Continued Discomfort

In the last few years, I have become increasingly uncomfortable with the overly close relationship of the church and the Republican Party. We are now told to swallow former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Perhaps, Huckabee is the best candidate, but at this point I am unconvinced of that. He raised taxes in Arkansas. He sought to affect the release of a prisoners convicted of murder, one of which proceeded to commit murder. (Dukakis was blasted in 1988 for allowing Willie Horton out on weekend passes, but we look the other way now?)

I am undecided at this point. Huckabee is not qualified simply because he is a Christian or former minister. Other things will qualify, or disqualify, him. I now a great many Christians, but I would not want their fingers near the "button."

On top of that, I think Huckabee is playing to that mentality. Everything in politics is contrived and passed through the "How will this play in Peoria?" thinking. The commercial with the cross. That is so obvious. Huckabee, like any good politician, is playing to his base.

Do not vote for him simply because he used to be a minister or he is a "Christian leader." If you plan to vote for him, do so because you agree with his stance on the issues.

This Is Wild

Apparently, at Duke University researchers have discovered that monkeys can "perform mental addition." The scary part is "that they performed about as well as college students given the same test." Yikes! Although, from my experience teaching developmental math, I am not all that surprised. When you ask a student was 8 plus 4 is, and they reach for their calculator, it is scary.

Does this tell us something about the intelligence of monkeys, or the inadequacy of math education in our public schools?

For Those Who Dreamed of Greatness (In Wiffle Ball)

It's a (Pre) Christmas Miracle

The Dolphins won their first game since last year.

In a Christmas miracle reminiscent of Jimmy Steward (George Bailey) finding out what life would have been like if he had never been born, in It's a Wonderful Life, or, Kris Kringle receiving tons of mail addressed to Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street, this is a miracle of Hollywood proportions. Baltimore Ravens kicker Matt Stover, who had been a perfect five for five in overtime kicks, missed wide left in sudden death overtime. The Dolphins then marched down the field and score a touchdown, bringing to an end the speculation about the only football franchise to have a perfect season (1972) going perfect in other direction.

Christmas miracles continue.

Steroids and Baseball

The Reformed Poser has some good thoughts on the steroids and baseball scandal. Baseball is certainly in the position of closing the barn door after the horse is long gone.

In thinking back, I think I have found at least three players who will not end up on any steroid list. I mean look at their physique, or lack thereof.

The first is former Padre and Philly, John "How Do You Like My Mullet" Kruk.















The second is former Twins first baseman Kent "I Swear I Didn't Pull Ron Gant Off the Base" Hrbek.














And the other, former Orioles back up first baseman, Jim "I'll Take a Dog and Beer" Traber.













It's nice to know that some players were only shooting up brewskies and hot dogs.

This is Funny

From http://www.unitedmedia.com/comics/franknernest/

The End is Here!

The end of the semester, that is. I wrapped up finals today, turned in grades and attendance reports. I am looking forward to a nice break.

This was a long semester. I had a couple really good classes, and a couple that I would rather forget.

The Cross as a Christmas Symbol

Several years ago, I was driving around admiring Christmas lights in our town. One house had a cross on the roof. I thought, What a strange thing.

Later, I got to thinking about it. The cross is really a symbol of Christmas. If it was not for the cross, the manger would be meaningless.

Secular commercialism has made Christmas the biggest day of the Christian calendar. We get a couple weeks off of school. We spent way too much money on gifts. Christmas has become the center of the Christian year.

The truth is that Passion Week/Easter is (or should be) the center the Christian year. The cross, not the manger, is the main symbol of Christianity. If Jesus does not die and raise again, we are doing a bunch of meaningless stuff. The virgin birth means nothing without the empty tomb.

We need to celebrate Christmas with one eye on the cross.

It Must Be Awful to be in the KC Royals Organization

The same day that the Kansas City Royals signed Jose Guillen to a three-year contract, he was suspended 15 days for violation of the MLB drug rules.

That once proud organization is a total disaster, and an embarrassment to baseball. How utterly pitiful!

The chief problem with the Kansas City organization is not that they are a small-market team. Plenty of small market teams make respectable showings from time to time. The Minnesota Twins have been in the playoffs over the last several years. The Milwaukee Brewers did very well this year. Cincinnati has made strides, but have not reached the mountaintop. The fact is that the Royals stink because the ownership is not will to part with any money. They really do not want to win. All they want to do is whine about the Red Sox and Yankees.

It serves them right to get their new acquisition suspended.

Teaching Our Children To Serve

Service is something that is vital to teach children. Every year at Christmas, we take the kids to the store to buy something for underprivileged children. We have done the Salvation Army angels several years. This year, we went with Toys for Tots. The kids got to pick out something they wanted, but they had to give it up to others.

Service is a lifestyle. It should also be year-round.

This Is Why a Playoff Is Needed

Let the arguing, griping, complaining and whining begin, unless you are a fan of either Ohio State or LSU. Just about every team that is playing in a BCS game has a legitimate complaint about being snubbed from the championship game. The all-wonderful BCS was supposed to stop this kind of thing from happening.

Get a clue! Settle it on the field. Have a playoff.

How Awful Is This!

The storied franchise of the Miami Dolphins are setting a new high (or low) in utter futility. In a streak that would make the New York Mets of the early 1960s blush, the Dolphins have rattled off a breathtaking streak of twelve straight losses. Today, they laid an egg against the nearly as futile New York Jets. In a year that is seeing the great 1972 Dolphins unbeaten record challenged by the New England Patriots, the current edition of the Dolphins is chasing the record for futility. How embarrassing? The Redskins called Joe Gibbs out of retirement. Perhaps the Dolphins should call Don Shula, but then he probably would not want to be associated with such a pitiful thing.

By the way, I think the NFL is going investigate. The Dolphins are claiming to be pro football team. That is suspect. Perhaps the NFL will force the Dolphins to play in some other league, but then no other league would have them.

The Changes of Life

Here is the final scene from a TV classic: "The Wonder Years":

I have been thinking recently about how life does not always turn out the way we envision it. When we are kids, we dream of scoring touchdowns, hitting home runs, catching the bad guys, or whatever fantasy we have. As we age, those dreams change, often becoming more realistic. However, life rarely turns out the way we thought. The key is to just enjoy where we are at a given moment in time.

The True Meaning of Christmas

Here is the classic. Linus tells us the meaning of Christmas. This is timeless

Celebrating the Birth of Our Savior

I used to think Linus, on the Charlie Brown Christmas Special, went a little overboard when he decried the commercialism that surrounds Christmas. I now think our philosophical, blanket carrying friend was right.

This year, we are confronted with buying the perfect gift for everyone in the family. To top that, my in-laws are taking the family on a cruise for Christmas, which means we will floating around the Caribbean on Christmas Day, so the gifts need to be small. We have to tote them on and off the boat.

The thing that gets me is that we have to spend money to buy the exact gift someone else wants. There is no thought or surprise in gift giving anymore. We have to make sure we buy the right color, size, edition, style, or whatever. It's not enough to say, "I want a shirt for Christmas." We have to say, "I want the blue polo shirt with a white pinstripe, size XL." Ugh.

If we just not buy anyone else exactly what they want, we could buy what we want. I understand the notion of gift-giving at Christmas, but it is out of control. Do we really have to buy anything. If we do not get what the other person wants, they are disappointed. If they do not buy the exact thing we want, we are disappointed. If we leave it to chance, we get a bunch junk we really do not want. (Three years in a row, I received a hooded sweatshirt from the same person. It was a nice gift, but I really only needed one.)

I just want to focus on the birth of the Savior this year without the insanity of the hunt for the perfect gift.

Decision Made

Well, my first foray into graduate will be in the subject of "Twentieth-Century European History." Come January 9, 2008, I will be a graduate student. There are only five books required for the class, with a cost of about $140 for them.

Thanksgiving, A Truly American Day

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who waste a little of your precious time reading my rantings and ravings.

Thanksgiving is a truly unique day. Most of us forget to buy something for our feast, so someone has to trek to the store to buy it. Usually that winds up being a man. I was in that position a couple years ago. Never in my life have I seen so many confused looking men wandering about aimlessly in a store. Take a man to Home Depot or Best Buy, and he can find anything, but not a grocery store. I witnessed (and participated) lost looking men with little sticky notes with forgotten items looking here and there for their treasure. I also witnessed something else unique. Men were actually asking store employees for help.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Confrontational Christianity

When the word "confrontational" comes up in reference to Christianity, we often think of street preachers who confront passersby with such questions, "If you died tonight would you go to heaven or hell?" Confrontation has, in many circles, come to mean a form of evangelism. Once someone is a Christian, the confrontation stops.

I believe this is backwards. We need to be non-confrontational and non-judgmental with those who are not followers of Christ. Once someone becomes a follower, then we confront them, with love and grace.

This past weekend, my wife and I were out of town for a getaway. We attended a church, where the pastor stepped on numerous toes during the message. He was stepping on the of the church members. He blasted them for gossiping. He did it in a loving and corrective way.

Too many churches seek to coddle the Christian and confront the pre-Christian. When you look at Jesus' ministry he was very confrontational with the religious elite, but with the woman caught in adultery and woman at the well he was not.

Let's confront the problems within the Church, and quit slapping each other on the back with an "I'm-okay-you're-okay." We are not okay. Each of us is a broken person who need Christ daily.

Tough Decisions

As I prepare to head back to school, come January, I am in the process of deciding which class I should take. I am seeking my master's in American history. Our financial situation pretty much dictates one class at this time, which is fine with me. I want to get my bearings without being overwhelmed by the demands of grad school.

I am just not sure what class to take. There are five American history classes offered in the Spring semester. However, only one fits with my work schedule. The deal is, the professor teaching the class has absolutely horrible reviews on ratemyprofessors.com. And by horrible, I mean horrible. I realize that all profs will have some negatives (you can't please everyone), but this guy's negatives run about 10 to 1. The words boring, unclear, and rambling occur over and over.

The other option I have is that I can take one of the two classes outside my concentration (i.e. something that is not American history). Again, I only need two classes. I am not sure that I want to burn one of those right out of the gate. At the same time, the Twentieth-Century European History is one of the electives that I had seriously considered.

I want to get off to a good start.

More Revision

Here is an article from National Review Online. Apparently there is a move to revise the life and meaning of Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States and savior of the Union. This comes as his the anniversary of his 200th birthday approaches in February 2009. The Gettysburg Address will, apparently, get a good editing. "Four score..." Who knows what that means anymore. "That this nation, under God..." What about the atheists, etc.

All this crap is nothing more than the further distortion of America's past. Sure, our forefathers were far from perfect, but the also were not evil incarnate.

Before the Gettysburg Address gets butchered:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Anyone who has ever been to the Gettysburg Battlefield, or read these word on the wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, this is one of the giant speeches from American history.

Would This Be Allowed Today?

I have been reading H. W. Brands biography of Theodore Roosevelt, T. R.: The Last Romantic. Teddy Roosevelt suffered from asthma as a young lad. This is a malady that afflicts both my wife and son. On page 23 of the book, Brand gives words from young Teddy's diary, recorded while the family was vacationing in Europe, "I was sick of the Asthma last night. I sat up for 4 successive hours and Papa made me smoke a cigar." Earlier in the book, Brands notes that smoking was a sort of folk remedy for asthma in the late 1800s.

When my wife was younger, and early in the struggle with her asthma, and a doctor told her that if she ever smoked she would be dead. Smoking is a common trigger for asthma.

It is just a demonstration of how attitudes change. What if you did that now? Social Services would be all over the case.

I can relate to this...

Last night, I noticed that our phone was not working, and consequently neither was our Internet. So, after checking the connection at the box on the outside of the house, I call the phone company on my cell phone. The first thing they ask you to do is to punch in your number. So, presumably the computer has now stored that information. Then they asked you a series of ever-increasing-in-frustration questions about the problem. Good, the computer has stored all that useful information. When I actually get to talk to a real live person, the first question they ask me is, "Can I get your phone number?" Wait a minute, did the computer fail to give you that tidbit? Then the next questions: "What is the problem?" Why did I bother punching and punching in number after number?

Do companies give us this never ending list of "press 1 or 2," just to keep us busy?

"The Worst Call Ever!"

The Worst Call Ever! The Most Infamous Calls Ever Blown by Referees, Umpires, and Other Blind Officials is a book by Kyle Garlett and Patrick O'Neal. If you have ever questioned an umpire or a referee's vision, intelligence, or integrity, this is a must read. You will find a pantheon of blown and missed calls from all corners of the sports world. Many of these calls had direct impact on national and world titles. It is a great read.

The one exception I take to this book is that Kent Hrbek did not pull Ron Gant off the base in the 1991 World Series, and therefore was no a blown call. For your view pleasure following is a video evidence to support that.

Salvation

Ever since the Philippian jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" people have wondered what salvation is and how it works.

Salvation has always been a somewhat mysterious thing for me. My dad has a picture of the church where he was saved. He can point to a day and time when it happened. I am not so sure about my own story. I told the Ministerial Board (when I was going through ordination) that I was saved in Vacation Bible School. That is not incorrect, as it is one of the many times I repeated the "Sinner's Prayer," after have the fear of Hell put in me.

I have a basic understanding of what most mainstream theological traditions believe about salvation, but it is oversimplified. The thing is that oversimplification are often quite accurate.

As I said, I repeated the "Sinner's Prayer," periodically through my childhood and teenage years. I want to take a look at it all through various lenses of interpretation.

First, my Calvinist friends would say that I was only saved once, because once you have been saved that is it. You are done. So, I could have been saved the first time I said the prayer. All the others were meaningless because I was already saved. The thing is, though, it may not have been sincere the first time. It does not really count until it is sincere. Even though, I was sincere every time I prayed it. Why else would I bother?

Second, my Catholic friends (and even a large segment of Protestants) would say that I was not saved until I was baptized, which occurred in the Spring of my freshman year in high school. I, again, cannot remember the date. (I imagine that I have a certificate, or something, lying around the house.) All the prayers and everything really did not mean anything until I was put in the water. And, I was immersed for those who discount sprinkling and pouring.

Third, my fellow Arminian-Wesleyans would insist that if I was saved, I must have back-slidden, again repeatedly. We can be saved, then back-slide, then get saved, then back-slide, then get saved... You get the picture. I always hoped that if I died, I died while I was saved, not back-slidden. We push the boulder up the hill, only to have it roll down.

To be sure, I am not questioning whether or not I am saved. My point is this: what do we really know about salvation anyway? Do we really know anything about the mechanics of it? Does everyone have to be saved the same way? I mean, if a boat sinks, some people are rescued by helicopter. Some are rescued by swimming to shore (assuming land is nearby). Some are saved by other ships. Some are saved by life rafts. Some are never saved. Does any theological tradition have a monopoly on the understanding of salvation, to the exclusion of everyone else?

Learning Something About Us

For the last fifteen months or so, my wife has been sick. No one knows why. She started losing weight rapidly. When that happens, the first thought is the "Big-C" (cancer). She was scanned, poked, and examined every which way, and the doctors found nothing. It has been an ordeal.

Thank God, she is feeling much better the last month or so. Her weight has stabilized and headed upwards.

Over that time, it has been a rough ride. There have been a lot of questions. I will not delve into all that here, but I have learned a lot over this time. I think my wife has too.

We have learned a great deal about ourselves and each other. We have been married for over fourteen years now. I was amazed that I still much to learn about her, and what makes her tick. She has learned about me. Not long ago, she remarked, "I can't believe it has taken me 14 years to figure this out." I completely concur.

Struggle often does that to us. It forces us to look inward, and upward. We are forced to look at who we are. In doing that we learn about who we are. We learn about others. We are also forced to look upward. Sometimes, there is only God to rely on. We are are weak and broken. Those around are weak and broken. Only God's strength can sustain us, and bring us through difficulty.

Boo-Hoo

Are we supposed to feel sorry for the Hollywood writers? They are on strike demanding more money. They are picketing and shutting down production on television and movies.

Is this what unions are all about? Every couple years you have baseball players (and other pro athletes) whining for more money.

This is not the early 1900s when the unions were fighting for livable wages and safe working conditions.

Are these writers living in shacks? Are they living paycheck to paycheck? Are they nearly destitute? Are their children going without shoes?

Perhaps, it is not a bad thing for the halt of the garbage that they churn out on film and over the airwaves. Just stop the incessant whining.

Suffering

In inputting some of my library on LibraryThing.com, I noticed the subtitle to one of my books: "What Christians today would survive persecution?" It is a book about the centuries of persecution in Russia and the former Soviet Union.

The reality is that thousands of Christians around the world today are facing persecution. They are imprisoned, tortured, separated from family, beaten, losing money and jobs, and being killed. Visit the Voice of the Martyrs website to read a few of their stories.

Persecution does not exist in America, thank God. Despite what some whiny leaders talk about manger scenes being banned from public spaces, there is no systematic persecution in America. Some of us may have people make fun of us for being Christian. Americans freely go to church. Americans freely shop in Christian bookstores. Americans freely tote Bibles around. Americans freely affix corny Christian bumper stickers to their cars. Americans freely where Christian t-shirts. Americans are not imprisoned for their faith. Churches are not burned to the ground, at any greater rate than any other building. Bibles are not burned.

I wonder though, what would happen to the American church if persecution did break out? Just because it is not a present reality, it could be a future reality. Would so many nominal Christians recant their faith? Or, would they stand up for their faith? It is easy to be a Christian when there is no real opposition. It is quite another thing when faced with difficulty: beating, loss of a job, loss of family, loss of security, or death.

Americans are rather soft. We do not like any inconvenience. We cannot stand a little pain. We hate to wait in line. We hate to have to go out of our way for anything.

What would happen if persecution did break out in our land?

Is this what the gospel is about?

Here is a snippet from an article in the local rag:

Officers were keeping an eye on a group of about five street preachers who were drawing a hostile reaction from some of the crowd.

When one speaker started railing against rap music, drugs and sex, some in the crowd starting throwing cigarette butts and pens at him.

"This is so wrong ... he's a false prophet and needs to get out of the street," said Tristin Pickens, an Elizabeth City State University student who traveled nearly three hours with friends to enjoy the festivities. "He can't say we are going to hell then cuss and call us whores and tell us we are going to die."

A downtown business owner who declined to give his name was upset that police didn't remove the group.

"Right now they are exercising their freedom of speech," Phipps said. "We're not going to let anything escalate ... that's what our guys are here for."

Halloween is a big deal here locally. Downtown is flooded annually by numerous party goers. Apparently some preachers thought it their duty to rail against the revelers.

As ministers of the gospel are we supposed to be so obnoxious that people will not even listen to us? I understand that Jesus said (in John 15:18), "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." Our message is often one of discomfort, as the Holy Spirit deals with whatever sin exists in someone's life. Is it our job to be the Holy Spirit?

I think one of problems, as a church, is that we try to usurp the role of the Holy Spirit. We are eager to condemn sins in the lives of others (smoking, drinking, dancing, whatever). We often ignore our favorite sins (gluttony, gossip, and whatever). In addition to what Jesus said above, he also said (in Matthew 7:3-5), "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

It's God's job to point out sin in people's lives, not ours.

LibraryThing.com

I ran across this cool website today. It is LibraryThing.com. Think MySpace for book worms. It allows the user to list books that are in one's library. You can list 200 for free, but have to pay to list more. You can interact with others who have similar reading interests. They have a powerful search engine when listing books. Check it out.

Worth a Second Look

I posted this last January. It's worth a second look. Please, take the time to watch this video from Voice of the Martyrs.

Acceptance

None of us wants to be rejected. We want others to accept us. Yesterday, I was accepted into graduate school to pursue my master's degree in history. Next spring, I will begin a journey toward that goal.

I love Dilbert

Thanks, Dilbert. There is so much truth in Scott Adams' comic strip. For some reason, this one struck me this morning. My wife took a new job last May, and she is dealing with "people who have time."

The Rox and Sox

The first two games of the World Series are in the books. The Red Sox seem to be rolling. Could this be another short series? Since the early 1990s, there have only been three World Series that went the full seven games ('97, '01, and '02). 2004 and 2005 saw sweeps, while last year there were only five games.

I am still able to stay awake for only about the first half of the game. My kids are able to catch about 1 or 2 innings. Is that what you want, Dud Selig? Do you want kids to miss the World Series? The World Series contain some great memories from childhood for me.

Knowing Our Century: Part 2

Anymore, it really isn't enough to know our century. It's more like: "Do we know our decade?" I graduated from high school a mere decade and half ago. What worked in youth ministry in my day is met with looks of "Oh, please!" now.

A fellow blogger left this comment on the previous post: "One of my rules for living is 'When form supersedes function, we have lost our purpose.'"

A couple years ago, I went to the Servant Evangelism Conference in Cincinnati hosted by Steve Sjogren. In the early 80s, Sjogren was a missionary to Norway. We was struck one day when the Salvation Army band came marching down the street playing a tune. No one even bothered to look up as they did their duty to God.

In the late 1800s, the Salvation Army found it useful to send a band down the street. People would be curious and follow the band. When people gathered they would share the Gospel with them. That was a fantastic idea, in the late 1800s. No one paid attention any more. The form had outlived its usefulness.

I have been saying for years that there will never be another Billy Graham. Not because Graham was so special, but because his form of evangelism will no longer work.

Do we know our century? Do we know our decade?

Knowing Our Century

I am reading a somewhat interesting on the Reformation of the sixteenth century, entitled Reformation and Society in Sixteenth-Century Europe by A. G. Dickens. Chapter four concludes as follows:

"When Martin Bucer of Strassburg somewhat piggishly urged the Wittenburg theologians to get out into the world and preach [Martin] Luther replied in the pregnant words: 'We do that with our books.' He knew his century."

The printing press was a relatively new invention at the time. Literacy was on the rise even among merchant and laboring classes. People were eager to read. Luther sought to fill the demand by getting his message out. "He knew his century." He operated outside the normal way of getting one's message out.

The question we need to ask ourselves is: "Do we know our century?" Are we communicating the message in a way that our century understands? Are we communicating our message in a way that our generation is eager to receive it?

One of the problems that we often face in ministry is the battle between methods. Do we do what we have always done because it once worked? Or do we try something new to reach a new generation?

Our message must never change, but we often have to alter the way in which it is communicated.

Do we know our century?

Somebody Stop Selig, Please!

In a continuing effort to destroy baseball, Bud Selig has left open to the general managers the question of instant replay.

I would like to put in my two cents: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Instant replay would destroy the flow of the game.

What on earth is Bud trying to do?

Another Bust

To the prophets of doom, death and destruction this hurricane season has been another bust. The last couple years, we have been treated to continued predictions of devastating hurricane after devastating hurricane. Not so this year. There have been thirteen named storms this year, with a whopping four hurricanes. Sure Mexico got hammered by two of them, but it was nowhere near the predictions of destruction.

The global warming crowd has been saying for years that we will have more and more hurricanes. It seems to me (but, I'm not an expert) that we are heading into a cycle where the number and intensity of tropical storm systems decreases.

Signs of the Times

No, not the End Times!

I mean, have you ever had a realization that your life is changing? That you're getting "older"?

I have noticed two things over the last couple weeks.

First, my daughter no longer sits with us or my parents at church. She sits with her friends. That is fine; it is one of those rites of passage.

Second, I am a zombie at 10:00 PM. I cannot stay awake past 10 or 10:30. I used to be able to stay up and catch the beginning of Leno or Letterman. No more!

What's next? Do I move to Florida and wear Bermuda shorts with black socks and sandals, then hit the "Sizzler" at 4:00 for the early bird special?

My hair is still falling out, too.

Admit One

Yesterday, I was at the car dealership getting my oil changed. I was sitting in the waiting room reading a book. One lady stood up and walked around the small room handing out the tract seen in the picture. She said nothing as she thrust each tract at all four of us sitting there. I politely said, "Thank you," and went back to reading.

When I got home, I looked at it. I was intrigued by the "Admit One" ticket on the front. Is that what our view of salvation is about? Are we only interested in getting people a free ride to heaven? Is that all there is to the Christian life? We get our "Admit One" ticket that we can hand to St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. Then we go around handing out tracts without saying a word. Is that what it's all about?

What about Jesus inviting on an adventure? What about bringing the Kingdom of God to people on earth, here and now? What about relationships? What about relationships with others, including icky sinners? What about a relationship with the King of the Universe? It is all a present reality, not just a future hope.

ALCS Game 1

I was able actually watch a post-season baseball game last night, thanks to the good folks at Fox Sports. Boston put the smack-down on Cleveland. Boston looked determined. Manny and Big Papi reached base 10 of 10 plate appearances.

Yankees Out!

Like I mentioned before, I have not watched the MLB playoffs due to the fact that they are on cable (wise move, Selig). I am glad to see that the pinstripes of the Yankees will be hanging in the closet until spring training.

So it's Boston vs. Cleveland and Arizona vs. Colorado. I don't have a dog in this fight. (I'm not sure if Michael Vick does.)

The NLCS is on cable (wise move, Selig), so I won't be watching that. I probably will only be able to watch the first 4 or 5 innings of the ALCS because they start so late (wise move, Selig).

Take that Dr. Gunter

In April, I went on a three-day rant about the fear that exists in the Church of the Nazarene about the Emerging Church. Here are the links:

Ugh! (4/17/07)
People of the Night (4/18/07)
Revising and Extending My Comments (4/19/07)

Today, I received in the mail my copy of Preacher's Magazine. The article on page 34 roused by interest. In was written by Dr. Henry H. Knight, III of St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. His article is entitled "John Wesley and the Emerging Church." I do not believe Dr. Knight is Nazarene, but the article is published in an official publication of the Church of the Nazarene. I would like to quote a few lines from the second paragraph. Perhaps Dr. Nina Gunter will read this so as to alleviate her inordinate fear of all things emerging.

"I believe Wesleyans should welcome the emerging church... Wesleyans should support this new movement because the purposes and values emerging churches seek to embody--their vision of discipleship, church, and mission--is highly congruent with those of the Wesleyan tradition."

Wow. I never thought I would read anything so "heretical" in an official publication of a church stuck in 1953.

This is Stupidity

I think there are times that city councils actually sit around and think, "What sort of stupid thing can we come up with next?"

Our city fathers (or, the city closest to our domicile) have decided in their infinite stupidity to enact a new ordinance. The new ordinance states something like that if you have graffiti on your property and fail to remove it remove after 10 days you will be fined. That's just great. Let's punish the victim of the crime rather than the thugs who perpetrated the crime.

What's next? If my car is stolen, will I have to pay the speeding ticket that the thief gets?

It's Your Turn, Barry

Marion Jones has admitted to using performance enhancing drugs. She was involved with the BALCO labs where Barry Bonds (among other major leaguers) was a client.

Go ahead, Barry. Get it off your chest. You will feel better. Don't worry, nothing will happen to you. Marion Jones is going to lose her medals, but the spineless Bud Selig will do nothing to you. He will probably give you a medal.

Confession is a good thing.

C'mon, Barry.

Flag Football

My son is playing flag football this year for the first time. Last night he had a game. Wow. It's funny to watch a bunch of seven year olds play football. It is like watching a bunch of uncaged hamsters running around on the field. Football is a rather complicated game to play, which makes it all the more hilarious to watch the game. Afterwards, I asked him if they won. His reply was, "I don't know." He did have fun.

The MLB Post-Season

Like most bloggers, I have a bit of wanna-be in me. I'm a wanna be journalist. I will be posting my thoughts about the Major League Baseball post season periodically over the month of October.

Tonight you have a one game play off between Colorado and San Diego. And, thanks to the utter stupidity of Bud Selig and the other money-grubbing clowns at MLB headquarters, I can't watch the game unless I open my wallet. I have to either get cable, the dish or shell out $15 to MLB in order to watch the game.

Hey Bud! Have you ever wondered why the NFL has long surpassed baseball as America's favorite sport? It's because they show their games on broadcast television.

Get a clue, or go the way of the NHL. (Is there even an NHL anymore?)

Serving the Needy

Today, was our church's Sunday to serve a meal at the homeless. It always amazes me when someone from the church goes the first time. We try to take some kids or teens every time we go. Today, I asked the grandmother of one young girl if it would be alright if her granddaughter went with us. She said that it would be great because the granddaughter needed to see that part of life.

She went in wide-eyed. She jumped in mixing drinks (kool-aid) and serving the people.

I was walking through the sleeping room that had 70-80 beds crammed in it. My mom remarked how thankful she was to have what she had.

It never ceases to amaze me the power that serving Christ has on those who serve him.

Legislating Morality

Legislating morality does not work.

Exhibit A: Prohibition.

The holiness movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries focused heavily on the temperance movement. They campaigned for prohibition. Then they won in 1919. The eighteenth amendment to the US Constitution was passed. The sale and traffic of intoxicating beverages was prohibited. The country would be free of alcohol forever.

What happened in the 1920s. As much alcohol as ever was consumed in that decade.

The issue of abortion is much the same. If abortion were banned tomorrow (through constitutional amendment or action of the Supreme Court), abortions would still happen. But, we would feel that something has been accomplished.

Moral issues are not a political or legal matter. Morality is a matter of the heart. As Christians, our job is not to change the law, but to work with the Holy Spirit to change hearts.

Civil Rights have not come so far because of legislation, but because of changing hearts.

We cannot substitute our political victory for spiritual victory. As Cal Thomas once wrote, "Our redemption will not come on Air Force One."

Social Issues and Politics

This is something that I have thought about for a long time. When I entered college in the early 1990s, I was a die hard conservative. I was all about the social issues. We had to ban abortion, stop gays from gaining more rights, fry those who committed capital murder, an so on. I would still consider myself very conservative, but I have been rethinking why and how social issues and politics relate.

Let's look at abortion. I think abortion is the most abhorrent thing in our society. Killing unborn babies who have done nothing to anyone is repugnant.

Next year, the US is having its quadrennial presidential election that has been in full-swing since the last one. Abortion is likely to be an issue, as it has been for many election cycles now. My question is: Has anything really changed by electing pro-life or pro-choice candidates?

Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush all proclaimed a pro-life belief. Did anything change under any of the three during the 20 years they spent in office? Bill Clinton was a professed pro-choice president. Did anything change in his eight years?

Does the moral position of a candidate really have any bearing on the real policy that is set? There is a hub-bub in Republican Party because Rudy Guiliani is pro-choice. Will it really matter? Will there be more abortions if he is elected? If you say "yes," answer this question: Were there less under Reagan or either Bush?

I will be expanding on these thoughts more in the future.

B.A.L.M.

This is an interesting article from B.A.L.M., a ministry based in the UK. It is about ministry burnout. It describes what my wife and I have been dealing with for over a year now. I have wondered if there was a group/ministry with type of focus.

The Fighting Irish?

Last week, I ragged on the University of Michigan football team after laying an egg against Appalachian State and then laying another one against Oregon. They found a junior high team to beat up on this week. How awful is Notre Dame football team? The team of Knute Rockne, Lou Holtz and others is now 0-3!

If were a Notre Dame fan, I would be be embarrassed. Notre Dame has always had the ability to recruit nationally, often getting the best players. It is fast becoming a picture of utter futility.

Another "Accomplishment" for Bud Selig

Terry Ryan, General Manager for the Minnesota Twins, stepped aside recently after 13 years as GM of the small market baseball team.

Ryan piloted the Twins through some tumultuous waters in the late 90s, living through futility only paralleled by the Kansas City Royals. He committed to a young team, with a few older free agents sprinkled in, and won four Central Division titles in five years. The payroll was tiny compared with the Yankees, Red Sox and others. It was a Herculean feat.

I was pondering the recent success of teams like the Twins, A's and others. I predict that no small market team will win a World Series for the foreseeable future. Sure some, like the Twins, A's and Brewers (this year) will win division or wild card, but there will be no World Series title.

The reason? You ask? Because these teams are young, the pitching wears down by the end of the season. They do not have the experience to come through in October on the big stage. Championships in baseball is all about pitching and experience.

Thanks to Bud, the larger markets have the cash to throw at the premium players.

When are the owners going to realize that it is not about the Royals vs. the Red Sox or the Dodgers vs. the Pirates? It is about baseball (as a whole) vs other sports. Baseball is the product that is suffering from this as well as other things I enumerated the other day (see below).

September 11

September 11 is one of those days that you know exactly where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news of the attacks on the World Trade Center. Like Pearl Harbor, the JFK assassination or the Challenger disaster, it is a date that is seared into our national conscience. I was working for a law firm in the Midwest at the time. The guy who broke the news to us was a notorious prankster, so I did not believe him at first. I was numb for days. It was horrifying. What else was going to happen? All those thoughts swirled around my head.

Last summer, my family visited Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. We visited the little old church across the street that stood through the explosion and collapse of the buildings. It was overwhelming. I could sense the pall that hung over the place as many souls perished amid the rubble and flames. Many found their final mortal resting place in the debris. I have never experienced anything like that before. I have been to my share of cemeteries, but I have never felt the thick presence of death like I did at Ground Zero. (I have heard of others experiencing the same thing at Nazi death camps.) I also had a sense of anger. How could anyone conceive doing this to a fellow human being? As I stood there swatting the fog of death from my face, I could feel my blood boiling. The attack was against our way of life, our freedoms. Don't think for a minute that those terrorists would not kill you in a heart beat.

Many Christian leaders rose up to condemn the act. Some rose up to put their feet in their mouths. Most said it would be a time of spiritual awakening. It was, but it only last about a month. The problem is everything is now back to normal. Many have forgotten. Many cannot remember why we attacked.

The closing lines from Abraham Lincoln's great Gettysburg Address are appropriate as we remember what happened and those who perished:

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. (Full Text.)

We cannot, we must not, forget what happened.

Thanks A Lot, Bud. You Did It Again.

Bud Selig and Major League Baseball have yet again done all they can to further alienate people. As if starting the League Championship Series and World Series at the crack of midnight is not enough. In their infinite stupidity, the have moved all of the Division Series and the National League Championship Series to cable. For the love of all that is sacred, why on earth would they do that? Are they trying to follow the NHL model of relegating their sport to total indifference and obscurity?

Since I, like many Americans, do not have cable or satellite, I will not be watching any post-season baseball, except whatever is on Fox. It does not really matter anyway, I would not be able to stay up late enough to watch it.

I used to defend baseball as the true American pastime against those that claimed football was becoming the true American pastime. Not anymore.

The legacy of Bud Selig:
The 1994 strike, and subsequent cancellation of the World Series;
Steroids;
Midnight baseball;
Tied All-Star game;
(and now) non-network post-season baseball;

Thanks, Bud, for screwing the great American game!

What's Goin' on in Michigan?

With all due respect to my fellow blogger (and a Michigan fan), The Reformed Poser, the University of Michigan football team is awful! Last week, they got bumped by Appalachian State. Today Oregon blasted the doors off the "Big House."

I think Duke might even give Michigan a run for their money.

Not a Football School

Duke is already looking forward to basketball season. Their coach is 5-35 in four years. What college football coach keeps a job with only 5 wins? Coaches have been fired after having winning seasons. Duke lost last week to Joe's Clown College, or something. I just think it is ludicrous that Duke even pretends that they have a football team.

Dress Codes

Our kids' school district is dictating what each student can wear starting next year. The dress code outlines what pants and shirts are appropriate to wear in school.

The school district has prescribed district wide the color of pants shall be khaki, navy blue and black. The shirt shall be white. The schools are then allowed to choose two more shirt colors. Our kids' school chose burgundy and hunter green.

Who on earth chooses white shirts for kids? That person is stupid. Anyone who has ever raised a boy knows that the shirt will be gray by the end of September.

Why are dress codes necessary? I see no reason, other than to turn our kids into robots. Generation upon generation has gone to school without being dictated what colors they can wear and done just fine.

The schools should be more concerned about teaching our kids math, English, reading, history, science and other academic matters.

The Joy of Service

This year, in addition to what we do at church, our family decided to serve lunch at the local community shelter on Memorial and Labor Days. The folks there told us that they often have trouble serving meals on holidays, because people do not work on those days. (Contrary to myth, people staying in shelters are not lazy bums who lie around all day. They work, but are down on their luck.) Everyone wants to serve on Thanksgiving or Christmas, but people need to eat the other 363 days each year.

Our kids love going. We usually serve hot dogs, chips, brownies, bananas and a drink. It kills our son not to be able to eat any of the hot dogs. Yesterday, our kids got to mingle with some of the people. I sent our daughter out to refill cups, and our son to replenish the chip supply. The people smiled and thanked us profusely for bringing a meal.

We go to be a blessing to those less fortunate, but I often fell that I leave more blessed. The people, for the most part, are very grateful, offering endless thanks for the food.

I challenge everyone to make this type of thing a family activity. It brings you closer as a family. Your kids will realize how truly blessed they are. You will be the hands and feet of Jesus serving humanity in a tangible way. You will be blessed. It doesn't cost that much.

Put in Perspective

Two recent stories in the news have put some things in perspective, or at least should do so. Both involve high-profile people. One is former star quarterback, Todd Marinovich. He was recently arrested on drug charges. In the early 1990s, he was the starting quarterback for the high powered University of Southern California Trojans. He was a first round draft pick of the Los Angeles (now Oakland) Raiders. He was on top of the world. His NFL career last two years longer than mine. He then bounced around the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League. Now he has taken to skateboarding on the pier and running from police. What happened? He was the star, the big man. Hearing the story reminded me of the passage from the prophet Isaiah that says:

6 A voice says, "Cry out."
And I said, "What shall I cry?"
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

7 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.

8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever." (Is. 40:6-8, NIV)

Our lives are fleeting. We are on earth such a short time. Fame is even worse. It doesn't last. To be honest, Todd Marinovich had passed from my memory and conscience.

The other story that caught my attention was the will of Leona Helmsley that left $12,000,000 to her dog. All the wealth that she amassed over her life, stayed hear on earth, while she passed on. This reminds of the passage from Ecclesiastes 9:5, "For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten."

The stuff we work and fight for often really do not amount to much in the grand scheme of things. In view of eternity, we often live for nothing. Our wealth will rot, when we die. Our houses, cars and other possession will rust or become a heap of garbage.

What are we living for that has eternal consequences?

One Last GRE Update

I received my official GRE scores in the mail yesterday. The only thing new was the Analytical Writing Section score, which was 5 out of 6. I was hoping to do better, but it is not bad.

Mr. Bean in Church

Did you ever have one of these Sundays?

A Media Giant Calls It Quits

The Weekly World News is calling it quits. One of those useless supermarket tabloids will no longer be on the shelves. No more "bat boy," or alien-alligator-babies. It was always good for a hearty laugh while waiting to throw your bread and milk on the conveyor belt.

The one thing that separated the Weekly World News from the other "mainstream" media is that the WWN admitted that they made it all up.

Thwack!

In a score that brings back memories of Little League, the Texas Rangers hung 30 on the Baltimore Orioles. Thirty! It set an American League record. The Rangers are in last place. How awful are the Orioles? What's worse is that they scored in only four different innings.

Putin's Ready for Sept. 12

Check out my previous post. Apparently Vladimir Putin is getting ready for the momentous day. (Story.)

Hung Out To Dry Part 3

I do not want to leave the impression that the hierarchy of the denomination was solely to blame for the collapse of the church I pastored.

Ultimately, the responsibility rests with me. I am the one who made the decision to come here. I made the decisions about ministry, and other things.

One other word of caution to prospective ministers is appropriate at this point.

When interviewing for a ministry position, be careful, very careful. Everyone is always on their best behavior at an interview. The pastor and the congregation put their best foot forward. Listen carefully what the people say. Ask questions, lots of questions. Ask off the wall questions to accurately gauge a response.

At our interview, one person said (paraphrasing here), We want to work, we just need someone to show us what to do. A little over a year later the same individual said (paraphrasing, again), Before we had a pastor we did all the work, now it seems we are doing more.

Be careful. Jesus said, "Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16).

Hung Out To Dry Part 2

One thing I have discovered about the sinking of a ministry ship. It seems to be harder are my wife than on me. I have long thought that ministry is tougher on the spouse rather than one "in the ministry." I was paid to worry about the church.

A spouse has to have an outside job, especially if it is a small church. The spouse is usually "required" to do just about everything in the church from playing the piano, teaching Sunday school, leading women's (or men's) ministry, cleaning, or whatever else the parishioners want.

When things go bad, the spouse may face some difficult times. She or he may be attacked by members. She or he may be blamed for failure.

My wife has suffered mightily through our ordeal. She has carried a burden that isn't hers. I have never thought that she had any responsibility in what happened. She was a wonderful help.

To you ministers, protect your spouse.

Hung Out To Dry

Perhaps I am unable to this thing go, but it is still something that I deal with every single day. About a year ago, we shut down the church we had pastored for nearly four years.

Our denominational leadership left out to dry. Our leader told us, at one point, that he had put us on a "sinking ship." Did they help bail water? No. They poured more water into the "ship." They punched more holes into the hull of the ship.

When we arrived, they promised to pay all of our health insurance, which lasted about four months. They continually slashed our assistance. When we offered a plan to restart the church, we were told "no." When we wanted to change locations, so we could get a nicer location, we were told "no." (We did move.)

We were told to keep "anonymous" donors happy. A bunch of old, rich people gave the church money. These people did not attend the church. We had to keep the money happy. Who cares about what is best for the church and community we serve. We had to keep these "anonymous" donors happy. If their names were known, how could they be anonymous?

I just struggle with the way they hung us out to dry. This is something that has bugged me for a long time.

If you are in the ministry, or contemplating going into it, be careful. There are many deceptive leaders out there more concerned with the money than the ministry.

Interesting

You Are Austin

A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. You're totally weird and very proud of it. Artistic and freaky, you still seem to fit in... in your own strange way. Famous Austin residents: Lance Armstrong, Sandra Bullock, Andy Roddick

What American City Are You?

This Was Unintentional

I was looking at the schedule I made up for some of my classes this semester. There are two test dates that are somewhat ominous. It was unintentional. I just filled out the schedule, and it worked out this way. The first ominous test date is: September 11. The second ominous date is: December 7.

The question is--and I don't mean to be cynical--whether the students will have the sense of history to even realize it.

In Russia With Love?

I first heard this story on the Rush Limbaugh Show yesterday, August 15. Apparently, September 12 is a holiday in Russia so that couples can spend time together attempting to increase the aging and dying population of Russia. The grand prize includes an SUV. (Apparently, the Russian are not all that concerned about global warming.)

Other Links:

Newsvine.
Yahoo.

It's Over!

Today, I took and completed the GRE. I am so glad it's over. I can go back to using small, simple words. I am satisfied with my score: 1380. It's not amazing, but it's 300 points over the average of the school to which I am applying.

I can rest. Except, that I start teaching Thursday.

I'm So Confused

My last minute preparations for the GRE (tomorrow, 8/14) are coming to a close. The hardest part for me is going to be the antonyms. I took an online practice test yesterday and a paper one today. Yesterday, I got the question:

DISSIPATE:

Answer choices: wander, coalesce, oscillate, exhume and restrain.

My brain went to the mention of dissipation in the Bible. I recalled it being a sin, so I chose "E" (restrain). Wrong-o. It is coalesce, as to dissipate means to disperse. Then I recalled the weatherdude on TV saying that the rain shower would "dissipate," or go away.

Today, on my paper test, I run across the word:

DISSIPATED

Answer choices: temperate, pleased, inundated, encouraged, and planned.

Remembering what had happened on the previous attempt, I chose inundated. The reason being that if rain showers dispersing or leaving or dissipating, the opposite would be that we would be inundated. Wrong-o! The answer is temperate, because as the book says, "The word dissipated can be a pejorative reference to someone devoted to the pursuit of pleasure--the opposite of dissipation is restraint or moderation." So the answer was temperate.

The online test and the book are from the same company. In one place they say outright that dissipate and restrain are the opposite.

Ugh! My brain is beginning to ache.

I think that I am pretty much done studying. I cannot wait until tomorrow afternoon when this test is behind me. I know I will do well (I'm using positive self-reinforcement here).

Practice Football

I realize that the NFL has overtaken baseball as the favorite sport in the US, but pre-season football is the biggest joke. They promote it as though it is "real" football. They televise it as though someone actually wants to watch it. They sell tickets to it at the same price as regular season football.

The games mean nothing. It does not matter if the team wins or loses all the games. Next month, the slate will be wiped clean and everyone will start 0-0 after four practice games. The starters play two series, if not one, in the first two games. They may play the first quarter in the third game. They may actually play an entire half in the last practice game. Who wants to watch the third or fourth string play?

Practice football is fine. I understand that they need the practice, but don't promote it as though it is "real" football.

Gratitude

Gratitude is something that we often neglect, especially when we are dealing with God. We beg and plead with God to help us out of mess. Then, when God answers, we suddenly forget all about him. We are like the farmer who prays every day for rain. Early in the morning and late at night, he is on his knees praying to God for rain. Then, when it does rain, he neglects to offer even the smallest "thank you" to God.

The Gospel of Luke contains the account of Jesus' encounter with ten lepers along the Galilee/Samaria border. These poor isolated men call out to Jesus for help from half a football field away (approximately 50 yards was the legal distance of separation between the unclean lepers and everyone else). Jesus sends them on their way to the priest (the legal requirement for certifying the healing). Only one of the men, an oft-hated Samaritan, came back to thank Jesus.

How is your gratitude toward God? I am often ungrateful.

If God never did anything other than offer us salvation, we should forever be thankful.

One of those strange things

Last night, we took the youth from the church bowling. After, we hung around the arcade. They have the oddest game there. They have a video bowling game, at the bowling alley. I just thought that was weird.

That's kind of like having a video golf game at the golf course. Perhaps some golf course does have that.

GRE Test Prep Continues

With only 13 days to go until I make my attempt to prove my worthiness for graduate school by taking the GRE, I am in overdrive for prep. My Kaplan Test Prep Book is smoking. Now that my teaching summer school has ended, I am able to devote more time.

I took a sample Quantitative Section (i.e. math) test and got 51 of 60 right. In looking back, I missed about 4 that were either because I didn't read the question carefully or made a stupid math error. That's the same types of things that I am constantly getting on my students for doing.

I have just started reading the Analytical Writing Section. One thing kind of struck me as funny. The second principle that Kaplan gives is to keep the essay simple. One should avoid being overly complicated. One should use simple words. I guess you could say that one should be pithy and avoid prolixity. In other words, don't use a lot of the words that the GRE insists that you know in the Verbal Section. One must know words like turgid, euphony, panegyric and torpor, but one must not use them when writing the essay for the test.

Addiction to Blogging? Not quite.

I took this quiz:
50%How Addicted to Blogging Are You

This Is A Horrible Tragedy

Here is an article about a 12-year-old girl that died as the result of a freak accident on the softball field. There was also the recent death of Minor League coach Mike Coolbaugh.

When I played Little League, I took a line drive right under my left eye during practice. Fortunately, I suffered nothing more than a black eye. The doctor who lived next door prescribed a milkshake, which my parents bought for me. It also made me a little skiddish when fielding after that. I think that is why I never made it to the Major Leagues.

These two articles just brought back the memory of the thud on my face.

Wasteful Christians

One thing has always bugged be about some attitudes within the Christian community. One of those attitudes is wastefulness. My mom works at a Christian daycare. She is constantly bringing food home from the daycare that they were just going to throw away. It ranges from cereal bars to sweet-and-sour chicken (not sure why they get that for a daycare) to baked beans to bread. If she would not take it, it would wind up in the dumpster.

The sad thing is that there is a homeless shelter not too far from the daycare (5 miles or so) that is always in need of food. I guess we have forgotten about the biblical command to feed the hungry.

The Politics of Church Government

Recently I was discussing the issue of politics in church with a friend. This is something that has always bugged me. I'm not necessarily talking about politics in the local church, but that can be a problem. I thinking more on the denomination level.

Politics exists there as much as anywhere. For all the talk of praying and seeking the "guidance of the Holy Spirit," there is as much deal-making and arm-twisting. I want to roll on the floor and laugh every time "prayer" is mentioned in connection with "elected" offices of the church.

Most of the time there is no election. Someone either runs unopposed or is just appointed by the powers that be. That is a fine method, so long as we are honest about it.

How stupid is this?

An NBA referee is under investigation for betting on games, including some he refereed.

ESPN article.

Fox Sports article.

How could anyone put themselves in this position?

If this is true, this is one of worst sports scandals in American history. This is even worse than the Pete Rose gambling scandal. This could further tarnish the NBA's already tarnished reputation.

I rarely watch the NBA the way it is. The games are boring. This will repel me further, if that is possible.

GRE: Date Certain

I just did it. I registered, and paid a whopping $140, to take the GRE test. It all seems much more real now. The date is August 14, which is my dad's birthday. I have commenced projectile sweating.

I did a practice test for the verbal section this morning. I did well on the sentence completion, and the analogies. Doing well on the analogies really surprised me. I was most worried about that. The reading comprehension was not great, but I have never been great at that. I am a more auditory learner. I hardly read anything in college. I absorbed most from the lectures, and fortunately most of my profs tested on the lecture. The antonym section was awful. It is hard to know what the antonym is to a word you have no clue about. Prolix? Who uses the word prolix? It apparently means "wordy."

I have to hone my studying, as the date approaches.

Is this the same person?

Harry S. Truman at age 13.







Harry Potter.





I can hardly tell the difference.

Thoughts on Losing

Losing is tough. No one likes to lose. My daughter's softball team was eliminated from the state tournament. They should have won it all, if not come in second. They had a good team from top to bottom. When they were eliminated by one run, it was a crushing defeat.

Losing, though, offers more life lessons than winning. There are more losers in life than winners. Most professional sports leagues have about thirty teams, but there is only one winner at the end of the season.

I remember one little league season many years ago when I was on the Dodgers. We were awesome. We ran the table undefeated. We entered the tournament at the end of the season riding high. In the semi-final game, we lost. Our only loss of the season came one game shy of the championship game. As we came to the dugout, we all threw our gloves down. It was painful. It hurt, but I learned a lot from that game.

We do not always get what we want. We do not always come out on top. We try our best, and give our best effort.

Life is not all about winning. It's about learning from the many defeats, and getting up and trying again.

Art Linkletter would love this

Art Linkletter used to have a television show called "Kids Say the Darnedest Things." Linkletter would interview children who would (as kids often do) say something so off-the-wall and funny.

Yesterday I spent several hours pushing our lawn mower. After that was done, I was wiped out. I exclaimed, "My legs feel like Jello-O." To which my seven-year-old son replied, "My legs feel like applesauce."

A few weeks ago, my son was preparing to go summer church camp. I told him that he would be in the woods and have to walk through the woods. To this he said, "Will I need a gun to shoot the deer?"

If you want a good laugh, my son will be the next "Last Comic Standing."

Never Thought I Would Say This

It looks like Nancy Pelosi is going to be the "conservative" candidate in her reelection effort!

"[Cindy] Sheehan Launches Pelosi Challenge."

My pants are shrinking

In an effort to be more like "The Reformed Poser," I have included a comic strip.

I think we could change the words, "All-You-Can-Eat Buffet!" to "Church Potluck."

This thanks to the Wizard of Id.

GRE Test Prep

As I mentioned some time ago in this space, I am planning (God willing) to go to grad school starting next spring (2008). In order to enter grad school, one has to jump through numerous hoops. One of those hoops is the Graduate Records Exam (GRE), which is basically to grad school what the SAT is to college. (Look, I made an analogy!)

I went out and purchased Kaplan's GRE study book. As I was studying yesterday, I came across the word "pedant," which means "someone who shows off learning." My immediate thought was, The person who came up with the GRE was pedant.

Oh well, the studying goes on. I just hope that when I finish grad school, I ain't no pedant.

Thoughts on Teamwork

If you have ever been on a team, you understand the value of teamwork. It is not only about sports. It can be on the job, at church, in the family, neighborhood, or anywhere. When a group of people work together, they accomplish much more than an individual can on his own.

My daughter played on a softball team that was, in the beginning, focused on teamwork and the team concept. They met with great success. A raw group of girls, were coming in second consistently, and they even won a few tournaments. After a reshuffle, the team aspect was lost, and the team descended in everyone for herself. Needless to say, they quit winning.

When it is all about the individual, the team fails.

Think of Jesus. Here you have the omnipotent Son of the Most High God. What did he do when he started his earthly ministry? He formed a team. Luke 6:13-16 (NIV) tells us, "When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor." They certainly were a motley crew: some fishermen, a tax collector, a political activist, among others. They were not without their problems. James and John's mommy came to ask Jesus for a preferred spot for her sons, which caused quite an uproar amongst the disciples.

The church is no place for competition within the group. We are on the same side. The church that does not function as a team is doomed for collapse. I have seen it. Competing ideas and philosophies combined with competing egos is a sure way to kill a church. Everyone should be on the same page.

Spiritual Growth and Pain

I remember playing football in junior high. Everyone was hollering, "No pain, no gain." Later, in high school, I ran cross country and track. I was not a naturally gifted runner. I was more of a plodder. I ran, and ran, and ran. I ran in the cold winter. I ran in the hot summer. I did not take a day off.

Paul compares the Christian life with a race on several occasions: Acts 20:24; 1 Corinthians 9:24; Galatians 2:2; Galatians 5:5; and 2 Timothy 4:7.

If you have ever taken up the sport of running (or jogging) you know that when you start out, it hurts. Your legs are like lead for a few days when you start. When you feel better, you might push yourself to a higher level. Then there is more pain.

Spiritual growth without pain is like running without pain. It's not possible. If spiritual growth does not cause our spiritual muscles to hurt, we need to question whether or not we are growing.

When God calls us to some deeper level of commitment, we are uncomfortable at first. The first time I ever visited a homeless mission, I was out of place. It was spiritually painful. When God called me to the ministry, I was painful.

I often shy away from pain: physical and spiritual.

God help us all to work through the pain of growth.

The Problem With Society

I am going sound like Dana Carvey's old SNL character, Grumpy Old Man, "Back in my day..."

Fine, if that makes me a grumpy old man, so be it.

I am tired of the attitude that says, I'm gonna do whatever I want to do just because I want to.

Judges 17:6 and 21:25 both say, "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." Everyone did whatever they wanted to do.

Today, someone pulled in the wrong way at the gas station. Most gas stations do not have signs or rules about which way to pull up to the pumps. This one did. This person did whatever just because it was more convenient to break the rules than to follow them.

Scott Peterson killed his wife and unborn child because it was more convenient than to deal with the marriage and child.

I am not saying going the wrong way at a gas station is tantamount to murder, but the attitude is essentially the same. It's all about ME! ME! ME!

Sin is the root of this. Everyone does whatever he sees fit.

(Just had to vent.)

A Gutsy Player

Craig Biggio is one of the gutsiest baseball players ever. He is what many would call a "throw back" to a by-gone era. He is out of the spotlight because he labors in Houston. If he played in New York or Boston, he would be one of the most famous players ever.

Last night he got his 3000th hit, which is almost a guarantee of enshrinement in Cooperstown. As I watched the video of his hit, I noticed how he made a great effort to stretch the hit into a double. When most players would have been content to round first and jog back to the bag, he hit the accelerator and dove headlong into second. He nearly made it. As he slide like a snake, he was tagged out. That is guts and determination. That is a great work ethic.

If only more players played the game the way Craig Biggio played, the game would be better.