Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in rhofacre's LiveJournal:

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Sunday, September 13th, 2009
7:34 pm	New Blog http://ryanhofacre.blogspot.com/ (Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
6:40 pm	Jubilee? So, I watched the frontline program "Inside the meltdown" the other night. After watching it, I was absolutely fascinated at the domino effect of the events that took place inevitably for Paulson to suspend his ideological mantra of "moral hazard" as it relates to the free market system. It just came down to the fact that the system couldn't have handled these banks independently wrecking themselves because of the the intertwined mess caused by these "credit default swap" hallow insurance loan protections. Moral Hazard - This concept in particular, that businesses operate differently under the threat of failure, when not competitive in this free market has caused me to do some thinking. I wonder what it would look like to proclaim Jubilee? World wide jubilee. I know it's grandiose and to be honest, I don't even know the what specifically that looked like in Leviticus 25 on a local level. But, nonetheless, it's a fun thought experiment. All is forgiven. What does that imply about previous ownership? Would we all be given a piece of something? Land? Over inflated mortgages? What does that look like? Just thinking outloud. No answers. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009
2:53 pm	Spiritual Exhibitionism Definition - "A minister who talks in the pulpit about his own personal problems is of no help to his congregation, for no suffering human being is helped by someone who tells him that he has the same problem" "Spiritual Exhibitionism adds little faith to little faith and creates narrow mindedness instead of a new perspective." - Nouwen, Wounded Healer. (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
11:40 am	Preliminary thoughts on Isa 40. Preliminary thoughts about Isa 40, a passage I'm preaching in a couple of weeks. Henry Nouwen's book, Compassion pages 90ish to 105ish is still the best depiction of the idea of 'patience' that I've ever come across. When I was a Jr. in College, I read this section thinking that it was phenomenal but as I re-read this section yesterday, I did not see the sacramental possibilities that I saw yesterday. So, if you've conversed with me at all in the last year for any period of time, I tend to bend the conversation toward my fascinations. One of which is understanding the relationship between time space and matter. All of this based upon my personal experience of seeing the Lord use matter supernaturally why at the same time wrestling with N.T. Wrights presentation at St. Mary's on Sacramental Theology as the redemption of time, space and matter. The question that I am currently wrestling with is relates to our understanding of - time. Or waiting. And specifically, what is the relationship between waiting, time and the discipline of compassion (as Nouwen likes to say) as patience. There is much to unpack. Random preliminary thoughts: - Linear time as opposed to "nowness' of God. - When we encounter the "nowness" of God, the presence of God, time appears to stop. Or our perspective (or my perspective) appears to change drastically. Because I forget and just be. - Ps 46 - Be still and know that I am God. - What is the relationship between fertility of soil (as Nouwen says) and the stillness as addressed in Ps 37, Isa 40 and Lamentations 3. - What if we're waiting and power never comes. - Obviously, Isa uses the beautiful imagery of the strength of an Eagle. What is the relationship between the presence of God and the beautiful imagery of and power of an Eagle. - Illustrations - A mother giving birth. It's time. - Albert Einstein. - Time and Matter. - My father's funeral - TIme ceased in sadness. I'm excited to see what emerges... And I do feel stirred. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, January 16th, 2009
2:55 pm	Today is a good day... Today is a good day for two reasons: (1) I finished my deaconal ordination exam and (2), I received this forwarded email by an 8th grader!! Dear Redeemer, Before I came to church of the Redeemer, church was a burden to me. I could not see why God was so crazy about church. All those verses about the church being God's bride and the church being a family, I simply brushed off my shoulder. Then, I came to church of the Redeemer. I saw the church alive for the first time in my life. I finally understood the meaning of fellowship. God met me at the church of the Redeemer and showed me that everything deserves a second chance. He taught me a priceless lessons about the church: That a church is a body rejoicing with each other, crying with each other, and laughing with each other. Now, the church is my second family. I feel safety I cannot feel anywhere else in my life in that church. Church is a special treat for me starting each week with a positive experience. As Redeemer grows as a church, I feel as though I grow in unison with my faith. I will never look at a church the same way. The members of Redeemer are there for me through thick and thin and I for them. There seems to be a unspoken promise among the members of the church to be there in times of need and trouble. The vibrance, life, security, and hope that Church of the Redeemer brings to my life are feelings that will never be forgotten. Although I forget often, I am a privileged man! blessings.   (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, January 9th, 2009
2:01 pm	Culture Making - Crouch Occasionally, you read I'll read a book that hits me in stride exactly where I'm at in life. With the things I'm interested in and the footnotes of people I highly appreciate, Andy Crouch's book "Culture Making" has been a joy for me to read for the last couple of days. I thought I'd blog some quotes and thoughts on his chapter entited Power. Definition of Power - "The ability to successfully propose a new cultural good." "No one can impose a cultural good. By virtue of Public nature, any cultural good can be refused. He makes a very clear and thoughtful distinction between imposing a cultural good and proposing a cultural good. "To leave the circle of one's power is a deeply, existentially unsettling experience." Power, Sex and Money: Jn 2:16 Money and sex can be measured whereas with power, there is no way to reliably measure power. "What is most needed is the creation of a new cultural goods, new cultural structures of possibility and impossibility built on new forms of culture that do not yet exist." Temptation - "In the grip of the temptation to accumulate power, we begin to fall prey to the fallacy of strategy, imagining that we can plot our way into cultural success by manipulation.... the right levers of relationship, access and fame." "Power (unlike money) is a fluid capacity that must be maintained since it is always in danger of slipping away." Rather than build our way to the pinnacle of power (Babel),... we musst see ourselves as having more power than we could ever dream: Exodus and Resurrection. Sex - Spiritual discipline of chastity and fidelity Money - Core disciplines are simplicity and generosity Power - Spiritual discipline of service and stewardship. Service - Role of Servants: put ourselves in a position where our power is of little use, anonymous and invisible... and to seek opportunity. "The Lessons of both Exodus and the Resurrection is that the powerless are never as powerless as they seem." "Most important discipline here is to resist strategy - to avoid plotting..." My reflections - I've personally struggled with moving maneuvering relationships rather than appropriately putting myself in the position to treat people with Childlike love. Power, and particularly learning the art of socially maneuvering is incredibly dangerous. As I am constantly thinking about the future, this is something that will probably need to be a discipline in my life - Service, not that servant leadership bullshit, but service and servanthood, that is inconspicuous, anonymous and invisible are probably going to have to be cultivated with intention.   (Comment on this)
Friday, December 12th, 2008
7:20 pm	Peotry from a friend This peom was written by a young and very talented friend yesterday morning. It needs to be read in this time: i live in a world where children are given calendars to start practicing filling in the squares with dry erase markers for the possibilities pens for the probabilities (pencils only if it is a maybe) for the events, activities, projects, meetings, dates, plans with friends, anything and everything imagineable even community service trips, missions trips, trips with family frantically writing these things down   owning the calendar and pen in hand soon, they are owned by the paper with boxes and pen with ink scribbling the time slots taken up they trip up stumbling over over-booked over planned filled to the brim all in all busy days. no time at all for anyone, anywhere, anytime   so where does the problem lie? in our inability to say no? the necessity to say yes? an addiction to lack of time taking over the mind? where i come from, the addiction is an epidemic an everyday way of life nothing but a pulling and stretching and thinning of the self a bulemic relationship with the world taking so much in only to regurgitate it back, unfinished, undigested doing things to get them done a plague killing all the firstborns of this generation of busyness and overbooking stopping at nothing to consume no direction for what they should do so they must do everything for everyone and live up to their expectations or give up their relations   and it is started with an empty calendar, an uncapped pen, and an onslaught of options   (Comment on this)
Thursday, December 11th, 2008
3:15 pm	Tensions - enough said "God is not longer the friend I meet, the father with whom I hold converse, the Lover in whom I delight, the King before whom I bow in reverence, the Divine Being I worship and adore. In my experience of prayer GOd ceases to be any of these things because he ceases to be anything at all. He is absent when I pray. I am there alone. There is no other.      If this experience persists -  and is not the effect of 'flu coming on or tiredness - it means that something of the greatest importance is happening. It mean that God is inviting me to discover him no longer as another alongside me but as my own deepest and truest self. He is calling me from the experience of meeting him to the experience of finding my identity in him. I cannot see him because he is my eyes. I cannot hear him because he is my ears. I cannot walk to him because he is my feet. And if apparently I am alone and he is not there that is because he will not separate his presence from my own. If he is not anything al all, if he is nothing, that is because he is no longer another. I must find him in what I am or not at all." - H.A. Williams Enough said. (Comment on this)
Monday, December 8th, 2008
12:28 pm	Culture War Fatigue The weeks of and shortly following the election, I observed a couple different ideas that were being brought to the table to analyze why Obama has been elected. Brooks (David) and Shields (MarK) from the News hour with Jim Lehrer noted that Obama is the first post boomer candidate to be elected and it may reflect the transition of our era. The distinctive about the boomer generation is that culture wars are everything. Therefore, find the polarizing issues, pick a side and begin the fight. But the fighting, for whatever issue it is, often times falls beyond that realm of ethic and therefore, polarized attacks naturally lead toward ad homonym (attack the man), ad hoc and many other distortions of argument. As a result (totally my opinion), our generation (20-30's - whatever it's called now) is suffering, and at times severely suffering, of Culture War Fatigue. David Brooks made the comment that as Obama is the first post boomer president, you'd find that not only did he not engage the culture war, the reason he didn't engage is because it wasn't appealing to him. It doesn't really spark an interest. Whether or not you agree with his reasoning or that it may be a limited, I think you'll find his observations are somewhat true. What are the results? New York Times produced an article a few months ago documenting the trends of our generation being surprisingly more moderate than anticipated. But if we think about it, wouldn't being battered by unreasonable argements for years on end naturally result moderate principles. Two thoughts on this as we move into the next era: one positive and one negative. Positive: Hopefully, as we think through the issues of our day, our culture will be more and more thoughtful on principled decision making than by pejoratives. In other words, while flicking through the channels, people like Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reily, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow will loose more and more ratings because, well, it just won't appeal to the us. We'll desire something more... ie... civility, town square generocity, and the opportunity for ideology to be exposed to persuasion. If I really believe that teleogical framework is best for humanity than I must believe in an open forum of dialog and that it has potential to persuade other worldviews. Negative: Realpolitik. If we are moving into a more moderate period of time, then I believe realpolitik will be the dominating bench mark for decision making. Realpolitik, as described by VanGemeren, is the pragmatic approach to decision making whereby the goal must be achieved regardless of the end. Therefore, issues like campaign finance reneging done by Obama and domestic terrorist accusations by McCain will be deemed necessary and even normative because, well, they needed to move toward their END. It's Ok (Please listen to the sarcasm). No, it's not Ok. Realpolitik, and vox populi ("voice of the people") are exactly what the prophets in the OT stood against. A prophetic voice is a revelatory voice. I think the general idea is that the extreme right or extreme left is disguising itself as prophetic. But please understand - there is no prophetic voice if the method (means) and the end are not in cohesion. Please Lord, raise the Prophets. What I propose is a voice of prayer, where the communicative words and actions synergize and human becomes sacrament. Our Word/Act division has been too long. Please raise the prophets and helps us not to kill them. As painful as it is, help us to listen. Help us to be. Help us. Help.....   (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
10:29 am	A sacramental rant So, the other night I was watching a program on the history channel about Einstein and particularly the development of his theory of relativity. It's been a while since I've been this fascinated with any other program outside of the Charlie Rose interviews lately. I was struck as to how the theory developed. It seems as if where Newton wanted to separate time and space, Einstein saw his theory of relativity as a convergence of time and space. I don't understand the theory in full but if got my mind thinking about a few things. Last year, when I saw N.T. Wright give a paper on what was the beginning of his research on Sacramental theology, he framed the larger discussion of sacramental theology as the redemption of - Time, Space and Matter. After the paper was delivered none of us predicted how such a simple frame could shed so much beautiful light on a very beautiful topic. Not only do I love this idea because it is impeccably anti-gnostic, but it brings together more fully the celebration of our material world by the embodiment of the Holy Spirit. The practical implications of a healthy understanding of sacramental theology are, in my opinion absolutely huge! Huge! Because it says that what we do with our bodies, and how we engage with our environment, (ie. creation, household, civic relationship, and politic) have tremendous implications. Einsteins theory of relativity which, I think, leads further into quantum mechanics, explores the beauty through which we are created. My guess is that there are others (string theorists) who are attempting to bridge the gap between physics and metaphysics. From my experience, in how I've seen prayer and sacraments used in spiritual warfare, I truly and wholeheartedly believe that the culmination of time, space and matter vortexed in the cross. I don't know how to explain it yet. But if I truly hold to Christus Victor, the lens through which our time bond inequities are liberated, then there has to be some vortex of time, space and matter. Einstein tested and proved his theory. Is it simply through narrative, the grand narrative that we communicate this. No. It has to be through practice - and - Virtue. It has to be through the culmination and maybe even synergism of dimensions that sacramental theology is made fully alive in the simple. Lots of jumps in the one. Lots of jumps. (Comment on this)
Sunday, September 14th, 2008
10:45 pm	Something exciting is happening I think I've discovered something. At the beginning of this fall, I knew we were going to be down in numbers due to the all the seniors we graduated last year. So, in lew of not having very high expectations, I started to experiment. After reading an educational theory of Paul Friere and his technique of teaching literacy to the poor, I thought, I wonder if this can apply to spiritual formation. So, rather than saying to my kids, here is what we're going to do on Sunday Nights, I decided to turn the night over to them. I established some basic boundaries and said to them, "A couple hundred years ago, 13 year olds were getting married and learning to farm. You guys are capable of much! So, I'm going to turn the night over to you! I'm not going to treat you like kids like the rest of our society does. I'm going to treat you as if I believe in you and give you the responsibility of taking charge of leading the night." I left the room for 20 min and said they need to answer these three questions before I returned. 1. What are the strengths of every person in the room? - giftings 2. Determine how our vision of the 4 x 4 (4 spiritual practices and 4 cardinal virtues) applies to the evening. 3. Determine how every new person of the group will be able to fully participate every Sunday Night! Here is what they came up with in 26 minutes: - Over 20 ideas. - Over 8 values of what they wanted to group to be. - A motto for the goup - "Own Dis!" - A Nickname that corresponded with everones strength! Creativity unleashed! Not only did something dramatically shift these last couple of weeks, but there is an incredibly vibrant new ethos. I've had more fun these last couple of weeks than I've had in a long time. We've covered more ground and more people are leading certain sections of the evening than ever happened before. I wonder what's going to happen this fall. I sure am excited! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, August 17th, 2008
11:25 pm	Rick Warren political conversation  I'm watching the Obama / McCain Rick Warren conversation. I am saddened. In response to the abortion question, I am forced to think that if either candidate were to answer this question by comparing the value of human life in our sickening abortion rates with our disastrous US policy of preventative war, that the average american wouldn't or, even more sadly, couldn't accept this very basic notion that preventative war devalues life just as much as Roe vs. Wade. Which is why you'll never hear either of the candidates compare the two. Lord have mercy. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 29th, 2008
2:08 pm	Jerry Joe - 14 years 14 years ago today, Jerry Joe Hofacre passed away. I was telling a family in my church about him a couple months ago over dinner and the wife (Sally) looked at me with gentleness in her eyes and asked very softly "What is his name?" "Jerry Hofacre," I answered. She didn't know it at the time but that meant a lot to me. There was something that rung true to my core. I am the son of Jerry Hofacre. As the years pass, I realize more and more how deeply that experience of loosing my father affected me. Those closest know it the most. He is worthy of honor today.  Here's to too much sauerkraut, laughing painfully at Mrs. Doubtfire in the movie theater (we watched this movie shortly after one of his last surgeries and almost ripped his staples out from laughter), the best of Willie Nelson and snapping off beat to that horrible elevator jazz music in the car. I am the son of Jerry Hofacre. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, July 21st, 2008
9:43 am	Tribute to Kevin Hofacre  Kevin, my older brother of about 10 years, and I spent some time together when I was home in Columbus for the week. We don't necessarily see eye to eye on many things but one thing we agree heavily on is that "The Who" is a pretty damn good band! Last week we watched an hour long Tribute to "The Who" which included an all star cast such as Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam and a couple others on VH1. We turned on the surround sound, sat in glea for a period of time listening to some incredible bands pour out there heart and soul. It was a good night. I even smacked him on his belly and wrestled with him for a second.... but still being the runt of the litter even at 29, he again toyed with me for a second and let me go. It was almost as if I was 7 again.  (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, July 19th, 2008
11:58 pm	Alan Hirsch - The Forgotton Ways  I read a number of blogs a day through google reader and I would suggest this blog as a consideration if you're thinking about church. Alan Hirsch, in my opinion, is one of the best thinkers when in comes to the missional discussion concerning Church. Not only is he versed in foundational missional thought thinking through men like Newbigin, Van Gelder and the like but he has proven to work through this model with years of experience to back up. Even time I see Alan has posted, I get ready for I know that his words are thought threw and rich in content. I hope you enjoy.  Blessings (Comment on this)
Friday, July 11th, 2008
5:20 pm	Potential cultural shift  I'm always interested in potential cultural shifts. This link, found in the NYT book review section, is worth a read and it's quick. Blessings (Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
11:32 am	Separation of end and means once again. For those who read this blog and have a blog of your own, I think it's important to critically call to account those public figures of Christianity to account for distortions of public events... and Mr. Dobson has done it again. This Blog by Scot Mcknight reveals very clearly the distortions of those who have political agendas willing to compromise character for the sake of cause. As Christains, we must be above these shallow techniques. I encourage this blog to be passed and posted. The end cannot justify the means. They have to go hand in hand. Blessings. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008
10:18 am	Re-discovery At the end of last week, I really wasn't feeling well. And rightly discovered that drinking three cups of coffee in the morning, coupled with McDonald's for a late lunch and wrestling through some issues in life doesn't make for the best physiology. So, I've started to drink water.... wow. And I've been drinking a lot of it. To be honest, it's making me feel great. I'm sleeping better, eating better... Last night I went out with a family from Church to an Italian Restaurant and actually tasted my food. Oh, so good.  And there is a feeling of cleansing over these last couple of days. I am astounded that if temptation is the "treadmill in the mind" (according to Willard) then I've discovered that having a sense of feeling and being clean in body and of mind makes it easier to flee from temptation. Truly, how we treat our bodies has spiritual ramifications.  On another quick note: The other night, I started doing Summer cook outs on Monday nights. We had a hand full of people over. I was hoping maybe by the end of the summer that we'd be able to move more into an intimate time. But the Lord had other plans. Some, in beautiful vulnerability, expressed a need for prayer... and we prayed.... and prayed almost everyone in the room. Reading last night in Vanhoozer's "Drama of Doctrine" last night, I was reminded that by calling God "father" we are "exposing our artificial psychological and social constructions to be no more than glittering images, a theater of Shadows." Prior to this he says that prayer is a "powerful tonic of reality." I am such an infant when it comes to prayer. Just when I feel like there is an equation to press into God, I am stunted and need to relearn all over again. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, June 6th, 2008
10:28 am	Reducing the goodness of God to safty More ... from my new hero - "There is on the mountain," replied the bishop, "a humble little commune, that I have not seen for three years; and they are good friends of min, kind and honest peasants. They own one goat out of thirty that they pasture. They make pretty woolen thread of various colours, and they play their mountain airs upon small six-holed flutes. They need some one occasionally to tell them of the goodness of God. What would they say of a bishop who was afraid? What would they say if I should not go there." - The Bishop - Les Mis.... We've been teaching over the last six months on the four cardinal virtues, one of which is courage (Fortitude). Pieper defines courage as, "Relinquishes, in self forgetfulness, his own possessions and his life." Augustine defines, "Love bearing all things for the sake of the loved object." I think I'm in a very interesting place in life. I'm single. If complications occur with my job or other things, I can very easily transition without loosing much or taking responsibility for many others. There's no family. My roots hear in Chicago, although getting a little deeper than a imagine, have not taken too much depth. Moving would be difficult but bearable. What I'm noticing that the action of courage for the most part is constantly calculated by what can be lost. As Christian, especially in a Church (at large that is) of sickening idolatry of pragmatism, virtuous living isn't esteemed nor even honored it seems like (I hope you're hearing a sadness in my voice). I long to hear stories of the couragous. I long to hear of the Jerimiah's of today, telling the truth and in response receiving mockery. Things must change! And I fear that they only way change can occur is through suffering.... Oh, the courageous road to the cross.... Love bearing all things for the sake of the loved object.  Let us with courage proclaim the goodness of God... when others reduce the goodness of God to function... when others reduce the goodness of God to safty... Lord help us... Lord help us... (Comment on this)
Sunday, May 25th, 2008
8:51 pm	Heroless age  In many conversations this weekend, we were commenting on the fact that we live in a heroless age. I think I've rediscovered a hero that's warmed my soul in the last couple of days. - He was indulgent towards women, and towards the poor, upon whom the weight of society falls most heavily; and said: "The faults of women, children, and servants, of the feeble, the indigent and the ignorant, are the faults of their husbands, fathers, and masters, of the strong, the rich, and the wise." At other times, he said, "Teach the ignorant as much as you can; society is culpable in not providing instruction for all and it must answer for the night which it produces. If the soul is left in darkness, sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but he who causes the darkness." - The Bishop - Les Miserables.   (2 Comments |Comment on this)