fantastic distraction

old nature / new nature

2012-01-27T10:37:00.002-05:00

how do you identify yourself?

at some point we all struggle with our identity.

who are we really?

labels stick to us like a badge of dishonor - given to us by ourselves or by others…
imperfections and feelings of self worth consume our thoughts
where do we find our true identity?
but what if we were willing to cast off the old nature and embraced something new…
renewed in the knowledge that we were made in the image of God.
we can be made new again.

[i made this video with some of my students. based on the theme of Identity and Colossians 3:1-17

Religion or Jesus?

2012-01-11T19:50:00.000-05:00

Best of 2011

2012-01-03T19:31:00.004-05:00

MUSIC:
Again this year, my music purchases were mostly digital. Out of the list below, only two were purchased in CD form, the rest were purchased digitally (via iTunes or Amazon) while a few were streamed on Spotify. I listen to a lot of music and this year was no different... lots of beautiful stuff out there in 2011.

(my reluctant top ten)
10: Tycho - Dive
instrumental electronic soundscapes that, in my case, seem to breed creativity. listen to Coastal Break and see if that doesn't change your mood.

9: Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
to be honest, i'm a fan so it's no surprise that this album makes my list. i can't say that i liked it better than Viva La Vita - but it was a very listenable album. Don't Let It Break Your Heart is the peak, with their signature guitar sound and an amazing hook: When you're tired of aiming your arrows / Still you never hit the mark / Even in your rains and shadows / Still we're never gonna part / Come on over baby / Don't let it brake your heart

8: Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Another creative album that firmly adds itself to the Radiohead repertoire. Not as strong as In Rainbows, but solid all around. Key track: Separator

7: The Appleseed Cast - Middle States EP
just four songs shouldn't perhaps even qualify - but coming in at 27 minutes (including the 14 minute Three Rivers) makes it feel like something more than an EP. The song Middle States has a familiar Appleseed Cast (from the Low Level Owl/Mare Vitalis era. The lead track End Frigate Constellation is the best - with low-fi indecipherable lyrics that build on its mysteriousness. When that last lyric Waiting for the night to come is deciphered a sense of peace is restored before a fuzzy distortion-heavy ending brings closure to a beautifully mesmerizing song.

6: Washed Out - Within Without
simplistic synth harmonies with warm, lush vocals. the lead track is probably the best but future listens may change my mind. Nothing stands out, yet i can't stop listening to it.

5: The Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part 2
After 25 years the Beastie Boys can still hold their own. What a brilliant come back album after such a long hiatus. Genius rhymes. Genius beats. Can't wait to see what Part One will bring. Key Track: Too Many Rappers

4: Explosions in the Sky - Take Care Take Care Take Care
I'll always greatly anticipate any new music from Explosions in the Sky. Take Care delivers in mighty ways in the sense that nothing seems old - but fresh, new, exciting. The instrumentation builds to powerful crescendos that leave the listener awestruck. There is something magical about this band. Take Care adds to the magic.

3: I Break Horses - Hearts
I Break Horses is sort of homemade shoe-gazer music by Maria Lindén and Fredrick Balck of Sweden. The catchy first track Winter Beats builds and builds, moving and pulsating like a functioning cog in a powerful machine - churning and churning; as if part of something bigger. Beats then bleeds into the title track Hearts which chillingly takes shape as more of a layered interlude, with a heavy multi synth backdrop and an eventual unrecognizable vocal mix that becomes another instrument that keeps the machine working. Wired reminds you of where I Break Horses is rooted before a sort of time warp of sound brings unresolved closure. The rest of the album is much the same: an electronic, computerized, expression of the soul.

2: Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
So melodic and dark, Helplessness Blues is a chilling follow up to Fleet Foxes deput from 2008. The title track, released months before, set the stage for a brilliant album. The Shrine / An Argument is musically, nothing short of perfection where each instrument, each lyric, each vocal harmony plays a role in telling a story of heartache and despair. "when you talk you hardly even look in my eyes". what heartache.
The rest of the album captures this same emotion with chilling detail. Helplessness Blues proves that Fleet Foxes deserve one's attention, now and always.

1: The Roots - Undun
Undun is the soulful telling of a typical from-the-streets story of a man, Redford Stevens, who sadly becomes a statistic. It's a concept album from one of the most diverse groups in all of music. Who else can match the talent of The Roots? Who else would dare make a hip hop album like this? Lyricist Black Thought paints a compelling story while raw, soulful instrumentation serving as the canvas. There is just something creative about this album and perhaps that is why i've been drawn to it. The story of the album is tragic - doused in helplessness: And no one’s in the lighthouse / You’re face down in the ocean / And no one’s in the lighthouse / And it seems like you just screamed / It’s no one there to hear the sound / And it may feel like there’s no one there / That cares if you drown / Face down in the ocean...
(the hook from The Lighthouse).
Each track is a sort of puzzle piece, part of some larger story that is tragic and desperate. None the less, Undun may not fully be understood or appreciated for some time - but it's worth digging in to, no matter where you're from and that is why i picked it as the number one album of 2011.

the best of the rest (and thanks to Spotify - i may realize that some below are even better than the ones listed above)

Foster the People - Torches
Mute Math - Odd Soul
Phantogram - Nightlife
Chad Valley - Equatorial Ultravox EP
Real Estate - Days (been listening to this simple group for the last few days and it is growing on me.)
Cut Copy - Zonoscope
Tim Hecker - Dropped Pianos
The Middle East - I Want That You Are Always Happy (there's something special about this album. so simple and a bit different. so raw and honest.)
Loscil - Coast/Range/Arc (if you like ambient, drone-like sounds, check out Loscil.)
Tune-Yards - W H O K I L L
Katie Herzig - The Waking Sleep
Destroyer - Kaputt
The Kills - Blood Pressure
Girls - Father Son Holy Ghost

BEST REISSUE: The Beach Boys - The SMiLE Sessions
This is brilliant. One of the most creative pieces of music ever. I've always thought of Pet Sounds as one of the best albums of all time... i think SMiLE trumps that. Brian Wilson is/was a genius... and a little bit crazy, too. SMiLE is a masterpiece.

my MOST LISTENED TO ARTISTS according to LastFM

here is a recap of top albums from years past:

My Top Albums:
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010

FILM
In 2011, i/we watched 139 films (i keep a movie watching log)
My only 5 star rated movie that i watched this year was the remake of 3:10 to Yuma. Loved it. what an adventure.

BOOKS
I also read 29 books. [good reads] my favorite being In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - an exceptional piece of non-fiction literature.

It was another great year.

signs - a christmas story

2011-12-24T16:56:00.001-05:00

the darkest night of the year

2011-12-22T08:36:00.003-05:00

the sky was black, the terrain, rough, the journey, long - with no end in sight. on the backside of a two day journey, at least (perhaps longer since one was with child). there were no rest areas or 24 hour waffle houses. no Starbucks or truck stops. just the stars above and the ground below. it was the darkest night of the year, an eternity in waiting... and she knew, in the back of her mind, that things would never be the same. but did she realize in her moments of enduring pain that 'twas not only her life that would be change forever?

just as pain was about to bring forth a blessed hope so to would pain, in time, bring forth the ultimate second chance for all mankind - but that time was not for now. the world wasn't ready for that... yet.

nor was the world ready for the humbleness of what was coming... the gentleness... and lowliness.

upon arrival in the man's hometown - a simple town called Bethlehem - it appeared difficult to find a place to house him and his young bride, now nine months pregnant. it was late and the little town was quiet. no one even noticed their arrival. whom would they bother? where could they go? the trip had taken longer than expected and the estimated arrival at mid day came and went. it was now the middle of the night and the woman was in great pain, tired and weak from a long journey. uncomfortable. out of breath. the man, Joseph, had blisters on his sandled feet. ankles scratched and bloodied. his legs shivering from the cold, trembling with exhaustion from the walk. yet, not a word of complaint dripped from his lips.

in the quiet of the night his mind raced, trying to find a solution to their midnight loneliness. his family long gone from the region left him with limited options. Mary, his wife began to cry. to be pregnant sans shelter was not the way she had imagined it all. deep down she knew that tonight was the night.

Joseph's pride was crushed, his head sulked - wishing and hoping for a miracle - that some form of shelter would appear... that some kind soul would be awake and willing. little did he realize the true miracle that would soon take place. he did his best to conceal his worry worn across his face as they wandered through town. finally, on the outskirts on the east end - a half empty stable. a few cows lingered. some sheep penned up behind. a cold wind rushed across the barren night sky. clouds now hid the stars. this place was the best option.

Mary dismounted from the donkey and crawled to a gathering of hay. her discomfort was overwhelming. Joseph did his best to make her at peace. she tried to send the pain below - but it was too much to bear. She cried out 'My God, My God - where are you now!' 'Your will be done!' the man did his best to support her, his heart aching as he watched his new bride go through torment. But deep down, both tried to squelch the little doubt that would creep into heart and mind. they yearned to believe, to hope that all that had been foretold was about to happen... that a Messiah would be born from her womb. and then the pain overtook her, to the point that not a mere thought could be completed.

Despite the smells of that old barn; despite the cold chill that seeped through the cracks; despite the small fire that barely cut through the darkness, Mary endured for what seemed like hours, the livestock none the wiser to their role in what would become the greatest of stories. the sheep resting peacefully were undisturbed from the cries of agony.

and the moment finally came.

and the world would never be the same.

a sigh of relief. a comforting husband. a simple birth in the lowest of places... the first of many unexpected signs of grace. and the Savior of the world entered the world. the cord was cut, cloths wrapped around him, now nestled tightly against his mothers breast.

and their was peace. stillness. across the land.

passed out from exhaustion, Mary lay with child, resting in the hay. and in the distance a shining light followed by what sounded like exuberant celebration. somewhat surprising at this hour. it was not quite daybreak. Soon, some shepherds from a nearby pasture made their way to the stable. Joseph stoked the fire, a sort of symbolic stirring of the gift of life, the gift of light that was to be found in this newborn son - both his son and His son. Joseph looked to the sky and gave thanks. 'Here, O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is One. Thanks be to God. May my lips never cease to praise Your majestic name.'

as he was praying the shepherds arrived. 'Is it true? Is this for real?' History in the making, they thought. 'We've come to see the baby - the chosen one, the Messiah!' An angel had appeared to them and told them of the majesty.

it was at that time that the Christ child first showed himself to mankind - a mankind that would, in time, betray and rebel against him. But in the humbleness of his birth a message was implanted into the hearts of all that would receive it.

The one true God works in mysterious ways. Sending his son to Earth in the form of a baby - sweet, innocent, gentle, meek and mild was the only way for hope to arrive, so that it could not be manipulated and abused.

Hope for the world arrived on that dark night. and it was the last time that darkness would have dominion. from that point the true light would shine. in time, some would attempt to extinguish God's messenger of peace, hope and love - but that too was only temporary. This new light was life - for now and always for all eternity.

and the void within man's heart could now be filled - and his name was the Prince of Peace, Emmanuel. Wonderful. Counselor. who entered the world on that darkest night of the year. and our lives would never be the same...

and so the story goes...

Book Review: Insurrection

2011-12-08T20:03:00.001-05:00

Insurrection: To Believe Is Human, To Doubt Is Divine by Peter Rollins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

it may take me a few days or weeks to wrap my head around Insurrection by Peter Rollins. There's a lot to digest in it or perhaps I'm just being stretched (which i will admit is a good thing).

I've read The Orthodox Heretic by Rollins and heard him speak a time or two and have always been fascinated with his art of storytelling and his fresh perspective so i found it no surprise that Insurrection drew me in from page one.

what i appreciated about this book was Rollins' ability to paint a picture of what a faith without religion looks and feels like - particularly though the lens of CRUCIFIXION and RESURRECTION.

each chapter begins with an anecdotal story (much like The Orthodox Heretic), which is Rollins' specialty. Part I deals with the Crucifixion with chapters on our rationalization of our Christian worldview, belief and doubt, religious sayings and vicarious faith. Part II deals with Resurrection with chapters on hiding from ourselves, destiny, insurrection and finishing with neither Christian nor Non-Christian.

When discussing doubt and loss (associated with the crucifixion) Rollins says:

"On the Cross, Christ is rejected by his friends, betrayed by the religious authorities, and crucified by the political leaders. We witness here, in the starkest of terms, the loss of all those structures that ground us and give us the comfort that life makes sense. More than this, Christ experiences the loss of that which grounds each of these realms - God."

Rollins suggests that forsakenness as faith exists as a central expression of one's faith, experienced in us through the Cross. "It's something that we must step into and courageously embrace."

It is through this loss, this abandonment on the Cross that Christ becomes everything we were, are or ever will be.

God is lost and found in the sorrow, in the debt.

Rollins goes on to say that our proper expression of faith is found when we cut loose from religion in the depth of our soul and experience the loss of God. Perhaps so that we may be stripped of every and all preconception, misconception, suppositions and certainties about God - thus able to see and connect with a raw form of belief. In other words - we need to rid ourselves of the 'Church as a security blanket' mentality - and embrace a faith filled with doubt, questions and disagreements. sort of an atheistic faith of sorts. stripped away. bare. exposed. real.

His stories of Mother Theresa help paint a picture of what a stripped away doubting faith looks like.

In part II (Resurrection) Rollins discusses faith, belief and practice: "our practices do not fall short of our beliefs, but are the concrete material expression of them..."

The danger for the church arises when a life of faith is reduced to a crutch - where Christ, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection becomes something we pay lip service to. (sounds all too familiar for the church in America, unfortunately).

Chapter 6 titled We Are Destiny was by far the most profound of the book. before we can understand destiny - we must proceed through a sort of spiritual death of sorts.

Just as the resurrected Christ is said to have borne the scars of the Crucifixion, so our Resurrection life will continue to bear the marks of the death we had to undergo. This new mode of living is not one in which the anxiety of death, meaninglessness, and guilt are taken away; it is one in which they are robbed of their weight and sting."

The resurrection is the embodiment of love divine. New life. rooted in God love through rebirth - victory over death... over pain... over sin... over loss... guilt, lonesomeness, etc. But each of those experiences are not extinct in love - but a part of the order of faith. We discover divine love through loving an unlovable world. God is in turn loved through the work of love itself.

God is present in said love.

Resurrection life breeds courageous freedom. This is the insurrection - an alternative vision of the world. Maintaining the status quo has no part of insurrection - what a most difficult challenge for us all.

Rollins reminds us that a better world is possible. This movement is discovered through giving up everything for God, through acts of giving up everything (including God) to the point when we become the very site of God (Resurrection life).

There is so much more for me to chew on with Insurrection. So many notes in the margins to rehash... underlined quotes to revisit as well.

I am glad i took the time to ingest this book. My hope that i'll be compelled to act upon the inspiring words within.

View all my reviews

stories

2011-12-06T22:39:00.003-05:00

stories are the heart of who we are as a people, as a society, as a culture. the blood that flows through our veins is saturated with mere words and memories of experiences, good and bad. some oft remembered, others suppressed and hidden deep within. our past, present and future is dependent on stories.

the more we suppress our stories and the stories of old, the more we become disengaged from each other and from the difficult truths of our collective pasts.

stories are a pathway to freedom, to confidence, and to a greater perspective that the world is greater than our realm. without regard, we must chew on our stories - no matter how refreshing to digest nor how difficult it may be to swallow. we must claw at it, dig deep, investigate and uncover. we must not take for granted the truth that is found in the stories of the world. for their words are they fuel that propels us beyond the mundane.

our collective story must be told and retold in order to bring about the future we've all dreamed of... a future that we never thought possible.

it all starts with stories.

what will your story be?

three great videos by UNKLE

2011-12-01T08:28:00.002-05:00

Heaven (Fully Flared Intro Video Remix) by UNKLE_UK

(hope)

2011-11-23T17:22:00.004-05:00

('there's got to be a better way' - my mantra as of late.)
('another world is possible - inspired by jonny baker.)

it's all about perspective

2011-11-21T21:03:00.005-05:00

this past weekend, i led a retreat with the youth group and decided to become intentional about taking a simplified approach. i designed a series of mini sessions with the flexibility of adding to or deleting from any given session at any given time. the retreat was dubbed the Q Retreat. the Q stood for Quest - whereas looking at life's big questions involves a 'quest' of sorts, a journey leading deep into one's very soul.

perhaps the deepest question was this "What does your soul look like?"

Some inspiration for the retreat derived from Rainn Wilson's Soul Pancake website and book. Other ideas came from the power of music (U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For; Katie Herzig - Make a Noise; Mumford & Sons - Awake My Soul etc), images (workisnotajob.com - the artwork gallery), creativity (howies® - life is complicated), film (nameless moment from erwin mcmanus) and scripture (among others: james 4:7-10; john 21:1-14)

discussions ranged from 'How to deal with the unbalance of life' to 'Things we search for' and to 'Things that make life complicated'. At one point the students made a list of 'Life's Biggest Questions.' This, no doubt, was most meaningful and impacting.

After a lengthy discussion on the tough questions of life (why do bad things happen to good people?, how do i know God's calling on my life?, what is my purpose? etc.) i showed this video: (a video made In Association with: the Melbourne Skydive Centre)

Experience Human Flight from Betty Wants In on Vimeo. [info]

after it completed i said "The next time you get consumed with life's big questions, remember... someone in Australia is skydiving."

in other words: it's all about perspective. for the person experiencing human flight the view is simple yet magnificent... the challenge overwhelming yet exhilarating. basically, God is in control. He enables mankind to do great and mighty things. and some things can make our problems look small... from His perspective, there is a plan and that path leads to full life.

Later, after a discussion on life's big dreams and a challenge for students to 'dream big' i showed this video:

Experience Zero Gravity from Betty Wants In on Vimeo. [info]

after viewing it, i said "the next time you think and feel your dreams are too big to accomplish remember... someone is base jumping in Switzerland."

lastly, at the end of the retreat after a final discussion about how life can become overwhelming and tempt us to go back rather than go forward (see John 21) i showed this video:

I concluded by saying "the next time you let life overwhelm you remember... someone is surfing off the coast of California."

it's all about perspective. form God's POV he's got the everything under control. he's got a plan for one and all and his creation speaks of his power and might and order.

life is complicated - but when we utilize our senses to see, hear, taste, touch and smell all that God has for us our perspective suddenly simplifies our life. even if for a moment... it's a moment given to us by God himself.

it's all about perspective. sometimes a change of scenery is all we need...

God is good... All the time...

listening to (the history of...)

2011-11-18T20:00:00.001-05:00

since may 25th, 2005, 56,725 songs have been counted as 'listened to' by Last FM, a scrobbling app that tracks songs played on iTunes and now Spotify. the number of songs listened to is assuredly much higher than 56 thousand - not every song has been tracked (such as some plays on iPod's or iPhones or if the app is turned off, etc.) regardless, my Last FM page (if nothing else) shows a fair representation of what i listen to.

i've been a music fan since childhood, where i can remember 'borrowing' my sisters 45's and cassettes. i think my first cassette was either The Police - Synchronicity or Michael Jackson - Thriller. i bought my first 45 at age 11, in 1985. it was 'Til Tuesday's one hit wonder Voices Carry. after collecting a handful of cassettes and 45's i progressed on to the 'cassingle' mostly consisting of late 80's/early 90's hip hop (Biz Markie, Young MC, Public Enemy, Digital Underground, etc.) i can remember hoping in my friends vintage hatchback after school and driving to the music store. on a weekly basis we'd spend a buck and pick up the latest hits.

after that, the compact disc invaded my soul and i was never the same. first CD purchases included George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice vol. 1, Bell Biv Devoe - Poison & U2 - Rattle and Hum. over the next decade plus I accumulated well over 500 discs... with many bought, traded or sold... some of which I wish I had kept. over time i very well may have had many many more - but I lost count and once the CD burner was invented, my CD numbers sky rocketed.

A few years back I all but gave up on the compact disc and mostly purchase music digitally or now (with Spotify) listen to it streamed on the internet.

many music forms have come and gone. some have returned (i have a nice collection of vinyl records that I play once in a while - thanks to scouring garage sales and second hand shops - my most treasured being The Beatles - Rubber Soul).

Through these many musical transitions, my ears have been exposed to a plethora of genres and styles and my horizons have been expanded.

here is a list of my 15 most listened to artists as logged by Last FM - over the past 6 and a 1/2 years:

I've always loved U2 - going back to the mid 80's when i found a U2 sticker as a prize in the bottom of a cereal box. (i kid you not, that's how i first heard of them - perhaps around 1984 or 85) From there I was exposed to The Joshua Tree (thanks to my sister who saw them in concert on that tour). But my love for them took off when the Rattle and Hum movie came out... i still own that on VHS - although I think I wore it out.

i think i first found out about The Appleseed Cast around 2001 or 2002 via message boards over at Relevant.com. I sent away for Low Level Owl vol. 1 & 2 from Deep Elm and fell in love. Many listens ever since!

I think it was my friend Steviac who introduced me to Explosions in the Sky. They may now be my most favorite band. Seeing them live was monumental - a greatest hit moment in my life. I have yet to grow weary of any one of their songs... instrumental, progressive rock from Austin, Texas.

What's not to love about Radiohead? I never got much into Pablo Honey other than watching Creep on MTV a thousand times... but The Bends changed things... and then OK Computer really changed things. I bought that album after seeing the video for Paranoid Android and my life changed after hearing that in its entirety. simply brilliant.

What's not to love about Coldplay? A Rush of Blood to the Head is one of the best albums of all time.

I first saw David Crowder*Band at the National Youth Workers Convention in 2002. They had so much fun playing and worshiping - they were great performers. I was hooked. It's sad to know that they are nearing the end of their run.

I discovered Decoder Ring via eMusic. I signed up for one of their free promotional campaigns and downloaded a bunch of rare stuff. This Australian band is very unique... it was the soundtrack to the movie Somersault that hooked me. Every one of their albums is unique and I always seem to stumble on new things from them as their new stuff slowly migrates to America. They've had instrumental albums, ones with vocals, electronic albums and soundtrack-esque one's, too.

Muse. first listened to them because i was told they sounded like Radiohead. although their are similarities, Muse is more epic... another of my many favorite bands from across the Atlantic.

South was an English band that piqued my interest via Q Magazine ( a British music mag) as far back as 2001 or 02. I remember hearing them/seeing them on MTV2 also. i had to search high and low to get my hands on their album and it did not disappoint. Paint the Silence was the song that got me interested. I am most proud of 'discovering' this band. They had a string of really great albums before disbanding a few years ago.

I honestly don't recall where I found out about The Innocence Mission... perhaps it was my wife who has always had a knack for finding really good singer/songwriter and independent musicians. The simplicity and childlike nature of their music is lovely... a beautiful expression of the love of God.

The Beatles are rock and roll. The Beatles are pop music. What artist hasn't been influenced by them? the medley at the end of Abbey Road is nothing short of genius. i dare you to listen to tracks 9-17 and not be moved.

i started getting in to Bob Dylan a few years back when, with birthday money I deemed it my civic responsibility to collect and own some of the classic albums of all time. Along with Sgt. Peppers, Pet Sounds, Dark Side of the Moon, etc. I picked up The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. From there i picked up Another Side, Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde, Blood on the Tracks, Saved, Slow Train Coming, Bringing it all Back Home, Highway 61, The Times They are a Changing and and a series of bootlegs. a brilliant collection, i'd say.

Underworld was the featured artist in the movie Trainspotting. My late 90's electronica phase piqued with Second Toughest in the Infants and the song Pearl's Girl. but their music never went out of style, as far as i'm concerned. 2010's Barking was one of my favs from last year.

Johnny Cash is a legend. your collection isn't complete without Live at Folsom Prison or Live at San Quentin.

Electronic low-fi maestros Boards of Canada provide soothing electo beats simplified to sooth the soul. i can't remember how i became a fan - i just know that i am. the video for their song Dayvan Cowboy is magnificent and moving. BoC is the perfect instrumental electronic band, perfect for the background of life's simpler events.

These are my 15 most listened to artists. there are more that don't make the top 15 that have captivated my heart and soul, too - but these artists are special to me.

music is life. what is it about a song that it can become so powerful? music has power like nothing else... it's an art form like no other... and now you know a little more about the music that means the most to me.

time to put on the headphones...

collage

2011-11-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

a quiet yes.

2011-11-17T19:32:00.001-05:00

So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.
James 4:7-10 (the Message)

sometimes the Word is enough. no need to add to it.

try

2011-11-16T19:43:00.002-05:00

you wanna get things done? gotta try. wanna bring about change? gotta try.
the secret word that changes the world.

morning bell: saints

2011-11-11T14:56:00.004-05:00

thoughts from

@morningbell2u (in Devon UK)

an early morning call to prayer in the spirit of the monastics
http://www.ianadams.info/Site/morning_bell.html

saints don't have to control everything; they nurture openness to the surprising Spirit...

saints recognize and resist whatever dehumanizes us; they also see goodness everywhere and celebrate it...

saints try to do the good and right thing, whatever the cost

saints live in and live out their calling - pray for a new sense of your calling today...

Saints give themselves fully to both happiness and lament. From this grows a quiet joy that changes the world...

Saints don't hurt easily because their sense of belonging is deep. You are loved. This is enough....

Saints know that they are grounded in God's life and love. Let every step you take today take you into this experience...

which one do you connect with most?

Joe Montana and the Empty Wallet

2011-10-26T22:26:00.002-04:00

Creative Writing assignment. idea taken from/inspired by:
http://soulpancake.com/activities/view/1642/money-matters.html

Write a monetized micro-story. 300 words or less. Give your story a title.

[mine comes in at over 500... oops]

Joe Montana and the Empty Wallet

It was a rainy afternoon in the fall of yesteryear. The family station wagon, yellow and rusted, was filled: mom and dad up front, older sisters one, two and three in the middle, me in the back. It was the monthly Saturday shopping trip to the discount store. All of the women of the family went in, the men stayed in the car. I was no man, though - a mere 7 or 8 - but I felt like one now sitting in my mom's front seat next to my dad, listening to news radio.

And we waited… and we waited… and waited some more. My dad said "It's what men do… wait on women!" Then he laughed. I didn't. I was impatient. My mind began to think of all the things inside that department store that i would want. I made a list in my head. My eyes grew big and my heart began to race. I knew what could make the torment of waiting be forgotten and forgiven.

Football cards. Yeah. Football… I had begun collecting trading cards a few years earlier, mostly baseball but this was a November Saturday. It was football season and I wanted football cards. I didn't want the measly single pack with 15 cards, I wanted the three pack with 51 cards, wrapped in cellophane, no doubt hanging near the check out counter, luring young boys to nag their parents to buy them.

Now all I had to do was get in the store.

My dad, enjoying the newscast wouldn't budge. I asked my dad if I could "please, please, please get a pack of football cards?"

"I don't have any money" my dad said. I didn't believe him. What kid does when a parent says that? Of course he has money. He's a dad.

I pressed him more and more… begged… pleaded… begged some more. With raised voices, we went back and forth.

Then finally, the moment of infamy arrived. Looking me square in the eye my dad firmly spoke "I don't have anything."

I asked him to show me his wallet… a no no for kids… but he did it… he opened it up… and there, inside was a crisp one dollar bill. no other bills but one. Gazing at his last dollar, I asked if I could have it and he obliged.

That rainy Saturday afternoon, at the age of 7 or 8, I took my dad's last dollar, went in to the store and walked out with a cellophane wrapped pack of 1882 Topps football cards. With a Joe Montana action shot staring at me through the clear plastic wrap, I was now in heaven.

Twenty five years later as I said my last goodbyes to my father, all I could think of was that rainy Saturday afternoon when he literally gave me all that he had, in order to bring me just a fraction of joy wrapped in cellophane. Even though my dad is no longer with me, I still have that Joe Montana card. It now serves as an everlasting reminder of how great my father really was and how a measly gift of a dollar bill can have lasting effects on one's life.

~Tim Beck
Oct 26, 2011

what's next for church.

2011-10-24T21:52:00.005-04:00

When the form changes, so does the underlying business model, which of course changes the function as well.

Mail ---> email

Books ---> ebooks

DVD ---> YouTube/Netflix

1040 ---> Online taxes

Visa ---> Paypal

Open outcry ---> Electronic trading

Voice call centers ---> forums and online chat

Direct mail ---> permission marketing

In each case, the original players in the legacy industry decided that the new form could be bolted onto their existing business model. And in each case they were wrong. Speed and marginal cost and ubiquity and a dozen other elements of digitalness changed the interaction itself, and so the function changes too.

The question that gets asked about technology, the one that is almost always precisely the wrong question is, "How does this advance help our business?"

The correct question is, "how does this advance undermine our business model and require us/enable us to build a new one?"

There are projects that are possible with ebooks or Kickstarter or email that could never have worked in an analog universe. Most of the money made in the stock market today is via trading approaches that didn't even exist thirty years ago.

When a change in form comes to your industry, the first thing to discover is how it will change the function.
~Seth Godin
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/10/form-and-function.html

how does this message relate to the church and its future?

"When a change in form comes to your industry, the first thing to discover is how it will change the function."

i believe that mainline denominations have considered the changing of church but i don't know that mainline denominations have ever considered how it will change its function. society is changing. culture is changing. how we communicate, interact and gather information is changing. social media and technology surely have showed us just how magnificent and powerful that medium can be. just look at the civilian uprising in the mid-east. Social media played a significant role in its progress. people mobilized quickly because of Twitter and Facebook and as a result, a series of revolutions.

the world is changing rapidly. but is the church?

if we, the church, are asking the question (and many of us are not willing to consider asking) perhaps we are asking the wrong question.

The question that gets asked about technology, the one that is almost always precisely the wrong question is, "How does this advance help our business?"

The correct question is, "how does this advance undermine our business model and require us/enable us to build a new one?"

how does the advancement of society, social media, technology or whatever new thing is on the horizon undermine not our message of Gospel (for it is the same yesterday, today and forever ) but our business model (how we 'do' church) and require us to build a new one? i don't know if we are truly willing to build a new model for living and doing church. but i am hopeful that there may be some willing to try.

i think Seth's post, although about business, is hearty food for thought for any church planter or redeveloper. other leaders of congregations should take notice as well, for the good of the church and for the sake of its survival.

Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T20:39:00.007-04:00

Steve Jobs passed away last night. this is my tribute.

(posted last nite)
Steve Jobs was a brilliant man. a revolutionary. a visionary. a great thinker who saw the potential of '1000 songs in your pocket' and sold us on why we needed it. he designed products with class and a sense of style, with operating systems that were simple and stunning, that made us awestruck. i bought in to his vision and my life is better because of it. he inspired me, my wife and my 8 year old son who boldly proclaimed 3 years ago 'i want to be him when i grows up.' Thank you Steve and rest in peace.

(posted this morning)
i type this today while perusing the internet on my iMac. when i head to work in a few moments, i'll take calls, listen to music and check e-mail on my iPhone. when my wife gets going, she'll edit photos for her photography business on her MacBook Pro. my two year old will then play educational games on the iPad and when my other kids get home from school, after finishing their homework and playing outside, they'll no doubt play on the iPod. Thank you Steve Jobs for being an integral part of every day. Again, rest in peace.

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do. ~Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs: Cult Hero
Steve Jobs: Font Innovator
Steve Jobs: Key dates from his life and work
Steve Jobs: Design Perfectionist
Steve Jobs: Impact on the sports world

This commercial introducing the Macintosh computer premiered during the 1984 Super Bowl. It signaled the beginning of a whole new way of looking at how humans could interact with computers and technology.

1984

Think Different

think different. that is one of many things i will take from Steve Jobs. Think different. Dare to change the world.

Thanks Steve. You gave us what we didn't know we needed.

you will be missed.

[addendum]
Some key dates from the life and work of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc.:

1955: Stephen Paul Jobs is born on Feb. 24.

1972: Jobs enrolls at Reed College in Portland, Ore., but drops out after a semester.

1974: Jobs works for video game maker Atari and attends meetings of the Homebrew Computer Club with Steve Wozniak, a high school friend who was a few years older.

1975: Jobs and Woz attend Homebrew Computer Club meetings.

1976: Apple Computer is formed on April Fool's Day, shortly after Wozniak and Jobs create a new computer circuit board in a Silicon Valley garage. A third co-founder, Ron Wayne, leaves the company after less than two weeks. The Apple I computer goes on sale by the summer for $666.66.

1977: Apple is incorporated by its founders and a group of venture capitalists. It unveils Apple II, the first personal computer to generate color graphics. Revenue reaches $1 million.

1978: Jobs' daughter Lisa is born to girlfriend Chrisann Brennan.

1979: Jobs visits Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, or PARC, and is inspired by a computer with a graphical user interface.

1980: Apple goes public, raising $110 million in one of the biggest initial public offerings to date.

1982: Annual revenue climbs to $1 billion.

1983: The Lisa computer goes on sale with much fanfare, only to be pulled two years later. Jobs lures John Sculley away from Pepsico Inc. to serve as Apple's CEO.

1984: Iconic "1984" Macintosh commercial directed by Ridley Scott airs during the Super Bowl. The Macintosh computer goes on sale.

1985: Jobs and Sculley clash, leading to Jobs' resignation. Wozniak also resigns from Apple this year.

1986: Jobs starts Next Inc., a new computer company making high-end machines for universities. He also buys Pixar from "Star Wars" creator George Lucas for $10 million.

1989: First NeXT computer goes on sale with a $6,500 price tag.

1991: Apple and IBM Corp. announce an alliance to develop new PC microprocessors and software. Apple unveils portable Macs called PowerBook.

1993: Apple introduces the Newton, a hand-held, pen-based computer. The company reports quarterly loss of $188 million in July. Sculley is replaced as CEO by Apple president Michael Spindler. Apple restructures, and Sculley resigns as chairman. At Next, Jobs decides to focus on software instead of whole computers.

1994: Apple introduces Power Macintosh computers based on the PowerPC chip it developed with IBM and Motorola. Apple decides to license its operating software and allow other companies to "clone" the Mac, adopting the model championed by Microsoft Corp.

1995: The first Mac clones go on sale. Microsoft releases Windows 95, which is easier to use than previous versions and is more like the Mac system. Apple struggles with competition, parts shortages and mistakes predicting customer demand. Pixar's "Toy Story," the first commercial computer-animated feature, hits theaters. Pixar goes to Wall Street with an IPO that raises $140 million.

1996: Apple announces plans to buy Next for $430 million for the operating system Jobs' team developed. Jobs is appointed an adviser to Apple. Gil Amelio replaces Spindler as CEO.

1997: Jobs becomes "interim" CEO after Amelio is pushed out. He foreshadows the marketing hook for a new product line by calling himself "iCEO." Jobs puts an end to Mac clones.

1998: Apple returns to profitability. It shakes up personal computer industry in 1998 with the candy-colored, all-in-one iMac desktop, the original models shaped like a futuristic TV. Apple discontinues the Newton.

2000: Apple removes "interim" label from Jobs' CEO title.

2001: The first iPod goes on sale, as do computers with OS X, the modern Mac operating system based on Next software. Apple also releases iTunes software.

2003: Apple launches the iTunes Music Store with 200,000 songs at 99 cents each, giving people a convenient way to buy music legally online. It sells 1 million songs in the first week.

2004: Jobs undergoes surgery for a rare but curable form of pancreatic cancer. Apple discloses his illness after the fact.

2005: Apple expands the iPod line with the tiny Nano and an iPod that can play video. The company also announces that future Macs will use Intel chips.

2006: Disney buys Pixar for $7.4 billion. Jobs becomes Disney's largest individual shareholder, and much of his wealth is derived from this sale.

2007: Apple releases its first smartphone, the iPhone. Crowds camp overnight at stores to be one of the first to own the new device.

2008: Speculation mounts that Jobs is ill, given weight loss. In September he kicks off an Apple event and says, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated," making a play off a famous Mark Twain quote after Bloomberg News accidentally publishes, then retracts, an obituary that it had prepared in advance.

2009: Jobs explains severe weight loss by saying he has a treatable hormone imbalance and that he will continue to run Apple. Days later he backtracks and announces he will be on medical leave. He returns to work in June. Later it is learned that he received a liver transplant.

2010: Apple sells 15 million of its newest gadget, the iPad, in nine months, giving rise to a new category of modern touch-screen tablet computers.

Jan. 17, 2011: In a memo to Apple employees, Jobs announces a second medical leave with no set duration. Cook again steps in to run day-to-day operations. Jobs retains CEO title and remains involved in major decisions.

Aug. 24, 2011: Apple announces that Jobs is resigning as CEO. Cook takes the CEO title, and Apple names Jobs chairman.

Oct. 5, 2011: Jobs dies at 56. Apple announces his death without giving a specific cause.

calling

2011-10-04T20:53:00.002-04:00

[rundown from a youth worship service i designed - october second]

What is your calling in life?
MOVE. EAT. LEARN.
below are three great videos from Rick Mereki - an Australian film maker. these short 1 minute films were used for an Australian travel agency. but they are brilliant and creative. i used them as part of a youth worship service on 'Understanding Your Calling' (becoming the person God called you to be).

http://vimeo.com/27246366
how can we know our calling if we stand still?

http://vimeo.com/27243869
embracing + consuming the life God gives you is part of your calling.

http://vimeo.com/27244727
willingness to learn new things will help you connect with God's purpose for your life.

i also tied in the Bethany Hamilton story from I Am Second.
you don't have to be perfect in order for God to use you - in order to fulfill your calling, etc.

scripture references: 1 Peter 2:4-10 (the message); the story of Josiah; Revelation 2:17

also used insight for designing this service from Grace - a fresh faith fellowship in London (titled The Becoming, Sept 2011) [i adapted it for youth]
and from Jonny Baker (you've arrived / you've not arrived)

~Tim

i still haven't found...

2011-09-22T22:35:00.003-04:00

there are some things in life that a human being needs to be reminded of over and over. these messages can be found at the heart of all life.

they are:
man was not meant to be alone.
+
life is about the journey, not the destination.

when we lose sight of those two things - we lose sight purpose, meaning, restoration and hope.

it's not coincidental that those two themes are prevalent throughout the pages of the Holy Scriptures - from Genesis to Revelation.

while reading Maggi Dawn's book The Writing on the Wall this afternoon i was reminded of these themes. there is uncertainty in life. we'd like for things to be tidied up, wrapped in a box with a bow placed on top - but that is not our reality. life is messy and we all need restoration. we all need companionship. without the possibility for reconciliation and community man can not help but lose hope... and when you take away a man's hope - you take away his life.

but our hope is found in salvation. our hope is found in the journey.

i like how Maggi Dawn puts it:

"The Bible does not really give a picture of salvation as a simplistic answer to everything, but as a moment in an unfolding quest."

we are on an unfolding quest. together. but like the U2 song says "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." we may not know everything about the journey or where it may be leading us - but we still search. we must! our road is lined with simple messages - opportunities for us to connect with others, to connect with the earth and to connect with a loving God. and the journey is essential to our life.

remember what brought down Adam & Eve in the garden? Pride.

if we think we've arrived then we've reached a dangerous place. if we think we know a better way than God then we are bound for destruction.

if we think we can go it alone along the path then we're bound to wander - like the one sheep out of the 99. (but remember how the shepherd goes after that lost one?) you can't make it on your own. nobody can.

God has a plan. God has a purpose for us all. but we must seek. we must not remain stagnant. we must cry out. we must keep hope alive. and despite the fact that we don't know everything... and despite the fact that we at times feel alone and even despite of ourselves - God shows us a light. and the light is life. remain in the light... it brightens our path... it highlights our unity.

may we journey down the winding road together.

thoughts on 9/11

2011-09-10T18:41:00.002-04:00

On 9/11 I thought, For the most powerful, militarized nation in the world also to think of itself as an innocent victim is deadly. It was a rare prophetic moment for me, considering Presidents Bush and Obama have spent billions asking the military to rectify the crime of a small band of lawless individuals, destroying a couple of nations who had little to do with it, in the costliest, longest series of wars in the history of the United States.
The silence of most Christians and the giddy enthusiasm of a few, as well as the ubiquity of flags and patriotic extravaganzas in allegedly evangelical churches, says to me that American Christians may look back upon our response to 9/11 as our greatest Christological defeat. It was shattering to admit that we had lost the theological means to distinguish between the United States and the kingdom of God. The criminals who perpetrated 9/11 and the flag-waving boosters of our almost exclusively martial response were of one mind: that the nonviolent way of Jesus is stupid. All of us preachers share the shame; when our people felt very vulnerable, they reached for the flag, not the Cross.
September 11 has changed me. I’m going to preach as never before about Christ crucified as the answer to the question of what’s wrong with the world. I have also resolved to relentlessly reiterate from the pulpit that the worst day in history was not a Tuesday in New York, but a Friday in Jerusalem when a consortium of clergy and politicians colluded to run the world on our own terms by crucifying God’s own Son.

~Will Willimon, presiding bishop of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church

as quote in Christianity Today - from the article How Evangelical Leaders Have Changed Since 9/11 found here and here.

inni

2011-08-11T18:07:00.001-04:00

happenings

2011-08-08T21:30:00.002-04:00

do you speak Christian? [read] in case you didn't know - we've created our own lingo. has the church ever thought how others perceive it's made up words, lingo and false sense of wittiness? [ahem... cheesy church signs anyone?]

how should the church be anyway? i think this video sums it up [this is discipleship]

p.s. are you reading the Bible literally? perhaps you shouldn't? [read]

on other fronts:

i am eager to see this documentary movie [the interrupters]. can it change an inner city culture of violence?

sadly London is burning as riots continue for the third straight day. [pictures] i feel for the sane citizens of that city. author, visionary, teacher and poet, kester brewin, a London native vented when he wrote this poem [warning - harsh language - but you can understand his p.o.v.]

this new way of utilzing the creativity of modern photography is rather stunning. [cinemagraphs] [etc.] [etc.] [etc.]

how else will new art change our ideas, ideals & ideologies?
make art. now that's a concept i can get behind.

now move along.

Book Review: Sunday Asylum

2011-07-15T09:25:00.000-04:00

Sunday Asylum: Being the Church in Occupied Territory by Stanley Hauerwas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

short and sweet and to the point. Hauerwas has insightful comments on the topics of belief, conformity, worship despair, hope & the kingdom of God. Jason Barnhart adds thought provoking commentary to Hauerwas' thoughts.

I liked all 5 chapters - but took exception to most of the chapter on worship. in that - i feel Hauerwas misses the boat - or at least doesn't fully understand where some modern worship is all about.

regardless - the book was easy to read and worth my time.

it is set up to be used as a 5 week curriculum for a small group. there also appears to be a video to coincide with this book - but i felt the book was fine on it's own.

View all my reviews

Following Jesus is not meant to make my life safe

2011-07-14T09:26:00.000-04:00

Following Jesus is not meant to make my life safe, secure, comfortable, or more tolerable to a majority of Americans. It definitely won't compartmentalize down to a nice, cozy pocket! in the same way, Jesus is larger than a political affiliation, so my allegiance to him should be greater than my allegiance to a political party. Following Jesus is going to make my life dysfunctional to most Americans.

Book Review: Curating Worship

2011-07-13T08:11:00.001-04:00

Curating Worship by Jonny Baker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

i've followed Jonny Baker's blog for a many years now and i've always enjoyed his posts about worship - so it was no surprise that i also liked his book: Curating Worship.

Curating Worship is mostly a collection of conversations with alt worship leaders, designers, creators and visionaries all whom seem very capable with their craft in their own right. Baker's book dives deep into the world of alternative worship - and he brings an interesting perspective on what the role of a worship designer might be - comparing it to a curator of art at an art exhibit or museum.

i really clung to this analogy and felt a close connection with this form of worship creating. in my experiences of leading, designing and coordinating worship services, interactions and experiences i've never quite known how to describe exactly what it is that i am most passionate about. this book helped me process my God-given desire and passion.

i feel drawn to the role of curator. the church in America needs more curators of worship to help people connect with a living and loving God (in a fresh way).

the ideas and stories shared in Baker's book were inspiring and helpful. I underlined and highlighted a lot - particularly the interview with the leaders/creators of Ikon in Ireland.

the appendix in the back was also helpful for any one person or group eager to learn the in's and out's of how to put together an interactive worship service.

bravo Jonny Baker for bringing forth a fresh perspective of how one might lead others to experiential & connected worship of God.

View all my reviews

the reality for the follower of Jesus is that we do not need to make the world work

2011-07-12T15:47:00.004-04:00

the reality for the follower of Jesus is that we do not need to make the world work. this lie from Christendom has led to more despair than hope. When people die unexpectedly, we don't have to act like we understand or know why. when economies tank, we don't have to have all the answers, you see, when we assume we need to have all the answers and need to eliminate all the mystery in the world, we crucify hope, never experiencing the kingdom reality that is faith.

jason barnhart from the book Sunday Asylum. ch. 3

the Cross is the greatest source of tension the world has ever known.

2011-07-08T14:15:00.002-04:00

thoughts while reading ch 2: conflict vs. comfort from the book Sunday Asylum.

the follower of Jesus is the embodiment of the spoken Word of God on mission for God

2011-07-06T21:48:00.003-04:00

my tweeted thoughts/quotes while reading ch. 1 of the book Sunday Asylum.

an exploration of Proverbs 20:27

2011-07-05T11:28:00.004-04:00

Proverbs 20:27

New International Version (NIV)

²⁷ The human spirit is^[a] the lamp of the LORD
that sheds light on one’s inmost being.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 20:27 Or A person’s words are

The Message (MSG)
²⁷ God is in charge of human life,
watching and examining us inside and out.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
²⁷ The ^[a]^(A)spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD,
Searching all the ^[b]innermost parts of his being.

Footnotes:

Proverbs 20:27 Lit breath
Proverbs 20:27 Lit chambers of the body

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²⁷The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.^(A)

King James Version (KJV)

²⁷The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

²⁷The breath of man [is] a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart.

Common English Bible (CEB)

²⁷ The breath of a person
is the lamp of the LORD,
searching all the inmost parts.

---

what is inhaled and exhaled... what is spoken from the depth of our soul... the intake and exhaust of our spirit is the light that cannot be extinguished. that illumination is the means for which our Lord examines our inner-most self. as if we could ever think we could hide from God...the essence of who we are is light. that light - from God - exposes our true self... our true motive... our true faith... our true source of life. we may drink from the streams of the Lord or we may drink from the streams of the world. The Lord sees the fruits produced from either source... we can not fool God.

but only true life... only true forever-living breath comes from a soul yearning for the Lord, connected to His life-blood, Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:
o Lord search me and know me and expose my sin so that i may be cleansed... may I yearn to drink only from your waters - to find forever-life fulfillment.

the quiet of a july morning

2011-07-04T11:03:00.003-04:00

i went out for a morning run today... perhaps it might be better described as a morning jog. although my running has not been as consistent this spring and early summer i still aim for it to be a major source of exercise for me.

but the beautiful thing about this morning's run was not the run itself... it was not the fact that it was a holiday or that in it was my day off...

the beauty was found in the silence.

there was little traffic. and few sounds to be heard... and it was beautiful.

i took it all in.
the sounds of the birds in the trees, singing their morning songs of joy.
an older woman in her housecoat, watering her flowers.
the click-clop-clip of my running shoes hitting the pavement in stride.
the silent sound of the breeze blowing the trees, leaves and wind chimes.
a hedge trimmer and lawn mower in the distance.
a passing car. a barking dog.
a child on a tricycle in his driveway.

the simple sounds of a quiet july morning.
and i took it all in... and it was beautiful.

i wish to crave this more than running.

salvation [lost blog post]

2011-06-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

[a lost blog post - never published... never finished either]

do you feel alive?
can you feel alive?

this morning is/was one of those mornings. you know, one of those morning in which you feel hung over? only i've never been hungover. but the splitting headache took away most of my joy. the pressure around my eyes was forceful enough to make me want to close them for good...

but i went about my business. taking care of business... here and there. up and down. the little things that needed done, done.

but now - in much need of caffeine (my fix for days like this) i hope for salvation. but my junkie provider is a good 20 minutes away. and so i wait. and so i yearn. an extra shot of espresso would suffice.

it's one of those days... a lazy saturday where my get up and go has already come and went.

what do we do when days like this rear their ugly heads? is it a red pill, blue pill kind of day? a choose your own adventure-type day? because as i see it right now, the day could go in either extreme direction.

the red pill of temptation tells me to go back to bed. waste the day. like a rusted wheel, stagnant and collecting dust.

but blue pill of reality says that if i lay around - the pain will only settle in...

my report from annual conference

2011-06-20T12:52:00.001-04:00

from the East Ohio Conference UMC website: the bio from my report, given Tuesday, June 14, 2011.

Congregational Development/New Church
Tim Beck, chair of the New Church Start team spoke of years of coming to Lakeside. He reminded the audience that we reach Lakeside via many different routes, but with a common destination. He likened the church to that journey to Lakeside. “As a denomination and a conference we’ve been on just one road.” Beck stated that it is time to find “fresh expressions of church to grow and prosper; creative chances to reach and connect with the un-churched, the de-churched and those on the fringe.”

Beck spoke of the thirteen new church plants and vital mergers. There are new ministries that are laity driven, alternative worship communities, cell churches, youth churches, multi-site, video driven and many others. But much more is needed.
Where is God leading us?

here is the full transcript of the speech:

NEW CHURCH START TEAM REPORT. Annual Conference 2011

East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church

Tim Beck

Chairman, New Church Start Team

June 2011

We are one. And we all travel along the mainline together.

Bishop Hopkins, Members of the East Ohio Annual Conference:

As a kid I took many trips to and from Lakeside, for Annual Conference, vacations and the like. We all know there are many ways to get to Lakeside. You can take the turnpike or any number of Interstates. Hop on Route 2 west and you’re bound to get there. You can even cut over 224, head north on 58 (or any other northern route) and weave your way through the small towns of northwest Ohio. I promise you, your car will wind up in Lakeside. It has that kind of draw.

Members of the East Ohio Conference have journeyed together year in and year out, for 40 plus years, gathering here for our annual meeting. Even though we’ve all come different paths to Lakeside, as a denomination and a conference we’ve been on just one road. The path of our church has been steady and consistent, marked with many highlights along the way. We’ve seen magnificent movements of God, professions of faith and deep spiritual growth in and among our congregations; mile markers along this great mainline. But perhaps we’re missing the mysteries that lie along the on and off ramps of the mainline, where paths less taken lead to opportunities for new faith communities to spring up; ripe circumstances for fresh expressions of church to grow and prosper; creative chances to reach and connect with the un-churched, the de-churched and those on the fringe.

In the midst of the 21^st Century we know that the church no longer holds the same status as it used to. We know that attendance among mainline denominations have been in steady decline for decades. In the past 10 years alone, the United Methodist Church has lost 7% of its membership (600,000 people.)* As a result, I firmly believe that we are in desperate need for something fresh, something new; something different. These “Fresh Expressions of Faith”, I believe, will ensure our conference and denomination will not just survive – but thrive!

It’s time for the East Ohio Conference to blaze a trail; to lead the world, not lollygag behind. The movement of the mainline church in America appears to be stalled at times, but I believe we have an opportunity in front of us. These fresh expressions of church are mile markers on a road we’ve not taken with frequency. And though they may be off-shoots of the mainline, they are still connected to the heart of Methodism and the heart of Christ. These new roads lead to new ways of doing church. This is no doubt terrifying to some but I believe the best is yet to come.

1. Let’s build on what has already been planted. Currently there are 13 new church plants and vital mergers who, under the fervent direction of Dirk Elliot have produced a crop of new Kingdom followers. They are all growing and persevering, striving to grow the church. This year we highlight the new vital merger of East Glenville & Warner – becoming Celebration United Methodist Church. We also celebrate 2 new faith communities given life by Church of the Lakes in Canton and Church Hill in Youngstown.

2. Let’s explore “out-of-the-box” methods of ‘doing’ church. Like 0², East Ohio’s first laity driven church plant. Like Impact, the new worship community out of Lakewood UMC. Laity in that group are expanding outside the church walls, aiming to take their worship to people who won’t step foot in church.

But we need more - We need new - We need fresh: Alternative worship communities. Cell churches, Mid-week congregations, Youth churches, Multi-sites, Video-venues, Starfish laity-driven models, Pioneer models, Creative groups or perhaps even connected House churches. Whatever it takes, with the resources given to us. These fresh ideas are right off the beaten path – but still connected to the main road. They are Christ-centered communities focused on serving. They are small groups of disenfranchised individuals who have been burned out on religion, who would never grace the front steps of a church, let alone enter in. They are organized gatherings aimed at making the lonely feel apart of something greater than themselves. They are people who will worship in interactive ways. Frankly, some will be churches that don’t look like churches. These fresh expressions of faith will aim to provide unique opportunities for people to connect with a loving God, while growing the United Methodist Church in the process.

3. Let’s work together to support each other on the journey. We are one. The on and off ramps of the mainline lead to new unknown paths, but we must take risks, continued leaps of faith or suffer our ultimate demise. Maybe, if we adjust our mirrors and our vision, we’ll see an old, dirty, dusty trail, off the beaten path, leading us to a new way of growing the church, a modern approach to making disciples, a fresh technique of winning souls to follow Christ.

We know where we’ve been. Where, now, might God be leading us? East Ohio, God is doing a new thing. Isaiah 43:19 reminds us of that. May we “freshen up” together! Perhaps if we can tap into that freshness, God will show us church growth that will take our breath away, not because of what we might do – but because of the path the Spirit is already blazing ahead of us.

It is my prayer that the East Ohio Conference will support and embrace with it’s full heart exploring and implementing new, fresh expressions, Wesleyan faith communities that will carry the church for decades to come.

*The Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches (2011)
published by the National Council of Churches in the USA

church: dream release risk imagine

2011-06-18T19:04:00.006-04:00

from the book, ‘The Shaping of Things to Come’ by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch:

“We need to dream again, and to do this we must cultivate a love for imagination. Before we can do it, we need to dream it...Considered philosophically, all that a great visionary leader does is awaken and harness the dreams and visions of the members of a given community and give them deeper coherence by means of a grand vision that ties together all the ‘little visions’ of the members of the group...My task as a leader is to so articulate the vision that others are willing to embed their sense of purpose within the common vision of the community...It is this capacity to articulate a preferred future based on a common moral vision that allows people to dream again. This is true of all true apostolic leadership. And in a profound sense the leader is the key person in the release of the spiritual creativity and innovation in any setting – the catalyst for reconceptualising the mission of the church (p.188).

But imagination takes courage, as it involves risk. In fact if there were no courage, there could be no imagination. And if there were no risk, there could be no apostolic leadership, only priestly maintenance and more of the same boring stuff that is keeping people from getting in touch with that most radical and dangerous person...None other than Jesus (p.189).”

make stuff

2011-06-17T18:24:00.002-04:00

time to turn inspiration into action!
make something.
create.
seek newness + freshness.
go.
be.
do.

innovate.
associate.
invigorate.
communicate.
celebrate.
investigate.
demonstrate.
eliminate.
accommodate.
anticipate.

i'm desperate for change. i only wish it were in our DNA.
and so we must fight to bring about change.
we must strive to bring about greatness.
success or failure, no matter what the outcome.

how much more time do we have?

simple twist of color

2011-06-02T22:24:00.002-04:00

simple twist of shade

2011-06-02T22:17:00.002-04:00

Book Review: Big Sur

2011-05-31T22:33:00.002-04:00

Big Sur by Jack Kerouac

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Big Sur is at times a beautiful, at times a tragedy. Kerouac's time @ the Big Sur cabin, alone, with nature, with the sounds of the sea, with his troubling thoughts were mindlessly beautiful to me. i found myself clinging to his every descriptive word.

and then he'd heed the call back to San Francisco and with that his unkown sense of his true self would creep in and his disruptive, binge drinking life would spin out of control.

at times a train wreck, at times brutally honest, at times hard to follow, Big Sur ends like a whirlwind as the reader is taken inside the mind of an insomniac alcoholic and the tragic visions that rip away at Jack's soul.

Big Sur is a cry for the way things used to be... before fame... before money... before being known.

in the end, Jack Kerouac longed for hope. but i doubt he ever found it. there in lies the tragedy that plays out in Big Sur.

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find your voice.

2011-05-26T21:30:00.005-04:00

[with respect + thanks to troy @defy the gray for inspiring this post]

what do i believe about myself? about you? about the world? about what you + i may be capable of doing... i don't think about that enough.

am i waiting for someone else to believe it first?

Believe, that you can change the world
Your dreams, have been living in a code of silence
So let them out

Find your voice, find your voice
Make a noise

i don't believe that message enough. i don't live it enough. i don't proclaim it enough.
i have many dreams and sometimes my many dreams collide and intersect and knot together into one giant ball... and i get frustrated and i sulk and i remain silent.

perhaps what i am missing is that all of my many dreams are connected and intertwined and knotted for a reason because my many individual dreams are actually part of one giant dream... one giant plan that has been laid out before me. but my eyes are closed and i don't see that.

am i waiting for validation?

You try, to find the words you want to say
You might, be looking much too far away
To recognize, we’re all disguised

Find your voice, find your voice
Make a noise

and these dreams of mine, my many dreams, tend to silence me in the sense that they don't go public. they remain within my soul or at least within my home (where my wife gets to put up with my repetitive bantering about this dream or that).

but maybe all i'm missing is a megaphone and some courage.

am i waiting for permission?

You can’t have the peace you’re looking for without a fight

who said anything about a fight? but apparently things don't just happen, dreams don't happen, don't come true, can't be lived out... without... a... fight.
but why would i want to go and do a thing like that? why would i want to fight?

maybe because i'm 37 years old and i'm most fearful that my time to do something meaningful and productive and beyond what i am now capable of doing may be fading.

i don't want to have lived my life and have thought - how many years did i waste doing this or doing that, attending this or attending that, unfulfilled, not near the point of my full potential.

what am i waiting for?

Find your voice, find your voice
Make a noise

can i muster enough courage to make some noise? have i found my voice? have i discovered how my intersected dreams can work together, united as one? i don't believe i have. but i think i am inspired to put more time, more energy into figuring that out.

because i think i know deep down that God has something on the horizon for me that just... might... blow... me... away. i think that about you, too.

find your voice. grab a megaphone. you can be in my dream if i can be in yours.

make a noise by katie herzig.
[lyrics] [song] [youtube]

Book Review: Mission-Shaped Church

2011-05-26T21:24:00.000-04:00

Mission-Shaped Church by Archbishop's Council on Mission and Public Affairs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

i think any church planter or developer of new worship should read this book. obviously this is written for the Church of England and it's Fresh Expressions of Church project - but this book, i believe, is very applicable for church planters in America.

what is most intriguing about this book is the path the Church of England took in order to grow the church. they were willing to implement new ideas - empowering new forms of church and worship to develop.

Mission-Shaped Church explores each of the different models of new church growth - and gives case studies to back up each one. this book hits the nail on the head. it should be required reading for any new church start training program.

i would love to see the church in America try more and more new, fresh ideas. the mainline church is dying - but what if we were given the freedom to explore our own 'fresh expressions' project? what if? what might come? how might we grow?

i can only imagine.

this book was written for me... i hope others discover its usefulness.

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Book Review: Mother Night

2011-05-18T17:19:00.001-04:00

Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mother Night is the second Vonnegut book that i've read (the other being Slaughterhouse-Five). i think that i enjoyed Mother Night better... perhaps because it took reading SH5 to get used to Kurt Vonnegut's style. i think i hated that style at first... now i am thrilled by it. craving more.

Mother Night is the story of an American in Germany who serves as an accidental spy on the Nazi regime. but the confessions of Howard W. Campbell Jr. are of a man who has lost all emotion and all knowledge of who he really is or was... or will ever be. he is a man who has trained himself to act. to perform. with the war in the world's rear view mirror, Campbell because a quasi-celebrity of Marxist and Nazi's who desire to bring change to the nation.

Elements of his past come back to him which leads to him being placed on trial in Israel - for war crimes against humanity.

What is the truth of who Campbell is? does he even really desire to know? or is he/was he just a pawn in the game of world wide war?

the most poignant commentary on life and civility comes close to the end when Vonnegut's Campbell speaks of evil with nemesis Bernard O'Hare.

'evil is when one finds good reasons to hate without reservation, to imagine God Almighty hates with you, too.'

hate without limit. hate with God on its side. where man finds ugliness so attractive.

perhaps more poignant is mankind with no hope. with no recollection of who he is. war is hell. it seems to strip away any man's true soul.

Mother Night is Vonnegut's commentary of such life.

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it's the end of the world as we know it (but i feel fine)

2011-05-16T20:24:00.003-04:00

in 1999, alternative rock and grunge music lost its decade long reign on American radio. with that came the demise of WENZ 107.9 'The End', a Cleveland based alt-rock station. on their final day of broadcast WENZ played R.E.M.'s cult classic "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) on a continuous loop for 24 hours. some thought and hoped it was a joke and never would have predicted its end but it wasn't a joke. the times had changed and so had musical taste. the next day, the day "The End" became an urban R&B/Hip Hop station and by and large - across the nation alternative music died.

all good things must come to an end... so they say. when there's too much of a good thing - things are bound to crash and burn... to burn out rather than fade away.

but with that has been man's attempt to understand the in's and out's of this God-given planet. with that comes man's attempt to predict the future. listeners couldn't predict the end of 'The End' but the money makers in radio saw the writing on the wall and knew when to make a change.

Remember Y2K? the entire planet was in an uproar over the potential and predicted world wide shutdown of all things electronic. banks would certainly fail. Power grids would shut off. Chaos would no doubt ensue. but this time, retro R.E.M. music was not needed because the Y2K hypothetical didn't happen and the joke was on us.

and now we turn our attention to the here and now... the present tense... a religious group out of Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania is claiming that on May 21, 2011 The end is near. eBible Fellowship claims to know the end is coming at the end of this week. That's the end of the world. so enjoy your last few days on the late great planet earth. get your bucket list out. do what you got to do.

but i hear it's supposed to be nice this weekend. Sunny and in the 70's. Saturday, May 21st sounds like a good day to mow the lawn but now i'm wondering if that's even going to be necessary. of course, whether those end of the world predictions come true or not might not matter. the forecast could change to rain and ye ole weather man's predictions could be wrong, too.

predict, predict, predict. we spend so much time trying to figure things out... trying to come to our own conclusions before the rest of the story plays out. but what if we gave up predicting and just lived life, day in and day out... to the fullest. this life we were all given, after all, is a gift, isn't it? (John 10:10 says so). choose life. the movie Trainspotting taught me that.*

Also, Mark 13:32 tells us that we can't know when the end will actually end. but we can waste our time predicting and we can waste our time on scare tactics... we can waste our money on billboards and the like. we can even blow it all listening to lame political pundnets or watching old reruns of I Love Lucy on television while eating popcorn and ice cream on the couches of our lives.

or we can live. and come what may, even when things don't go our way - we can carry on. there is a plan for our lives that we may need to tap in to. Psalm 20:4-5 reminds us of that:

⁴ May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
⁵ May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the LORD grant all your requests.

if you take the time to read Psalm 20 in its entirety, you'll see that all it takes is trust.

don't predict. trust. in God.

i am reminded of that great scene near the end of The Shawshank Redemption where Andy says to Red "Get busy living or get busy dying."

life is short. too short to predict. too short to let opportunity pass you by. to short to not poke the box. to short to not ask questions and seek answers. too short to not play soccer or take that extra long bike ride through the countryside.

drink good coffee, have meaningful conversations, say 'I love you', cherish quality music, etc. because you never know when it might be taken from you. but why waste time trying to figure that out? embrace the life given to you. and trust God's plan for your life, too.

let's not spend time waiting for the end - only to realize that this gift of life given to us had never been fully opened and appreciated.

Choose life.

poke the box

2011-05-13T15:17:00.001-04:00

Book Review: At Eternitiy's Gate: the Spiritual vision of Vincent van Gogh

2011-05-09T09:04:00.001-04:00

At Eternity's Gate: The Spiritual Vision of Vincent Van Gogh by Kathleen Powers Erickson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Vincent van Gogh was a complicated, yet simple individual of deep faith and great ability whose life was interrupted by uncontrollable mental instability as a result of epilepsy.

At Eternity's Gate digs deep into his religious upbringing and his inner-spirituality - made evident through his letters to his brother Theo and through his paintings. in his young life, van Gogh wanted to follow in his father and uncle's footsteps. both were pastors. but Vincent had a different outlook on ministry and service and was ultimately rejected by both the local and institutional church. this defeat lead him down a path of self discovery that never sadly fully came to fruition.

van Gogh did, however, before heading down an artistic path, spend some time serving the poor and needy, as he strived to follow and imitate Christ. as a matter of fact, The Imitation of Christ and Pilgrim's Progress were his two favorite books.

van Gogh witnessed to and served coal miners of the Belgian Borinage - particularly after a mining disaster. He also gave away his possessions and clothes to those whom he felt needed it more. Despite being rejected by the church and despite feelings that the pastors and people within the church were hypocrites, van Gogh lived his faith through acts of service similar to St. Francis of Assisi.

the splendor of his capability as a painter may not have been realized until the latter years of his life and beyond. As mental instability crept in, he spent time in and out of asylums. it was during this time, particularly the last 5 years of his life (he took his own life in a wheat field at the age of 37) when his artistic talents took shape.

throughout his paintings and drawings, you can see examples of his spiritual devotion to Christ. you can also see his disdain and brokenness that came about after his dismissal from the church.

this is noted in his famous painting Starry Night, where the buildings and homes are well lit - yet the church and spire in the center are dark and ominous. this is also prevalent in my favorite van Gogh painting The church at Auvers.

Kathleen Powers Erickson does a fabulous job retracing a more accurate history of Vincent van Gogh including his most intriguing story. there are so many layers to van Gogh and his art. i'd highly recommend this book. it really fascinated me. Sadly, only one of van Gogh's paintings ever sold before his untimely death. had it not been for his brother's wife - who collected his works and brought them to the public's attention, the world may never have noticed the majesty found within van Gogh's work.

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going. going. gong.

2011-05-04T19:38:00.005-04:00

going. going. gong.
ring the bell, to there and back.

the road trips of life... on foot... bike... or minivan. adventures, none the less.

where are you going?
take care. take care.

leave home. poke the box. venture on.

in light of death...

2011-05-02T16:30:00.002-04:00

interesting verses in light of last nights events.

God is Doing a New Thing. Are We?

2011-04-28T12:25:00.000-04:00

God is Doing a New Thing. Are We?
by Tim Beck
New Church Start Team, East Ohio Conference
(originally published in the WINDOW bi-monthly newsletter May-June '11)

One of the most chilling paintings I‟ve laid eyes on was painted by Vincent Van Gogh, the famous 19th Century Dutch post-impressionist painter. The title of the painting is The Church at Auvers and it was painted by memory in 1890, shortly before his untimely death. The painting depicts a church north of Paris. What is haunting about Van Gogh‟s interpretation is that the foreground is lush with green grass and signs of life, but the church is cast in the midst of a dark, looming shadow. The windows are dark and closed and there is no visible door. In his own words, Van Gogh described the church as follows: “it neither reflects nor emanates any light of its own.”

Sadly, this impression of the church is not exclusive to Van Gogh. For many, churches are more haunting than wel- coming; more closed than open; more dark than light. It‟s not that we (the church) don‟t have good intentions. It‟s not that we (the church) intend to shun, but the harsh reality is this: people in America feel less connected with the church building and the church body. We know this because by-and-large mainline denominations have witnessed a steady decline in attendance and membership over the past 10 plus years. The United Methodist Church has had a 7% drop in membership since 2001. That‟s 600,000 people who have left.
This is haunting. But it‟s also nothing we didn‟t already know.

This begs the question: what can we do to reverse such a pattern? I realize I‟m hardly the first person to point out the obvious nor am I the first to ask such a question. None the less, it‟s worth exploring, examining and engaging.

Let‟s face it, while the lights might be on inside the church; while worship and study might be taking place inside the walls, darkness might be perceived to be shadowing the church. We might not see it that way - but to those who have no desire to enter in, how do we suppose they see it? How do we suppose they see us? Kester Brewin, the English author, teacher and church planter refers to those not connected to a faith community as the „Other‟. To the „other‟, church is the same as it always was. Why should they bother?

Maybe what we‟re offering isn‟t fresh enough. Perhaps we‟re missing out on the new things God has in store for us (the church). If we hope for the Gospel to reach the world around us then we have to be concerned with how we are perceived, no matter if the world‟s view is right or wrong. We need a fresh church, a new church. Remember the words of Isaiah “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way...” (Isaiah 43:19). God is doing a new thing, but is the church?

Am I suggesting that we change the Gospel? Absolutely not. I am, however, suggesting that our approach to the ministry of the Gospel might need to be „freshened up.‟ If we the church can tap into a fresh approach, perhaps our shadowed perception might fade away and the light of Christ would shine through.

In what ways could you and your church "freshen up‟?

Book Review: Poke the Box

2011-04-27T08:05:00.000-04:00

Poke the Box by Seth Godin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

poke the box. the picture on the cover tells the story found on the pages bound within. from what approach are we looking at life? from what approach are we looking at productivity? Seth Godin compels you to NOT maintain 'status quo' but to 'poke the box' to take risks, be willing to change - all for the sake of sanity and production.

it's not just enough to have good ideas. it's not just enough to dream big. what are dreams if not acted upon? Starting, he says, demands finishing.

this is the kind of book that can be read again and again. repeat as needed. if that's what it takes to get new ideas seen, heard, understood and produced then so be it.

Godin reminds us that we are 'trained to fit in, not to stand out, and the easiest way in the world to fit in is to never initiate.' (page 79) We wait for permission to start... and thus nothing gets started. new ideas remain... just... ideas.

Godin compels the reader to claim self confidence. "it's essential" he writes.

despite the fact that innovation and inspiration are unpredictable, when momentum builds - it breeds new ideas and more productivity and ingenuity.

i am an ideas guy... i've claimed that enough times in my life... but all too often my ideas remain drawings or sketches in notebooks, or words on a blog page. not often enough do they become realities. but the moments when they do... the moments when the juices flow and the momentum comes - it feels great... great to produce something i can be proud of.

this book isn't anything new - but it became a necessary read for me. at the right time. it's time to poke the box... to create and to inspire others.

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Book Review: One.Life

2011-04-26T11:03:00.000-04:00

One.Life: Jesus Calls, We Follow by Scot McKnight

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

it really is a simple book. Jesus calls. We follow. that is the message found within One.Life by Scot McKnight. We have one life. what will we do with it? How will we live it?

what i appreciated about this book was how Scot took an honest look at questions... the questions of faith that lead to more questions... which lead to more and more questions.
as the questions arise, McKnight paints a picture that describes kingdom, love, justice, peace, wisdom, the church, commitment, eternity, etc.

God's plan is for our one.life to intersect with those things and McKnight wets the appetite for more. after reading, i want more... i feel compelled to share with others what it looks like to follow Christ... truly follow Christ.

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Book Review: The Story of God, the Story of Us

2011-04-25T05:52:00.000-04:00

The Story of God, the Story of Us: Getting Lost & Found in the Bible by Sean Gladding

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

the Story of God, the Story of Us is really a magnificent telling of a magnificent story. it's storytelling at its best. plain and simple. Sean Gladding has taken the meta-narrative found in the Scriptures and has written that story within the context and probability of how that story was once told, shared and remembered.
the imagery found in this book really is compelling. the Old Testament stories, the stories of God's chosen, the Israelites, their plight, their exodus, their worship and their wandering, told by an old man sitting 'round the campfire was a beautiful image. i connected with this old man reminding the people how and why God has been with them - even while in Exile. in my life, i've generally been drawn to the New Testament stories of Jesus and the church. Gladding helped me connect the dots of the Old Testament. for that, i am grateful.

the NT stories of Jesus are just as compelling. Gladding is a great storyteller. while reading, it was easy to insert myself into the story.

even though it took me months to read, this book was easy on the eyes. i took my time with it... casually reading here and there. every them i picked it up, i was drawn in.

if you want a new, fresh perspective of the story of the Bible - read this book.

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(lent) 0

2011-04-24T06:01:00.002-04:00

Resurrection Day!

nothing can ever be the same again, not after resurrection... choose life! Rescue is here!

(lent) 1

2011-04-23T07:15:00.000-04:00

#1.

one love. one life.

one.

One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers
One life
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other

one.

one Messiah. one who saves. one who died. one who took my shame.
one sadness. one humiliating day. one sealed rock. one cold, dark cave.

for 40 hours, a figurative shadow spread was cast across the land... the One who was supposed to triumph took the path less traveled.

and the world would never be the same...
but for now, one darkness remained...

until...

(lent) 2

2011-04-22T08:52:00.001-04:00

#2

The lowest channel of television in the United States.

number of animals of each kind in Noah's Ark.

in the Jewish tradition, the number of witnesses needed to offer testimony, required to verify and validate events.

number of pencil most commonly used in America.

point conversion. in football, after scoring a touchdown the offensive team may choose to kick the extra point or go for 2.

2.0 = a 'C' average.

2 is better than one. so says Solomon.
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.

You'll Never Walk Alone. emboldened upon the crest of Liverpool FC in England. Two are better than one.
Adam & Eve. Moses & Aaron. Joshua & Caleb. David & Jonathan. Naomi & Esther. Mary & Joseph. Jesus & John (the Baptist). Peter & John. Paul & Silas.

the number of criminals crucified on crosses to the left and right of Jesus. it happened on a Friday. one, stubborn even til his point of death, mocked Christ on the cross. the other cried out.

³⁹ One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.^[d]”
⁴³ Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
from Luke 23

such is life. we can be stubborn or we can cry out. we can mock God or claim His name.

on this dark day, this Good Friday - what will we choose?

Remember.

^44-46By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle. Jesus called loudly, "Father, I place my life in your hands!" Then he breathed his last.
⁴⁷When the captain there saw what happened, he honored God: "This man was innocent! A good man, and innocent!"
^48-49All who had come around as spectators to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with grief and headed home. Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil.
from Luke 23 (the Message)

innocent yet crucified. Holy yet sin-burdened.

and what do we gain? nothing, if we neglect to claim it.

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

though sorrow may last for the night, joy comes in the morning...

because He didn't stay dead...
but that's another story...

(lent) 3

2011-04-21T08:07:00.008-04:00

#3

the number of Babe Ruth. although, at the start of his career he had no number. at one time players didn't have uniform numbers. It is believed that Ruth was given the number 3 becausae that was his position in the batting line-up. Ruth hit 3rd (and wore the number 3) while Lou Gehrig hit 4th (and wore the number 4).

the first odd prime number.

is the Magic Number. one of the original Schoolhouse Rock songs. covered by the likes of Jeff Buckley, Blind Melon and Jeff Johnson. De La Soul sampled it on their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising.

R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

number of semicircular canals in the human ear.

number of primary hues (red, green, blue) that, when mixed, is perceived to be white light by humans.

atomic number of lithium. also a song title by the 90's grunge group Nirvana with the opening line "I'm so happy 'cause today I found my friends their in my head..."

in Bowling, 3 strikes in a row is called a 'Turkey'

In Ecclesiastes 4:12 Solomon states 'a cord of three strands is not easily broken.'

the make up of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

chapter and verse in John: where Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."

born again. more than a song.
born again. dead to sin. new life to live. and life to the full.

how does this happen?

later in John chapter 3 is possibly the most famous passage in the Bible: John 3:16. more than the banner held up in the end zone at football games. more than words. John 3:16 is the pathway to life.

^16-18"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. (The Message)

how is one 'born again?' given new life?
1. belief. that Jesus is the One able to grant us this new life. He came to make the world right again... to restore it... to mend it... put it back together. on the middle cross of three, he bled and died - crucified but innocent. our sin, a burden upon His shoulder.

2. trust. in Him. and we are acquitted. found not guilty. our sin... our punishment taken away. our slate wiped clean. trust that He is who He says He is. trust that only He is able to purify us.

belief and trust. sounds so simple. the path to life is marked with a light shining on belief and trust in Him... in Jesus. it's so simple. yet we often make it so difficult. we take other roads... other paths... paths in darkness... roads in disrepair. because we think we know what's best.

but God knows how to fix us... how to fix the world. and we get to play a apart in it... if we choose to believe and if we choose to trust.

belief and trust. it all plays out and comes to a head on the third day... Resurrection day.
to be continued...

(lent) 4

2011-04-20T08:02:00.000-04:00

#4

number of Gospels (according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)

There are four human blood groups (A, B, O, AB).

Virtues, according to Plato: Wisdom, courage, self-control, and justice.

Virtues, according to the Sioux: bravery, fortitude, generosity and wisdom.

Virtues, according to Christianity: prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude.

number of elements: Fire, Air, Water and Earth.

In Tetris, a game named for the Greek word for 4, every shape in the game is formed of 4 blocks each. How many hours of my youth was wasted playing this game...

number of nations of the United Kingdom: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland.

number of suits of playing cards: hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades.

The Beatles were commonly known as "Fab Four": John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney.

number of corners on a piece of paper.

chapter in John where Jesus reaches out yet again to a marginalized woman at the well. with no concern of his reputation, Jesus, at the noon hour, dares ask a Samaritan woman for a drink of water.
there are so many things wrong with this encounter... this experience.
first, Jews didn't cut through Samaria if they didn't have to. they'd prefer to walk around that region. Jews and Samaritans weren't exactly on friendly terms. as John 4:9 says 'Jews in those days wouldn't be caught dead talking to Samaritans'. at the time, most Jews considered the Samaritans to be dirty and below them. but Jesus takes a shortcut.

second, it was the noon hour. in this desert area, the women didn't draw water at the noon hour, the hottest time of the day. they'd come in the cool of the morning or evening. which begs the question, why would this woman, then, be there, drawing water? Jesus points out why she would be there mid day... in verse 17-18 when Jesus points out her 'loose' way of living... this woman was a prostitute. perhaps shame prevented this woman from coming to draw water when the other women would draw.

third, Jesus allows this lowly woman to serve him. a dirty, unclean, impure Samaritan woman on the fringes of society... in the margins... lost... alone... by herself...

and it's almost as if Jesus takes this shortcut through Samaria just so he could reach out to this lost one. again, like the demon possessed man of the region of the Garasenes... the Good Shepherd leaves the 99 to get the one.

the woman gives Jesus water to quench his thirst... what does Jesus give her? living water.
"Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (vs. 14)

the woman responds by acknowledging her understanding that salvation was coming: “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus spoke, “I am he.”

what happened next? what is the rest of the story?

the woman went and told the townspeople all about her Jesus-encounter.

(vs. 40-42)

So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. ⁴¹ And because of his words many more became believers.

⁴² They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”

just what might happen if we went and told others of our Jesus-encounters?

and if you haven't encountered Him - ask yourself this: are you thirsty? are you satisfied? do you fully understand real love?

think about it.

(lent) 5

2011-04-19T07:40:00.001-04:00

#5

second rule. the amount of time food that is dropped on the floor is allowed to be consumed without facing public ridicule.

Bands with "five" in their name include The Jackson 5, Maroon 5, Jump5, Jurassic 5, We Five, Five for Fighting, Zanussi 5, The Click Five, MC5 (short for "Motor City Five"), Ben Folds Five, Five Man Electrical Band, The Five Keys, The Jive Five, The Count Five, The Five Satins, Five Iron Frenzy, Five Finger Death Punch, and The Dave Clark Five.

Johnny 5 - the lead character in the 80's movie Short Circuit, who easily would have won the Oscar for Best Robotic Actor in a leading role, if such a category existed. "Johnny 5 alive!"

number of interlocking rings that make up the Olympic logo, representing the 5 inhabited continents represented in Olympic play.

in baseball, many Hall of Famers and greats have worn the jersey number 5: New York Yankees Joe DiMaggio, Cincinnati Reds Johnny Bench, Kansas City Royals George Brett, Detroit Tigers Hank Greenberg, Cleveland Indians Lou Boudreau and Baltimore Orioles Brooks Robinson.

common number of gears on a standard shift automobile.

The Torah contains five books—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—which are collectively called the Five Books of Moses, the Pentateuch (Greek for "five containers," referring to the scroll cases in which the books were kept).

The book of Psalms is arranged into five books, paralleling the Five Books of Moses.

the 5th Amendment permits a defendant from having to give 'self-incriminating' information, also known as 'pleading the 5th'.

chapter in the Gospel of Mark where Jesus makes a special trip to the region of the Gerasenes. upon arrival he and the disciples encounter a demon possessed man living among the dead - in the tombs. the man fell to his knees at the foot of Christ and acknowledged His power.

"What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?"

Jesus took time to speak with the man - eventually casting the demons within him into a herd of pigs nearby. the two thousand pigs then ran wildly over a cliff, into the sea and drowned.

the towns-people were not happy to see what had happened to the pigs and they were surprised to see the man, now dressed and in his right mind. and they were terrified. the people were not happy with what Jesus has done and so Jesus and his crew got back in their boats and left.

The once-demon-possessed man, now freed from that bondage, begged to go with Jesus - but Jesus gave him other instructions:

“Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. (vs. 19-20)

such a compelling story at so many levels. in some senses it reminds me of the Good Shepherd leaving the 99 sheep to go after that lost one. Here, Jesus goes after the one... the lost one... the abandoned one... the hopeless one. overcome by evil, the man can not save himself, yet the second Jesus appears on the scene, he runs to him and cries out.

at no other time in scripture do we read about Jesus going to this region and based on the towns-people's response, i doubt he would have been welcomed back. so in essence, Jesus went to the region of the Garasenes for one man... to save one man. to heal one man.

how inspiring is that? Leaving the 99 to rescue the lost one. that's the Jesus i cling to. can you fully grab ahold of that? what love the Savior has for us - no matter how far we wander - he pursues us, wanting to rescue us. do we run from him or do we hear His voice - the good Shepherd - and do we run towards Him?

lastly, i find it interesting that Jesus doesn't let the man come with him and the disciples... instead - he empowers him to go and be a disciple... or an evangelist, perhaps. a missionary in his home region... to go and tell the people of his new freedom. to tell his people of the mercy and grace of God, found in Christ Jesus, the Savior of the world.

and how did the people respond?

and all the people were amazed.

had the man gone with Jesus, who would have preached to the Garasene people? to go with Jesus would have been the safe bet - but Jesus compels the man to do greater things... to risk it all and to share the love of God with others.

and the man obeyed.

see what can happen when we embrace God's grace and mercy? see what can happen when we obey?

what a compelling story. one of my favorites...

(lent) 6

2011-04-18T08:42:00.001-04:00

#6

the name of Blossom's best friend on the late 80's early 90's tv sitcom Blossom.

number of strings on a standard guitar.

number of basic holes or keys on most woodwind instruments.

Flags. an American theme park chain.

Degrees of Separation - refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away from any other person on Earth.

Degrees of Kevin Bacon, a trivia game in which a player tries to connect any one actor to Kevin Bacon within six steps. It rests on the assumption that any individual can be linked through his or her film roles to actor Kevin Bacon within six steps.

days at the bottom of the ocean. a powerful song by instrumental post-rock band Explosions in the Sky from Texas, U.S.A. the song was written about the Kursk tragedy, a Russian submarine that sunk to the bottom of the sea after a dummy torpedo misfired due to a hydrogen peroxide leak. The submarine spent six days at the bottom before rescuers arrived, delayed by Russian refusal of help. Twenty-three men survived the two blasts but the delayed rescue took away any slim chance they had at survival.
you can listen to the moving song here.

number of points awarded for scoring a touchdown in football.

'the original six' refers to the oldest remaining teams in the NHL: Toronto, Chicago, New York, Montreal, Detroit and Boston.

number of fingers on the characters on the Simpsons. three fingers on each hand (plsu one thumb on each)

number of dots on a Braille cell.

Days of creation.

Day 1: The heavens, the earth, light and darkness.

Day 2: Heaven

Day 3: Dry land, the seas, and vegetation.

Day 4: The sun, the moon and the stars.

Day 5: Living creatures in the water, birds in the air.

Day 6: Land animals and people.

The number of symbolic foods of the Passover Seder meal.

it was six days before the passover meal that Jesus reclined with the newly raised-from-the-dead Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha and the disciples. In John 12, we see an example of high honor as Mary anointed Jesus with expensive perfume. Judas Iscariot takes issue with this, thinking the perfume could be sold and the money given to the poor.
But Jesus recognizes the importance of Mary's sacrifice and honor. I've always looked at this as Jesus showing that our relationship with Him trumps everything. our love for Him should be our number one priority.
it is then from that love for Him that we are compelled to be like Him... serving, sharing the Gospel, loving others and believing.
what makes this extra special is the symbolism that in six days he'd be facing his ultimate challenge - the Cross. Mary's choice to anoint him most honorable and respectable.

how can we honor Jesus today?

do we recognize that rescue is coming? do we realize that hope can be found?

we can't make it alone...

(lent) 7

2011-04-16T08:57:00.001-04:00

#7

the lucky number.

On the seven-segment displays of pocket calculators and digital watches, 7 is the number with the most common glyph variation (0, 6 and 9 also have variant glyphs).

Wonders of the Ancient World. Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria

sides to the 50 pence coin in England.

Up - a carbonated citrus beverage (only useful for days when the kids are home from school sick)

-Eleven. a convenience store chain once opened from 7am-11pm every day, until becoming a 24 hour store (which begs the question, if they are open 24 hours, do the doors have locks?) 7-Eleven is the worlds largest franchise, with 39,000 stores. On a per-capita basis, Norway has one 7-11 for every 47,000 Norwegians.

number of dwarfs with Snow White.

movie title of the 1995 film directed by David Fincher. Se7en starred Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt and Gweneth Paltrow. this hauntingly chilling tail of a Detroit serial killer has one disturbing plot twist after another.

The figurative number of seas.

7th Heaven, a TV show about a family of seven, with the father serving as a Pastor. When the show debuted in 1996, I was enrolled in a Los Angeles Film School. Jessica Biel, one of the stars of the show, lived in my apartment building. My roommate and I ran in to her a few times. She was 14 or 15. Then she became famous.

the name George Costanza desires to give his first-born. (see episode titled The Seven)

a strong Biblical number:
~on the 7th day of Creation, God rested, creating the Sabbath... a Holy day of rest.
~Seven days of the feast of Passover
~Seven year cycle around the years of Jubilee
~Jericho's walls fall on the seventh day after seven priests with seven trumpets march around the city seven times
~Seven things that are detestable to the LORD (Proverbs 6:16–19)

¹⁶ There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
¹⁷ haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

~Seven loaves multiplied into seven baskets of surplus (Matthew 15:32–37)
~Peter asked Jesus if he should forgive those who sinned against him up to 7 times; Jesus responded by saying to forgive them 'seventy times seven times'

number of sayings spoken from the mouth of Christ, while hanging on the cross.
1) Jesus Speaks to the Father
Luke 23:34
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

In the midst of his excruciating suffering, the heart of Jesus was focused on others rather than himself. Here we see the nature of his love—unconditional and divine.

2) Jesus Speaks to the Criminal on the Cross
Luke 23:43
"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

One of the criminals who was crucified with Christ, had recognized who Jesus was and expressed faith in him as Savior. Here we see grace poured out through faith, as Jesus assured the dying man of his forgiveness and eternal salvation.

3) Jesus Speaks to Mary and John
John 19:26-27
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother."

Jesus, looking down from the cross, was still filled with the concerns of a son for the earthly needs of his mother. None of his brothers were there to care for her, so he gave this task to the Apostle John. Here we clearly see Christ's humanity.

4) Jesus Cries Out to the Father
Matthew 27:46 (also Mark 15:34)
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

In the darkest hours of his suffering, Jesus cried out the opening words of Psalm 22. And although much has been suggested regarding the meaning of this phrase, it was quite apparent the agony Christ felt as he expressed separation from God. Here we see the Father turning way from the Son as Jesus bore the full weight of our sin.

5) Jesus is Thirsty
John 19:28
Jesus knew that everything was now finished, and to fulfill the Scriptures he said, "I am thirsty."

Jesus refused the initial drink of vinegar, gall and myrrh (Matthew 27:34 and Mark 15:23) offered to alleviate his suffering. But here, several hours later, we see Jesus fulfilling the messianic prophecy found in Psalm 69:21
.
6) It is Finished
John 19:30
... he said, "It is finished!"

Jesus knew he was suffering the crucifixion for a purpose. Earlier he had said in John 10:18 of his life, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." These three words were packed with meaning, for what was finished here was not only Christ's earthly life, not only his suffering and dying, not only the payment for sin and the redemption of the world—but the very reason and purpose he came to earth was finished. His final act of obedience was complete. The Scriptures had been fulfilled.

7) Jesus' Last Words
Luke 23:46
Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Here Jesus closes with the words of Psalm 31:5, speaking to the Father. We see his complete trust in the Father. Jesus entered death in the same way he lived each day of his life, offering up his life as the perfect sacrifice and placing himself in God's hands.
[from christianity.about.com]

lastly, there were seven places where blood flowed while Jesus suffered and died on the cross for us all... for all humanity. take 4 minutes, watch and listen and give thanks for His sacrifice.

(lent) 8

2011-04-15T07:53:00.004-04:00

#8

considered to be lucky in Chinese culture.

number of days of Hanukkah is a Jewish festival holiday.

in March of 1908, The Collinwood School Fire, near Cleveland, Ohio, kills 174.

Crazy Nights. an animated movie by Adam Sandler.

Mile. a infamous road in Detroit. made into a movie starring Emenem.

Seconds. A true life movie of a professional bull rider, starring Luke Perry.

mm (as in mileometer). a motion picture film format in which the film is 8 mm wide.

Super 8 is also a retired film format as well as a plush hotel chain.

Magic 8 Ball. a novelty toy which, when shook, will give you answers to life's toughest questions. Also available: the Answer Me Jesus magic 8 ball.

chapter in Matthew where Jesus speaks of the challenges of following Him.

The Cost of Following Jesus
¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. ¹⁹ Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
²⁰ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
²¹ Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

count the cost.
pay the price.
following Jesus is not something to be taken lightly.

chapter in John, verse 12 in which Jesus says: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Following means sacrificing. what will you sacrifice in order to be in the light?

there is no magic solution to get you through the trials of life - but there is a light that never goes out... and in that light is life.

cockroaches scurry and hide when the light hits them. don't run from light. embrace its warmth and let it guide you. trials may come but the light will satisfy the soul, while everything else will leave you wanting and needing more.

embrace the light. embrace life.

(lent) 9

2011-04-14T08:48:00.000-04:00

#9.

number of days Ferris Bueller was home from school sick. Mom: "9 times?" Principal Rooney: "9 times!" (video)

number of animals that make up a Chinese dragon.

number of innings in a baseball game.

number on the jersey of the 'splendid splinter' Ted Williams. one of the greatest hitters in major league baseball history. He hit .406 in 1941. no one has matched that average since.

number of Chelsea FC striker Fernando Torres, who was paid a record transfer fee of £50 million earlier this year. in the 2 and a half months since joining the Blues he has yet to score. His lore at Liverpool will be hard to match.

number of the Spiritual Gifts as written by the Apostle Paul (found in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10)

To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.^[b] ¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

number of the Fruits of the Spirit as written by the Apostle Paul (found in Galatians 5:22-23)
love
joy
peace
patience
kindness
goodness
trustfulness
gentleness
self-control

Against such things there is no law.

which one of these is your strongest? which one is your weakest?

God gives us many gifts. The Spirit is a fruit ripening within us. How are these gifts growing within us? How are you reaping what the Spirit is sowing?

let God work in you. take not how Jesus exemplified each of these fruits and gifts. how might we model that today?

(lent) 10

2011-04-13T08:34:00.003-04:00

10.

the atomic number of neon. what would we do without neon? for one, Las Vegas would be a lot less enticing.

number of cents in a dime.

the $10 dollar bill has a picture of Alexander Hamilton on it, a man who was ineligible to be President but was a founding statesman and notoriously lost a duel with then Vice President Aaron Burr, which took Hamilton's life.

a triple-double in basketball consists of three of the following: 10+ points, 10+ assists, 10+ rebounds &/or 10+ blocks.

name of the monumental album by Pearl Jam which helped launch 'grunge music' into the mainstream in 1991-1992.

number, in soccer, typically reserved for the best, most respected player.

interstate highway, which runs across the country, from California to Florida.

in Old Testament / Jewish tradition:
number of plagues.
number of days of repentance (beginning on Rosh Hashanah and ending on Yom Kippur.)
number of martyrs.
number of Lost Tribes of Israel.
number of generations between Adam and Noah.
number of generations between Noah and Abraham.

number of commandments God gave to Moses after the exodus from Egypt.

but Jesus trumped that when he said what some call the Jesus creed, the most important commandment (based on the Shema found in Deuteronomy 6)

²⁸One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: "Which is most important of all the commandments?"
^29-31Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these."
^32-33The religion scholar said, "A wonderful answer, Teacher! So lucid and accurate—that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that's better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!"
³⁴When Jesus realized how insightful he was, he said, "You're almost there, right on the border of God's kingdom."
After that, no one else dared ask a question.

Mark 12:28-34

Love God. Love People. Love Self.

now prove it.

(lent) 11

2011-04-12T08:48:00.005-04:00

11.

was the first manned spacecraft to land on the moon was Apollo 11.

in the mockumentary This is Spinal Tap the amplifiers go up to 11.

number of players, per side in soccer, football and cricket.

day, month and hour in 1918 in which World War I ended. November 11th @ 11 am signaled the official end with an armistice. November 11th (in the U.S.) is now Veterans Day.

day in March 2011 when an earthquake and tsunami decimated Japan.

day in September 2001 when terrorist attacked the United States.

page in the Service Record Book of an enlisted Marine for writing down disciplinary actions.

number of Academy Awards won by the films Ben-Hur, Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.

number of faithful disciples. Judas Iscariot betrayed him. Although, technically, 10 of the remaining loyal disciples still deserted Jesus before and during his crucifixion and death. We know that Peter denied him three times, but the others, according to scripture, disappeared, too. Only John stuck around. perhaps that's why he was referred to as 'the one whom Jesus loved.'
because he was there... in Jesus' greatest time of need.
he was there... to witness the agony.
he was there... to comfort Jesus' mother.
he was there... to receive final instructions from Christ - to care for Mary, his mother.
he was there... to hear the seven sayings from the cross.

he was there.

are you willing to take that risk to keep that close to Christ?
be still and reflect.

(lent) 12

2011-04-11T08:36:00.004-04:00

12.

literally means 'two left over' or 'two remaining after 10 have been taken.'

the number of items in a dozen. 12 dozen are known as a gross.

number of Olympians, the chief Gods of the pantheon in Greek Mythology.

days of Christmas (not just a song) involves celebrating Christmas for a period of 12 days ending on the eve of epiphany.

number of months in a calendar year.

number of hours in a half day.

in Judaism, the age in which a girl matures.

jersey number of Terry Bradshaw, my childhood football idol, who played quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1970's and early 80's. he lead the Steelers to 4 Super Bowl victories, winning MVP twice. 'The Blond Bomber' as he was called once held records for the Javelin throw before playing professional football. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

number of strikes needed for a perfect game in 10 pin bowling.

number of sons had by Jacob.

number of Tribes of Israel.

number of disciples of Jesus.
the twelve included:
Simon (they called him Peter, or "Rock"),
Andrew, his brother,
James, Zebedee's son,
John, his brother,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew, the tax man,
James, son of Alphaeus,
Thaddaeus,
Simon, the Canaanite,
Judas Iscariot (who later turned on him).

in Matthew chapter 10 Jesus gives these disciples a motivational speech... a giant word of instruction and encouragement before they were sent out.
Jesus is asking them to choose life.

vs. 5-8: go to the lost in this very neighborhood - and tell them that the kingdom is here. heal sick. raise the dead. touch the untouchable. live generously.

vs. 9-10: live simple. travel light.

vs. 11: be content.

vs. 12-15: be courteous. gentle in conversation. if you are unwelcome, don't make a scene.

vs. 16: stay alert. be cunning; prepared.

vs. 17-20: don't be naive. you will be slandered because you believe in me. don't get upset. embrace the opportunity to preach kingdom news! don't worry about what you'll say, the Spirit will supply you the words.

vs. 26-27: don't be intimidated. don't hesitate.

vs. 28: don't be bluffed into silence by bullies.

vs. 29-31: remember how much God the Father cares for you.

vs. 32-33: stand up for me against the world and i'll stand up for you before the Father in heaven.

vs. 34-37: don't think i've come to make life cozy!

vs. 38-39: forget about yourself and and look to me. you'll find both yourself and me!

vs. 40-42: start small. serve small. the smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing!

you won't lose out on life... true life.

how will you receive this same message? may you be compelled to do what Jesus asks of you.

(lent) 13

2011-04-09T09:08:00.004-04:00

13.

the unluckiest number. Hotels notoriously do not have a floor labeled the '13th' floor. Friday the 13th is also known as an unlucky day (thanks in part to the campy Friday the 13th horror film franchise)

the number of Dan Marino, the second most prolific passer in NFL history. Although he had great statistics and numerous chances, he was never able to lead the Dolphins to a Super Bowl victory.

the age in which one becomes a teenager.

the youngest age to see a PG-13 movie. this new rating was introduced in 1984 after parental uproar over excessive violence in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins. The first movie to be branded PG-13 was Red Dawn. The First PG-13 movie I saw was Police Academy 2.

the name of a mildly controversial film about life as a Thirteen year old.

the amount of the original colonies in the United States. (Can you name them?)

number of loaves in a Bakers Dozen.

Apollo 13 was the only unsuccessful mission by the United States of America intended to land humans on the moon. The mission launched on April 11, 1970 at 13:13 CST. The explosion of an oxygen tank on April 13, 1970 caused severe problems before the astronauts were able to return to Earth. The events were later captured on celluloid by Ron Howard in 1995. the film starred Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Gary Sinese and received critical acclaim.

The fear of the number 13 is called Triskaidekaphobia.

number of total people in Jesus' entourage: him + the 12.

the chapter in John when Jesus flips what it means to be Master. He flips it when he humbles himself and begins to serve them, washing the disciples feet. right then and there, an example is set for the disciples. leaders serve. Right then and there Jesus empowers them to 'do as I do.' plain and simple.
the faith Jesus had in the 12... the faith He has in you... to go and do likewise... to 'do as I do.' do you believe it? do you perceive it?
Here we have Jesus saying 'you can do what I do.' and later on he'd remind them 'anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.' (John 14:12)

empowering. encouraging. do we have faith in Jesus? He has faith in us! He has faith in YOU! embrace that.

the number 13 should not be feared. this message should not be feared. clinch this message in your hand. keep it close to your heart... and may you be compelled to act upon it, knowing full well that Christ believes in you.

go. serve. lead. for Christ's sake.

(lent) 14

2011-04-08T08:50:00.000-04:00

14.

the number of pounds in a stone, a British weight measurement.

Minimum age at which one can work in many U.S states.

the number of days in a fortnight.

day in February where we celebrate Valentine's Day. a day in which husbands will no doubt forget and have to run to the store to get flowers and a card after work.

number of lines in a Sonnet. Shakespeare Sonnet XIV is as follows:
Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck;
And yet methinks I have Astronomy,
But not to tell of good or evil luck,
Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons' quality;
Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell,
Pointing to each his thunder, rain and wind,
Or say with princes if it shall go well
By oft predict that I in heaven find:
But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive,
And, constant stars, in them I read such art
As truth and beauty shall together thrive,
If from thyself, to store thou wouldst convert;
Or else of thee this I prognosticate:
Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.

the number of Stations of the Cross.
reflect upon these 14... reflect and remember the story...

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane,
Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested,
Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin,
Jesus is denied by Peter,
Jesus is judged by Pilate,
Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns,
Jesus takes up His cross,
Jesus is helped by Simon to carry His cross,
Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem,
Jesus is crucified,
Jesus promises His kingdom to the repentant thief,
Jesus entrusts Mary and John to each other,
Jesus dies on the cross,
Jesus is laid in the tomb.

(lent) 15

2011-04-07T08:01:00.002-04:00

15.

the jersey number of Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos; the highest selling jersey during the 2010 season.

the first points of a tennis game.

number of players per team on the field in Rugby.

the age in which a minor can be sent to prison in the UK.

indoor soccer number of Tony Horton, also known as 'The Enforcer.' in all other sports he wears the number 22.

The number of days in each of the 24 cycles of the Chinese Calendar.

a song by Taylor Swift.

on the 15th day of April, 1989 the Hillsborough disaster took place in Sheffield, England. during a 'football' match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forrest was abandoned 6 minutes in as many fans were crushed against security fencing. 96 people died and 766 people were injured. It was the worst soccer tragedy ever.

The number of letters in the words "uncopyrightable", "dermatoglyphics", "misconjugatedly", and "hydropneumatics", which are the longest words in the English language that do not repeat a letter.

the chapter in Mark which tells of the events leading up to and including the Crucifixion.
Jesus before Pilate.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus.
The Crucifixion of Jesus.
The Death of Jesus.
The Burial of Jesus.

Pilate gives in to the people and Jesus is given a sentence of death.
Jesus is then beaten, tortured and crucified. He quickly dies... quicker that Pilate expected.
upon His death, a man named Joseph asked Pilate if he could take the body and give Jesus a proper burial.
Pilate gives in again and grants Joseph's request. The granting of this request is bigger than we might think. Perhaps the Pharisees would have liked it another way... a dead, decaying 'King' hanging on the cross, humiliated - so that their status might be elevated.
but the body is quickly removed and properly, respectfully buried.
Joseph saw to it that the tomb was sealed. Pilate saw to it that guards be placed there so that the body would not be stolen.
This was all necessary to make the testimony of Christ's resurrection all the more powerful and believable. For no one could dispute the fact that a dead Jesus was in that tomb... and no one could dispute that His body was not stolen.

then, on the third day... on that bright Sunday morning...

stay tuned...

(lent) 16

2011-04-06T08:34:00.001-04:00

16.

the jersey number of Joe Montana, the most prolific quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl, winning 4, for the San Francisco 49ers through out the 1980's.

ounces dry = one pound.

the atomic number of Sulfur, the smelliest of all the elements.

minimum age for being allowed an official Drivers License in the U.S. and Canada.

prominent birthday age, often referred to as 'Sweet Sixteen' (mostly among girls)

Candles. one of the first of many brat-pack movies. written by John Hughes and starring Molly Ringwald, 16 Candles jump started a plethora of 1980's 'coming of age' movies starring young actors such as Ringwald, Emilio Estevez and Anthony Michael Hall, etc.

number of athletic teams from the University of Alabama currently on probation.

number of pawns in a chess set.

the last king of France, Louie the XVI (16th) who was beheaded via the guillotine during the French Revolution. Viva la France!

number of different personality types in the Myers-Briggs classification system. (i'm a borderline ISFJ/ESFJ)

16 mm film was originally an amateur movie format, but is now used by professionals. [view it here]

a slang term for a verse in a hip hop song, which are often written in sixteen bar stanzas.

In the story of the Sleeping Beauty (written by Charles Perrault in 1697), a spell is placed on the princess that when she reaches her 16th birthday, she will "prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die".

verse in John chapter 3 (probably the most famous, most often quoted verses in the New Testament) which reads: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

16 is such a prominent number. for a teenager, it's a monumental year. for a hip hop artist, it's the measure of one's craft. for the king of France, it was his downfall. for Sleeping Beauty, her demise. for the Brat-Pack, it was the beginning of quintessential movies of a generation.

16. for mankind, it's the verse that brings hope to all mankind. love. sacrifice. belief. salvation. it's the verse of life for you and me and all the world.

(lent) 17

2011-04-05T08:40:00.000-04:00

17.

number of years it took to build Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle (which was the inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle)

The 17-year locust has the longest cycle of development of any known insect.

the unlucky day of the month, when in a Friday, in Italy.

Former President Bill Clinton's dog Buddy was killed by a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old girl.

name of a magazine aimed at teenage girls.

amount of steps that lead up to Sherlock Holmes' residence at 221B Baker Street.

Percentage at which a cow's saliva increases while grazing.

number of muscles in the human tongue.

number of clothes King Tutankhamen was wrapped in.

verse in Mark chapter 12 in which Jesus answers a trick question about allegiance (to Caesar or to God). "Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him."

random facts about the number 17.

there is no randomness in the actions of Christ... everything he did, said and taught cmae with a specific purpose... such as in verse 17 of Mark chapter 1: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

He began his ministry asking people to 'follow Him'. that same invitation exists today.

What does it look like to follow Jesus? are you compelled to follow? you might get dirty feet. you might be called to sacrifice... but His way is the better way... for Jesus came to give us life and life to the fullest! (John 10:10)

(lent) 18

2011-04-04T11:12:00.002-04:00

18.

the number (when spoken) often confused with the number 80.

in America, the age when one becomes legal.

in Hebrew, means 'alive'

original title of Joseph Heller's classic Catch-22 was Catch-18.

album title of Moby's 2002 recording with, you guessed it, 18 tracks.

number of holes in a round of golf.

number of wheels on a tractor-trailer semi truck

seconds before sunrise. the official title of the website for Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós.

verse in Matthew chapter 16 where Jesus refers to Simon as Peter, which means 'rock'. Simon, when asked 'who do you say that I am' responds to Jesus by saying “You are the Christ,^b the Son of the living God.” Peter's confession showed the kind of boldness that Jesus knew was a necessary foundation for the church.

the chapter in John where Jesus gets arrested and is put on trial. During this time, Peter, the rock, the one who's confession led to a name change, denies knowing or being involved with the One, Jesus.

how often are we one way in certain situations and yet another way in other?
genuineness is what is expected.
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. ~ Luke 12:48.
we have been given much. we have been entrusted with much. what are we doing with it? do we have a bold faith or are we hiding it or denying it... pulling it out when it's convenient?

thankfully, Peter learned from his denial. thankfully, Peter grew from that experience, was reinstated and would (in Acts 2) lead the church onward. but his lack of boldness almost led to his demise. for those brief moments of denial (three times on the night of Jesus' arrest - before morning came) Peter was anything but a rock... he was not living up to his name or his calling...

are you living up to your calling today? rise up. live it. Christ has a plan for you. claim it and live it today with boldness.

(lent) 19

2011-04-02T09:57:00.001-04:00

19.

minimum age to marry in the state of Nebraska.

"19th hole" in golf is the clubhouse bar.
In miniature golf it is an extra hole on which the winner earns an instant prize.

amount of years typically between solar eclipses.

the height, in feet, of the statues of Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson in their respective memorials.

a 'zero' point hand in Cribbage.

chapter in Matthew (verse 14) in which Jesus says, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

faith like a child. simple. pure. honest and real.

the chapter in the gospel of John in which Jesus is crucified.

the culmination of his ministry comes to a moment that seems to be final.
alone. on the cross. death enters and where are his friends?
all but one either ran off, denied him or hid. John stayed near him, comforting Mary, the mother of Jesus as Christ suffered humiliation, scorn and shame.
John stayed close. perhaps that is why he was referred to as the one whom Jesus loved.
John did not abandon him.

(lent) 20

2011-04-01T08:05:00.001-04:00

20.

the halfway point.
and yet so much would happen in the life of Christ during those final few weeks leading up to the cross...

number of baby teeth.

jersey number of Barry Sanders, easily one of the greatest running backs of all time. Sanders walked away from football at age 30, a mere 1,500 yards away from breaking the all time rushing record.

questions. a popular game that involves (you guessed it) asking 20 questions.

The Twenty Year Curse refers to the pattern of presidents of the United States who were elected to office in 1840, 1860, 1880, 1900, 1920, 1940, and 1960 to die in office. This pattern ended with the 1980 presidency of Reagan, who survived his time in office and, notably, an attempted assassination.

ounces in a Vinti drink at Starbucks.

CB Slang for "a place", being short for "10–20", used in reference to a person or object's location

the atomic number of Calcium. my mom used to make me drink milk as a child "for the calcium." i always hated milk. on my first day of college i thought of my mom and decided i'd drink one glass of milk a day. that lasted for exactly one day.

/20 ~ name of the longtime running prime time news program on ABC.

/20 ~ an indication of normal vision, often referred to as 'perfect vision'.

/20 hindsight. When someone is able to see only after an event has taken place, how things turned out.

Age in which Levites in the time of King David were allowed "to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord", the Temple in Jerusalem (see First Chronicles Chapter 24, verses 24 and 27). In the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, following the Babylonian captivity, it was Levites from the age of 20 upwards who were assigned "to oversee the work of the house of the LORD" (Ezra Chapter 3, verse 8).

20. hindsight. how have you witnessed the work of God in your life?
20. perfect vision. how have you kept your eyes on the prize? how have you kept your eyes on Jesus?
20. what were you doing at that age? i know that i wasted so much time then (and now, too). but God enabled the Levites to serve and work and oversee the work of the Lord. God doesn't call the equipped... he equipped those he calls.

how is He calling you today?

(lent) 21

2011-03-31T08:17:00.002-04:00

21.

name of British singer Adele's sophomore album.

legal age in which alcohol can be legally consumed in America.

name of a variation of basketball in which individuals play against each other in attempt to get 21 points.

number of points needed to win at Badminton.

number on the side of the car driven to victory at the 2011 Daytona 500 by rookie Trever Baine.

name of the 1950's game show in which a corruption cheating scandal occured. The events were made into the 1994 movie Quiz Show.

grams is the weight of the soul, according to research by Duncan MacDougall, generally regarded as meaningless.

Century for which we are now living. (also the name of a popular real estate company: Century 21)

Vintage 21 is the name of a church in Raliegh, NC. At one point, this church redubbed audio over parts of old 'Jesus' movies.

In the Spring of 2003, Vintage21 had a four week series on Jesus Christ, taking a deep look at what He said and did. It was difficult at times to get past our preconceived notions that had been developed by staunch, starched Sunday School classes of old. This is a satirical look at what some people think Jesus is like. Thank goodness He's not.

these videos instantly became internet sensations.
Vintage 21 Jesus #1
Vintage 21 Jesus #2
Vintage 21 Jesus #3
Vintage 21 Jesus #4
Vintage 21 Jesus (remixed: Jesus & Taco Bell)

Thank goodness Jesus is anything but the stereotypes we may have of him.
He is the real thing.
We need not make him a pushover or blond haired and blue eyed or American even.
Jesus was the Word in flesh. and he moved into the neighborhood, lived among us and showed us the Way. all we need is found in Him. but we need not change him to fit our needs... it is us that needs changed... or perhaps we'll become the stereotype...

(lent) 22

2011-03-30T08:31:00.003-04:00

22.

the atomic number for Titanium, which happens to be what Lieutenant Dan's 'new leg' was made out of.
Forrest: You got new legs. New legs!
Lt. Dan: Yeah, I got new legs. Lt. Dan: Custom-made titanium alloy. It's what they use on the space shuttle...

the maximum number of regions in which a plane can be divided by 5 circles.

number of players on the pitch for a soccer game (11 on each side)

number of players on the field for a football game (11 on each side)

the number of bones in that make up the human head. (8 cranium, 14 face)

the nick name of a .22 caliber rifle.

Catch-22, a book by Joseph Heller.

number of stars on the Paramount Pictures logo.

length, in minutes, of a typical American situation comedy (minus the commercials).

the age in which our mental ability peaks.

number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet.

number of chapters in the Revelation of John, the last book of the New Testament.

while on the cross, one of the seven says spoken from the mouth of Jesus was from Psalm chapter 22.

ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"

so many random statistics. so many things to consider... to remember.
how will we be remembered? as a person who added to the betterment of the world?
or as a statistic?

we all go through struggles in this life. we've all felt forsaken... forgotten.
but no matter how many times we forget our place in this world; no matter how many times we neglect God; no matter how many times we go our own way rather than the way of Jesus, He still remembers us.

on the cross he remembers us.
on the cross he unites us.

when we claim repentance and live righteousness, not only then are we remembered - but our sins are forgotten.

Christ on the cross, abandoned. alone. remembering us. before we were a mere gleam...

(lent) 23

2011-03-29T08:38:00.001-04:00

23.

the number on Michael Jordan's jersey for the betterment of his career, the most popular basketball number of all time.

as in, The Number 23, a 2007 movie starring Jim Carrey and directed by Joel Schumacher. It was Carrey's first thriller and has a 61% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie deals with the 23 enigma which refers to the belief that most incidents and events are directly connected to the number 23, some modification of the number 23, or a number related to the number 23.

number of times Julius Caesar was stabbed.

According to the Blink 182 song 'What's My Age Again' "nobody likes you when you're 23".

chapter in the book of Psalms which is the most quoted, most memorized.

¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

23 (Shepherd): a video vignette you can watch [click here]

are you satisfied? what compels you? how do the trials of life affect your faith?
the Good Shepherd, Jesus, satisfies all of our needs. When we are satisfied, we are compelled to tell others. may we strive to follow Christ's life, modeled for us...
in John 21, Jesus commands Peter to 'feed his sheep'. Broken, defeated Peter (who had denied Jesus 3 times on the night of his arrest and crucifixion) embraces the second chance - setting in to motion a monumental change in his life.

Are you ready for that second chance? feeding sheep is the 1st step.
[watch 'Sheep']

(lent) 24

2011-03-28T08:55:00.003-04:00

24.

furlongs = one league

carat Gold = pure gold.

name of the popular action/suspense TV show staring Keifer Sutherland, in which ever episode is one real time hour of a full 24 hour day.

number of chapters in Homer's Iliad.

number of chapters in Homer's Odyssey.

number of chapters in the Gospel of Luke.

number of major and minor keys.

the number of hours in a day.

the number of a car in the NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES owned by Hendrick Motorsports. The car has been driven by Jeff Gordon since its introduction in 1992.

the number of bits a computer needs to show 'true color'.

name of the song by Switchfoot [listen here]

Twenty four oceans
Twenty four skies
Twenty four failures
Twenty four tries
Twenty four finds me
In twenty-fourth place
Twenty four drop outs
At the end of the day
Life is not what I thought it was
Twenty four hours ago

Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And I'm not who I thought I was twenty four hours ago
Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

Twenty four reasons to admit that I'm wrong
With all my excuses still twenty four strong

See I'm not copping out not copping out not copping out
When You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now

And You're raising these twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts
But I want to be one today
Centered and true

I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now
And You're raising the dead in me

I want to see miracles, see the world change
Wrestled the angel, for more than a name
For more than a feeling
For more than a cause
I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And You're raising the dead in me
Twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts.
I'm not copping out. Not copping out. Not copping out.

24 hours. you can be a new man... a new woman...
the dead in us can be raised.
if we proclaim the Spirit number one, us, number two.

that's a life worth living.

become second. let Christ reign.

(lent) 25

2011-03-26T08:51:00.003-04:00

25.

cent piece. the most commonly used coin among U.S. currency.

day of December in which we celebrate Christmas.

Hour. as in 25th Hour. a Spike Lee movie starring Edward Norton who has one last day of freedom before serving a seven year prison term.

name of the Greatest Hits album of George Michael, featuring hits from solo career and his time with Wham! Make it Big (Wham!) was the top album of 1985 while Michael's first solo recording Faith was the top album of 1988. His greatest album (which paled in comparison in popularity) was Listen without Prejudice vol. 1, released in 1990.

The number of points needed to win a set in volleyball under rally scoring rules.

The per-second frame rate of the PAL video standard. NTSC video has 30 frames per second while film is 24 frames per second.

the verse in John 11 where Jesus talks about belief, faith and life... true life. Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying."

chapter in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus talks about sheep and goats. read it here. [matthew 25 from The Message translation] it's worth your time... worth digesting. chew on it and let it resonate...
sheep go to heaven. goats go to hell. a great song and video by Cake. [view it]
are you a sheep or a goat? a sheep listens to the Shepherd. a sheep does what he is told to do. according to Jesus what does a sheep do?

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

'Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

according to Jesus what does a goat do?

I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'

'Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.'

it sickens me as i reflect on my life, that i've too much acted like a goat, rather than a sheep.
Jesus gives this stern warning... this stern message. but in my experience - i've witnessed the church (by-and-large) ignore it. i've seen political parties draw battle lines over this (how we treat the poor, needy, foreigner, etc.). but with Jesus, there is no gray area.

it's black or white.

serve and be a sheep. a follower.

ignore need and be a goat. a wanderer.

i don't want to wander any more.

may our actions be worthy of Christ's mandate found in Matthew 25...

(lent) 26

2011-03-25T08:02:00.004-04:00

26.

number of letters in the English Alphabet.

number of red suited cards and black suited cards in a deck of 52.

Number of visible cubies in a Rubik's cube = 26

seconds, per solar year in which the Gregorian calendar errs.

the Hebrew practice of Germatria (the calculation of the numerical equivalence of letters, words, or phrases, and, on that basis, gaining, insight into interrelation of different concepts and exploring the interrelationship between words and ideas.) states that the Hebrew name for God (Yod, Heh, Vau, Heh or YHWH) is 10 + 5 +6 + 5 = 26

Age in which Joe DiMaggio hit safely in 56 straight games, Joe Namath correctly predicts victory in Super Bowl III, Barbara Streisand wins Best Actress, & Albert Einstein presents his theory of relativity, and relationship between matter & energy: E=mc².

verse in Genesis chapter 1 where God creates man.
"And God said, Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness: and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl
of the air, and over the cattle, and over
all the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creepeth upon the earth."

number of miles in a marathon.
which reminds of Paul's writing to the Corinthians. perhaps he was a runner.
^24-25You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.

^26-27I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

(1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

numbers. awards. creations. accolades. and at the end of the day, what do we gain?
there is a better reward. if we keep our eyes fixed on that which is eternal and if we give it our all and are prepared and ready, we will not miss out.

but don't make 'missing out' your only reason and/or motivation for following Christ. do it because the Spirit compels you. do it because that is what we were created to do. do it because you have one life. what will you make of it? how will you live? how will you love? how will you embrace grace? how muddy will you get for following the Messiah?

run hard. give it your all.
may others see your example and run along side you. may your training be your witness.

(lent) 27

2011-03-24T07:47:00.003-04:00

27.

age in which many legendary rock and roll musicians died. Robert Johnson, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, Jim Morrison, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Richey Edwards, and Kurt Cobain all perished at this young age.

number of concertos composed by Motzart for piano and orchestra.

the number of outs (per side) in a regulation baseball game.

the number of amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

verse in Mark chapter 10 in which Jesus says "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

chapter in the gospel of Matthew which tells the story of the crucifixion of Jesus.
it starts with the Pharisees putting the finishing touches on their plot to kill him. Then a bound Jesus is paraded to Pilate, the Roman governor.
Pilate gives the people a choice of whom he should pardon, Jesus or the criminal Barabbas. The people shout 'Free Barabbas."
What followed was brutal. beaten. whipped. flogged. stripped. humiliated. crucified. killed.
and the hopes and dreams of all of mankind died with him.

but he didn't stay dead.

but that's a story for another day.

he didn't die in vain. he didn't throw it all away. there was a purpose and a meaning and a reason.

may we strive to remember and to connect with that purpose and meaning and reason over this time of lent.

(lent) 28

2011-03-23T08:58:00.000-04:00

28.

Days Later. a British zombie-horror film directed by Danny Boyle in which a deadly toxin infects the mass public. the destruction of London follows as those infected become rabid savages.

means 'power' or 'energy'. according to ancient Hebrew numerology.

verse in Psalm chapeter 68 which says 'Summon your power, God ; show us your strength, our God, as you have done before.'

The number of letters in the Danish, Swedish and Arabic alphabets.

the number of dominoes in a domino set.

verse in Matthew 11 where Jesus gives hope to the tired and burned out. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (NIV).
The Message translation of that same verse reads "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

i'm tired a lot. Let's face it, life in the church can be tiresome. life in general is tiresome. maybe we're so tired and work out and utterly exhausted because we have yet to learn the unforced rhythms of grace. have we fully grabbed a hold of that?

Jesus says to us "I will not lay anything heavy on you." That's a promise i'll gladly cling too.

may we learn to live freely and lightly as we keep company with Christ.

(lent) 29

2011-03-22T08:37:00.002-04:00

29.

amount of years it takes for Saturn to orbit the Sun.

amount of days of a typical lunar cycle.

the number of days in February on leap years. Leap years occur ever four years. In case you forget when the next leap year will be, it is the same year as the Summer Olympics and the United States Presidential election.

the day in March, 1937, in which my dad was born in a home near the Railroad yards in Crestline, Ohio.

number on VH1's 100 most Shocking Moments in History in which John Lennon, of the Beatles, proclaimed that they were 'bigger than Jesus.' (watch)

verse in John chapter 20 in which Jesus says: "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

are you blessed today? do you believe despite not seeing? do have faith that is bigger than music or politics or the things of this world? from where does true faith derive?

(lent) 30

2011-03-21T09:15:00.001-04:00

30.

seconds to Mars. a band in which actor Jared Leto serves as lead singer.

Rock. a tv show developed by and starring Tina Fey. also, the address of NBC in downtown New York City. 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Highway route that runs right through Massillon and Canton, Ohio. Called the Lincoln Highway.

the smallest sphenic number.

atomic number for Zinc.

the minimum age for U.S. Senators.

The number of tracks on The Beatles' eponymous album, commonly known as The White Album

age in which Jesus began his public ministry. His first public miracle recorded in the Bible took place at the Wedding at Cana (John 2). Mary, his mother, asked him for assistance when the celebration ran our of wine. Jesus took something sacred and great and made it even greater, turning water into wine.
when we truly encounter the living Christ, good things become great.
Do you realize?

(lent) 31

2011-03-19T07:01:00.000-04:00

31.

number of hours it took Alex Roy to drive across the United States, from New York to Los Angeles, setting the transcontinental driving record.

the number of flavors @ Baskin-Robins ice cream shops.

The code for international direct-dial phone calls to the Netherlands.

The number of days in the months January, March, May, July, August, October and December.

verse in Luke chapter 5 in which Jesus says "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."

verse in Acts chapter 16: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."

(lent) 32

2011-03-18T08:50:00.000-04:00

32.

gb. as in gigabytes. common amount of storage found in the iPod touch and iPad. 45 million iPod touches have been sold. 10 million iPad's were sold in 2010.

number of completed piano sonatas by Beethoven.

number of leather panels that make up a soccer ball.

maximum number of teeth inside the mouth of an adult human.

the freezing point of water (in degrees Fahrenheit)

number of years 'Peter Rabbit', a horse, lived inside the city limits of Hickman, Nebraska before being 'evicted' because of an ordinance against having livestock in town. The eviction caused an uproar and divided the community.
"I feel bad for the poor horse. He's probably going to die soon anyway," said Jamie Cox, who manages the town bar, Sadie's Place. Hickman, with a population of just over 1,000 residents, is no longer a 'one-horse town.'

uniform number worn by 193 NBA players since the inception of the league.

verse in Acts chapter 2 in which Peter proclaims 'God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.'
we are all witnesses. what an amazing statement of truth.

what do we witness?

beautiful music?
amusing stories about the heartland of America?
random basketball statistics?

for seven years, the people of Cleveland were witnesses to the self-proclaimed king of basketball, LeBron James. t-shirts and banners read 'We Are All Witnesses.' for seven years, fans of the Cavaliers 'witnessed' greatness.
and then he left town.
it didn't take long for Cavs fans to 'forget' all that they had witnessed.

we witness a plethora of great and mighty things each and every day - but do we remember and proclaim our encounters with Jesus?

are we witnessing or missing Jesus each day?

(lent) 33

2011-03-17T07:22:00.001-04:00

33.

number of weeks in which a baby, in utero, has almost fully developed lungs.

amount of days the Israel-Hezbollah War lasted in the summer of 2006. The conflict killed at least 1,200 people, mostly Lebanese citizens,and displaced approximately one million Lebanese and 300,000–500,000 Israelis.

speculated age of Jesus when he was crucified. for much of his ministry, he did not have a home - but traveled from place to place, teaching, healing, ministering & discipling.

jersey number of Frenchy Fuqua, the Steelers running back who, in a 1972 playoff game vs. the Raiders, was the intended target of quarterback Terry Bradshaw on a 4th and 20 desperation play at the end of the game. The ball deflected off of Fuqua as he was being hit by Raider defensive back Jack Tatum and was 'caught out of the air' by future Steeler Hall of Famer, Franco Harris. Harris raced down the left sideline and into the end zone for the winning score. The play is commonly known as the 'Immaculate Reception'*. (video)

number of Chilean miners trapped underground after a mineshaft collapsed for a total of 69 days during the summer of 2010.

development. embattlement. extolment. amazement. wonderment.
the Lord is Lord over all the earth. Let heaven and nature sing.

what brings you joy today? for what can you give thanks to God?

(lent) 34

2011-03-16T09:22:00.001-04:00

34.

number of years in which the comic Cathy appeared in newspapers.

age that is considered to be, on average, 'the most expensive year of one's life.'

number of years mother of two, Victoria Rohring thought her children were dead before being reunited through CraigsList. * The children had been taken by their father and had been misled about the whereabouts of their mother.

amount of tsunamis that have hit the California port town of Crescent City since 1934.* the latest came as a result of the earthquake in Japan on March 11th, 2011. Destruction and terror have hit the Asian island nation hard in almost unimaginable ways. (video)

verse in chapter 23 of Luke in which Jesus states: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

the Psalm in which David praises enthusiastically His refuge and strength, God the father.
I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
David praised God despite being under great duress. The honesty of David can and should be a source of great encouragement for all Christians. Real. honest. raw emotions. real. honest. raw struggle.
and. yet. he. praised. the. Lord. enthusiastically.

joy. strain. separation. pain. pressure. exuberance. intimidation. tragedy. strong. fervent realism.

the patterns of life. placed upon our shoulders. sometimes willingly. sometimes innocently.

and Jesus took these burdens to the cross and while on the cross, with burdens firmly placed on his shoulders, he struggles to lift up his body in order to breathe. and with a breath he breathes out these words: 'Father, forgive them...' with the few breaths he had before giving up his Spirit, he asked His Father to forgive... them... to forgive... them, those who rejected Him... he asked God to forgive them...
and how many times have I rejected Him? and how many times have i missed it, that He forgives. because of the cross - in spite of His struggle - He forgives... me...

(lent) 35

2011-03-15T08:44:00.000-04:00

35.

millimeter. the size of the most basic film commonly used in still photography and motion picture film making. 35mm film has remained relatively unchanged since its introduction in 1892.

title number of United States code regarding patents.

number of words from the Declaration of Independence in which Thomas Jefferson claimed certain inalienable rights for all American citizens.

“We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”

verse in John chapter 11 which is the shortest verse in the Bible. "Jesus wept."

verse in Mark chapter 3 where Jesus states "Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys God's will is my brother and sister and mother."*

number of miracles performed by Jesus recorded in the Bible.

moments in time; captured on film or on the page. absolute, non-negotiable, non-transferable moments grant us rights and privileges... grant us freedom.
Jesus was real. fully human. fully God.
through Him, we have been granted freedom.
and what does the Lord ask of us? to obey.

Micah 6:8 comes to mind: He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

freedom through sacrifice should compel us to act in such a way.

(lent) 36

2011-03-14T08:04:00.003-04:00

36.

ave. waist size of American men

percent of people who reach behind the front row of milk cartons at the grocery store.

verse in chapter 10 of Hebrews which reads "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."
you have to think this kind of reminder would have helped Jesus, the son of God, the Messiah and eventual savior of all mankind as he journeyed towards his call on the cross.

Days it took in November and December of the year 2000 for the Presidential election to be certified in the United States.

verse in Mark chapter 8 where Jesus states "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"
there are many things we might 'gain' in this world. expanding waist lines. fresh gallons of milk from the store. Presidential electoral votes. had Jesus not journeyed to the cross, it would be all for naught. if we don't accept, believe, confess and follow the Christ who lived, died and rose again, then we profit nothing. our soul is traded away.

may lent remind us of what it means to be a follower...
Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for? *

(lent) 37

2011-03-12T11:09:00.000-05:00

37.

seconds. the average amount of time a child sits on Santa's lap.

amount of minutes the jury deliberated before finding Scott Roeder, 51, of Kansas City, Mo., guilty of premeditated, first-degree murder in the May 31 shooting death of abortion doctor George Tiller. Roeder said he killed Dr. Tiller in order to save the lives of unborn children. Roeder was attempting to advance the Kingdom of God through taking a stand against something that he deemed anti-Gospel (abortion) but did it in a manner that is also anti-Gospel (murder). Pro-life is pro-life. there can't be any exceptions.

chapter in the book of Psalms, verse 4 that reads 'Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.'

verse in Luke chapter 1 in which the angel reminds Mary (who is with child with the Messiah, Jesus) 'For nothing is impossible with God.'

life is sacred. all life. this time of lent should remind us that Jesus went to the cross, endured the pain and the shame for ALL mankind.

you are beautiful.

(lent) 38

2011-03-11T11:47:00.001-05:00

38.

special. name of a late 70's early 80's band most known for their hit 'Hold on Loosely'
"Hold on loosely. But don't let go. if you cling to tightly, you might loose control."

the number that is most drawn in lotteries.

verse number in Psalm 105: Egypt was glad to have them go— they were scared to death of them.
scared to death... because the Lord had moved. and the slaves (the Israelites) were freed.
For God's plagues caused them to prefer to depart with the Israelites rather than with their lives.

parallel that divides North and South Korea. in 1950, North Korea crossed the line and invaded South Korea sparking the Korean War. 3 million lives were lost.

verse number in John 18 where Pilate found 'no basis' for a charge against Jesus.

hold on. don't let go. put your trust in God, not money or military might. God will give you ultimate freedom. freedom through an innocent Christ who would sacrifice his all for us.

(lent) 39

2011-03-10T15:16:00.005-05:00

39.

the year (as in 1939) in which the Wizard of Oz is released, Lou Gehrig says in his tearful goodbye to the Yankees "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." and World War II begins.
Joy. Sorrow. Bloodshed. and the world would never be the same.

a song by Queen not sung by Freddie Mercury, rather by Brian May.

number of books in the Old Testament, written by several authors (26, perhaps), inspired by God.

the sum of five consecutive prime numbers: 3 + 5 + 7 + 11 + 13
3 crosses. 5 loaves of fish. 7 days of the week. 11 loyal disciples. 13 years to build Solomon's palace.

the number of lashes Jesus took across the back on the day of his crucifixion. 40 lashes less one. that's what the Roman law allowed. Roman tradition considered forty lashes to be a death sentence. In Roman times, it was deemed that if a flogger were to appropriately administer a punishment, he should be able to kill a man with forty lashes. Depending on the circumstances, if he failed to kill a man in forty lashes, the flogger would face death. This was to insure that the flogger would not hold back in handing out the punishment. Using this same twisted logic, the Romans determined that 39 lashes shouldn't kill a person so that was the most you could give a person, without a sentence of death by flogging. Seeing how Jesus was to be crucified, the Romans were merciful and only gave him 39 lashes, Or perhaps the flogger was fearful of a death sentence if Jesus survived the fortieth lash.*

a life of joy. turns to sorrow. followed by bloodshed.
and the world would never be the same.

(lent) 40

2011-03-09T19:40:00.004-05:00

(lent begins to day. this is the first of what i hope will be a series simple posts for each day of lent.)

40.
the number of days Jesus spent in the wilderness. he fasted; was hungry and subsequently tested and tempted. he never wavered. (matthew 4:1-11)

the name of the song often used to close out concerts by irish rock band U2, based on Psalm 40. the song and Psalm begin with the phrase: "i waited patiently for the Lord, he inclined and heard my cry."
Lent, like advent, is about waiting... patiently... for salvation to come.

the year in which the Jewish festival of Passover is adopted by the Christians and renamed Easter.

also the year in which the first 'Christian' church comes to Egypt.

the number of years God's people (the Israelites), once slaves in Egypt, spent wandering in the desert after disobeying YHWH. centuries later, their ultimate redeemer and savior would come in the humblest of ways. His ministry would begin by spending, you guessed it, 40 days in the desert. and then the whole world changed...

how does 40 compel change in you?

the Rob Bell Attack. when talking is not communicating (or when listening takes a back seat to how right i am)

2011-03-08T22:56:00.000-05:00

i stumble a lot. and by stumble, i mean randomly come across various web pages, blogs and articles. i regularly keep tabs open on my computer of articles and whatnot that i will eventually read. i peruse Twitter nightly clicking on links to articles that interest me.

last week i stumbled upon a review to a book by Rob Bell that had yet to be released. the only catch was, that this blogger hadn't been privy to an advanced copy of the book - thus his review was purely speculative. this blogger - one Justin Taylor, questioned if Rob Bell was a Universalist. this set off a chain reaction in the 'Christian' blogosphere. the result gave surefire proof that hot air can be filtered through ones fingertips. so many words of hate spewed forth over speculation.

i don't intend to debate the ins and outs of Rob Bell. i don't intend to debate or speculate what his new book Love Wins is about, either.

what i am writing about is the response... the more than often visceral attack of his character and his theology and the quickness with which one can be condemned to hell, labeled a false prophet and a heretic - all by self proclaimed, self-righteous know-it-alls who claim to be followers of Jesus. that is my debate. that is what turns my stomach.

1) writing about how Bell is anti-Gospel in a manner that is also anti-Gospel is ironic in the worst of ways. you can't expect to be taken seriously when the crux of your disdain is defended by 'he's an a**.' name calling doesn't prove your point or win followers to your side.

2) when you take the time to stand on a soap box and condemn another man as a heretic - neglecting to remember Col. 4:6 – “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt.” & James 1:19 – “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak.” makes you a hypocrite. besides, when has shouting ever been a productive means of communication?

3) a proof text out of context is a pretext. shouldn’t the context always be considered? isn't that the fair thing to do? my dad taught me that. i've seen many critics of Bell take a word or a quote or a passage from a book out of the context it was written so as to make it fit into the mold they've already placed him in. what is a pretext? a reason given in justification of a course of action that is not the real reason. that is not the Jesus way. nor is it fair. and using scripture out of context to make it fit into your preconceived ideas is ignorant and irresponsible.

4) since when did different opinions on the scriptures = heresy? theologians, preachers and peasants have debated the Word of God for centuries on end. why so quick to label?

but in today's free expression that is the internet ones words can be shared without fear. we can hide behind the computer screen. thus we feel a bit brave about what we say... yet - i wonder if there is a deep fear, deep within the hearts of those who shout so loud on this world wide web. fear of change? fear that the Good news of Jesus might manifest in differing ways - so that the Gospel might reach the masses, the lonely, the broken, the needy? All things to all men, Paul says.

i might be wrong about Bell. i might be wrong about my opinions. or i might be right.
maybe we spend too much time trying to prove how right we are.

i don't write this with expectation that anyone will change - this is just my self expression. but i do believe - and i think the Words of Jesus back me on this - that in the end, love wins. for Jesus came to save, not to condemn. (John 3:17)

praise God for that. because too many of us waste our time taking care of the condemning part. thank God Jesus saves - because apparently we don't have the capacity to love like that... or maybe we do but we choose to ignore it.

p.s. i appreciated Scot McKnight's response to this latest 'Bell' controversy.
Waiting for Rob Bell 2. i think he takes the high road. others, not so much.

ten things i wish evangelicals would stop doing

2011-03-07T13:50:00.003-05:00

ten things i wish evangelicals would stop doing
by efrem smith

10.) Act as if justice is simply a social issue and not a biblical one.

9.) Reduce the Christian life to individualism.

8.) Major in the minors theologically.

7.) Stop saying “hate the sin, but love the sinner” when we don’t do it.

6.) Feel comfortable with segregated church.

5.) Confuse political ideology with biblical theology.

4.) Act as if race, class, and gender are no longer issues to be dealt with.

3.) Avoid prophetic preaching.

2.) Missing out on being blessed by women in pastoral leadership.

1.) Ignoring the biblical mandate of reconciliation.

February Flood

2011-02-28T14:55:00.000-05:00

the week prior brought two winter snow storms. with 8+ inches on the ground, the rising temperatures Sunday night saw most of the snow melt away.
then a torrential downpour and thunderstorm brought 2 inches of rain per hour.

louisville, ohio was subsequently flooded on many sides.
©2011 tim beck

Book Review: The Know-It-All

2011-02-21T17:55:00.001-05:00

The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A.J. Jacobs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

it may have taken me 3 months of casual reading, but i am finally completed A.J. Jacobs 400 page The Know It All. it's about his trek through the entire Encyclopedia Britannica; every volume, every word.

Jacobs' witty writing style is entertaining, to say the least.

i also enjoyed Jacobs' book The Year of Living Biblically.

this is a nice book, probably not the kind of book that will bring non-stop reading, but it is worth the time, even if it takes you three months.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Out of Babylon

2011-02-11T19:40:00.000-05:00

Out of Babylon by Walter Brueggemann

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

how does empire fit with faith in God? this book dives deep into the old testament (and i mean deep), particularly with the apparent constant struggle with those who empowered their will and rule over them. For many years God's people spent time in exile - in captivity - courtesy of the Babylonians. The Babylonian empire displaced the Israelites.

Walter Brueggemann explores this struggle and draws comparisons to 21st century christians living in the midst of the American empire.

i won't lie, this book is heady. Brueggemann is heady. i probably missed some of the main points of the book. they probably went way over my head.

i still liked the book - but i wished i would have enjoyed it more.

i was drawn to the book because i am drawn to the Old Testament stories of when the Israelite were in captivity - in exile - particularly the story found in Jeremiah 29. God gives them interesting instructions (vs. 1-14), often missed by Christians who focus on the popular Jer. 29:11 passage.

i am also drawn to the commentary on how christians aught to live in the midst of the current empire of which we reside: America.

i get frustrated that too many christians appear to follow political parties and/or the constitution OVER the Word of God. i was hoping that this book might shed light on that.

Brueggemann subtly discusses and brings to light comparisons from OT empires to current, modern day western empires. I wish it would have spent more time on the present. maybe it did and i missed it.

over all, there are a few chapters that make this book worth reading (the first and last chapters were phenomenal). perhaps you'll get more from the middle parts than i did.

View all my reviews

what if there were no sports?

2011-02-07T08:46:00.004-05:00

[thoughts after watching my team, the Pittsburgh Steelers lose Super Bowl XLV last nite]

it's not to say that watching and/or rooting for one's favorite competitive sports team isn't stressful. it is, or it can be. but not stressful in the same way that sticking to a budget is stressful or driving on icy roads is stressful.
but competitive sports - at any level - certainly will bring pressure beyond measure to one's life - and i'm only speaking from a spectators perspective.

but if i were to think about how much time i've spent watching and rooting for my favorite teams - it would no doubt boggle my mind. much of that time was spent enjoying the sport and enjoying the moment. but when it all comes to the end - something else generally rears it's ugly head: a hard truth that competitive sport will inevitably bring... disappointment.

the biggest challenge to Joe Spectator is that no matter what, only one team wins. which means almost everyone, at some point, will be let down.

let down.

there are 32 teams in NFL. only one wins the Super Bowl. that leaves 31 teams and fans disappointed. some are so used to the disappointment that they wallow in it (hello, Cleveland Browns fans?)

there are 119 Division 1 collegiate football programs. only one wins the national championship. that leaves the majority of the people disappointed. more so because some might argue there is no equality when it comes to getting to the national title game, let alone winning it.

Baseball has 30 professional teams - but at least disappointed fans can revel in rooting against the Yankees. so we've got that going for us. which is nice.

oh the dismay of sports. it happens on every level. ever been to a soccer game for 7 and 8 year olds? listen to the parents on the sidelines and you'd think it was the World Cup (minus the Vuvuzelas).

why do we do this to ourselves? we are crazy for sports... it rules us. it kills us. sometimes almost literally. i remember 5 years ago when the Steelers made an improbable run to the Super Bowl. During the divisional playoff game against Indianapolis, with the Steelers up by 3 points, Jerome Bettis attempted to run in for a game-clinching touchdown (that would put Pittsburgh up by 10 points) when the ball was knocked away and fumbled. the Colts picked it up and nearly ran it 99 yards the other way for what would have been their game winning score. When the fumble occurred, some guy in Pittsburgh, watching on his bar stool at his favorite watering hole, fell to the floor and nearly died of a heart attack.

Sports kills us. heck, even the first marathon runner died after completing his task.

and although most people don't literally die after seeing their team lose - it does seem to take a little piece of our soul away. no matter what, the losers experience... loss. so in that way, it is kind of like a death to a part of our self.

but then the cycle begins a new. we wake up and we wake up and after a few days or even weeks of 'mourning' we sports fans rise up - ready to embrace the next challenge or the next season of competitive recreation. as the old adage goes: "there's always next year!"

and then next year comes... and disappointment comes... and we are let down all over again.

but at the heart of every sports fan is something special. something no one can take away... HOPE. hope for the future. hope for our team.

and as long as there's hope, there's a chance.

"so you're telling me there's a chance..... YEAH!"

and that is what makes sports beautiful. and that is what makes us keep watching and rooting. because you never know when your team might just make it and win it all. or maybe it's self-deprecating and we really just love the pain.

i don't know. ask me in a few days or weeks. by then i'll be thinking about next year.

lost journal entry: rooted in love

2011-02-03T06:52:00.000-05:00

[journal entry from january 2010 - some of which was inspired while reading Forgotten God by Francis Chan]

(left side) holy spirit.
help me to see you. understand you. feel you. be empowered by you. pray to you. recognize you. remember you. love you. invite you. long for you. realize you.

the Holy Spirit: a gift from God.

(right side) rooted in love.
analogy of the H.S.
before the Holy Spirit, the ground is dirty, full of sludge. the Holy Spirit rains down and infiltrates the soil.
mixes with our waste, our manure.
the rain brings regeneration... fueling an unstoppable life force.
takes the tree from 'mere existence' to 'true, full life'.
new life is the result. (john 3:5-8)
("you can't change the fruit without changing the root")

underneath the surface, the roots 'drink up' and the Spirit flows.
as a result, the Spirit flows through - gives new life to the tree and brings green leaves.
what once just existed - is now living in color.
the Spirit gives life. (John 6:63)
the Spirit flows, mixes with the roots, flows into and mixes with the life blood; the heart.

the heart filters the Spirit of God through our roots (veins) which leads to an outward sign of life (green leaves/pure joy); an outward sign of Love.

[this journal entry inspired me to create the following video. the image i drew was inspired by a painting by Paige Medlock titled 'open heart surgery']

description of the above film
(so called) artist::tim beck
time lapse photographer::jen beck
©2010

this was our 1st attempt @ any sort of time lapse photography.
used Canon 7D - bulb 25 - 100 iso (i think)

we had some trouble with over-exposure - but this was our 1st attempt.

drawing was inspired and based on the painting 'open heart surgery' by paige medlock

i titled this 'Rooted in love'.
symbolism: where we are planted depends on what kind of fruit we will produce.
the holy spirit rains down upon us... giving life to our tree of life. the roots connect to the heart. the holy spirit's power, comfort and guidance infiltrates the roots or veins that go to the heart. the heart then pumps out a life blood that produces productive, vital, "life-to-the-full" fruit.

that fruit is love - and it can't help but manifest itself in us. the Holy Spirit pumps the love of Christ through our veins and gives us the ability to love God and love people.

lost journal entry: bleeding roots.

2011-01-31T07:34:00.000-05:00

i've collected and filled (some partial, some entirely) a handful of journals over the years. most of the journals are used for brainstorming. lately, i've been looking through some of them. i figured i'd scan in and upload some entries and then blog about it.

bleeding roots.
[journal entry from july 11, 2009 while at the DCLA event in Washington]

the sun gives life to the seed that is planted.
the seed takes root.
once rooted, a new source brings growth.
the roots are watered - which brings growth.
the water is blood-like for the tree.
it is the nutrition that it needs to thrive and produce fruit.
the blood saturates the soil - giving life to all things...
making dead things alive again.

parallel:
light gives us life - shows us where true life takes place (deep within the soul). the light is of God - His Holy Spirit showing us the way to true life.
once seeds of faith are planted true growth only happens when one realizes and embraces the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. His blood drips down the roots of our soul - infiltrating our entire state of being. it is at that point when our dead-to-sin-hearts are given new life.
that new life then allows our faith to grow and eventually bear fruit - which is the evidence of the faith (in Jesus) that anchors us - deep down within the roots of our soul. we may bend and sway from time to time - but our lifeblood is rooted in Christ - giving us a strong, firm foundation.

found.

2011-01-27T08:14:00.002-05:00

finding stuff. the more random the better.
i have a simple collection of found stuff in my office - most are mementos from days gone by; trips to here or there. some of the found things i know where found - but i know not from which they were. i simply can't remember.

a glass 946 mL milk bottle from the Caldwell organic Dairy farm (found in a soup kitchen in Portland, Maine)

a key to a lock to a door from who knows where. found in cushion of a recliner.

a green softball jersey with the number 34 and the name 'ED' on the back. found by one of my former students - given to me. now hanging on my wall.

i can't remember where i found this stick, but it's been on my desk for years. i think it has some sentimental value. i don't remember, though.

the EXIT sign was found in an old downtown church in Lexington, KY. we were doing 'demo' work - so that the basement could be remodeled into a kitchen and cafeteria to feed the homeless.

the tire tread is from the bus tire that blew just outside of Columbus on one trip south. it took hours on that Sunday afternoon to get the bent frame off and repaired.

there we sat... outside the repair shop... killing time... wasting time... frozen in time...

the Kodachrome slide was a special find - in the attic of an abandoned boarding school that at one time housed mentally ill teenagers. it's a picture of a dairy cow. i will never forget the haunting things written on that attic wall.

the randomness of found things is what makes finding them so interesting.

the more random, the better.

there are websites devoted to the like: Found Magazine is one of them.
old picture of someone's Sunday Best
letters written to mom from summer camp.
one piece leisure suits from the 70's (known to drive the ladies wild, so says the advert)
etc.

finding stuff.
because everything's got a story.
just like in the movie Amelie, when she finds an old tin box filled with a little child's trinkets and toys. she goes out of her way - many years later - to track down that child, now a grown man - so that she can give it back to him.

finding things. pure joy. because the memories associated with the finding are simply priceless.
what have you found lately?