a prayer

What is, therefore, the task of the preacher (or the church) today?

Shall I answer: "Faith, hope and love"?

That sounds beautiful.

But I would say - courage.

No, even that is not challenging enough to be the whole truth.

Our task today is recklessness.

For what we Christians lack is not psychology or literature,
we lack holy rage.

The recklessness that comes from the knowledge of God and humanity.

The ability to rage when justice lies prostate on the streets . . .

and when the lie rages across the face of the earth-
a holy anger about things wrong in this world.

To rage against the ravaging of God's earth,

and the destruction of God's world.

To rage when little children die of hunger,

when the tables of the rich are sagging with food.

To rage at the senseles killing of so many,

and the madness of militaries.

To rage at the lie that calls the threat of death and the strategy of destruction--Peace.

To rage against complancency.

To restlessly seek that recklessness that will challange and seek to change human history until it conforms with the norms of the Kingdom of God.

And remember the signs of the Christian Church have always been - the Lion, the Lamb, the Dove, and the fish . . .

but never the chameleon.

Kaj Munk (Danish Pastor)

some of this month

So we're winding down to the end of March and I've had the most incredible month.

This last week was spent at Grand Valley State University with some new and old friends.

I've made a ridiculous amount of new friends, and a few of them seem to have taken permanent residence in my heart. So my world continues to expand. I'm inexplicably blessed.

The BIG story? I met Rob Bell and he said, no joke, while hugging me, 'I'd be your big brother any day!' HahaHAa.. He got pretty excited about what's coming my way in South Africa and it turns out he'll be on tour in SA while I'm there. So, you just never know.. maybe you'll read something on my blog one day about 'leading worship this week at My Church and guest speaker is Rob Bell from the USA.' Who knows. What I do know, is that life is good. This life of ours, it's the most beautiful gift. I'm cherishing it moment by moment these days.


bless you

kristen

my world

The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in fact, a return to the idealised past. (Robertson Davies)

This quotation caught my attention today as, like many other days, I struggle with the concept of success equaling marriage, mortgage, family, retirement. Know what I mean? My culture and society tell me that this is what I need to achieve. But when I surrender myself to this thought, I literally start to itch! Something inside of me aches for more. Something inside of me defines success far differently than the world around me. Something inside of me craves a different path.
Is it alright if I dream something I deem as bigger than that? Something different?

My path seems chaotic to some, but to me, it's beautiful. In every way.

so much colour
community
laughter
growth (and the pain that comes along with it)
patterns and chaos mingling simultaneously
question marks and exclamation points
mountains and skateboard-park-style dips
furry trees
giggling flowerbeds
ravishing snowstorms and drenching rain
rainbows with 33 colours
sunshine that makes my skin smile
money to satisfy the needs
and money to bless
oversized comfy chairs
hammocks between the trees
tears and prayer
beach
mountains
humility
conversations with you
conversations with the Almighty
breath
fast pace and slow
children and grandparents
healing
sigh's
and smiles.

That's the world I live in. I mean.. doesn't it sound fantastic? I want to stay. Yes, I'm going to stay.

By the way, I love to cook.. and I love you.. so come over anytime!

blessings,
k