links worthy of your perusal
Written by Mark Van Steenwyk : January 5, 2007
The response to my laptop campaign has been tremendous. In about 24 hours, I’ve reached almost 15% of the goal. Thank you!
Meanwhile, here are some links worthy of your perusal:
From Tithe to Jubilee
Shaun Groves is struggling with some very important stuff. His post is perhaps the best argument for a beyond-the-tithe approach to how we utilize our resources.
Goodbye Old Navy, Goodbye
I’ve made the decision today–a line in the sand if you will–that I will only buy clothing from the thrift store or places like these. I don’t think it will cost me any more money–it is just more work. I can’t think of any good reason not to change my spending habits when it comes to clothes (except a decrease in fashionableness) and I believe it will help the clothing workers more than if I bought stuff on oldnavy.com, like I usually do.
N.T. Wright and the Real Kingdom of God
N.T. Wright is appearing in CT a lot lately. He showed up again today in an interview. Here’s a snippet:
…Because the great emphasis in the New Testament is that the gospel is not how to escape the world; the gospel is that the crucified and risen Jesus is the Lord of the world. And that his death and Resurrection transform the world, and that transformation can happen to you. You, in turn, can be part of the transforming work. That draws together what we traditionally called evangelism, bringing people to the point where they come to know God in Christ for themselves, with working for God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. That has always been at the heart of the Lord’s Prayer, and how we’ve managed for years to say the Lord’s Prayer without realizing that Jesus really meant it is very curious.
Part of what I’m hoping to do in my book is move away from a spiritualized read of the Gospels into a grounded-in-real-life political read of the Gospels. Lest you think I’m a flaming leftist, I am using the word political in its basic sense: “the use of structural power to organize a community of people” (from the introduction to The Blackwell Companion to Political Theology). In other words, the Kingdom of God is a real thing and Jesus is really Lord of All. This effects how we, the Church, live and move in the world. We cannot divorce our religious life from our public life. Figuring out how we integrate the two is the task of political theology.
I’m an old man
Tuesday is my 31st birthday. For my birthday, I’ve decided to to go see Children of Men with some friends. Along with Pan’s Labyrinth, it looks like the most interesting flick that has graced the silver screen in the past 6 months or so. My suspicion is that it will be blog-worthy, with implications for how we understand our mission…
Mark Van Steenwyk is the editor of JesusManifesto.com. He is a Mennonite pastor (Missio Dei in Minneapolis), writer, speaker, and grassroots educator. He and his wife Amy have been married since 1997. They are expecting their first child in April.
Anchored in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis, Missio Dei is committed to following Jesus' way of peace, simplicity, prayer, and hospitality.
The Missio Dei Breviary includes morning and evening prayers for one month. Edited (and freely shared) by Missio Dei, it draws primarily upon the Gospels, reflects Anabaptist convictions, and emphasizes missional commitment.
Christarchy! is a growing network of small groups for people who want to put the ethical teachings of Jesus into practice.
I have found the people at New American Dream a helpful resource on my journey as well. Happy Birthday in advance! My 35th will be on Tuesday as well.
Peace
I don’t usually pay more than $5 for clothing — triple clearance sales and all. Actually, apart from a pair of hiking boots, I didn’t for all of 2006. Am I still contributing to the corpoate machine if I buy clothing marked down so far they’re barely pulling a profit?
I’d like to see Children of Men too.
I’m also planning on donating 15 dollars to your laptop purchase.
dlw
I don’t want to sign up again for Paypal as I had a bad experience with them. Maybe I can give the 15 dollars thru my uncle Rob?
dlw
Sure. Or you can just send it to me:
Mark Van Steenwyk
3312 31st Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55406
If you send a check, write it out to “Missio Dei” and write “laptop fund” in the memo line.
Mark,
My wife and I have been going through a similar transition on the responsible consumer front — clothing, food, household goods, etc. We are having twin girls soon, so that is making the process even more complicated. I believe what you’re doing is good and right. My only word of advice would be to have some grace for yourself in the process. It may cost more, and it *is* hard. I fell prey to the temptation to become a legalist about it and nearly burnt myself out. I’ve resolved to make the transition over time… it’s a process.
Peace,
b
(delurking)