Submission

My brother wrote the following on his blog. (Yeah, he has a good idea every now and then.)

I read a great chapter in a 1961 book entitled, "The Theology of the Christian Mission". The chapter was written by Johannes Blauw, who I'm pretty sure was a Dutch guy. With reference to God's rejection of Saul as Israel's king, he notes,

"The declaration of Samuel (15:23) is important: 'For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.' Saul did not refuse to serve God (verse 20), but he did refuse to serve God in the way that the prophet of God had showed to him. Serving God in your own way is serving God for your own purposes, and that is the same as the original sin".

As someone who has "served God" vocationally in full-time roles for about 20 years, I was sharply rebuked by these words. It's one thing to choose to serve God, but HOW we serve God is another thing entirely. I've always had my own ideas on how I would serve God and when circumstances messed with my ideas I would and still do become angry. Why have I thought that I get to choose how I will serve God? Would any of the OT prophets have chosen to become fools for God if they had any say in the matter? (poor Ezekiel)

In one of his books Eugene Peterson talks about how God often puts us in places for what it will do to, or, for us. God often puts us in difficult circumstances to shape us into who he wants us to be. When we rebel against that we lose the opportunity to grow.

I think I just lightened the burden of Mr. Blauw's warning but I think it is true nonetheless. It is sin AND it causes us to miss out on something.

I Don't Remember Him Being So Good.

Caught the Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007 on PBS last week and the Jeff Beck set stood out.I watched more of the set, that they didn't show on tv via youtube, and I have to say it was sweet. I think he's gotten better with age. That is all.

How's Your Mandarin?

I saw on the news that Panama was going to start teaching Mandarin in their schools. Because of China's increasing economic importance they apparently felt it would give them and advantage. They are probably right.

One of the things that frustrates me in the US is the low view a lot of people have of higher education. It seems like a high percentage of people don't think it is that important or at least a waste of time. (I'll avoid my redneck rant for now.)

On the other hand, there is something about our culture that gives us the ability to use education creatively. I remember watching a television program on education around the world and they were comparing the US educational system with Japan's. They were interviewing a Japanese education expert who talked glowingly of what they had accomplished but then he added that they were still missing something they couldn't quite grasp. In spite of higher scores they still weren't winning Nobel Prizes whereas the US wins far more than their share.

I expect it to change though. I read somewhere that China will have more PhDs than the US in just a few years. They have an ambitious space program to give them focus. In short, they are laying a foundation to dominate the world in science and technology. Add to that the same going thing is going on in India and the shear numbers make it inevitable.

So how is your Mandarin? It might not be important for me but that might not be true for my kids. Their world will be very different.

Disappearing Advent

I'm not doing the Advent candles this year. I know this is a huge failure on my part. I appear to be thumbing my nose at tradition, ancient ritual, and, some would say, the Christ Child Himself. I'm supposed to like this stuff. After all, I recently abandoned our regular prayer meeting on Wednesday nights in favor of Lectio Divina and I can't get enough of it. It seems like Advent would be right up my alley.

The truth is Advent as never done much for me. Before I became a pastor I kind of thought it was a waste of time during the church service. I didn't get the warm, fuzzy feelings I was supposed to. The first few years after I became a pastor I had to rush to get it ready because it starts so soon after Thanksgiving it caught me off guard. Two years in a row we had to use candles from the previous year the first week because I forgot to pick up new ones.

I finally got on top of it and was well prepared for Advent but it still didn't move me. It just seemed to be one more thing packed in to an already busy season. It didn't seem to be doing much for anyone else either so I decided to drop it this year.

No one has asked about it yet so apparently no one else is missing it...yet. I'm sure someone will remember it or at least be reminded of it by a friend who goes to a "real" church that does things right. Then I'll get asked about it.

I may go back to it in the future. I just don't know. But for this year our Advent has disappeared. (Sorry, I can't help pointing out the irony.) At least the ritual has. I am glad He did really appear though.

Worship Wars

I don't think anyone would describe me as a touchy-feely kind of guy. Before Kim and I got married we took a bunch of personality tests and one dealt with how we viewed each other. Kim's results said she viewed me as a "cold fish." (How's that for a lot of confidence going into a marriage.) I'm just not wired that way.

There are things that move me though. The big two are dramatic endings and music. These are things that cause me to notice that growing lump in my throat, the quivering lip, and even tears. They take me beyond where I am and give me hope for the future. They make me realize that those little annoyances are really no big deal.

Dramatic ending can be in the form of the conclusion to a sporting event, the end of a movie, or finally holding my child after spending the last twenty minutes at my wife's side while she had a c-section. Whether the result is elation or heartbreak the dramatic ending moves me.

Music does too and that's what brings me to worship. At this point in time I'm tired of the worship wars. What is worship? What is not worship? I read people criticizing the focus on communal worship that usually takes place on Sunday mornings for most of us. I read people criticizing the theological content of the lyrics. Some criticize how worship is lead in churches. Or should I say prompted? My brother wrote a piece about worship that focuses on God's transcendence versus His immanence. I'm still not exactly sure what he was talking about.

In the end I want to be moved when I worship. That's when I feel like I am truly worshiping the Lord of Lords. I'm not theologically explaining my love for Him, I'm simply sharing my heart with Him. I really don't care what the specific elements of the music are teaching me or anyone else who is present. I want it to be about what I can give rather than what I can receive.

I know there is a time and a place for discussing and debating worship. But right now I'm tired of it. Right now I just want to say "thanks for the joy you've given me, I want You to know I believe in Your song, rhythm and rhyme and harmony, has helped me along, making me strong, so give me the beat, and free my soul.

Leaving It Late

Well, it is November 24th, 35 degrees, and I just finished mowing the lawn. It was COOOOOOLLLLLDDDD out there. This is one of the latest lawn mowing dates for me in a long, long time and I hope I don't have to do that again for awhile.

I mowed a few weeks ago thinking that was the last time for the year. Then I watched as the grass became uncomfortably long due some mild weather. For about a week I kept debating whether I needed to mow again or not. It wasn't too long but I kept thinking about how much better it would look if I mowed. The yard had also caught quite a few leaves which is always a little frustrating since I don't have any trees. Then we got quite a bit of rain so it looked like I was going to have to let it go.

Today I looked out not very satisfied with the way it looked. It has been dry for the last few days so I decided to go for it. I even bagged the clippings and now I have a very satisfied feeling as I look out at my lawn. Not only that but the short grass doesn't catch leaves as easily so most of them just blow on by.

My dad used to like to paint because he could see the results of his labor. That isn't something that is always case for a pastor. I hate to paint but I think I understand what he was talking about as I look at the lawn.

A Movie That Matters

Kim and I went and saw the movie Bella the other night. I complained about it being a chick-flick just in case I hated it. I didn't. I thought it was great.

Kim cried through practically the whole thing. My story is that I never cried and I'm sticking to it. It's a movie that is easy to get wrapped up in and that makes it tug on the emotions.

I thought they did a great job dealing with some painful topics. I even ended up with a sense of understanding for a character that I didn't really like too much. Kim and I left debating the meaning of a few scenes where the viewer isn't sure what really happened or that were intentionally misleading. I suppose that's what the writers wanted. I think Kim had better instincts about those scenes.

In the end I left the theater wanting to live life no matter how painful it could get. It also made me painfully aware of how little I know about the stories of the people around me.

Self-Made Man

I read a story about Tom White in the Boston Globe. White has been a very successful business man but his distinguishing feature is that he has given nearly all his wealth away. The article tells about a building being named after him in Haiti and how he really didn't care for that. He associated it with all those stories we read about self-made men who have accomplished great things on their own.

White doesn't think there is such a thing as a self-made man. Everyone has been helped along the way so a man's rewards are never his alone. In a sense, when he gives his money away it actually represents a lot of people who have helped along the way so a building named for just one man doesn't seem appropriate.

It was refreshing to read that because we seem to hold the idea of a self-made man in high regard. If we really believe in it we could be in danger of not getting anywhere because we refuse the help of others. I think it is only when we realize that we need others that we begin to reach our potential.

I also think the same is true in a spiritual sense. We need each other if we are going to grow spiritually and refusing to acknowledge that stunts our growth. We also tend to look up the chain-of-command for help and often overlook real value right under our noses. I need to be just as open to God working through the kids in the pre-school Sunday School class as I am those spiritual giants in my life.

Daddy's Little Girl

About an hour ago the Space Shuttle Discovery was hurtling across the Pacific at break neck speed heading for the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I spent my lunch time tracking the flight as it raced on across the US and descended towards the runway on the NASA Channel. You couldn't see anything when they switched to the shot of the sky but slowly the shuttle came into view.

Shortly after it came into view Commander Pam Melroy took control of the shuttle to maneuver it for landing. At this point in the flight the shuttle is basically a very heavy glider so she had only one shot to get it right. I watched as she maneuvered the massive shuttle around the "heading alignment circle" to line up the shuttle on runway 33. They say the shuttle lands ten times as fast and has a descent angle seven times as steep as a commercial airliner. (Maybe those numbers are reversed. I'm not sure.) Commander Melroy performed flawlessly and nailed the landing with the main gear touching down at 1:01:18.

I joked with Kim that they were probably supposed to touch down at 1:00 P.M. so she was actually a little over a minute late. Kim didn't think that was too bad for a flight that lasted 15 days. I also noticed they have to wait a long time to deplane, just like the airlines.

The whole time I was watching this I was wondering what Commander Melroy's dad must be thinking. I imagine he must be nervous and proud. I know it might be sexist but as a father of three sons and one daughter I worry a little more about my daughter. I'm a little more protective of her and I wondered what it would be like if she was ever commanding something like a space shuttle.

I wonder if there comes a point when you quit worrying because they've proven they can handle themselves just fine on their own. This was Commander Melroy's third time piloting a shuttle and I suppose one would think that if you can do that you can probably handle just about anything. But I just can't help but think that there is a dad somewhere that still thinks of Commander Melroy as daddy's little girl.

My Pleasure

Looking for a game to play next time you go out? Go order a meal at Chick-fil-a and see how many times you can get the staff to say "my pleasure." They have a policy (at least the franchise closest to us does) that staff respond that way any time a customer says thank you. So ask a lot of questions, say thank you a lot, and see what kind of total you can rack up.

The atmosphere created by their courtesy is great. Kim and I enjoy just sitting there counting how many times they say it. (Our dates are really boring.) I have to believe they develop a habit that stays with them when they leave work. Their families probably get tired of it.

The strange thing about it is you tend to relax in that kind of environment. I wonder how much rudeness contributes to our stress. I think when we are in an hostile environment we tend to spend a lot of energy being on guard. Our world could use a lot more politeness,

Resting In Him

We practice Lectio Divina on Wednesday evenings and the last two weeks have been emotionally hard for me. Both times it ended well though.

This week I was meditating on the passage where Jesus is explaining why he uses parables in Matthew 13. He refers to the prophet Isaiah: 'You will listen carefully yet will never understand,you will look closely yet will never comprehend. For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' I was struck by the fear that this could easily be me. I may think I'm listening carefully and yet not understand. Could my eyes be closed without me knowing it?

This consumed my prayer time which I ended with the fervent hope that this was not me or at least I would be made aware of it if it was. I can't say that there was any real sense of peace after the prayer though perhaps things were a bit brighter.

Then came my favorite part which is resting in Him. I don't usually read the instructions for the other steps outlined in the program because they are the same every week. But I always read the last. It starts, "Finally we rest in the presence of the One who has used His word as a means of inviting us to accept His transforming embrace." It literally sent chills down my spine and it was almost as if I could feel His embrace. Somehow that seemed to soothe the fears and doubts I had earlier.

Missing the Missional Meaning

Missional is a buzz word I'm trying not to misuse. I'm afraid that's something we do a lot of in church circles. We especially like words that are not easy to define because we can then use them and attach our own definitions to them. I have a love/hate relationship with missional but even that is probably due to definitions.

On the one hand, I believe that being missional is an all or nothing proposition. I cringe when people say they're missional and point out some program they are involved with to prove the point. They see being missional as just one aspect of being a Christ follower among many. They don't see it as an overriding objective covering all aspects of the Christian life.

On the other hand, I don't like the seemingly lack of emphasis on aspects like worship. "Worship is okay as long as it is supporting the cause of the mission." That seems to reduce our worship of All Mighty God to almost an afterthought. God is great and we ought not to forget it.

Maybe I make it too complicated. Maybe aspects like worship weren't meant to be analyzed like that and are supposed to become instinctive, like breathing. Or maybe I need to view it like I would going on a mission to the post office. Walking down there is of vital importance to the mission but I don't think about the walking, I just do it. I only think of it when it becomes a hindrance to the mission. If there was a stone in my shoe I would stop and take it out before continuing on. I'm still on mission but at that point in time my focus would be getting the stone out.

Perhaps I get too frustrated with my humanness. Last week we reformatted our Wednesday night prayer meeting. I use Lectio Divina for a self-guided time of spiritual formation. (Maybe I should say Spirit-guided.) It hasn't caught on with too many people yet. Some people love it but I think it has to grow on others. It actually requires discipline for them until it become natural like breathing. I must confess at times it is more of a discipline than a joy for me too.

I suppose that's the way it is with me. I have a idealistic view of what a missional church, and missional people, should be. When we don't live up to that I get frustrated because it seems we aren't spiritual enough.

Enough rambling for now. The road gets bumpy at times but we are still traveling.

Starting the Brainwashing Early

I went to my daughters 4th grade Open House at school last night. They sang a song entitled "A little Hoosier I am Proud to Be" or something to that affect. They then backed that up with a poem about Hoosierland that contained a line about the Wabash river winding through paradise.

I've seen the Wabash winding through something but the word paradise never crossed my mind. I began to wonder if Indiana was experiencing a massive outflow of young people and if this was a state sponsored attempt to get the kids to stay. I suppose if you tell them enough times that this is paradise a certain percentage is bound to believe it. Even more worrisome, my daughter didn't seem to doubt it for a minute. Where have we gone wrong.

I suppose in the end (or maybe I should say the beginning) this whole earth was God's creation, including this little slice here. Maybe I should hold back on what I think of it just a bit. Maybe it isn't so bad after all.

I kind of felt bad when Dan had a musician from Nashville give a concert at his church. The guy was originally from Illinois and he kept remarking about how beautiful the bean field behind me looked. I thought I must have missed something so I turned around to have a second look myself. Lo and behold, it looked just like.... a bean field. Apparently when you grow up around this neck of the woods you develop an attachment to it. I wonder if he sang songs about bean field paradise when he was a kid.

I can't say I really get it but I do think I should try to appreciate it more. I have a strong feeling that God has led me to this little corner of the world so in that sense I suppose it is my promised land. At least for now.

I think I'll go take a walk in paradise and see what I can see. I sure hope the meat locker isn't making jerky today. It would be nice if it smelled like paradise too.

Jesus in a Boat

I baptized three people yesterday in a pond. I checked the weather at the beginning of the week and they said Sunday would be perfect. That was enough to convince me that it would probably rain. It rained all week but the forecast for Sunday stayed the same. Lo and behold, the forecast was right. It was sunny and in the low 80's.

I waded out into the pond and turned around. We had a good sized crowd and I asked them to come down closer to the water. The pond had a very gentle slope to it so by the time I got waist deep I was a good way out from shore. It was beautiful looking back across the water to friends and family on the beach waiting expectantly. The water temperature was perfect and the acoustics were great so I didn't have to yell. (The pond has high banks around three sides so I think that's why the acoustics were good.) I just felt very much at peace.

After the baptismal service was over I just stood there enjoying the water while people drifted away. I was tempted to go for a swim but didn't. I eventually followed the crowd up to eat and enjoy the rest of the day. But one thought kept running through my mind.

I wanted to invite everyone back next week for our worship service right there at the pond. I could lead from the floating raft in the middle. It reminded me of Jesus preaching to crowds from a boat. I'm not saying I can preach like Jesus or anything but I got to thinking that there may be more to it. I couldn't get over the sense of peace that came from being near the water. There is also something about people watching from the shoreline. At church I never get the idea that anyone wants to come up on the platform and join me. But at the pond it seemed like a good number wanted to jump in too. Their expectancy or yearning or whatever it was felt good.

I think I'm going to start a new church called "Church at the Pond." I just don't know what I'm going to do in the winter though.

Buzzing Guitar

With all the rain we've had in the last week the humidity has shot through the roof. That means m guitar is starting to buzz. Guitars are sensitive to weather and I don't take very good care of my guitar in that regard. I'll have to readjust the truss rod again which I don't like to do because it takes a few days for everything to settle down and be stable again.

I'm not an expert by any means but I think I would rather have the humidity than having my guitar dry out. My guitar is one of the cheapest solid tops Alvarez was making at the time so I kind of expected it to be less sensitive to weather and I think it is. I've seen dried out guitars and it is not pretty. I think Taylor Guitars had a video on their website demonstrating how to restore a dried out guitar and it was pretty graphic. I would hate to have my guitar go through that.

Humidity has done more damage to my guitar but it has been nothing major. I had a brace come unglued once and the neck moves around a bit as I've already mentioned. Those are things I think I can handle.

Maybe, if I had a nicer guitar I would take better care of it. I might even pay more attention to climate control. At the very least you can buy sound hole products that help control the humidity levels inside the body. But my friend Dan has a pretty sweet Yairi and he probably doesn't do anything with his guitar either. I'm pretty sure that if he doesn't do anything neither would I.

I have my eye on a Martin for my next guitar (I love the tone) but maybe I should go with an Ovation. Sometimes there is nothing quite like technology to overcome nature. In the end I'll probably stick with what I've got. They say guitars get better with age so maybe I should just be patient. I should also quit thinking a better guitar would make my playing sound better. As much as I hate to admit it the real weak spot in my music is not the guitar. It's the guy that plays it and he definitely doesn't seem to be getting better with age.

Human Rights And Democracy

I've been following the presidential and parliamentary elections held on August 11 in Sierra Leone. They are almost done counting the vote now and there will be a runoff as no candidate has reached the 55% level to avoid one. So far it seems to have gone remarkably well.

It appears that there was high voter turnout and very little violence. There have been reports of some intimidation and ballot stuffing but very little compared to the recent elections in Nigeria and in Sierra Leone's past. I am sure that whoever ends up losing will claim massive fraud, but so far the process seems to have been largely free and fair.

There are a few wrinkles in this election. The ruling party suffered a split a little bit over a year ago and the runaway faction appears to have taken a significant slice of the ruling party's voter base. This has landed the ruling party in second place, behind the main opposition, in the national election. Additionally, the new party has crossed tribal lines and already thrown its support behind the opposition for the runoff. The question now is whether the party faithful will follow their leaders across those lines or scurry back to the party of their fathers. It makes for a very interesting story but it also raises the possibility of violence.

Only in stable democracies do you see a ruling party give up power peacefully. Should Sierra Leone's ruling party lose the runoff it will be a good test of the country's democratic development since the end of the war. Of course, many would say that the ruling party will never allow themselves to lose the runoff and will tamper with the process before it even gets that far.

Distrust is a major factor in Sierra Leone politics. Many believe that it is impossible to find clean hands on any side in politics and that this exercise is nothing more than a game that has been played out to keep the western democratic countries happy. After decades of going backwards at the hands of both parties how can anyone think that suddenly there will be an improvement?

Western countries are fond of saying that everyone should have a right to choose their leaders. But we also say that everyone should have a right to food, shelter, a job, health care, etc. But which should get priority. I imagine that many would argue that in a country with Sierra Leone's democratic history it is impossible for the average Sierra Leonean to have all these rights at the same time. It seems that having the right to choose the leaders almost guarantees they won't get the rest. That is what history seems to tell us at least.

I am by no means advocating that they do away with elections. History has also proven that they will not get those basic needs met without democracy either. I'm just saying that we tend to think that as long as a country has democratic elections everything will be okay. It just doesn't work like that.

I don't have an answer. Sierra Leoneans themselves will give you an answer but it will only be a guess. Debating the issue is a national past time they engage in when and wherever two or three Sierra Leoneans are gathered. But real solutions seem far away. I pray with all my heart that somehow they start heading down the right track. A beautiful people and a beautiful country deserve that much at least.

Greener Grass

Gun fire shattered the morning rustle our sleepy little village. It was louder than the AK-47s we were used to hearing and the silence that followed let you know that everyone was worried. There had been rumors that the rebels were heading our way and we could hear the fighting in the distance. I thought of my wife with our kids back at our house knowing she was probably terrified.

A friend and I edged our way out of the police station where we had been and crept along the outside wall hoping to find a clear path toward home. We got to the corner and peered toward the town center half expecting to see a group of rebels taking over the town. Instead we found a newly mounted, and obviously tested, .50 caliber machine gun in front of the makeshift army post. With a sigh of relief we headed home to let everyone know everything was okay.

This happened when we were missionaries in Africa. But here is the point. Every time I write about it it seems more dramatic than it actually was. Yeah, my heart did a few flips at first but it just wasn't as dramatic as it sounds.

I think I kind of get that same thing when I think about my ideal church community. I often dream of being involved with a group of people who love God and love each other. They won't be perfect people. I have no illusions of that. They will fight from time to time but they will get back together again. They will disappoint me and I'll disappoint them but it will be okay. We will deal with each other's frailties. We will have different points of view on issues yet still come together as a body. We may even dislike each other for long periods of time but we'll work on it.

The funny thing is that I all ready have all that. Why is it that I always dream of something else. I could see it if my dream was a perfect community but I wouldn't want that anyway.

I think the reason I feel that way is that our community has so many ordinary moments. It just isn't exciting all the time. For some reason I expect my dream to be so much more fun. Peterson talks about how difficult it can be to be a follower of Christ in the ordinary, everyday moments of life. I think that is what I find in my community. I just have to realize that my dream community is just never going to be as exciting as my imagination makes it out to be and what I have is pretty good.

Waiting For Sex

As a pastor, every now and then I get someone asking me in all seriousness why they should wait before having sex. These aren't people looking for scripture that condemns premarital sex as much as they are looking for a good reason why other than "Because the Bible says so."

For me the clue is found in the bond that we see in Genesis 2:24. This verse talks about a man leaving his father and mother and becoming one with his wife. I think this describes what happens with sex and I think it is good advice for Christians and non-Christians alike.

We bond to some degree with every person we encounter. Most of those bonds are extremely shallow like the nod of acknowledgment to the guy in the next checkout lane with the same University of Michigan hat you have. As you part ways with that individual that bond is broken but it is so shallow it doesn't hurt. We make and break these bonds all the time.

The more intimate we know a person the stronger the bond becomes. Eventually we move on from head nods and talking about the weather to sharing things that leave us more vulnerable. If this bond is broken there is more pain because it was a stronger bond and it will take longer to heal and may even leave a scar. These bonds happen less frequently and yet they still cause us a lot of heart ache.

Some people are lucky enough to find a soul mate. This is a person that we are willing to become the most vulnerable with. We share our deepest darkest secrets as well as our wildest dreams. We even become so close that we attempt an act that is pleasurable and yet leaves us horrifyingly vulnerable. An incredibly strong bond is formed.

But here is the word of caution. Breaking such a strong bond causes extreme injury. That injury will take a long time to heal and the permanent scars it leaves will affect you the rest of your life. Don't allow yourself to be bonded like that unless you are both ready to commit to the relationship permanently. Get married.

Unfortunately too many people believe that you can have casual sex. There is nothing casual about sex. No matter how hard you try to convince yourself that it is just an act you are creating a strong bond. A bond that will do damage if it is broken.

Bonds with other humans are a mysterious and part of being a human. They are at the same time wonderful and terrifying. We all know people who are so guarded about the bonds they form they won't let anyone get close to them. That's a shame but it is also a testament to the damage broken bonds can do. All the more reason to be very careful about one of the strongest bonds a human can make.

A Real Chick Flick

I took Kim to a real chick flick this afternoon. This was not one of those movies where a bunch of women drag their significant others to the theater and force them to watch it with them. This was a movie that only women go see.....plus me and the three other guys in the room. I'm quite sure I saw two of those guys pulled by a nose ring.

The movie was "Being Jane" about Jane Austin and I have to admit I actually wanted to see it. I thought they could have spent more time developing Jane's character as I thought what they did do in that regard was the best part of the film. The story is a bit too predictable but I suppose there is not much that can be done about that.

Overall I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed it and have no regrets spending the time and money to see it. But as I left the theater I kept thinking of things I wish they would have done that would have made it better. That's a sure sign that it falls short of stratospheric hit in my world.

Seeking Shelter

I love my kids. They're great and I have to admit that I try to act a lot less sentimental about them than I really am. The fact is if one of them goes away for a sleep over at a friends house I notice it and I don't like it at all. There is something about us all being together that makes everything seem right with the world.

Of course Kim and I need breaks from them every now and then and this usually takes the form of a Friday night date. It's good to get away for a few hours and know that they aren't going to pop up at any moment with a major problem that needs fixing. It's also nice to get away from the noise that kids generate so easily.

But here is the problem. Other people apparently have enough money to take their kids with them on their dates. And they usually end up sitting next to me. Arrghh. I hate feeling like an ogre but all I'm asking for is a little break from the screaming and crying.

Kim and I now automatically head for the bar when we go to a restaurant. In our state no one under 21 is allowed in the bar section so that's where we go to find sanctuary. We also live in an area that prohibits smoking almost everywhere so we don't have to put up with smoke either.

I have friends and relatives who would be appalled that we would actually enter the bar area. They'll just have to get over it. I need my break.

In The Name Of Ministry

"Ministry" is a word that gets thrown around all the time in the Christian world. There are so many definitions for it I wouldn't even know where to start. It is starting to irritate me though.

It seems that somewhere along the line ministry got separated from servanthood. In other words, it is apparently possible to "do ministry" without being a servant and I think that is perverse.

The event that pushed me over the edge on this involved someone "in ministry" who was asked to do something for the organization they were ministering to that was beyond the scope of their defined ministry. The result was a hissy fit and a pity party about how bad they were being treated when they were trying to do something good.

It wasn't like they were being taken advantage of either. It was a simply an "all hands on deck" type of emergency and they were asked to pitch in. But somehow the fact that they were doing ministry gave them a sense of entitlement to a free pass from being a servant. People like this embarrass me.

There is a scene in the movie Amazing Grace where the actor playing John Newton is mopping the floor of a church. You get the sense that he is so overcome by what Christ did for him ("saving a wretch like me")that he sees no task too menial for him. I suppose some would look at it as penance but for me it is an indication of a humble heart. I think it does my soul good to do those kinds of tasks too. It reminds me of the servant nature of Christ.

I think we should ban the word ministry from our vocabulary and replace it with service or servanthood. Maybe that will clear up any confusion regarding entitlement. Maybe we have damaged the definition of ministry beyond recognition and, for that matter, beyond redemption.

Churches Working Together

Last night our worship team was fooling around before practice and ran through the U2 classic "One". The most popular story is that it was written when the band was going through a rough patch and they wrote this song which brought renewed focus to their tour and relationships. (Or something like that) However, the background has always seemed a bit ambiguous and some have even claimed that the band has intentionally fueled that ambiguity to help the song gain wider appeal. So here's my theory.

A pastor was reflecting on the relationship his church had with the other churches in the community and ended up writing this song. The band happened to run across the lyrics and the rest is history. Okay, so that really didn't happen but if you read the lyrics and are familiar with a lot of inter-church relationships you could easily be convinced that it did.

I find this part of my job as pastor to be the most discouraging. That doesn't mean that we don't do a lot of great things together but it just bothers me when it is so easy for sin to pop up in a place where you should least expect it. The two big culprits in my book are pride and gossip.

I pray that I will always be humble and honest when I work with other churches in our community. We seriously need to "carry each other" rather than "hurt each other."

Tom the PSate

No, it isn't a bad spelling of some cuss word or other derogatory phrase. It happens to be the result of my APEST test and I have to say I have mixed emotions about it. The actual results are: Prophetic 25, Shepherd 19, Apostolic 15, teaching 12, Evangelism 7. According to the results my primary ministry leadership styles are prophetic and shepherd. the other three are secondary with evangelistic being a distant last.

Here's the same thing as a graph.



My mixed emotion comes from the surprise I had with prophetic coming in first. I figured the shepherd would be there and I knew that evangelism would be last. I think the surprise had more to do with definitions.

I have always accepted the definition of a prophet as one who foretells the future and calls people to repentance. I never worried too much about the former since most of prophecy in the Bible isn't of that kind anyway and I've thought of myself as very good at the latter. In fact I kind of stink at it.

The assessment that gets printed with the results kind of leads in another direction. Among the characteristics it lists for a prophetic leader are things like: Questions what has become normative, Disturbs common thinking and practices, agitates for positive change, Comfortable dismantling for future victory. I'm not sure I'm always positive or good at these but I do feel at home with them.

The key to this information is to understand it in terms of my leadership but also to make sure I surround myself with people who have other strengths, especially an evangelist or two.

Final thoughts:

1. One more assessment to add to the mountain of assessments I've taken.
2. If you have an idea that you want me to shoot down just let me know.
3. Books by Hirsch and Frost are pretty good.
4. Worth the $10 but can't some rich guy pay them so they can offer it free?

Politically Correct or Loathsome Indifference

A strange thing happened on Wednesday. I was making my normal rounds around the net checking in on the days news. It just so happens that I go CNN's headlines first to see if there is anything of interest and then move on to the BBC to see what they have going. I was surprised on Wednesday to see a headline on the BBC regarding a US mob death. I hadn't seen anything on CNN so I figured something must have happened somewhere else in the world. I was surprised then to find that the incident occurred just outside of Austin, Texas.

Apparently a man was driving his car through a parking lot that had a summer festival going on nearby. He hit a girl and knocked her to the ground. His passenger got out to check on her (minor injuries) and was set upon by a mob (accounts say from 2 to 20 people, if that counts for a mob.) He was left lying on the ground and was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later.

I kept checking CNN figuring they would have a more complete report and was surprised when it didn't show up until much later in the day. It also disappeared rather quickly while the BBC has done a follow up story. On top of that it seems that very few people that I talked to in the days since had even heard about it so it must not have been very prominent in other media either.

Some have accused the media of not wanting to report the story because the festival happened to be the Juneteenth festival which marks the freeing of the American slaves. Apparently the "mob" was black while the victim was Hispanic though police have said that race was not a factor.

Today I'm left wondering what really happened. Either the media didn't give this much coverage for politically correct reasons or our society has reached a point where a mob beating a person to death isn't that big of a deal. Either way I'm appalled and feel sad for the victim's family. I wish I could tell them that I took note of their loss and I'm praying for them.

Artisanal Church

Bill McKibben wrote an article in the current issue of Books & Culture on French Bread. He describes the movement of bread making from small bakers to industrial giants and states that beer would be the US equivalent.

We went from hundreds of artisanal brewers to just a few dozen giant producers. This resulted in a uniform, hygienic and cheaper product. But many connoisseurs would claim that a lot of flavor was lost in the process. Not being a beer drinker myself I'll have to take their word for it but I have noticed the rise of the micro-breweries in the last decade or two. In fact I regularly hear advertisements on the radio for a local brand called WarBird.

It seems like most conferences I go to on church are conscious of this loss of flavor in church terms too. They are quick to tell you that it is the principles and not the programs that make a church successful. They say you have to adapt it to your own context. They say that but I often wonder how much they really mean it.

I think I like the concept of an artisanal church. It evokes in me visions of great care in selecting and mixing of the ingredients. I see a mix of not only science but also art in the craft. I imagine a loving connection between the craftsmen and the product, so much so that authenticity is the bottom line rather than profit. It reminds me of similar thoughts brought to mind after reading Wendell Berry about working the ground as a farmer.

I suppose there is a lot to be said for the product produced by those industrial giants. I know there are things they can do that an artisan can't simply due to size. But my bent is toward the artisan and if I were a beer drinker I think that's where I would be found. That also happens to be where I'll be as a preacher and I think that's O.K.

Visionary Leaders

Consensus Leadership has been around for awhile. Some say it's on its way out while others think it is here to stay. I think it is one of those things that sounds good but give me a visionary leader any day.

My problem with consensus leadership is that the destination of your organization is limited to the experiences of a majority, or at least a healthy portion, of its members. On the other hand, a visionary leader can take an organization to a place beyond the wildest dreams of its members. She really leads rather than just facilitates.

The reason a visionary leader can do that is because that is exactly what she is tasked to do. She is supposed to spend time exploring possibilities outside of the institution's environment. It is impossible to do that with a large number of people. Sure the leader still has to sell that dream and win support for it, but that is an entirely different matter.

I think consensus leadership is especially bad for churches and I think it explains why churches tend to change so slowly. Most ideas come from what was done in the past or what Uncle Fred's church is doing. It is just too hard to build consensus about something that no one has ever seen before. It takes a visionary leader to get you there.

Consensus leadership, despite what proponents say to the contrary, also reinforces a "keep everyone happy at all cost" attitude. If you disagree with the consensus you are supposed to agree to go along with the consensus for a given period of time to see if it works. The understanding is that you'll be a good soldier and when the consensus idea doesn't work they'll come back to revisit your idea. In church that usually means you have someone doing their best to make sure the consensus idea fails so they are forced to go back to their idea.

The problem with a visionary leader is that her idea is scary, risky, uncomfortable and maybe downright dangerous. But hey, might as well go out with a bang, don't you think?

Home Turf

There are times when I get very focused on our worship service because I think there is so much riding on it. I want visitors to leave wanting more. I hope they find it inspiring and that it helps them encounter God. But then I'm reminded of what so many writers have said about the need for churches to quit trying to attract people to church and instead take the church to them. Unfortunately that's easier said than done.

I like my little corner of the world because I know it. I know where the dangerous parts are and there are few surprises. My world seems in balance. I can take sure steps here because everything is so familiar.

It is not like that when I leave my home turf. I feel a sense of unease because I don't know my way around or understand everything I encounter. It's uncomfortable precisely because it is all foreign to me. I'd rather be on my home turf.

I think that is the way it is with most churches. We stick with our home turf because it is comfortable. We can attract people to our church but most of them seem to come from other churches or at least they are people who are familiar with, and therefore comfortable with, our turf. But that leaves a huge segment of our population out of the picture. They live on different turf and they feel the same way about our turf as we do about theirs. My guess is that this is more than 50% of the population though I have nothing to back up that claim.

So here we are, each on our own turf. We feel uncomfortable on their turf and they feel the same way about ours. The only way to bridge the gap is for one of us to endure the agony of leaving home turf. I think Jesus makes it clear that we are the ones who should make the move. That means instead of trying to attracting them into crossing the bridge we need to go to them. Unfortunately most of us don't have the guts to do that.

Men and Christianity

Lately I've been hearing about attempts to put some macho back into the church. Apparently it is too feminine and men aren't attracted to a meek, mild-mannered Jesus. They don't want a sissy Messiah so they attempt to toughen him up a bit by squeezing every drop of machismo out of any verse that even hints at a tough Jesus. Yes, Jesus clearing the temple is their number one scripture.

In an attempt to attract men some churches are trying men only services. They are short, sports themed, testosterone driven events designed to appeal to our male warrior psyche. Grunts, war cries and in your face talk abounds. Stand firm. Stand in the gap. We are tough men who don't take crap. We are wired this way for a reason so it is just too bad if you can't handle it. We're ready to fight.

Here is a big giant rolling of the eyes to this nonsense. They just don't get it. The ways of Jesus are different. Thank God. I suggest they all read the poem (yes, a poem) "When I became a Christian" by Adrian Plass. Here's an excerpt:

I’m very sorry, Lord, I said, I’d like to follow you,
But I don’t think religion is a manly thing to do.
He said, forget religion then, and think about my Son,
And tell me if you’re man enough to do what he has done?

Are you man enough to see the need, and man enough to go,
Man enough to care for those whom no one wants to know,
Man enough to say the thing that people hate to hear,
To battle through Gethsemane in lonliness and fear.
And listen! Are you man enough to stand it at the end,
The moment of betrayal by the kisses of a friend,
Are you man enough to hold your tongue, and man enough to cry,
When the nails break your body – are you man enough to die?
Man enough to take the pain, and wear it like a crown,
Man enough to love the world and turn it upside down,
Are you man enough to follow me, I ask you once again.
I said, Oh Lord, I'm frightened, but I also said Amen.

That's man enough for me.

Unexpected Squeaks

We have one of those new open air malls in our area that is great when the weather is good but will have you dashing from building to building when it is cold, snowy or raining. In front of the Sharper Image store there is a big circle of paving bricks that acts like an intersection of sorts for the various pathways running through the mall. If you stand right in the center of the circle and clap your hands you will hear an odd sounding squeak. It has something to do with the positioning of the buildings and their acoustic properties I assume.

Every now and then you will see people standing there giving it a try. It seems that about half the people know what is going on while the other half just thinks people are crazy. I'm not sure if this little peculiarity was planned but I doubt it. I think the architect was simply drawing lines off the buildings and placed the brick circle where the lines intersected. That just happened to be where the acoustics were just right for the squeak. An accidental quirk.

I like surprises. Even odd ones like this squeak. I hope I keep enjoying this wonderful creation of God's and appreciate all the surprises it brings.

Church Facility Capacity

What do you think is the capacity of all the churches in the United States put together? My guess is about a gazzillion more than actually attend. Yet church building is big business. Maybe we should start swapping churches instead of building new ones. You know, if your a church on the down turn find a church that is busting at the seams and offer to trade buildings. Yeah, I know, you are thinking things will turn around and you'll need the space.

Actually I'm more troubled by the trillions of dollars we spend on facilities that are way under used. They are kind of like combines for farmers. They sit in a barn most of the time and then they get used like mad for a very short period of time. It seems like we could do better.

I'm proposing one facility for multiple churches. The one facility doesn't have to be a church either. Any space will do. We would have to be flexible with our usage times and what not but that shouldn't be too difficult for loving Christians who know how to share should it?

One of the draw backs will be that one church will want to control all the others. In most cases this will be the one who actually owns the building. I can just hear the conversation now.

"Our church is different than your's so we want our own church."

"We'll start a service for people just like you."

"But our history doesn't line up with your history and that is hard to overcome."

"Tough cookies."

"We have a different philosophy about what a church should look like."

"Ours is biblical."

What we really need to focus on is planting Jesus in communities that have limited access to church now. We usually think about limited access in geographical terms but cultural factors play an even bigger role. If that is true, planting a church in the same neighborhood as another church is legitimate.

So let's stop building new facilities and start sharing what we've got. Let's also start making better use of public buildings that we have an opportunity to use. Don't build a gym, go to the local YMCA or school. If your community doesn't have a Y build a gym away from your church and donate it to the community. It'll help you learn to share.

Now, if I had the energy, I'd rant about Christian colleges and facilities.

Unprotected Church

I'm convinced that most Christians in America are scared to death of unprotected church and that what North American churches have evolved into are nothing more than one big giant condom of protection so we can have safe church. We are so worried about sin tainted distractions that we have put up barriers between the church and the world to make sure we safely satisfy ourselves. And boy, are we satisfied.

We are so afraid of infection that we insist on having our own everything so that we can be in control. We won't join the community soup kitchen (unless of course it is run by a church) so we start our own. We won't join the community athletic leagues so we start our own. We won't send our kids to public schools so we start our own. We won't set foot in a bar so we start our own and call it a cafe, with no alcohol of course. We love safe church.

In the middle of all this we still talk about casting seed and hoping that some of it will land on fertile ground. Just so you know, those barriers work both ways.

Unprotected church, on the other hand, is wild and risky. You can end up battered, bruised, spat on, kicked around and betrayed not only by the world but even by those who you thought were your friends. It could kill you. Demographics are only used to find sinners so that you can live with them, not so you can avoid them. You don't root yourself to one location, you hit the streets. It is just not safe. But it is the only way you'll be able to plant a seed.

Brain Overload

How do you present ideas when you speak in public? We've heard for a long time that we should try to engage as many of the senses as possible for maximum impact. Taking cue's from the marketing world I'm careful how I use graphics when I speak. I try not to show text that I'm going to speak and I try to use pictures as much as possible.

Have you ever been frustrated by new research regarding the health of your favorite food? One day it is good for you, the next day it's killing you. You wish they would make up their minds. (I once found a huge book listing the benefits of my all time favorite drink, coffee. I went around telling people how good it it for you. Never mind that the book was written in 1920 something.) I'm beginning to feel the same way about communication.

Now as I read about cognitive load theory I'm beginning to think I'm overloading people when I speak. It seems it is good that I try not to show text on the wall while I read it but I think I may be over doing it all the same. They say that having people follow along in their Bibles while I read the text isn't a good idea either. I know more than a few people who will be thrilled with that. I guess the KISS principle is here to stay. At least until tomorrow.

Most at Home

I've blogged on and off for several years and I have been involved in a few forums over that time too. I also follow several blogs and occasionally post a comment or two. In all of this I've noticed a rather fluttering feeling in the old stomach whenever it is time to push the "publish," "submit," "post" or whatever button is required to send my dribbled notes out into the world.

I suppose the feeling comes from my insecurities about being accepted by others in the world. I admit that often I couldn't care less but sometimes I really do. Every now and then I'll experience pangs of regret just seconds after I've pushed the button thinking that I've just hurt someone or will be hurt by someone else. This is why I will never be a prolific contributor.

I find the place where I feel most at home on the web rather odd. It is a forum based on a sports team and other than being a fan of a poor excuse of a professional football team I doubt I have much in common with any one else on the board. But it is there that I feel most at home and where I post most often. My opinions have been crucified there too, on occasion, but it happens to everyone and so it doesn't seem to sting as much.

We have mysteriously been able to create a sense of belonging on that board. We argue like siblings but for some reason we care about each other too. Out of the murk of profanity laced sports banter there often emerges sincere requests for prayer as a fellow poster undergoes cancer treatment, another's relative recovers from a car accident, and yet another deals with the death of a parent. People are missed when they stop posting because we are friends even though most of us have never met in person and probably never will.

I feel at home there because I feel like I belong. My fellow posters may disagree with my opinions but they treat me with kindness and respect at the end of the day. I always know they will welcome me back tomorrow. I wish most of the Christian forums I've been on were like that. I've been on a few good ones but I try to stay away from most of them. Most non-Christian forums can be pretty rough too. I'm glad I've found a home.

The Ugly Feet

If you look at a good copy of Holbein's version of the Last Supper you can get a good look at all the feet under the table. After staring at the picture for quite awhile I came to the conclusion that the feet are very ugly. Jesus' are the worst. Odd thing to have in a painting isn't it?

I imagine that feet where pretty disgusting in Jesus' day. They must have taken a lot of abuse, a lot of wear and tear. Cracked, scaly, deformed, gunky feet. To make matters worse Holbein seems, at least to me, to have made them a little larger than they should be. They aren't troll sized but they are close.

When I lived in Africa I used to see some ugly feet. Such was the result for men who toiled hard, on rough ground, with bared feet. Their feet were hard, calloused and deformed. Some had "used" their feet so much that they were flattened and the edges looked like the rubber skirt protruding from the side of a hovercraft.

I've never been totally at ease with my own feet. There is nothing weird about them though they do bare the marks of years of playing soccer. I have just always shied away from things as revealing as a foot washing service, say. I think I've only been involved in two in all my life. I guess I've never bought into the idea that one should put his best foot forward. Shake hands, I say, and leave it at that.

So why does Holbein go into detail with the feet? Why didn't he leave them in the shadows like Da Vinci and spare us the details? I don't know but I can offer two possibilities. Maybe he was trying to capture the "nothing to look upon" aspect of Jesus. If so I applaud the effort though I would have to say Jesus looks pretty good everywhere else in the painting.

He could also be trying to emphasize the sacrifice of a servant. Looking at all those feet under the table is rather unappealing. It would be hard for me to find any joy in the task of giving them a scrub. I would dread it and maybe that is the point.

Save the Earth, Get Rid of Your Mac

How many times have we heard a watchdog group rate companies only to hear said companies whine about being treated unfairly and "disagree with the report." What is shocking about a Greenpeace report is that the highest rated electronics firm in environmental friendliness is the Chinese company Lenovo who makes what we all knew as IBM Thinkpads. I think a lot of people perceive countries like China as places where companies can make a profit by not being environmentally friendly. Interesting that they come out on top in this case.

Just as surprising is Apple coming in last. Oh sure, they give their reasons but haven't we all heard that song and dance before? So save the earth and get rid of your Mac! At least one good about this is that I'm sure Steve Jobs has an army of marketing people working on a presentation for damage control even as I write this. Should be pretty cool as are most of his presentations.

I should also mention that I'm sure there are thousands of Mac users in Starbucks cafes around the world pounding out theories about incidental environmental damage caused by frustrated pc users. Many Mac users I know aren't aware that there are many pc users like me who rarely have a problem with their computers.

Church Models

It seems like every Christian book on leadership advocates some model we are to follow. (I guess there are a few who advocate no model at all but that is another issue.) We all see it to some extent but I'm not sure we realize how pervasive it is.

Do any of these sound familiar: the fortune 500 company model, the mom and pop model, the school model, the retail model, the shopping mall model, the restaurant model, the community center model, the music/comedian concert model, the pyramid marketing model, the franchise model, the PAC model, the military model, the local government model. I'm sure I've forgotten several more.

Our denomination is now pushing what I call the NFL model. The owner(s) hire a coach who puts together a staff to coach the players to play the game. The key is for the the owners to set boundaries for the coach but then stay out of his way so he and his staff can do the work of turning the team into a winner. We all know what happens when the owner starts telling the coach he wants the second string quarterback to start.

I can find a lot of good things to say about most of these models. I can also probably find a few bad things to say about all of them. I think looking at models is useful but sometimes we get carried away with it. I think it is funny how the most ardent proponents of most of these models can find a way to claim that their's is the biblical model. (And yes, there is also the "hang out with about 12 guys for 3 years" model.)

It all makes interesting conversation and we can learn a lot from the different models. But models usually only help people conceptualize what is expected of them. They help people by giving them a picture of what the church might look like.

When I coached soccer we would use a specific formation that was denominated by a number system that soccer players knew. If I told the team we were going to play a 4-4-2 they would know that there would be 4 defenders, 4 midfielders and 2 strikers. If I then told a player they were going to be one of the strikers they had a pretty good idea of what was expected of them. The interesting think is that every players particular personality, style, ability and aptitude affected how the overall formation actually look. The formation was basically a framework that allowed a lot of individualization.

That is how I look at all these models we have for churches. I just wish there wasn't so many people insisting that there is only one biblical way of running a church. It's obnoxious.

Dominion

I saw a headline the other day about "evangelical leaders" complaining to the NAE that one of its lobbyist was working too hard at promoting environmentalism. I think their complaint had something to do with a feeling that the organization didn't have the expertise to make claims regarding global warming and should stick with its anti-abortion, anti-homosexual platform. I cringed when I saw the headline because I was expecting another sermon on how we didn't need to be environmentally conscious.

To be sure their are some questions regarding global warning being caused by man but they are few and far between. And while I am sure that there are indeed a multitude of scientists who believe man is the cause of global warming I also know that it is big business and provides a good living for its most ardent proponents.

Equally irritating is the opinion that we can run roughshod over the earth with no worries. After all we have been given dominion over the earth so we can do what we want they say. Some have tried to counter this with the claim that we are to live in cooperation with the earth. I don't understand the need to do this.

I think being given dominion is enough of an argument in and of itself to cause Christians to take care of the environment. If someone gives you a gift don't you feel an obligation to take care of it? If you mistreat the gift doesn't it reflect your attitude toward the giver?

Whether you believe man is the cause of global warming or not a Christian should be very concerned about the environment simply because it is God's creation. I also think it is disingenuous to claim protecting the environment hurts poor people who are more valuable in God's eyes. I might buy into that argument if there weren't so many of us Christians who, judging by our lifestyles, apparently don't see those same poor people as more valuable than our comfort. Like so many other things in life our failure to care for the environment really comes down to our own selfishness.

Smaller or Not

Technology is great. It lets me communicate with people all over the world almost instantly. News from the far corners of the world is available at the push of a button. When a major event happens on the other side of the world I hear about it almost instantly rather than weeks later as was the case with my parents when they were young. The world is getting smaller.

On the other hand, I recently read an interview with a guy who feels just the opposite. To him our world is expanding, not getting smaller. (He rarely sees a need to cite references in his writing so I won't site him here.) Now that I think about it, he may be right.

My parents gave me a watch when I was in the 7th grade. It was a small simple watch but I couldn't figure out how to get the back off of it. (I had a disease when I was younger that led me to believe that a watch would run better if I cleaned it, no matter how new it was.) It took me weeks before I figured out the right place to lever the back off that watch. With the simple act of removing that cover the watch went from something that seemed small and simple to a marvel of never ending complexity.

Perhaps our world is like that. Maybe our technology hasn't made our world smaller, it has just helped us peal back its cover a little bit more. With each question we answer we seem to reveal ten new questions.What we end up with is a marvelous world of ever expanding complexity. And to think, some people say there is no God.

I should mention that my watch never ran right after I opened the cover. Somehow I think we can do the same with our world if we are not careful. Even so I am glad I experienced the spinning wonders of that watch back then. It inspired my mind and somehow caused me to dream about possibilities. I need to approach this expanding world we live in with that kind of enthusiasm.

Tom the Unicyclist

I tried to learn how to ride a unicycle once. I was probably in 7th or 8th grade and worked at it for a few weeks. The best I could do was probably 50 feet and that was if everything was perfect and I didn't stop. I have no idea how those guys who juggle or play basketball on a unicycle can do it.

I gave up trying when my progress slowed down to a discouraging level. I sometimes wonder if I would have gotten the hang of it if I had kept at it. Probably not and I seemed to have gotten along just fine without this essential skill.

Oh well, cheers to everyone who can ride a unicycle.

I Wish I Was a Guitar Player

I was watching a guy play guitar today on a video and got extremely jealous. I wish I was guitar player. Instead I'm just someone who plays guitar.

If you don't know the difference, I'm putting it in the same context of when I used to coach soccer. I had soccer players and people who played soccer. Soccer players live and breathe the sport. They are almost always good. People who play soccer also do tons of other things and aren't usually that good at soccer.

I learned to play guitar when I was in 7th grade in boarding school. My specialty is cheating, cutting corners and using bad technique to get the job done. (Whoever invented B and Bb should be shot.) I sincerely wish I would have been taught (and made) to play correctly.

In case you were wondering, that is why kids love metal. Loud (and distortion) covers a multitude of sins. Come to think of it, I was made for metal. Too bad I don't really care for it.

I love to play guitar. Especially by myself. I just wish I could make "beautiful" music with it.

Tom the Monk

There are times when the thought of being a monk is very appealing to me. It seems that everything I have been reading lately has something to do with monks and monasteries and I'm sure that is what has gotten me thinking this way. I romanticize about living a lonely life in a small cloister, clinging precariously to the edge of a cliff, overlooking the Aegean Sea. I would live in solitude contemplating prayer, devotion to God, meditation of the Word and growing vegetables.

Sometimes I imagine being in a monastery so that I would have time to study all of the things I want to study but have no time for. At other times I feel like chucking all the academic pursuits and simply doing manual labor day after day. You know, some of the best known wines we have today were developed by monks.

After thinking wistfully about becoming a monk for a few moments I get jerked back to reality. I wouldn't be any good as a monk. In spite of my enjoyment of being alone I would miss people to much. Fellow monks just wouldn't cut it. I know I would grow restless couped up in a monastery after about a week or two. The world is just too big of an adventure to miss. After all, God created it for a reason. I just need to enjoy it the way He intended.

BS Detectors

I read a blog that linked to a blog that linked to a blog that linked to this. I wasn't as impressed as some commentors appeared to be but the one piece of advice I found interesting is that visitors to the US should not try to BS because Americans are very good at detecting it. If it is true, and I think it is, a lot of churches better take notice.

I think a lot of Christians BS when trying to convince non-Christians to join the fun. They make ridiculous claims about what life is like on their side and I think a lot of people see right through it. It brings our integrity into question and the conversation is over before it has even begun.

I actually believe the advice in the article is wrong. We are good at detecting BS because we are a nation of BSers. If a visitor wants to fit in they might as well give it a try. They just shouldn't be shocked when they are caught out. Wouldn't it be great if we were known as a society based on honesty and integrity instead?

The Good Word

A group of us were having a discussion the other day when one guy ranted about benedictions in church. He was pointing out that benediction means "good word" and was lamenting that in his church, twice during the last four weeks, the last thing he heard was, "And don't forget to buy your tickets." I'm smiling even as I write this.

It did get me thinking about the power of words. I don't mean to turn into Peale but I think a lot of people need a good word. And yes, I am adding to the meaning a bit in that I think it should be a positive good word. There are too many people who struggle with depression now days. Maybe we need to work harder at making our good words really good.

New Cool Is Old Already

Not to say that I know what cool is or anything but I am getting bored with what is presented as cool in commercials these days. The two prime examples are the UPS and Apple commercials. Both these guys annoy me. I bet they drink Starbucks coffee and think it tastes good. More likely they just like paying a lot of money for crap thinking it makes them cool. Idiots.

(Sorry for the meaningless rant.)

Common Sense

I'm one of those people who like watching the early rounds of American Idol but never watch the rest of it. What is it about watching someone crash and burn on national TV that is so appealing? Anyway, since the good stuff is over I'm done with Idol for another year.

I do want to make a suggestion for anyone who wants to try Idol next year. Don't sing a song that is sung by a singer with a great voice. You'll pale in comparison. Pick a song made famous by Joe Cocker, Louis Armstrong or the like. I'm the first to admit that I think these two guys were masters of turning their voices into musical instruments. They had an artistic quality and depth that made them famous. But I think Idol wannabes would compare much more favorably than they would covering a more orthodox singer in the Idol format.