Got to see a couple of movies in the last few days. Saw I Am Legend last Saturday and then watched Juno on Christmas night. Both were good, Juno flirts with great.
Legend was fun, exciting, another good performance by Will Smith, and had a surprising depth of emotion and thought. It's a relative thing certainly but they wrestle, for at least a few minutes, with some interesting issues. Themes of isolation, community, the morality of killing were cool and I thought they even dealt with the whole "God did this"/"God didn't do this"/"There is no God"/"God is still with us" debate very well. Interesting stuff around the idea of the nature of science and faith and how sacrifice may play a role in both.
Juno was excellent. Funnier than I had thought it would be but incredibly sweet and not really preachy. Ellen Page is really great in her title role and the rest of the cast orbits nicely around her. Michael Cera plays the same guy as most stuff he's in but he does it well. Jennifer Garner even does a nice job as the adoptive mom and though I didn't like seeing Jason Bateman play kind of a jerk, he's good as well. I was especially surprised by the parents of Juno, though shocked and obviously disappointed by the discovery of her pregnancy, they are not portrayed as stupid, out of touch, or mean, rather they are given ample opportunity to portray the love and wisdom they have for her. But ultimately good dialogue, a fun plot, and again Ellen Page's portrayal of Juno make this a very entertaining movie. I would see this again soon (if I could afford it).
Somehow I doubt Alien vs. Predator (Requiem) (should Requiem even be used in conjunction with this kind of movie? sounds too fancy) is going to be as well done but I'm still looking forward to seeing it with a few friends who are nerds like me and loved the Alien series and the Predator series (though I'm not sure I would put them on exactly the same level).
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Christians in the marketplace
Last night I was over at Starbucks enjoying my first Tuesday night not at school and the freedom to read anything I want. My wife had a Bible Study Christmas mini party at the house for her friends so it seemed a good time to step out, get some coffee, and read in a nice environment. I started reading The Kite Runner which has been on my reading list since last winter but I keep putting it off for seminary material and then this summer I read the whole Harry Potter series and let everything else slide. Finished about half of The Kite Runner and it is really good so far, sad but good.
Anyway, as I was reading and enjoying a nice Frap, I noticed four younger (I'd guess 18-20 years old) guys came in with Bibles and sat down at a table next to me. Being curious I eavesdropped a bit and I was impressed with the depth of their conversation and approach to Bible Study. Good stuff and I smiled thinking that it was cool that a group of guys could gather in a public place and have a deep and thoughtful discussion of Jesus, and perhaps that would be a good witness. Then one of the guys asked the others, "So is anyone going to buy anything?" They all kind of looked at each other and the guy whom I think is kind of the leader basically said he didn't feel like it. It was then I noticed that they had brought in a 2 liter bottle of coke and a bag of chips.
Not sure how this happened but aren't we all pretty much under the same impression that it is rude to go into a business that sells drinks and/or food and bring your own? And isn't it rude to utilize a place of business for your own purposes but not support that business by purchasing something?
Luckily these gentlemen decided to go ahead and get something and I was glad to see it. Here's a couple of points I'd like to make about that though:
1. No, Starbucks isn't going to lose money because 4 people didn't buy something and yes, Starbucks is kind of built around the idea of being a gathering place for people, but still, if you are going to meet there, at least half of your group should get something. It doesn't have to be coffee, there are plenty of other hot and cold options, most of which are very tasty, and several don't cost more than a couple of bucks.
2. I don't want to draw too many lines in the sand but as Christians we need to be very careful about stuff like this. It just makes us look bad if we have a rather public study and then bring our own food and drink in and do not support the business. It makes us look cheap. I think we, as Christians with generosity coursing through our veins :-), should be the big tippers, the people who go out of their way to support businesses that allow us to meet and discuss things, even if they let anyone do it. Let's be the types of people who are known for generosity and good manners.
That's it.
Oh yeah, one other thing. If I get another "let's teach the oil companies a lesson" facebook invite, email forward, etc. I'm going to have to choke someone. Until we realize that the only way to deal with rising prices is to drive down demand meaning mass transit, walking, or riding a bike, none of it makes a difference. If I and everyone else drive cars the same amount, it does not matter from whom I by gasoline or if we skip a day of the week. Demand is demand and supply will meet it with the appropriate cost. This is all demand driven. Sorry folks, it's how the economy works. We can't consume, consume, consume a product of which there is a limited supply and a lengthy process by which to get it to market and expect the price to drop. It's not a DVD player.
Merry Christmas everyone. Seriously, as mean or sarcastic as that last paragraph may be I hope that everyone experiences some form of the peace of Christ in their lives, in the lives of their families, and in their interactions with their worlds this season.
Anyway, as I was reading and enjoying a nice Frap, I noticed four younger (I'd guess 18-20 years old) guys came in with Bibles and sat down at a table next to me. Being curious I eavesdropped a bit and I was impressed with the depth of their conversation and approach to Bible Study. Good stuff and I smiled thinking that it was cool that a group of guys could gather in a public place and have a deep and thoughtful discussion of Jesus, and perhaps that would be a good witness. Then one of the guys asked the others, "So is anyone going to buy anything?" They all kind of looked at each other and the guy whom I think is kind of the leader basically said he didn't feel like it. It was then I noticed that they had brought in a 2 liter bottle of coke and a bag of chips.
Not sure how this happened but aren't we all pretty much under the same impression that it is rude to go into a business that sells drinks and/or food and bring your own? And isn't it rude to utilize a place of business for your own purposes but not support that business by purchasing something?
Luckily these gentlemen decided to go ahead and get something and I was glad to see it. Here's a couple of points I'd like to make about that though:
1. No, Starbucks isn't going to lose money because 4 people didn't buy something and yes, Starbucks is kind of built around the idea of being a gathering place for people, but still, if you are going to meet there, at least half of your group should get something. It doesn't have to be coffee, there are plenty of other hot and cold options, most of which are very tasty, and several don't cost more than a couple of bucks.
2. I don't want to draw too many lines in the sand but as Christians we need to be very careful about stuff like this. It just makes us look bad if we have a rather public study and then bring our own food and drink in and do not support the business. It makes us look cheap. I think we, as Christians with generosity coursing through our veins :-), should be the big tippers, the people who go out of their way to support businesses that allow us to meet and discuss things, even if they let anyone do it. Let's be the types of people who are known for generosity and good manners.
That's it.
Oh yeah, one other thing. If I get another "let's teach the oil companies a lesson" facebook invite, email forward, etc. I'm going to have to choke someone. Until we realize that the only way to deal with rising prices is to drive down demand meaning mass transit, walking, or riding a bike, none of it makes a difference. If I and everyone else drive cars the same amount, it does not matter from whom I by gasoline or if we skip a day of the week. Demand is demand and supply will meet it with the appropriate cost. This is all demand driven. Sorry folks, it's how the economy works. We can't consume, consume, consume a product of which there is a limited supply and a lengthy process by which to get it to market and expect the price to drop. It's not a DVD player.
Merry Christmas everyone. Seriously, as mean or sarcastic as that last paragraph may be I hope that everyone experiences some form of the peace of Christ in their lives, in the lives of their families, and in their interactions with their worlds this season.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
the golden compass...my two cents
Never short of opinions, I figured I'd weigh in on this Golden Compass thing. Just a few thoughts and no doubt, I could very well be wrong on some or all of them so take what makes sense and dump the rest.
1. I don't think we, Christians that is or if we need clarification, followers of Jesus Christ, need to be too concerned about this movie and here's why.
a) The guy who wrote this (Philip Pullman) is not exactly the most avid atheist or even really literate of atheist positions. I have not read these books but from what I have gathered via various reviews and talking with those who have read them, Pullman seems to have more hangups with organized religion than with God.
b) Anyone remember The Da Vinci Code? Neither do I. :-) Let's face it, our tendency is to overreact to these things and give them too much credit. Ten minutes of research on ole Dan Brown's book discredits almost every claim.
c) The last time I looked we are following, serving, submitting to, and worshipping a God who came as a man who said that he was "the way, the truth, and the life". If I really believe that, and I'd like to think that I do most of the time, there is little in this world I need to fear which of course doesn't excuse stupidity (just watching anything and everything and filtering nothing, there are plenty of things that are destructive and immoral and we don't need to place ourselves in those things) but does give me some confidence when reading, watching, and/or experiencing something that may not be "Christian" or is possibly even "anti-Christian". I don't think Pullman is more influential or powerful than God. And I really don't mean to sound sarcastic there. Sometimes I find myself concerned about things like this book and giving them more credit than I would God.
2. Protesting this movie and/or book seems kind of absurd. I mean, certainly we have the right to do so (but so did a lot of groups with The Passion of the Christ but we weren't exactly listening to them were we?), but is that really how we want to be seen and known primarily. I realize that as Protestants, we protest at our core but maybe it's time to dump that and start swimming upstream in culture to affect it creatively rather than always criticizing it and yelling.
3. This movie, like The Da Vinci Code, affords us a great opportunity to become more well versed in what we believe and why we believe it. Though the world may not always perceive this, we aren't a dumb bunch of people. Jesus, the Bible, church, etc. actually make a lot of sense and we can engage challenges intelligently, creatively, and mercifully without resorting to hysteria (which is not where things are, but they can quickly go there).
4. Perhaps we can learn something from these books, namely what are the big issues that Pullman is criticizing and are some of them legitimate? Can we ask that question and seek an answer and still be Christians? I think we can. And perhaps understanding why these books resonate with some people can give us a better insight into how we, the church, may be misrepresenting God and missing the point.
5. On the other side of this I'm seeing people who are Christians that mock or make fun of those who have concerns about this book/movie. To that I say, "Be careful." At the end of the day Pullman is a professed atheist who admits to taking ideas from Lord of the Rings and Narnia to develop an atheistic approach to epic storytelling. There is an agenda, though at times Pullman will downplay it, and namely it is to destroy God, or at least an idea of God. That is dangerous and marketing it to children is not exactly good stuff in my opinion (which is why it is good for us parents to know what we believe and why we believe it and to ask hard questions so that we can help our children wrestle when appropriate). I think atheism is empty and dangerous and though I don't want us to become hysterical, I don't have a problem with churches and clergy addressing this movie/book and helping people to see through the lies.
At the end of the day I just hope we have some perspective. I plan on reading The Golden Compass soon if only to have a better idea of what is in it to better address questions my youth may have. I don't wish to become hysterical but I do think we should draw attention to the negative aspects of such art. Hopefully, from our end at least, grace, mercy, and listening will rule the day.
That's it. For anyone who stumbles across this post, I would love to hear your point of view.
1. I don't think we, Christians that is or if we need clarification, followers of Jesus Christ, need to be too concerned about this movie and here's why.
a) The guy who wrote this (Philip Pullman) is not exactly the most avid atheist or even really literate of atheist positions. I have not read these books but from what I have gathered via various reviews and talking with those who have read them, Pullman seems to have more hangups with organized religion than with God.
b) Anyone remember The Da Vinci Code? Neither do I. :-) Let's face it, our tendency is to overreact to these things and give them too much credit. Ten minutes of research on ole Dan Brown's book discredits almost every claim.
c) The last time I looked we are following, serving, submitting to, and worshipping a God who came as a man who said that he was "the way, the truth, and the life". If I really believe that, and I'd like to think that I do most of the time, there is little in this world I need to fear which of course doesn't excuse stupidity (just watching anything and everything and filtering nothing, there are plenty of things that are destructive and immoral and we don't need to place ourselves in those things) but does give me some confidence when reading, watching, and/or experiencing something that may not be "Christian" or is possibly even "anti-Christian". I don't think Pullman is more influential or powerful than God. And I really don't mean to sound sarcastic there. Sometimes I find myself concerned about things like this book and giving them more credit than I would God.
2. Protesting this movie and/or book seems kind of absurd. I mean, certainly we have the right to do so (but so did a lot of groups with The Passion of the Christ but we weren't exactly listening to them were we?), but is that really how we want to be seen and known primarily. I realize that as Protestants, we protest at our core but maybe it's time to dump that and start swimming upstream in culture to affect it creatively rather than always criticizing it and yelling.
3. This movie, like The Da Vinci Code, affords us a great opportunity to become more well versed in what we believe and why we believe it. Though the world may not always perceive this, we aren't a dumb bunch of people. Jesus, the Bible, church, etc. actually make a lot of sense and we can engage challenges intelligently, creatively, and mercifully without resorting to hysteria (which is not where things are, but they can quickly go there).
4. Perhaps we can learn something from these books, namely what are the big issues that Pullman is criticizing and are some of them legitimate? Can we ask that question and seek an answer and still be Christians? I think we can. And perhaps understanding why these books resonate with some people can give us a better insight into how we, the church, may be misrepresenting God and missing the point.
5. On the other side of this I'm seeing people who are Christians that mock or make fun of those who have concerns about this book/movie. To that I say, "Be careful." At the end of the day Pullman is a professed atheist who admits to taking ideas from Lord of the Rings and Narnia to develop an atheistic approach to epic storytelling. There is an agenda, though at times Pullman will downplay it, and namely it is to destroy God, or at least an idea of God. That is dangerous and marketing it to children is not exactly good stuff in my opinion (which is why it is good for us parents to know what we believe and why we believe it and to ask hard questions so that we can help our children wrestle when appropriate). I think atheism is empty and dangerous and though I don't want us to become hysterical, I don't have a problem with churches and clergy addressing this movie/book and helping people to see through the lies.
At the end of the day I just hope we have some perspective. I plan on reading The Golden Compass soon if only to have a better idea of what is in it to better address questions my youth may have. I don't wish to become hysterical but I do think we should draw attention to the negative aspects of such art. Hopefully, from our end at least, grace, mercy, and listening will rule the day.
That's it. For anyone who stumbles across this post, I would love to hear your point of view.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
NYWC, last full day
Leaving later today (Sunday), probably around 4pm or so. It's been good, relaxing, fun, challenging. Weird to think that this is my tenth convention.
Saturday was fun. Slept in a bit then went to the morning general session. Phyllis Tickle was the main speaker and I was excited to hear her speak again. I first got a chance to hear her at an Emergent Convention about four years ago. Great stuff. She did another good job this time. Really made the case for a big shift in the way we do church by looking at the various 500 year cycles of the church. Amazing to look through church history and see how there are these major shifts that redefine everything we do and how we do it. I think she probably made the best case for the legitimacy of the emergent church movement that I've heard (without really mentioning it). She did it with humility and with great information and development. Good stuff.
Went to Chris Folmsbee's Stories, Signs, and Sacred Rhythms seminar. Good, as expected. It's been fun to get to know Chris a bit more with him speaking at our district retreat last weekend. He's definitely taking his ministry in a good direction, at least in my opinion and hey, that's what a blog is all about.
Got to go back to Landmark Diner for dinner with Jeff, David, Shoup, and Jennifer. Service wasn't great but I'm pretty sure our waitress had about 15 tables so it gave us about 2 hours to eat which was nice. Good burger, good cheesecake, and good conversation.
Came back to the room afterwards to read for school. Now I'm just doing the blog thing. Three entries in three days. That's some kind of record for me.
I'll be going to the morning general session and then to Jeanne Stevens seminar on conflict. She usually does a good job and I really think this will be good for me to hear. Several things I've come across this weekend have emphasized our need to listen to the Holy Spirit and allow the Spirit to move in the lives of students, to not just push things on them. I want to get some perspective on balancing allowing the Spirit to deal with people and situations and stepping in to deal with conflict when necessary. I'm worried about how some of the girls in the group are treating each other and I'm not sure how to address it; how much to pray and allow God to convict them and when to put my foot down and say enough is enough. They are such a great group of girls but can get petty and mean sometimes (which in and of itself is realtively normal but seems to have increased a bit lately) and it's just not healthy. I don't think that any of them want to be that way but it's so easy to get carried away. I pray about it frequently and pray for wisdom to guide them in the way of Christ. Grace, mercy, and forgiveness are key to any community moving in a healthy direction and I pray that those things will reign in ours.
Looking forward to getting home and having the week off. Used some vacation to get Monday through Wednesday off to spend with my wife and kids. I miss them a bunch. Then we're on to Orlando for Thanksgiving with the family and Disney World Friday through Sunday. Can't wait for Ethan to see Mickey Mouse. The kid dances every time the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse comes on TV and points and babbles incoherently when Mickey comes on the screen.
I think Ethan may have said "I love you daddy" on the phone today. He's still not really clear but definitely progressing and the syllables were there so I'll take it.
Saturday was fun. Slept in a bit then went to the morning general session. Phyllis Tickle was the main speaker and I was excited to hear her speak again. I first got a chance to hear her at an Emergent Convention about four years ago. Great stuff. She did another good job this time. Really made the case for a big shift in the way we do church by looking at the various 500 year cycles of the church. Amazing to look through church history and see how there are these major shifts that redefine everything we do and how we do it. I think she probably made the best case for the legitimacy of the emergent church movement that I've heard (without really mentioning it). She did it with humility and with great information and development. Good stuff.
Went to Chris Folmsbee's Stories, Signs, and Sacred Rhythms seminar. Good, as expected. It's been fun to get to know Chris a bit more with him speaking at our district retreat last weekend. He's definitely taking his ministry in a good direction, at least in my opinion and hey, that's what a blog is all about.
Got to go back to Landmark Diner for dinner with Jeff, David, Shoup, and Jennifer. Service wasn't great but I'm pretty sure our waitress had about 15 tables so it gave us about 2 hours to eat which was nice. Good burger, good cheesecake, and good conversation.
Came back to the room afterwards to read for school. Now I'm just doing the blog thing. Three entries in three days. That's some kind of record for me.
I'll be going to the morning general session and then to Jeanne Stevens seminar on conflict. She usually does a good job and I really think this will be good for me to hear. Several things I've come across this weekend have emphasized our need to listen to the Holy Spirit and allow the Spirit to move in the lives of students, to not just push things on them. I want to get some perspective on balancing allowing the Spirit to deal with people and situations and stepping in to deal with conflict when necessary. I'm worried about how some of the girls in the group are treating each other and I'm not sure how to address it; how much to pray and allow God to convict them and when to put my foot down and say enough is enough. They are such a great group of girls but can get petty and mean sometimes (which in and of itself is realtively normal but seems to have increased a bit lately) and it's just not healthy. I don't think that any of them want to be that way but it's so easy to get carried away. I pray about it frequently and pray for wisdom to guide them in the way of Christ. Grace, mercy, and forgiveness are key to any community moving in a healthy direction and I pray that those things will reign in ours.
Looking forward to getting home and having the week off. Used some vacation to get Monday through Wednesday off to spend with my wife and kids. I miss them a bunch. Then we're on to Orlando for Thanksgiving with the family and Disney World Friday through Sunday. Can't wait for Ethan to see Mickey Mouse. The kid dances every time the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse comes on TV and points and babbles incoherently when Mickey comes on the screen.
I think Ethan may have said "I love you daddy" on the phone today. He's still not really clear but definitely progressing and the syllables were there so I'll take it.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
he stood up and read three chapters of Matthew...and then left
Didn't go to see Crowder. Gave the tickets to Shoup and Jen as I thought they would have fun going together. Now I'm really glad I didn't go because wow. Seriously, I just had to say wow at the end of the main session tonight (Shane Claiborne was the main session speaker). I'm not sure what I was expecting but I was interested because Shane has traveled and had some pretty amazing experiences. So he started off breathing fire and doing a back flip which seemed to set the tone...but then he did something unusual for a main session speaker, he read the Bible.
I don't mean that sarcastically, but really, most of these guys pay a passing glance at Scripture, some use stories, some don't, and it's not that one is better than the other, it's just that most of the messages are there to challenge or encourage us and it is usually their words. Shane, evidently, decided to do something different. So he picked up the Bible and told us he was going to share with us the greatest sermon ever spoken. He read Matthew 5-7, Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount", perhaps my favorite passage of Scripture. I typically focus on chapter 5 because of how Jesus just completely redefines the nature of God and God's kingdom, but the whole thing is truly amazing, especially with the passion with which Shane read it. And then, when he finished, he said, "That's the greatest sermon ever written. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen." And then he left.
I have a tendency to overstate things and be a bit dramatic, but that may have been the most courageous and most meaningful message that I have seen in ten years of Youth Specialties Conferences. I've heard Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, Duffy Robbins, Doug Fields, Andy Stanley, and a whole bunch of other inspirational, challenging, and powerful teachers. And it's sad that to just read Scripture is a "brave" move, but that's exactly what it was. We all have expectations when we walk into these sessions and we are all judging what we hear. No one has had the creativity or the guts perhaps to read us a wonderful, lengthy Jesus sermon and let us rest in the text.
I watched some people walk out of the room while he was reading this passage. Not to go to the bathroom, but because they couldn't believe that this was what he was doing (some I overheard, others I watched shake their heads). I know it is not my job to judge (especially after hearing this passage of Scripture) but seriously, shame on you. These were the words of Jesus, the words of our risen savior whom we claim to serve and love that you walked out on, not Shane. It was about 20 minutes long, sit back down and listen. We need to hear those words everyday, all of us, me included, you included. I wanted to shout and jump out of my seat when he finished because of his courage, his willingness to let Jesus speak for himself instead of mucking it up with all kinds of interpretations.
I love a good message. I love giving a good message. I love interpreting Scripture and teaching its truths. But this was such a good reminder that sometimes the words of Christ just get to speak for themselves and the Spirit can do what needs to be done to help us understand it. For me, Shane's courage (and I say courage because I know a lot of people are going to be critical of him for this, saying he didn't really do anything other than read and get paid, and I'm sure he anticipated that) reminded me that Jesus was even more courageous when he spoke these very words 2000 years ago. Jesus faced rejection, assumptions, and expectations when he said those same words.
So thanks Shane. That was fantastic. I had tears in my eyes when you finished and as soon as you were done I went out and called my wife to tell her how amazing this was and she agreed. Keep doing what you're doing.
I don't mean that sarcastically, but really, most of these guys pay a passing glance at Scripture, some use stories, some don't, and it's not that one is better than the other, it's just that most of the messages are there to challenge or encourage us and it is usually their words. Shane, evidently, decided to do something different. So he picked up the Bible and told us he was going to share with us the greatest sermon ever spoken. He read Matthew 5-7, Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount", perhaps my favorite passage of Scripture. I typically focus on chapter 5 because of how Jesus just completely redefines the nature of God and God's kingdom, but the whole thing is truly amazing, especially with the passion with which Shane read it. And then, when he finished, he said, "That's the greatest sermon ever written. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen." And then he left.
I have a tendency to overstate things and be a bit dramatic, but that may have been the most courageous and most meaningful message that I have seen in ten years of Youth Specialties Conferences. I've heard Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, Duffy Robbins, Doug Fields, Andy Stanley, and a whole bunch of other inspirational, challenging, and powerful teachers. And it's sad that to just read Scripture is a "brave" move, but that's exactly what it was. We all have expectations when we walk into these sessions and we are all judging what we hear. No one has had the creativity or the guts perhaps to read us a wonderful, lengthy Jesus sermon and let us rest in the text.
I watched some people walk out of the room while he was reading this passage. Not to go to the bathroom, but because they couldn't believe that this was what he was doing (some I overheard, others I watched shake their heads). I know it is not my job to judge (especially after hearing this passage of Scripture) but seriously, shame on you. These were the words of Jesus, the words of our risen savior whom we claim to serve and love that you walked out on, not Shane. It was about 20 minutes long, sit back down and listen. We need to hear those words everyday, all of us, me included, you included. I wanted to shout and jump out of my seat when he finished because of his courage, his willingness to let Jesus speak for himself instead of mucking it up with all kinds of interpretations.
I love a good message. I love giving a good message. I love interpreting Scripture and teaching its truths. But this was such a good reminder that sometimes the words of Christ just get to speak for themselves and the Spirit can do what needs to be done to help us understand it. For me, Shane's courage (and I say courage because I know a lot of people are going to be critical of him for this, saying he didn't really do anything other than read and get paid, and I'm sure he anticipated that) reminded me that Jesus was even more courageous when he spoke these very words 2000 years ago. Jesus faced rejection, assumptions, and expectations when he said those same words.
So thanks Shane. That was fantastic. I had tears in my eyes when you finished and as soon as you were done I went out and called my wife to tell her how amazing this was and she agreed. Keep doing what you're doing.
Friday, November 16, 2007
NYWC Atlanta, first two days
Hanging out here in Atlanta at the National Youth Workers Convention. It's been nice to get away though I miss my family. The past few weeks have been crazy. Two retreats/trips in three weeks along with multiple tests and projects due in class and trying to keep up with the ministry stuff. I've been looking forward to getting away and so far it's been nice. Some stuff that was interesting, fun, or weird.
1. My friend Jeff got in Wednesday night around 9:00 or so. We hung out in the room, chatting it up as usual and then around midnight figured out that we were a) not tired and b) hungry. Found this 24 hour diner place (Landmark Diner) about four blocks away. Got a late dinner, grilled cheese, and hung out watching the rain just pour down outside. Something about late night food, hanging with a good friend, and just talking that is really nice and relaxing. Got back to the hotel around 2:30am and slept until 11:00am Thursday. I never sleep that late.
2. On Wednesday night I dished out probably $10-$12 to homeless folks I came across. Basically ran out of money and had to turn the last guy away. It's strange really. In one sense I really want to help, I want to talk, I want to make eye contact, I even made sure to ask names, shake hands, etc. Not because I'm condescending but because I'm trying to break out of these walls I build so frequently to keep some people away. One guy actually said,"It's just nice when someone makes eye contact with me and says hi." His name was Kevin and he was from Boston. Nice guy. On the other hand I was a little frustrated that I couldn't walk 100 yards without someone else asking me for money. Frustrated with them for constantly interrupting my conversation (I'm not saying this is fair, just being honest). Frustrated with me, society, etc. that this is still a problem in a country that is so rich. Not sure how to feel about this. I'm glad that God is helping me to realize how dehumanizing I can be and is helping me to step out a little bit. But I still struggle with the fact that I was heading back to my $100 a night hotel to sleep in a warm bed. I don't know.
3. Good Critical Concerns Course. Probably one of the best I've been to. Did the "Retreat for the Youthworker" with Mike King. Really enjoyed the discussion and the times of prayer and silence along with the contemplative music. Exciting to see how our youth ministry is already moving in some of the directions he was pointing out. Also got some good ideas and such for possible future moves.
1. My friend Jeff got in Wednesday night around 9:00 or so. We hung out in the room, chatting it up as usual and then around midnight figured out that we were a) not tired and b) hungry. Found this 24 hour diner place (Landmark Diner) about four blocks away. Got a late dinner, grilled cheese, and hung out watching the rain just pour down outside. Something about late night food, hanging with a good friend, and just talking that is really nice and relaxing. Got back to the hotel around 2:30am and slept until 11:00am Thursday. I never sleep that late.
2. On Wednesday night I dished out probably $10-$12 to homeless folks I came across. Basically ran out of money and had to turn the last guy away. It's strange really. In one sense I really want to help, I want to talk, I want to make eye contact, I even made sure to ask names, shake hands, etc. Not because I'm condescending but because I'm trying to break out of these walls I build so frequently to keep some people away. One guy actually said,"It's just nice when someone makes eye contact with me and says hi." His name was Kevin and he was from Boston. Nice guy. On the other hand I was a little frustrated that I couldn't walk 100 yards without someone else asking me for money. Frustrated with them for constantly interrupting my conversation (I'm not saying this is fair, just being honest). Frustrated with me, society, etc. that this is still a problem in a country that is so rich. Not sure how to feel about this. I'm glad that God is helping me to realize how dehumanizing I can be and is helping me to step out a little bit. But I still struggle with the fact that I was heading back to my $100 a night hotel to sleep in a warm bed. I don't know.
3. Good Critical Concerns Course. Probably one of the best I've been to. Did the "Retreat for the Youthworker" with Mike King. Really enjoyed the discussion and the times of prayer and silence along with the contemplative music. Exciting to see how our youth ministry is already moving in some of the directions he was pointing out. Also got some good ideas and such for possible future moves.
4. Took a break from the convention this afternoon and went with Jeff over to the Georgia Aquarium. I've wanted to visit it for a while and I'm always a fan of a good aquarium, plus I thought it would be good to scout it for a possible youth trip stop. My observations:
- a little pricey at $27
- good exhibits, they've got whale sharks which I've never seen anywhere else so that was cool
- pretty interesting stuff, I definitely enjoyed it
- not a youth group stop, we were done in about 1.5 hours and between the price and no real shows or entertainment, it's not going to catch a lot of teenagers
So now I'm hanging out in the hotel room blogging and soon transitioning to some school work. We are meeting Shoup and Jennifer for dinner and I think Jeff and I will be going to the David Crowder concert tonight across the street from the hotel with some Ortega folks who have been nice enough to lay a couple of tickets on us.
Looking forward tomorrow's stuff. Phyllis Tickle is the main session speaker in the morning which is cool and Chris Folmsbee's afternoon Super Seminar looks really interesting. TTFN.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
file under spoiled Americans...
Woman Sues Over Apple's iPhone Price Cut
At some point don't we just have to take a step back, breathe a little, and realize that it all actuality, the world doesn't really owe us anything? It's the 21st Century and though we don't have flying cars yet, technology has progressed rather quickly. I assume that when I buy a computer that in 3-6 months it will no longer be as powerful as the newer models on the market and it will most likely cost less than when I first bought it. The Dell Dimension I bought five years ago for $900 now Ebays for $150. That's just how it goes.
So when a chunk of the American public does something stupid (sorry that's just how I feel about this iPhone thing) and waits in line overnight to get a piece of technology that, though cool, will fall right into this same category of being outdated soon, and then wants to complain about a price cut, new technology, etc...TOO BAD. I sound a bit mean here but that iPhone craze was ridiculous. I wanted one, sure, who wouldn't, but I also realized that $600 is more than I have to plunk down right now and at the end of the day, is this really going to change my life? But we love to buy into this notion that if I only have this _________ (whatever that might be), things will be great and then as soon as the new one comes out we are not satisfied, we are unhappy, and in the above case, we want to sue Apple for a million dollars. Yeah, that makes sense.
Newsflash, Apple does not owe any of you anything. They sold you a quality product that they brilliantly marketed. It works perfectly well, it does everything they said it would do, they made no promises of a time frame in which better versions would be made available (that I'm aware of). Basically you are just mad that had you had some kind of patience you could have gotten a better product for $200 to $300 less. Too bad again! You waited in line, you gave them money, you signed a contract, notice the common denominator, YOU. If you bought this phone, deal with it. Lament that you didn't have more patience. Smack yourself in the head that you momentarily lost all control of your faculties before running out to buy a product that had several obvious deficiencies that were noted in advance of its release (6 Reasons Why I Won't Buy the iPhone, is one of many such articles). Or here's a thought, enjoy what you bought. It's a good product, in spite of some deficiencies, and Apple would be a rather stupidly run company if it did not seek to put out newer and better products.
Anyway, that's it. A little perspective, a little responsibility, a little less whining; all of these would be nice.
At some point don't we just have to take a step back, breathe a little, and realize that it all actuality, the world doesn't really owe us anything? It's the 21st Century and though we don't have flying cars yet, technology has progressed rather quickly. I assume that when I buy a computer that in 3-6 months it will no longer be as powerful as the newer models on the market and it will most likely cost less than when I first bought it. The Dell Dimension I bought five years ago for $900 now Ebays for $150. That's just how it goes.
So when a chunk of the American public does something stupid (sorry that's just how I feel about this iPhone thing) and waits in line overnight to get a piece of technology that, though cool, will fall right into this same category of being outdated soon, and then wants to complain about a price cut, new technology, etc...TOO BAD. I sound a bit mean here but that iPhone craze was ridiculous. I wanted one, sure, who wouldn't, but I also realized that $600 is more than I have to plunk down right now and at the end of the day, is this really going to change my life? But we love to buy into this notion that if I only have this _________ (whatever that might be), things will be great and then as soon as the new one comes out we are not satisfied, we are unhappy, and in the above case, we want to sue Apple for a million dollars. Yeah, that makes sense.
Newsflash, Apple does not owe any of you anything. They sold you a quality product that they brilliantly marketed. It works perfectly well, it does everything they said it would do, they made no promises of a time frame in which better versions would be made available (that I'm aware of). Basically you are just mad that had you had some kind of patience you could have gotten a better product for $200 to $300 less. Too bad again! You waited in line, you gave them money, you signed a contract, notice the common denominator, YOU. If you bought this phone, deal with it. Lament that you didn't have more patience. Smack yourself in the head that you momentarily lost all control of your faculties before running out to buy a product that had several obvious deficiencies that were noted in advance of its release (6 Reasons Why I Won't Buy the iPhone, is one of many such articles). Or here's a thought, enjoy what you bought. It's a good product, in spite of some deficiencies, and Apple would be a rather stupidly run company if it did not seek to put out newer and better products.
Anyway, that's it. A little perspective, a little responsibility, a little less whining; all of these would be nice.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
just in case anyone was wondering...
http://www.livescience.com/technology/destroy_earth_mp-1.html
This should once and for all prove that though nerds may be easy pickins in high school, you should be very, VERY careful. They may just spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to destroy the earth in creative yet possible ways.
This should once and for all prove that though nerds may be easy pickins in high school, you should be very, VERY careful. They may just spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to destroy the earth in creative yet possible ways.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
late night am radio
Every Tuesday I drive down to Orlando for classes as Asbury Theological Seminary. It's about a two hour drive. Typically I bring a couple of Podcasts with me to listen to as well as some music. For some reason, on my way home, I really enjoy listening to talk radio or Podcast sermons or something along those lines. Maybe I'm old, oh well, but talk keeps me up better at night than music, even loud music, which tends to lull me to sleep. And I'm driving from 9:00 to 11:00pm, which for me is late driving.
Anyway, after a while, the AM dial starts to go all static and I end up flipping around out of boredom (usually after I've grown tired of Podcasts). This has grown into a nerdy little hobby the past few weeks as I had forgotten that at night the AM band goes a bit crazy and signals bounce all over the place. In the past three weeks I have come across the following stations with pretty clear reception:
700 WLW - Cincinnati
870 WWL - New Orleans
1030 WBZ - Boston
1500 WTOP - Washington D.C.
750 WSB - Atlanta
I don't know why but I think this is really cool. Now I flip around trying to see which cities I can catch an AM signal from. I've tried to think about why I really enjoy this past the novelty of saying I listened to an AM station out of Boston, and I think it's being, potentially anyway, the only one to listen to that station where I am. Almost like I am privy to something that no one else knows about. So it's this 10 or 15 minute moment (usually the signal fades after a bit) where I am hearing something no one else nearby is and I'm not actually in Florida. I'm cruising along the interstate in Massachusetts or D.C. or something. Maybe it's just something different.
So that gets me thinking about how we almost always want something different than what we have and how we sometimes want something that no one else does. And I think, for the most part, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Our desires give us goals and a little piece of the world that is just ours gives us a sense of uniqueness. But it can also lead to discontentment and disillusionment (not that listening to weird AM radio stations leads me away from God, this is metaphorical at this point). If I am always looking for something different and mine and mine alone then I miss out on a lot. So when Jesus teaches about faith being like a mustard seed, I have to realize that I may want more faith, but it is not an overnight thing. Contentment with the journey that I am on is key to my sense of purpose and fulfillment. And if I think my faith is mine and mine alone, I'm going to have a hard time rectifying that with the mustard seed analogy as Jesus describes the seed growing into a towering plant that provides shade and rest for many. So my faith is not just about me and it is not something I can just toss out and trade for a new one if I want to experience a real relationship with God.
So in my wanderings around the radio dial, I enjoy the moments of discovery of a new city. But I also realize that at the end of my journey is not Boston or Washington D.C., but my home, where I belong.
Anyway, after a while, the AM dial starts to go all static and I end up flipping around out of boredom (usually after I've grown tired of Podcasts). This has grown into a nerdy little hobby the past few weeks as I had forgotten that at night the AM band goes a bit crazy and signals bounce all over the place. In the past three weeks I have come across the following stations with pretty clear reception:
700 WLW - Cincinnati
870 WWL - New Orleans
1030 WBZ - Boston
1500 WTOP - Washington D.C.
750 WSB - Atlanta
I don't know why but I think this is really cool. Now I flip around trying to see which cities I can catch an AM signal from. I've tried to think about why I really enjoy this past the novelty of saying I listened to an AM station out of Boston, and I think it's being, potentially anyway, the only one to listen to that station where I am. Almost like I am privy to something that no one else knows about. So it's this 10 or 15 minute moment (usually the signal fades after a bit) where I am hearing something no one else nearby is and I'm not actually in Florida. I'm cruising along the interstate in Massachusetts or D.C. or something. Maybe it's just something different.
So that gets me thinking about how we almost always want something different than what we have and how we sometimes want something that no one else does. And I think, for the most part, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Our desires give us goals and a little piece of the world that is just ours gives us a sense of uniqueness. But it can also lead to discontentment and disillusionment (not that listening to weird AM radio stations leads me away from God, this is metaphorical at this point). If I am always looking for something different and mine and mine alone then I miss out on a lot. So when Jesus teaches about faith being like a mustard seed, I have to realize that I may want more faith, but it is not an overnight thing. Contentment with the journey that I am on is key to my sense of purpose and fulfillment. And if I think my faith is mine and mine alone, I'm going to have a hard time rectifying that with the mustard seed analogy as Jesus describes the seed growing into a towering plant that provides shade and rest for many. So my faith is not just about me and it is not something I can just toss out and trade for a new one if I want to experience a real relationship with God.
So in my wanderings around the radio dial, I enjoy the moments of discovery of a new city. But I also realize that at the end of my journey is not Boston or Washington D.C., but my home, where I belong.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Abraham's Test
So I was heading back from Orlando yesterday after my seminary class got out and I popped in a CD of a PODcast of a Rick McKinley sermon at the Imago Dei Church in Portland, OR. If you are not familiar with that particular church, you might also know it as Donald Miller's church (author of Blue Like Jazz). Rick has done a series on the faithfulness of Abraham and this one had to do with Abraham's test of faith, offering to sacrifice his son.
I won't go into the entire sermon but one of the most startling points for me was that Rick began to distinguish between believing in God and believing in God's promises. In other words, are we more interested in just hanging onto the benefits, the good stuff that comes with knowing God or are we willing to travel the long and difficult road that requires us to lay down those very benefits, those good things so that nothing comes in the way of our relationship with God. That struck me kind of hard and I had to think about it for a while.
I like to think that I am willing to endure difficulty, that I will not always just choose the easy road. But I also know that as God blesses me (my wonderful wife, my kids, my job, school, etc.) it is increasingly easy for my relationship with God to be more about those blessings than God himself. And is God just interested in giving me things or does he want an actual relationship with me, one that is unimpeded by "stuff"? Not that God may ask me to destroy those blessings, but perhaps God wants me to keep things in perspective, the blessings are the side benefit of KNOWING God and being in relationship with God. It's not that God is a miser but God is not just a sugar daddy. If my kids only loved me because I bought them toys and ice cream, that's indicative of a very shallow relationship. So the blame either lies with me thinking that I can buy their love or they are satisfied with temporary, shallow things. Because I believe God is perfect and would not condescend to buy my love, I am left to conclude that I am often satisfied with temporary things, things that though beautiful and fulfilling to a degree are only reflections of a greater love, a greater reality.
Those of you who know me kind of well know that I bristle at most TV preachers (just read back a few posts to my thoughts about Rev. Rod). I think this sermon helped me to see why I bristle but also helped me to extend a little more grace. So much of TV preaching centers on what God wants to give us; money, power, prestige, debt relief, better sex, better lives, etc. (yes I have heard sermons on better sex). And yes, to some extent that is true (though power is probably not at the top of God's list of blessings, at least in the western context in which we understand power). But God is more interested in a relationship with us, with me, with you. The blessings are natural outpourings of God's love for his creation just as I love to give special treats to my wife and children, but it is not he focus of my love for them.
So, the message is often less than it should be, shallower if you will. But as I mentioned, I am also guilty of viewing God in that same light which means that I am a lot closer to many TV evangelists than I might want to believe. If I want grace than I should be willing to extend it. That doesn't mean you won't find the occasional rant here but hopefully I will be a bit more forgiving.
In other news I have a ticket to the UF/Tennessee game this Saturday and I am seriously pumped. Go Gators!!!
I won't go into the entire sermon but one of the most startling points for me was that Rick began to distinguish between believing in God and believing in God's promises. In other words, are we more interested in just hanging onto the benefits, the good stuff that comes with knowing God or are we willing to travel the long and difficult road that requires us to lay down those very benefits, those good things so that nothing comes in the way of our relationship with God. That struck me kind of hard and I had to think about it for a while.
I like to think that I am willing to endure difficulty, that I will not always just choose the easy road. But I also know that as God blesses me (my wonderful wife, my kids, my job, school, etc.) it is increasingly easy for my relationship with God to be more about those blessings than God himself. And is God just interested in giving me things or does he want an actual relationship with me, one that is unimpeded by "stuff"? Not that God may ask me to destroy those blessings, but perhaps God wants me to keep things in perspective, the blessings are the side benefit of KNOWING God and being in relationship with God. It's not that God is a miser but God is not just a sugar daddy. If my kids only loved me because I bought them toys and ice cream, that's indicative of a very shallow relationship. So the blame either lies with me thinking that I can buy their love or they are satisfied with temporary, shallow things. Because I believe God is perfect and would not condescend to buy my love, I am left to conclude that I am often satisfied with temporary things, things that though beautiful and fulfilling to a degree are only reflections of a greater love, a greater reality.
Those of you who know me kind of well know that I bristle at most TV preachers (just read back a few posts to my thoughts about Rev. Rod). I think this sermon helped me to see why I bristle but also helped me to extend a little more grace. So much of TV preaching centers on what God wants to give us; money, power, prestige, debt relief, better sex, better lives, etc. (yes I have heard sermons on better sex). And yes, to some extent that is true (though power is probably not at the top of God's list of blessings, at least in the western context in which we understand power). But God is more interested in a relationship with us, with me, with you. The blessings are natural outpourings of God's love for his creation just as I love to give special treats to my wife and children, but it is not he focus of my love for them.
So, the message is often less than it should be, shallower if you will. But as I mentioned, I am also guilty of viewing God in that same light which means that I am a lot closer to many TV evangelists than I might want to believe. If I want grace than I should be willing to extend it. That doesn't mean you won't find the occasional rant here but hopefully I will be a bit more forgiving.
In other news I have a ticket to the UF/Tennessee game this Saturday and I am seriously pumped. Go Gators!!!
Monday, September 10, 2007
goodbye my old friend
Evidently this song is roughly a year or so old but I heard it for the first time yesterday and I have to say, it made me sad.
You’ll be fine tomorrow
The sun will rise again
It’s never easy to say goodbye
You know I’ll always love you
You know I always will
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye my old friend (my old friend)
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, we’ve reached the end (we’ve reached the end)
I don’t cry with sorrow,
I cry with joy
The memories we made can’t be destroyed
You know I won’t forget you
You know I never could
And when I said I loved you
You know I meant for good
This evidently is the final single from Audio Adrenaline. I knew that lead singer Mark Stuart had been having vocal problems and it was obvious based on other members doing more of the singing as time went on that Mark's ability to sing would be limited. But there's this part toward the end of the song (which is sung primarily by another member) when it slows and quiets and Mark comes in for the first time and sings the chorus in this broken, raspy, sad voice, and it definitely got to me a little bit. How hard that must have been for him to have sung those words, written this song, and decided that it was time for Audio A. to end.
I'm not big into the "Christian" music scene these days, but I also realize that Audio A. to some extent transcended that subculture that tends to be somewhat uninspired and unoriginal and did some really good music for a long time. I remember in 1996-97 listening to their album Bloom and realizing that within the Christian music scene there were some really good musicians who were trying to do something different ("Jesus Freak" broke a little before that, Jars of Clay was coming up, Caedmon's Call had recently broke, Switchfoot was starting to make some noise). Their cover of "Free Ride" is ridiculous. Great guitar and great vocals.
Well, anyway, it was a sad moment as I thought back over the years of hearing Audio A., playing their songs on guitar, listening to youth choirs sing their songs, and seeing them perform on probably 4 or 5 occasions. Thanks for the music guys.
You’ll be fine tomorrow
The sun will rise again
It’s never easy to say goodbye
You know I’ll always love you
You know I always will
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye my old friend (my old friend)
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, we’ve reached the end (we’ve reached the end)
I don’t cry with sorrow,
I cry with joy
The memories we made can’t be destroyed
You know I won’t forget you
You know I never could
And when I said I loved you
You know I meant for good
This evidently is the final single from Audio Adrenaline. I knew that lead singer Mark Stuart had been having vocal problems and it was obvious based on other members doing more of the singing as time went on that Mark's ability to sing would be limited. But there's this part toward the end of the song (which is sung primarily by another member) when it slows and quiets and Mark comes in for the first time and sings the chorus in this broken, raspy, sad voice, and it definitely got to me a little bit. How hard that must have been for him to have sung those words, written this song, and decided that it was time for Audio A. to end.
I'm not big into the "Christian" music scene these days, but I also realize that Audio A. to some extent transcended that subculture that tends to be somewhat uninspired and unoriginal and did some really good music for a long time. I remember in 1996-97 listening to their album Bloom and realizing that within the Christian music scene there were some really good musicians who were trying to do something different ("Jesus Freak" broke a little before that, Jars of Clay was coming up, Caedmon's Call had recently broke, Switchfoot was starting to make some noise). Their cover of "Free Ride" is ridiculous. Great guitar and great vocals.
Well, anyway, it was a sad moment as I thought back over the years of hearing Audio A., playing their songs on guitar, listening to youth choirs sing their songs, and seeing them perform on probably 4 or 5 occasions. Thanks for the music guys.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
a hard summer...Part 2 of 2
So, a good summer, and a good reminder for me as to why this job is so special. But at the same time on more than one occasions I had to sit back and wonder how many more years of this do I have left? I'm dramatic so I realize in advance that I tend to make somewhat extreme statements and such, but this was a very tiring summer and I think as my children get older, not being around them is only going to be more difficult. My son Ethan cries almost every time I leave the house, it stops quickly but he just doesn't understand why I'm leaving. My daughter Rebekah keeps asking me if I'm going to leave again every morning lately.
Now, I think I do a good job of keeping my family above my job. And certainly, when things are not moving along so quickly my job allows me to go to work at 9, be home by 4, and walk through my backyard to get to my office. So this is not complaining, more just looking at reality. As I look down the road and see my kids entering school in a few years (two for Rebekah which is crazy and a few more past that for Ethan), I have to realize that summer is when they will be most free to do stuff with my wife and me. If that's when I'm home only a bit, I am definitely going to have to start figuring things out.
I'm a control, Type A, personality typically, so I don't relinquish responsibility to others very well. I've tried to work on that and to realize that tendency is what keeps me busy sometimes. But there are things here that consume a lot of time and energy that I have to do and it is difficult. I will basically have been gone from home over four weeks in the past nine. Leaving my kids for 14 days on Tour was so difficult. Leaving my wife, who used to be able to go with me on these trips for 14 days, was painful at times. It's weird because I love the trip, I love hanging with the kids, seeing God use them in so many ways, but it hurts to miss my family.
It's not like the job is bad. This is as good as youth directing can get in my opinion. I've got a supportive church, good budget, great youth room, great facilities, amazing kids, a huge bunch of talented counselors/volunteers, and the freedom to take things in all kinds of directions. It's not that I want to trade any of it in. But, sometimes, I understand why people have to leave this kind of job. It can just consume you, not just physically in terms of the time you work, but mentally and emotionally. I wrap myself up in it so much and that is not always fair to my family. I get to see so many amazing revelations of God's presence and power, but I also feel so tired and even beat up sometimes. Again, I guess this is kind of whiny, and certainly my counselors aren't even paid and get fewer thanks than I do, so I'm really just putting this out here as I try to think things through, to process this out a bit.
I think seminary has made it harder too. That's totally been my decision to go but I feel like it is what I am supposed to do and at the same time, it is definitely pulling me away from my family and my job too. I love going, learning, reading, discussing, but this break from May through August has been heaven sent.
Paying for it has been difficult too. I'm decidedly anti-debt so the student loans I have were taken begrudgingly. My church helps pay for about half every year, I get a couple of small scholarships, and my parents have helped some too. But basically, it's $1200 a class plus books, plus gas/tolls for the once a week travel to Orlando. I thought I would be able to get some help with a UMC scholarship but evidently four semesters of straight A's, a limited youth director's income with a wife and two kids, strong recommendations from my pastor and a professor, and nine years of full time ministry at a United Methodist Church aren't enough. I either did not establish need, academic performance, or something else according to the ridiculously vague letter I received. Evidently weight is given to UM schools so maybe going to Asbury hurt because, you know, they only base just about everything they do on John Wesley who had little to do with Methodism so that makes sense. A little frustrated by that. And probably a little self centered but I really could have used a little more information as to why I was rejected for any of the six scholarship funds I applied for. But I digress from the original point that part of this assessment time is due to the demands of seminary and the financial burdens that entail.
This is a great job. I could not thank God enough for bringing me here. I love the kids with whom I work. I marvel at how God uses them, grows them, and helps them to put up with all of my shortcomings. I am humbled by the willingness of the volunteers with whom I work to show up every Sunday night, on trips, and all kinds of other occasions because they love the kids and want to support me. If I were only to do this for years to come, I would be so thankful. At this stage, I'm just needing to take some time to assess where I am, where I am going, and how God is calling me forward. Youth ministry is not a stepping stone to "real" ministry as so many like to think so it's not about a move "up". I just need to make sure that what I am doing and where I am going are healthy and will ultimately be centered in the will of God so that I can be a good husband and a good father and most importantly, a good disciple of Christ.
Now, I think I do a good job of keeping my family above my job. And certainly, when things are not moving along so quickly my job allows me to go to work at 9, be home by 4, and walk through my backyard to get to my office. So this is not complaining, more just looking at reality. As I look down the road and see my kids entering school in a few years (two for Rebekah which is crazy and a few more past that for Ethan), I have to realize that summer is when they will be most free to do stuff with my wife and me. If that's when I'm home only a bit, I am definitely going to have to start figuring things out.
I'm a control, Type A, personality typically, so I don't relinquish responsibility to others very well. I've tried to work on that and to realize that tendency is what keeps me busy sometimes. But there are things here that consume a lot of time and energy that I have to do and it is difficult. I will basically have been gone from home over four weeks in the past nine. Leaving my kids for 14 days on Tour was so difficult. Leaving my wife, who used to be able to go with me on these trips for 14 days, was painful at times. It's weird because I love the trip, I love hanging with the kids, seeing God use them in so many ways, but it hurts to miss my family.
It's not like the job is bad. This is as good as youth directing can get in my opinion. I've got a supportive church, good budget, great youth room, great facilities, amazing kids, a huge bunch of talented counselors/volunteers, and the freedom to take things in all kinds of directions. It's not that I want to trade any of it in. But, sometimes, I understand why people have to leave this kind of job. It can just consume you, not just physically in terms of the time you work, but mentally and emotionally. I wrap myself up in it so much and that is not always fair to my family. I get to see so many amazing revelations of God's presence and power, but I also feel so tired and even beat up sometimes. Again, I guess this is kind of whiny, and certainly my counselors aren't even paid and get fewer thanks than I do, so I'm really just putting this out here as I try to think things through, to process this out a bit.
I think seminary has made it harder too. That's totally been my decision to go but I feel like it is what I am supposed to do and at the same time, it is definitely pulling me away from my family and my job too. I love going, learning, reading, discussing, but this break from May through August has been heaven sent.
Paying for it has been difficult too. I'm decidedly anti-debt so the student loans I have were taken begrudgingly. My church helps pay for about half every year, I get a couple of small scholarships, and my parents have helped some too. But basically, it's $1200 a class plus books, plus gas/tolls for the once a week travel to Orlando. I thought I would be able to get some help with a UMC scholarship but evidently four semesters of straight A's, a limited youth director's income with a wife and two kids, strong recommendations from my pastor and a professor, and nine years of full time ministry at a United Methodist Church aren't enough. I either did not establish need, academic performance, or something else according to the ridiculously vague letter I received. Evidently weight is given to UM schools so maybe going to Asbury hurt because, you know, they only base just about everything they do on John Wesley who had little to do with Methodism so that makes sense. A little frustrated by that. And probably a little self centered but I really could have used a little more information as to why I was rejected for any of the six scholarship funds I applied for. But I digress from the original point that part of this assessment time is due to the demands of seminary and the financial burdens that entail.
This is a great job. I could not thank God enough for bringing me here. I love the kids with whom I work. I marvel at how God uses them, grows them, and helps them to put up with all of my shortcomings. I am humbled by the willingness of the volunteers with whom I work to show up every Sunday night, on trips, and all kinds of other occasions because they love the kids and want to support me. If I were only to do this for years to come, I would be so thankful. At this stage, I'm just needing to take some time to assess where I am, where I am going, and how God is calling me forward. Youth ministry is not a stepping stone to "real" ministry as so many like to think so it's not about a move "up". I just need to make sure that what I am doing and where I am going are healthy and will ultimately be centered in the will of God so that I can be a good husband and a good father and most importantly, a good disciple of Christ.
Summer Reflections - Part 1 of 2
Well, I'm sitting here at Lake Junaluska on our seniors (high school not retired people) retreat, which is probably my favorite trip we do every year, and I've been taking a look back at this summer. Overall, this has definitely been a good one, maybe one of the best that I've experience as youth director (which this summer makes a total of 9 with Lakewood UMC), but it has been a difficult one too.
Choir Tour was fantastic. I guess, as with any trip, drama ensues but the drama was so low key compared to some years that outside of the land of the females, no one really noticed anything. It was great going out west, working in a different kind of place, seeing that beautiful Arizona landscape, and most of all, watching the youth share their worship service. I have really been proud of the direction that the choir has taken under Jeff's leadership. The shift from performance to worship service has taken some time and I think it is really beginning to pay off a great deal. To have a whole "musical" joined around the idea of communion and have the songs, skits, readings, and such all work was impressive. I think that our emphasis on the table being a place of equality and grace is taking root a bit and that gets me excited about the coming year.
The Bible Studies this summer were good and I enjoyed watching Jennifer (my summer intern) put them together and lead them. She really has a heart for God and it comes out in her studies. Plus, she is just really good with so many of the girls, and I'm glad she has been here this summer. The youth really respond to her and love to talk to her and having more adults for the youth to connect with is always a good thing.
Mystery Weekend was a lot of fun. Stone Mountain laser show, Six Flags, rafting the Ocoee; we had a good time, things went smoothly and we took a good mix of regular attenders and folks a little more on the fringe which was great and I think helped pull some of those folks in a bit more.
Our Tuesday fun nights seemed to go pretty well. We had good groups for the excursions to the Suns game and Harry Potter IMAX (and only one or two slightly annoyed church people who though going to see Potter was tantamount to worshipping the devil). The Tuesday night we stayed in and played hockey and such had a huge turnout so that was maybe more surprising. Sometimes staying in and doing something cheap is exactly what you need to do.
Youth Week last week was, as usual, a blur. Blizzard Beach, Ichetucknee River, Rock Climbing, working at Food Bank, Hanna Park Beach trip, evening worship services, Gutter Gobble, Dessert Contest - basically I got up at 6am, got to church by 6:30am, and stayed until 11pm on most days. Fun, exciting, and exhausting, especially when combined with the dumb decision by yours truly to stay up after I got home every night to finish the final Harry Potter book. The trips were great with good turnouts, the band we put together seemed to work pretty well especially for playing older stuff (Third Day, Waiting, Smalltown Poets, early Caedmon's Call) and I really enjoyed playing with David, Brandon, Jamey, and Abby (with special bass appearance by David Smith), and though I went long on the discussions, they seemed to go pretty well. We focused on the nature of freedom as a follower of Christ and looked at Matthew 5-7 as a kind of handbook of freedom where Jesus seeks to help the Jews understand how God is actually already working and how they can join in by ridding themselves of unnecessary baggage (hatred, anger, lust, revenge, power struggles, etc.).
And now SORHeads and there's no way I could complain about that. Five days up in the cool mountains of North Carolina with a bunch of fun people. Not bad at all. So a pretty good summer overall. To be continued...
Choir Tour was fantastic. I guess, as with any trip, drama ensues but the drama was so low key compared to some years that outside of the land of the females, no one really noticed anything. It was great going out west, working in a different kind of place, seeing that beautiful Arizona landscape, and most of all, watching the youth share their worship service. I have really been proud of the direction that the choir has taken under Jeff's leadership. The shift from performance to worship service has taken some time and I think it is really beginning to pay off a great deal. To have a whole "musical" joined around the idea of communion and have the songs, skits, readings, and such all work was impressive. I think that our emphasis on the table being a place of equality and grace is taking root a bit and that gets me excited about the coming year.
The Bible Studies this summer were good and I enjoyed watching Jennifer (my summer intern) put them together and lead them. She really has a heart for God and it comes out in her studies. Plus, she is just really good with so many of the girls, and I'm glad she has been here this summer. The youth really respond to her and love to talk to her and having more adults for the youth to connect with is always a good thing.
Mystery Weekend was a lot of fun. Stone Mountain laser show, Six Flags, rafting the Ocoee; we had a good time, things went smoothly and we took a good mix of regular attenders and folks a little more on the fringe which was great and I think helped pull some of those folks in a bit more.
Our Tuesday fun nights seemed to go pretty well. We had good groups for the excursions to the Suns game and Harry Potter IMAX (and only one or two slightly annoyed church people who though going to see Potter was tantamount to worshipping the devil). The Tuesday night we stayed in and played hockey and such had a huge turnout so that was maybe more surprising. Sometimes staying in and doing something cheap is exactly what you need to do.
Youth Week last week was, as usual, a blur. Blizzard Beach, Ichetucknee River, Rock Climbing, working at Food Bank, Hanna Park Beach trip, evening worship services, Gutter Gobble, Dessert Contest - basically I got up at 6am, got to church by 6:30am, and stayed until 11pm on most days. Fun, exciting, and exhausting, especially when combined with the dumb decision by yours truly to stay up after I got home every night to finish the final Harry Potter book. The trips were great with good turnouts, the band we put together seemed to work pretty well especially for playing older stuff (Third Day, Waiting, Smalltown Poets, early Caedmon's Call) and I really enjoyed playing with David, Brandon, Jamey, and Abby (with special bass appearance by David Smith), and though I went long on the discussions, they seemed to go pretty well. We focused on the nature of freedom as a follower of Christ and looked at Matthew 5-7 as a kind of handbook of freedom where Jesus seeks to help the Jews understand how God is actually already working and how they can join in by ridding themselves of unnecessary baggage (hatred, anger, lust, revenge, power struggles, etc.).
And now SORHeads and there's no way I could complain about that. Five days up in the cool mountains of North Carolina with a bunch of fun people. Not bad at all. So a pretty good summer overall. To be continued...
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Harry Potter Anonymous meeting anyone?
Ridiculous is an overused word these days but my addiction to Harry Potter books and films is bordering on out of control. I have finally read the first five books in the past month, am about 200 pages into the sixth, watched the first four films at home (one at a time as I finished each book), watched the fifth film last night, and am looking forward to seeing the fifth one again on Tuesday at the IMAX. What is my problem? Well, ultimately, this is just a brilliant story. Yes, it's a bit embarassing to go look for books in the library in the children's or teen's sections, but it is just good reading all the way around. And honestly the films have really gotten good. Number three (Azkaban) is still the best but four and five definitely hold up well too. So here's a quick list of what I've seen this summer and what I think (in order of viewing):
Pirates 3 - fun, adventurous, and very difficult to follow. Not really planning on watching it again but enjoyable. Liked Keith Richards appearance.
Spiderman 3 - Kind of a fall from 2 but that's to be expected to some extent. Again, fun, exciting, entertaining, but nothing too memorable. The bad guys just weren't very good.
Ocean's 13 - Very good, felt a little rushed after the first 20 minutes, but very entertaining. I think I'm just happy to get to watch Clooney and Pitt compete to see who's cooler (the answer is Clooney in case anyone is wondering). What is really cool is how well Matt Damon holds his own on the screen and adding Pacino was fun. Enjoyable stuff.
1408 - Very good again. Don't expect too much. It's John Cusack in a room for about an hour with a little set up and a little wind down. But the man pulls it off. Plays with your mind a bit, good jumpy scenes, and intriguing. Good for something different over the summer.
Transformers - I have to admit, I loved this. I'm a Shia Lebouf (sp?) fan anyway, think the guy is going to be a big actor for years to come, but beyond that, this was exactly what I was looking for in a summer blockbuster and did what ole Spidey and Pirates did not, remembered to skip a few convoluted plot points in favor of just sheer entertainment. I'm not usually a fan of loose plots but hey, it's Michael Bay, I'm not expecting Hitchcock here, and the man can deliver action. The robots were awesome and you have to have a little respect for a movie that gets everyone to applaud loudly at the end (which has happened several times according to some friends of mine). Favorite line - when the autobots are arriving and crashing into the ground in their fireballs, a kid runs outside with his video camera and yells, "This is like 15 times better than Armageddon."
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Really good. This director evidently had done nothing more than British sitcoms and commercials but he held his own in the this film. They skipped a lot of stuff but I think they had too. Most of the time the plot moved briskly, funny stuff intertwined with more tragic stuff. The cast in this movie is just really great. I think I could watch Alan Rickman as Snape all the time. No one else could say "Obviously" with such sarcasm, anger, and humor at the same time. Loved the film, can't wait to see it next week.
Looking forward to: The Simpson's in a couple of weeks
That's it for now.
Pirates 3 - fun, adventurous, and very difficult to follow. Not really planning on watching it again but enjoyable. Liked Keith Richards appearance.
Spiderman 3 - Kind of a fall from 2 but that's to be expected to some extent. Again, fun, exciting, entertaining, but nothing too memorable. The bad guys just weren't very good.
Ocean's 13 - Very good, felt a little rushed after the first 20 minutes, but very entertaining. I think I'm just happy to get to watch Clooney and Pitt compete to see who's cooler (the answer is Clooney in case anyone is wondering). What is really cool is how well Matt Damon holds his own on the screen and adding Pacino was fun. Enjoyable stuff.
1408 - Very good again. Don't expect too much. It's John Cusack in a room for about an hour with a little set up and a little wind down. But the man pulls it off. Plays with your mind a bit, good jumpy scenes, and intriguing. Good for something different over the summer.
Transformers - I have to admit, I loved this. I'm a Shia Lebouf (sp?) fan anyway, think the guy is going to be a big actor for years to come, but beyond that, this was exactly what I was looking for in a summer blockbuster and did what ole Spidey and Pirates did not, remembered to skip a few convoluted plot points in favor of just sheer entertainment. I'm not usually a fan of loose plots but hey, it's Michael Bay, I'm not expecting Hitchcock here, and the man can deliver action. The robots were awesome and you have to have a little respect for a movie that gets everyone to applaud loudly at the end (which has happened several times according to some friends of mine). Favorite line - when the autobots are arriving and crashing into the ground in their fireballs, a kid runs outside with his video camera and yells, "This is like 15 times better than Armageddon."
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Really good. This director evidently had done nothing more than British sitcoms and commercials but he held his own in the this film. They skipped a lot of stuff but I think they had too. Most of the time the plot moved briskly, funny stuff intertwined with more tragic stuff. The cast in this movie is just really great. I think I could watch Alan Rickman as Snape all the time. No one else could say "Obviously" with such sarcasm, anger, and humor at the same time. Loved the film, can't wait to see it next week.
Looking forward to: The Simpson's in a couple of weeks
That's it for now.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
the chuckster does it again
I've been getting into Chuck Palahniuk's stuff lately. I picked up Diary from a friend a couple of years ago and I thought it was great. Fight Club, being an amazing film, was good, maybe not quite as good as the film, but interesting, especially for a first novel. Haunted was brutal and again, very interesting though confusing a bit at times. So in the past couple of weeks I picked up Choke, which was okay, and tonight I finished Lullaby, which was excellent.
Though often nihilistic and pretty disgusting at times, Chuck's got a way with words and a rather bizarre imagination and Lullaby, I think at least, really lets his talents loose. This is definitely my favorite story so far of his. What I found most interesting was the issues he raises concerning materialism, consumerism, free will, and such. Basically the story goes like this. The narrator, a journalist, discovers a lullaby that when read to someone (eventually he discovers you can just think it about someone), they will die. He investigates a rash of infant deaths, discovers the common thread, but while trying to destroy all copies of the book containing the poem, he begins to use it. In his quest for the original source of the poem which most likely contains spells to bring dead people to life, to make people fall in love with you, to fly, etc., he starts to question his motivations and what free will is all about.
He's a man who is besieged by noise, living in a society that is inundated with sound. Terrified of silence, the people in the book fill their lives with TV, music, commercials, anything. And the narrator begins to question if what he thinks he wants is really what he wants or just what he's been told he wants.
And now comes plenty of spoilers, so be warned, he realizes that he has to deal with his sin, he has to seek forgiveness, he has to face justice, and he must rid himself of the things that seek to define him and label him. He must rid himself of the power that he has. And though Chuck flirts with a lot of Scripture and Jesus imagery throughout, he doesn't take it to the final conclusion as we see the main character trying to right the wrongs himself. But the quest for purpose, forgiveness, justice, mercy, etc. was incredibly moving, and yes there was plenty of the nasty stuff that makes Palahniuk who he is.
What it ended up reminding me of was the story of the rich ruler who approaches Jesus and asks what he has to do for eternal life. Jesus answers with a list of commandments the man has obeyed. When the man replies that he's got those down, no problem, Jesus then tells him to sell everything he has and follow him.
The narrator and his "friend/love interest/enemy" (it's complicated) have to deal with this very issue. The companion is doing assassinations for money using the spell and as she seeks to destroy the spell that made her rich, she gives what she has away, ultimately resulting in her losing her life (at least her physical body, there's an interesting switcharoo there). The narrator sacrifices his health, his job, and is even willing to die when he realizes the extent of his sin. He seeks reconciliation with his father and eventually tries to put things right.
So then on my walk home I started thinking about how all of this resonates with me. How much of what I want is just what I'm told I want by our culture? How much of what I have gets in the way of me following Jesus? And what do I need to let go so that I can truly live?
Anyway, great book, highly recommend it, though you should probably be at least 25 before reading anything by Palahniuk. :-)
Though often nihilistic and pretty disgusting at times, Chuck's got a way with words and a rather bizarre imagination and Lullaby, I think at least, really lets his talents loose. This is definitely my favorite story so far of his. What I found most interesting was the issues he raises concerning materialism, consumerism, free will, and such. Basically the story goes like this. The narrator, a journalist, discovers a lullaby that when read to someone (eventually he discovers you can just think it about someone), they will die. He investigates a rash of infant deaths, discovers the common thread, but while trying to destroy all copies of the book containing the poem, he begins to use it. In his quest for the original source of the poem which most likely contains spells to bring dead people to life, to make people fall in love with you, to fly, etc., he starts to question his motivations and what free will is all about.
He's a man who is besieged by noise, living in a society that is inundated with sound. Terrified of silence, the people in the book fill their lives with TV, music, commercials, anything. And the narrator begins to question if what he thinks he wants is really what he wants or just what he's been told he wants.
And now comes plenty of spoilers, so be warned, he realizes that he has to deal with his sin, he has to seek forgiveness, he has to face justice, and he must rid himself of the things that seek to define him and label him. He must rid himself of the power that he has. And though Chuck flirts with a lot of Scripture and Jesus imagery throughout, he doesn't take it to the final conclusion as we see the main character trying to right the wrongs himself. But the quest for purpose, forgiveness, justice, mercy, etc. was incredibly moving, and yes there was plenty of the nasty stuff that makes Palahniuk who he is.
What it ended up reminding me of was the story of the rich ruler who approaches Jesus and asks what he has to do for eternal life. Jesus answers with a list of commandments the man has obeyed. When the man replies that he's got those down, no problem, Jesus then tells him to sell everything he has and follow him.
The narrator and his "friend/love interest/enemy" (it's complicated) have to deal with this very issue. The companion is doing assassinations for money using the spell and as she seeks to destroy the spell that made her rich, she gives what she has away, ultimately resulting in her losing her life (at least her physical body, there's an interesting switcharoo there). The narrator sacrifices his health, his job, and is even willing to die when he realizes the extent of his sin. He seeks reconciliation with his father and eventually tries to put things right.
So then on my walk home I started thinking about how all of this resonates with me. How much of what I want is just what I'm told I want by our culture? How much of what I have gets in the way of me following Jesus? And what do I need to let go so that I can truly live?
Anyway, great book, highly recommend it, though you should probably be at least 25 before reading anything by Palahniuk. :-)
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
a nice but sad evening
I'll end up echoing the comments of my friend David and also run the risk of being called names, but it was kind of bittersweet watching the end of Gilmore Girls last night. I actually stumbled on the pilot episode years ago, accidentally, but remembered that the initial reviews were enough (along with Lauren Graham being decently attractive) to warrant some time. I really enjoyed it but did not add it to the TV rotation right away.
About 3 years ago, my wife and I borrowed the first season of the Gilmore Girls for a little summer viewing. We fell in love with the town, the people, the fun dialogue, and the joy with which the writers seem to approach the show. It became our little date thing, watching a couple of episodes a couple of nights a week over the summer, drinking a glass of wine, laughing, and eventually racing our way through seasons 1, 2, and 3 in 2 months. Over the past few years it has been part of our usual Tuesday night routine (after the move from Wednesdays I believe) to make time to sit together and watch the show.
It's not that we don't have other shows but this is what we watched for hours when my daughter was little and we were not sleeping much. It what we watched when we just wanted to veg out on the couch. Like a recent review said, this was a place you wanted to live in and people that you wanted to be friends with. Yeah they were weird, talked faster than you ever could think, and could annoy you, but they were always fun and entertaining. My wife and I will definitely miss Gilmore Girls. We're excited that our TIVO is recording the reruns regularly and the pilot just aired last week, so once in a while we can revisit Stars Hollow.
I think I get too attached to TV sometimes. Oh well. Lost is on tonight.
About 3 years ago, my wife and I borrowed the first season of the Gilmore Girls for a little summer viewing. We fell in love with the town, the people, the fun dialogue, and the joy with which the writers seem to approach the show. It became our little date thing, watching a couple of episodes a couple of nights a week over the summer, drinking a glass of wine, laughing, and eventually racing our way through seasons 1, 2, and 3 in 2 months. Over the past few years it has been part of our usual Tuesday night routine (after the move from Wednesdays I believe) to make time to sit together and watch the show.
It's not that we don't have other shows but this is what we watched for hours when my daughter was little and we were not sleeping much. It what we watched when we just wanted to veg out on the couch. Like a recent review said, this was a place you wanted to live in and people that you wanted to be friends with. Yeah they were weird, talked faster than you ever could think, and could annoy you, but they were always fun and entertaining. My wife and I will definitely miss Gilmore Girls. We're excited that our TIVO is recording the reruns regularly and the pilot just aired last week, so once in a while we can revisit Stars Hollow.
I think I get too attached to TV sometimes. Oh well. Lost is on tonight.
Monday, May 14, 2007
funny quote
So my daughter likes to go outside with me in the morning to get the paper. She puts on her flip flops, I put on mine, then we walk outside and I watch her first run over to the flowers, smell them, and then head down the driveway to pick up the paper. It's cute, fun, and an easy way to get my sports section with little to no effort.
So this morning she brings the paper to me and then says, "Here you go daddy. This is so you can go to the potty!" Nothing quite like having your own children know your own bathroom habits. I have become my dad.
In other news, 28 Weeks Later was fantastic. I had minimal hopes after enjoying 28 Days Later so much and the previews seeming to indicate lots of gunplay and blowing stuff up (which I'm not against, but it depends on the setting). This, however, drew perfectly from the first film and, dare I say, exceeded the first film in most areas. The acting was a bit stiff from a few people but the direction was beautiful. Great camera work and offing even the most important characters kept you guessing. Good stuff.
So this morning she brings the paper to me and then says, "Here you go daddy. This is so you can go to the potty!" Nothing quite like having your own children know your own bathroom habits. I have become my dad.
In other news, 28 Weeks Later was fantastic. I had minimal hopes after enjoying 28 Days Later so much and the previews seeming to indicate lots of gunplay and blowing stuff up (which I'm not against, but it depends on the setting). This, however, drew perfectly from the first film and, dare I say, exceeded the first film in most areas. The acting was a bit stiff from a few people but the direction was beautiful. Great camera work and offing even the most important characters kept you guessing. Good stuff.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
catching up...
It's been a little while since I've updated here. Meant to get to it on Monday but ran out of time.
Went to a couple of college graduations this past weekend which were surprisingly more enjoyable experiences than I had anticipated, mostly because sitting in one place for three hours while names are read off is pretty much close to hell, but both ceremonies were shorter than expected and I thought funny and interesting.
My friend Shoup graduated from Flagler on Saturday and my friend of 24 years, Jeff, graduated with his MBA from UF on Sunday morning. That really began the sort of surreal moments for me.
I remarked to Jeff and my wife over brunch after the ceremony that it was almost exactly 10 years ago that were in the O'Connell Center with our new B.S. degrees in Industrial Engineering. Sheridan and I had just started dating (about three months) and I actually told her that I loved her for the first time later that same day. I was heading for my job up in Ohio in about two months (Pepperidge Farm), and I thought that Jeff and I would end up being friends over the phone and Internet.
Fast forward 10 years and I am married to Sheridan, have two kids, one of whom now recognizes Jeff as Uncle Jeffy (the other soon will I'm sure, once he can talk), and I have been a youth minister for almost nine years. I am in seminary. I am almost 33 years old. Jeff and I have basically worked together for the past nine years and plan and coordinate the trips that we used to go on when we were in the group. Weird.
So Sunday night rolled around and my friend Cory Britt came over to talk with the youth. Cory is now the pastor of a church across the river from us. I grew up down the street from Cory and in the early part of my life, I pretty much hated the kid. He was a couple of years older than me and kind of ruled the street, being the oldest and all. I had a bad temper and he knew just how to exploit it. One of my favorite games was to go into the backyard and play tether ball while pretending the ball was Cory's face. I'm not proud of it, but our relationship was not always good. Things started changing a few years later when I started attending Cory's youth group (the one I now lead) and I saw that Cory was not the same person. He was nicer, gentler, and friendly. So over the years, we've kept up and Sunday night became surreal moment number 2.
As I watched Cory speak, I marveled that God works such a delicate, intricate web of experiences in our lives, bringing enemies to peace, bringing dreams to an end and starting new ones. God's view of life is so far beyond my own and when I make decisions, they affect so many beyond me. I think I knew this in my head but the idea that my salvation and journey with Christ are part of something much bigger than just me became very evident on Sunday. Good stuff.
Went to a couple of college graduations this past weekend which were surprisingly more enjoyable experiences than I had anticipated, mostly because sitting in one place for three hours while names are read off is pretty much close to hell, but both ceremonies were shorter than expected and I thought funny and interesting.
My friend Shoup graduated from Flagler on Saturday and my friend of 24 years, Jeff, graduated with his MBA from UF on Sunday morning. That really began the sort of surreal moments for me.
I remarked to Jeff and my wife over brunch after the ceremony that it was almost exactly 10 years ago that were in the O'Connell Center with our new B.S. degrees in Industrial Engineering. Sheridan and I had just started dating (about three months) and I actually told her that I loved her for the first time later that same day. I was heading for my job up in Ohio in about two months (Pepperidge Farm), and I thought that Jeff and I would end up being friends over the phone and Internet.
Fast forward 10 years and I am married to Sheridan, have two kids, one of whom now recognizes Jeff as Uncle Jeffy (the other soon will I'm sure, once he can talk), and I have been a youth minister for almost nine years. I am in seminary. I am almost 33 years old. Jeff and I have basically worked together for the past nine years and plan and coordinate the trips that we used to go on when we were in the group. Weird.
So Sunday night rolled around and my friend Cory Britt came over to talk with the youth. Cory is now the pastor of a church across the river from us. I grew up down the street from Cory and in the early part of my life, I pretty much hated the kid. He was a couple of years older than me and kind of ruled the street, being the oldest and all. I had a bad temper and he knew just how to exploit it. One of my favorite games was to go into the backyard and play tether ball while pretending the ball was Cory's face. I'm not proud of it, but our relationship was not always good. Things started changing a few years later when I started attending Cory's youth group (the one I now lead) and I saw that Cory was not the same person. He was nicer, gentler, and friendly. So over the years, we've kept up and Sunday night became surreal moment number 2.
As I watched Cory speak, I marveled that God works such a delicate, intricate web of experiences in our lives, bringing enemies to peace, bringing dreams to an end and starting new ones. God's view of life is so far beyond my own and when I make decisions, they affect so many beyond me. I think I knew this in my head but the idea that my salvation and journey with Christ are part of something much bigger than just me became very evident on Sunday. Good stuff.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Latest Quote of the Day
Read this last night in Entertainment Weekly. An "interview" with Master Shake from Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Question: Name the worst songs ever written
#2 - Butterfly by Crazy Town
"Shame on you Crazy Town for giving crazy people a bad name. At least when crazy people take a crap, they don't record it and make an album out of it."
I just about fell out of my chair when I read that.
Other than that I'm tired and have a paper due in 36 hours that I really, really don't want to write.
Question: Name the worst songs ever written
#2 - Butterfly by Crazy Town
"Shame on you Crazy Town for giving crazy people a bad name. At least when crazy people take a crap, they don't record it and make an album out of it."
I just about fell out of my chair when I read that.
Other than that I'm tired and have a paper due in 36 hours that I really, really don't want to write.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Quote of the Day:
"I just pray that this can be changed. This is not fair for him. It's just not fair."
Deborah Jones, in response to her son, Pacman Jones', one year suspension from the NFL.
Yup, that seems about right. Ten interviews with police and five arrests in two years, the last one resulting from his involvement in a scuffle that left a man paralyzed after being shot. I think it's definitely unfair that he should be held even remotely responsible for his actions. In fact, let's give him a raise, mom. I mean, he's only paid roughly $1.25 million a year, that's rough. I feel terrible for him.
In all honesty, I do feel bad, mostly because this guy is a complete waste of talent. He's brilliant on the field and off the field is surrounded by thugs on one side and family on the other and neither seems interested in helping him see he is the one that must change. I'm glad that the NFL is taking this seriously and dealing with him. Too many athletes just throw their talents down the drain in the pursuit of their own egos. Seriously, Terrell Owens could break all of Jerry Rice's records if he even cared. Pacman Jones could be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL if he kept out of trouble. Instead, now his team must also pay the price for his actions.
This is why we need community so badly. This is why we need people who will hold us to a higher standard rather than let us waste away in mediocrity. This is why we need a savior to challenge us to live not for ourselves. Easier said than done but I hope Pacman finds his way.
"I just pray that this can be changed. This is not fair for him. It's just not fair."
Deborah Jones, in response to her son, Pacman Jones', one year suspension from the NFL.
Yup, that seems about right. Ten interviews with police and five arrests in two years, the last one resulting from his involvement in a scuffle that left a man paralyzed after being shot. I think it's definitely unfair that he should be held even remotely responsible for his actions. In fact, let's give him a raise, mom. I mean, he's only paid roughly $1.25 million a year, that's rough. I feel terrible for him.
In all honesty, I do feel bad, mostly because this guy is a complete waste of talent. He's brilliant on the field and off the field is surrounded by thugs on one side and family on the other and neither seems interested in helping him see he is the one that must change. I'm glad that the NFL is taking this seriously and dealing with him. Too many athletes just throw their talents down the drain in the pursuit of their own egos. Seriously, Terrell Owens could break all of Jerry Rice's records if he even cared. Pacman Jones could be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL if he kept out of trouble. Instead, now his team must also pay the price for his actions.
This is why we need community so badly. This is why we need people who will hold us to a higher standard rather than let us waste away in mediocrity. This is why we need a savior to challenge us to live not for ourselves. Easier said than done but I hope Pacman finds his way.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
pre and post Easter updates
It has been a while so I figured I'd keep it confined to just what's happened in the past couple of weeks.
Movies I've Watched:
Blades of Glory - not particularly good. Laughed heartily in a few spots but some of the jokes just kind of missed it. The best scenes were definitely the ones where it seemed that Ferrell was just ad libbing. I'm beginning to think that ole Napoleon Dynamite isn't as funny as we all thought.
The Prestige - Excellent. If you like Christopher Nolan's stuff (especially Memento) you'll love this.
Walk the Line - Pretty good. Good acting, good dialogue, cool seeing the development of Johnny Cash as an artist. One of my favorite parts was seeing this two car caravan moving down the highway and realizing that within those cars were Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and June Carter. That is just amazing to think about. Some of the greatest icons of early rock and roll rolling down some backwoods highway in a chevy shooting the breeze on their way to their next gig.
Books:
Fight Club - good read but I have to say that for only about the second or third time in history (Shawshank Redemption being one of them; "Hope Springs Eternal" I think is the name of the short story), the movie is better than the book. Enjoyed the book but the movie took care of some details better, in my opinion. Chuck Palahniuk has definitely progressed as an author since then. Not to say I didn't enjoy it, it was definitely good, and a quick read.
Most of the other stuff is seminary material that I won't comment on until I am done with this semester.
TV:
Only going to comment on one thing here and that's Lost. How are people still not watching this show? How are people still complaining about it? This season has been very strong and it's just not possible or even a good idea for the writers to reveal major secrets in every single episode. I would rather have the mystery extended a little bit. Not knowing why the Others disappeared is great drama. Not knowing if we can trust Juliette is fun. Not knowing why Locke's dad is on the island gives me good fodder to discuss with friends. I love the journey we're on with this show and hope it continues to be as good as it has.
Trips:
Well SORHeads was great. Only three seniors (Max, Philip, Elizabeth L.) and me and Mindy (our resident SORHead female counselor for the past three years), but we had a good time. Weather was cold so the beach wasn't much of an option but we found other ways to entertain ourselves. A few highlights:
1. Panama City Beach has Dippin' Dots stores. Seriously. It's amazing. 40 flavors and they will mix anything up for you. A little piece of heaven.
2. Throwing a Frisbee on the beach when it is 50 outside is still fun. Philip, Max, and I did this several times over the trip and I had forgotten how much fun that is.
3. When doing Bible Study and the conversation lags a bit, nothing quite peps up the discussion like bringing other religions into the mix. First day was a little slow and then we ended up discussing other religions and Christianity's interaction with them for an hour. Good stuff.
So that's about it. I'm back in town now, getting caught up on stuff. Go Gators, nice national championship game, though, like my friend David, I am a little tired of hearing how amazing Oden was. Yup, it was a great game right up until the end when Ohio State lost. Maybe the Gators just had a great game plan and defended everyone else well. And, though the refs may not have thought so, when your small forward drives the lane, fakes a shot, and dishes to another player, it is not okay for a defender to jump to block the fake shot and land on said small forward's back. That is what we like to call, a foul.
Now I've got my whiny Gator comment out of the way. Talk to you later.
Movies I've Watched:
Blades of Glory - not particularly good. Laughed heartily in a few spots but some of the jokes just kind of missed it. The best scenes were definitely the ones where it seemed that Ferrell was just ad libbing. I'm beginning to think that ole Napoleon Dynamite isn't as funny as we all thought.
The Prestige - Excellent. If you like Christopher Nolan's stuff (especially Memento) you'll love this.
Walk the Line - Pretty good. Good acting, good dialogue, cool seeing the development of Johnny Cash as an artist. One of my favorite parts was seeing this two car caravan moving down the highway and realizing that within those cars were Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and June Carter. That is just amazing to think about. Some of the greatest icons of early rock and roll rolling down some backwoods highway in a chevy shooting the breeze on their way to their next gig.
Books:
Fight Club - good read but I have to say that for only about the second or third time in history (Shawshank Redemption being one of them; "Hope Springs Eternal" I think is the name of the short story), the movie is better than the book. Enjoyed the book but the movie took care of some details better, in my opinion. Chuck Palahniuk has definitely progressed as an author since then. Not to say I didn't enjoy it, it was definitely good, and a quick read.
Most of the other stuff is seminary material that I won't comment on until I am done with this semester.
TV:
Only going to comment on one thing here and that's Lost. How are people still not watching this show? How are people still complaining about it? This season has been very strong and it's just not possible or even a good idea for the writers to reveal major secrets in every single episode. I would rather have the mystery extended a little bit. Not knowing why the Others disappeared is great drama. Not knowing if we can trust Juliette is fun. Not knowing why Locke's dad is on the island gives me good fodder to discuss with friends. I love the journey we're on with this show and hope it continues to be as good as it has.
Trips:
Well SORHeads was great. Only three seniors (Max, Philip, Elizabeth L.) and me and Mindy (our resident SORHead female counselor for the past three years), but we had a good time. Weather was cold so the beach wasn't much of an option but we found other ways to entertain ourselves. A few highlights:
1. Panama City Beach has Dippin' Dots stores. Seriously. It's amazing. 40 flavors and they will mix anything up for you. A little piece of heaven.
2. Throwing a Frisbee on the beach when it is 50 outside is still fun. Philip, Max, and I did this several times over the trip and I had forgotten how much fun that is.
3. When doing Bible Study and the conversation lags a bit, nothing quite peps up the discussion like bringing other religions into the mix. First day was a little slow and then we ended up discussing other religions and Christianity's interaction with them for an hour. Good stuff.
So that's about it. I'm back in town now, getting caught up on stuff. Go Gators, nice national championship game, though, like my friend David, I am a little tired of hearing how amazing Oden was. Yup, it was a great game right up until the end when Ohio State lost. Maybe the Gators just had a great game plan and defended everyone else well. And, though the refs may not have thought so, when your small forward drives the lane, fakes a shot, and dishes to another player, it is not okay for a defender to jump to block the fake shot and land on said small forward's back. That is what we like to call, a foul.
Now I've got my whiny Gator comment out of the way. Talk to you later.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
I'm becoming a coffee snob
This is kind of pathetic really. I won't say I am proud of it at all. I even assured myself that I would not become like this. I don't drink coffee frequently, maybe once or twice a week at most and the concept of paying 3 or 4 bucks for a cup seems to border on lunacy. But I am becoming a snob for Starbucks coffee. It's just too good. I started with decaf a few years ago but that did not cut it. Then I went to the mild side, caffeine but lighter on the taste. About six months back I started hitting the hard stuff, bold and extra bold. Sweet nectar of Zeus, that stuff is amazing. No one else gets it quite right, at least that I can tell, and I find myself comparing everybody else to Starbucks. I've stopped with Mocha this and Frapa that. Just a straight cup of coffee ($1.92 for a venti) with a lot of sweetener and milk. Good stuff.
I felt very 21st Century yesterday. I went to Starbucks to get some reading done for my class. I had my sling backpack, my IPod, my venti coffee, and I read. So am I conforming or just enjoying the luxuries of the early part of the 21st Century?
My wife and kids have been out of town for a few days so I've had a chance to catch up on a few movies that I wanted to watch. One was decent, one not that good, and one just plain awful.
Decent - Lucky Number Slevin - I was prepared to not like this one but it surprised me. Bruce Willis is almost always good but Josh Hartnett did a good job as well. Lucy Lui was a little over the top. It was put together well and didn't drag on for too long and had enough of a plot twist (though you could see it coming to some extent) that you stayed with it.
Not so good - The Harvest - I'll say up front that I like just about anything John Cusack is in. Gross Pointe Blank is awesome. But this movie just didn't quite get it done. Tried to be very noirish but ended up just being kind of weird and out of place. I think they were going for a little Coen brothers kind of vibe like Fargo but missed it a bit. Billy Bob Thorton was okay, but it's kind of the same character he's played in about five other movies. The redeeming part is Oliver Platt who, though drunk all of the time, at least gave me something to laugh at.
Plain awful - The Wicker Man (new version) - This movie was terrible. Not scary in the least and I think that the director may have inadvertantly allowed Nick Cage to make fun of the film, either that or old Nick was doing the worst acting of his life (including Con Air). About 20 minutes in I started figuring out where this was going and little on this crazy island was even remotely scary. It was like a bad joke that no one got. The dialogue was awful and the ending was ridiculous. Spoiler alert!!! Sample line...Cage, allergic to bees, has been captured by the women folk who plan to sacrifice him (sorry to give this away but save yourself the time) and they put a bag full of bees on his head (ridiculous enough). Then Nick starts yelling, "Not the bees. Oh God not the bees. Oh no, I can feel them in my nose and in my mouth. Oh God, the bees!" If you want to listen to Cage describe death using no metaphors, only literal play by play of what is happening, then this is the movie for you. If you would like to save yourself 90 minutes, don't watch it. I don't know if the original is any better but I am not going to find out.
Here's hoping that The Squid and the Whale is better. That's just arrive from Netflix.
I felt very 21st Century yesterday. I went to Starbucks to get some reading done for my class. I had my sling backpack, my IPod, my venti coffee, and I read. So am I conforming or just enjoying the luxuries of the early part of the 21st Century?
My wife and kids have been out of town for a few days so I've had a chance to catch up on a few movies that I wanted to watch. One was decent, one not that good, and one just plain awful.
Decent - Lucky Number Slevin - I was prepared to not like this one but it surprised me. Bruce Willis is almost always good but Josh Hartnett did a good job as well. Lucy Lui was a little over the top. It was put together well and didn't drag on for too long and had enough of a plot twist (though you could see it coming to some extent) that you stayed with it.
Not so good - The Harvest - I'll say up front that I like just about anything John Cusack is in. Gross Pointe Blank is awesome. But this movie just didn't quite get it done. Tried to be very noirish but ended up just being kind of weird and out of place. I think they were going for a little Coen brothers kind of vibe like Fargo but missed it a bit. Billy Bob Thorton was okay, but it's kind of the same character he's played in about five other movies. The redeeming part is Oliver Platt who, though drunk all of the time, at least gave me something to laugh at.
Plain awful - The Wicker Man (new version) - This movie was terrible. Not scary in the least and I think that the director may have inadvertantly allowed Nick Cage to make fun of the film, either that or old Nick was doing the worst acting of his life (including Con Air). About 20 minutes in I started figuring out where this was going and little on this crazy island was even remotely scary. It was like a bad joke that no one got. The dialogue was awful and the ending was ridiculous. Spoiler alert!!! Sample line...Cage, allergic to bees, has been captured by the women folk who plan to sacrifice him (sorry to give this away but save yourself the time) and they put a bag full of bees on his head (ridiculous enough). Then Nick starts yelling, "Not the bees. Oh God not the bees. Oh no, I can feel them in my nose and in my mouth. Oh God, the bees!" If you want to listen to Cage describe death using no metaphors, only literal play by play of what is happening, then this is the movie for you. If you would like to save yourself 90 minutes, don't watch it. I don't know if the original is any better but I am not going to find out.
Here's hoping that The Squid and the Whale is better. That's just arrive from Netflix.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
my new friend
It is official. I love the IPod. Now, I don't have some big mammoth one with a 2000 gig hard drive, 46" screen, and all that good stuff. It's just a used IPod mini with a 4 gig drive and it is officially the newest member of my circle of friends. Here's a picture of it (or one just like it)below.
Dear Lord in heaven what did we do before this marvelous product. It took some time but I was able to search for specific songs by specific artists (even preview songs to make sure I had the right one) and then buy those, and only those, songs so that I didn't have to buy 20 different Christmas compilations. Here's what I came up with:
Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms (great early rock)
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Andy Williams
I'll Be Home for Christmas - Bing Crosby (ever notice how sad this song is?)
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee (she sings so cool)
Holly Jolly Christmas - Burl Ives (also I believe the narrator for Frosty the Snowman)
Sleigh Ride - Ella Fitzgerald (how cool is she, I bet she was a knockout too, just sounds beautiful talkin' about snuggling up on a sleigh ride)
Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Perry Como
Little Drummer Boy - Harry Simeone Chorale
White Christmas - Bing Crosby (one of my favorite Christmas songs of all time)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland (Dorothy sings so pretty)
Winter Wonderland - Tony Bennett (big band at its best)
The Christmas Song - Mel Torme (Judge Harry on the TV show Night Court loved this dude and I never knew it was him singing this particular version that I love so much, also this is my other favorite)
Christmas Song - Dave Matthews (one of two new ones that I allowed in, I just love it)
Gabriel's Message - Sting (the other newbie, beautiful vocal work)
I need to add Frosty the Snowman to this. If you have read this far and notice a song or version you think I should add, leave it in the comments section.
Anyway, my IPod is awesome, my brother-in-law is cool for selling it to me for next to nothing, and Christmas is great, even in February.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
a nice Sunday
Sunday, as is somewhat usual, was pretty busy between church, Sunday School, a meeting, going to a youth's concert, getting back for another meeting, youth group meeting, clean up and lock up of the building, and chatting about said group meeting. Made for a full day. Some really funny and/or cool things occurred and I wanted to put them down, partially to not forget them and partially to break from the rants.
Picture it, the mall, I've pit stopped to run a quick errand on my way to the concert and decided to stop by the restroom (well, don't picture that). On the way out a young lad about 8 or 9 years old comes out of the "family" restroom with his mother. The kid is holding both of his hand up in the air around shoulder height and it seems obvious he does not want to touch the door. The mom turns and reiterates, rather loudly mind you, "Don't touch anything!" The kid responds, "I didn't MOM. I'm just touching MYSELF!" Had to bite the ole lip pretty hard to keep from laughing at that one. Almost wanted to tell the kid he might go blind but that just seemed inappropriate (as well it might be for this blog too). Too funny not to write down.
A former youth member shared her journey with God with us that night and it was one of those, as I call them, "paycheck" moments. I call them that because I have been at my job for over eight years now and though my church takes good care of me, I am only just now making as much money as I was when I went to work for Pepperidge Farm after graduating from UF. But, sometimes, you have these moments where God reveals what He's been doing all along and how you've played some small part in it and Sunday night was one of those nights. The "paycheck" aspect of it comes from the fact that my career at the Farm would not have feature such moments. So less money yes, but moments of clarity in God's call and purpose are pretty much priceless.
Good day all the way around.
Picture it, the mall, I've pit stopped to run a quick errand on my way to the concert and decided to stop by the restroom (well, don't picture that). On the way out a young lad about 8 or 9 years old comes out of the "family" restroom with his mother. The kid is holding both of his hand up in the air around shoulder height and it seems obvious he does not want to touch the door. The mom turns and reiterates, rather loudly mind you, "Don't touch anything!" The kid responds, "I didn't MOM. I'm just touching MYSELF!" Had to bite the ole lip pretty hard to keep from laughing at that one. Almost wanted to tell the kid he might go blind but that just seemed inappropriate (as well it might be for this blog too). Too funny not to write down.
A former youth member shared her journey with God with us that night and it was one of those, as I call them, "paycheck" moments. I call them that because I have been at my job for over eight years now and though my church takes good care of me, I am only just now making as much money as I was when I went to work for Pepperidge Farm after graduating from UF. But, sometimes, you have these moments where God reveals what He's been doing all along and how you've played some small part in it and Sunday night was one of those nights. The "paycheck" aspect of it comes from the fact that my career at the Farm would not have feature such moments. So less money yes, but moments of clarity in God's call and purpose are pretty much priceless.
Good day all the way around.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
I know I shouldn't watch these things
I'm discovering that this blog is getting a bit ranty. I'll need to relax and write something funny or even just updatish after this. Don't want to start sounding old before my time.
My friends know me well enough to know that I should not stop on channel 13. I gripe about it all the time and yet I am pulled back to it constantly. For the lone soul who might stumble across this particular blog and does not know what I am talking about, channel 13 is our local Trinity Broadcasting Network affiliate where we get to see gaudy sets, big hair, emotional singing, pleas for money, and promises of great fortune just around the corner. As someone who is trying to follow Jesus as best I can (and falling well short of the ideal consistently), I really want to have some grace here when it comes to this network. But sometimes it just gets the best of me.
Argh, Rod Parsley drives me nuts. First off, this past Sunday afternoon while I was at home trying not to throw up due to some stomach funk, this guy preaches his latest in a long line of sermons pretty much telling me to get some faith so I can get some money (or as he calls it "blessing" but I think we know what he's saying). In fact, one time in an earlier sermon, he actually grabbed the lapel on his rather expensive suit and told the listeners that if they wanted suits like this they just need to "believe for it". Well Sunday's sermon ended with Rod yet again proclaiming 2007 a "Jubilee" year, about the 6th or 7th straight Jubilee year that he has proclaimed, this time based on the idea that God loves the number 7 so 2007, and you've got it. Add on to that that ole Rod turned 50 and Jubilees are every 50 years and that makes this an extra special year, or so says God via a specific "prophetic vision" given to Rod on our behalf.
Because of the Jubilee properties of this year, we can join Rod as part of this covenant team and take part in this vision and jubilee by a small pledge of $50. Rod promised blessings and relief for our families as well as a promise of a lost dream to be fulfilled in our lives...if we join the team. Evidently God is not interested in people who don't pay. So I went to Rod's web site just for clarity's sake and evidently, if I want to donate $ on a regular basis, I can be a "platinum member" where I will have access to Rod's inner sanctum; a special prophecy just for me each month, a promise that Rod will personally pray for me and my needs each month, a special Breakthrough Bible (King James of course), and other benefits...again as long as I submit my credit card for monthly installments.
I realize that the sarcasm is dripping off of those preceding paragraphs, but hasn't this crap gone on long enough? I'm not perfect and won't claim to know the ins and outs of Parsley's life, but I have watched him preach at least 30 times and every time it is the same thing: 1. You don't have stuff but want it; team up with us and you'll get stuff (it's not always said outright but you don't have to infer much) 2. This country is going to hell in a hand basket and we must rise up and fight the infidels, specifically via your monthly contribution 3. Jubilee is here
So, a few things for me.
1. I don't have a problem with money, wealth, possessions, etc.
2. I do have a problem with boiling the Bible, specifically the message and life of Christ, down to consumeristic, individualistic, selfish nonsense.
Jubilee did not nor does it happen every year, at least Biblically. I don't want to drag out the specifics but there were seven year and 50 year movements to it. And all of it had to do with rest, forgiving debts, etc., so yes money is an aspect but here's the problem with looking at these Old Testament promises this way. THEY WERE MEANT FOR A NATION. It's not that they don't have individual notions and nuances, but God was promising the nation of Israel certain things and expecting certain behaviors from them in return. Taking them as some kind of bizarre promise of financial gain solely for my own benefit absolutely cheats the message of Scripture.
It makes me so sad to see the numbers of people who phone into these programs, pledging money they can't afford, in the hopes that God will make them rich. To suggest that in order to receive God's blessing or take part in a prophetic vision one must pledge money is no different than the Catholic church selling indulgences so many millennia ago. It's the same thing.
And Parsley isn't the only one. In between action in the NFC and AFC championship games, I flipped back to channel 13 and each pastor preaching after Parsley said basically the same thing. Every message about debt, money, possessions, and all of them making promises that "more blessing" would be coming, if we were only faithful, claimed it, walked in the "anointing" (which no one explains), and/or donated regularly to this ministry.
I know that I don't always represent God well, but the more I watched the more I found myself physically repulsed by these messages. My only solace was that most non-Christians wouldn't stop on that channel for 5 seconds.
I wish I knew the answer to this stuff. I wish I didn't sound arrogant when I criticize it. I wish that our culture and upbringing didn't make us so materialistic (and I say this having just bought a new TIVO). But don't we have to disown this stuff and say that the message of Christ cannot be summed up in the "name it and claim it" style of preaching? At what point, as followers of Christ, do we start telling people the truth about money; about how hard life is because of it; how it ruins people; how whatever we have just never seems enough; how no matter what our financial situation is, until we understand our identity as a child of God and follower of Christ, money will never take it's proper place? It's not that money is bad, it is an amazing thing and can accomplish so much, but it has to be in a proper perspective. At what point do we start holding each other accountable for messages that are blatantly misrepresenting Scripture and Jesus? How do we minister to people that are in debt, lack money, lack possessions, lack hope, without resorting to materialistic, consumeristic condescension?
I know I probably need to spend more time focused on what crud God is trying to get rid of in me and let Him deal with this stuff, but it just has bugged me for a long time. Happier stuff will follow in the next entry.
My friends know me well enough to know that I should not stop on channel 13. I gripe about it all the time and yet I am pulled back to it constantly. For the lone soul who might stumble across this particular blog and does not know what I am talking about, channel 13 is our local Trinity Broadcasting Network affiliate where we get to see gaudy sets, big hair, emotional singing, pleas for money, and promises of great fortune just around the corner. As someone who is trying to follow Jesus as best I can (and falling well short of the ideal consistently), I really want to have some grace here when it comes to this network. But sometimes it just gets the best of me.
Argh, Rod Parsley drives me nuts. First off, this past Sunday afternoon while I was at home trying not to throw up due to some stomach funk, this guy preaches his latest in a long line of sermons pretty much telling me to get some faith so I can get some money (or as he calls it "blessing" but I think we know what he's saying). In fact, one time in an earlier sermon, he actually grabbed the lapel on his rather expensive suit and told the listeners that if they wanted suits like this they just need to "believe for it". Well Sunday's sermon ended with Rod yet again proclaiming 2007 a "Jubilee" year, about the 6th or 7th straight Jubilee year that he has proclaimed, this time based on the idea that God loves the number 7 so 2007, and you've got it. Add on to that that ole Rod turned 50 and Jubilees are every 50 years and that makes this an extra special year, or so says God via a specific "prophetic vision" given to Rod on our behalf.
Because of the Jubilee properties of this year, we can join Rod as part of this covenant team and take part in this vision and jubilee by a small pledge of $50. Rod promised blessings and relief for our families as well as a promise of a lost dream to be fulfilled in our lives...if we join the team. Evidently God is not interested in people who don't pay. So I went to Rod's web site just for clarity's sake and evidently, if I want to donate $ on a regular basis, I can be a "platinum member" where I will have access to Rod's inner sanctum; a special prophecy just for me each month, a promise that Rod will personally pray for me and my needs each month, a special Breakthrough Bible (King James of course), and other benefits...again as long as I submit my credit card for monthly installments.
I realize that the sarcasm is dripping off of those preceding paragraphs, but hasn't this crap gone on long enough? I'm not perfect and won't claim to know the ins and outs of Parsley's life, but I have watched him preach at least 30 times and every time it is the same thing: 1. You don't have stuff but want it; team up with us and you'll get stuff (it's not always said outright but you don't have to infer much) 2. This country is going to hell in a hand basket and we must rise up and fight the infidels, specifically via your monthly contribution 3. Jubilee is here
So, a few things for me.
1. I don't have a problem with money, wealth, possessions, etc.
2. I do have a problem with boiling the Bible, specifically the message and life of Christ, down to consumeristic, individualistic, selfish nonsense.
Jubilee did not nor does it happen every year, at least Biblically. I don't want to drag out the specifics but there were seven year and 50 year movements to it. And all of it had to do with rest, forgiving debts, etc., so yes money is an aspect but here's the problem with looking at these Old Testament promises this way. THEY WERE MEANT FOR A NATION. It's not that they don't have individual notions and nuances, but God was promising the nation of Israel certain things and expecting certain behaviors from them in return. Taking them as some kind of bizarre promise of financial gain solely for my own benefit absolutely cheats the message of Scripture.
It makes me so sad to see the numbers of people who phone into these programs, pledging money they can't afford, in the hopes that God will make them rich. To suggest that in order to receive God's blessing or take part in a prophetic vision one must pledge money is no different than the Catholic church selling indulgences so many millennia ago. It's the same thing.
And Parsley isn't the only one. In between action in the NFC and AFC championship games, I flipped back to channel 13 and each pastor preaching after Parsley said basically the same thing. Every message about debt, money, possessions, and all of them making promises that "more blessing" would be coming, if we were only faithful, claimed it, walked in the "anointing" (which no one explains), and/or donated regularly to this ministry.
I know that I don't always represent God well, but the more I watched the more I found myself physically repulsed by these messages. My only solace was that most non-Christians wouldn't stop on that channel for 5 seconds.
I wish I knew the answer to this stuff. I wish I didn't sound arrogant when I criticize it. I wish that our culture and upbringing didn't make us so materialistic (and I say this having just bought a new TIVO). But don't we have to disown this stuff and say that the message of Christ cannot be summed up in the "name it and claim it" style of preaching? At what point, as followers of Christ, do we start telling people the truth about money; about how hard life is because of it; how it ruins people; how whatever we have just never seems enough; how no matter what our financial situation is, until we understand our identity as a child of God and follower of Christ, money will never take it's proper place? It's not that money is bad, it is an amazing thing and can accomplish so much, but it has to be in a proper perspective. At what point do we start holding each other accountable for messages that are blatantly misrepresenting Scripture and Jesus? How do we minister to people that are in debt, lack money, lack possessions, lack hope, without resorting to materialistic, consumeristic condescension?
I know I probably need to spend more time focused on what crud God is trying to get rid of in me and let Him deal with this stuff, but it just has bugged me for a long time. Happier stuff will follow in the next entry.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
That should just about settle things...
41-14. Seriously 41-14. No, really, I'm not making this up 41-14. After the past month and a half of listening to the pundits gripe and complain about Florida's inclusion in the BCS National Championship Game, it seems that we can finally bring these proceedings to an end and take a moment to assess what just transpired. The Ohio State Buckeyes came into this game basically being told that we should just go ahead and hand the title to them as the game would just be a formality. The Gators were pretenders, there only by the "political games" played by their coach, who would easily be outdone by Michigan. But then, whoops, Michigan evidently sent their second team to the Rose Bowl and were promptly dispatched by the Trojans who, mind you, could have waltzed into this game if they only would have beaten a hapless UCLA team in their last game of the season.
Big Ten bowl record this year - 2-5 (0-2 in BCS bowls, way to go)
SEC bowl record this year - 6-3 including two BCS bowl wins and a National Championship
Oh yeah, Ohio States record in bowl games vs. SEC opponents - 0-8
Maybe next year the Big 10 will be the conference to beat, but clearly this year the SEC wins that distinction. 9 bowl teams people, that is impressive even if it only takes 6 wins or so to be bowl eligible. That means 75% of the SEC's teams went to a bowl and you can't tell me that kind of strength of schedule didn't help UF be ready for this game. Yeah they won ugly sometimes but they knew how to play in tight games. Ohio State played Michigan and barely won, beat a way overrated Texas team, and that's about it. They just weren't ready to handle the defense. Here's how I break it down.
1. Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit are morons. They (especially good ole unbiased Captain Kirk) have been criticizing the Gators for almost two months now. I'll give ole Kirky credit, he humbly ate his words last night. Corso, get a life, seriously. You can blame the game all you want on 51 days off for OSU but it's not like Florida played last week. They had 37 days off. That excuse just doesn't work. Oh yeah, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised at Kirk's lack of knowledge as I seem to remember him predicting a run to the National Title for none other than the University of Miami Hurricanes right before they went out and lost to FSU. Good pick Kirk.
2. Jarvis Moss and Derrick Harvey might be the two best big game defensive ends we've ever had. 5 sacks between them and they spent a good part of the game absolutely terrorizing Troy Smith. Two days before the game I saw an interview with Jarvis Moss, and he was asked if he had run into Troy Smith yet. He replied that he had seen him at the hotel. They asked if Jarvis had introduced himself. Jarvis replied, "No. I think I'll do that during the game." Mr. Moss meet Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith meet the turf.
3. Chris Leak deserves this more than just about anyone else. He has been criticized, mocked, manhandled by fans and the press, endured two coaching changes and three different offensive systems, shared time with a freshman who can do no wrong by some people's standards, and yet through it all has been humble and hard working. He managed that game beautifully last night and never made the one big error he is so prone to do. Way to go Chris.
4. You have to feel like Reggie Nelson and Ryan Smith get some credit even though they basically weren't in on any plays (I think Ryan batted a pass down late in the game). Their mere presence seemed to prevent the Buckeyes from throwing the ball downfield. They tried once and it resulted in an interception.
5. Though I don't think he would have made a big difference, Ted Ginn's injury just shows why big celebrations are stupid. Whether you are his teammates piling on top of him and wrecking his ankle or just a lone, dumb quarterback spraining his neck after headbutting a wall (Gus Ferrotte), just get in the end zone, drop the ball, go to the sideline, get some love from the team and coach, and remember it's only one score. That kickoff return may have been the best thing to happen to the Gators.
6. And finally, 4 and 1 in the 2nd quarter in your own territory against our run defense? Are you serious Jim? That just smells of desperation.
It's great to be a Florida Gator. I think I'm going to have to talk to my son though. Ethan was born in February and since then the Gators have won a national championship in basketball and football. I would love for the kid to get used to this but he needs to know he could have some heartbreak over the years.
41-14. Wow.
Big Ten bowl record this year - 2-5 (0-2 in BCS bowls, way to go)
SEC bowl record this year - 6-3 including two BCS bowl wins and a National Championship
Oh yeah, Ohio States record in bowl games vs. SEC opponents - 0-8
Maybe next year the Big 10 will be the conference to beat, but clearly this year the SEC wins that distinction. 9 bowl teams people, that is impressive even if it only takes 6 wins or so to be bowl eligible. That means 75% of the SEC's teams went to a bowl and you can't tell me that kind of strength of schedule didn't help UF be ready for this game. Yeah they won ugly sometimes but they knew how to play in tight games. Ohio State played Michigan and barely won, beat a way overrated Texas team, and that's about it. They just weren't ready to handle the defense. Here's how I break it down.
1. Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit are morons. They (especially good ole unbiased Captain Kirk) have been criticizing the Gators for almost two months now. I'll give ole Kirky credit, he humbly ate his words last night. Corso, get a life, seriously. You can blame the game all you want on 51 days off for OSU but it's not like Florida played last week. They had 37 days off. That excuse just doesn't work. Oh yeah, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised at Kirk's lack of knowledge as I seem to remember him predicting a run to the National Title for none other than the University of Miami Hurricanes right before they went out and lost to FSU. Good pick Kirk.
2. Jarvis Moss and Derrick Harvey might be the two best big game defensive ends we've ever had. 5 sacks between them and they spent a good part of the game absolutely terrorizing Troy Smith. Two days before the game I saw an interview with Jarvis Moss, and he was asked if he had run into Troy Smith yet. He replied that he had seen him at the hotel. They asked if Jarvis had introduced himself. Jarvis replied, "No. I think I'll do that during the game." Mr. Moss meet Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith meet the turf.
3. Chris Leak deserves this more than just about anyone else. He has been criticized, mocked, manhandled by fans and the press, endured two coaching changes and three different offensive systems, shared time with a freshman who can do no wrong by some people's standards, and yet through it all has been humble and hard working. He managed that game beautifully last night and never made the one big error he is so prone to do. Way to go Chris.
4. You have to feel like Reggie Nelson and Ryan Smith get some credit even though they basically weren't in on any plays (I think Ryan batted a pass down late in the game). Their mere presence seemed to prevent the Buckeyes from throwing the ball downfield. They tried once and it resulted in an interception.
5. Though I don't think he would have made a big difference, Ted Ginn's injury just shows why big celebrations are stupid. Whether you are his teammates piling on top of him and wrecking his ankle or just a lone, dumb quarterback spraining his neck after headbutting a wall (Gus Ferrotte), just get in the end zone, drop the ball, go to the sideline, get some love from the team and coach, and remember it's only one score. That kickoff return may have been the best thing to happen to the Gators.
6. And finally, 4 and 1 in the 2nd quarter in your own territory against our run defense? Are you serious Jim? That just smells of desperation.
It's great to be a Florida Gator. I think I'm going to have to talk to my son though. Ethan was born in February and since then the Gators have won a national championship in basketball and football. I would love for the kid to get used to this but he needs to know he could have some heartbreak over the years.
41-14. Wow.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
hook and ladder and I'm tired
No, not the Firehouse Subs Hook and Ladder (though it is muy delicioso), I'm speaking about what could amount to be the best 4th quarter (and then some) of football I've seen in years. Here's a breakdown:
1. Boise State leads Oklahoma by 8 points with 2:40 left in the 4th quarter. This is a big deal for old BSU, home to the bluest field in the world, as they come into the game undefeated but hailing from a second rate conference and looking for some respect on a national scale. Their defense had been stopping the Sooners all night but on this drive, OU goes right down the field and ties the game with a nice TD and 2 point conversion.
2. Most BSU fans probably begin to think, "Okay, there's a minute and change left, all we need is a few first downs and we can kick the game winner." Bryan, that's me, thinks the same thing.
3. However, OU does not think this and promptly intercepts the very first pass from scrimmage and returns it for a touchdown. I'm sure most of the country, at this point, decided that the game was well in hand and they could turn off their televisions. I certainly did, but decided to stay up as I had about four pages left in a book I was reading (C.S. Lewis, Til We Have Faces).
4. BSU gets a couple of plays off but faces 4th and 18 with about 20 seconds left. Begin part 1 of bizarre land. BSU runs the hook and ladder, which though quite effective when playing tag football in your front yard, NEVER works at anything past the high school level. Basically this is a play where one receiver catches a ball and then pitches to another receiver running by him. It usually doesn't work because at these levels, people are just too fast and prepared. But not here, it worked to perfection, game tied. Thus begins bizarre land, part 2, which starts with one of my favorite things in college football, overtime.
5. On the first play, Adrian Peterson runs the ball 25 yards for a touchdown, virtually untouched. Again, you get a sense of the game being over. BSU doesn't get the memo.
6. BSU scores after several plays and then does the unthinkable (but probably a smart decision), they go for two to win. My guess is that they were tired and needed to just put it away but I'm sure some BSU fans were more than a bit upset at the call.
7. BSU runs a fake WR screen that turns into a behind the back handoff to the slowest running back I've ever seen who lumbers into the end zone for 2 points and an amazing win.
So now the "national championship" talk begins with BSU griping about not being considered. Did they make a good case that they are a competitive team, yes. But they beat Oklahoma, which is not the same as Ohio State, Florida, Michigan (though this might not mean much now), USC, etc. The Big 12 was pretty mediocre this year so I don't know that beating OU is this amazing thing.
At the same time BSU knows they play in a second tier conference, so it is imperative that they schedule some decent out of conference competition if they want to be taken seriously. But, I hope they enjoy the win because they earned it. I just wish I didn't have to stay up until almost 1am to see the whole thing.
1. Boise State leads Oklahoma by 8 points with 2:40 left in the 4th quarter. This is a big deal for old BSU, home to the bluest field in the world, as they come into the game undefeated but hailing from a second rate conference and looking for some respect on a national scale. Their defense had been stopping the Sooners all night but on this drive, OU goes right down the field and ties the game with a nice TD and 2 point conversion.
2. Most BSU fans probably begin to think, "Okay, there's a minute and change left, all we need is a few first downs and we can kick the game winner." Bryan, that's me, thinks the same thing.
3. However, OU does not think this and promptly intercepts the very first pass from scrimmage and returns it for a touchdown. I'm sure most of the country, at this point, decided that the game was well in hand and they could turn off their televisions. I certainly did, but decided to stay up as I had about four pages left in a book I was reading (C.S. Lewis, Til We Have Faces).
4. BSU gets a couple of plays off but faces 4th and 18 with about 20 seconds left. Begin part 1 of bizarre land. BSU runs the hook and ladder, which though quite effective when playing tag football in your front yard, NEVER works at anything past the high school level. Basically this is a play where one receiver catches a ball and then pitches to another receiver running by him. It usually doesn't work because at these levels, people are just too fast and prepared. But not here, it worked to perfection, game tied. Thus begins bizarre land, part 2, which starts with one of my favorite things in college football, overtime.
5. On the first play, Adrian Peterson runs the ball 25 yards for a touchdown, virtually untouched. Again, you get a sense of the game being over. BSU doesn't get the memo.
6. BSU scores after several plays and then does the unthinkable (but probably a smart decision), they go for two to win. My guess is that they were tired and needed to just put it away but I'm sure some BSU fans were more than a bit upset at the call.
7. BSU runs a fake WR screen that turns into a behind the back handoff to the slowest running back I've ever seen who lumbers into the end zone for 2 points and an amazing win.
So now the "national championship" talk begins with BSU griping about not being considered. Did they make a good case that they are a competitive team, yes. But they beat Oklahoma, which is not the same as Ohio State, Florida, Michigan (though this might not mean much now), USC, etc. The Big 12 was pretty mediocre this year so I don't know that beating OU is this amazing thing.
At the same time BSU knows they play in a second tier conference, so it is imperative that they schedule some decent out of conference competition if they want to be taken seriously. But, I hope they enjoy the win because they earned it. I just wish I didn't have to stay up until almost 1am to see the whole thing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
