It's Good To Be Reminded

Here are some excerpts from a sermon I gave this past Sunday. I tried to keep it from being too long so you wouldn't get bored reading it and Blogger messed up the format so bear with me if you dare.

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Memories are funny things. They have the power to motivate us and they have the power to freeze us in our tracks. It seemed right to take some time on this Memorial Day weekend to talk about memories and the importance of being reminded. Webster’s dictionary had some interesting things to say about memory. It defined memory as:

1 a: the power or process of reproducing or recalling what has been learned and retained b: the store of things learned and retained from an organism's activity or experience 2 b: the fact or condition of being remembered 3 a: a particular act of recall or recollection

The part I found most interesting with what Webster had to say about memory was the relationship between the word memory and recollection. It says that recollection “adds an implication of consciously bringing back to mind, often with some effort.” It made me wonder if there have been times in your life when you have wanted a certain memory to revisit you but you really had to search for it? It was probably something that was good or enjoyable. It could be anything: a memory of a certain food, someone’s voice, a smell, a place, a song. In those moments, it’s good to be reminded. And sometimes when we have forgotten the consequences of an action or a set of words (our own or another’s) and the hurt that was caused, and though it’s not easy, it’s good to be reminded in hopes that we have learned something in the process so we won’t have to experience or cause that hurt again.

On a Memorial Day weekend, it’s good to be reminded of those that have gone before us and those who even now are serving their country so that we have the freedom to call it ours as well. It’s good to be reminded of loved ones that are no longer with us but not forgotten. The memory of these and many more is not and should not be reserved for just one day of the year. Dr. Carl Sagan said, “You have to know the past to understand the present.” It’s good to be reminded of that.

Dr. Bill Schwein said, “There is something within us that realizes the importance of remembering. That’s why we tell stories, take pictures, make scrapbooks, and keep journals.” And it is good for us as Christians, as people who are trying to follow Jesus, to be reminded. Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:12-13… We need that don’t we? There are countless times in our lives when we need to have our memories refreshed, it’s not that we didn’t know, we just forgot. Here are a couple things that I think are important to be reminded of as Christians…

• We need to be reminded that there have been heroes of the faith that have gone before us.

1. a.) Hebrews chapter 11 lists individuals of faith that helped pave the way for us today
2. b.) Part of this is being reminded that we aren’t doing this alone. That there have been people of faith that have struggled with the very same issues we struggle with today.
3. c.) It’s good to be reminded that we are not thrust into the world on our own.

• We need to be reminded that we are loved unconditionally, with no strings attached.

1. a.) When we are faithless, Christ remains faithful. When we turn our love away from Him, His love remains.
2. b.) It’s important to remember that there is nothing you or I can do to earn this love and thankfully there is nothing you or I have done or will do to lose this love.
3. c.) It’s good to be reminded that there is a place to seek and find love unconditionally regardless of who we are or what we’ve done.
4. d.) AND because He first loved us in this way…

• We need to be reminded that we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves.

1. a.) William Barclay said, “If a man’s Christianity does not cause him to be kind it is not real.”
2. b.) Part of being a Christian is putting others before ourselves, it’s not easy but it’s also not an option.
3. c.) We simply need to be nice to people, realize their worth as one of God’s and treat them accordingly.
4. d.) It’s good to be reminded that God loves people and so too should we.

• We need to be reminded that faith requires action.

1. a.) It’s hard to follow standing still. You’ve probably heard the story of Peter stepping out of the boat onto the water; his faith forced him into action.
2. b.) Do you want to know a great way to measure the pulse of your faith? Ask yourself if it is pushing you into action. James tells us in chapter 2 of his letter that faith without deeds, without action is dead.
3. c.) The actions of your faith will be varied and could be anything from helping someone at the grocery store, supporting a child in a developing nation or striking up a conversation with someone you might not choose to interact with.
4. d.) It’s not that the action itself isn’t important but also that you feel compelled to do something, to act in a particular situation.
5. e.) It’s good to be reminded that putting our faith in Jesus means we actually have to go and do...that maybe "faith" is actually a verb.

Mix-n-Match

I feel like I have run into this more and more lately, people who take a little bit of this and a little bit of that and call it their "faith". What I have a hard time with is what exactly are they putting their faith in? Now I'm not telling people what they should or shouldn't believe in (though I do feel strongly about this guy named Jesus and firmly believe that if you don't know Him, you should get to) but I am asking them to understand what it is exactly they are professing as their belief. I think it has become a pet-peeve of mine to hear people talk about "believing" (or liking) this aspect of one particular religion and another aspect of another religion or this part of the Bible but not this part. At some point, make a decision and go with it.

Hearing someone talk about their belief in God and go on to describe how they decided to accept a little something from one religion, a little something from another and still a little more from another one is, honestly, confusing. It would seem to me that this line of logic is rather illogical and here's why: if someone believes there is a (G)od, which would by definition put it above us as humans, then doesn't the act of mixing and matching beliefs from various religions in a sense say that the one that is doing the mixing and matching actually knows better or more than the (G)od, which would then make the individual smarter than the (G)od and ultimately above it.

I will be the first to admit that there are things I don't understand about Christianity but I don't think that means I have the authority or right to simply ignore them or decide I don't like them and so I'll fill them in with something that sounds or feels better. Hence my struggle with the Unitarian Church, to believe in everything is really to believe in nothing. Theology that is bad or not theology is not good theology. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of acceptance and unity, that's why I am a trying to be like Jesus (aka: a Christian; but I'm getting more and more apprehensive of that label because the "Christian brand" is starting to make me a little nervous...I'll write more about this in a later post). When everything is easy to understand and feels good there is no need for faith, fortunately for those of us trying to follow Jesus that is not the case.

A Slap In The Face

This has been one of those weeks for me where it seems like everything is happening at once and I can't seem to catch up. My classes are finishing up this week so I've got to get my papers in, books read, forums posted, etc and on top of that prepare a sermon for Sunday, stay on top of a lot of things going on at church, and blah blah blah. The thing that actually started to cause me to feel stressed was an email virus that had found its way into our network at church and as I was driving to volleyball practice I was thinking about the 218 emails that showed up in my inbox as "undeliverable" because they said I was trying to let people know where they could purchase their pharmaceuticals online or buy fancy replica watches (apparently I know the best places so hit me up if you're interested)...

...and then, as if out of nowhere God slapped me across the face with some perspective...

...on the news I was reminded about 5 million people that have been displaced by the earthquake in China and over 55,000 people killed AND the 130,000 killed in Myanmar by the cyclone. I have never experienced an audible voice from God, at least not that I'm aware of, but this had to have been pretty close to it as I could clearly hear the words in my heart saying,

"Matt, you're kidding me right? You're not seriously whining about your email inbox, forgetting the fact that you own multiple computers OR that you have to read some books for a masters degree, forgetting the fact that there are people on this earth that still haven't located their loved ones because of these disasters OR that there are people that can't afford to buy food for their starving families. Please get some perspective and while you're at it, get a clue!"

And The Winner Is......

.....INDIANAPOLIS!!! It's official, the NFL owners accepted the city's bid to host the 2012 NFL Super Bowl. This could mean HUGE things for the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana. It also seems to make some sense considering we are spending over $700 million to build a state-of-the-art 7 level stadium with a retractable roof.

A study from Ball State University estimates that hosting the Super Bowl in 2012 could bring a $365 million boost to the Indianapolis metro area economy and could bring in somewhere near 100,000 visitors over the course of Super Bowl week. And people say there isn't anything in Indiana except corn.

"Half-Way"

One of the things I struggle with is when people do something only "half-way". What I mean by that is when people just go through the motions not really caring about the end result. I have a hard time understanding why someone would do that because I don't understand the point of doing something at all if it's done only "half-way". Sure I'm competitive but I'm not a sore loser. I have no problem losing but for the most part, I'm going to try my best and if I lose while doing that then so be it.

I've seen it so many times in so many different aspects of life...someone only goes "half-way" in his or her friendships and then can't figure out why most of them don't last, someone only goes "half-way" at work and can't figure out why he or she didn't get that raise or promotion, someone goes "half-way" in his or her marriage and can't seem to figure out why it's struggling, someone goes "half-way" on the court and can't believe that he or she didn't win, someone goes "half-way" in school and can't believe he or she isn't passing the class, someone goes "half-way" with his or her spiritual life and can't understand why he or she feels so disconnected from God...and the examples go on and on.

Thinking about this today has made me take a new look at Paul's words in 1 Corinthians telling us that "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." I've always found this to be really hard to do and tried to imagine myself eating Skyline (or whatever I might be eating at the time of "giving glory") and eating it in such a way that glorifies God but now I'm wondering if what Paul is really saying is "don't just do something half-way, see it through to the end and give the best you've got while doing it or don't do it at all."

Nothing Like a Good Laugh

I'm currently spending time in North Carolina with some family and just got done having one of those times when you laugh so hard that your abs hurt, your eyes water, your nose runs and you can't catch your breath. Sitting on my sister & brother in-law's screened porch with only the sound of our own laughter, the falling rain and a tree frog named Lewis laughing with us felt pretty good!

Like so many other people, I like to laugh but even more than that I like to make people laugh. Do you have those people in your life that when they are around, they make you feel like the funniest person that ever lived because they laugh at just about everything you say? Of course I like to think I'm pretty funny (and maybe that is a joke in and of itself) but there is no doubt my youngest sister thinks I'm funny. Now granted, she's pretty hilarious in her own right but when we get going we're hard to stop. We both enjoy laughing and goofing around and so it's easy for us to have a good time together, which we usually do but what was even better about tonight was that all of us headed off to bed with sore abs, wet sleeves and the exhaustion that comes from good, hard laughter.

TRL

Remember that show "Total Request Live" on MTV with Carson Daly? I just realized/found out that it's actually still on and from what I gather, airs everyday. For some reason I find it really funny that it's still on but then again, it might be the only time MTV actually plays any music.

Ok, so if you don't know me well enough by now then you might be asking yourself, "Is he seriously going to devote an entire blog to TRL?" And the answer is, never! However, the idea of taking requests is of interest to me, hence the whole "total request" theme.

I've enjoyed blogging up to this point and am trying to blog everyday but thought it could be interesting to take some requests. So, if you have a topic, situation, idea, album, issue, question, book, thought, complaint, movie, etc that you would like me to blog about or that you would like to discuss in the Journeymen's Catalog blogsphere, drop me an email at matt.lipan@gmail.com. All emails and content will be kept confidential and blogged about anonymously so you don't have to worry that someone might figure out it was you that wanted to talk about reality TV shows, why Hilary is still in the race, why it's so hard to be a Christian around other Christians, the Apple iPhone or anything in between.

Comfortable In Your Skin

There are too many people, people we all know, that are uncomfortable with who they are and so instead they try to be something or someone they're not. We've all seen them (and been them at times) and it breaks my heart. Seeing them try so hard, go through so much pain, spend so much money to be anyone but themselves. It's not so much that the answers are hard to figure out...popularity, relationships, money, pride, power but maybe it goes deeper than that. I wonder how many people are trying to be something or someone else because they are looking for a way to bury their past or even start over.

I want to know people that are real, authentic, sincere, with the past and present and I want the freedom that comes with letting people know me in this way as well. I mean, when it comes down to it, aren't we all looking for this? Just think, you wouldn't have to pretend anymore. No more hiding or struggling to pull yourself out of the quicksand created by lies. We want so badly to let people know what's really going on, who we really are, the things that make us tick and yet so many of us are afraid to do just that. I think it becomes crucial to let others know that they can be real around us, even though sometimes real is messy.

If: real = messy
Then: bring on the mess...because the reality of it is, we are all a little messy.

Wedding Bells Are Ringing

'Tis the season for weddings. Weddings are such a unique experience, every ceremony is so different and so personal that two are seldom the same or even similar. Tomorrow I am officiating my first wedding and I'm pretty excited to see how it goes.

To help keep myself from being too nervous, I'm trying to remember as much as I can about my own wedding, which is helping me realize that people really won't remember much of anything I say or do short of setting something on fire. Thinking about any of the weddings I've been to as a guest, I honestly can't remember one thing any of the pastors said, so I feel like I might be OK.

Indiana's Turn

For those of us lucky enough to live in Indiana (and you can take that however you like) today is our chance to vote in the ongoing and seemingly endless primary race. With yard signs displaying the names of those running for the local school board, state governor, president of the U.S. and everything in between my wife and I got up nice and early to avoid the rush at the polls. We've been hearing on the news about 200,000 new registered voters in Indiana and how everyone is expecting record setting voter turnout but I'm guessing that must be for those that arrive to the polls after 8am because our polling site was fairly empty.

I'm hoping that you have or will take advantage of the opportunity to be involved in the political process because it is not only your freedom and right but also your duty and responsibility. There is something to say about standing in front of your ballot with the names of the candidates listed there that connects you with something bigger. It's not very often that I think of myself as being involved with the thing that is "The United States of America" except for when I vote. The machine seems so big and yet somehow I feel empowered to think that my little vote can make a difference...and maybe it will.

The Old Switch-a-roo

This morning one of Indiana's superdelegates, Joe Andrew, switched his allegiance from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama and was calling for Clinton to step out of the race after the Indiana and North Carolina primaries. Some are making the argument that the prolonged and increasingly divisive race for the Democratic nomination is hurting the party and their chances in November. My guess is that the Republican party is loving the way things are playing out in the Democratic race and couldn't have planned it any better.

And so the question becomes, when is enough enough? Do you think one of the Democratic candidates should drop out of the race for the sake of the party? It would seem pretty hard to come this far in the process, spend a ridiculous amount of money and be on the verge of making history only to drop out of the race. What I think is interesting is that on one side you have Clinton supporters using the numbers of popular vote, delegates and superdelegates to make an argument as to why she should not only remain in the race but would be the best opponent to face John McCain in November and on the other side Obama supports use the very same numbers to argue that he is clearly the people's choice and should be the Democratic nominee in November.

While I do have a favorite amongst the three remaining candidates I'm finding myself starting to care less about the race and more about just wanting it to be over because it's getting exhausting. Unfortunately as far as American politics go, it seems like enough is never enough.

Random Thoughts & Observations

These random thoughts and observations are a result of a volleyball tournament in Louisville, KY where I coached my 14yr old team and my day off today. These are in no particular order other than what came to my mind first...

• I don't mind and might even enjoy driving longer distances by myself because I get to listen to my music or the radio as loud as I like. My wife is not a big fan of a) my music and b) my music or the radio being loud while we travel together.
  
• It is a HUGE bummer to have to pay almost $4/gallon for gas but I am fortunate enough to be able to afford it but still, not fun. I like to drive w/all of my windows down even when I'm driving on the interstate but I've heard some people say doing that creates a lot of drag and lowers your average miles per gallon which leaves me with 2 options: 1. I can drive w/my A/C on or 2. sweat...neither one I'm excited about.
  
• Don't you hate it when you walk into a non-smoking hotel room and it smells like someone just put their cigarette out or when the comforter on the bed has burn marks on it?
• Though my team didn't win very many matches (technically we only won 1 match the whole weekend) it was cool to see my girls keep trying and not give up, despite some games when even I toyed with the idea. I guess it goes to show that winning really isn't everything.
  
• Tai (my wife) & I went grocery shopping this morning and again I was made aware of the weird work schedule we both have. She is a professor with a majority of night classes and I work for a church so my days off are Saturdays and Mondays. We joke about what other people must be thinking when they see us both out shopping or walking our dog in the middle of the day...on a Monday when most normal people are working.
  
• It's interesting how surrounding yourself with good people can make dealing with things that would otherwise be a burden end up being not so bad.

These are what I've come up with so far but I'll be sure to share more if any come to mind.

Tired of Me

Have you ever been so insensitive to someone that it makes you sick to your stomach but you don't realize it until it's too late? This leads to that awkward feeling of knowing that you should say 'sorry' knowing full well the other person knows it too but then the apology seems so forced and insincere that you might not say it at all.

It says a lot about us as humans that we have to teach small children to share, that being selfless is not something that comes naturally. It is hard not to be selfish and yet in those rare occasions when I find myself being sensitive to someone else's needs rather than my own, I find more joy than if I were to have gotten what I thought I wanted.

And yet my lack of sensitivity is exhausting.

Organizing God

Call me a nerd or a news junkie (and maybe they are the same thing) but I listen to NPR a lot, especially while driving in my car. Well this past week, the Pope paid a visit to the U.S. and so NPR decided to do a little segment on their noon program called Day To Day where they interviewed two high school students that were both Catholic. I just caught the end of the interview with these two students who, from what I could gather, were sharing their take on the Pope's visit and their faith. One of them made a comment along the lines of saying that "organized religion" was "not really their thing" and the other quickly added that "you don't have to go to church to be religious" pointing out that she spends time with God while praying on her bed alone in her room.

I have to admit that the whole "I'm not down with organized religion" thing is getting played out. Surely there is something better to come up with? One of the reasons I struggle with this is because I'm not exactly sure I know what it means when someone says this. Are they suggesting they would prefer religion that is chaotic, unorganized and undefined? I think there is some confusion between organized religion and traditional religion because you can be organized but not necessarily traditional. Besides, it seems a little vain to think that we could really organize or un-organize God anyways.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think you have to go to church to be a Christian but I do think that part of being a Christian is being a part of a community that strengthens and challenges your faith, which is often found through attending church. A religion that allows someone to completely internalize and individualize one's beliefs without any sort of impact on one's surroundings seems almost pointless to me...I hope I'm not being pointless.

Stuck In Our Bubbles

I'm out running some errands the other day and the first one is to an auto parts store to get a bulb for my taillight that was out. I got the bulb and figured I might as well change it right there in the parking lot because it's a beautiful afternoon and in case I got the wrong size or something before I continue with my other errands. As I'm working on changing my light I notice a lady that has just walked out of the store, got into her suburban that was parked directly next to me and start crying.

So at this point, I've got the new bulb in and am ready to leave while pretending as if I didn't notice this lady sitting in her car crying to avoid making her feel any more uncomfortable that she might already have felt. There I am, sitting in my driver's seat, engine running with more errands to run and I found myself pausing..."should I say something to her?...should I ask her if she's OK or needs any help?...but I don't want to freak her out or seem creepy"...pause...pause...I slowly put my foot on the brake, placed the car in drive and drove away.

I have struggled with this situation ever since. I know it's not fair to play the "what-if" game but I can't help but think about what the right thing to do would have been. It seems obvious to me that Jesus wouldn't have hesitated to see if the crying lady needed anything and yet I drove away because I was afraid of making her feel uncomfortable, scared, embarrassed or making me seem creepy.

Sometimes I think it's unfortunate that in the U.S. we have created such an individualized culture with impermeable personal bubbles that we find ourselves getting stuck inside our own bubble. We don't know what to do when someone is asking, hoping and maybe even begging for someone to pop the bubble...and not in some creepy way but in the compassionate, loving way that Jesus did and does. And maybe that someone that is asking, hoping or even begging for someone to burst the bubble is you or me. I've been trying to think about it that way, if it were me, would I want someone to take notice or just drive away...

Thanks for the Memories

Have you ever had that song or taste or scent that brought back a very specific memory? It was hard not to enjoy walking outside in the sunshine today and as I was doing that I was struck with a very specific memory...my many days of playing baseball growing up. The sunshine combined with a cool breeze and the smell of spring grass instantly brought me back to spitting sunflower seeds while taking infield. It seemed to just make sense to me that the Major League Baseball season is now in full swing...and being a Detroit Tigers fan, it could be a loonnngggg season.

iJesus

In a culture where you can find iPods, iTV, iPhones and all sorts of other "i" stuff and virtually all of which is customizable to fit one's personality, needs or wants I started wondering if we have become "iChristians" following an "iJesus".

Is it possible that in this culture of custimization and convenience that we have customized the message and person of Jesus? Keeping the things that we like or that seem to work for us at the time while conveniently glossing over the rest. Yeah I'll take some forgiveness, mercy, love and hope but I think I'm good on accountability and the whole serving-others thing.

In the 6th chapter of John we see this interesting exchange between Jesus and some of his disciples. They have been listening to Jesus' teachings for some time now and are overheard saying, "This stuff is hard." BINGO! It is not easy to be like Jesus, especially in a culture that is dominated by "I" but heaven forbid we turn Jesus into a bobble-head doll that nods his head up and down when it's convenient for us...

*Bobble-head doll pictured above is currently sitting on my desk

Could've Fooled Me

Oh, it did! Way to go Google for making me feel like an April Fool.

On another note, have you ever been driving somewhere and either passed someone or pulled up to a stoplight next to someone to see them sitting soooo close to the steering wheel? It seems virtually impossible that they could even fit their hands in between the wheel and their body to steer the vehicle let alone make a sharp turn. Maybe this is just where I live but I see this scenario more often than not involving a smaller woman and a much larger SUV. Made quite obvious by the figure below, sitting too close is not a good thing.

"Custom Time"

Leave it to our friends at Google for giving us the chance to even "customize" time...I'm not sure how many of you use Gmail but there is a new feature that gives users one more area of customization.

(*below is taken from Google's Gmail site as I went to check my email)

New! Gmail Custom TimeTM

Ever wish you could go back in time and send that crucial email that could have changed everything -- if only it hadn't slipped your mind? Gmail can now help you with those missed deadlines, missed birthdays and missed opportunities.

Pre-date your messages
You tell us what time you would have wanted your email sent, and we'll take care of the rest. Need an email to arrive 6 hours ago? No problem.

Mark as read or unread
Take sending emails to the past one step further. We let you make emails look like they've been read all along.

Make them count
Use your custom time stamped messages wisely -- each Gmail user gets ten per year.

Worry less
Forget your finance reports. Forget your anniversary. We'll make it look like you remembered.

(*below is taken from my wandering thoughts)

There is something about this that seems kind of dishonest or shady but maybe that's just me. I would like to think that either: a) I am mindful and/or responsible enough to remember important dates and deadlines or b) I am humble enough to own up when I miss one. But maybe I just feel that way now or 1 hour ago or 6 hours ago or last night or whenever I wrote this......

Still Looking

You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross of my shame
Oh my shame, you know I believe it.

But I still haven't found

What I'm looking for.

I was driving home tonight from a church meeting and the song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" from the album Joshua Tree by U2 (arguable one of the greatest albums of all time) came up on my ipod's shuffle playlist. Here's a song that I have heard countless times and love belting out as loud as I can each time and every time I hear the above line from this song, it makes me stop and think.

It makes me wonder how many of us as Christians are still searching for something. It's like we are saying we believe in all the stuff we are suppose to believe in as a Christian but are looking for something more, like it's not quite enough. But what more can there really be...knowledge, wealth, fame, looks, things? Every single one of these things that most of us try to obtain leave us wanting more. There will always be someone smarter, richer, more popular, better looking or possessing more things. It's funny because when I hear this song, I try to pretend like I have the opportunity to ask Bono what more there is to be looking for than the One who "carried the cross of my shame". Are we so discontent that even this is not enough?

Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings

The Counting Crows released their newest album entitled "Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings" this past Tuesday. I picked it up yesterday and have been spending some time with it over the past 24hrs +...

I must admit from the very beginning I am not a huge Counting Crows fan. I really like their album "Films About Ghosts" but am so-so at best about their others. I did have the opportunity to see them live last summer "headlining" a show with Collective Soul and +Live+ (who by the way, completely rocked that show out) and must admit that their showing was quite poor and boring to say the least. So, this is the baggage that I am carrying as I give their latest debut a spin.

If you are a big Counting Crows fan I have no doubt that you will love this album. With a total of 14 tracks you certainly get your money's worth of music. I feel like the album starts out strong and even somewhat rockin' as far as Counting Crows go but around track 7 it dips into a mellow rut that lasts for the next few tracks. I guess I was looking for this newest album to be mostly upbeat leaving me with the image of Adam Duritz's dreadlocks flailing all over the place but not so much. The more mellow songs showcase his distinct voice quite well but overall I think the album is somewhat lyrically weak. My favorite song on the album without question is track 2 entitled "Hanging Tree". When I first heard it I was hoping the rest of the album would be similar to this and began wondering if this would be the album to bring me around as a fan but I'm not quite "Round Here" yet.

Are We On The Same Planet?

Part of my normal routine throughout the week is listening to NPR or the BBC on my way in to work in the morning. There was a story I heard on the BBC today that left me thinking, is this really happening on the same planet that I live on? It was a story about the plight of as many as 300 Zimbabwean women working in the neighboring city of Livingston in Zambia as prostitutes. (You can check out the article from the BBC here) These are women who at one time were bankers, business owners, or policewomen who have been left with no choice but to sell themselves in order to feed their families; not just their children but grandparents, nieces and nephews that live with them because their parents have died.

I've been reminded how easy it is for me to forget that these sorts of things are happening in our world today as I drive my comfortable Volkswagen Passat anywhere I want to go, able to afford paying $3.45/gallon for gas. I find myself feeling disgusted, frustrated, saddened, angry, dumbfounded that these kinds of things are happening in this day and age. How can we say that humankind has achieved so much and sit by while things like this happen all around the world? I have to believe there is something I can do to make a difference, even if it is simply making people aware or through prayer because if I can't, then what's the point of this?

Weekend in Review

I hope everyone had a great Easter holiday. For those of you attending Christian colleges and already having your spring break it ended up being quite a nice Easter break for you (almost like a 2nd spring break with classes ending Thursday and not starting again until Tuesday morning for most people). In addition to Easter, I felt like there were a couple of things that happened over my weekend that I wanted to comment on...

Thursday
It's funny that regardless of how healthy you think you might be, a visit to the doctor can help you realize you aren't quite as in shape as you thought. Getting a call from a younger sister telling you that she is lost as the nurse steps out of the exam room does not bode well for your blood pressure once she steps back in to check it. In addition to a "slightly high blood pressure", the opportunity to get your blood taken to have your cholesterol level checked makes for a great visit. Being completely honest with you, I must admit that I was somewhat discouraged as my results showed my cholesterol to be lower than last year but still higher than I expected it to be. I was bummed because I thought I had worked fairly hard over the past year to eat better and stay more active but still not enough I guess...

Friday
Good Friday means the office is closed when you work for a church.

Saturday
Spent some time getting things ready for church the next day and had the opportunity to grab some dinner and hang out with some college students that I haven't seen for a while and that I have missed. It's fun to be away from people for however long only to get together and have it seem like you just saw them yesterday.

Easter Sunday
Easter tends to be a pretty busy morning when you work for a church but it was good to see a lot of people come out for worship. If you stop and think about it (and maybe you already have), Christianity would either not exist or be really lame if it wasn't for the Resurrection of Jesus. Seriously, without that major event in history we would pretty much be nothing. Thank God He's Alive!

Sunday evening I caught The History Channel's very informative and well done show called "Crucifixion". Trying to even begin to imagine the amount of pain involved in this method of execution is nearly impossible. While I've read and studied the method used to kill Jesus, I felt like the medical experts on this program did a great job of explaining what was likely taking place in Jesus' body as He hung on the cross. It brought a new perspective on the significance of Jesus being God incarnate.

Maundy Madness

Maundy Thursday...the day we remember the last meal Jesus had with His disciples before His crucifixion. They were hanging out in an upper room celebrating the Passover meal together even while Jesus knew that one of His closest followers was in the process of betraying Him. If you ask me, I think it shows a ridiculous amount of love, forgiveness and acceptance but that might just be me...

And on the Madness side of things...You know it's officially March Madness when you were really hoping that Belmont was going to upset Duke as a 15 seed because upsets like that are always sweet to watch. Regardless of who you may have picked to win in your bracket.

Taking Account...

What if you were held accountable for every stupid thing someone in your life said or worse yet, what if everyone else was held accountable for every stupid thing you or I said? It seems rather unfair to put the consequences of someone else's words or actions onto another person, especially when there is nothing you can do to determine what will be said or done.

Yesterday Sen. Obama gave a speech addressing some of the things his former pastor said in a couple of his sermons a number of years ago. Sen. Obama shared that he did not agree with the way some of the racial issues had been preached from the pulpit by his former pastor. What seems unfair to me is that people have called on Sen. Obama to take account for those words spoken by another individual as if somehow they were his words, ideas or beliefs. It would be equally unfair to think that Sen. Clinton should be held accountable for her husband's unfaithfulness in marriage while he served as President. It's not as though we are talking about children but grown adults that are making their own choices, both in word and deed and I sit here wondering at what point will people be held accountable for their own words and actions?

The Greatest Week

Holy Week is here and with it comes thoughts of Jesus' last week before His death. I must admit that when I think about all that took place during these few days I can only imagine how completely exhausted Jesus must have been...physically, emotionally, spiritually and yet still He remained obedient, faithful and forgiving.

I hope that Holy Week touches you in a way it never has before. I pray that the events of this week in Jesus' life impact you in such a way that your life can never be the same.

A Force To Reckon With

We find ourselves witness again to another public figure that has been caught up in a scandal that has cost him his elected position, no doubt hurt his family and could possibly land him in jail. I find myself feeling sorry for Gov. Eliot Spitzer's family especially but also for him as he now deals with the guilt, regret, shame and hurt caused by his choices. I bet given the chance, if he hasn't already, he would admit that those choices were not worth all that he and his family now face.

This most recent display of infidelity has caused me to think about the strength of the human sex drive. The desire to be physically involved with another person in a sensual way is not limited to any specific age, gender, race or class. And if you stop and think about all of the different ways our culture uses our sex drive to market things, then it becomes obvious that it can be a powerful force. It is not an uncommon thing to see someone trade their reputation, job, friendships, or family life, among other things, for some sort of sexual encounter only afterwards to realize it wasn't and isn't worth it.

Why is sex such a driving force in our culture and society? Why does it cause people to be or do things that otherwise they would never be or do? There are times when it seems as though we have lost all control of our bodies and what's really scary, our culture says it's "Ok" or "normal". Like when you see statistics that 1 in 4 teenage girls has an STD (read article here) and think that seems outrageously high but then hear experts say that isn't any higher than what previous tests have shown as "normal". I mean seriously, at what point are we going to realize that something has to happen in our culture to change this trend?

Now don't get me wrong, I know that appropriate physical contact in the appropriate relationship is fun and even feels good....for a while. It's not as if that feeling goes on for days and days (I'm not a doctor but I'm guessing if it does go on for days and days you might want to see one) so take a second to really think through if your physical actions are worth the emotional, spiritual, social, physical, mental impact on you, your friends, your family, the other person's friends, the other person's family and of course the other person. It seems all to often we are willing to trade the things we have worked so hard to build and uphold; ie. reputation, witness, health, values, career, family, friendships for something that is so temporary and fleeting.

God created sex and He created it to be a good thing (in the right time and place) but He doesn't expect us to be obsessed with it or have it be the driving force in our lives. Sometimes I laugh when I hear people say they are not down with following Jesus because there are too many rules, as if Jesus just arbitrarily picked some things He knew we might like to do and then tells us that we can't do them..."Oh man, I bet they would really love and have fun doing this. I'm going to tell them they can't. Perfect!" Is it possible that there is some wisdom in Jesus' teaching of waiting to have sex until you are in a committed marital relationship? Putting all faith things aside for a second, it would seem that Jesus is making the point that sexual relations involve so much more than the physical but is also mental, social, and emotional as well. What better way to lessen the chance of hurt, shame, regret, guilt, mistrust, disease, etc. than to experience sexual relations in the confines of marriage because otherwise, I'm not so sure it's worth it.

So What Are You Doing About It?

I was reading the story of Jonah the other day (you know, the guy that gets swallowed by a giant fish for 3 days...) and something hit me that I had never noticed before. At the end of the story, in chapter 4, Jonah is upset because the vine that had been giving him shade died though he didn't do anything to cultivate or keep it healthy. And then God asks him if he has any right to be upset about the vine...

So I'm sitting here wondering how many times we have noticed something that has upset us or seen something in someone else that we know is not healthy and yet we did nothing. We get frustrated with the choices we see others make but we do nothing to cultivate a relationship or encourage growth, instead we sit there upset and wonder why it has to be this way. Now, if I may, I am going to take this to another level and ask what this means in regards to the witness of our faith. If Jesus hasn't transformed your life yet, let me know but if He has, then what are you doing when you see someone that desperately needs to meet Him? Are you like Jonah sitting there upset because the vine died though he did nothing to keep it alive?

A Half-Empty Day

Have you ever had those days when things just seemed to be more bad than good? Or when your outlook on things seemed to notice the emptiness of the glass rather than any amount of its fullness? Today was kind of like that for me as I sat in the waiting room while the oil in my car was being changed and had to witness what should be one of the biggest embarrassments for all of mankind, the Jerry Springer Show...I really have nothing more to say about that.

On my drive in to the office and my daily update of news once at my desk, I found myself disheartened by what I heard and read more so than I can remember in recent history. I've been staying pretty faithful to my not-really-a-new-year's-resolution of being aware of current events not just in our country but around the world so it's not as if I haven't seen similar stories of injustice, death, war, etc but for whatever reason it hit me a little harder today. Rising gas prices which lead to higher prices for food, talk of inflation and recession, war, innocent college students being murdered, over 120 people killed in an Israeli raid on Gaza, at least 8 students killed at a religious school in Jerusalem and the list of things that make the glass half-empty could go on and on.

It's in these times of what seem like hopelessness when I can do nothing else but lean on the words of Jesus when he tells those who are tired, burdened and weary to find rest in him. There is no point in worrying about tomorrow since it will worry about itself, instead spend your time seeking the ways in which God's Kingdom is filling the glass today, even if it is only halfway.

My Psychological Aptitude

I'm not even sure I know exactly what that means but I spent 5hrs taking various tests downtown today as I'm working through the process to get my license as a local pastor. Sitting in a narrow room with my no.2 pencil and the 10 different tests I had to take starting at 9am and finishing at 3pm, with a short break for lunch, I was fascinated by how they can use true/false questions (mind you, 586 of them just on that 1 test) like, "I would like to be a dancer." to figure out whether or not I might be a good pastor. While it seemed like I answered the same question about being afraid of the dark 7 to 8 times, I am still amazed that they can take some seemingly pointless questions and use them to evaluate my mental state.

I guess I was reminded at how incredible the brain really is. This is not really my field of expertise but the way personality, questions and answers, reactions and responses all work together truly is remarkable. Kind of like if you have ever taken a Myers Briggs test or something similar to that answering what seem like arbitrary questions only to see the results nail your personality almost to a "T". I have an interview in April to interpret the results, I'll be sure to let you know if they come close to me or not.

New Tunes

So my music library is starting to get a little overplayed as of late and I'm in desperate need of some new music. It's been quite a while since I have gotten anything new and then my friend Neal hooked me up with an album from the band Hogeye Navvy, and I must admit I really like it. This has been just enough of a tease to get me excited about finding some new stuff to listen to. Any suggestions you have are welcome, from the more well-known artists to the not-as-well-known-yet artists, let me know what you're listening to and enjoying.

A Timeless Difficulty

Sometimes I hear people say, "It's not easy being a Christian in today's world." As I've thought about that, I'm not sure I understand what that means exactly. Does it mean that it was easier yesterday or that at some point in history following Jesus was easy? It's clearly not easy to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and Jesus himself says so. We've all heard the cliche' "No Pain No Gain", I wonder if this applies to our faith as well.

I'm going to throw something out there, and if you don't like it you can send it right back. We know that at no point in history or in the future will it be easy to be a disciple of Jesus but what if I made the argument that the less "Christian" our culture is the more real our Christianity becomes? What I mean by this is that it isn't all that difficult to claim to be like Jesus when everyone else around me claims the same thing. This doesn't mean that we are actually living Christ-like lives but we certainly don't have to worry about being looked at weird when everyone else is saying the same things.

Now, on the flip-side, when we claim the name of Christ in a time, place or culture where not everyone is claiming the same name or maybe even dislikes the name there is a good chance we will catch some flack. Instantly it becomes a deliberate, conscious decision to try and follow Christ, not because everyone else around you is doing the same but because you have decided to make your faith real, fully aware that it will not be easy but well worth it.

Rebuilding The Wall

Over the past couple Saturdays, a few of us from our young adult group at church had the opportunity to do some community service with a local organization here in Indianapolis called Rebuilding The Wall. This is an organization that buys run down houses in the urban neighborhoods of the city, completely renovates the house and then sells it back to people from the community for a reduced price ending the cycle of poverty by putting equity into the hands of these families. It's a process that can take 2-4yrs per house from start to finish but seeing the impact this makes in the community is worth a lifetime.

If there is anything one picks up on from reading the Gospels it is the relationship of love and how much Jesus loves the poor and oppressed and calls His disciples to love them as well. I was talking with one of my friends tonight about this very thing and he brought up a good point about how easy it is for people to be blinded by their "richness" so that they don't or won't sympathize with the poor. It is impossible to ignore the responsibility to care for the less fortunate that is found in Scripture, too bad it has become so easy for many of us today...

I'll Trade You a Castro for a Castro

I must admit that I know very little about the history of Cuba or the government run by Fidel Castro for the past 49yrs other than what I hear in the news about things like: communism, dictatorship, economic embargo, human rights issues, native Cubans fleeing their country, etc. Early today Fidel said that he was stepping down as the president of Cuba and experts say that things have been set in place so that Fidel's younger (and by "younger" I mean 76yrs old, not 81) brother Raul will be the country's next president and not much is expected to change. So the people of Cuba are trading one Castro for another. You can read an article from the BBC here.

The thing that jumps out to me the most in all of this is the continual push by the government of the U.S. to insist that every other country and peoples around the world desire to live in a democracy. Now don't freak out and think that I'm somehow anti-democracy but I wonder what it might feel like to have another country from the other side of the planet, with a completely different (and very short comparatively) history and mix of cultures say that the way they do government is the best and only way? I must admit to you however that there are times when I struggle with our attitude and approach as a nation to some things on the global stage, where we come across as not only knowing what's best but that we are the best. I wonder if humility could ever play into a foreign policy...nah, surely not.

Clipping the Religious Wings part 2

This post is a result of a request from one of the readers named Alison and relates back to my original post on Jan. 21 entitled Clipping the Religious Wings.

I raised a number of questions surrounding the terms "Evangelical Right" and "Religious Left" as they refer to different combinations of religion and wing politics. If you have followed any of the presidential election process up to this point, you have seen that religion has played a significant role in more than one way. The religion or faith of the candidates has been talked about more in this campaign than in any other I have lived through and the emphasis on the "religious wing" voters grows stronger almost by the day.

It's interesting to look back at the history of our country and remember that many of those that came from Europe came seeking religious freedom from their governments even to the point of including the idea of separation of church and state in the founding documents. So what role should one's faith play in the voting process? I think it should be made clear that Christians as a whole find themselves voting all over the place....conservative, liberal, Democrat, Republican, Independent, not voting at all, moderate and to try and pigeon hole Christian voters as only being able to vote one particular way is not only impossible but foolish. Can someone be a Christian and vote Democratic or even Republican...OF COURSE!! Last I checked, no political party or lobby group has exclusive rights to the faith whose main focus is to be like Jesus.

Naptown Roller Girls

This past Saturday we had a Fusion Young Adult Ministries social event to the Naptown Roller Girls roller derby bout at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. If you're like me and have never been to a roller derby bout before, let me tell you from personal experience...throw out any assumptions you have about the type of people that might go to an event like this. We're talking every race, age, economic class, piercings, tattoos, etc. From the 83yr old lady sitting in front of us to the family with 2 kids that couldn't have been more than 6 sitting behind us.

Once I started to get the hang of how the event actually takes place and how the scoring works, it was kind of fun. It's funny though because I went in expecting not very many people to be there, for the girls to be skating much faster and there to be more pushing and shoving on the track. Needless to say, I was wrong on all accounts. There quite a few people there, to the point where it was hard to find a seat and a ton of people left with standing room only. The girls didn't skate as fast as I expected or beat each other up as much as I thought but it was still a good time. Here is a little video my friend Jeremy Lehman shot in case you don't believe we were actually there...

Virtues of Christ

There are a number of studies, sermons, talks, discussions, books, etc. on the various virtues of Christ such as his faith, humility, obedience, love, hope, etc. There are not many people, religious or otherwise, that would argue that Jesus was a great moral teacher who practiced and lived out these various virtues. Some individuals or groups like to focus in on one of Christ's many virtues and set it up as the one virtue which Christ was all about and then read the accounts of Jesus' ministry in light of this particular virtue; say love, humility, or faith for example.

What I think is important to remember is that Jesus used these virtues together, never just one and his ministry was never about just one of them. His heroic hopefulness was coupled with his heroic faith and heroic love, all of which find their source in relation Jesus had to God the Father. His ministry was about this relationship to God, all of these virtues must be seen in light of this relationship, never for the sake of the virtue itself. "The virtue of love in Jesus' character and demand is the virtue of the love of God and of the neighbor in God, not the virtue of the love of love." (Richard Niebuhr Christ & Culture)

The Beginning of the Lenten Journey

This past Wednesday started the church season of Lent as 'Ash Wednesday'. Ash Wednesday is a day that is used to symbolize the attitude of sorrow for sins committed and repentance for those sins. Ashes were used in Bible times as a means of demonstrating that same attitude of sorrow and repentance, hence Ash Wednesday.

Lent is a 40 day journey that is done to remember the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for his ministry and Christians observe Lent to prepare themselves for the Resurrection celebrated on Easter, when Lent officially ends. There are 40 days of the Lenten season, not including the Sundays leading up to Easter, as they are seen as mini-celebrations in honor of Resurrection Sunday. Many people decide to give up things for Lent in an attempt to practice discipline and self-sacrifice just as Jesus fasted during his 40 days in the wilderness, while others go a different direction and take something on, ie. volunteer service, intense study of Scripture, quality time with family and friends, additional financial giving, etc etc. So whatever this Lenten journey means for you, I hope and pray that you experience the presence of Christ in a real and powerful way that goes way beyond these 40 days.

Super Tuesday

I'm not sure who noticed or cared, though it would seem almost impossible to not have heard this past Tuesday referred to as "Super Tuesday" because of the more than 20 states that were holding primaries and caucuses. In an attempt to come closer to deciding who would be the respective candidates from the two parties for president, only the Republican results were decisive. On the Democratic side, nothing was decided other than proving that this will continue to be a close race.

While I have been more intrigued in this primary season more than any I have lived through let us not forget about those whose lives were literally turned upside down that day by the severe storms that hit Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. Countless people lost family members, friends and loved ones as 56 people died as a result of these storms that swept through the South. Being engaged in the political process of our country is a responsibility we all have as a citizens as well as Christians, in the same way, and maybe even more so, we have a responsibility to reach out to those in need as do the very politicians we are voting into office. I think it will truly earn the title of "Super Tuesday" when our politicians rise up and take a stand for those in need.

Super Bowl XLII

If you are one of the unfortunate New England Patriots fans then you may want to start getting use to the reference of one of the biggest upsets in sports history. With only 1 game to go to be the first NFL team to go 19-0 and lose it by a New York Giants touchdown in the final seconds of the Super Bowl this past Sunday must be a double-whammy. Not only did the Patriots not make history by having an undefeated season but they also lost the championship game.

I'm not sure if you were one of the 97.5 million people that watched the game Sunday but if you were, you might have found it to be rather boring. Don't get me wrong, I'm pumped the Giants won but they did it with little excitement, rather it was hard-nosed football with solid defense. To be honest, what really kept me watching the game were the commercials and I was curious to see how Tom Petty's halftime performance would be.

Tom Petty did fine, played a few of his popular songs and avoided any wardrobe malfunctions. The commercials overall I found to be pretty funny. The E*Trade baby ones were hilarious and my favorite by far (make sure to check those out). Bud Light had one or two that were pretty funny as did Tide and Pepsi. If you missed any, you can find them at www.myspace.com/superbowlads. Let us know which ones made you laugh.

Living Off-Line

There are a number of countries in Asia, the Middle East and Northern Africa that have lost their internet connections as the result of a broken undersea cable. Being pushed off-line has forced a number of businesses into a standstill and left people trying to figure out what to do without access to the internet. You can check out the story at CNN here.

This left me thinking about the days before I became aware of the internet. I remember growing up as a kid and not having heard of the word "email" let alone myspace.com or Facebook.com. I sit here typing this on my fancy little laptop that has the capability to access the internet wirelessly and wonder how I would survive off-line. I have no doubt that I could survive, I mean I could still cook my food without the internet, though my recipe database would be seriously lacking but when I take a step back and think about the impact the internet has on my life, it's kind of scary. I wonder how much time I spend on the internet a day, week, or even year. I must admit I don't spend a ton of time messing around online other than emailing and trying to update my blog daily but I bet most of my online time otherwise is fairly pointless.

Maybe for the 40 days of Lent I'll give up the internet and use that time for something else...but I guess it would be rude not to read or respond to people's emails...and I'm sure the few of you that actually read this blog would get bored with seeing the same post for 40 days straight...sooo maybe I'll try to survive off-line for 40mins a day....but what if someone IM's me.....or I get a friend request on Facebook........

The state of the State of the Union

I'm not sure how many people made it through the almost hour long speech from President Bush but if you noticed nothing else, you had to notice the ridiculous amount of hand clapping and standing ovations. I'm not saying that what President Bush was saying didn't deserve an applause but I mean seriously, every 2-3mins?

Now I know that the State of the Union address is typically used to recap the president's term, discuss the state of our country and to lay out plans for the future on pressing issues, all of which President Bush did but he also wasn't holding back from letting the Democratic members of Congress know they are cramping his style. As I sat and watched this spectacle play out, there were a couple things I noticed...

1) The cheers of the "manly" hoots and hollers I found to be somewhat funny and reminiscent of a college sporting event with a large section of frat boys.

2) The political term "across the aisle" became visibly apparent to me as one section of Congress found themselves clapping and giving standing ovations hardly at all. The partisan divide was painfully obvious and made me wonder how many things get pushed aside because of that giant chasm the size of a movie theater aisle.

The whole thing seemed to be a little theatrical but I'm hoping and praying that our leaders in government will start or continue (depending on your perspective) to address the basic needs of not only the citizens of the U.S. but also people around the world regardless of their ethnicity, religion, bank account, education or political views.

Finding Ourselves in the Wilderness

No doubt we have all had times in our lives when it seemed as though we were wandering in the wilderness, sometimes not knowing how we even got there. The wilderness I'm talking about can be a different experience from person to person. For one it might be a struggle in a relationship, for another it might be the health issue of a loved one and still for another it might be the loss of a job. Looking through Scripture, one can see that time in the wilderness can be life changing.

God meets His people in the wilderness. We see over and over again that God uses the wilderness as an opportunity to meet with and speak to His people. In Moses' life alone we see God leading him into the wilderness on two separate occasions and both times God speaks to him in powerful ways. In chapter 4 of Matthew we read that Jesus was "led by the Spirit" into the wilderness so that God could prepare him for his ministry that would change the course of history. The wilderness belongs to God and He uses it to meet us there.

Often times the "wilderness" experiences we have in life can cause us to feel confused, afraid, doubtful and uncertain of the direction we're headed but it's also in the wilderness that the other noises of life are stilled and we are able to hear God speak to us more clearly. Sometimes God leads us into the wilderness to find Him and only then truly find ourselves. So if you are finding yourself in a time of wilderness, be patient and seek God because He desires to meet you there.

OT Heroes Part III - Moses

I would imagine that one could study the life of Moses in great detail and it would take years to glean all of the meaningful insights and experiences. Here is a Hebrew who was raised as a son of Pharaoh's, a prince of Egypt. He had the very best money and Egypt could offer: food, education, clothes, shelter, etc and yet we find that he is convicted by the treatment he sees of his fellow Hebrews to the point of actually murdering an Egyptian slave master. As a result of this, he runs away into the desert and he stays there for a long time.

Most of us know the rest of the story and how God calls Moses out of the wilderness to lead God's people, the Israelites, out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land with a short 40yr "pit stop" in the wilderness on their way. The significance of the Exodus from Egypt cannot be understated as it is one of the most important events in the history of the Israelite people as well as Christians today. If you have never read this story or you find yourself realizing it has been some time since you last read it, check out Exodus chapters 2 thru however-far-you-want-to-read to see a great story of God's presence with Moses and His people.

The part that I would like to key in on has to do with two things about Moses...1) often times we forget or overlook the fact that Moses was a murderer and yet God still choose Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and 2) like Abraham, Moses has an exchange with God and at one point, after God telling Moses to go get His people out of Egypt, Moses actually tells God he doesn't want to go and asks God to send someone else. At this point in Moses' life, he is shepherding out in the wilderness, comes across a bush that is on fire but not burning up, hears the voice of God speaking to him out of a burning bush and has the nerve, audacity, courage, stupidity (whatever you want to call it) to tell the voice of God coming out of a burning bush that he doesn't think God choose the right guy. The thing I like about this the most is not that Moses felt comfortable enough with God to share his own thoughts on the idea but the patience, faithfulness, trust and wisdom that is demonstrated by God as He deals with Moses.

This is the God I want on my side knowing that He is going to be patient with me when I am unsure, doubtful, questioning or willing to share how I think it should go. Be encouraged to know that it is the same God that showed patience and compassion to Moses who desires to do the same for you.

Through the Eye of the Needle

Everyone has heard that the economy is in a slump and on the verge of recession, if not already there. The volatility of the markets around the world is making it evident that there is little to no certainty in accumulating wealth because the next thing you know *poof* your investment is gone. It's interesting how many of us associate security and stability with the condition of our finances.

Jesus tells a story about a guy that has a lot of money and asks how he can go to heaven (Matthew 19:16-26). Jesus responds by telling the guy to follow the commandments, which the rich guy says he has and then asks Jesus what else he must do. The response that comes out of Jesus' mouth blows the guy away and leaves him dismayed. Jesus tells the man to sell all of his possessions, give his money to the poor and then follow him. Notice the guy's response in verse 22, "When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth."

Here we see an exchange between Jesus and someone who has obviously accumulated a lot of wealth with the misconception that it would somehow provide him stability, security and a future. Jesus turns this guy's world upside down by pointing out that one cannot pursue eternity by chasing after things that are temporary and remembering Jesus' words, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Could Peace Really Happen?

President Bush made his first visit to Israel/Palestine last week in an attempt to motivate peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people. Regardless of why you think Bush actually went there (as many have claimed it was a last ditch effort to salvage some sort of legacy for his presidency) the idea of peace in the Middle East is one that everyone can jump on board with. The time line of seeing this happen within a year seems a little optimistic but I'm all about having goals.

How this peace will come about will be something to watch but I think President Bush made a strong point when he urged Israel to end the 40yr occupation of the West Bank. I must admit that I was somewhat surprised at Bush's pro-Palestinian comments, something that the extremely pro-Israeli media and lobbyists here in the U.S. couldn't have liked much. It's about time we consider both sides of the story instead of allowing ourselves to be "media-ed" into thinking that Israel can do no wrong or somehow the people of Palestine don't matter.

This is a region that is rich in cultural and religious history. As a Christian, it seems to me that we should be concerned about the welfare of all the region's people, hoping and praying that peace can be something to be realized by all nations and all peoples, not just the ones lobbyists or the media deem worthy.

OT Heroes Part II - Noah

I'm not sure how many of you have seen the movie 'Evan Almighty' but it's suppose to be a modern-day comedy based upon the story of Noah and the flood found in Genesis 6-8. I'm sure many of us have heard the story of the flood and Noah and his family gathering the animals 2 by 2 into the ark, 40 days and 40 nights of rain, and the promise with the rainbow but I wonder how many of us have thought about who Noah was before he built this large boat.

Noah's great grandfather was Enoch, who lived 365yrs and walked with God and then was no more, because God took him away. So you have to imagine that Noah heard stories of his great grandfather who was a godly man and never died, he just disappeared because God took him away. Being aware of something like this happening to a family member probably makes you more aware of other things that God is doing and saying, perhaps even to you. Noah lived in a time when society was not in good shape; people were selfish, mean, violent and didn't care about God (not to say that ours is necessarily much better now) but despite all of the things going on around him, Noah found favor with God because he was blameless and walked with God.

It seems that most of the Old Testament heroes we read about where God did extraordinary things in and through them were people that were already walking close with God. Do you think it is a coincidence that God used people that were close to Him or maybe God used these people because they were close enough to hear Him speak. If God wanted to use you or I would we be walking close enough to Him to hear Him speak?

To Serve and Protect

We had a surprise birthday party for my dad up in Michigan this past weekend (which I might make some comments on later) and on my way home yesterday I got pulled over by an Indiana State Trooper. A couple of details concerning this "adventure", to quote one of my sisters...I was driving south on US 31, posted speed limit is 60mph, I have no idea where the trooper was or where he came from, I usually set my cruise for about 8-9mph over the speed limit.

Trooper Patty pulled me over and quickly mentioned that he had pulled me over for speeding and then asked if I knew the speed limit. I replied by stating that it was 60 and answered his question of how fast I was going by saying 68 or 69mph. Trooper Patty said he clocked me going 72mph and then asked for my license and registration. After a few minutes, he returned with a written warning and told me to be careful as I pulled back onto US 31. Once back on the road, Trooper Patty sped past me while giving a short but polite wave as he continued his mission of service and protection.

What makes this a blog-worthy story, in my opinion, is that Trooper Patty was one of, if not the nicest police officer I have ever encountered. He was extremely polite from the very beginning of our time together. He laughed and joked with me but was still very professional and certainly made the point that I was driving, in his judgment, too fast. He did not keep me waiting long as he checked out my information and I like to think regardless of whether I got a ticket or not, it was one of the more enjoyable times I've dealt with the law. I found myself having a certain respect for Trooper Patty that I might not have had otherwise if he had been a trooper with something to prove. So here's to you Indiana State Trooper Patty for serving and protecting all of us so well and doing it with a smile.

Happiness

Friday night I was watching 20/20 on ABC and they were doing a segment on happiness and how it was measured around the world. They had ranked a number of countries around the world, ranking them from the most happy or content to the least. A couple things you might find interesting from their research...

• The happiest country in the world is Denmark where 62% of their income goes to taxes, their health care and educational system is paid for by the government, all occupations are considered fairly equal and community/relationships are encouraged by the government through paying for social activities.
• The most unhappy country in Western Europe is Italy because the people do not trust their police or government due to uncontrolled corruption and deception.
  
• The U.S. ranked as the 23rd happiest country in the world, where the "need" to "keep up with the Jones" causes people to constantly compare focusing on the things they aren't or don't have.
• Iraq ranked as one of the most unhappy places in the world for obvious reasons.
  
• Singapore was ranked the happiest country in Asia. This is a country where there are rules against gum usage and where breaking certain laws can result in a caning. It also has the highest capital punishment rate in the world.
  
• There was not a direct correlation between poverty or wealth and an individual's happiness.
  

I thought 20/20 did a nice job of putting together a well researched report while at the same time emphasizing some important points that lead to happiness and contentment. Throughout their research they determined that happiness was not related to the amount of money we make but rather the relationships we have, the people we surround ourselves with and the community we are a part of. Seems to support Jesus' constant theme of loving our neighbors and looking out for the good of others. If I had to make a guess, I would guess that some of the happiest times in our lives have been when we were doing something for someone else. Interesting how much happiness can be found in bringing about the happiness of another.

OT Heroes Part I - Abraham

We are starting a study on some of the Old Testament heroes which will include David, Jonah, Noah, Moses, Rahab, Esther, Daniel, Ruth and a handful of others. The one I wanted to comment on right now is Abram, whose name later becomes Abraham. One of the parts of his story that I think is worth highlighting takes place in Genesis 17. It is here that we read about the covenant that God enters into with Abraham and his descendants. As you continue to read through the chapter, you come across an interesting exchange between God and Abraham that I think is worth noting.

"15 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." 17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?"

God tells Abraham that the world will be blessed through his descendants, that will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and all of these people will come from he and his wife Sarah. They have a combined age of almost 200yrs, not to mention Sarah has been barren up to this point in her life and God promises that this promise will be fulfilled through Sarah. I love that the author points out that Abraham first falls down in reverence and submission and then laughs. He actually laughs at what God says to him.

Two things I like about this: 1) God is hilarious and has a sense of humor. I mean come on, how funny is it that God, in His perfect wisdom, waited for Sarah to be over 90yrs old to have her first baby!?! 2) Abraham wasn't afraid to laugh in God's presence. I think sometimes Christians forget it is OK to laugh; to laugh at ourselves, each other, and maybe even at the things God does some times. Not only is it OK but it's good for you and I to laugh every now and then. Don't miss the joy found in following Christ by taking yourself to seriously.

Happy Birthday Dad!

I have to pass along birthday wishes to my dad who turned 50 yesterday, the 9th of January. If you remember a few posts back and put two and two together, you will realize that my dad is pretty young for having a son my age. Now I'm not sure which one makes a dad feel older, turning 50 or having a son that is almost 30? Either way dad, in my book, you're far from being old. Happy Birthday!!

Election Year

Unless you live in a cave without wireless internet or outside the U.S. and don't care about our politics, which is understandable, than I would find it hard to believe that you have not seen or heard something about the presidential election process. The process is in full swing as Republicans and Democrats try to decide who will be their candidate to take their party into the White House come November. Recently, I have found this process to be quite interesting and containing more drama than the 8 different CSI's and Law & Order's combined.

I don't know where your political views fall but I'm hoping that if you call yourself a Christian you will be taking the time to research and compare the candidates and plan on getting out to vote come November. I am certainly not saying that God is a Democrat or Republican but I do think we have a responsibility as Christians to be involved in the political process, wherever your vote may fall. So this election season...pay attention, pray and vote!

Rain

It's about 60 degrees and raining today and one might think that's odd for Indiana in January but for those of us who have lived in the Midwest for any length of time, you come to expect anything at any time when it comes to the weather.

I have always loved the rain. I might even like it more than when it's sunny out. I remember growing up in Michigan watching the rain fall from my living room window or opening the garage door, pulling out a lawn chair and setting it right at the edge of the dry garage and the wet driveway. I love the smell, sound, sight of rain. I'm not sure I can explain it really but there is something about rain that causes me to pause for a moment and contemplate the things of life. Nothing breaks up a stressful workday better than taking a couple minutes to sit outside under the canopy and watch the rain.

Rain carried a lot of significance in the Bible. With it came both judgment and blessing, flood and harvest. It falls on the just and unjust, it does not discriminate. I think sometimes we get caught up on the why of the "rain" in our lives and forget that sometimes it just rains, and sometimes with the rain comes blessing.

The Replays Play List

You may have noticed I added 'The Replays Play List' to my blog and now I'm hoping you will allow me to explain exactly what it is...

Do you ever run across a song that when it comes on the radio or your mp3 player you find yourself thinking "I wouldn't mind hearing that song again right now." and if you have the ability to do so, you hit the [previous] button and replay it? There are a handful of songs that, when they come up as I'm listening to the album they are on, I replay the song because I like it so much. Maybe this is something that no one else experiences but for whatever reason, these few songs evoke some sort of emotion that compels me to play the song over and over.

So I decided I would post some of the songs that do this to me and let you either: a) check them out for the first time if you haven't heard them, b) agree with me that these are worthy 'replay' songs, c) disagree with me saying that these songs don't deserve a 'replay', or d) suggest songs for me to check out that should be on my 'replay' list. I look forward to hearing your thoughts or maybe your own 'Replays Play List' because I'm always looking for new music to add to my library. Hope you enjoy checking out this list even half as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

Complaining to Content

Doesn't it seem like sometimes in life, when something goes wrong, there are at least 2 or 3 other things that go wrong with it? I was talking with my dad last night and we were both commenting on how things can be going pretty well, you find yourself just kind of cruising through life and then all of a sudden something goes wrong with your car, then the house, then work, then health, then a relationship and the list could go on and on.

I found myself experiencing something like recently as my car needed to go into the shop and has to go back in on Monday and as this has been happening, the sewer line at my house decided to back-up. It's sad how quickly in situations like this I can become so narrowed minded and self-centered. It's as if I have forgotten about all of the things that God has given to me and instead I go right to worrying and complaining about all of the things that have gone "wrong". I love that God has a sense of humor and is more than willing to slap me across the face with His faithfulness that brings me back to the reality of who He is. Funny how my attitude changes when I consider all God has done and provided for me. If I really think about it, I should be thankful that I even own a car to have to take in to the shop or a roof over my head that I can call my own despite the minor "leaks".

Think about what the year ahead of us could look like if we were more content and less complaining...

An Almost New Year's Baby

So today happens to be my 29th birthday. Now I don't say this to get special birthday greetings from anyone but simply to state that today is my birthday. Being born on the 2nd day of January makes for a really long year without any sort of excuse to break up the year like those of you born in May, June or July (luckies).

And since today is my birthday, I will take this opportunity to share my feelings on two particular things related to being born on this day (all in and for, fun). The first one has to do with never having a birthday that was celebrated at school. Remember when most of the kids in your class were able to bring in some sort of homemade treat to celebrate their birthdays? And because of this little treat, all the other kids in class really liked you, at least for that day. Maybe you were one of those kids that had the opportunity to bring in treats for your classmates, I however was not because we were always still on Christmas break. Unfortunately, I never could use the birthday treat trick to get my classmates to like me and when I would ask the teacher if I could bring in a treat after break, she would give me a look like "But no one would know why you were handing out those brownies?"

The second thing is in regards to its proximity to Christmas. I mean baby Jesus is cool and all but what about baby Matt? (j/k of course) I like to think that I am beyond the age of wanting "stuff" but there was a time when I wanted to get lots of presents and that came all at one time during the year for me, having a birthday just 8 days after Christmas. Though my parents have always been pretty good about not combining my gifts, I know there were some who used these 8 days as an excuse to roll two legitimate gifts into one. Now, having said this, I will admit there were times when I would use this to my advantage when I wanted something really big. So I guess you win some, you lose some.

"Rediscoveries"

If you are a music lover and anything like me then you have so much music on your mp3 player or computer that you forget which artists and albums you actually have. It's impossible for me to listen to it all regularly so every once-in-awhile I rediscover some of the music I have.

My most recent rediscovery has left me listening to the album Bridge by Blues Traveler frequently over the past couple weeks. As I've gotten reacquainted with this band, I've found that I like them more now than I did when I first started getting their music. And for whatever reason, I'm extremely fond of this particular album of theirs at the moment. I love making these "rediscoveries" because it's almost like getting new music but instead it's good music I already had but just forgot about it.