Wilson Alexander Butcher

Enjoy!

what style... what grace... what cool hair!

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!!

If you haven't gotten tickets to hear Rob Bell, you should go to the website and find a city near you and pick up tickets. It's only 10 bucks per ticket, and all proceeds go to WaterAid, a nonprofit organization which provides safe water, effective sanitation and hygiene education to the world’s poorest people. It'll last about two hours, and should be very good. My tickets are for Nashville, and if any of you decide to go, or are going already, let me know and maybe we can hook up. He's also going to be in Atlanta the next day, I think.

Which way do we go? Part 1

I haven't posted anything deeply reflective for quiet some time. To be honest, that was a result of the lack of responses and comments, which come to find out was my bad. So, long story short, I've been pondering an idea that I'd like to share. Now, I have come to a few conclusions, but I'll wait to share those. Anyway...

I've recently been asking myself where... or better yet, when... should our focus be? Let me explain. There are those that hold that the key to our future growth/success/inspiration lies in the past. This would be the "conservative" point of view. To move ahead, we must look backward. In the church, this often times comes out as "we must return to ______________ Christianity" (fill in the blank with some important period of time, i.e. New Testament, early church, reformation, azusa street, etc.). Essentially, the heart of any present revival/reformation/movement is found in recovering some element of our shared past. Key words are often recovering, reclaiming, re____________ (again, fill in the blank).

Now, running along with this stream of thought (or counter to it, depending on your perspective) is the idea that the key to our future growth/success/inspiration lies in the future. This would be the "liberal" point of view. To move ahead, we must look forward. In the church, this often comes out as a "concession" to culture and a strong desire to not look outdated. Now, I have not had nearly the experience in this stream of thought that I have had in the other, so I've had a difficult time describing it in earlier conversations and even in this blog. Essentially, the heart of any present revival/reformation/movement is found, in some sense, by letting go of the past and grasping the future. Key words are often... well, I don't know because like I said, I haven't had much experience in this stream.

Anyway, so thats it. What I ask is... which one is right? (Now, before Nic gets the opportunity to ask why I need one to be right and one to be wrong, I'm cutting him off. That is not the question. The question is really "which one is right.... for you?) Which one, if either or both, do we see in scripture? Where does your heart/revival lie, in the past or in the future?

Tennessee

Some of you have asked (sorry for the late reply, see below) what I am doing back in Tennessee. Well... I am doing the same thing that I did in Mississippi/New Orleans, only now I do it for mostly uppoer-middle class white folk. I know, I'm pretty much a sell-out. Oh well... I guess other things could be worse. But... to be honest, people are actually nicer here, easier to talk to, and less cut-throat. Now, I know what you are thinking... I projected that attitude on the fine people on the gulf coast, and my behavior was probably not as welcoming there as it is here... Well... I would say... you are butt wrong! The fact is people ARE nicer here... they ARE more likely to engage in conversation... they ARE not as likely to steal, cheat and rob their insurance company blind NOR are they as likely to try to rape me and stick it to me (both figuratively and... in a certain sense, literally). So, there it is... thats what I'm doing, workin for THE MAN.

An Apology

As some of you may have noticed, your comments have not been appearing on my blog site until recently... recently being about two or three days ago. For this, I apologize. Unbeknownst to me, I had clicked on the comment moderation thing. However, I received no emails to inform me that there were comments, so I just thought that everyone reading the blog sucked and were not commenting. Sorry for the censorship, don't know what happened there. But... you can once again say what you want... and feel free to hijack this blog to server your own ranting purposes.

The Mystery of Cincy

Well, the first month of MLB '06 is in the books and, as many of my fellow Cincy fans are aware, the Big Red Machine is looking pretty hot. Now, before we get real excited... even with the wonderful free agent additions made during the offseason that seemed so uncharacteristic of the Reds of years past (namely that 25.5 million dollar deal to Milton) let me remind everyone that this is classic, beginning-of-the-season Reds activity. We nearly always start hot in April and sometimes on in to May, but by the time the All Star break comes, its back to normal in Red country. Keep in mind, the last time we finished with a winning record was 2000 (we were still 10 games back of St. Louis and 9 behind NY for the Wild Card) and 1999 (closer, only 1.5 behind Houston and 1 behind NY). You have to go back to 1995 to find the last postseason appearance, then to 1990 (aka THE YEAR!!!) then all the way back to 1979 (I know, we would have taken it all in that 1994 season, stupid strike!!!). So, before we go poppin the bubbly... keep in mind, its just now May... the All Star break is still on the way.

Just a dose of reality for a Monday afternoon.

Goodbye Gulf Coast!!!

Hello Murfreesboro, Tennessee!!!

Yep, we are moving back to Tennessee next week. Hope and I are both pretty tired of living in the butt crack of America (yeah, that's worse than the armpit), so we are following the hailstorms to Tennessee. I'll admit it, I've become desensitized to the plight of the downtrodden. One word of wisdom after LIVING here for nearly 6 months... DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING THE MEDIA TELLS YOU ABOUT KATRINA VICTIMS!!!! Of course, as most would already know, its not a clear cut issue. The government (all levels) suck, but so do the people (all ethnic groupings). For many folk, the reason they are still living in sewage and rubble is because they simply choose to live that way. They have thousands of dollars in their bank account (or in their new Escalade), and they choose to live in a house of *expletive*. Whatever you hear on the news... don't believe it. For many, they are a primary cause of their own suffering. On the other hand, the reason many others are living in sewage and rubble is because the system that was supposed to protect them has fallen apart. No one will return their phone calls, voice mails, messages, emails, etc... They are treated like trash thrown in an ever-growing dumpster. So... like I said before, its not a clear issue. Everyone is crooked. Everyone is out for number 1... even me, thats why I'm getting outta here.

Which Theologian Am I?

You scored as J?Moltmann. The problem of evil is central to your thought, and only a crucified God can show that God is not indifferent to human suffering. Christian discipleship means identifying with suffering but also anticipating the new creation of all things that God will bring about. J?Moltmann 80% John Calvin 67% Anselm 60% Karl Barth 53% Charles Finney 53% Friedrich Schleiermacher 53% Martin Luther 53% Augustine 40% Jonathan Edwards 33% Paul Tillich 27% Which theologian are you? created with QuizFarm.com

I don't like this survey. The questions were too easily distinguishable between theologians. Furthermore, the questions are really simple agree/disagree scaled questions. Anyway, i guess i'm Moltmann.

Wilson Alexander Butcher... aka "Lex"

Say hello to Wilson Alexander Butcher. He shall be called "Lex"! We are "expecting" Lex to arrive on 9-9-06, but maybe... just maybe... he'll wait and be born on 9-11-06...

The Heart of the Matter

(Disclaimer: In the following post, the word "church" should be read with the negative connotations associated with the word in recent history. In this post, "church" refers to those sub-cultural, aggravating, disheartening intricacies associated with many establishments.)

I was reflecting the other day on various experiences that I have had over the past couple of years. If you've talked to me much at all, you realize that my church experiences have not been the most positive ones over the past several years. Furthermore, this has cause somewhat of a cynicism to arise which has lead me to distrust and discount much of the established hierarchal system which we call "church". As I was contemplating all of this while reclining on my "thinking chair", I had a thought which would alarm me, aggravate me and cause a certain amount of conviction. This is the thought, somewhat edited because I can't really remember it verbatim. "I can take myself out of "church" (see disclaimer), but.... can I take the "church" out of me?"

So I realized, that in all my analyzing and critiquing of the speck (lets be real... its larger than a speck... but I'll go with it anyway... lol) in the eye of the "church", I have actually looked right past the same looking plank in my own eye. I'll admit, I have responded ungenerously to the ungenerousness of "church". When confronted with hate and ignorance, I have responded with anger (not righteous indignation, mind you) and negative criticism. I have seen intolerance and responded likewise. In other words, I have seen the "church" out there, but looked past the "church" inside. How often are we like that? Perhaps there is a better way.

What to call ourselves...

Some of you have offered new names for the Christian life. There are those who would like to refer to being Christian more in terms of following Jesus than assuming some "Christianity" based culture, for various reasons. Others would like to refer to it as "The Way" or something else kinda ancient-groovy like that. Well, I think I have found the solution...no, I know I have found the solution. I saw this sign for a church in New Orleans that has the "end-of-discussion" answer to the name question. I took a picture to prove it:



"THE WAY JESUS CHRIST CHRISTIAN CHURCH!"

There it is my friends!!! That is the name we should all adopt, from this point on... no more worrying about what to call ourselves... we finally have a solution. You are welcome.

First Look!

Hope and I had a doctor visit today and we got our first look at our new baby. We still don't know what gender the baby is... but regardless, I'm really excited about the new addition to our lil' family.

Words to Ponder from Odd Places, edition 1

I've decided to start my own series... Words to Ponder from Odd Places; this is the first edition. The words today come from a grunge-era band known to many as the band that saved rock music. I don't know that I would go that far, but I do believe it would be difficult to over-estimate the value of Nirvana in the grand scope of things. These words come to us from the Nevermind album, released (I believe) in 1991. The song is Lithium. Ponder these words from this... Odd place:



LITHIUM

I'm so happy 'cause today i found my friends
They're in my head
I'm so ugly
That's okay 'cause so are you
We've broken our mirrors
Sunday morning is everyday for all i care
And i'm not scared
Light my candles in a daze
'Cause i found God

Yeah, yeah, yeah (x6)
Yeah!

I'm so lonely, that's okay, i shaved my head
And i'm not sad
And just maybe i'm to blame for all i've heard
But i'm not sure
I'm so excited, i can't wait to meet you there
And i don't care
I'm so horny, that's okay my will is good

Yeah, yeah, yeah (x6)
Yeah!

I like it... i'm not gonna crack
I miss you... i'm not gonna crack
I love you... i'm not gonna crack
I kill you... i'm not gonna crack
I like it... i'm not gonna crack
I miss you... i'm not gonna crack
I love you... i'm not gonna crack
I kill you... i'm not gonna crack

I'm so happy 'cause today i found my friends
They're in my head
I'm so ugly, but that's okay 'cause so are you
We've broken our mirrors
Sunday morning is everyday for all i care
And i'm not scared
Light my candles in a daze 'cause i found god!

Yeah, yeah, yeah (x6)
Yeah!

I like it... (repeat above lines)

Confession!

I have a confession to make.... I'm a reality tv fan! Not all reality tv... mainly just some of the main shows. In particular, I like American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Biggest Loser, Wife Swap, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition... and the upcoming UNAN1MOUS (which is going to be awesome... all those people in one room making a decision about who will get 1.5 million, and they have to decide unanimously... awesome). Anyway, here's my AI update. Last night, the right people got kicked off. Heather and Brenna needed to go; so did David and Sway. Here's the top list... in no particular order. Guys: Taylor, Chris and Elliot are by far the best in the competition. Elliot is THE singer, bottomline. Taylor is the most original and Chris has the total package... voice and marketability. Girls: Paris is an awesome singer and you just can't help but like Mandisa. Other than that... I don't reallly see anybody else really making it. Kathleen McPhee can sing, I just don't think she has that star quality. Ace Young is incredibly appealing to the girls, and could make a long run on that alone. Kellie Pickler is cute... sorta, but the cal-a-mar-i thing can only take her so far... she just isn't that good of a singer. Anyway... I'm sure I've offended many people by not mentioning their person... oh well.

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!!

Well, it Mardi Gras time... and if you have never spent this time in or around New Orleans, then you simply cannot understand the magnitude of this celebration. For like an entire week, but especially on Fat Tuesday, everything stops and the city celebrates. Call it what you will, but I think, at least this year, its a wonderful time to celebrate life. Brian McLaren is right for appreciating Catholics... can you imagine some Southern Baptist creating Mardi Gras? NO WAY!!! Seriously though, at some point today, stop and take a moment just to celebrate. Celebrate your spouse, your job, your house... celebrate Jesus! (for anyone from the H.O.G.S. era, you know what I mean... haha!)... the main point is just to celebrate. Here's to a celebration day and a Happy Mardi Gras!!!

I'm excited!

For those out in blogland that did not know, Hope's great grandfather passed away this past week and she and I have driven to North Carolina for the funeral. I must tell you, it was quiet amazing. It's been a while since I've seen people at a funeral shouting and speaking in tongues... but I saw it here. I must say, it was quiet a beautiful experience to be a part of too. It was life at the convergence of joy and pain. After thinking about this for a while, I was reminded of a previous thought which I posted on a message board. I thought I would post it on this blog as well, just for some additional feedback. Please, keep in mind, this post was conceived several months ago... and I am copying it on here without edit... if you would like a copy of the comments from the website, email me.
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So, I'm driving home today, thinking about Nic's question on another post. What does it mean to live? Or, in other words which I was using, how do we know we are alive? Now, what follows is not intended to be an exhaustive reply, or even anything close. It sounds very fatalistic and depressing, even. I just pray that everyone will bear with me.

It seems to me that to live means to experience pain, hurt, suffering and even death. When else are we more aware of our existence than we we are in pain? This includes, but is certainly not limited to, physical pain (I'm sure everyone is aware they are alive when they stub their toe.). I know you might be thinking, what about joy? But i must ask, how do you know joy without first knowing pain? It is the pain that proves the joy, or in other words, its the shadow that proves the sunshine. If you haven't experienced the shadow, then perhaps you do not know what I am talking about. But if you have, if you lived life in the midst of the shadow of death, you know exactly what I'm saying. Think about the incarnation. What is so amazing about the incarnate God living among us? What do we see Jesus experiencing in the gospels? Joy or pain? The metaphor for nearly all followers of Jesus is the cross, an emblem of suffering and shame. Why isn't it something that symbolizes joy and happiness? Because those were not the kind of people Jesus hung out with? It was these who "got" Jesus. Nicodemus just fades away, leaving us unsure whether he ever "got" Jesus. Yet when we look at other characters, like the women at the well who was so ashamed of her life that she went to the well at a time when she was sure no one else would be there, she got it. Why? Could it be that she knew pain, and therefore, she could "get" Jesus? Who, in the Gospel of John, just can't shut up about Jesus? And this leads to my next thought.

What does Jesus offer, in this life of suffering, pain, hurt and even death? It seems to me that Jesus tells us that while this life is characterized by these things, they do not have the last word. Death does not have the last word on life. Pain will not be the ultimate destiny of our existence. There is coming a day when there will be no more tears, because the one who suffered ultimate shame and pain will wipe those tears from our eyes, telling us to cry no more forever. (This is not to say that those hands will be scarless... its not that our pain is erased or forgotten, but overcome) The kingdom, filled with those who (with Jesus) experienced pain, hurth and death, will be a place characterized now by the life of God, a life which shatters all the previous pain. That kingdom is available even now, as we hope for that which is unseen we can receive a foretaste of the life that will overwhelm us then. This, then, propels us into the world of pain and death, not as escapists who are only looking for a "there after" but as those who have experienced this life after death. Its the same spirit that propeled Jesus into this world, even to suffer and hurt, and it is the same spirit that draws us into the world, to continue the mission of Jesus.

The Big Easy

It has been a crazy and hectic beginning of the new year. Once we got back from Christmas, our company moved into New Orleans, which means I've been driving about an hour, each way, every day. It is getting quiet expensive in gas, but the opportunity there is so vast that we just can't afford to pass it up. We are one of the VERY FEW companies who are actually making and keeping appointments. I am booked up until Tuesday... right now. We take about 50-60 calls per day for appointments, which hopefully will mean alot of business here in the near future, which will hopefully mean I can get caught up with my continually accumulating bills. It looks like Hope and I are going to sell our condo on the Outer Banks, if you or anyone yall know are interested. I just found it interesting that I refer to the internet community as 'you'. Why is that? Oh well, I have a 10:00 am appointment in the Big Easy, so I have to run. By the way, if you or anyone you know would be interested in coming here to do estimating, let me know. Peace!