Dwelling

Ministry at the Bottom of the Hill

2011-07-11T20:07:00.001-05:00

Have you ever walked through the house looking for something and eventually you realize you have walked past what you were looking for at least five times?

This happened to me the other day.

I had been busy about ministry all week. Meetings with congregation members in Westminster (20 minutes), Gettysburg (30 minutes), Frederick (30 minutes). I had taken supplies that our church was collecting to the local food bank. Running here, there, and everywhere looking for ministry opportunities.

Then my phone rang.

An elderly lady at the bottom of the hill is on the other end in a panic. Something is wrong with her water heater, she has called everyone she knows to call and no one can come help her. She wonders if I can come and help.

I WALK down to her house.

I spend some time looking at her water and water heater. Not an emergency. The plumber can fix it when he comes in a few hours. But we spend 45 minutes talking about her life and struggles. She needed someone to talk to.photo © 2008 Shirl | more info(via: Wylio)

I wonder how many times we miss the ministry at the bottom of the hill while we run here, there and everywhere looking for ministry?

I then came across this article by Kurt Willems and it brought this thought to my attention again.

What ministry are we missing at the bottom of the hill?

Is Worship a Game?

2009-11-18T00:14:00.000-05:00

Oh, please tell me this is a joke! You can see the website they have created for this "game" here.

Imaginary Dog Eats School Note

2009-11-16T15:34:00.001-05:00

Who says, “My dog ate it” when they are asked about something they don’t turn in?

I got an email from Elijah’s teacher today telling me that he had sent a note home on Friday that needed to be signed and turned back in. I had never seen the note and let the teacher know I would talk to Elijah about it when he got home. A little while later I get this email from the teacher.

“When I dug a little deeper as to what he had done with his note that needed to be signed, he said that “my dog ate it”. No joke. I thought you should know.”

Who says that? I asked the teacher to let Elijah know that I knew about the note and that he had said “the dog ate it.” We’ll see how fun this bus ride and walk from the bus to the house is for this young man today.

BTW: WE DON’T HAVE A DOG!!!!

Poetry Runs Into Prophet

2009-11-12T14:01:00.001-05:00

Thought For Soon to Graduate Seminarians

2009-11-07T23:26:00.003-05:00

I read this blog post tonight from Seth Godin and thought it would be beneficial to pass along to all of my soon to graduate seminary friends. I've heard so many stories about graduates entering the ministry in bad situations because they "took what they could get" and I am hoping that we can all keep from compromising...easier said than done, right? So enjoy the post and leave a comment about what you think.

Take what you can get (?)

When you're just starting out or when your organization is struggling or when the economy isn't hot, it's very tempting to take what you can get.

You just graduated from law school and you have a lot of debt and the best job you can get is doing collections work. Should you take it?

Your consulting firm is organized around providing high-value work for large corporations, but the only gigs you can get in the consideration set for are small, struggling companies looking to spend a few hundred dollars a day. Should you take them?

The list goes on and on.

There are two things worth remembering here:

Like bending a sapling a hundred years before the tree is fully grown and mature, the gigs you take early will almost certainly impact the way your career looks later on. If you want to build a law practice in the music industry, you'll need to take on musicians as clients, even if the early ones can't pay enough. If you want to do work for Fortune 500 companies, you'll need to do work for Fortune 500 companies, sooner better than later.
The definition of "can get" is essential. Maybe it seems like this gig or that gig is the best you can get because that's all you're exposing yourself to. Almost always, the best gig I could get is shorthand for the easiest gig I could get.

Surviving is succeeding, no doubt about it. Doing the work is better than not doing the work. Waiting for perfect is never as smart as making progress. But, and it's a huge but, you define yourself by the work you do, and perhaps you need to redefine what you're willing to take and where you're looking for it.

A Hardy Love For Reading

2009-11-05T16:38:00.010-05:00

When I was a boy I love the Hardy Boy novels. I would have one everywhere I went and usually had the covers wrapped around my face until the final page was turned. I hung on every word. Page after page my imagination was engaged by the images painted by the words. (If I read one now I would probably find them quite silly but I am remembering nostalgically.) The content of those books would be long outdated and many kids today wouldn't really "get" the two brothers. But the Hardy Boys influenced me to become a life long reader. I'm an avid reader today because of these two teenage super-sleuths.

Today Elijah went to the library and checked out a book filled with colorful pictures of fancy gadgets, high speed chases, and actions sequences. All of the text is contained in dialog bubbles and imagination is far less necessary. But he has been reading it since he got home from school. And what is this colorful graphic novel you might ask? A reinvention of the famed detectives, Frank and Joe. The Hardy Boys!

I just hope that maybe these books can help Elijah develop a love for reading as much as the old series did for me.

What books do you remember reading as a kid?

2009-11-05T01:30:00.000-05:00

Worship Tailgating

2009-04-02T12:12:00.010-05:00

I wanted to post a few thoughts and hopefully discussion starters from some discussions we have been having at something called Levite Camp. We have been talking about the "traditional" order of worship which consists of:

Gathering - Word - Table/Response - Sending

Whether or not you agree with this order of worship you can participate in the discussion of specifics within each area.

Gathering:

God's people are the body of Christ and this body is separated from one another at some level throughout the week. The first thing that needs to be done when we come to a specific place for worship is to gather the people together as one body. To unite together in hearing from and responding to God.

So how does this happen? How about TAILGATING? (Hat tip to Tom)Before a sporting event many people come together to eat, spend time together, and most importantly unite in a common purpose. They come together to be a part of the event that is going to take place in the gathering space.

Does this have anything to say to preparing for worship? Should we find a way to unite for a common purpose, with common language, and common symbols in order to come together as a community in worship? Keep in mind that I am talking about the ideas and purposes behind tailgating and not the specific activities of tailgating that take place at a sporting event.

Is there a way to make Worship Tailgating a reality?

No Babies in Church PSA

2009-03-30T19:52:00.003-05:00

I found this video on a pastor's blog I follow. His church seems to be doing some really good things and I enjoy reading what they have going on. This video, while very creative and funny, disturbed me a little. The girl in the video is the pastor's daughter and it seems that they actually showed this video in one of their services.

Having been the parent of babies who make noise during service I have been on the receiving end of dirty looks from other adults who seem annoyed at your child's presence in the place of worship. I have also felt excluded from the place of worship and therefore the worshiping community when having to leave the service and sit with the other parent "lepers" in some far off place where we won't disturb others. I understand that babies can be distracting but can't we as ADULTS get past the small amounts of noise and allow the parents of these small children to continue to worship with us? I would like some feedback and response on this from those who think babies should not be "distracting" during worship. Help me understand please!

iPod and Worship Music

2009-03-27T20:48:00.006-05:00

Has the iPod ruined music in the church?

Music in the church used to be one of the main places where the best music could be heard. Creativity in composition of music was valued and the instrumentation (think organs) was new and innovative. When you came to worship you heard something you didn't hear every day. Music in worship created an experience that you couldn't get the rest of your week. Music in worship was something special.

But times have changed. Technology has led to a society in which we carry music with us everywhere. We can hold entire libraries of studio perfected music in our back pockets. Our cars very rarely are without music and we can choose whatever genre of music we like. We then go to the church where the quality of music will never match what we are hearing on a daily basis.

Granted we still experience gathering together and uniting in song and this is important. However, on the day we set aside for remembrance of the resurrection of Jesus our music is no longer the most creative or innovative.

So here is my question:
Does the easy access to music for people today lead to a different purpose/reason for music in worship than it did before the iPod? (Hat tip to Gabe Gibitz for raising this question in class today.)

Myth of the Cul De Sac

2009-02-04T16:05:00.008-05:00

I live on a cul de sac.

If I'm not mistaken this is french for "bottom of the sack." The cul de sac probably developed because people did not want a great deal of traffic on their street, strangers driving by seeing what they were doing and looking in their windows. Cul de sacs by their very nature say, "stay back I want my privacy." You would not try to have a yard sale on a cul de sac unless it was part of a neighborhood sale with signs everywhere pointing to the accessibility of your house. You don't "just happen" to "see things" at a house in a cul de sac. (It probably seems strange that a person who believes community and hospitality to be important would live on a dead end but it is where we found a house, get off my back!) Needless to say living on a cul de sac made what happened today seem strange to me.

This morning Erin took the recycling out to the curb. The constant snow and ice we have been experiencing has caused the recycling to pile up beyond measure. In order to get everything to the road Erin used the boys' wagon. She left it there with the recycling inside. Elijah protested this morning in fear that his wagon was going to the trash man but Erin assured him that the recycling people would not take the wagon, a seemingly logical assumption.

Recycling didn't run today. It must be the off week but who could keep track with the rash of recent weather cancellations. I was walking past the front window of our house when Harley (our dog) barked a little. I looked out and there was a man in a truck starting to pick up the wagon to take it away. I stuck my head out the door and informed him that the wagon wasn't for the taking. He apologized saying he thought it was out for the trash and drove away.

I still can't deduce how he happened to see the wagon out by the road or why he thought he might take our "trash." I now never to leave anything too close to the road as it might be mistaken as trash and free for the taking. My eyes have also been opened to the myth of cul de sac privacy.

Engage the Story

2009-02-02T19:57:00.000-05:00

Go visit my friends and pray for Chapel Hill.

Head, Shoulders, and Knees Above the Rest

2009-01-21T20:50:00.001-05:00

I couldn't help but post this RIDICULOUS dunk. I'd hate to be the guy on the receiving end of this one. Should have just gotten out of the way!

Metallica Fans Unite!

2009-01-07T00:48:00.002-05:00

The internet is an amazing thing....

My Feet Nearly Slipped But Now They Are Sure

2009-01-02T14:29:00.004-05:00

"Truly God is good to the upright; to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped."
Psalm 73.1-2

Psalm 73 gives us a great example of someone who knows the truths about God and speaks those truths with their mouth but has to go through a difficult journey to finally come to a place where they can speak those words with assurance and hope. Reaching a place of hope in Jesus that we can pass on to those we hope to reach takes struggle and examination of our journey in relationship with God.

Reaching who we once were makes a few assumptions:

It assumes we know who we were in the past. This takes self-reflection and spending time thinking about our past. What was I like, why was I like that, what brought me there, who influenced me? These questions are not always easy to answer and can sometimes bring up painful memories. We have to find a way to look at these questions and it may take the help of others. Our idea of who we were may be different from those who were watching us at the time.
It assumes we have noticed the different seasons of our lives. When I was young I was the preachers kid with the right answers who lived the way people thought he should. This is a surface analysis and has many layers to peal off but that is one time in my life. I have also been the confused and directionless young adult who flunks out of college because he parties too much while living a double life with his friends and his family. Another very complex season but different from the previous seasons of life. They are different but also intertwined. What caused the different seasons, who was influential during those times, how did I get from one to the next, how did faith and God's love play into all of these seasons?
It assumes we have changed and hopefully changed for the better. Helping those people we once were assumes we are not the same people we were then and that we are on the path to a better life through the grace of God. Helping those who are where we once were requires examination of our current life. This may be the toughest of all of the assumptions because we all like to think that we have learned from the past and are now better for those lessons. But this is not always the case and we may need to have others we trust show us ways we have grown as well as ways we could still better our relationships with God and with others.

We want to influence those who remind us of who we were but it is not an easy process. It takes brutal honesty with our past and our present if we strive to give others hope through our journey.

"Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, to tell of all your works."
Psalm 73. 27-28

Tales of a Teenage Stripper

2008-12-22T20:30:00.005-05:00

In my last two posts I have talked about how sharing our stories can be beneficial to those around us. Our story helps us relate to those who have similar stories to our own. Our experiences give us insight into the lives of others who are currently in situations we have already experienced. Our lives can be encouragements to those around us. But I continue to ask myself, "Could I currently reach the person I once was?" I saw a possible answer to that question a few weeks ago.

Our church recently tried to communicate the importance of our stories to those around us. In our worship services a few weeks ago people walked across the stage carrying cardboard signs. They carried this sign with a description of the person they had been. They stopped at the center of the stage and turned their sign around with a new description of who Jesus is helping them become. One of these people stood out to me and continues to impact me whenever I think about her.

A middle aged woman walks to the center of the stage holding a sign that says, "Teenage Stripper." When she flips to the other side the sign now reads, "Missionary to Strip Clubs." Once a stripper herself, she has become part of what is called the Bruised Reed Ministry. This ministry is a group of women who go to local strip clubs, take the women who work there meals, and build relationships with them. The impact that this woman can have on the young girls in these clubs is amazing to me.

It did remind me, however, that in order to make an impact on those who are where we have been we must go and find them. They do not come and knock on our doors. We have to knock on theirs. How do I find who I once was. How do you?

Hope in Hopelessness

2008-11-25T20:04:00.014-05:00

Where do you find hope in a hopeless situation?

Psalm 22:1-2 (NLT)
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief.

Psalm 22:6-8 (NLT)
But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
"Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much, let the LORD rescue him!"

Psalm 22:11-19 (NLT)
Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me. My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in! Like lions they open their jaws against me, roaring and tearing into their prey. My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing. O LORD, do not stay far away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!

The psalm of a person feeling abandoned by God, a person who is mocked and hated by everyone around them, a person who is in such despair that their body feels like it is being torn apart, a person who is so close to death that people are dividing the inheritance that will be left...a person with no hope.

However, in the midst of the turmoil of this psalm we find glimpses of hope. The glimpse of hope that stood out to me recently was found in verses 3-5:

Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

Right in the middle of suffering and despair the psalmist can find hope in the story of those who came before. The psalmist has heard the stories of the people who were delivered by God in the past and those people have passed their stories on throughout the generations. Those old stories have become a source of life for the psalmist who sees no hope in the current situation.

As the psalm continues it takes an amazing turn. God hears the cry of the psalmist who then promises to proclaim the deliverance of God to all who will hear. Now notice how the psalm ends:

Psalm 22:25-31
I will praise you in the great assembly. I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you. The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. The whole earth will acknowledge the LORD and return to him. All the families of the nations will bow down before him. For royal power belongs to the LORD. He rules all the nations. Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. Bow before him, all who are mortal, all whose lives will end as dust. Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done.

Do you see it? The psalmist found hope in the story of people who came before. Now the psalmist declares that those who follow will find hope in and follow God because of the story of deliverance that is now being told! What an amazing encouragement for us to tell our stories.

I've recently been thinking a lot about what role our individual stories play in the life of the worshiping community. The next few blogs will talk more about this and I hope this post will begin our thinking on this topic. I pray that we can find hope, comfort, encouragement, and strength in sharing our stories with one another. Our stories are a part of a larger story and they must be told so that others can "hear about everything He has done."

Who I Once Was

2008-11-22T21:43:00.002-05:00

I've been reading the introduction to a book I recently bought and the author is preparing to set out preaching in a world where preaching could seem irrelevant. But I have not gotten to that discussion yet and it is in the set-up for the book where the author poses a question that has been ringing in my head for the last two days.

"Could I now reach who I once was."

My story is full of twists and turns and I have changed a great deal as a person in the last 10 years. I am not the same person I was in the early 90's. As I read this statement I thought about going to my old apartment in Bloomington, IN and spending some time there. Would I be able to talk to and reach the person I was then. Could I talk to and make a difference in the lives of the people I spent time with back then?

What is your story? Have you been changed so much that you wonder what might happen if you tried to impact the person you were years ago? Do we live in such a Christian bubble that we cannot relate or carry on a conversation with the people Jesus is calling us to reach? What do I do about that now? How does this question influence the way I live out ministry in the years to come? I've been wondering for days and will probably wonder for days to come.

Ain't Nuttin But A Choir Thang Baby...

2008-11-19T14:24:00.003-05:00

Hat tip to Jason B for pointing me to this phenomenal video. I've heard church choirs are gangsta...but who knew...

Reflections on the Lord's Table

2008-10-03T06:10:00.002-05:00

Celebration of the Lord's Supper has become increasingly important to me and the lack of emphasis placed on this "means of grace" among evangelicals is concerning. Lately I have been thinking about the ritual and reflecting on the "Service of Word and Table" in the United Methodist Hymnal and this is my humble attempt at putting into words what I experience when remembering and taking part in the story of Jesus.

"Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him"

The confession dismantles our pride
Purifying the guilty
Uniting a community under a cloth of grace
"In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven."

Thanksgiving lifts our hearts
Praising the holy
Joining the heavenly company to the Church on earth
"Holy, holy, holy LORD, God of power and might"

The bread breaks in our mouths
Filling the hunger
Dissolving into tiny images of the larger piece
"This is my body, which is for you."

The wine flows through our lips
Refreshing the dry
Descending sweetness and cleansing become a part of us
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood."

The story infiltrates our lives
Reviving the body
Leading us to remember and do likewise
"Go forth in peace"

Amen

Eyes for the Day

2008-09-26T07:14:00.003-05:00

Let me see You today!

While I sit down to pray
While I read Your word
While I write in response
Let me see You today!

While I organize my day
While I ship packages
While I check messages
Let me see You today!

While I open boxes
While I organize books
While I sit at a computer
Let me see You today!

While I run a register
While I help a customer
While I count money
Let me see You today!

While I check my email
While I read and write Twitter
While I browse the blogosphere
Let me see You today!

While I talk to my wife
While I wrestle with my kids
While I have dinner with friends
Let me see You today!

While I read a book
While I write a paper
While I memorize words
Let me see You today!

God in all I do
Let me see You today!

The Renewed Mind...OH NO!!

2008-09-23T19:50:00.003-05:00

So if you haven't seen the "Renewed Mind" video by The Way International, then you haven't been around me lately. I watch it regularly when I am down because it makes me laugh...I'm not sure I'm laughing now...if we could just keep things like this out of the national spotlight, we'd be a lot better off I think.

Does Astonished Equal Changed?

2008-09-19T06:39:00.007-05:00

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

"the crowds were astonished at his sayings." Astonished - To fill with sudden wonder or amazement.

As I have been reading the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 with the Asbury community, I have been praying that God would use this scripture to transform me more and more into the likeness of Jesus. That I would not just read the words and fill my time with a ritual but instead that the image of God in me would slowly be revealed. So the passage above struck me today as I read it.

When Jesus taught, the crowds were astonished or amazed. They thought to themselves, "Man, that guy can preach! He did a really great job today!" But the question for me becomes, "They were astonished but were they changed?" The teachings of Jesus in the setting of the people were mind-blowing. He was speaking out against Rome, against religious zealotry, against the hypocrisy of the most pious people in the religious community, and he taught of a way of life that seems to go against everything we know of as the "right" or "most effective" way of living. His teachings WERE ASTONISHING.

But were the people on the mount that day changed? Did they leave and live in the way Jesus was teaching? The disciples don't seem to truly grasp the concept until Jesus actually leaves and the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost. You wonder if Peter still truly got it until after he went to visit Cornelius. Even then?

I am praying that I will be astonished by Jesus' teaching. It is radical! But I also pray that it won't be left there. That the grace of God through the Holy Spirit will lead me to life change so that I can live in this new and radical way.

God, change us and lead us in the way of Your Kingdom on earth. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Heart Abandoned!

2008-09-15T23:49:00.003-05:00

This song has been in my head all day.  Thought I would share.

The Stand - Hillsong

You stood before creation
Eternity within Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
Carried the Cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I'll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all

So I’ll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

The God of Time

2008-09-15T22:05:00.002-05:00

So I've been trying something new. (If you know me well, you know this is unusual.) My semester is going to be unbelievably crazy. I'm working full-time at the bookstore, taking nine hours (Greek, Psalms IBS, and NT Intro with Mulholland) and I have a wife and 3 boys that I would like to see as well, along with a few extra things as well. My time has to be well organized, planned down to the minute, no TV, breaks used efficiently, no time wasting!!

But in the midst of all this, I have been very intentional (and believe me, I have had to strongly remind myself when I wanted to get work done) to keep 24 hours of Sabbath beginning Saturday night and ending Sunday night as well as spending time in the Asbury Reader every morning. The times in the mornings have been amazing! It gets me ready for the coming day and I am meditating on the Word from the morning all day long! While I have feared taking a day away from work or study on Sundays, it has been a time of renewal and focus. It really does give me a better focus on loving God and loving the people around me when I do things differently on this special day. It sets my rhythm for the week and symbolically closes the previous week while focusing me on the week to come. The discipline has been an amazing change for me. I have felt less stress and have been able to focus completely on working hard 6 days knowing that the day of rest will come. A byproduct has been that I am more organized as well! WHO KNEW!?

God, thank You for the rhythm of Sabbath and for the chance to meditate on Your Word each day.

I Know Text Books Are Expensive BUT...

2008-09-12T20:29:00.006-05:00

So I work at the bookstore on the campus of a seminary. (trivial information but informs the upcoming story) I'm minding my business shelving books, helping customers when a man walks up to me and asks me if we have a certain book he is looking for. I know right where the book is and I go and get it for him. I hand him the book, he looks at the price tag on the back (wasn't one of the high priced text books), flips through some of the pages and then he looks back up at me.

Now remember I work at a bookstore...where we sell books...I get paid because we SELL books...this is NOT a library...the man is a seminary student...graduate school...

"I really only need to read about 10 pages out of this book. Do you have a copy machine here?"

crickets chirping as I stare at him...

"I'm sorry sir, we can't do that here."

he thinks for a few seconds...

"So I guess I can buy the book and return it tomorrow, right?"

my chin falls to the floor like a character in a Tom and Jerry cartoon...

"If that's your prerogative, but you didn't tell me that."

I know text books are hard on the budget but he just asked me to break copyright laws and then tells me he is going to use a book for free. Books that I sell to pay my bills. People will never stop amazing me.

Hunger

2008-09-10T06:42:00.002-05:00

Hunger consumes me
My thoughts dwell on it
Hunger effects my mood
My body responds physically
Hunger sets me on a search
My need must be satisfied

Hunger for God?
Hunger for righteousness?
Hunger for relationships?

Playground Ulcers

2008-09-07T20:43:00.004-05:00

While playing at the park with the boys today, I noticed a number of parents (alright, I'll just admit it, they were dads) with their very young and what looked like first child. They looked like the kids were made of glass and seemed to be getting ulcers while playing at the playground. After having 3 BOYS and realizing that they are going to climb, jump, fall, yell, and get unbelievably dirty, I try to enjoy my time at the playground by playing and not constantly running to catch a child who isn't falling. It made me laugh to realize that these stressed out parents were me only a few years ago. Now all I have to worry about is making sure my kids don't knock those kids down...

For an amazingly hilarious post on parenting, check out this woman's day at the beach.

Missing the Mist

2008-09-06T20:01:00.006-05:00

To live in the moment...

To eat good food and slowly chew while enjoying every juice that drips on your tongue. To sit and watch the sun go down while there are dishes to be done. To listen to 3 little boys laugh as you wrestle with them on the floor while the computer lies open with a half written paper on the screen. To sit and have a great conversation with the love of your life late into the night knowing that the alarm is going to come early.

To live in the moment...

I'm not good at living in the moment. I like to get to the next task, check something else off of my list, take the shortest distance between two points and make the best time possible. I love efficiency! Living in the moment is not efficient. It takes time. It requires patience and trust. Living in the moment is like observing sabbath and believing that honoring God with my time will lead to a better life. Trusting that 6 days of hard work is enough.

We are at a stage of our lives where living in the moment is even more difficult. At seminary, we are in a place where we are preparing for "somewhere else." It is incredibly easy to get caught up in thinking about the future, where we will go, what we will do, how we will get there. But in all of that thinking ahead we are missing what God is leading us to do today. Our lives are like a mist, a mist that I wouldn't notice if I didn't slow down long enough to stare at its beauty.

James 4:13-17
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain"; whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Live in the moment with me...

The Urgency of Need

2008-08-04T00:46:00.010-05:00

The past 24 hours Micah has been sick with a stomach virus of some kind creating all kinds of disgusting adventures with details I won't subject you to. At one point Isaiah even joined in on the fun and during the midst of it all I began to think of the importance of meeting immediate needs and how those needs influence the way we spend our time in thought and in deed. When the bodily fluids are flowing, I don't have time to think about the future and plan how I might reach a given goal. I must look after my child and tend to him before I can begin to think about the abstract.

Some of our friends have recently begun having their first children. One friend jokingly told Erin, "They tell you that this new baby is going to eat every 3 hours and that seems alright because 3 hour spurts of sleep are great. What they don't tell you is that the feeding takes 1/2 hour, you then have to wait for the mess and the diaper change, then get the baby back to sleep. It then takes you another 20-30 minutes to get back to sleep yourself leaving just 1 1/2 hours of sleep before starting all over again." (this isn't an exact quote but it gets at the idea) Erin and I laughed together and agreed about his assessment and I said, "Having a baby gives you a severe crash course in learning to live for someone other than yourself." Needs have to be met before you can think about anything else.

These events and conversations made me think about the things we argue and bicker about in the church. We can get so intent about being right about this way of thinking or that way of expressing a doctrine that we loose sight of what we should probably be doing. Don't misunderstand me, I truly value the importance of doctrine and reading the Bible in a way that leads us to truth. But we live in a culture that is not too concerned with meeting the needs of everyday living so we have the time to ponder and debate these types of things.

However, we live in a world of injustice where there are thousands upon thousands of people who are more concerned with where they are going to get their next meal, or how they are going to survive AIDS, or if they are going to have to sleep in the rain and these people don't care about those semantics we are fighting about. They want to know that someone is going to reach out to them and keep their child from starving tomorrow. They want to experience a community of believers who are going to live differently in a system that suppresses the weak and favors the privileged.

God, I thank you tonight for the subtle reminder that if we want the world to see You, we need to help remove as many obstacles and blinders of need that are in their way. We need to seek justice and love mercy as we walk with You in humility. Give us Your eyes and heart for the oppressed around us. Don't let us fool ourselves into thinking that this is a problem that is some distance away. Help us to see You in those marginalized people who cross our paths on a daily basis and lead us to reach out to them with a coat, or a cup of water, or a meal, or a roof. God, forgive our past complacencies and place in our mouths Your song of justice for the world.

8 Years...Really?

2008-07-31T19:41:00.008-05:00

This past Tuesday was the 8th anniversary of the best decision I have ever made. Erin and I were married on the 29th of July in the year 2000. Things have changed so much since then but it is hard to believe that my best friend and I have spent SO many years together. They have flown by and I wouldn't trade any of them. Erin, I love you more today than I did the day you walked down that blue aisle. I can't wait to see what the next eight years have in store.

This is a poem I wrote for Erin on her last birthday. If you don't know our story, you may not understand a lot of it but it means something to us so I'll share it. I love you Erin!

The Meaning of Words

Words For me - a tool for passing information from one to another
For you - love, communication, expression, poetry, soul-bearing - more than I can comprehend
Words are often spoken yet some are reminders of love...

"I'm not dating right now"
Frustrating, disheartening yet strong and wise
Just friends, no games, truly knowing the other
Waiting, waiting, waiting...well worth the wait

"What are you doing this weekend?"
Simple question loaded with meaning
A wedding...how fitting
Would you like to go visit Ruby?

"I'm going to have to move back to Canada in the spring"
The smell of roast beef all around and my stomach feels heavy
Panic, fear, sadness, desperation - excitement, exhilaration, assuredness
Roast beef is amazing!

"I do"
Pure beauty
Surrounded by people but just the two of us
Forever begins

"So do something about it"
The challenge to be more than I think possible
The constant search for the next adventure together
No excuses, just working toward a calling and supporting each other

"I would love to move to Kentucky"
Self-sacrifice in action
Support no matter where the path leads
Love shown with words, yes, but with life as well.

Picking Up Trash

2008-07-28T19:41:00.006-05:00

I walk to work everyday. I enjoy it. I listen to sermons or study Hebrew vocab. I enjoy the exercise and the fresh air, the peace of being alone with time to think. Part of my walk is through the front of a number of yards because the sidewalk doesn't extend out of Wilmore all the way to our neighborhood and a few weeks ago I noticed something. A piece of trash, more specifically a Taco Bell wrapper, had made its way onto my path. I glanced down at it and kept walking. After a few steps I decided that I would be a responsible citizen and lover of the environment so I turned around and went back to pick it up. It felt pretty good. Then something strange happened. After a little while later I noticed another piece of trash and then another. I picked up as much as I could and carried it the rest of the way to the bookstore and disposed of the wretched litter. I have since noticed that every time I walk to or from work, it seems that there is more trash than the time before. It seems that every trip I notice more and more trash. When I finally noticed the first piece it opened my eyes to the massive amounts of trash along the road between my house and my place of employment.

Since that seemingly meaningless observation that day, I have begun to notice other things. Small things that seem insignificant that have opened my eyes to much larger issues. I have recently noticed that I enjoy routine and repetition. My job at the bookstore is very similar from day to day, tedious, detail specific, repetitive kind of work that might drive many to the nut house. I, on the other hand, find it very soothing to know exactly what to do and how to do it over and over again. I find ways to be more efficient and productive and how to make fewer and fewer mistakes. However, his observation about myself has shown me something else as well. I don't like change in the routine. I get nervous, anxious, down right panicked. I don't like trying something new. It terrifies me. I began to wonder why...I asked those close to me about it and probed for some insight. The resounding answer...something like this...

"You're afraid you might fail."
"You're afraid you might look stupid."
"You don't like to make yourself vulnerable and put yourself out there."
"It's the same reason you won't blog."

OK, OK, I get it. I really don't like to give up too much of myself. I am very uncomfortable in situations where I need to share things about myself with those I don't know very well. This is why I haven't been a very consistent blogger. Too vulnerable. I have an unsubstantiated fear that I might do something stupid, that others might think less of me, if I let them see too much of me. Don't ask me why.

Example: I have been interested in getting involved in a reading group for Hebrew since the spring. I heard about one a few weeks ago and last week was the first week I was going to attend. I was excited. Looking forward to it...that is until the morning that it arrived. I dreaded going all morning long. On a number of occasions I tried to talk myself into not going. I determined to go and finally made it and was glad I did.

I have some issues to work out and I am hoping that writing on this blog will help me with some of those issues. I am going to attempt to put my thoughts out there for someone else to read, to disagree with, to comment on...oooo, scary...

So I keep walking to work, picking up the trash as I go...it's a routine now...

What Can Jesus Do For You?

2008-07-26T21:45:00.000-05:00

When did following Jesus shift from taking up a cross, expecting persecution, being a servant, and giving up your life to 12 things Jesus can do for you?

We are drowning in a culture of consumerism. What can Brown do for you is the motto for everything. If you don't get good service, complain and it will be fixed otherwise you go somewhere else. As the customer, I am always right. I deserve to be helped. What's in it for me?

I really don't believe people (me included) are trying to be selfish. In fact, if you were to try and point out to someone their self-centered nature they could probably give you a list of all the things they have done for others lately. (the fact that we keep those lists at the front of our minds probably says something about our attitude toward being servants) But we are surrounded by messages that tell us we deserve more; we deserve better. Car commercials show us the luxury car that will meet all of our comfort needs while raising our standing in society. Investment firms remind us of how much they can make our money grow so that we can afford the bigger and better. We build houses where everyone has their own room with their own space and their own entertainment so that we can get what we want when we want with no sacrifice or compromise. It is all about us and most of the time we don't even realize we are thinking it.

This leads to a dilemma for the church and for pastors of churches. Denominational leaders, church boards, congregational lay leader, as well as pastors themselves are driven by numbers. How many people are we getting into the building? How many people are being converted? Or would the better phrase be, "How many people are buying Jesus?" We don't talk to each other about it in these terms but we are really marketing and selling the Savior of the world. The One who created all that we see is now being sold like a product. The worst part...I don't think we realize we are doing it.

I have heard sermons lately, from people who I know love God and have a heart for seeing people know Jesus, presenting the gospel in a way that puts the emphasis on the benefits to us. This used to show itself in convincing people that heaven is great and hell is bad so you should get to know Jesus who can give you heaven and keep you out of hell. It seems to have transformed into a multi-step program about how Jesus can make our lives better.

If we are faithful, God will bless us. This approach rarely defines blessing in a very helpful way and it usually leaves open serious pain and questions when bad things happen to "good" people.
Do the "right" things and God will make you prosperous. But what about dedicated Jesus followers in third world countries who have nothing?
Follow Jesus and things will work out for you in the end. Our implication of "end" is generally not an eschatological one. It is usually pointed toward the end of this particular difficult circumstance in which I find myself.

I'm not just talking about "hard-core name-it-and-claim-it" preaching. We are hearing this in evangelical churches whose intentions are not bad. They may just be a little misdirected. We are selling people a Jesus who solves their problems and makes their lives more comfortable. I hope we aren't misrepresenting the message of our crucified LORD.

So here is the question. How do we redirect the tide? How do we begin to help each other see the blinders society has placed on us? In our cities there are churches on every street corner and if we begin to challenge the powers (dare I say idols?) of comfort, pleasure, and self-satisfaction people are going to begin to go to those other churches. How do we move people to a new way of thinking without moving them to another church that isn't challenging the comfort of our day?

God, give us undivided hearts directed toward you. Help us to get our eyes off of ourselves and onto Your mission for saving the world. Forgive us for our self-centered attitudes and grant us the grace to walk humbly, justly, and with the mercy You have shown to us.

More Than a Bassoon

2008-07-26T21:43:00.002-05:00

Does anyone out there like music? I don't mean like to listen to music while your checking your email, talking on the phone, cleaning the sink, and clipping your toenails. I'm talking about LISTENING to music. Listening for the intricacies of how the instruments work together. Listen to how they compliment each other and at times contrast each other in order to express something. Listen to how there are times when the music fades and gets so soft it is difficult to hear in order to set up the next crescendo that will blow your mind. Listen to the times notes aren't played in order to stress the importance of the ones that are. I mean LISTEN to music. I wonder what would happen if we listened to Beethoven's 9th but tuned out all instruments except the bassoon? What would that be like?

Why do we sometimes just listen to the bassoon of our Bibles? Why do we focus on a few pet passages and miss the grand symphony that is being played? We get a verse here and there from Paul and call it the gospel. Then we take "the gospels" and read them with that lens or as a batch of sayings from Jesus about how to live life. Then we work backwards from there to the quaint stories of the Old Testament that we treat as stand-alone stories to illustrate a moral. What an exercise in listening only to the bassoon. We have missed the symphony!

I have always been drawn to the Old Testament and the more I get into it the more it influences the way I read the New Testament. I am afraid we are missing so much in our churches because we don't have a clear picture of how the OT frames what the writers are doing in the NT. They are building on the salvific story of God for the world that the OT has been building and the climax comes in Jesus.

Matthew begins with a genealogy from Abraham to Jesus and makes it pretty clear that this Jew is a part of the story that comes before him. In order to understand him, you had better know his story.
Mark starts with a prophet in the vein of Elijah pointing back to the OT prophets and what they had been looking and longing for. What was that? What does it mean that John was a prophet like Elijah?
Luke begins in the Temple and this is important not to miss. Without the OT we don't know how the Temple influences what is going to happen in the life and ministry of Jesus.
John goes back to the beginning. God created and now He is creating again.

If we don't understand the beginnings in Genesis, the redemption and covenant in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, the monarchy and Temple in the "historical" books, and the promise of the new covenant in the prophets we are going to gravely miss the point of the gospels. We won't understand what is happening and will be only getting a small sliver of the greater symphony.

Paul is then a response to the gospel or good news of the life of Jesus. His writing isn't the gospel but the follow-up to the gospel. He is also influenced by the stories that have come before him and without that background we will read him incorrectly.

The point is this; we can't minimize the Old Testament to a collection of stories, rules, and sayings that stand independently from each other and the NT. It is all a part of the same story and plan and we must approach it to make that connection. We need to rejuvenate our OT studies and let it influence the way we read the NT. We need to soak in the entire symphony rather than settling for the partial pleasure of the bassoon. The bassoon player is good and you may enjoy his playing but he is going to agree that the whole orchestra will change you life.

The Forming of Me

2008-07-26T21:39:00.000-05:00

If you don't know me or more importantly, if you don't know the church where I grew up then this post is probably going to make little to no sense to you. I just wanted to share something I wrote that expresses the gratitude I have toward the community of people who impacted my life in the name of Jesus when I was growing up.

The Blue Grove

A sea of blue and smiling faces

Glad to be there enjoying life with friends, celebrating and growing together

Like distant relatives together again catching up on the past week

A welcome is heard and music begins

Piano, organ and voices raised with a southern flair and hearts engaged

Out of the blue, guitars appear and song after song is sung with requests for more

Gathering closely together, needs are made known

Knees and heads sink into blue

A slight rumble, louder now, a roar of praise and petition together, in unison, until softer again it fades away

A man stands in the front with a look of authority and something to say

Blue light around a cross shining behind him

Loud words are spoken amidst tears, laughs, shouts and Amens

Beginnings of faith, love, and hope

Gratefulness to those who loved, cared, and prayed

Where are they now? Where are they going? Do they know how much they have guided my journey?

So simple yet so influential...

Have I mentioned my favorite color is blue?

Come and Listen to a Story 'Bout a Man Named...

2008-07-26T20:36:00.002-05:00

In the beginning God... (Gen 1)

This is the list of the descendants of Adam...When Lamech had lived for one hundred and eighty-two years, he became the father of a son; he named him Noah... (Gen 5)

These are the descendants of Noah's sons...These are the descendants of Shem...When Terah had lived for seventy years, he became the father of Abram... (Gen 11)

This is the length of Abraham's life, one hundred and seventy-five years. Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah...These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham's son...The first came out red , all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau. Afterwards his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob... (Gen 25)

Jacob settled in the land where his father had lived as an alien, the land of Canaan. This is the story of the family of Jacob... (Gen 37)

Then Joseph said to his brothers, ""I am about to die; but God will surely come to you, and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." So Joseph made the Israelites swear, saying, "When God comes to you, you shall carry up my bones from here." And Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old; he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. (Gen 50.24-26)

Genealogies are not everyone's favorite sections of scripture to study in the Bible. In fact, most of us see the beginning of a genealogy and run our finger through that section of scripture until we see the "action" begin to take place again. Part of the reason we do this is because in the modern world we communicate history through events. When did the Revolutionary war begin? When was the Battle of Gettysburg? When did WWI and WWII begin and end? (do you also notice that our events seem to be centered around war?) We mark our time by major events. We order them chronologically and then go to the next major event to understand how we got to where we are today. This is modern history.

The ancient historians did not work this way. They were story tellers. They told history through the actions and lives of specific people. Please hear me clearly! Don't miss this! I am NOT saying that because ancient historians tell stories about people that the events did not really occur. I am NOT saying that these events are not true. I AM saying that they had a different way of approaching history.

The book of Genesis is completely structured around the lives of people and those genealogies that we like to avoid are major division markers throughout the book letting us know that the story (where we would use events) is about to change. You could argue that Genesis is still structured chronologically and has major events and I would agree. However, the story of the person is the driving force rather than specific events. When we study Martin Luther King or Martin Luther or Abraham Lincoln it is the events surrounding their lives and their place in that story that tend to take us to them. Not the other way around. The ancient historians start with the person and then move to events and significant happenings.

This becomes even more clear (and leads to some confusion for modern readers) in the books of Judges and 1 & 2 Kings. As modern readers we get confused with the jumping from one place to the next in what we perceive as no particular order. The "order" however lies in the stories of the people on which the author is focusing. Gideon, Sampson, Deborah (represent ladies!), Elijah, etc. Again, these people fall in an order that is somewhat chronological but to try and recreate a time line of events from these stories is difficult and it is not the author's purpose.

And that is the real point. What is the author's purpose? Most of ancient history is written to make a theological point rather than to record history for history's sake. The way the author tells the story, the order in which he places events, the numbers, the time frames, the events are all pointing to the theological truth that he wants the reader to understand. Understanding this way of reading Biblical history is crucial to understanding, teaching, and preaching in our churches. If we look at the history of the Bible through our modern historical mindset, we will miss the point of the ancient historical writer.

We mustn't get caught up in arguing with the people of modern culture about the historicity of the historical books of the Bible. The stories are true but are not recorded in a way the "enlightened" mind tries to define true history. Instead we should be pointing out the theological significance of the passages. What the author is communicating about God. How those truths change the way we live as the people of God. These are the things we must be teaching and preaching in our churches.

Genealogies may not be exhilarating reading but come and listen to a story about a man named...and hear what this story teaches us about the Creator.

Don't Miss It

2008-07-26T20:23:00.002-05:00

This is a post from a few months ago...

Have you ever run down a hill at top speed (in flip-flops) chasing a little plastic car carrying a small child squealing with excitement? Have you ever climbed on the roof of your house to retrieve not one but two frisbees while three small boys look at you like you are a superhero? Have you ever squirmed your way into a playhouse so that a 6 year old can send up "treasures" in a bucket tied to a string? I've done them all and I did them tonight.

I had been sitting in the kitchen checking my email, tired from a long day and ready to relax a little. The boys were playing outside and having a great time. Normally I would have kept sitting there until someone started screaming, bleeding, or both. Tonight, however, I heard a quiet voice say, "Don't miss this." I remembered that they aren't going to giggle and squeal in the yard for long and I didn't want to miss it!

This week has been a tutorial in noticing the small things. Those things that happen on a daily basis that, if you aren't paying attention, can go right by without you giving them a second glance. Those things that make you appreciate life and love and God. I needed this lesson. I am the master of focus. A one track mind in action. If I am in the zone and getting things done you had better hope that your hair doesn't catch on fire because I either won't notice or it won't be in my schedule to put it out.

But that is a shame isn't it? While I can be very productive, I also miss important conversations. Small moments in time that make a difference in my life and in the lives of others. I miss the beauty of God's creation as I blaze through it in route to my next mission. I miss learning from the people around me how to live and at times how not to live. I miss God's work in my life in the small things.

Through a conversation with a good friend at work, a couple of books I have been reading for class, a prayer that God would remind me of His work in my life on a daily basis, and through watching the lives of my boys I have been reminded that I don't want to miss those important MOMENTS that you can't get back.

So stop and chat for a minute with someone. Pause in the beautiful weather to smell the air, feel the breeze, or look at the stars. Stare at your spouse for a while and then have some great conversation. I'm going to strap on my flip-flops and get ready to run!

Philosophy Soccer

2007-06-26T21:22:00.000-05:00

If you know anything about philosophy and want to laugh out loud then go...

here

Enjoy...

Coach Weds 16-Year-Old Student

2007-06-25T11:03:00.000-05:00

Here is an article I received today...I wanted to get some feedback. There are questions at the end of the article to ponder.

Anguished Parents Sign Consent Forms, Saying They Had No Choice June 22, 2007

The Hagers are trying to figure out how life went off track for their teenage daughter, Windy. They envisioned that life for the good student and promising athlete would be filled with dreams of the prom and college, but that all changed this week when Windy, 16, married her high school track coach.

"She was a dream kid," said her mother, Betty Hager. "We'd never have to worry about Windy trying to get by with something." At South Brunswick High School in North Carolina, Windy's greatest passion was track and field. "She just always was outside, always running, and her name's Windy I guess she was predestined to do love to do that," Betty said.

But that passion led her down a troubling path. Special Attention From Coach During Windy's freshman year, her 38-year-old track coach, Brenton Wuchae, began taking a more active interest in her, offering to give the 14-year-old rides home from practice.

"He just seemed like a genuine guy, like he was there for the kids," said Windy's father, Dennis Hager. But the Hagers eventually grew uneasy. Their phone bills showed text messages between Wuchae and Windy as late as 2 a.m. They also discovered worrying e-mails. In one, Windy wrote to a friend, "I don't care to look at anyone other than him. He is the apple of my eye, I've never felt this way for someone, but I just don't want to lose him because of my parents' power trips."

The Hagers confronted Wuchae. "He assured me there was nothing like that going on, [and that] they were just friends. His intentions were purely appropriate," Dennis said. Not satisfied with that answer, the Hagers turned to the school district, which spoke to the coach. The principal of the high school wrote to the Hagers, "I have seen nothing but a cooperative attitude from the teacher, and to the best of my knowledge, he has not had any contact with Windy since then." "School officials can't be responsible for what happens the other hours of the day, and I would think the relationship developed much more outside of school," said Brian Shaw, an attorney for the school district.

The Hagers contacted police; they even tried to get a restraining order. "We've tried everybody. We've been to the law. We've been to the school board," Betty said. "Our family has come and tried to talk to her. We've had people on the phone with her for hours family, friends. We've been to our pastor asking for guidance. We've been to his pastor."

Meanwhile, the Hagers say Windy withdrew, refusing to speak to them until she asked them to sign a consent form so that she and her coach a man more than twice her age could get married. Although anguished, her weary parents gave in. "Signing those consent forms was the hardest thing I did in my whole life, but we had to move on, it was going to kill us all," Dennis said.

Monday, Windy and Wuchae married, and he resigned from the school. But was Windy really old enough to understand her decision? Experts say it's a difficult situation. "With most teenagers, they're not sure yet who's who and what's what and what should be done," said Henry Paul, author of the book "Is My Teenager OK?" "It's obviously up to the adult figure to set the boundaries." Windy and her new husband would not comment for this story, but the Hagers realize what they've lost. "She could have done anything," Betty said. "She could have set the world on fire. She threw it all away."

Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures

What would you have said had the parents come to you or if you had talked with the 16-year-old girl? Why?

To my ministry friends...what if you were one of the two pastors in this situation. What do you tell the parents if you are their pastor? How do you handle the situation if you are the coach's pastor?

I found this article and the implications for all of the parties involved interesting and wanted to get some comments...

Community and Creation: Lessons from a little town

2007-06-22T22:50:00.000-05:00

When I first moved to Wilmore, KY I was amazed at the fervor the townspeople had for keeping corporate America away from their small area. The only thing in Wilmore that might remind someone of the city is Subway. And many locals talk about it like they rue the day the devil's fast food infiltrated their pure neighborhood. Coming from an area where I could frequent all kinds of restraunts within minutes of my house I just didn't understand the resentment for the corporate giant. They made real food real fast. (or whatever Subway's slogan might be) I thought the people of Wimore needed to stop cloistering themselves from the outside world and embrace the Subway just as I had.

I think my position has changed somewhat in just the few months we have been here. There is something to be said for this quaint little town that time seems to have forgotten. The ability to walk through downtown with it's old buildings and be transported to another time when things were simpler. The locally owned businesses where the owner gets to know who you are and can have conversation with you while doing business. Being able to see pictures of Main Street when people rode horse and buggy and recognizing the town in which you currently live. It all has history and community that you can't create in a housing subdivision. There is something about it that seems right to someone who believes we should build up and encourage one another in community. Seeing people you know everytime you head "into town" has a comforting feel to it. It's a lot like family.

But there is something else about the way Wilmore has preserved itself over the years that I am finding even more valuable: it has not been overtaken by urban sprawl. I continue to find spots in my ventures around the Wilmore area that remind me of how beautiful God's creation can really be. I grew up in central Indiana where the scenery is best when the corn is high. While I do see the beauty in that corn there is so much of nature I am experiencing here. The rolling tree covered hills that change colors each season. The creeks and rivers that make glorious music while you sit quietly. The wooded areas to run through where birds perch and small creatures scrurry reminding me that what God created truly is good. There is so much to take in and I am finally beginning to notice. My eyes are being opened to the divine landscape all around me and it instills awe in The Creator.

So while I still enjoy eating the occasional Subway Club, thanks be to God for opening my eyes to the community and creation found in this little town.

Gettting Outside of Comfortable

2007-06-15T00:30:00.000-05:00

(Excerpt only - not full article)

Bob Shacochis rants on the importance of living abroad-

If you want to know a man, the proverb goes, travel with him. If you want to know yourself, travel alone. If you want to know your own home, your own country, go make a home in another country (not Canada, England, or most of Western Europe.) Stop at a crossroads where the light is surreal, nothing is familiar, the air smells like a nameless spice, and the vibes are just plain alien, and stay long enough to truly be there. Become an expatriate, a victim of self-inflicted exile for a year or two.

Sink into an otherness that reflects a reverse image of yourself, wherein lies your identity, or lack of one. Teach English in Japan, aquaculture in the South Pacific, accounting in Brazil. Join the Peace Corps, work in the oil fields of Saudi Arabia, set up a fishing camp on the beach of Uruguay, become a foreign correspondent, study architecture in Istanbul, sell cigarettes in China.

And here's the point: Amid the fun, the risk, the discomfort, the fog of miscommunication, the servants and thieves, the food, the disease, your new friends and enemies, you'll find out a few things you thought you knew but didn't.

You'll learn to engage the world, not fear it, or at least not to be paralyzed by your fear of it. You'll find out, to your surprise, how American you are -- 100-percent, and you can never be anything but -- and that is worth knowing. You'll discover that going native is self-deluding, a type of perversion. Whatever gender or race you are, you'll find out how much you are eternally hated and conditionally loved and thoroughly envied, based on the evidence of your passport.

You'll find out what you need to know to be an honest citizen of your own country, patriotic or not, partisan or nonpartisan, active or passive. And you'll understand in your survivor's heart that it's best not to worry too much about making the world better. Worry about not making it worse.

When you come back home, it's never quite all the way, and only your dog will recognize you.

(End of excerpt)

Erin found this excerpt a few days ago and I needed to post it to get some feedback. It fits in with some things I have been thinking about lately. Everything I read, watch and experience seems to keep reminding me how self absorbed we are. We need to think our way is right and our world is the most important. We think that what we are doing is crucial to everyone else's existence. We believe that our comfort and well being is the measure for how things are in the world.

I'm wondering what we think about this writing. Do we agree with the author that experiencing cultures different from our own will drastically change our persective? Do our perspectives need to be changed? Do we agree with the author's statement that we should be less worried about making the world better but instead worried more about not making it worse?

Over the next few posts I'm going to be working on some thoughts along these lines and would love feedback. Please let me know what you think and how you see our perspectives on the rest of the world and maybe we'll all spend some time in a foreign culture for a while because of our discussion...or maybe not...

A Milestone on THE WAY

2007-05-28T22:51:00.000-05:00

It's graduation time! Not for me but for those who have completed the requirements of the schooling in which they have been participating. Serving in youth ministry, I have gotten to celebrate and be a part of a number of graduations. There is always a sense of hope and looking to the future. There is celebration of past accomplishments combined with the excitement of looking forward to new adventures. There is joy over the completion and sadness over the potential loss of relationships. It is an amazing time.

Over the last few weeks I have also been reading about what the church of Jesus is supposed to look like. Something interesting struck me when I was reading about baptism. Baptism is supposed to be a time of celebration of a new believer's entrance into the family of God. It is a time where the community of believers can gather around someone or someones and invite them into the fellowship of Christ followers. We can rally around this new disciple and encourage them that they are not in this adventure alone. Whether or not we are accomplishing this task in the way we currently due baptism is beside the point for this discussion.

What this led me to think about was other dedication rituals that we often partake in as a body of believers. We dedicate babies and vow to help the parents raise the child in Christ honoring ways. Do we truly mean it? Do the parents truly want the community of believers around them to take part in raising this child? Again, this may be material for another discussion. What I did think about were ways that we as the body of Christ can use times like graduation to gather around a young believer and challenge them in their journey with Jesus.

I wonder if we take the time to publicly commission these young women and men to chase after the leading of Jesus in the next phase of their lives. We often stand them up and congratulate them and even give them gifts. But do we challenge them to boldly charge into the next phase of their lives with the desire to do God's will wherever He might lead them?
Could we be more intentional about mentoring these young people as they walk through this modern day rite of passage? Do we take them under our more experienced wings and guide them in how to find God's will? How many of us offer to truly help them along the upcoming path? We cannot let them transition to a new phase of life and expect them to know how to do it while following Christ on their own! We must gather around them and let them know they have a family who cares for them and will help them on their way.
The Bible tells about communities of believers commissioning new leaders by laying hands on them and praying for them. Are we taking the time to gather around graduates and pray for them?

Society has set up this time of year as a milestone in the lives of thousands of young people. As the church we need to use this milestone as a time for the family of God to encourage a young person on their way in Christ. Let's not just give these men and women token congratulations and gifts. Let's surround them with the love of Christ and help guide them on their new adventure on the Way!

Summer-Time

2007-05-24T22:05:00.000-05:00

So it's Thursday night. Last week was finals week and I have finished my first year here at Asbury Seminary. (I'm amazed at how excited I am about that. I keep checking for my grades online about every hour.) Track season ended on Saturday and this is my first full week without the chaos of school and coaching. I don't think I realized how crazy things had been until I took the time tonight to reflect a little while sitting here by myself in the "everyone else is in bed" quiet. I've had the chance to think again over the last few days.

Think about how special this time is that I have at home with my boys. They are so amazing and I don't want to rush through these early years without savoring the moments. Watching Isaiah stalk a bird sitting in our backyard. Enjoying Micah's expressive mood swings and adventuring with him as he learns to harness his STRONG emotions. Noticing how Elijah is no longer a baby or toddler but a full-fledged boy who looks after himself and carries on great conversation with me as he looks out for his little brothers. This is precious time that I won't get back. God help me to soak in every second.

Think about how I love my wife. Listening to her talk about her passion for teenagers and remembering again why we are so perfect for each other even in the tough times. Enjoying serious conversations about life and God one minute and then laughing like idiots at the funny sounds I make when I see how beautiful she is. Thank you God for the amazing love you have given me!

Think about time with good friends. Throwing some washers with Tom and Josh and talking about who knows what in our backyard. Sometimes challenging each other spiritually and sometimes just laughing at card games, 7 year old diets, disgusting stories about blankets or whatever else might happen to us that you aren't going to understand by reading this blog but are funny to us. I have been blessed with such challenging friends who mean so much to me.

Think about our amazing God. Even in my time here at seminary, it can be difficult just to slow down long enough to remember who it is that we serve and how unfathomable God is. I was struck by what God says to Peter, James and John in Mark 9 when they are on the mountain with Jesus. "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" I have been so busy lately that I haven't taken enough time to just stop and listen. Time to just bask in who Jesus is and how I can live more like him. How I can live by his agenda rather than my own. God, thank you for your presence and help me always to listen to you!

I have loved this last semester of classes and coaching but I have to admit, this change of pace was much needed and I am praising God for the things he is showing me during this little hiatus. I'm praying that I can continue to grow in him through the people he has placed around me. And I hope to share some of that this summer in these writings. We'll see...

Between the Word and Finanaces

2007-02-09T23:17:00.000-05:00

The idea of ministry as a vocation has started to become a bit of a strange idea to me lately. The idea that a pastor is supposed to be following God's leadership and preaching the Word of God to people on a weekly basis regardless of how much that Word could offend people, while at the same time being paid by the money that those same people bring as a offering seems to put a pastor in a very difficult place. If it is the pastor's role to be a truth teller and to give people a Word from God on a weekly basis then chances are that those words are not always going to tickle the ear of the listener. And let's be quite frank, people don't always like to hear things that challenge their lives of comfort. I'm not saying that pastors should always be beating up their congregations with their sermons but there are going to be times when the church needs to be given a little push to get back on the right track. We all need that push from time to time. But how easy is it to be the giver of that push when the people you are pushing are making decisions about the paycheck that supports your family?

Maybe the pastor isn't supposed to be the only truth teller and that is the job for the church as a whole to be doing for each other. That takes some pressure off the pastor but it still raises the question for me as to what the role of the pastor then becomes. Is is caretaker? Vision giver or leader? CEO? Administrator? All of these roles seem to me to be things that the Body we call the church should be doing collectively as a community. If the role of the pastor is spiritual director then why do we employ them full-time? Why don't we work the church in a more community fashion and pay some people part-time here and there for administrative duties?

I'm just wondering if the idea of "full-time pastor" is going to become a thing of the past. Why not organize a church as a body of believers challenging each other and caring for each other in a spirit of unity and love? Is this idea a pie-in-the-sky dream that can't happen? Does a group of people always need someone "in charge?" This is something I want to look into Biblically and practically in the next while and see where it takes me. It may not be too appealing to those of us who "work" for the church currently but it has been on my mind and I need to get at least a little resolution. Just thinking here. Anyone have any answers for me?