Meriwether Lewis and 2009

My friend, Todd Sellers, suggested that I read Undaunted Courage, which is the story of Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West. Anywho - I ran across a quote made by Lewis (including his miss-spellings) that I found challenging, especially as 2009 lies just a few days before us.

"This day I completed my thirty first year . . . I reflected that I had as yet done but little, very little indeed, to further the hapiness of the human race, or to advance the information of the succeeding generation. I viewed with regret the many hours I have spent in indolence, and now soarly feel the want of that information which those hours would have given me had they been judiciously expended." He resolved: "In future, to live for mankind, as I have heretofore lived for myself."

It Was Not a Silent Night

May this song touch your soul this Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas!

Starbucks Church

What if . . . Starbucks took their marketing cues from the Church? Hmmm.



HT to Mark Waltz for posting/sharing the video.

Second Coming

I've been thinking about Advent a bit the past few weeks.

I guarantee that I am not the only person who feels a little (lot?) overwhelmed with the celebration of materialism that Christmas has become. And it's not just this year with the gloomy economy that is shaping these thoughts for me, though I can't deny that the bleak nature of things right now has impacted a lot of us. The pace of our days has just hammered me as well. It seems that we hardly have time to breathe any more. Know what I mean? It's rush to buy this, and rush to go here, all while seeming to be on auto-pilot. Do we even think about what we're doing? Why we're doing it? Do we even stop to consider what the source of the stress is that is weighing on us?

Of course, I'm indicting myself in all of that. We didn't even start shopping until December 14. I got on the Web and broke the ice. We finished up on December 20. It amazes me to consider that some folks will start shopping for NEXT Christmas at this year's "Day After Christmas" sales. Are we crazy? What really concerns me is that Christmas is now just 3 days away, and I have not shared ONE single Advent devotional or thought with my family. The wreath and candles are on my dining room table. But that's been the extent of our "remembrance." Nice.

So I woke up yesterday thinking about Easter. That's not a typo. My thought, which I try and reflect on each Good Friday, is that the death of Jesus is meaningless unless there is a Resurrection. Good Friday could never be "good" if it wasn't followed by Easter. Advent, then, is much like that for me. Advent is about the waiting, the anticipating, of Christ's coming. But I wonder if I short-change Advent by not considering it in light of Jesus' second coming. Christmas proves deeply moving to me in that I learn not only that Jesus came – Immanuel, God with us – but it reminds me that He is coming again. So I can add my voice to those over the ages who simply pray, "Come, Lord Jesus."

May I – and may you – rest in the truth that Jesus came once, and He will come again.

May there be Peace in that for you this Christmas season.

AMEN.

MHS Lady Jackets Defeat the BNL Lady Stars

For all of the MHS Lady Jacket basketball players who have been pounded by Bedford NL over the years, the 2008-09 MHS Lady Jackets are proud to give you this early Christmas gift:

Unfortunately, It's True

Sooner or later, even the most conservative folks who want to call those who warn of global warming "tree hugging liberals" will have to come to grips with this idea: Global warming is real. In this USA Today article, NASA scientists talk about how our severe weather patterns will be affected.

So, unless you also refuse to believe that NASA put a man on the moon, here is the inconvenient truth: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-12-19-global-warming-severe-storms_N.htm?csp=34

Advent

Thomas Merton Remembered

December 10 was the 40th anniversary of the death of Thomas Merton. Few have taught more eloquently or deeply on the essence of "love" than he. His autobiography, The Seven Story Mountain, is a classic, and has been life-changing for many, including me. I still return to books that he wrote, and continue to find that they challenge me. Much has been written about Merton, and deservedly so - he was an enigmatic figure who struggled mightily to live for God in a fleshly body. I think that is the biggest reason why I enjoy his writings so much.

The Courier Journal ran two pieces (one and two) in last Sunday's paper in honor of the anniversary this week. In the article "The Monk Poet's Journey Toward Silence" is this quote:

"What do I really want to do?" Merton asked himself, in his journal (June 21, 1959). "Long hours of quiet in the woods, reading a little, meditating a lot, walking up and down in the pine needles in bare feet."

Advent Conspiracy

The following article appeared in the newsletter 850 Words of Relevant from Relevant Magazine.

This year, Black Friday—the day after Thanksgiving that traditionally kicks off the season of holiday spending—was especially dark. Early that day, a crowd of bargain hunters trampled an employee to death as they rushed into a New York Wal-Mart at 5 a.m. Three others, including a 28-year-old pregnant woman, also suffered from minor injuries. As reports about the incident continued to surface throughout the day, many were asking, "Is this what Christmas has become?"

If the more than 800 churches worldwide who are participating in Advent Conspiracy are to be believed, the answer to that question is a resounding no. Advent Conspiracy is a movement that started in 2006 as a way to reclaim the Christmas season. "There's been a significant drift from the worship of Jesus," says Greg Holder, the pastor of Windsor Crossing in St. Louis, Mo., and one of the creators of Advent Conspiracy. "We've seen anxiety and frustration consume entire communities as people start believing the lie that celebrating Christmas is about hyper consumerism."

Holder, along with Chris Seay, the pastor of Ecclesia in Houston, Texas and Rick McKinley, pastor of Imago Dei in Portland, Ore., launched Advent Conspiracy as a way to lead their congregations into meaningful worship during Christmastime. They put the focus squarely on worship and service instead of gifts and established four guiding principles: Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More and Love All.

If the principles "spend less" and "give more" seem contradictory, that's because U.S. culture's understanding of giving is a little off. Consumerism allows people to create the illusion of giving without having to sacrifice anything personal. The three pastors encouraged their congregations to forgo much of their gift buying and spending on commercial items, and instead to give gifts of presence, creativity and time.

It isn't that most gifts are wrong, just misguided. "We're not Scrooges," Holder says. "We're not against gifts. We want people to pull back on giving meaningless gifts."

The money that would’ve been spent on presents was pooled and used to provide clean water for communities in third world countries. According to Jeanne McKinley, Rick McKinley's wife and the director of Advent Conspiracy at Imago Dei, the decision to connect Advent Conspiracy with water was deliberate, contrasting the desperate need for water in many places to the comfortable lifestyles of those in the U.S. "Water is a starting point. It's the most basic need that all of us have," she says. "If we meet that need then we can go forward in relationship with the people receiving clean water."

The first year, five churches participated; by the second year, it spread to include not only hundreds of churches but also high schools, college groups and businesses. Holder considers Advent Conspiracy a common ground where people from all corners of the Christian tradition can meet. "This is a way for the body of Christ to unite,” he says. “It's not just one type of church jumping on board with this. Young, old, liturgical, contemporary, non-denominational, mainline—they're all in. We spend a lot of time talking about our differences, but this is a chance to remind ourselves we are the body of Christ."

One such church, Jacob's Well in Kansas City, Mo., decided to join in 2007. The pastor at Jacob’s Well, Tim Keel, liked that it was a practical extension of the concepts in the book of James, which his congregation studied that fall.

Keel knew his congregation would be willing participants in Advent Conspiracy, but he wasn't prepared for how enthusiastic their response would truly be. As children grasped the core concepts of Advent Conspiracy they asked for money to give to the water collection instead of gifts. Families attended gift-making workshops to learn how to make unique presents for one another. Artists from the Jacob's Well community donated their talents and time to make the season creatively stimulating and truly worshipful.

"I was thinking we'd dig one well," Keel says. "When we had the money to dig four, it was significant. I was surprised by how people took ownership of it, not just as something they were doing in our church, but inviting other people from their lives to participate as well."

As more churches and groups continue to climb on board, Advent Conspiracy will remain decentralized, acting not as an organization but as a resource. It isn't the desire of Advent Conspiracy to dictate how people are celebrating Christmas and donating their money, but to enable congregations to encourage and support each other as they recover the advent season.

"Ultimately, it would be amazing for the Church to stand together and see the water crisis solved because that's how we wanted to spend our Christmas," Jeanne McKinley says. "But for us, the Jesus component is the most important part. Beyond the giving and spending less, more than anything, we want people to engage in worship more fully at Christmas."

(Author: Shanna Dipaolo)

So . . . what are your thoughts on all of this, right now, in the midst of the consumeristic blitz surrounding Christmas?

HO HO HO!

Nice lights . . . Looks like there's a little tangle there Russ.

Mike in 1980

Okay, so ya, I was alive and kickin' it in the halls of MHS in 1980. And no, I did not look like this picture. But, if you've ever watched "That 70's Show" you have to understand that I couldn't pass up a chance to throw out my best "Hyde" imitation! :)

Mike in 1974

I've always wondered what I would like as the next Austin Powers. Well, wonder no more - check out my "very groovy" picture. Oh Behave! YA BABY - YA!

Mike in 1970

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

Here's a shot of me, if I was cast for a spot in Animal House. Right before going on DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION. :)

Generosity

Last Sunday's teaching at my church dealt with Generosity. I made a couple of notes that I wanted to throw out at you and get your input on.

The first thought I had is not original to me - if you have ever heard or read Rob Bell, you've heard this before: "We have been blessed to be a blessing to others. Money was never intended to be a burden; rather, it is to be a blessing from God to us, and through us God will bless others."

In the course of the sermon, there was the expected reminder that we need to be supportive of the work of the church. No surprises there, I guess. But I want to share what I scribbled down at that point in the service, and I'd like to hear what 'cha think:

"People will give to help other people (as I believe that by and large there is an inherent goodness in people that makes them want to see others fed, clothed, etc.); when people balk over giving, it is when they see money going into a church and not coming out to tangibly help people. It is vitally important for church leaders to continually be showing how the Church's money is impacting other peoples' lives."

Thoughts?

Mike in 1960

Mike in 1950

Ever wonder what you'd look like in "Back to the Future?" Well, McFly, here I am: