Christians: No One Path to Salvation

I found this significant article from Time about the role religion is playing in America these days. It appears the monolithic evangelical movement is not what it once was. Here are some excerpts:

By DAVID VAN BIEMA Mon Jun 23, 3:30 PM ET

"Americans of every religious stripe are considerably more tolerant of the beliefs of others than most of us might have assumed, according to a new poll released Monday. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life last year surveyed 35,000 American, and found that 70% of respondents agreed with the statement "Many religions can lead to eternal life." Even more remarkable was the fact that 57% of Evangelical Christians were willing to accept that theirs might not be the only path to salvation, since most Christians historically have embraced the words of Jesus, in the Gospel of John, that "no one comes to the Father except through me." Even as mainline churches had become more tolerant, the exclusivity of Christianity's path to heaven has long been one of the Evangelicals' fundamental tenets. The new poll suggests a major shift, at least in the pews."

"The survey's biggest challenge is to the theologians and pastors who will have to reconcile their flocks' acceptance of a new, polyglot heaven with the strict admission criteria to the gated community that preceded it."

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The only religious groups to have a high majority of their adherents believe their religion was the only way to eternal life were the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses. Thoughts?

A Tale of Two Weeks

So it has been a couple of weeks since I last felt the necessity to comment on la vie Keaton. I spent a week preparing to go on vacation and a week on vacation and now I am back preparing to get back into life as usual, basically.

It has been almost two weeks since I ventured north to Prattville, Alabama to meet with the conference marriage and family therapist. As it turned out, this initial visit was just that--and initial consultation, a get to know you time that lasted only about thirty minutes. It was a bit of a let down since it takes over 3.5 hours to get to Prattville from Panama City and with the price of gas continuing to rise, it was a fairly expensive 30 minute tete-a-tete. Even better, I will get to go back the week after next (July 1 to be exact) to have the longer consultation in which we will discuss the results of my psychological evaluations that I took more than a month ago now. I am trying not to stress about this, and right now nothing is bothering me. I just may have had a decent vacation after all. The rest of the week was pointless since I was about to leave. I just had to make sure that things ran smoothly for Sunday (which I hope they did) and that I would be ready to walk right back in the next Sunday (which I hope to do).

So, last Saturday we left for central Florida. The only reason we ended up going to Lakeland was because every other time share in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of the horrible one we stayed at a couple of years ago, was booked months ago. So, with some reservations, we headed down I-75 toward Tampa. We had an uneventful trip in my little Toyota RAV-4. The girls watched the Brady Bunch most of the way down. We checked in 7 hours later at a nice condo with two bedrooms, a full kitchen, dining room, etc. It was nice.

We had planned to do little things and then maybe go to Disney one day since it was less than an hour away. We started out by visiting Cypress Gardens, the oldest amusement park in Florida, on Father's Day. A few years ago it was almost closed, but was bought out by Wild Adventures in Valdosta, Georgia, just up the interstate. It was a lot like Wild Adventures, especially the rides. The girls really liked it. Unlike most amusement parks, they had a lot of rides geared toward children, so we had a lot to choose from. Emma has not been real big on riding roller coasters, but this time around I got her to ride all of the roller coasters in the park. Most of them were really tame compared to the ones at Six Flags or Universal Studios, so I thought this would be a good time to experiment. We got to ride an old fashioned wooden roller coaster that used to be in Panama City Beach called the Starliner. She did not care for that one too much, but she loved the more modern ones, especially this one called the Swamp Thing in which your feet hang out the bottom. I had never been on one of those before. The things we will do for our children.

Monday we stayed in Lakeland and went to their Children's museum. The girls really liked learning and playing there. We spent the afternoon at the pool. Later that night we went to the Rib Crib for dinner. After this little outing, Mommy got sick. It seems that she has been having some trouble lately. Tuesday we went back to Cypress Gardens since we had a second day free. Mommy did not ride that day and we left kind of early because she still did not feel well. Daddy took the little girls to the pool that afternoon while Mommy rested.

Wednesday, we decided to go into Tampa and visit the Florida Aquarium. It is really nice, much like the Dallas World Aquarium. We had a good time looking at fish and sharks and other aquatic life. Mommy started feeling bad, so we cut our day short and decided it was time to come home. So, Mommy called the doctor and we left Thursday morning to come home to make an appointment Friday morning. So, Misty went to the doctor this morning and has to have a battery of tests because they think it is her gall bladder for real. We have thought this was a possibility for some time, but Mommy, much like Daddy, refuses to go to the doctor when she should. So, instead of leaving for Texas on Monday as she had planned, Misty will be having blood tests and a sonogram of some sort. She will then leave on Tuesday to go back to Texas for a shorter visit. So, pray for us. Misty is not worried, but we hope it is not something really serious. While she was at the doctor today, I decided to get a little sick myself. I am feeling better now, just troublesome allergies and a headache to boot. Welcome back to northwest Florida to me!

All is Relative

Well, it has been several days since I was inspired enough to write something down.

This week was absolutely crazy at church. We had vacation Bible school, which was fine. It just meant that I was not able to accomplish much during the mornings and then, when I was able to work, I had to watch my children. So, not as much accomplished as I would like. And, our ministers were out and about this past week, so the rest of us kind of had to keep things afloat.

My handbell choir performed today at two of the services. I enjoy having them play but it is a lot of work to get ready for a performance. This week was worse. Because of VBS, I had to set up and tear down the bells and tables 3 times. Not fun. Wednesday night we had this picnic on the lawn and the worship team played some songs while Choir practice was going on, Misty was out of town so I was in charge of the children, and I had to get the choir and handbells together because the bells were accompanying the choir Sunday. It was a little bit of a disaster, but eventually we got it together. Today, the performance went fine. We played three songs, the last of which with the Choir and all in all things were good. It was our last hurrah for the season.

I realized today that if I did not know I needed a vacation, I do now. So, we will leave for central Florida this next weekend and I intend to be gone as long as possible, which, turns out to be a week. I have already got everything ready for the Sunday I am gone and for the one on which I return, so I don't have to worry about anything for a while.

Tuesday, I get to visit with the conference counselor to continue in the ordination process. Because I am nervous about it, I am planning to go up to Prattville, Alabama, just north of Montgomery tomorrow evening so I can have some time to settle down before my appointment at 10:00 Tuesday morning. I do not think this will be an ordeal, but I over-analyze everything and so I really could stand to have a calm night before the inquisition. Pray that they do not immediately admit me to an institution. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my children, but I have been with them almost 24-7 for the last three weeks and they are driving me bonkers. It will do me some good to have one night away. Misty has gotten a couple of nights away over the last few months, so it is my turn. I am planning to take a book and read in quiet. It will be a nice respite before my vacation with the children. The following week, Misty and the girls will go back to Texas for about two weeks. Then my real vacation will begin. Of course, after a day or so I will really miss them, but absence does make the heart grow fonder.

In other news ~ Obama is the Democratic candidate. I have never heard so many folks tell me they are afraid of him. Hard to tell if this is just political or if it has a little bit of a racial tinge to it. Thoughts?

The gay Episcopalian bishop of New Hampshire, Rev. V. Gene Robinson got married yesterday. Well, it was a civil union, which is legal in New Hampshire. Where does one register for a gay wedding?

I have been reading this book Head and Heart: American Christianities by Garry Wills. The book discusses the different facets of Christianities in American history and how different groups helped shape national trends in Christianity. There is a long discussion on the separation of church and state, the Great Awakenings, and slavery and other issues that divided the church regionally. I wonder, how much of our reading of the Scriptures or our understanding of God is based on the time in which we live and how others around us view them? I like to think of myself as a liberal kind of guy, open to ideas. But I wonder what side of some the very divisive issues in American church history I would have come down on had I been there to come up with an unbiased decision. Is my understanding and compassion towards certain hot topic issues completely biased by the fact that I live in the 21st century? Would I be so open-minded if I lived 100 years ago?

There is a song by Gavin DeGraw called "Relative." Most of it is not really appropriate to discuss on this blog, no matter how true it might be. But the chorus goes something like this:

And all is relative, relative

Everything is relative, yes it is

It's all about the way we receive it

How much we believe it

Depending on the life you lead, if you lead it

Compare it to yourself

Compared to someone else, you care

And if you pick the threads in your closet, the cash in your wallet

The color of the skin in your blood, and how you got it

Compare it to yourself

Compared to someone else, you care

I remember back in high school we talked about relativism as this great evil, and maybe it is. But I wonder how many of our beliefs are based on a certain relativism? These could be things we believe in or things we stand against, but how does the time in which we live effect our understandings of these beliefs? Maybe I am grasping at straws here, and maybe I am just tired and cannot quite communicate my feelings, but there was a time when people in the north and south were able to biblically support the institution of slavery and I do not think there is a person alive today who thinks slavery is a good thing. Truth is, it has not been that long ago that people of color were not welcomed in the church where I work, but, thankfully, that is not the case today at all. Or take something ridiculous by comparison: There was a time when a person would have been asked to leave a church if they were not dressed appropriately. In most circles, this is considered ludicrous now, but it was a deal breaker back in the day. Will there come a day when some of our hotbed issues, like homosexuality or insert other issue here, are viewed in the same manner?

Well, I seek your prayers as I begin this next round of the "process." God help me.

Do you need a passport to go to Alabama?

"Not That There's Anything Wrong With That"

It has been a week since my last confession.

First of all, Sunday went without incident. It was all good, really. We had a military speaker do a short presentation about his recent stint in Baghdad. He did a great job and it was really moving. He talked about how his Christmas was spent doing a Patriot Duty in which he had to time the company's salute to coincide with the passing of a casket for a soldier going home for the last time. It was really sad to think that we are still fighting so many years and so many thousands of lives later. Nothing more to say there.

Then, of course, we had the day off for Memorial Day. Misty spent much of the day cleaning out our garage. It looks great now, but it was quite a chore. We had spent much of Saturday planting and replanting some of our shrubbery. We had a young man from the church come out and do some additional work to make the front lawn more appealing. It looks really good now and, with the garage clean, we can actually move around with the cars parked inside.

Of course, this is also a week that I dread for other reasons. Our preschool is closed this week each year and so I was forced to hunt down other childcare possibilities. It ended up that I could find someone only for Tuesday and Wednesday. So, I have been with the littlest Keaton angels for the last 48 straight. I love them, but I am tired of children. It did not help that this was also a week of craziness from the wife. Several problems arose. First, she was expecting two end-of-the-year packages to arrive in the mail and they never came. She had what we think is another gall bladder attack late Friday night (a week ago) and then Tuesday night she bit down on something and a crown popped off. This was cause for the greatest concern because right now she does not have dental insurance. She found a dentist who is affiliated in some way with the school and got in quickly and painlessly. The crown was replaced without having to pay for the visit. Sometimes it is very nice to be living in a small town. Somebody we know always knows somebody else who can help.

In other news ~

What is up with Barack Obama and all these ministers coming to his "defense"? I mean, what is it about him that makes ministers, this time a white priest, think it is perfectly acceptable to paint Hillary Clinton as a racist and those who have voted for her as such? There must be something in the water in Chicago. I just cannot fathom that these people think they are helping him by bringing up the exact opposite of what he is trying to preach--tolerance and unity. The most stunning thing for me is that these bigoted diatribes are coming from members of the clergy who are supposed to take on the peace-seeking garb of Christ, not the clothing of hatred. It makes me wonder if some of these mainline church leaders see an opportunity to project themselves onto the political landscape in a way that only evangelicals have in recent years. If this is the case, how self-seeking can one be to use the pulpit to spread bigotry. There is a reason we have the separation of church and state--to protect both institutions from each other.

It has been a little over a week since the California Supreme Court issued its ruling in favor of gay marriage. It is interesting to me that, even though the state seems to be mostly opposed to the idea of gay marriage, the Supreme Court would basically decide to overrule the mind of the people. But that is a digression. Why is it that we have such a problem with gay marriage? Now, I am not a fan myself. I kind of always thought that being gay was a way to avoid getting married. And I know the religious right answer to that. "Homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord!" Or "The Bible says God hates fags!" Or my favorite: "Gay marriage will destroy the institution of traditional marriage and the family." I guess my real question is: "Will legalized gay marriage really destroy the institution of marriage?" I heard an interesting question on CNN last night from an average Joe who asked whether gay marriage or the 50% divorce rate in this country would do more damage to traditional marriage. It is worth thinking about at the very least.

All of this reminded me of something that Thomas Jefferson wrote in his book Notes on Virginia (1782).

"But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

Now, Jefferson was talking about religion here, but I think the same logic applies to the gay marriage issue. What does it really matter if gay people are allowed to get married? It does not pick my pocket or break my leg. I may not approve of it, but there are a lot of things of which I do not approve that are perfectly legal. A gay individual commented on CNN that he thought gay marriage was relatively insignificant since there were still places in the world where gay people are killed just for being gay (and, I might add, these actions are often condoned by the religious establishment of these places). I am concerned that it will become one of those political issues that derails our country from more pressing struggles like the economy or the environment or poverty--and there is something wrong with letting these things slip to the sidelines.

That's all for now. I have to plan a date with 3 young ladies tonight. Mom is painting the town with her gal pals tonight, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Another Milestone and a Millstone

Today was Elizabeth's K4 graduation at the preschool. She did such a good job at their little program. She got to sing the ABC song all by herself. She had a small class of only 8 students, so the program was short. One thing I have appreciated about our preschool is that they prepare a scrapbook of the year's projects and pictures of the children throughout the school term. It is nice to have one of these for Madeline and Elizabeth. It is amazing how much they have grown in such a short time. We don't notice it so readily because we are with them everyday. Congratulations to Elizabeth for making it through K4. Now on to Mommy's school and Kindergarten. Last week we went and bought her some uniforms for next school term. She is getting to be so big. Granted, her little sister is almost as big as she is. I am afraid Elizabeth may be a midget.

Yesterday, I had another meeting with my ordination support group. I am really beginning to like these get-togethers and the process is really becoming much better for me. I am realizing that, though much of this work is tedious, it is not pointless. And, more importantly, it is about my desire to be submissive to the process rather than trying to run it myself. I realize that since I have been considering this for such a long time, and since I am no idiot, I have the tendency to see too many possibilities that could be the right one and I spend too much time trying to make those happen, when I should just allow God to process me. In the end, I will be less stressed and more prepared for waiting on the Lord. I am looking forward to the possibility of going back to school. I may try to start as early as this fall since I will have a scholarship to start working on my academic "deficiencies." And, if I like it, I may just keep working till I finish another degree. But I am doing my best to not get ahead of myself and only work toward the immediate goal for now.

In other news: What do you think about John McCain's repudiation of John Hagee's and Rod Parsley's endorsements of his presidential campaign? I wonder how this will be viewed in the evangelical camp. Not that these two ministers are all that influential in the grand scheme of things, but the idea that a presidential candidate would come out in opposition may be viewed in less than positive light. Although, it is Hagee and Parsley--it may be a deal clincher. He may end up better than he was with their endorsements. I think most people are more like me and think these guys are looney tunes. It is funny how McCain has tried to distance himself from them and indicate that neither of them were his pastor of 20 years. Funny.

I had a conversation this week about flag lapel pins. I asked why it was necessary for a presidential candidate to wear a flag pin and the answer seemed to be that if someone was running for president, they needed to be patriotic. Barack Obama neither wears a flag lapel pin not salutes the flag during the pledge of allegiance; therefore he is not patriotic and someone who wants to be president ought to be the most patriotic person in America. There have been an inordinate amount of rumors going around about Obama's patriotism, especially after his wife, Michelle, made the comment that for the first time in her adult life she is proud of America. I agree that her words were not well chosen; however, I think she was trying to communicate that she was pleased that for once a black man could run a serious campaign for president and actually have a good chance of winning. Most people will not give any public figure the benefit of the doubt and therein is the main issue.

Now the truth of the matter is that on one highly visible occasion in Iowa in 2007 Obama was seen with hands clasped in front of him during the singing of the national anthem, not while saying the pledge of allegiance. But there are several video clips of him on snopes.com showing him saluting the flag and saying the pledge of allegiance in the Senate chamber, even leading the Senate in the pledge.

As for the the controversy over the flag lapel pin, ABC News ran this comment from Obama:

"You know, the truth is that right after 9/11, I had a pin," Obama said. "Shortly after 9/11, particularly because as we're talking about the Iraq War,that became a substitute for I think true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security, I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead," he said, "I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great, and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism."

I think it all goes back to the question of "what is patriotic?" Am I unpatriotic because I never wear a flag pin? Granted, I am not running for president, but I really think most politicians wear the flag as a way to feign patriotism for political gain. I mean, I never wear a cross pin. Does that make me un-Christian? Of course we would agree that wearing a cross does not make us a Christian, but why are we so quick to judge a person's patriotism over a trinket? In some ways I think Obama gives many of us Americans too much credit for being able to deal with issues in an adult way. Sadly, I think Obama is an idealist, and you know what America does to idealists?

What's Holding You Together?

The Will of the Gods?

So, after the horror that was the long-endurance personality inventory Friday morning, the rest of the weekend was pretty quiet. It rained quite a bit over Thursday and Friday, so I thought we would be stuck in our house most of the weekend. But by Friday night, I did not care about the weather and needed to get out and about. So, we went to the touristy restaurant in Panama City Beach that we had never been to, Angelo's Steak Pit. The irony of a restaurant like this is worth the trip. It is a big steak house with a gift shop and a huge bull out front. It was fun. Then we went out to the new Pier Park mall. It is really nice. It has a Borders Books. I love Borders. It is nice to have one close again. It makes me feel like I am not on the other side of the world from civilization.

Sunday was a chaotic day, one of those where we try to put entirely too much into each service. Sunday night I had to lead worship for the youth service and we had a good time. I went a little longer than they normally go, but it seemed to be received well. I think many of them are coming around to the idea of engaging in worship. It makes me feel good to know that the soil has been cultivated well and some day soon there just might be a harvest.

In other thoughts~ I have not mentioned anything about the horrific natural disasters that have hit Asia over the last few weeks. I think the cyclone in Myanmar may go down as one of the worst in history, primarily for the government's failure to allow humanitarian aid into the country. The last report indicated that nearly 100,000 people may have been killed. Then, on the heels of the cyclone, the earthquake in China claimed tens of thousands of lives. It was stunning to see them pulling people out of the rubble. One of the worst was scenes of classrooms filled with children crushed where they sat. Unbearable.

Just after the "Christmas" tsunami of 2004, I read this syndicated article in the newspaper that I have since lost. It was written by a Jewish rabbi who had an interesting perspective on natural disasters and how countries deal with them. He indicated that countries who had not accepted Christianity, or had not been significantly influenced by Judeo-Christian ideologies, oftentimes were ill prepared to deal with catastrophes. His thesis went something like this: "Christian" countries have a great respect for the individual human life and when something horrible happens, they tend to come together to help each other through the trouble [think New York after 911]. Another significant thing "Christians" do is they learn from their mistakes in building or whatever and make sure that things like this do not happen again if at all possible. He mentioned issues of flooding in the Netherlands and how they all came together to help rebuild and to figure out a way to reign in the ocean so there could never be a flood again like the last one. The most significant point was that there has not been a significant death toll from a natural disaster in Europe or North America in over a hundred years.

On the flip side, the rabbi said just the opposite about countries who had not accepted Christianity, especially those in southeast Asia. They serve multiple impersonal gods, they do not usually help each other as much during times of great disaster, they go back to life as usual immediately, etc. You get the idea. Since they do not place importance on the individual human life, maybe because their gods do not seem as interested in their lives as the Christian God, they do not recover as quickly or at all from natural catastrophes. They do not value education in a western sense of the word, so they do not usually learn how to deal with natural disasters when they come around again. [When I heard about the shoddy building practices in the area of the Chinese earthquake, I was reminded of the 2004 article.] How does one deal with the thought that it must have been the will of the gods that so many people were killed?

I want to make it clear that I do not think these countries are being punished because they have rejected Christianity. Myanmar is one of the countries most closed to the Gospel, but it is filled with people God loved and for whom Christ died. The same could be said for China. Granted, there are millions of secreted Christians there. I really do not believe God does this kind of thing. Now, since the time this article was written, Hurricane Katrina, the deadliest hurricane in US history hit New Orleans. I believe there were over 1800 dead and almost 800 missing as a result of this storm. Granted, these are not numbers anywhere near the Burmese cyclone or the Chinese earthquake, but does the rabbi's thesis work in the case of Katrina?

What do you think?

A Census Taker Once Tried to Test Me . . .

So, today was the day that I finally got around to taking the first part of the psychological testing for my ordination candidacy process. After dropping off the little girls at preschool, I went over to the church where my mentor is the senior minister and took these personality tests. First, I took the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) which is 567 questions. in length. Each question is a True or False question. Many of them have to do with whether or not you hate yourself, your family, or animals. Some of the questions were really difficult to answer (not the ones about hating myself or the family) and the more honest I wanted to be, the more concerned I got that maybe I should be more reserved. Who can say?

Then I took this "complete the sentence" exam in which they gave me a short sentence beginning like "My father seldom . . ." or "My ideal woman . . ." and I have to complete the thought as honestly as possible. The last question really stumped me: "Name three famous people (not religious figures) who you most admire and list the qualities of each that make you admire them." I could not think of one living famous person that I would want to be like, so I named some dead presidents that I have recently studied.

After the complete the sentence test, I took an additional personality inventory on the Internet that also included an IQ portion. I found after a while that I began answering similar questions differently. Maybe I got more honest as I went or maybe I was just too tired to stop and think them through as well as earlier in the process. The instructions said there was no right or wrong answer (except for the IQ portion) but there is always a wrong answer. I finished the exams at 11:00 this morning, 2 1/2 hours after I began. I am just glad that it is done. One more hurtle jumped for now.

I have started to get all of these informational packets from United Methodist seminaries in the mail since I began the candidacy process. I will have to take at least 8 or 9 courses to be ordained as a deacon, so I am interested to know what is available to me. I plan on taking as much as possible through distance education and through short-term residency in the summers or in January terms. Who knows, I may enjoy the courses enough that I want to complete another degree. I imagine if I decide to do that, I may be more inclined to take up residency at a seminary, though it is possible to do an "in-ministry" MDiv program through Asbury Theological Seminary that would allow me to stay exactly where I am for the duration. I am open to any possibility, but I am not going to go looking for this until after I am finished with the candidacy process. And, should I decide to move to go to school, it will be a good few years before that is even a possibility (and I would have to be able to find a church position close enough to a seminary so that I could finish school and still be gainfully employed). At this point, this seems so far in the future that there is no need to even consider it right now, but this has always been one plan I have had for myself--to finish a graduate degree in theology or Biblical studies. Time will tell.

Today I went to the girls' doctor to pick up an immunization and health form for Elizabeth's Kindergarten file and Madeline's allergy testing results. Oddly enough, the blood tests showed that Madeline is not overly allergic to anything . . . at all! I wonder if this is really accurate, since these past six weeks have been her longest period without an allergic attack of any kind in her entire short life. I mean, since we got rid of our dog, cleaned the carpets well, and got a new vacuum cleaner, she has hardly even coughed. I guess I should be relieved, but it still makes me wonder if the testing was just inconclusive. We may have to do a different kind of test just to make sure. I guess for now we will just be happy with these results.

Nothing else new to report, except that yesterday I read that a woman who was influential in my early musical life had died in December of 2005 and I did not even know about it. She was the co-founder of a children's musical group to which I belonged back in the day and I had completely lost contact with her (and the group, for that matter) until, providentially, I ran into her at a restaurant in Branson, Missouri back in the summer of 2005. I had no idea she lived there and even less of an idea that she was dying of cancer then. She seemed full of life and was interested to get me involved again as the organization was working in Texas as well at the time. I received some communications back in the fall of 2005, but nothing that would have led me to believe something was wrong. Then my life changed dramatically and I lost contact again.

It is amazing how we can lose track of people who were once so much a part of our lives. This happened with most of my friends from high school and from my growing up in general. It has already begun to happen with many of my friends and colleagues from Texas (though Facebook helps). Friendships are usually based on commonalities like geography or a workplace or an organization. But take those things out of the equation and how long does the friendship last.

For instance, there was a time shortly after I left Southwestern that I could talk to students or former colleagues about things that were going on there like someone who knew the place. But now, it would take so much explanation for me to understand what is going on there now, it would likely not be worth the effort to explain the circumstances to me. The commonality is gone. It does not mean the friendship goes away, it just has to change or it will die with the change of scenery.

Or, take this for instance ~ Six months before we moved to Florida, I got the opportunity to see several of my friends from high school again at an old friend's wedding. I had not seen most of them in over ten years, but immediately upon arriving, it was amazing how much the same it was with us. We talked and were really truthful with each other. I had one person tell me that if anyone in the world would understand something they had done it would be me. It was nice to see them and we promised we would talk again soon, but I have only spoken to one of them since (and this second and only additional time was in 2006 mind you). Maybe these friends were bound by a certain time and geography.

I have very few friends (okay, maybe just one) that I have kept with me for long periods of time without losing touch. It is interesting that these few are also the ones that, like me, have made major geographical and ideological changes in their lives. I believe it is these changes that have kept us yoked to each other since we no longer see each other on a regular basis and live thousands of miles from each other (the regular commonalities are no longer part of the equation). Maybe we actually know each other beyond the everyday bounds of place and time frame.

So my question for today is, how do we keep the common ground in our relationships after the geography or ideology changes? Is it even possible or profitable to attempt to keep them alive? Are some "good" friends meant to be limited by geography or ideology?

E. T. Is My Brother?

Check out these headlines:

Vatican: It's OK to Believe in Aliens.

VATICAN CITY - Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not contradict a faith in God, the Vatican's chief astronomer said in an interview published Tuesday. The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones. Check out the rest of the article here.

Televangelist John Hagee Apologizes to Catholics

WASHINGTON - John Hagee, an influential Texas televangelist who endorsed John McCain, apologized to Catholics Tuesday for his stinging criticism of the Roman Catholic Church and for having "emphasized the darkest chapters in the history of Catholic and Protestant relations with the Jews." You can find the rest of the article here.

I kind of wonder if John Hagee had known the Catholic Church would allow for the possibility of extra-terrestrial life, he might have waited to apologize.

I do not know which one of these I thought was more unlikely? I mean, aliens I can understand, but John Hagee?

Would Jesus Vote for Obama?

"I just keep thinking, if Jesus were alive now, he wouldn't necessarily be voting Republican."

This quote comes from a recent article in the Seattle Times called "Young, Evangelical . . . for Obama?" You know the drill. Many young evangelicals are becoming disillusioned by the Republican party and are becoming more independent than their forebears on the religious right. The article relates that most are not really jumping on the Democratic Party bandwagon, rather they are trying to find a middle way.

"I think a lot of Christians are having trouble getting behind everything the Republicans stand for," said Dudley, 20, a sophomore at Seattle Pacific University.

I can't imagine hearing this from an evangelical college student just four years ago. It makes me wonder how this election season has played out back in my very conservative, Republican former stomping grounds. I remember one of the older professors requesting prayer for Al Gore to win the 2000 election and most of the people who heard him thought he was off his rocker. Maybe he knew something none of us did?

I am always interested to know how the media deals with this type of information. How do you think the Seattle Times covered this story? Does it reflect your own evangelical neighborhood?

Nothing New, Except . . .

I have talked a lot about spiritual identity lately. Often I feel a little bit like a freshwater fish in a saltwater pool. I really think this is mainly my presuppositions about what church or my life ought to be like. Truth is, I feel more at home (and have stated that many times on this very blog) now that I have joined with the United Methodist Church and moved to Florida. But the working out of "home" still has its difficulties. Maybe it is more the horror of growing up rather than the trauma of denominational/spiritual/philosophical life changes.

Anyway, so Thursday I had another meeting with my candidacy support group--those four of us who have started the ordination process together. I find these meetings valuable, but I must admit that part of me is dealing with a major struggle that has to do with identity again. We had to take this ministry personality profile and my highest were "Musician," "Scholar," and "Teacher." I have always been an academic person. I find great joy in the tedium of learning something new (and finding ways to impart it to others). I find that I am making excuses for this trait again, much like I might have in high school or undergraduate school. I feel on some subconscious level that I need to change who I am to fit the group better and that really is not the point of this process. I guess I do not really want to be the teacher's pet, but I am taking this process very seriously. There is no question for me whether or not I should do this anymore. Since most of my life has been filled with ministerial things, I have really just been waiting for the appropriate time to make it official. Now that I have found a fellowship that fits well, I am ready to get this thing done. Again, I am in need of more patience to deal with the process and allow it to deal with me. And I should probably stop over-analyzing myself or the group dynamic for that matter.

Friday, I actually got most of the day off for a change. Granted, I had to get several things ready for Elizabeth's 5th birthday party that night at the church. This meant that I had to go to Wal-Mart for the second time in two days. Thursday I had gone there to the optometrist and had to wait forever. I also saw my quota of short-bus riders for the quarter, but, again, I was at Wal-Mart. I mean, I actually saw one of the cashiers spill liquid detergent all over the scanner. How does one do that and live through it? I digress.

We decided more than a month ago that we would volunteer for the "Date Night" closest to Liz's birthday and commandeer the evening's regular festivities for a birthday party. So, we had a Disney princess bounce house, a playground, a room full of games, and 36 children to help "celebrate" Liz's big day. Of course, not every child was there for her big day, but she did not have to know that. She had a wonderful time with her friends, some cake, and some gifts. And now we will not have to volunteer to command the reins of the Date Night activity for another year.

Saturday, we took Elizabeth to Toys R Us and got her some fun things. I was very impressed that she did not feel a compulsion to buy every single thing in the store. Until her next meltdown, I will think she had matured. She also opened her gifts from Aunt Shannon, Mimi and Big Pa, and Aunt Jen and Uncle Lee.

Sunday was an unusual day. We had only one service and a special brunch to celebrate our ground breaking for the building the church plans to begin building this year. So, I got to sleep until almost 7:00 rather than getting up before 5:30. I was worried because we were doing some things different soundwise, but things went as they should have, there was a big crowd, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We were concerned it would rain, but thankfully, it did not. In fact, though the weather reports all said it would rain today, it never did. So before noon, we were all done and we had no evening activities so the rest of the day was mine. Sadly, we did not do anything exciting. Misty got a day to do nothing and I spent some time working through my Candidacy Guidebook.

Well, I guess that's about it. I am trying to figure out what to do with my Chinese money that I got from the IRS this past week. It will help pay for some bills and may have to go towards a new computer (my current one is about to go through my bedroom window). I am thinking of returning to the Mac cult after three years in the land of Windows. Please feel free to talk me out of it or not.

Spiritual Identity Crisis

Well, it has been over a week since my last entry. Last week was rather quiet after the weekend passed into memory. Not much to report at all. I had a few quiet days in which I did little or nothing. They really did not help me as much as I would have liked, but we take what we can get when we can get it. Mostly, I read. I finished a short biography of Thomas Jefferson last week, and I read a book called Founding Faith about the faith lives of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Adams, and James Madison. It was insightful. It has become important to me for some reason to understand what the Founders believed. Currently, I am reading a book about American history. I guess I am reading these books now because I subconsciously realize I will be tied up reading theological books for the next year or so while I work toward ordination.

After my quiet days, I had a good Sunday to make up for the one before. I had an amazing experience at our middle service. As I was singing, it took most of my resolve to not start crying through the communion service. My favorite chariskooky lady was there. She is a great encouragement to me just by her presence. I cannot say how lonely it feels sometimes to be the most Pentecostal person in the room. It is wonderful and discouraging all at the same time. Suddenly, during this service, I remembered what it felt like to be Pentecostal and to feel the imminent presence of the Lord. This is something that I seldom feel for several reasons. Mainly it is a personal issue, that I am so busy about the business of "church" that I do not have time to be aware of the presence of God. But, on the other side of this, I feel constrained (and this may only be a personal constraint) to keep things decent and in order. I am also afraid that no one would know what to do if the presence of the Holy Spirit was made manifest in one of our church services. Sadly, this is one of the major contributing factors to last week's struggles. I really need to be able to have some time in corporate worship without leading it. I guess right now that is just not a possibility.

In ordination process news: I completed another round of tests and questions for the candidacy process. This is not a difficult process, but I am still trying to look for some meaning in parts of it. Our pastor talks about giving the congregation meaningful experiences quite a bit, that if we can do this, the congregation will be more committed to the church's vision, etc. Well, I guess I want this process to be most meaningful because I look at it very seriously. My problem is that many of the questions these inventories have asked about are things that for me happened many years ago, like high school experiences. Most of these things I have blocked. And questions like "What was/were your most significant religious experience(s)?" I thought this questionnaire was going to be about family and academic issues only, rather than about more spiritual experiences. I think if I had known there would be questions like this, I might have prepared better (you know, reflected on my early life a little more). Remember, much of this process, especially in the beginning, is directed toward a young person thinking about ministry. But some of these long-ago experiences are still significant in my life as building blocks, I don't know that they accurately reflect my life now. For instance, the questionnaire asked which church denomination has influenced you the most. And, for my life, it would have to be the Assemblies of God. But, just because this church has been most influential in my life does not mean that I still hold the 16 Fundamentals dearly.

And I still wonder what the UMC thinks of the Pentecostal movement in general, but I cannot lie and say that the UMC has been influential in shaping my personal theology. And, truth be told, my own reading and study, coupled with my frustrations with Pentecostal doctrines, have influenced me more than any denominational teaching I ever received. Maybe I am taking this too seriously. And maybe I am really still in the midst of a spiritual identity crisis that has overtaken much of my life for the last ten years. Again, I am hopeful this will come to an end. But I wonder whether the end of the crisis is a good thing for me. If I ever become happy with what I believe, I wonder what might happen to me spiritually. I think the struggle is part of the journey for me. I feel closer to God in the struggle and wonder if no struggle means no connection to God. Scary.

In other news ~ I heard about this group affiliated with my favorite "church" Westboro Baptist Church, you know, the one that pickets at the abortion clinics and at the funerals of soldiers. Eunicure purports to be a 100% cure for homosexuality and other sexual sins. No comment.

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!

Well, this last weekend was eventful. Okay, so I had a wedding rehearsal Friday night and a wedding Saturday evening. That was pretty much normal for me. Sunday was miserable for several reasons that I will not go into on this blog, but suffice it to say it was a learning experience. Enough said.

But the weekend belonged to Emma Keaton, age 8. Friday afternoon Emma came in 2nd place in a cake decorating contest at her school. Her cake was in the shape of a baby blue Bay haven polo shirt. It was really cute. After my wedding rehearsal we went to see Emma's twirling recital with her "Majorettes" group. I still think it is funny that she is a twirler, but twirling is a big deal here so she is not mocked in the least. Well, she did well. She is probably one of the better twirlers on her squad, considering she does not really practice all that much. The big news of the night was that she was named "Little Miss Bay Haven Majorette Princess." This was the big all-around award for her age classification. She got a trophy, a sash and the all-important tiara.

Little did we know, but she was a winner elsewhere Friday night. I went to the Marina Civic Center earlier in the afternoon to view her art project for the annual art show. She was one of a few students per grade who were in the art show last year and we were really pleased with her "nomination." This year, they did a fund raiser and every child in school had an art project on display this time. I went to look for her painting, but it was not with her class. One of the art teachers goes to our church and helped me locate her piece and put it with the correct class. Well, long story short, she won 1st prize in her grade. We did not know that she won until Monday morning when they brought the paintings back to the school to distribute to the children. Needless to say, we were very proud of our little artist and "dancer." We took her out to Chili's tonight to celebrate her victories.

The only problem: Elizabeth does not quite understand why she cannot play with Emma's trophies. I am just waiting for Elizabeth to stash all of Emma's awards in the closet and pretend like nothing is wrong.

Thoughts on Calling

As most of you know, I have begun to process to be ordained as a deacon in full connection in the United Methodist Church. I think this is a wonderful opportunity to continue my ministry in the church in a more "official" capacity without having to pigeonhole myself into a preaching ministry in order to be ordained. As a first step in the process we were asked to read a short book on calling and ordination within the UMC called The Christian as Minister. I read through it a couple of weeks ago and was not impressed, but I knew I would eventually find some significant nuggets and maybe a reason behind the drudgery. I had borrowed an older copy of the book but decided to order a more recent edition for myself. I got it last week and started reading and it began to speak to me more the second time around. There were still things that really do not pertain to me, primarily because the beginning stages of the process are really pointed toward a younger person who is considering a life's calling, not someone who has had some time to come to terms with God's call (this is especially true of the "Candidacy Guidebook" I received in the mail this past weekend).

Anyway, we were "required" to read this little book and explain why we thought God wanted us to read this book. I think God wanted me to read it in order to be submissive to this process. Like many former Pentecostals, I find that much of this feels beneath me spiritually. I have considered these things since I was very young. If we learned one thing in the Assemblies of God, it was to consider vocational calling to ministry. Been there. Bought the t-shirt. But the truth is, servant leadership is not about feeling superior, it is about opening myself up to the grand realization that I do not have all the answers (have you read this blog?), never did, and once I am ordained I still won't. But hopefully, I will be a better servant.

Second, I think God wanted me to "hear" the following quotations on servant leadership and calling. Some of them are more specifically geared to the deacons orders, but most of them are about service in general. I hope they are significant to you.

"It is only by hearing, answering and participating in the divine calling that I can come to know who I am. We are not who we think we are; we are who God calls us to be." Gilbert Meilaender

Imagine, God calls us to be something different than who we think we are. I think we attempt to place our calling within a framework that fits us. What we fail to realize, is God wants to break the model and remake us in His image. I want to know who I am, and the only way to do this is to allow God to break my preconceptions about myself and what my ministry ought to be.

"'The great leader is seen as servant first.' The difference between servant-first and leader-first 'manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served. The best test is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous.'" Robert K. Greenleaf

I think this is a true test of what each of us does in ministry. Are the people in our care better off with us in their lives than without us? Do we effect enough change in their worlds? Or do we allow God to manifest Himself through us enough that He makes a difference through us in the lives we touch each day? If we are not replicating ourselves in the lives of our people, are we effective minister/servants?

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's 'Theory of Relativity' to serve. You don't have to know the Second Theory of Thermal Dynamics in Physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love, and you can be that servant." Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This is one of my favorites, because Dr. King makes being a servant sound like the greatest job in the world. What is sad is often, because of education or whatever reason, we tend to believe we are better than being a servant, when Christ Himself took on the garb of a servant. Just like Jesus told Peter, "If I do not wash your feet, then you have no part in me." I guess it is the greatest position that we can have. To be a servant is to be the least of these, and to be the last allowed to go first.

"The early church . . . set apart other persons to care for the physical needs of others, reflecting the concerns for the people of the world. In the New Testament (Acts 6), we see the apostles identifying and authorizing persons to a ministry of service."

"Within the people of God, some persons are called to the ministry of deacon. The word deacon . . . spring[s] from a common Greek root--diakonos, or 'servant,' and diakonia, or 'service.' Very early in its history the church . . . instituted an order of ordained ministers to personify or focus the servanthood to which all Christians are called. These people were named deacons. This ministry exemplifies and leads the Church in the servanthood every Christian is called to live both in the church and the world. The deacon embodies the interrelationship between worship in the gathered community and service to God in the world. " Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church

I am looking forward to this journey with joy and hesitation, but I definitely believe it is the right thing. I see it as another step towards "home."

Failure to Love

This has been one of the most hectic I have had since before Easter. It seems like I have had something significant to do all day every day and every night as well. We had a dinner for new or prospective church members Monday night. I had my regular rehearsals Tuesday night. Wednesday is always full. Thursday evening, besides being Misty's birthday, the handbell choir played for our older adult monthly get-together. And tonight I have a wedding rehearsal and a twirling recital to attend. Tomorrow is the school spring carnival and I have a wedding tomorrow night. At least I am almost finished with my teaching for the semester. I just have to turn in final grades next week and I will be done for the Spring. This Sunday will be a less stressful one in some ways because our youth worship team will be leading at the 9:30 service and our older ladies choral group will be singing at the other services, so I will be able to just enjoy the services this Sunday. Granted, I will likely be more on edge this Sunday because I am not in control of everything that is going on. Sad.

I sang for a funeral on Tuesday afternoon for a man who died a sinner. The pastor didn't mince any words. It was short and compassionate, but truthful. I don't want to do that again anytime soon. It was a whole lot of misery.

I came to the stunning realization that my grandmother is old now. Granted, I knew she would turn 87 this May, but she has always seemed much younger than her age. Well, she fell through the bleachers at an athletic event this past week. She did not really do much damage to herself, but I guess she passed out.

I saw something stupid this week. We have these "exempt" train tracks that cross a street that I drive on most every day. They are exempt because they are impassable. There is so much overgrowth and I believe the tracks end only a few yards from the street. Every time a school bus passes theses tracks it stops. I know the law, but it is silly to stop at train tracks when there is no way possible for a train to be even in the vicinity of these useless tracks.

I don't know if you are familiar with Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She is a former Muslim who is a member of the Dutch Parliament and has had death threats from radical Islamists due to her anti-Islamic film about female circumcision. Last week I heard her say something to this effect: "Religion can be good. But one should never use religion to take away the rights of others." Her comments reminded me of something I read not too long ago and cannot remember where. It went something like this: "The church's greatest sin may be its failure to love." When we fail to love, we knowingly and unknowingly allow our rights to supersede the rights of others. When we fail to love, we miss out on opportunities to be Christ to our homes, our communities, our world. When we fail to love, we miss the entire point of the Gospel. "He who does not love, does not know God, for God is love." (I John 4:8)

I am still working this one out. I have had several opportunities thrust upon me this week to love the unlovable or to counsel with those who need a listening ear or to hold out hope that someone will surprise me by doing the right thing without being prodded to do so. So, on top of all the administrative things I did this week, I am exhausted from giving of myself in a more personal way. And, sadly, this has meant I have had less to give to my family this week. I hope to be able to balance this better in the coming weeks.

Days of Silence, Well, Sort Of

The past couple of days have been really quirky. Thursday morning I get the girls ready, drive to the church, get out of the car only to realize that one of them had gotten something all over my pants. So, I took them to their classes and did some prep work for Sunday and then decided to go home and change. It was about 10:45 when I got home and I thought, hey, I will run a little while, start a load of laundry and then have lunch and go back to the church. Well, the power went off almost immediately after I started the laundry and did not come back on for about two hours. Worst part of it, I could not get the car out of the garage because the power was off. Some of you may say, "You do know you can open the door without the garage door opener?" And I say, of course. But we had some trouble with the door last year and I was afraid that it would not work right again so I was stuck. Finally the power did come back on and I was able to get some of the things started that I wanted to do, but my day was spent in nothingness.

Thursday night I went with several of our church staff to visit with Chris Cook, a UMC Elder, who will serve as our mentor through the ordination process. I like her and I think things will go well. My only concern is that I do not take this process too fast. I am really motivated to finish this process as soon as possible and get on to the theological schooling part. I do not really want to take any courses, but I look at it as a means to get away for a while and have some time to myself from time to time. I read a book on Christian ministry for the next meeting in a couple of weeks and I have to write an essay on why I needed to read it and what God taught me through it. That will be interesting, since I did not get much from the first go round. I think my biggest problem is I have been involved in ministry for so long, these things that "new" ministers need to consider have long ago been considered. I had to take a test on ministry skills, likes and dislikes which is meant for someone who does not know if they want to be in ministry for sure or not. I keep hearing this "One size fits all" rationale to the early stages of this process, not that anyone thinks that is the best way, but it definitely is the way of the UMC. But I believe more than ever that this is the thing I should be doing at this point in my life.

This morning, we were awakened to Madeline's panicked cries. She was throwing up. It was just 3:00. I cannot tell you how tired I am from dealing with sick children all the time. It has become a weekly issue. She really is doing better in general, and since the dog has been out of our house, her allergies have been less severe. But, this week and the week before last she spent 2 mornings throwing up her guts. This time was worse. She does not want to eat or drink anything. I just hope she does not give it me if it is contagious. So, again, I am stuck in my house with little to do. Maybe God knew I needed a break and forced me to take one these last couple of days.

One other peculiar thing that happened to me this week~I have had two people accept my invitation to join Facebook and I do not know who they are. How has this happened?

In other news~

1. Is it just me, or has the national news media finally realized that poverty and hunger are staggering right now? I have seen a couple of news reports and read an article in the New York Times about hunger and the political ramifications of allowing food prices to skyrocket. I heard that food prices in general have risen 47% over the last year and I believe it. I have noticed lately that our grocery bills are extremely high and yet we are not buying near as much as we did last year or the year before. Even our faithful green friends who only buy organic products are having to reconsider these choices because the prices are going up so much. I worry about gasoline prices and what effect this is having on every other aspect of society, especially when I routinely pay close to or more than $3.50 a gallon. And I am tired of people asking the presidential candidates what they are going to do about gas prices. Really, what can they do?

2. Is anyone else amazed that the Pope met with sex abuse victims yesterday in Washington, D. C.? I was astonished that he has finally come to terms with the gravity of the situation and is willing to start a dialogue. I don't know if anything will come from it, but sometimes it is important for the victims to know that someone hears their cry for help and justice.

3. In other religious news~I am fascinated with this polygamist sect in Texas and the fate of their children. I want to go on record by saying these people are kooks, but it looks like, on the whole they love their children. I think it is horrible how they were taken away from them. I don't think what they are doing is right, but I don't think they are in a totally abusive situation either. Why couldn't they remove the girls who were pregnant and leave the rest until something more permanent could be decided? This has all happened the same week that the New York Times announced that Oklahoma has the worst record of abuse in any state foster care system. Too many children and not enough case workers or money to help foster parents, not to mention the random abuse and neglect and all the moving around. With as much trouble as the foster care system has in general, it makes me wonder why it was necessary to take these hundreds of children away from kooky, but nurturing mothers.

4. And finally, I have been watching this HBO miniseries on John Adams that ends this Sunday evening. It has been fascinating to watch because the creators have demystified the Founders in such a way as to make them real people. It is well-documented and entertaining and has set me on this trek to know what the Founders really believed about God and the creation of the USA. Part of this interest lies in trying to understand the tenets of my former life. In the evangelical world we talk about how all of the Founders were true believers in Christ and wanted to build a religious nation, the whole "one nation under God" thing. And, for the most part I always accepted this notion. It was heartwarming and made for some great 4th of July moments. But when I really began to read what they said some things began to clang as untrue.

For instance, back in 2002 Misty and Emma and I took a spur of the moment trip to D. C. and on the way we stopped at Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia to see Thomas Jefferson's estate. We enjoyed it very much and as I like to do, I bought a copy of his version of the Gospels. Of course I knew what I would find, a book with all of the miraculous things taken out of it, leaving only the sayings of Jesus. I have heard some ministers talk ill of Jefferson, but they hold all of the others in such high esteem. But the truth is most of them were Deists or Unitarians who denied the divinity of Christ. Sure they believed in God, but their God was not really the God of the Bible. They were moral, effective, and vibrant leaders with keen minds into the psyche of their times, but they were not "Christians" in the liberal or evangelical sense. Even George Washington is in this camp. True, he did attend church, but he left before Communion was served most every time, which would indicate he was never confirmed as a member.

I guess I do not understand why we have to take things and propagandize them for our own benefit. This notion of "Take back the nation for God" concerns me and would have concerned the Founders. They understood the need to separate church and state (and I know this phrase is not in the Constitution, but it was their belief) not only to keep the church free from state interference (which is the side most evangelicals harp on) but to keep the state free of church interference as well. Now, I believe every Christian should vote and demand justice in the country and in the world and take action against evil, but when religion is too embroiled in politics, it becomes less and less about faith and more and more about believers' rights.

Part of my problem is I do not like basing even part of my faith on something that is empirically untrue. When I hear Christian educators and ministers talk about the Christianity of the Founders, it sounds more to me like they are trying to appeal to the Founders as a group that all Americans admire and, since they were Christians, then evangelicals are in the right because they are in the camp of the Founders. It sounds like a subtle way to enhance the profile of evangelicals as the closest in ideals to the Founders and I think this is completely untrue.

Here is a link to another blog I like that dealt with something very similar today.

Okay, rant over. Now I have to tend to my littlest angel.

Back from Never Never Land

So, our little family excursion to the Wonderful World of Disney started late Thursday morning. I went and picked up a prescription for Madeline and we were on our way. We had a good trip down south and stopped at Don Pablo's for dinner in Orlando. It was all I needed it to be. Enjoyable and Tex-Mex. After dinner we drove the rest of the way to our hotel. When I went in to register they had some trouble finding my name. I was a little concerned. They told me our room had been downgraded because all of the suites were booked. Now, I might mention that we purchased our room through Expedia, so that meant that we had already paid for the room before we ever got there. I was not thrilled, but they promised a 30% reimbursement for our trouble. That was fine. Only problem was we were put in a regular hotel room (nice enough) but it was right next to the interstate, so there was road noise all night. Let's just say, I bought some ear plugs for the next night's sleep.

Friday morning we made the decision to go to Disney's Animal Kingdom since we had never been there before (and we wrongly thought it might be a little less crowded than the Magic Kingdom on a Friday in early April). Can I tell you the place was packed? No, it was elbow to elbow most of the day and it did not start well. We got there early and went to "Camp Minnie Mickey." Well, there was nothing going on there at all and we had to wait for quite awhile for a Pocahontas show and then for the Festival of the Lion King. Both of the shows were well worth the wait. I can say that I was a little nervous and had Holy Land Experience flashbacks, but I was pleasantly surprised. There was definitely an environmentally friendly vibe throughout the park, with no plastic straws or lids and all the shows talked about conserving and poaching and all those mean things humans like to do to poor animals. There are not a lot of rides there, especially ones that are appropriate for little children, but we had a good time, saw a lot of animals on the safari (lions, elephants, hippos, and okapi or two, and many more), and had a good family adventure. All in all a good time was had by all.

Saturday we went to the World of Disney store at Downtown Disney and managed to leave without any major purchases. Thank You. Our trip home was uneventful for the most part and our house was still here when we returned.

Sunday was another one of those fun day without the predominance of my worship team at our 9:30 service. I am glad that Spring Break is over today. We had a special guest on the property today: a baby owl that sat up next to the window in our church lobby where everyone could see it as they entered the building. We expect mama owl to come claim the lost baby soon.

In other thoughts: I have been intrigued by this business with Oprah and her "church." Here is a link to a YouTube video about her beliefs and how they diverge from orthodox Christian beliefs. Most of them are things I have heard her say from time to time. Oddly enough, I think most people think Oprah is this great force for good (and she does some amazing things) and they equate this with being a Christian. Since she talks about God and spirituality we tend to think we know who she is talking about. But one thing struck me in particular. The folks who put this video together tended to lump the idea that God was bigger than any doctrines we might create with other more troublesome admissions, like the fact that Oprah does not believe Jesus is the only way. Seriously?

One of the greatest realizations I have had in my life is to finally come to terms with the idea of a God who is bigger than any denomination and more difficult to understand than any doctrinal statement. We try to compartmentalize God into a box we can understand, in terms that make us comfortable. But this is not who God really is, and the sooner we admit that we do not have Him figured out, the better we will be. This does not mean we cannot know Him, but it means we have to be honest with ourselves and admit that we cannot possibly have Him all figured out.

I also have a feeling there might be a hint of racism in the timing of this video, especially since they mention Barack Obama's presidential bid and Oprah's strong support for his campaign. Maybe I am reading too much into this, but I thought I heard: "Oprah is a New Age freak and she loves Obama, so what does this say about him?"


The pictures are from our trip. We stayed down the street from the big orange and we saw a skywriter writing I Love Jesus in the air above Kissimmee, Florida.

Random Acts of Offensiveness

Okay, so I drive by this church most every day. I was especially offended by the sign out front that read: "Wanted, the unwanted." I mean, wow! That makes me want to go to that church. "Hey, I'm unwanted! Can I play too?" I get what they are trying to say, but isn't this just another example of the church pretending to be interested in the lost?

In family news: Spring Break has been a little bit of horrible at the Keaton homestead. I mean, I have been able to run a couple more times than usual this week and I cleaned out my home office filing cabinet and I have actually read a couple of books, so somethings have been accomplished. BUT: My oldest daughter is not very nice to her middle sister. For the first couple of years, Emma deferred to Elizabeth in most everything. I remember telling Em not to let Liz bully her. Oh, how the times have changed. The constant shriek of Numero Dos when Uno has done something or said something to aggravate her. Well, I guess Elizabeth had enough Tuesday evening and she kicked her older sister in the mouth. I was made aware of this by the shriek of the oldest Keaton child as she ran into the living room holding her mouth. Well, let's just say Liz was a dead-on shot and drew blood. Emma had a loose tooth that was much looser by the time the scuffle was over. Not to say that it was much of a scuffle, since Liz kicked and ran. It was hard not to laugh because I believed Emma probably deserved it. We tried to explain that it was never appropriate to kick someone in the face even if they deserved it. I hoped that Emma had learned her lesson, but tonight at church she kept telling the story over and over again of how Elizabeth had kicked her "on purpose" and I thought Miss Liz was about to come across the table to give her another go. And what of poor little Madeline? When we put the big girls to bed, she scolded them awhile as well.

Madeline finally had an allergy test this week. So we hope to know what all of her allergy triggers are very soon. I am hopeful that she is truly allergic to dogs so I do not have to feel bad about getting rid of our dearest family pet. I feel absolutely wonderful that the dog is gone and the carpet is the cleanest it has been since we put it down a year ago. I no longer smell dog anywhere. I could not be happier about this turn of events.

We head to the land of dreams tomorrow. Maybe I will buy myself some Mickey ears and look like those overweight schmucks who buy them and think they are really cool. You know, if I put on felt mouse ears, I will look cooler to my children. Who's fooling who? If possible, they look stupider than usual and that is hard to accomplish when you have nothing to work with. I am just trying to decide which set of designer flip flops to take. Seriously.

[A Short Sidebar: My wife and I are not afraid to look dumb to our children. Since we are both highly educated folks, we do not worry that they may eventually consider us morons. We know better. We have already decided to French kiss on the porch when they bring dates home or wear "vintage" clothing to their PTA meetings. Remember, we are the people who are already telling our children they better get along because one day we will be dead and then they will only have each other. They are 8, almost 5 and 2 years old respectively.]

I had a nostalgic moment this week and ordered some Guarana Antarctica, the favorite soda of Brazil. I loved it when I travelled to Brazil and have had it only a couple of times since my trip back in 2002. I got the package in the mail today and immediately opened it to have a swig. Sadly, the bottle I opened was flat. Slightly devastated by this great debacle, I trust that the cans I purchased will make up for this sad turn of events.

And finally, my parents have purchased a second home in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. They plan to retire there eventually. I think it will be nice for them to be closer to family. I am glad to hear that it is a big house since they will need enough space to keep my children in the summers when I cannot stand to look at them anymore. If this Spring Break is any indication, I may need to ship them off sooner rather than later.

Nothing New Under the Sun

Well, the last several days have been a bit boring. Thursday morning, I had to sing for a "big" funeral of a local educator. My oldest daughter went to the elementary school named after him to finish up Kindergarten after we moved to Florida. There really were not that many people in attendance at the service and it made several people ask whether or not it is realistic to expect that droves of people would come out for a 96-year-old's funeral, no matter how famous or important he had been in the community at one time. I believe when someone lives that long, they outlive their fame and pretty much everyone they ever knew. All in all, it was a nice service. One of our local new anchors came and sang. She is quite the pageant type and sings all those old Sandi Patty hymn arrangements that change keys seventeen times. Fun. She is really nice and it was good to get to know her a little better.

Friday, I spent most of the day at the community college as normal. We had the longest recital on record that day with like 17 selections. Ho hum. I had a few of my students on the program and they did okay. Nothing spectacular though. Although, there was this one young woman who sang a musical theater song which included the word "nipples." I do not think I have ever heard a song with that word in it. It was a big hit with the college crowd. I am starting to notice that some of my students that I thought may in fact be hopeless are coming around. I am trying to be patient with them and not spill my guts that I think they stink musically and have no chance on this or any other earth of being successful in the field of music. Oh well, it is the life of a community college adjunct professor.

Friday night it started to rain and it really did not stop until Sunday. So, no fun for us on Saturday. No return to the miniature golf course or anything else for that matter. I read mostly. I picked up this book called Darkly Dreaming Dexter about a lovable serial killer. I had watched the television show based on the book and decided to read it. I like the TV show better because the characters are much rounder than in the book. Oh well, it was worth the read.

Sunday was one of the same old same with one major exception--I was almost alone at our 9:30 service because most of my worship team was out or sick. This is never fun and I am afraid I will have a repeat performance next week because this week is finally Spring Break here in Bay County. I am looking forward to not having to teach any of my voice students this week and not having to take my children to preschool. Mommy is home all week. We are planning a little excursion to the World of Walt this Friday. We still have a day left on our tickets from October so we need to go or we will lose it. We are planning to go early enough and have some real Mexican food for a change.

One last bit of news: I started working with the children's music program tonight. That was interesting. I do not consider myself a kid person, though I have three children who live with me. But it went well. There were not that many tonight because of Spring Break, but they paid attention and were interactive in a good way. We sang fun songs and everyone seemed to have a good time. I think this will be a good experience for me. Since I have never done any children's ministry whatsoever (with the exception of the occasional Vacation Bible School) it will be a good opportunity to learn to communicate better with the littlest treasures of the church. I just hope I don't have to bury any treasure before I'm done.

Another Dose of Servanthood

Okay, so I have had this thought rolling around in my mind for the last week or so:

"If you do things so no one will notice, how selfish is it to be disappointed when no one does?"

In other words, if you do acts of service or whatever in your ministry as a believer or in your vocation, and no one knows about them, should you be upset that no one knows they have been done? I like a little praise just like anybody else, but most of the time I want to do my job without a lot of hoopla. I have had enough accolades in my life that I do not need them to define me like I did when I was a child. I mean, I had a wall of trophies and ribbons and plaques. I have since thrown them all away because they were meaningless to me after high school.

But back to the present. I had this grand resentful moment last Thursday while reading a story from the old life about some wonderful thing that someone had done. Only thing was that I had done these things ten years ago, just no one really "significant" knew about them. I was a little offended because I know there were a few who knew what I had done and appreciated it, but soon I thought: "Why do you seek the praise of a world you no longer inhabit?" And: "What does it matter who knows what you do, if it is truly service to God?" And more personally: "Why did it bother me that someone else was receiving praise for something I too had done? Since I sought absolutely nothing in the way of commendation at the time, why did it bother me now that I never got it?" Was it just the fact that someone else eventually did? I guess "martyrs" can be a little petty at times.

So I posit this question: "How much tooting of one's own horn is necessary?" Or is this something completely foreign to the Christ-centered life? And why is it that we feel that we have to make sure people know what we are doing? Is it because we are a society based on action, and if we do all our service in secret we appear to be inactive and ineffective? I guess it goes back to my favorite quote: "You know you are a servant when you are treated like one and it does not bother you."