Nascent Narratives from the Edge of the World

ANOIS 2009 Review

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:05:00 +0000

Well, all said, this year - the sixth - at Anois was the best yet.

We had many new experiences this year- a new venue, new location, some new young people and new leaders! It was hosted at Kilkenny College in, uh, Kilkenny City. I think both the location AND the venue were very good for the event as a whole. Kilkenny offered a wide range of activities available for the young people to be a part of and the school campus was sufficient for the weekend festival.

The theme this year was CANNONBALL - being the 'freak' that God made you to uniquely be and leaving your mark on the world in relationship & partnership with Him. Scott Evans our messenger (and Diocesan Youth Officer for the SouthEast region with the Church of Ireland) did a superb job communicating honestly, authentically and sensitively to the young people. Well done friend! Jeremy Casella (long time friend from Nashville, TN) was, as per usual, very gifted and genuine in his leading of the worship segments. Thanks brother!

I get such a buzz out of seeing the young people being exposed to God in what is often a new light for them and how they respond to the Spirit's work in their lives. May God continue it long after Anois! I also get very excited about working with the fantastic leadership team we have EVERY year. This year was no exception. In fact, we had a huge number of dedicated, passionate volunteer leaders - 55 in all!

So, thanks to each and every one of you . . to the young people of Ireland for making Anois possible and to the leaders for birthing vision into reality . . where we ALL had the opportunity to experience something of God's love and goodness over that weekend. Thank you God for showing up!

Relational Intelligence Report

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Research is telling us that there are many different types of 'intelligence' within the human race. No, that's not just something people who are thick-headed say. It's true - intelligence reaches beyond the simple acquisition of information and knowledge. It basically is identified in those aspects of your person that are the most developed. I just took this Relational Intelligence Survey which gave me a report at the end of it and here are the results:

While it's always important to remember that a survey or test does no define who you are, they can be useful in encouraging self-awareness and reflection. Why don't you take it too and see what turns up?

Go HERE for the survey.

S.O.G. Crew with Risen Magazine

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:13:00 +0000

From my Mag -

Eite TV - S.O.G. Crew with Risen Magazine

S.O.G. Crew:
MySpace
Website

The S.O.G. Crew|MySpace Music Videos

The Spirituality of the Young

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:36:00 +0000

There are roughly two groupings of young people we could address: those not walking with Jesus and those who are His apprentices. While some of the following will pertain to both groupings, we’ll primarily focus on those not yet walking with Jesus.

Let’s look at what we’re talking about when we speak of youth. For purposes of our conversation I’ll be referring to the phase of development in the lives of young people called adolescence. What is adolescence then? It comes from two words in Latin that together convey ‘maturity’.

Adolescence is . . .

Is seen as a period between childhood and full maturity.
Classically this time frame was considered to be the period between the ages of 12-18 but in contemporary times it is often now considered to extend to the mid twenties.

From the 1850’s until the second World War, adolescents often left school when they began maturing physically - the age of puberty. They then took their place in the workforce and were considered to be at the age to take on the responsibilities of marriage and child-rearing. Around the time of WW2 much of the ‘developed’ world introduced compulsory full-time education - except in Ireland where it was adopted in 1965.

Now due to numerous factors including . . .

compulsory education until the age of 18
The proximity of a majority of the Irish population to 3rd level (university) education
The increasing fragmentation of the nuclear family unit from divorce / separation and the resulting lack of confidence in monogamous, life-long relational stability
The relevant affluence of much of the population but increasing suspicion of the lure of materialism and it’s hollow claims
AND possibly the ever-broadening awareness of the world’s problems

. . young people’s dependence on parents or primary care-givers is now stretching into their 20’s, thus lengthening the period of adolescence.

Referring back the mention of relative affluence, it’s important to not underestimate the effect that recent changes - both increasing prosperity and even more recent financial difficulties - have on the formation of young lives. Some of you may remember a book and subsequent television programme that came out in 2006 / 2007 called The Pope’s Children. The book was written by David McWilliams and the show was presented by him as well. It was a fascinating look into Ireland’s culture from the time of Pope John Paul the second’s visit in 1079 until the present time the book was released. The title ‘The Pope’s Children’ refers to the generation born roughly around his visit to these shores. David McWilliams had many insightful comments to make in his presentation. He stated that this was the first time in ages (donkey’s years) that a large majority of Irish children have been able to grow up in the same country as their parents. This change stands in stark contrast to the sad story from ages past where grannies would spend Christmas day sobbing down the phone on Christmas day wanting to see their grandchildren who lived in far off places. Many of the enticements of the presently absent ‘Celtic Tiger’ are what contributed to the Irish being dubbed among the happiest people in the world, and to 7 out of 10 immigrants choosing to live in Ireland over France.

Much of the experience of Irish teens is seemingly contrary to the benefits up til no enjoyed by the European ‘poster child’ for success. In her 2006 book, ‘Celtic Cubs: Inside the mind of the Irish Teenager’, Dublin counselor and psychologist Orla McHugh addresses many of these pressing issues for the Irish adolescent. From even a cursory glance of her table of contents one can see she addresses general parameters for the period of adolescence and then continues delving into issues now often synonymous with the teenage experience: parental separation or divorce, bullying, eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, criminal and anti-social behaviour, depression and suicide. Dated from just last September, an article on RTE’s website read, “The annual report of the National Office for Suicide Prevention shows that Ireland has the fifth highest rate of youth suicide in Europe. Provisional figures show that Ireland's suicide rate rose by just over 10% between 2006 and 2007. The report found men under the age of 35 accounted for 40% of all suicides.” This problem isn’t going away on its own.

Being honest with oneself, it’s sad to be reminded of these very pertinent and pressing issues which so many teens face and realise that while there is hope - there is always hope - we are part of the problem. We’ve heard it said that children suffer because of the sins of the fathers (meaning parents), and while I know I have borne pain inherited from my own parents and those generations before me, I am also leaving some of inherited pain for my children. Either by our implication by being a member of the human race, or by our decision to ignore the issues, we become part of the persistent problem. To some degree we all carry baggage - known or unknown to us - passing something of it on to those who come after us. Fortunately - this is where hope comes in - as people who place their faith in the God-man Jesus Christ, this sad story has a redemptive turn in it. As Christians, redemption is the card we carry since through our lives we demonstrate how God is re-making the Paradise that was once lost . . Intimate, life-giving connection with Him and with one another.

The reason that so many of our young people are lost and are being lost is because they often have no tangible grasp on hope. No demonstrable example of it in their sphere of reference. AS one aspect after another of teens’ lives disillusions them to the reality of a real, lasting ‘Good’ being present to them - the Body of Christ, ‘the Restoration of Humanity’ - has an unmistakeable opportunity to build that bridge of hope for the young people of this land. Let’s not be led to believe that the cold, impersonal, behemoth of an institution some perceive to be the ’church’ will ever, in actuality, offer a saving hope to young people. It has never and will never do so. Thankfully young people are hard to deceive - they see under our pretense and posturing - our layers of protection - much better than we do with one another. Real personal connections matter a great deal to teens, even though they often give in to appearances. As Jesus is quoted as saying in a recent New York Times bestseller, “Being always transcends appearance.”

Because of the centrality of relationship to the God-head, and therefore to humanity itself, it is only truly through authentic, healthy, inspiring relationships that teens will have access to the light we hold inside these ‘jars of clay’. It is passed on, if you will, through assimilation . . as time and concern are given as though someone’s life depends on it - because it often does. I was listening to CNN in the car on the way home this week and I heard about a study which showed that drug, alcohol and cigarette abuse was higher among children that eat three or less dinners a week with their family. Those who ate four or more undistracted (no television or phone use) meals a week with their family were less likely to engage in such destructive behaviour. As they said, ‘it’s not what is on the plate that matters, it’s who’s at the table.’

In order for young people to encounter the living Jesus Christ, to some degree we must share our very lives with them. Programmes can’t be trusted to do this. Good, worthwhile humanitarian service projects can’t do this on their own. Church services and liturgy - as much as we value them - for that matter are only supplemental to an encounter with Jesus Himself. It is only through you and I caring deeply about young people and being available to be present to them that their progress in apprenticeship to Jesus can be made manifest, real, palpable.

All that to say, more and more I find myself not knowing how to separate spirituality from the experiences of our everyday lives. It’s no different for young people as it is for us. If we understand the Gospel to be reconciliatory and redemptive in nature, and salvation to be holistic, then salvation in it’s fullest sense means a reacquisition of all that God originally intended for us as played out in the beginning of creation. As has been shown to me in more recent days, it’s the orientation of people’s souls that matters most - or whether they’re aware of their hunger for God that lies within. If someone is moving God-ward we have much to thank Him for and much to work with. If someone is moving away from Him, embracing their own plans and devices, then our task is much harder. I believe, as was the case in the Gospel story, that the surest way to become like Jesus is to spend time with Him. For many of the young people we walk alongside their initial encounter with that same Jesus will be through our lives, as they reveal that we too have been with Jesus.

The Social Media Revolution!

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:12:00 +0000

This is going to be quickly outdated - but - when it is, the case will be even stronger. Watch and understand . . .

I Can't Believe I Missed This Until Now . .

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:45:00 +0000

I really can't believe I missed this until now! I was impressed with what a bunch of enthusiastic fans accomplished . . it was excellent. That should be a lesson for all of us no matter what we're passionate about! Here's the film's website for more info and behind the scenes coverage.

The ANOIS 2009 Preview!

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:03:00 +0000

Anois Promo from ilovepinatas on Vimeo.

Life Lessons for Leaders

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:40:00 +0000

If you're responsible for pastoring others and are operating in a leadership capacity, you may want to make time to learn from some capable, interesting people of influence in the lessons they have to share from their own lives. This is a *FREE* inline event and it starts today at 9:09a.m. CST in the States. Register and check it out!

From the site:

"THE NINES is a free one-day event that will take place totally on-line. It is designed for all church staff members who want to be motivated and stretched in their leadership. Leadership Network asked some of the church's greatest communicators: 'If you had nine minutes to talk one-on-one with thousands of church leaders, what is the one thing that you would tell them?' The result is a series of passionate and personal messages that will help you and your church navigate into the future."

Some of the messengers are:

Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church)
Reggie McNeal (Leadership Network)
Perry Noble (NewSpring Church)
John Ortberg (Menlo Park Presbyterian)
Steven Furtick (Elevation Church)
Nancy Beach (Willow Creek Church)
Leonard Sweet (Author/Speaker)
Stacy Spencer (New Direction Christian Church)
Ed Stetzer (Lifeway Research)
Mark Batterson (National Community Church)
Dave Ferguson (Community Christian Church)
Alan Hirsch (Forge Mission Training Network)
Dino Rizzo (Healing Place Church)
Dan Kimball (Vintage Faith Church)
Greg Surratt (Seacoast Church)

+ about 50 others!

The Nines from Todd Rhoades on Vimeo.

The STRIP CHURCH

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:15:00 +0000

As ever, I'm so inspired by what Craig Gross and his friends are up to as the Spirit leads them.

The newest inspiration has come in the form of moving to Las Vegas - Sin City - and starting a church (of sorts) on the Strip for people who would not otherwise entertain being in church. They have a number of ministries that are practically meeting the needs of people in the area and that serve as a point of connection with them including offering free water on the sidewalks (see video below), free bus rides in the 'Jesus Loves Sin City' bus, cleaning, cooking and connecting with

prostitutes at brothels and a traveling wedding chapel bus! The church is due to start in December 2009 or January 2010. Of course, there is still the official link with Craig's original effective vision of XXX CHURCH.

Check these links out and see what God is doing in 'sin city'. He's not absent. Sign up for a service trip for yourself or a team from your network. Be prepared to be moved and to stand in wonder of God's goodness and love for people lost to themselves . . and don't forget to give to or pray for the STRIP CHURCH team - if you're the praying type.

Check out EXIT Concerts for another brilliant initiative to reach hurting and at-risk young people in Las Vegas!

Finish with a Great Song

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:51:00 +0000

I think we'll close out this week with a classic killer song from our boys P.O.D. called 'Alive'. Enjoy!

Alive- POD

The Bible, Mary & God's Initiative

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:48:00 +0000

I was just thinking in the car this morning on the way to my office that there is another way in which Christians of the Protestant faith are similar to those of the Catholic faith . . and it's an unexpected one.

One area of major divergence for these two camps is in how they each view the person of Mary, Jesus' mother - or the 'theotokos' in the Greek Orthodox tradition.

The Catholic Church has always had a special status among humanity for the mother of God - and rightly so - after all, she is the mother of God. She is said to have been born free of sin (the Immaculate Conception

) in order to be the 'host' of God in this world. The

Protestant understanding of Mary, the mother of God, is that in all ways she was as any other human being is - except that God chose her for the special purpose of birthing Jesus Christ into the world. She had her purpose, other saints had theirs and you and I have ours. Simple. Done. One musician named Rich Mullins once said that, 'Maybe it's not that Catholics revere Mary too much, maybe it's that we revere each other too little.'

I do not claim to be a theologian - nor do I believe in false dichotomies that give some claim to some special place over others in regards to access to God. I believe Jesus settled that one for us. I do recognise however that some have invested more time, energy and experience in the

pursuit of the One who passionately pursues them and therefore have more to contribute to conversations about God. However, while it may be that Catholics feel they must attribute a 'special righteousness' to Mary in order that she might have been more acceptable to be the one who bore God into the world (being without sin herself); many Protestants have seemingly employed the same principle in the collating and elevation of the Scriptures. The Scriptures (Bible) have been the dominant feature in Protestant theology & praxis, and therefore since all of life and faith under God emanates from the source of God's communiqué to humanity (the Bible) it must be 'protected' and held to be without fault or inaccuracy (seemingly of any kind) since God Himself is immutable, Truth itself and the Source of all things.

In my opinion it seems that in this both Catholics and Protestants are alike - in the Catholic estimation and elevation of Mary the mother of God and in the Protestant estimation and elevation of the Scriptures - in order to make both Mary & the Scriptures more acceptable, pertinent, authoritative (in our eyes?) to ordinary human existence. This is unnecessary and it smells of the human tendency to attempt to build on the efficacy of God's already capable plan of grace and forgiveness. It seems in both of these attempts to 'make good' what God has already done (i.e. 'to prop ourselves up' and contribute something to our own right-standing with God), we reveal what our true belief is . . that what God has done is not already good enough.

Built into the meta-narrative (grand, over-arching story) of God's engagement with humanity is that all the initiation, effort and persistence in chasing us is all His doing. He carries that story where we have dropped it countless times. God has always sought us out. He has always come to our side, reached out to meet us - rather than us elevating ourselves to Him. He has (seemingly) always been committed to getting into the mess and the mire of our human existence in order to communicate something of His depth of love for us. We DO NOT need to clean ourselves up before coming to Him, nor can we. He does this also for us when we do come to Him. In contemporary idiom, "It's all on Him." That's the way it is, always has been and always will be.

There is truth that leads to information and truth that leads to salvation (transformation). Both are good but one is essential. So while I do not personally believe it necessary to defend Mary's sinless holiness nor the Bible's inerrancy, I believe that God has, and is, communicating Himself through both to great effect in people's lives. Both are somehow key to God's unfolding story of love and redemption in the human race. That is not to say that I wish to devalue either. In fact, although my own heritage causes me to lean toward a higher view of Scripture, I do not wish to elevate it (The Word of God) over God Himself - which seems to be common practice in some sectors of the Christian family.

'Let God be true, and every man a liar.' (Romans 3:4)

U2's Photographer

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:26:00 +0000

OK friends, this one is cooler than cool (if that can actually be!) . . . a friend and fellow Dreamer named Peter Neill has a great story I must share.

Peter had been working in the tech world for some time. He's a wizard when it comes to anything to do with software or hardware. A few years ago, Peter began dabbling in photography and subsequently began receiving more invitations to photograph weddings and special events. Just three months ago he turned in his resignation for the technology consultancy work he was doing in order to immerse himself in photography full-time.

This summer Peter was asked to be one of five photographers to capture U2's three Dublin gigs in July, and although that didn't work out, following that invitation he was flown to Sheffield and photographed the band's gig there less than two weeks ago. Below are a few of his sample shots and a link to the full collection from that night here. In addition to this great honour, he has secured work at U2's media company 451 a few days a week!

What excites me most about Peter's story is that he obviously had a notion that his passion was stirring for photography and he followed the Spirit's promptings to step out and move in that direction. He has a very good eye and relationship with the camera. Little could he have known what was ahead when he made those first, most difficult choices to leave what was familiar and comfortable (with a steady paycheck) in order to follow what God put in his soul to be about. God is good. Each person's story is unique and wonderful . . congratulations Peter!

U2 shots here!

For fellow photographers

Risk Everything: The Nathan Lee Story

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:42:00 +0000

So friends, one of the destinations we traveled to this summer in America was Franklin, TN to visits friends Michael & Celeste Guido of PR Ministries (see their picture with us below in the previous post).

Franklin is a beautiful little town about 20 minutes south of Nashville (pictured above) which is now one of '1,000 places to see in North America and Canada before you die'. We have been exploring the possibility of partnering with the Guidos' in their work of pastoring Creatives and their families at some point in the future. While we were staying with them, Guido (as I call him) took me to visit a friend of his who's a musician in Nashville. It was a brief visit, but over the past three weeks I have been moved by his music and life story in this current season he's in. While we were there, Nathan gave me some of his music, including his most recent album (yet to be officially released) called Risk Everything.

Nathan Lee's artistry is authentic, excellent, passionate, and most of all, brutally honest. I love it for all four reasons but most of all because of his passion and honesty. He says it like it is. He is passionately pursuing the One who passionately pursues him. Nathan reveals the full spectrum of life and relationship with his God in his beautiful, engaging and rockin' music. Very seldom do I find resonance like this in someone's music, but much of what he conveys has been my experience of this adventure of life with Jesus over the past twenty one years - everything . . life in it's fullness.

Currently Nathan, after the dissolution of his record label, is venturing out on a 40 day, 40 city tour - just him and his piano - with no venues and no budget to do it. He's just traveling to cities he's chosen and on the day he arrives he'll search for a place to play that night - wherever will have him, as he states, "From truckstops to taco stands,... to rehabs and pubs,... from churches to strip clubs,... to backyard parties and everything in between. I'll have no idea what will happen, or how each day will play out until I get there."

I love this guy's attitude and big balls approach to life and faith! He's actually living out what he writes about and is a living portrait of the title of his newest album - Risk Everything! I've been hugely encouraged, challenged and inspired - in just three weeks - from a mild association with Nathan. If you can buy his album - do it. It reminds me, at times, of Bruce Springsteen and Dave Matthews rolled into one yet transcending both. I'd like to end with a section from one of Nathan's entries in his blog below.

"SO WHY DO I WRITE THIS? …..

We had no money a year ago….and we have no money now…..but if someone would of told us it would cost nearly 37 thousand bucks to pull off the past year….we wouldnt have done it! AGAIN….WHY DO I WRITE THIS???….If you have a dream….If you have something inside of you that keeps you awake at night……GO AFTER IT! Find a way to pay for what you believe in WITH SWEAT….but never let money keep you from where you’re needing to go! Find the people you can walk through life with….find the people you can dream with….find the people you can create with…..& If it comes down to it…..RISK EVERYTHING to make it happen! You only have 1 life…..so do something with it…..NO MATTER how crazy they say you are…(and THEY WILL call you crazy)……no matter how many people get in your way……GO AFTER THE REASON YOU WERE BORN!

I LOVE YA!

cya soon……

Nathan"

Back in Ireland after Summer Sun

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:41:00 +0000

Well friends, it's been a wonderfully refreshing, wildly exciting and brilliantly spent summer holiday in America. We just arrived back on Saturday with mixed emotion on everyone's part.

We had heaps of time with family, making plenty of new memories to fuel future heart

warming moments.

We had time with friends, some old and some new. It was so good to share life together and 'catch up' . . we need more time!

The kids were alive with excitement, anticipation and expectation - it was a joy to watch them!

Now back to whatever God has for us here in this little island on the edge of the world until He tells us otherwise.

Child Sex Trafficking a Growing Concern in U.S.

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Child Sex Trafficking a Growing Concern in U.S.

Posted using ShareThis

A Rest from Communication

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:07:00 +0000

Hello Friends, I hope you are well . . very well! I'm taking a leave of absence from blogging and twittering while on vacation. It's a good practice to approach most of life's practices in a 'breathing style', where there's a coming and going, an in and out, a with and a without - just like our breathing. Mine has come for the next short while. I will, however, be continuing my 'weekly' submissions over at Risen Magazine if you're interested.

Have an unexpectedly great summer. See you in the autumn!

U2'S Summer Scale Up

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:30:00 +0000

'The world's biggest band'© makes a big entry at their first gig in Barcelona, Spain. I read this article last week while at a hotel in Dublin and it seems our Irish lads are off to a great start for this summer's gala. 'The Claw' is the new staging set for the 360 tour and is quite space pod/ship looking. One of the cooler aspects of their first gig was a call Bono placed to the astronauts in orbit - he managed to convince one of them to sign up for the One campaign as well! It'll be interesting to see how this tour pans out over the coming months and whether the new album makes as big of an impact as a few of their previous.

Summer Fun!

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:07:00 +0000

Our youngest is being dedicated this Sunday in our church and we're celebrating with a party @ home. We bought this bouncy castle for the kids to play in when they have friends over. It also has a pool attached at the front which can be filled with balls or water on warm days. I drove an hour away to get this air-filled gift for the kids and I hope it brings hours of joy, but I can't help but wonder how long it will last! The length of the summer perhaps?

The Longest Day

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:26:00 +0000

A week or more ago the world experienced the longest day of the year (in the Northern hemisphere - thanks Jon!). Most of the day went along without me even taking notice that the Summer Solstice was being spent, the hours being burnt away while I was happily oblivious to the fact. It was a great day, with a delicate balance of rest, play time with the family, a bit of ‘daddy’ time on his laptop, a walk in our local forest with our dog and dinner outside on our patio. As the day wound down and I headed to bed, it finally occurred to me that June 21st was the longest day of the year and I felt it had been spent well.

That feeling of heading to bed well rested, well played (out), well fed and all with a happy heart is not my usual experience. Most days I find myself pressing the pedal to the floor in an effort to squeeze every available minute out of the day and use it well (productively). I usually struggle to just chill and intentionally be non-productive even when I don’t have to be. As I sit here in my living room on a Friday night near the end of June, I must admit that there are other things I would rather be doing than writing an article, but I feel the need to be responsible and fulfill a commitment I’ve made to myself and Risen to write. Not to say that I don’t enjoy it - it just takes discipline!

As I lay there in bed after the longest day of the year had passed, I realized that most of my days do not end in this way. I often hit the bed somewhat reluctantly, wishing I had more time in the day and more energy to be about all the creative ventures I have in my heart and head. This is not a good way to live life. There is a reason God has given us a certain number of hours and a specific amount of energy to expend each day. We are finite and have limitations (in spite of my regular attempts to prove this incorrect), but God has offered some of His infinite resources to us - not to diminish our human boundaries, but to complement them. If we believe in a God who is good through and through (even in the midst of life’s most trying experiences), then we must conclude that He not only keeps us from being tempted beyond what we can handle, He also gives us just what we need to be about all He asks of us for each day. Hmmmm, I smell Truth nearby . . .

So, if in creating the world, God built in a framework or limits for how I can exist in health and happiness with my fellow human beings, then it’s I who must change rather than demanding more. Even on the longest day of the year most of us would hit the bed feeling there weren’t enough hours in the day. The truth is - there are. Therefore, it’s up to each one of us to learn how to manage ourselves, the resources at our fingertips and the day we’re given - not to get as much done as we possibly can, but to live well and live free of the tyranny of the urgent. I struggle with this, but I know it is true. This kind of living requires a double dose of discernment and discipline. Discernment helps us to choose wisely that which we commit ourselves to and that to which we say no. It also helps us to prioritize those people and projects we’re committed to. Discipline on the other hand helps us give each investment of ourselves whole-hearted attention and sufficient time. Discipline is what helps us move intention into reality. It’s the mid-wife of our aspirations and dreams.

In the early years of my thirties I began reflecting on my life; how fast it was moving, the people that meant the most to me and the dreams that I had experienced becoming reality along with those I had yet to. I felt that no matter how much more life I was given, I wanted to live it better than the first thirty years. I wanted to become a better steward of all that God had graced me with, including my time, my strength, physical resources, my work, passions, gifts and my relationships. In order for this to happen I entered into a time of intense reflection and honest assessment of my life. I considered what I would need to accomplish my desire to live life more efficiently, more healthily . . to the full. I’d need regular doses of truth (the Scriptures are a mirror for my soul), a supportive wife and great friends to keep me in check. So began an attempt to discover life to the full that Jesus spoke of in John 10:10. I can say without any reservation that it will take the rest of my life to learn how to live it well, but I’m committed to the process and it feels right. The journey takes a turn toward the horizon of possibilities and I believe I’m heading the right direction.

Are you ready for a change?

===============================

Posted originally @

'Boom Boom Pow' - Black Eyed Peas style

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:36:00 +0000

This song is addictive, a few other songs have catchy tunes but most of the album seems to be choc-full of C-R-A-P. The lyrics are often just fluff and filler with epic moments of self-absorption and the destructive pursuit of pleasure for pleasure's sake. It's sad to see talent begin to implode and no longer be inspirational.

God draw them back . . to You.

Then we'll know 'tonight's gonna be a good, good night!'

A Prayer for Ireland

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:32:00 +0000

I was listening to this song from KJ-52 again yesterday morning as I was out for my early morning run and I just felt that this is God's song for Ireland right now in its history. God has moved heavily and used the people of this island for great purposes in the past and so much of it has been lost - only the shadows remain - but God's not finished with this little island on the edge of the world! His invitation remains extended to the Irish and to each one of us, to walk with Him in intimate relationship and dynamic, collaborative friendship in which we become the people He designed us to be and dreams that we can become. So many of us live portions of, or our whole lives ASLEEP and never truly, really experiencing the height, breadth and depth of REAL LIVING God offers each person. It's time to WAKE UP . . .

'Wake Up' lyrics:

How long you gonna sleep
How long you gonna act like you gonna act
Be how you wanna be
So when you gonna see
You need to get the facts but you wanna laugh
At what I'm gonna speak
You steady sinking deep
Plus ya sinking fast why you running back
Man why you wanna leave
So whats it gonna be
You need to get with that but your missed the fact
That what I'm gonna speak
This aint all a dream
You can try to dash but you gonna have
To face your reality
So this is what I seen
One day it's gonna crash then you'll understand
Everything I'm gonna mean

Wake up wake up Wake up wake why are you falling asleep

So what you wanna do
You turn off the lights then you run and hide
And act like you never knew
Man you aint gotta clue
But you think you're right every single time you
Do what you wanna do
So when you gonna choose
When you gonna try to find your peace of mind
It's right there in front of you
It's time to make a move
You can still deny but the time's running out
Very very soon
So what I gotta prove
Why you walking blind when the signs
Is so obviously coming thru
Man this is now for you
You can try to lie and just still deny
But can't change what is true

I Am Second

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:10:00 +0000

Here's a very interesting site for various reasons:

1) It's aesthetically pleasing and presented very, very well = tasteful.

2) The people interviewed are extremely honest and authentic as they share their stories.

3) It's more than a public 'showpiece', they've set up a network of small groups with resources to help people find health, freedom and hope through intimate connections with others and God.

[click on the image to visit the site]

Watching The Lord of the Rings in Tehran

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:30:00 +0000

This is a brilliant article written by a resident of Tehran, Iran. He has some very keen insights into the struggle now dominating their country's political life and makes some very interesting connections between the film and how it is viewed through the eyes of discontented Iranians. Enjoy and add your voice if you think injustice has been rampant in that country!
==============================================

Watching The Lord of the Rings in Tehran

On June 23, Iranian security forces, reportedly using live ammunition, clashed with protesters numbering in the hundreds in the area of the country's parliament in Tehran. At the same time, there were indications that a behind-the-scenes struggle was intensifying in the corridors of power even as the government continued its campaign to quiet the populace through propaganda and entertainment. A resident of the capital, who asked for anonymity, sent TIME the following report:

In normal times, Iranian television usually treats its viewers to one or two Hollywood or European movie nights a week. But these are not normal times, so it's been two or three such movies a day. It's part of the push to keep people at home and off the streets, to keep us busy, to get us out of the regime's hair. The message is "Don't worry, be happy." Channel Two is putting on a Lord of the Rings marathon as part of the government's efforts to restore peace.

Lots of people, adults and kids, are watching in the room with me. On the screen, Gandalf the Grey returns to the Fellowship as Gandalf the White. He casts a blinding white light, his face hidden behind a halo. Someone blurts out, "Imam zaman e?!" (Is it the Imam?!) It is a reference, of course, to the white-bearded Ayatullah Khomeini, who is respectfully called Imam Khomeini. But "Imam" is at the same time a title of the Mahdi, a messianic figure that Muslims believe will come to save true believers from powerful evildoers at the time of the apocalypse. Isn't that our predicament?

I wonder which official picked this film, starting to suspect, even hope, that there is a subversive soul manning the controls at seda va sima, central broadcasting. It is way too easy to find political meaning in the film, to draw comparisons to what is happening in real life. There are themes that seem to allude to Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the candidate President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims to have defeated: the unwanted quest and the risking of life in pursuit of an unanticipated destiny. Could he be Boromir, the imperfect warrior who is heroic at the end, dying to defend humanity? Didn't Mousavi talk about being ready for martyrdom?

And listen: there is the sly reference to Ahmadinejad. Iranian films are dubbed very expertly. So listen to the Farsi word they use for hobbit and dwarf: kootoole, little person. Kootoole, of course, was and is the term used in many of the chants out on the street against the diminutive President. In the eye of the beholder in Tehran, the movie is transformed into an Iranian epic. When Gandalf's white steed strides into the frame, local viewers see Rakhsh, the mythical horse of the Rostam, the great champion of the Shahnameh, the thousand-year-old national epic. "Bah, bah ... Rakhsh! Rakhsham amad!" someone says in awe.

At the moment, the ancient Treebeard bears Pippin through the forest, and the hobbit asks, "And whose side are you on?" Those of us watching already know the answer: Mousavi! Treebeard is decked in green, after all. That's as much as we can see of an opposition viewpoint on TV. The news has a droning sameness, the official message being "politics is a nasty business, but now it's over." At least nothing is really being hidden anymore. Except for that first night, Saturday the 20th of June, the broadcasts have not shied away from the violence. But they've found a way to turn it inside out, make it about the protesters and not what has happened. When they want to make a point, they lay it on, 10 minutes, sometimes close to 15. As a friend says, "This is not news. It's interpretation."

Finish the article

Cigars, Cigars, Cigars

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:30:00 +0000

I just walked past this shop / cafe on Grafton Street in Dublin. It's been a long time since I had a cigar and the smell piqued my interest again. I usually only partake of these fine pleasures a couple of times a year on special occasions (seeing an old friend, a wedding, the birth of a child, etc.) and not often enough! I'm hoping to do so this summer when I have some time w/ good friends in the States. Not soon enough!

Jeremy Begbie: Theology through the arts

shane@ciyd.org (Shane Tucker) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:30:00 +0000

I came across this page today and experienced one of those moments of 'convergence' where various aspects of your person seem to meet and greet each other for a bit, trying to decide whether to be friends. These days I think I'm homing in on my own sense of purpose, getting that bit closer to being about what I was made to be about. Artists-theologian Jeremy Begbie has been helping me to do that. His most recent book, 'Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music' is on my 'To Read' list. I posted about it earlier here.

I have heard his name recommended to me a number of times and have read some reviews of his books. Today I got to hear from him directly through a 13 minute video exploring the inter-relationship of music and theology. It's all resonating in a place very deep within me. The crazy thing is I'm not really musical at all! I've played around with violin and guitar in the past but was never disciplined enough to keep with it.

See how what Jeremy offers here connects with you . . .