Monthly Archives: January 2007

A Snowy Day at Church

Well, we finally got some snow. This has sure been an easy winter.

The first service was a bit down, because of the snow. Just a cozy 25 people. Tim improvised in a fun way. Our sanctuary has a dozen rows of chairs down the middle, and then three round tables on both sides. People enjoy sitting around the tables. Tim had everyone gather on one side, and we pushed the three tables together.

The worship team was all ready to start into our music package, but it didn’t seem right. We’d be facing straight out at the sanctuary, while everyone was off to the side around the tables. So we just skipped the music. Instead, Tim distributed hymnals (which we squirrel away in a back room) and let people pick out hymns to sing. A real blast from the past. I sat at the grand piano, hoping I would know the hymns. I knew all but one (and I probably knew that one–I just couldn’t get the tune in my head).

People picked hymns like “A Shelter in the Time of Storm,” “Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee,” “Ring the Bells of Heaven,” “Jesus Loves Me,” “Praise Him Praise Him,” and another five or so. First and last verse of each. It was fun.

We shared around the tables, and then Tim gave an abbreviated version of his sermon, sans Powerpoint slides.

It was an enjoyable service. A memorable one. It’s nice to improvise.

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An Enlightened Bumper Sticker

Saw a great bumper sticker today. It said:

God Bless the Whole World
No Exceptions

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Thoughts on Martin Luther King Day

I just came across a really great post on the Internet Monk blog called, “Five Reasons I Don’t Like MLK Day.” The author, Michael Spencer, is actually a big fan of Martin Luther King, and you see his admiration throughout the post. But he makes some really good points. For instance, he doesn’t like the fact that it’s become an African-American holiday, instead of an American holiday (after all, President’s Day isn’t a caucasian holiday).

Anyway, it’s a great post. And it’s worth sticking around for the comments, too.

My brother Rick also wrote about MLK Day on his blog.

I’ve been rather indifferent about the holiday, perhaps because I know so few African-Americans. But after seeing the “I Have a Dream” speech on Sunday at church, and after reflecting on it this week, I’ve realized how worthy this holiday is.

I’ve also tried to analyze my tangled thoughts on race. I spent my first nine years in an all-white town with a racist reputation (Huntington, Ind.). Then we moved to Pennsylvania, where Dad taught in an all-black urban school (including during the riots following King’s assassination). Meanwhile, in my suburban elementary school, we had one black student in my fourth-grade class: Keemie Hampton. I remember her name, when I can’t remember the names of any other classmates, which is interesting. She was a nice girl who acted just like all of the white girls; she just had a different skin color. I have memories of some derogatory comments guys made about her because of her skin color, but not in her presence. Still, while I don’t recall any blatant racism among my classmates, I’m sure Keemie has different memories.

Then we moved to Arizona, to a minority-free town (Lake Havasu City). And then, as I entered my junior year of high school, we settled into our first pastorate in Pixley, Calif., a multi-racial town. What an eye-opener. My first day of school, upon leaving the bus at the end of the day, I found myself surrounded by a group of blacks as one of them (a skinny guy I actually might have been able to take) tried to pick a fight with me, and all the other blacks egged us on. I managed to escape unscathed, but it certainly implanted some enduring impressions in a mind which, until then, was pretty much a blank slate when it came to racial issues.

I quickly changed buses. I still rode with blacks and hispanics and Filipinos and Portuguese and other ethnics (including white Oakies and Arkies), but I never felt threatened again.

We had a full-court basketball court in back of the parsonage, and I regularly played with local blacks and Hispanics. Race was never an issue in those games; ability was what mattered, and I could hold my own just fine. Plus, they appreciated that we let them use the court, and they were generally respectful of our property.

Our church had a team in the summer basketball park league. One night I seriously outplayed Duane, partly because he was half-drunk (I could clearly smell the wine as he tried to guard me), and he took offense. After the game, he came at me with a crowbar, and none of my church friends were around. I looked to Duane’s brother, Alvin, for help (we played on the high school team together), but he just looked away, and I knew I was on my own against a bigger, stronger guy who was going psycho. I still don’t know what kept Duane from swinging the crowbar before I got in the Toyota and drove away. It scared the daylights out of me.

After two years in that town, I carried away a lot of negative thoughts regarding people of other races–not racist thoughts, per se (I’ve never considered myself racist), but some definite baggage. Maybe some of those “first impressions” are still with me. These thoughts have been on my mind this week.

But despite all of that, I can admire the necessary, late-coming changes which occurred in America as a result of Martin Luther King’s incredible leadership.

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Bayh, Clinton, Obama, Edwards, and the World

Indiana is blessed with two really good Senators, Richard Lugar (Republican) and Evan Bayh (Democrat). Both show much wisdom and independent thinking regarding foreign policy. Evan Bayh would make a strong candidate for president if he could win his party’s nomination, which he can’t, because he’s too conservative to survive the primaries. He tested the waters last fall and decided no.

I like what he says in the January 15, 2007, issue of The New Yorker, in an article that mostly looks at the foreign policy views of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards. Bayh says:

“You just hope that we haven’t soured an entire generation on the necessity, from time to time, of using force because Iraq has been such a debacle. That would be tragic, because Iran is a grave threat. They’re everything we thought Iraq was but wasn’t. They are seeking nuclear weapons, they do support terrorists, they have threatened to destroy Israel, and they’ve threatened us, too….There are those kinds of tough steps that occasionally involve the use of force. Lots of Americans wonder whether we Democrats have that in us.”

The section about Hillary Clinton was impressive; her foreign policy knowledge is quite deep, and she has no trouble saying “I don’t know.” The Obama section seemed so-so. And then I was impressed with what John Edwards had to say. His basic view on Iraq is that it’s time to leave. He says:

“My view of Darfur is, we’ve done nothing but yap. We–as a lot of American families can tell you–we’ve done a lot more than talk in Iraq. And I think you just reach a place where you have to say, ‘We’ve done our part, and now it’s time for them to step up to the plate.’ You can’t police places forever.”

While the other Democrats cite counterterrorism as a top priority, Edwards emphasizes universal health care, ending poverty, and combatting global warming. I really like that. His heart is where my heart is. But I wish he had more high-level government experience, and I don’t think he can get his party’s nomination. Plus, uh, I’m supposed to be a Republican. I keep forgetting that.

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Random Stuff of Dubious Worth

Some tidbits that have crossed into my sector of the time-space continuum:

  • Season 6 of “24,” the best TV show ever, got off to a great start, with two hours each on Sunday and Monday nights. The four-hour premier ended last night with a nuclear bomb detonating in Valencia, Calif. Since season 2, they’ve been playing around with the threat of a nuke going off in a populated area. I told Pam, “This year, they’re actually gonna do it.” And I was right.
  • I actually think the Colts are gonna make it to the Super Bowl this year. And if they get there, they’ll win. But this upcoming game against Satan’s team, the Patriots, is real iffy.
  • In 2005, married couples became a minority of all US households. For the first time, over half of all women (51%) are living without a spouse. That compares to 35% in 1950 and 49% in 2001. I guess these are supposed to be profound stats. I’m sorta ho-hum about them.
  • In California, a cell phone ignited in a man’s pocket and started a fire that burned his hotel room and caused severe burns over half his body. But they wouldn’t release the manufacturer and model of the phone. It’s like saying, “There’s a popular car whose brakes lock up, but we can’t tell you what type of car it is.”
  • Two more great “Get a Mac” ads are out. I love these ads!
  • Supermodel Naomi Campbell pled guity to assaulting her maid by throwing a cell phone at her, opening up a wound on her head that required four staples. Of course it wasn’t Naomi’s fault. She blamed her temper on lingering resentment toward her father for abandoning her as a child. Poor Naomi initially faced up to seven years in prison, but, being a celebrity ended up with a $363 fine, five days of community service, and an order to attend anger management classes. It’s all her dad’s fault. Don’t you see? She’s just an innocent, very skinny victim.
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Martin Luther King Day

Yesterday as part of the worship service, we watched 14 minutes of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech from 1963. Since we have two services, I watched it twice. And loved it. An incredible speech! A father and daughter gave some reflections on King–history, quotes, etc. And Pastor Tim talked about issues of racism, injustice, and prejudice.

It was a neat service. I can’t imagine many United Brethren churches doing anything like that. We’re a traditionally Republican denomination, and while we Republicans are not necessarily racists, we’ve never been known as civil rights activists, either. We leave that to Democrats.

In the churches of my childhood, if you asked people about Martin Luther King, the typical comment would have been, “He’s a Communist,” and maybe a reference to J. Edgar Hoover’s alleged file on King. Something like that. I didn’t grow up in churches with a social conscience. In fact, until now, I would say I’ve never attended a church with a social conscience. But hey, we sure believe the Bible!

Anyway, hearing King’s speech as part of a worship service was, to me, a very cool thing. It was also cool, as part of the prelude, playing Buffalo Springfield’s “It’s Worth It” (better known by the lines, “There’s something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear…It’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound, everybody look what’s going down”). You wouldn’t hear that in many evangelical churches, either. I’m glad it’s okay at Anchor.

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In Pursuit of Big Houses

This morning as I sat in a dentist chair, I looked out upon some really big, fancy houses in one of Fort Wayne’s upscale developments. I always wonder, “Who lives there? How do they make their money? Lawyer? Doctor? Business executive?”

I used to want a house like that. Now that we could actually afford one, I don’t want one. I think that may be a mark of some measure of maturity. Who woulda thunk.

We could make it work, if we really tried (and wanted to). We could tighten belts. We could give away far less money (all God really cares about is 10%, right? So why give more?). Don’t worry about staying out of debt. Right now, house and cars are our only debts. We’ve kept even with credit cards for over ten years now, paying off our balances every month, and it’s a great feeling and a stress-releaver. But hey–we could loosen up there, like everybody else.

Houses are seductive. They entice you to get just a little bit more (“That room is so nice, and after all, this is where we spend most of our time. We’ll be able to handle the extra cost,” you rationalize).

But attending a low-income church has put so many things in perspective, and now Pam and I are often embarrassed by the “extravagance” of our simple ranch-style home with the basement and two-car garage. It’s very ordinary, but to many people, it’s like one of those homes on the golf course.

So I looked out at those homes from the dentist’s chair, and I thanked God for my contentment. Contentment doesn’t come easily when you live in Aboite, surrounded by wealth. Or when you live in America, period. But the only discontent I feel is that we’re living too high, and I’m glad I feel that way.

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Ohio State Really Showed ‘Em

From a longtime USC fan, a belated final word to Buckeyes everywhere: rah.

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Regrets of a Missionary Wannabe

One of the saddest things I’ve heard came from a woman, about ten years ago, who approached me after I returned from visiting our mission work in Asia. This woman, a grandma, said she thought it was neat that I was able to go, and said, “When I was young, I felt God calling me to be a missionary. But, well, I ended up getting married and having kids, and it never happened.”

There was a definite tone of regret in her voice. She had lived a good life. But…what might have been? I think that question still plagued her, 40 years later.

Instead of pursuing a glorious calling, she got married and raised good kids, who are now also raising good kids, and I’m sure those kids will grow up and raise good kids. Good, successful, comfortable, respectable, non-risk-taking kids.

Which is better: that our society have all of these good church-going progeny, or that instead this woman, as a scared but obedient young woman, had gone to Africa and perhaps died there a few years later?

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Churches Big and Small and Mediocre

My favorite writing about church matters is Keith Drury’s “Tuesday Column.” I always look forward to what he has to say. He tackles all kinds of topics and inevitably imparts a fresh spin.

Today I read his latest, “In Praise of Mediocrity.” He writes, “Mediocrity is the average, the median, the ordinary churches, music, talent, and intelligence. In short I want to say a word of praise for you, and me, and most ordinary people like us.” He then praises ordinary churches, ordinary marriages, and people with “ordinary” spiritual passion. It’s really great stuff.

About churches, he writes:

I think ordinary churches deserve more praise. I’m talking about churches in the big fat center who don’t have thousands of attendees and sprawling TV ministries. They aren’t famous and nobody ever asks their pastor to teach “How I Did It” seminars. But the pastor and people show up every week and worship and study and serve each other and love their community. Good for you!¬† I wish more of my students wanted to go to ordinary churches.

After nearly 30 years working for my denomination and being around churchmen from the broader Christian community, I’ve seen up-close the disdain directed at small churches, especially the little white church on a country road that has never had more than 80 people. Many times over the years, I’ve heard sentiments like this: “We need to just close a bunch of our little going-nowhere churches and cut our losses.” Yes, I’ve heard that many times over the years.

I disagree with that view (and, I’m afraid, I’m typecast as an apologist for mediocrity). Churches go through ups and downs. I’ve seen superstar churches crash and burn, tiny churches come alive under the right leadership, and all manner of churches enter a period of funk. But usually, there’s still a community of believers and a foothold in that neighborhood, and God still does things there, regardless of how we in Mecca view them. Today’s superstar church might be tomorrow’s goat, and vice versa. You can’t write off (or deify) a church based on what you see today, because God’s purposes tend to take a long view.

Not that every church should survive or be kept on life support; some are so dysfunctional that they should be closed, because they only bring disgrace to the cross of Christ. But if there is a community of believers, regardless of size, I see God in their midst and think they deserve some respect. But in a culture that worships the megachurch, I’m in the minority on that.

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