Hiatus

Coming in 2009- new blog, new focus...

Homecoming

I can’t sleep, yet all my body wants to do is rest.
My mind runs wild, yet my vision is blurred when I read.
I love to travel, yet am so glad to be home.
My hopes are limitless, yet my concentration needs grounding.

It has been a whirlwind of adventure & excitement with 26 days of travel to Washington DC, Los Angeles, Eugene, and Seattle since my last post 5 weeks ago. Got to see some great friends along the way, and hang with some pretty amazing people (including some pretty amazing middle and high school students).

Erin has been in Guatemala for two weeks now in the city of Xela and is leaving today for another week of living on a fair trade coffee plantation. She has been hanging with our friends Ruth and Christina from Santa Monica and has been working hard on her Espanol. Please welcome her back to the blogosphere by checking out her new & improved site here! I miss her terribly and am excited for our reunion in Portland next Monday. Side note: she has left me notes all over the house (cabinets, pillowcase, etc…today I found a note in a shoe- haha).

Life has been full of excitement on this end- our good friends Cole & Amy Billings have just moved into our house while they figure out what’s next. I am looking forward to communal living for who knows how long- I’ll keep you posted on the Werner/Billings co-housing experiment. Side note: Cole’s parents are staying with us right now too (full house of fun)!

August should bring about some pretty exciting moments with visits anticipated from my folks, Erin’s mom & sister, and Garret & Aubrey Shelsta. Looking forward to some end of summer camping ( I have never really been), the resurgence of a gym membership, biking more consistently to work, an Underground Art & Music Festival with Rise Up, and whatever else comes our way!

Hope this finds you all well, rested, and enjoying summer. As we move into Fall- let’s revisit the Bloggers Summit idea…would be great to kick it with all of you.

And finally, is it true? Has Banksy’s identity been compromised? What do you think?

Tired In DC

Welp, I made it to Washington DC after a long day of travel yesterday that included a 3 hour drive to POrtland, run to my connector flight in SLC, screaming kids in front of me both flights (same family- what are the odds), and multiple Gin & Tonics...



I'll be out here staying with my friend Chris Perry from Az- CP when you read this...stop...and go get a blog! Today I'll be meeting up with a friend who just got back from two years in the Peace Corps in Peru (we grew up together as next door neighbors in New York since we were born), trying to catch my Oregon Senators on the Hill to advocate overturning a bill on torture, and trying to catch some cool places along the way.

DC Playlist: Wale- 100 Miles & Running Mixtape, Coldplay- Viva La Vida, Santogold- Self titled, Lil Wayne- Tha Carter III, Estelle- Shine, and N.E.R.D.- Seeing Sounds

Man, it has been too long....I feel like there is so much to blog about. Last week I started my new job with Rise Up- I'll be coordinating and developing both our volunteer and financial resources stateside...so as to make us a more effective & sustainable organization as we seek to stop the exploitation of children.

My first day of work involved the President of the organization (Jesse) and I heading up to Portland for a vision retreat of sorts....capping the night with the Glow in the Dark Tour. If this tour has not hit your city yet...GO BUY TIX! It will change your life. All four performers (Kanye West, Rhianna, NERD, and Lupe Fiasco) killed it! Kanye's stage show was unlike any other I had seen...

I'll be in DC for a conference on grassroots organizing through Sojourners...starts Friday- should be fun..and I'll keep you all posted!

For the BEND & PHOENIX heads..

RISE UP is hosting a few great events...

For the BEND folk this week:



For the PHOENIX folk all Summer long:

Barack in Bend

Hey everyone,

I am back on the Barack bandwagon.

Believe it or not- he came to Bend over the weekend. The last time a presidential nominee came to Bend was Bobby Kennedy over 40 years ago. This was my second time seeing him, the first being in Phoenix at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.




Three things stood out:

1... it was crazy to be no more than 100 feet from Obama (we were in a local high school gymnasium).

2... he took questions from the audience at the end. Speaking to us like we were adults- giving us long, hard answers as opposed to short rallying, sound bytes to please the crowd. This approach was very different from when Bill Clinton spoke at the local high school a few weeks back (which I went to as well)- he was slick with his sound byte-esque answers, seemingly speaking to us like we were children in need of coddling.

3... It was very different from Phoenix in January. Although the speech was similar, the whole morning with Obama seemed tired- I think everyone in the room including Barack felt as though it was ridiculous that the primary was not over.

From Menos el Oso to Mexico City...

Last night was guys night- we drank left over beers & tequila from erin's surprise grad party in Erin's new Zen Garden (in our backyard..pics to come soon)...it was the perfect setting for conversation before we walked downtown to catch Portugal the Man and Minus the Bear. The evening reminded me of college...hanging with guys, drinking beer, going on a burrito run, and heading out to a concert...twas great!

On another college related note, I just found out that 77 year old Sue Johansen's late-night "talk sex" Oxygen network program has ended its run. I think the show used to come on at around 1am- my roommates and I would laugh hysterically every time...nothing like learning about sex from a grandma.

I am in the process right now of taking submissions for recommended Summer Reading. I have checked out the recommendations on Kelli's List, and am beginning to compile my own list. Please feel free to let me know what you think I should be reading...so far, I am planning on reading a few Vonnegut books (I need a late pass on this one), The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs, and poetry from Rumi...now lend me your two cents.

And finally, a scholarship application came across my desk to go to Mexico City for the world AIDS conference. The scholarship is given by my church's denomination the ELCA (evangelical lutheran church in america). Here is the info:

If you are between the ages of 18 and 26 and interested in addressing the AIDS pandemic, then this is for you!

Attached is an application for a scholarship to attend the International AIDS Conference in Mexico from July 31 to August 9. The application is due May 23, so you'll need to act quickly if you'd like to apply. The program for this scholarship includes the pre-conference of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance and a meeting with LWF youth. This and much more is explained in the attached application. If you have additional questions, you can contact Emily Davila at Emily.Davila@elca.org or 212-808-5360.

I have the application and will e-mail it to you if you are interested. I am considering applying myself...

Mucho love to you all on this Wednesday.

Recipe for a Sunday Afternoon...

It has been a crazy stressful week-

Sunday afternoon was much needed...

1 Part Celebration: Erin found out that she has been hired to teach Language Arts at Mountain View High School next year

1 Part great weather enabling deck reading

1 Part Gin & Tonic, 2 Parts Fat Tire for me
1 Part Margarita for Erin

1 Part Jim Wallis' The Great Awakening, 1 Part Brian McLaren's Everything Must Change for me
1 Part Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse 5 for Erin

1 Part Minus the Bear's Menos El Oso, 1 Part Paul Simon's Graceland, 1 Part U2's War, and 1 Part Fugees' the Score

1 Pearl of Wisdom- changing the way the green conversation is framed... "environment crisis," becomes "overconsumption crisis." I think it makes it more personal.

Thanks again friends for the Obama & Wright conversation...it felt very constructive, and enhanced my perspective for sure.

Have a great Week.

In a World of Sound Bytes...

In a world of sound bytes and limited time, below is a much more condensed response to everything Wright & Obama. To see my full response, read my post below this one. Cheers.

Truth is always going to be divisive- so it is, upon hindsight, understood that Barack had to distance himself from Wright politically.

I think I reacted strongly in light of my frustration with the failing church of today...a church I saw embodied this last weekend in Seattle (for more see below). Amidst my frustrations, I heard Wright speaking (in my opinion) truth to the shortcomings of our American society.

In light of this, I was angered by Obama's choice of words in his renunciation speech- "I didn't know the man," etc....sounded, in a Biblical sense a lot like Peter after the politically divisive Jesus was arrested.

Now I am not comparing Rev. Wright to Jesus, but...his message comes from the same prophetic tradition. Speaking truth to the powers, institutions, and privileged.

I think in these "accept or reject" times, I have just personally realized that I cannot endorse or campaign for any candidate. Rather, I can attempt to speak truth through my actions and campaign for the issues I am passionate about regardless of who gets elected.

Redefining Campaign (the Hopefully Wright Response)

First off, I want to tell you all how grateful I am for your friendship. Amidst difficult economic & social times, amidst sadness & anger at the policies of today, and amidst my own personal struggle to be an agent of change- I find myself thankful for a group of "digital" & "real-life" friends that will allow me to vent when at a loss for words, surround me when I am depressed, and spur me on to keep moving. For this I owe you all. Bear with me, as I set up the context for which I heard Jeremiah Wright speak.

This last weekend I was up in Seattle scouting out a week long service learning experience for my high school students- this will be the third trip that I have taken these students on. These trips are about 75% learning & 25% service...together we have tackled immigrant rights & myth in Los Angeles, HIV/AIDS in San Francisco, and now (I am still piecing it all together) Native American history, sustainability, and the growing disparity between the rich and poor in Seattle. It is my hope that students will see that as a matter of faith, we must not just be socially aware- but socially active...working for justice & peace as we seek to tread lightly on the Earth.

This last weekend was filled with many highs & lows- great conversations over alcoholic beverages, yet depressing church visits (we visit various churches in the city to see what kind of justice work they are doing). Most of these churches we visited had neglected their surroundings (from the urban poor to the university student), and became insular- serving members from their heyday in the 50's (folk now over 75). It was depressing to see these once thriving ministries (set in ginormous cathedrals) become isolated from the world- dwindling off into the sunset, refusing to listen to the cries of their neighbors. This just bummed out.

Upon our drive home, we recalled Jeremiah Wright's preaching from our drive up (from the NAACP night), and were thankful for his pastoral vision in the South Side of Chicago. Thankful, that he would not let his community become isolated from their neighbors. Thankful, that he would use his voice (and risk "pastoral standing") to speak to the margins, to speak against the powers that be, and make deeply "political" statements. We were thankful because this is who we know Jesus to be. This was a piece of what Christians, Jews, and Muslims call the prophetic tradition- a tradition that calls for justice from the margins, that speaks truth (despite opposition from the privileged of society), a tradition that is ancient, sorely missed, and yet much needed in today's world.

We all have frustrations about the leadership of George W. Bush- at some level or another, I have heard you all countdown the days 'til he leaves office. But, I ask this...are we just as frustrated with the American "fantasy?" The fantasy that, as columnist Paul Street (to see full article check out the comments section- thx Jesse for the forward) pointed out using Obama's own words..."America is the last best hope for the world." Obama, like any other politician that wants to get elected has sipped the syrup that is the American Dream. Many of you have pointed out that i shouldn't have had as high of hopes for Obama- that at the end of the day he is a politician. Yes, this is true- but Obama (unlike other politicians up until this point) has transcended the "either/or," "accept/reject," dualistic boxes that fuel the world of sound byte driven media. His "Race in America" speech was, for me the shining highlight of his campaign- when the media gave him boxes...he rose up and moved beyond them.

Here comes my frustration today (which was a whole lot more pissed on Monday), Obama did not transcend any boxes in his "renunciation speech." Rather, I think he just flat out lied. Making comments like "this is not the man I knew 20 years ago," "his comments contradict everything I am about and who I am," and finally "The fact that Reverend Wright would think that somehow it was appropriate to command the stage for three or four consecutive days in the midst of this major debate is something that not only makes me angry, but also saddens me." The truth is that Reverend Wright preaches like this every Sunday (my colleague Dave has seen him preach twice- and was the case there too), Obama definitely knew the man. Obama should know that this is the pastoral call- to speak, as Martin Luther King said, "as one trying desperately to be the conscience of all the political parties, rather than being a political candidate." By the way, MLK was also called a "spectacle," especially after speaking out against the Vietnam war.

If Rev. Wright's words contradict everything Obama is about- then where does that leave me? Before you all start to worry, I am probably still going to vote for Obama (but will not campaign for him whatsoever). After a few days of thought, multiple conversations, and the sonic infusion of the Roots' latest album "Rising Down," I think that I am going to follow the words of Wright (I will still be a Pastor on November 5th and January 21st)...the words of Dr. King that encourage people of faith to speak to the conscience of politicians, and begin to campaign.

Campaign not for a candidate, but for the greatest issues of our time. Campaign for an end to human trafficking, campaign for racial & religious reconciliation, campaign for immigrant rights (the sojourner/stranger in our land), campaign for children being killed by bombs all over the world, campaign for the end of arms trade (America arms 93% of all conflicts worldwide), campaign for downward mobility and the closing of the historic gap between rich and poor, and campaign for environmental stability- all of which are a direct response to my faith. The faith of the Hebrew prophets, Jesus, St. Francis, Martin Luther King, and Jeremiah Wright.

Thanks again friends for listening- know that I kind of wrote this as a "pep talk" for myself. To remind myself not to place hope in politics, institutions, or the top-down mentality.

Mucho hope from the bottom up...and peace be with you

Ronnie

Barack is the New Brutus

Today I listened to Rev. Jeremiah Wright's address to the National Press in Washington DC in its entirety with my friend & colleague Dave (also a Reverend).

On Sunday, as I drove to Seattle (also with Dave) we listened to his speech to the NAACP in its entirety via CNN.

This morning, I listened to Barack Obama's response in its entirety.

My feelings have moved from depressed, to angry, to sad over the course of the last 12 hours. I want to make clear that as a vocational minister of a church, a student of theology, a Biblical studies major in college, and as an Obama supporter...that there was not one thing Rev. Jeremiah Wright said in either of those speeches that I disagreed with. Actually, his words represent the "different kind of Christianity" that I feel many of us "Christians" a part of this blogmmunity/vox de populi are a part of. On that note, I would be interested to hear your responses to Wright & Obama's words.

I cannot express how deeply disappointed I am in Barack Obama. I feel as though his denunciation of Wright is a political move- making him no different than any other candidate. Barack could have responded wonderfully as he did with his Race in America speech, instead he turned his back on the tradition that made him who he is.

Way to sellout Obama. I am now officially voting for the lesser of two bad choices. It remains to be seen which candidate I will vote for in the Oregon primary this month.

I would love to have some good dialogue about this- please comment, and look for many future posts about this. I understand that this is short, I hope to flesh out some more ideas once the conversation gets going. For now, I plan on walking around the block from my house where Obama just set up headquarters and expressing my disappointment.

Just got my Tix...

I couldn't resist. June 3rd Portland...here we come!

Food Justice ?!?

Hello blogmmunity!

I wanted to let you all know that over the last few months you have inspired me to take a deeper look into my relationship with food. For the first time I have extended my pursuit of justice to include environmental care, sustainable living, carbon reduction, slow food movement, farming, and other areas of "food-oriented justice."

In an attempt to hold myself accountable to this pursuit, I thought I would make some of my findings & struggles public via this blog. I know many of you have been involved in this pursuit for a long time...so I hope you can lend some advice & encouragement as I seek to move ideology to praxis.

Here are a few of my hopeful ventures:

Erin and I have bought into a cooperative organic farming community. For $100 (pays for water & seed), we will join 10 other people (mostly from the Sparrow Bakery, including our good friends Cole & Amy) twice a week to work on an organic farm. Weeding, planting, tilling soil, and harvesting will be new to this "city boy," but the end result will be local, organic, farm to plate produce for the entire summer. Other perks include: a new trade (farmers look out!), new friends, and local produce (not dripping with the petroleum it took to get it into the supermarket- thanks to my friend Ivy for the imagery). I went to the farm for my first experience Sunday, and a crazy experience it was...pics to come soon.

On another food justice note, I am going to read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I attempted this once, but am going to try again. I know a few of you have read it already, but if anyone is up for a group read let me know!

God & Country

I wrote this in response to the conversation on Kelli's blog after this post.

As a part of the Vox de Populi e-mail conversation community, many of you have already read this- but..I though I would post it here as a chronicle for my personal records.

The blur between God & country started at an early age for me when I quit the boy scouts. I didn’t get that learning how to tie knots & start a campfire were somehow supposed to help me do my duty to God and my country. The conversation moved again in Middle School when there was national debate about some children in public school abstaining from the recitation of the pledge of allegiance. And finally, once again when I was a freshmen in college and the twin towers were attacked.

While fired up, and more so sad about September 11th- it was our response that made it hard for me to pledge allegiance (not to mention I was beginning my collegiate journey of questioning everything I had been taught) to a flag, country, or worse...policy. Through a lot of reading and conversation (with mostly right & few left wing roommates), I came to the conclusion that our national borders were artificial. Made by wars, annexation, the false hope of manifest destiny, and loads of oppression (small pox gifts to the indigenous, African slave trade, etc)...I could not worship both God & country.

It was here in my journey that the material became unimportant, and that actions (played as a result of values) were what counted. I knew Christians who displayed the cross reverently, but were assholes to homosexuals...Christ followers who would not let their Bible touch the ground, but believed that war was the only way to solve the Muslim problem...children of God who got dressed up in their Sunday’s finest weekly out of respect for God, but though that global warming was a farce.

This deeply reinforced my belief that the material (or reverence for the material) didn’t matter, but that our actions (as a result of our values) showed our true character/allegiance.

For me, the same can be said about my country. There are Americans who deeply believe that the flag should never touch the ground, yet slew racial slurs at our immigrant brothers and sisters from Mexico...Good citizens who loud and proud sing the national anthem at every sporting event, yet pass tax cuts for the wealthiest percentage of the so-called privileged...Patriots who pledge allegiance to the flag, but have zero problem with calling the killing of Iraqi citizens “collateral damage” when at war.

After September 11th, just about every country was ready to support America in its time of mourning. What an opportunity to really make some headway for democracy & freedom (our supposed American values) by feeding the hungry, redistributing wealth, and cooperatively dealing with global disease (all of which terrorism is intrinsically linked to)...instead, in the name of God & country we resorted to the myths of redemptive violence as a means to an end.

Now there is no end in sight, other countries once ready to lend a helping hand are no longer behind us, and global poverty & disease are at an all-time high.

I propose that the material values of the “flag” and “book” are in desperate need of redemption thru creative and imaginative action.

Action steeped in hope, not flag...real freedom, not country... Creativity, not violence in the name of God...and imagination, not artificial borders.

Peace be with us...

In Defense of Mr. West's Blog

Yes...I am a fan of Kanye West

Bought all three albums on day they came out: check
Seen him in concert: check
Really want to see his Glow in the Dark Tour w/ N.E.R.D. & Lupe Fiasco: check

And finally, added his blog to my blogroll links: check
He probably has the best "link-based" blog around...with new features on art, design, architecture, music (mostly indie), and such...updated a few times daily.

Check it out before you hate. The pics on this post were taken from two of his most recent posts.

If you are in Phoenix, See you all RISE UP style this weekend!

There's a First Time for Everything

Hey friends...

This last month has been filled with a bunch of "firsts" for me. I thought I would share a few of them with you...

First time steadily working out: Yes, I got a gym membership at the local parks & rec gym here in Bend. It has been a great opportunity to de-stress and listen to great new music. So far it has been a month and a half. My previous record was two weeks of working out...I think it will stick this time.

First time staying at the Ace Hotel in Portland: This is the coolest hotel ever! Erin and I came here to celebrate our 2nd Anniversary. Picture an old classic hotel (for all you Phx cats...similar to the Hotel San Carlos) given a completely modern look- filled with minimalist, eco-modern furniture; a record player/mp3 player in every room; bicycles for rent; and amazing unique artist murals in many rooms (in my fave artsy style). Plus...when we walked in to check-in, they were playing Pinback on a record player- another first.

First time doing this. Let's just say it was the most interesting, awkward, crazy experience of my life. Happy anniversary to us...should have went for the standard deep tissue massage.

First time I was spoken to as an adult by a politician: Barack Obama's speech on race in America was amazing. If you haven't watched it yet...go get a late pass here. Neil writes a great post about it here. PS...Add him to your blogrolls!

Hope this finds you all alive and well! I will be out in Phoenix next week starting Thursday morning...Erin will be joining me on Friday out there...and we will both be out to support the Grand Opening of the new Rise UP store at ground level of the Hotel San Carlos in Downtown Phoenix. Hope to see you all there! The events are open to everyone...so bring all you know!!! Info can be found here!

Confessions on the 5th Anniversary of the Iraqi War

Yesterday we read the following during our two worship services. It's a Litany of Confession- where the Pastor reads the light print, and the community responds with the dark. It was written by Shane Claiborne

It was incredibly powerful for me and my own personal spiritual journey. Once again, reminding me that I am a child of God...not a child of America.

Regardless of religion, I hope that this confession moves you spiritually.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
Have mercy on us
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
Free us from the bondage of sin and death
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world
Hear our prayer. Grant us peace.

For the victims of war
Have mercy
Women, men and children
have mercy
The maimed and the crippled
have mercy
the abandoned and the homeless
have mercy
the imprisoned and the tortured
have mercy
the widowed and the orphaned
have mercy
the bleeding and the dying
have mercy
the weary and the desperate
have mercy
the lost and forsaken
have mercy

O God- Have mercy on us sinners
Forgive us for we know not what we do
For our scorched and blackened earth
forgive us
for our caesars and our herods
forgive us
for the violence that is rooted in our hearts
forgive us
for the times we turn others into enemies
forgive us
deliver us, O God
Guide our feet into the way of peace
hear our prayer
Grant us peace

From the arrogance of power
deliver us
from the myth of redemptive violence
deliver us
from the tyranny of greed
deliver us
from the ugliness of racism
deliver us
from the cancer of hatred
deliver us
from the seduction of wealth
deliver us
from the addiction of control
deliver us
from the idolatry of nationalism
deliver us
from the paralysis of cynicism
deliver us
from the violence of apathy
deliver us
from the ghettos of poverty
deliver us
from the ghettos of wealth
deliver us
from a lack of imagination
deliver us
deliver us, O God
Guide our feet into the way of peace

We will not conform to the patterns of this world
Let us be transformed by the renewing of our minds
with the help of God's grace
let us resist evil wherever we find it
with the waging of unjust war
we will not comply
with the legalization of murder
we will not comply
with the slaughter of innocents
we will not comply
with laws that betray human life
we will not comply
with the destruction of community
we will not comply
with the pointing finger and malicious talk
we will not comply
with the idea that happiness must be purchased
we will not comply
with the ravaging of the earth
we will not comply
with principalities and powers that oppress
we will not comply
with the destruction of peoples
we will not comply
with the raping of women
we will not comply
with governments that kill
we will not comply
with the theology of empire
we will not comply
with the business of militarism
we will not comply
with the hoarding of riches
we will not comply
with the dissemination of fear
we will not comply

today we pledge our ultimate allegiance...to the kingdom of God
we pledge allegiance
to a peace that is not like Rome's
we pledge allegiance
to the gospel of enemy love
we pledge allegiance
to the kingdom of the poor and broken
we pledge allegiance
to a king that loves his enemies so much he died for them
we pledge allegiance
to the least of these, with whom Christ dwells
we pledge allegiance
to the transnational church that transcends the artificial borders of nations
we pledge allegiance
to the refugee of Nazareth
we pledge allegiance
to the homeless rabbi who had no place to lay his head
we pledge allegiance
to the cross rather than the sword
we pledge allegiance
to the banner of love above any flag
we pledge allegiance
to the one who rules with a towel rather than an iron fist
we pledge allegiance
to the one who rides a donkey rather than a war-horse
we pledge allegiance
to the revolution that sets both oppressed and the opressors free
we pledge allegiance
to the way that leads to life
we pledge allegiance
to the slaughtered lamb
we pledge allegiance
and together we proclaim his praises. from the margins of the empire to the centers of wealth and power
long live the slaughtered lamb
long live the slaughtered lamb
long live the slaughtered lamb

Old Man... i'm a lot like you...24 and there's so much more

Thanks to everyone who contributed to dilemma 08! I will keep you updated as we move closer to the date, and my decision.

This week I read two posts that made reference to growing old- both mentioned some of the lighter side of getting older. I think laughter, and sometimes poking fun at ourselves makes it easier to cope with the fact that growing old means having more responsibility. Ahhh..responsibility, quarterlife, and adulthood- gotta love it.

I thought this might be a cool opportunity to make each other laugh. List in the comments section some of the funny parts about growing old- Reid mentioned "drinking coffee at McDonalds for hours," and Quinn threw out watching Murder She Wrote & a new found affinity for talk radio.

What can you add to the list?

Oh, and check out my friend Caro's blog- it is one of my new fave reads. She lives and works in the political arena of New York City. Hear her thoughts on the recent Governor scandal, get tips on running, and learn about how being a bitch is the new black.

Dilemma 08: Which Comes First ???

Yesterday the first round of summer concerts in Bend were announced. We are a town of about 85,000 so good concerts don't come around every week. I have seen some great concerts in Bend (Jack Johnson, Talib Kweli, Matisyahu, Pedro the Lion, Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Harper, Damien Rice, Fiona Apple, and others)- but last summer's lineup was pretty weak sauce...

...in other words, the Bend concert scene owed me one. So announced for Memorial Day Weekend were Friday: Michael Franti & Spearhead, Saturday: Death Cab for Cutie, Sunday: Modest Mouse.

So my question to you all- tickets are $35 each plus service charge. Or, you could buy a 3 pack for $99 plus service charge. I really want to see Michael Franti & Death Cab- and most of my friends here really want to see Modest & Death Cab...should I just go for the 3 pack???

And finally, leave me a comment listing the three acts in order- starting with whom you would like to see most.

Thought this might be a little fun musical diversion from the bummer political news last night.
And also, while running last night I went for the summer of 2002 mix on my i-pod: finch-what it is to burn, yellowcard- one for the kids, and the used- self titled. Ahhhh memories...

Hold Fast Hope

This last weekend I came face to face with great hope and great despair.

Over the course of the last year I have had the opportunity to become involved in active peace, justice, and reconciliation work with a Muslim community in Portland. This relationship began when our community hosted Imam Toure- a sixth generation Imam from Senegal, spiritual guide of the Bilal Mosque, and founder of the Institute of Islamic & Interfaith Studies. He spoke on the universal principles of holiness at an afternoon lecture, and delivered the sermon at both of our worship services last Fall. Our community was deeply moved by his visit- having many assumptions and stereotypes about the Islamic faith shattered. His visit birthed a friendship between our communities, and birthed within me an urgency and priority for this type of conversational reconciliation work between the faiths.

I am consistently reminded of this urgency as I watch the news. This last weekend saw the death of over 100 Israeli & Palestinian men, women, and children- the highest death tolls in over a year...ultimately leading to the end of the current peace talks.

Enter great despair.

Not to mention,these current events all came on the heels of a visit Dave and I took to Portland to visit our Muslim friends Thursday night. The evening was filled with great hope. Dave and I attended an interfaith event at Bilal Mosque with a group from the Quaker community (this community was the first to offer their support to the mosque after Sept. 11th).

Now...to be honest, I have always been skeptical of interfaith events. I usually feel as though all faiths become "watered down" at these kind of events in the name of tolerance and not wanting to step on anyone's religious toes. But, this was different. It pushed passed tolerance and moved into a deeper appreciation of faith, whether that be Muslim, Jewish, or Christian. I don't know how to explain it...other than to describe it as beautiful, pure, and authentic.

Unfortunately, this type of work isn't always valued in faith circles- especially within the fundamentalist branches of the Muslim & Christian community. Nativity (our community), and particularly Dave have been added to many prayer lists, have been confronted about "being duped" into thinking that Muslims might be "good people," and have been ostricized by a few churches in Bend for having Imam Toure speak. My favorite story involves a woman sent from her church to deliver a copy of a book called "Because they Hate," to Dave- to prove to him that all Muslims are evil. Ugggh...once again..enter great despair.

Pushing past the despair, and moving into great hope- Dave, Imam Toure, and Rabbi Areah (a friend of Toure's from Portland) have begun to plan a spiritual pilgrimage to Israel/Palestine for next year. Each community will be bringing ten representatives to learn, invest, and commit to reconciliation work pre and post trip. We met face to face after the event on Thursday evening for the first time to discuss the trip.

Enter great hope.

It was a beautiful evening. We ate food from all over the world, and enjoyed the company of people from Jordan, Turkey, Yemen, Pakistan, Senegal, Thailand, and the Philippines as we talked about the importance of taking a trip like this. I am becoming more and more convinced that with all of the problems in the middle east, we all need to move this kind of dialogue to a higher place of priority on our personal "social justice lists." As for now friends, I leave you with this:

May our conversations transcend tolerance and move to action and appreciation. May we all reach out to our Muslim brothers and sisters soon. May great hope win out over great despair. And finally, may we push our leaders to bring forth peace (with justice) in the Middle East.

Thanks for reading. We are all in this together...hold fast hope.

Stars align for Jimmy & Ben

Whether you want to admit it publicly or not- Sarah Silverman is hilarious.
A few months back she did a bit claiming to be f&*$@ing Matt Damon- the video featuring Damon was seen 8 million times on Youtube.

Sarah Silverman is dating Jimmy Kimmel in real life. When he found out about the "intentional sexual encounters" his girlfriend had been having, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

The result....a video featuring Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Meatloaf, Josh Groban, Harrison Ford, Cameron Diaz, Robin Williams, and a host of other stars announcing publicly that Jimmy Kimmel is f*&@#ing Ben Affleck.

Six Minutes of hilarity...



And...don't judge me...you know you are laughing on the inside! hahaha!!!

Coming this June...

Hey Friends...

These last few months have been very exciting for me on many levels. Perhaps, the biggest thing has been my career- as many of you know I have been employed full-time as Director of Youth Ministries at Nativity Lutheran Church for 2 1/2 years. I love my job, the people and students I work with, and the community that encourages freedom of thought, conversation, and social action.

Over the last two years, I have also been heavily involved as a volunteer with Rise Up International- an organization committed to ending the exploitation of children worldwide. I am currently serving as the president of their Board of Directors. While not a religious organization, it has been an amazing outlet for me to put my beliefs, theology, and values into practice.

Starting June 1st of this year, I will officially go part-time at Nativity and begin to work part-time at Rise Up. At Nativity we will be hiring a female associate director to implement a "team-approach" to our youth ministries. At Rise Up, I will be the only paid administrative staff stateside and serve as National Coordinator. It will be my job to develop resources for the organization and empower volunteers and interns to get involved and use their unique gifts and skills meet the needs of kids worldwide. I am really excited!!!

Please keep me in your thoughts as I move towards June. I am terribly nervous, amped, scared, and motivated...I'll take any advice I can get- and will keep you all posted as June grows closer.

McCain 2008: Like Hope...But Different

First off- if you have not seen the will.i.am produced, Barack Obama endorsement called "Yes We Can," go get a late pass here.

After viewing that video...check out this parody indictment of the atrocity that would be a McCain presidency...sooooooo funny.

Quickish...

So much on my mind, I just can't recline...breathe in- Blackstar's "respiration"

Life has been quite crazy as of late- the two week trek of awesome was just that... awesome, and since my return to Bend I have hit the ground running on a few things...trying to remember to take the advice of Talib and Mos- breathe in...breathe out.

There is so much that I would like to blog about regarding my trip to Tijuana, Los Angeles, and AZ- but, for now- just a few highlights...

*Great conversations with Kevo, Dave, Christina, Trevor, and other participants in the Developing Hearts for Justice conference.

*Hearing Richard Rohr, Jim Forbes, and Bishop Ruiz of Chiapas speak in TJ

*Splashing thru puddles in the pouring rain as we walked ten blocks to Karaoke in Mexico...and for that matter Karaoke in general!

*Senor frogs < 5 drinks= lame Senor Frogs > 5 drinks= awesome

*Free counting crows concert

*Renewed hope for my hometown of Phoenix (I previously thought it was all strip malls and no character)...the oneplacers showed me otherwise

*Working with friends towards an exciting future for Rise Up PHX

*Super Bowl Party at my folks house...let's just say Kevo and my dad ended up in the pool with their clothes on...

*Gentleman's Jack, Christina, Aisea, Kevo, Miah, and Shells and a long freestyle rap session

*Hearing Obama speak...and getting goosebumps

*Speaking at La Casa on immigration...

*Best coffee ever in Santa Monica at the Funnel Mill

*As always, reconnecting with old friends and meeting new friends...

Thanks to everyone who was a part of the journey- I look forward to seeing many of you again soon when Erin and I come out for the Grand Opening of the Rise Up store. I am sure I will elaborate more on some of these events in the future, I just needed a place to put them down in the meantime...love you all!

Two Week Trek of Awesome

Welp, I am sitting in the airport right now awaiting my flight to Los Angeles. I just had the most painless check-in/security walk thru EVER! I know this is a rare thing...so I'll skip the bragging...

I am heading out on what will be a two week trek of awesome. First stop is Los Angeles to hang with some friends from Risen, then drive down with Trevor + Christina to San Diego where we will meet Kevo + Dave (my boss and friend) for a conference called "developing hearts for justice."

The conference sounds like it will be awesome as we start in San Diego and head across the border for the Tijuana where we stay in community with deported immigrants at a Catholic mission called casa del migrantes. There, we will join with 150 other participants for conversations and workshops led by Richard Rohr, Brian McLaren, George Johnson, James Forbes, Samuel Ruiz (Bishop of Chiapas), and some others I am less familiar with. I love that this conference on justice will be held in Tijuana as opposed to other conferences talking about justice held at the Hyatt Ballroom.

I'll keep you all posted on how the conference turned out- blogging about it here in the future. Post Tijuana, Kevo and I will head to the garment district in Los Angeles with good friends Miah + Shelly for a day of buying for the new RISE UP PHX Boutique. Kevo and I will then head back to Phx for a week of fun, fundraisers, street team training, 1st Fridays, possible community dinner with Kelli and Adam???, drinks with Sam, B ball with Mark, speaking at Neil's youth group + One Place, and of course some time with my fam.

For those of you who read this blog- I cannot wait to kick it this week (8 of 15 from my blogroll)!!! It has been over a year since my last time in AZ! See you soon!

PS. I am flying Horizon Air- they serve free micro brew beer and local wine on their flights...here's to being buzzed before I get off the plane!

Lost & Found: Blackberry

First off, thank you to everyone who has made the effort to update their blogrolls with my new site. Ya gotta love the free blog!

In other news, I lost my cell phone while snowboarding last Saturday- so....all of my contacts + phone numbers are gone. It has proven to be an incredibly frustrating process re-accumulating everyone's phone number, and finding a new phone.

But, ALAS! I finally found a new (fancy) phone! That's right, ladies and gentlemen...I found a used blackberry!

The world of the smart phone is new to me- but the concept of getting my e mail without having to find wi fi and having my calendar in my pocket sounds amazing! In other words, I have been totally geeking out today as I explore this new world.

I still have the same phone number- so you all should be able to get a hold of me. If you all could send me an e-mail ronwernerjr@gmail.com re-giving me your phone #'s that would be awesome.

And finally, for those of you in AZ- I will be there for a whole week starting Saturday, the 27th of January thru Monday, February 4th. Let's hang out! Hit me up and we'll grab a drink!

Rest in Peace

I have been fortunate to hear many good speakers over the course of my 24 years. Two years ago I heard the best, most moving of them all. His name was John O' Donahue...he came to Bend to speak to the hospice worker and pastoral community. A former priest from Ireland, this poet made every word count. Storied in the great mystics and an avid Scotch drinker- this man was both very human, gentle, and filled with great humor. At multiple times I found myself crying and laughing uncontrollably. I immediately after began to read a collection of his writings called Anam Cara. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Last Sunday, I got word that John had passed at the age of 54 quietly in his sleep. May he rest and peace...and may his words inspire future generations to action, contemplation, and awaken us from slumber.

If anyone in the blogmmunity would like to read Anam Cara with me- I am going to dive into it again...let me know. You can find a great reflection from John's friend Gareth Higgins here (it is well worth the read).

Primarily Stuuuupid

Last night was the New Hampshire primary. The date yesterday was January 8th. Last night I decided to look up the date for Oregon's primary- much to my chagrin, I found out that our primary is not until May 20th. WTF!!!??? The only other places that have primaries after us are Montana and Puerto Rico- even Guam votes before we do....uggghh

I hate to admit that my vote may be totally irrelevant...but...it is seemingly so. Can someone please explain to me why we don't have them all on the same day?

One more reason why our election process is primarily stuuuupid.

Year End Love: Top Ten 2007

Welcome friends to a new year, new blog, and new musings...

After two great years at typepad, I have decided to move over to the free blog powerhouse. Before I deleted my typepad account- I revisted some of my old posts and your old comments...ahh the memories! May the next two years bring forth hope amidst troubling times.

But, before I move into 2008- I have some unfinished business. So without further a do...

NUMBER 10: The Green Movement

Nothing to me was more "played" out this year than this culmination of Eco/Enviro/Al Gore/Green push. Don't get me wrong- I think the environment is incredibly important, climate change is real, and have been personally moved to live more intelligently...but the marketing for this movement has totally killed it for me. You can't open up a magazine today, without seeing a gang of "green" inspired ads, from some of the worst offenders- wal-mart, ford, chevy...uggghhh. Oh, and can someone please tell me what the hell Live Earth was all about....no wonder the Prius is the new hot celeb car.

NUMBER 9: TIME Magazine

I have been a subscriber for two years now. In early 2007 they reformatted the mag in two ways: a more focused, sharp, clean page...and a more "future-focused" appeal. There goal has become to be the first to see and report on future issues, global trends, culture change, etc. This runs in stark contrast to their previous model of reporting what is current instead of projecting the future. This is evident in their selction of Vladmir Putin (the more future-focused choice) as their person of the year as opposed to giving it to Al Gore (the more current choice). Hats off to the editors of TIME, I will subscribe for another year.

NUMBER 8: The Judd Apatow Gang

This crew is hot right now- their brand of comedy had me rolling this year. Knocked Up & Superbad were not only incredibly funny in theaters, but were even funnier the second time...and third for that matter. My mom bought me Superbad for Christmas without having seen it. The day after Xmas she called me embarressed about the gift- apparently my mom, sister, and Grandma sat down on xmas day to watch it for the first time.....awkward. I had a good laugh- and said that I was stoked on the gift. Next up Drillbit Taylor starring Owen Wilson.

NUMBER 7: The Music & Movies

Alright...I hate to say it..but...I thought that movies & music sucked this year. So here is my top 5 list within a list.

5. Juno
4. Once
3. Superbad
2. Knocked Up
1. The Lives of Others

5. M.I.A.- Kala
4. Common- Finding Forever
3. Thrice- Alchemy Index: Fire & Water
2. Talib Kweli: Eardrum
1. Lupe Fiasco: The Cool

I know, I know....lots of comedy, lots of hip hop- but, if we are being honest...those were indeed my faves Here's to a hopefully better year. I should also mention here, that TV sucked too- top three reasons why:

3. I officially pronounce television news dead in 2007. Objectivity has been buried. Entertainment= ratings....te-ar
2. The Office made me want to cry more than laugh this year. Partly because the storyline had me feeling horrible for Michael Scott, and partly because the show may have peaked in season 3 (hard to say out loud...although you were all thinking it).
1. I need Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert to keep me sane amidst political turmoil...the producers have taken this joy from my life. Come back soon...with fairly paid writers!

NUMBER 6: apple

Is going to take over the world. They already have. I am a totally bought in sucker..is there anyone else super excited for the 2008 Macworld Keynote???!!! Have you heard the rumors about the next move for apple??? Jay-Z, the recently stepped-down President of Def Jam records may be partnering with them to run a new music label...HOVA

NUMBER 5: Celebrity Culture

It has showed no signs of slowing down. I hate to even give it credit- but, it will most likely be NUMBER 5 on my year end list forever. America Wake Up Please!!!

NUMBER 4: Election 2008

For obvious reasons this cracked the top 5. Primaries have been moved up, change vs. experience has entered our vocabularies, and the countdown that began 7 years ago will end imminently. Obama/Edwards '08???!!!

NUMBER 3: RIP MILESTONE

There were a few deaths this year that were highly symbolic for me:

Anna Nicole Smith: One of the first tabloid queens of our generation to die. I am convinced that overexposure leads to death. Celebrity/tabloid culture will kill more than one in 2008...I sadly guarantee it.

Jerry Falwell: The death of this Christian fundamentalist symbolized the changed tone of religious conversation in America. Jim Wallis & Sojourners efforts have indeed changed the tenor of the dialogue. God is not a republican or democrat- nor does God lie between a series of either/or statements.

Kurt Vonnegut: We may never get another author like this. Writers, because of entertainment marketing/celebrity culture will be forced to adapt to new models. I hope new generations discover the writings of Kurt, discover the power of the pen, and not let "the man" control their words.

NUMBER 2: RACISM

"Racism is still alive, they just be concealin' it" - K. West

This year we saw that racism in america is indeed alive and well. The Don Imus scandal frustrates me on so many levels. I am pissed that the scandal ultimately moved beyond Imus to hip hop. Apparently music makes a much better scapegoat than cowboy white folk. Stupid. Also stupid... he is coming back to the airwaves.

Michael Richards' racist tirade at the comedy club dashed my hopes for a seinfeld reunion. Instead, Jerry put out Bee Movie (ugghh).

And finally, the situation in Jena leaves me speechless. I hope justice will be served- and america will look for new ways to confront issues like racism.

NUMBER 1: Steroids in Baseball

I know, I know...how could steroids in baseball be my number 1??? I don't personally enjoy baseball- haven't watched a game in years, but still was deeply affected by the Report that just came out citing a bunch of players and managers for steroid use. I think this report acts as a metaphor for our nation. Baseball is America's "game," its "favorite pastime," it is the sport of kids old and young. Yet, like America has some dirty laundry that we as a nation have to deal with. But...we would rather pretend that the problems didn't exist. We would rather sweep them under the rug- continue with business as usual as long as we were not directly affected.

In today's world we are okay with "performance enhancing" drugs if it means a win. We are okay with torture, guantanamo bay, and the destruction of evidence- as long as we thwart terrorists (a win). Hard work and sacrifice have been replaced with instant gratification and consumerism.

The worst part....things won't change (foreign policy or baseball) unless we DEMAND IT. May we as a blog community spur change in 2008. May we DEMAND justice. May we run with speed towards the day when justice & peace reign....