Contentment

I'm feeling content today. I didn't win the caption contest (at least, if I did, I wasn't notified by the date specified in the rules!) And thus, my dream bike, (check out the video review) will remain that...a dream.

I'll admit that I struggle at times with being content. There's always the temptation to think, "Well, if I just made X much more money," or "If I only had this (fill in the blank) then I'd be happy." This sort of thinking ultimately is not very helpful as it fails to recognize all that I do have and all that God has blessed me with. What's more, is that it simply is not true. That thinking, even if we get X, leads to other thoughts of "if only...".

Would I love a Cervelo RS? I'm sure I would...but I don't need it. I'd rather be like Paul who was onto something when he wrote:

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13)

Have I Mentioned

That I love Bart Campolo? Well I do. Check this out.

Jesus Shows Up

In the most unexpected places, no?

Juno

Well, I finally saw Juno. I have to say, I was disappointed. Every youth ministry mag, blog, message board etc. told me I had to see the film. I guess I can understand why; a movie about teens, teen pregnancy, abortion etc. Maybe my expectations were too high? (Though, I have to say I was disappointed that my wife picked Juno instead of Atonement or Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and so my expectations couldn't have been that high. Have any of my 5 readers seen Atonement or Before the Devil...? Leave me a review...I heard Before is supposed to be good, but it was some guy on the radio, so you never know.)

I think my biggest problem with the movie was that I didn't buy the characters. I'm a youth pastor and have been for a little over 10 years now. I've met hundreds (thousands, maybe) of teenage girls and of those hundreds, I've gotten to know...oh I don't know, many let's say, pretty well. I've never met a 16 year old like Juno was portrayed in the film. I didn't buy her dad and step-mom either. I didn't buy that idiot character Jason Bateman played. And, for all the running he did, Paulie Bleeker's legs were pretty unimpressive. (Though that, I admit, is being a bit nit-picky.)

The obvious question is why I didn't buy the Juno character. It wasn't that she was too confident, or too sarcastic, or too savvy but she was a little too much of all of those at the same time. That coupled with wondering if you can even do "want-ad" adoptions and thinking Jason Bateman's character was a loser, left me liking no one in the film. I mean, Juno (the character) was okay, but I can't say I cared all that much about her.

So, yeah, I was disappointed. Maybe I'm getting grumpy in my old age...I dunno.

The Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins have battled back from a 2-0 and 3-1 series deficit to tie the first round playoff series against their long time rivals, the Montreal Canadiens. Game six was simply an unbelievable game. I've seen a few playoff games in my day, and I can't recall a game quite like this one. Through the game the B's trailed 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2. When they finally took the lead 4-3, in the 3rd period, Montreal tied the score eleven seconds later! With minutes remaining, Marco Sturm scored what would prove to be the game winner and the celebration captured above, ensued. (Photo by Barry Chin of the Boston Globe.)

I haven't written about the Bruins in some time, but I have been watching as always. If nothing else, I hope that this series, win or lose, revives this long standing rivalry which has been on life support for some time. As a youngster, there was nothing more exciting than a Bruins-Canadiens game, regular or post-season. Each game was an event and the atmosphere at the Garden was electric. It was comparable to the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. In more recent years, the atmosphere and feeling has been that of "just another game" and the talk of rivalry wasn't descriptive as much as it was nostalgic. This series may have changed that...or well, Bruins and Habs fans can hope, anyway.

The Bruins have been pretty resilient this year and pretty exciting. They have some very young players (Kessel, Lucic, Krejci, Sobotka, Nokelainen, and Stuart) who are playing or have played a significant role this season. They have been without Patrice Bergeron, perhaps their best player, most of the season and without Chuck Kobasew for the playoffs. I have to believe Chara is not 100% either. And they've taken Montreal to a game 7 in a series no "expert" has expected them to win. Their farm team in Providence has some very promising prospects as well, most notably Matt Lashoff and Tukka Rask. The future is bright for the Bruins...and it's about time.

Go Bruins...

MS 150

When I started cycling late this summer/early fall, all the cycling guys I met asked me the same question: "What's your goal?". I always replied, "I'd like to do the MS 150, but I'm not sure if I'll be ready." Well, I better be ready, because I'm registered now! If any of my 5 readers want to sponsor me, please go to my "Personal Fundraising Page" and click on "Donate to Participant" under the thermometer. You can also check out that page to see who I'm riding in honor of.

And Not so Priceless

Today, when I got home from a bike ride, Kaylee, my 4 year old was outside. When she saw me, her eyes lit up and she squealed, "Daddy!" as she was running toward me. It's the sort of thing that never gets old. I squatted down and she gave me a big hug. Then she said, "Daddy, you smell!" Yeah, not so priceless.

Priceless...

Okay, I know that every parent thinks their kid is great and so maybe I'm the only one that thinks this was "priceless" but I'll throw it out there anyway. My 4 year old comes up to me an hour after our church worship service had ended and, totally unprompted, says to me, "Daddy, you did very good preaching this morning." How funny is that?!?! It was pretty sweet...

The Year of Living Biblically

So I review books for my church newsletter. My reviews are in a column called "Brian's Book Corner," because, well, you know, I'm wicked creative.

Here's what I wrote for AJ Jacobs book:

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, by A.J. Jacobs

The idea for this "book corner" came to me toward the end of seminary. Writing about a book will provide accountability for reading thoughtfully and critically. I had some books in mind that I would review and thus far, the books I've chosen have come as no surprise to me. Until this month, that is.

I first heard of Jacob's book sometime last year. The review I read made me want to read it. Well, so much for reviews because I quickly forgot all about it until someone gave me a copy of it as a gift. When I read the subtitle again I thought, "Why did I want to read this? It seems to me that he's beginning with a faulty premise." That faulty premise being that the Bible is meant to be taken literally in everything it says. Obviously that's not the case or there would be many missing hands and eyes around these parts (Mt. 5:29-30). I therefore left the book on the shelf, not sure that I'd ever pick it up. One night this month, I left the book I was planning to review in this little column on my desk at the church building. At home, with no book to read, I picked up Jacobs' book and cracked it open. I read the introduction and was hooked. (I was also pleased to discover that Jacobs grasped clearly that not all of the Bible was meant to be taken literally.)

A.J. Jacobs is a self described agnostic with liberal leaning social and political viewpoints. He describes himself as a very "secular" person from a primarily "secular" family. ("Secular" was his word choice.) He's also very funny and engaging. For example, he writes "I'm officially Jewish, but I'm Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant. Which is to say: not very."

There are several things I liked about this book, aside from his engaging and witty style. First, he approaches the Bible with a (mostly) open mind. Where his mind is less than open, he acknowledges up front. He has little previous exposure to the Bible and thus it is interesting to see how a "secular agnostic" reads and understands scripture. In other words, through Jacobs, the reader gets to approach the Bible from a fresh perspective too. Jacobs does a lot of homework and surrounds himself with a variety of spiritual advisors, both Jewish and Christian, liberal and conservative. It is good and helpful to hear the wide variety of opinions and interpretations of the Bible he encounters along the way.

You will find insight in what he discovers. You will be challenged to consider your own understanding of certain, more difficult passages of scripture. (Jacobs shies away from nothing.) You will disagree with some of his conclusions and may be a bit disappointed with the ending of the book. You will be moved by how he perceives his spiritual progress. You may be annoyed at his tendency to view the Bible as a "self-help" book, which one of his advisors rightly warns him against. You will laugh out loud along the way.

In short, this book surprised me but I'm glad I read it. It has given me some good things to ponder and reminded me of the importance of really digging into and wrestling with God's word to us. This one is worth reading.

Memo to Rock Stations in the Area

Enough with the Pink Floyd already. I can't go a day without scrolling through the rock stations and encountering Floyd.

In Tune, In Rhythm and Breathing

Not too long ago I used an illustration with my youth group that seemed to work for them. We were talking about how our relationship with Jesus impacts every area of our life. I used a guitar to illustrate this. Each string was a different aspect of our life and when we're in tune with God, things sound nice. (A second guitar was the "God" guitar, and we would play together "in tune.") I would then detune one string on my guitar ("Suppose I'm cheating on my wife...") and then the God guitar and I would play and the awful dissonance would occur. My youth leaders encouraged me to use that illustration at a retreat I was due to speak at, and so I did.

Recently, I was asked to speak at a youth rally that was being put together by three Hispanic churches. I met with the pastors and, after some prayer, thought I would be heading in a particular direction with the message, but it just wasn't happening. In praying some more, I felt like the guitar illustration would work better for the theme of the night, so I used it again.

The next day, I was cycling with a friend and this illustration was fresh in my mind. We were out for over two hours and had some good chats in between hard efforts into the wind where neither of us were able to do much talking. After discussing if every one should just return to the Roman Catholic church (he's a Roman Catholic) we got to talking about prayer and the role that prayer plays in our lives, especially as it pertains to our emotions and how we deal with temptation. (And, no, I'm not considering a return to the RC church.) I made the comment that I really need to begin my day with prayer as it seems to help me be "in tune" for the day. When my day doesn't begin with prayer, I usually notice some dissonance later in the day.

In that we were cycling, it also brought up (in my mind, not in our conversation) the concept of rhythm. One of the things that I've learned as a relative newbie to cycling is the importance of my pedal cadence, especially as I climb a hill. (Side note: I'm really not much of a climber and its very frustrating! I'm getting better at it, but...). The idea is to find a comfortable cadence or rhythm as you climb and maintain it up the hill, shifting gears accordingly. In thinking about being in tune and rhythm, I began thinking about how rhythm is also important for life. Rob Bell has a Nooma video that talks about being in rhytym with God and the Kingdom. In Phyllis Tickle's The Divine Hours she mentions in the introduction how the daily office can provide a rhythm for our prayer life and I have found this to be true.

Finally, there is the issue of breathing. I once read some advice for climbing: "Concentrate on your breathing and your legs will follow. " Rob Bell addresses breathing in another Nooma video. Taking time to "breathe," he says, is important for our relationship with God too. I've found this to be true as well.

Staying in tune, finding your rhythm and breathing. Easy to do and easy to fall away from, regardless of where. I know it's easy for me to forget about concentrating on my breathing as I climb, just as it's easy to get started with the day before taking some time to pray. But, I'm endeavoring to stay in tune, to find a good rhythm and breathe.

That Old, Familiar Feeling

It seems as though things have changed here in New England. Or, perhaps, things have gone back to normal. Dark, dreary, and cold with pessimism in the air. The last four - seven years, real? An illusion? It's Red Sox 2003 all over again...not to mention '86 or '79. It's the Bruins 1973 and following. It's the Patriots pre-2001.

I'm usually of the opinion that sports fans who have been spoiled can't complain when the shoe's on the other foot. And, you know, I still feel that way...sort of. The thing is, though, (and I don't know about you) but I'd trade the other three Super Bowl victories for one last night. I mean, what's the point of going undefeated if you aren't going to win the championship?

Yeah, that old familiar feeling is back and it's not a good one.

Winterfest

Every year our Senior High retreat takes place during the first weekend in January. The event is called "Winterfest" and it draws some 400 plus students and leaders from our denomination's East Coast Conference.

I've had the privilege of being a part of the worship team for several years now and this year was no exception. One thing that was a little different this year was that I was as sick as a dog Friday. Thankfully I managed to get through Friday night and was able to enjoy what was a great weekend.

Johnny provides a good summary here. Each year, one of the highlights of this retreat is the bus ride home. I use the time on the bus to "interview" each student from my group. I get to hear their highlights, suggestions for future retreats and what message God had for them and then I get to pray for them. I'm so thankful for the way God uses so many different people to touch our lives and help us hear Him more clearly. Yeah, it was a perfect and beautiful weekend.

The Winter Classic

I'm sure that my five readers, like myself, were glued to the TV New Year's day taking in the NHL's "Winter Classic" game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres played outdoors at Ralph Wilson Stadium. I loved it. I loved the idea, I loved that it was snowy and I enjoyed the game itself. Some speculated that the hockey purists would not like it...too gimmicky, the weather playing too big a role in the outcome and I forget what other reasons they might have come up with.

Now, I don't know if I qualify as a purist, though I think I might. Here's my purist resume, my five readers can decide: I hate gimmicky third jerseys (like the Bruins old "pooh bear" jerseys) but like the throwback 3rd's, I hate shootouts (but I tolerate them since they only impact regular season games) I don't want bigger nets, I want to go back to a divisional playoff format (and bring back the old division names while your at it) and I wasn't in favor of allowing the two line pass (but have since admitted I was wrong about that), I hate composite sticks, and I believe the Sabres should go back to the logo on the uni's they wore for the classic.


As for the Winter Classic, I fail to see how a hockey purist could hate an outdoor game. Everyone who has ever picked up a hockey stick has played outside at some point...it doesn't get any more pure than that. Sure maybe not everyone had the frozen pond, but they at least had the street (or tennis courts) with in-line skates or sneakers. In fact, the only way the Winter Classic could be better is if they played it on a frozen lake. (Of course, you probably couldn't get 70,000 spectators there, but oh well.)

I loved the Winter Classic. If that makes me a "non-purist," so be it.

Best of 2007

Okay, so here it is, my favorite books read in 2007 (in no particular order):

Sex God- Rob Bell
Another great book from Bell and another in which the content won't be unfamiliar if you listen to him preach regularly. A great book for anyone, and one I suspect could be especially helpful for a couple considering marriage.

A Community Called Atonement- Scot McKnight
A very accessible and moving account of all that Christ has done for us.

The Beatles: The Biography- Bob Spitz
A huge volume, some 900 pages, that I absolutely devoured. I now understand why Beatles fans tend to not like Yoko. (And it has nothing to do with her singing, though that's reason enough, I suppose.)

23 Days in July- John Wilcockson
My new found love for cycling led me to this one about the 2004 Tour de France in which Lance Armstrong won a record setting 6th Tour.

Real Sex: The Naked Truth about Chastity - Lauren Winner
A frank and honest look at the topic at hand.

10 Points- Bill Strickland
I mentioned this one in this post. A fascinating, if not always fun or easy, read. (By not easy I mean he deals with some issues that are hard to read about.)

Everything Must Change- Brian McLaren
Well, as you know by now, I like Brian a lot. His latest book is compelling, though it leaves you wondering if it's really possible to do even half of what he suggests. A good read and one that will challenge you.

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster- Jon Krakauer
I started watching Everest: Beyond the Limit on the Discovery channel and decided to read a book about Everest too. This is the first one I read...hard to put down and really hard to imagine.

Selected Stories- Andre Dubus
I love Andre Dubus and especially his short stories. This collection includes my favorite Dubus short story, A Father's Story.

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters- Meg Meeker
Simply a must read for any dad with a daughter.

Honorable Mention:
Never Give Up- Tedy Bruschi with Michael Holley
This is not the best Patriots book I've read (that would probably be Holley's Patriot Reign or Halberstam's The Education of a Coach) but it is a good read. Tedy Bruschi comes off as a sincere, humble and level headed guy. The book recounts his upbringing and his suffering and recovery from a stroke.

Snowblowers

Is there a rule that if you're under 40 years old you can't own a snow blower? I thought there was, but maybe I'm wrong about that. If there is such a rule, maybe it's not such a good one.

Nothing That Clever...really!

So, it appears as though I've made some friends on the internet. Pretty funny stuff, I must admit. So let's see...to review what they had to say,

"If it comes down to a bare-knuckle brawl I give you this warning: You don't want to see how "M" fights. It is dirty, it is old-school, it is 60% verbal. You will not exit that stadium of blog gladiators the same man. Trust me."

Now, this was posted by "Q" who lists "world peace" as one of his interests. Mr. Q, with all due respect, please don't make me quote a Michael Jackson song...you know, one about the man in the mirror.

"For their own safety, all your outgoing links, including "World's Greatest Band" and "Mike Nyman Photography," should leave your blog immediately. If you choose conflict, or refuse to vacate your blog after 48-hours, you will be visited by an internet campaign of shock, awe, and indie-rock music. Choose wisely and choose carefully."

After careful consideration (drumroll.........) I'll take the indie rock music. Bring it on...I could use some new music. As for Mike and the Worlds' Greatest Band, what have they ever done to you? Besides, I don't think Mike has taken a photo in the last two years. (Or, you wouldn't know it from his blog anyway.)

"We are now acting because the risks of inaction would be far greater. In one year, or five years, the power of Brian to inflict harm on all free blogs, innocently minding their own business until their names are also stolen, would be multiplied many times over. With these capabilities, Brian and his youth pastor allies could choose the moment of internet conflict when they are strongest. We choose to meet that threat now where it arises, before it can appear suddenly in our inboxes and Facebooks."

Okay, you got me there. My youth pastor buddies and I, we are legion. Well, not legion like the demons in the pigs exactly, but, well...er, never mind.

Now, for those of my 5 readers who were too lazy to click on the link, you might be wondering what I've done to offend the good folks I quote here. In their own words, I have " appropriated (their) name (nothing that clever) and are using it for nefarious purposes. Who used what, first, is a matter for the lawyers."

But actually, it's a matter for the archives, no? And a quick glance through the archives will reveal that "Nothing that Clever" began on Tuesday, August 2, 2005 and "Nothing Clever" began on Wednesday, February 11, 2004. Now, math has never been my strong suit, Q, and I'm not lawyer, but I'm pretty sure 2004 happened before 2005, even though 2005 is a bigger number than 2004. Fortunately for you, I am a peace loving man, so I'll let you keep your blog name despite the blatant copyright infringement on the part of you and your band of letters.

Rock on, M, Q, C, and Z...and Merry Christmas to you and yours. Jesus loves you.

Workaholics and Ministry Part 2

Well, first off, let me thank Len for directing some friends this way to comment, so, thanks Len! And to those who commented, thank you as well.

My original question had very little to do with the church that used the quoted words in their job posting. After all, if it had been about them, I would have named the church. As one anonymous commenter pointed out, there are many things we don't know about with regard to those expected 55 hours and we might feel differently knowing the full story. Still, I think those expectations, taken at face value, are expectations that many churches have of their pastors and (maybe more so) that many pastors have of themselves. Since I had recently seen that posting, it simply served as a good illustration of my concern about expectations.

These expectations are not foreign too me either. As I mentioned, it is easy to feel proud of a 55- 60 hour work week. You may even get lots of pats on the back for it, and pats on the back always feel nice. I recall being complimented once for my "dedication" but the truth was I had let things get away from me at that time and was not putting first things first. (In fairness to my church, I have never felt like my congregation or its leaders expect me to work excessively. This is more of a personal issue. Rather, my church has always encouraged me to care for my family first and my pastor pushed me hard to make sure I established good boundaries for myself and that I observe a regular sabbath.)

Jeff and The Thief raised good points about priorities, boundaries, and Sabbath. Boundaries can be hard because we can fall into the trap of thinking that if we establish boundaries we are somehow failing to serve with all of our heart or something like that. The truth is that God calls us to rest (thus the need for boundaries) because we need it. Failure to rest and have these boundaries is a failure to love and serve with all of our hearts because we are setting ourselves up for burnout and no real ability to serve. Setting boundaries can also feel selfish, but "loving your neighbor as yourself" requires that you do love yourself. (I think I got that from Bell...not sure.) I'm not advocating for selfishness at all, but I am saying that we do need to care for our own souls in order to care for others.

Eugene Peterson's book Working the Angles, was very helpful to me with regard to Sabbath. I went looking for my copy of it, but it must be at my office, otherwise, I'd throw a quote or two your way. If you've not read it, check it out.

I'll reiterate what I said about working too much being a theological issue/ sin. It is pride, a false belief that we are indispensable, and a failure to recognize that it is God who works (through us, sure, but it is His work.) I went to one Promise Keeper's event and I only remember one thing from it and it was this: "There are only three things you can do that no one else in the world can do: Only you can have your relationship with God, only you can be the husband of your wife, and only you can be the father of your kids." For everything else I do, no matter how good I am at it, someone else could do it too.

Finally, I was very interested in Julie's comment. I've been in youth ministry for 11 years, all at the same church, Julie mentions she's been around for 12, also at the same church. Julie works beyond what she is paid, but does so, "because it's my church and I have a vision of where I'm going and it takes me more time than 30 hrs. The difference is that I generate my hours, not that the church requires it."

Each situation is unique and knowing nothing about Julie's situation other than what she shared, this seems good and healthy. She volunteers time to her church (as I do, and as we should, I believe.) The church seems to have reasonable expectations for her. Like all of us, though, Julie needs to remember that there will always be more work to be done or more that she could do. My prayer for Julie, for my fellow youth workers, and for myself, is that we will work hard, be diligent, faithful, and that we will do so in a way that keeps first things first in every sense.

(And just to be clear, I was using Julie's comment as a jumping off point. As I reread that it could come across as a warning or that Julie's comment raised a red flag for me. That's not the case. Rather, I'm wanting to acknowledge that we all need to be diligent as even a healthy situation can turn unhealthy if we aren't careful. So, Julie, rock on!)

Workaloholics and Ministry

I finally got around to opening the November/December issue of Youthworker Journal. One of the articles stated that 80% of pastors surveyed felt that ministry has had a negative impact on their own family.

Recently, a friend of mine pointed me to a youth ministry job posting he was looking at. Part of the post read as follows, "Approximate time needed to perform position: 55 hours/week (including church functions) – must be available after school and weekends, when the students are available."

Is it just me, or is that part of the problem? I understand that, as a youth pastor, I need to be available at "odd times" when the youth are available. I also understand that I may need to put in over 40 hours a week. But 55? I'll ask my three readers to weigh in, if they would. It seems to me that, as a pastor, I do expect that those who are a part of the body will volunteer their time and talents to accomplish the work of ministry. As a part of the body, I therefore expect the same from myself. The way I look at it is that the church pays me for 40 hours and anything above that is done voluntarily by me. Should I expect people (myself included) to volunteer 15 hours a week to the church every week? Is that reasonable? Should I expect a family with young children to volunteer the same amount of time that a family without kids at home volunteers?

It seems to me that part of the problem of pastoral burnout is workaholism. Workaholism is a theological problem too. That is if I'm a workaholic I believe that ministry is primarily accomplished by me. Part of the problem are churches who expect their pastors to be workaholics. Now, there was a time when I was proud of my 60+ hour weeks, but no longer. If I have a 60+ hour week (or even a 55+) these days I feel like I've failed somehow, and that strikes me as being healthy. It seems to me, 40-50 is a much more reasonable expectation, knowing that occasionally there will be those weeks that require more, but this should not be the norm. I'd love to get some input on this one.

The Salvation Army

Do you want to know what, for me, has been one of the hardest things about being a father? Well, too bad, I'll tell you anyway; it's dealing with the "noise toys." You know the toys whose main purpose is to make noise? They can drive a normal person (like me) insane, but apparently are entertaining for toddlers. Then there's the more ridiculous things, like the books that add sound effects. Why would anyone ruin a book this way?

So yeah, there are certain noises that really bother me. Wind chimes for instance. I hate them! We had a drummer at our church who had to use the chimes in every song...let me tell you, its difficult to focus on worshiping Jesus while at the same time thinking about strangling a drummer. (Relax! I'm kidding! Well, sorta.)

I'm guessing you've figured out where this is going. Yes, those bell-ringers. They drive me nuts. I always tell my wife that I'll donate if the STOP ringing the bells. In the December issue of The Covenant Companion there's an article by Beth Ernst called, "Christmas at the Kettle" where she recounts her experience working as a bell-ringer for the Salvation Army. She received permission to, get this, sing instead of ringing the bell! It's a great little article in more ways than one. She talks about how she got to proclaim the gospel story over and over as she sung her hymns and carols, armed as she was with a collection of hymnals. She talks about the impact it had on people and the connections she made as a result.

I'm hoping the Salvation Army gets rid of the bells and turns to singing. Of course, it sounds like Beth was a good singer. Not everyone can sing whereas anyone can ring a bell. That leaves me with the question, which would be worse: listening to a bell, or someone singning off key? Yeah, I'll take the singer any day.

Merry Christmas.

Funny Sign

Katie and I were at T.F Green airport in WARWICK, not Providence, RI the other day and she noticed this sign, which struck us both funny. You know, you can never be too careful...I guess.

The gods aren't Angry

Last night Rob Bell's speaking tour rolled into Boston and unlike last time Rob Bell's speaking tour rolled into Boston, I didn't have a softball game to play in, so I went. It was nice to see some old friends that I haven't seen in awhile, as well as some friends I see fairly regularly. Oh yeah, and Rob's message was excellent.

He started out (wait, just so you know, I didn't take notes, this is all from memory, so if you were there and I got something wrong, feel free to point that out, okay?)...as I was saying, he started out by saying that from the earliest days when humans realized that we are dependent on forces outside of our control for living, things like the sun, moon, rain etc. there has been an attempt to please the gods. Offerings are made in an attempt to get the gods on your side. If the gods do not respond favorably (your crop fails, the child dies, the hunt is bad, etc.) you offer more to the gods. If the gods do respond favorably, you still offer more. After all, if you offered X and the gods blessed you with abundance, won't the be offended if you offer on X again? And so this cycle goes on of always trying to bless the gods and please them and you are never quite sure where you stand with them.

The God of Abraham, however, is completely different and unlike anything ever heard of prior. Here is a God who comes to Abraham and says, "I will bless you so you can bless others." A God that doesn't need us to bless him? A revolutionary thought. The revolution continues in that God lays out a plan for His people showing them exactly how to relate to Him, what will please Him, hence Leviticus. Then comes Jesus...the final sacrifice...no more are necessary. Jesus announces that God has made peace with us and invites us to trust that this is so. In trusting we are invited to become living sacrifices and bless others.

And so when you gather with your community it ought to be a reminder that God is not angry, that He has made peace with us. We need not strive and jump through hoops in hopes that we might somehow earn God's favor. Remembering this, we are then free to bless others, knowing that we are a sign, a picture, of the reality that God has made peace with us...all of us. He has provided the sacrifice, and we are free.

Cycling

Well, I discovered that there may be as many as 5 people who read this blog and so I'm feeling a little guilty for not posting my long promised blog about my recent foray into the masochistic world of cycling. Sorry 'bout that...'course if you've been reading for awhile, you knew it would take some time. Without further ado...

My friend Tim is a crazy good cyclist. He's a category 3 racer, which, as far as I can tell, means he's semi-professional. In order to get to the level he's at, Tim does a variety of stupid things. For instance, he'll ride up a hill (that looks more like the side of a mountain) turn around at the top, ride down, and turn around again and ride up. He'll repeat this 10 times or so. He rides in the winter. He rides 4-6 days a week. He'll do 20-30 mile "recovery rides." Stupid. (Though, I must say, it was pretty cool to see him lose 100+ pounds and transform his whole lifestyle in the process of getting to where he's at now.) Well, one day Tim said, "Come for a ride with me," and my life has been very different since.

There was a time in my life (prior to children, though that seems like a weak excuse) where I was in really good shape. I was working out at least 4 days a week and had about 9% body fat. Those days passed, and while I still play street hockey and softball regularly and never let my weight get too out of control, I wasn't exactly what you'd call "in shape." When I went for my first ride with Tim, it was a bit of struggle to do the 15 or 20 miles at a 14-17 mph pace. Since that day in August, I've lost about 10 pounds (and wouldn't mind dropping another 10) and Saturday got in 40 mile ride in pretty tough conditions. I definitely struggled at times to keep up with the superior cyclists I was riding with, but I was with them at the end of the day. In other words, I've come a long way since that first ride.

Between that first ride and today, I've grown to love cycling. Even the parts I hated at first (like climbing hills) I've grown to love (if in a sick and twisted sort of way.) I've had dreams about riding and trouble sleeping the night before a big ride mostly due to excitement and anticipation. I now do some of those stupid things Tim does (though I've a LONG way to go before I reach his level.)

In his book 10 Points, Bill Strickland recounts his harrowing upbringing, his quest to achieve 10 points in a local weekly bike race and the healing that took place in the process. In the book Bill references a study that indicated that cycling produces the same brain waves that prayer and mediation produce. There is something to be said for being on a bike by yourself early in the morning. In my quest to be a fully integrated being, cycling has definitely helped. It clears the mind, adds discipline to my eating and sleeping habits, and energizes me. I've met and am becoming friends with people that I likely wouldn't have met or befriended otherwise. Cycling is a physical endeavor, but it is more than that too. And I love it.

Is There a Message in this?

Believe it or not, I do think about blogging, and updating my blog. There have been a number of posts that have been generated in my head but never saw the light of the keyboard. My next post (that is, this one) was supposed to be about my new cycling addiction, but that will have to wait. I say this (say? type?) only to half explain the following story.

My last four days have looked like this: two days of fairly hard riding (good pace, hills etc.), one night of two hours worth of floor hockey and a ride yesterday that was just over two hours in length and one that stretched me to the limits of my current ability. I rode really well, maybe better than I ever have, but I was also riding with some really good cyclists. Today my plan was to get out for a short (1 hour) hard ride on flat terrain, perhaps another hard ride on Thursday and a "recovery ride" on Friday.

Due to some unforeseen news that I received, my mood for today's ride was significantly dampened. That, coupled for four days of fairly strenuous exercise, (not to mention a pretty good headwind) resulted in today being that recovery ride rather than a hard one. (A recovery ride, from what I've learned, is a chance for you muscles to work but also recover. The idea is to pedal at a fairly high cadence but without having to utilize much effort. "An easy spin," as my friend Tim calls it.)

Thus, for the last portion of my ride, I ended up on the local bike path, which, like many bike paths, attracts a variety of activities from walking, strolling, rollerblading, real slow cycling, young people paying no attention to anything around them , and...squirrels. Now, since my addiction began a couple of months ago, I've been on the bike path numerous times. It is not uncommon to encounter a squirrel or three. Usually, they do the normal squirrel thing: stop where they are bound to get killed if they and the vehicle coming toward them maintain their current position and momentum, then decide to run one way or the other, most often back in the direction they originally came from.

Today, in under an hour and over the course of, oh, I don't know, 8 miles or so, I encountered no fewer than 12 squirrels. Did I mention it's not uncommon to encounter a squirrel or three? TWELVE! And four of them appeared quickly from the side of the path, sort of without warning, charged in front of me missing my tire by inches.

Now, I happen to believe that there are things in the physical realm that God uses to teach us about the spiritual realm and/or to deliver a message. When the thought entered my mind that perhaps there was some lesson to be learned from these kamikaze-like squirrels it seemed as though the number of squirrels multiplied.

So, what's the message? Have I been narrowly avoiding some sort of disaster? Do my eyes need to be opened to things going on around me? Less seriously, maybe it's just going to be one of those years when it comes to Middle School ministry and this was just a warning? Or, maybe squirrels (and spiders) are pawns of Satan? Hmmm....

Exclusion and Embrace

A few posts ago I mentioned how I was looking forward to being finished with my schooling so I could get to a pile of books that I've been wanting to read. (I know I said I'd say something more about McKnight's Embracing Grace, but I changed my mind. It's good, read it.)

Anyway, I'm now reading Volf's Exclusion and Embrace. It's one of those books that is going to take awhile to get through because just about every page I find myself thinking about a particular passage I just read, "Whoa...I need to read that again." After I do read it again, it takes it then takes some time to process. There is a lot packed into this book.

Here's two examples: Volf discusses how victims are never entirely innocent (not in a blame the victim sort of way) but in that "the practice of evil keeps re-creating a world without innocence." The violated, in other words, lose their innocence in the act of being violated.

Here's another quote on why recognizing that, as Paul tells us, there is none that are righteous:

"The question is how to live with integrity and bring healing to a world of inescapable noninnocence that often parades as its opposite. The answer: in the name of the one truly innocent victim and what He stood for, the crucified Messiah of God, we should demask as inescapably sinful the world constructed around elusive moral polarities...and then seek to transform the world in which justice and injustice, goodness and evil, innocence and guilt, purity and corruption, truth and deception crisscross and intersect, guided by the recognition that the economy of undeserved grace has primacy over the economy of moral deserts. Under the conditins of pervasive noninnocence, the work of reconciliation should proceed under the assumption that, though the behavior of a person may be judged as deplorable, even demonic, no one should ever be excluded from the will to embrace, because, at the deepest level, the relationship to the other does not rest on their moral performance and therefore cannot be undone by the lack of it." (Italics, his.)

I mean, it gives you something to think about, no?

Saying Goodbye...

It's difficult to say goodbye, even when you know that "goodbye" is never final.

Yesterday I said goodbye to two friends and their three kids. I said goodbye to two of the best youth workers a youth pastor could ask for. For almost 8 years, Craig and Melissa ministered alongside me and the rest of our youth ministry team, ministering to our middle school students. There were years where they took on significant responsibility for planning aspects of our youth meetings. There were many retreats attended and many late nights where Melissa and Craig sat with, prayed with, and counseled with middle school students (and parents). As years went by, these middle school students became high school and college students and Melissa and Craig remained a big part of their faith journey.

Melissa, in many ways, was the female youth pastor here. She didn't have the title or pay, but she got the phone calls (either from me or parents) when one of our girls was in need. Craig and Melissa were committed to our youth and committed to youth ministry. A few years back I had the budgetary wherewithal to able to bring them with me to the National Youth Workers Convention. A couple years after that, having some vacation time, they went on their own to the convention!

(Get this- one time I received a call from Melissa..."Hey Bri-...I was just wondering if it would be okay with you if I organized a group of girls to attend the Revolve tour?" 'Would it be okay?'....is that hysterical or what?!?! Yeah, please don't offer our girls a great weekend for which I'll have to do little to no planning...ha!)

So Craig and Melissa are leaving...but they'll still be ministering to middle schoolers. Craig has accepted a job at a Young Life camp that is primarily a middle school camp. May God bless them and continue to bless their ministry.

#193

Well, it arrived. Number 193 of 2500.

Graduation

Well, I finally finished seminary. It only took me ten years to get an M.Div. (10 years, I know, I know...it's a long story.) One of the things I'm most excited about now that I've finished is all the reading I can do now. I realize that sounds stupid, after all, I read plenty in seminary, but I also collected a pile of books that I was not able to get to between trimesters. You know how it goes... as you study you're exposed to more authors/books that you want to read. And then there are the books/authors who aren't assigned because they might not fit with your seminary's brand of theology. (And I don't want any garbage from my North Park friends...when I started sem the online stuff at NP was in its infancy and maybe even in it's pre-natal state, it's hard to remember, but either way, it really wasn't an option.)

Anyway, one of those books I left on the shelf for awhile and that I'm most of the way through now is Scot McKnight's Embracing Grace. I'll say more about it soon, but what a great book! I'm really looking forward to his atonement book that's coming out, according to Amazon, in November.

But for now, it's off to Pennsylvania for commencement. You know, it's hard to believe I'm graduating and it feels good to have accomplished this. At the same time I feel a somewhat silly, too. I mean, really, while I may have graduated, there's so much more I need to learn and so much more growth that needs to take place. So I'm glad to be graduating, but I'm looking forward to the education ahead. And mostly, well, I just want to be faithful. Yeah, that would be fine by me.

Brian McLaren on the Worship Industry

Some interesting thoughts here.

Junior High

In case you missed it, this post from Mark Oestreicher is worth a read.

Dancing with Jerry Remy

How can you not love Remy?

Interesting Thought

"The soul is the seat of the free will, of the power of choice and so of the personality. If it submits to the guidance of the Spirit, it is assimilated to the Spirit, becomes wholly spiritual, even in its lower element."

Henri Crouzel, on Origen's understanding of man, from Origen: The Life and Thought of the First Great Theologian.

Tragedy

There's not much to say, but what there is to say Brian says well.