Serve God, Save the Planet is written by J. Matthew Sleeth, a former emergency room doctor, ER director, and chief of medical staff. He writes primarily out of his experience in evangelical Christianity, which is reflected by many of the theological assertions in the book. While I don’t necessarily agree with all of the theology he espouses, I do think that his core tenets of tying the care of creation with our love and service of God and fellow humans and are sound.

Though it’s not an incredibly long book (~250 pages total) it does cover a lot of ground. There are 16 chapters in all, so rather than summarize each one I’ll simply hit some of the book’s high and low points and provide some general reflections:

High Points

Style & Format - Sleeth writes in a very readable style, making this a book that can definitely be enjoyed by anyone who has a basic background in Christianity. As I mentioned there are 16 chapters, only 10-15 pages each, and 5 helpful appendices including a workbook, an energy audit, and an environmental to-do list. I could definitely see this book being used as the basis of an ongoing discussion group using the included workbook questions as a starting point.

Global emphasis - An important consideration when talking about the environment is that many of those who suffer the greatest from the damage that is done to the earth live in poorer countries around the world. Sleeth provides global insight into the problems of pollution and overconsumption through both facts and figures as well as personal anecdotes from medical misisons trips.

Practical - This book definitely appeals to my practical side. Even though many of the examples Sleeth shares from his own life are far more drastic than most people will be ready to undertake initially, he does provide other, smaller suggestions that are more easily incorporated into every day living. So while his story of living in a house that is the size of his previous garage may seem like an unattainable goal for some (depending on the size of their garages), his suggestions to use compact flourescent light bulbs, plant vegetable gardens, and hang laundry outside to dry are all more easily incorporated.

Inclusive - I think that too often we focus simply on the actions that are beneficial or detrimental to the environment instead of focusing on the attitudes behind those actions. Sleeth addresses this by grounding creation care in love of God and love of neighbor. He discusses how our attitudes about child-rearing, population control, and even our modern, western fixation on fitness and medical wellbeing can have a large impact on the natural world.

A call to simpler living - I have a theological and spiritual appreciation for simple living. The Church of the Brethren, the denomination I am a part of, has historically emphasized simple living in community as how we are called to live out our faith as Christians. As I read this book, much of what Sleeth said resonated with me not only because of my interest in the environment, but also because I value the quest to seek out a simpler way of life in the midst of modern busyness. What he says about rampant consumerism, our sense of entitlement, and our ignorance of how disproportionately wealthy we are compared to the rest of the world is not new. However, it is something we need to be reminded of often since our commercial-driven media is constantly trying to make us forget.

Low Points

Theological & biblical issues - As I mentioned earlier the theology of the book is more on the evangelical side, and I found my theological hacklesraised by some of the assumptions he puts forth as facts (like some issues of biblical authorship) and some of his choices regarding biblical translations. He uses the King James Version, which in my opinion is based on outdated scholarship and is often contextually irrelevant in the 21st century, and the New Living Translation, which is more of a paraphrase, for many of his scriptural quotations. While I had no trouble reading around these issues and didn’t see them as affronts to my own beliefs, others who have less familiarity or are less comfortable with the diversity of Christian belief may find it more difficult to do so.

Too broad? - I know that just moments ago I praised how inclusive Sleeth is when dealing with the issue of environmental care, yet I wonder if he’s possibly a bit too broad in his approach. Let me explain. Many of the things he writes about do have an impact on the environment, yet some are much more tangential than others. For example, he has entire chapters on his thoughts about television, work patterns and sabbath rest, family dynamics and child rearing, and even a chapter on childhood misconceptions and Santa Claus! While there are no doubt some environmental implications to each of these, the way he writes about them sometimes seems to lack the emphasis I might have hoped for.

Anecdotes - While Sleeth is a very readable writer and a pretty good storyteller, I sometimes found his anecdotes to be a bit much. Almost every chapter seemed to have at least one story from his experiences as an emergency room doctor, a medical missions trip, or his family life. While these stories often serve to prove a point, other times they are a bit graphic and shocking. Maybe that’s what he was going for, turning our stomachs to turn our thought patterns. I’m sure others may appreciate these stories more than I did, so this one I might just chalk up to personal preference.

To Read or Not To Read

Over all I found this to be a very enjoyable and thought-provoking book. I would suggest it to anyone who has an interest in learning how care for the environment can be a natural outgrowth of Christian belief. I also think this would be an excellent read for Christians who might be having a hard time figuring out why so many other Christians are jumping on the environmental bandwagon. They may even find themselves jumping on too!

Those who are already theologically-grounded Christian environmentalists may enjoy reading about Sleeth’s personal lifestyle changes in light of his conviction for creation care. Though I can’t recommend all of his theological nuances, I think his overall reasoning is very sound and I found myself greatly appreciating how he portrays saving the planet to be a natural outgrowth of serving God.

I’ve uploaded a few more photos to my AC Facebook album, sorry Flickr folks I haven’t sent any your way. I’m going to try to get some better (non-camera phone) pics to upload soon. Also, if you’re interested in more general reports of what is happening here at Conference, along with some more pictures, be sure to check out the official Annual Conference news page which is updated every evening.

One part of Annual Conference is the numerous insight sessions that take place on various topics of interest. I enjoyed going to a couple such insight sessions today, titled “Sharing the Good News Within and Beyond our Communities of Faith” and “Engaging our Communities with Jesus.” However one of my favorite events today was an opportunity tonight for those of us who are interested in the emergent church conversation to get together for our own conversation.

This was a special opportunity for me to sit down with people from across the country who are interested in some of the same trains of thought that I am interested in. I read many blogs that deal with the emergent church and I’ve really enjoyed reading the Emergent Brethren blog over the last several months. After tonight I’m going to try much harder to become a regular part of that online community as we work together to see what the emerging church looks like in our various Brethren contexts.

I’ve also purchased a stack of books (many of which are emergent or missionally oriented) and I hope to review some of them here in the coming months. I really do think that the emergent / missional conversation and movement is where the church is headed in order to be relevant and authentic in our society and culture. I see many ways in which the Church of the Brethren, both historically and currently, resonates with this supposedly “new” movement. Expect to hear more from me about this in the future!

One last note about my dining adventures while here in Richmond - last night we ate at the Strawberry Street Cafe and it was wonderful. It’s located in an area of Richmond near Monument Ave. known as “the fan” and has been a favorite eatery there for the last 30 years. Since I normally live quite a bit farther from the sea I took the opportunity to sample some of their crab-based dishes (crab soup, crab quiche, and crab cakes) and they were all splendid. I also got to taste some of their other offerings, all of which were quite good as well. I would definitely recommend it as a nice locally-owned place to check out if you ever happen to find yourself in Richmond, VA!

It was a long drive from Richmond (IN) to Richmond (VA) yesterday, but thankfully I had a friend travelling with me which made the trip much more enjoyable. I’ve been having fun already using my Blackberry to post pictures of my trip online. I tried using the Flickr app that’s available for Blackberry and uploaded a few photos from that. I may upload some more to Flickr, but I think that for the most part I’m going to use a different solution.

Another of the fun, addictive apps for Blackberry is a well-done facebook app that allows you to send messages, post to people’s wall’s, and upload photos. It has allowed me to easily create a new album, tag people, and upload photos almost as soon as I take them. If you’re on facebook, look me up there. If you’re not, don’t worry, not all is lost. There is a publicly accessible version of the photo album!

Last night we had a great worship service and I went with my folks to Sine’ Irish Pub and Restaurant for dinner. The atmosphere was awesome, the pricing was reasonable, and the food was great (though not all that Irish.)

Thus far I’ve spent a lot of time reconnecting with people and visiting the exhibit call. If you’re at Annual Conference and you want to connect, drop me a line here, give a call, send me an email, or leave me a message on the board and we’ll try to cross paths.

I’ll be updating this page occasionally with highlights of conference, so check back soon!

Open Source & Freedom

Linux is an operating system that is based on the “open source” model. In explaining what open source software is, the discussion often shifts quickly to the issue of freedom. One of the attributes of Linux that is often used to convince people to try it is because it’s free, it costs them no money to use it. While this is sometimes true, it is a distortion of the freedom of open source. The phrases that are often used in describing the freedom of open source are “free as in beer” and “free as in speech.” Put briefly, not all open source software is necessarily available free of charge. In fact many of the versions of Linux that are used by businesses and corporations can cost quite a bit. However, true open source software is always free as in speech.

At it’s most basic definition, open source is software where the end-user is allowed to change the source code of the program to suit their needs or desires. This means that if a user is technically savvy enough to know how to make changes in the programming language the software is written in they can adapt it to their particular situation. Often times users are then allowed to redistribute their new version. This contrasts with the “closed source” model, which has been the predominant method in the computer industry and used by companies like Microsoft, in which the end-user is given permission only to use software as the original author intended, and does not allow for any unauthorized changes, modifications, or distribution.

Why does it matter?

For those who could not edit the source code of a program if their life depended on it, why should you care whether or not the software you use is open or closed source? I’ve heard “open source evangelists” take a number of different tacts to this. One is the economic route - the scenario mentioned previously based on acquiring software that is “free as in beer.” While this may appeal to some people’s purse strings, I think it trivializes some of the larger implications of open source. Besides, most average users will never install a new operating system, so to them whatever version of Microsoft Windows (Or Mac OS X) came preinstalled on their computer probably seems just as free in this sense. Similarly, it is an unfortunate reality that software piracy leads to many people acquiring closed source software for free using less-than-legal methods.

In my mind, the attractiveness of open source (and in turn Linux) is that it is a more socially just model for using technology. As a Christian and a concerned world citizen I care whether or not my actions are furthering social justice or hindering it. Open source allows people and populations to adapt and use software in ways that are most useful to their situation, whether it is because of language issues, social context, cultural differences, and so on. Large, closed-source software companies are often less interested in smaller, less economically viable markets because of their primarily profit-based nature. Meanwhile open source allows programs to be translated into many different languages and settings and to be easily (and legally) distributed.

Open source software is available for all different operating systems, with one of the most popular examples being the Mozilla Firefox internet browser. Another great open source program is OpenOffice.org, a full featured open source alternative to Microsoft Office. But in my opinion the ultimate expression of open source is the Linux operating system. Because of its open source nature, there are many different versions (called distributions) of Linux. I personally have chosen to use Ubuntu Linux, but there are many other no-cost options that are just as viable, such as Fedora, openSUSE, Foresight, gOS, and more.

The nice thing about many distributions is that they available on a “LiveCD” which allows potential new users to try the operating system without making any irreversible changes to their computers.

It is important to me to support business practices and institutions that I feel are working toward fairness and equality. This is especially true with technology, because it can create such a rift between the haves and the have-nots. For me, I feel that supporting Linux and open soure software in general are ways to make technology more accessible to a broader range of people. One way I see this happening is through initiatives that make old computers and hardware usable once again by installing Linux and then making them available to people and families that may not otherwise be able to afford a computer.

If you still don’t want to use Linux …

I’ll freely admit that not everyone will want to (or even be able to) switch over to Linux. I promise I won’t think any less of you, and if anyone else does then shame on them. However, there are still some things you can do to help support social justice issues when it comes to computers. If you are interested in open source and don’t want to take the big step of replacing your operating system, give Firefox or OpenOffice a try. If you don’t want to (or can’t for whatever reason) take that step and you still want to support socially just computing, then you might consider donating money to an organization that is working to further such values. I also realize that some of you may not be interested in doing any of these things, even if you agree that Linux and open source are great ways of making technology more accessible. However, there are still some things you can do as well.

Let me tell you a short story: I recently had some interactions with an organization that required me to complete some extensive paperwork for them. (I won’t name any names, but some of you who know me may be able to figure out the identity of this organization.) To complete this paperwork, I had to use a program that only runs in Microsoft Windows. This was a problem for me, since none of my computers use Windows as their primary operating system. Thankfully I was able to set up a “virtual” instance of Windows that allowed me to use this program, but had I not had access to a legitimate Windows license and install CD I wouldn’t have been able to use this program and would not have been able to fill out the important paperwork. After using the program I had to upload a file to this organization’s web site. I first tried this using Firefox on my Linux computer, only to have it fail. I called them and discovered that their web site would only work with Internet Explorer.

I share this story as an example of how you (and others) can support social justice through supporting Linux and open source software. Our actions must not stop at celebrating the fact that there is a free and fair alternative to often expensive and inaccessible closed source programs. Linux and open source software not only address a social justice issue but they also create another. Once people have access to technology and the internet, we must also do what we can to make sure they are not treated as second-class because they do not use Microsoft Windows. Companies and organizations need to realize this as they require the use of computer programs and web sites that only work with Windows.

I don’t expect this article will cause anyone who hasn’t considered using Linux to do so. If it does, by all means let me know how it goes and if you have any questions. It is my hope that together we can begin to help others understand that Linux and other open source programs are not only used by “geeks” anymore, but are a viable alternative for less privileged people in this country and throughout the world, for non-profit organizations (such as churches) who cannot afford to spend lots of money on computers and software, and for users like me who want to support social justice in the area of technology. Regardless of what operating system and other software you may use, it’s time to stop looking down our noses at one another and recognize the social implications of the way we all interact with computers.

In the end I feel that the church is going to be a wonderful place for me to be the pastor, and will provide me with great opportunities to continue to learn and grow as a ministering person. Don’t expect any revealing posts about the congregation or my work there as a pastor, as I intend this to remain a site informed by my own interests and not those of the church. Likewise it should go without saying that anything that I may post here is not in any way meant to represent an endorsement by the church.

I begin my new position June 16th, and while there may be a higher than usual number of posts between now and then don’t be surprised if during the first couple weeks after I start there is a bit of a drop-off.

I’ve read two of his previous books, Preaching Re-Imagined and Church Re-Imagined, so I was excited to hear that he was getting ready to release a new one, titled A Christianity Worth Believing (or ACWB for short.) Here’s a quick “trailer” for the book, from Doug’s blog:

I’m excited about ACWB because it touches on some of the issues that are challenging Christianity and the church as we move into the 21st century and towards postmodernity. There are so many theologies, understandings, and rituals in the church that were created for particular communities in particular times that are no longer necessarily relevant to our time and place. Giving people permission to recognize and name this and the tools to then begin to do something about it is incredibly important to me. I’m hoping that Doug addresses this in this new book.

This fall Doug is going to be trying to host a six-week online book club on ACWB. I’m not sure when it will start, but I’m going to give it a whirl. I guess that means I might have to wait until then to read the book. Either that or I’ll just read it now and then again later. I might also be interested in orchestrating a group reading & conversation series around ACWB as well. This could be either web-based or in person. If you’re interested in doing something like this, speak up and we’ll see what we can put together!

The event I was a part of was not a missional church or emergent conference per se, though there were some very strong missional undercurrents. The jump to emergent is more one of my own. I am drawn towards many of the conversations that are going on that are connected with the larger emergent conversation.

A good friend of mine recently got to be a part of Brian McLaren’s visit to Goshen (IN) and had I not been at my brother’s wedding in Virginia I would have been there too. Just last week I found out about another upcoming opportunity to hear from some of the folks who are at the center of the emergent conversation, the “church basement roadshow.”

I heard about the roadshow from the Emergent Village weblog and was immediately interested. I must admit that much of my interest was generated because of Doug Pagitt’s being a part of the event. I’ve read a couple of his books (Church Re-Imagined, Preaching Re-Imagined) and have been very impressed.  So to see that he was a part of this tour was an instant endorsement for me.

Whenever I see such an event announced the first thing I do is look for the tour dates and locations. After finding them, I began to get disheartened as I read. First leg: west coast. Far from Richmond, IN. Second leg: the heartland (midwest). I had my hopes up for this one, but the closest they come is Kansas City. Third leg: east coast. My heart continued to drop. Having grown up in Virginia, the east coast I know is far from Indiana. Atlanta, Charlotte, Pittsburgh, all the usuals were there. However at the very bottom of the list, the last stop, there it was … Indianapolis! Now I’m not sure whose map they’re using to consider Indy “east coast” but I don’t mind.

I’m putting it on my calendar now … Monday August 4th I’ll be at Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church in Indianapolis to be a part of the Church Basement Roadshow. Let me know if you want to come along!

Just this past weekend there was an event that hasn’t seemed to get a whole lot of coverage in the media. The Compassion Forum was held on the campus of Messiah College yesterday, Sunday April 13th. All three current presidential hopefuls were invited to the event, though John McCain chose not to attend. Some selected clips are available on the Compassion Forum videos page. Videos of the event in its entirety can be found on either YouTube or other similar venues.

What strikes me most is how little of this 90 minute event (aired live on CNN) is being retold in the media. It seems that the only topic most media outlets are talking about are the few minutes from each candidate regarding Obama’s recent comments about how some people are “bitter” about lost jobs and unfulfilled promises. I feel there was much greater depth to this event than is being reported that makes it worth watching for anyone who is interested in learning how these two politicians approach their own faith (and the faith of others) in the public sphere.

The complete videos of the Compassion Forum are also a good opportunity to see what the candidates are like in a less scripted setting, with each giving a number of responses that I felt were thoughtful and honest. These include Hillary Clinton’s comment that she doesn’t know why God allows suffering in the world and Barak Obama’s admission that how God intervenes in the world is a mystery beyond our comprehension. The topics addressed varied widely and included abortion, torture, sex education, poverty, the environment, and yes, how faith impacts our participation in politics and the public sphere. It was this last question that I was particularly interested in. Not because I don’t think the others are important, but because I think it’s an issue that many Christians and other people of faith in this country continue to struggle with.

As I said at the outset of this post, I feel that if we are to be true to our faith then we cannot refuse to allow it to influence our interactions in the political and public square. Does that mean I think that we should dissolve the separation of church and state? Not in the slightest. However it does mean that when we as people of faith engage in the politics of our country that we should not have to check our faith at the door. What excites me most about events such as the Compassion Forum isn’t hearing candidates talk about topics other than healthcare, the war, and the economy. It is the opportunity to see how candidates approach a wide array of topics as persons of faith, putting their religious beliefs in conversation with their political actions.

As I prepare to graduate seminary and enter into what will likely be a relatively visible position of professional ministry, I am reminded that I will be looked to as an example of how to appropriately put faith in conversation with public life. This will especially be the case because of this being an election year. However I believe that being able to enter into such conversations in an intentional and appropriate way is a task that every person of faith should also seek to undertake during such an important time in the life of our nation.

While I’m still unsure of what candidate I will ultimately give my personal support in the upcoming election, I must say that I was very impressed by Barak Obama’s insightful and (in my opinion) appropriate comments about this topic at the Compassion Forum. I’m not sure if I agree 100% with his statement about needing to translate our religious language into one that will appeal to everyone. I would rather say that we must speak in ways that can be heard by others in the interest of starting conversation and moving towards understanding. Here’s the video, let’s hear what you think about all this in the comments …

Having grown up near Roanoke, Virginia and gone to college at Virginia Tech in nearby Blacksburg, I began my “official” trip towards ministry with the Virlina district of the Church of the Brethren (CoB), which encompasses much of southwestern Virginia and about 2/3 of North Carolina. In the CoB there are two levels of credentialing for those seeking to enter into ministry as a vocation. The first of these is licensing, a period which is intended to be a time of discernment, learning, and growing for the ministering person. In my district this licensing period is preceded by a one year pre-licensing period. I began with pre-licensing in the fall of 2005 just before I moved to Richmond, IN for seminary. After spending a year in pre-licensing I was interviewed and approved for licensing the following year.

During my time as a licensed minister I worked in two ministry positions, one with a congregation and one at a neighboring seminary. These helped to give me valuable experience and to grow as a minister. Now, as I prepare to graduate and look towards entering into the vocational ministry I am in the process of becoming ordained. Ordination is intended to provide oversight and accountability for those who are “professional” ministers in the Church of the Brethren. In order to become ordained a person must complete an approved course of ministerial education, such as a Masters of Divinity degree or other training program. You must also be approved by the district, complete the licensing process, and receive a call to ministry.

Thus far I’ve completed the licensing process, I’ve been cleared for graduation from seminary, and as of Friday April 4th I’ve been approved by the district. Now all that stands between me and being fully ordained minister is completing my last four weeks of seminary classes and receiving a call. I’ve completed my profile and begun circulating it, so only time will tell what will come of all my work. Keep me in your prayers these next few weeks as my next steps continue to unfold.

Central to Baker’s model of so-called “girlfriend theology” is providing girls opportunities to share their stories and reflect theologically on those stories with other adolescent girls and older female mentors. The idea is that this will provide safe space for these young women to be “heard to speech” and give them a way to begin constructing their own theologies that are informed by their lived experiences.

Baker makes the critique that early feminists, in their attempt to re-define women’s place in society, often left their young daughters behind. While she herself is deeply informed by feminism she also draws on other branches that have grown out of western feminist theology. These include mujerista theology which draws on the experience of Latin American women, Asian-feminism, and womanist theology from the experience of African-American women. Baker asserts that these other forms of women’s emancipatory theology all do a better job of recognizing the role of young women in the theological process than traditional western feminism.

Baker’s model for engaging in girlfriend theology is a four-step process of “story theology” intended to be undertaken with a small group of adolescents and a couple of adult mentors. The way Baker describes it seems to presuppose that these mentors are women well-versed in both theological and feminist thought, so that they can help the young women to flesh out the thoughts and ideas that may arise. The first step of the process is hearing the story at hand. For each session one woman in the group is asked to prepare a story from her life to share that they find meaningful, but one they have not already shared and reflected on in other settings. It should also be a story without many overtly religious elements (such as a story of conversion) because that may potentially limit the depth of the conversation to be had. Some examples of stories Baker gives are the death of a childhood friend, a cherished memory of a “perfect day”, an experience of relating in a new way with an adult friend or family member, or another time when God seemed particularly close.

After the story has been shared the group enters into a time of sharing their “near” experiences. These include feelings, memories, and associations brought up by the story and noting key themes, symbols, and images that may arise. The group then moves to sharing “distant” experiences and exploring the meaning of the story. During this time theological themes, connections to biblical stories and Christian practices, and even echoes of other religious traditions may be brought into the conversation. This is the time when the question: “where is God in this story” is considered.

The fourth and final step is preparing to go forth from this time of storytelling and reflecting. The group discusses how they have been changed by the story and in what ways they will look at life a little differently now. They consider how the practice of their faith will be changed by what they have learned. Importantly, there is also recognition that different meanings may exist and they should leave space for those differences.

While I greatly appreciate what Baker has done with this book in providing a lengthy support of why it is important to engage in this sort of theological and spiritual formation exercise with young women, I had some difficulty relating to the book and method much of the time. Being a man, I often felt like an outsider looking in, even though this has not always been my experience with feminist-oriented texts. Despite Baker’s assertion early on that this method can be “translated” for groups other than adolescent girls, I think that the many ways she connects this method with feminism and its importance for young women makes it more difficult to make that translation.

I think that for adolescents this process would definitely work best in single-gender groups because of the complicated social dynamics that are at play during that time in live. For slightly older, more mature young adults, let’s say post-college age, I think that mixed-gender groups would be more acceptable. I recently had the opportunity to participate in an example session of this sort of story theology with a mixed age and gender group of fellow seminarians. Since we were a group that had an established relationship it was probably easier for us to enter into this activity than it would be for a group that did not have a preexisting relationship.

I like Baker’s use of story theology and appreciate her way of claiming this form of group theological reflection as one way to reach out to young women during a time in their lives when they are in need of safe and supportive ways to more deeply explore their own faith and spirituality. And while Baker only addresses how important this is for young women, I think it is just as important for young men. I found that her powerful support for why this is so important for women made it more difficult for me to imagine how it could be translated for men. Story theology is undoubtedly a viable way of engaging in group theological reflection in settings other than adolescent girls, however Baker’s girlfriend theology application is so well-supported by her feminist/womanist approach that translating her ideas to other settings seems very awkward.

To Read or Not to Read: Anyone who anticipates engaging in the ongoing spiritual formation of young women (as a Sunday-school teacher, youth group leader, pastor, etc.) should probably put Doing Girlfriend Theology on their reading list. While it would be most helpful to women who are seeking to take up this task,  anyone would probably find it to be a valuable resource for envisioning and providing ways to help adolescent girls grow spiritually and theologically. Otherwise, while some of the ideas covered in this book could be used more widely, if you are interested in reading more about story theology in general there are likely other books that would be more worthwhile and more easily applied in a broader range of settings.