Thoughts from Peterson...

I came across an interview with a guy that really causes me to think - here's an excerpt:

Repentance, dying to self, submission—these are not very attractive hooks to draw people into the (Christian) faith.

I think the minute you put the issue that way you're in trouble. Because then we join the consumer world, and everything then becomes product designed to give you something. We don't need something more. We don't need something better. We're after life. We're learning how to live.

I think people are fed up with consumer approaches, even though they're addicted to them. But if we cast the evangel in terms of benefits, we're setting people up for disappointment. We're telling them lies.

This is not the way our Scriptures are written. This is not the way Jesus came among us. It's not the way Paul preached. Where do we get all this stuff? We have a textbook. We have these Scriptures and most of the time they're saying, "You're going the wrong way. Turn around. The culture is poisoning."

Do we realize how almost exactly the Baal culture of Canaan is reproduced in American church culture? Baal religion is about what makes you feel good. Baal worship is a total immersion in what I can get out of it. And of course, it was incredibly successful. The Baal priests could gather crowds that outnumbered followers of Yahweh 20 to 1. There was sex, there was excitement, there was music, there was ecstasy, there was dance. "We got girls over here, friends. We got statues, girls, and festivals." This was great stuff. And what did the Hebrews have to offer in response? The Word…

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You can read the article in its entirety HERE

quince años...

This coming Saturday, scoey-d gets to do something that he's never done before... drumroll... I get to 'officiate' at a quince años party (aka the quinceañera...) Generically, it's a "coming of age" ceremony for Latina young ladies as they reach the ripe old age of 15 (hence the name, quince años, which means 15 years.)

From what I can tell, it's similar in purpose to the bar & bat-mitzvah where a ceremony & party are thrown to celebrate the young woman's entrance into womanhood, & also into society... You can read a bit more about this ceremony here.

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My role in this thing as the officiant is to give a 10-15 minute 'challenge' or 'encouragement' to the young lady... I've watched a few examples on video of this occurring, & so far, I only know what I won't be doing. I've seen preachy lectures, a soliloquy borrowed from Shakespeare (poorly I might add;) a Proverbs 31 adaptation (also bad)... so, rather than taking my cue from what I've seen so far, I'm branching out on my own into uncharted waters...

my question to you is this:
What advice, encouragement, wisdom, etc. would you give to a 15 year old girl? In the spirit of me asking for advice, feel free to let me have it. And I'd appreciate real advice as well.

Thanks in advance...

flying solo...

This next week, 5 Mai, I will be flying solo - literally - to Frankfurt. Last year, the Bean & I were in Frankfurt 3 separate times - Maerz, August, & November, for a total of 31 days, if you include travel days, which really should count double for all the wear & tear on the body, mind, & psyche... & that's not even mentioning the need for acquisition of unique travel supplies, all in containers of 4 ounces or less, support hose, & the smuggle-able french press & coffee stash.

It was too much for the Bean for many, many reasons - the emotional, physical, relational & financial toll was too great - she acquired a job in Januar, & starts a new schedule on the day I fly away...

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So, I'll be going on my own for 8 days - traveling solo is ok; I've done it quite a bit... it actually makes the choice of 'where & what to eat/drink' much easier. I just ask myself, "Self, what do you want to do?" And I usually answer, "Thanks for asking. I am hungry. And thirsty. And hungry." And then it's on... I don't know why, but traveling brings out the snacker in me - I want to stop at every kiosk for a sample, to chow down & imbibe wherever possible. Wonder why that is?

This is a significant trip for me - I know it down in my guts... this will be a trip of resolution - I believe that my interactions & appointments, & calling to Europe will be becoming clarified. And resolved. Some of the nebulousness, the WHY's will be cleared up. Or be clearer.

I also know that this will be relationally significant... there are several situations that will require a miracle to see healed. If you're wondering what to pray for in this for me, pray for grace & peace in relationships. And reconciliation.

Finally, I am really looking forward to staying at the home of my friends Alex & Linda, & getting to spend a chunk of time with them. They are definitely one of my happy thoughts about this voyage, the one on which I am flying solo...

contemplation ahead...

TheMoses & I are planning a retreat...

For the last year or so, we've been talking about going to a place together where we can disconnect from the regular & get away for some contemplation... (in the vein of the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality book by Scazzero.

After lots of searching, I found a place that is relatively clost to where we are, Vina, California. In early April, we're off to New Clairveaux for about 3 days. It's a Trappist monastery that allows individuals & small groups (up to 3 at a time) to come to their site for rest, personal enrichment, silence, etc.

A bonus is that the monks support themselves by making vino - you can find out more about that HERE.

I'm not sure what to expect, other than some quiet personal reflective time, & also some bonding time with TheMoses.

It's not that I'm apolitical, it's just that there's an election coming...

I love .The ASBO Jesus site...

After perusing it today, thought I'd share the following with you...

Man Church... it's real.

Statistically, less men attend church than women. There are myriad reasons for this - one of them, valid for the masses or not, is that church has become too "girly" or feminine - leaving guys feeling uncomfortable, on the outside in the pursuit of faith with God through Jesus. Many claim faith, yet find that the common church experience isn't for them.

Enter a 'new' concept: MAN CHURCH. Interesting - Billed as a place for men to go to church, with lots of things men like, & not the things they don't.

Instead of a speech/sermon, there's a short 20-25 minute "Chalk talk."

Guys that attend are guaranteed to laugh.

Instead of a worship team with 30 minutes of music/worship, there's a non-marching, marching band.

Free pizza. A HUG-FREE Zone, (sorry TPT - I know you're a hugger.)

And a Merry Christmas to you?

Just when I thought I'd seen it all... Here's one man's protest of the commercialization of Christmas. Man, you gotta switch to decaf.

Get the whole story about Santa Crucified

Fodder for a Monday...

Taking the Pasty Gangster to school this a.m. we were doing what we always do - listen to the pontifications of Colin Cowherd on ESPN 630. A topic that comes up occasionally on his talk show is his distaste for religion, esp. as expressed by tele-evangelists who are "just after your money" in any way they can get it... He brought up the interview that Good Morning America did with Joel Osteen, & Pasty & I prepared for a diatribe... A diatribe that didn't come...

What did this self-described "completely unreligious" guy have to say about Osteen? He's positive. He seems authentic. He keeps the message simple. He seems to believe it. He's doesn't hammer on others that don't do it like he does. He isn't a "religious zealot."

Interesting to me - I know that Pastor Osteen takes a lot of heat from the "Christian world" - esp. with the statements that he is just doing "Christianity Lite" at best, "heresy" at worst.

Here's a couple of articles that have been in the news of fairly recently...

ABC News Article on Joel Osteen... and another GMA

Fascinating

I saw this Headline News interview called YOGA & the Christian. Its about 7 minutes long, very worth watching.



I was very intrigued by the dialogue between MacArthur & Pagitt, esp. when MacArthur challenges Pagitt's statements about "wholeness."

Not sure if it is a generational issue, a world-view issue, or a combo of both. Or?

#20

My long awaited 20th high school reunion finally arrived, & Friday night & Saturday day/night, the Bean & I got the opportunity to interact & celebrate with a plethora of people, most of whom I had lost touch with upon my move to Carson City in 1987/88. Going into the evening, (Friday) I made a list - (as every good, organized person knows you're SUPPOSED to) - of people that I wanted to make sure to talk with in the attempt to reconnect. I feel pretty blessed in that I was able to have significant & meaningful interactions with every single person that I put on my list.

Over the next couple of days, pre-Deutschland, I hope to post some pictures, organize some thoughts, & pontificate a bit about what I experienced. In a nutshell - it was an 11. My hopes for this weekend were realized. Prayers were answered. Thank you Jesus.

GONE. Or, Dan Patrick is no longer En Fuego...

After 18 years, Dan Patrick is leaving ESPN. My heart is downcast.

Read more about Dan Patrick Leaving ESPN

Sigh.

When Chief Sinners Become Moral Guardians...

I've been reading a book by Gregory A. Boyd called Myth Of A Christian Nation. It addresses how the (largely evangelical) church has attempted to use political power in order to advance a 'christian' worldview. Boyd, a pastor, challenges the idea that America is (& was) a Christian nation, & points the Church towards Scripture to find out & to reclaim what our real mission is: the message of the cross (not the sword,) & the message of Christ's love for us. AND every other human being on the planet.

Today's reading was from the chapter "When Chief Sinners Become Moral Guardians" - it addresses the problems that result when the church takes on itself the role of being the "moral guardian" of a nation, community, or culture...

A few highlights in the form of quotes from this chapter:

As people called to mimic Jesus in every area of our lives, we should find it significant that Jesus never assumed the position of moral guardian over any individual, let alone over the culture at large.

When we assume the role of moral guardians of the culture, we invariably postion ourselves as judges over others.

When the church sets itself up as the moral police of the culture, we earn the reputation of being self-righteous judgers rather than loving, self-sacrifical servants.

When people assume the position of moral guardians of the culture, they invite - they earn! the charge of hypocrisy, as all judgment, save the judgment of the omniscient & holy God, involves hypocrisy

Throughout history, the church has proven itself to be a very poor moral guardian. Whenver the church exercises the power of Caesar to enforce its doctrine & convictions, the result has usually been at least as bad as any non-Christian version of the kingdom of the world.

An interesting & thought-provoking read, for sure...

For Brintus Maximus...

Lies, Damn Lies, & Statistics or Why Christians scare people in this & other countries...

A snippet:

Evangelicals Behaving Badly with Statistics
Mistakes were made.

by Christian Smith

American evangelicals, who profess to be committed to Truth, are among the worst abusers of simple descriptive statistics, which claim to represent the truth about reality, of any group I have ever seen. At stake in this misuse are evangelicals' own integrity, credibility with outsiders, and effectiveness in the world. It is an issue worth making a fuss over. And so I write…

And

Why do evangelicals recurrently abuse statistics? My observation is that they are usually trying desperately to attract attention and raise people's concern in order to mobilize resources and action for some cause. In a world awash in information and burdened by myriad problems, some evangelicals may justify the problematic misuse of statistics to get people to pay attention to what they think are good causes. But this is inexcusable. Such desperation, alarmism, and sloppiness reflect the worst, not the best, in evangelicalism…

Read the whole article HERE

You can also revisit what THIS BLOG said about the rampant alarmism last January - if you get lost, read the day one, day two & day three posts.

I thiink I'll do a series on this one. Alarmism. Statistical abuse. Christian Marketing. Might be fun.

More good news...

Repent...Jesus Christ will judge you?

What the heck?! I'm on the list.

NOTE: Mr H wanted to know if the picture above was taken of the guys who yell the "good news" at UNR. Answer is no, but this picture is of the UNR campus visitors, though while they were blessing UC Davis with their presence & their message.

Friday musings...

You may have noticed the football news of the last week – Dallas Cowboy’s football coach, Bill Parcells, announced his retirement after 19 years as a head coach in the NFL (Google: Parcell's Retirement for more on this...) Chief among reasons for the retirement was that he was tired – not so much physically, but mentally. Too tired mentally to be able to make it through the grind that is a 12 month, 365 day, 20 hour/day job.

Some had speculated that having to deal with Terrell Owens had played a role in Parcell’s retirement, believing that T.O.’s on-the-field inconsistency (15 dropped passes, most in the NFL this year,) coupled with his griping about how he was not being thrown to enough (though he had over 150 passes thrown his way,) on top of his much chronicled off-the-field issues, had driven Parcells from the game. He denied it. Bob Knight’s Take

Today, I was watching the NFL Network, as I am want to do occasionally, esp. on my day off. One of the regular segments is hosted in a barbershop by Deion Sanders. Reference: Barbershop: the Movie The premise of the segment is that the gentlemen (the barbers & their clients) debate current events happening in the sporting world, mostly about the NFL. Today, Bill Parcell’s retirement was discussed by the guys in the shop - & Parcell’s retirement was seen as a positive for T.O.’s football career; it was stated that Parcell’s had been overtly working to keep T.O. from achieving to his potential. Really? Some other gems:

“Now that Parcell’s is gone, T.O. gets to be himself.”
“hopefully the next coach will make sure that T.O. gets utilized like the player he is” instead of “being neglected and stigmatized.”
“I’m not saying it’s a racism thing, but you know…”

Racism? When is refusing to give special treatment to a jerk, racism? Is it when the people having the discussion are of the same color as the misunderstood athlete? Under what circumstances, if any, would T.O.’s behavior be considered inappropriate? Are we really believing that the Man is still keeping T.O. down & is responsible for the kind of year that T.O. had? It seems way too easy to play the proverbial race card anytime someone of color does something dumb & their coach (or someone else who is of another color) calls them on it. It is merely a way to avoid personal responsibility, & ends up distracting us from situations where real racism is happening. Please.

The highlight of the segment for me was when Deion Sanders referred to the upcoming Super Bowl, where both of the teams have “African-American” head coaches. This means that the winning team of Super Bowl XLI will have an “African-American” head coach. One of the barbers snorted & replied: “African? Don’t give me African. They BROTHERS. They BLACK!”

Nicely stated.

An Interesting Read...

Perusing the Drudge Report, & a link from a link led to the following...

Our culture — both in the media via programmes such as Sex and the City and in everyday interactions — relentlessly puts forth the idea that lust is a way station on the road to love. It isn’t. It left me with a brittle facade incapable of real intimacy...

Times Review

amazon.com

A study that proves what we've suspected all along...

"Not only do the incompetent reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it."

--Justin Kruger, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Illinois, and David Dunning, professor of psychology at Cornell University, on people who do things badly but think they do them well, New York Times, Jan. 18.

The Hypothesis:

incompetent individuals tend to overestimate their own level of skill.

incompetent individuals fail to recognize genuine skill in others.

incompetent individuals fail to recognize the extremity of their inadequacy.

if they can be trained to substantially improve their own skill level, these individuals can recognize and acknowledge their own previous lack of skill.

The results:
Across 4 studies, the authors found that participants scoring in the bottom quartile on tests of humor, grammar, and logic grossly overestimated their test performance and ability. Meanwhile, people with true knowledge tended to underestimate their competence.

APA Journal Well worth the read.

Or, you can take a look at the WIKIPEDIA article.

Baseball Musings...

Bonds ESPN Article

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I love baseball - watching a game in person, the sights, smells, & sounds, accompanied by the PacBell/SBC/AT&T food & beverages menu (nachos, garlic fries, quesadilla, dogs, Gordon Biersch) is at the top of my list of favorite experiences. My next favorite way to experience baseball is listening on the radio - some of my earliest memories are hiding under the covers with a transistor radio (btw: the size of 3 iPods stacked together,) listening to the play-by-play of some really terrible Giants teams in the 70's & 80's.

So, I'm pondering the most recent news out of baseball... as if the 'allegations' of steroid & HGH use were not enough, now it has been revealed that sometime last year, Barry Bonds tested positive for amphetamines. Using speed is illegal, even in baseball, though the usage of greenies had long been winked at by MLB, with the understanding being that with the travel & game schedule being what it is, the only way for players to be able to be physically 'up' for the games was to use artificial means. Baseball passed a rule against the use of greenies, & has included the drug on a list of banned substances that they test for. Greenies Story

One of the things that is not supposed to happen is the release of the name of the accused in the event of the 1st failed drug test. But, because its Barry Bonds, the info is leaked. Kind of like the 'sealed' grand jury testimony that leaked containing the revelations that Bonds had been using 2 substances, The Cream & The Clear given to him by his trainer, Greg Anderson.

Why the incoherent ramblings this Friday morning? I'm in mourning. Mourning, because it ticks me off that with only about a month until pitchers & catchers report, that baseball has been reduced to sensationalistic sound-bites full of allegations & accusations, with the press playing the protagonist... the same press that trumpeted McGwire & Sosa's chasing of the Maris record as "the salvation of the game." Too bad.