I am leaving for Haiti tomorrow morning to film a documentary.

Since 2005, I have been involved with a non-profit organization called the Haiti Mission Project (HMP). Our group has been connected with churches, individuals and organizations in Haiti for over 10 years now, mostly through trips to Haiti, but also through the friendships that have grown out of those trips (both with other Americans from groups, but also with the Haitian people who we spent time with during the trips). We have even helped some of our Haitian friends come to the U.S. to visit, and because many of us have gone to Haiti several times, we no longer see our trips so much as “mission trips” – although we certainly do “mission work” while we’re in Haiti, currently including a building project that will include an orphanage, medical clinic and food storage/distribution center near Lilavois – but our trips are also an excuse to visit our friends.

The biggest struggle and frustration that comes with each trip is sharing what we’ve seen and experienced in Haiti with people back in the states, people who will never experience those realities in person. Perhaps some of you have experienced this same frustration after visiting other countries, or even different contexts here in America.

This frustration has been wearing one a few of us for some time now, and we’ve finally decided to try doing something in response. Tomorrow morning, I will be going to Haiti with a talented film student from California (and two others) to attempt to capture some glimpses of everyday life in Haiti by making a documentary. We realize that anything we capture will be from our perspective as Americans - how can it not be, since we will be holding the cameras? - but as much as possible, we want to let the Haitian people tell their own stories. We want the version of Haiti that is portrayed in the film to be as close to the “real” Haiti as possible. So we will have conversations with our Haitian friends and acquaintances (on film) to give them an opportunity to help us decide how to tell the story of their country…since after all, as the people of Haiti, it is their story.

We have spent enough time in Haiti to realize that hope is definitely alive and well there, and despite the difficult realities that many of them live in, the people still have plenty of energy and joy for life…even though many outsiders only see their country as a place of poverty and hopelessness. It is because of these misperceptions of Haiti (by the media, in the news) that we are going to Haiti to make this film. We want to uncover the hope and vibrancy of life that we have so often seen in a place and a people where others only see poverty and despair. That is what we want to portray in our documentary and instill in its viewers; a hope that might not necessarily make sense, yet undeniably still exists.

It happens to be my belief that there is no such thing as “false hope,” so if you see or meet someone who is hopeful, then that hope is not something you can take away from them. We see it as our role to share those stories of hope with others in hopes that they will be inspired to join us in our efforts (not only our efforts with the Haiti Mission Project, but several others who are working to raise awareness and make a difference in and for the people of Haiti and throughout the world, wherever people are in need).

Poverty, hopelessness and despair is not the only version of Haiti’s story that people should see and hear, because it isn’t accurate and it’s not fair to the people (both the Haitian people and people who have been working for years to help making a difference there). That’s why we feel called and led to make a documentary that shows Haiti for what it really is…a place of hope and joy amidst the obvious struggles and brokenness of everyday life. To do this, we will show some wide-angle images of the country, but more importantly, we will also zoom in on several individuals who each have a story that is worthy of being shared and heard. By showing both perspectives of the nation and it’s people, we believe stateside viewers will not only experience the brokenness and confusion that is often part of visiting a third-world country, but we think they might also get a sense of the overwhelming joy, hope and belief that is so evident in many of Haiti’s people.

There will be four of us flying into Port-au-Prince tomorrow and we will be staying for seven days (until July 2). In addition to myself, it will be the film student from LA, and two others from Minneapolis – a nurse and a teacher – both good friends of mine. It is truly humbling to be able to go on a trip and be part of a project like this, but it’s even more special when you’re going with some of your best friends. Please pray for our health and safety, and if at all possible, that we might accomplish most of our goals during the brief time we have there.

My advisor from seminary (Dr. Andrew Root) recently wrote an article for Next-Wave Church & Culture Ezine titled “The TV Show Lost and Eschatology.” I have personally only watched a few episodes of Lost - and I think it’s pretty good - but I know there are a lot of people who get really into the show and read nearly everything written about it online (fans of the show have even started a user-generated wikisite called Lostpedia to share thoughts and theories about the island, characters and direction of the show). As I said, I like the show, but I’m not into it like many others, so I’m just passing on the link to Dr. Root’s article for people like my roommate who can’t get enough of this stuff. By the way, the word “eschatology” is a theological term used for the study of the last things, or what is sometimes referred to as “the end times.”

“Your kingdom come, your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven.”

In the middle of Jesus’ training prayer with his disciples (Matthew 6:9-13), he spoke this phrase in reference to God’s coming Kingdom and will (or plan) for the world. My mom forwarded me an email this morning discussing this passage of the Lord’s Prayer, it was actually an excerpt from a book and the title of the daily devotion was “Where have you had a taste of the Kingdom?” This is an intriguing question, especially since we all experience “the Kingdom” in different ways, times and places - and many people probably wouldn’t describe these experiences as “Kingdom moments” - and as for the “how” of the question, it implies that we are apparently able to use our senses (including taste) to experience these moments.

I could write a lot about the imagination and possibilities involved in the wording of this question, but regardless of the when, where or hows that are involved in people’s experiences with the sacred/spiritual in our world, I want to include Richard’s Daily Meditation from today because I think it offers a good/brief description of when and where the Kingdom of God is found here on earth today.

“Thy kingdom come” means very clearly that the Kingdom is something that enters into this world, or, as Jesus puts it, “is close at hand.” Don’t project it into another world. It’s a reality that breaks into this world now and then, when people are like God.

When that can happen in terms of structures or groups, when you have a free group of people who love the truth more than themselves, then you have a taste of the Kingdom descending to earth.

“Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” is my favorite and most-used phrase from the Lord’s Prayer. I’ve used it in several papers and sermons as a way of not only talking about what God is doing “right here, right now” but also because I think it calls us to do something, to actively work with and on behalf of God in the world - in whatever ways we see possible - to help Jesus’ prayer become a reality.

George Eldon Ladd was a seminary professor during the 1900s who taught that the future Kingdom of God - what many people believe we are waiting for, heaven - is already here on earth (through the church), but it won’t be complete until Jesus returns (again). This has become known as the “already/not yet” theology of God’s kingdom.

What about you? How do you understand the Kingdom of God? How have you experienced it in your own life? Where have you seen God working in your world? Have you ever witnessed people doing God’s will and helping bring glimpses of God’s Kingdom to earth? What senses have been involved in your experiences with God moving closer to us, to meet us here and now? Where have you had a taste of the Kingdom?

Open your imagination to the endless possibilities of how God can work in and through any part of creation. God can use music, art, nature, technology, even the media to speak to people and whisper a message of hope, joy, love or forgiveness. Individuals can be inspired to get involved in efforts to make a difference in the world - God’s movement in and for the world - by watching a movie, hearing a song, reading a book or even seeing others make a difference on the news or a TV show. Allow yourself to be free of any perceived expectations and simply follow the Spirit into the world to make a difference in whatever ways are available to you. Maybe it’s something small, or perhaps it’s something big. Don’t worry about the specifics, just start with the simple prayer that God’s “Kindom will come and God’s will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

During worship at Journey tonight we discussed 1 John 1:8-2:2, which is where some of the text from the Lutheran Book of Worship’s (LBW) brief order for confession and forgiveness is found (pdf). This piece of liturgy is probably familiar to people who grew up in traditional Lutheran churches because it most likely would have been part of worship every Sunday since they were young. Being part of a Lutheran congregation (Calvary Lutheran), we try to stay true to our Lutheran heritage, but we also make efforts to simply be Christian while “doing” and “being” Church in new/different ways that are meaningful to people, regardless of whether they grew up in a church or not. So tonight, during worship, we took time to discuss the words of confession and forgiveness from a hymnal that is now 30 years old, and in groups of 2-3 people throughout the sanctuary, we re-wrote the liturgy in our own words. Each group was assigned a short segment of the liturgy and during the music-worship after the message, the pieces that each group re-wrote were typed together and put onto slides (because of the way it was constructed, being written in small segments by different groups of people, it reads a bit disjointed). Then, before the last song of the night, we gave this new version (or “remix”) its first public reading. It was a very cool thing to witness and be part of, and it could have never been done without a congregation that is open to trying new things, filled with imagination and of course, technology was an important element as well (since without it, the words could have never been put together so quickly and displayed on screens for the entire congregation to read together).

Here is what we came up with.

Brief Order for Confession and Forgiveness (remix)
Written by the Journey worship community at Calvary Lutheran in Golden Valley, MN on June 15, 2008

Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Leader: Almighty God, you know us and our lives. Clean up our hearts and minds by your example. We will try to love you - to show you what you are through the things we say and do, by the power of Christ’s life, death and resurrection.

All: Amen.

Leader: We have to stop being egotistical - to go against society - and be honest with ourselves. Fortunately, if we admit to these sins, God, who is a constant and reliable source for every need and the ultimate judge of all truth, will forgive us for all the ways we turn against him and give us a fresh start.

(Silence for reflection and self-examination)

Leader: Most merciful God,

All: we admit that we are prone to sin and we need your help to free us. Every day of our lives we sin against you with our actions and our inability to act, as well as our hurtful words of painful silence - we continually drop the ball - sin has consumed our lives and there are a lot of things we have not done but should be doing to glorify your name. We have held back from loving you fully. We have focused on loving ourselves, and with what we have left, we have not reached out to our neighbors. Your son sacrificed and died for us. Show us your mercy, forgive our sins, refresh our hearts and guide us through our days. We love you and want to be like you. We are thankful for your grace so that our sins do not permanently separate us from you.

All: Amen.

Leader: We are in need of a savior - in need of mercy - and God provided Jesus who loves us so much he died for us. Through Jesus’ love, God has forgiven all our sins. If you have faith, you belong to God’s family and have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

(Please feel free to use this version in your own worship settings, but if you’re looking for a new way to incorporate confession and forgiveness into worship I would strongly suggest having your community write (or re-write) something new and create a more organic/homemade liturgy. If you have questions about the specifics of how we went about doing this at Journey, you can email me.)

I had the chance to see Brooke Fraser in concert a few nights ago. Brooke is a kiwi (a New Zealander) who I just started listening to about a year ago. She doesn’t tour a whole lot in the US, so I have been excited ever since I saw that she was coming to Minneapolis to play at one of my favorite venues, the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown. It was a great night of music, including a short set by my friend Elizabeth Hunnicutt followed by an incredible new and still unsigned artist named William Fitzsimmons, who nearly stole the show. I just couldn’t get enough of his music, and in the days since the show I have bought both of his albums on iTunes and he has quickly become one of my most listened to artists. If you like really chill/acoustic music you should definitely check out his myspace to give him a listen (his style is similar to, but not exactly like, Joshua Radin and Iron & Wine).

When Brooke first came on stage I was a bit surprised by her quirky personality - her NZ accent kept reminding me of Flight of the Conchords, a comedy/music duo also from New Zealand - but she also showed a very kind and serious side (which is what I expected, given that she is closely connected with Hillsong Church in Australia, where she has written and recorded some of today’s most well-known modern worship songs, like “Hosanna” and “Lead Me to the Cross”).

Before closing the night by playing her “favorite song,” Brooke told the incredible story of an experience she had a few years ago in Rwanda that inspired  the title track of her new album, “Albertine” (the song she was about to play), which is named after a young woman she met there. I had seen the video for this song on youtube and thought I understood a bit of the story behind it, but hearing the story from Brooke took it to a completely new level. Later that night, after getting home from the show, I was reading through the liner notes of Brooke’s CD (I bought it at the show) while listening to the album on my headphones and I ran across the story of Albertine again, this time as it had been written by Brooke. Albertine’s story is one that Brooke felt needed to be shared through her music, and I feel it needs to be shared here as well.

Here is the video for the song (much of which appears to have been filmed in Rwanda) and below that is Albertine’s story (in Brooke’s word, as found inside her album).

Albertine by Brooke Fraser

In 1994, the tiny Central-East African nation of Rwanda was devastated by genocide. Almost one million Rwandans were killed at the hands of their neighbors, friends and community leaders within the short space of 100 days…the catastrophic outcome of decades of tension and fighting between two ethnic groups - the Hutus and the Tutsis - a conflict that did not exist before Belgian colonists moved in during the first part of the 20th century and introduced an alien politician divide.

My first visit to Rwanda occurred in June 2005, eleven years on from the atrocities. I visited local authorities, churches, schools, official memorials and living ones: child-headed households and communities living with AIDS, facing life without adequate medical care or basics like clean water. I met a people who are humble, joyous, diligent and in deep pain.

One day before I was to fly out and onto Tanzania, my friend and guide Joel Nsengiyumva took me to a village school in a district called Kabuga. He wanted me to see that Rwanda had hope - and no better way to see it than in the next generation. The kids and I exchanged songs and dances, and as things wrapped up and we were about to leave, Joel asked if we could take a few minutes and meet with an orphan whose personal history he was familiar with.

Throughout the trip Joel had introduced me to people as a musician from the other side of the world who was going to go back to my people, tell them about the people of Rwanda and help. No pressure. That afternoon we walked across the schoolyard into an empty classroom, joined by a tall, beautiful girl wearing the school’s cobalt and navy garb, where Joel’s introduction was about to become a kind of commission.

Just before he shared her story with me, that of one person laying down their life for another, he uttered these words:

“You must go back to your people and you must write a song,
and I will tell you what the name of the song is going to be.”

He motioned toward the girl.

“This is Albertine.”

Albertine is alive today because of the selfless, sacrificial love of another. Funny thing is, so am I. And now I want to know what it’s like to love other people like that, so have decided to spend my whole life on the experiment.

Feel free to join me. We might just change the world.

I spent some time reading Out of Ur this morning (the conversational companion blog of Leadership Journal) and ran across an old interview/article titled “Donald Miller Isn’t Hip: a gospel for people tired of trying to be cool” (from May 15, 2006). Some of you may recognize the name Donald Miller as the author of several recent books, including Blue Like Jazz, but I don’t think it matters if you’ve heard of him or read any of his books because I think what he says in this interview is still fitting for people today; especially for anyone who has observed the Church - whether from the inside or the outside - become too focused on its “image” (trying to keep it clean, or even cool), and in doing this, has misplaced Jesus’ commandment to love others by putting it after their own agendas and beliefs about who or what is worthy to be loved.

I believe that God’s call (and Christ’s witness) to all of us is that we love others, no matter what. This is not easy, in fact, it can get really difficult. (Just think about someone you don’t get along with, then think about loving them with the love of Christ…it’s tough, huh?)

Here is a portion of the interview with Donald Miller:

You’ve said that the church “uses love as a commodity.” What do you mean?

Miller: We sometimes take a Darwinian approach with love-if we are against somebody’s ideas, we starve them out. If we disagree with somebody’s political ideas, or sexual identity, we just don’t “pay” them. We refuse to “condone the behavior” by offering any love.

This approach has created a Christian culture that is completely unaware what the greater culture thinks of us. We don’t interact with people who don’t validate our ideas. There is nothing revolutionary here. This mindset is hardly a breath of fresh air to a world that uses the exact same kinds of techniques.

What’s the alternative?

Miller: The opposite is biblical love, which loves even enemies, loves unconditionally, and loves liberally. Loving selectively is worldly; giving it freely is miraculous.

If love isn’t a commodity, what is it?

Miller: I think of love like a magnet. When people see it given in the name of God, they’re drawn to it. If I withhold love, then people believe I have met a God that makes me a hateful and vicious person. And they’re repelled.

I have two responsibilities to this world, the first is to love; the second is to speak the truth. I can tell somebody such and such a behavior is sin, and still love them. Why not? Why not bring them food, why not hug them, why not have them over to the house? Won’t this only help them understand the truth?

To read the interview in its entirety, click HERE.

I have been co-teaching a course at Luther Seminary this week on Ministry with Young Adults. It is an intensive course, which means we meet for three hours every day (for a week) and most of the writing assignments are due a few weeks later. It is, as the course description implies, “intense,” and there is only so much material and information you can fit into the time we have together in the classroom. My main role in the course has been bringing in illustrations of the realities of young adult life (through music, movies and other “texts” of pop culture) and then interpreting them and inviting the students to engage the characters and stories/situations from the examples theologically; asking the questions, How might I enter into this young person’s life in an authentic and meaningful way? and How might the church become a place where these individuals feel more welcomed and accepted by God’s people, as well as inspired and challenged by the gospel message?

Yesterday in class we looked at what James Cote (author of one of our course textbooks, Arrested Adulthood: The Changing Nature of Maturity and Identity) has labeled the problems of “prolonged and undefined” adulthood. Because of these “problems” we have seen the stage of young/emerging adulthood become a very confusing life-stage with no solid markers of beginning and end; adults are living with their parents (called “boomerang” kids, see Failure to Launch), 20somethings dislike the jobs that their degrees led them to or simply don’t like working (see The Office) - so they are switching careers or choosing other work that allows them plenty of freedom, and established/”real” adults are having difficulty relating to this new generation of post-college peoples (often called “millenials”).

Here is a link to a recent segment on 60 Minutes - “The Age of the Millenials” - that was sent to me by one of the students in the class (thanks Jerry). I have invited the students to come here to find the link and watch the video since there was not enough time to watch it in class. Even if you are not in the class, please watch the segment (it’s only 12 minutes long) and join in the conversation by responding to the questions we asked in class yesterday (after watching this video, “The Machine is Us/ing Us”).

Let’s move beyond the question “is technology good or bad?” since the answer must always be “both,” but what should we be asking about the work + life + tech reality that many young adults find themselves living in today? and how do these questions - along with the opportunities and concerns they represent - impact or influence how the church relates to young people?

I’m not sure if this is BREAKING NEWS or just an inaccurate rumor, but I just spoke to a reliable source and learned that the Coldplay show on July 8th in St. Paul, Minnesota will be canceled/postponed (possibly rescheduled for sometime in the fall). This is all the information I have right now and I have not found any other sources confirming or denying this rumor. I don’t want to speculate about what this would mean for the band or the rest of their upcoming tour, but it should be noted that Coldplay performed on the MTV Movie Awards last night and everything seemed cool (they sounded good, Chris Martin was running around the stage and everyone in the band looked to be having a good time), so hopefully this is just a bad rumor or a scheduling issue that will get worked out soon. As someone with great tickets to the show in St. Paul, I’m hoping that my anonymous source is mistaken, but I have a bad feeling that their information might be correct. Coldplay’s tour is scheduled to begin in London on June 16th, which is the day before their new album Viva La Vida is released in the states.

Just a reminder that tomorrow (Sunday, June 1) is the Third Annual Walk for Haiti. This is a great event that raises awareness and support for the country and people of Haiti, while giving people a to come together and enjoy spending time outside…and for the first time in it’s short existence, it isn’t going to be cold and raining this year. (I’m writing this with confidence since the weather.com forecast for tomorrow lists the probability of precipitation at 0% between 8:00am-midnight.) There is no registration fee for the event and there are still some “walk for haiti” t-shirts available for those who sign up soon (you can sign up at the event). To learn more about the event, including links to register online or find more info about the Haiti Mission Project, read this. Hope to see you tomorrow afternoon.

I graduated from Luther Seminary yesterday with a master of arts in Theology & Pop-Culture. I’m excited about this accomplishment and all that it represents, and although seminary wasn’t always the most enjoyable experience, I’m thankful for how it has shaped and influenced the ways I understand the world around me and how God is actively involved in it. I’m happy to be done with school (again), but I hope the learning and growing continues.

During the commencement ceremony yesterday afternoon at Central Lutheran in downtown Minneapolis - in a sanctuary filled with family, friends and supporters of the 170 graduates - my classmates and I were blessed with the following words as part of our “Call to Mission,”

…in the presence of God, we honor you for your diligence, perseverance, and faithfulness in study and we present to the church all of you who aspire to serve the Church of God in the variety of ministries to which you have been called and for which you are prepared. But your preparation is not over and you will need to be creative, flexible and visionary as you bear witness to salvation through Jesus Christ and serve in God’s world, a world that is constantly changing.

My friends and relatives have all been asking me “what are you going to do next?” and unfortunately, this is the best answer I can give, for now… I am going to continue working part-time with Journey (the Sunday evening worship community at Calvary Lutheran), at least through the summer … I’m teaching a course at Luther Seminary in June (the course is titled “Ministry with Young Adults” and I’m teaching it with my favorite professor, Rollie Martinson) … and looking more long-term, I’m hoping to become a resource (i.e., a consultant) for churches and ministries that feel called to find meaningful ways to reach today’s younger generations.

If you know of any churches looking for someone to help them re-think what it means to “do” church and re-imagine what it means to “be” the body of Christ in our world today, please tell them about me. My resume is available on this website (click the “Resume” tab above) and I have been developing the following personal statement of “who I am as a Christian public leader” (as found on my business card)…

Andy Jolivette is a communicator, consultant, artist, analyst, theologian and missionary to people living in a media culture.

Thanks to everyone for your support the last two years. Your thoughts, prayers and suggestions are invited as I step into this new chapter of my life and ministry.