RE:think

A Robust Moratorium

I propose a 5 year moratorium on the word "robust". I kid you not, I read this word twice a day, at least, while reading news, editorials, and blogs. Enough already!

I remember when the word was limited to describing coffee on TV commercials. So much so, that when I hear the word, I start "smelling" coffee and picture a Folgers can.

This is one buzz word I am ready to stop reading/hearing! It's the new "paradigm". I wouldn't mind so much if it were used only when needed, but I just read an article that used it twice! I'm not a violent person, but that makes me, almost, want to robust someone up the side of their head!

All You Need to Know about Jerry and Global Warming

Dr. Falwell is preaching against Global Warming this weekend. Now, like I said, I am not sure about it either way. I am more concerned with motives. Here is a paragraph from his latest posting to his constituents:

But many world scientists are preaching sermons that adamantly insist that man is the cause of recent warming trends.  They urge that America sign on to the Kyoto Treaty, which would compel America to self-impose exorbitant policies for cutting back on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The treaty, which many are urging America to sign, would immediately cost America an estimated $325 billion, according to Yale University’s William Nordhaus and Joseph Boyer.  That’s a lot of money to spend on halting an unproven theory.

At least he puts it out there I guess and we know a major reason for his stance against the possibility of Global Warming.

He also says:

Further, there’s no need for the Church of Jesus Christ to be wasting its time gullibly falling for all of this global warming hocus pocus.  We need to give our total focus to the business of reaching this world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and stop running down meaningless rabbit trails that get our focus off of our heavenly purpose.

Wow. How about the rabbit trails that he and his constituents run down? The Ten Commandments in public places... Wal Mart and other stores not telling folks Merry Christmas... The "Friend of Foe" Graduation Prayer Campaign... Those are only a few, but they waste as much time or more. Is the Moral Majority doing the work of reaching the world with the Gospel with "total focus"?

Ugh.

I Wrote a Letter...

I was once a prolific letter writer. I've gotten lazy about that as I've grown older. But I wrote a letter to someone very dear to me recently. As I wrote I had this person in mind.  But as I neared the end I realized how this could be a help to so many others. I think she'd be glad that I share this for that purpose.

(be warned, there is one bit of strong language)

-------------------------------------------

I need to write you a letter. There are somethings you need to know and that you need to hear.

I have been amazed at the changes in my faith and the new ways I am seeing God the past few years. Even more amazing to me is how he has broadened my understanding of redemption. In the past my redemption has always been found in two place. The first was the night I said the prayer, and accepted Jesus. That was one instant in time years ago, but a moment I hold on to dearly. The other place you'd find it is "in the moment". It's found in the here and now. I think it is because I am most comfortable with the present version of myself.

These days though, I am trying to let Jesus walk into other areas with his redemption. I am walking into past moments and periods of my life that have been put away like a closed book on the top shelf in the basement of a large library. I do this because I now know that he wants to redeem my whole story. Sure he wants to sustain me in the hear and now, but he also knows the effect that 1977 had on my life. He can look at 1985 and see that it was huge. He knows what the year 1994 meant.

I don't care too much to visit those times these days. At least not the rough parts of them. In my mind that stuff is as near irredeemable as it comes. But the Gospel that saved me and gave me life covers those times as much as that night I prayed after a concert. It covers the years following my parents divorce as much as it covers my life and times with my own family now. I don't have to visit those times alone.

I've always fashioned myself a well adjusted individual in spite of some of the junk I've lived through. I've always thought that I dealt with my demons and that I could move on unhindered. But I now know that's not true and may never be until the day I die. But somehow, someway, I have to start inviting Jesus in to help me straighten out some of the places that were made very crooked years ago.

I am writing you for this reason. Of all the people in this world that I love and care about, you need to do this more than any. There have been valleys in your life to make mine look like ditches. For everything bad that has happened to me, you've been through things that were infinitely worse.

God loves you. Let that sink in. The God of the universe, that created everything loves, you. The God who delivered the captives from Egypt loves you. He loves you so much that he'd let his own Son suffer and die so that you can come home to him. Jesus has redeemed you and put you in right standing with the Father. And while many people will fail to mention it, he can also redeem your ENTIRE story and put things right there as well. He didn't just give you a ticket to Heaven, he gave you a new life. Past, Present, and Future. And just like he delivered the captives from Egypt, he can deliver you through all three.

Forget much of what you've heard, especially in church. Don't forget it all, because there was some truth there. But put aside those who judged you, and put you down, and made you feel like you were stinking scum to their pretty flower. In reality, some of them stunk more than anyone. Their rules and regulations weren't about redemption. They were about control. They were more interesting in scaring the hell out of you than loving you.

Jesus knows your story. He knows the good chapters and the bad. And he wants to touch each one and redeem them. He loves you. Again, let that sink in. He loves you. He suffered and died a horrible death because he loves you. He rose again and is now your champion, your King. When no one else will be there to save you or be your hero, he's there.

So let him in. Let him deal with your disappointments and your sorrows. And don't forget to  rejoice with him when you're happy. You have to give him everything.

I love you very much, and you know that. Now, just know this, HE loves you so much more.

Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak but he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.

Will you say "Yes" with me?

What If Kurt Cobain Were Still Alive?

Kurt  Cobain would have been 40 this week. VH1 asked some folks who knew him well what he'd be doing if he were still with us. My appreciation for Nirvana and what they did musically has grown over the years. I used think they ruined rock and roll. I've softened a lot on that. They were just the next phase in the evolution of rock. Times and people change and the issues that drive the music change even more it seems.

So take a look at this article. I've always enjoyed asking "what if?" about Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, and a ton of others who left early. Now we're doing it with Kurt Cobain.

Link: Friends, Colleagues Imagine Cobain At 40

A Rant on Jerry and Global Warming

I'm in full blown rant mode these days...

I used to be one of those very conservative people who would deny global warming at every turn. Only kooky tree huggers believed that stuff. Our side had plenty of scientists to disprove it so everyone else just needed to get over it. Combined with that the fact that those who worried about such things were liberals, you know, bad people, and we just don't run elbows with those folks.

These days, I'd say I am not fully convinced either way about global warming. But either way, doesn't it make sense to do everything we can to make sure that we aren't the problem? As Christians, God's people, shouldn't we take care of what we've been given? If for no other reason, our children and their children will have to deal with our abuses.

And why is that so many evangelical Christians bring up arguments like the Kyoto Protocol when this issue comes up. China and India won't sign on and we'll be at an economic disadvantage them if we do. It's all about the green, baby. Not the trees, and grass, and creation kind of green. No, we're talking the kind of green that we print on paper and all the neat stuff that we can buy with it and the power that we can hold by having the most.

Shouldn't we be concerned about the possibility of global warming and not, as many politically active evangelicals do, fight so hard AGAINST conservation and preservation? Are we so wrapped up in our eschatology and focus so much on this Earth passing away, that we just ignore it and say it's all inevitable? That is such a disservice to our children.

Jerry Falwell is actually throwing those evangelicals who are concerned under the bus on this one. That's wrong. His arguments are mean spirited and driven by economic concerns. When will those on the fence about guys like him finally speak out? He is given too large a voice on these issues and I for one am ready for his role to be reduced.

While most of the Christians I know don't trumpet his praises, they won't speak against him either. It's time we all wake up, listen to what he actually says, and call him on it. I'm sick and tired of seeing his face on the news and his words in the newspaper. He is not a good representative.

It's so ironic to me that his University is call Liberty. Because there is very little of it in his message. If you disagree with him, you are cast into lake of liberalism and are watering down the Gospel.

Sorry to post yet again about my personal crusade against Dr. Falwell, but I've just about had it. You can put Dobson and his political activism in there too. Maybe it's just because of where I live and these folks don't hold as much sway I think they do. Either way, it's time for new voices.

Just Read My Blog!!!

This is too funny...

It seems that this blog and it's info not only travel out into the world, but sometimes, the stuff I post here comes back.

Our heat was out for about 24 hours as you all know from my last two posts. Well, I posted it, but never called my Mom or mentioned it to her. I mean, what is she gonna do? Fix it? Bwahahahahahaha. Anyway, she calls this morning and asks "Why does your heat go out and I find out about it from someone in Ohio?"

I love it. A good friend from our area who now lives in Ohio, reads about it on the blog and that's how Mom got the info. Hey, it isn't the most efficient way to relay a message, but it is faster than the postal service. Thanks for lookin' for us RH!!!

It Wasn't Rinky Dink...

$300 Bucks. Ouch.

Heater Isn't Working...

Our heat went on the fritz last night. The heat pump guy will be by the house sometime today. Here's hoping it's just some rinky dink $10 part again this time! I know what is wrong, well, at least what is not happening. The inside unit's fan won't turn. That wasn't a ridiculous charge the other time it happened.

I didn't realize how much I take the heat for granted until I was scrambling last night at 10:00 PM making sure we had some. I ended up with a couple of space heaters that did the trick in the half of the house we sleep in and have the bathroom in.

Let's all take some time to pray for those who didn't have ANY heat last night and won't tonight either.

So What DID Save Me From Hell?

Jesus of course saved me from ultimate hell and continues to do so everyday. But what I am asking in the title above is this. What saved me from the idea of hell that the hell obsessed people shoved into my brain while growing up? A brief history...

Until my grandmother passed away when I was 13, we spent a good deal of time with her in the Freewill Baptist Church. My "Mamaw" was a good woman and loved Jesus. But the environment of the churches she attended and many of the folks in those churches was less than desirable. As I have said before, there was lots of fear and lots of talk about hell and punishment. Interspersed in those first 13 years were other types of churches, but they do not dominate my memories like the freewill churches do.

After she passed away, it was all up to my Mom when it came to church each Sunday. There were not as many Saturday night sleepovers at Mamaw and Papaws house. And when we stayed with Papaw, well, he didn't and still doesn't attend church. My Mom had remarried around the same time Mamaw passed. So we began to go to the church of my Step dad's family. This church happened to be an Episcopal Church.

Can you imagine the night and day difference of this sophisticated, high church experience as compared to the slightly rural, non-sophisticated, hell fire and brimstone Freewill Baptist churches I knew? At 13, I didn't like going to any church really and this Episcopal church was no different. I mean, I had my teenage "cred" to uphold and liking anything my Mom and Step dad wanted me to like was out of the question.

But now I can admit that this high church experience was the first thing that saved me from hell. I was able to see that there were actually Christians (and yes, many of the folks in this denomination love Jesus and will be hanging out in heaven with you one day) that weren't obsessed with hell. I saw all kinds of beauty that I didn't know existed in churches! From the architecture, to the kneelers, to the music and liturgy, it was a completely different world.

The next major church experience I had was when I turned 16, I actually broke away from the family and attended church on my own with some friends. I went to a Methodist church that was a mix of high and low church, like many Methodist churches in the United States. This was also the year I accepted Jesus as my savior. That's right, during a retreat, with a Methodist youth group. It was at a Kenny Marks concert and he didn't make hell a huge part of the invitation. I actually saw Jesus that night and new it was his intent to reconcile me with the Father.

As things usually go, after that night, I found myself in lots of the same sins, but with a new conscious about them. Doubts began to creep in.

My Step dad also become a believer and they left the Episcopal Church for a Southern Baptist Church. He was fully evangelical after his conversion. I began visiting there with them as I would be going off to college soon. I made a bad decision.

There was lots of hell talk at that church. And most sermons devolved into a list of all of "those" people that would one day step into eternity and "split hell wide open". I just remember most Sundays there being miserable while in the sanctuary. One thing this place had going for it was a good group of people who had a great fellowshipping. The biggest problem was the pastor in my opinion.

The next thing that saved me from hell was going to college and getting involved in a black gospel choir. I ended up at an African American church and was heavily involved there. Two of the main focuses in this community of believers is redemption and justice. Neither were things I had ever done much thinking about. I praise God still for the exposure he gave me to these ideas at that time in my life.

Evette and I were married shortly after college and did some bouncing around from church to church. Around 1999-2000 we spent nearly 2 years going nowhere. We were through with all. Bit in 2001, after the birth of our first and 9/11, we decided that we needed to be back in fellowship with God's people. We landed where are to this day, Grace Evangelical Free Church.

This church and the people I have the pleasure of fellowship with would be the third thing that "saves me from hell". It is firmly evangelical without all the fundamental trappings. I also don't feel like I am in a church that requires me to be a "culture warrior". If I did, then I'd be right back to questioning my faith. Because that is not me and if that is what it takes to be saved, well, I'm trouble.

You'll remember a running theme in this series has been the fact that I just didn't see Jesus all that much in the church when I was growing up. Well, I don't have to look very hard to see Jesus at Grace EFC. He's everywhere. He's in a smile, a hug, a prayer, a handyman's hands, an engineer's "smarts", a mother's care, a father's doting, a beautiful voice...

So there you are. I wanted to wrap the whole thing up and be as positive as possible. There have been other little things along the way that helped. A book here, an article there. And there have been times, even in the recent past, when I have been scared to death. But all in all, I think I am getting better.

Podcast Relaunch Coming

Here is what I have as a framework for the relaunched Podcast. It seems like I relaunch all the time but never really relaunch. I think the reason is that I've always just kinda winged it. So here are the segments I plan on doing for each cast. If there is anything you think would be interesting for me to talk about in addition to this stuff, please let me know. On to the things that I know will be part of the format...

• On the Tube
• On the Pod
• In Sports
• Finding the Sacred in the Secular

I also hope to incorporate some original music by Evette and I. I have the capability to do some amateur recording, so we'll see.

I hope to get the first one out this week. Keep a look out!