Heading Home

After 2,341 miles or driving spread out over a week on the road, I finally made it back to the place I like to call home, Alpharetta, GA. Here are some of the adventures I had along the way,

My first stop was lunch at a restaurant called Olives at the Bellagio. A friend recommended it to me and since it was my first time in Vegas, I decided to make it happen. Great view, but unfortunately, I didn't get to see the fountains in all their glory.

I stayed in Richfield, Utah the first night. I think the sunset lasted about two beautiful hours.

I stayed with my parents in Denver the next two nights. Shortly after arriving I found out one of my favorite bands was playing at Red Rocks Amphitheatre those two nights, twenty minutes from my parents' house. I couldn't not go, so I talked my dad into going over there with me. It was an epic night seeing Mumford and Sons in such an incredible venue.

They filmed the show I was at and here they are playing the first single off their upcoming album.


I also got to stop by Nashville to see some friends of mine, the McHughs (thanks for hosting!) and the Ballards.

Evan and I hit the town for some good times (which means dancing was obviously involved).

I came home to these men (among others). I love them and am excited to be doing life together.
"In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity; I want other lights than my own to show all his facets.” (CS Lewis, The Four Loves)

Waterfalls, Rock Jumping and Hiking at Tar Creek

Last weekend, I went hiking with a couple of friends at Tar Creek. It's a couple of hours northwest of LA in the Sespe wilderness. It's a beautiful two mile hike down to the creek. Once you get to the creek, it's about a mile and a half of rock hopping and bouldering through a canyon to get to the end, which is an eighty foot drop-off with a gorgeous view.

One of the best parts about the hike are the many waterfalls and pools you encounter as you go further downstream. Of course we decided to take advantage of come of the jumps and rockslides along the way. Apparently when I jump off of higher spots, my butt takes a lot more impact than it should. According to a chiropractor I saw a couple of days ago, I apparently sprained my tailbone from hitting the water. Believe me. You don't want to do this. It's fairly painful even a week later.

One of the guys I went with is a videographer and captured a lot of video footage. He ended up compiling and editing some of it into a short little video. I thought some of you would enjoy it.



(By the way, the helicopter towards the end was for a lady who had hurt her leg and was unable to climb her way back up. It was pretty crazy)

"It is finished" is the power for sanctification and freedom

From a recent post by Matt Ballard:

I find it interesting to note that the last words of Buddha were “keep striving”….. the last words of Jesus? ”It is finished”. I find my perpetually caffeinated, got-it-together persona often sounds a lot more like Buddha than like Jesus. My inner voice reminds me of a multitude of failures and urges me to make up for it by working harder, doing better. It tells me to strive FOR the privileged position of acceptability, but the Gospel of grace tells me to rest. It’s finished. Strive? YES, but strive FROM the privileged position of a beloved child that Jesus has earned for me. Engage your world with a restful soul. Maybe you can identify with me.

Jesus seems to always be wrecking my paradigm. Why would he do that? Because my old paradigm of ‘get it together, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, fake it till you make it, it’s not spiritual to need or grieve or be human perfectionism’ is tailor made to rob me of life, intimate relationships, freedom, and joy. God is in the business of liberating my heart and emancipating me to live out the story of His love to a watching world.

From Illegimate Child to Beloved Son

My good friend Jeff Dunbar was recently given the opportunity to share a bit of his life story in this video

Jeff Dunbar from James Christerson on Vimeo.

Looking at The Social Network

I saw The Social Network early last week. It is definitely worth seeing, both for the fast paced, intriguing plot line as well as for the deeper messages being conveyed. I won't ruin anything, but it's amazing to watch how utterly inept Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerburg is at connecting with real people. He is so consumed with being part of exclusive groups and being successful that he is unable to make and keep real friends.

There is so much in the film that should cause us all to reflect on the ways we engage in community today. With the world of Facebook and social media only growing stronger, we ought to be considering how to keep fostering face to face interactions with our friends, as opposed to merely scanning statuses and pictures with an occasional note or comment.

I like the way Brett McCracken said it in the conclusion of his recent review of the film. He basically gives a summary of why Facebook is so dominant:

In this new age, punk geniuses like Mark Zuckerberg come out on top because they’ve learned how to use technology to break down the previously impenetrable boundaries of class and power. They’ve learned how to take the aristocrat’s most prized possession–networking, exclusive connections–and make it an accessible, populist pastime for the masses. Facebook is a revolution because it harnesses the universal human longing to know and be known, while slowly eroding the old guard’s stratified systems of cultural hierarchy and power. Facebook is about leveling. Ironically, anyone can be a part of it, even while it feeds on our desire for exclusive membership and the performance/proclamation of unique identity. The paradox of this is why 600 million people are on Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg is the world’s youngest billionaire.

Alternate Atlanta

I'm very proud of my friends that played a part in creating this video. And I'm excited to play a small part in creating an Alternate Atlanta. Check this out to see what I mean:

ALT from James Christerson on Vimeo.

If you're a young adult in the North Atlanta area, be sure to check out the young adult ministry at Perimeter Church: Alternate Atlanta

The Greatest Gift I Can Give to my Fellow Christians

I ran across a really good quote on my friend Bert's blog a couple weeks ago. I've loved thinking about it and long to be this type of friend. It comes from A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent:

"The greatest gift I can give to my fellow Christians is the gospel itself. I love my fellow Christians not simply because of the gospel, but I love them best when I am loving them with the gospel! And I do this not merely by speaking gospel words to them, but also by living before them and generously relating to them in a gospel manner….

By preaching the gospel to myself each day, I nurture the bond that unites me with my brothers and sisters for whom Christ died, and I also keep myself well-versed in the raw materials with which I may actively love them in Christ….

We are all significant players in each other’s gospel narrative, and it is in relationship with one another that we experience the fullness of God in Christ. Hence, the more I comprehend the full scope of the gospel, the more I value the church for which Christ died, the more I value the role that I play in the lives of my fellow-Christians, and the more I appreciate the role that they must be allowed to play in mine."

My Enjoyment of Dancing

And David danced before the LORD with all his might. - 2 Samuel 6:14

I really love to dance. This past weekend I was in West Virginia for the wedding of my good friends Garrett and Allison. It was a special and memorable time and I was glad to be able to celebrate with them. And I think I most enjoyed and best took part in that celebration on the dance floor.

I probably should clarify what I mean by dancing. I don't mean swing, box step, or other similar styles of dance. These are fine and I take part in them from time to time. But what I'm talking about is when an upbeat song gets a hold of a person deep within them and causes their body to ebb and flow with the beat. Whether in my room, in my car, or on a dance floor somewhere, this is what I mean by dancing. And lately, many trips to MJQ along with some rocking wedding receptions have provided the ability to let loose in this way.

I can look over the last several years and see great evidences of God's work in my life through my enjoyment of dancing. Because my idol of choice is seeking approval, I've struggled a lot with anxiety and a lack of confidence in front of people. But sometimes, with the right company and the right music, I'm able forget where I am and just dance with unreserved passion. And it is a freeing thing, something that makes me feel full of life and grateful to God for such a wonderful invention.

You Can't Believe in Something You Don't

"I wish there was a God. I wish there was. It would be great. From what I've heard, he's brilliant. But, you can't believe in something you don't. Also, if there is a God, why did he make me an atheist?"

These are the words of the atheistic comedian Ricky Gervais coming from this video interview. I've been thinking about these words for the last several days since I saw the video, particularly about Gervais' explanation of not being able to believe in something you don't. I saw this on Abraham Piper's blog and he had some thoughts on this that got me thinking even more:

Here’s a thought experiment:

1. Pick something you believe (anything, no matter how insignificant…)
2. Now believe something different.
   

How’d that go for you?

We’re all myopic, in that we can only see what we see, believe what we believe. Sometimes what we see changes, and with it our beliefs, but what if what we see doesn’t change?

The more I keep this in mind, the harder it is to find fault with people who disagree with me…

I agree with AP's final thoughts. Over the last several weeks some experiences have humbled me and created in me some sense of understanding why some people don't have my worldview.

For instance, I talked with a good friend of mine Sunday night who considers himself a non-Christian. However, he used to consider himself a Christian and was a dear brother who was mightily encouraging in my walk with Christ in college. After having a discussion about what he believes to be true in life, I hung up the phone in sadness and frustration. I asked God, "Why do I believe and why doesn't he?"

It's not a matter of winsomely explaining the gospel or the apologetic arguments for belief. At the end of the day, the God who spoke light into darkness has to shine in a person's heart to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 4:6). This truth is humbling, because I didn't do anything to deserve it. But it's also a hard truth to me right now, because I know people that don't believe and I know God is in control of that.

Another good friend reminded me last night the helpful truth that we're not going to fully grasp these realities. And when in heaven, we will see nothing of God's sovereign decree as being unfair or wrong. Instead, we will worship the God who graciously spared a few sinners undeserving of His love.

The Importance of Good Friends

Roy posted some great thoughts concerning what he has learned about men and women:

When men do not connect/hang/love other men they:

• don’t lead
• their aspirations fizzle
• they stare at porn
• they get fat and watch reality TV with their wife or girlfriend
• we never meet expectations, not even our own

When women do not connect/hang/love other women they;

• become nags
• they crave control, if they lose it they become more of #1
• they hate both men and women
• their expectations get higher, no-one can ever meet them

In the end this boils down to where the gospel is meeting you….and if you are meeting with the gospel I believe it eventually leads to healthy same-sex relationships.

**the presupposition is that you have good friends...

Youth Mentoring

For the last couple of years, my roommate Scott has been a mentor to a young kid whose father passed away several years ago. Check out this video of the two of them talking about their experience. You can find out more about the youth mentoring program at our church here

The High Cost of Friendship

I've thought about friendship a lot recently. I feel extremely blessed for the great community of guys that I have around me. But I also feel a bit of guilt and shame because I don't love them as well as I would like to. It's easier to stay on the surface rather than talking about heart issues. It's easier to avoid conflict rather than confessing and forgiving one another's sins. It's easier to merely talk about an issue than engaging in prayer for and with one another. There is a very high cost to my comfort in friendship.

Over at Relevant Magazine, Seth Hurd has written a good article about this high cost. He takes into account how this culture of social networking has played a large role in re-shaping what our friendships look like.

Here's an exerpt:

"Everything in life costs us something—in time, money, energy, love or emotion. Friends, real know-you-down-to-your-soul friends, come at a high cost. They guarantee a lifetime of broken hearts as we say goodbye, farewell and amen, again and again over the course of our lives.

Sadly, more and more people are finding that cost too high. Fifty years ago, the average person had three or more close friends and family members in which to confide. Today, that average has dropped to somewhere between two and one. The world-within-a-world of social networking has its benefits, but it’s also continually drawing us further into an “invent your own fantasy” identity and away from face-to-face relationships. This year, the average American will spend more time with their computer than with their spouse. As a study in the March 2009 International Business News so aptly put it, “Facebook, Twitter users among the loneliest in America.”

It’s easy to see why escaping to the social networking world is so inviting. On Facebook, you can hide behind a persona, be any version of yourself you can dream up. Online friends don’t borrow money and not pay it back, gossip or spill Gatorade in your car. They don’t show up at your house after just getting dumped and stay until 2 a.m. when you have to be at work in the morning. Online “friendships” are always efficient.

True friendship demands vulnerability. It requires that you rearrange your schedule, and intentionally plan time to spend with other people with no agenda. It demands choice, as sociologists agree that it’s only possible to have eight to 12 “real” friends, and attempting to manage more relationships than that only ends in a series of casual acquaintances. "

Pigeon Mountain adventures

I just got back from a camping weekend with a few really good buddies of mine. We went to Pigeon Mountain in northwest Georgia. We had a good time walking and hiking around the area. However, two of the guys didn't have the best sleep because they somehow forgot their sleeping bags. Looking back, I definitely should have offered my tent-mate Ethan a share of my bag. But at the time it was pretty funny to see him come into the tent around 4am the second night with a camping chair. He set it up in the middle of the tent and proceeded to try to sleep a couple of hours in it. Needless to say, he didn't get much sleep during the weekend.

The goal Saturday morning was to go find the Overlook nearby. Being the navigator with a map, I was finding it difficult to locate where this overlook might be. I directed us to a few different places and we ended up off the mountain and driving around for over an hour. We did get to see some beautiful countryside. But it turns out, the overlook was about 1/4 mile from our campsite. On the map it said "Hood Overlook." Not sure how I missed that one. Here's a picture from it: The highlight of the trip for me was being in a dark cave for close to four hours with these guys. We were making our way through Pettijohns Cave. We shimmied, crawled, and worked our way through all kinds of slippery mess. Having been in there three times before, I was most qualified (though not extremely confident) to lead us to the goal of seeing the waterfall several miles in. Thankfully, after going through the Z-bends (Scott and Dan were champs getting us through that) and getting turned around, we ran into a few locals who helped us get to the waterfall and back.

Here are a few pics from this trip and from years before after coming out of the cave:From January of 2002 with some old friends from youth group:
From late 2000 or early 2001 with some college friends my freshman year:

Parkman wedding

If I were to get married one day and could model my wedding after any wedding I've ever been to, I think I would model it after my friend Barrett's wedding. He and his new bride Jessa got married last night in the Piedmont Room at Piedmont Park. My friend Matt, as the pastor, did a great job of helping us all see the beautiful picture of the gospel on display through marriage. And the view of the Atlanta skyline was in the background as the couple gleefully took their vows and worshiped God together. The whole thing was a very joyful experience.

The music selection was phenomenal. The procession all occurred to the song Beautiful by Vineyard Music. That's the most of I've ever wanted to get up and dance and sing during a procession. There were a few other great songs during the ceremony itself, one being In Christ Alone, during which Barrett washed Jessa's feet. That was really neat to watch. Then they might have had the coolest, most unique first dance song ever, All I Need by Radiohead.

Here are a few of the pictures from the last two weekends together:

Bachelor party crew up at Lake Chatug in Hiawassee
The happy couple
Old UGA crew from freshman year
Scott and I with Barrett
You can see the rest of the pictures here

Garrett Moore, photo shoot, July 3, and marshmallows

See if you can follow me here. My roommate Roy's friend Stephen recently did a photo shoot for my friend Garrett that can be found here. Garrett is a local Atlanta musician that is very talented. You should check out his stuff and go to his show at Eddie's Attic on July 3. Apparently there will be marshmallows there. Enjoy this video of the photo shoot:

Garrett Moore Photo Shoot from Stephen Hunton on Vimeo.

NYC/Boston trip

Just got back from a six day journey through New York, Boston, Cape Cod and some other parts of the New England area. I went with my roommates Roy and Scott as well as a friend named Dan. We had a blast. I thought I'd highlight some of the trip with some pictures.

I like this shot. It's the subway station right outside our hotel in Manhattan.
Going to Redeemer and seeing Tim Keller preach Easter morning was awesome.
us at Central Park
Harvard Yard during class change
enjoying the Sam Adams Brewery tour in Boston
me at Fenway Park
us at a beach in Chatham, MA (in the Cape Cod area)
grave site of David Brainerd in Northampton
church in Northampton where Jonathan Edwards preached
A nice surprise at the Atlanta airport :)

ING Marathon: Run4Justice

Sunday morning, more than 3,000 runners ran in the ING marathon here in Atlanta. I was there, along with many other people from my church at a water station at mile marker 15. We were there cheering on the runners and hoping to be voted as the best water station. $2500 goes to the best water station and we would be able to donate that to Wellspring for girls, an organization devoted to caring for girls who have been a part of the human trafficking industry.

In order to stand out, our Run4Justice theme was 80s rock. Here are some of the pics from the event. Also, check out pictures from the AJC.

Here's the best dressed 80s bunch

Water cups in front of Mickey D's at 6am

my semi-eighties attire

Dan helping out a runner (He's the one in the jumpsuit :) )

Jamie was a good water hander-outer

The highlight of the morning was seeing my good friend Greg round the corner. This was his first marathon.

Elizabeth Grace Prusa

Tonight, right on her due date, Elizabeth Grace Prusa was born. She's a healthy 8 lbs, 3 ounces & 20 inches. Anna's healthy, but tired. And I think Robert is just excited to be a dad. Here he is with her: Here I am holding her (a little scary at first, but I think I got the hang of it):And here she is with the happy parents:

Using Facebook Redemptively

Justin Buzzard has written about using discernment with using social sites online, namely Facebook. He gives some advice on how not to use Facebook. Here are just a few:

1. Don’t use status updates to complain. For many, complaining has become a trend on Facebook. With their status updates, many people broadcast consistent grumbles, like: “Joe is bored,” “Joe can’t wait to leave his stupid job,” or “Joe is exhausted.” By all means, be real, be honest and authentic, but beware of the culture of complaint.

2. Don’t measure your worth/identity by the number of your Facebook friends and interactions. Facebook measurements are the opposite of gospel measurements. Facebook tells you that the more Facebook friends and interactions you have, the more important, loved, and accepted you are. The gospel tells sinners an opposite message: no matter how lonely, unpopular, or unnoticed you might feel, in Jesus you are more loved, accepted, and noticed than you can imagine.

3. Don’t value forming Facebook (virtual) friendships more than real world friendships.

4. Don’t diminish your face-to-face time with people to check what’s going on in your Facebook world. If you’ve ever been out to dinner with friends and found yourself anxious to pull away and check out what’s happening on Facebook, you know what I’m talking about.

5. Don’t be someone online you’d never be in person. Let Facebook reflect the real you, not some pseudo-personality that emerges when you’re alone with your computer.

9. Don’t let Facebook cause you to think about yourself more than you already do. You were created to look outside yourself toward God, other people, and the wonder-filled world he has made for you to enjoy and cultivate.

And then he gives some advice on how to use Facebook redemptively:

1. Use Facebook to get back in touch with far-away friends, showing them how Jesus has changed you. As Facebook has reconnected me with friends from my past, a number have been struck by how much I’ve changed. High school friends from Sacramento regularly express shock at learning that I’m a pastor.

2. Use Facebook as an extension of face-to-face relationships and to enhance time with people. Get to know people and love and care for them better when you’re with them because, through Facebook, you know more about who they are and what’s going on in their lives.

3. Use Facebook to take the focus off of yourself. Facebook can actually help you get outside of yourself and your problems. Next time you login, use the time to focus on creatively listening to, loving, and encouraging others. Approach Facebook thinking about what you can give.

4. Use Facebook to sharpen and discipline what you do with your time. Facebook status updates can serve as a form of built-in accountability. Just knowing that my Facebook community can read my updates provides additional motivation to stay on task and actually do what I say I’m doing.

5. Use Facebook to quickly announce and facilitate great face-to-face gatherings. Instead of taking 45 minutes to call 10 people to come over for a spontaneous evening, use Facebook.

6. Use Facebook to influence other people for Jesus. Create a new culture with your status updates. Use them to love, encourage, teach, and challenge people.

(HT:Justin Taylor)

Creation is pointing to its Maker

Roy Keely:

The Sages, it is often said, can see no answer to the riddle of religion. But the trouble with our sages is not that they cannot see the answer, it is that they cannot even see the riddle. -GK Chesterton

Everyday I wake up and that should be enough to convince me, yet still I wonder. I then imagine a world where the Sun only rose once. A world with but one lily, with but one wave, with but one instance of love . Would not every instance of these rarities be considered a miracle in of themselves? How have the givens been forgotten as the gifts, the axioms which make all things possible.

The Dazzlingly obvious conclusion now arose in my mind: in the whole history of the universe the laws of Nature have never produced a single event. They are the pattern to which every event must conform, provided only that it can be induced to happen. -CS Lewis