More Trail Camera Fun

I placed my new trail camera on the same tree as my hunting stand, which is on the edge of a cut corn field where it's been for four years now. I put it in on opening day, Oct.1 and I checked it yesterday, Oct.8, before hunting that evening. There were over four hundred pictures on it. About half of them had noting on them. It was either the wind blowing vegetation and setting off the camera, or some critter (bird or ground animal) zooming across before the picture can snap. You can see the date and time of the picture on the lower right corner below the picture. I liked this picture because the doe is so still. She looks like a one legged 3D target, but she's very real. The following series of pictures are just part of the pics recording two bucks sparing. It's really neat. I've been blessed to watch it in person a few times, but most people never get to see it. Enjoy.

This was more of a playful pushing contest. The big boys, during the rut, actually get very vicious and deadly. There have been plenty of nice bucks found dead with antlers locked together. Below, there were lots of pics of the local raccoon, who left a couple of very personal mementos on my stand.

With mama standing guard, this yearling was very intrigued by the little box on the tree.

While there were several pictures of about 4 or 5 bucks, this big boy had several pictures, but this was the most complete and still. He's a nice ten point, probably three and a half year old buck. There are a couple of really nice buck scrapes about fifty yards to the left of this picture that he probably made. When you hear us hunters moaning about the really mature bucks being nocturnal, we're not just making excuses. Look at the time in the lower right corner. Hopefully that will change in just a few weeks as he gets a lot more serious about looking for some girl friends.

Once Upon A Time...

Fred and Mary were quiet folks. On Sunday mornings at church, they were as happy and friendly as anyone, but they never really took a lot of initiative to go up to members or visitors and just talk and visit. They were a little more laid back, and generally only responded to members who came up to them. Like I said, they were quiet folks - I guess you'd say shy, introverted, and meek.
After a quiet Sunday dinner at home, Fred and Mary just quietly got to work, doing things they did nearly every day of the week. Mary fixed a meal to take over to an elderly couple who had visited their church, but, because of poor health, hadn't been back in a long time. Fred and Mary knew they were both in poor shape, so they have been taking food over there two or three times a week. Fred cut their grass for them, and put their trash cans out front for the Monday morning pick up, and he always came back on Monday evening to check on them and return their trash cans to the back porch.
Fred and Mary left the elderly couple's house and drove to the Elder Care Center, to visit with the many folks, all of whom they knew by first name. They went straight to the central TV room where most of the folks spent the afternoon, and they just talked with each one and got them smiling and laughing, and did dozens of little things for many that the Care Center workers just didn't have time to do. At one point, Fred and Mary, sat with half a dozen folks and sang some of their favorite hymns for them. It was soft, but sweet, and the folks were all so appreciative of the attention Fred and Mary gave. They hated to see them go, but it was getting dark, and Fred and Mary always spent Sunday evening teaching Bible class for the small children in the inner city church about 45 minutes from their suburban neighborhood. They always got home late on Sunday night and fell asleep exhausted from all their labors of love.
After the evening service at their church that night, the elders had a meeting. After dealing with several budget concerns and figuring out how to keep some disgruntled members from leaving, they began to talk about the spiritual needs of members. They were deeply concerned about the seemingly weak faith of several families. They spent the rest of their meeting discussing how they could get Fred and Mary more involved in "church work" and thus, help them become "more faithful members of the Lord's church."
Be careful when you judge members as complacent and inactive. You may be judging their walk with God only by church generated ministries and involvement opportunities - but that's not all there is. Church is a tool to use not a standard to judge by. God is the only one who doesn't miss a thing. Leave the judging to Him.

Is It Even Mostly Most Important?

Just think back over the last several discussions you've had with Christian, or even the ones you just happen to overhear. If you're a church leader, add to that all the things all the other leaders have passed on to you lately about the "concerns" that members have. Now, blend them all together and come up with a concoction that summarizes what seems to be the most important one thing in the church today.
Many people, and this certainly doesn't include everyone, seem to still be driven by the extremely selfish and worldly goal of "keep me happy and comfortable," which translates in church-speak as "I want an uplifting and inspirational worship." It's selfish because it's all about what "I want" and what "makes me feel good." It's worldly, because it's the product of centuries of formalizing traditions, elevating the assembly, and changing a giving event into a receiving experience.
I have been saying that for a lot of years now. My wife might even say, "A little too often". For the folks who have had to hear it multiple times, that may be true. I am just astounded that we continue to major in minors and so completely miss the point of why God put the church in place. But then I think about how much and how long he has been saying what he wants, and how much and how often his people have ignored or forgotten it.
A teacher of the law came up to Jesus right after he had dealt with trick questions, one from the Pharisees and one from the Sadducees, and asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" Your first inclination is to assume it's another trick question, but evidently it was an honest seeker, wanting confirmation of what he understood.
You know what Jesus said: "THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE is this..." and he quotes God's original command from Deuteronomy 6, that we should, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. THERE IS NO COMMANDMENT GREATER THAN THESE." (Mark 12:28-31)
God said it first and it was repeated by Moses, Jesus, Paul, James, Peter, and John, just to name a few, and the people of God continually seem to lose track of what the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO GOD IS! Love him and love one another, which is how we learn to love him!
The teacher of the law, in Mark 12, got it. He not only praised Jesus for his answer, but pointed out that it was "more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." These were the most important "acts of worship" to every Jewish worshipper. That makes me want to ask, "What things have we allowed to become more important than God's MOST IMPORTANT ONE THING? Again, has the tool become more important than the purpose? When do we start evaluating "church growth" by what God wants rather than by what the world says it is?

No Elk, But Lots of Coffee

This is for family and anyone who visits the Root house in the future.
It may not look like it, but this is an elk processing, or at least the cost of an elk processing. Since I didn't get an elk in Colorado last week, I decided to use the money I'd set aside to pay for the processing to purchase a Keurig Gourmet Coffee Maker. This is the Platinum version with a sixty once water reservoir. I really enjoyed seeing and using Pat and Deborah's Keurig when we were in Dallas last month, and decided I wanted to get one. Yes, it's not the most economical way to make a cup of coffee, but it's cool and it's quick and it's got lots of choices. Of course, being a plain-Jane kind of coffee drinker, with no tendency to experiment, you can clearly understand that this was something we thought family and friends might enjoy when they visited. There are literally hundreds of kinds and favors of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and fancy Starbucks-type drinks, but I also like the fact that it has an attachment that you can use (purchased separately of course) that allows you to use your own coffee if you want, and not one of the little pre-made packets that are made for it. You can set this one for five different sizes of cups, and I've already got ours programmed to come on early, about 5:30 AM, and turn off again about 9 AM. When it's on and ready, you have steaming, freely brewed coffee in less than one minute. Okay, it's fun to play with. I'm anxious to try the hot chocolate. It will be nice to have the week of Thanksgiving when all our family are here, and I'm not the only coffee drinker in the house. I'm not going to be using all those wild and fancy kinds of coffee, so somebody has to try'em.

Most of the time?

When is is okay for a child of God to be un-Christ-like? Don't be too quick to answer! Many people seem to believe that there are EXCEPTIONS to the rule of consistency in their walk with God. Yes, we all get angry occasionally, and lose it, which rarely means we exalt Christ in what we say and do during those times. As we grow, however, those times should happen less and less, and the self-control takes over more and more. Still, we're humans and sin is battle we will be involved in until we leave this world.
No, I'm talking about those time in life when we are in complete control, but for some reason, the event or the subject causes folks to forget they represent Jesus. While I'm not into pattern theology, I do believe I see some patterns in human behavior that I can't quite figure out. I've notice three things that seem to cause people to have spiritual dementia on a regular basis.
The first is pride. When personal pride is at stake - not the godly pride of righteous accomplishment, but the haughty pride of self-centeredness - people get testy, combative, unkind, and down right mean. The absence of humility causes some folks to say and do things that they know Jesus would never say or do, but "Hey - you just punched the wrong buttons on me" and somehow that makes it acceptable.
The second is preferences in worship styles. Of course, in the New Testament there is only one worship style and it's a life put on God's altar and totally given to him. I have seen nothing in my many years of church work that causes people to become more un-Christ-like than how folks react to changes in the assembly. They essentially become un-Christ-like about Christ centered things. Go figure! Some of the most unkind and ungodly things that I have heard come out of the mouths of Christians has been because of their expectations and preferences in the assembly not being met, kept, or increased. They are way too focused on the pep rally than they are the game.
The final area is politics. What is there about politics that makes Christians think it's okay to be mean spirited, vicious, unkind, judgemental, and un-Christ-like. I truly am bewildered and personally offended when brethren send me articles, videos, cartoons, and stories that bash our President, call him names, and make charges and accusations that any reasonable person knows Jesus would never make. As I said before, I didn't vote for him, but he is MY PRESIDENT, but more important - it's MY LORD YOU REPRESENT - ALL THE TIME - EVERY WHERE - EVERY DAY!
Don't say "For me to live is Christ" if you only mean it for part of the time. It's all or nothing. That's what a life given to him is all about.

The Myth of Multitasking

I have decided that multitasking, which to many is a symbol of productivity, is actually a euphemism for shoddy work, half-hearted results, and lack of focus. It is exalted as "the new work ethic", but in reality it just creates stress, belittles systematic accomplishments, and involves far more motion than quality results. In today's world of "image management," it looks impressive, but the truth is it drops more balls than it juggles, misplaces priorities, lets biscuits burn in the oven, and causes death and destruction on the highways.
Maybe I'm getting older and slower, but I find when I divide my attention by trying to handle multiple things at once, I sacrifice quality, thoughtfulness, and pride of accomplishment. When I slow down and ask myself, "Who am I trying to impress?" or "Do I want this done right or just done?" - I usually realize that what I'm doing needs more focus - and not to mention - more fun. If I take the time to plan and prioritize, then calmly work my way through my "To Do" list, I'm not only more productive, but the results make me happy, as opposed to just feeling relieved it's done.
Life is hectic and stressful, and most of the time I can't do anything about it, other than change the way I choose to perceive it. There are, however, plenty of things I can choose to give my full time and attention to, enjoy the journey, and feel proud of the end product. We need to learn the joy of being focused. If we don't learn, or remember, how to stay focused, how can we truly be seekers of God? Even Jesus pointed out that we can't serve two masters. Satan says we can, and I suspect he'd just call it multitasking.

They're Back...

We got home safe and sound, and tired, at about mid-day today - Saturday. We took two days to do the seventeen hour drive since we couldn't get away from Meeker, CO until later in the morning Friday. We had to wait for the deer processor to open up so we could pick up Danny's mulie. The above picture is from early Wednesday morning in the draw I was hunting in about midway up the mountain. The spot where I am standing is pretty close to were I arrowed my elk year before last. Not so lucky this year. I saw a lot of elk, got close to several on several occasions, but never had a clear shot. Such is bow hunting. It was a lot of fun - still.

This was a brief rest in our "tour of the ranch" that Kevin and I took the crew on in the middle of the afternoon last Sunday. This is on top of one of the mountain ridges, one we call "Bloody Nose Ridge." (Family will have to ask Uncle Kevin why it's called that.) It's a great spot to see miles and miles of God's beautiful creation. This looks a little like a used ATV park. Boy they're fun to ride around the mountains. Sure beats hiking.

Danny got is first buck with a bow and arrow. It's small for a mulie, but still bigger than most whitetails. It will be good eating for the Younger family. He made a great thirty-two yard shot, while sitting flat on the ground. Must have had a great coach. I'm really proud of him and happy for him. It's always nice to bring something home besides a T-shirt.

Have I mentioned how nice the ATV's are? We tossed it on the back of my Arctic Cat and I took it back to the bunkhouse and loaded it into Rob's pick-up truck.

This are my hunting buddies for this trip. From L to R is Zach Haugh, Rob Leasure, Kevin Haugh, and Danny Younger. Kevin and I have been going to CO to hunt this place since 1986. Why, I was only a kid! I mean, my kids were only kids. Anyway, we've been blessed to have loads of great memories and we added quite a few this year. I am especially happy that Kevin finally got to share a hunt with his son Zach. The one time my son Jonathan got to go with me is till one of my best memories of hunting trips to CO.

God blessed us with fun and safety, and it's good to be home.

From Meeker, Colorado

I am using the wireless connection in the Meeker, CO library, so this may be my only chance to do a blog this week. I forgot to bring my camera to town, so I don't have any pictures of the group of guys with me hunting elk this year. We are having a great time. Several times we have really been into the elk, and had a lot of fun chasing them all over the mountains. Nothing has been taken yet, though a couple of arrows have been unsuccessfully flung. The above picture is from my trail camera that I put up Saturday afternoon when we first got here. This early morning picture was taken yesterday and is an area I have been hunting a lot and seeing a lot of elk. Not many mule deer though.

This picture is from Sunday afternoon. We actually jumped these elk up as we road our atv's up the dirt road about 500 yard behind these elk. They just happened to run right by my trail camera. Yes, that is the mouth and tongue of a cow elk just coming into the picture on the right. It was actually a herd of about a dozen elk. Cool! Not as good as meat in the freezer, but cool.

Tomorrow is mine and Danny's last full day of hunting, but Kevin, Zach, and Rob will stay another day and leave on Saturday. We will be driving back to St. Louis early Friday morning and try to drive seventeen hours straight through. If we get too tired, we might stop for the night somewhere and get in early Saturday. It's been a lot of fun to hunt, be with good friends, and see some of God's most beautiful creation. Please keep us all in your prayers for us to have safe travel as we return to the real world. God is good.

Time For A Peak Experience - Again

Lord willing, I'll be seeing a sunrise like this again this weekend. This is a picture a took two or three years ago on the property we bow hunt on in Colorado. We leave early tomorrow morning and plan to put in about twelve hours of driving time and then finish off the last five hours Saturday morning. We begin our hunt Saturday evening and hunt through Friday morning before heading back home. Usually, we skip the Friday morning hunt and start back home getting in late that night or early the next morning. That's a lot easier to do when we already have an elk or a mule deer.
Anyway, I'm hoping to post a few pictures and updates about the hunt while we are there, assuming I can find a wireless spot in Meeker, CO. So I'll be out of town but not out of touch - I hope.

How Appropriate!

I love words. Duh! I wouldn't be writing a blog if I didn't, but I especially love words that clearly change with time. One such word is "appropriate". In truth, the definition hasn't changed, but the application has changed dramatically over my life time. I makes my heart ache to think of all the wasted energy, strained emotions, and damaged relationships that were part of my high school years because of the battle over what was and wasn't considered appropriate clothing, hair length, and accessories. Yes, we are talking about the late 60's, at a Christian school in deep south Georgia, but it just seemed like every member of the the church (many of whom were connected to the school also) was a self appointed member of the What's Appropriate Committee. Today, many people, young and old, walk into the church building wearing blue jeans, T-shirt, and sandals and no one gives it a second look or thought. Back then, where I was, that was a Tar & Feathering offense. I have so many memories and stories of comments and criticisms from "church folks" about my attire back then that it's amazing that I came away from all that with a passion for preaching. At the very least I've learned that what's appropriate is relative to the times and places we find ourselves.
James slammed the brethren for making distinctions between members and giving preference to the finely dresses wealthy members. The Corinthians were evidently cliquish even to the point of not waiting or sharing the Lord's Supper with those who were poorer or not part of their group. All this in spite of our Lord's clear warnings about judging others and defining them by externals rather than their hearts.
So what is appropriate today? We still have folks who think the assembly is a fashion opportunity, or who have some preconceived notion about what you MUST wear "in the presence of God" on Sunday morning. That's not only a incorrect theology, but a prescription for self-righteousness. We dress for God 24/7! Everything else image management.
I have said for years that the only things that have any bearing on what's appropriate for any Christian anytime, even during the assembly, is modesty and cleanliness. Even that, sometimes, is in the proverbial eye of the beholder. What is always appropriate is kindness, consideration, humility, and tolerance. I know Jesus wasn't a fashion critic, but a heart searcher. If we let looks keep us from learning about the heart of someone, we've stopped being like Jesus. And if we're more concerned about our outer appearance than we are with our inner spirit - well, that's just spiritually inappropriate.

The Lone Stove State

We left Dallas, TX at 5:40 P.M. Saturday evening and it was 100 degrees with high humidity from the flooding rain they had received that week. When we landed at St. Louis, we stepped out into a cool 79 degree low humidity evening and signed, "It's good to be back home." Now before the TX folks get riled up, the good thing is we were talking about the weather - not the state of the Lord's church in Dallas. That morning it was my great pleasure to do a four hour workshop/conference for the shepherds, their wives, and the staff of the Highland Oaks Church of Christ. It was a wonderful experience, and I'm not talking about the quality of the teaching they got. What a wonderful group of spiritual leaders! I was so impressed with the obvious love they had for one another and, most of all, their passion for wanting to truly be the kind of shepherds and ministers that the church family needs. The series of training sessions that they've all gone through to help the new and existing shepherds prepare for honest shepherding, is absolutely amazing. It's great to have a desire to change, grow, and follow a more people oriented path of leadership, but it's not ofter that I've seen that kind of effort and training put into learning how to do it.
This is a great church, doing some great things, and I can't wait to see how God blesses them. We are so happy that Pat and Deborah (our son-in-law and daughter) are working with such a wonderful group and being loved so completely by everyone we talked to. They have an impressive facility, but more import, they have an impressive plan to help every member develop a deeper relationship with Jesus - and that's what church is all about.
I was blessed to be with them and do something that I hoped helped. If you're ever passing through the north side of Dallas on Sunday, stop by and visit with these good brethren. You'll be glad you did.

Trail Camera

These are some REAL trail camera pictures. I put it up at my hunting spot in IL week before last, and left it up there for about ten days. I got it on Monday so I could take it to CO with me next week. I got some interesting pictures of does, bucks, raccoons, and, I think, some turkeys. The above buck is on several. He's young, and safe, at least from me. The tree my hunting stand is in is straight across the opening that he is looking at. Fifteen yards away. Pretty buck and still in velvet.

There were several pictures of raccoons. Notice the time on the right side. That's late afternoon but there were several night time pics.

Just at dark this nice buck showed up. There are several of him, but the night pics are harder to see. It's neat to not only see the critters, but to know exactly when they come through.

This was a mom and fawn that walked down the trail right beside the camera. This was the best one of the fawn.

He's getting an early start on his/her night time feeding. There were a lot of pics at night with nothing on them but vegetation and a few blurs. I think night birds or bats set it off. It's been fun already. I can't wait to use it during the hunting season to see what's moving at my hunting spots. Hopefully I'll get some nice pics in CO.

I Want It NOW!

I took this picture on Saturday as part of our rejoicing to finally have our driveway back, along with access to our garage. The County workers had put a note on our door warning us that our driveway would be blocked for up to seven days for road construction, but I guess that didn't count the driveway construction. We were blocked for two weeks. It really wasn't that bad except for Sunday evenings when our young adult One Another Group was meeting and they had to park a good ways away and walk a little rather than be right out front. But hey, they're all young and didn't think anything about it.
Did you ever think about the fact that being patient is just a theory until you HAVE to have it? It's easy to think of yourself as a patient person when everything is going smoothly and life is virtually stress free. An old Rootism of mine is "Red traffic lights are great when you're eating a DQ Blizzard." It's all a matter of perspective, or maybe more accurately, involvement. I know I am a lot more patient than I have been in the past, but just about the time I start feeling like I've got this baby conquered, I get smacked in the fact with my intolerance. It doesn't happen often. There is this genetic reality in the Root clan about what being hungry and tired does to some of our attitudes some of the time, but that has even diminished with age - at least for this Root.
We are the Captains of our own ship when it comes to smooth sailing in life. Impatience is a result of stress. Stress is a perceived lack of control. We decide whether or not we really need to be in control to begin with. Most of the things that stress us out and cause us to be impatient, really don't matter. Paul told us to be anxious about nothing and pray about everything. Boy, have we ever twisted that one around! But if you remember, the "peace that passes understanding" doesn't arrive until we get it right. (Philippians 4)

Skin & Bath?

Sorry, this is mostly for family. I understand if you don't feel inspired. Above, I mentioned to the kids a couple months ago that I saw a large Black Snake crawling in my front yard early one morning. I watched it slither under our front porch, and it was a chore since it had a huge lump from a recently eaten critter in its stomach and had to try a couple times before getting under it. Any way, I haven't seen it since, which is fine, since it was about three and a half to four feet long. While pulling weeds and trimming bushes this morning, I found this snake skin in the bushes just behind where I'm standing. He's still around, just with a new set of clothes.

Far more important than any snake skin is the fact that we finished the upstairs guest bath remodeling project this afternoon. We are really pleased with how it came out. If you don't know how it looked before, it may not mean much to you, but all our family will be glad to see the improvement.

That is one of those curved shower rods. Lot's more room now.

A touch of class! It is a square sink too. Wild isn't it?

To Go Or Not To Go?

I have written this blog before, but it's worth saying again - at least to me it is. From September through May, on the first Thursday of each month, I try to attend our area preacher's meeting. Without fail, I always find myself considering not going because I have things to do, a schedule to keep, and a shrinking week in front of me. But I go, usually reminding myself how nice it is to see good friends, share some things, have a good lunch together, and, just maybe, I might be a source of encouragement to just one of my fellow partners in the Gospel.
I don't know why, but there is just something about hearing a bunch of guys, not especially good and certainly with little harmony, sing some praise songs together. It has to be from the heart, because we don't care about sounding pretty. And then to pray together, often after sharing one-on-one, our joys and challenges in ministry and life. Then, we usually spend some time discussing some meaningful topic that each of us would rather be preaching about, but nevertheless - is always helpful.
These are good men, and it's encouraging to be with them and to share our weird world with one another. These brothers walk with God, love their church families, and live to see brothers and sisters grow in Christ. They're not "big names" in the brotherhood, or keynote speakers at University lectureships, and no one is a well know author or in demand as an after dinner speaker, though they are - at times - some of the funniest guys I know. Every time I go to our meetings, I'm just reminded that all over the world, there are thousands of servants of God working with average church families, making a difference, and just glorifying our Father with their passion for His people and His plan.
WAIT A SECOND! You don't suppose that God intended for us to get together so that we could encourage and be encouraged? Sounds like a wild idea to me.
A big thanks to all my preaching Brothers.

What A Shot!

Sorry about the steamy lens on my camera. This is a two inch group of four arrows shot at about twenty-two yards. I'm practicing for our hunting trip to Colorado in two weeks and for the bow seasons that open soon in MO & IL. No, this isn't about trying to impress anyone with my shooting ability. In fact, that's kind of the point. You can look at this picture and maybe be impressed with my "tight group," and maybe even be envious a little - if you shoot archery. What you don't know is how many times I shot that same group of four arrows before I was able to get that two inch group. (This was my second set this morning.)
I think all of us have times when we are with a group of brothers and sisters, on Sunday or some other togetherness activity, and we find ourselves reflecting on the spiritual maturity of someone, and wishing we could be like them, but instead, we feel weak, inadequate, and frustrated with our spiritual growth. We need to remember that those folks, as wonderful as they are as spiritual examples, all did a lot of missing before they starting getting it right. You just didn't see it. What you see now is the result of many years of walking, falling, getting back up, and seeking God in spite of their misses.
When people look at me, THE preacher, THE answer man, and the example to follow, they need to remember that what they are looking at is merely a little "tighter group" than what they would have seen in the past. NO ONE is on target every time - all the time! But, we are pointed in the right direction. Remember, it's not about perfection but direction! The one that is in THE LIGHT (1 Jn.1:7).

Wise Changes - Maybe?

Great memories of our Alaska trip a few years ago.

As badly as we'd love to plan a mid-winter vacation to a warm spot this next January, we have returned to our decision to have a really good vacation (i.e. cruise) every two years. It's soooo tempting right now to schedule something because the prices are coming way down - I guess because of the tough economy. However, for the same reason, we decided to skip 2011, get back on our two year plan (so we can save for it -there's a reason we are driving old, paid for cars) and plan something special in 2012. For several years we have been looking at a twelve day Med cruise that includes two day stops in Egypt and Israel, as well as some other neat places, some with biblical-historical significance. We hope (and hope is a key word) to do that trip in the Summer of '12 - now less than two years away. We are also hoping that the prices will continue to come down, but it's hard to wish for a continued tough economy. Anyway, just a little FYI in case anyone might be interested to joining us - planing is half the fun. The Panama Canal trip this past winter was incredible, with the canal itself being worth the price of the trip. But, I can see this trip even topping that. Hey, we're talking the Mediterranean, pyramids, and Jerusalem! Not to mention Rome and Athens and on top of that Fargle with friends! Does it get any better? Just think about it.

From Babel to Radical

In studying Genesis again for my Wednesday evening Bible Class, I found myself thinking more about God than any other time I've studied it in the past. I think we fall into the trap of seeing Genesis as a series of great stories and forget that it was written to tell us about God. Sure it gives some insights into history and some earth changing events (not to mention earth beginning events), but it's purpose it to help us see and understand God better. Now that I read it looking for things about God and how much he wants to have a relationship with man, everything is new and exciting.
I am especially intrigued by the lack of description of how God communicated with people at different times. He'd clearly had a very personal relationship with Adam and Eve that included some walks in the garden and some intimate discussions. He must have spoken to Cain and Abel because it's assumed they knew what he expected as far as sacrifices go. And how did God speak to Noah? Was it just a voice from the sky or visions in his sleep? I don't think so. And then you get to the Tower of Babel event in chapter eleven when it says, "But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building." How did he "come down"? Isn't he always there? Was he in the form of a person, animal, or thing? He does all three, in some form later. And then he reports - to whom - the Son and the Spirit obviously - and tells of his concern about the tower. Then he says, "Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." How did they do that? Did they stay invisible or did they, again, take on some form, and if they did, whey didn't anyone see or recognize them?
I know there are a lot of possibilities, but in the next chapter the Bible says, "The Lord appeared to Abram and said..." (vs.7) So not only did God speak to him but he appeared to him. How? What did he look like? It wasn't a burning bush or a talking donkey. I wonder if we've allowed our theology of the incarnation of Jesus to limit our thinking of God. Yes, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" but maybe the uniqueness of that is the "dwelt among us" part - the living with and experiencing every part of humanity. If we can entertain angels without knowing it, is it that far fetched that we might encounter God and not know it? I'm not talking about new revelations or still voices in the night. I'm talking about a Father who says he will draw close to us if we draw close to him, and who can do that anyway he wants. Besides, if we're going to be consistent with our doctrine of the Trinity, if the Holy Spirit can provide help, isn't that the same as God providing help?
I think we will be surprised to find out how much God has been involved in trying to keep and maintain his relationship with us.

Interruptions

You never think about how nice it is to keep your car in a garage, out of the hot sun or pouring rain, and where you can get into it just a few steps from inside your house - until you don't have it. We got a notice last Friday that our driveway would be blocked due to construction for up to seven days, so - come 7 A.M. on Monday morning we better move our vehicles out of the garage and to places not blocked by a NO PARKING sign. They weren't kidding! This is the front of our house Monday afternoon, and that's my van parked down the street in the second picture and Donna's car is down the street in the first one.

Interruptions are an interesting part of life. Jesus seemed to enjoy and even treasure them as he did some of his most amazing things for people who the apostles wanted to ignore. I've always struggled with interruptions because I am an organizer, planner, get-it-done-and-move-on-the-next-thing kinda person. I get things fixed in my head as to how it SHOULD go or how it SHOULD happen, and then - BLAM - I get hit between the eyes with an unexpected interruption (isn't that a redundancy?), and I have to adjust.

No - adjust isn't the right word. I have to grow. Growth doesn't take place in the smooth routines of life. It happens when we are forced to change, stretch, compensate, and adapt. In short, I have to think! That is one of the amazing ironies about church life. Church is always changing! Even in churches where people think it's a plague from Satan, they still change. However, it's not a spiritual growth kind of change. It's more a mindless evolution of culture impacting people's lives that slowly changes small things in small ways. They may think they are just like they were in the 1950's, but they look nothing like they did back then.

Our little Root residence interruption just reminded me that God usually has to interrupt our lives in a fairly significant way, many times, before we are sensitive to the next step in our spiritual development that he wants us to take. Comfortable people should be extremely thankful people, but unfortunately, they tend to be self-centered people.

Had in "road construction" in your life lately? What is God wanting you to learn?

Wild Life Pictures

Donna got me a Trail Camera for my birthday last month. I've been wanting one for several years so I could, hopefully, take pictures of the deer on the property where I hunt. They're not cheap, and I'm techno-ignorant, so I wasn't in a hurry to learn how to use one. But, now I have one, I've read the instruction book twice, and, as it suggested, I put the camera out on one of the beams of my porch. I just knew I'd capture some great pictures of wild game like deer, rabbits, skunks, and raccoons. Maybe even some ducks and geese who visit our back yard regularly. I left it out there for a couple of days and brought the SD card in this morning to view ALL THE WILD LIFE that got it's picture taken. I had lots of animal free pictures of the pond, and the only living creatures that I got pictures of were some kids who visited the pond one evening. And then there was the really wild creature below...

I guess you could call this a special species of deer. One where an "a" replaces the second "e".

At least it works! And no, I haven't set the time and date on it yet.

Keep The Change!

Church is changing. Certainly that is not a news flash to anyone. The church, in spite of the many who fear change and fight it with unmatched enthusiasm, has always changed and will always change. With all our spouting about unchangeable truths, historic Restoration, and imitating New Testament patterns, the church is people and people change. It is usually incremental and only discernible over a long period of time, but traditions change, expectations change, styles and preferences change, and priorities change. The church has always fought to keep the world out, but has still found itself compromising, blending, imitating, and evaluating itself a lot more by worldly standards then we'd ever admit.
We are impacted by the cultural values that every member lives, works, and plays in. Our culture, or our society, is materialistic. Most churches are made up of middle class affluent people who work long hours, feel insecure about their jobs and the future, want the nicer things in life for themselves and their families, and judge everything they spend money and time on by "Is it worth it" and "what will it do for me." We are consumers, comfort seekers, and committed to doing more of both.
Has that impacted, or brought about change in the church? You bet your debit card it does. When passions shift from seeking God and building loving relationships in His family, to seeking "the good life", the church becomes a burden, or a club, or sometimes just a bad memory.
There is a core group of dedicated church family members in every congregation, and praise God for each one. However, one doesn't need to be a social researcher to observe that fewer and fewer people feel committed to the family, feel responsible to participate and support family events, or feel the need to honor and improve their financial commitment to the family.
There has been a loss of passion for the church in the lives of many people. I guess it would be more accurate to say there has been a shift in passion from church family to worldly family - having the things the world says we all deserve and will make us happy. And that is nothing new. Satan has been using that line for centuries.
Change is coming - again. People are starting to see that money, things, and financial success is like riding a Jello horse. People are rediscovering that life is not about what you love, but who you love, and who loves you back. We'll be here, and we'll be remembering Paul's command, "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love," and Peter's command, "Love one another deeply from the heart." That is what the church is here to do. The church is changing. Have I said that?

Fearless Trailer

Below is a link to the trailer Joe Woolbright and I did for Fearless: The Story of Esther DVD. I needed a promo to encourage our members to help us deliver DVD's to the nearly six hundred families who registered to receive one. Joe has done all the video work for all our plays and he's done a super job. This years is the best one. All I did was the voice over, and since I was only two weeks from my lastest voice shot, I didn't have the deep voice I wanted for doing the trailer, but it came out okay. Click on the link, turn your volume up, and enjoy. It helps if you saw the play, but it's still entertaining if you haven't.

http://www.woolbrightvideo.com/images/stories/videos/EstherTrailerWeb.wmv

Half-a-thousand

Wow! I hadn't noticed it until I logged on to do this blog, but this is blog #500 for me. That's a lot of stuff! Hopefully there were a few things over that last four years that were worth reading, or maybe pictures worth seeing. At any rate, thanks to all who have clicked in regularly or even occasionally - or rarely. Yes, I have family and friends who don't count the minutes waiting for words of inspiration from me. I've tried not to use my blog as a test of friendship or love, but I have been surprised many times to find out who checks it out and who ignores it. Oh well, we must not predetermine how people will express their affections. It's okay with me if they choose to remain in pits of darkness and ignorance.

I suppose for blog #500 I should say something profound and memorable. Something like "How on earth can people make an out-of-control airline attendant jerk into a folk hero!" Actually, I'm saving that one as an illustration for this Sunday's sermon. Oddly enough, we just studied anger/wrath in last Sunday night's series of The Seven Deadly Sins. If he'd only been a jerk a week earlier...maybe he was.

Back to profound and memorable. Here are a couple of things that I wrote down to think about this past week. I've been thinking about some things for a leadership seminar I'm doing in a few weeks, so these were some conclusions I reached.

1. The fatal flaw of preaching is believing that sermons can bring about giant changes. Spiritual growth comes in baby steps, and preaching is only a support system.

2. The fatal flaw of church leadership is the unspoken belief in the preeminence of decision making. It is the belief that it will solve all the problems, discover the magic bullet for church growth, and offset the lack of one on one mentoring that people really need.

And that - is half a thousand blogs.

"I Want It All!"

When the young rich guy asked Jesus about inheriting eternal life, in Mark 10, he surely wasn't expecting anyone to question his financial status. Yet, his wealth was the one thing in his life that was a barrier to what he claimed he wanted most - eternal life. I asked the question Sunday, "What's wrong with wealth?" and probably surprised some folks with the short answer of "nothing is wrong with wealth." It's just a tool, a blessing, a means to an end. It can accomplish incredibly wonderful things or it can be an obsession that twists life and steals eternity. The saddest thing about wealth is that we, like the young rich guy in Mark 10, define ourselves by our wealth, rather than our relationship with God. In fact, it's another illustration of a tool becoming an idol, like so many other things God has given us to help us live and grow.
Wealth is a weird thing when you think about it. First, it's relative. We never think of ourselves as wealthy because it is what those who have MORE THAN US are. And, in spite of how wealthy we really may be, we just know that happiness and contentment can only be achieved when we have MORE. Amazingly enough, we just know that we would be good stewards of MORE WEALTH and not abuse it, blow it, or hoard it, like so many others seem to do. And that is important for our theology of interpreting what Jesus said when he pointed out that it's hard for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God. He didn't say impossible, but he did do that camel through the eye of a needle thing to illustrate his point. He also made it clear that God makes things possible. So - our logic about increased wealth just has include our belief that we would be (or are) the exception to the rule. In other words, God would be so pleased with how we used the wealth he gave us that he would save us in spite of our being rich.
Maybe the honest thing to do is to ask ourselves some questions about what kind of servants we have been with what he has already given to us. Why would we possibly think that God would be interested in giving more to servants who haven't been faithful with the blessings already given. There is that parable about The Talents - remember? Would you say you've been like the five and two talent guys, or maybe more like the one talent guy?
The good news is that the Master hasn't returned yet! So - what will we do with the wealth we have?

Fletch Lives

No, I'm not doing a commercial for NAP products, though I've used their broad heads for a lot of years. What you see in the above picture is a relatively new product that allows you to put new fletching on your arrows in seconds, when in the past, it has taken hours. It's amazing and it's a top quality product. Let me show it to you and close with a few comments.
As you can see above, the new "shrink tube" fletching simply slips over your arrow...

...then you place it into a pot of boiling water for just ten seconds, and watch them shrink down to a tight fit.

Let them cool and dry for a few seconds, and da-da-da-da, you have a newly fletched arrow that flies great and is tough as nails. Wow - repairing torn arrow fletching used to take a whole lot longer and was a lot more labor intensive.

Isn't that a good looking arrow? By the way, I've been using this arrow as a practice arrow for about five years now. Maybe I'll get five more - especially since I can put new fletching on them so quick and easy.

I just love it when someone figures out a way to do things better. When I began bow hunting in 1979, there were no archery shops around, I had no coaching, and the only camo clothing I could find was used military clothing a friend at church got for me. Now, bow hunting is big business, with bows that cost more than guns, tech toys that make it easier to do everything, and more choices of camo than you could wear in a life time. I love it. Every time I hear someone moaning about "the good old days" I think back to my first five years of bow hunting and learning by trial and error what not to do, and having equipment that did more to discourage new hunters than it do to appeal to them.
I'm just saying that I'm thankful to be here today, and enjoy anything and everything that makes life more enjoyable. "The good old days" are for memories, not for reliving. The "here and now" is exciting and fun, and I plan to not waste any of it looking back or waiting for what's to come. Every day is a gift from God to be appreciated and used to glorify Him.

I'm thankful I've got a pot to fletch in. Say that to a stranger and see what they say!

The Preaching Paradox

Sunday morning I was sitting at my desk studying the lesson I was going to present that morning, and I did my usual "honesty check" to make sure I was trying to make a difference and not just filling a time slot. Was I being true to the context of the scripture I was covering? Was I helping people understand and know Jesus a little better, especially since it was His Gospel I was preaching? And, as my little 3M sicker on my computer reminds me, what was the bottom line of my lesson? What's the point? And that other soul searching sermon spotlight, "SO WHAT?" Will it make a difference to the people who will be hearing it?
In the midst of all this reflecting, a profound thought came into focus that I want to share - especially with all my preaching buddies and relatives. Here it is:
The paradox of preaching is that we are trying to lead people to a place we've never been, and show them how to have a deep relationship with God that we are still building.
For me, that is a very humbling thought. We're not the know-it-all's or the "Spiritual Answer Man" or even an example of success. Like any child of God, we are in the process of becoming what God wants us to be. We are on the same journey. The difference is, as preachers, they (our church family) are on OUR journey whether they want to be or not, because our journey is reflected in our preaching. We are not the preachers we use to be - praise the Lord! As we've grown spiritually, our preaching changes so we can help others who are on the same journey. As I look back on over thirty-five years of preaching, all I can say is, "Thank you God for your grace."

Family Pictures

During our quick trip to Searcy for the Curtis family reunion, we got to visit with nephew Zach at the house on the lake where he and his wife Cass live. Here, uncle Kevin is giving some of our grand children a ride on the hand car, which is part of the train that circles the lake. Neat place.

That evening just about the whole family came to dinner at Donna's mom's place. It was a little crowded, but we had a great time. Lot's of great food and great fellowship. Afterwords, everyone packed the small living room to do some singing. Since I was unable to contribute, I can truthfully say it was incredible singing.

As you can see, the next generation is coming along just fine. Some of these little ones actually helped with the singing of some of the songs.

We were glad that our "family time" got extended as Deborah and Elizabeth came back to Florissant with us to spend a couple days scrap-booking with their mom. It's been a fun few days, and a huge "at-a-boy" has to go out to my sons-in-law Chad and Pat for being mom & dad for a few days so the girls could have some fun time. I was around to provide security - and the ride to Fritz's, Las Fuentes, etc. etc..

Reunion

I have to say, the word "reunion" means a lot more to me as a child of God than it use to. There are a lot of words and ideas that are applied to heaven that I believe are simply wishful thinking, but I don't think the idea of reunion is one of them. Jesus even talked about sitting down to dinner with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in heaven, so not only are we talking reunion, but a pot-luck provided by God! How awesome is that.
Well, I've said that to simple say that we are at the Curtis family reunion in Searcy, AR right now. Hopefully, I can share a couple of picture when I have time on Sunday or Monday. It's fun to see everyone, but it's also the first family reunion without Donna's dad being here. So, I guess we'll just have to wait for the eternal one, with God, to see everyone. See ya there, if not sooner.

Limiting God?

Does God limit himself? I mean, the Bible is clear, he knows everything and he's everywhere, but should we add the caveat, if he chooses? It seems to me that God chooses to limit what he can know in order to have an honest interaction with his creation, who are clearly limited by space and time. For example, when God was talking with Abraham about his plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, did he know ahead of time that he'd let Abraham talk him into changing his plans multiple times - as in from fifty to just ten righteous people? If he did, wasn't he leading Abraham on to let him keep offering up new numbers? I don't know. It just seems to me that there are times when God waits to hear from us, hopes we'll change our minds about something, or even changes his mind in response to a prayer request, all of which doesn't make as much sense if God already knows everything and has everything already worked out?
Again, we never were meant to understand everything about God whose ways are much greater and higher than we can comprehend, but still, just because he can know everything and can be everywhere, does that mean he does it? For instance, God knows our every sin, whether they're secret and hidden from others, or out in the open for all to see. He is also omnipresent, but does that mean he is there in the midst of sins darkness and ungodliness? Does he have to be there to know about it? I don't know. I do know that he doesn't need to be informed about anything and he doesn't want to be part of anything that is unholy and unrighteous.
What am I getting at? Something that many of us still don't get! Our God is relationship driven. Was he in the garden when Adam and Eve made the wrong choice? Remember, it wasn't just choosing good over evil, it was choosing self over their relationship with God. Why was he looking for them in the garden afterwards, and why was he asking them so many questions when he knows everything? Does he limit himself because of his desire for a relationship with us? Seeking a relationship with God changes the way he is present! James said, "Come near to God and he will come near to you." Doesn't that mean that God limits himself until we choose to want him closer? "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." That's pretty close contact! How amazing is it that our God is waiting for us to invite him to come closer? Maybe the real question for us isn't about God limiting himself, but how are we limiting God - who loves us and wants to be close to us!

Bathroom Report

Okay, this may just be for family, but I wanted to show off our latest DIY project at the Root house. This is the first time we've owned an older house, so we've been needing to update a lot of things, especially the bathrooms and kitchen. We started on the downstairs bathroom, but had new toilets put in all three bathrooms. Hey, it's the little things in life that mean the most! The picture below is the "BEFORE" sort of, after some demo. Man it's nice to get that old light & man-made fixture out. Here is the "AFTER". The biggest part of the project, not counting the Lowe's plumber putting in the toilet and new vanity top, was moving the electrical wire from the far left of the wall to a new box were the new light fixture would go. Lot's of wall board removal and fixing, and sanding and sanding, and I still missed some spots that I couldn't see until I got the new light up, but by then I'd done all the painting. Still, I'm happy with it.

I threw this picture in so you could see the new light fixture better.

Just a little FYI about our DIY. Please no LOL.

I Wish...

My wish list changes with age. I guess that's to be expected since our priorities constantly change with age. I don't waste time dreaming and wishing for a new car or a new house, and don't wish I could travel and see the world, though an occasional cruise or bow hunting trip is nice. I guess part of aging is learning to enjoy the simple things of life, which I do, and when I find myself saying "I wish" it's usually dealing with some church related concern, problem, or hope. And, I do find myself wishing we could see our family more often, but that might be true even if they lived closer than Nashville, Dallas, and New York.
What do you find yourself wishing for? What are some of the weird and quirky things that you find yourself saying, "Man, I wish..."? Here are a FEW of mine.
* I wish I could stop eating when I was full instead of continuing just because it tasted good.
* I wish I didn't allow myself to get uptight about time - especially on Sunday morning.
* I wish I could totally forget ALL my stupid mistakes from the past.
* I wish I'd go ahead and take painting lessons, golf lessons, and yes, dancing lessons.
* I'm better at it than ever before in my life, but I wish I was more uninhibited.
* I wish I had better discipline about writing.
* I wish we could stop calling ourselves "church" and call ourselves the family of God or the Body of Christ. Church has been institutionalized too much for it to be what it was in the NT.
* I wish everyone in our family here at Florissant understood the preeminence of loving one another and that "church" exists to help make that happen.
* I wish that folks would understand that wanting more giving, more outreach, more involvement, and more dedication can only happen with MORE passion for Jesus.
* I wish our government was made up of true servants and not people driven by partisan politics.
* I wish Fritz's Turtle Concretes were part of the Recommended Daily Allowance for fifty-somethings.
* I wish I wasn't paranoid about being betrayed by church leaders who are friends. I don't want to be cynical or fearful about anything, but "burn me once..." or more, leaves scars. I do trust Jesus completely.
* I wish broccoli always had a cheese sauce on it.
* I wish I'd remember to thank God more for the little things each day that make like wonderful.
* I wish I didn't have bags under my eyes, had more hair on my head, and less spots and growths on my skin, but hey, the important things still work - Praise the Lord!

Poor Theology?

I mentioned a couple of blogs ago about the importance of having a God who never gets tired of hearing us ask "Why" when it's part of our pursuit of knowing Him better. When you have been blessed to have had some incredible teachers through the years, those incredible teachers sometimes become so idolized that they become the personification of truth. That's a problem that students must work through not the teacher. Any teacher worth their salt wants to point their listeners in the right direction, motive them to further study, and create a seeking mindset that will sick with the student through their life. A some point, each of us must discover God's will, the truth, for ourselves or it will continue to be a borrowed theology rather than an owned theology.
For example, several of us were challenged the other day about which day of the week the Lord's Supper is supposed to be taken. I was taught that our practice of Sunday only communion was the only biblically correct view that any doctrinally correct Christian could possibly have. After all, we've always done it that way, the Church Fathers said it was done that way, and the early church, according to Acts 20:7, came together on the first day of the week to break bread. Done deal! Biblical example = biblical command = restoration of NT practices.
Why would anyone dare question it? It's poor theology, that's why. Acts 20:7 says they broke bread, and it's our tradition (and reverse interpretation - imposing what we believe on the Bible) that declares this verse to be talking about the Lord's Supper. Any really good commentary will say that "It's traditionally believed that this was the communion," but NO ONE knows that for sure. Jesus gave it to us on Thursday night and Paul reminds us of that in 1 Corinthians 11 without pausing for heart beat to point out, "But now we do it on Sunday." Not only that, the Acts 20 story is taking place on Saturday evening, when Sunday day began at 6 P.M.. As far as the Church Fathers go, what Christians did in the second and third century is a long way from what happened in the first half of the first century. Do you know how long it takes for a church practice to become a tradition and thus law? I've always said it takes about three weeks of doing it the same way without change.
There is no "church ordinance" example in Acts 20:7. When you start out looking for ceremonial acts of worship that we assume must be part of a "formal worship time," we find them. Unfortunately, we got that presupposition from Catholicism not Restorationism.
Jesus took the most common elements from every meal of that day, and said, use these tools to remember my physical body given for you and the Body you have become as my church, and "whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." It was a simple meal to be used as a simple tool to help the followers of Jesus remember who they live for - anytime they choose to use it. In the New Testament it was always part of a common meal and according to Acts 2, they were doing that daily.

Back Home

We are back from being gone four days to a retreat at Paris Landing State Park in TN. It is one of the true highlights of each year for us as we get to see lots of old friends and have several days of spiritual feasting. The picture above is one I took Wednesday evening as a group from Alabama called the Southside Singers performed for our retreat group. They were great and I'm sure they haven't done many programs for a group as ready to "rock out" as our group was. We really enjoyed their singing.
While we had a wonderful retreat, it's good to be back home and we're looking forward to sleeping in our own bed. And, of course, we managed to hit our favorite Mexican restaurant in Florissant for lunch. It helps when you leave TN at 6 A.M. and don't stop. Isn't it amazing how it's the little things in life that you enjoy the most? Salsa makes my wife happy, and when she's happy...

Why?

This little baby bunny kept me quite entertained this morning as I sat on our porch swing cooling down from our morning hike. It was so young it didn't know to run, and it it just continued to feed and to preen itself about ten feet away from me. God's creation is amazing. Even looking at that cute little bunny, I found myself asking God why he made that little creature the way he did. That made me think of how many questions one of my grand children might ask if they were sitting beside me. I could hear all the "why's" coming faster than any parent or grandparent could answer. It made me think of a statement I made in my lesson yesterday morning. "We have a Father who never gets tired of us asking why." That is especially true if our "why" is coming from a heart that is seeking to know him better. It has been a truck load of "why's" that has driven me to discover things about God, His Word, and His plan that I never had seen in all the past years of my spiritual journey. Enough "why's" will send you all the way back to "In the beginning" and even beyond that, because the Bible tells us that God "planned" before the creation of the world, to do whatever it took to allow us a chance at an eternal relationship with Him. Talk about amazing? I'm thankful for a Father who wants me to ask "why".

Selective Forgiveness?

Did you ever notice that we tend to think of forgiveness in terms of what someone has personally done to us. Just mention the word "forgiveness" and your mind automatically goes to the people in your past who hurt you, offended you, or in some way did something that caused you to make a conscious decision to forgive them. Forgiveness isn't a option if your goal is to please God. He made it clear that we only get it if we give it. But, it's much more than a chosen response to personal injury by others. Forgiveness must be an attitude, a spirit, an inseparable part of our character - if we truly want to be like Jesus.
Maybe the key is learning to be a forgiving person as a natural response to anyone who - well, just ticks you off, gets your goat, and/or daily causes you grief and stress. Here are some people I need to forgive.
* People who don't use their turning signals
* People who walk through the mall talking loudly to the box stuck in their ear
* Folks who DON'T turn off their cell phones at the movies
* Christians who say un-Christ-like things about my President (past or present)
* Crazy people who text and drive
* Those who misuse scripture to justify their traditions or their preferences
* Friends who don't tell you there's a problem
* Drivers who risk lives to get one car length ahead
* Smokers who make my clothes stink when I leave the restaurant
* Today? Colorado Rockies players who hit home runs in the ninth inning

Transfiguration?

What was with that whole "Transfiguration" thing in Mark 9? I've always wondered about that. It just seemed so strange and unrelated to what was happening in the narrative of Jesus, but, hey, it's got to be important or God wouldn't have included it - right? It really is an amazing part of the Gospel story. Even with all the miracles, teaching, and personal time together, the apostles had a lot of things they were unsure about. They didn't exactly shout out in unison that "You are the Christ" when Jesus asked them "Who do you say I am". They were totally disconnected with his prophetic words about his suffering, his death, and his resurrection. Remember? Peter even rebuked him for saying such discouraging and "un-leadership-like" things.
I suggested Sunday that the Transfiguration of Jesus was a "Let me show you something" event for Peter, James, and John. Jesus was glorified, affirmed by Moses and Elijah - the symbols of the Law and the Prophets, and he was confirmed by God Himself, who professed Jesus as His Son and the only One they need to listen to. In fact, the whole event is pretty well summed up by the words of God: "Listen to Him!"
The three apostles were scarred to death! Peter wanted to build ceremonial shelters for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, but the voice of God made it clear that what He wanted was for them to pay very close attention to His Son.
I wonder, is there a lesson there for us? Are we sometimes tempted to build ceremonial shelters when what we really need to do is just listen to Jesus? I'm not talking about church building, but about missing the point. What ever we do, as individual children of God or together as the Body of Christ, must be about Jesus. We must be about the business of learning more about Him and becoming more like Him, either of which are helping us draw closer to Him.
Forget the shelter building and the control of fear, and as God said, "Listen to Him!"

Cardinal's Game

We decided Thursday that it was past due time for us to take in a Cardinals game. We've only been to one since they opened the new stadium. One big incentive was having a nice cool evening ahead. So I got us some good seats just past the first base line. Donna took these pictures, and we both agree that we need to do it again.

During pre-game warm ups, several of the Cards were fairly close to us on the field. Here's "The Man" doing some short jogs out on the grass.

This, of course, is the real star of the game. Fred Bird did a little entertaining just in front of our seats. We were on the seventh row.

This is a great picture Donna took just as Albert hit his home run, the only real highlight for the Cards all night. Unfortunately, they lost.

Here is Albert just after crossing the home plate after his HR. Fun night! Come and visit us and we'll go see a game together.

Camp Jesus?

I've always said that one of my goals in preaching is to cause people to think. Thinking about a lesson after hearing it, is what gives it legs - makes it last longer than the minutes it took to share it. Sometimes, even when I'm working on the next lesson, something from the previous lesson keeps bouncing around in my mind like a golf ball on concrete. Last Sunday I made this point in my introduction. "At some point we must stop being campers for Christ and start being soldiers of the King." I was talking about Jesus preparing his apostles for his approaching arrest and death, and why he was challenging them to profess who they thought he was. They had been with him for a long time, enjoyed his mentoring, and been amazed at his miracles, but they hadn't truly been called on to do much or risk much. I described them as having been to Camp Jesus, and now it was time to move on to the next step of their spiritual journey.
A faith that never causes discomfort, sacrifice, or loyal obedience is a faith that is still at Camp Jesus. Soldiers must learn to be uncomfortable, do without, and carry out the mission regardless of the cost.
What has your church experience been like so far? Most of us would have to say that we've been enjoying Camp Jesus for a long time. Every time we have discussions about how to keep everyone happy with our assemblies, or how how to make it more comfortable for members to attend at times that work better for them, I wonder - how long will camp be in session? When do we dare start being soldiers of the King? When do we start expecting it of ourselves and members?
Just something to think about - so I'm not the only one thinking about it.

Smelling Sand & Sea?

Okay, so we don't have any self-control. We decided we couldn't wait two years before we took another BIG vacation. It's been our plan since the mid 90's to take a good vacation every two years (to give us time to save or pay it off), but the combination of REALLY enjoying that two week vacation this past year in a warm climate in the dead of winter, and the lowering of prices to attract people like us, and well, we just want to do it. We doing a 14 Caribean cruise that leave January 31 and stops at some great places - all warm. Doesn't sound so exciting in the Summer, but come January, it will sound sooooo good. We've got a couple of friends going with us, and we've also decided that who you're with is more important than where you go. So if you'd like to go with us - come on! Check it out on Princess.com and click on the search cruises tab. Click on Caribean, 8-15 day, January 2011. You'll find it. There's only one doing that on Jan. 31st. We fully expect them to come out with some better deals on this cruise as it gets closer to it, and we'll simply have them do what's called a "re-fare" where they re-book you at the lower fare even if you're already booked - and we are. Contact me if you have any questions.