so this is the new year....

almost. New Years Eve is upon us and I really haven't reflected on it much until today at church. There are several things that I am thankful for during this past year. It's amazing how God continues to bless when you take risks and make sacrifices. Despite a difficult last six months God has provided for us through friends, family members and jobs. It is clear that God is leading us. We're just trying to stay open to his call.

My favorite moments of 2006 (in no particular order):
1. Moving to Portland, OR
2. Touring the Northwest (Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver B.C.) in March.
3. Driving from Florida to Oregon.
4. Getting to spend a month with friends and family in Illinois.
5. Having friends visit and stay on the beach in Florida (Bill, Josh, and Jeff)
6. Starting Seminary
7. Being a part of Evergreen Community.
8. Seeing Bob dance at Sarah and Jonathan's wedding.
9. Going to Sea World for my birthday.
10. Brad Prunty's wedding and bachelor party.
11. Completing The Brothers Karamazov.
12. Going to CIY with Andy, Courtney and the students.
13. Going a full year without soda!
14. Playing church league softball.
15. Hosting several beer/wine tasting parties in Florida.
16. Hanging out with the students at Impact (most nights).

Toughest moments of 2006:
1. Striking out at church league softball.
2. Making a joke in a sermon about Joel Osteen and having a woman come up after the service with a picture of her and Joel Osteen.
3. Dealing with customers at the video store who have over 100 dollars in late fees.
4. When my professor asked me what Leviticus 16 was about and then told me that I was an "ignorant fool" (exact words).
5. Driving a Uhaul trailer across the continental U.S.

It's been a fantastic year. In light of the challenges and the losses of this year I wouldn't do anything differently. I hope that this next year is just as exciting, and if not, that I will be just as (but hopefully more) faithful to God and his Kingdom.

Happy New Years!

a better day

Today is a better day than the last. Yesterday was an awful day at work which you can read about below and Kelli was very sick and we didn't know what was wrong with her which is stressful as well. But after my short shift tonight I will be done with work for 4 or 5 days and will get to spend time with Kelli and her parents unhindered by customers. And Kelli got in with a doctor today and found out that she will live but will just need a few weeks to recover and a few more tests!

We opened our Christmas presents today and I am very excited with what Kelli's parents bought us! My favorite gift was tickets to see Josh Ritter at the Aladdin Theatre! Doesn't get much better than that! Of course, getting money to buy books that I want was rather nice too! I'm very excited to come home tonight and order them all!

I am hoping to have a better attitude tonight at work with the customers and be a little more at peace. I have such a hard time not taking things personally when it comes with customers. Maybe this is God's way of helping me learn this lesson before I start to pastor again. It's certainly something that I struggle with. I'm weak!

Video Meltdown

This year was the first year that I worked on Christmas Eve and Christmas. It was quite a letdown that I was not able to participate in anything with our church community, nor do anything with family. I'm really getting worn out on my job. After about 4 straight nights at the video store I have gotten completely burnt out on people. The selfishness of the individual never quite truly struck me until doing customer service. Here are a few truths about the video store:

1. No one is ever friendly.
2. No one has ever returned a movie late in their life.
3. No one will pay a late fee unless forced.
4. No one is willing to accept any mistake made by an employee.
5. If a mistake is made, all hell will break loose until they get at least 3 free movies out of it by throwing a temper tantrum.
6. If there is a line at all people will start huffing and puffing like they are a mad little three year old.
7. If there is any chance to bitch about ANYTHING, they will find it.
(examples include not having their favorite movie in stock, not getting to use a coupon that is expired, having to pay late fees, not being able to open an account without a debit or credit card, etc.)

I'm sure I could go on, but I just thought I would vent some of my frustrations. I have truly come to that point in this job where I am starting to despise people and that is not good. Every customer is a huge hassle. It's never as easy as just checking someone's video's out for them. I thought this job would be so much easier and less confrontational than it is. I think about 1 out of every 5 people leave the store angry because they cannot accept responsibility for having turned anything in late. I'm not sure what it is about working customer service where everyone feels like it is their right to treat you like crap. For some reason they believe that we are not human beings and have no worth at all. As many customer service people sheepishly accept it that customers can say or do whatever they want, I will not stand for it. If someone is treating me poorly I will call them out on it and refuse their service unless they act decently. I have said several times, "once you start treating me like a human, I will help you." Of course that breaks every rule there is in customer service but I will not be treated like a piece of dirt and if that gets me fired, so be it!

I hope that you who are reading this will treat people who serve you with some dignity and respect rather than being an A-hole when things don't go your way. The people that I ALWAYS help out (cancel late fees, give free movies, etc.) are the ones that treat me with respect and decency. The people who yell and scream can expect to never get anything.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow that after I work tomorrow night I get four or five days off! I need it. I'm about ready to lose it on someone. Just pray that someone isn't YOU!!!!

Video Meltdown

This year was the first year that I worked on Christmas Eve and Christmas. It was quite a letdown that I was not able to participate in anything with our church community, nor do anything with family. I'm really getting worn out on my job. After about 4 straight nights at the video store I have gotten completely burnt out on people. The selfishness of the individual never quite truly struck me until doing customer service. Here are a few truths about the video store:

1. No one is ever friendly.
2. No one has ever returned a movie late in their life.
3. No one will pay a late fee unless forced.
4. No one is willing to accept any mistake made by an employee.
5. If a mistake is made, all hell will break loose until they get at least 3 free movies out of it by throwing a temper tantrum.
6. If there is a line at all people will start huffing and puffing like they are a mad little three year old.
7. If there is any chance to bitch about ANYTHING, they will find it.
(examples include not having their favorite movie in stock, not getting to use a coupon that is expired, having to pay late fees, not being able to open an account without a debit or credit card, etc.)

I'm sure I could go on, but I just thought I would vent some of my frustrations. I have truly come to that point in this job where I am starting to despise people and that is not good. Every customer is a huge hassle. It's never as easy as just checking someone's video's out for them. I thought this job would be so much easier and less confrontational than it is. I think about 1 out of every 5 people leave the store angry because they cannot accept responsibility for having turned anything in late. I'm not sure what it is about working customer service where everyone feels like it is their right to treat you like crap. For some reason they believe that we are not human beings and have no worth at all. As many customer service people sheepishly accept it that customers can say or do whatever they want, I will not stand for it. If someone is treating me poorly I will call them out on it and refuse their service unless they act decently. I have said several times, "once you start treating me like a human, I will help you." Of course that breaks every rule there is in customer service but I will not be treated like a piece of dirt and if that gets me fired, so be it!

I hope that you who are reading this will treat people who serve you with some dignity and respect rather than being an A-hole when things don't go your way. The people that I ALWAYS help out (cancel late fees, give free movies, etc.) are the ones that treat me with respect and decency. The people who yell and scream can expect to never get anything.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow that after I work tomorrow night I get four or five days off! I need it. I'm about ready to lose it on someone. Just pray that someone isn't YOU!!!!

Favorite Albums of 2006

Finally, the most important list! And before you go nuts for not having something on there, keep in mind, this is my favorite stuff of the year. This is not a critics list of "best" music of the year. These are the albums I listened to the most. Starting with number 5.....

5. The Lancaster Orchestra - Never Cried Once When I Could Have





4. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
St. Augustine
The Great Salt Lake
The Funeral


3. M. Ward - Post-War
Post-War



2. Ben Harper - Both Sides of the Gun




1. Josh Ritter - The Animal Years
Thin Blue Flame



The Rest of the Albums I loved this year:
Hotel Lights - Hotel Lights
Joseph Arthur - Nuclear Daydream
Rocky Votolato - Makers
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Midlake - The Trials of...
Centro-Matic - Fort Recovery
Hem - Funnel Cloud
Greg Laswell - Through Toledo
Pernice Brothers - Live a Little
Great Lake Swimmers - Bodies and Minds
Page France - Hello, Dear Wind
Sparklehorse - Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain
Califone - Roots and Crowns

Ah, what the heck, i'll get this list misery over with and just list my favorite movies as well. There are several that I haven't seen this year like The Departed, the Prestige, etc. so this is out of ignorance.

1. Little Miss Sunshine

2. Stranger than Fiction

3. Thank You for Smoking

4. V for Vendetta

5. Talladega Nights

6. Superman Returns

7. Over the Hedge

Ok, i'm done with lists this year, i promise!

Top Ten Fiction Books Read This Year

1. The Brothers Karamazov By Fyodor Dostoevsky

The big mother of Russian Literature. This is without a doubt the greatest masterpiece of literature I have ever read. When you think as you are reading it that someone actually wrote all of this it baffles your mind. This is a must read once in your life so get cracking. I've got to admit though, it was a great feeling of accomplishment to finish this one!



2. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

Steinbeck's travels with his poodle Charlie are probably the most of Steinbeck's witty, clever personality that you will ever see. It's quite a contrast from his dust-bowl sadness writings and as much as I love Steinbeck a welcome change. This makes me want to take three months, drive the back roads of the country and see the real America.



3. The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene

The best way to describe this novel is dark. Greene can explain the darkness of the human heart like few others. If you are looking to see the reality of sin played out, read this one.





4. The Entire Harry Potter Series

As is typically the case, the movies suck compared to the books, big time! I decided to read this series over Christmas break and I am hooked. I'm getting close to done with the series and I can't tell you how bad I want to be at Hogwarts. If you are looking for pure entertainment, pick these up.







5. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Great Sci-Fi book about a boy who is trained to destroy humanities arch enemies, if they are enemies however is debatable. Fear of the unknown will make humans do some pretty crazy things. This book opens up a great discussion for ethics as well.





6. The Invisible Man/The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

A few classics that I have never read but felt like I should. Good stuff. Makes me realize that if I had one superpower I would second guess my typical desire to be invisible.






7. A Timbered Choir by Wendell Berry

Doesn't really fit in the fiction category as this is a book of poetry. A nice read of sabbatical poems from the Mad Farmer from Kentucky.







8. White Fang/Call of the Wild by Jack London

Another few classics I thought I should read. If you are intrigued by the rough Alaskan landscape and the harsh conditions for survival these are great. Very Darwinian in nature but shows the reality of life in this setting.






9. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

At the end of this I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. But I finally decided that I did. I guess it took me a while to get into the dialogue of the book and really hear it the way it was written but once I made the mental shift it was written tremendously and has some good philosophy mixed in. This is apparently Salinger trying to combine some Buddhism with Christianity. Interesting.





10. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Finally, the most talked about book of the last few years. Put aside that Dan Brown is a horrible historian and theologian, if you read this book for fun it's a quick thrill-ride that you will read in a couple of settings and enjoy. And yes, the movie sucked big time. Tom Hanks???

Top 5 Non-Fiction Books

I know, I know, this is getting ridiculous, but I can assure you that this is the second to last list for books! Tomorrow I will list my top 10 fiction books read this year and end it! And then of course we'll have to do movies and music. I tried to warn you that I love lists. It's how I process information! So here goes.

1. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Breathtaking account of an unexplained retreat from society on the part of a college student to try to survive the wild Alaskan frontier in the winter with no supplies. He didn't make it. This is a book examining his reasons for going and his reasons for dying. This is writing at it's best.

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2. Body Piercing Saved My Life by Andrew Beaujon
Spin magazine writer Andrew Beujon tries to figure out where Christian rock came from and discover what the Christian music culture is like. If you are at all interested in music and the history of the Christian music scene, this is a funny and interesting account which I believe was generously written. It could have been bad, but Andrew does what good rock journalists do, he hid his bias well!

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3. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
I got on a Krakauer kick this year. This is his exploration of the true history of Mormonism. If only 10% of this book is true, it is frightening. I couldn't put this one down. After reading this it was extremely exciting to visit Temple Square this summer in Salt Lake City. Ask Kelli, i was like a little kid at Disneyland! All summer long I was joking about how I was going to catch Warren Jeffs!

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4. Pornified by Pamela Paul
Pamela Paul explores the effects of pornography on our society and describes ways in which our entire society has been "pornified". It was good to hear this through the lens of someone who is not objecting to pornography for religious reasons. It made me realize even more that pornography goes way beyond Christian objections, but is an evil in all facets of society.

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5. Me, Myself, and Bob by Phil Vischer
I'm not sure if this book has been released yet, but I wrote the back cover copy for it and really liked the book. I had no idea that Phil Vischer, the creator of Veggie Tales lost everything in the process. This is his story of what he learned through the whole ordeal and there are some very valuable and insightful lessons. And if you like Veggie Tales i'm sure you will love the book. I have never really even watched Veggie Tales and was intrigued with it throughout.

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Top 5 ministry books read this year...

1. Working the Angles by Eugene Peterson

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a pastor or who is thinking of being a pastor. It is a good reminder or a good foundation to what this calling of pastor is all about. Peterson explains how it is the things that we do that go unseen that make us a pastor. This also might be a wake-up call to all those who ever thought this book had something to do with working the angels! Let me assure you it has nothing to do with angels whatsoever!


2. Under the Unpredictable Plant by Eugene Peterson

Finishing a close second in the running is another book in this series. Using the story of Jonah Peterson talks about what vocational holiness means. I found this book extremely relevant. He speaks much of pastors who stick around for a few years at a church and then run off looking for greener pastures (the perfect church) never to find what they are looking for. And also those who are seduced by power and prestige which gets in the way of fulfilling God's mission.


3. Organic Church by Neil Cole

Neil Cole has been talking about Simple/House/Organic churches for years and practicing what he preaches. I think people have been waiting for him to write this book forever. If you have had a workshop with Neil Cole this information is probably not all this new to you but this is a good representation of what a simple church movement is all about.



4. Jesus of Suburbia by Mike Erre

I've already said a lot about this book already so I'll spare you. Basically the idea is that the Jesus of North American consumer Christianity is far removed from the true Jesus of Nazareth. It's a good contrast and helpful in thinking through how we worship and teach Jesus in the cultural setting we've been placed.



5. The Great Giveaway by David Fitch

I don't really know how to describe this book. I found the chapters on worship and preaching the most helpful and also challenging. If nothing else, you should read the chapter on preaching. He decries preachers who spend all their time giving their congregation more to-do lists and applications when the point of the sermon should be to get people to respond to God, not to have another 3 things to do during the week, every week.

Here's a quote I will leave you with:
"The applications of the sermons accumulate like an ever-growing stack of self-help books and tapes we can never hope to get to. After many months of this, because we cannot possibly put into practice all of the applications, preaching becomes nothing more than a scroll we wear on our foreheads that comforts us in the knowledge that we are the ones who are serious about studying Scripture."

"With narrative preaching, however, the preacher’s first job will not be to hand out more “to do” lists. Rather it is to unfurl the reality of who God is past, present, and future so that all men and women who would submit to live in that world would then be able to understand themselves, who they are, where they are going, and what they are to do in terms of Jesus Christ and his story."

So glad they remembered!

I wasn't sure I was going to get a digital e-card from Ed and Lisa this year but they surprised me once again!

Top 5 Books on Spirituality

It’s my favorite time of the year. Year-end list making time! To warm up I’m going to do my favorite books . But because I have nothing else to talk about I’m going to break it into four days. With my top-five books read this year in Spirituality, Ministry, and Non-fiction, and then do a top ten of fiction. I know most of you could care less what my favorite books are that I have read this year, but I’m more doing this for me, because it is entertaining, but I would love to hear some feedback as I post these from you as well and hear about what you have read. I would love to read your year end lists on your blog as well so let me know if you have made one! I will start with Spirituality. Let the madness begin!

Spirituality:

1. New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton
This could be one of my favorite books of all time. I know I will go back to it time and time again. Very simple yet profound. I have said this before but I feel a real connection to Thomas Merton and see him as one of my mentors from the grave. If you have not read anything from Merton, I would say this is one of his best.

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2. The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian Mclaren
Always controversial, but not near as controversial as the name implies, this is another solid book from Mclaren who never stops forcing me to think through ideas and thoughts for myself.

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3. Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer
This is a book that I know have impacted a ton of people’s lives which is why I read it. I read this at a crucial time when I was trying to figure out what I’m going to do with my life. It was helpful in terms of thinking through the idea of vocation.

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4. The Genesee Diary by Henri Nouwen
I have always been fascinated with the life inside a monastery and this book takes you on a six month excursion through the daily workings of the monastery as well as Nouwens’ reflections during his stay.

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5. Whistling in the Dark/Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechner
These are pretty much just Buechner’s own dictionaries of theological and religious words but very insightful and laugh-out loud funny at times. I never thought I could have this much fun reading a dictionary!

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Tomorrow I will tackle ministry books.

John Calvin

Last night and this morning I've been reading Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion as something to compliment Harry Potter (i don't know what that means either). But in any case, i can't believe I haven't read this before. It's not near as long as I believed it to be, sure it's four books, but the books aren't as large as I would have supposed. The material is weighty but it's very readable and worth thinking through. I guess one of the reasons I've never read Calvin was because I've never been a Calvinist, but am just now realizing that if Calvin were alive, he probably wouldn't be a Calvinist either! At least, not in the way we think of it.

“My meaning is: we must be persuaded not only that as he once formed the world, so he sustains it by his boundless power, governs it by his wisdom, preserves it by his goodness, in particular, rules the human race with justice and Judgment, bears with them in mercy, shields them by his protection; but also that not a particle of light, or wisdom, or justice, or power, or rectitude, or genuine truth, will anywhere be found, which does not flow from him, and of which he is not the cause; in this way we must learn to expect and ask all things from him, and thankfully ascribe to him whatever we receive.” Book 1, Chapter 2:1

“For until men feel that they owe everything to God, that they are cherished by his paternal care, and that he is the author of all their blessings, so that nought is to be looked for away from him, they will never submit to him in voluntary obedience; nay, unless they place their entire happiness in him, they will never yield up their whole selves to him in truth and sincerity.” Book 1, Chapter 2:1

One Semester Down

Just one more class in about 20 minutes, one conversation with the professor that made me feel stupid last time to see if i can test out of Biblical Hermeneutics and take an advanced class, and one final on Wednesday and I'm all done! Feels good to have everything turned in. Such a freeing feeling, at least for a few weeks. Now there is only one thing on my mind....Harry Potter. I'm on book three and from what Kelli says this will be the best one thus far!

As for Portland today, holy crap, it's rainy and windy. I had to take the train and the bus to school today and even with an umbrella i'm soaked. My jeans are still wet from an hour ago and my socks are wet which I hate more than Florida and Ohio State playing for the championship.

But one thing I have to look forward to tonight is the Bears destroying the Rams tonight despite Rex Grossmans' ridiculously bad play. ESPN reported that Griese got about half of the snaps in practice this week, let's hope after a few turnover from Grossman which will probably happen in the first quarter, they give Griese a shot. Don't hear me wrong. I'm not saying Griese is extraordinary or will be able to turn it on like Romo has, he's Brian Griese for goodness sakes, but even if Griese does nothing offensively and just doesn't turn the ball over we would be in a better position!

Well, i'm going to go get some bad school coffee and finish off Pastoral Counseling. Speaking of, i haven't had an out of context quote from our professor for a while so here goes:

"Consistency is the hobgoblin of a small mind."

The Great Giveaway

"Why is it that pastors of large churches are more willing to build bigger buildings than empower a group of forty to fifty people to plant another living body of Christ? If indeed the facts are true that the greatest conversion growth occurs in churches when they grow from fifty to two hundred people, why is it that we insist on building bigger churches after they have reached one thousand? What does it say about our assumptions for church growth when we plant churches that already start with two hundred people?" -David Fitch

How to Prank a Telemarketer

http://howtoprankatelemarketer.ytmnd.com/

You've got to listen to this! Hilarious! Thanks Evergreen Forum, more specifically Aaron I think.

Eugene Peterson

I just read Eugene Peterson's "Under the Unpredictable Plant" and I can't say enough good things about it. I connect with what Peterson says in the same sort of way I connect with Nouwen or Merton. You can just tell that Peterson knows what he is talking about and there is depth behind it. I'm not sure there is another pastor/writer alive today that I have as much respect for. Anyway, if you have not read this book, or Working the Angles for that matter, you should pick them up. It is a very refreshing refocus on what it means to be a pastor.

Here are some quotes that stuck out. It is for these reasons particularly that I struggle with my profession. This is exactly what I don't want out of being a pastor.

“Why do we have such a difficult time keeping this focus? Why are we so easily distracted? Because we get asked to do a lot of things other than this, most of which seem useful and important. The world of religion generates a huge market for meeting all the needs that didn’t get met in the shopping mall. Pastors are conspicuous in this religious marketplace and are expected to come up with the products that give customer satisfaction. Since the needs seem legitimate enough, we easily slip into the routines of merchandising moral advice and religious comfort. Before long we find that we are program directors in a flourishing business. We spend our time figuring out ways to attractively display god-products. We become skilled at pleasing the customers. Before we realize what has happened, the mystery and love and majesty of god, to say nothing of the tender and delicate subtleties of souls, are obliterated by the noise and frenzy of the religious marketplace.”

"Propogandists are abroad in the land lying to us about what congregations are and can be. They are lying for money. They want to make us discontent with what we are doing so we will buy a solution from them that they promise will restore virility to our impotent congregations. The profit-taking among those who market these spiritual monkey glands indicates that pastoral gullibility in these matters is endless."

"North American religion is basically a consumer religion. Americans see God as a product that will help them to live well, or to live better. Having see that, they do what consumers do, shop for the best deal. Pastors, hardly realizing what we are doing, start making deals, packaging the God-product so that people will be attracted to it and then presenting it in ways that will beat out the competition. Religion has never been so taken up with public relations, image building, salesmanship, marketing techniques, and the competitive spirit."

"My pastor-crisis was concurrent. In the course of organizing a new congregation in the suburbs, I felt pressure to get a lot of people together as quickly as possible in such a way that they would provide financial resources to build an adequate sanctuary for the worship of God. I found that gathering a religious crowd was pretty easy, provided I didn’t get too involved with God. My ecclesiastical superiors sent me to workshops that showed me how to do it. I observed the success of other pastors who did it. Religious consumers are like all other consumers, easily attracted by packaging and bargains. But I also knew that to follow this route I would have to abandon the very thing that gave the life of a pastor its worth: a passion for God."

How do we fight consumerism in the church? I think this is one of the worst consequences of the "seeker" church. We've catered to consumerism to where we can't even separate ourselves from it. We have given people what they want and didn't think about what they need. Is there a way where we can truly become counter-cultural in the sense that we fight against consumerism in all it's ugly forms in the church instead of just continually giving into it because that's what draws the largest crowd? Is that even possible anymore?

Another week, another failure for Grossman

Grossman, you officially suck. 7 games, 20 turnovers. You should be a third string quarterback on the Lions.

Despite today's numbers, the Bears somehow pulled off a win again today. But, it's no question with Grossman playing like this, they don't have a chance in the playoffs. That's too bad.

Today's numbers:
6/19 - Comp.
34 - Yds.
1.8 - Avg.
0 - TD
3 - INT

Harry Potter Madness Month!

I'm obviously a little behind the times since I am just starting to read the Harry Potter series, but nonetheless in the month of December (and maybe some of January) I am trying to read all 6 of the books to catch me up in the series. This all started at the prompting of my wife Kelli who LOVES the books. I have really enjoyed the movies but remember very little about them so it is an excellent time to read the books. I just finished the first book today The Sorcerer's Stone and absolutely loved it. This truly is a fantastic book. It's clever, it's funny, it's suspenseful. And it's a good break from the heavy reading of Seminary! I can't wait to start the second one!

My favorite quote of this book comes from Dumbledore who anyone would be thrilled to have as their teacher when speaking of the stone which could create the elixir of life that would cause you to live forever. He said, "You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all-the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."

True enough Dumbledore.