Thursday, February 28, 2008

Mashed Potato Church

This is vintage Terry Rush:
I may be off an author or two but I think it was Juan Carlos Ortiz who wrote a book in the 70s discussing unity. He pointed out boiled potatoes in one bowl does not equal unity just because they are all together. Mashed potatoes is unity. He went on to explain: boiled ones are still individuals simply at the same location. The mashed are blended in with all others to serve one purpose as a unit.

Boiled? These members are in but not committed. They are in the church for their welfare, but not in it for the sake of the body. There is a thin line which calls for personal examination. Are we in the church for experiencing what makes me happy or to extend the body of Christ to the current and the next generations? Are we in it because our kids like it and need it or because God has burdened our hearts to live for Him? Are we in it to give us something good to do or to show mercy and love to a rude society? Are we boiled or mashed?

If boiled we find it easier to pick up our blankets and toys and find a new picnic. If mashed we find we can’t breathe without the body of Christ…He is our total life. What makes a boiled potato a mashed one? Beaters. Jesus asked us to face the beaters every day…take up your beaters and follow me…he said, sorta. Each congregation is so much healthier mashed. There is found complete harmony. Only boiled? Oh, we may sit in the same bowl but we aren’t in it for the others. While we may sit together, we are still in this for self.

Take up your beaters. Let us submit to the beatings we take realizing we are simply in the wonderful kingdom process of God growing His people into one selfless body.

Thanks Terry. I want to "take up your beaters" with you!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Pastor makes front page news without fornication or being murdered

statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/02/24/0224faithful.html

Well, a group that I'm marginally a part of made the front page of the Sunday Statesman. The "church members", with whom Kester and Andrew are talking, are in fact called the Austin Inklings group. I'd love to know what anyone else thinks about this article.

Evangelicals divided on presidential candidates

Formidable voting group is expanding its political priorities.


AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Sunday, February 24, 2008

They gathered late on a Tuesday night, as they usually do, in a quiet upstairs room at Opal Divine's Freehouse on West Sixth Street. The group of mostly 20- and 30-something Christians drank iced tea, red wine and Belgian ale and traded thoughts about the war in Iraq, abortion and immigration reform....

"The devil is in the details"

This Sunday morning, Kanez taught class for us. One of the more brilliant facts is that Kirsten asked him to teach. That is really cool on multiple levels, not the least of which is that she totally felt comfortable in deciding this without "checking up". So if you ever hear about the "college class" at Westover, it really is the college student's class.

Kanez expounded from Psalms 26. He moved us though David's thoughts on walking with God, and not just his rejection of strolling with the wicked, but an all out hatred of those deeds. We postulated, "How do we get to that point" because it's not so simple. Being surrounded by temptation, slipping into evil isn't hard. A book on economics and trends, The Tipping Point, describes in detail how doing the little things, when seen together, make the difference. And this is the way our lives are lived. Small decisions. Incremental steps. As we've been reading in The Screwtape Letters, it's those small thoughts, often placed by a tempter, that we allow to get a foothold that start the seeds of sin.

In ancient literature, authors did not grapple with a person's thought processes, but simply reported on their actions. The reader was expected to determine the "why". We must probe ourselves to determine the "why" for our own decisions! As Christ said on the Sermon on the Mount, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

As Screwtape himself would tell us, "The devil is in the details". But then, so is the Spirit.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Alma Mater (again)

So, I just know some of you are dying to know what education was like back in '88. Here is a marketing video done by Harding University in that year. It has something for everyone! Marketing/Accounting, Engineering, Video/MassComm, Education, Style criticisms, etc. (Please keep in mind that my family was typically too poor to possess some of these finer styles.)

Enjoy! (Part I)


Find Part II and Part III here.

Pingback: Credit goes to Mark Elrod, current prof at HU for reference to this video.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Give Recklessly

Here's something a friend from Ghana, Tommy Drinnen, wrote a little while back.
Salamatu is a young orphaned girl at the Village of Hope. She is in the 2nd grade (Class 2) and is just one of the most amazing little girls. She is a girl that cannot hide any emotion she is experiencing - it comes out all over her face and body. If she likes something she claps and jumps and screams - i love her passion. She received some stickers in the mail as a gift from someone - she was jumping up and down and so excited. Then she wrote a letter to the person saying thanks and on the letter put every sticker that she had received to decorate the letter nicely. She literally gave away her entire gift to say thank you.

Maybe that’s the answer...maybe that’s how we lead, how we live. We do not simply talk about or worship the center - we live the center - we live the cross - we give recklessly and passionately. I define "reckless" as behavior that causes people to say, "you're crazy, that is enough, stop now." And yet we go on. And we only make the distinctions that Jesus made - which, by the way, were none. He gave recklessly to those who got it and those who did not. He gave to those who deserved it, and those who did not. He gave to those who were accepted and those who were not. And in those acts of reckless giving, he revealed the center of it all.
Though Tommy is American pouring out his life in another land, these thoughts still plague him. How provoking this is for me and the way I deal inside my [selfish] little world!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

I clean up throw up

I'm sure that people threw up in the ancient world. Surely Sarah or one of her servants undercooked the pork and caused Abe's food poisoning one night. (He was wishin' he had the Law that night.) I'm sure Moses picked up the stomach flu while on the wilderness trail. I'd bet throwing up was part of David's insanity act before Achish (or Abimelech?). And it's tough to see how that third captain didn't at least soil his shorts when required to "bring Elijah in", the burninator. Of course there's all those times as the king of Israel looked over the walls to see the invading army approaching. Definitely a yak moment. On the NT side, all those demons.... Surely that afforded for a bit of stomach acid.

When Jesus bends to wash the feet of the Passover guests, and the commentator's say it was a gross job, which only the lowest of the servants did, I have to think it wasn't physically pleasant. I'd bet those manual labor, backwoods zealots didn't pay much attention to the [literal] crap they stepped into that day. How much did they chagrin to see their Master begin this task? (By the way, can you imagine give Simon Peter, the former fishmonger, a sponge bath? You can understand why Jesus demurred at that task. ;-) ) But now, when I consider my own feet, this task doesn't even compare. It's only my 8 and 11/12ths year old son's feet that even come close and he's not even negotiating dog poop in our yard, though my precious wife often hollers when his shoes come off unexpectedly warm and odoriferous. But that's about our extent of foot grossdom.

I've heard tales of those volunteering to clean latrines/outhouse holes. I've seen the "dirty jobs" guy do some horrendous stuff. But none of those things are part of my normal life! That's why I clean up throw up. Though I'll find myself avoiding the direct fire and often even the "innocent victim" side swipe, I will almost always come to the rescue. You see, Christ cleaned very dirty feet that day. Honestly, that was a normal job in his day, but it doesn't directly translate to me. So, I go for the vomit. I imagine the smells I catch are almost as bad as those feet that day, especially if it's the stomach flu!

In terms of holiness, baptism and The Lord's Supper are set apart. But here's a command that could be a rite and eucharistic as well: "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet." (John 13:14)

So, when you are called forth on such an errand of mercy, consider Jesus, your Lord and Master, who did it first. You may want to ask Him to hold your nose for you.

Friday, February 1, 2008

1 > 0

One is Greater Than None
(Thanks to Mike Cope for this article.)

Eight junior high girls saw the Oprah show with my sister-in-law last year. You can read about the result here. They’re supposed to be interviewed on “The Today Show” tomorrow morning.

This is from their website:

For months, a group of 14 year-old girls talked about starting a charity. These eight girls were determined to make a difference in someone’s life, but never seemed to agree on “who, what, where or how”. They did however have the answer to the most important question. “Why?”...

One of the girls saw an Oprah episode “The Little Boy Oprah Couldn’t Forget” featuring children from Ghana, Africa, being sold for as little as $20 by their families, unknowingly, into a life of servitude. In April 2007, during a school break, the girls gathered to watch that Oprah episode. They were all heartbroken that something like this was actually happening in the world. Ghana was so far away but the International Organization for Migration (IOM) was making it possible for people to sponsor rescue missions that would save these trafficked children from a life of hard labor and abuse. They found out it would cost about $4300* to rescue one child. This would fund 2 ½ years of food, shelter, an education and love. Oprah urged everyone to reach inside themselves and find their potential to make even a small difference.

The girls were determined to save some of these children. One of the girls asked, “What if we only raise enough money to save one child?” The response was “Well, one is better than none.” And that is how “One is Greater than None” began. The girls decided to make bracelets and package them on cards that would educate people about what was going on in the fishing villages of Ghana. They designed a necklace with eight wooden beads, representing each girl, which surrounds a recycled glass bead made in Ghana. Tee shirts were made with their logo, (1>0), and their tag line “Be Part of the Equation.”

The girls wanted to raise money, but they were equally determined to raise social awareness. Do anything. Do something. It is such a simple premise, but how easily the world could change if everyone embraced that philosophy. On June 8th, the final bracelet cards were packaged. On June 16th the girls officially raised enough money to save their first child! So many great things have come from what the girls have started. The website was generously donated, which will make their goals even more attainable. Printing, legal consultation, photographers, tee shirts etc… have all been donated by people wanting to contribute in any way they can to help save the trafficked children in Ghana.

The International Organization for Migration have been wonderful. On July 31st, Eric Peasah, the gentleman who runs the rescue missions came to New York to meet the girls. They were excited and honored. WABC filmed the meeting and the response was amazing.

In August, the “1>0″ apparel line was successfully launched in NYC. An editor of Teen Vogue loved the clothing line but more important, the initiative the girls have taken to save these children. “One is Greater than None” was featured in their Dec/January issue. They have been featured on National Television and Bloomingdales will be carrying the 1>0 apparel line in February. For updates and store locations check out their website. In January the International Organization for Migration has a scheduled rescue mission. With the support of hundreds of people, the girls of “One is Greater than None” have raised enough money to sponsor eight of these children. They are working on sponsoring a full rescue mission of 25 children. Your support is invaluable so please spread the word. More children need to come home.

There are problems everywhere. In so many cases there are solutions. The girls are asking everyone to look around and then look inside. The answers are there. It’s time to ask how you can “Be part of the equation”. They are an inspiration to everyone, that anyone can make a difference no matter how limited their resources. These girls are full of love and hope. Who would have imagined what eight 14 year-old girls could accomplish in just 6 months? We should be in awe of how the universe has made it possible for the 1>0 girls to reach across the world, take a child’s hand and say, “You were not forgotten…”