Living a Radical Ordinary Life

I cannot recommend the following article enough! What's It Like to Be Shane Claiborne-Again was written by D. L. Mayfield, a woman who decided along with her husband to pursue a life of simplicity and service after hearing of Shane Claiborne's work. This article addresses some of the struggles that come up as we discuss money, service, poverty, and social justice in the church...and when we hear the stories of others doing "big" and radical things.

...many who read Claiborne and his contemporaries do feel guilty. And in response, they either feel paralyzed and do nothing, or try to atone for their sins by doing everything.

Perhaps this is what the church at large struggles with, the pervading sense of both legalism and shame that can haunt “radical” conversion stories. Just as 1 Corinthians warns us about those who sell all that they have but do not love, Claiborne describes what too often happens to social justice types: they simply trade one form of moralism (“I would never drink alcohol”) for another (“I would never wear Nikes”).

I will only give you this snippet of the article because I want you to go read the whole thing for yourselves! Enjoy!

Tip: It works best if you scroll to the bottom of the first part of the article, past the ad, and then click "single page (reader mode)." Then you can read the whole article at once, rather than clicking through 4 pages. 

Children's Books about Money and Sharing

Several lovely children's books came up in our discussions of how to teach kids about giving and sharing, how money isn't what makes us rich, and how wealth has to do with love and friendship. Here are a few:

The Table Where Rich People Sit by Byrd Baylor, Illustrated by Peter Parnall

As her family attempts to calculate the value of the desert hills, the colors of blooming cactus, and the calls of eagles and great horned owls, a young girl--who has been led astray by the family's lack of material wealth--realizes what really matters.

Papa Panov's Special Day Original story by Leo Tolstoy, Adapted and Retold by Mig Holder and Reuben Saillens, Illustrated by Tony Morris

As a shoemaker waits all day for Jesus to visit him on Christmas, he performs many acts of kindness for the passersby.

Lu and the Swamp Ghost by James Carville, David Catrow, and Patrick C. McKissack

Mama always said, "You're never poor if you have a loving family and one good friend." 

Lotsa De Casha by Madonna and Rui Paes

Lotsa de Casha is the richest — and most miserable — man in the world. No matter how colossal his castles, how fast his horses, nor how big his sandwiches, he remains a gloomy old sourpuss — until he embarks on a fantastic adventure that leads him to the discovery of life's greatest treasure...

Who is Shane Claiborne?

The fifth session of Animate:Practices, Money: The Joy of Sharing, is presented by Shane Claiborne.

From: http://wearesparkhouse.org/adults/animate/practices/voices/shane/

Shane Claiborne is a best-selling author, renowned activist, sought-after speaker, and self-proclaimed "recovering sinner." Shane writes and speaks around the world about peacemaking, social justice, and Jesus, and is the author of numerous books, including The Irresistible Revolution and Jesus for President. He is the visionary leader of The Simple Way in Philadelphia, and his work has been featured in Fox News, Esquire, SPIN, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and CNN. 

Five fast facts

1. Has appeared on both Al Jazeera and Fox News and in Esquire, SPIN, and The New York Times Fashion section, though he's not usually known for having multiple outfits.
2. Can still turn a backflip (he was all-around state champion in gymnastics in his younger days), though he has to stretch a lot longer than he used to.
3. Has written about a dozen books, many of them with friends like Dr. John Perkins, Tony Campolo, and his ice-cream-pal Ben Cohen (from Ben and Jerry's).
4. Has lived in Philly for 20 years–where he founded The Simple Way, has been arrested a lot of times for justice-related work ("holy mischief"), and was once required to go to citizenship training classes (along with his 70-year-old nun friend).
5. As an accomplished circus performer, lists unicycling, stilting (he is more than 11 feet tall on his big stilts), juggling, and fire-breathing among his skills.