coryonomics

I dream a lot. I remember my dreams and some are great and some not so great. I have woken myself up laughing, crying, and one time I woke everyone up yelling in terror at the top of my lungs (there was a giant cube floating over my bed). Well, recently I was having a discussion with my friends 7 year old and he was telling me about a nightmare he had and it reminded my of my favorite nightmare.
I was about 10 years old and at that time in my life I loved grapes and thought the commercial for the Fruit of the Loom underwear, you know the one where the fruit jumped out of the clothing, was very funny. Well, one particular night following a day I am sure that included playing guns, building a tree house, street football, swimming in the public pool, and closing the day with a little Atari 1600 Pitfall and Defender while listening to Van Halen's Jump over and over and over again, I finally drifted off to sleep. During the night of dream jumping I suddenly found myself in brief danger. The carefully embroidered fruit in my underwear inspected by #28 became animated, leaped from their Superman 2 like imprisonment and proceeded to chase me around the house. The Green Grape seemed to have a particular grudge against me and found the kitchen knives and tried to kill me. I woke up just in time. I only eat red grapes now.
So, share a bizarre dream you have had... please keep it clean.

check this link, its worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&feature=related

There is nothing that I can say that can add to this, but i will anyway. It is worth your time to watch this clip. Truly inspiring.

The season of Easter loves its symbolism. The universal understanding of the possibility of new life. But new life from what? The average "man on the street" picks up quickly the idea of spring from winter, of new life from the decay of the old. It inspires songs like "the circle of life", but is cyclical change really change? It may be change, but it is not new; it is simply a revolving pattern of an old life.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ breaks this pattern. It addresses the problem of death. Resurrection, which does not mean spirit only or resuscitation of, states that death no longer has the last word. The resurrection moves well beyond the common symbolism that we find in most thinking. The Resurrection invites invites real change, real hope, real living, for today as well as tomorrow. This requires a new reality for us to step into and it is this new reality I wish to briefly address.
I have a friend whose father recently passed away due to cancer. In the process of he and his family adjusting, first to the initial news and then eventually to his death, he responded to my question of how he was doing by saying, "we are learning how to live in the new normal" Instead of fighting a loosing battle of what was not, the 'if only's", he stepped into a new way of living. This, by the way, is a profoundly healthy way to live, it subverts denial and enables one to grieve well.
The "new normal" is what we are called to live into when we step into Christ's resurrection. It is this reality that the apostle Peter found with Jesus on the shore by the sea of Tiberias. N.T. Wright in his book Surprised By Hope referring to John 21 states that "Peter, famously, has denied Jesus. He has chosen to live within the normal world, where the tyrants win in the end and where it's better to dissociate yourself from people who get on the wrong side of them. But now, with Easter, peter is called to live in a new and different world. Where Thomas is called to a new kind of faith and Paul to a radically renewed hope, Peter is called to a new kind of love." (p 72) This love is more than a feeling, but connected with the resurrection is a new way of believing and living. Wright goes on to reflect on the question Jesus then asks Peter, the question of Peter's love for him. It is this question that opens up a profound new reality, a question that Wright says invites us to be remade.
Outside of the resurrection, Peter must remain the same and learn how to cope with his betrayal. He may find ways to give his lifestyle a new makeover, but the reality he is in is still limited by death which ultimately limits how we live out the rest of our breath. However, confronted with the resurrected Christ, Peter's reality has shifted and now in order to live in a world where death no longer wins, Peter must step into a place where he allows himself to no longer be ruled by the former reality, the ones of tyrants, power, manipulation, defensiveness, and fear to name a few. The resurrection moves his forgiveness into more than just the healing of a relationship based on a former world view reality; it moves him into a new reality, a new creation that enables him to live differently starting at that moment.
A very important element for us to see is that this new reality is not just a personal one, God has come to redeem all of creation which calls us to a new kind of living today. It requires us to live and work hand in hand with God in his redeeming work. To live life as one who believes in the resurrection, not only of Jesus' resurrection but our own in the future, means that we begin to live it out now in everything we do. This kind of living begins to look like what Jesus called to us to do, love one another as he loves us, to forgive as we are forgiven, to treat our enemies as he did with honesty, compassion, and concern.
We can live this life because in Christ's resurrection death was defeated and with the defeat of death comes the defeat of fear. I believe that it is death and fear that makes us act and react in all the unhealthy ways we do. They drive us to a perverted sense of self-preservation because we fear that when someone harms us that they have power over us. The new reality says that in Christ, even though others may harm us in temporal ways, we are not victims of their violence, be they words or weapons, because we have only one Lord who has the final say and that is the one who defeated death; Jesus Christ. Therefore, I can turn the other cheek, I can bless those who persecute me, I can live as Jesus lived, did as Jesus died, and rise as Jesus rose. This is the reality that gives me hope, strength, and vision for today here and now.

The Gospel according to Matthew 15:31-32 says, "So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, 'He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.' Those who were crucified with him also reviled him." (ESV)

Through the eyes of mortality the priest's request is not a bad one. Why not come down off the cross? How many would have been convinced that Jesus was indeed the Messiah? Is it too much to ask for proof? Although the vitriol spewed on a dying man is disturbing, the request is understandable. After all, what is the cross? Undignified, shameful, weak, defeat, and death.

Through the eyes of eternity, though, the question is misguided. Which Messiah would they be believing? Would Jesus be the same Messiah if he came off of the cross? What would their "belief" represent and who would they really be following? "Jesus" they say, "we will believe you if you come down." Believe what?

The people did not crucify Jesus because they did not want a Messiah, they crucified him because he was not the Messiah they wanted. My main contention with many who claim to follow Christ, including myself, is that we tend not to want God, but a God talisman. The good news that is shared is "self-help"; if you want more and a better return on your life, come to Jesus. Instead of Jesus being our all in all we ask Jesus to make our all our all. We become like those standing around the cross and say, "if you are the messiah, then come down and meet my expectations".

I wonder if Jesus had come down, what their expectations would have been. Surely they would have been amazed. Surely Jesus would have increased his followers. But then what? What is the mission? What is the purpose of this Messiah off the cross? Bring world peace by taking over the government? Would that really bring peace? I believe our sin is caused by our need to control and by fear of losing that control. When that control is threatened we defend. While this is an admittedly simplified version of sin, the point I am making is that what can be accomplished from a Jesus who comes off the cross is limited. It is limited by one major controlling factor; death. With Jesus off the cross, death still wins. We all still die and experience its finality. We may have a one world government and great peace on earth, but then what? Death still wins. Peace cannot be sustained with death as the victor. Essentially, then, with a limited vision of God's work, the only reason to have Jesus come down off the cross and claim an earthly throne, is so that some can have power and live the life they want so that when they near death, they can say it was fun while it lasted... at least for me.
But this is a narrow view of Messiah. It is a mortal view. It is a view that Jesus did not share. The goal was not a temporal change of leadership, but an eternal transformation of life. Death was not the intent of God. It is not some "circle of life" that is to be celebrated, but it is an affront to God, the author of life. Death, sickness, the break down of the body, mind, and soul, is an enemy. God created life and it was good, we do not see "and God created death and it was good". What we see is that death and chaos are the ill effects of sin, or to define sin another way, a perversion of what is good.
God's answer is to defeat death. Why it was done in the manner it was I have no idea, but blood seems to be a rather sacred thing. Jesus, however, stays on the cross. He dies. He is resurrected. Death is defeated. Now, in Christ we are offered the same win. Death is still an enemy, but it is a defeated enemy. Through the cross all rules are changed, the choices broadened, the Kingdom offered (the kingdom of God begins now is fulfilled one day, we begin living under the rule of God now) and the Holy Spirit given. Now the call of God, to love him by loving one another can be lived because Jesus makes it possible through his Holy Spirit. We can now surrender to that love without fear, because if death is defeated we can live knowing that death is not the end and only temporary.
To come off the cross is the way and will of men. To die is the way of God. To kill death is the way of God. To resurrect is the way of God. The way of God is often mocked because it is misunderstood; it is seen through the eyes of mortality, brokenness, fear, and death. However, seen through the eyes of God, eternity, life, and hope, we see that God does not cause death, but says, "look how I can transform evil into Good". The reality is that to come off the cross is Undignified, shameful, weak, defeat, and death. To remain is Life.

The top right corner of my blog features my video/song of the week. Tom Waits takes the spotlight this week. I was fortunate enough to have roommates in college who had a broader and more flavorful collection than mine. Let's put it this way; my most embarrassing moment involved me thinking my rock-n-roll roommates were out of the house and me taking the liberty to blast... true confessions folks... Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation... there may have also been dancing. Anyway, it was these true friends who embraced me for the Amy Grant, Janet Jackson, C&C Music factory loving, infadel I was and introduced me to some truly heavenly sounds. If there were idols in this house on Ashworth Ave. in Nashville, they were U2, The Beatles, and one roommate had an unhealthy obsession with Lou Holtz and Notre Dame.
However, these blessed evangelists of sound moved me beyond the standards and into the beautiful absurdity of Tom Waits.
What I find absurd in Tom Waits is the beauty he portrays through his graveled windpipes. However, I do not write today to talk about Tom so much as to invite you to experience a bit of Tom's art. This song, "Come On Up To The House" is one of my favorites. It comes to mind this week in particular, as it is holy week. Now, I do not imagine many people think of Tom and Holy Week together, but this song is gospel. He invites, "when you're high on top of your mountain of woe, you gotta come on up to the house. well you know you should surrender, but you can't let go; you gotta come on up to the house".
I love that something so rough and worn creates such beauty. I hope you enjoy.

So this might not be the most insightful blog, but here goes. Having a 15 month old has changed our tv habits. For 1, at night we watch our shows with headphones on, my wife thinks we will wake Sydney otherwise... I'm not convinced. For 2, morning getting ready time is easier with Disney and PBS. All of this to say that I have been reunited with some childhood favorites. Sesame Street is one of those favorites.
Recently, though, I have come to a harsh realization. Ernie, who was my second favorite (Grover wins arms down), is an instigator and kind of inconsiderate. I used to view Burt (or is it Bert) as the snobby, uptight, one; but in reality he is simply trying to get some needed shut eye and work on his hobbies (pigeons and the letter 'W'). Ernie, who I saw as the free spirited one not confined to the social norms, is always playing pranks on Bert (or Burt), getting him to say "I '8' the sandbox", annoying Bert with his disguises while Burt attempts to read his book, asking Bert to get him a glass of water, and the list goes on. Watching this as an adult, I realized that Ernie is an instigator full of his own stuffing. To be honest, I was a little peeved at Ernie. He reminded me of someone. Who? He reminded me of... oh man, ME! Maybe he's not so bad after all.