Quote of the Week: Happily Ever After

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." -- Carl Bard

It's the Bomb

Unos, dos, tres, catorce!

And I ain't talking about Wooly Booly.

I got a nice surprise in my mailbox today -- the latest U2 album, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. I've been a big fan of this band since junior high school when my cool mom bought me Boy, October, and War for Christmas -- maybe the same year I got a Sony Walkman! In fact, Lamont and I went on our first date to a screening of Rattle and Hum sixteen years ago this month!

I've been eagerly looking forward to listening to the new album since first hearing the frenetic single, Vertigo. I'm a huge fan of their last album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, and it's doubtful that more than a week has gone by since 2000 that I haven't listened to it. How could U2 possibly equal that effort?

The simple fact is that they didn't equal it, they surpassed it. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb may actually be the best thing the Irish band has done since 1983's War, no faint praise. The electronica of the last few albums has been traded in for big, punchy songs with classic Edge guitar riffs. Standout tracks among some stiff competition include:

• Vertigo, which everyone has heard by now


• Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own


• Love and Peace or Else, which finds U2 in garage-band mode


• All Because of You, which sounds like it could have been on Achtung Baby


• A Man and A Woman

Who would have ever thought a band I listened to in junior high would still be making relevant music a quarter of a century later? How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb will no doubt be one of my favorite albums for some time to come!

Two-Way Stretch

I'm always up for something different in regards to film, so I picked up Two-Way Stretch from the Prendergast Library the other night. It was a rare opportunity to see Peter Sellers before he became an international movie star in films like The Pink Panther and Doctor Strangelove.

Sellers plays Dodger Lane, a prison inmate who does a much better job of running Huntleigh Prison than the governor or the head guard. There are no end to the scams that go on right under the nose of the authorities, such as inmate-mentored rehabilition classes which do more to instruct in thievery than any job trade. Dodger's plans go awry with the retirement of the kindly (and someone dim) head guard and the appointment of Chief P.O. Sidney "Sour" Crout who gives new meaning to the description hard-ass. Wilfred Hyde-White plays Soapy Stevens, Dodger's old crime boss on the outside who convinces Dodger and his gang to perform one more heist before they're released from prison. After all, they'd have the perfect alibi...

Two-Way Stretch is a perfect example of old-style British comedy -- meaning that you can expect to see more gentle humor than slapstick on display. It's worth a look.

Happy Thanksgiving

"O Lord, everybody's home,
eating, drinking,
breathing in the Lord.
Now rejoice: the family's all together."

-- a traditional grace from Celtic Daily Prayer

Let's Get Physical

I thought I would capitalize on my newly-rediscovered love of life and get back into my exercise program. So I rode my exercise bike for a half-hour. Then I celebrated with a Coke and a Kit-Kat.

Random Rumblings

So Lamont and I got new jobs and a new church all in the same week. As much as everything my psych class taught me about the stresses of transition, I was really surprised this week at how smoothly everything went. I guess I had been under such a black cloud this last year that when it finally lifted it was almost a shock to remember what it felt like feel good. In fact, I went for my yearly physical on Thursday and my doctor actually had to check his notes to make sure that he hadn't prescribed me blood pressure medication when I saw him last August. There was actually that much of a change for the better! (Isn't it incredible that a poor workplace can have that much of an affect on one's health? Scary!)

I was aked to do "a witness" this morning in this morning's meeting. (A witness is a short personal talk about some aspect of being a Christian.) It wasn't what I would have preferred to do my first week at a new church -- I'd rather give it some time getting to know the existing congregation and all -- but as a former (!) pastor I know what a chore it can be to get people to participate sometimes. And anyway, as it turned out the people all seemed happy enough to see some new faces at the church. I mumbled a bit about how I made the transition from religion to that mysterious awareness of God -- the AHA moment -- and people seemed to see a connection between the story of their lives and mine. Maybe that was the best way for us to all get to know each other.

Life is good. We all need reminded of that sometimes, especially during the Christmas season when commercials incessantly remind us of what we lack! Oftentimes Christians with our "sky is falling" mentality and continual emphasis upon human weakness need this message the most of all.

I grew up in an era where the church thought it had it all figured out, as if life were an equation to be solved instead of an experience to be shared. That kind of thinking kept us good church goin' folk in line, but it didn't exactly lead to the richest lives.

It seems like the farther I walk along this road the less certain I am about everything. That would have scared the crap out of me as a kid, because all the "strong Christians" always seemed so certain about everything. But then again, many of them carried a certain sadness around and seemed to live from church service to church service, much like a junkie is always looking for the next fix. But I'm beginning to enjoy stumbling around in, if not the outright darkness, a thick fog at least, following the Christ as best I can. Not knowing where I'm going at least allows me the joy of discovery.

"And God saw that it was good."

This last week I saw a lot of good:

Laughing myself silly with my son is good.

Working a new challenging job is good.

Praying the Daily Office is good.

Watching MST3K with with K-- and D-- is good.

Listening to books on CD during the commute is good.

Eating dinner with the family is good.

Feeling the cool air after a rain shower is good.

Playing fetch with the dog is good.

Reading A Generous Orthodoxy is good.

Seeing old friends at church is good.

Four plates at Chinese buffet is very good. And a new personal record!

My new start

I wasn't sure what to expect in my new job's first day. Maybe paperwork. Maybe setting up my desk/office. But I never expected to be thrown into transporting volunteers, setting up donation sites, and having the companies van keys (and van) handed over to me within the first half hour. Talk about instant empowerment.

I met some people, drove around and checked in the donation sites a few times, had tomato soup and grilled cheese for lunch - free, and was hugged and kissed by a total stranger. Another person I met promised me a guarantee of laughter whenever I needed it, specially provided by his funny conversation and happy demeanor. Who says small towns aren't friendly!

On Wednesday, I may begin to set up my office and other typical new job activities. But it was great to be able to chat with my new boss as he showed me around the town and drive around a enjoy the sunshine and new people. I had time to think and absorb the last few days of emotional overload. It was fun.

Oh my goodness. Work was fun!

To top it all off, I chatted with an old friend who is also looking for some new work. In spite of her recent efforts, no new prospects have turned up. Until Saturday. She got a call. She has an interview. It's something she would really enjoy.

Go for it girl. Although life changes and makes us uncomfortable, the uncomfortableness may be a way of pushing us beyond our "I hate this but I know this" zone.

I hope that from now on, I remember how God can work through painful circumstances to bring about something totally unexpected,,, happiness and freedom.

How's that for a surprise begining. Peace.

Day One

Today was my first "real" day at my new job. Starting an afterschool program from scratch is such a big challenge. It seems like everything I have to do between now and January is an equally critical task. And to tell you the truth, I couldn't be more happier about it! The last year at the church was an exercise in futility. Despite the great results we were seeing in the young people, it was obvious that the senior pastor had already set his mind on shutting this work down. After spending the better part of the last year "waiting for the axe to fall" at the church, it's great to have a big task to sink my teeth into. This new job is just what the doctor ordered!

24 hours later

Our last Sunday service was one I will never forget. All of my closest friends, coworkers and family were all in one place to worship God and to say good bye to almost a decade of living, breathing and working in ministry together. I'm often uncomfortable when people give me compliments, and today was no different. When the congregation stood to salute and applaud us for our efforts over the years - I became a sobbing reflection of gratitude and affection. I love these people so. I no longer felt embarrassed by their statements - I was proud to know God had worked in their lives through our small human efforts.

There are some that will be happy that we won't be there next week to hold services. They look at what we were intended to be and complain about segregation and age division. But this perspective comes from those who never even darkened our door to see what it was all about. We are a kind of family that they will never experience as long as they continue to look at fellow christians with an us or them attitude. It's impossible to help others understand something like Gen-Next if they don't have a heart to look past things like age, gender, social status and many of the other notions that confuse the real picture. It was a place where we all could share our thoughts, hopes, dreams and desires to live godly lives. More than any other place I've been, the people there accepted everyone as they were. However, we wouldn't tolerate the tearing down of each other. Each person's life was and continues to be precious and loved by God. We honestly watched each other's backs. What a precious gift this has been. We even earned the label of being considered the "Emergent Church", by a divisional representative that attended the service. Too bad they started to understand what we were, only to close us down.

We all entered that place wanting to find a place to belong and to help out, and we emerge from that church basement a loving, God-chasing family.

No matter where we find ourselves - we will emerge into the world. We will challenge those that see people as either "church folk" or "dammed-to-hell-sinners". We will love everyone the same. We won't count how many times our coworkers cuss or complain about how much time they get for smoke breaks. We will be standing out in the cold air with them while listening to their struggles and trying to be the best friends we can. Loving others in Christ's name - that was our goal and I think we achieved it. We will continue reach out in love, even though there will be those that can't see why.

Emerge into the world with the love of Christ - begin to see how much could change if we did that every day. Love our families, coworkers, and yes even our enemies. They can't see it because they are sitting in a cold dark room with no light. There are those that a blinded by the brightness of acceptance and love. They need to be reconditioned to see things in the light of day. Night vision leads to isolation and seclusion. You can really miss things when you stumble around in the dark.

Come out into the light. You were one children of darkenss...but you have been called out .... you are now children of the light. Let your light shine.

The Thin Places

I reached a milestone this week. I actually cleaned my office. It took my quitting to finally motivate me to do it, but whatever works, right? It’s funny the found objects you come across during an overdue cleaning. Sometimes the simplest things can conjure up the most vivid of memories: an old bulletin, some photographs, a book, a birthday card. “Do you remember this?” was something Lamont and I said quite often to each other these last few days.

This Irish sometimes speak of “the thin places.” That’s how they describe those holy places where they feel like the veil separating heaven and earth is at it thinnest. I think that it’s appropriate that we’re down here in the basement this morning, because this room is significant in the history of church. In it we’ve prayed and played. We’ve celebrated birthdays and celebrated Christ. We’ve seen lives mended and the occasional piece of furniture broken. We’ve shared food and more importantly, we’ve shared our very lives in this thin space. If these walls could speak…

Eight years ago, L-- cornered me and asked me if I would help him with youth group. I thanked him for asking me but quickly added that I wasn’t really didn’t like young people that much and couldn’t imagine what I could do. Well, he persisted, and my wife and I found ourselves in this room for Reality: Live every Friday night. A year or two later he had to go on a conference one Friday and scheduled me for the devotional. I tried to convince him to cancel the meeting because I couldn’t possibly stand up in front of people and talk! But despite my best efforts to sabotage the schedule I found myself giving a ten-minute talk to ten high school students. The building didn’t cave in or anything.

I guess I’m not much of a prophet. And maybe that’s a good thing. A friend of mine once said that if God had handed him a roadmap to his life and ministry when he was a young man he probably wouldn’t have had the courage to get out of bed, much less fulfill his destiny! Jesus’ friends once caught a glimpse of the future and it ended up creating more questions than answers.

Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down." (Luke 21: 5 – 6)

Have you ever had one of those moments where the rug was pulled out from under you? Maybe it was a boss saying you’re fired, or a lover saying I’m moving out, or a doctor saying that the test came back positive. In just one sentence, all security is gone and a dozen questions about the future come bubbling up to the surface. That’s how the disciples would have felt when Jesus casually mentions that the temple is coming down like a house of cards. The temple, after all, was the center of Jewish religious life. Actually, it was more than that—it was the very symbol of their national identity.

I suppose that the shock hit them on two different levels. First, there was the spiritual matter—if God’s temple could be reduced to rubble, where would that leave God? Their other concern would be of a much more earthly nature: how will we be a nation without the temple? The disciples would have learned as children that the first temple—the one Solomon built—had been destroyed in a foreign invasion hundreds of years earlier. If that weren’t bad enough, at that same time their ancestors had been carted off into slavery. So Jesus’ casual remark would have been terribly disturbing to people already jittery from the Roman chokehold on their country.

"Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?" (Luke 21: 7)

We ask that same question today. We ask it when we read a Left Behind novel, we ask it when we read our morning horoscope, we ask it when we watch commentators on television give their opinions on international events. The radio this morning told me that I need to be worried about terrorism, the economy, household chemicals, and eating too much red meat. It’s no wonder that we muddle through our lives of quiet desperation looking to something—anything—that offers some reasurence.

He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away. Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.” (Luke 21: 8 – 11)

I find it interesting that no matter what culture or religion, the End Times always comes out looking like an Irwin Allen disaster movie. But wars, revolutions, and disasters have always been and are very much part of the story of mankind. Jesus tells his disciples not to be frightened about these, which I think is a lot easier said than done. What Jesus is much more concerned about is that his friends might be deceived by false teachers who would take advantage of their anxiety. It’s a very real threat. Throughout history, there are examples of people who were convinced that the world was coming to an imminent end who sold their possessions, quit their jobs, and basically became useless to anyone.

Books and movies about the End Times are big business right now. And I’m not sure if that’s a positive trend. Do we allow an end times theology to justify our disengagement with the very present troubles of this world—hunger, the environment, people who don’t know Christ—because, after all, there’s no point because we’re not going to be here much longer anyway? Christians argue about the timing of the Great Tribulation when there are people all around us snared in their own very present tribulations.

"But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life. (Luke 21: 12 – 19)

At this point the disciples probably wished that they hadn’t brought up the subject of the temple in the first place. Jesus tells them that because of their association with him, they will be harassed and betrayed by just about everyone. And he tells them to do something that I think must have come as a surprise to his friends. Instead of telling them to take a hint and head for the hills, he instructs them to “stay the course” because it’s only by doing so that they’ll really experience a life worth living.

That day Jesus described this to his friends using words. Just a few days later Jesus demonstrated it with his life. His fans decided his fifteen minutes of fame was up and turned against him. He was the victim of a religious hierarchy out of control and an indifferent government. Stripped of all human dignity, abused and beaten, and finally nailed to two pieces of wood in a public execution, Jesus did something remarkable: he took the worst of what the dark magic of the human heart can conjure—all the rage, and bloodlust, and fear, and prejudice, and indifference—and rejected it. In fact, he rejected the very notion of death itself.

The dark forces of this world hated Jesus—they crucified him. And as his followers, we find ourselves enmeshed in the same kind of conflicts both great and small. But we have the wonderful promise that the Christ is with us, even in those moments that when we’re being hit the hardest or feel the most inadequate. And that is enough.

You don’t need to buy a paperback to find out about Christ’s coming. Just move out among the people you know with compassion and love and you’ll be surprised to see Christ there among them. I’ve been amazed to see Christ show up in the strangest places. He’s been there at the hospital in the maternity ward and the terminal ward. He’s walked around the woods with young people at Camp Longpoint. He’s pulled a chair up at the table at Applebee’s during after youth group snacks. He’s been there in our conversation and our volunteer activities. He’s here this morning in a “thin place” that looks like a dinghy church basement. And for the last five years he’s been at work in a unique, special group of people who called themselves Gen-Next.

Now it's my turn

Saturday night, almost 2 am and I can't sleep due to the mangled mess of thoughts and feelings running through my entire being. I ordered the sandwich tray for our farewell tomorrow - but I forgot to pick it up. That will have to wait for the morning. I did a last minute letter project with special scissors and paper punches, all because I really felt a need to "give" something more to the people from our almost immediately closing church. I wanted to use the hands I have for one more chance to express God's love for each one of them. Our love for them. This hurts so much.

All these people have been such an important part of our lives for almost ten years. I. F. and I have been married for twelve. This has been my second longest commitment of my life - and I have to let it go. Let it go.

Where does it go to anyway? I will stay in touch with everyone the best I can, but I worry that schedule differences, physical distance and the passage of time will just take it all away. Everyone and everything will just go.... away.

I am beginning to look forward. I'm excited about the new ministry position I start on Monday at my new church. Some of the people I already know, I think that I will be happily surprised by the sameness I'll find there.

But the anger over this loss, the process of grieving continues inside as I try to look forward. It's hard to see clearly when you're looking through tear filled eyes.

My Grandpap died almost exactly one year ago this month. The feelings I had about his passing are rather like how I'm feeling today. I know that it's time for me to move on, just like it was time for my Grandpap to move beyond his 93 years of age on this earth. The memories of this church keep catching me off guard. I see or smell something and it reminds me of a photo relay I did with youth group or a fundraising dinner with all its stress, laughter and fun.

Tomorrow morning after service is over, the members of our congregation will be putting on a tureen dinner for our farewell. This next 24 hours will build more memories of tears, laughter, food, prayer and thankfulness for having the opportunity of getting to know and love each other. I am a blessed person and I know that blessing isn't going to stop when I leave the building for the last time tomorrow. It's just hard knowing that I won't have to key to enter this place, let others in, and make them feel welcome in God's name.

Monday I will get a new set of keys and the new people that come with them. Help me God to love them as I did the others. Maybe just maybe - I can love the new ones more because of what all the others have taught me. Thank you my friends, for giving me the honor of teaching, learning, praying, playing, saying hello and saying good bye.

One year ago my Grandpap's last words to me were, "Keep working till Jesus comes." I thought it was a little strange of him to say, but maybe he had a glimpse of the year I had ahead of me. This year has been one that required me to trust God more than any other before. This year has been about new starts and odd endings. I think I will let go of the hurt, but hold on to the love. God has watched over me and my family and I know he go's with me, no matter what keys I have in my pocket. That is enough for me to go on.

Wrapping It Up

Lamont and I did our last youth group last night. We just messed around in the gym and played board games and stuff like that. We all went to Applebees afterwards to hang out. It was a lot of fun, but I couldn't help feeling sad because it was the last time we'd all be together as a group. Dropoffs were especially hard. Usually a kid will just run into a house with a quick see ya later, but last night everyone had to linger a little bit before going in. They will never be far from our thoughts or prayers.

I can't believe that tomorrow is my last day in the office. I think I still have a week's worth of work left! I have to hand in my charge cards, keys, and fill out assorted paper work. I know it will all get done somehow and just need to stop fretting about it and hit the sack. (I'm still not satisfied with my sermon -- which probably has more to do with my state of mind than the actual message -- but I think I'll just wait until Satuday to revise it.)

Orientation Elation

I had my orientation for my new job today, even though I'm not officially finished with my current job until this Sunday. (I switched around my day off.) Even though most of the day was the standard first day activities -- I.D. badges, orientation, insurance plans, and tax forms -- I found myself getting more and more excited. I have a new job! I met with my boss after the orientation and talked about launching the new program by January 3rd. It's a gargantuan task, but I'm ready to get this thing of the ground! It's going to be such a help to kids and their families in a rural community.

Everyone Says I Love You

In a status-driven society, people do all kinds of things to make an impression: live in a certain neighborhood, drive a particular car, choose one university over another… But did you know that some people are still interested in making the right impression even after they’ve died? I was browsing a website of a company that is a funeral home and cemetery for the rich and famous of California. A funeral there should only put you back thirty or forty thousand dollars. They pay attention to every detail and give you all kinds of options to make sure that you go out in style.

For instance, why settle for a regular coffin when you can get laid to rest in that Cadillac of Coffins, The Monticello—showcasing a dark, polished walnut exterior and a luxurious velvet interior—a bargain at only $14,000. For additional fees, they can provide a motorcycle escort, release doves, or even make a video of your life that plays in a TV built into your headstone! Some people really know how to make an exit!

Say what you want about Jesus, but he was a guy knew how to make an entrance. After some time spent traveling throughout Palestine and the surrounding countryside, Jesus and his disciples entered Jerusalem in grand style for the Passover, with crowds of people lining the streets shouting save us, save us! You’re sent by God! If that wasn’t enough to get the religious leaders beside themselves, Jesus actually went into the temple and started a riot at the concession stand and dealers tables.

Although this act was an affront to all the religious authorities, one group in particular would have been especially offended. They were called the Sadducees. Whereas the Pharisees were obsessed with people’s behavior, the Sadducees were all about observances at the temple and the sacrifice system that was so important to the Jewish religion. To them, a self-appointed rabbi arguing with a bunch of Pharisees out in the country was one thing, but marching around the temple like he owned the place was quite another! So they decided to humilate Jesus by way of a public debate.

Every religious group has its own distinctive. The Sadducees believed that only Holy Scripture was the Torah—for us today that would be the first five books in the Bible. So everything that they thought about religion had to be backed up by those books. For instance, since they didn’t read anything in the Torah about life-after-death, they didn’t believe in it. So that’s what they decided to debate Jesus about. I imagine that this would have served two purposes. First, by getting Jesus to “go on record” about the resurrection would have squelched any popularity this guy would have had with their sect. Secondly, they could point out how ridiculous the whole idea of life-after-death was and maybe win some people over to their way of thinking.

Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.” Luke 20: 27 - 28

Women had no power in ancient times. When a woman was widowed, the property didn’t go to her. It transferred to her eldest son. So if a man died without fathering a son, it was up to his brother to provide the family with one. That whole idea sounds crazy to 21st century ears, but the point was that the dead man’s name and inheritance would carry on.

In a strange way, it’s similar to millionaires who donate money to build libraries and theatres on the condition that it’s named after them. They may be gone, but their legacy lives on. Maybe it reflects mankind’s longing for immortality.

Most scholars say that by Jesus’ day it was pretty doubtful that anyone still observed this practice. So why would the Sadducees ask Jesus about this if what they really wanted to talk about was the resurrection? Simply because they’re trying to frame the issue before they ask the real question. The Sadducees continue on:

Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. The second and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. Finally, the woman died too. Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” Luke 20: 29 - 33

This would be like walking up to Billy Graham and saying, Doctor Graham—is it true that God can do anything? If so, could he make a rock so heavy that even he couldn’t lift it? There must have been some proud Sadducees there, thinking that this was a sure-fire conundrum that was sure to leave even Jesus speechless.

Jesus doesn’t get bogged down in this nonsense and cuts to the chase:

Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” Luke 20: 34 - 38

Since the Sadducees only believed the five books of Moses, Jesus answers them about life-after-death by quoting something from the second book. The NIV Bible translation doesn’t do a great job on this scripture, but the gist is that God IS the God of the long-gone from this earth Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not WAS the God. He showed that the resurrection could be found in the Torah, it just required a little bit of digging to get to it.

What Jesus did is something that we need to do, too. Occasionally you will come across people in the church who pride themselves on being black and white thinkers, which I always find odd because life demands that we be creative in our thinking and complex in our understanding if we’re going to survive. It was only a hundred-and-fifty years ago in this country that many Christians believed that the Bible condoned slavery. “It mentions slavery. It talks about guidelines for owning slaves. That must mean it’s OK, right?” Now there was another group of Christians, called the Quakers, who dug a little bit deeper and asked themselves questions about the nature and character of God and mankind, and saw that slavery in the Bible and slavery as it was practiced in their day were two radically different things. We owe much of the abolishionist movement to the Quakers not settling for the easy answer.

Most passages in the Bible are pretty self-explanatory. The meaning of do not commit adultery is pretty obvious. But there are other passages where we can miss the point entirely if we just read them with 21st century eyes. That’s why a commentary is such a good investment for our Bible study. Sometimes we need to understand what something meant historically before we can unlock the meaning for us today. Dig deep.

The bit about marriage is probably one of the most troubling bits of scripture for some people. Like the Sadducees, it is hard for us to imagine a future that isn’t defined by what we understand about the present. Ask anyone on the street about the purpose of marriage and I guarantee that they’ll say something about love. But to the Hebrews, marriage was very much about passing on your lineage and managing your resources. That sounds a little bit harsh and very much unromantic, but go take Sociology 101 at any college and the professor will tell you much the same thing during the unit on marriage and family life. It’s easy to get distracted by the bit about marriage and miss out on what Christ is really trying to illustrate about the resurection life. Christ describes a future where our family name isn’t that important, because we’ll be the ones that live on. And no one’s security and provision will be based on family ties, be we will all be part of one big family that belongs to God. It’s an awesome promise that often gets overlooked in one of the more shocking passages of scripture. It’s doubtful that the Sadducees paid enough attention to even comprehend what he was saying.

And are we really that much different today? We can obsess about our behavior and measuring up just like the Pharisees. We can make sure that we’re following tradition, dotting every i and crossing every t, just like the Sadducees. We build religious monuments and create legacies unto ourselves just to prove that we can make the cut.

And in the midst of the religious frenzy and the spiritual one-upmanship stands the Christ with his arms open wide, ignored in our frantic efforts to measure up, saying: See how much you matter to me?

Not Your Typical Jim Carrey Movie...

...And thank goodness for that! We had a smaller group of friends over than usual last night: It was T--'s birthday and M-- hit another deer with her car. With only K--, A-- and D-- present we decided to forgo the traditional board games and watch a movie. Boy, I'm sure glad we did.

The film was The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind starring Jim Carrey. Usually his name on a DVD case is enough to send me running away from the TV set, but this must have been an alternate universe Jim Carrey, as he actually put in a good performance and didn't bend over and talk out of his butt. Not even once!

The story is actually pretty simple, although its execution is anything but. Girl meets boy. Girl and boy have fight. Girl erases memory of boy. Boy erases memory of girl. Boy discovers what made girl so interesting in the first place. The narrative is shown in a nonlinear fashion, which confused a few people last night, but I thought it was a fun and innovative way to tell a unique story. The film opens up some questions about predestination and free will, and I was left wondering how many times the lovers would cross again; self-destruct again... It also begs to ask the question of the viewer: who would you erase from your memory if you could? Would it ultimately make a shred of difference?

I don't think I've enjoyed a film this much since Rushmore. If you're willing to try something a little different, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is highly recommended!

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd

A Bright Future

If you would have told me last year at this time that I'd be leaving the church plant I helped begin, I would have laughed in your face. Attendance and income was up, plus the people were finally beginning to "jell" as a family. We loved our coworkers and bought into our church's mission 100 percent.

Then we got a new senior pastor.

If you've never worked in a church you can't possibly understand what a terrifying thing this can be to church staff. If you have worked in a church, that comment probably triggered a post-traumatic stress incident! It's never easy on staff or congregations, but we decided to make the best of it. God is in control and all those other clichés, right?

It became obvious within six months that we had some big problems brewing at the church. The man turned out to be the most frightening narcissist that I've ever met, or hope to meet. Every person is looked at as an opportunity or an obstacle to his success within the denomination. Employees started leaving meetings in tears. Everyone was treated with suspicion. A happy organization became a dreary place where people stopped dreaming about the future and began watching the clock.

In a bungle that only denominational bigwigs can pull off, our church building actually hosted three different churches: the traditional parent church, the one Lamont and I pastored (missional), and a Hispanic church. Suddenly there wasn't any space or funds available for two of the three ministrie (guess which two). Accomplishing the simplest thing became an uphill climb. Every positive step would be turned into a negative by the senior pastor.

We had some dialogue with some denominational representatives in hopes that some mutual understanding could be reached, but we should have realized that a nasty egomaniac isn't going to turn into a cooperative partner. Ever. When people from our denomination asked us if we would consider running another church for them, we knew the writing was on the wall. A few weeks later I was told that although all options would be considered, our district head was leaning towards shutting our ministry down and merging it to the traditional church. We were told that we would still have jobs somewhere, so just hold on until the end. Sweet.

I have put up with any number of things in my ministry: long hours, unhappy parishioners, lack of funds, punchy church boards, low attendance, dumb denominational initiatives, plus this narcissist. But I could not and would not be satisfied with putting on a happy face and punching the clock until the end.

The good news is as of November 15, I won't have to! And neither will Lamont! After a great deal of prayer and soul searching, we were both offered new jobs one hour apart last week! They're both jobs working with young people, both have faith-based components (Lamont's is in a church), and we'll actually be making a lot more money!

Our senior pastor had the strangest reaction I've ever seen. He was positively overjoyed at our resignation, launched into his plans to merge the churches, and then spent the next half hour warning me not to turn people against him, steal anything, or sabotage the computers on the way out. Then he prayed for me like this: So often God, people try to follow your will. But sometimes they follow their own will, thinking that it's your will. And that leads to the way of destruction... You can't make stuff like this up, kids! A sociopath boss is scary enough. But a sociopath boss who thinks that God is on his side is really freaky!

It's tough wrapping things up in our current location. We've spent 5 years on the church plant, plus the previous 5 in the traditional church. We will miss the our congregation dearly, and wish that these vulnerable people didn't have to get caught in the crosshairs of this mess. Explaining to a sobbing youth group why we were leaving was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. And it wasn't much easier to do the same with the adults in never-ending home visits on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Our thoughts and prayers will be with them always...

Church went great on Sunday, despite the sadness. Our lives are going to be so different. We really feel like the best is yet to come!

Going Down!

I've been waiting for Election Day all year. But now that I'm finally on its eve, I find that I'm strangely disinterested in the whole process. You see, I was under the mistaken impression that when I pulled the "Kerry lever" that a trap door would open up under President Bush. You know what they say about Generation X and instant gratification...