Living the Simple Life

New Monasticism Conference in Nashville

2008-07-25T10:18:00.002-05:00

Come all ye faithful to Nashville, TN, to hear Johnathan Wilson Hartgrove and others explain what the new monastic movement has to say to the larger church. The one-day seminar is based on Jonathan's latest book.

New Monasticism: What It Has to Say to Today’s Church (Baker) is Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove’s introduction to new monasticism and the gifts it has to offer the church in a time a rapid change. Sam Ewell’s Building Up the Church: Experiments in Faith, Hope, and Love (Wipf and Stock) is an interactive study guide based on Jonathan’s book, designed to lead small groups into an authentic engagement with new monasticism.

Otter Creek Church (located at 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood, Tennessee) will host this event on Saturday, September 20th from 8am-6pm. For more information and to register go here.

CSA Half Shares - Avalon Acres

2008-03-24T16:58:00.004-05:00

I get lots of questions about the size of the shares with our CSA, Avalon Acres. Here are a few pictures from last year. Pictured is a Half Bushel, which we split with my parents. I think this is the best way to go for small families. Of course, the size of the share will vary from week to week, depending on the rainfall & success of the growing season. Hope this helps in your decision-making! >carrie.

Joining A CSA - Pros & Cons

2008-03-12T09:09:00.007-05:00

Fresh produce picked straight from a local farm. Sounds good, right? Many farms offer produce subscriptions, where buyers receive a weekly or monthly basket of produce, flowers, fruits, eggs, milk, coffee, meat, or any sort of different farm products.

Last year was our first year to join as members of a local CSA. We loved it and it was such a rewarding experience to become more closely tied to the foods we put in our bodies. Growing season is starting again soon, and our CSA, Avalon Acres, is now accepting signups. If you are interested, I highly recommend it, but put together a list of pros & cons for your consideration.

THE GOOD
1) Breaks you out of a cooking rut and forces you to be creative.
2) As a result of #1, you will become a much better cook
3) You learn about all sorts of fruits/vegetables that you never knew existed.
4) You discover things like “I like eggplant after all!” and other disappointing things, like “Turnips are as gross as I thought they’d be.”
5) You learn about your local agriculture and what grows when.
6) As a result of #5, you can buy produce in the grocery cheaper & fresher, because you are more keenly aware of when foods are at their height in taste & production.
7) You’re eating more fruits & veggies! Better for the planet and better for your body.
8) You’re supporting your local farmers!
9) Depending on your farm choice, the CSA can be much more convenient, since you may just pick up your box right from the delivery truck.
10) You learn how to freeze foods. (And some attempt the canning route as well.)
11) Many CSAs are organic.

THE NOT-AS-GOOD: I recognize that a CSA is most certainly not for everyone. Here are a few of the down sides.
1) You’re in it for the long haul. Most (not all) CSAs require a full-season commitment.
2) Price – It may turn out to be cheaper than a grocery, but may not. You pay a per-week price regardless of how full or small your weekly share is. If there is very little rain (like last year), your baskets may be small for a while.
3) Repetition – I must say that I got very sick of okra and cucumbers. You might get a large load of a certain food for several weeks. In our society, we’re used to variety. I try to remind myself that farmers across the world for generations have dealt with this and been just fine.
4) Picky Eaters – Need not apply. There are things that I don’t like for certain, but I’m willing to give it a shot. If you are not interested in trying out some new foods, then you may need to pass on the CSA.

Food Sites of Interest:
The Future of Food in TN
Eating Organic on a Food Stamp Budget
Cook's Thesaurus
Slow Food USA
AllRecipes.com
100 Mile Diet

Here are a few of the Nashville area CSAs:
Long Hungry Creek Farm
Delvin Farms
Fresh Harvest Co-op (You pick the vegetables of your choice as needed.)
Avalon Acres

For a CSA near you, click here. >carrie.

Sons of Lwala

2008-02-29T10:32:00.005-06:00

Documentary "Sons of Lwala," about two brothers in a remote village in Kenya, will play at TPAC on Thursday, March 27. The trailer can be seen at sonsoflwala.com.

The Story: Sons of Lwala is a locally produced documentary that chronicles the amazing story of Fred and Milton Ochieng’, two brothers from Lwala, a remote village in Kenya. Academically gifted, Milton was the first brother who received a full-scholarship to Dartmouth, but he had no financial means to get to the United States. However, the village came together to do whatever necessary to help Milton achieve his dream. All they told him is "Please don't forget us." The documentary follows the brothers to Vanderbilt Medical School where they strive to fulfill the request of their village by building a clinic in the village to save it from dying of AIDS. The title reflects how the elder brother has always referred to himself, even before his parents' death. "In Lwala," Milton says, "You're not just the son of your parents. Here, you belong to everyone." Through ticket sales to the evening, they are hoping to raise enough to keep the clinic open and stocked with medical supplies for a year or more.

The evening will include Senator Bill Frist as emcee and a performance by Jars of Clay.

To purchase tickets, go to www.tpac.org/lwala or the TPAC box office downtown or at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in The Mall at Green Hills to purchase $30, $50, or $100 tickets. VIP Tickets, which also include a reception, are available for $250 and $500. >>carrie.

The Story of Stuff

2008-02-28T09:30:00.003-06:00

The Story of Stuff should make for interesting conversation around your house. It's a bit long (maybe 15+ minutes) but worth watching. What are your opinions about the video? >carrie.

Loving Your Enemies

2008-02-21T21:21:00.002-06:00

This has to be one of the hardest teachings of Jesus and I can't say that I do this well or easily. The funny thing is that I don't really have cruel enemies who have deeply hurt me....in fact, it's hard for me to even put a name to an enemy. I could name people who I have heard horrible stories about but personally don't know them. Usually, when I hear this teaching, my first thought is more to love those with whom I disagree.

Then I think of my dear Kenyan friends and the challenges they are facing with this teaching. Daily they are faced with the atrocities of family members being killed, mothers/sisters/friends being gang raped, homes being burned. This isn't because they have done something wrong but because of the tribe into which they have been born and the unrest from the presidential election that has initiated it all.

So, when I read the horrific events that continue to unfold in Kenya, I am encouraged by my dear friends who are trying to live out Jesus' teaching to love their enemies. The students and team members at Made In Streets (Nairobi, Kenya) are all of different tribes. However, they are coming together through this unrest by teachers talking about forgiveness. They also are trying to reach out in to their community and encourage church members to invite the opposing tribe members into one another's homes to display grace and love.

I can't even begin to understand the deep ties everyone has to their tribes or how this could affect previous friendships. The closest I can relate this to is to compare it to the racial differences in our country (which does not go back as far as these tribal issues). I am so encouraged when I hear stories coming out of how opposing tribes have protected one another during the unrest or are trying to make a stand in their community against tribal cleansing.

I am enouraged by their bravery to change my attitude towards the person who I can barely call an enemy and display love at all times and in every way that I can. I also continue to pray for these dear ones as they face the struggle between loving or hating their enemies. May their hearts continue to be filled with love, compassion, and above all grace towards their enemy and for change in the leadership of their country to bring this all to an end.

-Sarah

Voices of Sudan

2008-02-18T20:19:00.001-06:00

Author of Voices of Sudan visits Nashville

2008-02-18T20:09:00.003-06:00

Another event in Nashville that you do not want to miss....

On Wednesday, February 27th at 6:30pm, David Johnson will be speaking at Belmont University at Buttick 102 on photography, writing and acivisim. David has founded Silent Images, a non-profit organization. This organization seeks to tell the stories of people in need through journalistic photography, videos, and writing. He has recently written a book entitled, Voices of Sudan, which in his words aims to "restore a voice to the Sudanese by causing two things to happen: people will be informed and hearts will be provoked to reach out and help the Sudanese."

http://www.silentimages.org/silentimages/
-Sarah

Sign the Petition

2008-02-13T11:35:00.004-06:00

Only two US presidents have visited Africa during their term. President Bill Clinton was the first and President Bush plans to visit Africa this Friday. This news was very shocking to me. It's no wonder that helping developing countries in Africa has not been one of the top priorities of our country. (I am not saying that we don't do anything as a country to help, but maybe we would do more and keep our promises if our president actually visited these places.) Seeing the poorest of poor firsthand will have a dramatic effect on your life and how you choose to respond to it. I strongly urge you to sign this petition (link below) through the ONE campaign that is asking the next elected president to visit Africa during his/her first term as president.

http://www.one.org/visitafrica/?id=233-3076412-Vn8cW9&t=3

Thanks!

Sarah

The Good Samaritan and other thoughts

2008-02-07T20:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I attended a lecture by Dr. Matthew Sleeth, author of Serve God, Save the Planet. I read the book several months ago so the lecture was a good review on what our responsibility is as Chrisitians and as citizens on planet Earth.

I will try and recap several ideas Dr. Sleeth shared.

Dr. Sleeth touched on the Parable of the Good Samaritan and how we are to be like the Good Samaritan towards our neighbors in regard to the enviornment. It's easy for us to think of our neighbors as those in our neighboorhood, city, state or even our country. However, Dr. Sleeth challenges us to go even further and consider our neighbor across the ocean in Africa or Europe or Asia. He asks us to also consider our neighbor as the young children who have yet to grow up on this Earth or the unborn of future generations. The choices we make concerning the environment will affect all of these "neighbors" and we can choose to either use our current resources to satisfy our wants or use our resources to aid those without.

Part of the lecture touched on the references to trees in the Bible. Sleeth asked what most have in front of their comfortable chair in their home....most answering the TV. He then pointed out that in Revelation, it states that in front of God's throne is a tree. He was drawing on the fact that part of God's Creation are trees and how much we can gain from their existence as well as our responsibility as stewards of this Earth is to care for these trees (many of which are no longer around....like no more Oak trees on Oak Street).

A question from the audience (that I appreciated) asked how do you address a church that is willing to discuss the environmental concerns of today but is unwilling to make changes like no longer buying styrofoam cups due to budget issues. Sleeth boiled it down to how can you spend $1200 on biodegradable cups vs. using that money for the starving people in the world (which is what it usually comes down to). Sleeth's first comment was (the lecture was in Benton Chapel at VU), "No one had any concerns about using money to build a building like this." We all seem to easily appreciate attending a "pretty" church and even justify raising funds for a bigger church building but when it comes down to being environmental stewards, then other issues seem to take precedent (my interpretation). He suggested having a group just go out and buy the replacement cups or finding other ways to cut costs around the building (like maybe reducing electricity use) to find this extra cash flow.

One more topic that I will touch on from the lecture: keeping the Sabbath. Sleeth addresses this topic in his book and I appreciate his concern living in the culture of America. Sleeth touched on how God created a day of rest and throughout the Bible draws on periods of rest....like resting the land where crops are grown (which Sleeth does in his own garden). It's important for us to rest our bodies from work and our minds from the clutter of this consumeristic culture.

If you would like to read more about Sleeth's work, you can visit his webiste. http://servegodsavetheplanet.org/?page_id=2

Two of my friends attended this as well (and I would love for them to leave their comments on what impacted them the most, since I was somewhat distracted during the lecture while trying to entertain my 10month old. :)).

-Sarah

Two Upcoming Events

2008-02-05T15:15:00.000-06:00

Wednesday (tomorrow), February 6th at 4pm --- Matthew Sleeth, the author of Serve God, Save the Planet will be speaking at Vanderbilt University in Benton Chapel.

You can read more about Matthew Sleeth at this past post:

http://livingthesimplelifenashville.blogspot.com/2007/08/featured-family-friday_10.html

Thursday, February 28th at 7pm --- Jonathon Wilson-Hartgrove (pictured above) will be speaking at Otter Creek Church of Christ. Jonathon lives with his wife in Durham, North Carolina at the Rutba house (intentional Christian community). Jonathon traveled with his wife and Shane Claiborne to Iraq with the Christian Peacemaker Team. He has also written a chapter in the book, School(s) for Conversion: 12 Marks of A New Monasticism.

Please comment if you would like to learn more about these events in Nashville, Tennessee.

-Sarah

Raising Money

2007-12-12T09:33:00.000-06:00

We all know there are countless good causes & a ton of need in the world. While no one individual can save the the world on their own, we’re called to do what we can to serve others. Raising funds for your favorite cause can be a great place to start getting involved.

So with a few energetic people and a great idea, it’s can be quite simple to raise thousands of dollars for your favorite cause. Why not consider holding a fundraiser with members of your church, small group, book club, or mom’s group next year. Here are some great ideas which might be quite easy and raise a lot of money!

1) Hold a Bake Sale full of baked goods, hot chocolate mixes, canned jellies, soup mixes & more!
2) Prepare a pancake breakfast or soup-and-sandwiches lunch. Sell tickets in advance.
3) Make small, handmade gifts or cards and sell them.
4) Have an International Potluck Dinner and charge admission. Make each group responsible for food and decorations appropriate to the country or region assigned to them.
5) Host a 24 hour fast. Money that would have gone for food can be donated.
6) A Cake/Dessert Tasting Event
7) Since we are in music city, someone very ambitious could put together a country music compilation cd composed of popular artists.
8) Selling a really cool t-shirt, tote bag or other merchandise

More ideas can be found here, here or here. >carrie.

A Non-Violent Response?

2007-12-11T08:39:00.000-06:00

A sad story out of Colorado Springs Sunday. As you know, a gunman killed two people at a mission center and another two at a church. He was ultimately shot by a security guard at the church.

Last night I also heard the story of a man who shot two immigrants who were burglarizing a neighbor's home. News stations played a 911 call with the shooter as he reported the burglary and told the operator that he was going to go shoot the robbers.

These are two very different stories with somewhat similar outcomes. I often wonder about non-violent responses in such situations and whether the end (saving additional lives or, less importantly, property) justifies the means. I am not sure how I would react in a life-threatening situation, but would hope to respond in a non-violent manner, as modeled by Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi and others. However, I rarely have good solutions for difficult situations such as those above.
So I ask:
How could these tragedies have been avoided?
Are there "redemptive" alternatives to the actions taken?

- David

A Simpler, Greener Christmas

2007-12-05T08:25:00.000-06:00

Here are a few ideas to have a simpler, greener Christmas:

1. Make a natural statment. Give homemade goodies.

2. Say NO to plastic. Give wood or fabric toys.

3. No batteries neccessary. Give toys that don't need them.

4. Time waits for no one. Give a coupon book of ways to spend time together.

(Source: gdiapers)

I am looking forward to making food and delivering them to shut-ins and finding more oppurtunities to serve others during this holiday season. Thank you all who have given your creative ideas for a simpler Christmas and look forward to hearing more!

-Sarah

Shoeglue for the Shoeless

2007-11-20T20:55:00.000-06:00

We will gather on Thanksgiving and feast on food that will overflow on our plates. Our bellies will be full for the rest of the day after only one meal! While we sit around and enjoy this abundance of food and time with family, please take time to remember that there are many around the world who are without both food and family. There are also children living on the streets and because they cannot find food, they are turning to sniffing glue in order to escape from their hunger pains and the reality of their hardships. We could easily sit back and criticize their abuse of this drug but I wonder how many of us realize that we may be the cause of this devastating addiction.

David and I just finished watching a movie entitled Glue Boys. I was quickly taken back to my memories of being on the streets of Nairobi and seeing this addiction first hand. My heart has been so saddened at this reminder. We would love for anyone to borrow this movie from us and learn more about this tragedy.

"In Kitale, Kenya, among countless other towns in the developing world, many street children have found an escape from their emotional and physical pains by becoming accidental consumers. Orphaned, barefoot, and malnourished, they habitually spend the scarce money they earn from odd jobs and charity not on food or water, but on a more immediate fix – glue – incidentally the same solvent-based kind that the wider world uses to cement shoes together. With plastic bottles perched at their mouths, the children breathe in the glue’s neurotoxic fumes until they pass out or fall asleep forever.
Equally naturalistic and investigative, “Glue Boys” contemplates the future of the world’s estimated 150 million street children and documents the day-to-day plight of a handful in Kitale. It also unveils the distribution chain of their addiction to sniffing glue, from the small-time street dealers who facilitate it, to the authorities who enable it, to the massive multinational corporations that profit from it. Not overlooking the deeply entrenched reality of the developing world, the film presents the illicit adhesives market with a sense of urgency and intricacy, bringing awareness to a growing global giant but also providing a framework for change." (Source: http://www.glueboys.com/)

-Sarah

Buy Nothing Day

2007-11-19T15:00:00.000-06:00

It's easy for all of us to get caught up in the "spirit" of Christmas and want to buy that perfect gift for each person on our list. It's also hard not to turn from the "best" sale this year and the "cheapest" price this season. I am challenging all of us to join others this year in the "Buy Nothing Day" that for the USA falls on this Friday (the day after Thanksgiving). The UK is also participating in this day on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I realize that we may still go out and buy our presents on other days but wouldn't it be a great message to NOT participate in the most consumeristic day of the year?

"While critics of the day charge that Buy Nothing Day simply causes participants to buy the next day[5], Adbusters states that it "isn't just about changing your habits for one day" but "about starting a lasting lifestyle commitment to consuming less and producing less waste." (source: Wikipedia)

To read more about this cause, see the links below:

http://adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/

http://www.rogerwendell.com/buynothingday.html

http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/

-Sarah

Gift Bag Reuse

2007-11-16T08:05:00.000-06:00

Do you have gift bags that are just collecting dust? I'm taking all my saved bags to the gym next week for free pickup to someone who will use them. If you, like me, have a big old closet full of gift bags you'll never use, please let me know! It's a good feeling to pass these along, without sending them to the dump. Anyway, If you live in the area, please let me know if you would like to pass your bags along. Thanks! >carrie.

Ending Poverty by 2015

2007-11-14T11:22:00.000-06:00

The Millennium Development Goals set a framework for how the world could see the end of extreme poverty. In September, 2000, The United States joined with 188 nations to affirm a set of international development goals in the United Nations Millennium Declaration. The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reflect an understanding of the devastation caused by global hunger and poverty and aim for a world that is free of such suffering. They have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by 2015. Our leaders committed to these goals and it is up to us, as Americans and ONE supporters, to make sure that America keeps its promises to the world’s most vulnerable people.

MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: Click links below for more info.
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 
2. Achieve universal primary education 
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality among children under 5 by two thirds
5. Improve maternal health - Reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases 
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

>carrie.

A Death Penalty-Free World?

2007-11-12T09:08:00.000-06:00

At the UN General Assembly (UNGA) 62nd session in October 2007, a resolution calling for a global moratorium on executions was introduced as a step towards the abolition of the death penalty. Endorsement by the UNGA of a global moratorium on executions would be a significant milestone towards achieving the goal of a death penalty-free world.

A total of 133 UN member states, from all regions in the world, have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. Only 25 countries carried out executions in 2006, 91percent of them in just six countries -- China, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan and the USA (note that the U.S. is listed along with other countries having very poor human rights records). Europe is a death penalty-free zone, with the exception of Belarus.

Executions have been carried out by the following methods since 2000:

- Beheading (in Saudi Arabia)

- Electrocution (in USA)

- Hanging (in Egypt, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Pakistan, Singapore and other countries)

- Lethal injection (in China, Guatemala, Thailand, USA)

- Shooting (in Belarus, China, Somalia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam and other countries)

- Stoning (in Afghanistan, Iran)

One of the primary reasons for support of the death penalty is that it purportedly deters crime more effectively than other forms of punishment. Recent crime figures from countries that have abolished the death penalty, however, fail to show that abolition has harmful effects. In Canada, for example, the homicide rate per 100,000 population fell from a peak of 3.09 in 1975, the year before the abolition of the death penalty for murder, to 2.41 in 1980, and since then it has declined further. In 2006, 30 years after abolition, the homicide rate was 1.85 per 100,000 population, 40 per cent lower than in 1975 and the second lowest rate in three decades.

The death penalty is inhuman, violates the right to life, is irrevocable and can be inflicted on the innocent. Emperical evidence does not prove that it deters crime more effectively than other punishments. For these reasons, please consider signing this petition calling for a world-wide moratorium on executions (over 5 million people have already signed -- you might need to change the language in the upper right-hand corner of the webpage):

http://www.worldcoalition.org/petitions/index.php?petition=3&signe=oui

- David

(Data taken from Amnesty International)

Kindness in Kenya

2007-11-09T10:10:00.000-06:00

An excerpt from the journal of Molly Welch (an intern at Made In The Streets, Nairobi, Kenya)

Salon Day With The Mothers…

On Monday I put together a day of relaxation for the mothers in Eastleigh. I had supplies for washing and drying hair, facials, and manicures and pedicures. I took five girls from here that work in the hair salon to help me out; Nancy, Halima, Lucy M., Lucy W., and Patricia. We get there, set up, and just as we are bringing in the women the electricity goes out! T.I.A. (This Is Africa). The day was planned to be outside in the open courtyard, but it meant there would be no washing and drying hair. Oh well, you do what you can. Truthfully though, God knew what he was doing. We had more women there than ever before, almost thirty. We spent over three hours just doing nails and facials. If we had tried to wash and fix hair like we had planned we would have been there at least another four hours. For the first hour I kept praying for the electricity to come back on and then I realized that sometimes unanswered prayers are really good.

Including Ann and I we had a total of seven people working on the mothers. We had three people scrubbing hands and feet, two people cutting and filing the nails, and two painting the nails. I helped paint the nails. It was amazing to watch the girls scrubbing the women’s feet. They spent so much time with each lady, they were gentle, and they did not rush to get it over with. These girls once lived on the streets and they know how special something like this is. The feet were dirty (the American thought of dirty does not even come close to African dirty) and many of the nails were black and brittle. Each mother was made to feel special.
They have done manicures for the woman before, but most of them are new since I have been here so the majority had never had anything like this done before. The only person that had washed their feet was themselves. The only color that had ever been on their nails was black from the dirt and dead nail bone. The women were grinning from ear to ear and no one left without saying thank you. Ann was filing and cutting nails and afterward she told me that she had scrapped years of dirt and dead skin off of some of the women. Also several women thanked her because they had never had their nails cut before. Can you imagine?

Hollye Conway kept the kids in another room while we were with the mothers so it was nice and peaceful. I have never heard it that quiet at the center before. The women were quietly waiting around, smiling, and watching in amazement. Although I was painting nails non stop for three hours, it was the most peaceful day I have had in Eastleigh. The mothers were happy and carefree, at least for a little while.

This challenges me to want to something like this here for single mothers. Possibly we could do this for some of the mothers at WRCCC.

-Sarah

It's the Holiday Season

2007-11-07T09:02:00.000-06:00

The holiday season is upon us. I love the holidays and the thought of Christmas songs, putting up a tree, and drinking eggnog stir up warm feelings inside me. It's easy to get caught up in all the excitement around a holiday. I tried not to go overboard with dressing Asher up at Halloween. I used a bear outfit cover (given to us) as a costume and made homemade facepaint for his nose. Even as I tried to keep things simple, I was quickly reminded that even the little I had done was more than what the kids who came to my door that night were able to do. I was saddened each time I opened the door to a yound child who simply had on what he had probably worn that day and a simple bag to gather candy. It's easy for me to use things around my house to be creative in creating a costume but it may not be as easy for the single mom or the grandparent raising the grandchild.

I want to do things differently with the holidays approaching. I want to begin now so that when Asher is old enough to understand, he will see that the time for celebrating holidays is not all about getting presents or eating as much great homemade food as we want. However, I am not sure where to begin. I do feel challenged to finding a way to give costumes at Halloween next year to kids who do not have any.

It's easy to just give money to things around the holidays but I would rather do something more personal that our family can participate in together. Does anyone have any ideas?

-Sarah

Hiroshima

2007-11-05T20:39:00.000-06:00

Mitsuyoshi Toge was born in Hiroshima in 1917 and was in the city when the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945. He died twelve years later. Toge wrote this poem about what he saw on that August day; it is taken from Hiroshima-Nagasaki: A Pictorial Record of the Atomic Destruction (1978).

How could I ever forget that flash of light!

In a moment, thirty thousand people ceased to be,

The cries of fifty thousand killed

At the bottom of crushing darkness;

Through yellow smoke whirling into light,

Buildings split, bridges collapsed,

Crowded trams burnt as they rolled about

Hiroshima, all full of boundless heaps of embers.

Soon after, skin dangling like rags;

With hands on breasts;

Treading upon the broken brains;

Wearing shreds of burn cloth round their loins;

There came numberless lines of the naked, all crying.

Bodies on the parade ground, scattered like jumbled stone images of Jizo;

Crowds in piles by the river banks,

loaded upon rafts fastened to the shore,

Turned by and by into corpses under the scorching sun;

in the midst of flame tossing against the evening sky,

Round about the street where mother and brother were trapped alive under the fallen house

The fire-flood shifted on.

On beds of filth along the Armory floor,

Heaps, and God knew who they were …

Heaps of schoolgirls lying in refuse

Pot-bellied, one-eyed, with half their skin peeled off bald.

The sun shone, and nothing moved

But the buzzing flies in the metal basins

Reeking with stagnant ordure.

How can I forget that stillness

Prevailing over the city of three hundred thousands?

Amidst that calm,

How can I forget the entreaties

Of departed wife and child

Through their orbs of eyes,

Cutting through our minds and souls?

Commentary on Society

2007-10-31T07:09:00.000-05:00

Photographer Chris Jordan makes visual statements about American consumerism which are beautiful and astonishing. He says, "The pervasiveness of our consumerism holds a seductive kind of mob mentality. Collectively we are committing a vast and unsustainable act of taking, but we each are anonymous and no one is in charge or accountable for the consequences. I fear that in this process we are doing irreparable harm to our planet and to our individual spirits." Here are a few of his pieces, followed by a few detail shots:

Depicts 2.3 million folded prison uniforms, equal to the number of Americans incarcerated in 2005.

Depicts two million plastic beverage bottles, the number used in the US every five minutes.

Fair Trade Month

2007-10-17T07:07:00.000-05:00

Since October is Fair Trade Month, I wanted to share a few online retailers to get you started early on your Christmas shopping! Fair Trade empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace. Here are some awesome gifts that you’ll feel great about buying. >carrie.

-The Acacia Wood Bowls (pictured above)from WorldofGood.com
-Woven Rattan tray from aGreaterGift.org
-a lavendar bracelet from MercadoGlobal.org
-jersey wrap dress from FairIndigo.com
-Bamboo & Leaf Journal from Ten Thousand Villages

International Justice Mission

2007-10-16T14:36:00.001-05:00

Sarah and I went to a benefit dinner for International Justice Mission last week. IJM fights human trafficking in developing countries. Today more people around the world are in slavery and sold in the sex trade than ever before in history. It's good to see somebody trying to do something about it.

Lucy

2007-10-10T15:36:00.001-05:00

While David and I lived on the farm in Kenya with Made in the Streets, a sweet girl named Lucy Wanjko came to live there as well. Lucy had made the decision to change her life of living on the streets into a life living at Made in the Streets that would give her hope for her future.

Lucy came to us with a difficult past. She had been living on a "base" (a place where a group of street kids call home) that was near a pile of garbage. She lived there with her mother and father and sister. We know that Lucy sniffed glue and had to overcome that addiction upon her move to the farm. We don't know if Lucy was ever raped but the majority of girls living on bases usually have been (and usually more than one time). Lucy thankfully did not carry the AIDS virus.

I had the responsibility of tutoring English and math during my stay and Lucy was my first student. She later became David's student. David and I both struggled to teach Lucy. She was competitive with her learning but struggled when others did better than her. She struggled with handling the teasing that teenagers often do.

Lucy would strike out at the boys who would tease her by hitting them or name calling. One night, a girl in the kitchen teased Lucy and Lucy, not knowing how to handle her insecurities any other way, stabbed the girl in her wrist with a kitchen knife. We prayed unceasingly for Lucy to change her ways. Her decisions were now endangering the lives of the other kids, who needed to feel safe at MITS. Lucy apoligized to this girl and we thought she was changing.

David and I returned to the US and continued to hear of Lucy's struggles. I wrote her a letter of encouragement to change and to remind her of all the beautiful qualities that I saw in her and how I hoped for her to find a new life free of her past struggles.

Soon after this, we learned that Lucy could not change. Her past was too webbed inside of her and she could no longer stay at MITS. She was returned to her family and to a life living on the streets.

We just visited with a dear friend of ours who continues to work on the streets of Nairobi, rescuing other children from this street life. He gave us news that he has seen Lucy and that she now has a son named Joel. The good news is that she comes to the mothers program and her father has told MITS staff that her time with MITS did change her for the better.

I share this story to remind us all that some people have a past that is so diffcult to free them and while we so desparately want them to have a "normal" and "successful" life, we may need to change our definitions of these standards and in every oppurtunity display mercy to those who need it the most.

-Sarah

What the Bible Says about Healthy Living

2007-10-03T06:39:00.001-05:00

Several months ago, on the recommendation of a midwife friend, I read the book What the Bible Says About Healthy Living by Dr. Rex Russell. Jessica’s reading it now. I was skeptical at first because of the title, wondering what, besides books, this guy was selling. But, I was pleased to find that to make the nutritional changes he recommends, you don’t have to buy any recommended supplements (like Dead Sea Algae Capsules) or prepackaged “holy” foods. Instead, his approach is to recommend that we keep the dietary guidelines of the Mosaic Law.

His story is that he and his family were chronically run down and plagued with chronic illnesses – diabetes, arthritis, deterioration of his eyesight, cavities, among others. Even though he is a doctor, and was following the recommended treatments, he wasn’t getting much better. He tried other non-traditional treatments, like eating a fistful of vitamins every day, to no avail. Then he had the epiphany to give the Mosiac dietary laws a try. He found that in his own family and eventually in his patients that tried the same approach that many of these chronic conditions and others went away or diminished.

He distills the Levitical lists of eats and don’t-eats into three principles:

• Eat only the foods that God created for human food – No scavengers like pork, shellfish, fish with skin not scales, birds without a gizzard, etc. These are nature’s trash collectors, full of toxins. Eat all the fruits, veggies, whole grains, seeds, and nuts you want.

• Don’t alter God’s design – Eat whole, unprocessed foods as much as possible. Drink water. Avoid meats that have been pumped full of antibiotics and hormones (which, because of price constraints and the minimal amount of meat your body really needs, means greatly reducing the amount of meat you eat). The food and drink that have been chemically altered, stripped, enriched, colored, preserved, hydrogenated, and fortified lose their nutritional qualities and fill you up with chemicals that have bad or unknown effects on your health.

• Don’t let any food or drink become your god – Practice fasting to give your body its needed rest and to break any food addictions, like sugar and, ahem, caffeine.

He weaves in medical statistics and cases to back up his points. Those stats seem plausible to me, but more convincing is the theology and simplicity of the approach.

On the theology front, he opens the book quoting Moses’ speech to the Isrealites in Exodous 15. Moses is telling them about how God will bless them if they follow His Law. These blessings, Dr. Russell explains, are not just a matter of being cosmically square with God, but are tangible blessings of a better life: avoiding some diseases, relationship problems, property disputes, etc. that can be avoided. I’m with him on this point. And he doesn’t overstate it. No “health and wealth” claims of a charmed life. Some diseases and bad situations you simply cannot avoid or cure. He still has diabetes, though it has gotten better on the new diet. And, he doesn’t claim that eating this way makes you righter with God. And, you don’t have to keep a kosher kitchen, too tall of an order for me.

On the simplicity side, the principles pretty well knock out all of the food in the middle of any grocery store, where all of the processed, mass advertised stuff is. On this plan, you pretty much shop the perimeter of the grocery store, and buy things with price tags uninflated by advertising dollars. Eating this way can stretch your grocery dollar, keep you away from the doctor and dentist, and cut the amount of time you spend in the grocery store. Educating our children and communities to eat this way could benefit public health and allow the poor to eat and feel better.

We’ve started eating this way, and its not been absolutely easy. Convenience foods are pretty much eliminated on this plan. No more Create-a-Meals or Hamburger Helper, so stuff takes longer to prepare. And, we’ve switched to organic milk and as much as we can to organic meat, which are more expensive. But we have seen a net reduction in our grocery budget as a result, and we can feel the health effects of reducing processed sugar, white flour, pork, and other things. When we eat these things occasionally now, we can tell almost immediately that they make us feel worse.

-The Schweigers

Blessed are the Meek

2007-09-26T11:20:00.000-05:00

I am currently doing a study on The Sermon on the Mount. In the study, there were different attributes of God we were to study. The first one was "God is sovereign; God is in control." I must confess that I have trouble with the statement God is in control. I especially have trouble with this statement when I read this verse "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap (1 Samuel 2:8)." My questioning is if God is "in control" than why are still a billion people still living on only a dollar a day and over 2 billion without access to clean water. Why has God not lifted these poor people up?

Then I think about the Beatitudes and Matthew 5:5 that says, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Meek in Hebrew means humble, afflicted, poor, oppressed. So here is Jesus challenging ME to help the poor and oppressed to inherit the earth. So maybe God is "in control" in the sense that He has empowered me to live out these challenges of Jesus.

So maybe all 6 billion of us on the planet can't make a difference but many of us can. We have one life that God has entrusted to us and we can either give back to His creation or we can live each day just for ourself. I am thankful for something I learned about today. Bill Clinton has begun the Clinton Global Initiative (and by the way, if you are a Republican, please get over the fact that this was a democratic president heading it up). Today marks the fifth day of the United Nations General Assembly meeting and the day that the Clinton Global Initiative is meeting with 1600 leaders around the world. Many have already made commitments and many more today will be made. You don't even have to be at the meeting to make a commitment. This initiative focuses on four areas: education, alleviating poverty, energy and climate change, and global health. To read more about it go to this link: http://www2.mycommitment.org/.

-Sarah

What the World Eats

2007-09-20T12:38:00.000-05:00

Check out this interesting photo essay produced by Time Magazine, entitled "What the World Eats". Pictured above is The Aboubakar family in Chad, who spend $1.23 per week. Now - How does that compare to what you spend on food per week? >carrie.

Wall Street Money Drop w Shane Claiborne

2007-09-17T17:18:00.001-05:00

If you read the Irresistable Revolution and, like me, wondered what the money drop on Wall Street looked like...here it is.

Mark Your Calendars

2007-09-14T10:18:00.000-05:00

Mark your calendars for October 6th and 7th for the Celebration of Cultures! The event is FREE and will be at Centennnial Park. The Celebration will include musice performers, exotic foods, world market booths, and children's activities (including the Nashville Zoo, urban wildlife, and others). This year they are adding a section called The Villages (not like the movie, sorry) that will share a typical day in other parts of the world.

http://www.celebrationofcultures.org/index.php

Also, on October 6th before the Celebration of Cultures begins, there will be a "Walk As One" that will begin at 9am.

http://walkasone.kintera.org/faf/email/emailFriend.asp?ievent=237765&lis=1&kntae237765=E5036FA8C7DC4EBBAFCA2FC7C084006C

-Sarah

Dark Night of the Soul

2007-09-12T16:12:00.000-05:00

"..Jesus retreated periodically to lonely and abandoned places to find refreshment and strength in intimacy with God, and invited his disciples to do the same. In the garden and on the cross, he experienced the deceptive feeling of abandonment which is the shadow side of desert experience and the "dark night of the soul" that comes before the dawn of the promised New Day experienced by everyone called to seek God alone." (Source: School(s) for Conversion: 12 Marks of a New Monasticism)

I have experienced this "dark night of the soul" on two occasions. The first was when David and I relocated to Kenya. It was in the first few weeks while we were adjusting to our new life that we confronted this feeling of abandonment. The feeling of "what have we done?" I believe we felt this the most on a night when the electricity had gone out (again) and we were struggling to cook a meal in our home that at the time had big, black rats that came out in the dark, and we realized that our friends and family were no where near.

The second occasion was also a time of relocation when we decided to move downtown to a more diverse neighborhood. Again, I felt this abandonment that we had chosen to live in an area far from friends and family and in a neighborhood that took time to overcome preconceived fears.

"Relocation expresses conversion and commitment, the decision to resist imperial pressures and rewards of conformity to the way of all empires: pride, power, and reduction of all values to the "bottom line." It is a coming out from under, a liberation, and a real challenge." (Source: School(s) for Conversion: 12 Marks of a New Monasticism)

Looking back at these two occasions I can now see how these relocations gave me liberation and real challenge! Both have given me a new focus in life and have caused me to want to live out a life of compassion and service for the kingdom of God.

Have any of you had a "dark night of the soul" that at first look felt like abandonment but with time and commitment became an experience of new focus?
-Sarah

Reduce Your Exposure

2007-09-07T09:24:00.000-05:00

"[I]f you consume canned soups, beans and soft drinks, organic or not, you also may be swallowing residues of a controversial chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) that can leak out of the can linings into your food. Nearly all can liners contain BPA, says Geoff Cullen, director of government relations at the Can Manufacturers Institute. BPA has also been found to migrate, under some conditions, from polycarbonate plastic water bottles.

Plastic water and baby bottles, food and beverage can linings and dental sealants are the most commonly encountered uses of this chemical. Unfortunately, it doesn't stay put. BPA has been found to leach from bottles into babies' milk or formula; it migrates from can liners into foods and soda and from epoxy resin-lined vats into wine; and it is found in the mouths of people who've recently had their teeth sealed. Ninety-five percent of Americans were found to have the chemical in their urine in a 2004 biomonitoring study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)."

8 Ways to Avoid Harmful Chemicals in Plastics and Cans
1. If you already own polycarbonate bottles, including the Nalgene bottles popular on college campuses, labeled #7 on the bottom, wash them by hand with mild dishwashing soap, not in the dishwasher, to avoid degrading the plastic and increasing leaching of BPA (see http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/114/picnic).
2. Even plastic does not last forever. Look for cracks or cloudiness on your reusable clear plastic bottles. See The Green Guide's survey, http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/114/nalgene.
3. Use glass baby bottles or plastic bag inserts, which are made of polyethyelene, or switch to polypropylene bottles that are labeled #5 and come in colors or are milky rather than clear.
4. Choose soups, milk and soy milk packaged in cardboard "brick" cartons, by Tetra Pak and SIG Combibloc, which are made of safer layers of aluminum and polyethylene (#2) and also recyclable.
5. Choose canned foods from makers who don't use BPA, such as Eden Foods (http://www.edenfoods.com/) , which sells certified organic canned beans and other foods.
6. Eat fresh foods in season and save the canned foods for convenience or emergencies. The exception is some canned fruit such as that found in smaller fruit-cocktail cans, which do not require a liner, according to the Can Manufacturers Institute.
7. Buy or can your own fruits and vegetables in safe glass jars.

8. Some wines have been found to contain up to six times the BPA of canned foods. While most wines probably don't, it's another good reason to drink in moderation.

(Source: "The Bisphenol-A Debate: A Suspect Chemical in Plastic Bottles and Cans"
by Catherine Zandonella, M.P.H)

Here are a few more helpful sights:

Purchase sippy cups/water bottles: http://www.healthegoods.com/kleankanteenstainlesssteelwaterbottle.htm

or from: http://www.reusablebags.com/store/klean-kanteen-stainless-steel-sippy-p-687.html?osCsid=4b86a2d17ef9346402772b10cce3f440

Soulutions to reduce plastic and toxic exposures: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/88-89/lundquist5

-Sarah

Reducing Junk Mail

2007-09-05T11:34:00.000-05:00

This is an explanation on how to reduce unwanted mail. It should take 10 minutes tops for you and within 6-10 weeks your mail should be reduced by 70-80% if I remember correctly. It will save a tree, reduce waste and reduce the risk of stolen personal information. - Lance

DMA (Direct Mail Association)
E-mail address opt-out - Does not apply to business addresses and you must reply to an e-mail they will send you or it doesn’t stick.
Mailing address opt-out - Lasts 5 years and you must do it for every new address. It also costs $1.
Pre-screened credit card offers opt-out - I opted out for 5 years. To opt out permanently, you have to print something and mail it in.
Really helpful overview

4 Credit Companies (Equifax, etc.)
Credit Reporting Companies Removal (firm offers of credit and insurance)- May be the same as the credit card removal above. Super creepy auto system but takes only 2 minutes. 1-888-5OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688)

ADVO - I opted out for 5 years.

Epsilon’s Abacus Cooperative Database - Send email to: optout@abacus-us.com
Text of e-mail: Please remove me from your list and do not sell my addresses (and then proceed with any applicable address).

slums

2007-09-03T21:03:00.000-05:00

The UN estimates that approximately 1 billion people around the world live in slums. By 2050, the UN says, there may be 3.5 billion slum dwellers, out of a total urban population of about six billion. Cities around the world are growing at an unprecedented rate and much of the growth is attributable to people moving from rural to urban areas, lured by the promise of new opportunities. Unfortunately, though, many of these new arrivals end up in living in the slum areas, steeped in dire poverty. For example, of the 500,000 people who migrate to Delhi, India each year, it is estimated that 400,000 end up in slums (Mike Davis, Planet of Slums, p. 18, 2006).

Slums are typically not found in the developed world, as evidenced by the map below. They are characterized by conditions far less habitable than "projects" or government housing -- slums are evidenced by severe overcrowding, inadequate access to safe water and sanitation and insecurity of tenure. In the sums of Kolkata (Calcutta), India, an average of 13.4 people are crammed together into a single room and, in the Dharavi slum of Mumbai (Bombay), India, an incredible 18,000 people per acre somehow dwell in 10-by-15-foot rooms stacked on top of one another.

I wonder how many people could comfortably live in our house. Sometimes we feel cramped here with just 3 of us; and we even have air conditioning, reliable electricity, 3 bathrooms and a refrigerator. I know that at least 1 billion people would love to trade places with me.

SICK

2007-08-29T19:43:00.000-05:00

It's easy for me when I am sick to feel sorry for myself. I think how it would be nice if I could have someone come take care of my 5-month old so that I could sleep longer or how I wish my husband could get home earlier from work or even stay home with me to complete the daily housefold tasks, like cleaning and dinner. I think how I wish that my refrigerator was full of "get well" food like pudding and jello.

And then I remember another time of when I really felt sorry for myself....We were living in Kenya and I had a stomach bug, which is not fun to have when your toilet is wedged in a corner that barely gives room for your legs when you sit down or when you can't even lay on the couch because you just have a love seat and chair in your ~300 square foot apartment. Not to mention there were not even crackers on our shelves or Sprite to ease my upset stomach or a doctor close by to help me if the "bug" thing got worse.

But then I stop and remind myself AGAIN of how rich and easy I have it to be sick. For one, I have a husband and plenty of friends and family who would drop anything to help me if I really needed time to recover. I also have access to medical care and medicine that I can afford and easily jump in my car and drive to the pharmacy to pick up. I have a bed (actually we have two in our home) and a couch (two of those as well) that I can lie on. And, even when I was in Kenya it was easy to be sick.

I can't imagine what it would be like to be sick and be a single mom. I can't imagine what it would be like to be sick and be a single mom and live on the streets of Nairobi, Kenya. I mean how bad must it feel to have to lie on the side of the road (or if you're lucky on a make-shift bed in a shanty that you share with your seven children) and not know where you can even get clean water. How bad must it feel to know that the tuberculosis you are suffering from is curable with daily treatments that is now free in your country but you cannot afford the daily bus fare to take you to the clinic that has it. How bad must it feel to know that no one is going to come at the end of the day to take the child from you to give you a break but instead you must find a hiding place to keep the man who may come by from raping you.

So as I sit here in my nice home feeling a little under the weather, I no longer feel sick.

-Sarah

Mother Theresa

2007-08-27T08:47:00.000-05:00

I once heard Randy Harris say that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but apathy. Faith requires actions based on that faith. Or as James said, "Faith without works is dead."

Now word comes out that even someone as looked up to as Mother Theresa had here own doubts, as Time Magazine has reported. I know that there are many who have doubts about many things that we've believed or been instructed to believe. However, my prayer for myself and for all of us is that those doubts will not stagnate us into apathy, but that the actions that we take to bring God's justice and peace into His world will continue in spite of the doubts and not "feeling" God's presence.

Featured Family Friday

2007-08-24T13:29:00.000-05:00

Larry and Hollye Conway, Missionaries in Kenya

Hospitality

Have you ever had the experience like I have where you were hesitant to invite someone in or over because things were not 'just right' in your home?

We often visit our friends who live on a garbage dump. The stench greets you long before our friends do. Most steps are accompanied by a ?squish? which you would rather not identify?

The welcome is always warm and genuine. Each visit is accompanied by a moment of uneasiness as they search out the right seat for you ~ a cement block, an empty radio casing or a old tin paint bucket. Greetings, news, stories are exchanged. Words of encouragement and Bible lessons are spoken. Prayer requests shared and lifted up.

I always hate to leave. They have made me feel comfortable and at home.

Wonder if I can learn from them and handle awkward moments of hospitality more graciously???

Don't you think Jesus would be delighted by a warm and welcoming invitation into our day, no matter what the state of our hearts or our lives?

-Hollye

ONE Campaign in Nashville

2007-08-23T15:06:00.000-05:00

The ONE Campaign has been working closely with the leaders of the Nashville group to put together a plan of action for the coming months, and is announcing it's first Nashville ONE Volunteer Meet-up. Here are details:

When: August 31 at 6:00 PM
Where: Hardrock Cafe, 100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37201
Why: Find out about what the local ONE Campaign Nashville is doing, things you can do to make a difference, upcoming events, our legislative agenda, member recruitment drive...and more!

They are requesting your RSVP here if you can make it. >carrie.

Green Power Switch

2007-08-22T06:24:00.000-05:00

If last week's record-breaking electricity consumption has got you thinking about NES's Green Power Switch, consider this:

At 3:45 p.m. last Thursday, the NES grid was pumping out 2,673 megawatts. According to NES spokeswoman Laurie Parker, to convert that whole lot to sustainable energy would require 17,280 “blocks” of green power—in just that one moment.

But in the month of July, Nashvillians purchased a meager 422 blocks of green power.

So, we've got a long way to go. But if you want to give green a try, $8 a month will buy two blocks of green power, enough to convert approximately one-quarter of the energy consumption of the average Nashville family.

(content taken from the Nashville Scene blog.) >posted by carrie.

john wesley

2007-08-20T21:12:00.000-05:00

John Wesley, the 18th centurey leader of the Methodist movement, had a few things to say about how much a Christian should give. He said that Christians should give away all but the "plain necessaries of life" -- that is, plain, wholesome food, clean clothes and enough to carry on one's business.

Wesley stated that capital need not be given away but that all income should be given to the poor after bare necessities are met.

"Any 'Christian' who takes for himself anything more than the plain necessaries of life," Wesley insisted, "lives in an open, habitual denial of the Lord."

"If I leave behind me ten pounds," he once wrote, "you and all mankind bear witness against me that I lived and died a thief and a robber."

Do you think Wesley goes too far?

-David

Websites

2007-08-15T09:15:00.000-05:00

Here are two new websites to check out!

This website gives you the environmental impact calculator and great ideas for green projects around your home.

http://www.lowimpactliving.com/

Even if you do not have a child, this website is helpful to having a healthier home. Also check out the 5 easy steps under the Featured Programs. These give some helpful tips for around the house.

http://healthychild.org

-Sarah

Benefit Yard Sale - Sept. 21 & 22

2007-08-14T19:35:00.000-05:00

Mark your calendars for the Yard Sale to benefit Made in the Streets , Friday 9/21 & Saturday 9/22.

Can You Help? Why yes you can! Here’s what we DESPERATELY need!
1) Your House Decluttered. Your Stuff…to Me
2) Your Help on Sale Day & Before – Pricing, Organizing, Sign Making & Posting, Watching Children, Placing Ads & Publicizing the Sale, Getting/Making Lunch on Sale Day…
3) Borrowing – Your Tables, Portable Clothing Racks (Do you know anyone with these?!), Garage Sale Flags
4) Your Plastic Bags – Oh, I can’t stand them. But they will come in handy for our shoppers!

Please contact Carrie for more info.

mother teresa

2007-08-12T21:16:00.000-05:00

A few thoughts from Mother Teresa:

It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.

There should be less talk; a preaching point is not a meeting point. What do you do then? Take a broom and clean someone's house. That says enough.

There must be a reason why some people can afford to live well. They must have worked for it. I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use.

The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give. But the less you have the more free you are. Poverty for us is a freedom.

There is only one God and He is God to all; therefore it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God. I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic. We believe our work should be our example to people.

Not so long ago a very wealthy Hindu lady came to see me. She sat down and told me, "I would like to share in your work." In India, more and more people like her are offering to help. I said, "That is fine." The poor woman had a weakness that she confessed to me. "I love elegant saris," she said. Indeed, she had on a very expensive sari that probably cost around eight hundred rupees. Mine cost only eight rupees. Hers cost one hundred times more.Then I asked the Virgin Mary to help me give an adequate answer to her question of how she could share in our work. It occurred to me to say to her, "I would start with the saris. The next time you go to buy one, instead of paying eight hundred rupees, buy one that costs five hundred. Then with the extra three hundred rupees, buy saris for the poor." The good woman now wears 100-rupee saris, and that is because I have asked her not to buy cheaper ones. She has confessed to me that this has changed her life. She now knows what it means to share. That woman assures me that she has received more than what she has given.

I guess I need to go pick up a broom...

- David

Featured Family Friday

2007-08-10T10:12:00.001-05:00

Five years ago Dr. J. Matthew Sleeth and his family lived in a big house, had two luxury cars, loads of money, and lots of stuff. As chief of the medical staff at a large hospital, Sleeth was living the American dream—until he realized that something was terribly wrong. As he saw patient after patient suffering from cancer, asthma, and other chronic diseases, he began to understand that the Earth and its inhabitants were in trouble. Feeling helpless, he turned to his faith for guidance. He discovered how the timeless lessons of personal responsibility, simplicity, and stewardship taught in the Bible could be applied to modern life.

Source: http://www.chelseagreen.com/images/cms/sleeth200.jpg

Excerpt from Serve God, Save the Planet by Sleeth:

"Over the past five years, my family and I have made significant lifestyle changes. We no longer live in our big house; instead, we have one the exact size of our old garage. We use less than one-third of the fossil fuels and one-quarter of the electricity we once used. We've gone from leaving two barrels of trash by the curb each week to leaving one bag every few weeks. We no longer own a clothes dryer, garbage disposal, dishwasher, or lawn mower. Our "yard" is planted with native wildflowers and a large vegetable garden. Half of our possessions have found new homes. We are a poster family for the downwardly mobile.

Because of these changes, we have more time for God. Spiritual concerns have filled the void left by material ones. Owning fewer things has resulted in things no longer owning us. We have put God to the test, and we have found his Word to be true. He has poured blessings and oppurtunities upon us. When we stopped living a life dedicated to consumerism, our cup began to run over. We have seen miracles."

I am currently reading Serve God, Save the Planet and have found it to be very convicting. Others who are recommending this book include: Brian McLaren and Shane Claiborne.

-Sarah

RICH

2007-08-09T11:43:00.001-05:00

Paper or Plastic?

2007-08-08T07:08:00.001-05:00

It seems that neither are without fault. Paper bag production is expensive, requires more energy to recycle & they take up more landfill space. Many plastic bags are not biodegradable, and require more oil used for production. Not to mention all the plastic bags littered across the country. So more people across the country are bringing their own.

In March, San Francisco became the first city in the country to ban non-biodegradable plastic bags in large grocery and drug stores. Similar bag-banning measures are being considered elsewhere across the country.

Locally, there are a handful of grocers who give money back when you bring your own bags. Kroger is the latest to offer savings, with $.04 off your bill for each bag you bring.

I’ve been bringing my own bags now for almost a year. After unloading my foods, I immediately put the bags by the door or right back to the car. That way, they are always in the car when I make an impromptu stop by the store. It is so easy to do & you will not believe how sturdy these bags are. You can put much more in these bags than either plastic or paper.

Where to find them? Tote bags overflow at your local thrift store. Or you can find a great selection at reusablebags.com. >carrie.

Peace Counts

2007-08-06T11:47:00.000-05:00

Peace Counts aims to discover role models for peacemaking around the world and to bring them broad exposure by creating fascinating features and photo essays. Peace Counts is looking to provide answers to the question: How does an individual actually “make peace”?

Peace Counts publications focus on role models for peace throughout the world. Peace Counts depicts people, groups, and institutions that have supported peace processes with especial creativity, credibility, long-term commitment, and success.

The following is an excerpt from ... and on Earth Peace to Men of Good Will:

Peace has come to the once unruly streets of New Haven, Connecticut. Today children play where the bullets of gang shoot-outs once flew. Geraniums bloom in the window boxes of former crack houses. Many gang members are either behind bars or have become upright citizens who sweep their sidewalks on Saturday mornings. Since the 1990s, crime rates in New Haven have fallen by more than 60 percent. The success can be credited to an unusual style of police work – “community policing.” “Community policing” sounds harmless enough, but it was a cultural revolution. It began in New Haven’s police academy, a former precinct house on Sherman Parkway.

Along with law, criminology, and firearms practice, the future cops learn standard English, read poetry, and rehearse nonviolent conflict resolution with role-playing games. They write plays about racial prejudice and produce them with inner city kids. The calligraphy of the greeting-card rhetoric outside is set forth in the classroom. “It’s never too soon to be friendly – you never know when it might be too late.”

The “recruits” became “students” and were drawn from every conceivable walk of life: homosexuals, single mothers, Latinos, African-Americans. In the school day, the firing range ceded time to soup kitchen visits. Kay Codish brought prostitutes, hustlers, abused women, the mentally ill, and the homeless into the classroom. She drilled her students nonstop in the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. A police officer needs to remember that, almost more than anyone else.”

Source: http://www.peace-counts.org/eng/practice_146_start.html
Check out this website for more peace stories around the world!

How can we as individuals make peace in our community?
-Sarah

Featured Family Friday

2007-08-03T08:06:00.000-05:00

My most important mentors were my parents. My father was a very prominent physician and cardiologist. Once a week he would see patients for free of charge for charity. And patients would come from all over the country, actually, to see him, on trains and buses. My mother would cook food for them and pay their bus fare and train fare. And my little brother and I would escort the patients in to see my father, who would not only write the prescriptions, but pay for the medicines for them as well. And at the end of the day, my parents would sit with me and explain what had happened during the day. And the moral of the lessons always was that if you want to be happy, then you make somebody else happy.

I grew up with this notion that you must always have somebody in your life that you can trust, that you can confide in, that you can seek advice from, and that you can learn skills from. And the best skills come not in school, they come from people that you're closed to, that care about you, that you care about.

At one point in time, I have three, or four, or five people that I am acting as a mentor for. And I listen to them mostly. I listen to what's going on in their life, what's going on with their friendships, in their relationships. To be a mentor you need to understand what's going on in a young person's life. ---Deepak Chopra

Source: www.whomentoredyou.org

What are ways that your family serves the community? What are ways that you can make someone else happy? -Sarah

What are we protecting?

2007-08-01T10:02:00.000-05:00

A quick comparison of annual spending (source: ODE magazine, October 2006)

$900 billion U.S.
Annual worldwide weapons spending

$150 billion U.S.
Yearly budget for all eight Millennium Development Goals*

Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty
Provide universal primary education
Promote gender equality
Reduce child mortality
Improve pre-natal health
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Ensure environmental sustainability
Develop a global partnership for development

*The Millennium Development Goals were developed by the United Nations to improve the quality of life of citizens worldwide, with a target completion date of 2015. All 191 member states agreed to participate, but have been sharply criticized for their lack of effort.

When I look at these figures, it is startling and disheartening. I ask myself why does the world spend this much on weapons? What are we trying to protect, especially here in the U.S.? Are we fearful that one day a billion starving people might find their way to our land and we will have to protect ourselves from them stealing our food? Sorry if I am too rash in my comments but I look at a picture of starving children and wonder are we truly doing all we can to "improve the quality of life of citizens worldwide?"

-Sarah

Confession

2007-07-30T11:28:00.000-05:00

Well, the money sermon series at Otter Creek is over. And I thought that overall it was very good. Like with everything else, I could pick holes in some things, or wish that Tim had pushed a little harder in other places, but for what it was, I felt like it was a good series for the church to hear.

What I truly appreciated was our friend's confession and request for prayer yesterday. As much as anything Tim said, I think that hearing from someone trying to live a lifestyle counter to the consumeristic greed of American society was one of the most powerful things that people could have heard. I hope that it gives hope to other that might not be within this group that there are those seeking a different way to live.

So, thank you, J. For your courage and your example. And I would ask the same prayers for our family that she asked for hers.

Featured Family Friday

2007-07-27T10:28:00.000-05:00

There is currently a break in family's who have signed up to post on the Featured Family Fridays. So, I thought I would take this oppurtunity to recruit...YOU! If you can share from any of the following questions/topics below, please comment to this post and I will sign you up for a future Friday. Or, you can email me at sarahdenniswilson@yahoo.com.

How does your family display Jesus' teachings of nonviolence?
How does your family respond to a homeless person or needy family?
How does your family strive for simplicity?
In what ways does your family live out community?
Does your family have easy ways to protect the environment?
What are creative, God-pleasing ways that you use your money?
In what ways does your family counter "envy" that arises from "keeping up with the neighbors?"

These are just a few ideas and maybe you have ideas of your own that you would like to share. Maybe, you even have answers to some of the questions that the Stanleys (last Friday's post) shared. Also, I keep using the word "family" but do not want to imply that this feature has to be from a married couple with 2.5 kids. We would love to hear from single, married without kids, single with kids, empty-nesters, and any other status I have not mentioned. Maybe you grew up in a family that displayed some of these things and could share how your parents lived this out. Whatever the situation, whatever the response, even if you read this blog regularly but never comment and we don't know you, this blog would love to hear from YOU!

-Sarah

Nurture the Earth by Composting

2007-07-24T21:18:00.000-05:00

About one third of the space in landfills is taken up with waste from our yards and kitchens, just the type of material that can be used in compost. With a small investment in time, you can contribute to the solution to a community problem, while at the same time enriching the soil and improving the health of the plants on your property.

Metro Nashville's Omohundro Center now offers compost bins from Earth Machines. Retailing at $85, they are offering them for $40. Now is as good a time as any to learn how to compost. For more info about composting, read here or here.

The Omohundro Center also takes residential trash, furniture, furniture, mattresses, tires, etc. plus all the regular recyclables. Happy Composting! >carrie.

Diogenes the Dog

2007-07-23T08:20:00.000-05:00

The notion of living simply is nothing new. It's been around for centuries. Some of the earliest practitioners of simplicity were the cynics, a school of ancient Greek philosophers. They rejected the social values of their time, often flouting conventions in shocking ways to prove their point. They claimed that wealth, popularity and power tend to dethrone the authority of reason and pervert the soul from the natural to the artificial. While some of their practices may have been crude, they saw rejecting the dross of materialism as a virtue.

One of the prominent cynics was Diogenes, who lived during the 4th centure B.C.E. He was a vulgar and sordid man who disavowed worldy possessions and chose to live in poverty. He slept in a tub and destroyed the single wooden bowl he possessed upon seeing a peasant boy drink from the hollow of his hands. Marveling at the boy, Diogenes remarked, "A child has beaten me in plainness of living."

When asked what was the proper time for supper, Diogenes replied, "If you are a rich man, whenever you please; and if you are a poor man, whenever you can."

Diogenes also said "He has the most who is most content with the least."

The story goes that while Diogenes was relaxing in the sunlinght on the side of the road one morning, Alexander the Great came upon him. Thrilled to meet the famous philosopher, Alexander told Diogenes that he would grant one request and give Diogenes anything he wanted from his kingdom. Diogenes motioned with his hand and replied, "Could you please move? You're blocking the sun."

Diogenes asked Alexander what his plans were. Alexander answered that he planned to conquer and subjugate Greece. "Then what?" Diogenes asked. Alexander said that he planned to conquer and subjugate Asia Minor. And then? Alexander said that he planned to conquer and subjugate the world. What next? Alexander the Great told Diogenes that after all that conquering and subjugating, he planned to relax and enjoy himself. Diogenes responded: "Why not save yourself a lot of trouble by relaxing and enjoying yourself now?"

Diogenes was particularly upset by extravagant and lavish interior decorations, and at one rich man's house, on finding himself surrounded by expensive carpets and sumptuous cushions, Diogenes spat in the owner's face, and then wiped it with his rough cloak and apologized, saying it was the only dirty place in the room he could find to spit.

There are numerous examples of simple living throughout history from which we can learn. Can you think of any others?

- David

Featured Family Friday

2007-07-20T11:40:00.001-05:00

Presenting the Stanley Family -- There are five of us living in the suburban utopia of Spring Hill, TN. Daren and I just celebrated our tenth anniversary of wedded bliss. Our lives have been richly blessed with our three daughters – Mary Carsen (4), Eliza (2), and Nora Blayre (8 weeks). With our recent third addition to the family, our sanity hangs by a thread from moment to moment.

I was reluctant to write anything for the blog. Daren and I feel very inadequate to contribute in any form. Simplicity is far from the essence of our lives. We stand in awe of most of the people in this group who meet together regularly, and our mouths water for change in our own lives. Please do not continue to read this if you want practical advice in how to live simply. We have little to offer as of yet in our journey. We offer ourselves and our struggle along this process.

Fluctuating – That describes our family history – including our finances, our personal theologies, and our marriage relationship among other things. We have long desired to be fully committed to outreach and to live life beyond the status quo. However, we have continually flip-flopped between pursing a higher calling and running to the familiarity of the typical American dream. Our first five years together were spent seriously seeking out full-time mission work. When that fell through, we moved to a trendy neighborhood, bought a restored 1920s bungalow and furnished it racking up $40,000 in credit card debt. It has taken us two downsizes in houses to recover from this, to live within our means and to keep me home to mother our children.

We are evolving as a family, and I have high expectations to see where God leads us. I truly believe that we will see God work in our family if we are still enough to discern his voice. Currently, we are struggling the following:

As a family, how can we position ourselves most effectively to reach out to others? Do we relocate to inner city Nashville in order to do this? Are we compromising the safety of our children in so doing?
How do we experience community in the deepest sense? How do we best develop enriching relationships for true accountability? Does this mean some type of communal living situation?
How can we shape our children to lessen the effects of consumerism, competition, performance-based self-worth and vanity in their lives? Is home schooling part of the answer for this? We are actually about to begin our first year of home schooling.
How can we practically go green as a family? How do we weigh the immediacy of our money concerns with the long-term effects of our daily decisions on the environment? For example, sticking to our budget vs. buying environmentally friendly diapers.
How important are our money concerns when there are others wasting away from lack of resources? Is it moral for us to save money at all when others lack clean water and a sustainable diet of any kind?
How can we best be socially conscientious consumers? ? Do we spend more money just to buy fair trade clothing and coffee? Do we change our bank and our mortgage company because I just found out that both have histories of unfair business practices (Discovering this was due to Sarah’s referring us to http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/rs/. Thanks, Sarah, I guess.)
On a very personal level, what about my identity as a fairly fashionable mom who outfits her children with bows the size of Texas? Very shallow, I know!!! Being concerned about the environment, contemplating communal living and living simply all conjure up hippie images for me. I can dig this new hippie image, but I feel the need to spend several hundred dollars on different clothing from Pangaea, Patagonia and Anthropologie.

Any insights and constructive feedback are more than welcomed. We definitely appreciate the encouragement and positive peer pressure from the group to seek out purity and holiness in our lives.

God, have mercy on us and move us beyond discussion to practice. -- Christy

The Best Things in Life are Free

2007-07-18T07:31:00.000-05:00

As a stay-at-home mom of a 4-month old, some days I begin feeling "trapped" inside the house. So this past Saturday, my husband told me that he would stay home and I could go anywhere I wanted. As he began to suggest ideas, we realized that most of the things cost money. "Go to....Starbuck's, Target, Borders, Blockbuster." Now, I'm not saying that any of these places are bad, but it is interesting that as a culture we are so driven by spending money to make us happier or to entertain us. There have been countless times that I have bought a new outfit because I was feeling down, wanted to reward myself, or for some special holiday/event. There are other times where I want to get together with friends and we suggest going out to eat, going to the movies, or meeting for coffee. I enjoy doing all of these things so it is hard for me to suggest something different.

What if instead of:
Going shopping, we shared/exchanged clothes.
Buying a book or renting movies, we borrowed from a friend or went to the library.
Going out to eat, we shared meals in our homes (plus you can visit longer with friends and don't feel rushed out of a restaurant).
Going to the movies, we went to a park.

Here are some events around town that are free in the summer:
at Centennial Park: Shakespeare In The Park, Movies in the Park (although ended in June :( )
take kids to Sprayparks: Watkins Sprayground, Kirkpatrick Spray ground, or at the Bicentennial Mall (near Farmer's Market)
at the Frist Center: Last Friday of the Month (May-October) are free concerts and free admission to the Frist

Does anyone else have any ideas for free things to do?
-Sarah

Jesus is Lord

2007-07-16T10:01:00.000-05:00

I've spent the last week or so thinking about how Paul uses Lordship in his thinking (in preparation for teaching Tim's class on Paul yesterday; you can see what I did over on my blog). The idea of lordship is one that most of us have probably heard and that taking Jesus as Lord, means the other aspects that we often wish to succumb to have to be subordinated. But it also had a political motif, in that Caesar was often named as Lord and naming Jesus as Lord is a direct confrontation to that.

A particular quote from an N.T. Wright lecture at the Christian Aid conference.

http://www.ntwrightpage.com/ActJustly_Putting_World_Rights.mp3

"The Gospel is NOT 'You're a sinner, but Jesus has died so you can go to Heaven.' That is one of the results of the Gospel. The Gospel is, in the New Testament, 'Jesus is Lord.' or slightly more expanded, the crucified and risen Jesus is Lord. And when you name Jesus as Lord, and you take your life in your hands when you do so, you're implicitly telling all sorts of powers that are very powerful, that they are at best secondary, and at worst blasphemous idols. And they're not gonna like that, and they're going to fight back."

This is something that I have to keep in constant mind as Sheryl and I tried to make incremental steps toward more simplicity. That if we say that the consumeristic mindset is not the lord of our lives, there will be a struggle in that, and that's why the group is so appreciated, even just the idea that there are others out there struggling with the same issues and are at different places in this.

Featured Family Friday

2007-07-13T08:09:00.000-05:00

The Sanders Family

Doug and I have two children. Lauren, 23, who just married, is an emergency room nurse. Houston is 18 and headed to the University of Tennessee in August. We have lived half of our married life (30 years, yikes!!) in Nashville and the other half of our married life in small town USA. Life in a small town was definitely simpler and less stressful for our family. We have just spent the last few years following Houston around the country as he played ice hockey. We believe in helping our children find their passion and pursue it. We also believe that active and involved teenagers will get into less trouble than those with a lot of time on their hands--"a tired teenager is a good teenager".

We have been recyclers for a long time. Due to financial necessity, we furnished our household with things we could find at rural auctions and very rural antique/junk stores. It became our pastime and entertainment to comb the countryside looking for pieces to furnish our home. There is something satisfying about cleaning, sanding, and oiling an old piece of wood. The ultimate recycling is taking something used for 100 years and finding a use for it in your home. Each piece in our home has a story, including the day we found it and brought it to our house.

On future housing, Doug and I do not currently agree on the next step. He wants to move downtown inside the loop, or at least near it, and live near those in need. I, on the other hand, would like to move away to a more rural area and build a "green" house with solar energy, geo-thermal, wind energy, gray water reclamation, etc. Under current city codes, not much of that can be done inside the city. So, we are currently looking at options and we will hopefully find a solution that will make both of us happy.

Our life has taken a bit of a change in the last two years going from an "executive" family with one set of expectations to a ministerial family with a whole different set of expectations from the world. I think the world as a whole has always expected ministers to lead a simple life, whether they themselves lived that role or not. We continue to look for ways to keep it simple and help others to look for a more simple, peaceful way of life. What a great gift it would be if we could give simplicity and peace as well as food and housing to those in need of "benevolence". That could be the ultimate form of giving, both for body and spirit.

Building Community Through Hospitality

2007-07-11T06:09:00.000-05:00

. . . I have never met anyone who was offended because I opened my door and invited her to come in. Karen Mains

Hospitality was an integral part of the faith & community of Francis & Edith Schaeffer. They founded L’Abri in Switzerland in 1955 when they decided to open their home to be a place where people might find satisfying answers to their questions and practical demonstration of Christian care. It was called L'Abri, French for "shelter," because they sought to provide a shelter from the pressures of a relentlessly secular 20th century.

Buddy & Bernie Arnold, also known for tremendous hospitality, shared their most primary thoughts on the subject years ago. Here they are:
-“Be Yourself. “
-“It’s Going to be a Lot of Work.” (Schaeffer also expands on this, with comments about the time, energy & loving devotion that hospitality truly requires.)
- “You never know how much good you do from just a cup of coffee.” Sometimes we just need a little kindness and a listening ear.

The busyness of life often prevents us from being hospitable to those around us and those in need. Today, why don’t you get out your calendar and be intentional with inviting others to experience your hospitality, conversation, and encouragement?

Learn more about L'Abri from Edith Schaeffer’s books, “L’Abri”, “The Hidden Art of Homemaking” & “Tapestry”. >carrie.

Selling Your Possessions

2007-07-09T08:19:00.000-05:00

Two times today I attempted to post some thoughts on the rich young ruler (Luke 18) and both times I erased it somehow.
Maybe I'll try to recreate it some other day.
Sorry.

Feel free to post your own thoughts on the subject.
- David

Featured Family Friday

2007-07-06T06:31:00.000-05:00

We are the Conleys. I am Amanda, my husband's name is Seth, and we have three boys: Kaleb (10), Elijah (6), and Emet (16 mos.) I had to think long and hard about how we as a family live a simple life. My mind went in several directions at once, until I boiled it all down to this; God doesn't ask us to do more than we can, in fact it is by what He has done that means anything at all; but what he does ask us to do is to believe what He says. (Romans chapter 4). This is as simple as it gets. I try to teach my children that believing is not just knowing, but actually acting on what you know. Such as: if you said you believed that the chair your host offered you was going to be sturdy enough to hold you, but you refused to sit in it, then you would not be truly believing (and you would hurt your host's feelings). So, in believing the Lord, we must know His Words and act on them.

-Our family lives simply by keeping our eyes on Jesus. We know that if we do this first, then everything else will fall into place according to His will. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of God." Hebrews 12:2
-We encourage each other and teach our children to stay in the Word of God. "Jesus answered, 'It is written:'Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."" Matthew 4:4
-We try to live with open hands by giving generously and trusting God to provide for us. (2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Matthew 6:25-34) We recently had our boys go through their room and give away toys to ThriftSmart which benefits New Hope Academy, Mercy Children's Clinic, African Leadership and the Belize Project. We make sure to talk to our kids about why we are giving.
-Prayer is another way that we live simply for the Lord. Sometimes there is nothing to do but pray. God promises to honor our prayers, and we teach our children that praying is like agreeing to open up our hearts before the Lord. We know that He always knows our hearts and everything that is going on in our life before we bring it to Him in prayer but prayer is important because:
*It is an act of belief. (Hebrews 11:6)
*It opens our eyes to the needs of others. (Ephesians 6:18 & James 5:13-16)
*It allows us to confess our sins. (1 John 1:9)
*It allows us to praise(Hebrews 13:15) thank (Philippians 4:6) God. And to know that He hears us!(1 John 5:14)
In my personal prayer life I not only pray for friends and family, but for our church, our country and the persecuted church. We don't live a perfect Christian life, nor is everything simple, but I am thankful that God has left us His Word that we might know Him and simply believe.

Shop with a Social Conscience

2007-07-03T21:42:00.000-05:00

Whether you are buying things you "want" or "need," you can at least be socially responsible in your shopping. But what does it mean to be socially responsible when shopping? The Better World Handbook states "different companies manufacturing the same product can have radically different impacts on the environment, workers, businesses, and communities." Every time you make a purchase, you are essentially making a vote that says you support the actions that a particular company makes to produce it's product.

The difficult question comes into play when you are simply trying to buy a white t-shirt. For example, do you buy a white t-shirt from Wal-Mart that will be cheap (and you could use the money you saved to give to a person in need) where your money goes to one of the most socially irresponsible companies or do you buy a white t-shirt from Patagonia that will cost you considerably more yet your money goes to one of the highest rated socially responsible companies?

Though there may not be a right answer, I do think that we should at least take a look at some of the lower rated companies in question and see why they are rated so poorly. You can check out your favorite store at the responsible shopper: http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/rs/ and see how they check out. You also can purchase pocket books to carry with you during your shopping to see how products/companies check out: Shopping for a Better World and The Better World Shopping Guide. It may or may not impact you to continue shopping where you do.

-Sarah

Money

2007-07-02T09:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, at Otter Creek, Tim Woodroof preached a very, very good sermon as a kick off to his series on Money. It's available at http://ottercreek.podomatic.com/entry/2007-07-01T15_17_32-07_00 and well worth the listen.

Why do you all think it is so hard to talk about money issues in the church? Is it because whenever money is talked about it's usually associated with giving? Tim even went to great pains to say that he wasn't going to be talking about giving in this series. Has money become such a private thing that even those people who are supposed to be united under Christ don't have the ability to honestly share what they do with money? Are we afraid that if we share, we'll be embarrassed at what we spend our money on? Does it take a series like this to get people talking?

And as another followup, if you listened to the sermon or were there, what else would you like to hear about money from the pulpit? What do you need to hear?

I know, I know, lots of questions, but I'm just a curious guy, I guess.

Phil

Featured Family Friday

2007-06-29T09:41:00.001-05:00

We are on the journey and have not arrived at a simple life, but here is our list of ways we try to live simply. Lately, we've found the books Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James and Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher helpful. Scott loves Walden by Henry David Thoreau, but we cannot claim to embody that severe brand of simplicity. We have --

1. Downsized our posessions by eliminating excessive or repeated items like clothing, shoes, and dishes, and we try to continually "edit" these possessions;
2. Usually buy and keep clothing and shoes that have multiple uses and are moving toward a uniform approach to dressing; .
3. Use public resources like the library for books and movies, parks for exercise and play , and the bus for Scott's commute;
4. Own a conservative about of children's toys and those that are "old-fashioned" (not battery operated or with bells and whistles);
5. Practice debt free living - living below our income, waiting until we have cash for something before we purchase it, no car payments;
6. Rarely watch TV;
7. Interact as a couple and a family by playing games, doing outdoor activites and taking evening walks;
8. Go camping for vacation at least once a year;
9. Try to eat breakfast and supper together at the dinner table every day;
10. Group like chores and tasks so they take less total time;
11. Reduce energy we consume by using compact fluorescent bulbs, walking or riding our bike when we can, and consolidating errands;
12. Buy used whenever possible;
13. Simplify meals by planning out a menu for a week at a time, eating beans and cornbread at least once every two weeks, reducing the amount of meat we eat;
14. Support a local farm by being members of a Long Hungry Creek CSA;
15. Moved into a place that's about a third as big as our prior home, which has really been a test of our character (some days we pass the test; some days we fail);
16. Try not to work at least one day of the weekend.

We don't have it figured out, but have found these these things helpful. We're learning from you all and are thankful to be a part of this conversation.
-Scott and Jessica

2 Fundraising Efforts

2007-06-27T07:05:00.000-05:00

“What can I do to make a difference?” These days, I’ve been hearing that question a lot. It's a question with endless responses. Today I want to share with you 2 fundraising efforts for International poverty & ask for your help.

First, The Seed Project is an attempt to get more people involved in the act of giving, who might not have the capacity for large dollar donations. We’re asking people throughout the Nashville area to host an event in their home during the weeks of 9-23 through 9-29. You throw your own party & accept donations on our behalf for Heifer & GAIA. You can have a dinner party for your 12 best friends and ask for a $50 donation from each guest, or a backyard cookout for 100 & collect $20 per person. You make the call. If you are willing to help or throw your own party read more here.

Secondly, Climb Nashville is compiling a Vegetarian & Vegan Cookbook to benefit Made in the Streets. I began requesting recipes from just gym members, but I am seriously in need of more recipes. I am up to maybe 75, and hope to reach 300. If you have anything that would fit the bill, please send them along! thanks. >carrie.

How rich are we?

2007-06-25T08:36:00.000-05:00

There is a great disparity in the distribution of the world's resources. In fact, the richest 20% of the world’s population has 89% of the world’s wealth. But that's just Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, right? I'm "middle class" and am not one of the rich who "hoards wealth."

Check out the website http://www.globalrichlist.com/. You can go there and type in your annual income and find out how it compares to the rest of the world. A few caveats are in order, though. First, the website's data is from 1999, so it's a bit dated (but the most current I could find). Second, there's really no way to accurately determine what percentile anybody's annual income is, so the results should be taken with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, I think it help gives a picture of how rich we really are relative to the rest of the world. For example, if your income in 1999 was $47,500, you were in the top 1% of the world! That's staggering to me. Because we Americans are surrounded by extreme wealth, it's easy for us to forget how the rest of the world lives.

Hmmmm....what should I do once I understand how wealthy I am?

- David

Featured Family Friday

2007-06-22T08:29:00.000-05:00

Jodi and I don't have as much simplicity, community, and service in our lives as we would like. However, we have taken some baby steps that help. Our search for simplicity is helped by the fact that we have a small apartment within walking distance of where I work, flexible low-stress jobs (songwriter and nanny), and don't have kids for the time being. We also don't watch much TV. Community has been difficult for us because we have typically traveled a lot, but my new job as a full-time songwriter means we'll be home a lot more. We've become friends with two families of refugees and asylum seekers here in Nashville, and our perspectives have been shaped by spending time with them and sharing their struggles.

We have a lot more goals and dreams in these areas than we do actual practices, which is why we're excited about working on that together with this group. We dream of living on a small portion of our income and establishing a charitable fund with the excess, of getting our (OK, my) veggie van running again, of living in closer community with like-minded people who inspire us, of becoming foster parents and/or adopting, of reducing our environmental impact, and of spending more time working with refugees and other groups that society has marginalized. We need your help! And we're willing to help you as much as we can as well. We're looking forward to sharing this journey with you. Peace,
Zane

Fire at The Simple Way

2007-06-21T13:30:00.000-05:00

Doug just emailed me and wanted the rest of you to know that there was a fire at The Simple Way and surrounding homes yesterday morning. You can visit the website for more details. Please keep these families, who have lost everything, in your prayers. I know that they are also taking up donations to rebuild for The Simple Way and the neighboring families.

http://www.thesimpleway.org/

-sarah

Slavery in the USA

2007-06-19T21:01:00.000-05:00

I recently received an email from Sojourners with these frightening facts about Burger King:

"Farm workers who pick tomatoes for Burger King's sandwiches earn 40 to 50 cents for every 32-pound bucket of tomatoes they pick, a rate that has not risen significantly in nearly 30 years. Workers who toil from dawn to dusk must pick two tons of tomatoes to earn $50 in one day."

"Worse yet, modern-day slavery has reemerged in Florida's fields; since 1997, the U.S. Department of Justice has prosecuted five slavery rings, freeing more than 1,000 workers. As a major buyer of Florida tomatoes, Burger King's purchasing practices place downward pressure on farm worker wages and put corporate profits before human dignity."

So what can we do about social injustices like these?
1. Investigate the companies where you are spending your money.
2. Write letters/send emails to Corporate Executives.
3. Boycott irresponsible companies. www.boycotts.org

Do you know of any companies that are not treating their workers fairly?
-Sarah

Who or What?

2007-06-18T00:59:00.000-05:00

Simple and short question from me this week:

Who or what inspires you in this pursuit of simplicity?

- Phil

Featured Family Friday

2007-06-15T08:24:00.000-05:00

We began to value the spiritual discipline of simplicity after reading Richard Foster's The Challenge of the Disciplined Life, in which he contends that simplicity should be the faith community's response to the temptation to worship money. We are quick to give in to the forces of greed and materialism, and we quickly fall prey to our culture of consumption. The discipline of simplicity, while not an end in and of itself, is a means to maintaining a focus on Jesus, who taught about the dangers of riches more than almost any other topic. Also, as we've become more aware of the issue of local and global poverty, the grace of simplicity has helped us remember that we have no right to indulge ourselves while so many are in need.

We learned three tips for simple living from Dr. Matt Hearn. First, stay small. Live in as little space as possible, and resist the temptation to buy a bigger house, which you'll need to fill with more stuff. Second, drive your car until it breaks. Third, turn off the TV. Marketers constantly tell us via the media that we need newer, bigger, more advanced stuff. Turning off the TV will keep some of their messages out of our heads.

-The Shipp Family

Community Supported Agriculture

2007-06-12T23:58:00.000-05:00

The average meal in the US travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally saves fuel & supports local farmers. Sarah also mentioned some other advantages of eating a largely vegetarian diet. Those are some of the reasons I’m proud to be a new member of a CSA. Each week I pay about $15 for a ¼ bushel of vegetables & fruit. Meat, breads, and eggs are also available with CSAs like Avalon Acres, where we are members. Long Hungry Creek Farms is also used by a reader of this blog & has it’s own advantages.

FAQs: At Avalon Acres, we do not get to choose the produce. Other CSA/Coops may operate differently. We are having lots of fun, however, learning how to cook unfamiliar foods. Last week we received yellow squash, patty pan squash, zucchini, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, strawberries, peas, peppers, cabbage & broccoli. The produce varies weekly, according to the crop yield. We actually split a ½ bushel with my parents, which gives us a slightly reduced rate. For 2 adults, I think a ¼ bushel is plenty. There are a variety of days & pickup locations, which might determine where you decide to join.

If you would be interested in joining & adding a new drop-off location, the farm requests about 20 families to commit. Please post here & we can see if we qualify. Or let me know if you have other questions. >carrie.

A Missional Order

2007-06-12T09:38:00.000-05:00

I received this link below from Doug. He thought the group might be interested in reading it.
http://www.allelon.org/articles/article.cfm?id=371

Here are just a few excerpts from the link:

"In their experience an Order is best formed out of a more descriptive Rule rather than a set of written prescriptions around what should be done and when."

"The focus of the Order is the guarding of the ethos which is about the journey into God - everything else flows out of that most basic journey."

"The ethos, therefore, is this rhythm of the tides, the inward/outward journey. The ethos is to continually cultivate the rhythm. If we are trying to create an environment in which we see everything as a gift from God then the rhythm is essential - this focal recognition of the inner/outer journey going on in our lives continually."

-sarah

God bless everyone

2007-06-11T08:45:00.000-05:00

I like t-shirts that have a message. Sometimes I browse websites looking at new designs and sayings. But because I'm trying to minimize buying new clothes, I haven't purchased any. That doesn't mean I can't appreciate them, though.

I like what the above t-shirt says. Although the phrase "God bless America" seems innocuous at first, I think it contains a subtle message that can be somewhat harmful -- i.e., I only want God to bless Americans; if you're not American, I don't care if God blesses you or not. (Don't we care about innocent children suffering in Iraq or women and girls being raped and abused in Sudan??) As such, the saying is exclusionary and seems to pit "us" against "them," where "us" is Americans and "them" is anyone who's not. Instead, I suggest that lines should not be drawn based on nationality, race, gender, religion, socio-economic standing, sexual orientation, etc. Love and generosity should be all-inclusive and non-discriminatory. It's easy to care for those who look, act and talk like us. The challenge is loving and being in community with those who are radically different from us.

And for this reason, I prefer the alternative and more positive message: "God bless everyone."

- David

Upcoming Events

2007-06-09T20:24:00.001-05:00

Saturday, October 13th---Hike for the Homeless, for details: http://www.nowplayingnashville.com/event/detail/98799

Saturday, October 13th---Living Water Yard Sale at Otter Creek

Featured Family Friday

2007-06-07T15:14:00.000-05:00

I recently found out about the Knox House where four guys--Brent Hendricks, Eric Colby, Greg Hess, and David Weddle, a recently added member--live together. They are trying to live out monasticism in a revolutionary way. They are committed to live for two years in the North Central Neighborhood in Spokane.

“Some people call us hippies; others call us monks. I'm not sure I qualify as either,” Hendricks says.

They currently live without many of the amenities that we take for granted, including no TV, no Internet, and no dishwasher. They also try to minimize toilet flushing.

A daily routine in their home consists of prayer, worship, reading scripture, and eating together daily. They begin these shared disciplines at 6:30a.m. and complete them in two hours before leaving for work. Once everyone returns home they reflect and pray together.

They also are concerned about the type of food they eat, where it comes from and how it affects others in the world. So they have eliminated meat from their diet. They also have created a "garden" in their kitchen in order to grow food for their meals. They have a rooster and chickens from which they get their eggs.

These men live out community in their neighborhood in several ways. Every Sunday they invite friends/neighbors to their home for dinner and the number can be from 5 to 25.

“We are trying to be a Christian presence in the neighborhood, not by passing out brochures but by building relationships and have a lasting impact,” Hendricks says.

Here are just a few ways they have lived out community with their surrounding neighbors: shoveling snowy driveways, raking leaves and cooking meals. When a visitor arrives, he or she recieves a friendly greeting, a glass of tea, and undivided attention.

You can read a more detailed account about the Knox House at the link below:

https://www.whitworth.edu/Alumni/Transitions/Articles/Balance/ModernDayMonasticLiving.htm

Sarah

1.3 Billion Neighbors

2007-06-06T08:19:00.000-05:00

"Sometimes I think, 'If I die, I won't have to see my children suffering as they are.' Sometimes I even think of killing myself. So often I see them crying, hungry; and there I am, without a cent to buy them some bread. I think, ' My God, I can't face it! I'll end my life. I don't want to look any more!" -- Iracema da Silva, resident of a slum in Brazil (excerpt from Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger)

As a new mom, I am overwhelmed with these words above. I hurt for my baby when he only cries for 5 minutes and I have plenty of milk to feed him.

The picture above is of a few of our 1.3 billion neighbors who live in desparate poverty, similiar to Iracema da Silva. And, you may not guess it, but at the bottom of the picture is their meal for the day that they are very proud to have and eager to share. What does your lunch look like? I am sure it is more than this and you will not only have lunch today but probably three meals and even some snacks in between. I am struggling with how to deal with the fact that thirty-four thousand children die every day of hunger and preventable diseases.

Here are a few ways that I think might in some small way help our neighbors:

1. Eat less meat, maybe even become vegetarian. (Meat not only is a luxury to the rest of the world, but also it takes more land to raise cattle than to grown grains and feed grain to the cattle that could feed people.)

2. Support a non-profit organization that helps those living in desparate poverty. (David and I support Made in the Streets, who are going to begin a new program that supports young, single moms who live on the streets in Kenya.)

3. Find a local event that supports our "neighbors." David and I plan to participate in Ellie's Run for Africa.This event is on June 23rd. http://www.elliesrun.org/

Do you have any ideas of how we can live differently to help our neighbors living in poverty?

-Sarah

Stumbling Blocks...

2007-06-04T12:15:00.000-05:00

Sheryl and I have been going through some things and seeing what we could discard or give away to clutter our house less (amazing how cluttery a house can look with kids' toys) and to pursue aspects of simplicity. And in doing that, I've realized how attached to certain things I am.

Books - I love my books. Before a couple of weeks ago, I had a ton of books that I had in high school, college, and from when I was teaching that I just didn't want to get rid of. Books I hadn't cracked in years or even books that I had multiple copies of for various reasons. Even on my theological shelf, I had to pull some things to make room. It was a hard, hard decision to get rid of some of those.
Gadgets/Electronics - Had we the money and the space, it would be very hard for me to not run out and get a big huge Hi - Def TV with all the bells and whistles and to have the latest PDA phone and a new computer every year. I love tech toys and I love playing with them and having them. And that's not to say that we don't have some nice tech toys, but I can look at a catalog or a website and almost start drooling over the stuff I don't have, but really, really want. This area in particular, I need accountability for, and thankfully, Sheryl gives me a lot of it (plus trying to stick relatively closely to a budget).

I'm curious about what some of the other stumbling blocks to simplicity others have. Is there something in particular that tempts you to ignore a call for living in a simpler way?

Phil

Borrow, Give & Trade

2007-06-02T12:51:00.000-05:00

Why spend more money & add to our piles by buying something that could just as easily be borrowed? This will be an ongoing post for those in need of trading or borrowing. Please check back frequently to see if you can be of service to others.

Featured Family Friday

2007-05-31T16:04:00.000-05:00

Meet the No Impact Man and his family.

"For one year, my wife, my 2-year-old daughter, my dog and I, while living in the middle of New York City, are attempting to live without making any net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no carbon emissions, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no plastics, no air conditioning, no TV, no toilets…"

Colin Beavan has begun the no impact experiment where he faces the daily activites of making bread, eating all locally grown food, hand washing his clothes, and other taks to remain at zero impact. You can follow his story on his blog http://noimpactman.typepad.com/. Here are a few posts that I recommend:

May 31st--A way forward for capitalism?
Colin quotes from Barber's book Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole."The problem is, Barber said, that capitalism in the United States no longer services existing need, because most of our needs are met.... How wonderful, Barber suggested, if capitalism turned back to its job of filling real, existing needs."

May 29th--Something sad
Colin discusses the impact of the Iraq war on a man and his wife. "How many of our boys and girls have been permanently scarred by this war for resources? Is it worth their sacrifice? Could there be more peace if we were willing to have a little less?"

May 17th--An interview with Green Options
Colin is interviewd by Amy Stodghill about his experiment and gives a quick look at where he is at and the conditions he faces. " I support people who are trying to make a difference. Maybe they can't be no impact, but I support people that are making an effort. "

Does anyone have comments on capitalism or his view of the current war and our possible infulence?
(thanks Jodi for informing me of this experiment.)
Sarah

World Ark Magazine

2007-05-30T08:59:00.000-05:00

More than 2 billion people in the world are living on less than $2 a day. If you don’t get the World Ark magazine, you are missing out on some great articles about this topic and so much more. Distributed by Heifer Int’l, the magazine promotes “Ending Hunger” and “Saving the Earth.”

Monday, David featured some movies that have helped him expand his world view. World Ark has helped me do the same. With book reviews, articles about the effects of Hurricane Katrina, catfish decline in Cambodia, overview of Free/Fair Trade & so much more, it provides some great information that will hopefully inspire us to get involved in making a difference in the world.

How can you get it? If you donate to Heifer, you may already receive World Ark. If you would like to borrow or lend out the magazine, please post here. I would love to pass these along to others who would benefit from them.

Where do you get your world news about others in need? I’d love for us to share our best resources for learning about the world around us. >carrie.

Powaqqatsi

2007-05-28T12:33:00.000-05:00

We rented an obscure movie entitled Powaqqatsi the other night. "Powaqqatsi" is from the Hopi language and means an entity, a way of life, that consumes the life forces of other beings in order to further its own life. The entity in Powaqqatsi is the North (the new world) and the one being destroyed is the South (the old world). A montage of images and music (there are no words during the entire movie, so beware if you were looking for a plot) reflect that the new way of life driven by technology is placing many cultures around the world in danger of extinction. The film doesn't preach an agenda of anti-technology, but rather shows the consequences of what we have done in the past and the danger of where we are heading.

On that note, I thought I'd list a few of my favorite movies that have a poignant message (by the way, Lance Brock gave me the idea of creating a list of movies).

1. The Constant Gardener. We saw this movie when we returned from Africa and were moved by the authentic images from the slums of Nairobi and the beautiful countryside of Kenya. Moreover, the film has an indicting message for corporations that seek gain at the expense of oppressed people. It also reminds me that helping one person, even when I can't help everyone, is still a worthwhile endeavor.

2. Gandhi. Ben Kingsley does a masterful job of portraying the revolutionary in this epic from the 80's that is way too long and pretty cheesy at times. Nonetheless, I'm challenged every time I see the subversive yet non-violent methods that this little old man uses to topple the colonialism of the powerful British empire. I think our violence is at least partly a result of a lack of imagination and creativity.

3. Born Into Brothels. A documentary about children who grow up in the brothels of Calcutta's red light district and are given a new opportunity by a woman who exposes them to the art of photography. These children reach above their extreme poverty and find hope through one person's love and compassion.

4. Hotel Rwanda. During the 90's, I didn't even realize that genocide was taking place in Rwanda. This reminds me of how myopic we Americans can be. I'm sure that similar films could be made about Sudan, Somalia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

5. Who Killed the Electric Car? I didn't know that GM produced an electric car, and subsequently pulled it off the market. This documentary made me wish I had an electric car instead of the gas-powered car that I drive (not that I'm coveting). Hopefully, sober minds and economic demand will prevail, and one day these cars will replace our gas-guzzlers.

6. The U.S. vs. John Lennon. John Lennon was a peace activist. He protested against the Vietname War to the point that he was under surveillance by the American government, which tried repeatedly to deport him. It turns out, he had a lot more to say than I Wanna Hold Your Hand.

7. Why We Fight. This documentary chronicles the development of America's military industrial complex and it's role in our global imperialism. Although we're told that our country fights for democracy, much of it is really just about money and keeping our defense industry intact. Apparently, George Washington said our country should never have a standing army. Unfortunately, we've failed to see his wisdom.

Do you have any other movies to add to this list?

- David

Featured Family Friday

2007-05-24T13:09:00.000-05:00

Long before I clued in to the fact that the ways of Jesus go hand-in-hand with a life of simplicity, I was intrigued by the concept. One of the first books to peak my interest was Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James. Though not Biblically-based, the book is full of practical ideas for cutting away the excess that creeps into our homes and hearts. Below are a few of the author’s “100 ways to slow down and enjoy the things that really matter” that our family has implemented into our lives over the last several years.

One of St. James’ “hardcore” simplifying suggestions is to stop making the bed. Not much of a challenge ‘round these parts! Canceling magazine subscriptions and not taking the newspaper has saved counter space, money, and the time of pilfering through it all…not to mention trees! We stay up-to-date on current events via the Internet. Living in a smaller house (compared to the average American) has forced us to reduce clutter. We’re not doling out cash to rent storage space, by golly! We also like to leave our shoes at the front door to keep from tracking who-knows-what-funk into our home. This practice also helps maintain our flooring. Plus it just feels more like home running around in our bare feet! We make use of our answering machine and don’t answer the phone just because it's ringing. And many years ago, we decided to drop call waiting; we felt that answering the obnoxious beep was like allowing someone to interrupt your conversation with someone else. Not cool. So we saved a few bucks and got rid of it. Most of the time we pack our own lunch. Healthier and much less expensive. We are also proponents of the adage to work where you live or live where you work. For us it means less stress (due to sitting in traffic), less money spent on gas, less wear-and-tear on our vehicle, and a whole lot more time with each other. And finally, one of my favorites: learn to laugh (some suggestions come more naturally than others!).

Isn’t much of the motivation to simplify about freeing up time and energy for our relationships? Matthew 6:19 reads: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth….Store your treasures in heaven….” The only thing we can carry with us into the next world are people. So why not rid ourselves of as many earthly treasures as possible? And instead focus on storing up the treasures of God’s children. Jana

Who picks up your garbage?

2007-05-23T09:49:00.000-05:00

"No one changes his or her life overnight. A few changes that last for the rest of your life are far more powerful in their impact than dozens of changes that you can only sustain for six months or a year. The trick to changing your daily actions permanently lies in your finding a way of living that integrates your desire to make the world better with your desire to pursue your own personal dreams." --The Better World Handbook

I often become overwhelmed in trying to figure out how to live out community and feeling that I need to change everything in my life to accomplish this. There are two commercials (not that I am trying to promote consumerism here) that speak out community to me and give me hope that it isn't as complicated as I try to make it. The first one is the Coca-Cola commercial that says, "You give a little love and it all comes back to you...you know you gonna be remembered for the things you say and do." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBKaLN5zU9Y

And the other one (an insurance commercial?) shows how one person helps someone in a small way and then that person helps another and the chain continues until it comes full circle.

Yesterday, I witnessed this "community" living from my kitchen window. The garbage truck pulled up and our next door neighbor (80ish) came walking out with a paper bag of goodies in hand and gave them to the driver of the truck. The two men, working outside the truck, emptied her trash cans and then kindly returned them back inside her fenced yard so she would not have to. This is our neighbor who also pulls in our garbage can and often sweeps our driveway (we think because we have allowed her family to park in our driveway when they come to visit her). After witnessing this interaction, it made me want to know the people of my neighborhood, whether it is the garbage men, the mailman, or my next door neighbor and to not stop short of just saying "hi" but displaying some act of kindness in their life. My challenge this week is to find one small way to live out community that will be impacting and also permanent.

-Sarah

Practice

2007-05-21T08:30:00.000-05:00

I took the opportunity this weekend with a wedding at church and having to drive back and forth to Bellevue a couple of times to listen to the uncut version of Shane Claiborne's interview on American Public Radio. And in listening I had one of those, "Oh my... I can't believe I've not thought this through before" moments. He was talking about how so many churches have Statements of Faith, about what members are expected to believe, but very few have Statements of Practice, about the types of lives the members are expected to live. I don't know if that's a matter the lack of accountability people want in their lives or our desire to not mess in someone else's business. I hope that that's something that this group won't have a problem with, particularly with regard to the simplicity we are trying to affect in our own lives.

The question that I would have for the group is this: What would be some suggestions for a Statement of Practice for a group like this?

And let's get a little crazy... What would be a Statement of Practice for a 1300-attendee church?

Phil

Featured Family Friday

2007-05-17T18:33:00.001-05:00

On Fridays this blog will attempt to feature the journey of a person or family with respect to simplicity, community living, and/or peace and justice making.

Here is where we (Sarah and David Wilson) find ourselves on the journey:

Upon returning to Nashville from Kenya in 2005, we decided to move into a smaller house in an urban community. To do so, we had to get rid of some of the furniture and other "stuff" we had. For example, we decided that we didn't need (or have room for) two TVs anymore, one being a big-screen -- instead, one "small" 32" TV would suffice. We forewent a garage and lots of storage space, which also meant we couldn't add more things to our house without getting rid of something. This has helped keep our appetites to acquire more things we don't need in check. (It would still be nice to have a few more closets, though.)

When giving gifts, instead of buying our friends more stuff that they don't need, we often opt to make a donation on their behalf to a charity we think they might appreciate. Most of us already have all that we need so we find that we are honoring the person we are "buying" for and also giving to a community (often third world) that is out of our daily reach to help. Here are a few that we have supported on different occassions:
Mother's Day-- Food for the Poor; Birthdays-- Made In the Streets, International Justice Mission, Amnesty International; Baby gifts/showers: Abandoned Baby Center/Feed the Children.

A Wasteful Society

2007-05-16T06:32:00.000-05:00

The journey to simplicity is often about the small decisions we make every day. And our daily lives are full of waste. Too often, we are wasteful because it’s convenient, and because we can.

Did you know that 5% of the world’s population lives in the US, yet we produce 50% of the world’s waste?

Take the Ecological Footprint Quiz, & you will probably find that there aren’t enough resources on the planet for everyone to live like we do. We buy too much, we use too much water & energy and we throw too much in the landfill.

Here are my Top 5 small daily changes that make a difference.

Recycle - Recycling a 6-ft stack of newspapers saves the life of a 35 ft tall tree.

Share & Swap –Trade things like magazines, gift bags & clothes.

Bring your own cloth grocery bags for all types of shopping. You won’t believe how sturdy they are.

Cloth napkins & dishtowels instead of paper towels – Plus, it makes you feel special every day.

Repurpose Creatively - Wrap gifts in newspaper, turn gift bags into notecards, & use paper scraps for grocery lists. Just this month, Martha featured gifts wrapped in old maps.

These are just a few ideas. The possibilities are endless. For more ideas, visit ConsciousConsuming.org or Green Learning. >carrie.

Inviting Others to Dinner

2007-05-14T08:51:00.000-05:00

Below is a "simple" saying by Jesus presented by Luke. I have rarely heard it discussed, let alone seen it put into practice.

Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed."

I find this is to be a difficult teaching.
Not that it's hard to understand. On the contrary, it's quite simple.
However, it is yet another example of a subversive message by Jesus that challenges those in power. Here and throughout the gospels he uses the notion of "table" as a microcosm of society and shows a new order, set agains accepted cultural norms.
It's somewhat easy to dissect the polemic pronounced by Jesus and analyze how he rejects the status quo. It's more difficult, however, to put it into practice.

Thoughts?

- David

Hopeful Beginnings

2007-05-10T13:37:00.000-05:00

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -M.K. Ghandi

We hope from this blog that individuals can be connected in a way that challenges each of us to change the world. We, the authors, first humbly come, recognizing that we are merely presenting ideas to discuss and debate but do not come declaring that we have discovered all the "right" answers. Our hope is that many will visit and comment with their ideas and even suggest new topics to cover that will help each of us make small changes that make big impacts on the world around us.

Here are some of the topics that we will try to touch:

--Spiritual discussions & ideas
--Practical Ways to Save & Reduce Waste
--Family Features – Your journey in simplicity and community
--Companies & Products – The good, bad & the ugly.
--Exchange/Share Post – listings of things available for trade
--Services Post – What you do that may be of use to others
--Community – Events in areas of town, ideas about how we can live in community
--Environmental & Health – Products, Food, Earth, Gardening
--Service – How can we help those in our community
--Consumerism --affects on Americans
--World Issues--Global & Local Needs
--Book Reviews, Sites of interest & Suggestions

Today, we have added a new suggested site recommended by Doug. Please check it out!
http://www.allelon.org/mission_orders/history.cfm

My review of The Irresistible Revolution

2007-05-10T10:28:00.000-05:00

Hi all.

I read Claiborne's book last fall and here's the take that I had on it from my blog back then. It might be a jumping off point for some discussion on it.

---------------------------
Well, as I've mentioned, I finished The Irresistible Revolution this last weekend. And I will say at the outset that it's a very good read. I can't say I enjoyed it, because it's the type of reading that you don't really enjoy, because of a couple of reasons. 1) It makes me realize how big the task of caring for the poor and marginalized is. 2) It makes me realize how inadequate I really am to try and help with even a small corner of that task. More on that later though...

One of the most interesting things about this book is the stories that Shane Claiborne tells about his life so far. He went from organizing student protests for the homeless to deciding that he wanted to spend a summer in Calcutta with Mother Theresa (so he called her up and asked her if he could come; she answered and said yes). He then came back to the States and did a year long internship with Willow Creek Community Church, which was a huge culture shock for him. These stories are really interesting as is his perspective. One thing he talked about was trying to feel like the rich at Willow Creek were as in need of help as the lepers and those in extreme poverty that he interacted with Calcutta. But one thing he said that Mother Theresa said to look for was the poverty that everyone had, and he realized that the rich or well off had a poverty of relationship. They were lonely. That was very intriguing insight.

He quoted from Dorothy Day a lot and she had some interesting quotes. For instance, "When I fed the poor, they called me a saint; when I asked why they were poor, they called me a communist." Something else that Claiborne talked about was that people of privilege and middle class will often use charity as a buffer to keep from being around the poor. It's easier to give money to a cause than it is to actually be around those we claim to want to help. That was an extremely convicting idea.

Last Friday, when I first mentioned this book, Sam Davidson commented that Shane's life and theology were very consistent, meaning he really lives what he believes. He acts on his theology. I'm not sure I can really be the extraordinary radical that Shane and the community at the Simple Way in Philadelphia are, but maybe it's the goal to become an ordinary one.

------------------------------

btw, Carrie, did you ever find someone to scan your pictures in? If not, email me and we can talk about it.

Phil

And so it begins...

2007-05-07T11:27:00.000-05:00

A small group of Nashvillians met yesterday to discuss what this means to be a "follower of Jesus." We did not come to any conclusions but we did come up with a few ideas and more questions that followed.

1. Living in community is essential... but what does this look like?
Possibly it is about proximity. If we lived closer to each other, things like child care and sharing what we own are much easier. But how close should we live?
Possibly it is in the same neighborhood or even possibly in the same facility (a complex of small apartments with a common area where we all can gather and invite people from the community).

2. Living out a socially responsible life...but who does that include?
Possibly it includes the homeless, or the divorced, or the single mother, or the children living in the projects, or the workers in sweatshops.
Possibly it includes all Americans (rich or poor) who are lost in consumerism.

3. Living a simpler life...but how do we define that?
Possibly it is owning less things, giving more things away, or sharing our things.
Possibly it is working less hours (if possible), or saying "no" to the busyness of our lives/children's lives.

There are many more ideas floating out there with even more questions that follow. But, again, this is only the beginning of where we hope to go.