Walking... to Another Site

It's not like I have a huge following, but for those of you who periodically check this site to see if I am up to anything new, well, I am, but not here.

Its Political

    There is no question that we are currently in the midst of incredible political polarity. It seems like everything is political and every issue has a line that is a mile wide separating the sides. Judging by the political commentary, from national news to Facebook posts, there is a practical belief that the loudest, most persistent (and obnoxious), voice will win the argument of the day. We proclaim our “rightness” with name-calling, finger-pointing, and mockery of the “other side” and with every comment, we expand the division created by the mile-wide line. The defense of our position and our passionate insistence that we are “right” (or “on the right side of history”) alienates everyone who disagrees with us. In addition to being political, everything, it seems, is personal.

A Jog and a Drive

I don’t think anything of it when I leave my house. I put in my earbuds, turn up the music, try to convince myself that I am in my 30s and I start jogging. My four-mile loop takes me out of my immediate neighborhood, past the Catholic Church and cemetery, and through the neighborhood lining the golf course. A little over a mile into my run I turn a corner and start running on sidewalks in front of houses, the majority of which are more expensive than mine.

Finding Church

It has been almost two years since my wife and I decided to pack our spiritual bags and leave our church. After more than twenty years of serving, worshipping, and living in that community it was a painful, gut-wrenching decision. It had become clear, though, that we were on a divergent path from the rest of leadership and the bulk of those who made up the body. At some point our paths split into two and we began veering away from everyone else. At first it was no big deal, we stayed close, but as we kept walking the distance between us became greater and greater and it was clear that the two paths were not coming back together. So, we said our goodbyes and chose to walk alone in the hopes that our path would join with another group that was willing to take us in and let us tag along.

A Psalm of Lament

Near the end of my Old Testament Theology class, after talking about laments in scripture, my professor talked about the exercise of writing our own psalm of lament when we feel like crying out to God. I've been there for quite awhile, so I thought I would start writing to see what happened. It didn't solve anything, but it was kind of therapeutic and I find myself returning to these words when I pray to God. It may not resonate with many, but I thought I would share what came out.

My Lament

O God my Lord

Why does your presence elude me?

Why is your face hidden from me?

When I step to the right, you move to the left

When I move to the left, you step to the right

When I follow your path

I find only your footprints

I climbed to the top of a mountain to find you

I stood in the cleft of the rock

And I waited for you in silence

But I was overwhelmed by the rushing wind

I felt the thunder of the mountain

And heard the shaking of the ground beneath my feet

But you, my Lord, did not come

We All Lose

Here is a bold prediction concerning the impeachment “trial” of Donald Trump – The results of the “trial” will be virtually inconsequential in changing anyone’s mind, including those with front row seats, about his guilt or innocence. Those who hate Trump have already decided that he is guilty. A 30-second CNN promo is really all they need to reach that conclusion. Even if there is a mountain of evidence suggesting that there was no impeachable wrongdoing, they will remain fully convinced that he is guilty of everything suggested and even more. There is no measure of evidence that will convince them otherwise.

Let There Be One

For thirty-one years I started my work-day walking into a classroom anticipating what the day would hold. I would visualize the students that would be sitting at desks waiting for me to deliver the lesson for the day or hoping I wouldn’t. As the school year progressed, I could see each student in their desks before they arrived. I knew which ones would need some extra help, which ones would need extra attention, which ones would be an extra challenge to keep in the room. I could picture the class before they arrived and when I prayed each morning and I could visualize each individual student. I generally knew what to expect and could pray accordingly.

20 Things I Learned Looking for a Church

Recently my wife and I spent several months visiting area churches looking for a place to call home. The process was interesting and eye-opening in both good and not-so-good ways. It was also refreshing and agonizing. I learned things about myself and I learned things about the church. Some things were reinforced from longtime observations, some were reminders of what I already knew, and some things I learned were new.  Mostly I was reminded that there is no perfect church because the church is made of a lot of imperfect people and if I ever joined a perfect church I would immediately ruin its perfection. Take the observations for what they are worth. Maybe they will help you look at your own church differently, but maybe not. Maybe it will just make you look at me differently.

No Free Tickets

I keep getting calls from resorts letting me know that I have been “specially chosen” to receive free tickets to some exotic location where I will be pampered and treated like royalty. All I need to do is talk to a representative and make arrangements and I will be off to a vacation paradise. Of course, it is never quite that easy. There is always some fine print to deal with, a high-pressure sales presentation, follow up phone calls, and limited availability on dates, locations, airlines, airports, etc. By the time you jump through all the hoops, it ends up being more trouble than it is worth and “free” never really means free.

Ignorance, Hate, and Incivility In the Name of God

I had an interesting exchange the other day with a friend on Facebook. He is a Christian and an avid Trump supporter and, while I also claim to be a Christian, I would fall under the category of “human scum,” by Trump’s standards. Being the “human scum” that I am, I occasionally poke at my MAGA friends (however, in their firm belief of self-righteousness, they are much more likely to poke at me without actually admitting it). This was one such case.

Blessings in Ethiopia

“You know this is all your fault, don’t you?”

Two weeks ago, that is what my son, Colby was telling me as I was facing him, trying unsuccessfully to fight back tears.

“You are the one that started all this, so it’s really your fault! You know that don’t you?”

I laughed and gladly accepted the blame. Guilty as charged, with no denial.

My Little Girl

If you are a father of a daughter, I think you will understand…

This is my daughter Calli. In case you didn’t notice, she is adorable! She always has been, and she always will be. I know she is a little older now, but in my mind, no matter how old she is, she will always look like this. She is eternally my little girl. She promised that she would be, and I am holding her to it for as long as I live.

Seeking Refuge

Regardless of where you stand on refugees, immigration, etc., you should read this book. If nothing else, you should read chapter 6, Not (Quite) Refugees: Other Displaced People. It will clarify the legal definitions of various groups who try to enter the US, why they come, and the complications they face. I think it will open your eyes, but even more, I hope it will open your heart.

No Healing

Hate divides, whether it comes from the right or the left, from republican or democrat, from conservative or liberal, from one religion or another or none. Hate does not unify and hate does not heal, it does not matter where it comes from, or who it is directed at, or what the circumstances are. Hate does not rectify wrongs. You can't cure hate by opposing it with hate. You can't claim to be a unifier and a healer by expressing hatred for those who hate. 
When will we learn?

An Alternative Border Response

Recently several people posted a link to the July newsletter of Dr. James Dobson in which he writes an open letter addressing his recent visit to our southern border. It was posted and even sent to me by people whom I respect and love, so I tried to read the letter with an open mind. I was hopeful that Dobson’s visit would stir in him some compassion that I have perceived to be missing in the past. As I read, I continued to be hopeful:

“The "refugees" arrive exhausted and ragged from walking hundreds of miles. Among them are large numbers of children, many of whom are unaccompanied by a caring adult. Last year, 382,000 aliens were apprehended for illegally crossing into this country and almost 100,000 of them were minors. Some of the kids have been abused along the way. Many of them carry lice, scabies or other diseases. Currently, the facility I visited is experiencing a flu epidemic, and there are no additional beds on which to lie. Some of the women have been raped.”

Time for Change

Today I made it official…

After 31 years it is time to step away from teaching in a traditional classroom and move on to something different. It feels a little surreal. There is a strange combination of feelings, both grief and relief. It feels like I can breath deep again, but at the same time major changes have a way of taking our breath away. The full impact of my decision, I’m sure, will hit me at some point down the road, but, honestly the change is long overdue.

Be Real

I have an odd collection of Bible commentaries on my bookshelf. They are a weakness of mine when I visit used book stores. There is something compelling about them that draws me in. Often they seem to be undervalued, and unappreciated, relegated to a dusty shelf in the corner of a back room that is dimly lit and seldom visited. In my mind they always seem under priced, which justifies my purchase and addition to my collection. My wife often disagrees, but, fortunately, she is quite tolerant of my obsession.

Dangerous Simplicity

Phrases and sayings without context are dangerous tools in the hands of those who are more concerned with promoting an agenda than investigating and understanding the truth. Facebook has become the fertile spawning grounds for the dissemination of such content. Under the auspices of sounding wise, individuals parlay foolishness in the form of disconnected quotes to advance the propaganda of their cause. Unfortunately the Bible is often the source of such malpractice and self proclaimed evangelical Christians are far too often the ignorant practitioners.

2019 Reading List

With the coming of a new year comes a new list of books that I hope to read in the year ahead. At the beginning of every year I have a “Want-to-Read” list that is the starting point of my reading goal for the year. It is a fluid list that is subject to change. Books get added, some books get bumped to the following year (or later), and some books just get lost in the shuffle. But I like creating the list because it gives me a goal - something to shoot for - and it gives me justification for buying more books.  

A Better Facebook

Facebook is an interesting space. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with it. Some hate it more than others so much so that they have abandoned it. For many there is a sense that there is not enough good on Facebook to outweigh the bad, so they discard the whole thing. Others know themselves well enough to realize they don’t have the self control to avoid being sucked into the mind-numbingness that can happen with a Facebook addiction, so they  have deleted their accounts and avoid it completely.