Lines from a servant

2010-07-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Recent update from other blog

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Following and Fishing for people

2010-01-12T09:08:00.001-08:00

Read Matthew's story of Jesus calling his Disciples. (Mt 4:18-19. Jesus says, "Come, follow me and I will send you out to fish for people."
1.) "Come, follow me."
That is the first task and for me is really hard. I often find myself not following Jesus. I am following comfort, glory, vanity, power, money, desire, my vision of good instead of following Jesus. There is a singular focus, "Follow me." That means I must move from where I am, change my path, and keep Jesus in my sight. I do that through prayer, worship, and study. Prayer being the most essential.

How do you follow Jesus? What tools keep you on Jesus' trail.

2.) "I will send you out to fish for people."
Really had not thought much about that phrase since fifth grade. What is fishing for people? Evangelism is the usual idea, but where do people wind up being fished?

My only image that made sense was Hurrican Katrina. The image of people being fished off their roofs by helicopters or swamp boats fishing people out of homes. Fishing for people is about saving lives. People who are being fished are closer to being a fish than a person. If people are in a safe place there does not need to be fishing. If people are in a perilous place, they are more fish like than human. Where are the perilous places where people need to be fished in your community?

To fish for people is helping people become more human and less fish like.

You and I, as Christians, have as our task to follow Jesus and fish for people. The church is to provide a place where people can become more human and less fish like. We do that by...

A.) Reminding people they are not fish.
"You are a child of God and God loves you very much. The waters have not overwhelemed you, because Jesus called you by name. You are His. You are not a slimy fish." We lift up their humanity as a treasure and goodness. Yes there is sin, but saving is not teaching a life less it is about getting people out of the water and into safety.

B .) Helping to breathe.
Breathing the spirit that provides life not pollouted water that drowns. We teach people to connect to Holy Spirit through worship, prayer, and study. Small groups are breathing classes.

C.) Having been saved, helping them to fish for others.
Having been rescued they need to be sent out to save others. That requires learning and teaching. Nobody is to be left on a roof even some of the people we think deserve to be on a roof.

Key point as a christian leader must treat people like people not fish. People are not trophies nor are they something to fillet and put in the fryer. The guys who rescued folks in Katrina were nameless and faceless, it was not about them. It was about saving lives not glory, comfort, prestige or money. Fishing for people is selfless work that requires a humble heart. Fishing for fish gets you a TV show, a trophy, a big check. Fishing for people keeps you closer to Jesus and to one's he loves.

May you follow Jesus today and fish for people.

2009-09-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

file://www.visaliachurchonline.org/2008-09-14.mp3

September 4, 2009

2009-09-04T09:49:00.001-07:00

Daily Devotion

“For three sins of Ammon,

even for four, I will not turn back my wrath”

One of the great things about the Old Testament prophets is that they generate the image of God who is universal. The pagan gods were very local, but the God of Israel had a vision of the whole world. The pagan gods battled one another, so the Sumerian gods battled the Philistine gods. How do we know who won? The country who won, so the proof was that our country wins, so our gods are stronger.

Israel has a God who is concerned about Israel, but that favor is not exclusive. In this passage, God lays out judgment against Damascus, Tyre, Gaza, Edom, etc. He uses the same refrain, “For the three sins of ____ even for four, I will not turn my back” Then, Amos lays the charges and allegations against each country; the brutality of war, enslaving other peoples, etc. War may be justified, but slaughter is not justified. Then there is a judgment of Judah, but the longest judgment is against Israel. Israel has denied justice, abused the poor, they worship at pagan altars, and God will bring judgment against them Amos says.

God demands justice for the whole world not just one locale. The notion of having a battle between Allah and God betrays the notion of Amos. It is not a battle between faiths, because God is universal. There is not a cosmic struggle in Amos, because Amos knows that the pagan gods are not real. They are just stones or pieces of wood, they are not living. The God of Israel is a living God, and to be reminded of that Israel does not have images of God. Win may take this for granted that God is universal, but in the world of the Old Testament such a witness expressed a wild and radical vision of God.

I encourage you pray for a place in the world where God’s justice and mercy needs to be realized? Darfur, Rwanda, the US-Mexican border with drug wars, the people who are enslaved right now.

Where are places in the United States God’s justice and mercy needs to be shared? New Orleans, our Valley, people who are unemployed and underemployed.

Will you pray for those people and places today?

September 3, 2009

2009-09-03T09:47:00.001-07:00

Daily Reflection

Amos 1:1 The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

Background:

Amos was a shepherd from Tekoa. Tekoa is south of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. As a Shepherd, he was not a priest but a layperson. Isaiah who is contemporary to Amos was a priest. Amos’ ministry was not a long ministry, but what he said was so significant that people recorded it. Amos did the work and then returned to Tekoa probably to shepherd.

Amos seems to be preaching to Israel which is the northern kingdom which has Bethel as its holy place. Amos was from Tekoa in Judah, the southern kingdom. I wonder what it must have been like to be Amos to preach as an outsider? He said things significant enough that people listened and he spoke so forcefully that the priests of Israel ask him to go away.

He identifies his time of ministry as two years before the earthquake. That is similar to us in places where there have been natural disasters, we mark time by before and after the crisis. Before 9/11 and after 9/11. When I use that term, you know life before 9/11 and after. In New Orleans there is pre Katrina and post Katrina. San Francisco and Northridge have quakes that jog memory. I wonder how this earthquake influenced this message? Was that the reason somebody collected Amos’ words?

Amos was jogged out of his life as a shepherd to speak to people?

Has God called you out of your normal routine to do a task?

I am trying to think of those moments, but perhaps I don’t have one. It would demand putting down the schedule to allow God room to work. It would mean that I would have to be open to that? Are you?

I think being a parent might be one of those, but unlike Amos…I had to take the adventure home. So, that is not exactly like Amos. I am thinking…what about you?

September 2, 2009

2009-09-02T11:10:00.001-07:00

Daily Reflection

Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords
and your pruning hooks into spears.
Let the weakling say,
"I am strong!"

The Bible can be unsettling and Joel 3:10 creates a bit of disequilibrium. I know that we are to beat our swords in plowshares that is written in Isaiah 2:4. However, Joel goes the opposite way. Did you catch that? Read it again. I never realized that until today.
This is not a prophetic call for peace, but a call to arms.
It makes my stomach turn, my image is of machetes being gathered in Rwanda. A thing of harvest being used to shed blood.

Caedmon’s Call has this song, “The Lord is a warrior. The Lord is mighty in battle. The Lord is a warrior. The Lord of hosts is he.” Hosts is an old way of saying army. The 'heavenly hos't is a heavenly army. When Amy and I are driving, she automatically by passes the song. I flip it back, so it is a CD disagreement. I like to sing along to the song. Amy stumbles upon the image while I just listen to the tune.

The Caedmon’s song brought us to a conversation. There are images of war in the Bible and we have to come to terms with that. "Plowshares are beaten into swords," I am not overly excited with that image. What do you do when you encounter something in the Bible that upsets your apple cart? Do you discount it? Do you wrestle with it?

My friends who are of peacemakers, Joel turns Isaiah’s image of peace on its head. That great image, “let the weakling say I am strong” is not an interior mending of what is broken, but a battle cry. The Prophet calls Israel to arms. Won’t sing that hymn on the Sunday of peace during Advent!!!!
What do you do with that image being turned upside down?
Are you willing to go down to the Jabbok River and wrestle with God or angels? (Genesis32:22-32)

The maturing of faith is when we encounter something that challenges our assumptions and we change. I tell folks, argue with God but allow God always to win. It is in the striving and losing where we are blessed. Today, I know that swords can become plowshares and plowshares can become swords. Now, I need to go to Exeter, CA to meet the guys at “the foundry” and ask what it takes to beat a plowshare into a sword and sword into a plowshare. I do not embrace this revelation, but I accept it.

September 1, 2009

2009-09-01T10:08:00.001-07:00

Daily Reflection

Joel 2:28 “I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,…

30 I will show wonders in the heavens
and on the earth,
blood and fire and billows of smoke

This is the text that Peter uses on Pentecost. That is 50 days after Easter (pente=5 in Greek) Joel calls the people to repent and this is God’s response.

On the side of Rocky Hill at 5:15 AM last Saturday a meteor, a shooting start illuminated the night. It looked so close that we could touch it that it would have landed at the foot of Yokohl Valley on the other side of the hill. The group I was running with all, “Oohed” and “Ahhed.” When we regrouped up on the top of the hill, we talked about the experience of the meteor with childlike astonishment and wonder.

Monday, I learned that a group 30 miles away saw the same thing and they felt that they ‘oohed” and “ahhed” the same experience. I told folks, I guess that meteor if it would have landed on the earth would have landed in Utah. A friend then said, “What was God trying to say with it.” I said, “It was 5:15 AM, probably just good morning. Only off balance people are up at that time.”

When we see things in the sky, eclipses, meteors, comets…it catches our attention. It reminds me that the universe is larger than me, a change in my myopic perspective. The Hebrews without the knowledge of planets, leftover comet debris, and the wider expanse of heavens saw these as signs of God. They were abnormal.

In Joel, it is not the heavens that represent the harbinger of the Day of the Lord, it is the people. “I will pour out my Spirit on all my people.” In the midst of outpouring of the Spirit and the day of the Lord is the notion that God does this for people. Redemption begins with people, you and me.

As we partner with God, it begins with people. We may look to the heavens hoping for a sign. People in LA, I am sure are seeing God’s coming in the smoke. As people waited. some saw it in Katrina. It was the wrong view, the view is here and now. Where is God at work in the person in front of us? Then we know where God is at and that is why I believe this is the ‘Day of the Lord.’

Questions:

What is God doing in your life?

What is God doing in the lives around you?

Will you partner with God in what He is doing?

Are you afraid to do so? Are you unaware? Or, hopeful?

August 31, 2009

2009-08-31T09:40:00.001-07:00

Daily Reflection

Disciples of Christ-Visalia

August 31, 2009

Joel 1: 11 Despair, you farmers,
       wail, you vine growers;
       grieve for the wheat and the barley,
       because the harvest of the field is destroyed.

    12 The vine is dried up
       and the fig tree is withered;
       the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree—
       all the trees of the field—are dried up.
       Surely the people's joy
       is withered away.

Background:

Joel tells the story of a locust plague. Some folks think that the locust plague is an allegory, a symbol of a great army. I do not think so. I think initially that the story was about locusts and as time went people who edited Joel’s writings starting seeing the menacing armies of the north like locusts. As they edited the texts, the texts had this view point. We can differ on this interpretation and that is alright, but living in the Valley the notion of hardship for agriculture makes sense. Living in a large city might give us a different perspective.

Reflection:

I have lived in the Valley for two years now and one of the most shocking scenes for me is the uprooting of an orchard. From my car it catches me by surprise but on those morning when I run down a road through an orchard the lack of trees shocks my senses. The greenness of the trees is gone and all that remains is the dirt. My understanding is that the orchard is intentionally uprooted for many good reasons. The trees matured and are no longer producing in quality or quantity. The trees may have become diseased. They maybe uprooted to put in another crop. The shock to the system is all that remains. Across the Valley on the west side there are whole fields and orchards barren due to the lack of water, towns with 40% unemployment and a drought of Biblical proportions, bees dying, bugs destroying the citrus, and on and on.. The loss of an orchard opens the landscape and the sandy light brown dirt shows no life or is filled with choking weeds. What once bore life now lies fallow.

There is this line out of Joel and I thought about the crops of the Valley. Apples, palms, vines, pomegranates, they are all within a view miles of the house. (Maybe not the palms, but there are palm trees in the neighborhood.)

There is also this impending threat about farming in California. There is a drought. Milk Prices plummet and herds are sold off to make hamburger. There is a threat of a foreigner, an outside force that cannot be controlled. The joy of farming, a way of life, becomes chore not joy. Of course, when there is prosperity things are easy to enjoy, and when the cycle goes down it is difficult. People leave the farm were foolish or unlucky. In the midst of such difficulty, life becomes apocalyptic. So, a drought, locusts, or an army to the north can shake the confidence of folks who live by the land. But, one can live in a city and feel the same thing. It can be Apples and PC’s, homes, oil fields drying up, or a sea once teeming with shrimp now has boat riding high in the water, because they do not bear a load. For those who are facing their own plague of locusts, a drought in their own life, a time when the sweetness of joy has become ashes Joel has a word.

Questions:

Are you in a drought now?

Do you have an impending Army overlooking you?

Will you trust God’s hesed (steadfast love) to water you and to see you throw the swarm?

August 28, 2009

2009-08-28T10:38:00.001-07:00

Daily Reflection

Guido Climer

14:1Return, Israel, to the LORD your God.
Your sins have been your downfall!

    2 Take words with you
       and return to the LORD.
       Say to him:
       "Forgive all our sins
       and receive us graciously,
       that we may offer the fruit of our lips

This begins Hosea’s last chapter.

In recovery there are moments when folks who are part of a group leave. They leave many times because they either feel they have it together and don’t need a group. Or, they leave, because they see no other way than to give into the addiction. There are times when folks leave and then they return. Within recovery they are welcomed back. There are many times huge amounts of shame, because the path lead to pain. Everybody said, “we suggest you keep stepping this way.” But they could not or would not listen to the suggestions.

They are welcomed back with grace that is true, authentic and beautiful, because that person who has left has now said, “I cannot do this alone.” They are seeking to be whole and be healed. So a return is a painful and beautiful thing. Painful because the time away was painful. Beautiful because the reuniting is filled with grace. Everybody knows that it could have been them, but by luck, work, and God.

The story of faith is about staying the path, but for many of us it is about coming back to the path of faith. Our journeys sometimes lead to dark places where we hurt ourselves and others. Sometimes, we try to hurt God by our actions. God does not recoil from the pain, but comes to the lowest point to meet us to bring us back. Hosea is about that. God calls Israel a whore. That is strong language.

I love the last line in this verse.

"May we offer the fruit of our lips."

Last night, I heard a story of person who talked about his move to faith. He had gone far away from God and he met God in the lowest place he could find. There he was saved. I understand that. I came to experience Jesus at that lowest moment. I savored the fruit of his lips, the good words he shared.

Bill Mallonee sings, 'fruit from his lips,' ( good words)

“That Holy Life should count for something Those blessed words be recalled Remember Bill who it is who really loves you. To be loved is the best of all”

I am not into creeds, but the Apostles’ creed says,
“Jesus descended into hell.” That is how far Jesus will go for you.

May you know today this fierce and courageous God who is willing to wade through deep ickiness of your life to say, “You are my people and you are loved” May you offer to Jesus and the world, 'the fruit of your lips.'

August 27, 2009

2009-08-27T10:49:00.001-07:00

Daily Reflection

Disciples of Christ-Visalia

Hoesa 11: 8 "How can I give you up, Ephraim?
       How can I hand you over, Israel? …..
       …..My heart is changed within me;
       all my compassion is aroused.

    9 I will not carry out my fierce anger,
       nor will I devastate Ephraim again.
       For I am God, and not a human being—
       the Holy One among you.
       I will not come against their cities.

Theologians talk about whether or not God demands payment for sin. This is conversation is called atonement theory. Traditionally, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Why? There had to be a sacrifice. In the cosmic balance for God to still be God, he had to ask for payment for our sins. Here is this scripture where God has laid out his accusations against Israel. Israel is found guilty and should be punished. Then God says, “How can I? I am not human, but I am God.” God breaks that balance.

When we think about justice, do we view justice from the point of view of God or from our own sense of justice? I will be talking about this, this weekend. But with the atonement, that divine algebra never really made sense to me. I sang the songs and the songs were good. However, as I thought about it…I don’t want Jesus to die for me. Those sins are mine and nobody should die for what I have done. I feel a little better about going against the grain of Christian tradition, because of this scripture. “I am God, not a human being.” It may make sense that somebody needs to pay the debt, but God owns, creates, and sets the rules if he does not need a sacrifice why does he need Jesus to stand in for me. I do not want God to die. I would gladly take the place of Jesus to let Jesus live. These were thoughts I had as a kid. They still linger, no theology class really worked through them. .

Here is this line, God cannot punish. Why? He loves Israel. Can God punish me ultimately? How strong is God’s love for me? I am not saying that there is not a serious consequence to our sin, but ultimately where is that. In this story, God would let us off the hook on earth to judge us on the last day. I don’t think that is what is happening here. I might be a heretic, but OK.

The whole of Hosea is a love song of a jilted lover. God moves between rage to compassion. As I know the stories of Jesus, that heart of God beats to the rhythms of love. What I know of God from Genesis, Hosea, and Jesus is this. God created me. God loves me. God wants the best for me. He went so far to reach me as to leave the throne of heaven and come to earth as Jesus. When the world needed to be punished for killing God, Jesus said, “Forgive them they don’t know what they are doing?” What does God want? He wants those centurions nailing him to the tree. He desperately wants you and me. He will do anything for that, even if that means breaking the cosmic scales. For that kind of God who loves that much, I need to give my life to Him.

This idea of steadfast love, Hesed. Means that God’s love endures forever. God’s love endures all things. Does ‘all things’ mean my sin?

Do you believe that God really loves you?

If you do, how will you live that out in your life?

If you don’t, what will prove it to you? Can I help you experience that steadfast love?

How can you give you life to God who forgives all my sins, even the ones you will not speak out loud to anyone?

Will you give your life to that God who so loves you that He comes to you?

August 26, 2009

2009-08-26T10:19:00.001-07:00

Daily Reflection

August 26, 2009

Disciples of Christ-Visalia

Hosea 8:14

Israel has forgotten his Maker
       and built palaces;
       Judah has fortified many towns.
       But I will send fire on their cities
       that will consume their fortresses."

In our age of homeland security, talk of border fences, and defense there is this ancient reading.

Israel had built cities that were strongly defended. Jerusalem was upon a high plateau protected behind strong walls. God says, “Those fortified cities will not be defensible.”

As I was growing up we kept the front door unlocked. My dad said, “Why lock the door, if they want they will get in. If we lock the door, they will bust the door and we will have to buy a new one.” We invest in a great deal of security in our lives at home, in cars, on-line with our identity, etc. How many times have you had a virus on your computer? Have you ever had something stolen from you? These things happen and there is no way that we can defend ourselves totally and completely; whether it is border protection, TSA at the airport, home, or the computer. I am not advocating no defense, but what I am sharing is the Biblical principal if you put your faith in a wall…then that wall that is dead is your God. You can add software, security systems, guns or any other machine.

In Hosea’s time, the folks were putting their faith in the security of their defenses and that belief God would save his people all the time. They were special. They were safe and saved by their status and their walls. They forgot that ‘specialness’ demands obligation of doing the right thing.

It is not walls that protect us or provide salvation.

We who are special in the eyes of God have an obligation to act with justice and have mercy on all. When we act the Gospel out, Imans in Kenyan help hand out Bibles, witch doctors put up their totems, and enemies become friends. When we act out the Gospel, we gain trust. When we act out the Gospel, we have as secure protection as any big wall or mighty fortress.

We are not guaranteed protection anywhere in this world, but we have a choice to live in fear behind walls or to live in fierce love and courageous mercy of Jesus Christ.

How will you live courageously this week?

What the things you protect behind walls of fear?

August 25, 2009

2009-08-25T10:12:00.001-07:00

Daily Meditation

August 25, 2009

Disciples of Christ-Visalia

Hosea 7:1

whenever I would heal Israel,
       the sins of Ephraim are exposed
       and the crimes of Samaria revealed.
       They practice deceit,
       thieves break into houses,
       bandits rob in the streets;

Reflection

Are you like me, when you think about social issues you say “they.” So, it is on the Northside of town where the gangs reign. Gangbangers are THEM. The liars on Wall Street are THEM. The people who cheat migrant workers are THEM. The insane environmentalists are THEM. The prostitutes are THEM. The addicts are THEM.

Hosea and the role of the prophet send their message, “You Israel.”

So, if I read that right, Hosea says, “You, America” or “You, Visalia”

Gang Bangers rob, steal, run drugs, and have a hand in prostitution. They ruin our city. They create violence. They kill. They rob. They do drive by’s.

Hosea says, “You, Israel have thieves.”

The problems on the street are not THEM but US. Meaning in reality, we own the problem as well. We are part of the problem. The THEM is US. Those problems are ours and we are stained by the sin of them. We did not hold guns. We did not sell drugs. We did not buy them. How do we own the problem? I try to push it off on other areas of the world, but Hosea says, “Niel, it is you.”

The only way for me to get out of ownership is to renounce my citizenship. I am no longer American or Visalian, American, or Human…I cannot do that. I will not do that. So, Hosea says, “You own it.” To be honest, I don’t want to own it. I don’t want the responsibility. It is much easier for it to be their problem. It is THEM.

How can we own and repair the problems of our society? Homelessness, drug addiction, gangs, unemployment, cheaters on Wall Street, etc. THEM is US. Sorry, but that is the Bible says about it.

Question:

One of the things, I am praying about and have asked a couple of other folks to pray about is a congregation in prison. What if we started a prison in one of the prisons in the Valley? What if there was a congregation that worked on breaking down the racial barriers that produce gangs, we are an anti-racist church, pro-reconciliation? Could we as Christians in Visalia make a dent in the drug problem, the gangs, and transform the Valley? Would you be willing to pray for such a thing? If you would, start now. Then give me a call 559-308-4668.

Do you have something that God has put on your heart? Will you tell someone about it and ask them to pray with you?

Daily Reflection Aug 24, 2009

2009-08-24T10:15:00.001-07:00

Disciples of Christ-Visalia

August 24, 2009

Guido Climer

Hosea 2:8

Israel, she has not acknowledged that I was the one
       who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,
       who lavished on her the silver and gold—
       which they used for Baal.

Background:

Hosea is the first of twelve minor prophets. They are minor not due to their importance, but due to the length of their books. These 12 prophets starting with Hosea and ending with Malachi are the last twelve books of the Old Testament. Hosea is called by God to marry a prostitute, because God says Israel is a whore. God wants to have a holy theatre of sorts to prove his point, so Hosea obliges. His life will mirror God’s life. Hosea and Gomer, his wife have a son Hosea calls Jezreel. This is more holy theatre to remind the people of Israel God will punish them for an action done in the valley of Jezreel. They have a daughter and she is named ‘Not Loved,’ because God does not love Israel anymore. Today, we punish awful parenting like that, but this is ancient history.

Reflection:

Then this line, I find the most painful story, Hosea 2:8. Have you ever given a gift and then somebody use it a way that you find repulsive? Give a child an heirloom of an old leather bomber jacket from the Korean War and he leaves it a high school dance. Frustration courses through the body. A college student graduates and takes his graduation gifts the envelopes stuffed with money and spends it in Vegas. Is that why the money was given? Bring a nice cheese as a gift and you find it two weeks later molded on your friend’s counter? Have you ever received a gift without respect or charity?

It was the last day of classes my senior year. We had two options that night to go out to the University Pub and drink bad beer as we had all year or we could go to the Texas Rangers’ and watch Nolan Ryan pitch. We had seen Nolan pitch before and it was awesome. But this was the last day of classes and it was a time to party!!! We arrived at a friend’s room and heard the final two outs of Nolan Ryan’s complete game no hitter. Given the gift of free time, guilt free, we chose to offer to seductive Baal our treasure. When people talk of Nolan Ryan’s no hitters, I am reminded of my foolishness.

There are moments when I do this all the time. I choose not to make a phone call, because it might be difficult. I choose to avoid people out of fear. I choose what is tangible over the wildness of the unexpected. I choose to miss opportunities to enjoy life because of the fear of something different, the anxiety of inconvenience, or the security of familiarity. Do you miss opportunities to enjoy God’s blessings because you take comfort?

Question

How have you wasted the gifts God gave you?

How will you live this week fully embracing opportunities to delight in God’s creation, nature, people, and your life?

Church Camp

2009-07-06T09:32:00.001-07:00

Just got back from church camp on Saturday and I realized that church camp is so countercultural and phony in a way. In a few weeks, I will go to the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and we will gather a few thousand of us in Indianapolis. Interesting aspect of that is this, we will have groups gathering together that have affinity. There will be a peace group, GLAD Gays and Lesbians, missions oriented folk, folks who are passionate about evangelism, etc. We will divide ourselves out.

At camp, we tell the kids that they are to like and be in relationship with folks they don't like. So, we put the boys with the girls. We put the cool kids and the awkward kids together. We try to destroy cliques in the name of community building.

I thought about it, these kids don't experience this in their lives. How many of their parents break down barriers to include all people in their lives? I am sure the kids don't do it at school, but I am sure they are more tolerant than their parents. I see it at PTA and Baseball leagues where parents gather. I have been on the inside and I have been on the outside. So, the counselers at camp say love everybody and do it. Then they go home and don't see it at home or in the church.

I am not sure if it is sad condemnation of church and home, or is camp just nuts?
What do you think?

fearless joy,
guido

Deaths of the week

2009-06-25T20:50:00.001-07:00

There were three deaths that happened in the last 24 hours for me. Two are the famous ones. When I heard that Farrah had died, I googled the poster. I am trying to figure out why that poster was so popular, but my two cousins Hap, Casey, and I went to the 7-11 to get the poster. We all had it in our rooms. Maybe it was the smile or maybe that was extremely sexy in 1977 or so that reached young boys. I am not going to spend much time trying to find that out.

But after Charlie's Angels, I lost contact with Farrah. I remember her and Burt in Cannonball Run, but that is about it. The Burning Bed did not really resonate with me. Then I heard she had cancer and anal cancer...it was too painful to think about. I just figured they would find treatment and that TV and tabloids were over blowing her health. Today she died. Godspeed.

Then Michael died this afternoon. I never bought Thriller and did not buy any of his tapes. Maybe he was just too cool and too hot and I was too unwilling to like the most popular thing. I am from that generation that takes sledge hammers to the popular. Somewhere in 1991, Michael and MC Hammer feuded and he went freaky with that extended video on Fox where he zipped and unzipped his pants. Then he molested children, allegedly, and it was too weird.

These two deaths shake me, because they mark my youth. However, the one that has more significance is the death of my friend's mom. I have had friends who have lost parents, but they have been older parents or it has been a freak bout of cancer or I just said, "this is abnormal part of life." But this time, I realize this is life. I hurt with my friend who has lost his mom and I am sad for his dad who now lives life alone. They had done life together and done it well. So out of three deaths in the last 24 hours...it is the one who died with friends and family. Her fans are not worldwide and her memorial service will not have TV crews or Access Hollywood outside. The mourning will be done with family and friends. It is a death that all of us will experience and none of us want to do so.

In Wake Of Killings, A New Look At Hate Speech : NPR

2009-06-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

In Wake Of Killings, A New Look At Hate Speech : NPR

As I think about the issue of hate is that those folks who see themselves as agents or instruments of God is that our work is to shine light into those dark places. Our ministry of justice and mercy is to listen to the ones who are marginalized. Those who are marginalized are sometimes racist and sometimes leftist. But, if Jesus was able to do ministry with lepers and not be made unclean...do we have the courage to take up such ministry? Can we sit with the one's on the margins and not be made unclean. Can we maintain our identity as people of the Kingdom not of the world?

Sometimes, my vision of the world and God's kingdom I try to defend and do not take it on the offensive. I must remember that Kingdom of God is not to be defended but is to be expanded. The Kingdom of God is offensive not defensive.

Mel Hall, when sports heroes fail us

2009-06-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

In 1981 the Midland Cubs had Mel Hall, Joe Carter, and Craig Lefferts on the roster. The flashiest and best player on that team was not Joe Carter but Mel Hall. Mel was something special. Since I was a young kid, I followed Mel and chuckled at his excess. Two cougars, his hot dogging around the field, and his nice jheri curl.

Then I heard the news about Mel and his molesting a 12 year old girl on a basketball team. I knew it was most likely true and it saddened me. Yesterday, Mel went to jail for 45 years and I was reminded that sports athletes are fallible folk. They are more fallible than most of us. Their lives are so excessive that many don't have the ability to live it.

Mel was the product of his own addictions. He could have been great, but wound up average. He did not apply himself to the game, but applied himself to a false image. The pressures finally got Mel and he made choices that were abusive and less than human. I am saddened, because I want my heroes to be as good as I imagine them be. However, I must remember that the spectacle of sports and celebrity make them even more susceptible of failure. Charles Barkley was right in declaring, "I am not your role model." He knew the deep dark secrets that lie underneath the false veneer of athletes and he was honest enough to tell the truth.

The Message of the church for today

2009-06-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

What is the message of salvation for the church today. I am not sure the issue of eternity really motivates me all that much, because if I am looking to gain heaven as the ultimate then what is this life? Am I in some cosmic waiting room waiting to get to heaven and what is heaven all about...worship? Please no. Been in great worship but if all we do is sing in heaven...I hear hell has a nice charcoal fire for a brisket and a good bar, Robert Earl Keen wrote.

So, what are we saved from? A larger part of the gospel for Americans is Americans and maybe the whole world who looks to us as the center of the world...materialism. Everyday where ever we go on TV, in the paper, and web we are inudated with advertisements telling us that our lives are less than complete. We have not arrived, but could arrive if we buy this product. This constant inudation tells us that we are less than whole and offers a false solution.

Think about all media is about advertising. Truth is not being sold, but ad space. Likewise we build products for consumption. It is an endless cycle. Are we just consumers and producers?

I realized that much of message and the message of Brennan Manning is that we are enough. God loves us as we are. I ponder why that message resonated with me and I think it is that less than quality. I don't need another experience, a great vacation, another child or the Sham Wow to make my life complete. My life is complete in God and the truest experience of all is the experience of grace I find in Jesus Christ. It is pure.

The next part of that situation is that we realize that we are blessed and that our blessings some of our blessings are material. We live in the richest country ever, with more opportunities. People around the world come clamoring to be in America. We are blessed. I often thank God for getting the opportunity to live now. What are we going to do with our blessings? Are we going to build walls of protection? Are we going to build larger barns to take in all we have? Are we going to get a bigger house, a nicer car, or go on a grander vacation to celebrate our blessings? Not that any of those are bad, but that is not the final destination. Are we going to help others and build a better world? Are we going to do good things and let our light shine?

What do you think?

Again as part of my tribe, I reserve the right to take this post back in a few minutes.

Iran

2009-06-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, I came to the conclusion that the most significant moment in the latter half the 20th century for the United States was the overthrow of the Shah of Iran. Learning the ins and outs of that moment in history was essential for understanding where the United States was now and where it would be heading. The rise of the Islamic Republic in Iran caused several significant things to happen.

1.) The Iran hostage crisis and Carter's inability to bring resolution to it meant the election of Reagan. It also was a low point in the psyche of the United States and a feeling of helplessness. At least with the Soviet Union, we knew each other's rules, but with Iran this was a third rate country beating us down.

2.) Iran also was for Reagan a low point for his presidency. It began the whole Iran-Contra affair where Reagan bought hostages. This gave Iran a sense of legitimacy. Iran also used Hezbollah to bomb the United States Marine Barracks in Lebanon. That also was a very bad.

3.) Iran is a Islamic Republic while we deal with Islamic Dictatorships in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and even Iraq. The poor and disenfranchised in the country could look to Iran as a model and the Arabic folks felt less about themselves and fostered resentment.

In the end, Iran is our thorn and has been for 30 years. As these elections go on, I hold my breath because the best way to kill the reformers is to say, "America supports you." So, I hold my breath and see what change happens. If there are changes in Iran after these protests, will they be beneficial for the United States?

Being a Godfather

2009-06-16T13:06:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday I was in Kansas City and was able to attend Catholic mass with my god daughter. One of the highest honors in my life is to be a godfather, because it breaks the rules a bit. Rob and Susanne asked me to be a godfather despite me being a Protestant minister, or maybe because I am. I did not ask why, but just took the honor.

The godparents promise to raise their god child in the Catholic faith. We took that seriously, but had a lapse when she had first communion. Ouch, we moved to CA and it would mean a Sunday's vacation and trekking the whole familia to KC, a costly trek.

So, I told my goddaughter that I had one goal and that was to go to mass with her. There are things about the Roman Catholic church that have changed since Pope John Paul II died. The KC diocese that was very progressive and downright liberal is now very conservative. The whole idea of an altar as opposed to a table really bothers me and that whole transubstantiation thing bothers me as well. The bread and wine are symbols not miraculously body and blood. However, I am a godfather and my task is to raise a good Catholic girl. So, I recite creeds and do not take the Eucharist because I need to honor the tradition.

So we sat in the KC cathedral on Sunday and I talked to her about the service. I pointed out the baptistery, "I remember, you were covered with water. That means you were made a part of God's family." I pointed out the altar that is artistically shows bushels of wheat under the top and I said, "THey have wheat because this is KC where wheat is a very staple of life. I come from the place where grapes are the staple. On Sunday when you take communion, when I break the bread I will think of you with the wheat. When you take the wine, remember me with the grapes. God will unite us when share in the table." I know it is a table to me, but she got it.

It is hard at times to do things that I don't fully believe, but I do this act of being a god father because it is important for her to be raised rightly with compassion and mercy not with mere rightness. So, I try to display that and I hope that in my actions of god father teaching her a faith I don't fully believe she will learn how to have tolerance, honor others, and how important love is in the world. That is a faith that we can all hold upon to.

The Beauty of God

2009-03-19T06:37:00.001-07:00

Insight of the day.

If for me beauty is best exemplifed in the feminine form, to talk about the beauty of God and to image-ine that as woman changes the ethics of relationship.

To objectify a woman, to lust after beauty, even my wife, places her in the position of the true beauty that I wish to see, God.

So for my misogynist friends who can't see God in the femine form and see it as dangerous. I think the femine image of God does deepen and clarify my reading of scriptures and demands more ethical rigor of me.

Lust for me, even lust of a spouse, is sinful if replaces the heart's true desire union with God with another less than God.

In

2009-03-18T11:32:00.001-07:00

We are in the house now.

That is great, but there are moments like today where I get extremely frustrated. The crux of the issue is that I took about five hours this week to clean up the old house. I worked a couple of hours on Monday. Tuesday Amy and I went over about an hour into the work we were interrupted by the electrician to fix a circuit in our new home. Then today to finish the job, I spent a couple hours doing it.

Today was the day when I wanted my instant gratification. I wanted the rest of the family to chip in. It was a day to grow a resentment. I brought the last junk to our new house and told Amy, "I am just done. I am done doing house stuff for the rest of the week. I need to work and Saturday night we are going to Brewbakers." (Brewbakers my favorite restaurant.)

My expectations were not realistic. We had spent the last four weeks of our lives there without having a weekend clean up. So the house was filthy. The floors dirty. The backyard needed me to get the boys stuff out. The garage had not been cleaned in months. Amy and the boys are not useful. It is my mess, so I feel I am obligated to clean it up. So, I do it and when it does not happen instantaneously...I get resentful.

Solution...do the right thing. Focus on work this week and that will stop resentment. Right actions make right thinking they say in 12 step. So, I am back to work.

Moving homes

2009-03-04T06:47:00.001-08:00

Amy and I bought a house through a foreclosure auction this year. It began in January and has brought us to this moment. There has been a great amount of anxiety and worry through this process. Anything to do with money is a worry today it seems.

While reading the Psalms, I was reminded that perhaps this house is a blessing. God giving me a great gift. I don't look at life that way too much, ask my friends, they know my temperment. I am cautious, because in my personal life has been strewn with failures. At least those failures are etched into my memory deeper than the acheivements. Through all this God keeps pushing me and telling me of the good in this world and the good in me. Too often I won't listen to that. I pray God never tires of me.

A new house, perhaps I need to trust God in the midst of this horrorific economic storm.

"God make this house a tool for your doing good in the world and while you are at it, me too."

12 years of capital

2009-03-02T09:27:00.001-08:00

About 12 years ago, Amy and I began investing in the stock market. We are not big players, but we consciously made a decision to max out the 401(k) and take extra money to invest in stock and mutual funds. Today the market is where it was when we started. Three lessons learned.

1.) The market does not always go up. There is this talk that the market will always go up, as if America has a God given right to expanding markets. This flies in the face of free market capitalism and competition. There are no guarantees and there is always risk.

2.) Buy and Hold is a wrong strategy. There is a buying strategy and an exit strategy. When investing need to have both in mind. Mutual funds make it very hard to think that way, where individual stocks are easy to exit out of.

3.) When a sword drops don't try to catch it, run. We have Citigroup in our personal stock portfolio. We bought at the high and we bought half way down and now we have nothing. Losing a little is better than losing a lot.

These are hard truths that I always knew, but the banks and wall street sell these myths. Be smart with your money, because it is a tool for doing good in the world.

Church Marketing Sucks: Another Lesson from Starbucks

2009-02-23T14:50:00.001-08:00

I found this blog entry at Church Marketing sucks great, because I ponder if the notion of Third Place is dead. If it is, then what does that mean for church strategy. I like Starbucks, because I like the staff that I have met over the last 18 months.

Quoted from http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/archives/2009/02/another_lesson.html:

Church Marketing Sucks: Another Lesson from Starbucks

February 18, 2009

Another Lesson from Starbucks
(Filed under: Brand & Identity)
Starbucks is often used as an example within the world of church marketing. They have an experience, they knew how to tell their story.

Yes, I said "knew how to tell their story."

I've had numerous conversations with church leaders about Starbucks' concept of a "third place" and how the church could harness that feeling. We have work, we have home ... Starbucks was that third place, a getaway, a place to relax, etc. etc.

Then they installed a drive-thru. So much for a third place, it was just a stop on the way to either home or work. They've put another nail in the coffin now with instant coffee. Doesn't get any less third place than that.

Starbucks no longer has a story to tell. Their story is now the same as McDonald's and Folgers.

I've seen the same thing in the local church. They start off with a core calling, know who they are and what God has created them to do. Then they either get bored or see the church down the road try something new and they change their story.

Excellence as church marketers is all about being great storytellers. Know your story and stick with it. Don't let things--even seemingly good things--distract you from your unique story. When you start to change your story, often you don't end up with something new, you end up without a story to tell.

Let someone else sell instant coffee or add a drive thru. Put your efforts into creating a more excellent third place, whatever that unique component happens to be for your church.

Posted by Michael Buckingham

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National Pastor's Convention

2009-02-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

Last week, I spent three days with some good friends from seminary at National Pastor's Convention. One of the interesting things about NPC to me was that very few people talked to each other. In a great chance to network, it seemed that people were not that friendly outside of their circle of folk. I did not see it much. As I was sitting on the end, I reached out a couple of times to introduce myself but not much was said by the others.

It could be me, but I felt that the communication came from stage to the seats. Then not much else unless it was within your insulated group. I had an insulated group.

I wonder if Pastor's are that isolated and in an event like that unwilling to break down barriers? There is risk, do I measure up to who I am talking? What lies are we going to swap? etc.

Next year if I go, I will want to spend my timing breaking the silence even if I go with the posse.

Why this blog?

2009-02-13T14:31:00.001-08:00

Why have been writing this blog?

I think one can tell why I have not been writing the blog. I don't know why I am supposed to be writing this blog. What is my focus? In the beginning, it was to tell my spiritual story and I could not find a method that I wanted to discuss. Lately it has been about my life.

The goal of this blog....

To bring together folks who are seriously thinking about spirituality, community, and the world? How do we live missionally? How do experience the sacred daily? How do we live relationally?

So, I restart again. Come and join me.

Advent Conspiracy: Worship Fully Sermon

2008-12-02T12:59:00.001-08:00

Worship Fully

I am going to begin this season of advent with the birth of Jesus. I know people will say the turkey is not out of the refrigerator, there is still one scoop of Sweet Potatoes in the big casserole dish. But I am hoping that before the house is fully decorated and the cool Christmas commercials become part of life, we remember what this is all about.

I want to jog your memory and help us to remember what this is all about. Remember Charlie Brown he went out to get a Christmas Tree and all he got was the puniest tree on the lot. In the midst of his frustration, he yelled out, “Does anybody remember what Christmas is all about?” Then comes Linus and he says, “I know what it is all about.”

Here is what he said, (Play Charlie Brown Linus Monologue)

Christmas is about worship, not toys, kids, family, trees, or lights.

This week in Mumbai interrupted Thanksgiving a bit. It is a long ways away, but it was a reminder that this promise that Linus spoke of, that the Angels delivered that there would peace and goodwill given to all people. Not everybody wants it. Some will kill to make it not be realized, so we worship as a prophetic statement. Peace and Goodwill to all.

There is this economy and the concerns that it brings. It was a conversation around the kitchen table at my parent’s house. How about yours? It can make us forget what this is all about.

Then Black Friday at 3:30 AM people lined up for stuff. This is the beginning of the Christmas season for the cult of consumerism. I have heard that religion is dangerous, but a guy got killed for opening a door for stuff. Consumerism is deadly as well. People shot each other at the temples of consumerism.

With all this stuff going on, I want to quit talking about wall street. Quit talking about main street. I want to talk about the alley where there is this stable and in the stable is a feed trough. There in that feed trough/ a manger is Jesus.

In comes these Shepherds. They have a vision of the heavens opening up. The angels are coming down and they go to Bethlehem to see what it is all about. They meet Jesus, a baby. They meet God in flesh. What do they do? They praise God, they worship, they let loose as Eugene Peterson writes in the Message.

We meet Jesus by worship. When Jesus came into the world in a manger in Bethlehem, the shepherds bowed and worshipped. They came and worshipped Jesus.

This year, I want you to experience worship. I want us to sing songs of worship. Those great carols and hymns of Christmas.

Now don’t you get a little exicited when we sing Angles we have heard on High.

GL…..OR…..IA. We feel like opera singers. We may not sound it, but we sing it loud and proud. It sounds good. It is a song where we let loose. We will sing it a couple of times and this is your song where I want you to let loose in worship. Sing it loud.

We begin with angel choirs singing.

If we believe,

O Come, O Come Emmanuel….that God has come to free us

Come Thou Long Expected Jesus…if the world is waiting.

Then we need to worship.

To worship today in the midst of Mumbai, the economy, and the chaos about us is prophetic statement. We speak of Hope, Peace, Joy, Love and Light and the world is not ready for it. We speak these words into the darkness and they are true.

We sing of our longings and we open up a table where the world is invited to come to meet Jesus.

These are songs where we want Jesus to come into the world. They speak of Emmanuel,

God with us. God with us.

Not God away from us. God on the mountain. God in the swamp. God upon the ocean. God in the earth. God in the tree. God up in heaven. God with us. Emmanuel.
Do you get how profound that is.

The world will say I got myself. I will run to the back of the store to get the door buster, because nobody will watch my back. I will snatch it away from you if you are not strong enough to hold it. I need to get it all, because that is all I got.. The gospel is God is with you. God is with us. If God is with us who can be against us. We are not alone in a shopping mall with stuff. We are at home with God in Jesus.

Do you get that this message is Joy to the World. The savior reigns.

Violence in Mumbai, terror reigns. No, the songs we sing, the way we worship is a prophetic statement the Savior reigns.

Do you believe it all.?

This is the Sunday of hope. If we are going to hope, then we are going to hope for a change in the world. The world is not going to be made better with our going out and consuming together.

The world as we know it has fallen apart, the systems and superstructures have exploded.

This is a time for Jesus Christ to come into the world.

For God to be experienced again for the first time.

How do we begin to first experience God in worship.

In song, in words and stories of faith, and in the table where all are invited.

We pray and sing. Alleluia and Amen.

So you want to give up on the church?

2008-11-21T15:12:00.001-08:00

Why do I need church?

"I can worship God on my own, on my own time, and in my own way. I don't need a room full of hypocrites and abusive folk."

I understand where this sentiment comes, because the church is not very ideal. Every thing that Christopher Hitchens lays against the church in "God is not Great" is true.

However, I believe that freedom is one of our highest gifts as Americans. We are free to vote. We are free to speak. We are free to own property. We are free to go across this country without too much hinderance. We are free to worship.

But true freedom to worship is found in a community of believers. It is when I am free to worship within a community of faith and know that I will not be harmed for expressing my personal views of God then I know true freedom. If I say, I do not need a community, because I will worship freely outside the church, then their is not any freedom. The church constrains people to believe narrowly. The person has to hide their feelings about God. It is in community where true freedom is found that people can grow through their interaction with one another and with God.

That is why you need the church and we need you. We need to be free.

$5000.00

2008-11-17T09:52:00.001-08:00

Thursday, I got a call from a consultant company asking me if I wanted to be coached. This is a high profile company that is marketed through its founder who is an author and its storefront businesses. I said, "Yes." With a bit of curiousity and just wanted to see if being coached through some issues and hangups I have with my own ability to implement things.

I had a 90 minute interview with a gentleman who was basically a salesman. He told me early on that I needed to be a decision maker and needed to make a choice that day as to whether or not I would commit to this program of coaching. At that point, I was really wary, because I hate that type of sales gimmick. Also, that means this dude was more interested in saling me something rather than getting me to the goals I wanted.

The cost of the coaching was $5000.00. I declined. He pushed the sale and said my file was going to be closed. I said, "I think you will most likely take my money if I change my mind." This kind guy was upset.

I thought to myself, what a terrible sales pitch. Say the right words and notch up the pressure then when a person is not willing to shell out $5000.00 be adverserial. That might work in an economy that is booming and when your services are in high demand, but in a market where money is tight, a softer way is the way to go.

I put a card in my planner and it says, $5000.00. I will move it everyday and it is a reminder that I can change my behaviors if motivated. $5000.00 is pretty good motivation.

Homosexuality Sermon Prep

2008-10-06T15:23:00.001-07:00

The family was sick all week last week. I was invoking Darwiniansim with survival of the fittest, but the strongest got weeded out yesterday. So, today I am preparing for my sermon and lying down when my head gets dizzy.

The key verse for me on the issue of Homosexuality is Romans 1:27-29. I was reading James D.G. Dunn's commentary. A great commentary of Romans. Dunn makes a point that Jewsih culture was really against homosexuality in all forms. I think that is a correct reading. The Jewish law is fairly conservative when it comes to sexuality and many other things is what I have concluded in my studies. He notes the Greek world, homosexuality was pretty open and normal.

As I think about the NT. The parts written by Paul who was a Jew mention homosexuality. The parts written by Greeks, the gospels and other letters do not. In the NT, only Paul speaks of homosexulaity. The gospels and other letters do not.

Perhaps in the early church the issue of homosexuality was a debate. The church was divided a bit. There was the school of Paul and Jerusalem. Then there were the Greeks who may have been more open. However, these two groups spoke enough truth about Jesus Christ that both of their writings could be deemed as Holy.

Could the modern church live that way?

Before Tough Topics, we have a big one.

2008-10-02T15:17:00.001-07:00

This week just to let folks know. I will be speak about the financial meltdown. I am not sure what the House will be doing, but the more important matter is what does our faith say about this issue? Where is God in the midst of this problem? Do we as a church need to respond? See you Sunday.

Tough Topics Sermon Series

2008-10-01T14:17:00.001-07:00

Tough Topics:

A Response of Faith

Oct 12- Homosexuality: a gay man is a woman’s son

Oct 19-Abortion: Free will vs. Life

Oct 26-Evolution:Fish vs. Darwin on a bumper

Nov 2-Politics:Untangling faith from partisanship

Nov 9-Hollywood: Is the media the source of all evil?

This is an upcoming sermon series that I am leading at DOC-Visalia. I am going to address these topics in the following way. I am going to give several viewpoints on each subject. Then I will tackle the issue pastorally. I think the issues of homosexuality, abortion, and politics are personal. They need to be treated with an attitutude that respsects other's feelings and experiences. The goal is to open a conversation not close it. It is a counter cultural experience, since most churches are liberal or conservative. Few want to engage in dialogue. DOC-Visalia is attempting to live out that notion that all are welcome by God.

Positive day at Franklin Covey seminar

2008-09-27T16:09:00.001-07:00

This last spring and summer, I felt that my schedule was getting out of control and that I had lost focus on what I was supposed to be doing. So in August, I decided that I would attend a Franklin Covey event in Fresno on time management.

I was ponying up some dollars for an event that I had listened to the CD last summer. However, I had just come to the conclusion that I needed time not driving but really concentrating and reflecting on how I schedule my days and weeks.

Overall, the seminar was really incredible. The workshop presenter was really engaging and effective. I gained some insights that somewhere I had lost. I messed with my schedule and really gained some insights. I knew them, but had not really found a way to apply them.

For me it took a moment of me admitting that I had a problem. Then seeking help. I think in about year I might need to do it again, maybe 18 months. Then in two years. That reminder of how to organize life when I let it go. In the end, a couple of hundred bucks for a seminar that provides more focus during the week makes me more productive for the congregation and is beneficial for my life. It is worth it. So, today I have my planner out and am focusing on next week.

Let's redo the VP Candidates

2008-09-18T10:42:00.001-07:00

Alright John and Barack, here is a mulligan. Sen. McCain pick up Fiorina, Bloomberg or Romney, we need the economic wisdom today. Send Gov. Palin back to Alaska, it will be alright. Sen Obama take Byah, he is a dufus on foreign policy but he actually seems to have enough insight into the ecomony that is needed. He is a great moderate, efficient regulation. Tell Joe, let's make you Sec. of State.
The campaign has changed and neither side seems to adept at dealing with issues that ail us now.

Porn passed over as Web users become social: author | Technology | Reuters

2008-09-17T14:41:00.001-07:00

Facebook surpasses porn

Quoted from http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSSP31943720080916:

Porn passed over as Web users become social: author | Technology | Reuters

Porn passed over as Web users become social:

I think this is a reflection that perhaps the internet is providing a healing space. Pornography and its use on the internet is caused by a desire to be intimate or lonely. Why is there porn channels in hotel rooms? because lonely and frustrated business travellers.

If people are using networking sites to connect to real people instead of fake porn stars then that is a healing thing.   That is grace.

Now can Facebook be a time waste like porn becomes for folks. You betcha. But, at least the guilt of connecting with real folks instead of folks of fantasy...that is a way lesser evil.

Who knows you might wind up meeting Drew Powell in a video.

Wall Street and Main Street

2008-09-17T10:18:00.001-07:00

This week I opened my portfolio it is not a lot, but it is what we are using to send kids to college, finance our retirement, and be savers not consumers. Seeing in the last five days that some of the low risk items in our portfolio get creamed caused some concern. Losing 20% of your money causes some concern. My experience is not greater or lesser than anybody's, but is just a repeated experience as I called my broker and he ran 'bullet points.' I had to tell him, "I don't care, here is what I want to know..."

Wall street hits main street. It hits school funds, retirement funds, and just the hopes and dreams funds. With some folks nearing retirement see that go away...now look at having to work a little longer if it does not come back.

I am pretty laissez-faire in my disposition, free market let it burn. However, free markets only really work when there is a level of transparency. I don't think we have that. Jim Rogers has stated that the American companies' balance sheets cannot be t rusted. It seems that he was right. After Enron we learned little. We lost an accounting firm and an energy company.   This time, we will lose our status as the financial capital of the world. It will shift to England, China or Japan. We lose it by being greedy.

I am not sure that Obama or McCain have the wherewithal to make the right decisions in this arena. I don't know who does. I don't know if anyone has the chutzpah to do the right thing. To be dispassionate and lack self interest to fix it.m

I am glad that Social Security is still done by the government, because we would be forced to bailout individuals who supported the hyperactive stock market. All of the stocks would be even more inflated because more capital would have went to the strong stocks and those stocks would burst. The holders would be broke but the brokers would have a fistful of dollars from fees.

This is a difficult time and it is a little disconcerting...48 days away from a change in government and I feel certain that neither one is up to the task. The playing field changed on Monday and neither campaign was ready to do anything except exploit the issue to win the White House while main street suffers.

I know a little cynical, but this one is in my gut.

Lunes Negro or Black Monday

2008-09-15T02:49:00.000-07:00

1.) Michael Slaughter stated a few years ago that the church was going to change in the next millenium. He stated that the church would go big and it would go small. The medium sized church was going to be a dinosaur, not large enough to provide high quality anonymous group but too much structure to go small. Slaughter was talking about a Barbell. A large small contingent, small medium contingent and a large group of large churches. It can't happen...see today. We are seeing that in the banking industry were Bank of America is going to be the largest bank in the US and the medium regional sized banks will go under. The local banks will stick around. John Lewis said that is what is happening...he is CEO of Bank of American and today he took over the largest Investment bank on wall Street, Merrill Lynch.

Do you see it?

2.) Greed. Greed is what brought us here. Back in 2002 in the economic malaise of post 9-11. New York City was hopping. I could not figure out why, because NYC is at the core of the economic downturn. People were making huge amounts of money and real estate in NYC boomed. Made no sense, Doug Kass shares his thoughts. That greed moved from Wall Street to Main Street.   We bought homes, more than we needed. We bought cars. We extended ourselves. You can be a bear and bull, but don't be a pig. Greed is not good. Greed kills us spiritually.

Perhaps, as a Christian we need to remember that second one. I know parishoners who buy cars and extend themselves too much. I get frustrated, but I rarely say a word about it personally to them. Maybe, I need to be a better shepherd and keep the sheep from the wolves.

What do you think?

Surrendering

2008-09-11T04:24:00.000-07:00

spiritual growth
This morning I was getting out of the car and I was reminded that surrendering is a daily practice. I thought about how faith is explained, "Are you saved?" We put our faith's defining moment as one experience of salvation and commitment to that salvation.

My life works best when I give up daily to the grace of God and put away the idol of my own self sufficiency. I cannot change the things that I so desperately want and need to change in my life to make me a better human being.

I need to say, "God, I want you to take it away. I will do my part, but I will not be able to do it alone."

So, in the dark of the morning after a five mile run...I gave it up.

I hope to do so tomorrow, again.

Then...again...again...again...

Praying for the vision of the 2009 General Assembly to be realized.

2008-09-10T11:11:00.001-07:00

Something that has got me stirred is the 2009 General Assembly's vision. The GA is usually an attractional, old style gathering. Let's get a bunch of folks together to talk about stuff that is only important to us. This year we are moving outdoors in a missional way. I feel that a significant group of folks need to pray for this. So, if you are moved let me know and we will keep you updated.

HIPAA and Prayer requests

2008-09-10T09:11:00.000-07:00
When I went to college, I went to a church that took prayer requests from the congregation. It was so fresh and new 20 years ago that I it was one of the things that kept me there. People cared for one another, we were building a community.

Now it is 20 years later and I feel that freshness is now stale and there needs to be change for two important reasons.

1.) Prayer Requests have devoided into what is ailing you or a family member. As congregations get older the concerns about cataracts and cancer rise. Not that we should not pray for these, but I am not sure that Jesus or his Disciples had these prayers.
2.) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), has as part of the law privacy issues. Meaning that doctors and medical staff can only pass information along to certain members of the family. As clergy, I am having to overhear conversations. In my first years in ministry, nurses and doctors would share with me. There has been a tide change.

This tide change has changed the culture of medical issues. Meaning that when the congregation shares about somebody ailments they are not reflecting the norms of culture. Now, there are times to conform to culture and not to conform. We conform in use of governance, music, and programs. We also need to conform in this way, because this deals with people's issues of privacy. I remember one person being irate with me that I prayed for his upcoming surgery publicly. His feelings were deeply hurt. This was a rare occurrence, but I see on the horizon where this will be the norm. Will the church and its leadership be naive and ask, "Are we not family?" The answer is "No, we are church."

Seth Godin's article on Infinity

2008-09-08T10:50:00.000-07:00
From Seth Godin's Blog

Getting used to infinity
I have a new thing to collect.
I collect pictures of crowds stunned by a baseball bat heading their way. I don't collect photos where anyone is injured, just the ones where people are all weirded out.
This, of course, is a crazy thing to collect, but the fascinating thing is that it's possible at all. All of us grew up in a world of content scarcity, and now we live in a world of content infinity.
That means, for example, that finding a rare song is essentially banal. There are no rare songs (except on LP). It means that finding a photo of what you're looking for isn't the hard part, it's deciding what to look for in the first place.
Of course, it's not just photos or music. It's service providers, freelancers, employees, charitable tools, places to live, vacation spots, dogs to adopt, people to date.
If you find a great baseball bat flying in the stands photo, I'm hoping you'll send me one. In the meantime, don't be afraid of infinity. There's a lot of it going around.

Think about this in the realm of the church.

Used to be that there was nothing to do on Sunday morning but to go to church if you wanted to be social. Then the Blue Law's ended, Malls opened, and people could shop. First it was only after 12 noon. Now they open before 12.

Now there are many churches and people move to the church where they feel comfortable, there is a buzz, they like the pastor or music, good program for families, etc. In fact, Sarah Palin, an evangelical attends several churches. This is going to be the norm in the future where people will not be committed to a church but be part of various churches. That means leadership will be done more by staff who are committed to a paycheck and less by laypeople. It also means that churches to maintain will have to work hard to keep helping the consumer.

Do church leaders need to meet the needs, desires, and expectations of people even if those people are not committed to the vision and mission of the church?
What does this new way of being a Christian in American mean for the church and how do we adapt?

walking down my block this morning

2008-09-08T10:19:00.000-07:00
Today is monday and on my street that is trash day.
Number one priority for me is to get the trash to the street.

Today as I was taking the little one to school, a woman was walking down the street a dark skinned Mexican woman. She was carrying a bag and looking in the recycle bins up and down our block. I watched as she went.

As I watched her, I had a couple of emotions. One was that I wanted her out of my neighborhood, just for own safety. My neighbors might call the police and I just wanted for her to be away. It reminded me that poverty is close to my house and can come into my neighborhood. I lost control of my life and now it was being confronted by her life. I did not really want that, because I had no solution.

The other emotion was compassion. So, I called to her, "Senora, Aqui." I brought out of my garage a trash can full of aluminum cans. She was not asking for money, she was scavenging off the crumbs from our tables. So, I was going to give her what she asked for I brought out the cans that Samuel and I had been collecting. I saw that she was born in Mexico by the immunization scar that no longer graces the arms of American kids. We talked and I wanted to be honest, "Para Mexico, Honduras?" She said, "Mexico" I asked, "Durango, Sonora, Guanajato?" She told me where, but I forgot. I prayed for her and told her that God will bless her. She said, "God bless you."

I am not sure what is the proper response is during such instances. What is just? What are the moral hazards? But, I would not this day let her go unnoticed. I needed to tell her that she was not invisible to me. Was it just my need, not her's? I don't know. Moments like these are complicated and the depths of scripture give no clue as how to do it as an individual. It gives way of governing as a large system, but individual's in America you are on your own.

So, we are left with only one response..."Compassion"
I pray that I was compassionate enough today and if not God, "I am sorry, I did the best I could at that moment."

How do you show compassion?

Jocko is my favorite Walrus in the world

2008-09-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

Jocko the Walrus, the most disgusting zoo experience the ever.
A couple weeks ago, la familia made a trip to Vallejo to the Six Flags Discovery Park and there is one of Jocko's experiences.

A point to ponder

2008-09-04T10:25:00.000-07:00
One of the issues that is real in Visalia is that people are using bikes instead of driving cars. So people are being encouraged to drop the cars for bikes. We are the country with the most cars in the world.
As I watched the Olympics China was dropping the bike for the car. They are the country with the most bikes in the world.

Who is moving towards the future?
It is an amazing time folks.

Time Management hits real life

2008-09-02T08:58:00.001-07:00
To make myself better in my time management skills, I picked up a Franklin Covey Planner last year. Difficult task for me, one to commit myself to a planner. I decided that Outlook kept me tied to a screen and I wanted to be able to get away from a screen. Second, to find a planner that had at least an ounce of testerone was pretty hard. They market to women. My time management has been better, not great but I am improving.

Last night, I spent some time organizing my week with Amy. Pick up/Drop off, meetings, dinner. Then I worked on my tasks for the week.

This morning, the alarm did not go off so I missed my workout. I put sleep in its place and that is alright. That pushed back prayer time and then the son's got up. I did the dad duties of making sandwiches, breakfast, and getting everybody ready for the morning.

Somewhere we missed the bus. It had been coming late but we must have missed it by a couple of minutes. So, we stood at the bus stop looking at the Spider garden along the street and finally decided that I would take the eldest to school. Meaning, that this delay caused me to miss a moring Bible Study where I meet with folks each Tuesday.

In this confusion to get out the door, I forgot a check to the YMCA for after school care.
We get the eldest to school. No problem.

Upon arrival at the youngest's school, he has to be held. He is crying to be held and it is a moody three year old thing. It is best handled by the velvet glove of consoling and tough love. "I love you and you are alright, but now I have to go." This was another delay. Then leaving the Christian School, nobody would let me out of my parking space. They just kept moving along. It was not a faux pas, but it was a moment of being mild inconsideration. It would have been a nice grace. I think that is the church's and school's name.....

In the past, I think I would have been frustrated and this would have ruined my whole day. However, I know that my goals in life is to be a good parent, this is my primary mission field and the secondary mission field is the world. In the end, I understand that my life is a bit beyond my control. That gives me a bit of a compassion this morning. Thanks Jesus for journeying with me this moring.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Forget Miller, give me Dr. Hale

2008-08-31T20:34:00.001-07:00

2008 Democratic National Convention: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Cynthia Hale, Disciples of Christ - Decatur, Georgia

Great and awesome God, as we gather in this place from all across the length and breadth of this nation, we pause to acknowledge you as the one in whom we live and move and have our being. You, oh God, created us in your image and likeness and invited us to partner with you in the stewardship of your world. We are called to be faithful over the earth, its people and resources.
On this day as we gather to renew America's promise, we are keenly aware of the challenges American families are facing. God, people are being hit hard by the economic downturn, the energy crisis and rising food costs, the mortgage mayhem, as well as the absence of affordable housing and healthcare. Parents desire and deserve to be able to give their children quality and affordable education from pre-school through college.
Times are tough; people are struggling; some have lost hope. We know, God, that this is not your perfect will for any of your people. It is your desire that all people have these basic human needs met. It is your desire that all would prosper and be in good health. It is your desire that everyone would be treated with dignity and respect.
As a nation and as a party, we are at a crucial time. We have an opportunity to not only make history, but to bring about change we can all believe in and restore hope to the hearts of women and men. Unite us as a party, oh God. Let us be one in this common purpose, to renew our promise so that we might live out our creed to be one nation under god, with liberty and justice for all.
In your strong and mighty name, we pray. Amen.

I have had the joy of sharing table with Dr. Hale and having heard bring me a good word through her preaching. Now, she is a VP candidate to me. Planted a church (executive experience), worked in a correctional facility (meaning she could be president of the Senate), and I think she could play a mean game of hoops. She has a deep spirituality as well.

Oh well, all the candidates have dance partners.

LPGA requirements

2008-08-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

The LPGA yesterday created a rule where only English would be spoken on the tour by its players to improve communication among sponsors, players, and fans. If one peruses the weekend paper and happens to look at the LPGA boxscore. The names will be Oh, Kim, Cho, Park in the lead. Michelle Wie will not be there. The LPGA is being overrun by Korean players like baseball was overrun by Dominicans in the 90's.

This is a bad move by the LPGA, because it cuts at the psyche of Korean nationalism. I noted previously in January 2006 while in Seoul, I came across the Emperor Ahn (An) museum on Namsan mountain. Ahn believed that learning another language enslaved a person to the language. This is the national story that could be playing in the heads of those Korean athletes and what does it say.

However, there is also this realization that the LPGA needs its players to be able to communicate on the green after a victory coming from the Korean players. If the Korean players are willing to invest energy in learning the language I think the tour will be dominated by the Korean players even more so. Perhaps, the LPGA sees this already at work that the US players are on the decline.

If the Korean players are truly not concerned about learning English then I really can't object. It they see learning English as a means of enlarging the sport then great. My feathers ruffle a bit with language requirements, but perhaps they understand more as an outsider than I do as insider.

Donald Miller's Prayer

2008-08-25T20:31:00.000-07:00
Donald Miller gave the closing benediction Monday night at the DNC.

Here is the text and it is pretty good.

I’m honored to deliver the closing prayer at the DNC. Evangelical voices have been scarce within this party, perhaps since the Carter administration. But as strides are being made on key issues of sanctity of life and social justice, as well as peaceful solutions to world conflicts, more and more evangelicals are taking a closer look at options the Democratic Party are beginning to deliver. There is a long way to go, but sending a message to Washington that no single party has the Christian community in their pocket, thus causing each party to carefully consider the issues most important to us, is, in my opinion, a positive evolution. I am glad that, for the most part, the dialogue has been constructive and positive. Will you join me in keeping the conversation thoughtful and not reactionary?
That said, I am honored to speak to, and especially pray with and for, the DNC. Here is the full text of the prayer:
Please join me for the next few moments in our Benediction.
"Father God,
This week, as the world looks on, help the leaders in this room create a civil dialogue about our future.
We need you, God, as individuals and also as a nation.
We need you to protect us from our enemies, but also from ourselves, because we are easily tempted toward apathy.
Give us a passion to advance opportunities for the least of these, for widows and orphans, for single moms and children whose fathers have left.
Give us the eyes to see them, and the ears to hear them, and hands willing to serve them.
Help us serve people, not just causes. And stand up to specific injustices rather than vague notions.
Give those in this room who have power, along with those who will meet next week, the courage to work together to finally provide health care to those who don’t have any, and a living wage so families can thrive rather than struggle.
Hep us figure out how to pay teachers what they deserve and give children an equal opportunity to get a college education.
Help us figure out the balance between economic opportunity and corporate gluttony.
We have tried to solve these problems ourselves but they are still there. We need your help.
Father, will you restore our moral standing in the world.
A lot of people don’t like us but that’s because they don’t know the heart of the average American.
Will you give us favor and forgiveness, along with our allies around the world.
Help us be an example of humility and strength once again.
Lastly, father, unify us.
Even in our diversity help us see how much we have in common.
And unify us not just in our ideas and in our sentiments—but in our actions, as we look around and figure out something we can do to help create an America even greater than the one we have come to cherish.
God we know that you are good.
Thank you for blessing us in so many ways as Americans.
I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice.
Let Him be our example.
Amen."

Not exactly a benediction, but he is a writer not a liturgical scholar. Good work.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

What the hell?

2008-08-21T21:28:00.000-07:00
There was weeping and gnashing of teeth as Doc Patton screwed up the handoff.
A TCU boy did it. I looked at that from every angle thinking, he had to let go of it or they would have been out of the zone. Nope. They still had room and they would have easily came in second. Oiy!!!

I think we were better when were we doping? Don't you think?

2008-08-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

Bill Tenney-Brittain had this video and I found it pretty good to talk about the church and our lives. I find myself eating the same food. It is Thursday night, pasta. In the church, the order of worship is the same. The music is the same. How do we innovate and invite new expressions of faith. How do we get beyond the glass jar that we have created?
I think it is what Steven Covey talks about 'sharpening the saw.' Always striving to improve what we do. Then scrapping what we do to do something new. It is dangerous to do those things, but i think it is important. It is this grand tension. Sometimes we try to keep things in a state of homeostasis and fail to realize that Jesus calls us to a life of infinite abundance and possiblity. Do we trust that there is more?

To be Francis

2008-08-15T09:28:00.000-07:00
On Tuesday, Amy and I had to endure a sales seminar by Wyndham for a time share vacation package. They made our stay in San Diego very cheap, so that was good. But, the price was a two sales presentation.

As we headed into the presentation our goal was to endure the sales presentation. It was bearable, but we left frustrated from enduring. I ponder today three days later what would have happened if we would have sought to see where God was at work in that room. Could we have been Christ to Casey the sales guy.

To be a Christian and to live it out is really difficult. As I was reading a prayer this moring in my devotional it read, "we have to our souls reawakened numerous times during the day." The path of Christ is a journey, a progression, and it is never about perfection. It is a movement towards God and like Hebrews in the desert, God is always a little further up the road. (Allusion to a Vigilantes of Love song.)

May your heart be awakened when it moves to a slumbering mode throughout this day.

2008-08-11T22:35:00.000-07:00

"For each of us comes a moment that defining instant in our lives. When we are changed forever. When you stop wondering to believing."

Just got finished with Seaworld today and at the Shamu "Believe" store. They had shot glasses with believe. I chuckled at that and bought one, because of the irony of that marketing scheme. When I got some chills on my legs thinking about the powerfulness of the show...the thought how to encapsulate this moment...oh yeah...a freakin' shotglass.

So, I began imagining. "For each of us comes a moment that defining moment in our lives. When we are changed forever. When you stop wondering and and start believing. Hey bartender, Jack straight up!!!"

Marketing does suck.

Sermon on the Mount in Starbucks

2008-08-05T06:34:00.000-07:00
Yesterday, I was sitting drinking a coffee when a pastor in town walked in as well. He was having an out of the office meeting with somebody. I was writing many 'thank you' notes. This pastor is one of the folks leading the charge against all things emergent. My anxiety level did not heighten nor did I want to confront him, I was rather ambivalent. Our circles of influence and movement rarely cross.

I finished my 'thank you' notes and felt compelled to bless this man. So, I wrote out a prayer and put it in an envelope with a biz card. The prayer was a general prayer of blessing. I thought about that this morning what was my motivation. It was not to show him anything, but it was to build a relationship. Then the line came across my mind, "Pray for those who persecute you." Here is a pastor who preaches against emergent theology as heresy and my first instinct to pray for him. The words of the sermon on the mount are so entrenched into my life that I do not have to think...they just come out. This is not to brag, but I thought to myself...I would hope that my faith gets to be that way in more phases. That I do not have to think and work out the rationality of it all, but that it just emotes from me.

Then I thought in my missional mindset...why don't I bless the workers in the Starbucks the same way. Is it vanity that lead me to write that note..., so for the next few days I am going to pray how I can pray for the workers in my Starbucks in a bold way like I did with a pastor. Now, the faith gets hard and uncomfortable. I have to get my motives clear. I will pray, because I love these folks. Faith always pushes us to grow, we never fully have it.

Fearless joy,
Guido

God's testing

2008-08-04T09:23:00.000-07:00
Yesterday, I made a bold proclamation that "our community will accept children even when children get a little rambunctious."
At that moment, the kids ran out of the room hollering, my son was crying, and another child had a meltdown. I stood and preached while this was happening, sort of like being waist deep in snow. You just keep going, because you only have one choice.
My sermon was on God testing the Hebrews in the desert and what that meant. Well, I could not escape the irony of the situation. We make our faith claim and boom we get a test. I chuckled and said, "God you humor sucks."

What do we offer?

2008-07-31T06:57:00.000-07:00
What does our church offer the community.
In our world of church consumerism, who has the best band, best Children's ministry, cleverest preacher, best small groups, best lattes, etc. what is our goal? Lives transformed.

How do we do that, the right amount of foam or baddest music? I don't think that is it. Church baristas will not have the skills of the neighborhood barista and may lack the warmth of my barista John as well. Music will be rock but for what.

I was reminded of the goal by Simon Tugwell, "We had thought of God as the dispenser of all good things we could possibly desire; but in a very real sense, God has nothing to offer but himself."

Wow.

Our task as a church is to point, promote, lift up Jesus. If we can be the good news, share the good news, be like Christ, and make communion with Jesus our primary goal then we are doing the right thing. Without Jesus, we are just people with crappy coffee and jammin' music that changed lyrics from sex to God without changing hearts.

God let Disciples of Christ-Visalia be a conduit for one thing, Jesus. sola Jesus.

The Dark Knight Review

2008-07-27T15:07:00.000-07:00
A few thoughts

1.) The Joker is a chaotic villian. Not really seeking to gain anything, but seeking to destroy everything. I like that type of villian, because that is my image of evil. Conservative Christians see a one world approach as found in the Left Behind series, but I see evil much more destructive in the form of chaos than creativity.
2.) Political statement. If Batman is America then Joker is the terrorist forces of evil America fights, it paints a stark picture. There is not much difference between evil and good. There were conversations that read through that lens paint a stark picture. Batman breaks the rules and resorts to torture to save Harvey and in the end he cannot save both. The movie expresses the point of view, even in the moments when torture is used we still have no control. Even with the information, can we really save everybody. Political conseratives should hate Batman. Religious conservatives will hopefully be informed by a more real sense of evil. I think the political interpretation is one of the lenses that the Dark Knight is to be seen. It is uncomfortable, but provoking.
3.) There is no messianic figure. Harvey Dent becomes Two-face. Batman breaks the rules. The institutions are flawed. We have no ability to save ourselves, but we always seek scapegoats.
4.) Violence. Violence is seen as the only solution. Don't we want a world where violence is scorned. There was a day when Barney was given one bullet by Andy.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Thought on Rob Bell

2008-07-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

I think Rob Bell is trying to reform the church's thinking in a way that Martin Luther did 500 years ago. Of course Luther did that with 95 theses on the Wittenberg door, that was mass media. I wonder if Rob will stop the NOOMA series at 95. Rob sends out 95 theses about the church and the church bought it, literally. Hmm, do you want to participate in such a reformation?

Does emergent work in Appalachia

2008-07-18T09:55:00.000-07:00
Question I have had for awhile?
Does emergent Christianity work in the context of a culture that is impoverished and undereducated, aka Appalachia?

The Fresno Bee ran article yesterday (July 17) stating that the South Central Valley of California was a worse place to live than Appalachia. The radio talk shows which have a conservative bent were ambivalent about it. (podcast) I have struggled with this issue.

In the Valley there are places of wealth, not extreme wealth. However, as I look on careerbuilder for jobs, the jobs are not high paying jobs. There is not much opportunity. There is a concern about brain drain. The interesting part of the study to me is the dichotomy of California. In the report, some of the higher ranked places for education, livability, and life expectancy were in California and likewise some of the lowest were in California.

Visalia is that way as well. There is a dichotomy of rich and poor that live alongside each other. I am not sure how well the interaction is going? Do the wealthy see the poor as people, a nuisance or a project?

As a minister and minister with an emergent bent, I look at where emergent is thriving. Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco, Kansas City, Dallas, Capital Area, et al. Those are places ranked higher on the well-being index. The central valley is low on the index? Question, does Appalachia need an emergent church? Does a largely undereducated, underemployed, predominantly Hispanic culture find use for emergent ministry and Christians?

This is a missionary context and I am here not by own calling but God's. I would be in Newport, Oregon outside outside of the Rogue Brewery. I am trying to understand this mission field better. Sometimes, I wish that I had a couple of hundred thousand and I could build a barn church based solely on the attractional model but God does not let me go that route. So, can an emergent church be useful and make a significant impact in Appalachia or the San Joaquin Valley? If it can, what might it look like?

Diversion sort of

2008-07-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

Bill Mallonee former front man for Vigilantes of Love found himself in my house on July 8.
A few highlights of the event.
1.) The wide gathering of people. I invited folks from groups, church, and running to come be part of the event. Also, Bill attracted some folks who had followed him for a while. It was a good crowd for our house.
2.) It was hot. Felt bad for Muriah and Bill they travelled all day. After a long day of travel, my son had a lot of questions and insights about gear and instruments. They even being a little road weary, worked with him with great grace, patience, and care.
3.) A few folks were overwhelmed at how good Bill was. Which made me think, "Hey, I don't invest in things that suck." I think that will be my mantra in ministry. "Listen, if I am asking you to go to this event...it won't suck." Despite the Gen-X review of not sucking, Muriah and Bill were great. He handled the crowd very well.
4.) I was reminded as he was playing and I softly sang his lines how much I love the way Bill puts together words. He writes 50 songs a year and not all 50 are great, but on an album I am guaranteed that two or three will pierce my heart. Every once in awhile, he will make me laugh.
5.) I love my wife. Amy allowed for this to happen and was delighted to see it work. In the past, she would have set up road blocks. I think after 16 years perhaps we are growing and trusting a bit.
6.) Richard Rodriquez is awesome, a running buddy, he worked with my youngest in the back room building legos as Bill sang. He helped out tremendously.
7.) If Bill makes it through your town make sure you check him out. He is worth it. This is my fifth time to see him. His music has healed wounds in me, challenged me, and comforted me several times in the last dozen years. I think he can do that for you.
8.) How this ties into Emergent. It was in 1996 at Mt. Hermon that I first heard Bill play with Jake the bassist from VOL. Bill and Mark Driscoll talked about his music engaging culture from a Christian perspective. Bill is part of the journey for me into emergent thinking.

Reflections on Tony Jones' "The New Christians"

2008-06-25T10:48:00.000-07:00
I want to take an excerpt out Tony Jones' book.
It is a painful paragraph.
Let's throw it out and let's deal with it.

"Potential mainline preachers have to pick a flavor of Christianity early on in their careers-Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic, Quaker, Baptist-the list could go and on. Like ice cream, these are the main flavors, but there are also all kinds of exotic variations-Baptist Chip, Baptist swirls, .... The pastor then becomes a one-flavor guy. He goes to that seminary, learns that theology, buts into that pension plan, and goes to that annual trade show. This is not to disparage erstwhile pastors-they really have no choice; they don't get to pick a new flavor on a whim. That's how the system of getting to be a pastor is set up; those are the rules by which the players are bound to play."

He goes on to tell the truth. Nobody cares about denominations anymore and mainline influence has waned under its bureaucratic mass.

Two thoughts.
1.) Bingo! That is absolutely the truth. I pray for Disciples Pension plan regularly.

2.) There was a moment when I wanted to drop out of Disciples. I searched to where I would go. I am not comfortable with the non-denominational denomination. I do not have street cred in those circles. I am not excited about Methodism and working with a Bishop and the third testament, the Discipline. So, where to go. I decided that my own tribe of folks Disciples was where God had called me to minister. The process of reformation needed to take place in this group and I need to work on that reformation.

As I read Stone and Campbell and live that tradition. I get the sense that they would agree with Jones' assessment of mainline Christianity. The problem with mainline Christianity is that we have divided into denominations and those are as Campbell would say 'a sin.' It has divided the church into schools, theologies, and ecclesiologies. I am a product of TCU and Brite Divinity School. I support both financially, because I seek a gentle reformation and I love TCU football.

The problem with seminary is that there is an expectation that we will have a job at the end of the tunnel. We give 3 years of our lives and lots of money to be educated and then there are jobs that do not pay enough for the education given. I think the education is important, but the reality is that many of us will have to work part time. Some of us will be resign positions, be fired, or quit. There is not a guarantee that another church will hire us even though we have skills and gifts for ministry. So, we have to work our own path to serve Jesus Christ.

My solution, as folks beholden to denominations, we need to challenge our leadership to remember that on the ground in the local church few care about general and regional structures. They are seeking a Jesus who will heal, liberate, and sustain them in their daily lives. They are seeking a path that is illuminated in the darkness. We guide folks down that path.

What happens if the Pension fund goes belly up like NBA? What are you going to do?
What happens if Church Extension folds?
Do we keep with this denomination or do we leave?
What keeps you committed to your denomination?
Is it the support of the bureaucracy or is it something greater and grander?

Why did I stay with my tribe? I believe that Disciples allows me to have conversations across lines of doctrine and creed. It allows me to hold to two fundamentals Jesus and the Bible. It gives me the freedom to work my own path of ministry. It is a grand tradition that provides some meaning. I need no Creeds. I need other books than the Bible. I need that freedom to converse with a majority of the world without the baggage of fundamentals that I have to hold onto, creeds I must confess, or rites and traditions that have no meaning. I believe that Disciples can help reform the church again.

If emergent is truly a reformation. Disciples need to join the conversation, because we have deconstructed Christianity once before. We can help do it again.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Where to begin

2008-06-24T10:20:00.000-07:00
When emergent began, I was there. Leadership Network saw Gen-X coming. Willow Creek had issues with attracting younger generations. There was a problem and there were folks working on the issues. What happened was that folks said, "The world is changing and we have to engage the culture or we will be irrelevant." I comprehended that and I swallowed it.

My initial intrigue with Emergent was the smells and bells of worship. Bring in a screen to replace the stained glass windows. Work at it. I built the technology and brought it, but folks did not flock to it. Frustrating. I tried to be cool, too cool, too hip.

I switched churches and instead of bringing my emergent background, I got caught in my own issues of recovery. Recovery became for me the guiding force. 4 years in recovery and they have been the four best years of my life.

Now, I am in a new situation and I feel call back to engage the emergent issues. Not from technology or practice, but theology. Theology (who is God), missiology (what is the mission of the communty of faith) and ecclesiology (how is a community organized) guide it.

I want to address some of those issues from my Disciples of Christ background. How do we as Disciples handle the issues of emerging. I think we can easily say, "Emerging is cool, we are on board if it attracts young folks." However, Gen-X leaders and emergent theology carry sledgehammers. Post Modernism deconstructs.

In the midst of that deconstruction, I find some key Disciples ideals.

1.) Stripping or restoring the church so that faith makes sense daily.
2.) Freedom of interpretation of scripture.
3.) Ecumenical bent. I can learn from Pentecostals as much as my Disciple colleagues.

Over the next couple of weeks, I want to explore these things and invite folks into dialogue.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

church basement roadshow

2008-06-18T08:48:00.000-07:00
A great deal of fun.
Need to go see Doug, Tony, and Mark.
www.churchbasementroadshow.com

Pictures to come.

Fearless joy,
guido

A cup of redo

2008-06-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

I hang out at Starbucks and I will be rather unapolegetic about it. All the haters of corporate coffee...get over it. It is the closest place next to my house.

I get free wifi there...don't know how, but I do. It works.

At my local Starbucks, they know me there. I show up and the Grande Americano is going. Except when the new person works the register.

"Your name please," says the youngling.

"Guido"

There is a moment when the Sharpie just is pressed still against the cup.

"You don't know Guido" says the shift leader, "Everybody knows Guido"

The youngling begins the struggle to right the name on.

Then at the counter, "REDO"

I picked up my cup with "REDO" emblazoned on the side and laughed.

That is God's grace is it not? We all get a chance to "REDO" with Jesus, that is the promise.

I got a cup of Redo and savored it.

On Sunday I went and got Starbucks cups and handed them out with the "REDO" printed on the side.

"May you find Jesus the barista who serves a cup of 'Redo' this week when you need it."

Fearless Joy,
Guido in need of "redo" Climer

Jeff Cordiner writes

2008-06-02T15:29:00.000-07:00
In X saves the World.
The media "obssesses about the mating habits of AARP members."

Guido concludes
Let us says sing together a new song..."Muerto Viagra!!!!"

The Disciples' roots

2008-05-27T10:23:00.001-07:00

Went to the Alexander Campbell Mansion last week in Bethany, West Virginia. Had been there in 1995, but learned something new about this place. Each night the house worshipped. As we think about emergent and missional culture that urges daily worship not merely weekly worship...here is the founder of the Campbell-Stone movement who believes that daily worship is key to development of spirituality. He also was bivocational in his ministry. He raised sheep on his land and used the money of house to do ministry. I had gone to Bethany expecting to meet the bookish and rigid forefather, but was engaged with other facets of his life that were more pertinent than his volumes of erudite writing. Alexander Campbell still can teach us.

block party

2008-05-12T13:22:00.000-07:00
Saturday, Amy and I hosted a block party for the 80 houses in our neighborhood.
We were hosting in the spirit of the church and with church funds.
We were not going to promote the church, but if an opportunity opened up we would talk about church.

Evangelism is a little unsettling for me at times, because it is a whole lot of bait and switch. I remember world's largest banana split as a kid and then we get the Baptist youth minister convincing us to get wet, be baptized.

But that is not it for me. I give a gift, a block party or a drink of water, to a person to let them know that God cares for them and I do too. It provides an opportunity for me to tell them that the best I got is Jesus. I don't give Jesus, but I share how Jesus changed me. I do it through words if necessary.

I can't share with you why you need Jesus or if you will go to hell without him. No, I know that places filled with doubt, self hate, anger, resentment, and fear were large in my life. I know that with Jesus they are receding.

Guido

Book Review: The Fall of the Evangelical Nation

2008-05-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

Walking through Border's the other day, I saw this book and immediately picked it up. Two things of note to me. Christine Wicker used to work for the Dallas Morning News that during the 90's had a great religion section on Saturdays. She was a key part of its success and depth.

I sat down yesterday and read through the whole book in about three hours. It is a quick read and I am not a fast reader. It is most antecdotal stories and stats that many in the church are very familiar with. She uses numbers that are not shock, she relies upon George Barna.

The thrust of her argument is that the evangelical movement is really as large as it thinks it is. It represents not 1/4 of the country but a mere 7% to 8% of the United States. She also notes that Christianity is not growing in the United States. This complies with other arguments being made like the strength of Christianity being found in the Southern Hemisphere and Asia. Philip Jenkins has promoted this idea in his book, the Next Christendom.

She not only argues that the Evangelical movement has been used and perhaps abused by the Republican Party and the conservative movement, but she also argues whether or not evangelical Christianity's main premise makes any sense at all. She echoes the sentiments of "The New Atheists."

Where she says that the evangelical church is failing is in two areas.
Those who are super committed to following Jesus Christ and his mission are becoming more and more disillusioned with the local church. They are doing faith outside a corrupted church.
George Barna agress and encourages this movement.

From a mainline perspective, I see this. I have seen people come to the church to make a difference and when they can't they leave. The church's bueracracy and rules conflict with God is calling them to do. They move to more conservative churches or leave. For Barna, he says people just leave and start something new.

Second area, people are becoming disillusioned with the evangelical faith. All of the bad stuff about evangelicalism comes home to roost and they leave. That is seen in Catholics leaving the church over clergy sexual abuse. It is scene in mainline churches as well.

So, what does this leave us with? She makes clear some very salient points. Leaders within the evangelical movement bluster about morality, but a majority of Americans do not live a moral life. The Southern Baptist Convention may say boycott Disney, but the Southern Baptist Men will not boycott ESPN.

To be hopeful, because her argument is a strong against evangelicals, but mainline Christians are no better. We are at the end of an age and there is a new age coming. In the midst o fthese transitions, I hope and believe that spirituality comes ot the forefront and this provides avenues for Christians to witness the grace, love and peace of Jesus Christ.

Missional Churches

2008-04-10T09:38:00.000-07:00
Into the Neighborhood
Mark Priddy shares when Missional is not helpful.
It is a link to David Dunbar's Missional Journal. This is your two for one special.

"Alan Roxburgh suggests that the current period of highly discontinuous change will not go away any time soon. He estimates that we are two or three generations away from a time of greater stability for the culture and the church. During this time “none of us will find clear answers or complete solutions.” (The Sky is Falling!?! [ACI Publishing, 2005], p. 67.)
We should not conclude from this comment that missional leaders don’t know where they are going! The point is that this discussion is not about having all the right answers, but rather trying to identify the most important questions before the church–and working toward biblically and theologically sound answers.
For this discussion everyone is welcome at the table: traditional churches, charismatic churches, mega-churches, emerging churches… no one is excluded unless they exclude themselves. The challenges facing the church in our generation call for the Spirit-led creativity and commitment of the whole body of Christ. We need to put aside our relatively minor differences to focus on the pressing questions of our day. Faithfulness to our Lord demands this. And, yes, I admit it–I’m impatient!
So let’s get on with it!"

Good stuff, I believe. We are in a state of flux in the church. There is a new rise of atheism that is prevalent. People are not satisfied with the church in America. How do we renew ourselves?
My solution is move the church out beyond itself and realize that it must be willing to die to live.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Are any of my friends on this list

2008-04-09T22:04:00.000-07:00
The List: The World’s Worst Religious Leaders

Posted April 2008
When Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States next week, he will likely make the case that religion is a force for peace in the world. Unfortunately, clerics from the world’s major faiths have, at times, helped justify and encourage the worst forms of bigotry and violence. This week’s FP List looks at the world’s leading preachers of hate.

http://http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4244

I am not on this list?
Are you?

cats

2008-04-09T09:04:00.000-07:00
I have found out that I have a fear of cats, a phobia of sorts. Not that I scream and run when I see one. No, that I am fearful of being scratched and bitten by one. Volunteering with the SPCA is forcing me to deal with this fear and it also revealed that I have this fear.

Still, I will hold to my philosophy..."So many cats...so many recipes."
And, I will still hold to my philosophy to care for God's creation...even cats.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Emergent?

2008-04-07T16:25:00.001-07:00
Last night, I went to Calvary Chapel's discussion of Emerging Christianity led by Charlie Campbell. Coming to this event represented either my masochistic side or my desire to get into a fight. I knew where the conversation would lead, because I was carrying my Bible, Generous Orthodoxy, and Velvet Elvis. I knew I would need my Bible to be able to carry on the conversation and I wanted the two texts he would be quoting.

Before the meeting, I prayed to myself that God be willing to allow me to hear what is being said and to be open. Do not put up the defenses right away. I am not sure if I was willing for that prayer to be answered.

However, I began praying for Doug Pagitt, Rob Bell, and Brian McLaren lead voices in the emergent church. Just God encourage them and let them stay focused.

In the end, I realized that I am emergent in viewpoint and theology. Have been for at least a decade. Now, I think I am going to claim that in San Joaquin Valley.

I am emergent in theology. My practice is not Emergent. My worship style is not emergent. But, I practice emergent in my thinking and philosophy it is who I am.

working through

2008-04-03T11:13:00.000-07:00
What do we control?
That is the greatest issue in my life, trying to discern what I can control and what I can't.
As a minister sometimes has this moment that she or he are the hands that God is using to bring about the Kingdom of God...then there is this realization that Kingdom and goodness is always welcomed.

At those moments, I have to remember that I do not have to change the world. God is doing thaat. I am here to witness to that fact, because God has changed me.

But, I do wish, hope, and pray to see it happen.
On those days when I feel that the kingdom has taken a step back...I know that I am being claimed by God. So, I hope for others. I try to bring grace and hope all the while trusting God.
I know that this is rambling, but I need to speak this so I can believe it.

Love is not the greatest word....Courage is the greatest word.
May you have courage to trust God and love the world.

Change

2008-03-31T15:36:00.000-07:00
How do we change?
That is the question that really is at the heart of life of faith. I preached yesterday a sermon on the Wedding Banquet in Matthew 22. The gist of the sermon was that to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God did not depend upon goodness or acts, but a fundmental willingness to change.

I have preached that sermon before, but when I preached that sermon before it has been that others need to change. The question for me is now, what do I need to be willing to change in my life to make myself more useful for the Kingdom.

I need to let go of fear. My life right now is comfortable, and I am fearful of making changes that may jeopardize that comfort. However, the call in my life is to be useful to the Kingdom of God, not to be comfortable. I have prayed the last few days for God to help me be willing to change.
I continue to pray and perhaps this time I will have courage to make the significant changes in my life.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Spitzer

2008-03-12T08:02:00.000-07:00
Hmm, the govenor of New York is a sex addict.
Then the hope is that he gets help. He is self righteous, dishonest, and self destructive.
This is not political.
Perhaps, there will be opportunities for others to see how destructive addictions can be. Especially those addictions that are hidden. Gambling, spending, food, etc.
In between, many people will look at as morality. He is weak. He is, but that is not the whole story. He is crazy. He has lost touch with reality and put himself as god.
Well, the temple of Spitzer is closed and if there is grace of God in this. Then Spitzer will find out how to be honest and find God. Then the healing will begin.

The sad fact is that he is not like many others, mostly men, who live dishonest lives. Who think they are in control, but are so out of control that they wind up with prostitutes, looking at pornography, or with anonymous affairs. There has been Ted Haggard, Larry Craig, and now Elliot Spitzer. There are many other folks who don't garner the headlines who have the same problem, they make themselves god and then lose control.

Water supply

2008-03-10T16:58:00.000-07:00
Alright.
So today we find out that nation's water supply.
The report only gives pharmaceuticals. Then that begs the question, what happens with illicit and illegal drugs. We know that drugs are caught in urine tests meaning the body does not dispose of the drugs in the system. If the water supply has legal drugs in it, then it reasons to me that it has illegal drugs. Of course, the news is not going to tell us that.

Next question, does bottled water that is just local water tricked up with more purification still have drugs?

Final question, did bottled water companies pay for this study?

oiy,oiy, oiy!!!!

Difference between Moses and Jospeh

2008-03-04T16:00:00.000-08:00
I noticed a difference between Moses and Joseph, the guy with the coat with many colors or long sleeves not Jesus' stepdad.

Joseph went to Egypt and he hung in PHaraoh's house. He was wealthy. He did little in his ability to care for others. In fact, it was not until his family showed up starving from famine that he sought to help them. He had the power to help them before they came, but he waited for them to come to him. He cared more for Pharaoh than his family until confronted. So, for Joseph to do good, the people came to him.

Moses was in exile from Egypt and for him to do good he had to go back. He went back and did not wait for folks to come to him. He went to the Burning bush. He went back to Egypt.

Through the eyes of misisonal church. Moses is a missional character. He went and did the will of God. Joseph allowed others to come to him and then he helped. His self interest was not always the interest of God. His will and God's will were at odds at times. Moses was driven to help others. His heart melded with God's heart.

Preparation

2008-02-27T14:30:00.000-08:00
We are doing a series on prayer. One of the key reasons to do this series on prayer is that I sense the need in the church to come at prayer differently. Prayer is not something we should do, but we respond to prayer out of a desire to know Jesus.

In my story of faith, I can count many times when my prayer and devotional life was pretty empty. There were weeks when I would go without praying. When the Bible was the last thing I wanted to pick up. Those days are fewer, but I struggle at times with that. What I have learned is that sometimes the way I had been praying in the morning, in my office, or while I run that those methods no longer were able to connect me with God. So, I stop and try to find a new way. Light a candle. Put on a prayer cloth. Change devotional books. Take a walk. But, I claim those moments and do not try to fake it.

The key part of growth in the spiritual life is honesty. Honest with God and honest with myself.
If I am honest then there is nothing between God and me.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Bangalore...customer service hell

2008-01-07T13:30:00.000-08:00
I know Thom Friedman lauds the work of India and its role in the flattening of the world and globalization. However, customer service through the world of internet is hell.

I think the issue is that Indian way of thinking is different from the American way of thinking. I process the world differently from an Indian and though technical knowledge may help these folks...there understanding and ability to communicate with the American mind is lacking.

Likewise, I think if America was providing customer support for Mumbai...not so good.

My gripe is this. I have just been asked to reinstall my OS and that was diagnosis first. It seems that with Dell customer support, reinstall the OS is the first solution. When I work with stateside customer support the folks seem to listen and understand the problem. The soution might be...your hard drive is fried.

Curious thing is that I am not down on all Customer support in Bangalore...just Dell's. Their methodology sucks.

Anyways, how about that first episode the Wire season 5. Awesome. True, True, False.

The Golden Compass

2007-12-09T23:07:00.000-08:00
I am not a part of that movement of Christians who are telling folks not to go see the Golden Compass. Really, I don't care. I know that the author of the book is an Atheist, but I figure that the folks who made the movie, an interpretation of the book, are all atheists. I don't fear the movie and I imagine that the themes of the movie will shoot over the head of the folks watching it. I saw Grease as a kid...and I caught none of the innuendo...the hot dog jumping into the bun escaped me. So, Grease did not turn me into a dancer, I don't expect The Golden Compass as a movie will turn kids into atheist. If it does, the spiritual formation in churches needs an overhaul.

My review:
Great special effects.
Great story, but it is no different from any other story. It is good vs. evil. How do we overcome evil through violence.

In the stories of Tolkein and C.S. Lewis Christian stories of myth. Good overcomes evil through violence ultimately. Friendship and sacrifice lead to community overcoming through violence. The movie here is the same. The story is not new.

The image of God and religion as closed minded, anti-freedom, and corrupt. I agree that religion is in need of destruction. The god of that tribe needs to die. So, why defend that god?

Somebody give me a narrative where violence is not the way to good overcoming evil.
This is Gladiator, Braveheart, and the Karate Kid. There is nothing fresh to the story, but it is a story that sells. It is good, but not great.

5 things I will miss about JP

2007-11-15T22:27:00.000-08:00
Today, we made a decision that JP/ Joepa was going to be put down.
He has a mass near his spleen and his platelet count is abnormally low that could cause danger in a surgery. For the last 5 days he has not eaten and is not even his bothersome self around our oranges. In honor of having been able to care for him and for him trusting his life with us...I have put down the five things that I will miss about JP.
1.) Halloween 1999, JP consumes 2 bags of Tootsie Rolls and 10 Milky Way bars. Then JP hurls at the kitchen door...the floor slopes right there. The slope leads to the door that heads to the basement. We have to clean up Tootsie Roll vomit and let me say I have never seen so much vomit in my life.
2.) Cousins give us a Harry and David basket. I come home and the whole basket is gone. I wonder where the 9 pieces of fruit have gone. Clueless I am until I find a small piece of Royal Riveria Core on JP's bed.
3.) We have a friend Laura S. who stays the night at our house to keep watch on JP. JP spends the whole night gnawing on a Cow knee. He eats the whole cow knee in a week.
4.) I would entice JP to play by acting long Long Duk Dong from 16 candles when I would yell, "Oh, Sexy Girlfriend!" Upon hearing these words, he would get up and be ready to play.
5.) Laying on the ground, JP would come up and laydown next to me. We would spoon.

Bonus story, because he was that damn good of a dog.
The night before we move to Garland. We get a babysitter who knows beans about dogs. She lets him out and he gets away. Somebody finds him and we have to go to the bad part of KC to get him. WIth police back up, I pay a finder's fee to get him back.

JP was the best dog in the whole world. Our family will miss him.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Ryan Shay

2007-11-05T13:17:00.000-08:00
I was tremendously bummed on Saturday. Amy had asked me about that guy who ran in KC at the Hospital Hill. Ryan Shay. After Hospital Hill I met Ryan. Ryan had finished an hour or so before me and got money. I got some cheap medal. However, for a couple of minutes we talked about running and Hospital Hill. He was personable and gracious. I followed his career after that. We raced at NYCM together. Again, he finished hours before me.

It was great event on Saturday. Ryan Hall, Rithz and Brian Sell did great. It is just sad, we lost one.

Beyond my cognitive ablities

2007-10-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

Moving has introduced me to a new communities and one of those are the folks who run in Visalia. They are fewer than the Dallas folks who I joined at White Rock every Saturday for years. They run faster and longer. This past weekend, two folks I know ran the Javelina Jundred. That is a 100 mile race. Now, this ain't no marathon it is 100 miles. To the left is Marcia who is sporting a devil costume, because the JJ has costume contest to go with the race. I figure, you get beyond a marathon and folks can do anything they want. Behind her is a more traditional ultra runner.

It is pretty incredible. One guy told me all you have to do is run 5mph for 24 hours. It sounds simple and I guess that is a way to get my head around it. However, after 20 miles in Chicago...I thought, no ultra in this body. Who knows?

I got other friends who moved from the 5K to the marathon and are now beyond the marathon. They may coax over the threshold. So, as we were chatting one early morning. The 100 miler is now the new marathon. Everybody is doing them.

Stepping into 3

2007-10-26T11:34:00.000-07:00
"Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to God as we understood him."

Those words are brutal words and probably the most hopeful words ever uttered.

To turn our will and our lives over to God.

Do you know how hard that is for me? For me, I will only speak of my experience, this step in life is critical and crucial. As I am starting to plant a new church, I must get out of my own way and let God work through me.

Earlier this week, I had come to the conclusion that I was using food to handle anxiety. That is not healthy. I was seeking comfort or pleasure from food. I was not trusting that God would take care of me. I had been heading down that path for awhile, but I decided that I needed to stop. Earlier this month, I had a diabetes scare and found out that everything was alright. However, I do have elevated cholesterol. I workout three to four times a week, my cholesterol should not be that high. So, I need to change my diet. However, that is hard to do when food is not fuel but a tool and means for handling anxiety. So, I just said to God, "This hunger that I feel is really about my hunger for you. I will seek you." It has been hard but in two days I feel healthier. That is good. I am not going to get into the details of how. I am not sure how, but I keep knowing that my hunger pangs are mostly hunger pangs for the divine.

As a church planter, I must rely heavily upon God to do it. I must conform my will to His will. I must trust that God will use me. At times there are moments of self doubt, but I work through this step daily to remember that I must turn my will and life over to God.

Working on Step 3, that is where I am. I don't progress beyond this step...I stay here and do it everyday.

Your will, not mine.
Your will, not mine.

Sometime in the midst of those words, I began to quit trusting myself and trusting God. It seems so foolish to say this that is hard. Do I trust that God will get me through? I only do that by moving into those places of discomfort and realizing that God is there with me. I really wish the gospel was not about salvation but comfort. Yeah, but we all would be numb and bloated.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Ministry why?

2007-10-17T14:35:00.000-07:00
I think one of the things I have learned is that why do I want to be a minister. One thing is that I really like people and when I trust myself and not give into fear...it is much better. There are those fears of insecurity rumbling inside me. So, I must constantly be vigilant on trusting God and myself.

The key to me is that I believe that Jesus has the power to transform lives. Why? My own life has been transformed. Not transformed at baptism, but transformed later. It took awhile before I allowed myself to experience grace and forgiveness.

Where has that transformation taken place in my life. The shame and dread that isolated me from family and friends and the self loathing that kept me from hearing from people who loved me, friends, family, and acquaintances that I had gifts to share is gone. Not because I thought good about myself. Not that I heard the stories of Jesus' love. No, when I finally believed them and allowed them to rumble in my bowels (good Hebrew word) that was when I was able to see that I am a child of God and my sin was not so great that God could not forgive me. My seperation from my God could only be breached by Jesus who connected with me God. A God who loves me and that allowed me to trust God, myself, and others. It allowed me to connect.

My task in life is to help people get connected. First with God, then with themselves, and then with others.

I know you believe that God loves you...but do you live like an agnostic? Do you live like God hates you? If you do...I pray that you will hear the words of grace and that you feel that love that is found in a god who leaves heaven to come to earth to be with you.

Losing my daytimer

2007-10-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

Last week, I lost my day planner. I had gone the way of Franklin Covey and tried to organize and focus my life. Since graduating from seminary, I had tried many paths to organization. In Seminary, my uncle gave me a Day Runner that has been very useful, but it was a little too small. So, I looked a day planner that used 8 1/2 x 11 paper. That was too huge. Then I went electronic using a Palm. The Palm was laborious. Then I used Outlook that was like the palm, but a little easier to use. However, it kept my day planning tied to the computer. Then I had my computer stolen or I had to reformat the C: drive. So, I went for a couple of years without any real organization.
Then in the summer, I decided that I was going to need a better mode of organization. I decided that I was an old school person, I needed paper. I bought "7 Habits for Highly Effective People" to get the philosophy about this program. I agreed with a great deal of it. Created a mission statement and bought into the system. I bought the year of daily planning pages, put all my information into the my day planner, and I had decided to use the Classic size. A little too bulky, but large enough to get the information. I lost the day planner last week in Costco. I was loading groceries and forgot my day planner in the grocery cart
This really sucks. So, I went to Depot de Office and bought another simulated leather binder and am beginning another attempt. I was asked how my week was at church and this moment of losing my day planner tops the week's memories. I think part of my frustration is that losing a day planner is a reminder how finite my organization skills are. How scattered brain that I can be and a great way for shame to creep in. That voice in my head that tells me that I am a failure. However, I decided to quit dwelling on that voice and buy a new planner. Re write my mission statement and come to the realization that keeping my life totally organized is the defining point of who I am. That my salvation is not dependent upon it.
So, I try to be organized to be helpful and useful. I am not working on my organization as way of being perfect. Got to remember that and losing my day planner helped me remember why I am doing this.

Chicago Marathon

2007-10-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

What a brutal day last Sunday was.
The runner's reports are not overly exagerrated. I arrived at the first two water stops and there was not any Gatorade. The water was low. It took 90 seconds to find water at each stop. At that moment, I realized that I would need to readjust my time. The temperatures were excrutiating with it being 88 degrees and 86% humidity.

Three thoughts.
1.) Volunteers are incredible. Those folks who arrived to hand out water at the aid stations were pretty much screwed. They had a race organization that did not prepare them for the day. They had runners who were jerks. We runners can be very self centered, because well, the whole day is about us. However, I did not meet any volunteers who were bitter, angry, or anything but helpful. Chicago bravo!

2.) Quitting is an option. At mile 14 I was pretty much done. Anything else that was going to happen that day was going to be slow and painful My feet hurt and I was cramping. I quit sweating once. Sometimes it is better to quit than to push on. I was telling myself during the run. My measure as an athlete, person, father, and pastor did not lay upon my ability to run this thing. So, I quit running at mile 15 and just was looking to finish.

3.) I prayed that morning and my prayer was basically, "God I am not asking for a great time, because I am supposed to prepare to run. I am not praying for a day free of pain. Just let me accept the day as it is." That was a hard prayer to live into as the day came about. As the day ended, I met a Nigerian cab driver who said, "I was inspired by you all. I saw 70 year old man, running. I sit on my butt. THere was a 300 pound guy doing 26.2 miles. I can't get around two blocks. You all are heroes, you changed my life."

No Cabbie, you changed my life. It takes perspective to understand life and sometimes it is best seen outside of myself.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Waiting for salvation

2007-09-12T10:38:00.001-07:00

For my devotional time, I use a book called "A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants." I have had the book since 1995. I bought it, because it looked cool and simplistic to me. A leather book with a cross on the front. Yeah, I am bit of simpleton...I have bought CD's because of the cover art...oiy bad mistakes.

It is a book that is divided by weekly topics. I have picked up the book off and on throughout my ministry. It is a good friend who does not need constant attention.

Today, the reading was Psalm 25. The Psalmist said this.
"You are the God of my Salvation
I wait for you all day long."

I have been thinking about that. Here is this guy who is has this faith that God will save him, but it has not happened yet. There is no proof, only faith. In my own life, I have thought how I have kept faith even when my salvation has been very far away or even at times when I did not know if I would ever be saved. However, I kept believing and living as if it would or had. Does that make those of us who believe that faith is important hypocrites? I believe in God's goodness even though I have no proof.

In the midst of my own addiction, I prayed for salvation. I preached and believed, but was never assured. I would pray, "You are a good God, and I am waiting for you." I think those who struggle with addictions of all sorts have that feeling of waiting. This is destroying my life, but God is not present. I think what I have learned on this side of my life is this, 'I need to say that God will save and I need to live as it has happened.' Faking it until you make it.

So, I just wanted to share what a friend, a leather bound book shared with me today.

2007-09-10T14:02:00.000-07:00
Somewhere this life of faith is about courage in the face of fear.
I have had a great deal of fear. Fearful about failing. Fearful about reaching out. Fearful about what others will think about me. Yada Yada. Somewhere in Garland there is a box of courage that I left behind. I felt it was a courageous move for me to go work at Jos. A Bank. It was admitting that life had gone astray and that I was rebuilding myself. I felt courageous in CPE. I felt courageous in accepting the move.

So, I was at an open 12 step meeting and one of the guys dropped 46 f bombs and basically said, "To be sober is not to be phony. You can fake it and go smoke weed, but I am not one of those folks. You have to find God or you will be in the same f###ing place you are now." It was one hell of a sermon and it convicted me. I have to remember how far I have come. I have to remember that I am doing this for the gospel and that Jesus walks with me. I have to remember that it matters not what anyone thinks, but it matters what Jesus thinks. I have to give this all up, so I can gain serenity, courage and wisdom.

So, as my 12 stepping friend said, "Quit f---ing around if don't want to f----ing do this get out."
I am in, all in.

Witnessing grace

2007-08-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

Last night, I got a picture mail on my phone. I have a new phone number, so I have been getting odd calls. I looked at the number and realized that I did not know anybody who would send me a picture mail. I left the picture unopened. Amy and I just went back to working on the household budget.

A little while later, I get a phone call from a girl or young woman who asks if I got the picture and she realizes that she does not know me.

"Did you get the picture?"
"Yes, but I did not open it."

"Will you please delete it?"
"Sure."

"Please delete it, oh my God it is embarrassing."

I hung up the phone and went back to the budget. Upon finishing, I pondered opening up the picture to see what it was. My curiousity had really gotten to me. What is so bad? Then I decided that I needed to do thing of grace. If I made a mistake in my life, would I want a do over?

So, I deleted the picture.

I think that was the graceful thing to do. Opening it...there may have been something that would have disturbed my well being. So, I just deleted it and that was grace. I pondered sending a text back to her...defining this as a grace filled moment. Felt a little too creepy. A phone call, a little too intrusive. So, I let my actions be the last words...I don't know if that was the right thing to do or not, but it is all I had.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

What a day

2007-08-18T21:21:00.000-07:00
This morning I got up to run 12 miles on the Yokohl River road. It is a road that goes up into the foothills of the Sierra Madre. It is a hard run from a flat land runner like me. We started in the dark and the sky was filled with stars. More stars than I had seen in awhile. Then dawn broke upon the golden rolling valley. At the turnaround, I could hear off in a grove of Oak trees, the yelps of pack of coyotes. Awesome.

After I got home, we got the family into the car for 2 1/2 hour ride to the beach. The night before, I bought Samuel a boogieboard. So, we went to Cayucos and hung out for a few hours. Samuel was a natural on the board, riding waves all the way to the shore. Dad, not so much.

A road trip with the the fam from hills to beach in a day. That is one of the reasons to live in California.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Beginning again

2007-08-06T07:54:00.000-07:00
I had begun grieving the move from Dallas to Visalia for awhile. I cried a couple of times. When we handed over the keys to our house, I cried. Garland is not garden of Eden, but that house was the place where much of our life happened. It was the house that welcomed Nathan to our family. Perhaps, that house saw me have a bit of transformation in my own life. I cried a bit when we left SpringCreek Church. I cried a bit when I ran for the last time, but I felt good about that. I had spent a great amount of energy and sweat...there were friends there. That is good. I cried at Korean camp. Finally, I was done crying and was ready to move.

So, Amy, Samuel, Nathan, my brother Cody who was the helpler, and myself left Dallas to head to Visalia. A three day journey. When we crested over the mountains on I-5 and saw the San Joaquin Valley, I felt relieved. We were almost there.

We have unpacked the boxes and began enjoying life in Visalia. Thursday night Farmer's Market, Friday night Bar B Q in downtown. Tri Tip is the speciality, not bad. In n Out Burger. A box full of fruit. Running in the foothills of Sierra Madre. Cool Mornings and Hot Afternoons. A city that is 15 minutes across by car.

Sunday was awesome. The people were very welcoming. The adventure begins. I knew and believe even more that getting to Visalia was going to be the easiest part.

fearless joy,
guido

grace and courage

2007-07-02T15:06:00.000-07:00
Two quick points.
Smoking done, Barbecue done. Flavor was good, but I did not master the trimming of the brisket and to be honest trimming the brisket is key. We went marbled instead of lean. A little disappointed with how it turned out, but I have learned...pork butt that is where it is at.

Party was good from my perspective. Friends checking out the house before we leave. I really appreciated seeing folks who mean a great deal to me and if they felt that as they left then my goal was reached.

Now, cool thing that happened.
Today, as I was running at the lake. Got finished and was psuedo stretching. A woman walked up to me. "Are you Niel?"
I paused and wanted to know if I should stick to Guido, "Yeah."
"You knew me when I was in seventh grade."
"Did we go to school together?"
"No, you were my youth minister in DeSoto. My name is Blythe."
"Yeah, I remember. Cool how are you doing?"

Man, I remember Blythe and that small youth group that taught me a lot helped me learn about church. Her family was great. She hand an older sister and her mother helped me through a great mission trip to San Antonio.

It made my day. What it reinforced in me was why I do this thing called ministry. It is about touching people's lives. As I was packing, I came across the book that youth group had given me as a parting gift. She had some personal words to me about that mission trip to San Antonio. I was eating lunch with another young person who I have ministered, she is consider a call to the ministry. She was a little discouraged and I told her the story of Blythe. "That is the reason to be a minister. You do things and you hope that they have made a difference. The funny thing is that you never get the joy of knowing how much of an impact you made. You trust that God is using you."

So, I pack the house today and get ready for the mover's to arrive. I do that knowing that God can use me. He has and I trust that he will.

Who are the folks who you hope you touched?

Fearless Joy,
Guido

smoke

2007-06-30T13:16:00.000-07:00
One thing that I enjoy doing is smoking meat. In the Midwest, they call it Barbecue. In Texas anything that goes on a grill is called a Barbecue. But, let's just move back to the smoke, the coal, and the challenge to bring a smokey flavor to meat. I just love the process.

It takes a great deal of time, and the risk is that the adventure fails and the meat winds up tough as leather.

Today, I got a brisket on the smoker and it has been on the smoker for about five hours.

It is a slow go, and I think I need to leave this world to go back to the world of smoke.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Resolution Rant

2007-06-28T07:33:00.001-07:00
One of my frustrations with our tribe's biennial gathering is the business sessions. My first GA was in Tulsa, 1991. It was a blood bath of a GA over the issue of leadership and homosexuality. Both sides were foolish.

Over the years, I have voted against many resolutions, because I vote against the resolutions unless I am personally willing to live out the resolution. So, even if I think the resolution is good, unless I am willing to live my faith into it... I feel hypocritical or irrelevant. Both are not what I want to be. Maybe this is just my West Texas perspecitve, of the individual of critical importance.

What gripes me most about the business sessions is this. We have these debates where a person gets a couple of minutes to put together a opinion. So, the debates are nothing more than sound bites. That is what sucks about public discourse. We become nothing more than Ann Coulter's and Bill Maher's very shallow and very strident.

This Campbell-Stone movement cut its teeth on debate. It grew through dialogue. It champions itself as a reasonable faith. We lift up the head above the heart, most times. Our practice as a body to make decisions is the worse of public discourse, the sound bite. Not a reasoned argument, a well-formed opinion, and one cannot come with an open mind and be persuaded. There is not enough time.

I think that is what ails these gatherings. Liberals and Conservatives can't have a dialogue, can't learn to appreciate the gifts that each has to share when we are reduced to every two years of sound bites. We squabble over issues that really are not essentials. Homosexuality is not an essential. It is a non-essential issue. I think Jesus takes people as they are not as they should be.

So, I really wish we were resolved not do this anymore...we won't be. I told a friend that I could be found at the Flying Saucer, a FW pub, during the business meetings. Maybe over a Shiner, I can have a conversation with a person who has a different opinion and through that dialogue my mind and heart might change. So, if you are in FW, I will be at the Flying Saucer in the afternoon and Starbucks in the morning. A seat will be open for you.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

To give a moment of grace

2007-06-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

For some reason beyond my own fathoming, I get up at 5:00 AM to go workout at White Rock Lake. We are doing a workout with an acronym that I cannot remember. It involveds push ups, squats, lunges, etc. Things that are best done in the early morning hours when few people are around. It is a tough workout and I usually feel it for a couple of days.

Today, on my last 800 meter run, a woman was walking. It was the familiar walk of one who has been beaten by the workout and is just trying to finish. I know it well. I passed her as I was doing my cool down again. I thought, "Guido, you have been there, give her a little encouragement." As I finished up, I walked back down to meet her.

"Are you OK?" I asked.

"Yeah, tough workout for a Monday."

"I know. Remember, your worth as human is not defined by one workout, one race, or one hobby you pursue."

She chuckled, "Yeah. What's your name."

"I am Guido."

"Oh, I heard about you."

I am not sure if that was helpful or not. However, it was a moment when I had a chance to make a difference and perhaps it did. I am not a superhero for doing such a thing, because there were selfish motives in my sharing that knowledge. It helped me. It made such an impact that I blog about it see how self centered I am.

But to live out my mission, I had to do it. This is what it will take for me to be effective as a church planter, more interactions of this kind. It only took me five years to develop enough relationships to get credibility to share such words. Oiy!!!

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Marathoning for a cause

2007-06-22T07:35:00.000-07:00
This January, Rev. Keith Stewart from Spring Creek Community Church began a sermon series on Africa focusing upon the AIDS and debt crisis. He focused his energy on a Kenyan Village in Katito. Keith was asked by World Vision, who sponsored his trip to Africa, to run the Chicago marathon in efforts to raise funds for Katito.

As a marathoner, I just sat stunned. I had planned on running the Chicago marathon this year and had secretly thought in my head that Keith could benefit from the experience of running a marathon. Never told anybody about that secret, not even Amy. Just had that one inside.

When Keith said that...I just sat in stunned silence throughout the service. I took up the pledge to join some Spring Creek Church folks to run this marathon and raise money for Katito.

I am asking you to make a donation to World Vision. Here is what you need to know.

Amy and I are financing my trip, so all money raised goes directly to World Vision. 100% goes to World Vision.

My goal is to raise 500.00 from folks like you and Amy and I will match the donations to $500.00.

All the money is going to Katito.

For more inspiration check out these sermons by Keith. "On a mission from God," the January series.

Thanks for your support,
Guido

Levi in Mark

2007-06-22T07:30:00.000-07:00
I just caught this in Mark, thanks to the Recovery Bible.
Mark 2:15 "That night Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to be his dinner guests, along with his fellow tax collctors and many other notroious sinners."

Levi invited his friends meet Jesus. A new convert to the faith, to the following, invited folks to meet Jesus. What did Jesus and 'the boys' do? They met them and had dinner and witnessed grace.

Mission-to be in the mission field will send the faithful to places that are a little uncomfortable. I recall being in some people's homes that were a little wild. That is part of the business of faith and following Jesus.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Getting to Bonhoffer

2007-06-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

There are books in my shelf that are what I call my 'should' books. That is an awful title for a book. I dread when somebody gives me a book and says, "You should read this" or "You must read this."

I have a couple of books like that, "Crime and Punishment" by Dostevsky, anything by Kierkegaard, Douglas John Hall's systematic theology, and Bonhoffer's "Cost of Discipleship."

I feel that my life is a little less than complete for not reading these books. Today, after having Cost of Discipleship on my shelf for almost 20 years, I picked it up again. Today, 'cheap grace' made sense. I got it.

"the only man who has a right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ." (pg 55)

As I begin to sense the enormity of the task ahead in Visalia and how difficult that will be. Those lines began to make sense. I think my life in the faith to follow Jesus has been fairly easy. Church camp was paid for. A few classes to get baptized. TCU and Seminary were paid by gracious folks. However, this last year of walking away from ministry to rebuild and redefine myself and coming through to a calling has been a step of faith. I am not sure how enormous, but it has been a more serious adventure than began in years preceding this one.

Now, I am beginning life anew.

Grace is a gift and we must respond to that gift. Grace for grace to be transforming, we must live as we are forgiven and in deep need of grace.

In recovery, I am freed from my habits and addiction by my willing ness to do anything to stay sober. That means praying, reading the big bood of AA daily, making phone calls and being rigorously honest.

As a Christian, I must reorient my life through loving God fully and serving others wholly. (The great commandment.) I must also be willing to go and help others in this world who are in need of grace. (The great commission.) That is a difficult prospect, but it is the way of Jesus.

Thanks DB for being patient and knowing that I would pick up the leaves that you left behind.

Fearless Joy,
Guido

Faith

2007-06-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

I like this image, because it is a good reminder of faith. I begin this ministry with faith. I am not saying that I am vast resevoir of faith. I sometimes have moments when I have deep fear. Financial fear. Fear of my own limitations. Fear that I will not adapt and be able to reach the people that God needs to be reached. All those at times, cause me to pause.
But, faith overcomes those fears. I move with fear and trembling up the wall. I trust that I have put on my harness right. I trust that I have connected the rope to me well properly. I trust the one who holds the other side of the rope will be capable of holding me as I move up the wall.
Faith. As I think about the core value of this new community. It is faith. It is faith for me to come. But, the first step of faith was their's. They were the one's who had the faith to start. They were the one's who have faith to see gifts in me that will be useful. They are one's of tremendous faith.
So, I am in the harness. I call out "Belay On"...I hear the call out, "On Belay."
I am stepping to the wall and searching for my first hand hold and foothold.
"On Climb" and the voice that calls us has yelled, "Climb On"
I am going to step off the ground this weekend and put my faith in the rope and the belayer who holds me.
Fearless Joy,
Guido

(Photo by David Eppstein)