Re-Thinking Mission

Over the past number years I have had tons of conversations and thoughts about the concept of Christian mission. I grew up thinking of "mission" or "missions" as being one thing, but have begun to wonder if it is not something entirely different. For lack of time at the moment, I'll save those thoughts for another post, but this quote from Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove's, The Wisdom of Stability, does a great job of quickly summarizing some of my own thoughts on the subject.

"To imagine stability as mission is not to assume that we will change our neighbors and the broken places where we are if only we can muster the resolve to stick it out. Rather, it is to acknowledge that there is good news in this place--stability that we might not have seen at first, but without which we could not even begin. If God is faithful in exile and present in human flesh, then everything--every place--is now holy. We learn to enjoy the fruit of stability as we embrace God's mission where we are."

Another Hilarious & Provocative Cartoon

While I almost always LOVE the prophetic and provocative cartoons of David Hayward (Naked Pastor), this one was too good not to share. This cartoon is entitled "He Came in Like a Wrecking Ball." So good. So culturally appropriate. So seasonally appropriate. Enjoy!

HT: Naked Pastor

Striving for Stability

I've begun to realize, over the past year, that I have developed a rhythm of instability. The 12 or 13 years of my adult life have been laced with stories of impermanence and fluctuation. I've failed to put down roots. I've constantly kept moving. In fact, Mandy and I have lived in 10 different homes and 3 different cities in our 10 years of marriage. Yikes.

And now as we near our 1-year-anniversary here in Bozeman, I'm having to fight back some small, yet noticeable, urges to search for the next thing. It seems that even home-ownership has not completely removed this subconscious tendency toward change and instability. It's not like I'm dissatisfied with life and experiencing signs of depression (I have known those feeling before, however) and I'm certainly not leaving my job or Bozeman, but there is just a slight urging within me toward change and upheaval. And it makes sense that I'm feeling that way, because I've spent the last decade cultivating and succumbing to those desires. But I'm tired of that way of life. I'm ready to plant roots, stay somewhere, and foster stability in my family's life. I'm ready to know that my community today will still be my community in 10 years.

I've been reading a book by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove called The Wisdom of Stability that has been really helpful in both illuminating some of my problems and helping me move past them. He says some really beautiful things about community and stability and I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in community, place, and putting down roots. In the final chapter of the book he says this:

"Stay put and pay attention--learn to trust God in the place where you are--and you will have a front seat for the revolution that Christian tradition calls conversion. Stability transforms us along with the place where we are."

These words are incredibly enlightening and will continue to haunt me as I wrestle through this issue moving forward.

An Advent Prayer from Walter Brueggemann

Newborn Beginning…After Caesar

And while we wait for the Christ Child,
we are enthralled by the things of Caesar -
money … power … control
and all the well-being that comes from
such control, even if it requires violence

But in the midst of the decree will come this long-expected Jesus
innocent, vulnerable,
full of grace and truth,
grace and not power,
truth and not money,
mercy and not control.

We also dwell in the land of Caesar;
we pray for the gift of your spirit,
that we may loosen our grip on the things of Caesar,
that we may turn our eyes toward the babe,
our ears towards the newness,
our hearts toward the gentleness,
our power and money and control
toward your new governance.

-from Prayers for a Privileged People, 2008: p. 37

Both Excited & Scared for 'Noah'

Have you seen that there is a blockbuster movie being made about the biblical character Noah and the story of the flood...and Russell Crowe is playing Noah? Here's the trailer:

I find myself ambivalent about this cinematic project. On the one hand I'm excited that a biblical narrative is being brought into the public sphere by a famous and talented director. The big-budget nature of this film, combined with the popularity of the cast, means that this film will undoubtedly be watched by millions and conversations about this infamous scripture passage will ensue. In my world, conversations about the Bible are always good and helpful. I hope that this movie will spur on great dialogue about who God is and what God is like. I hope it will spur on healthy discussions about a God of redemption, rather than a God of vengeance.

But I have my doubts. From watching the trailer, it seems like there is a lot of violence in the film. Some of that is necessary in staying true to the narrative. It's a violent story. God destroys the world. I could say more here about my view of scripture (I'll save that for another post), but there is no getting around the violence of this tale. But this movie seems to go a little overboard with violence, especially with the character of Noah. When you read this biblical narrative, there is NO INKLING of violence with Noah and his family, and yet, in the movie, Crowe portrays Noah in much the same way as he portrayed Maximus in Gladiator. Cold. Calculated. Dark. Angry.

I worry that the chief message that will emerge from this movie is one of vengeance and retaliation, rather than redemption, hope, and new life. I hope I'm proven wrong. There are a few subtle lines in the trailer about this being a 'beginning and not an end' that give me hope about the message this film will transmit, but I still find myself worried that God will come off as strong, mean, vengeful God, rather than the loving, peaceful, and hopeful God I have encountered in the character of Jesus. Bottom line: I'm excited to see this film when it comes out in March of 2014, and I'm hopeful that productive and transformative conversations will emerge from its viewing.

P.S.  Rob Bell recently wrote a blog post about the story of Noah and his thoughts were very helpful and thought-provoking. You can find them HERE.

Musical Prayers

I don't know about you, but some of my best insights come in the shower. I'm not exactly sure why that is, but I would opine that during this season of my life, the shower is about the only place in my home where I can escape from my ever-curious toddler. Something about changing diapers, watching PBS Kids, playing with toys, and reading stories to a baby doesn't leave much room for deep contemplation and introspection.

During my Monday morning shower I had another one of those 'aha' kind of moments. Every Monday night we host a student-led worship and prayer service at the youth center where I work and often I am in charge of leading the music for that event. In the midst of my warmth-induced shower coma, I suddenly had a an idea about how I might lead the students in worship and prayer that evening - I would use the themes from our songs to lead us into intentional times of prayer.

I began by choosing six songs that all had a certain theme that I wanted us to pray about. Then, during our actual time of worship that evening, we would sing a song and then follow that by breaking into small groups to pray over the theme that the song had just addressed. For example, I began by playing the song "Your Grace is Enough" and then we broke into groups to thank God for God's incredible grace and forgiveness in our lives. We went on to sing five more songs, focusing on the themes of love, God's strength and greatness, God's intimate and personal nature, following Jesus through discipleship, and serving the world through justice.

I didn't know how this idea would work and whether the students would enjoy the process, but it worked great and they LOVED it. And I did too. It was a lot of fun and was a really meaningful way of worshiping and praying. I look forward to making this idea a consistent part of these student gatherings, and may even try it with our church in a Sunday worship service. The picture below is my rough outline of the songs I chose and the themes we explored in prayer. I think I'll call this form of worship and prayer "Musical Prayers" (see what I did there?!?).

Wise Words from a Wise Man

Over the past few years, as I have gradually stepped into my call and vocation as pastor, I have come to greatly appreciate the wisdom and insight of Eugene Peterson. He is a man who clearly embodies the best of what it means to be a pastor. He clearly has a heart for God, Scripture, and people, and has brilliantly connected all three throughout his lifetime of ministry. And now as Peterson has entered the final season of his life, he has seemingly embraced his ability and opportunity to be a mentor to the next generation of pastors.

He recently did an interview with Jonathan Merritt for Religion News Service that is well worth your time. Here is the money quote from the interview:

JM: With your experience in both the church and the academy, I wonder what advice you would give to young seminary students today. If you were asked by one to describe what is at the heart of the work of pastoring and shepherding, what would you say?

EP: I’d tell them that pastoring is not a very glamorous job. It’s a very taking-out-the-laundry and changing-the-diapers kind of job. And I think I would try to disabuse them of any romantic ideas of what it is. As a pastor, you’ve got to be willing to take people as they are. And live with them where they are. And not impose your will on them. Because God has different ways of being with people, and you don’t always know what they are.

The one thing I think is at the root of a lot of pastors’ restlessness and dissatisfaction is impatience. They think if they get the right system, the right programs, the right place, the right location, the right demographics, it’ll be a snap. And for some people it is: if you’re a good actor, if you have a big smile, if you are an extrovert. In some ways, a religious crowd is the easiest crowd to gather in the world. Our country’s full of examples of that. But for most, pastoring is a very ordinary way to live. And it is difficult in many ways because your time is not your own, for the most part, and the whole culture is against you. This consumer culture, people grow up determining what they want to do by what they can consume. And the Christian gospel is just quite the opposite of that. And people don’t know that. And pastors don’t know that when they start out. We’ve got a whole culture that is programmed to please people, telling them what they want.  And if you do that, you might end up with a big church, but you won’t be a pastor.

You'll find the rest of the interview HERE. I highly recommend the entire interview.

JM: With your experience in both the church and the academy, I wonder what advice you would give to young seminary students today. If you were asked by one to describe what is at the heart of the work of pastoring and shepherding, what would you say?
EP: I’d tell them that pastoring is not a very glamorous job. It’s a very taking-out-the-laundry and changing-the-diapers kind of job. And I think I would try to disabuse them of any romantic ideas of what it is. As a pastor, you’ve got to be willing to take people as they are. And live with them where they are. And not impose your will on them. Because God has different ways of being with people, and you don’t always know what they are.
The one thing I think is at the root of a lot of pastors’ restlessness and dissatisfaction is impatience. They think if they get the right system, the right programs, the right place, the right location, the right demographics, it’ll be a snap. And for some people it is: if you’re a good actor, if you have a big smile, if you are an extrovert. In some ways, a religious crowd is the easiest crowd to gather in the world. Our country’s full of examples of that. But for most, pastoring is a very ordinary way to live. And it is difficult in many ways because your time is not your own, for the most part, and the whole culture is against you. This consumer culture, people grow up determining what they want to do by what they can consume. And the Christian gospel is just quite the opposite of that. And people don’t know that. And pastors don’t know that when they start out. We’ve got a whole culture that is programmed to please people, telling them what they want.  And if you do that, you might end up with a big church, but you won’t be a pastor.
- See more at: http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/09/27/faithful-end-interview-eugene-peterson/#sthash.hiiE4oL3.DJNAm4Oo.dpuf

JM: With your experience in both the church and the academy, I wonder what advice you would give to young seminary students today. If you were asked by one to describe what is at the heart of the work of pastoring and shepherding, what would you say?
EP: I’d tell them that pastoring is not a very glamorous job. It’s a very taking-out-the-laundry and changing-the-diapers kind of job. And I think I would try to disabuse them of any romantic ideas of what it is. As a pastor, you’ve got to be willing to take people as they are. And live with them where they are. And not impose your will on them. Because God has different ways of being with people, and you don’t always know what they are.
The one thing I think is at the root of a lot of pastors’ restlessness and dissatisfaction is impatience. They think if they get the right system, the right programs, the right place, the right location, the right demographics, it’ll be a snap. And for some people it is: if you’re a good actor, if you have a big smile, if you are an extrovert. In some ways, a religious crowd is the easiest crowd to gather in the world. Our country’s full of examples of that. But for most, pastoring is a very ordinary way to live. And it is difficult in many ways because your time is not your own, for the most part, and the whole culture is against you. This consumer culture, people grow up determining what they want to do by what they can consume. And the Christian gospel is just quite the opposite of that. And people don’t know that. And pastors don’t know that when they start out. We’ve got a whole culture that is programmed to please people, telling them what they want.  And if you do that, you might end up with a big church, but you won’t be a pastor.
- See more at: http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/09/27/faithful-end-interview-eugene-peterson/#sthash.hiiE4oL3.DJNAm4Oo.dpuf

JM: With your experience in both the church and the academy, I wonder what advice you would give to young seminary students today. If you were asked by one to describe what is at the heart of the work of pastoring and shepherding, what would you say?
EP: I’d tell them that pastoring is not a very glamorous job. It’s a very taking-out-the-laundry and changing-the-diapers kind of job. And I think I would try to disabuse them of any romantic ideas of what it is. As a pastor, you’ve got to be willing to take people as they are. And live with them where they are. And not impose your will on them. Because God has different ways of being with people, and you don’t always know what they are.
The one thing I think is at the root of a lot of pastors’ restlessness and dissatisfaction is impatience. They think if they get the right system, the right programs, the right place, the right location, the right demographics, it’ll be a snap. And for some people it is: if you’re a good actor, if you have a big smile, if you are an extrovert. In some ways, a religious crowd is the easiest crowd to gather in the world. Our country’s full of examples of that. But for most, pastoring is a very ordinary way to live. And it is difficult in many ways because your time is not your own, for the most part, and the whole culture is against you. This consumer culture, people grow up determining what they want to do by what they can consume. And the Christian gospel is just quite the opposite of that. And people don’t know that. And pastors don’t know that when they start out. We’ve got a whole culture that is programmed to please people, telling them what they want.  And if you do that, you might end up with a big church, but you won’t be a pastor.
- See more at: http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/09/27/faithful-end-interview-eugene-peterson/#sthash.hiiE4oL3.DJNAm4Oo.dpuf

JM: With your experience in both the church and the academy, I wonder what advice you would give to young seminary students today. If you were asked by one to describe what is at the heart of the work of pastoring and shepherding, what would you say?
EP: I’d tell them that pastoring is not a very glamorous job. It’s a very taking-out-the-laundry and changing-the-diapers kind of job. And I think I would try to disabuse them of any romantic ideas of what it is. As a pastor, you’ve got to be willing to take people as they are. And live with them where they are. And not impose your will on them. Because God has different ways of being with people, and you don’t always know what they are.
The one thing I think is at the root of a lot of pastors’ restlessness and dissatisfaction is impatience. They think if they get the right system, the right programs, the right place, the right location, the right demographics, it’ll be a snap. And for some people it is: if you’re a good actor, if you have a big smile, if you are an extrovert. In some ways, a religious crowd is the easiest crowd to gather in the world. Our country’s full of examples of that. But for most, pastoring is a very ordinary way to live. And it is difficult in many ways because your time is not your own, for the most part, and the whole culture is against you. This consumer culture, people grow up determining what they want to do by what they can consume. And the Christian gospel is just quite the opposite of that. And people don’t know that. And pastors don’t know that when they start out. We’ve got a whole culture that is programmed to please people, telling them what they want.  And if you do that, you might end up with a big church, but you won’t be a pastor.
- See more at: http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/09/27/faithful-end-interview-eugene-peterson/#sthash.hiiE4oL3.DJNAm4Oo.dpuf

JM: With your experience in both the church and the academy, I wonder what advice you would give to young seminary students today. If you were asked by one to describe what is at the heart of the work of pastoring and shepherding, what would you say?
EP: I’d tell them that pastoring is not a very glamorous job. It’s a very taking-out-the-laundry and changing-the-diapers kind of job. And I think I would try to disabuse them of any romantic ideas of what it is. As a pastor, you’ve got to be willing to take people as they are. And live with them where they are. And not impose your will on them. Because God has different ways of being with people, and you don’t always know what they are.
The one thing I think is at the root of a lot of pastors’ restlessness and dissatisfaction is impatience. They think if they get the right system, the right programs, the right place, the right location, the right demographics, it’ll be a snap. And for some people it is: if you’re a good actor, if you have a big smile, if you are an extrovert. In some ways, a religious crowd is the easiest crowd to gather in the world. Our country’s full of examples of that. But for most, pastoring is a very ordinary way to live. And it is difficult in many ways because your time is not your own, for the most part, and the whole culture is against you. This consumer culture, people grow up determining what they want to do by what they can consume. And the Christian gospel is just quite the opposite of that. And people don’t know that. And pastors don’t know that when they start out. We’ve got a whole culture that is programmed to please people, telling them what they want.  And if you do that, you might end up with a big church, but you won’t be a pastor.
- See more at: http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/09/27/faithful-end-interview-eugene-peterson/#sthash.hiiE4oL3.DJNAm4Oo.dpuf

JM: With your experience in both the church and the academy, I wonder what advice you would give to young seminary students today. If you were asked by one to describe what is at the heart of the work of pastoring and shepherding, what would you say?
EP: I’d tell them that pastoring is not a very glamorous job. It’s a very taking-out-the-laundry and changing-the-diapers kind of job. And I think I would try to disabuse them of any romantic ideas of what it is. As a pastor, you’ve got to be willing to take people as they are. And live with them where they are. And not impose your will on them. Because God has different ways of being with people, and you don’t always know what they are.
The one thing I think is at the root of a lot of pastors’ restlessness and dissatisfaction is impatience. They think if they get the right system, the right programs, the right place, the right location, the right demographics, it’ll be a snap. And for some people it is: if you’re a good actor, if you have a big smile, if you are an extrovert. In some ways, a religious crowd is the easiest crowd to gather in the world. Our country’s full of examples of that. But for most, pastoring is a very ordinary way to live. And it is difficult in many ways because your time is not your own, for the most part, and the whole culture is against you. This consumer culture, people grow up determining what they want to do by what they can consume. And the Christian gospel is just quite the opposite of that. And people don’t know that. And pastors don’t know that when they start out. We’ve got a whole culture that is programmed to please people, telling them what they want.  And if you do that, you might end up with a big church, but you won’t be a pastor.
- See more at: http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/09/27/faithful-end-interview-eugene-peterson/#sthash.hiiE4oL3.DJNAm4Oo.dpuf

JM: With your experience in both the church and the academy, I wonder what advice you would give to young seminary students today. If you were asked by one to describe what is at the heart of the work of pastoring and shepherding, what would you say?
EP: I’d tell them that pastoring is not a very glamorous job. It’s a very taking-out-the-laundry and changing-the-diapers kind of job. And I think I would try to disabuse them of any romantic ideas of what it is. As a pastor, you’ve got to be willing to take people as they are. And live with them where they are. And not impose your will on them. Because God has different ways of being with people, and you don’t always know what they are.
The one thing I think is at the root of a lot of pastors’ restlessness and dissatisfaction is impatience. They think if they get the right system, the right programs, the right place, the right location, the right demographics, it’ll be a snap. And for some people it is: if you’re a good actor, if you have a big smile, if you are an extrovert. In some ways, a religious crowd is the easiest crowd to gather in the world. Our country’s full of examples of that. But for most, pastoring is a very ordinary way to live. And it is difficult in many ways because your time is not your own, for the most part, and the whole culture is against you. This consumer culture, people grow up determining what they want to do by what they can consume. And the Christian gospel is just quite the opposite of that. And people don’t know that. And pastors don’t know that when they start out. We’ve got a whole culture that is programmed to please people, telling them what they want.  And if you do that, you might end up with a big church, but you won’t be a pastor.
- See more at: http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/09/27/faithful-end-interview-eugene-peterson/#sthash.hiiE4oL3.DJNAm4Oo.dpuf

JM: With your experience in both the church and the academy, I wonder what advice you would give to young seminary students today. If you were asked by one to describe what is at the heart of the work of pastoring and shepherding, what would you say?
EP: I’d tell them that pastoring is not a very glamorous job. It’s a very taking-out-the-laundry and changing-the-diapers kind of job. And I think I would try to disabuse them of any romantic ideas of what it is. As a pastor, you’ve got to be willing to take people as they are. And live with them where they are. And not impose your will on them. Because God has different ways of being with people, and you don’t always know what they are.
The one thing I think is at the root of a lot of pastors’ restlessness and dissatisfaction is impatience. They think if they get the right system, the right programs, the right place, the right location, the right demographics, it’ll be a snap. And for some people it is: if you’re a good actor, if you have a big smile, if you are an extrovert. In some ways, a religious crowd is the easiest crowd to gather in the world. Our country’s full of examples of that. But for most, pastoring is a very ordinary way to live. And it is difficult in many ways because your time is not your own, for the most part, and the whole culture is against you. This consumer culture, people grow up determining what they want to do by what they can consume. And the Christian gospel is just quite the opposite of that. And people don’t know that. And pastors don’t know that when they start out. We’ve got a whole culture that is programmed to please people, telling them what they want.  And if you do that, you might end up with a big church, but you won’t be a pastor.
- See more at: http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/09/27/faithful-end-interview-eugene-peterson/#sthash.hiiE4oL3.DJNAm4Oo.dpuf

JM: With your experience in both the church and the academy, I wonder what advice you would give to young seminary students today. If you were asked by one to describe what is at the heart of the work of pastoring and shepherding, what would you say?
EP: I’d tell them that pastoring is not a very glamorous job. It’s a very taking-out-the-laundry and changing-the-diapers kind of job. And I think I would try to disabuse them of any romantic ideas of what it is. As a pastor, you’ve got to be willing to take people as they are. And live with them where they are. And not impose your will on them. Because God has different ways of being with people, and you don’t always know what they are.
The one thing I think is at the root of a lot of pastors’ restlessness and dissatisfaction is impatience. They think if they get the right system, the right programs, the right place, the right location, the right demographics, it’ll be a snap. And for some people it is: if you’re a good actor, if you have a big smile, if you are an extrovert. In some ways, a religious crowd is the easiest crowd to gather in the world. Our country’s full of examples of that. But for most, pastoring is a very ordinary way to live. And it is difficult in many ways because your time is not your own, for the most part, and the whole culture is against you. This consumer culture, people grow up determining what they want to do by what they can consume. And the Christian gospel is just quite the opposite of that. And people don’t know that. And pastors don’t know that when they start out. We’ve got a whole culture that is programmed to please people, telling them what they want.  And if you do that, you might end up with a big church, but you won’t be a pastor.
- See more at: http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/09/27/faithful-end-interview-eugene-peterson/#sthash.hiiE4oL3.DJNAm4Oo.dpuf

My Letter to the Editor

I've never written a letter to the editor...but I guess there's a first for everything. Bozeman news and gossip has been abuzz over the past few weeks because Westboro Baptist Church (infamous for their hateful protests) is coming to town on Monday to protest at Montana State University and Bozeman High School. Amidst a slew of diverse responses, I thought I would throw my thoughts into the ring with a submission to the opinion section of our local newspaper. And low and behold, they actually ran my article in the paper today. Since most of you do not subscribe to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, I figured I would share my letter on this blog and on Facebook. So here it is:

The most unfortunate and disappointing aspect of the impending arrival of the Westboro Baptist Church protesters is that it has created an unnecessary and counterproductive distraction for the amazing individuals, schools, churches, and non-profit organizations of the Bozeman community. Do I vehemently disagree with the ideas and actions of WBC? Certainly. Absolutely. But, we have allowed the prospect of a mere handful of protesters (seriously, like four) to consume our time and energy now for weeks. We have allowed a small, inconsequential group of outsiders to shift our attention from what we are for to what we are against. Instead of remaining focused on the beautiful, peaceful, and loving attitude that characterizes most of Bozeman, we have found ourselves consumed with being against this flash-in-the-pan protest.

Westboro will be here today and gone tomorrow, but the good people of Bozeman have always been here, are still here, and will continue to be here long after September 9. I know of non-profits who daily seek to care for those who have slipped through the cracks of our society. I know of faith communities who daily seek to be good news to the Bozeman community through peace, justice, and love. And I work at The Rock Youth Center (across the street from BHS), where we daily seek to provide a safe and welcoming environment for our Bozeman High students. So in the midst of this unnecessary and unwarranted distraction, may we continue to hold fast to the beauty of the Bozeman spirit, a way of peace, love, and hospitality for all.

Sincerely,

Jason Bowker

Love Starts Here

Here's another brilliantly prophetic cartoon from David Hayward of Naked Pastor. He calls out a huge problem within fundamental Christianity (and plenty of other Christians, including myself at times).

If loving our neighbors is intrinsically connected with loving ourselves, than no wonder so many of us show a low-grade disdain for others. If we cannot love ourselves, how can we expect to show any love for another. If we cannot see the image of God in ourselves, how will we ever see it in others. If we continually see ourselves as terrible, wretched sinners, of course we will focus on the sin in others before focusing on the good in others. Thank you for your challenging post today, David.

HT: Naked Pastor

I'm Not So Young Anymore

For those who know me, you know that I'm back in youth ministry for the second time. Only this time I'm about a decade older than I was when I began my last stint. Last time around, I was young enough that I could really relate to my students and in many ways was more like a peer to my older youth. But this time around, I feel like this:

For the most part I am really enjoying being further separated in age from the students I am working with. But at times I still feel a little awkward when interacting with them, failing to completely understand contemporary teen culture.

HT: Everyday I'm Pastoring

Ulterior vs. Ultimate Motives

I'm currently reading a really thought-provoking book called The Art of Neighboring. For the last few years I have been interested in the ideas of place, location, and Jesus' call to be good neighbors, and this interest has only intensified recently as we are now home-owners. This book has been incredibly helpful in exploring the many facets of this topic, but the authors have included a profound section on our motives as we engage with our neighbors.

They make an insightful distinction between ulterior motives and ultimate motives. They argue that ulterior motives are intentionally kept concealed and are often manipulative, while an ultimate goal is an eventual point or a longed-for destination. Thus, "the ulterior motive in good neighboring must never be to share the gospel. But the ultimate motive is just that - to share the story of Jesus and his impact on our lives." It's a subtle, nuanced difference, but it's significant. Even within the realm of "relational evangelism," we see Christians only engage with others with the goal of sharing the gospel. They appear friendly and appear to be interested in forming a relationship with another, but there lies a hidden agenda just below the surface.

In our efforts to connect with and love our neighbors, we must not interact with the hidden, concealed, and ulterior agenda of trying to share the gospel with them. As the authors say, "We don't love our neighbors to convert them; we love our neighbors because we are converted." As disciples of Christ, we simply love our neighbors - with no strings attached. Of course, as people who love Jesus and believe that his way is the best possible way of living, we hope that there will one day be the opportunity to share our faith. But the call of Jesus is to love our neighbor, knowing that even if we never have the opportunity to share the gospel, we have still lived faithfully. "We are called to love people - period. Whether those people ever take any steps toward God is beside the point. We are called to love our neighbors unconditionally, without expecting anything in return."

The Cross and the Goal of Youth Ministry

"The cross...is not knowledge we ask young people to possess, but a way of experiencing the action of God, a way of encountering God in the depths of their very existence, alongside their deepest pains and yearnings. Our job in youth ministry is not to convince kids that they are made clean by the blood of the cross, but to invite them to seek for God amid their yearning, brokenness, and deepest questions. To find themselves forgiven and set free by encountering the God of the cross next to their impossibilities."

-Andrew Root, Taking the Cross to Youth Ministry

A Crazy Acquisition: Serendipty or Providence?

While my last post focused on the details of the house that we are buying, it did not include the story of how we acquired this particular home - and it's a pretty wild story! But the question I keep asking is whether it was was mere serendipity or God's providence that has allowed us to purchase this home?

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Mandy and I knew, when we moved to Bozeman, that we would start shopping for a home pretty quickly, but we also wanted to be patient. About a month ago, we were at a garage sale and noticed that the house we were at was also for sale. After perusing this house, we suddenly found ourselves interested in beginning the house-hunting process. The very next house we looked at, our second house overall, was awesome. We loved it.

We had yet to talk with bankers and realtors, so we figured we would begin that process and hope that this home was still on the market when we were ready to make an offer. It wasn't. Within about 24 hours it had already received multiple offers and we found ourselves needing to move on to other housing options.

Over the next few weeks we probably looked at about a dozen houses, and by last Wednesday at noon, we were pretty sure we had found our future home. That decision lasted about 2 hours, when our realtor called us to let us know that the house that we had originally loved was back on the market. The contract had fallen through and it was back for sale. Seriously?!!? Amazing! And to top it off, the sellers of that house were willing to wait for us to see the home again and make a decision about it before re-listing it and making it public. The next morning we visited that house, fell in love with it all over again, decided it was the one for us, and made an offer that afternoon. The next morning we heard that they had accepted our offer, and we are now about a month away from being homeowners. So fun! So exciting!

What a story, huh?

So, back to my original question. Was all of this just dumb luck? Did this house just fall back into our laps by mere coincidence? Or was God's hand involved in providing us this home?

Well, that's a tough issue. On the one hand, I definitely believe that God is actively and intimately involved in our lives. God hears and is impacted by our prayers. God cares about what happens in our lives. But on the other hand, does God act in the world through things like providing houses for people? In a world where people die every day of hunger and lack of basic needs, is God really focused on making sure I have just the right home?

Or put another way, does the idea of God providing us this home mean that God took a home away from someone else. We found out recently that the original buyer's offer/contract fell through because the woman lost her job and could no longer afford to purchase a home. I certainly don't believe that God caused someone to lose their job so that Mandy and I could have our dream home. But there definitely are a lot of 'coincidences' that had to happen in order for this purchase to fall into place. It's difficult. I don't have any answers, just lots of questions. Simply put, the circumstances around the purchase of this home have invited me into exploring a topic about which I don't often think, the providence of God, the nature of God's interaction in the world.

What are your thoughts on the topic? Is God actively involved in the day-to-day happenings of our lives? Is God orchestrating the seemingly mundane details of our existence? What is the nature of God's interaction with the world?

A Fun Announcement

The past 12 months have been insane - so we figured we should just continue the insanity! Last April, I graduated with my Master's degree after four years in seminary. Then in May, Zoe was born and forever changed our lives. Then this past fall I accepted a new job and in December we moved our little family from Seattle to Bozeman, MT. That's a crazy year of life!

But now we are adding in one more enormous life change/decision. Yesterday we put an offer down on a home and this morning the sellers accepted our offer. So by the end of May we will be homeowners. Holy crap! So exciting! Mandy and I have been extremely itinerant and nomadic during our marriage, to the tune of 9 different apartments in 9 years. That's a lot. Needless to say, we are pretty stoked to put down some roots and stay somewhere for a while.

So, about the house...

It is a tri-level, 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in a great location in Bozeman - basically across the street from a great elementary school. The house has a big, 2-car garage and a nice backyard with a great deck to hang out and host parties. One aspect that we were really looking for, and that this house has, is 2 living spaces. Most homes we were seeing in our price range only had the one communal space, so we are really pleased to have the extra room.

If you are interested in seeing more pictures of our home, please CLICK HERE. And most importantly, please know that if you are ever passing through Bozeman we have a place for you to stay and would love to see you.

A Confusing Rise in Readership

I've been writing at this blog for years. Like seven or eight. A long time. And I've never had a sizeable readership. Now I didn't begin (nor do I continue) writing here in order to be a famous blogger with an avid reader base. I write because it is good for my soul, I need a place to process my thoughts, and I am hopeful to engage with a few others in real, honest, and thoughtful conversation. But deep down my ego still wonders if anyone cares and I find myself periodically checking the readership stats for my blog. As expected, for most of my blogging life, no one has cared.

But lately, for reasons of which I am unaware, there has been an upward trend in visitors to my site. Take a look at this screenshot from my blog stats:

As you can see, in the seven or eight years in which I have been writing at this site, I have had a total of about 29,000 visitors to my site. That's not much. Some bloggers have hundreds of thousands of pageviews per month. But take a look at my pageviews for the past month - 4,621? What the what? That's a huge increase. Why are people visiting more frequently - and who are these visitors? I haven't even been blogging very regularly.

Surely some of the increase is a result of Facebook. When I first started this blog, my posts would automatically export into a Facebook note. So people could read my thoughts without ever having to visit my actual blog. But now Facebook has changed and I simply have to link to my new blog posts as a status update. But not all of these new visitors are from Facebook. Some are reading posts from 2009 about my irregular posting. Some are reading posts about the 2010 Seattle Mariners. Why? That's strange.

I realize that this is a highly uninteresting post to EVERYONE but me, so I applaud you for reading this far. I'm sorry for wondering aloud (or as I type). But it's just a strange occurrence in the life of this blog and I thought I should share the oddity with my (ever-increasing?) readership.

The God Who is With Us

I'm currently reading through Rob Bell's latest book, What We Talk About When We Talk About God, and am enjoying it immensely. So far it is not his best book he's written, but I still find his thoughts intriguing, inspiring, engaging, and beneficial. I would recommend you pick up a copy.

I just finished the chapter about how God is 'with' us and thought I would share a few memorable quotes. Enjoy!

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"...what our experiences of God do at the most primal level of consciousness is jolt us into the affirmation that whatever this is, it matters. This person, place event, gesture, attitude, action, piece of art, parcel of land, heart, word, moment--it matters."

"When we talk about God, we're talking about that sense you have--however stifled, faint, or repressed it is--that hope is real, that things are headed somewhere, and that that somewhere is good."

"...you can be very religious and invoke the name of God and be able to quote lots of verses and be well versed in complicated theological systems and yet not be a person who sees. It's one thing to sing about God and recite quotes about God and invoke God's name; it's another to be aware of the presence in every taste, touch, sound, and embrace."

A New Adventure

Sometimes it seems like Mandy and I are always up to a new thing. Just a few months after moving to a new state, beginning a new job, and embarking on a new life, we are now in the process of buying our first home. And like most of our new adventures, this one is both exciting and terrifying.

Buying a home is such a huge decision...especially when you have no idea what you are doing. There have been a few times in the last 9 years that we have pondered a purchase of this magnitude, but we have never truly been serious about it like we are now. This is happening folks! Over the past 36 hours we have decided on both our lender and our realtor, and now are at the stage where we can go find a home, make an offer, and become first-time home owners. So sweet!

I have been talking for years about the importance of place, neighborhoods, and long-term community, but have never actually matched my words with action. In our 9 years of marriage, Mandy and I have now lived in 9 different places. That's crazy. I'd say it's time to put down some roots and stay somewhere for a while...a long while. It sure feels like Bozeman is the place where we would like to raise our family, so here we are on the precipice of this massive financial and familial decision. And we couldn't be more excited!

A Fun Easter Cartoon

No commentary needed...this is just another hilarious cartoon from Naked Pastor!

HT: Naked Pastor

Zoe's First Year

Thanks to a free coupon from Shutterfly, Mandy just created a photo book of Zoe's first 10 months of life. I thought I'd share it with you here. Hope you enjoy!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Some Quick Thoughts on a Few Sports Stories

Not that I'm normally a consistent blogger, but for the past couple months, most of my blogging has taken place on the Lenten Blog I'm keeping up with my boss. But in addition to a time of spiritual discipline and formation, this season of the year is also a really fun time in the world of sports. I'm a huge sports fan and have noticed lately that there are a lot of fun things happening in sports that are worthy of a few of my thoughts. So here goes...

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March Madness
As a college basketball fan in general, and a Duke fan in particular, this is a really fun time of the year for me. March Madness is always exciting to watch and this year is not proving any different. Duke has looked pretty good in the tournament so far, but there are plenty of great teams still alive, so who knows what will happen. At least they have made it to the Sweet 16 and didn't get beat in the first round by a much lesser opponent like last year.

Miami Heat
I'm not much of an NBA basketball fan, but how can you not be intrigued by what Lebron James and the Miami Heat are doing right now? Lebron is playing as well as he ever has and his team, as of the writing of this post, have now won 27 straight games. The NBA record is 33 straight, so it is beginning to look like this record could fall (which no one ever thought would). Crazy!

Seattle Mariners
Those of you who know me personally know that I am a HUGE Seattle Mariners fan. I love baseball in general, so I'm really excited for Spring Training to end and the regular season to begin. But the Mariners really have my hopes up for this season. They have been much-improved throughout Spring Training and seem poised for a great year. Of course, Spring Training doesn't really mean a whole lot, so they could totally suck and break my heart. But I'm optomistic!

Denver Broncos
My NFL team has made headlines this offseason for both good reasons and bad. They started the offseason on a tear, having made some pick free-agent signings in Wes Welker and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (among others), but the recent news has been strange and disappointing as they were forced to cut Elvis Dumervil due to a mistake by his agent. He has now signed with the Baltimore Ravens, so the Broncos will need to find a replacement for their Pro-Bowl defensive end. So frustrating!

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I know you probably don't care about any of this, but thanks for humoring me. This is a really fun time of the sports year and I wanted to share my enthusiasm.

The Kingdom of God is Like...

In Mark 4, Jesus tells parable after parable about the nature of the Kingdom of God. Most of his parables in this section are about agriculture and seeds, which is not an area in which I have much experience or expertise. To some degree I can relate to and understand each parable, but there is also a cultural barrier that is difficult to move beyond. As I read, I found myself wondering what kind of parable Jesus might have told for our contemporary generation. Here is a crack at a modern parable about the Kingdom of God:

This is what the Kingdom of God is like. A woman created a personal video that spoke from her passion, interests, and context and uploaded it to YouTube. She had no visions of grandeur about the video's popularity or reach, but simply desired to share her thoughts and dreams with her family and friends. But as the video was increasingly viewed and its network was rapidly enlarged, the video had suddenly gone viral and her thoughts were recognized, honored, and appreciated by millions.

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The following was my first draft of this parable. It did not end up as a parable, but more of a metaphor. I thought about just deleting it and never showing anyone, but maybe someone might be interested. It at least serves as a rather obvious and overt explanation of the parable.

The Kingdom of God is like a YouTube video. It starts small - as a personal video that is only viewed by family and friends. Some end their life at this stage, while others enjoy a moderate existence, bearing an average amount of entertainment or illustrative value. But from time to time, as a video is gradually viewed by an increasing amount of people and its network reach is exponentially enlarged, it slowly but surely spirals out of control. The video has gone viral.

New Thoughts on an Old Practice

During this season of Lent, my boss Gary and I have taken it upon ourselves to read all four gospels during the 40 days and blog about what we are learning. We have invited our faith community and the students at the youth center where I work to join us on the journey. One section from our readings a few days ago is one of the more popular passages in all of the gospels. Matthew 18:15-20 has long been used by the church as a model for church discipline. The way the passage is typically read, understood, and practiced is that if someone is in sin, you go to them individually to try to correct their behavior. If they do not listen, you then go to them with two or three people. If they still will not listen to your advice and correction, you take their story before the whole church. And finally, if they still will not modify their sinful ways, they are to be expelled from your community, a practice traditionally known as excommunication.

But this is not how the actual biblical passage reads and is a grave misunderstanding of Jesus' words. Jesus says, "...if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector." While the church has often interpreted this passage as the license and liberty to excommunicate the unrepentant sinner, this is actually the EXACT OPPOSITE of Jesus' words. Jesus is not asking us to break communion with pagans and tax collectors, because these are the very people with whom Jesus frequently communed. He constantly befriended and loved those who the world loved to hate. He constantly communed with all the 'wrong' people. He constantly loved the unlovable.

"Treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector"

With these challenging and engaging words, Jesus is inviting his followers to actively engage and commune with people who are resisting the way of Jesus. He's not asking us to break these relationships and solely commune with those that are like us. He is inviting us to push further into community and fellowship with those who badly need the good news of Jesus. May we have the courage to not resist and avoid relationships with the other, those different than us, and our enemies.

P.S.  To add one more thought - I don't think it is just random coincidence that the section of text following this passage on church discipline is the story of Jesus telling Peter he must forgive others 70 x 7 times. What do you do when someone has wronged you? Sure doesn't look like Jesus wants you to kick them out of church.

Awaiting the Weekend

It seems like most people live for the weekend, and I can't really blame them. I do too. The week of work can become a monotonous grind and the weekends become a chance for refreshment of soul. But I wouldn't say that I'm usually just DYING to get to the weekend...

...except this week!

When Mandy, Zoe, and I moved to Montana a few months ago, one of the perks we were anticipating was the chance to see our families more often. So far, however, we haven't had much opportunity to take advantage of our new-found proximity. But that is changing. We are spending the weekend in Billings with my family so that we can celebrate my niece's 5th birthday. We are really excited!

This is the sort of event that we always missed when we lived so far away in Seattle. Moving to Montana has meant leaving a lot of incredible friends behind and moving to a place where we knew no one, so friendships are pretty rare at this point. But at least we are finally starting to reap the benefits of living near family.

Embracing Failure

After a long hiatus from crafting cartoons, The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus is back to its prophetic and thought-provoking ways. The newest cartoon is really good:

Not that I hope to fail at everything I do, but I at least want to be someone who is okay with failure. Too often people in ministry and life, myself included, choose to not dream and try new things because they are afraid of failure. I am on an active quest to not be this way. I want to take risks. I want to be daring. And if the project or experiment totally flops, I want to have the courage to try again.

HT: ASBO Jesus

A New Online Address

While this blog has never been popular or achieved an avid readership (and probably never will), it is still really important to me. I've been blogging here since 2006 and, as of today, I have written 457 posts. As I say on the sidebar of my the site, I'm trying to figure out how to love God and neighbor well, and the process of blogging has been helpful along the journey. At times I have blogged almost daily, while in other seasons I have been more of a weekly writer.

For quite some time I have thought about acquiring a new domain name for my site. There is just something a little tacky about having to say and type the .blogspot.com name. So today I finally pulled the trigger and bought the domain name jasonbowker.com. It will be better and more succinct to be able to tell people about my website with this new name. I realize this changes nothing for you, and really is probably not interesting to you, but I was excited to finally make this change so I thought I would share the news with you.

A Needed Change of Pace

I've now been back in Montana for about 2 months and my life is really different. I've gone from being a stay-at-home dad to a full-time, working parent overnight. I've gone from volunteer ministry to full-time ministry. And I've gone from having lots of great friends to basically having none.

But one of the greatest changes I am experiencing is a dramatic change in my pace of life. Over the past few months I have been rudely reminded of two truths: 1) people in Montana move at a slower pace than other places in the country and 2) I've developed a rather hurried, rude, and impatient posture toward life.

In regard to the first, we Montanans just seem to move and act at a slightly slower pace than other places (especially big cities like Seattle). This is a not negative thing and I actually really appreciate the slower and more thoughtful rhythm of life that I am once again experiencing. But I'm just having to adjust to this slower pace.

I've become rushed. I'm impatient with other drivers. My fast food just doesn't come fast enough. That slow person in front of me in line at the grocery store just needs to hurry up. It's sick! I need to make an adjustment and learn to slow down, enjoy life, and avoid getting frustrated with others. As it is with the 12-step programs, I'm hopeful that admitting I have a problem is the first step toward recovery.

Hello. My name is Jason and I'm an impatient jerk!

A Different Blog for Lent

Of late I have not exactly been a consistent blogger here on this site, but I will most likely be especially absent from here over the next 40 days. I have started a new blog, with my friend and co-worker Gary, to document our journey through Lent. Gary and I will be reading through all four gospels throughout the 40 days of Lent and will be journaling about our thoughts and questions. Here is the blog:

Our Journey Through Lent

I invite you to frequently visit that site during the next few months as we journey through Lent and await the death and resurrection of Jesus. You can also find a reading guide on that site so that you can join is in this adventure.

A Few Words About My New Job

The Rock Youth Center

I realized recently that, while I have probably informed you about my new job and my family's subsequent move to Bozeman, Montana, I have never really given any details about the nature of my job. What do I do? Where do I work? With whom do I work? How did this job come about? So, here goes...

Ironically, I first heard of this new job on Labor Day. As I was heading to my fantasy football draft I received a phone call from an old friend and colleague named Gary Cook. Gary informed me that he was looking to fill his assistant director position at The Rock Youth Center and was wondering if I would be interested in interviewing for the job. I was initially hesitant. While I knew Gary would be a good boss and the job would assuredly be fun, I was wary about returning to the world of youth ministry. I was presently pursuing the path of ordination and was en route for jobs as a senior pastor.

I told Gary I would think about it, but not to hold his breath. 

As I thought about it more, however, and conversed with Gary again, he began to win me over. He made it clear that the church/youth center would like to fly me, Mandy, and Zoe out to Bozeman for an interview. Mandy and I had begun to sense that this might be the right fit for us, so we agreed to the interview. During the course of our 4 or 5 days in Bozeman, we were convinced that this was the direction that we were meant to take with our lives. We spent time with Gary at The Rock and Pastor Jay Smith at the church and were confident that this was the right decision.

We were moving to Bozeman.

I officially began at The Rock on Monday, January 7, so today marked the beginning of my fourth week of work. I am technically the Associate Pastor for Students and Community at First Baptist Church, but many of my hours are spent doing work as the Assistant Director at The Rock Youth Center. For now, I am concentrating on my work at the youth center, but as times goes on I will have the opportunity to be increasingly involved at the church.

Like any new job, the first few weeks have been a slow process of learning about how things operate at The Rock, getting my work space in order, and taking care of important, yet menial, tasks like signing a contract, doing health insurance paperwork, and getting on the company credit cards. I have also been getting to know the students, our volunteers, the members at the church, and some of the other youth pastors in Bozeman. But now, as I am beginning to settle into my role, my boss, Gary, and I are beginning to dream about the future of The Rock -- the next chapter in its history. In the immediate future, we are planning to host more regular special events at The Rock that might attract a more diverse crowd of students. Our first event will be an Open-Mic Night in a few weeks. On a more long-term level, Gary and I are beginning to discuss the possibility of First Baptist Church finally having its own youth ministry.

It's been so nice to dream again.

As you can imagine, I am incredibly excited and passionate about the job in which I've found myself. Both the church and the youth center are at pivotal points in their histories where they have the opportunity to envision and create new and glorious futures. I'm glad to be along for the ride and a part of the process. I'll keep you informed about how the dreams are unfolding.

I Resolve To...

On this first day of 2013, it seems appropriate to write about my goals and resolutions for the year. Last year I had about 5 or 6 things I was hoping to accomplish, but was relatively unsuccessful at bringing them to completion. Let's hope for a little more resolve this year. So, without further ado, here are the things I hope to be about in the coming 12 months.
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1.  Be creative

Having been away from full-time vocational ministry for while, I am both excited and nervous to jump back in. I can sometimes error too much on the side of practicality, so, as I begin my new job, I want to stay open to the creative process. I don't know my new colleagues that well yet, but it seems like they are dreamers and visionaries, and I am excited to dream with them about how God's beautiful Kingdom might burst forth with good news for the people of Bozeman.

2.  Embed myself in the Bozeman community

I believe strongly in the importance of place, so with Bozeman becoming our new place, I want to invest fully in knowing and loving this new place. I want to participate in its activities, understand its ethos, and love its people.

3.  Buy a house

Mandy and I have been pretty transient over our 8 years of marriage and while its been a fun and exciting journey, we are very ready to plant some roots and stay for a while. We are planning to meet with the bank and a realtor soon and start the daunting task of purchasing a home. So sweet!

4.  Make some good friends

The hardest thing about leaving Seattle was leaving our friends. We made some AMAZING friends during our 5 years there and were so sad to say goodbye. While these friends will never be replaceable, we are hopeful that we will meet some similarly life-giving friends in Bozeman over the next year. Hopefully we will quickly connect with people of all ages, but especially young families who are sharing our current life-stage and have kids that are Zoe's age.

5.  Read 12 books

This was one of my goals from last year that I actually completed, but I wanted to throw it on the list again this year. Many of my books last year were about the birth process or parenting, so I am excited to read more ministry-related books this year.

6.  Develop rhythmic spiritual practices as a family

Zoe is about to reach the age where she would be able to participate in some spiritual activities, so Mandy and I are going to try to develop and commit to an ongoing way of life where Zoe can learn about the way of Jesus and start to be shaped into a follower of the Way.
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I'm sure I'll be writing plenty about these goals throughout the year, so I'll let you know how I'm staying true to my resolutions. Happy new year everyone and here's to a great 2013.