Sunday, July 29, 2018

Who's Who at AC3--Shea Caperoon

In our mission to be a safe church for seekers, we sometimes hear those attending say that they don't know who someone is. We want you to get to know the faces you see around AC3. We are starting with the Triad, and last time we introduced you to Kellie Ade. Next up, we have Shea Caperoon, one of our Elders at AC3!

Questions -Spiritually Minded
Shea and his wife, Lori

  • How I clear my mind after a challenging day:
I like to take a walk and practice my tai chi forms to relax and re-position my perspective. Sometimes I just need a nap with some relaxing music.  David Modica is a favorite.

  • Advice to a person of faith dealing with a broken relationship with their church:
The first thing I want to say is that the banners we hang at AC3 - Love God, Love the Church, Love the World - are there for a solid reason. Paul says that Faith and Hope and Love are all awesome - but the mostest awesomest thing is Love. It may not be exactly obvious, but this means that relationship is a keystone for us and we ought to perceive it this way. Relationship has value above and beyond all the stuff and junk we typically fight over. I also want to say that not everyone is safe and this means there are surely times to walk away from particular relationships - but be careful this never happens in a moment of heated emotion. Sometimes we are the ones being walked away from... this does not always mean we are unsafe but it might be a good opportunity to consider the possibility. Of course, I now realize I have a lot more to say about relationships (and specifically broken relationships - and even about how to break them). 
Let me at least offer this advice (which if you have spent any time around me you have already gotten an earful of):
"Allow people to be who they are today."
Sometimes they can be jerks - you are always going to fail at trying to disallow this - you can only allow it or pretend to disallow, which boils down to a silly game not worth playing. (of course, this is not to say you should allow yourself to be abused at a chronic rate - see the above about the "walk away"). We must show the grace to others that was shown to us and prize the relationship as the precious thing it is - over and above stuff and junk. The last word in my advice - "today" - is important. You must also to allow them to be somebody different tomorrow - that is to say, do not label them a "forever jerk" just because they are a jerk today. 

  • When I declared I was going to walk along with God, instead of away from him:
It's a long story... but I was at a weekend Amway convention and Bill Britt delivered the gospel message during a Sunday service in the convention. I had been running a long time, and while I didn't fully understand what I was doing at the time... I completely understood in that moment that I had been literally running away and decided it was time to stop.

  • Change I’d like to see among Christians today:
I wish we would stop "fighting fire with fire"... I understand secular arrogance is difficult to avoid, but I see no place for religious arrogance in the church - and yet we are rife with it these days. We fight with the worldly but make peace with our own worldliness. We return injury with injury instead of with understanding and compassion. I can list the many excuses I have personally used for my own arrogance and yet I can also point you to Christ who says love your enemies.

  • Moment I saw significant change in my servant life:
I believe it was the moment I started seeing myself as a valuable part of the whole we call "church" - even if and when others did not recognize my value (it took them a while to catch up with Jesus don't cha know)

  • How I found my way to AC3:
So I started at an Amway convention... got baptized at Overlake... started attended at a foursquare (which got weirder than your average foursquare) and swung wide to a traditional First Baptist. In every environment, I felt like the misfit that I am. We discovered AC3 via the web and while I still feel like a misfit, I feel like I fit among the misfits now - like a family.

  • Advice I’d give to Younger Me:
Chill dude.

  • Gifting I most admire:
Would I sound arrogant if I suggested my own giftings - only more developed and matured? I admire and respect teachers who can communicate well and evoke thought and new perspectives - without manipulation and dirty emotional trickery - it is harder than it sounds. 

  • Favorite serving experience: 
Can't say I have a "favorite". There are some which I can say I'm glad I left behind - I learned good stuff while there but glad I didn't get stuck there. One of my favorite sayings is:  "Everything is an experiment." and that means I can learn from everything and I can explore freely. I don't have to be an expert - in fact, there is value in seeing myself as a perpetual beginner.

  • What I tell others about serving:
I've already said it... but maybe I'll say it this way also - serving is relationship-centric. All of the spiritual giftings are relational. Even if you are in a back corner somewhere chopping a donut or formatting a newsletter - you are developing relationship and dependent upon relationship.

  • 3 disciplines/habits that keep me connected to community:
Grouping
Grouping
Grouping
seriously... 
I don't attend a lot of different groups - I am an introvert after all... but I depend on small groups and classes. I personally do not get much "church" out of Sunday services. I enjoy the music and drama, and learn a bunch from Rick and Dan when they teach, but I don't connect hardly at all during services. Lobby-time after services is hard for me (I am a bit hard of hearing - all those metal concerts I attended when I was invincibly young). Most of the lobby chat is small talk anyway - nothing wrong with small talk, I'm not knocking it - it is just not much connecting for me. 

  • 3 disciplines/habits that keep me connected to God:
All the same stuff you've heard a hundred times. I would say that journaling is a big one for me personally. I might even go so far as to say that - for me - I feel like prayer only ever feels authentic and connected when it flows through my pencil. I don't treat my journal like a diary, it is more like a communication line.

Questions-Secular-minded

  • What book left a lasting impression on you?
Tolkien. Oh, and Heinlein. Tolkien and Heinlein and maybe some Le Guin... ok, definitely some Le Guin. Tolkien and Heinlein and Le Guin. There.

  • If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Fried Rice. But no onions or tomatoes (humans considered tomatoes poisonous for centuries... no idea who would want to change that.) Pineapple is always a good substitute. Peas and carrots are acceptable but I don't miss them when forgotten. But it's got to have some bbq pork and bits of egg, please.

  • There is a zombie apocalypse...What is your weapon of choice?
I feel like I would prefer to dual wield in such an event... in my left hand - something heavy and blunt like a framers hammer and in my right something sharp and not too short - perhaps a bayonet? I've put too much thought into this as you can see...

  • Marvel or DC?
I don't even associate with DC fans. I don't even associate with people who associate with DC fans. (in case it doesn't come across right... I am joking)
I have collected Daredevil since I was 10 years old - and in fact, I still do at 50. That reminds me, my box at the local comic store is probably overflowing with the last 6 months of Daredevil.

  • Beach or Mountains? Why?
If you plan things right, you can have both. My favorite getaways are river hikes. I go far enough up into the mountains to where I don't feel like the water is going to carry a bunch of industrial toxins. There is nothing quite so relaxing as a sandy river beach... sure it's gray instead of white but you can still stick your toes in it.

  • What is your favorite sport to watch? Team to follow?
I jumped on the Seahawks bandwagon because, well... because fomo probably, but I'm feeling over all that. I will probably go back to watching live music performances instead.

  • Favorite season? Why?
I grew up in Hawaii... what do you think?

  • You can only listen to the same song OR watch the same movie for the rest of your life. What do you choose?
I just made a playlist called "My Favorite Songs". It includes over 4000 mp3s. You want me to pick only one?
Let me at least share a few of my favorite artists here:
        Elephant Revival 
        Carolyn Wonderland- I prolly could listen to this song only forever on...
        Iron and Wine 

  • What is your idea of a dream vacation?
Exploration and Laughter in the sun

  • What are your top 3 hobbies?
1. Music (listening)
2. Reading (books / comics)
3. Tai Chi
        
  • You have a day with NOTHING planned and no responsibilities!  What do you do?
Probably my 3 hobbies. Maybe some exploration and laughter in the sun. Certainly some Elephant Revival / Carolyn Wonderland / Iron & Wine.

  • Something that your father said to you when you were little that you now say to your kids (or did when they were younger.)
"You make a great door but a lousy window." (in other words, get out of the way of the TV)

  • What is the last thing you binge-watched?
Longmire. And now that it is over, I miss Henry Standing Bear

  • Morning person or night owl? 
Morning. 

  • Best advice I’ve ever gotten:
 “Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear.” ~Pooh bear
and also ...
        'Never jump into a pile of Leaves with a Wet Sucker!' ~Charlie Brown 

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