Archive for August, 2007
Dodgeball, then Tag, then Freedom of Speech?
A Catholic high school in Broomfield has suspended a student because he said “white power” in a classroom discussion. The discussion was on the immigration issue and apparently “white power” became the phrase to define a certain position.
Here’s what I find incredibly sad/funny about the situation. The school reported that fewer than 6 students voiced strong opposition to allowing further immigration. (Which is fine, whether I agree with them or not – they can have that opinion.) Then the school said only a couple of students heard the student say “white power.”
So….let me get this straight. Inside a classroom of 30 people or less, you start a controversial discussion then you condemn 6 students because they voice an opinion which was different than every one else’s, one of those students decided to get cute/funny/stupid with a saying and only a couple of students heard so you suspend him and release a press announcement over it?
Suspend a kid for fighting, not for having an opinion. I can remember in an American History class the teacher was bemoaning how the early Americans treated the American Indian, how brutal it was, how they just took the land, the whole American Manifest Destiny. My buddy and I were in the back and knew the teacher fairly well…knew she owned about 30 acres west of Aurora, Colorado and we commented as such. Actually, he did.
“So, should we sell our land back to the Indians?”
Of course the rest of the class thought that was kinda funny even though the teacher went red in the face. Of course, me being the king of smart remarks couldn’t allow my friend to get all the laughs. So I chimed in…
“Heck no. It’s their fault for being on our land first.”
I got my 5 minutes of fame in the class at the cost of extra long lecture from the teacher on how racist that statement was. Apparently sarcasm was not her strong suit.
Fortunately, I had other classes where the teachers would allow me to have and voice any stupid opinion I wanted. And we had all stupid opinions in high school. Thank God I had teachers who were mature enough to allow immaturity to run its course. In the process they taught us HOW to think, not WHAT to think.
Apparently, all the idiots have left Congress and now are infiltrating our schools. I think my campaign slogan this election season will be this…”Let’s get those idiots back where they belong…in Congress.”
My Fantasy Team, ECFL
I’m in two leagues..again…this year. This is my keeper league. We also play a point per reception. I’m going to love this league next year but this year – could be brutal. With all the stud picks already taken, I drafted for the future…as you can tell with as many rookie and second year players on the roster. Here’s the team.
Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Sea
Jay Cutler, QB, Den
Edgerrin James, RB, Ari
Clinton Portis, RB, Was
Travis Henry, RB, Den
Mike Bell, RB, Den
Marques Colton, WR, NO
Dwayne Jarret, WR, Car
Anthony Gonzales, WR, Ind
Brandon Marshall, WR, Den
Vernon Davis, TE, SF
Greg Olsen, TE, Chi
Jeff Wilkins, K, Stl
Olinde Mare, K NO
Chargers, DST
It’s Not Fun Anymore
Had that told to me a few days ago by a friend in ministry. He was contemplating whether or not it was time to “get out.” For a few minutes I thought I was looking in the mirror circa 2005/2006. I just listened to him. This time was for him to vent and work some things out aloud. Meanwhile, I started “working things out” inside my head.
I never said any of this to him. I don’t know why. Part of me wishes I did, part me is glad I didn’t. Some of it he’ll have to figure out on his own, just like the rest of us did.
I think the best thing that can happen to a pastor is to have the “fun” destroyed for a season. I know you can’t live there forever. And I’m not talking about “fun” in the sense of “Disneyworld” or EASY. Ministry is work but it’s also ….fun. Maybe a better word is joy….although that may not exactly be right either. (See, I’m still trying to work it out.)
I guess what I’m trying to say is this – if you can keep your head, perform your job, minister to others in a context where there is no positive reinforcement, where your motives are questioned, where you are constantly misunderstood…where it feels like you are walking through 3 feet of mud, where it takes twice the work to get half the results, where small-minded people insult you and you treat them with dignity anyway…if you can still do the work of God in that place…praise God. Because humanly, it’s not possible.
The only way that happens if you come to the end of yourself and you’ve truly been consumed by serving the Kingdom. And that’s the Spirit at work. It’s not the “kum-by-ah” moment, it’s the sweaty, exhausted moment. And isn’t that how the Spirit tends to work anyway?
The joy returns. It may still be hard and thankless…but there’s value in plowing through the dry, hard, empty, “funless” time.
Keep plowing…you’re loved and not alone.
First Dodgeball, now Tag?
Colorado Springs schools bans the playing of tag on the playground saying children who don’t want to play are being chased and harassed against their will.
Boo-freakity-hoo. You don’t want to play tag? Don’t play. It works like this – they touch you and say – “You’re it!” You stand there and continue on your conversation or whatever else you were doing…the tag game completely grinds to a halt and they have to find someone who WANTS to play.
I do understand banning certain kids from playing tag. The ones that trip over air and could hurt themselves – I get that. I understand not letting kids play tag on concrete or on rocks…because it hurts when you land on those surfaces.
But as a parent, I need my child to run around like an idiot during the day so they will be tired when they get home.
On a larger level, I need the school to quit writing rules that try to solve every little problem that every little kid could possibly have. I need my kids to learn that not everybody plays fair and sometimes people get away with cheating. I need them to experience that now so they can learn how to deal with it better later. I need them to learn that it’s okay to not play or like something that “everybody else” does. I need them to learn how to say “no” out of principle, not have a rule or “law” that gets them out of making a hard decisions. I need them to fall down, scrape a knee and get up again.
I need my kids to face these minor “traumas” now so that they will be better equipped for real life with real hurts.
Now if only my school had banned Geometry for those of us who felt harassed by math teachers.
You Don’t Realize The Power of the Dark Side
This is part of our e-journey through the gospel of John. Today is from John 13.
Camber is watching the Star Wars movies in order (minus Revenge of the Sith). Her favorite one – Empire Strikes Back. (Yes, I have raised my daughter right.) She calls it the snow one. The good thing is that now she understands half my jokes and quotes…like when they say they’re not scared and I reply…
“You will be. You WILL be.”
The cool thing about Camber is that she is really able to “get” movies. (Why this doesn’t translate over to the real world, I’ve yet to figure out.) For example, she told me last night – “You know Dad that all of these movies are really about saving Darth Vader.”
I don’t know if it was because I was tired or in awe or both but all I could manage was a “Hmm. Good stuff, Cammy.”
So this morning when I read this – “Jesus knew that the Father had put ALL THINGS under his power…” – it kinda threw me off for a sec. Jesus’ march to the cross was AVOIDABLE… if he wanted it to be. Jesus didn’t HAVE to wash stinky feet that night, especially the feet of the one who would betray him and the feet of those who would abandon him.
Jesus had the power to put the “Force Grip” on them and say – “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”
But he didn’t. True power was serving them in unconditional love to the place where their character and heart were changed enough so that they began to serve others not out of force or guilt, but out of free will and love. This whole evening was a “test” of Jesus – did he realize the power of the dark side? To make people do what he wanted? Did he understand that he had all authority under heaven and earth at his discretion?
Yes, he did…and he knew that it would not be enough to redeem. Way before Yoda, Jesus seemed to know that the “dark side” was quicker, but not stronger. True power is shown through serving in love then watching the transformation take place.
Sick of Vick
Alright PETA lovers, get your comments ready for this one.
News came out this week that Travis Henry has 9 children from 9 different mothers and he’s been delinquent in child support payments. Ray Lewis allegedly had his hand in killing another human being. Jamal Lewis was drug dealing. Michael Pittman, running back for Tampa Bay has been arrested twice for spousal abuse. Pacman Jones was at a club where shots were fired.
Vick fought dogs and allegedly killed them.
One of these things is not like the others…one of these things just isn’t right…
Is it terrible? Yes. Is it sick? Yes. Does Vick have some significant character flaws? Absolutely. Should he go to jail for it? Yes. Although I have to admit as much as I don’t like Vick how can our government justify sending him to more jail time than any of the above combined?
Should he be banned from the NFL for the rest of his career? No. Should he be treated worse than O.J. Simpson? Absolutely not. Does he deserve 24 hour news coverage from E-Vick-PN and Vickcenter? No. The banner-carrying people that follow Vick around harassing him at every corner – I feel your pain, now find someone else more worthy and dangerous to bother. The commentators on ESPN that think this is the greatest tragedy to the game – you’ll excuse me if I don’t hit the panic button on this one.
The NBA refereeing scandal – that’s a major problem. The continued use of steriods and the lack of testing in MLB – that’s an issue. The continued ignoring of players who rough up their wives and girlfriends, drive under the influence, and father kids then abandon them – report on that.
Vick – at worse – is a dog killer. Sick, inhumane, and horrible but more so than the rest of the lot we’ve seen this summer? I don’t think so. The media wasn’t this consumed in proving OJ’s guilt, nor anyone else’s for that matter.
There is no way to justify the media attention and vile toward Vick in light of other athletes and what we’ve tolerated from them. How many times did Daryl Strawberry get busted for drugs and driving under the influence? How many lives did he endanger with his behavior?
Vick just had horrible timing. After the summer of cheating and treason with professional athletes, there wasn’t much room in the forgiveness tank for this one.
And while I’m at it – Stephen Marbury, if you’re reading…listen to your publicist and lawyer when they tell you that it is better to keep silent and let the world think of you a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Vick will have earned what ever sentence comes down the pipe. He may not be getting a fair shake from the media, but he’s not a victim in all of this.
Vick is a sad figure but he’s no villain like others who put HUMAN life in danger by driving drunk, dealing drugs, beating up woman, and abandoning children.
End of rant…on with life.
What I Thought vs. What I Got
Last night we started our new fall series “The Biggest Lies We’ve Been Told.” We broke out into small groups and we heard first from our students – what have been the biggest lies you’ve been told.
Here’s what I thought would be some of the answers:
Everybody is doing it.
You’re too young to make a difference.
Just a little won’t hurt you.
No one will ever know.
Here’s what was actually said:
God doesn’t exist – he’s a crutch for the intellectually weak.
God could never forgive ALL of our sin.
We would never get a divorce.
I’m really sorry I hurt you. (I didn’t mean to hurt you.)
It’s not that big of a deal.
What a powerful night it turned into just because our students risked in our smaller group. When we got back, we talked about the fallout of broken trust, how we react when it’s broken. Then we walked through Genesis 3 – the scene of the biggest lie ever.
“You can’t trust God.”
You could really see some light bulbs coming on.
I’ll keep you posted as we go but what a great night.
The Biggest Lies We’ve Told You
This is the title of the new series we’re starting tonight for Refuel. (Our youth worship experience.) I can’t tell you how amped I am about it.
It’s not because I’ve got it all figured out. In fact, I’m so stinking behind, I’m toying with the idea of locking myself in a coffee shop for the next 2 days for the single purpose of writing.
BUT the potential of it…is huge.
Tonight we’ll break down into small groups and brainstorm about the biggest lies we tell teens.
Got any you want to add?
I’m an Eli Manning Fan
Finally someone has publicly called out Tiki for being a complete selfish boob last season. Best of all, it’s Eli Manning – Tiki’s former whipping boy.
Tiki torched Eli at halftime of a nationally broadcast game questioning his leadership skills. Eli’s remarks?
It’s just one of those deals. I’m not going to lose any sleep about what Tiki has to say. I guess I could have questioned his leadership skills last year with (him) calling out the coach and having articles about him retiring in the middle of the season, and he’s lost the heart (to play).
It appears that Eli truly did learn some great leadership skills from his dad and his brother. Do your job. Support your team. Play hard. Don’t be a distraction. Things that Tiki seemed to never grasp in spite of all his talent as a runner.
For the record, Giant teammates are coming out of the locker room en masse to support Eli.
Gotta love it.
Unbelievability of it All
When the first images of the World Trade Center were being broadcast on September 11th, 2001, no one could believe it was really happening. We sure as heck didn’t think it was a terrorist attack. Then the second plane hit. Then the plane hit the Pentagon. Then another one crashed in a Pennsylvanian field. The two towers fell forever changing how we lived.
Then it came out that for years certain members of the CIA and FBI had been warning their superiors that this kind of attack was not only possible, but probable from a man named Osama Bin Laden.
I’ve wondered how folks in Germany missed what Hitler was doing in the 30′s and 40′s. How did they not see what was going on. Then the pictures of Aushwitz and Dachaw came out. There are people today who still believe that it never happened.
The verse in the middle of this passage – (John 12:37) “Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.”
The fundamental flaw and hope of humanity – the ability to believe something in direct conflict with all the evidence available.
There are times we applaud such a stance – call it faith, hope, positive thinking. There are times we villianize such a position – denial, doubter, cynic.
Is it irony that the God who demands to be known by faith gave us so much evidence?
Or does God know the human condition so intimately that he know that most of us choose what we want to believe, not based on evidence but on convenience. Which belief will cause the least amount of disruption to my life? Which belief is easier to live with?
It was easy to shout “Hosanna!” at the beginning of the week when everyone was doing it and there was the chance of a political revolution that required nothing personal. By Friday it was easier to shout “Crucify him!” because to follow him could mean death, would mean a major life change.
The unbelievability of it all is that after all we know, we still make decisions more on convenience, not evidence.
No Panic Yet
After the complete manhandling Saturday night, is it time to hit the panic button in Denver?
Maybe. The butt-kicking that took place on Saturday night was not due to scheme or preparedness. It was just a good old fashion bully session. The Denver defense looked like it couldn’t stop a Division II college team. The special teams looked worse. The offense just looked tired.
Not worried about the O yet. With a rookie QB, these things are going to happen. Rough games, rusty games. They still moved the ball, Cutler still has a cannon and can elude the rush. They just couldn’t punch it in the end zone.
The d-line is ugly. The linebackers are absent. They are just getting pushed around like crazy. Both San Fran and Dallas showed the league that the way to beat Denver is going to be line it up, shove it down their throat, throw short passes to tight ends and backs – leave Bailey and Bly alone. Put up 24 points and then watch the offensive go into panic mode.
The few times Dallas challenged Bailey/Bly – it burned them. A pick, a negative 3 yard completion and a host of knocked down balls. Of course, Dallas didn’t have to throw deep. Not when you’re ripping off 5 and 6 yards a carry.
A couple of more preseason games to see how it turns out.
More Than You Bargained For
This is part of our e-journey through the gospel of John. Today is from John 12:1-11.
The Bourne Ultimatum finished the Bourne Trilogy this summer. What an awesome ride it’s been and arguably the second best trilogy ever released.
One of my favorite scenes in the latest movie is between Bourne and a reporter who has stumbled on the truth. Bourne says to him “This is real. Not in a book. This is really happening and they will really kill you. Do exactly what I tell you to do.” Then he runs off.
In fact, every person that Jason Bourne comes in contact with has a brush with death. They immediately become a target as well as Jason Bourne.
I think we tend to overlook that part of Christianity. It’s true that the extravagance of the gift from Mary is important. It’s true that here more than ever we can see the darker side of Judas. But what I think gets completely overlooked are verses 9 and 10.
Because people were coming to see Jesus because of Lazarus, Lazarus was now a target to be killed by the Pharisees as well.
I wonder if Lazarus ever had any bitterness towards Jesus. I mean, he didn’t asked to be resurrected – that was his sister’s doing. I wonder if Lazarus ever asked Jesus – “Hey, I was fine in Heaven, why did you bring me back here?” I wonder if Lazarus had resentment towards Jesus because now was he not only going to have to die again but possibly very soon if the Pharisees had their way.
But there it is – plain and simple – Lazarus was now a target because he was bringing people to Jesus. For whatever reasons, this aspect of following Jesus utterly surprised the disciples the first 48 hours Jesus was taken away from them. For whatever reasons, many of us miss this fine print as well.
When you follow Jesus – you always get more than you bargained for. Always.
It’s always more dangerous, complicated, beautiful, wonderful, terrible, and hard than we imagined.
What Bible Do You Use?
Actual phone call today at 3.37 MST…
“I was wondering what Bible do you use there at your church.”
Grant: “Well, we call it the Holy Bible but it’s made up of the 39 books in the Hebrew Bible, commonly called the Old Testament and the 27 books of the Early Church, commonly called the New Testament.”
Long pause.
Grant: “Sir, obviously that’s not exactly what you meant…um….did you mean what translation or version?”
“Yes…that’s what I meant.”
G: “You’ll hear us use the NIV or NAS, sometimes the Message. Heck, we’ll even through in a good King James Version every now and then.”
“Thank you. I’m looking for a church that only uses the good ‘ole King James.”
So I gave the names of a few churches he could call. As we were ending our conversation, he said this to me.
“You know, you’re the first person I’ve called that hasn’t judged me on my opinion. I’ve been called a legalist, a fundamentalist, and lots of other names. But from the very beginning of this phone conversation you’ve been kind and gentle and respectful.”
“Thank you and I’m sorry you were treated that way. Sometimes it’s shameful how we treat each other in the body of Christ. I hope you find what you are looking for.”
And we said good-bye.
T minus 2 hours and 3 minutes…
Until the first preseason MNF game…Broncos versus 49′ers.
I don’t care if it’s preseason. It’s football. It’s the first look of the completely revamped Broncos with Cutler and Company.
I am completely and utterly stoked to high heaven.
Plus I get to watch it on HD.
About 2 hours and 20 minutes from now, all the starters will be wearing baseball hats and a bunch of no names will be playing…but I don’t care….
The drought is about over…
Waiting to Preach
I’m listening to the worship team practice this morning.
There are times that I wish “church” would happen now as opposed to later. This is one of those mornings. It’s not that the worship team is nailing all the right notes or transitions – it’s the rawness of it. Sometimes there is a rawness and freshness that explodes and practice is no longer practice. Does that make sense?
It happens for me sometimes when I’m prepping for a sermon or lesson. I’ll stumble across something and it just hits me like a ton of bricks.
Vacation was awesome, better to be home…not just in my own bed or place but home as in where we worship.
Maybe that’s what I’m feeling this morning. Home is really where you worship.
I’m back…sort of
We fly back home today after 14 glorious days away from the blog, work, and cell phone.
Ahhhhh…now the joys of flying back home with the wonderful people of the airline industry.
Lot’s of pictures and stories to tell.
Tomorrow.