want to check regularly to see if our work is reaping rewards. Is this prayer getting me anywhere. How is this fifteen minutes of Scripture reading really making a difference. How is this hour of tutoring at the elementary school really having an impact? I admit it; these are the questions I am asking all the time.

But what if ministry is not dependent on success?

Frankly, Jesus did a lot of things that we might say were “a waste of time” or “simply not efficient.” God calls us to be wise with our resources, our service, and our time; however, God also calls us into compassionate service and serving acts of love that may never show us visible benefits or results. Today I want to be an example of Christ’s love and I pray God will give me the patience and endurance to stay faithful even when it appears to not be paying off.