::Extravagant Love::

Shocker...

2009-04-05T18:02:00.002-05:00

An event I'm sure won't surprise any of you: I've moved again.

http://www.bradtaylor.tumblr.com

Keaton BradLee Taylor

2008-12-04T11:05:00.003-06:00

Keaton was born 12/04/08 at 7:32 AM, weighing 9 pounds 8 ounces and measuring 21 1/4 inches. He was delivered via C-Section, and mommy and baby are doing great!

Incarnation

2008-10-29T09:29:00.004-05:00

I'm sitting at Panera listening to Alli Rogers' song "Eden." I recommend it.

I've really been dwelling the last couple days on what it means to be incarnational. I was just replying to a great question from my friend Andy, who really got me to thinking about this. Does incarnation mean anything to followers of Jesus? I mean, besides the obvious? I don't think it has meant much to me...I can say it has meant a lot, but unless it changes the way I live, it just doesn't really matter. I wonder what it would look like if, instead of short term missions and giving money to overseas missions getting all the attention (not saying those things are bad), we shifted our focus to incarnational mission. I wonder.

My toes are cold.

Polar Opposites

2008-10-22T22:32:00.004-05:00

Today I was in the drive-thru at Chick-Fil-A. I love me some sweet tea. Anyway, the decorations on the car in front of me caused me to chuckle. On the left side of the rear windshield was a small, rectangular bumper sticker. It read: "________ ________ Church: Passionate About Jesus!" (names removed to protect the innocent). Fantastic!

On the right side of the windshield was this large sign:

You can't make this stuff up.

I thought to myself, I'm not sure how those two things go together. However, on my return trip from Portland, during my brief layover in Chicago, I took a picture of two things which go perfectly together:

Fannie Mae and the Cubs!! Two pathetic entities in hopeless slumps desperately in need of a bailout! (I know it's not the same Fannie Mae, but humor me!)

Anyway, you're not going to get me to say much about politics, but if you want to know how I feel about it, read my friend Andy's recent blog.

Newness

2008-10-16T14:37:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting in the Portland airport after a week of simply mind-boggling classes. Here is a brief list of what we've covered:

APEST (Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic, Shepherding, Teaching) Leadership
Decentralization of Leadership
What really belongs in dogma? (Hint: not as much as you thought)
A thousand years of church history
Pelagianism, Perichoresis, Ecclesiology, Soteriology, Ontology, Phenomenology of Movement, the Problem of Evil and how to make Core Values matter

My head hurts.

I've been messing around with the design of my blog. I know the fonts and colors still aren't quite right, but I like the image in the header so much I'm going to keep playing with it. Your thoughts are welcome. (If there are any of you still out there!)

Augustine vs. Pelagius...on MAD TV

2008-10-14T13:15:00.002-05:00

Compost Bin

2007-12-18T08:51:00.000-06:00

My friend Doug has been asking me for months to post some pictures of our compost bin, I think because someone is interested in making a similar one. So, without further delay, here you go.

We got the instructions for this bin from Rodale's Guide to Composting. You can easily pick it up at the library. (By the way, I don't want to give anyone any misconceptions here...I had someone build this for me...I'm quite mechanically disabled.)

Total cost for the bin was $85, including the steel drum. We've been at it for probably four months, and probably have 10-12 pounds of ready compost. We'll let it continue to cook for the winter and should have over 30 pounds when spring rolls around.

I am by no means an expert, but I'll be happy to give tips to anyone who is interested in getting started with this.

My New Hobby

2007-12-17T09:25:00.000-06:00

For about as long as I can remember, I've wanted to begin hunting. I'm not exactly sure why this is the case, but I've had this undeniable desire to go hunting for years and years. I've learned, though, that hunting is often something you do if your family does it, and my family doesn't. My dad and grandfather used to take me fishing all the time growing up, and it was a blast...that was our thing. I had many happy moments out there on the boat. (Speaking of my Dad, he's been the director of the barbershop chorus in Ashland, KY, for about 17 years, and he finally decided to step down. You can read about him here.)

Well, anyway, now I have a great buddy here at BCN, Jason, who is a longtime hunter, and he'd been offering to take me. So a couple months ago I got a license, and we've been hunting three times now. We've already had many great times and some adventurous moments, but hadn't had any luck with getting anything...until yesterday.

Personal Project ME GFES

2007-12-11T17:00:00.000-06:00

Here is my personal project for the missional ecclesiology class at George Fox Evangelical Seminary.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Some Videos...

2007-12-09T08:26:00.000-06:00

...in the spirit of Christmas.

Rich! Who Knew?

2007-12-08T08:50:00.000-06:00

How rich are you? >>

I'm loaded.
It's official.
I'm the 190,434,783 richest person on earth!

Thanks, Brandon!

Sadness

2007-12-03T09:12:00.000-06:00

Some of you may have known that Kari and I were expecting our second child in June. We found out Friday that we've lost that little baby. It was a sad day.

We appreciate your prayers...

Peace.

And, I'm back

2007-11-15T15:09:00.000-06:00

The move over to wordpress was nice while it lasted. The features were too hard for me to navigate. I must be stupid.

Anyway, I changed up the look here a little. I hope blogspot doesn't hold a grudge.

Freedom?

2007-06-07T08:40:00.000-05:00

There are 27 million slaves in the world today. 27,000,000. More than at any other time in history. You can go here to do something to help.

And check out this sobering info from my friend Brandon's blog.

Finally, some pictures...

2007-06-02T21:52:00.000-05:00

Braden turned 2 a few weeks ago, and it's high time you all got a look at him.

Mommy and Braden headed toward the pond at Delco Park

Daddy and Braden on the way to the Dragons' game

Braden trying out his first tricycle

Birthday lunch!

Birthday Cake!

A popsicle with JoJo

Making homemade birdfeeders with Mommy and JoJo

Riding the school bus with Papa (our favorite photo!)

Two Friends...

2007-05-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

...were walking down the street. One looked toward the heavens and said, "Sometimes I just want to ask God why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice when He could easily do something about it. Know what I mean?"

"Sure," his friend replied. "It's just that I'm afraid He would ask me the same thing."

1934-2007

2007-04-24T14:51:00.000-05:00

Pulitzer-prize winning author David Halberstam was killed in a car accident this morning. He wrote three of my favorite baseball books: October 1964, The Teammates, and, of course, the definitive Summer of '49.

I think he looks a lot like Thomas Noble, don't you?

Irony

2007-04-18T10:24:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else see the irony in this man calling someone else "nappy headed"?

By the way, forever ago I posted a link asking about a scene in a movie, and my interest has been piqued once again. Kari and I watched "The Recruit" the other night, and part of its plot reopened my curiosity. The female CIA agent uses a tiny USB drive to collect data, which she extracts from Langley in the bottom of her coffee mug. This reminded me of the question I posted earlier: Does anyone have any idea what movie that scene was from? Someone is walking into some kind of security booth, where passage through a metal detector is required. He sets his coffee cup on top, walks through, then gets his coffee, reaches in, and pulls out a gun. Can anyone help me out here?

(I say this as if I have more or different readers than I did then, but, in reality, I hope one of you who is reading this has just happened to see this particular movie recently.)

Thoughts

2007-04-16T15:48:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was Jackie Robinson Day, celebrating 60 years from the day Branch Rickey and the Brooklyn Dodgers made Jack Roosevelt Robinson the first African American baseball player in Major League Baseball. Click on the picture above to visit Jackie Robinson's website. Can someone tell me how to post a link to a song on here so I can let you all hear the two or three great baseball songs that have been written to celebrate this hero?

On a much more somber note, what a terrible tragedy today at Virginia Tech. Please join us in praying for the entire situation.

Catching Up

2007-04-09T09:12:00.000-05:00

Man, it has been a while. Two months? Really? Hard to imagine.

A few things to catch up on:

1. I was able to be part of something really cool on Thursday night here at BCN. Our church joined with Church of the Messiah to celebrate the Passover with a Seder meal. (Two of my other friends, David and John Ballenger, have had their own Seder experiences this week. Read about them here and here, respectively.) I was incredibly moved by the experience. Kari and I found it so meaningful that we purchased one of the Seder plates. The tradition is rich and meaningful.

2. That led up to yesterday's service, which we celebrated in EPIC with six planned baptisms and one spontaneous one. The church family truly celebrated the risen Christ together.

3. Braden is doing great, growing quickly, talking like crazy...He's an amazing little gift. Kari and I grow to love him more and more each day.

4. I've been accepted into the Masters of Ministry Leadership program at George Fox Evangelical Seminary, where I'll have the privilege of studying under Len Sweet, Joe Myers, Brian McLaren, and others. I am very excited to begin this journey this fall. This experience will include two trips per year to Portland, Oregon. The only time I've been to Portland is when I flew in there for my friend Obadiah's wedding.

5. Baseball is back, and I'm really happy about it.

Hope all is well for everyone out there in the blogosphere. Peace...

Community

2007-02-08T10:59:00.000-06:00

"If people don't need each other, they will spend little time together telling stories to each other, and if they don't know one another's stories, how can they know whether or not to trust one another?" -Wendell Berry

"When community is wounded and a culture of individualism takes over, people stop looking out for each other. When this happens, as it has in America, the needs of the poor, the homeless, and the broken go unmet. In the absence of self-sacrificial love for one's neighbor, the government is forced to step in and help. To run these programs, they must tax the people. As it turns out, these government-funded programs are often initiated with good motives but typically produce poor results. Even worse, the person who could be an effective servant and who could be part of the solution for a hurting person is encouraged by these programs to have a mindset that says, 'I pay taxes for the government to take care of this!'--he or she has contracted the disease John Locke calls 'social loafing.' Rigor mortis sets in to our muscles of human justice and kindness; sadly, this kind of sedentary apathy is difficult to reverse in a culture of consumerism." -Randy Frazee

2007-02-05T13:05:00.000-06:00

What about...

2007-01-24T09:21:00.000-06:00

...intergenerational worship/church?

Justice?

2006-12-30T00:06:00.000-06:00

38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

For some strange reason, people in the world think justice was done tonight.

God, help us.

2006-12-19T12:13:00.000-06:00

Christmas Songs

2006-12-13T08:09:00.000-06:00

Last year, my sister posted the lyrics to her favorite Christmas song on her blog, which I thought was a great idea. My good friend Dave posted a small section of a relatively unknown verse of a Christmas song the other day, too, and it all reminds me how much I enjoy Christmas music. Whether it's Harry Connick Jr.'s first Christmas CD, with new tunes like "I Pray on Christmas" and "It Must've Been Ol' Santa Claus,"or his rendition of classics like "O Holy Night;" or MercyMe's The Christmas Sessions with the great song "Joseph's Lullaby" and the meaningful "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day;" or the classic soundtrack to the Peanuts Christmas special, with "Linus and Lucy," "Skating," "Christmastime is Here," and "O Christmas Tree;" or my Dad singing "Gesu Bambino" and "10,000 Joys" with my aunt, or any of the other songs that just bring a smile to my face, like "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," "We Are the Reason," "Christmas Eve in my Hometown," "Breath of Heaven," and so many others.

If you don't know the story of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," I posted the story last Christmas. You can read about it here. It is remarkable, and brought a completely new level of meaning to the song for me.

Here are the lyrics to my favorite Christmas song of all time, "Hand of Sweet Release," recorded by the Gaither Vocal Band (shocker, I know). Even if you don't at all like Southern Gospel music, I recommend giving this one a try. It's available on iTunes.

Come thou long expected Jesus,
come illuminate the mysteries of life.
Come redeem us from the refuse,
bring an end to endless suffering and strife.
Be the star that shines so brightly
that it draws our weary eyes to the sky,
to Heaven's sky.
Dearest child of new beginnings,
be the start of something beautiful, I cry.

There's an end to all the waiting,
there's an answer to the "who?" and "where?" and "why?"
tonight.
All the years anticipating,
are surrendered to a tiny baby's cry.
There's a dawn to follow darkness,
there's a face to fill the title, "Prince of Peace."
What he promised, he delivered...
I am saved by the hand of sweet release.

In this war I've been a captive,
just a sinner seeking life and liberty.
But these hands that hold me tightly
are the hands that set my shackled spirit free.
Blessed Jesus, meek and lowly,
you have come into my life and made it new,
now I'm new.
Out of bondage into everlasting light,
I owe everything to you.

There's an end to all the waiting,
there's an answer to the "who?" and "where?" and "why?"
tonight.
All the years anticipating,
are surrendered to a tiny baby's cry.
There's a dawn to follow darkness,
there's a face to fill the title, "Prince of Peace."
What he promised, he delivered...
I am saved by the hand of sweet release.
What he promised, he delivered...
I am saved by the hand of sweet release.

Two movie questions...

2006-11-29T14:29:00.000-06:00

I've had these two scenes from movies in my mind (for some reason), and I cannot for the life of me figure out what movies they come from.

1. Someone is threatening a man that they are going to kill his wife and children. The man kills his entire family himself, shocking the others and taking their leverage away. I seem to remember this taking place in an apartment with some orangish/red lighting.

2. A man walks into a security booth of some kind, which requires him to pass through a metal detector. The man places his cup of coffee on top of the metal detector, walks through without arousing suspicion, then reaches into the cup of coffee, from which he pulls out a weapon of some kind (I think it was a tiny gun).

Any help?

Selfless

2006-11-22T08:04:00.000-06:00

That is one of the first words that comes to mind when I think about my wife, Kari. She is so hospitable to others, so caring for Braden and me. There is no one like her. Over the course of our life together, my insecurity has slowly melted away as I rest in her warm embrace. She is my beloved, and I hers.

She makes me laugh. What a gift.

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Sweetheart. I love you.

It's important to vote...

2006-11-13T13:27:00.000-06:00

...and that's why I'd love for you to visit this site and vote for the t-shirt my friend designed, the one that says "Everbody Loves Ramen."

Thanks.

Oh yeah, and this is what a bumper sticker that I saw today said: "I'm pretty sure when Jesus said to love your enemies he meant 'Don't kill them.'"

Happiness.

2006-10-28T00:47:00.000-05:00

So, to celebrate the Cardinals' 10th World Series championship, Kari has given me two choices: I either have to dye my soul patch red, a la Scott Spiezio, or dye all the hair on my head blonde, in honor of MVP David Eckstein.

I decided I'd do whatever you all thought I should do.

What About...

2006-10-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

...Capital Punishment?

Sweet

2006-10-16T15:24:00.000-05:00

I just returned from Kansas City, where I reconnected with some great friends. The purpose for my trip there was to hear Len Sweet in a one-day seminar at MNU, and to meet with Debi Nixon, the small groups pastor at the Church of the Resurrection. Debi gave me some meaningful insights, but the time with Len was...well...Sweet.

I'm going to post the notes I took on here, under the comments section on this post. This is either some sadistic way to get people to comment on my blog, or the kind way of my not making you read all the way through it on this front page (I took six pages of notes). Anyway, they'll be there for your perusing. I hope you can understand my disjointed note-taking method.

The Cardinals series with the Mets is all tied at 2, and it looks like rain in the forecast for tonight. All things considered, I'm really happy the Cardinals made it this far yet again.

Please say a prayer today for some dear friends who have unthinkable memories associated with October 15.

Caedmon's Lyrics

2006-10-04T10:39:00.000-05:00

Last night in a church van the clock said 11:11, and a friend tapped it and made a wish. Hilarious. It reminded me of one of my favorite Caedmon's lyrics, and it got me to thinking about all of my other favorite Caedmon's lyrics. Here's a brief list:

It seems I've misplaced my faith, 'cause it's 11:12, and still nothin's changed.

The only problem I have with these mysteries is they're so mysterious.

I'm so scared of being alone that I forgot what house I live in.

Give me purity and give me continence...But, oh no, not yet.

All things considered, we're both certifiably insane.

You are no more than a piece of glass.

I get turned around, and I mistake my happiness for blessing.

It's like I ripped my arm right off and left it, and now I guess it wasn't mine at all.

You can read all about it, about boy-meets-girl, and then he screws the whole thing up, just like always.

When everything looks pretty, it's easy to think you've found the way, but it's all just a big masquerade.

For better or for worse, we both know I'm the wrong man for the job.

I've done the work of Sisyphus, thinking that I could get over this hill.

I may never find the sleep I've lost all feeling in my hands and feet may touch the ground but my mind's somewhere north of here.

The Wind in the...

2006-10-02T10:37:00.000-05:00

I spent the last three days of last week in Chicago, at Willow's Small Groups conference. There were five keynote speakers, and three of them were mediocre at best. But the other two...well, they were Donald Miller and Erwin McManus. And that was fine by me. One of my favorite thoughts from Erwin is the fact that we shouldn't be trying to get people into church, get them into our programs, etc. What we really should be trying to do is give people life. This was my favorite quote from Miller: "Sometimes God says to me, 'You make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and I'll run the cosmos.'" Both men said things I needed to hear and things that reminded me of my vision for small groups ministry. I truly long for BCN to experience authentic, genuine, biblical community. It's going to be tough.

Jason went along on the trip with me, which was a lot of fun. He reads this, so I'm really just kissing up to him, but it was great spending some time with him and getting to know him a little better.

I recommend reading this article, which was published in Time magazine a couple weeks ago. Dave B. linked an article on his blog which alluded to this article. I concur with his analysis. Jason's message yesterday in EPIC was on materialism, and it included the scary quote from Terrell Owens' publicist last week in the wake of his pseudo-suicide attempt: "Terrell has twenty five million reasons for living." Wow.

There's also something interesting happening on October 15. We're looking into the possibility of organizing a Dayton gathering here at BCN that day. There are two gatherings scheduled in Ohio, one in Cincinnati and one in Columbus. An interesting method of going after a worthy cause, to be sure.

And the focus of Nazarene Compassionate Ministry Magazine's last issue was social justice. It contains some interesting stuff. You can subscrube to this magazine (I think it's free) here.

And the Cardinals ended up making the postseason after all. Baseball is a great game of hope. And hope is a good thing...

Hope things are going well for all of you. Really interesting reading today at James', Corbin's, Brandon's, and the Whartons' blogs, all linked to the right, not to mention some great fun pictures of my sister and her husband (notice the evil eyebrow look!) at her blog. Peace to all...

What you are witnessing...

2006-09-26T05:06:00.000-05:00

...is a meltdown of epic proportions.

Updates

2006-09-20T09:40:00.000-05:00

Well, having kicked most of the sickness, Kari and I hopped in the car and headed to St. Louis last week to see our first game in the new Busch Stadium. It's a very nice facility. And, as Mike Shannon would say, old Abner was right on duty that night. Pujols came to bat with two outs in the bottom of the ninth against Brad Lidge, whom he victimized in the playoffs last year, and the Cardinals trailing by one. Two runners were on. Pujols doubled down the left field line, scoring both runs, and giving the Cards a walk off winner. Kari had the presence of mind to take this fantastic picture during the excitement:

What a great first experience at the new ball park. I only wish my dad could have joined me!

I also ran across this beautiful tidbit: Pujols has struck out fewer times this entire season than Adam Dunn has struck out in his last 115 at bats. Ouch.

Had a very enjoyable lunch with Obadiah yesterday, and even got a brief phone call from Doug. (Their blogs are both over there ---->) Obadiah and his wife, Alesha, have a three month old baby named Aurora. He had recently posted how well things were going with Aurora until he bragged on her, at which point she returned to her yelling and screaming and crying incessantly at night. Well, I (the ever experienced father) encouraged him yesterday, telling him things would only get better, and bragging on how rare those times are with Braden these days. You can guess what happened next. Right on cue, Braden woke up four times last night with long, loud cries. Amazing.

Not much more of depth today, just wanted to post some updates. Hope things are well for all of you who make your way to read this every now and then...

Down and Out...

2006-09-11T15:44:00.000-05:00

As I was watching the OSU-Texas game Saturday night with some friends, something weird started to happen. I hadn't been feeling too hot all day, and it started getting worse. Before I knew it I was shaking almost uncontrollably, feeling quite cold inside but hot outside. I went home, where Kari found that my temperature was 103.3. This is my second highest temperature ever (I hit 106 in Peru...remember that night, James and Dave?). So, yesterday was a quiet day at home with a nasty sore throat, a fever, aches and pains, and lots of football. Here are some thoughts:

The Colts' run defense is bad. I mean just flat out bad. I think the Colts will still make the playoffs, but I wouldn't be surprised if Jacksonville wins that division.
Bengals' fans won't like this, but the hit that Geathers guy put on Trent Green was far worse/more classless/more bush league than the hit the guy from the Steelers put on Carson Palmer last year. Don't mess with a guy's head, man.
I've never been a fan of Joe Morgan. I think he's pretty much the worst color commentator in baseball. It's a shame, because I really enjoy Jon Miller's play-by-play, but Morgan makes me so sick I usually just mute the TV. Last night I was reminded of one of the reasons he's so lousy at what he does. He was talking about how well Woody Williams had handled Barry Bonds, and he said the key was changing speeds (this isn't exactly rocket science for baseball fans to begin with). Then he made this statement: "Every pitch Williams throws him in this at bat is a different speed." Hmmm. Then they replayed the at bat, showing the speed of each pitch. There were six pitches in the at bat. Two were 85 MPH. One was 84 MPH. But, according to Joe, each pitch in the at bat was a different speed. And for this performance he gets ESPN's number one baseball color job? Please.
On an entirely different (and more selfish) note, Kari and I are in need of new appliances. The house we bought had all the appliances left, but they're less than energy efficient (understatement). Since we don't have a thousand or two bucks laying around unused, we thought we'd just ask all of you for money. Just kidding. But, what you can do is click here and fill out one of the simple offers from FreePay, a site that offers all kinds of free stuff. (Make sure you fill out a free offer...I don't want to be responsible for the financial downfall of my friends.) If enough of you sign up, we'll net a $300 gift card which will help with these needed appliances. We appreciate it in advance.

Devotion

2006-09-07T10:16:00.000-05:00

I've been wondering...What is our (the traditional Church's) fascination with "devotions?" It seems like that makes our "time with God" too cut and dried, implying that our whole day isn't "time with God." It is semantics? If I call it the "Daily Office," is it any different? I've just been struggling with that for some time now. Any thoughts?

On a separate note, Labor Day weekend was fun and included a trip to Cincinnati for a softball tournament, where I was able to see two of my closest friends in the world, Dave and Dave (both their blogs are linked to the right). It was great to see them and I only wish I had had more time to visit with them.

If you click here, you'll go to a site where you can download Derek Webb's CD, "Mockingbird," for free. That's right folks, free! Make sure you click on the link that says "Why is Derek Doing This?" to find out...well...why Derek's doing this. Pretty admirable.

Less

2006-08-30T13:32:00.000-05:00

Most people who know me well know what I think about John Maxwell's body of work. I must say I was pleasantly surprised, however, when I read this snippet of an interview with the "leadership guru" in Rev Magazine recently:

Rev!: What would you do differently if you were starting over today?
Maxwell: I’d have a lot less church; I’d have less programs; I’d have less services. I’d have a lot less of everything.
Rev!: Why?
Maxwell: As a pastor I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but one of my major mistakes was thinking that life revolved around the local church and what we were doing. For example, if you were a member of the church, you had to have a ministry in the church. That was a huge mistake. I had high-capacity people in my church doing things that were pretty mundane for business people. If I had it to do over again, I’d have people doing a lot more ministry outside the church, in their workplace or in their community or in their volunteer organizations. I’d find out where they had the greatest influence and make their ministry where their greatest influence was, not confine it to a church. Huge mistake I made. And I didn’t see it until I was out, but I was too inward. I had a lot of high-capacity people who were probably never “salt and light” like they could have been. I’d change that immediately if I went back to the local church. I’d be much more into how we influenced the community and a lot less into “How can I get everybody onboard with my church and with my program?”

(If you want, you can read the rest of the interview here.)

Kari and I also listened to a message by Brian McLaren which was recommended to me both by Jason and linked on James' blog. It was very insightful and challenging, which will be no surprise to anyone who has read McLaren.

In light of some challenges which face the EPIC service here at BCN, we've decided to start an EPIC blog, administrated mostly by Jason, the teaching pastor in EPIC. It can be found here (right now all that is on there is a test post about how lousy the Green Bay Packers were in their preseason game against the Bengals). Hopefully we'll get it up and running soon.

Well, just an update on us. We're wading through (and really enjoying) "The Challenge of Jesus."

I've noticed a couple friends asking anyone who reads their blogs to post a comment to say how they stumbled there, how often they read, etc. This seems like a good idea. So, post away.

From the Redundant Dept. of Redundancy

2006-08-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of the fine, quality, Major League pitchers who have recently beaten the (ahem) defending NL Central Champion Cardinals:

Dave Williams
Steve Trachsel
Aaron Heilman
Michael Wuertz
Paul Maholm
Ian Snell
Zach Duke

Awesome.

Isringhausen (n.)

2006-08-22T21:02:00.000-05:00

Is-ring-haus-en
Function: noun, proper
Etymology: German, from German issrinhaus, meaning sorry arm

1. An exercise in futility.

Anybody...

2006-08-15T13:54:00.000-05:00

...who knows some stuff about composting, help me out. In the interest of not alienating our neighbors with any unpleasant aromas or unsightly piles o' crap (figuratively, of course), is this what we need?

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3 (Except I don't know if they'll ship to the States.)

Also, would these help?

Friends

2006-08-08T14:42:00.000-05:00

It's been a nice couple weeks.

It all started on my birthday, ironically, when I thought I saw a ghost in the back of the church. Instead, it was my college roommate, Doug, with whom I have shared some of life's most amazing moments, and his lovely wife, Molly. They were visiting from Honduras, where they care for children suffering from HIV/AIDS. You can read about their work or donate to them by clicking here. They couldn't stay long, but it meant a lot to me that they went out of their way to swing by BCN and see if I was there.

While Doug and Molly were there, they invited me to a gathering in Columbus the following Saturday. While there I reconnected with some people who have played an integral role in my spiritual development, saw some old friends from college I haven't seen for years, and met some wonderful new people.

Then I got to have lunch with Brandon last week, one of those friends with whom I have reconnected in this journey. It was a pleasure and a privilege to be with him. He, Doug & Molly, and others (many whose blogs are linked to the right) have had a profoud impact on the (hopefully) deepening of my spiritual walk and commitment to Jesus.

All this sandwiched around a trip to my parents' in Kentucky so Braden have fun in the water, a couple small birthday celebrations, revisiting an old hobby (baseball cards; I've decided to start building my first set, the 1968 Topps set), an opportunity to speak in our EPIC service here at BCN, an amazing all-church prayer meeting, deepening friendships with the people in this new community, and the joy my wife and my son bring me day in and day out.

Kari and I are preparing to tackle our first NT Wright book together, The Challenge of Jesus. We're both excited about it. We're also still dealing with the balance between ministering to the young adults here at BCN and truly developing the Small Groups ministry, which (if accomplished with my true vision) will require quite a culture change. Frankly, there's not much balance at all right now.

I've been dealing with a few questions lately, mostly surrounding nationalism, patriotism, and the Kingdom. There's a great conversation on this topic taking place here and here.

Oh...Kari and I are about to start composting.

Cool.

You heard it here first...

2006-08-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe you heard it somewhere else first, or maybe you figured it out on your own.

The Cardinals are terrible. They did a lousy job building a team to compete their first year in a new stadium. Their ownership, which has always been very aggressive and willing to reinvest profits in player salaries and team improvement, apparently has decided that the bottom line is all that matters anymore.

The Reds will win the NL Central, and they will do so with considerable ease (4 games or more). One of the teams from the West or the Phillies or Braves will win the Wild Card. The Cardinals will go home disappointed, where they deserve to be with a sorry pitching staff like the one they have.

This is not me being a naysayer. It's not me trying reverse psychology. It's not even me trying to prepare myself for the heartache. Any reasonable observer would draw the same conclusion.

Congratulations to the Reds, whose new ownership, as I feared, will embarrass Walt Jocketty and the boys for years to come. What a shame for Pujols.

When the Redbirds leave Cincinnati next Thursday, they'll be comfortably in second place. And they'll be lucky to stay there.

Mercy and Justice

2006-07-28T08:09:00.000-05:00

Brian McLaren tells a great story.

Imagine you are at Niagara Falls, and you see someone in the water, floating quickly toward the waterfall. You jump in and save them. After drying yourself off, you can hardly believe it, but you see another person flailing in the water. You hop back in and save them, too. Again, the process repeats itself. Soon you have saved the lives of ten people. This is mercy.

After the tenth person is saved, you realize something fishy must be going on. You walk upstream and find a man throwing these people in the water. You stop him from doing so. This is justice.

By what means is it okay to stop this person from throwing more people into the stream? How does this relate (if at all) to the current situation in the Middle East?

???

2006-07-17T09:32:00.000-05:00

Did you ever just feel like you were out of creative juice? I didn't have much to start with, and now I'm feeling like I'm dangerously approaching empty. I couldn't even come up with a title for this post.

Had a tremendous lunch with John Ballenger on Thursday (and I don't just mean the food). As I've said many times when commenting on his blog, John has a way to put things into words which I've been trying to articulate for a while. He did it again Thursday. We talked a lot about small group/community life and the role those things play in the Church. We talked about my need to examine whether my philosophy of ministry meshes with the church's need for small groups. We talked about the Kingdom. All in all, I left encouraged and feeling inspired to make meaningful strides in my ministry, which is a nice thing to feel when leaving the company of a brother. By the way, one of the most memorable things he said: "We talk about how blessed America is, but when you look at what Jesus has to say about wealth, perhaps we're really cursed." Frighteningly true, John.

Kari, Braden, and I headed to Kentucky this weekend to see my parents. Braden had the time of his life in the swimming pool (especially spraying himself with the hose). It was really nice to be with Mom and Dad for a couple days. Then we returned home Saturday night and were treated to an amazing service at church yesterday. The focus was the prodigal son, and I was rocked by a quote from Henri Nouwen used during the service. As I sat stewing about the way I felt I was treated by a certain person, I found myself almost depressed because of that perceived injustice. "Why doesn't he like me? Am I that annoying? I probably should just leave him alone. He's tired of hearing from me. Of course I'm that annoying. I would annoy myself." The cycle went on and on, even as we were corporately singing some amazing music. Then, during the teaching, Jason throws this quote on the screen, from Nouwen's Return of the Prodigal Son:
"At issue here is the question: ‘To whom do I belong? To God or to the world?’ Many of my daily preoccupations suggest that I belong more to the world than to God. A little criticism makes me angry, and a little rejection makes me depressed. A little praise raises my spirits, and a little success excites me. It takes very little to raise me up or thrust me down. Often I am like a small boat on the ocean, completely at the mercy of its waves…" God help me.

Kari and I are really enjoying Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. His story is remarkable. Sitting on my desk is a box of books which were recommended by Bell (as well as by a number of friends of mine). I'm excited to dive in.

2006-07-14T18:33:00.000-05:00

Lest I should incur any well-deserved wrath, I simply added the ads to my page because I thought it would be really interesting to see what topics ended up being advertised (they're supposed to advertise things which are related to posts).

Interesting that the first ad I saw had to do with Christian Millionaires.

Amazing.

Reliving college...

2006-07-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I posted. Here are the most recent happenings...

For Father's Day, my amazing wife landed tickets to see Seinfeld live in Columbus. He was HILARIOUS. My face hurt from smiling so much after just five minutes, and tears streamed down my face after ten. And he was on for an hour. Some of his funniest bits were about eBay and Raisin Bran. It was a wonderful evening.
Now that I'm college and career pastor, I'm remembering what college life was like. Three nights in a row I've been up until 1 AM or later. Ouch.
I just found out that the freelance contract I have with one company, the one that pays the best and sends the most frequent projects, is about to come to a close. I trust God will provide the extra income we had planned on, but I will sincerely miss writing for them. It's something I have truly enjoyed.
I find myself strangely upset (or jealous or something) that my name is not linked to all my friends' blogs. It makes me feel as if what I have to say is not important or something. I'm sure this is a tool of the devil (and it hearkens back to this post, which I just reread with tears in my eyes). When will I grow? When will I change?
I'm still dealing with the small group ministry here and trying to figure out what it looks like. At times it feels like an unscaleable mountain, but mostly I'm just excited about it. I still seek insight from all of you when it comes to answers to the questions I posted here.
I'm really fed up with the American League's dominance over the National League.

Thoughts

2006-06-28T08:03:00.000-05:00

A few things...

Last night I threw wisdom to the wind and went to the late night showing of Superman Returns with some guys from here at church. There were a few surprises, and it was somewhat predictable (which is to be expected), but overall I really enjoyed it. I was especially struck by all the spiritual metaphor.
Still very interested in what some of you have to say about all the questions I posted in my last post about small groups. Thanks to those of you who responded.
Spent some time reading Mark Palmer's wife's blog today...I was moved to tears as I read her pain. I never met this man, but he must have really been something special, especially to have moved a bunch of the guys in his community to have the word elpida (hope) tattooed on their forearms, where he had it tattooed. It made me revisit my thoughts of having the word charis (grace) inked somewhere, especially as a tribute of our time in Kansas and what the Lord taught us there.
Prayers would be appreciated today for Peter Gammons. Gammons is the Hall of Fame baseball analyst for ESPN who yesterday suffered a brain aneurysm. He revolutionized the way baseball was covered in the 1970s while writing for the Boston Globe. Even though my Dad and I always kid that he says "I mean..." too often, he is respected by everyone who has ever been around him.

Now Reading: We Really Do Need Each Other, by Reuben Welch

What are small groups?

2006-06-20T13:36:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I managed to make it the entire month of May without a single post. I hope some of you are still reading, as your input is so important to me.

Part of my responsibility at Beavercreek Church of the Nazarene is to develop and maintain the small groups ministry. Kari and I have been part of an amazing community (small group) of people for the past two years in Kansas, but now I have to apply what I learned (both the good and the bad) from there to a large church with an existing Sunday School ministry, some small groups already meaning, and (probably) a general sense that not much needs to change.

So, I figured I'd open this discussion to the smartest group of people I know...you. What should a small group ministry look like? What is the purpose of small groups? Evangelism? Accountability? Bible Study? Prayer? All of the Above? What about mixed demographics? Do the senior adult couples meet with the 30-years old couples with two kids and the 34-year old single person? Do each of these demographics have their own group? What about the existing Sunday School? Should small groups be allowed to become large groups? (I think I know the answer to that one.) Should one of the goals of small groups be to multiply themselves, "planting" new small groups as time goes by? What about small group leaders? How do you train them? Are there books they should be reading, videos they should be watching, things they should be listening to? Should people meet according to where they live? How on earth do you initiate all this? Have I asked the right questions? Enough questions?

A quote from the book I'm reading: "You see, I have come to believe with all my heart that the life that Jesus brings is a shared life. The life of God in the world does not have its meaning in isolated units, but in a fellowship of those who share that life in him."

Now Reading: We Really Do Need Each Other, by Reuben Welch

Harold Sutherland

2006-06-05T14:59:00.000-05:00

Kari's grandfather, Harold Sutherland, passed away this afternoon in Iowa. If any of you were at our wedding, you may remember him as the funny older gentleman who said a sweet prayer for us near the end of the ceremony. He left behind a beautiful legacy for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Occasionally, when he got fired up about something, he would send a four or five page email to the entire family detailing his thoughts, complete with Scripture quotes, malapropisms, and hilarious misspellings. I was fortunate enough to be on the recipient list of those messages.

You will be missed, Grandpa.

Homecoming

2006-04-24T22:33:00.000-05:00

Well, the day has come.

When Braden was born, almost a year ago now, Kari and I had no idea what we were in for. As she tried to hold down a full time job and be a mommy, she became overwhelmed. We began talking about how nice it would be if we could get closer to home, so our parents could be with the grandson and we could have some relief.

When I lost my job at headquarters a couple months ago, our desire to get home reached its height. We decided to begin actively looking for an open door to return closer to home, wherever that may be. We received a few enticing opportunities, including ministries in Honduras, an Asian country, and Seattle, but none of those fit the "closer to home" rule. We received conjecture from two other locations which did fit that bill, one in Michigan and one in Tennessee (difficult to pass up, for sure). But there was no peace. So we waited, and eventually we saw what we thought was an open door at our alma mater, Mount Vernon Nazarene University. The job, while it would have been amazing, would not have been ideal for our family situation, but I applied anyway. After a phone interview, I was asked to fly to Mt. Vernon for an interview in person a couple weeks ago. We were excited at the possibility that was before us.

The day before I left, I received a phone call from a pastor in Dayton. He had offered me a job before and had had a staff position come open just one day earlier. He had heard I was going to be in the area for an interview and wondered if I might be able to change my return trip so I could chat with him and his ministry team. I agreed, not knowing what was around the corner, and headed to Ohio. After arrriving at MVNU, I was told that the folks in another office had found out I was in town and would like to interview me for a position they had recently had come open. Again, not wanting to close any doors, I agreed. That night I had interviews at 4:00 and 7:30, followed by a quick drive to Dayton for a night with Kari's folks and an interview at 6:00 the next morning at the church.

This past Wednesday, we received a call from Keven Wentworth, pastor of Beavercreek Church of the Nazarene. The board had voted to offer me a staff position: Associate Pastor for Community. I would be in charge of small groups. We gladly accepted. BCN is the church where we were married, and where Kari served as College and Career Pastor. Her parents attend the church, which is only about 2 1/2 hours from my parents' home in Kentucky. I start June 1.

And tomorrow I start looking for a place to live. I would appreciate your prayers, as I have the responsibility of doing this without the assistance of my wife, the one who will truly make it home.

We are very excited to be close to some of you who read this who we haven't seen for too long, and very sad to leave some really close friends out here in Kansas. But, the former things have taken place, and God is declaring new things (Isaiah 42:9).

May it be so.

Now Reading: The Importance of Being Foolish, by Brennan Manning

Listening

2006-04-10T10:21:00.000-05:00

The guys in our small group had an amazing conversation last night...One of our best ever, I think. It reminded me about hearing the other person's viewpoint, something that many of you who read this taught me a lot about.

Our conversation focused mainly on two topics, which I'll briefly discuss here because I'd love to hear some of your thoughts on them.

1. Christianity vs. Other Religions. The question about Gandhi was raised, which spurred this conversation. The gist of it was that Jesus is the only way to the Father, so is it possible for a Buddhist, Muslim, etc. to make it to Paradise? Many different viewpoints and angles were shared. I'm still formulating my opinion, but, suffice it to say, I'm getting further and further from the "Fundamentalist" Christian view as we would know it. I'll leave it at that.

2. America's Presence in Iraq. Basically, I began this conversation by stating how opposed I am to our being there at all, then backing up and saying that I'm more concerned with the motive and (this is my word) hypocrisy of our decision to go there. One of the other guys in the group talked about how we still accomplished something great (by removing Hussein from power and making hopefully positive changes to their government), and we should be glad for that. While we disagreed, it was civil and, I felt, a time that stretched both of us and the thoughts of the other guys there (some of whom also participated in the conversation, albeit to a lesser degree).

So, as I'm still formulating what I think about these two topics, I'd be very interested in hearing what some of you, my respected and loved brothers and sisters, think.

Now Reading: Blue Like Jazz (second time)

The Hymn...

2006-04-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

...from the Lectionary reading for this week.

O sacred Head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded
Whit thorns thine only crown;
How pale thou art with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn!
How does this visage languish
Which once was bright as morn!

What thou, my Lord, hast suffered
Was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
'Tis I deserve thy place;
Look on me with thy favor,
Vouchsafe to me thy grace.

What language shall I borrow
To thank thee, dearest friend,
For this dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever,
And should I fainting be,
Lord let me never, never
Outlive my love to thee.

Amen.

Free

2006-03-23T09:09:00.000-06:00

CPT rejoices in the release of our peacemakers
by Doug Pritchard and Carol Rose

Our hearts are filled with joy today as we heard that Harmeet Singh Sooden, Jim Loney and Norman Kember have been safely released in Baghdad. Christian Peacemaker Teams rejoices with their families and friends at the expectation of their return to their loved ones and community. Together we have endured uncertainty, hope, fear, grief and now joy during the four months since they were abducted in Baghdad.

We rejoice in the return of Harmeet Sooden. He has been willing to put his life on the line to promote justice in Iraq and Palestine as a young man newly committed to active peacemaking.

We rejoice in the return of Jim Loney. He has cared for the marginalized and oppressed since childhood, and his gentle, passionate spirit has been an inspiration to people near and far.

We rejoice in the return of Norman Kember. He is a faithful man, an elder and mentor to many in his 50 years of peacemaking, a man prepared to pay the cost.

We remember with tears Tom Fox, whose body was found in Baghdad on March 9, 2006, after three months of captivity with his fellow peacemakers. We had longed for the day when all four men would be released together. Our gladness today is made bittersweet by the fact that Tom is not alive to join in the celebration. However, we are confident that his spirit is very much present in each reunion.

Harmeet, Jim and Norman and Tom were in Iraq to learn of the struggles facing the people in that country. They went, motivated by a passion for justice and peace to live out a nonviolent alternative in a nation wracked by armed conflict. They knew that their only protection was in the power of the love of God and of their Iraqi and international co-workers. We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq. The occupation must end.

Today, in the face of this joyful news, our faith compels us to love our enemies even when they have committed acts which caused great hardship to our friends and sorrow to their families. In the spirit of the prophetic nonviolence that motivated Jim, Norman, Harmeet and Tom to go to Iraq, we refuse to yield to a spirit of vengeance. We give thanks for the compassionate God who granted our friends courage and who sustained their spirits over the past months. We pray for strength and courage for ourselves so that, together, we can continue the nonviolent struggle for justice and peace.

Throughout these difficult months, we have been heartened by messages of concern for our four colleagues from all over the world. We have been especially moved by the gracious outpouring of support from Muslim brothers and sisters in the Middle East, Europe, and North America. That support continues to come to us day after day. We pray that Christians throughout the world will, in the same spirit, call for justice and for respect for the human rights of the thousands of Iraqis who are being detained illegally by the U.S. and British forces occupying Iraq.

During these past months, we have tasted of the pain that has been the daily bread of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Why have our loved ones been taken? Where are they being held? Under what conditions? How are they? Will they be released? When?

With Tom's death, we felt the grief of losing a beloved friend. Today, we rejoice in the release of our friends Harmeet, Jim and Norman. We continue to pray for a swift and joyful homecoming for the many Iraqis and internationals who long to be reunited with their families. We renew our commitment to work for an end to the war and the occupation of Iraq as a way to continue the witness of Tom Fox. We trust in God's compassionate love to show us the way.

Living through the many emotions of this day, we remain committed to the words of Jim Loney, who wrote:

"With God's abiding kindness, we will love even our enemies.

With the love of Christ, we will resist all evil.

With God's unending faithfulness, we will work to build the beloved community."

Doug Pritchard and Carol Rose are co-directors of Christian Peacemaker Teams

Oh well...

2006-03-18T14:40:00.000-06:00

When I started blogging, I thought..."Maybe this won't be a trend. Maybe I'll actually be able to stick to it. Maybe I won't have long dry spells."

So much for that.

Now Reading: The Big Book of SuDoku #2, by Mark Huckvale

The Search is On...

2006-02-27T11:21:00.000-06:00

Well, the job search officially commences tomorrow, although it has been unofficially underway for some time now. Unfortunately, the two most promising leads both fell through on Friday of last week, so we're kinda back to the start, I guess. It's not a great feeling not having a job, not knowing if there's one in sight, not knowing how I'll continue to provide for my family. Not so great at all.

My faith is shaken.

By the way, Happy Birthday, Dave Ballenger.

A Radio Appearance

2006-02-16T22:32:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow morning at 8:35 AM Eastern, I'll be appearing on my friend Obadiah's radio show to promote my new web site. Dave Ballenger and I hatched the idea for this site, and, since Dave moved back to Ohio, I've kinda taken things over. The site provides information for people who play fantasy baseball...I'm hoping to make it an extra source of income for our family during this time of transition...But we'll see. Either way, it's something I've really enjoyed putting together. Special thanks to my brother-in-law, Brian, who gave me a badly needed tutorial on HTML while I was in Florida recently. If you think the site looks great, give all credit to him. If you think it looks lousy, that would be my fault. :) Anyway, I'm posting this far too late for most of you to actually get on the website and listen...But, Obi told me they'd be archiving the interview, so if anyone wants to remember what I sound like, you should be able to hear soon.

My time in Florida was good...Thanks for asking, Chris. And thanks to any of you who thought to say a prayer for me. We spent the entire weekend talking about how Christians should treat others, especially "the least of these." A few kids came up to me after the services and told me they had received a call to full-time missions. Humbling.

I just finished reading Richard Clarke's "Against All Enemies," an account of what went on in the White House before, during and after September 11, 2001. I believed it was a bad idea to invade Iraq all along, but this shed new (disturbing) light on the subject. I learned things I didn't really care to learn. It's interesting...I know some people will read this and totally agree with me, and some will read it and disagree vehemently...I'm not interested in the partisanship that apparently comes with being an American these days. I'm sure if I were to read something written by some pro-Bush, pro-Republican person, they would tell the other side of the story with equally convincing rhetoric.

One things I said to the teenagers in Florida is what it boils down to, I guess: Mass genocide and other atrocities have been carried out by Americans (and those of other nationalities) in the name of Christ, and I can't imagine anything Jesus Christ would want to distance himself from more than those things. My friend Kevin wrote a great piece on his blog the other day about the trendy, non-violent stance of many Christians these days. (Kevin, if you ever read this, I really appreciated what you had to say.) My other friends, Kyle and Eric, replied to Kevin thoughtfully. Even in the midst of their replies, I found myself wondering if I was becoming a non-violent because it was the cool thing to do, the thing my friends were doing. After finishing this book, and re-reading Matthew 25:31-46 about 50 times this past weekend, I'm sure the opposite it true. Jesus Christ longs for non-violence...Jesus Christ longs for peace, especially from those who readily claim his name.

Now that seems like about the most obvious thing I could have possibly said.

Now Reading: Christ the Lord, Out of Egypt by Anne Rice

In Florida

2006-02-10T19:06:00.000-06:00

In about an hour, I'll speak to a group of teens from the Central Florida District. Strange how people hear about you...I did a short bit at a missions conference in Kansas City for headquarters, and all the sudden I have a speaking engagement in Florida? And for teens? The Lord does have a sense of humor.

I'll talk to them about the Kingdom, and primarily about "the least of these." Using Scripture, Nouwen's Reaching Out, and excerpts from some of my recent reads (see post below), I feel like the Lord has given me something of value to say. Please pray that I will say it well, and that they will hear Him clearly (even through the remnants of the southern accent).

Thanks to all of you who have written your support in our mini-dilemma. It's remarkable how God has always cared for us, and I don't doubt, as one of my good friends wrote, that He will meet our every need. No decisions have been made, but nothing has been ruled out.

I can't believe I forgot to post the best news of all in the last week.

Now Reading: Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, by Anne Rice

Yesterday...

2006-02-09T09:42:00.000-06:00

...I lost my job.

My boss called me in and told me that there was no more funding available for my salary, and that I had until the end of February.

We'd appreciate your prayers.

Now Reading: Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror, by Richard Clarke

Recent Reads

2006-02-01T19:36:00.000-06:00

I've been reading lately like it's my job (wouldn't that be nice), so I thought I'd post a little bit about what I've read, if for no other reason than to summarize for my own sake.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Christmas Sermons
Kari got me this book for Christmas, and it was the first thing I read when we returned home. The Advent sermons are outstanding, and the editor had access to some previously unpublished letters, including some from prison, that Bonhoeffer had written to his fiancee and to his friend, Eberhard Bethge. Because of some other things I've been reading, I'm especially fascinated by Bonhoeffer's involvement in a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler. This reminds me of Gandhi's statement that nonviolent opposition to injustice is best, but violent opposition is better than nothing at all (forgive the rough paraphrase). If you don't know much about this martyr, find out about him. He wrote one of my all-time favorite books, given to me by my good friend David Ballenger, Life Together.

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
When Brian McLaren was on campus here at MNU, he recommended this book to us. I was incredulous at some of the things I learned. The Americas (North, South, and Central) in the 15th century were much more populous than our American history textbooks would have us believe. When Columbus and other Europeans arrived, they found sophisticated cultures with advanced levels of commerce, the arts, and especially agriculture. So how did the Europeans eliminate them so quickly, you ask? Two reasons: Enormous four-legged creatures that were incredibly strong and fast, the likes of which the Native Americans had never seen (yeah, horses); and, more importantly, the Native Americans hadn't developed an immunity to some of the diseases the Europeans (and their animals) carried, especially small pox. And this is staggering: Over the 15-20 years after the Europeans first arrived, 25 million Native Americans died of small pox...About 80% of their entire population. One lighter note: The reason we call them Indians is because when Columbus landed, he thought he was in India (must've been some compass).

God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It
I'll not attempt to summarize what Wallis says in this brilliant piece of work, only to say that he is a prophet of hope. He has hope that right-wing extremists who do not have a consistent ethic of life can see the error of their ways. He has hope that left-wing extremists who have become "allergic to spirituality" may find the hope of a compassionate Jesus. He has hope that a frighteningly partisan America is, perhaps, on track to become more aware of poverty and disease, and the havoc they are wreaking on the world.

A New Kind of Christian
This is the first in a quasi-fiction trilogy by Brian McLaren. It's been especially interesting to me because he was here on campus recently and shared many thoughts from this book. In fact, the entire conversation that takes place at the coffee shop between NEO and the wavering pastor was his outline in sessions two and three. Kari also got me McLaren's A Generour Orthodoxy for Christmas, and she was clever enough to get him to sign it while he was here without me knowing it. A book that McLaren wrote with Tony Campolo will be re-released in paperback in a few months. What's so cool about that, you ask? I proofread it, that's what.

The Kingdom of God is in You
This must be the shortest book ever by Leo Tolstoy, but that doesn't mean it's easy. I'm still wading heavily through the first chapter.

Give It Away
This isn't exactly a read; it's the new CD from the Gaither Vocal Band. I've been very pleased with it, though, for three reasons: 1) The title track is all about "taking everything that you have" and giving it away, for the right reasons; 2) There is a great tune with the African Children's Choir about celebrating the differences between cultures, and recognizing other children of God for what they are; and 3) It has a fabulous rendition of a very old, familiar classic: "Jesus Loves Me."

Coming Soon
When you get most of your books at the library, sometimes you have to bunch your reading up. That's what I'll be doing in the next few weeks. Among my upcoming reads:

-Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, by Anne Rice
-The Challenge of Jesus, by NT Wright
-Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror, by Richard Clarke
-Lies my Teacher Told Me, by James Loewen

I've also added the Nouwen journal Gracias to my stack...It will be a re-read, but I saw where Doug is reading it in Honduras, and I think it gives me a feeling of solidarity with my old roommate.

And, with baseball season looming, I've picked up a couple books by/about Jack Buck, the late Hall of Fame radio broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals.

In Other News
We could use a few prayers today. Kari's dad, Dick, has been in the hospital all day today with a bleeding ulcer, and he may need a blood transfusion. He's doing better tonight. And, my brother-in-law, Brian, got laid off today. EA moved he and Sis down to Orlando just a few months ago, and today they told him and thrity-four other employees to hit the road. If you think about it, or even as you read this, say a prayer for Dick, and for Brian and Sis. Thank you.

Now Reading: Well, I guess I just told you, huh?

Update

2006-01-25T21:08:00.000-06:00

Well, my friends at Nazarene International Headquarters apparently aren't fans of bloggers, so I've been officially blocked. Not just me, but anyone trying to access Blogspot from HQ. I wish I could say this was the most egregious of their offenses...

Posts will be more sporadic, I'm afraid, since I can only post from home now, and I prefer spending my time at home hanging out with a very active little boy and a very busy little wife.

Now Reading: God's Politics, by Jim Wallis

Cute

2006-01-14T17:09:00.000-06:00

To see some amazingly cute pictures of our little boy, visit my sister's blog by clicking here.

Now Reading: 1491, by Charles C. Mann
Colts' Magic Number: 3

Important Days...

2006-01-12T09:30:00.000-06:00

Over the next three weeks, President Bush will be making some very important decisions regarding the budget for next year. ONE is an organization that is pressing for the US to give an additional 1% of our budget over the next five years to address AIDS and poverty needs.

If this 1% is given, there will be 10 million fewer AIDS orphans, and 100 million children will be able to attend grade school who otherwise wouldn't.

By clicking here, you can sign and send a letter to the government encouraging them to add this 1% to the budget...Only a penny on every dollar can make an enormous difference.

Now reading: 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, by Charles C. Mann

Heavy

2006-01-05T10:15:00.000-06:00

Luis Jones-Posada. Deybi Fabrezio Gomez Morales. Crystal Greiner. Hal Fogarty. An Unnamed Baby.

Bacterial Meningitis. AIDS. A house fire. Cancer. A miscarriage.

These are the names of people who have died in recent weeks, and the ailments/incidents that took them. They were all extremely dear to people who are extremely dear to me. My heart is so heavy...My tears flowed easily today.

Eric, Kerri, Trey and Riley; Doug and Molly; James; Jared and Karrie--I love you all, and my heart is full of pain.

May the peace that only comes from Jesus permeate you all today.

Romans 13

2006-01-04T11:39:00.000-06:00

Not to be a beggar, but I had asked for some insight on Romans 13 from any of you readers, and I received very little. Thanks, Brandon, for the articles you posted. Here is one of my favorite quotes from those articles: "The church must live as a sign of the coming complete kingdom of Jesus Christ; but since that kingdom is characterized by peace, love and joy it cannot be inaugurated in the present by chaos, hatred and anger."

This is the passage our small group is about to discuss, and I'd really like to hear what some of you think about it. Feel free to respond in the comments section or by email.

You can read the chapter by clicking here.

Thanks in advance.

Now Reading: Dieterich Bonhoeffer's Christmas Sermons
Colts: 14-2; Magic Number: 3

Thank the Lord for...Liquor Stores?

2006-01-03T11:02:00.000-06:00

That's right. Liquor stores.

Kari, Braden and I had a really nice vacation. We spent a week with each of our families and had a great time of sharing, giving, playing and loving. Our families and friends are some of the most wonderful people in the world to hang out with. The trip was not without incident, of course.

After we had been at my parents' house in Kentucky for about four days, it became evident that Braden was getting sick. It seemed like a little cold with a cough, so we gave him some PediaCare and didn't worry too much about it. On New Year's Eve during the day, though, it was clear that something wasn't quite right, so we called my parents' family doctor, who told us we needed to take him to the emergency room. So we had our first ER experience with our little guy on Saturday night. We were there for four and a half hours. Braden has an ear infection and a cold, and he had to get two shots and two prescriptions, an antibiotic and a cough suppressant.

Well, for those of you with kids, you know what an antibiotic will do. And for those who don't know, I'll spare the gross details, but let's just say things become a little...um...runny. More on that later.

Monday morning we left Russell to start the long trip back to Kansas City. My mom called my cell phone after we had been gone about a half hour to tell us that we left our coats behind. Kansas City in January is not a good place to be without a coat. So, Mom met us halfway and brought our three coats and Kari's scarf, and we were back on the road.

After we came through Louisville about three hours later, Kari hopped in the back of the minivan to get Braden out of his car seat and change his diaper. When she pulled his pants down, the runniness effects had kicked in, and suddenly she and Braden were covered with...well...use your imagination. Kari proclaims, "Oh my word," from the back seat (those of you who know her can hear her say it now) followed by a few cries. I look back long enough to see what has happened, and then I ask her is she's laughing or crying. She tells me she's laughing, so I rest a little easier and start looking for an exit.

So we're driving along between downtown Louisville and the Indiana border, and there is no exit for 10 miles. TEN MILES! I'm not exaggerating at all. Ten miles of Kari holding Braden on his changing pad on her lap (which is no small task considering his considerable squirminess) with poo everywhere. She laughs. He squirms. I drive.

Finally, just inside the Indiana border, an exit. There is no sign of a gas station, a restaurant, anything that would be of help to us, but it is an exit, so I get off and start looking. There is one place that looks open: A liquor store. I run in and ask if they have a public restroom, and the guy shakes his head. I say, "Man, are you a father?" He looked at me real funny, and I told him we just had a diaper blowout. He says, "Yep, I am a father. Bring him in."

I run out to the car and get Kari and Braden. Kari carries him and the changing pad, I carry the diaper, blanket, paper towels and wipes. We go inside and the guy points us to the back, where we are met by what I can only describe as a liquor-store-owning-angel (am I allowed to say that? Is that blasphemy?). This lady tells us she has grandkids, and that she's been there. She takes us into the liquor warehouse where there is plenty of room. We are surrounded by Maker's Mark, Jack Daniels, Bacardi and Zima. She brings more paper towels, garbage bags for Braden's soiled clothes and the nasty diaper, soap, water, refreshments (well, not refreshments, but you get the idea). Kari works her mommy magic, and the next thing you know, he's clean as a whistle. We told the lady what a blessing she has been, and we're back on the road.

Ah, the joy children bring. :)

Now reading: Dieterich Bonhoeffer's Christmas Sermons (a fabulous gift from my fabulous wife)
Colts: 14-2; magic number: 3

The Bells

2005-12-12T15:09:00.000-06:00

If any of you are interested, I'd like to read (hear) your thoughts on the thirteenth chapter of Romans. Thanks, Brandon, for the articles you posted. They are helpful. If anyone else has any thoughts they'd like to share, please post them on the comments section on the previous message.

Now, a new topic...

Last Friday night, to celebrate our anniversary, my wonderful wife took me to Kemper Arena to hear Steven Curtis Chapman and MercyMe in concert. We have heard SCC before, and we think he is a gifted songwriter. MercyMe we had not heard, and I was really only familiar with a couple of their songs (primarily the overdone "I Can Only Imagine"). Here are some highlights from the concert:

Steven Curtis making fun of himself by playing bits and pieces of some of his older songs, including "The Great Adventure" (can't you hear that first line? "Saddle up your horses...")
MercyMe singing "I Can Only Imagine," which was incredibly worshipful and ushered the crowd into the Lord's presence quite nicely
The two artists talking about Shaohannah's Hope, the adoption and orphan care ministry started by SCC and his wife
The two artists sharing about some time they recently spent with soldiers who were wounded in battle in Iraq. Bart, the lead singer for MercyMe, said that when he asked two of the critically wounded soldiers how he could pray for them, their answer was so simple: Peace. Pray for peace.
Listening to MercyMe's original song, "Joseph's Lullaby," off their new Christmas album, "The Christmas Sessions." This song is amazing and has even more profound meaning than ever since I now have a son. An interesting, not-oft-seen look at the Christmas story from young Joseph's perspective. I recommend it.

And then this...Bart told the story of the lyrics to "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." This song was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow during the Civil War, and learning the story behind the words gave the song incredible new meaning. Apparently, when the bells were rung on Christmas day during the Civil War, there was a cease-fire for the day. There was peace for the day. Christmas day.

Here are those lyrics:

I heard the bells on Christmas day, their old familar carols play. And wild and sweet the words repeat of "Peace on earth, good will to men."

I thought as now the day had come, the belfries of all Christendom had rung so long the unbroken song of "Peace on earth, good will to men."

And, in despair, I bowed my head. "There is no peace on earth," I said. "For hate is strong and mocks the song of 'Peace on earth, good will to men.'"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail with 'Peace on earth, good will to men.'"

Amen. So be it. And, in the words of my friend Kyle, "Do it."

Interpretation, and a note from Sojourners

2005-12-09T09:25:00.000-06:00

Not trying to start a firestorm here (but recognizing that I may do just that), but I was wondering if some of you would enlighten me (I don't mean that as sarcastically as it sounds) with some interpretation of Romans 13, which I read this morning.

On a separate note, I read this in my weekly email from Sojourners and was moved.

One man, Stanley "Tookie" Williams, faces execution Tuesday, Dec. 13, at San Quentin State Prison in California. With him our belief in human redemption also sits on the gallows, pending a decision in the clemency hearing conducted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.Williams, a founder of the notorious Crips gang, is charged with the murder of four people in the Los Angeles area in 1979. At the time of the trial, he proclaimed his innocence, a position he maintains today. A jury convicted him wholly on circumstantial evidence; in other words, no eyewitnesses or incontrovertible material evidence linked him to the murders, according to attorney Verna Wefald’s appeal.

In one of the robberies that led to a murder, an accomplice was given clemency for pointing his finger at Williams for the murder. Beyond the self-interest involved, the accomplice's reputation as a truth-teller was less than stellar. The prosecution produced a shell casing tied to the murder weapon found at the motel where Williams was staying. But the science that matched the casing to the weapon was speculative and its results have not been revisited in the intervening years, the Los Angeles Times reported.

I revisit the facts of the case because Schwarzenegger's decision to grant Williams clemency will depend more on the possibility of his innocence - or at least the uncertainty of his guilt - than it will turn on the contribution that Williams has made to society over the last two decades.That's tragic, because Williams has become a major figure in the gang peace movement. He has co-authored 10 books from Death Row. The message is clear: Violence is never a solution. He urges young gang kids to get out before it destroys them and the lives of their family members. That's a powerful message from one of the founders of the Crips.Williams first made a public plea to hundreds of gang members who gathered at a Los Angeles hotel in 1993 for a summit called Hands Across Watts. He did not hide his early role in the Crips, but on a prerecorded videotape filmed for the summit told the young gang members that he lamented his history. Recounting this first public event to the San Francisco Chronicle, Williams said, "I told them I never thought I could change my life, that I thought I would be a Crip forever. But I developed common sense, wisdom and knowledge. I changed."

Williams has gone on to build on this witness. In his 1998 prison autobiography Life in Prison, he directed young people to seek an alternative life beyond violence. Prison, he stressed, was no place to spend a life. Two years later he launched the Internet Project for Street Peace. His memoir, Blue Rage, Black Redemption, and the movie, Redemption, came out in 2004.Williams has a bevy of supporters calling for his clemency. They argue that he has changed thousands of young people's lives, and if allowed to live will continue to be a force for good. His street credibility with gang kids is high, so he can reach them in a way that a teacher or social worker cannot.

In the eyes of the criminal justice system, a redeemed criminal is simply another criminal. I recall my first visit to a federal prison back in seminary when starting a prison chaplain residency. The warden of the prison came to the orientation I shared with other interns. His message was clear to us: "I want you to remember that the prison system today is not about reforming criminals. We are here to punish them."Redemption, in other words, has no place in our justice system. We do not offer a path for conversion. Once marked for condemnation, an offender's destiny is fixed.Elsewhere in the world, four Christian Peacemaker Teams members are marked for execution by a radical terrorist group in Iraq. The circumstances are dramatically different, so I hesitate to make the connection. We are appalled by the blind ideology that drives the terrorists and leads them to cheapen the value of human life. In this ideology, the individual is a tool for political expediency.

Don't we want to offer our citizens more in a democracy?

Now reading: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by CS Lewis
Colts: 12-0

A Charlie Brown Christmas

2005-12-07T09:59:00.000-06:00

Last night, Kari and I snuggled up by the Christmas tree and watched the 40th anniversary special presentation of "A Charlie Brown Christmas." I've always been fascinated by "Peanuts," Charles Schultz...the wisdom of Linus, the mean streak of Lucy, the carefree Woodstock. A few years ago I picked up a couple books, "The Gospel According to Peanuts" and "The Parables of Peanuts," both of which contained fascinating insight into the spiritual life of Charles Schultz. (Incidentally, in a totally unrelated matter, I also learned a bit of trivia yesterday...the three dead people who earn the most money each year: #3 was John Lennon at about $24M, #2 was Elvis at about $48M, and #1 was Charles Schultz at over $60M.)

Anyway, I found it interesting that Charlie Brown and Linus were complaining about the commercialism of Christmas. It never registered with me that this was created in 1965...So Christmas has been "commercialized" for that long? Then I started to wonder, how much longer than that has it been commercial? The '40s? The '20s? Who knows...

But I always rejoice when I hear this dialogue:

Charlie Brown (screaming): Doesn't anyone know what Christmas is all about?
Linus: I know, Charlie Brown. (walks to center stage and clears throat) Lights please. "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone 'round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. " (walks back over to Charlie Brown) That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

From the lips of babes...

May we not forget it Linus. May we not forget it, Lord.

Now reading: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by CS Lewis
Colts: 12-0

An article...

2005-12-02T11:25:00.000-06:00

...from the Ashland (KY) Daily Independent.

"There is hope for faith yet" by John Clarke

Last week was the 30th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald on Lake Superior. There were 29 souls aboard her.

The shipwreck inspired Gordon Lightfoot to write a song about her called "The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald."

I love the sea and I love sailboats. I've had the opportunity to sail in about eight and even was allowed to take the helm for a while aboard a schooner on Puget Sound.

Each time aboard a sailboat was a magical experience. After purring out to sea there comes the moment when the sails are raised, the motor is shut down, and, aside from the occasional sound of the line whipping against the mast, it suddenly becomes conspicuously quiet.

But as much as I love the sea, I can imagine no greater fear than being held captive in a vessel in 30-foot waves and a bone freezing spray blinding my eyes and awakening the fear of my own mortality.

There is a line in Gordon Lightfoot's song that says, "Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" My agnostic friends have often used this argument to defend their position. They ask, "How can a loving God allow bad things to happen?"

My argument in return is that free will is no gift. It is a burden that carries terrible responsibility and consequences. I somehow feel that the granting of this free will is very much like that of a parent letting go of a child.

As my father slipped away from me, I made a deathbed promise that I would seek faith. Little did I know the burden of that promise.

I have no difficulty in seeing the hand of God all around me. I feel his presence in the stars and in the wind, I hear his voice in the whispering pines along the lake, I witnessed his majesty during the birth of my two sons.

I have no difficulty in belief. I just can't seem to find faith. I have attended Protestant churches off and on for my entire life and have studied the Bible, as well as the history of the Bible. Best I can tell, Jesus was all about love, acceptance, and forgiveness. If the goal of organized Christianity is to become more like him, I see little evidence of it. I cannot see the good works of the Church because I am blinded by hypocrisy.

The Protestants have Robert Shuller in a scuffle on an airplane, Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker's indiscretions, and more recently, the apparent insanity of Pat Robertson's call for the assassination of the Venezuelan leader.

The Catholic Church is plagued by its own troubles of priests molesting children.

Whereas Jesus accepted the whores, the lepers, the children, the tax collectors and almost anyone else, Christianity so often seeks to exclude. They exclude people from communion who do not share their own beliefs. They also exclude homosexuals and sometimes couples who have been divorced. It seems as though organized religions ponder more on whom to exclude than to include. As far as forgiveness and acceptance, I can't see it.

But the most unsettling thing by far is how so often churchgoers abandon their humanity in return for church doctrine. They would rather convert a soul to their faith than feed a hungry person. They would rather goad their children into their spiritual life than have a frank discussion with them about contraception or drugs.

I drive around our area and see millions of dollars worth of church buildings, parsonages and vehicles, and wonder how much goes from these churches to help the poor, the tsunami or hurricane victims. One church had a flashing sign that said, "Anyone can honk. Tithe if you love Jesus." They had a nice building, too.

My mother would say that I should place my faith in God and not in people. Little wonder Jesus talked about faith the size of a mustard seed. I was beginning to think faith is like chicken's teeth: a rare commodity.

But then, on a dark moonless night, as I was walking down the drive to my mother's home, I spied her through the lighted window. Before retiring to her lonely bed, I saw her kneel in prayer.

There is hope for faith yet.

ONE Big Noise

2005-11-30T08:52:00.000-06:00

What if you or I wanted the opportunity to earn a good living, or could grow something for less money, and we weren't allowed? Right now, poor farmers and poor countries in Africa and other parts of the world can't do that because of unfair trade rules.

Together, we can change this. Please sign on to the ONE Big Noise letter today and ask our leaders to make trade fair.

We need to help small farmers, here at home and abroad, but with the current trade rules, it's a game no one could win. Their cotton could compete with anyone's, except that governments around the world give so much money to some big farmers that they can actually then sell their cotton all over the world below cost. Those payments make other cotton farmers poorer everywhere else, and keep people from being able to use hard work and the opportunities given to them to make better lives for themselves and their children.

We called on world leaders to do more at the G8 Summit to fight extreme poverty and global AIDS. They heard us, and now this is the next step in helping the world's poorest people. In December, the world will sit down at trade talks in Hong Kong to consider rewriting these unfair trade rules. We'll need a global deal to address a global problem, because no one will change these unfair policies unless all rich countries agree, at once. Our leaders need to know that we're still watching and want real progress.

Add your name to the ONE Big Noise letter today and ask President Bush to take this opportunity to fight extreme poverty by making trade fair.

This isn't about handouts, it's about giving people who work hard and play by the rules a hand up so they can take care of themselves. Together, we can make ONE Big Noise that will be heard around the world.

Thank you,The ONE Team

Two Years

2005-11-22T13:53:00.000-06:00

Two years ago today (in fact, right about now), Kari and I exchanged vows and were married. These two years have held more than I ever dreamed they would hold:

My ordination
A move from Cincinnati to Kansas City
The arrival of Braden
Another move, from the senior girls' dorm to the freshman/sophomore girls' dorm
Leaving behind one community of beloved people, only to discover another

There is so much more I could include in a bulleted list, but the most important event of this time (save Braden's birth) has been a transformation in the way we live, in the way we talk, in the way we see things (life, Jesus, the Church, each other). It has been and continues to be a marvelous journey, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather share it with than my wife. One thing I've learned through some struggles in the past week (see previous post) is that Kari is the one I want to experience all of life with. We've had lots of joys and not much sadness, but we know the cycles of life will take us to those places, too. I'm glad I have Kari for when those times come.

She is full of grace, mercy and understanding. She is selfless and lovely. She is tender and loving. She is warm and sweet.

I love you, Kari. Happy anniversary.

Urgent Prayer Needed

2005-11-17T21:43:00.000-06:00

This is a tough one.

Several years ago, the father of one of the guys in our small group tried to kill himself. He overdosed on pills, but someone found him and he was revived. Well, due to some events and circumstances of late, this same guy had been really battling his depression again. As of 9:41 central time on Thursday night, no one has seen him for seven hours, and heavy doses of his medication are missing. The family has basically given up hope already.

He is the father of two kids, a father-in-law, a husband and a friend to many. If you all could just pray for all of them, that would be great. Thanks.

Yuletide Merriment

2005-11-16T09:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, on my sister's blog, she posted how excited she is about Christmas. I don't know if it's a family thing or what, but I can hardly wait. It's interesting how we change over the years...Basically, I can't wait to go home and spend a couple weeks with our families. We have so much fun playing games, sitting around singing, eating way too much (but it's so good), etc. Kari and I already have one of our trees up, and we'll be putting up my sports Christmas tree tonight. I'll try to post pictures (no promises). Anyway, Merry Christmas.

Sis also posted the lyrics to one of her favorite Christmas songs, which I thought was a splendid idea. Here are the words to my favorite Christmas song, "Hand of Sweet Release."

Come thou long expected Jesus,
come illuminate the mysteries of life.
Come redeem us from the refuse,
bring an end to endless suffering and strife.
Be the star that shines so brightly
that it draws our weary eyes to the sky,
to Heaven's sky.
Dearest child of new beginnings,
be the start of something beautiful, I cry.

There's an end to all the waiting,
there's an answer to the "who?" and "where?" and "why?"
tonight.
All the years anticipating, are surrendered to a tiny baby's cry.
There's a dawn to follow darkness,
there's a face to fill the title, "Prince of Peace."
What he promised, he delivered...
I am saved by the hand of sweet release.

In this war I've been a captive,
just a sinner seeking life and liberty.
But these hands that hold me tightly
are the hands that set my shackled spirit free.
Blessed Jesus, meek and lowly,
you have come into my life and made it new,
now I'm new.
Out of bondage into everlasting light,
I owe everything to you.

There's an end to all the waiting,
there's an answer to the "who?" and "where?" and "why?"
tonight.
All the years anticipating, are surrendered to a tiny baby's cry.
There's a dawn to follow darkness,
there's a face to fill the title, "Prince of Peace."
What he promised, he delivered...
I am saved by the hand of sweet release.
What he promised, he delivered...
I am saved by the hand of sweet release.

Now reading: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
Colts: 9-0

Send an Email

2005-11-15T14:29:00.000-06:00

Congress is in the midst of important budget negotiations right now, and one of the items on the table is $100,000,000 that could possibly be used to fight AIDS, TB, and malaria. These diseases, especially AIDS, are devastating third world countries.

One, an organization that is linked to the right under "Sites," has pre-written an email for you. All you have to do is fill in your personal info, and they will send it to the proper parties. Please take a moment (literally, a very brief moment) out of your busy schedule to click here and send an email to your representative. When the Constitution separated church and state, it wasn't so Christians would sit on their hands when they could take meaningful action.

One's philospohy is simple: If the richest nations in the world would dedicate 1% of their respective budgets, we could eliminate poverty. If you believe in their cause, sign the declaration at their website, and then you'll get updates like these in your email.

Now Reading: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis
Colts: 9-0

End of the Spear

2005-11-07T14:42:00.000-06:00

Today I was privileged to attend a special screening of a movie that tells the remarkable story of Nate and Steve Saint, Jim Elliot, and other missionaries who landed their tiny airplane on a sandbar in the Amazon River basin in Ecuador to share the Gospel of Christ with the Waodani tribe, the most violent society known to man. You may or may not be familiar with the story, but I was introduced to new aspects of it which were fascinating and inspiring. The film, "End of the Spear," opens in theaters January 20.

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

A Flare for the Dramatic

2005-11-02T10:02:00.000-06:00

Those of you who read the story of the faculty/staff's comeback victory last week may remember that the championship game was last night. And what a game it was.

I'll spare the extended details I used in telling the last story, but this game was just as exciting. Both teams played fairly well throughout the game, and as we entered the last inning of play, we trailed by a score of 6-4. We held them scoreless in their half of the 7th, and we came to bat trailing by those two runs.

Our team strung together quite a rally, and the most exciting play of the inning was when Barb, our 70-year-old pitcher, slid headfirst (well, "slid" may not be quite the right term) into third base safely. Steve was walked, which brought up the top of the order. By this time we had scored once and had runners on first and third, still with no one out. Our leadoff hitter, Yort, came through with a big double to left-center, scoring Barb to tie the game, and sending Steve to third. So, the winning run was on third with no one out and Luke, our second hitter coming up. It looked like the championship was in the bag. But alas, Luke hit an innocent pop-up to first base, and there was one out. And BT was coming to the plate. As I approached the plate, I thought they may walk me intentionally to set up a force play, but as they positioned their outfielders it became apparent they would pitch to me.

The stage was set. Winning run on third, one out. All I needed was a fly ball of medium depth, and we would win the intramural softball championship. Steve looked in from third base and clapped his hands, saying, "Just a fly ball, Bradley."

As the pitcher toed the rubber, I looked for something I could drive fairly deep in the air. With the first pitch, I got it. It was belt high, not a lot of arc, and I seized the opportunity. With a mighty swing, I sent the ball hurtling toward the left field foul pole. For a moment I feared it may go foul, but the hook straightened out, and it sailed over the fence for a walk-off, championship-winning three-run home run. It was my childhood dream come true, albeit on a smaller stage than I originally imagined. I rounded the bases with my fist raised high and was met at home plate by my teammates, jumping up and down and patting me on the head. It was the first intramural championship for the MNU faculty/staff in any sport. We won 9-6, having gone through the regular season with only one loss, and sweeping our way through the playoffs without losing a game. I was named the MVP.

Frivolity

2005-10-31T14:17:00.000-06:00

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.

Shed a Little Light

2005-10-31T11:46:00.000-06:00

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

Well, if the RedBirds can't win...

2005-10-26T09:19:00.000-05:00

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.

Four Words:

2005-10-19T23:01:00.000-05:00

Screw
The
Wild
Card.

Home

2005-10-18T12:13:00.000-05:00

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

The Kingdom Comes

2005-10-10T16:10:00.000-05:00

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

Costanza's Wallet

2005-10-04T09:56:00.000-05:00

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

Faith

2005-09-28T13:24:00.000-05:00

I had a remarkable conversation today.

A man named Don called Headquarters today (I have no idea how he managed to get patched through to me) and asked me if we could talk about his faith. "Sure," I said. Then he told me some things...He wasn't "raised" to believe in the Bible, he doesn't believe Jesus is the Son of God, he doesn't believe in Satan, but he has some friends who have been talking to him about sin and the need for forgiveness, who have told him what Jesus did for him (us), and who gave him a Bible. He asked if we could read some of it together.

Amazing. We've been praying in our small group for encounters with people who don't know the Lord, but rarely have I had one fall into my lap like this. Don and I had a wonderful conversation. He was (is) afraid to say the name "Jesus Christ," and he was afraid to say words like "repentance" or "forgiveness." (I had asked him to read some from the book of Mark aloud, and that's when he encountered these words and asked if he could skip them.) We talked for over an hour before he said he had to go, but I told him I was going to share his story with my small group and post it on my blog so my friends could pray for him. He begged me not to do this, saying he knew that he had been feeling guilty and was afraid that would make him feel more guilty. I shared with him that Jesus did not want him to have a spirit of fear, and that God wanted to free him from his guilt. He asked me what I believed about Jesus, and when I got to the part about the crucifixion, he wanted me to stop. When he read aloud the description of Jesus' baptism in the first chapter of Mark, he wept when he came to the part where God's voice proclaimed Jesus as His beloved Son, with whom He was well pleased. I told him that was also God's message for him, should he choose to accept it.

I prayed all throughout the conversation that God would give me wisdom and courage, and I believe He did. I told Don that I was going to pray for God to pursue him. I'd like to invite all of you to do the same. I told him his life would never be the same, but that it would be richer than he could ever imagine. I told him I loved him (which he didn't understand) and that that God loved him (which he didn't believe).

Please help me pray for my new friend, Don.

Now Reading: Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller
Cardinals: NL Central Champions; Magic Number: 11

Newest Projects

2005-09-22T12:59:00.001-05:00

I've been excited the last couple days to learn about the new projects I'll be working on. Yesterday I received a call from Barefoot Ministries, the youth publishing company for the Nazarene church. They asked me if I would edit their teen curriculum based on the lectionary. Very cool. They're sending me a contract.

Then, in my email today, I received my next proofreading project for Youth Specialties: you can see it by clicking here. It's a re-release of a book, but it's one I've been wanting to read. I'm especially interested in one of the authors, Brian McLaren. I haven't yet had the privilege to read anything of his yet, so I'm anxious to get started.

Now reading: Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller.
Cardinals: NL Central Champions; Magic Number: 11

Blue Like Jazz

2005-09-21T09:21:00.000-05:00

Kari and I are reading this book together right now, and we both are really enjoying it. The subtitle is so true: Non-religious thoughts on Christian Spirituality.

At the end of his chapter on grace is this wonderful statement: "In exchange for our humility and willingness to accept the charity of God we are given a kingdom. And a beggar's kingdom is better than a proud man's delusion."

Now Reading: Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller
Cardinals: NL Central Champions; Magic Number: 11

A Growing Transparency

2005-09-13T16:08:00.000-05:00

I'm looking out my hotel window at half of the Gateway Arch...Quite a lovely view. I sure do miss my wife and son, though.

My time here in St. Louis has been good. I am here working for Nazarene Headquarters at the USA/Canada Nazarene Youth International District Leadership Conference (what a name!). But the best of my time has been spent in worship and in sharing my heart with a friend, James (his blog is linked to the right). Last night in the worship service we sang a song that repeated the line "Less of me and more of You," clearly sung to God. But, the worship leader threw us for a loop when he told us to sing it to each other. "Less of me and more of you, Brother." I was moved when James came from the complete opposite side of the room to hug me and sing it to me. And I sang it to him. And I so sincerely hope that I meant it.

Much was stirred up (and has been stirred up for some time now). James and I went to Starbucks this morning for breakfast and began talking about where we are, what we're doing, what we're thinking, what we're dealing with. James told me (very) briefly about his community, and I told him (very) briefly about ours. We talked of the existing church and the emerging church, friends and their thoughts, worship styles, pastors...We talked and we talked. We hardly even mentioned our two precious kids, Halle and Braden, both 3-4 months old, which gives you an idea of how prevalent these topics are in our minds.

Ultimately, James helped me come to a conclusion that I probably have needed to confess for some time: That, especially during my most formative years in college, I mostly lived my life to meet the approval of certain people. Jesus was typically not one of them. Some of these people I felt never approved of me, and some I felt I managed to "win over." Only now do I see (admit) the silliness in it all. Sadly, though, I find myself still longing to meet with the approval of some of these people. Most of them are far ahead of me in this "post-postmodern" way of thinking, and I read their blogs and wish I were as "spiritual" as them. Sad. I think most of them would call themselves my friends (perhaps simply "acquaintances"), so is it my insecurity? Maybe there's a better word than approval...maybe it's respect. I want them to respect me so badly...My pride is clearly in the way. Funny how insecurity and pride so often go hand in hand.

There's a lot more rolling around in my head about the role of the existing church in this emerging church paradigm...but I don't know how to articulate it yet. I'm working on it.

If you have read this and are afraid you may be one of the people I mentioned earlier, please don't worry. I don't think those people are even aware I have a blog. (One of them stumbled upon a mutual friend's blog not long ago and talked about how happy he was to reconnect with him, and that he would be frequenting his blog as a place of refuge...I found myself undeniably envious of him, who clearly had been approved by one whose approval I had [have] so long been seeking...I apologize to both of you, if you read this and know who you are.) Either way, it is a change in my heart that needs to be made, not in yours.

I am tempted to skip all the evening activities and go watch Chris Carpenter pitch, but it's almost sure to rain, and I am at "work."

Now Reading: "Reflections on the Psalms," by C.S. Lewis
Cardinals' Magic Number: 2

A Guest

2005-09-06T21:14:00.000-05:00

We Taylors have been privileged to have a special guest with us this week:

The Durek is Here

Bryan drove out to KC last Sunday to begin his in-service master of divinity degree at Nazarene Theological Seminary. He is staying with us and becoming acclimated to life in a girls’ dorm and life with a baby boy. Holly even flew out over this past weekend, and we enjoyed some fellowship with them before she flew back to Ohio on Monday morning. Bryan will be finishing up his first module course this week and heading back to Marysville Church of the Nazarene, where he is youth pastor, on Friday.

As we've been hosting our friend and Kari has been reading this fabulous book, we've been thinking a lot about hospitality. This from Nouwen in Reaching Out:

"Hospitality, therefore, means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines. It is not to lead our neighbor into a corner where there are no alternatives left…It is not an educated intimidation with good books, good stories and good works, but the liberation of fearful hearts so that words can find roots and bear ample fruit…The paradox of hospitality is that it wants to create emptiness, not a fearful emptiness, but a friendly emptiness where strangers can enter and discover themselves as created free; free to sing their own songs, speak their own languages, dance their own dances; free also to leave…Hospitality is not the subtle invitation to adopt the life style of the host, but the gift of a chance for the guest to find his own…Reaching out to others without being receptive to them is more harmful than helpful and easily leads to manipulation and even to violence, violence in thoughts, words, and actions."

No one says it quite like Henri. I've been moved by reading the thoughts of several of my friends in the wake of the terrible tragedy taking place in Louisiana and the surrounding states. I'd like to find a way to go there and help, too. Kari and I will contribute to the cause of Heart to Heart International, which has established a presence in New Orleans and is assisting refugees. Heart to Heart was founded by a gentleman at our church here in Olathe. If you are reading this and don't have a way to contribute, may I suggest this fine organization? By clicking on their name above, you can read about their core beliefs and find out how you can contribute.

May God bless those so profoundly affected by this awful event.

Now Reading: "Reflections on the Psalms," by C.S. Lewis
Cardinals' Magic Number: 11

Football Time in Tennessee

2005-09-03T15:52:00.000-05:00

Well, the Vols managed to win their opener today, but, from the looks of things, they're going to have a mighty tough time at Florida in two weeks.

Here are a couple quotes from the book I'm proofreading that I found interesting and appropriate:

"The Scriptures are devalued when they’re used only to affirm and bless our culture and its characteristics. When the Bible becomes an “amen” to selfish politics, consumerism, individualism, the American way, and our many other cultural agendas, its radical message is silenced. The Bible becomes a weak-voiced pastor sitting at the cultural head table and offering a meaningless invocation—just happy to be in the room. But the Jesus who shakes up the religious authorities by healing on the Sabbath, scandalizes the norms of his day by conversing with a Samaritan woman, frequents the table of tax collectors and other marginal persons, and says we meet the eternal God in the faces of the poor—this Jesus is silenced and excluded."

"Yet the preeminence of systematic theology carries with it the danger that we may read the Bible for affirmation of our favored system, strip-mining the biblical narrative for verses, illustrations, and smaller segments that fit a prescribed theological package. The marvelous contours of the narrative forest are lost or ignored as we remove individual trees to be used as pillars of a theological system."

Just some food for though, I suppose.

Now reading: "Reflections on the Psalms," by C.S. Lewis
Cardinals' Magic Number: 16

Different Freedom?

2005-08-31T16:04:00.000-05:00

Deep within, the heart has always known that there is freedom
Somehow breathed into the very soul of life
The prisoner, the powerless, the slave has always known it
There's something that keeps reaching for the sky

And even life begins because a baby fights for freedom
And songs we love to sing have freedom's theme
Some have walked through fire and flood to find the place of freedom
And some faced hell itself for freedom's dream

Let freedom ring wherever minds know what it means to be in chains
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
We can be free, and we can sing, "Let freedom ring"

God built freedom into every fiber of creation
And He meant for us to all be free and whole
But when my Lord bought freedom with the blood of His redpemption
His cross stamped "pardon" on my very soul

I'll sing it out with every breath, I'll let the whole world hear it
This hallelujah anthem of the free
That iron bars and heavy chains can never hold us captive
The Son has made us free, and free indeed

Let freedom ring down through the ages from a hill called Calvary
Let freedom ring wherever hearts know pain
Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
You can be free, and you can sing, "Let freedom ring"

Let freedom echo through the lonely streets where prisons have no key
You can be free, and you can sing, "Let freedom ring"
You can be free, and you can sing, "Let freedom ring"

A New Book

2005-08-30T10:28:00.000-05:00

Some of you probably don't know that, in addition to my regular job at Nazarene Headquarters and several part time jobs around the campus at MidAmerica (mostly pertaining to sports), I also am a freelance proofreader and copy editor. I primarily work for Youth Specialties, and many of my previous projects probably wouldn't be books I would normally pick up and read (for example, check this one out: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0310256801/qid=1125415985/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-6775439-4819932?v=glance&s=books).

This week, however, I enjoyed a serendipitous moment as I opened my most recent project. You can see it by following the link above (nothing I've worked on is out yet...I think January is the earliest release date of anything I've done). It's called "The Church in Transition," by Tim Conder, and it is unbelievably, almost frighteningly, apropos for my current state of mind. It strongly addresses how we (1. Dare I include myself in the "emergent church?" 2. I think I think I'm not sure about that name) can share life with the existing church, regardless of how disillusioned we may be with it.

I'm really enjoying it so far. I hope some of you will read it when it is released in January, not because I worked on it, but because it's just pretty cool.

Now Reading: "The Bible Jesus Read," by Philip Yancey
Cardinals' Magic Number: 17

This morning...

2005-08-27T09:43:00.000-05:00

I was reading this this morning by Philip Yancey, and I thought it spoke well to much of the current discussion/thought process.

"Is it possible that God permitted the entire tragic experiment of Israel's nationhood in order to prove a point about the visible kingdom--about any visible kingdom? Solomon, with every advantage of wisdom, power, and wealth--all good gifts from God--led his nation to destruction. Did God grant Solomon those advantages in order to put to death illusions and thus prepare the way for a new kingdom? Kingdoms of this world are built on intelligence, beauty, wealth and strength. Yet even at their best, their Solomonic best, such human attractions fail. Has not history born out that truth again and again, world without end?

A later king--one greater than Solomon, he claimed--established his rule instead among the lame and poor and oppressed and ritually unclean. He belittled Solomon's glory by comparing it to that of a common day-lily. He offered no rewards other than the prospect of an executioner's cross. Solomon's kingdom succeeds by accumulation; Jesus' kingdom succeeds by self-sacrifice. 'You must lose yourself to find yourself' was Jesus' most-repeated proverb. The world was still not ready for Jesus' kind of kingdom. Even when he returned to earth after resurrection the disciples did not grasp the difference: 'Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?' they asked, still yearning for the visible kingdom of Solomon.

The kings of Israel who followed Solomon did not learn, the disciples who followed Jesus did not learn, and what of us? I can envision the Teacher of Ecclesiastes standing before the magazine rack of a modern newsstand. 'All these body-building magazines--Shape, New Body, Muscle and Fitness--do you think flesh lasts forever? Have you no thought for the grave? These business magazines--Success, Inc., Entrepreneur--what are you scrambling for? Do you truly believe you will find satisfaction there? Mad, Lampoon, Atlantic, Harper's--I tried folly as well as wisdom, and both lead to the same place. To the grave.' In Jesus' cryptic words, which could stand as a summary for the message of Ecclesiastes, 'What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?'

Ecclesiastes has an eerily modern ring to it because we have not learned its most basic lessons. We too chase the allure of the visible kingdom."

From "The Bible Jesus Read," by Philip Yancey

Wallis

2005-08-25T16:15:00.000-05:00

Truly, it is time for Pat to go.

Presently...

2005-08-25T13:02:00.000-05:00

Inspired by a number of my friends who regularly practice this odd, public journal/soapbox, I thought I'd start a "blog" of my own. I don't know if this will work for me, but I'll give it a shot.

For starters, if you're wondering about the title, check out Ephesians 3:16-19. It is my "life passage," if there is such a thing.

Some of the things presently percolating:

1. The Old Testament is gaining meaning to me as I read Yancey's "The Bible Jesus Read."

2. I am thoroughly intrigued by the conversations that have been taking place among my friends (I hope they would call themselves my friends) regarding the emerging church (at least I think that's the buzz term these days). Also piquing my interest is all the political/religious right/anti-war talk. I have a few thoughts about this:

a) I have a friend who is considering a career as a navy chaplain. What place does chaplaincy have in the military?

b) My grandfather (Pops, hereafter) was in the navy and served in the second world war. I have a profound respect for Pops' faith journey, and am troubled by the anti-war sentiment (which I agree with, incidentally) and how his military involvement reflects on his faith. Any thoughts?

c) The "allegiance" discussion is what first drew me in, whether you can have allegiance to both a temporary country and an eternal Kingdom. I'm still wrestling with this one, but, suffice it to say, I'm further from the "religious right" than I've ever been.

This is a good start.

::Extravagant Love::

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