thoughts and travels

Apparently many people are reading my blog without leaving comments, so I guess that means I should update it more often as an act of faith. :) The week before last found me and my best friend Adam attending the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in Washington D.C. The meeting itself was overwhelming - hundreds of really smart middle-aged white guys (mostly) talking about the latest and greatest in the world of evangelical theology. Fortunately, the theme of this year's meeting was "Christians in the Public Square", so I was able to attend a number of talks that held practical value for me as a pastor. I was most impressed and moved by Shane Claiborne and Chip Anderson (see the link to his paper on "Widows in our Temple Courts"), neither of whom are theologians by trade. Shane is an activist and Chip works for an economic development firm in Norwalk, CT. Shane's book, The Irresistible Revolution, will rock your world. What gave weight to them over everyone else is the fact that they are out there doing the things that they are talking about and not simply talking about them. Hmm. Don't get me wrong, I believe that there is a place for good Biblical scholarship and theology, but I have to admit that I left the conference both comforted and disturbed. Comforted by the fact that there was more diversity there than I had expected (theologically speaking) and disturbed by some of the inner politics and, to be crass, the pissing matches (mostly one-sided) between the old-guard and new-guard. To paraphrase Greg Boyd, why can't we get past the fact that there are good, Bible-believing Christians who come down on different sides of big issues and get on with our job of being Jesus to a hurting and hopeless world. Novel idea! But I'm guilty here as well..... At any rate, I had a great time hanging out with Adam and seeing the sights and sites of our nation's capitol. I was most moved by my visit to the Holocaust Museum. I left with the overwhelming sense that I share in the guilt of human rights abuses around the world by my apathy and silence. I found time to continue my practice of walking Capitol Hill and trying to connect with the down and out. How convenient for me that my vacation took me to a very different Capitol Hill than the one I'm used to in Denver! I walked past a homeless war vet who sat on the sidewalk near Union Station. I was very hungry and trying to find a place to grab a bite. Instead, I curbed my appetite and bought him a hot dog and a coke. I sat down next to him to offer up a small dinner and he seemed to tolerate me for the first minute or two. Then he said, "Alright, what's your spiel? What do you want with me?" I told him that I wanted nothing more than to share his company for a half hour or so. Tears immediately began to fill his eyes. "No one ever wants to just sit and talk" he replied, "Everyone has an agenda." My mind went back to a man in Denver who, in the middle of a conversation about everyday life, blurted out "Ok, now when are you gonna tell me about Jesus and try and get me saved?" My heart just goes out to both of these men. They were so used to being treated as commodified objects that an outsider who just wanted to get to know them was outside of their frame of reference. Food for more than just thought, that's for sure. I got to attend church with one of my wife's best friends, Kristin Bailey. She attends a beautiful little church called New Community. There were maybe 40 people in attendance - just enough but not too many for everyone in the room to share praises and prayers and connect in a very personal way. Kind of like a big small group. They truly were a community and embodied Christ to each other and their neighborhood. I have been doing a bit of reading lately - "The Irresistible Revolution", "Mountains Beyond Mountains", and "Four Views on Hell". I've already mentioned "The Irresistible Revolution." Buy it. Shane Claiborne is a guy who takes Jesus at His word and is doing all he can to usher in the kingdom of heaven. "Mountains Beyond Mountains" tells the incredible story of public health pioneer Paul Farmer, a true advocate for the poorest of the poor. He is adamant in his claim that there is a direct relation between extreme poverty and health epidemics of the worst sort. Check out this book as well as his organization, Partners in Health. "Four Views on Hell" is not exactly light reading, but it is very revealing, at least to me. Zondervan has published a number of books with similar titles on subjects such as Creation vs. Evolution, Canannite Genocide, the Rapture, etc. The basic format is to take four theologians with differing views on important topics and let them each plead their case. After each presentation, the other authors are given a chance to respond to each other. The books are great not just for the subject matter, but for giving a very revealing insight into the interpretive methods and presuppositions that each author brings (or doesn't bring) to the table. Well, if you are a theology geek like me you may like them! Musically, I cannot get enough of Traindodge!!! As their website states, they will melt your face with their rock 'n' roll death grip! Amazing musicianship, tight grooves, a strong sense of melody, and gut puching power! I had the privilege of seeing them live about six years ago and they left my jaw on the floor. Not for the faint of heart, but check 'em out if you are so inclined. Their double disc, The Truth, is in heavy rotation in the Dunbar household. Oh! My favorite band, Hammock, has a new record out called "Raising Your Voice...Trying To Stop An Echo". Hammock makes the most beautiful and sacred sounding music I've ever heard. A link to their website is on the main page of this blog.