A friend of mine that is involved in ministry at Eastern Nazarene College posted this on his blog today:

"We will never become people of change, until we (as white Americans) become aware (awareness is the key term) of the racism within our traditions and religions and confront it. For example, when white people were going to church, praising God during days of slavery, they probably didn’t see themselves as racist people. We have never seen ourselves as racist people, mostly because we think we have had God’s blessing for acknowledging Jesus as his son. Let me share an example of this in 2005. We have many opportunities to share and take care of others, meeting their basic needs. Through OXFAM alone, $20 buys enough maize to feed a family of four in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia for six months. $30 Buys books to help 10 girls in Afghanistan learn to read and write. Apparently, there are wealthy churches that don’t know this, or maybe they choose to ignore it. I know of several churches that have spent hundreds of thousands, even a million dollars to upgrade the “comfort” of their church, or to install advancements such as big screen projectors. This amount of money could have fed 25,000 families in Ethiopia for one year. When Churches spend money to enhance their comfort, and we as individuals buy cosmetics, excessive amounts of clothes, video games, etc., while 30,000 non-white children starve to death everyday or go without basic education – we are perpetuating inequality - this perpetuation of inequality is racism – meaning, we are still racist, just like we have continued to be throughout history. We turned away those in need, for our own excessive comfort, security, and lust. We hung them with the noose of hunger. Until we acknowledge our ignorance and repent of this sin, reconcile with all those we have oppressed and are oppressing, there will be racism, and this racism trickles down to ENC - however, some of the White People will still deny it, they will say that the non-white people are making an issue of racism where there is none, as if they pulled it out of thin air. Only through brutal honesty and confrontation can there be healing and reconciliation. We must open our eyes, look at inequality and racism in our past, and acknowledge it in the present, and thus begin to be a people of change by humbling ourselves, embracing the concerns, experience, and suffering of all other cultures, backgrounds, and religions that differ from our own."

Another friend, involved in ministry in Columbus, posted this recently:

"Ayedefer, his wife and daughter moved to the United States about three years ago from Ethiopia. We talked about Africa and he told me that he had been a teacher in Ethiopia and with his salary was able to afford three meals a day and rent an apartment with electricity, but no running water, for his family. He said that 70% of the people of his country eat one meal a day, which consist of some fried grains. They get their water from holes they dig in the ground that collect rainwater. He said that usually he was drinking after dogs and cows and that they also cleaned their clothes with this water. Ayedefer works hard and sends much of his money back to support a minister who would not eat without the money he sends. He said that one US dollar a day would make for a very good life for an Ethiopian. I asked Ayedefer if life in this country is one of constant frustration for him. He clutched his chest and said, “yes”. I told him that within the last year I have become very aware of the tragic circumstances in Africa with poverty, hunger and AIDS. I told him that I try to tell others and help them realize that when Christ told us to love our neighbor he intended no geographical limits on that love. He told me that when he moved here he began working at a PetsMart. He said that in his time there he realized that Americans spend millions of dollars on dog food for their pets. Ayedefer told me that he would look at the pet food and think that it would be a nourishing meal for people in his country who were dying of hunger."

I recently led a church through a multi-million dollar building program. I make more money in a week than most third-world men will make in their lifetime. What am I doing about it?

God help me.

Let us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King
And recognize that there are ties between us, all men and women living on the earth,
Ties of hope and love, sister and brotherhood...
That we are bound together in our desire to see the world become a place in which our children can grow free and strong.
And we are bound together by the task that stands before us, and the road that lies ahead...
We are bound. We are bound.

There is a feeling like the clinching of a fist,
There is a hunger in the center of the chest.
There is a passage through the darkenss and the mist,
And though the body sleeps, the heart will never rest.

Shed a little light, O Lord, so that we can see.
Just a little light, O Lord,
Wanna stand it on up,
Wanna walk it on down,
Shed a little light, O Lord.

Can't get no light from a dollar bill,
Don't give me no light from a TV screen.
When I open my eyes I wanna drink my fill
From the well on the hill,
Do you know what I mean?

Shed a little light, O Lord, so that we can see.
Just a little light, O Lord,
Wanna stand it on up,
Wanna walk it on down,
Shed a little light, O Lord.

There is a feeling like the clinching of a fist,
There is a hunger in the center of the chest.
There is a passage through the darkenss and the mist,
And though the body sleeps, the heart will never rest.

Oh, let us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King,
And recognize that there are ties between us, all men and women living on the earth,
Ties of hope and love,
Sister and brotherhood.
--James Taylor

Now Reading: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by CS Lewis
Colts: 7-0

Last night was a game for the ages. And I'm not talking about World Series Game 3.

The Faculty/Staff intramural softball team at MidAmerica has had their best season yet. We went 8-1 in the regular season, our only loss coming by one run to juggernaut Love Potion #9. They went undefeated through the regular season, so they clinched the top spot in the playoffs, and we got the two seed. Both of us won our first two playoff games (double-elimination format), so we faced off last night for the chance to play in the championship. The winner would move directly to the championship, while the loser would have to face an elimination game immediately following last night's game.

As the lower seed, we were the visitors, and we put up two quick runs in the 1st. They tallied one in their half, and the score stayed that way until the 4th. During that inning, our pitcher (a 70-year old woman; each team has at least two girls) gave up her first walk of the season, and they strung together a few more hits to take the lead, 5-2. In the top of the 5th they shut us down, then added a bases clearing double to the gap in left-center to make it 8-2. Our season was crumbling before our eyes.

In our half of the 6th we pushed two runs across to make it 8-4, and had a couple nice defensive plays in the bottom half to keep the score that way headed to the final inning. The 70-year old woman was leading off, and she dinked a single over shortstop. Our best hitter, Steve, was next, and he rung one to the wall in right-center, but because Barb (the 70-year old pitcher) isn't exactly fleet afoot, it was only a single. Next was the leadoff hitter, Yort. He reached on an infield single to load the bases, with no one out, and the 2-3-4 hitters coming to the plate. Luke was next up, and he popped up harmlessly. 1 away. Then came me. I strode to the plate with one thing on my mind: Tie this game. I took one pitch, then drove the next one deep to left field...but foul. The next pitch was a beauty, and I took a mighty swing, but I got under it. Flyout to the warning track in left, and, with Barb on third, she couldn't tag and score. 2 outs. I walked slowly back to the dugout and buried my head in my hands. Paul, the clean-up hitter, was our last hope. I looked up from my sulking just in time to see him drive the first pitch deep to right-center and GONE! A GRAND SLAM! WITH TWO OUTS IN THE LAST INNING! I couldn't believe what I had seen. Our next hitter, Rus, hammered a double into the left-center field gap and scored on two throwing errors. We had taken the lead in the last inning, but we still had to hold them.

Heading to the bottom of the 7th with a 9-8 lead, they had the top of the order up. The lead off man hit a single to take a little momentum back to their side. After a grounder to third forced him out, the next man got a single, so they had runners on first and second with one out. The cleanup hitter popped up to me in shallow center, and the runners could not advance. Two down. Alas, there was more softball to be played. The next man singled, scoring a run. They had first and second again, this time with two outs, and now it was a tie game, 9-9. Their next hitter got a single to left, which was scooped up by our left fielder (who has a torn rotator cuff in his throwing arm). They were sending the man from second...there was going to be a play at the plate. Steve launched the ball and it dribbled across the infield in perfect line with the plate. The catcher scooped it out of the dirt and tagged the runner..........OUT! He threw out the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 7th. Huge. Extra innings.

With the 9-9 tie, we had Steve, our best hitter leading off, followed by the top of the order. Steve doubled to right-center, but the leadoff man lined out to short for the first out. Luke singled Steve home and advanced to second on the throw. I was next, and I doubled to left, scoring Luke. Paul, the hero from the 7th inning, was behind me, and he homered again for his seventh RBI of the evening and a 13-9 lead for us. We tacked on one more before heading to the bottom of the 8th. We retired them in order in the 8th for the victory!

So the Faculty/Staff team advances to the championship game next Tuesday. Love Potion #9, the most dominant team in the league all season, was clearly disheartened by our dramatic comeback victory. In the elimination game that ensued, they fell to the Ducks in the Hole, 10-7, ending their season. We will meet Ducks in the Hole next Tuesday for the title, and they'll have to beat us twice to win it.

I think ESPN Classic has already called for the footage.

Screw
The
Wild
Card.

Kari, Braden and I had a really nice weekend. We flew to Columbus on Friday morning, where her family picked us up at the airport and we all drove to Kentucky. Sis had flown in earlier in the week, so the whole family was together (except for Brian, Sis's husband, whom we missed a TON) for the weekend. We played games and talked and ate and hung out. Sunday I got to preach at my home church. But the best part of it all was that we dedicated Braden Sunday, and I had the privilege of doing the dedication. I never dreamed I'd dedicate my own son, but that's what I was able to do. My Dad, Kari's Dad, my Grandfather and I sang a song for Braden and then we dedicated him. It was so special. Pictures to come later, over on Braden's blog (linked to the right).

Sis took several wonderful pictures while we were home, and one of them is posted on her blog. He's a pretty cute kid.

Check This Out
By clicking here, you can read about a victory for Sojourners. If you're not a subscriber, their email is free and it will help you know how to conscientiously object when government is about to make an anti-Kingdom decision.

At Church
I mentioned that I preached while I was home. I wouldn't call myself a preacher, but I hope the Lord gave me something worthwhile to say to those people who have meant so much to me over the years. I talked to them about the Kingdom, and how it is both a present reality and a future hope. The text was from Matthew 10: "Tell them the kingdom is here."

I used a quote from Nouwen that I think is amazing: "The Church is not an institution forcing us to follow its rules. It is a community of people inviting us to still our hunger and thirst at its tables." I talked to them about the reality that we need to open our doors and our arms to homosexuals and terrorists, to genuinely love them. Sis said my message was controversial. I think I think I'm glad for that.

Anyway, thanks to those of you who prayed for me this weekend, and thanks to all of you for helping me, in some roundabout way, formulate the message that I spoke, that the Kingdom is here, it is present reality and future hope, and that the Church should be inviting people to our tables.

In Other News
The Cardinals are in the process of letting me down again, I'm afraid, although Albert came through with a mammoth home run last night. Now it's back to St. Louis for Game 6 (and hopefully Game 7) for the right to play the White Sox in the World Series. Here's to the RedBirds.

Now Reading: The Death of Ivan Ilyich, by Leo Tolstoy
Cardinals' Magic Number: 6

My God, thank you for the physical sight to see both light and darkness around me. Thank you too for insight that comes with the vision to tell the difference. I know that my perception of reality, my vision, determines my ability to respond to life, and that the greater my vision, the more fully alive and fully human I can be.

Still I confess that sometimes the smallness of my vision limits my perception of myself, my neighbors, and the world, so that I treat others as less than human and not fully alive--personally, politically, economically, socially...

I need the vision that Jesus gives, that sees no difference between sacred and secular, sexual identity and personhood, ethnic group and worth, economic position and dignity, education and value.

I need the vision to ask the hard questions and to change my attitude and the structures of society where I can. Because of the sensitivity of sight you give, enable me to stand in awe and wonder at life and its possibilities. Help me kneel in humility to worship you and not myself. Lord, hear me as I say, "Let my eyes be opened." Amen.

--From Visions of a World Hungry by Thomas G. Pettepiece

Now reading: The Death of Ivan Ilyich, by Leo Tolstoy
Cardinals' Magic Number: 8

Friday night my wife and I had dinner with George Costanza. Well, not really. At a Japanese Steakhouse in Overland Park, we sat at a table with another couple, and they were quite unique. When the check came, the gentleman stood up and began wrestling to get something out of his pocket: His enormous, cantaloupe-sized wallet. This thing was amazing...It made Costanza's look puny. If I were to guess the contents, I would include money, credit cards, receipts, car keys, a pickle spear, the Yellow Pages, and pictures of their grandkids, among much else, clearly. He set it on the table, unzipped it (yes, it had a zipper), and chose a few bills, placing them with the check. But he wasn't done. After the waitress returned with his change, he proceeded to remove a calculator from his fanny pack (that's right), along with the checkbook. At this time his wife got up and left...didn't just go to the restroom, but left the restaurant entirely. We began to wonder if they were perhaps just on a date, but this seemed unlikely, as they had to be in their 60s. So he opened the checkbook and the calculator, and began crunching some numbers there at the table. He must have had 20 receipts folded up in the checkbook, and he added the one from dinner. After working with the calculator for a while, he folded up the checkbook, closed the calculator and returned them to his fanny pack. He then struggled mightily to return the gargantuan wallet to his pocket. Kari and I had to wonder why he didn't keep the humongo wallet in the fanny pack, too.

The Playoffs
The Cardinals begin the Playoffs this afternoon, hosting the San Diego Padres in a best-of-five series. I can only hope for a happier ending than last year. But, should the RedBirds make it back to the Fall Classic, Dad and I will once again make the trek to St. Louis in hopes of not having our hearts broken in person, again.

Congratulations...
...are in order for my friends, Doug and Molly Wharton, who were wed this weekend in Columbus, Ohio. Doug and Molly live in Honduras, where they work at a place filled with hope for children with HIV/AIDS. It is called Montana de Luz, which means "Mountain of Light." I invite you to read a speech Molly gave at their wedding, which was posted by my friend Eric Stetler, here. If you feel led, please support this mission in any way you possibly can.

And finally...
...this from Sojourners.

Now Reading: The Death of Ivan Ilyich, by Leo Tolstoy
Cardinals' Magic Number: 11