Reconnecting with the Sea

I haven't posted on this blog in almost six months. This post marks my third entry in about 5 days. Don't know what's up, I'm just running with it.

Last night I started reading America's Inland Waterway again. It was published by the National Geographic Society in 1973 and then again in paperback in 1983. My family was given a hardback copy signed by the photographer because there are pictures of my great-grandfather Stacy Guthrie in the book. That fact has always been a source of pride for the family. The book is basically a journal of the travels of a small sailing yacht up the Intracoastal Waterway. During part of that journey, the photographer stopped on Harkers Island and the rest is history.

The writer begins his journey in Massachusetts. On of his stops is New Bedford, where Herman Melville received his inspiration to write Moby Dick. As the writer details the emotional connection the locals have with the sea and their boats, I began to reminisce about my own childhood growing up in what was once a fishing village where everyone shared those same kind of connections. I find myself mourning for times lost. I experience naive and romantic notions of moving back home and somehow suddenly becoming an "old salt". I desire to immerse myself in knowledge of the history of my hometown so that I can reconnect with a lost heritage.

Our faith journeys often begin the same way. Something within our souls long to reconnect with something past. It's the calling of the Holy Spirit, inviting us to reconnect with our Creator and repairing the broken relationship severed thousands of years ago in the Garden. We can immerse ourselves in Him as he fills us with his presence. Fortunately for all of us, it's not just a romantic dream but a reality for all who believe.

Will there be Vulcans in Heaven?

No, this is not my attempt to be blasphemous nor overly sarcastic. It is a tongue in cheek question spurred by my recent viewing of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Before anyone freaks out that perhaps I have switched my allegiance from the Jedi Universe to be a Trekkie, I really do not consider the two to be mutually exclusive. I will however state that my desire to be a Jedi Master is stronger than my desire to serve aboard the Federation Starship Enterprise.

There is a line early in the movie where Admiral Kirk (he's been promoted) says that IF Spock has an eternal soul, then he, Kirk, must do whatever possible to help Spock. It's an interesting twist that by the 23rd century in the Star Trek universe that it is commonly accepted that there is no divine, there is no after life. Higher powers are simply more highly evolved sentient beings. However, Vulcans still retain an element of mysticism that believes in the eternity of the soul. To add another turn to this odd twist, humans are portrayed as irrational beings, controlled by their emotions whereas Vulcans have eliminated emotions from their beings and are governed solely by logic. How interesting that such a civilization should believe in an afterlife.

Where are we today? Have we become so technologically advanced, so knowledgeable about the workings of the universe that we have eliminated the possibility of the divine and an afterlife (note I use afterlife in the singular, not plural)? Have we misappropriated our use of logic in this endeavor? Have we forgotten that any logical examination of such ideas must at least allow for these possibilities, no matter how remote? Or have we misapplied our scientific principles and ruled out possible conclusions that contradict the results we would prefer?

Believe it or not, I'm not trying to be overly philosophical. I'm asking a basic question. Do your actions, lifestyle, and behavior logically agree with what you say you believe? Or are you living like the confused humans of the 23rd century? Just a thought . . .

Christmas Reflections '09

It's December 26, the day after Christmas (Boxing Day for those of you who maintain roots with England) and a strange one it has been. As I drove my youngest son to the mall to buy a Lego set with some Christmas money he received, today's date shockingly dawned upon me. It shocked me so because except for the fact it took over 30 minutes to travel less than half a mile from the interstate to a parking place and the Christmas decor still adorning the mall, it certainly did not feel like Christmas.

Before I go any further, let me say that one steps onto shaky ground when talking about whether or not it "feels" like something. Christmas is not a feeling. It's either a secular holiday with sacred undertones or a sacred observance with secular trappings, depending on who you are and where you start. The strange thing for me this year is I felt like I had no starting place. It just came and went. All the sacred and all the secular meanings were clearly present, but none of them rang very loudly for me.

Perhaps the economy killed the secular for me. We had managed to save a substantial chuck of change in order to make this a really big Christmas in terms of gifts. But car repairs, medical bills, and rising gas and grocery prices put the kibosh on that. We did manage to salvage a portion of that savings. With the help of Craigslist, we were able to surprise the boys with a Wii.

That actually turned out to be the best part of Christmas - the surprise on the boys faces. It wasn't the best because we got them some huge expensive present. It was the look of satisfaction on the faces before opening the Wii. They knew our financial situation and the very small number of presents under the tree did not faze them. They were very content with the few small things they had received until opening that one big box labeled for both of them. It was a moment I will cherish forever.

Perhaps my return to teaching killed the sacred for me. I have been out of the pulpit for about a year and half now. I turned in my credentials, feeling 100% confident that God has led me away from pastoral ministry. My ministry to students and fellow teachers had resumed after a fifteen year hiatus. Ironically, something about being on the front line as opposed to directing the troop movement from the church office made it seem less so.

Christmas carols have always been my favorite part of Christmas. On the Sunday before Christmas, we sang What Child is This. This line stood out - "Good Christian, fear for sinners here, The silent Word is pleading." It hit me like a ton of bricks - that is what Christmas is all about. That is the mission of Christmas and every Christ follower.

As I reflect on Christmas 2009, though it did not "feel" like Christmas, I must say it has been one of the best ever. Maybe it was more like "Christmas" than I realized.

Summer Goal Update

Two more things off the honey-do list. Goal 1 for curriculum development done. Steady as she goes!

MGSF, Season 3 Episode 3

What if you could have whatever you wanted? That's the question which leads to a life of crime for three women and their families in the movie Mad Money. What does that have to do with this season's theme of Matt Guthrie, Suburban Farmer - Reclaiming the Garden? Everything. It was that very same question that got us kicked out of the Garden.

Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation to have what they wanted under their own terms. They believed the lies told by the serpent. What did they want? The Bible tells us that the fruit looked good and the idea of gaining wisdom appealed to the first couple. But is that all they really wanted? Was some juicy, tasty fruit and some knowledge the real motivation? Or was it the desire to be like God himself without trusting his judgement?

We have already been created in his image, although now it is flawed because of sin. Because of that fatal decision, God has put another plan in place so that effects of that moment can be reversed. That's what reclaiming the Garden is all about. God holds the deed and gives us the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing our claim. In the process, we are remade into his image.

What IF you could have whatever you wanted? How much do you want to be like him?

How much is enough?

"Kamens said on his blog that the airline offered him a $75 refund."

says this article about two young girls who were placed on the wrong flights earlier this week. Considering the situation, I would have considered $75 to be a greater wrong than the mistake itself. How much would the airline have to offer for me to feel properly compensated for the wrong they had done to me and my child?

This begs an important question regarding our faith journey. How much is enough for our relationships with God to be restored so that we move from enemy to friend? outcast to family member? death to life? It's through faith in the death of Jesus as the only payment big enough to pay for our sins. After reading this article, I wondered how God feels about our feeble efforts to make our own way.

Real Self-Sacrifice

Last night we watched Seven Pounds starring Wil Smith. The premise of the movie is that "Ben" Thomas, Smith's character, has dedicated his life to changing the lives of seven other people before committing suicide. If this is a movie you plan on watching, you may want to stop reading now and come back later. The climax and the "I can't believe it ends like this" moment comes when Thomas actually takes his life for the sole purpose of providing a heart transplant for a woman with a rare blood type. The twist is that Thomas has indavertently fallen in love with her.

During the scene that shows the surgeons removing the heart from Thomas' body and simultaneously prepping the woman's body, I could not help but think of the parallels to the mission of Jesus, the Son of God. He came to earth for the sole purpose of giving his life as the only sufficient atonement for our sins and possibility of eternal life. Watching the anguish on Thomas' face as he cheats himself of love with this young woman caused to think of Christ's anguish in a different way. Ultimately, he knew he would not be cheated of time spent with the people he loved, but how much pain did his love cause himself in those regards?

"Ben" Thomas' acts provide contrasts to Christ's actions as well. Christ was perfect. His action's were prompted by perfect love for others. His act of self-sacrifice provided for the atonement of the world. Thomas' mission was provoked by a desire to seek atonement for himself. Seven lives, including his wife's, were ended because of a fatal mistake he made on the highway. His acts were an attempt to find redemption for himself by punishing himself.

As we live out our faith journeys, what will motivate our actions? Will we embrace the grace that provides for our salvation or will we try to work off our guilt? Will we allow our lives to be molded by the love of Christ so that we live sacrificially for the sake of others? Just a thought.

1st day of summer break & 1st goal met. Crawled out of bed @ 10:40. Will plan for the rest of my goals after lunch w/a friend. It's gonna be a great summer.

Note: I did make it to my small group at 6 this morning, but came home and went back to bed :-D

Goal Update

As soon as I published my summer goals I realized I needed to update them.  I'm not going to be able to stay in bed until 10am on Monday.  I am part of a men's small group that meets at 6:00am every Monday.  So, I guess I'll have to change the goal to come home and go back to bed until at least 10:00.

That's the thing about goals.  Sometimes they are impossible.  Sometimes they are just unrealistic.  Or sometimes they just need to be modified to better fit the situation or what is really needed.

Summer Goals

In one week my "summer break" officially begins. I have set the following goals to accomplish before I return to school in two months:
- lose 20 of the 35 pounds I need to lose. Twenty will satisfy my doctor when I go for my annual physical in August. Thirty-five will satisfy me.
- Resume (begin?) running. I'd like to be back up to at least 3 miles a day when I return to work.
- read Twilight and find out what has all my female students so captivated that many of them have read the entire series several times this year alone.
- develop an integrated math and science curriculum for a class that will begin in the 2011-2012 school year.
- develop a men's discipleship curriculum with my pastor that will kick off this fall with at least three small groups.
- develop a better physical conditioning program for my volleyball team before tryouts begin this fall. Also develop a broader set of skill development drills.
- catch up on all the episodes of Heroes I missed this year
- begin watching season 1 of Lost to see what everyone else is so excited about
- finish the first draft of my juvenile fantasy novel. I'd like my boys to be able to read and enjoy it before they outgrow it.
- go fishing AT LEAST once a week.
- come home with a cooler full of trout after our camping vacation in Cherokee, NC
- complete the honey-do list
- do an in-depth study of the book of Hebrews

My first and easiest goal will be accomplished on June 15. I WILL not get out of bed that morning before 10:00 am. The rest of the goals are fairly attainable, but will require lots of discipline. Discipline is a key component in our faith journeys. "Discipline" and "Disciple" have the same root. The Holy Spirit begins, continues, and will complete changes in our lives, but we must also be disciplined in our faithful obedience to God. What goals do you have for your faith journey? What discipline will be required?

MGSF, Season 3 Episode 2 - Real Work

(Matt Guthrie, Suburban Farmer)

This season is all about reclaiming the Garden. Over a month ago when I was doing the back breaking work of hoeing up my garden plot, I began to appreciate the whole concept of work. I'm not a desk jockey, but as a math teacher, I do very little physical work throughout the course of the day. It felt good to use all those neglected muscles, especially when I thought about having my own farm. My dream of perfect, romantic farm life where everything goes on without a hitch rolled continuously through my mind as I drove my mental tractor through the fields and collected the eggs of my yet-to-exist chickens.

I began to appreciate once again our original purpose when we were created. Contrary to popular belief, Adam was not put in the Garden to eat bon bons all day. He was put there to work. Adam's job was to tend to the Garden and all of Creation. That doesn't mean that if we are not doing hard physical labor that we are falling short of God's design. It doesn't matter what type of work it is, as long as we do it. One of the reasons we feel so fulfilled after a hard day's work is that we are fulfilling part of our purpose.

We were made in God's image, imago dei. He wanted us to continue his work. That includes his creative work in the Garden. We were called upon to multiply across the face of the earth. That creativity is not limited to procreation. Take a good look at the art, technology, and philosophy around you. They are all products of the ability to create placed in us by God.

The continuation of God's work includes telling everyone about him. Abraham was given a promise. Part of that promise was to be the forefather of the one who would provide salvation to all. Abraham was also told to be a blessing to all he encountered. As God formed his chosen people, their purpose was to show the world who God was. Before Jesus returned to his Father's side, he gave us the commission to go out and tell everyone about him, making them his disciples. This is the most important work we could do.

How's your garden going?

Happy Mother's Day

This Mother's Day I am reminded of how mothers so easily embody the self-sacrificing ideals of Christ.  In church this morning we sang several songs that highlighted the price the Son of God paid to willingly be our savior.  He gave up his throne in heaven.  He took on human flesh and its limitations, even death.  He gave himself to take on our sin when we were so undeserving.  All this was motivated by love.

My own mother sacrificed so much for the sake of us kids.  She worked hard.  She put herself last when we need clothes.  She shopped all day with us kids in tow and then came home to unload it all while at the same time preparing supper.  Even now that we are all grown, she still gives sacrificially to us.  And all because of love.  Thanks.  Happy Mothers Day.

Meet Nutty

I'd like to introduce you to my new friend, Nutty.  Nutty is my new Webkinz.  He's a squirrel with an old fashioned country bedroom.  I'm trying to pass on my love of baseball to him by building him a baseball themed playroom.  The floor looks like a playing field.  The walls are decorated like a stadium.  Slowly I'm buying furniture and appliances for the room that look like baseball equipment.

Nutty was another one of those special birthday gifts.  Each of my sons has a couple of Webkinz.  Joshua really enjoys the online world.  I don't think there is anything about it he does not know.  He talks about it all the time.  Joshua thought I would enjoy it as well, so he bought Nutty for me.  Once I opened the gift, he could not wait to help me get registered, help me furnish my room, and show me where all the cool stuff in Webkinz World is located.  You might say he moved with a certain evangelistic zeal.  

Joshua's fervor brought to mind how we should view our faith journeys.  Are our journeys so meaningful to us that we think everyone should have one?  Are we willing to help novices navigate through the often uncertain waters?  Are we willing to befriend them and interact with them in their world so they will be more comfortable?

Just a thought.  BTW, if you're ever in Webkinz World, send a note to gutmajohar.  I'll show you Nutty's playroom and then we can go to the arcade together.

Birthday Surprise!

I turned the big 4-0 a few weeks ago.  Life has been so hectic that I haven't had the opportunity to talk about the cool surprises I've received.  The biggest surprise came last Friday.  My wife planned an outing to see the Carolina Mudcats play.  I had no idea where we were going until we got there.  When we arrived at the ball park, we met up with two other families, again a surprise.  They even wished me a happy birthday on the giant screen.

I really love baseball, so this was a cool gift.  What made it really cool was the presence of these two families.  The husbands are two of my best friends, fellow pastors I have known for twenty years.  When I was pastoring, we would meet once a month to support and encourage each other.  Since leaving the pulpit, I've not had the opportunity to hang with these guys.  I was touched they would come because they each had to drive 2 to 2 1/2 hours to get to the ballpark.  One family even broke down on the way home that night.

I was really blessed this birthday to re-experience the value of relationships and community in my faith journey.  What about you?

Fathers - why is it that every Hollywood movie that involves the fulfillment of a dream also involves an unsupportive and atagonistic father?

Blogging from my phone-if u only had 160 characters what would u say about God & your journey if u wanted the reader to begin following Christ themselves?

Matt Guthrie, Suburban Farmer - Season 3 episode 1

This week began another season of Matt Guthrie, Suburban Farmer (MGSF).  The last two years we had straw bale gardens.  I was determined to have a much larger, more traditional in-the-ground garden.  I picked out the perfect spot in our yard with plenty of sun, etc.  I mentally marked off a plot about twenty feet square.  There was one last piece of critical info - I needed to verify the location of our septic drain lines.  And wouldn't you know it?  Our drain lines run right through all the best places on our property for a garden.  On to plan B.

After much shadow watching, soil checking, etc. we finally determined the next best place.  To make a long story short, I accepted plan C after beginning the process of preparing the ground the old fashioned way by hand.  I went to AgriSupply yesterday and bought ten bales of wheat straw.  I'll do another straw bale garden over the spot where I want my "real" garden next year.  Over the winter I'll till and prepare the ground for next spring.

This season the theme of MGSF will be "Reclaiming the Garden After The Fall".  While doing all that hoeing by hand on Saturday, thoughts of Adam working the Garden of Eden before the forbidden fruit incident kept coming to mind.  It has been said that all of salvation history is about God trying to get humankind back into the Garden.  Think about your faith journey in those terms.  Stay tuned for more episodes of MGSF as we flesh out those thoughts and more.

Artful worship?

Here's a different statue of Jesus

He is risen!

He is risen indeed

Psalm 34:8

Bitterness, a taste I thought forgotten

Words are salt on my blistered lips

Anger sears my tongue 

Burning, I choke it down

Why is it so fresh today?

Friends set a table

I dined with enemies

The fruit of betrayal was the main course

Why must I eat of this today?

A cup of suffering for a Son forsaken

Filled with my sins, willingly consumed

Death and darkness give way to light and life

The Savior sets a table

I dine with the lover of my soul

The fruit of love fills my plate

Grace serves a meal undeserving

The cup, filled with forgiveness

Wine soothes my wounded spirit

Comfort gently cools my heart

I swallow its healing for my soul

A fresh taste everyday

(Not) Just another Thursday

Today is the day that all my colleagues have been waiting for - the last day before Spring Break! Spring Break is always an important time for public school teachers. February and March are usually long stretches where there are no holidays or workdays. The kids are tired of school and wishing it would end. Eventually we tachers all get tired of fighting the battle and we begin to long for break to arrive. Hope and excitement are in the air today because we all know that tomorrow begins Spring Break - 1 week away from school to recharge and hopefully come back to finish strong.

Today is an special day for more important reasons. It's Maundy Thursday. Tonight is the night that Jesus celebrated his last Passover with the Disciples. It's the night that Judas betrayed him with a kiss and the guards arrested him.  It began the countdown of the final stages of his earthly ministry - his crucifixion and death that paid for our sins and his resurrection that gives us the promise of eternal life.  There is hope and excitement in the air because we are on the backside of the resurrection event.  We can say with assurance that no matter how bad it gets, we can hold onto the promise of eternal life in heaven.

What a great day this is gonna be . . . 

That's not my job (anymore)

A disturbing realization came upon me this morning.  I have become complacent, ineffective, and inactive in the sharing of my faith.  Sure, I get up every morning and go to work, Scout meetings, and ball games, living the Christian life.  People still call me "pastor" even though I'm not one anymore.  I get called upon to pray at all the usual gatherings.  I post occassionally on this blog.  But I realized that I am not pro-actively sharing my faith, living it out in tangible ways, serving the world around me in ways that exhibit a missional lifestyle that leads non-believers to begin their own faith journeys.

While I considered all these thoughts, I wondered if I have become a victim of the believers version of being a couch potato.  Have I stopped because "it's not my job anymore"?  Or have I just gotten lazy?

Just a thought, and not a comforting one . . .

NCCAT Reflections 2

One of the themes that was reiterated continually during my workshop on web 2.0 resources for the classroom was "Use it for yourself before you try to implement these in the classroom."  It can be very daunting to try and implement some of these tools.  You might even get worse results by trying to use them before you're ready.  Read here for some thoughts I've posted for teachers in these regards.

During my time at this workshop, I began to think about this in terms of our spiritual lives.  I phrased that theme this way - "learn, use, apply".  When we begin our faith journeys, our entire lives should be affected and changed.  Granted, that takes time to see the full effects, but it should happen.  The Holy Spirit enters our lives, begins to fill us, helps us learn what it means to be a follower of Christ, and we are hopefully using and applying them to our everyday lives, not just our church lives.

I can't help but think how many of us are like the teachers I reference in the above post, trying to apply or live something out that we don't really use.  I want Christ's influence on my life to be THE factor in all I do, not just some second nature.   Learn, use, & apply - that's a faith journey.

NCCAT Reflections 1.1

"It's so easy to use these things." That's what I said in my previous post. I think most churches don't employ these things because they don't use them. If we had the demographics of the churches that use web 2.0 resources, my bet is that they already use them in their regular life. Those who are afraid to use them or feel threatened by them are the ones who don't ever use them.

That's the real key to how you live out your faith journey. You do what you already do, just with a different perspective on life and with a different motivation. Of course, certain activities need to cease once you begin a faith journey, things that are obviously contrary to the Gospel. Web 2.0 resources are do not fall into that category.

Are these things being used for evil? Yep, they sure are. Does that make them inherently evil? Nope. Ever since the first sin in the Garden, humankind has been using that which God created for good for some other selfishly gratifying and sinful purpose.

If we want people to truly live out their faith, why don't we spend more time helping them use their lives for the glory of God. God gave us the creativity and intellect that has developed all that we know and have. Why not give these innovations back to him, a way of living out Romans 12:1-2.

NCCAT Reflections 1.0

This week I've had the privilege of attending a workshop at the NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching. We have been talking about web 2.0 resources. The eventual goal for all of us is to move from knowledge to personal use to application in the classroom. The number of thoughts that are running through my mind are endless.

One of the things we experienced was Skype. We video conferenced with someone who explained how he used it for Bible Study! He is part of a group that meets weekly using this tool. There are all kinds of other applications that are being under utilized to help people on their faith journeys - wikis, blogs . . . Imagine being able to continue the conversation throughout the week on what you heard on Sunday or in small group or something that happened to you today.

These thoughts are not new. Plenty of others have published more in depth thoughts about this. But it's just so easy to use these things. Next chance I get I'm going to revisit that thought - it's just so easy to use these things - and develop this some more.

Shadows

We are fortunate enough to have plenty of beautiful hardwoods in our yard.  For a few days each fall, we are blessed with a vibrant display of reds, yellows, oranges, even purples and pinks.  It also means that our yard is dotted with tall gray poles that have nary a leaf all winter.  Some well placed shadows joined hands with those trees to play a nice little trick on me the other day.

I was sitting on the loveseat, looking out the back door.  There was a birdhopping along the trunk of a tree, giving the occasionally peck as he traversed the length of the trunk, going up and down.  Interestingly, there was another bird on an adjacent mirroring his actions.  I've seen two males act this way before, fighting over territory or a female.  There was a larger tree behind the two these birds were occupying.  Suddenly, one bird flew to the larger tree and the other bird joined him.  The birds were face to face.  For several seconds they stayed in this posture then returned to their original trees.

After witnessing this "dance" a few more times, my amazement died.  I realized that the second bird and its tree were only the shadow of the first, being cast onto the trunk of the much larger tree.  

Shadows have a way of concealing reality from us.  Things which rather not be discovered hide in shadows.  Our vision can be hampered by shadows, hiding the real truth from us.  That's why it is so important to walk in the light of Christ when on a faith journey.  Darkness will try to hide his face.  Darkness will strive to lead us astray.  The shadows can even begin to look appealing if we let them.  To quote DC Talk, I'm gonna choose to walk in the light.

What's up with your blog?

To the 4 people who read my blog with semi-semi-semi-regularity, you have probably noticed that my posts lately have been coming with even less regularity.  Lots of factors are involved, lack of time being the main.  The activities that have been taking up most of my time have also given me reason to consider the purpose of this blog.  Or at least its original purpose.  I don't know what will happen to Just a Thought, but my gut tells me it will morph more into an online journal of my own faith journey.  That's of course assuming I can carve out time to actually post.

Just in case you're curious, here's one of the things that has been occupying my time - the Kenan Fellowship.  I've made it to the interview round of the process.  My interview is Tuesday afternoon. We'll see how it turns out.

Acting on Instinct

Season 8 of American Idol is in full swing.  The finalists will be picked this week and next week we, the viewers, begin our part of the process of voting on the next American Idol.  One contestant is completely blind.  A clip of him playing the keyboard while he was singing was shown tonight.  I found it interesting that as he was playing, he instinctively "looked" down at his hands and the keys at various times throughout his performance.

I don't know his story.  I don't know if he was born blind or lost his sight later in life.  Whatever the case, something within him cause him to act in a manner that was consistent with the function and purpose of eyes.

There are aspects of our lives that seem to happen by instinct.  Mothers have it, 'cept they call it "intuition."  Some of us have personalities that drive us to make decisions by what our guts tell us.  When frightened or placed in otherwise stressful situations, the "fight or flight" instinct kicks in.

As people on a faith journey following Christ, we sometimes find ourselves in a battle of warring instincts.  There is the sinful nature that taints our soul that tries to lead us into actions that seek to only satisfy self and ignore the needs of others or the will of God.  Then there is the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, leading us to imitate the self-sacrificing attitude of Christ, changing us to take on his character.

Which instinct is strongest in you?  Which purpose and function are you fulfilling?

I've been there

I have a student who has been issued a laptop by the school because of some disabilities that affect his handwriting.  On Thursday, he and another student were trying to put the finishing touches on a project when he experienced what all of us who depend on computers have experienced at least once.  His computer stopped working properly.  He had no way to access any of his prior work.  He and his partner were obviously distraught and called me over to see if I could fix it.

After he described what was happening, I immediately knew his problem - a bad video inverter.  I only knew this because I had experienced the same thing.  I wasn't able to fix his problem, but I could at least diagnose it and then empathize with him because nothing is more frustrating than to be dependent on a computer and not be able to get your stuff.

How many times in life has someone come along and provided comfort because they had experienced the same thing as you?  How about the other way around?  That's the beauty of community and relationships.  We usually only focus on sharing the bad things in life, but sharing the good things makes the good things even better.

There is one who can empathize with EVERYTHING we have ever experienced.  We can take all our problems and all our joys.  We can even take him our sin that we are powerless to do anything about and he will be there for us.  He'll even take that away if we ask him.  That's why I'm on a faith journey with Jesus.  He'll be there.

Dual Citizenship & Dissociative Identity

As our country undergoes a major transition politically and economically, I find myself spending a lot of mental energy processing my views historically while at the same time trying to predict the trajectory they are currently following.  What are my beliefs as follower of Christ living in 21st Century America?

Obama's election to our nation's highest office has been an interesting event for American Evangelicals.  Putting it simplistically, Evangelicals normally swing Republican because of "moral issues."  However, many younger Evangelicals have proudly supported Obama because it was a vote to reclaim the forgotten social action heritage of many Evangelicals.  If we are all honest, we would state that NO political party has the market cornered on what it is right.  If you are an optimist, then you pick the candidate or party that has the most right things from your perspective.  If you see the glass half empty, then you pick the lesser of two evils.

Without going into too much political and economic analysis, neither of which I am qualified offer, I struggle with how our nation's leaders are addressing the current economic crisis.  I do not agree with all the government bailouts or huge stimulus bills that really won't do anything for the economy.  They will all inevitably lead us into more dire times.  Where's the money the government's throwing around going to come from?  It's going to come from us, the taxpayers.

Another part of my struggle relates to how do I really feel about capitalism.  At the risk of sounding harsh and uncaring, if a company begins to fail because of poor management, inferior products, or anything else, then let it go.  I think in the long run, everything will right itself and all parties will be better off.  The real issue I'm struuggling with is the concept of creating wealth.  

Can wealth really be created?  For what purpose?  Is it right for a follower of Jesus to make money for the sake of making money and keeping it to themselves?  I think everyone will say"No" to that one, yet isn't that we're advocating?

All these thoughts are in their infancy.  And for them all, I find myself in my idealism faced with an impossible decision.  I cannot align myself even half way with the political and economic choices in front of me.  I guess that why we have Anabaptist groups, Amish, and Mennonites.  How does one live as a citizen of the Kingdom of God and one of the earthly kingdoms too?  Even more specifically, CAN one live as a citizen of both or is a split personality the only possibility?

The Fruits of Wrath

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:8-11

We sang a song last week that thanked God for "crushing" his son Jesus in order to reconcile us to him. At first that sounds violent and unloving. What we don't see when we look at this in isolation is that it was the love of Jesus that motivates his action. God the Father agrees with the plan. Because of Jesus' act of self-sacrifice, God rewards him with the resurrection and name above all names.

For me though, the power is in the wrath.  I'm not one to talk about God's wrath much; I prefer to speak more about his love that works to help us escape the wrath.  BUT, I can't help but be struck by the thought that Jesus was crushed to enable us to be reconciled and live in peace with God, live with God's peace in us, live in peace and not worry about our eternal destiny.  And because of that it makes me want to live for him more, makes me want to be more like him, makes me want to tell more people about him. . .  Funny how the right combination of wrath and love can do that.

A Momentous Day

Policy issues and opinions aside, today is a historic day for our country. Our first African-American president has taken office. While watching the inauguration ceremonies , I could not help but feel some of the history. I also could not help but think of all the movies and television shows I've seen that have had fictional African-American presidents. Truth has caught up with fiction.

We'll see how the Obama presidency goes. For now I will celebrate what I hope will be a positive moment for our country.

Snow Update

Well, the weather forecasters can breathe a collective sigh of relief. After saying somewhat sheepishly last night it may not snow quite as much as initially predicted, you can see how our yard looked this morning. It's still coming down and we may in fact get close to six inches.

It's of course messed up our school calendar. We'll probably end up going to school during Easter week. It sure is pretty though.

No School on Tuesday!

At 6:15 pm, I received a phone call saying that school had been canceled for all students, faculty, and staff tomorrow. They apparently were taking to heart the predictions that were almost guaranteeing at the time anywhere from 3 to 6 inches. At 11:30, all the weather folks were backtracking, scaling things back to 2 to 4 inches, with 1 inch being the most likely. It will probably turn into one of those "We should have delayed school two hours" events. I hold my criticisms and just quote my principal who likes to say, "It is what it is."

Happy Sledding (I hope)!

Poor Timing

• There is approximately 1 cup of milk left in the refrigerator. Forecasters are calling for some possible wintry mix this evening and 2-4" of accumulation tomorrow. I know there will be a run on bread and milk today. Everyone will think I'm part of the panic, but I REALLY do need milk

• Deer season ended January 1. Almost immediately on the day after, all the deer that had been hiding in the woods have returned to the fields in the evening to eat. While walking through the woods, the boys and I even jumped the deer we had been hunting and tracking all season 10 days AFTER the season ended. The doves have even returned to the skies now that dove season has ended. How do they know?!
  

The Myth of Sharing

Yesterday I concluded a three week class I've been teaching some of fourth and fifth grade Cub Scouts in my sons' pack. It was the God & Family class, part of the God and Country curriculum. In a couple of weeks I'll be teaching God & Me to some of the second and third graders. One of the things we talked about today in our final session was the sharing of our faith. After talking about the story of Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego, the boys were asked this question, "How do you talk about your faith with your friends?" I was floored by their response. Their overwhelming response was, "We're not allowed to talk about God in school."

When I tried to assure them that they could indeed talk about God in school, they emphatically explained to me how wrong I was. I used examples like they cannot stop you from telling a friend how much fun you had at church the day before. They were adamant in their belief that no mention of God whatsoever was allowed in schools.

I went on to explain that what is not allowed is the school itself telling them that one god or religion is preferable to another but they could talk personally to one another as much as they please, as long as they did not disrupt the educational environment. I had eight boys stare back at me, unwavering in their belief I was wrong.

I'm still trying to process that event. What led them to such a belief? Have we talked so much about how God has been kicked out of the public schools that our children have now constructed their own interpretations of what that means, regardless of how wrong it might be? Have we as parents and Christian teachers created a mentality that has discouraged the sharing of our faith for whatever reason? Have we become so afraid of the consequences (both legal and social) as adults that it has become passed down to our children without any conscious effort on our part?

I fear that what is happening in the minds of these young boys and people everywhere is the further confirmation that Christian faith is irrelevant to real life. It is becoming more and more privatized, severing all links from our day to day living. This is not an accurate protrayal of Christianity.

What I hope happens is that Christianity will begin to appear even more dangerous, so dangerous that our children will be afraid to mention it in school. I hope it becomes so dangerous that people begin to see its value again. I hope they begin to be drawn back to it because it must mean something. I hope people's lives are changed as a result. And I hope those eight young Cub Scouts will develop the faith and courage of three young Hebrew men who faced the fiery furnace.

The Cost of Things (from a different angle)

Friday night I watched part of Oliver!. The musical opens with the Governor and Board of Directors of the Workhouse orphanage getting ready for their meal. They pass through the boys dining room and take a look at the gruel about to be served. Each man makes a face. They then retreat to their private dining room and feast. Once the orphans come out to eat, the contrast between the men and the boys is magnified. Each one of the boys is a skinny waif with hardly any meat on his bones. The Directors are all heavy set men. The men are not proportionately large - they are the proud owners of VERY large potbellies.

Among the many thoughts that ran through my mind was a tinge of guilt. As our economy continues to tank and more and more people find themselves unemployed (including folks in our neighborhood, spouses of my coworkers, and the people you know as well), the practice of indulging one's own greed and appetite while remaining indifferent to the plights of those suffering right under your nose eats at my soul. I won't even get started on how such practices characterize our society at large and may even be a small part of today's problems. Let's not forget how the Old Testament prophets continually spoke out against such a reality in Israel and Judah.

Are having things a sin? No. Is it wrong to have more than someone else? By no means. Is it wrong to ignore the plight of those in need when you have the capacity to help? Yes. That's part of the cost of things. It can also change the world.

The Cost of Things

I'm writing this post from my "new" laptop. When I say "new", I really mean "new" to me. It's actually about 7 years old, certainly not a top of the line machine. I've been carrying it around for four years, hoping to get it fixed. Four years ago the screen kept going in and out. I was told by people who fixed these things that it would take about $200 to fix it - parts and labor. The culprit was a part called the video inverter.

I don't know why I've kept this machine, but I did. Over the holidays I decided to go out on a lark and do some research. I found a site that showed me how to take the screen off and replace the inverter. I found the part on eBay for only $18 + $12 shipping from Hong Kong. The part came yesterday. I fixed it myself for only $30. Much better than $200. Today I went out and bought a wireless card so I could surf from my couch and not be tethered to the router.

It's always nice to fix things yourself. Most of the time you save money. It may take you longer, but there is also a sense of accomplishment by doing it yourself. Of course, that may be a guy thing, I don't know. Any women readers out there can let me know.

Of course, not everything can be fixed by yourself, usually because you do not have the tools or the expertise. The sin that marks our lives from the day we are born is just such a thing. No matter how hard I try, I can never fix the broken relationship that exists between God and me. I cannot earn my way into heaven. I cannot pay for the sin that causes the rift to exist.

That's why I have to depend on God's grace. It is his grace that sent his son Jesus to us. It is his grace that gave his son's life for us when we were undeserving of it. It is only through his sacrificial death of a perfect sinless life that atonement can be made. That is the high cost of salvation. That's a deal that will never be found on eBay

Post Christmas Update

Not that anyone cares, but here's my very belated post-Christmas update where I enthusiastically share about the cool things I got for Christmas. This Christmas can be summed up the words "Potato Head". I sort of unofficially began collecting the novelty Mr. Potato Heads out there when I received the Darth Tater and Optimash Prime versions the last two Christmases. This Christmas I received FOUR! different spuds - an Indiana Jones Potato Head, a generic Halloween with several costumes, and my two favorite versions - Artoo Potatoo and the Spudtrooper. I'll only you one guess as to what the last two are supposed to be. I've been too lazy to take a quick pic and post it here. I'll try to do so within the next week.

I'm really excited about these gifts. The problem is I need someplace to display them. I'd like to put them on display in my classroom so my kids can see just how unbalanced their math teacher really is. I also know the risk of having Darth Tater's light saber disappear by doing so. Right now, I don't have anywhere to show them, at home or school. It's something I've got to work on.

This wasn't my intended reason for posting the above, but as I was typing it occurred to me that Mr. Potato Head has a lot in common with spiritual gifts. Yes, you heard it here first. Every follower of Christ on a faith journey has one or more spiritual gifts. But, they don't always display them, use them, put them in a place where others can see (and be ministered to by) them. I definitely think my faith journey and its gifts are far more important than my SpudTrooper and his laser potato masher. If I'm going to put him on display, shouldn't I do the same with the greatest gift of all, salvation from God through Jesus Christ? Shouldn't I then put on display all the other gifts he then gives me? Just a thought.

BTW, the other word that could have described my Christmas was camouflage. I did take a picture of my new hunting attire, but you couldn't see it. So I didn't bother posting the picture.