General

Looky-Loo

Last night, I was messing with some code and… well, I’m not sure. So here we are back at the default scheme. I still haven’t officially moved over from Blogger yet. Hopefully by May 1st, I will make this my permanant home. The look will change so hang on!

I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had time to breathe (not good). We had a retreat this past weekend that went very well. God blessed us with some great weather too. I made a few “youth ministry nuts and bolts” mistakes but I learned some lessons and next time I’ll do even better. It is amazing how God can use us inspite of ourselves. I saw firsthand his strength in my weakness. Anyways, have a great day!

Theology

Just a Thought

Jesus With Dirty Feet
Don Everts

Jesus walked.
Jesus was a man with dirty feet.
He spent most of those three years walking around with people.
He invited folks to become his intimate followers.
Everywhere he went great crowds gathered around to listen to him, to be with him, to see what he would do next.
As Jesus led his twelve closest followers they would walk along the dirt roads together.
They went to parties together.
They ate meals together.
They worked together.
Jesus walked as a human among humans, brushed elbows with politicians and outcasts, went to parties with sinners and criminals, and embraced as his own family those he met on the street.
Jesus floated on no pristine clouds.
Jesus was no aloof elitest.
Jesus was no odd hermit.
He preferred the world of dirt and friends and handshakes.
He embraced this relational life on earth more passionately than anyone ever had.

Popular Culture

Interesting

1 Comment

This morning, RelevantMagazine.com posted this story:

The formula worked for Johnny Cash, so why not Neil Diamond. Producer Rick Rubin was responsible for reviving Cash’s career with the American Recordings series, and is trying to do the same for veteran singer Neil Diamond.

Last Christmas, my wife gave me the Cash: Unearthered boxset. The set was pure genius. The liner notes spoke extensively about Rubin’s involvement and vision. He sounds like the kind of producer that you want working for you. Tough, fair, committed, and interested in making a killer album.

As long as Rubin can avoid any Neil/Babs duets, I’m sold on this idea.

RELEVANT magazine :: Slices: Daily News and Opinion

General

Freedom!

Mick Brown a specialist remover prepares to pack William Wallace's sword at the Wallace Monument in Stirling, Scotland Wednesday March 30, 2005. The sword will leave Scotland Wednesday for the first time in more than 700 years, travelling to the United States as part of the country's Tartan Day celebrations being held in April. Members of Stirling Council met earlier this month to decide whether to allow the national treasure make the trip to New York, where it will form the centerpiece of an exhibition. (AP Photo/Andrew Milligan, PA)

It has been five years, since I spent 6 wonderful weeks in the country of Scotland. For me, just stepping one foot in Scotland made me tingle with excitement. Like many Americans, my love for scotland came from an Australian. Mel Gibson’s epic Braveheart had turned every American into a blue faced, kilt wearing Scotish lord (well, at least in their hearts). I was no exception. Around the time that the movie was released on VHS, my grandmother passed away and we were forced to move into her home near downtown Dallas for about 3 months. I felt far way from my friends and although the house was tiny, I felt removed from my family. I played high school football under Texas friday night lights. To get pumped up, I would watch Braveheart every Thursday. Every Thursday. Widescreen. Both tapes. All the way through. I tried to live the motto “Every man dies, but not every man truly lives” to the fullest extent that a dumb 17 year-old boy could. I loved it! When I went off to university, the campus ministery offered me the chance of a lifetime. Six weeks serving churches in Scotland on a mission trip. I jumped at that chance. When we arrived, I fell in love with the country and her people even more. I’ll never forget traveling to Stirling and climbing the steps in Wallace Tower. In the tower, hung the sword of William Wallace. The sword was much taller than I am. It didno’t look like the movie sword. This weapon wasn’t beauitiful. it was striking. The AP photo above is of William Wallace’s sword. 700 years after Wallace’s execution, the sword is traveling to New York City as the cernterpiece in the Tarten Celebrations. If you live in New York, try and get over to GCS and take a peak at this peice of history. If you miss it you might one day find yourselves dying. And lying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade… Sorry. I get really passionate about some things.

Ministry

Double Take, Doubled Over

I ran into Lifeway tonight because a) I was on that side of town and b) I like walking around bookstores. I was in the Pastoral Helps section when I saw some book with a title like Church Out-Side the Box or Out-Side the Box Church. Something along those lines. I never pick up those books because they all espouse the same “wisdom.” I kept walking down the aisle but quickly took a second look at the book’s cover.

“Forward by Rick Warren.”

For what it’s worth.

Ministry, Theology

I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy…

Down in My Heart! Where?

Tonight we resume meetings for our small group Bible study. This quarter we are looking at Paul’s letter to the Philippians using the Serendipty small group resources (Great resources to get students talking through the scriptures and growing together).

As I reread the letter last week, I was stuck at how hopeful Paul’s words are. Although our group wont’t get to it until next week, I think that the well worn statement in v 21 gives us the reason behind Paul’s joy. I love how poetic the Message staes this: “Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose.. As I’m typing this I’m listening to “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own”. Very fitting for the letter to the suffering city. Compare Paul’s words of encouragement to Bono’s words to his father.

Philippians 1:3-14
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ–to the glory and praise of God. Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
Tough, you think you’ve got the stuff
You’re telling me and anyone
You’re hard enough
You don’t have to put up a fight
You don’t have to always be right
Let me take some of the punches
For you tonight

Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don’t have to go it alone

Can you hear me when I sing
You’re the reason I sing
You’re the reason why the opera is in me.

Tonight we are going focus on this passage. My prayer is that it will encourge our students to rely on God and each other. I pray also that these words, Paul’s and Bono’s, my encourage you today. Peace.

General, Popular Culture, U2

iMix

Allthough I wasn’t able to attend the show in San Diego last night, I have enjoyed listening to the setlist all day. I made a playlist of the songs using various tracks from my iTunes library (Where possible I used live tracks). If you have iTunes, you can click the link below to the iMix that I submitted. Enjoy and stay classy San Diego!

U2//San Diego//3.28.2005 iMix

Theology

Thank You

Psalm 116:12-14

What can I give back to GOD
for the blessings he’s poured out on me?
I’ll lift high the cup of salvation–a toast to GOD!
I’ll pray in the name of GOD;
I’ll complete what I promised GOD I’d do,
and I’ll do it together with his people.

Popular Culture

That’s some nice policin’ boys!

Last night’s 8pm episode of The Simpsons, proved once again why I believe it is the smartest comedy on television. Originally airing last month, “Pranksta Rap” was a deftly written satire of how we look the other way instead tackeling hard issues and calling the truth truth. The episode guide describes this episode as,

Bart sneaks out of the house to attend a forbidden rap concert. When Marge and Homer discover he is missing, Bart fakes his own kidnapping to prevent being grounded. It is up to Springfield’s finest to save him. Of course, no one has any faith in bumbling police Chief Clancy Wiggum. Inspired by an apparition of Barney Fife, Wiggum vows to rescue Bart. Meanwhile, Bart is hiding out in Kirk Van Houten’s bachelor pad unbeknownst to Kirk. Wiggum cracks the case, Bart is rescued, and Kirk wrongfully goes to jail. Wiggum is promoted to Police Commissioner and Kirk becomes a lady’s man among the felon-loving singles of Springfield. Lisa searches for the truth and discovers that the kidnapping was all a hoax and everyone goes back as it was before.

Seems harmless enough. What the guide doesn’t tell you is that everyone except Lisa is fine with the lie. When Bart, Homer, Wiggum, and Kirk are caught in their lies they… throw a party! Everything is ok. No lesson learned, no sappy music. Just Homer cannonballing into the pool.

In my humble opinion, the writers were criticizing the nations aparent indifference to the “truth” about the Iraq war. Although, I do not believe that we were lied to about the belief that Saddam had WMDs, I do believe that, in order to keep the status quo, no one has been held accountable for mistakes. I understand completely that I am an armchair commander at this point. I am thankful that we do live in a country where our leaders, for the most part, do look out for us. I just have a hollow feeling about the aftermath here in America. I pray that those in Iraq will come to love freedom. The elections were an amazing step forward. I know that wonderful things have happened but, does the end truly justify the means? Who knows, maybe I’m looking into the episode tooooooooo much.

I appreciate the writers of the Simpsons for tackeling the issue of truth and justice in such a great manner. It wasn’t scathing but it was powerful. It caused me to think. Imagine that!

The Goal Is Soul