Back by popular demand: the training document for the Big Story has been updated and re-released on this website. And a fuller explanation of the Big Story can be found in the book, True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In, or the booklet, Based on a True Story. Blessings!
Memory is short. It definitely needs to get a little longer.
In a time of economic recession, it’s easy to get a little scared, a little angry. It’s human. We don’t know what’s coming around the corner, and we feel unsafe. And when we feel unsafe, we often lash out.
In the 1930s, Germany was in deep economic recession. After World War I, the terms of the Treaty of Versailles ground the German economy to a halt, and the cost of food and basic goods skyrocketed. It was in a time like this that Hitler could rise to power. And he found an easy scapegoat for all their problems: the Jews. The Third Reich made them wear yellow stars of David. If they forgot to wear them, they were often beaten and killed. If they wore them, then they were tormented and scorned. They could be punished if it was a couple centimeters to the left, or if it was safety-pinned instead of being sewed on. It was humiliating. When those yellow stars came on, it was a world separated by the Jewish and the non-Jewish. And they didn’t quench the anger: six million were decimated by the time the war was over. Read the rest of this entry »
This is cross-posted at the Institute for the Study of Asian American Christianity’s blog.
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Reflection on John 20.19-23
And the end of a weekend conference, a student came up to me and declared, “I must not be very Asian.”
The first words that came to my mind was: Is she crazy? She was clearly Korean-American, not only in looks but also in custom and culture. But the words that came out of my mouth were more pastoral: I asked her why.
She said, “Well, I don’t suffer from a lack of self-esteem and I don’t have issues with my parents. So I must not be very Asian.” Read the rest of this entry »
ST. LOUIS, MO — The snow has spiced the ground like salt, and the temp is nine degrees below freezing. I’m cold. But God isn’t.
And He is gathering 16,000+ here for the Urbana 09 Student Missions Conference to hear from leading practitioners and theologians about what He is doing throughout the world.
If you’re Asian American or Asian Canadian and here at Urbana, there are some gatherings I want to make you aware of: Read the rest of this entry »
TO LOS ANGELES, CA — The day really couldn’t be more glorious, though it didn’t start that way.
Instead of packing last night, I stuffed my bags this morning. It made me 15 minutes late. No problem. I still had time to catch the train, but there’s no margin. We raced up the 5 to get to the Solana Beach station. I jumped out of the car, and bolted to the ticket window. The teller waved her hand to dismiss the ID check, and told me that the train was already at the station. I’ve got literally one minute. Read the rest of this entry »
A year after the release of True Story, InterVarsity Press has released a study guide for personal reflection or group discussion. It’s a free download from the InterVarsity Press website, so enjoy! When used along with True Story, it’s ideal for study in smaller groups.
On the front cover, it says that you have to get permission from me to make copies, so here it is: you now have permission. Go, therefore, and make copies! Read the rest of this entry »
I’m going through major transitions.
First, we’re having another boy, and he’s due in September. Second, we’re moving to Los Angeles. We don’t know the exact timing, but we’re heading up there sometime in the next seven months or so. Third, I’ll be out of a job in six weeks as a director for San Diego InterVarsity.
Conception, location, and vocation. What else could possibly change? Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve been invited to lead a workshop at the National Outreach Convention 2009 on The Big Story. And Tell It Slant is the first stop on the NOC’s blog tour. They’ll post some questions, and I’ll reply to their questions and any that you might have throughout the day. So ask away!
Christianity Today just published a Bible study based on the Big Story, the diagram featured in True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In. It’s a follow-up to the article they published last July. It’s not free, but for a small fee, you can download it and make up to 1,000 copies for your church or organization.
Rating: 10
This is the first book I’ve finished in 2009, and if the rest of the books I read this year are in this caliber, this is going to be a very good year.
Postman deftly shows how the shift from the Age of Print to the Age of Television is having a disastrous effect on the tenor of our public discourse. He argues that the very nature of television makes it impossible to have deeper, thoughtful conversations about the burning issues of the day. And, he convincingly argues, TV affects everything else in culture. Read the rest of this entry »
As many of you know, True Story has a companion booklet called Based on a True Story that’s intended for giveaway use.
What’s news, however, is that InterVarsity Press has given me permission to post the first twelve pages of the booklet, so you can get a sense of what it’s like. If you like how it captures the central thrust of the Christian message, please feel free to get some copies for your friends.
It’s Christmas Eve, and we’re in the middle of a recession. And if the pundits are right, it’s the worst economic slide since the Great Depression. In it, we’re spending less: Christmas sales are down, even online. For many, that merely reinforces the fact that our economy is hitting the brakes, which leads to despair. But what if this could be a season of hope and opportunity?
Giving is also down. And something seems wrong about that. In a time of fiscal crisis, I know we all have less. But since there’s a greater need, shouldn’t giving actually increase?
@jameschoung Mt. Rainier at sunset is stunning, and Ice made his first snowball. 3 hrs ago
