Amazing Grace

An amazing movie is opening tomorrow night, Friday, February 23. We're going to see it with fifty-two students (and their families) who are going to Thailand this summer with Andy.

Go see the movie tailer here.

Oh Gravity!

Well friends, my recommendation of Switchfoot's new album Oh Gravity! is two weeks overdue. It came out Dec. 26th and it is AWESOME! Andy and I are totally diggin' it, as are the kids who asked grandma to sing "Oh Cavity" to them for their bedtime song.

Last week Oh Gravity! was the second most purchased album on iTunes! Switchfoot will be in concert in Eugene on Feb. 16. We're planning to go with a van full of students from Westside Christian High School.

Click here to see the Oh Gravity! video.

A blessing for the New Year

This blessing was read as the closing prayer at the recent George Fox Evangelical Seminary graduation that we attended. We were there in honor and support of Andy's mom who graduated with a master or arts in Spiritual Formation. I think it makes a great New Year's prayer.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

Amen

- Fourfold Franciscan Blessing

For the record

Several years ago I started a list on my computer of the funny things our kids said. When my hard drive died I was very upset about losing it and about not being smart enough to back up my hard drive.

This seems a good place to start collecting their quotes again.

Funny things from December 2006
"My want a magel." (I want a bagel.) - son, 2 yrs.
"My want some hog nog." (I want some egg nog.) - son, 2 yrs.

Bedtime Conversation
daughter: "I know what I'm going to ask Santa for for Christmas next year."
me: "You're already thinking about that?"
daughter: (nod)
me: "OK. What?"
daughter: "Money."
me: "Money?" (pause)
daughter: (smiling)
me: "Oh, so you can buy something for someone else?"
daughter: "Yep!"

This Christmas she earned money to buy a goat for a poor family in the developing world. She chose a goat because it makes milk, cheese, and yogurt. Her brother chose to earn money to buy a sheep. I think he chose a sheep because they're cute. These were the presents they gave to Jesus today, December 25, 2006.

"Whatever you did to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me" - Jesus, Matthew 25:40

The Word and Light

I read an article last night that caused me to reread the words from John 1. Listen anew to these, perhaps familiar, words.

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all people might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

The Word became human and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:1-15

Here are some thought provoking words about these verses from an English bishop named N. T. Wright.

"We're always in danger of domesticating Christmas and think[ing] it's only about comfort and joy. In truth, it's also about incomprehension, rejection, darkness, denial, stopped ears, and judgment. Christmas is not about the living God coming to tell us everything's all right. John's Gospel isn't about Jesus speaking the truth and everyone saying "Of course! Why didn't we realize it before?" It is about God shining his clear, bright torch into the darkness of our world, our lives, our hearts, our imaginations—and the darkness not comprehending it. It's about God, God as a little child, speaking words of truth, and nobody knowing what he's talking about.

You may be aware of that puzzlement, that incomprehension, that sense of a word being spoken which seems like it ought to mean something but which remains opaque to you. If that's the point you are at, the Good News is that along with this theme of incomprehension and rejection is a parallel theme of people hearing and receiving Jesus' words, believing them and discovering, as he says, that they are spirit and life (John 6:63). "As many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God's children, who were born not of human will or flesh, but of God" (John ?:?). "If you abide in my words, you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free" (John 8:?). "If anyone keeps my words, that person will never see death" (John 8:51). "You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you" (John 15:3).

Don't imagine that the world divides naturally into those who can understand what Jesus is saying and those who can't. By ourselves, none of us can. Jesus was born into a world where everyone was deaf and blind to him. But some, in fear and trembling, have allowed his words to challenge, rescue, heal, and transform them. That is what's offered at Christmas, not a better-focused religion for those who already like that sort of thing, but a Word which is incomprehensible in our language but which, when we learn to hear, understand, and believe it, will transform our whole selves with its judgment and mercy."

If you'd like to read the full article (it's a long one) you can read it here.

Advent Audio Reflections

I just discovered a great resource and want to pass it on. It is a webpage of five audio Advent meditations. When the kids are in bed and you can be alone, turn on the Christmas tree lights, turn off the room lights, sit comfortably with your eyes closed, then click here.

My favorite one is "Have I missed Advent?" because it gives words to many of my feelings.

It's not too late to "get" Christmas this year; to be present to the Baby.

I've got categories (aka "labels")!

I'm so excited to finally have categories, also knows as "labels" in Blogger. Blogger just came out with a new format called Blogger Beta and the categories are the most exciting feature. What this means is that I can label each post, they'll be saved in categories, and it will be easy to find other posts on the same subject. If you look to your right, just under the "About Me" paragraph, you'll find the Labels list.