I've had a mini-revelation of late in my personal views on giving and the Kingdom. As always, it of course came from my good friend John. We were discussing (and initially disagreeing on) an article written from one of my professors on one's mission. In the article, he made the comments that "mature love reaches out to others" and those "others" include the poor, orphans, broken down, can be found in the streest of such and such cities, etc. I liked the article, he hated it. And the reason he hated it is because the author limited the "others" to the poor, and his contention was that the "others" are more than the poor, someone needs to preach to the rich businessmen of the world as well, someone needs to go to Madiso and reach out to the lawmakers, the university teachers, etc. And I agree, which led to our conclusion that whatever heart the Lord has given you, it is your duty to be obedient and go with the calling. We also came to agreement that the church and the world tries to guilt us into buying into what the Lord has spoken to them about, and we feel bad about the poor or the orphans so we help them, though we really don't want to. That's not what Kingdom living is all about. The Scripture "God loves a cheerful giver" isn't there to guilt us into giving and saying that we have to give so we'd better put a smile on our face while doing it, it's more of the attitude of one's heart, that since we are a child of God and since we are a member of His Kingdom and since we have this heart for this mission, we gladly give of what the Lord has given us to then further His Kingdom. John admitted the poor don't really speak to him, and he feels bad about this so he prayed for the poor, but he has a heart for other places, and he feels the Spirit calling him to them. This was really revolutionary in my thinking.

With that, I have also narrowed down what the Spirit is leading me to. I have mentioned in this space quite often that my heart is for the slaves, children/orphans, and those who have not heard the message of Christ. To narrow that down even further, I want to let people know that they are loved and in the words of Josh McDowell, have infined dignity, value, and worth just because they were created and loved by God. Nothing more, nothing less.

The current chapter in that book I mentioned yesterday is titled "The Alien Among You" and discusses how the church should deal with aliens, especially illegal. While the book was published in 1998, could there be a more relevant topic in our culture today? The author takes the stand that the church must reach out to these people, love them, help them gain citizenship, etc. He quotes an article by Joe Maxwell referencing a raid in a Latino neighborhood where the church members were concerned about their future and whether the church would sell them out, but the pastor reassured them by preaching "This is not the office of immigration... It is the house of God and the door of heaven." Along with that he cites how difficult it is to gain citizenship in America today and that since the new immigrants are brown and not white, we are less hospitable to them.

One of the problems I have (had?) with this is that I would like those from different countries to enter legally and not use our government, as reports show that many do. (Of course, not all however.) Reports also show that the illegals commit a higher perecentage of crimes and use up public resources of which they don't contribute to. However, the thought also entered my mind that it shouldn't be the churches duty to worry about this, our duty is to love and build up. Maybe if we did a better job of that the government wouldn't have to worry so much about them as they wouldn't be doing things illegally and would be carrying their share of the burden in society. This is one of many areas the church needs to separate from government.

Another area, also discussed in the book, is the way Christians don't consider marriage valid unless it is blessed by the state. How absurd! Marriage is from the Lord! Sure, there are tax and other benefits of one's marriage being considered by the state, but beyond that, if a pastor wants to marry a couple and the state says no, God's Word trumps that and it should happen and is valid. A good example is that a couple we know is from Ghana and they are considered married in Ghana but not in America. I could care less, they are married in my eyes.

I received the following humor via email:

A minister was completing a temperance sermon.
With great emphasis he said, "If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river."
With even greater emphasis he said, "And if I had all the wine in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river".
And then finally, shaking his fist in the air, he said, "And if I had all the whiskey in the world,
I'd take it and pour it into the river."
When the Sermon was complete, he sat down. The song leader stood very cautiously and announced with a smile, nearly laughing,
"For our closing song, let us sing Hymn #365, "Shall We Gather at the River."

I also began this morning reading this book called "Where the Nations Meet. In the first chapter the author is discussing the difference between pluralism and diveristy, where pluralism is the acknowledgement that a large number of differences are present, including worldviews, value systems, and the like. Diversity on the other hand implies that we hold a common truth but express it in different ways. He then goes on to say that America is becoming more and more pluralistic, emphasizing group, ethnic, or tribal identity over other unifying social or national identify. To further illustrate this, he references a Doonsebury cartoon from years past where the university president replies to a group of protesting African-American students, "Look, I let you have your own African-American studies program and your own black student union, but I draw the line at letting you have your own drinking fountain." How true, how true! He ends by noting that America is becoming a nation of minorities and that "membership in one or another ethnic group is the basic American experience," we are moving from the "melting pot" paradigm to the "unmeltable ethnics." Good stuff.

It reminds me of a movie called "Higher Learning" which is set on a college campus and meant to show that ethnic groups tend to stick together and cease to interact with others different from them. It ends with a white man going postal on the campus, and healing beginning to occur from that experience and the in the final screen, the word "UNLEARN" is typed out, meaning we have to unlearn the racism and fear of others that we have grown accustomed to.

I'm realizing through a phone conversation I am going through right now that I am a very simply-minded person...

The following was posted on Jordon Cooper's blog yesterday. I've read a book by Jeffrey Tayler called "Facing the Congo," great book about a very destitute and hurting nation. Seems like things aren't getting much better...

It's a maxim that what people aren't talking about is always a favorite topic of conversation. But it will make your head spin when applied to the media and the most deadly conflict in the world today. Western media generally do not cover the ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but a media story is currently developing around the Congo - focusing, paradoxically, on how the conflict is not a media story.
I've lost count of how many journalists in the recent weeks have asked me, "Why aren't the media covering the Congo?"
With an estimated 1,000 people dying there every day as a result of hunger and disease caused by war, it is an appropriate question. But the extent of this coverage of noncoverage is reaching the absurd: print, radio, TV, Internet - they all want to know why they themselves are not writing articles and broadcasting programs about the Congo.
And it is not just me noticing this. In March, Reuters even held a seminar on "forgotten crises," at which the Congo topped the list, and on BBC World Service the other day, I heard a newscaster ask: "Shouldn't this be getting more attention?"
Indeed. What the world media are missing is one of the deadliest conflicts since World War II: 3.8 million people have died in the Congo since 1998, dwarfing not only the biggest of natural catastrophes, such as December's South Asia tsunami, but also other manmade horrors, such as Darfur.

I was up late last night and flipping through the channels when I came to "Nightline," which I don't know that I have ever watched. Anyway, the topic was a new film, "Stolen Childhood," done by two men who travelled the world for two years researching child slavery. As you probably know, that topic may be the one that hits my heart the hardest. I ended up going to their web site and buying the DVD, let me know if you want to see it once I get it, it looked like a great film. One thing struck me, a guy they interviewed figured that if we wanted to educate every child in the world who is not currently in primary school, it would cost $8 billion dollars per year. He then said that we (I would imagine "we" is the Western world, but it could be just America alone) spends $40 billion annually on golf. ?

The following was posted on resonate.com, a pomo online discussion group and is in response to waht some are saying is that nothing is new in the pomo movement. What I like about it is that the author is encouraging us all to continue our lives, even in the midst of a theological and personal transformation. We can't just sit back and wait, we need to get out and live!

But when all is said and done, I'm not convinced that the conversation, as circular and mundane as it sometimes appears, is quite so easy to write off. We are in a transitional and liminal time: this makes everything unsettled and awkward, and most of us feel tremendous unrest and a sense of urgency. We are not what we were, and not what we will be.. and we are often wandering off the map, uncertain even of direction. We feel resistance around us, and resistance within us. It's very uncomfortable.And while we wait for this movement to take shape and take flesh.. while we wait for more signs of the new church and new life to rise from the soil.. life goes on. We teach, and we talk.. we take our families to the beach, we sit in coffee shops and dream of the future.. we have our BBQs and care for the widows and orphans.. we debate ecclesiology and talk about the texture and shape of community.. it can feel like business as usual, when we know it is not. We sense in the Spirit a tremendous urgency.But I am encouraged that ultimately the test of spirituality is how well we handle the ordinary. Are we going deeper with one another and with the Lord? Are we learning to love in the day to day relationships the Lord has given? Are we caring for the widows and orphans? This is the final test of faithfulness and authenticity. It's not finally about who we will be tomorrow.. are we living the Gospel today?

Mouse: 2 Me: 0

I wish I would have listened more in my child development class in college. I'm becoming very intrigued by the congnitive development of children, as modeled by Maiya. It amazes me the level of thinking and processing these young minds do. I always thought children were like "whatever feels right at the moment" but Maiya is pretty consistent in her thinking and acting. Pretty crazy stuff to me, I just sit back and marvel sometimes.

I'm starting a new grad class on Urban Ministry, the first book I am reading is called "A Theology as Big as the City." I agree with most of what the author is saying, although he encourages getting involved a little too much in politics. I can see the relevance of that at times when ministering in the inner city, yet I also know that the power that comes with it corrupts and ruins the witness.

One of the thoughts I had while reading this morning was that the rural church and the church in the suburbs needs to be of greater support to the inner city church. We need to realize that we are all together in this battle. Ray Bakke, the author, talks about the urban flight, and when that happens we forget about our brothers and sisters that stay behind or were unable to leave. I believe rather than bigger buildings and more accumulations of wealth, our resources should go more to the inner cities to help them in their true fight against drugs, poverty, education, etc., and then we don't have to rely on the government so much.

Another conclusion I'm coming to is that as opposed as I am to buildings in the suburbs and in most of America, there is a place for them, particularly in places like much of Asia and Africa where they stand for the Gospel being lived and preached and a place of worship. We have lost that in much of America, the building serves more of a "look what we have done and who we are" rather than a place of worship. The same for the inner city, the church building there serves as a safe haven and a house of worship and is needed. Again, I would like to see the resources of the rural and suburban church going to more of these causes rather than building up their own portfolio's.

The beginning battle of WW III was fought last night in my basement. With Lisa being very near her due date, she has problems sleeping and the last thing she needs is me rolling around, snoring, and my alarm going off 15 times before I hit the snooze. So I get relegated to the basement, which I don't mind as it is comfortable and I can watch TV before I fall asleep. Well, last night at precisely 2:11am I was awoken to the sounds of some papers falling off my desk. I didn't think anything of it right away as with the AC sometimes they just get blown off, no big deal. However, when I turned on the light I was startled to find a huge mouse hopping across the floor, scared by the light (no, it wasn't a rat as everyone asks me, and I'm glad for that). He ran into the corner which gave me enough time to go grab a pail to try to trap him in and a broom to swat at him. My initial attempts failed and he ran under the couch. I then scared him behind the entertainment center, which was good since there is only one way out of there and I positioned the pail where he would crawl into there on his way out as I banged on the TV. It worked perfectly, but he tried to jump out once, failed, and the second time as he was jumping out I swung the broom at him and hit him square, throwing him against the wall. He was not to be deterred though and scammed back into our back room, where there was no finding him, but hopefully back there to die. He won the first battle, but I know I'll win the war as there is already an exterminator coming today to get rid of the flies, now he has one more duty. I keep wanting to live in Africa, maybe Africa is coming to me.

What is interesting though is I went upstairs to sleep and of course couldn't as my heart was racing. I began to pray that the little vermin would leave the house and never come back and I hate dealing with these things, plus with Maiya now on the first floor we have less control over her room. In my prayers for Maiya and her safety and our house free from rodents, my mind moved to those living in conditions where they have no control over their environment, no pest control to come and spray their house. I was convicted that I live in such extravagence (at least by the standards of the rest of the world), what if that were taken from me? Would I still be the same person? I want to think so, but I just don't know.

I also gave a good friend of mine totally the wrong directions to Fond du lac yesterday. He called me at 7:50 this morning nowhere near where he was supposed to be for his 8 o'clock class. I feel terrible!

Forgive me if this makes no sense, but the following text reminds me an awful lot of what I think happens in churches that grow too fast and then are always playing catchup to maintain control. It's a proper analogy, I think:

You've probably never had to work inside a business that's growing of 30% per month. Take it from me, it's an experience you don't need. Especially when you're not a brilliant programmer, you know damn well your code has bugs in it – it's actually a prototype that they pressed into service six months too early – and it's handling millions of pounds of other people's money. If things go wrong they scream at you. And exponential growth means the workload is always growing faster than the budget for hiring minions to do the donkey-work. At first it's fun, a buzz like a caffeine high: but it goes on too long and you get old and feel stupid, and at some point you find you can't stop running because your feet are locked to the treadmill and there's a wall of spikes right behind you.

Runner’s World this month has an article about a group of Western runners who went to Kenya to fellowship with the Kenyan runners who seem to continue to dominate distance running around the world. They talked about entering the homes of the people, how well-received they were, the environment and culture, the animals, etc. I don’t mean to sound arrogant by this, but none of it moved me at all. Had I read this same article last year, I would have been wowed. But after being there, my reaction it, “Yeah, that’s how it is, amazing isn’t it.” I don’t need any reporter bragging to me, kind of gets under my skin.

In that same magazine was a short article about a group of wives whose husbands left for Iraq in the winter of 2004. One of the wives commented, “It’s difficult to explain what it’s like to watch your husband tuck your children into bed one last time and to have one last kiss before he walks out the door and into a combat zone…” As a father and husband, I can’t imagine doing this, and as much as I support the war in Iraq and believe the cause was just, I couldn’t see myself going over there to fight. There are causes I might take up, fighting for those being slaughtered and starved in Darfur, the same for North Korea, but not much else. It convicts me that I am this much of a wimp, but I just don’t see myself leaving my family like that for many things.

While we are discussing magazines, I was at Copps this morning and before checking out, I noticed that Star magazine was reporting that Ben Affleck may be getting cold feet and having second thoughts about his marriage to Jennifer Garner. Being a HUGE Garner fan, I would give this advice to Ben, “Have second thoughts, think this through, in fact, please call this whole thing off. The world doesn’t need you messing up with beautiful and talented actress as a publicity stunt for your sagging career. By the way, how would you sum up your career? Riding the coat-tail of Matt Damon in “Good Will Hunting”? What other movies were you in? I can’t seem to remember any at this time.” As you can see, I’m not a big Affleck fan.

I was preaching to Lisa yesterday morning about giving in the Kingdom of God, and what I feel about this subject. In my sermon, I was reminded of the movie “Heat” and not having watched it for some time, I had to go out and rent it last night. One of my favorite lines from that movie is what De Niro repeats throughout the movie, “Don’t let yourself get attached to anything in your life that you cannot walk out on in 30 seconds if you feel the heat coming around the corner.” Now, of course I don’t subscribe to that theory when it comes to relationships or many other things in life, but in my discussion with Lisa, I think it fits perfectly in seeking the balance between saving and giving in the Kingdom of God.

Here’s how I feel, and I can’t take credit for this as it has been taught to me by my good friend John, and I think he hit it right on the head. See, I’m always worried about this, how much can I save, should I save at all? The Bible seems to say to save up for your children and your children’s children, and I believe the Bible calls us to take care of our family, but how much is necessary? Certainly not what a financial advisor would encourage. The Bible also seems to show those who gave all, selling all they had and laying it at the feet of the apostles. I’m confused. So I asked John about mutual funds, real estate, stocks, money market accounts, etc. and what he thought of those and in reality, honestly, if it was all right o have them as a person living in the Kingdom of God. His answer was that of course they were all right, have fun with them, be smart with them, seek to expand your wealth, take care of your family, etc. But here is the kicker, he said that we can never hold on to them too tightly, we need to be ready to get rid of them in 30 seconds if we feel God calling us to a cause. They are not ours, they are the Lord’s, and if we find our security in them, that is where we go wrong.

So, to put the words of De Niro into this context, “Don’t let yourself get attached to any monetary value in your life that you cannot give to the Lord in 30 seconds if you feel God calling you to a cause.” I like that.

Sometime in the past two or three weeks I read an article in either Time or Newsweek (I know, I'm losing my mind, it's been a long week) about Paul Wolfowitz being head of the World Bank and the changes he and the organization wants to make. One that I found interesting allowed Western donors (or really any donor) to donate to a country of their choice, and the donation would be split evenly among every person in that country who registers for some card or whatever. Kind of confusing, but very interesting. Part of me likes it, letting your donation go to where it is needed most, but I don't like the distance it causes. I feel the best way to help someone is to be there directly for them, it's why I hope to continue to travel to and support Kenya, not just putting some money in a bank. We need to see the need. In addition, when is enough enough? When will we move from simply handing over money to those in third world countries to teaching them skills that will allow them to succeed on their own, which is the long-term goal of the organizations I work for and support. Finally, this does smell of corruption.

I have talked about this book I am reading, "Lost in America," I strongly suggest it to anyone who has an interest in evangelism. A few comments:

1) The authors compare Christianity to the Matrix, specifically when Morpheus offers Neo the red or blue pill. "This is your last chance...After this, there is no going back. You take the blue pill and the store ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pilll and you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes...Remember that all I am offering is the truth. Nothing more."
They go on to say that each person today is faced with a similar choice. If one takes the blue pill, they may navigate through life finding pleasures, but will always wonder if there is something more. The red pill, on the other hand, "offers the truth, but promises nothing more. If you do follow Christ, riches may come, but so may poverty. Social acceptance may come, but so may rejection. The red pill simply helps you see things as they really are." How true, I like the balance!

2) The authors ask the question of what is "Good News" to our neighbors. In the East African countries they ministered in previously, the good news was food, which saved their body from physical death. It was clothing, giving them dignity, and it was trust in Christ, which saved their souls for eternity. What is it for our neighbors? That's for us to decide, but ultimately is still is that we have been separated from Christ due to our sins and we need to re-enter relationship with Him, and we do that through the blood of Christ.

3) They also stress a lot that it's not Jesus that turns people off, it's the churches and the people in them. Unfortunately, I agree. We lack validity in the world, and as much as the people in the Church shouldn't keep people from Christ, they do, so we have to watch how we live our lives.

I just read a blog off of the evangelical outpost, a fairly interesting one I must say. It was a commencement address that never happened because the author has never been asked to give one, so he submitted it to the outpost and is allowing anyone to use it without even crediting him. Pretty neat. It was about the Athenians from Greece and the Visigoths from Germany and the difference between the two, basically, Athenians=quest for knowledge, righteousness=good, and Visigoths=destruction and war=bad.

Here is my point, and here again lies another pet peeve of mine. I am going to assume, whether right or wrong, that most hits on this web site come from evangelical Christians. I read the comments to this post and they just ripped the author, nitpicking every little detail, his overall thesis, everything you can imagine. I find my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are just too picky sometimes and can't find the spirit of the situation, always focusing on the law of it. Was this speech 100% accurate and true? Maybe, maybe not, but I think the point was more to tell a story and inspire others in their lives, it didn't have to be totally accurate. Things like this give us a bad reputation as believers, moves us further from the world. There is a time to be nitpicky, on some of the non-negotiables of the Word, etc, but this wasn't one. One more reason why I am falling further and further away from contemporary Christian thought.

Copy machines amaze me, put my packet in and it'll sort, collate, go from one sided-to two-sided copies, amazing!

Great quote from Vox:
Society and the courts have turned away from the founders' emphasis on personal responsibility, she has argued, toward a culture of government regulation and dependency that threatens fundamental freedoms.
I couldn't agree more...

Drudge reports that the cremated ashes of a lady in Houston were stolen out of the mausoleun and replaced with a can of sour cream 'n onion potato chips. Her daughters were dismayed, noting that they hoped this would all be cleared up "before we die, so we can find some closure in this..." Before we die? So we can find closure? Ladies, your mother is dead, ashes or no ashes, the closure happened when you put her in the fire. I find it interesting how people get so upset on what happens to the body after death. Like last year when that funeral home in Georgia just buried the bodies in their backyard instead of cremating them. (Now there are obviously moral and health issues at stake here, I'm focusing more on the reaction of the families.) The person is dead, their soul is gone, who cares what happens. If that were to happen to my family, I think I'd kind of laught about it, kind of ironic, potato chips? As for me, I prefer to be cremated and donate whatever they can to research, but if I get fed to the lions after death, I couldn't care less.

Enough of the news, personally I'm doing fine. Maiya has been an absolute sweetheart and silly little girl of late, I'm enjoying the limited time I've gotten to spend with her. We're almost done redoing Maiya's new room and the baby room, with the little one expected in less than three weeks. Summer school is one third done, praise God, and basketball camp is over, I now feel like summer is here. Nothing else really going on.

Isn't this some beautiful weather! I'm sick of people saying its too hot, yet five months ago they were complaining it was too cold. One or the other friends. If you want the constant 70's and sun, move to CA. This is what we get in WI, deal with it, enjoy it!

Our house right now is swarmed with flies, they are everywhere! The big kind too, the ones I hate. We have a guy coming to spray on Monday, that was as soon as he could get there. I've always been amazed at the range of bugs I find in our house, some crazy things, now they'll be gone. I've always wanted to sell the rights to our house to some bug people to study, maybe I could make some money off of that.

Frankly, I could care less about all these desecrations of the Koran that are dominating the news of late. These people are the most violent, most hostile toward outsiders, their goal is to kill Christians and Americans and we are supposed to have sympathy when their holy book is mishandled? We should just destroy them all and do away with this evil!

Michael Savage made a great comment last night on his radio show on the topic of foreigners fear of repercussions for the deeds of their home country (i.e. violence against Iraqis or Afghans because of the terror supported by their country, and fear that they may be involved). I forget the exact text, but his point that all foreigners have to do is come out in favor and support of America and all will be all right. In the case of a Chinese retaurant he and his family used to frequent, they put an American flag in the window of their store, and there was never a question asked as to where their loyalty lies.

Three times since Saturday morning I have driven a mini-van. Lisa keeps giving me crap that I like them so much we are going to get one. I couldn’t think of anything that could take away my manhood more than owning one of those. I have nothing against people who drive them, they are very handy, they’re just not for me.

I hosted a group of Guatemalans this weekend, what a joy. One was a gentleman who ministers through AIA in Guatemala, and there were also four young ladies who were either in college or just out, all wanting to teach and reach their country for Christ. It was amazing to hear them speak the same language that I have become accustomed to, focusing not on the external, but more on the internal, more on the heart, not caring if someone has a beer or dances or where they work or worship, where is their heart? We all had coffee Saturday night and I just say back and was blessed by listening to them. I will visit that country very soon! It was a true blessing that it’s not just me and those I fellowship with that are thinking and acting on this, it is happening around the world.

My professor puts out a weekly e-periodical, this past week’s struck me, it was on the Holy Spirit and how one can tell where He is working:
If you want to see the Spirit of God at work in the world, then watch for people who claim Jesus as Lord, and who live out that faith-commitment day by day. If you want to experience God's powerful presence for yourself, then confess "Jesus is Lord" and mean it.

I hadn’t ever really thought about it in that way, but it sure makes sense. If you want to see where the Spirit is working and leading, find out where the fruit is. I like that.

I’m reading this book called “Lost in America,” another book that tells how bad America really is and how we are fastly becoming a wasteland where there are few hints of Christianity present. It’s a pretty good book. The author makes an interesting comment, “In America, there are 120 to 140 million functionally secular people, many of who are nominal members of our churches.”

It doesn’t surprise me, two years ago I read a book called “Pagans in the Pews” that said basically the same thing, although went further in noting how the theology of these people is very damaging to the church they attend and the Church as a whole.

To end, I’m coming more and more to the realization that what we see of Christianity in America is so far removed from the New Testament and what the Lord desires of us, that I have no idea where to go. I’m very confused!