Colorado Fun

July was a chance to get away on our 35th Anniversary to visit sunny, and hot, Colorado. We had numbers of highlights from this trip. So, here goes:
1) Our visit to our friends Bill & Mary Housley in Granby, Co. was amazing. First of all, Bill & Mary are wonderful hosts and made us not only feel at home, but helped us to relax and gave us a tour of some very beautiful spots in their "neck of the woods". Bill is chief of police in Granby, having left Madison a year ago to form a brand new police department. Mary has formed her own business -- she's the "Chinker Chick" -- which means she "chinks". For most people that probably causes a few eyebrows to furrow...what in the world is "chinking" (I think we all get the "chick" part). Mary took a need -- their own log cabin to be finished with the caulking in between the logs -- chinking -- and started her own business. Now she is steadily building a business she can earn money from and give money away to the Kingdom with...nice. Most of all time with Bill and Mary is refreshing and very relaxing.
Some of the highlights of our time with them:
> Their deck...fantastic relaxing views. It started with the first night and the Sunsets, with the valley lighting up as the sun set, and the temperatures dropping...amazingly quickly after the sun went down. One moment I was sitting there in shorts and a t-shirt, and the next moment I was dashing for a hooded fleece to stay warm! Each morning we arose to crisp air...very clear, and very cold. But, the fleece, coffee, and reading material meant I spent the better part of each early morning on the deck.
Now, don't get me wrong...the rest of the house is pretty amazing also. They have a wonderful log home that Mary, the "Chinker Chick", along with Bill have done a pretty neat job of making a beautiful home. After settling in, the next two days we made day trips to two pretty neat places:
> The first trip was up to and through Rocky Mtn National Park...it's impossible to describe the beauty of going over the mountains with all of the natural beauty, vistas, and animals we saw along the way. I suppose the best part for me was the hike at the top...12,500 ft...and the herd of Bull Elks we came across and photographed.
The trip up took us through the Grand Lake area. That was, in itself, an awesome view. Hopefully you'll catch some of the flicker photos of that place. The trip was most of Friday, which sounds like a lot, but believe me, there was so much awe inspiring moments, that I didn't need the altitude to take my breath away!

> The following day we took a trip to Steamboat Springs, where the highlight was the gondola ride up the mountain to the first major ski hill. It was only the first hill, if it had been winter, there would have been more lifts and more hills to climb to. It was an awesome sight from the top and made me wish to be more than an amateur skier.

While the trips were fantastic, the time with Bill and Mary was the most fun. It's sad to know they are so far away, but it's nice to think that we have friends in a place with such beauty.
Mary and Bill, thanks...and oh yea, we'll be back!!

2) Even though we only had a few hours with each, we made visits to some friends. First, Milo and Karen Bishop, who've we've known since 1972. We spent the first night in Colorado with them and went out to dinner...catching up on life, politics, faith, with lots of good natured kidding and laughter to go along with every serious conversation.
The next day we got the treat of Eric Jensen for the better part of the morning. Eric is the son of our close friends Russ and Sandy and we've known him since he was 12. He's all grown up now and we had a great time as he showed us his "Golden" -- both on the ground walking and from a 1000 or so feet up on Lookout Mtn. It was great catching up with E, and just to spend time where he lives, talking about what is ahead in life, and even catching a home-town brew made it a fun few hours.

3) Colorado Springs and the Cheyenne Canon Inn was our final destination for three days and four nights. The Inn is a former bordello :), now turned into a 13000 sq foot B&B. Unbelievable breakfasts and spacious quarters make it a "wow" place. From there we explored the Colorado Springs surrounding area. Two notable places are worth mentioning:
> The Garden of the Gods is a city park in Colorado Springs that has some outstanding rock formations...with walking trails, hiking trails, and unbelievable spots for Sunset and Sunrise -- and it was all free! It's a don't miss thing.
From this park you can also see Pike's Peak. I wanted to get to the top of that 14,110 ft. Mtn. There's a Cog-Railroad that climbs to the top, and I even tried to get a ticket, but they were all sold out for that day. The time that I wanted to get on ended up having a thunderstorm hit the top of the Mtn while that group was up there...thank you Lord for keeping me from that experience.
> The second trip was to the Royal Gorge, about 40 miles south of Colorado Springs. This was a two hour train trip through the Gorge. It was an awesome ride and the views were amazing. I saw lots of "rafters" on the river...made a mental note that if I get back again, I definitely want to do that. The view from the bottom of the Gorge up to the suspension bridge is 1000 ft. We didn't get on the bridge...I don't think I could convince my bride to walk across this bridge and look down on the gorge below.

We left on thursday, driving the 1100 miles in 16 hours...almost 5 of it with the convertible top down before the heat on the plains got too hot. We crossed the long stretch of Nebraska and Iowa on I80 with the heat between 105 and 112 degrees! Still, we pulled in tired, but having had a great anniversary trip. Thanks Bill & Mary, Eric, Milo & Karen...you guys made our time really enjoyable.

Peninsula Camping Expedition

This last week our family went to Peninsula State Park to go on a camping expedition. Lindsay and Peter were back from England, Chris and Sarah, Andy, and Linda & I went with them to Door County and enjoyed Peninsula...the place we had camped as a family for so many years.

Camping can be enormously fun, but it's also quite ponderous...nothing is easy. You go get water, start fires, boil water to clean dishes...even making coffee which is an absolutely necessity in life has to be carefully and slowly down if you're going to enjoy something more than campfire mud. But what you get with camping is the outdoor aesthetics... campfires on cool nights, amazing sunsets, and early morning campfires when all is quiet. You can't beat it.

This expedition was really the brain child of our children. Chris, Lindsay, and Kelly (at first) wanted to take their spouses to this place that we had so often gone to as a family while they were growing up. It so happened that Kelly and Greg couldn't join us...they moved to Cottage Grove from Chicago at the end of that week! So, while we missed them joining us at the camping, we got the joy of having them just a few blocks away for at least the next year.
It's been so great to have Lindsay and Peter around for the last week. They still have almost a week left to be with us, so we're cramming in as many things as possible in order to enjoy the time together with them.

World Cup Mania

OK...I've officially joined the rest of the world. I just watched the first World Cup match of 2006, Germany beat Costa Rica, 4-2. For a team that is highly favored, I have to say Germany didn't impress me, but it's early and they did get a win, so that's all that counts.
I love the World Cup. It truly is a world event, like the olympics. The Olympics is of course multi-event competition, which makes for good specific dramas, but the World Cup is the only championship that is about one sport - Soccer...alright, "Football", or should I say "Futbol"?
The Germans are hosting it...a country of my native origin. The Germans average 3000 glasses of beer per year! Did you know they produce over 2000 sausages? We Germans know how to eat, drink, and be merry!
The whole family has gotten interested. Peter, my son-in-law in England, began the mania with an email suggesting everyone join a World Cup Fantasy league...create your own team, create your own team colors, and team name. It sounded like fun to Chris who created one with the help of an ESPN World Cup magazine. It sounded good to Andy also. Me? Well, I created a team, and joined the mania...the only problem was I only know a few of the stars, so my team was a "by guess and by golly" set of choices. It doesn't make any difference, I've also joined the World's One Month of Mania called the World Cup...My favorite team, naturally USA...
And if not them, England, of course..., and if not them...I don't have any other favorites!
Makes no difference, it's in Germany all month and into early July...so celebrate with the rest of the World in Germany... Prost!!

New Wineskins? It's Still a Container

I'm doing something in this blog I've never done before. I am placing the body of a letter that I just returned to a friend, answering his inquiry into what I felt about "seeker-sensitive" and "Purpose-driven" churches. I find that these church styles seem a bit passe' now that the Emergent Church movement has begun in earnest. Still, there are many churches out there committed to these "styles" of doing church. There are also a growing number of churches being founded on the new "emergent church" style or philosophy, if you will. As a teacher I am often reluctant to tell my students "what I think". That is a deliberate (or should I say "intentional" :) for the sake of my students) on my part.
What follows though is more or less a personal response to an inquiry into "What do you think?" that this friend as me about in relation to these evangelical movements of doing church. His question had to do with his local church that has embraced a style of doing ministry that is embracing one, or maybe even both, of these styles of ministry. My sense in his letter (which I've not included even as I've not included his name) is that he isn't so much as disturbed by this all, but wondering what the long term goals are in doing ministry with these ministry styles as the primary focus. He asked what I thought (along with a few other pastors he knows) ...and so this is what I think. It should not be construed as a final thought, but one that is current for me on my own radar as I think about the Historic Faith we are stewards of, The Church as the mediator of that stewardship, Jesus Christ as the Personal allegiance to that Faith, and the 21st century that we living all of this out in.
***********************************************************************************

Hi _______,

Well, first of all thank you for the inclusion in the "six pastors whom I respect unreservedly" category...I'm flattered and honored.
It's an interesting subject that you bring up, because it's much more than simply the issue of "style" which is what so many seem to think of this as. I think the issue is more framed by the "theology" behind these ways of doing church. Forgive me for dragging the issue more deeply than perhaps it should be, but I do think we're dealing with the 21st century, Western, Material/Consumer, Rugged Individualism that is a product of 60+ years of Evangelicalism, and to be even more broad stroked in historical theology, the product of the 3 centuries of tweaking the reform movement away from it's Reformed base to one that is decidedly Arminian -- for good or for worse is up to you to decide.
My overall sense -- and I teach a section on "the future of the church" in both the last Church History lecture, as well as in a Ministry Internship class -- (much to long of a paranthesis, so I'll start over). My overall sense is that we are seeing a continual evolution of theology away from the "Monergism" of the Reform period. The first shift came after the Reform period's generation died out and cold sterile orthodoxy (that's an oxymoronic idea) led hungry believers to Pietism (which was a practice more than a theology) and a shift away from the strict Monergism of the Reformers to a softer Arminianism that embraced the changing world of scientific discovery.

Forgive me ______ for this lengthy diatribe...I hope it will lead to something clear.

The attack (??? Not sure if that is the right word to use) on Christianity began in earnest as the initial scientific enlightened world began to question the traditions and religion of the church -- something I believe was of God. As the age of discovery, both in the extension of Europe to new worlds, and the emergence of a scientific shift in worldview, began to emerge the church adapted it's theology. No longer was God in charge of everything...that was obvious. Instead, human kind had a much bigger part to play in the overall work of God in the world.
Theologically the shift is most pronounced in Arminian theologies that emerged in old rejected Calvinism -- Methodism, Frontier Baptist (remember Baptists at first were Calvinists), and the many revivals of the 18th & 19th century. Finney was a great proponent of revival as the natural outcome of Human derived efforts working in concert with God. From Finney we go to the Keswick movement...the beginnings of Pentecostalism. Before that though, evangelical revivalists like Moody. The supposed clash between Pentecostalism and Fundamentalism is not nearly as significant as the 20th century revivalists that continued to proclaim a message of individuality in relation to salvation and faith.
Eventually, Evangelicalism bridges the gap between Pentecostal and Fundamentalist zealous fringes...a softer Evangelicalism emerges...Billy Graham (not soft at first, but eventually)...Bill Bright...and as well, the shift of missions to a world focus that is quite Arminian - DAWN and Center for World Missions as examples.

OK...thanks for hanging in this little History summary. My point is that in our believing lifestyle we've seen all sorts of attempts to grasp the "Holy Grail" of what is going to next change the world and bring the Kingdom of God to the earth. It seems, to me, that it's focus is more or less strongly the product of this theological evolution and worldview that seek to be brought together in harmony.

Seeker-Sensitive, Purpose-Driven, as well as a whole host of other movements from the last 40 years continue to be reflective of a western world always looking to bring about the newest and the better to solve our problems (don't we remember the Jesus People Movement, The Charismatic Movement, John Wimber and the Vineyard Movement, etc...even to today in the newest -- the Emergent Church movement?).

It's not so much that I'm against them, or even wary of them as theologically incorrect, but I think more than anything I am weary of lurching towards the next and the best way to now reach the world.

Church History has ruined me! I see God at work in people and in relationships, in prayer, in the clear and simple proclamations of Jesus, and in the presence of the Kingdom of God. There has been an attempt to dress that up in many different clothes over our lifetime, and the years before us...and I think, somewhat sadly and perhaps cynically...there will always be attempts by people of faith to take the simplicity of Christ and his church and change it into something of their own creation.
Is it of God? I don't know...I doubt it, but then again...Jesus is coming back for a bride not a harem! So, in the end, we're part of it whether we want to be or not.

Forgive my long answer, but thanks for the question, and if you did read this in entirety, thanks for honoring me!

Much Love, with Faith and Hope,
Elliott

DaVinci, DaVinci, DaVinci - What have you Done?

OK...another Hollywood blockbuster has hit the scene -- The DaVinci Code -- from the Dan Brown novel has made a big splash with mainly "not so great reviews". Translated that means that even Tom Hanks can't save a plot built off of lies.
It's interesting to watch the public reaction to the DaVinci movie. It seems that most newspapers and movie reviewers go to great lengths to avoid getting involved in the overall controversy associated with the novel and movie theme. One local writer editorialized that "it's just fiction". That's interesting given that the author, Dan Brown, states even before the prologue, “All descriptions of artworks, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” Book reviews followed suit. The author himself has claimed on television and his web site that his depiction is based on credible facts that he believes.
The Da Vinci Code is a murder mystery coupled with a conspiracy claim. That claim is that the story of Jesus in our gospels is actually a lie that has been covered up by the Church for centuries and there are other gospels revealing that Jesus was just a man who married Mary Magdalene, had children with her, and left her in charge of his church when he died. The overall premise is that the church, around 300 a.d., under the control of Constantine sought to make Jesus divine -- more than human -- and therefore squelched all other gospels that might reflect on Jesus as mere mortal. A 2004 article in Christianity Today makes that point: "The Da Vinci Code, villain Leigh Teabing explains to cryptologist Sophie Neveu that at the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) "many aspects of Christianity were debated and voted upon," including the divinity of Jesus. "Until that moment," he says, "Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet. … a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless."
Neveu is shocked: "Not the Son of God?"
Teabing explains: "Jesus' establishment as 'the Son of God' was officially proposed and voted on by the Council of Nicea."
"Hold on. You're saying that Jesus' divinity was the result of a vote?"
"A relatively close one at that," Teabing says.
A little later, Teabing adds this speech: "Because Constantine upgraded Jesus' status almost four centuries after Jesus' death, thousands of documents already existed chronicling His life as a mortal man. To rewrite the history books, Constantine knew he would need a bold stroke…Constantine commissioned and financed a new Bible, which omitted those gospels that spoke of Christ's human traits and embellished those gospels that made Him godlike. The earlier gospels were outlawed, gathered up, and burned." The link to the full article is... http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/006/7.26.html
Almost 20 years ago a religious scholar, Elaine Pagels, published The Gnostic Gospels in which she lays claim to many other sources of information about Jesus from gospel accounts written in the early church period. Thus has begun a resurgence in a populist, and relatively humanistic attemtp at de-divinizing Jesus.
The problem is that Pagels simply chooses to ignore the theological history of the early church. By the end of the 1st century Gnosticism had reared up as a competitive voice to the Apostolic fathers. Gnosticism isn't easy to define, but it looks a lot like modern day Pseudo-Intellectual Humanism with a bit of Eastern Religion mixed in. Basically, the early Gnostics claimed that Jesus was only a human whom God came upon and endowed with supernatural abilities until his mission was completed. His mission? -- to bring knowledge or enlightenment to people in darkness (hence Gnostic from the Greek word gnosis). So, the modern Gnostics, like the ancient ones made claim to a human Jesus, who God used as a noble prophet teacher, but who was not God. Pagels, Brown, and other modern Gnostics simply pick up where the early church Gnostics left off.
Why?
I have pondered that question for a while as I've seen the popularity of Dan Brown's novel take off and the movie come to pass. I am of the opinion that there are a number of things at work in this.
1. There is the underlying tension that has often existed between people who believe in Christ and non-believers. This just serves to give ammunition to those who aren't inclined to "trust" anyone other themselves.
2. There is the tension of authority around what we believe. If we say that we are believers in the authority of the bible -- that it is timeless truth -- of necessity anything that can undermine that truth becomes important. While many see the DaVinci Code as an assault upon the divinity of Jesus Christ, I think the greater issue is the assault upon the notion of the Bible -- as we know it -- to be the truth of God. There's a good article on the authority of the Bible written by the New Testament scholar N.T. Wright on the Mars Hill web site and can be found at http://www.mhbcmi.org/learn/HOW_CAN_THE_BIBLE_BE_AUTHORITATIVE.pdf
3. Finally -- and as a church historian I can tell you this is clear -- this is just one of many attempts that the enemy has made down thru the centuries to discredit the person and the work of Jesus Christ. It should not surprise us -- ever -- to see someone argue that Jesus is not who the church has confessed him to be for 2000 years, and that Jesus has not done what he did in terms of God and mankind.

If there is one great benefit of all of this it is that people who have read the book, and/or seen the movie are more open to dialogue about Jesus as a result of it. This is a great opportunity to ask someone what they think about Jesus and share with them the truth.
Thanks DaVinci!

Celebration Time! Yea Chris

Of the many things my children have done to make me proud, and happy -- and there have been lots of them -- one of the things that ranks right up there occurred this weekend as Chris graduated from the UW School of Education with his teaching degree!

I found myself going through all sorts of emotions as I watched Chris get his degree. Linda, Andy, Kelly, Greg, along with Sarah (Chris' wife pictured here) and Sarah's family went to the Kohl Center to watch Chris get his diploma. I wanted to cry a couple of times...just incredibly proud of him and happy for Sarah and he as they venture into life with this big accomplishment behind them. Anyone who knows me will remember how I've often stated publicly -- in many different preaching/teaching venues -- that if God were to ask me what I wanted 100 young adults who are believers to be, it would that they would become public school teachers. Why? Because no one has the ability to so affect the world around us than public school teachers.
As I watched Chris get his degree I thought about that, and it hit me how I lucky some kids are going to be to get a man of such character and integrity, with principles and values that will change their lives. Wow...I almost wished I were an elementary school kid again!

Chris, you've accomplished much in life and there's a lot more to go yet, but I just wanted to publicly, loudly, emotionally, and proudly say "CONGRATULATIONS, YOU MADE ME PROUD TO BE YOUR DAD!"

OH yeah, Celebration continued this weekend. We also had the opportunity to have everyone but our British family contingent home for Mother's Day. It was a grand celebration for Linda also as the kids came back on Sunday afternoon to eat more...Kelly's cheesecake destroyed all of our attempts to eat healthily! But, we die with a smile on our face!
The picture here is Andy's attempt to capture the essence of the day...it was about Mom and it included lots of food!
What more can I say?
Well, I can say that I'm incredibly lucky to have a woman I love so much after 36 years. I can say that my children are fortunate to have a Mom who still revels in playing games with them. I can say that she is the best of the best Moms I've ever known.

Wow...Celebrations! Aren't they awesome...thank you God!

Talkin' at em

OK...it's time to try and put something down that might be worthwhile reading. The time keeps marching on...relentlessly sometimes.
I've been busy with lots of teaching. I love teaching in general. I love the learning process and I love seeing those I'm teaching grow and learn...the "lightbulbs" so to speak go off. A week ago I also taught in my church -- Mad City Church -- here in Madison. It's not always easy to teach on a Sunday morning. Part of that has to do with my own desire and need to connect with students as disciples. I have never been a huge fan of the sermon as the best way to connect to people's hearts and minds. I know it has worked down through the centuries...but in this modern age of a doubting, visually stimulated, short attentioned span people, it doesn't always work well. Add to that I am teaching on a once a month basis...and add to that, I am teaching alongside of a young preacher -- Shane Holden -- who has a gift of teaching/preaching that does really grab one for the hour or so that he teaches. OK...no comparison...I really don't compare myself with Shane, and my own self-confidence does not lack in being able to get up in front of 1200 people and deliver something. What is somewhat frustrating is that I know that people really don't learn well when all that is being done is that you're talking at them. People learn because they engage wholeheartedly...intentionally, if you will...in the things they are hearing. Otherwise, it probably is like the proverbial "water off the duck's back".

We need a revolution in terms of learning...the greek word for "learning" is "mathetes" which is a learner, but it is translated most often in the New Testament as "disciple". A disciple is a learner...Discipleship. The leading assumption in the average American church is that you can be a Christian but not a disciple. That is incrediby difficult to break through and it has placed a tremendous burden on a mass of Christians who are not disciples. We tell them to come to church on Sunday mornings (Ok, I realize some do church at other times) and we tell them to participate in programs and give money. But isn't it true that what we see of church is that it knows nothing of commitment. We have settled for the marginal, the least common denominator, and so we carry this awful burden of trying to motivate people to do what they don't want to do. We can't think about church the way we have been.
We need to clear in our heads about what discipleship is. A good definition: A disciple is a person who has decided that the most important thing in their life is to learn how to do what Jesus said to do. A disciple is not a person who has things under control, or knows a lot of things. Disciples simply are people who are constantly revising their affairs to carry through on their decision to follow Jesus.
I am thinking about all of this as I participate in the process of "teaching". I want so deeply to avoid just being another voice making "noisy gongs and clanging cymbals".
I have this current notion going on in teaching about the "journey of faith". I love the theme and it's been a wonderful study for me alone. If you're interested you can find the messages at http://www.madcitychurch.org/listen.asp. My most recent message was on "Taking the land of the Giants", a story from Exodus and Numbers concerning Joshua. I am going to follow that message in a week with a second part based on Joshua 4 & 5.

So...I continue to "talk at em"...knowing it's not the best way to learn...drats! "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me..."?

Daughters of Eve...Sons of Adam

I've been around the block a few times when it comes to church life. I have this great affection for Christ's bride, and when I see it functioning well I get really excited. Lately, I've been hanging around...as well as reading...women who God is working in, on and through...and I'm better for it.
It started about a month ago in a conversation with a CHURCH LEADER - Wendy Andrews. Wendy came from our community's training center and ended up as a Co-Director for 24/7PrayerUSA. She's young, and she's a she...which has caused some encounters that she has had to be less than great! Leave it say that she's had her share of men ignore her, talk past her, look beyond her, and generally...through body language primarily dismiss her. As a Spiritual Dad and Mentor/Teacher in her life, my encouragement is to understand that all as a part of the development of God's character being shaped "in" her. A.W. Tozer said, "God cannot use a man (I'll include a Woman) greatly until he has hurt them deeply. Part of the process is the assault against our desire to be recognized...that happens to everyone who steps out to serve God...but recognize that its often greater offenses that many women who have tried to step out for God have had to go through. The conversation with Wendy went something like this: "That sucks...That's not how God sees you...Persevere...In your offense, pray...Trust that God is working "in" you even as he works "through" you."

Then I came back home... the conversation continued. One of the bright wonderful and beautiful people around my world is one of Mad City's Youth leaders -- Stephanie! I hang out with Stephanie because we clicked in the mentor/student role -- at first -- but now it's more of an Older Leader/Younger Leader relationship. In other words, Steph can hold her own when it comes to leading, being godly, maturity, etc... She's passionate for God...grounded in reality...and aware that the church God loves sometimes "sucks"! She's been challenged...dismissed... often questioned --simply because she's a she! I should add...women as just as culpable in this as men are. Yet when I converse with her around life, observations on God...awareness of people, prayer, God's word alive...she's a theologian. Not bad for a 21 year old woman leader! All I can tell you is that at age 21 I wasn't anywhere near that level of competence in Christ. Again, rise up Steph...God has a lot more to do "in" you, but he is working mightily "through" you.
She's got a blog site that I love to read...but I won't share it with you without her permission.

OK...not done yet... One of the most talented young artists I've ever met is living in Kansas City - Linnea. About 2 weeks ago, this beautiful (and I don't mean primarily as it relates to looks...even though she is beautiful in looks also) young woman - that I have seen open up in so many wonderful ways wrote to me that she has begun to sense God moving in her to write. Since I have longed had the opinion that Linnea is one of the brightest minds I've been around, I celebrate her stepping out in giving voice with her spirit, mind, prayers. Linnea just sent to me a reflection on Good Friday...she just smashed my stain glassed view of this day we oxymoronically we call "good". Wow...I've read it twice so far and am going to have to read it a few more times if I even hope to "mine the depths" of it all... She's a writer!

Just a few minutes ago, in the MI class that I am now in...another young beautiful leader woman began to share - Lisa. I've been in a car with Lisa for 8 hours...this girl can lead! What she was sharing...ever so briefly here...is her passion for discovering God in these sacred places of prayer, intimacy, passion that she had the audacity to say would even sustain people to go into places of martyrdom. Well, I'm not a fan of being a martyr...haven't ever been asked to be one...and hope I don't...but there have been times in church history that God has brought the church to it's knees -- Tertullian (not my dog, but the 2nd century theologian) said, "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church". Lisa is a leader...I hope she won't have to be a martyr, but I don't think she will hesitate if asked to...there's a passionate leader for God in there.

Lastly...for now...my Son writes these amazing reflections on his wonderfully beautiful spritiual Leader wife -- my daughter in law, Sarah. I loved reading what my son wrote...and can't even begin to summarize it...it's thoughts that have been forming, not just because he's married to this wonderfully spiritual leader wife, but because he's a man who has seen in Sarah the capacity to lead. Sorry for not asking Chris, but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't mind my letting people see your posts -- after all it's in my links next to this writing anyway... BUT, please, please take some time if you haven't read it yet to go to his site and read what he had to say. It's at: pollasch@blogspot.com... or if that isn't it, just hit the link next to this.

OK...that's a lot of musing...if you read this far, blessings on you.
We have a lot to think about men when it comes to being Sons of Adam along side of gifted leaders who are Daughters of Eve.

Relationships...it's what makes life interesting!

The last two weeks have been travel weeks. I use to travel a lot but have really curtailed travel over the last couple of years. I made a trip last summer to Russia -- and read Mary's blog on her recent trip which reminded me of how great it was.
This last trip though was to much more modest places. Starting two weeks ago it was a four trip to Kansas City, returned home for four days and headed out again to Cincinnati, and then four days later drove up to Cleveland. Now honestly, how many people do you know who took two weeks to visit those three cities?
The remarkable thing about the trip was that I drove through snow in all three!!!! Amazing!!! I thought, "I'm going south, it will be Spring". Foolish thinking I'm afraid. It was an amazing 60+ degrees one afternoon in KC, but the trip home was through a snowy, sloppy, crappy Iowa and SW Wisconsin. A few days later, heading to Cincinnati, we hit a snow storm in No. Indiana and drove through that snow all the way to Cincy...about 4 hours worth. Then a few days later, another crappy snowy trip north to Cleveland. Cleveland is on Lake Erie, so snow tended to fall steadily during the whole time we were there, and then the ride home was snow through all of Ohio and part of No. Indiana. Yuck!!! I've been longing for Spring and getting Winter.

OK, so why keep traveling in the snow belt? One reason: Relationships.

Kansas City has Wendy Andrews and Linnea Spransy...two wonderfully beautiful girls who moved from Madison last summer to become a part of a new church plant, and to stretch their creative and leadership gifts for the sake of the Kingdom in art and prayer. Unfortunately, Linnea was on a trip to NYC, but we crashed Wendy's birthday party and got an opportunity to see the stuff she is involved in as co-director of 24/7 Prayer USA and on the leadership team of her new church.
Cincinnati was a trip with some of the Training Center students to Norwood, a city within Cincinnati. Norwood is home to our friends in Vineyard Central. Again, the simple reason for the visit is relationships. Our friends Dave & Jody Nixon hosted us for several days. It was a wonderful time for retreat and rest. I marvel at the way they have lived together in an intentional community for quite a few years. Their presence in a very poor area of Cincinnati being "salt and light" for the sake of Christ's Kingdom.
Finally, four of us: Fran, Jamie and Alexis...three girls and myself trekked north through the snow to Cleveland. There we joined up with the rest of the Training Center folk who had traveled to other places and joined up with some new friends from a church community to share the weekend together sharing life, jamming, and eating good food. One of the highlights of the trip was meeting new friends, Todd and Laurel...and Bob. Bob is 60, an advertising exec who lives about 30 minutes out in the country in a beautiful home and he hosted us for the evening...what a wonderful time it was. Staying a strange home is always a bit of a stretch for me. I never quite feel comfortable, but Bob managed to make things comfortable right away. My conversation with him was one of the highlights of the last two weeks away.
Relationships:
Wendy who've I've known well.
Dave & Jody who I've come to know more and more as friends.
Fran, Jamie, Alexis, Jordan who all traveled hours with me in one leg or another -- young adults with the old guy laughing, goofing around, listening together with me as I explain the story behind the music from "Les Miserables" for three hours...talking seriously at some times and hilariously at others.
Todd, Laural, and Bob who've I've just met. Relationships...it's what makes life interesting, don't you think?

Eatin' Crap

This morning Linda and I joined Dan & Jennie Sandridge on a morning walk...with our two dogs, Tully (our 10 month old Golden Retriever) and Micah (their 11 month old Golden Retriever). The two dogs have met twice now and it was love at first site...ok, maybe not love because they are both males and I don't want to get into that kind of a mess, but they really really like one another. They ran to each other as soon as they saw each other and played and played and played.

The walk consisted of allowing the dogs to run free as we walked along the bicycle trail that runs near our house in Cottage Grove. This trail is a wonderfully flat old railroad bed that actually goes from Cottage Grove to near Milwaukee! Some 80 miles if I am correctly assessing the distance. The dogs ran ahead, either playing with each other, or sticking their noses into the ground to smell who had dropped the latest "animal dew". I was telling Dan that we really had to watch Tully because he has the habit of grabbing "animal logs" (excrement, crap, shit, whatever you want to call it). Dan replied that Micah does a lot of sniffing, but no eating. Wow, I thought, if only I could get Tully to leave it alone, I could probably handle the sniffing. About that time, Micah dove into the side of the trail and even though he was told to come back, he remained fixed on a "clump" of what only looked like a mass of leaves. We managed to get him to drop it and went on ahead. Later on the return, having forgotten all about this mass of something, Micah ran far ahead, and we all too late realized he was headed for the leaf mass. Before Dan could stop him...well let's just say it wasn't a pretty site. He ate it all!!! And, he smelled very, very bad! Inside, I'm going..."Way to go Tull"...he had listened, but I tried to be polite and sympathetic to Dan and Jenn as they had to contend with "what do we do with a dog that has just eaten a pile of crap?"
I got to thinking about that...it doesn't seem logical that anything that can think would want to eat something else's poop.
But, then again, I realize that we can all be prone to listening to the lies within...
"I'm never going to make it..."
"I can't do anything right..."
"Why am I so stupid?"
"What's wrong with me?"
I think that is the same thing as eatin crap myself!

Lindsay's Trip Home

Lindsay came home for a visit with all of us and it has been a fantastic week...it feels so much like the past that it's hard to believe that it is only for a week.

We had a wonderful gathering at the airport to welcome Lindsay back. It started even before she got off the plane as Kelly, Chris and Sarah joined Andy, Linda and me to await her arrival.
Kelly came up from Chicago for the weekend, and stayed over until Tuesday morning.
Kelly and Greg are moving back here...hopefully in the summer.
Jobs, house, dogs, the move, Satellite TV to get Cubs, Bears, and Illinois sports are all a part of the process. It's going to be great to have Kelly and Greg around.

Finally though Lindsay came down the steps and we began this last week of fun.
















After the typical delays caused by missing luggage, we headed home. Lindsay met Tertullian for the first time..."Tully" as everyone calls him loved Lindsay from the first time he met her.

Lindsay also lovedTully . He found in Linds, someone who loved to cuddle...something he usually also wants to do.

She spoiled him as he slept on top of her bed just about every night.

I don't know how Tully is going to handle her leaving tomorrow. Today, Andy and Lindsay took off to do some last minute shopping and he started whining less than five minutes after they had left!


As anyone who knows us could guess...it didn't take long before we were playing games together. Our family is game crazy and it's all because the Mother in this family - my affectionate lovely Linda - conceives of heaven as a long game night!

Besides all that, Lindsay met Steph...Stephanie! It was sweet to see them enjoy one another. Steph seems such a natural part of us. We love her and enjoyed the week of Lindsay's visit with her.

















There are so many wonderful things about having Lindsay home for the week. The conversations around life, relationships, family, friendships, God and the crazy zany world of "Church" to name a few. Lindsay is so many things: Smart, Beautiful, Wonderfully funny.... She is reflective of the world while able to laugh at the idiosyncrasies of her own life, as well as our family! In otherwords, she has learned well to take God seriously and remember that all the rest is at times a good laugh.















We had lots of fun, as you can well imagine...It's really hard to say goodbye. Really love you Linds...you'll always be my girl!

I believe in God the Father, Almighty..."

This evening I will walk into the third year program we call the Ministry Internship. It's for those who have already had two years of discipleship and bible training under their belt -- or in their heads and hearts I hope. This semester I am leading them in a study of Christian Theology. We are using the book "Invitation to Theology" which simplifies the enormous task of Theological study by staying tied to the Apostles Creed. We are at "I believe in God the Father, Almighty..." I have pondering this discussion for a bit over the last 24 hours...and I'm ready to watch a TV show with them. That's right, we're going to watch the final episode of year #2 of "The West Wing"...an episode entitled "Two Cathedrals". I love West Wing for a number of reasons. I am a political junkie -- of the novice kind. I am intrigued with the process of politics and the power that goes along with it. This episode is memorable for the basic humanity that surfaces in the story. President Bartlet is the leader of the United States...the leader of the free world...of democracy. Yet, he is human...limited in his ability to actually be in charge. The writers captured this remarkably well in this episode that sees them wrestling with the nature of suffering and the notion of whether we can believe in God as both Father, and as Almighty. I wrote this following some thoughts on how to present this subject of God in my class tonight. It is a powerful episode that captures in gut-wrenching ways the difficulty of trusting in God in our humanity.

The previous episode ends with the news of Mrs. Laningham's death in an automobile accident. She has been with President Bartlet as his personal secretary, but also has been part of his life for several decades...first as a teacher in a private boarding school that Bartlet's father ran. Flashbacks take us to the tension and pain of his relationship with his father. Father was not a great word for Jeb Bartlet. His father was stern, unfair, unloving, demanding, and just a jerk. Some people relate to God as Father in that way also. But Jeb Bartlet grows up, becomes a Govenor, and then President of the United States. All the time, Mrs. Laningham accompanies his journey up the ladder. She is the voice of reason. The "I'll tell you the truth whether you want to hear it or not" woman in Jeb's life. She is a voice saying "I can't answer all of your questions...but I also will not diminish your desire to ask more". In witty dialog she is one person Jeb Bartlet loves and trusts...and so her death crushes him at the core.

The following is the words President Bartlet speaks in the Cathedral as he vents his anger at God following her death. It’s more than anger at her death, it’s also the pent up emotions of years struggling to comes to grips with his relationship with his own Father. It's the most powerful scene I've ever witnessed in my 50+ years of TV watching.

gratias tibi ago, domine.
Thank you, Lord.
“The first line is just a sarcastic, "Thanks a lot, buddy!"

haec credam a deo pio, a deo justo, a deo scito?
Am I to believe these things from a righteous God, a just God, a wise God?

cruciatus in crucem
To hell with your punishments! (literally "(put/send) punishments onto a cross")

tuus in terra servus, nuntius fui; officium perfeci.
I was your servant, your messenger on the earth; I did my duty.

cruciatus in crucem -- (with a dismissive wave of the hand) eas in crucem
To hell with your punishments! And to hell with you! (literally, "may you go to a cross")”

The words are so hollow...the scene is full of tension and emotion...just watch it sometime. What it highlights is this struggle we all have at times with the problem of God as both Father and Almighty. Someone once point blank labeled the issue: “If God is good, then he is not all-powerful, and if he is all-powerful, then he is not good.” We struggle, like Job did, with the mystery of God’s silence about “Why?”. We, as humans, want an explanation, and there is none. I struggled with my Mom's Alzheimers and with the countless deaths and diseases I encountered, along with the selfish sinfulness in humans over 35+ years of ministering.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence which is not seen.” I’m cornered by one thought…Do I trust? Most of the time, Yes; but then there are times when I shake my head and cannot make the transition to real faith. I am struck by the words of the disciples when Jesus asked them if they were also going to walk away: “Where else do we go, you alone have the words of life.”

In this dialog, and our pondering there is something deeper: our feelings are real and they are ours. They cannot be glossed over with platitudes, even biblical platitudes such as “God has a plan.” President Bartlet confidently takes on a conservative radio talk show psychologist on her haphazard takes on Old Testament laws in one episode. He can wax eloquently about the true context and application of a homily from Ephesians (“be subject to one another”). He can take the church to task for not decrying the acts of those who bomb abortion clinics in the name of life and the Lord. But even he cannot resolve the seeming injustice that comes from Mrs. Laningham’s death.

It is my all-time favorite TV show…not just the whole series…but this one particular episode. It captures so wonderfully – and emotionally – the nature of our dilemma when it comes to knowing God as Father and as Almighty. It is class curriculum tonight

Linda, Tertullian as a puppy and Me 

What I love

It's Valentine's Day...that immortal quest to remember what we love! Ahhhh...that's what I started thinking about this morning.
It was easy at first...I woke up to the same person I've slept with most of my Adult life -- My wife Linda! It's easy to love her...I can't even explain it more than that.
I went on thinking about this... My Son is sleeping in the next room...Yes, My children -- they are easy to love. Last Saturday, I awoke to a sudden realization -- I needed a mental health day, or at least a day away from this freaking computer! What to do? Shopping? No, I Hate shopping (unless it's for wine and computer stuff). "Linda, I know, let's drive down to Chicago, watch Greg coach his 5th grade basketball team, and take Kelly & Greg out for lunch." Kelly says, "Great..." And off we go...2 and a half hours down, one hour for basketball, one hour for lunch, and 2 and 1/2 hours back...what a neat way to spend a day -- one of my kids. That's another thing I love...My kids...
Lindsay's coming home soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I read her blog today....then read Chris' blog....then started reading other's blogs....My Steph's, EJ's, Mary's... I love my kids...I love the children I gained through their marriages -- I've got some really, really, really neat adopted into the family children: Thanks Greg, Sarah lovely, and Peter. I've got some suggestions to my kids: Lindsay, win the lottery and buy a second home in Wisconsin...come live 6 months here and 6 months back in England. Chris, I'm proud of you wherever you land, but I do hope it's not too far away. Andy, you continue to amaze me...thanks for loving me well. Kelly, I was struck all over again with how beautiful you are when I saw you Saturday...my, oh my. OH YEAH....LINDSAY IS COMING HOME!!!

But there's more...I love the people God has given to me as a gift. I've gotten an opportunity to "adopt" relationally a whole bunch of children -- the tribe! I don't care if they're in their 20's (and a couple of made it to 30)...Anything 30 years younger than me is still going to be one of the kids.
It hit's me...My life is very rich! I love lots of things, and highest on the list is people who make me very fulfilled.
I love lots of other things too... Coffee (especially early in the morning), Wine (doesn't really make any difference what time of the day it is :), Good books, Classical Music...and lots of other music also- Jazz, Rock, World music...

Isn't life much more full when you sit down to "remember" how richly God has loved us? Happy Valentine's day -- and in the words of Mama Cass: "This is dedicated to the one I love".

"24", and Days that Never End

OK...I admit it...Linda and I are "24" junkies. I've watched this FOX network show every year now that it has been on...I think this is the 4th year. I have to ask myself the question: WHY? It is a frustrating show to watch. Jack gets drawn into an Apocalyptic crisis beyond all imagination and in the course of 24 hours...which translates into about 20 nights watching...and therefore, at least 6 hours of advertising...he has to save the United States, and therefore the world!!!! Not an easy task if you think about it...after all it took Jesus at least 3 years and then in the end over 3 days and 3 nights to accomplish "saving" the world.
What I've discovered is that time moves so slowly when it's being measured out minute by minute. If it's all in crisis, who could handle the stress of it?
Yet, sometimes that is what we get. We get one thing after another and time moves so slowly, as if minute by minute time grinds on and the crisis never does seem to get to the end.
I am so looking forward to eternity when time will be no more...I don't know if it's harps and clouds...I really doubt it. But I'll be happy that its way beyond the norm of 24 hour days. I love life, and love living, but if there wasn't any hope for the future of eternity, life would be one long "24" episode...yuck!

Relaxing and Reading

OK, it's Thursday morning and I'm at "Cool Beans" a coffee shop near East Towne. My friend Dave Day arrived yesterday afternoon from Bristol, England, and he's doing some shopping -- as Lindsay would say, "At the Dave Day Memorial Mall"... Dave's the consummate bargain shopper. He has been coming to Madison to visit us for over 13-14 years now and he always takes the opportunity to do some bargain hunting.
I stopped with him at the first place he wanted to go -- Barnes and Noble. But the book I had recommended wasn't in stock, so he will let it go for now.
We went to the coffee shop because we were a bit early for the ten o'clock openings for most stores. I brought along my books and computer and decided I would relax and read while Dave goes on his next expidition. Which brings me to the "Relax and Read" part of this.

I had a chance to catch up on the blogs I have bookmarked, just to read/see what people have been up to of late. I loved reading from friends and family...and I love the visual imaginary pictures that I get in my head reading what they've said.
SO>>>
Lindsay: It was great to read your blog and the timetable of your birthday. Wow, my little girl is 25! A quarter of a century old...amazing. I wished there was a way to do a "Z-burt" from a few thousand miles away, but I'll wait for next month when you'll be home. I do miss you, and thanks for the visual of "Wotten-on-the-Edge"...(don't you love those English names). I was there once and I could visualize the place Pete took you to -- Hey, as well TGIFriday's. Happy Birthday sweetheart...you're beautiful.

Mary: Sorry for the chipmunk face...I hope your swelling goes down. A year from now the celebration will have to be that those cursed wisdom teeth (what sadomasochist thought of that title for those crooked incisors?) will no longer be a problem. I do hope you can eat something other than applesauce soon, but I do smile with the picture in my head of your pretty face with swollen chipmunk cheeks...sorry! :)

Chris: As always, I can't read your blogs and not smile. You should keep writing and polish that skill. You're a great story teller and I'd love to see you develop your gift over time. Missed you for dinner last night, but as always, you're lovely bride brightens every place she is in.

Eric: Great blog... as always, there's so much more that you could say, but why waste the words. Got a card from your mom and dad. Hawaii, wow...go ahead Sandy, rub it in, I can take it.

Neil: So the Toyota is biting the dust! Amazing, especially because I remember when you got it. That thing has put a lot of miles on the road...it's been pretty good, but seemed like it needed retirement a couple of years ago already...testament to your faith and perseverance to keep it running. What I love the most in the blog is the celebration for Si's birthday. When mine comes around, Zoe, I expect to see Happy Birthday written in the sands of some beach also -- well, not really -- but it was a cool picture.

OK...those were the ones I got to...Perhaps you've got a blog in reading this that I don't have...please let me know at elliottpollasch@yahoo.com where yours is located. I'd love to read it.

Dave is still shopping, so I'll go on to other Reading things:
currently I've started a number of books...all are interesting and I keep juggling the reading to keep them all somewhat fresh, while not getting any of them done!
Still, they are provoking me in good ways. SO...what are they?

1. "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell. Grade: Excellent. A good writer who had a neat non-religious way of talking about faith, life with God, love, forgiveness, hope, etc... Defintely a Yes!

2. "A Generous Orthodoxy" by Brian McLaren. Grade: Very Good. Provacative, part of the Emergent church movement. Won't agree with some things...maybe even a number of things...but I love being poked and prodded, and pushed around by someone who will make me think.

3. "God of the Possible: An Introduction to the Open View of God", by Greg Boyd (ok, Gregory). Grade: Very Good. Not a feel good book, but presents a view of God as sovereign that you & I haven't heard preached from the pulpit in most evangelical churches - probably ever! Makes you think, ponder, and re-evaluate some theological presuppositions.

4. "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places...." (and goes on more), by Eugene Peterson. Grade: Very Good. Peterson is someone who've I've enjoyed reading over and over again. He, Philip Yancey, and Henri Nouwen's books populate my extensive library. This book is the first of five planned books on Christian Spirituality. I'm about a third of the way through it, but he's already "wowed" me with his interpretation of the link of John's first few chapters and Genesis 1-3! Worth the reading, but slow down and savor it like a gourmet dinner...it's not fast food!

5. "Invitation to Theology" by Michael Jinkins. Grade: Good. Ok, so all I can give a theology book is a good rating! What I like about the book is some genuine and fairly fresh looks at God through the window of the Apostle's Creed (which by the way wasn't written by the Apostles -- unless you're Catholic and believe in the Apostolic Succession of the office of the Papacy!). The down side of this book is that it is limited to the Apostle's Creed.

6. Lastly, add to this list the book "Wine"...which is a massive book that covers everything worldwide about wine...the grapes, the regions, the wines, the world! It's a fun book to pick up and read for ten minutes when I want my brain to rest, and I want to dream about being in beautiful places.

OK...Dave's not back yet, but I'm done. To all of you bloggers, I love reading you when I can...please come back often and tell me where you're at.

On bathing with your dog

The old joke is "Did you hear about the dyslexic atheist who didn't believe in DOG? OK, bad joke. I just spent a weekend with a bunch of Christians...but it was a lot of fun! Most of them were Catholic...a few came from the Evangelical Christian side. Here we were, a bunch of Catholic Christians and Protestant Evangelicals, with a Catholic priest also. We were all at a Retrouvaille Formation weekend...a writing weekend for people who will "present"- i.e., they will give talks at the Retrouvaille marriage weekends to couples who come because their marriages are in trouble...often serious trouble. The success rate for Retrouvaille weekends is high...much higher than any other kind of intervention. The reason why -- in my humble estimation -- is that people who "present" are people whose marriages also were in crisis mode at one time.
OK...the weekend...it was great, and other things. If I were going to describe the weekend, I would use words like Wonderful, Hard, as well as Frustrating -- because we had to leave early -- and Painful, because we worked on the misery some more. Linda and I have come along way in our marriage, but it has been work, hard work, of which I'm grateful we got the opportunity to do, and have felt the guilt of "how did you ever let things get that bad" more than once. It was a hard weekend, that in the end, I feel personally "God met us" on it. Going to the weekend was hard, because I had to teach on Sunday...two services. I still had a wonderful time reconnecting with people, and surprisingly, I felt the joy all over again with listening to Frank and Julie tell their
stories...they are a wonderful gift to our Retrouvaille community!!!

I also felt a lot of joy in seeing Father Walt again. The last time I saw him was at our weekend, almost three years ago. He is a breath of fresh air, and I enjoy the way he models grace to people who are often hurting.

Oh yeah, the dog.
It was hard weekend in that it was tiring. But, "God met me" wonderfully in the end. On Saturday
night after I got home from Saturday's Formation day, I realized that I was "brain fried". When I got home I felt exhausted and yet I knew that I had to prepare to teach the next day. After about a half hour of futile thinking, I decided to take a jog with the dog and clear my head. We ran for about 20 minutes and when I got back it was almost 9. I decided to take a bath and soak in hot water. That's where I was, praying, asking God for insight and help in preparing -- in the bath tub, with
my eyes closed in prayer -- when all of a sudden, "Splash"...my dog jumped in with me! I said, "excuse me!!!" got up and dried off, got him dried off.

It was then that it hit me..."He just wanted to be with me...that's all". It was then I felt God say,
"Elliott you've been with me this weekend, I won't leave you tomorrow, relax."
Even though I was shot, I went to sleep with that assurance, and Sunday I taught...and although I never feel great after teaching, I honestly can say I felt calm inside...relaxed...and refreshed -- bathing with your dog...or is it dyslexic...God?

Remembering to Go Forward

Yesterday, (Sunday Jan. 8) Linda and I went up to Randolph, Wi. to worship with, and for me to teach, our old congregational community called Randolph Evangelical Free Church. It was such a wonderful experience, even though life has changed for all of us a lot since we were there. We grew up as a young married couple, with young children, while serving pastorally in that church from 1977 to 1988. The eleven years of time cemented some wonderful relationships...people who we loved then, and still continue to love today.
The guy who led the worship: Wayne VanderGalien said it best: "When we said goodbye it was one of the hardest things we all went through and in some ways it would have been easier if it would have been a thousand miles away, but the fact that it was only 60 miles made it much more painful..." (my words)... I agree.
It's now been 18 years since we left, and visiting to teach in that place made it much more palatable, just because of the time lapse.
I spoke on "Remembering to Go Forward", partly reminiscing, partly teaching, out of Deuteronomy 8, where God keeps saying over and over again, "Remember"..."Do Not Forget"...."Remember"...
For me, Randolph has lots of good memories. It's where our family grew up, and although I'm grateful for what they received in their educations through Madison's schools, I know that there was something very simple and very safe about our family in a small town.
Yet, to be honest, I was lost in a wilderness towards the end of my time in leadership there. I think God had placed me there for a season, and for a reason, but in the end, I was very affirming of God's moving.
That's the hard part...I would have loved to move a bunch of the people from that community with me. That can never happen. I went forward, and God proved himself to me, to my family, and to the folks in Randolph over and over again.
Still, it's good to remember...and keep going forward.

New Year and Happy Sad

Ok, it's now January 3...I've made it through the first of the year and celebrated with 6 hours of football on Sunday, and 6 more on Monday!!! The good news is the Badgers won...kicked Auburn butt!! No one gave them a ice cubes chance in hell; but they did it anyway. I watched the game with Andy and Linda. Then, in the evening, Andy and I watched the Notre Dame/Ohio State game...six hours yesterday. Previous to that, on New Year's Day, I watched the end of the Mike Sherman era and the Packers. They fired him...hey Mike, been there, done that...you'll survive. As a wacky prophetic aquaintance of mine told me two years ago -- "I've never met anyone worth their spit who hasn't been fired at least once in their life."
I said Happy Sad...I wasn't sad that Mike Sherman got fired. I feel badly for him; but then again he has a severance package of 3.2 million dollars for next year...he'll be crying all the way to the bank! I think Mike will be a coach in the NFL again. I could be sad for the 4 and 12 record the Packers had this year...but I'm not. The cup is half full when you realize we get the fifth pick in the next draft, which means we finally will get a quality pick in the next draft. I'm not sad because the season is almost over with...there is always next year to look forward to and the break for the next 8 months gives me time to focus on more important things than the 4 months of football offers me.
The fact is that most of life is Happy...AND, I don't mean that I have good "happenings" all of the time. It's my opinion that a lot of people base their happiness on their happenings. In otherwords, anyone can be happy if they get a lot of money...but then again, I have seen a lot of people who had positions of power, money, big homes, lots of material things...jet set, fly all over the world on vacations, etc...and deep down inside they are miserable people. Happiness isn't based on happenings!
NOW...having said that I am SAD about something that is happening. The SAD is Seasonal Affective Disorder -- a fancy way of saying the Sun hasn't shined through the grey skies for the last two weeks! In short, I'm suffering from the lack of sunlight. My daughter in England has had more sunlight than we have in Wisconsin...and everyone knows that the sun never shines in England during the winters (ok, it does shine at least once for a couple of minutes in January). On a serious side, SAD -- as sunlight deficiency is called -- is for some people a serious problem, so I don't mean to make light of the need. SAD is a part of the winter malaise that seems to hit us all. Part of it is chemical...we need Vitamin A(or is it D) that sunlight provides.
But, I'm not depressed...just hungry for Mr. Sun (or is it Ms Sun) to shine. It hit me today as I walked into the training center offices and a jet flew over on it's way to landing at Truax field. Normally I can look up and see a jet a couple of hundred feet or so off the ground and read the numbers on the side...this time I couldn't even see the Jet!!! I thought, I hope they can see the runway before they land!
SO...please pray for the sun to shine over Madison, Wisconsin. There is much to be Happy about...there is this one SAD thing going on.

Teaching Truth From TV

I have been thinking...and thinking..."pondering" is the biblical, meditative, and intellectual word that goes with thinking. "Brain Frying" is the less than intellectual, meditative or reflective way of saying where I've arrived.
My head is clouded over with way too many thoughts...thinking at times strains my mind and gets me bound up in a franctic search for just the right way to think.
OK..so what's it all about?
Teaching...specifically teaching at my church once a month in 2006.
I hit upon an idea that I'm going to flesh out here...not necessarily because it will complete the circle and make it all come together, but perhaps some of you will help me think.
I'm thinking about teaching a series of messages from TV themes.
Let's start with "Lost". A story of a group of people whose airplane crashes and they find themselves on an island. That has potential. Are we a bunch of people who don't know where we are, don't know how or if we will ever be discovered, and therefore don't know whether to build with the future in mind, or whether to "hunker down" and just make what we have work?
The "Amazing Race". A group of people all racing around the world trying to survive each round so that they can advance to the million dollar payoff. It makes me wonder what it takes to get people to venture out of the safe confines of the west to really see the world. Mostly though I think of the idea of "running the race so as to win the prize" that Paul talks about.
"CSI" -- big show (#1 in all polls). I've watched it a few times. It's birthed several "CSI" offshoots....Miami, New York, Navy...all of them based on the idea of solving the mysteries of death. It speaks loudly of our need to solve the problems of evil...in their case it's all scientific, but there is enough to let us realize that science can solve the problem of evil.
"America's Home Makeover" -- a really feel good show about how needy people go from rags to riches in terms of their homes. I love watching people get a new home...wished it could happen to every poor family in the world. It's a weekly show on "grace"...we get what we don't deserve, and way beyond our imagination.
I don't watch a lot of TV. I watch "Lost" with Linda, and as well, "The Amazing Race". The only other weekly regular is "West Wing"...which I can't quite figure out yet how to make into a teaching theme.
I suppose ESPN should factor into this somehow, don't you? NCAA football, NFL football, some basketball (March madness), a little baseball (mainly during playoffs), but definitely should be a part of life somehow. At least my sons will agree!