To the Sensible Anarchist:

To the vandal who engraved the anarchy symbol on the stall door at Target:
Bro, here are the things I respect about you...

• You honestly believe that in the absence of all order and establishment, you would survive and not inevitably be subjugated/enslaved by a far more abusive system than the one under which you currently eke out your meager existence.
• You have a nose for bargains.
• You are totally too good to find those bargains at a classless establishment like Wal-Mart.

Your convictions are inspiring. 

I love this stuff...

Fall is approaching and football is firing up.  This is the time of the year when my sports addictions awaken from their mid-summer sleep (sorry, baseball; it's not you, it's me).  All the excitement of the coming seasons had me perusing youtube last night for some of my favorite sports moments of all-time.  After about two hours of this, here are the ones that I would probably consider my favorite moments that I actually recall watching when they happened. Every time I watch these, I can't help but get pumped, so I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!!

Michael Jordan Dominates the Blazers

St. Louis Rams Super Bowl Win

Christian Laettner Downs Kentucky

Barry Sanders Breaks 8 Tackles

Tiger Woods' Improbable Chip-In

Quick Hitters 3.0

Quick Hitters on a crazy Wednesday...

1. Rolling around with the sunroof open and your music blaring is gangsta...especially when you're driving a minivan.
2. I'm so blessed to have such awesome men around me pouring into my life.  Not everyone has a Tony Brown, a Lou Harris, or an Ed Love in their life.  I count myself one lucky dude.
3. Leaving for Russia in two weeks and trusting God to take care of the million details between now and then.  After these next two weeks, a long flight over the ocean might be incredibly relaxing.
4. I fear no TSA employee.  If they want to see what's beneath my clothes, they're the ones who have to live with the unsettling memories.
5. Watching the Lakers unravel was painful.  I don't even like them and I felt horrible for Phil and the boys...until Bynum got confused and thought he was a defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings.  Simmer down, Andrew.
6. My boys are clearly training for a future season of "The Ultimate Fighter" behind me as I type this.
7. Pause...problem solved...back.
8. I avoided David Platt's Radical for six months because I was afraid of the challenges it might lay down.  Now wrapping it up and ready to take on some of those challenges. 
9. Great time chatting w/ my pastors Joshua Hedger and Dave Becker this afternoon.  So blessed to serve alongside dudes like that.  
10. Nothing gets me as cranked as the intro to "When the Levee Breaks."  Iconic drumbeat from Bonzo, Page's menacingly droning guitar riff, JPJ laying down the low notes, and Plant's signature vocals.  Altogether, song is best described as "testosterawesome".  I hope that word is original to me.

Bonus: Sweet video of Page (one of the few rock icons who doesn't dye his mop in old age) talking about recording @ Headley Grange and making note of the drums in "WTLB."

Effective Score: 8.9/100,000

Warts and All...

Last weekend the band played our first show in about seven years.  The show was booked by a friend who, in what seems like another life now, was a huge help to our band as a promoter, booking agent, manager, and mentor.  The venue, Theater 166, was a cool place, though a bit small for full band volume.  Sound issues aside, it was a fun show because it honestly felt less like a "gig" and more like a practice with a ton of old friends sitting around listening.  The crowd was only about 100 folks, but pretty much all of them were old Texas friends we hadn't seen in a long time.  Guess a concert is a good reason to fix that, eh? 

I chose a few videos my wife got as probably the best ones of the night to share here.  Bear in mind that we only got two practices in before the show and we only practiced some of the new tunes 3-5 times straight through before their debut.  Instead of having time to work through each part and make sure they were all working together well, the new ones had to be put together much like a Baptist potluck in that everyone just kind of brought what they liked to the table and we hoped for the best.  Still, I think they ended up okay and would love to hear what all 2.6 of you who read this blog think of the two tunes, so comment, comment, comm...!! 

1. When the City is Quiet: Old song we recorded back in 2003.  One of my fave tunes that I wrote while not paying any attention in Dr.  Huser's Earth Science class during Jan. term of 2002.  Can't say I remember anything about the rocks he ranted about day in and day out, but I still dig this song.

2. Hush: This Waterdeep song was the obligatory cover tune of the night.  Great song and Kim really nailed it.

3. Rain: New tune I wrote about what a "Debbie Downer" I'd become in my old age.  Well received by the crowd.  Hopefully we can get this song and a few other new ones recorded in the months to come.

4. Promise: Kim is a stud songwriter and this song shows it.  It's abeautiful song about the struggle an adopted child faces and though it wasn't as tight as we may have wanted it in spots, it was probably the highlight of the night for me.

Overall, it was a great night to see old friends, reminisce about old times, and play music without having to give a rip what anyone else in the room thought of us.  An added bonus was getting to see Radial Angel, a great band who also has long since called it a day, play before us (not sure how we drew headliner).  So, what do we do now?  Our tour of Antarctica starts next week.  We'll be hitting all the major rock cities on the frozen tundra, so make sure and clear your calendar. ;)

Rockomendations 2.0

The Rockomendation list is back.  Get your boots on because this list is legit!!

Something Old
Waiting for Somebody by Paul Westerberg

A while back my iPod did me a favor and reminded me (via shuffle) that Paul Westerberg is awesome.  This is one of his two tunes off the soundtrack for Singles, which is not all that great of a movie, but it does have one of the best soundtracks EVER.  Westerberg's tunes on that soundtrack are just straight fun to listen to, no doubt about it.  


Something New
Holocene by Bon Iver

When a band gets a gig on a late-night talk show, they usually pick the upbeat, three-minute single they're going to be tossing to radio or whatever channel started airing music when MTV stopped.  That's what you do unless you are Bon Iver and you actually don't have any upbeat radio singles.  I tweeted this vid a while back and I stand by the statement that songs this beautiful don't grace television often enough.

Something Borrowed
Ryan Adams' version of Wonderwall originally done by Oasis

 The original tune by Oasis is pretty much an iconic late 90's tune that came out during my high school years and immediately takes me back, for better and for worse, to those days.  It was a great song in its original form, but Ryan Adams' take adds a lot more feeling and urgency to the whole thing even though he actually strips it down.  In all honesty, though, I'm such a Ryan Adams fan that he could probably sing "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" and I'd put it on here. 

Something Blue(s-based)
Jeff Beck featuring Imogen Heap, Rollin' and Tumblin'

 This is so stinkin' awesome I don't even know what to say.  Jeff Beck, legendary since the days of the Yardbirds + a musical innovator like Imogen Heap = yes.  'Nuff said.

Rain

Most of you who know me know that I spent my early twenties rolling around with a band called The Pedestrians.  I played guitar, wrote, and provided the occasional sour note on background vocals.  We weren't amazing, but it was a great time and we got to see a lot of cool places while meeting some lifelong friends along the way.  One of those friends is Tony Brown.  We first met Tony when he was booking for a great little club in Texas called The Underground.  Throughout the latter years of the band's tenure, Tony became a close friend who was a huge help in managing, promoting, and mentoring the group.

A few months back, Tony and I cooked up a crazy idea.  What if we got back together for one more show six years later?  If I remember correctly, I think I just shot it to Tony as a joke, but lo and behold, he has us booked within a day.  If it started as a joke, it became a reality pretty quick.

Once it was settled that all of us except our rhythm guitarist Noble was in (schedule conflicts), I knew we had to get some fresh material going.  Of course we'll play our old tunes that people know, but there was no way I was going out there without some new songs superior to those that were recorded back in like 2000-2003.  Luckily, the songs just seemed to come.  Sometimes they don't and it frustrates the crap out you as a songwriter.  This wasn't one of those times.

Within about three weeks,  I think we had five or six potential new tunes for the show.  At this point, we have four that have made the cut for the reunion show this week.  We could have worked up more, but practice time has been at a premium and we'd rather focus on a few and nail them than a bunch and sound like a bad cover band covering our own songs.  One of my faves is a tune called Rain.

When I was working on new songs, I thought back to a song called Reach off one of our previous albums.  That song was inspired out of an instance in which something dumb (but harmless) I said set off a little controversy among some pretty conservative folks who we were networked with for promotion/booking purposes.  We basically felt like they were making a big deal out of nothing and wrote the song about how quick people are to tear others down rather than to extend grace and overlook things that are not of eternal significance anyway.

Rain kind of hits on a similar idea, but is more personal in that it points the finger back at me.  In the years after the band, I got a real job and a house, joined a local church, and basically "grew up" as some would define it.  However, as I looked at my life since the band, I realized that I'd actually become much like the folks I was calling out in Reach.  I noticed that I often tended to speak out against situations, groups, institutions, or individuals who frustrated me with the self-righteous attitude that I was honorably "standing up for what's right" or even "proving that I loved others by speaking brutal truth."  In all honesty, I'd just become pridefully negative.  Rather than being an encourager who spoke words of life and blessing to others, I typically saw folks as on my side (right) or on the other side (wrong) and endeared myself to them or bemoaned them accordingly.  I'm not saying we shouldn't confront people with truth (if that were true, Paul would be in serious trouble), but the problem was the ugly motives that were hiding behind my words.  I felt I could throw what I saw as truth in people's faces without actually having a God-inspired love for them in my heart.  I thought I could convert them to my way of thinking without really giving a rip about them.  Thus, I found myself tearing others down instead of building them up.  As James says, salt water and fresh water don't flow out of the same spring, and as I look back, I just see too many times my mouth was spewing salt water pretty dang liberally. 

I could explain further, but I'll just let the song speak for itself.  Here 'tis.

  -->

Rain (The All-Too-Familiar Saga of Debbie Downers and Negative Nancies Everywhere)

God bless your soul

A good man is hard to find

Critics come a dime a dozen

When will you learn

Throwing stones is not a hobby

Every bridge is not to burn

Your compassion-colored wine tastes like blame

Do my ears deceive me

When all I hear is rain

Pouring down

We’re all clinging to the raft

While you’re flooding the whole town

The clouds roll in whenever you do

And everyone is wishing that you

would come in from the rain…

Another tongue untamed

Why bother holding back when

Sticks and stones just come so easy

Such a cute little game

Sounds so bad to call it discord

Let’s just call it “honesty”

You preach love but in your wake you leave pain

Do my ears deceive me

When all I hear is rain

Pouring down

We’re all clinging to the raft

While you’re flooding the whole town

The clouds roll in whenever you do

And everyone is wishing that you

would come in from the rain…

Please know I’m listening,

But it’s so hard to hear you

When all we hear is rain… 


The good news is that in my age I've learned enough humility to admit things like this.  I'm not always right and every little frustration is not worth drawing a line in the sand and polarizing all those around me.  It's my prayer that when people speak of me, they'd call me an encourager, not a firestarter. I pray that I could live out the following words:

Ephesians 4:29-- Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

James 4:11--  Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

Matthew 5:9-- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.


Oh, and if you're in Texas this Friday, you should definitely come see the show (or just make a sweet road trip that you hadn't planned on until right now).  I'm totally biased, but the new songs are really strong...strong enough that it's hard to get fired up to play the old stuff.  The back catalog kind of pales in comparison musically and lyrically.  Kim Scowden, our keys player and co-vocalist has written one of the most beautiful tunes we've ever played and I'm chomping at the bit to perform it live. Will post some vids from the show next week.  Wish us luck!!!

Friday "Rockomendations"

In addition to being the uncontested queen of concession stands, Sue Roweton is also master of the "reccomendations" post.  If she says it's good, it probably is.  Thus, I'm not going to try and compete with her picks.

Instead, I offer these to you on a rainy Friday afternoon.  Here are my "Rockomendations" for your listening pleasure.

1. Something Old: Hocus Pocus by Focus

When one of my buddies first sent this to me last summer, my immediate thought was that this had to be some kind of joke.  Surely this was not an actual song recorded by a serious band.  Still, it wasn't five minutes after I walked away from the computer before I realized that the signature opening lick was on repeat in my head.  It's a great rock lick and has earned this tune a place on my workout playlist.  Oh, and as far as the yodelling, goes, the whole thing kind of reminds me a Friends episode.  Joey's eating jam straight out of a jar and Chandler asks Joey to choose between a hot girl at the Xerox place (holds up one hand) and a big tub of jam (holds up the other hand). Joey's response is "Put those hands together."  On a musical level, I'm pretty sure that sums up how I feel about yodelling and rock music.

2. Something New(ish): The Story by Brandi Carlile

I can't say this one is really "new" as it came out in 2007, but Carlile is someone whose career I didn't really follow until I caught her Austin City Limits performance last fall upon a friend's reccomendation.  I suppose that makes her "new" to me.  Carlile has melodic sensibility on par with someone polished like Sarah McLachlan, but mixes that musicality with a level of grit and growl that just stinkin' rocks; no other way to explain it.  This tune in particular is one of my faves because of the way she pushes on the yells.  Love it.

3. Something Borrowed: Redemption Song  "borrowed" from Bob Marley by Chris Cornell

Chris Cornell is easily in my top-ten favorite vocalists of all time.  There was some talk that his voice had tailed off some near the end of his run with Audioslave, but after so many years of rocking, that would make sense.  It would be tough sing most of the early Soundgarden catalog for as long as he did and expect to still have fully-functional vocal chords forever.  Despite that, from what I've heard of the recent SG reunion tour, his voice is still as strong as ever.  CRAZY!  Cornell is best known as as a metal/rock singer with signature screaming ability, but this is one of those moments where he totally removes himself from that context and shows the range as an artist and singer that make him great.  Oh, and if you think Marley is the extent of that range, be sure to check out Cornell's version of Ave Maria HERE.

4. Something Blue(s-based): ZZ Top's Just Got Paid by Joe Bonamassa

This could have just as easily been my "something borrowed" since it's actually a ZZ Top tune, I believe.  When it comes to bluesy rockers, Bonamassa is a bonafide stud.  As a kid, he got a guitar at the age of four and was playing Stevie Ray and Jimi Hendrix tunes by age seven.  There are some people who were made to rock and this video pretty much proves it. 

Effective Score: 11/10 as a nod to "This Is Spinal Tap"

For Your Weekend Entertainment...

Funny things from ye olde interwebs.

1. Darth Vader is Catholic

2. Yes, Lionel.  It IS you we are looking for.

3. Statistical evidence of Meat Loaf's claims.

4. Rest easy, fellow citizens.

5. Depressing.

Effective Score: 10/10

Manly Men...

I hate "Two and a Half Men."  I really hoped the whole Charlie Sheen thing would blow up enough to rid television of its presence, but it looks like I'm not going to be so lucky.  Why do I have such a disdain for this show?  I hate it because of the song that rolls during the credits.  You likely know the tune.  "Men, men, men, men, manly-men..."  What drives me nuts is that at the end, this show attempts to reinforce the idea that what you have just seen is a portrayal of some sort of male ideal.  Who better to define manliness for us than Charlie Sheen (in person or in character), right?  Absurd.

I realize that this show is just one of many which are currently defining what manhood looks like.  Some argue that the media is setting the agenda, some argue the media is simply giving us what we want.  I know where I stand on that, but that's another discussion for another day.  I'm not interested in a chicken/egg debate.  What I am interested in, however, is acknowledging that the very idea of what it is to be a man has been perverted.  Criminals, womanizers, abusers, thieves, bums, drunks, addicts, and playboys are celebrated by young men as idols who are not only worthy of adulation, but also emulation (Li'l Wayne, the Jersey Shore cast, Ron Jeremy, Hugh Hefner, Charlie Sheen, Jesse James, etc.).  Progressively, I've become far more passionate about this topic.  I suppose three truths have contributed to my lack of tolerance for those who flaunt this false image of what it means to be a man.

1. Age has a tendency to reduce one's tolerance for lies.
2. I am a father of two boys and thus take Ephesians 6:4 more seriously than I used to.
3. I've worked around teenage boys all day for eight years now and see the misconceptions about manhood that plague our sons.

Here are the two most troubling lies I see our young men being taught as truth and buying into on varying levels.

Misconception #1: When a real man is pushed, he must push back with greater force.
I cannot begin to express how pervasive this idea is among the young men I work with.  I had a conversation with a young man earlier this year that typifies this thinking.  The young man in question had basically been raised with only one male role model, his uncle.  The only trait he ever told me he admired in his uncle was that he was "a cool dude with a sweet car."  One day this kid was talking with other kids in my class about whose (butt) he was going to kick for keying his car.  I intervened and asked him what good it would do to repay their aggression with aggression.  All of the young men in my class looked at me like I had just claimed the world was flat and that I was Poseidon.  While all of them acknowledged that the kid in question could end up facing jail time for his retaliation and that it wouldn't fix the paint job on his car to beat down the aggressors, they all readily agreed that the only course of action was to fight fire with greater fire.  Here was my question: "What would be harder for you: to carry out your wrath or to forgive and move on?"  The inevitable answer was that it would be nearly impossible to forgive and walk away.  To this, I left them with, "Then why does it make him more of a man to take the easier route?" 

Obviously, these young men are not seeing forgiveness practiced.  If their role models consistently choose vengeance, then why would they have any reason to see forgiveness as the more desirable option?  Instead of heeding the words of Proverbs 29:11, our young men are taught to instinctively react with fury against all trespasses.  Much less are they taught to carry out Jesus' words in Matthew 5:39 or Matthew 5:44. 

Misconception #2: A woman is a sexual object for a man's pleasure
Here's a tough one.  Our culture has become so hyper-sexualized that shady, shady things have become the status quo.  Bottom line, we are tossing our young men to the wolves because we "normalize" things that seem like such innocent, minute things which slowly allow lust to creep into their hearts at the cost of love.  I know this is an unpopular stance, but I have a real problem with the "I (heart) Boobies" bracelets that have become common among high school (and middle school) boys.  Of course, we hide the clever marketing ploy under a sincere concern for breast cancer awareness.  FYI, if you think most young men are wearing it because they want to promote breast cancer awareness, come do my job for a few days and watch how they treat young women.  Ask teenage boys about their vast knowledge of breast cancer statistics.  Ask them if they've been personally affected and been forced to watch the devastation of this tragedy.  The majority, you will quickly find, wear them simply because they do indeed love breasts...not women.  (Sarcasm Forthcoming) That's what every girl wants, right?  A man more concerned with the contents of her shirt than the contents of her heart.  That's the kind of guy a father wants for his precious daughter, right?  A man who, foremost, wants people to understand that what he truly loves in that wondrous, beautiful creation of God is her chest?!!!  This is insanity!!!!!  If a young man shows up to my house to date my daughter wearing one of those, I will quickly send him home so that I don't do anything to him which would force me to start a prison ministry from the inside.  The WORST part is that some people will say I am making a big deal of just a silly little word.  I've even had people tell me I clearly don't care for those affected by cancer despite the fact that my grandmother died of cancer and my dad has been twice affected.  This is more than semantics.  This is not about words...this is about young men's souls.   

What do I want for my sons?  I want them to view females in the context of Proverbs 31:30.  I want them to love a woman so much that they take to heart the words of Ephesians 5:25.  I do not want their future wives to be objects of lust, but rather objects of sacrificial service.  What more could I hope for my daughter in marriage than that she find a man who had committed himself to loving her in the same manner which Christ loved us?  With the advent of technology, instilling and defending this mindset is becoming an uphill battle.  Today, men are bombarded with images and messages that years ago could only be received through shady, shady means.  Many moms might be thinking, "Oh, that's not my son."  Does he have a computer?  An iPod with internet access?  Friends who do? Trust me, that's your son.  My advice?  Engage him in this discussion proactively.  If our young men are left alone in the world to discover what gives women worth, I guarantee you they will receive a polluted, deceptive message that will destroy them and their future relationships from the inside out. 

So, what do we do about these lies?  We attack them with truth.  We go on the offensive, not the defensive.  Too often our course is to shoot for "behavior prevention" rather than "truth revelation."  As an example, I remember going through a "True Love Waits" study several times as a teenager.  All I can recall from those studies are debates on "how far is too far," signing a pledge card promising to abstain until marriage, and a temporary spike in purity ring stocks.  Seems like good intentions, but were people really thinking, "Whew, now we're good.  In the moment of greatest temptation, those kiddos will feel the weight of that purity ring, remember that they signed a pledge card promising not to have sex, and draw the line clearly at involved kissing"?

Age or youthful ignorance could have erased my memory, but what I don't recall is anyone attacking the underlying idea that was the true root of the problem...idolatry; elevating sex to an object of worship rather than seeing it as a good and beautiful gift from an infinitely good Creator who prescribes a context in which that gift can be safe, rewarding, and honoring to each other and Him.  Is that a tougher sell than, "PLEASE, DO NOT HAVE SEX!!!"?  Yes it is.  However, the difference is that one goes after the root while the other merely hacks at the limbs springing from a heart that has bought into deadly lies.  When it comes to lies about the nature of manhood, we cannot afford to modify behaviors, but must use truth to combat the lies from which those behaviors grow . 

How else do we attack these lies which falsely identify what it is to be manly?  We need men who will live like THE man, Jesus Christ.  Too many young men have no model to follow, but are left to figure it out on their own.  How do we model this behavior?  We forgive those who don't deserve it (Luke 23:34).  We serve others in humility (John 13).  We give ourselves up for others at all cost (John 15:13).  We love our wives as Christ loved the church and "gave himself up for her." 

Show me that kind of man, and I'll find him infinitely more impressive than a man who can dunk a basketball, fight any challenger, rule his wife with an iron fist, drink others under the table, have sex with any woman he wants, sell a million albums, or gain the whole world yet lose his soul in the process.  In comparison with what Christ did, those things seem pretty easy...and I've never known a real man to take the easy way out.

Note: I promise lighter fare for next blog.  Maybe something about alpacas...

The Real Deal...

Forgive my youthful idiocy, but Easter was not always my favorite holiday.  As a youngster, Easter meant that I would suffer through some crazy kid-sized suit or perhaps corduroy pants with an elastic waistband (along with an extra church service that occurred at unholy hours of the morning).  This was done solely for the reward of a basket of fake plastic grass and candy allegedly left behind my grandpa's chair by some rabbit-man creature as shown below (creepy, man...creepy).

As is the case with many others, I'm sure, it was not until later in life that I began to grasp what Easter is really about.  Easter is such a powerful season, calling our minds back to remember the suffering Jesus faced in the last days of his earthly ministry and the victory that was accomplished by our Savior.  I know for myself that it was particularly striking this year as I dug in and earnestly studied the four gospel accounts of Jesus' betrayal, death, and resurrection.  However, when Easter passes, I feel like there's a subtle temptation to see Jesus' victory over death as a culmination to the story as if Jesus said, "I've risen, you're forgiven, I'm headed up north, so I'll see you all after the Revelation."  In reality, His ascension is no ending.  In truth, it's more accurately like a lit fuse burning down preceding the explosion of the kingdom he'd been telling his disciples about all along.

At the end of the gospels, we see Jesus restoring his disciples (who'd so recently been deserters), and getting them back about the work of His kingdom.  He does not condemn his fair weather friends, but instead greets them warmly with the word "Peace" as Matthew records it.  How powerful would that be to hear?  No wonder that from then on, these men were willing, even glad, to suffer mockery, beatings, and death for their Lord.  These disciples had run out on their leader at his darkest hour, seen the movement for which they'd dropped everything apparently "crushed," and were left hiding in fear that they might suffer the same fate as Jesus.  Lo and behold, when their captain conquers death, there's no reminder of or condemnation for their failures because through his death, those failures had been paid for. 

The book of Acts picks up where the gospels leave off and shows how this small "band of brothers" who'd stood at Jesus' side go on to turn the known world upside-down sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Recently I had a conversation with a friend about a certain passage early in the book of Acts which is particularly meaningful to me when I think about my role in taking the gospel of Christ to the world.  In the fourth chapter, the religious leaders lock Peter and John up after the two heal a lame beggar.  Despite imprisoning the two, word spreads and many believe in Jesus as a result.  This prompts the leaders to bring Peter and John in for a little shakedown .  They ask the two straight up, "By what power or what name did you do this?"  Peter pretty much hits them back with, "You mean when we gave a lame man the power to walk?  That would be by the power of the man you served up to die: Jesus Christ.  Oh, and FYI, he conquered death and if you want salvation, you're gonna have to go through Him " (paraphrase).

Here's my favorite part.  The next verse (4:13) reads as follows in the NIV.
"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

This verse gives me tremendous hope.  I've often struggled, as many Christians do, with the idea that I'm not as qualified or capable of sharing my faith as those whose Biblical knowledge exceeds mine due to more formal training.  Maybe it's an inferiority complex I took on while going to a Baptist university and living in a house full of guys training to go into the ministry.  However, this passage blows that notion out of the water.  One does not need a seminary degree and a well-prepared defense of the doctrine of election to testify to man's need for Jesus Christ.  I'm not decrying Biblical studies; the church needs leaders who have have been taught thoroughly and were prepared for church leadership through rigorous, disciplined study under great theological minds.  Yet, one can't deny that this verse shows the religious "scholars" to be more than just a little dumbfounded as they listen to the passionate, powerful proclamation of Jesus as Messiah coming from two ordinary men whose area of expertise was catching fish, not preaching.  

What was so amazing about their preaching? Was it their doctrinal knowledge?  Was it their exegetical prowess?  Did anyone in the crowd note their public speaking skills?  Nope.  The difference was that it was obvious these men had been with Jesus.  These men spoke with power that did not testify to who they were, but rather to the miraculous power of the man they'd dropped their nets to follow.  This is what I tend to forget.  Training is important.  All Christians should feel drawn to invest and grow in their knowledge of the Bible as well as to understand and hold to sound doctrine.  But, those who preach Christ cannot roll on knowledge and training alone.  Those things are like a car.  Even the most amazing car, no matter how sleek it is or how much horsepower it has under the hood will not move without fuel.  Peter and John were "unschooled" and "ordinary" and definitely did not have the "car" the religious leaders did.  Based on training and education, the religious leaders were Aston-Martins...Peter and John were Ford Festivas.  The key difference was that Peter and John had gas in the tanks.  They had been with the Master and learned to love him for who He is.  That type of relationship is what fuels a true disciple of the risen Lord.

One of my favorite testimonies in the Bible comes in the ninth chapter of John when Jesus heals a man blind from birth.  After the man receives his sight, he ends up being brought before the Pharisees to do some explaining.  After asking him what happened and receiving an unsatisfactory explanation, the Pharisees bring in the man's parents to verify that this guy was actually blind to begin with.  Because they don't want to get in trouble, the parents verify he was born blind and then roll over on him by essentially saying, "If you want any more information, ask him, he's a big boy" (gee...thanks, mom & pop).  This time the Pharisees question the man by accusing Jesus of being a sinner (for doing God's work on the Sabbath, mind you) and demanding he tell them how Jesus healed him.

I love this guy's response for its simplicity and honesty: "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." This man had been left alone to beg his entire life with no one to teach or train him.  He was an outcast left to waste away in his blindness.  He didn't know much...but he knew who Jesus was because he had firsthand experience of His power.  After that, the Pharisees ask again what happened and this man, someone with absolutely no spiritual stature in their eyes has the gall to say to them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?"  WHOA!  Did he just try to evangelize the top dogs of the religious ladder?  TOTALLY, and the story goes on.  The Pharisees claim to be disciples of Moses and admit they don't know (and apparently have little interest) where this Jesus is from.  To this our boy says,  "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."  You might think the Pharisees, being schooled in religiosity would reply, "Good point, well said."  Wrong.  Incensed at the fact they'd just been taken to school by a dude they considered the dregs of society, the Pharisees throw him out. 

This passage shows us once again that the true mark of a disciple is not an impressive resume.  Diplomas and degrees do not convince people that we have experienced Christ's redemptive love and mercy.  People can spot fakes, posers, and frauds a mile away.  Conversely, when someone has been in the presence of Christ and he has become their treasure, the change is undeniable.  That's when people know they've seen "the real deal." 

May it be, God, that you open our eyes to see how mighty, majestic, and merciful you are.  Allow us to know your Son in His fullness and to let Him be our greatest treasure that despite what we may not know, we would clearly know you.

I Haven't Either...

Great tune that I just wanted to throw out there. The singer here (Andy Gullahorn) is a top-notch writer with a great sense of humor that is a perfect compliment to the undeniable truths in his songs.  If you dig it, check him out at http://www.andygullahorn.com/.  If you don't, then go to that same website and read his haikus, then you'll like him.



Even the Russian Judge Gives a Ten Sometimes...

Today while working on dinner for my kiddos, I was glancing through my iTunes library to find some background sound to accompany the chaos that is a Love family meal when mom is out for the evening. While looking through my 6,010 songs, I came to a few conclusions. Conclusion 1)I have a truckload of music. Conclusion 2)I have some awesome stuff. 3)I have some hideously ridiculous junk that I would never listen to. Call "Hoarders: Buried Alive" and get them to my house because I can't bring myself to throw away the Macarena or other such unlistenable garbage despite the "slimmer than slim" chance I'll ever listen to it as anything other than a joke.

I usually use the genius feature in situations like this, but as I searched for some tunes, I decided that I wanted to find an entire album to listen to front to back.  This is rare for me as even the best albums usually have their stinkers buried near the end of the album.  However, a quick run through yielded a few albums from different genres that I would call "perfect albums" in that they have no songs that are perennial skip 'ems and that each song compliments and fits with all the other tracks.  My mission over the next few days is to roll back through each of these great albums first track to last at some point.

My Three  Favorite "Perfect Albums" From the Alternative Rock Genre.

3. Parachutes by Coldplay
About a year before they completely blew up with "Yellow," I recall seeing Coldplay on an MTV2 special. "Shiver" was just starting to gain some traction the buzz around these guys was just beginning here in the states.  As they played the entire album on that show, I most recall being engaged by the simplicity of the songs and the raw presentation of the music.  Guitars went out of tune occasionally, the mix wasn't great, and there were no tracks or loops to fill out the parts being played by the foursome on stage, but there was something beautiful in the muted urgency that ran through each and every song, knitting them together into a seamless package.  On the next album, Coldplay started slowly moving away from that to a more polished, bombastic, produced sound that characterized the last two albums.  Don't get me wrong, I like the last three albums, but where Parachutes has ten songs that all seem to work together, every album since has had "The Song" accompanied by a few other gems and been rounded out by nice, forgettable tunes.

2. The Blue Album by Weezer
 This one was a no-brainer for me and I'm sure many of those who were anywhere from 12-20 when "Buddy Holly" hit the airwaves would agree.  This album is arguably one of the most fun albums of all time.  From the moment the wall of sound smashes in on the word "Jonas," the album flies through songs whose bouncy feel and quirky lyrics reek of a good time.  Even the serious content of "Say It Ain't So" somehow feels right when sung at the top of your lungs with the windows down.  I think the best part of the whole thing is that though they're singing about how awesome Ace Frehley is and riding a sufboard to work, you actually feel like these guys are 100% serious.  These dudes were passionate about someone destroying their sweaters and that passion was contagious.  I firmly believe that this band definitely peaked on the follow-up (Pinkerton), but I would also be the first to admit that while Pinkerton had some of the best stuff they ever did, Weezer's most complete work was (and will always be) The Blue Album.

1. OK Computer by Radiohead
Radiohead is one of those bands that long ago cemented the kind of blind following that allows a band to pretty much do whatever they want.  Thom Yorke could record a double-live album of complete silence and the critics/fans would eat it up.  However, prior to OK Computer, they were rising alternative-rock darlings whose music was still pretty palatable for mainstream audiences. OK Computer was where their melodic sensibility shown in on Pablo Honey and The Bends meshed perfectly with their experimental leanings that have been more evident as their career has gone on.  While the band denies that this album was a "concept" album, the songs all seem to fit together as if they were all parts of a puzzle...even "Fitter Happier" which is more of a track than a "song."  This album is so good that it was one of three cassette tapes that I carried in my Toyota for the ten years I had it (the other two?  Ray Stevens' Greatest Hits and A Statler Brothers' Christmas).

Effective Score: 6/10

M-I-Z...

When people ask where I'm from, I might give my actual hometown once out of every ten times.  Not a lot of folks are familiar with "Auxvasse" and nobody who didn't grow up within ten miles of that metropolis can pronounce the name. Thus, I usually just answer the question by saying that I'm from Columbia since it's only about twenty minutes from where I grew up and is an easy point of reference.

Having grown up so close to Columbia, it was fated that I should be counted among the Tiger faithful.  Black and Gold has been part of my sports DNA from a very early point in my life.  Spiritually speaking, I am a missionary to all peoples carrying the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.  On a MUCH more earthly level, I consider myself sports missionary carrying a message of repentance for those wayward souls who cheer for KU.

Now, realize that I have no delusions about where the Zou's teams stack up.  We are not a powerhouse (though we fans do know how to run our mouths as if we were one).  We don't go into games against the big boys as favorites...ever.  Still, we are always a competitor and on the right night, the spoiler.  Don't get me wrong, I'd love for my Tigers to be a juggernaut.  Still, there's something I dig about being "Little Mac" and having the chance to knock out Mike Tyson (+5 for 1st generation Nintendo allusion).  Guess it just makes some victories that much sweeter, even if you do get your face punched in occasionally.

One such case came last fall at the Mizzou homecoming game.  My wife is truly a gift from the Lord on more levels than I could tell you about in this blog.  On the night of that game, my wife confirmed this fact for me by denying her Okie heritage and humbly sacrificing for the sake of our marriage by cheering for the Black and Gold (or, at least not cheering against us...close enough).  It was a dreary, gray afternoon which we mainly spent walking around campus taking part in the electric atmosphere created both by the implications of this game should we pull off the upset as well as ESPN College Gameday's presence at Faurot Field. 

When we finally got into the game, it was as full as I have ever seen that stadium and literally a sea of gold.  The Oklahoma faithful did have representation, but were largely hidden in the mass of Tiger fans that were ready to brave any elements that night.

For anyone that saw the game, you know the outcome.  I won't bore you with a recap of every detail (and I'll save you the rant about Yost's five-wide sets at the goal line).  I will, however, always remember the roar that went up when McGaffie took that first kick back.  That was a sound I've never heard rivaled at any sporting event I've ever been to.  That place lit up like Clark Griswold's Christmas  decorations.  People went nuts because they all knew, win or lose, that our team was going to put on a show, and that they did.  It's no secret that OU has slapped us around plenty the last few years, so the sight of Bob Stoops whipping off that visor in disgust sent the whole Tiger nation into a frenzy that fired on all cylinders straight through to the final play of the night when the scoreboard read 36-27 in favor of the hometown Tigers.

If you're not a Mizzou fan, then that night probably meant nothing to you.  You're probably thinking, "Yeah, then you all lost two straight and went on to blow it against Iowa."  True, that's the life of a Mizzou fan.  We relish the good moments because we know that they are not guaranteed to last.  Oh, and will the Sooners bring the thunder next year to avenge that loss?  Totally possible and highly probable.  Still, if you were a Mizzou fan and were there that night, then you know how I felt when I saw our student section flood that field and walk the goalpost to Harpo's.  Sweet doesn't quite describe it. 

This video captures some of the coolest parts of that night.  To the MU faithful, "M-I-Z..."

 

Effective Score: 36...to 27.

Back to Bayside...

As a kid, I was kind of a t.v. nut.  Not that I didn't get outside or anything, but I probably watched way too much of what my grandpa lovingly called "the idiot box."  However, when I look back and recall ceratin "staple" shows I loved when I was a kid, it's impossible to deny that they do bring back some really warm, comfortable memories.  I remember wanting to be He-Man or wishing I could control Voltron.  I remember wishing a cat-eating alien would land in my backyard and basically move in as I watched A.L.F.  Friday nights when I was in junior high were awesome because of T.G.I.F. on ABC where the lineup was Perfect Strangers (remember Balki and cousin Larry?), Full House, Family Matters, and Step by Step.  Think back to great ones like Mr. Belvedere, Who's the Boss?, Webster, Silver Spoons, and Growing Pains and you've got a blueprint for the perfect sitcom, right?  Oh, and don't forget the ultimate...the never-to-be-released-on-DVD juggernaut that was...The Wonder Years.  Great stuff; what a shame they'll never be able to re-license all that awesome music from that one for DVD sales.

Still, there's no denying that one show from my youth stands head and shoulders above all of them.  What show?  Saved by the Bell!!!

It was cheesy, overidealistic, and is as locked into one period of time as a show could possibly be. There's also the weird final season of the series involving what's been termed "The Tori Paradox," but I forgive and forget. Yet, despite it's faults (time-outs to talk to the camera, shoddy dream sequences, lots of awkward dancing), there's something so awesome about it that made me rarely miss an episode as a kid and still keeps me watching when it's on now that I'm an adult.  I have pretty much watched every episode multiple times and can tell you basic plotlines of about all of them (note: While I do recognize Good Morning, Miss Bliss as part of the SBTB canon, I do not affirm SBTB: The College Years or SBTB: The New Class; those are like t.v. heresy).  Confession: this passion for SBTB probably came mostly as a side effect of my childhood ambition to be Zack Morris.  I lost the sweet hair, but did marry a girl named Kelly; close enough, right? 

As I was recently enjoying a touch of Bayside High on DVD, I decided to compile a countdown of my favorite six episodes of the show along with some thoughts on each.  If you have Netflix, it is expected that you, as a responsible reader of my blog, will watch them and report back.  Heck, throw in your own list if you want!! 

#6: The Fabulous Belding Boys

• Basic Idea: Principal Belding's bro, Rod, comes in as a substitute in a class the kids have to pass so they can go on a field trip.  Rod's so uber-cool he let's them all out of the test AND offers to take them...wait on it...WHITE WATER RAFTING!!!  Only hitch is that on the day they're supposed to leave, Rod bails on the kids for some stewardess...jerk..  The elder Belding steps in to save the day in his loser brother's stead and the kids learn who really cares about them.
• Awesome Because: Richard Belding is clutch, Rod gets sent packing.  Oh, and this video.
• Memorable Quotes: Screech says: "If you want scenery baby, wait till you see me in a wet t-shirt," to which Lisa replies: "Only if it means you're drowning."  Classic Lisa burn.  OR Principal Belding owning his bro: "I'm tired of covering for you. Get out of my school, Rod."  Boom.  Eat it, Rod.

#5: The Prom

• Basic Idea: There are two prom episodes, this is the first of the two.  Kelly chooses Zack over Slater to take to the prom, but there's a problem (isn't there always a problem?).  Kelly's dad loses his defense job when peace breaks out.  Kelly gives her dad back the money he gave her for her prom dress, but can't tell Zack the truth as to why she has to break their date.  Zack finds out and sets up their own prom outside the gym while everyone else dances to horrible music that proves the show had no music-licensing budget. 
• Awesome Because: Zack and Kelly were the precursor to Ross and Rachel.  Also, Belding harasses two kids for dancing too close and later the girl totally disses the guy by spending the last dance with some other dude!  Epic fail, Gnardino (or Mancuso, it never specifies who was who).
• Memorable Quote: Jessie to Slater: "Do you realize we haven't argued in 15 seconds?" Slater's reply: "It was 20; shut up."  Smooth, A.C. ...smooth.

#4: Rocumentary

• Basic Idea: Zack and the kiddos have a band (The Zack Attack) and are practicing when record exec. Brian "Fate" happens by and nabs them up.  They're whisked off on a rock journey to the top of the charts until the token Yoko Ono convinces Zack he's the most important part of the band.  Tensions rise, Zack starts dressing like a glitzier Vanilla Ice, and they break up.  Eventually the friendships are restored and the band reunites.  However, the entire ride was just a dream...or was it?
• Awesome Because: Casey Kasem narrates, The song "Friends Forever" was spawned.
• Memorable Quote:  Sorry, but the song stands head and shoulders above anything said in the episode.

#3 S.A.T.'S

• Basic Idea: Zack, a chronic C student at best, blows the top out of the SAT, which isn't a problem outside of the fact that his score far surpasses that of straight-A student, Jessie.  This throws her into a fit as she becomes convinced she'll never get into Stansbury, her dream school, which is now actively pursuing Zack as a recruit.  Zack hires an actor to come to a college fair as if he were a Harvard recruiter.  He feigns great interest in Jessie in an attempt to up Stansbury's interest in Jessie.  Jessie sniffs out the ruse and declines Stansbury's offer (apparently learning that there are plenty of other schools out there).
• Awesome Because: I also had bad grades, but good standardized test scores.  Obviously SBTB is to blame for programming me as such.
• Memorable Quote: Stansbury rep.: "We've always considered ourselves the 'Harvard of the West'." James, the actor replies: "Madam; north, south, east or west, there is only one Haaaaarrrrrrvvvvarrd!"  OR Slater with this NCAA red-flagger: "Boy, it's a good thing I didn't tell her [Stansbury] offered me a car."

#2: Home For Christmas Parts 1 and 2

• Basic Idea: It's Christmas and the gang get mall jobs.  At the mall, Zack falls for a young girl working at a clothing store.  He later finds out this girl is homeless while visiting a homeless man, who happens to be her father, at the hospital after he'd passed out in the mall.  The young lady ends up being accused of stealing later on due to a misunderstanding.  Eventually, the mistake comes to light and mean ol' Mr. Moody, who'd accused her of stealing, learns a Christmas lesson.  Zack's father even gets the homeless man a job, a true Christmas miracle!  Strangely, the girl then never shows up in any future episodes.  Guess that job didn't stick.
• Awesome Because: A mashup of fifty other Christmas specials with the perfect amount of SBTB cheese factor drizzled on top.  Delicious.
• Memorable Quotes: Zack w/ this odd one: "You see, I don't really know that much about the homeless people." THE homeless people?  What are they, some strange, obscure culture with their own language, holidays, customs?  Keep it P.C.,  Zack.

And the Big Winner Is.....

#1: Jessie's Song

• Basic Idea: Undoubtedly the most quoted episode of SBTB ever, this gem focuses on Jessie's addiction to DRUGS!!! Well, actually just caffeine pills.  Jessie is under tremendous pressure due to her inability to comprehend geometry and her involvment in the Zack Morris-managed trio, "Hot Sundae."  To cope with all the pressure, she turns to some No-Doze pills which Slater repeatedly warns her against.  The night of a big performance by "Hot Sundae," Zack comes to pick Jessie up, but she wigs out and sings the most famous line in SBTB history. The girls sub Screech in, the performance flops, but friends remain friends and a life lesson is learned.
• Awesome Because: So much to say...The Hot Sundae video, Jessie's odd behaviors after taking a test and practicing for the big performance, THE famous line!!!!
• Memorable Quote: Jessie singing, "I'm so excited!!! I'm so excited!!! I'm so...scared!!!"

I hope you've enjoyed reading about (and perhaps reliving) a few of these great episodes.  Some folks don't care for SBTB, but I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for ol' Bayside where kids make mistakes, but always learn a valuable lesson in the process...and everybody actually seems to be "Friends Forever."

Effective Score: 13/10 based on that last sentence which is cheesier than any episode of SBTB could ever hope to be.

New Song...

Just throwing this one out there...

Annie rides the subway

Back to Harrison and Fifth

Planning dinner all the way back home

She thinks he’ll be there waiting

He always was before

But she don’t know what’s not behind that door.

It’s punch in the gut, it’s the weight of the world

Shoved down on the shoulders of a silent, lonely girl

She’ll fight this one alone, unnoticed, insecure,

Tell me who is crying tears with her?

Rodney’s rolling right along

As best a young man can

When mom is in the pen for killing dad

He masks it with the thrills

Of a bottle and some pills

But he don’t know what’s just behind that door

It’s a kick in the face, it’s life in a cell

For a young boy’s life to taste that much like hell

His smile was soon betrayed by demons deep within

Tell me who was crying tears with him?

Michelle is in a hospital

Barely hanging on

A decade’s battle coming to an end

Her body’s just a shell

But You know that so well

And only You know what’s just beyond that door.

It’s a beautiful mess, It’s a sure uncertainty

To know who we are, in such weak fragility.

But the tears they say You shed when Lazarus was dead

Help me know that You’ve cried tears for us.

Rapid Fire...

Mondays are for quick hitters...

1. Ryan Franklin has become Jason Isringhausen all over again.  When the closer comes in, it should inspire confidence in the crowd, not fear and trepidation.

2. Joe Morgan of Morgan Amplification is a good dude (whose amps RULE).  I jacked up my head doing something dumb and the guy charged me a grand total of NOTHING to fix it.  He also changed out my ugly red headshell for a cool black one at no charge and shipped it back on his dime.  Take care of your customers and they'll come back for more...and blog about you.

3. "Beautiful Things" by Gungor makes me cry...every time. Listen here.

4. The Perfect Getaway is a pretty sweet flick...until the twist is revealed.  Then it goes on too long and degrades into stupidity.

5. In this movie, Steve Zahn looks like Rob Bell (but does not argue against traditional belief of a literal, eternal hell).

6. The Will Ferrell/Steve Carrell hug on The Office last week was one of the funniest moments that show has seen in a LONG time.

7. My band may reunite for a show or two in the near future.  I've already written two new tunes just because that excites me.  Best part is that I think these songs might actually be good. 

Effective Score = 3.4

John 6

So this morning I was supposed to share something at our church's monthly men's gathering.  For the last week, I've prayed and considered what God would have me speak on and as I've done that, he's led me back to one of my favorite passages from the story of Christ as told in the gospel of John.

Chapter 6 starts off with one of the most familiar Sunday school stories of all-time: Jesus feeding the multitude.  Very few people have not heard this story.  Jesus is teaching, the people are hungry, Phillip is beside himself, right?  Luckily, one person out of thousands thought, "I'm a human, I eat...packing a lunch might be a strong idea."  Jesus takes this lunch, miraculously feeds the entire crowd, and has leftovers (shame they didn't have Tupperware).  From there on, Jesus becomes a "rockstar" and people are following him like he's The Grateful Dead or something.  They find out where he's going and strike out for Capernaum for the encore performance.

However, in Capernaum Jesus starts laying out exactly what the meaning of the feeding miracle was.  He starts claiming to be the "meal" that would ultimately satisfy the people.  As Jesus makes statements about being the "bread of life" and saying those following him must "eat of his flesh" and "drink of his blood," folks start wondering what Jesus had been drinking prior to this speech.   As my friend D. Becker pointed out, these claims offended ideas of how a first century Jew could/could not worship God. 

Ultimately, many of them simply said, "This is a difficult teaching. Who can accept it?"  With that, they left, never to return.  The "Jesus Show" they wanted so badly to be a part of had stopped meeting their immediate need for entertainment and a free lunch and had started demanding them to embrace/reject some huge realities of who Christ really was.  Sadly, this was too much and the best option in their minds was to head out looking for a new show somewhere else.

Here's where the story really gets me.  Jesus, just deserted by a crowd of people who he had come to save, turns in a moment of divine humanity and asks his inner circle, the Twelve, "What about you?  Are you leaving, too?"  (paraphrase).  When I listen in my mind, I hear Jesus not asking this in a challenging way, but in a manner that shows he knows what it is to be rejected, even by those he was trying to save.   Later we see a similar act of humanity when he feels the pain of his friends at Lazarus' death and weeps alongside them.  In short, God in the flesh knows what it's like to be me.  He was rejected, he shed tears in agony, he felt anger in the temple, he faced the impending reality of a physical death. 

Some people have a tough time w/ Jesus' divinity.  Was he really God as he claimed to be?  I don't struggle with that.  When he drops "before Abraham was, I AM," in John 8, I'm with him.   I'd say it has been more of a struggle for me to accept his humanity.  Passages like those above remind me of a truth expressed best by Pastor Matt Chandler when he said, "God knows it's scary to be me."  That's the kind of God I want to serve.  One who would humbly step down into the mess w/ his people and know their suffering, face every temptation they faced...and win.

However, there's more to the story...Peter and Judas.

Peter is an astounding person in my opinion.  Peter is the gung-ho, "let's do this" type of guy who is ready to take on the world at the side of Jesus.  The second Jesus asks them if they're also going to bolt, Peter's bold reply is essentially "Where else would we go?  You are the Son of God and your words ARE life."  Score one for Peter.  However, for every "right answer" he gave Jesus, he also had some huge moments of egg on his face.  When Jesus asked who the disciples believed he was, Peter was the first one raising his hand and affirming Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I like to picture Peter pumping his fist for nailing that one. Still, right after that Jesus taught that he must suffer many things at the hands of the religious leaders. Peter, not having any of it, argues w/ Jesus (note to self: do not argue w/ Jesus).  Jesus replied by essentially calling Peter "Satan" and saying that Peter was on the side of men, not God.  Wow.  Peter would later go on to chop off a dude's ear (as if Jesus needed his protection) and then deny Jesus three times after promising not to.

Here's what's awesome;  by the end of John, we get the story of Jesus gently restoring Peter and leaving him with the reminder to "feed his sheep."  No condemnation, no "I told you you were going to deny me, bro."  Instead, Jesus picked him up  and got him back about the work of His kingdom.  Result: Peter drops a sermon in Acts 2 after which about 3,000 folks repent and follow Christ.  If there's hope for Peter (yes, the guy Jesus called "Satan"), I believe there is hope for all of us.

Still, there's a sad part to this story as well: Judas.  After Peter assured Jesus that the inner circle were with him to the bitter end, Jesus noted that he chose them, but that there was a proverbial "wolf" in sheep's clothing among their number.  Someone was not who they seemed to be.   This person is Judas who, let us not forget, was chosen by Jesus to be part of the Twelve.  Of all the people in history, Judas was one of the closest to Jesus during his time on Earth.  However, despite the fact that he had a front row seat to Jesus' ministry, he missed the show.  He saw Jesus heal, heard him teach, shared meals with him...and missed the whole point.

But, don't we do that, too?  We may not sell Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver, but don't we sell him out for other things?  Don't we sit in church somedays, sing the songs, take copious notes, drop a check in the plate...and never once encounter Jesus for who he is?  I have.  We end up like Judas and the crowds who are just taking part in the "Jesus Show", but missing the point. 

There's plenty more to unpack from this one chapter, but these are the things that stick out most to me.  I'm not some amazing biblical mind, so these are not home run theological points, probably bunts at best.  Here's what I need to remember from this passage.

• We are not called to be groupies at the Jesus Show.  We're called to know Him for who He is and to follow with what will often seem, in our American mindset, like reckless abandon.
• Our God knows what it is to be human and has conquered any fear or temptation we may face.
• Peter was no scholar and his failures are as well-documented as his successes...yet Christ used him in mighty ways.  There is hope for the rest of us.
• It is entirely possible to live your life in church and eat/sleep/drink "Christian culture" and never know Christ for who he is (Matt. 7:22-23)

Effective Score: 0 for me, 10 for Truth.

Nostalgia...

One of my all-time faves.  Poems like this are why I love my job.

Piano by D.H. Lawrence

Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me;

Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see

A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings

And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.

In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of a song                                      

Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong

To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside

And hymns in the cozy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide.    

           

So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour

With the great black piano appassionato.  The glamour

Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast

Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.