Photography

What If Beauty Isn’t What We Expect? Lessons from Worshipping in Guatemala

A number of weeks back I was sitting in a cafe in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala when a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in two years shocked me.

She said, “It’s so good to see you Jonathan. And it looks like you’ve gained weight since I last saw you!”

The smile on my 185 pound body quickly turned into a slight scowl, and I waited for her to continue.

“You look great. You were too skinny before.” After pausing to reflect on her own body, she continued, “I wish I could put on a few pounds. I’m too skinny.”

My scowl transformed back into a smile. I burst into laughter thinking about the absurdity of her comment.

As I composed myself, I told her, “I can’t imagine this exchange happening in the United States.” And after a few minutes of explaining how people often view each other’s bodies in the United States, we each continued dinner with our enculturated views about weight and beauty challenged and expanded.

The next morning Rev. Juan Pablo Ajanel picked me up from one of the many parks in the city and we rode in his pickup truck to a Methodist Church a few miles away. As we made our way through busy streets, I didn’t know what to expect in worship that morning.

Click here to read the rest of my guest post at Seedbed.com.

To read this article in Spanish, click here.

Here are some more photographs from my trip:

La Casa Del Mundo – Jaibalito, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
This was my hotel one night!

Paragliding with Realworld Paragliding Company – Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

El Parque Central – Quetzaltenango (Xela), Guatemala

June 20, 2013 by Jonathan Leave a Comment

12 for 2012: The year’s best photos

“Out of divine love, we were created in the image of a creative God. … Within every one of us is the spark of creativity that we inherited from God.” -Matt LeRoy & Jeremy Summers in Awakening Grace

Photography is one of the main ways I enjoy expressing the creative spark that God has given me. It’s a medium that allows me to express who I am and the world that God has created.

In the past year I haven’t spent as much time with my camera as I’d like. But I’ve had the privilege of capturing some great moments. Every new year one of my former teachers, Richard Bernabe, posts his favorite pictures of the past year. His idea inspired me to do the same.

I hope you enjoy.

“Closing In”
Black Balsam Knob
January 1, 2012

I began 2012 in the southern Appalachian mountains on a trek to capture photos for a contest. When I arrived to make the short hike to Black Balsam Knob, I discovered that the section of the Blue Ridge Parkway the short trail was off of was closed. So I drove to another trail head that would require a decent hike in.

After hours of hiking with blistered feet (I brought the wrong shoes for a long hike), I barely made it to the knob before the sun set. I was cold, tired, and the only one in this Shining Rock Wilderness area for miles. But I’m thankful I was able to capture this photo before things went dark.

“Warmth”
Black Balsam Knob, NC
January 2, 2012

The night I spent on Black Balsam Knob was the coldest and most humbling night of my life. I had always been told in Boy Scouts never to hike alone and to be prepared. That night, I was alone and unprepared for the extremely cold weather and wind chill. As I laid in my insufficient sleeping bag unable to sleep, the verse from the sermon I had heard the day before continually ran through my head, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

That long night was the only time in my life I ever thought that I might die. But I made it. Thirty minutes before sunrise I packed my gear, set up my tripod, and waited for the sun to warm things up and light my path home.

January 9, 2013 by Jonathan 1 Comment

The Leaves are Beginning to Fall

Finding a way to the mountains each Fall has become a tradition for me over the last few years. Fortunately, last weekend I was able to head to Clayton, Georgia to spend time with my friend Chase as he prepares to get married.

The Hovering Spirit

Sunset from Screamer Mountain

Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Sylva, North Carolina

I also had the opportunity to visit an official state fair for the first time in my life. Friends, moments like this only happen once.

Come and Get It

God willing, I will one day have the privilege of serving a church that has its own concession stand at a state fair!

I often have trouble deciding if Spring or Fall is my favorite season. However, I’ve been able to pause school at a few points in the last few weeks, and they’ve pointed me to the beauty of this time in the year. I hope you’re able to step away from your routine and see some of this beauty as well!

October 26, 2011 by Jonathan 2 Comments

What is the Gospel?

Last week I attended a conference put on by Advance the Church that centered around the theme of “The Revolutionary Gospel.” The word “Gospel” is tossed around alot these days. I’ve seen people freeze in class when asked to define it, I’ve heard two hour lectures on it, and I’ve seen myriads of books focused upon it.

I believe that a robust Gospel is important for the church moving into the future. Yet in the Mainline churches I frequent, I fear that we often forget some of the basic truths about this message (1 Cor 15:1-8). At the conference, Tim Keller proposed a simple definition of the gospel which I believe is a great starting point as we seek to participate in God’s saving work throughout our world:

The gospel is that sinners are saved by Jesus’ work and not their own works.

Some other good quotes from the conference:

“Discipleship to what or whom? – How we answer this determines our lives.” – Alan Hirsch
“The gospel saves us to be disciples. The great commission isn’t evangelism text but a discipleship text.” – Alan Hirsch
Jesus must be both Savior of your life and Lord of your life. You can’t separate these two. – Alan Hirsch
“Law can tweak behavior but only the spirit can change the heart.” – Darrin Patrick
How do I know if I’m doing behavior modification or my character is being changed? Answer this question: Who is more impressed with you right now, the people who know you the most or people who know you the least? – Darrin Patrick
If we aren’t led by the spirit then the result is self-righteousness and behavior modification – Darrin Patrick
We know how to market impact but we don’t know how to make impact.” – Eric Mason
We defend defend Christianity with urgency but do we live it out with passion? – JD Greear
“Many of us may not be doctrinally where Rob Bell is but we practically are where he is.” – JD Greear
“The disconnect isn’t between the power of God and the mission of God but between the people of God and the mission of God.” – JD Greear
“Until you know the size of the debt and the cost of the payer you don’t know whether to say thank you or to fall on the floor and say command me.” – Tim Keller
“There will be no joy in the grace of Jesus unless one sees that they are lost.” – Tim Keller
“If you can define the church without Jesus then you can do the church without Jesus.” – Alan Hirsch

May 10, 2011 by Jonathan Leave a Comment

Places of Redemption

I recently submitted these photos to the annual art contest hosted by Duke Divinity’s New Creation Arts group. This year’s theme was “Places of Redemption.”

At the Foot of the Cross – Conyers, GA

Roadside Attraction – Glade Springs, VA

Hold On

1839 – Wilmore, KY (I was limited to three entries so I had to cut this one.)

March 18, 2011 by Jonathan Leave a Comment