The ULTIMATE Secret Santa!

My office just had one of those "Secret Santa" thingys, but couldn't NOBODY touch the Ultimate Secret Santa. Wow! How inspiring is this guy!?!

Off for a while to travel and enjoy the holidays, so I won't be on the Internets to blog for a while (you can thank me,later :)).

Until next time, I thank you so much for reading...and wish you and yours a most blessed and peaceful Christmas.

God bless!!!
:)lance

Who Would Want to Kill "A Charlie Brown Christmas"?!?

Those blockheads at CBS, that's who! This great article about the initial reaction to A Charlie Brown Christmas is way interesting. The "mastermind" TV executives hated it because, among other things, their was no laugh track (Ha! Ha!) and the characters read from the Gospel of Luke. (Gasp!)

Linus forever!

Why Kids Rule

Is it any wonder that in Matthew 19:13, Jesus says that in order to experience Heaven, you must become like a child? It's because kids get life in ways that we adults have a hard time figuring out. Jesus is saying that you must become child-like (not child-ish) in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I love this.

The honesty, openess, wonder and love that kids live their lives by is an inspiration, as these pictures attest. Thanks to multi-talented faithblog reader, Craig Bates for sharing the pics.

Eat, Pray, Love

Not to go all Oprah Winfrey, but this here's a must-read book, y'all.

A writer friend of mine told me about Elizabeth Gilbert's latest book Eat, Pray, Love a while back. This friend of mine is a tremendous writer herself, so I definintely intended to check it out. Stuff happens, so I'm just now getting around to reading it. My bad. Should have gotten to this one sooner.

Eat, Pray, Love is a travel memoir of Elizabeth's spiritual journey. Her amazing wit, humor, intellect and perspective make this as entertaining as it is enlightening. In her early thirties, Elizabeth had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want—husband, nice home(s), successful career—but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic, guilt and confusion. Following a painful divorce, end of a second romantic relationship and crushing depression, she set out on a spiritual jouney to "find herself" and God, in the process. Her journey takes her to spend a year abroad, visiting Italy, India and Indonesia (what alliteration!). It's an amazing page-turner that really resonates with all of us seeking and stumbling along our individual spiritual path. Check it out.

Enjoy the Waiting

Tom Petty had it right. The Waiting IS the hardest part.

As this season of advent begins, I can't help but think about what Jesus would say about our modern approach to celebrating his birth. The season of advent is supposed to be a time of patient waiting. Solitude. Reflecting. Growing closer to God by pondering the wonder and act of amazing love that it took for Him to take human form here on Earth.

What it often feels like is a Mexican shoot-out.

I was recently reminded of this in reading articles about "Black Friday." You know, the day after Thanksgiving when people go completely spastic over all the shopping that can be done. For one, I learned that this day is called "Black Friday" because it's the day that supposedly puts all retailers "in the black" for the year. You'd think they come up with a more positive sounding slogan.

The article went on to say that many of the big retailers were opening at 4 a.m. this year. (You know, because being open at 5 a.m. JUST ISN'T EARLY ENOUGH!!!)

A friend of ours, who used to work at one of these retailers, tells an amusing story about working on "Black Friday" one year (back when this store opened at 5 am.) She said that people were in line around the building at 3:45 a.m.!! And when the doors opened, everyone SCREAMED AS THEY RAN DOWN THE AISLES in search of "the best deals of the season."

Really!?! Is this what Jesus would want us to do to celebrate his birth? Run through stores screaming at 5 o'clock in the morning (er, 4 o'clock now. Excuse me.)

During this month (and most others) our culture tells us to spend more. Consume more. Attend more holiday parites. Be all things to all people. So instead of reflecting we rush. And in the spirit of trying to hurry and do more, more, more...we enjoy the true Spirit of the Season less, less, less.

I have been guilty of this many, many times. But this advent, may we all slow down just a little. May we all seek out spaces of silence...to breathe....to reflect...to say thank you to the ultimate gift ever given.

And I believe that by doing so, we will discover much more about this season than speed could ever reveal.

The Other Side of the Street

If we took the time to listen to the homeless, what would they say?

Interesting question. And one that's explored in a compelling new series, "The Other Side of the Street" on WUOT-FM (91.9) Wednesdays on Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

In any given month, more than 1,600 people in Knox County find themselves homeless. And each one has a story to tell. Check out this web site to hear audio exerpts from some of their stories, plus incredible portraits from area photogrpher, David Habercom.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's the history of Thanksgiving - Celebrity Bric-Brack style! Enjoy the turducken!!!!

Rob Bell in the ATL!

Wow! Seeing Rob Bell last nite on "The Gods Aren't Angry" tour in Atlanta was awesome. Inspiring. Informative. Incredible.

Even the walk into the venue was entertaining, as some "religious protesters" were outside chanting that "Rob Bell is going to hell!" and "Amy Grant commited adultery!" among other things. Um, ok guys. Glad y'all have time for this impactful service to humanity.

Anyways, Rob spoke for about 1 hour 45 minutes straight, and I was riveted the whole time. Lots of ideas to chew on that I'll blog about later. In the meantime, here's a good synopasis of what the show's all about from a blogger who caught him opening night in Chicago at the Vic Theatre.

(Spoiler alert: If you're going to see the show and you're the type that doesn't want to know how the book/movie ends...don't read the link!!)

Back to Back: Jim Fleming and Rob Bell this weekend!

I'm psyched. I get to see two of the most intelligent, engaging and talented Christian speakers at it today back to back. Jim Fleming and Rob Bell. Awesome!

Dr. James Fleming is Director of Biblical Resources Study Center in Jerusalem, Israel, and the President of Biblical Resources, which produces audiovisuals for teaching Bible history. He is also one of the most informed and inspiring speakers I've ever seen. He's given an annual lecture series at my home church, Church Street UMC in Knoxville, Tennessee for like the last 8 or 9 years and he never disappoints. He's the type of guy who has forgotten more about the Bible than I'll EVER know, but comes across so down-to-earth. A truly gifted teacher.

Anyways, his next lecture series at my church is this Sunday-Monday (Nov. 18/19) at Church Street United Methodist. For more information about this year's series and schedule click here. If you're in the Knoxville area and have the chance, do try to catch him.

I will be at Dr. Flemming's Sunday lessons, but not Monday's, because I will be taking a road trip with some friends to the ATL to catch Rob Bell on his "The Gods Aren't Angry Speaking Tour."

I've blogged about how Rob's first book (Velvet Elvis) has inspired me. I just finished his latest book (SexGod) and it was just as outstanding. Evidently at this event, he'll be covering all-new material, so I can't wait.

I'll blog next week with updates and thoughts from both events.

Blessings

Lessons from Steve Nash

To paraphrase Kurtis Blow, basketball has always been my favorite sport. And I think Steve Nash is now my all-time favorite player to watch.

The man is amazing. In a land of NBA giants, he often dominates games even though he's usually the smallest guy on the court. He's won 2 of the past 3 MVP awards, prompting none other than Magic Johnson (!) to say that Nash is playing the point guard position "better than it's ever been played before." And he's from Canada! Not exactly a fertile breeding ground for elite NBA talent.

Like I said, the man is amazing.

So I was especially geeked to see Mr. Nash gracing the cover of the Novemeber issue of Men's Journal. The feature story proclaimed Nash as the man who made the NBA fun again. Amen to that.

It was also a fascinating read on what made Nash tick, both on and off the court. I came away inspired and with some interesting tips to apply to my daily walk of faith.

• Be into assists Guys love to play on Steve's team, because he's all about making them look/play better. In fact, last year every regular player on the Suns had a career year in scoring. That's because, in Steve's words, "he'd rather get the assist than score it himself." It's no wonder his teammates love playing with him! He's all about putting their needs before his own. Now, granted, this isn't a new concept - Jesus covers this with the command to "do unto others." But it was a great reminder of how to apply this in everyday life. What if I was more concered about my co-workers' problems and more willing to lend them a helping hand with their projects? What if I were more interested in my elderly neighbor's yard that needs to be raked than I was my own? What if I was more interested in what my kids or my wife wants to tell me than the sporting event on TV? Things would be much better if I would go around everyday like Steve does on the court and look to "dish out more assists."

• Spiritually Cross-Train Steve's first passion was soccer. In fact, according to the article, he didn't even start playing basketball until he was a teenager because he had always played soccer and hockey. (He really IS Canadian!) He says at first, basketball felt like cheating because he was "allowed to use his hands." But those skills kicking the ball on the field and passing the puck on the ice transferred to hoops. Now he's able to see the court, anticipate movements and make plays unlike anyone else. (His terrific jumper doesn't hurt, either) In the offseason, Steve puts the basketball down and goes back to his first love: playing soccer. The article says he's able to dribble a soccer ball on his foot 625 times. (!) Bruce Arena, the coach of the New York Red Bulls, says that Nash could play right now in Major League Soccer. He stays in supreme shape and goes back to his roots every offseason by playing with the world's best soccer players. All this got me thinking about the benefits of "spirutally cross-training." All to often, I think Christians get too comfortable with the status quo. Now, I'm all for tradition and honoring your past, but it's too easy sometimes to get into the routine of going to the same church, sitting on the same pew, talking to the same people week after week. I am guilty as charged. I think Jesus calls us to constantly be growing and deepening our faith. So to take a play out of Nash's playbook, maybe that's joining a new Sunday School class, going on a mission trip, or introducing yourself to a complete stranger. Maybe it's going to a service at a different denomination or a service at a different faith entirely. Let me be clear: this isn't a call to abandon the Christian faith, but to really explore your beliefs. To not be in a rut. To have conversations and experiences outside of your comfort zone to challenge you and make you better.

• Give back One of the things I love about Nash (besides his mad skills) is that he just seems like a real guy. That rare NBA superstar that travels without an entourage. By all accounts, he's a family guy and a devoted father of twins. He's also using his celebrity status to do some great things. He started his own foundation that his sister helps run. This past summer, he staged the third annual Steve Nash Charity Classic in Vancouver, a two-day event that raised hundereds of thousands of dollars for children's health and after-school programs. He recently contributed to a pediatric wing for a hospital in Paraguay (where his wife is from). He's also passionate about addressing global warming issues. He recently opened a gym in Vancouver that was LEED-certified (The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is the most rigorous eco review in North America.) Steve says it best, "We can't wait for science to bail us out. We havve to do the little things everyday."

Chalk up another great assist to Nash for those words of wisdom. Now if he could only help me straighten out my jump shot.

Memories of My Grandpa

My mom called me this morning to tell me that my grandfather, Paul McCluskey, passed away at 5:17 this morning. At 95 years young and on hospice care for the past few months, it was not unexpected. But still there is that pain of sadness. Sadness to see my father go through losing his dad. Sadness (and fear) about what I will do when it's my turn to go through this. A pain for lost memories of simplier days. Days where my grandfather was the picture of health and the life of the party.

There is also joy. Joy because he lived an amazing life. He was always on the go and an avid golfer until he was 89! He was always a very social man - handsome in the way that Carey Grant and other movie stars from the past were. Dashing. Classy. In fact, after my grandma passed away it was always a running joke with my family about how many "girlfriends" grandpa had at any one time.

There is a joy of precious memories. Every Christmas was spent at his house. The time when he took me and my cousin to his golf club to let us drive the cart. Our 8 year old minds were blown away. I also remember at each and every family meal we'd all hold hands around the table to say the blessing - his favorite joke was to, after the prayer, squeeze your hand until you said "amen." The man had a crushing grip that squeezed tears from my eyes. I may have been 60 years younger, but he was twice as strong.

Sadness and joy. Joy and sadness. Today I feel both. But today I also feel a peace and assurance that this is a blessing. He is in Heaven. He's at perfect peace with a body that will never grow old. But hopefully still with that warm smile and twinkle in his eye that always let me know he was glad to see me.

Thanks for running a good race, Grandpa. I love you.

Picking Up The Joysticks

Throughout the Gospel, Jesus does some pretty amazing things. Turning water to wine. Giving sight to the blind. Forgiving sins. Walking on water. From raising the dead to feeding a crowd of 5,000 with a few pieces of bread and some Blue Gills, Jesus performed many miracles in a period of about three years. (Forgive the understatement)

But to me, one of the most amazing things he did was also one of the dirtiest: He washed his friends' feet.

Here's the setting: (John 13: 1-17) Jesus is about to have his last meal. He knows that in just a few short hours, his closest friends are going to betray him (Judas), deny him (Peter) and leave him alone to die an excruitating, painful death (all of them). If I were in a similar situation, I would be a basketcase. What I would NOT do would be to get down on my hands and knees to wash my friends' dirty, nasty, road-weary feet. But that's exactly what Jesus did.

Wow.

I mean, I love my friends, but I really can't imagine doing this. Can you? And we live in a modern world with paved roads and lots of shoe options besides open-toed sandals. In Jesus' day, washing guests' feet was a job for a household servant to carry out when guests arrived. So Jesus - God in flesh, the maker of stars and architect of the universe - wraps a towel around his waist (a symbol of what the lowliest slave would do) and washes his disciples' feet. Amazing.

And this type of selflessness and servantitude is what he expects of us.

Gulp.

I have always struggled with this passage and this concept. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy doing nice things for other people. You know, as long as it fits into my busy schedule. And it isn't too dirty. Or hard. And of course, as long as it doesn't involve washing someone's nasty feet.

Obviously, I have some hang ups in this area. So leave it to God to give me a wakeup call and show me that yes, he expects me to serve others in this way. Even if it's unpleasant. Even if it involves dirty feet. Or worse.

It was at my daughter's last birthday party. My wife and I were preparing for an onslaught of about 15-20 hyped-up 5 year olds to invade our home. (is there any other type of 5 year old?) The only entertainment we had secured was one of those giant inflatable jumpy thingys. Like a trampoline on steroids. I must admit I was looking forward to "testing it out."

I knew we were in trouble when it was 3 hours before the party and the guy we had rented the inflatable from still hadn't called to get our address. 2 hours before the party, I finally reach him and he assures me he'll have the thing set up on time. Oh, but he's "running a little late."

I tell the guy that there can't be a "little late." You ARE the party.

30 minutes before the party is supposed to begin, still no inflatable. My daugther senses our tension and starts getting upset. I can't tell if I'm going to hug the guy or strangle him if he ever shows up. Probably both.

During this time of nervousness and anxiety, is when God taps me on the shoulder with a stunning visual. My dad has taken it upon himself to go out to the back yard where the (still missing) inflatable is supposed to be. To pick up dog poop.

We have a 70 pound dog. This is no small endeavor. Literally.

In our family, we call this chore "Picking Up the Joysticks." Why the phrase "joy" is in there, I will never know. And, as anyone in my family will quickly tell you, I've never actually participated in this ritual. Call me crazy, but when it comes to picking up dog poop or doing, oh, about 16,834 other things, I'll do one of the the 16,834 other things.

But here, in this moment of tension and unease, my loyal, loving father takes it upon himself to grab a bag and some gloves and pick up a yard's worth of dog poop, so the kids won't step in it when they play around the still missing inflatable.

No one asked him to do this. He just did. And as I stood in the window watching him, I swear I saw a smile on his face the entire time.

I felt a peace. I felt God telling me to relax - the inflatable would get there when it got there. I felt blessed to have a beautiful, healthy 5 year old birthday girl. I felt grateful for having a dad who would serve in a way that Jesus would.

Oh, and the guy showed up with the inflatable literally 5 minutes before the party began. My daughter had an amazing birthday party, and we jumped on the thing all day long.

It was a joyous day, in more ways than one.

Waiting Turns To Never

Just read an awesome article in the latest issue of Men's Health (November 2007, the one with a super-inked up LeBron James on the cover). The article is "Last Words To Live By." Writer Mikel Jollett spoke with 15 men with life-threatening illnessess. Here is a sample of some of my favorite quotes. All profound. All inspiring. All packing a lifetime of wisdom into a sentence or two.

"Enjoy fatherhood. It has many, many valuable assets. It's also a terrible pain in the ass sometimes."
— Nat Posner, 92 (congestive heart failure)

"A bad diet will start to haunt you in your early 30s; a good diet will pay you back for the rest of your life."
— Mark Madden, 39 (congenital cardiomyopathy)

"Money never made me happy. You can buy a house, but you can't buy a home."
— Gary Garnesek, 53 (liver disease)

"A man with integrity will draw more business than a man without it."
— Mark Gillard, 46 (HIV)

"God gives me hope. That might seem corny, but when I'm sitting alone in a room and I know I'm not going to survive this, I feel comfort. I do not fear death."
— Tracy Thompson, 53 (ALS)

"You can't be a good father without being a good husband, and you can't be a good husband without being a good father."
— David Hewitt, 43 (melanoma)

And my favorite...

"Appreciate the time you have with your children. At the stage I'm at, you wish you had more time and wish you would have done more. There's never going to be enough money, so quit thinking about the things you want to do with your kids and just do them. Waiting turns to never."
— Bryan Woodward, 37 (leukemia)

Now those are some words to live by.

ARIGATO! New John Davis CD just released! Superdrag back on tour!

John Davis has always been one of my barometers for what is truly cool. There were two dominant forces on campus when I attended The University of Tennessee in the early 90s: our football team and John's band, Superdrag.

The first time I saw Superdrag they were playing a random keg party in Fort Sanders. I remember being blown away by their originals, and ended the evening with a cool cover of Modern English's "Melt With You." The fact that I could remember ANYTHING the morning after a Fort Sanders kegger was a testament to how brilliant this band was.

I immediately checked out their next live show at the legendary Mercury Theatre. Truly a watershed moment for me. As I stood packed like sardines with all the other scenesters in the ridicously overbooked Mercury, I was transfixed by the songs that would become the band's first record, "Regretfully Yours." At one moment, the band's roar dissolved to a silent whisper and John sung a cappella, off microphone. It was a beautiful, brilliant moment. I stood amazed at how talented he was. How great the songs were. I was overdosing on aura and knew this band was onto something big.

Things got very big very fast. Their anthem "Sucked Out" made it into the Buzz Bin on MTV. They toured everywhere. They made one insanely great album after another. But just like any great VH1 "Behind the Music" episode teaches, it all came at a price.

I don't know John Davis. I won't pretend to know what addictions he faced. But in this Metro Pulse article he talks about many of his demons. He also says:

"I was raised in church; I was baptized as a kid. It was part of who I was. Then I spent a long time trying to run as fast as I could in the opposite direction."

These words I can relate to. During the same time that John was running away from his faith I was following the same path. Of course, I didn't have to face any of the trappings of fame, like he did, but I made do. Church and faith and devotionals and praying just seemed so...lame. They sure didn't hold much allure during my college years when there was an endless stream of parties to make and kegs to tap.

(Not that there's anything wrong with a good party. Jesus himself enjoyed them. But let's just say moderation was not my strong suit on the campus of America's #1 party school.)

Eventually, Superdrag goes through several lineup variations and ultimately breaks up. I started hearing that John Davis was about to release his first solo album. This news was fantastic, but every post I read or conversation I heard inevitably had an interesting undertone to it. That was because John had become...of all things...a Christian!!! Gasp.

Many of the cool kids that loved Superdrag weren't quite sure what to do with this latest development. I mean, sure, he was sober, seemed to be happily married and have kids, but what if the music sucked now? What if it was all the booze and drugs and confilt in his life that made him a great songwriter, instead of his God-given talent and spirit?

And in their defense, I had some doubts, too. I mean a lot of Christian music is brutal.

But his first (self-titled) solo album was amazing. And it was a God-send for me. It came into my life at a time where I was getting over the hang-over (literally) of my college lifestyle and (trying to) embrace my spiritually. I had a wife, a child, a family. And while I still had more questions than I had answers, I wanted God to fit into the equation, too.

The songs on John's first CD were fantastic. One in particular really pulled me through some struggles. "Jesus Gonna Build Me A Home." is a beautiful, inspiring piano-based song that reminds me at a deep South tent revival or small, country church choir. The chorus goes:

"Everybody gonna reap what they sow. Jesus gonna build me a home."

I can't tell you how many times I listened to this song. In fact, my daughter has heard it so much she asks me to sing it to her when I'm tucking her into bed (I sign it nothing like John does.) This song spoke to me at a time that I was going through many spiritual battles. I was going through a traumatic situation at work, where a new job that looked perfect on paper was quickly becoming a nightmare. I was going through the trials of having a newborn and the realization that my wife and I may never sleep again. I was going through a bunch of stuff that didn't make sense.

But, somehow, this song helped everything make sense. The song struck a chord on all those levels, and reminded me that God cares about our struggles and work here on Earth. And that he notices the work we do, even when nobody else does.

I was able to thank John briefly for this song and his decision to share his talents in a way that serves God and the rest of us. He and his band performed at Barleys last year. The band was tight. Just before they played "Jesus Gonna Build Me A Home" he gave a disclaimer to the crowd by saying that the next song was about Jesus, and if that made anyone uncomfortable, they should leave. No one did. And it was like the greatest church services that inspire you and provide a peace that transcends all human understanding.

John's second solo album, ARIGATO! was just released, and he and the original members of Superdrag are on a reunion tour, and will be playing two shows at Barley's in downtown Knoxville this weekend.

Thank you John, for sharing your faith and your songs with us all. Thank you for using your God-given talents in a way that gives Him glory, and encourages others to smile. And for showing me that there's really nothing cooler than that.

Velvet Elvis

I love that feeling when you read just the right book at just the right time. When the words somehow jump off the page and sink deep within your soul. When you truly grieve the moment that you turn the last page.

It's only happened to me a few times. When I read Wally Lamb's "I Know This Much Is True." The first (of many) times that I read "The Catcher in the Rye." And it recently happened again with "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell.

Two months ago, I had never heard of Rob Bell. Now I think he's probably the most inspiring, talented Christian preacher/teacher/evangelist of our day. Especially for us hipsters from Gen-X who have at some point bought into the myth that if you are a Christian you have to be boring. Wrong!

A 2006 article in the Chicago Sun Times predicts Rob may become the next Billy Graham. I'm not sure about all that. I am sure that he is onto something. Rob graduated from the same seminary school as Graham (Wheaton College) but says he never got good grades in his courses because "he was always more interested in coming up with creative ways to share the Gospel."

And man, is he creative. He used to play in an indie rock band. He looks more like he'd be hanging out at a coffee shop or a Cold War Kids concert than in a pulpit. And maybe that's (part of) what makes him so effective. He does those things. But he also posseses an incredible knowledge of the Bible and the Jewish traditions and world Jesus lived in. Most importantly, he knows how to translate all that into a way that's relevant for us today. His teaching style inspires without being judgemental. Brilliant!

In 1999, he and his wife founded Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Michigan. Today it attracts over 10,000 people per service and is one of the fastest growing churches in American history. Many people also download the weekly Mars Hill Podcasts which feature sermons and messages from Rob and other top notch speakers. I highly recommend you check them out.

I also recommend his work through Nooma.com. Nooma is a series of short films with a contemporary look that explore contemporary Christian issues and perspectives. They are beautifully shot and edited. The music is hip. The messages are powerful and inspire, uplift and really make you think.

In short, they work in ways that all other Christian "educational" videos don't. It's more like watching a Ken Burns documentary than Driver License safety video, if you get my drift. I recently did a 4 week study with my Sunday School class (to date there are 17 different Nooma films, each one is about 5 minutes long). It inspired awesome discussion and we are going to do the rest of the series in the near future.

It was during this study of these Nooma films that I picked up Rob's first book, "Velvet Elvis." In it, he explains his vision of the Christian life. "The challenge," he says "is to live with great passion and conviction, remaining open and flexible, aware that this life is not the last painting." He talks about how he became a preacher (he didn't see it coming) and some real struggles he's faced. It's packed with insights on how a story that's 2,000 years old can make sense in today's TiVo'd world.

It's funny. It's eye-opening. It's inspiring. It's one of the best books I've ever read. I hope you'll read it, too.

(Side note: This fall, Rob Bell is going on a speaking tour, called The Gods Aren't Angry It's described as "part anthropology, part history, part deconstruction - featuring new material that Rob hasn't taught before." I'm going to check it out Novemeber 19 at The Tabernacle in Atlanta. I'll blog about that road trip for sure!)

Dying Professor's Last Lecture

What wisdom would you impart if it was your last day on Earth? Randy Pausch, a Professor at Carnegie-Mellon University-had that opportunity. Watch this clip of his last lecture and like me, you will probably rethink your definition of "having a bad day."

Fresh Ink

The new girl at my work is cool. We seem to have a lot in common. Her son and my daughter are close in age. She's way into music which is always a big plus for me. In fact, used to run a ultra hip jazz club here in town. And, as my latest barometer of coolness: she's a BIG fan of "The Office." Very cool, indeed.

One other thing that makes her stand out is she has tattoos. Lots of tattoos. Not that I've seen them. We work in a very traditional, buttoned-up atmosphere. She's very good at her job, and is always dresses very professionaly. And in a manner that covers up her ink.

She's gotten 2 tats (that I know of) in the past few weeks alone. She once mentioned to me that she "thinks she has about 20 tats." Which is, oh, about 20 more than I'll ever have.

My point is she has a lot of ink. And while that's not how I roll, I still think she's cool and we seem to get along pretty well.

Which brings me to a story she told me.

We were talking about faith and going to church and all those good things. Like so many people, she went early and often as a child, only to drift away from organized religion. I can relate. The point that I drifted away was also known as my college years.

At any rate, she had gotten away from the church. She had gotten married, had a child and gone through a divorce. It happens. At some point she moved back to her hometown and took her young son to her childhood church. She says that after a service, she along with other members of her family were in line to talk with the preacher.

It seems the preacher talked to everyone except my friend. She says that he wouldn't even look her in the eye or acknowledge her presence. It got so bad that he son asked out loud why the preacher was doing that.

I've got to admit I couldn't understand it either. When I asked her why someone, ESPECIALLY a preacher would do that in church she said "because I had been divorced...and because I have tattoos."

Is this what Jesus had in mind?

The answer, of course, is no. While there is always two sides to a story, it seems this preacher at the very least was making some very big judgements on who should and who shouldn't be in "HIS" church. What's so dangerous about this is that we all have labels that could be used to exclude us.

Some people have tattoos. Some people have no money. Some people have too much money. Some people have AIDS. Some people have dark skin. Some people don't think "The Office" is funny.

The point is, anytime we get to judging who should and who shouldn't be included, things get very messed up. Which is why I think Jesus tells us not to do it.

In Luke 15 the Bible says:

"Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

During this time tax collectors were considered the lowest of the low. And the sinners included everybody else. The Pharisees were the most powerful, respected force of the day. And they couldn't believe that Jesus would "lower" himself to associate with this crew.

Jesus goes on to tell three famous parables: the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. In all it describes how we rejoice when we find something we're missing.

Much the same way, God rejoices when we find our way back to Him. We're all lost at some point on this side of heaven. Life can be hard and questions, tough questions, often get in our way. But for those who keep searching, who don't stop trying to find God and strengthen their faith, Jesus promises that we will find what we're looking for.

It's for those reasons that as believers we should be supportive and encouraging to everyone. Even if they look different or dress different. Even if they've been married before, or heaven forbid, have a few piercings or tattoos. If those sorts of things wouldn't matter to Jesus, they shouldn't matter to us.

One final note about my friend. One of her tattoos that I have seen is on her left wrist. It's a very cool symbol that she tells me represents the trinity. I wonder what the preacher who dismissed her would think of that.

Answered Prayer

I have a new favorite football player. His name is Kevin Everett. Before last week I had never heard of him. As a UT graduate I've always followed the Vols, so when it comes to the NFL I keep up with the Colts (the Peyton factor) and the Cowboys (as a child of the 70's it was either the 'Boys or the Steelers.) So last Sunday, as I tuned into watch the Cowboys opener versus the Giants, I watched in horror at what happened to Kevin Everett, a tight end for the Buffalo Bills.

He was covering a kickoff. He made the tackle. He dropped immediately to the ground and lay motionless. Now, I have been to football games where there is an injury and they have to cart the player off the field. It is ALWAYS a serious situation. But something about this seemed even more tragic. The tone the announcers took, when describing the prognosis was bleak. They said he'd be rushed to emergency spinal cord surgery, but the prospects of Kevin ever walking again were bleak.

Here is a 25 year old man who is an elite athelete and in the blink of an eye, it may all be taken away. Even though I had never heard of Kevin Everett I said a quick prayer for him, his family, and the doctors. I suspect that millions of people who watched the report or were fans of his did the same thing.

And it worked.

The next day the doctors said there was really no way to describe his progress. His own mom called it a miracle.

Now, certainly Kevin has miles and miles to go before he can even walk again, let alone ever play professional football. So let's keep the prayers going for he and his family and his doctors. After all, I think he's become a lot of peoples' favorite player.

The Gospel According to Whitesnake

What's heaven really going to be like? Will the streets be paved in gold like in the book of Revalation? Will it be filled with marshmellow like clouds with a God that cracks wise like George Burns in "O God" or Morgan Freeman in "Bruce Almighty"?

Who knows. Humans have been asking questions about what heaven is really going to be like since the beginning of time. So we're probably not going to find any definite answers in this blog. But that shouldn't stop us from trying, now should it?

One of my closest friends, Phil (whom I will no doubt reference often in this blog as he is one of the most profound examples of living a life of faith I have) has a great concept about what heaven is going to be like. I will share an email he sent me where he came up with this image of heaven while on a recent business trip to Denver. I like his picture of heaven for many reasons. One, it paints a picture of heaven as not some far away image of "pearly gates" where we will sit around all day long strumming harps and bouncing on clouds. It paints an image that heaven will be a lot like the best parts of our life here and now. Those wonderful, inspiring moments that are so beautifuly described as "slices of heaven."

And I like Phil's concept because it involves Whitesnake. Hey, all those years of listening to cheese metal in the 80s should account for something. Here's what he wrote, edited somewhat to protect the innocent.

"We took a car into Boulder last night to go to a brew pub. All the local breweries around our hotel area are "chains," so we got a driver to take us into Boulder. We ate dinner at one place and drank beer at another place. The "another place" where we drank beer was the coolest bar I've ever been into, not because of the decor, but because of the guys working there. Imagine a bunch of college guys, not quite hippies, but more the outdoorsy backpacking set. There's about 10 of them in this place about the size of our downstairs and garage area.

So anyway, here's a description of the place off their menu (I asked them if I could keep a copy):

"Welcome to the Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery. We believe our approach to the service industry is unique and worth noticing. Your server today may be cooking your food tomorrow, or even managing. Each employee does every job here. Our "team system" also means that we take initiative to bus each other's tables, run food, do dishes, help you to a beer at the bar, or put you on the wait list. So feel free to ask any of us how the food is prepared, your estimated wait time, or where to find Yahtzee."

So anyway, we actually go into this place when we first get downtown. Each of us except John Doe orders a beer (he gets tea) and we stand around drinking them since there aren't any tables. As we're drinking, somebody notices a sign that says they only take cash or checks, no credit cards.

So, since none of us has a lot of cash, and even if we did we wouldn't want to spend it when the company is paying for our dinner, we tell one of the guys there that we're leaving, but that we'll be back later. He asks us why we're leaving, and we tell him about the whole "no cash" thing. So, this is what the guy says, not verbatim but close......

"You can eat here, and we'll give you a self-addressed envelope with the bill, and you can mail us a check when you get back home." We looked at him like he had monkeys coming out of his ears. We were pretty stunned, but we thanked him for the offer and said we'd go eat somewhere else, then bring our meager cash back for a final beer of the night. He was pretty persistent, but we promised him we'd be back later.

So we go out into the rain and start trying to figure out where we're going to go eat. John Doe had left earlier to try to scope some places out since he wasn't drinking beer. So we ask around, jump into a couple of other shops and figure out there's another microbrewery about 10 blocks down the street. So we hug close to the sides of buildings, getting under awnings when we can, and make our way to the other brew pub. When we get there, we realize that it's a "chain," but we were wet and hungry, so we went in anyway. The beer there was pretty boring, and our steaks were all over-cooked, but it's hard to complain too much when you're not paying for anything.

So we finish up our meal and go back to "Mountain Sun," the brewpub mentioned earlier. The guy is happy to see us, and strangely enough the place isn't very crowded. We all get beer and start playing Boggle without keeping score, which to someone like me, is kinda tough to do. It's even tougher when the folks I'm with start making up words that don't actually exist, so I'm having to turn off my strict "we've got to do this by the rules or it isn't fair" filter and just have a good time. It was tough, but I managed to work my way through it.

So it's getting close to 9:30, the time we asked our driver to come back to pick us up, and we ask for the check. The guy we'd met earlier told us there was no charge -- NOTHING -- for what we'd just drunk. Again, we were all stunned. So we each pitched in $5 and gave the guys there a $20 tip. In retrospect, we should have probably left them more. I'm telling you, it was the coolest thing that's ever happened to me in a bar.

So we leave the bar and our car guy shows back up, right on time, to pick us up. I didn't mention this earlier cause it's going to sound like I'm bragging, but he's driving a Cadillac Escalade. He has satellite radio, so we have him put it on an 80's station for the drive back. We listen to a Whitesnake song. We're driving down the road, I'm singing at the top of my lungs, and all of a sudden I realize that all this fun that I'm having right now is a complete and total gift from God. I'm hearing words in both the Whitesnake song and "Lean on Me" that can easily be turned into worship, and I realize that God is smiling and enjoying the fact that I'm having -- that all of us in this small community inside an Escalade are having -- a good time. It made me realize that what I'd experienced in the brewpub was a tiny picture of what our life is supposed to be like here on earth, that that sense of community and relationship and trust is exactly what God had in mind when he talked about the living in "community" and how we're supposed to get along in the world. To say I was blown away by the whole thing -- seeing God at work in a brew pub and in the back seat of a truck heading down the highway playing 80's music -- just really doesn't do it all justice.

I know this sounds weird, but here's the lyrics to the Whitesnake song:

I don't know where I'm goin
but I sure know where I've been
hanging on the promises in songs of yesterday.
An' I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time
but here I go again, here I go again.

Tho' I keep searching for an answer
I never seem to find what I'm looking for.
Oh Lord, I pray you give me strength to carry on
'cos I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams.

Here I go again on my own
goin' down the only road I've ever known.
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone.
An' I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time.

Just another heart in need of rescue
waiting on love's sweet charity
an' I'm gonna hold on for the rest of my days
'cos I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams.

Here I go again on my own
goin' down the only road I've ever known.
Like a hobo I was born to walk alone.
An' I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time
but here I go again, here I go again,
here I go again, here I go.

I know all of it doesn't apply, and I certainly don't feel "alone" in my life, but the part about "Tho' I keep searching for an answer, I never seem to find what I'm looking for..." spoke to me about how I'm always praying to God for answers, and sometimes I get the feeling He's being kinda quiet about stuff, but my response shouldn't be to worry and to fret about it, but just to keep on walking.

And then there's the part that says "Just another heart in need of rescue, waiting on love's sweet charity. An' I'm gonna hold on for the rest of my days, cause I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams..." where I'm thinking that our faith journey means we're called to just hang on even when we face uncertainty about what our life's going to be like in the future.

For you and me, we don't know what life will be like when we're taking care of our parents, or where we'll be working in 10 years, or even if the dog will still be tearing up the house and ruining carpets. For us, it just means that we need to trust God to take us where we want to go, and to try our best to enjoy the ride while we're on it. Sometimes it'll be a Cadillac Escalade, and other times it'll be a 1972 baby blue 4-door Ford Gran Torino, but the important thing to remember is that it is just a ride, and we need to enjoy what God has given us along the way, even when the road seems to get a little bumpy."

Amen, brother!

Now, in future posts we'll see if we can come up with "The Gospel According to Def Leppard"

Welcome to Observations on Faith!

Greetings! Welcome to a blog about living a life of faith.

Full disclosure: I am a struggling Christian that has few answers but plenty of questions. I am convinced that we are all God's children, and that we each stumble and scrape our knees many, many times along our path. The key is to keep getting up, learn from our mistakes and realize that God loves us, no matter what.

This is my first blog, so to be honest, I'm not really sure where it's going. I'll post some thoughts, ideas and experiences I've had along my faith journey. Hopefully I'll hear from some of you - whether you are a Christian or not. I believe we all have something to offer each other. I believe it's ok to have questions - serious questions - about faith, religion, Christianity, politics.

Jeez, did I cover enough ground with that last sentence? Well, like I said, I don't have it all figured out when it comes to my faith. Why would this blog be any different. We'll figure it out as we go along.

God bless,
lance