One Last Shot At The War Against Christmas...

The following is a letter I found at this blog. I thought it was pretty good, and a good way to end all of this war against Christmas bloo-hooey.

Letter From Christ

Dear Believers,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking my name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors that decided to celebrate my birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate my birth just, GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Now that I have that off my chest let me go on:

If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting my birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity on your own front lawn. If all my followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be one every few feet all over town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a "holiday tree" instead of a Christmas tree. That tree never actually symbolized me anyway. The tree was a part of an old pagan ritual people just started calling it by my name, then a few folks added an angel on top and a Nativity at the bottom to remind them of my birth.

If you want to give me a give me a present in remembrance of my birth here is my wish list—just choose something from it.

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way my birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up, it will be nice hearing from you.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of my birth. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that's hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt take their own life this season because they are feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile—it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word.

8.If you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to me,then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in my presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Finally don't ever forget that I'm God. I can take care of myself. All you need to do is obey my commandments and let me take care of the rest.....

Random Top Ten: Top Ten Weezer Songs

Agree? Disagree? Don't care? Let me know.


10. Why Bother? - off of Pinkerton

9. We Are All On Drugs - off of Make Believe

8. My Name Is Jonas - off of the Blue Album

7. Keep Fishin' - off of Maladroit

6. Perfect Situation - off of Make Believe

5. Say It Ain't So - off of The Blue Album

4. Hash Pipe - off of The Green Album

3. Dope Nose - off of Maladroit

2. Surf Wax America - off of The Blue Album

1. El Scorcho - off of Pinkerton

Create Your Own Caption #3

Started A Great Book This Week...

called "No Perfect People Allowed: Creating a Come As You Are Culture In The Church" by John Burke. So far, it's a great, great book. Especially because it hits right where Southwest Church is striving to be: a church that reaches unchurched people. Here are a couple of quotes from the first couple of chapters that hit me right between the eyes:

- "As Christians in a post-Christian society, our job is to become cultural farmers. Church leaders, ministry leaders, and small group leaders must come to trust the God who is already at work all around us, making things grow. Our responsibility is not to make people grow or change. Our task is to create the right soil, a rich healthy environment, in which people can grow up in faith until the invisible God is made visible through His Body, the Church." (page 22)

- "During the first two years of Gateway's existence, I consistently was asked two questions by spiritual seekers more than any other questions: 'What do you think of other religions?' and 'How do you feel about gay people?' I've discovered the real question they are asking is: 'Are you one of those narrow-minded, bigoted, hate-filled, intolerant types of Christians I've heard about?' What they really want to know is whether we promote love or hatred." (page 39)

- "I find our generation incredibly open to spiritual truth and dialogue, but they have grown up in a world of competing beliefs. People just check out when they feel that Christians are arrogant and unwilling to consider the "truth" claims of others as well. But they are very open to hearing expressions of truth and stories illustrating why God's words are true. They long to experience something firm and solid that "feels" true. They don't resist truth; they resist arrogance. But there is a humble way to express truth..." (page 42)

- "Generally, emerging generations do not ask, 'What is true?' They are primarily asking, 'Do I want to be like you?' In other words, they see truth as relational. 'If I want to be like you, then I want to consider what you believe. If I don't see anything real or attractive in you or your friends as Christ-followers, I don't care how 'true' you think it is, I'm not interested.'" (page 42)

- "Broken people are wounded people. Like abused puppies, they often run from those attempting to help them. Leaders must create a safe climate, so the healing work of God can begin in their lives. It will take patience and time. People will come and go, walking toward the light of freedom, then plunging back into darkness. But they must see the church as a lighthouse; always there to lead them into the safe harbor of God's grace." (page 44)

- "Emerging generations, like never before, crave this sense of community inside a spiritual family. If they don't experience hope for authentic relational support, I don't care how hip the service, or how rippin' the music, or how vintage the bive...they won't stick. The challenge for leaders is first learn how to live in community with others, and then to provide ways to ensure that nobody stands alone." (page 46)

- "But how many people outside the family of faith never feel safe enough to even come close? How many people have the stereotype that Christians "love" them only if we sense we can get them to be like us or believe what we believe? Is that what it means to be like the Father, who loves even those who are his enemies and seeks to do good toward them? How do we engage and convince the world that the reason to believe is not to avoid hell but to know the love of a Father, a love that transcends all cultures and all hostilities?" (page 52)

This book is great so far. I can tell this is one I will be rereading immediately after I finish it.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm....

From an AP report a couple of hours ago about people picketing Wal-Mart because of the Happy Holidays "scandal":

Dick Otterstad of the Church of the Divide donned a Santa Claus costume and greeted shoppers with the message: Don't forget about the meaning of Christmas.

What? Does that make sense to you? It doesn't to me.

Create Your Own Caption #2

Create Your Own Caption #1

Scared Of Santa

This is my daughter's first year of really understanding Christmas, and it's been a lot of fun watching her excitement and joy as Christmas approaches. One of the things that a parent always wonders about when their child is old enough to "get it", is how their child will deal with Santa. Noelle was great. Everytime we went to the mall in December, she wanted to go see Santa. We would stand outside the picture-taking area, and she would stand there for a long time, watching what Santa was doing. One of the first times, Santa had to go to the bathroom, so he walked away from his chair and walked right up to Noelle. I didn't know how she would react to see him that closely, but he came up and shook her hand, and she's been fascinated with Santa ever since. Of course, there are those children who are deathly afraid of Santa, and when we had Noelle's picture taken with him (she did great), there were several kids in line who did not do so great.

So in celebration of these children, I offer this link, which contains many a picture of kids scared of Santa. Enjoy!

A Minister And A Rock Star Start Discussing Theology...

No, it's not the beginning of a joke.

I want to promote a great podcast in my blog - you can find it at www.theohacks.com. The podcast consists of two guys who discuss theology, spirituality, the church, and more. One of the guys is someone I've known for a very long time - his name is John Chandler (his blog can be found here). We grew up in Colorado, and although he lived about 45 minutes to an hour away from me, we saw each other quite a bit through junior high and high school because of a program we were in called Bible Bowl. We also went to Pacific Christian College at the same time. (EDIT: John reminded me that we were roommates our first year, but now that I think about it, it was two years.) He was a student minister at a large Christian church in Mesa Arizona for a long time, but has recently moved to Seattle with his wife and family to help plant a church there with another guy I know from PCC and Mesa named Dean. The other guy (that would be the rockstar) is named Zach Lind, and he is the drummer for the band Jimmy Eat World (my second favorite band, if you saw my "Favorite Music" list). You can find his blog here.

Anyway, they are just starting this podcast, and if you are interested in the emerging church movement and perhaps non-traditional ways of approaching church, spiritual life and more, check it out. Podcast #2 is up, and I'm listening to it right now.

Best Top 25 Post Ever

I used to be really into debating Calvinism vs. Arminianism (me being the latter). I would spend hours with my nose in theology books, trying to find the right argument for a debate I was having with a Calvinist. I actually thought I was doing a lot of good when I was into this.

It was sucking my soul dry. Thankfully, I left the debate and have never looked back with regret once.

But it's great when you find something funny concerning this debate. And here you can find a great top 25: Top 25 Signs That You're Becoming A Hyper-Calvinist.

I was surprised to find out that Derek Webb was no longer the poster boy for Calvinism. No wonder I like him better as a solo artist.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things (Music)

I've been thinking about this for some time - I want to post some of my favorite things. I think it could perhaps help you understand a little better who I am and what I'm about. I have a hard time ranking some things, so if there is no number beside each item, it's because they are equally my favorite. For this post, I will focus on music. Well, here goes:

My favorite music videos:

1. Johnny Cash - Hurt
2. Weezer - Buddy Holly
3. Coldplay - The Scientist
4. Michael Jackson - Thriller
5. The '85 Chicago Bears - Super Bowl Shuffle (the greatest comedy video ever made)
6. Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight
7. Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice
8. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
9. Danielson Famile - Rubbernecker
10. Metallica - One

My favorite concert DVD's:

1. U2 - Elevation Tour Live In Boston
2. Coldplay - Live 2003
3. Matt Redman - Facedown

My favorite bands:

1. U2
2. Jimmy Eat World
3. Coldplay
4. Weezer
5. Smashing Pumpkins

My favorite CDs of 2005:

1. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
2. The Decemberists - Picaresque
3. David Crowder* Band - A Collision
4. Coldplay - X&Y
5. Sigur Ros - Takk
6. Stars - Set Yourself On Fire
7. Eisley - Room Noises
8. Weezer - Make Believe
9. John Davis - self-titled
10. Eels - Blinking Lights and Other Revelations


My favorite all-time CDs (these go to eleven):

1. U2 - The Joshua Tree
2. The Juliana Theory - Understand This Is A Dream
3. Jimmy Eat World - Clarity
4. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
5. Jars of Clay - self-titled
6. Five O'Clock People - The Nothing Venture
7. Weezer - The Blue Album
8. Coldplay - Live 2003
9. Cool Hand Luke - The Fires Of Life
10. Steve Camp - Doing My Best Volume 1
11. Chasing Furies - With Abandon

My Favorite Musical Artists To Make Fun Of:

Radiohead
pretty much all hip-hop
every country music artist from 1990 on
Nirvana
The Beatles
Glam metal artists trying to make a comeback

Favorite Guilty Pleasure Artists:

Simon and Garfunkel
Neil Diamond
Kelly Clarkson
System Of A Down
Stryper
The Carpenters
MxPx
Lisa Loeb
Fiona Apple
Bjork

The Responsibility Of A Minister

There are basically three types of readers: the first group are those who read books when they were in school because they had to, but now that they are out of school they haven't read a book in years. The second group consists of those who "dabble" in reading. They may read a newspaper everyday, they may pick up the latest Grisham or Clancey novel, but they never really get into reading. Reading is something that may or may not happen each day. Then there is the third group, of which I am a part of. This group devours books like they are eating their last meal. They savor every letter, every word, every page. This group may have fast readers or slow readers, but for them, reading isn't a chore. It's an adventure. It's an opportunity to learn just a little more about a subject that excites them, an opportunity to once again delve into a different world (as I am doing right now, reading the entire Chronicles of Narnia again. I just started The Silver Chair.). It's an opportunity to learn about a new subject, something unfamiliar but becomes more familiar with every page turned.

There are times when I read a book, and it just doesn't hit me. When a book hits me, I will find myself stopping, closing the book for a couple of minutes, and chewing on what I just read. But sometimes, I'm just not in the right frame of mind, or the subject matter doesn't seem applicable at the time - and when I'm done reading I may appreciate the book but it won't "stick" with me. However, days...months...even years later, I pick up that book again, read it and find that this time it hits me.

I'm reading a book called The Contemplative Pastor by Eugene Peterson. I purchased three books in a series by him, all about being in the ministry. One is called Five Smooth Stones, the other has something to do with angles. (My office is too dark and I'm too tired at this point to look at my bookshelves and try to find the book.) I remember reading this book in 2004, but it wasn't the right time, I guess. Nothing stuck. But this time, as I started reading it again last night, (honestly, I have probably passed over it a hundred times in favor of a different book, but last night it seemed appealing to me again) every page seemed to drip with incredible truths that I needed to think about at this time in my life and ministry. Even the preface of the book, which is more of an interview with the author (I don't know if I've ever seen a preface like this) spoke to me in many ways. And that's what this post is about. Something that Peterson said resonated within me in a huge way:

Interviewer: As a pastor then, you see grace in some unlikely situations.

Peterson: Yes, and my job is not to solve people's problems or make them happy, but to help them see the grace operating in their lives. It's hard to do, because our whole culture is going the other direction, saying that if you're smart enough and get the right kind of help, you can solve all your problems. The truth is, there aren't very many happy people in the Bible. But there are people who are experiencing joy, peace, and the meaning of Christ's suffering in their lives. The work of spirituality is to recognize where we are - the particular circumstances of our lives - to recognize grace...sometimes I think all I do as pastor is speak the word "God" in a situation in which it hasn't been said before, where people haven't recognized his presence. Joy is the capacity to hear the name and to recognize that God is here. Ther's a kind of exhilaration because God is doing something and, even in a little way, it's enough at the moment.

I think one of the reasons why this hit me is because it sounds very similar to what Henri Nouwen's mantra was when it came to the role of a minister. He wrote this in one of his classic books, called "In The Name Of Jesus":

- I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her vulnerable self. That is the way Jesus came to reveal God's love. The great message that we have to carry, as ministers of God's word and followers of Jesus, is that God loves us not because of what we do or accomplish, but because God has created and redeemed us in love and has chosen us to proclaim that love as the true source of all human life.

I think people are looking to those who are called by God to ministry to, as Philip Yancey says, dispense grace. To demonstrate through example how to recognize and thank God for the grace moments that are present at all times in all of our lives. No matter what we are going through, no matter what we've been through, grace is present. Grace is a reality. And recognizing grace in our lives is hard work sometimes. Thank you, Eugene Peterson for reminding me what I'm supposed to be about.

The War On Christmas

This article came out Wednesday. Because the President didn't put Merry Christmas on the card he and his family sent out, people are up in arms. "They're taking Christ out of Christmas, and now even the president is involved" is what some Christians are saying.


Although I have mixed feelings on the fact that more and more retail centers are shying away from a Merry Christmas theme and adopting more of a Happy Holidays theme, I do think this is a perfect way for Christians to get distracted from what we should really be doing during the Christmas season: worshiping God, thanking Him for Jesus, and being a light to the world. It seems like we are always defending ourselves against something, rather than showing the world what we are for. There are several responses one could take as a Christian this year:

1. BOYCOTT ALL RETAIL STORES THAT REQUIRE EMPLOYEES TO SAY "HAPPY HOLIDAYS" INSTEAD OF "MERRY CHRISTMAS" AND WHO DO NOT INCLUDE THE WORD CHRISTMAS IN THEIR MARKETING CAMPAIGNS OR CIRCULARS.

- Boycotts don't work. And they are dumb.

2. WHEN SOMEONE SAYS "HAPPY HOLIDAYS" TO YOU, FIRE BACK WITH A QUICK "MERRY CHRISTMAS".

- This is fine, as long as it's done with a good attitude, and not mean-spirited.

3. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

- My plan of action. If I truly thought that themes and slogans save people's souls, you would see them on bumper stickers all over my car. The only sticker I have on my car is to remind Red Wings fans of who the best NHL team is: the Colorado Avalanche, of course.

I don't think it's an ACLU/Liberal/Communist conspiracy to take Christ out of Christmas. I just think it might have to do with political correctness: there are other religious holidays being observed at the same time. It doesn't bother me - I don't like Christmas and consumerism/commercialism lumped together anyway.

The Worst Christmas Songs Ever

Through perusing other weblogs, I came across this list of the worst Christmas songs ever - in his opinion, of course. I of course agree and disagree with the author. Here's the list, along with my agree/disagree comments.

(Dis)Honorable Mentions:

- Santa Baby by Everclear: the contention being that no man should ever sing a song called "Santa Baby". I agree. It's kind of creepy.

- A Wonderful Christmas Time by Paul McCartney: his contention is that he heard it too much while he worked retail. I think the song is kind of catchy. But I would go with the Earthsuit version of this song over McCartney's version - which you can find on Happy Christmas, Vol. 3.

- Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, any version: I personally like this song, but I do agree with his point that if we're supposed to have a merry Christmas, why does it have to sound so depressing? I personally like Joy Williams' version off of the new WOW Christmas, or even Amy Grant's version is nice too.

- The Christmas Song by anyone not named Nat King Cole: I had to listen to this song to see which "Christmas song" is actually being talked about. Oh yes, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire." I like John Jonethis' lounge version of this song off of The Ultimate Lounge Christmas with John Jonethis. Or better yet, give me Andy Williams.

Okay, now for the top (bottom) five:

5. Carol of the Bells by Tran-Siberian Orchestra: I disagree on this one. Since I used to listen to heavy metal back in my high school/early college days, I can appreciate the mixing of heavy metal with classical music. Although I'm not a big fan of everything TSO does, this song is their most well-known one, and for good reason. It's good.

4. Here Comes Santa Claus, with verses 3 and 4: I have never heard a version of this song with those verses included, but when I read the verses, I couldn't believe what I was reading!

Santa knows we’re all God’s children
That makes everything right
So let’s give thanks to the Lord above
‘Cause Santa Claus comes tonight

I wholeheartedly agree with what the blogger says: "That’s right kids! Give thanks to the Lord, not because the Messiah’s born or because our eternal salvation has been enabled, but because a fat guy’s going to bring you wooden toys! Lovely message for the little ones."

3. Winter Wonderland by Annie Lennox: Never heard it. But since I avoid Annie Lennox's voice like the plague, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't like it either. When I'm in a store and her song "Broken Glass" starts playing, I look for the closest sharp instruments I can find and shove them into my ears. I like John Jonethis' version of Winter Wonderland, but I would also recommend Stryper's version as well. (Yes, it's cheesy, but it reminds me of high school.)

2. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town by Bruce Springsteen: Agree, agree, agree. I heard this the other day, my first time this year, and I just hate it. Of course, I'm not a big fan of changing the melody of a Christmas song anyway (see Third Day's horrid version of O Come Emmanuel), but this is horrid. I especially hate how he tries to interact with the crowd and no one seems to care. That should have been the first clue, Bruce. Don't play the song, please.

And number one (drum roll please):

1. The Christmas Shoes by Newsong: There was a family in my home church who was related to one of the Newsong vocalists, the old guy. After hearing this song, I felt really, really sorry for this family, because I'm sure that every Christmas their famous Christian artist probably sang this song to them and made them lose their Christmas dinner. This song is so filled with syrupy gooshy ickiness, it deserves an award. I give it the "Butterfly Kisses" award for too much forced sentimentality in a song.

As for others I would add to this list, I would say I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus ranks right up there. I used to not like Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells, but it's grown on me. The only way I can stomach The Twelve Days of Christmas is to hear the Muppets' version. Now that was genius. EDIT: after just hearing Andy Williams' version of 12 Days of Christmas, except redone as A Song And A Christmas Tree - I have to add it to my list. Ugghh.

Have a Holly Jolly Fair Trade Christmas

I've been thinking a lot recently about Christmas and what I and my family are going to spend this year. Money is tighter this year than usual - in the past, my wife has worked a part-time job along with my full-time ministry. In moving to Ohio, we have made the determination to have her stay home and take care of our daughter; which has been great from a family standpoint, but from a financial standpoint, it's been interesting to say the least.

Christmas spending is projected to be at an all-time high this year, which is surprising to me because of all the things that have happened this year: the oil prices have shot through the roof (I've surprised myself recently for being happy that the gas prices have hit the low $2.00 range again), the hurricanes and natural disasters in our world have prompted people to give some of their savings to disaster relief, and many people spent money on big vacations this summer as the travel fear after 9/11/01 has generally dissipated.

I have read a couple of very good articles from Time Magazine this year concerning the operations of some of the retail centers that my family likes to frequent for the good deals we get, and it has caused me to rethink my shopping values and strategies, and so this Christmas I'm considering doing something a little different: I'm going to try and buy my Christmas presents from companies that participate in Fair Trade. You may have seen this term in the news recently; if you're a Coldplay fan, you've at least seen Chris Martin's mantra "Make Trade Fair" written on his arm or on his piano. He even says it at the end of each concert.

It just makes sense to me. If I made items to be sold in the market, I would hope that I would have a voice as to how much and to whom these items can be sold. Unfortunately, around the world, business does not work this way. One woman says it this way:

- “Not only does it [fair trade] give [the artisans] opportunities for their families to be lifted out of dire poverty, but it also gives them the dignity of having a safe working environment and also an environment that is democratic. While most imported goods come from manipulative factories, fair trade cooperatives are owned by the artisans and allow every person a voice in decision making. This is especially significant for women in cultures where females typically are not included in decision-making processes. Fair trade groups also offer reasonable wages and support systems for the oppressed."

It's going to be hard, I think, to find everything made by a Fair Trade company. (Do any Fair Trade companies make Dora the Explorer toys?) But I'm going to give it my best shot and see if it's possible.

Let It Snow...

Yes, I know I'm not jaded about Ohio weather yet. Yes, I know that in February my view on Ohio winters will probably change. But for now, I love it!

Closed For Christmas

There has been quite a brouhaha about the fact that several churches are closing their doors for Christmas this year. This is the first year in eleven that Christmas is on a Sunday morning, (in 1994, I was in my first year with my home church in Colorado, and I don't remember Christmas being on a Sunday at all) and several notable megachurches are not going to hold services on that day. This news has made several papers, and there has been some backlash. The reasons for these megachurches closing down on Christmas are pretty easy to understand: in a megachurch, you enlist the help of thousands of volunteers to pull off a Sunday morning, and because Christmas is a time where most families like to stay together, there would be a shortage of volunteers and these megachurches would not be able to pull off what they normally do. Most of these churches have added other services (Christmas eve and even December 23rd) to their schedule, so they aren't really taking anything away service-wise.

Thankfully, this problem won't resurface for several more years (2011 to be exact). Yet I am thankful that Southwest Church is having one service on Christmas Day. Although we will most certainly be down in numbers, I think it will be a great service for all involved as we celebrate the birth of Jesus and worship Him this Christmas Day.

Here is a great article from The Internet Monk about the craziness of Christmas this year.

Spiritual Disciplines Your Momma Never Taught You, Part Two

Okay, back to Gary Thomas' book Authentic Faith. It's been awhile, so let me refresh your memory regarding my post on the first spiritual discipline - which Thomas called "selflessness". In that chapter, Thomas gives four examples of selfless living throughout history. The first was Paul the apostle, the second Augustine, the third C.S. Lewis, and the fourth Orel Hershiser. I would say that living a selfless life could possibly be the hardest thing a person could ever do. I mean, our world revolves around living for ourselves - the advertisements, the marketing, even the way church is structured.

The second discipline could be just as hard.

I've been thinking a lot about 1 Corinthians 13, where Paul talks about how when he was a child, he thought like a child and acted like a child - but when he became a man, he put childish ways behind him. I've been thinking about that verse, and then also thinking about the ways that we as adults still act like we're children. The first way I thought of was the fact that when we are kids we aren't very good at sharing. We try to horde all of our toys and protect them from any other child who comes to our house - and we also try to take other kids toys and make them our own too. As adults, a lot of us never grew out of that stage. We continue to want more and more "toys", and we certainly don't want to share our stuff with anyone else. Another way we continue to act like children is the "Lifeboat" game that some of us had to endure in class with teachers who I guess aspired to be Adolf Hitler or something. In this game, we supposedly learned values clarification (to repeat the phrase from Steve Taylor's excellent song "Lifeboat") and we decided if certain people were on a lifeboat and one had to be thrown overboard, who would be the one that would be thrown over. I guess the final decision was usually made on who had the littlest value to society. I think usually it was the person who had the lowest IQ (represented usually as mentally challenged) that ended up being thrown overboard. Stupid game, yes, but yet some of us adults still live our lives that way. We don't value other people equally - we base their value on what they can offer us, usually.

The main way that we adults still act like children, however, is this in a nutshell (if a nutshell means two words): instant gratification. When we were kids, we always wanted everything now. Unfortunately, this is one childlike trait that most of us don't grow out of. My grandmother and I were talking about my parents divorcing when I was little, and I asked her what she thought was the main reason for them getting the divorce (since I was around four at the time, I don't remember anything about it). She thought about it for a moment and then said, "I think it's the fact that your mom and dad wanted to have everything right away - a house, new cars, new furniture, etc. And then they had money problems because they bit off more than they could chew." In other words, it all stemmed back to the fact that they wanted everything now. Instant gratification.

It's a serious problem in today's society. Why is the credit card debt so outrageous in our country these days? Because people want what they want now, and rather than saving up to get what they want (taking time to do so), they figure that they'll just put it on a credit card and pay it off soon enough. A lot of time that doesn't happen, unfortunately.

Gary Thomas' second discipline in his book "Authentic Faith" offers a solution to this sickness of instant gratification. It's a rather simple answer, but I think it takes a lifetime to truly understand and hold onto: the discipline of waiting. Waiting is hard. For some, waiting is impossible. Yet waiting is exactly what we need to do sometimes - no, most of the time. When we look at the different characters in the Bible, we see that they were ordinary people who were used by God because they were available to God, but at the same time God had developed character in their life over several years. Moses was eighty before he tackled the huge responsibility of taking on Pharoah and the nation of Egypt. Joseph was in slavery and in prison for several years for things he did not do and was not worthy of suffering punishment for, but Joseph came out of prison ready to lead a nation to stock up supplies for a seven year famine. Jesus didn't start his ministry until he was around thirty years old. As these characters waited, God developed them in time to be teachable and useable.

He brings up two areas that God calls us to wait in: spiritual growth and prayer. I can attest to struggling with waiting in my own spiritual growth. There are areas in my life that frustrate me because I continue to struggle in them, attitudes that I have developed over several years. Thomas makes a great point: "If we have spent ten, twenty, or even thirty years pounding a sinful habit into our lifestyle, we shouldn't be surprised if the residual elements take a long time to be rooted out." I need to be patient with myself and allow God to slowly work in those areas of my life that need to change, celebrating the small steps of growth over the years until He is finished with me - which in our case, is never. Prayer is another area where I struggle in waiting. I'm one of those people who get frustrated if my prayer for something isn't answered. Plus I'm a rather forgetful person, so there are times when I forget to continue to pray for a person or a situation, and then when I am reminded of the situation, I can't believe that the prayer hasn't been answered. I am reminded of when the iron curtain fell in Europe, and communism and oppression in many countries were defeated. Some of the Christians in these countries had been praying for fifty years that God would work in their lives to bring about change in their country; fifty years later, their prayers were answered. Can you imagine the feelings these people had when they stood on the Berlin Wall, or saw their dictator fall from power?

Instant gratification is hard to overcome, no doubt. But God is asking me to be patient with myself and with others around me and to allow Him to change what needs to be changed over time.

The Seven Deadly Social Sins

Politics without Principle

Wealth without Work

Commerce without Morality

Pleasure without Conscience

Education without Character

Science without Humanity

Worship without Sacrifice


-- Mahatma Gandhi

Memories...

Debby and I were toodling around on the internet the other day, looking for house prices in Colorado - not to move there, but my brother is moving back from Arizona in December, so were checking to see if the crazy Colorado market finally settled down. It has - some.

Anyway, we were looking, and the next thing we know, we see our first house on the market. It brought back a lot of memories. When we were married, we lived in a condo - a nice three bedroom condo on the top floor on the end - we really liked it, but we knew that we were ready to get a house. So we bought a new house in the town where I grew up - Parker, Colorado. We were there for about two years before we both felt that we were called to Dallas. Which was a big mistake, but that's okay, I'm almost over it.

It was nice to see our old house, even though it was on the market, which was kind of sad.

Here's the link:

first house

Acceptable Sacrifice

"There's a very tangible cycle of how it all works. The book of Isaiah asks, what is our acceptable sacrifice? What is our acceptable worship? God's people say, 'we bring burnt offerings, and we give it to You. We have these literary things that are part of our tradition that we do for worship,' and God basically comes back and says all these things have no connection to real relationship. What about taking care of widows and orphans and healing the sick? Taking care of the naked and giving shelter? All these things are relational. With relationships you have to engage another person. Obviously we all know that relationships are incredibly difficult and incredibly messy.

I hope people see the privilege in serving this way. Many think it's the government's job to help; it's not. It's the Church's job to do it. The problem is that the Church isn't doing it. I think we have a responsibility to serve, but at the same time it's not as much a responsibility as it is a privilege. We just don't know what it's like to enter into suffering and to know God in the midst of that. And yet, that is what the gospel is about. I mean, if suffering and sorrow and pain were not really meant for the Christian life, why did Jesus die on the cross? Why did He endure such suffering? It doesn't make any sense. The Bible just wouldn't be true because the Bible says, 'We enter into Christ's suffering.' It's a part of us. And yet the Christian life at this point is more represented by safety than risk. It's more represented by comfort than pain and sorrow, and I think we see how that can destroy the Church or distract the Church into thinking that other things are more important."

- Dan Haseltine in Worship Leader Magazine

Haseltine and the rest of Jars of Clay aren't just about talk, of course. The mission they have started, called Blood:Water Mission, is simple in theory: help the people of Africa by focusing on an essential element confronting them: contaminated blood supplies and the lack of clean water. "The image is a powerful one since the water and the blood that poured from Christ's side represented the ultimate sacrifice. How appropriate for the Church to take the images of our spiritual transformation and use them to bring concrete relief to people who are hurting in our world."

Their website gives more information about this mission of theirs, including their 1,000 Wells Project, with a goal of raising funds to build, rebuild and repair one thousand wells in urban and rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

Erwin McManus, in a message given to the 7:22 worship service at Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta, GA, said that today's believer lives in a period of history where he/she has the most opportunity and the most resources to DO SOMETHING. He spoke on ambition, and how we tend to think that all ambition is bad - yet Paul says "Do nothing out of selfish ambition". Some ambition is good. McManus says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition, but by God, don't just do nothing!" He also notes: "And yes, the Scriptures are laced with promises, but they are also packed with commands. And a command is just a religious way of saying 'things God holds us responsible for.'"

I've been thinking about all of this stuff because the House of Representatives passed their budget reconciliation bill - a bill that was supposed to be done November 10 - eight days late, but they passed it. This bill axes billions of dollars allocated to help the poor - the food stamp program, medicaid, and more. I know not to get too political about all of this, but it frustrates me. I agree with Jim Wallis that the U.S. budget is a moral document - and when help for the poor is cut and the rich - both individuals and corporations - continue to get big tax breaks - it breaks my heart. I have been extremely upset all day, and it's been wearing me down. However, after reading the above Haseltine quote, I now realize that what this seemingly bad thing does is give the Church another opportunity to reclaim its responsibility to help the poor, to take care of the downtrodden, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to visit the prisoner - to be Jesus. Someone once said, "Your faith hasn't taken hold of your heart until it extends to your hands and your feet." Will the Church have the selfless ambition to be the light of the world and to do unto the least of these?

What Are Your Little Icelandic Elves?

I was in Barnes and Noble the other day, sipping some coffee and reading through some of my favorite magazines that I like to peruse while sipping coffee at a Barnes and Noble - and I came across an interesting interview with a personal favorite band named Sigur Ros. They are from Iceland, and it's very hard to describe the type of music that they play. It's mostly instrumental, with a few icelandic words here and there (although on their last CD, titled strangely ( ), all the words were words that they made up). Their music is beautiful, haunting, strange, and great for listening to - while sipping coffee at a Barnes and Noble, perusing through your favorite magazines.

Anyway, Sigur Ros has released a new CD named Takk, and its great. The lead singer was interviewed for the magazine Paste (a great magazine, by the way - its founder and editor is a Christian and was featured in Relevant Magazine a couple of issues ago), and he started talking about superstitions and strange beliefs that people in Iceland have. I guess there is still a strong belief that there are Icelandic island elves that haunt the island. The lead singer described how the Icelandic government will build roads that are windy and that go around large boulders - boulders that could be moved by heavy machinery - because of the belief that elves live in the boulders. He described a recent story about how a large boulder could not be moved - for days, heavy machinery kept breaking down - until someone came and asked the elf living in the boulder if they could move it. After the elf gave its blessing, the rock was moved without any problem whatsoever.

It got me thinking about what my elves are. Well, not necessarily elves, but what are those strange superstitions or even beliefs about the Christian life that really are silly and don't really have any support behind them - yet I still hold onto them anyway? I think that one of those elves that I'm trying to let go is the idea that conversion is a one-time event that takes place and then is over. Although I do think there is a specific moment when Christ took hold of me - at baptism - I don't think that it was a moment-only event. I think that salvation is continuing to happen - not so much in the justification idea of the term; but most definitely the sanctification idea. ("Work out your salvation with fear and trembling" comes to mind) Sorry about the big words.

Another one is my concept about eternal life. I used to think that eternal life only meant after I died. I now believe that eternal life is supposed to be experienced in the here and now as well, right here, right now. Jesus said, "This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." (John 17:3) It would seem to me that Jesus is saying that eternal life starts when we begin to know God. So as a missional Christian, I shouldn't be just happy that I'm saved and that eternal life begins after I die, I should be helping to bring forth eternal life and God's kingdom here on earth before I die. If that doesn't make sense, it's probably because I'm still thinking through this. If you want more on this subject, I would recommend "A Generous Orthodoxy" by Brian McLaren and any Dallas Willard book.

We even have our little Icelandic elves at Christmastime - which might seem appropriate given that there are elves at Christmastime of the Santa persuasion - yet some of them are gaps in the Christmas story that we've filled using Christmas carols, our imaginations, movies and more. Let me give you some examples:

- in the carol "Away In A Manger" it states "the little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes." Why wouldn't he cry? He was a baby at the time, you know. It was probably a little chilly. He was just born. I think he would cry.

- We Three Kings: News bulletin, folks. They weren't kings, they were astrologers. We don't know how many there were - we assume there were three because three gifts were given. Historic tradition says twelve. And they weren't at his birth, as you see so often in nativity scenes. They showed up two years later or so, and by that time Mary and Joseph would have had a house.

- there was no room in the inn: There certainly was no inn or innkeeper. The Greek word Luke used was "kataluma," as in "There was no room for them in the kataluma." Scholars agree that this word should never have been translated "inn," but instead describes a spare room of some kind or perhaps a common room for travelers who needed a roof over their heads. On busy nights there would have been several families snoozing in the corners of the village kataluma, covered with blankets and robes. (taken from reallivepreacher.com)

- the nativity scene itself: In a place like Judea, wood was scarce, which would make a wooden "barn" structure unlikely. More likely was the idea of the nativity scene taken place in a limestone cave, or even at someone's house. Archaelogists have uncovered structures that showed that most houses in those days had two levels: one level for the family, the lower level for the animals. In any case, Jesus' manger was probably of stone.

Hopefully I haven't ruined your idea of Christmas - and I don't think it's bad that we fill those gaps with ideas that may be wrong but warm-hearted and good-intentioned - yet at the same time, we need to realize that the birth of Jesus wasn't a warm fuzzy occasion. I think one of the best songs to describe the scene is called "Labor Of Love" from one of the best Christmas CDs - Behold The Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson:

It was not a silent night
There was blood on the ground
You could hear a woman cry
In the alleyway that night
On the streets of David's town

And the stable was not clean
And the cobblestones were cold
And little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
Had no mother's hand to hold

It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love

Noble Joseph by her side
Calloused hands and weary eyes
There were no midwives to be found
On the streets of David's town
In the middle of the night

So he held her and he prayed
Shafts of moonlight on his face
But the baby in her womb
He was the maker of the moon
He was the author of the faith
That could make the mountains move

It was a labor of pain
It was a cold sky above
But for the girl on the ground in the dark
With every beat of her beautiful heart
It was a labor of love

For little Mary full of grace
With the tears upon her face
It was a labor of love

What are your little icelandic elves - Christmas or otherwise? Again, it's probably not bad to have them for the most part, but it's always good to put a magnifying glass to what we believe and analyze our traditions and beliefs in the light of Scripture and history.

Why I Am Not Emergent

This title doesn't refer to me, of course. I don't call myself an emergent Christian; I like to call myself a "missional follower of Jesus Christ". Yeah, I know it sounds like I'm about ready to move to Waco with my wife and my other wife and thirty followers and invest in Kool-Aid packets, but I like the term personally.

"Why I Am Not Emergent" refers to this article. It reminds me that a lot of people have some really whacked out ideas of what the emergent church believes. Obviously this piece is satire; however, I have heard similar claims by those who don't like the emergent movement simply because they have seen a quote from a book by Brian McLaren, or they've heard through the grapevine about a fringe emergent church, and assume that these small things add up to the whole of the emergent movement. Which obviously isn't true.

Statistics.

One pregnant woman dies of complications every 60 seconds.

One child dies of Malaria in Africa every 29 seconds.

Someone in the world dies of tuberculosis every 18 seconds.

One person is affected with HIV every 6.4 seconds.


The United States ranks last in foreign aid development giving as a percentage of national income.


- Time Magazine

Interesting quote

"Think of the impact if the first thing radical feminists thought of when the conversation turned to evangelical men was that they had the best reputation for keeping their marriage vows and serving their wives in the costly fashion of Jesus at the cross. Think of the impact if the first thing the homosexual community thought of when someone mentioned evangelicals was that they were the people who lovingly ran the AIDS shelters and tenderly cared for them down to the last gasp. A little consistent wholesome modeling and costly servanthood are worth millions of true words harshly spoken."

- Ron Sider

Kyle Lake

Kyle Lake, pastor of UBC in Waco, TX, died Sunday morning as the result of an accidental electrocution during a baptism service at the church. UBC is the home church of the David Crowder Band.

Please keep his wife and three small children in your prayers.

Challenge of the Month - End of October/November 2005

I apologize for not posting in a quite a long time. There are a couple of reasons for (not) doing so. The first is that I really haven't had much to say. I believe that "journaling" is an ebb and flow process and that sometimes it's better just to clam up, read what other people are talking about, and wait until you have something to say, rather than say something just to fill space. The other reason is that I've been extremely busy as the beginning phases to the financial campaign that Southwest Church is going to go through early next year is hitting my areas in a big way.

However, I have thought of a challenge for the end of this month and all next month. By the way, both challenges so far have been successful, and yet not successful. What do I mean. Well, I fulfilled what I set out to do both times - not go to Starbucks, and not chew my nails. Yet I reverted back to doing both - today I went to Starbucks twice, and my nails are "down to the quick" again.

This next challenge of mine is one that will have a lasting effect, however; it's one of those challenges that you either fail completely or succeed completely.

I truly believe that God communicates to us in several different ways - through his Word, through the Spirit, through circumstances, through counsel of others, through prayer to name a few. These have all happened in my life at one time another - some of them I have seen as "big" communicators, some of them as subtle communicators (counsel of others probably being one of those). However, there is one communication process that I firmly believe God uses in my relationship with Him to speak to me and show me things in my life that need changing, or at least need examining. This communication process happens through my reading. I have noticed that as I read through books (I read through several at one time), there always seems to be a consistent theme that flows throughout them - stories, anecdotes, chapter themes, etc. And these themes get emphasized in other ways as well - conversations I have with people, messages at church, stuff I read online being some of those ways.

It is no different with what I'm reading right now. Everything I'm reading points to two themes that are pretty similar: forgiveness and grace. And I know why these themes are running through my reading and through my life. My life has not been an easy one, to say the least. The past few years have been relatively easy, but the rest of it has been one crazy ride. In the process of my life, there are several people who I have harbored resentment, anger and bitterness towards them - the way they have treated me, the situations that they have pushed me into, the way they have wrecked lives of people around me. It has become increasingly difficult to speak of grace and forgiveness in any kind of "church" setting, because I know that I am hypocritical in this area. I know that I cannot tell people that they need to forgive others in their lives when I have so many people that I have not forgiven in my life. I cannot realistically or honestly speak of grace and how it changes hearts, when my heart is filled with ungrace. I think that part of me has always felt that if I forgive someone, or extend grace to someone, that there needed to be an end then to the hurt that I feel as a result of the past. However, as I am reading the book "What's So Amazing About Grace" by Philip Yancey for the hundredth time, he says something that has finally helped me to see past this incorrect thought process. He says this:

"At last I understood: in the final analysis, forgiveness is an act of faith. By forgiving another, I am trusting that God is a better justice-maker than I am. By forgiving, I release my own right to get even and leave all issues of fairness for God to work out. I leave in God's hands the scales that must balance justice and mercy. When Joseph finally came to the place of forgiving his brothers, the hurt did not disappear, but the burden of being their judge fell away. Though wrong does not disappear when I forgive, it loses its grip on me and is taken over by God, who knows what to do...I never find forgiveness easy, and rarely do I find it completely satisfying. Nagging injustices remain, and the wounds still cause pain. I have to approach God again and again, yielding to him the residue of what I thought I had committed to him long ago. I do so because the Gospels make clear the connection: God forgives my debts as I forgive my debtors. The reverse is also true: Only by living in the stream of God's grace will I find the strength to respond with grace towards others."

I could never forgive in the past, because I could never see how the end result of that forgiveness would play out in my life and in the lives of those who have wronged me. Now I realize that I don't have to know the end result. I entrust it to God and allow him to know the end result and free myself from the chains of resentment and anger.

So this is my challenge: to forgive those who have wronged me, and to let them know somehow - not only by telling them so but by showing them through my actions and attitude towards them.

There is a flipside to this as well: thinking of those who I have personally wronged and asking forgiveness from them. Although I will never know everyone who I have hurt and wronged over the years, several people do come to mind.

If you are reading this, please pray for me. This is hard.

More Ready Than You Realize

I'm almost done with this book by McLaren, and it's been pretty good, although the e-mail format makes it hard to read. But I thought that near the end, he does a good job at wrapping up his thoughts into eight separate evangelism "factors". Here they are, in condensed form:

I've been reading "More Ready Than You Realize" by Brian McLaren, which is a book on evangelism, and I thought that eight factors that he talks about at the end of the book was very good for us to think about when it comes to unchurched people and how we can reach out to them - here they are:

1. THE RELATIONAL FACTOR: Count conversations, not just conversions.

Some of us Christians don't "get out much." We run from holy huddle to holy huddle, like squirrels darting from tree to tree, afraid that we will get hammered by a devil or seduced by a temptation.

But if you are willing to get out, reach out, relate to and willing to be a neighbor, a friend, a decent human being, then you are more ready than you realize. You don't start by being religious; you start by being human, relational, neighborly, friendly. If you've forgotten, it is never too late to relearn.

You may have to, as we suggested before, trim back your church activities. Instead of yet another Bible study, you might start coaching basketball, or taking an art class, or volunteering at a retirement community - just to get out a bit. In the process you will meet some people and you will ask some questions, conversations will begin, and a relationship will develop. Don't worry about the content of the conversions. Just get them going and see what happens.

2. THE NARRATIVE FACTOR: Listen to their story, share your story, and share God's story, not just propositions or formulas.

As we have seen throughout this book, somewhere along the line modernity tricked us into thinking that the greatest truths are contained in abstractions rather than stories. We start by honoring the stories around us.

Next time you are on an airplane, don't hurry to stand squashed in the center aisle waiting to deplane at your destination. Just sit there and look at the people. Notice their faces. Imagine the story behind each face. You are story in progress surrounded by stories in progress, and at any moment, your story could intersect with the story of someone else, and as a result, both of your stories will take a novel turn. In the process, both of you will find yourselves part of God's unfolding story too, because God's story intersects with ours at every turn, in every breath, pulsing in every heartbeat.

3. THE COMMUNAL FACTOR: Expect conversion to normally occur in the context of authentic Christian community, not just in the context of information.

Spiritual friendship isn't just about you. You are part of something bigger, something Paul called "the body of Christ." In a real way, Jesus is still here in the flesh through one body composed of thousands and thousands of us. So one of the best things you can do for your friends who don't yet know and love Jesus is to introduce them to your other friends who do.

Jesus said that the love your unconvinced friends observe between you and your fellow disciples will be the most telling evidence possible for his legitimacy. In the context of imperfect but vibrant Christian community, the message of Christ will come alive in a way that a booklet or lecture never could convey. And once your community begins to function as such a portal, a process will be set into motion that will not always be easy, but will be exciting and worthwhile because every new person who comes in will make your community even more ready to welcome the next.

4. THE JOURNEY FACTOR: See disciple-making as a holistic process and unending journey, not just a conversion event.

You will be more comfortable with the journey factor if you understand the difference between four kinds of thinking - boundary, centered, process and journey thinking. (diagrams go here) Boundary thinking is always asking the same question: in or out? Christian or non-Christian?

One of the negative effects of our boundary thinking has been this: What Jesus intended as a starting line became for us a finish line. Because of our boundary thinking, many of us got across the in/out barrier and parked there. But Jesus did not call us to a parking lot, he invited us to an adventure, an odyssey, a journey that will never end. Quite a difference!

5. THE HOLY SPIRIT FACTOR: Believe that God is at work "out there" in everyone (either working from the outside to get in or from the inside to get out), not just "in here" in the church.

Many people are experiencing the Holy Spirit but do not realize it. The Spirit of God reaches out to them through beauty, humor, joy, rest, excitement, justice and mercy. In many ways, we simply come along to help them understand what already surrounds them, as Paul did at Mars Hill in Athens.

One of the tragic ironies of the twentieth century was the continual talk about "church renewal" that preoccupied us with how the Spirit would work through us in our church services. Meanwhile, Jesus was concerned about how the Spirit would work through us in the world outside the church - its ghettoes, art galleries, shops, schools, sidewalks,parks, etc. The Holy Spirit factor reminds us that evangelism is not simply the transmission of information, it is a mysterious encounter between human beings and the Spirit of God, who loves, surrounds, and pursues them gently. It is our privilege to be part of that mysterious encounter.

6. THE LEARNING FACTOR: See evangelism as part of your own discipleship - not just the other person's!

Like Peter with Cornelius, we all find that we learn lessons we never could have otherwise as we reach out with God's love. This learning posture helps protect us from the arrogance and brashness that were too common in our modern-era evangelism, as if we had found "it," figured it out, processed and packaged and sold it, but stopped learning from it ourselves.

7. THE MISSIONAL FACTOR: See evangelism as recruiting people for God's mission on earth, not just people for heaven.

When Jesus says to go and make disciples, teaching the new disciples to do everything Jesus has taught, it is clear that Jesus is not just recruiting "souls" for heaven. He is sending his agents into the world. He is launching a revolution, which he called "the kingdom of God." Hatred and revenge will be replaced by love and mercy; love and greed will be replaced by respect and generosity; luxury and stress will be replaced by joy and rest. We contribute, one life at a time, to changing the world.

The fact is, our mission has two dimensions - a historic, here-and-now, down-to-earth dimension of changing lives, changing cultures and changing history, and an eternal, ultimate, transcendent dimension of helping people become the kinds of people who will enjoy God forever beyond this life.

8. THE SERVICE FACTOR: See evangelism as one facet of our identity as servants to all.

Should we be surprised that Jesus said our role in this earth is not one of critics, cynics, consumers, escapists, controllers, or isolationists - but rather servants? Jesus said he came not to serve but to be served. So the best first step for you as you finish this chapter would be to keep your eyes open - as a servant does, as a waiter does in a restaurant, simply looking for an opportunity to be of service. Anyone can serve...anyone who is willing. And so, if you are willing, you are more ready than you realize.

The Poor You Will Always Have With You, part 2

This article disturbed me in so many ways, that I don't know if I will be able to actually articulate well my thoughts on it, but I will try.

The basic theme of the news article, in case you really don't want to read it, is that Skid Row, the place where most homeless in Los Angeles "live", has become a dumping ground from other cities in Los Angeles County. I guess the idea is that we don't want them in our neighborhood, so let's send them to a place where they can hang out with other unwanted people or something.

I had the opportunity both in college and during my internship at a church in Tucson, Arizona, to spend several weeks down in the inner city of Los Angeles, with an organization called Center for Student Missions. One of the things we did every first night in L.A. was to pray for the city, and the CSM host would take us to different sites around the city and we would pray. We would always go to Skid Row, and it was amazing to see the multi-million dollar hotels and apartments just a block away from Skid Row. It was something that broke your heart. I remember one of my students asking a hotel concierge what they did about the homeless - what she was basically asking was "Does your hotel contribute to missions and programs that minister to the homeless?" What the concierge took her question as was: "How do you protect your hotel guests from these scary homeless people?" So he went on and on about the security procedures that they have, how they kick homeless people off of the street by their hotel very quickly, etc. It was disturbing.

Just typing this out brings to mind so many stories from those missions trips. I remember one morning we went into MacArthur Park, where a lot of homeless people slept. Right before we did this, we all bought breakfast and were pretty hungry after a long night of prayer and ministry. The host showed us all the homeless people and said, "Okay, now you can eat your breakfast. Or you can share your breakfast with people who possibly haven't eaten for days." So we went out and met people and heard heart-breaking stories. One man only talked about his young daughter and how he missed her. One of my students gave another homeless man her Bible. I firmly believe that although we helped a lot of people on those missions trips and everything, the inner-city missions trips helped us. They changed us. They made us realize that Jesus was out on the streets of L.A. They reminded us that Jesus didn't have a place to lay his head. They broke our hearts.

Another disturbing thing about the article was when they talked about the elderly people who couldn't afford care anymore in nursing homes getting dropped off in Skid Row. I remember a quote I heard a long time ago that basically said that you can tell a lot from a country by how they treat their elderly and their young.

Whoa...

Okay, so I pretty much don't read/watch/pay attention to the news very much. I mean, I might have been the last person to know about the Hurricane Katrina aftermath and destruction and all. I just don't pay attention.

However, I was looking up an article on wikipedia - the free online encyclopedia - when I glanced at the news area.

It said that President Bush nominated a woman by the name of Harriet Miers to fill O'Connor's spot on the Supreme Court.

Well, I was rather surprised. No, actually, my jaw dropped, because Harriet Miers attended the church that I worked at in Dallas. She was a long-time member, and, although she left ("temporarily", she said) about four months after I got there - Bush tapped her to be the staff secretary - the person in charge of all incoming mail and correspondence to the White House - I had met her and she seemed to have a real good head on her shoulders. She was good friends with an elder at our church (okay, they dated over the years), who also was on the Texas Supreme Court, and I remember wondering one time if we would ever see Nathan on the U.S. Supreme Court.

It turns out I wondered about the wrong one.

Well, Harriet, I hope you're confirmed. Although some conservatives are mad because they don't think you are conservative enough - and you donated some money to Al Gore's campaign - ironic, considering you ended up working for the other guy - I think you will do a great job!

An Interesting Quote From Detective Tony

I've been rereading the book by Tony Campolo called Speaking My Mind - I read it a year or two ago or so, and I remembered that I thought that some of his views on theology and the church were pretty out there. But then I remembered that I have changed a lot of my thinking during that time, so I started reading it again and found out that a lot of what I've been thinking about is talked about in his book (at least so far) - namely women leadership in the church, racism, and more.

I labeled Campolo as Detective Tony, because although the subtitle of his book calls him a prophet, he resists that name and calls himself more of a detective - someone who "works hard trying to ferret out the truth about what God is doing in the church and in the world, and the part we are to have in that work." Hence the name.

Anyway, I thought this was an interesting quote as I'm always struggling with the idea of marketing within the church. Here it is:

"It has been said that Christianity started in Israel; was exported to Greece, where it was made into a philosophy; taken to Rome, where it was made into an organization; sent to Europe, where it was made into a culture; and sent finally to America, where it was made into a business enterprise."

I am just now getting into Campolo's chapter on Evangelicalism and Science - should be interesting, especially considering that he brings up a book that Roger, the senior minister of the church I am worship minister at, has talked about in a message. The book is called "Flatland" and it's written by a mathematician who talks about the dimensions of the universe. In the book (according to Roger and Campolo), he brings up an illustration of what it would be like if a three-dimensional person arrived on a two-dimensional planet. He could do "miracles", at least in the eyes of the two-dimensional people, because he could "disappear", i.e. because he's three dimensional, by jumping up, he would be on a different dimension than the two-dimensional people see. I will probably post again on this illustration and apply it to our increasing understanding of the universe, and how the Bible was written in a time when people thought the earth was flat, and how slowly Christianity accepts new ideas that come out in the science realm - but that's way too much thinking for this early in the morning!

Just when I thought the apocalypse was happening right now...

with all of the hurricanes and the earthquake in los angeles yesterday, as well as the fact that our neighbor finally parked one of their cars in their driveway for the first time since they've moved in, I mean they don't live right next door, but since the only thing next to us right now is the construction trailer and the nearest house is three lots away I guess you could say that they are our neighbors, anyway they have something like nine cars that they park along the street and it is really annoying but today one car was actually in the driveway like I said a minute ago, anyway back on the topic, just went I thought the apocalypse was happening and that I should go on ebay and find an old copy of "88 reasons why the rapture will happen in 1988", or at least find an old Hal Lindsey book or even rent A Thief In The Night which was a lot better than some of the other cruddy movies that came out in the '70's and '80's with the Christian moniker on them, like SuperChristian and An Ordinary Guy, just when I thought I needed to check for the mark of the beast on people's heads at Kroger or was the mark of the beast supposed to be on our wrists, I don't remember, just when I thought the apocalypse was happening and the Russians took over America like in Red Dawn or Amerika or at least they nuked us like in The Day After, just when I thought the apocalypse was happening, one of my favorite shows found its way back on the air.

For Napoleon Dynamite Fans

I loved the movie Napoleon Dynamite.

For those of you who also love that movie and need another Napoleon fix, here are some commercials, video and audio, that ran for the Utah State fair and featured Napoleon and Pedro. Enjoy!

Video Commercials:

The Horse

The Duel

The Box - never could get this one to work right

Audio Commercials:

Ninjas

Cakes

Sesquicentennial

Diary

Pedro's Song

Nothing Without You

Take these hands and lift them up
For I have not the strength
to praise You near enough
See, I have nothing
I have nothing without You

Take my voice and pour it out
Let it sing the songs of mercy
I have found
For I have nothing
I have nothing without You

And all my soul needs
Is all Your love to cover me
So all the world will see
That I have nothing without You

Take my body and build it up
May it be broken as an offering of love
For I have nothing
I have nothing without You

And all my soul needs
Is all Your love to cover me
So all the world will see
That I have nothing

That I love You
With all my heart
With all my soul
With all my mind
And all the strength I can find

Take my time here on this earth
And let it glorify all that You are worth
For I am nothing
I am nothing without You

- Nothing Without You by Bebo Norman

A Chest Full Of Treasure

I have been trying to remember a certain website ever since I moved from Arizona to Ohio - I knew that it was a website that had a bunch of Christian classic books online to look at, but I couldn't remember the web address. Then, I was in the middle of reading The Holy Wild by Mark Buchanan tonight, and in his footnotes, he tells what website it is. Thank God! I thought I would never find it again.

Go to this treasure chest to find classics such as Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross, Foxe's Book of Martyrs, Augustine's Confessions and City of God, Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, and more. I prefer having the written copy to read, but online reading isn't too bad, especially since it's free!

Simon Weisenthal Dies

Simon Weisenthal died today. He was a Jewish man who survived five different stints in concentration camps during World War II, and was instrumental after the war in finding and capturing Nazi criminals, including one of the masterminds behind the attempted extermination of the Jewish people, Adolf Eichmann.

I wonder if his life has been made into a movie or not - it would be an interesting one to watch, I would think.

What An Opportunity...

One of the things that really impressed me about Velvet Elvis (the book by Rob Bell) is the "behind the scenes" background to some of what Jesus did and taught. For example, when Rob talks about "the yoke", as well as "the dust from the rabbi's feet", it really opened up to me how significant it was for Jesus to call these ordinary men, men who had already "flunked out" of rabbinical training - to be his disciples.

Anyway, if you read the notes in the back of the book, you find out that Rob Bell gets some of his background information from the teachings of Dwight Pryor, who teaches the Bible from a Jewish perspective (He's a Christian). I looked at the website that Rob Bell gives in his notes, and sent an e-mail to see what I could do to be a part of what is called The Haverim - a group of people who study the Bible from, again, a Jewish perspective. In the mail today, I received a CD, as well as several other pieces of literature and advertisements for upcoming events - in the same area where I live. I thought that was odd, until I looked at where Dwight Pryor's ministry is based out of - Dayton, OH. Right up the street from me. That's exciting news. There is a seminar that's coming up, but unfortunately it's a little out of my price range. However, I am contemplating joining The Haverim at 10 bucks a month to receive the teachings.

What a "coincidence" that this ministry is located so close to me. It's exciting news.

Forget Home Schooling, The Christian Thing To Do Now Is Home Churching!

Although I know that this article isn't true (it does come from The Onion, after all), I can definitely see some people from the church I worked at in Dallas actually jumping on board with this idea. After all, they were all about controlling everything about their kids anyway, why not control what they learn at church by churching them by themselves?

The Beauty of Simplicity

We sang the song "Beauty of Simplicity" at church today, and it reminded me of something I recently read in a book:

- The problem we face today needs very little time for its statement. Our lives in a modern city grow too complex and overcrowded...we are too busy to be good wives to our husbands, good homemakers, good companions of our children, good friends to our friends, and with no time at all to be friends to the friendless. But if we withdraw from public engagements and interests, in order to spend quiet hours with the family, the guilty calls of citizenship whisper disquieting claims in our ears...but we're weary and breathless. And we know and regret that our life is slipping away, with our having tasted so little of the peace and joy and serenity we are persuaded it should yield to a soul of wide caliber. The times for the deeps of the silences of the heart seem so few. And in guilty regret we must postpone till next week that deeper life of unshaken composure in the holy Presence, where we sincerely know our true home is, for this week is much too full.


True words for today's time. Except this was written by Thomas Kelly, in the book A Testament of Devotion, back in 1941. Before the internet (Al Gore may have been alive, but he hadn't invented it yet, ha), before interstate highways, before two income families (mostly, at least). And yet, even back then the pull to a busy life was a temptation.

I live in a community where everyone is entirely too busy. Between keeping up with their kids' schedules with seventeen different sports and activities, work and a little church on the side, people are too busy. I yearn for a life that is simpler, a life that isn't so busy, yet it's hard to say no, isn't it?

Chris Simpson

The guy above - his name is Chris Simpson. The first thing you might notice about him is that he looks (at least in this picture) like that guy named Charlie on the T.V. show "Lost". (The actor's name is Dominic Monaghan) Chris is pretty well known in music circles, at least in independent music circles. He was in a band named Mineral, who along with Sunny Day Real Estate are credited as a couple of the pioneers of the "emo" music style. Later, after Mineral disbanded, he and the bassist founded the popular independent band The Gloria Record. Now he's doing some solo stuff, from what I've heard.

Chris and I were in a band together in the early 90's, called Mortal Enemy. That band, alas, did not survive (we were real close to signing with R.E.X. records, well, I should say they because by that time I was out of the band due to being in California in college), but obviously Chris went on to bigger and better things. I bring Chris up because not only was he a friend of mine (every once in a long while I'll hear from him, most likely I'll hear about him from another friend), but because he really taught me how to pray. I had learned in my home church to pray, eyes closed, face towards the ground, with as many KJV sounding words as I possibly could. Chris didn't pray that way. He had his eyes open, face towards the sky, and he simply prayed like he was talking to a friend. And he was.

Why did I start thinking about this today? I have no idea. Maybe it's because as a minister, I feel like I need to impress people with my prayers on Sunday mornings during the worship service. Or even because I want to make a good impression on my fellow staff members by praying powerful, wordy prayers - focusing my whole attention on the crafting on the prayer than the relationship behind the prayer. I want to become more like Chris. I guess I'm going to have to start doing some worship songs with an emo sound, though.

Velvet Elvis Discussion Group With Rob Bell

Thanks to the heads-up from my buddy John, I have enrolled in an online discussion group class for Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis. Rob Bell will be a part of the group, and I'm very excited to be a part of this, since his book has really caused me to rethink several things about the Christian life. Class starts October 3rd.

Grow Your Crowder

I'm really excited about the release of David Crowder's new CD "A Collision" - I preordered it today, not only to receive the CD when it comes out, but because of all the goodies that is sent with the CD (at least according to my friend Darrin). The CD comes out September 27, and to help us all celebrate this new release (it has been two years since Illumination), I am encouraging everyone to grow your very own "crowder". I know this is a little more difficult for the womenfolk to do, but that's no excuse. Maybe women can rise up in celebration and grow an armpit crowder.

Of course, because I'm the one to think of this celebration idea, I am exempt from growing a crowder. Plus my wife would kill me.

"The poor you will always have with you" - at least that's one of our many excuses...

I happened across this great article written after the devastation that took place this month in New Orleans. I'm not going to say much about what took place, better writers than me have done a great job analyzing both the tragedy, and the poor response by our government to give aid.

As I was looking online at some of these discussions, as well as horrific pictures in Time Magazine about the aftermath of the hurricane, I was also reminded about a book I just recently finished, called "The Last Word and The Word After That" by Brian McLaren. It's the conclusion to his wonderful "A New Kind Of Christian" trilogy. I think that people have been so focused on the fact that McLaren doesn't really come right out and explain really what his view on hell is - is he a universalist, does he not believe in a literal hell, etc. The great thing for us about focusing on that part of this book is that it continues to keep us away from the real questions we should be asking ourselves after reading this book: Do I really believe that eternal life begins now and not only in the future (after all, eternal life is knowing Jesus and the one who sent Him), and if I believe it, why am I not concerned about the same things Jesus was concerned about while he was here on earth? Namely, the poor, the downtrodden, those who are sick and need healing. Christian "leaders" (I use that term loosely) have already come out and blamed the hurricane on the Mardi Gras celebrations that take place in New Orleans every year - again, another great distraction (one that isn't true, by the way) that will take our mind off of what we should be doing - helping the poor.

I was talking with my eighty-two-year-old grandmother today (she came into town unexpectedly, but it was nice to see her again), and she brought up the fact that the middle class was created in the 20th century so that the poor wouldn't focus on the rich, and the rich didn't have to worry about the poor. I don't know if I agree with her assertion, but it does make me think about it. The poor could aspire to become middle class, and the rich didn't have to take care of the poor or worry about them, because there was always the chance that the poor could move up to the middle of the economic ladder. The problem is that those who belong to the middle class are always looking up - how to get rich, how to keep up with those who are reaching that rich rung of the ladder quicker than ourselves - and we certainly don't want to think about those below us, those poorer than ourselves. Again, another way to distance ourselves away from people with real needs.

The Missional Church Foundation Model

This is the missional church foundation model. Part of me hates these two pictures, because basically everything about my position as a worship minister at a church follows right along with the traditional church model. My whole job is basically about what takes place during the Sunday services. And I like it. However, my heart is also with the other model, because I believe that that church model is more healthy. So once again, I find myself having to become almost spiritually and "churchilly" (yes, I made that up) bipolar so that I can survive in the church culture.

The Traditional Church Foundation Model

Well, my internet connection finally was worked out, so I can actually post something again finally. Let's just say it's not fun when your DSL company keeps sending your bill to a different city because according to its computer, the community you live in doesn't exist.

Anyway, a couple of posts ago, I alluded to Dan Kimball's book "Emerging Worship", and in that book, he did a good job of describing the huge difference foundationally between a regular church and a missional church. So, voila, I found the diagrams I did when I read the book (yes, they're in black and white and not very good, but you'll get the point, I think), so above is the first model, which is what churches usually do.

Challenge Of The Month: September 2005

Okay, so I got through one challenge successfully so far. And to celebrate my victory, I went to Starbucks today and got a triple venti Mocha. What's nice though is that I don't really crave Starbucks anymore. If I have it, I have it, but I don't have to go almost every day to get my fix. I have learned to trade really good coffee (Starbucks) for pretty cruddy coffee (mine). And the money that I saved on Starbucks will go to people who most definitely need it right now.

I have two challenges this month - one that I can't share until after the month is over, and one that I can share that will probably seem a little silly. The one I can share has to do with a habit I've had for years and years and years. It's something I do so subconsciously without even thinking about it - especially when I'm driving or riding in a car. Or I'm in a meeting. Or in a hundred other places.

I bite my fingernails.

Again, silly - but I've done it for so long, that I really don't know if I can handle this challenge. I have to figure out some kind of signal I can give myself when I'm about ready to start biting. Hmmm. If you have any ideas, let me know.

We'll see what happens.

Untitled Rant

One thing that I like about The Ooze Website is the amount of poetry and other short forms of writing expression that they "publish" on their website.

Today, I was looking on The Ooze for the first time in a month or so, and saw this poem. The reason I link to it here is that it is something that I struggle with the Church as a whole as we try to seek the heart of God when it comes to success and results. Does success hinge upon the usual church ABC's (attendance/buildings/cash) or does it hinge upon something else? And is that something else even measurable? I don't think it is, personally - who can really measure whether actual transformation is taking place in someone's life? You can fake it. You can lie about it. Sure, eventually people figure out that you're really not where you say you are on your journey of faith, but by that time you can leave that church and find another one to fool.

This is something I think about all the time. Unfortunately, thinking about it doesn't mean coming up with an answer.

So Many Books, So Little Time

I have added to my sidebar a section devoted to those books that are on my Amazon book wish list. I have put them there for two main reasons: one, to remind myself of the books that I really want to read - before I decide to buy other books first. Because I have such a bad short term memory, I already have forgotten the books that are on there. The second reason is to remind myself that no matter how many books I read, there are still so many more that I can learn from. I never want to stop reading and growing and thinking and chewing on books. I just received four days ago a box of five books from amazon, and I'm already looking forward to the next time I buy books. I have already read two of them (Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell and Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller), I'm halfway through The Last Word and The Word After That, I've read the first chapter of God's Politics, and the other book is a resource book on worship.

The moment I stop reading, I stop growing and learning.

Books That Have Impacted Me The Most (So Far)

I thought this might be an interesting list. And this interesting list is in no particular order.

- Dangerous Wonder - Mike Yaconelli. This book, which I read while I was a youth minister in Colorado, shattered my view of what to live a good life was all about. I like his second book, Messy Spirituality, but I think this one's better.

- The Wind In The Wheat - Reed Arvin. Reed Arvin was Rich Mullins' producer (as well as being a very good musician himself, as evidenced by his piano work on several of Mullins' albums). This novel is about a young man named Andrew Miracle, who lives in a small town. Yet Andrew has been born with an incredible musical talent, and his prayer is that he would be able to do great things for God. About the same time, a Nashville producer comes down to Andrew's home town, and hears Andrew and sees dollar signs. This novel is about the struggle of a young man who has a gift from God to figure out what true greatness really means in God's eyes. I read this book at least once a year, if not twice. It's a reminder to me that when we serve God, no matter how big or small our talent is, we experience true joy.

- Disciplines Of A Godly Man - R. Kent Hughes. I read this book when I was in college, and it really helped me view disciplines in a different light.

- Celebration Of Discipline - Richard Foster. I went through a time in college where I seriously thought about becoming a monk. This book was one of the reasons why I almost did.

- Your God Is Too Safe - Mark Buchanan. This is another book that I read at least once a year. It has some of my all time favorite quotes, and it's so passionate and life-changing. A must read.

- Ordering Your Private World - Gordon MacDonald. I'm not a very organized kind of guy, but this book helped me to see that I needed to organize my inner life before the outer life would ever be ordered.

- Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire - Jim Cymbala. A moving story about a church on the brink of closing its doors, when it decided to do the one thing that every church should aspire to become: a house of prayer.

- The Imitation Of Christ - Thomas a Kempis. A classic, filled with practical thoughts on imitating Jesus.

- Sacred Pathways - Gary Thomas. If I could teach material from any book, it would be this one. I'm passionate about helping people find their own unique way and personality to experience God, and this book helps on that journey. I've heard Bill Hybels reference it as one of his favorite books, and Andy Stanley even is coming out with a book based on this one, which seems kind of plagiaristic, but it's not really my call.

- Ruthless Trust - Brennan Manning. I love all of Manning's books, but I would have to say this is my favorite.

- Soul Salsa - Leonard Sweet. I was leading a small group back in Arizona, and the last thing we started to do (before I left) was go through this book. It's a great postmodern practical book. Easy to read, harder to live by.

- A Testament Of Devotion - Thomas Kelly. Another great book written by a Quaker (See Celebration of Discipline above). His main point is focusing on the center, namely Christ.

- Spiritual Leadership - Oswald Sanders. A great older book on...spiritual leadership...written by a missionary. Very compelling, very convicting.

- What's So Amazing About Grace - Philip Yancey. Yancey is my favorite Christian author, and I could have put every single one of his books down on this list, but this one's my favorite. I love his definition of grace: "There is nothing we can do to make God love us less. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more."

- No Wonder They Call Him The Savior - Max Lucado. His books are very easy to read, and play more on the emotional side of me than the intellectual side, but I love them all the same. This one is my favorite.

- Broken In The Right Place - Alan Nelson. This book came at a much needed time in my life. If you've heard the song "Blessed Be Your Name" by Matt Redman, then you'll understand that the book contains the same premise as the song - let's bless God in all times, whether good or bad.

- The Life You've Always Wanted - John Ortberg. Another great book about spiritual disciplines.

- The Cost of Discipleship - Dietrich Bonhoeffer. There are some authors when you read their books that make you wonder if they really believe what they are writing. Bonhoeffer is not one of them, and he proved he believed what he was saying by paying the greatest cost of discipleship - his life.

- A New Kind Of Christian - Brian McLaren. A great, great book. Although I attribute the works of Leonard Sweet as the impetus on my journey towards the emergent movement, this book has become the cornerstone of my decision to leave the old way of thinking behind me.

- Theirs Is The Kingdom - Robert Lupton. This book is a must read for anyone interested in inner-city missions work or just want a new perspective on the poor, homeless and downtrodden. It was required reading for my youth ministry students who were going on the L.A. missions trip with me back in the day.

- Return of the Prodigal Son - Henri Nouwen. Again, I could have listed all of Nouwen's books here, but this one impacted me the most. Shows the story of the prodigal son in a different light.

- Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller. How could I almost leave this off my list? This is my favorite book, hands down. I love the way Miller writes, I love how he says things that at first I disagree with, but as I read Scripture, chew on his words, and pray about them, I end up agreeing with him.

- Velvet Elvis - Rob Bell. How could I have not really heard of this guy, watched any of the nooma videos before this week? I'm an idiot. I'm still in the midst of this book, but I will tell you right now. Get this book. Read it. It's that good. It will change you. I have been reading it for the past couple of days, and I can't get it out of my head. Seriously, get this book.


I'm sure I'm missing some, but I think this is a good start. :^)