whoa--yes, and no

taking a moment this morning to scan some headlines before getting ready for worship, i came across this CNN video on their main page, "do you speak Christian?"

yes

• Christians have a sort of "christianese," as i've heard it called (from the essentials like 'believe' to nonessentials like 'pulpit')
• there are many different dialects 
• unfortunately, many are unaware of the meaning behind the terms they take for granted

no

• 'Salvation' is about experiencing the freedom & fullness of this life, BUT it is ALSO in reference to the life to come
• Belief as loyal commitment does not negate belief in the events of the Bible such as seas parting and Jonah in the fish
• 'Communion' is also a new word that has been assigned to a Biblical ideal, yet is more universally understood throughout Christendom; 'rapture', however, is one of those words with meaning that varies by 'dialect' 

attempting to concretely and briefly explain the depth, textures, history, and mystery of the Christian faith  into a short 3 minute video is as difficult as explaining all the nuances of the English (or any other) language in the same amount of time.

it is dangerous to present as fact simplified, one-sided explanations as definitive, black-and-white truth--yet, this is representative of the kind of conversations created in the aftermath of the Norway massacre with the perpetrator claiming to be a "right-wing Christian".  we, as believers, need to be aware of these perspectives, and perspective shifting reports, so that we can respond with wisdom and grace to each challenge, each rant, each misunderstanding, and each question that will confront the Church in days like these.  we cannot run and hide behind rhetoric or tradition in the midst of such events; we have to be willing to receive each challenge, listen to each criticism, and offer the mystery of Christ's transforming work in our own lives as testimony of the supernatural that cannot be explained by essays, videos, and quantifiable data.

to borrow a phrase from Erwin McManus, these create great friction for the Church, but they can be transformed to create great traction (see "An Unstoppable Force")

not of Christ

the horrific stories and images coming out of Norway have a terrible underlying story as well.  quoting a report from CNN ...

Norwegian television and newspaper reports have identified the suspect as 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik.
Official sources and social media indicate that Breivik might be a right-wing Christian fundamentalist who may have had an issue with Norway's multi-cultural society.  CNN: Norway report 07/23/11


if this report is true and these are indeed the convictions of this assailant, then the sadness is only multiplied for he not only fails to understand and represent Jesus, but he will also be guilty of causing so much unbelief.


"But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.  They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.  Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute." 2 Peter 2:1-2 (NIV)


Pray for the victims' families and this country now in shock; pray for the Church in Norway to rise up and display a true witness of Christ in this terrible time; and let us all be ready to represent Christ truthfully in word and life.

Check this out!

Coolest kids party supplies ever--3D plates & napkins with glasses. I couldn't believe it when I saw the glasses because the images didn't look like typical 3D art.
This poor, grainy, phone pic was taken at our nephew's sons 2nd birthday party earlier tonight.  We're on our way to a Jetson's future.

new tool...

so having begun to use my mac to create videos through the easy imovie program and preparing for frequent travel, i thought it would be great to get an ipad with the camera so i could do all that on the go and upload movies quickly for family, friends and supporters back home.

pause for realistic explanation of my above justification: 1) when i first got my mac, i pulled it out while traveling on my first trip in the UK, recorded video and used the same software to make the movie -- so would having an ipad really enable me to do it any less conspicuously?  possibly, but i had already demonstrated i got do it just fine with what i have.  and, 2) oh how clever the advertising to hook in someone who is trying "to abandon it all for the sake of the call" into even considering dropping that much coin on a thing.

but, i gave in -- sort of; as we researched and thought through this some more, Keli pointed out that i could get the latest version ipod for a fraction of the price, with the camera, with the same amount of memory of the ipad, and use the same apps.  so, we watched ebay and found one slightly used 64gb, 4th gen, mini-marvel that came for a grand total of $255 after discount--check it out, that's a steal!

anywho, the proof of whether or not this would work would be in how well i could click, record, and manipulate the app on the tiny screen.  so i clicked a couple pics, took a quick video of Grace and myself (she was lying around sick, poor girl) -- add a great random pic from the night before at the dinner table, and 30 minutes of finger maneuvering on the tiny screen produced this... (keep in mind, my daughter is actually sick and not really this lazy--i hope she'll forgive me...

yep, i think this was a good buy...

update on the serious stuff: we had a great weekend with the Riverchase and Rock Creek Congregations in the Birmingham area last weekend.   now we're rewarded with 2 weeks at "home" where we'll focus on the needs of the 6th Ave Congregation.  our next scheduled trip is to West Virginia the first weekend in August.  thanks for your continued encouragement, prayers and support.

too good not to post everywhere

this has nothing to do with our calling, our preparation, our departure or our ministry; it's funny and made us laugh out loud--hope you enjoy it too!

we hope you have a good weekend.  we'll travel from north Alabama south to Birmingham to share with our friends and family at Riverchase Community Church on the occasion of the ordination service for their current youth pastor, Josh Deeter.  after worship, we will share with the adult S.S. classes about our calling, and then share in the reception/wedding shower for Josh and his fiancee Emily.  Later Sunday evening, we will share at Emily's home church, Rock Creek Church of God in Bessemer.

we are further pleased to announce our latest Living Link partnership with Muren Church of God in southern Indiana; we hope to visit them in the near future to get to know Pastor Clint, his family, and the congregation there.

My Country Tis of Thee...

As i write this post, i'm sitting inside the wonderful back patio of our friends the Mativi's, who have graciously lent us their home while they vacation.  It's a perfect place to stop after the many miles to Houston and the many miles yet ahead before we can rest again in our own bed.  The kids also got the chance to not only stretch the legs from the car ride, but also swim till they were content late into the night while fireworks blasted in the peaceful sky.

It's the 4th of July and each blast is intended to remind us of the cannon and muskets firing in our country's struggle for independence.  It's a celebration of the great cost of our liberties that we often take for granted.  

On this holiday, we are reminded that our next 4th of July may be on foreign soil--that's an amazing thought!

This past several days, since our commissioning in Anderson at the NAC, we have been on another trip, deep down south to Houston, Texas.  Along the way, we have been blessed in a reunion with the Mativi family, as well as a stay in Houston with our former RCC Pastor Greg & his wife Shirley.  They now attend the Houston First Church of God where we shared on Sunday morning July 3.  This American holiday weekend was a reminder of the great melting pot that is this country has always been: while we went to worship with First Church, we were introduced to the English speaking, the Spanish speaking, and the Arabic speaking fellowships that make First Church their home!  We stayed in the Arabic speaking service and were blessed by the unique sounds of the oud (pictured) and the completely Arabic service; we were also thankful for the translation headsets that allowed us to understand the prayers and preached word!  After worship, we were able to experience the most diverse potluck dinner we have ever seen--what a wonderful picture as all these nationalities broke various breads together :)  We were blessed by the missional spirit of First Church; we are excited by their partnership and looking forward to how we can be further blessed by these talented and diverse believers sharing in the 3W region in the not too distant future.

To round out our 4th of July, we were also treated to a patriotic Houston Symphony performance at the outdoor Woodland's Pavilion--a real treat that included a fly by from the international space station and the 1812 overture complete with authentic canons firing!

Now it's another night's rest before hitting the road again.  By the time we get home, we will have traveled more than 4500 miles, spanning Toronto to Houston in the past 40 days!  Thank you for your ongoing prayers for our family...