in my own words

Financial Crisis

2008-10-16T10:49:00.003-04:00

So, unless you've been living on another planet, everyone is well aware of the "financial crisis" that is currently upon our country and many others. Words and phrases get thrown around like "credit crunch"..."subprime loans"..."deregulation" and "government bailout" to explain the factors and possible solution to this mess. Democrats want to blame Republicans and vice versa. Its George W. Bush and the "failed economic policies of the last eight years" that has gotten us where we are. Or... maybe we'll blame the evil mortgage companies that gave the mortgages to the innocent homebuyer who didn't know any better. Really, it sounds like a lot of blaming but no owning up to it. Here's what I think.

We are to blame!

Yeah, thats exactly right. When it comes down to it, we signed our names on the bottom line of whatever mortgage we got. (I can say this out of experience!) The greed that was in our heart manifested itself because we wanted a bigger, better, newer house. "No, honey, lets get the one with a three car garage and two extra bedrooms, with a den and a living room. It'll be so great!" Don't mention the fact that you only have two people living in a house built for eight. Nevermind the fact that you can afford a $150,000 house, NOT A $400,000 one. Or maybe you can't afford one at all, but you can rent. But that doesn't look responsible and successful. Don't worry about that extra car you're g0ing to buy because you feel you need three sense you have a three car garage.

Are there problems with the system? Of course. Would a mortgage broker knowingly sell you a deal he/she knows you probably can't afford just to make a percentage of the deal? Probably. But we have seen the enemy. And he is us! Thats what I want to hear somebody say. Stop blaming everyone else and understand the real problem:

We are greedy!

Loaded... Beware!

2008-10-01T23:23:00.002-04:00

So... I've had this thought brewing around in my mind the last few weeks. I've been reading Jesus for President, just finished it actually. I enjoyed it immensely and may include a later post on it, but that is not the point here. As many may know, I am fairly versed on the pomo/emerging/missional church stuff. I wrote my sr. thesis for seminary on comparing/contrasting emerging (i'm including missional, emerging and emergent in that... I know, I'll get stoned for it, sorry to this guy) and classical pentecostal theologies and worldviews. So, here's whats been stirring around:

When I read something like Jesus for President, or a book on some new style or dev't in church, I often think that the thought processes for developing that looks very Pentecostal to me. Maybe I read alot into the discussions, but it always just occurs to me that this (whatever this happens to be) could have very easily originated in a Pentecostal community. However, all to often, it seems we in the classical Pentecostal tradition are being left behind in the creative church culture. Yet, it seems obvious to me that the two are not unrelated. In fact, we should be the ones pioneering new, creative efforts; promoting racial and gender equality; pushing for a more environmentally sound technology; open to various methods of preaching/teaching; culturally relevant, etc. It is in our DNA!

Without going into it too much, the early Pentecostal mov't saw tremendous growth in racial unity. It has been said that "the color line was washed away in the blood." I think this was to be only the beginning. Have we, as Pentecostals, sold our heritage? The way the questioned formulated in my mind went more like this: Have we spent so much time defending the experience that we have neglected the responsibilities that came with the experience? While we were trying to defend the experience of speaking in tongues, did we miss much of the civil rights movement? (Granted, Pentecostals were involved, but I'm speaking more as an organized movement.) While we were buying our plane tickets for the latest REVIVAL, did we miss the technology explosion? While we were (are) shouting in the aisles of our churches, did (is) our planet slowly (or quickly) die (dying)? Did the ones who challenged the status quo simply adopt a new status quo? Did the change agents of the past become the static sitters of the present and future?

What can we do?

Last Night

2008-09-11T09:31:00.002-04:00

So, last night was a great night at Oxygen. We had 28 students! Combined with our 6 adult leaders, that means we had 34 total. Thats exciting. Better than that, we had a really good prayer time at the end. I had expected something, but was pleasantly surprised. The message was a little more intense than usual, which may have scared a few students. Tried to curb that with some humor at the front end and in the middle, but I'm still ok with how the message went, which is pretty good for a preacher the day after :) The music went good too. The last song was "Carried to the Table" by Leeland. If you haven't listened to Leeland, you really need to. They are a really great band.

My Take So Far...

2008-09-05T13:19:00.003-04:00

So, for the past two weeks I've kinda been enamored with the party conventions and the whole presidential election drama. I have several opinions, most of which I choose to keep to myself because I am in a dual-polar context... meaning that in most cases, regardless which party/candidate is up for discussion, odds are someone in the group will be completely opposed to them. For that reason, I usually just smile and nod, not wanting to be drawn into a discussion where others are so decided and I yet have seen or heard enough to make a decision.

So, both conventions were entertaining, mostly appealing to their party's base, which is what a convention should be doing. Obama wowed people with his Thursday night glam-speech at Mile High, but Gov. Palin's Wednesday night speech at the RNC garnered only slightly less TV viewers (both more than the Olympic opening ceremony). Obviously, large audiences and speeches are strong points for Obama and not so much for McCain. However, even McCain did a decent enough job.

So, my take so far is basically based on the picks for VP. Both Obama and McCain are running on the idea of change; Obama the New Kid and McCain the Maverick. When it came time to pick a VP, one chose a Washington insider and the other chose a reformer no one had really heard of... I do think that is significant. Now, I am in NO WAY declaring an allegiance to McCain, all I am saying is that I found the picks VERY interesting. Actually, I'll probably write in my vote... JESUS!

If He gets 5% of the popular vote, Jesus can have a spot at the next elections presidential debates!

So... VOTE FOR JESUS!

feel good story

2008-08-20T15:53:00.001-04:00

Have you seen The Dark Knight? If you haven't, you really should. It is an awesome movie. I came across this article today about Heath Ledger, the actor who (awesomely) played the Joker in the above mentioned movie. Apparently he had not updated his will to include his daughter. The article explains the rest.

Olympics

2008-08-19T13:41:00.002-04:00

So, I've become an Olympic junkie. I'm loving it. Watched every Michael Phelps race (or as I imagine Pres. Bush calls him, "Phelpsy"... Beavis is our president! Rock on Beavis!!!) I've watched Phil Dahlhausser and Todd Rogers annihilate their beach volleyball competition (or as P.B. calls them "Toddly and the Big Guy"... did I mention Beavis?). Diving, water polo, equestrian, steeplechase, track and field, marathon... anything and everything on the NBC networks. But, I came across this article on yahoo that sums up the events where judging is involved... mainly, gymnastics. If you've watched any, you know exactly what I mean. C'mon... something smells fishy there, and its not the seafood restaurants. Read this article and you'll know what I mean.

A girl landing two faults on her feet HAS to be better than a girl landing her second fault on her knees... I'm not a gymnastics expert, but really... it's an easy call.

sorry

2008-08-18T16:58:00.003-04:00

so, yeah, haven't been nearly as consistent doing this thing as I had hoped. sorry. here are some highlights from the past couple of weeks.

talked to Dr. Greg Sloop today at the Lee University Charlotte Center. Hoping to do some adjunct teaching there, most likely this spring.
I have to develop a new resume/c.v. for the above.
Been married for four years this Thursday. YAY!
Attendance was solid again Sunday at church. Don't know the final count, but the sanctuary looked about 60 % full, and we were missing several families.
God moved in a great way Sunday morning. Good stuff. I've heard one pastor say he still believes in "suddenlies". Its good to experience that sort of thing.
Just watched the new NOOMA video. If you haven't seen it, go here and watch it. It's awesome. not sure if you need a facebook account, but those are free.
We kick off OXYGEN next Wednesday. I'm believing that God wants to save nearly 50 teens over the next 10 months. That's daring, considering thats twice as many as we currently have.
The teen ministry team is going great. Kids are asking to be involved, growing in their walk with Jesus, and looking forward to small group time. Its been a great first four months.

Thats all for now. Hopefully I'll actually update more often. Oh yeah, the guy who commented on the ProPresenter thing saying to export EasyWorship songs as text files, I found out thats not possible. But I did find a couple of plugins that allow me to play .mp4 and .mov files in EasyWorship. That helps alot!

10 yr. reunion

2008-07-31T20:19:00.004-04:00

So, last weekend I went to my 10 yr. high school reunion. It went well. Not much to say about it. You know, the pretty girls weren't so pretty after all. Some have taken advantage of every opportunity, others have not. Many of us have kids and are a little larger than we were in high school. I did have the opportunity to play golf with my friend Scotty Dingess. He pastors the Gilbert Church of God. I shot pretty well, a 91 isn't too bad (considering I play MAYBE once every two months). Anyway, here are a few pics I've scammed off of some classmates myspace pages. Enjoy!

wednesday rewind

2008-07-23T22:19:00.002-04:00

So, I thought that since I'm doing a Sunday Wind Down, I should also do a Wednesday Rewind, seeing as I am a youth pastor and my main experience time is on Wednesday. So, here it is... my perception of Wednesday...

the food was awesome. Mary does an excellent job.
last week I was running behind and the kids started arriving early... this week was just the opposite. When we kick off oxygen, I'm gonna set a time when the doors open. I think that'll be 6.15, with the music starting at 6.45. Of course, people can eat before that.
Music could have gone a little smoother. We were minus a drummer tonight.
We had alot of people out tonight. I'll be glad when vacations are over.
I'm excited about some of the changes that we'll be making over the next few weeks. Just trying to prepare for whatever God's got planned this year.
Shared just a bit about Chapter 2. I really hope it will be a turning point for our student ministry.
Talked about how Isaiah's vision gives us a look into God's dream for our own lives and how we should respond. Good stuff. Don't think I communicated it too well, but can't blame the material.
Had a good time hanging out with a couple of friends afterward.

I've got to get my stuff together now and get ready to leave for WV tomorrow. I'm looking fwd to the 10 yr high school reunion. I'm playing golf Friday with the pastor of the Gilbert Church of God (we graduated together). He's good... I'm not so good... but it'll be a fun time.

Sunday Wind-down

2008-07-20T22:52:00.004-04:00

So, I've seen several people do these posts where they talk about their Sunday services. I thought I would join in and do one each week about Sunday and the previous week. Hopefully, it'll keep me blogging.

We had a guest worship leader this morning. He really flowed well with the music and prayer times. It was sweet.
I'm pretty tired of using EasyWorship and am fully ready to convert to ProPresenter. The only thing holding me back is the huge database of songs that I would have to convert or, more likely, retype.
It was great to see my Pastor and his wife, together, in the altar. They are a great team and it really touched me to see them minister in the altar together.
I am amazed at what God is doing in our church. I have rarely seen so many on the same page, hearing the same things from God. Call it foolish optimism, but I really believe God is going to do something amazing in Knoxville.
Ate at Qdoba with the fam. It was nice, a little chaotic, but nice.
CAT training went well. We were missing several students because of vacations, camps and various other summer activities. I really like our new theme and think the last Sunday night in August is going to be an important night.
SNOTE was also tonight. Nothing like Sonic on a humid Sunday night in East Tennessee. The Reese's Blast helped comfort the body!

the return

2008-07-19T16:21:00.003-04:00

So, I'm giving it a go again. This comes after much scorning from my friend Jamie about my lack of blogging. I hadn't given it much thought, especially since I don't find that I have very much to say, but I guess thats not really the point. Anyway, I thought I would return with an interesting story that happened on a recent missions trip to St. Louis.

So, I'm sitting at Shogun (a Japanese restaurant) with the rest of our St. Louis group. We were also there with the pastor of
St. Louis Harvest Church of God, the church we were working at. Anyway, so my cook guy starts pointing a bottle at me and yelling something that indicated he wanted me to open my mouth. Well, if you've ever been to a Japanese steak house, you know how they just throw food at you, open mouth or not. So, I opened my mouth, and he squirted this clear fluid into it, filling my mouth. He moved on to the person sitting next to me when I realized he wasn't squirting water... BUT SAKI--- JAPANESE WHISKEY!!!

Needless to say, when my church takes a missions trip, we go all out.

I'm a Regional Genius... and a little drowsy

2007-05-25T23:01:00.001-04:00

what i'm reading now

2007-03-19T22:16:00.000-04:00

sorry... i forgot to include what I am currently reading in my previous post. Granted, I could have just edited that post to include this bit of info... but, i didn't. For the past couple of months, since people started declaring for the 2008 presidential election, I have found myself intrigued by one Barak Obama. I have enjoyed listening to him speak when I've seen him on TV, and given the Christian upheaval over his "Muslim" background, I thought he would be a candidate worth checking out and reading for myself. I must say, from what I've read... I kinda like Obama. I'll be honest... I'm more than a one issue voter, which means I don't decide on a person based solely upon his/her position on abortion (this is, it seems to me, what many Christians do). I think violence is violence, whether it be unleashed on an unborn fetus, a Muslim woman living in Iraq or on the environment, and I don't know how much the difference matters to God. So, I have to pull on more than just the one issue. I'm reading Audacity of Hope. I'm only about half way through, but Obama is clearly a great communicator and writer. The book has come across genuinely sincere and very uplifting. The book really doesn't feel forced at all, but very authentic and comfortable. Even in areas where I disagree with him, Obama is still clearly respectful and gracious to those with whom he disagrees. Good stuff!

Books I've read since Christmas

2007-03-19T20:55:00.000-04:00

So... I've read several books since Christmas and I thought I would share one or two thoughts about each of them, and maybe a link to their amazon page. As Christmas approached, I was reading Living Like Jesus by Ronald Sider. It was a pretty good book. Granted, seeing as I've read Rich Christians... it all kinda sounded very familiar. Next, I started my first N.T. Wright book, Simply Christian, which was incredibly refreshing. It wasn't so much that Wright said anything that I hadn't heard or thought before, but it was one of those books that reminds you of why you are part of this story. After I finished Simply Christian, I bounced around a couple of books that I didn't finish, waiting on the release of Rob Bell's Sex God. I could have read it much faster than I did, but I just took my time and read only a chapter a day. I'm sure it would be very possible to read it in an evening, or two. If you read and enjoyed Velvet Elvis, then I would recommend that you pick this one up too. Like I said, it is a very quick read, but you may just find yourself thinking about it much longer than you actually read it. I'm actually going to use some of it in our upcoming series at church, "Superman vs. WonderWoman". I'm planning on talking about God, Girls, Guys and Relationships. Mainly, I want to address what it means to be a guy/girl... how we exist in relationships and dispel the myth of the inferior female. So... thats what I've been reading. Enjoy!

are you going to watch it?

2007-03-04T16:57:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I'm gonna watch the "Lost Tomb of Jesus" documentary on the Discover Channel tonight. I'll wait to leave my comments after watching it. Part of the turmoil is the whole "tomb" stuff... the claim that Jesus did not, in fact, rise from the dead, which is a big deal, and I don't mean to make it sound trite (sp?). But... really, this isn't "new" news/claims. John warned of such things shortly after Jesus' death and resurrection. The other part, of course, is the marriage to Mary Magdalene stuff. If you know me, then you probably know what I think about that. Its pretty much what I thought about the DaVinci Code stuff... so... we'll talk about it later, after I get to watch it.

The Oscars

2007-02-25T20:20:00.000-05:00

Well... I haven't posted in a while, and I know that if I don't post soon, then once I post, everyone will say things like "Welcome back!"... "where've ya been?"... and "good to hear from you." Well, in order to avoid that, i've decided to throw up a quick post while watching the Oscars. I'm not a big Oscars fan... I haven't had the opportunity to meet them yet, but I'm sure they are a fine group of men. They should probably invite Oscar the grouch from Sesame Street to join their team. Oscar Robertson was a great ball player. Oscar Wilde was a pretty famous author. Oscar Hammerstein II is considered one of the most important figures in the history of American musical theater. In fact, he is the only person to win an Oscar who is actually named Oscar. Oscar Mayer makes some pretty good bologna. Oscar de la Renta makes some pretty good clothes. I once went to school with a kid named Oscar... he picked his nose alot.

i've published a website

2007-02-13T00:36:00.000-05:00

just thought i would let anyone interested know that we've published a website for the student ministry. Click here to visit the website. I've purchased www.lhstudents.tv, but i don't know how to redirect or mirror yet, but i'm talking to the lad who is doind our church's website to help me do it. let me know what you think. its pretty basic, but its just iWeb.

Interesting article on church re-structure

2007-02-07T15:51:00.000-05:00

I found this article at THEOOZE and thought it was quiet interesting. He makes a very good point about the way our churches are structured and why it, in itself, creates the "20% of the people do 80% of the work" phenomenon known as church.

Classic Apple Commercial

2007-02-05T10:48:00.000-05:00

to be relevant or not to be relevant... is THAT the question?

2007-02-03T22:03:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite Rob Bell quotes is something I heard him say the other week. It goes something like this. "... relevant, by the way, if you use the word, you're probably not."
I love this quote. When I heard it, it was followed by a critique of how we do discipleship. Here's the jist of the continual, cyclical problem. We, as the church, want to reach people. So when those people finally get "saved" we immediately pull them into some sort of program (often held AT the church, or at least usually with only other church people) that takes them out of their community on a regular basis. So... we continue to discipleship them... making sure they've got all the right information so that when they go out of the church, they are ready to do ministry. Unfortunately, we have so repeatedly removed them from their community and culture, that then we must train them on how to be "relevant" to (and catch this) their own culture.

So, I had this rolling around in my head. Then I thought, do the execs at MTV sit around talking about being relevant to their audience and culture... how to make sense in the pomo world? Probably not, though I'm sure they've done quiet a bit of market research. Anyway, I thought more about MTV. You remember when MTV just played music videos... their main shows were like Yo' MTV Raps and the Headbangers Ball? In other words, they transmitted culture made by those often outside their own corporation. Others made the videos, MTV played them. Then something changed. MTV started their own programming... they started creating the culture. MTV doesn't worry about being relevant to culture because they've moved to creating culture. So where does that leave the church? I'll leave that to whoever reads this... because quiet frankly, I don't know if any of this makes sense.

What if we started over?

2007-01-27T14:33:00.000-05:00

Some have asked me to expand on the in/out discussion at Mars Hill... and I'm planning on doing that, but first I want to share a brief conversation I recently had while waiting on some food yesterday.

I was at Chic-Fil-A, which was packed by the way, with my pastor picking up some lunch. Looking around I saw that restaurant completely packed out. I wondered how many there were connected with a Jesus community... then about the same time I had two converging thoughts. The first was how could our "established" church connect them with Jesus and the second was how all the statistics say that planting a church is the most effective form of evanglesim. Then... it happened. You know, one of those moments when you say "what if..." then you have to decide whether or not you have the freedom to turn your edit button off and let your mind and heart ask. So I continued thinking... what if we started over? completely changed our mindset from that of an established/traditional/old church to that of a church plant. What would be the first thing we did? the next? the next? Continuing to roll this over in my mind... I decided to share it with my pastor, who thought it was a great idea and we spent the remainder of lunch talking about what that would/could look like. What if we tore down 2/3s of our existing sign and replaced it with a vinyl sign that just said "We're starting over." Now I know there are some inherent difficulties, some folk don't like to change, but could it happen?
So, what do you think? Is it possible for a church to start over? What would you do first? next? next? What are the difficulties, both practically and theologically? Feel free to agree or disagree...

rob bell and lex!

2007-01-23T21:56:00.000-05:00

so... I thought that a picture of Lex with Rob Bell would be about the coolest thing I could put on here, the last night of the conference. There's really too much to say about today. The morning session was awesome. RB talked about alot of the things that i've been wrestling with over the past two or so years: salvation, heaven, hell, in/out, and the end of the world as we know it. Here's how it started... if we had to answer the question "how is one 'saved'," and the only thing we had to go on was the bible (tongue in cheek), what would the answer be. Well... forty some passages later, the answer was... there would be a lot of different answers. So where did we get the formula??? well... i could keep going about that...

Tonight was even better. The theme was the absolute necessity of endlessly reclaiming your innocence. After some awesome worship time, RB gave about a 10-15 min talk preparing for about an hour plus altar service. It was beautiful. There were people being anointed with oil for healing of sickness and weariness. Some were standing under a Hebrew prayer shawl and the elders of Mars Hill were praying for them. There were communion elements around the stage and other elders served communion. And in the center of the stage was a big cross were many were just crying out. It was all.... honest. The Spirit of God was there, and we were all aware of it.

"Josh needs"

2007-01-23T12:56:00.000-05:00

Since all of my posts have been about the conference, I thought I would post something off-subject for humor sake. I did this a little over a year ago, and well... it raised a very long discussion about the use of profanity... sorry. This time, no profanity (I was only copying and pasting what was on google...); so... without further delay... Here's the January 2006 edition of "Josh needs" (copied straight from google.com)
1. Josh needs a replacement tray so his daughter can dine in NEST style.
2. Josh Needs Extra Lovin' to Keep Mind Off ScarJo.
3. Josh needs some way to let off some steam other than either insulting his staff in a thank-you speech or yelling at everyone about the numbers not lining up. (sorry)
4. JOSH NEEDS A HAIRNETT
5. Josh needs know there is a large community of supporters wishing him well, and waiting for his return. (ahh... how touching... thanks you guys)
6. Josh needs to get Bob the highest resolution available for the logo.
7. Josh: needs a new macbook pro :( (YES!!!)
8. Josh needs blood, you have the kind he needs, so your coming back with me.
9. Josh needs to know that staying far, far away from that serial skank would be in his best interest. (um... okay)
10. Josh needs to stop looking at the ridiculous plasma section and come back to cathode-ray reality. (what?!)

so... the jist is to google "____________ needs" (insert your name in the blank) and find the first 10 that are interesting or make you laugh... or you find entertaining... you get it.

After lunch

2007-01-23T07:12:00.000-05:00

Walking in after lunch, i thought i would take a couple of pictures of the outside of the old mall. Thats the YMCA on the left and Playworld on the right. In the middle is one of their main entrances. I'll take a picture of another main entrance this morning, and perhaps share it... or maybe i won't. Anyway, went to the Q&A session, and found out something that totally blew my mind. I knew that Mars had hired Don Golden to be their Lead Pastor, but I thought that was their different name for Executive Pastor (handling the business side) because RB still does most all of the teaching. Well, found out in the Q&A that DG really is the "Lead Pastor". He oversees all the ministry, casts vision, makes decisions. RB submits to his leadership. Now... when is the last time you heard of a preacher who, after drawing a big crowd of people, who say... "hey, i'm not real good at this leadership thing, thats not where God has gifted me, what if we brought in somebody to be the Lead Pastor, I would submit to their leadership, continue teaching/preaching because thats what God has gifted me to do... could that work?" Very interesting.
The student session went well. Nothing to dramatic to report. I'm just really amazed at the complete and total level of honesty that you see here. Maybe I'll include a little story in a comment.

The night service (session) was awesome. (sorry for the blurryness of the picture) RB talked about the arts of teaching, preaching and creativity. Again, awesome. I really think RB might be one of the best I've ever heard. If you've read Hope's blog then you know about the cool factor of the music. For me, the cool part was the risk factor. They said, "what if we took some old hyms and sang them over some funk music...? okay, try it." When talking about taking risks, RB said, "We have nothing to fear, because the tomb is empty" (at which point we all shouted with joy... really, not a "pentecostal whoop" but a "yeah...! all right...! whoo hoo...!). After the night session, they had a concert by "The Vigilantes" (they are an indie band who attend Mars Hill... RB gave them a big bowl as a tip jar to raise money to buy them a new van.). Hope and I would have stayed but it was getting late for Lex and 24 was coming on.

the first session: the eucharist

2007-01-22T13:13:00.000-05:00

It's lunch break for the conference. We just got out of the morning session, and let me tell you... wow, it was awesome. i don't really have a lot of time to go into it, but it was beautiful, mysterious, inspiring and downright honest. This is mainly a seminar about the local church, so the morning session looked at what is the church and why is she worth dying for. RB made a beautiful statement when he said that the church is the eucharist, broken and poured out for many. Then he proceeded to go through the NT passage either talking about the eucharist or suffering, how our power is in our weakness, and that as leaders, our mission is to be the eucharist, a gift from God broken and poured out so that others may have life. Then he went into how if you are continually pouring and breaking, then you must have a time where God puts you back together and pours into you... again, strongly showing the importance of the sabbath. It was really awesome, the whole session. Even the Q&A afterwards was cool. At one point, when talking about how he disliked "mega-church" stuff, but how God has led him(them) into this position of prominence and power, RB said that he would manipulate his platform and do whatever he could to give those who do not have a voice (the poor, the oppressed, the marginalized) a voice. He would take all the money he could get from those who had money, so he could give it away to those who don't... because God is with the oppressed. It was awesome... I wish you (whoever you are) could have been there. Well, there were plenty of other things I could talk about... and perhaps even more impactful than what I've shared here, but I need to go so I can get back to the old shopping mall (where they gather for church... they make this point often).

sunday night's gathering

2007-01-21T21:32:00.000-05:00

So I went to Mars Hill tonight. It was... really good. Not exactly what you might think a +10,000 person church might look like. First, just finding the place is a feat. I read in Velvet Elvis that when they were planting the church, RB wouldn't let them put out a sign to show people where they were located. They still don't have any signs out. I googled their address to get directions, and knew they met in an old shopping mall. I was looking for some sort of sign when I got on the road, but alas there were none. (and I hope this sounds how I want it to...) To find it... I just followed all the other cars. A bunch were turning into this parking lot, so I turned. The only signs were for a YMCA and Playhouse. I parked and noticed A LOT of people walking toward this door, so I followed them and finally saw the name Mars Hill Church on the glass door. I continued following everybody till I found a seat. Worship was a mix of music and scripture reading. I found it deeply moving, almost to the point of tears. Right after the music, RB got up and started the teaching. No frills, no hype. Just raw, straight-to-the-point stuff. The sermon was part teaching, part interview of a Mars member. Media was extremely minimal. The music and sermon were both projected on screens, but just a black background with white words. The songs were either old hymns or home-written. The band had a certain Coldplay feel, as it was very piano-driven with that soaring guitar adding to the sound. It all felt very honest. Maybe thats just me reading into it because of my own preferences. Well... its late and I have an early morning. This is the schedule for the conference. I'll try to blog as much as I can. I'm going to try to find a recorder of some sorts so I can record the sessions. We'll see how that goes.

snowy drive, notre dame and rudy

2007-01-21T16:17:00.000-05:00

So this is the scene outside our Kokomo, IN room when I woke up this morning. Mind you, there was no snow when I went to bed, around midnight. I knew this was a possibility, but oh well... we drove on anyway. I'll give it to INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation), they had the road pretty much clear by the time we left. There were times when it got slushy like in the middle, but nothing treacherous.

Stopped on the way to try to see the Notre Dame campus. I took this picture from across some large pond next to the Sacred Heart Parish Center. I had to take the picture from there because evidently you have to have some sort of pass to get on campus. Everytime we tried, there was a gate keeping us out. Oh well, it wasn't that important anyway, I just wanted a cool picture standing in front of these two buildings... this will have to do.

Needed something to eat after Notre Dame, stopped at Fazoli's in South Bend. Talked about Rudy and how South Bend didn't look that impressive (their sign going into the city says "Building a 21st Century City"). Hit the road again and got to Grand Rapids around 3:45 pm. We are trying to rest right now... well, Hope is trying and Lex is very awake. I'm blogging watching the Bears/Saints game. Mars Hill's night gathering starts @ 6:00. I'm excited. I'll post my first impressions afterwards.

this settles it!

2007-01-20T22:27:00.000-05:00

I now have direction in my life...

Your Career Personality: Original, Devoted, and Service Oriented

Your Ideal Careers:

Art director
Book editor
College professor
Composer
Film director
Graphic designer
Novelist
Stage actor
Psychiatrist
Writer

The Quick and Dirty Career Test

Mars Hill or bust!

2007-01-20T21:33:00.000-05:00

Left today heading towards Mars Hill in Grandville, MI (just outside Grand Rapids). They are hosting a two-day conference on the local church called "Isn't She Beautiful?" We are getting their early so that we can attend the 6:00 pm gathering at Mars. I'm quiet pumped about it all. Rob Bell will be speaking four times, plus two question-and-answer sessions with Don Golden, Mars Hill Lead Pastor. In addition to the general sessions, each day has several discussion/teaching times with Mars Hill leaders. During these, Hope and I are planning on swapping out Lex-watch. On Monday, I'll go to the "Mars Hill Students" discussion and Hope will go back to the hotel for nap time. On Tuesday, I'm at the hotel and Hope is in the Worship session (3,000 person choir - Worship at Mars Hill). I'm planning on blogging my experiences while up here.
The drive wasn't bad... kinda boring with all the flat, straight roads. I thought I would conclude with a picture of what I found to be incredibly fascinating. When was the last time we saw this?Thats the local gas price? What the heck?

Lex and Vertigo 2005

2007-01-19T23:21:00.000-05:00

I'm back! After a long hiatus from the blog-world, I have returned to blog again. My wife is really excited about this, as she has been telling me for quiet some time that I need to blog again. Well, I am... and what better subject matter than my son's first viewing of U2's Vertigo concert in Chicago. Lex would hardly take his eyes off the screen while Bono was on there singing. At one point, I had to switch arms while holding him, which turned his head away from the TV. He gave me an aggravated look and jerked his head back towards the TV. Granted, he probably was just turning toward the sound, but I prefer to think he was enthralled with the show. He started nodding off near the end of Sunday Bloody Sunday. I was glad we could share in this together.

Wilson Alexander Butcher

2006-09-07T22:53:00.000-04:00

Enjoy!

2006-08-17T11:52:00.000-04:00

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

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!!

2006-06-18T16:49:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-15T19:12:00.000-04:00

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

2006-05-26T08:38:00.000-04:00

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

2006-05-26T08:31:00.000-04:00

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

2006-05-01T15:24:00.000-04:00

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!!!

2006-04-28T17:24:00.000-04:00

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?

2006-04-25T09:53:00.000-04:00

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"

2006-04-24T09:51:00.000-04:00

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

2006-03-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

(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...

2006-03-20T11:21:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-03-09T15:39:00.000-05:00

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

2006-03-06T12:05:00.000-05:00

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!

2006-03-03T10:17:00.000-05:00

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!!!

2006-02-28T11:15:00.000-05:00

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!!!

2006-02-14T14:14:00.000-05:00

I'm excited!

2006-02-04T23:32:00.000-05:00

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.
.............................................

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

2006-01-13T09:33:00.000-05:00

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!

Spirituality and Play

2005-12-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

As you all know, I am reading a book on the disciplines by Dallas Willard. The first part of the book has been mostly about the importance of the role of the body in redemption. If you know me, you know how I feel about the disconnect placed upon the "spirit" and the "body". I don't make such a division, because I prefer to think of the human person as a whole being incapable of being "divided" into parts and still exist as a human person. This, I fear, is a result of the Platonic image imprinted on our worldviews in Western civilization. It has caused much harm in Christian circles, including the "I'm a spirit that has a soul that lives in a body" concept thats just irritating. This is not to mention the "immortality of the soul" idea that many western Christians have accepted. This even frustrates me in the wonderful music of U2... in Yahweh, Bono sings "take this soul, stranded in some skin and bones..." that frustrates me. Anyway, thats not the point of this post... I wander down a rabbit trail.
In the book, Willard is talking about the importance of play. He gives an analogy of the sexually frustrated pastor who runs off with the church organist because for a few days what he really wanted to do was forget about God and go play golf. Willard notes how this "shadow" aspect of the human person is holy in God's sight, even necessary to live balanced and whole. Then, Willard quotes a passage from Ecclesiastes 7.16, which I find amazingly relevant to the current discussions taking place in the comments sections of my post, "Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?"

Just some food for thought.

Roofing Business Update

2005-12-16T10:14:00.000-05:00

Things are going well with the roofing business in Gulfport. Actually, we are considering expanding and moving into New Orleans, which means alot more business. I've made my first few sales and I actually have jobs that are finished. They look good and the homeowners are really satisfied with the work that we've done. Its a completely different kind of ministry altogether. We keep our prices at fair market value and we offer to handle the insurance claim for our customers. Essentially, all they have to do is sign and we take care of the rest. I can't tell you how many homeowners have thanked us for making this hassle-free, especially after the storm. I wanted to share how this business, especially the side associated with home life, actually functions. It was recommended in a recent comment that the profits that I see in the roofing business should be opened to my community as we share all things in common. Well, to be honest, that is what happens. Hope and I currently live in an environment with 7 other people. We all buy and cook food, do our part in cleaning, and basically live life together. When you start working as an estimator, it takes a few weeks until you start seeing money flow into your wallet. It was tough and there were times that I didn't know how we would eat. Yet, it wasn't a big deal. Those in the house who have share with those don't. We all eat around 7:00 or 7:30... one large meal together. Different people cook and clean, usually. It is understood that when you can buy food, you will. If you can't, don't ask to eat my food because you already know that you don't need to ask. So... it does work. However, there are situations where it doesn't. It doesn't work when someone tries to abuse the fellowship. We had a situation where an 8th tried to abuse the community. He left... on his own. Anyway, thats about it. Hopefully the business will continue to blossom and I will get more leads and contacts, especially as we make the move into New Orleans. I've heard that it can be really dangerous there, especially if you are there after dark.

Construction, Deconstruction and beyond ...

2005-12-16T09:47:00.000-05:00

In my recent post, I offered a rant of deconstruction that some found frustrating while others seemed to more or less agree with the deconstructing rant. It was suggested that I offer some sort of constructive comments on what can/could/should/will be done about the issues that I raised. I have certain "out there" ideas that I may post in the near future. However, I would rather talk about the nature of deconstruction, and what (if anything) comes after. It seems to me that there are three phases, perhaps they cycle, perhaps not... Anyway, these three phases are construction, deconstruction and whatever lies beyond. Beginning with modernity (I know, this is not where I SHOULD begin, sorry)... beginning with modernity, we see construction. This is, in sorts, the heart of modernity. Its a very similar feel as the Tower of Babel... how can humanity construct things in order to reach/transcend God/Higher Power/disease/limitations/....? We also constucted ideas and theories about how things worked... the universe, the body, God, etc. Then, postmodernity begin questioning these constructions.... in other words, deconstruction. Nothing is left sacred, nothing is left constructed. *LARGE PARENTHETICAL COMMENT This is my fear with those of us who are trying to revision church, of which a major componennt is deconstruction. My fear is that we will stop short of total deconstruction. If you've read my thesis, this is essentially what I say the Emerging movement fails at. They, along with many others often times including ourselves... myself, hault deconstruction because the chaos and uncertainty found in the Spirit of Deconstruction is too much. We begin constructing too soon because we get uncomfortable with the deconstruction.... its hard to exist while the sands of life are slipping through your fingers... *END PARENTHETICAL COMMENT What happens next? Does anything happen next? I think so, but I don't know when or how whatever happens happens. This is only my idea... It seems to me that if you begin constructing again... like all other constructions, they will ultimately fall down and fail miserably. (Not that what I am about to propose will fair any better) However, it seems that constructions, by and large, are totally human efforts. Humans build things. What I see taking place after deconstruction is not more construction, but re-creation. Only God has the power to create, which He shares with us on ocassion. Think about our hearts. We come to God with hearts of stone, constructed as we will. We ask God to remove our hearts (deconstruct them) until nothing remains and to place in us a heart of flesh (a re-created heart). This is a promise! Yet, if we leave slivers and slices of the stone heart in place, can we even receive a heart of flesh? In other words, to join the two conversations together, if we leave some of our old visions of church and community life constructed... never allowing them to be deconstructed by the Spirit that hovered over the chaos and darkness in the beginning, how then can we fully received the re-created visions of what life/church could be?

Cool-Kidz Church

2005-12-14T13:21:00.000-05:00

I want to introduce this entry with an apology. I am about to rant. At times, it may seem incoherent, without even a complete thought. Sorry!

Can I just say that I'm tired of the Cool-Kidz church! Let me first explain what a cool-kidz church is. Really, what we are talking about here are posers. I read Brandon's entry on the Exiled Wilderness blog and it stirred my mind to thinking. Then, I went on a search for something different.... something that one could dream about.... an authentic expression of creative Christianity in the context of the denomination that I find myself most often affiliated. This is what I have discovered. Those who claim to be on the cutting edge and doing really creative things are really just taking off the JC Penny suits and replacing them with cool Express and Gap clothes, with the ocassional Old Navy item. It's not really different. You're just allowed to wear "younger-looking" clothes without feeling underdressed. Now, don't even try to pull that junk that you are dressed casual so you can connect with a wider audience. Thats bull-malarchy. Someone is going to try to say that their $150 threads from Express is going to connect with folk who have to shop at the 'Five and Dime.' Its like we've given church a makeover. Yeah, thats it exactly, almost. We've dressed our programs, music, buildings, selves in a younger garb to attract a younger audience, yet we experience the same problems. We still propagate a consumeristic christianity that seeks only what is best for "I". It is evident in contemporary Christian advertising. Its all about the uplifting messages and wonderful children's programs.... yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah. Don't even get me started on what we are doing to our kids. Anybody else concerned that (given the fact that we typically only have one large worship gathering with supplemental small groups through the week, which parents often find baby-sitters for)... anyone concerned that our children rarely, if ever, worship with their parents? If a child only worships with other children, never seeing their parents, wouldn't they naturally think that church/worship/relationship with God is for kids. Then, when they are older and not wanting to look childish, they abandon and leave. Anyway, I said don't even get me started. Back to the Express Church... its true! They are all the same. Gone are the days of poofy hair and gray suits, hello to spikey hair, director pants and poplin shirts. By the way, don't forget your belt and matching shoes.... anyway, thats all, I gotta go measure a house.

Spirit of the Disciplines

2005-12-07T09:18:00.000-05:00

I am currently reading this fine book from Dallas Willard. I don't really know much about Dallas Willard. Basically, the reason I have this book is because it was required for a Discipleship in the Local Church class I took about a year ago. I never really got around to reading it. Basically, I just skimmed through it so that I could make general comments in class and include some quotes for the paper that I wrote. I know, thats the sign of a really good student. In all fairness, I was in the middle of writing my thesis and simply did not have time to read another book. So... I've gone back to read it because... well, just because. It's really good. I'm only two chapters into it, though. I think the next chapter is "Salvation is a Life." That might make a good blog entry, or at least a fancy-shmancy title. If anyone has read this book... what did you think? Is the rest of it worth reading or should I just stop and move on to something else, because I have to have some bathroom reading material.

University of Kentucky Basketball

2005-12-06T09:11:00.000-05:00

I'm not ready to say the season is a bust. It's still early and there's a lot of basketball season to play still. But.... I must admit I'm getting nervous. I know, I know. It's probably going to be okay. Yet... let me just share a few stats. Those of you who share my affinity for UK basketball know where my frustration lies, as evident from these stats.

2005-06 Men's Basketball Roster Stats (per game)
NO PLAYER POS HT WT YR GP MIN PTS REB AST
4 Rajon Rondo G 6-1 171 So. 7 32.0 14.7 10.0 5.6
22 Patrick Sparks G 6-0 180 Sr. 7 27.1 10.7 1.4 2.7
42 Rekalin Sims F 6-8 200 Jr. 7 24.4 9.7 5.3 1.4
2 Ravi Moss G 6-2 190 Sr. 7 21.7 8.3 3.9 0.7
13 Bobby Perry F 6-6 219 Jr. 7 20.9 8.3 3.7 1.0
3 Ramel Bradley G 6-1 179 So. 7 18.1 8.0 1.9 1.6
32 Joe Crawford G 6-4 210 So. 4 16.8 5.0 2.5 1.3
23 Sheray Thomas F 6-7 230 Jr. 7 20.9 4.4 4.0 1.1
1 Brandon StocktonG 5-9 167 Sr. 3 8.7 3.7 0.0 1.3
10 Lukasz Obrzut C 7-0 270 Jr. 6 8.5 2.7 1.3 0.5
25 Adam Williams G 6-4 190 Fr. 2 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0
43 Jared Carter C 7-2 240 Fr. 6 7.0 1.5 1.7 0.0
21 Shagari Alleyne C 7-3 271 Jr. 5 8.2 1.4 2.2 0.2
12 Preston LeMaster G 6-2 188 Sr. 2 5.5 0.0 0.5
This is what I see. Our #1 rebounder is a guard, A 6'1" GUARD!!!! What does this mean???? WE HAVE NO BIG MEN AGAIN!!!! Someone, please tell me why Kentucky, one of the premier basketball schools in the nation, cannot freaking recruit quality big men to play underneath. I know, the game is changing, and has in fact changed. However, you still gotta have the big man in the middle, or, as we've seen in the last couple of seasons, it will kill you. It has been our achille's heel. That's just frustrating.

Disclaimer

2005-12-05T11:12:00.000-05:00

I started out typing a harsh response to a previous comment concerning the type of language I have chosen to use on my blog. I deleted it. I decided that to do so would be, in fact, vulgar. It would come from an attitude of revenge and anger. It would not be edifying nor uplifting of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It would be foul language, more so than any four letter word could imagine. Therefore, if I offended you, I apologize. I will continue to speak/write what I want and ask that if it offends you, simply please refrain from visiting my blog and pray that God will continue to disciple and strengthen us both.

Holy Spirit Baptism

2005-11-30T09:29:00.000-05:00

On the way back from Tennessee (after Thanksgiving) I was thinking and driving at the same time, which, ya know, is illegal and I could have been arrested. Reflecting upon an earlier conversation from the previous weekend, I started thinking about Holy Spirit baptism and a postmodern, emerging context and culture. It does seem to me that the way many in previous generations have talked about this is in very modernistic terms. Phrases like 'initial evidence' seem to denote a scientific worldview. It is an observable phenomenon which the observed does not actually have to be engaged in relationship with the subject to determine the results. In fact, the observer does not even need to know the subject in any real way in order to determine whether or not he/she has been baptized. This manner of thought seems to fly in the face of an experiential, subjective culture. One cannot know anything without being in relationship. In other words, one cannot know whether or not someone has been baptized unless they are in relationship with that person. Would it be a move towards looking and focusing more upon the fruits of the Spirit as a whole? (But wouldn't this, even, be something "observable" to label someone) Even then, the pomo culture begs the question, why do you want to know in the first place? Is it a matter of being able to establish some sort of number for stripes on a belt to show how good the preacher was or how much God was present in a meeting? Was the presence of God more manifest in a gathering where 27 people were baptized as opposed to one where only 2 (or perhaps even 0) were baptized? In other words, do we need to know to assure ourselves that God was present?

Could we (should we/can we) even think of Spirit Baptism in more communal terms, i.e. the community is baptized in the Spirit? In this manner, our thinking and speaking would become less individualistic and less focused on the individual and more communal. Just a thought.

Rules are Rules

2005-11-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

So, the Wal-Mart here in Gulfport is open and apperently everyone thinks that the rules no longer apply. Let me explain. I'm in the quick check-out, express, 10 ITEMS OR LESS line at WallyWorld trying to buy a birthday present for this 3 yr. old daughter of a guy here. Total, I have 10 items in the cart, the maximum allowed number of items for the designated lane. I feel proud about this, knowing that I have followed the rules for this line. I look in front of me (at this point I am beside the candy aisle, you fellow Wal-Martians know what I'm talking about) and there are about 5 or 6 carts that have exceeded the 10 items limit. Now, I don't really mind if someone has 11 or 12, or even 15 items while in this line, but that isn't the case here. These folks have full carts. When the lady in front of me began to ring her stuff up, I counted how many items she had. Yeah, thats right... I counted. THIRTY-THREE!!!!!!! This lady thinks it's okay to have 33 items in the 10 items or less line. What is this? Do these folk think that just because they experienced the worst natural disaster in U.S. history that anarchy has now begun? We are neart 3 months removed from the storm. I think we can restore some sort of order now. Thats just ridiculous!

Roofing Business

2005-11-12T11:14:00.000-05:00

Gulfport, MS, is an interesting town. I had the opportunity to visit the coast the other day, and I was extremely overwhelmed. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. It looks like somebody dropped a bomb on the place. Literally, nothing is standing for about a quarter to half mile inland. It is all just ruble and foundations. I had seen the coverage on the news channels, but it just doesn't convey the level of destruction that has taken place.

I found out yesterday that the average roofer is a high school dropout, which was encouraging as I know nothing at all about roofing. I am learning quickly, so I should have it all down in a week. Seriously, it isn't that hard. It comes down mainly to being able to sale someone on the company and its product. This week has been pretty slow, which I am told is not normal. We are doing soem major advertising starting next week, so they expect things to pick up quiet a bit and get real crazy. I'm looking forward to it.... the crazier it gets means the more money that will make it to my wallet!

I'm also glad to hear that some of you are enjoying my thesis. It is not in the library, yet, as I need to correct some spacing errors which were actually Staples error. I told them to use the pdf file, but apparently they printed off from the Word file, so they spacing got all screwed up. I still agree, mostly, with what I put in there; however, as I have continued reading emergent material, I have come across some things that challenge my critiques, which is encouraging. I have my own issues now with church and how it is structured, which I may share on here on another post sometime. Life in the Gulf Coast is hectic and I don't know when I can get to internet access. We are living in a single-wide trailer with another family and a single female who is getting married in December. Privacy and convenience is not always abundant. We just started thinking about possibly finding a small, one bedroom apartment to rent while we are here. We'll see how that goes.

Paradox and Irony

2005-11-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

From what I can gather, I am supposed to start this blasted thing with a post about this being my first post. Well, here it is. This is my first blog entry, though I have posted elsewhere. I am officially in the blog-community since I now have my own site. I decided to begin this now, as I am also beginning a new chapter in my life, and hopefully I can make sense of it all... or at least be able to have a record of it. We just left the Outer Banks (North Carolina) to pursue opportunities in Gulfport, MS. We (being my wife and I) were in OBX to plant an "innovative, postmodern church" with some friends of ours. Without going into too much detail, it didn't work out as we had anticipated. In a nutshell, after sharing some "out there" ideas, I was told that I couldn't find a church anywhere that did it that way, which I thought was the point of "innovative," so my 'dictator-implying' ideas were shut down faster than Virginia Tech's offense last Saturday night. So, it turned out I was wrong about the meaning of innovative. Apparently, it means doing the same things while wearing jeans and cool glasses. Once we were presented with the option of going to Miss. to join some friends in the roofing business, the decision to go wasn't very difficult. This is not to imply the 'wrongness' of anyone, simply that their vision and our vision of the church were not the same. Anyway, thats where I'm at... as close to being 'out' of the ministry as I have ever been and as sure that I am hearing God's voice as ever. How's that for paradox and irony?