Shawn Casselberry
Shawn Casselberry's Blog
smiles and cries. / Apr 17, 01:55 PM
There’s a line in the movie Training Day where the rookie narcotics detective Jake Hoyt claims he has the streets figured out. He says it’s all about smiles and cries. He goes on and says, “You gotta control your smiles and cries, because that’s all you have and nobody can take that away from you.” In his view, to survive the streets you have to be tough and control your emotions so nobody can hurt you. But as followers of Jesus in the city, we do not bury our emotions in order to survive, we embrace them in order to fully live.
During a training with Mary Nelson from Bethel New Life, Inc., she told us that ministry in the city is all about the agony and the ecstasy. We all knew what she meant. One minute you are celebrating a triumphant moment and the next minute you are mourning a tragedy. We see men and women coming off the streets finding freedom in Christ and others that return to the streets bound to their old addictions. We see teens growing stronger in their faith and becoming leaders in the community and at the same time see other teens disengage from school and get involved in gangs (We have had twenty-three student homicides this year alone). We see neighbors organizing to resist the negative forces that threaten the well-being of their neighborhoods and others that fatalistically give up all hope for change. It’s agony and it’s ecstasy. It’s smiles and cries.
Our ministry is sharing in the laughter and the tears of our neighbors. In this way, we live the cross and the resurrection daily. This is hard to quantify in an annual report. Our ministry is not an evangelistic technique or tool, it is sharing all of our lives with people. This means that the agonies and tragedies are just as significant as the ecstasies and triumphs. Mourning with a mom who lost her son is just as sacred as celebrating when a neighbor finds a job. Isn’t this what Paul’s getting at when he urges the Corinthians to be Christ’s Body. “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” Being the church is about suffering and rejoicing with each other, sharing the agonies and the ecstasies. It’s all about smiles and cries.
Living History / Feb 7, 10:26 AM
February is Black History Month. Living in a big city like Chicago, you see Black history jump off the pages of history books. Over the last few years, I have been able to see dynamic leaders who have contributed greatly to Black History. I saw Jesse Jackson Sr., leading a march for equal school funding in downtown Chicago. I have witnessed a persistent John Perkins calling for Christians to be involved in holistic community development in urban communities across the country. I heard Marian Wright Edelman of the Children’s Defense Fund speak passionately about healthcare for all children and an end to the cradle-to-prison pipeline. I saw U.S. Representative and former chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) John Lewis talk about his personal involvement with King and the Civil Rights struggle. Last year, I saw Senator Barak Obama announce his bid for the presidency at University of Illinois-Chicago. I have been marveled by the prophetic passion and insight of Dr. Cornel West as he exposed the moral and political indifference to injustice in our country. I was challenged last month when former Black Panther and political prisoner Angela Davis called for prison abolition and a new generation of young people to lead a revolution of change.
While preparing to hear Dr. Cornel West at St. Sabina’s Church on the Southside of Chicago, Father Pfleger told a group of young people that their greatest education will not come from schools or universities. He said, “Your greatest education will happen listening to the stories of the older generation who have gone before us.”
I believe he’s right. My education in Black History has not come primarily from books or classes, but witnessing the living histories of influential Black leaders from the Civil Rights struggle to those struggling for change today. I look forward to continuing my education.
Why White People Should Honor Dr. King / Jan 20, 03:17 PM
I am especially excited to celebrate Martin Luther King Day this year and honor his legacy. I’m sad to say, I haven’t always been. I haven’t always understood what he has done for me. I mean, I understood that what he did was significant for African Americans, but I didn’t feel like I had a reason or even a right to celebrate it. After all, it is “their” holiday.
Three years ago, during the Martin Luther King holiday, I was struck with a revelation of what King’s life means for me as a white person. It hit me as hard as anything I have ever experienced. It felt like grace, you know, the cleansing, demanding grace that makes you aware you can never live the same again. As a Christian I experienced that kind of grace before in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, but I didn’t expect to experience it again in light of King’s sacrifice for civil rights. I guess I felt like a Gentile sinner who realized that the Jewish Savior had died for him too.
I believe white people should honor Dr. King because he included us in his dream. He envisioned a society, a beloved community, where white people and black people could hold hands together in peace and brother/sisterhood. His dream was not for “blacks only.” He did not seek to replace white supremacy with black supremacy. He cast the vision for an inclusive society grounded in equality and dignity for all, where no one, whether black or white, would be excluded from the God-given right of freedom.
We also owe Dr. King a great debt for raising the social consciousness of our nation. He revealed to us the immorality of racism, militarism, and materialism and showed us that our morality cannot be confined to personal private action, but must translate into social action on behalf of the poor and oppressed.
Dr. King showed us that nonviolence is a viable alternative to violence and works on both the personal and political level to resolve conflicts and promote peace. He provides future generations with a blueprint for prophetic witness and social change.
White people should honor Dr. King because he gave us the gift of humility. He helped white people see themselves as God sees them, neither superior or inferior to anyone. This humility to see ourselves as equal with others is not always welcomed as a gift. The Pharisees did not appreciate Jesus telling them they were no better than the tax collector or prostitute. But it is a liberating gift to those that receive it. Martin Luther King fought the distortions racism causes for both blacks and whites. By attacking white supremacy and racism, King was fighting as much for the liberation of white people as he was fighting for the liberation of African Americans. I believe this is what he meant when he said “their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.”
Lastly, Dr. King should be celebrated because he was a great man. The example of his courageous life is inspirational to anyone who seeks to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God. King was a man deeply devoted to doing God’s will and making the world more like God’s kingdom.
This is why we owe so much to Martin Luther King and the movement he inspired. This is why we all something to celebrate this Martin Luther King Day.
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New Year's Resolution: Save the Planet / Jan 8, 11:55 PM
Over the break, I finally had a chance to read the book “Serve God, Save the Planet” by J. Matthew Sleeth M.D. It is an inspirational call for Christians to care for the environment and the poor across the world that suffer as a result of our overconsumption. His journey took him from living comfortably in the medical profession to championing the cause of environmental stewardship. He and his family made radical changes to reduce their impact on the environment and embraced a less materialistic lifestyle.
In light of this reading, I have decided to make New Year’s resolutions with the health of our planet in mind. By making my resolutions public I hope to hold myself accountable and inspire others to make small steps toward saving our planet. Interestingly, many of these environmental resolutions will end up making us healthier and save us money.
1. I will replace all our standard light bulbs with energy saving eco-bulbs.
2. I will eat less pork and beef since they require much more energy to process.
3. I will dramatically limit my fast food consumption since cheap prices come at the expense of farmers, forestry, and tomato pickers, not to mention all the extra waste they produce.
4. I will refuse single-use bags when shopping since they just end up in landfills.
5. I will turn lights and computers off when I am not using them to conserve energy.
6. I will recycle as much of our trash as possible.
7. I will precycle to cut down on purchasing non-recyclable materials.
8. I will choose to walk or take public transportation whenever possible to limit my oil consumption.
9. I will shop at used and second hand stores for books, clothes, and other things I genuinely need while I cut back on unnecessary wants.
10. I will downsize my material possessions (and not replace them) and look for practical ways to share my material and financial blessings with those that need them more.
11. I will spend more time in physical activity outdoors and less time inside watching fruitless sporting events and mindless t.v.
12. I will use my vote to support candidates that care about the environment and the poor.
I don’t expect these to be easy, but I know that they are resolutions worth striving for. Wish me luck!
What are your eco-resolutions?
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Taking the pressure out of prayer / Dec 9, 02:07 PM
Growing up, I used to think my prayers had to be original. Whether praying publicly or privately I felt this underlying pressure to be fresh, relevant, and new. I felt that my originality in prayer was a sign of my spirituality with God. I thought God would not answer my prayers unless they were dazzling.
Sometimes I would approach prayer like a math or science equation. If I just had the right formula then my request was guaranteed to be fulfilled. God was like a giant vending machine and prayer was the money that granted me my desires. If I didn’t get what I wanted I must have screwed something up.
During seminary, I couldn’t pray without stressing out about getting my theology right in prayer. Do I pray to Jesus or to God through Jesus? Does the Holy Spirit feel left out? As if God were sitting there critiquing my prayers for theological correctness, style, and grammar.
Now I don’t worry about all that stuff. One thing that has helped me take the pressure out of prayer is by praying the prayers of saints and other prophetic people down through history. I don’t think this is a cop out. After all, when the disciples asked Jesus to help them pray Jesus shared his prayer with them. I think it can be a form of humility to admit we have no clue how to pray. And humility is a good thing right?
Here are some of the prayers that have been helping me to learn to pray. They are not dazzling, presumptuous, or particularly theological. Maybe that is why they are such good prayers for me.
I just discovered this prayer by fourth century Bishop Serapin.
“We beg you, God, make us fully alive.”
Prayer of Saint Catherine of Siena
“Lord, take me from myself and give me to yourself.”
A Tax Collectors Prayer in Luke 18:13
“God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Prayer for Justice
“Grant us, Lord God, a vision of your world as your love would have it:
a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;
a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them;
a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect;
a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love.
Give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen”
Please share any struggles you have had in prayer or prayers you have found that have been helpful in your journey.
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