drinking

Well saturday night was good and bad at the same time. Noel talked about drinking and what the Bible has to say about it. It was really good. But our band sucked for some reason, especially me. We just sucked. I hope it doesn't last.

I knew I'd get caught sometime...

The Fatherless

Dead end streets are supposed to be peaceful right?

You move to a dead end street to get away from the traffic, to have at least one side without neighbors. Living on a dead end street isn't a place for work. It's not a place for "ministry." It's a place to relax to recharge before going back to the emotionally draining life of ministry. Or is it?

There is a portable basketball hoop across the street from my house. My new house. My first house. Everyday there are a bunch of neighborhood kids who play hoops there all day long. But they don't just play in the street, they play in our driveway. Their bikes are always in my yard. That's an insurance liability isn't it? There is barely enough space for me to back out of my driveway as it is, without a portable basketball hoop, with dozens of bricks piled on the back of it, just sitting in the middle of the street.

Sometimes I feel like taking out my paintball gun. Maybe even putting on my camouflage face paint that makes me look like a crazy army ranger dude. I wouldn't shoot anyone. I would just walk around my yard with my paintball gun. Or maybe set up practice targets in the front lawn. I would turn up the speed as high as it goes and cuss under my breath, but loud enough for anyone out in the street could hear me, as the paintballs clang against my trash can lid target.

This would drive the street kids away. The kids who think they are PDiddy. The kids who think they are Alan Iverson. The kids who talk trash and swear at each other. The kids who rest their basketballs on my car.

Maybe if I play Wilco all the time and loud enough, they would get sick of hearing alternative-country and leave. It would have been the equivalent of me watching TNN with my grandma as a kid. She knew how to get me outside. Turn on Randy Travis and the Grand Ole' Oprey and I'm outta there.

So what do I do? The exact opposite of what I really wanted to do. I play some 2 on 1 with them. I'm dunking (seven foot hoop), blocking shots (4 foot kids), and actually enjoying my time with them. I let them cheat and win (because I'm nice), but not without letting them know who's got skills.

And the next day as I'm trying to put my new grill together with incoherent instructions. They beg me to play some more. I told them "some other time." But I was amazed at how much they really wanted me to play. And I got to thinking. Most of these kids probably don't have fathers. The kid across the street lives with his mom and sisters. The other kids are down here everyday. There's nothing better at home. I wonder how many of them are escaping from conflict. Escaping to a world where their family isn't yelling at them. Where there's an adult who actually plays basketball with them.

I'm not saying I want to be a father figure to these kids by any means. In fact I don't want them to get too comfortable in my driveway. But I know that there is some healing that needs to be done in the kids lives. They need some kind of acceptance from me. They will eventually find it somewhere, I just hope it's in the right place. And maybe in the meantime I can help.

My father died when I was four, so God used people to fill in the gaps ever since. I went to "Father/Son" campouts and fishing trips with charitable men in our church. Then, my mother remarried when I was about 8. My step-dad has become a beacon of wisdom in my life. And in between there were times when I cried, but I knew that my times were in my heavenly father's hands.

Shortly after my dad died, I asked my mom "so who is my dad now?"
Fighting back tears she answered "God has promised to be your father." And he was.

So maybe I am supposed to be ministering to these kids. Maybe just a little sacrifice of comfort and time will pay off. Who knows? There's always the chance that they won't even remember me when the grow up. But maybe they will. Maybe I can leave a good taste in their mouths about God.

Maybe these kids are the modern fatherless.

Ps 68:5 "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling."
Ps 82:3 "Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
Ps 146:9 "The Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow..."

web

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Post-Intellectualism and Community

By "Post-Intellectualism" I don't mean "Anti-Intellectualism" I mean "Beyond" or "intellectualism as a beginning" or something like that.
anyway...

I feel that my faith in many ways is getting simpler. I'm 26 now and am in a new place in life. I have been married three years, have a son, have a house, work in a church. I am getting older. I'm no longer in the perpetual stage of youth that I thought I once was. College for me was my time to figure out some sort of shape that my faith would take, my own template maybe. I was forced to consider my Gnostic/American view of God and Christianity and deal with the fact that my views were changing and becoming my own despite what my parents, pastors, and professors thought. I surveyed the Bible and connected the historical dots of what I thought (and for the most part still do think) what God's message to us is.

One aspect that I always believed in was community and the body of Christ. I always believed that it was God's purpose for us to reach the world together as communities, that the world would know because of our love. And there have certainly been times where I've experienced that. And I think I'm learning more about this all the time. Dan and Andie Hannah were examples of that to me, we lived together for about 8 months. Dan and I would spend time at the local community coffeeshop and talk to the regulars there, discuss books, life, beliefs etc.... Some months after we left Columbus, a couple leaders of the church were discussion whether our way of relating to people was really a witness to people. We weren't direct enough they were saying...and just as they were leaving, the owner Patti (not a Christian) came over to ask about how Suz and I were doing up in Michigan and said "those guys and Dan and Andie were the best pictures of Jesus that I've ever seen...because they didn't stuff Him down my throat..."

You see Patti is one of those loving, community-minded people who does the closest thing to church, without including God. She has something energetic going on almost every night of the week at the coffee shop, writing groups, amateur stand up comedy, and live music. The culture there is made up of former loners who find a place that is safe. She accepts everyone and just by being herself you want to hang out at Three Cups Coffee everyday (which we did). But she was one of those who had tried going to church in her younger days, only to be bashed and bruised. So now she will not be manipulated by religion. She will not be sold on a bridge diagram. Pattie will not be convicted watching TBS. A cool, trendy flyer, given to her by a cool, trendy person will not speak to her. But I think friendship does. I think the test of time and commitment will. I think our youth who volunteered to set up and tear down for charity events at her coffee shop did. I even think the pastor's willingness to change and understand what was "fake" or "unathentic" about passing out those trendy invite cards, his humility spoke to Pattie.

I'm experiencing community in new ways here all the time.
-when Jen and Eric call us and say "we have a free night" we want to help you move/take care of the baby whatever"
-when Melissa asks me how much I'm working this week so she can help Suzanne when I'm gone
-When Brent and Kate (and 13 other people!) show up to help us move even though we don't really know each other that well
-When I walk out of a meeting to find my band cleaning the inside of my car because I'm such a complete slob
-When Travis is real and challenging with me....when we spur each other on/sharpen each other with out thoughts
-When Erin makes a four hour trip to be with Suz as she is in labor and she can only stay for a day...
-When the Sunday band changes the way they do things, just because I say that it's a good idea
-When Noel pushes me to lead
-When Suzanne pushes me to lead
-When Chaz buys an outlet for our dryer without us asking
-When I talk to Scott about once every 2 or 3 months, but we know we are brothers.
-When our mothers take a week off of work to help us with the new kid

I can keep going...there are so many people. I've wondered how in the world people have kids, buy a house...,just live, without being a part of such a community. And it makes me want to bring that uncommon love to others. There are Patties everywhere. People who are trying, they just don't have God. They might have an ugly picture of God because of the way Christians have treated them or each other. It's our job to change things.

Andy Kaufman Returns!

Ok so rumors are that Andy Kaufman has been alive and just returned on his 20th anniversary of his death. Does anyone know anything about this?

Jaden

More pics of the new dude on the picture page...

Blue Like Jazz

Ok, I'm reading a really good book called Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It's a creative non-fiction book that tells of his jouney of doubt and faith and it is beautiful. It reminds me of Anne Lamott's book "Traveling Mercies" which falls into my cannon of life changing manuscripts. The writing is minimalist. Sentences are structured almost like J.D. Salinger's great American novel. But the book is more honest and thoughtful than any other book on faith that I have read. Check his page out at www. bluelikejazz.com.

Oh, and he likes Wilco...

Growing up

Ok, I guess it's growing up time. In a way at least. I have to say that I can't stand the thought of people viewing me as old. I know couples that start having kids, buying a house etc...and suddenly they are old. They don't hang out at pubs with their friends. They don't go to concerts. They don't play poker until 3 in the morning. The are just old. So I think I'm just going to buy this house, take care of my kid and wife, and hang on to "life" or "youth" or whatever it is that I'm trying to hang on to. But I really do think it's important. People don't want to be around "old people." And by that I don't mean old in an age-specific way. I know people in their 50's and 60's who don't seem too old. I have to admit though, that after hearing the kid cry last night, I could use a nap...

Hizzouse

So we closed on our house today. We seriously killed about 80 trees with all the papers we had to sign. We can move in at any time now though. So if you live in Michigan and want to help me, let me know!

Wilco

I'm serious, if you listen enough, you'll like them.

Baby Pics

Ok, so here's a link to a pic of Jaden and Me as a baby. Don't worry, he looks a lot better than he does in the pic. I'll let you know when I add more.

Friends

When I get some time, I will update my friends list to include all the people I love who are blogging away. But for now, you will have to be satisfied with the few that I have listed. And again, I will put some pics up as soon as I get my camera back from the Kranzos. Later guys!

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just making sure that this is working here!