weekend stuff

good weekend of ministry in natchez, louisiana. Argile Smith was the speaker and darlene and i did the dramatic interpretation. lots of great food and conversation.

the dunlieth. We stayed in the dairy barn which looks like a mini-castle.

We left last night at around 8 and got in at 3:45 am. i slept in and I'm feeling fairly OK. Some members took us on the grand tour of the plantations on saturday..interesting since watching the abraham and mary lincoln documentary on pbs this past week.

those are the basic details for my personal recollections... more to come on spiritual epiphanies later.

the hymn: "now thank we all our God"

See lyric below...

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep still in grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next.

Is this lyric suggesting that we will have ills in the next life? either way, if hymns give us our theology this is a cautionary example.

i can't rag on the hymn writer considering the following facts:

Martin Rinkart (1586-1649) wrote the hymn...

during the Thirty Years’ War, the walled city of Eilenburg saw a steady stream of refugees pour through its gates. The Swedish army surrounded the city, and famine and plague were rampant. Eight hundred homes were destroyed, and the people began to perish. There was a tremendous strain on the pastors who had to conduct dozens of funerals daily. Finally, the pastors, too, succumbed, and Rinkart was the only one left—doing 50 funerals a day.

the fundamentalists

wouldn't it be really cool to start a new movement called "fundamentalism" the primary foundation of the movement would be "Believing the Bible as the word of God." For instance when Jesus said "love Your Enemies" we'd actually love everybody- even our enemies, to the extent that our enemies would actually look at the church and say, "Wow, those crazy people love me!" That we'd have such a radical respect for life that we'd fight as vehemently against the death penalty as we do against abortion. That we'd listen to people like Jesus listened to them instead of feeling like we had to win debates and exclude people with opposing viewpoints. that we treat poor people like the Bible says we should- as human representations of Christ. that we would be more compelled to "Go" than we are to "stay." that we'd develop temple self cleansing programs to purge the church of widespread commercialism. That our denominational leaders would be seen often with mops and wrenches. that our heroes would once again be found in mud huts and rice fields half a world away instead of offices like mine. that we'd be more interested in community than we are in labels. we'd hold onto the two great fundamentals of Christ more than anything else.

1. Love God.
2. Love People.

and for every preacher that tried to turn the church into a political organization, they would be fair game for wedgies:-)

natchez bound

frantically packing for our trip to first natchez. the task of getting away is about as daunting as the task of ministry. Lord, i pray for saftey and that you'll find a way to use us eternally while we're there. we're both really tired. Darlene had a rough night sleeping- nightmares... i pray that tonight, Lord, you'll give her peaceful sleep. get our egos and flesh out of the picture so that we'll be useful vessels.

i hope i'll find time to blog while i'm there.

i miss Rich M. tonight.

another cool g.k. chesterton quote

"We do not want, as the newspapers say, a Church that will move with the world. We want a Church that will move the world."

prayer

another day- another gift


i thank thee God
for this day ...a fragrant gift
that should never have been expected
but rather lived in amazement.
unexpected grace
food
laughter
tears
touch
it's all here today
every moment is bread for me
beggar that i am!
i will close my eyes
and in the morning i will rise in His presence
among angels
or live another day
blessed
blessed
blessed...

i dare anyone..

swallow the whole of the Bible- the rough edges, the sweet, the subtle, the primitive, the so dead-on-center-solid-honest the ugliness of it's mortal heroes, the unedited unapologetic uncandy-coated narrative- take it all in and then tell me that it is not truth.

impossible.

And when taken as truth it can set the world on its ear.

praying for muslims

busy today composing contracts and dreaming pieces into place for "let's worship." i ate in the office and read blogs during my lunch break. lots of good thoughts swirling around the blogosphere.

i received a letter from a guy who was offended by a bulletin we published on praying for Muslims.

He thought it was in very poor taste for us to "pray for the 1.3 billion muslims."

now where'd we get this whole "praying for those who persecute you" deal???

oh yeah... Jesus.

another familiar prayer

Lord, i pray that you'll bring isaac back to You. A familiar prayer. Another "cold and broken" whisper. I pray that i won't see him die. grant him mercy and life and a clear picture of Your grace. Even tonight I pray for this prodigal son to return to you.

meanderings

final memorial for John's daughter, Ellen. I rode with GB to bell aire baptist church for the service. sobering, inspiration, a difficult time and yet strangely warm.

Lord, i once again pray for comfort, rest and peace. i ask that you'll allow the family to grieve, trust and look to the heavens.

"it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah..." (cohen)

the day is done. I'm going home.

I'm at the office tweaking Let's Worship. I feel good about it.

I'm waiting on God. That is so hard for me to do... Just simply waiting on Him. Went to the visitation for Ellen Dent this evening. an incredible sight as we waited for around two hours in line to share our few thoughts and prayers to John and Gerri. 17 years of age... and in the presence of Jesus.

then darlene and i went home to our boys who are very much alive.

God, why do I feel things with such intensity?
why do I fear the worst tonight?

Lord, focus my mind on your kingdom which spans further than my feeble mind can grasp. Give me the courage of those who have gone before me.

I refocus tonight and i think about the millions who don't know my Jesus. I wonder why I am nestled so comfortably in the bible belt. Does the work i do really honor God or am I just storing up for myself treasures? I guess i'll continue to ask that question tomorrow.

bleak or blessed?

i suppose that is the question we have to ask ourselves about this life. such a paradox, life is. it's a fallen world divinely created and ever cursed. a stew of triumph, defeat, tragedy, flesh, hate, fearful circumstance, emotion, passion, betrayal, boredom, darkness and light, uncertainty, laughter, injustice... What makes it worth living? The only thing. The only possible thing is God. Everything else, to steal from Soloman, is vanity.

It is fragile mystery and i don't understand why, anymore than a dog understands trigonometry.

This is all big stuff, i know. but the questions i ask drive me desperately back to God.

another death

Our floor experienced another shocking loss. A daughter of the editor on my team (John Dent) lost his daughter. She was killed in a head-on collision with a school bus this morning. we are all in a state of disbelief. Ellen (17) had recently been baptized and was in the midst of her senior year. what a difficult loss.

Lord, grant peace and comfort to the Dent family. Grant us all strength and help.

woke up this morning & heard these bruce cockburn lyrics in my noodle

Sometimes the best map will not guide you
You can't see what's round the bend
Sometimes the road leads through dark places
Sometimes the darkness is your friend
Today these eyes scan bleached-out land
For the coming of the outbound stage
And you find yourself pacing the cage

daily grind

going to be working late this afternoon/evening. i've lots to do on "let's worship" magazine which will go to print in the next three days. plus working on proposals for a new deacon handbook and a drama text book that i will write. i canceled my trip to black church leadership conference. my summer schedule is just too crazy and something had to go. i went there last year so they could probably use the change.

forms... the curse of adam

i've been working on forms all day. getting a product through the jungle. life is supposed to be so easy since they put the forms on the intranet (and i suppose it is easier) but i hate to spend time doing these things.

the tug of war continues in my brain

editor----------------writer

editor wins the time today.
who will win tomorrow?

Reflections on John 2:13-15 Reflections on John 2:13-15

clash! bam!
ching!
ching!
baah! baah! baah!
moo!
klunk!
CRASH!
clop-clop
moo!moo!
auuuuhh!
snap!
OUCH!
crupluck!
zow!
flap, flap, flap!
ker-chunk!
"Oh Lord, what a mess!"
doop!
shring!
coo-coo!
flap, flap!
run away!
run away!
run away!
Hey where'd everybody go? Larry? Moe? Curly? Anybody????

Caleb lost his two front teeth today

Another last first. Caleb, our youngest son lost two front teeth today. the last time that will happen in our family- naturally, that is.

time stretches toward you...

...galloping in rhythm through the wasteland
You are close to me- the miles mean nothing
they curl away like the petals of a rose
bringing me closer to Zion
closer to You
closer to strong assurance
i fall selfless choking under the force of the reality
that there is one so pure and beautiful
no words or solid structure
bone or brick
can separate my passion
dear one.
i don't even care if you notice
(but i know you have seen me)
cast me not away
i cling
breathless
abandoned to the vibrant, pulse that keeps me
walking
heart in hand
toward the doorstep of hope
home.
time stretches toward You.
draw me in like air.

back from louisiana

great trip. too tired to blog. i'll update tomorrow.