PRETEND: for my daughter

Dear Bryleigh,

Begin pretending now.

Pretend the world needs you though it does not revolve around you

Pretend rest for the restless resounds in relationship with you

Pretend you have the secret which is salve for the serrated heart

Pretend within you wells wisdom that is the antithesis of arrogance

Pretend you are capable of a compassion reserved for fairy tales and far-off lands

Pretend your hands can heal the heart of the untouchable

Pretend you are different from those who look just like you who hate those who don't look just like you

Pretend that a disgusting world which wants to be wonderful depends on your touch your voice your love

Pretend as though pretending enough can produce a reality others can only pretend.

Love Dad.

Third Servant Church

The Church is full of third person servants. When you read the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, you typically realize that everything we have been given is a gift. We should use those things to further the kingdom. We commonly think about our gifts, talents, abilities, and our money. We wonder what we could do to better use those gifts to further the kingdom of Christ. We commonly remember that we are called to be effective ministers of the gospel with the things we have been given, but there are other things we have been given than resources alone. Our God has given us hope, grace, mercy, and an outstanding love.

We have been given these phenomenal gifts, and our common response to the parable is to think of our abilities, our talents, our money that, yes, IS God's. We tend to overlook other gifts like hope, mercy, grace, salvation, love. We have been entrusted with those as well, and the question is the same. What do we do with those gifts?

When I look at those gifts, I see an American church nearly full of third servants. We have hoarded those things in ourselves. Every Sunday we come and bury those things in the field of our common services. We talk about those things with people who already believe what we believe. We have not taken many risks to invest those gifts for a larger return.

It IS a risk to invest, but the first 2 servants take those risks and find blessing and return on those investments. They also come to see that there are so many opportunities to expand the kingdom with the gifts we have of hope, mercy, grace, love, salvation.

The only way to reveal the kingdom and become one of the first two servants is to take those things OUT of the burial ground of our walls and invest them in areas outside of our comfort. There are risks of fear, awkwardness, etc. But the return on those risks are incredible.

You Are Writing My Blog Next Week

Words contain power concepts explode with it.

One conceptual word can contain vast definitions.

Next week, each day You will only find a word on my post.

Comment with your definition of that word Comment with your antithesis of that word Comment with a quote you've held on to about that word

YOU write my blog next week.

Its Why I Come In Here

I haven't been to this coffee shop in maybe months. It started as a need to return to another coffee shop for a while, and then we had our first child a few weeks ago; keeping me from ANY of the coffee shops I frequent. A matter of moments after sitting down with my glass of Pranqster Belgian Ale (another reason I returned to this coffee shop), the chef came out from the back to say hello and to give me a hug.

THAT is why I come in here.

What friendships are you building around you?

Are The Youngsters Killing the Church?

"Hypocrisy is really curious. A lot of younger evangelicals are massively into debt, lots of toys, living at a lifestyle beyond their means, and then saying, 'I don't trust the church with my money.'"

When interviewed in Neue Magazine, this was Pastor Mark Driscoll's response to the question:

"Do you think it's that younger generations are less generous, or is it that they don't trust the Church  as much with their money?"

Now off the bat, it is important to clarify I am NOT a Mark Driscoll freak. In fact, in the past I have resisted Driscoll as I would fall pretty well in line theologically with him, but I agree that any theology which makes you a jerk is not a good theology.

But the interview in Neue and specifically this discussion has me very intrigued and in agreement with Pastor Mark. This question and his response was within an overarching discussion about the reality many of the older generations upon which the financial support of the American Church has been built are going to die off, and there is reason for concern to whether the mainline Church is going to survive the lack of generosity, giving, and tithing of the younger generation.

This has really had me thinking A LOT lately, and I wonder WHAT SAY YOU?

Purdue vs Iraq

"I wouldn't pick Purdue if they were playing Iraq." - Lee Corso

Today opens college football, and I love it even though these teams may as well be playing high school teams. My team is Notre Dame, and they open their season against Purdue. Sports commentator, Lee Corso stated the quote above, and I loved it enough to share.

I think if I could replace Purdue with USC, I'd buy a shirt.