Junk Drawer Spirituality

Jennifer Knapp

Last week, I heard that Jennifer Knapp came out of the closet.  You can read the Christianity Today interview here.

Who's Jennifer Knapp?

She's a former Christian recording artist who used to tour with Bebo Norman and a number of other popular Christian bands.  She was well known among Evangelical circles in the late 90s and early aughts. I first started listening to her around 2001, and I quickly became a fan.  She has this acoustic-y/soulful/folksy style that really connected with me.  And I think, to this date, she is the most masterfully poetic lyricists that has graced the Christian music scene.

And then she disappeared.

Apparently, around 2002, Knapp got fed up with the Christian music scene and journeyed to Australia.  There were all kinds of rumors surrounding her departure, the most astonishing of which was that she had become a lesbian.  As it turns out, the rumors were true.  In 2009, she returned to the U.S.  And last week, synchronized with the release of her latest album (surprise, surprise), Jennifer decided to announce to the world that she has been living in a lesbian relationship for about 8 years.  It's news that predictably headlined all the major news networks (CNN, ABC, etc.) along with Christian niche publications.

Spiritual Followership: The First Follower

I began a blog series a week and a half ago on "Spiritual Followership," discussing what it might mean to recover the beauty and simplicity of being a servant . . . a follower rather than a leader.  It's not an easy subject to talk about for me because I have always felt a drive to become a leader.  I never knew if that drive was a result of a gift and passion for leading people or glory-hogging pride.  Maybe a little of both.  But as I've gotten older, I've realized that in all of the things I've learned about leadership through the years, I've been taught very little about followership . . . I've inadvertently received the message that followers aren't important.  Leaders are important, and if you want to be important to the success of your business/ organization/ church you too must become a leader.

I watched a 3 minute video on TED (an online video blog) a few weeks ago that brilliantly challenged some of those assumptions.  A guy named Derek Silver uses a goofy video to show how movements get started and draws some really interesting conclusion.  But rather than explaining the whole thing, watch the video yourself. .  .

Christians and Email Forwards

C. Michael Patton offers a helpful caution in a blog post toward Christians who tend to forward emails to all of their non-Christian friends without critically assessing the truth of it's content.  I'd say this advise rings true regarding forwarded emails of a particular political overtone as well.  Christians simply must be more discerning in the stuff we choose to slip into our friend's inboxes, treating every email with the same care as we would a face to face conversation (and sometimes, even more care).

It's Cubs Season!

 Today is opening day for the Cubs.  So I've assembled a collection of pictures in honor of baseball season to get us prepared for all the joys and heart-breaks of the upcoming year:

Spiritual Followership: The Peter Principle of the Church

We live in a culture that glorifies leadership.

Perhaps it's natural.  History books say little about foot soldiers or those who are second in command.  We hear about presidents, kings, generals, entrepreneurs, and movement starters . . .  we never hear the recorded history of Alexander the Great's trusty advisor.  Thirty years from now, everyone will remember this as the era of Barak Obama, not Rahm Emanuel or Joe Biden.  We glorify leaders.

I've witnessed similar patterns of leader worship in today's church culture.  Hundreds of leadership books have been published and consumed by pastors and church leaders.  Seminaries offer Masters degrees in "Leadership."  There are hundreds of church conferences today designed to compel people to become better leaders, to create more leaders, and to teach people leadership skills

I think the subtle message churches have begun to communicate in the past 30 years is that leadership is the tangible evidence of a person's spiritual growth.  If one wants to grow as a disciple in a church environment, he/she must first give his/her life to Jesus, then join a small group, then begin serving in an area of the church, then become a leader within that ministry . . . and on and on and on until the person eventually achieves some level of leadership atop the evangelical world.  The unspoken rule is that a person who is maturing in Christ should soon become a leader within the organization.  If not, their spiritual growth has somehow been stunted, or they simply have not arrived at the same level of spiritual development as the one who leads.

And that's why I'm starting this new blog series.  I want to challenge the assumptions perpetuated by our church culture of the over-glorified leader.  This is a series about FOLLOWERSHIP. . .  What is followership you ask?  Here's my working definition: 

Choose Your Own Life Lesson

The other day, I was driving to a buddy's house when I passed a black bird in the middle of the road.  He was eating the carcass of another dead bird that had been flattened by a car in that exact spot.  I know there's an ironic life lesson in there somewhere, so I'm calling on the community of folks who read this blog to help me out.  Is it . . .

a) Learn from the mistakes of your friends so you don't make the same errors they did.

b) You really find out who your friends are when you hit rock bottom (or get hit by a car).  

c) Cannibalism is FUN!

d) Choose your own answer!_________________________

A Very Moving Video

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!

Favorite Foods From Favorite Places: Chicago, IL

This is my final post on my favoite foods and restaurants in the places I've lived.  At this time, I'm living in the "Windy City" of Chicago, so this is the final leg of our tour.  Chicago is the epicenter of some really amazing food, but the thing abut a city like Chicago is there are so many amazing restaurants that cover such a broad swath of cuisine, it's impossible to say which is the best.  To do a post like this, you really have to stick with the stuff that makes Chicago different from other cities.

Chicago Style Pizza: We'll start with the most obvious.  Any visitor to Chicago wants to try the deep dish, Chicago-style pizza.  I didn't fully understand the deep dish pizza until I moved to Chicago, so if you live outside of the Chicago area, allow me to educate.  A classic Chicago-style pizza sits in about 3 inches of thick crust, loaded with about 2 inches of mozzarella cheese, with whichever meat or toppings you like baked into this layer of cheese.  On top of the cheese, you get about a half inch spread of pizza sauce.  It's not the type of sauce you'd get at a place like Pizza Hut.  In Chicago its more like a lumpy marinara with big chunks of plum tomatoes . . . more sweet than salty.

Veterinarians and Suicide

I read a crazy CNN article the other day featuring a research group studying suicide rates among occupations.  The study was conducted in Britain, but apparently the results are consistent around the world.  Wanna know which occupation in Britain has the highest suicide rates?

Veterinarians

That's right . . . veterinarians.  A veterinarian is 4 times more likely to commit suicide than any other occupation, and these are results that have shown up year after year, and similar results have shown up around the globe.

Kinda makes you wonder why, huh?  Apparently no one really knows the reason veterinarians are so much more prone to suicide (although there was plenty of unconvincing speculation in the article), but it was a reminder to me that many people are privately suffering.  And often the very folks who hurt the most are the ones no one would ever suspect. 

Spirituality For the Emotionally Reserved Introvert: Part 5

This is my final post in this little series on introverts and spirituality.  I've been thinking through the challenges introverts face as we try to grow in our relationships with God, because for the introvert, it often feels like we have much bigger obstacles to hurdle in life than our extroverted friends . . . and spirituality is no exception.

I want to talk a little about leadership.  What does leadership have to do with spirituality?  Well, if you're part of a church, spirituality and leadership are sorta like peas and carrots.  There's something we call "the leadership pipeline," a process that illustrates the way we grow and develop leaders in our churches.  A person starts out as a church attender, he/she gives his/her life to Jesus, begins to serve, then begins to apprentice under a leader, then leads a serving team, then coaches leaders . . . and on and on and on until he/she eventually replace Rick Warren as head honcho of the Evangelical world and writes the next Purpose Driven whatever.  For right or wrong, leadership has kinda become the apex of spiritual growth in the church world.

That can be a problem for the 50% of the population who consider themselves introverts.  Why?  Well, because the traditional model of good leadership is often seen exclusively through the lens of the extrovert.

"If God Chooses Not To Heal Me, God is Still God and God is Still Good"

This is an amazing story from NewSpring Church In Anderson South Carolina.  It's the story of Zac Smith's battle with cancer and the faith he's maintained in the middle of the struggle. . . 

The Unusual Allure of Guilt-Inspired Preaching

I had an interesting conversation a few days ago with a pastor friend of mine.  We were talking about the Church's role in encouraging people to spend regular time reading their Bibles.  It's an area I think my church has only done moderately well.  We don't have an 'F' in that category, but we certainly don't have an 'A' either.  As the conversation went on, I started feeling a little defensive as my friend started becoming unusually intense in the way he was presenting his case that this was something I should start doing better.  I didn't totally disagree.  But it suddenly felt as though I was on trial for something.

There was no problem with the content of what he was saying.  I agreed in principle.  The problem was the way he was presenting his thoughts.  It was more jagged than usual. . . not as grace-filled or understanding as he normally is.  After about 20 minutes of discussion as I was straining to understand the reason for all the octane, the smoke cleared a bit.  There was a revelation!  

He told me, "Being consistent in reading my Bible has always been a personal struggle for me."  

Suddenly, the whole conversation made sense.  You might ask, Why was he so amped up about the church's failure (and my church's failure) to convince people to read their Bibles when he can't get himself to read the BIble?  

Toyota CEO Apologizes on Letterman

"YOU KILLED BIG JAW!"  Hilarious . . . 

The Gospel According To "Lost"

After watching Tuesday night's episode of Lost, I'm getting really excited about where this series is headed.  For those who got tired of the twists and turns, and gave up on the show two or three seasons ago, you're TOTALLY missing out, because this season (the final season) is paying out BIG TIME for those who stuck with it.

Of course we can't know for sure how the series will conclude.  There are seven episodes left, and Lost has a way of pulling a lot of unexpected surprises on people in a very short amount of time.  But at the very least, it looks like the show is leaning toward exploring some really fascinating theological, moral, and Biblical ideas.  

Favorite Foods From Favorite Places: Denver, CO

 I lived in Denver for 6 years between 2001 and 2007.  It was a fun stretch of my life.  I have alot of fond memories of my time in Denver, and there are some great restaurants and foods you need to try if you ever find your way to the mile high city.

Beaujo's Pizza: Beaujo's is a well known pizza joint in the Denver area which might have . . .

dare I say it? . . .

even better pizza than what I've tasted here in Chicago.  Blasphemy, I know.  Maybe it's the altitude.  Maybe it's the scenery.  But I think it might actually be really amazing pizza.

There are a few Beaujos restaurants in Denver, but if you really want the Beaujo's experience, you have to drive about 45 minutes to Idaho Springs to visit the original Beaujo's.  It's right off the highway in the path of skiers and snowboarders returning to Denver after skiing all day at the many resorts flanking I-70.  Resorts close at 4:30 PM, so by 6:00 on any given Saturday, hungry skiers swarm Idaho Springs demanding the "Mountain Pie," . . . a thick crusted mound of cheese, sauce, and meat.

Spirituality For the Emotionally Reserved Introvert: Part 4

Conversations between introverts and extroverts can feel alittle like happy hour with the United Nations.  They're two different personalities and they often bring the baggage of two very different expectations for a conversational relationship.  Extroverts can get frustrated by the lack of participation by introverts, and introverts can often feel bulldozed when conversing with extroverts.  So I thought I'd take a blog post and talk about the challenges introverts face relating to extroverts and vice versa.

Adam McHugh, in his book Introverts in the Church, talks about the physiological differences between an introvert's brain and an extrovert's brain; the introvert's brain is apparently wired and chemically balanced in such a way that we process conversations differently than our extroverted friends.

Here's an example.  

Over-The-Phone Singing Fail

I thought this was pretty funny . . . 

Why I Think Morning People Don't Dream

I have a theory - a completely unscientific and unsubstantiated theory - about what makes some people morning people and others not.  Full disclosure: I'm not a morning person.  I'm very much the opposite.  I've often wished I was a morning person, because morning people always seem to have "it" together in a way that non-morning people don't have "it" together.  They're the people who will hop out of bed at 5:30 every morning so they can work out, or read their Bibles, or get a god breakfast, and get a good start to the day.  The start to my day always begins with a slap to my snooze button about a half dozen times, and then I rush out the door like my house is on fire.  

So I was thinking about what it is about me that prevents me from being the type of person who pops out of bed every morning ready to conquer the world.

And I think I might have a hypothesis that has something to do with dreams.  Here's my completely unscientific unsubstantiated theory: Morning people are less likely to dream at night or remember their dreams than non-morning people.  Why do I think that might be true?

March Madness

I just filled my bracket out.  I'm pulling for 3 seed Baylor University with the upset against #1 Kansas in the NCAA final game.  It's a risky call, but we'll see in 3 weeks if it was a good one. 

Favorite Foods From Favorite Places: College Station, TX

I began this blog series last week on my favorite kinds of unique foods and restaurants that you can only get from certain places.  I think food speaks the language of local culture, and so I love learning about places by the tastes of their cuisine.  

Last week, we started in Amarillo, and now we move to College Station, TX.  It's the home of Texas A&M University, where I went to undergraduate school between 1996 and 2000 . . . Also known as 'Aggieland.'

My disclaimer before I post this entry is this: It has been 10 years since I have lived in College Station.  I graduated in the year 2000, so I know that restaurants change in quality, go out of business, and new joints spring up that take the place of the old ones.  I can only post based on my own experience at the time I lived there.  So if anything has changed, you have my sincere apology.

Spirituality For the Emotionally Reserved Introvert: Part 3

This is part 3 of my exploration into the spirituality of introverted people.  As I've said before, I'm an introvert . . . a piece of my personality I always wished I could surgically remove like a hairy mole.  I always wished I was more like my extrovert friends who seem to glide in and out of community with relative ease, while I have to muster the moxie to be comfortable in similar circumstances.  But an introvert I am, and I'm learning what it means to be one as I'm growing in my relationship with God.

One thing I've noticed is that we introverts experience community in a very different way than extroverted people.  We have just as much of a thirst for community.  But the introvert lives with the constant insecurity that they don't quite fit, or that they don't really belong to a community in the same way as the people around them.

Have you ever seen those Facebook quizzes that supposedly tell you which character from popular TV sit-coms you're most similar to?  Do you ever shudder a little when you consider that it might be Michael Scott from The Office rather than Jim?  Or do you ever wonder if you're the type of character that only made a few special appearances on Friends, (like Fun Bobby; remember him?) but then disappeared, and nobody noticed?  That was the character that got written out of the show because they weren't really necessary.  They didn't add anything to the show.

Very Creative Ad For Dog Treats: Super Slow-Mo

Glenn Beck, Social Justice, and Fear

Evangelical pastors and church leaders have been lighting up the blogosphere the last few of days over some comments FOX News' Glenn Beck made on his March 8th show.  Here's the quote: 

"I'm begging you, your right to religion and freedom to exercise religion and read all of the passages of the Bible as you want to read them and as your church wants to preach them...are going to come under the ropes in the next year. If it lasts that long it will be the next year. I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words."

If you didn't catch it, Beck (it seems) just instructed his listeners to leave any church that starts talking about social justice.

Now, I could talk all about how theologically ridiculus and irresponsible this statement is.  I could talk about how concerned Jesus was for the poor (i.e., Lk. 4), and how the consistant witness in the New Testament expects the church and Christians to keep social justice a priority.

Favorite Foods From Favorite Places: Amarillo, TX

I'm now at a point in my life where I have lived in 4 different areas of the country for significant periods of time.  I grew up in Amarillo, TX, I spent four years in College Station, TX (that's about 500 miles from Amarillo, in case your wondering), six years in Denver, and now almost 3 years in Chicago.

I've discovered that every place has little idiosyncrasies to it's culture: the ways people talk, the ways they dress.  But one thing that has always helped me feel connected to a place is the local flavors, restaurants, and foods you can't find anywhere else.  I think people often underestimate how much the experience of a community is tied to their local food.  I love discovering that little place you can't find anywhere else, or that local flavor that won't show up in another part of the country.  When people visit me, I want to take them to places that are distinctly connected with the customs of my home.  And when I visit others, I'm looking for the same.  Through flavors, I get a taste for the way you live.

I remember interviewing for a job with a church in College Park, Maryland.  I spent a weekend with this church, getting to know their people and staff.  It was a great little church.  But there was one moment when we were going to get some lunch together and they asked me what I wanted.  I said, "Just take me to a place that's uniquely Maryland . . . Something I can't get anywhere else."  I figure EVERY town has a place like that.  But they looked at me with a puzzled look on their face.  "There's a Quiznos across the street," they said.

"No," I said.  "I mean a restaurant or food I can't get anywhere outside of College Park."

They seemed baffled.  "Well . . . there's a great place on the corner called Chipotle.  Ever been to one of those?"  They all agreed, "Yeah, I love Chipotle!"  There were approximately four Chipotle restaurant's within a mile of my Denver apartment, but I figured it was no use pressing the issue further.  

Multi-site Preaching: Holograms?

I just read on Tony Morgan's blog that the technology is now available to project a life-like, full-size holographic image of a preacher at a church venue, and he believes the price may be entering the range where we might even begin to see churches using holographic imaging in the next 12 months.  The above image was a demo of the technology.

I have a love/hate relationship with this type of news.  I LOVE, that churches are being innovative, using new technology to build the Kingdom.  But, I have the same criticism of holograms as I did for video-casting technology for preachers -- I think creating a church culture that is too dependent on a single personality is VERY dangerous.  And before up-and-coming churches head down some of these roads and build entire organizations around their awesome preacher, I think we really need to pause and reflect on the wisdom of that.  You know, we really haven't yet seen the fallout of one of these current mega-super-star pastors dying or retiring. 

Spirituality For The Emotionally Reserved Introvert: Part 2

Some researchers asked a group of Bible College students to describe Jesus' personality.  Results showed, as you might expect, that most people tend to imagine Jesus had the same personality as themselves.  Go figure.  If you're a neat freak, you tend to think Jesus was a neat freak.  If you're creative, you tend to think Jesus was creative too.  In every case, with every personality characteristic, people tend to cast Jesus in their own image . . . with one exception.   

When asked whether he was an introvert or an extrovert, 97% of those surveyed believed Jesus was an extrovert.

Isn't that crazy?  Even introverts believe Jesus was an extrovert.  Which is alittle surprising when you consider the many introverted habits Jesus exhibited in his life (like in LK. 5:16 where it says that "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed").  Of course, Jesus did some extroverted things too, but it's hard to infer that Jesus was more of an extrovert than an introvert based on raw Biblical data.  Clearly, there are some cultural biases at work here. 

The difficult thing about living in our culture as an introvert is that there is such a strong cultural preference for extroverted personality types.  Anyone who's walked in the shoes of an introvert knows that to be true.  All of us have occasionally tried to force ourselves to be more extroverted, and when it didn't work, we've all wondered, "What's the matter with me?"  Our world clearly prefers the extrovert, and the ironic thing is I think introverts prefer them too.

And obviously, as this study demonstrates, such biases do not stop at the church door.  Just think about what a study like this says about the church's perceptions toward spirituality.  If the task of the spiritual life is to become more like Jesus, it would seem that about 97% of the population at least covertly believes that spiritual growth means doing the types of things, and being the type of person that extroverts are more naturally equipped to do and be.

Baptism Saturday on the Waterfront

Yesterday, we had our first baptism service at Waterfront.  We had one baptism about this time last year, but this is our first time doing baptisms during our worship service.  Now that we're renting from a place that actually has a place to baptize people, it makes it alittle bit easier.

Anyway, it was awesome!  3 people decided to be baptized and dedicate their lives to following Jesus, and I know of many more people who will be making similar decisions soon.  I've had about a half dozen conversations with other folks in our church who are really close to taking that plunge.  It's amazing how when a few people take that first step, show some bravery, and actually decide to do it, it seems to make it a whole lot easier for other.  I wonder if that's part of the reason why Jesus was baptized - just to make it easier for those who would follow after him and be baptized, themselves.

Well, here are a few pictures from the evening of the brave folks who decided to lead the way at Waterfront.

 

Awesome OK Go! Video

These guys are the same band that made that "Here We Go Again" video with the treadmills.  I actually think their latest video tops it.  Check it out.  

The Craziness of Google "Auto-Complete"

Popular search engine, Google, has added a relatively new feature called "auto-complete." The way it works: as you type a word or phrase into the search bar, the autocomplete program predicts what the remainder of your word or phrase might be based on the most popular search queries others have entered.  So a drop-down box of options appear, and you can just point and click if your specific search phrase pops up.  It's supposed to save you time.

It also offers a bizzare look into the weird things that are on people's minds.  Try this sometime: just type in the beginning to ANY QUESTION, and watch what pops up in auto-complete's option list.  You'll see some crazy stuff . . .

• If you simply type the word "why", the number 4 option on the list is the question, 'Why can't I own a Canadian?"  Hmmm.  Glad to know so many people are curious about that.
• If you fill in the phrase further and type "Why does," the #3 option is "Why does my belly button smell?"
• Apparently, of all the people on Google who type "Where," the fourth most requested conclusion to that phrase is, "Where is Chuck Norris?"
• Taking the Gold medal on the bizzare, if you type "How do I get"  the third most popular conclusion to that query is "How do I get me sister to sleep with me?" . . . Really?
• And finally, when you type "Do people," the ninth most searched question is this: "Do people poop when they die."

Thank you Google for shining a spotlight on the weirdness of all of us.

Church Channel Gets Rick Roll'd

And of course . . . Here's the classic 80s Rick Astley song they're referring too.  Enjoy the cheesy white-guy dancing.

Awesome Olympics Reaction! (think he's excited?)

Russian skater, Ivan Skobrev . . .

 

Spirituality For The Emotionally Reserved Introvert: PART 1

I'm an introvert

I HATE admitting that. I've fought that label most of my life, as if introversion were some nasty cousin of gonorrhea or hepatitis C.  In fact I think there are times that I'd actually prefer that it burn while I urinate over the pains of social anxiety that occasionally accompany my introverted personality.  Only recently have I come to fully embrace this truth about myself after spending much of my life saying, "Well, I'm shy in certain situations, but if I know the crowd well enough I'm REALLY more of an extrovert."  The truth is, yes - there are many times when I am completely at ease with my surroundings and the people I'm with.  At church I can mingle and mix with total strangers.  But I also know there are some social situations that are very difficult for me.  And even in those where I'm more at ease, there's a fair amount of acting going on as I attempt to conceal my continual internal monologue . . . 

"Does this person like me?  Why did I just say that?  Am I standing crooked?  Why did HE just say THAT!?  Why is HE folding his arms like that.  What did that mean?  I'm getting bored with this conversation.  Oh CRAP he's been talking for 3 minutes, and I haven't paid attention to anything he's said!  Nod politely!"

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."

The 5 Second Rule: A Workflow

Finally.  A chart to help you decide if you should eat the food that you just dropped on the ground.  IT's ABOUT TIME!  Created by Audrey Fukman and Andy Wright from SF Weekly SFoodie.

 

Haitian History

 With all the recent talk about Haiti, I found this interesting.  I came across this post on another blog describing the history of Haiti (the non-Pat Robertson version).  There's an interesting embedded youtube video showing a very optimistic U.S. international affairs video from 1942 on the country of Haiti.  Really interesting stuff.  I didn't realize Haiti was the second Republic in the Western Hemisphere after the United States, and apparently the Louisiana Purchase was in large part precipitated by Haiti's independence.  Check it out at this link.   

A People of Need: Evangelism

 I'm beginning a new blog series today (it's been a while since I've done that), about a topic I've been thinking quite a bit about recently.  That topic is "need."  Specifically, I've been thinking about the way my "needs" relate to my relationship with God and the people around me, and how the very fact that I'm broken and in many ways will remain broken is a key aspect of my spirituality.  In short, I 'need' to be in 'need.'  I'm going to begin by talking about evangelism, because this is where my own journey on this topic began a few weeks ago.

It started when I was reading the story of Jesus sending the 12 disciples in Luke 9.  Jesus instructed them to not take any money, extra clothes, food, or even a bag with them as they walked from town to town sharing the gospel.  I think I always assumed the reason Jesus made that command was to give his disciples a simple lesson in what it means to rely completely on God.  Kinda like the Israelites wandering in the wilderness and relying on the "manna" from heaven.  This was an exercise in developing confidence in God's protection over them.  And I think that's largely true.

Secrets

Very interesting stuff, and well produced . . . 

PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death and God from Frank Warren on Vimeo.