Yearly Archives: 2007

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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Sleeping the Day Away

SteveConnorSleeping_550.jpg

Connor and I watched an entire football game this afternoon–the (hated) New England Patriots beating the NY Jets. Mostly, he slept, occasionally waking or flailing his arms at some dreamed-up rabbit or whatever he envisions while he sleeps. But he’d always go right back to sleep. And, considering this photo that Pam snapped without my knowledge, I guess I didn’t exactly see the entire game, either.

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Gun Paradise

This morning I went to the Fort Wayne Gun & Knife show at the coliseum. I collect knives and bayonets. The G&K show comes around every three months, but I’ve only gone twice–once in January 2005, and now today. My nephew, Benjamin, was going to come with me (he also collects knives), but ended up having to work. So I went alone.

I parked my truck amidst a forest of macho pickups and SUVs and headed toward the entrance behind a fellow wearing a camoflauge jacket and carrying a big rifle on a strap over his shoulder. Context is everything. I imagined if we were headed toward the entrance of a school. Or an airport.

I looked at a lot of the guns and thought, “It’s legal to buy that?” Perhaps some full-auto features are disabled, I don’t know. The place was a Jack Bauer paradise. It gave me some comfort knowing that if the US were invaded, lots of my neighbors are very heavily armed. Maybe I could borrow somebody’s AK-47 or set-up their 30-calibre machine gun on my rooftop amidst sandbags.

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Movies We’ve Seen Lately

Pam and I saw two movies over the holidays at the theater, and rented two more.

  • Casino Royale. Most people I talk to liked the new James Bond movie. So did we. It was definitely a different Bond, and a much more ruthless one (where Roger Moore would have snuck up on a guy and given him a karate chop to knock him out, Daniel Craig just shoots him in the neck). This movie had no great, dasturdly, world-threatening plot (and those do get kind of silly sometimes), just a suspenseful action movie. I look forward to seeing the next Bond movie with Daniel Craig.
  • Apocalypto. I really liked Mel Gibson’s latest film. The buzz said it was extremely gory. True, though perhaps not as bloody as I was expecting, considering all of the hype. Or I’m just numb to it. Anyway, it was a fun ride.
  • Talledaga Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. This Will Farrell flick about a Nascar driver was merely okay. It had its funny moments, but I wouldn’t bother seeing it again. We rented this one, of course
  • March of the Penguins. Finally found out what all the fuss was about. Rented it, learned a lot about penguins, a subject which has been on my Must Learn About list.
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Those Who Dare Greatly

Speaking in Paris in 1910, Teddy Rooselvelt said:

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.

During my 25+ years at the denominational headquarters, I’ve seen lots of second-guessing when noble Kingdom ventures don’t work out. In particular, I’m thinking of people who leave a comfortable church to plant a new church, and the church never materializes despite their best efforts. And people who enter missionary service, perhaps relocating an entire family to a new country, but something goes awry and they have to return.

I admire risk-takers. Church planters are that way. I’ve seen many ministers leave a sure thing–a church that’s doing well, where they are liked, and where they have some visibility which provides opportunities for denominational leadership. In some cases, they might have been in line for an even more cushy, high-profile church. But instead, they venture out to start a brand new church…and for whatever reason, it never develops. I think of Dan, Bob, Brooks, Mark, Anthony, Lee, and various others. When the plug is finally pulled, there are always a variety of explanations. But you’ll usually hear in the mix, “I guess he just doesn’t have what it takes.” Maybe. But not necessarily.

Likewise with people who enter missionary service. I’ve seen people go overseas with great hope and vision, and for whatever reason, return before their hopes and visions can be realized. And, “I guess they just weren’t cut out for missionary service.” Maybe. But not necessarily.

And unfortunately, we tend not to give someone a second chance. We just conclude, “He doesn’t have it.” And sadly, too many of these people end up leaving the ministry, or at least leaving our denomination. They perhaps seek a fresh start somewhere far from the “failure” tag. If they do stay in our fellowship, we just never bring up their past failure…even though, in their eyes, it may have been their greatest-ever step of faith.

People like me–and I can’t pretend to have ever risked greatly–can too easily pass judgment from our secure positions of respect. We observe the situation and draw simplistic conclusions about why another person’s dream, that they poured prayer and sweat and endless hours into, went bust.

I believe it’s wrong, absolutely wrong, to focus on the “failure” angle. Even if the person was mismatched or unprepared for the role, I still see someone who risked. He tried something difficult and stretching and perhaps dangerous. In a society that worships comfort and convenience, I honor those people among us who, as Roosevelt said, “if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly.”

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Boise State Rocks!

Wow, am I ever glad I stayed up to see the end of the Fiesta Bowl! How could you not cheer for an underdog from Idaho of all places, unless you are from, uh, Oklahoma. I’ve always hated Oklahoma, going back to their great rivalry with Nebraska in the 1970s (Nebraska was the Good Guys, especially when they had Johnny Rogers).

You also have to like Boise State because they have a blue field. Yes, blue. They’re just downright interesting.

That Fiesta Bowl is among the best games I’ve ever seen. When Boise threw that interception with a minute left, and it was run in for a touchdown, I thought, “Well, they played their hearts out. It was a great season for them.” But with a minute left, they came back with that hook & ladder play, executed to perfection, to tie it up. And then the similarly perfect Statue of Liberty play to win the game.

And then the guy who ran it in immediately proposed to his cheerleader girlfriend. He had the ring in his room, but got caught up in the moment and proposed on the field. For the rest of his life, when he’s with friends and they’re swapping “How’d you propose?” stories, he’ll win hands-down.

Perfect in every way.

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