We hosted around 100 Pastors, Youth Pastors and Ministry leaders yesterday at Youthfront for a focus on Immigration reform. The event was sponsored by CCDA and featured CCDA's President Noel Castellanos. Youthfront staff members Kurt Rietema and Amber Booth, along with Mission Adelante staff member Jason Schoff organized this informative event.
Here is a video of the media coverage of the event.
"When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do
him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the
native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were
strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."
Next Tuesday, April 23, Youthfront is hosting an event sponsored by the Christian Community Development Association.
CCDA
is providing an Oklahoma Joe’s
bbq lunch for pastors and ministry leaders. The special guest isNoel Castellanos, CEO of CCDA. He will be addressing the current issue of Immigration Reform. Many churches in the KC metro support ministry initiatives among
Hispanics which serve many whom are here without proper
documentation. Right now, immigration reform is at a critical juncture and many
Christians are unsure what they can or should do about it.
Join us from 11-1pm at Youthfront's auditorium
to hear from Noel about how you can navigate your church to think
differently about immigrants through Scripture and participate in making
historic changes for millions of families that have been torn apart by
poor immigration policy.
Feel free to invite other key leaders, but please RSVP with the number of people who will be attending with you by emailing Kurt Rietema - krietema@youthfront.com
My friend and conversation partner, Tim Suttle, has written another excellent piece for Huffington Post. He is describing the political place I find myself in - the 19% of Evangelicals, who've had it with the current political parties and desire to find new ways to be faithful Christians in the midst of the political process.
Here is a quote from Tim's article, "We need to embrace the reality that cultivating Christian identity over and against any party affiliation is the essential Christian political move. Though it may be seen as a betrayal by those who have confused conservatism for Christianity, the most distinctively Christian political act is to reject the state's claim to ultimate power, and to reserve that place for God alone. Full participation in either party means giving our proxy to leaders who would disingenuously use religion as a political tactic without batting an eye, and who would intentionally lie and mislead in order to win our votes. Until something changes, neither party deserves that kind of respect."
My friend Zack Exley came by the office yesterday to see me. After catching up on our busy lives he asked if I had heard about Glenn Beck's recent attacks on him. I hadn't because my schedule has been a bit out of control. Yes, Glenn Beck this week splashed Zack's picture up behind him and proceeded to paint a scary scenario, mostly using stuff out of Zack's life ten plus years ago. Zack responded quite eloquently on God's Politics.
Here is the clip from the Glenn Beck show. Zack show's up at 1:40 into the clip. Below the clip is Zack's response which I think is so well done. Zack and Elizabeth Exley are amazing people and followers of Jesus. They are doing incredible things in our community. In fact, Zack had to leave abruptly to take care of some Immigrant Kids he is working with.
Glenn Beck, Come Drink Some Kool-Aid with Me
by Zack Exley 02-02-2010
I used to be just like Glenn Beck, only without the multi-million dollar TV show: I used to get attention by angrily, and humorously, attacking politicians. I’m ashamed of how I acted back then. And now, of all people, it’s Glenn Beck who’s attacking me on TV for it.
Instead of “hitting back,” which is what I would have done in the old days, I want to extend an invitation:
Glenn: Come to Kansas City, share a meal with my family, let me introduce you to people here of all different political and religious persuasions who are working together to create a world that works for everyone. Every time I watch you on TV, you’re calling someone “left-wing,” “Marxist,” “Fascist,” or “anti-American.” Last night, it was me! Why not come back out of the partisan bubble to the real America and get to know one of your “targets?” I really believe it could change the way you see America and help you discover a new purpose for the enormous megaphone God has given you.
I created a political parody Web site way back in 1998. I got on TV, got laughs, and enjoyed the attention. But something in me knew I was doing harm. That bothered me, because I wasn’t just a comedian — I was someone who wanted deep down to see the world work better for everyone.
My online parody of George W. Bush’s campaign started as a little joke to show my friends. It blew into a big story when the Bush campaign tried to shut it down. I found myself on television or the radio every day for a few months. Every time the story died down, the Bush campaign brought it back by renewing their attack. At one point, candidate Bush even called me a “garbage man” and when questioned about shutting down the site, even explained, “There ought to be limits to freedom” — on camera!
In my gut, I knew my antics were counterproductive. But snarky anger and bitterness are so widely accepted in our public culture that I had unlimited ways of justifying my behavior. It wasn’t until I became a part of a Christian community — as unlikely as that was for someone raised a liberal atheist — that I finally discovered an explicit rule to counter all my justifications for snarky anger: Love Everyone. I was so blown away by that rule, and that millions, unbeknownst to the rest of us, actually lived by it, that I drank the Kool-Aid: I took a leap of faith into the worldview that allowed them to do the impossible and truly love everyone, or at least try their best to — even people they disagree with, even people who attack them.
The reason I’m writing this instead of simply ignoring Glenn Beck’s attack on me last night is because Glenn Beck has described his own dramatic transformation upon joining a Mormon community for the very same reason. With great interest, I’ve watched him in several TV interviews and read in his books as he told the story:
A Sunday school teacher told him about “Zion” — the LDS church’s anticipated future world, akin to the Bible’s “Kingdom of Heaven.”
Glenn asked, “But how does it happen?”
The teacher answered, “The only way this happens is if I truly love you and you truly love me. We may not agree with each other, but we can love each other.”
Beck says, “I realized that he was the most genuine person I have ever met.” He thought, “I don’t care if there is Kool-Aid in the basement, I’m drinking it.”
It put his past life in a whole new light: “The way I treated people or the things I did in my life, I still blush at times…” In fact, as a shock jock DJ, Beck really had put a lot of people — not politicians, but just ordinary, innocent people — through hell on his show.
The day after he “drank the Kool-Aid,” he got a call from his agent who offered him a big new show, rescuing his career from the trash heap it had been under for several years.
“We were baptized on Sunday, and an agent called me Monday,” he remembers.
“Do you ever feel like someone upstairs is watching out for you?” his agent asked.
“Yes sir, I do,” he answered.
So Glenn, what I’d like to talk to you about, and why I think you should really come out to Kansas City, is this: God did give you an amazing opportunity when he gave you your new career. But where in the world do you find justification for what you’ve done with that opportunity?
You’ve based your career on demonizing “targets” as “left-wing,” “Marxist,” and “anti-American.” I know many of the people you’ve attacked. And I know they don’t fit under any of those labels. I’ve heard you say you follow the ten commandments, but I’ve seen you bear false witness against dozens of people, and I don’t even watch your show very often. I actually share your frustrations with some of the people you’ve attacked. But if your politics, or your career, only draw energy from hate, then surely you can see there’s something wrong.
Maybe that Kool-Aid you drank 10 years ago has started to wear off. Want some more? We have it here in Kansas City. Come visit.
Zack Exley is a strategic consultant with ThoughtWorks, Inc., where he advises organizations on communications, organizing, and technology. He blogs at RevolutionInJesusland.com.
I watched John McCain and Barack Obama last night on CNN's forum from Columbia University in New York. I thought they both did an excellent job of answering questions and appearing as human beings. Maybe this was because they were behaving on the seventh anniversary of the September 11 attack. Quite frankly I am frustrated by both parties. I am also frustrated by Christian leaders who I thought were trying to be New Kinds of Christian Leaders who would stay above partisan politics so that they would be free to represent first and foremost God's Kingdom Agenda and free to speak prophetically into both parties. There are third ways that rise above partisan politics.
I found this You Tube Video of Donald Miller (who has lost a lot of weight since I last saw him when we were both speaking at last years Willow Creek Youth Ministry Conference). Donald Miller was invited to pray and give a benediction at the Democratic National Conference. I think he did an amazing job, it is worth watching.
Here is the news story examining the role Evangelicals may play in Campaign 2008. I posted about this here. The piece shows an exterior of Jacob's Well, a shot during the service and b-roll of Tim Keel preaching. A few Jacob's Well members are featured, along with several others from area KC churches. A couple of Youthfront alumni also sound off from Heartland Church, I believe. Jim Wallis also appears, along with Mark DeMoss who I know from my Liberty University days. Strange to watch this on national news while vacationing in North Carolina.
American Public Media has released a video entitled Three Degrees of Separation featuring Charles
Colson, Greg Boyd and Shane Claiborne discussing faith and politics. This was taped at the National Pastors Conference in San Diego. A friend of mine, John Raymond put this together and they were interviewed by Krista Tippet. This is a very interesting conversation. I will weigh in up-front... Shane Claiborne is one of my heroes.
In the last 10 days we've had more than 20 guests gathered around our dining room table. When the situation allowed, I brought up one of the subjects you're supposed to avoid - politics. I asked our Holiday guests to weigh in on who they would vote for today if all the present candidates were on next November's ballot.
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