Tuesday, August 26, 2008
An inspiring moment for my daughter!
Let me first say, wow, what a night for Methodists! Hillary Clinton gave a wonderful speech at tonight's Democratic convention and two Methodist pastors from Aurora, Colorado (where I lived for five years as a kid) gave the benediction. I couldn't believe how moved I was by Hilary's speech. I have always been a big fan and have read all of her books but she hit a home-run tonight! I was so struck by what women like HIllary Clinton have done for the future of my daughter, Eleanor Grace. Incredible!!!! It's days like this I believe that I can truly tell my daughter that she really can be whatever she wants to be!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Donald Miller gives the benediction at the Democratic National Convention
Hi Friends!
I was so shocked/excited to see on CSPAN (yes, I admit it, I am keeping an eye on the convention via CSPAN) when Donald Miller, the author of "Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Spirituality" was giving the benediction tonight! As usual, he prayed eloquently and simply. I have read every thing he has published and find it all to be of value! I would commend him to you, if you have yet to read his work. Below you will find the text of his benediction taken from his website.
"Father God,
This week, as the world looks on, help the leaders in this room create a civil dialogue about our future.
We need you, God, as individuals and also as a nation.
We need you to protect us from our enemies, but also from ourselves, because we are easily tempted toward apathy.
Give us a passion to advance opportunities for the least of these, for widows and orphans, for single moms and children whose fathers have left.
Give us the eyes to see them, and the ears to hear them, and hands willing to serve them.
Help us serve people, not just causes. And stand up to specific injustices rather than vague notions.
Give those in this room who have power, along with those who will meet next week, the courage to work together to finally provide health care to those who don’t have any, and a living wage so families can thrive rather than struggle.
Hep us figure out how to pay teachers what they deserve and give children an equal opportunity to get a college education.
Help us figure out the balance between economic opportunity and corporate gluttony.
We have tried to solve these problems ourselves but they are still there. We need your help.
Father, will you restore our moral standing in the world.
A lot of people don’t like us but that’s because they don’t know the heart of the average American.
Will you give us favor and forgiveness, along with our allies around the world.
Help us be an example of humility and strength once again.
Lastly, father, unify us.
Even in our diversity help us see how much we have in common.
And unify us not just in our ideas and in our sentiments—but in our actions, as we look around and figure out something we can do to help create an America even greater than the one we have come to cherish.
God we know that you are good.
Thank you for blessing us in so many ways as Americans.
I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice.
Let Him be our example.
Amen."
I was so shocked/excited to see on CSPAN (yes, I admit it, I am keeping an eye on the convention via CSPAN) when Donald Miller, the author of "Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Spirituality" was giving the benediction tonight! As usual, he prayed eloquently and simply. I have read every thing he has published and find it all to be of value! I would commend him to you, if you have yet to read his work. Below you will find the text of his benediction taken from his website.
"Father God,
This week, as the world looks on, help the leaders in this room create a civil dialogue about our future.
We need you, God, as individuals and also as a nation.
We need you to protect us from our enemies, but also from ourselves, because we are easily tempted toward apathy.
Give us a passion to advance opportunities for the least of these, for widows and orphans, for single moms and children whose fathers have left.
Give us the eyes to see them, and the ears to hear them, and hands willing to serve them.
Help us serve people, not just causes. And stand up to specific injustices rather than vague notions.
Give those in this room who have power, along with those who will meet next week, the courage to work together to finally provide health care to those who don’t have any, and a living wage so families can thrive rather than struggle.
Hep us figure out how to pay teachers what they deserve and give children an equal opportunity to get a college education.
Help us figure out the balance between economic opportunity and corporate gluttony.
We have tried to solve these problems ourselves but they are still there. We need your help.
Father, will you restore our moral standing in the world.
A lot of people don’t like us but that’s because they don’t know the heart of the average American.
Will you give us favor and forgiveness, along with our allies around the world.
Help us be an example of humility and strength once again.
Lastly, father, unify us.
Even in our diversity help us see how much we have in common.
And unify us not just in our ideas and in our sentiments—but in our actions, as we look around and figure out something we can do to help create an America even greater than the one we have come to cherish.
God we know that you are good.
Thank you for blessing us in so many ways as Americans.
I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice.
Let Him be our example.
Amen."
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
N.T. Wright, a twist on an ancient spiritual discipline, and other random thoughts...
Yup, it's been a while! I hope all is well!
Here comes another James Joyce-like post!
Stream-of-consciousness for Tuesday morning:
Being able to sleep last night for more than two hours (like I have the previous two nights) has been very invigorating!
A wonderful couple of church members brought by dinner for us a few nights ago and a pound of Ruta Maya coffee, which is nearly gone. It's so good! Makes me miss one of my favorite San Antonio hangs and all that came with it! (The SA Ruta Maya, at least the downtown location, is a converted "gentleman's bar." Wild atmosphere, great coffee, and free wifi!)
I am listening to "SMV" a new album featuring the three greatest living electric bassists: Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten. Lot's of chops!
It is raining and in the 80's outside: what a blessing for Texas in August!
I finished reading N.T. Wright's "Surprised by Hope" this morning and it is really a wonderful work of theology. Wright gives a beautiful account of the resurrection and how it should affect our daily lives and the mission of the church. I would highly recommend it!
A few days before Sam was born I read "The Shack." Who knew it would be a summer of borderline orthodox reading? I just started Wright's "Why Christianity Makes Sense" which is written for a non-academic, non-Christian audience, and it looks to be just as thought provoking. I am thankful for Marcus Borg for many things, one of them being an introduction to Wright!
Last night when I was rocking Sam at 2:45 I entered into a spiritual discipline that I haven't observed in a while: reciting the Eastern Orthodox "Jesus Prayer" with an orthodox prayer rope. It is a wonderful discipline to focus one's prayers. If you are interested in exploring this practice more, let me know and we can chat about it!
Well, back to the proverbial mines! Have a great rest of the day and may you experience God's grace in new ways today!
Here comes another James Joyce-like post!
Stream-of-consciousness for Tuesday morning:
Being able to sleep last night for more than two hours (like I have the previous two nights) has been very invigorating!
A wonderful couple of church members brought by dinner for us a few nights ago and a pound of Ruta Maya coffee, which is nearly gone. It's so good! Makes me miss one of my favorite San Antonio hangs and all that came with it! (The SA Ruta Maya, at least the downtown location, is a converted "gentleman's bar." Wild atmosphere, great coffee, and free wifi!)
I am listening to "SMV" a new album featuring the three greatest living electric bassists: Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten. Lot's of chops!
It is raining and in the 80's outside: what a blessing for Texas in August!
I finished reading N.T. Wright's "Surprised by Hope" this morning and it is really a wonderful work of theology. Wright gives a beautiful account of the resurrection and how it should affect our daily lives and the mission of the church. I would highly recommend it!
A few days before Sam was born I read "The Shack." Who knew it would be a summer of borderline orthodox reading? I just started Wright's "Why Christianity Makes Sense" which is written for a non-academic, non-Christian audience, and it looks to be just as thought provoking. I am thankful for Marcus Borg for many things, one of them being an introduction to Wright!
Last night when I was rocking Sam at 2:45 I entered into a spiritual discipline that I haven't observed in a while: reciting the Eastern Orthodox "Jesus Prayer" with an orthodox prayer rope. It is a wonderful discipline to focus one's prayers. If you are interested in exploring this practice more, let me know and we can chat about it!
Well, back to the proverbial mines! Have a great rest of the day and may you experience God's grace in new ways today!
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Mission of the Church
I am nearly finished with N.T. Wright's "Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church." The scholarship is tremendous and Wright's application to the church has the potential to shift some paradigms! At least, that's my hope.
Wright claims that, in light of God's Kingdom project (i.e. the new heaven and new earth that we read about in Revelation 21 & 22 and Jesus' main mission of announcing and inaugurating the Kingdom of God) that the church's work is this: justice, beauty, and evangelism.
I love it! Justice, beauty, and evangelism. The framework that Wright is proposing advances us beyond the old liberal/conservative, evangelism vs. social gospel debates of the last 150 years. He takes the gospel imperatives found in both Matthew 25 and Matthew 28 (some of us have had this conversation before!) and combines them into a clarion call for the church.
Justice, beauty, and evangelism.
Glorious!
There is so much more to write but I've got to set-up a computer w/pictures for a funeral.
I very much want to hear what you think about this!
Wright claims that, in light of God's Kingdom project (i.e. the new heaven and new earth that we read about in Revelation 21 & 22 and Jesus' main mission of announcing and inaugurating the Kingdom of God) that the church's work is this: justice, beauty, and evangelism.
I love it! Justice, beauty, and evangelism. The framework that Wright is proposing advances us beyond the old liberal/conservative, evangelism vs. social gospel debates of the last 150 years. He takes the gospel imperatives found in both Matthew 25 and Matthew 28 (some of us have had this conversation before!) and combines them into a clarion call for the church.
Justice, beauty, and evangelism.
Glorious!
There is so much more to write but I've got to set-up a computer w/pictures for a funeral.
I very much want to hear what you think about this!
Issac Hayes has died
The man was a legend! Yes, he wrote the theme to "Shaft" and was the voice of Chef on "South Park" but perhaps his greatest legacy was his incredible work as an arranger/composer at Stax Records in the 60's-70's. So many hits, so many cool sounds! 65 was, in fact, to early!
Monday, August 4, 2008
A moment of potentially horrible irony...
In addition to spending some quality time with my family I am also leading the music for a revival in Royse City, Texas this week. The preacher, the excellent John McLarty of Faith UMC, Corinth, Texas, asked for tonight's "Song of Reflection" to be John Mayer's "Say." I'm a big John Mayer fan so I wanted to learn the song any way! The first time I heard it I was positive that the opening lick was on a ukulele but I had managed to convince myself yesterday that it might actually be a guitar. Well, a little bit of research later, it turns out my initial impression was correct, well, almost, anyway. I tried to replicate it on my ukulele but quickly discovered it's a six-string ukulele (mine's a four) that's playing the intro! So much for playing it on my little uke!
Anyway (sorry about chasing that rabbit) the song "Say" was written by John Mayer for the lovely film, "The Bucket List." As I'm working on the tune, my mother-in-law informs me that Morgan Freeman (star, along with Jack Nicholson, in "The Bucket List" which is all about living life to the fullest) has been in a terrible car accident and is in the hospital in Memphis.
Life is fleeting: it is wise to celebrate our common lives together, and God's creation, while we are here together, eh?
Anyway (sorry about chasing that rabbit) the song "Say" was written by John Mayer for the lovely film, "The Bucket List." As I'm working on the tune, my mother-in-law informs me that Morgan Freeman (star, along with Jack Nicholson, in "The Bucket List" which is all about living life to the fullest) has been in a terrible car accident and is in the hospital in Memphis.
Life is fleeting: it is wise to celebrate our common lives together, and God's creation, while we are here together, eh?
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