Thoughts From the Press Box

anti-Christs

2011-03-23T21:16:00.002-04:00

Politics is the belief that a particular political system brings hope to the world.
Economics is the belief that a particular economic system brings hope to the world.
Philosophy is the belief that a particular philosophical system brings hope to the world.
Nationalism is the belief that the success of a particular nation of people will bring hope to the world.

All of these must be understood as anti-Christ in their mindset.

American Deism pt 1.

2011-02-15T14:28:00.001-05:00

There is much talk about the US being a “Christian nation” and while many people say that, our country is far from Christian. We’re a religious nation, but we’re not a Christian nation. We’re a nation concerned with spirituality, but don’t press us any further. And as time goes on this will become more and more true.

Many Christians look back to the roots of our country, and see people who were hardcore church attendees. They see “God” in the founding documents, and assume that this God was written with a Christian understanding of God. Yet, if you begin to study the Founding Fathers of the US had a bizarre understanding of how God works.

First of all in the late 18th century, a quite popular religion/Christian worldview was called Deism. Now Deism believed that God, while creator of the world, had nothing to do with its day-to-day operations. He was like a watchmaker, he made it, set up how it works then left it to itself to work everything out. So the Deist thinker believed that God created the world with certain natural laws, which were self-evident, and our goal was to live by these laws. Deism then is about looking to Common Sense for answers.

One Deist actually rewrote the Bible and took all signs of the miraculous out of the text. He did this because the miraculous is God interacting with the world. We find that the Deist does not look to the Bible to find God, that’s not the point of that religion; its about living your life by following basic common sense. By the way, the Deist who re-wrote the Bible sans the miraculous was Thomas Jefferson.

This is where we could have a conversation about “Judeo-Christian” values. It is these values that house the Common Sense/Natural Law viewpoint of the world. The problem is that common sense often goes the opposite way of the message of the Bible, for instance one of the main repetitions of the Sermon on the Mount is, “You’ve heard it said, but I tell you!” Jesus is leading people away from a common sense view of the world; he’s presenting an alternative view of how we should live.

The United States was founded by Deists and was underwritten by Deist philosophy. It is for this reason that when people talk about our country as a Christian nation, that I believe they’re wrong. Our country is built not on the principles from the Bible, but on rational common sense thinking.

More than we realize it, Deism has impacted the way that the American Church views the world. This had led many Christians down some dangerous/non-Christian paths. This has led many Christians to mistake the Gospel message for things that it is not [political

disecting a tweet

2011-01-13T14:49:00.001-05:00

The other night, NBA Superstar Lebron James posted to his Twitter account this:

Crazy. Karma is a [expletive].. Gets you every time. Its not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!

Now while a bunch of people note want to talk about the very interesting dynamics that he brings to the NBA. People may want to talk about the situation he’s tweeting about [how his old team now stinks]. Some people will love to comment that he’s posting about God. Some will not like the fact that he swears. But I’m interested in something else.

Note how Lebron mentions Karma and God in the same sentence. He has no problem bringing these two concepts into one streaming thought.

Karma:
This is an Eastern religious concept about how the world works. It talks about
balance and even ness in the world. If you do good, the universe will reward you
with good. If you do bad, well the universe will repay you with bad. In the end
it is a sort of weird balance in the universe that governs life.

God
This is the concept that there is a divine being who is out there that is in
control of the world. This being governs all that is, and rules it with complete
sovereignty.

Now if you take just a couple of seconds and look at those two descriptions, you’ll see that they’re opposite views…one is divine being, one is a unspecific “universe” … they cannot exist together. What he has done in his statement is combine two mutually exclusive concepts together.

What gets me is that I see this all the time. We are combining religious phrases and concepts into one, this blending without understanding what we’re talking about is dangerous, because it does harm to religion itself. Yet it is something that is completely normal for the world that you and I now live in.

gettin' ink

2011-01-06T10:28:00.001-05:00

I think I’d like a tattoo. Stephanie is against it, but I think I’d like one.

I have been thinking about it for a number of years now, and I think I’d like a half sleeve on my right arm – to just below my elbow [I mean if you’re doing to do it, go all the way]

I’m not sure of exactly what I’d like, but perhaps I’d like the first 6 chapters of the book of Daniel depicted. Maybe I’d like a Golgotha scene with the 3 crosses. Maybe I’d like some Greek or Hebrew. These are just a few options …

So just for kicks….any suggestions?

The Return of Thoughts From the Press Box

2011-01-04T07:56:00.002-05:00

Here comes the Thoughts From the Press Box! After a 6 month hiatus, I’m launching my blog again. I would like to provide content for your enjoyment, 4-5 days a week. Whether a series of thoughts, a video link, some technical work with a Biblical text or just a quote, I will pledge to provide content that will help you to understand what I’m thinking about.

[Beware, I’m rather weird and dorky. Please don’t hold those things against me.]

Book recommendation
I just finished reading the book, “Out of Babylon” by Walter Bruggemonn. I highly recommend it. His whole concept deals with the way that the Jewish exiles dealt with their exile during the end of the OT period.

I particularly appreciated the final chapter, “Doing time in Persia.” It was a look at the way that the exiles dealt with being under long term control of the Persian Empire. He studies 5 different stories showing multiple Biblical options with which we can use to determine how we live today.

[The OT from Bruggemonn’s perspective is a collection of writing critiquing the difference between Empire and God’s community. He places the prophets and the kings on opposite sides of a conflict. I think this is a very good way of reading the text, if you’re curious I’d check out his book, “Prophetic Immagination.” Its not very ‘traditional’ in its approach, but I think it’s a great way of understanding what is happening in the OT.]

Vacation
I also just returned from Orlando, Fl. It was a good week, my only complaint is that I did not see an alligator. I had always heard stories that alligators were roaming wild around the peninsula, but I guess they probably do a good job of keeping these amphibians away from resort pools.

Speaking of resorts…the people who are in charge of sales for Time Share resorts are absolutely ridiculous. They’re constantly looking to get you to buy more and more and more. One guy tried to get my parents to triple their payment, get into his juice pyramid, AND told my mom to “S-H-U-T-U-P her brain.” The one phrase that they kept repeating is, “Mickey Never Dies!” in reference to a time share’s ability to resell [An Orlando timeshare is going to its value because Mickey/Disney is always going to be there.] Oy Vey!

Champs Sports Bowl
While in Florida I attended the Champs Sports Bowl with my parents and Stephanie. It was a great event! West Virginia and North Carolina State duked it out…yet in the end NC State took it too ‘em. [We actually left early in the 4th as my parents were a bit chilly. Yet it was over LONG before we left.]

West Virginia came out and layed and egg [they didn’t really try that hard] BUT their marching band was pretty SWEET!!!! The highlight of my night was when the band ended their pre-game by forming the shape of the state!!!! I was in shock that they’d do that! I mean West Virginia isn’t exactly shaped like Kansas or Wyoming. [check out the video here]

The Mountaineer faithful were a very colorful bunch. There was one guy, who looked about 45, who kept turning around and taunting a bunch of Wolfpack fans who were easily 20 years younger than him. [OH what sports cause us to do!] Yet the best part was their 1st down cheer. After WVU would get a 1st down, they would hold their hands straight out from their body; rotating their hands back and forth. When the announcer said the word “first down” they would bounce them up and down 3 times, clap, and signal first down in the direction the team was moving the ball. [Here’s Steph trying to fit into the crowd]

It was a great event, I’d recommend going!

Michigan football
Here’s my official position. Fire Rich Rodriguez. Why? You may ask…because I’m tired of people calling for his head.

Personally, I think he’s been doing a good job. He started with a team returning its Right Guard and a walk-on QB and little Division 1 talent with which to coach. He was brought in to run his offensive system, which would mean a total shift in the mindset of his system. What has happened is 2 losing season [breaking a 35 year post-season bowl streak] , one 7-5 season, AND a 52-14 bowl loss [the worst UofM bowl defeat EVER].

I think firing him now isn’t giving him a fair chance, yet…I hate the fact that Michigan’s head coach isn’t popular or respected. So for that reason alone, Michigan should pay RR well, and move on. PLUS, Jim Harbaugh is a MICHIGAN MAN who is a great coach and would absolutely love to coach the Wolverines. He understands Michigan and the tradition…and for that I don’t think you’ll have the purists complaining about the coach.

Also, for my birthday, I’m asking for a #37 Navy Blue authentic Michigan jersey. It’s the only thing I’m asking for.

Annual X-mas List:

2010-11-19T21:41:00.002-05:00

*****Navy Blue UofM Football Jersey [w/stitching]

[acceptible #'s: 16, 37, 68, 98]

***** Bulldog Puppy

**** Kenneth Cole "Reaction" cologne

** ipad

*** Michigan State Spartan Basketball Tickets

** Indiana University Hoodie

[Crimson shirt, white lettering]

**** Coat

[Military Style]

** Amazon Gift Card

*** A winter scarf

** NCAA Football for the Nintendo wii

*** tickets to a Bowl Game in Flordia

Quote:

2010-10-01T11:28:00.000-04:00

Wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion. Therefore I do not see how it is possible in the nature of things for any revival of religion to continue long. For religion must necessarily produce both industry and frugality, and these cannot but produce riches. But as riches increase, so will pride, anger, and love of the world in all its branches.

-John Wesley

Welcome to Tragic Crossings pt 1

2010-09-24T06:00:00.004-04:00

Death is tragic. Yet, even though we see it constantly, we are unfazed by it. For instance road kill. How often do we see animals that have been run over, yet feel no sadness for the death of this animal. My friend Casey and I have decided to do something about it...

First, a squirrel...

And then a racoon...

fate?

2010-09-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

New American Passtime...and what it means.

2010-09-22T06:00:00.001-04:00

In the last couple of weeks, the football season began. What's interesting about football, is that in the American sports world, the football season is King. All other sports take a backseat to this behemoth. Not only is the NFL the #1 sporting event but college football is #2. Here is why:

Football is violent: Our culture is just that. We LOVE violence. Its part of our DNA...literally, we stood up and violently forced ourselves to be free. If you watch our movies, look at the TV, observe our crime statistics you'll see we're pretty violent. So it makes sense that we'd LOVE a game as violent as this.

Football is hype: Football games happen once a week. [usually Thursdays-Mondays] and so we have ususally a whole week to get excited for a game. ESPN has made a living hyping "this weekend's game" By gametime, you're convinced that this is the most important game in the history of games. You know the biggest match-up, the X-factor, and the favorite. Our country is built on marketing...which is basicall hype. We are always looking for the new cool thing, the next fresh bit, or the next big hit. So it makes sense that we - every week - buy into the hype.

Football is fast action: If you ever watch TV with a critical eye, you'll notice that each camera shot lasts less than 5 seconds. Its amazing how often the shots are flipping; yet we don't notice it. This is why when you watch an older show, it feels like its dragging on and on...its that your eye is accustomed to quick, fast scenes. It makes sense that we would be attracted to a sport whose plays average 7 seconds.

Football fits on TV: Football is a game played on a square field and each field has lines every 5 yards. Most of the action happens in a very small space on that field. AND there are pauses in the game which allow for a quick look at a replay of what has happened. In fact the NFL has a blackout policy for any team that does not sell out its stadium because it is actually a better option to watch the game on TV verses in person.

I have this picture on the wall behind the desk in my office. It is a picture of Wriggley Field in the fall of 1945. If you look closely, you can see that it says National League Champions. Now if you know anything about the history of the Chicago Cubs, you'll know that this was the last time that they went to the World Series. It, for me, represents a bygone era.

In 1945, the biggest show in the world was baseball. Our best athletes played basketball. The biggest and brightest lights of the 1930's, 40's, & 50's were in the ball parks and stadiums of baseball. All the other sports looked up to our national pass-time.

While baseball was easily the biggest show in town, those days are long gone. It is still very popular and it still holds a place near and dear to many hearts in our country, but it no longer is a our national pass-time. It is not fast paced. It does not translate onto TV. It is not violent. AND its season drags on and on and on over 6 month [+ 3 rounds of playoffs]. It appears in all the ways that football fits in with American culture, baseball does not.

For people who grew up in the 50's and 60's [and earlier], baseball is still very popular, but for those who grew up in the 80's & 90's football is the #1 interest. This shift in sports is interesting to me because it reveals that culture is shifting and changing. For those in ministry positions, this is a clue that there is a shift in the world around us; that things need to change.

Interestingly enough Willow Creek [perhaps the most influential church in the Western world], the church who started the "Contempory Church" no longer follows that model. Apparently, things have changed since 1975. Perhaps we should follow their lead. What was good and cool back in the day [perhaps even last year] might not be good and cool anymore. Perhaps we need to lick our finger and hold it up in the air to test how the winds have changed...

the [in]glorious return of the Press Box

2010-09-21T15:23:00.003-04:00

The biggest question I am constantly asking is how I, a Christian, should respond to “this” situation or “that” situation. In case you don’t know what I’m talking about here are a couple of example:

Last summer I purchased a couch from American Freight [YES THAT AMERICAN FREIGHT!]. Now I’m a pastor and a $500 is a big deal to our budget, so when 3 months had gone by and we didn’t have a couch, and American Freight wouldn’t refund us our money…I kept having to ask myself, “How should I respond to this?”
--
I keep seeing all these little signs around my town. They’re black with a red snake on them and say, “Don’t Tread on Me.” Upon further review, it’s the local New Carlisle Tea Party advertising their local meeting times. When I hear people tell me that gov’t is the solution to our problems [because that’s what the Tea Party is saying…they’re just saying that a smaller gov’t is the solution to our problems] I keep asking myself, “How should I respond to this?”
--
Our church purchased 100 chairs this summer at $50 a chair…do the math. We were told they would get here by the end of August. Well its nearing the end of September now and we still don’t have those pesky chairs yet. So while trying to get those chairs here I’m having to ask myself the question, “How should we respond to this?”
--
This happens to me all the time. I’m doing something where people don’t know I’m a pastor. And somebody drops an off color remark in my presence. [This happened yesterday!] I often ask myself, “How should I respond to this?”
--
You know what I’m talking about. This is life. Somebody fails you. You are working in business. You have children. You have friends. The question is how, as Christians, should we respond to this? This is the graying of life, this is where we live.

If you find yourself constantly asking those questions, you’re in a good place. If you’re searching for the answers, God will meet you there. If you listen God can and will provide a way for you; he can show you how you should respond.

The place you don’t want to be is where you are not asking any questions; where you are just going without questioning yourself, where you are mindlessly supporting one political group, where you are reacting to set-backs in life without prayer, where you are saying what first comes to your mind when somebody says something that offends you. This is a place where I think its best to, as a Christian, avoid.

So may you always be asking yourself what it means to be a Christian. May you always be questioning your loyalties and your actions. And may you walk in the knowledge that God will show you the right way to live.

GRACE + PEACE

Summer Break!

2010-06-13T18:24:00.005-04:00

[this blog will return in a few weeks. filled with new inspiration, new direction, new passion!]

CYA, IT'S SUMMER!

Bible Verses: May 27 - June 2

2010-05-27T12:16:00.001-04:00

Thursday May 27, 2010
Read: Psalm 23.1
Think: What does a shepherd do for his/her sheep? Doesn’t a shepherd provide & protect his/her sheep? Don’t they do everything they can to make sure the sheep are ok?

Friday May 28, 2010
Read: Psalm 23.2
Think: Calm pastures and quiet waters are good places to be if you’re a sheep? Do you feel like God is taking you to good places? Do you trust God to take you to places that are good for you?

Saturday May 29, 2010
Read: Psalm 23.3
Think: What is a path of righteousness? Do you feel like your life is a life is on a path of righteousness?

Sunday May 30, 2010
Read: Psalm 23.4
Think: Do you feel like you’re walking through a dark valley?

Monday May 31, 2010
Read: Psalms 23.5
Think: “What does a table in the presence of my enemies mean to you?”

Tuesday June 1, 2010
Read: Psalm 23.6
Think: When you think about dwelling in the house of the Lord, what do you think? Is this a good place, or is this a bad place? Is this a good thing? Or a bad thing?

Wednesday June 2, 2010
Read: Psalm 23
Think: What do you think the message of this passage is? Why would David write about a shepherd? Is God your Shepherd?

Great Video: Mega Churches make fun of themselves

2010-05-25T09:08:00.000-04:00

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Kingdom of God pt 3.

2010-05-21T12:25:00.003-04:00

In the Gospels, the accounts of the life of Jesus, we find the message of a new kingdom. A kingdom that is radically different than the kingdoms of earth. This kingdom, which is inaugurated by the ministry of Jesus is one that will change the earth. This Kingdom is last forever.

Now there is an interesting play on words that happens here. You see, in one book its called the Kingdom of Heaven in other books its called the Kingdom of God. So which is it? Well, when you begin to think about it, they're really calling it the same thing. Heaven is where God is, thus the kingdom of Heaven is really the kingdom of God. Its the kingdom of God.

Now what can we see from thinking about this. Well this kingdom is not a location. This kingdom is whereever God is - and he's everywhere - so location isn't a good way of understanding this kingdom.

If this kingdom is where God is, then perhaps its about a certain way that it works. Its a kingdom that is vastly different than the other kingdoms. This kingdom is about flow, organization, orientation, and ethics. Its a kingdom that operates by a different set of criteria.

This is why Jesus can say its like a Mustard Seed. You see mustard seeds spread like crazy. In Jesus' day, they were actually outlawed in Jerusalem. They were outlawed because they could destroy foundations, walls, and buildings. It would overtake gardens. Mustard seeds could get out of control. It talks about something that comes in and completely changes the entire make up of the area.

This kingdom is where God is. This kingdom does not have boundries. This kingdom is not about power, or about success. This kingdom is not about control. This kingdom is about being in the presence and living out the presence of God.

And may this kingdom come.

Kingdom of God pt 2.

2010-05-15T18:04:00.003-04:00

I'm reading the book The Myth of the Christian Nation, by Gregory Boyd. This is an interesting work. It came out of a sermon series he preached 5 or so years ago in which 20% of his church left.

The thesis of this book is that in the world [and especially in America] we assume that our country is blessed above all others by God, and that the role of Christians is to perserve the "Christian values" in our mainstream culture. The problem with this, Boyd argues, is that America [nor any of the other kingdoms of the world] is not inherently Christian. THUS, when talking about the Kingdom of God, we're not talking about the United States of America.

This is his reasoning. There are two types of kingdoms out there [and I'm totally paraphrasing his stuff, so if you want quotes, follow the link of the book to Amazon, but it, and read the stuff yourself]: Kingdoms which use power to control people, and Kingdoms which do not. ALL governments of this world use power to control us. Even if there are elections and we can decide the laws, those laws are then enforced by force and power. This is not the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is a place where grace rules the day. The Kingdom of God is a place where love is the greatest value. The Kingdom of God is a place where the poor are valued as much as the rich. Where the weak are look upon as blessed. This kingdom is vastly different than the kingdoms of this world. The kingdom of God is a place where the values are different. Success is not a measureing stick that is used to place judgment on anything.

Thus we need to, when thinking about the Kingdom of God, use a different set of expectations. We must understand it is something completely different something completely not of this world [John 18.36]

Great Quote:

2010-05-09T18:53:00.003-04:00

"Too often the price exacted by society for security and respectability is that the Christian movement in its formal expression must be on the side of the strong against the weak. This is a matter of tremendous significance, for it reveals to what exten a religion that was born of a people acquainted with persecution and suffering has become the cornerstone of a civilization and of nations whose very position in modern life too often has been secured by a ruthless use of power applied to...defenseless peoples."

-Howard Thurman
[Found in A Peculiar People pg 39 by Rodney Clapp]

Great Quote:

2010-05-06T06:21:00.000-04:00

War settles nothing.
~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Great Quote:

2010-04-30T06:28:00.000-04:00

All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.~Alexis de Tocqueville

The Kingdom of God pt. 1

2010-04-29T09:54:00.005-04:00

This is an issue that the Bible is constantly addressing and we completely miss it. If I were to ask you where your citizenship is, I imagine you would answer the United States of America! [that is if you live in the USofA] This would be a perfectly normal, and expected response. Yet, I wouldn't say that it is a very Biblical response to that question.

The whole story of the Bible is drawing us away from looking at ourselves as citizens of this world. We are to be citizens of a new kingdom; the kingdom of heaven! This is how you define being a follower of Jesus. The rulers of the kingdoms of this world, according to the Bible, are just fakes. They control nothing, and when we act like they do we are believing in a fakes.

This is our challenge as Christians living in our world today. Our history is clouded with people who while carrying the banner of Christ, have failed to see the rulers of this world as fakes. They bought into their false fronted kingdoms, and turned their primary loyalty from the Kingdom of God. They became citizens of places like Rome, Spain, England, or the United States.

Jesus is calling us to see through the kingdoms of this world; to see them for what they really are: false hope. The ONLY hope for this world is the citizens of the Kingdom of God actually live out their citizen ship.

Of what kingdom do you claim citizenship?

Brilliant quote:

2010-04-28T11:43:00.000-04:00

When the largest industry in the world is no longer War, I will accept Darwin's theory of Evolution.
~Dale S. Mugford

Top 10 Recommended Book List [Edited: 4.27.10]

2010-04-27T19:53:00.005-04:00

1.] Velvet Elvis - Rob Bell
Standard work in dealing with being a Christian in today's world.

2.] Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller
A wandering journey through the life of Don as he searches for faith. One of the cult classics from when I was in college.

3.] Irresistible Revolution - Shane Claiborne
A brilliant work, that reads like a journal, of the life, adventure, and musings of a guy who's a radical believer of Jesus. It will definitely blow your mind.

4.] New Kind of Christian - Brian McLaren
One of the original works dealing with the change in culture and its impact on the Church. One of the works which definitely changed the way I view the world.

5.] Change or Die - Alan Deutschman
A very interesting look at the possibility of change, even in the most difficult situations. The author looks at 3 clinical cases where change is not seen as possible, yet change does occur.

6.] Peculiar People - Rodney Clapp
A look at the church and how it engages with culture.

7.] Searching for God Knows What - Donald Miller
A book discussing the relational nature of salvation and Jesus. [It ends with a very compelling look at Romeo and Juliet.]

8.] The Search to Belong - Joseph R Myers
An intriguing look at community and relationships within the context of Church ministry. I had the pleasure of meeting Joseph, and found him to be a deep thinking person and well read person.

9.] The Politics of Jesus - John Howard Yoder
An Anabaptist look at the nature of the way as Christians we should live. This is one of the books that you'll find cited in tons of other books. If you don't read at this book, you're missing out BIG TIME!

10.] The Challenge of Jesus - NT Wright
One of the foundational looks at the life, ministry, and consequences of Jesus. I've found this cited in multiple other works. Wright is possibly one of the BEST New Testament scholars in the world. If you don't read at this book, you're missing out BIG TIME!

Great Quote:

2010-04-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

War does not determine who is right, only who is left.
~Bertrand Russell

A good "Start the Revolution" song...

2010-04-26T06:25:00.000-04:00

We all know whose side Yahweh was on...

2010-04-23T22:42:00.004-04:00

There was a race of people that migrated to ancient Egypt because of that nation’s prosperity. These people were poor and the lower levels of society in Egypt were better than the places they left. In Egypt they were able to feed their children. In Egypt they had a place to work. In Egypt they had hope.

But because of their vast number, the Egyptians were afraid they would destroy their society. They believed they needed to control this population or their country would fall apart. Because of their fear they despised them, they killed their children, and they forced them into slavery.

We know this group of people as the Israelites; the children of Abraham.

And we all know whose side Yahweh was on...

Great Quote:

2010-04-16T21:30:00.001-04:00

THE VIOLENCE we preach is

not the violence of the sword, the
violence of hatred. It is the violence

of love, of brotherhood,
the violence that wills to
beat weapons into sickles for work.

oscar romero, november 27, 1977

Inspiration please:

2010-03-13T11:25:00.004-05:00

in·spi·ra·tion /ˌɪnspəˈreɪʃən/ [in-spuh-rey-shuhn]

–noun
1.an inspiring or animating action or influence: I cannot write poetry without inspiration.
2.something inspired, as an idea.
3.a result of inspired activity.
4.a thing or person that inspires.
5.Theology.
a.a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.
b.the divine quality of the writings or words of a person so influenced.
6.the drawing of air into the lungs; inhalation.
7.the act of inspiring; quality or state of being inspired.

My wife has a blog. Its called Simply Inspired Designs. Its pretty much a collection of things that inspire her. If you have not checked it out, I highly recommend it.

Lately, I've realized that I have not been inspired lately. To me this is a problem. I need inspiration. If you would like to help me with this, post something that is an inspiration to you. Perhaps its a book, a link, a picture, a group or organization, or perhaps its a quote. [Anything and everything wil be accepted!]

Thank you for your help in this matter!

My issue with sports:

2010-03-06T08:38:00.003-05:00

I have an issue with sports; primarially High School/Middle School sports.

For the record, I am a very competitive person. I hate losing. My favorite moment is draining a shot to win the game. It is one of the best feelings in the world: I'm going to do this, you can't stop me, and its going to win the game. I love winning.

Now with that said, I think too much emphasis in sports on winning. If you have studied Coach John Wooden, you'll know that he created a system called the "Pyramid of Success" which was the cornerstone of his coaching stragety. This Pyramid is a series of values that a person needs to have in order to have success. If you read through these steps, you'll see these are all life values. These are not steps outright steps to winning, they are steps to becoming a better person. Look at this quote from Wooden, actually defining what success is:

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
-John Wooden

So as far as Wooden, and his coaching philosophy is concerned, success is defined by doing your best. Success isn't winning the game, its being the best you can be. This is often overshadowed by the massive winning streaks, the undefeated seasons, and the 10 National Championships he won.

This is an entirely different approach to sports and success than is being taught today in the Prep sports world. This is entirely different than what is being taught at the college level. If a team does not WIN, and WIN often, the coach is fired and the team is considered a failure. This to me is a problem. This is not why sports are played. Sports, at its core, is not about winning.

If you ever listen to Robert Montgomery Knight talk about his coaching philosophy, you'll get very quickly beyond his insanity on the basketball court. While Bobby was a firey coach who threw chairs and yelled so loudly that his face turned purple, he also was a brilliant coach who prepared his teams to play their best every night. He actually considered himself a teacher preparing his players for life. When fired at Indiana, he did not comment on the number of wins, the 3 national championships, or the record number of Big 10 wins. He commented that he was proud of the "kind of kid that we've turned out here and the kind of men that these kids have developed into." For Bobby Knight, the focus of his coaching was the development of kids into men.

In my opinion, if a team--or if a player--plays their best, plays with intensity, and minimizes their mistakes they are going to, more often than not, put themselves in a great position to win. Now, if a team is coached to win becoming a better person, better player, do not become the focus. Which is a shame, because that's exactly what sports is not about.

----
A little extra:

Just close your eyes, and dream of Sunday afternoons with Jordan playing Isaiah, followed by Larry going out to take on Magic. [The Glory days of the NBA]

Great Quote:

2010-03-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

How vile and despicable war seems to me! I would rather be hacked to pieces than take part in such an abominable business.~Albert Einstein

Great Quote:

2010-03-01T13:40:00.000-05:00

Chauvinism is a proud and bellicose form of patriotism...which equates the national honor with military victory.
~Colonel James A. Donovan, Marine Corps

Haiti and Building Bigger Barns

2010-02-26T15:46:00.008-05:00

Here is a chart comparing the population of the US and Haiti:

As you can see the population of the US is 31 times larger than that of Haiti.

Below is a chart of the GDP's of both the US and Haiti [Gross Domestic Product]:

As you can see the USA GDP is around 2,043 times larger than that of Haiti.

The difference in those numbers mean that a person who lives in the US is somewhere around 65 times richer than somebody in Haiti. That's a huge difference. With these numbers the average person in the US makes $46,710 per year and the average peron in Haiti makes $716.00 per year. [That means the average bi-weekly pay check for an average American is 2.5 times larger than the entire year's wage for an average Haitian!]

The problem with Haiti is not that they just went through a massive earthquake. The earthquake that went through was a 7.0 on the richter scale, nearly the same as the 6.9 that hit the Bay Area of California in 1989. The '89 quake caused 63 deaths, injured 3,757 people, and left somewhere between 3,000 and 12,000 homeless. Compare those numbers to the 230,000 deaths that occured in Haiti. Even though the populations are [somewhat] compareable, somewhere around 229,967 more people died in Haiti. Let me say it again, the problem with Haiti is NOT that they went through an earthquake.

In Luke chapter 12, Jesus tells a parable of a rich man who had barns which hold the crops he grows [as a sort of retirement fund]. Jesus says that this year he has a bumper crop. His crop is so big that the barns he has are too big to contain it all. So this man decides to tear down his barns and build bigger ones. He only cared about his own financial security and because of this Jesus calls him a fool. It is not because he is rich, its because he only thinks about himself and his future security - wanting to have his bottom line look good - that Jesus condemns this person. Its not because he's rich, its because he keeps trying to get richer.

The thing is that its responsible to save. Its responsible to protect your future. But if the rich never look to help the poor, how will they ever pull themselves of poverty? If the rich only are concerned with their own safety and security, the poor will only get poorer. Not only do the poor suffer when the rich do not look to help them, the rich also suffer. Jesus in the sermon on the mount goes out of his way to pit riches and money against God [Matt 6.19-24]. So the rich person, when focusing on his own riches, is really making their God their money. It is for this reason that Jesus calls our friend in Luke 12 a fool.

I guess Haiti's problem is not that they went through an earthquake, or that they're poor. I think that their problem is that they have a rich neighbor who keeps building bigger barns.

"You used to Pray..."

2010-02-26T05:05:00.000-05:00

In the film Romero, which documents which documents the struggle of the people of El Salvador during the 1970s and '80s, there is a scene in which Archbishop Romero, priest and martyr among the poor of El Salvador, speaks to one of his fellow clergy as they try to navigate the way through a tumultuous revolution:

Romero:
"You're a priest. You believe in God and in the power of love. You used to pray."

Zealot Revolutionary Priest:
"I still do."

Romero:
"Then why are you carrying a gun?"

[Claiborne, Shane and Haw, Chris. Jesus for President. Zondervan Publishing. Grand Rapids, MI. 2008. pg 285.]

Non-violence quote:

2010-02-24T02:36:00.001-05:00

“A solider in command must be told not to kill people; if he is order to do so, he should not carry it out. Nor should he take the oath. If he will not agree, he should be rejected. Anyone who has the power of the sword, or who is a civil magistrate wearing the purple, should desist, or he should be rejected. If a catechumen or a believer wishes to become a soldier they should be rejected, for they have despised God.”

Hippolytus, “On the Apostolic Tradition.” (SVS Press, 100). Mid 3rd century.

[HT: Tom Fuerst]

Walter Wink on the Myth of Redemptive Violence:

2010-02-22T23:12:00.003-05:00

[Editor's Note: Here is an exerpt from an Ariticle by Walter Wink I found. (Click here to read the rest of the article.)]

In short, the Myth of Redemptive Violence is the story of the victory of order over chaos by means of violence. It is the ideology of conquest, the original religion of the status quo. The gods favour those who conquer. Conversely, whoever conquers must have the favour of the gods. The common people exist to perpetuate the advantage that the gods have conferred upon the king, the aristocracy, and the priesthood.

Religion exists to legitimate power and privilege. Life is combat. Any form of order is preferable to chaos, according to this myth. Ours is neither a perfect nor perfectible world; it is theatre of perpetual conflict in which the prize goes to the strong. Peace through war, security through strength: these are the core convictions that arise from this ancient historical religion, and they form the solid bedrock on which the Domination System is founded in every society.

...[The Myth of Redemptive Violence] is as universally present and earnestly believed today as at any time in its long and bloody history. It is the dominant myth in contemporary America. It enshrines the ritual practice of violence at the very heart of public life, and even those who seek to oppose its oppressive violence do so violently.

We have already seen how the myth of redemptive violence is played out in the structure of children’s cartoon shows (and is found as well in comics, video and computer games, and movies). But we also encounter it in the media, in sports, in nationalism, in militarism, in foreign policy, in televangelism, in the religious right, and in self-styled militia groups. What appears so innocuous in cartoons is, in fact, the mythic underpinnings of our violent society.

Great Quote:

2010-02-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. Frankly, I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked about such a thing.
~Dwight D. Eisenhower
About the quote: from 1953

Great Quote:

2010-02-20T10:31:00.000-05:00

Because I do it with one small ship, I am called a terrorist. You do it with a whole fleet and are called an emperor.~A pirate, from St. Augustine's "City of God"

Great Quote:

2010-02-18T12:13:00.004-05:00

[Editors note: Here is a quote taken from Shane Claiborne's book, "Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals" It is a compelling look at being a Christian. Definitely recommend you pick this book up. Be warned, this book will mess with your mind.]

The documentary film Blindspot presents the provocative, heart-wrenching memoir of Hitler's secretary, Traudl Junge. In it, she remembers the assassination attempt [on July 20, 1944]. She recalls how the bomb exploded in such a way and at a precise moment that Hitler narrowly escaped. She says that after surviving the attack, Hitler was more convinced than ever before that God was protecting him and his mission [with a triumphant smile Hitler showed Mussolini the site of the bombing]. It fueled his reign of terror and confidence in his mission. Violence galvinized his violence. Ms. Junge says that after the bomb attempt, "Any hope for peace were lost." Hitler rolled forward with record fervor to "rid the wrold of evil." Another attempt to pick up the sword went haywire, not only fueling further bloodshet but costing out brother [Dietrich] Bonhoeffer his own life as he was executed by the Nazis. Once again the cross lost, and the Devil laughed. [Jesus for President. pp202-203]

Quote:

2010-02-15T06:32:00.000-05:00

Why should we hear about body bags, and deaths...I mean, it's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?
~Barbara Bush
About the quote: Mrs. Bush spoke these words on ABC's "Good Morning America," March 18, 2003.

Question:

2010-02-12T16:00:00.000-05:00

I recently asked myself, 'if the US didn't have a military, what would happen?' My first thought was this would not be a good thing...we'd all be destroyed! I'm sure this is your first thought as well. We all think that if a country were to lay down its arms it would be vulnerable to our enemies. We would be weak. Who would defend us?

As I reflected on this, I had an epiphany. I was putting my faith in the fact that our army will protect us. I was putting my faith in the fact people with guns would destroy our enemies. This seemed a bit troubling to me.

This then led me to ask the question, is military strength a Biblical concept?

What are your thoughts on this?

Biblical Depth pt1:

2010-02-11T14:35:00.004-05:00

When reading the Bible it is important to remember that this book has depth. One cannot read all passages at the same level. There are some passages the trump other passages. There is an order and a priority to the books, and they must be read with these things in mind. If one does not understand how to read the Bible, it is very easy to make poor or incorrect interpretations of what this all important book is saying.

Let me explain this concept this way. If you were to read the book of Leviticus, you would eventually come to chapter 11. In this chapter, you'll find a series of instructions on what animals that the Israelites are allowed to eat. Everything that is ok, is classified as "clean" and everything that is not ok to eat, is classified as "unclean." The chapter ends by telling the people that "they must distinguish between the clean and unclean..."

Acts 11, seems to indicate something else. The apostle Peter has a vision where a sheet is lowered filled with all types of animals that were declared by the Torah as unclean. A voice from Heaven declares: "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat!" As a good Jew Peter refuses to eat these unclean animals. The voice responds, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." The obvious interpretation is that this story seems to indicate that Peter is now allowed to eat these unclean animals. No longer must he distinguish between that which is clean or unclean.

At first glance, these passages conflict with each other. At second glance they still do. The issue then is which has priority. In orthodox Christian teaching, it is understood that the passage in Acts 11 is the passage that we should follow; and that no longer should we think of animals as"clean or unclean." Indeed, everything that God has made has been made clean.

The Bible needs to be read with movement. One cannot simply read the letters of Paul and expect to have a full understanding of the Gospel, we must also read the Gospels & General Epistles. We cannot just read the New Testaments; we probably should have a full understanding of the other 2/3rds of the Bible as well. The Bible is a 66 part book, and we need to understand each of the 66 parts in order to have a full understanding of its message.

A good exercise would be to read some of the "obscure" books of the Bible. Books that you don't normally read. Books that aren't normally talked about in church...

[more to come on this topic]

Here's a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:

2010-02-10T10:49:00.001-05:00

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of who I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Jesus Christ might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. -AMEN

[I Timothy 1.15-17]

I still love you...

2010-02-07T22:46:00.002-05:00

[Peyton Manning: 6'5", Laser Rocket Arm]

Dear Peyton,
I know you just lost the Super Bowl. I know people think less of you because you didn't win this game. You know what? I still think you're the best Quarterback of all time, that when its all said and done, this game will only be a distant memory and a small blip on a Hall of Fame resume that will be unmatched by any other QB of all time.

I know I've said, in the past, that you're a choker, but I was just kidding. I don't consider this a choke, just a tough loss. In a team sport, you have consistently led your team to victory after victory. Congratulations on getting your team to the Super Bowl, you'll get 'em next year.

I can't wait to see you don your #18 next fall.

Sincerely,

Dan Bellinger

thoughts about the Beatitudes...

2010-02-07T13:55:00.002-05:00

This morning we talked about the Beatitudes in church. Every time I read this text, I am continually amazed by the fact that I am not this type of person. I'm not poor in spirit; I'm proud. I'm not meek; I'm pretty bold. Its not easy for me to be merciful; I want justice.

I was recently reading Stanley Hauerwas' book "Resident Aliens" and he made the point these qualities aren't natural for human beings. This, Hauerwas says, is the point. God is merciful. God is meek. God hungers and thirsts for righteousness. God is a peacemaker.

Our problem is when we think about God, we don't think of him in these terms. We envision God as bold and proud, looking to find justice - at all costs. We think God actually cares about what people think about him, that he has an image to keep. The matter of the fact is that, this is not who God is. God is willing to humiliate himself, looking to humble himself. God in the Bible continually goes out of his way to allow humans, though we don't deserve it, to have freedom to do what we want.

If you want to know who God is, read Matthew 5-7

How to be an Insurrectionist pt 2.

2010-01-26T06:02:00.000-05:00

Stanley Hauerwas, a professor at Duke University, wrote one of my favorite books titled "Resident Aliens: A provocative Christian assessment of culture and ministry for people who know that something is wrong." Now I know what you're thinking, and yes, it is that amazing!

Resident Aliens promotes the belief that Christians ethics rise from living in Christian community. He sees the church as a colony of believers living in the world, yet separate from the world. Thus, the main problem for the church is, instead of focusing on being a good colony, the church looks to sway influence in the world around it.

In the book's fourth chapter [named: "Life in the Colony: The Church as Basis for Christian Ethics"] Hauerwas says this:

In fact, much of what passes for Christian social concern today, of the left or of the right, is the social concern of a church that seems to have despaired of being the church. Unable through our preaching, baptism, and witness to form a visible community of faith, we content ourselves with erstaz Christian ethical activity - lobbying Congress to support progressive strageties, asking the culture at large to be a little less racist, a little less promiscuous, a little less violent. ... Both groups imply that one can practice Christian ethics without being in the Christian community. Both begin with the Constantinian assumption that there is no way for the gospel to be present in our world without asking the world to support our convictions through its own social and political institutionalization. The result is the gospel transformed into civil religion.

This does not that mean that the church should ignore injustice in the world, just that the church needs to do it in the proper way. When we look to do it by asking the world to first support our position, we end up changing our message into something that it is not. A civil religion, regardless of how "Christian" it may appear is far from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps our response should be to live as insurrectionists.

Daniel: how to be an insurrectionist.

2010-01-24T23:26:00.003-05:00

[Editor's Note: The book of Daniel is a manual on how to be an insurrectionist. I think it'd be a great exersize to study the book a bit and attempt to understand a little more about what it means to be a Christian.]

If we read through this book, we'll find that Daniel is written to inspire, prepare, and teach its readers how to refuse to fit into the dominant culture of its day. This story was written to the Jewish people as they were in exile. [while we're not sure of exactly when the book was written, its safe to say that the possible range is sometime during the exile] It was during this time that many of their opponents began to directly challenge the Jewish faith, climaxing in the Macabbean revolt of the 2nd century.

If we read the first 6 chapters of the book, we find that the hereos of the story are heroes because they refused to cave in to the pressure to conform to theist host society. Their hereoic deeds revolve around rebellious stands against these imperial bullies. If we read the second 6 chapters of the book we read a very intense apocalyptic account of the authority of heaven over the rulers of this world. Thus, the book is giving examples of insurrection and a theological framework by which the readers should base their life on.

I'd like to spend a few posts discussing exactly how the book shows this for us and perhaps spend some time breaking this down in today's world.

Food Inc.

2010-01-16T12:43:00.003-05:00

[Editors note: Many of you know that one of my New Year's Resolutions was to not eat meat for the month of January. I am doing this because I want to be more thoughtful about what I eat and do research about where the food I eat comes from. I've heard good things about the movie "Food Inc." Here's a preview I recently saw.]

There is no I in church:

2010-01-14T16:10:00.004-05:00

I love what Keith Drury writes in his book, "There is no I in church." Here's a great quote I found it in:

Individualism and heaven are incompatible...Heaven is not a place where your wildest dreams of personal fulfillment come true...These are pagan notions of heaven. Heaven is about becoming a people. Heaven will melt our stubborn individuality and merge us into a group - the Bride of Christ. It will be the Church that goes to heaven, not just a bunch of individual believers. That is why people who reject the church cannot e Christian. They won't melt. They won't join the bride. [There is no I in church, pg 16.]

Great Quote:

2010-01-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

You cannot win a War on Terrorism. It’s like having a war on jealousy.
~David Cross
About the quote: Cross is a comedian, most well known for his roles on the television series "Arrested Development" and "Mr. Show." This quote is from his 2002 comedy album.

Happy New Year! [New Year's Resolution Edt]

2010-01-01T01:05:00.002-05:00

This year I've got a few New Year's Resolutions.

The big one is, I'm going to attempt to go the entire month of January without eating meat. This is my big one! When I was thinking about what to do, I thought perhaps attempting to not eat meat would be a possibility. Recently, I've heard multiple sources make comments about the nature of the meat industry. These comments made me feel a little uncomfortable; comments involving how many chemicals/anti-biotic medicines the majority of beef cattle are exposed to, the unnatural conditions that these cows live in, and the entire mindset of the business

A couple of points. I realize that any resolution that involved giving up meat would most likely only last through the first month, therefore I only gave it up for the 1st 31 days. I wanted to, at first, try a vegan diet [no animal products at all], but realized that's a pretty hardcore step. So I'm just going to try to cut meat out of my diet for 30 days.

Good luck to you, and Happy New Year!

Why you have to love the NBA:

2009-12-23T07:00:00.001-05:00

Non-violence in action:

2009-12-22T16:12:00.002-05:00

This is a perfect example of non-violence. I was talking with my Senior pastor about the concept today, and he showed me this video. I love it!

Best line: "You don't have to kill me!"
[When I first heard that, I about when nuts! Its so good!]

To quote Martin Luther King Jr. "We will win you over with our ability to suffer." This is the heart of non-violence. In the end, the winner of this boxing match is Cool Hand Luke; even though he gets beat up nor in any way inflicted any sort of damage to the other boxer.

A message of Grace and Love

2009-12-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

"To our most bitter opponents we say: 'Throw us in jail and we will still love
you. Bomb our houses and threaten our children and we will still love you. Beat
us and leave us half dead and we will still love you. But be ye assured that we
will wear you down by our capacity to suffer. One day we shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory.' "

-Martin Luther King Jr.

"The American Dream"

July 4, 1965

[speech, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA]

How to respond to terrorists. pt.1

2009-12-18T10:27:00.004-05:00

How do we respond to terrorists?

Well my first instinct is to look at the Bible. When we do this, we find that a significant character in the Biblical narrative was a terrorist. Who you may ask? Well the obvious answer is the Apostle Paul. He went from house to house arresting, beating, and killing Christians [we know at least Stephen]. These are the acts of a cold-blooded religious extremist/terrorist. If you know the story, this religious extremist converted to Christianity and became a prolific church planter/missionary/Apostle who just happened to write a ton of letters, some of which were included in the New Testament.

What would have happened if some of the earliest Christians had said, "What this guy is doing is evil, let's kill him!" What would the early church have become if a few Christians had got together and looked to kill Paul? Well, it for sure would look different.

What can we learn by thinking about the religious extremist/terrorist/Apostle named Paul?

Thoughts on Football pt2: the spread offense

2009-12-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

I have found most recently the development of the spread offense to be highly intriguing. Basically, for the past 100 years of football there has been 1 main philosophy: be bigger, stronger, and faster than your opponent. Until the past 25 years or so, every strategy included power as its main ingredient; even the West Coast Offense [The WCO was highly influential in the spread's beginnings, but there is still a difference in the two].

This has changed as of late. A new style of offense has developed very logically named the "Spread Offense" because it does just that. The basic idea of the spread is not to over power the other team, but to isolate one position on the football field and beat it with superior athleticism. Regardless of whether or not there is superior athleticism, the fact that the ball carrier is 1-on-1 and not 1-on-more than 1, is a significant upgrade.

Thus, the whole way offense is thought about has changed. Where before many teams aligned themselves close to the ball before the play started, now teams rely on spacing themselves out in a variety of positions. This spacing is the key to creating mismatches. Once teams are spread out thus creating the 1-on-1 match-ups, there are a variety of ways that teams can take.

Hopefully, a team utilizing the spread offense will find its quick players being guarded by bigger, slower defenders. Because of this, the spread is able to cover up deficiencies that a team may have. It is about individual skill in a 1-on-1 situation. Thus, allowing a less talented team to compete with superior talent. [in my opinion, more small high school football teams should use the spread as opposed to the old-school triple wing power running style. both offenses are attempting to mask the deficiencies of their school's talent pool; just IMHO, the spread is a much more effective strategy.]

The first main way to exploit the spread is with a quick passing attack. We see this in the NFL with the Patriots. Tom Brady usually works with 3 to 5 spread out Wide Receivers. His options are to 1.) look for a linebacker [a slower larger defensive player] matched up with a quicker, faster WR, 2.) throw a short pass [which is the equivalent of an old fashioned running play], or 3.) with all the WR's in movement [thus causing a defense to look for short passes] there might be one able to get open for a deep pass.

The second way to use the spread offense is a power running game. We see this used mostly by the Florida University Gators. They have a massive, brutish Quarterback named Tim Tebow who is more likely to plow over defenders than he is to avoid contact. Thus by spreading out the defense with fast players, causing the defense to spread out in order to defend against them, Tim is able to run against fewer & smaller defenders.

The third way that the spread can be used is a speed running game. This is used by teams like the University of Texas, the West Virginia University Mountaineers, and also the University of Michigan Wolverines. This is a strategy where because the other team is so spread out, the faster quicker quarterback, wide receivers, and running backs are able to use their speed to out maneuver the bigger, slower defensive linemen and linebackers. [often these teams decided to run one way or another simply by reacting to how one player on the field is attacking their offense.]

Already, we're seeing the effects the spread is having on the game of football, as every team in the higher levels of the game has included some elements of this into their gameplan.

Thoughts on Football pt1: coaching

2009-12-15T06:00:00.002-05:00

[Editor's note: I'd like to take a few posts (possibly as many as 10) to spend some time talking about the game of football. For those of you who read this blog, and don't like football...sorry!]

I've said it a couple of times during the past week, "I think coaching/leadership is 3-fold: recruiting talent, teaching a philosophy/gameplan/strategy, & then motivating your talent to follow your philosophy/gameplan/strategy. Everything that a coach/leader does can be found within these three parts. I think this is exemplified most clearly on a football team. Interestingly enough, I read a Bobby Knight book where he said - when looking to develop his coaching philosophy - he actually talked with football coaches to get tips, learn what it meant to coach, and to develop habits for himself.

Football, more than any other sport, relies on good coaches. For the most part, other sports can overcome poor coaching; even then rarely. In these other sports, a star athlete can compensate for poor coaching, but football is the ultimate team sport. Because of the sheer size of a football team, it requires a leader who is organized, motivated, and passionate enough to form a group of players into 1 cohesive unit.

My friend Handyman Mitch works for NBC's camera crew during the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, which gives him an interesting vantage point of the game. He was talking the other day about the difference between ND's [now former] coach Charlie Weis and Southern Cal's coach Pete Carroll.

Pete is the personification of energy during games; running up and down the sideline; high fiving his players; getting in players faces; constantly coaching, constantly cheering, constantly spreading energy to his players. On the other sideline, Charlie Weis would stand still with a massive laminated sheet that had all the plays. He'd stay pretty stationary on the sideline talking strategy with his coaching staff and players. Both coaches profoundly impacted their teams, and USC under Pete Carroll went undefeated against ND under Charlie Weis. I wonder why?

The head coach of a football team is the football team. Only in rare occasions does any other position on the team have a larger impact on the team than the head coach [the only such example I can think of is Peyton Manning and the Colts]. A team will mirror its coach. It is the pure truth. If you look at the great teams down through the ages, they all had great coaches leading them. There are 0 exceptions here.

Here are the characteristics I think that a head coach needs to have.

Enthusiasm/Passion/Drive to succeed
A strong understanding of who and what he wants his football team to be. And the ability to clearly articulate this understanding
The ability to surround himself/herself with players that fit that understanding.

What do you think?

Ohio State jokes are always funny!

2009-12-10T10:53:00.000-05:00

World's Biggest Oxymoron:

2009-12-09T10:08:00.005-05:00

The world's biggest oxymoron is a pro-life war supporter.

This person is one who believes that life is very precious and all life is worthy of a chance to come into this world, yet they also support using war [the world's #1 killer] to bring peace.

They are really just people who believe that all life is precious except the life that threatens theirs.

This to me is the definition of oxymoron.

There is a better way to bring about peace, one that supports and promotes life. A way that is loving. A way that is much more practical and pragmatic than war. It is the way of Jesus! It is a way that refuses to de-value any life [even the life that is wanting to take yours] yet also refuses to passively ignore injustice in the world.

It begins by valuing ALL life. It begins but realizing that there are underlining reasons why people would be willing to hate us [often its because of our actions] enough to want to kill us. It begins by not valuing your life more than that of your neighbor. It is a way that begins with the powerful humbling themselves to the lowest place possible [which is the Christmas story isn't it?!?!?] It begins with love.

It is the way of Jesus.

So let's be people who are Pro-life in every way we can imagine. Pro-life when it comes to abortion; supporting both the life of the unborn & and the mother who has no other place to go. Pro-life for those who are starving. Pro-life to those who throw away extra food. Pro-life for those who look to terrorize. Pro-life for those who wish to stand up for justice. Pro-life for those who are innocent. Pro-life for those who are guilty. Let's take a Pro-life stand towards everybody everywhere!

Let's let our Pro-life stand be so strong that peace would rule and reign on earth as it does in heaven. AMEN.

Advent doesn't = Christmas

2009-12-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

First of all let's just clear something up...Advent is not Christmas.

Advent is the four week season of anticipation of Christmas; much like Lent is to Easter. As Christians we do this because Christmas [and Easter] is a very profound event. We celebrate this because Christmas is not something that should ever sneak up on us. Now, if you're an American, I'm sure you're thinking, "Christmas...sneak up on us? They start playing Christmas music in Wal-Mart 3-4 months out!" My response is, "Do you think what they're celebrating is Christmas?" [more on that in the next post]

A common way of thinking about Advent is twilight [not the vampire movie...]. Much as twilight is the time just before daylight, Advent is the time, just before the Light of the world has come amongst us; just before God fully reveals himself to the world; just before God puts all his money on the table. Twilight is a funny time of day just BEFORE actual light.

Last year, I was a part of a group, and to celebrate Advent, we got up really early in the morning, sat in the middle of a field, and worshiped together in the twilight. This is what we do the four weeks before Christmas, we're coming together to worship in the twilight before the full light is upon us.

A friend of mine [who just so happens to be a pastor] recently announced to his church that they were not going to sing any Christmas songs in their church until Christmas. His reasoning: "Christmas music celebrates the coming of Jesus, Advent is the seasoning preparing for Christmas" - two very different things. Instead, the church is singing, "Oh Come, Oh Come Immanuel."

Oh Immanuel, God with us, please come!

Peace through righteousness

2009-12-03T09:45:00.000-05:00

[This is a re-posted piece...I thought it was pretty good and wanted to bring it out of the moth-balls. Enjoy]

The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever (Isaiah 32:17)

If there is anything we have learned from the past is that unrighteousness only leads to more conflict and struggle. If you don't believe this think of Europe in the 1920's and 30's as the continent moved towards World War II. At the end of WWI, the victors placed all the blame, all the guilt, and the entire bill for the war unjustly upon the nation of Germany. This injustice led to Hitler's rise to power, the way that the German people so freely allowed Hitler to act as he pleased, and to the death of literally millions in the 7 years of between 1939 and 1945.

In his letters from the Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King notes that even when those who are looking to fight injustice through non-violent means break they law, they must accept the penalty for their crimes; lest more injustice break out. This is something that Christians throughout the ages have realized. For if there is to be peace, it must come through righteous means.

How do we as Christians respond to Gitmo? To Israel's strangulation of the Gaza? To responding to 9/11 by going to war? Are these actions righteous? Do we expect these actions to really bring peace to our country and the world?

How Christmas threw the world upside down

2009-12-02T13:50:00.004-05:00

I recently have been thinking how we're all about success, winning, & being #1. We like to talk about being the best, championships, & top dogs. Its everywhere and in everything. We all are looking to live a perfect life, have a perfect family, looking to overcome the problems in our life.

I think this ironic, because as I read about Jesus, he was about failure. Failed Messiahs were crucified. Honorable people aren't born to parents out of wedlock. A king rides a majestic horse into a city; not a donkey. What kind of person hangs out with the traitors, losers, and prostitutes? Great men are born in regal palaces located in important cities, not tiny shacks in out-of-the-way little villages. Jesus' life is about failure, not success.

The Christmas story is a backwards story. The promised one has been born, yet the first people to greet him are shepherds who have tending to their sheep as they gave brith and probably have dirty and bloody hands. Even the Magi who came to find Jesus went to the wrong place, surely this important King would be born in a place of opulence and wealth; not to a common laborer under questionable circumstances. Its almost comical to think about Jesus' birth.

The trajectory of this story is one of a downward slope. Its one that rejects the mindset of success. The story of Jesus' birth is the first in many steps looking to challenge the very way we understand the world to be oriented. In the ways we understand the world to work, Jesus was a failure. If you have the mindset of success, Jesus' birth should be offensive to you.

If you actually think about it, you would look at Jesus and say, this is not the way it should happen. You should expect God to be the strongest and most powerful person in the room...not a helpless, illegitimate baby born to a couple of peasants.

How can we change the way we understand the world? How can we follow our lord and savior and become a pack of losers? Merry Christmas!

2009-12-01T16:15:00.000-05:00

Prayer is a time waster.

2009-12-01T09:22:00.004-05:00

[Editor's Note: This concept is one of the hardest for me to live out. I constantly look at myself and say, "You need to be more like that!" So please don't feel as if I am the perfect one when it comes to prayer, it is something that I am working on in my life as well.]

At some level I believe that prayer is a time waster. Bare with me on this, I believe that prayer is of the utmost importance in the life of a Christian, that ones spiritual health is tied into ones prayer life. But prayer is a time waster. Here’s what I mean:

We spend all kinds of energy looking to solve the problems in our life. Marriage problems? Well let’s read this book. Let’s go to counseling. Let’s spend time together talking about our personal differences, reminiscing about the good times, and rekindling our love. Financial problems? Let’s make a budget. Let’s cut back on our spending. Let’s attempt to make our residence a bit more energy efficient. Hopefully you get my point, when we come to problems we look to do, do, do in an attempt to solve our problems. We like to think we can take care of our own problems, but reality is – you can’t do this.

A quick look at the amount of people on blood pressure pills should help us to see this...

Let’s think about tithe. For most people in the world, the concept of first giving away 10% of their income means that money will be really tight in their homes. We usually think we’ll need 100% of what we have to be able to get ends to meet. One way of looking at tithe is that it is God’s way of saying, “I can do more with 90% than you can do with 100%.” The whole point of tithe is for God to help us see that He is our provider! If we trust in God, He will provide for us. After all, don’t the lilies and sparrows have what they need?

God is asking you, in your life, to do the same thing with your time. There is always more than enough to do that will fill up a 24-hour cycle; more than enough activity to keep us occupied, busy, and stressed. As human beings we are like a hive of caffeinated bees…always running around here and there, endlessly busy. Yet God asks that we slow ourselves down – waste some of our precious time – in order to connect with him, to ask him for guidance, wisdom, support, and a way through the craziness of our life.

If God can do more with 90% of our wealth than we can do with 100%, think of how much more can he do with 23 hours than we can do with 24.

So God is asking you to waste some of our precious time; to slow down, to stop solving your problems, and come to Him. He knows that we are - like lemmings [in how we want to solve our own problems], we'll keep going until we fall right over the edge. So he asks us to trust him, to stop, to waste time and talk with him, confess to him, confide in him, and listen to him.

Let's go waste some time.

Great Quote:

2009-11-16T17:38:00.004-05:00

This quote is from the Dark Master himself, Mr. Woody Hayes in 1968:

When asked why he went for two despite a 36-point lead against Michigan, Hayes quipped, "Because I couldn't go for three."

[Just another reason why the University of Michigan-Ohio State University rivalry is the best college football rivalry in the country.]

Great Quote:

2009-11-10T14:21:00.001-05:00

"Biblical Egypt is a symbol for a society that has no standard but a bent sense of its own importance, no values but those of profit, no understanding of strength unless it is violent."

-Johanna W.H. van Wijk-Bos
"Making Wise the Simple: The Torah in Christian Faith and Practice"

HT-Tim Founds
[via Twitter: tfounds]]

Great Quote:

2009-11-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

[The question here is not of political ideology, but why somebody would be accused of being a communist for simply asking why people are suffering? Perhaps the real issue is that people are translating the actions of a Christian through political and economic lenses.]

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.”

-Archbishop Dom Helder Camara
[http://tinyurl.com/yhfnc4s]\

Who is blessed?

2009-11-09T09:22:00.003-05:00

who are the people we think of as blessed?

well we like the people who have it all togeather. the people who are on time. those who show up. the group of people that dress well, that shower, or that have cool hair cuts. We like to bless the people with the best argument, the ones who pay their bills on time. The innovative, the creative, the front runners all get our praise. We're crazy about the people who are the best!

Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount by pronouncing another type of person as the blessed: the poor in spirit [aka losers], those who mourn, the meek [shy, introverted people], thos who hunger and thirst for righteouness [not power, wealth, & fame], the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, & those persecuted for righteousness. It is these people who God considers blessed.

Its not the people who have it all together, the leaders of industry, the people who are in, cool, or famous. Its the quiet, the meek, the bottom dwellers of our social circles. Blessed people aren't the celebrities, its the anti-celebrity who lives in your neighborhood.
Blessed is the single mom who is working her fingers off trying to support her family.
Blessed is the person who has no clout in politics.
Blessed is the man who can't find work.
Blessed is the social awkward person.
Blessed is the family who can't make their rent.
Blessed is the person who thinks its wrong that the above mentioned family can't make their rent and does something about it.
Blessed is the person who instead of adding on to their house, buying a new car, or taking a vacation, shares what the have with the single mom working herself to death.

Blessed are you when you realize just what the Kingdom of Heaven is about.

That's nice, but I'm a realist.

2009-11-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Perhaps you've heard somebody say this: "that's nice, but I'm a realist." What they're really saying is that death is winning; in the end the world is still governed by the powers of darkness. Their mindset is pessimistic. A pessimist views reality in a negative light. An optimist views reality in a positive light. Therefore, when somebody says, "I'm a realist" they're really saying that their world-view is dominated by the negative.

Christians who are pessimists, cannot take the resurrection very seriously; the resurrection is all about hope [after all, death has been defeated]. Constantly in the New Testament we see references to a new humanity, a new creation, a world now governed by the hopefulness of the resurrection. We see this in John 20. The author says, "One the first day of the week..." This is not just a comment about which day of the week it is, this is a conversation about creation. The author is hinting back to the first week of creation, a creation that was governed by sin and death, but this is now the first day of the new week [and a new creation]. The world is not the same, the resurrection has changed everything.

I love Daniel chapter 7. This chapter is written to post destruction of Jerusalem Jewish people. Their best years as a nation are now behind them. They have been defeated, their independence stripped from them, and now they are lorded over by people who are not concerned with Yahweh. The world is now being ruled by the great empires of the ancient world -Bayblon, Persia, Alexander the Great & his legions, and Rome- and Israel is merely a pawn in their real life game of Risk. This is the people who are God's chosen. They have been called the Sons of God, trusted with the very words of YHWH given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and a part of God's healing and restoration of the world. Yet now they're just a very small province in the corner of a very large Empire. Is Yahweh still in control? Daniel chapter 7 is written with this question in mind.

Daniel sees a vision of these massive beasts roaming around this plain; each bigger, each stronger. These beasts roamed this plain destroying everything in sight. Daniel feels nothing and nobody can stop these massive beasts! In the heavens, the Ancient of Days sits watching all this unfold from his throne in heaven. Yet suddenly one who appears to be a son of man appears in the clouds, and he is given authority over the beasts. Not only is he able to rule over these beasts, but we don't even get a record of a battle; he just wins! To a people subjugated, this is would be a story of hope! The rulers of the world only appear to have power and authority, there is one sitting in heaven who really is ruling the world. This is a message of hope; this is a story that would force somebody to be an optimist.

Now there are tons of pessimistic people out there who look at the world in a negative light; the world is falling apart; good is on the way out; the cup is half empty. But to them I like to say, "That's nice, but I'm a realist!"

Long live the Lamb that was slain!

Peter Rollin's Twitter Parable:

2009-11-03T15:07:00.004-05:00

Peter Rollins is now on Twitter [his twitter page here]. He has recently begun Tweeting Parables 140 characters at a time. Here's his first Parable. Each paragraph is an individual tweet. Check it out!

There was once a poor and compassionate woman who lived in one of the world’s largest cities

She was a kind and tender lady who laboured tirelessly with the unloved and unwanted

She was also a skilled painter and would subsidise her work by sketching portraits of wealthy tourists in their fine robes

At night she would chat with strangers in the local tavern or relax with friends in her modest home at the edge of the city

Her life continued in this way for many years, however, on her thirtieth birthday she made an incredible discovery

She found that she had been miraculously bestowed with an astonishing gift

For no apparent reason she could now perform supernatural feats of the sort she had only heard of in the fables of old

One word from her lips could generate breathtaking wealth and a mere thought could turn her dwelling into a golden palace

People would travel thousands of miles just to sit in her presence, watch what she could do and learn from her

Soon even those in power began to take note of this miracle worker, and where awed by her immense power

Her divine gift captivated everyone she met and caused many to revere her as a god

Yet, throughout her entire life, not one person ever learned of her supernatural powers; for never once did she use them

She could have taken herself out of poverty in an instant or gained any possession in the blink of an eye

Yet she had no desire to do so for she already loved her life and saw it as already infused with overwhelming beauty

People were in awe of her because she was able to love without limit, forgive without reserve and live without fear

The rich where so poor that they longed to be in the presence of one who could live meaningfully in a world that seemed devoid of meaning.

To them she was nothing less than a living testimony that life before death was possible.

This woman’s very existence was her miracle and her example was her divine gift to humanity… The End

What happened to UofM's season?

2009-11-01T21:58:00.011-05:00

Famed football player, coach, & announcer John Madden [made famous coaching, more famous for his broadcasting, and uber famous for his video game] was the long time coach of the Raiders. While working for the Raiders he famously argued with Al Davis [the overbearing, clueless, & not football savy owner] about how to develop and organize a football team. Madden argued that it was the offensive line, Davis promoted the secondary.

IMHO I believe Madden is right, every winning football team you'll ever find will ALWAYS have a solid offensive line; sometimes they have a good secondary. They offensive line is the group of players designated with the tasks of protecting the Quarterback when he throws the ball, and to block defenders when the running back runs the ball. A solid, healthy offensive line allows an offense the ability to make long drives, hold the ball, and tire the other teams D. If you don't do those things, I guarentee that your football team is bad. [I grew up cheering for the Lions...I know what I'm talking about here.]

I say all this because the University of MICHIGAN football has gone through a couple rough years and has been historically poor [3-9], yet the start of this season came with great hope! They started with a win against Western Michigan and in week 2 defeated Notre Dame in a game that featured an exciting finish. Needless to say, MGoBlue nation was pumped as a season we all thought was going to be more of the same, suddenly was infused with hope; we could be good! The week after the ND game, David Molk UofM's starting center [the core of the line] broke his foot. Ever since that injury, Michigan's season has gone down hill. Now there are other factors, but the key factor has been the fact that they have not had the protection and stability of a solid offensive line to lead their attack. Never has John Madden's insight been more useful in attempting to understand why MICHIGAN's team has fallen apart, the glue, the Offensive Line has crumbled.

I understand that its MICHIGAN and one player getting hurt shouldn't destroy the entire season, but center is a pretty important position. I'm not panicing and saying we need to get a new coach, I just think that they're a young team without much depth. I'm excited about the progress I saw in the first 3 games of the season, and think that those Buckeyes should be scared of the "team from up north."

Get ready to hear this song all day long!

Go BLUE!

Question:

2009-10-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

[ Do we use the Bible to justify how we view the world,

or do we let the Bible shape the way we view the world? ]

What do you think?

Verse(s) of the Day:

2009-10-22T05:56:00.001-04:00

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

- Romans 8:5-6

Great Quote:

2009-10-21T09:21:00.001-04:00

Our core problem is not that we are too passionate about bad things but we are not passionate enough about good things.

~ L. Crabb.

HT: Alan Hirsch

[via: Twitter]

Who is my neighbor?

2009-10-19T10:53:00.002-04:00

We've been talking about neighbors with the students at the church for the past few weeks. Its, for me, been an interesting conversation to think about as I've been preparing for our time together.

We started this month by looking at the passage commonly known as the story about the Good Samaritan [Luke 10]. The point we made that night, is this is not a story condemning the priest and the Levite; in this story Jesus is answering the question asked by an expert in the Law: "Who is my neighbor?" So the story is looking to get this expert to see that the Samaritan is his neighbor. Now what we don't see in our American world, is who the Samaritans were to the 1st century Jews.

To a Jew at this time, the Samaritans were not well liked people. There is record in many ancient histories that, they committed acts of terrorism in the temple of Jerusalem [i.e. scattering pig bones in the temple]. We see in the book of Nehemiah that they did everything they possibly could to destroy the Jews [so they're arch-enemies]. We read in the Gospels, the way that they dispute the Jewish claims about religion [so this has an element of a holy war] We also read in the Gospels the ways that the Jews would go out of their way to avoid all contact with the Samaritans [so they ditest each other so much they won't even have contact with each other]. So if we were to create a 21st century counterpart to the 1st century Samaritan it would be the essense of the enemies of our country [a Taliban/Nazi/Communist].

The question he is asked is really somebody wanting to clarify who they should feel obligated to love. Jesus responds with the most ridiculous possible possibility: the Samaritan. If you read the story, you'll see at the end, that this expert in the Law cannot even say "Samaritan." His response is "the one who showed love." He hates the Samaritans so much that he refuses to even say the word, "Samaritan." When asked who we're responsible to love, Jesus says: "even the one who hates you and wants to see you dead, that's who you're supposed to love."

Let's look at this at two levels:

personal: who do you need to see as your neighbor personally? Who is your enemy? Who do you hate? Who do you find it hard to love?
global: who is does our country see as our neighbors? Who is our enemy? Who do we hate? Who do we find it hard to love?

So the question today is: Who is your neighbor?

Verse of the Day:

2009-10-16T06:00:00.004-04:00

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

[I John 4.7-12]

Great Quote:

2009-10-15T09:41:00.000-04:00

[You can murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder.]

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Great Quote:

2009-10-15T06:09:00.000-04:00

Can anything be more ridiculous than that a man has a right to kill me because he lives on the other side of the water, and because his ruler has quarrel with mine, although I have none with him?
~Blaise Pascal

Question:

2009-10-15T06:00:00.002-04:00

Question of the day:
[If a fly lands in the communion cup: is the fly made holy; or is the communion wine/juice tarnished?]

Why ask this question: [here]

Why get up on a Sunday?

2009-10-14T05:00:00.001-04:00

If I had to pick a day & time to have a church service, Sunday AM would not be my first choice; I'd prolly go with Thursday night. I mean, sleeping in on a Sunday morning is amazing! [there's no mystery to why so many people do it: its pretty sweet!] Of all the times and all the day, why would Christians have picked Sunday morning as a time/day to gather together? Didn't they know sleeping in on a Sunday morning is as close to heaven as some people will ever get? perhaps you know what I'm talking about?!? [when we lived in Kentucky, we attended a church that had a Saturday night service, it was awesome!]

So why Sunday? Christians talk about the Sabbath, but let's just clear something up: the Sabbath is Friday at sun-down to Saturday at sun-down. Christians gathering on Sunday has very little if nothing to do with the Jewish Sabbath. Its a completely different day. Sorry, but we don't meet on Sunday because of Sabbath.

If you read the book of John, you'll notice that John makes a small note about the specific day that Jesus is raised: he calls it, "the first day of the week." Its a very powerful metaphor [think the first week in Genesis 1; John's book is LOADED with imagery. Its so brilliant]. You see in the 1st century Jewish mind, Sunday was the first day of the week; its much like Monday is for us today. There was no concept of a weekend, Sunday was the beginning of a work week. When John says that Jesus rose on the first day of the week, he's making a statement about a new start. This event has begun a new reality, a new world, a new order is among us. He was the first to emobdy CHANGE you can believe in.

This is one of the earliest understandings of salvation, a whole new order to creation. In this reality, Christ is the center of the world. This new week is no longer ordered by the old way, but by the reality of Jesus' death and resurrection. Life not death has won. No longer must we live stuck in our evil ways. No longer is death in the lead, no! life has won. It is this reality that Christians would gather to celebrate [this is why the would begin their gatherings with the greeting, "He is Risen!"]

Now the earliest Christians would have had to work on Sunday - there was not a nice 2day weekend. If you were a Jew you took 1 day [the Friday night to Saturday night Sabbath] then you went back to work, and the Romans didn't have such a day. They still had to work on Sundays. So they would get up early, before they went to work, to worship the new reality: DEATH is dead, and Jesus Christ is alive! They met, as we do, to celebrate the beginning of a new week.

Why do we meet on Sunday mornings? Because its the first of the new week. Its a tangible [touchable/observable] image of who we are as Christians. Because of this, we wake up and celebrate, because a new week is upon us and death is dead.

HE IS RISEN!

Quote from Christopher Columbus

2009-10-12T16:00:00.002-04:00

How should we respond to this quote?

"In all the world, there is no better people nor better country. They (native americans) love their neighbors as themselves, and they have the sweetest talk in the world, and are gentle and are always laughing ....They would make fine servants...With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want." - Christopher Columbus

HT - Adam Strauser

NFL Players meet with Detroit Lions:

2009-10-10T06:00:00.001-04:00

Great Video: Rob Bell/Shane Hipps

2009-10-09T11:05:00.004-04:00

I saw Shane this summer at a conference in GRAND RAPIDS, MI [the epicenter of progressive culture in the world] and thought he was absolutely awesome! I'm dying to read his book [you could buy me a copy if you're interested], and its on my wish list. [If reading this on facebook click on this link: http://thelegendofdanbellinger.blogspot.com ]

Rob Bell Interviews Shane Hipps About Technology from Deadly Viper on Vimeo.

Has Halloween Become Overcommercialized?

2009-10-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

Great Quote:

2009-10-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants.~Albert Camus

Definition of church:

2009-10-06T15:01:00.004-04:00

Here is how I would define what it means to be a church:
A revolutionary/subversive/underground community of people looking to unmask the kingdoms that are all around them as counterfeit, insisting that another, invisible/intangible/untouchable Kingdom [aka the Kingdom of God/Heaven] is real, and living in the reality of this Kingdom in the midst of the counterfeit kingdoms.

Jesus as Master:

2009-10-06T06:00:00.001-04:00

For years and years Christians have begun talking about salvation in terms of friendship/relationship [as in 'having a personal relationship with Jesus']. We sing songs about being friends with God. We like this, because there is something inside us that wants to have a relationship with God; we're created in the image of the One who is community/relationship [Father, Son, Holy Spirit]. So while this has connected with something deep inside us, it is not the entire picture.

The problem with merely defining salvation as a personal relationship with God is that it does not leave space to talk about how we live. Personal relationships are all about connecting; they're friendships. If I have a personal relationship with God, it does not mean that I need to live my life any differently than if I did not have a personal relationship. God is not looking JUST to connect with us, he wants to change the very way we see/relate to/understand the world.

If we read the New Testament, we see that God is interested in Lordship. God is interested in how we live; actions, thoughts, & desires.

It is easy for Christians who see salvation as "Personal Relationship" to talk against lust, murder, & hate as sin; the Bible specifically says so. But this view of salvation has a hard time dealing with passages that deal with money - of course friends don't really tell each other how to spend their money [that's just not polite]. Yet, we see that in the New Testament, this seems to be a major point of conversation for the earliest Christians. God, through Jesus, is not just looking to restore a personal relationship with us; he is looking to become our Lord/Master/King.

What does it mean to have Christ as our master? Well it means he controls the way we live our life. He governs the way we think, plan, pray, dream, spend, & see. He wants to shape and form the way that see our neighbor, the way we respond to stress, and how we believe the world is being made better.

[I'd like to talk in the next few posts about ways Jesus is looking to become our Master/Lord/King]

Just for Kicks: (it never gets old)

2009-09-29T19:51:00.001-04:00

Thoughts on using the generic term "God"

2009-09-24T09:37:00.003-04:00

To read the long version (read: better/richer/deeper/far more compelling) click here Otherwise, enjoy!

In my endless pursuit of pondering about how to be effective in communicating the message, I've realized that when I speak about God [using the generic term God], many people's eyes sort of glaze over. Not like an actual glazed doughnut, but more like the person who is on the 117th time watching a Scrubs episode. It's made me realize that having a conversation about God [using the generic name God] is rather boring. [Hear me out on this.]

Perhaps its just me, or 21st century culture, but God [using the generic name God] doesn't have much street cred. I mean I work with students, and while I'm teaching to students I see a glaze come over their eyes when I begin to talk about God [using the generic name God]. Yet I can't fault them, cause I (let's be honest) you do too. I mean God [using the generic term God] isn't really that interesting.

Honestly, I think that makes perfect sense. First of all, when we talk about God [using the generic name God], which God are we really talking about; we do live in a society with many views about God. God [using the term God], is a very open ended and very generic way to talk about the divine. When I talk about God, any old religion could assume that I'm referring to their god-figure. (This is where we often confuse the whole conversation between Islam and Christianity.)

I guess I've realized that I live in a world where everybody has a take on God. Its not like we live in a world of polytheists (people with multiple Gods) and we're revealing to the world there is one God. We're living in a world of people who either believe in 1 God or are ok with "not knowing and not caring." To talk about God just ends up in sounding like "blah, blah, blah, blah." God is too mainstream, too undefined, too generic to actually be interesting to listen to.

This, I think, is not as big a problem for us as Christians as it may appear, because just speaking about God is not really how it worked in the Bible. God [using the generic term God] actually has revealed himself to us in the person of Jesus. As Christians when we refer to God [using the generic term God], should spend most of our time talking about Jesus. [I mean after all we're called Christians not Godians.]

If the term God is generic, able to be used by anybody referring to multiple different things, perhaps speaking about Jesus would be better. While the name Jesus has actually become a mainstream, generic name at least it is referring to someone and something specific. The only thing is that Jesus has a story. Jesus actually said something. Jesus challenges us to think differently, he creates tension. Jesus causes us to rethink, revalue, & re-prioritize our lives.

We can talk about God [using the generic term God], and not really commit to something. We can talk about God [using the generic term God], and not challenge ourselves to see the world differently. We can use the name God [using the generic term God], and not offend anybody around us. God[using the generic term God] is safe.

So I guess, perhaps we need to stop talking about God [using the generic term God], and begin talking about Jesus. Maybe that's the first step in helping people remove the glaze from their eyes.

What do you think?

How the "Block M" and the "Script Ohio" relate to Organizations

2009-09-18T07:20:00.004-04:00

I grew up a Michigan fan (that's Meechigan for those Bob Ufer fans). I was taught Ohio State is from the devil, everything about Ohio is 2nd rate compared to my beautiful home state. Little did I realize how similiar these two places are; in many ways. We're both Midwestern and have a similiar feel, which I began to notice when I moved to Kentucky: Ohio does feel like Michigan. They're both heavy on the manufacturing front. And both major football programs were based on power.

You see for years and years and years, football has been about power, strength, and sheer domination. We'd get the biggest, strongest men we could find, and then ram the ball down the field. It didn't matter how fast you were, we were going to beat you with our size and power. This has been the philosophy at both Michigan and Ohio State for decades. The two teams were really mirror images of each other. Like it or not, Michigan is like Ohio State (just, ;), we've done it better). This has been successful for years and years and years, and recently as Michigan has won a National Championship in '97 and Ohio State in '02. But the game is changing.

The game has become about speed. The mentality is not to use power and strength and move the ball down the field, it has become to spread the other team thin, isolate a highly skilled player against somebody that is slower and less skilled them them, and then get the the ball in a place where they may be able to take advantage of their speed and quickness. Power and strength has been replaced with speed and adaptibility.

Recently, I was reading in a journal on my favorite sports blog that one of the iconic Michigan coaches Bo Schembeckler, was 5-15 in bowl games. The author of this piece wondered if this wasn't a product of the power game. You see Bo was the biggest and baddest bully in his neighborhood. He for sure will dominate local kids, but what would happen when be began to meet the bully's from other neighborhoods? No longer was his power as big an advantage, and he lost the majority of his bowl games as a result. We have seen the same result recently with Ohio State's mindset; they're good in their conference games (still overpowering the little guys) but awful in the Bowl games (playing the other bullies). I think he has a point.

Michigan has, in the past couple of years, changed its mindset. No longer does it play the game based upon sheer brut strength and power, but has changed its focus to the speed and adaptible mindset of 21st century football. (Ohio State has not, they're still big, strong, and losing big games to top-ranked teams)

This pattern is not isolated to football. The mindset of business, politics, and churches has always been about power and overwhelming the opponent. This played out in Wal-Mart leveraged itself into having the most buying power; politicians bought the most ad revenue for a market; churches looked to build the best buildings with the best programs; etc.,etc.,etc. It is about power. But recently, we've discovered that power isn't as effective as it used to be. We're seeing online sales go through the roof, leaving companies like Wal-Mart struggling to catch up. One of Obama's biggest strategic advantages was that he dominated the internet, a relatively cheap way of marketing himself; in the process cutting out the need for an advantage he might have (or not have) on the traditional media markets. Churches with huge buildings are finding that just having a building and programs is not what the younger crowd is looking for; the power of the mega-church is meaningless to a 20-something.

These organizations are realizing that speed and adaptability are what's important to running a successful organization. In my field - the church - we're realizing that just having a cool youth room, cool programs, and a cool youth pastor are not enough to bring disicples in; perhaps they never were. Perhaps, like Michigan and Ohio State, we were just the biggest, best, and had the brighest lights in town and thought that if we did that we'd be able to draw kids to Jesus. Regardless, we need something more now. We must learn to adapt to student culture, we must learn to be relational, we must learn to go to the students; this mindset requires speed and adaptibility, as teen culture and mindsets are very quickly changing. In the church, it doesn't only include youth ministry, our entire culture is changing and the church as a whole must become more reliant on speed and adaptibality.

As we move further into the 21st century, we're going to see those who follow the traditional model focusing on power fall to the wayside. In the same way, we'll see those who rely on speed and adaptibility thrive!

And I still think that Ohio is a four letter word. GO BLUE!!!

Christian Rhetoric:

2009-09-17T17:02:00.003-04:00

[Rhetoric: dictionary: verbal communication; discource]

(aka: talking)

Christians are to be different than the world around us. We have a different set of values, beliefs, and priorities than those who are not Christians; it's what marks us as different from everybody else. How do you know somebody is a Christian? Well you should be able to tell they're different by their actions [Galatians 5.22-26]. It should be evident in every level of their life-we're the ones who live with the Holy Spirit guiding our lives.

This mean that even the very WAY that we speak - our rhetoric - should be DIFFERENT. The very way that we communicate to people around us should be influenced by the Spirit of God that is present inside our hearts. It is not ok for a Christian to talk like everybody else.

Now what does it mean for a Christian to speak like a Christian? Well, I think a great place to start is the above mentioned passage of Scripture -- Galatians 5.22-26, the Fruit of the Spirit. The Fruit of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. So a Christian, when they speak, should be reflecting these attributes; these fruit of the Spirit.

The question we should be asking ourselves: "If a Christian, when they speak, is not revealing the Fruit of the Spirit, is the Spirit in them?" or perhaps we should ask,"If a Christian, when speaking, is not showing these Fruit of the Spirit, are they speaking like a Christian?" Tough questions, but I think important ones to ask ourselves...

I have seen too many Christians who have taken the Gospel message - a message of LOVE & HOPE - and not present a message that is neither of loving nor hopeful. If the rhetoric we use to communicate the Gospel isn't loving, then perhaps we're not presenting the Gospel message!

If we're not speaking without showing the Fruit of the Spirit, then perhaps we need the Fruit of the Spirit.

Great Quote:

2009-09-16T09:17:00.001-04:00

Lord, let the thick skin that covers me not be a hindrance to you. Pass through it. My eyes, my hands, my mouth are yours. This sad lady in front of me: here is my mouth for you to smile at her ... This smug young man, so dull, so hard: here is my heart, that you may love him, more strongly than he has ever been loved before.

- Madeleine Delbrêl,
Missionary and activist (1904-1964)

Social Networking:

2009-09-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

Social networking can be a powerful tool for those who are a.) working in groups b.) those who are in leadership, working with people. I don't understand why people in those situations wouldn't do everything they can to impliment Facebook, Twitter, and or blogs. They're simple to use, do not require a large amount of time, and the payoff is much higher than the cost - it seems like a no brainer.

I was involved in a group for about 9 months during the past year. As part of our group interaction, we used Twitter to help build solid friendships with one another. The point is that when using a social networking site, its to suppliment relationships built in ... well reality; not the foundation for a relationship.

One weekend a part of our team when on a trip to another city. While in-route one of his children threw-up in their van. This happened on a Thursday, and when it happened, he posted a tweet concerning what happened. Now, when we saw this friend on the next Monday, we had insight into what had happened to him over the weekend. We knew him just a little better, it helped us to understand his situation a little better.

Now, as far as the potential for connection, it only makes sense that a group or a leader would attempt to use technology in order to create a better sense of community amongst their organization. Sadly, when I talk with people in leadership positions, or people who work with groups, they are simply not interested in using this technology.

Being Method Transparant: "He is Risen"

2009-09-14T08:52:00.007-04:00

Last weekend, I stopped opening the service at New Carlisle Wesleyan with the traditional "Good Morning." This is not because Good Morning is a bad way to begin a church service, but more because "Good Morning" isn't necessarily a Christian greeting. Its a greeting you could hear anywhere; school, an office, a street corner, or a restaurant. Its not a bad thing, it just not explicitly Christian.

Instead of saying, "Good Morning," I've begun using the ancient Christian refrain, "He is Risen!" & "He is Risen Indeed!" This is a very Christian back and forth describing the reality of the resurrection. Christ is indeed risen from the grave!

We do this because, as Christians, we believe that Christ has been raised from the dead, and because of this the very nature of reality has changed. Thus, the resurrection of Christ is the most important event in history. It is for this reason - and no other reason - that we gather.

Our services are celebrations of the resurrection. Coming together to remember the resurrection, to retell the story, and to ask ourselves if there are better ways of living out the resurrection in our every day life.

HE...IS...RISEN!

Monday Morning Highlight:

2009-09-14T08:45:00.001-04:00

Enough already:

2009-09-10T14:53:00.005-04:00

Today I was at a roundtable talkback session for the district, when it happened. We had a break and I was walking around in the hallway when a pastor, Oliver Dongell, from Plymouth Wesleyan walked by me and asked the question. You know the one that I'm doomed to hear the rest of my life. The one that at first it was kinda funny and now...well you know.

He asked me, "Do you know you look like Glenn Beck?"

Its kind of sad, because in my life, I am doing everything I can to be intentional aggressivly non-partisan. I don't think that politics solves the world's problems (more like...it creates them). I am of the persuasion, that the only solution to the problems of the world (from healthcare to terrorists) is the way of Jesus; the Kingdom of Heaven.

And to answer your question...Yes, I know I look like Glenn Beck.

Not So Nice Notre Dame Video:

2009-09-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

Awesome Picture:

2009-09-08T13:48:00.002-04:00

Michigan Nose Tackle Mr. Mike Martin:

note the ginormous arm...

HT --> MGoBlog

Great Quote:

2009-09-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

We must pursue peaceful end through peaceful means.
~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

WANTED: Thinkers

2009-09-07T06:00:00.001-04:00

We need people who want to think. Thinking is important, yet often very hard to do. You might say, "Dan...I'm just not a thinker." To that I say, "Liar! You're a thinker! I believe you have it in you to be a thinker."

When I was growing up, there were people who could rattle off hundreds of stats about their favorite baseball player or team, yet they would do poorly in their schoolwork. Why is that? Well not because they're dumb...they're not dumb, they just aren't thinking about school; they're thinking about how crazy the game was the night before. It's about the energy you put into thinking!

As a church (in general, not just at my church) we need people who will take up the mantle of thinking. We have a rich tradition of thinkers leading the way. They have led in philosophy, art, and culture. The church has been at the center of bring peace and love to places that are torn apart by hatred and violence. The church has always been the place where the great thinkers have hung out!

The church, now more than ever, is lacking people who are willing to be in the process of engaging the movement between the WORD and the WORLD. We're in desperate need of people who look to live in the tension between the Kingdom of God being present and the Kingdom of God that is on the way.

Will you join us? Will you embrace your role as a thinker?

Personal Thoughts:

2009-09-03T15:03:00.005-04:00

I consistently come back to the Isaiah chapter 1. I'll spend a few months without thinking about it, but eventually my thoughts wander back to its words. They trouble me, they cause me to deeply think about who I am, what I think, and what I communicate about God. Needless to say, this part of the Bible challenges me greatly.

Pretty much the passage says:

Your worship of me is worthless. In fact, just stop it. Stop what you're doing cause it's meaningless, worthless, and disgusting to me. [Is 1v1-16a]
Learn to do right. Seek justice. Help the widow and the orphan. [Is 1v16b-17]

So basically, God is telling his people to stop doing what he has commanded them. They their sacrifies, prayers, and festivals are all meaning less. Whoa! Their whole religion is summed up in these actions. So pretty much, because they are failing to seek justice - to help the widow and orphan or to encourage the oppressed/rebuke the opppressor - their religion is meangingless. OUCH!

This is implying that the people of that day are not seeking justice, not helping the widow or the orphan, they're not encouraging the oppressed/rebuking the oppressor. God is angry! He is not happy with them at all. This causes me to ask the question --> am I seeking justice? or am I ok with the injustice that is happening all around me. Perhaps I'm ignorant of injustice...so is there injustice around me? If so: where is it? what is it? how am I a part of it?

For me, this also implies that to God, unless we're seeking justice, he sees our religion as worthless. It doesn't matter what I believe if I'm not helping the widow and orphan or to encouraging the oppressed/rebuke the oppressor. Which means I need to check that in my life.

I live in a world where I struggle with this daily. I'm aware of injustice around me - I read the tags on my shirt - and yet I struggle to do anything about it. [read: pragmatically I'm apathetic towards this issue] So what can I do about it.

What can I do to seek justice. What can I do to encourage the oppressed. Seriously, what do you think?

Quite Random Picture of the Week:

2009-09-02T06:00:00.002-04:00

I found this on my computer...I blame Steph.