Spent last night messing around with my LinkedIn account. I think I was an early adapter for this . I opened my account in January of 2007 and quickly forgot about it (I tend to sign up for a bunch of new stuff and then forget about them. I had a twitter account for years before I actually used it). Back then there were only a handful of people who I knew that used it (I think I was turned on to it by Jordon Cooper). Recently, I have been getting a lot of connection requests (which I were simply ignoring). Last night I decided to see what all the fuss was about.
Amazingly, I now have a bunch of friends on LinkedIn - I was shocked. I actually think I'm beginning to like it - although I'm still trying to figure it out. If your reading this and are on LinkedIn, look me up.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Acts 3
I've been studding Acts 3 for this Sunday's sermon and some interesting thoughts keep coming up. This is the story of the blind beggar at the temple gate and it's interesting how this story progresses. Peter and John are going to the temple like they usually do - there was nothing special on this day. This is what they always did (this is what many in their society did as well.) Day in, day out - same ole same ole. Yet God seems to have different plans and takes them on a wild ride. First the beggar gets healed, then Peter preaches, then they get arrested and another 2000 come to the church.
Here is the interesting part for me: this is completely unplanned by Peter and John. I wonder what their plans were for the day. Perhaps temple, then some dinner. Just a quiet evening....but God seemed to have other plans. This really got me thinking. Would we be willing to do something like this? Would we be willing to allow God to disturb our quiet evening?
I think we find a comfort in planning (I know I do). There is safety there. We like to make sure that all of our t's are crossed and out i's are dotted. And while there is nothing wrong in planning, do we unintentionally plan God out of the equation?
Thoughts?
Here is the interesting part for me: this is completely unplanned by Peter and John. I wonder what their plans were for the day. Perhaps temple, then some dinner. Just a quiet evening....but God seemed to have other plans. This really got me thinking. Would we be willing to do something like this? Would we be willing to allow God to disturb our quiet evening?
I think we find a comfort in planning (I know I do). There is safety there. We like to make sure that all of our t's are crossed and out i's are dotted. And while there is nothing wrong in planning, do we unintentionally plan God out of the equation?
Thoughts?
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
It's time...
...to re-engage.
...to re-activate.
...to do.
...to stop procrastinating.
...to wake up.
...to turn this thing back on.
I think it's time to start writing again.
...to re-activate.
...to do.
...to stop procrastinating.
...to wake up.
...to turn this thing back on.
I think it's time to start writing again.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
St. Arbucks
Interesting article by Bob Hyatt at Out of Ur this morning. But truth be told - I like the graphic the best.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Morning Reading...
Woke up this morning to a pair of great articles on different topics.
First, Dan Edelen at Cerulean Sanctum asks the question: "Does anyone still care about the Great Commission". In the midst of his article he says this:
I've been thinking about this stuff for the past couple of years. We seem to have more passion for doing what Pat Robinson tells us to do then what Jesus tells us to do.
The other comes from Tim Challies at Challies Dot Com and is a review of Leonard Sax's book "Boys Adrift".
Interesting stuff
First, Dan Edelen at Cerulean Sanctum asks the question: "Does anyone still care about the Great Commission". In the midst of his article he says this:
How is it that we can get whipped into a frenzy about aiding the poor, stopping same sex marriage, putting more conservatives into the halls of American power, and a million other causes, but the simple act of helping lead a lost soul to Christ is something we have neither time nor energy for?Link
Let’s be honest here. The Great Commission no longer compels us. The proof is right before our eyes, but we don’t want to see it.
I've been thinking about this stuff for the past couple of years. We seem to have more passion for doing what Pat Robinson tells us to do then what Jesus tells us to do.
The other comes from Tim Challies at Challies Dot Com and is a review of Leonard Sax's book "Boys Adrift".
He narrows in on five factors: changes in educational models; video games; medications for ADHD; endocrine disruptors; and a lack of good role models. Schools, he says, have begun to focus on academics at too early an age, leaving boys hating education from their earliest days. Programs that focus more on fun and less on academics up to age seven or eight would reap educational dividends. Important also is the distinction between learning as merely collecting facts and learning as experience. Regarding video games he believes that boys today are dedicating far too much time to this form of entertainment. As boys play these games they gain false perceptions of power and inadvertently remove themselves from reality until eventually they prefer the world of video games over the real world. ADHD is vastly over-diagnosed and huge numbers of boys are given medications they simply do not need. These medications have been proven to change the way boys develop and do far more than simply calm down hyperactive children. Endocrine disruptors, and especially artificial estrogens found in plastic bottles and other similar products, are delaying boys’ development (while accelerating girls’ development) and contributing to many associated problems. And finally, boys are suffering from a distinct lack of good and manly role models, both in their homes and in their communities. Each of these five areas receives a chapter-length treatment and in each case the arguments are convincing. Yet the book does not end with only this list of problems, but with the author’s attempts to suggest solutions.Link
Interesting stuff
Saturday, January 01, 2011
The elephant in the room.
I saw this last week on another blog (sorry, I don't remember who) and I figured now would be a good time to post it here (since my readership should be at an all time low.) Disclaimer - this is supposed to be satire. There is a real gem if you can make it to the end. Colbert leaves us with a difficult truth - perhaps a truth that we have been wanting to ignore for too long.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Jesus Is a Liberal Democrat | ||||
| ||||
Friday, December 31, 2010
Happy New Years Eve!
It's New Year's Eve again - time to look balk over this blog as see what a poor job of posting I did this year. Including this post - 13 in one year. That is pathetic.
On January 1, 2010, I posted my goals for the New Year. Let's see how I did:
1) Get healthier. Grade: C. I really didn't do much here. I've dropped some weight in the past year but I didn't do anything purposeful to do it. Perhaps I need to rethink this one for next year.
2) Read more. Grade B+. I think I did a good job on this. I started the year strong, but then slowed down during the summer. The Kindle that I received for my birthday kicked it back into gear (I've read about eight books in the past two months).
3) Write more. Grade: D. Thirteen posts and a lost Moleskine. Do I need to say more?
4) Work on my marriage. Grade:? Not sure how I would grade this one (perhaps my wife can let me know). I think I've been a better husband this year - although I probably still have some work to do.
2010 has been an interesting year for me. Better than 2009, but still a lot of challenges. There is a part of me that is happy to see this year go by because 2011 is looking very promising. Perhaps I need to put a new list of Goal up for 2011. You'll have to stay tuned to see if I do....
Have a wonderful New Years!
On January 1, 2010, I posted my goals for the New Year. Let's see how I did:
1) Get healthier. Grade: C. I really didn't do much here. I've dropped some weight in the past year but I didn't do anything purposeful to do it. Perhaps I need to rethink this one for next year.
2) Read more. Grade B+. I think I did a good job on this. I started the year strong, but then slowed down during the summer. The Kindle that I received for my birthday kicked it back into gear (I've read about eight books in the past two months).
3) Write more. Grade: D. Thirteen posts and a lost Moleskine. Do I need to say more?
4) Work on my marriage. Grade:? Not sure how I would grade this one (perhaps my wife can let me know). I think I've been a better husband this year - although I probably still have some work to do.
2010 has been an interesting year for me. Better than 2009, but still a lot of challenges. There is a part of me that is happy to see this year go by because 2011 is looking very promising. Perhaps I need to put a new list of Goal up for 2011. You'll have to stay tuned to see if I do....
Have a wonderful New Years!
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Sunday's Coming...
It's Wednesday night. That means that tomorrow is Thursday. Which means that Sunday is just around the corner and I haven't started to prepare for it. This week has been so crazy - and it feels like it's getting away from me. I really need to take some time tomorrow and study. I just don't know if I will have the time.
Oh well - until then, here's some Mr Bean before bed....
Oh well - until then, here's some Mr Bean before bed....
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Dear John....
Cindy posted something on her facebook status earlier this week that started some interesting conversations. It went something like this:
When I first met John he was the town drunk. He would wander around downtown most of the day and sleep either on a park bench, bus stop or in a porta-pottie at night. Every now and then I would find him behind the church reading an old bible. He always had questions about scripture and he always wanted to better understand it. I usually struggled to figure out if he was being genuine or if he was trying to play me (I would also be trying to guess if he was drunk or not). Either way, I figured it didn't matter - John would keep showing up - and I would keep praying the God would do something with him.
Late in 2009, John got drunk and passed out in front of the Subway restaurant here in DeKalb. The police showed up and tried to wake him. Being drunk, he took a swing at one of them and ended up in the county jail for a few months. Part of his probation was that he needed to be a enrolled in a treatment program. He went up to Freeport for about four months and got into a program called Sojourn House. During that time he got cleaned up and sober. He also got plugged into a church and got baptized. He found an apartment and a job. His life seemed to be getting cleaned up.
He came back to DeKalb about three weeks ago to check in with the court on his probation. He mentioned to his Probation Officer that he wasn't feeling well and she suggested he go to the hospital and get check out. The hospital found cancer. Lots of cancer. In his lungs, in his liver, in his skull, in his jaw, in his ribs and up and down his spine. It was in stage four - and it was in the fourth stage of stage four. It was bad and there was nothing that they could do about it. Realistically, he was looking at weeks. The job went away, the apartment went away. Most people would hear this story and their hearts would go out to John. Something must be done. The problem is that there is one more part to this story. John is a registered sex offender.
The story goes something like this. Ten years ago, John was at a party and his was drunk. There was some kind of deal going on that went bad. The people whose house he was at demanded money from him that he refused to pay. They threatened to call the cops on him and he left. Somewhere in the midst of all this, he hit a little girl who was running around at the party. The cops came, picked him up, and threw him in the county jail. The public defended told him the charges were weak and he should fight them in court. In typical DeKalb County fashion, it was going to take 120 before it would go to trial. The prosecutor told him time served and four year probation. He took the deal.
Since then the laws have changed and the sex offenders registry was created. Four years has turned into life. The laws keep changing, prohibiting where he can live, where he can be and where he can not be. If an agency gets money from the state, he is disqualified. It has gotten so bad that there is not even a nursing home will take him. He has no place to go and die.
What has been most interesting is the reaction of those around us. First of all I must say this - I am so proud of my church. They know the truth and yet they still want to help him. But the reaction of those around us is mind boggling. John wears a scarlet letter - and for some reason it makes him less human to people - almost disposable. I've been yelled at by people, told he had it coming to him, told that we need to wipe our hands of him because he is a danger to society and to us. I've actually had someone question me as a pastor because I am "putting my congregation in so much risk by letting him come to church." People actually questioned if he could legally come to church.
Jesus spent his time with the lepers, prostitutes and tax collectors. The Pharisees would continually question him: "Why do you spend time with sinners?" It was almost like there were afraid that they would catch something from them. But wasn't that the point? I think that Jesus was hoping that he would rub off on them. "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." My gut is that Jesus would be hanging out with John, but what about us?
I have had a song running through my head all night tonight. Bob Dylan once said: "How many roads must a man walk down before they can call him a man?" How many roads must a man walk down before he is no longer a man? "How many years can some people exist before they are allowed to be free?" In John's case, freedom won't come in this life. "Yes, how many times can a man turn his head pretending he just doesn't see?" Do you see? It is for the least of these.
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind, the answer is blowin' in the wind.
This wasn't just a hypothetical question. Instead, this is the reality that we find ourselves living in. Let me tell you a story about a guy named John. John is a homeless guy who lives here in DeKalb. He has been coming around the church for the past few years and God has done some amazing things in his life.God's greatest command to us is to love Him first and love others as we love ourselves. At what point are we allowed not to love others because of the sin in their lives? As followers of Jesus, at what point can we plaster a scarlet letter on someone and write them off?
When I first met John he was the town drunk. He would wander around downtown most of the day and sleep either on a park bench, bus stop or in a porta-pottie at night. Every now and then I would find him behind the church reading an old bible. He always had questions about scripture and he always wanted to better understand it. I usually struggled to figure out if he was being genuine or if he was trying to play me (I would also be trying to guess if he was drunk or not). Either way, I figured it didn't matter - John would keep showing up - and I would keep praying the God would do something with him.
Late in 2009, John got drunk and passed out in front of the Subway restaurant here in DeKalb. The police showed up and tried to wake him. Being drunk, he took a swing at one of them and ended up in the county jail for a few months. Part of his probation was that he needed to be a enrolled in a treatment program. He went up to Freeport for about four months and got into a program called Sojourn House. During that time he got cleaned up and sober. He also got plugged into a church and got baptized. He found an apartment and a job. His life seemed to be getting cleaned up.
He came back to DeKalb about three weeks ago to check in with the court on his probation. He mentioned to his Probation Officer that he wasn't feeling well and she suggested he go to the hospital and get check out. The hospital found cancer. Lots of cancer. In his lungs, in his liver, in his skull, in his jaw, in his ribs and up and down his spine. It was in stage four - and it was in the fourth stage of stage four. It was bad and there was nothing that they could do about it. Realistically, he was looking at weeks. The job went away, the apartment went away. Most people would hear this story and their hearts would go out to John. Something must be done. The problem is that there is one more part to this story. John is a registered sex offender.
The story goes something like this. Ten years ago, John was at a party and his was drunk. There was some kind of deal going on that went bad. The people whose house he was at demanded money from him that he refused to pay. They threatened to call the cops on him and he left. Somewhere in the midst of all this, he hit a little girl who was running around at the party. The cops came, picked him up, and threw him in the county jail. The public defended told him the charges were weak and he should fight them in court. In typical DeKalb County fashion, it was going to take 120 before it would go to trial. The prosecutor told him time served and four year probation. He took the deal.
Since then the laws have changed and the sex offenders registry was created. Four years has turned into life. The laws keep changing, prohibiting where he can live, where he can be and where he can not be. If an agency gets money from the state, he is disqualified. It has gotten so bad that there is not even a nursing home will take him. He has no place to go and die.
What has been most interesting is the reaction of those around us. First of all I must say this - I am so proud of my church. They know the truth and yet they still want to help him. But the reaction of those around us is mind boggling. John wears a scarlet letter - and for some reason it makes him less human to people - almost disposable. I've been yelled at by people, told he had it coming to him, told that we need to wipe our hands of him because he is a danger to society and to us. I've actually had someone question me as a pastor because I am "putting my congregation in so much risk by letting him come to church." People actually questioned if he could legally come to church.
Jesus spent his time with the lepers, prostitutes and tax collectors. The Pharisees would continually question him: "Why do you spend time with sinners?" It was almost like there were afraid that they would catch something from them. But wasn't that the point? I think that Jesus was hoping that he would rub off on them. "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." My gut is that Jesus would be hanging out with John, but what about us?
I have had a song running through my head all night tonight. Bob Dylan once said: "How many roads must a man walk down before they can call him a man?" How many roads must a man walk down before he is no longer a man? "How many years can some people exist before they are allowed to be free?" In John's case, freedom won't come in this life. "Yes, how many times can a man turn his head pretending he just doesn't see?" Do you see? It is for the least of these.
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind, the answer is blowin' in the wind.
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