Faith Journeys

Totally on Facebook

2009-12-14T10:55:00.002-05:00

Dear all who used to read this with some regularity. I am pretty much posting everyday on Facebook rather than here. Facebook is easier and more convenient, and more folks are accessing church information there like never before. As a result, this blog will be sparse until the time when I make the difficult decision to end it altogether. If you would like to follow me on Facebook, simply befriend me at www.facebook.com/dbocock. Also, you can become a fan of the Cresskill Congregational Church (just type that name in the search box and select Be a Fan.

And that's it!

This may be a late time for me to thank you all for reading this blog but, Thanks just the same.

See you Facebook!

Self Help: Tips for Life + a free Snuggie

2009-10-29T09:18:00.003-04:00

10 Tips for Navigating the Waters of Life. Keen insights on managing life's difficult challenges.

Freeing Yourself from Limiting Beliefs. Learning how to have a more open mind.

Command a room, when you walk in. Here are some good tips for living it up at parties and learning to enjoy them, rather than dreading them.

Develop better posture. The art of sitting or standing up straight might seem like something out of a 1950's etiquette class, but it actually plays an important role in staying energized and efficient throughout your day at the office. Here's why:

Health and home weblog Real Simple claims that by slouching, our body takes in as much as 30% less oxygen than we'd take in with good posture. When we sit slumped over (which is easy to do if you spend a great deal of time at the computer), we aren't just harming our posture, but our bodies' ability to keep our energy up.

Next time you you're feeling a little down in the dumps or need a little boost at work, check to see if your chin is up and your shoulders are back (or try other methods to fix your PC posture). It could mean the difference between making your workday frumpy or fabulous.

Receive a FREE Snuggie. Use this form. Seriously, no tricks here. (You may ask, how is this a tip for life, well...being warm and snuggly in autumn and the upcoming winter can make your life better, right?)

Happy Halloween

2009-10-26T20:05:00.002-04:00

...and here's a good reason to not let alcohol anywhere near your pumpkins.

Ten Simple Way to Spend Less Money

2009-10-06T14:53:00.002-04:00

Wowsers, here is a good list of ways to cut cost and save money. I am still using Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and have only about 1.5 years left to being debt-free (minus my school loans which I won't be paying off early). The way I figure it, every little bit of information that can help me save money is a good thing.

The Pumpkins are Here

2009-10-06T14:46:00.002-04:00

I am sure that you probably already know that but for anyone who reads this blog and doesn't know, we have a yard full of them. Our pumpkins are for sale and we're selling them Monday through Friday from 12:00 Noon to 6:00 PM and Saturday through Sunday from 10:00 AM through 6:00 PM.

Staycation?

2009-10-06T14:45:00.002-04:00

Was summer too short? Are you still working too much? Here is a great post about the necessity of taking a break from it all and it is something you can do without leaving home.

47 Ways to Fine Tune Your Brain

2009-09-30T15:08:00.001-04:00

Your brain is a complex organ. It is the controller of your body, your thoughts, your state of mind and your ultimately your life. There are some who abuse it, some who underuse it, and some who overuse it to the point of meltdown.

In this article we'll look at dozens of tactics that will help you maintain your brain into old age and help to increase your mental agility and cognitive development.

Don't try and multitask, it can't be done.
Our brains can only focus and concentrate on one thing at a time, this is a proven scientific fact. While you can most likely handle multiple menial tasks, anything that requires you to concentrate, reason, or decide deserves full focus.

Exercise your brain, not just your body.
A lot of us leave learning behind when we leave school, college or university. Keep the brain fit by learning something new, whether it be a language, a new skill or musical instrument.

The world is a mystery.
Use your brain to constantly ask questions and explore your surroundings. Continually exercise your brain by not accepting everything you see and hear: question it and free your sense of curiosity.

Use both hemispheres
Use the left hemisphere of your brain to practice logical, mathematical problems in your life. Use the right hemisphere to unleash your creativity. You will know what side is dominant so make it a point to practice using your non dominant hemisphere.

Get to know your sleeping pattern.
Your brain needs sleep as much as your body but everybody is different. I function on 5-6 hours you might work best on 8-9 hours.

Feed your brain decent information.
Your brain is learning throughout the night, so give it something worthwhile to feed it. Our brain is not restoring energy whilst we are sleeping it is cutting out the noise and going over the days events and processing it; give it some great material to process.

Read the other 41 tips over at DumbLittleMan.

Shall the Fundamentalists Win?

2009-09-12T22:54:00.002-04:00

I found this sermon while preparing for my sermon on Sunday. It is an interesting confrontation that ultimately caused the preacher great angst. Read the sermon and see if we're still not having the same conversations today as it was back in 1922.

“Shall the Fundamentalists Win?”: Defending Liberal Protestantism in the 1920s

Urban as well as rural Americans flocked to fundamentalist and evangelical churches in the 1920s. “Liberal” Protestants sought to reconcile faith and science and to slow what they saw as the reactionary tendencies of fundamentalism. Harry Emerson Fosdick’s influential 1922 sermon, “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?,” called for an open-minded, intellectual, and tolerant “Christian fellowship.” Though the sermon cost him his post at New York’s First Presbyterian Church, his views represented those of an influential Protestant minority, and Fosdick enjoyed a long career at Riverside Church, built for him by John D. Rockefeller. Following the Scopes trial and a well-publicized scandal involving well-known pastor Aimee Semple McPherson and a mysterious lover, fundamentalists began to lose the prominence they enjoyed in the 1920s. But religious fundamentalism would remain a vital political force in American life.

This morning we are to think of the fundamentalist controversy which threatens to divide the American churches as though already they were not sufficiently split and riven. A scene, suggestive for our thought, is depicted in the fifth chapter of the Book of the Acts, where the Jewish leaders hale before them Peter and other of the apostles because they had been preaching Jesus as the Messiah. Moreover, the Jewish leaders propose to slay them, when in opposition Gamaliel speaks “Refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God ye will not be able to overthrow them; lest haply ye be found even to be fighting against God.” . . .

Already all of us must have heard about the people who call themselves the Fundamentalists. Their apparent intention is to drive out of the evangelical churches men and women of liberal opinions. I speak of them the more freely because there are no two denominations more affected by them than the Baptist and the Presbyterian. We should not identify the Fundamentalists with the conservatives. All Fundamentalists are conservatives, but not all conservatives are Fundamentalists. The best conservatives can often give lessons to the liberals in true liberality of spirit, but the Fundamentalist program is essentially illiberal and intolerant.

The Fundamentalists see, and they see truly, that in this last generation there have been strange new movements in Christian thought. A great mass of new knowledge has come into man’s possession—new knowledge about the physical universe, its origin, its forces, its laws; new knowledge about human history and in particular about the ways in which the ancient peoples used to think in matters of religion and the methods by which they phrased and explained their spiritual experiences; and new knowledge, also, about other religions and the strangely similar ways in which men’s faiths and religious practices have developed everywhere. . . .

Now, there are multitudes of reverent Christians who have been unable to keep this new knowledge in one compartment of their minds and the Christian faith in another. They have been sure that all truth comes from the one God and is His revelation. Not, therefore, from irreverence or caprice or destructive zeal but for the sake of intellectual and spiritual integrity, that they might really love the Lord their God, not only with all their heart and soul and strength but with all their mind, they have been trying to see this new knowledge in terms of the Christian faith and to see the Christian faith in terms of this new knowledge.

Doubtless they have made many mistakes. Doubtless there have been among them reckless radicals gifted with intellectual ingenuity but lacking spiritual depth. Yet the enterprise itself seems to them indispensable to the Christian Church. The new knowledge and the old faith cannot be left antagonistic or even disparate, as though a man on Saturday could use one set of regulative ideas for his life and on Sunday could change gear to another altogether. We must be able to think our modern life clear through in Christian terms, and to do that we also must be able to think our Christian faith clear through in modern terms.

There is nothing new about the situation. It has happened again and again in history, as, for example, when the stationary earth suddenly began to move and the universe that had been centered in this planet was centered in the sun around which the planets whirled. Whenever such a situation has arisen, there has been only one way out—the new knowledge and the old faith had to be blended in a new combination. Now, the people in this generation who are trying to do this are the liberals, and the Fundamentalists are out on a campaign to shut against them the doors of the Christian fellowship. Shall they be allowed to succeed?

It is interesting to note where the Fundamentalists are driving in their stakes to mark out the deadline of doctrine around the church, across which no one is to pass except on terms of agreement. They insist that we must all believe in the historicity of certain special miracles, preeminently the virgin birth of our Lord; that we must believe in a special theory of inspiration—that the original documents of the Scripture, which of course we no longer possess, were inerrantly dictated to men a good deal as a man might dictate to a stenographer; that we must believe in a special theory of the Atonement—that the blood of our Lord, shed in a substitutionary death, placates an alienated Deity and makes possible welcome for the returning sinner; and that we must believe in the second coming of our Lord upon the clouds of heaven to set up a millennium here, as the only way in which God can bring history to a worthy denouement. Such are some of the stakes which are being driven to mark a deadline of doctrine around the church.

If a man is a genuine liberal, his primary protest is not against holding these opinions, although he may well protest against their being considered the fundamentals of Christianity. This is a free country and anybody has a right to hold these opinions or any others if he is sincerely convinced of them. The question is—Has anybody a right to deny the Christian name to those who differ with him on such points and to shut against them the doors of the Christian fellowship? The Fundamentalists say that this must be done. In this country and on the foreign field they are trying to do it. They have actually endeavored to put on the statute books of a whole state binding laws against teaching modern biology. If they had their way, within the church, they would set up in Protestantism a doctrinal tribunal more rigid than the pope’s.

In such an hour, delicate and dangerous, when feelings are bound to run high, I plead this morning the cause of magnanimity and liberality and tolerance of spirit. I would, if I could reach their ears, say to the Fundamentalists about the liberals what Gamaliel said to the Jews, “Refrain from these men and let them alone; for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will be everthrown; but if it is of God ye will not be able to overthrow them; lest haply ye be found even to be fighting against God.”

That we may be entirely candid and concrete and may not lose ourselves in any fog of generalities, let us this morning take two or three of these Fundamentalist items and see with reference to them what the situation is in the Christian churches. Too often we preachers have failed to talk frankly enough about the differences of opinion which exist among evangelical Christians, although everybody knows that they are there. Let us face this morning some of the differences of opinion with which somehow we must deal.

We may well begin with the vexed and mooted question of the virgin birth of our Lord. I know people in the Christian churches, ministers, missionaries, laymen, devoted lovers of the Lord and servants of the Gospel, who, alike as they are in their personal devotion to the Master, hold quite different points of view about a matter like the virgin birth. Here, for example, is one point of view that the virgin birth is to be accepted as historical fact; it actually happened; there was no other way for a personality like the Master to come into this world except by a special biological miracle. That is one point of view, and many are the gracious and beautiful souls who hold it. But side by side with them in the evangelical churches is a group of equally loyal and reverent people who would say that the virgin birth is not to be accepted as an historic fact. . . . So far from thinking that they have given up anything vital in the New Testament’s attitude toward Jesus, these Christians remember that the two men who contributed most to the Church’s thought of the divine meaning of the Christ were Paul and John, who never even distantly allude to the virgin birth.

Here in the Christian churches are these two groups of people and the question which the Fundamentalists raise is this—Shall one of them throw the other out? Has intolerance any contribution to make to this situation? Will it persuade anybody of anything? Is not the Christian Church large enough to hold within her hospitable fellowship people who differ on points like this and agree to differ until the fuller truth be manifested? The Fundamentalists say not. They say the liberals must go. Well, if the Fundamentalists should succeed, then out of the Christian Church would go some of the best Christian life and consecration of this generation—multitudes of men and women, devout and reverent Christians, who need the church and whom the church needs.

Consider another matter on which there is a sincere difference of opinion between evangelical Christians: the inspiration of the Bible. One point of view is that the original documents of the Scripture were inerrantly dictated by God to men. Whether we deal with the story of creation or the list of the dukes of Edom or the narratives of Solomon’s reign or the Sermon on the Mount or the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians, they all came in the same way, and they all came as no other book ever came. They were inerrantly dictated; everything there—scientific opinions, medical theories, historical judgments, as well as spiritual insight—is infallible. That is one idea of the Bible’s inspiration. But side by side with those who hold it, lovers of the Book as much as they, are multitudes of people who never think about the Bible so. Indeed, that static and mechanical theory of inspiration seems to them a positive peril to the spiritual life. . . .

Here in the Christian Church today are these two groups, and the question which the Fundamentalists have raised is this—Shall one of them drive the other out? Do we think the cause of Jesus Christ will be furthered by that? If He should walk through the ranks of his congregation this morning, can we imagine Him claiming as His own those who hold one idea of inspiration and sending from Him into outer darkness those who hold another? You cannot fit the Lord Christ into that Fundamentalist mold. The church would better judge His judgment. For in the Middle West the Fundamentalists have had their way in some communities and a Christian minister tells us the consequences. He says that the educated people are looking for their religion outside the churches.

Consider another matter upon which there is a serious and sincere difference of opinion between evangelical Christians: the second coming of our Lord. The second coming was the early Christian phrasing of hope. No one in the ancient world had ever thought, as we do, of development, progress, gradual change as God’s way of working out His will in human life and institutions. They thought of human history as a series of ages succeeding one another with abrupt suddenness. The Graeco-Roman world gave the names of metals to the ages—gold, silver, bronze, iron. The Hebrews had their ages, too—the original Paradise in which man began, the cursed world in which man now lives, the blessed Messianic kingdom someday suddenly to appear on the clouds of heaven. It was the Hebrew way of expressing hope for the victory of God and righteousness. When the Christians came they took over that phrasing of expectancy and the New Testament is aglow with it. The preaching of the apostles thrills with the glad announcement, “Christ is coming!”

In the evangelical churches today there are differing views of this matter. One view is that Christ is literally coming, externally, on the clouds of heaven, to set up His kingdom here. I never heard that teaching in my youth at all. It has always had a new resurrection when desperate circumstances came and man’s only hope seemed to lie in divine intervention. It is not strange, then, that during these chaotic, catastrophic years there has been a fresh rebirth of this old phrasing of expectancy. “Christ is coming!” seems to many Christians the central message of the Gospel. In the strength of it some of them are doing great service for the world. But, unhappily, many so overemphasize it that they outdo anything the ancient Hebrews or the ancient Christians ever did. They sit still and do nothing and expect the world to grow worse and worse until He comes.

Side by side with these to whom the second coming is a literal expectation, another group exists in the evangelical churches. They, too, say, “Christ is coming!” They say it with all their hearts; but they are not thinking of an external arrival on the clouds. They have assimilated as part of the divine revelation the exhilarating insight which these recent generations have given to us, that development is God’s way of working out His will. . . .

And these Christians, when they say that Christ is coming, mean that, slowly it may be, but surely, His will and principles will be worked out by God’s grace in human life and institutions, until “He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied.”

These two groups exist in the Christian churches and the question raised by the Fundamentalists is—Shall one of them drive the other out? Will that get us anywhere? Multitudes of young men and women at this season of the year are graduating from our schools of learning, thousands of them Christians who may make us older ones ashamed by the sincerity of their devotion to God’s will on earth. They are not thinking in ancient terms that leave ideas of progress out. They cannot think in those terms. There could be no greater tragedy than that the Fundamentalists should shut the door of the Christian fellowship against such.

I do not believe for one moment that the Fundamentalists are going to succeed. Nobody’s intolerance can contribute anything to the solution of the situation which we have described. If, then, the Fundamentalists have no solution of the problem, where may we expect to find it? In two concluding comments let us consider our reply to that inquiry.

The first element that is necessary is a spirit of tolerance and Christian liberty. When will the world learn that intolerance solves no problems? This is not a lesson which the Fundamentalists alone need to learn; the liberals also need to learn it. Speaking, as I do, from the viewpoint of liberal opinions, let me say that if some young, fresh mind here this morning is holding new ideas, has fought his way through, it may be by intellectual and spiritual struggle, to novel positions, and is tempted to be intolerant about old opinions, offensively to condescend to those who hold them and to be harsh in judgment on them, he may well remember that people who held those old opinions have given the world some of the noblest character and the most rememberable service that it ever has been blessed with, and that we of the younger generation will prove our case best, not by controversial intolerance, but by producing, with our new opinions, something of the depth and strength, nobility and beauty of character that in other times were associated with other thoughts. It was a wise liberal, the most adventurous man of his day—Paul the Apostle—who said, “Knowledge puffeth up, but love buildeth up.”

Nevertheless, it is true that just now the Fundamentalists are giving us one of the worst exhibitions of bitter intolerance that the churches of this country have ever seen. As one watches them and listens to them he remembers the remark of General Armstrong of Hampton Institute, “Cantankerousness is worse than heterodoxy.” There are many opinions in the field of modern controversy concerning which I am not sure whether they are right or wrong, but there is one thing I am sure of: courtesy and kindliness and tolerance and humility and fairness are right. Opinions may be mistaken; love never is.

As I plead thus for an intellectually hospitable, tolerant, liberty-loving church, I am, of course, thinking primarily about this new generation. We have boys and girls growing up in our homes and schools, and because we love them we may well wonder about the church which will be waiting to receive them. Now, the worst kind of church that can possibly be offered to the allegiance of the new generation is an intolerant church. Ministers often bewail the fact that young people turn from religion to science for the regulative ideas of their lives. But this is easily explicable.

Science treats a young man’s mind as though it were really important. A scientist says to a young man, “Here is the universe challenging our investigation. Here are the truths which we have seen, so far. Come, study with us! See what we already have seen and then look further to see more, for science is an intellectual adventure for the truth.” Can you imagine any man who is worthwhile turning from that call to the church if the church seems to him to say, “Come, and we will feed you opinions from a spoon. No thinking is allowed here except such as brings you to certain specified, predetermined conclusions. These prescribed opinions we will give you in advance of your thinking; now think, but only so as to reach these results.”

My friends, nothing in all the world is so much worth thinking of as God, Christ, the Bible, sin and salvation, the divine purposes for humankind, life everlasting. But you cannot challenge the dedicated thinking of this generation to these sublime themes upon any such terms as are laid down by an intolerant church.

The second element which is needed if we are to reach a happy solution of this problem is a clear insight into the main issues of modern Christianity and a sense of penitent shame that the Christian Church should be quarreling over little matters when the world is dying of great needs. If, during the war, when the nations were wrestling upon the very brink of hell and at times all seemed lost, you chanced to hear two men in an altercation about some minor matter of sectarian denominationalism, could you restrain your indignation? You said, “What can you do with folks like this who, in the face of colossal issues, play with the tiddledywinks and peccadillos of religion?” So, now, when from the terrific questions of this generation one is called away by the noise of this Fundamentalist controversy, he thinks it almost unforgivable that men should tithe mint and anise and cummin, and quarrel over them, when the world is perishing for the lack of the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith. . . .

The present world situation smells to heaven! And now, in the presence of colossal problems, which must be solved in Christ’s name and for Christ’s sake, the Fundamentalists propose to drive out from the Christian churches all the consecrated souls who do not agree with their theory of inspiration. What immeasurable folly!

Well, they are not going to do it; certainly not in this vicinity. I do not even know in this congregation whether anybody has been tempted to be a Fundamentalist. Never in this church have I caught one accent of intolerance. God keep us always so and ever increasing areas of the Christian fellowship; intellectually hospitable, open-minded, liberty-loving, fair, tolerant, not with the tolerance of indifference, as though we did not care about the faith, but because always our major emphasis is upon the weightier matters of the law.

Source: Harry Emerson Fosdick, “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?” Christian Work 102 (June 10, 1922): 716–722. Website: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5070/.

UCC launching '100k for Health Care' mobilization

2009-09-11T08:15:00.000-04:00

In what it's describing as a "massive mobilization effort," the United Church of Christ will launch a major advocacy campaign on Tuesday, Sept. 8, to gather 100,000 messages to Congress in just 10 days in support of health care reform.

Leaders of the 1.1-million-member denomination, known for emphasizing justice advocacy as an expression of Christian faith, are hoping to collect "100,000 for Health Care" before Friday, Sept. 18, when the Rev. Geoffrey Black, the UCC's general minister and president-elect, will be visiting churches in San Francisco and will deliver the names — in person — to the in-district office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Messages simultaneously will be sent to individual petitioners' members of Congress, as well as Congressional leadership in both parties.

In June, the UCC's biennial General Synod, meeting in Grand Rapids, Mich., overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling for advocacy in support for health care for all. In August, church leaders distributed to its clergy and members a nationwide UCC Pastoral Letter on Health Care Reform.

Delegates and visitors at the UCC’s General Synod in June participated in a march at Grand Rapids City Hall, led by Mayor George Heartwell, who is a UCC minister.

"This is a massive mobilization effort to interject a message of love, compassion and faith into this too-often divisive health care debate," says Black, who was elected by the General Synod to head the UCC starting on Oct. 1. "It's no small feat to gather 100,000 members, supporters and allies in just 10 days, but we want to boldly share with others the strong health-care-for-all message that was approved at General Synod."

At its launch, the campaign will be featured in the denomination's weekly e-zine on Sept. 8, on its homepage and in a series of messages written to clergy and church members by Black and the Rev. John H. Thomas, who is stepping down this month as the UCC's general minister and president after 10 years in the office.

The campaign is reminiscent of a similar 100,000-themed campaign in fall 2007 when the denomination sought a large quantity of signatures in opposition to the war in Iraq. At the time, two church leaders — Thomas and the Rev. Linda Jaramillo, executive minister of the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries — were arrested at the White House attempting to deliver the petitions.

"Two years ago, we were successful at gathering more than 80,000 names in pursuit of our 100,000 goal, but that was over the course of several weeks," says the Rev. J. Bennett Guess, communications director. "This time around we're attempting 100,000 in just 10 days, but we feel our people will beat the bushes to express strong support and deliver an outpouring of petitions."

The UCC is advocating seven principles it wants included in a health care reform bill: coverage for all persons; access regardless of ability to pay; a full set of comprehensive benefits; a choice of physicians and other providers; elimination of racial and ethnic and other health care disparities; waiver of pre-existing condition exclusions without age limits; and a robust public health insurance option.

Participate and learn more about “100,000 for Health Care” at www.ucc.org, starting Sept. 8.

Why Go to Church?

2009-09-08T21:15:00.003-04:00

A week ago last Sunday, I shared this with the congregation. A special thanks to church member Henry Hecht for passing it along to us from his former congregation, First Congregational Church, San Francisco.

****************

Why go to church?

Does it make much sense to go to church? Why do you go to church? I have often discussd this questions with people who were spiritually alive, spiritually dead, or spiritually curious.

Why go to church? It is an interesting question. Once, I read about a regular church goer who complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I have gone for 30 years now, "he said, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I cannot remember a single one of them. So I think, I am wasting my time, and the pastors are wasting their time by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column of the newspaper, much to the delight of the editor and other readers.

It went on until someone wrote, "I have been married for 30 years now. In that time, my spouse has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my spouse had not given me these meals, I would be practically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today."

No matter what you think about sermons, i still think it is worth it to worship, to pray, and to sing together. Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and receives the impossible.

Thank God for our physical and spiritual nourishment.

Hope to see you on Sunday. Have a nice summer.

Signed, "Wilfried" (the pastor at the church)

Stand By Me

2009-08-27T12:25:00.001-04:00

Thanks to my friend Paul for posting this on his blog. It's a great montage of singers singing this favorite song.

Stand By Me from Mike Yates on Vimeo.

Sunday Sermon: God as Creator

2009-08-09T12:44:00.003-04:00

Visit our church website to hear our Sunday morning, August 9 at 10:00 AM sermon about God's creative force and how we too, are creators.

15 Simple Changes that will Improve your Health

2009-08-09T12:40:00.002-04:00

15 Simple Changes That Will Quickly Improve Your Health
by Ali Hale

Did you start January full of health resolutions, determined that this would be the year that you ate better, lost weight and exercised regularly?

If you’re back to your usual habits – skipping breakfast, grabbing chocolate to get you through that afternoon slump, neglecting your fruit and veggie intake and chugging down mug after mug of coffee – don’t feel guilty about it. Your problem isn’t that you lack willpower – it’s that you tried to change too much at once.

Instead, try making some of these very easy changes to your eating, drinking and exercising habits. Once you’ve got used to a few of them, add in more. You’ll be making huge strides towards your health goals, with hardly any conscious effort. Sound good? Read on...

Easy Changes to Your Eating Habits

Eat a piece of fruit before lunch
Get into the habit of eating an apple, banana, pear or other piece of fruit before lunch each day. It’ll take the edge off your appetite – making you less likely to dig into greasy fast food or bag or crackers. You’ll also be one step closer to hitting your five-a-day.
Don’t use vending machines
Let’s face it, have you ever bought anything healthy from a vending machine? They’re overpriced and full of sugar-and-salt packed stuff that your body doesn’t need. Plus, they’re open all hours (unlike your corner shop) and they won’t look at you funny if you buy ten candy bars at a time. Make a pact with yourself not to buy anything except bottled water from vending machines.
Go vegetarian one night a week
Most nutritionists agree that we eat more meat than we need to. Have a meat-free dinner once a week – it’s a great opportunity to try out some new recipes that are packed with vegetables and flavours. You’ll also save yourself some money.
Switch to wholegrain bread
If your lunchtime sandwich or sub is always on white, switch to wholegrain. The extra goodness in the grains (including lots of fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, and various minerals) helps keep your heart healthy and cut your risk of cancer. Plus, fiber-rich foods make you feel you full for a longer period of time – very helpful if you’re trying to lose weight.
Switch to skim milk (1% or less fat)
Do you drink whole milk or put it on cereal? If so, switch to skim (less than 0.5% fat) or 1% milk. It might seem odd for the first few days, but stick with it for a week or so: your taste buds will quickly adjust. You’ll be getting just as much calcium and protein as before, but cutting fat.

Easy Changes To Your Drinking Habits

Keep a bottle of water on your desk
Many people mistake slight thirst for hunger, leading to unnecessary snacking. Keep a bottle on your desk and drink it whenever you get a little mouth crazing. Getting sufficient water also helps prevent you from becoming constipated. Note: Save money by using a refillable thermos or water bottle instead of purchasing bottled water.
Switch half your cups of coffee to herbal tea
How many coffees (or regular mugs of tea) do you drink in an average day? Try having just half of your usual amount – and make the rest a herbal, caffeine free tea. Many government health authorities recommend that we limit caffeine intake to 400mg per day, which is the equivalent of four cups of brewed coffee, or seven cups of instant.
Avoid milky drinks from coffee outlets
Do you have a giant latte every morning? You could be clocking up over 300 calories in just one drink, and chances are, it doesn’t fill you up at all. And don’t assume that being caffeine-free means you can get away with this: a hot chocolate with whipped cream has over 400 calories...
Have four alcohol-free days per week
If you go out drinking every day after work, or split a nightly bottle of wine with your partner over dinner, your habits are putting your liver under pressure. They could also be stopping you from losing weight: alcohol makes you peckish, and contains calories (around 200 calories in a bottle of beer or a medium-sized glass of wine).
Swap soda for water
Are you addicted to soda? Even diet sodas aren’t great for you – they generally contain a lot of additives. Try swapping some of your sodas for plain water (add a slice of lemon, or a dash of cordial, if you don’t like your water unflavoured). If it’s the fizz you miss, try carbonated water.

Easy Changes to Your Exercise Habits

Go for a twenty minute walk every lunchtime
If you’re struggling to fit exercise into your day, get away from your desk for a twenty-minute walk each lunchtime. It’s a good way to force yourself to take a break from work, and refreshes your mind and your body.
Walk (some of) your commute
Can you walk all or part of your commute? That might mean jumping off the subway a stop earlier, or even just leaving your car in the furthest part of the car park.
Take a gym class once a week
Wherever you live or work, chances are that you can find a convenient exercise class somewhere nearby. (Many gyms have quick pre-work slots and lunch-time classes, as well as several evening options.) Find one class you can do, once a week – and stick with it.
Make Sunday afternoons active
As Monday looms ever closer, you might find that your mood and energy levels take a dive. A great way to counter this is to do something active on Sunday afternoons. Mix this up from week to week: how about a long walk, a swim, ice-skating, having a kick around in the park...?
Exercise during commercial breaks
Whenever you’re watching TV and adverts come on, get up off the sofa and do some exercise. Fit in a few stretches, some jogging on the spot, or some weight lifting. You might only fit in a few minutes at a time, but over the course of an evening’s TV viewing, that could easily add up to half an hour. And if it stops you grabbing yet another snack, it’s definitely helping.

Health Care and Jesus

2009-08-08T09:17:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine posted this note on Facebook and is worth a read when thinking about healthcare reform and asking that age old yet very important question, "What would Jesus do?"

----------------------
Dear Friends,

There is a lot in the news about the health care coverage in the United States and I have heard a lot of people against the proposed plan based on fears that we as tax payers would have to pay more for less. There are fears that we would not have access to the same health care we currently have (which is not true). Also I have heard fears that we would not have the right to make our own health care decisions and the government would decide our fate (again, which is not true).

Right now there are 50 million people in the United States that do not have any health care coverage because they cannot afford it. If you currently have health insurance you are part of the privileged few in the United States. You have the luxury of going to the doctor when you need coverage. What if you were part of the group of people that have jobs that do not provide health insurance and cannot afford to buy your own insurance and you do not qualify for Medicaid/Medicare and will never be able to see a doctor. How would you feel if you have major pains and needed to go to the emergency room and were turned away because you don’t have health insurance? Health Care is a right not a privilege.

Are you willing to give a little more and receive a little less so that all God’s children have health care in the United States? I am willing to pay more taxes so that others in our great country can have health care, what about you? My question to my Christian friends on this list is, “What Would Jesus Do?” Below are passages from the Bible that talk about giving to those who are less fortunate than you.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
—Matthew 6:3-4

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
—Matthew 25:34-46

give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
—Luke 6:38

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
—Luke 21:1-4

Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
—Acts 11:27-30

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.
—2 Corinthians 9:6-12

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
—James 2:15-16

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
—1 Timothy 6:7-10

And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise."
—Luke 3:11

…the righteous gives and does not hold back.
—Proverbs 21:26

He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor.
—Proverbs 22:9

He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.
—Proverbs 28:27

What Faith Means to Me

2009-07-18T18:16:00.003-04:00

This post is written by church member, Steve Moldt.

Over the last ten years or so, the idea of faith has cropped up in a number ways that have caught my attention. Faith has surfaced as a factor in a wide variety of contexts and has been used to express feelings, provide comfort, divide parties, stir politics, rationalize policies, strengthen resolve, bring people together, provide focus and unity after great tragedy, and engender comfort in a time of personal loss. Faith can be as concrete as loyalty to a person or idea, as ethereal as hope in something unknowable, or as reassuring as the acceptance of divine will. I know people who find in their faith the core of their spiritual life and are strengthened by it everyday. I have also seen exclusive faith used as a weapon to divide people and rationalize terrible things. I have experienced what I know as faith in comforting a friend who was dying of cancer. Now I am almost 50-years old, have an 11-year old daughter (which definitely changes your focus in life), and am bringing a Buddhist perspective into my reconnection with my Christian roots. So, I have been thinking a lot about the idea of faith lately. Particularly, what is faith? More specifically, what is the character of my faith and what does it mean?

I am often told to have a little faith (in something or someone) or to “put your faith in…(God).” I wonder if this is a justification for blind faith. Is faith simply belief: a belief in something that can’t be explicitely proven? That dilemma of faith is embodied in the classic battle between science and religion, we have often been told. The root of the word faith comes from ancient words meaning “to trust”. So are we to have blind faith in an invisible power that can never be fully explained? Perhaps that is overstating it a bit, but we have many examples of things where unquestioning trust has led to disaster. I think instead, that the creative force that is so elusive, that some sort of unsubstantiated understanding is inevitable also embodies the power of the intellect, the questioning mind, the verifier. I see this as the Yin and Yang of spiritual life, the knowable and the unknowable, the quantifiable experience and the mystical presence that is simply known.

I often think that, to paraphrase the blues song, “If it weren’t for ‘bad’ faith I’d have no faith at all.” You’ll notice that ‘bad’ is in quotes. There are those who believe in a monolithic idea of true faith that has specific fixed parameters that must be met or you don’t really have faith. I have seen some politicians use this kind of faith to sway their constituents and some have used it as a smoke screen of distraction. In fact, there are some who would tell you that if you question your faith then you don’t really have it. And there are many who when faced with beliefs outside their experience feel that they may be at risk of losing their faith. They often feel that the faith that questions itself is a bad faith incapable of true belief. It will come as no surprise that I would question this kind of certainty in the face of the morass of problems, prejudices and politics such faith has often brought us. In fact, I would ask, if that faith is so strong, why would there be a fear losing it?

If you know the Yin-Yang symbol, it is the embodiment in its swirling separateness of the reality of the Buddhist notion of the transcendence of opposites, the false duality of our perceived reality. Inside of the larger areas of black and white are small dots of the opposing color; a dot of black inside the white and a dot of white inside the black. This symbolizes the inter-reliance of one upon the other. White cannot exist without the black to contrast it and the black could not be realized without the absence of black which is white. So in a discrete symbol we see the unity of all things in the display of the false dichotomy of simple hues we take to be opposites and yet have the most intimate of connections. One could not exist without the other. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, God is the sum of all things.

And so it is with my personal understanding of faith at this moment along my own way to where ever it is that I am going. For me the questioning mind is the strength of the trusting soul. If there weren’t acceptance of some divine principle, what would I be questioning? When I come to questions of faith I do not rely solely on belief, but I put my trust in the question and the act of questioning itself. I think that no matter the outcome, my faith will be stronger for it. I will either confirm the faith I have or I will inform my existing faith with new knowledge which will allow me to grow in my spiritual life. This can be disconcerting, even fearful at times because it requires a release of certainty in order to be open to the process of spiritual growth. And therein lies the rub. In this view, true faith is never fixed, never completely realized. It is a dynamic process to be experienced and wrestled with, not arrived at and held tightly.

When I was young I believed that things were finite and life would be realized and then you would have arrived. Over the last number of years, the nature of this existence has become clearer and my relationship with that which I call God, “I am”, has expanded beyond simple obedience and static belief. It is the process, the journey that is the living of the spiritual life. In that sense, the static faith that one simply trusts in the omnipotence that will take care of all things, is easier than struggling with uncertainty. That is where, I fear, the judgmental separation of believers and non-believers, faithful and unfaithful can creep in. For some it is this very notion of the certainty of fixed faith that allows the unity of all things, of all peoples, of all traditions to be overlooked.

And so, I cling to my unclingable notion of dynamic faith, that paradox of reason and mystery that I find so intriguing and provides, I feel, the only road, whether we are aware or not. Thank you for taking time to read and consider these thoughts. Please share your ideas of faith if you are so inclined. I am interested in your questions and/or answers that they may inform my own. I wish you peace on your way whichever it is.

Changing Lives in the UCC

2009-07-14T17:55:00.001-04:00

Great Quote

2009-07-14T16:52:00.002-04:00

A friend on Facebook posted this quote.

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together...there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is, even if we're apart...I'll always be with you.” - Winnie the Pooh

Summer Newsletter and The Weekly

2009-07-14T13:55:00.003-04:00

Our summer time is now upon us. For those of you, not in the know, life here in church slows down pretty dramatically to give you a chance to spend time with your family, enjoy the summer season, and to go on various trips and whatnot. We do enjoy seeing you when you're in town, but for many, summertime is about vacations and weekend sightseeing. We hope you have a wonderful vacation and will look forward to seeing your regular presence with us on Sundays, when the seasons change.

To keep you updated and informed about what we have planned for the summer, let me invite you to go to our church website and download our Summer Issue of our printed newsletter, The Spirit Seeker. You can also stay informed by signing up for our free e-newsletter, The Weekly. Just send me an email at bo@cresskillucc.org and I'll add you to the list. Also, if your email address has changed, please let me know and I'll update it.

Catching You Up

2009-07-07T14:42:00.002-04:00

No doubt you know that I have returned to the office and am finished with my summer school (all except for a paper due at the end of the month). My time at Drew was wonderful; I esp enjoyed the fellowship of my colleagues in ministry.

As I have returned, I have been thinking about ways to integrate what I've learned into my pastoral ministry. In the coming weeks, you'll know that I am doing some experimenting and hope that it'll be as beneficial in practice as it seemed in theory, as I heard it.

We'll see though, right? ;)

Welcome to the Digital Generation | Edutopia

2009-07-01T09:14:00.001-04:00

This is a video shown on Wednesday morning in my class.

Welcome to the Digital Generation | Edutopia

Shared via AddThis

Generation We

2009-06-30T11:05:00.001-04:00

Here is a sobering video about the Net Generation and their values.

Generation WE: The Movement Begins... from Generation We on Vimeo.

Shift Happens

2009-06-30T09:37:00.002-04:00

I posted this a few months back but it's worth seeing again. We watched this yesterday in class. It underscores the relevance of the digital age upon us.

A Great Video about what the digital age

2009-06-30T09:24:00.002-04:00

We were shown this video in class today.

Drew Update, Week 3

2009-06-30T06:41:00.002-04:00

Okay so my final week for my summer intensive is underway. I am taking an interesting class called Thriving in the Digital Age through Collaborative Leadership. This class seeks to evaluate and understand how the Net generation is affecting our ministry and overall culture.

The class really is as exciting as I had hoped it would be. The particular texts for the class have all been read and we all already written our integration paper (a way to prove we've done the readings by writing a paper about them and how they interpret our ministry context). If you'd like a great book to read, find one of these books on Amazon and get it used. They are all amazing reads:

1. The Millennium Matrix: Reclaiming the Past, Reframing the Future of the Church, by Rex Miller.
2. Organic Community: Creating a Place Where People Naturally Connect, by Joseph Myers.
3. Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change, Organizations, and Society, by Peter Senge
4. The Equipping Pastor: A Systems Approach to Congregational Leadership, by Paul Stevens
5. Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World, by Don Tapscott
6. The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why, by Phyllis Tickle.

Seriously those last two books are definitely worth your time.

As for my other assignments, I am partnered with two other classmates for a collaborative writing project. We're working out the details today and the paper will be a 25-pager due on July 31. To help facilitate our conversations, the teacher set up a Wiki site on our Moodle page on the school's website. If I am talking a foreign language to you, a Wiki is a collaborative website that allows for personal interaction and a Moodle is a software program whereby the entire class readings, handouts, and reports are submitted, posted, and read.

As an interesting aside, I have created a special Wiki-site for the Lay Advisory Team, a church group who'll help shepherd me and my DMin project. How cool is that, right?

In any event, my class goes from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. It is a full day of interaction, lecture, and class participation. I'll let you know all about it as the week comes to a close.

So that's my update. I hope you'll have a fab week and will see you on Sunday when I return.

Week 2 Update

2009-06-24T20:03:00.002-04:00

I have reached the midpoint of my summer intensive here at The Theological School. As many of you know, I can be a tad dramatic at times--and the amount of work I have to accomplish and figure out ways to navigate my sleep schedule had, for a brief time (say three days) turned me into a whiner. If you have been reading my status updates on Facebook, you'll know what I mean.

As it turns out, I have learned a few lessons:
1. I am no longer as young as I used to be. When I was younger, I could stay up for several days in a row with little sleep. Let me nod off for a few hours, and I'd be good for the entire day. Now, if I don't get my 7-8 hours of sleep at night, I am both incoherent and dazed.

2. If you work hard enough, you'll eventually figure it out. When I was younger, there were times that I would get so frustrated that I'd quit trying to figure it out after trying for just a little while. Now, I actually have the patience to look at something for a long time without either zoning out or losing attention.

3. Not having an Xbox to tempt me away from work has been a good thing. But then, there is Facebook and I have tended to escape there from time to time.

So yeah, I've learned some good lessons. And, I have also been learning other things too. As of now, I have my final draft of my Prospectus completed. My Prospectus is the overview of my ministry project including information such as my problem statement, my purpose, the scope of the project, the methodologies I intend to use, how I will evaluate my project and tonight, I finished a rough draft bibliography (that can change during the course of my project).

I am also working on an assignment in my Practical Theology class where I have learned to interpret and deconstruct narrative stories using particular methodologies meant to frame the stories. This will be important as I navigate the various personal narratives within my particular project. The class lectures have been intense but very rewarding.

Next week, I will be taking a class called Thriving in the Digital Age through Collaborative Leadership. I am very much looking forward to this class as it'll focus its attention on modern narratives as experienced by younger generations and how to develop particular ministry that affects them with the Gospel. Or at least, I think this is what the class will be about. ;) I'll let you know once class begins if I am correct or not.

As an aside, I've still been swimming while I am here. While I didn't swim as far yesterday as I normally do, it did feel good to get some exercise into my day.

Okay, so I have to get back to my homework. I have a project due to tomorrow in which I am to design a teaching/learning event for a designated community using material taught from the Gospel of Mark and the course I am taking. I am supposed to communicate one of the primary insights or theological constructs that I have gained in the course and then describe the context and community that will be my primary responsibility in this teaching project. In the end, I am to describe what the learning or engagement process will be and what theological action/reflection I expect will lead to this community's religious/political/social transformation. The paper doesn't need to be long, say 5-7 pages. Then, I am to give a 15-20 minute presentation on this methodological teaching curriculum.

Interestingly, I was only given this assignment today. You'd think that I would be panicking right about now as to the scope and breadth of the assignment. But I am not. I am actually calm...sorta. But I do need to get working on it. I may be up rather late tonight getting this accomplished.

Friday at Drew

2009-06-19T06:46:00.002-04:00

Wowsers, this week has been a killer. I had forgotten how difficult is was to concentrate in class when you stay up so very late studying so that you can participate in class. Fortunately, a report due today was postponed until Monday; otherwise, I'd've spend yet another day in class glassy-eyed, punchy, and dazed.

While this week has been difficult, it has also been richly rewarding. I have two classes this week, one in the morning from 9:00 - 12:30 PM and another from 1:30 - 5:00 PM. In the morning class, I am taking a practical theology class that is teaching me to due pericope analysis using an acronymial method called the V.O.T.E.R analysis. Using this method, you are able to been discern the intent of the passage in order to reveal the vision of the author by understanding the obligation, tendencies, environment, and rules/roles being communicated. Yesterday I used this analysis on Mark 3:20-30 where Jesus is called Beelzebul by the Scribes for his casting out demons. After my presentation in class, the professor implied I was the only one who got this analysis right, and after class called my presentation "Brilliant." I was on Cloud 9 for a long while.

In my afternoon class, we are working to pinpoint our DMin project. Since beginning this process last semester, my project has had a few incarnations from creating a cirriculum around a liberal and progressive discipleship program to revitalizing a Sunday school using postmodern and emergent concepts. Yesterday I presented an overview that is even more narrow in focus than my other attempts. Ultimately I don't have to decide on a final project until September; the goal of the course is to teach me how to decide what to do and the steps involved in presenting a prospectus to be approved by my professors come September.

Having said that, I may have found my project. I presented yesterday a prospectus that creates newcomer/new member classes to be done before a newcomer joins the church and classes after a member joins. These classes would focus on telling individual stories and narratives, giving history to the other faith stories in the congregation, membership guidelines and expectations, spiritual gift inventories, discipleship, and mission and outreach. Using this project, I could employ emergent and missional concepts into the cirriculum (where my heart lay). I am more excited about this particular direction of our project than I have been of any other. This may, indeed, be my project.

I have another class that begins a week from Monday that has me busy writing a paper. That class is called Thriving in the Digital Age through Collaborative Leadership. I have to write this report based upon the current leadership challenges and opportunities in my ministry context in light of six books assigned for the class. I will finish this report over the weekend; I may even finish it by tomorrow (hopefully).

I am planning on being in Cresskill Sunday afternoon to see Jay and Maggie (and to bring home laundry to wash). I will also need to pick up a raincoat. It has rained practically everyday I've been here and its getting annoying.

So that's it--my week in class. Today should be light: My morning class will be discussing Elaine Graham's Theological Reflection: Methods. My afternoon class will be full of my other classmates presentations on their prospective prospecituses (did I spell that right?).

Two final notes, I had originally planned to write up my experiences daily--obviously I've only been doing that every other day. That seems to be working for me and will continue to do this.

My next week will be a lot like this week with the same classes--just more intense. I'll be sure to keep you informed as it happens. Keep praying for me that this week will be a blessing to you, me, and all involved. And, I hope your Sunday with Lauren is a blessing too.

Wednesday Morning

2009-06-17T06:28:00.004-04:00

Well folks, yesterday was my first full day of classes. Monday was an all-day orientation and, while interesting and dare I say fun, Tuesday was where the rubber hit the road.

So here is my schedule: I have Pastoral Theology: Of the People, By the People, and For the People, taught by Dr. Elkins. The class will meet for the two weeks from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM. It is a class to help me understand culture theology by using Lincoln's Gettysburg address as a way to meat out and interpret cultural theology. The purpose of this class is to help me when I construct my DMin project and write it up in my dissertation.

My afternoon class is Theological Methods and Practice, taught by Dr. Menking. This class meeting from 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM for two weeks. This class will help me do the background work to prepare for the writing of my Topic and Prospectus for my project.

I will have a third class beginning next week, with a paper due this coming Friday (I will start writing it tonight). This class is called Thriving in the Digital Age through Collaborative Leadership, taught by Dr. Hammond and Dr. Hollon. This class is meant to address multiple world views, perspectives on what it means to belong and participate, and the multi-layered expectations that affect congregational leadership. I am not exactly certain how this directly relates to my DMin project but I haven't had this class yet. When I find out its correlation, I'll let you know.

So that's really it for school. The idea for each class is the workload is equal to that of a full year of classes crammed into a week. We have tons of reading (that I've almost finished prior to coming to class), many papers to write, and lots of thinking. All the classes are meant to help us as we begin planning our project. We are also to hit the library as we see what projects other DMin candidates have completed and use their projects when they relate to our own.

For myself, I have narrowed down my ideas for a project to center around doing Christian Education a little different for a small congregation. My project may be to create a multi-generational Sunday school program within Christian Education. At least, this is something our congregation is already considering--and it makes sense to make such a consideration a part of my project. Nothing is set in stone yet, though. These three weeks of class is meant to help me discern my project, I have until September to finalize it.

Okay, so I need to do some homework before my classes today so I am going to stop writing now. See you soon (on here).

Sunday Night at Drew University

2009-06-14T23:12:00.002-04:00

I have been thinking about keeping some sort of travelogue concerning my 3-weeks at school. I want to keep you, dear church member or anyone else who might be reading this, up to date on what I am doing, learning, and other fun activities.

This being my first post, I want to let you know what I've been up to today. Following Sunday morning worship, I went home and packed and played on the Xbox, packed some more, ate, took a nap, packed, played with the dog, and then I was done. After all that, I was kind of too tired to leave but I did. I left Cresskill about 4:30 PM and arrived in Madison, NJ before 6:00 PM. Getting my keys and pertinent information, I drove to the dorms where I got myself situated. Then, I moved the furniture to fit my space, went shopping, set up my computer and printer, and ate cereal for dinner.

Now I am going to do some reading and get to sleep. My day begins at 7:30 AM and its promising to be a big day. I'll write about it tomorrow night.

I hope to keep these posts somewhat interesting. If I think I am boring you to death, I may just write a 3-week summary when it's all over. ;)

See you tomorrow night! (on here)

A Great Quote

2009-06-02T14:56:00.002-04:00

My friend Paul posted this quote on his Facebook page:

"If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favor." - Voltaire

For many folks (maybe even us), this is so true, right?

10 Ways to Make Yourself Feel Miserable

2009-05-31T21:15:00.003-04:00

Okay, so this post may sound counter-intuitive but see if you're doing any of these things. You may discover that the reason you feel miserable is because you're doing one of these things. Knowing and identifying exactly what causes your misery is a giant step in removing that thing from your life.

10 Ways To Make Yourself (And Everyone Around You) Miserable
by Ali Hale

Have you been miserable lately? Got the hump, feeling down, worrying, stressing? Whatever’s got you down – swine flu, the credit crunch, the weather, a busy time at work -- you might as well milk it for all it’s worth. Here’s how to make yourself (and everyone around you) feel completely and utterly miserable.

(And don’t tell me you don’t want to be miserable. I’m pretty sure you’re already doing at least a few of the things on this list...)

Turn Molehills Into Mountains
When your printer jams, it’s not just annoying, it’s a disaster. When your car develops an odd rattle, it’s not just normal wear and tear, it’s clearly going to cost a fortune to fix. When your son swears at you, it’s not just a bit of acting out, it’s the first sign of junior delinquency.

However small your problem, magnify it until it becomes overwhelming. You can only be properly miserable when you have huge problems.

Dwell On It
Now that you’ve got a big problem, make sure you dwell on it. Let it fill your waking thoughts. Let it spoil your time with your partner or family. (And make sure you keep bringing it up in conversation so everyone knows how awful you’re feeling.)

Imagine all the worst-case scenarios that could result. Lie awake at night, dreaming up new ones.

Worry About Things You Can’t Change
Of course, problems that you can solve can only make you miserable for so long – eventually, you’ll either fix them or they’ll melt away of their own accord. So you need to worry about things that you have absolutely no control over.

And you’re in luck: there’s a ready stock of these things on the daily news. Just switch on CNN, and start worrying...

Let Everything Mount Up
Whenever there’s something which might cause you stress – unanswered emails, unpaid bills, your taxes, your Christmas cards – let it mount up. Leave your bills unopened for months. Shove all your receipts straight into one big envelope. Don’t bother updating your address book until December 15th.

This habit is self-reinforcing: the more the pile grows, the more reluctant you’ll be to tackle it. And guess what? The bigger it is, the more it’ll prey on your mind. An easy way to make yourself miserable.

Blame Other People
To be truly miserable, you mustn’t take responsibility for any of your problems. Blame your parents. Blame society. Blame the government. Blame your boss. Blame your big sister. To be honest, it doesn’t really matter who you blame. Just so long as you’re clear that you aren’t to blame at all – meaning you couldn’t possibly have any power to change the situation.

Of course, to make sure that everyone else is just as miserable as you, be vocal, and tell people that it’s all their fault that your life is so screwed up.

Beat Yourself Up
Once you’re bored of blaming other people, start beating yourself up. Listen to that little voice in your head which says that you’re stupid and lazy. Let it go on and on until you believe it. Blame yourself for mistakes you made twenty years ago. Blame yourself for not being 100% perfect.

This is a fast, easy and reliable way to become miserable and to stay miserable. If you do it well, you’ll be convinced that you have no power to change yourself.

Complain, Whine And Grumble
When you’re miserable, let the world know about it. Complain to your co-workers about the food in the staff canteen. Whine to your friends about your long hours, aching back and credit card debt. Grumble about the weather, the price of gas, the media, the government.

If every word that comes out of your mouth is a negative one, you’ll be doing a great job of maintaining your miserable mood – and dragging down everyone else’s mood to match it.

Never Accept Help
Inevitably, your whining will cause someone to offer some help. Perhaps a friend at work says he’ll help you out with your paperwork, or your partner offers to do your tax return for you. Maybe your sister says she’ll look after the kids one Saturday to give you a break.

Always insist that you don’t need help. Make yourself believe that the person offering couldn’t possibly lighten your burdens ... and make sure they know that they’ve stepped out of line by being willing to lend a hand. (They won’t offer again.)

Follow The Path Of Least Resistance
Whenever you have to make a decision, just follow the path of least resistance. It’s easier to stay in your current crap job than to hunt around for something better – so stay where you are. It’s easier to grab take-out rather than cook, so keep doing it (and make sure you feel thoroughly miserable about the effect on your wallet and your health).

If you’re feeling demotivated, lethargic and dispirited, don’t fight it. Let yourself spend the whole weekend sitting around in your pyjamas, playing video games. Then beat yourself up (see number 6) for not getting anything useful done.

Never Take A Break
Sometimes, the path of least resistance doesn’t lead to duvet days and general apathy – it means carrying on with life at your current reckless rate. Keep working ridiculous hours; lack of sleep will contribute to your misery. Laugh at anyone who suggests a vacation – and tell them (or at least think to yourself) that they’re slackers for wanting a couple of weeks off.

Make sure you’re burning the candle at both ends – and hating it. Go to bed miserable, and wake up miserable. What more could you want?

h/t dumblittleman.com

Talking Points on Gay Marriage

2009-05-28T12:58:00.002-04:00

As many of you who are members of our congregation know, the United Church of Christ was the first mainline Protestant denomination to affirm and support gay marriage. While many within our denomination understand the significance of this action, there are still many outside of it who are being confronted about this issue given recent political conversations about it.

Just turn on the television and watch CNN or Larry King and you'll hear folks saying that any support of gay marriage will lead our country to ruin, destroy traditional marriage, or lead to the legalization of pedophilia and bestiality.

Many of our members have friends and family members who do not support gay marriage because they respond to the fear tactics of those opposed to it. But fear not, gentle reader, here is a video with talking points that can aid you in responding to those who are either sincere in their desire to understand the gay marriage issue or who are ignorant and do not really understand that society will not collapse nor will traditional marriages destruct.

h/t Queerty

A Great Quote

2009-05-20T12:12:00.000-04:00

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward."

--Amelia Earhart, who took off from Newfoundland on this date in 1932 on the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean by a female pilot.

Great Quote

2009-05-12T18:12:00.002-04:00

I have been spending the day reading posts from my personal blog. I have been thinking it's time to turn it off, hang it up, and move on with that particular blog. It's been fun and I've enjoyed having it, but I just don't use it much anymore.

As I was reading through the posts, I came across the great quote: "Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." -- Thomas Alva Edison

Isn't that the truth?!

Fish and Chips Dinner

2009-05-12T17:45:00.003-04:00

You are invited to join us at the church this coming Saturday at 5:00 PM for our Fish and Chips dinner. Admission price is $15 and includes the fish and chips, refreshments, and a tasty dessert. You may eat in or take out.

Come hungry, leave happy...or something like that!

It'd be really cool if you could R.S.V.P. To do so, please call the church office or send me an email at bo@cresskillucc.org. See you there!

Lazy Postings

2009-05-12T17:01:00.002-04:00

Can you believe it's been almost a month since I've posted anything on our blog? I must admit that the main reason is that I have become such a Facebook crony. I find myself there more often than even reading other blogs in my blog reader. But fear not, kind and faithful reader, more postings will resume on here.

Another reason that I haven't been posting much is that I have taken a sort of break from an online life of research and reading. While Facebook offered me a time to catch up with my friends, I took it as a break from having to write something. So, while I took a break I haven't quit it, I merely too a break ...as a result, I spent more time with Jay and Maggie, went to bed at a decent time, and just goofed off at home instead of goofing off at home and online. In any event, my R&R has been good and now I feel rested enough to get back online and be the fab poster that I once was.

Look for regular postings in the days ahead.

The Sky Won't Fall

2009-04-22T07:21:00.004-04:00

By now, you may have heard about a commercial called The Gathering Storm airing in certain local markets scaring folks into believing that if gay marriage happens, then all evil and heck will break loose and churches will be forced to perform these marriages or face governmental penalties.

The forces that organized that commercial are targeting states such as Maine and New Jersey, those who are now considering legalizing gay marriages. Their hopes are to scare folks into believing that gay marriage will destroy the institution of marriage and force everyone to do abide by gay marriage or face dire penalities.

There really isn't anything to fear about this issue since churches have always had the right to not perform any marriage it doesn't want to or can't, due to denominational constraints. This video explains that in more detail as well as showing, in States that have gay marriage, that the sky hasn't fallen and all the scare tactics of conservatives who use fearmongering to scare folks simply have not come to pass.

* Update: I found another video that speaks directly to the original video.

Video Weekly, Thursday, April 9, 2009

2009-04-09T15:43:00.001-04:00

An Interesting Conversation

2009-04-08T12:40:00.004-04:00

Given that Vermont just passed a gay marriage initiative and Iowa is paving the way for such, and given how our church is Open and Affirming, I am thinking that the following post is applicable to conversations about tolerance and affirmation.

As we learned during our Open and Affirming resolution process, tolerance is not the same thing as affirming. Tolerance continues to allow or acknowledge, with restrictions, the value of another person or thing. Affirming, however, seeks to enable, strengthen, and support as equal a person or thing. To help illustrate this point, Huffington Post has a great article about a conversation between a conservative Jewish woman and an openly gay man as they sit next to one another on a plane trip.

I knew it was going to be a long flight when I asked the sweet grandmotherly woman sitting next to me why she was flying into town. "I'm the head of a non-profit Jewish organization," she said. Cool, I thought, until she finished. "We're here to work with the Christian Coalition."

Oi vey.

I twisted. I turned. I squirmed. I picked up a book. I did not want to have a conversation with this woman. But having grown up with a Jewish grandmother, I knew resistance was futile.

So we talked. And sure enough she raised a question so Jewish it practically comes with Matzo balls: "So are you single?"

There's a time and a place for coming out. This wasn't one of them. "Yes," I answered, quickly changing the subject. But she kept returning to the subject. "A nice boy like you not married?" I said something about not meeting the right person and changed the subject again.

Ignoring the subject switch, she said, "Well, I bet you have plenty of girls you're dating."

I told her I didn't and changed the subject. *Again.* She changed the subject right back. "So, really," she asked me. "Tell me why you haven't married."

I cracked. I put my book down, turned to her and said,

"I would if I could." She was confused. I looked in her eyes. "I'm gay."

Judging by the length of her silence, I clearly surprised her. And she surprised me right back. Her reaction wasn't at all what I expected. She didn't turn her shoulder and ignore me for the rest of the flight. She didn't suddenly go quiet and change the subject. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and said,

"Why do you people constantly flaunt your homosexuality? The peace on the plane was about to turn into a fight on the flight. "What do you mean 'flaunt,'" I said, exasperated. "I've been trying to keep my private life private but you've been badgering me about it for the last 15 minutes. What did you want me to do -- lie?"

"Yes," she said.

And with that one word I understood something about conservative people that I hadn't realized before. If they can't change you to fit their narrow view of the world, they expect you to at least have the decency to lie about it.

I stared straight ahead for a few seconds then turned to the woman. "You wanted me to pretend I'm something I'm not so that you wouldn't feel uncomfortable."

"Yes."

"So honesty is a virtue, unless it makes people uncomfortable?"

Now it was her turn to change the subject. Unfortunately, she turned it to every defamatory and derogatory distortion about gay people.

This was why I was trying to avoid the subject altogether. The only legitimate complaints on an airplane should be the food and the legroom. And now I had a stranger complaining about the most intimate aspect of my life.

I figured I could argue or ignore. The problem with the first strategy is that I'd never win; the problem with the second was that I'd never win.

It was a lose-lose proposition. Until I realized I was focusing on the wrong kind of win. I'd never triumph in a debate because conservatives react to logic and reason the way asthmatics react to pollen dust -- badly.

But there was something else I could win -- her heart. The only way to do that was to be everything she wasn't -- respectful, considerate, tolerant, gracious and funny. I didn't let her get away with any of the half-baked lies conservatives love to talk about (AIDS is a gay disease, etc.) but I also made my points in a way that disarmed her. In the end, I proved what everyone knows intuitively -- that what you say doesn't have nearly the power of how you say it.

By the time the plane landed we had moved on to other subjects, laughing and joking all the way through. When she got up to leave she offered her hand. I took it. "You didn't change my mind about the subject," she said. "But you changed my mind about you."

As I stepped off the plane I wondered how long it would take her to figure out there wasn't any difference between the two.

h/t to Kenneth in the (212) for posting the Huffington Post story.

Town Hall for Hope

2009-04-03T15:54:00.002-04:00

As many of you know, we have been providing Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, a debt management program that helps you get out of, and stay out of, debt. Some of you have asked how Dave Ramsey would respond to our recession and how we might make the most of this difficult situation. Given that his DVDs that teach our class were produced before the economic disaster, we've wondered how to respond using his methods and techniques for debt management.

On Thursday, April 23 at 8:00 PM, Dave will be hosting a nationwide discussion and you're invited to participate. At churches all across America, and in 3 local churches nearby, his national discussion will be televised. This is a great opportunity to hear his thoughts and ideas about "choosing not to live in our current recession."

As a church, we could host this event. However, I just found out about it and I wonder if 3 weeks is enough time to put something like this together. If you're interested in participating or going to a church nearby, then drop me a note and let's organize something. In the meantime, here is a brief video about the national discussion.

The Ark

2009-04-03T07:12:00.002-04:00

The Ark is a short film animated by Grzegorz Jonkajtys and Marcin Kobylecki.

It's premise is that an unknown virus has destroyed almost the entire human population.
Oblivious to the true nature of the disease, the only remaining survivors escape to the sea. In great ships, they set out in search of uninhabited land. So begin the exodus, let by one man...

I found it truly fascinating.

h/t Jane Ann Groom on her Facebook page.

Outreach: What Works Best

2009-03-29T14:50:00.004-04:00

Here are some interesting results about witnessing, sharing one's faith, and the best way and time to do it. I know in the UCC, we don't talk much about personal conversations about God and evangelizing. For some, such a conversation brings back scary images of door-to-door encounters that made you feel trapped and judged.

But such door-to-door antics do not define evangelism. A simple conversation about why church is important to you or why God is important to you is enough. You don't have to stand on the street corner, with Bible in hand, to share God's message. A gentle letter to a friend letting them know you're praying for them or an invitation to a church event or worship service is evangelism in and of itself.

And a recent study conducted by LifeWay confirms that most folks don't like going door-to-door or being the evangelized in such a matter. In fact, most enjoy and are receptive to evangelism in the following ways:
In the same study, people were asked when they would be most receptive to someone 'sharing their faith' and the response is interesting. Most folks are receptive:

As you can see, the holidays can be a wonderful time to invite a friend to church--and such an invitation can have lasting benefits.

In short, these studies tell us what many of us already know. Rather than through various methods of advertising, the best results come through personal contact. You are more likely to influence the people you know for the gospel than a tract, billboard, commercial, TV or radio preacher. Those other things may help, but relationship is central.

h/t Ed Stetzer.com. Interestingly enough, this Southern Baptist expert in church growth is leading a workshop for UCC church leaders in Nashville. It'll be interesting to see how Stetzer's methodologies translate in UCC settings.

The Dangers of Fundamentalism

2009-03-29T05:25:00.002-04:00

During our Lenten season, we've been watching a video series on Wednesday nights called Living the Questions. The video series is a discussion about how to interpret being a Christian from a progressive or liberal perspective and how to find one's faith in it.

This morning, I discovered that YouTube has several segments of the video series. I discovered this one from John Dominic Crossan. We saw this one in our first segment.

Pastor's Health Update

2009-03-22T18:22:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone. I am sure by now you know that I have been in the Englewood Hospital. On Wednesday of last week, I came down with serious chest pains both in back and on my front coupled with difficulty breathing. Fearing the worst, Jay took me to the hospital where, after a CAT scan, it was determined that I had a pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism is basically blood clots in the lungs. It's a very serious situation.

I was admitted to the hospital and immediately given strong drugs and was subject to a plethora of tests. I was also told to eat, sleep, and that I'd be there for several days. As it turned out, I was only there until Friday night when I was released. I was told to take it easy for the next few days.

And so that is exactly what I am doing. I go back to the hospital for the results of the various tests this week. The doctors have not been able to discern why I had blood clots. Hopefully they'll find out. In the meantime, I am taking Lovenox injections in my stomach (Ouch!) and am on high doses of Coumadin (a blood thinner). The hemotologist was confident that they'll find a cause for my blood clots and said that I may not have to stay on the drugs indefinately (my doctor, however, wasn't so optimistic and told me to expect to stay on Coumadin for the rest of my life). Who should I believe? Who knows. I don't have enough information yet to make the right kind of decision.

In any event, I am home. If you were in church on Sunday, you'll have noticed I didn't preach. The Rev. Paul Bryant-Smith gave a wonderful sermon and Lauren Vanderwerker, our seminary intern was the liturgist. I'll be back in the pulpit next week.

I would like to thank everyone who has been so kind and thoughtful these past few days. I have been the recipient of such grace and warmth that I feel fortunate to be blessed by such pastoral ministry from the very folks I am called to serve. From Howard baking me meatloaf to Cindy and Mark's generous oatmeal cookies, to Henry and Hattie's chocolate to everyone else coming to visit, to calling me, to texting me (don't you just love technology!), I am very fortunate to serve such wonderful people.

The Video Weekly, Wednesday, March 11, 2009

2009-03-11T19:35:00.002-04:00

You may notice an unsyncing of video to voice. Hmm...I don't know why that happened. If you don't notice it, then please disregard what I am saying. ;)

CUCC Video Weekly, Thursday, March 5, 2009

2009-03-05T16:20:00.000-05:00

Geoffrey Black: The New UCC President?

2009-03-03T12:20:00.002-05:00

The search committee for John Thomas' replacement as President of our denomination, the United Church of Christ, has recommended Geoffrey Black. Geoffrey is currently the New York Conference Minister and has held that post for nearly 10 years. Personally, I know Geoffrey and I cannot imagine a better choice to replace John Thomas. He's a great guy with a heart for the Gospel. To learn more about his great guy, follow this link and read up on him.

UCC bylaws require that Black's nomination be affirmed by a two-thirds majority of the Executive Council prior to his presentation to the General Synod for call by election.

Something to Dance About

2009-03-03T12:17:00.001-05:00

Here is a YouTube clip about a T-Mobile commercial set up by unsuspecting commuters in London. It really is something to 'twist and shout' about.

h/t Opal H.

The Video Weekly is Back!

2009-02-25T16:14:00.003-05:00

Here is the Video Weekly for Wednesday, February 25, 2009.

Great Depression Cooking Show

2009-02-25T11:18:00.001-05:00

Okay, so our economy isn't quite in the toilet yet but if and when it comes, you can take some cooking tips from this 91-year old who cooks the dinners she ate as a child in the Great Depression. This recipe actually looks kind of tasty.

Mother Teresa Said

2009-02-24T06:26:00.003-05:00

Here are some great words to live by:

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Be good anyway.
Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People need help, but may attack you if you try to help them.
Help them anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

Credit Crisis Explained...well, sorta

2009-02-19T08:54:00.001-05:00

I found this interesting movie-like animation explaining the entire credit crisis. I found myself zoning out half-way through it, not understanding some of it. Still, in the end, it makes sense, sorta:

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Marketing a Starbucks like a Church

2009-02-15T12:58:00.001-05:00

This needs no commentary. It's just funny, in an uncomfortable yet insightful way.

h/t to The Bilerico Project

Drew DMin Update

2009-02-11T18:35:00.002-05:00

Hey church family! I am back in the office after spending a few days working my tail off at Drew. This particular session will extend for several more weeks, but will include working from home rather than commuting to school.

I had yet another incredible time at school. This particular class is called, A Systems Approach to Leading Congregations. The purpose of the course, as explained in the syllabus, is

To engage in a systems approach to leading a congregation that enables the candidate (me) to use demographic and congregational data in order to lead a congregation through a planning process that will lead to the creation of effective ministries in the congregation's ministry area.

Whew! It sounds like a lot, right? One colleague in class explained it this way, "This just proves that our DMin degree resembles an MBA degree." He, like many of us, are amazed at the work load and the statistics and business-like classes we're taking. This isn't a bad thing, for sure but it is a lot of work. And it's work that I am thrilled to be a part of.

In this week's class, we received the data results from the congregational survey you did last semester. The results will blow your mind. In it, your responses are broken down by age, gender, and a variety of other classifications and compares it with classifications and statistics with the US and local census. It also explains your interests, pursuits, and life journey in a way that compares it with others.

I also have the results from the Ministry Audit the leaders in our congregation filled out and turned in last week. I still need to enter that information into 9 Excel spreadsheets that break down your results in various demographic and statistical ways. As the course moves throughout the semester, I will be sharing with you the entire results of both surveys. You will be able to then better determine the level of ministries that we can create based upon that information. And, you may find yourself dispelling some myths that many of us have thought defined our community and congregation. For example, did you know that only 17% of you come from the Roman Catholic tradition while 74% come from other Protestant faith traditions.

Another example of helpful information from the surveys tell us that nearly 60% of the congregation has either a college, masters, or doctorate degree? Or, that 83% and 68% of you believe that maintaining personal health and seeking long term financial security are the most important things you are concerned about with right now? Presently we're offering a debt management class to help meet the need for learning how to be more financially secure; would a ministry offering to the community looking to address personal health be something we should consider?

This is just a tiny bit of the information. I also have the statistical data from the census from communities surrounding Cresskill to include Dumont, Tenafly, Closter, and Bergenfield. This information tells us much information about who lives in and around us. We'll be able to use all of this information as we discern the best outreach and mission opportunities.

To help us in this endeavor, we will need to host a Saturday retreat (it's part of my course work) as we help create a vision plan. We did something like this two years ago, from that time we started a few exciting programs and help plan the direction of our congregation. It isn't unusual to have another such retreat. Since we've spent a great deal of time modifying our infrastructure (e.g., updating our bylaws), now we can figure out how to reach out in ministry as we build Christ's kingdom. I'll be talking more about this.

So that's pretty much it. I need to submit two book reports before next week and begin entering the survey data into the spreadsheets. I have much to do....and 'we' have much to do, but it's all very exciting and I am looking forward to what we'll be able to accomplish.

The Video Weekly, Thursday, February 5, 2009

2009-02-05T13:46:00.000-05:00

A Flight 1549 Testimony

2009-02-04T07:55:00.003-05:00

This is from a Partner at Heidrick & Struggles who was on Flight 1549.

As many of you now know, Gerry McNamara (New York/Charlotte) was on US Airways Flight 1549 last week. We caught up with him to discuss the harrowing incident and - in a departure from our usual format - present his stirring account as told to us:

Thursday was a difficult day for all of us at the firm and I left the Park Avenue office early afternoon to catch a cab bound for LaGuardia Airport.

I was scheduled for a 5pm departure, but able to secure a seat on the earlier flight scheduled to leave at 3PM. As many of us who fly frequently often do, I recall wondering if I'd just placed myself on a flight I shouldn't be on!

Just prior to boarding I finished up a conference call with my associate, Jenn Sparks (New York), and our placement, the CIO of United Airlines. When I told him that I was about to board a US Airways flight, we all had a little fun with it.

I remember walking on the plane and seeing a fellow with grey hair in the cockpit and thinking "that's a good thing... I like to see grey hair in the cockpit!"

I was seated in 8F, on the starboard side window and next to a young business man. The New York to Charlotte flight is one I've taken what seems like hundreds of times over the years. We take off north over the Bronx and as we climb, turn west over the Hudson River to New
Jersey and tack south. I love to fly, always have, and this flight plan gives a great view of several NY landmarks including Yankee Stadium and the George Washington Bridge.

I had started to point out items of interest to the gentleman next to me when we heard a terrible crash - a sound no one ever wants to hear while flying - and then the engines wound down to a screeching halt. 10 seconds later, there was a strong smell of jet fuel. I knew we
would be landing and thought the pilot would take us down no doubt to Newark Airport. As we began to turn south I noticed the pilot lining up on the river still - I thought - en route for Newark.

Next thing we heard was "Brace for impact!" - a phrase I had heard many years before as an active duty Marine Officer but never before on a commercial air flight.

Everyone looked at each other in shock. It all happened so fast we were astonished!

We began to descend rapidly and it started to sink in. This is the last flight. I'm going to die today. This is it. I recited my favorite bible verse, the Lord's Prayer, and asked God to take care of my wife, children, family and friends.

When I raised my head I noticed people texting their friends and family….getting off a last message. My blackberry was turned off and in my trouser pocket…no time to get at it. Our descent continued and I prayed for courage to control my fear and help if able.

I quickly realized that one of two things was going to happen, neither of them good. We could hit by the nose, flip and break up, leaving few if any survivors, bodies, cold water, fuel. Or we could hit one of the wings and roll and flip with the same result. I tightened my seat belt as tight as I could possibly get it so I would remain intact.

As we came in for the landing, I looked out the windows and remember seeing the buildings in New Jersey, the cliffs in Weehawken, and then the piers. The water was dark green and sure to be freezing cold. The stewardesses were yelling in unison "Brace! Brace! Brace!"

It was a violent hit - the water flew up over my window - but we bobbed up and were all amazed that we remained intact.

There was some panic - people jumping over seats and running towards the doors, but we soon got everyone straightened out and calmed down. There were a lot of people that took leadership roles in little ways. Those sitting at the doors over the wing did a fantastic job…they were opened in a New York second! Everyone worked together - teamed up and in groups to figure out how to help each other.

I exited on the starboard side of the plane, 3 or 4 rows behind my seat through a door over the wing and was, I believe, the 10th or 12th person out. I took my seat cushion as a flotation device and once outside saw I was the only one who did….none of us remembered to take the yellow inflatable life vests from under the seat.

We were standing in 6-8 inches of water and it was freezing. There were two women on the wing, one of whom slipped off into the water. Another passenger and I pulled her back on and had her kneel down to keep from falling off again. By that point we were totally soaked and
absolutely frozen from the icy wind.

The ferries were the first to arrive, and although they're not made for rescue, they did an incredible job. I know this river, having swum in it as a boy. The Hudson is an estuary - part salt and part fresh water - and moves with the tide. I could tell the tide was moving out because we were tacking slowly south towards Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty, and The Battery.

The first ferry boat pulled its bow up to the tip of the wing, and the first mate lowered the Jacobs ladder down to us. We got a couple people up the ladder to safety, but the current was strong pushing the stern of the boat into the inflatable slide and we were afraid it would puncture it…there must have been 25 passengers in it by now. Only two or three were able to board the first ferry before it moved away.

Another ferry came up, and we were able to get the woman that had fallen into the water on the ladder, but she just couldn't move her legs and fell off. Back onto the ladder she went; however, the ferry had to back away because of the swift current. A helicopter arrived on station (nearly blowing us all off the wing) and followed the ferry with the woman on the ladder. We lost view of the situation but I believe the helicopter lowered its basket to rescue her.

As more ferries arrived, we were able to get people up on the boats a few at a time. The fellow in front of me fell off the ladder and into the water. When we got him back on the ladder he could not move his legs to climb. I couldn't help him from my position so I climbed up the ladder to the ferry deck where the first mate and I hoisted the Jacobs ladder with him on it…when he got close enough we grabbed his trouser belt and hauled him on deck. We were all safely off the wing.

We could not stop shaking. Uncontrollable shaking. The only thing I had with me was my blackberry, which had gotten wet and was not working. (It started working again a few hours later).

The ferry took us to the Weehawken Terminal in NJ where I borrowed a phone and called my wife to let her know I was okay. The second call I made was to Jenn. I knew she would be worried about me and could communicate to the rest of the firm that I was fine. At the terminal,
first responders assessed everyone's condition and sent people to the hospital as needed. As we pulled out of Weehawken my history kicked in and I recall it was the site of the famous duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804. Thankfully I left town in better condition than Mr. Hamilton who died of a mortal wound the next day! I stayed with my sister on Long Island that evening, then flew home the next day.

I am struck by what was truly a miracle. Had this happened a few hours later, it would have been pitch dark and much harder to land. Ferries would no longer have been running after rush hour and it would not have been the same uplifting story. Surely there would have been fatalities, hypothermia, an absolute disaster!

I witnessed the best of humanity that day. I and everyone on that plane survived and have been given a second chance. It struck me that in our work we continuously seek excellence to solve our client's leadership problems. We talk to clients all the time about the importance of experience and the ability to execute. Experience showed up big time on Flight 1549 as our pilot was a dedicated, trained, experienced professional who executed flawlessly when he had to.

I have received scores of emails from across the firm and I am so grateful for the outpouring of interest and concern. We all fly a great deal or work with someone who does and so I wanted to share this story - the story of a miracle. I am thankful to be here to tell the tale.

There is a great deal to be learned including: Why has this happened to me? Why have I survived and what am I supposed to do with this gift? For me, the answers to these questions and more will come over time, but already I find myself being more patient and forgiving, less
critical and judgmental.

For now I have 4 lessons I would like to share:

1. Cherish your families as never before and go to great lengths to keep your promises.
2. Be thankful and grateful for everything you have and don't worry about the things you don't have.
3. Keep in shape. You never know when you'll be called upon to save your own life, or help someone else save theirs.
4. When you fly, wear practical clothing. You never know when you'll end up in an emergency or on an icy wing in flip flops and pajamas and of absolutely no use to yourself or anyone else.

h/t Daily Towleroad

Penn's Testimony

2009-01-31T23:47:00.003-05:00

I posted about this last month but only had a link. I am posting the video because I'll be preaching about the authority of our witness and the message we share with folks in church this Sunday. This is a teaser to that sermon (or, for after the sermon). It'll make for good conversation.

Belated Video Weekly

2009-01-24T18:20:00.002-05:00

As many of you know the church's DSL has been out all week and wasn't fixed by Verizon until today. So everything involving our website, enewsletter, and Video Weekly is notoriously late. Grr...!!

Anyways, here is the Video Weekly. If you received our eNewsletter, you'll notice the link in it doesn't work. That was my fault; I accidentally uploaded the audio sermon preached rather than the Video Weekly and YouTube couldn't process the .mp3 file. Now that Grrr...!! is my fault. Since then, the Video Weekly has been uploaded correctly and is available now for you here. I hope you enjoy it.

A rare mute monk order from Molalla, Oregon performing the hallelujah Chorus.

2009-01-24T07:08:00.000-05:00

Benediction of Rev. Joseph Lowery

2009-01-21T09:54:00.002-05:00

Yesterday's inauguration of President Barack Obama was incredible. From the prayers to the swearing in to the magnificent parties that followed, truly our nation has welcomed Obama in a way we haven't witnessed in a long time.

My favorite part of the inauguration was the benediction during the inauguration. The Rev. Joseph Lowery prayed this prayer:

___

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou, who has brought us thus far along the way, thou, who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee.

Shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand true to thee, oh God, and true to our native land.

We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we've shared this day.

We pray now, oh Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration.

He has come to this high office at a low moment in the national, and indeed the global, fiscal climate. But because we know you got the whole world in your hands, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations.

Our faith does not shrink though pressed by the flood of mortal ills.

For we know that, Lord, you are able and you're willing to work through faithful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds, and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor, of the least of these, and from favoritism toward the rich, the elite of these.

We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that yes we can work together to achieve a more perfect union.

And while we have sown the seeds of greed — the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.

And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.

And as we leave this mountain top, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.

Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle. Look over our little angelic Sasha and Malia.

We go now to walk together as children, pledging that we won't get weary in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone.

With your hands of power and your heart of love, help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nations shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid, when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.

Whoops...Forgot to Post this

2009-01-09T16:54:00.001-05:00

Here is our Video Weekly dated January 9, 2008.

Don't Walk By

2009-01-09T16:22:00.002-05:00

I just found out that today there is a massive outreach to the homeless men, women, and children of New York City. A non-profit organization called New York City Relief is aiming to provide help and resources to the thousands of homeless New Yorkers who sleep in the parks and on the curbs of the city everyday. Even if you missed today's outreach effort, you can still help and make a difference. Visit the New York City Relief website to learn how you can make a difference.

And, watch the video clip below. It'll help put our faith into the homeless perspective.

Finley Tinnin, Rest in Peace

2009-01-08T13:16:00.000-05:00

Today I learned from a post on the Baptist Temple Facebook page that my childhood pastor, the Rev. Dr. Finley Tinnin, died yesterday. Tears have welt up in my eyes as I think back on such a wonderful and loving pastor--one who was both a sympathetic leader and one who was also a bit aloof to a 15-year old kid curious about what life in the ministry would look like, as I first knew him.

I have these images in my head of his pastor's study. In it, books on walnut stained bookshelves surrounded the office. His dark wooden desk met any visitor as they entered his space, his place. The study was what you'd imagine a 1950's era study would look like (even though it was the early 80's). It was warm, neat, and organized (unlike my study). Sitting behind the desk but rising as I would come in, I was scared witless (for whatever reason, I felt like I was talking with a prophet whenever I spoke with him). He would extend a hand, gester for me to sit down with a smile gently which would put me at ease (somewhat).

I began going to see him after my Christian conversion. Afterall, it was he who baptized me. And, I felt a unique bond to him after the baptismal episode where, once immersed beneath the water, he tried to lift me up (all 6'9" of me) and me, upon his direction, moving my back leg so that I helped raise me up from the waters. The only thing, when I tried to do this, my foot slipped and we both fell back into the water, arms flaying, water spewing, and laughter erupting from the entire congregation.

Following my baptism, I immersed myself into the life of the church. I went to Sunday school, Sunday morning church and Sunday evening church. I went to Wednesday night youth night and Friday night prayer time. I attended Falls Creek Baptist Assembly and any and all church-related activities. And I did it because I wanted to do so. I loved Baptist Temple, Dr. Tinnin and my youth pastor, Steve McNeil.

Within a year, I began to have a sense that I belonged in ministry. As a result, Dr. Tinnin and I spoke often about my interpretation of this "call to ministry"--sometimes he'd refer me to my youth pastor, at other times, he'd quiz me about my intentions. When I turned 16 and I was still coming to see him, and somewhat convinced that this wasn't a passing phase, he led to me teach. Believing that an ability and love of teaching were always the confirmation that a person has been called to ministry, he directed me to teach Sunday school. From then on, I demonstrated a love and an ability for teaching that confirmed for him my place in ministry. And that began my lifelong journey in ministry.

Many years later, when I attended college after a stint in the US Air Force, Dr. Tinnin was my reference to a job where I was the Assistant Chaplain at the local Baptist Nursing Home, where I led worship and visited the residents. It was a ministry I held for 3-years and loved every minute of it. When Dr. Tinnin recommended me to the position, he told me what he wrote. He said, "If Bo wants to do this, he'll do a super job. You'll be glad you have him." I remember thinking how interesting a recommendation that was and how true I felt it represented me.

Since that time, much of my life and faith have changed. I doubt Dr. Tinnin would have recognized me today, had we kept in touch. Years and life experiences led me away from home and yet a part of home has always remained with me. I have thought of Dr. Tinnin when I have preached a long sermon (he tended to do that often) or when some crisis needs availing, I ask myself how he would have handled it (he was the consumate peacemaker).

I will miss Dr. Tinnin as will countless others who have been inspired by him. Many will remember his gentle ways, his deep convictions, and his faithfulness in ministry. As just about anyone who knew will tell you, there was something warm and amazing about him. And yet, for as long as I knew him, I didn't really ever know him well. But I think of him and know that he affected me in ways that no other person has done. He was kind and really good at what he did--and he did what he did for a loooooooong time. I hope that my ministry will be as long as fruitful as his was.

Christmastime

2008-12-25T12:23:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I am sure you have an email box full of "Merry Christmas" wishes. I just checked my cell phone and I have several "Merry Christmas" text messages waiting to either be answered or just experienced as a nice greeting on my white Christmas.

Last night, the folks in our church fellowship got to experience a first-of-its-kind worship service. We had a joint worship service with the Asian American Ecumenical Church. I was surprised to learn that this was a first for us--something I didn't know until Dion mentioned it in the service. After the service, Dion said that his congregation has worshiped with us on a few occasions but this was the first bona fide joint worship service.

In case you missed it, our congregations' choirs joined together and Dion and I tag-teamed in preaching. Then, we sang lots of Christmas carols and ended the service with a Candlelight service singing Silent Night. And the sanctuary was packed! We had chairs in the Social Hall (which is connected to the sanctuary separated by sliding doors that were opened up for the occasion). We had so many people, it was standing room only. Or at least, it looked that way. ;)

Dion and I had planned the preaching service so that we'd tagteam the sermon, each taking turns preaching on a shared theme: how to interpret the themes of Christmas (the themes of Advent too) into our current ecomonic and social unrests. We also spoke about bringing the Christmas spirit throughout the year thereby making Christmas a year-long experience.

The wonderful worship service reminded me how much I enjoy this season. And, to be honest, I am a bit tired of hearing all the bad things about this season. Sure, its a season of commercialization and overspending--but don't we hear that every year? This year I did my best not to mention it--both because no one has any money (which made it easier) and because it's a tired mantra. Instead I hope we can focus on the things about Christmas we enjoy--because it is something we truly all experience, in one form or another. Garrison Keillor said it best when likening Christmas to a thunderstorm:

"A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together."

Having this shared experience is good because it teaches others the lessons we learn while we're enjoying it. Rather than focus on the negatives of Christmas (which in turn get retaught, re-experienced, and regurgitated season after season), I think it's better to focus on the good of the season and being mindful of the traditions we celebrate, create, and pass along to our children, partners, families, and families of choice.

And so I wish you a Merry Christmas and hope that all your traditions are bringing you closer to one another and closer to God. Fortunately, when we're being drawn to one another in love, we're also being drawn to God (I love how God made love to be the transcendant magnate that benefits the Kingdom while benefiting those who employ it with one another). May your season be blessed. And may you experience all the joys and fun of this season.

I'll see you all next week. Tomorrow I am leaving to Oklahoma for 4 days of my own familial traditions.

h/t to The Bilerico Project for the Keillor quote.

Catching Up

2008-12-18T14:12:00.003-05:00

Today is an unusual day in my pastoring in that I am caught up with many things. With Sunday's Scripture and Carol service prepared and the Christmas Eve service nearly planned (but need more information from others before I can finish it up), I have an afternoon to get caught up with other things.

For the last couple of hours, I have been online getting caught up with my blog readings. As many of you know, I read a lot and much of what I read is online. I read a cornucopia of blogs ranging from LGBT issues to church growth, evangelism, and various theologies. I also read friend's blogs, organizational ones, and even a few decorating ones.

Today I watched a video about the impact of evangelicalism in America and how BIG it really is. I knew it was big, by the way, but the video I watched was simply amazing. There are six parts to the video and are worth watching in their entirety.

I also watched a YouTube video from Penn (of Penn and Teller) talk about how he was approached by someone prosyltizing to him (and Penn is a notorious atheist). Penn's reaction to this someone is heart-felt and good to watch.

I read a whole lot about Obama's selecting Rick Warren to lead his inauguration prayer. Many folks are furious about the selection but Pastor Dan sums it up well (although he uses a horrible cuss word in doing so). Maybe it won't bother you...maybe my Oklahoma sensibilities are just too sensitive.

And now, I just read an interesting post from Chuck Warnock about 5 Lessons I Did Not Learn in Seminary which hit home.

I'll be doing more surfing throughout the afternoon. Now I need to finish reading a couple of books for school. Presently I am reading Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide for the Transformational Journey, by Jim Herrington, Mike Bonem, and James Furr and The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church, by Alan Hirsch.

The Video Weekly, Tuesday, December 9, 2008

2008-12-09T19:47:00.000-05:00

The Video Weekly, Tuesday, December 2, 2008

2008-12-02T15:37:00.001-05:00

You Cannot Live on Hope Alone...but you can't live without it either.

2008-11-30T14:13:00.002-05:00

This video is from a speech by Harvey Milk shortly after he was elected to office in San Francisco. The video is about hope and today, Sunday, November 30 marks the beginning of our Advent season as we look forward and backward to the hope we have in Christ Jesus.

Today hope comes in many forms. We can look to Jesus as the source of our hope but then what? Is hope merely wishful thinking? Or, does it propel was forward into something greater? The hope in Jesus' first and second comings are meant to inspire us, not merely an assent to God. The hope we have believes a better world is possible. The hope we have motivates us to be better than we think is possible. And yet, it also reminds us that Jesus' hope for us is for us to rely upon him, trust him, and remain expectant in his ability to transform us, our community, and our world.

In some ways, its a dynamic tension--trusting God to care for the world and knowing that we have been empowered by God to work out the hope that God instills and inspires within us. How we go about doing that will be the recurring theme throughout this Advent season.

h/t Michael Piazza for the video.

7 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Life

2008-11-26T12:33:00.002-05:00

Here is a story written by Amy Fontinelle of Yahoo's Personal Finance that can help us keep our heads about us in our challenging economy. She writes,

Are you worried about how a recession might affect you? You can put your fears to rest because there are many everyday habits the average person can implement to ease the sting of a recession, or even make it so its effects aren't felt at all. In this article, we'll discuss seven ways to do just that.

No. 1: Have an Emergency Fund
If you have plenty of cash lying around in a high-interest, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-insured account, not only will your money retain its full value in times of market turmoil, it will also be extremely liquid, giving you easy access to funds if you lose your job or are forced to take a pay cut. Also, if you have your own cash, it won't be an issue if other sources of backup funds dry up, such as a home equity line of credit.
No. 2: Always Live Within Your Means
If you make it a habit to live within your means each and every day, you are less likely to go into consumer debt when gas or food prices go up and more likely to adjust your spending in other areas to compensate. Debt begets more debt when you can't pay it off right away - if you think gas prices are high, wait until you're paying 29.99% annual percentage rate (APR) on them.
To take this principle to the next level, if you have a spouse and are a two-income family, see how close you can get to living off of only one spouse's income. In good times, this tactic will allow you to save incredible amounts of money - how quickly could you pay off your mortgage or how much earlier could you retire if you had an extra $40,000 a year to save? In bad times, if one spouse gets laid off, you'll be OK because you'll already be used to living on one income. Your savings habits will stop temporarily, but your day-to-day spending can continue as normal.
No. 3: Have More Than One Source of Income
Even if you have a great full-time job, it's not a bad idea to have a source of extra income on the side, whether it's some consulting work or selling collectibles on eBay. With job security so nonexistent these days, more jobs mean more job security. If you lose one, at least you still have the other one. You may not be making as much money as you were before, but every little bit helps.
No. 4: Have a Long-Term Mindset With Investments
So what if a drop in the market brings your investments down 15%? If you don't sell, you won't lose anything. The market is cyclical, and in the long run, you'll have plenty of opportunities to sell high. In fact, if you buy when the market's down, you might thank yourself later.
That being said, as you near retirement age, you should make sure you have enough money in liquid, low-risk investments to retire on time and give the stock portion of your portfolio time to recover. Remember, you don't need all of your retirement money at 65 - just a portion of it. The market might be tanking when you're 65, but it might be headed to Pamplona by the time you're 70.
No. 5: Be Honest About Your Risk Tolerance
Yes, investing gurus say that people in certain age brackets should have their portfolios allocated a certain way, but if you can't sleep at night when your investments are down 15% for the year and the year isn't even over, you may need to change your asset allocation. Investments are supposed to provide you with a sense of financial security, not a sense of panic.
But wait - don't sell anything while the market is down, or you'll set those paper losses in stone. When market conditions improve is the time to trade in some of your stocks for bonds, or trade in some of your risky small-cap stocks for less volatile blue-chip stocks. If you have extra cash available and want to adjust your asset allocation while the market is down, however, you may be able to profit from infusing money into temporarily low-priced stocks with long-term value.
The biggest risk is that overestimating your risk tolerance will cause you to make poor investment decisions. Even if you're at an age where you're "supposed to" have 80% in stocks and 20% in bonds, you'll never see the returns that investment advisors intend if you sell when the market is down. These asset allocation suggestions are meant for people who can hang on for the ride.
No. 6: Diversify Your Investments
If you don't have all of your money in one place, your paper losses should be mitigated, making it less difficult emotionally to ride out the dips in the market. If you own a home and have a savings account, you've already got a start: you have some money in real estate and some money in cash. In particular, try to build a portfolio of investment pairs that aren't strongly correlated, meaning that when one is up, the other is down, and vice versa (like stocks and bonds).
No. 7: Keep Your Credit Score High
When credit markets tighten, if anyone is going to get approved for a mortgage, credit card or other type of loan, it will be those with excellent credit. Things like paying your bills on time, keeping your oldest credit cards open, and keeping your ratio of debt to available credit low will help keep your credit score high.
Conclusion
The best part about these habits is that they won't only serve you well during times of recession - they'll serve you well no matter what's going on in the market. But if you implement these financial strategies, a recession is less likely to have a significant effect on your financial situation.

The Weekly, Tuesday, November 25, 2008

2008-11-25T14:31:00.001-05:00

Great Relationship Advice

2008-11-25T13:15:00.002-05:00

I was reading over at The Bilerico Project and discovered this wonderful advice column on relationships.

"Sometimes I wonder if something is missing from my relationship. How do I know if I'm in the right place or not?"

~ Just Wondering

Dear J. W.,

Did you know that it's not a good idea to substitute baking powder for baking soda when making chocolate chip cookies?

I learned the hard way; having to endure the most disappointed little cookie monsters imaginable. When faced with flat, dry, broken cookies that even our dog wouldn't eat, my son cried, "Mommy, these are Bisgusting." (That's not a typo - disgusting became bisgusting in our house when, as a toddler, Mitchell couldn't pronounce the "d" sound - so we all embraced the new, more powerful word, bisgusting.)

Like cookies, primary love relationships also have essential ingredients. And while substitutes for these ingredients may create a close approximation of a good relationship, the outcome can be equally flat, dry, and eventually broken.

What do you need? The answer to this question is 50% of the recipe for your particular relationship's success. We all partner to meet our needs.

Happiness in love depends on your ability to get core, emotional needs met. If unmet, most of us will ineffectively attempt to pacify ourselves with excessive sleeping, eating, working, drinking, or we may turn to others to meet our needs. We are more likely to pursue ineffective means to meet, or soothe, our needs than to accept they just won't be met.

Our ineffective attempts to meet unmet needs can lead to some of our greatest relationship struggles.

Seeking to feel loved by drinking, or trying to feel safe by sleeping, is akin to scratching my nose to ease the itch on my knee. It doesn't matter how many times I scratch my nose, if it is my knee that itches, then it is my knee that I must tend to. We all want to feel emotionally safe, secure and loved. We want to feel connected, valued, understood and respected. How we arrive at these feelings is different for each of us.

A chocolate chip cookie needs baking soda to rise, what do you need to rise in your life? According to Gary Chapman, there are five key love languages, (he is author of The Five Languages of Love). This book is a great introduction to the concept that we all go about getting our needs met differently. What matters is that we both have opportunities to experience the things that are important to us; not that they are the same.

Ask yourself these questions and start to uncover the essential ingredients for your relationship success:

What are your core emotional needs and how are these needs best met?

Are you doing what YOU can to meet these needs yourself?
Is your partner able, and willing, to support you in getting these needs met?

What are the core emotional needs of your partner, and how are these needs best met?

Is your partner doing what he/she can to meet these needs herself?
Are you willing, and able, to support her in getting these needs met?

While partners do not have to have the same language to meet their respective needs, we do need to have the ability to get our needs met to feel satisfied in our relationships. No one wants to feel trapped in a relationship where it is not possible to get their needs met. (Read this If you are unsure about the difference between a want and a need.)

I wish for you the perfect ingredients to rise in your life, and in your love.

Don't Give Up, You Are Loved

2008-11-24T13:47:00.001-05:00

Here is a great video of Josh Groban singing "Don't Give Up, You Are Loved".

Where the Heck is Matt?

2008-11-23T15:31:00.002-05:00

Internet phenom Matt, a person who travels the world (as an airline attendant?) and documents each stay with a unique dance has captured the hearts of millions. He's posted his dance over the past year or so online. Here is a new collection of places and dances, this time accompanied by others dancing with him. I found it so inspirational. I hope you do too.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

If you discover the video taking too long to load, you can click off the HD feature.

Video Weekly

2008-11-18T16:34:00.001-05:00

Funny Sayings with a Twist

2008-11-17T14:28:00.001-05:00

Church member Glenn Woertz sent me these funny sayings in an email. They're pretty funny!

Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself, 'Lillian, you should have remained a virgin.' -Lillian Carter, mother of Jimmy Carter

I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: - 'No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.' -Eleanor Roosevelt

Last week, I stated this woman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. I have since been visited by her sister, and now wish to withdraw that statement. -Mark Twain

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible. -George Burns

Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.
- Victor Borge

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
- Mark Twain

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. - Socrates

I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.
- Groucho Marx

My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe. - Jimmy Durante

I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.
- Zsa Zsa Gabor

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat. - Alex Levine

My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.
- Rodney Dangerfield

Money can't buy you happiness .. But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery. - Spike Milligan

Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was SHUT UP. - Joe Namath

I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.
- Bob Hope

I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it.
-W. C. Fields

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress. -Will Rogers

Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you. -Winston Churchill

Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty .. But everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out. -Phyllis Diller

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere. -Billy Crystal

And the cardiologist's diet: “If it tastes good spit it out.”

Computer Trouble

2008-11-17T07:47:00.003-05:00

This is supposedly a real conversation. I doubt it though, it's just too funny. But who know, right?

"Ridge Hall computer assistant; may I help you?"
"Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect."
"What sort of trouble?"
"Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."
"Went away?"
"They disappeared."
"Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."
"Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?"
"How do I tell?"
"Can you see the C:\prompt on the screen?"
"What's a sea-prompt?"
"Never mind. Can you move the cursor around on the screen?"
"There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type."
"Does your monitor have a power indicator?"
"What's a monitor?"
"It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?"
"I don't know."
"Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Great! Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall."
"Yes, it is."
"When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?"
"No."
"Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."
"Okay, here it is."
"Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."
"I can't reach."
"Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?"
"No."
"Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?"
"Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle-it's because it's dark."
"Dark?"
"Yes-the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window."
"Well, turn on the office light then."
"I can't."
"No? Why not?"
"Because there's a power outage."
"A power... A power outage? Aha! Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?"
"Well, yes, I keep them in the closet."
"Good! Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."
"Really? Is it that bad?"
"Yes, I'm afraid it is."
"Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?"
"Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer."

h/t to dalek spock

Prayer Station

2008-11-10T23:43:00.002-05:00

Isn't this cool? I found this post on a blog written by a New Yorker, that I read often. Here is what he says,

Dr. Jeff sends in this shot of the Prayer Station he came across on the Upper East Side. It's an art installation. Dylan Mortimer’s work deals with how private faith functions in the public realm.

The interactive Public Prayer Booth is a synthesis of a telephone booth and a prayer station. The viewer can flip down a kneeler and engage in prayer. “My goal is to spark dialogue about a topic often avoided, and often treated cynically by the contemporary art world,” says Mortimer. “I employ the visual language of signage and public information systems, using them as a contemporary form of older religious communication systems: stained glass, illuminated manuscripts, church furniture, etc. I balance humor and seriousness, sarcasm and sincerity, in a way that bridges a subject matter that is often presented as heavy or difficult.”

h/t joe.my.god

The Video Weekly, Tuesday, November 4, 2008

2008-11-04T20:40:00.000-05:00

The Video Weekly, Tuesday, October 28, 2008

2008-10-28T20:35:00.001-04:00

The Front Fell Off

2008-10-28T13:32:00.003-04:00

Last year, an oil taker split in two dumping thousands of gallons of oil into the ocean off the coast of Australia. In this video, a senator from Australia is being interviewed about why the 'front fell off' the oil tanker.

Watching it, I thought I was watching a Monty Python skit. While the situation was serious, this interview is riotously funny.

* Editor's Note: I just received a note that this video is indeed a comedy sketch after all. And, the tanker in question was from an incident in the early 1990s. Snopes.com has its backstory.

h/t my friend Doug

It Can Always Be Worse

2008-10-22T13:11:00.002-04:00

Think you have tough family trials and tribulations? Well, you may. But there are always others who have it far worse than you. Read the below obit to see what I mean. Click the image to embiggen it.
h/t to The Bilerico Project

The Video Weekly, October 21, 2008

2008-10-21T20:37:00.001-04:00

Thoughtful Cartoon

2008-10-17T10:14:00.001-04:00

Click on cartoon to 'embiggen' it.

h/t to todd littleton

If You're Gonna do it, do it right

2008-10-17T10:10:00.001-04:00

A part of me feels ashamed to pass along this bit of wisdom but hey, if you're gonna do it anyways, there is a 'proper' way to do it.

h/t to caughtinthemiddle and sbctoodazed

Video Weekly

2008-10-16T13:56:00.001-04:00

Here is this week's Video Weekly. I put it in our church's eNewsletter on Tuesday, but haven't posted it on here until just now.

The Senility Prayer

2008-10-16T13:48:00.000-04:00

Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.

Improving Your Situation in Life

2008-10-11T12:10:00.003-04:00

We all want a better life, right? We want to be comfortable--maybe not insanely wealthy, just enough to pay our bills, vacation twice a year, and enjoy our idle time. Unfortunately, one of the reasons we aren't as comfortable as we like is because we've made wrong choices. This is most apparent in our lifestyle choices: what kind of car we drive, our big our house is, and deciding we no longer need to keep learning. How does that last choice affect our comfortability? When we stop learning, we stop seeking ways to learn new ways of making better decisions.

Yahoo's Finance quotes a great post from TheStreet.com about the reasons we make bad choices and how those choices affect our income. I am reprinting that story below. After reading it, see if you fit into any of its categories..and then, see if you can pick one category and change it.

10 (More) Reasons You're Not Rich

by Jeffrey Strain
Wednesday, October 1, 2008provided by

Many people assume they aren't rich because they don't earn enough money. If I only earned a little more, I could save and invest better, they say.

The problem with that theory is they were probably making exactly the same argument before their last several raises. Becoming a millionaire has less to do with how much you make, it's how you treat money in your daily life.

The list of reasons you may not be rich doesn't end at 10. Caring what your neighbors think, not being patient, having bad habits, not having goals, not being prepared, trying to make a quick buck, relying on others to handle your money, investing in things you don't understand, being financially afraid and ignoring your finances.

Here are 10 more possible reasons you aren't rich:

You care what your car looks like: A car is a means of transportation to get from one place to another, but many people don't view it that way. Instead, they consider it a reflection of themselves and spend money every two years or so to impress others instead of driving the car for its entire useful life and investing the money saved.

You feel entitlement: If you believe you deserve to live a certain lifestyle, have certain things and spend a certain amount before you have earned to live that way, you will have to borrow money. That large chunk of debt will keep you from building wealth.

You lack diversification: There is a reason one of the oldest pieces of financial advice is to not keep all your eggs in a single basket. Having a diversified investment portfolio makes it much less likely that wealth will suddenly disappear.

You started too late: The magic of compound interest works best over long periods of time. If you find you're always saying there will be time to save and invest in a couple more years, you'll wake up one day to find retirement is just around the corner and there is still nothing in your retirement account.

You don't do what you enjoy: While your job doesn't necessarily need to be your dream job, you need to enjoy it. If you choose a job you don't like just for the money, you'll likely spend all that extra cash trying to relieve the stress of doing work you hate.

You don't like to learn: You may have assumed that once you graduated from college, there was no need to study or learn. That attitude might be enough to get you your first job or keep you employed, but it will never make you rich. A willingness to learn to improve your career and finances are essential if you want to eventually become wealthy.

You buy things you don't use: Take a look around your house, in the closets, basement, attic and garage and see if there are a lot of things you haven't used in the past year. If there are, chances are that all those things you purchased were wasted money that could have been used to increase your net worth.

You don't understand value: You buy things for any number of reasons besides the value that the purchase brings to you. This is not limited to those who feel the need to buy the most expensive items, but can also apply to those who always purchase the cheapest goods. Rarely are either the best value, and it's only when you learn to purchase good value that you have money left over to invest for your future.

Your house is too big: When you buy a house that is bigger than you can afford or need, you end up spending extra money on longer debt payments, increased taxes, higher upkeep and more things to fill it. Some people will try to argue that the increased value of the house makes it a good investment, but the truth is that unless you are willing to downgrade your living standards, which most people are not, it will never be a liquid asset or money that you can ever use and enjoy.

You fail to take advantage of opportunities: There has probably been more than one occasion where you heard about someone who has made it big and thought to yourself, "I could have thought of that." There are plenty of opportunities if you have the will and determination to keep your eyes open.

The Video Weekly

2008-10-06T18:49:00.002-04:00

Well technology keeps presenting itself to me and I keep trying to find ways to incorporate it. One latest example is our church's new webcam. I purchased it to record a video version of our weekly eNewsletter The Weekly. Tentatively called The Video Weekly (creative, huh?), it will feature what's going on in our congregation each week plus give you a heads up to the sermon on Sunday.

So, without further ado, or adue...or however you spell it, here is our first Video Weekly. Enjoy.

Dave Ramsey's Economic Fix

2008-10-01T16:50:00.002-04:00

I received an email today from Dave Ramsey, the personal financial consultant and author of a few debt management books and video courses. As many of you know, we just finished offering his Financial Peace University's Debt Management Course and let me tell you, it was transformational for all who attended. My personal debt is finally manageable and I have already paid off significant debt, with the rest on a very do-able pay-off plan plus have a Savings Account with over $2000 in it.

Anyways, Dave Ramsey just sent an email with his recommendation for the financial mess on Wall Street. You can read online his entire proposal. He is urging those who received it to forward it onto our senators and lawmakers. It looks pretty sound although I really have no idea about what the particulars actually mean.

So I am posting it here for you to look at and see if you think it's helpful.

The Common Sense Fix

Years of bad decisions and stupid mistakes have created an economic nightmare in this country,
but $700 billion in new debt is not the answer. As a tax-paying American citizen, I will not support any congressperson who votes to implement such a policy. Instead, I submit the following threestep Common Sense Plan.

I. INSURANCE

a. Insure the subprime bonds/mortgages with an underlying FHA-type insurance.
Government-insured and backed loans would have an instant market all over the
world, creating immediate and needed liquidity.

b. In order for a company to accept the government-backed insurance, they must do two
things:
1. Rewrite any mortgage that is more than three months delinquent to a 6% fixed-rate mortgage.

a. Roll all back payments with no late fees or legal costs into the balance. This brings homeowners current and allows them a chance to keep their homes.

b. Cancel all prepayment penalties to encourage refinancing or the sale of the property to pay off the bad loan. In the event of foreclosure or short sale, the borrower will not be held liable for any deficit balance. FHA does this now, and that encourages mortgage companies to go the extra mile while working with the borrower—again limiting foreclosures and ruined lives.

2. Cancel ALL golden parachutes of EXISTING and FUTURE CEOs and executive team members as long as the company holds these government-insured bonds/mortgages. This keeps underperforming executives from being paid when they don’t do their jobs.

c. This backstop will cost less than $50 billion—a small fraction of the current proposal.

II. MARK TO MARKET

a. Remove mark to market accounting rules for two years on only subprime Tier III bonds/mortgages. This keeps companies from being forced to artificially mark down bonds/mortgages below the value of the underlying mortgages and real estate.

b. This move creates patience in the market and has an immediate stabilizing effect on
failing and ailing banks—and it costs the taxpayer nothing.

III. CAPITAL GAINS TAX

a. Remove the capital gains tax completely. Investors will flood the real estate and stock
market in search of tax-free profits, creating tremendous—and immediate—liquidity in
the markets. Again, this costs the taxpayer nothing.

b. This move will be seen as a lightning rod politically because many will say it is helping
the rich. The truth is the rich will benefit, but it will be their money that stimulates the
economy. This will enable all Americans to have more stable jobs and retirement
investments that go up instead of down.

This is not a time for envy, and it’s not a time for politics. It’s time for all of us, as Americans, to
stand up, speak out, and fix this mess.

*****

What do you think? Do you think this can work or is his Reagan-like 'trickle down' investment solution a thing of history not worth repeating?

Dogs in Heaven

2008-09-22T17:33:00.002-04:00

Here is a funny collection of pictures bantering the questions, "Do dogs go to heaven?" My brother sent this to me in an email and I just had to share. You can click the pictures to see a larger version, if you need to.

Remaining Intellectually Curious

2008-09-20T11:59:00.003-04:00

One of my chief pursuits in life is to remain both spiritually and intellectually curious. This way, I find myself always learning something new. I decided this is something I wanted to do several years ago after visiting high school friends who, upon a few conversations, I discovered hadn't changed their opinions or minds on anything since they graduated from high school. The thought shocked and scared me.

There is something innocent about the pursuit of knowledge. In one way, it reminds us that we still have much to learn about life. We don't think we have all the answers and ultimately leave ourselves open to discovering them. Have you ever met someone who "knew all the answers" and remained clueless at the same time? These are people with old prejudices, various forms of "isms" attached to their opinions, and generally are cantankerous at the same time. What good does that kind of attitude do? It does no good whatsoever.

There is an old saying that says, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." Actually this isn't true. You can teach any dog anything...if it actually want to learn anything. People are like dogs (sometimes).

One way you can discover your intellectual curiosity may be to enroll in school somewhere. Take a class on something. Or, you can enroll online at a host of colleges that provide online learning. Many of these courses are free but they offer no credit. If you're up to the challenge, go over to LifeHacker's post on Technophilia. The post will direct you to universities offering free online courses. There is a huge variety to choose from.

Another way can be participating in a few of our church activities. Soon, we will be offering a few Adult Education book studies over the course of this church year. We are looking at having a book study on the phenom book The Shack, by William P. Young.

Whatever you're interested in, let me encourage you to find new ways of learning old things or entirely new things altogether. Your mind, your attitude, and your well-being will thank you.

West Point Football

2008-09-08T18:44:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, Jay and I were invited by the Bob and Elaine Hargrove to attend our first ever, West Point Army football game. Although it rained practically the whole time, Jay and I had a wonderful time! Unfortunately Army got whupped by the University of New Hampshire.

Speaking of getting whupped, I remember my high school football team back at Northwest Classen High School in Oklahoma City, OK. We weren't a very good football team. My entire 4-years I spent there our football team went defeated. By that I mean, we didn't win a single game in four years. So I am used to defeat. Army played okay and they would surely have beaten my high school football team. But still...you'd think a team of future Army soldiers would play like a video game of Quake or Doom and obliderate the opponent.

Alas, Army didn't play like that. But they did play a decent game. What I enjoyed most was the game itself, the band, the music, the environment...to me, it was all a wonderful treat. Having spent 12 years in the USAF, I missed the atmosphere of the military and last Saturday, I sure got a dose of what I'd been missing.

I am definately going back although next time, I'll go when it isn't raining. I hear the events prior to the game are as much fun as the game. They have booths open with food, games, and activities for the entire family.

Doomsday: Large Hadron Collider

2008-09-08T12:36:00.002-04:00

Okay, so it probably won't happen...doomsday I mean. Truthfully, people have been predicting the end of the world for ages now. You might say, "Yeah, but that's different...this really could happen!" For those not in the know, the Large Hadron Collider begins operation this Wednesday as it will collide its first particles. Nervous folks have speculated that this Collider has the capacity to create a black hole. Some of those nervous folks are famed scientists themselves. Actually the debate has taken on quite a flair. To me, I'd think if there was even the slightest possibility of doomsday, you know, ending all creation itself, we wouldn't even consider it. In some ways, it's like betting against the odds. What are the odds of say, getting struck by lightning or winning the lottery? The answer is that some people do get struck by lightning and someone almost always wins the lottery, right?

Hmmm....

I supposed that I'm not really too nervous--I just don't understand particle accelerators as much as I would like. I guess that's the real issue. It's like flying in a plane. If I knew how to fly, I'd want to fly instead of sitting in a seat trusting people I don't know to take me where I need to go safely. Putting one's trust in someone else's hands is challenging for sure. One thing for sure, I always pray before I fly and come Wednesday, or Tuesday night depending on the time changes, I'll be offering yet another, "Let us all land safely prayer" directed towards those operating the LHC.

h/t to Confessions of a Small Church Pastor

Doing Liturgy Anew

2008-09-03T06:54:00.002-04:00

This coming Sunday, you, the worshiper will see a few things different when you walk into the church sanctuary. This being the close of our summer worship, I still have a couple of Sundays before Gathering Sunday on September 21 to try some experimentation.

One of those experiments will look familiar. After we installed our new carpet, we moved the pews back to their original places. As of yesterday, the pews have been spaced further apart, turned inwards, and allowed for well, more space in the sanctuary.

Another change will be the projector screen you'll see as you walk in. We will be using a PowerPoint presentation during the service to help folks "look up" during the service rather than keeping one's head buried in our lengthy liturgical Order of Worship. That same Order of Worship will be shown on the projector screen.

We will make use of the projector with two additional elements not present before in the Service: a countdown to the start of worship (to help us begin our worship "on time") and we'll have a brief movie (2 minutes) during the sermon to help illustrate it.

Finally, this being communion Sunday, we will include a new function: prayer. Once you receive the communion elements, I will be offering you an opportunity to pray, led by either Jack Rickly or myself. This will be a short prayer or blessing. If you have a need you'd like prayed for, this is a time for that to happen. We will still have our Prayers of the People following our Pastoral Prayer later in the service.

You may ask: Why the change? Why the additions? It is my belief that one challenge we all face is learning to keep our faith and practice "fresh". This isn't to say that the old ways of doing things are necessarily bad but new ways of doing familiar things can remind us of what we're doing. It is also a chance to keep us from being stale or boring, doing liturgy without thinking about what it means, or drifting in worship whereby our thoughts move and leave the worship experience. Being fresh means we try new things to enliven our faith traditions and perhaps even start new traditions...or not. Being fresh means we try new things and keep what we like and discard what we don't.

The challenge to being fresh is a challenge that affects our sensibilities. Should we embrace technology? Should we be simpler? Do we only practice the basics of our tradition or ought we do delve into our tradition more deeply? These are questions the Church has been asking for two thousand years.

J.R.R. Tolkien offers an interesting thought on how the Church is to function.

The 'Protestant' search backwards for 'simplicity' and directness - which, of course, though it contains some good or at least intelligible motives, is mistaken and indeed vain. Because 'primitive Christianity' is now and in spite of all 'research' will ever remain largely unknown; because 'primitiveness' is no guarantee of value, and is, and was in great a reflection of ignorance. Grave abuses were as much an element in Christian liturgical behavior from the beginning as now. (St Paul's strictures on Eucharistic behavior are sufficient to show this!) Still more because 'my church' was not intended by Our Lord to be static or remain in perpetual childhood; but to be a living organism (likened to a plant), which develops and changes in externals by the interaction of its bequeathed divine life and history - the particular circumstances of the world into which it is set. There is no resemblance between the 'mustard-seed' and the full-grown tree. For those living in the days of its branching growth, the Tree is the thing, for the history of a living thing is part of its life, and the history of a divine thing is sacred. The wise may know that it began with a seed, but it is vain to try and dig it up, for it no longer exists, and the virtue and powers that it had now reside in the Tree. Very good: but in husbandry the authorities, the keepers of the Tree, must look after it, according to such wisdom as they possess, prune it, remove cankers, rid it of parasites and so forth. (With trepidation, knowing how little their knowledge of growth is!) But they will certainly do harm if they are obsessed with the desire of going back to the seed or even to the first youth when it was (as they imagine) pretty and unafflicted by evils. The other motive (now so confused with the primitivist one, even in the mind with any one of the reformers): aggiornamento: bringing up to date: that has its own grave dangers, as has been apparent throughout history. With this, 'ecumenicalness' has also become confused. (The Letters of J.R.R Tolkien, no. 306.)

How we go about embracing our future or integrating it into the life of our traditions is one function of worship. And, being your pastor, it is one of my responsibilities to you: making worship a practical and spiritual blessing for you and our God.

Join me this coming Sunday for a new experience. I am confident you'll be glad you did. See you Sunday!

h/t to Everyday Liturgy

The Harsh Words in the Bible

2008-08-20T10:48:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday I preached a particular sermon about mercy and how we, as Christians are to engage it. I also gave some examples when we're NOT very merciful and on a couple of occasions, I said some shocking things. Admittedly that was on purpose--it was meant to keep us attentive to the need to reflect on our own shortcomings when it comes to being merciful to others.

I noticed a few of you wince with one particular example. Interestingly, no one commented after the sermon about my shocking examples. But I readily saw and felt your response during the sermon.

And so today I discovered a fortuitous example of using harsh or hard-to-hear words and examples found in the Bible. Below is a video from Mark Driscoll about such language (he is often fond of using it in his sermons and often feels the affects from those who hear it and hate it).

h/t to Todd Littleton for this video.

Racism: How Do You Respond To It?

2008-08-14T09:52:00.002-04:00

Many thanks to The Bilerico Project for posting this video from illdoctrine.com. It's a clear, and admittedly entertaining, way of determining what and how to respond to racism.

Emergent NJ

2008-08-12T11:28:00.003-04:00

Last night, I met up with an Emergent Cohort, a gathering of young emergent church leaders, dreamers, and faith seekers. We met at The Office, an incredibly cool bar in Ridgewood, NJ. During the meeting, we discussed the upcoming Emergent Mid-Atlantic Conference to be held in Philadelphia, PA. I am already signed up to attend.

We also discussed faith, how we can go about expressing it to a post-modern culture. And, then we spoke about one particular leader in the emergent movement named Brian McLaren. This man's name will be familiar to most in our congregation because I have referenced a number of his books in my sermons from time to time. One book in particular, Everything Must Change, was an Advent study we did last year.

The conversation about McLaren, however, took an unexpected turn in our conversation when we talked about his recent support and naming a particular Presidential candidate as his candidate of choice. I guess I was very surprised in that McLaren seems to go to great lengths not to disgruntle or alienate particular groups in his call of church renewal. To name a particular candidate though seems out of character with how I view him, even if I could figure out who he was going to vote for anyway.

The Emergent Cohort was also rather upset. They were upset with what appeared to be the particular candidate of his choice whereas I was only upset that he actually named him. The meeting was very interesting and reminded me that not all Christians vote the way I do. I knew the emergent folks were going to be a bit more conservative than I so I wasn't blown over by their discussion. What did impress me was the civilty in our conversation and the friendliness that abounded. These folks really are rather super.

In any event, I know where many in our congregation side with on the political conversation and no doubt, you know where I side. But I can't image that I'd ever endorse a candidate. Maybe I am too cynical realizing that politicians are... well, politicians. What they say during their campaigning will bear little semblance to what they actually accomplish. While I do enjoy the rhetoric of one candidate, to me, I am voting for the political party machine. It would be nice if both candidates were truly God's agents on earth--but they, like we are, of the same metal. While in some capacity we have some variation of God-agent-like-ness, truth be told, we're also of the same sinner-metal too. We're all imperfect, tempted with various temptations, and make promises we don't keep.

That's my minor political stumping. But to the cohort meeting, I enjoyed a nice conversation with people of different minds but worshiping the same Creator. I am definitely looking forward to meeting with these folks again and then up in Philly for the conference.

Another Sign I Am Growing Older

2008-07-31T18:06:00.003-04:00

Last week, some of you may have noticed something. I was preaching out of a different Bible. The reason for that was while I was on vacation, I found a GIANT print translation of the New Living Translation and let me tell you, you can see the font print from across the room. It sure makes for easy reading--without having to squint.

And here I thought having bifocals would be the end of my aging process. ;)

A Gift of Hope

2008-07-30T17:03:00.001-04:00

Here is an amazing video with a guy without arms playing his guitar to the Beatle's tune, Let It Be.

Obesity: A National Concern

2008-07-29T13:13:00.004-04:00

When it comes to actually naming national concerns, it is often easy to overlook those that are no longer considered in fashion. Sure, murder and socio-economic injustices rank high as any simple reading of Isaiah or minor prophet or Jesus might explain. But what of those concerns that involve the person? I am usually very careful not to point and say, "You're a sinner," because when I point one finger I usually have three more pointing back at me. Yes, it is true, I am a sinner too.

So I offer my idea of a national concern simply as a matter of information. We, as Americans, are growing so large that its tearing us apart...quite literally. According to a new study released today from Johns Hopkins University, it is expected that roughly 86% of Americans, or nearly 9 out of 10 Americans will be classified obese by 2030.

When one thinks of obesity, the conversations aren't about being 10 lbs. overweight or needing to get out and exercise more often. Sure, there are also many people whose bodies are simply larger than ours. Genetics and heredity play a role in many people's body shapes. However, the national problem of obesity is about being way overweight, whereas one person who is obese does not have to be so. And to this point, where we are growing larger, not because we're wired to do so but because of our lifestyle choices, this is where our national diet and lack of exercise puts us at risk. Given the meteoric rise of Insulin-related illnesses such as pancreatic cancer and Diabetes, obesity will be affecting us in ways both horrific and costly. And, given the challenges in healthcare reform and insurance coverage, we're a nation that does not need nor can it afford this kind of healthcare crisis.

The Apostle Paul told us that our bodies are a temple--that in it resides the Spirit of God. Should we not care for our bodies as temples? The way we go about doing that has a lot to do with not only exercise but what we put into it. From the way we eat to what we eat, we need to take serious our health responsibilities. Otherwise, the sins of doing otherwise may prove the prophet's warning that the sins of the parent visits their children and their children's children. Let's change how we eat and how we use our bodies--and how our children learn to eat and do as we do so that we can do our best to curb the obesity problem before it ravishes our nation, our communities, and ourselves.

A Great Book Worth Reading

2008-07-08T17:52:00.003-04:00

As you may remember during my sermon this past Sunday, I told you about a new book that I am reading called, I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church, by Paul Nixon. Let me tell you something, this book is simply incredible.

The book came recommended to me by the new pastor at my former church, Broadway UCC. The new pastor, James Campbell has since led a small group book study of the book and his church is now blossoming, or growing like a weed!

As many in our church might be offended to imply that we're dying, in truth, we're not. As you can testify (and as others continue to do so), we're actually thriving. Worship attendance throughout the year has quadrupled over the past two years and everyone can feel the energy and aliveness. We're raising money, donating money, creating new programs, and reaching out in some ways to our community. However, I am convinced that we're at a precipice. While great things have been happening, we've actually only been preparing ourselves for the magnificent journey that awaits us. That journey will be about reaching out--and as a result, growing our faith and congregation in new and surprising ways.

Just look what we've accomplished in this past year: We went through the Open and Affirming discernment process and voted to declare ourselves an Open and Affirming congregation; We reviewed and approved our new Constitution and by-laws, thereby radically changing how we organize ourselves and do ministry; We've remodeled and updated the church building; We approved the formation of a new Board called the Board of Outreach. In all the areas of change we've worked on--now we're more prepared than ever to begin to apply our faith, impact our community, and grow our congregation. How we accomplish this will begin with a vision, an identity, and a purpose. Let me invite you to read Nixon's book and see where it leads you and how it inspires you.

As you rest this summer, let me encourage you to also daydream. Let this time be one of reflection and focus as we determine how we can promote the Good News in ways that are not confrontational and yet, are also transformational at the same time. I believe this book will help us begin the conversations necessary as we find ways to grow.

Faith Journeys

Totally on Facebook

Self Help: Tips for Life + a free Snuggie

Happy Halloween

Ten Simple Way to Spend Less Money

The Pumpkins are Here

Staycation?

47 Ways to Fine Tune Your Brain

Shall the Fundamentalists Win?

I found this sermon while preparing for my sermon on Sunday. It is an interesting confrontation that ultimately caused the preacher great angst. Read the sermon and see if we're still not having the same conversations today as it was back in 1922.

“Shall the Fundamentalists Win?”: Defending Liberal Protestantism in the 1920s

UCC launching '100k for Health Care' mobilization

Why Go to Church?

Stand By Me

Sunday Sermon: God as Creator

15 Simple Changes that will Improve your Health

Health Care and Jesus

What Faith Means to Me

Changing Lives in the UCC

Great Quote

“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together...there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is, even if we're apart...I'll always be with you.” - Winnie the Pooh

Summer Newsletter and The Weekly

Catching You Up

Welcome to the Digital Generation | Edutopia

Generation We

Shift Happens

A Great Video about what the digital age

Drew Update, Week 3

Week 2 Update

Friday at Drew

Wednesday Morning

Sunday Night at Drew University

A Great Quote

"If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favor." - Voltaire

10 Ways to Make Yourself Feel Miserable

10 Ways To Make Yourself (And Everyone Around You) Miserableby Ali Hale

Talking Points on Gay Marriage

A Great Quote

Great Quote

Fish and Chips Dinner

Lazy Postings

The Sky Won't Fall

Video Weekly, Thursday, April 9, 2009

An Interesting Conversation

Town Hall for Hope

The Ark

Outreach: What Works Best

The Dangers of Fundamentalism

Pastor's Health Update

The Video Weekly, Wednesday, March 11, 2009

CUCC Video Weekly, Thursday, March 5, 2009

Geoffrey Black: The New UCC President?

Something to Dance About

The Video Weekly is Back!

Great Depression Cooking Show

Mother Teresa Said

Credit Crisis Explained...well, sorta

Marketing a Starbucks like a Church

Drew DMin Update

The Video Weekly, Thursday, February 5, 2009

A Flight 1549 Testimony

Penn's Testimony

Belated Video Weekly

A rare mute monk order from Molalla, Oregon performing the hallelujah Chorus.

Benediction of Rev. Joseph Lowery

Whoops...Forgot to Post this

Don't Walk By

Finley Tinnin, Rest in Peace

Christmastime

Catching Up

The Video Weekly, Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Video Weekly, Tuesday, December 2, 2008

You Cannot Live on Hope Alone...but you can't live without it either.

7 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Life

The Weekly, Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Great Relationship Advice

Don't Give Up, You Are Loved

Where the Heck is Matt?

Video Weekly

Funny Sayings with a Twist

10 Ways To Make Yourself (And Everyone Around You) Miserable
by Ali Hale