Stop It

If you have neve seen the "Stop It" video . . . you must, you simply must!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYLMTvxOaeE

Bob Newhart is a comic genius.

What are we doing to ourselves?

I attended a viewing at a funeral home yesterday. It was the viewing of a 19 year old African American male who was shot a week ago in what appears to have gang connections. I talked to his uncle, who is a friend of mine who teaches African American Studies at Pitt, and learned that this you man had several uncles in his family who are engineers, and one uncle (great uncle?) who played a major role in putting a man on the moon.

As I stood there talking to them, I commented, "What are we doing to ourselves as a people?" I realize there are white on white killings, and hispanic on hispanic killings, but nothing on the order that is taking place in the African American community. We are losing vast portions of an entire generations of young black males? How on earth are we as a people going to replace these men and their minds? Their contributions to society are being lost forever to humanity. As I talked to the African American pastor who was to perform the funeral, he agreed and said, "The cure for cancer may be laying over their in that casket."

Sobering thought.

In Africa we are losing a generation of young adults, in the prime of life, to the ravages of HIV/AIDS and in America we are losing a generation of young men, in the prime of life, to one another. The loses are the same.

What are we doing to ourselves? What can we do to address this atrocity?

Leadership

In my teachings over the years, I have often said that Passover connection aside (and that is a huge aside I realize) if Jesus were instituting the Lord's Supper today, it may be done with Pizza and Coke.

If that is the case, and for me it is on some level . . .

Jesus used the word "shepherd" when talking about the church because culturally that is the word that would be understood. I have heard churches for years making this the way they refer to their pastor. Yes, I am fully aware that the Greek word for pastor actually means shepherd. But hear me out.

Why did he use that word in the first place. It spoke to the people about what it meant to lead the people of God. It was totally counter to the use of the word "priest" as in the Old Testament where the leader was above the people. It envisioned a leader who cared for those he/she led. A person who identfied with them. They were, in many respects, was a part of them. They lived with them as they cared for them.

If He were speaking today, what word would He use? Would it be "Leader?" In our culture could that word carry the meaning he would want to convey? It was available 2,000 years ago and it was used differently in the New Testament than Shepherd.

But for today . . . I am just wondering, what word would Jesus use.

The Eagles - Long Road Out of Eden

Picked up the new Eagles CD the other week. It was one of those only at Walmart $11.88 deals. It is 20 original studio songs by the original band guys. It is the best $12 I have spent in many a year. It is visually and musically and lyrically and incredible piece of work. The lyrics are powerful, the music is off the charts and even the artwork on the cover and booklet is amazing. This CD reminds you of why the Eagles are one of the best vocal bands ever!!! The vocals are so tight and right on.

I have literally listened to it 50 times already. There are (as is always the case) one or two songs that do not really hit it, but out of the 20 . . . there are 17 at least that knock your socks off.

"Granddad, I'm Scared."

Living with a 4-year old at this stage of my life has me noticing things that I might have missed at another age. Two nights ago I was awakened at around 1:30 am by this tiny voice (that I usually love to hear!) saying "Granddad, I'm scared."

I was instantly wide awake and said, "Come on Gavin. Get in the bed with me." (Now that alone is a unique event. Years ago I may have not even heard him!) After crawling into bed beside me Gavin said, "There is a monster outside my window." We then dialogued about said monster until he fell back asleep. An hour or so later, I returned him to his own bed where he remained (as he usually does) the remainder of the night. The next day, we talked about the event and how real it actually was for him.

As I reflected on that event over the next day or so, I was taken back to my own childhood. I recall quite often at a very early age lying in my bed deathly afraid of "whatever" but also too afraid to go see my own father and tell him I was "scared." (The reasons for that are varied and not the purpose of this entry.) As I thought about that event, I was suddenly aware that I was smiling. Riding alone in my car . . . and smiling. I was smiling because Gavin felt okay coming to me in the middle of the night to tell me he was "scared."

For millennia Christians have referred to God as "Father," but do we feel the freedom to go to him and say "Daddy, I'm scared."

This is the exact idea in Romans 8 Paul had when he wrote that the Spirit allows us to move forward in spite of fear and say Abba, Father. Scholars quickly recognize that the word "Abba" was an Aramaic word in that day with no real English equivalent. It was a term of endearment best deemed, "Daddy.," Paul is saying that when we are afraid, we can go to our heavenly father and say "Daddy, I'm scared."

What are you facing? What is your biggest fear at this moment. What monsters wake you in the middle of the night? What drives you to fear? Can you . . . do you . . . go to your loving heavenly Father (and all that is good about that word and nothing that is bad about it) and say "Daddy, I'm scared."

Right now . . . I could sure use that. I am sure many of you could as well.

Red Dirt Road

Country music is not my favorite music. I have no dislike of it. In reality I was raised listening almost exclusively to it with my father. I was able to see many of the old time country music greats (George Jones, Bill Anderson, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, Buck Owens, Carl Smith, Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells, the list could on) in the mid 60's live with my Mom and Dad.

Now, I am just basically a rock and roll fan.

That being said, I think country musicians are the best story tellers as song writers. (I write that in spite of the old joke about backward masking country music getting your truck, girl, and dog back.) In my opinion, the only music to come close was the old R&B in the late 60's and early 70's. There were some great stories woven in there as well!

Two years ago, while on my flight to Africa, I came across a song by the country duet Brooks and Dunn. The song gripped me like only a song can do. It held my attention the entire flight over on the in-seat music programming, and did the same on the return flight. That song is entitled Red Dirt Road. It tells the story of an aspect of the author's childhood and his outlook on life. In many respects it could be my story. (Full lyrics are below.)

This weekend I will be driving to North Carolina, where I was born to perform my baby brother's wedding. (He is 46 years old.) I will be traveling with my grandson Gavin. He and I have made this trip a couple of times now. I left NC in 1976 at the age of 22 and have never lived there since. It is still HOME in many respects. And for the first time last fall, I felt a tinge of homesickness on a return trip. Many things played into it, at that time, but feel it I did.

As I thought about that experience, and my song experience with Red Dirt Road, I tied it to something I have been trying to do for some time. I have been wanting to get a tattoo. I have wanted one that connected me with my heritage as a southerner. In my later years, I am more proud of that than I have ever been. Over the last decade I had many ideas of what the tattoo should be, but nothing fit or it could have been misconstrued and been offensive to someone. Thus it never happened. But now it will. I have chosen what the tattoo will be. (I am not about to tell you what it is now!) I am making plans for my tattoo and preparing to visit my old stomping grounds. It will for me be a Red Dirt Road sort of experience.

===============

Red Dirt Road
by Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn

I was raised off of Route Three
Out where the blacktop ends.
We'd walk to Church on Sunday mornings,
Race barefoot back to Johnson's fence.
That's where I first saw Mary,
On that roadside pickin' blackberries.
That summer I turned a corner in my soul,
Down that red dirt road.

It's where I drank my first beer.
It's where I found Jesus.
Where I wrecked my first car: I tore it all to pieces.
I learned the path to Heaven,
Is full of sinners an' believers.
Learned that happiness on earth,
Ain't just for high achievers.
I've learned; I come to know,
There's life at both ends,Of that red dirt road.

Her Daddy didn't like me much,
In my shackled up GTO.
Oh, I'd sneak out in the middle of the night,
Throw rocks at her bedroom window.
We'd turn out the headlights,
Drive by the moonlight.
Talk about what the future might hold,
Down that red dirt road.It's where I drank my first beer.

It's where I found Jesus.
Where I wrecked my first car:I tore it all to pieces.
I learned the path to Heaven,
Is full of sinners an' believers.
Learned that happiness on earth,
Ain't just for high achievers.
I've learned; I come to know,
There's life at both ends,
Of that red dirt road.

I went out into the world,
An' I came back in.
I lost Mary: Oh, I got her back again.
An' drivin' home tonight,
Feels like I've found a long-lost friend.

It's where I drank my first beer.
It's where I found Jesus.
Where I wrecked my first car:I tore it all to pieces.
I learned the path to Heaven,
Is full of sinners an' believers.
Learned that happiness on earth,
Ain't just for high achievers.
I've learned; I come to know,
There's life at both ends,
Of that red dirt road.

Kodachrome

As I have begun to look on the process of my blogging, I have had to do some serious evaluating. When I first began doing this in 2005, it was meant as a means to help the church where I was serving as Pastor. Since I am no longer in that position, it has caused no small amount of consternation. It has caused me to ask such questions as:

• "What is the purpose of doing this?"
• "Why should I continue?"
• "Should I continue?"
• "Does anyone read it?"
• "Does it really matter if they do not?"

While pondering this I have come to compare this stuggle with the lyrics of the Paul Simon song circa 1973 Kodachrome. The song sums up a lot of the message with the lyric "Everything looks worse in black and white." (The entire lyrics are below.) Simon seems to be saying we color things in our mind to be a certain way, and when we see them as they really are it is not very pretty. Let me keep the colorized version.

I have come to think that the writing of this blog is actually like that. I have been viewing it through Kodachrome eyes and when I really look at it in black and white, it is not that pretty. In reality, much of what is said here really does not matter to those who read or do not read it. I am only kidding myself to think otherwise. I am sure the content of the writing has revealed that very stuggle.

As I have pondered this issue (while mowing the lawn, or on a long bike ride) I have come to a conclusion. It can best be summarized like this: I am actually writing for me. It is my outlet. I really cannot be doing this in the hopes that someone else reads it or likes it or is changed by it. Truthfully . . . in black and white . . . I write for the same reason every great and not-so-great writer in all of history has written. "I have something I want to say" and this just so happens is one of my venues.

So . . . my writing will change . . . or not. But I will be doing this because I really want to say something and leave whatever happens, or does not happen, to others.

==============

Kodachrome
by Paul Simon

When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school
It's a wonderI can think at all
And though my lack of education hasn't hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wall

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day
Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away

If you took all the girls I knew when I was single
And brought them all together for one night
I know they'd never match my sweet imagination
everything looks worse in black and white

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day
Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away

Mama don't take my Kodachrome away
Mama don't take my Kodachrome away
Mama don't take my Kodachrome away

The Death of Jerry Falwell

I know. I know. I know.

With the passing of Jerry Falwell there will be no end of folks lining up to take pot shots at him and the "religious right." I have no intentions of doing any such thing.

Did I agree with all of his theology? Did I agree with all of his politics? Did I agree with all of his methods? Do I agree with yours? Do you agree with mine?

The answer to ALL of these questions is, of course, "No."

In spite of the areas where I disagreed with Jerry Falwell, I would like to point out one area where I did agree and he actually did Christians a major service. He taught us to GET INVOLVED IN OUR CULTURE. You may not have liked what he did or how he did it, but at least he got off his duff and did something.

Personally, I cannot always say the same thing. I will wager, that neither can you.

If I do not approve of his issues . . . then pick my own issues.

If I do not agree with his stances . . . then take my own stance.

If I do not think his attitude was always loving . . . then by God's grace let me be loving.

Jerry Falwell is a hero to some and a villian to others. I do not really know what your opinion is on this one. And I will guess, you do not care what mine is, so I will not state it (especially since it is not simple and clean cut.) But ALL of us can learn from him that as Christians we should become involved in our culture and not simply sit on the sidelines and take pot shots at it.

Which unfortunately is all most of us actually do I fear. At least he did not simply do that. He tried in his way to get involved and make a difference.

I wish I could do that half as well.

The World of the Bible - Parts 2 - 4

To conclude . . . finally. (Nope! I am not giving an excuse or a reason for my absence! Read smile here.)

Not Right/Wrong but Honor/Shame

We spend all of our discussions centered around whether something is right or wrong. That was seldom, if ever, in the equation during the Biblical era. The question for them was "Will this honor or shame my family?"

For example: When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I stole a candy bar from a local grocery store. My Dad found out. Uh oh. After the obligatory "punishment," I had to go back to the store, apologize and pay for it. He made sure I did too. It would never occur in that fashion in a Bibilcal era. They dealt with things privately. If it were to become public, it would shame the family.

Read the passage where it is Jesus vs. lawyers or vs. the Pharisees. It almost always is an attempt to take his honor.

In their culture, honor was so important, that the position of honor was seated, not standing. To stand was to say you were the lesser. Teaching was almost always done from a seated position. Check out the stories in the Bible, e.g. Jesus sits on a boat to teach. There are exceptions, but not many.

Not Future/Present/Past but Present/Past/Future

In most of our discussions, we talk about tomorrow, the future, first. We talk about where we are headed, our vision, our hopes, etc. Then we talk about today. We barely discuss or learn from the past. We look to the past as a final resort usually.

Biblical personalities, are living in the present. It is like this, for the most part, they were poor. Today was important, not planning for tomorrow." Today we look to the future and plan for it. They live in the present, which comes out of the past, and have little time to discuss the future. They asked for "daily bread," we plan for retirement.

At Passover, a place is set for Elijah, and at one point, someone gets up and goes to the door to see if he is there. It is about the present welcoming the past.

Not Individual but the Group

There is no private rights. The rights of the group is key. All of life is very public. There is no discussion of a right to privacy in the Middle East even today. Everyone is in everyone else’s business. The idea is that the group is what is important.

All of these four items are crucial, but the final one gets me more than the others. What does that say about me?

The World of the Bible - Part 1

It has been a while since I wrote anything that resembled a series. Perhaps it is time for the drought to end.

With the change in my "career," "ministry," or "work," I have had many people ask me how it is going, what do I miss, etc. Those questions are easy to answer. I miss one thing more than all the others combined - teaching and preaching. This is not bragging, but I know what I am good at, and this is something I do well. That is one of the ways God has gifted me. That being the case, I miss it greatly. Last weekend while doing some work, I was listening to a friend's teaching podcast. It was then that I was reminded once again, how much I miss teaching. So, I thought, if this new position does not provide that, what could? I thought of my writing. This is one place where that can happen. So here it goes.

If there is one characteristic of my teaching that stands above the others it would be my commitment to accurately exegete Scripture. That comes from my training. It was drilled into my head in four collegiate years, five seminary years, and four years of doctoral work. It has imbedded itself in me in 30 years of ministry.

There are two things that really burn my toast. The first is Christian "eisegesis" in place of "exegesis." Exegeis is the ability to study and draw OUT of Scripture what it says. Eisegesis, is the reading INTO Scripture our views, our politics, our pet peeves, our interpretation, and so on. The second is small groups and "Bible studies," sitting around sharing their collective ignorance. I will avoid the temptation, and not go there now.

When we start to try to accurately understand the world of the Bible, although it spreads out over 1,500 years, there are some marked differences from our own. I intend to talk briefly about some of them over the next few days. I have discussed these for years, but the language here is not my own. I heard someone else give several of these thoughts "handles." So, whoever it was that gave me the verbiage, thank you.

Difference #1 - It is not Industrial / Technological but Agricultural

Some of you read that and said, "Ho-hum, next. This is so obivous." That may be true in substance but in practicality it gets lost. We can so easily read today into pages where "today" does not exist.

When you read or study the Scripture, it becomes quickly aparent that all issues were about agriculture. They often talk about the crops, the flora, etc. The holidays were built around the agricultural season. The daily concerns were about agriculture. No wonder it is a big concern when there is a drought. The concerns with the poor were surrounded by the need to provide for them with the yields of the earth. To grasp Ruth, you have to understand the rules of gleaning set up to care for the poor.

Read through Scripture and notice the numerous references to the land and the crops. In our time of machinery and computers and knowledge, this simple fact can get lost, and cause us to lose an oppotunity to understand what is taking place on the pages of the sacred text.

How to Pray in 2007

According to World Vision . . . here are seven ways to pray in 2007.

1. When you take a shower, pray for clean water for those who are deprived of this necessity.

2. When you go to work, pray for child laborers around the world.

3. When you eat lunch, pray for hungry and malnourished children.

4. When you watch the news, pray for education for those who do not have access to it.

5. When you arrive safely home, pray for displaced children.

6. When you take your vitamins, pray for access to medical care for those who do not have it.

7. When you go to bed, pray for orphans who have no regular bed.

These are good simple, easy reminders for something we probably should not need to be reminded.

Traveling With a Four Year Old

Those who know me know that this past fall has been tumultuous to say the least. One item that occurred was a severe stroke suffered by my younger brother. (All my brothers are younger so maybe I should skip that line.) On one of three trips to Kannapolis, NC (near Charlotte) to visit my family since September, I traveled with my grandson Gavin. Gavin is four years old. He has been adopted by my wife and me, so legally he is my son and we treat him that way, although he calls me Granddad . . . etc. Anyway, the boy simply adores me, as I do him. (A side note, I adore all four of my grandchildren, I just see him on a daily basis in a much more intimate role.)

Back to the story, he and I were staying two nights in a motel near my family. This caused him to be up a bit later than customary for him. The first night, he was so pumped up that he was jumping on the hotel bed saying, “I am so excited!” We finally settled down sometime after ten o’clock. But alas, there was someone in another room who never settled down. This other unknown person, across the hallway, was talking, slamming the door (or is seemed like slamming) as they went in and out, in and out, in and out. This was in addition to their loud TV and other noisy late night behavior. I cannot recall ever being in a hotel where I thought of calling to complain, but I did this time. I didn’t, but I thought about it.

The second night, Gavin was a bit less exuberant, to say the least. He was ready to sleep and soon. So at 8:00 I had him in bed, and he looked at me and said, “No bumping tonight, please.” He then fell asleep almost immediately.

As I looked at this precious little boy sound asleep I thought about a comment I had a friend make to me a few years back, “There is nothing as sweet as a child sleeping.” I also thought about a Christian song in the 80s entitled “Where There is Faith.” A line in the song says, “A peace like a child sleeping.” Is anything else that true? There is nothing as peaceful as a child sleeping.

Here is the point of the song; the point of God’s challenge to me that evening, and the point of what I am writing. What issue in your life has you troubled? What issue has you where you need the “peace like a child sleeping?” Can I trust God when all seems bad? Can I trust Him with the peace of a child sleeping?

Healthy Diversions #2

Almost one month ago exactly, I wrote about me taking a much needed diversion, biking Skyline Drive in Virginia in two days with three friends. The past two weekends I have taken a couple of well needed diversions of health that are of a totally different nature. The past two months have been incredibly intense and diversions of a healthy nature were very much needed. Here is what I just completed of a diversionary nature.

Diversion #1 – I love concerts. That is not news to anyone who knows me. I wrote a few months back that I do not simply attend concerts, “I emote them,” was my words. With that as a background, one of my favorite bands of all time is Fleetwood Mac. I love all their various styles (Peter Green, etc.), but I especially like them beginning with the Buckingham – Nicks era. That being said, when I was informed via his web site, that Lindsey Buckingham was releasing a new solo CD I was very excited. I made plans the other week to travel to hear Lindsey Buckingham in concert. The fact that I was able to see Lindsey in concert was extraordinarily cool. I believe he is one of the most overlooked and underrated guitarists of all time. He is a bit eclectic, which may be another reason I like him so well; but he is incredibly talented and this concert was one of the highlights of my year for many reasons. It was worth every mile of the five hour drive to simply enjoy music and "emote" a concert.

Diversion #2 – Gavin, my four-year-old grandson, and I traveled last weekend to NC to visit my brother Randy, who is in rehab recovering from a pretty severe stroke he suffered in late August. Gavin and I travel well together and quite honestly, I enjoy the little fellow’s company. He adores me, and I do him so it is a good match. He is so much fun. I will write in a day or so concerning him in a hotel room. What a blast! Anyway, this diversion was made possible because I accepted my new position (more on that in a future blog as well) and I had the time to take the, albeit brief, trip.

Sometimes, I am continually learning, it is necessary to take a change from the routine, a diversion if you will . . . for health.

Healthy Diversions

“Life comes at you fast,” the commercial so creatively states. It is likewise, very true. Sometimes it is just good to do something you enjoy without the hectic stuff of normal activity. Three friends and I just spent two days riding the 100+ miles of Skyline Drive in Virginia. In the two days we climbed over 6,000 vertical feet on our bicycles. It was a purging as much as anything.

Day 1 was cool and much more difficult. Day 2 started in the rain, but became very nice and was not nearly as tough of a climbing day. It was a great couple of days. Here are some photos. In the group shot the guys are Left to Right – Me, Greg Toomey, Don Creasy and John Creasy (my son-in-law).

Taco Bell and Integrity

As I am making a major life change, I had the following words sent to me by several folks. It was a quote from a message I delivered 2-1/2 years ago. The text: "What is your integrity worth?'

Here is the context.

I stood in line at a Taco Bell a few years back patiently awaiting my opportunity to order. (Yes, I am a connoisseur of fine dining.) I noticed that the woman in front of me act a bit squeamish and quickly shift down the line. As I completed my order and stood behind her, I overheard her whisper to the person in line with her, “The clerk just gave me a dollar too much change.” They looked at one another, said “Yes!” then gave one another a quick high five.

I thought to myself, “How much is your integrity worth? That woman just told me that she would sell her integrity for $1.00. Her integrity was worth $1.00.

How much is your integrity worth? What value do you place upon it? Where is there the line where you say “I am done”? That is a line I will not cross. If that is how you are planning it, then count me out.”

On the White Album, the Beatles sang,

We all want to change the world.
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out?

For all of their talk about what they wanted to do, they had their line. There was a point where they could go no further.

What is your integrity worth?

Little Victories Need Applause Too

Prologue: “Emo” – emotion as used here is not in the current juvenile vernacular where someone is so emotional that it affects their life in negative ways. It is hilarious to me that the age of individual who are the most driven, plagued, and hindered by emotions are the very ones who list being emotional as a bad thing.

Q: How many non-emotional teens does it take to change a light bulb?
A: No one knows. There is no such thing as a non-emotional teen.

==============================

I am a man who thrives on passion. When I am at my very best is when I am driven by a passion for particular event or philosophy or idea or ministry. When I am at my absolute worst is when I am void of that passion and that ability to dream. And everyone knows that to be passionate is to be emotional about something. This does not necessarily mean in a bad sense, but in the best sense.

The very essence of motivation is emotion. How many underdogged, out manned, over achieving athletic teams have won games against a superior opponent by sheer emotion. Ever watched Hoosiers or The Replacements? And it is not only on the movie screen where that is a reality. The late George Allen and Dick Vermeil made careers out of keeping players playing above their ability by motivation.

Read the passage where Jesus weeps over Jerusalem. Read where he overturns the table of the money changers. Listen to him talk about the harvest being plentiful, but the laborers few. Do you hear any emotion? If not, read it again, this time with your eyes open.

All that being said in defense of well balanced emotions . . . I sometimes am a sap for those sorts of songs. (Notice I said sometimes. Sometimes they are just plain cheesy too.) The other week at my faith community, I played a song by a 1980-1990 vintage singer songwriter named Wayne Watson. It got me to listening to some of his other stuff. He had some really good things to say in his day that are still applicable.

I was listening to Watercolour Ponies while watching my grandson Gavin playing and the phrase “And little victories can go by with no applause.” It is in reference to children growing up and our support of them often lacking by our busyness.

I watched Gavin, at a month shy of four years old scream down our drive in his bike and ease on his brakes. This was a big deal for him to learn to ease on the brakes not slam on them as he had. It was a little victory. I walked over to him and clapped.

When was the last time you clapped for someone’s little victory? It does not have to be a child. It can be an adult. When was the last time you clapped for someone’s little victory?

Yeah. That is what I thought.

Missing Concerts

This past week was a difficult week in many respects. There is a lot of personal stuff taking place, but the real issue for the difficulty is regarding missing a couple of concerts. Last week in Pittsburgh Tom Petty and Sheryl Crow both had concerts here. I would have loved to attend both. Actually this summer there were six separate concerts I wanted to attend. Heck, I would have even taken my grandson to see the Wiggles! How bad is that?! Financial realities prevented it, but it did not prevent my desire to attend.

My wife has always sort of laughed at my love for attending concerts. Her philosophy is that you can buy a CD cheaper and listen to it over and over. My response is always the same, "A concert is not simply about the music.” It is an experience! A complete and total experience.

My friend Terry Timm said in a recent post of his that he is an “emo” kind of guy. Well, anyone who knows me knows that to be the absolute truth for me as well. (I will talk about that in my next post too.) But the “emo” thing is why I love concerts. I don’t just attend concerts . . . I “emote” concerts. Even in my younger days I NEVER attended a concert bombed out of my mind or incapacitated with substance abuse. I have never done that anyway, but even if I did I would never have done that at a concert. One beer, maybe two, is it! The concert is to be experienced and I want nothing to reduce my ability to experience it.

So, I am doing a very shallow thing. I am grieving missing concerts this year. I love Tom Petty’s stuff, I wear the shirt shown here with pride. I will not miss the next one!

Writer's Block

Several years ago a ministry colleague mentioned to me that he knows some folks who simply HATE to write articles. I remember thinking, “Not me.” I love writing. It is one of my main joys. I had heard about people experiencing writer's block, but never imagined I would ever feel it.

Until now that is. I know you don't believe it, but it is true.

The past few months have been extremely difficult ones for me. Consequently, since I am a private person by nature, I have been struggling with my blog and writing. Most people accuse me of being too prolific not too brief, so this time has been tough. This has been something totally foreign to me. (Many of you could never see me with “talkers block” either but that is another subject entirely.)

It is not that I did not have some things ready; I have at least twenty or twenty five articles in various stages of completion. It is that I just have not felt (there is my Myers Briggs getting me in trouble again) any of them have been appropriate.

So I guess these brief paragraphs are me confessing “writer’s block.” It is my AA sharing or my “coming out of the closet” moment. (I am not making light of those difficult decisions by folks, so PLEASE do not comment and make some hair brained accusation here that is totally inappropriate and totally misses my point. It is a metaphor people!!)

I promise to get back at this regularly, but at least folks now have a SMALL bit of explanation.

My Love-Hate Relationship Being a “Presby”: Part 3 – The General Assembly – This is Not Just Another Boring Denominational Read . . . Really!!!

Today is my birthday. It is really not a big deal to me, and has never been for my entire life as best I recall. It is basically just another day. However, my birthday will be forever linked in my mind with the PC(USA)’s national gathering called the General Assembly because in 2001 I spent my entire birthday mired in that annual symposium of contention and strife as a voting commissioner. It proved to be one of the more forgettable experiences in my life.

Yesterday began this year’s installment of this bi-annual national gathering. Each time this event seems to serve more for contention than for unity. All of this in spite of the fact that everyone who publicly talks weaves a tale of unity and harmony.

This year has a lot of talk circulating saying the Assembly is expected to cause a lot of dissension. The fact that will occur is probably a given. But the end result of that dissension is totally up for grabs.

This denominational gathering is when both sides of the various theological debates strut and parade around and use the term “church” and “PC(USA)” synonymously. That is a fact that irked me then, and does so even more now.

I am one that does not fit neatly into either side of these debates. I likewise cannot be called someone who fits in the middle of the road. If pressed, I could probably be found on either side depending upon the issue. I see myself as on a continuum between the two extremes.

Many folks talk (as they have every other year it seems) that this Assembly could finally lay the foundation for schism in the denomination.

My response: “Ho hum.”

There are four primary reasons for my response.

The Herman’s Hermits Response – I have heard it all before. As Herman’s Hermits sang in the 60’s. “Second verse, same as the first.” This is the same thing they say every year. The names, faces, issues, and reports may differ, but little else has changed.

The Over Sized Ego Effect – The PC(USA), in my opinion, just like most other denominations, have overestimated their importance. In reality, I wonder what difference it would have on the kingdom if the denomination actually did split. In talking to literally hundreds of non believers, our denominations are such a non-issue that they would not even notice if the religion reporter for the newspaper did not get a great amount of attention. It matters to those steeped in the Christian subculture. It matters to those geographic areas where there are large numbers of a particular denomination that is affected, but I kid you not, most non Christians really could not care less if we split, merged or ceased existence. They do care what the Christians they interact with say, because on some level it is a real person talking about Jesus not an entity.

Yassar Arafat Principle – You remember Yassar don’t you? He was the long time leader of the Palestinians in the Middle East. (Did anyone else ever smile so much with so little to smile about?) During Arafat’s leadership there were several attempts at peace with the Israelis. None came to pass for reasons on both sides. But I think one issue was Arafat himself. I believe he had allowed his identity to become blurred with the conflict and he could not envision life without it. Thus, he unconsciously, could never fully barter a truce. I think that is exactly where BOTH sides are in this denominational debate. They cannot split. They would lose their identity. Their identity is so merged with these denominational issues that they cannot allow schism to take place.

The Flat Rate Income Tax Principle – We will never have a flat rate income tax in the United States. If we were to have a flat rate income tax, it would put hundreds of thousand of accountants and government officials out of a job. Just the same way there are so many folks whose entire livelihood (“ministry”) is tied up in the conflict, they would not know what to do. I think many of them have truly forgot how to serve Jesus. I wonder when was the last time many of them actually led an unbeliever to Christ? When did many of these churches last have a non-Christian join them? I honestly believe many of them could not function in a world void of Christian conflict. How much do the various factions actually enjoy gathering to talk denominational stuff? So much so that last summer when the denomination’s General Assembly took the year off, both sides of the debate had their own separate gatherings! I rest my case.

I am now about to be tarred and feathered. But as I said it is my birthday. I am 52 years old. I am too old for these continual games and quite simply I am tired of playing. It is not what I signed on for when I agreed to ministry.

My Love-Hate Relationship Being a “Presby”: Part 2 - Getting Inside the Mind of a Bureaucrat

Okay, I will now pick up what I started a few weeks ago. Go to archives for May 16 to read Part 1. When I graduated from high school, I wanted to be an attorney. It had absolutely nothing to do with making a difference or any of that other stuff. It was purely a financial / power issue on my part. I had figured out that I lived in a poor home, and wanted to have money. I saw being a lawyer as a way to achieve that. It did not take me long to realize that career was not for me. That is a longer story, but the basics are that even at that early age I sensed that I was not one for bureaucracy. I am not sure why, or how, but I did.

That is still true today. I do not care for bureaucracy.

That puts me in an odd situation in the PC(USA) which is a bureaucratic heaven and haven. Here is what I have noticed. Many of the folks in the branch of the church I currently call home, are very impressed with their polity (read "church government" for those non theologically trained types). It is at the core of so many discussions that I am not sure whether to laugh or cry.

PC(USA) Bureaucrats admire and love their polity and their system (and it does have its good parts) so much that they remind me of a mechanic bragging about his great tool box as the end of all greatness and totally missing the smooth running engine located beside him. (Although our PC(USA) engine is in need of a few well selected tools, a jackhammer would be a good starting point. But I digress.)

I also compare it in my mind to one of the primary critiques I have regarding some veins of Christianity that are so much about the aspect of faith that it seems to me they have "faith in their faith" . . . not faith in God. Of course they would deny that, but it sure looks real to me.

The same is true of the denominational bureaucracies. They are so proud of their system that they miss the very thing their system was intending to do.

Is good government bad? No, of course not. But when a heavy bureaucrat gets involved, and things focus on the system at all costs to ministry, I liken it to idolatry. Is it worshipping the tool box? Is it faith in my faith? Is it noticing the image and missing God? It sure seems to list in that direction.

If it looks like a dog, barks like a dog, wags its tail like a dog, smells bad when wet like a dog, licks your hand like a dog, uses the bathroom in the yard like a dog . . . guess what? It just might be a dog.

Next Up: The Upcoming General Assembly