What Do You Do With Halloween?

I'm headed off to the Village Green tonight. As I am, I am wondering where the conversation would go thru this blogsite concerning Halloween. In the church, the positions range from one extreme to the other - it's a satanic holiday to it's harmless fun; it's the pagan Samhain festival to it's a consumer driven boon; Christians should lock the doors and turn out their lights to Christians should seize the opportunity to be a part of their communities. What do you think?

I'll give you one thought that I've had today... and I'll follow it up with more thoughts later after I've allowed you time to chime in. My one thought: I really hope that Christians aren't shoving anti-Halloween literature in kid's bags as they come to the door for candy! I recommend sweet-tarts instead. Post your comments.

Tragedy in Texas

I'm saddened this morning to read news of a horrible accident yesterday morning that took the life of a young pastor in Texas, 33 year old Kyle Lake. Kyle was electrocuted while administering a baptism at University Baptist Church in Waco, Texas. Many at CCA may be familiar with the name of that church. It is the church that was co-founded by David Crowder, and he is the church's Worship Pastor. You can read the article here. You can visit the UBC website here. You can visit Crowder's website here. Join me in praying for the Lake family, Kyle's wife Jen, a five year old daughter and twin three year old boys, and the entire congregation at UBC.

Football & Faith... Your thoughts?

I ran across this article in the NYTimes. It was very interesting to me, as I had the privilege of meeting Seminoles Coach Bobby Bowden a number of years ago. My impression was that he was a man of genuine faith and that he deeply cared for his players and their families. (I met him through a family whose son played for Coach Bowden in the 1980's.) Give this article a read and post your thoughts. Are these coaches going to far?

For Our Saturday Night Readers

Tomorrow morning we will consider a passage from Paul's letter to the Galatians during our morning services, reading Galatians 4:1-7. Being that it is a rather short letter, a quick read thru all six chapters would be a great way to prepare our hearts for worship in the morning. The theme of Galatians is certainly freedom and liberty in Christ.

This last Sunday in October is often referred to in the church as 'Reformation Sunday'. It recalls the day when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis on the door of the Wittenburg Church, Sunday October 31, 1517, unintentionally beginning what is known as the Protestant Reformation.

I look forward to worshipping with you in the morning!

Do You Know This Man?

This man has few equals in Christian history. His versatility, devotion, courage, and the widespread impact he had on Christianity set him apart.

He translated the Scriptures, composed catechisms, developed liturgy, was a preacher, an author, a theologian and a hymn writer all while he was also known as a devoted family man and concerned citizen.

Although he despised it in his early years, the book of Romans became this man's favorite book of the Bible, followed closely by Galatians. These two books he said "liberated his soul" from an increasing dissatisfaction with church dogma.

Do you know this man?

G.O. 2005: Namibia (pt. 9)

This is the latest in an ongoing series of postings that make up my G.O. 2005: Namibia report. Find earlier postings in the archive menu. This section entitled 'Hallelujahs' will recount many of the dance team's performances in Namibia. Due to length, I've broken it down into three sections, this being the first. In addition, a new video featuring more dance footage was completed this week. Click here to see the new video.

Hallelujahs
Your song goes out to all the earth…
In 2002 Christ’s Church sent a band to Namibia. Music performance turned out to be a tremendous vehicle thru which to communicate the message of sexual purity to Namibia teens and young adults. The band would play a set of music and then share materials about HIV/AIDS and encourage young people to practice sexual purity. I was certain that the dance performances would have the same crowd-pleasing effect and because of the age of our dancers, I anticipated the Namibian youth would really be engaged.

Our team’s first dance performance was scheduled for the new Primary School in Vyf Rand. Not knowing what to expect, the girls were nervous. We had planned on three or four numbers and then one of ladies with the Northland Team, Gracia, would do our ‘sex talk’. Electricity is always an unknown at these schools, so we were prepared with a gasoline generator. We set up in a hurry and before we had time to really think about it, the music was playing and the girls were dancing. This performance was outside the school, in the dirt. As the girls moved dust filled the air.

Midway thru the first song our generator started to sputter and smoke. I ran to see what the problem was and quickly realized there was nothing I could do mechanically to improve the situation – so I sat down in the dirt, laid my hands on the generator and began to pray. “Lord, will you keep this thing running? PLEASE!” The engine settled back into a steady hum. After a few minutes I decided to leave the generator, hoping for a better vantage point to see the end of the girls’ dance routine. But as I moved, the generator began to labor again. I returned my hands and renewed my prayers. Once again, the engine steadied. For whatever reason, it seemed that I needed to stay with that generator and pray. So, I prayed. The dust the girls kicked up mixed with the exhaust fumes to form quite a cloud. The cloud was causing my asthma fits, and I had to laugh imagining that my claim to fame would be choking to death in Namibia while I prayed over a Honda generator! Not exactly a Jim Elliott story.

The girls were all emotionally overwhelmed as they danced. Tears poured down each of their faces, a few visibly sobbed even as they continued their routines. As we talked about it later it seemed to be a combination of things – finally being here after months of preparing; seeing the children and their response; the weight of HIV/AIDS; and the very real trouble that the ‘coincidence’ of it all was bringing to many of our hearts. Just how is it that this experience came to be?

This was the first of three trips to Vyf Rand for our team this day. As we left the school we promised the children we would see them for some play-time at the soccer field in the afternoon. And, we had been scheduled to participate in a church service that evening at Pastor Thomas’ church. I knew that this evening engagement would challenge us. For a few of our team members who came in 2004 it meant returning to see people with whom they had very powerful connection last year. For Carli and Steph it meant returning to the scene of very frightening encounters a day earlier. I wondered if we’d see Clement again. For all of us it would mean many handshakes and personal greetings. In our cross-cultural training we had stressed the importance of our American team being the initiators in social greetings. I wondered how the team would respond. Once again, this team came through with flying colors.

The next day’s schedule took us to Windhoek. The girls began the day in front of a small Christian School student body. The stage was very small, so the girls’ went with a few numbers they could do in minimal space. This was our first chance to see the Berthiaume sisters perform their duet and also for a small group of the girls, Carli, Adria, Michelle and Stephanie, to perform a number that they had choreographed themselves for the trip. This opportunity also provided our team with a couple other ‘firsts’. Dieter called on one of our team members, Jason, to come forward and be interviewed. Jason handled what was certainly a stressful situation well. Next was my daughter Amanda. Dieter decided it would be good for the school children to ask Amanda questions. I could see the terror in her eyes. As a dad I was awkwardly torn between desires to rescue her and waiting it out. Amanda handled it like a seasoned veteran. Then, Dieter called upon Sandi to come and share a bit in closing. Sandi had given some thought to these kinds of impromptu speaking assignments. What she had not prepared for, however, was the very thing Dieter was going to ask her to do. Dieter put his arm around Sandi and said, “Sandi, would you pray for this school and these students before we leave?” Everyone on our team felt for Sandi. Very obviously moved and her voice shaky, Sandi began and delivered a most heart-felt and eloquent prayer. I was wiping away tears.

This second day of dancing was slated to end with the team participating in a youth worship service at Emmanuel Church in Windhoek. Emmanuel offers up a fantastic youth ministry. Pastor Johan asked us to come early so he could audition several of the girls’ dances and choose the ones that would best fit his program for the evening. The girls were troopers, putting up with his requests for the better part of an hour, barely catching their breath between routines as he would say, “Can you show me that one again?” The actual service was tremendous. The youth band, several of their youth sharing testimonies, Pastor Johan’s message intertwined with video clips, all built around several numbers from our dancers.

As the first of the girls’ dance routines ended I noticed Diandre was in a great day of pain. She had pulled a muscle in her neck and Sandi was working feverishly to help her relax. I offered to pray for Diandre and she said that she would like that. So, pray I did. As I prayed I found myself thinking, here was a great opportunity. I have been praying for months that God would show up powerfully for this team. I dropped back a few rows of seats away from everyone and prayed fervently. As the evening went on Diandre seemed only to have minimal relief, but she was able to gut it out and continue. The highlight of the evening came for me when I lifted my head from prayer to find Diandre standing in front of me, one hand gripping her sore neck, the other arm around Stephanie. She asked, “Darin, would you pray for Steph too? Her knee is giving her problems.” I prayed for them both.

This day’s lesson for me was captured in my journal. I had written early in the day that I was disappointed with the schedule. Why were we going to Windhoek? Why a Christian School? Why a church service? Our girls were so very touched the days before in Vyf Rand, why were we not there again today? By days end it hit me. Had we not gone to Windhoek many members of our team would not have been stretched as they were. Jason and Amanda would not have been called upon to share. Sandi would not have had the opportunity to pray out loud as she did. The great blessing it was to pray for the girls, and more, to have Diandre and Steph specifically ask me to pray for them, all of this would have been missed were it not for this schedule with which I was initially so disappointed. My last journal entry of the day simply reads, “Thank you, Lord. Will you continue to make the most of all this?”

The Church

Several months ago a small group from Christ’s Church decided to take a Sunday night fieldtrip down to Massachusetts. We had heard about a church that offered a ‘post-modern’ worship experience. As we made our way there we laughed at what had become an inside joke for us, that for many ‘post-modern’ seems to mean simply adding candles and goatees. When we arrived at the advertised post-modern service we found a service that looked and felt very much like a Christ’s Church Sunday service – with added candles and an assortment of goatees!

Mike and Germaine recently stumbled upon a passionate debate at a Christian college about the merits of the ‘emergent church’. As I’ve entered into that conversation with a number of my pastoral peers I wonder if any two proponents or opponents of the ‘emergent church’ would actually agree on what it means to be ‘emergent’.

A couple of weeks ago I referenced a ‘seeker-sensitive’ church model in an article here on the blog. I’ve discovered that most who read that article were confused as to what identifies a church as being ‘seeker-sensitive’. The truth is that many churches that call themselves ‘seeker-sensitive’ would have a tough time explaining what they mean.

I want to invite you to join me in conversing about the church. In the coming weeks I will endeavor to post a series of articles to take us beyond a surface labeling of church by cosmetics and move to a more meaningful discussion of the church in mission, calling and culture. Your willingness to add in your thoughts and experiences will make this conversation more meaningful for all.

From Old School to Ancient School

Last night I took in a Relient K concert down in Worcester with Mike, G, my daughter Amanda and friend Stephanie. Included on the ticket were a couple of bands we'd never heard of, one of which, 'Rufio', had talent (notice I don't mention the others). But, we went to see Relient K, so our lack of appreciation for the other bands was probably to be expected. Relient K hit the stage and we were all appreciative! It takes a great band to reproduce live the sound of their recordings, and this band nailed it.

What caught my attention, however, were the repeated references by my concert-going party, strangers in the audience, and even members of the bands to 'old-school' music. Statements like, "They're sound is old-school" or "Here's a song for those of you who are old-school" were heard everywhere last night. The thing is, they were talking about stuff from the 90's! Am I that old that I am older than old-school? Isn't old-school like the 60's? Dylan - he's old-school. Or at least the 70's? Chicago? They're old-school. Come on! They had a horn line for cryin' out loud! Perhaps even the 80's? Hair bands? Spandex? But the 1990's??? At one point Relient K's lead singer Matthew Thiessen announced, "Here's a little tune for all you old-schoolers out there!" I'm expecting a Petra tune. Maybe Rez Band. Maybe Larry Norman! The band kicked into the theme song of the television show "Full House". I've just googled it. That's a series that ran from 1987-1995. That's the Olsen twins before they became billionaires. Now the Olsen twins are old-school?

So, I loved the concert. I am loving the fact that my ears were ringing this morning (now that's old-school, new-school, any-school cool). But, I'm feeling generationally aged today. Could it be that I'm too old for old-school? What does that mean? Am I ancient-school?

Injured Reserve

As last week was a particularly busy week for the various I/R lists around the league, I thought a brief explanation of that list and its designation in NFL-speak might be in order. So, here goes… Players added to a team’s Injured/Reserve List are no longer eligible to be on a team’s active roster for the remainder of a season. That means that players who are added to this list have suffered what is thought to be a season ending injury. While these players do not count against the team’s active roster for the remainder of the season, they do still count against the team’s salary cap. There is no limit to the amount of players a team can place on its I/R list… as Green Bay is demonstrating!

From the “Oops” file: How about Falcons DeAngelo Hall showing up on Monday Night Football in Nike shoes? What’s the big deal? Well, the big deal is the $4 million Reebok pays Hall to be their celeb/pitchman. Let’s all say it together, “OOPS!” If MNF wasn’t a big enough oops, oops he did it again. Hall showed up on a nationally broadcast sports television show Tuesday with a Nike swoop on his hat. Reebok execs watch TV. They’ve evidently seen Donald Trump’s reality show, because the called Hall yesterday to tell him, “You’re Fired!”

What is he thinking? Eagles’ coach Andy Reid cut walk-on PK Todd France this week and replaced him with former Cowboys’ PK Jose Cortez – all of this while regular Eagles PK David Akers is recovering from the early season hamstring injury (recall my earlier columns). All France has done is deliver near perfection, 6-7 FG’s and 10-10 PAT’s since he joined the Eagles. Cortez, on the other hand, was cut last week by Dallas for his inconsistency. Cowboy coach Bill Parcells was asked why he was cut: “Cortez sucks. He was terrible”, he responded. I’ll bet he’s not listed as a reference on Cortez’s resume!

Quick Hits: After the season is over watch carefully the developments in St. Louis. Word is there are some real tensions between head coach (on a medical leave of absence for the remainder of the year) Mike Martz and team execs. Also, Titans’ RB Travis Henry returns to action this week after his four game suspension for smoking dope. Let’s see if he can be as productive as Dolphins RB Ricky Williams has been since he returned (11 carries 7 yards). I know… get to the picks!

Here are this weeks ‘Tedy & Cadillac are back, oops-I-did-it-again, trot-out-the-lousy-kicker-to-get-me-three, for-I-can’t-miss’ picks for week 8: Cowboys over Cardinals; Bears over Lions; Texans over Browns (they have to win sometime); Bengals over Packers; Jaguars over Rams; Saints over Dolphins; Panthers over Vikings; Raiders over Titans; East Rutherford Giants over Native Americans; Chargers over Chiefs; Broncos over Eagles; Bucs over 49ers; Patriots over Bills; Steelers over Ravens. Bye: Falcons – resting their league best rushing game; Colts – resting their league best 7-0 record; Jets – resting their league’s oldest (42 this coming week) quarterback; and Seahawks – resting.

Concerning Songs

There has been a lot of conversation about music since Sunday. Perhaps is was the blues version of "They'll Know We Are Christians" or the new David Crowder song "Wholly Yours" that stirred us. I though an opportunity for us to reflect on our musical tastes would be fun. So click 'comments' and weigh in. You can paste the questions into your comments if you would like. I'll go first...

Concerning music at Christ's Church:
What is one of your favorite songs that we've done at CCA recently?
What is one of your favorites that we haven't done recently?
What is your favorite hymn?
What is a song you wish we sang more often?
What is a song that you won't miss if we never sing it again?
What was the one song that you were most surprised to hear played at CCA?
Concerning hymns, do you like them in traditional or contemporary styles?
Do you like it when our musicians change the arrangement of familiar songs?

Concerning music in general:
What is your favorite Gospel song?
What is your favorite Beatles song?
What is your favorite Country & Western song?
What is your favorite Rock-n-Roll song?
What is your favorite Classical piece?
What is in your disc player or IPod right now?

Tuesday Morning Quarterback (wk.7)

I've tallied it up this morning, another 10-4 weekend. I'm inching toward that coveted 70% benchmark on the season. Not to mention, this week was closer than ever to a perfect weekend of picks for me. Three of the four games I lost went into the fourth quarter with the team that I picked in the lead. What might have been?

The Packers lost RB Ahman Green for the year with a thigh tendon tear. I don't know what one of those is but it doesn't sound like fun. This adds to the growing injured/reserve list in Green Bay. Soon, they will have no one left to suit up on gameday. Word out of Baltimore is that neither LB Ray Lewis or CB Ed Reed will be able to go Monday night against the Steelers. This means that you want Jerome Bettis and Ben Roethlesberger on your fantasy teams this week! In Oakland, CB Charles Woodson is out indefinitely with a broken bone in his leg. And the news is that Rams coach Mike Martz will continue his leave of absence thru the remainder of the year to continue dealing with his health issues. Assistant Joe Vitt will finish the year at the helm. Last but not least, 49ers rookie/messiah QB Alex Smith is said to be limping this week. He might not be able to go Sunday against the Bucs. Alex, this is the number one defense in the league. They smell rookie QB's out like sharks drawn to blood in the water. If I were you, I'd make that limp look convincing a few more days!

Cheers: The Vikings WIN! Finally something to talk about in Minnesota that happened on the field and not on the lake. Vikes' QB Daunte Culpepper, a genuine good guy, for keeping his head thru these early season struggles. Vikes' PK Paul Edinger for the clutch last second 56 yard field goal that gave me a fourth loss this week, but more importantly gave the Vikes the all-important win over Green Bay. My hero of the week: Giants' team owner Wellington Mara for 80 years of his life he's given to the New York Giants and the NFL.

Jeers: The NFL for scheduling 'bye weeks'. Without either my beloved Bucs or the hometown Patriots on the field this past weekend I was having major withdrawals - felt like a mini-offseason for me. But, how about the Pats - they slept the day away Sunday and emerged Monday with sole possession of first place in their division. My goat of the week: Me, for wishing the little Edinger kid would miss that last second field goal so my record would be one better for the weekend. MISS IT! MISS IT!! MISS IT!!! Check back here Thursday for this coming weekend's CAN'T MISS picks.

News this morning that Giants' owner and NFL pillar Wellington Mara has passed away. He was 89. Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997, Mara is said to have served in some capacity or another for the Giant's organization, that was founded by his father, for 80 years. Wellington Mara will be missed by the entire NFL community.

Big Buts of the Bible #4

Continuing the countdown of the biggest 'buts' in the New Testament, here's number 4. Numbers 5-10 can be found in the archives menu.

1 Corinthians 15:19-20
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. BUT, Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Paul wrote this word in a day and setting in which followers of Christ often suffered for their profession of faith. If Christ had not been raised from the dead, they were to be pitied. The 'but' stands to make a hard contrast, indeed Jesus is a risen Lord.

I've considered this text often as I've lost a loved one or as I've been with friends who are dealing with a loss. In fact all of 1 Corinthians 15 speaks to me in those emotional times. I remember the days after my dad passed away that the words of this chapter caused me to think of life and death in a different light. Another great big 'but' appears in verse 57 of this chapter - death stings, BUT Christ...

Sunday Afternoon

What a great morning! Brenda's sharing about her journey to Namibia and how we can partner with Hope's Promise was stirring. There's already a group of folks planning the next G.O. Team opportunity for the summer of 2006. I enjoyed the trek thru 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 and the study on love. It seemed perfectly timed with Brenda's visit, though it wasn't planned that way. I love it when that kind of stuff happens.

I'm thankful for Shari and the team this morning. Once again, our musicians and technical folks make what I do a piece of cake. You'll have to let me know if you liked the new David Crowder song today - Wholly Yours. That song is literally only out a couple of weeks, so it is really neat to me that the musicians got it together. And, while you're at it, what did you think of the blues version of They'll Know We Are Christians? That was really an 'on the spot' kind of arrangement.

This evening I will welcome a number of folks to the Pastor's Pasta. This is a great opportunity to meet one another and for people who are newer in attending Christ's Church to meet some of the Elders and Staff here - all around, one of my favorite occasions. Though it is called the Pastor's Pasta, it is really Charlie Burns, Sharon Havens and Germaine St. Cyr who prepare the feast for us. Like a lot of things around here, I get credit, but it is great folks behind the scenes who pull it all together.

So they call this Pastor's Appreciation Month. Thank you for the wonderful gift that was presented during the second service. I tell you, I appreciate, more than words can say, the privilege it is for me to share life and ministry with you!

For Our Saturday Night Readers

'Anonymous' was right again - the mystery preacher was indeed Jonathan Edwards; see 'Do You Know This Man?' posted on 10/20.

Tomorrow morning we will consider a familiar passage of Scripture, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, following an outline Edwards preached in the 1740's. For those of you who like an advance look, the passage in 1 Corinthians 13 and the epistle 1 John would be good reads.

I've been stirred on the topic of love, the central thought of 1 Corinthians 13, as I've been reading a couple of books lately. (See the right hand menu for the entire list of books I'm reading now.) The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning paints a picture of God's love for fractured people in a way few books have captured. The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey also gives us a portrait of Jesus that is heart captivating.

Along The Way (21/Oct/05)

Friday... It has been fun to have Brenda Johnston from Hope's Promise in Namibia here with us this week. I look forward to folks getting to spend time with her at the Haven's home Saturday evening and to having her share a bit with us on Sunday morning. I think tonight we will try to take her over to the coast and have a seaside dinner.

I've been continuing to struggle with putting my Namibia 2005 experience into words - specifically written words - for my trip summary. I've been posting it in pieces here on the blog. I ran off a paper copy of the document so far and it numbers 16 pages. I know that I am not even halfway through what I hope to cover, so this may be an epic before it's done. And while this is going on, the initial planning is underway to put a Christ's Church team together for a trip back to Namibia in the summer of 2006.

Those of you who know my brother Dave and his family in Florida and have been aware of his need for a kidney transplant - they have scheduled his surgery for Friday November 4th. His son-in-law Scott is donating the organ for him. Isn't that great? "So, you want to marry my daughter? What's your blood type?" Dave and Scott would appreciate your prayers.

Life Lessons

I smiled this morning reading this note from an old friend Erich. I copied and pasted it in here. Erich and his daughter Carlie live in Nashville. I especially like the conclusions he draws from this experience.

So this weekend, Carlie got the 8-hour stomach bug. She is such a trooper. We are getting ready to go on the scooter when she says to me, "Daddy, my tummy is feeling "squeezy"(quezy)" With that, we go into the house and she proceeds to lay down and asks me for a bucket. The kid is so together. She knows exactly what is up and proceeds to throw-up, SILENTLY. She is like the Indians, or American Natives as we call them now, when they would fall off a cliff and not scream, so as not to give away their whereabouts to the "white man". So cool. So she did this some 8 times through-out the night, on the hour. Hence the 8-hour bug.

Fast-forward 24 hours...I start feeling a bit squeezy myself, but I'm a man and I can tough this out, plus Carlie just acted so calm, surely this won't be so terrible, right? MUAAAAHHHHAAHAAHAHH <-----------evil laughter, I thought from my stomach. Anyhow, I'm not a big fan of throwing-up. Never liked it, never will. I just remember literally writhing in bed asking God to kill me. You know what I'm talking about, right? That sort of "unthoughtout" sentiment usually finds it's way into food-poisoning and what not. But here I am asking God to kill me because of an 8-hour bug. Which got me thinking about the bird flu, the hurricanes, the earthquakes, etc.and how good I actually have it. After sleeping a good 20 hours, my status has been upgraded to "still not feeling well". So to surmise:

Carlie is some sort of Samurai/Indian warrior schooled in the fine art of pain-deflection.
I am a wimp.
Jesus doesn't answer stupid prayers.
Other people have it a lot worse than me.
Use more antibacterial hand santizer.

Do You Know This Man?

This man preached what is perhaps the most famous sermon of all time. He participated in what was the most dramatic revival in American history. He is regarded as one of Colonial America's greatest minds.

He was the father of eight daughters and three sons, grandfather to seventy five grandchildren.

His theology was deeply rooted in Calvinism. His religious perspective was Puritan. His preaching style was heavy with warning and conviction. His health was often frail, limiting him physically, but affording him much time for thought and study. Do you know this man?

Who's On First?

Kudos to Cardinals' quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Josh McCown for entertaining the media with their dual appearance at the 'starting quarterback' news conference this week in Arizona. In a scene reminiscent of Abbott & Costello's "Who's on first?" routine, they bantered back and forth with the press in tongue in cheek style. It is great that these guys can entertain the locals in front of a microphone, because they certainly aren't getting it done in front of opposing defenses! Coach Denny Green says he has a starter in mind for Sunday's game but he's not going to announce who it is. My bet? It should be Cardinals' receiver Anquan Bolden who was a fine QB at Florida State once upon a time.

In Detroit, coach Steve Mariucci is playing the same game. He had both Joey Harrington and Jeff Garcia splitting time with the first string in practice. The locals are guessing. I'd say Mariucci is on the phone late at night trying to talk Steve Young out of retirement because he hasn't had any success as an NFL coach since Young hung up his Hall of Fame career.

The figures are out. The profanity laced comments Saints' coach Jim Haslett leveled at officiating cost him 20K. That's double the 10K Redskins' skipper Joe Gibbs got for saying the game "wasn't officiated very well". Speaking of obscenities, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf met with his team to address the "Love Boat" scandal that has rocked Minnesota. Players say that his talk was "intense and profanity laced". So, in other words, he sounded just like the Hip Hop artists the players normally listen to on their Ipods! Way to go Zygi. A new Sports Illustrated Article hits newsstands this weekend that is supposed to really expose (no pun intended) the details. As one Vikings player was quoted this week: "We put the fun in dysfunction." And nice to see they're so remorseful. To the picks we go...

My 'week-seven, seventh-heaven, who's-on-first, hip-hop & profanity-free' picks look like this: Browns over Lions; Packers over Vikings; Colts over Texans (Rumor has it the Colts might only send their cheerleaders to take on the Texans. If that happens Colts' Cheerleaders over Texans); Dolphins over Chiefs; Rams over Saints; Steelers over Bengals; Eagles over Chargers; Native Americans over 49ers; Seahawks over Cowboys; Bears over Ravens; Raiders over Bills; Broncos over Giants; Cardinals over Titans; Falcons over Jets. Bye: Panthers - coming back next week with a healthier group of running backs; Jaguars - coming back next week with a healthier Byron Leftwich; Patriots - coming back next week with Teddy Bruschi; Bucs - coming back next week with their Cadillac.

G.O. 2005: Namibia (pt. 8)

From A Distance (pt. 3)
God is watching us…
Of all the personal connections we made, it was the children of Vyf Rand that captured the hearts of this team. Each time we pulled our vehicles through the neighborhood children would spill out into the streets and follow us to the soccer field to play. Many of our team members seemed to form a special bond with one or two of the local children, so that on each visit those same children would come to find that one special visitor that they had connected with earlier. Our team as well, scanned the children for that one child who had so captured their hearts.

Pulling out of Vyf Rand at the end of each day’s visit proved difficult. The children were so sad to see us leave that they would often cling to us, climb on our vehicles or run alongside, dangerously close as we attempted to drive away. We managed most days to send the vans out one at a time, the group in the last van keeping the children at a safe distance. My van was often the last to leave. To keep the children back as we began to leave, Stephanie and Samantha would walk behind the vehicle and as we were at a safe distance they would say goodbye to the children and run to catch us. That worked for a few days. On one of our last visits Steph and Sam began to run, Sam made it to the vehicle, Steph didn’t. As I looked in the mirror, I saw that the children had grabbed on to her and were keeping her from getting to us. I also saw that Steph’s expression had changed. She looked scared. I stopped the van and ran back to her. As I approached I shouted to the crowd, “Okay! We need to leave now! We will see you tomorrow! It’s time for you to go home! Goodbye!” The children immediately let go of Stephanie and moved away. So we got in the van and drove back to our camp. As I replayed that scene in my mind it hit me: As I approached those children and as I raised my voice, they appeared to almost cower. It almost looked to me like a dog who has been abused will cower when someone raises a hand to pet it, as if expecting instead some violence. I described what I had seen to Dieter and Joan and they shook their heads, “Darin, these children know all to well the sight of an angry, approaching man.” That experience is forever etched on my heart.

There were many more personal connections that seemed almost God-sends to me for our team. Among these unplanned connections, Richard Hanna with Northland’s team was a great source of encouragement to many of us. His light-hearted playfulness put us all at ease, but conversations with him could turn on a dime to meaningful openness and honesty. More than a few members of our team commented to me that their encounters with Richard seemed more than coincidental.

Another unplanned encounter happened as several of our dancers shopped for souvenirs in Windhoek one day. As they walked the sidewalk in the capitol city a woman approached and asked the girls “Are you born again?” She shoved some literature in their faces and the girls politely sidestepped her and moved on. But, her question struck deep. Many a conversation from that point on in the trip returned to that encounter. What does it mean to be born again? Am I born again? Are you born again? I had a crazy Aunt and Uncle who called themselves born again… and on and on. Again, by trips end many of our group were asking, was this encounter a coincidence?

On these trips the relational connections within the team are always a special part of the experience. We all recognized that this team coming together was more than a coincidence. How was it that these 29 people, many of whom had only in recent weeks gotten to know each other, would find themselves sharing every moment of two and a half weeks together on the other side of the world? How was it that these teammates could come to genuinely care about one another so quickly? How was it that people who seemed to have very little in common before the trip discovered that they had very much in common as the trip unfolded? Each team member wrestled in some way or another to make sense of it all. Many wrestle still.

And They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love

Saw this article on MSNBC. I know it's no laughing matter, but I admit to laughing as I read this just imagining the scene. This is a church service no one will ever forget, huh? The 'rouge choir'? Do you suppose the preacher really twisted the man's ear? What do you think?

CHARLOTTE HARBOR, FL — The pastor of a Charlotte Harbor church had 16 church members booted from a service after they allegedly refused to stop singing and let the clergyman preach. Deputies were called at 10 a.m. Saturday by Pastor David Noel of the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Harborview Road. Noel told a deputy he was instructed by regional church superiors to involve law enforcement to remove the rogue choir. The deputy issued trespass warnings to the group, and all 16 left the church without incident.

The sheriff's office got another call from the church shortly before noon when a parishioner wanted to file assault charges against Noel. Edourd Pierrelus, 57, of Port Charlotte, said Noel got mad at him, hit him in the chest and twisted his earlobe during a church service a week earlier. The man told the deputy the entire congregation of 25 witnessed the attack. Pierrelus said that because of the way the singing dispute was resolved, he now wanted to pursue charges of simple battery.

Deputies say the dispute is rooted in concerns about the handling of church funds. The members of the rogue choir told deputies they'd handle those concerns within the church.

Would You Buy It?

This is advertised as a new & creative way to shelve books. Do we need a new & creative way to shelve books? Is this it? Would you buy it?

Tuesday Morning Quarterback (wk.6)

Just missed that coveted double-digit win total again. But, with a second 9-5 win/loss total in a row, that moves my season average slightly above the 60% mark (53-35) for the year. Stay tuned!

Here's some behind the scenes news from this past weekend in the NFL. In Denver, Jake's done it again. As if replacing the venerable John Elway weren't enough of a challenge, Jake continues to master the art of self-inflicted PR wounds. After last season's 'giving the home crowd the finger' decision, Jake followed this week by ranting to a local gossip columnist (Hey, Jake - didn't the lady's title GOSSIP COLUMNIST give you a clue?) that fans in Denver leave a lot to be desired. Now he's sounded off on how unfair it was that his comments were printed. In Minnesota, there has been a Zygi sighting. Team owner Zygi Wilf finally showed up to speak to the press about the misery that he calls the Vikings' Organization. It took him a week, but Zygi cracked the whip. He hired a retired FBI agent to head up a team security department. In his statement he said "drunkenness and sexual misconduct will not be tolerated". Well now, that's a good thing. And coaches will be paying some fines this week for publicly commenting on the officiating. Joe Gibbs has already been fined 10K for his comment that the officiating in Sunday's game between the Redskins and Chiefs was "not very good". Saints coach Jim Haslett is still waiting to hear how much his fine will be after a post-game press conference where he used the same expletive four times to describe the officiating. I am waiting to see how much four expletives costs if 'not very good' is worth 10 grand!

Keep an eye on a couple of injury situations for the coming weeks. In Tampa Bay, the Bucs starting QB Brian Griese went down with a knee injury. As of this morning the team is officially still waiting for final medical word, but sources I trust say it's a torn ACL and MCL. That means the torch is passed from one legend's son to another - Phil's son Chris Simms is the new man for the Bucs. In the Monday night game Rams QB Marc Bulger went down with a shoulder injury. Word this morning is that this could be a two to three week thing. That means it's Jamie Martin's turn in St. Louis.

One more for you: If you look to the archive menu to call up the article "Rounding The Quarter Pole" on 10/6, you'll find a little tidbit I added on in the comments section concerning Tedy Bruschi's possible return to the field in New England. Well folks, yesterday Tedy held a press conference and announced his return. Always remember, you heard that news here first 10 days before the rest of the world! Stop in here Thursday for next week's picks and for more reliable information than the law should allow.

Madonna Reinvented - Again

Madonna has reinvented herself again. You have to give her credit, her career has spanned 20 years and involved many stylistic makeovers to keep her current. Her latest persona is that of a spiritual leader. Her growing infatuation with Kaballah, a confused take on a historical strand of Judaism, continues to give us notable quotables from the Material Girl.

Once, in one of her earlier reinventions, she returned to the faith of her childhood. Take a look at this article I found on Drudge's page and read what the Material Girl has to say about the Catholic Church now. What do you think?

Ethical Dilemma - Follow-up

I'm following up here on an article from Saturday 10/15 entitled Ethical Dilemma. A couple of folks posted comments there.

If you didn't catch the story when I mentioned it Saturday, take a look at this piece that I found on one of the blogs I frequent. It deals with an ethical dilemma facing a church in CA. What would you do?

When I posted an article on this Saturday I didn't add my own thinking on the matter. I waited instead to read a few comments that were posted and have had a few conversations with people who read the article. Now, I'll chime in.

I'll begin my comments with the same thought that crossed my mind when I first read the article: Thank the Lord it is not CCA facing this dilemma!

I am not sure what the CA laws would determine, but having spent most of my life in FL, I know that FL has a 'co-victim' law. Several years ago Shari and I had a great deal of musical equipment stolen from us and sold by the thief to a pawn shop. When the equipment was located I thought, "Great! I'll go pick it up!" I was advised that FL law declared the pawn shop was a 'co-victim' in that they had received that gear honestly. As such, I couldn't just go pick up my gear. Rather, when the thief completed making restitution payments, then, and only then could I get my property back. Yes, it stung! But the key was that the pawn shop received the stolen property honestly.

Having said that, I would think in this case (if the church were located in FL), the question would be, did the church receive the money honestly? Of course it did. The church isn't in the habit of verifying where and how people come by the money they choose to donate. The church wasn't a co-conspirator with the thief. So, I would conclude, the law would find that the church is a 'co-victim' and under no legal obligation to give the money back.

Now, here's where my sanctified imagination runs wild. What if it is true that the church could legally keep the money AND THEN they got a list of the victims and chose to deliver that money back to the victims? Now, wouldn't that paint a picture very unlike the world? Very unlike the church that the world so often sees? I believe if it were a possibility, this would be the course of action I'd like to see this church take.

Along The Way (17/Oct/05)

Monday morning... Our friend Brenda Johnston with Hope's Promise Orphan Ministry in Namibia will be with us this week. Brenda arrived in the States this weekend, and will be joining us for a few get-togethers thru the week. If you would like to meet Brenda, or if you know her and would like to spend some time with her, Peter and Sharon Havens will be hosting an open house Saturday night from 7-9pm at their home in Brookline.

We're also planning for a Pastor's Pasta supper on Sunday October 23rd at 6pm. If you are relatively new to attending Christ's Church, please accept my invitation to join me and some of the staff and members of our Board of Elders for supper Sunday night.

Behind The Scenes

I find myself amazed again at the way things come together that are not planned where our worship services are concerned. There were a couple of examples just this morning.

Our worship music leaders at Christ's Church select all the music and plan the entire service. I give them a sermon capsule that gives them an idea of what I will be speaking about and the scripture text I will share. But that is it. I find it amazing that Peter decided to share the scripture verses he did (from the prayer card he read from) which were all referenced in the sermon, a fact Peter didn't know in advance. I was also blessed by the selection of the songs, several of which had lyrical ties to the sermon, again, something the team did not know before the services.

I am also always astounded at the work God does in hearts. Two people came to me after the services today to tell me that God had very particularly spoken to their hearts thru the services. The real interesting part for me is that the ways in which they experienced God's speaking to their hearts were not ways in which I would have anticipated. In other words, it wasn't an application I had planned, but God nonetheless brought forth fruit from the sharing of His word.

Personally, I was very moved by the music and prayer times this morning. I love to worship the Lord with the family at Christ's Church!

Any experiences you would care to share from this morning's services?

For The Saturday Night Crowd

The Saturday night before the Sunday morning of the weekend of the ladies' retreat! You know what that means? We get to see which dads venture out with the children for church without mom's help getting the family in gear. Where dads are concerned it separates the men from the boys.

For those who like an advance look, tomorrow morning we will consider the very well known verse John 3:16. We will stick to just that verse in the morning, but you really wouldn't go wrong by reading all of chapter 3 in preparation for our study. I look forward to seeing you in the morning!

G.O. 2005: Namibia (pt. 7)

The seventh part of my Namibia 2005 trip summary. Find earlier entries in the archives menu.

From A Distance (pt. 2)
God is watching us...
Since we were introduced to Marcus on our first visit to Vyf Rand we recognized him as he came to work each day at Mpampo. On one occasion Marcus shared a bit of his testimony with members of our team. A few years earlier he had received word of an infection that would require the amputation of his leg. He realized that he did not have the money for a prosthesis, and the prospect of caring for a man unable to walk overwhelmed his wife. She left him for another man. He pondered life alone, in his words, "among the ‘thrown away’ people". But then, he met someone who introduced him to Christ. A short while after his surgery, a group of believers came together to help him afford a prosthetic leg. Now, a few years later, he is a land owner, landlord, the manager of Mpampo’s staff for Dieter, and testifying to all of God’s goodness to him.

Another people encounter happened as we visited one of the neighborhood cemeteries in Okahandja. I had been among a few of our 2004 team who visited this cemetery a year earlier. As we arrived I encouraged members of our team to stroll thru the yard and read some of the markers. I knew that as we did the math, birth dates and death dates would reveal that the majority of these graves were the resting place of teens and young adults. I knew that we would see the face of HIV/Aids. What I wasn’t prepared for was the amount of new graves that had been filled in just the 12 months since I was there last. Row after row of graves were added in the past year. There were some meaningful connections for a few of our team members. One of the girls was shaken to see a grave of a young lady who shared a birthday with her 20 year old sister. That brought things home. Another few of our team were shaken to see the row of baby graves, dozens of them buried in just the last year. Still, others noticed a new row of freshly dug holes that were empty. Again, doing the math made it seem very likely that those graves would be occupied in the next two weeks – before we even leave Namibia! As we debriefed that evening I realized how far removed we really are from HIV/Aids in the U.S. It is a disease about which we hear rock stars talk and see Oprah do a special. Every so often a celebrity is diagnosed and we all take notice. But here, the neighborhood children play in the shadow of the cemetery that is a growing reminder of this dreaded disease and its impact on their lives.

Within our first few days at Dieter’s we received a visit from Brenda Johnston from Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministries, with whom our dance team would partner later in the trip. We were also visited by Pastors Ron and Miericke from Emmanuel Church in Windhoek, again, dear folks we met in 2002 and spent time with in 2004. Jos and Sylvia Holtzhausen from Christ Hope International and U.S. Missionaries to Namibia Lon and Val Garber also stopped in to see us.

Brenda Johnston’s visit included introducing the team to Janis and Stephanus, twin boys she has been caring for during the last several years. Janis and Stephanus’ made a lasting impression on our team. Stephanus made rounds drawing and writing in our team members’ journals. Janis danced, sang and entertained us. In these two dear boys our team came face to face with Namibia’s growing number of orphaned and abandoned children. Our hearts will never be the same.

The evening before the dancers’ first school performance they were asked to share a few numbers with the entire group staying on Dieter’s property. Members of the South African team and the group from Northland joined us, as we all crowded into the multi-purpose room alongside our dorm. The girls put on a fine, albeit abbreviated, demonstration of their talents. Our friendly audience was very encouraging. Dieter, Joan and Richard were especially moved to see the girls dance.

When everyone left and it was just our team that remained, a few of the girls mentioned that this dance performance felt different. Jaimie was the first to put it into words, she said: “I felt like I was dancing for God tonight." Others agreed, this trip was going to afford them a different dance experience than they’d ever had before.

Ethical Dilemma - You Be An Elder!

I ran across this piece on a blog I frequent. It involves an ethical question: Should a church return money that was given as tithes & offerings if it is discovered it came from a man who made his living stealing? My first thought in reading the article was thanksgiving that it wasn't CCA! But then, I began to consider, how should the church respond? Give the article a quick read and comment. Put on an Elders' hat. Should the church return the money in question? Is the church as much a victim as the people who were ripped off? What to do?

Either / Or Part Two

Thank you to all the adventurous souls who chimed in the first time. Let's try again. Click 'comments' to reply. You can copy and paste the questions into your reply if you want. Again, I'll get things started with my own answers under comments.

Leno or Letterman?
Tithe or Offering?
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Camping or Hotels?
Pray out loud or Pray silently?
C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkein?
Chinese food or Mexican food?
CNN or FOXNEWS?
Converse with a friend about God or Invite a friend to church?
Lipton Iced Tea or Long Island Iced Tea?
Go on a short term mission trip or Send money to missions?
Panera Bread or Dunkin Donuts?
Pharmaceutical or Homeopathic?
Once born or Born again?
Winter or Spring or Summer or Fall?
Early Service (9AM) or Late Service (11AM)?
Black or Cream & Sugar?
Beatles or Rolling Stones?
60's or 70's or 80's or 90's?
Communion: Juice or Wine?

Cover Two

Well football fans, this week I've been inspired to consider the wonder of the Cover 2 defense. It was perfected in the pro-ranks by Monte Kiffen, the defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Bucs and after the Bucs Super Bowl 37 victory, became the darling defensive scheme of many imitators (Carolina and Philadelphia, the last 2 NFC Super Bowl representatives, most notably). The cover two is simply a two safety/two coverage zone defensive scheme. It means that the field is divided in half with one safety having coverage responsibilities deep on one half, the second safety having coverage responsibilities deep on the other half of the field. But (and this is a big BUT), the cover two requires a few components in order for it to work. First, big time speed on defense. Covering that distance requires defenders who can fly. Second, competent linebackers to fill five underneath 'zones' allowing the safeties to stay back in coverage and not have to move forward to fill holes. And third, but most crucial, cornerbacks who will jam receivers off the line of scrimmage, so as to allow the safeties time to adjust to the deep routes. An unmolested receiver will get to the zone faster than the safety can cover it. The result is usually a very long touchdown pass. My point: though it is a defense named after the roles of two players, it requires all 11 filling their specific role, or else!

Let's talk about folks NOT filling their roles, shall we? Ravens' coach Brian Billick has lost his team. Last week the Ravens put more of a hurting on the officials that on their opponents. Neither the Vikings coach Mike Tice nor owner Zygi Wilf are playing their roles. This past week was the Vikings' bye week and the team rented two yachts and went on a cruise... with several prostitutes. When the prostitutes were all busied it is reported that some players began propositioning members of the yacht crew. Enough delinquency ensued that the vessel's captains turned their boats for port 40 minutes into the scheduled 4 hour cruise. This is bye week productivity? Keep your eye on this story, because there are likely to be arrests and lawsuits forthcoming. Tice has no better control of his players? And Zygi's ducking the media, declining to comment. All this while the Vikes are in a freefall on the field, and they're also appealing to Minnesotans to grant them a new multi billion dollar stadium and training facility. Will there be exotic dancers there?

This week's games will be fun to prognosticate. We have Trent Dilfer returning to face the Ravens. You remember, they unceremoniously dumped him as their QB after he won the Super Bowl for them... and before the ring ceremony! Here's hoping good guy Trent lights them up (and he will). Also, a couple of Williams' return in the Miami/Tampa Bay contest. Ricky for the Dolphins and Cadillac for the Bucs. I'll bet one will be a game breaker. Finally, I read this morning that the Texans are 10 point underdogs on the road this week against Seattle. Way to gamble Vegas. I'd make the Texans would be 10 point underdogs on the road against Souhegan High School! So, how about those picks?

Here are my 'double-digit-wins-or-bust (no, Vikings, not that kind of bust), Trent-returns, and jam-that-deep-route-boys' picks for week six: Falcons over the San Antonio Saints, Panthers over the Lions, Titans over Bengals, Trent over his old team (Browns over Ravens), Jaguars over Steelers, Bucs over Dolphins, Bears over Vikings, East Rutherford Giants over Cowboys, Native Americans over Chiefs, Patriots over Broncos, Bills over Jets (if they start Holcomb!), Chargers over Raiders, Seahawks over Texans, Colts over Rams. Bye week: Cardinals - considering a permanent move to Mexico City where they are undefeated; Packers - cheesing; Eagles - resting McNabb's fragile frame; 49ers - preparing Alex Smith for his next beating.

Big Buts of the Bible #5

Continuing my countdown of the Biggest Buts in the New Testament, find earlier postings in the archives menu.

2 Corinthians 1:9

"Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. BUT this happened that we might not rely on ourselves BUT on God."

Two 'buts' for the price of one, this week. And indeed, two big buts. As Paul begins this letter to the church at Corinth he is speaking about God as the God of all comfort. He goes on to say that God comforts us in our distress so that we can comfort others in times of great difficulty. And, Paul shares that he has suffered through times of distress so trying that they were beyond what he could bear and that he was 'despaired even of life' (see the entire context of 1:3-11).

This flies in the face of that misplaced assumption we've all heard people make: "Doesn't the bible say that God will not allow us to bear more than we can handle?" No, it doesn't say that. In fact, the Bible records many instances where God allowed people to face far more that they could handle. God's purpose in afflictions and suffering is often that we will learn to cease trusting in our own strength and abilities and learn to trust in Him. And it is to this truth that both 'buts' speak powerfully in this passage.

Do You Know This Man?

During his lifetime this man was a teacher, a lawyer, a pastor, a professor and the president of a college. That's all the more impressive when you realize that he had no formal degrees and was largely self-educated.

People were powerfully moved as he preached. On one occasion a wealthy distiller went back to his warehouse and smashed all the casks and let his liquor flow onto the floor. In another instance a man who came to church with a gun to shoot the preacher fell on the floor crying, confessed his sinful intentions and begged the preacher for forgiveness. It is reported that 40 lawyers gave up their law practice to become full-time ministers of the gospel as a result of this man's influence. And on one occasion he preached to a bar full of 'regular patrons' and saw every last one of them give their lives to Christ.

Do you know this man?

Politics, Passion or Poor judgment?

I've been keeping my eye on the wire for news concerning President Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. What has been very interesting to me is the strange bedfellows that politics can make. Right wing conservatives are as up in arms about Miers' nomination as are left wing liberals. The moderates on both sides of the isle seem to be aligned.

Just to make things more interesting, now a leading Christian voice has entered the discussion. Focus on the Family's James Dobson has been quoted as saying he received an "assurance from the Whitehouse that Harriet Miers is going to be a strong voice against Roe v. Wade". Dr. Dobson's comments drew attention - the kind that might get him subpoenaed to testify before Congress. Yesterday Dr. Dobson softened his remarks to say that the assurance was actually from Karl Rove and that he said, "Harriet Miers comes from a very conservative church where most of the people are Pro-Life". Ahem...

This is going to be fun to watch! To bring you up to speed if you've missed anything, here's a piece I ran across in the Washington Times this morning. Drop in a comment. What do you think?

Tuesday Morning Quarterback (wk.5)

Before you point out that I missed the double-digit win total by one this week, at least afford me some sympathy that I lost three games on last second plays. With that knowledge, my 9-5 feels a little better. Darn those kickers! What might have been?

Heavy injury tolls this weekend. The Saints lose RB Duce McAllister, the Packers lose RB Najeh Davenport, the Falcons lose LB Ed Hartwell, all to season ending knee injuries. The fans in Pittsburgh are holding their breath today awaiting MRI results on their QB Ben Roethlisburger. If big Ben's knee injury is as serious as it looked on the replays... well, let's wait for the results.

The coaching ranks are making headlines too. From serious to the 'are you serious?' Rams' coach Mike Martz took an indefinite leave of absence from his team to be hospitalized dealing with an infection in the lining of his heart. Staying with the 'heart' theme: Dom Capers' coaching staff in Houston continues to give Texan fans heartburn. Do you remember how clearly I 'jeered' the decision to make Joe Pendry their new offensive coordinator? (See TMQ posting on 9/30 in the archives menu to be reminded.) Well, David Carr was sacked 7 more times Sunday, and the offense continues to be pathetic. But by far, the most ridiculous of the news from the coaching ranks is out of Buffalo. This is so bad, I'll wait and include it below in my jeers section!

Cheers! 77 year old Vinny Testaverde, for coming back to the field Sunday and beating the number one defense in the league. Way to go Old Timer! 36 year old Brett Farve (yesterday was his birthday) for his 3TD performance and the 52-3 pasting the Pack laid on the Saints! My Hero of the week: Mike Martz, for realizing his life, health and family are more important than football and taking the time off to get this issue dealt with. My prayers are with him.

Jeers! Here it is: Bills' coach Mike Mularkey for saying yesterday, "I'm not sure whether we will start Losman or Holcomb next week" in his press conference. Have you been smoking dope? Let's see, under Losman you have scored 29 points in 16 quarters. Holcomb comes in and you WIN (hello?) and he goes 20-26 in the air (HELLO?). If he hands the ball back to Losman I think Bills fans ought to flay him. Oh, and speaking of smoking dope: Ricky Williams has laid down his pipe and picked up his pads. His four week suspension for, uh, dope-smoking, has come to an end. He will get out of jeers and into the cheers column when he passes a few lab tests. And my Goat of the week: Me! For moaning about those three games that I lost in the final seconds thanks to kickers. Kickers are little guys with fragile egos. I need to buck up and take my medicine like the big man I am.

Stop in here Thursday and I'll have made my picks for this upcoming weekend Kicker-proof!

3 Things I'd Change If I Were In Charge

#1 Network news reports that shouldn't be broadcast. Last week when there was a terror concern on New York Subways the reporters shared that police were targeting people with baby-strollers and brief cases. I suppose if there was a terrorist headed to the tunnel with a bomb in his briefcase he might have seen the news and called off his plan until he figures out how to build a bomb into a pizza box. Do we really want this stuff broadcast as news? Or do we want to not hear about it only after they catch the clown and defuse his stroller?

#2 School Zones. You run across them everywhere. You're on a road where the speed limit is 40mph EXCEPT between 7-9am and 2-4pm when it is designated a 'school zone' and you need to slow down to 15mph. What kind of a message are we sending to children? That life will slow down for you?!? That's like lying to the children. Life will not slow down for you. Life will run you over. I think that for the little ones to have to make it across streets with traffic moving at life-speed would be a very good primer for the real world. Look out for that SUV Johnny!

#3 The hunt for Osama Bin Laden. We've spent millions of dollars and numerous lives hunting for an ailing old millionaire hiding in a cave in the mountains of Pakistan. (Maybe the earthquake got him?) If I were in charge I'd change strategy. Instead of combing the area looking for him I'd put a fence around the area and call it a prison! Instead of Osama we could simply call him Inmate #0911 and get on with life.

If you were in charge, what three things would you change?

Either / Or

Come on, click 'comments' and post your answers! If you want you can copy and paste the questions into your comments. To get things started, I'll answer first (see comments).

Paper or plastic?
A good book or a mediocre t.v. show?
If a good book: non-fiction or fiction?
If t.v.: movie or sit-com?
Root Beer or Light Beer?
Dogs or cats?
King James Version or Message 'Remix'?
Hymns or Praise Choruses?
Casual attire or dress attire?
Shoes or bare feet?
Foreign car or American made?
Piercings and body art or the way the Good Lord made you?
Recycle or refuse?
Salad or sandwich?
Christian or Jesus Freak?
Seeker-Sensitive church or 'What's a seeker?' church?
Communion bread or Communion wafers?
Classic rock or Classical music?
Write a letter or send an email?
An hour on the internet or an hour on the telephone?

Sunday Morning

As I made my way over to the church this morning I listened to a tune on the new David Crowder Band disc called Wholly Yours. The songwriter paints a picture of our depravity in the presence of God's divinity. There is a subtle play on words in the chorus, where the lyrics declare "You are holy! Holy! Holy God!" in the early part of the song, by songs end they have changed to "I am wholly! Wholly! Wholly Yours!" What a precious proclamation.

The musicians are preparing for this morning's services. Their music fills the building. It sounds to me to be one of those gentler, more contemplative music sets (as opposed to the 'blow-your-hair-back' declarative sets). At the moment I am hearing a very familiar chorus that we once ended every service at Christ's Church with - it's bringing back some wonderful memories. So, I'll look forward to seeing you this morning. We've some more memories to make.

For Our Saturday Night Readers

Here's a sneak peak for the Saturday night crowd. Tomorrow we will consider a message on the Lord's Prayer. Our primary text will be Matthew 6:9-13, but you might also look at Joel 2:28-32 and Romans 10:5-21 for a broader consideration. I'll see you in the morning!

G.O. 2005: Namibia (pt. 6)

This is the sixth section of my overall G.O. Team Namibia trip summary. You can find earlier sections in the archives menu on the right. This section itself will be in parts due to length.

From A Distance (pt. 1)
God is watching us…
The most significant experiences of a trip like this are the unforeseen human connections. For our 2005 team this was especially evident. We began with 29 Americans from a variety of socio-economic circumstances, varied religious perspectives, and multi-generational – every generation from teens to fifties represented. We arrived at the Namibian home of a family transplanted 20 years earlier from South Africa. Twenty three of our twenty nine were girls, and seventeen of them teenage girls. We found ourselves sharing camp with a team of South Africans, almost all of them guys, many teenage guys. We also found ourselves sharing camp with another American team, from Northland, however most of their number were not members of Northland, but rather other churches in the Central Florida area. Among the Northland team were Nan Parker who had been a leader on the 2002 outreach we participated in, and Richard Hanna, with whom I had been acquainted for a few years.

Dieter spent time our first day acquainting our team with Namibia, Namibian culture and the people of Namibia. He spoke of Vyf Rand, the squatter’s camp community where he and his family have invested so much of their hearts. In sharing with our team he alerted us to the fact that in Vyf Rand the HIV/Aids ratio can be as high as 70% - or, in words we could get our minds around, as many as 7 out of every 10 people can be HIV positive. Dieter shared a lot of information, but that number seized us.

An hour after our orientation with Dieter, we made our way over to Vyf Rand. A man by the name of Marcus is a manager of sorts on Dieter’s property. He wanted to show our team his home in Vyf Rand that he now rented out to another family. He gave us a walk thru tour of his home, a tour none of us will ever forget. The visit was made even more memorable for a few members of our team when a man named Clement stopped in. Clement was intoxicated so his speech was slurred and his movements and mannerisms greatly exaggerated. As he positioned himself in the path of some of our team members, we exchanged greetings with him and did our best to move on. As I shook his hand, trying to maneuver him out of the path of the rest of our team, I noticed his hand had an open and bleeding wound. I saw his blood on my skin as we released our handshake. I wiped my hand on my shorts as I moved to catch up to the team.

When I caught the team one of the girls, Carli, was very upset. She had been one of those who were unable to escape a handshake with Clement. She was also the one member of our team for whom the HIV/Aids realities of Sub-Saharan Africa were especially scary. I tried to quietly reassure her that HIV/Aids would not be contracted in that manner and that she was okay. While I was talking to her I noticed that Clement had positioned himself once again in our path. We were going to have to pass him and his desire for a handshake or greeting again. As we approached him this second time I reached out and took his hand again, this time so that Carli could quickly pass behind me to the van.

From there we moved over to the church property in Vyf Rand where we were able to meet and play with a dozen or so of children. Our team members’ hearts were struck by these children. They embraced, danced, played and sang with the children for an hour or so before we had to leave. As we were preparing to leave another of the girls, Stephanie, noticed blood on her clothing that had come from one of the children she had held. Again, the realities of this dreaded disease and the fear that accompanies it shook our team.

Late that night I caught Carli alone. Knowing that health was a pressing concern for her, I asked her how she was doing. She told me that she was upset, but not because she was worried for her own health. She said she was ashamed that she had been so afraid to touch Clement. She looked me in the eye and said, “I won’t be afraid like that again.” Over the next two weeks, she never was.

The Lord's Prayer

Sunday we will consider together the text containing what is commonly referred to as 'The Lord's Prayer' or the 'Our Father'. I've listed a few popular questions concerning this prayer. Do you know the answers?

(1) Why is it that in some churches they say 'forgive us our debts... debtors' and in other churches they say 'forgive us our trespasses... trespass against us'?
(2) Why is it that in most Protestant Church services the prayer ends with the doxology 'for Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory...' while in most Catholic Church services those lines are omitted?
(3) Was this teaching on prayer given as a model that we should pattern our prayers after or as an ritual prayer to be regularly recited?

Click 'comments' and contribute your answers.

Along The Way (7/Oct/05)

Friday... I attended the Cornerstone Policy Research banquet last evening. A couple of CCA folks are on CPR's Board, and the work that they do to protect and serve NH families is vital. You can learn more about CPR here. The featured speaker at the banquet was Rabbi Daniel Lapin. I have to admit, I was surprised that a Christian organization would have a Rabbi of Orthodox Judaism as their featured speaker. Rabbi Lapin spoke with clarity I have rarely heard on the issues facing marriage and family in our society. You can read more about Rabbi Lapin's work here. Suffice to say, I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to hear Rabbi Lapin. It was also a blessing for me to see a number of Christ's Church folks, and some past Christ's Church folks at the banquet. Thanks to all of you for your support of this ministry.

As I drove home last night from the banquet, I was encouraged by something else that struck me. A number of the local pastors were on hand last night for the banquet, as were some key lay-leaders from their congregations. I frequently saw folks from Christ's Church recognizing and conversing with folks from Household of Faith or Amherst Christian Church, and vice versa. I recognized folks from churches in Nashua and Manchester, folks that I see less often than Amherst, Milford and Merrimack folks, but still, people that I recognize and who recognized me. It struck me that this is THE church - not the folks wearing this label or that, but all the folks who, no matter what label they wear, love Jesus Christ. It was a great family gathering.

Round The Quarter Pole

As the 2005 NFL season rounds the quarter pole, four teams remain undefeated, three of whom are pretty much a surprise. But, don't get too excited. Those four undefeated teams have notched their wins against opponents with a combined record of 16-38, and none of the four have defeated a team with a winning record thru four games. So, Redskins, Bengals & Bucs fans, take it easy. For two of the four, the streaks end this week. Me, on the other hand, I stumbled out of the gates but have settled into a nice stride at the quarter mark, a respectable 35-25 overall.

Vinny Vidi Vici VVVFFF! See Vinny come? See Vinny see? See Vinny conquer? NO. See Vinny sacked! See Vinny getting IV's! See Vinny in the training room... you get the idea. 76 year old Vinny Testaverde returns to football for the Jets to face the number one defense in the league. Welcome back Vinny. And on the other coast, the 49ers decided this week to hand the keys to rookie number one pick Alex Smith. Mr. Smith, meet Mr. Freeney. Meet him again. And again. There he is again. Don't I know you?

Considering more than my 35-25 record thru the first quarter, consider some of my general predictions. If you click on my 2005 Football Preview in the right menu you will see I forecast an awakening in Buffalo to the reality that J.P. Losman does not a Drew Bledsoe make. Coaches agreed with me this week, benching their future Losman for journeyman Kelly Holcomb. I also made reference to Randy Moss' 'moon' making a 2005 appearance. Well, so far this year the moon-child has kept his trousers buckled, but I call your attention to a curious statement he made in an HBO interview. When asked if he still smoked marijuana Moss replied, "Every once in a blue MOON I do". Well fans, seems Randy's comments came back to bite him on the moon, because as a graduate of the NFL's Substance Abuse Program, those comments may force him to re-enter the program for four more years. Moss... Moon... Am I amazing, or what?

A few more sure-fire signs for those who would desire to predict the pigskin futures as well as I do: Vikings owner Zygi Wilf showed up on camera this week stating his second 'vote of confidence' in coach Mike Tice in as many weeks. Mike, call the realtors! The NFL has a new international star. Referee Ed Hoculi! Already the most recognizable of the guys in stripes for his muscular physique and sure calling of the game, Ed surprised even the NFL world by calling the first penalty in Sunday night's NFL-Mexico City game is Spanish! Keep an eye on Ed. He's a cult-following phenom in the making. Lastly, there is a legitimate possibility that the NFC North will be won by a team with a sub-500 record. Keep an eye on it. And now, the information you have all been waiting for...

Grab your pencils, students, for here are my 'rock-solid, habla-espanol, honey-put-the-house-on-the-market, and howl-at-the-moon' picks for week 5: Lions over Ravens, Dilfer's Browns over DaBears, Holcomb's Bills over Dolphins, Falcons over Patriots, Packers over Saints, Rams over Seahawks, Bucs over Jets, Titans over Texans, Colts over 49ers, Panthers over Cardinals, Eagles over Cowboys, Broncos over Native Americans, Jaguars over Bengals, Chargers over Steelers. Bye: Chiefs - looking for defensive answers; Vikings - looking at themselves in the mirror; Giants - looking to get back to the field, they're playing well; Raiders - looking to see Randy's dope test results.

Do You Know This Man?

He had two mistresses, fathered an illegitimate child, flitted from one job to another and was erratic in his beliefs. Now, we call him a Saint!

He was born in A.D. 354 in Northern Africa. He was raised by a very pious mother who watched him forsake her moral and religious lessons. She lived just long enough, however, to see her fervent prayers for his conversion answered. Had she lived a little longer she would have seen him go on to become a mighty force in the church.

A first class example of God’s transforming work, this man is looked back upon as one of the greatest preachers and theologians of all time. Do you know this man?

Big Buts of the Bible #6

Counting down to the 'biggest but' in the New Testament. See earlier posts.

2 Corinthians 12:8-9
"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me, BUT He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in weakness.'"

In addition to being one of the biggest buts in the New Testament, this is also one of my favorite passages of Scripture to consider. Maybe it is that I can relate. Although we are not told what specifically Paul is dealing with that he calls a 'thorn in his flesh', we recognize that it is something he greatly desires to have taken away. And, his prayer IS answered, just not the way he might have hoped.

This text causes us to consider that sometimes our ailments, discouragements or inadequacies are themselves an opportunity for God to be glorified all the more. When believers recognize their own weaknesses, Christ's power will rest on them.

Believers Come In All Shapes & Sizes

In a conversation yesterday I remembered a guy who had made a significant impression on my early Christian faith. I had forgotten about him for years. His name was Terry - I don't even remember his last name. This guy Terry was a Christian and a fan of rock music, so he showed up at every Christian concert and coffeehouse to encourage the bands. He was quite a sight, extremely thin and always wearing bright colored spandex outfits, his long blonde hair down past his waist. He looked like a heavy-metal stick-figure. Terry would often offer to pray with you, and it's when he prayed that he really made an impression. His prayers were so real they almost seemed irreverent to me at the time. He talked to Jesus like he was talking to his best friend, with absolutely no pretension or self-consciousness about his choice of words. As a very young believer in Christ, I marveled at his closeness with the Lord. Terry was the genuine article.

Last night I caught a few minutes of a television show on A&E - Dog The Bounty Hunter. I've read about this guy before. He makes his living tracking fugitives and he's about as rough a character as you'll ever see. But as I'm watching the show he and his family can be seen praying in one scene. In another scene Dog is in the background reading his bible. At shows end he lends a helping hand to someone and his wife shares with the camera that "his favorite bible passage", and she goes on to quote it, changed his life.

Then there is Harriet Miers, President Bush's latest nominee to the Supreme Court. I'm sure we'll learn a lot more about her in the coming days. But I found this piece on her in the New York Times, of all places. Give this a read when you have a moment. When I think of Harriet, Dog, Terry, you, me and so many more who would name the Name of Jesus Christ as Savior, I find myself in awe of how He has painted so beautiful and so diverse a work that we call the church. What do you think?

Tuesday Morning Quarterback (wk. 4)

Double digits! A more than respectable 10-4 this week, and if you watched the Monday night game go down to the wire you know I almost snuck another longshot into the win column. Folks, this is the kind of prognostication percentage that warrants a nickname. Remember Jimmy 'The Greek' Snyder? But I'm not Greek. I do have some Polish heritage...

Did you see Brooks Bollinger's (Who?) debut for the Jets? Word is 75 year old Vinny Testaverde is feeling the circulation in his legs now. I'll bet Vinny hits the field Sunday. Welcome back Vinny! Just in time to meet the number one defense in the league - the Bucs. How fast can that old man run? Simeon Rice and Booger McFarland have already called home saying, "Look for me on Sports Center next week, Ma!"

The Miami Dolphins and the Chicago Bears both had a bye week this past weekend. Both of them also moved into first place in their divisions BY NOT PLAYING! In Miami they actually need to hit the field again. Lovie Smith in Chicago should be calling other teams to see about trading for their bye weeks. A 1-2 record just might win the NFC North!

Cheers: Rookie Placekicker Todd France who rode into Philly to replace the injured David Akers, had a bad snap on his first attempt and then calmly nailed everything after that. Packers' rookie receiver Terrence Murphy who sustained a scary neck injury in Monday night's game (and his family as they watched him on the field for a long time). Terrence simply has a neck sprain, and he will be fine. My Hero of the Week: The city of San Antonio for welcoming the Saints and giving them a real home away from home - and helping them to a home debut victory Sunday.

Jeers: Any and every football commentator who made some reference to Cadillac Williams having a flat tire, or being on blocks, or having a bent wheel, or any other of the hundreds of shameless puns when he left Sunday's game. Brittany Spears for offering to help hurricane victims by auctioning off one of her rhinestone studded bras on EBay. No I'm not kidding. Guess she couldn't find her checkbook. And my Goat of the Week: ME! How pathetic that I included a Brittany Spears mention in a football column (I just saw the story on Drudge and couldn't resist sounding off on it) - and also for not having a nickname!

So, lend me your creativity. The Tuesday Morning Quarterback needs a nickname... maybe even a super-hero comic book character... something truly worthy of my prognostication powers. Post or email your suggestions, and be sure to check this spot on Thursday for next weekends locks.

The Path Of Spiritual Growth

I've undertaken a little construction project in our home. It offers me an occasion to pull out saw horses and powertools, to put a carpenter's pencil behind my ear - you know, all that manly kind of stuff. But, before I can actually construct anything, I had to begin with some deconstruction to prepare the room for its new look.

Deconstruction isn't pretty. I began by trying to deconstruct gently, piece by piece. Eventually I came to realize it wouldn't come down that gently. Deconstruction gave way to demolition. So, I broke out the big hammers and prybars and made one heck of a mess. Splintered, shattered, torn and tattered, the room is cleared - construction can begin.

It is this way with our lives as well. Values change must begin with a letting go of the old values before we can take hold and embrace new values. In the Scriptures Paul used the words 'putting off' and 'putting on' to describe the process. So, in considering your own spiritual growth, figure into the plans those old constructs that may need a hammer and prybar to bring them down. What do you think?

The Shock & Scandal Of Grace

In his book The Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning asserts: "The word grace has become trite and debased through misuse and overuse. It does not move us the way it moved our Christian ancestors." He goes on to include a quotation from Fydor Dostoyevsky which he thinks "captures the shock and scandal of the gospel of grace":

"At the last judgment Christ will say to us, 'Come, you also! Come drunkards! Come weaklings! Come children of shame!' And He will say to us, 'Vile beings, you who are in the image of the beast and bear his mark, but come all the same, you as well.' And the wise and prudent will say, 'Lord, why do you welcome them?' And He will say, 'If I welcome them, you wise men, if I welcome them, you prudent men, it is because not one of them has ever been judged worthy.' And He will stretch out His arms and we will fall at His feet, and we will cry out sobbing, and then we will understand all, we will understand the Gospel of Grace! Lord Your kingdom come!"

What do you think?

Sunday Night

Some of the regulars have told me they enjoy reading 'behind the scenes' kind of stuff.

Sunday afternoons are usually a 'down time' for me. I tend to take in some football and spend the afternoon with Shari and the girls around the house. It's amazing to me how tired I am on Sunday afternoons. I've concluded that it isn't physical exhaustion as much as it is spiritual, emotional and intellectual exhaustion. I just like to throw myself headlong into mindless sports viewing, holler and yell at the television, and genuinely disengage from reality for a few hours.

Usually my Sunday evening prayer time is really a blessing. I generally run back thru the morning, remember all the sermon points I planned to make but forgot, and thank the Lord for all the people who work so hard to make Sundays such a blessing at Christ's Church. Tonight I give thanks for Shari for putting together a great service for this morning, and for the rest of the team for playing the notes, pushing the buttons and displaying the slides. I'm thankful for Dave and Kathy (first service) and Pam (second service) for preparing for Communion. And every week I hear how the kids loved the children's programs that Pam, Pauline and Nancy put so much effort into preparing. I also think of new folks that I met and thank the Lord for bringing them thru the doors. I love it when our spiritual journeys cross paths with others. I give thanks for it all and begin to get excited about doing it all again next week.

For Our Saturday Night Readers

A quick look at the history of interpreting the Song of Solomon reveals that it has been one of the most confusing to understand of all Biblical books. It has been interpreted as an allegory, an extended type, a drama, a collection of wedding poetry, a grouping of unrelated songs, and my personal favorite to joke about – a group of pagan liturgies!

I’ve always found the book to be a very romantic read (no, I am not kidding), though you have to approach some of the poetry as being culturally outdated. I don’t think that “Hey baby, your hair looks like a flock of goats” would be considered romantic by my wife.

Origen approached the book as an allegory. He was followed in that view by church fathers Jerome, Athanasius, Augustine and Bernard of Clairvaux, all of them viewing the book as an allegory of Christ’s love affair with the church. I see Song of Solomon in that light, to some degree, but also as having purpose in extolling human love and marriage. Human love and marriage, after all, is intended to reflect the relationship between Christ and His Bride (see Ephesians 5:32).

For my Saturday night crowd, here’s the text we’ll look at tomorrow: Song of Songs 1:1-12. You might also enjoy reading thru two gospel passages that have blessed me this week in considering ‘the fragrance poured forth’, those being Matthew 26:6-13 & Luke 7:36-50. I look forward to seeing you in the morning!

Careful Choice Of Words

If you've had an eye on the news this week you heard that former Education Secretary and conservative radio talk-show host Bill Bennett touched off a firestorm of controversy this week. In discussing social and economic arguments against abortion Bennett said "you could abort every black baby in America and your crime rate would go down". Like everything, there is a broader context to his remarks. But, can you imagine a context where that comment is not offensive? You can read the remarks, and Bennetts explanation here.

All of this reminds me of several conversations that started last week over the choice of words believers often use, and some that found their way into comments on this blog. It reminds me how harmful words can be even if they are spoken without harmful intent.

Chime in and let me know what you think of the story, the news coverage of it, and Mr. Bennett's explanation.