Lost in...Not...Translation?

I had a funny cultural experience today. I went to Office Max to pick up some materials to get organized (file folders, etc.) because, let's be honest, my room is a mess. After picking up a organizer for folders, I was directed upstairs to find the actual manila folders. Upon climbing the stairs, I was greeted by an employee who asked me if I needed any assistance. I replied, "Sí, estoy buscando unas carpetas"--"carpetas" being the word for "folders" in Spanish. The employee confidently ushered me to an aisle packed with 3-ring binders. He pointed proudly to the vast array of 3-ring binders and pronounced, "Las tenemos de varios tamaños." (We have them in various sizes.) It became obvious to both of us that there was a communication breakdown when he was pointing me towards 2" binders and I was explaining that I wanted "carpetas" that were very thin--thin enough to fit about 50 in my holder.

And then something clicked inside the employee's mind. "Ahhhhh, ¡quieres 'folders!'"

"Sí, quiero...'folders!'" I responded...slightly bewildered and smiling.

And there you have it. Translation was against me. I don't know what to think of those times when American culture bleeds through Mexican culture to the point that it actually over-rides it. This becomes very evident in language (i.e. Spanglish), as was my experience today, but is manifested in many areas of Mexican culture. Many Mexicans are frustrated by it. Many submit happily. As an American who hopes to be more Mexican with time, I can only continue to note which areas of Mexican culture have been preserved and which areas have been replaced by North American influence.

Needless to say, for future trips to the office supply store, I will present a confused smile and inquire confidently, "¿Dónde están los folders?"

The Jubilee Year on iTunes!!!

My band is on iTunes! I'm ecstatic to report that you can pick up our first official ep "And You Falter" on iTunes or you can order a hard copy directly from our myspace page. I may not be in the band anymore, but I played acoustic guitar on the album and sang on some of the songs. Needless to say, I am proud of this record, and I think it has something to offer. I'd love to hear what you think.

Mortification of Sin

"Mortification [putting sin to death] from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world"
--John Owen

Putting Amazing Back into Grace

I've just finished reading, for the second time, a book that played a significant role in leading me to the beauty of the Bible's teaching on the principally important subject of salvation. The book is called Putting Amazing Back Into Grace by Michael Horton and it is a comprehensive introduction to what is known today as Reformed Theology. To be honest, my memory prior to this second read was only that the book had offended me with its teachings on the sovereignty of God and a completely God-centered salvation. On the first read-through I really had no categories for much of what the book was saying, but it served its purpose; it drove me to the Bible to see if all of this "election" and "priesthood of all believers" stuff was actually true. And it was.

Before continuing, I must plug this book and say that if you are contemplating such topics as "original sin" and "predestination," you will find here a kind, biblical-based approach to these questions. Not only was the book instrumental in my acceptance of the Reformed faith, it was a great aid in helping some of my college friends confront and think through some of these doctrines. If you are already Reformed, this book will make you proud of your history! Amongst the discouragements of church-life, I find the history referenced in this book encouraging and, I must say, it makes me proud of Reformed Christians in the past. Hearing about people who put the gospel, which emcompasses all of life, into action in order to love their neighbors better (and not to gain power!) spurs me on to dig deeper into these truths about God and what they mean for our society.

Some Highlights:

Hiding behind religion

"Religion is, for the most part, our way of covering ourselves, a means of sewing respectability, morality, and charity into a patchwork garment that can hide our nakedness."

This quote really hit home as I just recently read Larry Crabb's Inside Out which is basically a whole book dedicated to exposing this modern state of (much of) Christianity. Going past seeing this tragedy in churches and other Christians, I see it in myself. When was the last time you prayerfully examined what areas of your life, and especially your religion, were simply means to cover your blotches and hide your weakness? The truth, as Crabb and Horton both insist upon, is that the Christianity of Jesus exposes our weakness and inner-ugliness for everyone to see. If I'm not living in that, I'm not living in the gospel. I am also reminded of the Derek Webb song "I Repent" which is a wonderful example of what the Christian attitude should be like. On his record The House Show he gives a spoken introduction in which he preaches that we would all be better off if our deepest, darkest sins were exposed on the local news. So much of our lives are consumed with using things in our lives (especially our religion) to cover our deep crookedness. We confess that we are deeply sinful and only have hope in Christ, but our lives shout, "I'm not that bad! I couldn't be that bad! After all, how could Jesus love me if I was that bad? How could you love me if I was that bad?" And alas, if we would only confront that question, it would lead us to actually believing the good news of the gospel. Jesus insists on exposing our true nature, leaving us only to boast in his righteousness.


Christian Liberty--"an appendix to justification"

It was no surprise to me that this theme is covered in the book; however, the stress on its importance for the justified sinner was a welcomed surprise. To begin, John Calvin considered the doctrine "an appendix to justification." Calvin states:

"He who proposes to summarize gospel teaching ought by no means to omit an explanation of this topic. For it is a thing of prime necessity, and apart from a knowledge of it consciences dare undertake almost nothing without doubting; they hesitate and recoil from many things; they constantly waver and are afraid. But freedom is especially an appendage of justification and is of no little avail in understanding its power."

Wow! Now, I realize that there are many different ideas and levels of importance given to this topic in different regions and churches. To be certain, many Reformed Christians have given too great an importance to the matter. However, in many cultures (such as ::cough:: the Presbyterian church in Mexico ::cough::) the lack of the practice of Christian Liberty leaves a bite taken out of the doctrine of justification. John Calvin's quote hits home.

Horton adds to Calvin's thoughts:

"If one cannot experience and enjoy justification before God, the practical value of this amazing truth is lost even if it is given assent by those who deny Christian liberty."

"Calvin said we need to know our Christian liberty in order to 'recognize his [God's] liberality toward us.' In other words, when I enjoy a really fine meal and a bottle of superb wine with some freinds, I can say, 'Well, I hope God isn't looking. This is the last time I'll do this,' or, more likely, 'Who cares who's looking. I'm sick of those stupid rules. If God exists to tell me where to part my hair, I've had it with religion.' Or, on the other hand, I can silently thank God and think of him as the loving provider of this meal. As we laugh, tell stories, and catch up on old news, it is almost as if God is there at the table, just sitting there, laughing right along, like a father who takes pleasure in the delight of his children. In fact, this is not an image one has to conjure up; one may find it quite clearly in the life of our Lord. God incarnate, 'friend of sinners.'

To be sure, Horton (nor Calvin) do not merely leave the matter in positive light. Christian liberty can be used to sin against a weaker brother or sister. Both Horton and Calvin go into this matter, although they do clarify that the truth cuts both ways, both parties should stop passing judgement. What I want to highlight here is the Reformed stance that living in liberty is actually glorifying to God! We do not have to walk on egg shells as Christians. In fact, that is the antithesis of the Christian life. To explain Calvin with Calvin, "...we should use God's gifts for the purpose of which he gave them to us, with no scruple of conscience, no trouble of mind. With such confidence our minds will be at peace with him, and will recognize his liberality toward us...Its whole force consists in quieting frightened and disturbed consciences before God."

COPS Seasons?! and JAIL

Well folks, a long-time wish of most COPS fans I know has become a reality. It seems the show finally wised up and is releasing the shows by season! I happened upon this on a whim surfing the iTunes store. They are currently on season 20 having just released the 700th episode. That's crazy to think about using todays standard running time for shows, even really popular shows. Most shows that I've heard of don't go past the 7 season mark (and that's being generous). For all you haters out there (a.k.a. people who have made fun of me for loving this show so much), 20 seasons speaks for itself. And I fully intend to watch all 20 seasons at some point. :)

In addition to this wonderful news, I discovered something that, in my book, has immense potential...a brand-new show from the producers of COPS entitled JAIL. Now, folks, I can't explain many of my interests. Many would think they lie on the depressing side, but I find such things as police, drugs, and jail to be fascinating. My leanings toward police and drugs have been quinched by such great shows as COPS and Intervention, but only now is there a reality tv program applying the COPS style to the prison context. Now, I haven't actually seen this show (as I am just discovering it and it hasn't made it to Mexico yet), but as far as potential goes, it's got what it takes to get me excited. Here's the description from MyNetworkTV.com:

"You’ve seen ’em do the crime, now see ’em get the time. From John Langley, producer of the groundbreaking Cops, comes the next big law enforcement reality series Jail. Shot on location in cities across the U.S., Jail follows prison inmates from their initial booking through their first moments behind bars. Each episode captures the harsh and sometimes humorous reality of what happens to criminals after they’re caught."

Fresa Prayer

I thought this was hilarious, so I'm posting it, although I do realize that about 0.5% of my readership will understand it.

If you need some help (and it won't help that much), check out the meaning of fresa.

This just in...

Apparently, my favorite show of all time...COPS...made it to Mexico a few years ago. The amazing part--it was Mexican police. That's right, corruption, drama, bribary...all being hidden from the camera. Possibly the best part of it all...the theme song, "Bad boys," was literally translated:

Chicos malos, chicos malos. ¿Qué vas a hacer cuando vengan por ti?

If anyone ever finds an audio copy of the song in Spanish, or better yet, the show, send those my way!

Un bigote inmenso!!!

This pic is long overdue to be posted. This is Josh and I at the Independence Day party at our church.

Xochimilco (in Mexico City)

"You'll Only End Up Joining Them"

I recently discovered this singer/songwriter, Kevin Devine, through his connection with one of my favorite bands, Brand New. He has brilliant lyrics and pleasant melodies. This particular song is probably the most poignant, poetic, and accurate song I have heard about addiction. Do yourself a favor and purchase his newest record "Put Your Ghost to Rest."

Roomies!

This was taken Sunday night after Juan Carlos became a member of our church (Berith Presbyterian).

(Jacob, Juan Carlos, gringo)

A Good Source For Christian News

So, last night I rather carelessly posted this article after finding a reference to it on a different blog. This morning a certain missionary friend brought it to my attention that the site is satirical Christian news.

2 Thoughts:

1) Thank God this isn't real.

2) Some of these are pretty dang funny.

Yes Master!

"And You Falter" is currently being mastered here. That makes me smile. A lot.

I miss this.

Exciting News: The Jubilee Year will release a 6-song ep entitled "...And You Falter" in late October. We spent the last year working on it, and I am so excited that it is finally becoming a reality. Be on the look-out on itunes and myspace.

A Few Pics from UNAM and the Center of the City

"Islas"-This is where we have all of our CUR Bible studies and English Clubs. It's also where UNAM students go to smoke weed. Just sayin'.

The Zocalo (center of town). This was a week or so before Mexico's Independence Celebration. You will notice the huge Mexican flag decoration in the background. This is where the president (or presidents, as was the case this year) makes his big State of the Union speech.

Cathedral in the Zocalo.Bellas Artes Museum with Josh Oettle (fellow intern)
Zocalo with Amy Oettle (fellow intern)
My relationship with Frida Kahlo was taken to another level.
Mexican Nationalism at its greatest. Seriously, we gringos will never know nationalism like this. Apparently, every day, these three platoons come to the Palacio Nacional. "Why?" you ask. To take down the flag.

The Pad

As many of you have heard, I moved into my own apartment early this week. I really couldn't have asked for a better arrangement--great place with 2 Mexican guys who are a part of our RUF core group. Here are some pics to give you all an idea of what my pad looks like.

The complex.

The building.

The living room.

The dining room.

My room.

The roomies' room.

The bathroom.

The laundry room.

On Being a Missionary and Taking Days Off...

My very loving friends had this conversation about me today in relation to my taking a day of rest:

Mike: i didnt think missionarys had days off?
does satan take a day off?
James: no!
Mike: THAT BOY NEEDS TO WORK 24/7!
James: kwiki-mart style!



I love those guys.

Nobody's Perfect

Note:

Tuition at the UNAM for one semester is 20 centavos. Conversion to the dollar...2 cents.

2 cents a semester for college tuition. Believe it.

Interview

You can see an interview that I did sitting on Peter Dishman's couch here.