She Did What??
I sat helpless in church this morning. I found out something about myself in the process. My wife stood up at the beginning of the worship service and said that we were going into the wilderness today. Not the wilderness of the scripture passage, but the one "out there." She then told a story about going into a gas station yesterday where a man gave a handfull of bills to the cashier to buy lottery tickets. "What is the attraction?" she wondered. Why do people get hooked, she thought. So she bought a ticket. The first time ever. She then talked about sitting around thinking about the $52,000,000 prize. Her mind went deeper into thought and was soon hooked by the thoughts of all the good that could come of her winning.

She pulled the ticket out of her pocket. She said that this was not what she was about and didn't like the feeling.

And she tore the ticket in half and then in half again.

She hadn't even checked to see if it was a winner.

Now I do not buy lottery tickets. I know the odds of winning are so slim that it only goes up slightly when you buy one. But my heart sank as she tore the ticket. What if that really was THE WINNER? I was surprised at my response. Not that I really expected it to be the winning ticket. It was the idea of it. It could have been. Think of all the great things we could do for the world if we won.

Sometimes that is why we go to church- to find our weaknesses and shortcomings (and sins!) then turn to God for forgiveness. I just wish it wouldn't take me by surprise like that. But then, as she ended the challenge:
   ~~I only bet on a sure thing- the Father's love!

[Yes- I did go to the lottery page to see if maybe there was a winner that may go forever unclaimed. No winners yesterday. Breathe easy again.]

Cub Fans Rejoice
The ball is gone.

Catch This Headline
Metrodome turns to second turf installer after low bidder goes bankrupt. Made me think about the old comment made, I believe by an astronaut, that it gave him pause to think that he was blasting into space on top of a rocket built by the lowest bidder. At least the worst that can happen at the Dome may be a sprained ankle- on a multi-million dollar contract!

Do You Know...?

A young person I was talking to the other night made an interesting observation. Do you know, he said, that it is harder to get cigarettes than it is cocaine or marijuana?

Pause and think on that for a moment.

Even if he was overstating the case, it is probably true. We have made such a BIG DEAL about making it illegal for young people to buy tobacco, we have certainly succeeded at keeping it out of their hands- at least a little. But at the same time we have, I am afraid, enhanced the "underground-type" culture that sneaks and hides and adds an element of fun, adventure, and danger to smoking. Yes, it has seriously curtailed youth smoking, but has it made those who do smoke more criminal?

Minnesota wants to have mandatory treatment for expectant mothers who continue to drink alcohol during pregnancy. (Can't find the link at the moment.) It is, of course, an attempt to reduce the number of babies with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. A worthy goal, of course. But all it will take for the process to be started is a "citizen report." The mother will have the opportunity to go through voluntary treatment, but if she refuses, it would appear that she would be mandated into treatment. The concern I have is that it adds another "criminalizing" or at least "semi-criminalizing" issue to the growing lists. There are a couple other states that already have that law, and it seems that most situations remain voluntary.

Instead, perhaps we need to ask more pertinent questions:
~~ Why would a pregnant mother choose to drink when she knows it is harmful?
~~ What is the BIG DEAL about drinking that it is so culturally entwined that the only way to reduce it's harmful use is to criminalize it - or perhaps in this case- the people using it?
~~ How can we have more effective education that actually works at changing a piece of cultural baggage?

The First Step
The following was the meditation today at the Henri Nouwen daily meditation site. (Link on the right.) It was just what I needed to hear today after my friend's death yesterday.

Facing Our Mortality
   We all have dreams about the perfect life: a life without pain, sadness, conflict, or war. The spiritual challenge is to experience glimpses of this perfect life right in the middle of our many struggles. By embracing the reality of our mortal life, we can get in touch with the eternal life that has been sown there. The apostle Paul expresses this powerfully when he writes: "We are subjected to every kind of hardship, but never distressed; we see no way out but we never despair; we are pursued but never cut off; knocked down, but still have some life in us; always we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our ... mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:8-12).
   Only by facing our mortality can we come in touch with the life that transcends death. Our imperfections open for us the vision of the perfect life that God in and through Jesus has promised us.

Thus is the first step of faith. We stand at the brink of mortality (so much nicer to say than "death") and realize that sooner or later we will cross that brink. That is what life is like. Or is it? Is there more? If so, where does it come from and where does it go?

I once heard a speaker say that eventually we come to the final stage of death and dying (or grief)- acceptance. Then she added- and it is at that very moment that you are at the first step of AA. Or more to the point, I would add, you have worked the first step and are ready to make a decision. Am I willing to take the journey of faith toward belief? Am I willing to turn from the brink and discover whether there is a Higher Power who will rescue me from the way of death? Is there a God who will restore me to sanity- to move me into finding new ways to do things if I want different results? Hence is the journey to believe. Hence is the Lenten journey.

As Lent Begins- - -
The Lenten journey has begun. I have always seen it as that- a journey to be made each year. It is a way of walking a walk to Calvary and an empty tomb. It is a way of getting ready, one step at a time, to again stand at the Cross in contemplation of what this all means. Ashes to ashes, we are told. Dust to dust, we are reminded. Life begins and ends. We are all in this together. I have never found Lent depressing or morbid. It is an essential part of my faith and pilgrimage. It reminds me of my mortality and of what is truly important.

This Lent will have a new element to it. As Lent was beginning this morning, a dear and wonderful friend made the journey home to God's heavenly presence. She had been sick for only a few months and in the end it was quicker than they had first thought. Her husband, a brother in this faith journey for 34 years, just called and told me. He talked about the last moments and holding her hand. He talked about his own faith and understanding of Jesus wondrous love. He talked about the loving, even miraculous presence of the hospice workers and the parish priest who came and gave anointing of her- and placed ashes on his forhead.

What is the meaning of life if it ends in death?

It is when we reach that point and are willing to accept the answers as mystery to be embraced and not a puzzle to be solved that we have reached the first step of faith. When we admit that in the face of the wonders of the universe, the stars of the heavens or the joy of a new born baby's cry, we are powerless, then we have begun to move in the circles where God walks. We have begun to trust him and know that as long as God is God- and we are not- all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well. (Julian of Norwich.)

We sang at church tonight. It is one of my favorites. It is appropriate:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul, It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

In Manhattan... Forever
Just finished Pete Hamill's novel, Forever. It is the story of Cormac O'Connor, an Irish immigrant in the 1740s. Through a series of events he arrives in a fledgling Manhattan and, when faced with his own death is given a gift- eternal life. He will not die. The only thing is- he can never leave Manhattan Island. He is there throughout the growth of the city into the world-center metropolis. From the slave riots of the 1740s to the World Trade Center, Cormac travels through history.

Hamill does a wonderful job. I don't know if one who is not a Manhattan lover will get into the book. I love New York and loved this book.

It did cause me to think about what it would like to be alive for nearly 300 years. To be the same age and see all the things that Hamill has Cormac see would be quite a trip. To be a witness to George Washington, Boss Tweed, and Rudy Guiliani and everyone in-between who made New York City what it is.

But there is the down-side. All the people one has to say good-bye to. All the deaths. All the violence that one has to endure. All the people one is afraid to fall in love with since you know you will outlive them. The pain struck me- as well as the need for love. Both will always go together for in this life there are no guarantees.

I realize that this sounds sad and depressing. What's the meaning of life if it ends in death? Pete Hamill, through Cormac O'Connor, gives us an answer. While it is not necessarily one that would fit into our neat Christian or western paradigm, it is still life-affirming and ultimately hopeful. No spoilers here. Just a powerful ride through history and life.

RSS Update
Note: There are two site feed possibilities on the right hand side.
One is the Atom feed from Blogspot.
The XML link should be to a feed through BlogStreet. I think it works.

Trying to Be Up-To-Date
I am working at getting up to date with RSS and Atom site feeds. I think I have it figured out. If there is someone out there who can tell me if it's working- let me know. Thanks.

Sticks, Stones... and Words
Many of us, perhaps most of us, grew up with the old retort to someone calling us names...
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.

Well, that may work in building up bravado in the face of a bully (nyah, nyah) but it is sadly far from true. Sticks and stones may break bones- but names and words can break the soul and the spirit. A child who is told he is stupid from an early age will grow up to believe they are stupid. A child who is told she is worthless because she is female, will grow up to believe she is worthless (or perhaps have worth only in relation to a man.)

I mention this because Tall Skinny Kiwi has got himself into some hot water that has exploded across the blogosphere. Maggi Dawn wants to make clear that she would ignore this as just another unthinking statement (my words) except that Andrew is seen as one of the leaders of the Emergent Church movement. Bene Diction, while giving Andrew the benefit of the doubt, weighs in with some wise words as well.

It is important that we learn to use words wisely. Yes, I know that we all will fail at that. Sometimes we mumble and people can't understand us. Sometimes we put our tongues in our cheeks yet fail to communicate the irony. Sometimes we speak before we engage the sensible sides of our words. But in the long run that is not an excuse for just plain carelessness in our use of language. Words do hurt. Words do define more than we care to admit. If, on an average Sunday morning 50 people say good sermon and 1 says they didn't like it- which one do we focus on? We all will readily asborb the negatives- and even more readily when it is a cultural issue that is ongoing.

As I have said before I continue to be amazed that the issue of women in leadership (and language issues that can surround it) keep coming up in the 21st Century. The cultural issues must be more deeply embedded than we care to admit. Let us learn, then, to use our words wisely and well. Let us remain sensitive to the ways words can harm, hurt, harrass and generally cause great havoc. May we also each examine how the words we use may reflect something within us that needs to be brought to the light of God's direction and will.

Mountaintops and Plains
Today was, of course, Transfiguration Sunday. We went with Jesus, Peter, James, and John up the mountain. His glory was revealed, his divinity uncovered. It was the end of the Epiphany season, the season of the showing of God's presence. My wife in her sermon said some neat things. One had to do with why we hang on to the spiritual highs- they are a way we can control God. If we can recreate the highs, if WE can recreate the highs, then they are controllable. We can get them when we want them.

She also spoke of the need to move back to the plains- and take the call of God with us. That is where we come to the edge of our comfort zones. The mountaintop, even with the mystical and wonderful and awesome, is comfortable. It is taking it back down into the daily life that we can get uncomfortable. How do you explain what just happened up there? How do you talk about something that cannot be described in words? How do you live as a Christian witness in a world that doesn't want to hear about Jesus, yet longs to know God? It is not by building booths on a mountaintop, or cloistered walls that we never leave. Not for most of us, anyway.

It is at these edges of our comfort that God calls us to go. Not alone, for He goes with us. Not to preach, for words are more than tools for debate or confrontation. But through living the Story of God's grace within our stories. Telling the story in actions and attitudes as well as words. And learning to use words well, wisely, and with the grace of Him who is our teacher.

A Disciple's Tongue
Yesterday's Moravian Daily Text Watchword (the one from the Old Testament) was from Isaiah 50:4. The version used that I read was the New American Standard and it read:

The Lord has given me the tongue of disciples,
That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.

I was taken back by the use of the word "disciple" in that translation. Off the top of my head I had not thought of that word as being an Old Testament word. The tongue of a disciple, it seemed to be saying was one that helped sustain the weary. The tongue of a disciple learns from the Teacher how to comfort the afflicted.

So I went looking. In other translations it comes out as an "instructed" tongue (NIV) or the tongue of the "learned" (KJV) or [God's] words of wisdom. (NLT). Digging into the concordance and dictionary I found, to no surprise, that the Hebrew word comes from a word that means: instructed, disciple, taught. Since we know that a disciple is one who is taught by a master teacher that they follow, this makes sense. But to connect the word disciple with the word to the weary was one of those insight moments. It led me to think about the task of disciples.

A disciple learns from a master.
A disciple follows the teaching of a master.
A disciple does what the master wants the disciple to do.
A disciple tells others what the master has taught the disciple.
A disciple brings others to the master.

So, it must follow that one of the tasks of disciples of God is to bring a word- an insight- a presence- that will sustain those who are weary. It is to lift up those who are bowed down. It is to be a voice of calm and hope in a weary world torn apart by fear and chaos and upheaval. It is to let others know that the Master we are the disciples for cares! Those who are weary comes with many varieties of weariness. For those whom Isaiah speaks to, they are in exile yet being told to get ready to go home. They have sat by the waters of Babylon and now are being called back to Zion. New life is ahead.

It is exciting to think that we are being called to do the same in the midst of a world that is just as much in need of that word as it has ever been. A disciple does not just sit at the feet of a master. Disciples take what they learn and live it so others may know. Or at least that's what The Master who I seek to follow has told me.

On Various Translations
My experience with yesterday's Daily Text reminds me of how important it is to know that the Bibles we read are translations. One of the powerful advantages we have in this 21st Century is that we have available to us a myriad number of translations and paraphrases and versions. Some are more scholarly; others more down-to-earth. Some are verbose and chatty; others are quick and to the point. They all offer us a valuable service... They can make us pay attention in new ways to what the text is saying. Every translation has a point-of-view, of course. Every translator, no matter how scholarly has to take interpretation into account to transfer the ideas and concepts of a foreign culture into ours. But if we go into the Word open to hear God speaking to us and leading us, we will be getting off on a good start. Using various translations can sure make us think and find ways to apply that Word in our lives.

Watching a Classic Movie
Sitting here watching the original M*A*S*H movie. Perhaps the interesting thing today is seeing a few young actors. Bud Cort- later of Brewster McCloud and Harold and Maude. Robert Duvall as Frank Burns. Tom Skerritt who I didn't recognize from his stints in Picket Fences and A River Runs Through It. The "last supper"-suicide-resurrection scene is still priceless. However, I found myself reacting differently to it today than when I was in my early 20s when the movie premiered. The symbols and juxtaposition of the sexual and death and bread and wine sure meant something to a young person. As I have gotten older and more conservative I reacted with a certain amount of questioning what all this is about. It is still powerful. I just have to think more about it from a much different world-view.

Spinout
The one thing I hate- H*A*T*E- about winter in Minnesota is a morning like today. Slushy, slippery snow. Heading west, trying to stay in the "groove" of the slush. A little bump, the tires move ever so slightly out of the groove and I started to slide. A two-lane road. No median and ditches on each side. Turn the wheel. Feel powerless. Turn the wheel the other way as the slide shifts. Powerless. A quick glance in the mirror and out the window- no cars coming. Powerless. After a 270 degree three-quarter circle, come to a stop with enough space to back out of the lane. Powerless- and grateful.

Looking For the Best
Andrew Careaga has asked for bloggers to come up with their lists of the top 25 best pop/rock albums of all time. Hey, I'm game. Music has been a big part of my life since high school. His deadline is Saturday at midnight Central Time. Go over to Bloggedy Blog and let him know you are interested. My list is almost done and will be putting it in the Out folder later tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing what others have to say and I will post my list after Andrew's post on or about March 1.

NOT Old Hat
Doug Pagitt blogged today about something Solomon's Porch did this past week. Its juxtaposition with their being mentioned in the NYTimes article on Wednesday. Here's what Doug had to say:

At church we have made contact with the family that was involved in a double homicide this last weekend. The 17 year old son of the family shot and killed the mother’s boyfriend and then killed a passerby. He was arrested. Abby went to their house and asked how we could help. They came by church in Tuesday and we were able to make arrangements to pay for the meals for the funeral. This is one of those times when it is so clear that it is better to be kind, useful neighbors and not hip icons of the emerging church.

After all the words are written about the emerging church movement, after all the hymns of tradition or the driving guitar of alternative worship, in the end it comes down to being faithful with the Good News in whatever time or place we find ourselves. Solomon's Porch is located in a neighborhood that needs the witness of God's people in many ways. There are churches that are doing wonderful ministries. In spite of its image as an emerging church, SP is also a place where they seek to live out their spiritual lives and disciplines. That, in the end is what really counts.

When we focus on Jesus, we cannot help but follow his gaze toward the people for whom he lived, died, and was resurrected.

Is the Emergent Church Now Old Hat?
When the Old Gray Lady (New York Times) discovers you, does that mean you are no longer new and cutting edge? An article on the Emergent Church movement (including Solomon's Porch, Spirit Garage, and Bluer here in the Twin Cities)in the NYT. Link here. Thanks to Jordon for the link.

Christian Carnival
Nick is doing a wonderful job at putting the weekly Christian Carnival together. Link here.

And The Correct Question Is...
On the Teen Tournament on Jeopardy today, one of the "answers" in the category 21st Century Trends had to do with Howard Dean starting one of these in March, 2003. The correct question- of course- was a weblog- blog. The teenagers didn't know the answer. Hmmm.

A One Day Spring
After one solid month of temps below freezing (the longest such stretch in 19 years) we hit 42 F today in the Twin Cities. And there is a Winter Storm Watch for tomorrow night and Friday. No need to wonder where Garrison Keillor gets his material for Lake Woebegone. It's right here.

Discipleship
Justin Baeder posted on discipleship today and is thinking about using the Moravian Daily Texts. You can subscribe to a daily email of the text at www.moravian.org. or go to an international site where you can download them by following the link on the right side of this page. You can get them in English, German, Spanish, for Windows, Mac, or Palm at that site. (By the way, in German, they are called the Losungen or readings, which is what that site will call them.)

Getting Over the Block
As you may be able to tell from this week's posts (so far) I seem to be pulling out of the block I was feeling from the job change. Instead of totally vegging in front of the Solitaire screen this week, I decided it was time to start writing again. This has become an important discipline for me- both the leap-blogging that I do to get ideas and connections, and this writing itself. It forces me to think and reflect. It makes me try to figure out ways for my mind to make sense of what is happening. A lot of it never makes it as far as the screen, but the whole process is challenging and refreshing. It's just about 11 months now and I can't believe it's still happening. Thanks for the prayers that some of you have been sending my way as I have journeyed through these past 6 weeks of transition. I think I can say that I will keep you posted. Well, off to sing in choir.

What a Neat Idea!
Listening to The World (a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston) on NPR this evening, heard a wonderful story from South Africa. The description on their web page says: More than a billion people around the world have no access to safe drinking water. That's changing in South Africa. The World's Amy Costello visited a place where getting water has actually become fun. It seems that they have made those playground merry-go-rounds that kids love to play on into the way they pump clean water into schools from wells. That is a creative and exciting way to go! Link to listen to the story.

More on The Passion: Good Press
Over at Blogs4God Mean Dean has a good summary of a number of bloggers thoughts on Mel Gibson's interview last evening. (Disclaimer: Including this PMPilgrim.) He also has some personal thoughts to lead off the post. Good insights! He concludes with a real challenge:

We should all take notes on Gibson’s unflinching and unapologetic apologia.

Josh Claybourn has another interesting comment:

But Gibson is quite simply portraying the events of the Bible. There is no interpretation and nothing that can divide faiths. It's for this reason that any controversy over the film is actually just a controversy over the Gospel.

I for one am impressed by the way the TV people have had to do some digging into Biblical interpretation just to do some of thse stories, since, as Josh says, it is about the Gospels and the differences in interpretation that cause many of the problems. What a wonderful opportunity within the church to deal with some of these issues that many people never heard of and to open up discussions that will lead to a deeper understanding of the awesome and miraculous text we call The Bible. That is the bonus on top of what can hopefully be an interest in Jesus and who he is and what he does.

I just hope that the church does not show itself wanting as we have so often in the past. I hope we are open and ready for people to come with hard questions that we may not like but then, in our listening and dialogue to present to them the wondrous love that Jesus' Passion truly shows.

Mel Gibson and the Passion
Who was IN CHARGE of the death of Jesus? Who took the lead? Who killed Jesus?
Those are among the questions that have been asked for 2000 years. The answers have caused much pain and misunderstanding.

Mel Gibson's movie has caused all those emotions and questions to be raised again. I watched this evening's interview of Gibson on ABC and was impressed by the way the story was told and the way Gibson carried himself. Here are a couple of the things I got from the show:

  Gibson: To be anti-Semitic is a sin! To be anti-Semitic is to be unChristian.
   A fear from some: The movie has the potential to fuel anti-Semitism.

The ongoing danger of the story of Christ's death is the fueling of anti-Semitism. It is not an overstatement when Jews speak of the fear they experience when they hear of the Crucifixion. They have been challenged as "Christ-killers" for too many centuries by Christians seeking to abuse people who are different. Once Christianity moved out of the Jewish culture of 1st Century Jerusalem that danger became real. It still is. Those who would use this movie for that will tell lies and half-truths to fuel their own hatred. It is up to the rest of us to counter-act that.

  Gibson: I wanted it to be extreme- Jesus endures that and still comes back with love.

Yes, that is the heart of The Gospel. Jesus teachings and ministry only make sense in light of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. That was what the first Christians knew. Mark, the earliest Gospel, rushes through the teachings so as to spend time in great detail on The Passion. Much of what Jesus claims, as C. S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity, precludes saying that he was simply a great teacher. His "Messianic" claims must be taken along with the teachings. Yes, in the midst of such violence as the Passion, he returned love. Yes, that is what it is all about.

In my own Moravian tradition, Count Zinzendorf has been quoted as saying that what he wanted to bring people to the foot of the cross and let them see what God has done for them. This fits with his own personal experience of seeing a painting in a museum. It was of a head of the crucified Christ. The title: This I have done for you- what have you done for me.

I have a hunch that Gibson's movie is in that emotional and moving tradition. I am still uncertain whether I will see the movie. Not because I disagree with it. But rather I have difficulty with the levels of "R" violence that it seems to show. That is a personal issue, not a spiritual one. It would appear that this may be a continuing story of great interest.

Have You Ever Noticed?
Nothing earth shattering, but did you ever notice that when we leave a message on a voice mail/answering machine we usually say "Hi." to the person whose voice is on the message?

Looks -vs- Power
Our worship leader at church yesterday told a wonderful story on herself. She had been buying a watch, tried it on, made sure it looked nice. It did. She bought it. As she walked away she looked to check the time and realized the watch wasn't keeping time. The battery was dead! She commented that this is often how most of us live our spiritual lives. We try to do the right things so people will notice us. We try to look good instead of trying to find the power. We forget to hook into the power.

More on Church Planting
As I mentioned earlier in the week, Darren at the Living Room has been writing about lessons learned in church planting. Here is his # 7 lesson:

7. Sending vs Attractional approach - Central in the idea of incarnation is 'going'. Churches often take a very 'attractional' approach to mission. They say things like - 'if we just tweak what we do or look like more people will come'. If the band plays a different style music, if the car park is bigger, if the foyer is a warmer color, if our preaching is better - people will come.

I'm not sure how biblical this is. Christ said - GO into all the world and make disciples where you find them. Of course the 'attractional' models do 'work' with a certain percentage of the population - but I think in Australia this percentage is shrinking. I'm excited that more and more churches are gathering 'in the world' rather than hoping that the world will come to them.

This, of course, goes along with his second lesson that "Mission is central!" To attract others is to say that we are here and if they want what we have they will have to come to us. In this approach, it is implied that it is only in the church that we can live and preach the Gospel. It ignores the needs of the world that can only be met "out there."

One of the issues for an established church (possibly regardless of type or style) is how to do this while at the same time maintaining a building and an institution. To do "out there" mission requires a personal security about who one is in relation to the world and the work of the Spirit. We often take that identity from our building and location and denominational history. None of which are bad. They are part of the story. But they aren't THE story.

This is different from the "attraction/promotion" issue I talked about last Sunday. As we are sent it is not to promote or call people to us. We are sent to BE bearers of the Light of the world. That is attractive. That is to be what shines through us.

I guess what I am saying is that what Darren is describing is what makes a church a church. Healthy churches will have mission as central (and not a mission to maintain themselves) which they will show through a sending approach- sending people and ministries to where they are needed and not just money. Being "Sent" in mission. Being "Sent" is mission. God "sent" Jesus "into" the world. He didn't sit in heaven and invite us to come to him. As His incarnate Body today, we too are called in order to be "sent."

It's What You Think NOW That Counts
Many thanks to Lileks for a good commentary on NOT counting what someone said 30 years against them- unless they still believe it the same way today. He was commenting on the concerns some have voiced about John Kerry's statements as a Vietnam Veteran Against the War back in those much maligned- and much forgotten- 60s and early 70s. Answering the question whether it matters what Kerry said 30 years ago Lileks said:

It matters only if he still believes these things. I don’t hold anyone accountable for what they said when they were in their 20s, frankly. Otherwise I’d have to dismiss much of what I believe today because - I held contrary positions when I was Young and Idealistic, and thought that those were attributes that lent some sort of moral weight to what I thought. (Hah!)

He then goes on to list some of the ideas he had that have changed since his Young and Idealistic days. He concludes the section by saying:

What matters, then, is intellectual flexibility. When you are presented with new facts that blast apart your old beloved precepts, you either reexamine what you believe, or you hammer the new round pegs into old square holes. We all know people who refuse to revise their past, who’ve fixed their identity in a Golden Age and resist any attempts to revise their judgments. They’re stuck in a world where “Hotel California” is a bitchin’ album and “WKRP” is classic TV and vans with airbrushed scenes of surfer girls are the apotheosis of automotive art and there was this one Saturday Night Life skit where Reagan like totally lost it and went all mental, and . . . those were the days, dude.

I am in complete agreement. There are a number of the neo-cons today who were once radical-liberals. There may be liberals today who were once conservative. There are believers today who once scoffed at religion. Would you discount the later writings of a C. S. Lewis or an Augustine after their conversions because at one time they were NOT believers? Of course not. The same should go for any politician (or preacher for that matter.) Intellectual openness and/or flexibility are the keys we should look for. Another way to describe it would be "teachability." Do they learn from their experiences and the experiences of those around them? Are their views changing because of changing times and circumstances or are they being rigid trying to hold on to what used to be? Or are they just blowing in the winds of public opinion?

Christians, of all people, should be open to that change. We call it conversion or transformation or metanoia- that change in the soul that turns us into God's people. It can happen intellectually as well.

Alas, such is the problem and sadness of political rhetoric and noise. We seek through people's pasts for things they said in the heat of argument, the passion of youth, or the depth of fear. We seek for the reasons to NOT believe them today. After all, if they have changed their mind about that, who is to say they won't change their minds about something else they say today. We look for excuses to denigrate our political opponents instead of getting into intellectual debate and conversations that might, just might, prove more fruitful than name-calling, back-biting, dirty ads, and all that seems to be part and parcel of political campaigns these days.

Instead let us look to issues like integrity and a willingness to accept the broad strokes of the democratic process. Let us look for candidates (and friends and community partners and church leaders) who are willing to listen and debate sensibly and work with people of differing opinions. Let us seek to allow the broad variety of opinion to be expressed in healthy dialogue. Then, as I know I have said before, we will truly be a beacon of light as a nation into a world struggling with hatred and evil.

Go to The Christian Carnival
Nick has done another fine job this week with the Christian Carnival. Even this PMPilgrim made it this week. Lots of good reading, so don't miss it.
Link to the Carnival.

Lessons for Church Planting
Darren at Living Room is posting 10 lessons he has learned in church planting. The first three are up now. They are:
1. DNA
2. Mission needs to be central.
3. Read the book The Shaping of Things to Come.

from The Life of Pi
Here is a wonderful quote from chapter 25 of the even more wonderful and awe- filled book The Life of Pi

There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence were something weak and helpless. These people walk by a widow deformed by leprosy begging for a few paise, walk by children dressed in rags living in the street, and they think, "Business as usual." But if they perceive a slight against God, it is a different story. Their faces go red, their chests heave mightily, they sputter angry words. The degree of their indignation is astonishing. Their resolve is frightening.

These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battleield for good is not the open grond of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart. Meanwhile, the lot of widows and homless children is very hard, and it is to their defense, not God's, that the self-righteous should rush.
-- The Life of Pi by Yann Martel. p. 70 - 71.

Yes, I have often noticed the truth of this observation. We are quick to defend the honor of God but not of our brothers and sisters. We are quick to condemn those who may blaspheme God, but not those who rob God's creation of dignity and hope. We are quick to read the prophets to see how we think we will be saved in the end, but ignore their call to assist the poor and homeless. If we would only spend more time in deepening our own relationship with God and letting God take care of his own reputation. Or perhaps it is our actions that give God the bad name?

Some Random Thoughts
   1. Reading the complete list of winners, there were some worthy and appropriate winners. Most of them were not shown on TV.
   2. Perhaps the seeming dullness of the Grammy show on TV was the shadow of the Super Bowl. No one wanted to say or do anything that would get them or CBS in trouble. So everyone played it safe.
   3. Maybe, just maybe, the Super Bowl will once again be about football. (Okay- I'm a dreamer. It's never been about football. It's been about the business of football.)
   4. The real obscenity of the Jackson/Timberlake malfunction was not the regrettable accident. It was the entire routine they were doing and the act- simulated or otherwise- of tearing the clothes off in a semi-violent action.
   5. I am reminded of the story of Tony Campolo speaking to a crowd at a Christian college:

I have three things I'd like to say today.

First there are X- thousands of people going hungry in this country each day. Secondly, you don't give a shit about them. Thirdly, you are more upset that I said shit than the fact that people are starving. [Various links on the web.]

Millions are dying of AIDS in Africa (and at home.) People are dying in Iraq- from our American soldiers to innocent children. War is always on the radar in the Middle East. In the richest nation on earth children are starving. And we are more upset about a fraction of a second of semi-nudity on a small screen at an entertainment event.

Tell me why this one is worse than the others!

She May Have Been Just 17-
But I Was Only 15

February, 1964. My sophomore year in High School.

The Beatles arrived and appeared on Ed Sullivan.

What else is there to say?

Even a mere youngster like Josh can't resist.

And to think- we thought that was long hair!


And Now The Grammys
So far I haven't been all that impressed with the Grammys. The show isn't over quite yet. But the sound has been less than high quality. (Feedback? On a national TV show? You've got to be kidding!) The performances uninspired. Justin Timberlake and Arturo Sandoval? Robert Randolph and the Family Band were better on Letterman last fall. An extended yawn on funk music.

The winners less than exciting (or excited.) Almost (only almost) makes one wish for Janet Jackson. As usual, most of what we are seeing is not the cutting edge or powerful music that is being produced. Just the acceptable. Oh well.

The Target ads with You Got It became a highlight!

Clocks- Coldplay. Record of the Year. Not bad. Then they dedicate it to Johnny Cash and John Kerry!

So, check the web for the rest. I'm ready to post and close!

By the way, here is a link to the Beatles Grammy Awards. With the exception of Sgt. Pepper, nothing even remotely edgy about most of their wins.
~~1964- New Artists
~~1964- Best Performance, Group - Hard Day's Night
~~1966- Male Performance (McCartney) - Eleanor Rigby
~~1966- Best Performance, Group- Michelle
~~1967- Album of the Year- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
~~1967- Best Contemporary Album- Sgt. Pepper's

Attraction Not Promotion
In worship this morning my wife mentioned the passage from Zecharaiah 8:23-

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you."

Can you imagine ten people from all over walking up to a person of God and saying this? (Ten, of course is a 'minyan' or the minimum number of men needed for worship.) Can you imagine that the power of God would be so visible in us that people would stop us on the street and want us to take them to God? Can you imagine? Neither can I, unfortunately. Instead we try to convince people to believe what we say. We try to use promotion and persuasion to get people to believe. We work hard at debate and ways of presenting the Gospel when what Zecharaiah says is that we will be attractive to others and they will want what we have.

In short, it is not our promotion of ourselves or of Jesus. BE a person of God- be different. People will see, know, and want to follow.

Apology
I'm sorry (and sad) that I didn't get to Doug Pagitt and Solomon Porch's book release party last night. Still looking forward to reading it!

From Within First
I response to my thoughts yesterday, I found HouseChurchBlog. In one of the posts he had this to say:

For something truly "of God" to emerge within His community, it must come out of a deeply transformational happening within the people of His community. All that I went through may have prepared me to leave some patterns that were not working, but entering into the truly new is something else altogether. Something new has to emerge within me before I can be part of an emerging, life-giving community.

Amen.

A Recovering Preacher
In the alcohol and drug recovery community, people talk about “Using Dreams.” These are dreams about using drugs or alcohol that are so real and so powerful that you wake up feeling disappointed in yourself that you have lost your sobriety. Sooner or later every recovering person will have these and they can last for years. There is no rhyme or reason to them. You can’t predict when one will happen. You wake up- and after you realize it was only a dream- you become immensely grateful again for the sober life you are leading.

It has been a month since I began my new job as a school-based alcohol and drug counselor and “chemical health specialist” leaving the parish ministry after 30 years. I didn’t see it as recovery- until this morning. I woke up from a dream in which I was the featured preacher at a church worship service. Oh, was I good. It was one of my zinger sermons that wows the congregation and makes them want to go out and follow Jesus anywhere. People were congratulating me on what a great job I had done.

When I woke up I realized immediately that it was a “using” dream. My first comment to myself- “So, I am a recovering preacher!” That seems like an odd thing to be, I realize. Being a preacher was not a bad thing for me. It was not unhealthy for me or others- at least not since I got into alcohol recovery over 15 years ago and probably not before. I was good as a pastor and preacher and had success. Yet the First Step into recovery is to admit that you are “powerless” and that your life has become “unmanageable” because of your addiction or behavior. It is then important to recognize that there is insanity- doing the same things over and over expecting different results. You then come to realize that there is a Higher Power (God) who will restore you to sanity so you let Him.

Only this morning as I ponder the dream and the immediate thoughts that came with it, do I realize that I am now a “recovering preacher.” Let’s look at it briefly-
   ~~ Powerless- the preaching does not do anything in spite of what we like to think.
   ~~ Unmanageable- speaks for itself. Your life becomes “controlled by the outside forces and desires to change people through your brilliant preaching.
   ~~ Insanity- yet we keep doing it over and over, year after year, expecting different results this time.
   ~~ Let God do it.

Those are the initial thoughts this morning. More will come as I continue down the road that still lies ahead of me. I will do some more blogging on this in the next week or so. Until then, I will do my job, take my times for prayer and meditation, and listen for the will of God to guide me.

Book Release Party
Watch this blog for a post and pictures from the book release party at Solomon’s Porch tonight for the book by Doug Pagitt and the SP community- Reimagining Spiritual Growth. Film whenever.

The Heart of Spirituality
Sitting in a discussion this evening, the Prayer of St. Francis came up in relation to being spiritual. The prayer was held up as the heart of spirituality since it is the listing of doing God's will in our lives. That insight was an "A-Ha!" moment. If one is to be spiritual, this is what it means in life. Being spiritual is not how well we pray or how "spiritual" we appear. It is in how we live the spiritual life. It is not possible for an institution to live this way. Institutions need religion. This is for how people live what God wants- and THAT is what being spiritual is all about.

"O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is discord, harmony.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sorrow, joy.

Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life."

A Snowed-In Brain
I must admit that I am surprised by my lack of blogging in the past few weeks. I find myself sitting at the computer in the evening staring at the screen and then clicking on Free Cell. I have never been a computer game player. Yet here I am playing solitaire while listening to music from over the Internet.

So what does all that mean? I wish I knew. I am having fun at my new job. I am enjoying not being "on-call" all the time (although that was never a big issue.) It is interesting leaving work at work. I am still struggling through some grief, of course. I get very sad when I think of not being at a denominational meeting that I have been part of for 6 years. Or even our every four year Synod meeting. Sad- not for missing the work that goes on there- but for the people. Yes, even the community of friends who I have been around for many years.

I think I am still absorbing the changes and at the same time figuring out my role and place in the new environment. I am watching and observing- myself and others as I think about my own life from a new angle. I don't think I have any significant insights on any of that yet. Not because I haven't been thinking, but partly because I have been enjoying myself and just doing what I am supposed to be doing. It has been over four weeks now. Four weeks of a lot more daily structure than I am used to, but still structure that one must be a self-starter to survive in. I am not "the leader," or the "CEO" or even a "lead worker." All things I have been for 30 years. I am just a worker.

So that is where I am tonight. I know there will be more coming in the weeks ahead. Perhaps one of these days it will come bursting forth. I know I am interested in what it will mean.

After the Cold---Snow
Well, we went above 0 F on Saturday afternoon after over 80 hours below 0. Then it started to know over noght and it's to continue on and off through Monday evening. Final totals may be 12-15 inches. But I have been in town through the cold. Think of poor Doug Pagitt who just got back from Hawaii. (Sorry, Doug. I don't feel sorry. Welcome back.)
   By the way, you can preorder his book Reimagining Spiritual Formation from Amazon.com. Next Friday is a release party at Solomon's Porch. Perhaps I will get some pictures and can blog it. Here are some excerpts.