the calamity of reason
cuts me down to size
cries out for earthly justice
and cuts away my ties.

but logic, it falls right here.
it’s death, it has no sting
for you, and this fine love i bring
erases my deepest fear.

i need truth.

It scares me to think that my perspective of who God is and what he is, is completely dependent on another person’s perspective. Is my faith truly my own? Or has my perspective of God been established because of the church I went to- the speakers that preached to me- or the music I’ve listened to.

The thought of mass conformity scares me to the very core. I’ve studied cultures of the past and I’ve seen how religions/politics have been used to manipulate people and ultimately turn a group of people into followers of the government’s message, not so much the message of Christ. For this very reason, I’ve found myself to be cynical and extremely analytical of everything that goes on in my little “christian bubble” that is Christian bible school and the Christian sub-culture.
I know that I’m not knowledgeable or extremely learned in the Bible, but I do know the gut feeling that I have about all of this. I feel that God is far bigger than this little “christian” box that we put him in, but deny exists. Lately I’ve wondered if mass alter calls and the emotional high that “worship music” creates is truly us finding God, or rather just an emotional high. Emotional highs may come from God, but I know that there’s far more to Jesus than just an emotional attachment. A good friend of mine calls these moments of shear emotion “emotional masturbation”–I do believe that there needs to be an emotional attachment with Christ, but following Christ needs to be more than just christians gathering together singing christians songs and crying out for forgiveness every service. Anybody can do that. I have a stabbing feeling in my gut that is telling me that we are deeply flawed as a Christian community- we first need to experience God in the world with spreading his love and actually caring for people before we can truly worship him.
I have a hard time with ministries that have political agendas. I’m against abortion when it’s used carelessly- there are moments when it can be necessary, sometimes moments where the body does it naturally. But, the problem I have with Christians that claim the Republican party is the way of Jesus, is that I happen to believe that Jesus would not be apart of a party that has been engaged in crimes against humanity (torture), treason, and conspiracy. Please do not belittle Jesus and his power to such humanistic parties such as the Republicans and Democrats. Because he would be neither.

I’m ranting a bit, this I know. But, I feel like it’s time for me personally to actually apply all that I’ve heard in church over the last 18 years of my life and actually live them and bring them to action. Helping the needy, bringing love to everyone, spreading peace, and bringing people to the true freedom and love of Christ. I want to know the real God, not a skewed perspective of God that someone has fabricated. I want to know God. the real thing.

Adeline.

here’s a bit of a poem I’ve been tossing around–it’s somewhat of a vignette.

Adeline.

 

 

 

The silence of her actions is counteracting the jumbled chaos in her mind.

Adeline, the daughter of a well to do business man is

finally feeling the repercussions of the silence drug.

Many have said, the said haven’t tried, its apples for apples

An eye for an eye.

Adeline sits.

Adeline waits.

Waits for the numbness to die and the colors to come alive.

The rugged wood panels that line the walls seem as if they are the lining of her final resting place. The small room in which she lived would be her coffin.

Visions shattered, inspiration ravaged- not all ideas fit in your box.

Adeline imagines the warm leather book that kept the time and dates

- nothing can stunt her, especially not time.

The masses have cut the nerves- defeated her innards.

The cookie cutter has severed her limbs.

Adeline’s home is now in her head.

 

 

© by. ben schwartzhoff

Th fight against Mechanical Christianity..

Here’s an interesting quote from 1878 regarding the danger of falling into ‘artificial’ worship by becoming dependent on the mechanical nature of the church.

“There is in human nature a tendency to permit
religion itself to become mechanical :
priests, temples, sacraments, the performing
of services, organs, choirs, all go
towards the making up of a machine which
may do our worship for us, and leave us all
our time to think about bread and cheese
and the latest fashions. As cranks, pistons,
valves, and cylinders take the place of bone
and muscle on board ship, so millinery,
bellows and ritual take the place of
hearts and spirits in the place of worship.
Certain outward appliances may be well
enough in their place, but they too easily
become substitutes for real heart-work
and spiritual devotion, and then they are
mischievous to the last degree. The
preacher may use notes if he needs them,
but his manuscript may steal from him
that which is the very essence and soul of
preaching, and yet his elaborate paper and
his elegant reading may conceal from him
the nakedness of the land. Praise may be
rendered with musical instruments, if you
will ; but the danger is lest the grateful
adoration should evaporate, and nothing
should remain but the sweet sounds. The
organ can do no more than help us in
noise – making, and it is a mere idol,
if we imagine that it increases the
acceptance of our praises before the Lord.”

Charles Spurgeon (1878)

Something’s stirring…

     Well, wow!….the first (yet, somewhat unofficial, since we’re not quite into the new facility yet) kick-off for Stonebridge’s RIOT youth ministry was a complete success. There’s a buzz in the air that is completely exciting and undeniable. Do you feel it? It’s extremely exciting and the feeling will only continue to rise…let’s invite our friends and those who didnt’ make it on Sunday…it’s going to be an amazing year of testing out unchartered waters and building up this ministry that has the potential to bring the love of Christ into the hearts of the youth in Cedar Rapids and the surrounding areas!

This is big.   So, for those of you in the worship team, it’s important that you know that although our first night was such a beautiful success, that doesn’t mean we can stop there. We must continue to practice and organize so that our offerings and our worship experience is care-free and a true incounter with Christ. Our goal is to let go of the stress of hitting every note and strumming every chord (all though it’s extremely important), so that we can focus on what we’re truly doing- Encountering Christ with praise & worship.

So! For the team that played on Sunday we will continue to practice at Cedar Hills from 5-6:30 and WILL be at the new facility (Stonebridge church) on Wednesday. We will be meeting in the MP2 (the youth auditorium) for our practice at 6PM….So come just as you would on any other Wednesday and I hope you’re ready to worship Christ and bring our best offerings forward!

Be expecting great things…With Christ all things are possible!

ben

——————–

team

drums: brenan

guitars: john & noah

bass: brent

Vocals: Hannah, Lauren, Megan, Amanda, TC

‘Stuff White People Like’

Excerpt: ‘Stuff White People Like’

by Christian Lander

 1. COFFEE

There is no doubt that white people love coffee. Yes, it’s true that Asians like iced coffee and people of all races enjoy a cup. But it is a certainty that the first person at your school to drink coffee was a white person. It was obvious that they didn’t enjoy it, but they did it anyway, until they liked it — like cigarettes.

As white people begin to age, a genuine taste for coffee will emerge. During this time white people will also develop a self- proclaimed “addiction.” This leads to them saying things like “You do not want to see me before I get my morning coffee.” White guys will also call it anything but coffee: “rocket fuel,” “java,” “joe,” “black gold,” and so forth. It’s pretty much garbage all around.

It’s worth noting that where white people buy coffee is almost as important as the drink itself. For the most part, white people love Starbucks, although they will profess to hate how the chain is now a multinational corporation. This hatred is often sublimated by their relief at seeing one in an airport. The best place for white people to drink coffee is at a locally owned coffeeshop that offers many types of drinks, free Wi- Fi, and some sort of message board that is peppered with notices about rooms for rent and bands looking for bass players.

White people are given extra points for buying Fair Trade coffee, because paying the extra $2 means they are making a difference while their peers are drinking liquid oppression.

2. RELIGIONS THEIR PARENTS DON’T BELONG TO

White people will often say they are “spiritual” but not religious. This usually means that they will believe in any religion that doesn’t involve Jesus. The most popular choices include Buddhism, Hinduism, Kabbalah, and, to a lesser extent, Scientology. A few even dip into Islam, but that’s much rarer, since you have to make real sacrifices and actually go to a mosque.

For the most part, white people prefer religions that produce artifacts and furniture that fit into their home or wardrobe. They are also particularly drawn to religions that do not require a lot of commitment or donations.

When a white person tells you “I’m a Buddhist/Hindu/Kabbalahist,” the best thing to do is ask how they arrived at their religious decision. The story will likely involve a trip to Thailand or a college class on religion.

3. FILM FESTIVALS

White people can’t get enough of film festivals, especially Sundance, Toronto, and Cannes. This love can be due to a number of factors.

Fact #1: 90 percent of white people have taken a film class at some point in their life.

Fact #2: White people like feeling smart without doing work — two hours in a theater is easier than ten hours with a book.

Fact #3: If white people aren’t going backpacking, they generally like to travel with a specific purpose.

Fact #4: 75 percent of white people believe they either have the potential to or will become filmmakers/screenwriters/directors at some point.

Fact #5: White people hate stuff that is “mainstream” — so they go to film festivals, where they see movies that every other person in their demographic wants to see. It’s a pretty sweet way to rebel.

Fact #6: It is required by white-person law that you publicly declare foreign cinema to be better than Hollywood movies, and on par with indie film.

Fact #7: White people earn credibility by being into films from strange countries: “Oh, you liked Sideways? Yeah, I didn’t see it, I’m really into Serbian film now. They had a great retrospective at the Vancouver Festival.”

Excerpted from Stuff White People Like by Christian Lander Copyright © 2008 by Christian Lander. Excerpted by permission of Random House Group, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

They took your life, but they can not take your Pride…

 

 

an amazing and lovely stripped-down version.
Ah, I hope it musters up the emotions and connections it did with me.

Peace & Love.

“they like Jesus…not so much the church…”

   

    So, I reccently picked up a book entitled, “They like Jesus But not the Church” by Dan Kimball…and the main point of the book is obvious. As time has gone on, Christians have built up what seems to be their own little “sub-culture,” in which everything is Christian…even if it’s a t-shirt or even gum….you throw the word “christian” on it…and it’s worthy of our money. As we’ve created this sub-culture that we call the “Christian-Industry”….(hmm..), filled with music, movies, novels, and even food, it seems as if we’ve tried our best to block out the rest of the world, which goes against God’s very command to GO and make disciples….if we’re emersed within our own little culture of always christian-all the time…how will we effectively reach those who don’t know Christ?

…is this truly effective evangelism to the everyday non-christian?

   I’m not saying that we need seek out non-christians to simply convert and then continue on our search to “Cleanse the world of EVIL!”, but we should be seeking out non-christians so that we can get to know them, find out their story, and truly just bond with them as we would with any other friend. If we are friends with non-christians, we should be setting an example of what christians are really like. Most non-christians believe that christians are weird-know it all fools who are seeking to block out the rest of the world and consider Jesus as their “bestest boyfriiiennd!”…which might come partly from the christian sub-culture we’ve created. Non-christians think that christians are simply close-minded Homosexual-hating bigots who aren’t willing to accept anyone but their own.

   As christians we need to get out of our little Christian-bubble that’s filled with Christian music, literature, and friends that are strictly christian and open our eyes to what the world is really like! If we aren’t going into the world and befriend non-christians and experience what the world is really like…then we are simply Christians with no-purpose. Sure, we need to be growing in our personal walk with God, but we shouldn’t simply focus on that. God has called us as followers of Christ to follow in Jesus’ example.  Jesus was radical…preaching love and peace and telling the world that what we see isn’t all there is! Jesus didn’t come to hang out with people who knew what he knew, but he came to tell the world about love and peace and the grace we can find in Christ.

   So many times as Christians we get comfortable. We read our bibles and Christian “make yourself better” books…and we find ourselves focusing on ourselves and while we may becoming closer to God through this…How close to God do you think you will be when you’re praying for your close friends who don’t know Christ? If we’re not getting involved in the non-christian society in which we live in…we’re worthless! Here we are as Christians sitting still with the knowledge and love of God that could change the face of our society and we’re doing nothing to share it! We’ve got something beautiful…and we’re not sharing it!

The radical ideas of Christ were not meant to be kept as a secret…they were meant to be told to everyone…and shown to everyone through those who choose to believe it!

If we follow Christ’s example with our actions and our life in general…people will notice!

Bush?…maybe in 15 years…

      

 As I read more and more about United States Imperialism in the 19^th and 20^th century, the main figure that comes to mind is obviously Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt really pushed that standard of what was considered “right and wrong” and he especially pushed his rights in the Panama Canal and its construction. He basically in my mind went against what was “PC” at the time. Roosevelt was the United States as superior and that was it. He saw the United States in a very “blinded” sense. Roosevelt didn’t exactly care if the US was actually the best, with his persistence and forceful leadership; the states really hadn’t a choice but to follow him. Roosevelt saw American imperialism as a way not to just “expand” (such as Guam and Puerto Rico), although it was a major reason why he went forth with everything he did- but he saw US imperialism as a way of firstly bringing forth democracy to a world of “uncivilized” nations and then to basically police the world with the other “civilized’ countries that were front runners.

      If none of this type of mindset and strategy sound familiar…well, of course it sounds familiar…its slightly reminiscent of the Bush “doctrine”. Bush has constantly preached his message on dismantling countries with weapons of mass destruction, throwing over dictators and unfair leaders, and ultimately infusing democracy in to the countries of this world. The very fact that I read this comparison made me laugh. When people think of Theodore Roosevelt I think people generally think “Oh, what a great innovative mind that changed out country for the better!” (Even though there are those who know his faults, of course) People generally glorify presidents and figures of the past simply because they’re part of our “great and defining” past. But to compare Theodore Roosevelt, a president in which people see as great and defining, with George W. Bush, the person who is considered “the worst president of our time…” and all of this over-dramatic chatter about how “we shouldn’t be in Iraq…or anywhere for that matter…!” You’ve heard it all. It makes me laugh, mainly because its usually democrat “wannabes” as I call it who do not understand or even know squat about politics or anything about the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan, or an political affair. The majority of people my age and older get their “perspective” on politics from the media. Let’s fact it…we’re a product of the media. But most people my age respond to the question “Why are you liberal?!” with “Well, first of all we have no right to be in Iraq…who do we think we are? Second of all, Bush is ignorant and didn’t even go to college…when I’m pretty sure he went to an ivy-league (and if he’s so stupid…how did he get elected), and thirdly…Being Liberal is trendy! Kanye West and Beyonce are liberal…and plus liberals are all about going GREEN! It’s all the rage…it’s trendy.

 

     So, after criticizing basically most of the people I know, I just thought it was interesting that the comparison was made between Bush and Theodore Roosevelt. I would say that I ultimately do agree with the comparison. I think in maybe 15 years as we look on Bush, we may not be so hasty and find some of his endeavors somewhat beneficial.  

 Much Love-

ben