Blogging for the Next Few Weeks

My blogging may become rather sparse for the next couple of weeks. There are a few reasons for this.

1) I have a New Year's Eve Lock-in for teens tomorrow night. I pretty much hate lock-ins (even when I was a teen), but all the other youth pastors of Lebanon seemed to think this would be a good idea. I didn't want to be the only jerk who said, "No way!" So I'll be staying up all night Sunday night, recover Monday, and then...

2) On Tuesday, I will be departing on an 8-day mission trip to Panama. I am going with a group of other Free Will Baptist pastors here in Missouri. We will be attending and teaching at the Panamanian National Association of Free Will Baptist Churches. I've been given the task of teaching the teens at the convention the topic of Knowing and Responding to God's Call on Your Life. No pressure or anything. We will also be traveling around the country and visiting churches, assessing needs, and planning our church-wide trip back to Panama next summer. I'll return the following Tuesday. Recover Wednesday and Thursday and then...

3) On Thursday night, we'll drive to St. Louis so we can fly to the San Francisco Bay Area on Friday morning. One of my buddies out there is getting married, so we're going for the wedding and visiting all of our long-lost CA friends. I'll also be preaching at the Bay Hills Community Church in El Sobrante that Sunday. We'll return to MO that next Tuesday.

I believe that puts me back on a normal schedule sometime in 2009. I'll blog when I can and hopefully share some great pics of our trips.

"Lord-Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise..."

I was talking to a friend today and we were discussing this great mysterious thing called God's will. Like a lot of people, I used to be guilty quite often of feeling impressed to do something and calling it God's will. Many times those projects would fail and I would look pretty stupid because I told the world it was God's will. I've come to believe that in most of life's situations, God's will cannot be known until after the fact.

I think we overly spiritualize our lives by calling everything God's will. Many times if we simply don't want to do something we will say something like "that's not God's will for my life." Many people have justified sin by calling it God's will. I've had a few people inform me that God directed them to divorce their spouse. I've also seen several guys in bible college inform young ladies that God told them it was His will that the two of them be married (when God had not yet informed the young lady of this fact.)

This is what I know based on observation and life experience. God can strongly impress on people what his will for their life is. My experience is that it is usually in the broad strokes and rarely in the details. For instance, there is only one thing in my life that I can say difinitively was God's will for me. That was God calling me to preach. I felt so strongly about that decision that it was almost as if I had no choice in the decision at all. I have never felt that strongly about anything else. How I've used that calling to preach, has not always been as clear. I've made some good career moves and a few bad ones, but I've always felt I was in His will if I was preaching.

I know some people will disagree with me, but I would even say the same thing about my decision to marry Jamie. Jamie is the girl for me and I love her very much, but I think it boiled down more to a decision based on emotion, chemistry, and compatability, than one based on whether it was God's will or not.

I believe people would be much wiser to not be so quick to label their choices as God's will. We all are presented with a series of decisions in life. Decisions about relationships, careers, purchases, and a million other things. Christians have such a strong desire to please God, that we want all our decisions to be "God's will". I think God just wants us to live our lives for him and make the best decisions we can based on guidance from the Bible and our circumstances. Sometimes we'll make the wisest decision and sometimes not so much, but it doesn't necessarily have to mean we are out of God's will. If it's not sin and it doesn't go against the one or two things you know are God's will for your life (i.e. - preaching or being a great husband and dad or reaching the lost or giving to the poor or whatever), then it's probably OK.

What are your thoughts on God's will?

The Legendary Shack Shakers

We had a great Christmas! All of my family came to our house. We had 16 people here. It was lovely and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

After everyone left yesterday I got on ye ol' internet for a little surfing session. I thought about a question I had about one of my old favorite bands, This Train. This Train is not together anymore, but they were truly great. They had a rockabilly sound with a touch of punk - which they called punkabilly. They gained some popularity in the late 90s by opening for Rich Mullins on his final tour. Their lead singer and bass player, Mark Robertson, was also a member of Rich Mullins' Ragamuffin Band. After Rich's death I brought them out to the little church in California I was youth-pastoring at. Everyone loved them and they were super-nice guys.

Anyway, when I googled This Train, a wikipedia entry came up about them and it said that Mark Robertson had gone on to co-found a band called The Legendary Shack Shakers. I did not know this and they have already put out 3 CDs. After doing a little research on the Shack Shakers I quickly found out that they had some incredible reviews and a pretty strong underground following. So I downloaded their latest album, Pandelerium.

WOW!!!! This is one of the most incredible sounds I've ever heard. There is very little in the music industry that sets itself apart from anything else. These guys have a truly unique sound! Their music is exciting and ballsy - I can only describe it as "This Train on acid". This is the music you might expect to hear if you were having a dream of walking through a demented carnival. It's awesome. Vocally, it's very unique too. Lead singer and blues harpist, J.D. Wilkes, has this deep, gravelly, half-carnie/half-traveling evangelist voice that is unlike anything you've ever heard.

Despite Mark's roots, this is not technically a "Christian" band. I don't believe there's anything un-Chrisitian about the stuff they sing about. In fact, there are plenty of spiritual and biblical references. But if the occasional profanity gets to you, then this might not be your cup of tea. If you like fun, interesting, unique music that will rock your face off - check out The Legendary Shack Shakers. You won't regret it!

Final Potter Title Announced

Can't wait to find out what a deathly hallow is!
http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/books/12/21/books.pottertitle.ap/index.html

Top 10 Ways the Amish Like to Party Like It's 1699

10. Wet bonnet contest.
9. Chug maple syrup until you blow chunks.
8. Cram as many dudes as you can find into a buggy.
7. Buttermilk kegger.
6. Burn past the square dance on a seriously rad Clydesdale.
5. Sleep until 6 a.m.
4. Churn butter in the nude.
3. Consort with the witches off of the cover of a discarded "Which Witch?" game.
2. Squeeze cats to make the "wicky-wicky" sound like rap DJs.
1. Burn Thomas Edison in effigy.

(from the May/June 1999 issue of The Door magazine)

When you care enough to send the very best...

...send whale vomit.

Isaiah's Review of "The Nativity Story"

Our church dismissed service tonight and went to the theater to watch "The Nativity Story". Overall, I thought it was good and quite moving. I got a little tired of Elizabeth's King James English and Mary came off a little to stoic and serious for my taste. But all in all, I'm glad I saw it.

I was moved to tears when it came time for the actual birth. It really made me thankful for Christ's sacrifice. Isaiah and Mollie sat across the aisle with some other church kids. When the credits started rolling and everyone got up to leave, Isaiah ran up to me laughing and said, "We saw Jesus's booty!"

I guess everyone takes away something different.

...FINALLY!

I have posted about my favorite game, Settlers of Catan, before. Jamie and I first started playing this last summer when our friends, Micah & Becky Derby, introduced it to us. Tonight, we were playing with our friends, Jay & Naomi Burns, and on the third game, I FINALLY WON! I am so excited. I've played this game many times now and have never won until tonight. So how do you like them apples, everybody-who-I've-played-in-the-past-that-has-beat-me-multiple-times? That's what I thought!

Mollie the Bard

Mollie has become quite the poet. She's been tinkering around writing poetry for a couple of years now, but she's really starting to get good! Her school prints a monthly newspaper and one of her poems was featured on the front page. For a 4th grader, she's quite brilliant. Here it is.

I Love Christmas

by Mollie Myers

I love Christmas,

It's the best!

Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes.

Oh Christmas, you are so near

Oh Christmas, you make children cheer.

You see the snow,

You see the lights.

At Christmas, there are so many sights.

Oh Christmas, you are so near,

Oh Christmas, you make children cheer.

Christmas, Christmas

I love you, Christmas.

Jewelry is the Gift to Give...

Since I was but a wee lad, one of my favorite things about Christmas was the BC Clark's Anniversary Sale Christmas jingle. This is an Oklahoma thing. Every Okie knows exactly what I'm talking about. It kind of ushers in the holiday season in Oklahoma and I don't know very many Oklahomans who don't have it memorized.

Well, this year is the 50th anniversary of the jingle and BC Clark has a great website set up to commemorate it. You can view the commercials over the years and even download the jingle from iTunes for free. Check it out at www.bcclarkjingle.com. If you've never lived in Oklahoma, you especially need to check it out and see what you've been missing!

Grandma Teague

We just returned from Wichita, KS. We were attending my Grandma's funeral. She had been ailing for quite some time, so it wasn't unexpected or anything. It was a very quick trip - we were there less than 24 hours. It was great seeing everybody, though. My favorite cousins, Stacy & Raina, are on that side of the family. I hadn't seen them in 7 or 8 years. Seeing them and everybody else really made me miss Wichita.

We moved to Wichita my senior year of high school. That's where I graduated and where I would come home to in college. Even though I only spent a couple of years there, I really loved it there. I made friends quickly in high school, loved the river and downtown area, and enjoyed being closer to that side of my family. I've always thought I'd like to move back there some day and start a church, but God has always had other things in store.

I didn't expect to be as emotional this week as I was. The whole thing made me feel very nostalgic. My Grandma Teague always went all out at Christmas - lots of decorations, food, and presents. When we drove up to the house, my mom and Aunt Char had it all beautifully decorated. I wasn't expecting that, but I was so glad they did it. In fact, it was the most decorated house on the street. From the outside, you'd never know there was mourning going on. My Grandpa Teague died a few years ago while we were living in San Francisco. We couldn't afford the plane tickets so I had to miss his funeral. I had never really dealt with his loss, so for me this week was sort of like a double funeral. I miss them both and wish I would have made it more of priority to keep in touch with them. I need to do that with the grandparents I still have living.

Anyway, thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers!

Good Interview

I've mentioned before that I like to read Scot McKnight's blog. He's a thologian and commentator and I enjoy the things he has to say. Anyway, he was recently interviewed on Eye on Chicago about the Nativity Story, his new book about Mary, and the Emerging Church. It's worth watching.

http://cbs2chicago.com/eyeonchicago

First Snow

Mollie and Isaiah got to make snow angels today. We have lots of snow and ice. In fact, we're having a little trouble getting in/out of our driveway.

Game

This is a great typing game. Pretty intense. Check it out.
Qwerty Warriors

R.I.P. Cleo

We had a hard day today. We made the decision to put our dog, Cleo, to sleep. She had some pretty severe arthritis and was in constant pain without some pretty expensive medicine. We said our goodbye's and then left her with the vet. The kids were quite sad and started crying when we got home, which caused Jamie and I to break down as well.

Cleo was honestly one of the sweetest dogs I've ever been around. There wasn't a mean or aggressive bone in her fat body. She only needed a soft bed, a little food, and to be petted once in a while and that kept her content. She was about 8 years old. She'll be greatly missed.

Cleo, I pray you run just a little bit faster than the rabbits in heaven!

Happy Turkey Day!

I'm in Oklahoma with Jamie's family for the holiday. Dinner was great - leftovers were epic. I hope everyone is having a great day! I am most thankful for family, grace, and Sopranos on DVD. Peace in the Middle East!!!!!!!

Flu

I just got my butt kicked by the flu this week. I spent Tuesday afternoon through Friday morning in bed. I threw up more times than I can remember, high fever, sore throat, cough, achy muscles, ear ache, sinus stuff, you name it. I'm over the worst of it - just in time for a weekend youth retreat. I'm still weak and I have no voice, though. Hopefully next week will be better.

Fact or Crap

We had the teens from church over tonight. I bought a new game to play with them called Fact or Crap. It was actually pretty fun. Simple premise - a statement is read and you decide if it is a fact or if it's crap. They all seemed to enjoy it. I can't imagine very many other youth ministry moments in the history of youth ministry where the word "crap" was said so many times.

Sheep & Goats 2: Judgement Day!

To clarify further what I was saying in the previous post, I am not suggesting that our theology of salvation change. I'm not saying that people don't need to claim faith in Christ, repent of their sins, etc... But I believe Jesus was saying that if you don't live a life marked by physical acts of compassion for those who need it most, it won't matter if you've stated faith in Christ and repented of your sins. I think Jesus was saying that there will be some goats who thought they were sheep. They said all the right things, prayed all the right prayers, attended the right churches, and held the right positions, but there was no "legs" to their faith. It was all lip-service. If you say you love Jesus, but are ignoring "the least of these", you may be loving Jesus all the way to hell.

This is kind of a theme in Matthew. Not only does Jesus make a big deal about compassion, he makes a big deal about forgiveness. In Matthew 6 when Jesus gives us "The Lord's Prayer", he says, "and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." In other words, "God, forgive me in the same way I forgive other people." Jesus knows he's said something confusing or shocking, so this is the only line of the prayer he explains after the prayer. He says, "You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. (MSG)" Matthew emphasizes this further by recounting Jesus parable of the unjust steward in Matthew 18. Jesus tells the story of a king who forgave the debt of a servant, only to throw the servant into prison and reinstate the debt when he found out that the servant had not himself been forgiving. Jesus follows up this parable by saying, "And that's exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn't forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy. (MSG)" Jesus basically says your salvation can be taken away if you're unwilling to forgive someone.

To me, the teaching about compassion and the teaching about forgiveness teach us that saying the sinner's prayer does not mean God is "legally bound" to give you an eternal reward. We must follow that decision up with a Christ-like life. If compassion and forgiveness (which go hand-in-hand) are such a big deal to Jesus that he would threaten our eternity, I think it's a HUGE deal.

I realize this flies in the face of the biggest majority of evangelicals in this country who are Calvinist in their theology, and it goes against the trend of the last 30 years to preach that Jesus is all "love, love, love" and anybody who prays "the prayer" is going to heaven (no matter what their level of commitment), and some will say it borders on works salvation or whatever. But I believe there is more to faith than a singular prayer or decision. Our faith and our love for Christ demands that we give up our lives for Him and do everything possible to live like Him. Now your "everything possible" may look different than my "everything possible". We can't be judges of that. But we are all so guilty of selling what Dietrich Bonnhoeffer referred to as "cheap grace", or salvation with out life-change. This has to stop.

Sheep & Goats

I was reading Jesus teaching about judgement day in Matthew 25:31-46. He tells of this scenario when upon His return he'll divide all the people into two categories, left and right, like a shepherd does his sheep and goats.

The sheep will be declared "blessed" and be given the Kingdom. Jesus says the reason for this is because they fed Him, clothed Him, sheltered Him, visited Him, etc... The sheep ask how that's possible and Jesus says whenever you've done it to someone who was ignored or overlooked, you did it to me.

On the flip side, the goats get damnation because they never assisted anyone in need, and therefore ignored and overlooked Jesus.

Here's the thing I was thinking today. Jesus has this opportunity to explain Judgement Day and who will go to heaven or hell. And he makes the deciding factor compassion for the "least of these." He didn't say that the sheep were those who went to the alter and placed their faith in Him and said the sinners prayer after someone exlplained the four spiritual laws to them. He makes the deciding factor whether or not we live a life of compassion.

I'm not suggesting we change our theology on salvation, but it is interesting! I wonder if our view of grace is too narrow?

My Party of Choice

Christian people often ask me how I can be a Christian and a Democrat. I am a registered Democrat, but truth be told, I'm probably more of an Independent. I, like many of the newly elected members of Congress, am more of a conservative Democrat. I tend to be conservative on moral issues, but liberal on economic and social issues. However, I never vote "the party line". I vote my conscience and for the candidate/issue that will be best for our country. However, we need to realize that just because a man shares our morals, doesn't mean he will be a wise leader. I have a lot of really great, moral friends. But I don't know that I would vote for any of them for President.

I can't wait when the church doesn't align itself so closely with the Republican Party. There is a huge tendency to read Scripture into issues where Scripture is silent. We should have a higher regard for the Bible than to whore it out to our personal political agendas. The truth is that when measured against the Bible, both parties have issues that the Bible would support and reject. This song by Derek Webb sums it up best for me.

A King and a Kingdom
by Derek Webb

who's your brother, who's your sister
you just walked passed him i think you missed her
as we're all migrating to the place where our father lives
'cause we married in to a family of immigrants

my first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man
my first allegiance is not to democracy or blood
it's to a king & a kingdom

there are two great lies that i’ve heard:
“the day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die”
and that Jesus Christ was a white, middle-class republican
and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him

but nothing unifies like a common enemy
and we’ve got one, sure as hell
but he may be living in your house
he may be raising up your kids
he may be sleeping with your wife
oh no, he may not look like you think

Yay!

No further comment.

Funny "Christ-follower" Videos

Going right along with our recent 'disciple' discussions: these are links to a series of short videos from Community Christian Church. It's from their recent series titled "Christian No More". The videos are parodies of the Mac vs. PC commercials. Very clever! Check'em out!

Christian vs. Christ-follower 1
Christian vs. Christ-follower 2
Christian vs. Christ-follower 3
Christian vs. Christ-follower 4

Re: Perfect Church?

I just got back from a great small group meeting. Our topic tonight was discipleship and it got me to thinking about my "Perfect Church?" post several days ago. I stated that the church was failing miserably at discipleship. It occurred to me tonight that Jesus never called us to go make "Christians". He called us to go make disciples. Churches never measure number of disciples, only number of Christians. What's the difference? The difference is, "Christian", in our way of thinking, indicates someone who made a decision (a moment in time). "Disciple" indicates someone who is on a journey, actively following Christ. Alot of churches now are starting to steer away from the term Christian, and instead use the term Christ-follower. I like that. It's active - as our faith should be. Something like 85-90% of Americans, when polled, indicate that they are Christians. I guarantee the number would be much lower if they were asked if they were Christ-followers or disciples of Jesus Christ.

By the way, my small group rocks! We meet at this ultra-cool coffee house called Churchill's. Great food, great beverages, great discussion!

The Reason

Last week in my small group, we talked about worship outside the walls of the church. It reminded me of a hymn I wrote after the summer of 2004. During family vacation and youth group outings, I ended up spending time on the beach, in the redwoods, in the mountains under the stars, rafting a raging river, hiking a river bed to a waterfall, and more. It's one of my favorite summers of my life. Each one of these experiences brought me into the presence of God. This hymn was my response.

The Reason

O burning stars in darkest night
Filling the void with silent praise
On ancient truths you cast your light
Revealing One Whose name we raise

O rolling surf and golden sand
Your song still echoes in my ears
Your waves were calmed by the same man
I pray tonight will calm my fears

Majestic trees with arms raised high
You point me to His throne again
On one like you my Savior died
To pay the price for all my sin

My spirit longs to feel Your hand
Your Word tells me I’m not alone
One day I’ll leave this foreign land
And praise Your name in my true home

REFRAIN:
Hallelujah, hallelujah, o hallelujah
It’s the reason you created me
Hallelujah, hallelujah, o hallelujah
It’s the reason you created me

Youth Ministry Article

There's an article on youth ministry in the current issue of Time Magazine. You can click the link below.

It's a great article. Time says what I've been trying to tell people recently. Youth ministry is not about trips and concerts and Six Flags and whatever else we've focused on the last 25 years. Those things are OK, but they are not youth ministry. Don't be afraid to get your teens into the word of God. Don't be afraid to teach your kids to pray. Don't be afraid to instruct your kids in doctrine. They want it. They come to church for answers and we spend all our time and energy entertaining them and pacifying them. Anyway, this is worth passing around your church.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1552027-1,00.html

A Spooktacular Night!

Elvis Zombie & Witch (Isaiah & Mollie)

Lebanon's prettiest witch.

Jason & Elvis Zombie (Isaiah w/ his friend Brendan)

One is My Favorite Number!!!

Here's Myers Baby #3's first photo. I'm breathing a big sigh of relief as it looks like we will only be having a single baby. Not multiple like some of my "so-called" friends have been teasing me about. The baby is between the two crosses. He/she has his/her mother's smile!

Have a Fun Halloween!

That's right, I said it! A pastor just encouraged you to enjoy Halloween. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Why? Because it's one of the few days we Americans set aside just for fun. People dressing up, kids begging candy, etc... I really enjoy it. The only time I didn't enjoy Halloween was when I was attending a church that insisted on having a "Halloween alternative" where people had to dress as Bible characters. So basically everyone showed up in their bathrobes and such. It would have been much more interesting to see John the Baptist beheaded, the bear eating the children who mocked the prophet, Adam & Eve in their "creation" suits - there's all kinds of scary stuff in the Bible.

I got to be honest, I don't think Halloween (or even Satan) poses much of a threat to Christians. You can argue that it originated as an evil day, but it's just not that way now. I have even known some parents to tell their children that it was evil because it is Satan's birthday. WHAT!? Why do so many Christians insist on living a life of fear? The Bible tells us that God does not give us a spirit of fear, but a sound mind. Halloween is a day like any other day. Let your kids have a little fun! I think when we dress as scary things, or the undead, or whatever - we actually have an opportunity to mock death. We Christians have been given the victory over death. To show Death he has no sting, go ahead and dress like a zombie (Isaiah chose to dress like an Elvis Zombie this year!).

I also get really tired of intelligent Christians giving Satan too much credit. Everytime they sin it's because Satan has really been working on them hard. Let me say this as clearly and as plainly as I possibly can. SATAN IS NOT A GOD! He is not omniscient, so he does not have access to your thoughts. He is not omnipresent, so since he can only be in one place at a time, he cannot be tempting all Christians at all times. So how vain do you have to be to think that Satan's going to focus all his attention on you because you're that big a threat to him. He is not omnipotent, so not only does he not have power over a Christian covered under the blood, he's already been defeated.

Sunday I asked my teens "When you sin, do you think it's because Satan caused you to sin or because you're just screwed up and sinful?" Every one of them answered the latter. Let me share with you the wisdom that a bunch of knuckle-headed teens have already figured out. If you are losing the battle with drugs/alcohol, it's because your dumb enough to put yourself in a place where it's available. If you find yourself fornicating or committing adultery, it's because you don't have the sense to keep your pants zipped up. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. All Satan needed to do in your life, he did in Eden. You are sinful and fallen and if you find yourself losing to temptation alot, try praying and reading your Bible and changing some of the patterns of your life. Don't give Satan more credit that he deserves. He's not showing up to you personally and tempting you like he did with Jesus in the wilderness. He only needed to do that with Jesus because he was JESUS!

So have a fun Halloween. Dress up or rent a scary movie or go egg the deacon's house or something.

Perfect Church?

Being a youth pastor, I tend to hang out with other pastors. Inevitably, the conversation always goes to "I wish our church was..." or "If I started my own church, it would...". I have some very strong opinions on what a church should or shouldn't be. But even my own opinion goes through somewhat of an evolution. Some people think the perfect church would be small/traditional, mega/contemporary, postmodern/missional/emergent, house church, urban street church, purpose-driven, 5-star, seeker-sensitive, have large/exciting kids ministries, blend kids and adults without separation, liturgical, spirit-led, bluegrass, rock, country, gospel, and on and on and on and on.

I've read all the books. Attended all different styles of church (and a few different denominations). Lived east coast to west coast and several spots in between. I don't have it all figured out but these are some things that I personally feel sure about:

• A church that isn't authentic is a waste of everyone's time and money. If you don't feel you can truly be yourself at your church - then leave. But first try being yourself, and see if you get kicked out (it might be in your head).
• True fellowship can only happen in small groups. These small groups can take many different forms: Sunday School classes, home groups, coffee shop groups, accountability groups, etc... But if you don't have good small groups at your church, you don't really have a church - you have an overglorified worship gathering.
• Churches NEED to be seeker-sensitive, but not seeker-driven. We need to make sure that seekers feel welcome and that the message is clear to them. However, many churches wasted loads of time and money in the 80s and 90s trying to sneak up on people with the gospel. If the gospel you're preaching and presenting doesn't offend a seeker, you're preaching a false gospel. I've been saved for almost 30 years and it still offends me!
• Churches are failing miserably at discipleship. Membership classes and Sunday School are not enough. We need to spend more time in serious mentoring relationships. These, too, can take many different forms. But just like Jesus, we need to approach new believers and say "Follow me." And here's a question for you: Did Jesus start discipling the 12 before or after they became believers?
• Worship, no matter what the style of music, needs to be taught. It's more than music; it's a life.
• A church should be an asset to it's community. If your church is not an instrument of positive change (spiritual, physical, relational, economic) in your city or neighborhood, how can you start becoming such an instrument?

This is just a starting list. What are some of your characteristics of this mythical "perfect church"?

Blog Remodel

You probably notice some changes to the blog. I've spent some time doing a remodel. The two biggest changes are the name and new labels.

I changed to WIDE OPEN because that's how I try to live my life. I don't want to be one of those pastors who live secret lives because they're scared to show the world or their church their true self. WIDE OPEN was the theme of the 2004 Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention. That's where I got all the cool graphics. They're available for download on the YS website.

The other cool thing is that I added labels to all my posts. This allows the reader to search for a specific post by topic. For instance, if you can't remember what I said was the best movie of the summer, you can look at the list of labels on the right-hand side and click on "movies". This will bring up a list of all my posts about movies.

Sorry for the inconsistent blogging lately. I'll try to get back into the swing of things.

What I'm Listening To

This is what's getting the most play-time in my MP3 player lately:

Derek Webb: Mockingbird - This CD is awesome. You can read more about it in my post below.

Gnarls Barkley: St. Elsewhere - GB is a fun band to listen to. They have mixed modern sounds with old-school R&B and the result is incredible. Their first single "Crazy" is a great song. If you want to see a great version of it, go to YouTube and do a search. You'll find their MTV AwardShow performance where the entire band is dressed up in Star Wars costumes. Very cool!

Chris Tomlin: See the Morning - This CD is growing on me the more I listen to it. It has alot of really great praise songs. I really enjoy his version of Amazing Grace.

New Law

One of my favorite songwriters is Derek Webb. He's awesome! His music is OK, but lyrically he is seriously a modern day prophet. You'll never find another musician who makes you more uncomfortable (in the right ways).

I just got his latest CD titled Mockingbird today. It's great. One particular song really spoke to me. It's called New Law and it's about how we tend to be scared of the freedom that God gives us when we become Christ-followers and we tend to trade that freedom in for a "new law". Here's the lyrics:

don’t teach me about politics and government
just tell me who to vote for
don’t teach me about truth and beauty
just label my music
don’t teach me how to live like a free man
just give me a new law

i don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
so just bring it down from the mountain to me

i want a new law
i want a new law
gimme that new law

don’t teach me about moderation and liberty
i prefer a shot of grape juice
don’t teach me about loving my enemies
don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit
just give me a new law

what’s the use in trading a law you can never keep
for one you can that cannot get you anything
do not be afraid
do not be afraid
do not be afraid

Best New Shows

I have to say that I don't ever remember a period of time when TV was as great as it is now. There are so many good new shows on that you can't possibly watch them all. But I thought I'd point out my two new favs.

Dexter (Showtime) - This is a Showtime original series about a cop who is a forensics expert by day, and a serial killer by night. The twist is that he only kills bad guys. If you don't get Showtime, you can view the episodes on Showtime's website at http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/home.do (and they've edited any nudity or f-bombs so it's actually a better place to view it). Dexter is obviously pretty dark but nonetheless a very cool show.

Heroes (NBC) - This is a cool new show about a group of people around the world who have superpowers. They don't know each other, but they're slowly starting to find out they are connected somehow. This show has conspiracies, cool bad guys, a slowly unfolding mystery, and more. You can also watch this one online at http://www.nbc.com/.

By the way, this new trend of networks posting their episodes online to be viewed the day after they air, is by far the greatest thing networks have done in a long time. If you missed a show, or you'd like to check out a show that only comes on during church or work or whatever - don't fear. Just watch it online! Sweet!

So now you can watch these shows along with LOST, The Sopranos, Dog the Bounty Hunter, 3 CSI Shows, 3 Law & Order Shows, SportsCenter, Boston Legal, ER, Medium, House, American Chopper, oh, and Dr. Phil, Oprah, SuperNanny, Trading Spaces, and whatever other crap your wife makes you watch.

Sick Wisdom

Well, I've been sick for the last 3 days. I stayed home yesterday and today, so I've done a lot of sleeping and watching movies - some good, some so-so. I just finished one that was excellent, though. It's called Warm Springs and it was an HBO Original Movie. It deals with Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor from the time he contracted polio until he got his political career started again. Rent this if you get a chance.

There was one great line in it. Kathy Bates plays a physical therapist of FDR's. In this scene he's going through a low time and kind of having a pity party. She finally loses her patience and responds to him by saying, "Franklin, I'm not going to play this game with you. I can't help you out of the pit you're in if I jump in it with you."

That statement made me realize that I probably spend too much time sympathizing with people's problems, and not nearly enough time encouraging people or giving them hope. Why is it when a friend is down, we feel this need to wallow with them. There's nothing wrong with a little sympathy once in a while, but what people need is hope. Jesus modeled this. I haven't yet found the verse that says, "Verily, verily, I know how you feel." But how many sermons have we heard on "Jesus can help because he knows what you're going through." I can think of plenty of times when Jesus offered hope, encouragement, and "good news", but I can't think of very many where he used sympathy to draw people out of their problems. Anyway, something to think about.

This is Awesomely Bad!

I've heard of Christian weight-loss programs, but this takes the cake. People will do anything to make a buck off of Jesus.

Their Season Ends

The Oakland A's finished their season Saturday night in Detroit as the Tigers swept them in the ALCS. A little disappointing, but still this is the farthest they've got in the post-season in the 8 years I've been a fan. Thanks boys, for a great season of great memories!

Random Thoughts of a Depressed Mind

I've been down for about a week now. I don't know why, but I always battle depression in October. For about the last 15 years, I get pretty depressed when October rolls around. The weird thing is this is pretty much my favorite time of year. I love the cooling, the early dark, the leaves changing, etc... The last two years was pretty mild, but I'm feelin' it pretty heavy this year. I can't sleep at night and when I do fall asleep I don't want to get out of bed. I'm having a hard time focusing on tasks at work. I'm a little more on edge around Jamie and the kids. I'm pretty much constantly focused on the negative aspects of my life. Anyway, all that to say I could probably use a prayer or two.

Here are some questions to ponder (or even respond to):

1. Is it possible to discipline your kids appropriately and have them not grow up hating you?
2. Why doesn't God kill all those "GOD HATES FAGS & SOLDIERS & YOU" people from that church in Kansas?
3. How can my A's win 3 straight against the Twins, but not one yet against the Tigers?
4. When was the last time anyone saw a truly joyful Christian? Why are homosexuals way happier than us?
5. Why isn't anyone starting a revolt against the US Govt for what is nothing less than financial rape through our taxes?
6. When will Christians stop believing W is a good thing for this country because he claims to be a Christian? Everybody out there (even if you love him) knows in their gut that he is less than honest. I'm not saying anybody else would be more honest, but stop making him out like he's the best thing since Martin Luther. Other than tax cuts (primarily for the wealthy) and war, name one other promise he's kept. How are all of your "faith-based initiatives" doing? W is the best liar I have ever seen, because people believe him. When Clinton said, "I didn't inhale" or "I did not have sex with that woman" or "We will cure AIDS by the year 2000", we all went, "Yeah, right, whatever." He was a horrible liar. But the crazy thing is we think W is a better Pres because he's a better liar. Anywhoo...
7. Is anyone else extremely disappointed in the 21st Century? Where the crap is my flying car?! And why am I still walking on sidewalks? Aren't they supposed to be moving for us?
8. When they talk about Steve Irwin's death, why do they always refer to the stingray as a "gentle creature"? Hellooo...it's got "sting" in its name!
9. Why is Rich Mullins dead and Paris Hilton still walking and breathing?
10. How much longer till October's over?

How Sweep It Is!!

The A's swept the Twins in American League Division Series! Now it's on to face either the Tigers or the Yankees in the AL Championship Series. This is the first time the A's have won a post-season series since 1990. I personally watched them blow it two years in a row when we lived in the Bay Area. If only I could have been there in person tonight. I have to admit I got a little misty-eyed. LET'S GO OAKLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Insight on Arminianism

There's a great blog I read for my daily dose of theology. It's Scot McKnight's blog at www.jesuscreed.org. McKnight is a great writer and has given us many great commentaries. He's been running a thread on his blog recently titled "Do Calvinists Understand Arminianism?". It's been great and he's got more to come. It's based on a new book by Roger Olson called Arminian Theology. He says it's a great read. It sounds like it's doing a lot to bridge the gap between us Free-Willers and the TULIPs. You all should check it out.

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Last night Jamie and I finished watching Season 2 of LOST on DVD. We didn't see any of the episodes during the regular season so we've been stoked watching them on DVD since they released a couple of weeks ago. LOST IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is no greater show on TV! The list of best shows on TV goes like this:
1. LOST
2. The Sopranos (even though I realize it's a very foul show, I have this need to feed my inner gangster)
3. Dog the Bounty Hunter (only because I too long for the day when I can put boot some guy's back before I tell him about Jesus)
4. Everything else...

The new season starts Wednesday and I can't wait. If you've never watched this show, buy or rent the DVDs and get busy. It's incredible. I said it last year and I'll say it again. Hurley is one of the best characters on TV and if they ever kill him off, I'll probably never watch the show again. Long live Hurley!

#3

Good news!!! We're pregnant! Jamie found out last week and we're making it official now. She's due somewhere around the beginning of June 2007. Mollie and Isaiah are super excited and so are we!

FISH!

Joe, my pastor, said something yesterday that made me think of a book so I grabbed it and let him borrow it. It's one of the best business/life/motivational/management type books I've ever read and it's a really quick read (seriously 45 minutes or so). It's called FISH and it's about a manager in a toxic work environment that gets some valuable guidance from a fishmonger at Seattle's Pike Place Market. You may have seen these guys on TV. They have a lot of fun and involve onlookers. They throw fish around and make people laugh and cheer. But they have to have one of the worst jobs in the world - handling fresh dead fish all day. This manager finds out their secret to having a great work environment. The reason this book is so great is that it really can apply to about every area of life - home, church, work, etc...

The 4 key principles are:
* Play - Have fun and create energy at home or at the office.
* Make their day - How can you engage fellow employees, customers and make each other's day?
* Be Present - How can you make sure you are fully available and aware during conversations with people? It is about creating a greater sense of intimacy between individuals.
* Choose Your Attitude - Each day you choose how you are going to act or which "side of the bed" you wake up on. The choice is yours and, the way you act, affects others.

Anyway Joe read it and is all excited about it so I think I'm gonna reread it again soon since it's been about 2 years since I first read it. Everybody should get it - it's worth it ($13.57 on Amazon) and very challenging.

The Hunt for GREEN October!

The A's clinched the AL West Division tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's right - your Oakland A's are Division Champs and are going to the playoffs! All is right in the universe!

Mr. Wonderful

We received a call last night from our former pastor in California that a friend of ours was killed early yesterday evening. Terry Vannoy was the husband of Linda, our Children's Pastor at Bay Hills Church in El Sobrante, CA. Terry was a great guy who always had a smile and a hug for you whether you knew you needed it or not. In three years of knowing Terry, I only recall seeing him mildly upset once and that was in defense of Linda. I don't know when I've ever seen a couple more in love than Terry and Linda. He loved riding his Harley and was on his way to a motorcycle rally in Reno, NV last night when his bike was clipped by a pickup. He was thrown from his bike and ran over by a semi. Terry will be missed by my family. My kids knew him only as "Mr. Wonderful", because that's always what they heard Linda call him. Please say a prayer for Linda Vannoy - I'm sure she'll need it.

Greatest Game Ever!

I don't know why I haven't blogged about this yet, because I think about it all the time. Our friends, Micah & Becky Derby, recently introduced us to a board game that I must recommend to everyone. The game is called Settlers of Catan and it's freakin' awesome! It's a stategy game that is highly addictive.

Before I go any farther, let me say (in case you don't know), I pretty much hate playing games. Whenever people are together and someone says, "Hey, let's play a game!" and everybody else says "Yeah, let's play!", I pretty much want to shoot myself in the head (actually I want to shoot all of them in the head so they'll shut up and I can watch TV). But the Derbys have introduced us to two great games that hail from Germany (evidently the Germans love games). The first was a card game called Bohnanza where you trade beans. Sounds silly, but I really enjoyed it. The second was Settlers of Catan and it blew me away! I want to play it all the time. I finally ordered my own tonight off of Amazon.

Settlers of Catan allows 3-4 people to play and there is an expansion you can buy that will allow up to 6 to play. There are also add-ons such as Seafarers of Catan and Cities and Knights of Catan that make the game more complicated and interesting. Anyway, everyone needs to check it out. It's a great game!

Late Night Thoughts

We are finally back in our house! We've been displaced for about 2 weeks while they've been removing mold. Joe and Julie Wilson were kind enough to open up their home to us while they were in China. Though they have a beautiful home (and I became particularly fond of Joe's recliner), the whole time I just wanted to be in MY house sitting on my couch, watching my TV, showering in my bathroom, sleeping in my bed, etc... We finally were able to move back in today and it somehow feels different. There's a faint odd odor and the air seems a little stuffy, but our dog is very happy we are back. Cleo was caged in a 10'x10' pen in our backyard the whole time. She only received daily visits when we fed and watered her. So her standard of living has greatly improved today!

Recently I read an excerpt from a book by Eugene Peterson that I was considering purchasing. He was commenting on the office of pastor in modern America. He stated that until the last 30 years or so the primary responsibilities of a pastor included 1) studying and devoting oneself to spiritual disciplines and 2) serving as a spiritual guide to the congregant so they might also achieve a greater spiritual maturity. He then stated that the modern pastor is more of a program director and marketing exec than pastor. I think he's right. I'm so tired of planning programs, and events, and advertising, and banquets, and other crap. Who am I personally helping to become closer to Christ? Who am I meeting with and encouraging and challenging and such? How much time am I spending in spiritual disciplines so that I am personally equipped to lead people closer to Christ-likeness? I have bought into the megachurch dream and sacrificed the important things. Not that the megachurch thing is all bad - it definitely has caused us to shift our focus to evangelism. But everybody I know is scratching their head just like me and asking "How do I do discipleship?" Something's got to change.

I bought my first MP3 player recently and it was finally delivered today. I went with the Creative Zen Sleek Photo instead of an iPod. I am very happy with it. It was about half the price of the equivalent iPod and has alot more bells and whistles (FM Radio, syncs with MS Outlook's calendar, voice recorder, etc...). I'm lovin' it!!!

Granny's Gotta Gun!

I'm not quite sure what a toodle is, but beware of sweet old ladies bearing automatic weapons!

They Got Her!

The Wilsons finally have a brand new daughter! Karlee & Kassidy have a new sister to contend with. She's very precious. Here's a link to see video of them receiving Klaire. Warning: this is a multi-tissue affair!

Wilsons Go to China

Our pastor and his family left this morning for China to bring home their new adopted daughter, Klaire. Joe & Julie have been praying for this day for a long time and I'm so happy for them that it's finally here. Klaire has a church full of people who can't wait to meet her!

Best Movie of the Ssssssssummer!

I saw Snakes on a Plane (SOAP) last night. It was a really great movie! Don't get me wrong - it's not going to win any Oscars or anything, but it's the most fun movie you'll have seen all summer (much better than that crap-fest Pirates 2). I laughed a lot, jumped several times, and felt like my skin was slithering the whole time!

I really love movies. I like artsy films. I like good action films. I like scary movies (especially zombies). I like comedy, drama, pretty much everything. But my favorite kind of movies are the campy sci-fi/horror B-movies from the 50s and 60s! SOAP feels a little like that, but without the shoestring budget. Bottom-line: if you like to have fun when you see a movie, then go see this movie. But if you tend to take yourself and your movies way too seriously and believe movies need to be "logical" to be good, then stay home and enjoy PBS or the History Channel.

Casualties of Youth Ministry

I took 3 talking, laughing, screaming jr. high girls to a teen missions rally about 30 miles away in Hartville, MO two nights ago. On the way home we struck and killed the following animals in my mini-van (it was very dark and I was driving a little fast).

Rest in peace fair woodland creatures. Your supreme sacrifice may well have paved the way to a teen entering the mission field. (Please observe a moment of silence - followed by a 21-hoot salute.)

What I'm Currently Listening To

Los Lonely Boys - Sacred

I'm really loving these guys right now. I'm really diggin' the whole Texican thing.

David Crowder Band - A Collision & B Collision

By far, my current favorite band. I like just about everything these guys put out and they are incredible live. B Collision is a remix of some of the stuff on A Collision, but some of it's much better than it's predecessor.

Prince - 3121

I've always been a big fan of Prince. I think he's somewhat of a musical genius. I love this new CD! It feels very much like his old stuff except without all the sexual innuendo. He's really cleaned his lifestyle up and his music reflects it. Several songs encouraging chastity, faithfulness, and relationship with God. Definitely worth checking out.

Eleventy Seven - And the Land of Fake Believe

This is just a fun new CD. These guys are a young Christian punk band and they have a great sound.

Back From Chi-town

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. Last Wednesday ended my busy summer youth season as we finished up a great week of VBS. The next day the Myers family headed out on vacation to the Chicago area. We stayed in Joliet with my parents. Jamie and I got to have a night alone in Chicago on Friday night. It was great. We stayed in a hotel on Michigan Avenue. I won't tell you which one, but "guests of the Oprah show" stay there. That night we got tickets to see the Blue Man Group - FREAKIN' AWESOME! It was seriously one of the most incredible and fun shows I've ever seen. If you ever get the chance to see it, run - don't walk. Here's a pic.

I also got to eat at one of my favorite restaurants - Portillo's. They make the best hot dogs ever. Everyone needs to try a Portillo Dog someday. Mom brought the kids into Chicago to join us on Saturday. We had fun with them, too. We all went to the Field Museum, which is probably one the better museums in the world. The kids really enjoyed all the Egyptian, American Indian, and dinosaur exhibits. Here's some more pics: Isaiah with Sue (the world's most complete t-rex skeleton), Jamie looking very cosmopolitan downtown, and Mollie about to be devoured by a mean looking dino.

Books, How I Love Thee!

I saw this on Scot McKnight's blog (author, commentator, theologian) and it got me to thinking, too. So here's my list. Let me know what your list looks like.

1. One book that changed your life: The Ragamuffin Gospel - Brennan Manning. This book helped me see (and feel) the size of God's grace like nothing else.
2. One book you've read more than once: Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling. I've read them all 2 or 3 times. They give me great joy and pleasure.
3. One book you'd want on a desert island: The Message - Eugene Peterson. This paraphrase is my day to day inspiration.
4. One book that made you laugh: Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller. It's rare for a Christian to be that honest about his life and spiritual walk.
5. One book that made you cry: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis. Actualy all the Narnia books. I cry every time Aslan shows up on the page.
6. One book you wish had been written: Lighten Up! - Jesus Christ.
7. One book you wish had never been written: The King James Version Bible. No other book has produced more confusion, bad sermons, and jerks in modern Christendom.
8. One book you're currently reading: Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places - Eugene Peterson. Good devotional theology.
9. One book you've been meaning to read: To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee. Love the movie.

%@*$ing Profanity, Part 1

Like I said yesterday, I would like to start a discussion on profanity. What it is and what it isn't? I would like to get as much feedback as possible from anybody who reads this. Feel free to agree with me or disagree with me or tell me to go @$!# off. I will say from the get-go that I have very definite opinions on this topic, but they are primarily just that - opinions. I would like to systematically go through the different teachings of the Bible on this topic and attempt to figure out what the Bible says about it. So let's start here:

WHAT IT DEFINITELY IS

Exodus 20:7 (NIV) - You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

I hope we can all agree that this is definitely a very specific (but possibly not clear) teaching on the kind of language that should not be coming from our mouths. We are not to misuse, or take lightly, the name of God (and since Jesus was also God, we'll throw his name in there with this teaching as well). The potentially unclear question here is what is really meant by "misuse" or "vain" as the KJV states.

Now, in the house that I grew up in, this meant never saying "oh my god", or using "jesus christ" as a swear, or putting "god" before "dangit" or "damn", or even saying "I swear to god". In other words, if you weren't specifically talking about God or Jesus, then their names should not be thrown around casually. I think this was and is an accurate teaching of that scripture. These uses definitely would be misuses, or show a lack of respect, of the name of God.

I've also heard it taught that this teaching was referring to using God's name in an oath when you're not serious about the oath. For instance saying, "I swear to God I will repay that debt," when, in fact, you have little intention of repaying the debt. I would say that this would also be misusing God's name, but that wouldn't mean that the first teaching is incorrect. I believe both would be examples of misuse.

There may also be other ways to misuse God's name. Telling someone a particular desicion was "God's will" when it was more accurately your own desire or opinion, would be misusing God's name. Let me know what you were taught about this scripture, if you agree/disagree, or other examples of misusing God's name.

Texican Pickin'

If you enjoy really great guitar playing (especially acoustic), check out this acoustic performance by Los Lonely Boys on Amazon Fishbowl (Amazon.com's cool weekly online show). Bill Maher hosts this show. The Boys do 2 songs and an interview. The second song is great from a guitar perspective. I love these guys - their harmonies are really tight.

Wassup, My N-Words?

I saw a program the other day that basically talked about how desensitized the American people are to profanity or lewd talk. In their arguement they stated what they called "the two dirtiest words in the English language" are currently. One I won't say, but the other was "nigger". By the way the first one was not the f-word.

I have to admit that I absolutely hate the word "nigger" (unless used by Chris Rock). Jamie and I work pretty hard to make sure our kids do not grow up around racial slurs or ignorant talk when it comes to race. Moving into small-town life last year has made this more challenging, but we do our best. However, I guess I had never thought of that word as the dirtiest word. It's definitely ugly and very-potentially hurtful, but it had never made my inner list of "dirtiest" words. But I have to say it makes sense to me. I have a harder time saying that word outloud than just about any other word in the English language.

Anyway, let me know what your thoughts are on this (make sure to include your name so we can all tell who the real racists are - teehee). I'm also interested in starting a kind of online discussion via my blog regarding the topic of profanity. What words are profane in 21st Century America? Is there even such a thing as profanity anymore? When the Bible talks about unwholesome talk is it speaking of "cuss" words? Etc... I'll post more about this in the near future, but if you have any thoughts feel free to share!

Rejuvenile

I'm currently reading Rejuvenile by Christopher Noxon. I'm about half-way through it and it's a great read. It's kind of a pop sociology book that talks about adults who have never given up "playing" or who demonstrate traditionally immature traits (i.e. - adults playing tag, kickball, whiffleball, hanging on to or collecting toys, living with their parents past the age of 30, etc...). Noxon acknowledges that some of these traits can be extremely healthy and just plain fun, and some traits can be unhealthy. His research found that this is not a new phenomenon at all, but merely a forgotton one. He traced the same sort of behavior back to the early 1900s and believes it was probably brought about by the Peter Pan play (check out the Johnny Depp movie Finding Neverland for a fantastic telling of how this play came to be). This is a great read and while it's not a "Christian" book, I think it could be quite relevant to church leaders. (8/4/06, 2:40 pm - I finished this book last night and still feel good about recommending it. Very interesting and sometimes funny.)

I would say that my own rejuvenile tendencies include hanging on to old comic books, a minor obsession with baseball, the occasional game of whiffleball, and a small collection/affinity for SuperMarionation (i.e. - old episodes of The Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, etc...).

Feel free to confess some of your rejuvenile tendencies. Leave your shame behind. We are free in Christ and only the little children shall enter the Kingdom, so get it off your chest!

Back from Camp

Well, I got back from camp yesterday. It was pretty good. I'm just not a big fan of Kids Camp. Teen Camp is more my speed. Kids are pretty much giant stinky germs in clothes. It's just a week of feeling disgusting. We had over 500 kids so you pretty much felt gross all the time. Good luck finding a toilet without crap all over it. And forget about swimming during Kids Camp - you might as well play in the toilet. It's definitely an act of Christian service for an adult to submit themselves to Kids Camp.

But I had a lot of fun with my buddies Travis and Andy. It's always good to hang with them.

Mollie had her tonsils and adnoids out yesterday. She's doing OK.

Camp

I'm at camp till Friday. I'll blog later in the week. God bless!

Finally...A Band That Deals With the Issues

These guys are my favorite comedians currently. They're called Flight of the Conchords and they're from New Zeland. You may recognize the guy on the left from the Outback Steakhouse commercials. Enjoy!

The Church (a.k.a. - Miss Thang)

I was talking to friends last week about wives and women and such. I made the statement (and I believe it was somewhat sexually charged) that women are freakin' awesome and they are pretty much God's greatest gift to man (in all the right ways). But I also said that unfortunately you have to be careful with them because they break way too easily (and a man is never more miserable than when he's got a broke wife). When it's good, it's awesome - but when it's bad, it's hell!

Anyway, all that to say I was thinking last night about how the church is always referred to as "she" or "the bride" in the Bible. I don't think this is an accident and we would all probably do well to remember that our churches (which also means us) are in most ways "female".

In the same way that I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with my wife, I feel very much the same way about the church. I love her. She pisses me off quicker than anyone else. She is pleasing to me. Sometimes she nags me till I want to shoot myself in the head. She gives me companionship that I don't get anywhere else. She won't leave me alone. She appeals to all my senses. She's hard to please. She provides for me. She leaves me feeling empty sometimes. I am stronger when I'm with her. She's always interrupting the game. She encourages me. She's way too sensitive. She loves me and would do anything for me. I can never bring myself to leave her, and have finally decided to stop trying. She's beautiful. She's way too concerned with her appearance, but she looks her best when she's stripped down the way God made her (see Song of Solomon).

Bounty Hunter Evangelism

I just finished watching 4 hours of one of my favorite shows, Dog: The Bounty Hunter. If you have never watched, you really need to. Dog plays on the A&E Network. He and his crew go around catching fugitives with warrants for the reward. He's all hard-core when it comes to the chase, but after he catches his man (or woman) he turns into this super nice guy and encourages them to staighten out their lives or tells them about Jesus. He's also a good family man. I have to admit, I really like the idea of putting a boot some dude's back, macing him, cuffing him, and them sharing the gospel with him. I think some people need that kind of treatment. I'm going to go ahead and state for the record that if God would like to call me to this sort of ministry, I would probably resign being a youth pastor 3 seconds later (only because I would need time to pray about it).