90 by 50 update

Well, progress has been a lot slower over the last couple of months. I have lost 19 pounds since I started . . . I had hoped to be 36 pounds lighter by now. But I am at the lowest point since I began and there is much time. I must be more diligent, both in regular exercise and in keeping up with my food diary. I am pleased that I have not gone backwards . . . and I recognize that this is about changing my lifestyle. That's the only way this loss will remain permanent. I'm going to work harder over the next six weeks and see what happens. I need to do this for myself, my family, my ministry . . . and now, I guess, for the world. Check out this article from the New York Times on how obesity contributes to global warming. It's a crazy notion, but the evidence is there. I guess I'm the person your parents warned you about!

Top Chef, Season Two

I'm not a big reality show guy, but one that has captured my attention is Top Chef on Bravo. A dozen up-and-coming chefs compete for a number of prizes including $100,000 in seed money to start their own restaurant. They compete, naturally, by cooking through several challenges. I really enjoyed season one, and was expecting a let down for season two. I've been pleasantly surprised.

The second episode of season two has won me over. The competitors and judges worked through an ethical dilemna. I won't tell you exactly what went on because they are still playing the episode this week. See for yourself. I was impressed by how seriously both contestants and judges treated the dilemna and how they ultimately practiced accountability. I recommend the show, particularly if you are a foodie. Here's a link to the Top Chef website if you are interested in learning more.

"Where do you see God calling us to serve?"

During Sunday's sermon, I gave my congregation a few minutes to reflect on the question, "Where do you see God calling us to serve? The question was in response to Mark 10:35-45, where Jesus teaches his disciples that the way of the kingdom is through service. I asked people to record their thoughts and hand them in to me. Here is a compilation of results:

Abused/neglected children
Benevolence ministries for the needy
Collecting socks for the homeless
College students
Calling on inactive members
Helping people get in touch with spirituality
Inviting people to worship with us
Prayer groups interceding for people in need
Serving people in our community
Serving people in our families
Serving people in our workplaces
Supporting parents--parenting assistance
Teaching evangelism--how to show God's love
Working with youth

There were multiple comments focused on serving our local community, benevolence ministry, and various ways to serve children.

I'm interested in hearing more specific ideas for service. What do the results of this informal survey suggest to you? What is happening in Lockhart and the surrounding area that we can get involved in to serve our community? Where do you see us getting something going as a congregation? Just click "comment" and tell me what you think!

90 by 50 update

Today was my official 12 week weigh-in. My goal was to have lost 18 pounds by this point. The official scale at the Old Texas Barbell Company indicates a loss of 16 pounds. I'm really not discouraged. This last six week period included two church camps, one mission trip and a two-week vacation! I am working the plan pretty well. I did my walking a few times on vacation and I did my weight training three times at a nice fitness center in Shoreview MN. On most days I kept my food diary. I've never done these things on vacation before . . . they seemed to really help. Keep prayin' for me. God has been merciful and good.

Expresso meets technology and is found wanting

I'm on my yearly pilgrimage (vacation) to Minnesota to see my parents and some of my wife's relatives and friends. Our habit is to spend the first night at a nice La Quinta Inn in Norman, Oklahoma. I have another tradition associated with this stop--visiting the Starbucks located in the Barnes & Noble store next to the hotel for my morning coffee before making the next leg of the trip to Kansas City.

My stop in Norman proceeded according to habit until I got to the Starbucks counter. I ordered my Cafe Americano. The young lady who took my order took two steps to their new computerized expresso machine . . . pressed a couple of buttons . . . and viola the machine very quietly delivered my coffee to the cup. And, to be honest, the taste was indistinguishable from the coffee produced by the old fashioned method.

Something was still missing for me--the process. For me, a significant part of the experience has been the sound grinding expresso beans, the smell of freshly ground coffee that follows, and the sound of steaming water infusing with the ground beans. Buying coffee this time was sterile and mundane.

I count expresso as one of many things for which a major infusion of technology doesn't improve . . . and may perhaps detract. And I would include church in that list, particularly virtual expressions of Christian community. I'm obviously no Ludite--this blog should certainly speak to my embracing technology at some level. I don't think that virtual community will ever adequately replace real community. Virtual community will always be missing a part of the process of community. In virtual community you don't have to grind out interpersonal conflicts. You can't always smell whiffs of Christ's presence and love being shared together. You miss the delightful sounds of the Spirit infusing with people in worship, service together, and face-to-face fellowship. These are things so important for the vigor of a Christian community. They are what keep Christian community from being sterile and mundane.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this. No one has asked me to pastor a church on myspace.com or anything. Just sharing an observation. I would love to hear your reflections on these thoughts. Why not click on "Comments" below and share them with me.

Prayer as paying attention

Ran across this quote in my devotional reading from The Spiritual Life by John H. Westerhoff III and John Eusden. It's a great observation about prayer:

Prayer is a disciplined dedication to paying attention. Without the single-minded attentiveness of prayer we will rarely hear anything worth repeating or catch a vision worth asking anyone else to gaze upon.

Prayer is contact with God that is continually forming and transforming us. This dovetails nicely with what I was preaching about on Sunday. Worship and prayer are two primary and essential ways that we keep ourselves oriented toward God. Godward orientation is our highest priority as beings created by God and "designed" to be in relationship with God.

90 by 50 update

This week marks six weeks into my effort to lose 90 pounds by my 50th birthday--10 percent "down the road." My goal was to lose nine (9) pounds. My weigh-in today indicated I had lost eleven (11). I'm very excited. I have been at church camp for the last 10 days. The camp's high carb cuisine usually does me in--I never lose weight while I'm there. But this time I kept track of my diet and walked every other day and viola! My next six week benchmark is August 10. This will be an even more challenging segment as it includes our youth mission trip and my usual two vacation to visit family relatives in Minnesota. Lot's of opportunity to "backslide." However, my mental approach is different this time. What has, in the past, looked like such a formidable undertaking seems much more do-able now. This initial success brings much encouragement. Many of you have been sharing words of support or serving as accountability partners--I am grateful.

Roofer's haiku

I've been away at church camp for a week. . . a very good week. Perhaps more about that later.

A couple of months ago, our humble community experienced two major hailstorms in the span of one week. Since then the air as been alive with the sound of roofing nails being driven. Almost every home has a sign from some roofing company out front, staking its claim. In a moment of inspiration, the following haiku came to me:

Hail pounds rhythmically
in the morning roofers come
the sound of money

So much for that bit of culture. I'm off to another church camp--second and third graders, of which my son will be participating. Should be fun. I'll have a "90 by 50" update later in the week.

A sobering discovery

I was watching one of my favorite episodes of Magnum, PI yesterday entitled "Basket Case." It's basically a version of Oliver Twist. A young girl, played by actress Dana Hill, lives in a foster home where she is taught how to scam and steal. Magnum has a big charity basketball game, but his team stinks. Willie (Dana Hill) is a basketball whiz kid, it's what she does, along with hanging out at the library, that helps her escape her home environment. Well, naturally, the foster parents figure out that Magnum lives at the Robin's Nest and they set up a plan to burglarize the mansion of several priceless antiques. And, as you might have guessed, Willie is so touched by the love she has been shown by Magnum and Higgins that she exposes the plot. She learns a valuable lesson about her own inner morality and strength.

The story is totally beside the point. I decided to check on the biography of Dana Hill. It turns out that she was a diabetic who died at the age of 32 from severe complications of her diabetes.

It seems that since my son Jesse's diagnosis of diabetes in 2005 I am coming across many stories of the severe consequences of the disease. Couple that with his developmental delays and cognitive problems and I become very worried about his future. Right now, we are managing his diabetes pretty well. But I am very conscious of the fact that Ronda and I won't be around forever to help him with it. He struggles to take greater responsibility for the management of his condition. It's hard not to be anxious about his future and our future together.

How Church can transform culture

In my devotional reading I ran across this great quote from Howard A. Snyder this morning. It comes from his book, The Community of the King:

. . . when the Church is taken merely as a means to transform society, very little is accomplished. For in that case the uniqueness of the Church is denied and we enter battle on the same terms as secular and godless forces. We assume the battle for right and justice can be won by force, by technique, by doing. It can't. These very clearly are not the weapons of Christian warfare (Eph. 6:10-20). Truly Christian transformation of culture comes through Christlike (and henceforth sacrificial) love, community and being.

Snyder has put into words what I have felt for many years, particularly when Christians enter into the arena of politics and social justice. We have become very adept at threatening and manipulating to achieve our "righteous" ends. But it looks a lot like the world and not like the Christlike community and spirit I yearn to see revealed in the effort to confront the world with the values of God's kingdom. (See, I said "confront." Power language is very hard to get beyond.)

Many believe Christians are called to speak truth to power . . . but do we speak in the language of love or in the language of power? Power may understand the language of power when we speak it. Power is also very skilled in neutralizing the language of power when we use it. Sacrificial love, on the other hand, presents problems to power. They can crush it, thus exposing power for what it is. Or power can give in to it, thus transforming it and bringing it in line with the values of God's kingdom. Power can try to ignore love, but I believe, as Snyder does, that the love of Christ is a compelling force that ultimately cannot be denied.

90 by 50

I've told my family . . . I've told the closest thing I have to a personal trainer, Mike Graham at the Old Texas Barbell Co. . . . now I'm telling the greater world. I will be turning 50 years old in about 60 weeks. I've committed myself to losing 90 pounds by my 50th birthday. That works out to be a somewhat ambitious, but realistic, 1.5 pound weight loss per week.

My plan is reasonably simple--calories in, calories out. I will maintain an 1800 calorie a day diet by keeping a food diary provided by the Mayo Clinic. I will also be weight training three days a week and brisk walking another three days a week.

I have waypoint checks planned every six weeks to reward myself as I maintain my program. There is a real big negative "carrot" motivating me as well. If I'm not able to achieve significant weight loss by my 50th birthday, I will investigate bariatric surgery to reduce my weight. The very idea is frightening to me. But I must do something.

Your prayers will be appreciated in this effort. You have my permission to hold me accountable. With God's grace and the fruit of self-control there will be less of me to love in a year or so.

"You must be in sales."

While checking out at the local Walmart today, the cashier and I simultaneously asked, "How are you today?" She then speculated . . . "You must be in sales." I quickly denied.

Initially, the notion was repelling. But I thought some more about it. Perhaps, in a way, sales is exactly what I am in. I represent what I and many others consider the most valuable commodity in the world. Having it means the difference between life and death. In spite of death threats, many have refused to give it up. Indeed, many have taken it to the grave . . . dying because they possessed it. People have ordered their life around their possession of it. Having it, by the way, demands a reordering of life to accomodate it.

I finally confessed to her that I was in sales . . . I'm a pastor. I want to help you see that you need what I have. Let me show you that you can't live without it. Having it has the potential to transform your life. It's valuable . . . it will cost you . . . but you'll never regret your decision to get it.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which
someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all
that he has and buys that field.
--Matthew 13:44 (Revised Standard Version)

"You remind me of my son"

I was doing a stint as a Salvation Army bellringer this morning. I've never volunteered to do that before. I was stationed outside our local Wal-Mart store. I was surprised at the high percentage of people who give something. Very few people put in more than a couple of dollars, but I'm guessing at least 80 percent of the people who came by this morning gave something. I was encouraged.

One man's gift particularly stood out. He came up by the side of the bucket. I didn't see him until just before he put in his gift. He said to me, "You remind me of my son." I could tell by his voice and in his eyes that it was a melancholy memory. I wish I knew the story.

It reminded me that the Christmas season is not a merry one for everybody. Many people face the first holiday season after the death of a loved one. Others, like myself, are really stressed out by the commercial expectations of Christmas. They want to give for their family, but don't have a lot of spending cash to do so. So they risk disappointing their loved ones or heavy post-Christmas debt. And sometimes Christmas is just too damn busy--sucking whatever joy one might have right out of the season by overcommitment and fatigue.

Take a deep breath, everyone. Slow the pace down and savor the true Spirit of Christmas. Do less. Spend less. Give more . . . your best gift is probably totally free and completely valuable and precious . . . YOU. Give YOU a little more this year. You might be surprised at how special and valued that gift is!

A rational opinion on faith in the public arena

Michael Medved has an excellent op/ed piece in USA Today entitled "Faith in Film: Why not?" He's examining the controversy over the release of the film based on C. S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Medved, an observant Jew, notes that a devout Christian family's celebration of Christmas in no way threatens his faith or observance of Hanukkah. Nor is a Christian family threatened or somehow weakened when it

" . . . watches its neighbors joyously, meticulously celebrating Hanukkah--or Ramadan or Kwanzaa, for that matter . . . . In fact, confronting other religious practices may help raise substantive questions about the deeper meaning of the holiday, beyond Santa and sleigh bells."

Read the article in it entirety. I think Medved has it right. We who celebrate Christmas in an overt way pose no threat to the deeply held faith of others. We are contributing to "the kindly, soulfoul seasonal atmosphere that encourages all people to take their traditions and commitments more seriously."

God on the internet

Here's a great article on religious blogging by Jonathan Last, online editor of the Weekly Standard. It appeared in the most recent issue of First Things. It's essentially a benign critique of virtual spirituality. Among the things that he finds "troubling" are the tendency for politicization, the rampant consumerism, and the potential for "demystifying" religion.

The concern that he raised that I share with him is that many are using the internet as a substitute for actual community. The internet cannot provide real fellowship. He concludes the article with these words:

. . . even at its best, the Internet is a weakening of reality, and with its consumer satisfactions, politicizing impulses, and substitutions for the body,
it constantly lures us up into thinner and thinner air. Isn't religion supposed
to enrich the world around us instead? Shut off your computer. Take a deep
breath. Go to church.

Amen!

I am Peter.

I took the Narnia Web personality test and I tested out as Peter Pevensie, former king of Narnia. According to the website . . .

As Peter, you are brave, loyal but intelligent, and are greatly respected for upholding what you think is right.

Clearly, I must have cheated! With the impending release of the movie based on C. S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch, and Wardrobe, Narniamania has arrived. Thanks Roy Clemmons for turning me on to the test.

Take the test and tell me how you came out in the comment section below.

Who has been the most influential person in your faith journey?

A few weeks ago I polled my congregation on who they considered the most influential person in their faith journey. It was supposed to be a forced choice (they only could pick one) but many people wanted to put more than one and I went with it. I got 30 responses and the results were what I expected. Here's the list in descending order. Number of responses out of 30 is indicated in parentheses.

A parent (20)
Pastor (11)
Sunday School teacher (8)
Friend (4)
Grandparent (4)
Television preacher (3)
Spouse (3)
Church camp counselor (2)
1 vote each for: Sister, coworker, aunt & uncle, parachurch ministry, employer, cousin

I anticipated that parents would be the highest. The point of the sermon that morning was that parents play a key role in the faith journey of their children.

Biggest surprises: How highly pastors rated and how low church camp counselors were rated.

This was, of course, an unscientific survey of a very limited sample group. But the responses were consistent with statistics I've read on the subject (otherwise I would not have run the poll to prove my point!).

How about you, my virtual friends? Who has been the most influential person in matters spiritual? Let me know through the comment link below.

Taize Worship in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

Here's a Taize style worship service our congregation held this evening that addressed, in part, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Welcome

Call to Worship

All Sing: "In the Lord"

In the Lord I'll be ever thankful,
in the Lord I will rejoice!
Look to God, do not be afraid;
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near;
Lift up your voices, the Lord is near.

Prayer for the Day

An Old Testament Reading: Psalm 46

All Sing: "Nada Te Turbe/Nothing Can Trouble"

Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall never go wanting.

Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
God alone . . . fills us.

Silence

All Sing: "Come and Fill"

Come and fill our hearts with your peace.
You alone, O Lord, are holy.
Come and fill our hearts with your peace.
Al-le-lu-ia.

Prayers for Intercession

As part of this time we used a prayer written by John H. Thomas, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ.

All Sing: "O Lord, Hear My Prayer"

O Lord, hear my prayer; O Lord, hear my prayer.
When I call, answer me.
O Lord, hear my prayer; O Lord, hear my prayer.
Come and listen to me.

The Lord is my song; the Lord is my praise:
All my hope comes from God.
The Lord is my song; the Lord is my praise:
God, the well-spring of life.

A New Testament Reading: Mark 4:35-41

Silence

All Sing: "Nada Te Turbe/Nothing Can Trouble"

Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
Those who seek God shall never go wanting.

Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten.
God alone . . . fills us.

Service of Holy Communion (in silence)

All Sing: "Take, O Take Me As I Am"

Take, O take me as I am;
summon out what I shall be;
set your seal upon my heart and live in me.

Dismissal with Blessing


It's not all that original but use it with my blessing.

I must be doing something right!

We're back from a two week vacation to the St. Paul MN area to visit my parents. It was a nice relaxing visit. I didn't do much but watch TV, spend some time on the computer and basically veg out. Did a little reading, too. Played golf on a beautiful links style course in Ramsey MN--The Links at Northfork.

Unfortunately, my father spent half of our visit in the hospital. He had a bad case of gout. Since his kidney transplant two and a half years ago, severe pain such as he experienced last weekend cannot be ignored. He's home from the hospital now and doing quite well.

So on to what I might be doing right. And, of course, it is much more than myself. During children's moment at church this morning, my developmentally-delayed son Jesse (9) volunteered a response to the question, "Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?" Anytime Jesse volunteers an answer to a theological question we're prepared for anything from the insightful to the odd. I thought perhaps the question was beyond his understanding. I was wrong. His answer, clear and confident, was "For our sins." I raised my fist in jubilant celebration. He is paying attention. The gospel is seeping its way into his heart. I am deeply grateful for my wife, my church and the Lord for his growth in understanding.

Divinity and humanity

August 6 holds a great deal of irony. Today is the 60th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb by the United States on the city of Hiroshima. Today is also a special feast day for millions of Christians--The Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We celebrate the revelation of Jesus' divinity to his disciples . . . we remember humanity's enormous capacity to wreak war and carnage on one another.

But now you must get rid of all such things--anger, wrath, malice, slander and abusive language from your mouth . . . Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
--Colossians 3:8, 14

Come Lord Jesus!