I recognize that blogs are meant to be read by the public. So I'm always mindful of being narcissistic or self-absorbed. Why would you want to read my private journal?
Having said that (or written that!) I also realize that a blog serves as a personal encounter with life and that it enables a blogger to record his/her life experiences. I've been using the Christmas season for some of that--recording personal memories and impressions of my favorite time of year.
So I will do the same one more time as I wrap up 2007. I do this primarily for my sake, but perhaps it will stimulate some highlights from your 2007.
Below are some of the things I experienced this past year:
Some amazing bike rides
The phone call, while in Hawaii, that my mom had died.
My mom's funeral with so many, many of our Grace and Joy families with us.
A very exciting and successful building campaign at Grace: Building a Community of Grace (I actually wrote Joy the first time! I owe $5 to the Grace Hunger Fund! I'm going broke.)
The fun of dreaming about the new campus.
Dynamic Easter Services.
Getting a tattoo of the Grace cross on my arm.
The weekend spent with Jay Bakker, particularly his Sunday morning interview at our services
A quick but relaxing trip to Disneyland in April (to finish the vacation we didn't get due to mom's death)
Great experiences in our various clusters--the men's group, two couples clusters.
Backing out of the trip to Rwanda due to a panic attack--oi!
Beating myself up for three days straight for backing out of my trip to Rwanda due to a panic attack--oi!
A nice, relaxing trip to Hawaii in August with some friends from college.
My son, Mike, starting video game design school. He loves it. Since he was a little kid we knew he had a passion for video gaming. That, and his music!
Spending time with Alycia and her boyfriend, Corey, in Minneapolis during my trip to Luther Seminary. (I stayed in the middle of Downtown Minneapolis. Fantastic!)
Speaking at chapel at Luther Sem. Spending time with the students.
Front row seats at Barry Manilow.
Shaking hands with Barry Manilow.
Turning 50.
Christmas and all that that entails (see Wrapping up Christmas)
Every weekend with our community of Grace. Time spent with family and my dogs. Quiet times of prayer and Bible reading. Reading books about mission. Reading British mysteries. Hanging with the Pastor Buddies on Tuesday. Eating great food.
What a year.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Wrapping Up Christmas
Jan and I finished taking down all of our indoor Christmas decorations yesterday afternoon giving me a chance to think through this past Christmas season.
This will come as no surprise, but I loved it.
As always, it went by too fast, but we did manage to slow down and enjoy it, none-the-less.
Normally in early December, around my birthday (Dec. 11) we take a Christmas trip/Birthday trip. In the past we've been gone over a weekend. Even though this year was my 50th birthday, we decided to shorten our trip so that we would not miss any Sundays in December. A very good decision. It helped slow down the month a bit.
We enjoyed a couple of Christmas parties, one with our couples cluster and one with our staff and board.
The Sunday before Christmas Eve we had a wonder-filled worship/Christmas party. A very relaxed, informal time to hear some great stories and sing some of the classic Christmas carols, along with a visit from Santa and a petting zoo of the "nativity" animals.
Christmas Eve was spent at Grace where we experienced some powerful services. Those services are absolutely my favorite of the year (which is saying a lot!).
Christmas Day we relaxed and had dinner with our extended family in the late afternoon.
Alycia's boyfriend Corey flew in from Minneapolis on Christmas night so we had our immediate family brunch/gift exchange on the day after Christmas. It extended the holiday by a day and made for a nice, easy pace during what can be a frantic couple of days.
That night we went to Joy to see their Celebration of Lights and hit a Grace house with over 100,000 lights in their front yard!
One of the things I did this year was listen more to "sacred" Christmas music. XM radio offered a contemporary Christmas station (pop artists), a traditional (the Bing Crosby era), and a classics (choirs, orchestras). I mainly stayed with the traditional and classics. It kept me more centered on Jesus this year (although I love all of the holiday music).
All in all, a great Christmas season. We wrapped it all up at Grace today with a pancake breakfast/worship experience.
A couple days of rest and then back at it full speed.
This will come as no surprise, but I loved it.
As always, it went by too fast, but we did manage to slow down and enjoy it, none-the-less.
Normally in early December, around my birthday (Dec. 11) we take a Christmas trip/Birthday trip. In the past we've been gone over a weekend. Even though this year was my 50th birthday, we decided to shorten our trip so that we would not miss any Sundays in December. A very good decision. It helped slow down the month a bit.
We enjoyed a couple of Christmas parties, one with our couples cluster and one with our staff and board.
The Sunday before Christmas Eve we had a wonder-filled worship/Christmas party. A very relaxed, informal time to hear some great stories and sing some of the classic Christmas carols, along with a visit from Santa and a petting zoo of the "nativity" animals.
Christmas Eve was spent at Grace where we experienced some powerful services. Those services are absolutely my favorite of the year (which is saying a lot!).
Christmas Day we relaxed and had dinner with our extended family in the late afternoon.
Alycia's boyfriend Corey flew in from Minneapolis on Christmas night so we had our immediate family brunch/gift exchange on the day after Christmas. It extended the holiday by a day and made for a nice, easy pace during what can be a frantic couple of days.
That night we went to Joy to see their Celebration of Lights and hit a Grace house with over 100,000 lights in their front yard!
One of the things I did this year was listen more to "sacred" Christmas music. XM radio offered a contemporary Christmas station (pop artists), a traditional (the Bing Crosby era), and a classics (choirs, orchestras). I mainly stayed with the traditional and classics. It kept me more centered on Jesus this year (although I love all of the holiday music).
All in all, a great Christmas season. We wrapped it all up at Grace today with a pancake breakfast/worship experience.
A couple days of rest and then back at it full speed.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Benazir Bhutto
Some thoughts about the assassination of Benazir Bhutto:
For many in our world, freedom and democracy is a life and death struggle. It was for the US over 200 years ago and continues to be so today for far too many. We often take for granted the freedom we have in this country. Every 4 to 8 years we experience a "peaceful revolution" as one President steps down and a new one takes over. It's an amazing, remarkable process that we hardly notice anymore. But when someone like Bhutto, who represents freedom, is mercilessly killed, her death reminds us of how blessed we are.
Freedom and democracy are profoundly deep and important issues. We often forget that, too. Especially in our heated, polarized climate. Candidates sniping at each other with minutia and insignificant sound-bytes that have no relevance whatsoever to the humbling and immense task of leading one of the most powerful countries in the world. And far too many of us buy into it, tune out, or don't participate at all. People give their lives every day for the right to vote but we've become nonchalant about the whole issue, or have turned the democratic process into trite mudslinging.
What the world needs is grace and graciousness. And the US should set the tone. Candidates should debate each other, but the issues, not nonsensical quirks or innuendos. We need to debate with integrity and honor. We voters should recognize the great privilege we have to vote, and learn all we can about what the real issues are--issues like poverty, injustice, health care, immigration, terrorism, the environment, education, to name a few--again, not just the trite sound-bytes, but the real, deep, profound pieces that form these issues.
We are indeed blessed to be free. The tragic death of Benazir Bhutto stands as a powerful reminder of what freedom really means, what it costs, and the commitment it calls for.
For many in our world, freedom and democracy is a life and death struggle. It was for the US over 200 years ago and continues to be so today for far too many. We often take for granted the freedom we have in this country. Every 4 to 8 years we experience a "peaceful revolution" as one President steps down and a new one takes over. It's an amazing, remarkable process that we hardly notice anymore. But when someone like Bhutto, who represents freedom, is mercilessly killed, her death reminds us of how blessed we are.
Freedom and democracy are profoundly deep and important issues. We often forget that, too. Especially in our heated, polarized climate. Candidates sniping at each other with minutia and insignificant sound-bytes that have no relevance whatsoever to the humbling and immense task of leading one of the most powerful countries in the world. And far too many of us buy into it, tune out, or don't participate at all. People give their lives every day for the right to vote but we've become nonchalant about the whole issue, or have turned the democratic process into trite mudslinging.
What the world needs is grace and graciousness. And the US should set the tone. Candidates should debate each other, but the issues, not nonsensical quirks or innuendos. We need to debate with integrity and honor. We voters should recognize the great privilege we have to vote, and learn all we can about what the real issues are--issues like poverty, injustice, health care, immigration, terrorism, the environment, education, to name a few--again, not just the trite sound-bytes, but the real, deep, profound pieces that form these issues.
We are indeed blessed to be free. The tragic death of Benazir Bhutto stands as a powerful reminder of what freedom really means, what it costs, and the commitment it calls for.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Christmas Memories
Some of the memories of Christmases past:
*Sitting by the Christmas tree, by our front window, in our little home in St. Louis Park, MN, listening to Christmas records (yes, actual records). Andy Williams was one of my favorites.
*Perry Como and Andy Williams Christmas specials on TV.
*Christmas "pageants" at church. In our little Lutheran Church the kids would put on a Christmas program. Each of us would learn a "piece," a Bible verse, for example, and share it with the congregation. We would also sing Christmas songs.
*Christmas Eve: A big day for us--
*We'd start out at church in the afternoon. At the service we would always receive a little blue box with Christmas images on it. It was filled with candy.
*Then we'd head to St. Paul to hang out with my mom's side of the family--the great uncles and aunts. We'd have dinner and sing Christmas carols. If we had a "piece" from the Sunday School program, we had to stand in front of the tree and recite it (or sing the song we learned.)
*At 10 or 11 (I can't remember which) it was back to church. Grandpa always spoke at that candlelight service. I can vividly remember the crunch of the snow as we would walk into church that evening.
*Next, we went to grandpa's and grandma's house (around midnight) for what grandma called, "A little lunch." Breads, meats, herring (yuck!) and then, finally, gift opening. In our family the tradition was to watch as others opened their gifts, starting with the youngest. I often knew what I was getting as my younger brothers usually received the same thing.
After Jan and I were married we ran between her family and my family functions. Her family open gifts in a mad free-for-all. Interesting as her family was quiet and reserved and mine is loud and noisy.
Since moving to Phoenix we've created new traditions over the years:
*The annual trip to Disneyland in early December
*Peter Piper Pizza before the Christmas Eve marathon of services
*Christmas Eve services with our community of faith--back in the Joy days we had 8 Christmas Eve services. We're currently at 4 at Grace.
*Christmas Day we were up bright and early to open gifts before I had to head back to Joy to serve communion for two hours. Now, with no Christmas Day responsibilities, we sleep in a bit.
*When we were all younger, our families would go Christmas caroling on Christmas Day night.
Throughtout the month of December it's all Christmas music, all the time. Christmas shows on TV if we like them. Nightly walks with our dogs enjoying the Christmas lights in the neighborhood.
This is our first Christmas without mom. It will be different.
*Sitting by the Christmas tree, by our front window, in our little home in St. Louis Park, MN, listening to Christmas records (yes, actual records). Andy Williams was one of my favorites.
*Perry Como and Andy Williams Christmas specials on TV.
*Christmas "pageants" at church. In our little Lutheran Church the kids would put on a Christmas program. Each of us would learn a "piece," a Bible verse, for example, and share it with the congregation. We would also sing Christmas songs.
*Christmas Eve: A big day for us--
*We'd start out at church in the afternoon. At the service we would always receive a little blue box with Christmas images on it. It was filled with candy.
*Then we'd head to St. Paul to hang out with my mom's side of the family--the great uncles and aunts. We'd have dinner and sing Christmas carols. If we had a "piece" from the Sunday School program, we had to stand in front of the tree and recite it (or sing the song we learned.)
*At 10 or 11 (I can't remember which) it was back to church. Grandpa always spoke at that candlelight service. I can vividly remember the crunch of the snow as we would walk into church that evening.
*Next, we went to grandpa's and grandma's house (around midnight) for what grandma called, "A little lunch." Breads, meats, herring (yuck!) and then, finally, gift opening. In our family the tradition was to watch as others opened their gifts, starting with the youngest. I often knew what I was getting as my younger brothers usually received the same thing.
After Jan and I were married we ran between her family and my family functions. Her family open gifts in a mad free-for-all. Interesting as her family was quiet and reserved and mine is loud and noisy.
Since moving to Phoenix we've created new traditions over the years:
*The annual trip to Disneyland in early December
*Peter Piper Pizza before the Christmas Eve marathon of services
*Christmas Eve services with our community of faith--back in the Joy days we had 8 Christmas Eve services. We're currently at 4 at Grace.
*Christmas Day we were up bright and early to open gifts before I had to head back to Joy to serve communion for two hours. Now, with no Christmas Day responsibilities, we sleep in a bit.
*When we were all younger, our families would go Christmas caroling on Christmas Day night.
Throughtout the month of December it's all Christmas music, all the time. Christmas shows on TV if we like them. Nightly walks with our dogs enjoying the Christmas lights in the neighborhood.
This is our first Christmas without mom. It will be different.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Christianphobia?
The BBC is carrying an interesting article in which one of England's MP's is speaking out against what he calls, "Christianphobia." His concern is that, in the name of political correctness, Christianity is being sidelined and marginalized. As his country wrestles with tolerance of all religions and freedom of religion, he feels Christianity, and the Christian roots of England are being pushed aside. One symptom of that, from his perspective, is the decline in the number of schools doing nativity plays.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? It seems that this time of year the Christmas wars heat up. Feisty Christians seeks to cram Christmas down the throats of one and all, demanding Christmas displays in secular and sacred venues. Feisty non-believers want all trappings of Christmas removed from every inch of the US.
The issue is not as clear cut as the extremists on both sides of the debate want to make it. Christmas, by its very nature, is a Christian holiday. Though we also include the "secular" celebration of winter (and why should that be secular--aren't the changing of seasons sacred moments to celebrate and enjoy?), trees and carols and manger scenes remind us that Christmas celebrates the beginnings of one of the world's major religions. Our country in particular has been highly impacted by Christianity and we certainly want to be careful of losing an important part of our heritage by wiping it out of all "secular" settings.
On the other hand, Christianity is not meant to be imposed on people legally or through the government. If people have developed a phobia toward Christians, we Christians need to step back and ask why? The way to overcome that phobia is not to impose Christianity on others, but to lovingly influence them with the essence of Christmas--grace. That comes through loving, gracious words and actions, not legal challenges and name-calling.
Ironically, as I wrote in a recent post, the true story of Christmas continues to permeate society gently and usually unobtrusively through radio, TV, lawn displays, and major concert events. (I say unobtrusively because these are all free expressions of Christmas. Radio execs, TV networks, homeowners, etc., are not being forced to participate in Christmas against their wills.)
So let the extremists keep on fighting. Jesus will continue to show up at Christmas in the strangest of places. And so will grace-hearted Christians.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? It seems that this time of year the Christmas wars heat up. Feisty Christians seeks to cram Christmas down the throats of one and all, demanding Christmas displays in secular and sacred venues. Feisty non-believers want all trappings of Christmas removed from every inch of the US.
The issue is not as clear cut as the extremists on both sides of the debate want to make it. Christmas, by its very nature, is a Christian holiday. Though we also include the "secular" celebration of winter (and why should that be secular--aren't the changing of seasons sacred moments to celebrate and enjoy?), trees and carols and manger scenes remind us that Christmas celebrates the beginnings of one of the world's major religions. Our country in particular has been highly impacted by Christianity and we certainly want to be careful of losing an important part of our heritage by wiping it out of all "secular" settings.
On the other hand, Christianity is not meant to be imposed on people legally or through the government. If people have developed a phobia toward Christians, we Christians need to step back and ask why? The way to overcome that phobia is not to impose Christianity on others, but to lovingly influence them with the essence of Christmas--grace. That comes through loving, gracious words and actions, not legal challenges and name-calling.
Ironically, as I wrote in a recent post, the true story of Christmas continues to permeate society gently and usually unobtrusively through radio, TV, lawn displays, and major concert events. (I say unobtrusively because these are all free expressions of Christmas. Radio execs, TV networks, homeowners, etc., are not being forced to participate in Christmas against their wills.)
So let the extremists keep on fighting. Jesus will continue to show up at Christmas in the strangest of places. And so will grace-hearted Christians.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Musings on Joseph
In our Pastor Buddies Bible study today (a group of local Lutheran Pastors) we looked at Matthew's account of the story of the birth of Jesus. We began to imagine what it must have been like for Joseph.
His fiance' turns up pregnant--and not by him. When he demands an explanation she tells him it was the Holy Spirit. Yeah--right! His fiance' has brought public shame on him. She has embarrassed him. He has every right to break off the engagement.
An angel finally appears to set the story straight for Joseph. But that was in a dream.
Get this--as far as we can tell, Joseph never really got to see Jesus be...Jesus. Joseph is nowhere to be seen when Jesus is an adult. So he never saw Jesus heal. He never saw Jesus forgive others. He never heard Jesus teach about the Kingdom of God. He didn't see the death and resurrection. He lived every day for the rest of his life with the word of his wife and an angel in a dream that Jesus was the Son of God. Not much to go on!
But he took Mary as his wife and raised Jesus as his own.
That's faith.
His fiance' turns up pregnant--and not by him. When he demands an explanation she tells him it was the Holy Spirit. Yeah--right! His fiance' has brought public shame on him. She has embarrassed him. He has every right to break off the engagement.
An angel finally appears to set the story straight for Joseph. But that was in a dream.
Get this--as far as we can tell, Joseph never really got to see Jesus be...Jesus. Joseph is nowhere to be seen when Jesus is an adult. So he never saw Jesus heal. He never saw Jesus forgive others. He never heard Jesus teach about the Kingdom of God. He didn't see the death and resurrection. He lived every day for the rest of his life with the word of his wife and an angel in a dream that Jesus was the Son of God. Not much to go on!
But he took Mary as his wife and raised Jesus as his own.
That's faith.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
