Stadium Rant

So I mentioned stadiums in my last entry and I thought I’d expound on that a bit, just for fun. Here’s my personal rankings of those I’ve been to and my favorite memory from each one:

Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles). This the one they all copy now. It’s a classic. I saw the Red Sox play the O’s here in 1992 – the opening year. Sox won handily, so I was really happy. It’s just a great park. So much history around it too.

Ameriquest Field (Texas Rangers). Just beautiful. I spent about a third of the game just walking around the stadium admiring the architecture and observing all the little intricacies of it. The one game I’ve seen there was a 14-7 pounding of the Mariners, just last Friday.

Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox). I can’t put it #1 for two reasons: there are some bad seats with obstructed views (and all of them are too small) and it costs you an arm and a leg to get in the building. But the history is great and no park has more personality: the Fisk pole, the Pesky pole, the Monster, the weird angle in center field, the hand-operated scoreboard, etc. I’ve seen many games here, but the best was in 1996. Yankees leading in the bottom of the 9th. Sox come back and win it, beating John Wetteland. Yanks go something like 86-1 when leading into the bottom of the 9th and eventually win the World Series, but I saw the one loss. And it was gorgeous.

Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks). It’s a spectacle. Huge, with a big retractable roof. I spent a lot of time just taking it all in. It isn’t a classic like Camden Yards and Ameriquest, but it’s like an amusement park it’s so big and there’s so much to do. I saw one game there in April 2005 and got autographs from Derek Lowe (who used to be a Red Sox player) and Eric Gagne (who used to be good). Don’t remember much about the game – it was an extra-inning slugfest I think.

Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs). Another history lesson that gets high marks for its traditional bits – ivy on the walls, the scoreboard, et al. I’ve seen two games here. The one I remember best was April 2002. Cubs v. Mets. Jon Lieber pitched well, Cubs won 2-0. I didn’t see the end. I actually left early because it was so stinkin’ cold. Absolutely frigid. It gets bumped out of the top four for that reason alone.

Municipal Stadium (Cleveland Indians). This is NOT a typo. I liked the “mistake by the lake” for two reasons: 1) back in the early 90s you could walk right up on gameday and get cheap tickets anywhere in the park. 2) There was no one there, so it was really intimate and you had much more access to the players and game. The second time I was there the ticket lady told us players would be arriving soon and told us where to stand. I got the whole Indians team to sign my ball. Favorite game though: my first one there – Red Sox v. Indians (8/27/90). Ellis Burks hit two homers in the 4th inning, and the Sox won 12-4. That feat’s only been done about a dozen times -- OK, more like four dozen (I looked it up).

Veterans Stadium (Philadelphia Phillies). Essentially my home field. I grew up at this stadium, so even though it was giant concrete donut it gets props because of the memories there. I’ve seen at least a dozen games there, including a Greg Maddux five-hitter on opening day in 1992 (on his way to his first Cy Young). The best game though was the last game of the season in 1991. Phils had taken the first two from the Mets and the brooms were out. But David Cone went out and started mowing down Phillies. We started smelling history around the 7th when Dale Murphy came up. He went to 0-2 quickly and we were writing down the “K” on our scorecards – this is a guy who struck out 140 times a year after all. Well he popped up. We booed him! Dale Murphy – one of the classiest guys in the game - and we booed him. Of course Philly fans once booed Santa Clause too. Well Cone finished with 19 strikeouts, which tied Tom Seaver for the NL record (since broken by Kerry Wood). It was a three-hit shutout as well. A great and memorable pitching performance. Everyone in the stadium was rooting for Coney by the middle of the game.

The Metrodome (Minnesota Twins). Not a great stadium by any means, but there’s not much talent below this either. It gets higher marks though because it’s home to the little team that could – a small market, small budget team that wins consistently. It’s also here because my wife would be mad if it didn’t get a higher place. Best memory: my first game here. September 2002, Indians v. Twins. Sort of my first date with Naomi. She turns to me mid-game and says that the game is kind of boring. I tell her that it’ll get exciting in a second when Jim Thome hits a homerun. Period. Pause. Pitch. Swing. Contact. Gone. Naomi turns to me with her jaw hanging open. I do all I can not to laugh out loud. Just clap and smile slightly.

Dolphin Stadium (Florida Marlins). Another concrete donut. Bonus points for not having a roof in Florida. I like their guts. Also ranks high because it was a memorable game (in July this year). Red Sox thrashed the Marlins with two homers from both Manny and Papi and Lowell hit three doubles against his old team.

Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati Reds). Concrete donut #3. Completely forgettable. Saw the Dodgers play the Reds around 1992/93, courtesy of my brother’s girlfriends parents, who owned most of Cincinnati I think. Or at least one of the big towers downtown. Our seats were good – I remember that.

RFK Stadium (Washington Nationals). Hideous. Doesn’t rank last only because the access from the highway is phenomenal. The parking lot empties right out onto a major interstate. No lie. It took us about a minute and a half to get from our parking space to the highway. The game (July 2005) was against the Astros, but that’s all I can tell you. Oh, I got a nice umbrella though, which I’ve used a few times.

Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Devil Rays). It’s newer than many above it, and that’s why it’s down here at the bottom. With all these other great ballparks that have come out lately (see Camden Yards, et al.) is this the best they could come up with? Honestly. It’s ugly, graceless, boring and has speakers and catwalks that can (and have) interfered with balls in play. I’ve also seen the Sox lose here far too many times, including an opening day walk-off homer in 2003 that spoiled a great game from Pedro. High point: a Sox win in 2004 during which Manny hit a gargantuan home run. I think it was estimated at 483 feet.

So that's it until I get to some more parks. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

Debrief, Texas, Ballparks and States

Last week eighty-seven students returned from summer trips that took them to unreached people groups around the world. My church's worship band led the morning and evening worship times -- and did a fantastic job. It was some of the best worship I've had in a while, certainly in part because of how the week went. I taught two sessions (which I had good feedback on), took part in two team debriefs (one great, one hard) and two individual debriefs (a great one and one that started hard but ended well). It was just a great week hearing their stories and seeing their excitement, but also helping one team work through some conflict and one particular person make some significant relational progress.

I left the week early though to go out to Dallas, Texas for a day and a half with the folks at RightNow (www.rightnow.org). They're a missions mobilization organization. I went out to learn from them, particularly in the area of contact follow-up. It was really great to spend time with people who do similar work to me and be able to compare notes. I'm glad I'm not in a business where competition prevents us from being able to help each other do what we do better. This was my first time in Texas. Good food, people were nice, but what's with the toll roads? Worse than Orlando ... and about five times the size. And hot. Way hot.

But their ballpark there is gorgeous. I've now been to twelve stadiums. I aspire to go to all of them, but the people in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Philly have replaced theirs since I was there. So I have quite a few still to see. I think Camden Yards (Baltimore) and Ameriquest Field (Dallas) are the two best. I like Fenway for the history, but I think it's overrated as a place to see a game and too dang expensive. How about you? What's your favorite stadium?

Texas was my 40th state too. I've got ten more to see: LA, OK, NM, KS, ND, MT, ID, OR, WA and AK (Alaska -- I think it's AK). I'll get to ND later this month. The others might be a while. But I don't think I'm missing much. (Yes, that comment was meant to elicit responses!)

Random Thoughts From the Wrong Side of the Bed

I woke up grumpy this morning. Probably because I got lost in a computer version of Sudoku last night and didn't get to bed until after 12:30am. While I can now get away with only 7 hours of sleep (which I couldn't do six years ago), that sleep needs to begin before midnight, which also wasn't true six years ago.

So I was watching the news this morning and got annoyed by two things:

1. I think we would have lost World War II if we had the type of media coverage then that we do now. Every single morning on TV and in the newspaper, there's the body count from Iraq, with as many details as they can (almost) justifiably print about the deceased. Now I don't want to demean the loss of any loved one by anybody in this country, but this much collective attention to the losses only weakens our resolve. We've lost about 2600 soldiers in Iraq. U.S. casualties in WWII were almost 300,000. We are hit in the face every single day with how much this war is costing us. And the American way has become to not want it to cost us anything. I think racism is involved here too. I think we're more willing to sacrifice sons (and daughters) to protect Britons and, yes, even the French, but not Kurds or Iraqis. They are far too different from us and anonymous for most Americans to care. I realize there are some fundamental differences in these two wars, and perhaps I'll address that another time, but I don't feel that those differences are as substantial as the difference in how we, as a nation, are reacting to what it's costing us. If we'd been counting our losses so carefully in 1942 and 1943, we probably would have packed up and gone home and today we might all speak German.

2. Joe Lieberman is getting hammered up in Connecticut and from what little I've seen about it, he's getting beaten solely because he supports the war in Iraq and his opponent is against it. I think it's a travesty that anyone should get elected to a government position based primarily on what he is AGAINST. I'm against sensational journalism that capitalizes on peoples' fears, but that doesn't mean I should be the editor of the New York Times. Tell me why you should get the job, not why the other person shouldn't.

Lastly, I happened to see the other day that Nicolas Cage is starring in a remake of a semi-famous 70's suspense/horror film called "The Wicker Man". Somehow that reminded me of a recent movie with Josh Hartnett called "Wicker Park" and that led me to wonder, what's the deal with wicker getting a bad rep? Is it just because it's one letter off from "wicked"? Seriously, I've seen some very nice wicker furniture. I think someone needs to take a stand against this kind of treatment for an otherwise fine word. So I think I'll run for Senate in New Hampshire on the platform "wicker is good".

Lessons from an Old Bible

Last week I was out on a spiritual retreat and found myself flipping through one of my old Bibles -- my main Bible from December 1995 until about 2003. I have so much scrawled in the margins of that one. Eventually the binding fell apart completely. The cover is strictly optional now and everything from Galatians on is a pull-out section for everyone who prefers the abridged version of the New Testament. So I felt compelled to retire it and pick up a newer and thinner version. The old one will never be tossed though because it's like a second diary from those years. (Yes, I keep a diary. Does admitting that and that I have a man-crush on Keith Urban warrant a punch in my man card? I hope not.)

Well, in reading it last week I came across something kind of interesting that I picked up somewhere along the way. No idea where I got it or who said it/wrote it. But it's thought-provoking, so enjoy.

----------

Christian community has three essential components:
T = Truth
A = Accountability
F = Fellowship

If you have A and F, but no T, you are a cult
If you have T and A, but no F, you are a seminary
If you T and F, but no A, you are like most Protestant churches today.

Christian Art

Something else Derek mentioned was how Christians don't really support art and artists anymore. I agree with him on this. Art has become the domain of the liberal non-believer -- the rejector of "organized religion". Why? When did this shift happen? It didn't use to be this way. It used to be that the best art in the world was coming from the church and reflected Christian themes: the Sistine Chapel, St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Rembrandt's "Return of the Prodigal Son", Handel's "Messiah". Nowadays, what little we produce is noticably inferior to what the world has to offer.

I remember becoming a Christian in 1994, when I was 18 and listening mostly to Nine Inch Nails and Smashing Pumpkins. I asked what music Christians listened to that was similar to this and they gave me "Petra". Now, apologies to those of you who like Petra and grew up with them, but it sucked. Fortunately, DC Talk's "Jesus Freak" and Jars of Clay's self-titled album came out soon after and that was decent stuff. Now there are a few good Christian groups out there -- stuff that rivals what the world has to offer. But our movie-making still pales in comparison to the world's (though the Narnia movie was a step in the right direction) and I haven't seen any Christian entry into the painting/drawing world that deserves mention.

There's no reason for this though. As a church we need to start promoting, supporting and encouraging Christian artists to do their thing -- because Christ is honored when we use the gifts he gives us. (Conversely, I believe Christ is dishonored when Christians produce junk and still implore us to buy it simply because it's "Christian")

Art is and always will be a powerful medium for communicating ideas. So let's take back some ground. But more than that, let's just make beautiful stuff because it pleases and honors him.

There is, of course, another issue involving the theme of art produced by Christians and I'd be remiss not to address this a bit too. Derek pointed out that Christian art usually only reflects the most spiritual 2% of Christian life, so that even if it's good, non-believers and even many Christians can't relate to it at all. If, especially as a Christian musician, you dare make music that doesn't talk about Jesus or isn't worship music, you can very quickly be branded a sell-out or backslider. People will question your faith and/or your motives. Why can't a Christian produce a really great album that never mentions Christ's name and that not still bring Him glory? I think it can and does. Non-Christians produced a lot of the great stuff I mentioned above -- most people argue that Rembrandt wasn't really a Christian but just did all that great work because of the commissions. Generally we're OK with that because, well, it's high quality work. Can't we be OK if a genuine Christian produces something beautiful that isn't overtly Christian. Is God less pleased with such a thing? I refer back to my original statements: God does enjoy beauty for beauty's sake, because it ultimately reflects back on Him. Nature itself is the most amazing work of art and it's message (that there is a God and he's amazing) is also subtle enough for many millions to miss.

God gives creative gifts. We know this because we are made in his image and he's a creator God (see Genesis 1). So let's create. Let's use the gifts he's given us -- and celebrate those among us with special talents in that area -- even when they write a song about a girl, paint an abstract or sculpt something undecipherable to you and me.

For or Against?

Saw Derek Webb in concert last night. I've seen him four or five times in Caedmon's Call, but never before as a solo artist, which he's been since 2003. I've always loved his stuff and thought that the best CC songs were always the ones he wrote. His latest album is an excellent addition to his catalog. He's a brilliant lyricist.

As I'd expected (and hoped for) he talked a fair amount between songs last night. I appreciated what he had to say to set up each song and let us know what was on his mind when he wrote it. In introducing a song called "My Enemies Are Men Like Me" he talked about something that really struck a chord with me...

He pointed out that Christians are often most outspoken about -- and known for -- what they are against. They are: against immorality, against the devil, against blatant sin, against abortion, against gay marriage, against stem cell research, etc. etc. Would it not be better, he asked, if they were just as outspoken about what they were FOR. Because Christians are: for loving their neighbors, for hope for the hopeless, for freedom from bondage and oppression, for prodigals returning home, for protecting widows and orphans.

If the world regarded Christians more for what we are in favor of and less for what we are against, wouldn't the world be more inclined to become like us?

So I'm now totally against people who are always against stuff.

I write this with intentional irony, because I saw much of myself in Derek's words. This last week I was thinking about what I've put on this blog and what I intend to put on here in the future and it occurred to me that a lot of it is ... well, I don't know how to describe it. It's not negative per se, but it's mostly about pointing out how things aren't quite what they ought to be. I wasn't able to really put my finger on what it was that was bugging me until last night. I realized that I'm a person who is against a lot of things -- especially against things in the church that I think are off the mark. I've never been shy about calling it like I see it (sometimes to the consternation of my supporters!) While I think that can be a useful habit and sometimes even a gift, it can also very easily make me into a complainer or pessimist.

I think it's time for me to focus more on being FOR some good things than so much against some bad things: in my heart, in my tongue and at my fingertips.

But first I have to really discern what I am "for". I haven't thought like that in a while. So, while I figure that out I'll get two more "issues" off my chest. :-)

Stay tuned...

My New Bible

For my birthday this year I asked for a new Bible. I'm not the type to want to have 37 different versions of the Bible gathering dust on my shelf, particularly since I'm constantly aware in my ministry of whole people groups who have no Bible at all, so it's unusual that I'd ask for a new one.

The one I asked for (and got) is "The Narrated Bible in Chronological Order (NIV)", edited by F. LaGard Smith. The title is pretty self-explanatory -- the whole Bible rearranged so that items are placed in their historical context and laid out in the order in which they took place. So Psalms are interspersed with passages from 1 Samuel and 1 Chronicles and the Gospels are all mixed in with each other, for two examples.

I love it. It's really renewed my enthusiasm for reading the Word. Yes, you lose some of the uniqueness of the individual author and his intended audience, but someone like me gains a lot of perspective and context which makes it all a little clearer for me. I'm a history guy -- I enjoy thinking linearly and finding structure in things. The Bible has often defied those traits ... until now. I feel like this has already helped me understand God better, and I expect only to continue as I get further along.

Bottom line though -- anything that gets me into the Word more is a good thing.

P.S. Thanks to Doug & Sharon Jordan in Vienna, Austria who left a copy of this Bible in their bathroom for me to pick up and look at during one of my "visits".

Injustice, Gators Galore and the Wisdom of Children

So Naomi got a taste of injustice last week. While on the way home from a field trip one of the boys was repeatedly pestering the children seated behind him. In order to get his attention as he continuously ignored her command that he stop and turn back around, she tapped the eight year old on the knee. The child reported to his parents that Naomi had hit her and two days later she was fired for "fighting or related conduct resulting in physical contact".

What lessons are we teaching these kids? That there's no difference between tapping a disobedient child on the knee and a brawl? (That's rich since this is a domestic violence shelter). Or that the child who wants to get rid of an adult supervisor need only accuse that person of hitting him/her? In an age when parents are increasingly passing the responsibility of disciplining their children over to teachers and daycase workers, the laws are preventing these people from doing that. Kids today are untouchable and have been given free-reign to do whatever they want. The word of a child is always taken above that of an adult and adults have virtually no rights when it comes to a dispute involving a child. We're going to raise children with a sense of entitlement, invincibility and the conviction that they are always right and that's going to make a mess of them.

Gators Galore... What better way to escape the depressing circumstances of last week than with a quick vacation in southern Florida! My parents joined Naomi and I for a Red Sox-Marlins game on Saturday night in Miami (Red Sox won 11-5 with two homers each from Papi and Manny) and then Sunday we explored the Keys, stopping for a morning for snorkeling in Key Largo and then heading out to Key West. On the way back to Sarasota on Monday we drove on US-41 across the Everglades and Big Cypress National Park. Our hope was to see at least one live, in-the-wild gator. Instead we saw about 50, including two that we got about 15 feet away from. (I have some nice pictures). We also saw a ton of fiddler crabs, a raccoon, a couple loggerhead turtles, a baby snapping turtle and giant grasshoppers. It was a fun trip. I definitely recommend exploring the 'Glades.

The Wisdom of Children... Yesterday we were in Sarasota at my parents' place. I was watching the Italy-Germany soccer game with my niece, Katie, who is 8 years old. She had a number of questions about the game and players, but the last of these really struck me. She said, "What do they get if they win?" I told her they'd play one more game and the winner of that game gets, well, a trophy. "Oh", she replied, unimpressed. Yeah, a trophy. And not a particularly big one. And there's only one even though the team has about 20 guys on it. So the trophy really isn't that great. Basically, the real prize is being able to say "I won the World Cup". But that only has meaning because somewhere along the way someone decided it was cool. The winner of the World Cup really doesn't get anything at all. Just bragging rights amongst people for whom that matters. It's all very arbitrary when you think about it. Maybe it'd be better to compete for something that has intrinsic value. I'll think about that more beginning on Sunday at about 6pm.

More Random Thoughts

-- Based on what I saw yesterday, for once it was the Australians who were the better soccer players and the Italians who were better actors. A little history... Soccer: Italy always makes it to the World Cup and has won it twice. Australia made it once prior to this time and didn't score a single goal. Acting: famous Italian actors... Roberto Benigni (and he vanished shortly after his manic Oscar acceptance speech). On the other hand, Australia has given us Mel Gibson (who was actually born in New York, but never mind that), Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush, Hugh Jackman, Naomi Watts, Nicole Kidman (who was actually born in Hawaii, but never mind that) and Keith Urban. OK, Keith Urban isn't an actor but he is, well, OK -- I have a bit of a man crush. I wish I was Keith Urban, and that's nothing to do with his recent nuptials. Anyway, soccer ... the Aussies kept right with the Italians yesterday and lost it on a flop. A legitimate foul really, but still a flop because he could have easily cleared him and carried on with the play.

-- I think there's a conspiracy among soap producers. When I get a new bar of soap, it's great. It lathers very nicely. But after the top half inch or so has been used up, it doesn't lather well anymore and I have to re-sud my washcloth. I find this very annoying. I think the soap substance in the middle of the bar is not the same as what goes on the outside. It's a conspiracy to get us to throw half-used bars of soap away and buy new ones. But I'm about to stick it to The (soap)Man. I'm going to buy new Dial for Men body wash because I can't get that tuba song out of my head and because it's shaped like an oil can, which makes me feel very manly.

-- Nothing spoils a pretty good movie (such as Garden State, which I watched last night -- excellent soundtrack by the way) like ending it with an idealized view of relationships: the whole "I'm-messed-up-in-numerous-ways-but-I-like-you-and-you-make-me-feel-better-so-therefore-we'll-have-a-really-great-relationship" thing. That sort of relationship lasts about 10 minutes because it's entirely about using another person to feel better about yourself. And, inevitably, because that person has a sin nature which will make them do selfish and self-protective things, that person will fail to make you feel better about yourself at some point. Then what? Au revoir, I'm off to find someone else who'll make me feel better about myself. The only lasting foundation for a relationship is a commitment to serving the other person. It's much more about blessing the other person than how they make me feel. It seems to me there are way too many movie writers and directors that haven't figured that out yet. They are often also the ones who've been married and divorced seven times. Go figure.

Random Thoughts

-- One of my favorite things about marriage is this: whenever I put my arm around Naomi she always slides closer and leans into me. Love that.

-- I'm really down on Christian songs that talk about Jesus being all that I need. Horse hockey. The SOURCE of all I need, for sure, but not all I need. That list has to include oxygen, water, community, rest, purpose and a few other things. The biggest offender is "Draw Me Close To You" the weekly playing of which seems to be the only thing every denomination can agree upon. It's a nice enough song, but lyrically it could be about your boyfriend and it contains the annoying refrain referenced above. One of my bands du jour right now is Telecast and they have a nice album with catchy songs one of which, regrettably, has the "you're all I need" (hereafter YAIN) thing going on. Even the latest Passion release "Everything Glorious" has a YAIN number by the normally reliable Charlie Hall. Actually this song is about Jesus being all WE need, so it's technically a YAWN number.

-- Speaking of Passion... more Kristian Stanfill please. "Jesus Paid It All" is amazing. Oh, and if the powers that be relegate Christy Nockels to just one song again (and a duet at that) I'll never buy another Passion album. (OK, I'll still buy all of them, but I'll be very put out).

-- Sugar. A friend of mine was raised by a rather strict mother who severely limited his sweets intake. I took to suggesting that she believed sugar to be granular sin, in much the same way that many think alcohol is liquid sin. (Would that make dancing kinesiological sin?) Well I'm coming around to the sugar-is-evil thing. It's so good, yet, at this point in my metabolic life, sooooo bad. I want to eat it all the time. Donut? Yes please. Cinnamon roll? You betcha. Vanilla frosted chocolate cake? For sure! Recently I rediscovered the joy of dipping strawberries in sugar. All the while I'm in danger of never again seeing my toes. I have to stop. Chocolate I can resist. Steak holds no sway over me. But the sound of Frosted Flakes falling into a cereal bowl still calls out to my inner Tony and I'm compelled to eat the biggest flake in the bowl before the first drop of milk falls from the jug. Do they have support groups for this?

-- I think Frank Lampard (ENG) and Michael Ballack (GER) must be the two most frustrated players at the World Cup (and not just because of the standard conduct rules put on by managers). Both midfielders have absolutely peppered opposing goals with shots and neither has found the back of the net yet. They have shot after shot, most on goal and most impressive, and yet they just can't finish. Reminds me of a prof at Richmond from England who we got to play for our InterVarsity intramural soccer club. Amazing ball handler but most of his shots on goal wound up being throw-ins for the other team. No lie.

--The biggest egos on the pitch so far have belonged to the refs of the Italy-US game and today's streetfight between Portugal and the Netherlands. Never have I seen two officials do such an abominable job of holding onto control. There've got to be changes after this one wraps. By the way, lost respect for Figo today after that head-butt. Gained more respect for Arjen Robben for coming away clean from that landfill of a match.

I think that'll do for now.

Faith like a ... college student

Last week was our EDGE orientation: three days of training for 101 college students who are going on 8 week long summer mission trips. I must confess that I don't really look forward to these weeks. It's busy, hectic, non-stop and, for me, not the best environment to connect with people. I'd much rather have a small group and get to know them well. With a hundred and one and the limited time that I'm around them, it just seems impossible to connect. But this week was different for some reason. Maybe my attitude about it was different -- I don't know -- but I wound up having quite a few really good conversations that I plan to follow up on as the summer progresses and fades into Fall.

One day last week I taught a session for the guys titled "NOT hooking up on the field". But while the title implies that I spoke only about the "rules of engagement" for male/female relationships, it was much more a discussion on respect, self-discipline and formation of healthy man-to-man relationships. I think it was well received and the guys were challenged to really be brothers to one another.

I think I enjoyed most just interacting with them about meaningful stuff: trends of discipleship on their campuses, how they can most effectively serve God during their final year at school and where he might be leading them beyond that. But I also loved worshipping with them. They had such a zealousness in their worship. I think they knew they were about to tackle something big -- something that they ought not attempt without God. So they offered their summers and their lives to him. It struck me as a very genuine and humble submission before God and acknowledgement of his power to do something amazing (or even very ordinary) through them this summer.

I'm excited to welcome them back in mid-August and to hear their stories.

Christian Isolationism

I don't really know where this came from but I was thinking about it in church the other day.... It seems to me that people in the church tend to fall into one of four categories:

1. Those who attend the church but live unrepentant lives. They feel no compulsion to submit to Biblical moral and behavior standards. Nor do they participate in any acts of service.

2. Those who acknowledge a Biblical moral code and strive to follow it, with mixed results. The live through cycles of success, failure, repentance and re-doubling of efforts. They are so consumed on this moral cycle that they have no emotional or spiritual energy to devote to serving others.

3. Those who acknowledge a pattern of living set forth in Scripture and try to keep this standard, also grappling with successes and failures, but without it being an all-consuming struggle, so that they also think about serving within the church. They actively pursue opportunities to serve other Christians. They are not, however, actively engaged in service to non-believers.

4. The last type is the type that not only seek to live a life after the model of Christ, but they are also active in service both to other believers and to non-believers. They believe in edifying and building up the body of Christ, but also intentionally seek out opportunities to minister to those not walking with the Lord.

I think a lot of Christians never get past this third category. I'm even encountering more and more people who want to do missions without ever leaving category three. They talk only about wanting to train and disciple national believers or teach theology in a seminary overseas. There's nothing wrong with that at all, and we need people to do those things, but I've started to wonder why there seem to be three people who want to do that for every one person who wants to work directly with the lost (a rough guess at the statistical trend I'm observing). Some are certainly just pursuing what they are most gifted to do. But I think others really have a hard time engaging non-believers. I think we have lots and lots of Christians who have no idea how to relate to non-Christians and try as best as they can to live good Christian lives without having to. But, of course, how can we be salt and light in the world without ever engaging those lost people that live in that world?

I struggle with this myself. Since returning from Austria I have almost no contact with non-believers. I believe without a doubt that what I'm doing is useful and strategic. I make an impact indirectly on non-Christians every day with what I do at PIONEERS, and Naomi and I are involved in a few ministries at our church, but I can't really say that I make a direct impact on any non-believers. So I'm pointing the finger at myself in this too.

I'm seeing this as I travel around to Christian college campuses as well. More and more I see a dichotomy between Christian colleges that are training students who want to learn how to engage the non-Christian world and those that are a haven for Christian students who want to be sheltered from that world for another four years. Our recruitment results as a mission agency are decidedly better with the former.

I'm concerned that, across our nation, there's a schism between our Christian sub-culture and the non-Christian world that is growing wider and deeper. We are, after all, better equipping our Christian bubble every year: we now have our own book stores, our own TV and radio stations, our own music, our own movie studios, our own yellow pages (so we can patronize only Christian businesses) and even our own breath mints!

Are we isolating ourselves to the point of complete irrelevance? Are we setting up camp in category three at the expense of a huge part of what Christ has called to do and to be?

Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I want to take you...

Seriously, if I could, I would take you down to Aruba. If I win the lottery and become independently wealthy, we're going. But seriously, the way our luck's been running, it could happen -- except that we don't play the lottery. So we'll have to become indepedently wealthy some other way. I'll get back to you on that one.

Anyway... back story: Naomi and I entered a contest through our local newspaper and some car dealerships when we were car-shopping last summer and Naomi won the grand prize: 7 days/7 nights in Aruba, hotel and airfare. Boo-yah!

We had a year to take the trip so we booked it for the week of our anniversary and my birthday, which happened to be last week (#s 3 and 30 respectively -- yikes). It was ... wait for it...

AWESOME!!!!

In summary: sunny, mild, windy; nicest people you'll ever meet; small (~25 miles long and ~5 miles wide); Dutch territory, so lots of fun European influences; laid-back.

We saved up from last summer and didn't have to worry about hotel or flights, so we were able to do a lot of fun stuff and not worry too much about what it cost. So we rented a car to explore the island, went off-roading on the rocky north coast, rode horses through the national park, shopped in the city, snorkeled by a sunken German freighter from World War II, parasailed to usher in my 30s and spent a lot of time sitting in and by the beach and the gorgeous pool at our hotel. (Our room was pretty fabulous too: kitchen, living room area, jacuzzi tub, flat-screen TV, huge balcony overlooking the pool and ocean)

We were active and did lots of fun stuff for sure, but it was the most restful, refreshing week I've had in ... I can't remember how long. I really needed it as the stress has been mounting for a while at PI. I feel recharged now and ready to re-enter ministry with fullness.

There were many points last week when I just stopped and praised God for His goodness to us. This vacation would have been way out of reach for us normally, so it's just a huge blessing that we won it. It may seem like luck, but it's really just the grace of God. He's really been good to us and we thank Him for it.

Enjoy a couple pictures now...

Absurd or obedient?

This is what I learned from Henri Nouwen last week:

Our English word "absurd" comes from the Latin word "surdus", which means "deaf".
Our English word "obedient" comes from the Latin words "ob" (to) and "audre" -- to hear.

In summary:
absurdity has to do with being deaf (unwilling to hear, not unable to hear)
obedience has to do with hearing (choosing to hear, not simply able to)

Application: For us to not hear God, or to pay him no mind, is absurd. But if we hear him -- if we listen for his voice -- it is almost the same thing as being obedient. There's something about the voice of God -- whether it be audibly heard as some have experienced or simply the overwhelming feeling that there's something you ought to do -- that compels us to action. If we have heard something that has come from Him, we must obey.

I once watched a Russian teenager as he listened to a Gospel presentation. I don't recall if I was the one giving the invitation or not. All I remember is that I could tell it was hitting him. As the talk came to a close I felt a distinct impression from the Holy Spirit that I needed to approach him when we were done. There was never a question about my not doing it. I knew I had to, and so I did. I got a translator, went over and asked to talk to him. About an hour later he prayed to receive Christ. Sometimes the Holy Spirit speaks in words that cannot be ignored, and good things always follow.

That was four years ago now. I wish I had that happen to me more often, but I think there's too much absurdity in my life -- too often my ears are deaf to the Holy Spirit but keenly tuned to the TV, the radio, my CDs or other people talking -- none of which compare to what my Lord has to say to me.

Reading your way to better intimacy

Naomi and I decided this year to give each other a list of books to read through that’ll help us to get to know each other better and the things that we enjoy or are important to us.

My list for her:
The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien (a classic. Also shorter and tamer than the Lord of the Rings, which is what I really would want her to read).
Selections from Perspectives on the World Christian Movement – multiple authors (great articles about my favorite topic: missions)
The Genesee Diary – Henri Nouwen (she’d already read my favorite Nouwen book – The Way of the Heart. This one, about his stay at an abbey in New York, is also excellent though).
Reversing the Curse – Dan Shaughnessy (all about the 2004 Red Sox and on the list because she thinks that her liking the Minnesota Twins is the same as my liking the Red Sox. This book will help her understand what Red Sox Nation is and how there are others out there just like me and I’m not THAT odd).
The Silence of Adam – Larry Crabb (the best book I know about why men are the way they are – but I admit I haven’t read Wild At Heart).

Her list for me:
Far From the Dream – Lance Wubbels (Chick-lit. She loves it. I’m skeptical. But at least she chose one that takes place during World War II. As long as something blows up every 50 pages I should be fine).
Mind Siege – Tim LaHaye (it’s about the conflict between Biblical Christianity and Secular Humanism and how Christian thought is being rejected and replaced in the U.S.; I’m looking forward to it, but it’s reeeeallly long)
Classic Christianity – Bob George (no idea, but Bill Bright liked it and that's good enough for me)
Just Like Jesus – Max Lucado (I know she likes Max Lucado and wanted me to read something by him. I never had until our church went through Com Thirsty. Maybe she’s hoping I’ll take the title to heart).
Lies Women Believe – Nancy DeMoss (the best book she knows about why women are the way they are)

Caveat: This is not a list of our favorite books. We’ve already read most of each other’s favorites. We bought them for each other as birthday and Christmas gifts while we were still just friends – though that was one of the things that tipped me off that she was interested in me. I think she’s the only person not related to me that ever sent me a birthday present while I was in Austria!

For people who know who Caedmon's Call are

I've been a fan of Caedmon's Call for about 10 years now -- since I first saw them in a middle school auditorium in Richmond sometime around 1996 or 97. I got to meet them all shortly thereafter when they were back in Richmond and hanging out at a Christian bookstore downtown. Well that was many years ago and they're much bigger now, and much of the band has changed. But I still like them. So I was excited to find out they were the worship leaders for the conferences I mentioned in my last blog.

At the Orlando conference my colleagues Becky and Netty decided to ask them out for dinner once the conference had wrapped up. They approached Garret but he said he wasn't sure what they were supposed to be doing next. I saw them later on out in the parking lot and talked to Danielle and Andy Osenga (the guy that replaced Derek Webb) but they said someone was bringing dinner for them. I think they were just being polite, but that's OK.

Nevertheless, despite getting denied twice, another colleague (Lauri) and I decided to seek them out again in Denver. Well, it never happened. We got busy and had dinner plans lined up already so we didn't make any effort to seek them out. So it's Sunday and we're dropping off our rental car when who should pull in behind us but Andy Osenga! Well he climbs on the airport shuttle with us and I start talking to him. Lauri, who is normally quite personable and outgoing, apparently clams up when around celebrities, so she sat there like she was having her portrait painted! I, on the other hand, have much more experience with celebrity (e.g. encounters with Ray Charles and Stephen King, among others) and don't hesitate much to engage them in conversation!

So we talk all the way to the airport and I find out that a) Danielle wasn't there because her youngest was sick, b) Josh Moore didn't make it because he lost his passport and driver's license and wasn't going to be allowed to board the plane and c) his pre-Caedmon's catalogue (including a fine song called "The High School Band" which he did at both conferences) is available online. He said the url is www.iloveandy.com (I didn't ask how it got that name), but that link doesn't work. Try www.andrewosenga.com instead.

Well we went our separate ways then because Lauri and I were headed to Cleveland (and then onto Orlando) and Andy was heading home to Nashville. We do the check-in and security thing (dumb people made me take off my sandals, which are entirely made of rubber and plastic) and settle in at our gate. Just as boarding is getting started a guy sits down next to Lauri who ... wait ... looks a lot like Cliff Young. I'm not sure though because a) we're sitting at a gate going to Cleveland and I know he lives in Texas, b) there's more gray in that goatee than I would have guessed and c) he's reading Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" and, yes, I really had this stupid thought: Do Christians read Dan Brown? (Yes, they do, by the way. I'm personally planning to read "The Da Vinci Code" to see what the fuss is about.)

So I come up with a plan. I take off my black sweatshirt to reveal my newly purchased Fusion t-shirt (that's the name of the conference ... www.fusionconferences.com). Sure enough, he sees it (we'd already made eye-contact twice -- maybe he recognized me?!?!) and asks if I was there. So Cliff and I talked for a bit while Lauri did her best impersonation of a statue. Found out from Cliff that Danielle just turned 30 (he had a huge binder full of emails from friends and fans) and that one of the next Fusion conferences will be in Washington D.C. I couldn't get that info from any of my friends with rightnow, who put on these conferences, but I got the inside scoop from my man Cliff.

So forget dinner ... I'm planning on drinks at some local D.C. bar with my friends Cliff and Andy! Next thing you know we'll be doing Christmas together.

Any celeb encounters you'd like to share with everyone?

Identity through Opposition

I recently spent three days in Denver at a conference that had also taken place in Orlando in February. I was surprised to find that the response in Denver was much better. It seemed to me that there were more people at the Denver conference and they were more motivated to get involved in local and foreign missions. They seemed to be, overall, more committed to being part of what God is doing around the world and in their own backyard. I began to wonder why that is, and this is what I came up with:

Denver has a large community of people who are ferociously devoted to not being Christian. This community often overlaps with the extremely liberal groups of people that are found some places in Denver and all over the place in Boulder – which is quite the bastion of radical liberalism. I think this very vocal, very visible, very anti-Christian community has polarized the city a bit and caused the otherwise quiet, sometimes nominal Christians to become more serious, more vocal and more visible in their pursuit of and worship of Jesus. I think the Christians in Denver are more committed to their Christ precisely because the liberals in Denver are more committed to their liberalism. There are few things that make us define who we are and ferociously defend that identity more than opposition does.

For a great example of this on a global scale see China, Peoples Republic of.

Here in Orlando I don’t see that same sort of opposition. It seems that almost everyone here claims to be a Christian, at least by heritage if not by actual choice and lifestyle. I would argue that Disney and all it’s “I’m OK, you’re OK, let’s just be happy” propaganda is in opposition to the Christian life (which assumes a fair amount of suffering and sacrifice last time I checked), but I think it’s so subtle an opposition that most people don’t even realize it’s there at all.

Maybe we need something more blatant here – something that’ll cause the Christian community to take themselves, their faith, their Lord and their role as ambassadors here a bit more seriously.

a crucial problem

When I was in Austria the PIONEERS missionary couple I was visiting said to me that one of the crucial problems in the small Austrian evangelical church is that even the more devoted members, while they love Jesus and respect the Bible, are unwilling to submit themselves to what Jesus teaches (as recorded in the Bible). They like aspects of Christianity, but don't want to follow the parts that are hard or challenging.

I think this is an issue in this country as well. Look at the interest in spirituality in America today. The obsession with all things in "angelic" was a few years ago now (hence "Touched By An Angel" is no longer with us), but Kaballah is in and people are taking more of an interest in Islamic teachings, despite the association with terrorism. Note, though, that this interest is mostly just in the aspects of spirituality that are in some way beneficial or soothing -- inner peace or healing, spiritual guidance and so on. Not many people are talking about sacrifice or discipline or repentance.

But this is a package deal, folks. We can't make Jesus into a spiritual buffet where we pile on extra helpings of peace, joy and blessings but leave behind accountability, sacrifice, repentance and putting others first. Let's allow Jesus to be what he is and what he said he was: the Risen Son of God, fully deserving of our COMPLETE devotion and obedience.

Blog problems ... here's the rest of the last post

My blog hasn't been working lately. Here's the rest of the last post ... I'll add a new one soon I promise!

Wednesday, 4/5: Thank goodness for luggage drop-offs in the train station so I didn't have to haul my suitcase all around Zagreb. Nice seven hour train ride back to Vienna. Got to sleep and read a lot. Chris and Anne Frank's son, Cole, looks a lot like a sheep when dressed up in his white wool one-piece coat.

Thursday, 4/6: Deja vu. I'm back at the Oasis and Altenmarkt, playing with the kids! It isn't as strange as I thought it might be to be back. Though many friends are gone, many others remain, and I feel at home. Had a lovely kebab and a heuriger outing with the whole team which made up for having missed my own party on my 24th birthday.

Friday, 4/7: Met the PIONEERS couple working in Vienna and with the guy under whose authority they work. Great vision for reaching not only the city but the whole country. There are still great needs in Austria. Also spent time with my friends, the Dossetts, and had dinner with my former teammate, Miriam, and Kathy Marsh, who is well known in both I.T. and PIONEERS circles.

Saturday, 4/8: The day of crises and running out of steam. My hectic schedule finally caught up with me today and I ran out of gas. I also had my bank card cancelled on me and spent a half hour and about $23 in cell phone charges trying to get it to work again since I was down to 5 euros! Managed that finally by being more forward and pushy than I normally am with the bank people. Also had my cell phone (which has been vital) run out of battery power and had to macgyver an adaptor before I could charge it back up. In the end, crises averted and I was in for the night by 9, which was great but required me cancelling a meeting. Also got to my friend Ares' wedding, which appeared to be a great coincidence but was really just a great blessing from the Lord.

Sunday, 4/9: Made my AM train only because the driver had pity on me running and dragging two suitcases behind me. Flew to Poland where I had to figure out how to get to a city two hours to the southeast. Barely missed the bus there, had to wait for two hours for the next one so I went back into the terminal to change some money and wait and ran into the guy I was supposed to be seeing in the other city. He'd come to pick me up but I didn't know it. It's a minor miracle that we found each other. He was relieved and I was grateful. We went to downtown Warsaw, coming face to face with a lot of tragic history, I had sushi for the first time and then we drove down to Lublin.

Monday, 4/10. So far, attended an English class and saw the city. Poland has, at most, 150 missionary units (couples or singles) and 40 million people! Evangelical believers are about .05% of the population. This is why, two years ago, an article in "Evangelical Missions Quarterly" said Poland was, by one count, the least reached country in the world.

Who knows what other adventures lie ahead in the remaining three days?

In summary, I can say this: there's surely a great darkness in this continent. To the people of Europe Christianity is, at best, misunderstood, and at worst, completely irrelevant. The need here is great, which is why we call the people here "Forgotten Peoples". And, secondly, I definitely feel a great yearning to be here again and hope it'll come to pass soon that Naomi and I can come back.

Highlights from the last week or so

Haven't had much internet access the last week. They only had dial-up in Montenegro and I didn't have internet at the guesthouse I was staying at in Austria. A lot's happened in that time ... here are the cliff's notes:

Saturday, April 1st: first time in Croatia and in Montenegro ... both seem nice. Definitely happy to have met up with Garret, a friend who works in Croatia, he got us from the train station to the bus station and on to the airport quite easily (would have been a challenge for me).

Sunday, April 2nd: went to church, which was really a small group: me, Garret, two missionaries who work there long-term and four Montenegrin believers. In the Bay area around Herceg Novi, there are 40,000 people and less than 10 known believers.

Monday, 4/3: Drove around the bay and spent the day in Kotor. Absolutely one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, and I've been in over 30 countries. Temporarily conquered my fear of heights by hiking up to castle ruins and Garret developed fear of snakes on the way back down when he almost trod on one.

Tuesday, 4/4: Dubrovnik is pretty, for sure, but very, very expensive. Counted down all the U.S. Presidents and their years of office with Eric G., which we found to be great fun.