observing

i'm sitting here watching megan open her birthday presents from my mom and dad a few days early. i'll be gone on her birthday proper and we both feel like staying up late. you know, one of the things i really love about megan, one of the things that makes her special, is how good she is at receiving gifts. she loves to get a good gift, and my mom is really good at figuring out good gifts for her. she's easy to shop for in that regard, she's fun to shop for, because she really gets into the gifts you get her. that's one of the things i love about her.

its funny what kids get into

It sure is funny what kids are interested in. You know, my kids love all the gifts they got. They do. Esther loves the little box she got. The girls have really taken to the stuffed animals from Uncle Bob. Eli does really love his Megablok military set, especially the battleship. But the truth is, for Eli at least, probably his favorite gift would be a big roomful of cushions and a couch to turn into a mountain. Plus, maybe a couple of blankets to make into the waterfalls. Oh, and a new thing happened today - one blanket became "lava" and the other was a layer of "volcanic ash and pumice." I love my son. Its funny what kids get in to.

Anonymous Emails

As a pastor I talk a lot - sermons, stories, you name it. It is an occupational hazard that with all that talking, I'm prone to confuse, concern, even offend. Sometimes, of course, I also humor. When you add to this that my personality is prone to speak first and think later, this problem is compounded. I'd like everyone (in my church, is who I have in mind, but I suppose it would apply to anyone who reads this blog, too) to know that I am always open to talking - to answering questions, addressing concerns, even apologizing (where necessary). I really value your feedback and input. I do. I mean it.

Recently someone sent me an anonymous email where they spelled out some concerns. I appreciate them coming to me and I'd like to talk to them. But anonymous emails are very limited in what can be addressed.

I'm convinced that the best path to understanding, in keeping with Matthew 18:15 and following, is to engage in up-front dialog, preferably face to face. I know, from experience, that this can sometimes seem, even be, uncomfortable, but I've learned that it is the best way to arrive at good resolution and/or reconciliation.

So, if ever you have any questions or concerns or whatever, please do talk to me. And if you did write that anonymous email that I spoke of, know that I've heard your concerns and I would love to talk to you more in person.

New Years Party Haps

Hey! If you're looking for something to do this New Years, just wanted to let you know about a couple of opportunities some friends of mine in the ROVC are hosting. The first is a New Years' Eve party in Roseville, probably starting around 7ish. The other is a New Years' Day Bowl Games Party in Madison Heights, starting sometime in the afternoon when the bowl games kick in (there'll be two TV's on two levels going on - those who don't love football are also welcome!). If you'd like to know more about either party, drop me a line.

Irony

So I'm watching Sunday Night Football tonight and this pretty cool Gatorade commercial comes on, about clutch players and plays and all that - Peyton Manning, Dwayne Wade, etc.  Check out the website here.  besides the came work, one of the things that's interesting is the song.  it has played in several films, including the closing scene to "First Knight."  I always liked the song and so I decided to harness the power of the internet to find it.  Turns out some other guy wasting away his Sunday night had the same thought and his question to Yahoo! led me to the answer.  The song is called "Carmina Burana (O Fortunata)."  Here's the irony: this commercial promoting all these famous, big-money-making players chose as their theme music a song that is all about the fickleness of fortune and wealth, as well as the lifestyle of that usually attends it.  Check out the wiki on it.  Now that's rich.

guess what i'm reading ...

An Advanced Readers' Copy of Jesus Brand(tm) Spirituality: He Wants His Religion Back, the soon-to-be bestseller by my friend Ken Wilson. I'm excited. It is good. I hope you'll enjoy it too. That is, as soon as it comes out!

Special Offering Sunday

FYI, everyone of the ROVC, we didn't end up doing our Special Offering this past Sunday, so we will be doing so this Sunday. The money we collect will be shared with others in need around town and around the world, through our Benevolence and Missions Funds. Won't be there this Sunday, but still want to help? You can still serve. Just send a check in to the church, memo: Benevolence or Missions. Thank you for your support.

Warming Shelter

Our friends at First Baptist have a need. First Baptist Royal Oak, in partnership with First Baptist Ferndale, is hosting a Warming Shelter for the homeless from Tuesday, January 1st through Saturday, January 12th. It'll be at First Baptist Ferndale (Pinecrest & Nine Mile).

For those who might be interested, they have some openings for assistance. In particular, they need help from 5-7AM any day, to help wake up guests and prepare them for the day. They also have slots for overnight chaperones from January 6th to 12th. They could also use help in the evening from 8-11PM on the 6th, 7th, 11th and 12th.

The First Baptist Royal Oak Warming Shelter coordinator will be in our Cafe following the service on Sunday the 23rd and 30th signing up anyone interested in volunteering.

Harry Potter, Hot Coals, and Peace With Muslims

A friend of mine is listening to the Harry Potter series on CD. He commented on something he's noticed about Harry - he isn't very forgiving with his enemies. Compare Harry's attitude towards Draco Malfoy to Gandalf's posture towards Gollum.

We started talking about this in reference to the sermon I preached this last Sunday on Romans 12:17-21, "Giving Gifts to Your Enemies." I take it for granted that one of the key signs of the Kingdom of God is love for enemies. This is what Jesus did for us, isn't it? So, this Christmas, let's consider giving gifts not only to those we know and love, but also to our enemies. My text for this sermon was one that tripped me up for a long time. "If your enemy is hungry, give me food to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; and in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." This verse confuses a lot of people. We know that it must have something to do with being kind to our enemies, but the part about the burning coals trips us up. How can heaping burning coals on someone's head ever be even remotely construed as an act of kindness? The typical commentary answer doesn't help too much - they talk about how your act of kindness will produce "burning shame" in your enemy, thus, apparently, bringing him or her around. Maybe ... but shaming someone into contrition hardly seems like an act of love, even when done with grace. I heard another explanation that fits much better and that seems to have the side benefit of connecting the proverb to an actual historical context. In the ancient world, and in many parts of the world today, each family has a fire that they keep burning all day long. At night, the fire is allowed to die down low to hot coals, but they never let it go completely out. With hot coals you can easily reignite your fire in the morning. But if the fire goes out, all that's left is ash, and when the family wakes up in the morning, they'll have to restart their fire before being able to cook or clean or anything. Having no hot coals for your fire is to be in a place of need. So imagine that your enemy, through negligence or circumstance, let's their fire go out. They come to you hungry and thirsty. Not only are you to provide them food and drink, but you give them hot coals to restart their fire (which were carried in a basket or such overhead). So, Paul is saying, we're to bless our enemies at their point of need. In doing so, we'll be demonstrating the Kingdom. This is the heart of Christmas.

Of course this has all kinds of application for our everyday lives. We all have people who frustrate us. And it is these very people that we can bless right at the point of their need - and that need is often connected to that point of frustration. (As an aside, let me mention that one important prior step is to make sure that we're not being an enemy ourselves. In my experience, the people we experience as our "enemies" are often times people to whom we may be acting as an "enemy" ourselves. To practice this is, as Jesus taught, to take the plank out of own eye before trying to help our sister remove her speck of dust.)

There's one another meaningful point of application that I can think of related to this. Many people in America have come to associate "enemy" with Muslims and Islam. You may not know it, but Islamic leaders from all around the world have extended an offer of peace to leaders throughout the Christian world. You can find a copy of their open letter here. It is over 20 pages, with roughly 15 pages of text (the rest being addressees, signatories and notes). They ground their offer of peace in three things: 1) 55% of the world's population is either Muslim or Christian and so the world will know no peace until we can be at peace; 2) their perception in a shared theology of the "unity of God;" 3) the fact that both Christianity and Islam share fundamental convictions in the two greatest commandments: to love God and love neighbor. I was very interested to learn of this letter.

I'm all for peace between Muslims and Christians. I think it would be a great gift to live in peace with our Muslim neighbors. But I disagree somewhat with the reasons why. First, I don't believe that Christians and Muslims share a similar belief in the "unity of God." The Muslim conception of the Unity of God denies the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. There can be no Trinity in the Muslim understanding of God's unity, and so for us, as Christians, to commit to adhering to the Muslim understanding of God's unity is to seriously erode our fundamental understanding of who we know Jesus to be. Second, while I think it is wonderful that both the Bible and Koran teach love for God and love for neighbor, I think this similarity is an inadequate foundation for peace. Here's why: this understanding of peace only works for groups that hold things in common - what about Christians and Hindus, who don't share these same fundamental convictions, should we not be at peace with them? Of course we should! Here's why: because the foundation for peace doesn't come from without but from within.

As Christians, we pursue peace not because we have things in common with other people, but rather we pursue peace because of Jesus. The gospel is its own reason for peace. Peace is part of our gospel story, part of our family history. Jesus was willing to die at the hands of his enemies. Jesus died for those who despised him. Jesus died for the purpose of peace - so that enemies (mainly us and God, but also other enemies) might be reconciled.

So we can live at peace with Muslims, as much as it is possible with us, not so much because we share things in common with them, but because we share Jesus' heart and his way of life. And to do this would be to gift our neighbors with grace at their point of need.

Though the Snow Drifts Build ...

We'll still be gathering for church.  That's right, we'll still be there if you want to come.  See you then!

Five Great Alternative Christmas Gift Ideas

Hey, so let's say you're wanting to give your pastor a Christmas gift, but then you think to yourself, "Does he really need another pair of stylish Eurojeans?"  No, probably not.  So why not get a gift for someone else in his name?  The same could maybe be said for all kinds of people on your Christmas list this year.  Or why not start a new family tradition and give a gift to someone in need instead of giving a gift to each other?

Here are five great sources for finding literally hundreds of gift ideas:

1.  International Justice Mission gift list.

2.  World Relief - Advent Conspiracy Catalog of Hope. (click on catalog of hope)

3.  Food For The Hungry gift ideas.

4.  Samaritan's Purse gift catalog.

5.  World Vision gift catalog.

ROVC Advent News

A few items of note this Advent Season for all my friends at the Royal Oak Vineyard Church.

1. This coming Sunday (the 16th): as I mentioned this past Sunday, we will be taking a special offering this Sunday, in response to my sermon. This offering will be used to "contribute to the needs of the saints" through our benevolence and missions funds. I wanted to give a heads up so that you're not taken by surprise. If you'd like to give, but won't be there, you can mail a check (or drop it off on a later Sunday) made out to ROVC, memo: Benevolence or Missions. Our benevolence fund supports those with specific financial needs in and around our community, while our missions fund helps support our Kingdom ministry around the world.

2. This past Sunday: wasn't it great?! In particular, our sermon featured one of our members sharing his testimony of what happened when he committed to really giving his life as a gift to Jesus - the freedom he found and how he's now wanting to help others too. As one leader remarked to me, "This is a real turning point for our church. We're not going to be fake; we're going to take following Jesus seriously." If you'd like a copy of the sermon on CD (it is not yet up on the web), they are now available for $1. We will be doing this with future sermons, too.

3. Christmas Eve Gathering: this year we'll be celebrating the coming of Jesus with our friends from First Baptist. What a way to round out the year! The service will be 5:30-6:30PM (with childcare for 4 and under). A Christmas Cookie and Punch reception will follow - so even if you're unfortunate enough to have to work a full day that day, you can hopefully still make it. This will be a festive and family-friendly service with loads of opportunity for participation from the community.

Oh, and be on the lookout for our own Shannyn Caldwell, who tells me she's scheduled on Fox 2 News to be singing carols with her carolers this Christmas morning.

And, finally, please let me also say what a privilege it is to serve alongside you all. Truly Jesus has blessed me richly to partner in ministry with you all.

Peace, and Merry Christmas,
Jim

The Top 5 Reasons I've Let My Hair Grow Long

Everyone wonders, so here they are:
5. Megan wanted me to change my hairstyle, and she likes it.
4. I had had the same basic haircut/style for 15 of 17 years, the other two years being that my head was shaved. I mean, come on people, that's half my life! It was time for a change.
3. I have a little bit of a stubborn rebel contrarian in me that likes to defy expectations.
2. Megan wanted me to change my hairsytle and she likes it.
1. It is easy to let it grow long. This is the same #1 reason why I shaved my head. I hated having to get a hair cut every three or so weeks - too much time, too much money, too much hassle. Now I don't have to mess with that. I just put some put some "product" in my hair each morning, after washing it, and muss it up a bit, and I'm good. I only need a haircut every several months and I go to my sister for this and it is a nice time to catch up. A win-win all around!

Praise Report from SleepyLand

Well, friends, there's good news in the War on Sleeplessness. Eden, for probably the first time since she was about four months old, has "slept through the night" for four nights in a row. This last night she fought it a bit, but she did end up sleeping it out. Praise God! There is hope ahead of regular nights of sleep.

"And they shall train for war no more ... "

This past Sunday marked the first Sunday of Advent and the Christmas season. (Of course, in our culture, christmas begins the day after Thanksgiving, but that's a whole other story. If you're interested, ask me about my sermon I preached on it this week.) One of the way our church participates in the Advent season is we have a scripture reading and reflection, along with a prayer and the lighting of a candle. In this way our community joins with the larger Church in their expectant longing for the coming of Jesus to visit his people.
Our scripture reading this week was from Isaiah 2:2-5,

"In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains and will be raised up above the hills, and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us concerning his ways, and that we may walk in his paths.' For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples. And they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will train for war no more. Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord."

I love this passage. And I was reminded afresh of a calling of mine as a servant of the gospel. I went to West Point. I love West Point. I grew there and was molded there, in fundamental ways, into who I am today. And at West Point I learned war. I trained for war. Yet, I serve a King (part of) whose vision for our world is one in which there is no more need to train for war. I labor and strive for this vision. I recognize that in the frailty of our times there will be an ongoing need for West Point and war. It saddens me, but I know it is true. Christians can learn from the courage of the men and women who risk all for others.

And yet, this Advent season, I'm reminded again of how part of my calling is to work for a day when West Point is put out of business. "May they train for war no more." Come, Lord Jesus.

Going to church follow-up ...

check out this great collection of photos that gets at the point I was trying to make in my earlier blog entry

"Going to church?"

I'm sure it has happened to you. Someone - friend, neighbor, co-worker, check out counter help - finds out you're a Jesus-follower. They may or may not be one themselves. You may chat for a bit about that. Then one of the inevitable questions will be about church. What do you say when someone asks you about church?

The most likely answer in our culture is, "I go to church at ___." Look closely at that language. What is it saying? I puts church in the same category as the mall, or the movies, or, at best, your favorite local dive hang-out. Do we go to church in the same way we go to the mall? Or to the movies? Unfortunately the answer is all too often, "Yes." Church is "out there." It is a place I go to. It is something I consume; something I observe. This is particularly evidenced when people say, "I attend _____ church." I go to this church, I watch it, I might even pay attention to it, then I come home. If we "go to" such and such church, do we take it home with us?

Another way of answering the question is to say, "I'm part of _____ church." Now we're getting somewhere. Church isn't someplace I go to, it is something I am part of. Church is something bigger than me that I am a part of. This is a being word as opposed to more of a doing idea, or worse, something that others are doing that I observe. Being "part of" a church means that church isn't "out there" - rather, I'm "in" the church. We're part of the community, we're part of the mission. Church isn't something I go to, church is something that is wherever I am.

So what do you say? Is church something you "go to" or is something you're a "part of"?

thanksgiving

for years now, thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday. what's not to love about gathering together with friends for some good food, in celebration of being thankful?! thankfulness is in such short supply in our society that i think we ought to take every opportunity we can to reinforce attention being paid to it. besides, thanksgiving lacks most of the commercialism that has come to characterize much of Christmas and halloween.

this isn't to say our thanksgiving isn't filled with some tradition. first, for us, thanksgiving isn't a family affair (or, at least, it hasn't been in nearly a decade). well, actually, i suppose it is about family - a new family in christ. our goal is to have to have an intimate and celebratory gathering attended by old friends, new friends, and friends with nowhere else to go. for us this is a picture of the family that jesus calls us into by the cross. this is one of our favorite parts about thanksgiving - seeing who'll come. we start inviting people by september.

we have other traditions, too. hot cherry apple cider. crockpot BBQ meatballs starting around noon. butterball turkey from aldi. too much food. sharing stories of what we're thankful about. we don't watch too much football. but we'll usually stay up late and watch a movie. sometimes we'll even go out on friday to wayne county and drive the hines park light display ... but only when we're feeling crazy!

i must admit, though, as much as i love thanksgiving - and i do love it! - the holiday hasn't quite been the same since the departure of our three good friends who always used to come from Chicago. one couple just hasn't been able to come the last two years because of other obligations and we've lost contact with the other friend. he has cut ties with us, for no reason known to us. this is a point of great sadness for megan and i. we feel it particularly at thanksgiving. we miss his double chocolate chunk cookies. we miss the way he would turn off our cuckoo clock before he went to bed at night. we miss the way he would sit down and start philosophizing from the moment he got in the door until our other friends arrived after midnight. we miss him and thanksgiving isn't quite the same without him.

God blessed us this year with a wonderfully restful thanksgiving day. thank you, God!

we're still thankful for thanksgiving!

i'm on facebook

i know it seems pretty cheesy, but i started getting so many "friend requests" and what not that i just decided to go ahead and join. and in the process i've reconnected with several old friends. that's cool.

here's the link to my facebook profile.

why people choose mac products and what it might have to do with Jesus

So I have this friend who loves to banter with me about the mac vs. pc debate. I do own an ibook, and also use a macbook at work, and I do have an iPod nano. But I'm not especially zealous when it comes to the whole Mac thing - I just like them.

Well, anyway, be that as it may, one of things my friend likes to do is point me to articles and facts that describe how Apple products are inferior and overpriced compared to the competition, and yet people buy them anyway. He loves doing this. In the latest the journalist is busy bashing the iPhone, iPod Touch and Nano, even while he's on Apple's website ordering a Touch! His reasoning, "My friend Dave says it's because Apple designs products while other companies engineer them."

I think there is something too this. I think there is something too this. Apple gets that lots of people are into holistic thinking and that it is possible to have an artistry to a product. But I think there is more to it.

People like the guy who wrote the article, and his friend Dave, forget the human element in really effective marketing. Apple has good marketing, but my humble opinion is that it is effective primarily because of very happy users who enthusiastically tell non-users that they've got to get an Apple. I think it is the same with Starbucks. A friend, who's in the know, told me that Starbucks never does advertisting in a market until they've already established themselves. When they've got store presence and a host of loyal customers who've already been telling their friends, then they start the advertising. That way it is most effective - they're not convincing, they're informing and branding.

And this is where I move in the direction of something like a point. Apple users are loyal, they're enthusiastic. Actually, in their own ways, they are evangelists. They're sharing good news about a product that is easy to use and that rarely crashes, and is cool too. But I think this is where it gets really interesting. It really isn't that long ago that Apple was considered junk in the computer world, and that people who were serious computer users made fun of Apple users. I mean, really, that was definitely less than a generation ago. Apple brands, and Apple users, still carry this feeling of being in the persecuted minority. People who buy Macs and iPods have this sense that they're identifying with, buying into, a revolution. That they're joining common cause with this persecuted minority. I think people like this. People want this.

If only we can help people understand Jesus in the same way. Help people join up with a cause not only worth buying, but also worth living and dying for. Maybe it doesn't happen because Jesus isn't seen as being part of a persecuted minority, isn't seen as part of a revolution. The Church can be bad PR for Jesus, unfortunately. Yet those who follow Jesus are a minority, even in America, and they aren't always applauded. And we are part of a revolution (see Acts 17:7). It is interesting in this regard, that when Apple ran that slate of very cool and provocative "Think Different" ad campaigns several years ago, I don't think Jesus ever made the cut. Though he is the ultimate different thinker.

Radio Silence Is Over ...

The hardest thing about blogging is that I never come up with good blogging ideas when it is convenient to blog. I mean, I do my best thinking in the shower, and while I'm driving, and at other such times. And those activities are notoriously nonconducive to blogging. And by the time I get out of the shower or out of the car and to wherever it is I'm going, my muse has often passed. Maybe the other major barrier to blogging is my heart ... in that I'm also not very patient, so it is hard for me to wait. Well. Anyway, radio silence is broken, since I've managed to carve out what I'm hoping is 30 minutes on what is billed as my day off.

Two Dads ...

So today at lunch Eli declares, "I wish I had two dads. You could go to work and then I'd have another dad who'd stay at home with me all day and night." Very funny. I'm choosing to neither take this as an insult, nor as a sign I'm working way too much, but rather that Eli likes me and wishes I could be around more.

15 More ...

Okay, so its pretty crazy. I roll up to church this morning and as I'm parking I get a call from the worship leader making sure the team has arrived. I'm not totally sure, because I can't see them, but what I do see is the Satellite Van! That's right, Fox 2 News is on scene, unannounced, wanting to do a live interview an hour before our service. Pretty funny. Watch my second 15 seconds of fame here. Needless to say, the church got a great kick out of it all!

My 15 seconds of fame

Here's a link to the video of my interview on Friday the 5th.

Extra, Extra, Watch All About It

Well, they tell me I'm gonna be famous. Okay, not really, but apparently I will be on TV this dinner hour (that's 5:30PM), talking, of all things, well, about porn. Channel 2 (that's Fox News) rolled on down Royal Oak today looking for pastors to interview about this Sunday's "National Porn Day" - an event sponsored by XXXChurch. XXX Church's mission is to raise awareness and accountability and healing in the church and society about the devastating effects of porn. So they came up with this National Porn Day idea to help churches create a venue to talk about this issue, with help from their experience (via their National Porn Day church kit).

So Channel 2 News wanted to see what I thought. I told him we talk about porn regularly on Sunday, that church should be a great place to talk about it, and that while I think XXX Church is doing a great thing, their Porn Kit was overpriced and I wouldn't feel comfortable identifying my church with such a singular issue (important as it is). When asked why I think people might not want to talk about this in church ... well, you'll have to watch the news.

Commenting on the Jena 6

I went to a preaching seminar a few years back. One of the speakers vamped for an hour on a pet topic - truth in preaching. He had everyone close their eyes and then asked the non-pastors present (roughly 12 of 100) how many of them had heard a sermon illustration told in the first person by more than one preacher (in other words, two different preachers telling the same story as if it happened to them). When he had us open our eyes and told us that at least half the non-pastors had experienced this, a chuckle went through the room. That is, until the speaker rebuked us. Total silence. In no uncertain terms he warned us that this was not funny at all - that how can the members of our congregation believe we preach the truth if our stories aren't even true. That has always stuck with me and I try to live by it.

This past Sunday I shared a story about the Jena 6. I hadn't really planned on doing so. It was a note in the margins of my sermon. I only expanded on it when, after making a brief mention of it in passing, I noticed that all of my black brothers and sisters knew exactly what I was talking about, while very few of my white brothers and sisters knew anything about it at all. But as soon as I started talking, I knew I was in trouble because I had done no extra research after having read about it two weeks previous, from stories that were two months old. So find some additional research below:

A general overview of the time line of events is available here, from a local paper in Louisiana.
One of the better accounts of the story, as it is commonly told, is available here, from NPR.
Another version of the story, with some alternate versions of reported facts (see the second half of the article) and lots of snippets from local citizens, is available here, from an AP story posted on Yahoo News.
Finally, for some perspective from an emerging voice in racial reconciliation, check the comments on this blog here.

And with all that in mind, I'd like to clarify a thing or two. Some of the facts that I shared on Sunday are in dispute, I've learned, so I share these things for your review because I have a responsibility to the truth. (Besides, I'm in good company ... it is said John Wimber used to have to clarify all the time.) Thanks to those who've pointed me to these sources. Probably the truth (of the facts) can be pieced together from these various sources (and others like them). Now, I shared the story about the Jena 6 in support of my point coming from Isaiah 54:17, that there are weapons of injustice formed against us in our society. Even with disputed facts, I stand by this. Let me comment further.

No one disputes that nooses were hung from the school tree the day after that rally. Whether 2 or 3 doesn't matter and neither does it matter whether it was done in hate or as a prank. In fact, it is almost worse if it were a prank. Let's be clear: there is no confusion in the Deep South as to what a noose hung from a tree means. And if some students thought it would be funny - funny! - to send such a message - in 2007! - then that is a sure sign we're facing injustice in our culture - that the black students of Jena High existed in a world where white students thought it would be funny to remind them that their grandparents actually had to fear real threats of lynching.

Equally, no one disputes that the loudest voice in support of the Jena 6 is calling for the total dropping of all charges. Jena was a racially charged environment and allegedly there were racial epithets flying around, but, nonetheless, these six students made a choice to beat the other student up and they should have to face the consequences. If all charges were dropped against these students, that would also be an injustice in our culture. It would be an injustice to train our young people to think that just because it is hard, you shouldn't have to face the consequences of your actions. Reduce the charges, sure - as has been done for at least 5 of the 6 - but not dropped altogether.

What's interesting is that so many of the people interviewed commented on how Jena wasn't really that different from everywhere else. "Sure, we have our race problems," they say, "but so do lots of places." "We're not that special." That's probably the thing that saddens me the most, because I think they're right. And that's why I stand behind my pronouncement that the Jena 6 are a sign of injustice.

not wild about Wild At Heart nor enchanted with Captivating

Now, I'm about to engage in a fairly dangerous activity. I'm about to comment on books that I've only read portions of. So maybe, with that caveat made, you'll want to just skip this post. But if you're willing, read on ...

Maybe you're familiar with the mega-hit books "Wild At Heart" and "Captivating." I think John & Stasi Eldredge are really on to something. I agree with a great deal of what they have to say. I think their fundamental message emphasizing emotional honesty, appreciation for and connection with the outdoors, inner healing, deliverance, authentic relationships, engagement with the Church Fathers, and geographical community are all very good. To the average overworked man or woman overcome with ennui living in large, flattened, atopic suburban landscapes plagued with plazas filled with cookie-cutter combinations of the same national chains and underused sidewalks, this is good news. What Eldredge is talking about closely resembles what, as a Vineyard pastor, I'd call the "Kingdom ministry of Jesus."

I like all these things. A great deal. In fact, I share these concerns. But I'm still suspicious of the books and their ministry. Here's why: they seem to have abandoned the Church. Maybe that's too strong. Perhaps the better way of saying it is that there is a strong (under?)tone of criticism of the Church in their books, and it seems that they feel they're just sort of "past" the Church, as if they've found something better. Now I can appreciate that so much of what they're talking about is awesome, even necessary, but criticizing the Church is just about the easiest thing in the world to do. Far easier even than making fun of Dan Quayle or Dubya.

My perspective is that the privilege of authoring carries with it the responsibility to speak well of others, including the Church (the Church Jesus loves, even with its flaws!), even while disagreeing with them or holding them to task. That's what I think. Just talking in critical tones about the Body of Christ (the very Body that made their faith possible), without clarifying or resolving things, is simply irresponsible. But hey, maybe I'm biased; I am a pastor.

Like Probably The Best Conference Ever

I just went to very possibly the best conference I've ever been to. Certainly of its kind. More later ...

An Unusual Month

Well, it has been an unusual month at the Royal Oak Vineyard Church. Labor Day, AIDS Walk Sunday, and now our Joint Worship Gathering this Sunday at LOGOS. If all of this specialness has left you a bit unsettled, please forgive me. Even for those of us who like change and mixin' it up, too much of a good thing can be bad, and for those of us who don't like change so much, well ... I do appreciate your flexibility as you join with us on the journey.

It was not our first preference to have this Gathering the same month as these other events, but when we sat down with the Master Calendar to plan it out with LOGOS, we realized that if we were going to do a Joint Worship Gathering before the year's end, this was the best date.

Please do join us at LOGOS at 11AM this Sunday. It will be awesome. It'll be a little foretaste of the Kingdom come as we join as one in worship of our one Lord. Plus, there's gonna be some awesome food afterwards!

Bobcat

A baby bobcat has joined the Pool Party. The Bobcat is a ten month old native of Ferndale and is known to answer to the name of Eden.

This is her call, captured on location in Ferndale.

Being nocturnal, Bobcat Eden loves making this noise from roughly 11PM-Midnight, at other times periodically throughout the night, or whenever she isn't fed or held fast enough no matter what time of day.

Sometimes It Works

So last night we ordered the best pizza in the world for our friends who just had their first baby. That pizza is, of course, Loui's, in Hazel Park. While Eli and I are paying for the precious cargo, the waitress says, "Your son can pick out his candy if he'd like." ... He liked, so, intrigued, he goes behind the counter and finds a tasty looking mini Hershey's bar.

Running back to the van, he shows off his prize to the Pool Party women. Esther looks very interested.

Megan: "Eli, I think Esther might like to try a little piece of that candy bar."
Eli: "I think she's too little to eat chocolate."
Megan: "No .. she's old enough and I think she might like it."
Eli: "Okay. I'll share it with her." He then breaks off a piece and hands across the back bench to her.
And then, as Esther smilingly bites in, Eli says, in one of those glorious parenting moments: "Esther, because I love you so much and because I knew you wanted to try it, I'm sharing my candy with you."
Ah ... sometimes it does work.

What Would Wimber Do?

Some of us in our church have been talking some about John Wimber lately. Wimber was the leader of the Vineyard Community of Churches for a number of years. He was known for his powerful ministry in the Spirit of God, for seeing people come into friendship with Jesus, of seeing people healed and set free. I would love to see this ministry come more significantly to our church. I long for it. I would love for his inheritance in the Kingdom to come to me and our community.

One of the interesting things we forget is that when Wimber was learning to pray for healing, he prayed for people every Sunday morning and at other times, for nine months. No one got healed. People who were praying got sick from those they were praying for. People were discouraged. A large number of people left his church over this. He was disappointed and discouraged. Yet he believed God had called him to this and that it was part of the Bible and that Jesus would have this aspect of his ministry happening in his church today. So John kept praying for the sick, week in and week out. And finally God answered his prayers and one sick young mother got out of bed to care for her kids, enabling her husband to get to the job he needed to be at.

I've been thinking about this. If we want what Wimber had, then I think we must be willing to do what Wimber did. I'm committing myself to pursue the Kingdom of God the way Wimber did. Week in and week out to keep pursuing the things we believe God has for us - people coming into friendship with Jesus, people being healed, people being delivered and set free - until we see a breakthrough.

Will you join me?

A Good Read

I've posted some books I'd recommended, but for something a bit shorter, check out the always awesome newsletters from Father Richard of St. Augustine's House in Oxford, MI. www.staugustineshouse.org and click on the newsletter tab on the side bar. they come out quarterly and are like two pages. i just got the fall one, which is not yet posted, but his summer reflections were great too. enjoy!

Lessons in Selflessness: The Benedictines and Breakfast

Selflessness is pretty important to following Jesus. Not the most important thing, certainly. C.S. Lewis was right about that. But I still think it is fairly important. I mean how would we make sense of such statements of Jesus, "He who loses his life will find it..." without some sense of selflessness. Or how about John the Baptist's famous proclamation, "He must increase, I must decrease"?

So how do we grow in selflessness? I've got two very practical suggestions ...

One, try spending some time at a Benedictine monastery. I get up to St. Augustine's Retreat House as often as possible. They're a Benedictine Lutheran Retreat House in Oxford, MI. Every day, seven times a day, the residents and guests at St. Augustine's (and all Benedictine communities) engage in fixed-hour prayer. And this is how it encourages selflessness. There is, of course, the simple fact that at those times you have to stop doing what you were doing and go pray with the community. Then there is the practice of the prayer. Everyone is encouraged to pray at the same time, in the same way, at the same pace. Also, guests are encouraged to chant the psalms in such a way that they are not heard above the community. In other words, it isn't about you and how you sound, it is about the community and how they sound. I find this to be a very refreshing lesson in selflessness.

The other lesson is even more practical. Closer to home, you might say. Currently, my greatest tutor in selflessness is breakfast. At breakfast time, my preference would be to sit and read and listen to baroque classical music. Or maybe just casually check my email before a busy day at work. Or maybe have a lively conversation about some interesting topic. Maybe you've already guessed the punchline. See, I'm part of the Pool Party - three kids under five and a beautiful and engaging wife. Rather than relaxing, most breakfasts are an exercise in logistics management and chaos theory and sharing my fruit bar with the Forager of the Week. Like singing at St. Augustine's, the point is not about what I want, but what is best for the community. And that usually means my email can wait.

The Practice of Sabbath

On Mondays the Pool Party lays low. Trust me, there's plenty of activity, but it is on Monday that we take our Sabbath. We're pretty rigorous with it. We hardly ever answer the phone, I rarely ever check my email. We do go out (a day at home without going out is like a trip to the ice cream store without getting Superman ... unbearable!), but we lay low. Some people think of Monday as a family day. We do almost always spend lots of time together as a family on Monday, but I think of it as much more than that. Sabbath is a day of rest and recreation. It is a time to remember that God is God and we are not, and that, while we're important, God is perfectly able to run the world without us.

Like I said, we're very attentive to our practice of sabbath. Every now and then I feel guilty about this, because I think, "Hey, not everyone does or even can do sabbath like I'm able to." Do you see where I'm coming from? I mean, every Monday, as a pastor, I have the privilege of unplugging. Not everyone else can do that on their Saturdays or Sundays or whatever. So sometimes I have felt guilty. Of course, the fact that people don't doesn't mean that people shouldn't. But there's more to it than that. I've come to realize that the practice of sabbath is critically important for pastors. You see, pastors have this unique vocational hazard (as Eugene Peterson would put it) - their in the religion management business. That means that we face a temptation to believe that God is under our control - that He'll show up when we tell him to, that He's bound to meet our expectations. This temptation, I think, is fairly peculiar to pastors. Maybe some others, like doctors, face something similar. Anyway, given this temptation, is it critically essential then that pastors practice sabbath. We need it for our souls.

Other members of the Pool Party ... Esther and Eden

This is me, at light speed. Taken with the Photobooth on my macbook.
Here are pics of Megan and Eli ...