Thursday, December 18, 2008

an idea


Gandhi is credited with saying, "we should live simply so that others may simply live." Now I don't take all my cues from Gandhi but this quote succinctly says something I am very passionate about. The idea that we in this country have a responsibility to everyone- but especially our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world- to live beneath our means in order to redistribute our stuff to those in need.

The biggest problem as I see it is that we don't actually see needs on a daily basis that we can practically meet. I have not met someone truly transformed by Jesus who would look the other way as a friend goes without food or medical care or education or whatever. We give our money, we tell others, we invent ways to help our friends get the care they truly need. But most of our friends are not in destitute poverty. And we just don't see what we consider real poverty on a regular basis. Or if we see it, it's on TV, or through a donation letter, but not up close and personal, as in a conversation.

Many of us sponsor children around the world, give to our favorite organizations and do our best to be generous and make a difference. In fact, everyone I know wishes they had more to give. Because there is just something good and right about letting go of our resources and seeing them used to make someone's life tangibly better. To be the answer to someone's prayers for provision, or as Gary Haugen said, "to help people who have a hard time believing that God is good."

Well, not too long ago Matt Stauffer and I were talking about this, and with some encouragement from my friend Amy Wright decided to do something. We are a developing a website that is intended to help you free up more of your money so that you have more to be generous with. Essentially, we believe that small decisions on a weekly basis can add up enough to significantly impact peoples lives. No, we're not asking for your donations, but we do want to see you give more to the organizations that you think are doing a good job of making the world a better place. A world where there is no more hunger or pain or sickness or tears or death.

The site is FAR from finished but we're at a point where in the next couple of weeks we will need some people to begin using it to help us make it better (and hopefully) to help free up resources for what God is doing around the world. If you think you might be interested, head over to Spend Less Give More and sign up to be notified for when we launch the Beta version.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Transfer of Power

Whatever else any one may think or feel about the recent election, here's something that makes me proud. Quoting a post from Real Clear Politics:

When (George) Washington stepped aside after two terms, his old adversary King George III is supposed to have said, "If he does that, sir, he will be the greatest man in the world."


I am proud that there is a history of over 200 years and 40 peaceful transfers of power between presidents. Let's not take that for granted.

-thanks to Brian at Pixelated Pad and Pen for the link and quote.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

the scales of justice


So, after 13 years of eligibility I was eventually summoned for jury duty. Monday morning I showed up at the Alachua County Courthouse not sure what to expect but slightly annoyed and slightly intrigued.

Other than getting a bit behind in InterVarsity work stuff it didn't turn out to be too bad of a day. I was glad I had my computer because I was able to take advantage of the free wireless signal in downtown Gainesville.

The most interesting part by far was the Voir Dire process. I was on the first panel that was interviewed by the state prosecutors and the defense attorney. The crazy thing was watching a couple of the potential jurors who seemed to be answering questions in order to ensure they did not get selected. Seemed pretty immature to me.

The final result? I was selected as part of the jury for a case of "battery" on Thursday.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

seeking...?


I've been studying the "Sermon on the Mount" and leaning heavily on John Stott's book/commentary of it this summer. Stott is possibly my favorite teacher of scripture and today I read something that flipped my old thoughts upside-down.

I was reading his treatment of Matthew 6:31-34 regarding seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness. Stott writes:
God's kingdom exists only where Jesus Christ is consciously acknowledged. To be in his kingdom is synonymous with enjoying his salvation. Only the born again have seen and entered the kingdom. And to seek it first is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.

But God's 'righteousness' is (arguably, at least) a wider concept than God's 'kingdom'. It includes that individual and social righteousness to which reference has been made earlier in the Sermon. And God, because he is himself a righteous God, desires righteousness in every human community, not just in every Christian community.
He goes on to say that to 'seek his kingdom and his righteousness' may be said to embrace our Christian evangelistic and social responsibilities. Aside from being a great scriptural summary of those two twin values, this summary may not be earth shattering to you. But what surprised me was that I tend to think of those two terms flipped around with 'kingdom' incorporating social responsibilities and 'righteousness' coming from saving faith through evangelism. But now I am seeing it like Stott and realizing once again that I need to use and think about words more carefully.

Any thoughts?

Saturday, August 2, 2008

recent life stuff

  • Mackeil is growing (but the number of people who can pronounce his name is not)
  • Andrew was admitted to the hospital with Nephrotic Syndrome (but he is fine now)

  • I made the switch to a Mac
  • I think it was a good decision

  • I have begun to get really excited about SpendLessGiveMore
  • we made our first decision at an IV staff meeting to Spend Less & Give More
  • a group of us saved $20 by sharing a container of Breyers Ice Cream instead of going to ColdStone
  • we will give the savings to Feed the Children

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

shriveled fruit


I had to learn the hard way today that blueberries that sit out too long and begin to shrivel can become quite bitter. Unfortunately, I kept trying to prove myself wrong for too long. Now I can't get the bad taste out of my mouth.

My advice is to only eat them if they are still plump with no evidence of shriveling. Have you had any bad experiences with food and tips to share recently?

Monday, July 7, 2008

the power of diverse communities of faith

Sometime ago I read a book called "Divided By Faith". It is a very good book that helped define so many things for me. The gist of the book is that though Evangelicals have really responded in the last 15 years to the racial crisis in the U.S. it has not been effective because our tendency is to see everything through the lens of "individual" and rarely "systems". So we as Evangelicals have sought to be personally reconciled across races but it has done very little to change the landscape because the systemic issues are still there undermining all of our best efforts.

Toward the end of the book the authors are making the argument that we need diverse communities of faith. One reason they give is that in a society like ours where the wealth (power) is largely controlled by one race, having separate communities of faith hinders the movement toward equality. The reason is that (generalizing here) the majority of jobs are controlled by people of one race and if two people with the same qualifications apply for the job but one applicant knows the person doing the hiring and the other doesn't, the one who knows the employer will almost always get the job. This isn't racism per se, it's just the normal way of things. Well, because communities of faith are so likely to be where many of our social relationships are, if we are in homogeneous communities of faith then the jobs we control or have access to will continue to go to the people like us. Again, this is not malicious or intentional but just because their is a connection there.

Well, tonight I got to participate in something like this, but better. I have a friend (who happens to be Black) who is looking for a job in Gainesville for a year while she takes a break from school before going to Law School at Northwestern in Chicago. She is one of the smartest people I know. But there are not many jobs in Gainesville (maybe anywhere these days) and it has been hard to find one. While talking to a different friend (who happens to be White) I asked a random question and he replied that his department was looking to hire someone for a certain job. Because I am in community with both of them I was able to bridge the gap and possibly help my other friend get a job. She does not have the job yet but now when she turns in her resume she will have an insider to put in a good word for her. I thought this was such a beautiful application of "Divided By Faith" that I wanted to share it with you all. Let's go out and develop diverse (in every way) communities of faith that will be used in big ways and small to make this a more beautiful and equitable nation then it already is.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

tie them as symbols

Materialism is such a slippery thing and it's hooks in me are deep. It is so easy to read the Old Testament and condemn the people we read about for their blatant idolatry. How could those who had seen the Lord part the Red Sea bow down and worship an image forged out of the gold they donated for it? Sometimes it baffles me.

My idolatry is so much harder to spot. (For me anyway, maybe not for you) For instance, I need to replace the computer I'm typing on. Well, need is a subjective word because it technically is still working though it takes more and more to be able to see the results of its computations. Nevertheless, I feel like I need to replace it b/c the display is going out quickly and it is 3 years old, and it has begun to freeze up more often which happened with my last computer before the hard drive crashed.

Assuming I buy a computer sometime this month, what do I buy? I can not deny that my eye and my heart wander after a new Macbook. Yes, the commercials and all the other young professionals switching over have seduced me. All it takes is one friend who I respect to tell me how they would like a new Mac too and I can almost justify buying anything that I can afford. But the thing is that there are PC's that have the same specs and cost half the price.

While this battle rages (maybe not rages) within me some other things are happening too. For one, there are billions (billions) of people who are going to bed hungry tonight. I even wrote about it here. They don't have money for food and I am trying to decide whether a preference for Leopard over Vista justifies $500.

This is why we need reminders in our lives. Idolatry is so slippery. In Deuteronomy 6:1-8 the Lord basically says, "do whatever you have to do to remember the commands I am giving you today." Thankfully I read a blog post tonight that reminded me of who I am called to be and what's important to me. I wise mentor in my life has talked about the need to frequently (at least yearly for him) see real poverty in the world in order to be reminded. I need reminders too. I wonder what computer I'll end up buying?

Sunday, June 29, 2008

10 days after

my last post was from the night before Mackeil was born. that was ten days ago and a wild ten days it has been. in the spirit of my last post here are some things I have learned or "re-remembered" in the last ten days...
  • when changing a newborn baby boy's diaper you must be prepared for an inadvertent stream of liquid coming at you. I hear it's something about cold air. it is best to use the new diaper as a shield when this happens but sometimes your hand is your only defense.
  • there actually is a reason why some people keep a coffee pot next to their bed.
  • moms are incredible people. their capacity to love most likely can not be measured. moms, grandmoms, it doesn't matter, they can all kick it into overdrive.
  • it is amazing how quiet a house can seem when 2 of 4 kids leave for a night of vacation bible school. i forgot how quiet a house with just 2 kids can be.
  • even the love of a mom can be tested at 4am when a kid is awake and won't eat.
  • friends are really good. and some of the best friends are family.
  • paradoxically, it is both easy and hard to believe in total depravity when living with a newborn baby.
  • there is no good reason for me to be awake when I will most likely have to get up twice with Mackeil in the next 6.5 hours before starting my sunday.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

the night before

here are the thoughts going through my mind the night before my wife is scheduled to be induced into labor.
  • I sure hope there are enough beds available that we actually get in.
  • We finally decided on a name!
  • I've really enjoyed conversations with my wife lately. I love her more and more. I hope we don't let jockeying for sleep time in the coming months drive a wedge between us.
  • Why am I still up when we are scheduled to go into the hospital in 5 hours?
  • At least 2 sets of friends have said that the transition from 3 to 4 kids is not too bad. I hope they're right.
  • I wish we would have gotten our third child potty-trained before bringing home another diaper-maker.
  • We are incredibly blessed as a family.
  • I really hope I get to share some good news and put some cute pictures up here soon and that everything will have gone well.
  • The Lord is good. We put our trust in him.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

World Food Crisis


I have been doing some research on the world food crisis. It is amazing what can happen throughout the world with us knowing very little about it here in the U.S. Basically, millions of people around the world are going hungrier than before because the cost of nearly every food staple has risen dramatically in the last year. If someone went to the market with all they had before and bought a 10lb bag of rice, now they can only afford a 6lb bag of rice with the same amount of money.

Why is this happening? Well, it's quite complicated but here are some of the reasons from what I've read:

1. rising energy costs - the higher cost of fuel means higher transportation costs associated with delivering food. in addition, the cost of petroleum based fertilizers has skyrocketed. finally, the increasing use and demand for bio-fuels (i.e. corn based ethanol) is taking away from the supply of food.

2. the weather factor - drought in places like Australia (one of the world leaders in wheat production) has had a major impact on supply levels. also, many tropical areas in the world are experiencing shorter growing seasons due to warmer and drier conditions. this is a factor we have little to no control over though many would point to the environmental effects of Global Warming.

3. increasing demand -
a.) part of the current food crisis is in response to positive developments. over the last several years many sites are reporting that millions have escaped poverty, especially in population heavy countries like China and India. this is good news! thankfully, many of these people are able to add meat and dairy products to their diets. that is good but it means the quantities of these foods gets spread thinner and demand rises.

b.) the corollary to this is that as demand for meat rises on a global level the demand for grain to feed livestock rises as well. often debated, it take somewhere between 4-16 lbs of grain to produce 1 lb of beef. and chicken requires roughly half the amount of beef though still substantial amounts.

4. governmental policies (wading into deeper and more controversial waters) -
a.) government subsidies in many countries encourage overproduction and distort prices. this makes it impossible for farmers in other countries to sell their goods at the cost of production, let alone for a liveable wage. this forces these countries to become dependent on imports (presumably cheaper) to feed their populations. when world food prices rise however, the infrastructure to produce their own food doesn't exist and they are dramatically affected.

b.) some grain producing countries enact policies prohibiting certain exports when global food prices rise. they do this understandably to keep domestic food prices under control. what that means for the rest of the world though is that less food is in the markets and so as demand rises (or even remains) supply decreases relatively and prices go up.

c.) countries have to make policy decisions on where to focus their development assistance. underinvestment in agricultural productivity is contributing to supply levels not keeping up and therefore higher prices.


So what can we do?

Monday, June 9, 2008

Consuming Jesus - Part 3


This was a pretty good book. I think Metzger is at his best when he is analyzing history and culture as the beginning of the book does. He does a great job of looking back and showing how the church got to this moment of being consumed by consumerism. It's effects are so wide-ranging, it's almost the water we're swimming in, without even knowing.

From there, the author goes into how the church should live out its calling in this consumer culture, that is separated, by and in large, by race and class. In my opinion, this is where Metzger's writing is weaker. He is synthesizing the work of others such as John Perkins, William Cavanaugh, and Marva Dawn. Not that any of it was bad but I thought the first half of the book was more compelling.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has an inkling of the effects of consumerism on the church in America but wants to explore its implications further and begin to live counter-culturally, resisting the commodification of the church . I was especially challenged in regard to the mono-cultural tendencies of the small group movement.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

giving and equality

I was reading a booklet called The Grace of Giving (reprinted as this) and the following principle really struck me:

Principle #5: Christian giving contributes to equality (2 Corinthians 8:13-15)

"Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: 'He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.'

Stott writes:
"...the same dilemma that confronts missionaries. Should they 'go native', becoming in all things like the nationals they work among? Or should they continue to enjoy western affluence without any modification of their lifestyle? Probably neither. The Willowbank Report on 'Gospel and Culture' suggests that they should rather develop a standard of living 'which finds it natural to exchange hospitality with others on a basis of reciprocity, without embarrassment' [Making Christ Known (Eerdmans/Paternoster, 1996), p 82]

In other words, if we are embarrassed either to visit other people in their home, or to invite them into ours because of the disparity of our economic lifestyles, something is wrong; the inequality is too great, for it has broken fellowship. There needs to be a measure of equalization in one or the other direction, or in both. And Christian giving contributes to this equality."

I couldn't agree more.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Social Justice vs. Mercy

this is something I wrote about a year ago but not in a forum where I could get any feedback. let me know what you think if you get a chance...

I was listening to a well known pastor give a talk on missional leadership today. At one point he began remarking that in the church we often talk about social justice when we should be calling it ministries of mercy or something like that. There was much that I disagreed with in his little aside but essentially he was saying that we need to be more careful with our language. His point was something to the effect of “justice” is what Jesus got for our sake and “mercy” is what we get from God. Therefore, we should practice acts of mercy not justice.

I think as followers of Jesus we need to practice both, but that we should be able to distinguish between them. In my mind social justice is when we act to make right the systems that enable and support oppression in any form. Mercy is when we act to relieve the symptoms of oppression (that comes from without or within).

This pastor used the example of a homeless man who is an alcoholic and hungry. He said that if this man lets alcohol destroy his life and doesn’t try to get a job then justice is to let him rot away on the streets (not his exact words). Mercy in his mind was to give this guy a hot meal, some clean clothes, and a place to sleep. He doesn’t deserve it but neither do we. I think this is a typical way of thinking about the problem of homelessness (or any number of social problems we see) in this country. It assumes that everything we see is a product of choices, good or bad. “If I have a nice home it is because I’ve made good choices and if someone else is homeless you can probably trace it back to bad choices.” Those of us who don’t really experience any form of oppression tend to overlook the way our society is structured that leaves some with such a feeling of desperation that they make bad choices.
I don’t believe that justice is to just let this guy get what he “deserves”. I’m trying to look beyond the obvious (alcoholism, inability to get/hold a job) and see if there are any systems that are not right/just that keep him in this vicious cycle. So social justice would be to act to correct the laws that aim to keep the homeless population out of our sight so that businesses can thrive and everyone else can pretend they don’t exist. But this takes a longer time then I would like and in the meantime, out of gratitude for how God has treated me, I should practice mercy by taking care of his immediate needs, etc…

In the end, I think this pastor was on to something though he missed the boat in some ways. We are lazy with our language in this culture and if we’re not careful, words like justice and mercy will lose their meaning (i.e. grace, love, awesome, good). But regarding this example, let’s be a people that would stand for both justice and mercy where appropriate. Let’s let our hearts be angered by the things that anger the heart of God and be moved to make systems right and treat people with the mercy that we’ve been shown. Come Lord Jesus!

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Escape From Reason


...a quick review of a book I read this week.

Escape From Reason
- Francis Schaeffer, IVP

Schaeffer offers a concise yet penetrating overlook of philosophic thought from the time of Thomas Aquinas through the 20th Century. Written in 1968, Schaeffer had such an insight into the thinking of his day that 40 years later, the things he saw are finally making their way into mainstream ways of thinking. He was writing brilliantly about postmodern thought 30 years before I ever even heard of it.

I won’t lie, this book, though short and sweet, put my intellect to the test. He moves through 750 years of philosophy at breakneck speed. He does not adequately encapsulate any of the thinkers he writes about but more shows the movement of thought through different eras. I found it to be quite helpful in understanding how the current science vs. faith debate came into being. Essentially, Schaeffer argues that for the Christian to fall into the modern (and postmodern) way of thinking about a dichotomy between reason and faith leaves us without legs to stand on in either category. It’s a very compelling yet challenging read.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Consuming Jesus - success & the homogenous unit principle

Jesus prayed in John 17 that we would be one so that the world might know that he was sent by the Father. What is this to look like? If a bunch of people who look alike and like the same things are "one" is that really anything that is worth noticing? Now I know that we are all selfish enough that anytime anyone sacrifices for others in way that allows us to be "one" it is worth something. But I think Jesus was talking about bringing together people from different social classes and cultures.

Being enamored with "success", by and in large the church in America has sold out to the homogeneous unit principle. This principle states that we will be more effective (successful) in ministry if we target those who are like us in order to make them comfortable enough to hear the Gospel. Is that what we're doing or do we just not really like people that aren't like us that much? Maybe it's an answer to Jesus' prayer that Gator and Seminole fans who are alike in every other way would be "one". That will make people sit up and notice that there's something about this Jesus guy.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Consuming Jesus - Fundamentalism & "trickle down social ethics"


In chapter 1 of Consuming Jesus, Metzger traces some of the history of the evangelical church in the U.S., it's racial divisions, and it's consumer culture mentality. It takes us back to the turn of the century with D.L. Moody and his evangelistic revivalism. Moody, described as the "forefather" of fundamentalism, shifted during his season of ministry to a singular emphasis on evangelism. Though early in his ministry he had walked in the Evangelical tradition of social concern he began to see social reform as a distraction of the primary concern, evangelism.

According to Metzger, Moody and his followers did not necessarily lack compassion, they just believed that evangelism was the most effective way to address social concerns. Metzger calls this "trickle down social ethics", that as people enter into a right relationship with God that there life will improve and they will be able to "pull themselves up by their own bootstraps". Metzger rightly points out that this belief overlooks the reality of systematic injustice that takes away the bootstraps of those who are to pull themselves up by them.

In my next installment of this book review I will try to summarize Metzger's argument of how the premillenialist eschatology of Fundamentalism furthered this disengagement with the social concerns and injustices of the day.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Consuming Jesus - Part 2


I plan to begin reading Consuming Jesus tonight. The subtitle reads, "Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church". Promises to be good stuff. Come back for thoughts along the way.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

SharpTop and my wandering mind

tomorrow morning my family and I leave for SharpTop Cove, a YoungLife camp in north Georgia. They will be there one week with me and then I will stay on for a second week. I can't wait to get there. It's always a great time and the chance to pour into students 24/7 makes it one of my favorite parts of the year.

I've been thinking about (though probably not very intelligibly)
1. the nature of repenting versus merely reforming
2. the Holy Spirit and what exactly it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit
3. the worship of Money "or the god Mammon" as John White would say. Here's a quote from the Pathway of Holiness:

"You worship whomever you trust. Most of us trust Money more than we trust God. It hit me when God once said to me, 'When I ask you to give money to someone and tell you how much to give, do not consider how much you will have left, I will take care of you! You are to trust me not the money you have left in your account!'"

wow, that kicked me in the pants.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Quick-fix Christianity

Against my better judgment I am going to post a quote here from a book I am reading by none other than John White. I say "against my better judgment" because when I read quotes online without their context I almost always feel like they must have meant more to the person quoting them than to me. But I read this today and it so completely rings true to my observations and maybe even experience that I want to share it. And if anyone wants to discuss it with me in this context or another I'd love to. Here it is:

"Our day is a day of superficial Christianity. To become a Christian you are supposed to agree to certain correct beliefs. Gradually you learn the Christian jargon and gain confidence socializing in the Christian community. This is the quick-fix form of Christianity." - John White, The Pathway of Holiness (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996) p.65

Monday, April 14, 2008

Better Together

We really are better together.

For over a year now I've been telling myself that I would find time and start to work with children in some kind of after-school program here in Gainesville. It just seemed like an appropriate way for me to help out and serve in a practical way. The problem is, I let myself get so busy that it has sat on my goals for the last 16 months or so and I've never moved forward with it. I've made multiple commitments without much action at all beyond a couple of conversations with the right people. I was starting to feel pathetic and like I was all talk.

Maybe I still am... but tonight at our small group we decided to make helping underprivileged kids in our community our primary mission. We're not exactly sure what that will look like but several of us have a connection to a particular after-school program that is getting started in Gainesville. I think that together with my community this will finally happen. I never got the ball rolling by myself but with my friends pushing alongside I believe this goal of mine will come to fruition. I love it when a plan comes together.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Pride

** in tribute to a truly great man **

Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride

In the name of love!
What more in the name of love?
In the name of love!
What more in the name of love?
In the name of love!
What more in the name of love...

Consuming Jesus


awhile back I went in on an offer to receive this book for free provided I write a review of it on my blog. I have yet to read it but plan to, and am excited about it. I guess this post is really an attempt at catharsis. I feel somewhat guilty, hopefully it is also a reminder at some point this summer to read and review it.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

my addiction?

I can't go a day without it. My thoughts return to it throughout the day, whether I'm at work or at home. I have a simultaneous love/hate relationship with it. I wish I could cut it out or go longer stretches without it. I know that it is bad for me when I don't use it in moderation. Sometimes I use it when I think my wife won't see me. Often I'll cut away from playing with my children for it. It controls me instead of the other way around more often than I'd like to admit. I crave more access to it. I continue to use it long after I know I shouldn't. I often feel powerless to it's grip over me.

I'm ashamed of these things.


(the internet)

Monday, March 17, 2008

my take on St. Patrick's Day


I am mostly Scottish. At least I think. At any rate that's the ancestry that I most identify with. Maybe that's why I like Braveheart, I think I might be the only one.

Scots aren't real big on St. Patrick's day. We like to wear orange instead of green. That tends to irritate some people. But there's at least one really good thing from Ireland. U2. They are the best. Today I will only listen to U2 in honor of good ole St. Patrick. because I really needed an excuse...

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

when I don't want to do something

At what point do you give up on a commitment? There are two opposing view points but neither seems right to me.

One perspective is that you should never give up on a commitment. The very meaning of the word implies that it's a pledge and one that should not be broken. There is much to this and we probably take our commitments far too lightly. But at some point it just becomes legalistic and void of grace.

The other view is that we should only do something as long as it's meaningful to us. This view says it's the heart that matters and being authentic with our actions. This perspective certainly steers clear of legalism but leaves us as weak creatures, ruled by our passions and not the will.

I have been struggling with a commitment I made a couple of months ago. It is a part of my weekly rhythm of life but I have begun to question it's meaningfulness. This week was perhaps the hardest week yet to follow through with it. I felt constantly bombarded leading up to it and during with thoughts and excuses for why I should give it up. It has lost some it's original purpose to me and began to feel like an empty ritual. And of course it's not convenient.

How do you make decisions like this of whether or not to carry through?

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Death by Airport

February 26, 2:45pm
I'm writing this as I sit in the Gainesville airport. After 4.5 hours of sleep last night I got up early to get here today by 7:15am. One of the things I love about the Gainesville airport is that you can show up 45 minutes before take-off and feel comfortable that you'll have plenty of time. Ha.

Around 9am this morning I found out that the reason we were delayed was because of extreme weather in Atlanta. I then began a game of debating about waiting it out or renting a car to drive to Pensacola (my destination). I'm the biggest loser. I would have been in Pensacola by now. I'll spare you the hour by hour updates and delays that resulted in me sitting at this Gate for the last 7.5hrs. Suffice it to say that our flight was "supposed" to take-off at least 4 different times including once when were on the plane and taxiing to the runway before they called us back and made us de-board.

3:07pm
Our flight that was supposed to leave at 3pm has been rescheduled again to 4pm. I'm stuck again. If I rent a car and drive right now I will be in Pensacola by 7:30pm. If all goes well with the flight I could be there by 6:30pm without the stress of having driven 5.5 hrs after an already long day. What do I do? I'm in limbo.

4:10pm
Standby comes through! I got on a standby flight that should get me through to Pensacola by 6:30pm.

5:30pm
Arrive in Atlanta and get to the gate. Somehow the ticket agents messed up my ticket but I do have a seat and they can make it work. Who knows what all that means but I'm at my gate and reasonably happy?

[side note] Sometimes just being able to complain to people helps a lot. I feel like a wimp for that but texting people kept me sane today.

6:15pm
Everybody is here at the gate and ready to go. Except for the pilot! We'll see how this unfolds but I smell another delay.

7pm (Central Time)
Finally arrived in Pensacola. Everything is great. Except my luggage didn't arrive...

Friday, February 8, 2008

Excellence In Leadership


This is a great little book on leadership, drawing principles from the life and work of Nehemiah. Maybe the best thing about it is that it has drawn me into the story of Nehemiah and I think that I will continue to go back to the biblical account as a leadership resource for years to come. I believe that is White’s main goal even beyond his own words and thoughts on the subject.

There are many memorable lessons: the importance of prayer in leadership, Spirit led planning, dealing with opposition, and finishing strong, to name a few. In addition to my own use of the book in the future, I will encourage other leaders to read it, but I think it may be more valuable to the leader with some experience than for the young leader looking for a training manual. My appreciation of the book is much greater now than it probably would have been at the beginning of my leadership journey. I think this is because it is not meant as a comprehensive overview of leadership but more as a reflection on the example of one particular leader and the situation he found himself called to lead in. It is a great book, I highly recommend it. Though short, it’s not a fast read, more like something you drink slowly and enjoy.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

John White on leadership

There has always been a true elite of God's leaders. They are the meek who inherit the earth (Mt 5:5). They weep and pray in secret, and defy earth and hell in public. They tremble when faced with danger, but die in their tracks sooner than turn back. They are like a shepherd defending his sheep or a mother protecting her young. They sacrifice without grumbling, give without calculating, suffer without groaning. To those in their charge they say, "We live if you do well." Their price is above rubies. They are the salt of the earth. And Nehemiah was one of them.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

biting the nails of success

"it's no secret that a conscious can sometimes be a pest. no secret ambition bites the nails of success..." - U2, The Fly

I've been thinking a lot about ambition lately. Is it good? Is it bad?
Neutral maybe?

Paul writes, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit." Are we capable of ambition that is divorced from selfish beginnings and endings? How many of the great evils in our history were waged with the fuel of ambition? They all seem to come from it. That or fear.

Is there any room for ambition in the life of a disciple of Jesus? Should we aspire to things? For most of my life as a follower of Jesus I've been afraid of having too much ambition. It would be better not to get my heart too caught up in any enterprise. Better to make sure that I steered clear of any selfish pursuit. But maybe I've been wrong. Maybe there is room for a consuming passion. Maybe it requires ambition to get anything great accomplished. I want my life to count for something. And I think I'm going to crawl out of this old shell of fear. What is there to fear anyway? If God is for me who can be against me? Even if I crash and burn miserably, my consolation is God himself. Imagine that. So I think I'm going to take these dreams and allow God to add fuel to the fire. Who knows where it will take me, but I want it to be somewhere with a view.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

processed religion


At church today my pastor preached about the dangers of processed religion. Upon coming home and enjoying some reheated chicken for lunch in front of my computer, imagine my surprise when Google Reader fed me this delectable treat.

It scares me what well meaning professional Christians will say sometimes. Some people are claiming that ideas like this will become the "new denominations" of the future.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

second degree


**warning: this post is not for the weak of heart or stomach**

I have come to the conclusion that second degree burns on the roof of your mouth is one of the worst fates you could wish on a person.

Over the weekend, while dining at an asian bistro I put a scalding (some might say boiling) piece of broccoli in my mouth. Being my typical prideful self, I chose to keep it in my mouth and just cover my face with a napkin while I tried to choke it down and hold back the tears. (unsuccessfully)

I kept thinking during the rest of the meal that I wasn't supposed to feel flesh that soft and lose throughout my mouth. When I finally got in front of a mirror I was surprised to to see that my mouth was bleeding it two big places from the burns. After some forceful argumentation about whether or not it deserved a trip to the hospital we finally decided to just shove some gauze in my mouth and continue with our plans.

I've spent the remainder of the week fighting the impulse to go to the doctor, fighting a sore throat, and lamenting that every delicious bite of food comes with pain. In my still painful state I can not imagine many fates worse than prolonged contact with boiling water on the inside of your mouth. Please do not wish this on your enemies.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

think differently


For those of us (like me) who get tempted by gadgets here is a good post by Lifehacker on reasons and ways to avoid buying the latest gadgets. Here's an example: for those of us who might be tempted by something beautiful like the MacBook Air, we need to learn how to think differently.

Like, get a bigger envelope and be happy with your own laptop. Just owning one puts you in the top 1% of the world.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

perspective

This weekend I went to the Underground Network Conference. The Underground Network is a newly formed coalition of churches united by the prophetic call to love the poor, reach the lost and seek biblical justice. The purpose is to facilitate a community of support, accountability, cooperation and creativity between coalition churches and their leaders.


During the opening session the speaker suggested that the prevailing “the world is going to Hell in a hand basket” mentality is not very helpful or Biblical. This caught my attention because my last post was about the reality of our society and how day-time television portrays that.

We are not called to be unaware of the darkness that envelops this world, but it does not help to sit on the sideline and just watch it continue to spread. We are called to jump into the fight and bring light into the dark places. Day-time television reveals the darkness that exists in our hearts, But will I sit and wait for the walls to come crashing down or will I thrust myself into the fray, fighting, giving and sacrificing everything I have to see Light conquer darkness? Time will tell.

Friday, January 18, 2008

day-time television

What kind of society are we? What's wrong with us?

My car broke down today driving from Gainesville to St. Augustine. First I experienced the good side of our society. After, talking to a couple of unhelpful people over the phone I finally talked to a mechanic that was willing to drive out and check out my car where I was for no extra charge. He did all the little tests that a seasoned mechanic knows to do to eliminate possibilities. How to easily check and see that fuel is getting to the engine... How to see whether it is getting a spark... or compression. In the end I had to get it towed in because it wasn't the kind of thing that could be fixed on the side of the road.

Finally, I got to the auto-repair shop with my car. In the waiting room all I wanted was a little bit of silence to clear my mind and figure out how to make the best of a bad day. Instead, I get a TV that is blaring day-time television at me. Is there anything decent on daytime television? It is just ridiculous. My heart grieves for the people who go onto these day-time talk television shows and it also grieves for the people that except it as entertainment. I am angry, frustrated, and sad all at the same time. We are a people who have sold our souls to the god of entertainment and I don't know what will become of us. Am I being over-reactionary here? I don't know anymore.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

camp rules


I have been checking out different sites for an InterVarsity student conference in February. One particular Christian camp has it written into their "Rules and Regulations" that there is to be no playing "rock music" or dancing. Unbelievable! I find myself wondering how they could still (if ever) have that as a rule. It just brings so many follow-up questions to mind:

Is it just rock that is disallowed? What about rap, disco, pop, or techno? What about country? What about Christian rock? Is that allowed? What if 3/4ths of the band claim to be Christians? What if we are reasonably sure that all of the band are Christians but they stick to secular radio and wouldn't be caught dead on WAY FM?

I just find it hard to believe that this document hasn't been updated in the last 40 years or so. Or maybe it's still a strong conviction. Lucky for me, I had the windows up as I blared U2 on the way in.