Help Me With My Unbelief

"My," The Evil Word

2012-01-17T09:46:00.007-06:00

I went for a hike yesterday in the woods behind our house for the first time since they logged the "mature-growth" trees out and deer season this past fall. I was certainly overdue for a time of solitude in the woods.

What I saw as I trekked down the hill behind our house and back up into the wilderness was that my sanctuary had been raped!
The loggers obliterated most any recognizable paths and landmarks with wide, tractor-wheel packed roads back and forth through the woods. That is not to mention all of the tree stumps and toothpicks and splinters of trees that were left behind as evidence of the mutilation. Given that I walking through this man-made mess in mid-January, I felt like I was wondering aimlessly in some deciduous graveyard.
I kept hiking, deciding to move on deeper into what-used-to-be woods, hoping to find an end to the destruction, which I did as the topography rolled into a descent towards a creek. I crossed what I figured was the spray-painted boundary line for the loggers, and found unadulterated solace again.

Somewhere in this little 2+ hour journey, I realized that these were not MY woods. It was not MY sanctuary. Although I feel robbed of some personal access to a corner of natural beauty, I do believe in property rights, and I cannot fault the actual owner of the land on which those harvested trees grew for turning those timbers into some [needed?] cash.

Besides, Our God, the real owner of anything in Creation, has some more woods a bit beyond the deciduous graveyard, which I can still borrow from time to time for a personal, momentary sanctuary.

Blogging Revisited

2011-11-24T21:31:00.001-06:00

I think it's time to restart the blogging thing again...at least the weekly thankful lists. Details and actual follow-thru to follow.

More Pix

2010-10-22T14:49:00.003-05:00

Mother and Daughter:

A Family of Four:

Big Brother Holding Little Sister For the First Time:

Big Brother the Entertainer:

Lookout World! Adele Elizabeth is here!!

2010-10-22T10:49:00.003-05:00

The little lady poses for her first photo shoot:

Daddy & Addie:

Hello Grandma Donoho:

Hello Grandpa Donoho:
Hello Grandma Frazee:

My Weekly Seven v10.17.10

2010-10-17T22:38:00.005-05:00

These are seven of the more peculiar things for which I'm thankful from the past week...

Finished Project | Now, all 3 underbed drawers are complete! Maybe Alison will post a pic or two...

Short Week | Though it makes for a feeling of low productivity at the end of the week, a short work week is always a nice change of pace.

Random Text Encouragement | The little 56-character, out-of-nowhere text message I received on the way to work one morning last week was a nice pick-me-up to start the day. Thanks again, friend, for noticing the Holy Spirit's nudges.

Nature Walk | JT's homework (Yes--preschoolers have homework, too.) last week included going on a nature walk and looking for certain items like an acorn, a red leaf, an ant, a twig, etc. We did a late afternoon/early evening hike as a family last Thursday in the woods behind our house. It was gorgeous! It was a great family moment.

Piddling on the Piano | In my former years, I learned who I was and to have confidence in this person God made through music. Although my musical achievements were not on the piano, I've always enjoyed tinkering with chord progressions, melody lines, and some harmonies on the ivory. I got to do that for 20 minutes or so last Friday. Ahhh.

Wrestling with JT | He's been asking to wrestle quite often lately, and it's fun. It's definitely more WWF-style (the staged aspect, that is--not the the folding chairs and body slams) than any technical skills. And JT usually gives one or two of the down-from-the-gut laughs.

Golf | Before this past weekend, I had golfed once. (Evidently miniature golf doesn't really count.) I participated in a golf benefit. It was a "scramble," which meant that everyone on the team hits from the spot of the best-hit shot. In 15 holes, I think we used one of my drives, a couple of my ons, and I got a couple putts in for us. It was good times.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

My Weekly Seven v10.10.10

2010-10-12T22:03:00.004-05:00

These are seven things for which I'm especially thankful from the past week...(posted a couple days late)...

Our Preschooler's Rebuke | As I complained out loud about a do-it-myself construction project, JT says, "Uh, you're whining. You're a big boy--you need to use your words."

Our Preschooler's Observation | Another JT quotable: "Pregnant people don't do much. All they do is sleep, lay on the couch, and watch TV."

New Computer | I got a replacement work laptop (previous one effectively became ineffective) and now I'm back in business! It's an HP G72 series. (Thanks for your help, Steve!)

UnHappy Valley | Illinois 33, Penn State 13...at Penn State's home formerly referred to as Happy Valley. This Illinois team is legit. If they continue on this trajectory of playing hard and improving, they should get a bowl bid this year. Getting 6-8 football wins is a realistic expectation again.

Indian Summer | Although autumn is pretty and there's something pleasant about the cool weather of the season, I prefer it warm.

Homemade Apple Pie | One of the delicious results of a weekend family trip to Eckert's Apple Farm. Best served warm with ice cream and caramel...mmmm!

Amateur Woodworking | The first 2 of 3 under-bed drawers have turned out well...pretty much like I conjured up--functional & spacious on the inside, nice & simple looking on the outside. Not the woodworking masterpiece that my Grandpa Scott would turn out, but I'm quite satisfied (and so are Alison & JT).

Praise God
from whom all blessings flow!

Another Word on Fasting - Let's Get Ready

2010-05-27T23:06:00.002-05:00

“Get everyone together and fast...”

That was the request of a brave woman when she realized that she had to do something drastic for her family. What she would have to do was risky—it could’ve ended in her death. But she also knew that if she didn’t, she and all of her relatives would certainly die.

The woman’s name was Hadassah. Her story and the story of how her family, the Jewish people, was threatened with genocide is recorded in the biblical book carrying her Persian name, Esther.

When Hadassah came to grips with the situation—that she and her whole family tree were facing death if nothing changed, she asked for the whole people to join her in preparing to take action. She didn’t stomp into the throne room and make her demands. Nor did she make plans to get out of town. She didn’t just take some time to pray about it alone. Neither did she just sit and complain about how unfair it was. She resolutely accepted the situation, decided to do something about it, and requested that her uncle Mordecai “gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast...” (Esther 4:16, NIV)

There are a number of ways in which we American Christians (and us UABCers specifically) are now much like Hadassah’s people. If nothing changes, we also will be facing death. (See the Life Cycle of a Congregation diagram below. The Church Board last year determined that we are somewhere between “Stability” & “Decline”.) We know that we must take action soon. Yet, we will not stomp our feet making our demands; we will not look for opportunities to get out of Dodge; we will not pray with passivity; nor will we not sit down to complain. As Hadassah, Mordecai, and company, we will prepare together.

And so, 2010 has been declared the Year of the Fast, because one of the functions of fasting in the life of the people of God is as a form of communal preparation. On our Day of Prayer & Fasting this month, Wednesday, June 16^th, please join me in praying especially for

wisdom for the Church Board,
diligence for the Programs & Property Task Force,
and that the "5 ALIVE" language will continue to become part of our rebirth as a church family.

Trip to Help Cedar Rapids Rebuild

2010-05-20T16:54:00.002-05:00

Our church is sending a team to help Habitat for Humanity rebuild in the Cedar Rapids, IA in August. We do good work, learn a lot, and have a blast! Wanna go with us?

Here's some introductory info...

Other Information
Timeline

We'll be working with the Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity chapter.

Let me know if you want the rest of the information packet.

Some 5 ALIVE Graphics

2010-05-15T11:16:00.004-05:00

For my fellow UABCers, if you would like to put a 5 ALIVE graphic on your computer background, you can download these:Or, if you know which of the 5 ALIVE doors you want to focus on next, you might be interested in downloading one of these:

A Word on Fasting: Worthless

2010-04-30T02:07:00.002-05:00

Fasting can help us pray more intently. Fasting can help us get closer to Our God. Fasting can help us walk with Jesus. Fasting can help us.

Unless it doesn’t.

Unless it only helps us put on a religious show (for others, God, or maybe just ourselves)…instead of actually helping us pray. Unless it just serves to make us feel holier…instead of really helping us get closer with God. Unless it only masks how we persist at running our own races…instead of helping us walk with Jesus.

In Isaiah 58:1-7 we’re reminded that a potentially helpful practice like fasting can also become worthless.

Or worse, it can be destructive to our prayers and our relationship with God. And worst, fasting can be destructive to getting a better glimpse of God’s will for us and our situations—the very hope of fasting in the first place.

Fasting can help us. Or fasting can get in the way. So, what do we do? How can we make sure fasting falls on the helpful side?

In Isaiah 58, we see that when the people were fasting they expected God to change his actions while they did not show any willingness to change their actions. If we were in God’s shoes in that equation, we’d throw a flag on the play and cry, “double standard.”

For us, if our fasting is not accompanied by changes in our actions, it is worthless. If we are not willing to live differently, it’s worthless. If we aren’t going to get any more sensitive to suffering people (or stop hurting people ourselves)… Or if we aren’t going to get any more compassionate towards those who are on the underside of the rest of the world’s success (or stop putting people down ourselves)… Or if we aren’t going to get any more concerned with helping God do something about the things that are aren’t right (or stop messing things up ourselves)…then our fasting is a waste of time.

As we fast & pray, we must check our actions and willingness to become different than we presently are. I hope you will join me in practicing “prayer & fasting” on Wednesday, May 5^th. Will you also join me in asking Jesus to show you & I how we need to make changes in our actions?

My Addiction is Deleted

2010-04-14T22:44:00.007-05:00

I had downloaded a free version of Baseball Mogul (2007 edition I think it was) last spring. It was a great game for someone who had a childhood like mine--getting up most days of summer break and playing baseball by myself in the backyard; following the Cardinals and my favorite players on TV; buying, sorting, & studying baseball cards. I even had created--this is where it gets nerdy/dorky/obsessive--a whole imaginary league complete with rosters and stats.

For a kid like me, Baseball Mogul is an invention that seems to come right out of my brain. You can play with historical teams & players. You can play with imaginary players. You get to be General Manager and run the farm system, draft players, make trades. You get to be Manager and change the lineups. (The only thing it doesn't let you enjoy is playing the actual games as players.)
This wonderful thing called Baseball Mogul was how vegged out...then how I spent hours...then how I avoided doing things that I really should've been doing. This became my addiction and one of the devil's temptation specialties with me.

So, as part of my confession here, I want to share that I have "repented" and Baseball Mogul is no longer on my computer. In the midst of the beginning of the baseball season, I do miss it at moments and wish I could fantasize about being in charge of a baseball franchise. Yet, I am not wasting time away from better things--like sleep, my wife, my son, my faith, ...

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.

A Word on Fasting: Praying for Divine Action

2010-04-06T21:27:00.003-05:00

April 7^th is the next Day of Prayer & Fasting for our church. So, I want to share some more thoughts about the habit of fasting.

Another example of fasting in Scripture is in Daniel 9. I’m especially drawn to verses 17-19. To a large extent, all the verses leading up to these last sentences of Daniel’s prayer are prelude. And the 12 verses of prelude go something like this: “God, you’ve always been faithful to us, but we’ve have failed you over and over again.” A primary element of fasting is admitting our need for God. It is arrogant for us to pretend that our broken situation (whatever it may be as the people of God) is just innocent happenstance and has nothing to do with our own (and our forefathers’ and foremothers’) failings. We admit this as we fast and pray.

Daniel prays about a “city” that bears God’s “Name.” To translate Daniel’s praying into our context, I think of Jesus’ words when he called us a “city on a hill” (Matthew 5:14). We call ourselves a church and we also bear the Name of Christ. Part of our praying is not for God to bless us with success as a religious club, but that His Holy Spirit would act within us and through us. We plead for God to take action in us—because God’s reputation is at stake—when we fast and pray.

My Shabbat Seven, v2010.03.13

2010-03-13T11:14:00.003-06:00

These are some of the more peculiar things I've been thankful for in the past 2 weeks...

Magnesium Smoothie Day | Last Thursday was the occasion for what now seems to like an annual good idea. Sometime in the last gloomy days of winter, I make these "magnesium smooties" for the rest of the staff. Magnesium is something our bodies need to deal with stress, and it's also one of the first things our bodies deplete when we're stressed. (Magnesium can be found in bananas, orange juice, raspberries, & yogurt--all suitable for smoothies. Add a some strawberries, some Splenda, and whip cream on top and they're pretty tasty, too.) (Not actual picture.)

Quick trip to Tolono | We went up to Tolono last weekend so I could attend a seminar in Champaign. This also meant we got to spend some time with Mom & Dad at the homestead...or perhaps I should say they got to spend time with JT.

"deeee-LISH-us" | This was JT's newest impressive-word-that-we-didn't-teach-him.

Mess of Me | This is my newest favorite song. And I've realized how much I jive with Switchfoot's thinking. "I wanna spend the rest of my life alive." This song is off of their latest CD, Hello Hurricane. See John 10:10 for my understand of being alive...which I believe is shared with Switchfoot (a la Meant to Live & New Way to Be Human).

Receiving words of thanks | It's just always nice to receive words of affirmation.

Brain surgery | The first reasons for a pastoral visit to the hospital this week was for brain surgery. Just thinking about what we're able to do medically in our time & place--wow! Not that we deserve it any more than the people centuries before us, but "Thanks, God, for letting us live here and now with these incredible possibilities! Help Mike heal & recover."

New baby | The second reason for a hospital visit this week was to celebrate with proud parents of a new baby boy. "Yay, God, for this latest little bundle of miracle!"

Praise God
from whom all blessings flow!

My Shabbat Seven: v2010.02.27

2010-02-27T09:54:00.004-06:00

These are a few of the more peculiar things for which I've been grateful this week...

Arizona Carpenter Jeans | So I've conceded that I'm no longer even close to 'hip' in terms of fashion. Old Navy used to be my preferred jeans, but they changed their designs every year. Last year I tried to ride the wave of fashion trends and purchased jeans that sit "just below the waist." I tried and I hate them. The search began for a brand of carpenter (I like the little pocket for my cell phone) jeans that still sit "at the waist". I went to JC Penny and eureka! Arizona Jean Company, thank you for remembering the market share that is the older young adult has-beens of the 00's fashion trends like myself. You have my business (until you stop making carpenter jeans that sit at the waist).
Sunshine | O, how I have missed thee / Sunshine, you and me / We belong together / How I ache for warmer weather

Saving Christmas toys | What began as a normal, ho-hum, chilly, February Friday soon turned into a morning of adventure. JT & I opened 2 of the toys we'd put back after Christmas: memory farm animals and the cash register. Both scored as huge hits.

"Where does God live?" | My 3-1/2-year-old has begun his quest for theological sense. An adorable way of keeping this father/pastor on his toes. The follow-up questions included "Why is he up in the air?" and "Where is his house?"

Monopoly Deal | It's a quick version of the classic board game. A couple evenings every week recently have ended with a double round of this card game between Alison & I.
Spring Training | Though all I get is the spots on the 6 o'clock or 10 o'clock news, the fact that the Cardinals are getting ready to play ball is a welcomed onslaught of hope to my I'm-tired-of-winter-ness.

Baptisms | We celebrated the baptism of a young girl in worship this morning. 'Nuff said. Go God!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

A Word on Fasting - Participation in Suffering

2010-02-25T09:39:00.004-06:00

When we fast, we participate in the sufferings of Jesus and others. Fasting is a voluntary sacrifice on our part, but as we fast and pray we also remember how Jesus was the Suffering Servant—sacrificing not just a couple meals but his life. We recall the extent of his physical suffering as well as his mental anguish. Added to our own prayers and sacrifice then, is an aspect of joining Jesus and suffering alongside him.

Psalm 69 was composed by David; however, we can easily imagine Jesus praying some of these same words in the moments between Gethsemane and Golgotha. Read Psalm 69:6-12.

We may not have people making fun of us when we fast. (Few should actually know that we’re fasting anyway.) We may not be wearing sackcloth or hearing insults. Our persecution may be passive. Those whom we know are against our Jesus and our faith may be a long distance away from us. Still, to the extent that we give up something of significance to us and voluntarily “suffer”, we follow Jesus’ example of self-sacrifice. In Paul’s letter to the Roman believers, he instructed them [and us] that “if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering” (Romans 8:17, NLT).

As you do your next fasting, let some of your prayer time be contemplative—imagining the suffering Jesus experienced. Take the sympathy that is naturally felt and try to let it become empathy. Pray with Jesus in the garden at Gethsemane. Groan with Jesus on the cross at Golgotha. Cry out prayers of abandonment in your heart. Call on Our God to complete His mission with us. Go a bit beyond remembering Jesus’ suffering—participate in that holy suffering.

REMINDER FOR MY UABC FAMILY:

March 10th is the next Day of Prayer & Fasting.

A Shabbat Seven, v2010.02.24

2010-02-24T23:07:00.005-06:00

I've been out of the habit of posting these since sometime in December. So, in trying to get back in the habit...here's some of the things I've been thankful for...

Coaching kids to play basketball | Kindergarten & 1st graders have short attention spans, awkward hand-eye coordination, and lots of energy. We have fun together twice a week.

Olympic curling | What?! I don't understand much of it, but I'm strangely intrigued.

Being introduced to the Science Center | I've wanted to go, just never had yet. So I tagged along with Alison, JT, & 2 Cash kids on the Presidents Day outing.

"The orange scored again!" | As I was cooking supper for the two of us, JT kept me updated on the game. He can't stick with a whole game yet, but for those fleeting moments when we watch the Illini together, it's a wonderful thing.

Music | A couple new CD's. Ripping & organizing playlists. So good for my soul.

Participating in my first ordination council | Last month I got to sit on the other side of the questions for the first time. It was a pleasure and an honor. (Congrats, Rob!)

Playing games with my family | Card games, board games, Wii games--all good. With JT, with Alison, with both--all good.

Praise God from whom
all blessings flow!

More bits & pieces on fasting

2010-02-09T16:00:00.003-06:00

Here are some quick points about fasting in a God-honoring, life-giving way:

When we fast, we humbly give up something. Giving up food (or an alternative if food is not possible for health or other reasons) is a way of humbling ourselves before God.
Fasting can be a symbolic act of recommitment expressing "I believe & trust you, God."
Fasting is a way of asking for help when we feel hard-pressed.
Fasting can be a form of communal preparation.
Fasting is a means of participating in suffering. "If Christ suffered all that for me, I can suffer in this small way."
Fasting is not a way that we earn God's favor or manipulate His will.
Fasting does not have to be done "just right." The why's are more important than the how's. Don't be intimidated if you're a fasting rookie.
Fasting is worthless if it doesn't deepen our actions of missions and/or spiritual development.
When we fast, we feast on the Word of God. A portion of the time that would've normally been spent eating, is spent reading & meditating on Scripture. For the UABC Day of Prayer & Fasting tomorrow, Proverbs 29:18 & Joel 2:12-15 are good ones to start with.
When we fast, we draw near to Our God in prayer. Most of the time that would've normally been spent eating, is spent praying--talking with and listening for God. Below is a prayer prompt based on the common elements of some fasting prayers in the Bible:

PRAISE Most High & Faithful God, you are more powerful than anyone else, you are holy to highest level, and you enjoy being gracious & helpful to any who call on your name. …

CONFESSION We have to admit that we haven’t always been faithful to you. We’ve trusted in our own abilities, we’ve failed to honor you by living rightly, and we’ve often neglected your call to be gracious & helpful to others. …

RECALL ACTS/PROMISES Still, you have a history of delivering your people from distress. You led the Israelites from Egypt to the promised land. You helped the Jews from exile back home. You sent your Son, Jesus, to deliver all of us from sin into full and eternal life. …

LAMENT/COMPLAINT Surely, you know that things are not all well for us. Some of our misfortunes are our own doing; some are a result of the times in which we live. …

REQUEST/CALL TO ACTION So we’re humbly asking you to reveal yourself and do something powerful with us for the sake of your name. We’re not asking this because we deserve it, but because we’re confident in your grace. We are forever yours. May your favor rest upon us. …

Will post an edited video of the sermon on fasting...if it works out like I think...

UABC 2010, The Year of the Fast

2010-02-09T15:47:00.001-06:00

A proclamation by the Pastor of Upper Alton Baptist Church.

As the Shepherd of our church family and with the blessing of the Church Board, I am proclaiming 2010 to be the Year of the Fast in the life of Upper Alton Baptist Church. Similar to proclamations by US Presidents, who set aside special days of remembrance, and similar to biblical leaders proclaiming special days of prayer and fasting—this proclamation is a call to such a unified effort.

As we endeavor to re-envision who we are as the people called Upper Alton Baptist Church and to what Our Lord is calling us to do in our time, it is essential that we are listening for the leadings of the Holy Spirit. It is imperative that we set ourselves apart for this task of listening in both spirit and in practice. Our heritage of faith is rich with men and women who have sought the Lord’s guidance through the discipline of prayer and fasting. It is a fitting time for us to learn from those before us who have drawn closer to Jesus through such disciplines.

All UABCers are invited to join me thoughout 2010 in growing in the discipline of prayer and fasting. There are two explicit goals for this emphasis:
1. First of all, the Year of the Fast is an invitation to the entire church family to support and participate in the work of envisioning, which the Church Board intentionally began in 2009. The work of envisioning is a process of discernment—gradually figuring out together what the Head of our Church wants to do with us down the road. The Church Board will continue to lead us through this phase, but it is not their work alone.
2. Secondly, the Year of the Fast is an opportunity to develop a new spiritual skill. During 2010, we will get acquainted with some guidelines for making sure our fasting efforts are grounded, straightforward, and life-giving. Especially for some who are fasting “rookies”, this will be a chance to experiment with a new a way of getting to know Jesus.

The Year of the Fast will entail a monthly Day of Prayer of Fasting, beginning in February. This day will align with the day of the Church Board meetings, which normally occur on the Wednesday after the first Sunday of the month. Three options are suggested, depending on an individual’s experience with fasting, health, eagerness to help with the work of envisioning, and/or desire to receive a word from Our Lord:
• all-day, alternative fast (going without something besides food)
• one-meal, water-only fast
• all-day, juice-and-water-only fast.

If sometime in the past you’ve written off this ancient practice as too legalistic, too difficult, or just too weird, please reconsider and be willing to learn. When done humbly and appropriately, learning to pray with fasting can be a new way we learn how to listen to God.

Done this seventeenth day of January, in the year of Our Lord two thousand and ten, and of the founding of Upper Alton Baptist Church the one hundred eightieth.

FYI to UABCers: Time to Awaken times 3

2010-01-28T12:39:00.000-06:00

TIME TO AWAKEN, ACT 1 | At Christmas I received a prayer book that I’d put on my wish list, Tides and Seasons: Modern prayers in the Celtic tradition (David Adam). One of my first favorites is Awaken me, Lord:

“Awaken me, Lord / To your light, / Open my eyes / To your presence.

Awaken me, Lord / To your love, / Open my heart / To your indwelling.

Awaken me, Lord / To your life, / Open my mind / To your abiding.

Awaken me, Lord / To your purpose, / Open my will / To your guiding.”

TIME TO AWAKEN, ACT 2 | Our Music Director, Steve, and I get together pretty much every week. Occasionally, he brings new song ideas for us to talk about for our contemporary service. This past week was the latest such occasion as he brought a very new song, Awakening (Charlie Hall):

“In our hearts Lord, in this nation, awakening

Holy Spirit, we desire, awakening

Awake my soul and sing

For the world You love, Your will be done

Let Your will be done in me”

(NOTE: We haven’t determined yet if it’ll be a UABC song or not.)

TIME TO AWAKEN, ACT 3 | As I anticipate the next study for our small group, Revelation, I also recall one of the [harsh!] letters to the seven churches in Asia:

“I know your deeds; you have a reputations of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.” (Revelation 3:1b-2, NIV)

: : : : : : :

And so I pray in the words of the 19^th century hymn, Revive Us Again:

“Revive us again, fill each heart with Thy love;

May each soul be rekindled with fire from above.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory, Hallelujah! Amen;

Hallelujah! Thine the glory; Revive us again.”

FYI TO UABCers: Re-envisioning UABC

2009-12-23T11:39:00.003-06:00

Throughout 2009 the Church Board set aside a portion of their meetings for "envisioning moments," which included a variety of activities designed to help us start thinking about our future together as a congregation. Healthy congregations are ones that continually do the work of envisioning at some level. How deep the process needs to go depends on where the church is in terms of its life cycle. One of the Board's early "envisioning moments" was a discussion about the congregational life cycle, which is illustrated below.
The unofficial consensus of the Board at that time was that UABC is somewhere between STABILITY and DECLINE (which is at least average for established American churches). The good news is that, like any other human organization, we can change our trajectory through the work of re-envisioning...which can be labeled a "rebirth loop" in terms of the life cycle. The even better news is that we are not just a human organization, but a community of Christ-followers who are gifted and empowered by the very Spirit of God.Rebirth (renewal, redevelopment, revival, revitalization--whatever you want to call it) is not a matter of surviving for another generation or another century; re-envisioning is a matter of thriving as the people of God...by seeking out the will of God for our church family.
The work of re-envisioning continues into 2010, and the Church Board will continue to lead us in this journey. However, it is not only the task of the the Board to re-envision--it's all of ours. If you'd like to chat more about the envisioning process, the life cycle of UABC, or our future together, I would love to sit down over lunch or a cup of coffee with you and hear your perspective.

Sitting Under Scripture

2009-12-12T00:32:00.010-06:00

[The following is a condensed version of a 2009 sermon and a draft for a publication submission--feedback is welcome.]

Our relationship with Scripture can be described in one of three ways:

we sit OVER Scripture,

we sit BESIDE Scripture,

or we sit UNDER Scripture.

We sit OVER Scripture when we ignore parts of the Bible--either because we reason that it's too hard to understand or too hard to put into practice. We might not read the Bible or react to teachings because we think, “I already know that.” Or, we sit OVER Scripture when we come across a passage that’s uncomfortable to us, and we reason, “Not everything in this old book really matters to me now.” When we sit over Scripture, we miss out on the Creator’s advice on how to live this life we've been given.

We sit BESIDE Scripture if we respect the Bible theoretically, but don't revere it practically. For example, we may own a Bible, but we leave it sitting on a shelf without picking it up for a private Bible-reading routine. If we’ve been believers for years, but we haven’t learned much about where to find Micah, Mount Sinai, or what Jesus says about marriage—we’re just sitting BESIDE Scripture. Or, we might hear about opportunities from our church to listen and discuss parts of the Bible with other believers, but we front our various excuses for not participating. When we sit beside Scripture, we don’t become better acquainted with Jesus, the One we call Leader & Rescuer, the Author of Life.

However, we’re sitting UNDER Scripture when the Bible is our authoritative influence. We attend worship services and Bible studies expecting to receive an encouraging word or challenging nudge from God. We sit UNDER the authority of Scripture when we care enough to ask questions and wrestle with issues & Bible passages. We give God the chance to have first say-so concerning our decisions, among other means, by checking with the Bible. When we sit under Scripture, we’re nourished with the sweet words of life.

A SHORT 'SITTING UNDER SCRIPTURE' READING: Read Psalm 19:7-11.

A SIMPLE 'SITTING UNDER SCRIPTURE' PRAYER: My God, I am hungry and thirsty for you. I humbly ask for you to nourish my soul today. May your words rule over my life and guide my steps this day. Amen.

Disgusting Christians

2009-12-10T21:44:00.006-06:00

This is an awful t-shirt.To know why this is "awful", look up the Bible verse and its context. I don't believe that this cursing kind of praying is not the kind of praying that honors Our God.

I don't need to rant about this. There are some disgusting "Christians" out there who drag my Jesus' name through the evil and the mud of the world. If that's what the adjective "Christian" means, don't describe me with that word.

Lord, have mercy.

Hats off to the "Blue Collar, Orange Pride" Boys

2009-12-03T19:55:00.006-06:00

Our beloved ILLINI overcame a 23-point deficit and brought #18 Clemson down (at Clemson!) in the ACC-BigTen Challenge. This was the largest comeback ever for an Illini team. This year was also the first time in the 11-year history that the BigTen won the Challenge, which was capped off with unranked Wisconsin upsetting #5 Duke (hooray!).

Hears the ILLINI highlights:

I - L - L

An Advent Reaction

2009-11-30T20:57:00.004-06:00

So we got to visit a different church for worship on Sunday. At one point the pastor made a comment in passing that could've came across differently than I think she intended. And, it caused this Advent reaction in my mind:

Jesus didn't come to make a difference;
Jesus comes to make us different.

Make sure you're not just getting ready for Christmas Day--we have to also make sure we're getting ready for The Day Christ returns.

"Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body
be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again."
(1 Thessalonians 5:23, NLT)

My [overdue] Shabbat Seven v2009.11.28

2009-11-30T19:50:00.011-06:00

These are some of the more 'peculiar' (i.o.w. not the obvious) things for which I've been thankful this past week...

Potluck dessert tables. / No explanation needed.

That I actually went running over the weekend. / Twice. Outside. Proving once again that I'm in a different shape than I'm trying to be in.

Fluxx game. / For a guy who likes knowing/playing/living the rules and games that depend on strategy & skill instead of randomness, this low-strategy-required game of ever-changing rules is a blast. (Props to Steve & Nicole for getting us in on this game.)

Holidays. / Our Thanksgiving (& Christmas even more so) may be hectic, but I like the change of focus to family, relaxation, and giving thanks to Our Heavenly Father.

JT in his tux AND that he walked all the way down the aisle AND that he stood up on the stage for at least half of the wedding. / He was way cute, but I wasn't too sure he would pull off those last two parts.

Catching up with an old friend. / Last Tuesday was definitely the longest I've ever sat in a Qdoba for lunch. God be with you till we meet again, Sprock.

Watching JT play with his cousin-to-be. / We're excited about T & C officially joining the family this spring.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

My Shabbat Seven v2009.NOV.21

2009-11-21T15:54:00.010-06:00

These are some of the more peculiar (in other words, not the obvious ones) things I've been thankful for this past week...

"Elmo's Cow". / This is what JT calls a Mexican Resturant in town officially called El Mezcal. I'm actually not the biggest fan of the resturant, per se. I am, however, amused by my son's rendering of the name.
The writings of Eugene Peterson. / Some will recognize his name as being the translator of The Message version of the Christian Bible. If I were an author, I'd be Peterson-like. He's a thorough scholar, a careful pastor, a incurable nature-lover, and a true words-smith. In addition to reading Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, I currently use his little Praying with Jesus book to help keep my focused in the middle of my workdays.
Wi-Fi. / I've realized today how many of my days (100%) are made more convient by this human invention.
The Saint Louis Zoo. / After JT's followup checkup for his October surgery, we did a quick stop (he got to pick 3 animals to see) at the zoo. We're close. It's free. He loves animals. Gotta love it.
InterACT, our small group. / All we did was rake somebody else's yard and have lunch together today, but I really like having these friends of ours.
Making Chili. / Although Alison isn't as much of a fan of it as I think she was in our earlier years, it's still a favorite seasonal activity of mine. I do, however, have to be in the right mood. And ya know, it's really hard to actually mess it up.
Facebook Thankfulness. / Yes, I normally don't like the chain-letter-like fads that get passed around through email and Facebook. And no, I'm not a participant in the daily posting of thankfulness. And no, I don't even read all of the gratitudinal content. Still, I commend all those who have taken up this November discipline. Good stuff.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

My Shabbat Seven v2009:NOV:14

2009-11-16T13:20:00.010-06:00

These are seven of the more "peculiar" (in other words, not the obvious ones) things, I've been thankful for this past week...

French silk pie. / Thanks to the venerable Karen Wilson, some us had a helping of this heavenly deliciousness last Sunday for A Night of Vision at church. Oo-la-la-love-it!
Wikipedia. / So my 15 minutes of preparation for the Alton Band & Orchestra Builders Trivia Night included reading through Wikipedia's entry on the number "5." (The Marching 100's show was "5" after Beethoven's symphony, and their trivia night's always have a round that's a spin-off of their show's theme.) I read a few things. Alison said, "You know none of those things will be questions tonight?" I agreed. There were two. "Maroon 5" and how do you notate the number 5 in binary code--"101". I felted smartish.
Illini basketball has begun. / Sure, they're playing schools whose basketball programs are not an even match right now. But it doesn't matter when it's my favorite sporting venue. Moreover, have heard how the Illinois football team is doing? Exactly.
Homemade donuts. / Technically, this first try wasn't "from scratch". Still, I made them at home and they were yummy. I have a new culinary muse to experiment on every other weekend or so.
My big rake. / It's not glamorous. It's not tasty. It's not even fun. Yet, this one single investment has exponentially simplified the autumn ritual of transporting the carpet of chlorophyl-deficient foliage from our yard to the wooded hillside behind our house. As I told a youth while raking leaves for an older member of our congregation, "Big Bertha is not just for raking leaves, it's for throwing leaves."
Pere Marquette Park. / Getting out into the rawer corners of the American Midwest creation is very much a recentering activity for me...even if I'm towing my 3 1/2 year old most of the way up and down.
Our Toyota Sienna minivan. / As I was vacuuming it out this past weekend, it was apparant that we really use (abuse?) our van a lot.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

My Shabbat Seven v11.06.2009

2009-11-06T21:34:00.010-06:00

These are some of the more "peculiar" (not the obvious ones) things I'm thankful for this past week...

Family raking day / Not only does this make my job easier this fall, but it was a couple hours of playful fun with my wife and son in the November, 70-degree sunshine.
Unprompted & random "I-love-you-Daddy's" / Add to the half-pint words of affection the side of a half-pint head pressed up to the side of mine and a slight grin full of half-pint joy...it makes my heart smile. Nearly as enjoyable are the similar "I-love-you-Mommy's".
Yahoo internet radio / Usually I can deal with the commercial interruptions that I can't skip because I used all my "skips" on the previous 2 or 3 commerical interruptions. And, I can listen to a variety of musical pleasures, like "Best of the 80's"; "Class Reunion 1997"; "Praise & Worship"; "Blues"; "Classical Standards"; "Jungle-Drum & Bass"; or "Oldies"...
Making Christmas wish lists / It's the feeling of shopping without spending $1. (Yes, there occassionally is an exception to the "without spending" clause.) And, it's just another way that Christmas infects the pre-Christmas (even pre-Advent) season with hope...albeit a hollow, consumeristic version of hope.
Jumper cables / You know what they're for. Yes, we had to use them this week. Enough said.

"I don't wanna go home. I want to visit someone else." / This statement of JT's occurred after he helped me do a pastoral visit with an elderly woman who was in the hospital. I was proud that, though he was shy, he wasn't intimidated by her bruises and general hospital-stay disshoveledness. I was proud when it was apparent that his presence and interactions brought an extra amount of joy to her day. But then when I was at the end of my day & ready to do something "for me", I was blessed when this 3-year-old soul said he could do more of it. (BTW, this episode occurred minutes before the previous "jumper cable" episode.)
Chili's "2 for $20" / We get an appetizer (for us it's always eat chips & dip), 2 entrees, and a dessert to share. Alison always gets two meals out of her entree. Thus, for this Donoho duo, it is actually "3 for $20"!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

My Shabbat Seven v2009.10.31

2009-10-30T20:51:00.010-05:00

Seven of the more "peculiar" (in other words, besides the obvious) things I've been thankful for this past week...

Wii Fit. Even if it's not making me all that more "fit," it at least gives me the feeling that I've done something healthy.
Preschoolers. My son is one, and of course he's the most adorable little human being on the planet...sometimes. And I'm also privileged to have an office with a door that is 20 feet from a preschool with 15-20 eager-to-be-alive, innocent, curious, & impressionable 3-, 4-, & 5-year-olds.
Indoor S'mores. If you've partook of this delicasy, you know why it's on this list. If you've haven't had this perfect blend of taste & texture pass over your taster, perhaps I'll share a bit of our next batch...maybe. And, yes, this point probably single-marshmallowedly neutralized the first point (Wii Fit) this past week.

Fantasy Football. This probably doesn't make the list if my "ThePastorIsFaster" team wasn't in first place in one league and my "GreenEggsAndRam" team in the playoff picture in the other league.

Playing "tackle" football with my 3-year-old son in our leaf-laden, sunlit backyard.

Ideas/Thoughts/Theories. I can easily get lost in thought...which has been known to cause extended moments of indecision and inaction. I take a long time to read books because I like to chew on them with my mind like a cow chews on grass with its 4 stomachs. I like to think.

Friends. Specifically, those rare kind of friends who are so selflessly helpful and caring that you can take them for granted and they selflessly help and care just the same. At different moments in life, it's a different friend. I hope that I could be such a friend to others someday.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Glocalize [an FYI to UABCers]

2009-10-28T10:33:00.007-05:00

The first apostles soon discovered that the Great Commission had layers to it. Jesus told them "...you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8) Some remained at ground zero in Jerusalem & Judea. Some went on mission trips towards Egypt, some towards India, some towards Macedonia, Rome, & Spain. One thing about this growing movement that was later labeled the Christian religion--the local churches in the "ends of the earth" kept a connection and a kinship to the believers in Jerusalem. And reciprocally, the local churches in Jerusalem and Judea kept in communication with the believers out in the "ends of the earth."

As our world becomes more and more globalized, we will need to become more and more glocal (thinking globally & acting locally). (You can find out about glocalization here. You can read Leonard Sweet's introduction of the term into Christianity in Soul Tsunami.)

Our recent Faith in Action weekend was wonderful...and for sure, our congregation needs to keep growing in respect to serving our own community in the name of Jesus. Still, we need to also grow in our ability to "think globally" about the Great Commission. One tool for doing so as individuals is the website for the American Baptist Churches' International Ministires.

At this site, one can browse through the various works of ABC missionaries throughout the globe. You can also browse by type of mission work being done, including:

So if you've got a few minutes and an internet connection, go "think globally" for a bit. And see if you can help think of ways we can be "acting locally".

My Shabbat Seven v10.24.2009

2009-10-23T18:17:00.013-05:00

Seven of the more "peculiar" (in other words, besides the obvious) things I've been thankful for this past week...

Sunshine. Usually, this is an obvious one, but lately it's felt like a rarity.

Playing Catchphrase with JT.
Basketball. I love the game, but I'm not sure if it really loves me back. I got to play with Jeremy this past week, and Illinois has started practices...ahhh. How's that Psalm go that talks about heaven..."better is one day in your courts"?

When JT replies to our "You need to hurry up!" with "I'm hurrying upping!"
Homemade food. When we returned from our hospital stay last weekend, we were greeted with various homemade foods from our church family, plus my mom brought her pumpkin bread and made chicken & noodles while she was her.
Flavoring for medicine. If it wasn't for grape flavoring, cherry flavoring, or the ever popular bubble gum flavoring, getting the helpful medicines down our son's throat would be a lot more difficult.
Baseball playoffs. Yes, even if the Cardinals didn't play very well in the first round. Now I'll cheer for anyone but the Yankees.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

My Ministry Age is 37

2009-10-20T22:28:00.002-05:00

In a recent edition of the Leadership Journal there was a quiz to determine what generation a pastoral leader best represents. My score of 37 put me in the higher end of the "Younger Leader" (25-41) range. The other two ranges were "Pragmatic Leader" (42-58) and "Traditional Leader" (up to 75).

I usually don't go for the quizzes that litter the Facebook-osphere. But I was...satisfied...with this little diddy.

The premise of the article was that leaders of all generations need to understand each other to better help the church transition into the next era. I wonder, though, if there is actually an assumption that more leaders need to become "younger leaders".

The Nobel Not So Noble To Me Anymore

2009-10-12T20:46:00.003-05:00

It's not that I'm anti-Obama. He's our President and I do want him to be successful (on some level, but admittingly not in every respect). In regards to "world peace", I would say "Go, Mr. President!"

However, I don't think he's accomplished enough in this respect to merit the esteemed Nobel Peace Prize...at least, yet. (Read the press release here.) It seems he's been given the award because of his good intentions and clever speaking, which is not what I thought the Prize was for.

I hear the Committee's explanation is that they hope that by naming Obama and his intentions as Prize-worthy, more members of the global community will follow along. I guess I do hope that their hopes will not be disappointed and this will do some repair of the American reputation in the world. Still, the Prize is a little less noble to me.

My Shabbat Seven v2009.10.15

2009-10-11T21:33:00.004-05:00

This'll be a combo late-from-last-week & early-for-this-week post of the Shabbat Seven.

When JT says "Mmm. Tasty."
U of I homecoming. It was great to see old friends again.
Mom's pumpkin bread. Mmm--that gooey part in the middle of the top--oh, yeah!
The "envisioning moments" w/ the Church Board. The present is being enlivened by figuring out our future.
Preschool Parent Club. I get to be in the Parent Club now...I feel so "on the inside" now.
Weekday holidays = days with the fam.
Living so close to the Barnes-Jewish-Christian Children's Hospital in St. Lou.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!

My Shabbat Seven - v2009.10.03

2009-10-02T22:08:00.007-05:00

My "Small Engines I" 4-H project. Taking that small Briggs & Stratton engine apart, identifying, and labeling all those parts helped me figure out why the mower stopped running. (That project went to State, btw...and I never did the "Small Engines II" where you put the motor back together.)
Fresh apples and everything Alison is doing with them. Mmmmmm.
Paintballing...in the woods.
NBA Live 2009 All-Play for our Wii. It gets me pysched up for the basketball season AND helps me veg-down before beddy-bye.
When JT says "What?" with a rapidly increasing pitch and an equally rapidly increasing grin. Thanks to Nicole for reminding me how much the little guy's predictable blurts bring me joy.
The Planets by Gustov Holst. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just know it's a music thing. After the Trivia Night I listened to The Planets all week. Mars--The Bringer of War, Jupiter--The Bringer of Jolity, & Mercury--The Winged Messenger are my favorite movements.
Smores. Graham crackers, roasted-just-to-flame marshmallows, solid chocolate. Whomever did this first should get profit-shares from all sales of Hershey's, Jett-Puff, & Honey Maid June through October.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

My Shabbat Seven v2009.09.26

2009-09-26T12:47:00.008-05:00

Our annual family trip to Eckerts in Grafton. JT's favorite part is the animals.
Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. It's one of my spots for my mini-retreats to the woods. I went there for a bit on Friday for a spiritual checkup.
Fried Zuchinni like my mom used to make. Ah--but she was the one who made it this time!
Teaching my son how to play dominoes. Friday was family game night, though there wasn't a lot of "game" due to a tired "family" and a late supper making the evening a short "night."
Google calendar. I've been experimenting with different calendar tools. I'm thinking Google's gonna be the winner. Sometimes our family calendar, my work calendar, and the church calendar make for colorful days.
My mp3 player. Whether running, working, going to sleep, or just trying to refocus, I love having portable tuneage! Often, it really does help me be me.
Free, extended babysitting by Grandma Donoho...again. She's getting in her "grandma fix" before harvest begins in central IL. It's so nice.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!

The Shurtleff Fund [An FYI to UABCers]

2009-09-24T10:46:00.005-05:00

UABCers would be interested to know that the legacy of Shurtleff College, which was a huge part of the life of our church for decades, continues to advance the name of Jesus in the environment of higher education...and your pastor gets to be part of it.

On Monday I drove up to Springfield for a meeting of the Board of Directors of something called the Shurtleff Fund. This Fund is a non-prof effort made possible by the sale of Shurtleff College to SIU back in 1957. Every year we give money from the Fund's interest income to various campus ministries in our Region and to two Regional scholarship programs.

Unfortunately, we're never able to give anyone as much as they'd like of course, and this year the decision-making was compounded by the investment performance of our economy this past year. Still, it is good to be able to give significant amounts of money to several groups, including the Baptist Student Foundation at UofI where Alison and I met and the Shurtleff Campus Ministry at SIU-Edwardsville where my friend and UABC's own Rob Kirbach is the University Chaplain.

I realize that not a few in our church family are acquainted with our connections to our denomination or know much about what it means to say we're "American Baptists." So I hope that this helps connect a dot or two.

My Shabbat Seven - v2009.09.19

2009-09-19T14:31:00.009-05:00

For For those of you who follow my wife's blog (http://alisondonoho.blogspot.com/), you know she has her "Favorite Fridays" postings. Well, I'm going to imitate her good idea and call mine 'My Shabbat Seven.' (For now, you can read more than you want to know about "shabbat" here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbat)

Free, extended babysitting by grandmas! Thanks, Jan, for Monday! Thanks, Mom, for the last couple of days!
My flexible job...so when my son gets sick and my wife has critical meetings, I can adjust my schedule temporarily without creating a lot of major issues for my employer.
The first place St. Louis Cardinals and getting to go to games with the fam.
The spiritual growth campaign we're doing with church, Outflow. Already seeing how people are responding to God's grace!
That we paid off the student loan! We highly recommend Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University to help motivate you to do with money what most of us know on some level we should do with money, but don't.
Diet Mountain Dew Ultra Violet. Thank you Pepsi-cola for this diet drink that this pre-diabetic will actually drink.
This weather is awesome! The only thing better would've been if I'd been able to work & play in it more.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Adjusting

2009-09-12T11:29:00.003-05:00

It’s been a difficult adjustment. My three-year-old son has been going to preschool for two weeks now (3 days/week, am & pm sessions). And I have had a hard time adjusting.
Thanks to going to Busy Bears twice a week this past year and already being familiar with the teachers and setting, JT has adjusted well to preschool from all that we can tell. I, however, do not have a new routine yet.
4 ½ of the 6 days he’s been in preschool, I have been close to ticked-off-at-the-world by 3:30pm. I recognize that it’s no one’s fault except my own, and I’ve tried to not displace my anger towards anyone (though Alison might disagree with that assessment).
Since his preschool is across the hall from my office, it makes a lot of sense for me to take him and pick him up from school. However, that means my workday gets chopped down to 6 hours from the pre-preschool level of 8+ hours. At 2:30 I go sign him out, help him gather his stuff, talk to the teachers, give him a snack, and talk with him about his day. Then, unless he takes a nap (happened once) I become 50% (at the most) effective…which gradually turns my insides into a raging, resentful jerk.
Now, legalistically, I’ve managed to get an appropriate amount of work hours in due to a lot of evening meetings. Yet, I still don’t feel I’m giving my vocation what I should. My Jesus and my congregation deserve better.
So, Thursday I went into the office early (and sent our Preschool Director into shock) and Alison brought him to school. This worked much better for me, though it inconveniences Alison. I think we’re gonna try that a few more times. And if that doesn’t work, we might be looking for an afternoon sitter and/or changing my day off. For now, if you read this, say a prayer for me.

Get Those Knees Up!

2009-09-01T21:28:00.004-05:00

Today our family got back out to the park for what I hope will be a fall routine. Alison & JT walked a bit then went to the playground; I ran. Though my body complained, my shoulders were tight, and my form was out of whack as evidenced by my upper appendages flailing across my chest…it felt good to get back out there running.
While scuttling up and down and around the pedestrian path at Glazebrook Park, I realized how often I recall one of the few pieces of running wisdom I picked up back in the day: “when going up a hill, get your knees up higher to maximize your stride.” Racers who know this actually can pass other racers while going up a hill. Even now when I run and approach an incline my mind begins repeating the mental mantra, “Get those knees up! Get those knees up!” Now, I’m not gonna be running any races anytime soon (maybe a mini-marathon before I’m 40 or away from a mountain lion while hiking), but that mentality is part of me.
So I continued to scuttle up and down and around and another dimension of this principle occurred to me. When life gets tough and everything seems to be going uphill, we have to change our stride. This doesn’t mean it gets easier necessarily—it’s still requires concerted effort. Our stride—our pace of work, the extracurriculars we choose to do, our spiritual habits, the time we spend with which people—has to adjust how our energy gets applied. Now, I’m personally not going up any hills right now…at least nothing more than the one-day climb occasionally, but this was what I thought about while trying to figure out how to run again this evening.

"Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NLT)

LOST - Sense of Urgency

2009-08-12T23:01:00.001-05:00

It has faded from my memory—the circumstances that were in play when a slight epiphany hit me during my workday last Thursday.
I feel a large part of my work is leading our congregation towards and through change. (BTW, I believe change will be better & more stable if accomplished gradually and by multiple members of a congregation instead of an authoritarian pastor.) A well-appreciated professor from Harvard Business School, John Kotter, wrote an influential book called Leading Change. One of the pieces of his thinking that has influenced my thinking is that one of the primary tasks in leading change in an organization is to stir up a “sense of urgency.” If people don’t feel an urgent need for change, our default human nature is to not (or, more accurately for some of us, resist) change.
The slight epiphany last week was that my own personal “sense of urgency” for change had faded. I don’t doubt that my sense of urgency will soon be fired up again—especially since the Holy Spirit pointed out my deficiency so point-blankly. A question that soon followed the ah-ha moment, though, was, “what does it look like [or should it look like] for a leader to have a high sense of urgency?”
Any thoughts are welcome.

WARNING - church mumbo-jumbo

2009-07-28T21:50:00.002-05:00

Back in late June, Alison & I went to Pasadena to attend the Biennial Convention of the American Baptist Churches denomination. It was an enjoyable trip. (You can read more about the lighter side of the trip on Alison’s blog.) One of the main events was the vote on the proposed restructuring of the denomination. To be brief, I’d sum up the goals of the proposal with two phrases: streamlined organization and mission agility. The vote failed by a close 2%, and I was disappointed.
I perceived at least three factors that prevented the proposal from passing. First, I believe the primary problem was not with the content of the proposed by-laws but a communication gap between those who drafted the changes and the voting delegates. Second, there seemed to be significant misunderstandings about the effects of the changes. (Yep, this is related to #1.) Finally, there were certainly some who just plain didn’t want anything to change—they felt no sense of urgency for changing the current organization. (Yep, this one’s also related to #1.)
And here are some bytes of my reflection. #1 – This doesn’t affect our day-to-day life much…even if it would’ve passed. #2 – How many more years will the denomination be viable without some restructuring & refocusing like what was proposed? #3 – How many Sunday morning attendees ever see any value of our denomination anyway? Will we see more and more denominational churches become either nonexistent or nondenominational? #4 – I think there is a fundamental hypocrisy afoot: that it’s more important to speak truth than to live truth. #5 – If the restructuring would’ve passed, I would’ve been more interested in going to the next Biennial (in Puerto Rico!), which would have centered around a Mission Summit. #6 – Maintaining a religious institution is no fun (and sinful?); trying to keep large numbers of us American believers agile and sensitive to what God is doing in our backyards—that sounds like an adventure I’d sign up for.

Was I Judgmental?

2009-07-22T00:14:00.002-05:00

My brother, Ryan, and I took Dad to the Cardinals game last Friday for a late Father’s Day gift. (Great game—Cards won 6-1. Saw 2 Albert Pujols HR’s!) We parked in the Macy’s parking garage and were briskly striding down to Busch Stadium just before game time. I think we were almost to Mike Shannon’s Restaurant when we passed a young lady holding a sign…I can’t remember exactly what it said, but something about being homeless and wanting help. Besides being a beggar, the first thing I noticed about her was that she was wearing a good amount of makeup (not too much, but certainly noticeable).
A few more strides down the sidewalk I turned around to Dad & Ryan, “If you’re gonna be homeless and ask for money, don’t put on makeup." Then, another couple strides and, "I’m not saying she isn’t homeless or need the help, I’m just saying that if you’re gonna do it, you gotta play the part.”
Now my thought process was that her chances of success might be better if she didn’t wear makeup…that if someone (like myself at least) sees her in makeup would justify not helping by thinking ‘she’s wearing makeup so she must not need help that badly.’
But then I thought later, ‘What if someone else gave her that makeup and she’s wearing it because it makes her feel better, or what if it’s her makeup and she’s wearing it because it salvages a little bit of a sense of dignity for her. Am I being judgmental?’
Then, this morning, while I’m meeting with a youth who wanted to know more about the habit of giving offerings, we read Proverbs 19:17 & Proverbs 21:13.
It was a great game, a great evening with the three of us Donoho boys, but not without another reminder that I’m still a wretched man in need of a Savior. Thank you, Jesus!

Two Leftover Pieces of Pizza

2009-07-02T01:29:00.000-05:00

While attending the American Baptist Churches Biennial Conference in Pasadena, CA, we tried out several resturants in Old Pasadena. On Saturday, we ate at The Kitchen Italian Café & Pizzeria. With a coupon we shared a small salad, a cheese bread appetizer, and a medium, 2-topping (Italian sausage & mushroom), New York style pizza. There were two large slices leftover.

Now, we’re staying in a hotel—we don’t have a fridge. And we’re not even going back to the hotel until later that afternoon. We’d planned to walk several blocks to a Starbucks for coffee & internet access next. Still, within a four-sentence exchange Alison & I decided to have our leftovers boxed up. If we saw a person along the way begging, we could give it to them. If we didn’t, we could just throw it away at that time since that's what the resturant would do anyway.

So we walked 4-5 blocks. No such people in need like there often had been during previous walks. Alison suggested we cross diagonally (is California the only place that does these diagonal crosswalks--who knew?!). We walked another 2-3 blocks and saw a young couple dirty and seated on the sidewalk. “Spare change for travel money?”

“Want some pizza?”

“Sure.”

(There was a sense of relief and satisfaction as we kept walking.) Then not a full block later, a young lady, who while we were handing off the pizza had passed us, turns back around and asked, “Do you know where a Starbuck’s is?” We then explained that there were two Starbucks on the street and she was closest to the one straight ahead just a few more blocks. She thanked us and walked on ahead of us.

::: Being recognized as helpful people is an important prerequisite for helping people find their Way. :::