Hopeful Christmas

If love is the virtue of Easter, hope is the star of Christmas. It strikes me this year that without Christmas there is no hope. No hope for mankind. No hope for meaning. No hope for civilization. My pastor said something like this last week: without Christmas there are no Presbyterian or Methodist hospitals. There are no Baptist missionaries. There are no Catholic schools. Without Christmas, there are no trucks drilling wells for clean drinking water in Sudan. There is no World Vision or Samaritan’s Purse or Union Gospel Mission feeding warm Christmas meals to cold and lonely homeless downtown. Without Christmas, there is no hope. There are certainly other virtues of Christmas. Peace. Joy. But neither can exist without hope. There can be no joy where there is no hope. There can be hope from which joy has yet to follow. But where hope is dead, so is the soul in which peace, joy and the like take shape. This has been a rather mirth-less Christmas for my family. But in one sense, it has been an unusually hopeful one. The infant king gives me hope that my sin is not permanent. That our poverty isn’t important. That our soul-less, peace-less, comfortable lives aren’t the only way. There was a baby like our babies born to a single teenage mother with more problems than ours and laid in a smelly box of hay. And somehow that lays the foundation of hope on which the Lord can build faith, joy, and love. Merry Christmas.

People Are People

I keep repeating this idea to myself and others lately so maybe it’s blog-worthy. It’s pretty simple, really: People are just people. It’s amazing how often people forget that. We get so worked up over our differences (and we’re seeing that a lot with elections approaching) but we’re all pretty much the same, aren’t we? We’re all broken and precious. We’re all beautiful messes. And even though some people might behave badly, can I say that I’m better than them?

I knew a guy in college named Ron Shamberger. He was the nicest guy you could hope to meet. I didn’t know him well, but I knew him well enough to say, “Hi.” Talk to him over a PBJ at Noon Bible Study at the Baptist Student Union, that kind of thing. He always smiled and shook your hand. Always pitched in his 50 cents for a crummy PBJ. He was one of hundreds of normal, clean-cut, middle-class, college students I knew. Just like everybody else.

One night, Ron broke into his girlfriend’s apartment and shot her in her bed. He carried her body to his car and started to put it in the trunk. Then he saw a gas can and had a better idea. He carried her and the gas up to her apartment and torched the place. He drove around for a while and then went to his college pastor’s house in the middle of the night, knocked on the door, and confessed. Ron was put to death by the state of Texas a few years ago.

I understand that certain categories of people are more likely to behave in certain ways than others. Poor people are more likely to vote Democratic. Republicans are more likely to own guns. But I keep having to remind people I know that PEOPLE ARE JUST PEOPLE. I think that's my new slogan - people are just people. If I grew up in South Philly, I'd be more likely to vote Democratic. If I grew up in Corsicana, Texas, I'd be more likely to own a gun.

Sure, we’re all born with different passions, different temperaments. But we’re pretty much the same. Even those of us who are “new creations in Christ Jesus” are befuddled by the same human nature as the rest of our human brethren. Beautiful messes. Dirty and shimmering.

Consider this: If it had been the Kenyans – and not the English and Spaniards – who got the wild hair to explore the world and imperialize our continent; and it had been the white people whom those Kenyans later brought to America and enslaved; and it had been the white people who marched and rallied and suffered and persevered through the Civil Rights Movement, then it would be the white portion of our population today that would more often grapple with issues of fatherless families, violence, white-on-white crime, and poverty. If you don’t believe that – if you think somehow that people of the white race would have “pulled themselves up by their bootstraps” after emancipation or Brown v. Board of Education – then you’re six kinds of screwed up.

How about another scenario? Let’s say that the prophet who rose in the seventh century wasn’t named Muhammad but Maurice. Let’s say that the Ottomans, rather than losing their empire, kept their peace and their edge in math and science. Let’s say that Greece’s influence moved east instead of west. Let’s say that Europe became home to Islam while the Middle East underwent an enlightenment. If you think for one second that the fair-skinned Francs wouldn’t be blowing each other up and causing a lot of tension in the world community today, you’re not thinking at all.

People are just people.

I really think much of the Middle Eastern culture is barbaric. (I know, not a PC viewpoint.) But I don’t think it’s because Jordanians or Syrians are, in their mettle – in their genes, barbaric. I think if you plucked a young Iranian out of his home when he’s young and put him in my hometown, he’s much more likely NOT to grow up to wage jihad. (I know. He could kill his girlfriend. But Ron was a statistical anomaly that only proves my point.) On the other hand, if you took me out of my white, middle class home and dropped me into Fallujah as a baby, I would be just as likely as the next kid in the mosque to blow up a bus.

In the words of Depeche Mode: People are people so why should it be you and I should get along so awfully?

Partying Like A Rock Star

I had the chance to hang out with Caedmon's Call this weekend - actually just a few members of the band - Todd Bragg, Jeff Miller and Andy Osenga. There were also four other people with us - Mandy Mann (who has been opening for Caedmon's), her beau named Kevin, a sound tech named Jacob, and a guy I talked to very little named Josh (I think). Oh yeah, and Steve Hayes, the reason I got to do this in the first place! (Yeah, I know, my blog is getting to be all Steve, all the time. I wish I knew how to quit him.)

Anyway, this post is just to say that the rock stars and roadies I went out with Friday night are the most unassuming, friendly, and fun-loving people you could expect to meet. They included me in the conversation when it would have been really easy to talk about "inside" stuff. We sat around a table and we didn't discuss theology or the emerging church or world hunger or the plight of the Dalits. We talked about our kids and goofy new names for bands. They're a fun group and it's easy to see why they've had such a long-lasting and effective ministry.

Baptists Fighting Over Tongues

I'm glad the Star-T covers SWBTS so closely. I'm not so glad that this is what we give them to cover. Luckily, the most onerous fact in the article isn't revealed until the 19th paragraph:

Two months ago, McKissic was invited to speak at the seminary's weekly chapel service. He told students that he first privately prayed in tongues in a dormitory when he was a student at the seminary in 1981. He also criticized the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board for adopting a policy excluding missionary candidates who acknowledge that they speak in tongues.

Incredible.

Here's the first part of the article:

FORT WORTH -- Trustees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary adopted a resolution Tuesday that clearly states the institution will not tolerate the promotion of the practice of speaking in tongues.

The resolution comes almost two months after the Rev. Dwight McKissic of Arlington said during a chapel service that he sometimes speaks in tongues when he prays.

That prompted Southwestern President Paige Patterson to issue a statement
that the video of McKissic's sermon would not be posted online or saved in the archives of the seminary, as are the sermons of all other chapel speakers.

Patterson submitted the resolution to trustees during their meeting Tuesday. It states: "Southwestern will not knowingly endorse in any way, advertise, or commend the conclusions of the contemporary charismatic movement including private prayer language. Neither will Southwestern knowingly employ professors or administrators who promote such practices."

The resolution was adopted 36-1.

McKissic, a new trustee, cast the dissenting vote.

Howling Review

My friend Steve turned me on to a new band and I think I'm in love! Black Rebel Motorcycle Club makes the meanest, coolest, rockinest music I've heard in a while. I heartily recommend their album "Howl".

If you judge by the packaging, it seems like this band is trying way too hard. I mean how many words that say "we're cool" can you put in a band name? Likewise, the album notes try really hard to have lots of rocker angst written in Kerouacian prose. I think they took the same approach to some of their lyrics which seem to be pretty dense. But even if I never figure out what the songs are about, the music is worth the purchase. Lots of jangling guitar, breathless harmonica and organ - everything a rock album should have. Think young Bob Dylan music but with the voice of....um....well....someone better.

I have one nagging question about this band though....who's black? And who's a rebel? Do those words modify the club? Is it a club of black riders of rebel motorcycle? Or a club or riders of black Honda Rebel motorcycles? Or a club of motorcycle riders who happen to be black and rebellious? So confusing...

Where can I get a sandwich board....

This story about street preachers ran in today's Fort Worth Star-Telegram (full story below). It made me think some thoughts in my thinking brain. So here they are:

• The brand of evangelicals who engage in street-preaching, door-to-door evangelism, etc. are always talking about "going on the offensive" and the like. Who are they offending? Who is it they're playing offense against? If it's Satan and his lies to poor and hurting souls they might meet on the street, then I can think of more effective ways to combat the lies.
• Having said that, I like street preachers. At least I like the ones who seem to do it as a form of self-expression. I like the guy who stands on the corner and plays the saxophone. So I like the guy who stands there and spits out what he's passionate about.
• I don't like the idea of street-preacher boot camp though.
• At first, I wanted to title this post "Crazy Christians" (yes, that's a Studio 60 reference) and decry another group of Christians embarrassing themselves in the public eye. But you know what? I'm tired of trying to police/disparage every group of fuzzy-headed evangelicals whose hearts are in the right place even if their heads aren't. So come on, street preachers. Meet me in Sundance Square and I'll listen to your rant and buy you a beer.

Preachers to 'invade' Fort Worth, Dallas

The Associated Press

DALLAS - A Texas-based ministry group plans to flood entertainment districts in Dallas and Fort Worth on Saturday with 500 street preachers trying to spread their faith, an event the group's president calls a "city invasion."

Darrel Rundus, founder and president of The Great News Network, said he hopes this first large-scale event will serve as a test run for future invasions across the country.

"Its a roll-up-your-sleeves, get-in-the-trenches, big-time battle in the street for souls," Rundus said. "We have an army of evangelists out there invading the city for Christ."
Street preaching, never entirely embraced by traditional evangelical churches, has been gaining in popularity, said David Allen, the dean of the theology school at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.

Most evangelicals take their biblical cue from a passage in the Book of Matthew known as The Great Commission, Allen said. In it, Jesus Christ tells followers to "make disciples of all nations ... and teach them to obey everything that I have commanded."

Evangelical Christians interpret the passage differently, and pastors from traditional churches say there are more effective and less threatening means than hitting the streets.

"The common perception people have of street preachers is someone out there who is on the kook fringe of things," Allen said. "You think of someone who wears a sandwich sign that says, 'The world will end tomorrow.' "

That confrontational style turns people away, said Jim Lemons, pastor of the River Oaks Baptist Church near Fort Worth. He does not encourage church members to conduct open-air preaching but prefers "servant-style evangelism," such as volunteering in soup kitchens or homeless shelters.

"I think there are ways to make a bigger impact, a more lasting impact than yelling for 15 or 30 seconds on a street corner," Lemons said. "If I were not a believer and I were accosted, I would say, 'I don't want anything to do with that group or with what that religion believes.'"
Rundus acknowledged the image problem but says his group teaches a non-confrontational approach.

Rundus has spent the past two years building a network he thinks will make a nationwide event possible. He has 133 local leaders around the country who organize groups of street preachers. His group has organized 16 "evangelical boot camps" that he said has attracted about 100 participants apiece from around the world.

Among the most important lessons: Preaching locales must be public property and popular. The group typically favors entertainment districts, such as the Deep Ellum neighborhood in Dallas or Sundance Square in Fort Worth.

At the boot camp, would-be street preachers learn to overcome fears of public speaking, to engage people in conversation and to preach in an "inoffensive and Biblical way," Rundus said.
David Bird, a veterinarian and a leader in North Carolina, came to Texas this week for the invasion. Street preaching is the "last thing in the world I ever thought I'd be doing," he said.

But Bird has been doing just that for about two years, using lessons from Rundus boot camps.

He will begin conversations by handing out a pamphlet made to look like U.S. currency. The pamphlet appears to be a $1 million bill, but it has Biblical passages on it.

If a pedestrian appears interested, Bird will ask what he calls the million-dollar question: "If you died tonight, where would you spend eternity?"

The Great News Network instructs preachers to then discuss the 10 Commandments, asking listeners if they've ever lied, stolen, cursed or lusted, making them unsuitable for heaven.

"If just one persons life was changed, then it's worth it all," Bird said.

Local leaders will ultimately determine whether Rundus ministry group is able to make its city invasion work on a national level.

"Its time for Christians to stop going on retreats," Rundus said, "and start going on the advance."

Soul Patch

I’m limping back into the blogosphere and so I must resort to using some fodder from my personal life rather than the more universal themes like Aggie Football that I normally employ. So in weighing the twin evils of not blogging at all and blogging about what I had for breakfast, I’m venturing forth with these two personal revelations:

1. I’m learning more about myself lately. I’m being revealed to myself through my job, my friendships (or lack of friendships), some new acquaintances, my sin, some reading, and a not-too-careful look at the way I spend my thoughts and deeds. Here’s one of many things I’ve discovered about myself: I desperately need to be soulful. I need to see beauty or art, hear music, play music, read something written with feeling, write something compelling. I need this daily. I don’t think most people feel this need. Most people look at me like a freak when I say something about it. But without those experiences, my soul gets dry and flaky and takes my mind with it.


2. I sent my manuscript off today to the first agent who has asked to read the whole thing.

Mark Ye This Day, Scurvy Dogs!

It has been almost a MONTH since my last post. My muse has returned but she is wounded deeply. It will take some time and a lot of nurturing for her to regain her strength. In fact, posting anything today is really rushing matters. But I couldn't let the day pass without reminding everyone of its importance. Today is National Talk Like A Pirate Day! Please mark the observance with the proper amount of reverence, mirth and grog. Also, be sure to check out the "How to Speak Pirate Video" about halfway down on this page.

Not In Training

My brother and I are thinking about running the half marathon at White Rock this winter. We're quasi-training for it now (which means saying we would run if it weren't so danged hot outside!) It got us talking yesterday about training for godliness, like Paul tells Titus to do.

Tommy Nelson used to disciple a small group of college-aged men every year. They called them Young Guns. There was an application process for being in the group. Apparently, he put them through the ringer in terms of study, spiritual exercises and accountability. That always sounded like an awesome deal to me. And I've wanted a mentor ever since I heard about that. But here's the thing: I need a goal.

I'm not good at physical training for the sake of being in shape. I need a race or a game or a goal of some kind to train for. If the White Rock wasn't dangling out there in the near future, I wouldn't even be thinking about running this summer.

In a way, I wish my faith walk was like that. I know God is a person and my walk with him is a relationship - not a task to be checked off my list or a "personal best" to be attained. But I sometimes wish there were objective goals I could set in my relationship with God - something I could commit to and say, "I'm going to do this, by golly, even if it means getting up at 5am for training."

But I don't think those kinds of goals exist for the very reason that they do exist in other endeavors. If I were to have a goal like that, God would become for me a target - a challenge to be met. And then, once met, what? I guess I don't set those kinds of goals for any other relationships in my life (maybe I should?)

Once again, the Lord proves to be an uncontainable sovereign. Still, a mentor would be nice. I could stand to be "put through the ringer."

Missing Muse

Wow. Two weeks since my last post. This is almost a dead blog! I sincerely apologize. I've had almost zero desire to write for the past two weeks. My muse is gone. She left me for a goatee-wearing 40-something with a Harley named Shara. I hope she comes back. It doesn't matter what she's done.

Satirical Soliloquy

I've just discovered satire and it's a romp! Here's my intellectual confession - I've never read any satire...any. It has always just seemed out-of-reach for me, something I wouldn't really relate to and therefore not appreciate. But last week I picked up No Way To Treat a First Lady by Christopher Buckley only because Buckley wrote a guidebook on Washington, D.C. that I enjoyed during my trip there last month (Washington Schlepped Here: Walking in the Nation's Capital). It's a riot in a very reserved, tongue-in-cheek way. Sort of a quiet riot, I guess. Anyway, Buckley has opened my eyes to satire. Does this mean I'm going to start reading The New Yorker and shopping at Highland Park Village? I kinda doubt it. But I might buy a smoking jacket.

Landis Lampooned

Guess my previous post about Floyd saving the tour was a little premature. But they still don't have solid evidence. For now, I'm choosing to believe the Flandis.

But even if the B sample confirms the A result, Landis is not necessarily guilty of taking an illegal performance enhancing drug to boost his testosterone. Some riders can prove that they have an elevated Testosterone/Epitestosterone (T:E) level, if they undergo an endocrine test performed by a credible doctor. Landis said he will use Spanish doctor Luis Hernández, who has helped other riders prove a high T:E count. "In hundreds of cases, no one's ever lost one," Landis told SI.

In 1999, Colombian rider Santiago Botero was able to prove his elevated testosterone levels (over four times the allowed limit) were natural. His doctor at the time was Kelme's Dr Eufemiano Fuentes.

Landis is looking for other answers too. He is allowed to take cortisone for his degenerating right hip, although he said during the Tour that he had only had a couple of injections this year. But he also told SI that he'd been taking daily doses of a thyroid hormone to treat a thyroid condition. Even if either of these can explain his high T:E ratio, Landis realises that it will be hard to convince people. "I wouldn't hold it against somebody if they don't believe me," he said.

-cycling news

Stuggling for Posts

I'm having trouble with Blogger lately. Is anyone else having this trouble? In any case, I just wanted to fight through it long enough to give you a couple of links to great stuff.

Russ's blog has a post about a new book I've got to get on Spiritual Disciplines. I have this love/hate relationships with spiritual disciplines. I love them when they draw me closer to God, but I tire of them quickly. Then they stop bringing me into his presence and just start being a chore and then a lose them for a while and then, after a while, I rediscover them and love them. Russ has some good insights about the disciplines as well as some "How did he read my mind" insights about growing up Southern Baptist. Read the post here.


This blog is from some guy that Steve knows. I don't know him but his blog is genius.

TdF Wrap-Up

This Tour de France started with a drug scandal and a weakened field. It could have made a lot of would-be watchers tsk-tsk and turn their heads. But for Landis’ exploits, this might have become an anonymous tour, given fringe fans reason to abandon the sport, and left American cyclists with an “at- least- we- did- such- and- such” taste in their mouths. I don’t think Landis was thinking about any of that when he attacked in Stage 17. I don’t think he was thinking about anything beyond his embarrassment, his ambition, and his team. From what I’ve read about him, Landis likes to keep his thoughts narrowed to those things. But without realizing it, Landis might have saved the sport this year. Or, at least, he turned a bad year for the Tour into a good year for American cycling.

Outside has an excellent profile of Landis that reveals some of his quirky, bold and simple personality.

That personality was also revealed in the way he handled his disgrace on Stage 16. The press conference, if you could call it that, showed something about Landis’ character but also something about the character of cycling. What other sport would ever see one of its star players address the press sitting alone on the steps of his hotel villa? If that were the NFL, we’d have had Drew Rosenhaus repeating “next question.” If it were the NBA, fines would fly. MLB? Forget about a major leaguer sitting on his front porch and chatting for free. The only other sport where something like this might happen is NASCAR. Cycling has its problems, but its athletes are accessible and its personalities are genuine.

Cycling News revealed that Eddy Merckx bet on Landis the day he lost 10 minutes. He got 75-to-1 odds.

Forgetting the World Cup (or trying to), America has done herself proud in international sporting events this year. We won more medals in the winter Olympics than expected. And yesterday there were two huge events in the world of sport, both in Europe and both won by Americans.

Message of Romans

I love reading Romans in the Message. It seems to be the book where Peterson's paraphrase most dramatically enlivens the text for me. Here's how Peterson handles Romans 12:1-2

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Mid East Musing

Every so often when something erupts in the Middle East like it is now I can’t help but racking my brain to try to think of something that we could do – some way to help. As if there’s something that the brightest minds in diplomacy haven’t considered. I know there will always be conflict in the Middle East and I probably don’t have much to contribute. But I can’t help but wonder about options.
I had an idea this morning. When I worked at the newspaper, I covered something called the Ulster Project. It’s a week-long camp in the U.S. attended by Catholic and Protestant teenagers from Northern Ireland. It’s a way of exposing young people to people and viewpoints different from their own and pre-empting any indoctrination they might receive in the future that includes hate against another group. It’s a neat program. Of course, it has its limitations. Parents who send their teens to the Ulster Project are probably the same parents who would protect their kids from involvement in “the troubles’ anyway. But I still like the idea.
Is there a way to do something like that in Arab nations? Imagine Arab and Jewish teenagers at camp together! Wow! There are big problems with this – how are you going to get kids to take part? There are financial and huge cultural barriers. Kids would be taking a big risk aligning themselves with something like that. But if militant Islam can recruit and brainwash young men to carry out suicide attacks, is there a way for peace-loving people to recruit and educate those same kids? Or possibly just reinforce peaceful principles in kids who won’t be recruited by militant groups but who might turn out to be the next generation of leaders for their countries? How do we get to them? And how can they be protected once they do take part in something like that?
Anyway, just thoughts. I just bang my head against the Muslim/Jewish thing now and again and thought I’d share.

Sanitized Insanity?

Yesterday, I read this description of a local attraction - Legacy Town Center in Plano - provided by the city itself:

One of dozens of faux downtowns popping up across the country, spurred by a demand for urban living scrubbed of the reality of city life. A careful mix of retail, residential and office space built with traditional materials such as stone and brick, Legacy looks like a city but has neither panhandlers nor potholes. Legacy Town Center is built in a contemporary style, with hints of Frank Lloyd Wright. Its use of brick and limestone give it an old-time veneer. Retail buildings have been built a different heights to make the town center look like it’s evolved over decades with more than 1,500 apartments and town houses, some 80 shops and restaurants, two mid-rise office towers and a Marriott Hotel.

Someone tell me: isn't there something a little out-of-balance about this? Is this how our society thinks? This doesn't make me want to visit Plano. It kinda makes me feel sorry for the people there who are apparently all clean and rich and and safe and comfortable and - to use the city's word - feaux.

You Know What Today Is?

Today is the day that the peleton's route turns skyward toward the high mountains where men dance on the pedals of anger and the roads lie on the hillsides like pieces of discarded string. Today, the Tour reaches the Pyrenees.

Scintillating Debate

How come all the really interesting disputes happen on Steve's blog? Oh well, here's one that I've spent considerable time banging my keyboard over, and I figured "Why waste all that typing?" So log on people! And speak out!

Breaking News: Landis is One Hip Wonder

Read the VeloNews story.

Floyd Landis's reputation as the toughest guy in the peloton took a quantum leap Monday when he announced that a degenerative bone condition is causing so much pain he will undergo hip replacement surgery "sooner than later."

Landis said he will be able finish the 2006 Tour de France, where he sits second overall, but added that the pain has become so excruciating that surgery could come as soon as this summer.

Matt. 23:11-12 (Message)

Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.

720 Dunk

If this isn't doctored video, this represents an enormous leap forward in dunkology for all of humankind.

Friday Fun

This week brought the sad news that Pat and the Wild Hanlons were eliminated from Treasure Hunters, a new reality show that I’m hooked on. That’s too bad. I was seriously considering launching a website called PatHanlonIsMyHomeboy.com. At one point in last week's episode, the mullet-wearing redneck donned a bandana outlaw-style, over his mouth and nose for no apparent reason. The world needs more Pan Hanlons. But alas, when you’re dumb as a post, it’s hard to keep pace in a game about riddles.

A couple of notes on OLN’s Tour de France coverage:

• Looks like L.L. Bean has provided two matching blazers and three matching shirts for Phil and Paul’s wardrobe. On Day 2, they wore the same thing and I’m pretty sure Phil wore the same shirt two days in a row.
• OLN is the king of promos. They run so many of those on-screen teases that they run them over their own graphics.

Here's a funny read (thanks, Steve) about a book series that is on my To Read list: the Pocket Guides Theological Issues series.

Did you know George W. and 50 Cent share a birthday? Yesterday, one turned 60 and the other 30. You think they shared a party as well? Maybe a backyard BBQ or a trip to Chuck E Cheese?

Yahoo! has launched a new thing called Yahoo! Answers. You post a question and anyone can give you an answer/advice. To kick things off, they recruited Bono to ask his big question. Answers are many, varied, and interesting. Enjoy.

It's Hard To Be Lawless

Here's part of today's reading that got me thinking. (Have you noticed the new addition to this blog? The lectionary at the right of this page updates itself every day!)

The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.

Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that god’s Spirit is in them - living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end, attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on god.

Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing.

Romans 8:3-8 (Message)

As much as I understand this concept mentally, I still have a hard time living it. When I sin – every time I sin – I tend to hide from God for a few days until things “blow over”. I find it almost impossible to face God for a while after I sin. That leads to this whole mindset that I’ve been in for years – that things have to go right for a while before I can feel really comfortable praying, worshiping, etc. I have to have a winning streak before I can feel good about my relationship with God.
But at its core, that is living under the law, not under grace. When I fail, that is exactly when I should run to the Lord.
I understand Romans. I know the logic well. I don’t put it in practice very well, though.

Fourth & France

You've got to feel good for Matthias Kessler. After his solo attempt failed Monday, he came right back and tried it again yesterday and this time got the win. Gutsy.

On the other hand, my fantasy TdF team is not doing well. Boonen is my sprinter and he's riding like a dummy - can't time anything. After Basso was DQd, I picked up Valverde and how he's out with a broken collarbone. This Tour is loosing big names every day (also yesterday we lost Freddie Rodriguez and Erik Dekker). This may come down to who can stay upright for 21 days.

Took the kidos to watch fireworks last night. The show wasn't very good and Bethany was terrified by the noise, but it was still a good feeling to watch them with the family. Our Independence Day included friends, burgers, cherry pie, Soussa, and fireworks. What else could you ask for?

Instruments of Righteousness

I have come to have a very gnostic view of the flesh, and a verse in Romans that I read this morning is making me rethink that. I always think of my flesh as bad. Its desires seem to have no use in the kingdom. They only sustain life so that I can use my heart and mind for the kingdom. Obviously, my hands and feet - those parts of me that can do labor - can be useful. But my stomach? My libido? Sleepiness? Wouldn't I be such a better Christian if I had no need for food or sleep or sex?

Romans says no.

Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make
you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of
wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from
death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness.
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under
grace.

Romans 6:12-14

"Present your members to God as instruments of righteousness." Not to get too graphic here, but I think that means every part of me - every hormone and hunger and hair - can be an "instrument of righteousness."

TdF Stage 1 Report

A couple of images from yesterday's Tour de France Stage 1 (Yes, there's another off-beat, global sporting event we all need to pay attention to.) For a complete report on the Tour, visit www.velonews.com.

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. I'm glad Georgie finally gets to wear yellow.

Thor, God of Blood.

Both Velonews and OLN reported that what caused the cut on Thor's arm was a plastic fan sign. Sure looked like a lot of blood for basically a paper cut. He had to have stitches. I know they were doing close to 40mph, but still - that couldn't have been a plastic #1 finger could it? In any case, looks like those fan signs are going to be banned.

Tour de Dopes

Well, I keep saying this isn't a sports blog, but then I keep writing about sports. This one, though, is big. At least in my world.

Ivan Basso, Jan Ulrich, Oscar Sevilla, Francisco Mancebo and several other riders have been suspended from the 2006 Tour de France which starts tomorrow. All of them are suspected of doping. In all, 58 pro riders have been named in connection with a Spanish doping ring that has come to be known as Operation Puerto, the details of which have been trickling out for several weeks thanks, mostly, to the efforts of a Spanish newspaper called El Paìs.

For those of you who don't follow cycling, think of this as a confluence of the stories of Barry Bonds (doping), Sammy Sosa's corked bat (no one knew they were doping), and MLB Congressional hearings (more people were doping than we thought), all on the eve of the World Series.

Admitttedly, there has been no proof that these guys are guilty, but apparently the circumstancial evidence (which involves police raids on apartments where bags of blood and financial ledgers were found bearing the riders' names or "code names") is strong enough to convince the various team directors to suspend the riders.

There is good news and bad news here:

The good news is that these directors sportifs (team coaches) are the ones doing the suspending. Even if there is evidence that they know about that we don't that clearly proves guilt, it's a little refreshing to see those guys step up and do the suspending of their own riders rather than wait for UCI (cycling's governming body) to do it. Like Phil Ligget said, cycling has long been on the front lines of the battle against doping in sports. Now, cycling seems to be voluntarily taking it on the chin again.

For the U.S., there is also good news that none of the names released today in connection with Operation Puerto are American. In fact, all but a few of the accussed riders are Spanish. (The one exception is Tyler Hamilton who retired last year after being found guilty of doping. I've seen his name mentioned in stories about Operation Puerto, but to be honest, I'm not sure if he was connected with this particular "doctor" or someone else.)

The bad news is that this ruins my fantasy TdF league and will probably ruin this year's Tour for many American fans. It opens the door for more American riders to win, but the whole race will be overshadowed by the doping story, much like the Festina scandal in 1998 in which Marco Pantani was a primary player and now every time a commentator mentions Pantani's wins or records, you have to wonder if they should have an asterisk by them.

Of course, the other bad thing about this is the timing. I suppose that was dictated by El Paìs. I wonder how long they sat on names in order to release them the day before the Tour. Maybe there are other things at work but it seems like a dirty trick. With the TdF field set, none of the suspended riders will be replaced on their teams. This is also the first year for new TdF director Christian Prudhomme. Welcome to Pro Cycling, Chrissy.

The whole thing would, of course, be less frustrating if we had all the facts or at least a clearer picture of the facts that UCI has. European journalism is maddening in its refusal to attribute. They're good at using the words "alleged" and "suspected" but not good at telling us what lead to allegations and suspicion.

Oh well, I'll still watch. And we can all pull for Floyd Landis. If the Mennonite is doping, then we really are in trouble.

Movie Review - Syriana

Here's what I like about mixed-up movies like Traffic and Syriana: they get you thinking. Here's what I don't like: they have no redeeming value. Christine and I watched Syriana last night. It took two hours to watch, but I think I can pass along the message in about two seconds. Ready?

There's trouble in the Middle East.

If that's a surprise to you, then maybe you should watch Syriana (or the national news). Otherwise, don't bother. I think there was a political message (oil companies=bad, republicans=bad, U.S. involvement in the Middle East=bad) but it was hard to care much about that because the story was so miserable. This is a movie like Cider House Rules in which everyone is a victim of his/her circumstance and no one rises above their circumstance. This is a story completely without virtue, meaning or beauty. It raises important and complex questions to be sure, but it does so while holding no hope for their resolution. It sheds light on a difficult political, religious, economic, and cultural situtation, but it does so while blending in disjointed, senseless misery. (I imagine at one point the writers said to one another: "We're not making the situation in the Middle East seem as bad as it should. We want the viewer to feel really bad about foreign oil and the like. Let's electrocute a six-year-old in an accident! Not because it makes sense. Just because we want this to be uncomfortable.)
Syriana has its points of good political philosophy. There are fleeting scenes, meant to be poignant, I think, in which Muslims wonder at Hollywood and capitalism. I liked those 30 seconds. The rest came off like a collaboration between Stephen King and Richard Engel.
I'd rather watch either.

Bad Writing

Found this bit of wisdom on www.reallivepreacher.com.

Bad Writing Days

These are the mind games you play.

I have some writing tricks, but I never say that I’m going to put aside writing for a time in hopes that I can bluff my muse into giving it up. That’s like a cheap line in a single’s bar. That’s like telling a headstrong toddler that you are going to leave him in the grocery store.

“I’m leaving, Trevor. I really am. I’m going now. Goodbye Trevor.”

Here is a tip for you: Never try to bluff or seduce your muse. Instead, court her. Learn to love her. This is a marriage, not a one-night stand.

I'm in a long string of bad writing days, and I think it has to do with my keep- him- at- arms- length- because- he's- too- hard- to- seek- out- and- I've- got- other- things- to- deal- with relationship with God right now.

Still Grieving

Today, for the first time since Tuesday night, I had the strength to read a newspaper story about the Mavs. The minute the game ended Tuesday, I flipped off the TV, threw the remote across the room, and began a half-week grieving sulk. I feel like a jilted lover - "I love you but you let me down!" So depressing.


Last night, Bethany and Zach experienced their first trip to the movies! The theater in Valley Ranch is re-opening today and we went to a family sneak preview night last night with both kids. I was sure it would be a mistake but they were both really good!

Here are a few more photos from D.C.

Capitol at dusk with U.S. Army Ceremonial Band playing on the west steps.

Best time to see the monuments is at night.

Jefferson's monument is more pretenteous than the others, but the inscriptions are more inspiring.

Honest Abe is very imposing.

World War II Memorial is new, and controversial.

That's the real deal. You can take pictures of it if you don't use flash.

West front of Capitol during daylight. The statue in front is Ulysses S. Grant.

Detail of some of the carving in the Capitol rotunda.

No Time

Washington was cool. I'm glad I went but glad to be back.
Mavs are not cool. I'm going to sulk for a week.

No Travel Log

Well, my moblogging dreams have been dashed. Blogger is rejecting emails sent from my phone and the rates for Internet usage in the hotel are outrageous. And I haven't found a cyber cafe yet. So this might be my only post from DC and, since there's no card reader here, it won't include photos, of which I have many.
DC is way cool. Very pretty and very clean city. Everyone here seems to fall into two categories: visitors who are happy to be on vacation seeing the sites, or locals who are happy to see the visitors seeing the sights. It's a shame I've seen three other national capitols before I saw my own!

Some highlights:
-Took communion at the National Cathedral this morning.
-Visited the big sites on the National Mall - Capitol, Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln Monuments, Vietnam and Korea Memorials. Awe-inspiring stuff. I think Lincoln is my fav.
-Saw the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. The actual original documents. Did you know a 26-year-old signed the Declaration?
-Stood in the spot where Dr. King gave his I Have a Dream speech.

There's more but I've got to quit soon. This is costing me $.79/minute.
Game 5 tonight. I'm nervous.

Not So Glorious

Watched Glory Road last night. Is it just me or is this a movie full of look-alikes? The guy who played the coach reminded me a lot of Matthew McConaughey. His wife looked like Amy Poehler from Saturday Night Live. The guy playing Coach Rupp looked like John Voigt with swamp fever. And the guy playing David Lattin (the biggest player) looked like somebody, but I couldn't tell who.
Not only are the actors look-alikes, but so is the plot. Seemed to me like some execs sat around and had this discussion:
"Hey, what movie are we going to do next?"
"I dunno. Remember how much money the Titans made?"
"Yeah. Let's do that again."
Also, there were cameos in there by Stars announcer Ralph Strangis and Mavs color man Bob Ortegel.

One more note: this will be my last post from Irving. I'm leaving town tomorrow and, unless I figure out moblogging soon, I'll be blog-less for about 5 days. I hope we all survive the ordeal.

Postponing the Inevitable

Game 3 was Miami's best chance to steal a game in this series and that's what they did - by the skin of their teeth, with the help of 2 Shaq made free throws, a missed Dirk free throw, and a Gary Payton 26-foot jumper. Ninety-nine times out of 100, those three things don't happen. So I'm still not worried about the series. The one thing that did bother me about last night was our rebounding. We outrebounded our opponents in the first 17 games of the playoffs and all of the sudden, we can't get one. And it wasn't all Shaq keeping us off the boards. We just didn't seem to be scrapping for them.

I'm also concerned about the state of sports journalism in Germany. Apparently, everyone else at ESPN Berlin is busy with World Cup so they sent Boris Becker to cover the Finals.

Neat.

When the mitten took a step inside the 3-point line and went up, I said "Good." It was good, but that's not what I meant.

Cold chillin'

"Dude, I'm right behind you."

Don't worry, Jet. It will soon be yours.

Fan Sightings

I don't know if this is good luck or not, but in the last week, I have run into both Boogie Bob and Thunder (or Turbo or whatever his name is) the lip-sync guy. Boogie Bob was at Wal-Mart. I talked to him briefly. Above, he's pictured with Sarah Dodd, reporter for CBS11 and one of our guests in the suite during Game 1 against Phoenix. I sat next to Thunder at...ready for this...church! I didn't talk to him. He slipped out before the service ended. Probably had to go warm up for the game that night.

Only seven teams in NBA history have swept the finals. The last team to do it was the 2002 Lakers vs. New Jersey. The same franchise has never done it twice. Let's make it eight.

Since 1980, only eight teams have won the Finals: Lakers (8), Celtics (3), 76ers (1), Pistons (3), Bulls (6), Rockets (2), Spurs (3). It take a while to climb to the elite in the NBA, but once you're there, it seems to stick.

From the way-back machine: check out this scouting report on Dirk from 1998. Note his upside:

"At best, he's the next Keith Van Horn."

A few more notes from Game 2:

• During some Dampier free-throw attempts in Game 2, a fan behind us was chanting "M-V-P! M-V-P!" Funny.
  
• I can't wait to revisit "Ericka-talk" after the series. Shaq enjoys calling Damp "Ericka" and cracking jokes about him playing for the Monarchs, not the Mavericks. Funny, but not as funny when Shaq is the third-best center in the Finals.
  
• Before Sunday night, there had only been six four-point plays in Finals history. Howard and Stack both had one. Stack's was tremendous - deep corner, end of the half, shot clock on his back.
• As much as I enjoyed attending Sunday night, I've got to say that I was never really on the edge of my seat. Even when the game was close, I didn't have that worried, nail-biting feeling. During other playoff games, you could have found me pacing the floor in the luxury suite, yelling at a TV in a sports bar, or standing in front of my TV because I couldn't sit down. This time, even with the score close, it was never worrisome. (Is that a word?)

Hallelujah!

Because God is good, he sent a messenger in the form of [name witheld for reasons of reputation] with the message, "Do you want to go to the game tonight?"
"Me?" I asked and fell on my face. "I am but a humble servant. I have no money or talent that you should condescend to me with such a worthy calling ... Ok, I'll go."

The game was awesome though not really as frenzied as I expected. The crowd was definitely into it (lady in front of me stood up for every rebound) but it was a blowout and, as I had heard, the Mavs did tone down the presentation a little (less Humble Billy, no sign of Champ, generally less on-court craziness).

I was so thrilled to go though. It was the first championship game I've ever attended (assuming high school and intramural don't count) and it was awesome. Did I say that already? And I think it may be the last game of the year in Dallas. A sweep is not out of the question here. And I certainly think the Mavs can win 2 of 3 in Miami. And thus two championship streaks will continue for Big D:

1. A professional sports championship has never been won in Dallas.

Super Bowls were, of course, at neutral sites, and the Stars won the cup in Buffalo.

2. Dallas teams with stars on their uniforms win championships.

• Cowboys have always had the star helmet and have won 5.
• Stars were winning as soon as they came to Dallas.
• Mavs started winning when Cuban bought the team and introduced new unis with a star on the back.
• If the Rangers know what's good for them, they'll put a big star behind that "T" on their chests.

Also, for the record, I think the confetti after Games 1 and 2 was premature. We should probably save that for finals and league series wins.