Monthly Archives: May 2007
Vacation Reading & Immigration
I didn’t get around to ordering any new books for my vacation, so I’ve been reading a lot of articles online. Here are a few I found interesting from the New York Times. Turns out dieting is really hard, you are not the next Emeril, and there are a few people who still care about the sojourner.
On the last article, I saw an angry white man on TV this morning from the angry patriot league (or something like that) who was red-faced and shouting about people coming into this country. I didn’t notice, but I sure hope he wasn’t Irish. Shouting about the immigration problem just might be hypocritical for a people group who came into the country and took low paying jobs away from “Americans” in order to escape the poverty of their own nation. Wait, was that the Irish?
Yep! There were newspaper ads that would say, “No Irish need apply.” They were thought of as lazy, unintelligent, and dirty. Sometimes the Irish were roundly criticized for taking low-wage jobs away from hard-working “Americans,” and they were thought to be responsible for causing lower wages. But look at us now. We march up and down our streets celebrating Saint Patrick’s day.
So, to you Mr. Red-faced Patriotic Shouter…the next time you wear green on Saint Patty’s, remember that no good Irishman took away your great-great grandfather’s job…unless he was your great-great grandfather. That’d be a different story altogether, now wouldn’t it.
Your Best Fastball Now!
As I was watching some baseball coverage on ESPN last night, I noticed something interesting. Orel Hershiser and Joel Osteen really look a lot alike! Maybe they’re even the same person. Hmmm…
V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N.
Today is the first day of the rest of my lif….errr vacation! I’m really excited to have two weeks off, and I’m looking forward to spending time with my family. I know many ministers who don’t take their time off consecutively, but I really need to do that in order to fully unwind, decompress, etc. In fact, I make sure my 14 days run from a Monday through two Sundays. That way, I don’t have to do any active sermon preparation for two weeks. It really makes for a relaxing time.
My wife thinks it takes about three days for me to stop worrying about not having something to worry about. So, I guess I’m in the “cool-down” stage of my vacation today through Wednesday.
We’ll be leaving town on Friday on our way to Sea World in San Antonio and then on to Corpus Christi. My four year old daughter already has her map printed out and is planning our itinerary. I’m hoping to get my hands on some good books to read during my down time. Maybe I’ll post some comments if I come across anything interesting.
Take time to be holy; vacation oft with thy Lord! 
MethoBloggers and Darfur
Sometimes it feels as though there is little we can do in large scale problems such as those in Darfur. See how your representation scores on fighting the injustice in Darfur here, and then contact them with encouragement or concern. I just finished emailing my congressional representatives and encourage you to do the same. If enough of us show our concern, we MethoBloggers will make a difference.
Happy Feast of Saint Athanasius!
Today is the feast day of Saint Athanasius in the Anglican and Roman Catholic church. Good old Athanasius, if it wasn’t for him, we’d all be Arians. We protestants don’t really celebrate feast days, but I wish we did. It would be nice to remember some of the saints while having a reason for celebratory feasts! Well, I guess my little contribution to that will be to mention a saint or two every so often. I’ve only done this once before, but now this makes two. Who knows, maybe #3 will come before the end of ’07.
While looking for an anecdote about old Athanasius, I found an interesting story on Wikipedia,
The bishop Alexander, so the tale runs, had invited a number of fellow prelates to meet him at breakfast after a great religious function. While Alexander was waiting for his guests to arrive, he stood by a window, watching a group of boys at play on the seashore below the house. He had not observed them long before he discovered that they were imitating the elaborate ritual of Christian baptism. He sent for the children and, in the investigation that followed, it was discovered that one of the boys (none other than the Athanasius), had acted the part of the bishop, and in that character had actually baptized several of his companions in the course of their play. Alexander determined to recognize the make-believe baptisms as genuine, and decided that Athanasius and his playfellows should go into training in order to prepare themselves for a clerical career.
I really picked up on this story because of something that happened to me as a boy. I was playing in Jackson Creek out behind my boyhood home with my neighbor Kyle. As we splashed around in the water, Kyle stopped for a minute, looked very serious, and asked me to baptize him! Even as a good Southern Baptist boy, I wasn’t quite sure I had the authority to do this. Unlike Athanasius, I didn’t start baptizing at a young age.
I’ve thought about this often over the years since I’ve entered the ministry. Did Kyle see something in me so long ago that suggested I might be able to baptize him? Who knows? I didn’t remember this until long after I’d responded to God’s call, but now I definitely see it as one more piece in the 20/20 hindsight puzzle that is God’s call.
Well, back to Athanasius…let’s remember the Athanasian Creed today. I dare you to do this on Sunday!
1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith;
2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
3. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;
4. Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.
5. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.
6. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
7. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.
8. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.
9. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.
10. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.
11. And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal.
12. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.
13. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty.
14. And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.
15. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;
16. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
17. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord;
18. And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord.
19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;
20. So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords.
21. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.
22. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten.
23. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
24. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
25. And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another.
26. But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal.
27. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
28. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.
29. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
30. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.
31. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world.
32. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
33. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood.
34. Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ.
35. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God.
36. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.
37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ;
38. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;
39. He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty;
40. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;
42. and shall give account of their own works.
43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
44. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved.
Lessons from Megachurches
I received an email from a parishioner asking me about The Progressive Christian magazine. I had received some announcements about it in several mailings, so I thought I’d check out some of the articles. One in particular caught my attention.
Usually, one doesn’t think of progressive Christians being the biggest supporters of megachurches, so I was surprised to see an article by Dr. Scott Thumma, Learning from the Megachurches: An Emphasis on Vitality, Not Size. He shares a lot of good thoughts. You’ll want to read the whole article, but here are the bullet points he makes:
- Don’t strive for size; strive to serve God.
- Know your audience and speak their language.
- Make it appealing and welcoming, then make it serious and challenging.
- Church is more than just a “Sunday thing.”
- Create participants rather than members.
- Get new attendees involved.
- Connect the congregation.
- Growth in the faith isn’t just for new Christians; it’s for the saints too.
- Empower people to identify and live out their calling.
- Whatever you do – do it with quality.
I think these are all worthy of a few moments of reflection wherever it is that you serve. Rural, urban, suburban, and small towns could all learn something from these points.
