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.

Note to Self...

So, for the most part Facebook can be a vapid hole of wasted time (and I've wasted plenty on it).  However, today it did something pretty great.  I happened to run across a friend's page w/ a post from my Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Galloway on it.  Up until that point, it had been a pretty rough day in class w/ my kids not getting some stuff and not working as hard as I'd prefer them to.  When I saw that post, my mood took a sharp upturn as I immediately flashed back to my younger days and began recalling all the good memories I have from my earliest days of public education.

I'll save you individual stories, but I will tell you this.  I chose to be an educator based on the fact that, as far as I'm concerned, a lot of the best people I've ever known were educators.  Mrs. Galloway was one such teacher.  What was it that set her apart?  In her classroom, I look back and know that all of us in that room were loved.  I'm sure most days we were an incredible handful and I'm sure she had her rough days just like mine now, but my permanent picture of Mrs. Galloway is her sporting an infectious smile. This smile may have been a result of her ability to always envision 3:00 pm or June and July, but I doubt it.  I really believe we were important to her and she wanted us to know it.  This is most likely why the only degree I have or ever will have posted in my classroom is the Kindergarten Diploma she issued me back in the mid-1980's.  Side Note: I do also have my certificate that says I can count from 1-10, but I only post that because that's where my mastery of math stops.

Got me thinking...will my kids have that memory of me when they're 31 and randomly finding me on some arbitrary social networking site?  Will they think, "Mr. Love cared deeply about me and was happy just to have me around."  Or, will they simply recall me ranting about tardies, dumb decisions, and late work while all the time trying to paint myself as having the "patience of Job" (and most likely then griping because nobody in the class recognized that allusion).

I didn't just watch Dead Poets Society, Freedom Writers, Stand and Deliver, or Lethal Weapon 4 (which one of these does not belong), so this isn't a cinematically-inspired crusade to change lives...it's simpler than that.  I just need to remember:

• some kids don't feel important...to anyone.
• all kids deserve to be important...to someone.
• I am someone.

Thanks, Facebook.

Effective Score: 10, but only on the account that I had some the best teachers to ever grace a classroom.

Plastic Voices

American Idol has lost me.  After being an avid follower for many years, I have given up.  While I can definitely look back and see that there are a few standout contestants who've piqued my interest (Bo Bice, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, David Cook), I'm pretty sure what interested me most was their story, not the fact that I was in love with their voice or artistry.  I like the idea of a young girl coming out of Nowhere, Oklahoma to become the new queen of Nashville.  I love that a dude like Daughtry can, in some ways, live out the plot of the movie Rock Star.  Their stories are captivating because they're the musical equivalent of Rudy. 

However, I can honestly say I've never spent money on an A.I. contestant's music, and here's why.  I'm a guitarist, but when it comes to music, the voice is the instrument that is most crucial for me.  No matter how great a band or artist's arranging, writing, or playing may be, if I don't love the voice, then the music becomes nothing more than white noise.  So how do I, personally, decide what voices I like/dislike? The number one criteria for me in determing a great voice is that the voice cannot be "plastic."  I suppose when I use this term, I'm borrowing from Mean Girls, but it's the best word I can muster.  I have little to no interest in a polished, perfect sounding voice. 

I totally respect people's opinion to feel differently on this, but when a singer's voice is pristine and shimmering without flaw or imperfection, I tend to disengage.  I will always acknowledge that they are extremely talented, but I just listen and feel as though what I'm hearing is an audible version of a Vogue magazine cover where some celebrity is sent through hours of makeup, photographed, and then retouched for hours on a computer to create an illusion of perfection and beauty.  No pores, no pimples, no scars...and as little reality as possible.  Plastic.  Looks good, but it's just too good to be real.

So what do I like?  People whose singing voices are akin to jabbing knitting needles deep into your ears (no offense, Rebecca Black).  Auto tune addicts (no, Kesha, I couldn't POSSIBLY be referring to you)?  Not at all.  I want singers to have strong sense of melody and to be highly talented...but I also want to hear some humanity, some frailty, some aggresion, some urgency.  Why?  Because those things touch on what it is to be human and I don't just want that in your words, I want it in your voice!!!! 

Though he's not the only one, one of the best examples I can think of is Eddie Vedder.  Now, I know he gets the rap of being the guy who spawned the low, booming grunge rock vocal, but a) I don't think that was his intention (Scott Stapp was a highly unintended/unfortunate consequence of songs like "Jeremy") and b) that's not the entirety of what his voice is about.  I also know that his views on life might differ a bit than mine, but I can't help but admire the artistry in his vocals. 

The video below shows a bit of what I'm talking about.  When I hear him sing this song, there is a fragile beauty to the delivery. The rasp and grit in the vocal take away the veneer and add an urgent vulnerability that aligns perfectly with the pensive content of the song.  Rather than sounding like the voice of an angelic choir, his voice sounds like a deep, woody instrument.  The imperfections along the way don't detract from the beauty. Quite the opposite...the rough edges become the beauty.  Hopefully the video shows what I'm having difficulty putting into words. 

To those of you who prefer singers who can belt it out Celine-style, please don't take offense.  I realize that it's just a preference of mine and don't mean to sound like I'm bashing on polished voices.  Just not my cup of tea (I actually prefer coffee, apologies to tea drinkers).

Effective score=7.6/10 (with 7 points coming as bonus for use of a video)

Really. Really. Really!!!?

I can understand why businesses have a problem with their employees supporting the competition.  That's business.  It's about survival, protecting profit margins, espousing loyalty to a brand name.  "You work at Barnes and Noble...we'd really appreciate it if you'd stop shopping at Borders.  Never mind, they're bankrupt..problem solved."  Right?

What doesn't make sense to me is when this idea works its way into the evangelical church.  I'm not even talking about crossing denominational lines here, folks (which is another rant for another day).  I'm talking about the unspoken idea that churches even of the same denomination, though none would fess up, are in competition with each other.

"I have someone from (insert name of other church) here who'd be willing to help out with our ministry here at (insert name of church in question). "  Reply (paraphrase):"Sounds great, just make sure you don't put their name on anything identifying them as a leader."  Serious, this conversation has happened.  Anyone can see the huge problem, right?  Wouldn't want anyone in "our" church to see us partnering with "that other church" in advancing the gospel of Christ. Can you imagine the chaos that might ensue?  What if people started thinking we actually approve of that church and...dare I say it...have similar core beliefs?  Could be reading too much into the conversation, but it sure seems indicative of a controlling idea.

Makes me sad.  How is a mindset like this to accomplish evangelism and discipleship as prescribed and demonstrated by Christ?  Instead, the competition idea seems to promote the thinking that the gospel must be advanced (under our banner) and must reach all peoples (so long as we can control it).  Best I can tell, Christ called some ragamuffin bros to follow him, watch how he lived, then go and do likewise.  Eventually, he turned them loose on the world and what happened?  They actually went and did for others what he did for them and the gospel spread like wildfire (in much the same way it is in parts of Asia and Africa).  No institutional control, no business meeting, no year-long planning sessions, and definitely no competition.

Churches, stop trying to control the gospel and let it live.  Let it do its transforming work.  Be a part of the Church universal rather than trying to pump your numbers and protect your borders. Your "camp" does not save people.  Jesus Christ and his message of redemption for the broken and the destitute does.

Late night ranting and rambling over....reading back over it....semi-coherent thoughts.

Opening Shots...

Because the world needs my opining (love that word) more than another Kesha album or a Broadway adaptation of the late 80's television gem Alf, let's get our blog on, shall we? Mondays are for quick hitters...

• Will Smith, your kids are killing me. A) The Karate Kid is sacred and B) I apologize, but given my scalp's incompetence, I can't jam to a song about whipping hair back and forth. Batting 0 for 2 w/ me.


• Buck up Will; it was sweet when you punched that Alien in Independence Day. Sometimes I wish I could punch an alien and tauntingly say, "Welcome to Earth."


• Fallon has won me over. I'm not shy about how lame I think he was on SNL and I don't even need to comment on his film career (Taxi), but his show is rivaling Conan for the best in late night. His Thank You notes blow Dave's Top 10 out of the water, and his Bob Dylan/Neil Young impersonations are spot-on.


• Oh, and his house band is THE ROOTS!!!? Dudes KILL it night in and night out.


• Shaquille O'Neal's film resume actually makes his rap albums seem awesome by comparison.


• I hope Mike Alden knows what he's doing...because the rest of us have no clue.


• I'm okay w/ Mike Anderson bolting for U of A. We have to get someone who can land the big-time Missouri talent (case in point here...and from previous coaching nightmares here). I'm grateful that he pulled us out of Quin's mess, but I'm still not sure how an 8-8, fifth in our conference got him a Krzyzewski paycheck.


• I'm out...I give this list a 6/10. Will do better next time.