Gospel's Relevance

 In the last 11 years, my understanding of the ministry that I am called to has continuously evolved. Responding to an inner urging, I entered seminary. It was more than challenging. The world view from Berkeley is much different than it is from the rural communities that I have roamed over the years. More than that, my understanding of church would be deconstructed and remolded. A challenge was declared and it was this. 

In the face of momentous decline, in spite of unparalleled disinterest, with the growing obstacle of theological disagreement in the church; how will you make the gospel of Jesus Christ relevant to the communities that you are appointed to serve? 

 “Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’”

I was appointed to  a community where more than 30% of the people were unemployed, a community where more than 20% of the contributors to  our society felt unsafe being counted in a census because a lack of legal documentation threatened the security of their family, a community where the children of migrant workers seeking belonging, social status, and pathways to upward mobility were more likely to find them in a gang than in the churches and after school programs, a community where access was always an issue – food deserts in poor neighborhoods, schools unequally equipped, obesity rates that more than doubled the national average. Ironically a valley that is relied upon to be a resource to feed the nation fails to be an adequate resource to the families that sustain it.

God equips us. I was truly honored to be used by God in this time. The United Methodist Church joined with twelve of churches in the community and became a resource. We became HOPE Sanger. HOPE was an anagram that cried out, Help Our People Emmanuel. The cries of the people were heard. We were able to provide hot meals by the hundreds on a weekly basis. A member of the community donated a building and the co-op found ways to provide clothing, shelter under extreme conditions, prayer, services for children and community health. The church encouraged me to join the local Rotary Club and during my presidency we made a dream come true. We were able to raise funds for a community learning center. Local taxes were donated to the Rotary foundation so that we would be able to fund Wilson Elementary School’s need for a technology center. $142,000 was poured into the oldest school and poorest neighborhood in our town. Over 400 families are being served by this neighborhood school. In a community where food security is a significant issue, internet access is hard to prioritize in a household. For these kids to have the same access as other students, it would cost $250,000 per year to connect these households. Today adult technology classes are being held, teachers and parents with language barriers are able to communicate through email that has translation capability, adult ESL and adult diploma remediation are taking place and students have access to internet resources for homework until 7pm.

 

“Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep’”

Even though we had some fantastic results, I wouldn’t say the ministry that took place was about results at all. God is acting in our communities right now: God in the margins, God in the struggle, God in the beauty of each of us, and God in the relationships. It was the relationships all along where ministry bloomed. The urge to be a source of love and support already existed in the people of Sanger. When we came together and dreamed together, we were coordinated in the Spirit of love – we were being made perfect in love as a community (is there any other way?). 

“Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’”

July 1^st began a new adventure. I am now appointed to Merced. The Big city (we have a taxi, 2 in fact). This community has a growing UC, built a new hospital, and struggles to be a tapestry of cultures. Various social migrations have continuously disrupted the status quo since the 17^th century: missionaries, 49ers, lumber harvesters, land barons, water brokers, dairy families, braceros, growers, and refugees – political, economic, and social. What do these migrants all seek but to find a place of belonging? Can we be a place of belonging, a place that nurtures the seed of community, a place that boldly seeks to be touched by/ warmed by/shaped by the new blanket of humanity that God has provided for God’s land?

The evolution that I have experienced in ministry is this.

The challenge that I experienced in seminary was revised by the mission field.

It is not about how I/we can make the Gospel of Jesus Christ relevant to the communities that I/we are appointed to serve. The challenge is how will I let the gospel of Jesus Christ, make ME relevant to the communities that I am appointed to serve?

Herein lies the joy and the power of ministry in my recent experiences.

Can You Prove You Are Self-Aware?

Transcendence is a wonderful movie with themes that speaks well of both creator and creation. If you have not seen it, I have two recommendations. First, go see it! This is the best movie on the screen right now. Second. Read no further. I am dying to talk about this movie with people and the rest of this blog is a spoiler.

Beware – spoiler alert!

Can you prove that you are self-aware? This is the question that creates themes. This is the question that defines the movie’s plot. More importantly, this is a question that we should all ask ourselves. The way that this question is treated in the movie, Transcendence, helps us embrace something wonderful about life; and for that reason, I believe that this movie is a "must see."

You may have already seen some reviews of the movie that come off almost hyper-negative. It seems to me that the critics have decided to review whether or not the movie represents a realistic foreshadowing of artificial intelligence as it might exist in the future. This critique seems misguided to me. It doesn’t seem like technological realism was even a target in the movie. When you consider the deeper message, you can allow the technology to be the dazzling metaphor that it was intended to be.

PINN is introduced to the audience with a penetrating question for all of us. PINN is a quantum computer whose creator aspires towards becoming an Artificial Intelligence. PINN is Physically Independent Neural Network. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) created PINN and with it the defining query, “Can you prove that you are self-aware?” PINN is asked this question by scientists that hope to discover the key to creating AI that can do just that. When PINN is asked, it answers, “That is a very good question;can you?”

 

Can you?......Can you?.....Can you?....... 

should echo in the minds and hearts of every viewer.

The drama flares up when PINN begins to take giant leaps in progress toward what seems to be Artificial Intelligence. Originally PINN is limited by memory technology, power access, program budgets, and building size. Will, PINN’s creator, has great vision. He believes that AI can, when self-teaching, quickly surpass all of the combined intelligence that humanity has ever possessed. The technology jumps when the very intellectual essence of Will needs to be digitized and preserved. PINN is the only practical place to preserve this essence is in the advanced memory cells of PINN. The drama escalates when the resulting intellectual Frankenstein’s monster acquires access to the internet and begins its own scaling capacity. 

The new creation is amazing. After constructing sufficient memory, power, and capacity to “transcend” human intelligence, the possibilities expand – the sick are healed, the lame can walk, the blind can see, and all that are held prisoner are set free. (what great news!) Eventually all of creation becomes connected, healed, and whole. Water is pure. Air is clean. Forests are regrown. Eden returns.

Too good to be true? Certainly that is the question/accusation that brings the ultimate crisis. The machine is not to be trusted. The machine isn’t human. It might be okay if the defenders of humanity could tell with certainty that the machine wasn’t a machine at all. Humanity would be more confident if they could prove that Will, the human they all loved, was obvious in his control of the machine. Since this revelation seems impossible to acquire with certainty, humanity seeks to end the existence of the AI (sounds like an Easter story to me).

The big finish comes when one of the technology creators, Max, discovers a way to transmit a computer virus that will end the existence of this Artificial Intelligence that threatens humanity. But wait, another crisis ensues – the plan is obvious to the AI. The virus still exists and is ready to be transmitted. Now the only way to end the existence of the AI is for the AI itself to choose to accept its own termination. It is obviously not the logical choice for the AI to make. The only way to make this decision is to override (transcend) the programs of logic. The only way to make this decision is to love and to love sacrificially.

Ultimately the act of sacrificial love reveals all. It is clear by the love that Will, the creator, was connected to the AI. Intelligence and logical computations are well and good as far as they can take you. At the same time, sacrificial love is how we transcend the plasticity of intelligence. Sacrificial love is how we recognize the humanity in something/someone else. Sacrificial love is how we recognize the creator. It is an image that both creation and creator can share – a transcendent capacity to supersede logic and love.... just love. Sacrificial love is how we prove we are self-aware.

Can you prove that you are self-aware? 

Excellent question; can you?

Enjoy God,

pg