The Odd Pratchett

I suppose most people have heard of author Terry Pratchett, if not read him. I'm not big on sci-fi but he is the exception, mainly due to the odd humor. One of my favorite quotes: from Wee Free Men

"I would like a question answered today," said Tiffany. "Its about zoology."

"Zoology, eh? That's a big word, isn't it."

"No, actually it isn't," said Tiffany. "'Patronizing'is a big word. 'Zoology' is really quite short."

Strengths

Several years ago Christian Schwarz did research on what were the eight essential qualities of a healthy church. I think it was well done research and he developed Natural Church Development (NCD) out of it. The theory was that you should identify your weaknesses out of the eight qualities and work to improve them. It was the old "weakest link" argument. Our church took one of the assessments that they provided and I think our weakest quality was Ministry but I don't remember for sure.

The thing I liked about NCD was its emphasis on a biotic approach. It recognized that a church is a living, breathing organism and not a machine. That fit well with the weakest link idea because nature is filled with examples of the weakest link being the limiting factor. (A mineral deficiency will stunt plant growth.)

But working on your weaknesses can be depressing. Who wants to put tons of effort into what your bad at doing? Gallup has now come out with a new report that basically says that strength based development nets you the biggest return. One of the big reasons for this is employees are motivated because they love their work. Interesting. I think Schwarz might have identified the problem but missed how you fix it.

Intimacy

We had Joe and Natalie share with us in church about their mission work. They did an excellent job but I was struck by something Natalie said. She was talking about developing a strong community where they minister and she said that what they would do to develop community is have each person write out their life story and share it with everyone. The intimacy of this created very strong bonds resulting in "one of the tightest" community experiences she had ever been involved with.

Kim and I were recently talking about how difficult it is to get people to share their stories. A lot of people are embarrassed or ashamed of their past and wouldn't dare share their true life story. They would rather hide that away and keep it a secret.

No wonder we are often frustrated that we don't develop authentic community. It is just easier being superficial.

Grand

Went and saw the Grand Canyon a couple of days ago.

Wow!

Pictures just don't do it justice.

Being so late in the year there was not that many people there. We went down one of the trails a little ways just to see what it was like below the rim. Met one guy on his way up who had gone all the way down and was heading back up in the same day. That is one tough hike.

It started out kind of mild but later started snowing. It was amazing to watch the weather move in. The snow wasn't that bad but by the time we got close to Flagstaff it looked like a blizzard. We basically saw it all in one day including snow, whiteout, sleet, hail, thunder snow, and rain. Very glad for four wheel drive.

Iverson

As a Piston fan I'm excited about the Iverson deal they recently made. I liked Billups and McDyess just fine but Iverson makes things a lot more interesting. I think the Pistons could go far or, just as easily, crash and burn with him. No matter what it will be fun.

Of course, I can't wait for the pressers. His famous "practice" tirade from his Philly days was classic. I know a lot of people were bothered by it but I thought it was hilarious.

Airsick

Well, Kim and I are off on vacation. We are headed to New Mexico to spend time with friends and basically chill for a week. As a pastor I started doing the Wednesday to Wednesday vacation thing and I like it. I can kind of get things pulled together and ready for the next week on Monday and Tuesday and when I get back I have a few days to get things going for my first week back. Also airline flights are usually cheaper on Wednesdays.

As a missionary kid and as a missionary myself I've spent a lot of time on airplanes. I've also flown into some pretty remote places and experienced a number of harrowing experiences in an airplane. I don't fly like many business travelers do now days but I'm not new to it either.

None of that helped our arrival in Minneapolis this morning. Things were nice and smooth until we started descending into the twin cities area. I would say it was severe but my brother would laugh at that since he is a pilot and says things have to be flying around the cabin to be called severe. It was pretty rough though. My stomach was floating up somewhere in the vicinity of my esophagus and I began to think we would need to divert. Apparently the pilots stomach had dropped and was resting on his bladder because suddenly he made a dive for the runway. I suppose the airlines are trying to save fuel but it seemed we landed way to fast and he still didn't use the brakes very much. He careened us around the airport like a teenager in a school parking lot.

Glad that's over. Hope the next leg is better. In the meantime I'll sit around and wonder at people who it looks like will come close to electing Al Frankin to congress. I can't say much. My state almost elected 27 year old to congress who would have no idea what he was doing, to replace a guy who has built up 14 years of seniority and is a pretty decent guy even though he does do a few things I disagree with. I actually live outside that district though so I wouldn't have accepted the blame.

Settling

During this election cycle I have read a lot of opinions on the various issues we face in our country. It is interesting to read how different people's thinking has evolved since this cycle began. Some have high tailed it to the safety of the familiar. Some have been challenged to change their minds. Some have stayed the course but deepened their understanding of the opposing view. And some have just abandoned reason altogether and gone for a hostile us versus them mentality.

One interesting conversation I had with an individual centered around abortion. He was a Republican who agreed with his party's stand on principle but was going to vote Democrat because he thought they had a better practical solution. I don't care which party he belongs to so I didn't say much other than that I was glad he had taken the time to think it through for himself.

Then I ran across this:

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. Matthew 23:23

It got me thinking how many times we choose and are satisfied with a luke-warm solution rather than fighting for a comprehensive solution. I don't know if it would change this guys opinion but it makes me think that Christians in both parties shouldn't settle for "at least we're doing more than the other side" which I think is exactly what many do. I'm not saying you can't take an incremental approach either. But I think that is used more as an excuse than anything else on both sides.

Long-Term

Okay, so a long time ago I stated that I would only have one post on politics. Then I broke that promise and added another. Well, they say there is strength in the number three so here goes.

I agree with the talk show host that said he was ready to have the election now to get it out of the way. After all, everyone has made up there mind by now except for the undecideds and isn't it rather frightening that the future of our country rests in the hands of people who can't make up their minds?

I'm officially tired of this election year, mainly, because like most election campaigns, I don't buy most of what is being said. Neither candidate is as bad or as good as they, or other people, claim they are. When it is all said and done they will both be saying how much they admire and respect each other.

I did run across an interesting thought, though, and I thought I would write it down for future reference. Is it possible to elect a president who is not the best for the country during his/her term but is best for the country in the long run?

Here's the thought process. I've read that some are extremely concerned about Obama winning and the Democrats winning a filibuster proof majority in the senate. About the only thing Americans hate or fear more than political gridlock is having no checks and balances. That's why some feel it is important that McCain win.

I think McCain would do a pretty good job as president. He is nothing like Bush despite what the commercials say. He has a history of trying to work in bi-partisan ways to solve problems. And despite the recent debacle of unregulated financial institutions he would be the least likely of the two to over-react and institute a ridiculous amount of government oversight in the name of protecting us poor simple-minded folk. Yes we have a problem but Cowperthwaite's mantra, “…in the long run the aggregate of decisions of individual businessmen, exercising individual judgment in a free economy, even if it is often mistaken, is less likely to do harm than the centralized decisions of a government; and certainly the harm is likely to be counteracted faster.” is still true. The idea that corrupt politicians are going to oversee corrupt businessmen, and we are going to come out ahead is ridiculous.

I think Obama would be a pretty good president, though I'm not as sure about him. He has also tried to be bi-partisan at times but he has also been very quick to pull the tent pegs and run back to partisan politics on a regular basis. I really don't think he is his own man yet. He is still trying to work out who he is in the political world. That's why I was not happy when he chose Biden as a running mate. That and my general dislike of Biden anyway. His pick seemed to be based on making sure he catered to the right group, in order to win the election, rather than finding someone who could help him forward his vision during a presidential term. So I have some reservations.

But back to the original thought. What would be the long term effect of an Obama victory, based on who he is right now, and not what he does in office? We have a black man, who is a Christian, with a Muslim father from Africa, with a white mother, and who has a middle-eastern sounding name. If America elected such a person as president what would that do for race relations? What would that do for relations between people of different faiths? What impact would that have on people in the rest of the world including Europe, the middle-east, and especially Africa? I'm not just talking about in terms of relationships with the US either. I think it would have a social impact that would be felt in many countries in a positive way.

So I found it to be an interesting thought. Is it possible for someone to not be the best presidential choice in terms of immediate US interests but be the best choice in the long run?

Circus

So they say they have reached an agreement on a bailout plan. I think one of the most frustrating things to be, would be someone, who knew what he was talking about, having to deal with politicians. I have met a few that I like. I believe that they take their work seriously and with noble intentions. But most of them....

I'm already sick of the Presidential campaign. Spin, spin, and more spin. I used to admire Obama but I'm convinced he is simply in it for the power and the prestige. I don't care for either his record or lack there of. Sorry, no knight in shining armor here. He will simply use the charisma to make it happen.

I used to like McCain but it is sad to see someone stoop so low simply because he believes it is the only way to get elected. It is as if he doesn't see the conflicts he creates in his message. And Palin? Are you kidding me? Purely political.

To top it off I have to have Biden thrown in my face again. I actually used to like him. Then I watched his condescending and patronizing treatment of Bork and it was all I could take. It was like watching a junior high kid interviewing the next candidate for school principle. This tells me as much about Obama as Palin tells me about McCain.

So I feel sorry for the finance guys who have to sit and listen to the politicians comment on the bailout plan. It is as if the handlers went to unlock the cages to let them out for their appearances. How much television time can I get? How can I come across as a friend of the people? How can I make it look like this was all my idea? How can I blame this mess on someone else even though I had just as big a role to play as everybody else? Please lock them up again and this time throw away the key.

Sorry for breaking my rule on only one political post but I just had to rant. I'll go back to my private life as a cynic.

So Long

Matt Millen either was fired or resigned from the Detroit Lions today. As a long, and I mean long, suffering fan of the Lions I can only say that this is a beautiful day. Maybe now we can dream of actually winning after the next 10 years it is going to take to clean up this mess. And I may even be able to allow people to buy a Ford again without ridicule, but I think I'll wait and see who they hire to be the next Pres/GM first.

Football

As a fan of the Detroit Lions and the Michigan Wolverines I know what it means to be frustrated beyond hope. (Actually, I am pleased with Michigan's progress. They actually beat ND in almost every offensive category except the score and, of course, turnovers. But it was a big improvement from the first two games.) But the frustration with my college and pro teams and the fact that my son is a participant has now turned my attention to high school football. I've never been much of a HS football fan and this year's version from our local school is not worth much attention. But I have enjoyed watching my son play.

This is his first year ever in football and along with being a sophomore he finds himself relegated to jv. It's good for him as he definitely needs the experience. He couldn't play in the first game because he missed too much practice do to illness. His second game he subbed in quite a bit and yesterday he started at defensive tackle and played on all but a few of the defensive plays.

He did well but it was interesting to watch the battle within the war. He and the opposing linemen seemed to be playing their own little game of wreaking mayhem on each other no matter what else was going on in the game. I was kind of glad his mother wasn't there because I'm not sure how she would have handled seeing her son in the brutal give and take.

In the end I'm not sure if he got more than he gave but he thoroughly enjoyed it in any case. That they came back to win the game in the closing seconds may have softened some of the blows. But for right now he can't wait to get back out there, and I can't wait to watch.

Joy

I just took great joy in deleting an email, caught in my spam filter, from a para-church ministry that really bothers me. I know it is sick that I find such pleasure in this but.... I just do. Ha Ha Ha

Models

Taleb (the guy from the previous post) also had something interesting to say about models. He felt one of the reasons people were surprised by a black swan event like the sub-prime collapse was that people relied on models rather than experience. Models are easy to teach (versus experience) and look like science even if they actually perform worse and worse.

Again, this seems to apply to church on so many levels. Not only does the church also like models it doesn't like to take an honest look at experience because we don't like what it tells us. On top of that we can add the caveat, "Just because it sounds good doesn't mean it is." (or feels good, or tastes good, etc.)

Risk

I read an article that featured Nicholas Taleb who wrote The Black Swan about risk assessment. Black Swan Theory is about large impact hard to predict risk and Taleb writes about how it relates to business, especially in light of the sub-prime disaster.

In the article he talks about the fact that bank failure isn't really anything new. Banks have always failed but there were so many banks it really wasn't a big deal, at least in the big picture. Taleb relates it to ecology and how diversification makes our ecology stronger and able to bounce back from natural catastrophes. But the banking picture is different today. With all the mergers and acquisitions we have a much smaller number of banks. The result when one of these giants fail is devastating.

I think we need to be careful in the church to use God's ecology rather than man's. This has far reaching impact all the way down to our smallest Sunday School class. Taleb notes that a key characteristic of Black Swan Theory is that it surprises us when we actually should have seen it coming. It is easy to believe that it will never happen, at least not to us. This morning I'm wondering how closely my church's ecology mirrors the ecology we see in God's creation. Actually, I'm staring at the gulf between the two.

Notebook

I usually hate the arrogance of big companies. This is especially true in the world of computer software. Microsoft and Apple drove me to install Ubuntu on a virtual machine just as a little act of defiance, even though I don't use it all that often.

Google fits that category too but I do like my gmail and now I've fallen in love with Google Notebook. I just love it and probably would even if it wasn't free. Sure they may be collecting bucket loads of data from me in the process but at this point I really don't care.

The Shack

I just picked up The Shack as it had been recommended to me awhile ago and I never got around to it. I have three friends that I'm pretty close to who have experienced the death of a child so I found the beginning of the book extremely disturbing. Mack is back at the shack now, though, and I'm loving the book. It is kind of like one of those movies that you need to see over and over again because you have the feeling you're missing a lot of the subtleties the first time through. The author paints challenging visuals for me and I like that.

Olympics

I love the Olympics. The dramatic finishes in the swimming have been terrific. Any soccer tournament is worthwhile. USA Basketball looks like they've got it together. But the best for me is the track and field.

I love the sprints and Bolt was just amazing in the 100m. (I'm worried that Matt Millen will see if he can catch a football.) The women's 100 was also great. I spent most of the first four years of my life in Jamaica and while I remember very little of it I still have a soft spot for them. I can't imagine how ecstatic the country must be right now.

I think I like track and field because they seem to be the root sports of the Olympics. Say "Olympics" and I think of a statue of a Greek guy throwing a discus. With that in mind there are several sports that I think need to be dropped.

First, take out anything with the word "synchronized" in it.

Take away any sport that requires a special building. Does anyone have a hippodrome in their backyard?

Can we just do away with all the fighting? Are boxing, fencing, wrestling, tae kwon do, etc., even necessary. I know some of them might be "original" but do we need to promote violence now days. That goes for the shooting sports too. I suppose that some would argue that these sports actually promote peace because it allows people to get physical or use weapons in a peaceful way but I'm just tired of it. (I do like to shoot skeet though. I'm so conflicted.)

I know it will never happen because of the money but I could do without the gymnastics. Any sport where the best in the world are in their early teens should be banned. It is ridiculous that kids that young grow up with that kind of pressure. Set the minimum age for all sports at 18.

I have to grudgingly admit that beach volleyball has to go. Michael Rosenburg had the best article on this in the Detroit Free Press and he is right about the women's side of the sport. "It is the only sport where you can take away the ball and nobody notices."

They also need to take away every sport that has a bigger championship somewhere else. Baseball, tennis, basketball, and even my beloved soccer all fit this category.

I won't even comment on trampoline.

Some sports need to be modified. Rowers should not be using equipment that can only be found at snooty private schools. Give them a dug-out canoe and I'm all for it.

In spite of a host of problems I have to admit to being addicted to the games. I love the immense amount of coverage and I'm sure I can justify spending huge amounts of time watching it by finding sermon illustrations. Hey, the Apostle Paul did it. I need to get 4 years worth, after all.

Sweeeeet

One of the best things about this time of year is sweet corn. I know I'll be sick of it in a few weeks but right now I just can't get enough. I've also noticed you have to be careful where you get it as some of it can be downright awful. Fortunately, some people in our church grow some of the best.

This summer my niece introduced me to elotes. This is corn-on-the-cob from the Hispanic community that comes with a variety of toppings (I think.). The one she showed me was corn-on-the-cob slathered with mayonnaise, rolled in cotija cheese, and sprinkled with chili powder. I fell in love with it. I get a lot of strange looks when I describe it around here but you just have to try it. I used finely graded queso cheese instead of cotija (I've got to get to a Mexican grocery) but I think I'll try Parmesan to see if is just as good.

Ambition

I'm not sure what to think of ambition. On the one hand it seems to enable people to overcome incredible obstacles to achieve great things. On the other hand, someone who is overly ambitious seems to come off as annoyingly tedious and boring to me.

I read somewhere that Billy Graham was extremely ambitious, especially in his younger days. If true, I think it served him well. Every time he was on TV my mom used to ask me if I watched. "No, mom. He says the same thing every time." It takes a lot of ambition to preach the same thing for all these years and still be able to achieve incredible results. I don't mean to knock Dr. Graham at all. He sees his mission very clearly and he has stuck to it. I remember hearing him at a conference once. He started by saying he had stayed in a very nice hotel, was brought to the conference in a limo, and received a standing ovation upon walking out on stage. He said his fleshly nature loved it but his spiritual nature was embarrassed by it. I'm not sure what he meant but I liked it.

I have also admired John Maxwell's ambition. I saw him at a conference once where he arrived by air earlier that morning. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week but still got up and gave an outstanding performance. Here is a guy who has taken concepts that should be painfully obvious to even the dullest dullard and made them seem like something eye-opening. The fact that he is able to repackage those concepts over and over again is incredible. His content usually drives me nuts but I have to admire his ambition.

I think we sometimes mistake slowness as a lack of ambition but I think we've got it wrong. After all, my kid's apparently have the ambition to sleep in late and sit on the couch all summer. They are over-achieving.

So I don't know what to make of it. I think ambition is good for us but too much can be just as dangerous as not enough. I also think "what" you're ambitious about is far more important than just how much ambition you have.

Time Moves On

I was shot in the leg in a hunting accident when I was 15 and spent two weeks recovering reading the Gulag Archipelago by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. I just read that he died today.

Some Good Posts

My brother had a good post on his blog about a pow-wow held on their campus. I thought the t-shirts were excellent.

He also linked to this old post by Tim Timmons that I thought was good.

A Trip To The Bookstore

Kim and I went to the mall the other day and spent some time in the big bookstore. I usually don't buy anything at a bookstore unless it has used books but I still like to spend time in them. My routine is usually the same.

Walking in I ran smack dab into the tables with the big "Beach Reading" sign. We do have a beach in Indiana named "Indiana Beach" but it ain't that hot so I'm not sure how well this marketing effort will work.

Next I ran into the "Recent Releases" table. A lot of political books out this year. I'm not sure I've ever read a contemporary political book and not sure I ever want to. I'll reserve my political reading to history, as in "This is what happened 35 years ago during the Watergate scandal. Does time increase or reduce spin? Is that question philosophical, political, or physical? Mmmmmmm

You can find almost anything in the "Bargain Books" and I was even motivated enough to nab one off the shelf for myself.

The "Clearance" table is pretty sad. It usually is filled with books that probably aren't worth reading and it is probably why I will never write a book, especially if I was a politician. It must be hard to look at your book, with your picture on it, with your title ("My American Dream" or something like that), and see the store doing everything they can to get rid of it.

I cruise the music section and notice that a majority of the space seems to be taken over by DVDs. I suppose most people would rather buy their music online and I would bet the DVDs are going to have the same fate.

I wish I was a kid again with the huge area devoted to them now days. I read a lot when I was a kid but most of the books were probably not really suited for my age.

I finally run into a small table that's worse than the clearance table. It's the "Red Dot" table. Any book with a red dot is only $1. I picked up a horrible looking book but I put it back figuring the Tim Hallman that wrote it is probably not the one I know.

I then made my way to the Ws in the fiction section to see what they had from PG Wodehouse. I had a friend that had an omnibus that was fantastic but I've never seen it since. They only have the repackaged fair that I already own so I move on.

I just happened to be near the registers and I had caught up with Kim so I checked out. My book? A novel by outdoor humorist Patrick McManus. I think I've read everything he has written and I think he does better with short stories but this one I didn't recognize so I thought I would take the chance on wasting $6.

And that ended my trip to the bookstore.

Peace And/Or Justice

Peace and justice are big buzz words these days. Nothing feels better than saying, "I'm for peace and justice." I suppose that peace is something that we can all contribute to pretty easily. When it comes to justice we usually think of trying to stick up for someone who is being unjustly treated and call it a day.

But justice and peace don't always go together very easily. Sometimes you have to forgo one to get the other. A popular word of advice leaders hear is that you will have to apologize for things that you didn't do. It may not be just but it is just the way it works.

Of course, there is a danger in that. By allowing someone to "get away" with something you may be encouraging unhealthy behavior. You also may not be as good at letting an injustice against you slide of your back as you think you are. That can cause you difficulties as you deal with your own emotions down the road.

I was in Sierra Leone during the rebel war in the early 1990's. I followed the events after I returned to the USA to see how the conflict would be resolved. In the end the rebels wanted to negotiate with the government. That was difficult for the government because the rebels wanted amnesty for some incredibly barbaric acts as well as money to start a new life. Meanwhile, many of the victims of the rebels, innocent civilians who had their limbs hacked off, bodies mutilated, and were often raped, live in squalid camps to this day. I also know people who were young children at the time. Today they live next door to the former rebels who brutally killed their parents. There will be no justice and that has been an incredibly bitter pill to swallow. There is also fear that simmering beneath the surface of a society seemingly at peace is the idea that if I am violent enough I can get what I want and get away with it all in the name of peace.

All that to say that peace and justice can be difficult bedfellows. I think the key is maturity. It takes a willingness to address each issue on its own merits and not simply have one of those overriding policies we seem to be so fond of. It can be tough negotiating but that is the only path for a responsible, mature person.

But What About The Love

A lot of people talk about love. I do it all the time. Jesus tells us to love God and to love others so we hold that up as theme to live by. I preach it and I believe in it.

It is not just Christians who feel that way about love either. From "make love, not war" to "all you need is love" our culture has been bombarded with the love message. We talk about it all the time.

Now if we would just do it. In reality it has always been easy to love those we like but very difficult to love those we don't. I'm not just talking about those who are different from us or are "hard to love" either. I'm talking about those we strongly disagree with. How can we preach love and then not show it to those we disagree with. Our inconsistency leaves a foul stench.

There are several of my fellow pastors that I've disagreed with on a variety of issues. I'm not talking about a disagreement on a vague theological point where we agree to disagree. I'm talking about people I'm angry with. People that I see as pig-headed, obstinate, hateful, and even down-right unchristian. I'm sure they are wrong and I'm sick and tired of their blatant attempts to be an obstacle to the Church. Even writing this makes me angry.

But what happened to love?

I hate the fact that I can preach about our need to love everyone and not be judgmental and then turn around and hate and judge others. I'm not alone because I know that this same scenario is replicated in all sorts of situations by all sorts of well-intentioned people. It is just plain tough.

I would try to justify my hypocrisy except for one thing. Any reason I can give for me not to love someone else is a reason that Jesus could use against me. I guess I just need to learn how to love people I hate. Dang it.

Room For Everyone

Dave says there are 10 Million people living in Los Angeles County where we are. That doesn't include Orange County or any of the other surrounding counties. That's pretty incredible considering that the population of Indiana is under 7 million. When you think about it, it is pretty amazing that they fit everyone in. Imagine everyone in Indiana crammed into one county. No wonder the traffic is so bad. It really is amazing that things work at all here with that kind of population. It is kind of mind boggling how they manage it.

Santa Monica

Went to Santa Monica Beach yesterday. It is very strange how they give 3 weather forecasts here. One for the beach, one for the valley, and one for the hills. It is a good thing they do it though because the weather, especially the temperature, is very different. My brother, the one that flies airplanes, says there is also a difference in visibility due to the marine layer that creeps a little bit inland too. His daughter used to live in Santa Monica and he says he usually had to use the instrument approach whereas Burbank is usually clear.

The weather was great and the kids loved the ocean. They all logged several hours in the water. Towards evening we walked the Santa Monica Pier looking at more junk for sale and riding the roller coaster. The call it the West Coaster which is appropriate because it is probably about as far west as you can get since it is on the pier. No one got too sun burned so it was all good. Dave says he comes here maybe once a year or so which is a crime.

My older brother bought us lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp's on the pier which was really nice of him considering it was his birthday. To pay him back for the kindness one of his daughters told the waiter it was his birthday so they were able to embarrass him in front of everyone. Oh the love of a daughter.

Sunday in California

Yesterday I went to Mosaic for church. The band played about four songs which very few seemed to know and even fewer seemed to sing. Then there was a short comic video while they got the band off and a chair and table on the stage. McManus came out and offered a prayer and then delivered his message. Then another guy they called the campus pastor joined him for a Q & A session. Then they took up an offering and gave a few announcements and that was it.

I didn't get the worship. It really didn't seem like worship and a lot of people seemed to view it as prelude as i would say more than half the crowd came in during the set. It just wasn't m thing but apparently a lot of people like it that way.

McManus is an intelligent, practical, and compelling speaker. If your looking for exegesis you better choose another church. He may be very good at it but he doesn't focus on it. On this day he was talking about relationships and I think he connected very well with his audience.

During the Q&A you could text in your questions but I don't think they were actually taking them live. They answered several questions that seemed to have come from a previous week but maybe I missed something. I thought it was a good format overall.

I would guess that a lot of visitors leave underwhelmed. My guess is that there is a lot of stuff going on during the week and with small groups that really attract a lot of people. Other than that the main attraction is McManus himself. I know I could listen to him every week. I would just miss a corporate worship experience.

We also went to China Town yesterday. There are tons of shops there selling tons of Chinese products for not much money. It is definitely a cultural experience. We bought some crap and enjoyed the day before riding the train back home. I think if I lived here I would use the train a lot rather than face the traffic every day.

California Trip

I've been on vacation at my brother's in Pasadena. I have a lot of thoughts but just haven't found the time to write anything down so here are some short snippets of a lot of things.

There is a lot of traffic here but not as bad as I was expecting. The drivers here are a lot more laid back than what you see on the beltline in DC during rush hour. It is frantic though so you have to pay attention.

GPS is cool. It takes a lot of the stress out of driving. We usually go places in 3 cars and it is hard to keep in contact with someone with all the traffic. The GPS may not take the same route but it gets you there.

It is hot during the day but cools down at night. i would compare the heat to a hot summer day in Indiana but what's the point. it is dang hot and you are better off inside or at least in the shade.

We went and watched the LA Galaxy get beat on Friday and then watched the fireworks afterwards. The Home Depot Center is a great soccer facility though the traffic is really bad. The fans are ridiculous in their worship of David Beckham but he did score so I'll give him a few props for producing.

We've been to the LA Zoo, the Autry Museum, and the Natural History Museum. I liked them all and I think the kids did too. To top it off the museums are air conditioned so that's a plus.

The William Carey University campus is a hodge podge of buildings filled with all kinds of different ministries. I think there are something like two schools and three churches that rent facilities here too. This morning I'll be going to church at Mosaic which meets in a nondescript auditorium across the street from my brother's house. They also rent office space here.

There are hills behind the campus but I don't know which ones they are. One of them has an observatory on it and was used by some guy names Hubble who discovered, or helped discover, an expanding universe from there. I know I should probably be more respectful about all of that but I'm not that interested.

There are a group of Micronesians having a basketball and volleyball tournament here this weekend. I guess they do this every 4th of July weekend and apparently a lot of them come up from San Diego. I haven't had the nerve to go over and ask but their BBQ smells delicious.

My niece introduced me to some new food last night. You take corn on the cob, slather it with mayo, roll it in some Mexican cheese called Cojita (kind of like parmesan), and sprinkle it with chili powder. I love it. Apparently there is some place in LA where they sell it off the street.

It never rains in southern California. Seems like I've heard that before. If you want a lawn or landscaping you have to water it. If you don't water the grass will die. If your sprinkler system is off a little you will quickly know it because the unwatered grass will die in a hurry.

It is wierd being on Pacific time. Everything is over a lot sooner than it should be. you can't check baseball scores in the morning because they've already put in today's box scores, ready for todays games. Wimbeldon is practically over before I get up.

That's all I can think of for now.

It Sounds Good But...

I just got back from Nicaragua. It was a great trip... once we got there. Discount fare airlines suck.

We helped build a wall at a church there. It was hard, fun, inspiring, tiring, and uplifting all at the same time. I used to worry about not being able to speak Spanish but the truth is there is some good that comes out of that. I kind of like trying to communicate without knowing the language. I imagine it is very similar to what most people feel when trying to communicate to a Christian.

Anyway, the one thing that I am always mindful of is the issue of dependency. Having grown up in a developing country I have seen first hand how much damage it can cause. I have also read a lot about how bad it is and how missionaries have been guilty of it for far too long, especially in Africa.

But here is the kicker. If you ask a missiologist where missionaries have done the most dependency creating they will probably tell you Africa followed by South America. But then if you ask the same person where the center of Christianity is today and they will almost jump out of their shoes to tell you that it isn't the western world but the global south. In other words, Africa and South America. Some how Christianity has grown like mad in spite of our flawed tactics.

I still think that creating dependency is a bad thing. But sometimes I think we have worried so much about it we have developed a paralysis. We're afraid to do anything at all because it might create dependency. So I think we need to chill a bit. Yes, we need to be concerned about dependency but we also need to remember that God can get around our messes.

Competition

P.G. Wodehouse wrote a great short story about a sermon handicapping syndicate in his Wooster series. Bertie and Jeeves go to the country in the summer and find themselves in a quiet rural county with not much else to do. Then they discover that some of Bertie's fellow trust-funders, finding themselves in the same predicament, have set up a betting syndicate to see which of the county's clergy would preach the longest sermon on a particular Sunday. Of course, there are twists and turns with Jeeves ending up the only one coming out on top.

I haven't noticed cash being slipped between shady characters in the back of the sanctuary as I close my sermons but in today's highly competitive world I should probably keep a look out. Our society seems to feel it is obligated to rank and rate just about anything anyone does. We've gotten to the point where we simply can't enjoy something without turning it into a competition.

I feel especially sorry for musicians when it comes to rankings and ratings. I suppose some of them are trying to be the best guitarist, vocalist, etc. but I think the truly great ones are simply trying to express their art. Unfortunately, we can't just enjoy their art. We feel compelled to immediately compare it to every other artist.

I know youtube is a lousy source for research but just look at the comments sometime.(Yes, I know that most of the comments are from idiots.) You can watch Santana playing Samba Pa Ti and in the comments you will inevitably find comparisons to other guitarists. Watch a video of Bocelli and there will be someone pointing out why they think he is so much more inferior to Pavarotti or a host of other tenors. Did he really sing just to prove how good he is compared to others?

I think I would be frustrated if I were a musician like that. If people where constantly comparing me to others they would be missing the point of my music. I think that is sad. Competition has pushed us to accomplish a lot of great things. But, like with most things, there is a dark side.

Learning To Count

I would imagine that a high percentage of pastors have read Reggie McNeal's book The Present Future as well as some of his other leadership books. I recently saw a video of McNeal speaking and was stuck by a couple of his thoughts.

"God counts who is missing." In church we count who is there. God counts the missing boy, son, coin, sheep. Do we count who is missing? Can we name them? If not are we engaged in the right places?

"Our churches have become desalinization plants." He is saying we take salt out of the world.

"The church is not the destination." He uses the example of an airport. When an airport thinks it is the destination and gets all the planes on the ground close to the terminal it messes everyone up in a negative way. The airport is supposed to be a connector. It connects people to the Kingdom.

Some good thoughts to chew on there.

Life & Grace

A retired farmer told me a great story the other day. I thought it was a lot more beautiful than he intended it to be.

One spring he was plowing his land.

I imagined a heavy steel plow violently ripping up the sod, exposing dark earth to the blazing sun. This was business and the ground had to be plowed to prepare for planting. His livelihood depended on getting the most out of every inch of ground. This is not for the feint of heart or the sentimental fool.

Suddenly a Killdeer ran out in front of him shrieking loudly and acting like it was wounded. He knew it was protecting a nest, trying to distract the threat away from its young.

Too bad for the bird. It was the wrong place to put a nest. It should have been more careful. Life is a harsh reality. There isn't room for much grace.

He slowed down and looked carefully ahead until he spotted the nest on the ground. Then he carefully maneuvered his tractor around the nest leaving everything intact.

What? Are you mad? What happened to survival of the fittest? You made a mess out of your field. Now you have a gap in your row. Time is money and you just wasted it and you won't get paid back for it.

Sometime later he was sitting at his kitchen window when a Killdeer came out of the field chirping loudly and trailing several young behind. They marched across the lawn so he could get a good look at them then headed back in the direction they came from. He likes to think it was the same bird he encountered earlier who brought the young by so he could see what he spared and to say thank you.

I think he is right.

It Stays With You

In the May/June 2008 issue of Books & Culture there is an article by David Graham, entitled Heal Thyself, that begins with a quote from C.S. Lewis. "Humanity does not pass through phases as a train passes through stations: being alive, it has the privilege of always moving yet never leaving anything behind. Whatever we have been, in some sort we still are." I've been thinking how true this is when it comes to dealing with pain.

I seem to remember another Lewis quote that was something about our lives being like the rings of a tree. (I could be way off on the source of this.) We are constantly adding more rings but the rings we already have are still there. I remember studying tree rings in school. You could easily tell when something traumatic happened to the tree because the rings would be different. Sometimes they would be really small reflecting little growth, caused, perhaps, by a drought. Sometimes they would be very dark suggesting some other serious trauma. No matter the cause the evidence was obvious.

I think that is a helpful way to think of pain. When something painful happens to us it leaves a mark. We grow new rings but the mark is still there to remind us of what happened. The more rings we grow the more the pain lessens. New growth has a way of insulating us to some degree. We may even get to a point where we look pretty good on the outside. But deep inside the mark is always there. It has become a part of us and will never go completely away. It is who we are.

Nickel And Dimed

I know there is a whole list of things like this but I hate getting nickeled and dimed. Why do really nice hotels charge for high-speed internet while cheaper ones give it for free? I know that the cheaper ones use it to draw customers while the expensive ones figure it doesn't matter to their clients. But this is the age of big-discount hotel bookings via internet, after all, and some of us poor folk like to take advantage. All that internet fee does is irritate me and make me think the hotel is cheap... like me.

Okay, so I'm hypocritical. But it leaves a bad taste in my mouth anyway and is it really worth it? I mean if they're going to let us poor people stay there don't they want us raving about how great it is? I better quit before I get started on Barnes & Noble. These people need to realize that charging for access may look profitable to the balance sheet but it does more harm than good.

Now let me say a few words about insurance companies. On second thought, I better watch my blood pressure.

Ooooh, that rant felt good.

At That Stage

My sons were in a bad car accident today. Ben, the oldest, drives Adam and Michael to school just a little after 7 AM. This morning a young lady pulled out of a side road directly in front of them. It was a direct hit right into the side of her car where her young daughter was sitting.

Ben was going about 50 mph and it happened so fast he probably didn't get slowed down much when they hit. The car spun around and ended up facing the opposite direction. The seat belts and airbags did their job and none of my sons were seriously hurt.

The passengers in the other car were not so lucky. The driver was thrown from the car and ended up underneath it. Some people passing by were able to lift the car off of her and a helicopter transported her and her daughter to the hospital. We found out this evening that they both have extensive injuries but it looks like they will recover.

I brought the boys home with the blessing of the principal who met us at the scene. They seemed a little out of sorts which was understandable. Ben was concerned about the lady and her daughter. People kept telling him it wasn't his fault but it still bothers him which I think is good. He turns 18 a week from today and I'm proud of the man he is becoming.

I hate getting phone calls like that but I'm at that stage of my life. I would be pleased if I never got another one but it is a dark reminder that life is fragile. My boys seems indestructible but after looking at the remains of our Buick I'm just thankful they are still here.

And I pray for a full recovery of that young lady and her daughter.

A New Friend

I made a new friend over the weekend. She died last Thursday and I did the funeral service yesterday. I never met this person while she was alive and I actually did not begin to learn some of her most basic details until Friday.

By the time of the funeral on Monday I found myself liking this person. I heard story after story from her family and friends. I knew that people would be sharing only the good things they could remember for such is the nature of the mourning process. But I think we would have been friends.

It's strange to feel the loss of a person you never knew existed before they died.

Yikes, More Sin.

Just when you thought you had a handle on the 7 deadly sins out comes a list with even more. This article on the CNN website starts with "A Vatican official has listed drugs, pollution and genetic manipulations as well as social and economic injustices as new areas of sinful behavior."

I kind of like the move toward sins with "social resonance" as they describe them because I think all to often we only think of ourselves and forget about our society as a whole. And I do think it sometimes helps to point out behavior that we don't necessarily notice is sinful.

But here is the downside with these lists. Some people are going to see them as a check list. As long as they don't do them, or get them absolved if they do commit them, then everything is alright. Righteousness ceases to be a matter of the heart, there is no relationship with God, and we go back to being a follower of Christ in name only.

It will be interesting to see how people respond to these additions. In the meantime I better go sharpen my pencil. This stuff is getting hard to keep track of.

Bingo

I love the IBM commercial about the convention goers playing Buzzword Bingo. It shows them handing out buzzword bingo cards at the beginning of a lecture. Then you see a speaker throwing out all kinds of buzzwords as he gives his presentation. Right in the middle a young lady playing the game yells out "Bingo" which brings the proceedings to a stop while they try to figure out what's going on.

I wanna play! I wanna play! It seems most of the pastor-type conferences I've been to are also filled with buzzwords. I just want to yell out Bingo right in the middle of one and see if anyone gets how ridiculous we are with our latest and greatest buzz.

I've got to be careful though. I can see it now. About half we through my next sermon some smarty pants is going to yell bingo. I'll probably just fold up my notes and say a benediction.

Pre-existing Conditions

When I signed up for our insurance I was asked if anyone in my family had any pre-existing medical conditions. A theological discussion I was reading the other day reminded me of that.

What if I had told my insurance company that there were none that I was aware of? After all, how can you be aware of an ailment that doesn't exist yet. There may be existing medical conditions but they would hardly qualify as "pre" since they had already manifested themselves.

I know that I wouldn't get away with it but it might be an interesting argument. I'm sure that they would tell me that the "pre" referred to their insurance policy going into force and they would hammer away at the fact that the term is standard usage. I would love to hear of someone winning such a case though, just for the fun of it. That's why I would make a lousy judge.

I'll Miss You Larry

When I was just a young kid my dad pastored a church near Grand Rapids, Michigan. On of the songs that it seemed every singing group sang was "I Wish We'd All Been Ready." My dad liked it so I challenged him.

"Do you know who wrote that song?"

"Yeah, some long haired Jesus freak," he responded.

It took the air out of my argument. I was hoping I could shock him by the fact that the song was written by a rocker who was really out there at the time. Instead I crawled back to my room to listen to more of his music.

In my mind Larry Norman was the father of Christian rock music. He was tremendously talented and had a knack for writing songs that were edgy and enduring. I recently heard someone ask for best song lyric lines. Most of the ones I could think of were from Larry.

There were a few other good musicians in the genre after Larry but for a long time it was filled with some pretty lousy music. People listened to it because it was so called Christian music and it seemed that as long as you put "I love Jesus" in it you cold get away with writing bad music. I actually stopped listening to most Christian music because it just wasn't that good.

Larry went through some pretty heavy struggles in the last 30 years of his life. I won't go into any of that but I did catch him on a Youtube video not long ago and it was great to see the old Larry on stage. It seemed he was touring in Europe quite a bit but I don't really know for sure.

The news reports are that Larry passed away yesterday morning. I feel a sense of loss even though I haven't followed him that closely for a long time now. He was talented, original, passionate and always seemed to be able to stay focused on Jesus. There is some mighty good music in heaven today. He was a righteous rocker. Sorry devil, you lose.

The Art of Storytelling

A popular comment to pastors is, "Jesus used stories so you should use stories when you preach." That sounds great but being a good storyteller is a lot harder than it sounds.

A few "experts" have picked up on this and they have written stories rather than the dissertation format we usually get in their books. I recently finished just such a book and, while I will applaud the attempt, I have to say the writing was pretty lousy. I mean it is not like I'm going to go around telling people to read the book just because the story is so good. I would only tell them to read the book if I thought the knowledge gained would be worth it for them.

So my advice is to be careful about telling stories. Know that storytelling is an art form that takes work and practice. If you aren't that good at it be sure to use what you are good at until your storytelling skills have improved. It's not easy and unless you are naturally gifted at it you need to learn how to do it properly first.

I have a sudden urge to go read Dostoevsky now.

The Church Enterprise

We had some prospective staff for Neiu Communities, South Africa, speak at our church a few weeks ago. They shared a video produced by their parent organization CRM-Empowering Leaders. At the beginning of the video was this quote from Richard Halverson:

"Christianity began in Palestine as a relationship, moved to Greece and became an idea, went to Rome and became an institution, then came to America and became an enterprise."
- Richard Halverson

I'm not sure that it is completely fair but I loved it anyway. I hate to speak for a man who is no longer with us but I'm pretty sure that by enterprise Halverson was referring to the business oriented, organizational, systematic action that we usually think of when we think of the term. I doubt he was thinking in terms of a daring adventure or journey.

Sometimes it is easy to forget about relationships in the midst of all the stuff that needs to get done. I just read a book in which the author becomes aware of his inability to listen carefully. He was shocked to find that he was indeed a bad listener and even more shocked to realize how it made others feel.

So many times I want to tell people that I care but I really have some other things to do that need to get done now. What I'm really saying in those situations is that I care but only a little. I don't care if everyone else does it either. Just one more person more worried about the bottom line than relationships is one too many.

I hope I can see through the clutter and be able to focus on what is really important. The enterprise can get to looking quite fancy and appealing but it is pretty hollow in and of itself. The relationships are the real substance and without substance why should we even bother.

The Risk of Servant Leadership

First, let me say that I can't believe I'm writing a post on leadership. I think I've had my fill of leadership stuff and need a break for awhile. I've read so many books on leadership it makes my head hurt. I really worry that I'm going to hurt someone's feelings if they ask me if I've read some book on leadership that they happen to be into because I know my disgust will probably show through. It's not that leadership isn't important, it's just that 75% of the stuff written about it is crap, another 24.99% percent has already been written about by someone else, and only .01% is actually new and useful.

One of the best books on leadership is the Bible. It is so good that a lot of writers have even used it to find leadership principles in it that aren't really there. For my money it is pretty simple though. To lead you must serve.

A lot of writers have run with this little tidbit of wisdom too. But in the end I always feel like they've found a way to weasel about the most basic element of the formula, serving. "Yeah, but you serve by making good decisions in your office, not by actually sweeping the floor."

That's what makes the story about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples so amazing. I know there are plenty of theologians out there who have pulled meaning after meaning out of that passage but to me the amazing thing is that he actually did it. He actually served in a direct tangible way.

Last April I wrote a post about Holbein's painting of the Last Supper called The Ugly Feet. The feet under the table are ugly and seem to be exaggerated. This wasn't something that would have been fun. It was gross.

Being a servant leader sounds good but it is risky. Some people lose respect for you because it doesn't fit the model they had in mind. It is easy to get crushed by people who lead by power. It is can frustrate people who want you to serve their wants instead of their needs.

The thing about it is that for it to work you have to go all in. Being a power leader and throwing in a few servant moments just won't cut it. You have to be committed to it all the way. That's frightening because you feel like you're on a tightrope without a net.

I guess the good thing about it is that it forces you to trust God. And if you can't trust Him who can you trust.

The Evil Empire of Hannah Montana

Let me start by saying that this accusation is purely speculative and could be, and probably is, completely off base.

Kim and I stopped off at one of our local movie theaters to pick-up some tickets we had purchased for the U23D movie that was supposed to open tonight. "Let me get the manager," was the response we got from the nice lady at the ticket booth. A few minutes later, out pops a couple of sheepish looking managers.

They said that National Geographic, who distributes the film, had pushed back the release so the show was canceled for tonight. No explanation as to why. No explanation as to when it would open. They were nice enough to refund our money plus give us 4 free passes though.

But here is the rub. The theater only has one 3D projector. So what's playing there? The Hannah Montana Movie, and it is packing the place out like crazy. My cynical mind thinks that National Geographic and Disney got together and made a deal. The U23D site now says we'll get the movie on February 22. But my guess is that will only happen if the HMM starts to fade.

I think I'll go rip down the Hannah Montana poster in my daughter's bedroom now. Or maybe not. She'd be mad at me for months and sorry, but U2 just isn't worth that.

My Only Political Post In This Election Cycle

When it comes to politics I'm afraid I'm a little too cynical. If ever the phrase "inmates running the asylum" were true it undoubtedly would be said of politicians. A visitor to our church once commented that I seemed very apolitical for a pastor. I'm not sure what he was used to but I do hate a lot of the things people say about politics because it is usually exaggeration, fear mongering, or worse.

So what do I think about our current crop of candidates? Not that any one should care. But here is my opinion on Clinton, Obama, and McCain. Those are the three who have a shot so I won't waste time on any one else. Sorry Huckabee fans.

I want a visionary leader. Someone once said that a visionary leader leads people to a promised land that they never knew existed. I like that. We're talking about visionary here, not someone who takes us where we think we want to go but someone who can take us to a good place where we will be glad to be even if we don't know exactly what that is yet.

I expect Hillary will be like Bill and Bill was not a visionary leader. He was more of a consensus leader. He would find out where people were headed, through polls, and then jump to the front of the line to lead the way. Sometimes this is a good thing but this country needs more than that right now. Some would say that Hillary's attempt at national health care in the early nineties was visionary and maybe it was. But she obviously proved that she couldn't take people with her. That's where the leader part comes in.

George bush is a visionary leader. The only problem is that when we got to where he was taking us we didn't like it. That's the risk of electing a visionary leader. People wonder why he is so stubborn. It's because he believes in his vision and isn't worried about consensus. His problem is that the place were he took us didn't deliver the results that I think even he thought they would. I really doubt that he would have won a second term if the Democrats had put up someone more centrist than Kerry.

For me the question comes down to who is the most visionary between McCain and Obama. McCain has shown that he will do what he thinks he should do no matter what the party line is. He also has shown that he is a bit of an operator, if you believe what some people say about the Virginia primary. I suppose some don't like that while others see it as a sign of a man who can get things done. In the end I have to say that I don't know if he would be a visionary leader. But I do believe that he is the closest thing to it that the Republicans have right now.

Obama doesn't have the record to allow him to make the claim that he is a visionary leader. He has to make the case from scratch, which may be a lot harder, but I wouldn't necessarily hold that against him. I think visionary leaders learn from where we've been, are aware of where we are, but focus on what we will become as a nation. Obama sounds like he gets this. Like McCain, I have to say I don't know if he is a visionary leader either, but he is the closest the Democrats have to it.

I won't make any predictions but of the three I suppose it is obvious that the one I don't want is Hillary. I wonder who McCain would rather face. I also wonder if he feels confident enough that he is going to win that he will do some back door dealing now to get his supporters in the remaining races to vote in the Democratic races instead of for him. That way he might be able to face who he wants. I bet he wishes the Huckster would drop out.

Well, there you have it. I have said my bit on politics for the year. I will just add for all you Republicans out there that I know a lot of Democrats who I consider to be excellent Christians. And for you Democrats, I know a lot of Republicans who really do have a passion for the poor. They just disagree with you on how to help. As for me, I'd just rather talk about Jesus.

I'm Not Sure That Word Means What You Think It Means

I wonder the same thing about us church leaders when we talk about team work. Team work is a staple of our country. In our sports we like flair and sizzle but the bottom line is how well the group works together as a team. We believe that team work can overcome any one's individual talent. But I'm beginning to think we are simply giving lip service to the idea and I'm not sure we really believe it.

The Bible talks about team work, especially Paul. He talks about being one body made up of many parts and he does an outstanding job of showing how each individual part is important and how each part should stick to its role.

I think Paul brings it up because his audience is Greek and their understanding of team work is a little different than that of the Hebrews. Western teachers who work in eastern countries have long known that there is a difference in world view about this and it affects how they teach. To eastern and primitive minds the highest cause is the whole. The whole takes precedence over the individual. They put things together while we tear them apart. Give them an atom and they'll want to know how it fits together with other atoms to make a whole. Give us western minds an atom and we'll want to know how to split it.

To the western mind the highest value lies within the individual. Individual rights are most important. The trick for government is to some how maintain order without impinging on individual rights. We seek to find the most basic element.

So Paul explains how this team work stuff is supposed to work because the Greeks, like us, have a harder time thinking in terms of the whole. It is a familiar passage of Scripture and we know it well. We nod accent to it because we like the idea of being part of a team. Sort of. We just can't bring ourselves to accept it.

Instead we come up with slogans like "Each One Reach One" and when some one asks about team work we respond that we agree with it but then add that it is still the obligation of everyone to lead people to Jesus. Apparently we really don't do that as a team. Instead we all get to be the "mouth" for that. But what else is this body for?

I heard someone say once that we should pray for the evangelist among us to rise up and do their job. It wasn't so much as a condemnation of the evangelists but, rather, the rest of us who keep getting in the way. When I see a lot of embarrassing things done in the name of Jesus I tend to agree. We would be better off if everyone would stop trying to "win one" and get out of the way of those gifted to do it. We should go back to our support roles, those things we are gifted to do. Or don't we really believe in spiritual gifts either?

Team work? I don't think it means what we think it means.

Sunday Morning Small Groups

One of the struggles I have is getting our congregation to focus on God for a time of worship. The problem is that the barriers to this are good things. We have traditionally given time to people to share their prayer requests and praises. We have avoided the "too much information" problems usually associated with this, though it was beginning to become a problem recently. The thing is, this time can be emotional, pull on the heart strings, pull us together kind of moments, so no one wants to give them up.

But here is the problem, this stuff is important but it should be done in a small group and not during the Sunday Worship Service. We have around 90 people show up for worship so we know it is already way beyond a small group. Nevertheless, there are always several people willing to share their prayer requests. However, the majority sit quietly, probably shocked at how personal some people are willing to be.

There is also a logical limit to how much time can be spent on listening to praises and prayer requests so growth is limited. No matter what size we become as a church it will only be practical to give the same amount of time to it. That means we will probably have the same people involved while an even greater number will be spectators. It will also be a greater number who are less interested because they won't be as close to those people sharing and they will most likely be bored and find there way somewhere else.

This is a major problem in small churches. Because of the intimacy they don't feel a need to join a small group because they get their needs taken care of in the worship service. That's why it is hard to start small groups in small churches. But that's the very thing that keeps those churches from growing. (My cynical side would suggest that some people fight for things precisely to keep things small.)

I suppose this is a good advertisement for a house church but there is a real danger there too. No matter what size church you have you aren't exempted from the Great Commission. That means a house church should be multiplying itself like crazy and I think a lot of people struggle with that kind of instability. Either way people are going to feel uncomfortable.

Convertibles

I went to the Ritz Lecture at Winebrenner Theological Seminary (or is it Wineberry) last week to hear Scott McNight's lectures on conversion. It was worth the trip but I have to say some of the usual conference irritations cropped up.

The number one annoyance was the Q & A session. The questioner would start to ask a question and then stop and continue on for 5 minutes about what they thought. With all due respect, I really don't care what they think in that situation. I just wish they would ask a question and let the man answer. It was way too big of a group for the kind of dialogue they were looking for. Go home and blog about it if you have more to say.

As far as conversion, I came away with a couple of thoughts. At one point he talked about why some people move to apostasy. If my summary is correct, one of the reasons for this is that the Christians such a person is in fellowship with are too dogmatic. He also talked about the move from protestant evangelicalism to catholicism. Ironically, it seems that one of the reasons for this move is that the former isn't dogmatic enough.

I also came away thinking that a lot of leaders and fellow pastors I know are bothered by a topic like conversion if it suggests anything other than what they believe. A couple of churches I know present themselves as "safe places to explore Christianity." I think a lot of pastors would like a safe place to do the same.

My Daughter's First Hair Cut

My daughter is 9 years old and had her first hair cut yesterday. She has actually had it trimmed about three times but that's it. She loved her long hair. Have you ever noticed that in all those children's movies the princess usually has long blond hair? That's what she wanted to be so she would never hear of getting it cut.

About a year or so ago my wife mentioned to her that some people cut their hair and give it to organizations who use it to make wigs for cancer patients. Apparently that stuck in her head and a few days ago she said she wanted to do that. So off she went yesterday and had about 16 inches cut off.

I kept staring at her last night. She just looks so different. So far she is thrilled because one of the Fort Wayne newspapers came to take her picture and she was on the front page this morning. I hope Locks of Love can put the hair to good use. And I hope Gabby continues to develop a heart willing to sacrifice things she cares about to help other people.

All In The Words

Each Sunday morning our church has a worship service. My friend Dan calls what they do at his church a worship "gathering" instead. It ticks me off because "gathering" sounds so much cooler than a service. I'm sure I have been told why he calls it that but I don't remember off hand.

I would probably call our service a gathering too but it just doesn't seem to fit. I remember a creepy short story I had to read in school called "The Lottery" where the towns people gathered together to choose which member of the community they were going to stone to death to appease the gods, or was it to break a curse, I can't remember. It was heartless and cruel, as well as idiotic, and whenever I've heard the word gathering since then that's what I think of. But that's just my own weird psychological problem.

I guess I'll stick with "service" and I guess it is as good a word as any. If I remember right the word for worship in the New Testament (Greek) is the same word we get the word liturgy from which is to do the work or service of praising God. I never thought of worship as service or work but maybe I should. It sounds like I'm giving it a bad connotation but maybe that is how disciplined and serious we should be about worship. I just wish it sounded cooler.

Whether I like it or not I think I'm stuck with a worship service.

Supernatural

Yeah, I have the album but that's not what I'm talking about. I recall a comment I read somewhere that I think came from G. Boyd. "If it has flesh and blood then it is not my enemy." The point he was making was that his battles weren't with people, they were with the powers of darkness. That sounds so basic but I would bet that most Christians don't even think about that.

Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (TNIV)

In spite of this I think most Christians are at war precisely with flesh and blood. We don't differentiate between flesh and blood and the supernatural. We tend to see them as one and the same. Did you catch the last line of that verse? "...spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Wow!

I think the problem is we don't like to think about the supernatural. If any one knew we talked about "ghosts" they would think we were crazy. It even freaks us out. We'd rather deal with what we can see, and touch, and hear.

So we pick on people who are made in the image of God instead. People who God loves and cares about. Granted, they are in bondage to some spiritual force of evil, but so are/were we. I think Boyd's credo is pretty good. "If it's made of flesh and blood then it's not my enemy."