Did you know that the New York Philharmonic just gave a concert in, wait for it, North Korea?!?! Their orchestra was the biggest single group of Americans in North Korea since the Korean War. I'm afraid the significance of this concert has been lost on many of us. In his 2004 (I believe, I could very well be wrong, it might have been earlier but I'm short on time to check it out right now) State of the Union Address President Bush labeled North Korea as a member of "The Axis of Evil." Given their atrocious civil rights practices, the government of North Korea probably deserved that title (obviously that's not the angle President Bush was coming from).
That's a pretty big leap in a short time: from Axis of Evil to hosting one of America's premiere cultural institutions! The concert began with the orchestra playing both countries anthems and then moved to pieces that mostly highlighted the orchestra's history.
We often here people talk about music being a universal language (which, let's be honest, there is no one musical language that is universal so therefore "music" cannot be a universal language, but the human act of the creation of music is a universal act among all cultures). What a blessing it is to see art used as a bridge to open up dialogue between diverse groups of people!
Their are rumors that Eric Clapton has been invited to give a concert in North Korea in 2009.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Big Revisions!
I just altered the previous post "An Article for the Church Newsletter..." because, after reviewing it today, the style was pretty rough! Sorry about that!
Joe
Joe
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
An article for the church newsletter...
Here is an article I just wrote about the basics of Holy Week for the church newsletter. It was fun "getting back to the basics!"
Some Liturgical Theology in a Nutshell, or, What’s Holy Week All About?
by Rev. Joe Stobaugh
We are about to experience some of the most important events in the life of Jesus this month. Holy Week is, arguably, the most vital week in the Church Year. It is my prayer that the information that follows will help you to enter into this week in a deeper and richer way.
Passion/Palm Sunday
Holy Week begins with Passion/Palm Sunday, which this year falls on March 16th. During this service, we mark the irony of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, where his followers and others spread out their coats and palm branches for Jesus and his donkey to ride into the city. With our voices this day we cry out “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” And with these same voices, we recognize ourselves as the ones who later in the week will also shout, “Crucify him!” The irony does not end there, however. Traditionally, the Roman Empire would march a legion of troops into Jerusalem the week before the Passover service was observed in an effort to remind the citizens of Jerusalem of who was “really in charge.” Many scholars have suggested that Jesus timed his entry in Jerusalem to occur on the other side of the city, at the same time as the Roman’s march into Jerusalem, as a demonstration against the empire. The act was laced with irony: the empires of this world marched in their glory, coming to crush any opposition with force, while Christ marched into the city on the back of a simple donkey, preparing to crush evil, the powers and principalities, and sin with grace, sacrifice, and love. The contrasts couldn’t be clearer between of the way of Christ and the way of the world.
In order to enter into this week fully try putting yourself in the events of this week: from Passion/Palm Sunday, to the Upper Room, to the Cross, and to then finally to the Resurrection! Where are you in these stories?
Maundy Thursday
On Thursday we enter into one of the most ancient times of worship, prayer, reflection and action in the Christian tradition. The events that begin sunset of this Thursday, and end on sunset of Easter Day are known at The Triduum
(the three days).
After sunset on Holy Thursday, the church remembers the actions of the last night of Jesus’ life, when he spent time with his disciples in the upper room, washing their feet, instituting the Lord’s Supper and his new commandment to love one another. This mandatum novum (new commandment, from which this service draws it’s name) comes from Jesus’ words in John 13:34: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
Maundy Thursday calls us to focus on the hope and love for the community that comes from the Last Supper and of our call to serve others, as Jesus’ demonstrated by washing the disciples feet.
Good Friday
During this most solemn of days, we mark the death of Jesus Christ. This day is filled with mystery, power, and significance. During this day we remember not only Jesus’ immeasurable sacrifice but we also ponder the depth of God’s love and God’s dream that all of God’s creation would be redeemed and restored. We marvel at the mystery of God’s greatest gift of love to us. We stand amazed, grateful, and perhaps confused and frightened at the power of the cross.
In the early church Good Friday was a time of deep intercessory prayer. In addition to marveling at the depth of God’s love, we too will enter into a time of deep prayer for the needs of the world this day.
Easter
On this day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! God has vanquished death, the final bastion of evil and sin! This day is the most celebrative day in the church year!
The early church celebrated Easter (as do many churches in our own time, including many United Methodist congregations) by holding an Easter Vigil. During the Easter Vigil, which usually starts late in the evening on Saturday (so as to finish early on Easter morning) God’ great acts of salvation as found through the Bible are proclaimed through song, readings and other acts. Traditionally, the service begins in darkness, outside of the church, and a great fire is lit outside of the church. The community processes in with a large candle, called the Paschal Candle, which represents the Light of Christ being brought back into the world, just as Christ came back from death. A beautiful song of praise, called the Exultet is sung and God’s saving acts are proclaimed. Traditionally, all those who were to be baptized received the sacrament at this service.
Our service, on Easter morning, will be a time of great joy and celebration as we praise God for all that God has done! This Sunday is the culmination of the church year! We will sing songs, hear a sermon, and experience the deep and abiding joy that comes from Christ’s victory.
For the following fifty days, we will continue to celebrate Easter and will then celebrate Pentecost, the birthday of the church, where the Spirit was poured down onto the believers.
Parts of this article are used with permission from The Worship Sourcebook © 2004, CRC Publications.
Some Liturgical Theology in a Nutshell, or, What’s Holy Week All About?
by Rev. Joe Stobaugh
We are about to experience some of the most important events in the life of Jesus this month. Holy Week is, arguably, the most vital week in the Church Year. It is my prayer that the information that follows will help you to enter into this week in a deeper and richer way.
Passion/Palm Sunday
Holy Week begins with Passion/Palm Sunday, which this year falls on March 16th. During this service, we mark the irony of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, where his followers and others spread out their coats and palm branches for Jesus and his donkey to ride into the city. With our voices this day we cry out “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” And with these same voices, we recognize ourselves as the ones who later in the week will also shout, “Crucify him!” The irony does not end there, however. Traditionally, the Roman Empire would march a legion of troops into Jerusalem the week before the Passover service was observed in an effort to remind the citizens of Jerusalem of who was “really in charge.” Many scholars have suggested that Jesus timed his entry in Jerusalem to occur on the other side of the city, at the same time as the Roman’s march into Jerusalem, as a demonstration against the empire. The act was laced with irony: the empires of this world marched in their glory, coming to crush any opposition with force, while Christ marched into the city on the back of a simple donkey, preparing to crush evil, the powers and principalities, and sin with grace, sacrifice, and love. The contrasts couldn’t be clearer between of the way of Christ and the way of the world.
In order to enter into this week fully try putting yourself in the events of this week: from Passion/Palm Sunday, to the Upper Room, to the Cross, and to then finally to the Resurrection! Where are you in these stories?
Maundy Thursday
On Thursday we enter into one of the most ancient times of worship, prayer, reflection and action in the Christian tradition. The events that begin sunset of this Thursday, and end on sunset of Easter Day are known at The Triduum
(the three days).
After sunset on Holy Thursday, the church remembers the actions of the last night of Jesus’ life, when he spent time with his disciples in the upper room, washing their feet, instituting the Lord’s Supper and his new commandment to love one another. This mandatum novum (new commandment, from which this service draws it’s name) comes from Jesus’ words in John 13:34: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
Maundy Thursday calls us to focus on the hope and love for the community that comes from the Last Supper and of our call to serve others, as Jesus’ demonstrated by washing the disciples feet.
Good Friday
During this most solemn of days, we mark the death of Jesus Christ. This day is filled with mystery, power, and significance. During this day we remember not only Jesus’ immeasurable sacrifice but we also ponder the depth of God’s love and God’s dream that all of God’s creation would be redeemed and restored. We marvel at the mystery of God’s greatest gift of love to us. We stand amazed, grateful, and perhaps confused and frightened at the power of the cross.
In the early church Good Friday was a time of deep intercessory prayer. In addition to marveling at the depth of God’s love, we too will enter into a time of deep prayer for the needs of the world this day.
Easter
On this day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! God has vanquished death, the final bastion of evil and sin! This day is the most celebrative day in the church year!
The early church celebrated Easter (as do many churches in our own time, including many United Methodist congregations) by holding an Easter Vigil. During the Easter Vigil, which usually starts late in the evening on Saturday (so as to finish early on Easter morning) God’ great acts of salvation as found through the Bible are proclaimed through song, readings and other acts. Traditionally, the service begins in darkness, outside of the church, and a great fire is lit outside of the church. The community processes in with a large candle, called the Paschal Candle, which represents the Light of Christ being brought back into the world, just as Christ came back from death. A beautiful song of praise, called the Exultet is sung and God’s saving acts are proclaimed. Traditionally, all those who were to be baptized received the sacrament at this service.
Our service, on Easter morning, will be a time of great joy and celebration as we praise God for all that God has done! This Sunday is the culmination of the church year! We will sing songs, hear a sermon, and experience the deep and abiding joy that comes from Christ’s victory.
For the following fifty days, we will continue to celebrate Easter and will then celebrate Pentecost, the birthday of the church, where the Spirit was poured down onto the believers.
Parts of this article are used with permission from The Worship Sourcebook © 2004, CRC Publications.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Twelve minutes...
It's time to head home for the day! I love, love, love, love my 12 minute commute! Sarah, Ellie, double gummy, the jacks, and I have officially become residents of Denton County! Our new home, located in Corinth, Texas, is only 12 minutes away from the church. I just can't believe it! The commute seems like nothing from the 80 mile round-trip beating we endured the previous four months. Ahhh....satisfaction....domestic bliss....
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Things Every American Should do at Least Once!
Today in the Chicago airport Sarah and I sampled some local cuisine: Sarah had the Superdawg and I had the Whoopzitdawg (or something like that). As hot dogs and sausages are king in Chicago it only seemed right. Oh, wow, they were good! The hot dog place we sampled is a Chicago staple dating from the 1930’s. (I must admit, I was tempted to have a piece of Chicago pizza in Chicago for lunch and a piece of New York pizza in New York for dinner, but, sweet 6 lbs. 3 oz baby Jesus, the pizza looked bad! I mean real bad. So the sausage it was!)
This experience got me thinning (no, actually it got me fattening) it got me THINKING, what are the quintessential American experiences? What should every American do/experience in their lives?
Here’s Joe and Sarah’s Top 13 Things Every American Should Do at Least Once, at least at this moment!
1. Stand in the middle of Times Square and experience what it’s like to stand at the crossroads of the world. (A bit Amero-centric? You betcha!)
2. Ride a cable-car in San Francisco on a foggy night
3. Catch a Yankee’s-Red Sox game (in both Fenway and Yankee Stadium)
4. Experience the major schools of American bbq
5. Hear live jazz at least once in your life and actually pay attention (it’s America’s classical music)
6. Travel outside of America!
7. Have Mexican food in San Antonio (it’s just not the same anywhere else)
8. Experience all that New Orleans has to offer
9. See the Grand Canyon
10. Check out Niagara Falls (but from the Canadian side)
11. Spend at least a week in D.C.
12. Check out the historical sights in Philly (and have a Philly cheesesteak, trust us, you can’t skip the cheesesteak. If you have to, go back and do it again, but this time, have the cheesesteak. For the love of America, have the cheesesteak!)
13. Experience Disneyworld (going to EPCOT does not count towards completing number 6 on this list)
What would you recommend as a “must-do.” What have we missed?
This experience got me thinning (no, actually it got me fattening) it got me THINKING, what are the quintessential American experiences? What should every American do/experience in their lives?
Here’s Joe and Sarah’s Top 13 Things Every American Should Do at Least Once, at least at this moment!
1. Stand in the middle of Times Square and experience what it’s like to stand at the crossroads of the world. (A bit Amero-centric? You betcha!)
2. Ride a cable-car in San Francisco on a foggy night
3. Catch a Yankee’s-Red Sox game (in both Fenway and Yankee Stadium)
4. Experience the major schools of American bbq
5. Hear live jazz at least once in your life and actually pay attention (it’s America’s classical music)
6. Travel outside of America!
7. Have Mexican food in San Antonio (it’s just not the same anywhere else)
8. Experience all that New Orleans has to offer
9. See the Grand Canyon
10. Check out Niagara Falls (but from the Canadian side)
11. Spend at least a week in D.C.
12. Check out the historical sights in Philly (and have a Philly cheesesteak, trust us, you can’t skip the cheesesteak. If you have to, go back and do it again, but this time, have the cheesesteak. For the love of America, have the cheesesteak!)
13. Experience Disneyworld (going to EPCOT does not count towards completing number 6 on this list)
What would you recommend as a “must-do.” What have we missed?
Ahh, the CITY: part deux
So, after the longest approach in the history of aviation (probably not true, really) we landed in Chicago. I was going to take Sarah out for a nice dinner and then surprise her with our destination but our little adventure on I-35 kept that from happening.
First things first: Sarah. She is simply the most amazing woman I know! She is an incredible person of faith, the best mom around and a crazy awesome wife. God has blessed me richly in allowing me to be her husband. Plus, she’s hotter now than ever! I’m decent with words but I do not have to words to express how amazing she is and how blessed I am and how much I love her. True story.
Second things second: the CITY. They say Chicago is downtown USA. They also say that Manhattan is downtown World. Whoever they are (o.k., ‘they’ is Mark Rubinstein) well, they are right! What’s not to love about New York? Over seven million people, over 80 languages, 30,000 restaurants, some of the most incredible art and culture (and yes, it kills me to admit it, they do have a decent sports team or two) a tremendous vibe, and all on an island! You cannot beat that.
I’ve had the good fortune to go to L.A. (well, maybe that’s not good fortune), London, Paris, and Rome but for my money, give me New York! (Paris is a close second.)
If we have time, we’ll post more about the trip as we go.
First things first: Sarah. She is simply the most amazing woman I know! She is an incredible person of faith, the best mom around and a crazy awesome wife. God has blessed me richly in allowing me to be her husband. Plus, she’s hotter now than ever! I’m decent with words but I do not have to words to express how amazing she is and how blessed I am and how much I love her. True story.
Second things second: the CITY. They say Chicago is downtown USA. They also say that Manhattan is downtown World. Whoever they are (o.k., ‘they’ is Mark Rubinstein) well, they are right! What’s not to love about New York? Over seven million people, over 80 languages, 30,000 restaurants, some of the most incredible art and culture (and yes, it kills me to admit it, they do have a decent sports team or two) a tremendous vibe, and all on an island! You cannot beat that.
I’ve had the good fortune to go to L.A. (well, maybe that’s not good fortune), London, Paris, and Rome but for my money, give me New York! (Paris is a close second.)
If we have time, we’ll post more about the trip as we go.
Ahh, the CITY!
Whenever you put a word like “city” in all caps, you’ve got to know that you are talking about a word that everyone will recognize and agree on. Which city comes to mind when you read those two words: the CITY? Well of course, you are right! NEW YORK CITY! Right now Sarah and I are at 30,000, about to land in Chicago on our way to NYC for a long weekend. This weekend is not only Valentine’s Day Weekend (I just changed it from a day to a weekend) but also, and more importantly, my beautiful bride turns thirty this weekend! So I thought that I absolutely needed to take her on a surprise trip this weekend somewhere cool. We both love the Big Apple and she hasn’t had the chance to go back in a while so it was an easy choice!
I managed to conceal the destination of trip (as well as how I was paying for it) until yesterday. We were going to go out for a nice dinner and hang on; apparently I got to go, as we are about to land.
I managed to conceal the destination of trip (as well as how I was paying for it) until yesterday. We were going to go out for a nice dinner and hang on; apparently I got to go, as we are about to land.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Death was near...
February 14th, 2008 4:01 p.m.
Death was near
We got everything packed up last night and moved out of our house in San Antonio and arrived in Austin at12:30 this morning. Uncle James and Aunt Chelsea fixed us a wonderful breakfast and we hit the road. At about 1 1:10, on I-35 we were traveling in the left lane in a construction zone south of Salado when a 4x4 piece of wood rolled into our lane. We were in the left lane and a semi was in the right lane. Sarah, who was driving, had no choice but to hit the piece of wood dead-on at 70 mph. The blow ruptured both left-side tires, bent both rims and nearly sheered off the front spindle. Sarah was able to coax the fan into the right lane and we kept going for about ¼ mile trying to find an exit but to no avail: this stretch of I-35 has no exits and retaining walls on each side of the highway. There was not a shoulder for us to pull-off on. As we looked back, Sarah saw two semi’s that were behind us in a cloud of smoke. Both of the semis’s blocked the traffic, so we found ourselves alone on I-35. Thankfully, we came out just fine, injury- wise. The drivers behind us were not so lucky. I dialed 911 while we were still moving and, not too long after we stopped emergency vehicles were all over the place. We saw a care-flight helicopter and many ambulances: at the sight of the first ambulance we stopped-down for some prayer time.
As soon as we stopped and realized that there was no moving traffic behind us, Sarah called our insurance company while I looked to see how bad the damage was. Amazingly, we had zero body-damage but our tires and rims were destroyed.
About an hour later our tow-truck came and we were towed to the Mac Haik Dodge dealership in Temple, Texas. The dealership was fantastic: it was like we had our own pit crew! While we were waiting for the repairs to be finished two gracious DPS officers found us and we gave our information about the accident. We inquired about the accident and were told that no one had died, thank God (literally).
$777 dollars lighter and eight hours later, we were on our way back to Dallas.
Death was near
We got everything packed up last night and moved out of our house in San Antonio and arrived in Austin at12:30 this morning. Uncle James and Aunt Chelsea fixed us a wonderful breakfast and we hit the road. At about 1 1:10, on I-35 we were traveling in the left lane in a construction zone south of Salado when a 4x4 piece of wood rolled into our lane. We were in the left lane and a semi was in the right lane. Sarah, who was driving, had no choice but to hit the piece of wood dead-on at 70 mph. The blow ruptured both left-side tires, bent both rims and nearly sheered off the front spindle. Sarah was able to coax the fan into the right lane and we kept going for about ¼ mile trying to find an exit but to no avail: this stretch of I-35 has no exits and retaining walls on each side of the highway. There was not a shoulder for us to pull-off on. As we looked back, Sarah saw two semi’s that were behind us in a cloud of smoke. Both of the semis’s blocked the traffic, so we found ourselves alone on I-35. Thankfully, we came out just fine, injury- wise. The drivers behind us were not so lucky. I dialed 911 while we were still moving and, not too long after we stopped emergency vehicles were all over the place. We saw a care-flight helicopter and many ambulances: at the sight of the first ambulance we stopped-down for some prayer time.
As soon as we stopped and realized that there was no moving traffic behind us, Sarah called our insurance company while I looked to see how bad the damage was. Amazingly, we had zero body-damage but our tires and rims were destroyed.
About an hour later our tow-truck came and we were towed to the Mac Haik Dodge dealership in Temple, Texas. The dealership was fantastic: it was like we had our own pit crew! While we were waiting for the repairs to be finished two gracious DPS officers found us and we gave our information about the accident. We inquired about the accident and were told that no one had died, thank God (literally).
$777 dollars lighter and eight hours later, we were on our way back to Dallas.
Friday, February 15, 2008
A Conversation in a C-Store
After grabbing some breakfast for Sarah and I in Converse, I stopped into a convenience store to pick up some ice for our move (in the hopes that we could salvage some of our condiments). At the checkout I saw a magazine with Barack Obama on the cover. If you’ve read this blog in the last year or so, you’ve probably come across his name more than once. Needless to say, I am a big fan. (I’m blogging this on a flight to New York but we are changing planes in Chicago, home of said presidential candidate.)
The lady who was checking me out saw the magazine and asked, “Do you like him?” I should note that the lady was from the Middle East and was wearing the traditional Muslim garb for women. (Not a birkah but her head was covered.)
We struck up a five-minute conversation about him and the need to change politics in this country. Needless to say, there was no one else in line! She said that, for the very least, we need to change things for our children, and by ours, she meant the children of the world. She talked about how there was just no need for children to live in fear and was quite passionate about it. She is right. More to the point, she thought (as I do) that Obama is our best chance at beginning to move in a positive direction as a country. This woman was passionate about her politics and about her candidate, and I loved it!
The lady who was checking me out saw the magazine and asked, “Do you like him?” I should note that the lady was from the Middle East and was wearing the traditional Muslim garb for women. (Not a birkah but her head was covered.)
We struck up a five-minute conversation about him and the need to change politics in this country. Needless to say, there was no one else in line! She said that, for the very least, we need to change things for our children, and by ours, she meant the children of the world. She talked about how there was just no need for children to live in fear and was quite passionate about it. She is right. More to the point, she thought (as I do) that Obama is our best chance at beginning to move in a positive direction as a country. This woman was passionate about her politics and about her candidate, and I loved it!
A Conversation in a C-Store
After grabbing some breakfast for Sarah and I in Converse, I stopped into a convenience store to pick up some ice for our move (in the hopes that we could salvage some of our condiments). At the checkout I saw a magazine with Barack Obama on the cover. If you’ve read this blog in the last year or so, you’ve probably come across his name more than once. Needless to say, I am a big fan. (I’m blogging this on a flight to New York but we are changing planes in Chicago, home of said presidential candidate.)
The lady who was checking me out saw the magazine and asked, “Do you like him?” I should note that the lady was from the Middle East and was wearing the traditional Muslim garb for women. (Not a birkah but her head was covered.)
We struck up a five-minute conversation about him and the need to change politics in this country. Needless to say, there was no one else in line! She said that, for the very least, we need to change things for our children, and by ours, she meant the children of the world. She talked about how there was just no need for children to live in fear and was quite passionate about it. She is right. More to the point, she thought (as I do) that Obama is our best chance at beginning to move in a positive direction as a country. This woman was passionate about her politics and about her candidate, and I loved it!
The lady who was checking me out saw the magazine and asked, “Do you like him?” I should note that the lady was from the Middle East and was wearing the traditional Muslim garb for women. (Not a birkah but her head was covered.)
We struck up a five-minute conversation about him and the need to change politics in this country. Needless to say, there was no one else in line! She said that, for the very least, we need to change things for our children, and by ours, she meant the children of the world. She talked about how there was just no need for children to live in fear and was quite passionate about it. She is right. More to the point, she thought (as I do) that Obama is our best chance at beginning to move in a positive direction as a country. This woman was passionate about her politics and about her candidate, and I loved it!
The Move: Round One
Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 9:20 p.m.
Has there ever been a more functional appliance invented than the Mac PowerBook? I’m typing this blog entry on my Mac as my wife is driving the ole’ Dodge minivan on I-35 and our beautiful daughter is watching her hero, Dora the Explorer, on the screen in the van.
The family unit (minus the two Jack Russell Terriers) is taking that long trip down 35 to San Antonio for the last time. Tomorrow morning (after we drop Ellie off with her Aunt Chelsea and Uncle James in Austin tonight) Sarah and I will begin cleaning behind the movers as they pack up all of our possessions and prepare to move them north.
This ride at night from North Texas to South Texas with a move on the brain brings me back to the night we moved from Longview to SA. We arrived in SA in the middle of the night, bone weary, and found a hotel to stay in that night. The next day our closing was an absolute nightmare. Fortunately, it all came together and by the following evening we were all moved in.
Fast forward two and half years: we are on the road, at night, preparing for another move.
I hate to admit it but I am emotional about selling this house. I suppose my emotions are primarily sentimental. The house we are about to sell tomorrow contains a great many memories for us as a family.
This house was the first house that Ellie ever lived in. I’ll never forget those last few weeks of the pregnancy and then of Ellie’s birth. I don’t have the words to describe how it felt to bring Ellie from the hospital into her new home. That house contains so many “firsts.” First bath, first crawling, first steps, first words, etc., etc.
The house also came to represent several different things to me. First, while we lived there I learned that church really could be done differently and wonderfully. The house came to represent hope, vocationally speaking.
San Antonio was the first stop for us where we had real friends in our community. We had tremendous neighbors and incredible friends from the church. We had all kinds of gatherings at our house, from folks coming in from out of town for TMEA to the youth from the church. So many good times! I hope those friendships will endure. Our home was really a place of peace, comfort, and community. Tomorrow is going to be bittersweet.
Has there ever been a more functional appliance invented than the Mac PowerBook? I’m typing this blog entry on my Mac as my wife is driving the ole’ Dodge minivan on I-35 and our beautiful daughter is watching her hero, Dora the Explorer, on the screen in the van.
The family unit (minus the two Jack Russell Terriers) is taking that long trip down 35 to San Antonio for the last time. Tomorrow morning (after we drop Ellie off with her Aunt Chelsea and Uncle James in Austin tonight) Sarah and I will begin cleaning behind the movers as they pack up all of our possessions and prepare to move them north.
This ride at night from North Texas to South Texas with a move on the brain brings me back to the night we moved from Longview to SA. We arrived in SA in the middle of the night, bone weary, and found a hotel to stay in that night. The next day our closing was an absolute nightmare. Fortunately, it all came together and by the following evening we were all moved in.
Fast forward two and half years: we are on the road, at night, preparing for another move.
I hate to admit it but I am emotional about selling this house. I suppose my emotions are primarily sentimental. The house we are about to sell tomorrow contains a great many memories for us as a family.
This house was the first house that Ellie ever lived in. I’ll never forget those last few weeks of the pregnancy and then of Ellie’s birth. I don’t have the words to describe how it felt to bring Ellie from the hospital into her new home. That house contains so many “firsts.” First bath, first crawling, first steps, first words, etc., etc.
The house also came to represent several different things to me. First, while we lived there I learned that church really could be done differently and wonderfully. The house came to represent hope, vocationally speaking.
San Antonio was the first stop for us where we had real friends in our community. We had tremendous neighbors and incredible friends from the church. We had all kinds of gatherings at our house, from folks coming in from out of town for TMEA to the youth from the church. So many good times! I hope those friendships will endure. Our home was really a place of peace, comfort, and community. Tomorrow is going to be bittersweet.
Blogging from the road!
Greetings from New York City!
I hope all is well! Sarah and I have been on the road since Tuesday of this week and we've been keeping up with blog posting's via the mac. What follows will be some installments of what we've been up to!
I hope all is well! Sarah and I have been on the road since Tuesday of this week and we've been keeping up with blog posting's via the mac. What follows will be some installments of what we've been up to!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Speaking of the Grammy's
It was great to also see Joe Zawinul get some Grammy love tonight: God rest his soul. We lost a lot of good ones this year: Max Roach, Joe Zawinul, Beverly Sills, Pavarotti, Mistislav, just to name a few.
And, in what is a hopeful sign, in addition to winning Maine, Barack Obama won a Grammy! A crazy night!
And, in what is a hopeful sign, in addition to winning Maine, Barack Obama won a Grammy! A crazy night!
I am SHOCKED!!!!! And delighted!!!
I can't believe it!!!!!! I just got home and finished watching the Grammy's (thank you, TiVo) and I just am thrilled and in shock! Herbie Hancock won!!!!!!!!!! Amazing! Fantastic! Inspiring!!! It's been 43 years since a jazz album has been nominated for album of the year. And he won! Wow! My jaw hit the floor!
If you have not checked out this album yet go to iTunes and buy it! Especially if you are a casual jazz fan, or looking to get your feet wet, or even if you don't like Joni Mitchell's music: you will not be sorry! It is simply gorgeous. Wayne Shorter's playing on this album is simply inspired! (That was Ellie's first jazz concert: we took her to hear Wayne Shorter about a month before she was born!)
A jazz album wins in 2008...amazing.
And, to top it all off, Herbie quoted Barack! Can't beat it!
Wow!
If you have not checked out this album yet go to iTunes and buy it! Especially if you are a casual jazz fan, or looking to get your feet wet, or even if you don't like Joni Mitchell's music: you will not be sorry! It is simply gorgeous. Wayne Shorter's playing on this album is simply inspired! (That was Ellie's first jazz concert: we took her to hear Wayne Shorter about a month before she was born!)
A jazz album wins in 2008...amazing.
And, to top it all off, Herbie quoted Barack! Can't beat it!
Wow!
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards
The Grammy's run hot and cold for me. Usually I only tune in if I remember that the show is on or if I am interested in an artist whose been nominated. This year, however, I'm interested. Maybe its because I'm about to turn thirty (and all that implies) but I've ben keeping up with pop music a bit more this year than in years past. For the first time in years I own sevearl of the albums that will be nominated for Album of the Year (Kanye West's "Graduation," Herbie Hancock's "River: The Joni Letters" and bits and pieces from iTunes of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black."). Certainly I have my favorite in that category but the offerings are so different this year. I'll be pulling for Herbie Hancock but, baring that, I think Kanye's offering would be a good choice. Both albums are beautiful and innovative in their own ways. The musicianship and sensitivity on Hancock's album is absolutely beautiful and virtuosic and Kanye's album grooves so hard. This is a compelling category this year. Experience tells me that West is going to win but it would be wonderful if Hancock did!
So, just for fun, here are my predictions in the major categories (that I have interest in):
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
"Graduation" by Kanye West (but in my heart, I would love for Herbie Hancock to win.)
RECORD OF THE YEAR
"What Goes Around...Comes Around" Justin Timberlake (You hate to admit it but this groove is a guilty pleasure for you.)
SONG OF THE YEAR
"Hey There Delilah" Plain White T's (This is a tough category: it was impossible to escape any of these songs in 2007.)
BEST NEW ARTIST
Amy Winehouse (though Feist and Paramore could be contenders)
BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Candyman" Christina Aguliera (Nelly Furtato and Winehouse will be in the running in a big way)
BEST MALE POP PERFORAMCE
"Belief" John Mayer (well, maybe I just hope he wins because he plays Fender guitars very well!)
BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
O.K., I want U2 to win for "Window in the Skies"
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
"Back to Black" Amy Winehouse
BEST ROCK SONG
"Icky Thump" The White Stripes (maybe the purest rock song in the last few years).
BEST RAP SONG
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" Kanye West. (It's beautiful and the lyrics are surprisingly forth right!)
BEST RAP ALBUM
"Graduation" Kanye West (Though it will be more interesting to watch him if he doesn't win.)
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Did you hear that? That was the sound of me getting up to do something else during that segment (though Brad Paisley is a very good guitarist.)
We'll see, eh?
So, just for fun, here are my predictions in the major categories (that I have interest in):
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
"Graduation" by Kanye West (but in my heart, I would love for Herbie Hancock to win.)
RECORD OF THE YEAR
"What Goes Around...Comes Around" Justin Timberlake (You hate to admit it but this groove is a guilty pleasure for you.)
SONG OF THE YEAR
"Hey There Delilah" Plain White T's (This is a tough category: it was impossible to escape any of these songs in 2007.)
BEST NEW ARTIST
Amy Winehouse (though Feist and Paramore could be contenders)
BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Candyman" Christina Aguliera (Nelly Furtato and Winehouse will be in the running in a big way)
BEST MALE POP PERFORAMCE
"Belief" John Mayer (well, maybe I just hope he wins because he plays Fender guitars very well!)
BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
O.K., I want U2 to win for "Window in the Skies"
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
"Back to Black" Amy Winehouse
BEST ROCK SONG
"Icky Thump" The White Stripes (maybe the purest rock song in the last few years).
BEST RAP SONG
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" Kanye West. (It's beautiful and the lyrics are surprisingly forth right!)
BEST RAP ALBUM
"Graduation" Kanye West (Though it will be more interesting to watch him if he doesn't win.)
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Did you hear that? That was the sound of me getting up to do something else during that segment (though Brad Paisley is a very good guitarist.)
We'll see, eh?
Maybe the Worst Song Ever?
I'm driving up to church this morning (and, since I currently live in Dallas and am commuting to Argyle, it takes me about 40-60 minutes each way) and I'm surfing the SIRIUS. As I'm flipping through the channels on comes Paula Abdul's soul-crushing 1992 hit, "Vibeology." When I saw her name come up I thought I should go ahead and check out the song in its fullness, just to see what exactly from her career makes her qualified to judge a singing contest.
The irony that I am on my way to church and spewing out judgement everywhere is not lost on me. But, anyway...
I don't know if I happened across the extended, bleed out your ears, life departing from my soul cut, but oh, it was bad. And by bad, I mean terrible.
Yes, of course it's dated. But even by 1992 standards (which was an admittedly low time in popular music) it was not good. Incredibly over-produced, to say the least. I am sure that this track is used as an example in recording school of the timeless maxim: just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
I don't want to be a judgmental person, in fact, I'm actually trying hard to work on that. I recognize that I have a great many logs in my own eye. But, you should never have to hear this song again. There is no redeeming value in it. Save yourselves!!!!
The irony that I am on my way to church and spewing out judgement everywhere is not lost on me. But, anyway...
I don't know if I happened across the extended, bleed out your ears, life departing from my soul cut, but oh, it was bad. And by bad, I mean terrible.
Yes, of course it's dated. But even by 1992 standards (which was an admittedly low time in popular music) it was not good. Incredibly over-produced, to say the least. I am sure that this track is used as an example in recording school of the timeless maxim: just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
I don't want to be a judgmental person, in fact, I'm actually trying hard to work on that. I recognize that I have a great many logs in my own eye. But, you should never have to hear this song again. There is no redeeming value in it. Save yourselves!!!!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
He wins again!
After thirty minutes of practice time on the saxophone (I'm getting re-introduced to my tenor after an extended time apart) I check CNN one last time before getting ready to go to sleep and they are declaring a sweep for Obama in today's primaries. A pretty impressive showing! Two recent polls (one from CNN and one from Time) show Obama to be ahead 7 points vs. McCain while Clinton ties with McCain.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
The Rev. Life
Welcome!
I have changed the name and address of this blog from "the-work-of-the-people" to "The Rev. Life" because the content on this blog has evolved from being primarily about the liturgy that I write to basic life stuff. Since the content has become more "Free Range Joe" (thanks, Rob Jackson!) I thought the name change was appropriate! I'm looking forward to more posts and discussions to come!
I have changed the name and address of this blog from "the-work-of-the-people" to "The Rev. Life" because the content on this blog has evolved from being primarily about the liturgy that I write to basic life stuff. Since the content has become more "Free Range Joe" (thanks, Rob Jackson!) I thought the name change was appropriate! I'm looking forward to more posts and discussions to come!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Super Tuesday...
Well, even though the votes are still being counted, I am encouraged by yesterday! I must admit, I though that "The Huck" would do well in the South but I didn't think he would do that well! I also thought that McCain would have been a bit more dominant than he was but he still emerged as the front-runner for the GOP.
Barack and Hillary are still neck and neck, which is great! It excites me to know that the Texas primary will actually count for something this time!
I had a chance to watch all of the candidates speeches last night and, by far, as far as pure oratory goes, the winner was Barack Obama, at least on my card! He was exciting, had great pitch, presence, and pace, and a good message! (I wish he was a preacher!)
He got me thinking that, well, maybe yeah, we can!
Barack and Hillary are still neck and neck, which is great! It excites me to know that the Texas primary will actually count for something this time!
I had a chance to watch all of the candidates speeches last night and, by far, as far as pure oratory goes, the winner was Barack Obama, at least on my card! He was exciting, had great pitch, presence, and pace, and a good message! (I wish he was a preacher!)
He got me thinking that, well, maybe yeah, we can!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Joe's Super Tuesday Predictions!
Two Super Tuesday Predictions:
Republicans: John McCain
Democrats: Still a toss-up between Obama and Clinton
Republicans: John McCain
Democrats: Still a toss-up between Obama and Clinton
Monday, February 4, 2008
Fuel for the Worship Architect
While I'm waiting for Herbie Hancock's new album to download (curse you, slow internet connection!!!!) I thought I'd take a moment and relate an episode that has given me some fuel to keep working to create wonderful, meaningful worship services.
This past Saturday night I decided that I needed to get up thirty minutes earlier than normal to be able to spend some quiet time with God just listening, flat-out listening. Lately, I've been doing a lot of talking and I thought this would be a good way to begin to remedy the imbalance.
So I got up early, got ready for church, and then went to my local starbucks at 6:00 a.m. to get a cup of coffee and to pray. Now, keep in mind, it's Sunday morning and the current cultural context I find myself in kinda demands the suit and tie look on Sunday mornings. The barista takes one look at me and says, "you are so dressed up! what are you off to this early on a Sunday morning."
Right away, I know this conversation can take several turns.
I'm always up for telling folks what I do: telling people that you are a pastor usually engenders a response of some sort. Mostly I have positive encounters but I've had a few where the response feel more like accusations than anything else! I thought it would be fun to see what she'd say, so I told her that I was going to church.
Her response, I'm afraid, was symptomatic of how the majority of Americans view church worship services.
She said, "you need some caffeine to get through it!"
OUCH!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, ouch!!!!!
I couldn't resist, after she said that I said, "well I'm one of the pastors at the church, so I guess it starts with me!" Thankfully, she laughed, only a bit embarrassed!
Know what? She's probably right! I imagine that the majority of our worship services probably do take some caffeine to get through.
There's a great many reasons why this is so but I can't get into them at this moment (my new Herbie Hancock cd just finished downloading). I've only heard one track but I can hear why it's nominated for album of the year. Herbie is a GENIUS!!!!
Sorry, that's a different rabbit to chase.
Suffice to say, after my early morning encounter at Starbucks, I have been pretty motivated to not have to provide coffee for the worship services I plan just so people can get through the service.
Jeez...what a way to start out a Sunday!
This past Saturday night I decided that I needed to get up thirty minutes earlier than normal to be able to spend some quiet time with God just listening, flat-out listening. Lately, I've been doing a lot of talking and I thought this would be a good way to begin to remedy the imbalance.
So I got up early, got ready for church, and then went to my local starbucks at 6:00 a.m. to get a cup of coffee and to pray. Now, keep in mind, it's Sunday morning and the current cultural context I find myself in kinda demands the suit and tie look on Sunday mornings. The barista takes one look at me and says, "you are so dressed up! what are you off to this early on a Sunday morning."
Right away, I know this conversation can take several turns.
I'm always up for telling folks what I do: telling people that you are a pastor usually engenders a response of some sort. Mostly I have positive encounters but I've had a few where the response feel more like accusations than anything else! I thought it would be fun to see what she'd say, so I told her that I was going to church.
Her response, I'm afraid, was symptomatic of how the majority of Americans view church worship services.
She said, "you need some caffeine to get through it!"
OUCH!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, ouch!!!!!
I couldn't resist, after she said that I said, "well I'm one of the pastors at the church, so I guess it starts with me!" Thankfully, she laughed, only a bit embarrassed!
Know what? She's probably right! I imagine that the majority of our worship services probably do take some caffeine to get through.
There's a great many reasons why this is so but I can't get into them at this moment (my new Herbie Hancock cd just finished downloading). I've only heard one track but I can hear why it's nominated for album of the year. Herbie is a GENIUS!!!!
Sorry, that's a different rabbit to chase.
Suffice to say, after my early morning encounter at Starbucks, I have been pretty motivated to not have to provide coffee for the worship services I plan just so people can get through the service.
Jeez...what a way to start out a Sunday!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Igniting Your Christian Imagination
I was very blessed this past week to be the guest preacher at the Texas A&M Commerce Wesley Foundation's weekly worship service. (They also let me play my bass a bit, which was fun!) The campus minister at A&M Commerce is a wonderful friend: the Rev. Dana Coker. She is just an amazing pastor, theologian, and person! I was honored to be asked to preach. Below you will find the manuscript of the sermon (which I must admit, was being written pretty much up till I gave the thing!). Like pretty much every other sermon I've ever preached, there was quite a bit of deviating from the manuscript as I got to know the congregation. Here it is:
Igniting Your Christian Imagination
Let us pray…
Let me get this out of the way right up front: I am a dork, I admit it. I also admit that I am a political junkie: so last night I found myself watching President Bush’s last State of the Union address. Did you watch it? I’m not going to lie, the speech got me all excited but it wasn’t the content that excited me. It was the fact that we’ll have a new administration this time next year and I love all of the stuff that goes along with that. I love the ritual and speeches and the pomp and circumstance that come with American politics. So I always, and again, I’ll own this, because I’m a dork, I’m that guy that always take the day off of work when inauguration day comes and I watch the coverage of it on TV.
The best part of the inauguration for me is the speech! I am hopeful to hear a great orator who will give our nation a vision and goals to work for. I’m looking for a speech that will challenge us to give our lives to something greater than ourselves. I so want to hear words like Roosevelt’s, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Or Lincoln’s, “ With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” That’s great stuff! Those first few public words can set out an agenda, a vision, and a mission for the country.
If we look around in life I think we find these kinds of inauguration speeches everywhere, from Steve Jobs at Mac World for Apple to nearly every new college president. These speeches are an important part of human life and can be a meaningful expression of leadership.
But I must tell you, as inspiring as a junkie like me finds the words of Lincoln and Roosevelt to be, their words absolutely pale in comparison to the inaugural statement, if you will, of Jesus. The words that Jesus speaks to the world at the beginning of his public ministry challenge, inspire, puzzle and comfort me, just as they have millions of people for thousands of years.
So let me ask you a question, and feel free to answer out loud: what were Jesus’ first public words in ministry? Anybody know? The content is the same in the synoptic gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
It’s important to get this because Jesus is telling us what he’s about! He’s speaking about the point of his life and death and resurrection. Jesus is talking about the reason that God sent Him. They were the words that ultimately got him executed. They were the words that Jesus was willing to go to the cross for. Do you know what they are?
Give them a second to answer…
Mark 1:15: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” What is the good news? It’s the Kingdom of God!
Matthew 4:17: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” These are Jesus’ opening words!
Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” In the Gospel of Luke we get a fuller explanation of what the Kingdom of God is like by Jesus quoting the prophet Isaiah. Jesus tells us what the kingdom will look like: the poor will have their needs met, the captives will be liberated, the blind will have their sight restored, the oppressed will be set free and the year of the Lord’s favor will become a permanent reality.
Now, I am a big believer in taking the Bible seriously and it strikes me that if you or I want to call ourselves Christians than we had better be on board with what Jesus is about and doing the work that Jesus did for the reason that Jesus did, wouldn’t you say?
For Jesus, the Kingdom of God was what it was about.
When Jesus said, Repent, the Kingdom of God has come near, what he meant was that God is at work in this world! God’s redemptive work was made most manifest in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. We’ve often been taught that the main work that Jesus accomplished on the cross was to save us from our sins. That is partially true. Jesus did come to save us from our sins. But, he saved us for more than just ourselves! We are saved to become partners with God in building the Kingdom of God on this earth and in this life! God wants us to partner with God in restoring and recreating the world into God’s original intention: which is for it to be a place of justice, beauty, and healing.
The Kingdom of God is how God deals with the evil in this world, first through Jesus on the cross and then through working with us!
Do you feel the full implication of this? In order for evil to be defeated, in order for things to be put right, we must, as people who live in the time between Jesus’ victory on the cross and God’s final redeeming acts, we must work with God to bring help bring about the Kingdom.
That’s what Jesus is talking about in the Lord’s Prayer when he teaches us to pray: Thy Kingdom Come, thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Pause…
This is tough stuff to grasp. Jesus’ own disciples often missed what he was talking about in regards to the Kingdom.
Sadly, in the last few centuries the church has failed to teach and work for the Kingdom of God appropriately. And because of this, the Church, in many cases, stopped trying to nurture and ignite the Christian imagination in their people. And now, in the popular mind, the Church is the last place where many people think to go to give their life to something bigger than themselves.
Thanks be to God there are signs everywhere that this is slowly beginning to change.
You know, we will all give our lives to something. It’s inevitable. We all choose to live and fight for something. Some of us choose to fight for ideas and causes that are substantial and meaningful, some of us choose to fight over petty and stupid things. Do you know what else is inevitable? God has a calling for each one of us and work for us to do in the Kingdom.
So, what are you living for? What are you fighting for? What would you die for?
Maybe you already know your calling and you are here in this place working and studying and practicing what God has called you to at this moment.
But if not, let me ask you another question that might help you figure out what God is calling you to do: what ignites your Christian imagination?
What are you passionate about? Where has God gifted you? What do you do that gives you deep peace? What fires you up? What do you do so well that only you can do it the way that you do? How might you use that work to serve God’s Creation? How can you help God’s will be done on earth as in heaven?
Consider these famous examples: for people like Billy Graham, it’s communicating with people through the spoken word. For J.S. Bach or Matt Redman or Paul Baloche, it’s writing music for God’s glory. For a coach like Tony Dungy he says his primary job is to prepare his players for their most important work in life, which will occur after they are done playing football.
For Wendell Berry, it’s writing poetry to honor God by bringing beauty and a prophetic word to the world. Dana and I had some of the same professors in seminary and I know for many of them their deep passion runs in twin streams: scholarship and teaching. That’s the work that God has called them to do for the Kingdom.
When we talk about calling we often ask questions like the ones I just did, like where do you feel most gifted, or what are you best at, to help try and figure out what you might be called to. But, as Rob Bell has reminded us, there is another line of questioning that is just as important and often overlooked and it is this: Your Christian imagination can also be ignited by what makes you mad.
What makes you so angry that you can’t stand it? What makes you so filled with a righteous anger that you say, “somebody’s got to do something about this?”
You know, Jesus got righteously angry at times. In Mark 11:15-18 we find Jesus cleansing the temple in a furious way! He ran the business people out of the temple to return it to a place of prayer. Anger is simply an emotion that we all experience. It’s what we do with it that counts! You can use your anger to do beautiful things, to make the world a better place, or you can use your anger to hurt people and to destroy.
In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 3:1-5 we find Jesus angry.
Read the story…
Jesus chose to use his anger for beauty and for healing.
You know, God might just be using your anger to get your attention!
Do you angry about things that matter? We live in a society of people who get angry about things that simply do no matter and who don’t get angry about things that do matter!
Do you get angry about the things that God gets angry about? Injustice, abuse, exploitation, war, violence, poverty, HIVAIDS, these things matter! They are worth fighting for! These things stand in the way of the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God, friends, is worth fighting for. Justice, peace, reconciliation, wholeness, these are things worth fighting for. For the saints who have dedicated themselves to the Kingdom of God, their fights took on different focuses based on their passions and callings. For Mother Teresa, that fight looked loving on people who were near dying and were cast away from society. For Francis of Assisi the fight looked like rebuilding God’s church through mystical experiences and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. For Martin Luther King, Jr., the fight looked like working for the rights of all humanity to be given respect and for all people to be treated with dignity. For Shane Claiborne, or Brian McLaren their fight looks like trying to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ literally and articulating the Gospel of Christ in profound ways that resonate with our generation. For myself, my Christian imagination is ignited by the work of creating meaningful worship experiences that Glorify God and my passion for returning the mainline church’s focus on the Kingdom of God.
What does that fight look like for you?
What fires up your Christian imagination?
Make no mistake; God has work for you to do! God has a calling for each of us.
Right now, in regards to your calling, you are in one of the most important and seminal stages in life. St. Francis was a young man when he received his call from Christ to rebuild the church. Martin Luther King was 26 when he was elected by his fellow pastors to lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The German theologian who stood up to Hitler in World War II, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was in his mid-twenties when he began the most fruitful work of his career. I was reading an article about a mathematician/genetic biologist who has dedicated her life’s work to beating cancer and she is 25. She is passionately aware that most creative period for the majority of mathematicians end when they hit 30. To bring it closer to home both Dana and I responded to the church to God’s calling on our lives in our late teens.
In most of the fields in which you are studying many of most famous scholars did their best and most important work in there twenties and thirties. So now is the time to begin to answer that question: what are you giving your life for?
St. Ignatius said that the unexamined life is not worth living. Know what: he was right! Have you examined your life? How does it fit into God’s story? Have you given your life for a big, beautiful cause that is greater than yourself? Or are you settling for something of lesser worth, something that’s perhaps safer?
What are you giving your life for?
If you don’t know yet, that’s cool. What’s not cool is if you don’t do the work to struggle with it! Talk to Dana, you can talk to me, talk to the folks in your life about your calling. God uses all of us, whatever our chosen field to do the work of God in our world. I gave you a lot of famous examples but the vast majority of God’s saints do their work in their own spheres of influence, whether its in teaching or in business, or in the church, or in raising a family, or in the creative fields, you name it, your calling will be fulfilled by using your Christian imagination. How can you do what you do for the Kingdom of God? The world never recognizes the majority of Kingdom work but God does recognize it.
God has made us to give ourselves to something great! God is calling us to make a better world. How will you respond?
Know this, above all else: God loves you, God wants you and God has noble work for you to do! If you want to know the real secret of fulfillment in this life it is this: devote your life to serving others through the mediums that God has called you to. Devote your life to serving others through the mediums that God has called you to. That’s the secret. That is how you fulfill the greatest commandments to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.
So, what will you give your life for?
29 January 2008
Igniting Your Christian Imagination
Let us pray…
Let me get this out of the way right up front: I am a dork, I admit it. I also admit that I am a political junkie: so last night I found myself watching President Bush’s last State of the Union address. Did you watch it? I’m not going to lie, the speech got me all excited but it wasn’t the content that excited me. It was the fact that we’ll have a new administration this time next year and I love all of the stuff that goes along with that. I love the ritual and speeches and the pomp and circumstance that come with American politics. So I always, and again, I’ll own this, because I’m a dork, I’m that guy that always take the day off of work when inauguration day comes and I watch the coverage of it on TV.
The best part of the inauguration for me is the speech! I am hopeful to hear a great orator who will give our nation a vision and goals to work for. I’m looking for a speech that will challenge us to give our lives to something greater than ourselves. I so want to hear words like Roosevelt’s, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Or Lincoln’s, “ With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” That’s great stuff! Those first few public words can set out an agenda, a vision, and a mission for the country.
If we look around in life I think we find these kinds of inauguration speeches everywhere, from Steve Jobs at Mac World for Apple to nearly every new college president. These speeches are an important part of human life and can be a meaningful expression of leadership.
But I must tell you, as inspiring as a junkie like me finds the words of Lincoln and Roosevelt to be, their words absolutely pale in comparison to the inaugural statement, if you will, of Jesus. The words that Jesus speaks to the world at the beginning of his public ministry challenge, inspire, puzzle and comfort me, just as they have millions of people for thousands of years.
So let me ask you a question, and feel free to answer out loud: what were Jesus’ first public words in ministry? Anybody know? The content is the same in the synoptic gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
It’s important to get this because Jesus is telling us what he’s about! He’s speaking about the point of his life and death and resurrection. Jesus is talking about the reason that God sent Him. They were the words that ultimately got him executed. They were the words that Jesus was willing to go to the cross for. Do you know what they are?
Give them a second to answer…
Mark 1:15: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” What is the good news? It’s the Kingdom of God!
Matthew 4:17: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” These are Jesus’ opening words!
Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” In the Gospel of Luke we get a fuller explanation of what the Kingdom of God is like by Jesus quoting the prophet Isaiah. Jesus tells us what the kingdom will look like: the poor will have their needs met, the captives will be liberated, the blind will have their sight restored, the oppressed will be set free and the year of the Lord’s favor will become a permanent reality.
Now, I am a big believer in taking the Bible seriously and it strikes me that if you or I want to call ourselves Christians than we had better be on board with what Jesus is about and doing the work that Jesus did for the reason that Jesus did, wouldn’t you say?
For Jesus, the Kingdom of God was what it was about.
When Jesus said, Repent, the Kingdom of God has come near, what he meant was that God is at work in this world! God’s redemptive work was made most manifest in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. We’ve often been taught that the main work that Jesus accomplished on the cross was to save us from our sins. That is partially true. Jesus did come to save us from our sins. But, he saved us for more than just ourselves! We are saved to become partners with God in building the Kingdom of God on this earth and in this life! God wants us to partner with God in restoring and recreating the world into God’s original intention: which is for it to be a place of justice, beauty, and healing.
The Kingdom of God is how God deals with the evil in this world, first through Jesus on the cross and then through working with us!
Do you feel the full implication of this? In order for evil to be defeated, in order for things to be put right, we must, as people who live in the time between Jesus’ victory on the cross and God’s final redeeming acts, we must work with God to bring help bring about the Kingdom.
That’s what Jesus is talking about in the Lord’s Prayer when he teaches us to pray: Thy Kingdom Come, thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Pause…
This is tough stuff to grasp. Jesus’ own disciples often missed what he was talking about in regards to the Kingdom.
Sadly, in the last few centuries the church has failed to teach and work for the Kingdom of God appropriately. And because of this, the Church, in many cases, stopped trying to nurture and ignite the Christian imagination in their people. And now, in the popular mind, the Church is the last place where many people think to go to give their life to something bigger than themselves.
Thanks be to God there are signs everywhere that this is slowly beginning to change.
You know, we will all give our lives to something. It’s inevitable. We all choose to live and fight for something. Some of us choose to fight for ideas and causes that are substantial and meaningful, some of us choose to fight over petty and stupid things. Do you know what else is inevitable? God has a calling for each one of us and work for us to do in the Kingdom.
So, what are you living for? What are you fighting for? What would you die for?
Maybe you already know your calling and you are here in this place working and studying and practicing what God has called you to at this moment.
But if not, let me ask you another question that might help you figure out what God is calling you to do: what ignites your Christian imagination?
What are you passionate about? Where has God gifted you? What do you do that gives you deep peace? What fires you up? What do you do so well that only you can do it the way that you do? How might you use that work to serve God’s Creation? How can you help God’s will be done on earth as in heaven?
Consider these famous examples: for people like Billy Graham, it’s communicating with people through the spoken word. For J.S. Bach or Matt Redman or Paul Baloche, it’s writing music for God’s glory. For a coach like Tony Dungy he says his primary job is to prepare his players for their most important work in life, which will occur after they are done playing football.
For Wendell Berry, it’s writing poetry to honor God by bringing beauty and a prophetic word to the world. Dana and I had some of the same professors in seminary and I know for many of them their deep passion runs in twin streams: scholarship and teaching. That’s the work that God has called them to do for the Kingdom.
When we talk about calling we often ask questions like the ones I just did, like where do you feel most gifted, or what are you best at, to help try and figure out what you might be called to. But, as Rob Bell has reminded us, there is another line of questioning that is just as important and often overlooked and it is this: Your Christian imagination can also be ignited by what makes you mad.
What makes you so angry that you can’t stand it? What makes you so filled with a righteous anger that you say, “somebody’s got to do something about this?”
You know, Jesus got righteously angry at times. In Mark 11:15-18 we find Jesus cleansing the temple in a furious way! He ran the business people out of the temple to return it to a place of prayer. Anger is simply an emotion that we all experience. It’s what we do with it that counts! You can use your anger to do beautiful things, to make the world a better place, or you can use your anger to hurt people and to destroy.
In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 3:1-5 we find Jesus angry.
Read the story…
Jesus chose to use his anger for beauty and for healing.
You know, God might just be using your anger to get your attention!
Do you angry about things that matter? We live in a society of people who get angry about things that simply do no matter and who don’t get angry about things that do matter!
Do you get angry about the things that God gets angry about? Injustice, abuse, exploitation, war, violence, poverty, HIVAIDS, these things matter! They are worth fighting for! These things stand in the way of the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God, friends, is worth fighting for. Justice, peace, reconciliation, wholeness, these are things worth fighting for. For the saints who have dedicated themselves to the Kingdom of God, their fights took on different focuses based on their passions and callings. For Mother Teresa, that fight looked loving on people who were near dying and were cast away from society. For Francis of Assisi the fight looked like rebuilding God’s church through mystical experiences and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. For Martin Luther King, Jr., the fight looked like working for the rights of all humanity to be given respect and for all people to be treated with dignity. For Shane Claiborne, or Brian McLaren their fight looks like trying to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ literally and articulating the Gospel of Christ in profound ways that resonate with our generation. For myself, my Christian imagination is ignited by the work of creating meaningful worship experiences that Glorify God and my passion for returning the mainline church’s focus on the Kingdom of God.
What does that fight look like for you?
What fires up your Christian imagination?
Make no mistake; God has work for you to do! God has a calling for each of us.
Right now, in regards to your calling, you are in one of the most important and seminal stages in life. St. Francis was a young man when he received his call from Christ to rebuild the church. Martin Luther King was 26 when he was elected by his fellow pastors to lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The German theologian who stood up to Hitler in World War II, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was in his mid-twenties when he began the most fruitful work of his career. I was reading an article about a mathematician/genetic biologist who has dedicated her life’s work to beating cancer and she is 25. She is passionately aware that most creative period for the majority of mathematicians end when they hit 30. To bring it closer to home both Dana and I responded to the church to God’s calling on our lives in our late teens.
In most of the fields in which you are studying many of most famous scholars did their best and most important work in there twenties and thirties. So now is the time to begin to answer that question: what are you giving your life for?
St. Ignatius said that the unexamined life is not worth living. Know what: he was right! Have you examined your life? How does it fit into God’s story? Have you given your life for a big, beautiful cause that is greater than yourself? Or are you settling for something of lesser worth, something that’s perhaps safer?
What are you giving your life for?
If you don’t know yet, that’s cool. What’s not cool is if you don’t do the work to struggle with it! Talk to Dana, you can talk to me, talk to the folks in your life about your calling. God uses all of us, whatever our chosen field to do the work of God in our world. I gave you a lot of famous examples but the vast majority of God’s saints do their work in their own spheres of influence, whether its in teaching or in business, or in the church, or in raising a family, or in the creative fields, you name it, your calling will be fulfilled by using your Christian imagination. How can you do what you do for the Kingdom of God? The world never recognizes the majority of Kingdom work but God does recognize it.
God has made us to give ourselves to something great! God is calling us to make a better world. How will you respond?
Know this, above all else: God loves you, God wants you and God has noble work for you to do! If you want to know the real secret of fulfillment in this life it is this: devote your life to serving others through the mediums that God has called you to. Devote your life to serving others through the mediums that God has called you to. That’s the secret. That is how you fulfill the greatest commandments to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.
So, what will you give your life for?
29 January 2008
Philosophy of Music Ministry
Yup, it's been another long hiatus since posting. The last two weeks have been wonderful: they have really reminded me of what God has called me to do, vocationally speaking, in a big way! I've had a chance to lead a choir retreat, preach twice, and just got done assisting in the administration of Holy Communion: what a great week! So, I got to thinking, I'm not sure if I've ever posted this before, but below you will find my most recent philosophy in a nutshell piece regarding music ministry. It's changed a bit over the last few years but I would love to get your take on it. What am I missing?
Philosophy of Music Ministry
By Rev. Joseph Stobaugh
Undoubtedly, one our primary reasons for existence as human beings is to glorify God! One of the main ways the children of God have glorified God throughout history has been through God’s good gift of music.
I believe that the purpose of music ministry should be three-fold in nature:
1. The music ministries primary calling is to help the people participate in
worship through congregational song. The music ministry is called to nurture, promote, and enliven the song of the primary choir: the congregation!
2. The music ministry should seek to create music of excellence (which can be
defined in many ways and is not restricted to one genre of music) on behalf of the congregation that serves as a window to heaven.
3. The music ministry must inherently develop disciples of Jesus Christ through
fellowship and service. Through discipleship, the Holy Spirit might be more fully awakened in the lives of the individuals participating in the music ministry as well as in the life of the congregation and the surrounding community.
I believe that participation in the music ministry should be available to all people and therefore I believe it is important to create opportunities for service and discipleship for children through senior adults.
It is also important to find places in the music ministry for individuals of all levels of ability. I seek to find entry points into the music ministry for all people, from singing solos to accompanying hymns to working in the music library.
Philosophy of Music Ministry
By Rev. Joseph Stobaugh
Undoubtedly, one our primary reasons for existence as human beings is to glorify God! One of the main ways the children of God have glorified God throughout history has been through God’s good gift of music.
I believe that the purpose of music ministry should be three-fold in nature:
1. The music ministries primary calling is to help the people participate in
worship through congregational song. The music ministry is called to nurture, promote, and enliven the song of the primary choir: the congregation!
2. The music ministry should seek to create music of excellence (which can be
defined in many ways and is not restricted to one genre of music) on behalf of the congregation that serves as a window to heaven.
3. The music ministry must inherently develop disciples of Jesus Christ through
fellowship and service. Through discipleship, the Holy Spirit might be more fully awakened in the lives of the individuals participating in the music ministry as well as in the life of the congregation and the surrounding community.
I believe that participation in the music ministry should be available to all people and therefore I believe it is important to create opportunities for service and discipleship for children through senior adults.
It is also important to find places in the music ministry for individuals of all levels of ability. I seek to find entry points into the music ministry for all people, from singing solos to accompanying hymns to working in the music library.
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