The Invisible Children

It has been a long time since a short film trailer captivated my heart like this. Watch it. I have ordered the rough cut DVD, and might invite friends over to watch it.

It is coming. The film is due out in about a year, as the film makers will be returning to Sudan/Uganda to finish filming. My prayer would be that it might change the world. We need more of this kind of film making.

HT (again) to Rhett Smith.

Walking Forward Through Time

On Tuesday afternoon in DC, I cheated. I took the afternoon off from my seminars and went to the National Gallery of Art. And I was interested to learn anew how our world has evolved; its something to think about.

Rest on the Flight into Egypt, David Gerard, 1510, Bruges

The gallery is arranged in such a way that you can walk forward or backward through time. I choose forward, which moves one through the gallery in a west to east direction.

You begin in the Netherlands and France in the 15th Century, and move forward slowly, through the centuried to modern times.

Artwork of the 15th and 16th centuries is almost soley focused around stories from Scripture and the person of Christ. One is struck by the almost complete devotion and fixation with themes from the Bible. Images of Christ and Old Testament characters fill every room.

However, as one moves from room to room, over time, the subject matter of the paintings changes, and modern life and culture take more precedence. Characters from the Bible loose their dominance. Paintings by the Masters increasingly change to scenes of aristocratic life, country landscapes, with the occasional portrait of a church father. As one continues walking east, the stories of art have evolved away from stories of the saints and Scriptures.

Those living in the early centuries lead lives surely full of struggle, hardship, turmoil, and a constant awareness of the tenacity of life. Through the centuries, as lives became more comfortable, those Bible stories, the narratives of real life, and the remarkable life of the Savior tend to fade in importance.

The Artist's Garden at Vetheuil, Claude Monet, 1880

We have become too comfortable in our aristocratic lives, in our gardens fair, in our inventions and society. We don't need those old stories, we have made a new story that is fairer to the eye, and more easy to digest. I think I fear for our modern society. We have forgotten from where we have come.

The Pulpit in an Unexpected Place

If we believe that God inhabits all of Creation, interesting things can happen.

Now, I am naturally an introvert, but I mostly compensate in life by at least acting like I am extroverted. In short, I fake it. Extroverts are energized by being with people; I am energized only to a point. After that point, I get easily weary of people, and find that I am often energized by being either alone, or with a smaller group of people.

As so, I am not a great “talker to the person next to me on the plane” kind of guy. I am often not good at idle chatter with cab drivers, largely perhaps because of the tendency of these folks to drive with a faith and reckless abandon that I do not possess. I often find myself to occupied worrying about my own survival to strike up a conversation. Hard to talk when you are being pressed into the back seat by 2.5 times the force of gravity.

This morning’s cab ride back to the airport proved to be the exception, and I found God inhabiting his Creation in a refreshing way. First, the speed was relatively calm. Secondly, the cab driver was a remarkable man. “Thoma” is a native of Ethiopia of (I would guess) about 32 years, who always dreamed of coming to America as a boy. About 11 years ago, Thoma was selected in an immigration lottery as an émigré to the United States. He has worked in various jobs here over the past decade, and is now driving a cab. He is so happy to be here, he thinks this is a wonderful country.

Thoma mentioned to me that he was taking off two months in the near future to return to Ethiopia, to visit his wife and infant son – a son he has not yet met. And here is the best part. Three years ago, Thoma became a Christian, was married soon thereafter, in an arranged marriage to a woman in Ethiopia. (I would have loved to have had time to ask more questions about that!) Thoma is serious about his faith, is involved in an Ethiopian Evangelical church in Silver Springs, Maryland, and spends “two hours each day in God’s word”. Thoma has a smile that goes on for miles; his cab is filled with joy.

Here is the best part. Thoma told me that some day he might like to become a pastor or evangelist. He told me, “But for now, my cab is my pulpit. Each passenger that comes into my cab, I ask the Holy Spirit, ok…..what kind of person is this?…..where are they from?……what are they facing in their life? And God gives me the right thing to say.”

We have “cabs” too, each of us. But our cabs are our homes, offices, schools, factories, hospitals. Where ever we are called each day.

May all, every last one, of our own cabs be…..our pulpits.

What Dad Did on the Business Trip

I have been here in DC for two days now, and will be heading home early tomorrow. This has been an interesting and rewarding time, where I have learned much, on varied topics. Now I know that all six of you typically visit here because you are either friends, friends of friends, blogging pals, or are some Norwegian guy searching Google for an image of the US Capital and picked my site. Also, I want a record of some of the more interesting topics for future reference.

Disclaimer. This post has nothing to do with things Christian, the church, my whining about the church, my church in particular or the usual ranting and rambling. That said, here goes.

Heard a great overview of the housing bubble threat this morning with many pithy comments from the Principal of this firm in New York. Fascinating.

Afternoon session on military base closure with a panel discussion featuring some guy who works here. Total bore. People applauded when it was over.

This morning I was priviledged to listen to a short address by this senator, who seems to have his head on straight, given that he spent at least 20 years of his life outside of politics in the real world. Good Republican, I might add. Then listened to a moving story of survival and recovery to real estate markets in New Orleans. This reminder me, yet again, of my friend Pastor Mike, and how life is slowly, so slowly returning to normal in this great city. The anecdotal stories are that only about 70,000 people spend the night in New Orleans, and some of the worst flooded parts of town will not receive telephone service until March 2006!

Finally, a fascinating presentation by a principal in the Louis Berger Group about construction of the Kandahar to Kabul highway in Afghanistan and the development of the new US Embassy in Iraq. Talk about high-risk development. There was a ratio of one body guard to each construction worker in Baghdad!

Fascinating stuff - and I am thankful for the opportunity. For more about the organization I am with, and the reason for my attending, look here. If you have trouble sleeping, look here.

Upon reflection, this post should make my regular readers flee in sheer boredom.

Terror Level Report!

This just in. The nation's capital is under threat from an as yet named terrorist. This man, resembling a semi-balding, middle-aged suburban husband and father was last seen late in the day Tuesday on the Capital Mall. Anyone with information leading to the arrest of this bizarre suspect should contact the local offices of The Hair Club for Men.



In response, the national Terror Alert Level has been shifted to Elmo.

And on the Left Side of the Plane

Greetings from 37,000 feet above Kansas. I am enroute to Washington DC for the Fall Annual Meeting of the Counselors of Real Estate. I will be speaking tomorrow on a panel of alleged “experts” (I am highly suspect as to my own expertise, but lets just keep this a secret, ok?) on real estate issues related to military base conversion throughout the country. Impressed? I thought not. But I enjoy my work greatly, and am thankful for this opportunity. I am honored to be a part of this meeting.

Now that I have lulled you to the point of near sleep, let me share what being at this altitude tends to do for me. I find plane trips more than about 90 minutes have the effect of helping me to refocus on what is really important. Also, I find that I will often slow down my spinning mind long enough to measure where my life is headed, what I am thankful for, and how God’s care and majesty affect all these things. Am I making sense? Have you ever felt this way? Perhaps I just need to lock myself in a closet to achieve the same thing, but in the closet I would just spend my time trying to figure a way out, or perhaps a more efficient way to arrange the closet shelves and hangers.

Looking out the window from this high up tends to make one take stock. Its dark now over eastern Indiana, thousands of lives down there moving forward. How many know they are being watched over by a caring God who longs to come close?

So. Taking stock. What matters, what is important? I am greatly thankful that God has granted our family the grace and resources to be able to place my parents in a wonderful assisted living facility. I spoke with Dad just before I stepped on the plane, and he seems quite content, commenting, “This is just a new adventure for us”. Thank you, Lord.

I am thankful for perhaps the most caring, selfless, and patient woman in the world in my wife Nancy. How did we ever meet, 18 years ago – she from Toronto and me from LA? I thought I might never marry, I was 29 years old with no romance prospects. And then, God provided. Amazing.

And then, three years later, our quite-couple life was changed. I am daily amazed by my daughters Kelly (14) and Heather (11). I could not wish for two more different, unique, beautiful, fun, funny, interesting, and remarkable young ladies. They are little girls no more, but I am deeply, profoundly thankful for each day spent as a part of their lives. And we all daily receive, for this season of our lives, the blessing of sharing our home with Jill Williams, a Master’s of Divinity student at Fuller seminary. Jill adds hope, wisdom, beauty, and a deeply caring soul to our home. Yes, its true, I live with four women. Pray for me.

Beyond all this, I am thankful that my life makes Ultimate Sense; that there is a purpose and a direction to all this. I am not a random collection of molecules, assembled for a brief time to live out my small bit in nature. I am not the end result of Darwin’s theories. I am loved beyond my pathetic little comprehension, understood far greater than I am capable of understanding, and all this time down here is but a practice round for a Hereafter that is beyond my scope of reality. How I wish I had a better way of expressing this to those who find things of faith unimportant, or irrelevant, or meaningless. It is the ultimate relevance; the essence of complete meaning. Relationship with God and service to Him is the reason we are here. The peace that is afforded by Christ is, while not always foremost in my mind, the thing that keeps my life wired together.

Amazing love, how can it be, that Thou, my God, should die for me...

Moving Day for Mom and Dad

The couple in the center of the photo are Roland and Betty Norris, of Arcadia, California. This picture was taken in 1971 at a Petroleum Club Octoberfest (note: Dad with Stein and Mom with, well, cocktail glass, I think). I, the only child, got to stay home, eat Swanson's TV Dinners - 3rd video down on the left., and watch TV. Dad is 51 years old in this picture, and Mom is 50 (shhhhh....she never revealed her age, and still won't).

Today, Mom and Dad moved here. Just several miles from our home. I have written briefly about my thoughts on all this here. Mom and Dad have a cute two bedroom unit in a very caring and warm environment where they will be very well looked after. I will get complete monthly reports on their health and well being, and I will be able to stop by at least weekly to have a meal with them and see how things are going. Have I warehoused my parents? I don't know. But I do know that their living in this setting is far more communal, stimulating, nourishing, and beneficial. Besides, if they moved in with us (which they would never do in 7 zillion years), I am quite sure that my Mom would be gone in about a month, purely from the volume level in our home being such a complete shock to her system. She is about 5 feet tall and weights about 90 pounds these days.

This whole process has been one of gradual grace and, in my mind, the intervention of Heaven. Had you told me even six months ago that my father would have willing walked into an assisted living facility, I would have scoffed. One of his most famous quotes to us all used to be, "They are going to carry me out of this house (the one he lived in for 40 years) feet first!" How is that for defiant? But a couple of small strokes, and a life of general forgetfulness and confusion has lead him, by God's grace, to a much better place. I am thankful.

Well, we did not carry him out, we gently placed he and Mom in my Accura, and drove the 3 miles to the assisted living facility. All of the mementos of his life surround him in his room, and this will be their new home.

This was a bittersweet day. Forty years in one home, leaving memories behind. Moving on to a place of hope and cheer. We are all constantly leaving behind what feels comfortable, moving on, and trying to see our way around the next bend in the road.

Much Will Be Demanded

I don't know a thing about Sara McLachlan's theology, but she gets this.

Watch this. (HT to Rhett Smith)

Of Happy Christians and Crippled Soldiers

This is the illusion that I feel as if I have lived under for some 20-odd years in the Christian culture:

"Oh come and join our Happy Christian Church! We are better than most people; we are on the winning team always. We have no problems, and the blessing of the Lord is constantly upon us. We make more money than most people, and have no psychological disorders. Our lives are free of pain, our children are well behaved, we suffer no hair loss, and our teeth are straight. We live in a happy suburb, where all the homes are of conforming architecture, and there is no smog. We have no halitosis here. Come, see the wonderful things that Jesus can do for you too!"

I guess my reflections of the last couple of days have me again thinking of how fallen my life is, and how failure prone the church can be. I often feel as if the landscape of the place I call my church home is not unlike the highway after the scene of a 25 car pile-up; flashing lights, emergency vehicles, officers with measuring tape determining what happened, and people exchanging insurance information on the shoulder.

Tod Bolsinger has done a good job of just beginning to probe at the soft, pathetic underbelly of the church. I hope he goes farther on this topic.

I was told the other day by a reader of this Blog that sometimes they feel a bit "too down" after reading some of my thoughts. I am sorry for this, it is not my intension to depress others. My family will tell you that I am largely a goofy kid hiding in a grown-up's body.

Nor do I want to be the fellow chucking turds in the church pool. I guess it boils down to this. What it really needs to be about is...brokenness, need, and healing.

We Christian folk are not the "Winning Team", we are the "Pathetic Helpless Needy Team". We are the Crippled Soldiers of the Lord. We can barely stand of our own power. We need healing, every last one of us. And for that, I am thankful, hopeful, grateful.

And I will press on.

What about the Norge Repairman?

Today my friend Tod Bolsinger has an interesting post about what may be a good book. Go look.

As a part of the post, Tod directs us to the Common Grounds blog, which might make great reading. Anyplace where thoughtful Christian folk get together to talk about the Christian Journey is wonderful. Just take a look at the contributors, it looks like the Who's Who of cool Christendom. My favorite, at least visually for scare factor, is this fellow!

However, this leaves me wondering about the regular fellow, the Norge Repairman, if you will. As I peruse the list of contributors to Common Grounds, I don't see a broad collection of regular folk, the lay people of the church. Might broadening the field make it tons more interesting? Just think of it, the "Norge Repairman's Theological Musings!"

However, I do know some of these (regular) folks, and love to read their thoughts - check my BlogRoll for more - both regular and "fancy" people, both those with and without at least an M.A. or M.S. after their names.

The Boys Next Door and Where We Are Headed

Last night my wife and I had the pleasure of viewing the play "The Boys Next Door" by the Actor's Coop, which has been performing plays the move the soul on our church campus for 14 years. The director of this play, Nan McNamara, is a friend of ours, and she indicated that the cast actually visited a handicapped program as a part of their research into preparation for the play.

This play is the story of four mentally challenged men living in a communal residence under the supervision of an earnest, but increasingly "burned out" social worker. In the story of the daily lives of these four very special guys, where small things sometimes become momentous (and often hilarious), are moments of great truth.

The most moving moment of the evening for me was the dance scene at a handicapped community center. A young man and woman, who obviously have a crush on one another, are dancing in a rather haphazard fashion, much like the picture above. Although the dancing is awkward and halting, there is much joy beneath the surface of this scene.

And then suddenly, in an instant, the music changes slightly, the theater lighting softens, and the facial expressions of the actors are transformed. We are in caught up in their dream. And miraculously, the dancing is now perfect; gone is the halting awkwardness, the facial expressions of childish wonder. The couple moves together flawlessly, executing dance steps that would be difficult for even us "normal" folk. This is, a glimpse of glory divine, if you are looking for it.

We lead these awkward, halting, faltering lives down here on Earth. We stumble, make big mistakes, skin our knees. We constantly attempt to stand upright again. There is a Kingdom where all things shall be made new; lives restored, broken hearts healed. A place where the dance is perfect. This place is our real Home. We are promised that someday, it shall be for us all, when we head Home.

If only we could find these glimpses of Home more often, and have a better ability to perceive them as they occur around us.

The photo above is courtesy of this good place.

Silly Behavior About Harry Potter

Over the past several years, I have heard a swirl of differing opinions on the whole Harry Potter phenom. While some opinions are rather ill-thought out, other comments seem to be much more rational.

Tonight, I read this wonderful little article in Christianity Today, that seemed to sum up the whole Harry Potter series quite well.

Would you not agree?

The Drunk Uncle

Here is something interesting. When I Google "the church drunk uncle", I get my own blog! Chalk up another great blow on my behalf for Jesus and evangelism. I should get some form of award from the people at GlogBlogCon.

Strangely enough, I actually had a Drunk Uncle when I was growing up. He was a refined and subtle drunk though. I never saw him smashed, falling down, shameful. In our family, that sort of thing never happened. You kept your dysfunction well hidden, proper-looking, and in check. But I remember when my Dad would speak of The Uncle, it was with a mixture of sadness and anger. The Uncle never stopped the drinking, and ended up passing away, early, in his mid 50's, during my senior year of college. Although it wasn't spoken of, it was probably from the drinking.

Why do I tell you this? I had lunch with a good friend today, someone I have known for more than 20 years. Turns out this fellow is a pastor as well. He took over a church that was pretty sick about 7 years ago. The pastor had misbehaved, left the church, and nearly drove the place into the ground in the act of leaving. Those left behind were shell shocked, tired, wounded. It took a long time to heal, but by God's good grace, this same church today is a vibrant and growing place.

My church? Well these days, it feels not unlike a Drunk Uncle. From the exterior, nice looking buildings, albeit old and traditional. But on the inside, pretty messed up these days. When I think of it, we are all like that, in varying ways, including me.

Guess what I decided today? I decided, again, that I love the Drunk Uncle. I am willing to hold his head while he barfs, get some coffee into him, and see if he might not want to try out a good recovery program. We all need some recovery. There is still lots of hope.

We Americans are SO Repressed

Rock on.

The Poor and the Margins of the Church

More from Henri Nouwen:

"Those who are marginal in the world are central in the Church, and that is how it is supposed to be! Thus we are called as members of the Church to keep going to the margins of our society. The homeless, the starving, parentless children, people with AIDS, our emotionally disturbed brothers and sisters - they require our first attention.
We can trust that when we reach out with all our energy to the margins of our society we will discover that petty disagreements, fruitless debates, and paralyzing rivalries will recede and gradually vanish. The Church will always be renewed when our attention shifts from ourselves to those who need our care. The blessing of Jesus always comes to us through the poor. The most remarkable experience of those who work with the poor is that, in the end, the poor give more than they receive. They give food to us. "

Sign me up for the end of pettiness, debating, and rivalries.

Living, Dying, Healing, and Sharing

Several days ago, I shared with you about Dr. David Scholer. If you want to hear a heartfelt message about living with cancer, go here. I have never heard anything like this, particularly the comments about Romans 8.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to hear an interesting and haunting message on these verses from Dr. Frederick Dale Bruner, my Sunday school teacher (yes, I know, Sunday school, how quaint) and friend.

For me, the end of Acts 3 and beginning of Acts 4 brings forth some of the most important facets of the Christian faith; most particularly the mystery of healing (which I personally struggle with, to this day) and the illustration of the upside down ethics of Kingdom living - giving away what one has for the common good of the greater Body of Christ. As I listened, I wondered; do we really understand the majesty and transformation that is contained within these few lines. They are, to me, verses that give us a glimpse into Heaven. I might even have more to say on this soon....

Oh, that we might have lives that reflect the both the mystery and the upside down ethics of the Kingdom.

The Last Shall Be First

The casket of civil rights icon Rosa Parks lays in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2005 in Washington. Parks inspired the civil rights movement by refusing to give up a seat on a city bus to a white man. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

From the back of the bus, to the center of power; and heading home.

Albert's List

From the Archives at Cal Tech - Einstein's calculations for the meaning of life have been uncovered!

Is This a Good Choice?

In about two weeks, my Mom and Dad, now 84 and 85, will be moving here. Moving to a two bedroom unit in a brand new assisted living facility. My wife Nancy and I are comfortable with the values of the facility in which Mom and Dad will be living, and with the Christian concern of the founder of the publicly-traded company that operates the facility. We are thankful that this option exists for Mom and Dad, who need to be living in a supervised setting. Dad forgets a lot these days, after a series of small strokes. Mom needs a walker to get around, after a fall and a broken hip a number of years ago.

However, if I am honest with myself, I will admit that what we are doing is uniquely American. We Americans take our elderly and put them, well, out of the way. Not so, in the 2/3 world. Were we to live in the rest of the world, Mom and Dad would be coming, without choice or question, to live with us, in our home.

This concept is haunting to me. While I am an only child, and attempting to be faithful and caring with my parents, I still ponder these things. As I ponder, I find this reflection, by Michael Spencer (another only child) to be particularly meaningful, as I attempt to find Jesus in the midst of all this. And as I think about this all, I am also thankful for the older saints I know, and how they contribute to the mosaic of the Kingdom of God here on this planet.

One final thought. Take a look at the opening web page of Saddleback Church. I have a question. Can one be older than 35, and still feel welcome at this church? I am worried....

Again, and Again, and Again, and AGAIN!

Tonight, I ate my dinner, in the car. In the driveway, in the dark. No, I did not get in trouble with my wife. I was glued to the TV set, and then.....the power went out in our neighborhood! Arggg! Out to the car! The UCLA Bruins were in the midst a yet another (count 'em - four this year) come-from-behind win. Behind 24-3 in the fourth quarter, the Gutty Little Bruins did it again, beating Stanford. The UCLA - SC game this year is gonna be a historic event!

In other college football news, one of my favorite coaches just received a 10 year contract extension. Notre Dame athletic officials know a man of character and determination when they see one; gotta love those Catholics!

And in baseball news, I agree with Hugh Hewitt, is there any other choice for the Dodgers but Orel?

A Remarkable Journey - David Scholer, ThD

This is David Scholer. He is a professor of New Testament at Fuller Seminary near our home. We have a connection to Dr. Scholer through our de facto family member Jill Williams, who is a residential-scholar-guest-friend in our home, and is taking a class with Dr. Scholer.

What do you think of when you hear the phrase "seminary professor". There are a number of stereotypes, and by his photograph, Dr. Scholer might meet some of those. He is a scholar, has his doctorate from Harvard, and has written the thrilling volumes, "Nag Hammadi Bibliography 1948-1969 (1971) and Nag Hammadi Bibliography 1970-1994 (1997)". Now THERE is some light reading.

But forget the stereotypes. Completely. As our Jill has shared with us over the past months, Dr. Scholer is battling, and perhaps slowly succumbing to a terminal form of cancer. This was documented in a remarkable article by Connie Kang (full disclosure; our friend as well) in the LA Times this past week. As the times has a silly policy of registering, and a jillion pop-up ads, I will quote from the article liberally below. So sue me, Tribune Company!

"The Rev. David M. Scholer, a prominent New Testament scholar at Fuller Theological Seminary, has lived with constant pain and side effects from the treatment since he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer 3 1/2 years ago. The cancer is incurable, he says, and has spread to both lungs.

Despite the illness and fatigue, Scholer continues to teach and supervise the PhD program and its 155 candidates at the Pasadena seminary's Center for Advanced Theological Studies, where he has been associate dean since 1997. The way he is continuing with his duties has made Scholer a role model for living with an incurable disease, many people at the seminary say. Students, faculty and members of congregations where he speaks are deeply moved to see how he uses his suffering to minister to others. At the beginning of every course, Scholer tells his students about his condition so they're not surprised. In his teaching, however, he mostly sticks to the subject: the New Testament." The kind of [theological] knowledge we have doesn't give us any special status," he told seminarians in his class. "But there is a special responsibility we have to share it."His voice is hoarse, a side effect of the many medications he takes. And he lectures while seated, because it tires him to stand.

"I revel every day in remembering all the good things of my life — all the wonderful things I have been given: my family, my friends," he said. "I can't travel much anymore, so I think of all the places I've been. The joys and achievements of the past don't mean I live in the past, but I do celebrate with gratitude what has been."

Jill Williams, who will complete her master's degree in divinity in June, says she was in Scholer's class the quarter he learned his cancer had returned. "Ironically, I do not remember a marked difference in his teaching before and after the diagnosis," she said. "He consistently taught with joy, theological conviction and passion throughout the quarter."

In life's ups and downs, what's important to realize is that God's ways are well "above our ways," he said. "Maturity in faith is the ability to accept mystery and ambiguity."His message is this: "I really do trust in God. I believe in God's comfort and love. I believe that God is the giver of life, and that means to affirm this life, as well as to have faith in the life to come. God has given me life. I feel I have a calling in life."But, for the terminally ill, a time comes when the will to live doesn't work anymore, he said. "So, as an incurable-cancer patient, I give myself to God," Scholer said. "My life is in God's hands."

This story is for me, the definition of faith; of a life lived with candor, honesty, pain, suffering, mystery, and thankfulness. I really cannot find adequate words to explain how the article made me feel. And how inadequate I feel to be able to deal with a challenge like this. Humbling indeed.

In God's hands indeed. Dr. Scholer, thank you.

Henri Gets It Right

In my morning reading....I came across this:

Often we hear the remark that we have live in the world without being of the world. But it may be more difficult to be in the Church without being of the Church. Being of the Church means being so preoccupied by and involved in the many ecclesial affairs and clerical "ins and outs" that we are no longer focused on Jesus. The Church then blinds us from what we came to see and deafens us to what we came to hear. Still, it is in the Church that Christ dwells, invites us to his table, and speaks to us words of eternal love. Being in the Church without being of it is a great spiritual challenge.

Boy, does this apply to me!

What If Its Not Like I Think Its Supposed To Be?

After the post Friday on Things Emergent for John, I have been doing just a small bit of fishing around on this topic, and I have a (middle aged white guy in the suburbs) confession to make.

I confess that I have been secretly harboring conspiratorial Republican patronizing thoughts about The Emergents (nice name for a rock band) over the past little while. I admit that I have been thinking that once these young people get out of the tattooing and coffee-house-hanging phase of their lives, they will see their way straight to getting a mortgage, 2.75 kids, a sensible family van, and then proceed to becoming more mundane and rational. Like I am, darn it.

Guess what? That is not going to happen. I am learning this through my reading of Velvet Elvis that, if The Emergents are anything like Rob Bell, they are reformed in theology, orthodox in faith, and merely want to bring a relevant form of Jesus to a new generation that craves authenticity. So there. Take that stodgy white guy.

Now, two more things, then its off to bed for me. First - go read this, about "doing church for them". It is wonderful. it should be required reading for every stodgy Presbyterian on the planet.

Second, give yourself just a couple of minutes to view this. It is all that really matters. Peace.

At Last...The Perfect Church Is Found

At last, my struggles are over. I have found the perfect church. Robert Schullers' I & II would be so proud. Only problem, if you look closely, the people are, well, sort of shallow. What is the right way to say this? They are, still, hollow, and, well, plastic. In short, they are Leggo People, and the church is made entirely of Leggos.

Sigh! I guess I will just keep on looking.....

For Good Old John

This photograph is about 13 years old. That fine fellow there with the lovely young lady (our daughter Kelly - now 14 years old) at the piano is one of my best friends in the whole world, John. John and I had a fine Mexican lunch today, and talked over life. One of the things we chatted about was church. We discussed how our old main-line denominational church has struggled so, and how it is going to recover and make it in the weeks, months, and years ahead. We dreamed a bit.

John wanted a list of Emergent/Cool church type websites to visit. So here is my very fledgling attempt at a start:

Nooma - the website of Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Church. Rob has written Velvet Elvis, which I am currently reading.

Also, Kingdom Rain, is a great place to spend some time; and while you are there, check this out.

Another good place to hang is here, at Rhett Smith's place. He is scads younger than me, and therefore just oozes with cool, hip, striped shirt and funky shoes Emergent type things. Look down the left side for "Postmodern - Emergent Conversation Blogs". My favorite is Brian McLaren. This only scratches the surface. Add more, readers, in the comment lines below.

And for an old friend, check here. Lots of good reading resources...in your spare time, Brother John!

Is The Church Important?

In light of this, words from Henri Nouwen:

Our faith in God who sent his Son to become God-with-us and who, with his Son, sent his Spirit to become God-within-us cannot be real without our faith in the Church. The Church is that unlikely body of people through whom God chooses to reveal God's love for us. Just as it seems unlikely to us that God chose to become human in a young girl living in a small, not very respected town in the Middle East nearly two thousand years ago, it seems unlikely that God chose to continue his work of salvation in a community of people constantly torn apart by arguments, prejudices, authority conflicts, and power games. Still, believing in Jesus and believing in the Church are two sides of one faith. It is unlikely but divine!

I Couldn't Go To the Geek Fest

The picture at left comes from my friend Mark Roberts, who was a speaker at GodBlogCon this past weekend. I am sorry, but one look at this caused me to think - this looks like a convention of white guys who were all in the AV Club in their local high schools in 1975. And excuse me, but where are the women....hello!? Oh wait, I remember. The AV guys did not hang out with the girls! And where are the liberals? Same situation, I guess.

Alas, I could not attend, as Providence would have it, I was here busy doing this. A better choice for me.

But perhaps it was ok that I was not there, after all. I found this review very enjoyable, and a quick roundup for those reading this blog with other things to do in life.

Will I attend BlogCon next year? I am not sure. Here is why. I have been reexaming my life of late, as I am faced with the mortality of my own parents. I am trying to make good choices with my time; I want the days to count (not that blogging is a waste of time). As Mark Roberts and I have chatted about before, the whole blogging thing is something that our wives may not be too fond of. I can't win for loosing, as my wife used to be bugged by my extra hour or so of TV (read: Sports Center) viewing in the evenings. Now the PC takes the TV time, its nice an quiet in the house, and I am still not a completely wonderful husband. Sigh! I shall continue to try to strike a balance.


I wonder sometimes if all this typing and thinking is worth it. Will it make a difference for the Kingdom? Will anyone new get in the Pearly Gates as a result of my moving and heartfelt bloggage? In the end, that is really what matters, right - expanding the Kingdom? So, does it really make a difference if the former AV club gets together to feel good together at Biola about their mutual theological agreements. I am not sure.

Maybe it might be good if there was some form of Real World Experience track for GodBlogCon next year. A trip to a soup kitchen perhaps. Or maybe a blogging theme on caring for and discipling someone who is new to the faith? Just wondering. What do you think?

By the way, maybe the movie would work best if you put the film into the projector. Just an idea.

The Formula

As I noted here, this past weekend was our annual church retreat. I was not excited to go, given all the pain and frustration so many have felt over the past year. Our family did not go last year to this same event, as we were not even sure if we would be able to return to our church again.

So, I took God at his word, and went. It was a good time, friendships were renewed, and it seems our fractured church is slowly, gradually, beginning to heal. Solo Deo Gloria to that.

Separately, I learned something new. Amidst all the confusion and frustration of the past months, I guess I have been searching for the perfect formula to end the pain, make everything better for everyone involved, and then - move on.

Turns out, sometimes, the Kingdom of God does not offer us handy complete formulas, or even partial equations. Sometimes, complete forgiveness can be a mystery, and something that does not make a neat, happy, Hollywood ending. For someone who likes things neat, this is not easy. This condition does not, by any means negate the presence of God in the midst of the pain or loss. He is present, He wants to teach us, and perhaps, He wants us to embrace more of the Mystery. I want to learn the right lessons from all this, and I want to be able to NOT have some answers.

Killer Bees!

Parents beware! You can spot the beginings of development problems early - before your kids become delinquent adults.

Taking Our Church to The Moon

Yesterday I mentioned my "freeway epiphany". To be truthful, it was a "double epiphany" (which might make a good name for a jazz combo, I will sell the rights cheaply).

I again have Sara Groves to thank. Go ahead, buy anything she has recorded, you will be very happy.

Now remember, we have just watched a completely depressing state of affairs within our own congregation take place over the past year. I am driving along in the dark of night, thinking about all that has happened over the past months. We church folk are sometimes a completely silly bunch. We are so self absorbed, sure of ourselves, intolerant of change or people who are different, and difficult to deal with. And to make matters worse, we think we have God on our side; all the makings for a toxic combination. I wear all these characteristics myself, in turns.

Sara has arranged the songs on her new album in an interesting fashion, and she has commented that she had wanted her new album to be about the Kingdom of God. With great irony, the song that comes before "Kingdom Comes", which I commented on yesterday, is called "To The Moon". You can hear part of it at Sara's web site. The lyrics:

To the Moon

by Sara Groves

It was there in the bulletin

We're leaving soon

After the bake sale to raise funds for fuel

The rocket is ready and we're going to

Take our church to the moon

There'll be no one there to tell us we're odd

No one to change our opinions of God

Just lots of rocks and this dusty sod

Here at our church on the moon

We know our liberties we know our rights

We know how to fight a very good fight

Just get that last bag there and turn out the
light

We're taking our church to the moon

We're taking our church to the moon

We'll be leaving soon

To the moon. It might be so much easier. So quiet. Weightless. Just need some oxygen. No others to cause us trouble. We could send rockets back to Earth to do some occasional evangelism.

And I wonder, do we Christian folk often appear to the rest of the world around us..... as Space Aliens?

Rebuilding the Breach

For the better part of the last year, our church has been confused, angry, bewildered, lost, wondering, adrift. This has been nearly a classic church split. In the spring the senior pastor and a key associate pastor were asked by the regional church governing body to resign - due to a litany of poor management, bad people skills, and severe financial problems. In the past several weeks, the pastors were formally asked to resign. Their resignations are anticipated soon.

This has been a painful journey for our own family, particularly for my wife and I, who met at this church, have raised our family there, and would like to look forward to building the Kingdom in this place in future years. I have journaled some of our journey here, here, here, here (CT never did publish the letter), and here.

So, we are at a change of seasons in the life of our church. The coming months will be a time of interim, between pastors, discovering again what God has for our future, and listening to the still small voice. And yet, the pain persists. It is real, and seemingly unrelenting. Only God can heal this sort of thing. And this weekend is our annual church camp weekend; and attendance is down, which is to be expected. Our family has been heading up the mountain for 15 years or more - and to be frank, I would rather stay home and watch the Major League Playoffs and do chores. Why? Because I am tired, discouraged, and emotionally spent on this whole "church thing". I need a break. No more people for me please. I would prefer to be the introverted only child I was raised to be, darn it.

Yesterday, I had an epiphany of sorts, while driving home from dropping off a friend at LAX, rushing down the freeway in the darkness, I was playing the new CD from Sara Groves (buy all her CDs, you will be elated that you did so), and was struck by the words of "Kingdom Comes":

When anger fills your heart

When in your pain and hurt

You find the strength to stop

You bless instead of curse
When doubting floods your
soul

Though all things feel unjust

You open up your heart

You find a way to trust
That's a little stone that's a little
mortar

That's a little seed that's a little water

In the hearts of the sons and the daughters

The kingdom's coming

Alright God, I get it. I will not isolate myself this weekend, I will not look inward. I will extend a hand, make new friends, and look for your Grace. Help me Lord, to rebuild the breach in the walls of the Kingdom.

Lets Dine!

From Dave Barry's Blog, I bring you this. I am throwing out my subscription to Bon Appetite - I have it all wrong. Enjoy the laughs, my favorite is Cheese-filled jalapenos wrapped in bacon - thank the Sweet Baby Jesus. Amen.

Kingdom Rain - Wonderful!

Go here. Right now!

I have spent the last two Sundays listening to Don Williams preach, and I can completely recommend this wonderful resource. I am thankful that outstanding content like this is out on the Internet.

Minding your Peas and Qs

As I indicated the other day, I have been spending some time here, while in my car. So. Well. This has been an interesting experience for a 47-year old balding white guy from the suburbs. Listening to the top 20 songs of today's younger generation has been sobering, eye-opening, and interesting. This is a different world.

One of the most popular groups on the top 20 is (are?) the Black Eyed Peas. Without going into too much detail, I can say that I like some of their music. However, as a Dad, I also have some major problems with same. As evidence of my struggle, I submit to you the main following chorus from their recent hit, "My Humps".

What you gonna do with all that junk? All that junk inside your trunk? I'ma get, get, get, get, you drunk, get you love drunk off my hump. My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps. (Check it out).

So, there we have it. Deep and meaningful lyrics, describing the angst of our nation's youth? The yearning fofulfillmentnt and purposes to the teens of America? Concern for worthwhile social causes and a call for societal justice? Not quite.

Due to my severe white-ness, I needed to reference the Urban Dictionary to ascertain the meaning of this mysterious "hump". Could this tune be about the plight of the camel, or perhaps the illegality of speed bumps in urban traffic settings? Not quite. As it turns out, in the context of this song, hump is referring to the opposite of the front of the human anatomy, namely, the rear. Of a female, I should suppose.

I had a suspicion that something was amiss with this song; when my 14-year old abruptly changed the station when she heard/saw this song coming on. So, given this, what would YOU do, faithful reader? How do we raise our kids that they might know of God's grace and care for their lives, and of His calling of a different kind of life, in the midst of This New Evangelist?

Goodby Yankees, Hello White Sox

If I had my druthers, there would be only one season; summer. But, October makes the fall worth living for....

A Story of Determination

Go here, and be inspired. Donald & Colleen Bordelon have a great deal to teach me about determination. My favorite part - when asked if they didn't feel lonely in their home (being among the first to return to a devastated neighborhood), Colleen answers:

"Aw, but its peaceful, and you can see the stars, we come out and eat on the roof.....we have one light from the generator that shines on our American flag....."

Donald & Coleen - you are an example to me. May God speed your rebuilding, and bring peace and calm to your life.

And, there is more suffering in our world over the past several days......and we can care by giving. And pray.

Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

I could never make something like this up, so I just submit it for your review. In response, I came across this article by The Internet Monk, which is what I will look up when (note, not if, but when) one of my daughters wants to get a tattoo.

My only comment: I wonder what the Assisted Living Facilities will look like in about 60 years, when they start filling up with tattooed 80-year olds. Ick.

The New Evangelist

Today....as I was dropping my daughter off at her public high school - I was struck by the number of kids heading into school with Ipods on. Onward they shuffled, oblivious to traffic, noise, other people, cocooned in an audio world. A world of their own design, with each morning's audio accompaniment sculpted individually by each student. And this world is millions of light years away from the world we adults live in. And for some odd reason, it struck me, watching these kids, that they are likely not listening to Mozart, or the Sound of Music sound track?

How do I know of this separation of worlds? My 14 year old daughter has introduced me to this channel, on XM satellite radio, which I have in my car. And, on the way to work, after dropping off the kids, I got to hear....this fellow (warning! - scary and completely unedifiing lyrics ahead).

This IPOD, my friends, is the New Evangelist, as I will call it. We need to talk about this a bit. And interestingly my friend KC Wahe had some very similar thoughts at the same time...today, about the digital age, and its effect on our kids.

I plan on spending more time on the "20 on 20" channel in the days to come. I want to learn more about this world - the world of today's kids. Maybe that is why I love the work of Young Life, and I pray for the work of good youth pastor's like KC.

What We Think....and What He Knows

Tonight, a dear old friend of nearly 80 years lies in a hospital bed, breathing on a ventilator.

We are not sure of his condition, not sure whether he will recover, survive, or whether he will be with us much longer. As I ponder this, my eyes move from the cold concrete at my feet, a feeling of depression, slowly heavenward to the cool Southern California night.

This is the time when we realize the difference between what we think and what He knows.

We think.....we are the masters of our lives. We are such silly and pompous people, trying daily to form lives that we can adjust, tweak, control. We carefully chose the right schools for our children, attempting to secure their future financial security. Shame on us.

He knows....that what really matters is the character of our lives, not the knowledge in our heads.

We think....we can shape our the world to fit our needs. We have 401K plans, and mutual funds, and exercise programs designed to minimize body fat, healthy foods full of fiber. We move on the freeway in climate controlled cabs. We insulate our relationships to minimize exposure to pain and suffering; keeping the hurting people at a distance.

He knows, that a life spent giving away is the life that really matters.

We think....we can make it on our own. We are Americans after all. We tamed the wilderness. Successful. Independent. Self reliant. Free.

And then, we face a friend lying in ICU, surrounded by machines. Powerless, both of us. Or we watch as someone we haved loved all our lives slowly fades into the fog of dementia, or Alzheimers. We watch a young mother of two children succumbs to a terrible battle with tumors that rage through her body. We think....

He knows......He knows it all. He is there in the midst of this. Present. Both here and on the other side of this life mystery. He walked this earth once, 2000 years ago. He was here, right with us. He felt the sun on his face, saw the suffering of his people. Touched the unclean. He felt the frustration, the longing, the pain and lonliness. He was surrounded by the cool air of a tomb. He knows. And in His knowing, He loves us, waits for us, longs to be with us.

He is with us still......even now, on this difficult night.

Heart of Darkness

Fouad Ajami is the Majid Khadduri Professor of Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins University, is director of the Middle East Studies Program and a 1982 recipient of a MacArthur Prize for his work on Middle East politics and culture. An author of several books, Dr. Ajami is a frequent contributor to leading periodicals of political thought, including Foreign Affairs, New Republic, and The New York Times Book Review. He has been a faculty member since 1980.

Mr. Ajami has written an op-ed piece for the Wall Street Journal, entitled "Heart of Darkness" that had me captivated the other day over lunch. Please, go read this. I find this the most well-thought-out, lucid, insightful and informative piece I have seen yet on the complex issues of the Middle East. You will need some time to read, but it is very well worth it. And then, pray.

He Kept His Promise....Twice

My two favorite college football teams are, 1) UCLA, and 2) whoever is playing against USC this week. However, over the years, I have become somewhat emotionally soured on college football. The low graduation rate of players, the influence of the pros, and then the scandals. And then, I hear of men like Charlie Weis, and I have hope.

This is Charlie Weis. Mr. Weis is the coach of the University of Notre Dame football team. He is also the owner of four Super Bowl championship rings as products of a stellar 15-season career as a National Football League assistant coach. Weis is in his first year at Notre Dame in 2005 (he was hired Dec. 12, 2004) - after spending the last five years as the highly-regarded offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots. Weis becomes the first Notre Dame graduate to hold the football head coaching position at his alma mater since Hugh Devore (a '34 graduate).

But there is something more about Charlie Weis. He is a man of great character. He keeps his word. As told yesterday on ESPN, the Notre Dame coach met last week with 10-year old Montana Mazurkiewicz, who had been told by doctors weeks earlier that there was nothing more they could do to stop the spread of his inoperable brain tumor.

"He was a big Notre Dame fan in general, but football especially," said his mother, Cathy Mazurkiewicz. Weis showed up at the Mazurkiewicz home in Mishawaka, just east of South Bend, and talked with Montana about his tumor and about Weis' 10-year-old daughter, Hannah, who has global development delay, a rare disorder similar to autism. Weis said the meeting was touching. "He told me about his love for Notre Dame football and how he just wanted to make it through this game this week," Weis said. "He just wanted to be able to live through this game because he knew he wasn't going to live very much longer."

As Weis talked to the boy, Cathy Mazurkiewicz rubbed her son's shoulder trying to ease his pain. Weis said he could tell the boy was trying not to show he was in pain. His mother told Montana, who had just become paralyzed from the waist down a day earlier because of the tumor, to toss her a football Weis had given him. Montana tried to throw the football, put could barely lift it. So Weis climbed into the reclining chair with him and helped him complete the pass to his mother. Before leaving, Weis signed the football.

Weis asked Montana if there was something he could do for him. He agreed to let Montana call the first play against Washington on Saturday. He called "pass right." Montana never got to see the play. He died Friday at his home.

Weis heard about the death and called Cathy Mazurkiewicz on Friday night to assure her he would still call Montana's play. "He said, 'This game is for Montana, and the play still stands,'" she said. Weis said he told the team about the visit. He said it wasn't a "Win one for the Gipper" speech, because he doesn't believe in using individuals as inspiration. He just wanted the team to know people like Montana are out there. "That they represent a lot of people that they don't even realize they're representing," Weis said. When the Irish started on their own 1-yard-line following a fumble recovery, Cathy Mazurkiewicz wasn't sure Notre Dame would be able to throw a pass. Weis was concerned about that, too. So was quarterback Brady Quinn.

"He (Quinn) said 'What are we going to do?'" Weis said. "I said 'We have no choice. We're throwing it to the right.'" Weis called a play where most of the Irish went left, Quinn ran right and looked for tight end Anthony Fasano on the right.

Mazurkiewicz watched with her family. "I just closed my eyes. I thought, 'There's no way he's going to be able to make that pass. Not from where they're at. He's going to get sacked and the University of Washington's going to get two points,'" she said. Fasano caught the pass and leapt over a defender for a 13-yard gain. "It's almost like Montana was willing him to beat that defender and take it to the house," Weis said. Cathy Mazurkiewicz was happy.

"It was an amazing play. Montana would have been very pleased. I was very pleased," she said. "I was just so overwhelmed. I couldn't watch much more."

Weis called her again after the game, a 36-17 victory by the 13th-ranked Fighting Irish, and said he had a game ball signed by the team that he wanted to bring to the family on Sunday. "He's a very neat man. Very compassionate," she said. "I just thanked him for using that play, no matter the circumstances."

Cathy Mazurkiewicz commented, "Charlie Weis is a man who keeps his promises. First he promised to visit my son, and then he promised to call that first play for Montana. He kept his promise, twice"

I for one, am deeply thankful for men like Charlie Weis. Men with character, and compassion, and convictions. I am hopeful. I have always had a soft spot for the Irish. Now I think I know why.

Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame

Wake up the echoes cheering her name,

Send the volley cheer on high,

Shake down the thunder from the sky,

What tho the odds be great or small

Old Notre Dame will win over all,

While her loyal sons are marching Onward to Victory.

A Bit More on Work and Faith

So, what does it mean to be a person who believes, who has oriented one's life around the person of Christ, and who must be engaged each day in the secular culture?

Christianity Today recently ran this on the topic of work and faith. The final thought in this article is:

Third, work is part of the good creation that God blessed before the advent of sin. Genesis records two commands God gave to our first parents before the Fall: one concerns work (dress and keep the garden); the other concerns sex (be fruitful and multiply). The church has spent enormous energies on guiding our sexuality, but done little at the congregational level to give believers a developed understanding of the mandate to work. The distortions of work are as dangerous as the distortions of sex. Do we not owe the business people in our midst solid teaching about their calling?

I would substitute "little" above to "virtually nothing", in terms of the engagement of the church in the work culture. That is why ministries such as this have sprung forth. Thank God for them, and pray for these people.

Another useful resource besides InsideWork, is TheHighCalling. These are good starts, but there is much more work to be done. Oh to connect the dots between the insulated world of church and the world most of us must exist in each day! For additional starters, might I recommend this book - I just finished it, and it is a wonderful place to begin.

A Wonderful Resource

Recently, I began a short and disjointed rant about the disconnect between faith and work. No sooner had I done this, than I stumbled upon InsideWork.

InsideWork is remarkable! This is just what I have been alluding to in my complaining - establishing a connection between the world of work and faith. Can you see me jumping up and down here?!

To my few pastor buddies who look at my little blog, please, please, take a long look at InsideWork, this is the place you need to be spending more time finding out about the world many of your flock exist in - a place they dwell in, know of, and find far more familiar than the church. Interesting articles, great web links, solid content. Keep coming back, the site has been done in the form of Blog, so the content will be changing.

I can personally vouch for the people behind this effort. As fate would have it, the principal mind/visionary of InsideWork is a long-time business associate and friend of the utmost Christian character. Check this out, you will be so glad you did!