“Caught in the Middle” gets quoted …
June 29, 2007
Glad to read the ABP piece in which my brother Paul is quoted.
“I’m conflicted because I am part of an American evangelical Christianity that is almost entirely and uncritically in bed with the Republican Party, who will support them as long as they support capitalism and oppose abortion and homosexual marriage. Do that, and we’ll vote for you, we’ll go to war with you, we’ll let you spend the country into oblivion, and we’ll be silent when you make sexual advances toward minor pages. And I don’t go for any of that stuff.”
Friday Photo …
June 29, 2007
One of my favorite places to visit is Spencer Burke’s “Beach Shack.” Last October we took a road trip from Glorieta, NM to the “Beach Shack” for a Soularize planning meeting. Great trip. Once there I took some photos as we walked to the beach for a meal. This is a shot down the Boardwalk not far from Spencer and Lisa’s place.
(I promised a photo of the pottery Grace and Emma created last week. Our schedules were hectic with Patty’s surgery and the rain I wanted the girls to have their finished pieces and did not get a photo before giving them to Jason. I hope to get a photo from Jason in the future and will post it then.)
For Immediate Release
June 28, 2007
June 27, 2007
ST. JOSEPH, MO — On Monday, July 2, 2007, the online conversation
concerning the future of the Southern Baptist Convention will move forward
as a group of prominent bloggers merge their efforts to provide a forum
for ministry ideas, missionary support, church revitalization, and
denominational reform. SBCOutpost.com, previously administrated by Pastor
Marty Duren of New Bethany Baptist Church in Buford, GA, will be launched
as one of the premier sites for Southern Baptist news and commentary.
Little doubt exists that blogs have dominated the conversation in Southern
Baptist life for the previous 18 months. At times, the conversation has
engaged substantive issues of theology and ministry. At others, the
dialogue has been shrill and divisive. With the launch of a newly
reformatted SBCOutpost.com blog, the chance for elevating the meaningful
dialogue and limiting the intensity of contention will arrive for all
Southern Baptists.
Intentionally designed as a bridge for the diverse constituencies of
Southern Baptist life, SBCOutpost.com will bring together denominational
executives with rural pastors and church planters, missional pastors with
traditional pastors, seminary theologians with Sunday School teachers, and
field missionaries with their prayer partners. The day has passed for
monopolies in news and information. SBCOutpost.com will seek to
supplement, not replace, the excellent coverage of Southern Baptist life
already offered online through Baptist Press, Associated Baptist Press,
and various Baptist state papers.
SBCOutpost.com is singularly unique, however, in the chance for reader
interaction and commentary, offering a forum for the discussion about the
future of culturally-informed, Christ-honoring witness and ministry
paradigms for the Southern Baptist Convention. In addition to this unique
format, SBCOutpost.com will launch with the largest aggregate readership
of any alternative news source dealing with Southern Baptist issues. The
mission statement of SBCOutpost.com is “to provide interactive,
substantive, and reflective dialogue for Southern Baptist churchmen and
women to participate in shaping the future of the Southern Baptist
Convention.”
The stated intention of SBCOutpost.com is to become the number one choice
for discussion of Southern Baptist news and commentary, and the blog
editors would like to encourage all Southern Baptist entities to include
SBCOutpost.com as a part of their regular schedule of recipients for all
press releases, news updates, and other statements as they are released to
major media sources by emailing editor@sbcoutpost.com.
-30-
Collapse, Fragments and Spurs … Thank you …
June 26, 2007
Dr. Smith arrived via boat to Integris Baptist Hospital. The nurse noted another fellow he saw out the window in a boat with two squirrels looking for directions. We heard of roads overwhelmed by water and people being rescued from their homes. So, when we did see Dr. Smith a bit late we were relieved he was not permanently delayed by the deluge that had overtaken OKC and the Metro area this morning.
After a couple of hours Dr. Smith came to the waiting room to announce a successful surgery. The verdict. Patty indeed has a collapsed disc, a bone spur and some disc fragments causing her pain. He performed a successful anterior cervical fusion and gave a glowing prognosis. The late start meant a night’s stay. Nearly every bed, of about 500, were full and we settled for a semi-private room. Since she was placed with another woman I could not stay. My mother volunteered. I will bring her home in the morning.
Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, e-mails and other messages. Continue to pray for a successful recovery/rehab. I am hoping Patty will feel better, find more energy and get back to some of the things she could not do as a result of the pain.
Blessings to you.
Anterior Cervical Fusion …
June 26, 2007
About four and a half years ago I woke from a nap with incredible pain in my upper back, shoulders and arms. I thought I “slept wrong.” Two months later Dr. Smith performed an Anterior Cervical Fusion. My goals after surgery were two - continue to play basketball and golf. I still enjoy both.
Early this afternoon my wife, Patty, will undergo the same procedure. Her symptoms were similar to mine from time to time. The distinct features of her pain forced us to consider other possibilities. After about three years and intensifying pain - yes, my wife has a high pain tolerance - we finally visited Dr. Smith. After a “discogram” we learned her pain was indeed caused by either a collapsed or bulging disc.
While everyone is different we are optimistic she will recover with little to no pain as I have. If you think about it today offer your prayers, send your thoughts or just think of us.
Jesus Land - surviving racism and both sexual and spiritual abuse
June 25, 2007
I recall a Joel Barker video, “The Power of Vision.” In the video Mr. Barker relayed the story of Victor Frankl who wrote, Man’s Search for Meaning. If I recall correctly, the mental image of seeing his daughter again fueled his imagination and helped Frankl to survive life in a Nazi concentration camp.
Florida played somewhat the same role for Julia and David. Suffering racism and the spiritual abuse of their parents they often talked of reaching Florida, the beach and “freedom.” Periodically Julia would tell David something like, “Remember Florida.” After a series of events in their late teens the two were sent away. Once exiled to Escuela Caribe they relied on their relationship and the promise of “Florida” to weather continued racism and the spiritual abuse of houseparents, teachers and workers in the “reform school.”
Julia Scheeres wrote a memoir chronicling a period of life with her adopted brother, David. Dreams of going home live and die and find new meaning as the two learn the necessity of deep human relationships.
I often winced while reading the story. At other times I wanted to shout out loud, “YES!” Discouraging. Inspiring. Infuriating. Triumphant. Depressing. Hopeful. Too many stories are written to resolve in hopeful ways. When I glanced ahead to the first paragraph of the Epilogue I realized this story did not resolve so easily, if at all. Florida, even “Florida,” never came.
People need each other. You get the feeling Julia or David left alone may have succumbed to the horrors and wilted under their weight. Reading of the “look” and the development of “code” at Escuela Caribe illustrates the value of “together.” Powerful connections transcend words. Read the story. Be saddened by the reality of racism. Be appalled by the spiritual abuse. Be enraged by the sexual abuse. Be inspired to invest deeply in others. Come away ready to fight injustice - end racism, our sexual predators and expose spiritual abuse. Read it and not be moved … don’t bother reading.
Tagged: Digging Jesus
June 24, 2007
Dino tagged me inviting me to play along by noting five things I dig about Jesus.
He declares the reality of the upside-down Kingdom.
His life, death and resurrection defeated my chief enemies - sin and death.
He shows a way of life where we learn what it is to be really human, especially as we relate to “others.”
He speaks and his words mean something.
His hospitality is life giving.
Friday Photo … Budding Artists
June 23, 2007
Yesterday Patty and I took Grace and Emma to the “Paint-n-Station.” We have been trying to get together since Christmas to create a few pieces of “artful” pottery. The girls did an outstanding job. This is a shot from my phone. We are waiting on the pieces to be fired. Next week we will pick up the finished products and I will post the outcome in next week’s Friday Photo.
We enjoyed ourselves watching the gleam in their eyes as they created these pieces using their imaginations and the tools at their disposal. Reminded us of our two girls when they were Grace and Emma’s age.
Quote for the day …
June 20, 2007
Reading the June 20 Aidan Readings in Celtic Daily Prayer I found the following attributed to Abba John the Little,
We have abandoned a light burden, namely self-criticism, and taken up a heavy burden, namely self-justification.
Updating …
June 18, 2007
David is giving me a hand with a bit of a re-design. We should be live by the end of the week.
