The Portland Chronicles!: Hipster Hunting and More Books than God Intended there to Be

Powell's City of Books in the Pearl District is the largest bookstore on Earth. Mere words cannot describe to you the monolithic literature housing facility that is Powell's. Imagine, if you will (which you won't), a brick building that eats up an ENTIRE block. Now imagine its reach towering five stories into the sky. From travel topics (detailed info on every state, country, and many cities... because they can), to an entire aisle devoted to atheist philosophy, to every Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings/Star Wars/any book of cultural significance in dozens of different languages, Powell's covers every single vast expanse of topics that exists in human thought. I myself spent long hours in the mountaineering, Christianity, Judaism, travel, botany, and sociology departments. Each department was made of multiple aisles, and nearly any author I was searching for could be found in some capacity in Powell's.

Nob Hill is a residential district that houses many small curiosity shops and restaurants. When I say houses, I am being more literal than usual. Most of these businesses exist in actual houses! It feels like a small town, and yet the cultural scene explodes to life in the Nob Hill and Alphabet districts. Everybody, from stereotypical hipsters (hate mail, bring it), to elderly fitness gurus, to an abundance of talented entrepreneurs, coexist in this small community. I found myself most enjoying Tea Chai Te and their lovely collection of teas (kiwi milk teas are delicious!).

I'll try to keep them rolling. Tonight, the Storyline Conference starts!

Stoked!
Troy

The Portland Chronicles!: Or, just how lame of a name can I come up with?

I'm currently in Portland for the next several days to attend Donald Miller's Storyline conference. And because I can somehow improbably find more time to type on vacation than my full days in Wyoming, I decided to attempt to... dare I say... chronicle it? So over the next several days I'll be releasing some hopefully quirky snippets about my time in the Northwest to, in the end, remind you all that I am an annoyingly eclectic writer.

The Willamette river is perhaps the most striking feature of Portland. Its waters are serene, and the many riverwalks alongside are well cared for and are in constant use. My travel-companion and I enjoyed some pasta at a restaurant near the Willamette last night to celebrate our first day in Portland, spending our hours viewing the boating community. The boats would slowly glide down the unperturbed watercourse, and the smiles on the skippers' faces told the entire story of the Willamette, one of peace and delighted respect for nature's gifts. Nature and city were woven together in their finest when Portland founded itself alongside its banks those many years ago, and the citizens of Portland are quite fortunate to call the Willamette their own!

We happened to (coincidentally) be in Portland whilst the downtown area celebrated the annual Rose Festival. Founded in 1907, the Rose Festival brings distinction to Portland through the celebration of the seasons and of life. Thousands of denizens swell up the downtown metro for several weeks of jubilation in celebration of Portland, ranging from the local independent brewery scene, to the cultural liberalism that so separates Portland from the culture of the rest of the nation. We might just be attending today (only to represent Wyoming of course... *wink, wink*).

So there's a small highlight of the events of our first day here. More posts are to follow, so Heath (said traveling-companion) and I will be more than happy to give you a more in depth rundown via email.

Enjoy summer!
Troy

Music Discovery Days: SONSOFDAY

Growing up in a small town in central Wyoming didn't often allow me to be deeply imbedded in the "music scene." My home congregation, however, believed that music and activity for the youth was of utmost importance. To act out on that belief, the Church (even with a VERY modest budget) decided to bring in all of the music acts that it could. Awesomely enough (go figure), it met with great success!

Today's MDD post highlights one of the bands that was gracious enough to come play for us. They are making quite a name for themselves on both the Christian rock circuit and the Portland-Seattle-Vancouver circuit as well. They have played the main stages at both Creationfests, Hills Alive, and other major Christian music events.

Originally started by four brothers of recent Ukrainian descent, SONSOFDAY now consists of three of the Belonozhko brothers (Roman, Vlad, and Scotty). Their first album, "Fragile People" consists of both very original works and professional sound quality that is rare on most debut albums. (I myself have played some of the tunes off of this album for both pleasure and worship.) Their second album, "Autumn Heart" is reflective and powerful, from the masterful cover of The Impressions' "People Get Ready," to the heavily rocking "Revolution," and the tasteful tribute to the work and love of their own father in "King of the Parking Lot." I leave you all with the one of the many deeply moving tunes by three musicians that I greatly admire and am glad to know personally, SONSOFDAY.

(For more on SONSOFDAY, concert dates, merch, and general goings-on, click Here)

The Kingdom of God: Are We Following Christ? Or Christianity?

... Can we hear it?

Martin Bashir, in a recent interview with Mars Hill Church's "superpastor," Rob Bell, helped to ignite a seemingly literal firestorm within the Christian community. In his new book, Love Wins, Bell attempts to shed some light on the concepts of Heaven and Hell. Naturally, this is a very sensitive topic, and one that, even though most Christians will call me a heretic for saying it, is rather unknowable by us who still reside among the living. What of those who never hear the Gospel? Or those who are abused by the Church? Who are we to claim we know their fates?

It's sad, is it not? Christ's followers now seem to believe theology is of utmost importance. For many adherents, doctrinal creeds are never to be erred from. The words of pastors become the very words of God for many, and the Bible is largely underrepresented by the contextualizations presented by these pastors.

I see no place in the Bible where we Christians are called to have correct theology. I see no command from God to develop a 100% correct doctrine. What I do see, however, are directives on how to be God's hands and feet to the masses. We are called to love God, and we are called to love other people. We are called to trust in Christ's sacrifice as the end-all to our sinful nature. By embracing the forgiveness of Christ, we are given new hearts where the Spirit dwells. These new hearts, new selves, even, allow for the love of Christ to be manifest in our daily walk. To show the love of Christ, the ultimate letting-go of the selfish habits that so taint our relationships and our thought processes, is what Jesus begs from His people in the Gospels. Jesus tells of a new kingdom, one that contradicts the popular concept of "Empire"," a "Kingdom of God," that has come upon this planet. And we, His self-proclaimed people, have become as the Pharisees, safe and comfortable within our own theologies.

After His "Parable of the Father with Two Sons," Jesus rebukes the chief priests and the "holy elite," saying to them "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. (Matt. 21:31b)" He says the "sinners" are getting it. They are doing as God told them to, just as the first son did as his father asked of him. The second son is, as ashamed as I am to admit it, me. It is me, many of my friends, most of my acquaintances, and an astounding representation of the Church. The second son says he will go, but does not... Just as we claim to "believe the right beliefs" but we never practice what Jesus actually said to do!


I have to ask the question of all of you today: If there were no Heaven or Hell (there are, hypothetical question), would you still choose to follow Christ? Is the life that He calls us to worth it? Or has "Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven" become a stale repetition that we "believe" yet do nothing about?


Jesus once said that He had "Not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. (Matt. 5:17)" In Galatians, Paul claims "the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself. (Galatians 5:14)” Why don't we do our best to, instead of unabashedly decrying others as heretics, instead enter in to thoughtful debate? Instead of killing, ridiculing, and ostracizing others in the name of "Correct Doctrine," why don't we instead love others COMPLETELY and UNCONDITIONALLY, just as Christ did for us... Folks... Bring the Kingdom... If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ... "Do not judge, that ye be not judged. (Matt. 5:1 KJV)"


Desperate,
Troy

Saying, Doing, Caring (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Everyone)

"Women!?! In the clergy!?! HA!!"
Shock and awe in rural Wyoming

Many social justice topics are taboo in rural Wyoming. Nearly every person is conservative to the point of hilarious stereotype. This seems to create an atmosphere of purely political rhetoric, and most areas of social justice don't happen to fit into these favored political institutions. If one happens to reside in Wyoming, one might hear these three talking points quite regularly...

1. Kill the wolves.

2. The "Obama-care" bill does nothing but pillage our women and rape our churches.

3. Kill the Democrats (Notice the similarities between items #1 and #3).

I am a Christ-follower (if the reader does not know this, please consider actually READING my posts and putting less concentration into viewing the pictures of rainbow unicorns, anthropomorphic organs, and hellish canines). Not only that, but I am a Christ-follower in a heavily Protestant ranching community. And after 18 years of that, voila! I'm a... radical, socially liberal, antiracist, Christ-loving, LGBTQ supportive neo-hippie (Yeah, I know what you're thinking. "Huh?"). Somehow, when one leaves the oppressive conservatism of rural Wyoming, one actually learns about the world he/she is a part of.

Sadly, it is easier to speak than to do. Look back up to the aforementioned list of beliefs in the prior paragraph... How many of those do you think I actually act on nearly as often as I should? My own courage fails me quite often because my sense of being "aware" of an issue often satisfies my ego, and therefore I think I am doing my part to better humankind.

It is one thing to complain and be aware of these issues. But I envy those who possess the courage to act according to their beliefs. In the New Testament, the epistle of James tells us that "faith without action is dead. (James 2:26b)" If I claim to adhere to a standard such as that, consider me a lying deadbeat and a hypocrite of the highest caliber.

Those who act, however, should not be considered influential just because they act. It is those that have been endowed with humble and beautiful souls that move via genuine care and empathy that we should venture to echo. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us that "If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Cor. 13:3)" Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did more than act. He acted on behalf of others beyond himself, even to the very point of death. Mohandas Gandhi gave his life so that others could be free from oppression and Empire. And, most importantly, Jesus Christ suffered the most intense torture ever known to show all of humanity how to live a most fulfilling life by loving God and in caring for others above one's self.

One's possession of insight or wit are not the qualifiers as to what we should strive to emulate. It is their actions, their love, their willingness to serve that speaks of a higher character. Live beyond the example that I set, and do everything for others. Follow Christ's example, and, as Paul says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but, in humility, consider others better than yourselves. (Phil. 2:3)"

You don't have to be conservative, and you don't have to be liberal. You don't have to "have it all figured out" and you don't have to live in an impoverished nation. You don't have to be Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness, a Latter-Day Saint, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, or of any other faith. I urge each of you to stop talking and start doing. And don't just do for the sake of doing, but develop a heart for others. It is when we lose this sense of selfish importance that we truly live lives of meaning.

Still saying... Otherwise you wouldn't be reading,

Troy

Euclid's on the block

New Olympic Sport:
Synchronized Running

(This post has nothing to do with Euclid (YU-KLID), minus the fact that he is Greek. I just miss good 80s music.)

I had an exam today in one of my Greek philosophy courses. All procrastination and laughably small amounts of sleep aside, I felt pretty good about it. After being reacquainted to how a pencil actually functions, I wrote my thoughts on the old Thucydical ideal of eikos.

Eikos, loosely translated from Greek, is basically how many of the antiquity-era Greeks wrote. To use eikos was to write as it probably happened. The "probably" serves as more of a noun than anything else. It is how people function according to the "human condition."

I think the Greek philosophers were very familiar with the... well, the familiar. If one can predict how a human might react in any given situation, then it can be assumed that that person understands the human condition very well. You understand selfish tendencies. You understand the "dog-eat-dog" mentality of civilization.

I hate eikos. Some people can thrive in an atmosphere of sameness. But not me. I don't want to be definable by an eikos. Oh sure, there are some norms that must be fulfilled throughout life in order to be able to belong to a society. But I think the human condition sucks. It is broken, and there seems like no easy fix in sight. Why should we live in the predictable?

Surprise people! Don't let what others think of you define you. You define you. When you are Christ-like, you break the mold. By being a good listener, taking friends out, loving others, refusing to pass judgment on others, or even read a Bible in public, you shed the eikos that controls the lives of so many others. Do not be afraid of what others think of you. Know that you are unique. Know that you are loved. And finally, be mindful that so many others are living in this state of eikos. Show them that it is who they are, and not the labels that society heaps on them, that really matters.

It's all Greek to me... Well, it was Greek to the translator at least.
Troy

Finding God everywhere: "Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi" by David Crowder

Nothing screams "Praise
God!" like raw fish

God is everywhere. He is in the mountains. He is in the trees. He is in your most trusted friends and most venomous of enemies. He is even in those little pre-wrapped sausages that you find at Wal-Mart. But how often do we actually see God in life?

Oh sure! He is apparent in the miracles. He is apparent in death. He is apparent in close calls. And sometimes even, He is apparent in church. Yeah, we like to find God in church. I liken it to charging your cell phone once a week... You can make it, but it's pretty dang difficult.

David Crowder is one of the foremost artists in the Christian music industry. His iconic hairstyle, reedy tenor, and melodically addicting tunes set him apart from most within any music industry, Christian or not. But what most people don't know is that he is also a writer. A really talented one, actually.

In his book Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi, Crowder attempts to teach even the most raw and unpracticed of Christian hearts how to find God in everything. According to Crowder, people have lost the inherent ability to praise. As children, praise comes naturally. From acquiring new toys to seeing their daddy throw the perfect spiral, children just know that they are witnesses to the greatest thing on Earth. And they're thankful for it!

As we age we seem to lose this ability. Our care shifts not towards how awesome other people can be, but instead upon our own self-images, comfortable lifestyles, and personal pleasures. We become "I." With this change comes an inability to see beyond one's self. And Crowder hates that! He instead encourages each of us to find things to be thankful for. Once we run out of ideas to be thankful for, we continue to praise God just for life! It is in this constant joy and searching for God that we rediscover our own inherent "praise habit."

I encourage each of you to take this message to heart. Find God in everything. Find him in snow, or tea, or books, or video games, or stilt-walking, or music, or the habitual kindness of others. Learn to praise, and learn to be thankful in all things. There is more to praise than the rockin' worship tunes you sing on any given Sunday. Praise so much that it becomes habit. And then you will recognize God's voice in your life as the ultimate source of joy. "Praise is something we are, not something we do."

Sharing the reason we were created,
Troy