Junk Drawer Spirituality

Chicago Winter Survival Kit

Remind me to ask for this sucker for Christmas next year.  I'd love it for my front porch, on which I've already cracked my tail three times this winter.  It seems tooooooootally safe . . . and apparently it's "so easy even your wife can use it" . . .

  

My American Idol Favorite

It's been several years since I've watched American Idol, but I caught a few performances Wednesday night and was blown away by this guy.

His name's Andrew Garcia, and I'd be really disappointed if he didn't go all the way.  Great voice and really creative.  I found a few "pre-Idol" performances of his on Youtube, and they're really good too.  Here's a cool Michael Jackson Medley and duet below, but if you want to see something really AMAZING check out his rendition of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up."  FOX will probably pull it off YouTube soon, so if you want to check it out you better make it quick!

Fun With Apologetics

I recently jumped into the world of Christian Apologetics.  

A few weeks ago, I started meeting together with a young man from Waterfront, who's also in my small group.  He's a person on the fringes of faith, but he's been through some emotional turmoil this past year, and has a blotchy spiritual background.  So he came to Waterfront seeking.

The last time we met, I was forced to dive deep into the recesses of my brain to recall a subject I had long sense abandoned in pursuit of more "authentic" conversation.  I had to rely on my training in apologetics.  I asked my friend this question . . . "Can you envision yourself at some point ever being completely sold out for Christ?"  He paused. . . . I thought he didn't understand the question, but the answer he came back with was really thoughtful.

He said, "I think I'm really scared that if I get too close to God, I'll discover things I didn't want to know, realize that Christianity doesn't really make any sense, and I'll have to abandon the little bit of hope I have."  What he was expressing was a feeling I often felt before I decided to follow Christ.  It was the "I don't want to be a blind Christian," "I don't want to check my brain at the door," "I can't force myself to believe things when all reason stands against it," objection.  My perception at the time was that most of the Christians I knew hadn't really scrutinized their faith. . .  They simply bought what was given to them.  I was at a point in my life where I HAD to scrutinize things.  I was being challenged by alot of different ideas, and if Christianity couldn't stand on it's own two feet in the marketplace of ideas, I felt like I needed to abandon it.

The Ten Commandments of Public Apology

 After Tiger Woods' much anticipated public apology last week, I've been thinking quite a bit about what makes an apology work or not work.  According to the Twitter buzz after the event, about 50% of viewers liked the apology (meaning they forgave or at least believed him) while the other 50% thought he was full of it.  I fall into that latter half.  I had a lot of trouble connecting with Woods during his speech.  Granted, I never really felt like I personally needed an apology from Tiger.  I guess I figured the only ones who needed amends were his wife and kids. . . and perhaps the 15 or so gals he was sleeping with.

But there have been quite a few celebrities in recent months who have been forced to find atonement in the public eye, and I find it interesting that there are some apologies I believe and some that drive an even larger wedge between me and the celebrity seeking amends.  So I thought I would take a few minutes and list my 10 commandments of making a public apology. . . 

10.  You have to really spill it.  One thing that I think disappointed me about Tiger's apology, is that it still felt like he was protecting something.  Yes, he admitted that he "cheated."  But come on Tiger!  You didn't just cheat.  You were in multiple relationships, sleeping with adult film stars, and leading a completely double life.  "I cheated" is the tip of the iceberg and we all know it.  If you're gonna make an apology, you gotta put it all out on the table.  You can't really forgive an apology that's still witholding.

9.  You have to convince me that you're sorry for what you did, not that you're sorry for getting caught.  That was the part of Mike Vick's public apology from a few months ago I had the biggest trouble with.  Vick kept saying how sorry he was, but it just seemed like he was alot more sorry he had to sit in jail for 2 years than he was for running a dog fighting ring out of his mansion, and killing innocent animals.

Rock Music and Satanic Conspiracies

Every once in a while, I recollect a memory from my childhood that makes me pause and think to myself, "Did that really happen?"

One of those moments happened to me about a month ago when a flood of nostalgia came rushing back, while I was listening to the band KISS on the radio.  All of the sudden I started recollecting a bizarre lesson I had received in my church Sunday School years earlier. 

My 6th or 7th grade Sunday School teacher invited a guest speaker to give us a presentation on the evils of rock music and many of the popular bands that we were (supposedly) listening to.  She made all sorts of allegations against rock bands such as KISS, AC/DC, Journey, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and several others, suggesting that there was some kind of underground, covert, conspiracy to poison the minds of the youth of our generation with Satanic . . . well . . . I don't quite know what, but something really, really awful . . . and Satan was behind it!  

Funny thing is, at that time, I'd only heard of a few of those bands since many of them reached their peak popularity at least a decade before I was old enough to appreciate rock music.  Plus, my hometown of Amarillo, TX had banned the broadcast of MTV.  So I was living in a pop music blackhole.  Regardless, this woman put the fear of God in me and many of my compatriots (so to speak) when it came to rock music and especially these particular bands.

After a few years, I forgot all about that presentation, and started to become a fan of some of these bands once I'd actually had the opportunity to hear them.  But today I wonder, 1 . . . How much of what this woman said was actually true?  I'm sure there was a fair amount of bullcrap lining that whole presentation, but surely she didn't make the WHOLE thing up.  Surely, this conspiracy is based in at least SOME truth (even if it's only 2% true).  and 2. . . . How many other Gen-Xers who grew up in evangelical churches and Sunday Schools heard simliar presentations in youth groups across America in the 80s and 90s?  Was I the only one?

My Yearbook Photos

Alright . . . these aren't ACTUAL yearbook photos, but I had some fun with photoshop last week making these fake yearbook pictures of our Waterfront staff.  It was for our past Saturday service at Waterfront.  In order: Me, Cindy, Jim, and Greg.

     



     

A People of Need: Generosity

This is the final post in the series I've been blogging through on the subject of "need" . . . the idea that getting in touch with my sense of deep need for God and for others is connected to the vitality of my walk with God.  We've talked about evangelism, prayer, and relationships.  And for our final post I want to talk about generosity.

Consider this verse from 2 Corinthians 9:7: "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."  I find a few things interesting about this verse.  First . . . the obvious . . . God's desire is not only that we give, but that we give out of the goodness of our hearts, cheerfully.  But second . . . the not as obvious . . . it's clear that my generosity is somehow connected to my relationships with God.  I'm not sure how often I think about that fact that I should give, not only because others need it, but because "God loves" it when I do.  It seems as I give, I am bridging connections with God and growing closer to him in ways other spiritual disciplines (i.e., prayer, fasting, Scripture reading) simply cannot allow me to do.  Generosity has a unique way of uniting my heart with God's heart.

And all of that makes the first statement all the more important.  God loves a CHEERFUL giver.  I cannot grow closer to God's heart as a person who gives with a scowl.  God loves the kind of giver who gets excited about generosity and feels decidedly empty when he doesn't.  But this is tough.  "Cheerful giving" is a difficult emotion to fabricate out of thin air.  How does a person emote cheerfulness on command while simultaneously draining his or her bank account of the very funds he or she might otherwise use for personal gain?

Matt Chandler's Video On HIs Battle With Cancer

There is a pastor in the Dallas area (Flowermound to be exact) named Matt Chandler.  He's a young pastor of a growing, very influential, evangelical church called The Village Church.  He's a well respected, reputable preacher . . . one of those guys other preachers like to listen to on their ipods so that they can hopefully preach like him one day via osmosis. 

Around Thanksgiving, Chandler collapsed in his home and had a seizure.  Doctors subsequently discovered that Matt had a malignant brain tumor and needed to remove it immediately.

If you have not seen it, you NEED TO watch this video Matt made for his church prior to surgery.  He has some amazing thoughts on faith and suffering.

For more information on Matt's journey, you can take a look at this AP article from a few weeks ago, and follow his progress on The Village Church's blog page.

Giving Props to Jesus . . . Even When You Fail

I noticed something interesting Sunday evening watching the Super Bowl, and I wonder if anyone else caught it.  At the very beginning of the 4th quarter, while the score was locked 17 to 16 in favor of Indianapolis, the Colts had an opportunity to take a 4 point lead.  Matt Stover, the Colt's kicker, was called upon to convert a 51 yard field goal.  

Stover missed wide left. 

The network showed the usual replays after a lowly kicker botches a field goal . . . A replay of the ball floating through the air in slow motion, barely missing the left upright. . .  A slow-motion recap of the kick just as it left Stover's foot and skipped off the ground. . .  And then they showed a replay of Stover's reaction after the miss.  

Most kickers hold their head in their hands, or swiftly rip their chin straps off in an act of frustration, or give the "stink-eye" to their holder as if he's the real one to blame.  Stover took both fingers and pointed them skyward in a gesture most athletes reserve for moments when they . . . well . . . do something worth celebrating.

I thought, "Poor, mixed up Matt Stover.  He thought he made the kick.  Wait til he gets to the sidelines, and some poor guy has to break the news: 'Sorry, Matty. . .  You blew it.'"  But broadcaster, Jim Natz, explained: "Matt Stover is a very spiritual person and he always points toward the sky whether he makes the kick or misses."

The more I think about it, the more I believe that simple gesture by Matt Stover was a more powerful witness to the experience of knowing and following Christ than anything else I have seen from a Christian athlete.  It's one thing to make the kick, or make the catch, or score the touchdown, and point to the sky.  It's one thing to win the championship, grab the mike and say, "First of all, I want to thank my Lord and savior Jesus Christ . . ."

It is quite another thing to give God all the glory when it all goes wrong, to say "God's in control," and honor his providence when you're beat and powerless.  I believe it is a brave Christian who can say as Job did, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. (Job 1:21)"

For me, Stover told the honest story of the spiritual journey.  Not the one that comes nicely wrapped and pre-packaged that only takes the limelight in our successes.  It's the story of Christ living in the muck with the rest of us.  And it's a subtle reminder that whether I win or lose, that never changes how mighty He is.  

Way to go Matt!!!!

My Favorite Super Bowl Ad

Of all the advertisements that played on Super Bowl Sunday this year, I thought the most effective ad (and my runaway favorite) was Google's.  Hopefully, Google's show of class in their commercial will set a new bar for companies who's creativity in advertising has degenerated to scantily clad women, slapstick comedy, and men with no pants.

A People of Need: Relationships

I'm continuing the series I started a few weeks ago about the subject of "need" . . . the idea that being a person who needs is somehow integral to my walk with God.  Today, I'm talking about some of the things I've been thinking about with regard to relationships.

I mentioned in a previous post that I recently took a trip to Dallas to visit my Grandfather.  This is what happened: a few months ago, my Grandfather, while driving, made a sudden turn into the post office parking lot from the far left lane, cutting across a van full of children.  They collided with the van (luckily none of the children were hurt), and both of my Grandparents were left black and blue and with a few fractures.

In the weeks to come, both of my Grandparents ended up in a rehabilitation clinic.  My Grandfather took a hard fall one morning and had to be taken to a separate hospital, and in the subsequent days, he hit a rapid decline due to some mini-strokes and his cracked pelvis.  His ailing body was taking a toll on his spirits, but do you know what was hardest for him?  Having to be apart from my Grandmother.

How Apple Screwed Up the iPad (And How To Save It)?

I have become an Apple freak over the past year.  Last March I bought my first Macbook, officially making the switch from Windows based machines, and after 11 months I can confidently say I have no regrets about making the adjustment in my computing lifestyle.  As I've fallen in love with my Macbook, I have become more and more enamored with the crown jewell that is Apple.  So I, like many other Apple fans, have been eagerly anticipating Apple's announcement of an Apple Tablet.  Because I need one?  Nope.  I just like cool stuff, and I wanted to see how Apple would push the tech envelope.

So last week, Apple unveiled their "tablet" devise dubbed the "iPad," which was subsequently met with almost immediate jokes and jears from techies and bloggers.  I think there were 3 big problems that hit Apple immediately.

Faith Legacy

 A few weeks ago I went to Dallas to visit my Grandfather, who has been struggling with his health.  There were several lessons I learned on that 1 day trip, but here was one big one: I learned something about the power of a person's faith legacy.

I was in the hospital room with my Grandfather and mother.  He laid in his hospital bed as he had the previous two weeks.  He'd lost quite a bit of mobility in his right side, and dementia had left him totally confused at some times and only slightly more lucid in others.

A People of Need: Prayer

I don't know about you but prayer does not come easily to me.  It's a weird thing to admit because I'm a pastor, which is like a professional Christian . . . and professional Christians are supposed to be really good at things like praying, and reading their Bibles, and fasting, and other very spiritual things.  Confession: prayer is difficult for me.  And when I say "prayer is difficult," I'm talking about the specific type of praying where I'm supposed to ask God to help me with some sort of personal need.

So I've been writing in this blog series on "need," and the fact that being a person of need is, I think, somehow integral to the Christian experience.  So I wanted to talk about some of the things I'm learning with respect to praying from a place of "need."