Tuesday, December 9, 2008
I went to an OKC Thunder game tonight. BORING! I'm not really a big sports fan, I guess. I used to be but probably more because I was surrounded with it and my dad loves sports. I loved going to sporting events freshman year of Hillsdale. They were fun, I sat right there next to the floor, and I knew/lived with the kids that were playing. That is way more exciting than rooting for some dudes I've never met and make millions of bucks. That sucks. It also pisses me off that everything costs three times what it should. Coke, three bucks. Beer, six bucks. No thanks. Me and unnamed friend who took me to the game were probably the least interested people there. We just talked about the usual crap, you know, theology blah blah blah. Thats pretty much all tonight was. A six hour conversation with different settings. First a car ride, then a super loud basketball game, then a pub, then another car ride, then my house. Good times, good chats. Tonight I actually got to try some different brews than usual. So far I haven't really been able to try out different stuff but we went to a place that has tons of stuff on tap. I tried a sample tray and it had a very interesting dark beer, I think called Youngs dbl chocolate. It wasn't bad. The other stuff was alright. I also tried some ciders and they ruled. That was pretty much the whole night. Fun times. Tomorrow night I'm going to see my friend colin's band play and to hand out some flyers for the benefit show. Peace out friends.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Sunday
I went to church this morning. It was pretty tight. So, we're in the middle of advent. Growing up, we never did anything adventish. I guess its just christmas but for the whole month? Last week Moses preached and it was awesome. He talked alot about the prophets. I appreciated his comments about the prophets being in the church but coming the margins. It made me think of Ched Meyers saying something to the extent of "keep one foot in the church, keep your other foot in the world but keep most weight on the latter." I guess Moses tried to dress up like he was homeless or something. It just confused me but it was funny. For the most part he was just calling everything how he sees it. I admire him for that. He seems to always speak his mind and not be afraid of stepping on people's toes when he knows he needs to speak the truth. James preached today and he went the route of John the (ana?)Baptist. It was awesome. I love JtheB. He is one of my favorite people in the bible. Moses read some stuff from Isaiah last week so that means my favorite two prophets, two weeks in a row. James was telling us JtheB's message is still totally relevant for us today. Stand up/speak up to the powers to be(even if kills us). I've never heard stuff like that in church growing up. JMC is pretty tight. After church we had an OCC meeting. I'm hoping to get involved with that. I've really been wanting to get involved with some sort of military counter-recruitment so its awesome that there is an organization thats actually looking for young people to do just that. Thats all I got. I'm trying to read Politics of Jesus by John Howard Yoder right now. I have way too many books laying around so I get distracted very easy. OCC benefit show friday night. I'm pumped. Peace out girl scouts.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Long time coming
So here is the deal, I wouldn't mind blogging. I'll try to start.
This is whats going on of late.
I live at home. Its pretty cool. I love my parents, they are really awesome, and its been good to hang out with them after being gone for so long.
I go to Joy Mennonite Church. It rules. I never knew so many cool people existed in Oklahoma. The people are very kingdom minded and that rules. Just going there has shown me how much stuff is going on in OKC. Its encouraging.
Its looking like the Infoshop will be having a benefit show for the OCC next friday. I'm so pumped.
I went to the SOA protest two weeks ago. It ruled. JMC helped me out and that ruled.
I met John Dear. That was crazy. I just finished his latest book, A Persistent Peace. That dude is crazy and his story is even crazier. Check him out. His book is being offered for free as a e-book btw.
What should I do with my life?
This is whats going on of late.
I live at home. Its pretty cool. I love my parents, they are really awesome, and its been good to hang out with them after being gone for so long.
I go to Joy Mennonite Church. It rules. I never knew so many cool people existed in Oklahoma. The people are very kingdom minded and that rules. Just going there has shown me how much stuff is going on in OKC. Its encouraging.
Its looking like the Infoshop will be having a benefit show for the OCC next friday. I'm so pumped.
I went to the SOA protest two weeks ago. It ruled. JMC helped me out and that ruled.
I met John Dear. That was crazy. I just finished his latest book, A Persistent Peace. That dude is crazy and his story is even crazier. Check him out. His book is being offered for free as a e-book btw.
What should I do with my life?
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Catholic Social Teaching
This is what the Catholic Church has to say about stuff.
http://www.osjspm.org/catholic_social_teaching.aspx
1. Dignity of the Human Person
Belief in the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all Catholic social teaching. Human life is sacred, and the dignity of the human person is the starting point for a moral vision for society. This principle is grounded in the idea that the person is made in the image of God. The person is the clearest reflection of God among us.
2. Common Good and Community
The human person is both sacred and social. We realize our dignity and rights in relationship with others, in community. Human beings grow and achieve fulfillment in community. Human dignity can only be realized and protected in the context of relationships with the wider society.
How we organize our society -- in economics and politics, in law and policy -- directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. The obligation to "love our neighbor" has an individual dimension, but it also requires a broader social commitment. Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the good of the whole society, to the common good.
3. Option for the Poor
The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation. We are called to look at public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor. The "option for the poor," is not an adversarial slogan that pits one group or class against another. Rather it states that the deprivation and powerlessness of the poor wounds the whole community.
The option for the poor is an essential part of society's effort to achieve the common good. A healthy community can be achieved only if its members give special attention to those with special needs, to those who are poor and on the margins of society.
4. Rights and Responsibilities
Human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency – starting with food, shelter and clothing, employment, health care, and education. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities -- to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.
5.Role of Government and Subsidiarity
The state has a positive moral function. It is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect human rights, and build the common good. All people have a right and a responsibility to participate in political institutions so that government can achieve its proper goals.
The principle of subsidiarity holds that the functions of government should be performed at the lowest level possible, as long as they can be performed adequately. When the needs in question cannot adequately be met at the lower level, then it is not only necessary, but imperative that higher levels of government intervene.
6. Economic Justice
The economy must serve people, not the other way around. All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, and to safe working conditions. They also have a fundamental right to organize and join unions. People have a right to economic initiative and private property, but these rights have limits. No one is allowed to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life.
Catholic teaching opposes collectivist and statist economic approaches. But it also rejects the notion that a free market automatically produces justice. Distributive justice, for example, cannot be achieved by relying entirely on free market forces. Competition and free markets are useful elements of economic systems. However, markets must be kept within limits, because there are many needs and goods that cannot be satisfied by the market system. It is the task of the state and of all society to intervene and ensure that these needs are met.
7. Stewardship of God's Creation
The goods of the earth are gifts from God, and they are intended by God for the benefit of everyone. There is a "social mortgage" that guides our use of the world's goods, and we have a responsibility to care for these goods as stewards and trustees, not as mere consumers and users. How we treat the environment is a measure of our stewardship, a sign of our respect for the Creator.
8. Promotion of Peace and Disarmament
Catholic teaching promotes peace as a positive, action-oriented concept. In the words of Pope John Paul II, "Peace is not just the absence of war. It involves mutual respect and confidence between peoples and nations. It involves collaboration and binding agreements.” There is a close relationship in Catholic teaching between peace and justice. Peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon right order among human beings.
9. Participation
All people have a right to participate in the economic, political, and cultural life of society. It is a fundamental demand of justice and a requirement for human dignity that all people be assured a minimum level of participation in the community. It is wrong for a person or a group to be excluded unfairly or to be unable to participate in society.
10. Global Solidarity and Development
We are one human family. Our responsibilities to each other cross national, racial, economic and ideological differences. We are called to work globally for justice. Authentic development must be full human development. It must respect and promote personal, social, economic, and political rights, including the rights of nations and of peoples It must avoid the extremists of underdevelopment on the one hand, and "superdevelopment" on the other. Accumulating material goods, and technical resources will be unsatisfactory and debasing if there is no respect for the moral, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of the person.
http://www.osjspm.org/catholic_social_teaching.aspx
1. Dignity of the Human Person
Belief in the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all Catholic social teaching. Human life is sacred, and the dignity of the human person is the starting point for a moral vision for society. This principle is grounded in the idea that the person is made in the image of God. The person is the clearest reflection of God among us.
2. Common Good and Community
The human person is both sacred and social. We realize our dignity and rights in relationship with others, in community. Human beings grow and achieve fulfillment in community. Human dignity can only be realized and protected in the context of relationships with the wider society.
How we organize our society -- in economics and politics, in law and policy -- directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. The obligation to "love our neighbor" has an individual dimension, but it also requires a broader social commitment. Everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the good of the whole society, to the common good.
3. Option for the Poor
The moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation. We are called to look at public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor. The "option for the poor," is not an adversarial slogan that pits one group or class against another. Rather it states that the deprivation and powerlessness of the poor wounds the whole community.
The option for the poor is an essential part of society's effort to achieve the common good. A healthy community can be achieved only if its members give special attention to those with special needs, to those who are poor and on the margins of society.
4. Rights and Responsibilities
Human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency – starting with food, shelter and clothing, employment, health care, and education. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities -- to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.
5.Role of Government and Subsidiarity
The state has a positive moral function. It is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect human rights, and build the common good. All people have a right and a responsibility to participate in political institutions so that government can achieve its proper goals.
The principle of subsidiarity holds that the functions of government should be performed at the lowest level possible, as long as they can be performed adequately. When the needs in question cannot adequately be met at the lower level, then it is not only necessary, but imperative that higher levels of government intervene.
6. Economic Justice
The economy must serve people, not the other way around. All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, and to safe working conditions. They also have a fundamental right to organize and join unions. People have a right to economic initiative and private property, but these rights have limits. No one is allowed to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life.
Catholic teaching opposes collectivist and statist economic approaches. But it also rejects the notion that a free market automatically produces justice. Distributive justice, for example, cannot be achieved by relying entirely on free market forces. Competition and free markets are useful elements of economic systems. However, markets must be kept within limits, because there are many needs and goods that cannot be satisfied by the market system. It is the task of the state and of all society to intervene and ensure that these needs are met.
7. Stewardship of God's Creation
The goods of the earth are gifts from God, and they are intended by God for the benefit of everyone. There is a "social mortgage" that guides our use of the world's goods, and we have a responsibility to care for these goods as stewards and trustees, not as mere consumers and users. How we treat the environment is a measure of our stewardship, a sign of our respect for the Creator.
8. Promotion of Peace and Disarmament
Catholic teaching promotes peace as a positive, action-oriented concept. In the words of Pope John Paul II, "Peace is not just the absence of war. It involves mutual respect and confidence between peoples and nations. It involves collaboration and binding agreements.” There is a close relationship in Catholic teaching between peace and justice. Peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon right order among human beings.
9. Participation
All people have a right to participate in the economic, political, and cultural life of society. It is a fundamental demand of justice and a requirement for human dignity that all people be assured a minimum level of participation in the community. It is wrong for a person or a group to be excluded unfairly or to be unable to participate in society.
10. Global Solidarity and Development
We are one human family. Our responsibilities to each other cross national, racial, economic and ideological differences. We are called to work globally for justice. Authentic development must be full human development. It must respect and promote personal, social, economic, and political rights, including the rights of nations and of peoples It must avoid the extremists of underdevelopment on the one hand, and "superdevelopment" on the other. Accumulating material goods, and technical resources will be unsatisfactory and debasing if there is no respect for the moral, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of the person.
I have been in Princeton, NJ for two weeks now. I will be here for the rest of the summer. I am participating in an internship program called Leaderworx. It is pretty cool. The seminary and program are part of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians). Pretty much the concept is "the opportunity to explore their lives through community living, service to the poor, formation in Catholic Social Teaching and immersion in the work of social justice."
This is from the website.
This is from the website.
Two key concepts are at the heart of LeaderworX: vocation and faithjustice.
Vocation: Where are you coming from? Where are you now? Where are you headed? Understanding our purpose and learning to discern our calling as young adults are essential to having a meaningful life.Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on how they respond to their ‘calling.’ This is the spirit of vocation that informs the work, conversations and experiences at LeaderworX.
Faithjustice: What does it mean for a Christian to live faithfully in the world? How do we integrate an awareness of injustice and engagement of the world with our spiritual lives? How does that happen within the life of our faith community? LeaderworX seeks to form young adults committed to the integral relationship between Christian faith and social justice and attempts to give them the tools to make advocacy for justice a part of their lives.
It's pretty rad. We have done all kinds of cool things. I will try to put as much on here as I can. I should probably try to keep a record of all the things we have been doing so I won't forget and also just to let everybody know whats going on in my life for now. Peace out for now.
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