OK, I admit it. I have a habit. Ebay. I'm into it. I buy. I sell. I buy and re-sell.
There. Now that I have that off my chest, I can share the most unique auction I have ever seen. An atheist auctioned his church attendance. Offered to go to church for $10 a visit. Any Chicago-area church the buyer chooses. It sold for over $500.
I've written to the winning bidder asking if he would share the rest of the story as it develops over, presumably, the next year. I'll keep you informed. I also see that the atheist will be blogging about his experience here.
Here is a link to the auction for as long as it stays up (usually 30 days after the auction ends).
Here is the basic text of the auction:
I'm a 22-year-old Atheist from Chicago. I stopped believing in God when I was 14. Currently, I am an active volunteer for a couple different national, secular organizations. For one of them, I am the editor of a newsletter that reaches over 1,000 Atheist/Agnostic college students. I have written several Letters to the Editor to newspapers in and around Chicago, espousing my Atheistic beliefs when Church/State issues arose. My point being that I don't take my non-belief lightly. However, while I don't believe in God, I firmly believe I would immediately change those views if presented with evidence to the contrary. And at 22, this is possibly the best chance anyone has of changing me.
So, here's my proposal. Everytime I come home, I pass this old Irish church. I promise to go into that church every day-- for a certain number of days-- for at least an hour each visit. For every $10 you bid, I will go to the Church for 1 day. For $50, you would have me going to mass every day for a week.
My promise: I will go willingly and with an open mind. I will not say/do anything inappropriate. I will respectfully participate in service, speak to priests, volunteer with the church if possible, do my best to learn about the religious beliefs of the church-goers, and make conversation with anyone who is willing to talk. (Though I do reserve the rights to ask the person questions about the faith.)
I will record my visits through a journal, pictures, or whatever other method of proof you'd like-- I will uphold my promise.
Will I become religious? Well, I don't know. I really do have an open mind, but no one has convinced me to change my mind so far. Then again, I have also never attended a real church service. Perhaps being around a group of people who will show me "the way" could do what no one else has done before.
If the Irish Church doesn't work for you, we'll just find some other place local to me. I'll go to any place of worship-- a Christian Church, a Catholic Church [revision: I realize a Catholic Church is a Christian Church... so let me rephrase. By Christian, I mean Protestant], a Mosque, a Synagogue, etc. They're all nearby. Makes no difference to me, but perhaps it's your faith that could change the mind of this Atheist.
I also assure you that if you bid on this, I will write an article about my experiences in the newsletter mentioned earlier. The article would reach over 1,000 college students who share my current views. Even if you don't end up changing my mind, perhaps you can change theirs.
If you have any questions about this auction, I'd be glad to answer them.
Thursday
Wednesday
Jesus Creed
I am finding so much good reading in Scot McKnight's blog. His breadth and volume of output is very impressive, and the community that is interacting with him is enriching.
The past week or two Scot has been posting on "Jesus and Homosexuality" and while he's not done, there's just so much good in there - a balance of grace and truth that hits the spot.
The past week or two Scot has been posting on "Jesus and Homosexuality" and while he's not done, there's just so much good in there - a balance of grace and truth that hits the spot.
Thursday
A Confession and Affirmation of Faith
...based on the second commandment, for our series on the commandments entitled "Experience God Now". In the series we will articulate the positive expression of each commandment:
1. Accept No Substitutes
2. Take God Seriously
3. Take regular breaks with God
4. Submit to God's Authority System
5. Affirm Life.
6. Honor God's View of Sexuality
7. Help others in Need.
8. Be an Encourager.
9. & 10. Be Content.
Summary: Pursue this relationship always.
Anyway, here's the confession / affirmation:
God, you have invited me into the brilliant reality of knowing your name,
of recognizing how separate you stand from all of your creation.
Stone, tree, fish or human –
all of these are categories of what has been made.
But you are creator.
How quickly I forget to set you apart,
how easily I fail to recognize your holiness.
In the things that I have done, or have left undone –
even in the way I think or speak of you –
I treat you as just another thing to check off my list.
But you are Holy.
Your name itself is Holy.
You are truth, purity, and life.
In your presence, in the light of all you are, I recognize my own brokenness.
Yet you do not leave me in brokenness.
You, the God who is above all creation,
came into your creation in Jesus Christ to redeem and save me.
You call me away from the irreverent use of Your name – away from those patterns that minimize the name that is above every name. You invite me to a new way of living, a life in which I can call upon your name in every trouble, praying, praising, and giving thanks to You.
Thank you for the gift of your name. Help me always to remember its holiness.
© 2006 Rick Lindholtz
1. Accept No Substitutes
2. Take God Seriously
3. Take regular breaks with God
4. Submit to God's Authority System
5. Affirm Life.
6. Honor God's View of Sexuality
7. Help others in Need.
8. Be an Encourager.
9. & 10. Be Content.
Summary: Pursue this relationship always.
Anyway, here's the confession / affirmation:
God, you have invited me into the brilliant reality of knowing your name,
of recognizing how separate you stand from all of your creation.
Stone, tree, fish or human –
all of these are categories of what has been made.
But you are creator.
How quickly I forget to set you apart,
how easily I fail to recognize your holiness.
In the things that I have done, or have left undone –
even in the way I think or speak of you –
I treat you as just another thing to check off my list.
But you are Holy.
Your name itself is Holy.
You are truth, purity, and life.
In your presence, in the light of all you are, I recognize my own brokenness.
Yet you do not leave me in brokenness.
You, the God who is above all creation,
came into your creation in Jesus Christ to redeem and save me.
You call me away from the irreverent use of Your name – away from those patterns that minimize the name that is above every name. You invite me to a new way of living, a life in which I can call upon your name in every trouble, praying, praising, and giving thanks to You.
Thank you for the gift of your name. Help me always to remember its holiness.
© 2006 Rick Lindholtz
Wednesday
Improvement today
Miles had a much better day today than he has in the past 10 days or so. 75% of his readings were within target today, no fever, no ketones. Didn't eat much, but ate. Thanks for your prayers.
Alicia and I spent the last 90 minutes watching the first 2 hours of season 5 of the show "24". I've heard a lot of talk about this show. Now I understand why. It's a pretty grip-your-throat production style. I think I'll keep watching.
Alicia and I spent the last 90 minutes watching the first 2 hours of season 5 of the show "24". I've heard a lot of talk about this show. Now I understand why. It's a pretty grip-your-throat production style. I think I'll keep watching.
Tuesday
It had to end eventually
Miles has had a seven year run of really good management of his diabetes, but the last week has been the unhealthiest he's seen since his diagnosis at age 2. He had high numbers (over 500) and ketones much of Wed thru Sat last week and finally we went to the hospital downtown to put an IV in him and rehydrate him (ketones and high numbers demand a lot of fluid to wash the toxins out of him).
Last night we were up until midnight dealing with nausea and low numbers. Today Miles is home from school - for the 4th day of 5 days. Our endo is giving us some new instructions for Miles' care.
This is one miserable little boy and a couple of exhausted parents.
Pray for Miles. And pray for a cure.
Sunday
End of the Spear -Finally out
The movie is in theatres now and it's well worth your viewing. I took the Faith and Film group to go see it on opening night, Friday the 20th. There were 14 of us in a filled theatre, 11 of whom went to Starbuck's afterwards to discuss the film.
I'm also reading the book (linked here from Brad's site so that profits will go to mission work in Guam). It's an excellent read and also well worth your time.
Thursday
Wednesday
Logo conceptual - what do you think?
This is a logo 
idea we are considering. How does it strike you? What does it suggest about the church on whose sign or literature you see the logo?
My impressions:
1. I want to move the crown down a little so that it doesn't appear to be another word. (A couple people thought it was a continuation of King, as in, perhaps, "Kingdom".
2. I want the white part of the crown to be solid white so that the cross doesn't show through the crown.
3. I'm not sure about the font. Another font might work better with the graphic.
What do you think?
idea we are considering. How does it strike you? What does it suggest about the church on whose sign or literature you see the logo?My impressions:
1. I want to move the crown down a little so that it doesn't appear to be another word. (A couple people thought it was a continuation of King, as in, perhaps, "Kingdom".
2. I want the white part of the crown to be solid white so that the cross doesn't show through the crown.
3. I'm not sure about the font. Another font might work better with the graphic.
What do you think?
Sunday
Amazon's Music clips
Lately I've bumped into a number of very nice musical clips to be found on Amazon. They are attached to certain product description pages. The first one I found was this wonderful performance of "Born to Run" by Springsteen. It's a performance from the Hammersmith Odeon in 1975, the year that Born to Run exploded and put Bruce on the covers of Time and Newsweek in the same week. It sure looked like very effective hype at the time, but Bruce has proven himself to be a lasting artist, and this performance from '75 proves what the fuss was all about. What an incredible performance. I enjoyed seeing parts of Bruce and the band's more recent Live concert DVD, until he started into his mock preaching mode, which I found offensive. Give me the 70s Bruce. This clip demonstrates what all the commotion was about.
This weekend I was pointed to this Paul McCartney performance of "Please Please Me" from his 2005 tour rehearsals. He's great as always. I love it when he digs up old material that hasn't been part of his repertoire for the last 20 years. His 2004 European tour had at least 10 first time concert performed songs, and this year's US tour had another 6 to 8 brand new appearances, including "I'll Get You", which was the b-side of "She Loves You", if memory serves. I never need to hear "Hey Jude" or "Jet" live again, but they show up on every tour, and I guess I understand why.
This weekend I was pointed to this Paul McCartney performance of "Please Please Me" from his 2005 tour rehearsals. He's great as always. I love it when he digs up old material that hasn't been part of his repertoire for the last 20 years. His 2004 European tour had at least 10 first time concert performed songs, and this year's US tour had another 6 to 8 brand new appearances, including "I'll Get You", which was the b-side of "She Loves You", if memory serves. I never need to hear "Hey Jude" or "Jet" live again, but they show up on every tour, and I guess I understand why.
Thursday
Fogo de Chao
If you live or travel near Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Washington DC or Chicago, this Brazilian Restaurant is the place to take your special someone for a memorable evening. The salad bar is really a bar of vegetable dishes - marinated asparagus spears, pepper slices or sundried tomatoes, as well as fine cheeses and more typical salad items, plus rice and black beans. But don't fill up - the meat is coming and this is really a meat-eater's restaurant - 12 different kinds of meat fire-roasted on spits and carved at your table by wandering waitstaff. You have a red and green disc for each diner. Green means bring me food; red means leave me alone for a while so I can eat. And the sides that will be brought to your table include garlic mashed potatoes, grilled polenta, cheese bread puffs and friend bananas. Incredible food; incredible decor; incredible service. Yes, it's pricey - plan to spend $50-65 per person, so for us it's an anniversary thing, the one night a year we don't look at prices on the menu (of which there are none at Fogo anyway). We shared a Flan for dessert, and the lovely former Alicia Martinez said it was the best she'd tasted (to which I carefully added "except for yours")
Movie Reviews
King Kong - too long for my tastes at 3 hours; special effects looked - well, computer-generated; several parts were too gross to watch (the giant cockroach scene in particular); but the faithfulness to the essential story of the Fay Wray classic. Much better than the mid-70s Dino de Laurentis version ("Nobody cry when Jaws die. When my Kong die, people cry.")
Good Night and Good Luck - A wonderful George Clooney film. Shot in grainy black and white to capture the 50s television feel, it's a film about Joe McCarthy, Edward R. Murrow and William F. Paley and the HUAC Communist blacklisting. The actor who plays Murrow is dead-on accurate. The story is great and fairly balanced and the jazz soundtrack featuring Diane Reeves is fabulous.
A Creed
You are the God who calls me to draw near:
Creating Father, whose fingers formed all that I see
and the things that are invisible.
You spoke and all things came to be.
My faith is in You.
You are the God who came down to save:
Jesus Christ the Son, from whose virgin-born hands
Nails drew guiltless blood –
You, who saw a morning of resurrection power,
My trust is in You.
You are the God who makes a home within my heart:
Holy Spirit, leading me into all truth
And calling me onward in faith.
You are the guarantee of all that has been promised.
My hope is in You.
Father, Son, and Spirit:
One God, in three persons.
Let my life be a canvas
On which you paint
Your masterpiece of joy and glory.
I believe in You.
Rick Lindholtz 2006
Creating Father, whose fingers formed all that I see
and the things that are invisible.
You spoke and all things came to be.
My faith is in You.
You are the God who came down to save:
Jesus Christ the Son, from whose virgin-born hands
Nails drew guiltless blood –
You, who saw a morning of resurrection power,
My trust is in You.
You are the God who makes a home within my heart:
Holy Spirit, leading me into all truth
And calling me onward in faith.
You are the guarantee of all that has been promised.
My hope is in You.
Father, Son, and Spirit:
One God, in three persons.
Let my life be a canvas
On which you paint
Your masterpiece of joy and glory.
I believe in You.
Rick Lindholtz 2006
26 years
Alicia and I walked down the aisle 26 years ago today, at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas. What an amazing journey it has been. Home has been Portland, OR; Dallas; Chicago; Eureka, CA; Davis, CA; Chicago again; Muskegon, MI; Denver, Dallas again; Lansing, MI; Kent, WA; and Kingwood TX, where we've lived for the past 7 years. That's longer than anywhere except the almost 8 years in Lansing, and longer in this house than anywhere we've lived before.
On our first anniversary, over dinner we looked back and recalled the best and worst thing about 1980. That started a pattern we continued for a long time - best and worst for every year. Over the last year or two we've had a hard time doing that - both because we have a tough time remembering each year individually, and because we have to start the litany almost before we get in the restaurant door!
In 1987 we went to a movie before our dinner, and that started a pattern as well. We almost always do movie and dinner now, and today we're going to see King Kong AND Good Night, Good Luck. We don't get to theatres for grown-up movies too often so it's a fun escape from the ordinary.
I'm thankful for the pleasure of looking back over 26 years being married to my best friend. And I'm amazed at how quickly the years have flown past, especially as I look at the kids.
On our first anniversary, over dinner we looked back and recalled the best and worst thing about 1980. That started a pattern we continued for a long time - best and worst for every year. Over the last year or two we've had a hard time doing that - both because we have a tough time remembering each year individually, and because we have to start the litany almost before we get in the restaurant door!
In 1987 we went to a movie before our dinner, and that started a pattern as well. We almost always do movie and dinner now, and today we're going to see King Kong AND Good Night, Good Luck. We don't get to theatres for grown-up movies too often so it's a fun escape from the ordinary.
I'm thankful for the pleasure of looking back over 26 years being married to my best friend. And I'm amazed at how quickly the years have flown past, especially as I look at the kids.
Top Ten Films of 2005
Here's the take as reported by two Books and Culture Contributors. How different would your list be from theirs?
I find this helpful as I am starting a "Faith and Film" study group that will be attending films in theatres (or in homes, for overlooked already-released films) and discussing how the films interface with spiritual convictions and especially Christian faith. What recent films do you think speak to the human condition and have something to say to Christians?
THE CREATIVE SPIRIT
My dear friend and mentor in the arts for more than 30 years, Byron Spradlin of Artists in Christian Testimony, has sent me a magazine by that name, produced by Belhaven College. Its contents in this issue consists of the Occasional Paper on "Redeeming the arts" published by the Lausanne Committee. I've only read a bit of it but it is very impressive.
I find this helpful as I am starting a "Faith and Film" study group that will be attending films in theatres (or in homes, for overlooked already-released films) and discussing how the films interface with spiritual convictions and especially Christian faith. What recent films do you think speak to the human condition and have something to say to Christians?
THE CREATIVE SPIRIT
My dear friend and mentor in the arts for more than 30 years, Byron Spradlin of Artists in Christian Testimony, has sent me a magazine by that name, produced by Belhaven College. Its contents in this issue consists of the Occasional Paper on "Redeeming the arts" published by the Lausanne Committee. I've only read a bit of it but it is very impressive.
End of the Spear
On January 20, the film End of the Spear opens in over 1000 theatres across the U.S.
My friend Ed Delgado and I had a private screening when we were in Tulsa in September. What an amazing film, capturing the essence of the story of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot and their three colleagues, but most importantly, capturing the true story of redemption, forgiveness, and grace.
Jim Elliot is the name most familiar to many people, notably for the quote from his journal, shown above in a scan from the journal itself. I knew the name Saint mainly because my brother lived in Saint Hall when he was at Wheaton College.
This film takes two perspectives that many people have never heard:
• the perspective of Mincaye, a member of the killing party who killed Nate Saint.
• and the perspective of Steve Saint, Nate's son. Only 5 when his father died, he followed his father to the jungles of the Waodani tribe, largely because of the influence of his aunt Rachel Saint, who had gone to live among the Waodani and teach them of Christ.
Most of the world never heard of the results:
• in a tribe judged among the most violent in history, among whom 60% of adult deaths were homicides by the spear, the killings stopped - just stopped - when the gospel came to them.
• when Rachel Saint died, the Waodani invoked a custom that requires a relative to step forward to fill the role of the deceased. They asked Steve Saint to come and live among them, representing their culture to the encroaching world. And he did. In doing so, he embraced the man who had been his father's killer.
It is an amazing story and an amazing film.
Today Steve and Mincaye are in Dallas at a premiere of the film, and a friend of mine with the production company, Every Tribe Entertainment, was going to arrange for me to meet them and interview them. But alas, the word came in this morning: media presence there is very heavy. In fact, there are some national media who couldn’t get interviews on their shows who have RSVP’ed for this one in hopes of getting interviews at the theater.
So we won't be making the drive. We'll wait for the opening night, when I will be taking a group to see the film. I hope you'll go see it on opening weekend, too.
Sunday
A New Year Begins
...and the Lindholtzes wish you well.
2005 ended very differently than I thought it would. We began the year with a strong sense that we were being prepared by God for a change - a change that eventually came, but differently than we expected. We thought it was going to be a change of location. There were several conversations - but one church decided to continue looking elsewhere, and another one, though it had much of the right stuff going for it, did have a couple things that caused me to send some not-interested signals which they picked up and we let it go. It was just afterwards that I was invited to take on a few new responsibilities and stay where I am at CTK - which was the right thing for me and the right thing for my family. In retrospect I believe the whole episode was an opportunity to trust God in a time of stress; an opportunity for myself, my wife and daughter, the chruch, and the staff. I look back over 14 months to a day when I was sure that by this time I would be gone from Kingwood, and I am happy to be exactly where I am.
What does 2006 hold for us? It's hard to say. We're hoping for a couple vacations to see family - in the Carolinas (July?) and in Mexico (March?). It may hold a chance to visit California as well, in February or March. It will provide EC and I with a Colorado trip with the CTK youth in June.
I hope that a year from today will see progress on debt retirement and savings growth. Most of all though, I am hoping that the year 2006 will be a year in which the Kingdom of God holds ever-deeper influence in my heart. May it be so for you as well.
Wednesday
A Communion text, especially for Advent and Christmas
O Come, all ye Broken
to the tune (obviously) of 'O come, all ye Faithful'
O Come, all ye broken
Hungry for salvation,
O come and receive from Christ forgiveness and grace
Come and behold Him giv'n for your salvation
O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord
Yes, Lord, we greet you
Coming to your table
Your blood shed, your body broken
All to redeem
Glory to God, all glory in the highest.
O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord
© Rick Lindholtz, 2005
to the tune (obviously) of 'O come, all ye Faithful'
O Come, all ye broken
Hungry for salvation,
O come and receive from Christ forgiveness and grace
Come and behold Him giv'n for your salvation
O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord
Yes, Lord, we greet you
Coming to your table
Your blood shed, your body broken
All to redeem
Glory to God, all glory in the highest.
O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord
© Rick Lindholtz, 2005
Monday
Diabetic Management
Diabetes invaded Miles' body over 7 years ago now, putting us on a steep learning curve. We started with shots - simple insulin therapy. But Miles was only 2 and couldn't tell us how he was feeling - which was lousy. Simple insulin therapy wasn't doing the trick and our strategy escalated to 5 shots a day with 2 different kinds of insulin. We still were not getting the control we needed. After about 20 months we swtitched to the Disetronic H-Plus Insulin pump, which greatly improved our control, since it gives Miles 480 tiny doses daily - every three minutes day and night. We also must give "bolus doses" in addition to all those "basal doses" - the boluses cover his carbohydrate intake. With the pump, Miles can eat whatever he wants, as long as it is covered by a bolus dose.
Several years back, some caring friends gave us a Palm Visor Pro PDA and accompanying hardware and software that turn it into a combination Palm Pilot/glucometer/record book. Into it we enter every blood glucose reading, every carb eaten, every amount of insulin dosed, notes on his exercise regimen, his insulin site changes, every opening of a new bottle or cartridge of insulin - everything related to his health management. Before his quarterly visit with his pediatric endocrinologist, we print up a month worth of info for Dr. Brosnan's review. (One day's worth of data is almost a full page in11 point type).
Because we have all this info and can sort and access it in various ways, we can spot trends quickly and adjust our strategy when things go wrong. We can easily identify good days and "perfect" days (blood checks 100% within the target range). They don't happen too often - 3-5 times a year.
Here's the good news: In the last 9 days Miles has had 1 perfect day and 3 almost perfect days (missing the target range just barely only once on each of those days). The result is that he now has a 7 day in-target rating of 67.7% That's unusually good! Several days back he had a three day in-target rating of over 90% - a number we have NEVER seen before.
This morning his 7-day average is 135 (the target range is 80-200, with an idealized goal-within-a-goal of 130-150), with a standard deviation of only 71 (the lower, the better).
This is all good. He feels good, and his long-term health prospects are the more hopeful when we get good control. It is an unbelievavble amount of work and emotional investment, but it is worth it. His PDA is nearing the end of its useful life and will be replaced soon, the glucometer add-on hardware is obsolete and off the market now, there's newer Palm software available (though it couldn't be too much of an improvement over what we have), his pump is off the market and about to be replaced with a newer version which we hope to get at some point in the future (since his pump was said to have a life of 5 years and it's going on 6 now) but his health is good.
Friday
Traditional Christmas - for us
CTK has a full slate on Saturday and Sunday. a 4 pm service designed for families with small children, at which I lead the music and Brian does a very interactive message. Traditional Christmas Eve services with choir and brass at 6 and 7:30, with Alicia, ElenaClaire and myself in the choir, and Brian and I doing a dramatic piece we wrote for this service; a 10:30 service that is a little more high church and includes Holy Communion. And a 10:30 AM Worship service (which is our custom EVERY CHristmas, not just those that fall on Sundays) at which I lead worship.
Since Christmas always has that heavy work component, we have a special Christmas meal at noon on Christmas Eve - and we usually have guests for dinner, which you can't do on Christmas Day since most people are with family that day.
The menu is also very traditional (for us) - Bacon-wrapped Jalapeno appetizers, Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas and beef tamales, Salad, Cranberry/Jalapeno relish, fudge, and strong coffee.
It doesn't get any better.
Since Christmas always has that heavy work component, we have a special Christmas meal at noon on Christmas Eve - and we usually have guests for dinner, which you can't do on Christmas Day since most people are with family that day.
The menu is also very traditional (for us) - Bacon-wrapped Jalapeno appetizers, Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas and beef tamales, Salad, Cranberry/Jalapeno relish, fudge, and strong coffee.
It doesn't get any better.
Thursday
Wednesday
Confession / Prayer to be a blessing to others
Heavenly Father, your love surrounds us:
A singular grace touching all our lives.
Yet so easily we live in darkness,
and we neglect the brilliance of Your love.
You pour one blessing after another
While we view the good filling up our lives
As our “good luck” or our entitlement.
You have positioned us uniquely to
extend Your blessing to those in our lives
-to our family, friends and acquaintances.
We hoard the grace you intend to be shared, while
those closest to us choke within themselves
their cries to sense Your Holy presence.
God, Forgive us for our cold distancing.
Savior, please forgive us for all our sins.
Fill us anew with your Holy Spirit.
Refresh our hearts to bless those around us,
So that we, and all people whom we touch
may rejoice in Your extravagant love.
Rick Lindholtz 2005
A singular grace touching all our lives.
Yet so easily we live in darkness,
and we neglect the brilliance of Your love.
You pour one blessing after another
While we view the good filling up our lives
As our “good luck” or our entitlement.
You have positioned us uniquely to
extend Your blessing to those in our lives
-to our family, friends and acquaintances.
We hoard the grace you intend to be shared, while
those closest to us choke within themselves
their cries to sense Your Holy presence.
God, Forgive us for our cold distancing.
Savior, please forgive us for all our sins.
Fill us anew with your Holy Spirit.
Refresh our hearts to bless those around us,
So that we, and all people whom we touch
may rejoice in Your extravagant love.
Rick Lindholtz 2005
Tuesday
To a Divorcing friend
That’s a good start. You opened the envelope. I’ll take that as a compliment. I have no particular reason to believe that my name on the return address would prompt you to do so. And from what I gather, your decisions of late have not shown a lot of good judgment, so I figure there’s a good chance that • you won’t open the envelope; or that • you’ll stop reading before the end of the letter; or that • you’ll get to the end of it and write it and me off, concluding “he doesn’t know what he’s talking about…because he doesn’t know me in the first place. Not the real me. I was hiding, faking it the whole time I knew him.”
So why write? Beats me. It’s 2 AM, I woke up thinking about you and I can’t get back to sleep is a pretty good reason. Maybe if I write this all down I can salvage a couple more hours of sleep.
I don’t buy the part about not knowing you, if you were thinking that. I’ve seen this kind of thing happen enough to know that the enemy of our souls is a deceiver. He starts by lying to the man (or woman) in question. Then he gets us to lie to ourselves. Finally he gets us to start lying to our spouse and to our children and to our friends and to the people who have held significance for us over the past. That last step is the easiest.
Some of the lies I have heard other people say are “I never loved you” (which cuts no ice because it presumes I’m too stupid or inexperienced to be able to spot a faker). or “I still love you” spoken to a spouse, which is only true if love means some vaguely sentimental feeling or some claptrap like that. (I saw her on Sunday. Love doesn’t do what I see happening to her). To paraphrase Harry Truman, that kind of love isn’t worth a bucket of warm spit. Give me the muscular, sinewy love of acting selflessly for the good of another to whom a lifetime of promises have been made. Easy? No. Worthwhile? Yes.
Yeah, the lies of Satan are pretty unoriginal. I have been known to quip that there must be a book of lines people use when they walk out on their partners, because they always say the same things.
A truer statement would be “I decided my kids need to have 2 divorces in their future”. Two, because they’ll go through this one, and then, as statistics suggest, they’ll go through their own. Just as children of suicides are more likely to attempt suicide, children of divorce are more likely to divorce or be divorced in the future. No matter their age when they watched it.
Still reading? Thank you very much. Seriously. Because the odds are as I sit here that this is our final communication. Really, when you think about it. I mean, you appear to have chosen a path, and we truly are not so close that I expect this letter to influence your next steps. So having seen it play out before, my guess is that you may or may not keep this letter even a day, but whatever you do, you’ll write me off as one of those who just don’t understand. (But I do care. I wouldn’t be up at this hour if I didn’t.)
And maybe you’re right. Maybe I don’t understand some things. But some things I do understand. For example, I do not know whether you are currently experiencing joy (not happiness, joy). You might be feeling exhilaration like someone on a roller coaster. I will tell you this – it will not last. It’s not a roller coaster, it’s just the first two hills. Then the tracks end in ruin.
But I don’t know, like I said. Exhilaration might not be your experience right now. It’s at least as likely that you’re deeply depressed and riding a guilt coaster. Figuring that you are beyond forgiveness and grace. And so as James Taylor said in the song “Secret o’ life”: “Since we’re on our way down, we might as well enjoy the ride”.
The bottom line is, I believe your life still has value and the capacity for salvage. Spiritually, that will always be true. But you have placed yourself and your marriage on a path that will move you to places cut off from the chance to restore. And there may come a day – in all likelihood there will, based on my observations – when you will wish you had taken another try. Wish someone had added one more voice to those seeking to pull you back from the destruction that lies ahead.
I care. I think you have worth, hope and a future. I don’t write you off, though you perhaps have or may be writing me off.
So when the crash does happen (as it will, if you continue) I will feel pain, because you matter to me. I believe even now the crash can be avoided.
Now or later – you can contact me. If we lose track you can always find me on Google (or whatever may have replaced it down the road). There aren’t many of us with my last name, and right now if you Google me, you’ll find me. So I close with this: May you find joy. It’s out there and it is not far from you right now. But it is not on the current track.
So why write? Beats me. It’s 2 AM, I woke up thinking about you and I can’t get back to sleep is a pretty good reason. Maybe if I write this all down I can salvage a couple more hours of sleep.
I don’t buy the part about not knowing you, if you were thinking that. I’ve seen this kind of thing happen enough to know that the enemy of our souls is a deceiver. He starts by lying to the man (or woman) in question. Then he gets us to lie to ourselves. Finally he gets us to start lying to our spouse and to our children and to our friends and to the people who have held significance for us over the past. That last step is the easiest.
Some of the lies I have heard other people say are “I never loved you” (which cuts no ice because it presumes I’m too stupid or inexperienced to be able to spot a faker). or “I still love you” spoken to a spouse, which is only true if love means some vaguely sentimental feeling or some claptrap like that. (I saw her on Sunday. Love doesn’t do what I see happening to her). To paraphrase Harry Truman, that kind of love isn’t worth a bucket of warm spit. Give me the muscular, sinewy love of acting selflessly for the good of another to whom a lifetime of promises have been made. Easy? No. Worthwhile? Yes.
Yeah, the lies of Satan are pretty unoriginal. I have been known to quip that there must be a book of lines people use when they walk out on their partners, because they always say the same things.
A truer statement would be “I decided my kids need to have 2 divorces in their future”. Two, because they’ll go through this one, and then, as statistics suggest, they’ll go through their own. Just as children of suicides are more likely to attempt suicide, children of divorce are more likely to divorce or be divorced in the future. No matter their age when they watched it.
Still reading? Thank you very much. Seriously. Because the odds are as I sit here that this is our final communication. Really, when you think about it. I mean, you appear to have chosen a path, and we truly are not so close that I expect this letter to influence your next steps. So having seen it play out before, my guess is that you may or may not keep this letter even a day, but whatever you do, you’ll write me off as one of those who just don’t understand. (But I do care. I wouldn’t be up at this hour if I didn’t.)
And maybe you’re right. Maybe I don’t understand some things. But some things I do understand. For example, I do not know whether you are currently experiencing joy (not happiness, joy). You might be feeling exhilaration like someone on a roller coaster. I will tell you this – it will not last. It’s not a roller coaster, it’s just the first two hills. Then the tracks end in ruin.
But I don’t know, like I said. Exhilaration might not be your experience right now. It’s at least as likely that you’re deeply depressed and riding a guilt coaster. Figuring that you are beyond forgiveness and grace. And so as James Taylor said in the song “Secret o’ life”: “Since we’re on our way down, we might as well enjoy the ride”.
The bottom line is, I believe your life still has value and the capacity for salvage. Spiritually, that will always be true. But you have placed yourself and your marriage on a path that will move you to places cut off from the chance to restore. And there may come a day – in all likelihood there will, based on my observations – when you will wish you had taken another try. Wish someone had added one more voice to those seeking to pull you back from the destruction that lies ahead.
I care. I think you have worth, hope and a future. I don’t write you off, though you perhaps have or may be writing me off.
So when the crash does happen (as it will, if you continue) I will feel pain, because you matter to me. I believe even now the crash can be avoided.
Now or later – you can contact me. If we lose track you can always find me on Google (or whatever may have replaced it down the road). There aren’t many of us with my last name, and right now if you Google me, you’ll find me. So I close with this: May you find joy. It’s out there and it is not far from you right now. But it is not on the current track.
Thursday
The Drama for Christmas Eve
I am having more fun with Brian, our Vicar (Student Pastor from Seminary). Like myself, he was a Fine Arts major in college and is a fine actor. Al asked us to come up with a drama that would lead into the message for three of our four Christmas Eve Services (What we came up with will not work for our Family friendly 4:00 pm service designed with small kids in mind).
We wanted to do a drama involving the shepherds, but we didn't want to give away the farm. So we workshopped the idea for about 2 hours on Tuesday morning. There was no script and still isn't, otherwise I would post it. But the basic vision involves two guys walking into a Coffee bar and talking. They've just witnessed something bizarre. There's LOTS of silence between them - the idea can be descibed in 90 seconds but it will play for 9 minutes. They are filled with questions: Does this kind of thing happen at work all the time? (No).That part about not being afraid; I was afraid (oh, you were not...really?) But the funny thing is I am not afraid any more. What does it all mean? And those words... Savior - saved? From what? From this crummy job? From Danger? And that other word - Christ? You don't really believe that that little baby is - you know - who they said he was? (I don't know). (At that point they are lost in silence again until they begin to laugh and just start laughing so hard at the very idea of it all.) One of them says "I'll tell you this much - I gotta tell someone about this". Then they recall the music they heard - how beautiful it was - how peaceful. Finally: "But seriously - do you think he could be - you know - who they said?" "Yeah."
I know that sounds hard to imagine as a 9 minute drama, but that's where we're going.
I'm hoping to videotape it and maybe even have it in a form that can be posted. I'll keep you informed.
We wanted to do a drama involving the shepherds, but we didn't want to give away the farm. So we workshopped the idea for about 2 hours on Tuesday morning. There was no script and still isn't, otherwise I would post it. But the basic vision involves two guys walking into a Coffee bar and talking. They've just witnessed something bizarre. There's LOTS of silence between them - the idea can be descibed in 90 seconds but it will play for 9 minutes. They are filled with questions: Does this kind of thing happen at work all the time? (No).That part about not being afraid; I was afraid (oh, you were not...really?) But the funny thing is I am not afraid any more. What does it all mean? And those words... Savior - saved? From what? From this crummy job? From Danger? And that other word - Christ? You don't really believe that that little baby is - you know - who they said he was? (I don't know). (At that point they are lost in silence again until they begin to laugh and just start laughing so hard at the very idea of it all.) One of them says "I'll tell you this much - I gotta tell someone about this". Then they recall the music they heard - how beautiful it was - how peaceful. Finally: "But seriously - do you think he could be - you know - who they said?" "Yeah."
I know that sounds hard to imagine as a 9 minute drama, but that's where we're going.
I'm hoping to videotape it and maybe even have it in a form that can be posted. I'll keep you informed.
Saturday
Narnia Radio Theatre
For several years I've known that a radio dramatization of all seven chronicles of Narnia was available. I've thought many times that I'd like to hear a portion and perhaps buy it.
While we were in southern California for my niece's wedding I noticed my sister had the set, and since we were driving to San Diego for Thanksgiving, I asked if we could borrow the set for the drive. We decided on the final book, The last Battle.
I was breathless. This is a must have.
Click here to see this great item on Amazon. (Linked via Brad's website, so that if you buy, some of the money goes back into ministry. One of these days Brad I'll work up sponsorship links as well.)
Friday
Baptism in The Covenant 3: Why does this discussion matter?
1. It matters to the Ministerium.
As pastors and churches communicate to their members who we are, their accuracy and clarity is important so that their members have a clear picture. This is a Ministerium issue because, in all likelihood, at some point in the future Covenant ministers will be exploring new avenues of ministry. If a local church body has not clearly understood the breadth that exists in The Covenant, its pulpit vacancy may effectively become a closed door for pastors who reflect the best qualities of Covenant freedom and openness – simply because the local church in question is not looking for a Covenant pastor, but for a pastor who holds baptism convictions in a more specific and limited way than The Covenant as a whole does. Ministerium members may find The Covenant, their own denomination, a less welcoming environment to its own pastors.
2. It matters to the Department of Church Growth and Evangelism.
Church planting is a specialized form of ministry, and I fully support the way The Department actively recruits and trains Church Planters (Incidentally, the pastor of the church whose website I have quoted is not a pastor brought in from outside The Covenant). I hope that such recruited pastors are clearly understanding and following the commitments they make in signing the policy. The danger is that churches don’t ever catch the ethos of freedom in The Covenant.
3. It matters to North Park Theological Seminary
It is still true, to the best of my knowledge, that most new pastors in The Covenant are North Park trained. And that’s a good thing, because North Park does such a good job of preparing pastors for ministry within that ethos of freedom. But if churches lose contact with that, and seek pastors with a less-open mindset they may have been taught (intentionally or not) by their previous pastors, a NPTS education may begin to have less credibility to churches seeking staff. Already there is evidence of a preference for clergy from outside The Covenant. And while I have nothing but good to say about almost all of the pastors I know who have entered Covenant ministry from outside – my own home church’s pastor and one of my most intimate friends and mentors among them – it may begin to bother NPTS graduates when they find themselves being passed over in favor of pastors from outside The Covenant.
As pastors and churches communicate to their members who we are, their accuracy and clarity is important so that their members have a clear picture. This is a Ministerium issue because, in all likelihood, at some point in the future Covenant ministers will be exploring new avenues of ministry. If a local church body has not clearly understood the breadth that exists in The Covenant, its pulpit vacancy may effectively become a closed door for pastors who reflect the best qualities of Covenant freedom and openness – simply because the local church in question is not looking for a Covenant pastor, but for a pastor who holds baptism convictions in a more specific and limited way than The Covenant as a whole does. Ministerium members may find The Covenant, their own denomination, a less welcoming environment to its own pastors.
2. It matters to the Department of Church Growth and Evangelism.
Church planting is a specialized form of ministry, and I fully support the way The Department actively recruits and trains Church Planters (Incidentally, the pastor of the church whose website I have quoted is not a pastor brought in from outside The Covenant). I hope that such recruited pastors are clearly understanding and following the commitments they make in signing the policy. The danger is that churches don’t ever catch the ethos of freedom in The Covenant.
3. It matters to North Park Theological Seminary
It is still true, to the best of my knowledge, that most new pastors in The Covenant are North Park trained. And that’s a good thing, because North Park does such a good job of preparing pastors for ministry within that ethos of freedom. But if churches lose contact with that, and seek pastors with a less-open mindset they may have been taught (intentionally or not) by their previous pastors, a NPTS education may begin to have less credibility to churches seeking staff. Already there is evidence of a preference for clergy from outside The Covenant. And while I have nothing but good to say about almost all of the pastors I know who have entered Covenant ministry from outside – my own home church’s pastor and one of my most intimate friends and mentors among them – it may begin to bother NPTS graduates when they find themselves being passed over in favor of pastors from outside The Covenant.
Baptism in The Covenant 2: A case study in how we Communicate
These comments arose from reading the website of a Covenant Church. I know the pastor, though not well, from the period when we served in the same conference. I am not seeking to criticize him, his church or his ministry, but just to explore the way in which we tell people who we are and how we practice our faith.
The website homepage links to its baptism web page with a link inviting the reader to “Get dunked! Click here to register for baptism.” My interest was caught by what sounded, to me, like “professing believer baptism only” language. I wondered: Does this church practice baptism the way its home page suggests? So I followed the link to the baptism page.
Website: “Once a person admits that he or she is a sinner and turns to Christ for salvation, the Bible says the watching world needs to know.”
1. This statement is written exclusively from a professing believer baptism perspective. And if this web page represents the pastor’s perspective, that’s OK, since “Covenant pastors may, and must hold their own convictions concerning baptism”. If it represents this local church’s perspective, and if the church’s Constitution follows the model constitution in affirming that “While the denomination has traditionally practiced the baptism of infants, in conformity with its principle of freedom it has also recognized the practice of believer baptism”, it raises the question of whether the web page reflects the Covenant character of the church.
2. Covenant Pastors commit themselves to administer both infant and professing believer baptism. Would anyone know of this pastor’s commitment from reading this Covenant Church’s web page on baptism? If not, it is a matter of concern. It’s partly a matter of honesty and full disclosure. It would be unwise in the extreme to represent a Covenant Church as though it were a church making room for professing believer baptism only, when any Covenant pastor who serves that church now or in the future must make the commitment referenced above.
Website: “Baptism has always stood as a kind of public test for people who have moved from being a unconvinced into being a believer.”
This statement just caught my attention because, first of all I am not convinced it is accurate, and certainly doesn’t seem to come out of the scriptural text at the top of the page (Acts 8:34-38). The baptism of the Ethiopian was neither public nor a test. I guess my response to the sentence comes in the form of the classic question, “Where is it written?” I took the time to go to Bible Gateway and do a keyword search on “bapt*” in the New Testament. I certainly didn’t see any public test language.
Website: Believers are those who have realized that their sin has separated them from God. They have given up all efforts to reach God through good works or religious activity. They have concluded that Jesus Christ's death on the cross for their sins is the only thing that can bridge the gap between them and God. A believer is someone who has decided to trust Christ alone for his or her salvation.
While I’ve included this whole paragraph, it was really the last sentence that caught my attention. I thought that a believer is someone who trusts Christ alone for his or her salvation. By grace we are saved through faith, Ephesians tells us – not through any decision or choice we make. Maybe it’s splitting hairs, and I’ll allow that charge to be made. But I think it is a distinction with a difference. How many people allow a decision to function as a good work or religious activity in their spiritual life? “Of course I’m saved – I went forward (or I decided, or I chose, or I prayed the prayer)?” Speaking personally, I have done all those things, and as a personal evangelism trainer and associate for The Covenant since 1991 I have taught on this topic many times. We are not secure in Christ because of what we have done. We are secure because of the grace He has given us to trust in what He has done. Isn’t that right? And if it is, shouldn’t we be careful to make sure our communication carries that message?
In the section of the page headed “Biblical Passages”, the author further articulates a perspective on baptism following faith – i.e., professing believer baptism. I’m not going to challenge the content there from a theological perspective, since The Covenant does make room for both baptismal positions.
I love the fact that, as the policy states, “The Covenant chooses to respect the biblical positions of both infant and believer baptism equally”. I deeply respect the Statement’s observation that “The new birth created a strong bond among believers that would not be broken by differences over baptism. The result was that the doctrine of the church took priority over the theology of the sacraments.” Recognizing that “infant and believer baptism are in fact mutually exclusive at critical points of theology and practice”, I am grateful to every Covenant pastor who submits to The Covenant’s policy “for the unity of the church…acting out of respect for the convictions of the people they serve”. I believe that is a perspective unique among church bodies (though certainly not exclusive to The Covenant) and that rather than letting it be hidden by its absence in a church’s public communication, it should be highlighted and honored. It’s one of the features that makes The Covenant such a wonderful body in which to do ministry.
The website homepage links to its baptism web page with a link inviting the reader to “Get dunked! Click here to register for baptism.” My interest was caught by what sounded, to me, like “professing believer baptism only” language. I wondered: Does this church practice baptism the way its home page suggests? So I followed the link to the baptism page.
Website: “Once a person admits that he or she is a sinner and turns to Christ for salvation, the Bible says the watching world needs to know.”
1. This statement is written exclusively from a professing believer baptism perspective. And if this web page represents the pastor’s perspective, that’s OK, since “Covenant pastors may, and must hold their own convictions concerning baptism”. If it represents this local church’s perspective, and if the church’s Constitution follows the model constitution in affirming that “While the denomination has traditionally practiced the baptism of infants, in conformity with its principle of freedom it has also recognized the practice of believer baptism”, it raises the question of whether the web page reflects the Covenant character of the church.
2. Covenant Pastors commit themselves to administer both infant and professing believer baptism. Would anyone know of this pastor’s commitment from reading this Covenant Church’s web page on baptism? If not, it is a matter of concern. It’s partly a matter of honesty and full disclosure. It would be unwise in the extreme to represent a Covenant Church as though it were a church making room for professing believer baptism only, when any Covenant pastor who serves that church now or in the future must make the commitment referenced above.
Website: “Baptism has always stood as a kind of public test for people who have moved from being a unconvinced into being a believer.”
This statement just caught my attention because, first of all I am not convinced it is accurate, and certainly doesn’t seem to come out of the scriptural text at the top of the page (Acts 8:34-38). The baptism of the Ethiopian was neither public nor a test. I guess my response to the sentence comes in the form of the classic question, “Where is it written?” I took the time to go to Bible Gateway and do a keyword search on “bapt*” in the New Testament. I certainly didn’t see any public test language.
Website: Believers are those who have realized that their sin has separated them from God. They have given up all efforts to reach God through good works or religious activity. They have concluded that Jesus Christ's death on the cross for their sins is the only thing that can bridge the gap between them and God. A believer is someone who has decided to trust Christ alone for his or her salvation.
While I’ve included this whole paragraph, it was really the last sentence that caught my attention. I thought that a believer is someone who trusts Christ alone for his or her salvation. By grace we are saved through faith, Ephesians tells us – not through any decision or choice we make. Maybe it’s splitting hairs, and I’ll allow that charge to be made. But I think it is a distinction with a difference. How many people allow a decision to function as a good work or religious activity in their spiritual life? “Of course I’m saved – I went forward (or I decided, or I chose, or I prayed the prayer)?” Speaking personally, I have done all those things, and as a personal evangelism trainer and associate for The Covenant since 1991 I have taught on this topic many times. We are not secure in Christ because of what we have done. We are secure because of the grace He has given us to trust in what He has done. Isn’t that right? And if it is, shouldn’t we be careful to make sure our communication carries that message?
In the section of the page headed “Biblical Passages”, the author further articulates a perspective on baptism following faith – i.e., professing believer baptism. I’m not going to challenge the content there from a theological perspective, since The Covenant does make room for both baptismal positions.
I love the fact that, as the policy states, “The Covenant chooses to respect the biblical positions of both infant and believer baptism equally”. I deeply respect the Statement’s observation that “The new birth created a strong bond among believers that would not be broken by differences over baptism. The result was that the doctrine of the church took priority over the theology of the sacraments.” Recognizing that “infant and believer baptism are in fact mutually exclusive at critical points of theology and practice”, I am grateful to every Covenant pastor who submits to The Covenant’s policy “for the unity of the church…acting out of respect for the convictions of the people they serve”. I believe that is a perspective unique among church bodies (though certainly not exclusive to The Covenant) and that rather than letting it be hidden by its absence in a church’s public communication, it should be highlighted and honored. It’s one of the features that makes The Covenant such a wonderful body in which to do ministry.
Baptism in The Covenant 1: Introduction
These are not fighting words. Let me make that much clear. I realize that peoples’ and pastors’ theologies are dearly held convictions, and to challenge their beliefs and practices is stepping where angels fear to tread. But I am not throwing rocks. Rather, I am looking at what is communicated by Covenant people, churches and pastors regarding who we are and how we live out our faith: Covenant identity and practice. And the issue that raises this series of posts is how we live out our identity in the area of baptism.
We need to start from common ground. Firstly, I am writing from a perspective of love for The Evangelical Covenant Church, and deep respect for my colleagues in ministry.
Secondly, If you are unfamiliar with the Covenant’s baptismal perspective, you’ll need to read these two documents, or else what follows will not make much sense:
Here is The Covenant’s Policy on Baptism, which every Covenant Pastor is required to sign in order to be ordained.
And here is a Statement on Baptism in The Covenant (pdf format), which explains a lot of the theology and sociology behind our policy.
MY PERSPECTIVE
I am writing from a perspective that is fairly unique in The Covenant. I am currently serve on the ministry staff of Christ the King, a Lutheran church of about 1000 people in Kingwood, Texas (suburban Houston). I am Director of Communications at CTK, a thriving and healthy contemporary church – very contemporary in the context of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod – and in fact my guess is that most Covenant people could attend CTK and feel right at home. In fact one Covenant friend visited us in Kingwood, and after worship, commented that she felt as though she had been in a Covenant Church.
I am deeply thankful for the blessing of serving this wonderful church alongside so many gifted and godly believers, both lay and ordained, on and off of the staff. But my perspective is also colored by my history. While God’s sovereign hand has led me to this place, the journey occurred through the experience of serving two Covenant Churches that were characterized by a lot of dysfunction. As a result I found myself twice pressured out of Covenant ministry. Neither church continues in ministry: The dysfunction that was present before my arrival continued after my departure and eventually closed the churches. And you need to trust me: When an ordained pastor in The Evangelical Covenant Church longs to be in pastoral ministry in The Covenant and has been led by God out of that ministry context for a season, one watches with great interest The Covenant’s doings, hopeful that some day in God’s sovereignty an opportunity might be provided to return to that context for ministry. One carries a concern about how readily re-entry to Covenant ministry can be accomplished (Indeed, there is not a little anxiety in me as I write these words and reflect on how their appearance on a public forum like my blog might impact my ability to return to Covenant ministry when God’s season for me at CTK is concluded.)
There are those Covenant pastors, of course, who do not wish to return to ministry at all, or to ministry in The Covenant. I do not write from the perspective of these friends in Christ.
While the policy states that “Covenant pastors may, and must hold their own convictions concerning baptism”, I am, as I put it in my Pastoral Profile, “sincerely, genuinely non-partisan on the issue of baptism. I am pro-baptism”. I don’t really “have a dog” in this discussion. I write in the interest of accurate and compelling communication.
As Director of Communications at CTK (Here’s what that means), among many other tasks I am responsible for website development (and am in the midst of a major re-working this week, in fact). I surf a lot of church websites. And because of my heart for The Covenant, I surf a lot of Covenant websites. And I see what appears to me to be (at least) confusing communication about who we are and how we live out our faith and commitments - specifically in the theology and practice of baptism.
In my next installment I will address the specifics of my observations.
We need to start from common ground. Firstly, I am writing from a perspective of love for The Evangelical Covenant Church, and deep respect for my colleagues in ministry.
Secondly, If you are unfamiliar with the Covenant’s baptismal perspective, you’ll need to read these two documents, or else what follows will not make much sense:
Here is The Covenant’s Policy on Baptism, which every Covenant Pastor is required to sign in order to be ordained.
And here is a Statement on Baptism in The Covenant (pdf format), which explains a lot of the theology and sociology behind our policy.
MY PERSPECTIVE
I am writing from a perspective that is fairly unique in The Covenant. I am currently serve on the ministry staff of Christ the King, a Lutheran church of about 1000 people in Kingwood, Texas (suburban Houston). I am Director of Communications at CTK, a thriving and healthy contemporary church – very contemporary in the context of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod – and in fact my guess is that most Covenant people could attend CTK and feel right at home. In fact one Covenant friend visited us in Kingwood, and after worship, commented that she felt as though she had been in a Covenant Church.
I am deeply thankful for the blessing of serving this wonderful church alongside so many gifted and godly believers, both lay and ordained, on and off of the staff. But my perspective is also colored by my history. While God’s sovereign hand has led me to this place, the journey occurred through the experience of serving two Covenant Churches that were characterized by a lot of dysfunction. As a result I found myself twice pressured out of Covenant ministry. Neither church continues in ministry: The dysfunction that was present before my arrival continued after my departure and eventually closed the churches. And you need to trust me: When an ordained pastor in The Evangelical Covenant Church longs to be in pastoral ministry in The Covenant and has been led by God out of that ministry context for a season, one watches with great interest The Covenant’s doings, hopeful that some day in God’s sovereignty an opportunity might be provided to return to that context for ministry. One carries a concern about how readily re-entry to Covenant ministry can be accomplished (Indeed, there is not a little anxiety in me as I write these words and reflect on how their appearance on a public forum like my blog might impact my ability to return to Covenant ministry when God’s season for me at CTK is concluded.)
There are those Covenant pastors, of course, who do not wish to return to ministry at all, or to ministry in The Covenant. I do not write from the perspective of these friends in Christ.
While the policy states that “Covenant pastors may, and must hold their own convictions concerning baptism”, I am, as I put it in my Pastoral Profile, “sincerely, genuinely non-partisan on the issue of baptism. I am pro-baptism”. I don’t really “have a dog” in this discussion. I write in the interest of accurate and compelling communication.
As Director of Communications at CTK (Here’s what that means), among many other tasks I am responsible for website development (and am in the midst of a major re-working this week, in fact). I surf a lot of church websites. And because of my heart for The Covenant, I surf a lot of Covenant websites. And I see what appears to me to be (at least) confusing communication about who we are and how we live out our faith and commitments - specifically in the theology and practice of baptism.
In my next installment I will address the specifics of my observations.
Monday
Scripture Collage for 10.30.05
The worship theme we've been following since late August is "The Most Excellent Way", a focus on the way of love. Sunday's text was Cor 13:5 - Love "keeps no record of wrongs." (NIV)
The service began with "Rock of Ages", then after welcome and announcements, the chorus of the song "Think about His Love":
Think about His love, Think about His goodness
Think about His grace that's brought us through
For as high as the heaven's above
So great is the measure of our Father's love,
Great is the measure of our Father's love.
Walt Harrah © 1987 Integrity's Hosanna! Music
Then we needed scripture that would move us forward in the theme of forgiveness and would also drop a hint preparing for the introduction of the new song "Better than Life":
Your love is everlasting, It's an everlasting love
Your mercy is as new as ev'ry rising of the sun
And Your lovingkindness, Lovingkindness is better than life
Your grace is all sufficient, it's an all-sufficient grace
Your power and Your glor are forever on display
And Your lovingkindness, Lovingkindness is better than life
Oh it's better, Oh better than life
Oh so much better
Jesus Your lovingkindness is better than life
Cindy Cruse-Ratcliff & Israel Houghton
c 2001 Integrity's Praise! Music My Other Publishing Company (Admin. by Integrity's Praise! Music) Lakewood Ministries Music (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.)
So after once through "Think about His love", we went into a unison reading:
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land where there is no water.
Now here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
drinking in your strength and glory.
Your love is better than life – How I praise you!
Psalm 63 – from the NIV, NLT, and Message versions - arranged by RJL
We sang "Think about His Love" again before the following reading:
It wasn't so long ago that we were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. We let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell us how to live. We all did what we felt like doing, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ.
O God, Your love is better than life – How I praise you!
Eph 2:1-5 and Psalm 63:3 – from the NIV, NLT, and Message versions
Then we sang "Better than Life" - with full rhythm section and brass.
Finally this unison reading led into "For the Lord is Good", also with an original brass arrangement:
The LORD is good. When trouble comes, he is a strong refuge. And he knows everyone who trusts in him.
Nahum 1:7 NLT
(Cho)
For the Lord is good, and His love endures forever
He's a faithful God to all generations
For the Lord is good and His mercies will not fail us
They are new each day, O lift your voice and say The Lord is good!
Great is Your faithfulness O Lord (ECHO)
Your lovingkindness fills our hearts to overflowing
Songs of rejoicing and sweet praise
They fill our hearts (ECHO)
They fill our days
(Cho)
Gary Sadler & Lynn DeShazo
c 1997 Integrity's Hosanna! Music
We have a second verse text which was written by our Senior Pastor, Al Doering:
Your love and mercy give us life
Jesus, your cross has opened up the way to Heaven
Daily we live under Your grace
You bring us hope
through all our days.
It was a very strong opening for worship.
The service began with "Rock of Ages", then after welcome and announcements, the chorus of the song "Think about His Love":
Think about His love, Think about His goodness
Think about His grace that's brought us through
For as high as the heaven's above
So great is the measure of our Father's love,
Great is the measure of our Father's love.
Walt Harrah © 1987 Integrity's Hosanna! Music
Then we needed scripture that would move us forward in the theme of forgiveness and would also drop a hint preparing for the introduction of the new song "Better than Life":
Your love is everlasting, It's an everlasting love
Your mercy is as new as ev'ry rising of the sun
And Your lovingkindness, Lovingkindness is better than life
Your grace is all sufficient, it's an all-sufficient grace
Your power and Your glor are forever on display
And Your lovingkindness, Lovingkindness is better than life
Oh it's better, Oh better than life
Oh so much better
Jesus Your lovingkindness is better than life
Cindy Cruse-Ratcliff & Israel Houghton
c 2001 Integrity's Praise! Music My Other Publishing Company (Admin. by Integrity's Praise! Music) Lakewood Ministries Music (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.)
So after once through "Think about His love", we went into a unison reading:
O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land where there is no water.
Now here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
drinking in your strength and glory.
Your love is better than life – How I praise you!
Psalm 63 – from the NIV, NLT, and Message versions - arranged by RJL
We sang "Think about His Love" again before the following reading:
It wasn't so long ago that we were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. We let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell us how to live. We all did what we felt like doing, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ.
O God, Your love is better than life – How I praise you!
Eph 2:1-5 and Psalm 63:3 – from the NIV, NLT, and Message versions
Then we sang "Better than Life" - with full rhythm section and brass.
Finally this unison reading led into "For the Lord is Good", also with an original brass arrangement:
The LORD is good. When trouble comes, he is a strong refuge. And he knows everyone who trusts in him.
Nahum 1:7 NLT
(Cho)
For the Lord is good, and His love endures forever
He's a faithful God to all generations
For the Lord is good and His mercies will not fail us
They are new each day, O lift your voice and say The Lord is good!
Great is Your faithfulness O Lord (ECHO)
Your lovingkindness fills our hearts to overflowing
Songs of rejoicing and sweet praise
They fill our hearts (ECHO)
They fill our days
(Cho)
Gary Sadler & Lynn DeShazo
c 1997 Integrity's Hosanna! Music
We have a second verse text which was written by our Senior Pastor, Al Doering:
Your love and mercy give us life
Jesus, your cross has opened up the way to Heaven
Daily we live under Your grace
You bring us hope
through all our days.
It was a very strong opening for worship.
Sunday
Bravo for this essay on Halloween!
It's great to hear someone offer a balanced perspective on a topic that routinely gets well-meaning believers worked up over an unnecessary concern.
Excerpts:
It has become routine in October for some Christian schools to send out letters warning parents about the evils of Halloween, and it has become equally routine for me to be asked questions about this matter.
"Halloween" is simply a contraction for All Hallows' Eve. The word "hallow" means "saint," in that "hallow" is just an alternative form of the word "holy" ("hallowed be Thy name"). All Saints' Day is November 1. It is the celebration of the victory of the saints in union with Christ.
and
What is the means by which the demonic realm is vanquished? In a word: mockery. Satan's great sin (and our great sin) is pride. Thus, to drive Satan from us we ridicule him.
..."He who sits in the heavens laughs; Yahweh ridicules them" says Psalm 2. Let us join in His holy laughter, and mock the enemies of Christ on October 31.
Read more... (via)
Excerpts:
It has become routine in October for some Christian schools to send out letters warning parents about the evils of Halloween, and it has become equally routine for me to be asked questions about this matter.
"Halloween" is simply a contraction for All Hallows' Eve. The word "hallow" means "saint," in that "hallow" is just an alternative form of the word "holy" ("hallowed be Thy name"). All Saints' Day is November 1. It is the celebration of the victory of the saints in union with Christ.
and
What is the means by which the demonic realm is vanquished? In a word: mockery. Satan's great sin (and our great sin) is pride. Thus, to drive Satan from us we ridicule him.
..."He who sits in the heavens laughs; Yahweh ridicules them" says Psalm 2. Let us join in His holy laughter, and mock the enemies of Christ on October 31.
Read more... (via)
Scripture Collage
We often assemble what we call "scriptural collages" that are used in worship - sometimes spoken in unison, sometimes responsively between one or more leaders and the congregation.
This week we wanted a series of passages emphasizing grace and forgiveness to seamlessly join two songs: Phil Baquie's "God of Mercy" and the choral song "Mercy's embrace". So I knew I wanted to begin and end with mercy. Here's the final cut:
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. 2 Cor 1:3
He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. Eph 1:7
All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. Is 53:6
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1
All the prophets testify … that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. Acts 10:43
He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5
This week we wanted a series of passages emphasizing grace and forgiveness to seamlessly join two songs: Phil Baquie's "God of Mercy" and the choral song "Mercy's embrace". So I knew I wanted to begin and end with mercy. Here's the final cut:
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. 2 Cor 1:3
He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. Eph 1:7
All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. Is 53:6
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1
All the prophets testify … that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. Acts 10:43
He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5
Monday
Monday Morning: All Narnia
Narnia: The Pressure is Insane
So says Walden Media President Micheal Flaherty, who's feeling the heat to get The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe exactly right. But Flaherty promises audiences a "fantastic, faithful adaptation."
Read More...
The Lion, the Witch, the Faithful
"This is a huge roll of the dice for Disney and Walden," said "Narnia" producer Mark Johnson. "But the payoff could be enormous."
Walt Disney Studios is hoping that the same kind of church-based campaign that helped turn "The Passion of the Christ" into a blockbuster will convert C.S. Lewis' children's classic "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" into a big-screen franchise — with "Lion King"-sized profits.
Read more...
How to Tell if The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a Christian Film (from Time.com)
Whether four sentences from the C.S. Lewis book make it onto the big screen will make a big difference
By DAVID VAN BIEMA
The White Witch: "That human creature is mine. His life is forfeit to me. His blood is my property."
Aslan (later) : "The Witch knew the Deep Magic. But if she could have looked a little further back... she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards." from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
Earlier this month, Disney ran the first test screening of its December release, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe in a California theater. The existence of a screenable print constitutes a kind of opening bell for two questions regarding its content.The answer to the first, "Is it any good as a movie?" will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Disney and its co-producer, Walden Media and will only be known later this year when the box office comes in.
The second, more intriguing question, "Has it reproduced the Christian character of C.S. Lewis's book?" could also be worth tens of millions if it inspires Passion of the Christ-style repeat viewings by conservative Christians. And the answer could lie in whether the four sentences above, which constitute a kind of evangelical sniff test make it into the film. (A Disney spokesperson said that since he had not attended the screening and that there is not yet a final cut, he could not verify whether it contains the lines, but promised that "the movie is going to be as faithful to the book as possible.")
Lewis always insisted that his seven Narnia books were not a point-by- point Christian allegory. Much of The Lion, the Witch owes more to English folktales or Norse and classical myth than to the New Testament. The passage of the four Pevensie children through the magic closet into a world laboring under a spell of eternal winter is not Christian, nor are the cruel white witch, talking animals, centaurs, and even a duo of Roman gods who inhabit it. True, the description of the redeeming figure of the lion Aslan as "the Son the Great Emperor-Beyond-the- Sea" is a big hint. But even Aslan's sacrifice on a huge stone table (not a cross; and performed with a stone knife, Aztec-style), and his subsequent miraculous recovery could have been borrowed from any number of world religions.
It is the book's explanation for this key sequence that makes it exclusively Christian. After Edmund Pevensie betrays Aslan and his brother and sisters, the Witch claims his blood in accordance to the laws of "Deep Magic." Aslan concedes this and offers himself up in proxy, announcing glumly, "I have settled the claim on your brother's blood." Miraculously revived, he explains, "the Witch knew the Deep Magic. But if she could have looked a little further back... she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards."
This is Christianity in a kid-lit veil. Like any good sermon, its key points can be traced to Biblical citations here mostly from the Letters of the apostle Paul. Edmund's treachery corresponds to the sins of humanity, which Paul explains is inherently doomed to violate God's Law ("The Deep Magic"). Because of this violation, writes Paul in Romans, humans are literally owned by Satan ("slaves of the one whom you obey"); and "the wages of sin is death." The idea that Aslan, because he is sinless, can voluntarily pay for Edmund's blood with his own, is the powerful Christian doctrine of blood atonement, developed from texts like the First Letter of Peter: "You know that you were ransomed... with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." Like Christ's, Aslan's resurrection is inevitable ("If Christ has not been raised, then ... our faith is in vain," Paul writes in First Corinthians.) And it conquers not just his death (or as Aslan would say, causes it to move backwards) but that of all believers, who will also see resurrection. Paul rejoices: "Death is swallowed up in victory... O death, where is thy sting?"
In The Lion, Aslan and Lucy Pevensie celebrate with a "mad" game of tag. Gibson's The Passion of the Christ magnified one fraction of the Atonement/Resurrection storyChrist's suffering into a two hour movie. By contrast, Lewis packed the two huge ideas into a few lines at the brief hinge moment of his plot. But the same electric current than charged The Passion runs through them. What the Lion's filmmakers do with the charming storytelling that surrounds them is theologically optional. But if these key ideas are muddled, the film may be a classic, but never a Christian classic. And its revenues, large as they may be, will reflect that.
So says Walden Media President Micheal Flaherty, who's feeling the heat to get The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe exactly right. But Flaherty promises audiences a "fantastic, faithful adaptation."
Read More...
The Lion, the Witch, the Faithful
"This is a huge roll of the dice for Disney and Walden," said "Narnia" producer Mark Johnson. "But the payoff could be enormous."
Walt Disney Studios is hoping that the same kind of church-based campaign that helped turn "The Passion of the Christ" into a blockbuster will convert C.S. Lewis' children's classic "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" into a big-screen franchise — with "Lion King"-sized profits.
Read more...
How to Tell if The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a Christian Film (from Time.com)
Whether four sentences from the C.S. Lewis book make it onto the big screen will make a big difference
By DAVID VAN BIEMA
The White Witch: "That human creature is mine. His life is forfeit to me. His blood is my property."
Aslan (later) : "The Witch knew the Deep Magic. But if she could have looked a little further back... she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards." from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
Earlier this month, Disney ran the first test screening of its December release, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe in a California theater. The existence of a screenable print constitutes a kind of opening bell for two questions regarding its content.The answer to the first, "Is it any good as a movie?" will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Disney and its co-producer, Walden Media and will only be known later this year when the box office comes in.
The second, more intriguing question, "Has it reproduced the Christian character of C.S. Lewis's book?" could also be worth tens of millions if it inspires Passion of the Christ-style repeat viewings by conservative Christians. And the answer could lie in whether the four sentences above, which constitute a kind of evangelical sniff test make it into the film. (A Disney spokesperson said that since he had not attended the screening and that there is not yet a final cut, he could not verify whether it contains the lines, but promised that "the movie is going to be as faithful to the book as possible.")
Lewis always insisted that his seven Narnia books were not a point-by- point Christian allegory. Much of The Lion, the Witch owes more to English folktales or Norse and classical myth than to the New Testament. The passage of the four Pevensie children through the magic closet into a world laboring under a spell of eternal winter is not Christian, nor are the cruel white witch, talking animals, centaurs, and even a duo of Roman gods who inhabit it. True, the description of the redeeming figure of the lion Aslan as "the Son the Great Emperor-Beyond-the- Sea" is a big hint. But even Aslan's sacrifice on a huge stone table (not a cross; and performed with a stone knife, Aztec-style), and his subsequent miraculous recovery could have been borrowed from any number of world religions.
It is the book's explanation for this key sequence that makes it exclusively Christian. After Edmund Pevensie betrays Aslan and his brother and sisters, the Witch claims his blood in accordance to the laws of "Deep Magic." Aslan concedes this and offers himself up in proxy, announcing glumly, "I have settled the claim on your brother's blood." Miraculously revived, he explains, "the Witch knew the Deep Magic. But if she could have looked a little further back... she would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards."
This is Christianity in a kid-lit veil. Like any good sermon, its key points can be traced to Biblical citations here mostly from the Letters of the apostle Paul. Edmund's treachery corresponds to the sins of humanity, which Paul explains is inherently doomed to violate God's Law ("The Deep Magic"). Because of this violation, writes Paul in Romans, humans are literally owned by Satan ("slaves of the one whom you obey"); and "the wages of sin is death." The idea that Aslan, because he is sinless, can voluntarily pay for Edmund's blood with his own, is the powerful Christian doctrine of blood atonement, developed from texts like the First Letter of Peter: "You know that you were ransomed... with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." Like Christ's, Aslan's resurrection is inevitable ("If Christ has not been raised, then ... our faith is in vain," Paul writes in First Corinthians.) And it conquers not just his death (or as Aslan would say, causes it to move backwards) but that of all believers, who will also see resurrection. Paul rejoices: "Death is swallowed up in victory... O death, where is thy sting?"
In The Lion, Aslan and Lucy Pevensie celebrate with a "mad" game of tag. Gibson's The Passion of the Christ magnified one fraction of the Atonement/Resurrection storyChrist's suffering into a two hour movie. By contrast, Lewis packed the two huge ideas into a few lines at the brief hinge moment of his plot. But the same electric current than charged The Passion runs through them. What the Lion's filmmakers do with the charming storytelling that surrounds them is theologically optional. But if these key ideas are muddled, the film may be a classic, but never a Christian classic. And its revenues, large as they may be, will reflect that.
Saturday
Yes, I'm still here
It's been a fairly busy week, y'all. 10 days ago we learned that a person I've known for over 6 years but strictly through a couple of Christian e-mail discussion groups was evacuated from her southeast Texas home, and that she and her friend were on the verge of leaving the home in northeast Texas where they were holed up. They needed a place to stay and yet had nowhere to go. They were looking west towards Tyler, TX. Because she anticipated being offline for an unknown period of time and did not want to be utterly out of contact or un-locatable, she gave the friend's cell phone number.
We read the post and knew we were being tapped by God to provide lodging for these two friends. And so it was that 9 days ago our house became a home to 2 more people.
It has been a fascinating journey. Of particular note and satisfaction has been watching this man re-discover faith. He showed up 9 days ago with a haunted, hunted kind of look. I have just watched as God has softened his heart and re-made a home there. We've had several conversations and I have spent a lot of time just listening and asking open-ended, leading questions. And God is moving in this guy's heart.
They have connected with the local AA folks since they are both recovering alcoholics. They have attended church and feel a strong attraction to it. They've secured an apartment through the local AA connections here but now need to fill it with furnishings as wide as pots, pans and dishes, couch, table, chairs, beds, dressers. Unfortunately, Rita and Trina before her have nearly emptied out the pool of available resources like that. Our friends will probably go to southeast Texas to salvage what they can from their previous home. (If you are so inclined you are welcome to make a donation towards their needs sent to CTK.)
There is much God has yet to do in their lives - as there is in mine or yours - but it has been very satisfying to see God use our few loaves and fishes' worth of ministry efforts to impact these two lives.
We read the post and knew we were being tapped by God to provide lodging for these two friends. And so it was that 9 days ago our house became a home to 2 more people.
It has been a fascinating journey. Of particular note and satisfaction has been watching this man re-discover faith. He showed up 9 days ago with a haunted, hunted kind of look. I have just watched as God has softened his heart and re-made a home there. We've had several conversations and I have spent a lot of time just listening and asking open-ended, leading questions. And God is moving in this guy's heart.
They have connected with the local AA folks since they are both recovering alcoholics. They have attended church and feel a strong attraction to it. They've secured an apartment through the local AA connections here but now need to fill it with furnishings as wide as pots, pans and dishes, couch, table, chairs, beds, dressers. Unfortunately, Rita and Trina before her have nearly emptied out the pool of available resources like that. Our friends will probably go to southeast Texas to salvage what they can from their previous home. (If you are so inclined you are welcome to make a donation towards their needs sent to CTK.)
There is much God has yet to do in their lives - as there is in mine or yours - but it has been very satisfying to see God use our few loaves and fishes' worth of ministry efforts to impact these two lives.
Monday
Evacuee Report 2
We are very blessed, both in the track of the storm which avoided Kingwood, in the reports that other than some branches down, our home is fine, and in the place God arranged in advance for us to land. Though it took a long time to get here on Wednesday and Thursday, we are in a wonderful place. Tulsa is a lovely town, Redeemer Covenant is a really great church full of wonderful people, and Jim and Debbie Consedine couldn't be nicer hosts.
The "Bringing my World to Christ" seminar is going very well - we wrap up tonight - and it has been a treat to share this weekend with Ed Delgado, the Covenant's new Director of Evangelism and Prayer. Ed is here to observe and learn how evangelism has been taught in The Covenant over the last 15 years as he strategizes for the future.
And - as if we need icing on this cake - a church member has made connections and arrangements for Ed and me to have a private screening of the soon to be released film (January 2006) "End of the Spear". Here is a link to the trailer. Long-time readers of this blog know how passionate I am about this film. (See posts on 3/17 and 8/12).
The "Bringing my World to Christ" seminar is going very well - we wrap up tonight - and it has been a treat to share this weekend with Ed Delgado, the Covenant's new Director of Evangelism and Prayer. Ed is here to observe and learn how evangelism has been taught in The Covenant over the last 15 years as he strategizes for the future.
And - as if we need icing on this cake - a church member has made connections and arrangements for Ed and me to have a private screening of the soon to be released film (January 2006) "End of the Spear". Here is a link to the trailer. Long-time readers of this blog know how passionate I am about this film. (See posts on 3/17 and 8/12).
Thursday
Evacuee Report 1
If you made the trip or know someone who did, or even if you just saw the freeway shots from Houston, then you know what it was: 50 miles in 5 hours before we were able to break onto a minor road and off the main freeways. We left at 11:15 pm and were bumper to bumper the main part of 5 hours to Livingston TX. Then we cut off and went to Onalaska and turned towards Trinity, Palestine and Athens. By 10 AM we were in the Dallas environs. The whole experience gave me some compassion for the whole refugee experience world-wide and more recently out of Katrina's wake.
It was like the Runaway Scrape all over again.
As I drove into Oklahoma today I had the music of Rogers and Hammerstein in my head - but more authentically, the music of Woody Guthrie (as I learned it from a Michael Parks LP called "Closing the Gap" in the late 60s or early 70s:
Many years have come and gone
Since I wandered from my home
In those Oklahoma hills where I was born.
Many a page of life I've turned,
Many a lesson I have learned;
And I find that in those hills I do belong.
'Way down yonder in the Indian Nation
Ridin' my pony on the reservation,
Oklahoma hills where I was born.
'Way down yonder in the Indian Nation,
A cowboy's life is my occupation,
Oklahoma hills where I was born.
It was like the Runaway Scrape all over again.
As I drove into Oklahoma today I had the music of Rogers and Hammerstein in my head - but more authentically, the music of Woody Guthrie (as I learned it from a Michael Parks LP called "Closing the Gap" in the late 60s or early 70s:
Many years have come and gone
Since I wandered from my home
In those Oklahoma hills where I was born.
Many a page of life I've turned,
Many a lesson I have learned;
And I find that in those hills I do belong.
'Way down yonder in the Indian Nation
Ridin' my pony on the reservation,
Oklahoma hills where I was born.
'Way down yonder in the Indian Nation,
A cowboy's life is my occupation,
Oklahoma hills where I was born.
Wednesday
Here we go...
OK, readers, my family and I are about to become hurricane evacuees. I'm leaving work in a few minutes and we anticipate driving north to Tulsa around 10 pm or midnight tonight. Pray for us; pray for our home and region; and pray for our church. I'll check in with you from Tulsa.
Rita Update #2
The plan now is that the kids and Alicia are coming to Tulsa with me. We're leaving Thursday and since I'll be teaching through Monday evening, the earliest we can come back is Tuesday. Humble ISD has cancelled school Thursday and Friday. I've set up a blog called CTK RITA to communcate with our church members and friends the impact this is all having on our church calendar and schedule.
Tuesday
...and now, Rita...
...and I don't mean the lovely meter maid.
Rita's anticipated to be cat 4 when she makes landfall. As luck would have it, I will be in Tulsa for a weekend teaching evangelism at Redeemer Covenant, accompanied by the new Director of Prayer and Evangelism, Ed Delgado. But Alicia and the kiddos are making plans to evacuate to Dallas for the weekend.
Rita's anticipated to be cat 4 when she makes landfall. As luck would have it, I will be in Tulsa for a weekend teaching evangelism at Redeemer Covenant, accompanied by the new Director of Prayer and Evangelism, Ed Delgado. But Alicia and the kiddos are making plans to evacuate to Dallas for the weekend.
Thursday
John Mark Reynolds on yesterday's pledge ruling
Excerpt:
I will not swear absolute allegiance to the state. I view the "under God" clause as making the same point as the Declaration of Independence. It limits more than it affirms. My rights do not come from the state. They come from the Creator. The state cannot take away what it did not give. My allegiance to the state is qualified. My obedience will be limited by the laws of Nature and of Nature's God.
Read more...
I will not swear absolute allegiance to the state. I view the "under God" clause as making the same point as the Declaration of Independence. It limits more than it affirms. My rights do not come from the state. They come from the Creator. The state cannot take away what it did not give. My allegiance to the state is qualified. My obedience will be limited by the laws of Nature and of Nature's God.
Read more...
Wednesday
Three27
This post's title comes from Proverbs 3:27 - a verse Alicia and I memorized almost 20 years ago.
"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it."
We've always understood that verse as a call to all kinds of good, including the giving of public thanks to those who have in many different ways given to and blessed us.
When my dear friend and mentor Jim Russell finished his earthly race 2 weeks ago today, I wrote a post remembering him and how his faith and love had blessed me over the last 19 years. Since then I have missed him and wished for one more chance to verbalize my appreciation one last time. I especially missed Jim when Jerry and Michaella sent me a copy of the worship folder from the Memorial Service, and again when I read Terry Mattingly's column about Jim.
I had been thinking this past week, perhaps I should dedicate a few blog posts to talking about the other people who have had the most significant impact in my life.
So I've started a new blog called three27.blogspot.com to honor and give thanks for those people through whom God's greatest blessings have flowed to me.
"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it."
We've always understood that verse as a call to all kinds of good, including the giving of public thanks to those who have in many different ways given to and blessed us.
When my dear friend and mentor Jim Russell finished his earthly race 2 weeks ago today, I wrote a post remembering him and how his faith and love had blessed me over the last 19 years. Since then I have missed him and wished for one more chance to verbalize my appreciation one last time. I especially missed Jim when Jerry and Michaella sent me a copy of the worship folder from the Memorial Service, and again when I read Terry Mattingly's column about Jim.
I had been thinking this past week, perhaps I should dedicate a few blog posts to talking about the other people who have had the most significant impact in my life.
So I've started a new blog called three27.blogspot.com to honor and give thanks for those people through whom God's greatest blessings have flowed to me.
Tuesday
Offspring of the Passion
Excerpts:
"I think religion or spirituality in the modern era tends to be treated almost the way sex was treated in the 1950s: If you just watched our movies, you wouldn't even know it's part of our culture, and I wanted to write something that wasn't propaganda, wasn't trying to persuade people to think the way that I do, but to recognize the fundamental importance of those essential questions: Does the spiritual realm exist? Is there a Devil, and more importantly, Is there a God, and if so, what are the implications of that? I don't care what you believe, those are questions tobe reckoned with."
. . . . . .
"I think if you go all the way back to Augustine via Plato, there's always been a sort of antipathy in the Church toward the arts, a fear or suspicion, and I think that much of the hostility between Hollywood and Christian audiences has been more on the side of Christian audiences than it has on Hollywood's."
Read more...
"I think religion or spirituality in the modern era tends to be treated almost the way sex was treated in the 1950s: If you just watched our movies, you wouldn't even know it's part of our culture, and I wanted to write something that wasn't propaganda, wasn't trying to persuade people to think the way that I do, but to recognize the fundamental importance of those essential questions: Does the spiritual realm exist? Is there a Devil, and more importantly, Is there a God, and if so, what are the implications of that? I don't care what you believe, those are questions tobe reckoned with."
. . . . . .
"I think if you go all the way back to Augustine via Plato, there's always been a sort of antipathy in the Church toward the arts, a fear or suspicion, and I think that much of the hostility between Hollywood and Christian audiences has been more on the side of Christian audiences than it has on Hollywood's."
Read more...
Sunday
Sunday Notes
• Mark Senechal has discerned God's voice calling him to remain at CTK. All of us are thankful.
• The Dateline NBC filming went well on Friday night. Watch for it on Monday evening. There was a follow up to the content of the Friday night interview, which I am sure will be aired along with it - it's a happy ending and we all need to hear one of those.
• The brother of Darryl, who is part of the family interviewed by Dateline, has a houseful of displaced friends. Danny and his wife moved here from NOLA only 2 months ago. There are 17 under their roof. 3 of those families decided to rent the house across the street. So yesterday was a day of helping them connect with people who have beds, appliances and furniture.
• I am taking to heart the wise counsel of my friend Paul Knight, pastor of Hope Covenant in Grand Forks, ND, where floods and fire ravaged the town back in 1997. Paul wrote:
I would also encourage you all to pray for the relief workers and pastors. I absolutely loved the ministry going on during the flood and afterward. I was reveling in the adrenaline and hopefully some the power of the Holy Spirit. God was clearly giving us opportunity. However, about 1 1/2 later I nearly crashed my ministry and spiritual life -- I did not take care of my heart or spirit. A fatique so deep set into my life that I didn't care about anything........... My counselor walked me through deep waters. A disaster of this magnitude is a long-term opportunity for recovery -- where the pastors and workers will need to drink deeply from the fresh waters of the Holy Spirit.
Good Words. Thanks, Paul. As I said to him in a note yesterday:
You probably remember the addictive rush that one gets when in the thick of this kind of ministry. Friday and Saturday are my days off and between them I worked more hours than I want to admit. At CTK we track our hours and are careful to take comp days, but still, it is important to be reminded of how we sometimes try to save the world and lose our soul. Thanks for calling me back.
• The Dateline NBC filming went well on Friday night. Watch for it on Monday evening. There was a follow up to the content of the Friday night interview, which I am sure will be aired along with it - it's a happy ending and we all need to hear one of those.
• The brother of Darryl, who is part of the family interviewed by Dateline, has a houseful of displaced friends. Danny and his wife moved here from NOLA only 2 months ago. There are 17 under their roof. 3 of those families decided to rent the house across the street. So yesterday was a day of helping them connect with people who have beds, appliances and furniture.
• I am taking to heart the wise counsel of my friend Paul Knight, pastor of Hope Covenant in Grand Forks, ND, where floods and fire ravaged the town back in 1997. Paul wrote:
I would also encourage you all to pray for the relief workers and pastors. I absolutely loved the ministry going on during the flood and afterward. I was reveling in the adrenaline and hopefully some the power of the Holy Spirit. God was clearly giving us opportunity. However, about 1 1/2 later I nearly crashed my ministry and spiritual life -- I did not take care of my heart or spirit. A fatique so deep set into my life that I didn't care about anything........... My counselor walked me through deep waters. A disaster of this magnitude is a long-term opportunity for recovery -- where the pastors and workers will need to drink deeply from the fresh waters of the Holy Spirit.
Good Words. Thanks, Paul. As I said to him in a note yesterday:
You probably remember the addictive rush that one gets when in the thick of this kind of ministry. Friday and Saturday are my days off and between them I worked more hours than I want to admit. At CTK we track our hours and are careful to take comp days, but still, it is important to be reminded of how we sometimes try to save the world and lose our soul. Thanks for calling me back.
Friday
Getting Intense
I had hoped to be in Michigan by this time, to remember and give thanks for my friend Jim. But it could be I was supposed to be here to keep efforts moving on Hurricane relief.
Things are ramping up as people realize what a huge challenge lies before Houston in caring for the people displaced by Katrina. This situation is going to get bigger faster and stay here longer than anyone can imagine, and it is taking a while for infrastructure to get in place. I suspect we will all be doing ministry 2 weeks from now bigger than we can imagine ourselves doing now.
A CTK family will be featured on Dateline NBC Monday evening. The producer just left and the filming will occur here tonight.
Keep checking the church website for our most comprehensive news.
Things are ramping up as people realize what a huge challenge lies before Houston in caring for the people displaced by Katrina. This situation is going to get bigger faster and stay here longer than anyone can imagine, and it is taking a while for infrastructure to get in place. I suspect we will all be doing ministry 2 weeks from now bigger than we can imagine ourselves doing now.
A CTK family will be featured on Dateline NBC Monday evening. The producer just left and the filming will occur here tonight.
Keep checking the church website for our most comprehensive news.
Thursday
CTK Responds to Katrina
Please see the CTK website to learn what is happening in Houston as we repsond to the Hurricane Katrina situation and thousands of displaced families. There may even be a way you can help, wherever you are.
Wednesday
Crossing the finish line
About 5 years ago I wrote an annotated list of the dozen most influential men in my life. Among their number was Jim Russell. Jim crossed the finish line earlier today and was welcomed in the embrace of his master Jesus. For him I rejoice; but for all of us who knew him well, he will leave a large whole in our lives and hearts.
Jim had been a Marine in his younger years and later settled in Lansing, MI where he worked in sales for years before establishing RBF Inc. nearly 40 years ago. RBF was and is an extraordinarily strong Business Forms company and formed the foundation for remarkable success and financial rewards for Jim. But his greatest influence (other than his 57 year marriage to Phyllis and their five children) was the way his faith in Christ found expression through the AMY Foundation. Named for their youngest daughter, a beautiful young woman with Downs Syndrome, the AMY Foundation became first a vehicle to support missions work and Bible Education, then to become the sponsor of the AMY Foundation Writing Awards program, which rapidly became the largest and most popular writing awards program in American journalism - and also the largest cash award in journalism prizes. First place winners take home the top $10,000 of a pool of $34,000 in awards given to writers who present the biblical perspective in issues facing the world today. Writers like Cal Thomas and Richard John Neuhaus are counted among the top prize winners.
After the AMY Writing Awards, Jim went on to establish the Church Writing Group Movement and the Pen and Sword Newsletter for writers, the book "Awakening the Giant" (Zondervan, 1996) and the AMY Pastor Awards. I was blessed to be counted among the 15 recipients of the AMY Pastor Award.
Jim was the first person I met from Bretton Woods Covenant Church in Lansing. A member of the search committee, he was going to be out of town in Dallas the weekend I visited to candidate at BWCC, and since I lived in Dallas at the time, we arranged to meet for dinner.
The man I met that evening was gentle and soft-spoken, but filled with the Holy Spirit and passionate about impacting the nation and world for Christ. How often he and I shared breakfasts at Pat's Pantry, where I would be the recipient of his love and wisdom for a solid hour. How generously he shared his wisdom and insight with me. How affirming he was of my ministry.
In the 12 years since I left Lansing, Jim and I stayed in touch several times a year - but now I wish we'd spoken more. Whenever I communicated with Jim, be it by phone or e-mail, I walked away feeling loved, valued, and significant - and a little bit stronger in my faith.
Heaven is the wealthier today and earth the poorer. But we will meet again.
Jim had been a Marine in his younger years and later settled in Lansing, MI where he worked in sales for years before establishing RBF Inc. nearly 40 years ago. RBF was and is an extraordinarily strong Business Forms company and formed the foundation for remarkable success and financial rewards for Jim. But his greatest influence (other than his 57 year marriage to Phyllis and their five children) was the way his faith in Christ found expression through the AMY Foundation. Named for their youngest daughter, a beautiful young woman with Downs Syndrome, the AMY Foundation became first a vehicle to support missions work and Bible Education, then to become the sponsor of the AMY Foundation Writing Awards program, which rapidly became the largest and most popular writing awards program in American journalism - and also the largest cash award in journalism prizes. First place winners take home the top $10,000 of a pool of $34,000 in awards given to writers who present the biblical perspective in issues facing the world today. Writers like Cal Thomas and Richard John Neuhaus are counted among the top prize winners.
After the AMY Writing Awards, Jim went on to establish the Church Writing Group Movement and the Pen and Sword Newsletter for writers, the book "Awakening the Giant" (Zondervan, 1996) and the AMY Pastor Awards. I was blessed to be counted among the 15 recipients of the AMY Pastor Award.
Jim was the first person I met from Bretton Woods Covenant Church in Lansing. A member of the search committee, he was going to be out of town in Dallas the weekend I visited to candidate at BWCC, and since I lived in Dallas at the time, we arranged to meet for dinner.
The man I met that evening was gentle and soft-spoken, but filled with the Holy Spirit and passionate about impacting the nation and world for Christ. How often he and I shared breakfasts at Pat's Pantry, where I would be the recipient of his love and wisdom for a solid hour. How generously he shared his wisdom and insight with me. How affirming he was of my ministry.
In the 12 years since I left Lansing, Jim and I stayed in touch several times a year - but now I wish we'd spoken more. Whenever I communicated with Jim, be it by phone or e-mail, I walked away feeling loved, valued, and significant - and a little bit stronger in my faith.
Heaven is the wealthier today and earth the poorer. But we will meet again.
Responding to Katrina
Christ the King is becoming a responder to the Hurricane, and I am the staff liaison. There are huge needs in Houston - all the folks who were in the Superdome are coming to the Astrodome and there are already thousands of displaced families here. We will be hosting families here on site as well as coordinating other needs.
The biggest need we have is for cards that can be redeemed at grocery stores (Kroger is probably the only national chain here - other Texas stores are Randall's and HEB), gas stations and Wal-Marts. If you'd like to help, you can mail those cards to:
Hurricane Relief
Christ the King
3803 W Lake Houston Parkway
Kingwood TX 77339
attn Rick
The biggest need we have is for cards that can be redeemed at grocery stores (Kroger is probably the only national chain here - other Texas stores are Randall's and HEB), gas stations and Wal-Marts. If you'd like to help, you can mail those cards to:
Hurricane Relief
Christ the King
3803 W Lake Houston Parkway
Kingwood TX 77339
attn Rick
Tuesday
A Passion for the call of God
I am so impressed with the way this body goes about discerning the call of God. Here's a church in Illinois that is seeking a Director of Worship. After several calls to a guy who clearly says "I'm not interested in moving, thank you", they finally ask "Will you at least consent to a phone interview?". He agrees to this and they have a profitable conversation.
Then this gutsy search committee decides sight unseen, having never heard his voice lead worship nor his other ministry skills in action, knowing him only by reputation and over the phone, decides to recommend him to the church board - who then recommend him to the congregation - who then vote to extend a call to him sight unseen.
He now senses that this may in fact be God's hand and makes plans to go meet the church and spend a weekend with them. And in his heart a stirring is awakened for some of what he has learned about them, which is in some ways reinforced during his visit.
Meanwhile back home here, the day after his return, a meeting is planned here - but not a meeting to persuade him to stay, though that is the obvious desire of every person attending. Instead it is a prayer meeting focused on God's majesty and greatness, the calling power of the Holy Spirit, and the need for workers in the Lord's field.
There is an understanding of the sovreignty of God and a yieldedness to His will. There is none of this nonsense about a church professional being an employee. There is such a sense of health here that I have never experienced before. It gives me hope.
I have placed my desires before the Lord. But I am fully at peace regartding the outcome.
Then this gutsy search committee decides sight unseen, having never heard his voice lead worship nor his other ministry skills in action, knowing him only by reputation and over the phone, decides to recommend him to the church board - who then recommend him to the congregation - who then vote to extend a call to him sight unseen.
He now senses that this may in fact be God's hand and makes plans to go meet the church and spend a weekend with them. And in his heart a stirring is awakened for some of what he has learned about them, which is in some ways reinforced during his visit.
Meanwhile back home here, the day after his return, a meeting is planned here - but not a meeting to persuade him to stay, though that is the obvious desire of every person attending. Instead it is a prayer meeting focused on God's majesty and greatness, the calling power of the Holy Spirit, and the need for workers in the Lord's field.
There is an understanding of the sovreignty of God and a yieldedness to His will. There is none of this nonsense about a church professional being an employee. There is such a sense of health here that I have never experienced before. It gives me hope.
I have placed my desires before the Lord. But I am fully at peace regartding the outcome.
Thursday
Created to be Connected
Christ the King's vision statement is:
Christ the King is a caring community of believers who connect others to life in Jesus Christ.
That idea of "connection" plays a central role for us in everything we do - which is why, for example, our personal evangelism emphasis is re-named "Connecting my World to Christ".
In this weekend's service, the congregation will confess our sins using language that reinforces this connection idea. I don't remember exactly when I wrote these words, but I am pretty sure it was within the last year:
God, you created me for connection.
Connection with you.
Connection with others.
You knew that being connected
would bring me joy,
would bless others,
would glorify your name.
But I spend too much of my life in isolation.
I turn from your invitation to know and trust you.
I turn from opportunities to care for and serve others.
I turn to the self-serving patterns that I have been taught by this sinful world.
In this place, in this moment, Lord,
I am longing to turn back to you.
In the name of Jesus, Forgive my sin and my selfishness. Turn my heart.
Re-connect me to your grace.
Re-connect me to others around me.
Re-connect me to the power of your Holy Spirit,
Who can hold me secure in your love.
Amen.
Christ the King is a caring community of believers who connect others to life in Jesus Christ.
That idea of "connection" plays a central role for us in everything we do - which is why, for example, our personal evangelism emphasis is re-named "Connecting my World to Christ".
In this weekend's service, the congregation will confess our sins using language that reinforces this connection idea. I don't remember exactly when I wrote these words, but I am pretty sure it was within the last year:
God, you created me for connection.
Connection with you.
Connection with others.
You knew that being connected
would bring me joy,
would bless others,
would glorify your name.
But I spend too much of my life in isolation.
I turn from your invitation to know and trust you.
I turn from opportunities to care for and serve others.
I turn to the self-serving patterns that I have been taught by this sinful world.
In this place, in this moment, Lord,
I am longing to turn back to you.
In the name of Jesus, Forgive my sin and my selfishness. Turn my heart.
Re-connect me to your grace.
Re-connect me to others around me.
Re-connect me to the power of your Holy Spirit,
Who can hold me secure in your love.
Amen.
Wednesday
The Way
I am leading worship this weekend as Mark goes up to Decatur to meet the church that has extended a call to him without ever even meeting him. We're introducing Paul Baloche's song "The Way". Give it a listen. Leadworship.com has charts for it.
We're also using Bob Stromberg's song "Lord you are Here". On CCLI I discovered a second and third verse. I have made tiny lyrical alterations for our weekend's emphasis, but here are the words:
Lord You are here, So near in this place
The warmth of Your presence, the fragrance of grace,
We breathe it like the air around us,
We love to feel Your love surround us.
Surely we know Your promise is true:
When we meet in Your name, We gather with You.
Holy, Holy Spirit, Hear our praise
Chorus:
Holy, holy, Only You are holy, Hallelujah.
Holy, holy, Holy Spirit hear our praise.
Lord, when You're here, Our hearts tell us so:
Your deep peace descending, Your love that we know,
We're silenced By this grace we're under,
We stand amazed In childlike wonder.
Surely we know Your promise is true:
When we meet in Your name, We gather with You.
Holy, Holy Spirit, Hear our praise.
Chorus
Lord, welcome here. Flow down from above,
A river of glory, An ocean of love,
Like desert sands, Our souls are thirsting;
Come Fill our hearts Till springs are bursting.
Praise to Your name; Praise shore to shore;
Praise in the highest; Praise evermore;
Holy, Holy Spirit, Hear our praise.
Chorus
Bob Stromberg © 2000 Stream Mountain Music
We're also using Bob Stromberg's song "Lord you are Here". On CCLI I discovered a second and third verse. I have made tiny lyrical alterations for our weekend's emphasis, but here are the words:
Lord You are here, So near in this place
The warmth of Your presence, the fragrance of grace,
We breathe it like the air around us,
We love to feel Your love surround us.
Surely we know Your promise is true:
When we meet in Your name, We gather with You.
Holy, Holy Spirit, Hear our praise
Chorus:
Holy, holy, Only You are holy, Hallelujah.
Holy, holy, Holy Spirit hear our praise.
Lord, when You're here, Our hearts tell us so:
Your deep peace descending, Your love that we know,
We're silenced By this grace we're under,
We stand amazed In childlike wonder.
Surely we know Your promise is true:
When we meet in Your name, We gather with You.
Holy, Holy Spirit, Hear our praise.
Chorus
Lord, welcome here. Flow down from above,
A river of glory, An ocean of love,
Like desert sands, Our souls are thirsting;
Come Fill our hearts Till springs are bursting.
Praise to Your name; Praise shore to shore;
Praise in the highest; Praise evermore;
Holy, Holy Spirit, Hear our praise.
Chorus
Bob Stromberg © 2000 Stream Mountain Music
The Campus Confession Booth - MUST READ
Two Excerpts:
I said we should build a confession booth in the middle of campus and paint a sign on it that said "Confess your sins." I said this because I knew a lot of people would be sinning, and Christian spirituality begins by confessing our sins and repenting. I also said it as a joke. But Tony thought it was brilliant. He sat there on my couch with his mind in the clouds, and he was scaring the crap out of me because, for a second, then for a minute, I actually believed he wanted to do it.
. . .
"Okay, you guys." Tony gathered everybody's attention. "Here's the catch." He leaned in a little. "We are not actually going to accept confessions." We all looked at him in confusion.
He continued, "We are going to confess to them.
Read more...
I said we should build a confession booth in the middle of campus and paint a sign on it that said "Confess your sins." I said this because I knew a lot of people would be sinning, and Christian spirituality begins by confessing our sins and repenting. I also said it as a joke. But Tony thought it was brilliant. He sat there on my couch with his mind in the clouds, and he was scaring the crap out of me because, for a second, then for a minute, I actually believed he wanted to do it.
. . .
"Okay, you guys." Tony gathered everybody's attention. "Here's the catch." He leaned in a little. "We are not actually going to accept confessions." We all looked at him in confusion.
He continued, "We are going to confess to them.
Read more...
Monday
Bubba Theology
That's how one of my friends referred to the dramatic piece I did on Sunday with Brian, our new student pastor. Like myself, Brian has a Bachelor's in Fine Arts and a strong background in Theatre Arts. (He was also born in Sacramento, though a few years later than myself).
The morning's focus was that God created us to love, and that's the main idea behind "the image of God". Al suggested a drama about misunderstanding the image of God and thinking it was about how we look. He said "Give Brian a spot in it". So I roughed the idea in for Brian and said "Let this brew for a couple hours and then we'll go into the Worship Center and improv our way through it." And I don't think I've ever worked with someone who was able to do that so well. We had a real synergy thing going and never actually wrote a script. We played these 2 good ol' boys on the porch drinking orange pop and talking about the image of God. "Does he have a nose? Does he have eyes, arms, legs, a belly button?" Finally he brings up Psalm 92 and its references to taking shelter under God's wings, and my character waxes long and theologically, but doesn't have a clue what he's talking about.
Throughout the drama we waved to friends driving past in their pickup trucks, with the refrain "Is that a new truck?" "Nope, same old truck" "Hmmm. must've washed it". And then synchronized drinks from our bottles of orange drink.
Finally at the end when he says "You don't know what you're talking about, do you?", I reply "Nope. Not a clue. I only know one thing: I'm gonna go wash my truck."
Al and Mark followed up on this so sensitively. Al had prepared a series of screens with scenery and scripture verses connecting "image of God" and "love". And Mark played a beautiful George Winston-ish piano underneath it.
It was beautiful. The humor opened hearts right up, and the music and screens gently reached down and taught a biblical truth.
I wish I had an audio recording to link to, but we had a CD recorder crash. I am ordering a new CD recorder today.
The morning's focus was that God created us to love, and that's the main idea behind "the image of God". Al suggested a drama about misunderstanding the image of God and thinking it was about how we look. He said "Give Brian a spot in it". So I roughed the idea in for Brian and said "Let this brew for a couple hours and then we'll go into the Worship Center and improv our way through it." And I don't think I've ever worked with someone who was able to do that so well. We had a real synergy thing going and never actually wrote a script. We played these 2 good ol' boys on the porch drinking orange pop and talking about the image of God. "Does he have a nose? Does he have eyes, arms, legs, a belly button?" Finally he brings up Psalm 92 and its references to taking shelter under God's wings, and my character waxes long and theologically, but doesn't have a clue what he's talking about.
Throughout the drama we waved to friends driving past in their pickup trucks, with the refrain "Is that a new truck?" "Nope, same old truck" "Hmmm. must've washed it". And then synchronized drinks from our bottles of orange drink.
Finally at the end when he says "You don't know what you're talking about, do you?", I reply "Nope. Not a clue. I only know one thing: I'm gonna go wash my truck."
Al and Mark followed up on this so sensitively. Al had prepared a series of screens with scenery and scripture verses connecting "image of God" and "love". And Mark played a beautiful George Winston-ish piano underneath it.
It was beautiful. The humor opened hearts right up, and the music and screens gently reached down and taught a biblical truth.
I wish I had an audio recording to link to, but we had a CD recorder crash. I am ordering a new CD recorder today.
Thursday
Forever
We're always playing with tweaking of lyrics around here. Al just sent this e-mail regarding the song "Forever":
Give thanks to the Lord our God and King His love endures forever.
For He is good He is above all things, His love endures forever.
Sing Praise. Sing Praise.
Sing Praise. Sing Praise.
Forever God is faithful, forever God is strong, forever God is with us, forever….
© 2001 Chris Tomlin, worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Al wrote:
I started playing with a Christ centered verse...
He saved us through His only Son.
His love endures forever.
Through His cross, it’s all been done.
His love endures forever.
-----
It is fun working in a place where people are always thinking creatively.
(And for those who say "It is not legal to rewrite the words of a song currently under copyright without the author's permission", I'll just say "relax". At least one nationally recognized composer of Contemporary worship music, when I shared our Christmas season verse to his song, replied "Hey, I do that all the time too, in my church". We can't, won't ever release it on a CD and I'll never make any money off it, but we're just tweaking stuff to make it a good fit here at CTK. Let's face it, some current worship music never even mentions Jesus (and "Forever" by Tomlin, as great a song as it is, is one of those.) And others have lousy poetry or lousy theology.
Give thanks to the Lord our God and King His love endures forever.
For He is good He is above all things, His love endures forever.
Sing Praise. Sing Praise.
Sing Praise. Sing Praise.
Forever God is faithful, forever God is strong, forever God is with us, forever….
© 2001 Chris Tomlin, worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Al wrote:
I started playing with a Christ centered verse...
He saved us through His only Son.
His love endures forever.
Through His cross, it’s all been done.
His love endures forever.
-----
It is fun working in a place where people are always thinking creatively.
(And for those who say "It is not legal to rewrite the words of a song currently under copyright without the author's permission", I'll just say "relax". At least one nationally recognized composer of Contemporary worship music, when I shared our Christmas season verse to his song, replied "Hey, I do that all the time too, in my church". We can't, won't ever release it on a CD and I'll never make any money off it, but we're just tweaking stuff to make it a good fit here at CTK. Let's face it, some current worship music never even mentions Jesus (and "Forever" by Tomlin, as great a song as it is, is one of those.) And others have lousy poetry or lousy theology.
Tuesday
You are cordially invited...
to visit the Miles for Miles website. Our friends especially will enjoy the family photo that will greet you there. Miles for Miles is about my 8 year old son's life with insulin-dependent diabetes.
Monday
Painting as art, performance, and worship leadership
It's a convergence of painting, performance art, and worship leadership. I am so impressed with what I see here. We are looking for an opportunity to incorporate similar ideas in an upcoming Sunday morning worship.
ArtWorship
The Jesus Painter
ArtWorship
The Jesus Painter
All Cultures are not equal
Here's a cross-reference to the blog I compile for the International Association of Artists in Christian Testimony. David Brook's essay from the NY Times is worth your reading.
International Association of Artists in Christian Testimony: All Cultures are not equal
International Association of Artists in Christian Testimony: All Cultures are not equal
Friday
End of the Spear
I continue to anticipate with great hope the January release of the film "End of the Spear", the film dramatizing the story of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youdarian, Pete Fleming, and Ed McCully. These 5 missionaries were killed in January, 1956 by the tribe then known as the Auca Indians of Ecuador.
The film has been produced by Every Tribe Entertainment, who also made the documentary "Beyond the Gates of Splendor". The story itself has captivated me since I was a small child.
This morning my brother Tom sent me a ten year old article written by Steve Saint, son of Nate Saint. In the article, written in observance of the 40 year anniversary of his father's death, Steve tells the story as he had only recently heard it in 1995 - the story from the perspective of the men and women who were part of the killing party.
Here is a link to the Word document. It is truly an amazing story of grace and redemption worthy of your reading.
Another spin on calls
I'm not ready to compose an essay on the challenges of pastoral calls in my ordaining body, but there's an interesting thing happening in my present body.
In the last year, two staff members here at CTK have received calls without even having visited the church extending the call or expressed a serious interest in making a move in general, or to the calling church in particular.
In both cases, an initial phone call was rebuffed; a second phone call was received and not encouraged; in a 3rd phone call they were asked and acquiesced to a phone interview with the committee; the interview took place; and without any more contact, the committee recommended the person to the church leadership who approved the extension of a call; then the congregation voted in favor of the call - all without having met face to face.
The first time this happened, the staff person flew out for a visit, having already told the committee "There's a bush in my backyard. If it is on fire without being consumed, that will get my attention, but that's about what it would take". And in fact he did not accept the call.
Now my very good friend and colleague is in the position of considering a call he did not pursue. But there is enough respect for the fact that the Holy Spirit can work through such machinations that he is willing to explore the possibility that this may be God's voice.
I pray that God will make His plan clear for my buddy and his wife. I know what my personal hope is.
In the last year, two staff members here at CTK have received calls without even having visited the church extending the call or expressed a serious interest in making a move in general, or to the calling church in particular.
In both cases, an initial phone call was rebuffed; a second phone call was received and not encouraged; in a 3rd phone call they were asked and acquiesced to a phone interview with the committee; the interview took place; and without any more contact, the committee recommended the person to the church leadership who approved the extension of a call; then the congregation voted in favor of the call - all without having met face to face.
The first time this happened, the staff person flew out for a visit, having already told the committee "There's a bush in my backyard. If it is on fire without being consumed, that will get my attention, but that's about what it would take". And in fact he did not accept the call.
Now my very good friend and colleague is in the position of considering a call he did not pursue. But there is enough respect for the fact that the Holy Spirit can work through such machinations that he is willing to explore the possibility that this may be God's voice.
I pray that God will make His plan clear for my buddy and his wife. I know what my personal hope is.
It's gonna be a great weekend
I'm excited about the weekend (our final days before school starts on Aug 15). Our new pastoral intern or vicar from seminary, Brian West, will be installed at both morning services. At 11:00 we will celebrate the ordination of Andy Whaley, son of Jim and Lynn, an awesome couple here at CTK. Andy is the first "son of the congregation" to be ordained.
I will be conducting the men's choir - once or twice a year we'll get a group of 40 or so men together and do Promise Keepers type worship music - on two songs, and playing in the band on another two songs the men lead. Here's an excerpt of one of the songs entitled "For Your Glory". I'll also be doing a dramatic monologue of the passage from Luke 8 about the sower and the seeds - using the Message paraphrase.
I will be conducting the men's choir - once or twice a year we'll get a group of 40 or so men together and do Promise Keepers type worship music - on two songs, and playing in the band on another two songs the men lead. Here's an excerpt of one of the songs entitled "For Your Glory". I'll also be doing a dramatic monologue of the passage from Luke 8 about the sower and the seeds - using the Message paraphrase.
Thursday
Barna invites you to Narnia
Dear Colleague,
As you may know, last year The Barna Group expanded its work beyond providing research to developing a variety of tools for life-transformation.
We expanded our efforts because our studies show that we are having less influence on Americans today than most of us would like to believe. We discovered in our research that the dominant sources of influence in ourculture today are headed by movies, TV and music. We committed ourselves to helping harness the power of those media without forfeiting the truths we believe can change lives.
One way is by giving people opportunities to see and discuss significant films. Over the years, outstanding movies like Ben Hur, Chariots of Fire and The Passion of the Christ have captivated millions of Americans from all walks of life. Many other films might have had significant influence onpeoples lives as well, but they got lost in the everyday shuffle. Unfortunately, there has not been an organized and intentional means of making sure that outstanding movies receive the attention they deserve.
That's why I am excited to introduce BarnaFilms Preview Night to you. We want to make sure that some of these wonderful films get discovered and enjoyed by families before they are lost in the endless stream of high-profile, low-concept movies filling theaters. Beginning this December we will be offering a BarnaFilms Preview Night each quarter to give everyone an opportunity to screen a new film that we believe will educate, entertain and inspire our souls. We will hold these previews in selected movie theaters around the United States.
On December 8, BarnaFilms Preview Night is pleased to offer tickets to an advance screening of Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media's production of the classic C.S. Lewis Story, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. This will be the first in our on-going series of quarterly previews.Today I invite you and your friends to join me, and millions of other people across the country, on Thursday, December 8 in viewing this magnificent movie. Because you have been connected to our organization through seminars, updates and other resources, I am giving you a full week to get your order in before we begin to formally announce BarnaFilmsPreview Night across the country. Since seating in selected theaters will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and we expect huge interest in this event, I wanted to be sure that you have every opportunity to consider purchasing tickets.
Go to www.barnapreview.com to request tickets. Reserve your tickets early and be among the first to experience this wonderful film.
I'll see you December 8 at the movies. George Barna
As you may know, last year The Barna Group expanded its work beyond providing research to developing a variety of tools for life-transformation.
We expanded our efforts because our studies show that we are having less influence on Americans today than most of us would like to believe. We discovered in our research that the dominant sources of influence in ourculture today are headed by movies, TV and music. We committed ourselves to helping harness the power of those media without forfeiting the truths we believe can change lives.
One way is by giving people opportunities to see and discuss significant films. Over the years, outstanding movies like Ben Hur, Chariots of Fire and The Passion of the Christ have captivated millions of Americans from all walks of life. Many other films might have had significant influence onpeoples lives as well, but they got lost in the everyday shuffle. Unfortunately, there has not been an organized and intentional means of making sure that outstanding movies receive the attention they deserve.
That's why I am excited to introduce BarnaFilms Preview Night to you. We want to make sure that some of these wonderful films get discovered and enjoyed by families before they are lost in the endless stream of high-profile, low-concept movies filling theaters. Beginning this December we will be offering a BarnaFilms Preview Night each quarter to give everyone an opportunity to screen a new film that we believe will educate, entertain and inspire our souls. We will hold these previews in selected movie theaters around the United States.
On December 8, BarnaFilms Preview Night is pleased to offer tickets to an advance screening of Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media's production of the classic C.S. Lewis Story, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. This will be the first in our on-going series of quarterly previews.Today I invite you and your friends to join me, and millions of other people across the country, on Thursday, December 8 in viewing this magnificent movie. Because you have been connected to our organization through seminars, updates and other resources, I am giving you a full week to get your order in before we begin to formally announce BarnaFilmsPreview Night across the country. Since seating in selected theaters will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and we expect huge interest in this event, I wanted to be sure that you have every opportunity to consider purchasing tickets.
Go to www.barnapreview.com to request tickets. Reserve your tickets early and be among the first to experience this wonderful film.
I'll see you December 8 at the movies. George Barna
Tuesday
On the Tracks goes into the Jury Box
I spent the day serving as a juror in a criminal case - allegations of aggravated assault. A truly sad situation. Today was day one and by its end the defendant was found guilty of aggravated assault (the only other option was simple assault - the defense didn't deny that this man had done the deed). A week ago I didn't even know the difference between plain assault and the aggravated variety.
It was bearable if you approached it as you would a fine dramatic presentation. But I think I am glad I decided against law school back in 1980.
It was bearable if you approached it as you would a fine dramatic presentation. But I think I am glad I decided against law school back in 1980.
A minor change
With regrets, I am limiting comments to registered users. I'd rather keep it open to all, but I'm getting spam marketing comments.
If you would like to comment and are not registered at blogger, please go here.
If you would like to comment and are not registered at blogger, please go here.
Monday
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” Phil. 1:21
With something else on my mind today, I turned and found comfort in this excerpt from "A Heart Set Free: 40 Days in Philippians", the devotional guide I helped author in 2004 for our home-grown follow-up to "40 Days of Purpose".
From where do I derive significance in my life?
My Financial World, the concerns of cash flow, bills, investments, debt, charitable giving, and savings?
My Working World, the development of my “career path”; my present job and my activities to create a future more to my liking?
My Relational World, my marriage, my children, my family of brothers, sisters, parents, etc.; friendships with people I know in the community or at work or school, and those living farther away?
My Home World, crafting my “personal environment” to be a peaceful place of comfort where I can rest, relax, and satisfy my “creature comforts”?
My Intellectual World, the books, magazines, films, television, music and other media that I use to stimulate my thoughts and ideas?
My Thought World, that inner realm unknown to all but God and myself, where my own satisfaction is all consuming?
My Spiritual World, consisting of nothing other than my relationship to God through faith in Jesus?
Let’s be candid: With a heading like Philippians 1:21, we know that the last choice is the correct answer, right? Yet, have I made it the primary focus of my day? How does my investment of time, money, thought, energy, and conversation reveal where I’m finding meaning and purpose?
I long to affirm verse 21 with Paul, but too often I fall short. I “swim upstream”, against the current of the good work that God began and promises to complete in me. Thank God, his grace will ultimately win the day!
Question for Reflection: As I re-read the above list of worlds, am I troubled by the way one or more of them wrongly influences my sense of personal significance? What can I do about that?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, be my life. Please touch every area of my life and remind me that those areas, whatever else they may be, are not my life. You are my life. Amen.
From where do I derive significance in my life?
My Financial World, the concerns of cash flow, bills, investments, debt, charitable giving, and savings?
My Working World, the development of my “career path”; my present job and my activities to create a future more to my liking?
My Relational World, my marriage, my children, my family of brothers, sisters, parents, etc.; friendships with people I know in the community or at work or school, and those living farther away?
My Home World, crafting my “personal environment” to be a peaceful place of comfort where I can rest, relax, and satisfy my “creature comforts”?
My Intellectual World, the books, magazines, films, television, music and other media that I use to stimulate my thoughts and ideas?
My Thought World, that inner realm unknown to all but God and myself, where my own satisfaction is all consuming?
My Spiritual World, consisting of nothing other than my relationship to God through faith in Jesus?
Let’s be candid: With a heading like Philippians 1:21, we know that the last choice is the correct answer, right? Yet, have I made it the primary focus of my day? How does my investment of time, money, thought, energy, and conversation reveal where I’m finding meaning and purpose?
I long to affirm verse 21 with Paul, but too often I fall short. I “swim upstream”, against the current of the good work that God began and promises to complete in me. Thank God, his grace will ultimately win the day!
Question for Reflection: As I re-read the above list of worlds, am I troubled by the way one or more of them wrongly influences my sense of personal significance? What can I do about that?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, be my life. Please touch every area of my life and remind me that those areas, whatever else they may be, are not my life. You are my life. Amen.
Saturday
Brad B. on pastoral calls
If you also read Brad you'll find this anyway, but for those who don't, this is a good statement from a wise pastor.
"I suspect that many of these issues could be more easily solved with the realization that a pastor is not an employee of the congregation. He or she is not a hiree. The pastor is called by the congregation -- but the call is to work in the context of that congregation, not for the congregation."
Read more...
"I suspect that many of these issues could be more easily solved with the realization that a pastor is not an employee of the congregation. He or she is not a hiree. The pastor is called by the congregation -- but the call is to work in the context of that congregation, not for the congregation."
Read more...
My other Blog
If I were to make a list of the half-dozen most influential men in my life (in actual point of fact, I have written an annotated list - someday I'll post its contents) it would include Byron, my friend of more than 35 years. I credit Byron with nurturing this pan-artistic passion to see the arts find their place in Christian ministry - a passion we share, though he has it in far greater measure than me. Way back in the 70s, Byron founded and still gives direction to Artists in Christian Testimony, and after my graduation from Westmont in December '79 and our marriage in January '80, Byron became my first full-time employer as I went on staff with ACT.
Recently, ACT established the International Association of Artists in Christian Testimony and was looking for ways to add value to its membership. I offered to develop a Blog where Byron and I would post material related to the arts and Christian faith. Now it's up.
BTW, this is a guy you want to invite to speak at your next minister's retreat, as I did in 2000 when I chaired the MidSouth Covenant Ministerial Association.
Recently, ACT established the International Association of Artists in Christian Testimony and was looking for ways to add value to its membership. I offered to develop a Blog where Byron and I would post material related to the arts and Christian faith. Now it's up.
BTW, this is a guy you want to invite to speak at your next minister's retreat, as I did in 2000 when I chaired the MidSouth Covenant Ministerial Association.
The Pastoral Call Process
My friend and colleague who writes at Naked Religion has begun a series of posts (beginning 8/5/5) on the process of pastoral call. It is well worth reading, especially for those whose churches may be approaching a pastoral vacancy. I hope to respond shortly on this subject - one for which I feel a LOT of concern - for reasons already known by those who know my history. The trick for me is to fairly, responsibly, honestly, and objectively review the facts in my own story as they touch on this challenge facing the church of Jesus Christ and its pastoral servants. More later.
Word of God Speak
We're using this very beautiful song on Sunday - a very simple arrangement very much like the original recording by Mercy Me - just Mark on piano, me on strings, and and Raymond on vocal. Listen to the original here. (mp3)
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say
I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see Your majesty
To be still and knowThat You're in this place
Please let me stay and restIn Your holiness
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
Words and Music by Bart Millard and Pete Kipley © 2002 Simpleville Music
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see Your majesty
To be still and knowThat You're in this place
Please let me stay and restIn Your holiness
Word of God speak
I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see Your majesty
To be still and knowThat You're in this place
Please let me stay and restIn Your holiness
I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
Words and Music by Bart Millard and Pete Kipley © 2002 Simpleville Music
Tuesday
Did you catch this Bono interview?
You may have your issues with the lead singer of U2, but I find his Christian witness in this interview, as reported by World Magazine, very compelling.
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