11/19/15 - A Displaced People

11/19/15 - A Displaced People - Syrian Refugees 

Lately the news and social media post are focused on the Syrian refugee debate. Politics, rights, religious views and fears are driving these conversations.  Lost in the middle of all of these debates is that these refugees are people with their own stories and pain and fears.   Lets look at the heart of a people and our heart involvement instead of getting sucked into the refugee debate of politics and fear.

Watch Melissa Flemings Ted Talk:  Let's Help refugees thrive not just survive. 

This Ted talk was from 2014.  This is not a new issue but an ongoing and growing one. Worldwide there were 14.4 million refugees in 2014.  Melissa shares stories of a few refugees giving us a personal heartfelt view of each of their stories. 

If you had to flee from your home what would you take?

How would you react or change if 1/2 your apartment building or neighborhood were Syrian Refugees?

What do you think about her comments on education?

2015 Syria crisis: Fast facts

• 12 million Syrians have fled their homes because of conflict; half are children.
• 4 million Syrians are refugees; most are in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.
• Children affected by the Syrian conflict are at risk of becoming ill, malnourished, abused, or exploited. Millions have been forced to quit school.
• More than 700,000 Syrian refugees and other migrants risked their lives this year to travel to Europe.

What facts from the Ted talk or above caught your attention? 

Take some time to discuss these facts.  

Does knowledge require action? If so what will your action be?

What does "Rescue the weak and the needy" from Psalms mean to you? 

Save the Children posted this video in 2014 to give us a view of how quickly life changed for the children of Syria. 

Bible References:

Psalm 82:3-4 
Defend the weak and the fatherless uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.  Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Luke 10:25-27

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”  27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”  28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”  29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Sources:

http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/refugees-fact-sheet
http://www.worldvision.org/news-stories-videos/syria-war-refugee-crisis

11/12/15 - Are Mormons Christian?

11/12/15 - Are Mormons Christian?

A cult, a Christian denomination, truth?  The Church of Latter-Day Saints of Jesus Christ (LDS, Mormons) seems to be a an organization of intrigue and mystery to many outside of it.  And while the creators of South Park have publicly and comically addressed many minorities, majorities, and everything in between; it seems that LDS is one of the areas where they are unrelenting.

Before watching the video, what do you know about Mormons and their religion?  What are their beliefs to your knowledge?  What are your opinions of the religion?  What are your opinions of them as people?

Watch this episode of South Park about a family who moved to town from Utah.  This is South Park, so expect and prepare for vulgar and offensive humor.

(The image will redirect you to the watchcartoononline website.)

Click to Watch Video

Alright, this takes a little bit of unpacking.  Keep in mind that they have tried to compress much of an entire religion in a 22 minute episode - some stuff has been left out or altered.

Bear in mind, the following is in reference to what Mormon's generally believe in these areas and will, therefore, be referenced as "truth" to avoid the redundancy of the word "allegedly."

Major Things Changed or Omitted

How many people saw the Golden Plates?
In the episode, only Joseph Smith sees the Golden Plates.  There is actually an affidavit signed by eleven other people (plus Joseph) who claim to have seen the plates as well.  It should be noted that three were directly related to Smith (two brothers, and father), one a distant cousin, and five were Davit Whitmore and his four brothers.  This leaves room for some concern regarding legitimacy.

Digging Around All Morning
In the South Park episode Joseph Smith is seen with the Golden Plates and many dug up holes behind him - insinuating he was digging all morning.  The account of Joseph Smith states “I left the field, and went to the place where the messenger had told me the plates were deposited; and owing to the distinctness of the vision which I had had concerning it, I knew the place the instant that I arrived there.”

Joseph Took the Plates Immediately
Actually, Joseph tried to take the plates immediately but Moroni said that it wasn't time so every year on the same day Joseph would return and was not allowed to take them until the fourth year (1827).

Second Coming of Christ
In the episode they say that the Book of Mormon "tells the story of Jesus Christ's second coming here in America."  While the Mormons believe Jesus came to America after His death and resurrection, they do not believe it was the foretold Second Coming; and, like most other Christians, believe the Second Coming has not happened yet.

Stones Used to Translate
Actually, this one was extremely accurate to the Mormon beliefs.  (It just seemed relevant to accentuate that)

The Book was Rewritten
This is true, however Mormons believe it is for other reasons.  God spoke to Joseph Smith after the manuscripts were lost and said that Satan put it in the weak hearts of the people to alter the words to disprove Joseph Smith's story.  Therefore, the book would be written again but with slightly different words to what the original, "altered" version had.

Miscellaneous 
There are obvious moments that are not accurate to Mormon beliefs such as Joseph Smith praying for "yum yums" and the Angel Moroni appearing via spaceship.  We won't dive into those as they seem to be common sense to most viewers as artificial additions by the show.


What was it all about?
After watching the video, what are your thoughts now?  Revisit some of those questions we asked prior to the video.

What are some of the positive stereotypes Mormons have?  In the video it shows them being kind, relatively unobtrusive, accepting, etc.  They also send many of their youth on missions to spread the word of their religion and to gain perspective on the world.  Additionally, they have some of the highest averages of giving per person out of any major religion.

It should be noted that many of these descriptions are strong suggestions and/or requirements of members of LDS.  Tithing, for instance, is required and there is a "tithing settlement" which is an annual meeting with the local bishop or branch president.  If one does not prove that he/she has tithed in full for the year (and is not considered "exempt" - due to unemployment) then he/she cannot partake in temple services.

What's the takeaway?

Mormons believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and was resurrected.  Therefore, they are Christian.  It's important to look for similarities rather than differences throughout life.  Additionally, it's important to look for ways to improve.

Next time you look at the Mormon religion, rather than seeing them as a completely different religion, try to see them as fellow followers of Christ.  And try to learn from the great things they do such as being internationally known as very kind, family oriented people.  While you may not believe that people should be forced to tithe, or forced to do good things to earn divine rewards, perhaps there is still a great deal to improve within your church; within your life.

11/04/15 - A God of Science

11/04/15 - A God of Science

Author Rob Bell recently toured the States with his speech titled "Everything is Spiritual".  Watch this short 6min excerpt from it, or watch the full 1hr 18min version beneath it.

Short 6min Excerpt

Full 1hr 18min

We will only reference the first, shorter one.

Isn't it amazing how unlikely life on this planet is!?!  Rob Bell has been considered somewhat of a controversial figure in Christianity through his books Love Wins, Velvet Elvis, and Sex God (among others).  This time, he tackles the science vs Christianity battle.  However, if you watch the full video, he speaks of many scientific views as truth.  He doesn't waver when addressing the vastness of the universe and doesn't flinch when talking about the age of the earth.

Have you ever argued against science for Christianity sake?

Often times Christians puff their chests to battle against science but do we ever establish why this is?  God created the universe, every intricate detail, including the way it all works harmoniously.  Therefore, if someone could without a doubt prove that the Big Bang were true, would it shake your faith?

Science, in a way, is a perfect form of the pursuit of intelligence, and, more importantly, the pursuit of truth.  People who follow Christ know that He is the truth and should feel comfortable in supporting practices around science as well.  This isn't to say that all people associated with science (scientists, theorists, etc) are perfect (Christ-like) just like, let's face it, many Christians aren't.

Remember, science doesn't destroy God; God created science.

Next, let's look at the vastness of the universe.

NASA released a mesmerizing video of high definition recordings of ultraviolet waves from the sun.  It's a thirty minute video so feel free to click through but notice the huge starbursts and beauty in the celestial body God created for us to gaze upon, bathe under, and see the rest of the beauty of this world with.

Hard to tell how huge those starbursts really are?  See the image below the video with an earth to sun size comparison.

After watching that, think of how amazing it is that God created stars like our sun, and much larger (as in, 1500 times as big as our sun) across a constantly growing universe with intricacies in chemical and, possibly, biological makeup for us to discover and study.  This is the same God who sent His son to die for you.

To God, we are all, individually, the most important thing in the universe.

Bible References

John 3:16-17

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

1 John 4:19

We love each other because he loved us first.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Isaiah 45:12

I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, [even] my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

Hebrews 11:3

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Psalm 111:2

Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.

And because we are all children at heart...

10/15/15 - Yoda Was Too Hard on "Suffering"

10/15/15 - Yoda Was Too Hard on "Suffering"

Perhaps the most memorable movie quote on "suffering" is Yoda's:

However, Eckhart Tolle, extremely popular spiritual author, might disagree with Yoda.  Watch this 5 minute video of his thoughts on suffering:

What are your thoughts of the video?

Eckhart says that "you need suffering to come to a point of ending suffering."  Is this true?

What is a time in which you drew strength from a moment of suffering in your life?

Is suffering, to any extent, a self inflicted action as Tolle suggests?

Eckhart also states that when you see your own suffering, you can avoid inflicting suffering on both yourself and others because "the two go together."  Do you agree?

In what ways has other people's suffering led your own suffering?

In what ways has your suffering caused that in other?

Discussion point:  External Suffering vs Internal Suffering. 

How do we change the way we interpret suffering? 

If we are to truly live like Jesus, does that mean we should embrace suffering as He did?  Should we embrace that suffering for others' sake?  Just as He did...  How did He interpret the suffering He endured for our sake? 

Bible References

2 Corinthians 1:2-4

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

1 Peter 5:10

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Matthew 10:38

Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

10/07/15 - Life is a Song, Start Dancing

10/07/15 - Life is a Song, Start Dancing

10 years ago where did you see yourself today?

Think hard.  We all have done those "where do you see yourself five/ten/twenty years from now" questions.  So what was yours?  Specifically, what goals do you think you accomplished?  Did you graduate high school?  College?  Grad school?  Did you meet someone special?  Did you get that promotion?  Did you start that business?

Pick one of those goals (or likely goals) that you had once upon a time in which you achieved.  Sometimes this can be hard, but you've accomplished something in the last five/ten years to be proud of - so focus on that.  Is life perfect now?  Did you "make it"?  Is it all you dreamed it would be!?!  If the answer is "yes" then congratulations!  I'm guessing that's not the case for someone reading this blog or attending this small group...


Try this: what is a goal that you have achieved in that time frame in which God had planned for you...and possibly you had no idea about at the time?


The philosopher Alan Watts (1915-1973) gave many memorable speeches; watch the video below to hear one of them.  Also of note, you may recognize the art in this video.

The video, you may have guessed, was created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, both of South Park fame.


What are your thoughts on the video?

Have you ever thought of crappy song like what they detail at the beginning of the video?  How boring would that be?

God intended your life to be a song.  Just like Alan states "it was a musical thing, and you were supposed to sing or dance the whole time."

Dancing is a great analogy in this context!  Think of that famous quote "dance like no one is watching."  Why is that quote so popular?  The reason is because people are so self conscious about how good (or bad) they are at dancing that they are constantly worried about how they look instead of doing what the dance is meant for - to have fun.  Have you ever danced with someone who was dancing as if people were watching (self conscious and worried) and then with someone who danced as if no one was watching (fun and free)?

God wants to dance with you and He wants you both to have fun (don't say that to 7th Day Adventists or the people from the Footloose town).


Are you dancing through life?  Or are you just waiting for the dip?


Bible References

Ecclesiastes 5:18
Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot.

Ecclesiastes 2:24
There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,

1 Timothy 6:17
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Matthew 6:24-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ...

John 13:1
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

9/30/15 - Sight is a Perspective

9/30/15 - Sight is a Perspective

Have you heard of the show "Hit RECord on TV" starring Joseph Gordon Levitt?  It is a show which celebrates the global network and focuses on collaborative efforts to create short films, music, stories, etc.

Watch the video below which was taken from one of the Hit RECord on TV episodes.  This particular video is based on a true story essay one woman wrote about an experience when she was 16 years old; Joseph Gordon Levitt adapted it to a script, a woman from Scotland recorded the voice over, a "ton" of visual artists added to the special effects, an animation company volunteered to put it together, while someone composed the music.  A total of 83 contributors (by my count) from around the world uniting to make this short video: that alone is actually pretty cool.

What did you think of the video?

Any key takeaways?

When discussed, our conversation quickly turned to perception.  How interesting it is that when hearing descriptions of the night sky, none were terribly consistent with the rest.  It created a difficult picture to put together for herself.  This girl could only imagine this beautiful sight to be seen by everyone else; but she couldn't see it; and she was struggling to imagine it.

Have you ever struggled to see something beautiful that seems to be observable to everyone else?  What were the circumstances?  Did anyone try to "describe the stars" to you?

On the other side; so many non-believers seem to search to see the "stars" like we can but all we seem to do is describe it to them.

How do you describe Jesus to non-believers?  How about the Holy Spirit?

It wasn't until someone who truly loved this girl, her father, gave her night vision goggles to see that she was finally able to see what everyone was describing; if with her own hue.

What is the "night vision goggles" you've been waiting for to see the beauty?

What "night vision goggles" can you give to someone to introduce them not to the thought of Jesus, but to Jesus himself?

What beauty can you create on your own?  Better yet, what beauty can you create in a collaborative effort with others?



Bible References

2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Matthew 7:21
"Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father will who is in heaven."

2 Corinthians 4:4
In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the Glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Romans 1:19
For what can be known about God is plain to them; because God has shown it to them.

9/24/15 - Vulnerability is the Key to Happiness

9/24/15 - Vulnerability is the Key to Happiness

Brene Brown is a renowned scholar, author, public speaker, and research professor (think of her as a Social Scientist, really).  Her work focuses primarily on vulnerability, courage, self worth, and shame.

Watch this video below of a TED Talk she gave in 2011 on Vulnerability:

In a podcast interview the interviewer, Tim Ferriss, asked Brene about this TED Talk and why she thinks it was so powerful and successful.  Her response was very endearing.  Firstly, she said she didn't know they were recording it for anything - remember that, for the moment.  

Secondly, she was going into the talk unsure exactly of what she would say.  While she has studied and spoken on this topic a number of times she felt compelled to do something different.  So, on the morning of the presentation, she talked to her husband and said to him that she felt she should show some vulnerability that day and share something(s) about herself that she had shame, or fear surrounding.  He asked if she was sure about that and she decided to proceed.

The day after the presentation the video went live on YouTube.  She panicked (again, with her husband) because she thought she was only sharing that vulnerability with a couple hundred attendees in the room; not the world.  Her husband reassured her that "people probably won't watch it anyway, so don't worry."  Within a couple days there were tens of thousands of views on YouTube.  As this is being written there are well over 3.6 million views!

Link to Tim Ferriss interview


Isn't it ironic that a presentation on vulnerability required just that from the presenter?


What are your takeaways from this presentation?

Are you vulnerable with the people closest in your life?

Some people are "too vulnerable."  In that same interview with Tim Ferriss Brene said: "Vulnerability minus boundaries is not vulnerability.  It can be desperation, it can be over sharing, it can be manipulation, it can be a lot of different things but it's not vulnerability."  Do you know people like that?  Do you ever think you are that person?  There's a difference between being authentic and willing to share with those you care about, and giving people too much information to solicit information from them or simply to drive reaction from others.


Below are some key quotes from this TED Talk; ponder them and analyze if they strike you in any way:

"In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen — really seen."

“the courage to be imperfect [...] fully embrace vulnerability [...] the willingness to do something where there are no guarantees.”

"Here’s what I found. What they had in common was a sense of courage. And I want to separate courage and bravery for you for a minute. Courage, the original definition of courage, when it first came into the English language, it’s from the Latin word cor, meaning heart, and the original definition was to tell the story of who are with your whole heart."

"You cannot selectively numb emotions…. when we numb those [painful feelings], we [also] numb joy, we numb gratitude, we numb happiness."

"…vulnerability is the core of shame and fear and our struggle for worthiness, but… it’s also the birthplace of joy, of creativity, of belonging, of love."

Can you find joy, creativity, belonging, love if you aren't vulnerable?
Are you putting yourself in a position to be joyous, creative, loved?


Bible References:

2 Corinthians 6:11-13 

We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

Hebrews 4:12-13 

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Luke 10:3-9 

3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

5 “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’