Jesus Swagger: review

Jesus Swagger: Break Free from Poser Christianity by Jarrid Wilson on Amazon.

Jesus Swagger, the website.

"Jesus swagger is a relentless, bold, and audacious way of living―one that ignores all opposition in order to live out the life that Christ has called us to live." ―definition on page 128 at the conclusion of the author's reflections on the life, death, testimony, and witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Besides Bonhoeffer, Wilson writes about two other mega-superstar Christians he admires tremendously: Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mother Teresa of Kolkata. You know, those usual, typical examples the rest of us can't imagine emulating, yet Jesus Swagger the book is about ways those rest of us more ordinary followers of Jesus can impact the world, can initiate true transformations in lives around us and in our own lives.

When a person assumes Jesus Swagger, they "break free from poser Christianity." Millennial Pastor Jarrid Wilson brings us a readable, challenging book about actually doing the Word and being the Word. About being the change the world needs. What lifestyle do our actions and our appearance suggest and portray? [pages 34-35] Why would we plant ourselves anywhere we wouldn't get rich soil and proper nutrients? Too often too many of us do, but in author Jarrid's experience (and mine, as well) God tends to uproot and replant us into better surroundings. That's grace. Yet how about getting into the midst of secular culture to help transform it with your Jesus swagger style? [page 92] "...Jesus came to reclaim culture, not reject it."

This is about my story! [page 79] "When I begin to evaluate what people are actually looking for in a church setting, none times out of ten I will get a response that has to do with finding a community of people to do life with." (italics mine) Jarrid continues, "If this is the case, then I can't see why an Acts 2 model of a deepened sense of community and founded on the power of the Holy Spirit would not work."

Jesus gives not a hint of obedience to provide our best happiness here and now, but rather obedience acknowledges "...the pure, all-encompassing rightness of God's commandments, and how critical they are to the foundation of a righteous life." [page 112] Partial obedience is disobedience. [xxiv] When anyone starts rocking Jesus swagger, "The old you will slowly be transformed into a righteous individual who seeks justice, grace, and the pursuit of righteous living." I love the word slowly, because if you've been following Jesus for any length of time, most likely you get discouraged and close to despair at times, yet every one of us probably can glance back and excitedly realize how far God has brought us. [pages 99-100]

This is such a good book! Accessible to a brand-new Christian and to a seasoned one; for content, Jesus Swagger gets a solid four star rating, moving in the five star direction. However, although Wilson writes well and conveys his ideas with conviction, he uses passive voice far too many times―to the extent passive pretty much pervades the book. I'd love to see the next edition of Jesus Swagger with the same basic content edited for more dynamically expressive English.

I received a copy of this book from author, publisher, distributor, publicist, or agent with no requirement to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

my amazon review: live the word; be the word

weeks of grace 18 - 19 - 20

This is Bright Week, the Eighth Day!
I'm blogging Three weeks' worth this time—from late Lent into Easter day.

1. Still more blog housekeeping on this one, and on a couple of old ones I don't list anywhere but that still are online if you remember what and where they were.

2. More planning for my future more inclusive, casual blog; it will include some amazing art I found on a couple of inactive blogs, as well as on preservation project, my urban blog I update now and then. Did you know "preservation project" is an older title than desert spirit's fire?! I need to add that to my future FAQ!

3. Yummy (as usual, but not quite as always) Third Saturday lunch with the former Friday evening potluck group from the PCUSA, and another insightful conversation with PB.

4. 25 March, and the last Wednesday evening soup supper for Lent 2015 at Church On the Hill, followed by brief Eucharist for the Annunciation—such a cool festival!

5. 26 March, and the last Thursday family dinner and Holden Evening Prayer of Lent 2015 at Church Around the Corner.

6. Getting a few more LA housing hits and ideas that hopefully will lead to something temporarily semi-permanent in the near future.

7. More good prices on both Blueberries and Blackberries this time! You know I've taking advantage of their being in season!

8. Since LN, my cosmetologist died a few weeks ago, I had to find someone else, and Wednesday in Holy Week I discovered a wonderful hair salon very close to where I'm living. Not only was it a little less expensive than Linda's Garage, the person who'll be my new stylist as long as I live here and she works there, even gave me a hug like LN always did!

9. This year I did the entire triduum at Church Around the Corner: Maundy Thursday—Noonday Holy Communion.

10. Housemate / landlady / friend P finally returned from Northern AZ Thursday afternoon! She brought me some awesome clothes from the (high end, elite neighborhood) Goodwill—Really! A reversible quilted jacket, a paisley t-shirt, a dark brown velvet jacket (all for autumn and winter), and a spring-summer cotton shirt in tomato red, teal, and blue on white—one of my all-time fave colorways.

11. This year I did the entire triduum at Church Around the Corner: Good Friday―Noonday Tenebrae; we sang ELW hymn 666, "Wondrous Love."

12. This year I did the entire triduum at Church Around the Corner: Easter Sunday―"Festival Eucharist with organ, brass, choir."

13. Christ Is Risen Indeed! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

PS I took the header pic after the end of the liturgy, after they'd extinguished (is that the word?) all the candles, including the Christ candle.

resurrection joy!

triduum 3: easter

saturday

triduum 2: friday

Today, Good Friday, I attended noonday tenebrae at Church Around the Corner. Surprisingly, the photos I took of the chancel didn't turn out well at all: exposure, etc. was fine, but composition and vantage point weren't, so I'm not posting any here or on fb. We heard the passion account from the Gospel of John; we sang and meditated upon several hymns, including:

When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

Isaac Watts

We left the building in silence.

triduum 1: thursday

For Maundy Thursday 2015, I attended noonday liturgy at Church Around the Corner. Evenings are the usual time of day for Maundy Thursday worship, but CAC offers noon services on both Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Today brought memories. As associate I often got to preach on Maundy Thursday. When I returned to the east coast at the end of the last century and walked over to a nearby church for Maundy Thursday afternoon liturgy, the pastor asked if I wanted to read one of the lections…an actual invitation, instead of my offering and getting turned down! During Holy Week the three years SM served as called interim at the PCUSA I used to attend, we planned and led daily eucharist together; instead of celebrating Maundy Thursday twice, we claimed the noon time liturgy as Thursday in Holy Week. On Maundy Thursdays north minster practiced the ordinance of [semi-dramatic blog post about] foot-washing—as does Church On the Hill. Some traditions consider foot-washing a sacrament, and why not, given that the rite employs gifts of creation at Jesus' direct command?!

Early this afternoon we heard words of absolution for the first time since before Lent began. Then I received a touch of reconciliation from Pastor N. I'm not and never have been heavily into sin and guilt, but like most people, I need actions and ways to put my past into perspective, to make past events and experiences integral parts of my future rather than roadblocks in its path. I've never been seriously into sin and guilt, but I've long had an overwhelming sense of brokenness, apartness, of asunderness—Paul Tillich suggests sin and asunder may have the same root. No matter how generously one interprets it, I've lived with a real separation from purpose, from community. Sometimes from other individual people. Jesus' willing act of total reconciliation embraces all creation, all apartness, asunderness, and brokenness. Today we celebrated a simple eucharist, very different from the elaborate extended setting CAC often uses on Sundays. In that blessed, broken, given – and taken – shared bread and cup, we discover and we are the fullness of the new creation in Christ Jesus. "A foretaste of the feast to come."

But you are holy, enthroned upon the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3

whatcha reading? friday 5

For today's whatcha reading friday 5, Mary Beth hosts and asks: What are you reading these days? Any genre, give us novels, magazines, websites, newsletters...

books:


1. By Richard Martin, Coal Wars: The Future of Energy and the Fate of the Planet

2. Walter Brueggemann, Out of Babylon—I am soooo Brueggemaniac!

3. Our next discussion document on the Faith, Order & Witness Committee will be the World Council of Church's Faith & Order Paper 214—The Church: Towards a Common Vision.

4. Let's All Be Brave: Living Life with Everything You Have by Annie F Downs

5. Oh My Goodness! publicity sent me a book I hadn't even heard of, just finished, and enjoyed very much: Jesus Swagger: Break Free from Poser Christianity! I need to post my blog and reviews soon.

websites:

I especially love houzz and Better Homes & Gardens

WaterIs: world water day 2015

WWD 2015, Sunday, 22 March, #WaterIs – Water & Sustainable Development, "Greening the Blue"

Every year on 22 March, United Nations World Water Day focuses on an aspect of [mostly] freshwater. This year's WWD theme is Water & Sustainable Development (of all kinds). Hashtag phrase for WWD 2014 is... #WaterIs.

Especially where I live, work, play, and dream, for me...

#WaterIs:

You probably can fill in the details!

life • creativity • thirst-quencher • health • trees • a future • hope • celebration • carefulness • conservation

Sometimes in southern California #WaterIs:

scarcity • drought • smog • loss • sorrow • wildfires

#WaterIs those and many other gifts for many other people. Why wouldn't all of us do whatever possible to keep the future real?

land, sun, community, crops: synchroblog!

What I appreciate about other religions on Synchroblog Central.

This month I'm bouncing parts of my post off a synchroblog from 2012 that gave us an opportunity to consider what religion other than our current one we might decide to try: choosing another way.

I resonate deeply with heathen, pagan, celtic spiritualities, with their earth-focused ways of being and living with and within nature. Whether in city, suburb, or countryside, they integrate (astronomical/meteorological) seasonal rhythms into every day routines and remembrances. Spiritual ways that particularly honor land, ocean, sky, sun, and crops have deep roots in earth and sky, similar to those of the church's liturgical year of grace and the Jewish festivals. As they intentionally reflect solstice, equinox, planting, harvesting, fallowing, or cross-quarter, they involve every one of each individual's five senses.

In ways not unlike Judaism and Christianity, earthen spiritualities provide liturgical rituals for marking individual, earth, and community transitions and milestones. In my Reformation brand of Christianity, sacraments are central, and in order to celebrate sacraments we need to be friends of the earth!

Final note: although celtic, pagan, and other earth-centric practices affirm cycles of death and resurrection, unlike Christianity's eighth day new creation theology of the death of death itself and the ultimate triumph of life, their cycles are endlessly unchanging.

Other Synchroblog Participants for March:

What I Appreciate about [Other Religions].

• Mark Votava – How Christianity Can Learn from Buddhism
• Justine Steckbauer – Christianity and Other Religions: Many roads or exclusive path?
• Glenn Hager – The Thing About Labels
• Clara Ogwuazor-Mbamalu – What I Appreciate about Islam
• Stuart Delony – I Love Atheists
• Bram Bonius – What can Christians learn from neo-pagans and ‘magickal’ traditions?
• Mictori – Buddhism Reshaped my Easter
• Loveday – What I Don’t Appreciate About Your Religion
• Pastor FedEx – 3 Things Christians Learn from Other Religions
• Leah Sophia – Land, Sun, Community, Crops
• Dr. Samuel Mahaffy – My House Shall be a House of Prayer for All People
• J. D. Myers – What I Appreciate About Pagans

week of grace 17

It's Monday already! Yesterday was Lent IV, Laetare, one of the rose (paraments, vestments) Sundays in the the liturgical calendar. Here's another list of happenings that help with hope from the past week.
1. An invitation to be a guest on Women of Wisdom on Blog Talk Radio!

2. More blog housekeeping on this one, and on a couple of old ones I don't list anywhere but that still are online if you remember what and where they were.

3. Despite doing poorly with daily lectionary reading and journaling, I made lists and decisions in preparation for moving and relocating. Yay, me!

4. Another yummy Wednesday evening soup supper at Church On the Hill.

5. First LBW Evening Prayer / Vespers of this daylight saving season at Church On the Hill! I've previously mentioned Dale Wood's setting of the Magnificat is one of my all-time fave pieces of liturgical music.

6. Again I got to serve as pianist for Holden Evening Prayer after Thursday family dinner at Church Around the Corner. So sorry it was because A was sick and coughing, but I still appreciate the opportunity and the appreciation I got.

7. Four free fun – mainly for headlines and headers – fonts!

8. I visited quite a few design sites and further considered updated content and layout for suntreeriver design dot com. I'm also cool that I'm okay with its not being a responsive site yet.

9. Good prices on both Blueberries and Blackberries this time!

10. How wonderful watching newly called (mostly to the Hispanic ministry) and ordained Pastor N preside at Eucharist and to receive the Bread of Life from his hands.

11. We sang ELW hymn 666, "Wondrous Love."

12. A shoutout to myself for not only having my camera with me (because phone camera is only 3MP, I prefer the 16MP Canon so I can use pics professionally for print projects) and also for getting at least a dozen very good pics at church on Sunday. Though I just about always bring the camera along everywhere, I've been in too much pain to look outside myself to notice if anything is picture-worthy.

13. In the northern hemisphere, who isn't still enjoying the longer, lighter, truly summery days?

13. Annual kids – youth – special needs choir spaghetti dinner benefit after Sunday worship at Church Around the Corner.

week of grace 16

Another list of small but significant joys from the past week. I'm sure a few things happened prior to Wednesday, but nonetheless, Wednesday is my start day.

1. Serving as pianist for Wednesday noon Eucharist at Church Around the Corner.

2. Enjoying a light soup and bread lunch afterwards, which was an esp nice surprise, since I'd forgotten they served lunch on Lenten Wednesdays.

3. Another Wednesday evening soup supper at Church On the Hill.

4. Final Compline of the wintery season, since we switch to Evening Prayer/Vespers for Wednesday evenings during Daylight Saving Time (or brief eucharist to celebrate a festival that occurs during that week).

5. I was excited to be pianist for Holden Evening Prayer after Thursday family dinner at Church Around the Corner. The harmonies in Holden are so lovely and unexpected – but not jarringly so – in a lot of places.

6. On Thursday 05 March, the kindle edition of W's book, JustMeQi came out! We're still working through the back cover for the print version ;)

7. Editing, streamlining, etc. my sun country living blog that used to be one of my two active design blogs (most recent post in May 2013). I haven't posted any art on my suntreeriver design blog since January 2014, but need to realize I've tried to keep my Facebook page alive with the types of art my two design blogs used to feature.

8. I've gathered and edited enough client design and my own design finally to update my professional design page, which I need to trust will happen within the next week. This is particularly important, as I don't post client work on Facebook and need to be able to refer people to a site that showcases my work well.

9. Blueberries this time! 18 ounces for $5!

10. In the northern hemisphere, who isn't enjoying the longer, lighter days? Shorter nights, as well!

11. New design client left feedback, "wow, you are my new graphics person! I really thank you." That means a lot to me, since he has the types of projects I enjoy doing and that are my best thing—"right up my (design) alley."

Odysseus Abroad

• Odysseus Abroad by Amit Chaudhuri on Amazon

Amit Chaudhuri's probably partly autobiographical Odysseus Abroad describes days in the life of an Indian student living and attending school in London during the Thatcher Era. "Beguiling, wistful, and ribald?" not quite, but Chaudhuri's poetic prose expertly evokes time, place, scent, sound, colour, and total atmosphere to place the reader right there and then.

I especially loved the conversations between young South Indian student Ananda and Nestor Davidson, his older mentor from South Africa! I suspect both were quite aware of both their home countries having been British colonies.

Given that events don't unfold with changing circumstances, and there's no real discernible story line, I'm hard-put to call this A Novel—I'd consider it more of a memoir, since it lacks the structure of a typical biography/autobiography. Someone who has lived or currently resides in an area with a large immigrant population or simply more settled cultural and ethnic diversity probably would enjoy Amit Chaudhuri's descriptive gifts, but if you're expecting a plot that develops and resolves, you won't find it in Odysseus Abroad.

• My Amazon Review: poetic prose; very little action

week of grace 15

Listing up some small yet significant happenings from the past week.

1. Participating in synchroblog for the first time in a while. I hope it will become one of my regular things again.

2. I've continued sorting, packing, and deciding what to "delete" before relocating. Three big trash bags and a big laundry basket full of misc ready to go to the critter thrift store!

3. First Wednesday evening soup supper of Lent 2015 and afterwards serving as organist for Compline at Church on (the) Hill. Would it be a good idea to make that two line items, esp since I don't have a long list this week?

4. First Holden Evening Prayer of 2015 at Church Around (the) Corner. Not only did we have a lot of guests for family dinner, several people who hadn't known we have prayer/worship rather than bible study after dinner during Lent joined us in the chapel and said they loved it! Two line items again?

5. During his evening prayer meditation/homily, related to his mentioning how enriching diverse experiences can be, Pastor J gave my teaching a shoutout!

6. I've been enjoying reading through the daily lectionary on PCUSA.org—it's a freestanding two-year cycle that does not parallel the Revised Common Lectionary. After only a little more than a week, I'm so appreciating its logic and continuity; I've been writing some verses into my lenten journal.

7. Somehow I've managed to journal something every day in Lent so far.

8. Blackberries again! 12 ounces for $4! last time they were 6 ounces for $2.99, $1 less than $4 the previous time, so they're getting more seasonal with prices correspondingly lower.

9. It's raining! We're still officially drought-stricken, but any precipitation is a major gift and also a big surprise.