The Pizza Resistance (My Old Blog)

2008-05-01T18:06:00.002-04:00

The End of the Resistance?

2007-08-12T20:36:00.000-04:00

The Pizza Resistance is winding down. I don't think I'll be blogging here much anymore. It's tough to come up with new content regularly, and then when I don't blog for a week I feel about it, and then I don't blog at all for month, and then two months, and then it feels like such a sad little blog with a post every four months or so.

So I am now blogging with a small team of folks for the ooze over HERE. Less pressure and, hopefully, more content. If you'd like to join us as a contributor, send me an email.

Long time no blog

2007-07-27T08:53:00.000-04:00

Sorry the blogging has been so sporadic. Three factors have been working against me. 1) My life is too busy to support daily blogging. 2) I get depressed when I see only a post a week, so I don’t blog at all for months. Which is even more depressing. All this leads to 3) I suck.

I really need to get into a team blog where there is less pressure to produce, and there is built in encouragement from having others post. Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to write about.

For the new year, I declared this the year of “fish or cut bait” for the house church idea. I was either time to stop bitching and do something else, or stop bitching and be part of the solution here. Because being the disgruntled prophet was taking a lot out of me. I admire Jeremiah’s fortitude, but I don’t think that is my calling.

So we are over halfway through the year. And here is the mid-year checkup.

1) I am not really any closer to starting a house church. I’ve certainly read a lot more about it. I still am infatuated with the idea. I still think it is a much better way of being church. But it does not seem that many in my community share the vision. It seems to me that the little bedroom community prefers to stay that way. Which is perfectly within their rights. It’s just a little sad for me.

2) I have stopped bitching. Not only that, I have reached a place of contentment. I have a sense of freedom. I no longer feel the need to tilt at windmills. I have found I can be constructive, and even a critic, without being harsh. Without feeling that someone else’s idea of community necessarily repudiates my own. That there are multiple kinds of community for all God’s children. “Red & yellow, black & white, they are precious in His sight.” “Different strokes for different folks.” It’s an idea I always espoused, really; it’s just that I finally believe it.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that I’ve given up on the house church idea. If the opportunity presents itself, I’m there. But if not...well, I’m okay with that too. :)

Venting

2007-05-18T06:55:00.000-04:00

I need to find a new job.

It’s not that the job I have right now is bad. I still like most of the people I work with. And though most of what I do is quite routine, none of it is really distasteful. It’s just that “certain people” I work “with” make things most unpleasant sometimes. And not just unpleasant for me. It’s unpleasant to watch and unpleasant to be around, even when it isn’t happening to you.

Don’t they teach you in manager’s school not to berate people in front of everyone?

And why is it so damn important who “fault” something is? I understand people need to held accountable, but why do “some people” seem to take such joy in pointing out the mistakes of others? And why does it seem that these same finger-pointing “people” have so much difficulty accepting responsibility for their own gaffes? Bottom line: everybody makes mistakes from time to time. So let’s focus a little more on making things right than on whose fault it is.

It must be the military background. Civilians with military backgrounds (especially as officers) tend to think they are better than the rest of us, I think. And that’s not really their fault. The military told them that for years, so of course they are going to believe it after awhile.

But I’m not in the military anymore. I got my birthday back fifteen years ago. I don’t have to take this crap.

So, like I said, I need to find a new job.

Roger Clemens and the End of the Yankees

2007-05-08T12:05:00.000-04:00

So Roger Clemens is a Yankee again. Just another case of the rich getting richer. By that, I mean that Roger is richer, not the Yankees.

The Rocket certainly will help their rotation, which has been a train wreck. But does he make them a better team? Does he up the odds that they win that elusive World Series? (What is it, eight years now? An eternity!)

It says here: nuh-uh.

This kind of thing should be bad for team chemistry. A guy just saunters in at mid-season and hops to the top of the rotation? For the third season in a row? I don’t care if you're the best right-handed since Walter Johnson, that ought to muck things up in the clubhouse. (Hey, did you see that run support he got in Houston last year?)

Of course, none of the Yankees seem to think so. And that is the real problem. This will not muck up the chemistry because there is no chemistry. The Yankees of the mid-to-late 1990s were a team. The Yankees since the turn of the millennium have been a collection of All-Stars. You may win a lot of games that way, but you don’t win championships very often. Clemens joining them should be a problem, one that might be overcome, but a problem nonetheless. That it apparently isn’t a problem, that’s a sign things are much worse than an aging and injury plagued starting rotation.

House Church Update

2007-04-26T12:57:00.000-04:00

So I made a New Year’s resolution this year. I decided it was time to fish or cut bait on the simple church/organic church/house church thing. That is, either get out there and do it, or quit bitching about the situation at First UMC of Land O’Lakes.

And we are now almost a third of the way through the year. I’m still attending First UMC, still attending my Sunday school class, still active in the music ministry, and even done a bit of writing for a dramatic production (which I will also be acting in). And...I’ve stopped bitching. This is a very good first step.

But it doesn't mean I'm moving on from the house church idea. Been doing a lot of studying. I’ve finished about half my house church reading list. (Organic Church by Neil Cole was exceptional.) So the passion for something different hasn’t subsided. I think the summer might be a good time to give it a try.

The biggest obstacle will be in getting other people to try it with me. Because a house church with just me is not a church. It’s just me. Which means meeting people. And meeting people scares the pants off me. And starting a church with Sponge Bob No-Pants is not likely to generate a lot of interest in the community.

Well, actually it might. Just not the kind of interest I'm interested in. :)

And Now for Something Completely Different!

2007-04-23T10:34:00.000-04:00

As my buddy Ted from work says, this intra-web-thingie is really gonna take off someday.

I tracked down an old friend from high school. (Hi, John!) He was actually in my wedding, but we lost touch somewhere along the way. (I think right after the reception…) We’ve traded a few emails, and I hope to continue. Hardest part is, where do you start in recapping 18 years worth of stuff? Anybody else out there is the blogosphere been through this?

In other news: the novella is finished. Now comes the fun part of trying to get it published. On the bright side, it has already been rejected by a dozen literary agents. And, yes, that really is the bright side. It means I’ve gotten up the gumption to send it out at all. Also on the bright side is the four agents I sent it to that haven’t yet rejected it. And the brightest side of all is, I have more time blogging.

Sympathy for the Devils

2006-12-22T08:11:00.000-05:00

Hey, long time no blog! The flu, the Christmas season, my glacier-paced novel writing all seem to be conspiring against me. But something occurred to me as I was over at THEOOZE today, and it seemed worthy to blog about.

I’ve begun to feel some empathy for the Pharisees, the Priests, the Sadducees, all those power brokers back in the day. Because Jesus really mucked things up.

Imagine you’re a Pharisee. You have been given TORAH. It is God’s word to you, how you should live, how YAHWEH wants you to live. And then Jesus comes along. He is extremely frustrating to deal with. He’s saying all kinds of weird new stuff, or at least old stuff in weird ways, like he's some kinda rabbi, and that’s YOUR job. But he doesn't seem to be following the teachings of any rabbi you’ve ever heard of. At least, he's not consistent with it. Some people say he might be dangerous. And, by golly, some of the stuff he says does sound dangerous. So you want to nail him down a little. You just want to do your job, protect the kids, protect the faith. So ask him a simple question. “Should we pay taxes?” And he goes off on this rant about giving to Caesar what his and God what’s His, and you’re like, “Um, that doesn’t answer my question. Does that mean we should or shouldn’t pay taxes?” I mean, why can’t he answer a simple question? And so you ask him “Why don’t your disciples fast?” And he goes off into this STORY about old wine and new garments and wineskins. And you're like...uh, what? And this goes on and on, and you get more and more frustrated. Then there’s that crap about you being a whitewashed tomb. I mean, that is so over the line. Not only is he dangerous; he's disrespectful. Somebody's gotta do something.

Or you’re a Priest. The Temple is the thing, has been for a long time. And it’s your job to protect it, to intercede for the people. It’s what you were born to do. And this Jesus guy comes along, talking about tearing down the Temple! Talking like HE’S the Temple! And then, on top of that, he trashes the place! So you ask him, “Who the heck are you to talk like this? To act like this? Who gave you this authority? Who made you boss? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE???” And not only doesn't he apologize, he doesn't even answer your questions! He starts sassing back, “First, tell me who gave John authority, then I’ll tell who gave me authority.” And you’re like, “There he goes again! We’re not telling him any such thing!” And so he says, “I’m not going to tell you where my authority comes from either.” And you are speechless at the gall of this man. Somebody’s gotta do something.

So you all get together. You decide, if it walks like a camel and talks like a camel, it’s a camel. He sounds like he has something to hide because, he really does have something to hide. You decide to something. For the children. For the Faith. To protect God's honor.

Do you see yourself in there anywhere? I know I see myself, in bold italics. So what does that mean?

Jesus; Pharisees; Temple

Peace on Earth?

2006-11-28T07:45:00.000-05:00

What have we become? Is this what America is all about?

I'm going to have to comment at lenght later. For now, let me sum up: some people just need to get a life.

Christmas wreath; homeowners associations

Muslim Dialogue I

2006-11-24T10:05:00.000-05:00

I say "Muslim Dialogue I" because I hope there will be more. I work with a guy who is a Syrian-born Muslim. By and large, he is a nice guy and I genuinely like him, even if I don't always understand him. So we talk sometimes.

The other day, we were talking about an atheist guy who talks to him from time to time. The atheist guy tries to show him "the error of his ways." He (the atheist) was pointing out all the violent passages in the Koran. And my friend told him that he misunderstood something about Islam. It is not a "turn the other cheek" religion. It may be a "religion of peace" as we are so often told, but it is not a passivist peace. It is a religion that defends the oppressed. It a faith that puts wrongs to right, sometime by force (if that's what it takes). He (my friend) says it is not a matter of defending Islam per se, that it doesn't matter if the oppressed person or people are Muslim or Christian or whatever. As a Muslim, he must defend those who are wronged.

This kind of crystalized a lot of what I have been thinking about American/Muslim (and Christian/Muslim) relations. We are using the same words (like "peace") but these words don't mean the same things. It also illustrated the major difference I see between Islam & Christianity. Jesus taught us to overlook offenses. To forgive. And this is something that Islam emphatically (according to my friend) does NOT teach.

It's also something I don't see taught in a lot of American Christianity. There is a lot of time spent defending ourselves. Defending our rights. Looking for new and different ways to be offended. (The War on Christmas, anybody?) And you know what? Those kind of things will always be there. Because people will always hurt us. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes (more often than not) unintentionally. Because people are broken. It's a sickness called sin, and we all have it. And there is only one way to combat it. And it's not by "standing up for our rights." It is by demonstrating true love. Forgiveness. Turning the other cheek. Doing unto other as we would have them do to us.

If we want to see the Muslim world changed (and this country, for that matter) it starts with living out these things Jesus taught. It will happen when we decide that praying for God to send His kingdom to earth as it is in heaven is not enough. It will happen when we decide to be agents that bring the kingdom of heaven here.

"Do not merely listen to the word, as so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." -James 1:22

Christianity/Islam

Updates: writing, football, Velvet Elvis & old friends

2006-11-08T06:58:00.000-05:00

Long time no blog, I know. Been trying to dedicate myself to writing. Well, and football.

What's the news? The novella is not stalled; it is waiting...it is poised to strike...it is...it is lulling me into a false sense of security, and will spring to full-blown completion next time I sit down at the computer...

Okay, seriously now. I'm about four chapters from the end, I think. I still think I can finish the first draft by the end of the year, but we're going to have to hustle. Life is just really busy right now. You know, with football and everything...

And speaking of football, this just in: the Buccaneers suck. But the Italic Squirrels are on a seven game winning streak. So fantasy once again beats reality. No surprise there. Everybody who knows anything about anything knows that reality is for people who don't like sports. :)

Just finished reading Rob Bell's book Velvet Elvis. I will hopefully blog more on it later, so let me just say quickly that everybody should read this book. It is fantastic. It far exceeded my expectations. I was thinking it would be another light-hearted romp through the land of emergents, kinda like Don Miller (who I love, but, you know, he is what he is). Velvet Elvis was not like that. Despite being fairly short and a quick read, it was very thought provoking. Love the 1st century Jewish history lessons. Puts a new spin on lots of things Jesus said & did.

And I have been trading emails with an old friend, Walt Carter. He was a counselor at a summer camp I went to as a kid. Walt is a great guy, funny and deep, with a fantastic wife. (If you're reading this, Hi Terri!) They were big influences on me in my formative years. For whatever odd reason, he popped into my head the other day. So I goggled him, tracked him down, and we've swapped a few emails. Here's hoping we can do some catching up.

That's about it. Here's hoping it be months between updates next time.
football; Velvet Elvis; friends

I don't want a revival

2006-09-30T08:34:00.000-04:00

Been reading a bit about some of the late-20th century revivals: Brownsville, Toronto Blessing, that sort of thing. While I wasn't involved in it on the big scale, I did attend several charasmatic churches in the late 80s & early 90s. My own church has (from time to time) bought into the big Purpose Driven thing. And I remember a time when I was very much on board with this sort of thing.

I wanted to reach the masses. I wanted to see 10s of 1000s of people come to Jesus. I wanted revival. I wanted to part of something that changed the world.

Now...not so much. I don't want a revival anymore. I'm just not very interested in reaching people I've never met. I only have so much time & energy, and there are too many people I HAVE met that could really use the love of Jesus in their lives. So I want to learn to love these people better, more completely.

I don't want to reach the masses. There are too many of them, and I am only me. Instead, I want to get to know two or three people lost in the masses. I want to share the love of Jesus with them.

I don't want to change the world anymore. At least, not all of it. It's too big for me. I just want to touch my little corner of it.

Of course, maybe that's what real revival looks like anyway...

revival

Urgent!

2006-09-18T13:11:00.000-04:00

Our pastor is doing a series on being part of the family of God. He’s talked about the responsibilities we all have, and about the power of a changed life. All very good stuff. He also touched on the urgency believers should have in sharing the gospel/furthering the kingdom. I also agree with him here, for the most part, though I would like to refine it a bit.

He did make a point that he wasn’t talking about frantic action just for the sake of doing something. And I’d like to add that “urgent” doesn’t mean thumping people on the head with Scripture. I wonder if there is a better term than “urgent”?

A farmer doesn’t farm urgently. He is diligent. He is consistent. He tills the land when it’s to till, he fertilizes when it’s time for that, he harvests when it’s time for that. Sometimes great effort is exerted. Sometimes it looks like nothing is really happening. The farmer cannot force a good harvest. He can only do all the things farmers do, at the time they should be done, that yielded good crops before. Things that are good for the land, good for the corn, and good for the people that will be eating the corn.

A fisherman does not fish urgently. At least, most of his fishing time is not urgent. He casts. He sits. He waits. If there is bite, yes, there is a flurry of activity. But even then, a good fisherman will not just reel it straight in as fast as he can. That’s a good way to lose the fish!

So it is, I think, in the Christian life. Constancy is more important the activity. We stay at the task even when the big payoff isn’t apparent. We act when it is time to act. It's that simple, and that difficult.

evangelism

[RE]Understanding Prayer

2006-09-08T11:51:00.000-04:00

I wrote a review of this book and published it on this blog several months ago. It was a pretty good read. It's by Kyle Lake. If you don't care to dig through the archives, theooze.com just published it this month. Go HERE.

review

My Vacation is Winding Down

2006-09-04T10:47:00.000-04:00

Well, I am back to work tomorrow. It has been a nice week off. Lots of rest, lots of time to think, lots of time not thinking at all. Also, lots of writing.

I'm working on a story about "the other side." Normally, I am the king of chapter one, and then I get stuck. But I am quietly optimistic about this one. I'm about 10K words into it, and haven't hit a wall yet. I'm thinking in the end it will be less than a full-length novel, more of a novella, somewhere between 20K ot 40K words. So I'm somewhere between a quarter to halfway there. Other than the novel I actually finished (unpublished, but there's a link on the sidebar to read it on the web), this is the farther I've gotten into any larger work.

The tough part will be sticking at it once I get back to work. I'm going to try to keep pushing through a chapter a day, but that may turn out to be too optimistic. At the very least, I intend to do a chapter a day on the weekends. The goal is to have it done by Christmas.

So in the meantime, blogging might be even more sporatic than it has been. But don't worry, it's not because the Depression Monster got me. :)

vacation; writing

Happy Birthday to Me!

2006-08-30T09:05:00.000-04:00

I am 38 today. I'm thinking about celebrating by taking a nap. wO0t!

Back in college at West Chester, I had to a project where you researched something that was going on the day you were born. For you young whipper-snappers, this was back in the day before the internets. I had to look at newspapers! On microfiche! It was hard work! But it was probably the most interesting assignment I ever did. Turns out that at the end of August 1968, the Democratic Nat'l Convention was going on in Chicago. Protesters. Riots. Cops. Tear gas. Fun fun fun. I used to think about how far we'ver progressed since then. Then I turn on the Daily Show. hmm...maybe not so much.

Now about that nap.

birthdays; politics; 1968; naps

Christians in the Workforce

2006-08-27T20:06:00.000-04:00

My pastor is preaching a series on being a Christian in the marketplace. It's a good series so far. Today he was talking about being a Christian boss. He talked about having character. He talked about valuing people. About growing the people who work for you. Like I said, good stuff. Too often we turn off The Walk in the business world. We think it doesn't "work" there. And maybe it doesn't sometimes. But honestly, our goal should not be to make things "work." Our goal should always, always, always be to follow Jesus (whether it "works" or not).

One point kinda struck me as a little off though. Maybe it was b/c it was his first point. But he talked about purusing excellence. I don't know that I agree here. And I certainly wouldn't have made it the first point.

Now, don't get me wrong, just b/c we are Christians doesn't mean we can provide crap for a product or a service. I have seen plenty of people slap a fish on their business card, and they think you should buy from them just b/c we're "brothers" (regardless of how poor a service they provide). That's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about the overriding preoccupation with "excellence" in our culture. We say that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. But what if you are not capable of doing it well? Or at least not capable of doing it well right now? Does that mean you shouldn't do it all? And how do you get to the point where you do things with excellence if you are not free to learn? Face it, no one starts out "excellent." Don't we have to be free to fail sometimes, even in business? Sometimes if things are worth doing, they are worth doing badly. You know what I mean?

Anyway, I didn't want to go all negative here. It really is a good series. Looking forward to next week.

faith; excellence; work

Why bother?

2006-08-21T07:36:00.000-04:00

I’m reading through Tom Wright’s commentary on I Corinthians (“Paul for Everyone”). I’m in chapter 15, where he is talking about the dispute about whether or not Jesus was raised from the dead. It reminds me of what annoys me most about “liberal” Christianity. And that is the tendency to leave Jesus death & resurrection out of the picture altogether. The tendency to turn this walk into just a moral code (“be nice to people b/c it’s the right thing to do”) without any real connection to what happened to a Jewish carpenter back in Palestine 2000 years ago. Bishop John Shelby Spong does this often, dismissing anything in the historical record that doesn’t make sense to him.

Not that I’m any kind of fundamentalist. I am really much more liberal than most of the people I worship and pray with. But if you are going to take Jesus out of the equation altogether...well, why bother being a Christian at all? Join the Optimist Club. Join the Sierra Club. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Do whatever you think you should be doing to make the world a better place.

But don’t call yourself a Christian. Because without Jesus, you just aren’t.

Tom Wright; Liberal Christianity; Bishop Sprong

Slogging Through

2006-08-18T19:39:00.000-04:00

Have you seen the drug commercial where they say that 70% of people being treated for depression suffer recurring symptoms? The one where they want you to ask your doctor about switching meds? Meds which the commercial just happens to be selling? I hate that commercial.

Do you know why "depressed" people get depressed sometimes? Because everybody gets depressed sometimes! Just because you're on Zoloft doesn't mean you won't get the blues. Part of dealing with depression is learning how to handle this fact of life.

Look, I've been on anti-depressants for several years now. The drugs are a God-send. I am the "me" I always wanted to be. That doesn't mean I don't get down every now and then.

This is one of those down times for me. That's why the blogging has been erratic lately. It is tough sledding right now, no question. But this patch is just depression, it's not depression. I'll push through, and then the blogging will be more regular.

On the bright side, my Fantasy Football draft is tommorow. wO0t!

depression

Fantasy Football Draft

2006-08-13T19:29:00.000-04:00

My fantasy football draft is next weekend. It's a twelve team, two-keeper league. This year I'm keeping Willis McGahee and Kevin Jones. And I'm not very excited about it. Thought long and hard about keeping Matt Hassellbeck, who is probably the best player I could have kept. But I think he (or another pretty good QB) will be available later in the draft. We will see.

I'm actually thinking about stocking up on WRs early, which is something I never do. But it looks like there should be some good available early in the draft. Again, we will see.

Fantasy Football

When is it time?

2006-08-08T21:36:00.000-04:00

I've about had it with church.

So, when is it time to pack it in? To throw in the towel? To say to a group of people you have marched along beside, "no, I don't think I can do this anymore"? When is it time to admit you are moving in different directions, and the continued tension is no good for either of you?

It's not that they are wrong and I am right. I just that...I want to do something different. I NEED to do something different. And this different thing is incompatible with what they see. So, is it ever time to part ways? After how long?

And, no, I don't want to go to another church. I'm sure I would find the same problems there. (Probably b/c I brought some them with me.) Fact is, I don't want to go to ANY church. At least, no present form of Institutional Church. There is no joy in me right now.

So how much do you slog through? How long do you stay the course? What course?

What would YOU do?

I wish I had something shiny-happy to say. But I don't. This sucks.

leaving church

Sermon Stealing

2006-08-05T12:10:00.000-04:00

There is a good conversation over at Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed about pastors who plagiarize. Take a look.

preaching; plagiarism

Who Will Be Saved?

2006-08-04T13:28:00.000-04:00

Today I want to look at something that might get me in hot water among my more conservative (theologically speaking) friends. I want to talk about heaven, the afterlife, and who will be there.

Before we get into this, I know there are lots of scriptures about this subject. I won’t be using many here. Not because I don’t believe them, but because many of them (I think) don’t mean what we generally think they mean. And I don’t have the time right now to put together a comprehensive treatise about it. So this will just be some general ideas. I encourage all to dig in, to question, to comment, to pray and to seek.

First, I think we evangelicals have an unhealthy preoccupation with heaven and the afterlife. You may hear some emerging theologians say that being a Christian is not about going to heaven. I don’t know that I would go that far. I do think it is not the only thing about being a Christian. Probably not even the primary thing. I don’t believe we are saved just so we can go to heaven. We are saved (that is, adopted into God’s family) so we can be participants in His Kingdom, on earth and in heaven.

But it’s still an important question. So, who “gets in”? Who’s left out? This is going to sound patently obvious, and maybe like a bit of a cop-out. But those who “get in” are those God saves. No more, no less. God saves you, and you’re in. Congratulations!

Well, duh! But who does God save? No that’s a bit trickier, isn’t it?

Look, I believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the world. He said that he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That no one comes to the Father except by him. And I take him at his word. I believe there are dire consequences to those who reject him.

But here is what I’ve been thinking: do people who go through a door have to know which door it is that they are going through?

I have always had a hard time with God condemning those who have never heard. I can’t see how a just God would do such a thing. So what if Jesus decides to let more through that door? What if he invited those who had never heard? What if he invited those who HAD heard, but only from screeching bigots?

What if Jesus decided to let in some of “those people” who make me uncomfortable? That's what he did when he came here the first time, isn’t it? Isn’t that one of the things that got him into trouble, this being a “friend of sinners”? And is it just a coincidence that the people Jesus warned most about hell were religious people? Those who "saddled people with heavy packs" to keep them from believing?

Now, for those who do reject Jesus, I do believe in a literal hell. But what if this hell is not a punishment for punishment’s sake? What if it is instead a place of purification? A place to burn off all the things that have been keeping people from God?

What if the punishment of hell doesn’t have to be forever? What if God decides to redeem whatever is redeemable? Would you be upset by this?
heaven; hell; salvation

Discovering Derek Webb

2006-08-03T08:20:00.000-04:00

Derek Webb used to be in Caedmon's Call. He does solo work now. I've never listened to him much, either with Caedmon's Call or after. The style doesn't do anything for me.

But the lyrics are amazing. I came across a song called T-shirts, which is on 2004s "I See Things Upside Down." Tell me this doesn't rip your heart out.

T-Shirts (What We Should Be Known For)
words and music by derek webb

they'll know us by the t-shirts that we wear
they'll know us by the way we point and stare
at anyone whose sin looks worse than ours
who cannot hide the scars of this curse that we all bare

they’ll know us by our picket lines and signs
they’ll know us by the pride we hide behind
like anyone on earth is living right
and isn’t that why Jesus died
not to make us think we’re right

chorus
when love, love, love
is what we should be known for
love, love, love
it’s the how and it’s the why
we live and breathe and we die

He's actually re-releasing his latest (2005's Mockingbird) FOR FREE on the internet in September. The campaign is called Free Derek Webb. Take a look here.

Derek Webb

The Middle East

2006-08-02T09:54:00.000-04:00

I don’t talk much about global politics here. It's not that I am not interested; it's that I feel 1) helpless to do anything, and b) unsure what the right thing to do is, even if it were within my power to accomplish it.

Here is what I know: Jesus don't like killin'. I understand that countries go to war for a myriad of reasons, some more justifiable, some less justifiable. But I don't think the Jesus I know would be convinced by those reasons. And I am certain the Jesus I know never takes joy in war. Even if that war wipes out “evil” people. Even if that war is a necessary precursor to Jesus' return, according to some (in my not-so-humble opinion) bad eschatology. Glorying in the killing of fellow Image-Bearers (and that is what we all are, isn't it?) is never a cause for celebration.

We go to war to defend ourselves. We go to war to defend others. We go to war to defend our interests. We go to war to take back what has been taken from us. We go to war because “we” are right and “they” are wrong.

That doesn't sound like the Jesus I know. The Jesus I have met speaks of giving someone your cloaks as well when they demand your shirt. He speaks of going the second mile when they demand you go the first. He speaks of turning the other cheek when someone strikes you. He speaks of laying down your rights instead of demanding them.

Consider: Jesus did not have much nice to say for the Roman oppressors of his day. But he did not advocate their overthrow either. He advocated his people becoming what they were called to be. Salt & light. A blessing to the nations. And when he was unjustly accused, he did not resist. He let them kill him.

And then he rose from the dead. How's that for sticking it to the man. :)

Jesus was revolutionary in his day, and still is in our day. And I think this “Jesus Way” is what is missing in the Middle East.

Warning: anecdotal generalization ahead!

I work with a Muslim, who is also naturalized Syrian. He is a good man. He speaks of a God of justice. He speaks of honor, both his own and his God's. I can't see him ever intentionally treating someone unfairly. It is just not in his makeup.

However, it also very difficult for him to overlook a wrong. His honor demands that he be defended. And I read about this a lot when I read about the Middle East (on all sides here, not just Muslim countries & groups). And when you have an entire region of people committed to defending honor instead of overlooking insult and injury, you have...

...Israel and Lebanon. Israel and Palestine. Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq.

Of course, it would be wrong of me to say that this is not prevalent in our culture also. That “I deserve better” is the grand human sickness, and it is everywhere. And frankly, we in America, if we are who we claim to be, should know better. A “Christian” nation should know a bit more about “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you” and a bit less about “an eye for an eye,” don’t you think?

That's all I have to say about that. Tomorrow in the space, we solve world hunger.

War; Israel; Lebanon; honor; Jesus

Rethinking the Great Commission

2006-07-27T19:44:00.000-04:00

"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." - Matthew 28:19-20

That’s Jesus talking, in what is known as the Great Commission. It is probably (along with John 3:16) the linchpin idea that holds evangelicalism together. It is also one of the first Bible verses that really spoke to me. It is still the Big Idea that guides my life. I want to make a difference for Christ in the world around me.

But lately I've been wondering if the way we have structured our churches actually gets in the way of this Big Idea. I think we are missing something fundamental in the Great Commission.

Okay, if you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know I have A LOT of issues with the way we do church (though I am still very devoted to her). So probably this doesn’t surprise you very much. But I really don’t want to talk about style here. I may have issues with the way we make disciples, or the way we teach, or the way we worship, but I don't mean to argue that the church is not committed to doing those things. I have never mean to suggest that the church is not motivated make disciples. We all have different ideas about how to go about it. Some are better, some are worse. That's not what I want to write about today.

What I want to focus on here is that very first word in the Commission: Go.

I think this a major stumbling block in the structure of our faith communities. Not just style. This is something fundamental. We just don’t GO. At best, we say things like, "Hey, you should come to my church. We have cool music, a good pastor, great teachers, friendly people. You'd like it." Which is all really wonderful stuff to have and to say. But here's the thing: that is not really GOING. It is (at best) fishing from the pier. Doesn't anybody go deep sea fishing anymore?

Why does virtually every activity have to take place in the church building? Why do we think every activity has to be Christian activity anyway? When you find seven or eight people in your church who like bowling, why is the first thought, "Hey, we should start a Christian bowling league"? Why wouldn’t the seven or eight Christian bowlers join the beer league up the road, and actually meet some people?

Again, I don’t really care how we go about going. The bowling thing is just an example. How your church goes is dependent on the interests and passions of the people in your congregation. It is the going that matters.

We have to get out of our worship houses. We have to free people to get involved with their neighbors. We have to GO.

Great Commission; Church

Non-Negotiables

2006-07-19T14:06:00.000-04:00

I blog a lot here about what I believe. I think that’s probably the main reason people blog, actually. It helps clarify things for the writer.

It’s funny though. I have found that even though I feel very strongly about many things, from the really big (is God really out there) to the really small (who should be the backup utility infielder for the Devil Rays), my list of non-negotiables has actually gotten smaller over the last year or so. By that I mean, things that (were I to find that there were in fact not true) would crumble my rule of life.

1A is the Apostles’ Creed. For those who don’t know, it goes like this:

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

That’s from the Methodist hymnal, by the way, so the wording here might be a little different than some others. After all, it was not originally composed in English, so I try not to get too hung up on differences in phrasing.

Second note: this version does not contain "he descended into hell" (or "the dead" in some other translations). Quite honestly, that is because the creed I grew up with didn’t include that particular phrase, so I never really wrestled with the implications. I’m just now beginning to explore the harrowing of hell. And in any case, I don’t think I would make it one of non-negotiables anyway.

So those are all things I believe. They are internal things. There is one thing (or two, depending on how you count it) that is external which I consider to be non-negotiable. There is one thing I must do, not just believe. And that is love. Love God & love neighbor. Because without that, it doesn’t matter how many t’s get dotted and i's get crossed in my belief system. It is all worthless. The purpose of all that stuff in the creed is to make us whole, to make us into who we are supposed to be.

Apostles' Creed, Faith, Love

Who Needs God?

2006-07-08T05:20:00.000-04:00

I remember reading something by Steven Hawking back in the late '80s. He had this theory of how the universe came to be that (supposedly) made God unneccesary. Wish I could remember what the book was. Time is a bugger.

Anyway, a friend of mine showed it to me, though honestly he was a bit afraid to. Thought it would shake my faith or something, and he didn't want that on his head. Turns out it didn't shake my faith. Didn't really even make me think too much. In fact, I can't even remember what it was in the theory that made God unnecessary. I won't blame this one just on faulty memory though, since I remember not being convinced by it at the time.

I think the reason I was unmoved by the book is that, well, who cares if God is not necessary? If something is unnecessary, does that mean it doesn't exist? This blog is wholly unnecessary. And yet hear I am writing it, and there you are reading it. How weird is that? Well, not very weird at all, apparently, since LOTS of people are doing it. It's really kinda ordinary. So being necessary is apparently overrated on "does it exist" scale.

I don't believe in God b/c He is necessary. I believe in God b/c I have experienced Him. I have met Him. (He says to say Hi.)

People have been thinking science proves God isn't there (or proves that He is there) for a long time. I don't think it can do either. I think science shows how God works. Evolution is facinating to me. But you wanna know where I think Darwin went wrong? It's not with the evolution thing. It's with the Survival of the Fitest thing. Because there are still way too many stupid people out there making stupid (and dangerous) decisions. If only the strong survived, these people would be gone by now. And yet they persist. Why? How?

I know this sounds like I'm rambling, but I really am getting to something. I think the persistence of folly is a sign of God. I think that is God, protecting the weak, being a father to the fatherless. Do we need a savior? No. Doesn't mean we don't have one anyway.

Steven Hawking, creation, evolution, science, faith

Songs Online

2006-07-02T19:26:00.000-04:00

I am finally getting around to posting my music online. You can give a listen HERE. There should be more as time goes by, but at least this is a start. (My computer is very slow, so it might take a few weeks to get them all up.)

It's praise & worship music that I have written. We do some of the songs (from time to time) at my home church. If you like any of them, and would like a lead sheet, shoot me a email.

worship, music, songwriting

Sporting Updates

2006-06-30T23:12:00.000-04:00

I hear that Mark Cuban may be buying the Pengiuns. This is outstanding for the Pittsburgh, and for the NHL really. I love Mark Cuban. If I owned an sports team, he is the kind of owner I would be. He is a fan! And fanatic! (And slightly insane sometimes, I think.) And even if you don't like him, you gotta admit, it's gonna be hysterical the first time he runs out onto the ice to argue with a referee.

The World Cup. This is very American of me, but I just can't get into it. I mean, I start to. Some of the games have been interesting...sort of...for a while...but then my attention waivers. I don't think it's the lack of goals. I can appreciate good defense. It's that the games are so long. 90 minutes of running around. Who can keep that pace up? Well, nobody. And it shows. Guys are coasting half the time. (Because if they didn't, well, they'd all drop dead from heart attacks.) And then there is the diving. And worse than diving, the rolling around on the ground after the dive. And being carried off on a stretcher. And then jumping up and running back on the field 30 seconds later. I don't understand it.

The Devil Rays. I love the Navarro/Seo for Hall/Hendrickson deal. Navarro looks so smooth behind the plate. Plus, he's 22; Toby is 30. Even if he turns out to be no better than Hall, he's an upgrade just b/c of that. Mark Hendrickson, yeah, I hate to see him go. And I don't know that Seo will be any better. But he is a few years younger. We will see about that part of the trade. In any case, it was worth it to get Navarro.

Mark Cuban, Penguins, World Cup, Devil Rays

Worship Circle Critique

2006-06-21T08:52:00.000-04:00

This is going to be an "inside baseball" post. If you've stopped by the blog, but haven't been to the house for a worship circle, this is not for you. (Of course, if you'd like to stop by, you are welcome. Drop me a line.)

A few friends have been getting together with my family for a worship circle for a few months now. I wanted to use this post to solicit some comments on how they think it is going. Things they like, things they don’t like, things they’d like to do differently.

Here are some things I’ve been thinking:

We need to be a little more organized. Not a lot more organized, mind you. I think the free flow of ideas and the Spirit is a big part of this thing. But maybe a clearer distinction of who is facilitating any discussion for the night (and who is leading the music) would actually help that happen instead of hinder. It doesn’t have to be the same person every week, and we don’t have to be limited to only the songs the music leader picks. But it gives us a starting place so we don’t end up with "I dunno, what do YOU wanna do?"

I think we need a more consistent time. I’m kind of liking Friday night. Most people seem to be in a good mood on Fridays. The next day is not a work day, so time is not really a factor. It’s not a youth night at church, so the kids can participate also, which I really like. And really, we all have busy lives. Doing something at the same time helps to order that. But then, Fridays are busy days for some folks. Would another day be better? Is every week too much? I really like some feedback here.

We need to be more focused. At least during the intentional worship time. Fellowship is a big part of the circle, no doubt about it. But this is more than just hanging out together. At least, I think it ought to be. And I think being more intentional about #1 will go a long way towards getting us there.

Those are the biggies. Some other thoughts I’ve had are about doing communion, doing some liturgy, some prayer stuff (centering prayer, lectio divina, that sort of thing). Any thoughts from my peeps out there?

worship, fellowship

Mission Trip

2006-06-19T10:42:00.000-04:00

My daughter is back from a mission trip to Louisiana. Her team was tearing down housing destroyed by Hurricane Katrina so other teams could rebuild later. I think it was a good trip for her. She enjoyed it. It is important to do something “concrete” (excuse the bad pun) for your faith. Helps in understanding that this following Jesus is not just an internal thing, not just about singing songs, listening to sermons and studying the bible. But I don’t know that this was a life-changing experience for her. And this also, I think, is a good thing.

Too often, modern Christianity is consumed with finding the next spiritual high. And when we don’t get that “feeling,” we think the problem is with us. When actually, much of life is very ordinary. Much of faith is doing what you know to be the right thing is, even when there is no “pay off” for doing so.

Don’t get me wrong, I love those “holy visitation” moments as much as the next guy. But they are like candy. They do not sustain us. The meat and potatoes of this walk is acting in love towards our neighbors. It is in loving b/c Christ first loved us.

missions, faith, Louisiana

Theocentric Preaching

2006-06-17T08:30:00.000-04:00

Good post from Darryl Dash ontheocentric preaching. That is, what does the text say about God instead of what does the text say about me. A good to keep in mind about our every day Bible study, not just preaching. Here's a snippet.

"I can look in their eyes and tell them that if God asks them to do something, He will back them up no matter how impossible it seems. I can tell them that even when everything looks lost, it's okay because Jesus is still okay, and the Kingdom depends on that and not how well you and I are doing.These themes are more true, to Scripture and to life, and they are more satisfying than how-to sermons."

preaching, Bible

The Devil

2006-06-16T08:33:00.000-04:00

We are having an interesting discussion over at the Ooze about the devil. This is something my buddy Doug & I talk about from time to time. It’s also one of the three things we pretty much agree on. (The other two are Jesus, and that Seth McClung should not be allowed to throw another pitch in a Devil Ray uniform. But I digress.)

This is what I think: the devil gets too much credit. And there is a sometimes unhealthy preoccupation with him. The chief problem that this preoccupation brings on is that it absolves us of responsibility. True, I haven’t heard anyone say, “the devil made me do it” since Flip Wilson. We’re a bit more subtle now.

“This church is under attack!”

“This is spiritual warfare!”

“We need to bind the forces of wickedness!”

All these are sometimes true and have their place. But I think most of the problems in the church today come from the bad decisions WE make. From the spiteful and disrespectful ways we treat others. From our willingness to go along with the crowd. From our lack of love.

As believers, we have a power greater than Satan within us. We have the power of the living God. We may or may not be under attack, but that is not really the problem. The problem is that we allow evil to flourish, by not standing against it, and sometime by actively participating in it.

Is Satan real? Sure. The Scriptures certainly seem to think so, at least from my reading. But I think if we worried more about behaving in Christ-like fashion towards each other, evil would not be nearly the problem it is today.
Satan, Evil, Spiritual Warfare

Taking the Bus

2006-06-09T10:39:00.000-04:00

My wife & I started riding the bus about a month ago. The trip is a little longer, but it is well worth it for the stress reduction. Not to mention the money we save. The drive from our house to the office is about 25 miles one way. The drive to the bus stop is only five.

The bus stop is at Crossroad Community Church, which is a new United Methodist congregation in the area. They just opened their building, this year I think, maybe late last year. The interesting thing is that this was not the original plan for the bus line (which is called Hartline). When the new Sam’s Club went in up our way, the plan was to have the bus stop there. But (for whatever reason) the Sam’s Club objected. Not sure why, there was plenty of parking. Not sure why all this hadn't been worked out as a condition of building the Sam’s Club, either. Anyway, Hartline had to find a new place for the stop.

Enter the folks at Crossroads. Not only were they willing, they actually sought out Hartline. Imagine this: they wanted to do something in service to the community! What a novel concept.

To the best of my knowledge, no one who rides the bus attends Crossroads. But I can tell you that many of them have a very good opinion of the place from this one act on the part of the church. My fellow riders are grateful. They have seen (whether they know it or not) the love of Christ in action. And they like it. Even if none of them ever set foot inside the sanctuary, this is a good thing. The good folks of Crossroads have given us a glimpse of what being a community of God is all about.

Church, Community, Public Transportation

What I Believe About the Bible

2006-06-03T11:51:00.001-04:00

This is another post in the irregular series of about what I believe.

I think when you are talking about the Bible, the best place to start is what it actually says about itself. Or, more accurately, what it says about Scripture.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim 3:16-17)

I think it is important to understand that Paul is not necessarily talking about our Bible here. Because the Bible as we know it didn’t exist yet. The cannon came together much later. In fact, some of the NT hadn’t yet been written, and it is doubtful Paul had even read all that had been. It’s not even clear that he was talking about all his own writings (though he certainly considers himself an apostle, and the teachings of the apostles to be fundamental). So I think it is a bit backwards to use this set of verses to define what the Bible says about itself. I think what we have instead is Paul saying how to tell if a writing is Scripture.

Surrounding and interwoven in Paul and the other apostles writings are warning about false teachings. I think this is another warning to avoid false gospels (such as the Gnostics) that would lead believers astray. So he lays out what qualifies something to be Scripture.

1. Scripture is God-breathed. This is sometimes a loaded term in our church culture, Note that Paul never says "inerrant" or "infallible" or any of the other terms we sometimes use to talk about the Bible. He does not say that Scripture was somehow dictated, because I don’t think that’s what Paul had in mind. I think it is a simply nod that God is the source and inspiration of all the good things that Scripture does and is. As a songwriter, I have some experience in the "God-breathed" idea. It is a wonderful and powerful thing to be spoken to by God, and to then try and convey to people what God has said. But to call this inspiration some kind of dictation would be wholly inaccurate.

2. Scripture is useful. Scripture, like our lives, is defined by its fruits. The fruits of Scripture are four-fold.
It is useful for teaching
It is useful for rebuking
It is useful for correcting
It is useful for training in righteousness

I think we make a mistake when we try to use Scripture as a text book. It is more of a field guide. It is not intended to give us all the answers. Its purpose is to get us from here to there. And to teach us what kind of people we should be along the journey.

3. Scripture equips us for good work. This is what all that teaching and rebuking and correcting is for. We do not have Scripture simply to teach us what is bad; it is to teach us what is good, and to equip us to carry out that good.

So that’s what Paul says about Scripture. But how do we know that what we have as the Bible is Scripture?

The answer to that is that we have the church, the body of Christ here on earth. The church, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, looked at the various holy writings of early Christianity. The church judged whether these books were God-breathed, whether they were useful, and whether they equipped the saints for good work. They kept some; they discarded others.

It is probably very true that the process was a lot like making sausage. You really didn't want to see it while it was happening. But when I look at the cannon we ended up with, it is hard to argue that these books and letters are not God-breathed, or that they have not been useful for equipping the saints through the ages for good works. Did the church fathers miss a few? Maybe. Are there some parts that we would be better off without? Possibly. There are certainly many parts I struggle with. (Interestingly, though, I have not struggles with the same parts all throughout my life. So has the Bible grown, or have I?) But overall, it is a beautiful collection. Anyone with access to the Bible would be a fool not to read it, study it, and put it into practice.

At the same time, we need to be clear that it is God we are following. Jesus never promised to send a book. He promised us the Spirit. And it is the Spirit that breathes life into Scripture. And it is this same Spirit that lives within every believer today.

Bible, Faith

Worship Circle Update

2006-05-30T07:54:00.000-04:00

This is an update on our little worship circle. Things are going well. Well, I think they are going well. Actually, I don’t know that I have any real goals or anything to compare it to. So let’s just say I am enjoying myself, and I think God is in it. So by that standard, things are going well.

We’ve tried Sunday evenings and we’ve tried Friday evenings. I think Friday works better. It lets the kids get involved. (They usually go to youth group on Sundays.) Plus, as my buddy Doug pointed out, it is a rare person who is not in a good mood on Friday night.

It is starting to evolve into more than just a sing-along, a nice development. I love to sing, but our meetings should be more than that.

We’ve tried it with a meal and without, and also with snacks. I like it with a meal. There is something that happens when we eat together. It is what the early church did, and probably for a reason. It bonds us together in a different way. Eating together is something that families do, and that is after all what we are supposed to be. The challenge, though, is not to make the meal a burden on whoever is preparing the main course. I think we are doing well so far. My wife has been doing most of the cooking, and she loves doing that sort of thing. But it will be good as more people get involved to rotate it around.

We are starting to get some more people involved than the two main families. I’m hoping to reach out beyond our main church family. That hasn’t happened yet, though. I’ve invited some folks (some of whom seem interested) but no one has dropped by as of yet. At the same time, I don’t want this to be bait for “big church.” I am only inviting folks who I think would enjoy this sort of thing. What happens from there is God’s business.

To all those who have dropped by, or have thought about it, feel free to leave a comment here. Peace to you and yours.

Community, Church

Really Good (or Really Bad) Joke

2006-05-29T19:26:00.000-04:00

This was posted on the message board of my favorite website, The Ooze. Hope you like it. I thought it was hysterical. But then, I think Jack Black is funny.

The priest of an Orthodox church decides that God is calling the church to a new vision of what it is to be and to do. So at the parish council Meeting, he presents the new vision with as much energy, conviction and passion as he can muster. When he had finished and sat down, the chair of the meeting called for a vote. All 14 trustees voted against the new vision, with only the priest voting for it.

"Well, pastor, it looks like you will have to think again," says the chairman. "Would you like to close the meeting in prayer?"

So the priest stands up, raises his hand to heaven, and prays, "LORD, will you not show these people that this is not MY vision but it is YOUR vision!"

At that moment, the clouds darken, thunder rolls, and a streak of lightning bursts through the window and strikes in two the table at which they are sitting, throwing the priest and all the trustees to the ground.

After a moment's silence, as they all get up and dust themselves off, the chairman speaks again.

"Well, that's fourteen votes to two then"

Humor

Fantasy Football 2006

2006-05-28T16:55:00.000-04:00

Well, we past the NFL draft and before the start of training camp. Which means it is the season for fantasy football mock drafts! wO0t!

My team, the Italic Squirrels (or Squirrels) play in Phred's Phantasy Phootball league. It's a 12-team, two-keeper league. We had a great draft last year, but an awful season as we were undone by injuries. This is not the first time that has happened. So I'm thinking about changing my draft stategy this year and going with the "monkey throwing darts at the cheatsheet" approach.

Good luck to all my fantasy football peeps. May all your bye weeks by fall on good weeks. (Preferable when you are playing the Squirrels.)

Fantasy Football

T-Shirt Theology

2006-05-23T13:41:00.000-04:00

Was in the Christian bookstore this past weekend, and I saw a T-shirt on sale that was both really funny and really disturbing.

Funny: it had a quote from Galatians about "Freedom in Christ." And on it, Galatians was spelled "Galations". (That's why it was on sale.)

Disturbing: the picture above the quote was of an American flag. Somebody please tell me what Jesus has to do with the flag. Are we spreading the gospel of democracy, or the gospel of Christ? Don't get me wrong, I am not "anti-democracy." But it is not the cure what ails the world. Jesus is.

So, here is my idea of good t-shirt theology. If I even come up with a $1000 or so that I don't know what to do with, I'll print them up and pass them up. Here it is:

"America, Bless God"

Patriotism, Faith

The Case Against Professional Clergy

2006-05-19T23:27:00.000-04:00

If I were to start my own church, the people would share the role currently filled by the professional pastor. This is not because I am anti-pastor. Many of the heroes in my life have been clergy. And it's not because having professional clergy doesn't "work." I think it can, and it does. I'd just like to try something different.

We are much more literate now. We are more educated. And the greater access to information (via the internet and otherwise) has diminished the need for the professional pastorate over the last 50 years or so, and especially over the last 20 years. A professional clergy is much more a "want" than a "need" in our current culture. And we're also talking about a house-church model. Having to worry about ten to 20 people (versus 300) also greatly reduces the "need" for a professional clergy.

But the real reason I'd like to give it try is, I don't think the way we do things is necessarily spiritually healthy. I think very strange that we act as if God only speaks to one man, who then relays what He said to the rest of us, every week. I think we all have something to bring to the table, and since we do, we should be free to bring it.

I think eliminating professional clergy removes some barriers. I think it would free the church (the people) to be the church (the body of Christ). I think participation in the Kingdom by all His followers is what Jesus had in mind. It would let preachers preach, pastors pastor, teachers teach, prophets prophecy. Regardless of whether or not you had a paycheck or a degree.

Now, I don't mean to suggest this would be an easy thing. Commmunity life will not happen on its own. Caring is hard work. This type of arrangement undoubtedly ups the demands on everyone in the community.

But then, that is the whole point. It is time for the Body to start behaving like one.

= = = = = Addendum = = = = =

This is why I shouldn't blog when I'm in a hurry. I left out one of the big things I wanted to say. The other major drawback of a paid staff is resource allocation. Most churches spend 40 to 50 percent of their budgets on staff compensation. (stats here.) And I have to wonder if this is a good use of our money. When you lump staff compensation together with facilities maintenance, you are well over half of church resource allocation. To care for us.

I don't mean to suggest that we shouldn't spend anything on yourselvs. But this seems out of balance to me. The numbers are so far out of whack that many small churches give almost nothing to missions. This is being the body of Christ?

Church, Faith, Clergy

The Case Against Buildings

2006-05-17T10:41:00.000-04:00

If I started my own church, it would not have a building. That is, it wouldn’t have a building dedicated solely to "church activities." Here are a few of the reasons.

Church buildings consume resources

Obtaining and upkeep of property is costly. There is a mortgage, utilities, maintenance, insurance, on and on. According to Eric Reed (in “Where the Money Goes: How Normal Are Your Church’s Budget, Debt, and Salary Levels?” Leadership Journal, Summer 2000), US churches spent 20 percent of their resources on facilities management. This would be in addition to any debt retirement, which can run another five to ten percent in larger churches (who tend to borrow more). (More statistics here.)

All this for something Jesus never asked us to do. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and go and preach the gospel to all nations. (I know a lot of preaching is done in church buildings. But this is mostly to the already converted. And even when it is not, it still isn’t “going” and preaching the gospel to the nations. It is asking the nations to come to us and hear the gospel.)

Meeting in homes (which we are already paying for) is a much more effective use of our resources, and would enable us to give more to the things Christ called to care about.

Church buildings discourage authenticity

It is not unusual to hear someone speak about “going to church.” I say it myself all the time. Thing is, it is not technically true. I do not go to church. I am the church whenever and wherever I gather with my brothers & sisters in Christ.

And not only is church is something we are, it is something we are all the time. We do not turn it off when the worship service is over. But I think that is often the effect of “going to church.” We put on our masks and costumes, we go to a theater, we watch a play (or even participate in a play), and then we go home and go back to our real lives.

This should not be. Meeting in homes, in the place where we spend a huge percentage of our lives, brings our worship into the place we are most likely to be ourselves.

"Big church" worship discourages participation
This is maybe the most obvious, the most uncomfortable, and the most dangerous. It is very easy to slide in the back row at a large worship service and go unnoticed. This simply is not possible in a home worship setting. The intimacy of the setting requires either participation, or that you will stand out in your non-participation. This can be very uncomfortable for new folks.

But the truth is that most spiritual growth happens in small groups. There is precious little of that being done in bigger groups. Not because the teachers are bad or the people are lazy, but just because you have too many people at too many different stages. Too many passive people at different stages. And as attention spans continue to get shorter, involving people in the discussion becomes more and more important. This is where small groups excel.

Last note

I don’t mean to say that big church worship has no value. There are some things you just cannot do in a small setting. You are not going to get the same celebratory atmosphere, the same energy, and same emotion. But there is nothing saying that, from time to time, a collection of small house churches could not get together for a big celebration. However, the current focus of church as energy and emotion is majoring in the minors.

Church, Faith

If I were to start my own church...

2006-05-13T14:56:00.000-04:00

This is something I think about a good deal. It's no secret to my close friends that I've been fascinated with the whole "house church" idea for a while. And yeah, I know I have a lot of romantic notions about it, and that it is really a very hard thing to do. I know that removing the Church from the Institution does not take the people out of the church. And people is where the problems come from. So, I undoubtedly have unrealistic expectations. Still, I think if you acknowledge that going in, and are willing to put in the hard work anyway, the obstacles are quite manageable. At least, no more unmanageable than if you started a "raditional" church.

So, here is start of my list. I'm sure others will come up, but these are the big three. I'll elaborate on them more fully individually in later posts.

My new church would not have a building. I know, I just said I was fascinated with the house church idea. So some of this comes from my own personal preferences. I like things smaller. I'm more comfortable in little groups than in big groups. But it is not all personal preference. I also think "big" church sucks up too many resources. I think "big church" can sometimes keep us from being the church at all. We end up only taking care of our own needs and never really reaching out to the wider community.
My new church would share the role now held by the "professional pastor." I don't even think we would have a paid leaders. But even if we did, this person would not be the sole teacher, the sole preacher, the sole evangelists. I think in many churches we have become spectators, and a big part of this is the role of professional clergy.
In my new church, would have communion every week. Every the early church got together, they shared the Lord's supper. Now, we (Protestants anyway) view it as if it will lost it's significance if we do it too often. This, I think, misunderstands what communion is. We look at it like it is something "extra," like dessert, like cheesecake. We're afraid if we had it all the time, it would cheapen it, and we wouldn't like it anymore. But I think communion is more like sex in marriage. (Alan Creech, thanks for this post.) True, sex is not the sum total of the marriage relationship, but it is an essential component. In fact, it is one of the things that define a marriage. Same thing with communion. It is not the totallity of our relationship with God, but it is much more fundamental than most Protestants realize.

Church, Faith, Communion

There's no cheating in baseball?

2006-05-09T15:55:00.000-04:00

Great piece from Timothy Gay Here. Basically says what I've been saying for a while. Barry Bonds probably used steroids; so what? Baseball has a long legacy of cheaters. Baseball lionizes cheaters more than any other sport.

Plus, there is the fact that it technically wasn't cheating, since there was no policy against it. Yes, it is illegal to obtain steroids without a prescription. But then, beer was illegal when Babe Ruth was swatting homers, and few would dispute that he drank. Perhaps his girth was enhanced by that illegal substance, lending to his power numbers?

Again, so what?

But I digress. That's not what the article is about. It is a good read, though.

Baseball, Steroids, Bonds

John Prine

2006-05-02T17:44:00.000-04:00

Got two new CDs over the weekend with my "Administrative Professionals Day" present from my boss. (Yes, I know, it is a made-up holiday. So? You gonna give back a perfectly good $25 Barnes & Noble gift certificate just because Hallmark brainwashed your boss?)

Anyway, the first you've probably heard of. It's "The Legend of Johnny Cash." I don't think I every really appreciated Cash until recently. Probably because it was my father's music (and he loved his Johnny Cash.) Now, I love him. His interpretation of Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage" is fantastic.

The second CD I got is a little more obscure. It's John Prine, a folk/country/roots guy. My buddy Ted turned me on to him, but this is the first CD of Prine's I actually bought. I don't think it will be my last. I am loving it.

My favorite track, I think, is "That Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore." Here are the chorus lyrics:

That flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore
It's already overcrowded from your dirty little war
Now, Jesus don't like killin' no matter what the reason for
And your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore

And before anybody goes off about Bush-bashing, the album was first released in 1971. It's a song about Vietnam. Not that I personally don't see a lot of similarities, but Iraq is not what he's singing about.

And regardless of whether or not you think war is sometimes justified (and lots of good Christians have different opinions), Jesus never likes it. Not in Germany, not in Vietnam, and not in Iraq. And neither should we.

Johnny Cash, John Prine, Patriotism

Sweet Dreams

2006-05-01T21:33:00.000-04:00

Some people say dreams mean something. Some people say that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Well, this was my dream last night. I’d love to hear some interpretations.
* * * * *
So I’m at the White House with Alan Alda, and we’re watching a documentary on Hawaii. Alan Alda is actually there to see the President’s orthodontist, because he (Alan Alda) just had the same jaw surgery that my wife had. We are seeing the movie before the appointment.

Like I said, it’s a movie about Hawaii, and some of the paranormal events that happen there. Specifically, it is about a vision of the Virgin Mary at a neighboring island (not a Hawaiian island, but visible from them). It is considered a holy site, and it is taboo to visit the Virgin Mary island. The documentary follows an explorer who breaks the taboo and explores the island. Many bad things ensue. That’s the basic plot.

As the movie winds down, the President’s orthodontist comes over. He checks out Alan Alda, says that recovery is coming along fine, and invites us both to dinner. (I should mention that I don’t agree with the President's orthodontist's assessment. Alan Alda's jaw and teeth look really weird to me. I don’t think the President’s orthodontist did a very good job.)

But we accept the invitation anyway, and Alan Alda and I come back later that night to have dinner at the White House with the President’s orthodontist. I mean, how many times do get to have dinner at the White House?

But at the dinner, things go terribly wrong. There is an assassination attempt on the President’s orthodontist. Only right before the shot is taken, Alan Alda stands up from the table. The bullet hits him instead, and he falls to the ground.
And here’s where things start to get a little strange.

The shot spooks the horses (what? You didn’t see the horses? Hmm...me neither) and there is a stampede. The horses (some of whom are being ridden by Indians in full dress) trample Alan Alda. If he wasn’t dead before, he is certainly dead now.

After this, apparently, I think I should get out of the White House and Washington. (Can you blame me?) I take my family on a vacation to Hawaii. I’m sure we would have seen the Virgin Mary there, but I woke up too soon.

That about covers it. Any interpretations?

Dreams

The Perfect Job

2006-05-01T08:33:00.000-04:00

My 16 year-old daughter Anissa wants me to tell her what career she should choose. I keep telling her 1) she is smart & talented enough to succeed at just about anything she wants to, and 2) She should do whatever makes her happy.

I suppose those are both good "daddy" things to say. But that is not why I tell her those things. I tell her the first thing because she really is one of the smartest kids I know. That is not just a father bragging. If she decides she wants to be successful, she will be. She is bright and determined about things she wants. And I tell her the second thing because it is not all about being successful. At least, not by the standards most people have.

I have a theory about the perfect job. There are three components. They are:

1) You get to do something you enjoy. Note – this does not mean you are the best of the best at it. It just means that there are times at work when you go "I can’t believe they pay us to do this."

2) You get to work with people you like. This is often underrated. The culture of an office goes a long way in determining the happiness of the work force. And good people can make a bad job bearable.

3) You believe in what you do. This is about believing in the mission of the organization or the profession. You feel that you labor is making the world a better place.

If you have one of them, you can justify going to work everyday. This is where 60 percent of people fit in. If you have two of them, you are in the next 30 percent. You have a good job, and should seriously before making a change. If you have all three, you are one of the lucky ones, the elite 10 percent. If you are not happy that way, you should consider therapy.

So, dear Anissa, do something you love doing. Do something you believe in. And do it with people you enjoy.

Dads, Daughters, Careers

Zorro & the D-Rays

2006-04-28T23:24:00.000-04:00

We watched The Legend of Zorro tonight. If you haven't seen it...don't bother. It was incredibly long, and also incredibly stupid. I kept watching, certain that sooner or later it would get less stupid. It didn't. Not even having Catherine Zeta-Jones in every other scene could help. The need to stop this particular incarnation of Zorro movies.

I think what bugs me even more, though, is I missed the D-Rays game b/c I was watching a bad Zorro movie. I love the way the Rays are playing this year. Half the starting lineup is on the DL, the starting pitching is mentally ill, and the bullpen looks like...well, a Zorro movie. And still these guys come to play every night. And, despite all the injuries, their record is a respectable 9-12. If they can just get heathy...and the starters can find some kind rhythm...and the new guy Tyler Walker firms up the back end of the pen (and just how did we get a guy that saved 24 games last year for only a minor league pitcher?...great move by the front office...very un-D-Ray-like)...and Seth McClung quits baseball (seriously, there is not enough anacid in the house when that guy pitches)...well, we might be okay.

Oh, and get Delmon Young some anger management counseling.

Devil Rays, Baseball

Winners of the "I Look Like My Dog" Contest

2006-04-27T16:37:00.000-04:00

Go here. My pick is #4.

Humor

Light blogging

2006-04-21T10:06:00.000-04:00

Not going to be blogging much this weekend. My folks are in town, and I hope to be spending time with them instead of staring at computer screen. I'll try to check the comments from time to time.

The Political Church

2006-04-20T10:45:00.000-04:00

I got an email today from my church. It was about the Florida Marriage Amendment, which (in essence) states that marriage in Florida will be between one man & one woman. It has passed the FL Supreme Court muster, and now needs only signatures. Lots of them. The email was to encourage people to sign.

And this bothered me. See, I am uncomfortable getting such an obvious political message from my church.

Because I disagree with the proposed amendment? No, not really.

Because I worry about the church's tax exempt status when it takes a definitive stand on something like this? No...though that is a danger, I think. Frankly I'm not sure what the church is allowed to do and what it's not politically. But I'm not sure the Faustian bargain the church has made to keep quiet for tax-free money is healthy for the church anyway. Or the state, for that matter.

So what is it?

I think the church taking a stand on something like this (as an organization, not as individuals) may alienate some of the people we are called to reach. How does a stand like this further the cause of Christ? How does it further the Kingdom?

Does it at all?

Faith, Politics,
Gay Marriage

Psalms and Songwriting

2006-04-19T20:25:00.000-04:00

I was reading Dr. Mark Roberts’ column in Worship Leader Magazine about using the Psalms in songwriting. He says we can learn a lot about poetry, about theology, and about authenticity from the Psalms.

I’ll agree with him on poetry and authenticity. The Psalms are full of very rich and picturesque imagery (mostly because Hebrew poetry deals more in parallelism than rhyme and meter). And there is nothing quite so raw as David (and the other psalmists) crying out to God, pouring their hearts out to Him. They rant and rail, and weep and laugh, and dance and sing, and stumble and fall. Every human emotion is present. But I’m not so sure about digging into the Psalms as a theology source.

This is hard for me, because I am very passionate about having right theology in the songs I write for our congregation. It is a deep conviction of mine. I think a large part of what we think about God comes from the songs we sing. But as I read the column, it occurred to me that the Psalms are not just songs. They are prayers. They are the cries of our hearts. And cries of our hearts are not always theological correct.

How about this one: “O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you what you have done to us – he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.” (Ps 137:8-9) Is this how God works?

Or this one: “Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.” (Psalm 62:12) hmm...I hope not. Or else we are big doo-doo.

And there are numerous Psalms that cry out for vindication (and sometimes vengeance) against the oppressor. Which is very different than “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

There are of course many, many deep theological truths in the Psalms. I don’t mean to say there is not. I’m just saying it’s a bit more complicated.

All this brings me to two different conclusions, and I am stuck between the two. Either the Psalms are not quite the great model of worship we think they are, or we should make room in our songs for the less-than-theologically-correct cries of the heart. Maybe. Any thoughts?

Song Writing, Theology,
Psalms

An Easter Worship Circle

2006-04-17T14:37:00.000-04:00

We had us a worship circle last night. Got together with some good friends, sang, strummed some guitar, banged some hand drums, and ate pizza & wings. (Not a ham in sight!) It was a fantastic time. I love when worship leaves the sanctuary and settles in people’s houses. The whole dynamic changes. We are definitely going to be doing this some more, and invite some more people. What becomes of it down the road, I don’t know. And I don’t really care. I want to focus on enjoying God and enjoying friends. We planted something, and we’ll just see what springs up.

As a side note: this Sunday felt very Un-Easter. This followed a Christmas that felt very Un-Christmas. We have been very intentional as a family about scaling back, about not being so “busy.” The down side to this is, so much of our holidays were wrapped in busyness that without it they feel a little incomplete. The upside is, I could get used to this. And it’s a lot healthier.

Easter, Church

Journey of a Song

2006-04-12T23:11:00.000-04:00

I write worship songs from time to time. We sing a few of mine at church. It's something I have a real passion for, and also something I try to be very careful with. I think some of the songs we sing every week send mixed messages. I also think we focus on ourselves too much in our worship music, on how much I love God, not on Him. And we almost totally ignore songs about Living the Life.

So that's what I've been wrestling with in my songwriting lately. I want to write a few songs about justice, about being salt & light, about being Christ to the world. The first scripture I looked at was Amos 5:23-24 ("Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream!") But you know, it's tough to write a song about not singing.

So I moved on to Micah 6:8. ("He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.") And I was making some progress, at least on a chorus. The verse was a little harder. So I started looking through some historic prayers. I’ve always liked the St. Francis "make me an instrument" prayer. (You can read all of it HERE .) So I paraphrased St. Fran, fit it into the verse, and I had a nice little ditty going.

Then I set it aside for a bit for let it brew. When I came back, I realized that Micah 6:8 didn't go nearly as well as ... well, as the rest of St. Fran's prayer. So I changed the chorus, and I now have a musical setting of a Prayer of St. Francis. But I still don't have anything on Micah 6:8. Funny the journey songs take. Maybe I'll get it next time.

Anyway, here is the latest draft of the lyrics. Your comments are welcome.

Verse
We will carry love into the place of hate
We will carry pardon into the place of pain
Bring light to darkness
Joy to sadness
Hope to despair
Take us in Your Hands and…

Chorus
Lord, make us instruments (x3)
of Your peace

Bridge
In giving we receive
In forgiving we are freed
In dying we are born to life

Song Writing, St. Francis

This & That

2006-04-09T18:26:00.000-04:00

Sorry the blog posts have been so infrequent lately. It's been a rough couple of weeks.

Let's see...

It rained today. First time in something like a month & a half. I can finally breathe. It's a wonderful thing...

The D-Rays are 3-3, which is not really that bad a start. They are on the road. The starting pitching has been just awful at times. The bullpen has not been much better. The injuries are already stacking up. So, 3-3 is not too bad. But if they don't get the starting pitching together soon, it will get very bad very quickly, I think...

BTW, Ty Wigginton is my favorite Ray...

Brett Favre "announced" that he is still undecided about whether or not he will be coming back or retiring. I'm sorry, but kind of an announcement is that? The dude needs to make up his mind. We are approaching Ricky Williams territory here. QBs are already flying off the free-agent shelves...

We had a great Sunday in worship today. Probably the best I've played the bass since I started filling in. And moving the vocals to a separate rehearsal seems to be paying off already. Everything sound pretty tight...

Interesting drama at church also. We have this "FRAN day" coming up, and they are encouraging people to invite their Friends, Relatives, Associates & Neighbors to church that day. The skit was a guy praying about what to do, and God actually answers. (I've seen lots of skits like that, and yeah, it's pretty cliche by now. But it's still funny. Especially with my best friend Doug playing "God." Not sure it's a good thing to encourage him along that path. :) Anyway...) The jist was, the guy had told seven people about a restaurant he had just been to and enjoyed, but no one about the great worship service the last week. It's a good message. I'm still concerned that we only seem to link "evangelism" with "inviting people to church" though...

That's it for today. As Tony Kornheiser likes to say, "We'll try to do better next time."

Baseball, Devil Rays,
Faith, Church

Opening Day

2006-04-04T20:23:00.000-04:00

Finally, something to talk about! That time between the SuperBowl and baseball's opening day is the longest in the calendar. I mean, I watched NFL Europe, for crying out loud!

The D-Rays got it handed to them yesterday, and I'm guessing it won't be the last time that happens this year. I love the new ownership, I love the new manager, I love the starting lineup, and even most of the bench. But that pitching staff...ugh. I see many more four run 5th innings between now and October.

Best case scenario: All young starters mature this year. There are no major injuries to the starters. They find enough duct tape to hold the bullpen together until they can swing a trade or two. That happens, and the Rays go 85-77, and not out of the playoff race until mid/late-September.

Worst case scenario: None of the young starter mature. Kazmir keep throwing 0-2 gopher balls. The bullpen is a disaster. Baldelli goes down again. The brilliant new front office guys trade Huff, Lugo and Toby Hall for a magic beans. That happens, and the Rays go 50-112, and they are out of the race by mid-May.

I think somewhere in between is more likely. The young starters will start to come together, but the bullpen never does. There is an injury to two in the lineup, but there is enough depth to overcome it. They trade one of their young outfielders (Gomes?) and get a good return from it. All that happens, and the Rays go 77-85. They are not really out of it until late-August.

Hey, it's a start.

Devil Rays, Baseball

The Burning Question

2006-03-27T20:30:00.000-05:00

Holy cow, it’s been almost a week since I wrote something. Five lashed with a wet noodle for me.

So we do this thing at work from time to time called "the burning question." It's sort of a team building exercise, a chance to get to know the people we work with a little better. It’s also a good way to goof off and avoid any actual work on a Friday afternoon, but that is obviously not why we do it, because we are such good government employees. ;)

The premise is: there are no wrong answers, and nobody has to answer anything they are uncomfortable with . That’s pretty much it for the rules. The question last week was "If you could eliminate one thing from the world, what would it be?" The answers were remarkably consistent. That is, we were all (basically) addressing the same problem: evil and suffering. We just had different ideas of what the source was.

One guy wanted to eliminate pain. He is of course entitled to his opinion (see Game Rules) but I really couldn’t see how this would reduce evil or even suffering. In fact, removing pain from the equation might actually make things worse, as a world without pain would be a world without consequences. And then there is this: if there was no pain, would victory and reward be as sweet?

Another guy wanted to eliminate money (b/c that is where greed comes from, in his opinion.) This, I think, has some potential. Yes, yes, I know that the loveof money is the root of all evil, not the actual money itself. Still, it would be nice to take a shot at removing the object of our lust from the picture to see what would happen. It might work for a time. But I am fairly confident in the twistedness of man that it wouldn’t take very long to come up with a money replacement. And then we would be back to, if not square one, then at least square one-and-a-half.

So what did I want to get rid of? The desire of people to hoard. Because I really think poverty is the biggest source of all the bad in this world. And also the biggest catalyst of all the other bads. And I really do think there is enough to go around. But we like our stuff too much.

And that we would most definitely include me.

Suffering

Original Sin Revisted

2006-03-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

I’ve been round & round this the last few months, rethinking the concept (and my understanding) of Original Sin. If you want to read some earlier thoughts I posted, go here. To sum up, I have had real problems with the notion that we are all born condemned, especially when we didn’t ask to be born in the first place. I was toying with the idea that maybe we aren’t all born sinful, but that we all have chosen sinful behavior. (That we “catch” sin, like it’s a virus.) The problem with this is that it runs up against lots of Christian thought throughout the centuries, as well as a good bit of scripture. It runs dangerously close to heresy (and maybe crosses the line a little, I’m not sure). I mean, if we are not sinners, do we really need Jesus?

And this is a problem. I am not one of the theologically adventurous folks, taking spiritual bungee jumps just because I can. I want to be faithful to myself, certainly, but I also want to be faithful to the faith. While it might be cool nowadays to consider yourself a heretic, I don’t particularly revel in it. So I’ve been looking for a way to reconcile what I’ve been thinking with historical Church thought.

I think I’ve arrived at something. (Thanks to Alan Creech for his posts here , here , and here .) Where I have arrived is that my original notion of Original Sin was not nearly big enough. It was seeing only as a judicial thing, really. We are born guilty. Not my fault? Too bad. Ick.

But sin has a more far-reaching impact than just judicially. It is not just a matter of guilt or innocence. There is a fundamental brokenness in the human race. It’s not so much that we are liable from birth; we are damaged from birth. And not just us, but all creation through us.

This new understanding, this Original Brokenness, has opened up a new way of looking at Jesus' work for me as well. Just as sin is bigger than I had imagined, so too is redemption. When I think about Paul talking about “creation groaning,” when I think about Revelation and the New Jerusalem, when I think about being a New Creation...that is God redeeming us and creation from our brokenness. We are not just forgiven by God. We are made whole. And creation is also made whole. This is exciting.

And to my good friends, rejoice. I am not a heretic! (Well, not about this anyway.)

Faith, Original Sin

The Irresistible Revolution

2006-03-18T19:13:00.000-05:00

Almost done reading The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. I had meant to blog more about it as I went through it, but (as they say) life happens. I'll try and do better next time.

This is a great book. It is also a very dangerous book, so I don't recommend it unless you are serious about challenging your assumptions, about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Here's a quote from the 1st chapter.

I know there are people out there who say, "My life was such a mess. I was drinking, partying, sleeping around...and then I met Jesus and my whole life came together." God bless those people. But me, I had it together. I used to be cool. And then I met Jesus and he wrecked my life.

Shane tells many stories thoughout the book. I won't spoil it by retelling them now in case you want to read it, but they range from Calcuta to Iraq to inner-city Philly to jail, and he tells them all in such a compeling way that made me go "Cool! I wanna get arrested too!" (That's what I mean about this being a dangerous book.)

The underlying question throughout the whole book is "What if Jesus meant what he said?" What if this sacrifice stuff is not just a metaphor? What if caring about the poor means more than giving to the United Way? What does it mean to love your enemies? In South Philly? In Iraq?

You won't agree with all his politics or tactics. But you will be challenged to re-evaluate your life. To wonder if this thing you've been doing the last xxx years, this thing you've called Following Jesus, is too safe. Too comfortable. You will be challenged to think beyond what you have saved from, and on to what you have saved for.

Shane Claiborne, Irresistable Revolution, Reviews

The Dixie Chicks

2006-03-15T09:19:00.000-05:00

Was listening to WQYK (a local country radio station) this morning. They were having a debate on the Dixie Chicks. The Chicks have a new song out called “Not Ready to Make Nice,” which the station played and then took calls on whether to keep playing it or toss it off the Howard Franklin Bridge. The “vote” was closer than I thought, but still came down pretty solidly on the “toss it” side. The whole conversation bothered me, not so much the outcome as the reasoning a lot of the callers used. One of the callers said the Chicks should keep their politics out their songs. That they should basically just shut up and sing.

See, people who say things like that have obviously never written songs or done a lot of performing. If you are going to be musician, you have to believe in what you’re singing. Because if you don’t believe it, why should anybody else? Music is about passion. To fake passion for something you don’t believe in, just because it is more appealing to the public, is selling out. And selling out makes bad music. It is also bad for the soul.

For the record, I like the Dixie Chicks music. I also admire their politics. But I do think some of the places they voiced their concerns were ill-advised, and not terribly productivity to the cause they were supporting. But I was even more bothered that while there was a great hue & cry against the things they said and the places they said them, there was not the same anguish that they received death threats for saying them. God bless America? Why?

But back to the original question. Should they play the record? I hope they do. I liked the song. It had nice harmonies, a good message (about not selling out), and passion. But, this is America. They have the freedom to choose whatever music they want to spin.

So it doesn’t really matter to me a great deal whether WQYK plays the record or not. I’ll just keep changing the station till I find it.

Dixie Chicks, Politics, Music, Patriotism

Theology of Pews

2006-03-14T08:52:00.000-05:00

This is an interesting post by Dan Kimball about how we gather to worship (the logistics of it) reflect our theology of what worship is. It kind of rambles from time to time, but if you stay with it, it's worth the read.

Though he singles out pews, I have been in many worship settings (including where I worship now) that have the same problem even though we use comfy chairs instead of pews. Because it seems to me that the root problem is not so much the seating arrangements themselves as the size of the gathering. The larger a gathering becomes, it naturally becomes more passive, more spectator-oriented. This is the on-going battle of large-group worship, I think.

And I would agree that changing the way we sit in worship can influence how much we participate. And participation is what gathering together to worship is all about.

Thoughts? How would we apply this (as the kids say) in "real life"?

Church, Faith

Saved for What?

2006-03-13T10:51:00.000-05:00

Had a guest preacher this week. He talked about the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This is great topic for Lent, and overall it was a pretty good message. He talked about not saying “I’m just a sinner saved by grace” so flippantly and not taking His sacrifice too lightly. That our sin is what crucified Jesus. Very good things to keep in mind.

But (you knew there’d be a “but,” didn’t you? I mean, why else would I be blogging about it?) the preacher seemed to think we don’t talk about sin enough. I suppose this is the case in lots of churches, and since he doesn’t worship with us and really know us, I should give him a pass here. But I think we do people a real disservice when we only tell them what they are saved “from” (Dallas Willard calls this The Gospel of Sin Management ) without telling us what we are saved “for.”

Being saved is not just about avoiding the bad stuff, not just about exemplary personal behavior. Being saved is not even just about getting into heaven when you die. Being saved is about participating in God’s Kingdom, here and now. It is about sharing the love of Christ, in real and tangible ways, to the world around us. It is not about being hermetically sealed; it is about being salt and light.

Again, I probably should be too hard on the guy. I mean, he did talk for 20 or 30 minutes already. How much longer would it have taken to cover all that other stuff? Undoubtedly much longer than most of us would be willing to sit. So I guess this is not so much a critique of his sermon as it is a hope that we don’t stop there. That we talk about what being salt and light looks like in real life. And that we don’t just talk about it either. That we get about the business of being Jesus. Because that is what we have been saved for.

Sin, Faith

Irresistable Revolution

2006-03-11T17:04:00.000-05:00

So I picked up a new book today, Irresistable Revolution, by Shane Claiborne. The subtitle is Living as as ordinary radical. I am hooked already, and I've only read the foreward, introduction, and author's note.

He has already hit on several things close to my heart. That following Jesus is more than just ascribing to a list of beliefs. That it is about doing the things Jesus called us to do. To love. To love God. And to love each other. In real and tangible ways.

Plus, the group he is part of, The Simple Way, is in Philly (a city close to my heart) and looks to be a collection of neo-hippies, which of course is also very close to my heart. :) (I think they are calling themselves "new monastics"...how cool a name is that!)

Anyway, here's a quote from the introduction.

"...we live in a world that has lost its appreciation for small things. We live in a world that wants things bigger and bigger. We want to supersize our fries, sodas, and church buildings. But amid all the supersizing, many of us feel God is doing something new, something small and subtle. This thing Jesus called the kingdom of God is emerging across the globe in the most unexpected places, a gentle whisper amid the chaos. Little people with big dreams are reimagining the world. Little movements of communities of ordinary radicals are committed to doing small things with great love."

I will keep you posted as I dig through it. But so far, so good.

Shane Claiborne, Irresistable Revolution, Reviews

Steroids and Spitballs

2006-03-08T09:36:00.000-05:00

Well, there’s a new book coming out. Says that Barry Bonds took steroids. Everybody who is surprised, raise your hand.

Anybody? Anybody? Bueller?

Didn’t think so.

This is not news. It is just another excuse to talk about whether Bonds and Sosa and McGuire belong in the Hall of Fame. And frankly, I’m tired of talking about it. Because for all the wailing and gnashing of teeth, there is one thing that gets overlooked: until 2002, MLB had no official policy on steroids. There’s a nice little breakdown of how the current policy came to be here.

So all 73 homeruns Bonds hit in 2001? Whether he was juiced or not, it doesn’t matter. He didn’t break any rules because there weren’t any rules. Every homerun Mark McGuire hit in his career? Totally legit. It’s like being mad a guy for using an aluminum bat when there is no rule saying he has to use a wooden one.

Now, is it a sign of intelligence to pump all those foreign chemicals into your body? Is it worth it to trade a couple hundred homerun for ten or 20 or 30 years of your life. Um...I gonna say no. But if you don’t believe me, you can ask Ken Caminiti. Or Lyle Alzado. Oh, wait, they’re dead. But the talk of wiping these “juiced” numbers from the record books is just as stupid.

You want some precedent? In 1920, baseball outlawed the spitball. Did we wipe out the records of those pre-1920 spitballers? No. Because that would be dumb.

But there’s more! Baseball also grandfathered in a group of pitchers who made their livelihood throwing spitballs. That's right, they let guys keep thrower spitters even after they were illegal. Jack Quinn was a spitballer. He won 247 games. Red Faber was a spitballer. He won 254 games, and is in the Hall of Fame. Burleigh Grimes (the last legal spitballer) won 270 games. All but 34 of them were after the spitball was illegal. And guess what? He is also in the Hall of Fame.

Heck, all of Gaylord Perry’s spitballs were illegal. And he threw a bunch. Baseball nudged and winked and giggled at him, and nudged and winking and giggled right back, all the way to the Hall of Fame.

Yes, steroids are bad for baseball, and the users were stupid and worse. But, please, spare me the righteous indignation.

Baseball, Steriods, Bonds

Kirby Puckett Passes

2006-03-07T16:20:00.000-05:00

See here

This is sad to me. I am a big Twins fan from way back, and so of course was a big Puckett fan. He was maybe the best "bad ball" hitter I've ever seen. No pitch he wanted to swing at was safe, no matter how far outside the strikezone it was. He also had one the all-time great "bad bodies." One of my daughter's first toys was a Kirby Bear. It was a chubby little bear in a Twins cap with a "34" jersey. Really did look a lot like Kirby.

True story. My buddy Ted & his wife Nancy were at a Twins spring training game. Kirby comes up. Nancy says, "Who's that fat guy?"
"That's Kirby Puckett."
"He's never going to be able to run around the bases."
"Honey, he's not going to run, he's going to walk."
Next pitch, Kirby hits it into the seats, and walks around the bases.

Hard to say I will miss him, as of course I didn't really know him. But I will miss his smile and his love for the game.

Happy trails.

Baseball, Kirby Puckett

An Illustration

2006-03-06T19:41:00.000-05:00

I'm getting fond of these little diagrams. I guess that means I should learn to use something beside Paint to make them. Anyway, I think (hope) these two models will make what I've been trying to say a little clearer. I don't mean to imply that one is better than the other. I do mean to imply that they are different from one another, and each has a certain kind of people who will relate to it.

As best as I can tell, this is our current model for evangelism. First, we start here.

We reach out. We grow. We become this.

We continue to reach out and grow. We become this.

Looks pretty good. But what if you don't like big? What if the people you were trying to reach didn't like big? What if they were scared of big, or didn't like that "lost" feeling you can get in a big church? What do you do then?

What if you started here.

But then instead of growing, you planted. Like this.

And then the places that planted also planted, like this.

Now, one thing to clear about is that some of the satelites may never set foot in First UMC. If this is the model you are following, that has to be okay! There would be less control. Sometimes no control (from 1st Church anyway) the farther you got out. There would be risk. There would be much failure along the way.

But there would also be much success. There would be reward. There would be growth, not just in numbers, but growth in people. It would raise up leaders. It would empower laity. And it would spread the Kingdom.

Church, Faith, Evangelism

Clarifying Question 2

2006-03-06T09:16:00.000-05:00

Wanted to clarify my last post, as I missed the mark I was aiming for. In my defense, I have been fighting a nasty cold for going on two weeks now. While I was not writing under the influence of illegal pharmacological substances, I have been pretty maxed on the legal stuff.

Anyway, as Doug so eloquently pointed out in the comments of the last post, I am a bit of a neo-hippie. (Not that you would know by looking at me. No piercings, no tattoos. My clothes are not made of hemp, nor am I a drug-culture refugee. My hair is not down my back; in fact, it is slightly shorter than regulation, but nothing that screams “neo-nazi” or anything. I just see the world through different glasses. That’s all.) But I digress.

Or maybe I don’t. See, when I was talking about scrapping the weekly worship, I wasn’t really meaning that all the church should do that. As Doug said, it still works for lots of people. More power to them. Many people live firmly inside the box, and there is nothing wrong with that. They need Jesus too, and we need to reach into their culture.

But I’m feeling that there are lots of people that it doesn’t work for, people who are not going to be reached by our “traditional” programs. People who live outside the box. People who don’t understand the box. People who aren’t even sure the box exists.

Here’s what I think. Most people I work with are not very interested in church. They have seen enough of it, at least second hand, and they don’t find it very attractive. Some have been disillusioned, and to many more it is just a foreign idea. They wrinkle their noses at an invitation to come on Sunday morning. Thanks, but no thanks. (It also doesn’t help that it would be a half-hour drive for many of them.)

Jesus, however, doesn’t scare them in the least. We talk about Him lots. Neither do friends scare them. Friends are maybe the most important thing to them. Many of them would drive a half-hour to my house to share a meal, to hang out, to strum a guitar or bang a drum together (some of them are also neo-hippies :) ), to talk about life, about God, about Jesus. They would be up for that.

So I’m not so much talking about tanking the old way of doing things as I am about looking for new ways as well. And I’m thinking that a de-emphasized large group meeting and ultra-emphasized small group might be effective. I’m not saying the large group meeting is bad or doesn’t matter. There are some things that a large group can do that a small group can't.

But I am saying that larger is more passive. That smaller is more participatory, more relational, and therefore more appealing to people like me. I’m saying that getting the smaller meeting into homes and away from the church building removes barriers some people have.

And I am saying that it is counter-intuitive to say that small groups matter most when our time commitment and allocation of resources say otherwise.

Now, the astute observer might say, “Fine, John. Sound great. Why haven’t you started something like this already?”

That’s easiest question of all. ‘Cause it scares the hell out of me.

Church, Faith, Evangelism

Question 2: How do we unleash this gift (evangelism) in our church

2006-03-05T00:26:00.000-05:00

So how do we "do" evangelism? Yes, sure, the last post was very nice and all, but there's not really a plan there, is there? Just "be a disciple" and it all falls into place? Is that what I'm saying?

Sort of. But not really. Because I think we have some things built into our church DNA that raises obstacles to doing that. I want to look at a few of them here.

1. We need to spend less time and resources on the "big meeting." That is, the big Sunday gathering needs to be de-emphasized. Most real spiritual growth, most real discipleship, happens not during a sermon or a praise & worship song or the Lord's prayer, but in a small group setting. Six or eight or 12 friends getting together to work out what being a follower of Jesus looks like in real life. These small groups should be the focus of our corporate church experience.

I know this sounds odd. I'm involved in the praise band and I love doing it. I love singing with a room full of people. I love listening to sermons. I love all things about the corporate worship experience. But the thing is, they take a lot of work to put on the kind of (excuse the word here) production every week. Sundays are relentless. There's always another one seven days later. And they are also costly. We can say small groups are the lifeblood of the church, but until I see it reflected in the bottom line, I will not believe it.

Here's a scary, way-outside-the-box thought. I think it would be good thing if we met corporately only once a month, and spend the other times in small group worship & study. If nothing else, it would make clear where our priorities lie.

2. We need to free people (and encourage people) to be involved in the community. One of the other things about an over-programmed church is that it monopolizes the members' time. We all only have so many hours in a week. And in a place like Land O'Lakes, which is a bedroom community of Tampa, time is even more precious. Something like 70% of people commute outside the county to get to work. We spend a lot of time on the roads, in addition to the normal time spent at work. Then there is eating and sleeping and mowing the lawn and taking the kids to band practice and on and on.

We need to tell people to stay home once in a while. We need to give them time to meet their neighbors. We need to give them space to invite a friend from work over for dinner and a movie. (Something the co-worker is more likely to be amenable to than coming to visit church, by the way. Especially if the co-worker is coming from 30 minutes away.)

Instead of starting a Christian Youth Baseball League, our members could volunteer to coach in the local rec league. Instead of forming a Christian Bowling League, join an already established league. Meet real people. People who need read friends. Be a real friend to them. Show them Jesus.

More later. It's late now, and I should already be asleep.

Peace

Church, Faith, Evangelism

Question 1: What does the gift of evangelism look like?

2006-03-04T14:16:00.000-05:00

First thing I want to say is, I think evangelism has nothing at all to do with making our particular congregation larger. Evangelism has everything to do with making disciples. These two are not the same. Just because our congregations are growing in number does not mean that we are making disciples of Jesus.

We live in a world full of salespeople. Everyone is selling the next big thing, the one thing you and I are missing that would make your life complete. We are inundated with pitchmen. Buy this, try that, do this, you will never be the same. From the latest way to listen to your music, to the newest way to pass notes (which is really all this blog is) to the knife that can cut through a tin can (and still remain razor sharp!), we are told we are somehow incomplete, and that if we just got one more thing we would be.

That’s what we’ve been doing with Jesus for...well, for as long as I’ve been alive. We keep telling people that if they just had Jesus, things would be different. They'd get their wife back, there truck back, their dog back, like Jesus is some kind of reverse country-western song. But here’s the thing: there are a whole lot of Christians out there who don’t look any different from the rest of the world. In fact, a lot of them look quite a bit worse. So while we have (from time to time) hooked some folks on the promise of a better life, what we've actually done is given them the ol' bait and switch. And many of the new converts leave disenfranchised because of it. The world is tired of fraudulent Christianity. Young people don't buy it, and older people don't want to be burned again. Before they are willing to risk being taken in again, they want to see something real.

So, what does evangelism look like? How do we act out this “making disciples” in real life? First and foremost, before we can make disciples we have to be disciples. We have to be committed to loving the unlovely, to caring for the broken, to defending the oppressed. We have to be committed to being good husbands and wives, good sons and daughters, good employees and good bosses, good friends and good neighbors. We have to become less concerned with our own little kingdoms and more concerned with God’s Kingdom. That is our role. We are to be the body of Christ in this world. It's time to take off the disguise.

In short, I think we need to become less preoccupied with bringing people to church, and more preoccupied with bringing Jesus to people.

Church, Faith, Evangelism

Eight Questions

2006-03-03T13:49:00.000-05:00

Got an email with the agenda for the upcoming church council meeting. Don’t know why I’m still on the list, as there are few people more anti-meeting than me. But there were some interesting questions in the email, things they want people to consider and pray about. And they seemed like good questions to me, so I thought I’d blog about them for a few days.

I’m going to be breaking down my thoughts on these over the weekend. But for now (to whet your appetite), here is the list:

What does the gift of evangelism look like?
How do we unleash this gift within our church?
How is the “birth” rate in our church?
What percentage of our members consistently wins people to faith?
What percentage of our members attends church regularly?
How many were baptized last year (from outside the church family)?
What percentage of our church money is given to missionary work?
Do you think God is please with our work?

Church, Faith, Evangelism

The Novel Is Up

2006-02-28T13:49:00.000-05:00

My novel, When My Fire Burns Low is up and running! That was a bit easier than I thought it was going to be. Also going to put a link to it in the sidebar when I get around to it.

Funny, this feels a bit like I imagine I will feel when my daughter drives off solo for the first time. That "what the hell was I thinking?" sort of feeling. Anyway, hope you enjoy it.

Getting the songs up is proving to be a bigger challenge, though. And I'm about spent for the day. Maybe next time I get the flu I'll get those up.

Fiction

Still Sick, & Thought for the Day

2006-02-28T08:04:00.000-05:00

I am better today, but not well, so I'm taking another sick day. That plan is to do some work on the blog in between naps. I wrote a novel (unpublished) several years ago. I've seen some blogs that novels are published on, so I might try my hand at that. Also have some recordings of songs I've written (in a very rough draft form) that I'd like to post & link to, assuming I can figure out how, and find a place to do it for free. Which brings me to the thought for the day:

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it."

-W.C. Fields

Certainty

2006-02-27T11:17:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I have been ill. Still am, as a matter of fact. But it's been almost a week, and I didn't want to get totally out of the habit. And I wanted to clean up something that came up in the comment section.

I think certainty (in faith issues anyway) is overrated. I also don't think it is the objective of our spiritual walk. Partly because I don't think you can ever REALLY be sure about spiritual matters. And partly because certainty isn't good for us. People who are certain tend to be more smug and less humble. This faithwalk is about trusting. When you spend all your time dotted "T"s and crossing "I"s you get caught up in the details and lose sight of the big picture. Being a follower of Jesus is all about the big picture. It is about loving God and loving neighbor, at all times, in every situation. And that kind of following does not require that you have it "all figured out." In fact, your desire to get it all figured out can work against real obedience, I think.

Jesus said to Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." That's a promise for today.

Now, back to bed!

Faith

Defining Faith

2006-02-21T16:30:00.000-05:00

Often we try to define something by saying what it is not.

They say that doubt is the opposite of faith. This rings true as far as it goes, but doesn’t explain those who press on in faith in spite of their doubts.

A former pastor gave the illustration that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but fear. This sounds a little closer to me. It speaks of the courage of faith, the pressing on in spite of all our doubts, in spite of the circumstances. But it still seems off somewhat. We often carry on courageously while we are afraid, not after we are done being afraid.

Ann Lamott says that the opposite of faith is certainty . This puts a bit of a different spin on it, and it is an appealing idea to me. But it leaves the uncomfortable notion that faith and uncertainty are somehow synonymous. That's a leap I'm not willing to take.

Here is what I think. I think we have to differentiate between faith and belief. Belief is merely intellectual assent. Belief is that ground between certainties, between “yes, this is absolutely true” and “no, this is absolutely false.”

If you were to plot it, it might look like this.

There are of course varying degrees of belief between these two poles. But nowhere on this line would you find faith. Because faith is not simply intellectual assent. Faith requires movement. Faith generates action. It moves us toward the object of our faith. As Christians, the object of that faith is Jesus.

If you were to plot it, it might look like this.

Our faith is not in a set of principles. Our faith is not in data or in ideas. Our faith is not even (gasp!) in a book. Our faith is in a person: Jesus Christ. And our faith is what moves us in the way of Jesus. This faith can have its genesis from anywhere along the belief line, because faith says, “God, no matter how many doubts I have, about this situation or about that idea, I will trust in You.”

Faith is about following. You see faith when you are willing to act, when you are willing to risk, when you are willing to be changed. Faith is not nearly as concerned with where you started as it is with the going. Faith that does not move us is not faith. It is dead.

Faith

The Tithe and the Waitress

2006-02-20T14:02:00.000-05:00

We had another week at worship where we talked about money. Again, I don’t think this is a bad thing. It’s something we don’t discuss nearly often enough really. We are afraid to offend people. But then, I wonder if the way we talk about it is part of the problem.

We had a very nice skit, a couple sitting at a restaurant, talking about how much to give for the tip. They talked about how they give the waitress 15 to 20 percent (when all she does is bring the food) but then only drop $10 in the offering plate at church. They talked about rethinking their giving to God.

Here is what I liked about the skit: it rings true. It is very odd that people will give 15 percent to a restaurant server, but then give so little to an organization (the institutional church) that provides them with so much. Personally, I give to our local church because I think it is a good thing to have a meeting place, to have a pastor, to have certain programs for our children, that sort of thing. I think these things are important, so I give. We have words for people who use a service but refuse the pay for it, who act like they are entitled. Freeloaders. Moochers. It's not just bad "stewardship," it just flat wrong. As Jesus might have said, even the heathen pay their electric bill.

Here is what I didn’t like about the skit, and it is something we often get wrong. There was the suggestion in the skit (and also in the sermon and many other sermons & stories & whatnot over the years about tithing and giving financially) that the only way to give to God is to give to the organizational church. That if we don’t give ten percent of our income to the institutional church, then we are not being faithful to God.

Truth is, it is a bit more complicated (or maybe a lot more simple) than that. See, the truth is that when you are generous to the waitress, you are giving to God. Being the body of Christ is not something we turn off and on. When you are generous to your neighbors, or give to the hurricane relief efforts, or support a homeless shelter or soup kitchen, you are participating in the Kingdom. In any area of your life (and that would most definitely include how you handle your money) when you act like Christ you are furthering the Kingdom. Being His hands, His feet, His heart, that is not a sometimes thing. It is an all-the-time thing.

It’s all His. All of it. Every last dime, every blade of grass, every breath of air, it’s all His. He doesn't require 10 percent, and then give us the rest to play with as we see fit. It is all His, given to you as a trust.

If you believe it is a good thing to have a professional clergy, or a building with air conditioning and heat, or Sunday school classes, or any of the myriad other things the institutional church provides, if you think these kind of things further the Kingdom of God, then give and give generously. God does not give out free electricity just because there is a cross on top of the steeple.

But don’t think you’re done just because you dropped 10 percent in the plate. Because that waitress with the bad attitude? She is watching. She wants to see how these people who claim to follow in the way of Jesus behave.

“Let Your Kingdom come on earth as in heaven.”

How were you all supposing that was going to happen?

Tithing, Church

Blessed to be a Blessing

2006-02-15T20:04:00.000-05:00

I think it is much easier to learn generosity from experience than from a lecture or a sermon. When I was a kid, my mom tried to teach me how important it was to accept gifts graciously. That when you reject a gift, you are robbing the giver of a blessing. But I didn’t really understand the full extent of this lesson until my family was broke.

We were often carried by the kindness of our church family. A church family we hardly knew at the time, by the way. They helped with groceries. They bought Christmas presents for the kids. They made a car payment for us once. One couple even lent us a car for several months when ours was no longer operable. And from them, through this difficult time, I learned not only how to receive graciously, but how to give graciously.

To all you ladies and men at First Church, thank you.

Tithing, Church

The Poor & Tithing

2006-02-15T19:40:00.000-05:00

I know I said that for the majority of Americans, 10% is not really very generous. But there are some, even in this prosperous country, that a “command” to give 10% is onerous. That’s what I want to talk about today.

I have been poor. We ate, we paid the rent on time (well, mostly), and we moved the other payments around enough to keep the repo man away from the door. It was not fun, and I am not proud of it. But neither am I ashamed of it. In fact, I learned a great deal during this time in our lives. I would not be the person I am today were it not for the things we went through.

My wife, two kids & myself lived in two bedroom, not-really-very-nice apartment because that is all we could afford. And while we never had to choose between food & medicine (thanks to Medicaid, WIC & mostly good health) there were times when we chose between food & the car payment. There were times when we weren’t sure where the rent money was coming from. There were “final notices” from the power company, and there was the time (while my parents were visiting!) that the power was actually shut off. I have gotten calls from creditors at home and at work. I have told them “the check is in the mail” when it was not, and would not be for some time.

And I certainly have had to choose between food and tithing. Guess what? Food always won. Always. And I have a hard time believing God is upset by this.

I have also heard preachers give a tithing pitch while I was choosing to feed my family instead of dropping my 10% into the plate. So I know first hand what that kind of guilt feels like. And when preachers and various “holy” people use guilt as a sledge hammer on those less fortunate, that’s something I do think God gets upset about.

“And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them” - Jesus (in Luke 11:46)

The pastor at First Church during our poor years was a good man with whom I rarely agreed. He was...how do I say this nicely...the “L” word. :) You know, liberal. I often wondered if maybe he was rewriting the bible I had come to know and love. But he did teach me a good bit about giving that I still carry with me. He taught me that giving is about more than money. That finances are not our only resources. That we have time, talents and treasure, of which money was only one treasure. He taught me that everyone has something to give, even those without a lot of material things. He gave me some of my dignity back, and for that I am grateful. (Thanks, Tom.)

Don’t get me wrong. Giving does not exclude money. It’s just not all of it. When we teach that not giving 10% is a sin (and make no mistake, that is what we are saying when we say "biblical tithing" is a command from God) we are wrong. We dishonor God and we place burdens on those who hold a special place in God's heart. Not only that, when we teach that giving is all about how much cash you drop in the plate, we do the Kingdom a disservice. Just as all is gift from God, all can be gift to others. We are blessed to be a blessing. Regardless of how much or how little you put in the plate.

John Wesley put it this way:

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

This is good advice.

Tithing, Church

Tithing

2006-02-14T20:21:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make. I twitch whenever the tithe nazis come out. And here is the odd thing: my family tithes. So why does it bother me then? Because I don’t believe in “tithing.” That is, I don’t believe in the biblical commandment to tithe. Here is why.

The biblical command to tithing is legalistic. Paul never mentions the tithe, but rather talks about giving generously and cheerfully (and NOT under compulsion, which would be quite the opposite of what I feel everytime the tithe nazis come out). Jesus only mentions the tithe when talking to the Pharisees, and then it wrapped in a criticism of their neglect toward doing the things that really matter.

Now, it is true, Jesus would have been a tither. But then, Jesus was Jewish. I am not. I heard a pastor once give a sermon on the biblical commandment to tithe. He was right, and he was wrong. See, there is a biblical commandment to tithe. But it is not a commandment TO ME, anymore than the command to slay all the Amalekites is a command to me. For those of you who have read the New Testament, you might recall a big controversy over whether one had to become a Jew to become a follower of Christ. And the emphatic answer was “no.” Those who attempted to heap things besides Christ onto new converts, be it circumcision or food laws or whatever, were plainly denounced by Paul and the rest of the early Church fathers. So why do we so easily do it now?

I also think the focus on tithing actually discourages the kind of generous living and giving Jesus has in mind. I once heard someone talk about how thankful they are that God asks for only 10% and gives us the rest to use as we see fit. This is plainly wrong! It is all His! All is gift. We are stewards. We are trustees. We are given to graciously by God so that we can give generously to others. “Freely you have received; freely give.” That is the biblical mandate in giving. We are to give generously. We are to give extravagantly.

Bottom line, here is what I think. I think that in the US, for most people, 10% is a good starting point. But I think most times it is just that, a starting point. I think in a rich and affluent nation like the US, for many people 10% doesn’t scratch the surface of giving generously. We are kidding ourselves when we think it does. But I don't think we will ever move on to this generous life until we shift our focus. Until we recognize that all is gift. Until we stop holding on to our stuff so tightly. Until we realize that it's not even our stuff to begin with. And yes, until we stop beating people up about 10% and start encouraging them to share ALL, all the time.

If you want some more info on the history of the tithe, there is great Lenoard Sweet article HERE.

Tithing, Church

Where Your Treasure Is

2006-02-12T18:33:00.000-05:00

We are talking about money & giving in church right now. It is not a subject I enjoy discussing. Not b/c we shouldn't be doing it, though. Really, my issues are more about the way we talk about it. So I'm going to be blogging about my thoughts on money & the Kingdom this week.

A primer to get things started. There is (I guess) some sort of challenge coming down to pay off our church debt. It's about $500K, I think. (We built an an educational building a few years ago.) We want to get the debt paid off so we can build a new sanctuary. But as we sat there in church, something occured to me. What if God doesn't want us to spend all the $$$ on a new sanctuary?

What if He would rather we feed the hungry?

What if He would rather we clothe the naked?

What if He would rather we heal the sick?

Not that God is against new buildings. That's not what I'm saying. But, you know, those other things were pretty important priorities to Jesus. And I'm not sure they are important to us. I mean, sure, we say they are important. But I'd be willing to bet that when you looked at the bottom line of what we actually did, if you looked at our church checkbook, it would be obvious where our real priorities lie.

"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Jesus (in Matthew 6:21)

Tithing, Church

Winter Olympics

2006-02-11T16:31:00.000-05:00

Canada is playing Italy in Women's Ice Hockey. It is 5-0 halfway through the first period. Yet still I watch.

I miss football.

So anyway...

I'm watching the Opening Ceremonies last night, and they are playing American pop music during the parade of nations. What, there isn't any good Italian music you could play? Or maybe some International music? Or, if you have to play American music, can you at least pick some stuff that isn't crap?

And this...

How long do you figure it will be before NBC does a profile of The World's Biggest Luger?

Winter Olympics

I Love the '80s

2006-02-07T23:59:00.000-05:00

The '80s were very good to me.

The Phillies won their only World Series. The Eagles went to the Super Bowl. Even the Sixers won a championship. Great times for a sports nut from near Philly.

But the '80s had more than sports. The '80s had girls. Lots of them! I guess the '70s must have had girls too, but I didn’t notice. I had the Phillies then.

But these '80s girls, what strange creatures they were! With their hair, and their faces, and their legs, and their...necklaces! I asked many of these ‘80s girls out. Well, maybe "many" is overstating it. I had to learn to speak again first. But some of these '80s girls did agree to go out with me. A few actually let me kiss them. Two of them called me their boyfriend. All very heady stuff.

I went off to college, where I promptly fell in love with the future Mrs. Ford. The real stunner was when she returned the favor, and this after several months of making a total ass of myself. (I think the kids are calling it “stalking” nowadays.)

My other team, the Twins, also won a World Series in the '80s. I hardly noticed. I had more important things on my mind.

We bought a car together in the '80s (Zippy the WonderCar). We got married in the '80s. We had sex for the first time in the '80s. We’ve been having it ever since. We conceived our first child in the '80s, and she was born about a month before the decade ran out.

So I have very fond memories of the '80s. Not that I necessarily enjoyed it all at the time, but when I look back now ("the suuuuum-mer seemed to last for e ver!" ... wait, where was I?) I see lots & lots of good stuff. I am nostalgic for it, I guess.

Then, about four months ago, I’m scanning the radio dial. And I find an '80s station. So I listen to it from time to time now. I get a little misty when Jack & Diane or True Colors comes on. It reminds me of how good life was, how good life still is.

And then today, it happened. Or, more accurately, She happened. See, people who play with fire? Sooner or later they get burned. People who don’t look both ways before crossing the street? Sooner or later they get squashed.

And people who listen to ‘80s radio? Sooner or later you have to listen to Madonna. But then, that's life. You have to take the good with the bad.

Nostalgia, 1980s

Idle Ramblings

2006-02-07T22:20:00.000-05:00

Are all racehorse names interchangeable with rock band names, & vice versa? Like, wouldn't Seattle Slew be a cool name for a band? Probably some sort of post-grunge/alt/punk thing. And couldn't you totally see a horse called Molly Hatchet? Or Switchfoot? (I'm betting Molly Hatchet would be a good mudder, while Switchfoot would probably be a front runner. And I have no idea why.)

Super Bowl XL

2006-02-05T23:05:00.000-05:00

Well, the Xtra-Large Super Bowl is in the books. I picked the wrong team, making me 4-7 for the playoffs. But considering I started with an 0-4 weekend, not too bad.

Really good game, watched with really good friends. This was kind of a new thing. We threw a small party, with two ground rules. 1) bring a snack. 2) we will be watching the game. It is stunning to me how many Super Bowl parties where this does not happen. My buddy Doug & his family came by, the pastor & his wife came by, and we spent the night hollering for teams we could not have cared less about all season. Very cool. Thanks for coming, all. We should try it again next year. This kind of thing just might catch on. :)

Now, about the actual game. Yeah, it was a very good game. But...was I the only one who thought it was kinda like watching an NBA playoff game? You know, like when the Kings met up with Shaq & Kobe's Lakers? It's not so much that the calls were bad, it's just that every borderline call went the way of the Steelers. If I were a Real Seattle Fan, I'd be screaming for an investigation.

And what was up with that "low block" call on Hasselbeck after the interception? That's the second time I've seen that call this year, and I still don't understand it. He's going to make the tackle. A blocker falls over him while he is making the tackle. And that's a penalty? How is that possible? This is football, right?

Final thought on the game: Were those not the most inept 2-minute drills since...well, since the Eagles in last year's Super Bowl? Those two possessions were more to blame for the loss than anything the zebras called.

So now what is football fan to do for the next six months? Easy. Get ready for Fantasy Football. Make lists. Run a mock draft. Crunch numbers. Read through old football mags. Watch NFL Network. Run some more mock drafts. Obsess over whether it's better to keep McGahee & Hasselbeck, or roll the dice of McAllister as your second keeper. Change your mind at least three times. Run four more mock drafts. Look into getting a new logo for the Italic Squirrels. Run one last mock draft.

That should get me through March anyway...

Football, Super Bowl

Welcome Johnny!

2006-02-04T15:03:00.000-05:00

The new Music Minister starts at my church Monday. We get to meet him tonight. Really looking forward to it. I've been doing a lot of the heavy lifting over the past six to eight months while we were searching, and it has been tough. We've been through some difficult times as a band, and as a church. But I think we are better for having gone through. I know I learned a good deal, about myself and how to deal with other people.

But, quite frankly, I don't care to learn any more just now. Enough is enough. :)

So, welcome aboard, Johnny! I'm looking forward to serving with you.

Five Things I Wonder

2006-02-02T21:51:00.000-05:00

I wonder: Does Jesus care how many people sit in our pews every week?

I wonder: Why do we pour so much energy into the weekend church gathering? And for all the time & effort & resources we pour into them, shouldn't there be bigger returns?

I wonder: Can we stop doing church and start being church? Not just on Sundays, but all the time?

I wonder: Is it our role to bring people to church? Or to bring people to Jesus? Or maybe, bring Jesus to people?

I wonder: If you could only be one, would you rather be right, or good? Holy, or compassionate? Pure, or merciful?

Faith

The New Jim Kelly

2006-01-31T20:42:00.000-05:00

Ben Roethlisberger is the new Jim Kelly. Doesn't anybody else see this? Both big, both strong, and both surprisingly mobile. Big arm. Poise out the wazoo. Both went to Miami. (Okay, Kelly in Florida & Big Ben in Ohio, but still, kinda creepy, isn't it? At least as creepy as having poise out his wazoo, don't you think?)

Roethlisberger's from Ohio; Kelly's from western PA. Which anybody who's been there can tell you is really the same place. Western PA is a myth. Doesn't exist. You get past Happy Valley, and like Columbus you just fall off the map and land in a whole 'nother place. You land in Ohio. Trust me on this.

Anyway, back to Kelly & Roethlisberger. Both put up incredibly crazy-sick regular season winning percentages. And...and...wait, there was something else...what was it?

Oh yeah. After Sunday, they can add "SuperBowl losing QB" to the list, 'cause I'm taking the Seahawks by 7.

Football, Roethlisberger

Playing with House Money

2006-01-27T20:16:00.000-05:00

I've been reading Brennan Manning's
The Ragamuffin Gospel. Really enjoying it. He talks a lot about Grace, something we probably don't talk enough about in church today. Maybe because we don't understand it so much.

Grace. The truth that this salvation process starts with God. That we are forgiven before we repent. ("This is love: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us") That even our response, our repentance, is a gift from God. This devotion we feel because of His great love, even that is a gift. We are beggars, ragamuffins, with nothing to offer. And yet, even so, even though we have nothing to offer, He loves us. He rescues us. He forgives and saves and remakes us. And even the words we use tell of His grace, that too is grace! All is gift. Not because we deserve it; because that is what He does.

That is grace.

"How long will it be before we discover we cannot dazzle God with our accomplishments?

When will we realize that we need not and cannot buy God's favor?

When will we acknowledge that we don't have it all together and happily accept the gift of grace?"

See, a funny thing happens when we really and finally realize our stuff is not really our stuff. We become free. Free from the pressure to impress (not just God, but other people too). Free from fear. Free to live and free to give. Free to give extravagently to our God and our likewise graced brothers & sisters. Free to risk everything, because we have nothing of our own. We are playing with house money.

Brennan Manning, Grace

Speaking the Truth in Love

2006-01-25T08:36:00.000-05:00

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."

That's what Paul says in Ephesians 4:15. Though he didn't know it was going to end up being Ephesians 4:15; he thought he was just writing a letter. A letter to a very messed up church. As if there is any other kind. :)

He's talking about unity, and how to get there. Too often, I think, we pursue unity in ways that do not promote this "growing up into Christ." We either attack, or we ignore. We either speak the truth with vengenance, or we don't speak the truth at all and hope it will all go away. Not to go all Paul-ish on everybody, but "brothers this should not be!"

When we attack our brothers (since we are right of course, and they are wrong, always, and they just need to understand how very wrong they are), we are really attacking ourselves. Because, we are not becoming the body of Christ; we are the body. We are in this together. We are a growing and maturing body (hopefully), but regardless of what stage we are in, we are His body. And when we mistreat a brother (even when they are wrong and we are right), we are attacking Christ. We are amputating a hand that is part of us, and that Jesus is going to need somewhere down the road. Plus, it is not so good a selling point to those not presently in the body. Really, who wants to join a family of cannibals?

Of course, many of us are fully aware of this. So to compensate, rather than attack, we choose to ignore. (Let the reader note: this is me!) In the name of unity, pray that God will "move in their hearts, and show them the error of their ways." Meanwhile, we say nothing. This, my friends, is the easy way out, and it is cowardly. Not to mention ineffective.

Because, guess what? This thing we've been praying for? It's us. That is why we are here. To speak the truth in love to our brothers. Not that YOU PERSONALLY need to correct every little thing in every body. I've also met people like this (see point #1) and it rings of Jesus' speck-in-the-eye/plank-in-the-eye teaching. But for heaven's sake (literally), will somebody please do something?!? When you are in relationship with a brother, it is your duty to speak the truth in love to them. It is how we get to our destination, which is unity.

You do not treat an infected cut by ignoring it. This does not give the church unity; this gives the church gangrene.

If we are ever going to "grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ," we need to start talking to each other. And listening to each other. We need a little compassionate honesty. And no, that's not easy. But it's the only way.

Playoff Picks

2006-01-22T13:36:00.000-05:00

I suppose I am a glutton for punishment. I mean, I'm 2-6 so far in picking winners. But here we go again:

Steelers over Broncos - Jake still has Brian Griese's arm and Brett Favre's head. Not a good combination. Last week notwithstanding, never take him in the playoffs. Even against the Pats, he made some very Jake-like throws. The Pats were simply overwhelmed and undone by the Jake-i-zation of Tom Brady. The Steelers are this years destiny team.

Seahawks over Panthers - Somebody (preferably three or four somebodies) has to cover Steve Smith. But...come on, Nick Goings? I'm sure he's a nice guy, and he is probably the best third-string RB in the league. But you don't win championships with those kinds of guys. Plus, Alexander is due for a big makeup game for last week.

Belated New Year's Resolutions

2006-01-18T19:18:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm almost three weeks late. But then, promptness has never been one of my spiritual gifts. But unlike the year I swore off liver & squishy veggies, I wanted to make a good one this year. And I couldn't decide which one. So, I'm going with both of them.

First, this year, I will:

1. Genuinely care about the people I care about

I mentioned in an earlier post that I am an isolant (a word I'm pretty sure I invented and should probably copywrite). By "isolant," I mean that I am a reactive person. I tend to separate myself from others. I have spent more of my life watching others live than actually living myself. This even carries over to how I treat people I say I care about. I have spent the last few years trying to break out of this unhealthy (and un-Christlike) habit. I vow this year to continue the fight. I will not simply tell people I care about them; I will actually care about them. Things that matter them will matter to me, if for no other reason than they matter to me.

The second comes along side the first. This year, I will:

2. Not feel guilty because I cannot save the world. I will do what I can with what I have, and that will be good enough.

I say this comes along side, because I have noticed something unfortunate happens when you start caring; people try to make you care about everything. Worse, they try to make you feel like you have failed if the things they made you care about don't change. Preachers are especially good at this. The latest "cause of the week" is pressing down on us. We have to deal with this! Now! (And the way we deal with it too often is by writing a check, then coming back next week to solve the next problem. But that's another post for another time.)

But the problems never seem to go away. Five Iron Frenzy said it this way:

"How can I ever save the world on cup o'soup and student loans?"

I feel wholly inadequate to solve these gianormous problems. Because I am inadequate! I can't stop war, or disease, or poverty, and I really resent people making me feel guilty for that fact.

However, I can help my neighbor. I can give a snack lunch to the homeless guy. I can love my wife and my children. I can be the body of Christ to the people I come across. And that is what I resolve to do.

To be present, and to be active.

Playoff Picks

2006-01-13T20:07:00.000-05:00

Obviously, my last set of picks didn't go so well. 0-4 is pretty impressive. But we are nothing if not stubborn. So here are the picks for the this weekend.

Colts blow out Steelers (is anybody not picking this one to go like that?)
Pats upsets Broncos (never go w/ Jake in the playoffs)
'Hawks handle 'Skins (Shawn Alexander: now THAT is one bad dude)
Panthers beat the Bears (Bears score 1 defensive TD, but it's not enough as Rex "the Wonder Dog" Grossman tosses three picks)

Goose was robbed

2006-01-11T19:29:00.000-05:00

HOF Class of 2006

I understand Sutter. He should have been in a few years ago. The splitter redefined baseball. He is Hall-worthy.

I understand Jim Rice. He was great for a fairly short period of time, and good for a little longer. And he was a menace in the field. And the numbers don't stack up. He is not Hall-worthy.

I even understand Bert "Be Home" Blyleven, though very sad to admit it. He was one of my favorite pitchers when I was a kid. He had that ridiculous curve ball. And he was a Twin (among many other teams, of course). He helped my guys win it all. But one very nasty pitch and longevity don't make you Hall-worthy.

But no Rich Gossage? With this kind of thin class? How does that happen? It is a travesty. It is a mockery. It is a sham. Yes, friends, it is a Travis Shamockery. (Whenver I watched the Miller Lite commercials, that always thought that sounded like an Irish middleweight.)

Okay, Goose does not have the save numbers or ERA of today's closers. But the game was different then. He was coming into the game in the 6th, 7th, 8th inning, and finishing the thing. He was going all the way through the order, and maybe more. And today we marvel at Mo Rivera going two innings. Big Hairy Deal! And there was nothing more scary than seeing Rich Gossage come out of the pen. The man invented intimidation.

Maybe a fan outcry this year will influence the thick-headed and memory-impaired hall voters, and he gets in next year. Because Rich Gossage? He is definitely Hall-worthy.

Baseball, Rich Gossage, Hall of Fame

Kyle Lake's [Re]Understanding Prayer: A Review

2006-01-10T21:23:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading the late Kyle Lake's book [RE]Understanding Prayer, A Fresh Approach to Conversation with God, and I have to admit, the chief reason I did was because the story of his untimely death caught my attention. I wanted to see what kind of book a man who was electrocuted while performing a baptism would write. Does that make me a bad person? Anyway, regardless of whether or not I am bad, the book was not. But it also wasn’t great. It was somewhere between good and fair, leaning towards good.

On the plus side, the writing is very easy to take and digest. Unlike a lot of emerging church writers, he did not seem to feel the need to toss out $5 words every other paragraph. His words kinda maxed out at $1.25. It is also a relatively short book, checking in at 167 pages, plus another 20+ for the introduction and appendix sections.

On the flip side, there is nothing earth shattering here. He talks a lot about prayer being a constant conversation, not just some designated “quiet time.” He talks about Christianity’s roots as an Eastern religion, and how it is therefore a much more holistic faith than most Western folks think. That just as faith is more than intellectual assent, so is prayer more than an intellectual activity. That prayer involves movement. That prayer should stimulate transformation, not only in us, but through us to the world around us. There is also a very nice (but too short, I think) appendix section on contemplative practices and historical prayers, running from Clement of Rome to Kierkegaard.

It’s in paperback and very reasonably priced, so I doubt you will regret buying this book. That said, it will also not change your life. But then, I don’t think Kyle Lake set out to write a book that would change your life. Kyle seemed to believe that while supernatural encounters with God did and do still happen, the bulk of our experiences with the God are found in the ordinary. He believed that we have a part to play in this drama. So, while the book won’t change your life, perhaps it will encourage you to get on with the changing, little by little, every day, more into the way of Jesus. Because, as Kyle says, “praying has never been the point of prayer. God has always been the point.”

Kyle Lake, [RE]Understanding Prayer, Review

What I believe 2: Sin

2006-01-09T22:05:00.000-05:00

I believe in the fallenness of man (and woman). I believe, as the Scripture says, that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." I believe this planet is messed up, and it is messed up because we messed it up.

That said, I'm not so sure how I feel about "original sin" anymore. That is, I'm not sure if we are "born" sinful, or if it is something we catch, something we acquire, something we learn. Like speaking with a southern accent. Imagine: your parents speak with one. Your teachers speak with one. Your big brother Ed speaks with one. The people on TV speak with one. Even Big Bird on Sesame Street speaks with one. So, when you finally learn to talk, you speak with one. It is inevitable, but not because you are wired that way. You certainly could have decided to go with cockney, or French, or that funny thing they do in Boston. But why would you? Southern is all you've ever known.

This is a very recent turn for me, and could very well change. I'm not comfortable tossing out doctrines lots of folks see as essential. But this just makes sense to me. And it's not that I've ever had a real "problem" with original sin. It actually came about from talks with my friend Ted. Ted would tell you he is not a Christian. Me, I'm not so sure. He behaves much more like Jesus than lots of the Christians I know. And while his theology is certainly a bit more eccletic than mine, I think he might be closer to the Kingdom than he thinks.

Anyway, Ted has big problems with original sin. With God passing judgment on us for something that isn't our fault. And we started kicking it around. I proposed something along the lines of viewing sin as "the collective weight of history." That sin has accumulated. And this actually made him pause.

Because, see, here was the deal. Ted was kind of obsessed (or it seemed to me he was) with the concept of original sin, like people get with concepts sometimes. We get tied up with whose fault all this is. But the real point is, it doesn't matter whose fault it is. This place is messed up. We are messed up. I am messed up. We all have each gone our own way, and we can't get back. You can say that you don't think we are born warped. I say, "so what?" Have you ever met a person who wasn't warped anyway? Just a little? Have you ever met a person who could live up to their own standards, let alone God's?

I haven't.

See, the point is not whose fault this sin, original or otherwise. The point is, we need saving. And that, my friend, is why Jesus came.

Faith, Original Sin

Vince "The Prototype" Young

2006-01-05T10:10:00.000-05:00

Oh...

my...

gosh...

What an incredible athlete. My buddy Ben told me this morning that Vince is the next step in evolution. He is what we will all be like in 1000 years. He is Humanity 5.1. He is The Prototype. Which would make a really cool nickname, I think. Fast. Strong. Accurate. Vision. Plus, there is the way he throws the ball. Like it's a nuisance. Like he's annoyed that there isn't a bigger play to be made, and he'll just have to settle for a 7-yard gain and a first down.

My opinion (not that ol' Vince asked me): He should stay in school, win the Heisman, win another National Championship, be the first pick in the draft, and make millions. And then he will be drafted by the Italic Squirrels (my fantasy football team), be my keeper for at least ten years, and we will win many many more championships together.

Once again.

Oh...

my...

gosh...

Vince Young

Playoff picks

2006-01-03T10:20:00.000-05:00

Well, my Bucs made the playoffs this year. So this season has already surpassed my expectations. Chris Simms looks more & more like his Dad every game. And Jon Gruden seems to have settled on game plans that really play to his strengths. (Joey, you go long and I'll chuck it to you.) The D is playing better. Good thing, b/c Portis ripped us apart last time.

We're on a roll. Mark Brunell looks beat up. So I'm taking the Bucs 24-13.

Also:

Jacksonville upsets New England
New York over Carolina
Cincinati over Pittsburgh

Mother Mary

2005-12-30T10:02:00.000-05:00

The Christmas season always brings thoughs about Jesus' mother. I wonder how much she realized what was being asked of her, was going to be asked of her. This is a monologue I wrote several years ago for Good Friday. It's actually from a set of three monologues. Perhaps I'll post the rest later. Enjoy.

"Mary"

[Enters, talking ad lib to a baby blanket. Conversation with Gabriel begins calmly, builds to near scream.]

Gabriel? Gabriel, can you hear me? Surely you haven't forgotten the Lord's handmaiden. You once called me highly favored. I was just wondering…it's been so long since we last spoke…but, is this (indicates empty blanket) how all the Lord's highly favored handmaidens end up?

They killed my son today, Gabriel. Of course, I'm sure you already knew that. You've probably been watching us all along. And who can blame you? It has been quite a show. He walked on water, calmed the storm, the blind were seeing, the deaf hearing, the lame leaping. Yes, it must have been very entertaining for you. But can you tell me something? Did you know then? Back in the beginning, in Nazareth, did you know then that he was going to die? I suppose it's not all that important now. It's not going to change anything. But I have to ask. Was this the plan all along?

You seem awfully quiet today, Gabriel. Not like before. You were chatting up a storm back then, filling my head with all sorts of ridiculous notions. You said he would be great; the Son of the Most High is what you called him. In fact, I think those were your exact words: 'The Son of the Most High.' It sounded so glorious in the ears of that gullible little girl I was, and I believed you. I believed you, and now he's dead! (Laughs abruptly.) And for this, all generations will call me blessed!

Why are you silent, Gabriel? Are you as confused as I am? Or perhaps you're ashamed. You said he would reign over Israel forever, that his kingdom would never end. Who knew forever would be so brief! If God intended that he should die, then so be it, but why wasn't I told? I could have prepared him. I could have prepared me. Instead, from the day I first held him in my arms to the day they led him away, you listened to me tell him of God's great plans for him, and you said nothing. And now it's too late. They have killed him, and on a cross! (Very deliberately.) I wish you had never sent us Egypt and allowed Herod kill him as a baby.

Gabriel! Answer me, Gabriel! You were so full of promises then; do they fail you now? Or is there one left? You said all things were possible with God. If that is so, then grant me this: Give me back my son! Gabriel! Did you hear me? Give me back my Jesus! [Mary sinks to the floor, repeating the last line, no longer talking to Gabriel but to God.]

O Lord, forgive the sin of your servant. It's just that I'm so confused. There's an empty space in my heart, and it aches. Will it always be empty? Will it always ache? I fear that I will mourn for the rest of my days. Will it always be so?

But why do I bother you with such matters? Has Yahweh ever known loneliness? Has El Shaddai ever known need? How can the Almighty God know what it's like to watch his child die? (Grand pause as a revelation sinks in.) But then, you do know, don't you? You know, because he was your son as much as mine. You watched him die just as I did. (Incredulous.) But you are not helpless; you are God.

O Lord, forgive the arrogance of your servant. I know that you too are grieving. I still don't understand much of what happened today. But I know now that you are suffering just as I am suffering. And I know that you would not have allowed this without some purpose. I pray that you will make that purpose known to your servant. Maybe it will ease some of this aching. (Pause.) But if you choose not to reveal it, I am still your servant. You were my God in Nazareth. You are my God at Calvary. You will be my God wherever you lead me.

Fiction, Mary

Dungy's Son Found Dead

2005-12-22T10:16:00.000-05:00

I had intended to write something cheerful today. Then I saw this: Dungy's son, 18, found dead in Tampa suburb.

The facts are not all in yet, but I don't know that they really matter. Untimely death is always sad, especially when it happen to the young. I remember watching him run out onto the field when Tony was the Bucs coach to bring off the kicking tee. And now...

Tony is one of the good guys in sports, and a good dad too. No one deserves this.

James, we miss you. Tony, we are praying for you.

What I Believe 1: Creation

2005-12-21T10:46:00.000-05:00

This is the first in an on-again, off-again series of “What I believe.” I have wondered long and hard about the things of God. Spent most of my adult life pondering them, and changing my mind often. So what follows (here and later) should not be taken as a set-in-stone sort of thing. It is simply where I am right now. I may very well be someplace else next week.

I believe that God creates. I believe this is, in fact, what defines God. I believe that God creates & gives & shares Himself. First with Himself, then to what He has created. Harold Best calls it “continuous outpouring.” Continuous, in that God is relentless is sharing Himself. This is not an on-and-off thing. Outpouring because it is generous. Lavish, in fact. This is not a drip-drip-dripping. It is seamless.

So, “In the beginning, God created…” God did (and does) create b/c it is what He does. It is who He is. The I AM, always present, always giving. He cannot do otherwise. And wrapped up in this giving is all the grace, the love, the peace…all the wonderful things that we so long after.

Because, see, we were created in God’s image. We were created creating, giving, sharing. Not created to do these things. Created doing them. It defines us. It is what it means to be in the image of God. We can no more cut this part of us than decide to stop breathing. You might as well ask water to stop being wet. We are, all of us, unrelenting sharing ourselves, all the time. We simply choose with whom to share.

As the prophet Bob Dylan once said, “You gotta serve somebody.”

Faith, Creation

My Daughter's Birthday

2005-11-26T07:24:00.000-05:00

My daughter is 16 tomorrow. Scares the crap of me. Not really b/c I worry for her (she will be fine). More b/c I worry for me. Hard to believe this little girl who used to get stuck in her toybox is now a near-adult. Hard to believe I am now old enough to have a near-adult child.

Poohbear, I pray that you find all that you are looking for. But I pray that you don't stop looking when you do. There is so much to be seen. I pray that you live, and live well.

Fatherhood