Trying to FollowTrying to FollowI once read the words of a man who said, Follow me, and I've been on that journey ever since. Articles
The Trouble With Christianity (in the USA)
2010-04-27 13:07:00 “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” -Brennan Manning This quote has stuck with me since I first heard it on DC Talk’s Jesus Freak CD. Couple that with St. Francis of Assisi’s famous line, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words,” and I think you have a pretty good explanation as to why Christianity is ...
Thoughts on a Public Faith
2010-04-26 12:43:00 I’m a firm believer in faith and religious beliefs being an integrated part of ones daily life. And thus, I don’t believe ones religious opinions need to be regulated to private conversations amongst those you are sure you agree with, rather then openly discussing even with those with whom you do not agree. That being said, I have to attribute my lack of thoughtful blogging lately to my inability to be too open with my faith, both my beliefs, and my struggles and doubts. A while ago, I attached my blog ... More About: Faith , Public , Blog , Thoughts
Help my Neighborhood win $50,000
2010-03-29 14:26:00 Summary: If you like me and want to support the things that I do, sign-up at RefreshTheNorthside.com, to take less then a minute each day in April to vote for my community to win $50,000. A short video explanation: Longer Explanation: This is one of those internet voting contest, the kind I usually think are pretty annoying. However, in my research about it, I think we have a good chance of winning if we can get 500 committed people who will vote each day in April. I’m hoping not to spam facebook ... More About: Blog
YouTubesday: I?m sorry I?m a Christian
2010-03-23 11:30:00 Great spoken word piece. (click through to tryintofollow.com if you don’t see the video below) (ht. Jeremy) More About: Christian
YouTubesday: Youngest Headmaster in the World
2010-03-16 23:17:00 Fascinating story of a young boy in India who takes the initiative to “Be the Change you wish to see in the world.” At 16, he goes to school during the day, and teaches hundreds of children who can’t afford school fees in the afternoon. More About: World , The World
Uncluttering, Spring, and Life
2010-03-16 04:06:00 Okay, so a bit of a random check-in post since I couldn’t think of any pressing thing to write about. Mostly I tend to avoid personal update posts on this blog, but occasionally I like to check in, so here you go. And yes, I’m gonna bullet point it. Someone in the past year recommend this book, Unclutter Your Life in One Week. It was at the library the other day so I picked it up and I’m gonna give it a whirl. I’ve always tried to keep a minimal amount ... More About: Spring
Help Create a Collaborative Significant Events Calendar
2010-03-10 13:04:00 Spurred on by my failure to realize Monday was International Women’s Day, I’ve decided to start a small project to create a significant events calendar. Several years ago I had one of those pocket daily calendars with a random quote on each day, and those 365 calendars with a random fact or puzzle each day where quite popular. My idea back then was to create a similar calendar with historically significant events related to social justice (Juneteenth, end of S. Africa Apartheid, Assassination of Oscar Romero), and have that published ... More About: Events , Blog , Calendar
I never intended to quit (Don?t worry, I?m not)
2009-12-08 22:51:00 I never intended to completely stop blogging, though the sporadic posting and long absences the last few months might indicate such. I just planned on slowing down, and I have, but somewhere along the way I’ve lost my rhythm too. I used to, and I intend to continue, journal my thoughts on any subject that would pass through my mind. As blogging gained momentum, it became the primary avenue for that flow of thought, and when I cut back a little, I found my consistency in writing disappeared. I don’t ... More About: Blog , Worry
Keeping a Simple Bike Project Simple
2009-11-16 12:56:00 A couple months ago I shared this small vision of making sure every kid in my neighborhood that wanted a bike and a lock could have one. I really appreciated the overwhelming support and realized I hadn’t updated everyone on the progress. It’s been a fun ride. September At the beginning of September, Eli (my bike partner-in-crime) and I went to a small grassroots conference called Bike Bike. It’s a very cool eclectic bunch of folks from all over the country who come together to talk about running community bike shops. We had ... More About: Project , Simple
Update: Open Letter to Wheaton Selection Committee
2009-11-04 23:39:00 Last week I posted about an open letter we were gathering signatures for regarding Wheaton’s hiring of it’s next college president. This past Sunday, I delivered (via email) an open letter signed by 350 Wheaton alumni. So far I’ve received a brief email acknowledging they’ve received the letter: Mr. Fine — thank you for sending this official listing to the Presidential Selection Committee with the information on the “signers” of the open letter. The information has been forwarded to the Presidential Selection Committee for their review. We appreciate your interest and especially ... More About: Open , Letter , Update , Open Letter
Encouraging Diversity of Candidates for Wheaton Presidency
2009-10-26 14:42:00 The following open letter has been signed by 90+ Wheaton alum since Friday evening, and you can sign it as well here. Dear Wheaton Presidential Selection Committee,As an academic institution and as a Christian community, Wheaton recognizes the importance of diversity and has acted successfully on it. The selection committee, chosen to help select the next Wheaton president, also recognizes the importance of diversity and includes this as part of its “Commitment” section in the concise “qualifications desired”: To champion ethnic, economic, and gender diversityCompared to other academic institutions, the percentage of ... More About: Blog , Diversity , Candidates , Presidency , Headline
Order Slave-Free Chocolate for Halloween
2009-10-20 03:39:00 I’m not usually one to play the salesman role, nor am I one to plan much in advance. However, this year we managed to order some fair-trade (read: Slave Free ) mini dark chocolate bars for Halloween. The deal is though that you have to buy in bulk, 888 bars of chocolate for $144, which evens out to 16 cents a bar. And you need to order right now so you have it in time for Halloween. Just do it now and then sell the candy to your friends and neighbors ... More About: Blog , Chocolate
Ariah?s Birthday Wishlist
2009-10-07 15:19:00 If I’ve had an impact on your life, consider having an impact on someone elses The one thing I think about each year when my birthday rolls around is whether or not my life (and the past year) has had a positive impact on those around me. If I’ve had a positive impact on you let me know and consider doing something intentional ?Read More The one thing I think about each year when my birthday rolls around is whether or not my life (and the past year) has had a positive ... More About: Blog , Birthday , Wishlist
A Glimpse at Christian Hedonism
2009-10-06 21:22:00 After discovering John Piper’s sermons (via a youth leader in my high school youth group), round about my sophomore year, I became a Christian Hedonist. At the time, I did not know what Hedonism was, but learned, via context, that “Christian Hedonism” was a bit of a radical/controversial doctrine. Piper sums it up most concisely like this: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” The idea of our “satisfaction” being central to life’s purpose, to ‘worship’ and to God was apparently counter to what most religious ...
Who?s That Yellow Bird? Published in Geez
2009-10-01 14:28:00 Each week I walk my two toddlers down the hall at the Children's hospital, past a large statue of an over-stuffed yellow bird and up an elevator to our appointment. Sometimes they point out the "big birdie," other times they don't, it's no more attractive to them than the nearby painting of a moose or the cars they see through the windows of the skyway. What they don't know yet is that the big bird is, in fact, Big Bird . And though I'm sure someone will soon point it out to them (they've already learned who Elmo is), I'm in no rush to have Big Bird or any other media industry creations become my childrens' branded pals. More About: Published , Yellow
A Sermon Discussion: Did Christ Die For Us Or For God?
2009-09-29 21:45:00 I intended to put a lot more time into this post then I have. I was also hoping for some dialog with others pre-writing to get my thoughts stirring, but neither of those two things happened, and I promised you readers I?d get something up, so here goes (how?s that for a lame preface) Last week, I suggested listening to this sermon, Did Christ Die For Us or for God?, by John Piper. It was one of the foundational sermons in my early faith development and something I had not really ... More About: Sermon
A Sermon and A Discussion
2009-09-24 11:02:00 In preparation for a post I intend to write next week, I’ve been listening to one of two John Piper sermons that have been quite foundational in my early formative faith/theology years (sophomore and junior year of high school). The sermons are from a Passion Conference, which was an annual college student conference focused around bringing students together toward a shared evangelistic and missional call (this is my own summary). I did not attend, but received the tapes from a leader in the youth group I was attending. The two ... More About: Sermon
Trying To Follow…Who?
2009-09-22 11:16:00 If I did musical intros to my blog posts, the one for this post would be Bob Dylan’s, Gotta Serve Somebody. I’m not quite sure when I chose this title for my blog or mantra for my life, but as time goes on I find myself more and more comfortable with it. I think the question that it immediately evokes is: who? Who am I trying to follow? Several years ago, that answer would have been staunchly black and white. I am following Jesus, the God of the Bible and no one and nothing else. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…and run with perseverance…” Back then though, I probably wouldn’t have used the word “trying”, it’s too wishy-washy, too uncommitted. The songs sung in church never have the ambiguity of “trying” they are steadfast commitments, battle cries and no compromise allegiances. Most of that’s not bad, positive self-talk certainly has it’s place, but somewhere along the way I found it fairly disingenu...
Revisiting What I Believe
2009-09-16 10:38:00 A series of occurrences recently have caused me to really want to revisit some of my basic beliefs that probably formed sometime in high school and beginning of college. It’s interesting that much of my spiritual growth and understanding of my faith came about over 10 years ago when I was in high school. And it was during that time that I think I formed some of the sort of root theological views that I had and have continued to hold or ascribe to for several years. What’s interesting is that much of it hasn’t been called into question or changed despite many of my changing beliefs on social issues, politics, daily lifestyle choices, etc. So, I’d like to start writing about these things and share them with you here. I’m not sure if these old beliefs I’ll dig up from the back of my brain have simply line dormant and unused or if they silently serve as the very foundation upon which much of my other thoughts are formed. We’ll find out. I might ...
This Is Not A Political Post
2009-09-14 21:38:00 With the hallabaloo last week of Obama speaking to school children and then the Health Care debates and townhall’s and speeches, it was hard not to get a little caught up in the happenings. The reality is I’ve checked out a bit on the national political ruckus, there just seemed to be too much yelling for me to keep my head on straight. It struck me that next week will mark 8 months in to the Democrat ruled White House, which seems like a relatively short amount of time to form such a strong opinion of folks. It took me a good 3 1/2 years to go from a Bush supporter to a governmental dissenter. I don’t think political maneuvering and government are the way to get things done, though I do think are collective organizing and resources (i.e. government) for all it’s flaws can definitely be a tool to address community needs. I do find it useful when the fire department shows up to put our a fire, and when I check out books from my local library, and when we bik... More About: Political , Post
A Birthday Banquet?
2009-09-09 11:11:00 My birthday is coming up in less then a month. I don’t often make much of my birthday. I don’t really like getting gifts and have for years (without much success) asked those who wanted to get me something to donate to a cause instead. If I ask anything, it’s been for others to share with me how I’ve had a positive impact on their lives, that’s about it. I’m not sure I’ll change that routine, but I’ve had an idea brewing for about a year and figured I’d just share it here. Thanks to Facebook and other social sites, I’ve had close friends and mere acquaintances use their birthday’s as a chance to fundraise for a cause of their choice. It’s been fun to see that and I’d like to encourage it to continue as an alternative to further consumption. My idea is a bit different, and it’s inspired by this passage: Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you ... More About: Birthday
YouTubesday: Know Who You Are
2009-09-08 11:27:00 I’m planning on posting just one video on YouTubesday, sometimes writing a brief thought of my own in response to the video, and encouraging others to do the same. I’ve found YouTubesday is one of my most popular series (and only really ongoing one) on the blog, but it’s often the least commented on. Here’s to opening the Conversation. Know Who You Are (2 minutes long) via This is the line that struck me the most: “If I have a missionary who comes to me and says, ‘I have no culture,’ I’m terrified of him because they’re going to think that the way they do things is the Christian way.” This hints at the reason that discussing race (and racism) in the church is so important. If we act like race and culture is a non-issue, then we are most likely maintaining the dominate race and culture as the norm, and there is a great danger in that. What struck you?
A Simple Bike Project
2009-09-03 15:08:00 Last summer, I was walking around the block with my daughter when one of the neighborhood kids came up to me, “do you have a wrench?” I sure did, so I grabbed my wrench and we walked over to see what the fix-it project was. Turns out the kid was swapping some stuff on some bikes so he’d have something to ride. I assessed the situation and said: “Actually, what you need is a chain tool.” I ran inside and grabbed my small handy little device for removing a bike chain. When I came out and showed the kids how to use it, I was instantly transformed from that random neighbor who walks around with his kid all the time to The Bike Guy (I’d like to think of it as on par with super hero status). Soon, I had neighborhood kids coming over all the time to make adjustments and patch tires. We’d sit on the porch together and I’d show them some of the basics (I honestly don’t know all that much myself). Fast forward to this summer, We have a g... More About: Project , Simple
You Wouldn’t Believe What I almost Ate
2009-09-02 11:08:00 It was a typical afternoon with the kiddos yesterday. I was scrambling to make dinner and clean the house while catering to their every need. Adyra wanted a piece of bread, which promptly meant Bret wanted one too. He remembered our PB&J from lunch and requested it again, which Adyra in turn requested as well. So, I’m smearing the Peanut Butter (creamy, sorry mom & dad), when Adyra comes over, arm outstretched, a little whiny. Ironically, my children are a bit of clean freaks. Adyra’s never really liked finger painting or anything else that gets your hands icky, like getting peanut butter on them. Occasionally, when they are eating, they’ll stick their grubby hand out and I’ll wipe or grab and sometimes eat the yogurt or kiwi or food in question. So, when she sticks out her fingers yesterday, I naturally lean down to wipe them off, seeing the brown peanut butter substance. I’m getting ready to just lick it off my fingers when in a split second a smell hits my nost...
On My Way to 10,000 Hours
2009-09-01 10:53:00 Monday’s are my blog reading day, I go through all the posts in my reader and tag ones to come back to, skim most and respond to others. One post mentioned Gladwell’s book, Outliers, which I read last year and his premise that “Becoming a superstar takes about 10,000 hours of hard work.” And just like that, I decided I needed to start blogging again. I took a break earlier this summer to focus on a few other projects. Though I did concentrate my energy elsewhere, I still wasted enough time in the day to day that I could have been writing. So, here I am, back with some daily posting. The reality is that I enjoy writing, if only because it helps me process my thoughts. I feel I frequently find myself saying that I’m not a very good writer, but that I tend to say things I don’t see being said. So, until someone comes around and starts saying these things more eluquently then I (which wouldn’t be hard), I’m going to keep saying them. And t... More About: Hours
John Piper’s Tornado: Exaggerations and Doubts
2009-08-24 10:59:00 If you haven’t heard, John Piper’s god sent a tornado through downtown Minneapolis last week to tell Lutheran’s not to let gay people become pastors. Let me clarify two things before I get to what this incident rose in my mind: 1) I do not agree with Piper at all on this, 2) Piper’s sermons and books were instrumental in my early faith growth and I have a great deal of respect for him. But on to what I want to write about: exaggerations and doubts. Piper’s view of this tornado was, at best, an exaggeration (there’s probably a better term [and a whole lot of much harsher ones], but I’m using this one). There are hundreds of tornados a year and to point out this minor one, which happened to damage the steeple of a church, the hand of God seems like a stretch to me. There are a lot of people who believe in christianity and in God doing miracles and speaking through the natural realm even today. I think you could draw a spectrum from “no m... More About: Tornado
The Church of Derek Webb
2009-08-17 11:17:00 Over the last few years, one consistent ‘pastoral’ voice in my life has been the music and lyrics of Derek Webb . Derek used to play with Caedmon’s Call, a band I was introduced to and thoroughly enjoyed during my high school years. Several years back Webb started doing his own solo albums, all of which have been great, but the last three of which have spoken words of encouragement, conviction and compassion into my life. Most of his lyrics these days would be considered too political, too controversial, or too explicit for most churches, he doesn’t seem to be getting invited to many christian concerts or worship services either. But, if he had a church, I’d go to it. I’ve struggled a lot with faith over the last nine years, and amidst that struggle I’ve grown a lot in my awareness of the world, my understanding of the Bible and what Jesus said and did while he walked the earth. I find myself in this mysterious place, trying to reconcile my... More About: Church , The Church
While You Were Out…
2009-08-11 22:31:00 I’ve only written 4 blog post in the last month and a half, but it doesn’t seem like you missed it too much. The break, which I have every intention of continuing in some form or fashion, has been beneficial. I’ve focused my energy a little more and cut back where I could. At the same time, I didn’t replace blogging with other writing, which is what I had fully intended to do. Honestly, some of my time was just squandered away playing a ridiculous flash game that will remain unnamed. Here’s some of what I’ve been working on lately and what’s been on my mind: InsideNorthside.org is the project I’ve been contributing most of my energy to over the past month. I’ve carved out a few hours a week to meet with people and organizations in the neighborhood to try and spread the word about the effort. It’s basically an encyclopedia (built of the wikipedia model of user contributions) for North Minneapolis. I’ve met with some g...
In Print: Feast of Fools, by Ariah Fine
2009-07-21 21:08:00 I recently received a copy of the summer CONSP!RE Magazine, in which I have an article. It’s a brief article about working with a group called Food Not Bombs. If you want to get a print copy you can find out where to pick them up here (they’re free!). Though I like getting things published (maybe for an ego boost if nothing else), it not nearly as satisfying as writing a blog post or something and getting feedback from others about how it’s impacted them. I rarely if ever hear anything back about things I’ve written in print. But that’s okay. So, just to cover all my bases. Here’s the article: Feast Of Fools Several years ago, I started hanging out with a group of folks called Food Not Bombs, an international revolutionary movement “sharing free vegetarian food with hungry people and protesting war and poverty.” We redeemed food from the excess trash of our consumer culture, and made delicious stews, pastas, and sandwiches. Then, each Sunday, ... More About: Print , Fine
Slowing Down
More articles from this author:2009-07-13 11:33:00 As you might have noticed, I’ve been posting a lot less on this blog in the last month or so. This is partially due to reasons I mentioned last week, and also partially due to my own efforts to slow down a little bit. I’ve said in the past that the main reason I tend to blog as much as I do is that I often have a great many things bouncing around in my head and writing has been therapeutic for me, blogging in turn has allowed me to get feedback on those thoughts as well. This is all still quite true, but I’ve also started questioning the value of letting my mind wander down so many rabbit trails at once. In some ways, I think it’s just part of who I am, and at other times I think I’d be much more productive or just ‘present’ if I could focus my thoughts and energy on one thing or project at a time, rather then several. I’m not sure what that will mean for the dynamics of this blog, nor even myself really, but I’d like to make an ... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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