Thursday, March 3, 2011
Love Wins?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Chlorine Preference
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Pepperdine Reflections Part 2: Shon Smith ~ Can I get a Witness
Monday, May 10, 2010
Pepperdine Reflections Part 1

Monday, April 12, 2010
"Garbage in Garbage Out" A New Metaphor of Hope
"Garbage in, garbage out." I remember this metaphor to be a popular one, especially for church youth. It is rather simple in nature. What we decide what goes in our beings, it eventually will be brought out. Our hearts can only draw upon the same reservoirs in which we actively fill each day. And it is our decisions that will ultimately lead to what comes out of us. I can remember hearing Sunday school lessons using the consumption of food as an example within this context. If you eat good things, our bodies will reflect this. However, if you eat unhealthy things, our bodies will certainly reflect this as well. The "garbage in, garbage out" metaphor was often used to caution youth on what one should consume. Often this metaphor was used to imply that the music one listens to, the movies that one watches, and the friends that one has, will directly dictate how one lives, and what will come out of us as action, good or bad. As my previous posts on traditional church metaphors, I hope to use this "garbage in, garbage out" to guide us in new discussions, beyond the ones that we might have become accustomed to.
Something that is a real concern for me is the prevailing church thought that God is so heavenly, that He no earthy good. The churches mission has been consumed through the theology of transaction-ology. (Yes I just made that up. ) The transaction looks something like this,
Problem: We are all destined for Hell
Solution: Jesus shed His blood so that we can be destined for Heaven instead of hell
Conclusion: Choose Jesus, go to heaven, or don't choose Jesus and go to hell.
Because of this prevailing thought of transaction-ology, this directly effects what our mission has been. This is where our traditional metaphor of "garbage in, garbage out" can guide us into further productive conversations. The "garbage in" can be this transaction-ology. We have been fed a steady menu of a "no earthly good" diet. We have been told that life can be rough now, but heaven is right around the corner. This diet has led to some problematic themes for the church. We have built fantastic buildings and created "attractions" to bring in the lost. Our church curriculum and programs are bigger and better. Our hope is that by creating flashy marketing for our churches, we will be able to bring more people to our buildings. If more people are in our buildings, they will hear more "Jesus talk", which will lead to an eventual acceptance of this transaction-ology. The metaphor of "Garbage in Garbage out" teaches us that our answers are only as good as the questions we present. In this case, our answers are stemming from the assumption that the good news that Jesus brought to us is no earthly good. Instead Jesus is only good for the heavenly bliss that will soon follow a certain death that all of us face.
A day has dawned within the church for new questions. Church folks have realized that our answers are only as good as the questions we have been asking. The metaphor of "Garbage in Garbage out" can bring new discussions that are not just stemmed within the moral-consumption paradigm. Perhaps we can extend these discussions into a new paradigm all together, mission.
Here is just a thought, but instead of a church in which the mission is to attract "the lost" to us so we can introduce them to transaction-ology, perhaps we should model the churches mission in light of how God reached out to us. He didn't hand us a formula or a transaction. He didn't expect us to climb into His realm to reach for salvation Instead he wrapped himself in the same flesh and blood that we too are wrapped in. He showed up on our stomping grounds. Love was no longer a concept, but a reality in the self-sacrificial life of Jesus. The questions that we have relied on are not sufficient, nor will it be for any new discussions either. But perhaps and appropriate response to "Garbage in Garbage out" is a new question all together.
Let me pose this new question,
What does it mean to be an incarnate church that centers its mission on showing up to the prevailing cultures around us rather then hoping for the cultures around us to show up to our churches? I think some of the conversations that can stem from this question is limitless. Yes, "Garbage in, Garbage out" can be an accurate phrase. This being said, I wonder if a new phrase altogether can be redeemed. Perhaps "Hope in, Hope out" can be an appropriate response to new discussions on what it means to be an incarnate church.
-Dan Jones
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Book Recommendation; After You Believe by N. T. Wright
The premise of what N.T. Wright sets out to do in After You Believe is best summed up in the subtitle, “Why Christian Character Matters”. This is a fair and honest question that deserves the 280 pages that Wright dedicates in exploring this question. In a world of propositional faith within western Christianity, (Problem? Sin! Solution? Jesus!), this question seems to beg us for an answer. One may be surprised by the direction that Wright takes this premise. You will not find a list of do’s and don’ts. Instead, as a seasoned archaeologist uses the finest tools and due diligence to uncover an ancient civilization, Wright too uncovers the New Testament world in relation to Christian character.
Wright argues that Christian character is not something that can be accomplished in rules and laws. Yet, Christian character also cannot be accomplished by spontaneity of the heart either. (You may find forms of this ongoing/polarized conversation in many churches today). What Wright does propose is an active aligning of ourselves to the unfolding story in God’s kingdom. As we do so, our character, or virtue, will be shaped by our hope for a resurrection. Wright points to faith, hope, and love along with the fruit of the Spirit, to give a frame work that will allow “virtue” to flourish.
What do we do after we believe? If you are like me the pat answers to this question have never sufficed. Some say we should wait for heaven and bring as many people with us. But is there more? Are we just here for good behavior and a shared morality? If these questions resonate with you, then After You Believe is an excellent starting point for a proper framing of purpose within the context of virtue.
-Dan Jones


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free by The Ooze Viral Bloggers in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”