How will you watch the Super Bowl?

I've been thinking (thanks to my wife). Tomorrow is the biggest public sporting event in the United States. An event drawing over 100 million viewers around the country, and growing each year. An event where advertisers will pay $3.8 million for 30 seconds of your time. Super Bowl coverage will start at 4:00am on the West coast and viewers will undoubtedly watch and listen to hours of media leading up to and following this event.

Media floods us. We take it in even when we're not trying. Someone living in a city is estimated to see up to 5,000 advertisements per day. A New York times writer found "advertisers say the best way to reach time-pressed consumers is to try to catch their eye at literally every turn." Is it possible that our minds are affected, even rewired, by media and technology intake without even thinking about it?

Are you taking ownership for what you view...and how it affects you?

This week, the End It Movement unveiled a full page ad in USA Today. This movement is part of a growing effort to expose and eliminate slavery worldwide. This timing is not coincidental. This ad shows up in the Super Bowl preview weekend newspaper. This ad is dropped just before we engage in the biggest annual media explosion in our culture.

The Super Bowl is not just a football game. The Super Bowl is used by many as a manipulative tool with an enormous audience. The Super Bowl is Rome's Colosseum multiplied by 1,800 (111 million vs 60,000).

Sadly, the Super Bowl has become the single largest venue for sex trafficking in this country. In fact, eight people were arrested on Thursday as part of a human trafficking effort. Five precious lives of victims were rescued.

Related, the advertisements we watch will undoubtedly objectify human beings, mostly women, and we will pause to watch those commercials. We even celebrate them. CBS will air an overabundance of footage of the respective team's "cheerleaders." What are producers and advertisers attempting to sell?

The question(s) I've been asking myself and I now ask you:

How will you watch the Super Bowl? Will you allow it to manipulate you? Will you allow it to tell you how to think and what to buy? Will you celebrate the sexual objectification they think you crave? Will you forget the many whose dignity is ripped from them due to the event of a football game?

Maybe you won't even watch the Super Bowl? People have boycotted in the past. I would respect that.

But if you do, I challenge you to consider and critique the ways that this broadcast will try to manipulate you.

And, check out the End It Movement for ways to proactively stand up for the oppressed.

And, watch the video above. It challenged me to consider the ways I participate in a world that objectifies the very human beings I am committed to loving, honoring, and respecting.

The Swing of Things

This is the first day of the first "normal" week here at Whitworth for us. Kyle's folks, Mark and Cindi were here for a visit last week. We had a great time celebrating my birthday, refinishing furniture, eating at fave 3 restaurants, exploring local fruit farms (pumpkin doughnuts and apple cider!!!), attending Chapel, enjoying the gorgeous grounds at Manito Park, and taking a little day-trip to Sandpoint, ID. So great that they now know what our life looks like here. They approve of our guest room so come on up, y'all!

There is always something going on around here. Tyrone Wells (a local Spokanite) is putting on a concert this week, finally going to the Farmer's Market downtown, meeting up with my RA from Bodenseehof who now lives in Couer d'Alene, volleyball games, student dinners, and coffee dates abound. The Fall weather is finally starting to make its way to the Northwest (it was 90 degrees on Saturday). Time for scarves and tea and riding boots. It is refreshing to feel like there is a sense of normalcy as we experience our first season change.

Still looking for a church body that we can be part of. Trusting the Lord for His timing and clarity. Started my Spiritual Formation Workshop a few weeks back. Really enjoying learning about intimacy with Christ and anticipating a challenging and refreshing look at (and practice in) the disciplines. May you stop trying to live for Jesus, but let Him live through you. It is about His Life.

Traditiation

Every year when the freshmen arrive they embark on a three day introduction of sorts to Whitworth and their Hall called Traditiation. This clever word (tradition + initiation) encompasses everything from meetings, to competitions, to moments of reflection, to welcome dinners. The men and women of East Hall are called Kinsmen and Beauties. Kinsmen on leadership (the traditiators) wear red capes with nicknames on the back while the leadership Beauties wear colorful tutus and crazy vests with roses pinned on them, carry wands, and traipse everywhere we go. It was really special for Hoosier Daddy (Kyle) and Mother Salient (Me) to be involved in this creative three-day event for the first year students.

The competitions are the best. The third night students are on campus we all convene at the Fieldhouse for "Yell-Off." It begins with a massive dance party. Let me tell you - Whitworth likes to dance! Each Hall team takes about 4-5 minutes to yell their Hall chants and cheers as loud as they can on stage in front of everyone. It.gets.crazy. The following night is "Mock Rock" (sort of a lip-sync dance to a 3.5 minute mix of music). This year, the East Hall Beauties took first place! Check out their fly performance here. So proud of these gals - they put this whole thing together on their own in a single afternoon! Rock on, Beauties!

Classes started on Wednesday and Convocation was yesterday morning. The Whitworth community was challenged to use the gift of the mind by being intellectually competent, to practice moral courage, and have hearts of compassion for others. Kyle and I are thankful we get to be at an institution that values these things. Excited to do life with these students each day!

Ministry of Presence

I am quickly becoming quite intrigued by Henri Nouwen. I read "In the Name of Jesus" while in Ireland and loved his simple yet profound approach to leadership and loving others. Since moving to Spokane I have spent a lot of time thinking about what to do with my time. This has led me to question why our society defines people by their occupation not by who they are; their likes or dislikes; their passions; their motives. Kyle and I have discussed the potential for jobs here and if that is a good fit for me right now. The more we have talked and prayed it seems that this is a season of openness; of vulnerability; of finding my identity not in what I do but in Who loves me. I saw this quote by Nouwen the other day and it has meant more to me than I can express. Living in a dorm with college students gives me the kind of freedom he describes. And yet, he humbly puts into words the tension I feel daily.

"More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel like you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn't be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs, that you do not simply like them, but truly love them."

Spokane

Biking The Centennial Trail (Spokane in the background)

Kyle helped me give this little guy a new look
Top of Mt. Spokane
First real meal at the Lantz abode

Well, Kyle and I have been here nearly six weeks already (hard to believe!). My Family drove out with us and helped us get moved in last month. Spokane is an interesting city. We have been telling people that the beauty and the weather remind us of Colorado and the pace and the (excuse the phrase) "hickness" of the residents reminds us of Indiana. Kyle's RA's came a couple days ago and it has already been such a joy to get to know them - they are a stellar group of people! The whole leadership team is now together and gearing up for the campus to be bustling again starting next week. I am so thankful that I get to be here and support Kyle in the work he is doing. Come visit us!

"Is this going to be forever?"

I love this video: "David After Dentist." This poor seven year old kid is reeling from the effects of anesthesia after getting some work done on his teeth. The best part is (at 1:43) when David says, "Is this going to be forever?" He knows something is amiss - things are not as they should be. His Dad (with a knowing chuckle) assures him that the feelings he is experiencing are only temporary. I feel like David sometimes. The "medicine" of this world produces hopelessness and fear. It blurs our vision; causing us to not see things clearly. It leads me to question my Abba Father, "God, will this world be like this forever? Will I be like this forever?" And God, with a perfectly knowing smile responds, "No." The great thing about the video is that David believes his Dad but it doesn't keep him from letting out a sigh (at 1:55) of frustration. The renewing of all things is a process, but thank God, it is already in progress! In Revelation 21 we find the promise of this coming renewal, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” God is moving in our midst. May we be faithful to join Him in what He is already doing.

Whole Wheat Lemon Peach Cake

Made this wonderful cake this weekend with hand picked peaches from Walter's Fruit Ranch - a local farm. Yummy!!! I made a frosting from a different torte recipe found here. Warning: the frosting is incredibly delicious...and incredibly bad for you. I think I will ditch the frosting next time and just enjoy the cake with some vanilla ice cream. This would be a great cake to make for a birthday celebration or bridal shower - not too sweet and the peaches retain their fresh taste through baking. The directions say to bake about an hour. I would do a little less than that - just keep your eye on it the last 10 minutes