trees and community

I must begin with apologies: this post is about a week late.

So last Saturday, Joshua, Trey and I got up early to meet other volunteers on 56th St. in Lawrence (our town, in the northeast corner of Indy). We were there to help plant trees along 56th St. as part of an effort put together by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. and some other local agencies.

Man, was it cold when we started.


Our day began with KIBI staff volunteers demonstrating the proper techniques for planting a tree. (I realized right away why the young tree that had been planted in our front yard wasn't doing so well.)


Then they sent us to our assigned place, and we started digging the hole. Because of the summer-long drought, the ground was really hard, and I spent considerable time wielding a pickaxe. You heard right, people: a pickaxe. I would hack at the hard soil, and then Joshua would shovel out the dirt, and Trey worked very hard at grabbing the occasional shovelful of dirt and acting like he knew what he was doing.

The digging was the hardest part. Once that was done, the tree was set in place, dirt was filled back in, and mulch was placed around the base.


Here we are with our first tree: Joshua, myself, Trey, and Tim, our zone leader.


This event also gave me the opportunity to catch up with Ehren Bingaman. I first met Ehren when he was part of the staff with the Fort Harrison Reuse Authority, and his excitement about working in and facilitating local communities was cool to see. I found out that he's now the first director of the fledgling Indianapolis Regional Transit Authority, and I enjoyed our conversation about how his passion continues to play out in his new role.

I look forward to hearing of the great things Ehren's doing.


So we finished our first tree, and then we went down the street and planted another. We were old hands at it by this time, and it went quickly. Joshua went off to help the others mulch their trees, and Trey was more than happy to pose with our second tree.


Though the day started off cool, it warmed quickly, and turned into a gorgeous day. This view of 56th St. shows you some of our trees, but mostly I was looking at how beautiful the sky was. Then the following conversation happened:

me: Look at those clouds, Trey! Isn't it great how God gave us this beautiful world?
Joshua: (singing) "The Siiimpsons"

It made me laugh.

- - -

So the combined efforts of all the volunteers was: 160 trees planted in 2 1/2 hours. Sarah Grain, the Director of Community Outreach and Volunteers for KIBI, told me that was a record. One of the great parts of the day was meeting Sarah, Tim, Allen, and many others who live in our community.

And I have to say, it's really fun to drive down the street, imagine the beauty of all these trees growing in our community, and knowing that Trey and Joshua and I had an actual part in it.

And as a pastor, I read in the Scriptures of God's commission for us to take care of the earth, and of God's instructions for the Israelite exiles to plant gardens in the country of their exile as one way to seek the peace of the city, and I know that this was a good day on a spiritual level, too.

my podcasts: culture

As I've mentioned earlier, I have made use of the availability of my mind during work by using my Zune to listen to podcasts. I have threatened to reveal my list of podcasts, and have received some indication of interest on the part of my vast international audience.

So this is the first part of my list. I've decided to break up my list into categories, which will allow me to a) keep the posts short, and b) make short comments about each one.

As a follower of God in the ways of Jesus, I am convinced that God has called me to speak His message into the time and place in which He has placed me. As a pastor who is trying to communicate to and lead people immersed in this time and place in which we find ourselves, it is paramount that I get my mind around the thought patterns, communication patterns, social patterns, etc. of my world.

You know, culture.

In no particular order:

Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

The self-proclaimed "student of history," (as opposed to a teacher of it). The guy picks a subject and starts rambling, and always ends up bringing in excellent perspectives on how the past impacts the present. It takes a little getting used to, since there's no real sound effects or anything like that, but I enjoy it immensely.

NPR: Fresh Air

Excellent interview show. A myriad of perspectives: authors, reporters, musicians, entertainers, religious figures, and more. The show also offers insightful reviews of recent movie and music releases. The host has an excellent way of asking questions that get to the place of a person or event or piece of work in the larger context of its time.

NPR: Music

This podcasts pulls together the best stories from NPR's programs on the subject of music. Often, these stories are personal interviews of the musicians themselves, in which they describe their artistic process, the way that their lives and histories shape their music, their influences, and so on. I find out a lot about the roots of musical styles through this podcast.

Tavis Smiley

This is the audio podcast of his PBS television interview show. With diverse guests and subject material, he often manages to draw out conversations about spirituality and the greater good of the African-American community. Plus, he was born and raised in Indy.

PRI: The Sound of Young America

Billed as "a public radio show about things that are awesome," this podcast features interviews with comedians, authors, musicians, etc. What makes this show different is the slightly alternative vibe and distinctly 25-year-old perspective of its host, Jesse Thorn.

This Week In Media

Half of this podcast is four total tech geeks geeking out over the latest in HD this and something-point-something versions of that. The other half is the same four guys earnestly discussing trends in media and its impact on the larger culture. If you want to get an idea of the intersection of music, movies, the Internet, government, technology, and your life, this is absolutely worth a listen. And if you know the difference between a 96k music file and a128k music file - well, you're home.

This American Life

I love this show. If I could only listen to one podcast, it would be this one. This show tells stories, centered around a common theme chosen for each show. The stories are heartbreaking, funny, profound, insightful doorways into the lives, minds and hearts of real people. I learn something about people every time I listen.

On The Media

This show explores the impact of the media on culture. It explores the perspectives of reporters and decisionmakers, and is always engaging.

Radio Lab

This show uses engaging ways to tackle big-picture subjects: morality, emergence theory (a recent favorite), love, and so on. Entertaining and profound.


So, do you have any in this category to recommend?