The Journey

Should people of Faith Care about 16oz. Sodas?

I couldn't wait to see what the reaction was going to be for the people of New York City to be living under the banner of the new 16 oz. law.  Evidently, Mayor Bloomberg has decided enough soda is enough, and the new regulations are going to ban any soft drink larger than 16 oz. to be served in the city limits.  

Goodbye Super Size.
Goodbye Big Gulp.
Goodbye Extra Large.  
There's a new Sheriff in town.  

It's been interesting to watch the reaction from people all over the country.  Some protesters continue with the cry for "Freedom!" and "Get your government hands off my Dr. Pepper."   And Others try and justify the ban as a help on the already taxed health care debacle this country faces today.  

I really couldn't care less about the politics of the situation.  The real meat under this bun is the motive and response I want to have toward an issue INSIDE the context of faith.  Does the amount of Soda have anything to do with my faith journey? And the real questions is, does God care what I eat, what I drink, or how I treat my body here on earth?

At the risk of sounding like a Colorado Tree Hugger, I must believe God created our bodies for a reason and we ought to take care of what He gave us, right?  I mean it doesn't seem out of context that if we were indeed created by God, AND He gave us the freedom to manage our lives on earth, AND someday he's we're going to be a part of the resurrection, we should at least begin to try and figure out how to take care of the part of us that's...well...US.

All too often I think the theology of destruction rules the consequences of how we live.  Somehow we translate this idea God is going to burn everything down and create everything new again, so that in the meantime it doesn't matter how we treat our bodies.  NOTHING could be further from the truth.  And I'll attempt to make my case scripturally here:

1.)  Paul talks about the body as a temple,  ^"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;  you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Sure this section of the scripture is talking about sexual promiscuity, but the tangible lesson is the same.  Our physical bodies are important, and we ought to try our best to take care of what we do with them.  We need good foods.  We need proper exercises.  We don't need to be obsessed with how our bodies look compared to someone else, but just like you'd take care of a new car with good fuel and good oil; your body needs proper care.  PHYSICALLY!

2.)  Paul talks later about a new body.  "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands."  (2 Corinthians 5:1)  

This is often the section where people will want to rely on a new body when God restores all things in the end.  But I must ask, When exactly do you think God is interested in beginning this process?  Do you think He gave you a body to destroy, so He could come back to perform even a greater miracle because of your unhealthy lifestyle?  That's almost like saying, "I should sin as much as I can on this earth so God's grace can be shown even bigger in the end." (Romans 6:1)

3.)  God's View of Nutrition.  

It's interesting in the Old Testament story of Daniel, God gave Daniel strength in correlation to his diet.  The Bible says Daniel chose not "to defile himself" with royal foods and wine.  And in the end, "... of the ten days they (Daniel's Men)  looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.  So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead." (Daniel 1:15)

These are just three examples off the top of my head.  But there seems to be something throughout scripture tied to the way we eat.  The old celebrations are all centered around food, fasting, or feasting.  The way we fuel our physical bodies is important.  

Again, I think it hilarious that Mayor Bloomberg is framed as the Nanny State Mayor.  It's interesting to watch how people will frame the depth of their own freedom.  (As if the founding father's fought the Revolutionary War so we could be free to drink 16 oz. soda if we want.  RIDICULOUS)  But the bigger idea in framing the debate in the context of faith is, "Does it matter how we treat our bodies as faith people?"  

The Health Care debate is only one issue we have to deal with as a social culture, but what of the faith culture?  Do we need to care about nutrition?

I've made my case.  What do you think?

 

 

KIVU in The Durango Herald? WHAT?

Last night, I was waiting on the staff to return from their night off in Durango.  It's kind of a KIVU tradition to have at least one night where the staff can explore Durango and see what it's like to live in a community here in Southwest Colorado.  

I was just sitting by and making sure everybody got in safe, when Peter drove up and handed me a copy of yesterday's Durango Herald Newspaper.  

On the Cover was this Picture!!  HA!!

KIVU does it again!  Andrew and Phil were in town filming their latest YouTube phenomenon concerning Dry Land Kayaking.  What is DLK? You ask?  

The caption under the photo reads:

Andrew Dillard draws attention to kayaking Wednesday by “floating” above Buckley Park. It’s going to be a limited water season, but is the drought really bad enough to start kayaking on land? Dillard and his friends are calling “dry-land kayaking” the new movement. Local residents could see the group trying out their new skills at Chapman Hill. They even tried to kayak out of a tree in Buckley Park. “It’s pretty gnarly to roll it,” said Peter Wanberg. One the men, Phil Gibson, got the idea for “dry-land kayaking” from a friend at the University of San Francisco, who calls it the “DLK Movement.”

THE DLK MOVEMENT??  Ha!

No such thing!

The guys were just being creative, and having fun.  What they didn't understand was the ability to connect with the community by trying something they thought was just a joke.  

It's SUPER important to me we represent KIVU to the community in a good light.  Reputation is of utmost importance, because I want my community to know how cool these College Students really are.  They're full of life.  They're creative.  They're responsible.  And they Love to Have Lots of Fun!

Which is really what we're all about here at Camp KIVU.  We want to give Teenagers the ability to explore their own creativity, get off the couch, turn off the video gaming systems, and discover how much fun life can be if you step out and try something new.  

Who knows?  Something as silly as Dry Land Kayaking might even make the front page of your local newspaper if you take a chance to have fun!

My encouragement to you today...

Think out of the box.
Don't let the run of the mill lifestyle rule your own.
Let's be a people known for exploring this abundant life Jesus came to give.   

Parents Fighting Through Culture

As a parent, I'm intrigued how culture shapes the thinking of our teenagers so fast.  Back in the good old days, pastors and youth leaders warned kids of the dangers of listening to certain music and watching certain films.  I was a young student when I first heard these warning shots, and I laughed them off.  "PLEASE...it's just a movie," I would declare.  Everyone knows the difference between what is real and what's not real.  

But it isn't that easy, is it?

When the Hunger Games took center stage a few months ago, I went to see the film with my son.  I hadn't read the book or known anything about the story line, but I was intrigued because of the movie FRENZY!

I wrote an article on the hunger games, and found out pretty quickly I wasn't alone wondering why a book about teenage violence was so popular.  A KIVU parent wrote me,

"Thanks Andy for the analysis of THE HUNGER GAMES.  I did not read the book, but found it confusing as to both the student and adult interest in it after seeing the movie--not something that grabs me.  My family, including my husband, read the book except me.  I heard the stories they elaborated on in discussing the book.  It did not draw me to read it through their discussions.  I have girls....thought the "violence" stuff was more afar since we had no video games of such nature.  I do believe our world has begun to accept violence against other humans as intriguing.  I find it sad that publicists, writers, game makers, movie makers are capitalizing on this BRAIN  FIGHT OR FLIGHT complexity.  I am glad to see your information pointing to the development and function of the brain as a reason and comparison to drawing interest in the movie.  It makes more sense to me now!  I wish we could place more POSITIVE strengths on these complex brain systems training along a deeper, positive sense.  When I say we - I mean us wonderful beings, humans."

I'm not one to hide under the rock of culture and act as a visa vi protectionist.  There's much we can learn about the state of our current union by understanding what makes waves in our cultural thinking.  But there comes a time when we need a place to process the ideas we're reading and watching to make sense of moral compass choices we'll make in the future.  

There's a lot of good in the Hunger Games.  Character qualities like honor, trust, loyalty, and in the end the fight for life is an important cultural issue going on in every corner of the world.  But we've got to continue pushing to challenge the way we think rather than just letting a good story begin to shape our moral direction. 

The Bible states it like this, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)

If we're going to be a people who follow Jesus, we need to learn how to think like Jesus.  We need to understand the place of violence in our lives.  We need to learn how to care like Jesus cared, live like Jesus lived, and not merely follow every wind blowing through cultural popularity.  

AGAIN..I'm not saying we don't watch movies, but like this parent acknowledged, we need to be suspect and give students the ability to process ideas in relation to the real world.  

Often I find students actually don't know the different between reality and movie.  If you want to give them a place where they can learn to reason, come join us at KIVU this summer, and I'll be sure to help give them the tools they need to process these ideas against their faith.  

Transparency Brings Freedom

Before the holiday weekend, I was writing about sin and the issues we deal with when we don't understand the impact sin has on our lives and the lives of those around us.  

Well, our summer experiment has begun again.  Here at Camp KIVU, we have 100 staff members training to be the best mentors for High School students coming out for a two week Colorado Experience.  They're learning how to Raft, Climb, Bike, and handle issues High School students will be dealing with as they become the backbone to our program.  

I decided to set up times during the day where they could come and meet with me privately, and we could talk about the pressures of college life, anything going on with family back home, or general things they are working through on their own Spiritual Journey.  WOW!  The response has been amazing.  

I've started to see the inner workings of what University Students are dealing with, and I'm more convinced than ever, when we try and hide the sin in our hearts, the darkness of guilt and shame overwhelm our ability to go forward and see reality for what it is.  

Some of these students are literally paralyzed in their daily pursuit of God because they have dark spots shadowing over their own potential.  They feel useless.  They feel inadequate.  They feel like they've been put on the earth to endure, rather than to experience a life more abundantly as Jesus talks about in the Gospel.  

And believe me, I can bear witness to this darkness.  

I've been reading quite a bit on the justification process the Apostle Paul talks about in Romans 3, and I'm moved by the importance of sin and righteous living.  I think many Evangelical Christians tend to look at the Old Testament as "those laws" people had to follow before Jesus, and they don't understand the depth at which sin can invade and keep us from understanding God in a more intimate way.  

The faith exhibited through the adherence of God's law is not something to simply turn a blind eye toward as we cling to the idea of justification through faith.  Rather; as we walk through life on this spiritual journey we have to recognize the seriousness of living under God's umbrella or venturing out on our own to face the consequences of living in darkness.

I'm astounded at the therapy going on when University Students are willing to talk openly and honestly about the issues they deal with in their own lives.  It not only frees them up to focus on God's abundant love toward them, it gives our community ways to connect and pray for one another as we build a place where good work can thrive.  

It's another season beginning, and I'm optimistic about the beauty that is emerging already.  

Memorial Day Tribute

In my early counseling classes, we had a chance to work with injured soldiers.  It was an interesting look at what goes on in a war behind the eyes of what you see on television.  Most of us think about war and military as big bombs, airplanes, submarines, and ships sailing all over the world; but the real battle is happening once all that stuff is over.  

On this Memorial Day, I just wanted to take a second and remember those who are dealing with issues that are silent.  They are working through the tragic horrors of war, whether they be hurting another human, living in the stress of defending, or even working through the death of a friend.  There are many who come back from war who need special attention we can't necessarily see on the outside.  

After all, what kind of soldier wants to admit to not being able to sleep well at night? Or, who wants to be THAT guy who can endure traveling the world to protect the country, but suffers from a silent nightmare called PTSD?   Or what about the soldiers who come back to re-integrate into our social/economic structure with high level skills, but are unable to find meaningful employment?  

Depression.
Post Traumatic Stress.
Injuries both physical and mental.

War isn't something we can mess with, and think everything will be o.k.  There are thousands of Men and Women who put their lives on hold to make sure the freedom of America could continue, and we have a moral obligation to help.  

The Bible says it like this, 

 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope,patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another.

Romans 12:9-16

May we love those who commit so much. 
May we see others like God sees them.
May we reach out and notice people who are struggling, so we can help be solutions, rather than casual bystanders.  
May we make this Memorial Day Count!