3T3RED

Remember

To remember something you must be two things; aware and thoughtful.  Since it is Memorial Day here in the US, it is a day of remembering.  If Jay Lenno is any indication, some folks have no clue what Memorial Day is really about.  When he does his Jaywalking, I get scared.  Some people can't even name the current president.  It's President Lincoln right?

But I think most of us know that Memorial Day is about soldiers.  At least that is what I have thought for many years.  Some think its about the Memorial Day party, at the relatives house party or boating out at the lake.  That's cool.

I came from a family of soldiers though; father, brother, wife, me, we all have served.  I put my years in, wearing that OD Green asparagus suit.  I don't miss the fashions.  But I was glad to do my part.

As I look back on what we remember though, I'm not crazy about glorifying war.  I hope that is not what we do.  There really is no glory in dead bodies.  That was never God's plan for this planet.  There is of course a long list of great human beings who went to war, or served during peacetime.  Millions have died with a rifle in their hands.  Sometimes their purpose and resolve was clear, at other times they had no idea why they were fighting.  I say they were great.  Every life is great in the eyes of God.  That's why Jesus came to die for us.

Being from a family with many years in the military, including some of the most horrible war years, I am compelled to remember.  I remember that we can be grateful for what we have and who we are in this world.  And I try to remember that many have sacrificed so that I can have that memory.

I saw a story this past week of a soldier who made a little spot of grass outside his hooch somewhere in Iraq.  He had a nice little lawn going in the desert.  I'll never forget that image.  A soldier, doing what he has been trained to do, day after day, but also wanting a piece of home, a chance to mow his lawn again.

I might go out and mow the lawn today, on this holiday in his honor.

Lacs

Look good, smell good, what more can you ask for?

Does the Church Care?

I visited with a city planner last night.  It was a very interesting discussion to me.  I came away from it impressed that she cared a great deal about the quality of life and property in the city where she works and I minister.  In her own way, she was ministering to people.

As we started talking about churches, she had a few stories about how churches want to expand and make more room for parking.  That seems normal to me as a pastor.  Why wouldn't we want to make more room for people to come to church by making more room for their cars?  She went on to cite a case where the church had used up home lots for parking.  This seemed to bring a pained look to her face.  I didn't understand why at first, but as I listened to her, it was as if the space was lost to homeowners and their families.  That has a ripple effect on the city, the neighborhood and the local school district that I had not thought about much.

And adding some insult to the injury was the ability of the church to relate to its other neighbors after this process of acquiring homes for parking spaces had taken place.  It can lead to strained or even hostile relationships.  We as church, the church in general, originally put up church buildings with the intention of being good neighbors.  The intention of being helpful to our neighborhood.  At least I think that is the case.

But while we were worshiping away in our sanctuaries, things were changing outside of them.  Maybe its time we got back outside and asked ourselves and our neighbors what we are really there for.  Does the church care?  I'm sure it does.  But we can lose sight of that, can't we?

Turning To The Dark Side

This scene is hardly frightening in the movie.  What is frightening is the careful nurture of the dark side by his mentor.

Anakin becomes evil, not in a moment, but over time.  He yields his mind, his emotions and his incredible talent to the dark side.  It takes two movies to explore this theme, episode 2 and 3.

I'm afraid for many, turning to the dark side is much more subtle than this.  Simply by not turning toward the light, many yield to the darkness.

But Jesus never stops shining light on us.  As Luke says of his father at the last, there is "good in him."  By knowing Jesus as our friend, there is good in us too.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.  2 Cor. 4:6

In the face of Jesus can be seen the great power of the universe.

Some more Crab apple

This was a couple of weeks ago in Fargo.  We're just getting started in the garden.  Beautiful weather now.

Once A Year Here

The Crab apple blooms throughout town in concert.  The blooms last a week or so.  One week in 52 here.  A beautiful week indeed.

I've never lived in a place where things bloom all year long.  What is that like?  Is it easy to take for granted?  Even here, Im sure some do.

What's A Woot?

Got Woot?

Something to Remember

If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten,

either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing. 

-- Benjamin Franklin

Whale Riding

Jonah goes for a whale of a ride in the Old Testament book by his name.  Some pastors feel like Jonah sometimes.  They want a ticket to Tarshish(great place to get away from it all) instead of a pastorate in Nineveh(place where they skin you alive).  Eugene Peterson's book, "Under the Unpredictable Plant" uses the story of Jonah to help pastors where they are at, not where they think they should be.

For me, its on my "Top Ten Books" list.  Published in 1992, its one of those books that gets better with age, not stale.  As a pastor, I try to do a bunch of things, but one thing I must do, is to share the Good News about Christ.  That is what pastors are made for, in fact that is a key to our holiness.  And Peterson sees that when he subtitles his book, "An Exploration in Vocational Holiness".

Pastors are most holy when they are sharing the goodness of Christ with others.  We do many things, believe it or not.  But the one thing we must do is to advance the love of God.  It's a whale of a ride.

T O Y S !

Some T O Y S !  Paper toys anyhow.