Congregational Response to a Sermon on Mark 13

We know not the day nor the hour.
It may be tomorrow, it may be 500 years hence.
We live in the now and the not yet –
the Kingdom has come, is coming, and
is yet to come.
Troubling signs abound: wars, rumors of wars,
famine, flood, earthquake and storm,
evil is strong and destruction abounds.
Troubling signs are all around us, and yet. . .
and yet we cling to this truth:
God is still on his throne,
God is still in control,
and justice and righteousness will prevail.
Good will win in the end, for God will win in the end.
And so we wait, in faith and anticipation,
enduring hardship and calamity,
rejoicing in suffering,
working to see God’s Kingdom Come on earth
as it is in heaven;
working for peace and truth and righteousness,
so that, should Christ return tomorrow or in
ten thousand years, he will find us faithfully
at his work. And in that day we shall see the
final victory and vindication of God’s rule,
and the fulfillment of all our hopes and dreams.
Amen

Beach Day Pictures - Wednesday's Low Tide

For H, who asked on Sunday

"Are the Fruit of the Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit the same thing? What's that all about?"

Let's look at it this way: Suppose we all got together to build a big house. Along comes the project supervisor to organize us. He hands one person a hammer, and says "you're going to hammer in the nails." He hands another a paint brush, and says "you paint the walls." He hands another a set of plans and says "you're going to be the on-site supervisor." To another person he hands a broom and says "you're going to clean things up, so they look nice." He takes a couple people over to a small portable kitchen and says "you're in charge of feeding the crew, and encouraging them by bringing them drinks and treats." Then he grabs a few more, hands them some flyers, and says "Go out into the town and tell people about our wonderful house, and all the great things it will offer them." And on and on it goes. Each person is given a tool (some people even get a couple tools) that they are to use together to build the house. Hardly any two people have the same set of tools, but all the tools necessary for building the house are there, divided among all the workers. And so we get to work, each doing their part to build up this house.

Now, people do pitch in and help each other out. The fact that I have a hammer doesn't mean I can't set it down and help hang some wallpaper for a few minutes. The fact that I'm in charge of yardwork doesn't mean I can't stop and chat with passers-by who want to know what's going on. Even if I'm the on-site supervisor, I can still help the food people hand out sandwiches. We all pitch in together, doing what needs to be done, but mostly we remain in our area of expertise, and slowly the house is built.

This is how it works with the Gifts of the Spirit.

However, while we are at work building this house, using our individual tools and talents, we should ALL be joyful in our task. We should ALL be patient with each other. If the site supervisor comes along and says "I blew it - that trench needs to be over three feet," we can forgive her and joyfully make the correction. If the sandwiches are late in coming, we should all be patient while waiting. If they bring me tuna fish and I wanted PB&J, I ought to be kind in my response. If a child is working next to me and knocks over the paint can, I should strive for gentleness in my reaction. All along, I ought to be looking for ways to encourage the other workers. And we should all work hard at making sure we're in the best possible condition to do the work to which we are called. We know that if we're out late at night getting plastered, we'll be in no condition to show up to work bright and cheery in the new day. So we avoid the "works of the flesh" and strive for the fruit of the Spirit.

The good thing is, we don't have to manufacture love, joy, peace, patience, and the rest. These are not our own attitudes, but the fruit that the Spirit works in us. As we draw nearer to God, God's Spirit works in us to produce loving hearts, patient demeanors, joyous spirits, gentle attitudes, and the like. Yes, we do well to "work" at demonstrating these fruits, but in the end we seek God and let God bring them about in us.

In short, we're each given a tool, or a couple tools, that we use in concert with all others to build up the Kingdom of God and share his love in the world, but the Spirit works his fruit in all of us, so that, as we work, our lives and attitudes will reflect His hand upon us.

Hope that answers your question.

We Have a Winner!

Actually, due to the nebulous nature of the question, we have a couple winners in the "Biggest Hole in the Wall Contest Ever!" So, the envelope, please. . .

Erin was technically correct in guessing "somewhere in Washington, Oregon, or California." For that, I officially award Erin 2 mega-internet attagirls.*

Matt really nailed it as "Fort Casey on Whidbey Island," so he is the official winner of 25 mega-internet attaboys.* Way to go, Matt! (please keep your acceptance speech to 50 words or less)

Susan got it right, but she wasn't first, so she gets a lovely parting gift of the privilege of babysitting our girls next time she's in the area.

Cleaver (who around here we know as "Gene") get the "extra-effort" award, for naming not just the foreground ("bunker at Fort Casey") but telling us the contents of the larger picture as well - "the Strait of Jaun De Fuca/Admiralty inlet." (although nobody mentioned the Olympic Mountains in the back. . .). In addition, Gene gave us some history as well: "Used during WWII as a lookout point for possible enemy ships or submarines entering our coast." For that, Gene wins 15 mega-internet attaboys.

Thanks to everyone for playing; for more information on Fort Casey, check this out.
____________________

*Some may ask "what is the exact value of an internet attagirl or attaboy?" While holding no financial value, attagirls and attaboys are items of great prestige. Posting "Winner of 25 attaboys" on your website header is sure to garner esteem in the eyes of your visitors. Most arguments can be won simply by stating "But I have 15 mega-internet attagirls," unless your opponent should be in possession of a greater number of attaboys or attagirls. Those seeking partners on dating websites are encouraged to post their attaboys/girls, in order to impress any possible suitors.

Taking the day (off?)

Yesterday saw the lowest tides around the Puget Sound since 1986. And they won't be this low again until 2022. You can read about it in the Tacoma news Tribune, among other places.

So, yesterday Eugene suggested people ought to take their kids out of school, blow off work, and go take a walk on the beach.

I decided that, rather than play hooky, I'd intertwine work and play. My daughter's class was going to the beach just down the road from our house (btw, this would be the beach made so locally famous by all the geoduck brouhaha). And they needed parent volunteers, so since my schedule is fairly flexible, I drove over there and joined them on the beach. Karina came along and took a lot of pictures; we'll post some later.

And it was a great day. The sun came out, and the receding tide revealed all sorts of sea life - rockfish, starfish (red, orange, purple), eels, geoducks, clams, oysters, crabs large and small. . .it really was amazing to see, and even more fun to hear the cries of delight from the children as they discovered shells and crabs and fish. I'm sure it was a day for the kids to remember, and I was glad to be there for it. I'm just not so sure the crabs appreciated all the poking and prodding they received.

These are the opportunities we ought not to pass up - the chance to experience a part of our world we don't usually see, the chance to gaze upon things that are usually covered up; the chance to show children the wonder of this world we all call home.

The things you don't see

It's Sunday morning. We've called ourselves to worship, we've meeted and greeted, we've prayed, and now we're singing. At the moment, I'm playing mandolin and providing harmony vocals as we move through a rousing rendition of "Oh, How I Love Jesus."

But I feel like I'm being pestered by a fly. I feel it brush my cheek, and attempt to swipe it away (which is no easy feat, what with needing both hands to play mandolin). I feel it a second time, and swipe it away again - all the while looking around trying to figure out where it's coming from. I feel it again, this time on the other cheek - or is it two flies? Is the cologne I'm wearing somehow attractive to flies? Or is my hair gel full of Fly Pheromones? I feel it again, high on my cheek, and swipe it away, only this time I really get it, and feel it leaving my hand and heading for the floor.

Only when I look down to see if I killed it, it's not a fly that I see lying there. Instead, it's a rather creepy bulbous spider, scurrying quickly toward a jumble of sound cables.

It takes all of .05 seconds for my mind to move from "Wow! It was a spider!" to "Wait - was it alone? Or do I have a nest of spiders in my hair?" At which point (of course), the entirety of my head begins to itch and I can only surmise this spider must have had partners, who still currently reside somewhere in the vicinity of my face.

The problem being, I'm up on the platform, and can't start flailing around, attempting to clear out any other invaders. And I can't exactly rush from the stage without everybody noticing. So on the worship goes, with me attempting to discern whether every itch is just an itch, or whether other creatures are moseying around my head.

The moment the offertory began I quietly exited the room and headed to the men's room, where a thorough check in front of the mirror led me to the joyous conclusion that my face, scalp, and neck were, in fact, arachnid-free.

But, for some reason, I was a little "off my game" the rest of the morning. Just a little, distracted, I guess.

Biggest Hole in the Wall Contest Ever!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Whoop Whoop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Attention boys and girls!

I will award 25 mega-internet attaboys (or attagirls, as the case may be) to the first person who can identify the scene in this blog's header!

Can't you already feel the excitement?
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Whoop Whoop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 very important notes

I added a "tag cloud" over there on the right. Most blog posts are tagged at the bottom. The cloud shows those tags that show up the most on here (well, at the moment, 2 times or more. . .). If you click on a tag, you'll see a list of all the posts containing that tag.

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Now the fun one, and why I thank God for computer nerds like Wes, our local Microsoft guru. . .

Wes has loaded an audio player on our church website, and, in addition, has just finished uploading almost every Sunday sermon I've preached since coming to Lakebay.

Go to Lakebay Community Church's website, click on the "Sermon Player" link, and the player should show up. You can listen to the sermon there, or download it as a podcast.

One warning - we're not done with the process, so at the moment the sermons are only listed by date. In the next couple weeks we'll begin adding in sermon titles and scripture texts.

Enjoy!

(Sermon player provided free of charge by the fine folks at Sermon Player.)

Death of (another) legend

Utah Phillips died last week. Singer, songwriter, folk legend, peace activist, fiddle and banjo player, voice of the homeless and downtrodden. He was right up there with Arlo Guthrie and Johnny Cash; perhaps just not quite as famous.

You don't bring me flowers anymore

I completely changed the look of this blog, and I only got one comment on it? It's like you don't even notice me. . .(pout pout)

From the Wide World of News (and how it affects you)

What if all the bananas died off? What if our practice of creating mono-cultures, in order to maximize sales, led to the entire species of bananas being infected by a sickness that destroyed every last one of them?

It's happening.

"Bananas are dying. The foodstuff, more heavily consumed even than rice or potatoes, has its own form of cancer. It is a fungus called Panama Disease, and it turns bananas brick-red and inedible. There is no cure. They all die as it spreads, and it spreads quickly. Soon -- in five, 10 or 30 years -- the yellow creamy fruit as we know it will not exist."

If not even to learn about bananas, the story is well worth the time it takes to read. Once again, multi-national corporations are destroying our food and health in their desire to increase profit margin.

+ + + + + + + + +

Way back in the day (say, a few weeks ago), when the California Supreme Court awarded gays and lesbians the right to wed, a few anti-gay-marriage spokespeople jumped onto the "slippery-slope" argument; e.g., "If you allow gays to marriage, pretty soon all who oppose gay marriage will be forced to lay aside their religious beliefs." Many gay-rights activists mocked this argument, stating "gay marriage doesn't affect anybody except the couple; this is about the rights of gays, and nothing more."

At least one person is testing the waters, proving, perhaps, that the "slippery-slope" argument has some merit. A lesbian in the Bay Area is suing her doctors, who refused to give her fertility treatments because "their Christian beliefs prohibited them from furnishing the infertility treatment to a lesbian couple." The doctors in question went so far as to refer the woman to another clinic that would gladly treat her; for the plaintiff, that wasn't enough.

From the article:
"On Wednesday, [Justice] Corrigan suggested there are only two legal options for doctors with strong religious beliefs: Choose a field of practice that doesn't conflict with those beliefs or provide their services to anyone who needs them."

Personally, I find that a little chilling. Whether or not I was a supporter of gay marriage, the courts seem to be marginalizing religious belief, they appear to be placing State Law above personal religious freedom. That ought to give everybody pause, wondering just how much we want the state to interpret the way we live our lives. The slippery slope here may not be gay rights; in the end, it may turn out to be opening the door to the whims of Big Brother government dictating what we're allowed to believe and practice.

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Seattle has the 6th-best carbon footprint of 100 major U.S. Cities. But Los Angeles is 2nd on that list? And New York is 4th? Something seems screwy there.

Or maybe it's just the effect of the brush pile I've been burning.

Just Wondering

Last Monday was Memorial Day. You all knew that. Last Sunday was the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. You all knew that, as well. It has become tradition in many churches to have a patriotic theme on Memorial Day Sunday, with flags and pledges and singing of anthems and the like. A friend of mine (ahem) told me of the lady in her church who called her to lead an impromptu Pledge of Allegiance directly following the offertory (which, btw, was "The Battle Hymn of the Republic").

It has me wondering, though.

Memorial Day was created for one purpose: to remember and honor those who have died in combat while defending the United States from foreign oppressors.

Wait. That's not quite right. Originally, Memorial Day was set aside to remember and honor those who died in the Civil War; i.e., those who died either in defense of the Union or in defense of the right to secede from the Union. Later on, it was expanded to honor all those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

So, here's my question. How did we get from "honoring those men and women who died while defending our country" to "generally honoring America"?

(Aside: I know many who see the day as fulfilling neither of these roles; to some, it's a day to fire up the bbq, take a drunken boat ride, or fit in the first camping trip of the summer. I'm not talking about those people, or that issue, here.)

In other words, it's not enough to honor the dead, we are expected to honor the nation of the dead as well. But it seems to me the more we make the day about honoring the nation in a generic, 4th-of-July sort of way, the less we actually honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

And, if I can step on another toe or two. . .in many places (churches, especially), Memorial Day seems to have expanded to honor ALL those who have served (or are currently serving) in the military. We lift up those who are fighting now, we salute those who are in Iraq and Afghanistan, we sing the national anthem in support of our country's wars, and in support of those who fight our country's wars.

Please don't hear me denigrating any of our soldiers. I honor them, and support them, fully. They boldly serve a cause and pay a price few of us understand. I am grateful for our veterans and our current troops and the work they do.

But we have days to honor them - Veteran's Day, for one. The 4th-of-July, for another. In our church we maintain a list of soldiers and pray for them constantly. We have parents of soldiers who remind us over and over to lift our service men and women in prayer, and we do so gladly.

Yet those who have died have this one day - Memorial Day - and more and more there is a pressure to make that one day about ALL our troops, and about our nation in general. I wonder if that isn't muting our respect and honor for the dead. I wonder if, in slowly expanding its focus, we have lost the deeper meaning this day is supposed to hold. I wonder if making it more generic, we have taken away its true power?

And much of this comes back to our worship. As I take God's people into worship, I feel a comfort level honoring men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect freedoms many of us take for granted. But I'm more reticent taking the time we set aside for God and using it instead to praise the country in which God has placed us. Not that I don't love our country; I just never want to be guilty of elevating our country above the God we come to worship.

And I think God's not so concerned when we lift up our brothers and sisters who have served to the end; I'm not so sure he's all that happy when we turn the "house of prayer for all nations" into a "God bless America" rally.

Which is why I come back to the question about Memorial Day. If people's expectations are that we'll pull out the banners and bunting, that we'll sing the Star Spangled Banner and do all we can to honor America. . .they'll be disappointed. But aren't those all false expectations to begin with, considering all the day is supposed to mean?

What do you think?

Sermon Response to Mark 11:27-12:12

Jesus, you have called us to be faithful stewards
of your Kingdom. You have called us to be
diligent workers in your fields. You expect
that your business will be our business, that
our work will be your work.
We confess that all too often we have let our
pride, our selfishness, our desire for comfort
and prestige cloud our efforts, we confess
that we have hurt each other and that
we have not, in fact, been your faithful disciples.
In confession we seek forgiveness,
dedicating ourselves once again to the simple
task of seeking your heart, and serving you
in love, humility, and gentleness toward all.
May our lives reflect your love and glory in
the world. You are the Stone the Builders Rejected,
and you are marvelous in our eyes. Teach us
to serve you first, foremost, and always.
Amen.

See, here's what you need to understand

I've always been very healthy. Other than breaking my wrist a couple times, I've avoided major medical treatments. Never spent the night in a hospital. Never had my tonsils out, never had my appendix out, never even had my wisdom teeth out. So this surgery thing is completely new territory that I am entering. Which means, I suppose, I'm going through a whole process of "psyching up" for it. Just getting my head around the fact that I'm the guy who might go in for surgery, and not just any surgery but a transplant, on my own precious eyeball. . .I'm just not even sure what I'm supposed to think about that. Or what I'm supposed to feel about that. When I do give it much thought, I don't like the idea much. And I don't like the feelings I have surrounding the idea. And yet, I know it's necessary, and I like the idea of what's on the other side - semi-normal vision.

Please forgive me, I'm still processing.

Short Rant for the Day

Why do publishing companies keep trying to sell us stuff through pre-consignment? You know the deal - they ship it to us "free of charge!" and we only have to preview it for 30 days, and ship it back if we don't like it. Only the bills start showing up the day after the product. . .and it's all a big hassle to preview, repackage, and mail back. Don't they know how irritating the whole spiel is? And lately, even if I tell them we're not interested, they try all the harder to make the sell. "What could be easier? It won't cost you anything!" A few weeks ago I said "I don't make those decisions," and the man (in the ever-present southern accent) said "But you're the pastor!" The tone in his voice added "what kind of loser pastor doesn't make the final decisions on everything?"

I'm getting ready to start hanging up on people, rather than listening to the whole song and dance, only to say "no" and then have to explain myself over and over again.

Suggestion to these people - just put your stuff on your website and point me there. It will save us all a lot of time and trouble and money.

There. I feel better now.

On corneas, medical technology, and decisions to make

"Do you want to talk about grafting?"

And so it all changed. We went to Seattle yesterday so I could be fitted with my new contact lens. After messing around with the eye, doing all sorts of tests and measurements, after getting the lens in and fitting as best possible, Dr. Ralph Archer asked the above question.

Up to this point, the game has been "Find the lens that works best." Apparently, we've reached the end of that road, unless I feel like living with a huge piece of plastic in my eye for the next decade.

In came Dr. Rotkiss, the head corneal surgeon, for a long talk about the possibility of a transplant. About the only good thing he could say about the current situation was "It's a testimony to your fortitude or stubbornness that you've lived with this lens so long."

So, the question we're pondering today is "Do I go ahead and have the corneal transplant?" So far, the doctor's recommendation is "yes." And I think we're moving in that direction as well, although I want to spend some time praying about it first. Somehow I thought this day was a lot further off, out in that nebulous "future" that we never actually believe is going to show up.

Confirmation Class of '08

Seeing how the other side lives

Yesterday afternoon, I had the privilege of attending the installation of the Rev. Heather James as pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church, over in Tacoma. Heather is the former youth pastor of Lakebay Community Church, and her parents are faithful members of Lakebay, and an invaluable support to my ministry there.

It was my first Presbyterian installation, so I was a little excited to experience it all. Unfortunately, I was about 15 minutes late, due to some bad directions (and the ubiquitous Sunday Driver we were stuck behind trying to get off the Key Peninsula). And so I walked in to a service already in progress. And as I walked in, I was a little surprised to see 6 young Cambodian ladies performing a traditional Cambodian dance, in full regalia, no less.

If I hadn't also seen the Rev. Jim Ptak (pastor of Grace Harbor Covenant Church) sitting near the back, I would have thought I'd walked into the wrong place. But as it turns out, Westminster hosts a vibrant Cambodian ministry, and this was their "welcome" to Heather.

So the service went on, a fairly traditional church service with hymns and readings, the charge to Heather and the congregations, and no less than three sermons along the way. I mentioned to Jim that I only had one sermon at my installation. Which points to one difference between Covenant and Presbyterian installations. Presbys invite many of the other Presby pastors in the area to come take part; Covenanters pretty much have the superintendent (or even the associate superintendent) show up and do it all. I appreciated having the "cloud of witnesses" present - the large showing of pastors gives visible proof of the unity of the larger body. On the other hand, I think I was fine with the single sermon at my own installation.

Finally, there was the laying on of hands, to which all ministers of Word and Sacrament were invited. So I made my way up, with Jim following, and we joined in the circle, two Covenanters shining the Covenant light into that Presbyterian crowd. Our little subterfuge, I felt. (Later, I told Heather if she got into trouble over Presbyterian doctrinal issues, she could blame Jim and me for "muddying the pure Reformed stream.") And then the congregation led into "How Great Thou Art," a hymn penned within the early Swedish Covenant movement. So even there, in that great Presbyterian Liturgical Moment, the Covenant Church was making itself known (even if nobody but Jim and I knew it. . .).

And then of course, the whole thing was followed up in the church basement with the traditional church meal of jello, pasta salad, cheese and meat sandwiches, and red punch. Plus a Cambodian dish or two.

All in all, it simply proved to me that we all have much more in common than we have differences. And the Rev. Heather James is in a good spot for a growing ministry, even if she has to affirm all that Reformed theology.

It's been a week, I'll tell you what

On Monday we gathered to do a spiritual intervention in the life of a young man who is heading down a dark and dangerous path. On Tuesday we gathered to anoint and pray for a young father who is facing life-threatening cancer. On Wednesday I had lunch with a pastor whose church is being ravaged through the carnal, divisive behavior of ungodly leadership. On Thursday I found out a close family member had been hospitalized for a serious health condition. Thus morning I heard the 34-year-old son of a friend and church board member probably has cancer in his liver and pancreas.

Life hits everyone hard at times.

Lord, have mercy upon your children.

Thought for the Day

(Not necessarily pointed at the brouhaha in California, but fitting in the context of our "rights-demanding" culture. . .)

"To be able to do what one wants is only the appearance of freedom; true freedom is to will what God does."
- Hans Kung, The Church

Speaking of market fluctuation

In 2002 we bought a house in Turlock for around $140,000. In 2006 we sold that house for about $290,000. Yesterday, I received an email from our friend and former realtor, informing us that the same house had just sold as a bank foreclosure for $150,000.

Somebody lost a lot of money on that one.

Good thoughts

Fred Clark, a blogger and newspaper-worker who I enjoy reading, recently posted some thoughts on a Catholic Confirmation service he had attended. In the post, he mentioned a theological quibble he had with the RC Church.

At which point, the comments box filled up with people accusing him of being "anti-catholic."

In a later blog, he responded to this by saying I do, of course, disagree -- respectfully but strenuously -- with Roman Catholic doctrine on several points. I couldn't very well be a Protestant or evangelical or Baptist if I didn't. Likewise, an orthodox Catholic will, unsurprisingly, disagree with me. It wouldn't occur to me to regard such disagreement as evidence of "anti-Baptist" or "anti-Protestant" chauvinism on their part. "Non-" =/= "anti-." And so it didn't occur to me either that my comments on feeling really, really non-Catholic during that confirmation homily could or would be interpreted as anti-Catholic.

There's wisdom in that paragraph, if you really get the point he's making. But what struck home for me was his next statement: I can't help but wonder if I stepped in it a bit because, coming from a tradition that accommodates and celebrates dissent, I'm accustomed to discussing such disagreements in a way that sounds hostile to those coming from a tradition that, you know, doesn't. If so, then I've probably just stepped in it again.

I had one of those "aha" moments in which I came to understand my own position again. You see, in the Evangelical Covenant Church, we, too, accommodate a diversity of opinions and theological positions. We, too, mostly discuss those disagreements with humility, respect, and love for the other. We offer freedom to those with whom we disagree. And, being in this tribe and having come to love the way it works out its life together, I tend to approach most theological conversations with grace and openness toward other ideas.

And then I wonder at the backlash from those who interpret any "other" position as heresy, who attack and fight and argue and demean in their attempt to prove themselves "right."

I was talking with Harvey earlier today about certain famous theologians and preachers who so narrowly define Christian Thought that anything not fitting into their box must be destroyed. At times I leave my Covenant Campground and discover the conversation tends to be a lot more virulent, and a lot less "open" out there. And, coming from this camp, I found myself caught off-guard.

So thanks to Fred, who reminded me that there are those who celebrate diversity of thought, and those to whom any diversity must be destroyed. Sometimes, just being reminded of the playing field helps in the playing of the game.

Death of a legend

Tucked away in the back pages of yesterday's newspaper was a short brief mentioning that Dottie Rambo, the prolific gospel singer and songwriter, was killed in a bus accident early Sunday morning.

Even if didn't know of Rambo, if you grew up in the Church you most likely knew many of her songs - We Shall Behold Him, I Go to the Rock, He Looked Beyond my Fault and Saw my Need (to the tune of O Danny Boy), If That Isn't Love, and Sheltered in the Arms of God. Her songs were recorded by artists ranging from Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe to Jerry Lee Lewis, the Oak Ridge Boys to Pat Boone and Sandi Patti. At the time of her death, she was working on her 80th album.

A Myth Shattered

Sunday's text took us through Mark's account of the young man with many possessions who was challenged by Jesus to "sell everything, give it to the poor, and follow me." This story is followed immediately by Jesus' teaching that it is "harder for the wealthy to enter heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle."

During the sermon, I mentioned as a side point that there are stories circulating about the discovery of a gate in Jerusalem known as the Eye of the Needle. According to the story, it was a low gate, and in order for camels to pass through, they had to get on their knees and crawl forward. The punch line of this story is that "getting on your knees" part. Jesus must be saying something about humbling ourselves and praying. This story is often told in Sunday School lessons and in sermons by well-meaning pastors.

I then mentioned that there is no evidence whatsoever for the truth of that story. Call it my little bit of Sunday Morning Myth Busters. As it stands, it is a popular little teaching that is unfounded in any reality, so it's time to lay it to rest.

I was gently "challenged" by some who weren't so sure that it's not true, and who wanted to know why I denied its veracity.

So, as a follow up, let me offer some sources:

"Imaginative interpreters have invented a small gate in the Jerusalem wall called the 'Needle's Eye' [in a] a misguided attempt to make something Jesus calls 'impossible' into something that might just be (barely) possible."
- Timothy J. Geddert: Believers Church Bible Commentary: Mark (pg 247)

"Interpretations that try to reduce the size of the camel or enlarge the needle's eye are suspect. There is no basis for the widely circulated tradition that the eye of the needle was the name of a gate in Jerusalem."
- Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Vol. 1, Clinton E. Arnold, Ed. (pg. 265)

"From at least the 15th century, and possibly as early as the 9th but not earlier, this story has been put forth, however, there is no evidence for such a gate. . ."
- http://www.biblicalhebrew.com/nt/camelneedle.htm

"Many improbably interpretations have arisen that attempt to soften this phrase, e.g., that 'needle' referred to a tiny gate in the Jerusalem city wall that camels could only enter with difficulty (but there is no evidence such a gate ever existed. . .)"
-The MacArthur Study Bible, notes by John MacArthur (pg 1482)

This one's for the Worship People

I've been reading (slowly) through Her Heart Can See, a biography by Edith Blumhofer of Fanny J. Crosby, the prolific hymn writer.

On pages 128-129, Blumhofer shares Six Points for Congregational Singing propagated by Lowell Mason, a contemporary of Crosby and songwriter, speaker, and publisher in his own right. These were part of a speech delivered by Mason in Boston in 1826. His six points were:

1. Church music should be simple, 'chaste,' 'correct' (meaning, to Mason, conforming to contemporary European scientific standards), and adapted to the performance abilities of congregation or choir. 'Let there be simple, easy, and solemn tunes selected for use in public worship,' he urged.

2. Care must be given to text as well as to tune. Text should be heard clearly; text and tune should 'fit' and convey the sae mood or idea. . .Text 'sung amidst unrestrained levity and folly' in singing schools did not prepare singers to assist in worship. Rather, it tended toward 'making an exhibition of musical acquirements' and 'drawing forth the applause of the people.'

3. Congregational singing must be promoted. 'Every member of a congregation ought to feel an interest in the singing,' he insisted.

4. 'Judicious accompaniment' was 'indispensable to complete success.' Good vocal music required instrumental support, especially organ accompaniment.

5. Music education for children was the cornerstone for congregational singing. 'A thorough and permanent reformation in church music. . .cannot be effected, but by a gradual process. Children must be taught music as they are taught to read. Until something of this kind is done, it is vain to expect any great and lasting improvement.'

6. Congregational singing as a corporate act is composed of individual acts of devotion to God. 'Mere musical talent' did not suffice for effective playing or singing of church music.

I'm a little impressed by how applicable most of these points are in today's church. We might quibble with the "European Scientific Standards" part, and would probably expand the "especially organ accompaniment" to include piano and guitar, but overall I think his ideas hold up well. The first two mark the cornerstones of many of the complaints against "modern worship" - either "it's too hard to sing" or "the words are trite" or "the music is too loud and I can't hear the words." #3 - I currently have the pleasure of serving in a church that values singing, in which the majority do join in with their voices. But in the past I've been in churches where many simply stand (or sit) with scowls on their faces and their lips pinched tight. #5 - there is genius here. Schools have taken away many of the music education opportunities, and any music kids pick up is computer driven or simplistic 3-chord pop music or the solo stylings of American Idol. Is there a place for the Church to become a bastion of music education, teaching the fundamentals of reading, writing, and engaging in music as an act of worship to God? What would it look like if the church took music education seriously? And #6 is true as well. I've been "led" in worship by people with amazing talent but no real heart of devotion, and while I was amazed at their technical skills, the lack of passion dampened any real hope for worship. Perhaps in an "Idol"- driven society, the Church might have a call to raise up humble worship leaders with both talent AND a heart for the Lord.

What do you all think? Would you agree with Mason? Disagree? What would you add or take away?

It's Time to Hit the Trail

Washington now has a new official Wilderness Area - the Wild Sky Wilderness, the first federally-funded wilderness in the state since 1984.

As a youth, I spent a lot of time hiking these mountains, playing along the Skykomish river and camping beside deep mountain lakes. It's some of the most beautiful country I know.

Now the government agrees, and it will be set aside as an undeveloped playground and sanctuary for generations to come.

Kudos to the politicians for getting this one right.

Read the P-I article here.

From the Wilderness Society: "In the heart of the Skykomish Valley, the Wild Sky region serves as a critical link between the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and the National Park and wilderness lands of the North Cascades. Low-elevation old growth forests remain in the Sky Peaks, Ragged Ridge and Rapid River areas of the Wild Sky. They provide critical habitat for black bears, bald eagles, mountain goats, wolverines, cougars and spotted owls."

Respond to Disaster

There are many ways to offer assistance to the people in Burma/Myanmar, where, according to one U.S. diplomat, the death toll could hit 100,000.

One such effort is Covenant World Relief, which has already made funds available to people on the ground beginning relief work there.

A news release about the CWR work can be found on the Covenant website.

A special Covenant World Relief fund has been established to receive donations from Covenant congregations and individuals to aid in the relief effort. Donations should be earmarked for Myanmar Relief and sent to Covenant World Relief, 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625. Donations also can be made online by credit card at Myanmar Relief.

“We are working with two partners on the ground in Myanmar as we speak,” Sundholm says, “and we have two previous partners who have expressed interest in working with us to bring assistance to the people in Myanmar.”

Question for a Tuesday Afternoon

Why is it that, for young people bent on moving out of their sheltered evangelical upbringing, the next stop on the train is so often cynicism?

We live in a world in which many people are asking many good questions about the assumptions of the past century's christendom. Many are rightfully calling the church to task for errors we have made in our past. The Rob Bells, Erwin McManus's, Brian McLarens, and Donald Millers of the world are pushing the church into some new areas it needs to address. And part of that process is opening up to places we've been wrong in the past. Perhaps we did allow the trappings of modernity and white european males to dominate the Church for too long. Perhaps we did make some mistakes in attempting to create christianized versions of all-things worldly back in the 1980s (note: this tendency is still alive and well).

But where I hear Bell and Miller and McManus and McLaren poking and prodding in healthy directions, I keep coming across angry young Christians who are into full-blown cynicism. It's like they get the critique of the emergents or the postmoderns or the (insert critiquer here), but they stop there, right at the "here's everything that's wrong with the church" part. They don't seem to take the next step of "But the Church is the Bride of Christ, so I will do all I can to make her beautiful"

When MLK jr decided enough was enough, he set out to make a difference. When the Dalai Lama decided enough was enough, he began to work for change. But istm that many young Christians, when they tire of the Bibleman Jesus junk and schlocky Christian Music, simply give up, preferring to hang out at bohemian coffee shops and complain about "the church is just so hypocritical, man. It's just too modernistic for a pomo like me."

Is there something about Christianity that breeds cynicism? Or is it just kids these days?

I'm not winking at you

If you are long-time friend or regular reader of dan's hole in the wall, you know that I have a rare eye condition, one that requires a highly specialized contact lens that is about the size of a hubcap. Monday, that contact popped out while I was cleaning up following some yard work. It then proceeded to crawl under my foot, at which time I stepped on it, breaking it into lots of tiny pieces.

I called the corneal specialist, the only one in the state of Washington capable of dealing with
my cornea. Turns out he retired in January.

But, a new contact is on order, and the doctor is willing to see me one last time, to "hand me off" to the new specialist, I suppose. So hopefully all will be back to normal soon.

In the meantime, I'm pretty much blind in my left eye. So if it seems I'm ignoring you, or that I'm winking at you, or if I mix up a bunch of words when following my sermon notes tomorrow morning, it's probably just that I can't see anything.

Friday Random 10

It's been awhile since I've done one of these. Today is the Wide Open version. Usually I only play songs from a playlist - I have a "worship" playlist and an "office" playlist and a "rainy day" playlist and a "folk music" playlist, even a "random" playlist. But today I went with the entire list of music on this here laptop, which means there are some oddities in here. Like #6 and the bonus, both Christmas music. And #10 - not something I usually play while at work. #2 takes me back to those early Hume Lake days, back when I was a starry-eyed youth pastor still thinking I'd change the world. . .#8 - I'm wondering if you could still write a song with the words "Beat Me Daddy" in the title, and not have people thinking you're advocating abuse. #9 is a special one, since that's me playing trumpet behind the choir.

1. Rebecca Go Home – The Lost Dogs
2. Strangers – Joel Weldon
3. Obsession – Delirious?
4. Indian War Whoop – John Hartford (from the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Soundtrack)
5. Phos Hilaron (Hail, Gladdening Light) – Passion Worship Band
6. The Crown of Roses – Choir of King’s College
7. Nicaragua (Prelude and Dance) – Peter Ostroushko
8. Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar – Glenn Miller and the American Band of the Allied Expeditionary Force
9. Soli Deo Gloria – Azusa Pacific University Choir and Orchestra
10. Waitin’ for My Deary – Carol Richards (from the “Brigadoon” soundtrack)

Bonus Track:
The Christmas Song - Ginny Owens

Bring on the water barons

California is on the verge of declaring a drought and enforcing water rations. Georgia is still facing record water shortages.

Meantime, snow is still falling in the Cascade and Olympic mountains, rain is falling steadily across Western Washington.

Seems to me we need to take a lesson from the oil industry and start exporting our water surplus for, say, $4.00 a gallon. Maybe we could even fund a new basketball arena that way. Right now Oklahoma is doing quite well, thanks to the rise in oil prices. Perhaps we could do the same with our abundant H20 deposits. . .

In the News

My dad was quoted in the Gig Harbor Gateway yesterday.

Phil Whitmarsh rode the school bus with Jerstad and said all the kids called him “Buddy” through their elementary and middle school years.

Tweet Tweet

Have you ever been in one of those fake nature simulations - say, at Magic Mountain, where they have fake trees surrounded by fake waterfalls, and piped-in bird noises? Or maybe at the zoo, where they have dioramas displaying what life is like "out in the wild"? Or even a native American display in a museum, where they have a model Indian home with some fake cedar trees and piped in bird and wind noises?

Or maybe you've just listened to Bird Notes on NPR, or bought a CD on Identifying Bird Calls in the Wild.

Anyway, the point is, that's what it sounds like outside my office this morning. It's a cornucopia of tweets and twitters and chirps and chirrups and woo-l00-loos and the like. It's utterly amazing. And I suddenly realize I can't identify even one of them.

But spring is here, and I live amongst the wild and wooly (and feathery) flora and fauna of the great Pacific Northwest, and I'm loving it. It's like having my very own nature show piped into my office, only it's the real thing. You all should be so blessed.

Sermon Response for Mark 9:30-50

Jesus, when you said “follow me,” we answered, “we will.”
When you offered salvation and hope, we gladly accepted.
When you offered bread and wine, we ate and drank.
When you gave your own life so that we would have life,
we received your gift with gladness.
But you call us to obedience, as well.
To love those unlike us, to serve those around us,
to become as children;
seeking not pride of place nor glory,
but the opportunity to lose ourselves
so that others may live.
You called us to be salt and light in the world,
to give up our own desires for pleasure
in order to truly follow you.
Again, we say, “Yes Lord,”
knowing we need your help to obey.
Give us hearts of obedience,
help us to become as children,
salt and light and servants of the world.
We will obey you, God.
Give us strength to heed your call,
courage to choose the right,
endurance to overcome our desires
of lust and pride. We will obey you, God.
We will be your disciples. Amen.

Dave Brubeck, Live

Why I gave up youth ministry

(note: please read just a slight amount of sarcasm in the following post, lest you mistake this for a slight against the faithful men and women who lead the youth of Lakebay Community Church, and all other churches. . .)

Friday night the youth group of Lakebay Community Church were well into their 30-Hour famine, attending a rally (with a loud band, or so I'm told) in Gig Harbor. Over the years I led a dozen or so famines, so I know what that's all about. And the leaders - they were well into hanging out with all those rowdy teens who were hungry and loud and teenager-like.

I, on the other hand was enjoying dinner at Tango Tapas Restaurant on Capitol Hill in Seattle (home of Seattle's #1 dessert according to voters). Eating Spanish Olives and Toasted Almonds, Queso Azul, Enselada con Pato, Oysters, Spanish Cheese, and a host of other delightful and aromatic dishes. My wife, her sister, and their father were enjoying it all along with me.

And following dinner, about the time our youth leaders were hauling kids back into vans to go spend the night at sleepover locations, the four of us wandered over to the Paramount Theater to see Jazz Legend Dave Brubeck (and quartet) in an astounding display of virtuosity. For an 87 year old man, Brubeck can still jam. He even blessed us by closing the set with his standard, Take 5.

And the night closed with the Ramsey Lewis Trio, who serenaded us with the sweet sounds of funk, gospel, and cool jazz, including a few soul-searing piano solos.

I loved my years in youth ministry, so don't get me wrong. And I am excited about the great staff we have working with our youth at Lakebay. For one night, though, it was nice to play adult.

I'm Off (but you already suspected that)

For the next three days I'll be commuting across the pond to Tacoma, to take part in the Annual Meeting of the North Pacific Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church, and the Annual Meeting of the North Pacific Conference Ministerial Association. In other words, meetings and meals. The best part is always connecting with new friends and old.

Just don't be worried if this space remains silent for the next few days.

Meet Clara

Not Helping the Conversation

One of the people who belong to the church I pastor asked me about an article she had read. In the article, Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Fellowship in Riverside, CA, joins the chorus of voices speaking out against the Emergent Church.

You need to know that I have attended Harvest Fellowship, and while mega-churches with their own bookstores and coffee shops and parking attendants aren't my cup of tea, I could tell that God was at work there. I have listened to Greg Laurie on the radio, I once attended a Harvest Crusade in Anaheim where I saw him in person. I have always enjoyed his powerful delivery of the gospel, his passion for evangelism, and his cultural sensitivity. And I've been a fan of the Calvary Chapel non-denomination, to which Harvest belongs.

Which is why I was all the more saddened, disheartened, and angered by the above-mentioned article. I'm not sure what Laurie's intentions were (I suspect he is hoping to "protect" his flock from those heretical emergents), but the result is disastrous. He misrepresents the Emergent movement, he fails to grasp the real issues, he chases after red herrings, and he ends up being divisive and disparaging toward his brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm shocked that he would publish something so shoddy.

Let this be a teachable moment to us all.

1. From the article:

One of these leaders made this statement: "I must add, though, that I don't believe making disciples must equal making adherence to the Christian religion. It may be advisable in many, not all circumstances, to help people become followers of Jesus and remain within their Buddhist, Hindu, or Jewish contexts."

This sounds very inclusive and loving, but it is flat-out wrong and unscriptural! We want people to become followers of Jesus in a biblical context!

Part of the problem with this article is that it doesn't leave room for nuance or further explanation. Laurie uses quick soundbites to create positions that he then dismantles. The above quote could be construed as unbiblical, but not necessarily so. In fact, this isn't even an Emergent discussion, per se. This is a discussion being held among the leading missiologists around the world. And it's not the "younger, emergent" types leading the charge. None other than Ralph Winter, godfather of U.S. Missions, has been leading the discussion on "Insider Movements." The question is this - is it better to see a Muslim converted, only to have them "come out" and be ostracized, cast out of their family and network, and probably killed? Or could they remain within their life, yet pray to Jesus during the prayer times, and worship Jesus when they go to the mosque? Would it be possible to create underground networks of Christians within those systems, who could then start to witness for Christ from within?

Please note: I'm not attempting to begin a discussion on Insider Movements. I'm only pointing out that whereas Laurie would call out Emergents as being unbiblical, this issue is not even an Emergent issue. It is just entering into the emergent discussion because it's the very discussion that our missionary leaders are having.

2. From the article

Jesus plainly said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the life. …" (John 14:6, NKJV) Yet despite this clear biblical teaching, another "emergent" leader says, "I see the world through the images of Christianity, which teaches me that I encounter God in everyone I meet, regardless of what they believe."

This is New Age mysticism, not New Testament Christianity. The truth is, you will only find Christ living in those who have put their faith in Him.

Again, the problem here is that Laurie has picked up on a couple "red flags" and, without attempting to understand what is really being said, he has chosen to shoot down the entire movement. However, with just the tiniest theological work, the above quote could, in fact, be entirely biblical. Simply begin with "Let us make humans in our image," and you're there already. Or go with the words of Jesus: "Whenever you do this to the least of these, you've done it unto me." I don't think the person being quoted meant to say that we're all one big happy God-filled family (although Laurie's failure to identify sources makes any backtracking impossible - another weakness of the article); from what I understand of Emergent thinking, the premise is simply that God can be seen in and through anyone. It's not a question of salvation, it's a question of the imago Dei. Wasn't it Mother Teresa who said something like "If you want to see Jesus, then go love a leper"? Whenever I took our youth group to feed the people at the Modesto Gospel Mission, I always told them "look in their eyes - those are Jesus' eyes looking back at you." Unfortunately, Laurie is coming in with suspicious eyes and finding heresies that aren't really there.

3. From the article

At the same time, I see other churches becoming distracted from the proclamation of the Gospel and instead focusing their primary energies on issues like "global warming." I'll tell you about global warming; it's when people spend eternity separated from Jesus Christ in hell! Jesus said of hell, "The fire never goes out" (Mark 9:48, NLT).

Here Laurie makes the logical mistake of assuming this is an either/or. You can either care for creation or you can witness to sinners. You can't seem to do both in Laurie's world. However, he misses at least three important points. First, the creation-care mandate was the first given to humans, (read Genesis 2), and it has never been rescinded. We are commanded to care for the earth, so we can't cop out by saying "we need to focus on other things." Second, he misses that creation care can actually be a powerful witness to Christ by children of the Creator. Proclamation of the Gospel is not solely accomplished by door-to-door evangelism, nor crusades. When the Church joins in with those who are working to better treat the creation, we witness to our love for our Creator, which is another way of proclaiming the gospel. Third, we won't have the opportunity to witness for the gospel if millions of people are dying because of the way we mismanage this planet.

One more point to be made - Note the employ of flashy rhetoric, equating global warming with people burning in hell. I hope your non sequitor alarms were going off when you read that one. Laurie is attempting to circumvent logical discussion with fiery (pardon the pun) language, pulling you in emotionally while short-changing you logically.

4. From the article:

We in the Church of Jesus Christ had better get back to basics, or we will lose what little influence we have left in our culture.

The ironic thing is, this is exactly what the Emergent Church is attempting to do - leave behind the packaging of modernity and returning to biblical basics, such as being the community of God, being salt and light IN our communities, living our faith as much as we verbally proclaim it, allowing the scriptures to speak rather than forcing on them arguments of human theological systems.

So, to conclude, Greg Laurie has attempted to speak out on an issue on which he has proven he has no understanding; I fear he has listened to other voices speaking out against the Emergents and allowed their rhetoric to cloud his judgment. He has called his brothers and sisters in Christ a "dangerous counterfeit"; he has clouded the discussion with empty, hollow rhetoric, he is causing division in the Body of Christ, and all by way of proclaiming an expertise in an area where he has yet to prove that he understands the issues.

For this, I am troubled and saddened, for his ministry has been blessed, and has been successful in winning many to the Lord. I just hope he's not becoming more exclusivist as he moves on. The Church does not need more Christians throwing stones at one another. We should set the example of those who listen, sift, discern, do the hard theological work, then listen, sift, and discern once again. And above all, we should be known by our love for one another, not our suspicion of one another.

Random News and Notes

- The Air Force is officially retiring the F-117 Nighthawk today, parking the last four in a secure hanger in Nevada. Bummer. I never had the chance to see one fly. I did see one on static display at the last El Toro airshow, complete with heavily-armed security guards.

- Just in time for Passover, grocery stores in San Francisco have all run out of Matzo bread. "It appears there's been a huge disconnect between the Bay Area grocery community and the Bay Area Jewish community in terms of supply and demand."

- Ever wonder why the women in those polygamist compounds dress like 19th century pioneers? Experts are talking about the same thing.

- Religious leaders in Zimbabwe speak to the growing crisis in their country, warning of impending genocide if the situation isn't resolved.

- We used to have this good friend names Anya. Anya was pretty cool. She was very attuned to the Lord, you might say. (She has a cool younger sister, too, but this story isn't about her.) Anya spent a week in Mexico with us on a youth mission trip one summer. She also did the YWAM thing. Sometimes she would come hang out at our West Main house and eat tacos and talk about Jesus. Good times. Anya was just accepted to Mars Hill Graduate School in Seattle, and we are excited for her. For one, she's finding her future and embracing it, entering into the calling God has on her life. I have no doubt she'll do great things for the Kingdom of God. So congratulations are in order. But, more selfishly, she'll be just across the water from us, so perhaps we'll all have a chance to sit down at Caffe Ladro and catch up, just like old times.

- Link: Church of the Masses. The blog of Barbara Nicolosi, one of the mainstage speakers we heard at the Transforming Culture Conference in Austin. Barbara is a Catholic who works in the Entertainment Industry, living as salt and light in Hollywood. She's got great insight into the intersections between God and Popular Culture, and she can be funny as well.

So about that storm

Drove up to Kingston on Friday, took the ferry across to Edmonds. Got off the ferry, noticed some of the cars had snow on them. Climbed the hill out of town and noticed snow falling from the sky. Met my parents for dinner at Kafe Neo (Greek food - yum!). All during dinner kept commenting "Wow - it's snowing outside."

Drove over to my brother's place in Lynwood through a blinding snowstorm. Imagine "Over the River and Through the Woods," or your favorite Christmas card. Only remember this is in late April.

Spent the night at Mike's house. The kids went out and built a snowman. All night long the power came and went as snow-laden branches fell on power lines and transformers blew.

By Saturday morning, 6-8 inches of snow covered everything. Most beautiful were the maple trees all abloom, and the tulips sticking up through the snow. So much color, laying underneath the covering white.

As Saturday progressed, snow turned to hail, which brought with it thunder and lightning. The kids did find more time to go out and play.

Eventually, we drove back to Lakebay where, alas, there is no snow. Although it's supposed to be in the 20s tonight.

So, imagine that one. April 20. 8 inches of snow, as in deepest winter. I think we'll remember this weekend for years to come.

Now, hopefully back to our regular programming.

In the News

M&M Ministries, an outreach of Lakebay Community Church, was mentioned in the Gig Harbor Gateway this morning.

2 signs of the apocalypse

1. Gas was $3.69 at the station this morning.

2. The experts are predicting snow in Seattle this weekend. Snow. In April. Late April.

A couple of good reads

- Eugene's pseudo-conversation with Rob Bell

- Tony's discussion on "definers of orthodoxy."
Note well, O Definers, you may define me “out” of emerging or evangelical or orthodoxy, but beware, it’ll be you next. Drawing lines and defending borders never ends well for the line-drawers because before you know it, someone has drawn a line right behind your heels and, guess what, you’re suddenly on the other side of the line with me.

A long month, with more to come

Brief history. A little less than a decade ago, Lakebay Community Church purchased some property and began the arduous process of preparing to construct a new building there. A couple things got in the way: The pastor resigned, one of the lead members of the Committee To Build (my title, not theirs) passed away, and the other moved on to another church. Some other stuff happened as well, but just that pastoral transition alone would suffice as a huge hiccup in any building process.

My first two years at Lakebay were spent building health into the leadership, building rapport within the body, and seeking after a prayerful spirit in the community. All the while, we've been slowly chipping away at some of the issues up there on the property. The well was put in and tested. Engineering plans were revisited and revised. The scotch broom was knocked down.

A few months ago, it became obvious that it was time to figure out how to really move ahead with the project. We're almost ready to go for the Conditional Use Permit. Most of the early site work is finished. And we're moving into my 3rd year at the church - transition times are over.

However. . .the church itself has gone through a lot of turnover in the last 10 years. Many who voted to accept the property and accompanying 20/20 vision have left. Many more have come who never were part of that early process. Some of those still around are passionate about finally moving on. A small but vocal minority are just as passionate about not making the move.

And so we have been through a time of listening and discernment over the last few months; specifically, we just completed three Saturday night coffee klatch listening meetings, at which 10-20 people gathered, prayed, and then discussed our future, and, specifically, our plans to move up north.

Let me take us off onto a siding for a moment. The church in which I grew up went through a nasty split when I was but a lad. The first church I worked for went through an even nastier split. The second church I worked for seemed to be in a constant posture of antagonism and positioning. So I have seen my share of dysfunctional meetings. I've witnessed sound people shut off the sound system and walk out the door, in the middle of town meetings. I've witnessed people shouting across the aisles at each other, calling them all sorts of names. I've witnessed older ladies spit on the sanctuary floor to show their distaste for "all these here changes you're making." I've seen friends become enemies, refusing to acknowledge each other as they pass by. I've witnessed division and anger and spite and hatred and animosity over everything from what music to sing, to where the piano should be located, to whether to adopt a green mission statement or a pink one. I've just about seen it all.

All of which feeds my continued amazement and love for the people of Lakebay Community Church. Because they showed up, they shared their opinions, they spoke in kindness and love and humility, they discussed and offered varying viewpoints. . .and they remained dear friends. We had people coming from opposing positions ("We need to move now"; "we should maybe never move, or at least not for a long time. . ."). They shared clearly and concisely, and with some passion, why they felt their position was correct. And then after the meeting they hung around and talked about trips they had taken, or what their kids were doing, or "why don't we get together like this more often?" And over and over again I heard "Look - I'm not going to be divisive about this. . .whatever the church decides, we'll go along."

I almost can't believe the health of this place. They get what church is supposed to be about. And they give me hope that we have a strong future ahead of us, because we're not going to let an issue even as huge as this one divide us.

Let me state this for the record: there was a day when I would have thought it impossible that Christians could meet and talk about selling their church and moving without bickering and spitting on each other. The people of Lakebay Community Church just proved me wrong. And so, while we still seek God's guidance on our somewhat murky future. . .I believe God has laid the groundwork for that future to be bright.

Feel the burn

I took my first bike ride of spring today - a 10 mile route to the south, through Penrose Point, and back. It was cold. My fingers grew numb. It started to rain. I was soaked through. My glasses steamed up and I couldn't see. My knee started to ache from the cold and exercise.

I feel like a true Pacific-Northwesterner now. And it feels good.

Sermon Response to Mark 8:31-9:1

Would you seek to follow Christ, the Lord?
Then be prepared –
prepared to give everything away
prepared to lose your riches
prepared to lose your reputation
prepared to lose your life.
Wash each other’s feet.
Mow one another’s lawns.
Forgive your enemy.
Treat your mother-in-law with kindness.
Give up your pride,
your grasping after wealth and fame.
Pay your taxes.
Give money to causes of righteousness.
Ignore the drive to consume,
fan the hunger for peace-making in this war-ravaged world.
Sell your television and donate the money to feed the hungry.
Would you become great?
Then take up your cross,
and follow Christ.

Music News and Notes

Just bought tickets to see Dave Brubeck and Ramsay Lewis in concert at the Paramount in Seattle in a couple weeks. Should be a night to remember.

Why I could never be a true Calvinist

Once upon a time there was a man named Joseph, who had always wanted children. 18 children, to be exact. And so he had 18 children.

However, Joseph being a wise man, even before he had his children he knew that they would disobey him, bringing great shame and dishonor to his name. He knew they would eventually reject him (don’t all children?), and that he would be forced to punish them for their sins against him. Yet Joseph was a loving man, and so he devised a plan – again, long before his children were born. His plan would pay the penalty for the rejection of his sons and daughters. He would provide a way to take the punishment himself, thus retaining his honor and yet freeing his children of guilt (editor’s note: the specifics of that plan are another story for another day).

And so it came to be. He had his children, they rejected him, and he initiated his plan, paying the price for their sins, opening up a door for forgiveness to flow. But there was another part to this plan. Back before his children were born, Joseph had already decided he would save children 1,3,12, and 17. The rest – well, they could just live and die with their guilt. They could just receive the punishment they so deserved.

And so Joseph, being a wise man, worked in the lives of 1,3,12, and 17, wooing them and drawing them closer to him, until they had no option but to accept his forgiveness. How fortunate for 1, 3, 12, and 17! How grateful they were for being forgiven! And all the neighbors were amazed at this man’s mercy, his glory, his wisdom! He had shown everybody that he was still in charge, and that he would be so kind as to even save a few of his kids.

Oh, except for the rest of the kids, who are now down in the cellar, being tortured mercilessly for their sins. Sure, Joseph had it within his power to save them, but he showed everybody just how glorious he was by NOT saving them. They’re not so sure their father is all that glorious. In fact, he seems a little unfair. After all, he knew they would reject him. In fact, some said it was his plan for them to reject him in the first place. And yet he never had any intention of saving them, like he did their brothers and sisters. These children, the ones in the basement – they all think they got the shaft.

Need some technical assistance

We have a wireless router here at the church. It's in the secretary's office, which is about 100 feet from my office. There are any number of walls in between her office and mine - however, when doors are open, it is somewhat of a direct line. Rather than running cable all the way from the router into my office, I simply use the wireless modem on my laptop.

Which works about 90% of the time. But every once in a while, I can't get a signal here in my office. The VAIO just looks in vain for a wireless signal.

And I've noticed that this problem is a lot more prevalent when it is raining outside.

Why would that be? Why does rainy weather outside affect the router signal strength inside? And is there anything that can be done, besides praying for more sunshine?

Let's begin with the movie discussion

Last week Karina and I watched Rocket Science, a movie that created quite a buzz at the 2007 Sundance Festival.

This little independent movie follows in a long line of films that mine the depths of high school angst, portraying befuddled teenagers attempting to navigate the hallways of life with some semblance of dignity and hope. It could very easily be the Sixteen Candles or Breakfast Club or Say Anything of the early 2000s.

Reece Thompson plays the protagonist, Hal Hefner, a high school freshman with a stuttering problem. The movie wrenches your heart as you watch Hal attempt to order food in the school cafeteria; you feel deeply embarrassed for Hal as he is forced to stand in front of the entire school and answer questions about U.S. history. Added to Hal's issues are a bully of a brother and divorcing parents, and you have the quintessential teenager drowning in a confusing life.

Hal's fortunes might just change, however, when Ginny Ryerson, the beautiful senior captain of the school's speech and debate club (played with sheer genius by Anna Kendrick) approaches him about becoming her debate partner. She claims to have the ability to discover talent in out-of-the-way places, and believes that Hal could help her finally win the state debate championship. As Hal enters into this world, he (expectedly) falls hard for Ginny, and determines to join her as a debater, just to remain close to her.

However, Ginny soon is playing hard-to-get; Hal has a hard time even getting together with Ginny to research and prepare for their upcoming competitions. And eventually suspicion sets in that just perhaps Ginny isn't being perfectly honest in her intentions - did she string Hal along because she wants their team to actually lose?

Before I get to the plot spoiler and begin to draw some conclusions, let me also mention that along the way the story is filled will all sorts of memorable characters - the special needs educator who tells Hal "too bad you don't have autism - then I could really help you!"; the young boy who lives across the street from Ginny and secretly watches her out his window (not to mention his parents, who play music as marriage therapy); Hal's Chinese friend whose father begins to date Hal's mother. . .every character brings in both comedic relief and added angst to Hal's life.

But now. . .

++++++++++++Plot Spoiler Alert+++++++++++++++++++

Here's where all this is so important: At the end of every 80s coming-of-age story, the girl got the guy. Or the guy got the girl. The nerds won respect (and the hot chicks). The computer geek got the cheerleader (because she recognized that depth is more important than wavy hair). Ferris Beuller ended up back home with his loving parents and sister. Friends made up for their disagreements. Everyone ended up hopeful, if not happy. In other words, those stories ended up with redemption. Yes, school and teenageism were shown to be dangerous, painful, full of disaster and competition. Parents weren't always loving, hot girls were out of reach. . .but they all ended up with some sense of things being better, of life turning out for the good, of the loser finally finding victory.

Not so in Rocket Science. Hal does not, in fact, win Ginny's heart. Ginny ends up being every bit as devious as expected. And the final debate ends not with a Rocky-style victory; not even a loss with dignity, but a simple disqualification. Hal doesn't get the girl. He doesn't get the trophy. His parents are aloof as ever. His stutter never goes away. The whole movie simply fades away with a half-hearted conversation between Hal and his father. His only victory is that he finally gets the pizza he always wanted.

Which, to me, tells us a lot about the existential position of society today. 20, 30 years ago, there was still hope that everything would be better. The 80s and 90s were times of great hope, despite the threat of nuclear war and the onslaught of grunge. People still held onto the Disney Model of Life, in which, eventually, the dragon is slain and the prince marries the princess and they live happily ever after. We were still living with echoes of the 1950s, of Mayberry and Happy Days. The American Dream was still alive and well. Or so our movies would lead us to believe.

Rocket Science walks the same path, yet comes out at a completely different place. The PostModern Place, if you will, in which nothing really has any meaning. There are no large stories that give us hope and meaning. Most people don't win the lottery. Nerds don't get the cheerleader. Kids with disabilities never do "finally show 'em all!" Life just is what it is. It has its funny moments, it has its painful moments. Parents leave and don't come back. People play you and then dump you and walk away without a care. Hearts are broken, and never really recover. And that's just how it all goes - eventually you'll become your parents and probably divorce and mess up your kids just the same as they messed you up.

So here's the thing - I think this movie is important. Yes, I think the message is wrong - in fact, I know it's wrong, because I know that there is an ultimate Redemption to all of this; I know that these moments all do have meaning, because there is a God who hurts alongside of us, who gives us meaning in our days. But I think the movie is important because it reveals the heart of those who walk next to us in our world. In fact, if I was leading a 2-day seminar on youth culture, I think I'd show Pretty in Pink and then Rocket Science, and then lead a discussion on exactly what messages we're being sold. And then I'd move into a discussion on the psyche of American youth in the year 2008.

I think Rocket Science is a mirror on our youth, and is thus important as a tool to get inside that culture and understand what it's thinking. Because they've given up hope, they've given up on the dream that all will someday be better. They believe that, unless you win American Idol, life is pretty meaningless and pointless, something to be endured, rather than embraced.

And, I think if we understand that, then we're a whole lot closer to reaching them where they are at, and opening up the world that is so much better just outside the door.

Support Your Local Musician

Might I take this opportunity to highlight a couple friends?

Lakebay's own Kate McCourt

And our old friend from Upland, who now lives up by Bellingham, Chris Hoke

A few pictures

Dan and Dave Clucas at Austin Java, Austin, TX.

The Keynote Speakers - How many can you name?

So much to catch up on - a responsive reading

In the end, the conference was powerful. I'm still digesting. I want to make some comments on it.

But I have to write a sermon.

I need to mention some of the speakers we heard over the week, and the wonderful conversation Karina and I had with one of them, when both our planes were delayed at the airport in Austin.

But I have to write a sermon.

I was going to mention our experiences on Southwest Airlines - with the medical emergency on the way down and the engine problems on the way back.

But I have to write a sermon.

I should mention something about our time with Dave, a friend from way, way back in my first ministry days.

But I have to write a sermon.

I'd love to share some more general impressions about Austin, Texas.

But I have to write a sermon.

I've been wanting to do a movie review on a little film we watched last week - Rocket Science - and how it reflects our current ethos as a culture

But I have to write a sermon.

So, instead, let me share a poem I wrote on the flight down instead.

And maybe I'll just keep this list and work on it all next week.

Seattle to Austin

Three times up, three times down
like children playing leapfrog
we seem unable to maintain
our grip on flight
one moment dancing the vast
western sky inexorably
returning to earth-planted feet
we leap, we soar, buckle
and feel the rush of liftoff
pushing into your bones
we plummet and plod the
crowded taxiway, growing in
awareness of sore butts and
cramped knees

Is how I talk to you, God
friend, companion on this journey
never quite sustaining rapture
growing ever weary of the ground
discontent to remain
unable to fly

Good Stuff and Good Stuff

Last night was Eugene Peterson, telling three stories of artists who have impacted his life, and how they intersect with artists and crafts-persons in the Bible. Yesterday afternoon I met John Wilson, editor-in-chief for Books and Culture Magazine. This afternoon I sat in Luci Shaw's seminar, and had a lovely chat with her both before and after.

Dinner tonight was Texas BBQ. And later we're meeting up with old Upland friend David Clucas.

I'm beginning to wish a lot of people I knew were here. Too much to digest and process and ponder and be challenged by. . .

As far as I know, we're the only Covenanters here, and I'm wishing we had stronger representation. I think a lot of good could come out of the discussions being had in this symposium. I also wish I had 10 more Lakebay people here, so they could get some of the same message. Good, powerful, mind-changing. A vision for re-awakening a heart for art as an expression of God's creativity and our worship; a multitude of sights and sounds and textures and tastes and smells, all for the glory of God. Wondering how to have a place in bringing it to reality in our world. So much to think about, so much to do.

Luci Shaw

Starting the conference

and the church has free wi-fi. . .that's good.

Last night Karina and I drove around Austin, had some Indian food for dinner, toured the UT campus. I suppose southerners could probably be more astute to this, but it all feels just like Knoxville, where I spent a couple weeks for CHIC 5 years ago. Driving around UT felt just like driving around the University of Tennessee. So all you who went to CHIC - that's what it's like in Austin.

Which is a good thing, by the way. Clean town, friendly people, lots of options for food and diverse shopping, large parks. . .oh, and very humid.

Had a nice, short talk with Luci Shaw this morning; she was gracious and truly engaged in the conversation. Now Andy Crouch is on stage and ready to give the first message, so bye for now.