ugh.
somebody shoot me.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
year 2: hope springs eternal
i feel it incumbent on me to at least give a few thoughts to the thought-gobbling public on the season which is coming upon us. i know that this will make my last two posts sports-related, but too much of the time that is where my passions lie. so as the baseball season makes its annual run toward the playoffs and my red sox fight for their post-season lives, i split my attention to my other great sports love-the alabama crimson tide.
to say that the last few years have been tough would be an understatement. i, like most tide fans, have a terrifically inflated sense of what we should accomplish. somehow we are still feeding off the crimson dominance of the 60's and 70's, which would in most circumstances just make us sad. but after tasting the golden 92-93 season and championship in my own lifetime, i must admit, i am hooked. i feel like it is our right to be good. but after 2 straight losses to mississippi state, my pride is hurt. no longer are we feared. we have spiraled into mediocrity. after gene stallings, we have endured the jilting of one dennis franchione and a slew of mikes who were all too something. too dumb, too pretty, or too interested in boobies.
enter one nick saban.
the tide turned, so to speak, when the u of a layed down an ungodly sum of money to get their first choice. and again we mattered. if not on the field, then at least on talk radio and sportscenter. alabama had begun the process. the one that would restore glory to a reeling fanbase. it doesn't even matter that his only signature win is on the recruiting trail. heck, maybe that matters more. because with the right kind of players comes the right kind of team and the right kind of program.
enter one julio jones. and tyler love. and burton scott. (and especially julio jones)
when the best players begin to come, all the right things can happen. you get some buzz. the face of your program is lifted. and your on the field product suddenly has the potential to be really good. with a guy like julio, we instantly got a play-maker. a game-changer. a guy that the other team has to consider when drawing up a gameplan. someone that other teams (looking at you auburn. and lsu, tennessee, and georgia. and mississippi state) fear. and so now, as i stand on the cusp of a new season, i am filled with hope. i truly believe that we can win every game. will we? probably not. but we will not be without a chance. we may be young and inexperienced, but we finally have talent. and week by week, the talent gains experience, and the tide begins to swell.
i tend to think and speak sports in hyperbole. even in a 162 game mlb season, i hate to lose. most losses don't even matter individually, but each one feels like a punch in the face. and even more so in a college football season, where you get only 12 chances. and sure, this kind of lopsided passion can lend itself to crushing dissapointment and many an autumn mood-swing. but for right now, with a full season ahead and images of julio dancing in my head, it just gives me hope.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
no more dreadlocks
(the end of an era)
for about 20 years of my life, i have been a fan of the red sox. it is a strange thing, for sure, to root for a team that has undergone such a big public image change. when i first started following them, they were in the middle of what some have dubbed a "curse," and only about 3 years removed from the most recent low point when a certain bill buckner flubbed a routine grounder against the mets. but the last 4 years have been spectacular. no longer are they a model for everything that can go wrong for a team (that just might be the braves of the last 2 years), now they are a powerful example of how to run a franchise (with a ton of money). and 2 world series rings are proof enough.
a large part of that success has come in the form of one manny ramirez. he of the tired cliche (manny being...you know how that ends) has been one half of the most feared left-right 3-4 combo in the game. he may go down in history as one of the five or ten best righties ever to strap on a uni. his swing is a majestic amalgam of grace and power that is as close to mechanically perfect as possible. he is, without a doubt, a once in a lifetime talent.
at the plate.
in the field and on the basepaths, he is an adventure at best. and many of these plays are downright goofy. cutting off throws, rolling over on singles until they are triples, highfiving fans as he makes a double play (which was cool), the way he always seemed to dive at just the wrong time. he was known to take his time legging out ground balls. and it could be quite infuriating. but you learned to deal with it because he was a freak when he swung a bat.
that such a singular talent who played a huge part in 2 world series rings would be traded mid-season for a decent hitting canadian is surprising. that the sox gave away 2 more prospects and are paying out his salary just to get rid of him is beyond astonishing. but apparently this had become an exercise in finding that line between coddling a superstar because he is an uber-talent and kicking him to the curb because he is a cancer. manny had quickly deteriorated into the latter.
as a fan, this has been a trade of mixed feelings. i was a manny fan completely. there are a number of iconic images of his home runs that are forever part of my baseball memory bank. and i always thought that his carefree attitude was a chief reason he was absolute ice under pressure. he was always a joy to watch, because for every lazy jog to first or confoundingly bad fielding play, there were 4 or 5 times when he hit a baseball so far you weren't sure if it would land or made an opposing pitcher look that it reminded you how good he was and made you grateful he wore your colors.
but now, after a quick but ugly divorce, i have been forced to acknowledge that he had become so difficult to deal with that his numbers couldn't keep up. he quit on his team, and in sports, this is the most grievous of sins. and in that respect i admit that he had to go. and i am genuinely excited about jason bay and his role on the team. do i hope that we pick up a masher in the off-season? absolutely (please be texiera). but i believe that we can win with the lineup that we currently have. that is what a fan does.
but i will miss him. i will miss the talent that he brought to my favorite pro sports team. i will remember how he helped give me what many sox fans have died hoping for. i will be thankful that my son, himself a member of red sox nation, had the childhood joy of watching a larger than life character display his uncanny talent for all of us. but i will teach him a different way to play. i will teach him to hustle and not to quit on his team, no matter what. because freak talents are once in a lifetime, but the rest of us must work a little harder. and when it all comes down to it, winning matters, but it is much better when you win in the right way.
Monday, July 21, 2008
opinions: No Country For Old Men
there are few things that i anticipate. a favorite bands new record. christmas. a coen brothers film. ahh yes, the coen brothers. makers of some of the finest stories ever put to film. who can not love the twisted humor of Raising Arizona or O Brother, Where art Thou or the Big Lebowski. or the just plain twistedness of Fargo. it should come as a surprise then that i just now got around to watching No Country For Old Men. but i did.
and holy crap.
it was, in the most literal sense, a hell of a ride. whatever hell is seemed to infect every minute of the movie. it was dark and cold and uncomfortable and violent and beyond brilliant. it tells the intertwining story of 3 men and their part in the discovery of a drug deal gone bad. one is the man who discovered the scene (and the money), one the cold blooded assassin out to retrieve said money, and one the sheriff trying to bring balance to the whole thing. each of these characters are presented in the starkest way possible, offering little in the way of soundtrack to tell us how to feel about each one. and the bad guy, Chigurh, is maybe the most calculated and cold and sinister bad guy i have seen in a long while.
all good movies get me thinking. and this one has me thinking about redemption. after watching a chracater like chigurh, you begin to wonder if some people are beyond redemption. llewelyn moss, the man who finds the money, certainly is a redeemable character, but is too sidetracked by money to find it. the films only conscience, and most redeemable character is that of sheriff bell, who stands firmly on the side of justice and good, but as he delivers the films last line (which i won't spoil here) almost like a punchline, you wonder if he believes that redemption is possible.
it is a film that shows the worst of some possible situations, but sadly, it feels true. i say sadly because if redemption is this elusive, then it would be easy to lose hope. but i do find hope, even just a fragment. and sometimes a fragment is all we have. joel osteen may have us believe otherwise, but i'm pretty sure he is a liar. life is messy and sometimes violent and the absence of hope and redemption might be the most frightening thing of all. but what is redemption if there is not something to be redeemed from, some evil or mess that chases us around every corner and threatens to consume us. and what is hope but the dogged belief that evil and mess is not all there is, that there is something truer and more real that is coming and will set things right. you would think that a religion like mine that is about grace and redemption and hope would not be afraid to stare evil in the eye and defiantly believe that there is something else. but too often we trade truth (admittedly uneasy truth) for jesus mints and family friendly radio stations. we only like the easy and pretty. but that is only half the truth, which is no truth at all.
enough rambling. go see the movie.
and holy crap.
it was, in the most literal sense, a hell of a ride. whatever hell is seemed to infect every minute of the movie. it was dark and cold and uncomfortable and violent and beyond brilliant. it tells the intertwining story of 3 men and their part in the discovery of a drug deal gone bad. one is the man who discovered the scene (and the money), one the cold blooded assassin out to retrieve said money, and one the sheriff trying to bring balance to the whole thing. each of these characters are presented in the starkest way possible, offering little in the way of soundtrack to tell us how to feel about each one. and the bad guy, Chigurh, is maybe the most calculated and cold and sinister bad guy i have seen in a long while.
all good movies get me thinking. and this one has me thinking about redemption. after watching a chracater like chigurh, you begin to wonder if some people are beyond redemption. llewelyn moss, the man who finds the money, certainly is a redeemable character, but is too sidetracked by money to find it. the films only conscience, and most redeemable character is that of sheriff bell, who stands firmly on the side of justice and good, but as he delivers the films last line (which i won't spoil here) almost like a punchline, you wonder if he believes that redemption is possible.
it is a film that shows the worst of some possible situations, but sadly, it feels true. i say sadly because if redemption is this elusive, then it would be easy to lose hope. but i do find hope, even just a fragment. and sometimes a fragment is all we have. joel osteen may have us believe otherwise, but i'm pretty sure he is a liar. life is messy and sometimes violent and the absence of hope and redemption might be the most frightening thing of all. but what is redemption if there is not something to be redeemed from, some evil or mess that chases us around every corner and threatens to consume us. and what is hope but the dogged belief that evil and mess is not all there is, that there is something truer and more real that is coming and will set things right. you would think that a religion like mine that is about grace and redemption and hope would not be afraid to stare evil in the eye and defiantly believe that there is something else. but too often we trade truth (admittedly uneasy truth) for jesus mints and family friendly radio stations. we only like the easy and pretty. but that is only half the truth, which is no truth at all.
enough rambling. go see the movie.
Friday, July 18, 2008
blog in the round: what annoys me
a list.
-nickelback
-the tampa bay rays
-stupid church signs
-joel osteen
-people who are convinced they are right
-100 degree heat with 848 percent humidity
-botulism
-other people's kids
-baptists
-people who only speak christianese
-bill curry returning to coaching
-six in a row
-makeover shows
-country
-rap
-the unholy conglomeration of country and rap
-said conglomeration being used as the theme music for college gameday
-rednecks
-not eating ribs with my friends enough
-the troll waitress from dreamland who called us retarded
-spaghetti
-butt-rock
-internet shorthand
-rick and bubba
above list is not exhaustive.
-nickelback
-the tampa bay rays
-stupid church signs
-joel osteen
-people who are convinced they are right
-100 degree heat with 848 percent humidity
-botulism
-other people's kids
-baptists
-people who only speak christianese
-bill curry returning to coaching
-six in a row
-makeover shows
-country
-rap
-the unholy conglomeration of country and rap
-said conglomeration being used as the theme music for college gameday
-rednecks
-not eating ribs with my friends enough
-the troll waitress from dreamland who called us retarded
-spaghetti
-butt-rock
-internet shorthand
-rick and bubba
above list is not exhaustive.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
from (near) death to life: magic on the aquafresh aisle
for those interested, my dad is doing better. trying to strengthen himself and get used to a more healthy, less bacon-y existence.
july 15. for most of you, this day may mean nothing in particular. for me, it has some significance.
about 14 years and a few months ago, as i was finishing my high school career, i met someone. and she was pretty. still is. and today (july 15) is her birthday.
many people have wonderful stories of meeting their spouse or significant other on a beach in spain, or across a crowded room as their eyes locked, love-lorn, onto each other. i have friends who met their mates at church, at school, at other weddings. me and april? kmart. and not by shopping happenstance. we were both counted among the red-vested, and one night, after a few flirty weeks of conversation, i asked her out on the toothpaste aisle. as luck would have it, she said yes, and so we went, together, to city stages and i got winked at by a dude. now, 14 years (12 of them married), 3 kids, a few houses and several jobs later, we are still here, still together. and i couldn't be happier about the whole deal.
to be able to see someone enter adulthood and become a wife and mother is a thrilling thing. when the relationship started among the dental hygiene products at the trussville kmart, we were both kids. i was 18, she was 17. to say that a lot has changed would be an understatement. we have gotten older, sure, but we have also lived life together. been to pinnacles of goodness on our wedding day and as our kids were born. been through some valleys, too, as we lost jobs and friends and watched grandparents pass away. and we share those things. we have been shaped, collectively, by those experiences, and indeed the common experiences of work and school and meals and everyday life. i have never shared so much of my life, so much of myself with any other person. she knows me in all my glory and shame. i have trusted her with my own life, and she has trusted me with hers.
i like to think that if there is any good in me, that it has been shaped in the ups and downs of our relationship. without april , i would totally be jimmy fallon from Fever Pitch, completely consumed with something trivial, out of touch with reality (but i would have a way cool Green Monster on my wall). but because of her, i know, even just a little, what matters. i don't know if i believe that everyone has a single soulmate, and life is about finding that person (even if they are in pakistan), but i do know that i was created to love and be loved. we all were. and i am so happy that i chose to seek that love with a pretty girl from pinson valley. it gives me joy. it gives me meaning. and i am terribly grateful that she chose me, too. it has been a wonderful set of years, and i would choose no one else to spend the rest of my years with. here's hoping that it is many, many years.
and here's hoping that our love will grow from the toothpaste aisle at a kmart through the vows we shared on our wedding day, through us as we live our lives together to our kids as they grow.
happy birthday, april. i love you.
july 15. for most of you, this day may mean nothing in particular. for me, it has some significance.
about 14 years and a few months ago, as i was finishing my high school career, i met someone. and she was pretty. still is. and today (july 15) is her birthday.
many people have wonderful stories of meeting their spouse or significant other on a beach in spain, or across a crowded room as their eyes locked, love-lorn, onto each other. i have friends who met their mates at church, at school, at other weddings. me and april? kmart. and not by shopping happenstance. we were both counted among the red-vested, and one night, after a few flirty weeks of conversation, i asked her out on the toothpaste aisle. as luck would have it, she said yes, and so we went, together, to city stages and i got winked at by a dude. now, 14 years (12 of them married), 3 kids, a few houses and several jobs later, we are still here, still together. and i couldn't be happier about the whole deal.
to be able to see someone enter adulthood and become a wife and mother is a thrilling thing. when the relationship started among the dental hygiene products at the trussville kmart, we were both kids. i was 18, she was 17. to say that a lot has changed would be an understatement. we have gotten older, sure, but we have also lived life together. been to pinnacles of goodness on our wedding day and as our kids were born. been through some valleys, too, as we lost jobs and friends and watched grandparents pass away. and we share those things. we have been shaped, collectively, by those experiences, and indeed the common experiences of work and school and meals and everyday life. i have never shared so much of my life, so much of myself with any other person. she knows me in all my glory and shame. i have trusted her with my own life, and she has trusted me with hers.
i like to think that if there is any good in me, that it has been shaped in the ups and downs of our relationship. without april , i would totally be jimmy fallon from Fever Pitch, completely consumed with something trivial, out of touch with reality (but i would have a way cool Green Monster on my wall). but because of her, i know, even just a little, what matters. i don't know if i believe that everyone has a single soulmate, and life is about finding that person (even if they are in pakistan), but i do know that i was created to love and be loved. we all were. and i am so happy that i chose to seek that love with a pretty girl from pinson valley. it gives me joy. it gives me meaning. and i am terribly grateful that she chose me, too. it has been a wonderful set of years, and i would choose no one else to spend the rest of my years with. here's hoping that it is many, many years.
and here's hoping that our love will grow from the toothpaste aisle at a kmart through the vows we shared on our wedding day, through us as we live our lives together to our kids as they grow.
happy birthday, april. i love you.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
so, my dad died this week....
...more than once, actually. but to reference a little monty python, he "got better."
i don't really know where to begin to debrief from this little adventure. most of my readers probably are aware that my dad had a massive heart attack tuesday. and by massive, i mean darn near deadly. actually coded more than once and had to get defibbed as many as 20 times. had paddle burn on his chest. to say that we almost lost him is an understatement. so i am obviously grateful to the paramedics who shocked him back to life and the doctors and nurses who, quite literally, saved my dad.
he and i are pretty different. he is more traditionally "man" than i am. likes to fix stuff. watches lots of chuck norris. i, on the other hand, read books. and am fantastically unhandy when it comes to home or auto repair. (but i do like sports, so don't think i am girly)
but i guess all this has helped me realize that i am proud to have the man as my dad. funny how not being sure i would have him makes me appreciate him. but, chuck norris fandom notwithstanding, he is a good man. loves my kids like crazy, and tells me he loves me most every time we speak. and that means something. so, thanks, dad, for being a good father and for not dying on us.
life hands you these opportunities by way of difficulties often. i never thought when i woke up butt-early (see: new job) on tuesday that an ill-placed blood clot would almost take my father from this earth. but i guess it has given me (and others) a chance to consider some things. i saw again how God so often uses other people, and not magical, metaphysical, warm and fuzzy feelings, to support us. talented and focused paramedics and doctors, sure. but also family and friends and neighbors who prayed, sat with us at the hospital, and cared. and i think that is a powerful example of how God ministers to us.
maybe the moral of this story, though, is this: if you have a dad (or mom, or brother, or sister, friend, cousin, wife, husband, or anybody) and you can stand them, let them know you love them. whatever makes us different or separates us can surely not be as big of a deal as we make it out to be. and if it is, focus on those that do matter in your life. because you never know...
Friday, June 20, 2008
blog in the round: what would my lifestyle be...
...if i were gay.
i am sure that the person who gave me this topic was hoping for some hilarious speculation about how different my life would be if i liked men. and it would be different, at least in that i probably would not be married. and fred phelps would hate me. but isn't it easy to perpetuate stereotypes and poke fun at people who are not like us by playing to the wildest and most outrageous things that we think about them?
and i never take the easy way.
or i try not to. and in this case i thought that maybe an open letter of sorts to the faithful might be the best way to go. so here goes:
dear christians,
gay people are not aliens. that are not so drastically different than us that we can assume they all are dancers. that is not fair to anyone. because after all, they are people. people who love and mourn and have jobs and families and friends and, many times, relationships with jesus. (many do not, because they have been so turned off by our actions) why do we find that so hard to believe? even if you believe that homosexuality is a sin, does that give you an excuse to look on their lives and say that you are better than them? of course not.
i think that we just feel better when we have a common enemy. we like for the world to have easy distinct categories that divide us and assure us that we are the good guys. if we lump all homosexual people into this scary category of "militant, gay, wants to steal our children" then we have someone we can look down on and hate. it makes us feel good about ourselves. the fact is, all people are loved by God and we have no right to set up categories to divide us from them. we have no right to set them into stereotypes that make them a cartoon version of humanity that is easy to despise. that is not what Jesus would do.
so i would suggest that we start by referring to all people as people. not gay people or straight people (or any thing else for that matter). we should recognize that they are people who deserve our respect and that we all are people who are covered by grace and therefore that which might separate us is cast aside as we are drawn to the arms of God. that we should love all people and treat them the way we would like to be treated. and i don't want to be stereotyped as a redneck just because i am from the south. and neither does anyone else want to be stereotyped. we just, i believe, want to be loved.
so love others.
all others.
everyone.
yes, even them.
and them.
them, too.
because you were first loved by God.
i am sure that the person who gave me this topic was hoping for some hilarious speculation about how different my life would be if i liked men. and it would be different, at least in that i probably would not be married. and fred phelps would hate me. but isn't it easy to perpetuate stereotypes and poke fun at people who are not like us by playing to the wildest and most outrageous things that we think about them?
and i never take the easy way.
or i try not to. and in this case i thought that maybe an open letter of sorts to the faithful might be the best way to go. so here goes:
dear christians,
gay people are not aliens. that are not so drastically different than us that we can assume they all are dancers. that is not fair to anyone. because after all, they are people. people who love and mourn and have jobs and families and friends and, many times, relationships with jesus. (many do not, because they have been so turned off by our actions) why do we find that so hard to believe? even if you believe that homosexuality is a sin, does that give you an excuse to look on their lives and say that you are better than them? of course not.
i think that we just feel better when we have a common enemy. we like for the world to have easy distinct categories that divide us and assure us that we are the good guys. if we lump all homosexual people into this scary category of "militant, gay, wants to steal our children" then we have someone we can look down on and hate. it makes us feel good about ourselves. the fact is, all people are loved by God and we have no right to set up categories to divide us from them. we have no right to set them into stereotypes that make them a cartoon version of humanity that is easy to despise. that is not what Jesus would do.
so i would suggest that we start by referring to all people as people. not gay people or straight people (or any thing else for that matter). we should recognize that they are people who deserve our respect and that we all are people who are covered by grace and therefore that which might separate us is cast aside as we are drawn to the arms of God. that we should love all people and treat them the way we would like to be treated. and i don't want to be stereotyped as a redneck just because i am from the south. and neither does anyone else want to be stereotyped. we just, i believe, want to be loved.
so love others.
all others.
everyone.
yes, even them.
and them.
them, too.
because you were first loved by God.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
the Truth shall set you free
i have heard many things about barack obama. that he is a terrorist. a muslim. the anti-christ. but i just stumbled upon the truth.
From: [Redacted]
To: [Redacted]
Subject: WHO IS BARACK OBAMA?
There are many things people do not know about BARACK OBAMA. It is every American's duty to read this message and pass it along to all of their friends and loved ones.
Barack Obama wears a FLAG PIN at all times. Even in the shower.
Barack Obama says the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE every time he sees an American flag. He also ends every sentence by saying, "WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL." Click here for video of Obama quietly mouthing the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE in his sleep.
A tape exists of Michelle Obama saying the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE at a conference on PATRIOTISM.
Every weekend, Barack and Michelle take their daughters HUNTING.
Barack Obama is a PATRIOTIC AMERICAN. He has one HAND over his HEART at all times. He occasionally switches when one arm gets tired, which is almost never because he is STRONG.
Barack Obama has the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE tattooed on his stomach. It's upside-down, so he can read it while doing sit-ups.
There's only one artist on Barack Obama's iPod: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
Barack Obama is a DEVOUT CHRISTIAN. His favorite book is the BIBLE, which he has memorized. His name means HE WHO LOVES JESUS in the ancient language of Aramaic. He is PROUD that Jesus was an American.
Barack Obama goes to church every morning. He goes to church every afternoon. He goes to church every evening. He is IN CHURCH RIGHT NOW.
Barack Obama's new airplane includes a conference room, a kitchen, and a MEGACHURCH.
Barack Obama's skin is the color of AMERICAN SOIL.
Barack Obama buys AMERICAN STUFF. He owns a FORD, a BASEBALL TEAM, and a COMPUTER HE BUILT HIMSELF FROM AMERICAN PARTS. He travels mostly by FORKLIFT.
Barack Obama says that Americans cling to GUNS and RELIGION because they are AWESOME.
From: [Redacted]
To: [Redacted]
Subject: WHO IS BARACK OBAMA?
There are many things people do not know about BARACK OBAMA. It is every American's duty to read this message and pass it along to all of their friends and loved ones.
Barack Obama wears a FLAG PIN at all times. Even in the shower.
Barack Obama says the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE every time he sees an American flag. He also ends every sentence by saying, "WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL." Click here for video of Obama quietly mouthing the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE in his sleep.
A tape exists of Michelle Obama saying the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE at a conference on PATRIOTISM.
Every weekend, Barack and Michelle take their daughters HUNTING.
Barack Obama is a PATRIOTIC AMERICAN. He has one HAND over his HEART at all times. He occasionally switches when one arm gets tired, which is almost never because he is STRONG.
Barack Obama has the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE tattooed on his stomach. It's upside-down, so he can read it while doing sit-ups.
There's only one artist on Barack Obama's iPod: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
Barack Obama is a DEVOUT CHRISTIAN. His favorite book is the BIBLE, which he has memorized. His name means HE WHO LOVES JESUS in the ancient language of Aramaic. He is PROUD that Jesus was an American.
Barack Obama goes to church every morning. He goes to church every afternoon. He goes to church every evening. He is IN CHURCH RIGHT NOW.
Barack Obama's new airplane includes a conference room, a kitchen, and a MEGACHURCH.
Barack Obama's skin is the color of AMERICAN SOIL.
Barack Obama buys AMERICAN STUFF. He owns a FORD, a BASEBALL TEAM, and a COMPUTER HE BUILT HIMSELF FROM AMERICAN PARTS. He travels mostly by FORKLIFT.
Barack Obama says that Americans cling to GUNS and RELIGION because they are AWESOME.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
blog in the round: would i kill hitler?
my question this week: if i could go back in time, would i kill hitler to avoid the holocaust?
i'm sure many people have wished they could go back and do this. a large part of the church neglected to do much about the holocaust, but a man named dietrich bonhoffer was arrested as part of a plot to kill hitler. was he right? no doubt the world could have avoided one of the most heinous chapters in its history had hitler been taken out before the killing began. so the easy answer would be yes. to take one life to save millions seems like a no brainer. and surely, if anyone deserved to be taken out, it was hitler, right?
the only thing that gets in the way, of course, is Jesus. the whole don't kill thing. if pragmatism were the best way to consider this, the answer would be obvious. sacrifice one life to save many. but Jesus had to go and tell us to love all people. and how can you kill those you are called to love. so as much as it sounds crazy, my belief in Jesus forbids me to kill anyone. for any reason. i hesitate to call myself a pacifist, but it is hard to justify killing in light of what Jesus taught, and how he lived. maybe impossible.
so maybe a better question for followers of the Jesus Way to consider is Would you give your life to stop hitler? that is how Jesus took on the evil in the world. with love and sacrifice. it worked for him. so do we believe that his way is the best way to live? can his love (lived out through us) change the world?
i'm sure many people have wished they could go back and do this. a large part of the church neglected to do much about the holocaust, but a man named dietrich bonhoffer was arrested as part of a plot to kill hitler. was he right? no doubt the world could have avoided one of the most heinous chapters in its history had hitler been taken out before the killing began. so the easy answer would be yes. to take one life to save millions seems like a no brainer. and surely, if anyone deserved to be taken out, it was hitler, right?
the only thing that gets in the way, of course, is Jesus. the whole don't kill thing. if pragmatism were the best way to consider this, the answer would be obvious. sacrifice one life to save many. but Jesus had to go and tell us to love all people. and how can you kill those you are called to love. so as much as it sounds crazy, my belief in Jesus forbids me to kill anyone. for any reason. i hesitate to call myself a pacifist, but it is hard to justify killing in light of what Jesus taught, and how he lived. maybe impossible.
so maybe a better question for followers of the Jesus Way to consider is Would you give your life to stop hitler? that is how Jesus took on the evil in the world. with love and sacrifice. it worked for him. so do we believe that his way is the best way to live? can his love (lived out through us) change the world?
farewell, my friend
so, i found out today that monday i will be starting a new job. (don't worry, kiddos, i am still working at the church, too) to the great pantheon of dorky names my jobs have afforded me (bus driver, fedex man, youth pastor) i now may add Cintas man. i will soon be delivering uniforms and such to businesses in our metro area. the hours are good. the pay is good. the only hitch: my beard has to go. something about looking professional. i will hold on to it for a few more days, and will then unceremoniously lop it off.
so, an homage to my facial hair in all its forms:
so long, old friend. maybe we will meet again.
so, an homage to my facial hair in all its forms:
so long, old friend. maybe we will meet again.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
blog in the round: urinal cakes
i am a deceptively complex man. mysterious even. certainly unusual. and surely everybody has quirks. little things that are mostly unknown about them, but which are strange enough anyway. i have a few. i can't walk barefoot in a hotel or condo. (who knows what someone has done on, or to, the floor?) for that matter, i have a hard time using any sliver or glassware from a condo.
weird, i know.
my biggest hangup involves public bathrooms. i can go number one almost anywhere. but for the more serious deeds, i have a few rules as far as public restrooms go. stores which primarily cater to women are ok. most churches are ok. office buildings usually are fine. but never walmarts or gas stations. or fast food joints.
so, what does this have to do with anything? well, i was asked to blog my thoughts on urinal cakes. these are, for the uninitiated, little deodorizing pucks that you toss in the bottom of a urinal to mask the nasty.
this is an example.
i guess my point in all this is to say that no matter how powerful the urinal cake, it cannot mask the hideousness of a public restroom. no amount of smell, no cute name that is also the name of a dessert can change the fact that dudes pee on them.
i guess this is sometimes how i feel. we try to mask our filth, dropping a perfumed puck into the bottom of our selves to try and mask the fact that we are nasty. where has honesty and authenticity gone? why do we act as if we don't stink, when we know we all do? i think it is much better to just be broken and foul and don't hide it, because then, we can be real with God, ourselves, and each other.
"blessed are the poor in spirit..."
weird, i know.
my biggest hangup involves public bathrooms. i can go number one almost anywhere. but for the more serious deeds, i have a few rules as far as public restrooms go. stores which primarily cater to women are ok. most churches are ok. office buildings usually are fine. but never walmarts or gas stations. or fast food joints.
so, what does this have to do with anything? well, i was asked to blog my thoughts on urinal cakes. these are, for the uninitiated, little deodorizing pucks that you toss in the bottom of a urinal to mask the nasty.
this is an example.
i guess my point in all this is to say that no matter how powerful the urinal cake, it cannot mask the hideousness of a public restroom. no amount of smell, no cute name that is also the name of a dessert can change the fact that dudes pee on them.
i guess this is sometimes how i feel. we try to mask our filth, dropping a perfumed puck into the bottom of our selves to try and mask the fact that we are nasty. where has honesty and authenticity gone? why do we act as if we don't stink, when we know we all do? i think it is much better to just be broken and foul and don't hide it, because then, we can be real with God, ourselves, and each other.
"blessed are the poor in spirit..."
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
the wrath of mom
not my mom, mind you...
(tales of the ballpark)
so far, i have been pretty lucky. 3 years as a head baseball coach (coachin' for my son drew) and not any major parental issues. but now, we're getting there. i am not, by the way, drew's all-star coach. but i soon may be. but that, and the issues keeping an actual coach from coming to more than one practice AND ACTUALLY KNOWING WHAT HE IS DOING are another topic altogether.
there's this kid, and he has parents, of course, and an aunt. and these guardians of his life are convinced, like many other parents, that their kid is baseball Jesus. (i have tried to maintain balance in my situation, not proclaiming drew the savior of the game while also realizing he may be. but i digress.) but this mom (and aunt) have wreaked havoc for 4 years or so by trying to make sure that their son (ands nephew) is viewed as the greatest since griffey to swing a bat, and that he plays 3rd. (why 3rd? if i was trying to get my kid in the infield, it would definitely be shortstop). the thing is, he is not any of these things. i submit that no 8 year old is. he is a pretty decent hitter, a not-good fielder, and slow. that adds up to exactly one tool. which he is still learning to handle. which is fine for a 7 year old. he doesn't have to be baseball Jesus.
anyway, over the weekend, it reared its head. first of all, the aforementioned coach actually let mom and aunt make the lineup for a game we played. a lineup, incidentally, which had the kid at 3rd and batting lead-off. and a game which, incidentally, we lost 22-0. ugly. for the next game, the coach wasn't there, and so i made the lineup and order was restored. we played better, still lost. but i got some nasty looks and comments and the aunt spent most of the game bad-mouthing me to her confidants. (secretly, i was pleased to have pissed her off) and since we are currently at the beach, missing a practice, it will be fun to see what happens when we get back. i'll keep you posted.
i guess if i were to try to extract a moral from this story, which i tend to do, it would be this: even if your kid isn't baseball Jesus, it is ok. you can still be proud of him. because he doesn't seem to care where he plays. and you shouldn't sabatoge a team just so the kid can play the hot corner.
so shut up.
(tales of the ballpark)
so far, i have been pretty lucky. 3 years as a head baseball coach (coachin' for my son drew) and not any major parental issues. but now, we're getting there. i am not, by the way, drew's all-star coach. but i soon may be. but that, and the issues keeping an actual coach from coming to more than one practice AND ACTUALLY KNOWING WHAT HE IS DOING are another topic altogether.
there's this kid, and he has parents, of course, and an aunt. and these guardians of his life are convinced, like many other parents, that their kid is baseball Jesus. (i have tried to maintain balance in my situation, not proclaiming drew the savior of the game while also realizing he may be. but i digress.) but this mom (and aunt) have wreaked havoc for 4 years or so by trying to make sure that their son (ands nephew) is viewed as the greatest since griffey to swing a bat, and that he plays 3rd. (why 3rd? if i was trying to get my kid in the infield, it would definitely be shortstop). the thing is, he is not any of these things. i submit that no 8 year old is. he is a pretty decent hitter, a not-good fielder, and slow. that adds up to exactly one tool. which he is still learning to handle. which is fine for a 7 year old. he doesn't have to be baseball Jesus.
anyway, over the weekend, it reared its head. first of all, the aforementioned coach actually let mom and aunt make the lineup for a game we played. a lineup, incidentally, which had the kid at 3rd and batting lead-off. and a game which, incidentally, we lost 22-0. ugly. for the next game, the coach wasn't there, and so i made the lineup and order was restored. we played better, still lost. but i got some nasty looks and comments and the aunt spent most of the game bad-mouthing me to her confidants. (secretly, i was pleased to have pissed her off) and since we are currently at the beach, missing a practice, it will be fun to see what happens when we get back. i'll keep you posted.
i guess if i were to try to extract a moral from this story, which i tend to do, it would be this: even if your kid isn't baseball Jesus, it is ok. you can still be proud of him. because he doesn't seem to care where he plays. and you shouldn't sabatoge a team just so the kid can play the hot corner.
so shut up.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
let's try this again
after some confusion, drew is most definitely on the all-star team. a total of 4 rangers got the call. 2 on the 7 year old team and 2 on the 7-8 year old team.
again, i hear ya son. you make a daddy proud.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
blog-in-the-round: why Jesus?
truth is, the answer changes almost daily.
i guess the best explanation is to start at the beginning. as a kid growing up in church, belief in jesus was sort of assumed. but he was pleasant enough. the songs and stories told me he loved me and could get me to heaven, so what's not to believe in? so, if you asked me as a kid, and most of the way through being a teenager, the answer to "why Jesus?" was probably "why not?"
then i went to college. and life was getting messier, and questions were being raised and for the first time i considered the possibility that it all may be bullcrap. after all, most of the world does not believe the same things about life and God that i do. and here i was borrowing money and spending time to get a degree that gives me the chance to base my entire life on the notion that christianity is true. and i began to wonder, is it?
oddly enough, it was historical philosophical arguments that started the road back. specifically, the cosmological argument. (warning: nerd alert) it basically says that there has to be an uncreated creator. it just doesn't make sense for not to be something that exists that was not created. sort of a starting point for all of life to begin with. that something, of course, could be called God. but even then, why Jesus?
on a good day, i would tell you about how i see Jesus in nature or music or my kids or my friends or the love of my wife. what scripture tells me about Jesus leads me to believe that in all good things, there is a bit of the Divine. like in experiencing music or beauty or good food, we are somehow experiencing God. and i like that idea. i like the notion that one could experience at least something of God in the good things of life. that at least gives us all a starting point.
i could also tell you about how i believe that Jesus and his way of life just has to be true because it is so amazing. the idea that we can change the world through love and hope and kindness and generosity and goodness rings very true to me. we have definitely not done any good by bombing the heck out of each other. so Jesus' message just seems like the best way to live.
other days, however, i think i would struggle to believe. admittedly, a lot of the time this corresponds directly with my circumstances. bad day equals hard to believe in God. (yeah, i know its immature, but what you gonna do?) other times, it just seems so intellectually unlikely. how could there be a God, much less a really awesome God who loves me so much he would die for me? such an idea is either too good to not be true, or it is just ridiculous. and i usually oscillate between the two.
and on those days, i guess i just try to push through and commit myself to believe and follow even when i don't feel like it. so far, i have not heard a definitive voice or seen a sign that tells me that it is all real, so i only have the hunches to go on. some days this is pretty easy, but others it is more of a struggle. so i just try to stay true to what i have committed to and follow anyway. it is not very romantic, and it won't sell osteen books, but it does feel like faith.
"lord, i believe. help my unbelief!"
i guess the best explanation is to start at the beginning. as a kid growing up in church, belief in jesus was sort of assumed. but he was pleasant enough. the songs and stories told me he loved me and could get me to heaven, so what's not to believe in? so, if you asked me as a kid, and most of the way through being a teenager, the answer to "why Jesus?" was probably "why not?"
then i went to college. and life was getting messier, and questions were being raised and for the first time i considered the possibility that it all may be bullcrap. after all, most of the world does not believe the same things about life and God that i do. and here i was borrowing money and spending time to get a degree that gives me the chance to base my entire life on the notion that christianity is true. and i began to wonder, is it?
oddly enough, it was historical philosophical arguments that started the road back. specifically, the cosmological argument. (warning: nerd alert) it basically says that there has to be an uncreated creator. it just doesn't make sense for not to be something that exists that was not created. sort of a starting point for all of life to begin with. that something, of course, could be called God. but even then, why Jesus?
on a good day, i would tell you about how i see Jesus in nature or music or my kids or my friends or the love of my wife. what scripture tells me about Jesus leads me to believe that in all good things, there is a bit of the Divine. like in experiencing music or beauty or good food, we are somehow experiencing God. and i like that idea. i like the notion that one could experience at least something of God in the good things of life. that at least gives us all a starting point.
i could also tell you about how i believe that Jesus and his way of life just has to be true because it is so amazing. the idea that we can change the world through love and hope and kindness and generosity and goodness rings very true to me. we have definitely not done any good by bombing the heck out of each other. so Jesus' message just seems like the best way to live.
other days, however, i think i would struggle to believe. admittedly, a lot of the time this corresponds directly with my circumstances. bad day equals hard to believe in God. (yeah, i know its immature, but what you gonna do?) other times, it just seems so intellectually unlikely. how could there be a God, much less a really awesome God who loves me so much he would die for me? such an idea is either too good to not be true, or it is just ridiculous. and i usually oscillate between the two.
and on those days, i guess i just try to push through and commit myself to believe and follow even when i don't feel like it. so far, i have not heard a definitive voice or seen a sign that tells me that it is all real, so i only have the hunches to go on. some days this is pretty easy, but others it is more of a struggle. so i just try to stay true to what i have committed to and follow anyway. it is not very romantic, and it won't sell osteen books, but it does feel like faith.
"lord, i believe. help my unbelief!"
blog-in-the-round: where will i be in 20 years
edited because i don't want to look like a lady robot in the future
what i will look like:
what april wil look like:
what i will drive:
where i will live:
this is the brave new world to which we are headed.
authors note: if republicans stay in charge and we continue to fawn over paris hilton and britney spears, then i am sure the world will be neither new nor brave. if this is the way we go, the future i see involves more reality TV and major advancements being made only in the field of porn distribution. please choose wisely.
what i will look like:
what april wil look like:
what i will drive:
where i will live:
this is the brave new world to which we are headed.
authors note: if republicans stay in charge and we continue to fawn over paris hilton and britney spears, then i am sure the world will be neither new nor brave. if this is the way we go, the future i see involves more reality TV and major advancements being made only in the field of porn distribution. please choose wisely.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
the medium is the message
for the past few days, a question has been floated around among sports talk people about whether sports blogging is good for sports, or if it is shady and bad journalism. that it is being talked about almost misses the point, because good or bad, it is here to stay. and i think that it is a good thing. the detractors, incidentally, have been old-guard journalists (at networks and major papers) and older sports figures (like wimp sanderson). in other words, those who are either resistant to change by their nature and those who have the most to lose. it has certainly decentralized the power of sports journalism, as deadspin and other blogs get more and more hits. no longer is espn, which i check online and watch daily, the only game in town.
and i think it says something about the changes happening all over the place. in journalism and politics and religion. for the past however many years, the power, which was in the information, has resided in the hands of a few. these hands were, incidentally, the hands of experts. with the advent of blogs, the power has become decentralized, and now resides in the hands of everyone with wifi and an opinion. and i like it. i think it is freeing and exciting and dangerous. consider that most of my sports reading is in the form of blogs. and much of my news comes from the Daily Show.
i think it started with a general distrust of authority. too many times, those who were the experts used their knowledge or influence to oppress or for selfish gain. and so the commoners have risen up and are taking knowledge from the seat of power.
i think this is important because right now i am struggling with what it means to faithfully follow jesus in my context. and more and more, i get the feeling that the future of theology, and therefore orthodoxy and orthopraxy, will be articulated best in blogs and discussions and conversations outside of churches in a traditional sense. the days of seminary trained experts being the religious professionals and the sole voice is going, if not already gone. and i am excited about the possiblilities, but also unsure how it will play out for me, when i am still firmly in the context of a traditional church.
or am i wrong? is the church just in a lull, and soon will rebound? i doubt it, but there is a lot of money and power in churches, and i have a feeling they will not go quietly into the night. so i guess the question becomes, is it possible to adapt?
and i think it says something about the changes happening all over the place. in journalism and politics and religion. for the past however many years, the power, which was in the information, has resided in the hands of a few. these hands were, incidentally, the hands of experts. with the advent of blogs, the power has become decentralized, and now resides in the hands of everyone with wifi and an opinion. and i like it. i think it is freeing and exciting and dangerous. consider that most of my sports reading is in the form of blogs. and much of my news comes from the Daily Show.
i think it started with a general distrust of authority. too many times, those who were the experts used their knowledge or influence to oppress or for selfish gain. and so the commoners have risen up and are taking knowledge from the seat of power.
i think this is important because right now i am struggling with what it means to faithfully follow jesus in my context. and more and more, i get the feeling that the future of theology, and therefore orthodoxy and orthopraxy, will be articulated best in blogs and discussions and conversations outside of churches in a traditional sense. the days of seminary trained experts being the religious professionals and the sole voice is going, if not already gone. and i am excited about the possiblilities, but also unsure how it will play out for me, when i am still firmly in the context of a traditional church.
or am i wrong? is the church just in a lull, and soon will rebound? i doubt it, but there is a lot of money and power in churches, and i have a feeling they will not go quietly into the night. so i guess the question becomes, is it possible to adapt?
Friday, May 9, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
blog-in-the-round: Danielle
this is danielle.
i am supposed to blog about her.
she is mysterious.
she has never killed a cop.
she is smarter than you.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
blog in the round: aliens
it's the end of the world as we know it (dispatches from the Great Invasion)
in the autumn of the year 2009, it happened. what we had theorized or dreamt about was coming to pass. it seemed that visitors were coming. visitors with bad intentions. these are the journal entries from one man's experience.
dispatch #1: day 11 before the Great Invasion: could it be that maybe there are other beings alive in the vast expanse of space. other races with families and dreams and lives. i really don't know why i share this now, because nothing is pointing at that. there just seems to be an electricity in the air. it reminds me of so many of the alien movies i watched as a child. maybe it's nothing, but maybe...
dispatch #2: day 4 before the Great Invasion: if there are such beings, what are they like. if our assumptions are correct, then they are little green men (and women?) who are very advanced, much more advanced than us. this is obvious through the enormous heads and the super-cool flying machines, or space-ships. what doesn't make sense, though, is their purpose. why would a super-intelligent race of beings fly millions of miles across vast expanses of blackness so that they could stick things in the butt of uneducated redneck types? was this to learn about us? if so, why not just ask? or is it more sinister? could it be for humiliation, or just as a big intergalactic joke? i hope i never find out.
in the autumn of the year 2009, it happened. what we had theorized or dreamt about was coming to pass. it seemed that visitors were coming. visitors with bad intentions. these are the journal entries from one man's experience.
dispatch #1: day 11 before the Great Invasion: could it be that maybe there are other beings alive in the vast expanse of space. other races with families and dreams and lives. i really don't know why i share this now, because nothing is pointing at that. there just seems to be an electricity in the air. it reminds me of so many of the alien movies i watched as a child. maybe it's nothing, but maybe...
dispatch #2: day 4 before the Great Invasion: if there are such beings, what are they like. if our assumptions are correct, then they are little green men (and women?) who are very advanced, much more advanced than us. this is obvious through the enormous heads and the super-cool flying machines, or space-ships. what doesn't make sense, though, is their purpose. why would a super-intelligent race of beings fly millions of miles across vast expanses of blackness so that they could stick things in the butt of uneducated redneck types? was this to learn about us? if so, why not just ask? or is it more sinister? could it be for humiliation, or just as a big intergalactic joke? i hope i never find out.
and if they are coming, how will it happen. movies seem to suggest that they would come rambo-style, with fire in their eyes (if they have eyes) and guns blazing (photon or laser guns, of course). this obviously makes a better story, or at least one with more explosions. but what if they plan to move with subtlety, and craftiness. what if, indeed, they are already among us, lying in wait until the appointed hour so that they can reveal themselves and their true mission? would we even notice? aliens already among us. i think that makes more sense. it sure would explain richard simmons.
geez, i am starting to sound like an idiot. i need a hobby.
dispatch #3:day 1 of the Great Invasion: oh. my. god. i thought that i was perhaps crazy for thinking about aliens and such, but the national news channels are reporting something that makes me think i may be right. usually, when the media reports something about unexplained phenomena, it does so with an smirk and a knowing glance. like they are saying "the purpose of this story is to make fun of gullible people. please enjoy, and feel better about yourself."
but not this time. this is different. apparently, somewhere over chicago, something is happening. something that can't be explained by anyone. and the reporters are scared. you can see it in their eyes and hear it in their shaky voices. this is uncharted territory. everything is fuzzy now, but rest assured, something crazy is going on.
more later...
dispatch #4: day 6 of the Great Invasion: the past several days have been unbelievable. it has felt like an apocalypse, or at least a movie about an apocalypse. people are panicked, and the chief reaction to everything is fear. i'm scared, that is for sure.
at first, everything was so confusing. reports of something, but no details. the news networks were all over this, and somewhere in the frenzy the tone changed from breathless conjecture to terrifying fact. it began in chicago, then L.A. and Seattle. soon, all major cities were reporting that some unknown craft was looming in the sky above them. radio frequencies were interrupted, and word on the street was that whatever it was, it was not from here, and it wanted to do us harm. i myself do not live in a large city, so i have seen nothing but what i have been told, but how long before it is my city? it is coming. our government has already told us that. soon we will be engaged in the biggest fight for our survival and way of life that we have ever been up against. indeed, more than we can even imagine. and we must be ready. already me neighbors have been stockpiling weapons and food, sure that it is coming, and driven to make sure that they and their family make it through. i guess i should do the same. but if it is as bad as they say it will be, it will not matter...
a friend of mine said her mother lived near someone who saw one of the beings. so far, they have not shown their faces, but if this is true, how long until we all see them?
dispatch #5: day 14 of the Great Invasion: waiting to die. that is what this feels like. fear is still high, but is starting to give way to numbness and resignation. despair. everyone is so sure that the end is near. but i am beginning to wonder...
last night i met one of them. i remember drifting off to sleep, clutching my old Louisville Slugger baseball bat, not because i thought i could beat a race of super-intelligent extra-terrestrials with a bat, but because it makes me feel safe. anyway, about 2:30, i awoke suddenly. i felt a presence in my house, but was unsure what to make of it. it definitely felt real, but not in the way that scraping your knee or hugging your wife feels real. it was more like how it feels to have one of those dreams that feel real.
i don't recall all of the details of what it looked like, and in fact, i feel sure that i couldn't even make out anything more that the outline of its body. surprisingly enough, it looked just like the other ones that had been reported. for some reason, though, i felt confident enough to approach it, and even as i looked it in the face, i could not make out what it looked like. the only other sense that seemed to be working was sound, for i distinctly remember the deafening silence. it was silence that seemed to scream out at me, until it was broken with the voice of this being. i half expected it to speak in an unintelligible tongue, or a series of bleeps and blorps, but it was as clear and articulate (and surprisingly, in english) as anything i have ever heard.
"do not be afraid."
dispatch #6: day 16 of the Great Invasion: the events of the past few days have really got me wondering. besides the still constant media coverage and the "visitation" that i had, i really don't know what is going on. every report is nothing but conjecture, just a guess it seems of how bad things might be and how evil they are. but nothing concrete. nothing proven. i am beginning to wonder if we are freaked out over nothing. maybe they aren't evil. maybe the end of the world is not coming. what if we are wrong, and all this fear is worth nothing. because it is the fear that is the worst part. the not-knowing. the distrust. and the chaos that is gripping every city and town. everywhere you go is like a war-zone. it is truly terrifying, but i am starting to wonder what it is we should be most afraid of.
dispatch #7: day 20 of the Great Invasion: things are really strange now. there are others who have been asking questions too. the news still shows the same images, and they still insist that an attack is imminent, that they are merely staging for an all-out assault. but many are wondering if we should be worried. if maybe they are not hostile. if they even exist...
the word is that the ones who have been vocal have received visits. not from aliens, mind you. from government officials. not sure why. maybe they are on to something...
dispatch #8: day 26 of the Great Invasion: i never thought that things would turn out like they have. mind you, the thought of an invasion was strange enough. the reaction of people was not unexpected, but still devastating. the government's iron hand of control. the religious people's declaration of judgment. the fear and the hate that bubbled up everywhere. but to find out now that it was all a lie...
the news was fabricated. the reactions were real, but were based on a manufactured threat. the fear was the point. because if people are gripped by fear, they will believe, and do, almost anything. and so this was the wool pulled over our eyes to make us fear, and therefore not question their motives. was it the government? partly. but it was also leaders in business and religion and just about every human enterprise. it is they who looked to gain, but it is the weak who have suffered.
and everything has changed. not for the reason we thought at first, but because people have seen the truth. and now, where fear reigned, now freedom and independence rise up. and hope.
and hope will always trump fear.
dispatch #6: day 16 of the Great Invasion: the events of the past few days have really got me wondering. besides the still constant media coverage and the "visitation" that i had, i really don't know what is going on. every report is nothing but conjecture, just a guess it seems of how bad things might be and how evil they are. but nothing concrete. nothing proven. i am beginning to wonder if we are freaked out over nothing. maybe they aren't evil. maybe the end of the world is not coming. what if we are wrong, and all this fear is worth nothing. because it is the fear that is the worst part. the not-knowing. the distrust. and the chaos that is gripping every city and town. everywhere you go is like a war-zone. it is truly terrifying, but i am starting to wonder what it is we should be most afraid of.
dispatch #7: day 20 of the Great Invasion: things are really strange now. there are others who have been asking questions too. the news still shows the same images, and they still insist that an attack is imminent, that they are merely staging for an all-out assault. but many are wondering if we should be worried. if maybe they are not hostile. if they even exist...
the word is that the ones who have been vocal have received visits. not from aliens, mind you. from government officials. not sure why. maybe they are on to something...
dispatch #8: day 26 of the Great Invasion: i never thought that things would turn out like they have. mind you, the thought of an invasion was strange enough. the reaction of people was not unexpected, but still devastating. the government's iron hand of control. the religious people's declaration of judgment. the fear and the hate that bubbled up everywhere. but to find out now that it was all a lie...
the news was fabricated. the reactions were real, but were based on a manufactured threat. the fear was the point. because if people are gripped by fear, they will believe, and do, almost anything. and so this was the wool pulled over our eyes to make us fear, and therefore not question their motives. was it the government? partly. but it was also leaders in business and religion and just about every human enterprise. it is they who looked to gain, but it is the weak who have suffered.
and everything has changed. not for the reason we thought at first, but because people have seen the truth. and now, where fear reigned, now freedom and independence rise up. and hope.
and hope will always trump fear.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
blog-in-the-round: Hannah Montana
when given this topic, i wasn't sure what angle to take.
i thought maybe i would talk about how so much of the time, who we are and who we project ourselves to be are different, and how difficult it is to maintain two simultaneous identities.
or maybe i would consider our culture's obsession for celebrity, and how that can lead to the downfall of many people (britney spears) and how it is a cycle that is tough to break as we look to who might be the next to crack under the pressure of millions of people's scrutiny. (watch the south park episode "britney's new look" for a spot-on, if irreverent, take on this)
either of those could be thoughtful and provacative, and could make a post that would garner much conversation. and that would be good. but then i thought that maybe there was another thesis i could go with.
i hate pop music.
pop not in the sense of catchy and well-written, but pop in the sense of what is popular.
my daughters love the hannah montana, but they are 9 and 2. that is what they do. at some point, i presume, they will grow out of it. after all, i sold my muppets records long ago. and now i have, if a may say so, excellent taste in music. but some people never outgrow the need for crappy, lowest-common-denominator music. especially in the case of nickelback and other butt-rock favorites. how are they popular? i call for all of our northern states to collectively shun canada until we get an apology for our neighbors to the north crapping nickelback all over us. the list could go on forever, but i don't want to get my blood pressure up, so i'll leave it at that.
and close with the words of kevin's favorite and oh-so-controversial among churchfolk shirt:
"your favorite band sucks"
i thought maybe i would talk about how so much of the time, who we are and who we project ourselves to be are different, and how difficult it is to maintain two simultaneous identities.
or maybe i would consider our culture's obsession for celebrity, and how that can lead to the downfall of many people (britney spears) and how it is a cycle that is tough to break as we look to who might be the next to crack under the pressure of millions of people's scrutiny. (watch the south park episode "britney's new look" for a spot-on, if irreverent, take on this)
either of those could be thoughtful and provacative, and could make a post that would garner much conversation. and that would be good. but then i thought that maybe there was another thesis i could go with.
i hate pop music.
pop not in the sense of catchy and well-written, but pop in the sense of what is popular.
my daughters love the hannah montana, but they are 9 and 2. that is what they do. at some point, i presume, they will grow out of it. after all, i sold my muppets records long ago. and now i have, if a may say so, excellent taste in music. but some people never outgrow the need for crappy, lowest-common-denominator music. especially in the case of nickelback and other butt-rock favorites. how are they popular? i call for all of our northern states to collectively shun canada until we get an apology for our neighbors to the north crapping nickelback all over us. the list could go on forever, but i don't want to get my blood pressure up, so i'll leave it at that.
and close with the words of kevin's favorite and oh-so-controversial among churchfolk shirt:
"your favorite band sucks"
spinning the wheels (full of sound an fury, signifying nothing)
"hilldale baptist church is a community of changed lives changing our world by connecting to God, to people, and to ministry"
so goes our mission statement. our statement of what we value and pursue most. and i guess it is not, in and of itself, bad. a little wordy maybe. but it reflects, i think, our churches sincere desire to do something or be the right kind of church. what gets me are the questions that lurk somewhere in the background and force us to evaluate ourselves in light of the statement.
why, in the last 10-15 years, have we grown from 700-800 to less than 200?
why do we constantly have to worry about meeting budget?
when we claim to be about changing the world, how is it that we are irrelevant to our own community?
why is there such a disconnect between the lofty claim in our statement and the day-to-day grind of trying to stay afloat? i don't think it is a lack of trying. i don't think it is a lack of good people. so, what is it?
i have heard it said that to do the same things and expect different results is insane. but maybe, in this case, it is not. because we do the same things we have always done. but it ain't helping. what worked, and led to a desired result, 15 years ago, is leading to the opposite result now. why?
because the game has changed.
the more i am a part of church, the more i feel that it is, by and large, a relic of a past way of thinking. at least in its current forms. hilldale is a micrcosm of this. we are an almost all-white church in the middle of an almost all-black community. the folks that used to come? they all followed the other white folks to the trendy church (or churches). so, i at least admire our people for wanting to stay in the community, even if it is leading to our demise. we could move out to the outer edges of the suburbs and maybe become the trendy church ourselves. it would almost be easy. but, for now, we have chosen to stay. the problem is we are stuck in a form of being the church that is past its sell-by date. too many times, we think that doing the things we have always done harder and with more gusto will lead us back to the promised land, but i think we are wrong in that assumption. i believe we have to reimagine what it means to be the church in our context. and to dare to do what it takes. to do something. indeed, this is what the Church universal must do constantly in order to matter. i want the church to matter. but it must change.
back in the glory days of HBC, it was the people, not any program or lesson or song or anything like that, that made it special. it was a rag-tag group of Christ followers just trying to do the right thing and be the church. and there was a certain beauty to that. and once we got some momentum, it was hard to stop. if we are ever to move forward into any kind of future that matters, it will again be the people, and not the programs, that take us there. Jesus never needed the right curriculum or song or program to change the world. he just needed people. so maybe the most important words in our statement are the first ones.
"hilldale baptist church is a community..."
so goes our mission statement. our statement of what we value and pursue most. and i guess it is not, in and of itself, bad. a little wordy maybe. but it reflects, i think, our churches sincere desire to do something or be the right kind of church. what gets me are the questions that lurk somewhere in the background and force us to evaluate ourselves in light of the statement.
why, in the last 10-15 years, have we grown from 700-800 to less than 200?
why do we constantly have to worry about meeting budget?
when we claim to be about changing the world, how is it that we are irrelevant to our own community?
why is there such a disconnect between the lofty claim in our statement and the day-to-day grind of trying to stay afloat? i don't think it is a lack of trying. i don't think it is a lack of good people. so, what is it?
i have heard it said that to do the same things and expect different results is insane. but maybe, in this case, it is not. because we do the same things we have always done. but it ain't helping. what worked, and led to a desired result, 15 years ago, is leading to the opposite result now. why?
because the game has changed.
the more i am a part of church, the more i feel that it is, by and large, a relic of a past way of thinking. at least in its current forms. hilldale is a micrcosm of this. we are an almost all-white church in the middle of an almost all-black community. the folks that used to come? they all followed the other white folks to the trendy church (or churches). so, i at least admire our people for wanting to stay in the community, even if it is leading to our demise. we could move out to the outer edges of the suburbs and maybe become the trendy church ourselves. it would almost be easy. but, for now, we have chosen to stay. the problem is we are stuck in a form of being the church that is past its sell-by date. too many times, we think that doing the things we have always done harder and with more gusto will lead us back to the promised land, but i think we are wrong in that assumption. i believe we have to reimagine what it means to be the church in our context. and to dare to do what it takes. to do something. indeed, this is what the Church universal must do constantly in order to matter. i want the church to matter. but it must change.
back in the glory days of HBC, it was the people, not any program or lesson or song or anything like that, that made it special. it was a rag-tag group of Christ followers just trying to do the right thing and be the church. and there was a certain beauty to that. and once we got some momentum, it was hard to stop. if we are ever to move forward into any kind of future that matters, it will again be the people, and not the programs, that take us there. Jesus never needed the right curriculum or song or program to change the world. he just needed people. so maybe the most important words in our statement are the first ones.
"hilldale baptist church is a community..."
Monday, April 21, 2008
blog-in-the-round: gilligan's island
for a while, you could get this show 24 hours a day in some sort of syndication. as a result, i have seen way too much of it. good enough show, i guess, but it always begged a question or two:
why did everyone (save the 2 men who worked on the boat) have so many clothes for a 3 hour tour?
for that matter, how were they shipwrecked so long only 3 hours from civilization?
wasn't it convenient that of all groups to be shipwrecked with, gilligan and the skipper were with a group consisting of hot, rich, and smart people?
the misadventures of the folks on the island can teach us a few things. namely, how people best function, specifically followers of Jesus. it would have been easy for the 7 stranded ones to become so caught up in escaping the island (which certainly was important; indeed, it drove the show) to do nothing positive for the surroundings they had. while each show was an exercise in a wacky way to escape, they also built huts, ate food, enjoyed the surroundings, and otherwise made a life there. the hope of escape was important, but not singular.
my brothers and sisters in Christ sometimes have a gilligan-ish mentality. "we are not at home here. we should focus ALL our energy on escape, on preparing for eternity." meanwhile, the world around them goes to hell (quite literally a hell on earth). simply put, an escapist mentality benefits no one, and lets the forces of darkness and un-love and hatred and violence win.
we could take a cue from the castaways. no, we are not at home in this world the way it is now. and hope for the future with God is an important part of our worldview. but we are here, and should form community and build huts and feast and otherwise enjoy and live in the surroundings we are given.
i have to believe it would be the best way to live. just watch out for the natives.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
is winning everything?
it sure beats losing.
in my limited sports career, as player or coach, i have run the entire spectrum.
high school basketball as an erwin eagle-not good
hilldale softball-very good
hopewell basketball-very bad, then very good
hilldale basketball-very bad
HUMC men's basketball-pretty good
birminghamandcheese-don't ask
pvya baseball-good, and not so good
it is the last one that has me considering the question. as a coach this year, i am 1-4. and we have gotten manhandled a time or two. granted, we are very young, but i still wish we could break through. but is that everything? is winning even the point?
this will not become a blog that decries organized sports, saying that all kids are winners and keeping score is wrong. i like sports, and i think that winning is fun and good, and my team is the current world champion and i think that is wonderful. winning and losing, by the way, helps people see what they are good at and teaches great lessons about life. i do believe all kids are special in their own way, but some of them suck at baseball. so how do i balance wanting my kids who are good at baseball, and their (and my) desire to win with those who are just in it for the capri suns and cheez-its, or because mom and dad are forcing the issue. the answer is, honestly, i don't know.
i don't need to win little league games to validate my life. i have a family and friends and am not a criminal or a junkie, so i figure i am doing ok. but on the other hand, i enjoy winning. i enjoy knowing i have an eye for talent, and that i can teach a game to kids. and i want my son to experience the joy of winning. because, not to brag, but the boy can play.
at the end of the day, i would rather the kids and moms and dads enjoy playing for my team. i would rather enjoy coaching with two of my closest friends. sure, winning is part of that, but it is not all of it. one of the greatest joys so far was one of the kids moms telling me that she prayed that her son would get on my team.
i don't know if God made me pick him, or assured that i got the first pick. i just picked him because he is super-talented and a good kid. but if somehow i have a part in helping this kid in his baseball journey, it is hard to deny that God is in that.
i guess for now i will try to just help them get better. heck, maybe we make some noise in the second half. if not, i guess there is next year.
go (pinson) rangers.
in my limited sports career, as player or coach, i have run the entire spectrum.
high school basketball as an erwin eagle-not good
hilldale softball-very good
hopewell basketball-very bad, then very good
hilldale basketball-very bad
HUMC men's basketball-pretty good
birminghamandcheese-don't ask
pvya baseball-good, and not so good
it is the last one that has me considering the question. as a coach this year, i am 1-4. and we have gotten manhandled a time or two. granted, we are very young, but i still wish we could break through. but is that everything? is winning even the point?
this will not become a blog that decries organized sports, saying that all kids are winners and keeping score is wrong. i like sports, and i think that winning is fun and good, and my team is the current world champion and i think that is wonderful. winning and losing, by the way, helps people see what they are good at and teaches great lessons about life. i do believe all kids are special in their own way, but some of them suck at baseball. so how do i balance wanting my kids who are good at baseball, and their (and my) desire to win with those who are just in it for the capri suns and cheez-its, or because mom and dad are forcing the issue. the answer is, honestly, i don't know.
i don't need to win little league games to validate my life. i have a family and friends and am not a criminal or a junkie, so i figure i am doing ok. but on the other hand, i enjoy winning. i enjoy knowing i have an eye for talent, and that i can teach a game to kids. and i want my son to experience the joy of winning. because, not to brag, but the boy can play.at the end of the day, i would rather the kids and moms and dads enjoy playing for my team. i would rather enjoy coaching with two of my closest friends. sure, winning is part of that, but it is not all of it. one of the greatest joys so far was one of the kids moms telling me that she prayed that her son would get on my team.
i don't know if God made me pick him, or assured that i got the first pick. i just picked him because he is super-talented and a good kid. but if somehow i have a part in helping this kid in his baseball journey, it is hard to deny that God is in that.i guess for now i will try to just help them get better. heck, maybe we make some noise in the second half. if not, i guess there is next year.
go (pinson) rangers.
Monday, April 14, 2008
blog in the round: chuck norris is a real man
i shouldn't have to explain why chuck is a real man, but in case you're a pansy, i will educate you.
it is very easy to see that chuck norris is the epitome of being a man. that is the only correct view. some people (matt) will claim that other guys might be more manly than chuck, and that that man might be richard simmons, but some people (matt) are wrong, and tragically so.
if chuck norris were a guitar solo, he would be 23 minutes long and awesome, like from a skynard song. if richard simmons were a guitar solo, you would play that solo on a flute.
if dragonforce and godzilla had a baby, that baby would be devoured whole by chuck norris.
if you need concrete reasons, here are some:
-chuck never talks about his feelings. this is clearly for girls. and chuck is not a girl. see, talking about feelings leads to caring about others, which will soon lead to crying. i don't have to tell you how unmanly tears are. there is only one man who talks about his feelings. that man is Oprah. and nobody wants to be that man.
-chuck solves all his problems by fighting. and that is awesome. real men look for fights wherever they can. it is best if you can win these fights. since chuck norris never loses, that makes him a real man. so don't mess with him. he will roundhouse kick you in the heart and that will be the end of you.
-chuck has killed a man. i know that it was in a movie, and in most movies, the guy isn't really killed. this is so the guy's mommy will not cry. but chuck cares not about mommies, so if he kills you in a movie, you are dead. most real actors view this as the highest honor they can receive, even better than an Oscar.
-he has no mercy on Punks. it is commonly known that the biggest threat to mankind is bears. you may not know that the second biggest threat is Punks. Punks come in many forms, including: street punks like zed from police academy, asian crime syndicates, drunk frat guys, and many others. these punks want to steal our way of life, and chuck stands ready to stop them. and he does not give them second chances. obviously, this makes him awesome.
surely i don't need to tell you anymore reasons, but just in case you can't read, go watch delta force. you can not resist its powers. then you too will know that chuck norris is the definition of man.
(the opinions on this blog are not necessarily the opinions of the author/s of this blog. i know this seems impossible, but it is a mystery that you will learn to live with)
Friday, April 11, 2008
jesus vs obama?
why do they gotta be haters?
members of the christian faith, and very specifically southern baptists, are many times more known for their disdain for other people or things than for being people of love. this is playing itself out in the current election process. because nothing brings out the best in southern baptists like political discourse.
it's just that the view is so narrow. if it ain't republican, don't vote for it. i honestly thought that hillary would get the bulk of the faithfuls' vitriol, but the things that are being said about obama are shocking. i have gotten numerous emails that tell me that he is a radical muslim (he isn't), that he is unpatriotic (untrue), and that he was sworn in on the koran (again, false). never mind that these things are dubious. because nothing incites christians to stand up and be heard like a common enemy. the most ridiculous is the claim (by many) that obama is the anti-Christ.
really?
wow.
maybe there are some racists undertones to all this. but i think a lot of it is bad theology. conservative christianity's questionable reading of revelation tells us that some sinister uber-man will come along and be really great at first, but then turn out to be history's biggest butthole. apparently, somewhere in scripture is the clue that he will be a good speaker. so if antichrist is supposed to be a good speaker and evil, and democrats are evil by nature (their thinking, not mine), then surely a silver-tongued democrat will be the man of sedition. (pretty convenient that GWBush couldn't be the antichrist since he wasn't fluent in english) this is, first of all, really bad theology, and second of all, very presumptuous. and it makes me embarrassed to be associated with such types.
as an aside, isn't it odd that obama's strengths are being attacked, like being a good speaker means he would suck at actually being in charge. we should not forget the power of words. this country was built on the hope-infused words of the declaration of independence, and history shows our greatest presidents were ones who, by their words, moved the american people toward a better future. lincoln and kennedy are two examples of this.
i guess i am just tired of the level of political thinking being so narrow. every time a certain friend of mine is asked who he will vote for and has said obama, the reaction from christians-every time-has been disbelief. like that shouldn't even be an option for a follower of christ. this follower believes that there is that option, and it is precisely because of my faith in Jesus that i support obama. and if your faith leads you to support hillary (who i am fine with too) or mccain (who scares me a little), then that is ok. just vote your concscience, and let those who would seek to box Jesus into a religious party know that God is bigger than what they try to stuff him into.
members of the christian faith, and very specifically southern baptists, are many times more known for their disdain for other people or things than for being people of love. this is playing itself out in the current election process. because nothing brings out the best in southern baptists like political discourse.
it's just that the view is so narrow. if it ain't republican, don't vote for it. i honestly thought that hillary would get the bulk of the faithfuls' vitriol, but the things that are being said about obama are shocking. i have gotten numerous emails that tell me that he is a radical muslim (he isn't), that he is unpatriotic (untrue), and that he was sworn in on the koran (again, false). never mind that these things are dubious. because nothing incites christians to stand up and be heard like a common enemy. the most ridiculous is the claim (by many) that obama is the anti-Christ.
really?
wow.
maybe there are some racists undertones to all this. but i think a lot of it is bad theology. conservative christianity's questionable reading of revelation tells us that some sinister uber-man will come along and be really great at first, but then turn out to be history's biggest butthole. apparently, somewhere in scripture is the clue that he will be a good speaker. so if antichrist is supposed to be a good speaker and evil, and democrats are evil by nature (their thinking, not mine), then surely a silver-tongued democrat will be the man of sedition. (pretty convenient that GWBush couldn't be the antichrist since he wasn't fluent in english) this is, first of all, really bad theology, and second of all, very presumptuous. and it makes me embarrassed to be associated with such types.
as an aside, isn't it odd that obama's strengths are being attacked, like being a good speaker means he would suck at actually being in charge. we should not forget the power of words. this country was built on the hope-infused words of the declaration of independence, and history shows our greatest presidents were ones who, by their words, moved the american people toward a better future. lincoln and kennedy are two examples of this.
i guess i am just tired of the level of political thinking being so narrow. every time a certain friend of mine is asked who he will vote for and has said obama, the reaction from christians-every time-has been disbelief. like that shouldn't even be an option for a follower of christ. this follower believes that there is that option, and it is precisely because of my faith in Jesus that i support obama. and if your faith leads you to support hillary (who i am fine with too) or mccain (who scares me a little), then that is ok. just vote your concscience, and let those who would seek to box Jesus into a religious party know that God is bigger than what they try to stuff him into.
ipod playlist 4.11.08.
first 10 songs in shuffle mode.
yellow ledbetter-pearl jam
contact-as cities burn
where zero meets 15-five iron frenzy
you and me-denison witmer
the bradley-further seems forever
don't hold back (full on)-the normals
i like your photographs-starflyer 59
rat rider-blood brothers
take them home-scott orr
when i stop dreaming-johnny cash
god bless variety
yellow ledbetter-pearl jam
contact-as cities burn
where zero meets 15-five iron frenzy
you and me-denison witmer
the bradley-further seems forever
don't hold back (full on)-the normals
i like your photographs-starflyer 59
rat rider-blood brothers
take them home-scott orr
when i stop dreaming-johnny cash
god bless variety
Thursday, April 10, 2008
following the beat of your own drummer (taylor swift. ugh.)
i'm not sure that i really had a plan going into fatherhood. sure, i wanted my kids to be smart and beautiful and athletic and thin and have all the same interests as me. i think i expected them, by age 3 or so, to be miniature representations of the best parts of me, that they would love the sox and alabama and good music and dreamland ribs and Jesus. but i never made and plans on how to get from tiny little lumps of potential to all-i-hoped-they-would-be. i bring this up because i sit here typing with taylor swift playing in the background, and i didn't put it on.
kate is still young, so she has all the trappings of toddlerhood, including viewing her parents as supremely awesome. drew is older, but either because he is a boy or whatever, he and i share much in common (baseball perhaps the biggest). abbey, on the other hand, is at that age where she is forging her own identity, and much of it feels like an attempt to be the opposite of her parents. she doesn't much care for the Game, she hates everything we buy her, and her musical tastes are being influenced more by her friends (who don't have near the ear for quality that i do).
and none of this is bad, necessarily, but i guess it is just reminding me that, as much as i want to them to stay close to us always, parenting is the art of letting go. from the moment their lungs expanded, i have been in a process of preparing them to leave. and the more prepared they are when they do, the better i will have performed my duties. i know that they will always be my children, but one day it will be different. they will be on many levels disconnected from me and april, and we will have to trust that we did not botch things up too badly. sometimes, i worry about this, but sometimes, i am thrilled at the possibility of all that they can become.
i know the day that the original baby-girl leaves for good is many years off, but i feel like the first steps toward that day have already been made. and once the process begins, it is impossible to stop.
freakin' taylor swift.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Blog in the Round: taco bell (and make it about God)
(for the uninitiated, blog in the round is a circle of a few of us who will be giving each other weekly blog challenges. an unusual topic. or a twist on a normal one.)
taco bell. the one "food" place that we have many names for. taco smell. taco hell (because it is where all mean, nasty tacos go to die). i even knew a guy who called it crotch-o bell. but do we really understand this institution from a theological viewpoint?
because i have a theory.
taco bell is to mexican food what american cultural christianity is to following Jesus. let me explain.
i like mexican food. a lot. you go into a mexican place, and before your butt is firmly in its seat, you have chip and salsa on your table. for free. and the salsa is real, as each place makes their own. the service is usually great (i defy you to try and empty a glass of tea at a mexican place). and the food is amazing. almost everything is covered in cheese, and i am pretty sure that chicken quesadillas will be served in heaven.
taco bell, on the other hand, is a cheap, americanized generic form of "mexican" "food." (the quotes are because it is not any more mexican than hardees, and i am not sure it is technically food) the sauce, instead of homemade, comes in foil packets, and there is no distinction between one taco bell or another. they are just mass produced. and the menu. dear Lord, the menu. a burrito with potatoes in it? geez. at one point, you could actually get a bacon soft taco. now, i'm all for bacon, but that unholy concoction has no business crawling its Frankenstein butt out of the drawing room. all this counts against the bell, and i haven't even mentioned the crippling diarrhea. fourthmeal ALWAYS comes back to haunt you.
************
following Jesus should be as great and localized as good mexican food. it is spicy, risky, and life-giving. following Jesus is an adventure that lets you go into the world as agents of another kingdom, full of freedom and grace and love. it expands your world, and brings civilizations together around tables of celebration and joy.
american cultural christianity is the cheap version of life with Jesus. it seeks to package it up in neat little packets so that all christians look and smell the same. and, like the aforementioned bacon tacos, it spits out nature defying creations like Jesus flashlights and Jesus mints and Skillet. in essence it is, at its worst, fast food religion. no thanks.
and i haven't even mentioned the crippling diarrhea. pot-luck casseroles ALWAYS come back to haunt you.
taco bell. the one "food" place that we have many names for. taco smell. taco hell (because it is where all mean, nasty tacos go to die). i even knew a guy who called it crotch-o bell. but do we really understand this institution from a theological viewpoint?
because i have a theory.
taco bell is to mexican food what american cultural christianity is to following Jesus. let me explain.
i like mexican food. a lot. you go into a mexican place, and before your butt is firmly in its seat, you have chip and salsa on your table. for free. and the salsa is real, as each place makes their own. the service is usually great (i defy you to try and empty a glass of tea at a mexican place). and the food is amazing. almost everything is covered in cheese, and i am pretty sure that chicken quesadillas will be served in heaven.
taco bell, on the other hand, is a cheap, americanized generic form of "mexican" "food." (the quotes are because it is not any more mexican than hardees, and i am not sure it is technically food) the sauce, instead of homemade, comes in foil packets, and there is no distinction between one taco bell or another. they are just mass produced. and the menu. dear Lord, the menu. a burrito with potatoes in it? geez. at one point, you could actually get a bacon soft taco. now, i'm all for bacon, but that unholy concoction has no business crawling its Frankenstein butt out of the drawing room. all this counts against the bell, and i haven't even mentioned the crippling diarrhea. fourthmeal ALWAYS comes back to haunt you.
************
following Jesus should be as great and localized as good mexican food. it is spicy, risky, and life-giving. following Jesus is an adventure that lets you go into the world as agents of another kingdom, full of freedom and grace and love. it expands your world, and brings civilizations together around tables of celebration and joy.
american cultural christianity is the cheap version of life with Jesus. it seeks to package it up in neat little packets so that all christians look and smell the same. and, like the aforementioned bacon tacos, it spits out nature defying creations like Jesus flashlights and Jesus mints and Skillet. in essence it is, at its worst, fast food religion. no thanks.
and i haven't even mentioned the crippling diarrhea. pot-luck casseroles ALWAYS come back to haunt you.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
the very end
What do you do if everything you think you know about how your life is supposed to be is suddenly upside down? If what you thought you would do for your entire life (at age 17, admittedly) lost its luster or turned out to be not what you found yourself doing? For a long time, I thought that being on a church staff would be my life, that it would be awesome, and that it would easily pay the bills. I have been on a church staff for almost 8 years consecutively, and it has been good at times, and downright awful at others. And it is currently not paying any bills. At all. In an odd twist of faith, it now is a pretty good possibility that April and I will both be working where we were 10 years ago, before the whole church staff thing. `
Honestly, I am not sure how I feel about the whole thing either. The thought of not being a staff minister is actually kind of appealing. And a little frightening. My college education, and supposedly some “calling” I heard in high school tell me that this is why I was made. (which is way too “purpose-driven” of a notion for me). But as of late it is like it is becoming unappealing and frankly unnecessary.
A book I am in the middle of, Wide Open Spaces by Jim Palmer, says that we don’t all have separate purposes, like Rick Warren would have us believe. That we were created, plain and simple, to be in relationship with our Creator. And that church is not only not necessary for this, it can actually hinder it. While I am not quite ready to give up the whole notion of church, this idea makes sense, and is exciting in the same way the first drop of a roller coaster is. Where you have the feeling like once the bottom falls out, you are at the mercy of the ride. Where the results could be dizzying and exhilarating at the same time. And more and more I am finding echoes of the Kingdom outside of a church.
Case in point. My dear friend, Kevin, has, through no choice of his own, become a regular part of a couple of guys’ armed robbery lifestyle. 4 times in 3 months in fact. The last time, he went home with the barrel mark of an AK47 on his head. As I heard about this, it scared the hell out of me. I do not want to lose my friend like this. And so selfishly, I want him to quit. To find another job. So I don’t have to worry that I will never see him again, or that he will leave behind a wife and 2 daughters. But he has chosen, at least for now, to remain. To hold out hope that his community will not go down the toilet. And to put his rear-end where his mouth is and stick it out and guide his employees through this frightening time. And in this, I see hope and faith and love for others that is the personification of the Gospel. Meanwhile, white churches all over the place flee their neighborhoods when it gets too difficult or dangerous to stay. Which seems right? For my money, it is the guy at the pet store, not the “church” that personifies white flight.
Who knows, maybe to make a difference in the kingdom, at least for me, it will take stepping out of the title of minister and stepping into the world where real people have real problems, and a person of faith can maybe offer some real help. I am both excited and terrified by this idea. If church is unnecessary, then so is the title of professional minister. Will it be enough to try to live out the kingdom in a delivery truck or at the ballpark? It seems like a beautiful possibility.
Here’s to giving it a shot.
Honestly, I am not sure how I feel about the whole thing either. The thought of not being a staff minister is actually kind of appealing. And a little frightening. My college education, and supposedly some “calling” I heard in high school tell me that this is why I was made. (which is way too “purpose-driven” of a notion for me). But as of late it is like it is becoming unappealing and frankly unnecessary.
A book I am in the middle of, Wide Open Spaces by Jim Palmer, says that we don’t all have separate purposes, like Rick Warren would have us believe. That we were created, plain and simple, to be in relationship with our Creator. And that church is not only not necessary for this, it can actually hinder it. While I am not quite ready to give up the whole notion of church, this idea makes sense, and is exciting in the same way the first drop of a roller coaster is. Where you have the feeling like once the bottom falls out, you are at the mercy of the ride. Where the results could be dizzying and exhilarating at the same time. And more and more I am finding echoes of the Kingdom outside of a church.
Case in point. My dear friend, Kevin, has, through no choice of his own, become a regular part of a couple of guys’ armed robbery lifestyle. 4 times in 3 months in fact. The last time, he went home with the barrel mark of an AK47 on his head. As I heard about this, it scared the hell out of me. I do not want to lose my friend like this. And so selfishly, I want him to quit. To find another job. So I don’t have to worry that I will never see him again, or that he will leave behind a wife and 2 daughters. But he has chosen, at least for now, to remain. To hold out hope that his community will not go down the toilet. And to put his rear-end where his mouth is and stick it out and guide his employees through this frightening time. And in this, I see hope and faith and love for others that is the personification of the Gospel. Meanwhile, white churches all over the place flee their neighborhoods when it gets too difficult or dangerous to stay. Which seems right? For my money, it is the guy at the pet store, not the “church” that personifies white flight.
Who knows, maybe to make a difference in the kingdom, at least for me, it will take stepping out of the title of minister and stepping into the world where real people have real problems, and a person of faith can maybe offer some real help. I am both excited and terrified by this idea. If church is unnecessary, then so is the title of professional minister. Will it be enough to try to live out the kingdom in a delivery truck or at the ballpark? It seems like a beautiful possibility.
Here’s to giving it a shot.
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