A commitment found in Kentucky

I was watching a little of the Georgia-Kentucky football game on Saturday while baby-sitting Connar. In the stands was a 90 year-old who had been to over 400 straight University of Kentucky home football games. He would have had more but a little something called WWII happened and he went to fly bombers over Burma.

And I thought to myself, this is Kentucky football. This isn't USC, UF, FSU, OSU. This is Kentucky football. I can't imagine that kind of commitment. Especially to a team that will very often let you down.

What a good model for Christians. Commitment to a local church where you may get disappointed a time or two. But he was committed nonetheless, and it sure looked like he was having a heck of a time in the stands (even though they did eventually lose at the end). I think we too can find joy in our commitment. Our problem is that we tend to skip the commitment part, though, and simply search for joy.

When in Rome?

At the conference this past week, I had a chance to meet Michael Francese, a former mob boss who came to Christ. I first heard of him through an interview on the Jim Rome show, my favorite sports talk show. Michael and I shot the breeze about how we were both Jim Rome fans, and he told me how Jim is always calling him, and how he would be back on the show in March to promote his new book. So yes, God is using even Jim Rome to help build His Kingdom. Apparently he did the same with Josh Hamilton and his new book.

Anyhow, not everyone is a fan of Jim Rome. I was talking with some folks in my community group about Rome the other day. They were definitely not fans, and they brought up the most common complaint leveled against him. Much of Rome's show comprises inside jokes he and his fans (called "clones") will mention when they email or call the show. If one is not aware of these terms or jokes, he (and sometimes she-there are female listeners), will simply listen to something else. Yet Rome tells people to "give my show a chance" and to commit to listen for a time, and then make an informed decision.

The thing about Rome is that he is very popular, and on in a ton of different markets from California to Florida to all over Canada. So he will not change his approach to inside jokes or jargon. He can get away with it.

The church, however, really cannot afford to use inside jokes and jargon. Inside or outside the proverbial walls. There is just too much at stake. Even if we could, it would not be very loving. We might find it interesting/challenging to reflect on our conversations for a while to see if they really exclude rather than include and bring people into the next level of deeper fellowship. It is at this next level, that they may be open to hearing jokes and understanding jargon. But we cannot operate by Rome's methods and use such jokes and jargon on the front end and expect to build deeper relationships within and outside the church.

The hardest part for me is that "inside joking" is so stinkin' fun. It really is. And I think it does have a place in certain company, when everyone is on the "inside." But I do need to be reminded where haphazard use of it has alienated people from specific relationships and even entire ministries.

Even the losers.....

I'm now on my way back to Tampa, sitting in Phoenix for a brief layover. Everyone is talking on their cell phones, including one dude who's currently making a business proposition, over the phone line, primarily with hand gestures. Crazy. I wonder if cell phone guy realizes how ridiculous he looks. Anyhow, I just have a few minutes, and a few thoughts. Last night the conference included some comedians, some more funny than others.

The last one was from Canada. And of course he mentioned something about his wife getting an ultra-sound; and he mentioned it was free. People kind of ooed and aaahhhed for a second, and he then quickly retorted, "Well you might be getting free health care soon."

I laughed like crazy, but man, there was a strange weirdness which permeated the room that could only be cut by the sharpest of ginsu knives. It took about 5 minutes for the audience to come back around. But from that point on, I was probably the loudest laugher (no surprise) among the 1000 or so in attendance. Now it may have had something to do with his fat pregnant wife jokes. Always a sore subject.....Yet several times he said, "I definitely won't mention anything else about free health care, anymore." But it was too late. He politically, or comedically-or both-distanced himself from much, but certainly not all, of his audience.

Maybe it was too early for that joke, maybe not. It wasn't too early for me, and I didn't vote for Obama. I'm fine. But after the election, I received untrue emails and actually got one facebook message questioning Obama's citizenship. The latter was an attempt to form some sort of petition to release some sort of birth records. I honestly doubt he would run if he weren't born here. People have a way of finding out stuff about you when you run for office.

I didn't see McCain's concession speech (I had to fly out early the next morning), but I heard it was quite classy. Even Katie Curic thought so. Hopefully his supporters will eventually follow suit, and be thankful they live in a democracy. As Tom Petty sang, "Even the losers...." or at least the "losers" who believe God works all things out according to the counsel of His will, can lose with grace. Every now and then I like to go "Westminster." Sadly many believe that God's will can be trumped by ours. By God's grace I'm not one of them, so you shan't be getting facebook messages from me.

Learning from those who are different, but better

I'm in lovely San Diego right now. It really is lovely here by the way (you were right Adri). I'm attending the National Outreach Convention put on by Outreach Media Group. Unfortunately, one of the few presenters I'd really heard of and desired to see, Ed Stetzer, is speaking after my mother and I are leaving. Oh well.

I definitely feel the diversity of the body of Christ. I'm surely the only PCA person here (although I can't prove that), or at least that's what it seems to me. Lots of Baptists, Independents, Methodists, some Lutherans, but lots of other folks as well. There are a bajillion little exhibits, tons of books, publishers (I always dream of being published one day so I "networked" during breakfast with fellow exhibitors-though I'm really not one.....) and some great speakers here that have been quite challenging.

So why did I leave behind my wife and little baby for this trip? And it wasn't easy by the way. Other than the fact that my conference fee was completely funded by the ministry Somebody Cares to be an exhibitor (that feels a bit weird but as long as I'm not behind the table no one reads my name tag and asks me questions!) and my mother's purchasing the plane ticket, why would I come here and listen to folks who definitely have different theological leanings?

Because they have a greater passion for outreach than I do, along with greater applications for actually bringing people to faith and discipling them. That much is shamefully clear. Someone already established at Hope-it's easier to criticize and actually be constructive when you are part of that which you're criticizing-gave some thoughts on my denomination the PCA. He matter-of-factly said, "It seems like the PCA is a Grad School for Christians. They come to a PCA church not because they've been converted to Christianity through a PCA church, but because they've been a Christian a while, are interested in theology, and read R.C. Sproul."

I laughed my head off when I heard it. Sad, but funny. Sad, but very true to life. Now I don't want to leave my denomination because I think I do think its the "best show in town." But it's not the only show in town. And it needs to grow in this area, among others. I will gladly learn from these others who may not agree with me on the non-essentials of the faith, but currently know way more and do way more in this area. They have much to instruct us on evangelism. More thoughts on that later. I hate (or rather don't) read long blog posts (hopefully I haven't lost you by now), and I assume you may be like me.

The DVR, the Bucs, and the comfort of knowing the end

On Sunday I "missed" the Bucs incredible comeback: their biggest in history. Well I say "missed" because I didn't watch it live. For 7 dollars a month, the DVR feature has become an NFL lovin' Pastor's dream come true (you know with Sunday being a work day and all).

But even with the game being recorded, I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it. I really didn't. If they lose, I sometimes watch the games REALLY fast (skipping plays). Yet if I know they are going to win, I savor them a bit more and simply skip the huddles.

On Sunday they were playing as poorly as was humanly possible, so I didn't have great expectations. I couldn't watch this game-when I got home from youth group-without knowing the end first. So I timidly checked ESPN.Com and found out they won in Over Time. It was the same case with the movie The Sixth Sense; I had to know the ending was "good" before I would suffer through the scary parts (except this time I didn't need to keep the lights on).

When I got home I simply savored the game, despite the fact they continued to turn the ball over 2 more times in the red zone. I wasn't worried when they made stupid penalties. I wasn't worried when there was 25 seconds left and they were 25 yards away. Even though they rarely ever come back, I wasn't scared. I knew the ending. I knew they would eventually score a touchdown and get the 2 point conversion.

That's not to say I wasn't excited. That was probably one of the more exciting games I've seen. But because I knew the final score, I had nothing to worry about. Life definitely isn't like the DVR; and we should be glad-if you've seen the movie Click, you know what I mean.

But there is some parallel. It's important to know the end of the story. God doesn't give us all of the details (supposedly the devil is into those). Even how the end comes about is a little fuzzy. However He does give us enough that we don't need to await further revelation. And here's the end. We will one day get a new world, and Satan will be crushed under our feet (Romans 16:20). And in that new world, we will be without sin (Rev 21). And He promises to get us from here to there (II Tim 4:18), even when we, like the Buc's, just about "fumble" away the game. So because we have the end in mind, we can struggle, fight, and still enjoy this life he's given us. We know we will literally come out on top (Romans 16:20).

Don't waste where you live

On Saturday we had another neighborhood cookout. It was decently well attended and quite a blessing for all involved. One question that we really need to ask ourselves is "Why did God put me in this house/apartment/condo/igloo (if you're an Eskimo)? He has placed us in specific locations that we would bless those around us. We may like where we live; we may not like where we live. However we are not to "waste" where we live, but instead live among and love those whom God has ordained us to live among and love.

A verse that my mother (via her Tea Calendars) has brought to my attention is Acts 17:26-27

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."

A neighborhood cookout is a great place to build relationships which may eventually lead people to "seek him (via YOU) and perhaps reach out for him and find him." In addition, such cookouts bring community to people who are naturally (and now more than ever) isolating themselves from deep relationships. It's been a blast to see relationships begin to form from these simple get-together's.

If you're interested in hosting one, and I think yo ought to at least consider it, I recommend simply sending out an online poll to find a suitable date, and then sending it again to coordinate who's bringing what. It may take a little effort to eventually break through the inertia. But in the end, you''ll find it well worth the effort and prayer.

Connar Pictures

It has been brought to my attention by several folks that I have not had any Connar pictures in a while. So for those of you who like seeing baby pictures, click here for some Fall Festival and Halloween pics.