"Changing Us"

Apr 27 Clovernook - May 4 Westside

Reflecting on the sermon, Brian and I realized that we have been on the receiving end of amazing generosity recently. Our friends and family have selflessly rescued us from a flooding basement, car trouble and a computer crash... all within the past few weeks. We are honored and humbled to have friends that generously give their time and support.

Have you been the recipient of generosity recently? Has God been teaching you things about giving and receiving lately?

Does More Money mean More Happy???

The folks of Freakonomics, in their pursuit of explaining today's world through economic analysis, have recently done a 5-part series on the link between happiness and income on their blog. The 5 parts can be found here, here, here, here and here (another part is due to be posted on their website tomorrow)

The consumed guide book that accompanies our series cites a Newsweek article that claims increased income does not increase happiness. The Freakonomics studies attempt to prove exactly the opposite. They claim that as income increases happiness/life satisfaction increases as well (Though tucked at the end of part 5 is an interesting section on how the US doesn't necessarily fit the model as neatly as other countries). Admittedly, the discrepancy between these two articles (which seem to show trends in research) is more an issue of how researchers design their studies and interpret the resulting data than it is of who's right and who's wrong.

But I think it brings up interesting issues, especially since we are a culture that prizes science and scientific findings. What are the effects of a study such as that done by the Freakonomics economists? Does their study contribute to a sense that Americans are justified in pursuing wealth because it will make them happy? What if you don't believe that money doesn't make people happy? How do you argue with conclusions that come in scientific packaging?

"Mark the Moment"

Apr 20 Clovernook - Apr 27 Westside

Sermon thoughts/reflections?

Non-consumed Gift Giving

This question comes from a great bible study group convo last night based on how we express love to people within the strictures of being non-consumed by material things. The Five Love Languages as identified by Gary Chapman are Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. Some of the girls in my bible study are hands down gift givers and receivers... they express and receive love through gifts, meaning that the perfect gift shows them (or is their expression of) that someone cares enough and knows them well enough to know exactly what would be meaningful to them. In this case, for example, quality time cannot replace the perfect gift, nor can an act of service. This is not a consumer choice, it's how God made them.

So, necessarily, discussions of how to most wisely use our monetary resources can be particularly difficult for gift-givers or receivers if the attitude of those around them is that their God-given makeup does not fit into the model of being not consumed by material things.

How do people who are gift-givers deal with this issue? AND, how can non-gift-givers be more sensitive to the needs of our gift-giving brothers/sisters?

National Geographic Series: Human Footprint

Maybe some of you caught the National Geographic show that premiered tonight? If not, they have a great companion web site that's full of interesting info.

Earth Day 2008

I grew up celebrating Earth Day. This may be a function of growing up in Washington state, which is full of granola tree-huggers. But I haven't always connected conservation and ecology with spirituality. Unfortunately, it seems that environmentalism as a movement is dominated by non-Christians and is therefore de-spiritualized and (maybe) over-politicized (that may be debatable). In this context environmentalism can end up worshiping the earth itself rather than the God that created it. This is tragic, to me. God gave us such a beautiful earth to enjoy and we should feel very personally responsible for taking care of it as best as we can, just as we take care of our money, our bodies, our time, and our characters. All to the glory of God and furthering His kingdom.

That said, there are some cool events going on around town to celebrate Earth Day. On is the yearly Earthday Festival at Sawyer Point on April 19, which has lots of fun family-oriented activities and cool music. Another event is at Marvin's Organic Garden in Lebanon on April 26. Events like these certainly fit with LifeSpring's core value of community and key strategy of engaging the culture. They're also opportunities to get out and enjoy the spring weather in God's creation and spend some time with the ones you love (for free!).

"Breaking Free"

Apr 13 Clovernook - Apr 20 Westside

God wants us to be free from debt! He's concerned about the things we are dealing in life and desires for us to live in freedom.

Here are some stats that Andy shared in his sermon:

• Americans carry, on average, a balance of $5,800 worth of credit card debt from month to month.
• If you were to make the minimum payment on that debt every month, it would take 30 years to pay off and include an additional $15,000 in interest charges.
• Revolving debt, mostly comprised of credit card debt, has more than doubled from $313 billion in January 1994 to $753 billion in January 2004.
• The average household with debt carries approximately $10,000 to $12,000 in total revolving debt
• Only 2% of homes in America are paid off
• According to the Federal Reserve, close to 50% of all families in the United States spend more than they earn. The ­result of that - debt is everywhere!

Thoughts/reflections?

Behind Simplicity

I can really jump on board with scaling back and trying to have a more simple life. For me this comes out of a place of always chasing down jobs that I enjoy that happen to not come with large paychecks, making frugality absolutely necessary. Moreover, I have pretty romantic feelings about asceticism. Traveling overseas has also helped me redefine my sense of need, which is slightly ironic in the sense that long travel in large vessels requiring lots of money and fuel resources is not exactly an ascetic endeavor. Nevertheless, seeing how people in less consumer-oriented cultures manage their money, garbage, time and resources has caused me to alter how I think about "need" vs. "want".

But still I wonder if I love simplicity for the right reasons. Do I approach it out of true faith that God will provide the things that I need? Or do I love simplicity too much for its own sake? Recently I've realized that saving money is not always living simply or reducing my consumer appetite. This came as a huge shock to me, and has caused me to rethink and retrain. But have I approached this new lesson as a life strategy or as a spiritual endeavor? What does it mean to approach money and consumer matters as a spiritual endeavor? We are all spiritual beings, and our relationship with God permeates through all parts of our lives. This is a given. But how can I take the opportunities in my life circumstantially to really dig deeper in a truly spiritual way? Is it a matter of praying through my consumer decisions? Is it a matter of weighing my decisions and attitudes against scripture? Or is it something more?

Food for thought (literally)

This post is in response to Jess's question/comment about eating local food.

There are many arguments out there for why eating local food is a good idea. Some ideas are more political, some are more ecological, some are health-oriented. Here are a few links to read so you can start thinking about which reasons are most compelling for you and whether/how eating local is something that fits into your values of Christ-centered living. (foodroutes.org, slowfoodusa.org)

Cincinnati is a pretty good place to live for local produce. There are a number of farmer's markets (and its almost market season!), several farms that will let you buy a share of their produce each year (called CSAs, or Community Sustained Agriculture), and other farms that sell their products on-site. Additionally, most grocery stores, aware of the many local food campaigns, are happy to post which foods are local (or you can always ask). There are different definitions as to what constitutes "local", of course, but it is logical that an apple from Michigan will be fresher and take fewer resources to transport to you than a banana from Ecuador.

Just to put it in context, because it is unlikely that any of us will eat all-local-all-the-time, here's a quote from an interesting book on the topic, "If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week. That’s not gallons, but barrels."

Just a note

To the right you will find books that may be useful references for further research. If you have a suggestion, please ring in and I will post it. If you have read a book that you'd like me to add and are willing to write a short review/reflection, that would be great!

I just want to recognize that it is highly ironic that the links point you to amazon.com, given the challenge not to buy things from amazon.com (at least for a short period). Please note that all these books are available at the library (!), but the library catalog doesn't work for permanent links.

I also recognize that reading is time consumptive, and must be weighed alongside all of our other consumer decisions. So, no pressure to consume any of the books, but if you're looking for resources, these might be helpful.

Speeding up to slow down

Connectivity is a big buzz word these days. But do we really mean it? Do we use technology to truly connect with people? Thanks to Chris Smyth, I just listened to an interesting sermon about how technology has, in many cases, not led us to be more connected with each other. This gives me pause. Because in some ways technology, in fact, brings us "together". Right? Well. Maybe. Um. I don't know. Perhaps technology also allows us to keep each other at arm's-length. This is most definitely an area that I will have to keep thinking about.

Similarly, as the world is increasingly fast-paced and increasingly "advanced", we often find ourselves "paying for convenience" because "time is money". The underlying assumption in this is that we have more money than time. But if we think about our spending in terms of helping us to identify what we value (i.e. where your treasure is...), are we saying that we value time? Or are we really saying that we value productivity and time-saving? Are we really using the time that we've freed up to spend with people. Or are we allowing time-savers to propel us ever-forward into some vast abyss of productivity until we crash and burn (either in a total depression, or just in front of the TV to unwind). I certainly recognize this pattern in my life. Anyone else? Any thoughts?

The Public Library Challenge

Did you know that the Cincinnati Library is in the top 10 of all libraries nationwide?! In addition to every imaginable book and magazine, the library has tons of movies, books on tape/CD, music CDs and music scores. They'll even deliver most items to the branch that's closest to you.

So here's a challenge to all of you who are willing to try a little project. For the rest of the consumed series, don't buy or rent anything that's available at the library. No Netflix, no amazon.com, no Barnes and Noble. Nada. Zilch.

The goal of this sort of a project is two-fold:

First, it will help you to exercise a little bit of delayed gratification, because it might take a few days to get the item you want. Or you might not get to watch the latest blockbuster. And that's okay. My husband Brian was telling me yesterday how he's excited for a few movies that are coming out soon. We laughed that it will be nice to see them next February when they finally make it to our library branch. (No, it doesn't really take that long. At least not always.)

Second, if you are the type that likes to buy the things that you can get at the library, this can act as a spending hiatus. Test yourself to see if you really want to buy the item after you've read/watched it. My general rule is that only if I've read a book and absolutely loved it to the point that I will read it over and over again... only then will I allow myself to buy it (at least at full price).

So onward and upward! Leave a comment if you're willing to take on the challenge, and then keep us posted on your progress (i.e. great discoveries, frustrations, new resolutions, etc.).

"Wired for Something Greater"

Apr 6 Clovernook - Apr 13 Westside/Harrison

We are sick with the desire for more. No matter how much we have, we always want more. The cure for our illness? GRATITUDE! Enjoy the simple pleasures of living simply this week.

The sermon sparked a cool thought for me. I often look at how outside circumstances (that range from everyday obstacles all the way up and through outright injustices) limit my ability to do whatever I think is necessary to fulfill God's purposes. How often do I look at my circumstances the same way Chris talked about possessions (i.e. if only I have more money or if only a certain set of circumstances were different, then I will be able to be happy, fulfill God's calling, etc.)? But look at Jesus. He had to deal with the most unjust circumstances and He STILL flourished. In fact, it was on the basis of injustice that He was able to complete His true calling. That is so humbling. Perhaps I need to stop looking at what I think isn't fair about life, or how I want things to be different, and trust that God is using the things in my life right now to fulfill His purposes.

Welcome!

Welcome to this new forum!

This is a place for those participating in the Consumed series at LifeSpring and all who are interested in living simply, reducing consumption and lessening our impact on the earth as part of our worship to God. This is a place to continue the discussion that is initiated in sermons and small groups and to share ideas about how we can be more consumed by God and less consumed by the things of the world.

Above all, this is a place of grace. Certainly issues that touch our pocket books, our personal choices and our politics can be touchy. So this is not a place to get on our soap boxes. Rather it’s a place to share our ideas, encourage one another and create some momentum for Christians to really take charge of being good stewards in environmental and consumer areas. So please be constructive, not critical or negative, and gracious, not argumentative.

This is a place to generate ideas. It is not a place to make people feel guilty about their choices. Each of us likely have a long list of things that we would like to do in order to live more consistently within our Christian worldview. But often times its more about making sure we’re going in the right direction than being able to mark off a sufficient number of goals from our lists. And let’s keep in mind that many of us will prioritize our lists differently. If you’re at the information gathering stage, great. If you’re ready to make some small changes, great. If you’re ready to make some huge changes, great. All are welcome!

Some people will respond to the need to consume less by trying to save money. Some people will respond by recycling more. Some people will change their buying habits. Some people will change what they throw away. The underlying theme in all of these choices is that we are concerned with the inputs we’re allowing that could potentially be wasting the resources God has entrusted us with or distracting us from time with God, family and community. The goal is always about the gospel: more people coming to know Jesus. This forum is merely helping us to think about our journey along the way. Simple living, environmentalism and reducing consumption are not our god or our focus of worship. If they become too central, we have missed the point. Still, they are worthy of our attention and worthy of our investment.

If you have questions or comments, or would like to contribute discussion topics, research skills, thoughts, and/or tips of your own, please email caressschenk@hotmail.com.

"Believing the Lie"

Mar 30 Clovernook - Apr 6 Westside/Harrison

What thoughts did this first sermon provoke? What are your concerns? Do you have any action steps?

Simple ideas for reducing waste in our lives

(Links are provided for further research. We are not responsible for the overall tone or content of those sites.)

We’ve all heard the saying garbage in, garbage out. Often, in the Christian community, the phrase is used to encourage us to monitor the inputs we allow into our minds (i.e. movies, music, books, etc.). But perhaps the issue of what we throw away is a spiritual one as well. It may be unrealistic to believe that humans can reduce waste to zero. But we have choices. Here are a whole slew of ideas, some are easy, some are *radical*. Choose one or two that might work for you in whatever way works for you. When you’ve integrated those into your routine, try another.

Make a list. Record EVERTHING you buy and EVERYTHING you throw away for one day, three days or one week (choose an attainable time frame, not something so idealistic that it will become a huge burden). Ask yourself if there are any changes you can make.
Take your own grocery bags to the store. Many stores (i.e. Kroger and Wild Oats) will give you a discount on your groceries or contribute to a non-profit for using your own bags. Other stores (i.e. Aldi) make you pay for bags anyways, so you can save yourself a few pennies. You don’t have to buy a fancy canvas grocery bag. Just take the plastic bags you brought home from your last shopping trip. Keep a stash in your car trunk for those last-minute trips to the store. You can also make your own cloth bags for produce or bulk foods (or use the plastic ones you’ve been storing under your sink for the past year).
Bring your own mug. Most coffee places will be happy to fill up your travel mug. If you don’t have a travel mug, use a regular mug (for more stationary experiences) or a glass jar with a lid. Bring your mug to church. Bring your mug to work.
Turn on the tap. Skip the bottled water or reuse the bottles. Cincinnati has great quality water. If you don’t have a water bottle, that’s okay, just grab a glass (recent studies argue it’s healthier to drink out of glass containers anyway.
Buy fresh. Choose fresh produce instead of canned or frozen. And skip the extra step of putting it in an extra plastic bag. If possible, choose the produce with no extra wrapping.
Buy local. The further your food travels, the more resources are used to get it to you.
Buy bulk. If you can get large packages of the things you use most, that helps reduce the packaging waste that you throw away. Or go to a store that has bulk bins. You can even bring your own bags to put the bulk items in.
Use cloth. Substitute paper products (i.e. napkins, paper towels, diapers, etc.) with a cloth alternative. Keep in mind that there is a cost-benefit analysis to be considered here: cloth items need to be washed, which take a few minutes of extra time and a bit more water/detergent. For some families this will be a no-brainer. For others, it just isn’t realistic.
Don’t print it. Read that newspaper article or email online. Copy and paste online purchase confirmations to a word document and save it in a folder. If you need to print something, try and use both sides of the page or print on the back of letters that come in the mail or other scratch paper (that’s a 50% waste reduction right there!).
Buy used. Check out the thrift store, freecycle or craigslist before buying something new. When you’re done with things, donate them. Or, get your friends together and have a SWAP, where everyone brings the things they don’t want/need anymore, throws them in a pile and let’s everyone else “shop.”
Give your a/c or heater a break. Turn your thermostat a degree or two toward the outside temperature. Close off rooms you don’t use regularly. Make sure your house is properly insulated. You’ll be saving energy and money.
Leave the car keys at home. Walk to the grocery store (added benefit: you’ll end up buying only what you really need), the library, friends’ houses, etc. Or ride your bike, carpool, or take public transportation.
Let the sun shine in. Turn of the lights and use God’s abundant solar energy. Turn off lights when you leave the room, and especially when you leave the house.
Drive like a grandma. Drive smoothly and conservatively, not racing around or hitting the brakes. You might just help your blood pressure as well as your gas mileage.
Turn it off. Turning off and/or unplugging electronics and appliances while not in use saves energy! (Some sources advocate buying a certain type of power strip that will help you to conserve energy. This may be a fine solution for your family. But keep in mind that “green consumerism” is still consumerism, and you have to count the costs.
Pack a lunch. First of all this is great for your pocketbook. But it can also save packaging: pack leftovers into reusable microwave-safe containers, store in the freezer and viola, super easy lunch prep.

These ideas merely scratch the surface. What are your energy and resource-saving ideas?