FSJ on the iPad: Sad but true...
Apr/04/2010 19:32
It’s no secret, I’m an Apple user and am known to enjoy using Apple products for most of my computing needs. (That’s an understatement - see my side bar) Some have claimed that I fall into the category of Apple “Fan-boi” although I disagree. Tonight however, something so sarcastic, yet so profound literally dropped into our laps and cannot be ignored. I’m speaking of today’s ironic, caustic, yet utterly profound blog post from the pen of “fake Steve Jobs.” 
Fake Steve (otherwise known as Dan Lyons), known for his witty and abrasive writings wrote about Apple’s iPad in such a way today that seemingly makes my point better than I could myself. It’s what Christians have been saying all along yet no one believed us. It’s something that Apple has locked onto better than any other American company in recent memory; the promise of fulfillment through technology. Fake Steve said,
“But let’s get back to you people who are waiting in line. I mean it’s not like you’re in Bolivia and there’s just been an earthquake and you need to line up to get food and clean water. It’s not like you’ve time-traveled back into the Depression and you’re waiting in line at a soup kitchen. And yet, in fact, that’s exactly what you’re doing. Spiritually speaking, we are living in the Great Depression, and you are waiting in line for sustenance.”
And again,
“The truth is, this is all about spiritual emptiness. That is why you’re standing in line. Except for Scoble, who is an attention whore and just doing it to get attention.
The truth is, all over the world, across every culture, there exists a sense of yearning. A kind of malaise. An emptiness. At the risk of sounding like Dr. Seuss: There is a hole in your soul. That is what we’re addressing at Apple. That is the hole we aim to fill.”
While these words come not from Steve Jobs himself, but an impostor, they nevertheless reflect a profound, underlying understanding of the real reason people are lining up to purchase something that they neither need or can’t get through other means. Look at the picture from Mashable, we have a deep (yes) spiritual longing that Apple has positioned itself cleverly to fill. While I appreciate their attempt ultimately we will be disappointed and they will disappoint because no one can do that but God. While I know that Fake Steve Jobs was trying to be funny, he ended up being deeply profound, almost... prophetic. In the meantime I’ll watch and wonder if this poor kid really deserved this from his parents:
and wonder if these words did not really come from the lips of the big iMan himself...
Fake Steve (otherwise known as Dan Lyons), known for his witty and abrasive writings wrote about Apple’s iPad in such a way today that seemingly makes my point better than I could myself. It’s what Christians have been saying all along yet no one believed us. It’s something that Apple has locked onto better than any other American company in recent memory; the promise of fulfillment through technology. Fake Steve said,
“But let’s get back to you people who are waiting in line. I mean it’s not like you’re in Bolivia and there’s just been an earthquake and you need to line up to get food and clean water. It’s not like you’ve time-traveled back into the Depression and you’re waiting in line at a soup kitchen. And yet, in fact, that’s exactly what you’re doing. Spiritually speaking, we are living in the Great Depression, and you are waiting in line for sustenance.”
And again,
“The truth is, this is all about spiritual emptiness. That is why you’re standing in line. Except for Scoble, who is an attention whore and just doing it to get attention.
The truth is, all over the world, across every culture, there exists a sense of yearning. A kind of malaise. An emptiness. At the risk of sounding like Dr. Seuss: There is a hole in your soul. That is what we’re addressing at Apple. That is the hole we aim to fill.”
While these words come not from Steve Jobs himself, but an impostor, they nevertheless reflect a profound, underlying understanding of the real reason people are lining up to purchase something that they neither need or can’t get through other means. Look at the picture from Mashable, we have a deep (yes) spiritual longing that Apple has positioned itself cleverly to fill. While I appreciate their attempt ultimately we will be disappointed and they will disappoint because no one can do that but God. While I know that Fake Steve Jobs was trying to be funny, he ended up being deeply profound, almost... prophetic. In the meantime I’ll watch and wonder if this poor kid really deserved this from his parents:
and wonder if these words did not really come from the lips of the big iMan himself...
“Hold your iPad. Gaze at it. Pray to it. Let it transform you. And do it soon, because before you know it we are going to release version 2, which will make this one look like a total piece of crap. Peace be upon you.
Dear Leader”
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Ministry sacrifice
Mar/29/2010 14:54
Listen to the language of President Obama speaking with the troops in Afghanistan. Listen to the words spoken of heros awarded in recognition of their service. Listen to the farewells said to astronauts boarding their space vessel. The speeches, congratulations, and cheers all revolve around one predominant human emotion- sacrifice. Sacrifice is as much an emotion as it is an event. For instance, it’s possible to feel sacrificial even though you're not just as it's easy to be sacrificial and not feel like it. Taking two soldiers aside to ask them if they’ve sacrificed might produce this very reaction; one might feel sacrificial about his duty the other might not. I’ve been reflecting on this over the weekend as we’re packing up the remaining tidbits of personal items and making preparations for the movers to come on Wednesday. Even though we've done it once before it's still a strange feeling packing our things up for our new home in Europe. Above the din of emotions the thought that’s been rattling around in my head is “is this really a sacrifice?”
Part of me says yes, this is a sacrifice. To leave our land of birth and travel to a foreign country to serve those we’ve never met? To struggle with a language and culture of another people in an effort to share with them something that they might reject? To sell off our possessions (again) with no promise that we'll ever see their equivalent return?
The other part of me says no, this is not really a sacrifice. To be able to finally live in a part of the world I've been dreaming of for years? To do what I love in two arenas and get paid to do it? To live an amazing life that we'll look back on with satisfaction not regret? To live life right smack in the middle of God’s perfect will? To expand the kingdom of God so that more people get to know Jesus?
For fear of sounding hyper-spiritual, I have to confess that I don’t feel like we’re sacrificing anything. In fact the only way I would feel that way would be if I felt that we were losing more than we’re gaining. I wonder then if the feeling of sacrifice in ministry comes from the deep-seated fear of losing? Jim Elliot once said,
Then there is this weighty quote from David Livingston,
I’ve heard the self-sacrificing attitude from my own lips and those of others. I’ve gladly accepted the congratulations and adulations of others and have seen my colleagues do the same. Yet, we’ve received a ministry so amazing so profound that we should be envied not pitied! Yet the thought remains, in light of all of the riches that are mine in Christ Jesus, in the midst of leaving much behind, is this really a sacrifice?
Part of me says yes, this is a sacrifice. To leave our land of birth and travel to a foreign country to serve those we’ve never met? To struggle with a language and culture of another people in an effort to share with them something that they might reject? To sell off our possessions (again) with no promise that we'll ever see their equivalent return?
The other part of me says no, this is not really a sacrifice. To be able to finally live in a part of the world I've been dreaming of for years? To do what I love in two arenas and get paid to do it? To live an amazing life that we'll look back on with satisfaction not regret? To live life right smack in the middle of God’s perfect will? To expand the kingdom of God so that more people get to know Jesus?
For fear of sounding hyper-spiritual, I have to confess that I don’t feel like we’re sacrificing anything. In fact the only way I would feel that way would be if I felt that we were losing more than we’re gaining. I wonder then if the feeling of sacrifice in ministry comes from the deep-seated fear of losing? Jim Elliot once said,
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."
Then there is this weighty quote from David Livingston,
“For my own part, I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa... Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view, and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice.”
I’ve heard the self-sacrificing attitude from my own lips and those of others. I’ve gladly accepted the congratulations and adulations of others and have seen my colleagues do the same. Yet, we’ve received a ministry so amazing so profound that we should be envied not pitied! Yet the thought remains, in light of all of the riches that are mine in Christ Jesus, in the midst of leaving much behind, is this really a sacrifice?
Are you waiting for the Golden Years?
Mar/09/2010 08:30
On Saturday Angelina and I took our semi-regular walk down to a part of our larger neighborhood where there are several man-made lakes. When we take our walks during the week the lake area is usually silent and except for us and a few ducks, empty. However, because the sun was out with a blue sky and a gentle breeze the lake was buzzing with extra ducks and visitors. As we came around the bend we saw something we had never seen before, a group of older people all huddled at the shoreline. I couldn't quite make out what they were doing but they held something in their hands and they were all leaning out over the water intently staring at white floating things. At first I thought they were engaged in some weird duck ritual but as we got closer I discovered that they were racing miniature remote-controlled sail boats! The group was silent in concentration steering their racers through the course while a race announcer countdown played on a portable boombox behind them. No one said a word, the race was cut-throat until the man on the tape called “time.”
As we walked past it occurred to me how apt this event was in describing the American mindset of the “Golden Years.” Without casting aspersions upon our geriatric lake pirates I find it funny (or a little sad, depending on how you look at it) that for many people in the West that scene is the quintessential retirement life. If I was to take a poll, I wonder how many people would agree that this is what life is all about? Work hard, sacrifice, scrimp, save, play it safe, all until one day when your only care in the world is protecting your sail racer championship title near your little house on the man-made lake.
Reading Luke 12:13-21 I don’t get the impression that living life and storing up a fat chunk of change for the golden years is God’s design for our lives. Yet (I’ve posted this before) Francis Chan’s “Balance Beam” describes the mentality of many, many Christians.
Count me among those who will not give up, will not give in, and will not retire until God takes me home or Jesus returns. I was never promised ease or comfort in this life nor was I promised an easy retirement in my Golden Years. My Golden Years will come when this physical body lies 6 feet under and I rest with Jesus on the streets of gold for eternity. Until then there is an adventure to live, a wife to love, a church to minister to, a people to save, a King to be glorified, and a hurting world to serve. What about you?
As we walked past it occurred to me how apt this event was in describing the American mindset of the “Golden Years.” Without casting aspersions upon our geriatric lake pirates I find it funny (or a little sad, depending on how you look at it) that for many people in the West that scene is the quintessential retirement life. If I was to take a poll, I wonder how many people would agree that this is what life is all about? Work hard, sacrifice, scrimp, save, play it safe, all until one day when your only care in the world is protecting your sail racer championship title near your little house on the man-made lake.
Reading Luke 12:13-21 I don’t get the impression that living life and storing up a fat chunk of change for the golden years is God’s design for our lives. Yet (I’ve posted this before) Francis Chan’s “Balance Beam” describes the mentality of many, many Christians.
- Are you really living or simply waiting for the Golden Years?
- Are you caught up in the adventure of living life with Jesus or working hard so that you can take it easy and retire?
- Are you running a hard race through the finish line or racing for the retirement payout to coast into your coffin?
Count me among those who will not give up, will not give in, and will not retire until God takes me home or Jesus returns. I was never promised ease or comfort in this life nor was I promised an easy retirement in my Golden Years. My Golden Years will come when this physical body lies 6 feet under and I rest with Jesus on the streets of gold for eternity. Until then there is an adventure to live, a wife to love, a church to minister to, a people to save, a King to be glorified, and a hurting world to serve. What about you?
The Risk Factor
Oct/20/2009 13:08
"We have two options in life. Play it safe…tow the line…conform….be numbed down…slowly die and possibly still end up screwed in the end OR….Take the risk….engage the dream….come alive….tell a story….help change the world….and live a life others are secretly jealous of…..and leave the results to God. None of us are promised a tomorrow….none of us have 100% job security….none of us know whether playing it safe will turn out like we hope. I’d rather live and take the risk."
We missionaries are an odd bunch. For the most part we're not the sort of risk takers that people usually think of; daredevils, rock-climbers, sword swollowers, etc. We're not the circus freaks but we are risk takers. Missional living whether in your neighborhood or across the ocean is a risky venture. It demands all and guarantees nothing in return. We don't do it for fame or fortune, we don't do it for platitudes, we do it because of a deep sense of conviction, a love for people, and a love for Jesus.
But if God is sovereign is it correct to call it risk at all?
Learning through the pain of life
Aug/31/2009 14:30
After a several day hiatus, I am slowly climbing back in the saddle. It was a rough several days, it’s now 10 days after learning that my wife and I lost our baby at 10 weeks into the pregnancy. Going through this process has been a learning experience for both of us; we’ve learned a lot about our relationship, our devotion to God, and our need for him. We’ve learned how important the body of Christ is and how our lives impact those around us, in ways we didn’t even know about. We’ve learned a little about the process of grief and the blessing that it can be in our lives. Most importantly, we’ve learned what we’ve really known all along, that it is so easy to be distracted from what really matters.
So what really matters? Not much outside of Jesus and his loving sacrifice for us, the blessings of family and friends, and the hope of the resurrection in Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:13:
So what really matters? Not much outside of Jesus and his loving sacrifice for us, the blessings of family and friends, and the hope of the resurrection in Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4:13:
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”
