Off to Florida

I'm off for family vacation. We loaded up our Odyssey and pulled out of the driveway at 5:23AM on Wednesday... yah... we are real go-getters. We spent the entire day on I-75 and pulled off at our normal exit in Sarasota, FL.

Vacation is a ritual for us. Once or twice a year we head down to Sarasota for nothing but family time. We eat at our favorite restaurants. We swim in our regular pool. We visit our favorite beaches. And we just play.

I traditionally bring a big book and spend lots of time reading. Last year it was Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. This year it is my first N.T. Wright book, The New Testament and the People of God (the first volume of six in the "Christian Origins and The Question of God" series).

So I am preparing to unplug... to relax... to take a break... to be with my family... to play... to think... but that will probably mean a break from blogging.

But before I sign off for about 10 days... a quick announcement. Caden has taken a huge step forward in the swimming process today. He has been dreadfully afraid of deep water for the last 4 years. So today we put swimmie's on him and basically tossed him in the deep end. After a few tears... he began to trust the swimmie's and has been "swimming" non-stop since. That's my boy.... and that is why I love vacation.

Adios Amigos!

Remembering Baptism...

Okay... so I recently shared about our Sunday morning baptismal service... where 4 members of my ministry were baptized (3 by me). Well I can finally share some video of the momentous occasion. Now to give you some context... this was the first time I had ever baptized anyone.

I'll share the video of my introductory comments. If you want to watch the actual baptism's, check out my ministry blog.

Graduation Thoughts

On Sunday morning I was invited by our youth pastor to say a few words to the high school graduates. Well actually... he invited me to plug my ministry, which is to singles and young adults. But for some reason I did less plugging and more pleading. I'm not sure why... or how effective it was... but I guess I was overcome by a comment at our staff meeting last week.

One of the pastors mentioned that statistically this might be the last time that those high school students are ever in church. I don't know if that is true... but if it is in the least, it burdens me. So with that thought plaguing me here is what I said to the graduates:

Stats say that this is the last time that you will ever be in a church. Would you please not be that statistic... here are my two please for you... high school graduates.

Number one... don't graduate from Church. You have the new found freedom of being a young adult and making your own decision. You have the choice of never walking into a church again. No one will wake you up on Sunday morning and drag or bribe you to church. It is your decision. But please don't be a statistic... don't graduate from Church.

Number two... don't graduate from Jesus. Your freshman year will give you the freedom to make really, really good decisions.... and really, really bad decisions. You can party every night. You never have to go to class. You can sleep in whenever you want, where ever you want and with whoever you want. But don't walk away from Jesus... he can guide you and protect you from make bad decisions.

My prayer for you is that someone will come across your path this semester that invites you to consider Church or invites you to consider Jesus. And when that person comes across your path that you will accept the invitation.

**If I had it do over again, I would same the same thing... just more positively...***

First, re-consider the church. The church is very relevant. The church is not a place it is a people who are set apart to pursue Jesus. Reconsider how valuable a group of people like that can be in your life. Don't let your parents church scare you off or turn you off... open yourself up to the idea of the church.

Second, re-consider Jesus. Jesus is very relevant. Maybe in high school Jesus meant very little to you... but don't write him off or forget him during these extremely important years in your life. If you have forgotten Jesus... use these years of freedom to re-discover and re-consider who he is and what that means for you.

Gone Fishin'

On Friday I took Caden fishing. It was a new thing for me. I was reminiscing with my Dad recently about the fact that we went fishing twice while I was growing up.

So I didn't really know what I was doing. The night before we went out and bought our pole and basic tackle box... plus our first official fishing license. But I still had no idea what I was doing.

But my buddy Ted, came to rescue. He is Mr. Fisherman. So he showed me the ropes and let me save face with my son... so I looked like the fishing hero.

We caught one fish on our first trip. But I still let Ted take it off the hook. I'm calling our first fishing 'expedition' a grand success. It was a chance to get away... and do something special... together. Maybe one day, I'll figure out what I'm doing. Maybe one day, we'll catch a boatload of fish.

But all I really care about is doing something... with my boys... together. Maybe one day, we'll talk about girls... while fishing. Maybe one day, we'll talk about jobs... while fishing. Maybe one day, we'll talk about Jesus... while fishing. But I'm not waiting... for one day. I'm investing days now.

But this fishing thing might be a flash in the pan... so let me ask my readers... what is that special thing that you used to do with your Dad?

A Helpful Tool for Runners

This is a screen shot from my running friend... Gmaps Pedometer. It is a sweet web tool for measuring distances on maps. A friend of mine turned me onto it.

It is a google map that allows you to zoom down to the street level of your neighborhood... then click start recording... then every time you double click on the map it makes a mark and measures the collective distance. I know... amazing.

I use it religiously when setting my running routes. And it saves on gas like a charm. I guess I'm going green. Pass it on to your running friends... maybe we can drive the price of gas down.

Doing that Church Hop

Anyone recognize the photo? Clue: One of the coolest early '80s Christian music artists..... give up... Ray Boltz. Oh yeah... back in the early '80s Raybie was the shizz.

I saw him in concert at the "Kings Place" when I was in high school. It was shweet! I'm not talking the shaved head, goatee wearing, guitar playing Ray Boltz. I'm talking the perm sporting, mullet wearing, mustache grooving, old school Ray Boltz.

Well he had the cheesiest song called "Church Hop." I wore out the tape listening to that one. Here's a taste of the lyrics.

Some folks go where they get fed
They do
Some folks go where they feel led
Do you?
Some folks just can't
Make up their mind
Changing churches all the time
They want something hot
They want something new
They just can't find that perfect pew

Doing that church hop
Doing that church hop
Once you get started
You just can't stop
Don't you be doing that church hop

I know. You've copied the lyrics into your prayer journal. However cheesy the song... the issue of how to choose a church... or maybe when to leave a church.. is legit. A friend of mine, Josh Perry, recently posted on reasons to leave a church and go to another one.

He is a church planter in Huntington, WV. He is going places. He is gifted. He loves the Lord. He is a leader. He has "it"... but gives God the all the glory for "it". He wants to reach non-Christian people.

And his problem is that people want to jump ship on their little church to ride his wake for the next season. So he has the fun job of scaring away people from polluting the gene pool. His post rises from his context... but the truths apply to us all. Good work Josh.

words.... words... words...

I’m obsessed… with words. I’m not sure why, but I am hyper-sensitive to the power of words these days. I’m hanging on every word that I hear. I’m hearing conversations with new… sensitive… ears.

And the whole time I’m having this internal conversation… are those sweet words… why not? are those life-giving words… how come? All of life is this continual flow of conversations and chatter and words. Our life is words.

How I welcome my son in the morning…
What I say when I kiss my wife good-bye for the day…
An e-mail I type to a co-worker…
A phone call I make to my dad…

Words. They are as important as life and death. Seems strong I know. But it is true. Why do I say that? Because our words are a window into our heart.

Think about it. When you sit down with a close family member and share a problem. And the conversation that ensues is affirmative and encouraging and helpful… it comes from heart which is filled up with love for you. Their conversation shows the posture of their heart towards you. And that is a powerful thing.

In the Bible, Luke said… For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks…. our words flow out of the status… the condition… the pattern… the state of our heart.

Just before this he says… The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.

Boy do I need help… because my words are not always good. They often come from reaction… fear… anger… pride… selfishness… ulterior motives…And why is that a big deal… because they reflect my heart.

And so I’m taking some instruction from something Solomon wrote in the Bible… Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.

the power of words

Words can give life… lift-up… heal… encourage… deliver… create. God spoke and things became. He gave life... with his words. And we… in his image... can give life... with our words.

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. -Proverbs 16:24

Words can kill… cut down… dismantle… pierce… destroy. When God finally judges… he will speak... and it will be done. We on the other had must realize that our words... if used improperly... can wreak havoc.

Reckless words pierce like a sword... -Proverbs 12:18

I’ve been reflecting lately on some people in my life whose gracious words have been sweet to me like a honeycomb.

In my wife’s life I think of Andrea. She is such a thoughtful person. Over the past few years she has written a number of encouraging notes to my wife that have built her up. She understands the power of words and takes her time to build into someone else. She may never understand what a huge effect her words have had. Her thoughtfulness and her words have given life to my wife.

In my life I think of Denny. He has bit by bit, hour by hour invested in my life over the years. He has walked in my shoes and journeyed with me over the years. He understands my stresses, my pressures, my weaknesses and my strengths. He regularly brings a fresh perspective to any situation which I bring to him. In one of our recent discussions he opened the Bible and spoke its truths and promises to me. He took my hand and put in the hand of the Lord… when I didn’t have the strength to do it myself. He put wind in my sails… he gave me hope… he breathed life into me.

Words are powerful. Who is in your life? Who gives you life… or at least that needed boost?

Baptismal Reflection

Some reflections from our baptismal service this past Sunday morning.

It was such a privilege to be involved. I felt alive. It is one thing to watch a baptism and another to be in the water and active in the process. It was spiritually electric.

And since it was my first “official” baptism…I goofed… twice. When I was baptizing my Nancy I got lost in the transition from story-to-dunking and “lost my lines”. We all laughed and moved on… I hope Nancy forgives me. Then when all was said and done I tripped on my way out of the tub. Talk about youtube footage. I hope that made it real.

What made it special was the chance to share the story. Each person had an experience where God became a reality to them and they began a relationship with Jesus. The stories helped to celebrate the unique way in which each of us finds Christ. We used to say in sales facts tell – stories sell. Maybe in church we should say celebrate stories not baptisms.

Another thought about baptism is to focus on the gospel. I mean point people to Jesus. How He in his goodness adopted us, forgave us and made a way for us to be right with God. A man-centered focus of baptism, robs God of his glory. I think we really did this on Sunday.

I also think it is important to include the community. For God is working in an individual’s life through the collective life of a local body of believers. So we baptized on Sunday… because that is when our community gathers. We highlighted groupLink and small groups, because those are the environments where some of the people were challenged found there people and their God stories took off.

And I’d like to suggest that we involve the characters. What I mean is getting people involved in the actual baptism who were key in them finding Christ. I’d even say if Cory invites Bob to small group… and Bob finds Christ in small group… then let Cory baptize Christ. The bible gives us that freedom… and it celebrates missional characters in the story of God.

Pastors NEED Vacation

Not long after I posted earlier today on Taking a Day Off, I watched Ed Young's Monday Morning Pastors confessional. He appears really tired. Not only does he seem have the typical Monday weariness but he appears to have been running too - hard too long.

He repeatedly asks "How can you build a marriage when...." and then he fills in the blank with all the things that pastors pour themselves out doing... studying... teaching... fund-raising... I can only imagine that his wife has looked him in the face on more than one occasion and said... "When are we going to have our time?" It is not that a pastor's wife does not support her husband... but part of her calling is keep him grounded.

I think in his early Monday Morning weariness we get a honest look at the roller coaster that our pastors ride. So don't only make sure that you get your break... but make sure that those who care for your soul get their break.

For Men... By Men

What happens to a man who does a complete 180? When his life is going hard in one direction and then he meets Jesus and he realizes that all the things he's been pursuing are destroying him... so he turns around and runs the other way?

Some friends of mine have put a blog together at ac180.com to answer that question. It is a blog for men... by men.

The project is an attempt to speak to men with a new voice. On one hand one that is not stripped of its masculinity and forced to always "play nice" and "give hugs". But on the other hand a life that reflects a radical change in identity that reflects new strength and new purpose springing from a new life.

Check it out... leave a comment... and pass it on to the men in your life.

Take a Day Off

You might desperately need a day off. I know I do. I've got a family vacation scheduled the first week of June and I can't wait. I can't wait to sleep... play... eat... explore... read... think...

Mark Batterson at National Community Church just got back from an anniversary trip to Italy and has posted his Theology of Travel. It will inspire you be a better steward of your vacation days.

And if that's not enough of a push, I came across this quote from Leonardo da Vinci...

Every now and then go away and have a little relaxation. To remain constantly at work will diminish your judgment. God some distance away, because work will be in perspective and a lack of harmony is more readily seen.

Race for a Cure

On Saturday my boys and I walked a mile for Breast Cancer. We took part in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I would never have done it, if it had not been a for a girl in my ministry at church who put Team Joy together in support of her mom... a survivor. So we joined the 125 people of Team Joy and the other 37,276 participants for the festivities.

My boys were excited to be a part of their first "race"... and were quite proud of the 38 minute mile pace that we completed. Not to mention how cool it was to wear race numbers.

I read some interesting stats in today's write-up in the Dispatch:

• The Columbus race raised $2 million
• The Columbus race is the 10th largest in the US.
  
• Columbus has the 4th highest mortality rate from Breast Cancer.
• 28 of 100,000 white women die of the illness.
• 38 of 100,000 black women die of the illness.

potty training.... update

Mommy walking with you every step of the way..... important.

Big brother getting your back.... helpful.

Growing a tail every once in a while.... priceless.

My First Baptism

I am going to be involved in my first baptism this Sunday. Not that I am getting baptized... but I will be baptizing three girls in our church on Sunday morning. I sure hope this doesn't happen...


It is a pretty exciting thing for me... because I know these girls stories. God is really at work in each of their lives. Each has been a Christian for a while but have never been challenged or had the opportunity or wanted to be baptized. And God has brought them all to the same place... physically and spiritually... to go through this together.

So I've been thinking and reading a lot about baptism and why we do it. It seems in Scripture that baptism is an expression of repentance and faith in Christ. It is also to be done in the name of Jesus... because it like a transfer of ownership to the one whose name it is done in. Then I came across this verse in 1 Peter...

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 3:21

And I paused... wondering what this says about Christian baptism. And here is where I landed. In this chapter Peter is encouraging a people who are suffering for their faith. He tells them to deal with their suffering with such good conduct that they maintain a good conscience. He then tells the stories of Noah's flood, which saved 8 people from the wickedness around them. But the reason the water saved them is that they were right with God before the water came.

The flood was a prefigure of today's baptism (KJV, NIV, NLT). So today's baptism which is a symbol of the death and resurrection of Christ... saves us. Not that the water washes off our sins... but like the flood it is an appeal from a good conscience... for those were right with God before the flood came. Today... a good conscience rests in faith in the resurrection of Jesus and the waters figuratively save people like the resurrection of Christ actually saves them.

So those who suffer for doing good for Christ should remember their baptism as an appeal from a restored relationship with God. And like the flood saved Noah and family from their generation, so those who suffer for their belief in the resurrection of Chris will be saved from their generation.

When God Speaks

My family had the opportunity to get away this weekend. It involved visiting a different church and its nice to go to a place once in a while where I am anonymous and can just soak in the experience like everyone else. This past Sunday God spoke to me. Some of you know what I am talking about. It was one of those unmistakable times when my heart was pierced by the word of God. And I am still recovering from it. It was like the pastor was just talking to me. My spirit quivered and I knew that God was speaking to me.

The preacher spoke on being holy from 1 Peter 1:13-16:

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

I was challenged to pursue God's holiness. God holiness means that he is perfect and set apart. And for me that means pursuing perfection and pursuing purity. The challenge was to realize our positional holiness and pursue a practical holiness... not one or the other.

How we do this comes right from the text. It flows from a controlled mind and a hope fueled on eternal rewards.

To be honest I've been a bit on cruise lately. My mind has not been sharp and pointed in the best direction all the time. I've let anger and bitterness creep into my thinking about certain people and certain situations. I've gotten lazy about taking those thoughts captive to Christ. And I've placed too much of my hope on my temporal success or failure in certain situations instead of placing it the eternal inheritance resulting entirely on God's grace. My mind has strayed from the richness of the gospel and to things of lesser value.

I got punched in the gut this Sunday and I can't remain the same. Thanks for the wake-up call God. I will not remain the same.

St. Patrick's Day Blessing

A friend of mine, Phil, is on staff at a missional church in upstate New York. His church, Terra Nova, meets on Sunday mornings right next to this bar. They preach the gospel and call people to repentance. They strongly believe in authentic community and that the gospel affects all of life. They love their neighbors and want them to experience new life in Christ.

They often have a meal over a beer at the bar next door. And they even have a theology discussion group called "Theology at the Tap Room." So what happens when their neighbors, the bar owner invites them to offer a blessing at St. Patrick's Day. You can see for yourself below. The pastor, tells the back story to St. Patrick a man who brought the gospel of salvation to Ireland.

This messy type of involvement in reaching neighbors with the hope of the gospel may make many of us uncomfortable. Some may consider it too far, unwise or even sinful. But these are our brothers who love our Savior and preach him with boldness and freedom.

A song about grapes...

Kids are full of creative genius that has yet to be suppressed, restrained or tarnished by insecure authority figures, social tradition or ruthless peer pressure. My kids remind be of that every day. So I present to you a recent masterpiece... a song performed and created live by my 4 year old, Caden.

Me and Griffey like grapes,
Me and Griffey share today,
Me and Griffey play and dance
Me and Griffey play Bob the Builder...
...and we don’t say anything, we just play arooooooound.

A Long Way Gone… the redemption

A Long Way Gone is a book about redemption. Boy soldiers lose everything… their family… their opportunity… their hope… their childhood… their innocence… and many lose their lives, but a few are able to be delivered and receive a new life.

The Fall: Without warning the war will come to a village and in an instance an 11 year old boy (like Ishmael) will be thrust into a war. He is handed an AK-47 and sent out to face an ambush. He quickly learns to kill out of fear. He numbs the pain with marijuana and cocaine. He then is motivated to kill out of revenge for the loss of his family. He further numbs the pain with more drugs. Then he kills for mere survival. By no choice of their own… boys become inhumane killers.

In an interview with Jon Stewart, Ishmael said, "It is easy to turn a boy into a killer… It is hard to help him regain his humanity."

The Road to Redemption: Only by mere grace are boys allowed the opportunity to have a second chance on life. In Ishmael’s case some UNICEF soldiers bought him from his commander and took him to a rehabilitation camp. But that is just the beginning, because real change comes from the inside out. Here is a story from Ishmael’s first week in rehab (p. 135)…

It was war all over again. Perhaps the naïve foreigners thought that removing us from the war would lessen our hatred fro the RUF. It hadn’t crossed their minds that a change of environment wouldn’t immediately make us normal boys; we were dangerous, and brainwashed to kill. They had just started this process of rehabilitation, so this was one of the first lessons they had to learn.

Ishmael was one of the lucky ones. He has regained his humanity. He has a new family… new opportunity… a new life.

A Common Story: In one sense (not to diminish Ishmael’s story) this is a universal story. It is the story of the Bible. We have all been thrust into a spiritual war and we often don’t grasp onto the larger story of what is going on. Life strips away our innocence and can turn us into narcissistic, self-reliant, skeptical survivalists. We need someone to graciously lift us out of the turmoil and give us a new life… but the change comes from within. New life is a gift that gives us new hope… a new future… and a second chance.

A Long Way Gone… the death of innocence

Another thought on A Long Way Gone. I was struck by something that one of Ishmael’s friends, Saidu, said just days before he died of sickness while in the jungle as a boy solider (p.70)…

Every time people come at us with the intention of killing us, I close my eyes and wait for death. Event thought I am still alive, I fell like each time I accept death, part of me dies. Very son I will completely die and all that will be left is my empty body walking with you. It will be quieter that I am.

The idea of thrusting children into civil war is sinful. It is ungodly. It is unjust. It dehumanizes them and robs them of opportunity and hope. It kills them first, spiritually, then physically.

Who will intercede for them? Who will be an advocate on their behalf? They need someone to come in and save them from this conflict… to give them hope and a new life.

We all need this kind of saving spiritually... in some cases (like in Sierre Leone) people also need it physically.

A Long Way Gone… the confusion

I recently finished reading A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. In it he tells the story of the civil war in Sierre Leone in the 1990s and the astonishing fact that much of the war was fought by early teenage boys who were thrust into the fight. Ishmael was one of those boy soldiers

It is hard book to read on a number of levels. First I have trouble grasping the reality that civil wars go on today… I mean I’ve never even heard a real gunshot (except at the shooting range). And second the idea of children soldiers who are robbed of their childhood and turned into cold-blooded killers is horrible.

The book is also hard to read because you can never really get your hands around the bigger picture of what was going on in Sierre Leone. You can’t really tell who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. I think this is an intentional rhetorical device used by Ishmael to reflect the confusion that boy soldiers feel. They don’t know who they are fighting or why they are fighting… they fight to survive. Yet they have no understanding of the bigger picture.

Ishmael has been saved from the war and now is dedicating his life to raising awareness around the world to the horrible realities of children soldiers.

The Great Mate Debate

So what do Greg Behrendt (former writer for "Sex in the City" and author of "He's Just Not That into You") and Ed Young (Christian pastor in Dallas, TX) have in common? They both blog for chemistry.com... check it out.

The site was spawned by match.com and features 5 "experts" on relationships in America. It should be interesting to see how a Christian voice fares on the hot topics of choice. Here are two of their current topics: Great chemistry—except in bed. Should you give up? and What's with all these celebrity couples having kids out of wedlock?

Each writer (like us all) writes from some basic presuppositions about men, women, God and the purpose of relationships. I'm thinking no matter how similar an answer might be that Ed is writing from the left-field bleachers. Don't get lonely out in left, Ed.

I Feel Great

I had a bad day yesterday. I woke at 2:15 AM and felt like someone had kicked me in the gut. The feeling grew for about 10 minutes until I expelled the previous evenings dinner into the toilet. After a few hours I awoke with the same feeling and repeated steps 2 and 3.

Then for the rest of the day I just felt like crud. I was sore and achey. I managed to drink a cup of gatorade and swallow a few bowls of jello. It was just the 24 hour flu. And this morning at exactly 2:30AM I woke up and thought... ahh I feel normal again.

Sometimes it takes a rough day to make you appreciate a good day. It is great to just feel normal! Can I get a witness.

VT is not forgotten

I regret not posting earlier on the tragedy down at Va Tech. For some the news has come and gone. For others the pain is still fresh. I was stunned and saddened and appalled at the darkness that could lie within a human soul. And I really had no idea what to say. Sometimes I just need to be silent.

But after some reflection I thought I'd post on how do we respond Christianly when such tragedy strikes? In a variety of ways I suppose. One is simply to be present with one another. It is not so much what we say or do for those who mourn, but to be in the presence of a loved one. I even remember hearing some of the students say they could not go home during the break... because they needed to be together.

This is the very thing that God offers to us... his presence. Even his name "I am" or "I will be" is not so much a quality as it is his dynamic presence. The creator is a dynamic presence in the lives of those whom believe and trust in him.

Another Christian response is that we sing. It may sound simple or silly or even condescending, yet it is profoundly true. In times of tragedy or deep pain we turn to our poets and musicians to remind us that things were good... that things are OK.. and that things will get better.

In light of this the Passion movement, led by Louie Giglio, which is the Christian voice to college students is offering a free EP in the month of May called Hope for the Hokies. You can download it here.

Can you prove God?

Well former childhood star Kirk Cameron and ministry partner Ray Comfort plan to give it the old college try... on national TV. Not that the Bible tries to prove God (it assumes Him). Not that Jesus tried to prove God (he showed Him). But ever since the scientific method changed the rules of "knowledge" we've played that game. I received the following details about this nationally televised debate in a newsblast. Maybe the Nightline episode can be a topic for the watercooler next Thursday. Happy viewing.
rk
>>News Blast<<
Actor KiCameron and best-selling author Ray Comfort will square off with two atheists in New York on Saturday, May 5. ABC originally planned to stream the 90-minute debate LIVE on their website, but decided to reschedule the broadcast to capture a larger audience. They will broadcast the entire debate on ABC.com on Wednesday, May 9 at 2:00 p.m. EST. The debate will be moderated by Martin Bashir, and on May 9 a shortened version of the debate will be aired on Nightline also on Wednesday 9th.

Comfort -- who claims he can prove the existence of God, scientifically, without mentioning faith or the Bible -- stated, "The network originally offered me only four minutes to present my case. After speaking with Kirk and conferring with the atheists, they settled on 13 minutes. I'm ecstatic. I can prove the existence of God in that amount of time.

"We are very grateful to ABC for taking this courageous step," Comfort continued. "As far as we know, nothing like this has ever been done before. ABC's website is already the 7th most visited news site, with 19 million visitors every month. But with more than 177 million people in the U.S. who call themselves Christians, we are sure that it will draw an even larger viewing audience. Is there actually evidence for God? That's the most important question any of us will ever consider."

Cameron added, "We are excited that the network has decided to do this, because we have something very relevant to present. Most people think that belief in God is simply a matter of blind faith, and that His existence can't be proven. We will not only prove that God exists, but as an ex-atheist I'll show that the issue keeping so many people from believing in God -- Darwinian evolution -- is completely unscientific. It's a fairy-tale for grownups.

National Day of Prayer

I had the privilege of attending the Ohio Prayer Breakfast (sponsored by the Gathering) with my good friends Brad and Denny this morning. I had to suit up if you know what I mean... but the POSH meal and speaking line-up were worth the extra starch in the wardrobe (don't worry... no tie).

Governor Ted Stricklin shared some thoughts on Matthew 25 and our responsibility to serve the least of these. His Methodist seminary training came through for him.

Keynote speaker Rich Nathan of the Columbus Vineyard challenged the governor and all in attendance to help clean-up the mud in Ohio. God is not just about creation, but recreation. God is not just about genesis, but re-genesis, he repeatedly said.

Rich talked from Gen. 7 & 8 where Noah was getting out of the Ark after the flood. He said that what Noah saw upon getting out of the ark was nothing but mud. Ohio has some mud that we need to clean-up... Cleveland is the most poverty stricken city in the US and Cincinnati is #4. Marriages are falling apart. Unemployment is high. And God cares about that. He doesn't want to save us from this place... he wants his kingdom to come to these places. He wants to regenerate, recreate and redeem these places (now in part and one day in full).

Rich reminded us that new beginnings start with God...not us. So we must remember that we can't clean up the mud... God must be working on our behalf. So just like Noah got out of the ark and first reconnected with God, so must we. Rich challenged us 2 things: first, get out of the ark and second, reconnect to God.

I agree with Rich... when it comes to dealing with social issues the church is still in the ark. For some reason we seem to leave the work of caring for the poor and lifting people out of unjust situations to the state... as if God is not concerned about this physical world at all.

Rich challenged the crowd to choose hope and not cynicism. The cynic has given up on a better future and has withdrawn from the mud. The hopeful have made a spiritual choice to invest themselves in a better future, one in which God is working on our behalf.

Death by Status Quo

this showed up on my desk today...
...so are you changin' or dyin'?

Watching a pacesetter

Blake’s got balls!
Did you watch American Idol last night? It was Bon Jovi night... can you get any better than that? But, I almost fell off the couch when idol contestant Blake Lewis nearly committed idol suicide by tricking-up a classic 80's rock jam... "You Give Love a Bad Name." The only thing was... he knocked it out of the park. You've gotta see this

I also think I learned a few leadership lessons from Blake. So let me apply these lessons to leadership in the local church.

Say something old in a new way. Blake took a classic and freshened it up for younger ears. We in the church should stick with classic orthodoxy but should not be afraid to freshen up the packaging… to try a new delivery… or to do something completely new with an old truth.

Take a risk. Blake knew this could be his last song and so he leaned into the pitch. We must take risks in the church. We must swing on the 3-2 pitch. If we are fighting for the kingdom we must resist passivity and push forward. We can’t hold back, the stakes are too high.

Know who you are. Blake is not Bon Jovi so he didn’t try to be an imitation. We must know our strengths and our weaknesses and play to our strengths. We must be ourselves and grow into our own voice with confidence and conviction. We must speak truth… but we must speak truthfully… that is in alignment to who and how we are.

Know when to dismiss advice. You heard Bon Jovi’s recommendation… don’t mess with my song. Sometimes we must look our counselors in the face and, with love say, I must disagree and go my own route. If we do this all the time we are foolish… if we never do this we are weak.

Can you spell... GET

At our house I give our boys their regular bath. So once a week...at least... I plop them in the tub for a cleaning. It is in the bath that I have discovered that Caden is able to sound out basic words. So we have started playing spelling games in the bath.

I will put three letters in row, like... man or sat or fat and he will sound them out until he figures out the word. Without my prompting, after he figures out each word he will use it in a sentence to show me that he knows what the word means. It is hilarious... almost like our own little spelling bee.

So last night I put up G-E-T. He sounds it out... "guh"..."ehh"... "tuh". The he figures out it is GET. Then he proudly spouts out this sentence... I can have a new toy.

He's smart like me. So smart he needs a paper bag hat to hold in all his brains.

Run...Forrest...Run

I went for a run today. It has been nearly 8 months since I've steadily run. I was training for the Columbus marathon last fall and was forced to quit once I got up to 16 miles because of "runners knee" (I know no guts, no glory).

I have felt way out of whack lately and one of the reasons is that I have not been exercising. So I got up today at 6:15 and went for 3 miles with a friend. I think my life is better when I exercise. It brings a balance to my life.

I have found that exercise is easier with others. If I did not have a friend waiting for me... I might have hit snooze.

Exercise helps me feel better. I tend to drink more water and eat less junk when I am in an exercise regimen.

Exercise helps me sleep better. I let off some stress and am more tired and thus sleep better.

Exercise helps me think better. My days tend to more organized and more productive. I feel like I accomplish more and I feel less like a slouch. Creative thoughts come easier and I become much more decisive.

And strangely enough when I exercise I am more spiritual. Weird isn't it. I think that taking care of my body helps me to connect with God and as I look back I tend to pray more and read the Bible more when I am in a season of good health.

In general my physical laziness is directly proportional to spiritual laziness. So I think that if my boss would buy me a gym pass or have staff meetings in the weight room that I would be a better pastor.