Archive for the ‘giving’ Category

It comes down to this: What story are you going to embrace? The story of the popular culture? Or THE story? What’s your new tradition for Christmas? How will you celebrate the coming of God to earth in the person of Jesus? He offered salvation and freedom. How about you? Will you share the same message or remain a slave to deadening consumption and commercialism?

What story are you going to embrace? The story of the popular culture? Or THE story? What’s your new tradition?

“Put the ‘Christ’ back in Christmas.” This is just one of many Facebook Groups that frustrates, agitates, and irritates me. If you are a part of a similar Group or Fan Page then I highly encourage you to “un-Group” or “un-Fan” (which seems fitting since “unfriend” is the 2009 Word of the Year). The real problem is not that the word “Christ” is substituted with an “X.” On the contrary, it is our modern, western, and commercial/consumptive adaptations of Christmas that need rethought and reformed. The ancient symbol “X” was used to represent the Christ. “X” is the letter “Chi” (pronounced Kie) which begins the Greek spelling of “christos” or what we now call “Christ.” The “X” in “X-Mas” is simply an abbreviated form of the same idea but involves an ancient representation of the person of Jesus. What if we reclaimed an “ancient” celebration of the birth of Jesus? What if we were less concerned with wrapping paper, stuffing stockings, shopping trips and what to buy? What if we ushered in a new/old way of celebrating Christmas that reflects more genuinely the person of Jesus? What would that look like?

“All I Want for Christmas.” It’s an interesting title isn’t it? As if Christmas is about me. As if Christmas should be about what I want. Well, I suppose it depends on what one wants for Christmas. I have a hard time accepting things for Christmas that either specifically benefit me and not those around me or perpetuate a cycle of entitlement, greed, and the desire to consume. So… all I want for Christmas is for our celebration of God coming to earth to reflect the love for all people that is demonstrated in God’s self-disclosure as an act of giving. As the popular saying goes, “‘Tis better to give than to receive.”

“If anyone is looking for any last minute gift ideas” (for me or for anyone else) here is what I recommend giving. The idea is that the reception of a gift is actually centered on giving to another.

Scarf
Purchase of a hand-crafted/crocheted scarf from Kelly Smith to help our friends James and Kelly bring home the newest member of their family. Every dollar raised will be used toward adoption expenses to give one Ethiopian orphan a home. Customize your scarf by choosing your color (most colors available) and style (skinny, wide, fringe, no fringe). Skinny scarves are $15 and wide are $20. To place an order today email Kelly at: ophelia2377@hotmail.com. Sarah and I both would not only each like one but also hope that you will enter into the Smith’s story and consider supporting them financially and in prayer. Visit their blog.

Beads for Life
90% of the cost of a Beads for Life product go directly to the females in Africa who create the necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.

Books from Amazon
If you are purchasing anything from Amazon.com then please link to Amazon through any of the Amazon widgets or lists located here at subversiveREFORMATION.com. Each purchase referred from subversiveREFORMATION.com earns Travis, Sarah, and Kyla a percentage of the cost which will be deposited into their adoption fund. Additionally, what better gift might there be than a book which is used for the learning and teaching about the church and the way of Jesus? You may also search Travis Keller’s Wish List using the “TEXT” tab on ssubversiveREFORMATION.com.

Manure
This green gift transforms waste into power—agricultural power. Organic manure increases crop yields and is cheaper, greener, and safer than chemical fertilizers. So, show your loved ones that you really “give a $%@#” for our planet. The gift goes directly to improve the lives of people living in poverty through OxFam America Unwrapped.

World Food Programme Feed Bag
The FEED 1 bag is a stylish, well-designed and reversible burlap and 100% organic cotton ladies’ carrying tote bag sold to help raise awareness and funds for child hunger. When you purchase a FEED 1 bag, you will guarantee that ONE child is fed in school for ONE full year through the United Nations World Food Program. To date, FEED Projects various partnerships have led to over $4 million for WFP school feeding.

ONE.org Africa Shirt
The tees are made of 100% organic African cotton and were made in Uganda. Shirts are available in both men’s and women’s sizes. ONE is a grassroots campaign and advocacy organization backed by more than 2 million people who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Cofounded by Bono and other campaigners, ONE is nonpartisan and works closely with African policy makers and activists.

What other creative gift ideas do you have?

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Our celebration of Christmas has become the commercial exploitation of Jesus. God showed up on earth to bring that which is wrong back to rights and we attempt to honor that God by misusing our resources and giving ourselves to the commercial entities that prey on the human bend to “need more.”

“I have to have it. It’s bigger. Its’ better. I have to have it. Or… I have to give it. Because then I can mend a broken relationship or show love by filling someone’s longing or addiction to have more stuff. It… completes…. me.”

Is there a better way? Is there a better way to worship the coming of the King?

How are you celebrating Christmas?
Black Friday shopping?
Spending time at a nursing home offering time and attention?
Going to see A Christmas Carol in 3-D?
Sending life-giving resources to children who do not have food?
Carving the holiday ham?
Watching Christmas Vacation repeatedly?
Black Friday shopping?
Buying stuff?
Using vacation time to read to your child?
Attending a religious gathering?

Is there a better way?

It’s coming. The day marked for the celebration of the birth of Jesus is nearing. Comments are frequently made about the origination of the holiday being pagan. I would argue that which was pagan and made religious has largely become pagan again. The “celebration” that we now call Christmas has become the commercial exploitation of God coming into the brokenness of humanity.

It’s coming. Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving, millions of people will sacrifice a full night of sleep and either stay up all night or awake very early to drive their vehicles to shopping malls and retail stores across the country. Long lines, crammed traffic grids, and hateful behaviors are no deterents from the “cost savings” for the mass purchasing of items that may or may not be needed. We’ll discuss the idea of a “need” soon (for those of you coming to the Narrative Gathering on Monday nights be thinking about what a need is). Black Friday is an interesting social phenomenon. Why do consumers think they are “saving” money? Do consumers consider what money actually is? Are the majority of purchases on Black Friday for items that would be purchased even if “sales” didn’t exist? Is the purchasing of items encouraging unfair trade or even slavery in other countries? Pick a question or add a question and we’ll kick it around. Of course, my hope is that we all begin to consider the fullness of what it means to consume, buy, worship, purchase, and enslave while imagining what alternative behavior may be more life sustaining as we celebrate the coming of God into human reality.

“Teaching Little Kyla…”
A series on Travis and Sarah’s journey of parental flubs, flaws, failures and accidental^ fortune.

The Invisible Children and Remember Nhu Clubs at MVNU are hosting an Art and Poetry awareness and fundraising event tonight (Wednesday) in the student union. Kyla will be presenting her piece of art that she and I composed this weekend. Her piece is called “Red and Yellow, Black and White” in reference to the song, “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” As we talked about “all the children of the world” and our need to show and express love to all, Kyla used her hands and fingers to paint red, yellow, and black around a cut-out of Africa that I drew, cut out, and taped to the canvas board making a white silhouette of the country where the dehumanization of children continues through militarization and exploitation. Though I cannot talk with Kyla yet about child soldiers and sexual trafficking, she can begin to understand that love and kindness for all of humanity. Eventually, she’ll hear their stories.

We are incapable to loving absent from relationship. We are incapable of relationship absent from the context of story. We have to learn about each other. We have to be aware of the formative life experiences that make us who we are both individually and as a collective group of people in a global community.

The world is our canvas. May we cover it with strokes of love.

^ There is someone(s) greater than me/us (a divine being and a community of people) that intercede with grace and giving.

The Extended Melody Project benefit concert is tonight in just a half hour. Admission is a $5 donation (though you can give more) and all monetary income from admission, concessions, and shirt sales is donated to an orphanage in Cambodia through Asia’s Hope. Shirts cost $10 U.S. Dollars and are sweet as evidenced below. It is a new cut and fabric from Gildan that is very similar to American Apparel.

Do you like music? Do you like orphans? Admittedly, the second question is awkward. Awkward and real. Awkward even in three senses: 1.) Most people reading this blog probably do not like the fact that any child would be orphaned; 2) The term and idea of “orphan” is not the core identity of any child; and 3) Questioning one’s commitment or lack of commitment to acting on behalf of the fatherless may create some discomfort and/or conviction.

Two students at MVNU approached me last year with the idea to do a benefit concert as a social event in order to raise money for resources needed at an orphanage in Brasil. I said “do it.” The short version of the story is that they did do it and they are doing it again. Please visit the Extended Melody Project (EMP) page and become a Fan on Facebook. EMP will be held at Ibiza 33 in Mount Vernon, OH on Friday, October 30. (4) or (5) bands will be playing and all funds from admission and t-shirt / concession sales will be donated to an orphanage in Cambodia.

The church is being the church.

Anyone want to sponsor the event? Any creative ideas?

Informational video to be posted after editing and processing finalized. Updates to our adoption page will be posted soon as well.

In case anyone is looking for any last minute gift ideas:

What is the gift for? Nothing. It’s just that there is never a bad time to quote Christmas Vacation.