(Disclaimer: This post does not necessarily represent the opinion of OCEC, the Inn, or its representative staff.)
You've probably already heard about it twenty times or so but I am still kind of shaken over the news from Black Friday. Two dead at a Toys-R-us in Cali (which may have been gang-related), one employee dead at a Wal-Mart in New York. Searching back it seems that Black Friday violence is more of a norm than anything. Some even began calling the day Black and Blue Friday over the years.
I don't think Christians can participate in Black Friday any longer, as it stands, or even some of the things it represents.
Shock and awe?
To me, at the point I am in my journey, from my perspective (etc. etc. etc.) it seems that Jesus would not have us participate.
Christ broke the Sabbath for the sake of life and a person's health. I think we are called to break away from Black Friday for the sake of life and health. He called for a radical love for God, and directly opposed that to the love of things and money. I don't see Thrifty and Shrewd Shoppers being blessed in the Beautitudes, but a completely down group of people.
Black Friday, and the things it represents (materialism, consumerism, the scarcity-mindset, win-to-win competition , giving-for-the-sake-of-anything-but-generosity, etc.) are not...are not of the Kingdom.
Maybe this is too judgemental or hypocritcal, too topical or short-sighted, too reactionary or provoking.
But doesn't Christ make a difference in how we shop and why?
Perhaps the Advent Conspiracy is part of the remedy (see below).
Are other things necessary?
What's your thoughts?
Questions, questions, questions, and the only answer is to look up.
-John
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14 comments:
Johnnie,
Wow! Amen! I am proud of you, bro!
So about that bible you own. You would have rather paid the full price than get it on a discount? I aggree death over a toy doesn't make sense but where is the line on how much is too much?
I am not sure about Cameron, but it seems as though he's stirring the pot a bit...maybe joking? Maybe not?
Cameron's got a point. I mean, you can get the KJV for free online, or access the Bible free online anytime you wanted to read the Bible; and that brings up a very interesting question... how much money do we spend a year on Bibles and all the new best-selling Christian books that we claim have completely "rocked our world" but yet, we don't come out fundamentally and visibly changed? Should we not consider giving that money instead to the hundreds upon thousands of those who are dying everyday?
This is worthy of serious thought.
Michael,
Great question, good point. You are, of course, assuming that when people say that they have read books that have "rocked their world", you haven't seen much change in or through them. I certainly hope that isn't the case for me, my life or the ministry God has called me to.
I would like to give people the benefit of the doubt and trust that seeds are being planted by the books being written, designed to challenge, encourage and educate.
I find great merit and value in reading these books we're referring to along with other writings.
Let's hope others do too.
It's not about the stuff per se. It's about your attitude about the stuff. Stuff should not drive me to push doors down, throw punches or stand in line for hours on end. Matthew 6 tells me I can't serve both God and Money. It also says that where your treasure is, that's where your heart is. It also tells me to seek first the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness and all these things will be added to me. So, what am I saying? nothing that's already been said. But more importantly, what is God saying?
Andrew,
I agree. There is definite benefit to reading books that encourage your faith, give you examples of God's power in and through us, and calls upon us to take action.
But that is just it. I can only speak for myself here: I spend too much time reading things, and not hardly any time doing them.
God has been pressing upon me with more and more urgency the need have a balance between edifying and doing. As it is written,
"Faith without action is dead" and "Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world".
As much as we need education in a spiritual sense, and John, what you said certainly falls into that, it will avail to nothing if we don't act upon it. We need to be doers of the word and not hearers only. This verse always gets me:
James 1:23-24
"23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like."
Here's a question then that I think we need to pray about:
What is the Inn specifically going to do this Christmas in response to what John has said and what we have learned about the AC? Are we going to have a Christmas party, or is God calling us to do something different?
This is not to guilt us into doing something other than what we have planned, but just to be mindful of what God would have us do, so that we, in all things, may bring glory and honor to Him.
Cam,
Yeah, about that Bible...well I guess I can justify it by saying 1. I would give it away in a heart-beat (a really long painful one) and 2. It's going to (literally?) lost longer than I do. Life time guarantee baby!
Erin,
Yes! Your thoughts, and Toms, and my own personal reading and reflection, have been pushing this whole thing.
Andrew,
I love you.
Michael,
I really appreciate what you are saying. Just recently I have been struggling with the back-and-forth between "experiencing" i.e. learning/reading/growing/experimenting/etc. and "living" i.e. acting what I am and what God calls me to out. Just a week ago I was asked for a class to write down a need or feeling I was going through on a piece of cardboard and to hold that cardboard sign out on 82nd. What did I write out? "I need to stop experiencing and start living." Just like you pointed out from scripture: hearing is great, but the doing part is also key.
I've wrestled and wrestled over that, and still come out thinking that we have to go with a both/and and not an either/or here. We need to be educated, and we need to educate. We need to be built up, and we need to build up. We need to be changed, and to change. I think this discussion is the first part of it, and in all reality the Christmas party and many other things are the second part.
The party is "doing" in several ways beyond what money would merely do.
1. It is a binding time for the Inn. As it stands we are an infant group, new, young, and vulnerable, and we do need time to grow cohesively in love together.
2. The admission, 2 canned foods, is doing a small part to connect with the outside community through providing a little bit of justice.
3. We are, hopefully, going to be bringing in people who would not normally come to the Inn, but will come to a party setting. While they are there they will, hopefully, experience God and relationships with people that encourage them to experience God and relationships with people again, either at the Inn or elsewhere.
I don't think the party will be encouraging consumerism, individualism, materialism, competition, etc. but instead will be about the church celebrating the birth of Jesus!
What a great discussion, and I pray that God would guide us in how to make it a reality!
Well said, John. Well said!
Michael, Erin, Cameron (kinda), John & Andrew...
Great comments as well as insight!
Yes, John, very enlightening indeed; Meditate on this, I will. =) Great message tonight Andrew, I think it ties in well. Put away the old and put on the new. And by the way, I want to let you know, I would not want to have any other pastor leading this college group. God is going to use the Inn when the time comes to make a profound impact for His name. I'm excited for when it happens; in fact, I'm so excited that I feel like sing koom-ba-ya and preaching to the hood... wherever that might be in Oregon City. I don't know, do we have a "hood"? I'm gonna Google it; I'll blog you later brethren.
Michael,
Thank you for the kind words and the passion for the things of God.
Merry Christmas!
Andrew
Hmmm...
Personally, I dont think that us as Christians shoudl stop shopping on Black Friday, But we should be more considerate. I know that every year I have participated, I have gladly given up things that I have wanted [or even had in my hands] if I saw someone else was was going for it, or if I over heard someone talking about not being able to find it.
I really hust think that its fun to be able to go shopping at 4am!! lol.
Then agian, it is 2am and so maybe im missing the whole point of this post. lol.
Oh and I dont have sound on my computer so I didnt even try the video.
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