Mastering Memphis, step 6

I started this Mastering Memphis series shortly after graduating from seminary.  I wanted to chronicle everything or everyone I had experienced since moving here in the fall of 2004 (War Eagle and Go Sox).  Jesse told me it was kind of boring.  I can't disagree with her.  Other than tales regarding my former roommates, there wasn't a lot that seemed arresting and I'm not sure it was written very well.  All in all, it was a fairly insignificant collection of memories.

Memories can be elusive.  In his essay, "My Father's Brain," Jonathan Franzen notes how the brain functions as a memory keeper through the process of myelinization.  Myelin is a fatty substance that strengthens certain neural connections in the brain, which allows certain neurological memory functions to solidify in developing brains.  The least myelinized parts of the brain are those that have the most to do with the process of transitioning short-term memories into long-term ones.  This might be most evident in the digression of mental capcities in Alzheimer's sufferers, but perhaps, in more mundane ways, might explain why your grandparents told you the same stories repeatedly.  Those were the experiences they remembered best and longest after others had faded obscurity.

Jagger-ian Spirituality

As much fun as it would be to write about the spiritual symbolism of painting everything black, I'd like to look instead at the more mainstream theory of pop-theologian, Mick Jagger.  Specifically, the idea that I can't get no satisfaction.

This idea first came to me several years ago when I got to spend some time listening to Tony Campolo.  Dr. Campolo is old (76, if wikipedia and my calculator are correct).  When he spoke, he would stand resolutely on stage, rarely moving.  He would lean against a bar chair brought on stage for him with his eyes closed and left hand raised to his temple, speaking profundities with simple words.  Here was a man who had written more books than the numbers of years I had been alive and he was still pushing forward.  He continued to walk, to grow, to seek, to learn, to mature.  The power of his words was backed by his depth of experience.  If spiritual years are like dog years, well, he was old.

Sitting there and watching this old guy with his eyes closed challenge everyone in the room, including himself, I began to wonder how he kept moving forward after all these years.  It seems to me that age can have a settling effect on most things: house foundations, dirt, waistlines, humans.  What is it that turns a pioneer into a settler?  I don't know how to articulate an exact answer, but I think it has something to do with Mick Jagger.


A strong Christian is never completely content with their spiritual journey. They never stop and say, "Look at me! I've made it, there's no more room for growth!" They're always a little bit dissatisfied because they see where they are spiritually, but they also see the next step and they never stop pursuing something deeper, richer, more mature in their relationship with God. At the same time, that dissatisfaction (for lack of a better word, truly) does not leak over into the rest of their life. In life, they are completely content. They're not chasing money, prestige and power, significance and security or anything else the world pursues. In a sense, they are content with everything but their spiritual life.


A weak Christian is the opposite: discontent with life and always pursuing the things of the world. But when it comes to their faith/relationship with God, they are satisfied with where they are. They say, "I've come far enough. I don't see any room for growth. I am satisfied with where I am, and God should be too."  Their satisfaction with the eternal allows more time and opportunity to pursue the temporary.


Is the sign of mature spiritual living a satisfaction or contentment with everything but spiritual living?  Are the strongest Christians the ones who snarl along with Mick about their lack of satisfaction with the status quo?

Maybe.


Matthew 9:16-17

"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Colossians 3:1-15

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.  Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Maybe not.

Maybe stronger Christians are just better dressed.

Bold Prediction

Fifteen years from now, on VH1's "I Love the First Decade of the 2000s (because we never agreed on what to call it)," there will be a 5 minute segment on p90x when they get to 2010.  A bald Judah Friedlander will try and demonstrate various moves and Aziz Ansari will talk about how people gave ubiquitous p90x updates but no one else cared and Gilbert Godfried will talk about all the people you knew who started it and then stopped after 2 weeks.

That's my thought about the current phenomenon that is p90x.  I'm not denegrating having it and doing it, or getting it and not doing it, I'm just amazed at how popular it has gotten in such a short amount of time.  I think it's on the list for the 2010 episode.  Then I googled "VH1 I love the" and saw that in 2008, the network ran a series called "I Love the New Millenium."  So really, it'll be next year.  And no, this is not a way for me to announce that I'm doing p90x.

Mastering Memphis, step five

Meeting Jesse meant several fantastic and exciting changes for me.  For one, I now had someone with which to share the joys of college football.  At that time, she was my only friend with a TiVo or an iPod, so that was cool.  The click wheel was so novel.  I discovered a bunch of new music and I had the option of eating fresh, cooked food that did not have to be heated in a microwave.  Also, I started turning left at the light at Park and Cherry.  Before I met Jesse, a la Zoolander, I had only turned right (that was the direction of the Target).  And, as if that wasn't enough, I now had a host of people who could barely contain their excitement and curiosity upon meeting me.  For some reason, there were literally hundreds of people who became very interested in meeting me and finding out everything they could about me.  Before, it was just me, Biff, and McFly, but now, it was odd people with names like Buster or Bubba or Gerald or Michael.  If this eclectic group of people had one thing in common, it was that they all cared deeply for Jesse and wanted to make sure that she hadn't fallen in with the wrong type.  If they had two things in common, it was that they all met at the same place to worship the Lord on Sundays.

Before I met Jesse, I had spent a couple of months at Sycamore View because I'd had some friends from undergrad who were there.  In fact, when I first met Jesse, I stayed out there for awhile longer because I didn't want to leave one place and then show up a month later and have to explain my absence.  It didn't take long for me to change my mind and head over to Highland for good.  It took even less time for me to be welcomed without reservation into a very big family.

The first time I met Buster was at the old duplex on Ellsworth after a Wednesday night when I was still at SVCC.  It was cold and I had a hoodie on.  It was dark, but he introduced himself and we chatted shortly before he left (it was cold).  Buster told Jesse and Brooke the next day that he thought I looked like Nathan Shank.  I think he's changed his mind since then.

I also remember the first time I went to Intermission.  I was in the lobby before we left on Saturday morning and some guy I had never seen before walked up to me and said, "Hey.  You seen that new intern girl? (Kyla Kiser) She's pretty cute.  You should go talk to her."  I responded, "Yeah.  I actually think that Jesse girl is cute.  She's my girlfriend."  Nice to meet you, Alan Moltz.

I'd met her once before, but that weekend was also the first time I'd see Leslie and Jonathan together.  The first huddle I attended (with Jesse - apparently, it was bring your boyfriend to huddle day) was also the first time I met Sarah Bagley.  I honestly don't remember the first time I met Gerald and Susie or Pam and Steve, but it wasn't long before the word got out that I was a keeper and I found myself spending Easter at the Guinn's or stopping by for a coke at the Jerkins.  It should also be noted that on our honeymoon, Gerald (what's the most graceful word I can use)... Gerald gently hoisted Susie through the back window of our house so they could get in to feed Owens.  That's what family does, I suppose.

I may not be able to come up with a more graceful word for "hoist," but certainly "family" fits and it's true to this day.  Memphis wouldn't be home for us without family.  And though it's expanding, I think it's safe to say that our Memphis family will always have strong Highland ties.

Mastering Memphis, steps four and following

Keeping a blog is an interesting process.  You choose to keep one and no one else really makes you.  But, if you don't maintain it regularly, it can become a source of guilt, stress or frustration.  Of course, if you do maintain it, the same can be true...  all because of something you choose to do.  Beyond that, you are choosing to publish words that other people read except, in most cases, you have no idea what they think about it.

Take my last post, for example.  Not only did I use the antiquated phrase, "dear reader," I also thought it was clever to refer to Jesse as "said female" as if there were some kind of mystery about who she was.  Sorry about that.


The truth is, it's difficult to fit Jesse into one moment or one step in the process of making Memphis home.  That's because it wasn't just one step among others - it's been every step since the day I met her.   Every step since that day has included her, in one way or another.  From helping her walk Owens down Ellsworth on Sunday mornings to her helping me edit last minute bibliographies, I found a friend who quickly became God's richest blessing in my life.  Jesse is technicolor to my black-and-white - my life would be so much less rich and full without her in it.

The first time I wrote nice things about Jesse on my blog, people thought I was proposing.  This time, as then, I don't have a particular reason except that I'm in love and I want to express it publicly in words.

When I moved here, I didn't like it at all.  The only people I saw every day were Biff and McFly and a perfect day included me being anywhere but Memphis.  Now, the perfect day includes me being anywhere in Memphis with Jesse.  I can't imagine life without her, and thankfully, I don't have to.