Saturday, December 30, 2006

Ok, so first off let me apologies for not posting in a while. It has been kind of crazy now that we are open. It’s not that we have been overrun with business or anything, it is just that there was more to get ready than we though. Plus, you can factor in the holidays and all. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone by the way!!! Dan, you wanted to see some stuff, so these pictures are for you. I had to put the ugly pictures of me in there, just to prove to you that I really am doing the work :-)



Well, our first couple of weeks have been interesting to say the least. Not that we have changed the world yet, but we have done some good work. We have honored some people with memorial tattoos, we have bonded with families that came to watch, and we even got one woman who said that she was NEVER going to a church, to admit that if church was in the shop, that she might consider it. And another person who would like to be part of a bible study that we plan to start there.
I can guarantee, that we have a place were “community” is happening whether we want it to or not!

All in all, I think this ministry could really work here. People are hanging out and talking (Yes everyone, even Patrick has sat and shot the breeze in a tattoo shop a couple of times! I am willing to bet it’s the first time that has happened…. But not the last I hope!!). They are getting their tattoos and not walking out right away. It kind of reminds me of the barber shops of the 40’s. Not that I am that old mind you…. I just look it some days. I think God is moving at Sacred Ink, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Keep checking back, and don’t forget to call for an appointment. That includes you Dan & Billie!!!!!!

Till next time…. Peace!

Pete

Friday, December 15, 2006

Ta Daaa!!!

Sacred Ink Tattoos will officially open our doors for business this Tuesday. It has been a very long road, and there is still much more of it to travel. But I think this certainly qualifies as a mile marker. So here are some pictures for you. Hope you enjoy, and hope to see you all soon…

Pete
































Sunday, December 10, 2006

Almost there!!

Well, we have a license to tattoo in Warren Michigan… woo hooo!!! So, technically we are legal, and ready to open. However the reality of it is just a little different. It seems to me that every time we take one step closer to actually launching this mission, we are hit with something unexpected. This time it is a family medical emergency. Basically the next 24-48 hours will have a lot to say about when we can open our doors. I am hoping to be tattooing by the end of this week, but we shall see.

Sorry I don’t have pictures for you yet, but it is like I said, the hits just keep coming. So you will have to take my word for it… the shop looks GREAT!!! I would totally have my work done there! (But I may be just a little biased). So please keep the faith, and check back in a few days. I should know more by then, and may even have pictures. Till then, thanks for all the support you have all given!!!

Pete

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Plastic swords, wooden staves, and squirt guns …

I would like to take a moment to talk about faith. Some things have happened recently that have made me think about what it means to have it, live by it, and rely on it. First off lets look at the plastic sword faith the following is an excerpt of a recent news item..

The robber was holding a gun to 5-year-old Mary Long's head when a 3-foot-tall Mighty Morphin Power Ranger leapt into the room.
"Get away from my family," 4-year-old Stevie Long shouted, punctuating his screams with swipes of his plastic sword and hearty "yah, yahs."
The robber and his accomplice, who was waiting outside the apartment Friday night, fled with credit cards, jewelry, cash and other items that Stevie's mother, Jennifer Long, dumped from her purse.
"I scared the bad guys away," Stevie said Tuesday evening at the apartment at 901 Chalk Level Road in north Durham.
Two men had approached Jennifer Long's boyfriend and his son Friday night as they stood outside the apartments she helps manage, according to a police report. The strangers asked for pot, and then a cigarette, and as the son went to get one, both men pulled guns, police said.
One stayed with the boyfriend as the other forced the son back into the apartment, police said. Inside were Jennifer Long, a cousin, Stevie, Mary and two other children, police said.
They were forced on the floor. The robber pointed the gun at Mary and a 1-year-old girl named Sierra, said Stevie's uncle, Bernie Evans, 33, who lives above the Longs.
Enter Stevie.
"During the robbery, a ... boy snuck into his bedroom, dressed himself in a Power Ranger costume and armed himself with a plastic sword," police said. "The child then exited his room and approached the armed suspect, in an attempt to protect his family."
Relatives said the robber abandoned plans to take Stevie's mother to an ATM to withdraw cash when he saw Stevie.
"It tripped him out, and that's when they moved on," said Evans, who did not witness the incident. Jennifer Long declined to comment, saying her employers at the apartment complex would not allow it.
Stevie likes to think he cuts an intimidating figure in his red-and-black mask and foam suit that replicates the rippling muscles of the kiddie adventure show heroes. But Evans said the robber was more startled that Stevie was able to retreat to his bedroom and morph.
Now I ask you; do you have any doubt that there were towering angels, armed with big fiery swords, standing behind Stevie going “Yea! What he said!”? I don’t. Now is what Stevie did a smart thing? Probably not. Is it the sort of thing you want to advise young children to do? Probably not. But God didn’t call us to live by the rules of what is advisable, He called us to live by faith. And sometimes that can mean some pretty odd decisions.

Let’s look at acts of war for instance. Let’s say you want to decimate a country by taking much of it’s work force away from it. Not only that, say you wanted that same work force to walk out of the country loaded down with cash from that country. How would you go about it? For starters, I would be sending in sleeper cells to prepare the way for the armed invasion. Then, once I had subdued the populace, I would move into the plundering stage. Then finally make my escape leaving nothing but scorched earth in my path. This plan might be smart. It might be advisable. But it wasn’t the way God did it at all. War by faith was sending an 80 year old man with a wooden stick. Oh wait, his brother went too. So, two old men and one stick. Wow, now that must have frightened the Egyptian army!! But the fact remains that God did just that, and it worked! Two guys living by faith and marching against an army with a stick. Sounds a lot like Stevie and his plastic sword doesn’t it?

Lastly let me mention squirt guns. Someone, and I am not sure who, came up with an expression. “We should have the kind of faith that would storm the gates of Hell armed with nothing more than squirt guns.” I love that image! I think we need some squirt guns in the tattoo shop just to keep it all in perspective. I bring this up for this simple reason. It has occurred to me that WE MUST BE NUTS!! We are trying to open a Christian tattoo shop just outside one of the harshest cities in the country. We are doing it with no capital, and we are running in to more delays than a government efficiency study. I keep thinking we may open this week, then this week becomes last week. Which is exactly what has happened again. You guessed it… that pesky bathroom fan! AARRGGGG!!! But hey, God never said a life of faith was going to look like an episode of 24. I just never figured it was going to look like “Waiting for Godot” either!

So, I’m only going to say that we should be open this month, if not this week. I will have pictures soon, I promise. Until then…. Keep swinging those plastic swords!!!!

Pete

Saturday, November 25, 2006

“The sweetest part is acting after making a decision..”
(the indigo girls)

Well, how are things going so far? We still are not open yet, but I am holding on to hope that it will be by the end of the month. We are still waiting on a bathroom fan. Other than that, things are coming together, and I will have pictures of it soon. So in the mean time, let me ponder some things with you….

We have been called revolutionaries, and pioneers. People have said all kinds of wonderful things about our mission here. (I am sure they have said some less than wonderful things too, but our leaders are good people who don’t let me hear any of them). Now don’t get me wrong here, I love that they all feel this way!!!! But allow me to point out the fact that I have, as of yet, not done anything. We are not open. No baptisms, no testimonies, no tattoos, no stories, no not one, no not one. “But” I hear you say “you have made us thinks about some things”. This may be true, and a wonderful thing to be sure, but for me, and maybe only for me, this is a dangerous bit in the road. Allow me to explain…

Thinking a thing, and actually doing it, are not the same. I know that sounds simple enough, but for years it wasn’t all that apparent to me. I would sit around with the rest of my friends, and talk all about the things we were going to do…. someday. Oh the plans we made! They were good plans too! But the sad truth of the matter is that I didn’t get my head out of a bong long enough to do them. And on those rare occasions that I did, my good friend Jack Daniels tended to talk me out of it. I know that kind for thinking is a cop out however. I could have done those things, but I chose not to. I chose to keep being distracted by all manner of amusements instead. Those days are long behind me now, but the point is still valid. Even in the inner workings of a church environment. I don’t know how many times I have watched great ideas die in committee. Good, Godly things to be done, yet no one ever actually did any of them for one reason or another. Why? Well, it is my opinion (and only an opinion) that it takes too much effort.

Between the time I started to type this, and now, I was handed a bill for part of the shop opening. I also have a rent payment due, a car payment, and insurance payment, etc… And since we are not open, I am not making any money, nor have I been for some months now. So the bills are coming due on this little dream of ours. And even though I have put a lot of work into opening Sacred Ink so far, the real work still lay ahead. The work of the day to day, the mundane, the bill paying kind of days. Not to mention the ministry that still exists in theory! Saying this will be a great opportunity for ministry is one thing, being a minister is another. Yes, to the work, to the work, as the old song goes. But wouldn’t it have been easier to just talk about all of this? We could have sat in nice coffee shops, and worn blazers with leather patches on the elbows, and used words that normal people don’t use in normal conversation. Maybe I could have written a book?!?! That would have been cool! But then again, that little store front at 4007 East 9 mile would never have even had a chance. And maybe that man or woman that I will meet someday would never have a chance to hear about a better way.

Jesus talked a lot about Kingdome work. But if you look, He often talked while working at the same time! And since He is my boss, I too will talk while I work. I will do what I can “to drag this dream into existence” (Obscure Rush reference. Extra points if you know the song!). I believe this is a God thing! So I am going to do my best to act like it. I would urge you to do the same. If there is something in your life that needs to be done, and it seems like a God thing, then by all means do it. If you find that there is an idea that is keeping you up at night, and interrupting your favorite show, than you may need to look into it. Don’t let the opportunity go by. Yea, I know it is probably hard, and defiantly inconvenient, and your friends and family might think you have gone nuts, but relax. You’re in good company! Even a quick read of the gospels will show you people who were called to live a Kingdom life… not a convenient one.

Keep prayin’ and I’ll keep workin’

Pete

Sunday, November 19, 2006

I know it has been a while since I have posted, so let me make lame excuses…


We were laying the floor, and I was using a large rubber mallet. Here is a word of advise; don’t look the other way when swinging a large rubber mallet!!!! As you can see it is not the best thing for your fingers. I hesitated to post this picture because I am sure many of you wouldn’t even have noticed, much less slow down your work. I however am a whiney wimpy sort. And I find it rather hard to type without the tip of my left index finger. But as always there seems to be a lesson here. But first, here is a word from our sponsor…

Things are moving along here at the tattoo shop. The floor is almost in, and much of the furniture has been loaded in and put together. We have had our first round of inspections from the city, and now we need to put in a bathroom fan that vents outside in order to get our certificate of occupancy. So while we wait on that, we are trying to get some of the details locked down, like how to display the flash. We hope to be open for business by the end of the month. Now back to our profound thought of the day…

So where were we? Ah yes, pain. One thing about it, it tends to show you your limitations. And that is a good thing. You see, I am a person who tends to try to do everything for himself. For some reason I find it almost impossible to ask for help on anything. It really is kind of funny when seen from a third person perspective! However, since my little lesson in the laws of physics, I have had to say “I can’t do that” and “I need some help with this”. May not seem like a big deal for you, but I have realized that it is for me. It has also delighted my friends who are working with me. They even had to take the hammer away from me.

Now physical pain is one thing, but we all know there are far worse pains in life. My finger is an annoying inconvenience, and it will heal. There are other forms of injury that last a lifetime. The big question is not if, or why you have them. It is how are you going to handle them. My wife (a wise woman with lousy taste in men) said that perhaps it was God’s way of teaching us to let go of the illusions that we are in control. It forces us to live day to day, and rely on God for the strength to make it to the next one. And some days that is easier said than done!! Our pain draws us closer to God, but only if we allow it to. We have to be willing to ask for help. Man it sucks when those little daily problems teach you big spiritual truths!!! Whether it is a sore finger, or depression, or addiction, or family issues, or anything else for that matter, life can be painful. And we all need help from time to time.

Now everyone who has a tattoo knows that they hurt. But when the pain is over, you have a cool tat to show for it. And it is something you get to keep forever. So what do you get for the other pain in your life? What do you have to show for it? How can it be redeemed? Simple… you pass on what you have learned. There are going to be people in your life that are suffering with what you have been through (or are going through now). They will need your help! And guess what? They may have trouble asking for it! Yea I know that is hard to believe isn’t it? But if you can share what you have been through with someone who is suffering, you can help them. Sometimes it is in a small way, and sometimes it is a huge thing. But you may never know which one it was. And that’s ok, because this isn’t about you.

So I guess it all comes down to this; life is hard, and we all could use a little help. So don’t be stubborn like me, and ask for help when you need it. Then give help when you can. That, along with strength and faith from God, will lead you to a meaningful life. Not a pain free one mind you, but meaningful none the less. Now it is far too frustrating to type without using my finger, so I will let you all go for now. Thanks for checking in, and keep us in your prayers, we obviously need it.

Pete

Thursday, November 09, 2006

A different kind of Psalm

Please allow me to indulge in a little reflection. I would like to look at tattoos as psalms. Webster defines a psalm as…
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English psealm, from Late Latin psalmus, from Greek psalmos, literally, twanging of a harp, from psallein to pluck, play a stringed instrument
Psalm: a sacred song or poem used in worship; especially : one of the biblical hymns collected in the Book of Psalms.
So basically it is the use of words, to describe or capture how a particular person feels about God. I know that is an oversimplification, but it should work for our purposes here. You see, our church is going through the Psalms these past few Sundays. On one of them, our preacher / pulpit minister / head microphone using guy, was looking at the psalms as what it means to follow Jesus. You know, how all the different emotions we are capable of feeling come to the forefront at one time or another. How following Jesus is not always (in fact rarely if you ask me) a “happy happy joy joy” kind of thing. He also talked about how the pain we go through in life shapes and changes us. Again, this is a horrible oversimplification. If you would like to read more of what he said, please go to
http://www.tentpegs.blogspot.com/ I would give you a link if I knew how… well maybe I just did, how do I know?

So anyway, it all got me to thinking. I propose that you could look at certain tattoos as psalms written in flesh. For many people, they are the outpouring of emotions, not in words, but images. They chronicle the changes and pain that shape our lives. Sound familiar? Let me give you an example…

My God,
You consume me with a holy fire that pains me, and refines me.
You have called me Your own, and have placed your Spirit in me.
You have opened You ways to those who were not Your own, You grafted wild vines onto your stock.
You sustain my family, and bring life to all that is nourished by You.
You uphold us through all of our changes.
My God, it is You I will serve all my days.

Now, would you feel comfortable calling that a psalm? Granted it may not be a very good one, but I think it qualifies non the less. I just wrote it! I never intended to write it, but I just did. Why? It describes all the elements of my tattoo. That tattoo came first by a long shot. It signified my devotion to God as a minister, no matter what I found myself doing for a living.


The Trinity knot is a symbol of God. It is flaming because “our God is a consuming fire”. The flames are blue simply because I wanted them to be…. It’s cool! The Chinese characters translate; “religion of light”. It is what the early Taoist called Christianity. I had them put there to remind me that not all of Christianity looks the same. The characters themselves were found on a stone tablet in China. The two trees symbolize my wife and I. We are separate, yet very much intertwined. God stands at the center of us. Along the top of the trees they transition from winter, spring, summer, to fall. This shows the seasons of our life, and the changes that we go through.

Now I know there are a lot of people out there that don’t like tattoos. That’s fine, they don’t have to. But what negative thing can you really say about this one? One of the complaints I heard recently about this tattoo ministry is.. “They’ll regret getting them some day”. Maybe, maybe not. Unless I turn from God, I don’t see that happening. And if I do turn from God, I will always have a reminder of Who I have deserted.

So there you have it. I think there are a lot of people feeling a lot of things, and finding a lot of ways to express them. Some are good, some are not. But just remember, the next tattoo you see, may just be someone’s prayer, whether you know it or not. Maybe, just maybe, the tattooed and pierced could teach church folk some new kinds of prayers, and the church folk could teach the tattooed and pierced some new kinds of Psalms. I think both sides would be blessed… don’t you?

Pete

Saturday, November 04, 2006

So here is where we are at...

We have a store front....


















And we are actually getting some things done....


































So that is where we are at today. No great insights, no philosophical flashes of brilliance, just sweat, a little blood, and a lot of paint. So keep checking in, and pretty soon we will have pictures of an actual tattoo shop!!! Till then I'll keep working...

Pete

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Well, for those of you keeping score at home….



We are dangerously close to looking like a tattoo shop. Sort of. I made the analogy of giving birth to this ministry the other day, and I still think it is valid. Somewhat disgusting, but valid non the less. We have prayed, agonized, and gone into a ridiculous debt, as we have tried to drag this ministry into reality kicking and screaming. We have a location, but I have not even been able to get in to paint it yet. I keep thinking I will be able to, then bam, something comes up, and I have to push my all impotent (no, that isn’t a typo) time line back yet another day! It is enough to make a guy do something crazy… and I did. I bought a day planner. There, I’ve said it, and I feel better. It is good to own up to your lapses in judgment. You see, when I moved back to Detroit, I threw my day planner away. Why would I ever need something so repressive, so restricting, so ministerial ever again? I was going to reinvent myself, and my ministry. I was going to be the person I used to be… just without all the drugs and booze. Now look at me! I am going to open a Tattoo shop! How cool? How bohemian? How free spirited and unrepressed? Yea right… If you think that is how it is, then you have never tried to open a tattoo shop. In all fairness, my guess is that opening any business is the same. You have 10,000 details that seem to pop up for every one you get locked down. So I bought a day planner, and even put my first important date in it. Nov 18th, in case you were wondering. That is the date we have our fundraiser at church. Remember that ridiculous debt I was talking about? Well, we are going to open it up, and see if anyone wants to partner with us in this project. Like any other mission trip, this one needs cash to run on. I wish it weren’t that way, but them’s the facts Jack! By the way, if anyone is interested in contributing, please contact me and I will point you to the people at Rochester Church of Christ.

So, here I am running around trying to get things taken care of so I can get to painting. I’m stressed out, and toting a new day planner. I am behind schedule, and wondering if I could just not sleep for the rest of the week, would I be able to get caught up. Then I see some emails, and check the responses on this site, and I realize that things are coming along just exactly the way they are supposed to. Not the way I would have chosen them to go, but I’m guessing that they are going the way God wanted them to. And His vote trumps mine every time. I just don’t always realize it at the time.

I wrote earlier today that “a well is of no use to a thirsty man, unless he has something with which to draw the water up. I see now that God smashed my house in order to give me wood with which to fashion a bucket” (or something like that. I have been accused before of talking in proverbs). At the time, I was referring to the last couple of years in my life. But sitting here tonight, I realize the smashing is still going on. It always goes on! It’s kind of like living in a spiritual wood chipper. We are so sure that our plans are in the right order, or our list of priorities is in the right order, but God sees things differently than us sometimes. We see ourselves building a wonderful house to live in, and He sees us putting a lot of great bucket wood to waste! Funny huh?

So, I guess I will just have to take things as they come, and hope that I will get the painting done sometime this week. Until then, I will just see what God has planned for my days, and try to learn a thing or two along the way. Thanks to each and every one of you for your responses to the posts. They really do mean a lot to me. Happy bucket making!

Pete

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

“To abandon something because others have misused it may be the height of folly…”
- Attar the Chemist.

I read these words that were written at the closing of the 12th century, and I could not help but think how appropriate they were to my life today. For one thing, this whole tattoo ministry thing we are launching. Many of my brothers and sisters in Christ have thrown the baby out with the bath water on this one. They have seen things they disapproved of, and decided that the whole art form needed to go. Well, if you are reading this blog, you probably don’t agree with that line of thinking. Neither do I. But the statement fits on the other side of that tattoo needle too! Those who live outside of that great and all powerful entity known as the Mainstream (someone very wise once called them the Great Vanillas… you know who you are!), have also been guilty of this. Let’s face it, the world of organized religion has not always done the best job of living out our mission. There are a lot of people (me included) who have been hurt by the very people who are professing to be Jesus’ representatives. You can only be slapped so many times before you walk away from the conversation. Let me give you one example…

Rudi and I had a friend in Oregon. Let’s call him Rob. Rob worked at one of our favorite health food stores. He was a great guy! Always happy to see us, and always taking time to be interested in our lives outside the store. Now since we lived in a small town, we would see him walking on a regular basis, and we would both smile and wave. We even met his partner. Yes, Rob was gay. One day as he was the cashier, he happened to ask what I did for a living. I told him I was a preacher. What happened next still makes me sad. He looked as if he was going to actually vomit right there. I could see in his eyes all the crap he had to take from religious people in his life. “It’s ok, I’m not one of those” I said, but it was too late. The door had been closed, locked, bared, and bricked over. I don’t’ think he ever talked to us again. Soon after that he left our town, but we saw him on T.V. He was at a gay pride rally in Portland. There was a man in a bad suit, with a bad haircut literally waving a bible in Rob’s face so close I was sure it was hitting him. It looked like he was yelling that God hated him, or something equally as repulsive. Now no matter how you feel about being gay, the point is that people were being abused that day, not loved. There was no meaningful discussion going on. Rob had endured too many of those conversations to trust a preacher ever again.

Yes, the Bible has been misused to be sure. Most things have! Our challenge living in this day and age, is to look beyond what other people misused, and see the value in things for what they are. Tattoos are not bad. Some are, but not all. Tattooed people are not bad. Some are but not all. Church folks are not all bad, but yes, some are. The point is that each and everyone of us has not only been abused and misused, but we ourselves have been the abusers and misusers!! The time has come to stop living based on old scores and scars, and start dealing with people for who and what they are. The world is changing! Preachers are tattooing, the pierced are praying, and who knows what may be next! But one thing is to be sure… each of us must use our heads, open our hearts, and start seeing people for what they are. Creations of God, for whom Jesus died.

Pete

Friday, October 20, 2006

The world never ceases to amaze me! I just finished writing an article for our church bulletin. This may or may not seem all that amazing on the surface, but stop and think about it for a second. The church I go to is mostly well paid, main stream, white collar, right wing kind of folks. They don’t know me very well (I recently moved back to Michigan), and they tell me I look differently than they do. Yet they seem to love me, and even let me write things for them to read! How cool is that?! As I have told you before, they are being very supportive of us opening a Christian Tattoo shop. Now, what I didn’t tell you, because it hadn’t happened yet, is how my mother-in-law took the news…

We went to see her just the other day. She is an 88 year old wonderful Christian woman. She dresses impeccably, and her condo could easily be mistaken for a Hallmark store. Being 88 however, she is not what you would call a flaming liberal. Now because we will be using our cell phone as the number for the tattoo shop, I am going to have to change my greeting from “Hey, you’ve reached Pete and Rudi”, to “Hey, you’ve reached Sacred Ink Tattoos, where body art has a soul!”. This being the case we figured it would be a good idea to give my mother-in-law a heads up before she called again. It just isn’t a good idea to ‘spring’ things on 88 year olds. So we went over with lunch, and prepared for the worst. I waited until she had finished her bean with ham soup, then chose my words carefully (I also checked to make sure we had a clear path to an exit…. You know, just in case).

“Well Muzz (we call her ‘Muzz’), you know I’ve been struggling with ministry, bla, bla, bla. The church wants to reach some different people, bla, bla, bla. God loves everyone, bla, bla, bla. We are opening a tattoo shop.” There, I had said it. Now I waited. I am pretty sure that the birds stopped chirping for just a split second. At the point where I actually said the word ‘tattoo’, her eyes did the most amazing thing. They grew to about the size of hubcaps off a 67 Chevy. Then just as quickly, they shrank back to normal size. Well, actually a little smaller than normal because she was kind of squinting at me now. I became a little worried that I was about to be using the soup as a new fashion accessory, but that was not to be the case. “Well, what do you think?” I said with the best innocent little preacher voice I could find. To her credit she said that she would have to think about this for a little bit. Some thing require more thought than others. Later, when I told her that I was going to be the tattoo artist, she made somewhat of the same face, only a little less pronounced this time. “Well” she said, “I guess you have to give it a try. You’ll never know unless you try”. I was amazed actually. Now mind you between the lines, and in the tone of her voice there was another message entirely! However, I thought it best to simply look at the words themselves. Much safer that way, don’t you think?

Now my parents simply think it is yet another stupid idea in a long line of stupid ideas. But then again, they thought it was a stupid idea to stop swimming in Jack Daniels and go to church, so ‘stupid’ is a relative term. Pardon the pun.

So all in all I guess things are going pretty good on the road to Sacred Ink. We have found a shop location (more on that to come), our church is standing behind us, our families haven’t disowned us yet, and we are putting together what promises to be one cool shop!!!! Just about everyone who hears about what we are doing seems to think it’s a good idea. So we are hopeful that once the doors are open, we will be busy… yea! Till then, we will keep working to get it open, and we will keep wondering at the strange places God chooses to send us blessings through.

Till next time… Peace!

Pete

Wednesday, October 11, 2006


So close, and yet so far…. Well, we are well on the road to seeing our vision become a reality. Well, sort of. We were all set to open Sacred Ink Tattoos. We had the place picked out, we were picking fonts for the sign, and then we met, (think scary music here) the Chief Zoning Inspector (think frantic screaming here). He was so helpful, he even gave us the useful suggestion that we look in another town to set up shop. I am sure he had only our best interests at heart. So, we have driven every major street in this town, which by the way happens to be the third largest city in Michigan (I think). As near as I can tell, there is only one more place that fits our needs and budget all at the same time. Well, I guess God knows that I am not the sharpest tool in the box (yes, I really did just call myself a tool), and so it looks like He as narrowed the search for me. That way I don’t have to make as many pesky decisions.

Now as frustrating as all this is, a strangely uplifting and odd thing has happened in the meantime. The church I attend is a wonderful place that is filled with fairly affluent mainstream folks. When our “Pulpit Minister” (but really he ministers to more than the pulpit. Although, the pulpits do seem rather happy) announced to our congregation that we were opening a Christian tattoo shop, the people actually responded very well. Even though it may be pretty far outside their box, they think it is a great idea. I guess it just goes to show you…. You never know where and when you may be blessed. How cool is it to belong to a group of people who love God, more than they love their own preconceived notions about how things “ought” to be done?!?!? Then again, how cool is it to have a God that loves us this much anyway?!?!?!

Now here is a funny turn of events. In between the last paragraph, and this one, my whole day went right down the sewer! Funny how that works isn’t it? I guess it is a lot like getting tattooed. One spot feels like a hot poker, then the needle moves a quarter of an inch, and thing are just fine. But you always know, that at any given moment, without any warning, that hot poker is coming back! Hey if it didn’t hurt, it wouldn’t be a tattoo. And if it didn’t hurt, it wouldn’t be real life, now would it.

I hope you like the picture of me that should be on this page. Not many people can get away with the Santa glasses!! I am still new at all this, and am doing my best to figure it out. Just like life…..

Monday, September 25, 2006

In some ways this is a story of boxes, of labels, and of preconceived notions. When I started off into the ministry, I was told that I would have to cut my hair, take out my earring, and learn to fit in if I was going to serve God. “It is impossible to be a spiritual leader, and still dress as ‘one of the boys’”, they said. Basically I was expected to wear suits, dress well, and generally not stand out in any way as far as my outward appearance went. (My inward appearance is a whole other story!). Well, wanting to be a good minister and all, I did what I was told. But as time went on, it became clear to me that denying who I am, is not the way Jesus called me to be. By the time we got to Oregon, I had my earring back in, and my suits stayed in the closet. We did a lot of work with the homeless, and various other ‘scruffy’ looking people, and found that the people I was talking to were far more likely to listen to me dressed that way, then they ever would have been if I was wearing a suit. Now there is nothing wrong with suits!! However, there are times and places where they may not be as useful as others.
Now, I have said all of this in order to shed some light on the issue of boxes. In some ways, what I was told was…”Hey, you there! Yes you with the hair! We are all pleased as can be that you are giving your life to Jesus, but kindly climb out of that box over there, and get in this one over here!! Yes, yes we know you are comfortable over there, but we just don’t think it is a good idea to have a ‘preacher’ in that kind of box! Now really, how would it look? So you just come on over here and we will show you all about Jesus in this box where we live!!”. I am left with one simple nagging question; what about the people I left behind in that box I came from?
My wife and I have struggled much with the questions of what it means to be a minister, and what a ministry could or should look like. We have dreamed of a ministry that allowed us to be less politician, and more disciple of Jesus. We have longed to see a place where people could encounter Jesus right where they were, right there in their own little boxes! A place where doubts and fears could be discussed openly. A place where grace and understanding would be the response to sin, as opposed to shock and revulsion. A place where ‘scruffy’ people could learn about God in a setting, and with a vocabulary, that is familiar to them. A place where I could live out the ministry I believe Jesus has called me to live.
I hate to keep referring to my life, but please bear with me just a little longer… Shortly after coming back to Michigan, I found myself in a tattoo parlor in Tennessee with some of my best friends and brothers (and sisters) in Christ. We were there on a grief retreat, and decided that ink was the best way to commemorate our losses. I learned something from that. Tattoos, while having a bad image in some peoples minds, are powerful things. When you permanently commemorate something on you, it becomes part of your daily life. The tattoo I wanted was a Trinity Knot (a symbol for God), and I chose it as a sign to myself and God that I would serve Him no matter what circumstances I found myself in. Now every morning, and every evening there it is. You can’t forget it, you cant really erase it. It is a commitment, and you have to deal with it. God has often used physical reminders of faith and commitment. Circumcision, frontlets and scriptures on door posts, the shaving of your head, just to name a few. Much like the religious icons of old, that were used as tools of devotion, a tattoo can function in the same manor. In many ways it is a modern (as well as deeply personal) form of icon.
Now I guess I have made you read through all of that to get to this point… I would like to share my vision of a ministry with you. Imagine if you will a place of community. A place where people come together to talk and share their lives together. For many people churches serve this purpose, however there are many, many more that will never think of stepping inside a church. Where do these people go? Coffee shops, and tattoo parlors are two places that tend to gather people together. These are places where people will come, sit down, and talk with each other. They are places of instant community. I would like to see such a place open as a ‘missional’ outpost. I would like to see a coffee shop/tattoo parlor (yes, you can have those two in the same building) that us ‘scruffs’ could reach out to a segment of society that desperately needs Jesus, yet is all too often over looked (or even worse, dismissed). Such a place would serve a number of functions. Talented musicians could play and hold open mic nights that would bring people into an environment where ‘devotion’ might sound a little different than they imagined. Great coffee sipped over open and honest discussions of faith and struggle. Tattoos given, and celebrated, in an atmosphere that understands what it means to declare your beliefs in ink. Worship services, bible studies, and prayer could take place in a setting that few would have labeled ‘church’. Yet I feel this is exactly the kind of thing Jesus was talking about when He asked us to be salt and light within the communities we live. A place where Christians could be scruffy, and scruffs could become Christians. Not asked to please come out of their box and conform to ours, but rather loved, accepted, disciple, and nourished. Then they in turn could go into
all the world and……
I think in some ways God is calling me back to the box He found me in. I think He always has been. Jesus saved my life, and changed me forever. How can I not go back and tell Gods’ story to the people in that box? How can we as Gods people not go into all the boxes, and tell them of a God that loves without measure?