We often lose sight of the person behind the camera.  When we look at pictures later, we might forget that they were there.  When we watch a home movie of ourselves as kids, doing something silly (like singing an incredibly long set of Beach Boys songs), we are focused on the same one that the camera sees, and not the person who kept us in focus.  For many, it might be easy to forget, but for my family, the man behind the camera is usually unforgettable: Uncle Irvin.

Uncle Irvin is what happens when you combine a farm boy and Maxwell Smart.  An incredible blend of down-home country charm and love, mixed with a love of gadgets, and topped off with a dob of goofiness. 

One of my favorite times of year growing up was the annual Wiener Roast that Uncle Irvin and his sister, Aunt Maxine, would host at their farm.  We would do all the usual fun stuff that you do at a farm.  We would try to survive their “vicious” dog, Molly.  We would swim in the corn.  We were eager to decipher the clues for the scavenger hunts.  (If you are thinking that a scavenger hunt isn’t a usual farm activity, well, that’s your loss.)  We would go on hay rides, but my favorite part of the day was the tractor rides.  Uncle Irvin would sit in the driver’s seat and us cousins (9 at the time!) would be packed in like sardines all around him, which was interesting because a tractor isn’t known for its smooth ride, so we bounced around the cab like pin balls.  Our parents wondered why we were never in the same “seat” as we first started, but we never told them because we didn’t want them to stop the tractor rides.  (I guess the truth is out now!)  There was one seat that we always fought over in the tractor, Uncle Irvin’s knee.  This seat had many advantages: your own personal shock absorber to handle the bouncing, a good view of the field, the occasional turning of the steering wheel (which also helped us all appreciate power steering when we got old enough), and of course the hand around the shoulder making sure that we were alright. 

Uncle Irvin and Aunt Maxine left that farm, but thankfully we can visit it anytime in our memories thanks to the dozens of home movies that all of us cousins happen to star in.  Uncle Irvin had one of the first home camcorders that weighed something like 40 lbs.  I didn’t think about it at the time, but looking back I am amazed at his skills as he drove a tractor, corralled 9 kids crawling all around him (including a wiggly one on his lap), managed to record the experience, all while making each of us feel special.  I guess it is a good thing we were only going 5 m.p.h. and would have had a quick recovery period (being so young) if any mishaps had occurred. 

As technology improved, so did Uncle Irvin’s gadgets.  He always seemed to have a new toy to show us, a new trick on the computer, or even a car that talked back to him, my introduction to On-Star.  One thing that we can still count on and greatly appreciate are the computer made birthday cards from Aunt Maxine and Uncle Irvin, which have expanded to include graduations, weddings, and anniversaries as we have grown older.  They have the postal system memorized so that we always seem to get it on our actual birthday or event, no matter where we live, except if our birthday is on a Sunday then we will of course get it on Saturday.  These homemade cards are always a special treat.  When I received my 19^th b-day card from them I was eager to show Heather, my wife who was my girlfriend of 4 months at the time.  I excitedly said, “This is the card that I have been telling you about, and in a few weeks we will get an invitation to the Wiener Roast, undoubtedly filled with pictures of previous Roasts!”  We were not let down.

During the middle of my recent semester here at seminary, we received a strange packet containing a DVD entitled, “Justin Hasty in 2032.”  Our curiosity could not have been greater.    The DVD contained the elaborate beginnings of a “presidential bid” for our cousin Justin, and his running-mate, Uncle Irvin.   Only he could articulate how about 25 people in the family, both immediate and extended, would serve as members of his cabinet, presidential campaign team, analysts, and even personal journalists.  (His running narration over all the videos is one reason why we will never forget this man behind the camera.)  For me it was exactly what I needed as I was 700 miles away from family and the middle of a grueling semester, a nudge back to some of the most important parts of life: the family we love, the gifts we share, and the memories we love.

Today in Wichita, they are celebrating Uncle Irvin’s “Almost 80” Surprise Birthday Party.  Since my wife and I can’t be there, I thought I would honor him by narration through blog.  There will be no ignoring or forgetting the man behind the curtain or the camera, the Great and Powerful Uncle Irvin.  Pretty perfect for a country boy from Kansas.

Uncle Irvin is actually my grandmother’s brother, so he is technically my Great-Uncle Irvin, which come to think of it is what we should have called him all along. 

Happy Almost 80th Birthday

Love,

Aaron & Heather

Every once in a while, a particular scripture will continually be brought to my mind, probably so that it will take root in my heart.  I don’t really have control of these thoughts.  I’ll be laying down for bed, and all the sudden there is the Word of God.  I’ll be watching ESPN, and all the sudden there is the Word of God.  I’ll be walking my dog, and, yea you get it, all the sudden there is the Word of God.  Here recently I have been reading the Old Testament starting with 1 Samuel and now I am in 2 Kings, but for the past few weeks 2 Samuel 22:32a has been on mind, “For who is God, but the Lord?”  That’s it.  Not a big long passage or one that is often said, but simply “For who is God, but the Lord?”  Which is a question that I think we all have to answer.

It is easy for most people to acknowledge that there is a God.  As James 2:19 says, “You believe that God is one; you do well.  Even the demons believe- and shudder.”  Someone can look up and stars in the sky, and say yes there is something greater than me.  They can see the rolling hills of Kentucky, the gorgeous mountains of Colorado, or the sparkling sea of Cozumel, and say yes there is a God.  To say there is a God is important and essential, but it is a lot like having a guitar with no strings.  You can have something pretty to look at, but the guitar will never do what it is intended to do: make beautiful music. 

It is never enough for us just to acknowledge God is God.  We might like to think that that is enough, but it falls short of the vastness of who God is.  My parents are in town this week, and I have always acknowledged them as the people who have given me physical life.  Without them, I do not exist.  For some, tragically, this is the only relationship they have with their parents: DNA.  They may be biologically related, but in all other senses of “parenthood” they are non-existent. 

Simply passing on one’s DNA however does not constitute a parent.  A true parent is one who is constantly there for and with their children.  They provide for them, nurture them, and truly love them.  It is through this relationship that a child comes to embrace their parents as those who they can trust to lead them along life’s journey.  DNA does not make one a parent, love does. 

Likewise with God.  God is more than just the one who gave us earthly life.  God is the one who gives us eternal life!  God is the one who has loved us unconditionally, and who sent his son to die for us, so that we might live.  What does God want us to do in response?  To serve him as Lord and not simply to acknowledge him as God.

Who is God?  But the Lord!  God is Lord.  He is not just the creator of the universe, but He is also the ruler of me.  This is critical to our lives as Christians.  As the Lord of our lives, God runs our life.  That makes me feel as uncomfortable as I’m sure it makes you.  It is much easier to see God in the proverbial “up-there,” and give God praise and adoration, than it is to surrender to the God that is within me, and give God all that I am. 

One of my favorite things to do when I lead a worship service is to remind people what they are actually singing.  Too often, we read and sing the words on the page and they move from the eyes to the lips, but never quite reach the mind, and certainly not the heart, so today I want you to take special note of these powerful lyrics, but only say them, if you are ready to follow God as Lord.

Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee
Take my moments and my days
Let them flow in ceaseless praise
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love
Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee

Take my voice and let me sing always, only, for my King
Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee
Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold
Take my intellect and use every power as You choose

Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine
Take my heart, it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee

Praise be to God, the Lord of our lives.

This is one of those blogs that has been on my mind for a while.  It also will be an unfinished blog, but I want to throw out to the world what has been churning in my mind, so that maybe just maybe the world can help to refine it.  I don’t think this is a truly original idea.  I’m sure other people have thought it, taught it, and probably lived it, and if you know of that person or are the person who have done so: well I would love to listen and learn.  This is an idea about grace.  Grace is a popular topic among Christians.  We like to sing songs of grace: “Grace greater than All our Sins” and of course, “Amazing Grace.”  As Wesleyans we like to talk about Prevenient Grace, Justifying Grace, and Sanctifying Grace.  Countless books have been written on grace, yet there is continually more than we can learn about this thing called grace.

My definition of grace: Grace is anytime God interacts with the world.  Anytime that the Triune God of Heaven and Earth relate to us in this world, that is grace.  God creating the world: grace.  Jesus teaching us, dying for us, and rising for us: grace.  The Holy Spirit redeeming and perfecting us: grace. 

Now I also believe that grace occurs when you and me as God’s representatives channel His love for the sake of one another.  So, when you encourage me in my faith: grace.  When you serve your neighbor: grace.  When you love your wife: grace.  This is how we as Christians are called to live, as people constantly giving grace.

So what then do I mean by peculiar grace in a familiar world?  I mean grace that is radical in how it is delivered.  This I cannot just sum up quickly, so here is a story. 

Over a year ago, Heather and I were working at a church as co-youth director, and Heather also served as Children’s director.  During our time there, we had a great difficulty with a fellow staff person.  For a long time, we kept our difficulties with this staff person to ourselves or shared with just a select few.  About last February, another incident occurred with this person and we decided that it was best for the church (and us) to bring the whole situation before the appropriate party (the SPRC).  As we told the committee chairperson and the committee about the continual pattern of disrespect and lack of teamwork that this fellow staff person showed, we had no idea what all would happen from there. 

To make a long, long story very, very short.  There was a great division in the church and hurt flew around that congregation like batting practice balls for an HGH-induced Barry Bonds.  It is difficult to explain all the hurt that was inflicted both intentionally and unintentionally by people including myself.  It grieves me to look back at what happened and see the hurt that I caused my brothers and sisters in Christ, even if it was unintentional.  One thing that happened during this experience was an us vs. them situation.  Both sides believed they were being righteous, while the other side was misguided at best or evil at worst.  One of the other unfortunate things, I say unfortunate like I spilled milk in the parlor, tragedy might be a better word is that I started to treat people as people who were on the other side of the conflict.  Now, I tried to be respectful in my dealings with them, but I hardly showed them grace, especially not peculiar grace.

During this stressful situation (throughout the months of church conflict, I would just refer to it as “the situation”), life happened for some of the people in the conflict.  Family members passed away.  Individuals got sick.  So on top of this consuming stress that was ”the situation.”  Some had the extra stress that life brings it.  What did I do as this supposedly grace-filled Christian?  Nothing.  I might have offered some brief condolences, but I was hardly compassionate to their situation.  Looking back this was my greatest fault, I saw them as “them” instead of seeing them as part of the “us” the family of Christ.   This change in perspective is the beginning of what I mean peculiar grace.

Peculiar grace begins with a radical viewing of another person as a member of the family of Christ, no matter the situation.  This is not easy.  In fact this is amazingly difficult and must be done through a paradigm shift.  From an us vs. them, to simply us.  We do this by seeing people as the nouns that they are: brother, sister, daughter, friend instead of the adjectives that we attach to them: mean-spirited, hostile, selfish.  (Even if they are all those things.)

The next thing about peculiar grace is that it stands by the truth of a situation.  It is not cheap grace that actually serves to enable the other person, no it is a challenging act of love.  So, in the church situation, it would not have been right of me to let this other person continue to act in the destructive ways that he did, instead peculiar grace calls sin what it is, breaking the will of God, but yet continues to work and love through those situations.  Peculiar grace proclaims the truth of the gospel at all times.

The next aspect of peculiar grace is that it shows loves extravagantly.  This is the most notably aspect of peculiar grace.  This is what gets the worlds attention: extravagant love.  For example, before I arrived at Asbury Seminary, they had decided to not allow skateboarders to board on campus.  There were good reasons for this.  Of course, liability played a part in this, but not just the safety of the boarders but also those who are around campus.  I’m sure there were more reasons, some good, some probably not as good, but this could be seen as another example of the church excluding a group of young people.  So what could peculiar grace do in this situation?  Asbury builds the community a skate park.  But that would cost the seminary a lot of money.  But it is not their responsibility.  But that is extravagant love.  It sees the importance of these young people and it tells the world: we love them, but it does not compromise the campus experience of others.  This is just an example of how extravagant love works in peculiar grace.  Can you imagine how differently those young people would look at the church for the rest of their lives.  Instead of feeling excluded from the community, they have been embraced and loved by the community.

Peculiar grace in my church situation would show extravegent love to those who I did not agree with.  I would have prayed constantly for them.  I would have sent cards of sympathy when they went through times.  I would have went out of my way to serve them.  Empathy for them would have to be evident.  I would even do simple things like talk to them about life because life is bigger than that situation.  As I write this, I don’t know exactly what I would do differently, but I think that if I began to give peculiar grace it would have grown like the number of NY Giants after they beat the Pats in the Super Bowl.   

Those are the basics of peculiar grace: radical seeing of another, maintaining God’s truth, and extravagant love.  The greatest example of peculiar grace is of course Christ.  He did not see being in the form of God as something to be exploited but he humbled himself, radically seeing himself as a slave to us.  He proclaimed God’s truth through his words and his actions, and finally poured out extravagant love and forgiveness to us, those who did not deserve it, by his death on a cross.  This act of grace has made the world take notice for over 2000 years.  We notice it because of its peculiarness.  Why would someone do this?  I can maybe understand death, but why such a horrendous death?  I can understand dying for some, but dying for all?

Peculiar grace is an act of rebellion to the powers of this world, that screams into the night “we will not conform to this world, but we will transform the world.”  This is God breaking into our ordinary world and building his extraordianary community.  Part of me wishes that the word grace wouldn’t have been cheapened by our world.  So that when we talk simply about grace, we come to understand a loving flow of God that causes the world to take notice, and say there is something peculiar going on, and I don’t want to miss it.

(Like I said this is an unfinished post even though this is one of my longer blogs.  This is an idea I would be interested in expanding, so give me your thoughts about this, what questions do you have, what ideas do you like, etc.)

I remember the first time one of his stories touched my soul: February 19, 2001. I was a junior in High School, and a huge Oklahoma St. basketball fan. By now, I had given up my dream of actually playing at Oklahoma State, but that only made me a bigger fan. This year was a difficult one to be a Cowboy fan, not because of their performance on the court, but because of the tragedy off of it. On January 27th, one of the planes carrying OSU players and staff crashed killing all 10 of the people on it 2 of whom were players. It was the essence of a tragedy. It was a heartbreaking for us fans, but only a tip of the iceberg for the grief that the families and the rest of the team were going through. It was an experience that is almost impossible to put into words, how do you respond to such a tragedy? Thankfully for us, Rick Reilly was on the plane.
On the back page of Sports Illustrated was Reilly’s article “Flying in the Face of Reason,” Reilly was on board for the teams first flight since the tragedy telling of us such tidbits as “At the Stillwater airport they waded through all the dread cries of, “We’ll pray for you!” and “Call the second you land!” and “I can’t stop seeing them,” said Sutton, whose best friend, director of basketball operations Pat Noyes, died in the wreckage. “Did they know they were going to die? Were they screaming? Panicking? I have nightmares about it.” I started to cry and you will too as you read it. This is not the time to skip the blue link that began this paragraph. I am ordering you to click on the link and read about it because well, I think it helps us reflect on life. I think it honors the memory of those who died and who were deeply affected. I also want you to click because I want you to read Rick Reilly too.

Reilly has finally returned to writing. He took some time off between his stints at Sports Illustrated, and now he is at ESPN. He writes more in 800 words than most can do in thousands.  Don’t take my word for it, he’s an 11-time national sportswriter of the year.  We call that a dynasty.  In addition to his weekly artciles for SI, he’s written best selling books and wrote the script for “Leatherheads.”  He is finally back writing on a weekly basis with this tribute to his father who just passed away. It is vintage Reilly: funny, reflective, heart-warming, heart-challenging, and ended with excellence. I have never read anyone else who can sum up a column in a closing sentence like Reilly can.

When Reilly wrote for Sports Illustrated, I would always slowly flip through the magazine skimming it, until I got to his article on the back page, then I would read it slowly waiting for the best line in the magazine: his final one.

Talk about saving the best for last.

“This is how the Father shows who he is- when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.”  John 15:8 The Message

Let us think of that for a second.  God, the Father of all, the creator and sustainer of the universe, shows himself through us.  The one true God could choose to show himself in a number of ways (and he has of course: burning bush to Moses, whisper to Elijah, Jesus to the world), but here Jesus tells his disciples then and now how Jesus will show himself: you and me.Part of me wishes it was not so, that God would not put this pressure on us, and I think that you would probably admit it too.  Because as God’s representative to the world, lets just say that I do not always represent Him the best.  But still God is using us these Earthly vessels as the means for showing and giving himself to the world. 

How can we be God-bearers?  By abiding in Jesus.  “I am the Vine, you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5  When we have the intimate relationship like a branch to the vine and a vine back to the fruit that is when we can do what we were made to do: bear fruit.  Dr. Seamands, a seminary professor of mine, has told us often, “there is a big difference between being fruitful and being productive.” 

So, there we have it.  We are to be fruitful people.  That is what we are created to do: bear fruit.  When we are fruit-bearers, we are actually God-bearers.  I remember reading Phillip Yancy’s book Prayer and in that book he talks about the number 1 way (I’m not for sure exactly how he puts it, but this is the insight I gathered from it) God’s answers prayer is us.  When someone needs to be comforted, God sends us a shoulder.  When someone needs a new attitude, God sends a new friend.  When someone is in pain, God sends the right kind of healer.  I believe that the number 1 reason why prayers aren’t answered isn’t because God has not heard or because God has not responded, but because we did not hear or respond to God.  Oh, look I got to go.  Of course, have to go to work, but really it’s time for me to go bear fruit!

Well it has been a while since I’ve blogged.  It is not for lack of things to blog about, or a desire to blog, but more had to do with my lack of time.  I have noticed that I am not alone in this as I have checked out the blogosphere there has been a general reduction in blog writing from among my friends.  My biggest reason not to blog has been the last few weeks of school.  I had 22 assignments due over the last 4 weeks of school including an incredibly difficult finals week that included a 6 page paper on Monday, a final on Tuesday, a final on Wednesday, a 7 page paper on Thursday, a final on Thursday, and a project on Friday.  My only definition of it was “busiest finals week ever.”  Seriously, whenever I talked to people about what all I had due on finals week they were tired of hearing the word “and.”  But I am now done with my first year of seminary, with 27 of 96 hours completed!  Anyway here is a brief snippet of what I might have blogged about had I blogged instead of studied.

First, The Office Season finale was awesome.  They just did a brilliant job of keeping the drama of the season finale with comedic excellence.  The Kevin plot line was absolutely the funniest running gag of the season.  Additionally, I love the fact that they found Michael his perfect woman, but even in the midst of that they added the drama with Jan’s baby.  Here Michael’s heart his torn and he chooses the selfless act of being there for Jan.  That’s why we love you Michael because your heart is huge.  Here is hoping that Michael and Holly get together sometime next year and that we see Michael being a good, but awkard Dad.

I haven’t quite figured out the Cubs yet.  They are great at home and against the Pirates, but average on the road and against everyone else.  They need more consistency in their starting pitching and Soriano needs to trust himself in the outfield.  Oh yea, Jim Edmonds is washed up, let him go.

I have watched a few movies of late.  Make sure you go watch Prince Caspian.  It is excellent.  Also rent the Great Debators or even better buy it.  Great movie.  There Will Be Blood is just a strange movie.  Great acting and well done, but just kinda strange and angry.  Heather loved P.S. I Love You.  We both enjoyed Charlie Wilson’s War.  Underrated movie is August Rush.  I didn’t think I would enjoy it, but it was excellent- slightly unrealistic, but that’s why you go to the movies, right?  By the way I love redbox.

Speaking of Prince Caspian, I think I am going to make this my summer of C.S. Lewis.  I have started to read The Chronicles of Narnia and hope to continue to read through more of his books. 

Make sure you read here about our trip last Saturday to Midway to see a steam engine train.  (Uncle Irvin I thought you might enjoy this)  She tells it better than I can.  Pretty cool train in my opinion.

Heather and I finally used the grill that Dave bought us for our wedding.  Thanks Dave it made some excellent steaks, corn, and pineapple (though I did not have any of the pineapple)

Heather’s Mima and Wayne came in and stayed with us for a couple of evenings on their way to and from West Virgina.  It was good to spend time with family.  We are looking forward to more coming out.  My sister Amy and her husband Brian will be here in a couple of weeks and my parents are coming out at the end of June first of July.  And Heather’s folks are coming out sometime later in the summer as well.  We are looking forward to all of that.

I just got done reading through 1 Samuel (as you might have been able to tell from my blogs here and here).  After taking this Old Testament class this semester I have a much greater appreciation for the OT and look forward to reading it more and, well, better.

Heather and I watched the NBA playoffs.  We actually watched a few entire games between the Celtics and the Cavs.  That’s the first time I’ve watched an entire NBA game probably since ‘98, but it was really enjoyable.  The NBA is finally back to being an enjoyable watchable sport.  It took it a while, but the skills are excellent and the stars are there, and so is the defense.

I am about to start my first Online class as I take United Methodist Polity beginning next week.  I’m looking forward to it.  I need to have it completed so that I can be commissioned next May at annual conference. 

Final thought has to be thank God Hebrew is over!!

One of my favorite hymns-turned-contemporary worship songs is “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”  In the second verse of this song comes this line,  “Here I raise my “Ebenezer.”  When most of us think of Ebenezer, we think of the Ebenezer Scrooge.  Of course, this is not the same Ebenezer that we are referring to in the hymn.  So what or who is this mysterious “Ebenezer?”  I remember the first time that I remember meeting Ebenezer.  Our new Oklahoma Bishop Robert Hayes was preaching at a chapel service at Oklahoma City University (OCU).  In my effort to get on the good side of the Bishop (and because, well I worked with the chapel office), I was there ready to hear the good word from the bishop and he preached out of 1 Samuel 7.

10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car. 12Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the LORD helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again.  Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines. 14The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to her, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the power of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

There it was Ebenezer!!  I had for many years (ok 3) sang heartily, “Here I raise my Ebenezer.”  And now I had found out what an Ebenezer was: a rock.  You know I was hoping for more.  Really, with a cool name like that and it is a single rock between two cities.  What do you do with a rock?  Skip it, kick it, bust out a window (not me, but I have heard about others doing such things), paperweight.  A single rock can be somewhat worthless.

But Samuel had another idea for this rock, he named it: Ebenezer.  Ebenezer means Rock of help.  I like that.  (I still hope it was at least a big rock.)  Samuel set it between Mizpah and Shen and saying “Thus far has the Lord helped us.”  Bishop Hayes in his sermon extended our understanding as he fluidly translated different versions of the Bible’s translation of that statement as a chorus, “thus far, hither to, up until now, the Lord has helped us.”  And throughout that sermon, we would hear the chorus again and again.

You see, this was not just any rock, but this a reminder rock.  A reminder rock of what God has done for his people that “thus far, hither to, up until now, the Lord has helped us.”  We are to be Ebenezer people.  Not scrooges, but people who remember that we only got to “here” because, “thus far, hither to, up until now, the Lord has helped us.”  It reminds me of the choral song, “He’s never failed me, yet.”  I haven’t always liked the concept of that song as it lends to the idea that God might fail us, but when we have an Ebenezer perspective we sing that song differently.  We sing it being reminded that the Lord has helped us.  God has been faithful to us. 

I think we all need our own Ebenzers.  Something simple that reminds us that “thus far, hither to, up until now, the Lord has helped us.”  Something that we will walk by in our daily lives and see it and think, the Lord has helped us there, and the Lord will help us here.  So friends let us sing together as we remember that “thus far, hither to, up until now, the Lord has helped us.”

“Here I raise my “Ebenezer”
Hither by Thy help I come.
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.”

A few things in life bother me.  One is the fact that we cannot find a universal word for a “soft drink.”  We’ve all heard it and said it.  You are serving drinks at a picnic and one person asks for a “Pop.”  Don’t ask me why, I’ve never been able to figure out, why we say pop.  Someone else will ask for a “Soda,” but my favorite is this type of exchange that you will get in Oklahoma as well as other places.  We might be told, “I would like a “Coke.”  We respond with the unfortunately obvious response, “Which kind?”  They respond, “A Dr. Pepper.”  This is normal, and this bothers me.  If you want a Dr. Pepper, just tell me a “Dr. Pepper.”  This bothers me because it cheapens the word Coke.  It has spread the definition of coke well beyond the red can and the yummy taste to include all cans and all tastes.

This happens with our words sometimes.  We take a word and overtime it stretches far beyond what it has been intended for.  Evangelical is one of those words.  It is a word that has been cheapened and stretched to define far more than it should.  Some have taken the moniker “evangelical” and used it to define themselves in way that distorts the meaning and understanding in the first place.  There is now a movement to reclaim the word “Evangelical.”  (Capitalized on purpose.)  May 7, 2008 a group of American Christians from across denominations, across academia, and across racial boundaries have banded together with a 20 page statement called The Evangelical Manifesto.  This is their effort to reclaim the word Evangelical as a proper noun like Protestant. 

I may take it bit by bit a little later, but for now just my overall impressions of the document.  I like the fact that there is an attempt to reclaim one of the most important words in the Christian language.  Evangelical comes from the Greek word  for gospel.  So, as their first major task to define themselves in light of the gospel and life of Jesus Christ.  We are to have our identity in who Jesus was and our belief and devotion to Jesus the Nazarene. 

Who Jesus was, what Jesus did, and what Jesus is leading us to do, now.  One of the key statments is this, “First and foremost we Evangelicals are for Someone and for something rather than against anyone or anything.”  We are for Jesus and the good news that the Gospel brings with it.  We don’t stand against those who do not agree with us, instead we stand with our Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ.  This is what we have to give to the world: Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, who as Bishop WIllimon says, “Lived briefly, died violently, and rose unexpectedly.”  This is the Rock that we stand on and stand for.

Now this is not a perfect document.  It is a 20 page document that attempts to reclaim and define a word that has thousands of different definitions.  It will fall short of explaining everything, but as an Evangelical we need to reclaim it.  It is not to late to redeem the word, but more importantly it is not to late to live like The Word.   

We have all done it: chased donkeys.  Not literally chased donkeys.  (Though I imagine that anyone who actually has chased a donkey has a good story about it.)  But we have all gone looking for something, trying to find a donkey, but somehow ended up finding something entirely different.  We go to college looking for an education, and we find a wife.  We go to a concert to hear the main act and fall in love with the lead-in band.  We go to the store to pick up a gift for a friend, and they are sold out of that item, but instead they have another item that turns out to be the perfect gift.  These things happen in life, and they also happened to a young man name Saul.1 Samuel 9 tells us the story of Saul.  His dad’s donkeys had strayed off the property, so Saul and a young boy went throughout the area looking for these donkeys.  Every village and country had the same result: no donkeys.  Saul, like a good son, thought that if they keep looking for these donkeys, then his father would start sending people searching for Saul, so he suggested they turn back.  But the boy told him that they should check with the local man of God, Samuel.  So, they went and found Samuel.  Samuel knew they were coming.  God had warned him of such things that this man from the tribe of Benjamin, the lowest of the 12 tribes of Israel, would come to him and Samuel was to anoint this man as King over all of Israel.

Talk about a journey.  You go out to find some donkeys, and you end up king of Israel.  Wouldn’t that be nice?  Reminds me of Saved by the Bell.  (That’s right, we are going to have a Saved by the Bell analogy.  From the Old Testament to Saved by the Bell, you won’t see that everyday.)  In their Hawaii movie.  The gang went to Hawaii for a little 2 week vacation.  While they are there, a local tribe kidnaps Screech.  It is not your normal kidnapping though, as he looks like their original chief, Monaleo, so Screech is their messiah figure, the promised one to come and save the tribe.  Well to make a long story short, the gang saved the hotel, the tribe, and they lived happily ever after.  (I hope I didn’t ruin the movie for you.)  Screech went there for a vacation, and ended up their chief.  Surprising indeed.

Sometimes though this is what happens in our life with God.  We are going down this path of life, and on that journey, God intervenes.  He tells us that while you think you are out here looking for donkeys, I am looking for you.  I believe that God often puts us on a path, simply to lead you to another one.  It’s like making a long trip in a car.  Sometimes you have to head North for a bit to go West.  Or you have to take I-35, only because you need to get to I-44. 

You don’t always know what happens, when you are chasing donkeys.  Sometimes you may not find the donkeys and return home empty handed.  Sometimes you may find the donkeys.  Sometimes you might become king, but sometimes, nay, every time your heart is open, you will find the King.

If you liked my last post then you will want to read this. Using the same quote from Wesley, the Bishops of the extended cabinet posted their thoughts from it. Better written than my and probably deeper than my analysis, but it does make me happy to know that I think like a Bishop. Here are a few other UM links that are worth checking out. A basic vision and plan of the UM church from those same bishops.  This site has examined all that the extended cabinet has written about.  A lot to wade through, but good stuff.  This guy also has a lot of good stuff and writes for the United Methodist News Service. That’s it, go here for General Conference updates.