friends

Back to School

Re-writing some of my class syllabi and outlines,

thinking, thinking....

Prosperity Gospel is neither!

PREACH IT John Piper!

If God was a programmer

Check THIS out!

Unwelcome: Dead or Alive

Provocative article sent to me by RV (thanks bud).
What exactly does it mean to love one another? What do you or does your church espouse?
Feel free to comment...



When Desert Storm veteran Cecil Howard Sinclair died recently a Texas megachurch offered to hold his memorial service, free of charge. Sinclair was not a member ofHigh Point Church, nor was most of his family, save a handicapped brother who is employed as a janitor by the church. The nondenominational warehouse for God happens to be shepherded by the Reverend Gary Simons, brother-in-law to America’s Preacher Smiley, Joel Osteen.

The church’s offer was generous, meant to minister to a grieving family. Sinclair’s family accepted the kindness and began to plan a service. But the relationship between Sinclair's family and the church soured quicker than a pot of beans, neglected.

Staff members at High Point were putting together a video celebrating Sinclair’s life when they discovered to their complete and utter dismay that the 46-year old military veteran was gay. Oh, Lordy! A gay man in the Navy, what with all those scantily-clad men running around in such tight places all the time? And what, pray tell, was the pastoral staff thinking when they offered up their church for what Rev. Simons described as an “openly homosexual memorial service”, whatever the heck that is? I’ve never been to an openly homosexual service of any sort. Do gay people get nekkid and dance the way King David did Or do they strip down to their tattoos and let the snakes run wild?

An unfortunate situation, the Rev. Simons declared, while noting that the Sinclair family even had the gall to invite a gay chorale group to sing. Simons posted his remarks to the church’s website after the press made a stink of the church's decision to withdrew its kind offer (the day before the memorial service was set to take place).

Good golly, Miss Molly!

Sinclair’s sister, Kathleen Wright, said the church staff knew all along her brother was gay, but Rev. Simons insisted that it wasn’t until the family provided photos for the video -- photos depicting men “engaging in clear affection, kissing and embracing” -- that the staff realized Sinclair was, well, a sinner. Like all the rest of humanity, only worse I suppose, because when it comes to the church and homosexuality there is no greater sin than for one man to partner with another.

Sinclair’s sister denied providing photos depicting men hugging or kissing. She said the church’s claim about such photos was a “bold-face lie.” Still, Simons said the decision to not host the service was not based upon hatred, or discrimination, but upon principle. He explained that had the church hosted the service for a dead gay man it might appear that High Point condones homosexuality, which they do not.

The problem with his argument is that it’s so dang silly. Does Rev. Simons also decline to hold memorials for men caught in the act of adultery at the moment of their untimely demise? Or for the sorry deacon who lay drunk in the driveway as his pretty little wife backed over him for the third and final time? What does the church do with all those deep-fried Texans who keel over from clogged arteries? Does High Point decline to hold services for fat folks based upon the sin of gluttony? And don’t even mention the sin of greed, given today’s oil prices it would take an eternity to count the number of Texas church members with the blood of capitalism on their hands.

I suppose if Rev. Simons had his way, segregation would be the law of land. Only instead of being separated by race in the schoolyards, we’d divvy up the graveyards. All the homosexuals would be in the run-down overgrown lots across town while the rest of us more common sinners would be placed polished boots up on grassy knolls.

Looks like death ain't the great equalizer it's touted to be. In at least one Texas church, gays are unwelcome -- dead or alive.

Um,....I'll have the steak

Madness or Reality

"They say that these are not the best of times
But they're the only times I've ever known
And I believe there is a time for meditation
In cathedrals of our own

Now I have seen that sad surrender in my lover's eyes
And I can only stand apart and sympathize
For we are always what our situations hand us
It's either sadness or euphoria"

Billy Joel, Summer Highland Falls

Um, can I get cheese with that?

I've suddenly lost my appetite!

Choose your pain

No matter how you slice it, life is painful. If you try to do the right thing, you will suffer loneliness, rejection, frustration, hopelessness, etc. If you give in and do the wrong thing you will feel the pain of regret.

Imagine being old and looking back on your life and sensing an overwhelming pain of regret. (think about that) Compare that with the frustrations of holding out for the right things and suffering some frustrations along the way. The cumulative impact of doing the right things adds up to a tremendous blessing to others and a full life for yourself. The cumulative impact of the easy and selfish road is just a world of hurt for everyone.

So the bad news is that life is painful. The good new is that you get to choose your pain. Not bad.

Clarity

A good friend of mine sent me an article by some dude trying to make a case for why Al Qaeda supports the emergent church (huh?). Not sure what this guy was smoking before he wrote this little gem of broad spatter, but, as my friend so aptly put it, "we are enemies in our own country!!!"

I have to say that I don't really care about Al Qaeda or whatever they (it?) may support. In fact I'm more apt to believe that if they were to read this little piece they too would despair. The annoying thing is that people like Mr. Pastore (please tell me that's a pseudonym!) betray their own arrogant 'knowledge' by pigeon-holeing people and groups like a science experiment (modernity), when life and faith are much more messy, frustrating, unpredictable, shocking, and ambiguous.

In case you were wondering what (some) new and emerging things God is up to, here's some clarity in the form of pictures (which are worth more than a 1000 words). I pray you too will experience this kind of faith, this kind of God, Mr. 'Pastore'...

...back

WHEW!!

Back from holidays.

3300 miles of driving, hours of sunshine, family, mountains, conversations, food, laughter, friends, shopping, drink, memories, fun. It's amazing to be away and just completely lose track of what day it is. And then when you get home it's like discovering down comforters, mmmmm. Anyway, I'm back and ready to dive in. Get ready.