2009: Our Year

Posted on September 19, 2008 by Jason

I was already looking forward to the first few months of 2009: the Super Bowl, the return of LOST, pitchers and catchers reporting. But now I can add this to the list.

I think I can already predict what my 2009 Album of the Year is going to be.

Here’s the line that really gets me stoked:

We know we have to emerge soon but we also know that people don’t want another U2 album unless it is our best ever album. It has to be our most innovative, our most challenging … or what’s the point ?

And what about this one:

We want 2009 to be our year, so we’re going to start making an impression very early on …

Walk on, baby.

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

Mommy M.I.A. Redux, Day 1

Posted on September 18, 2008 by Jason

9:19pm – One day down; three to go.

Today went pretty well. Thankfully, I don’t have any stories to rival my experiences from two years ago. Well, at least not yet.

I decided to take the day off. I didn’t want to ask somebody to baby-sit all day and I never use all my vacation time anyway, so I had a couple of fun things planned for today. The plan, however, did not involved waking up at 6:00am with Jackson. The plan also did not involve waking up with sneezing / sore throat. It’s like my body knows what lies ahead and it’s decided on it’s own preemptive strike. Sunny hasn’t even left yet and I’m getting sick; what a wuss! (This happened last time, too.)

We dropped Mommy off with the girls at 9:15 and made a beeline to our local library to pick up a few books and videos. After that it was back to the house for Jackson’s nap. The older kids played quietly, ate their lunch and went down for their naps on time. When everybody was awake, we all went outside and spent some time playing in the drive-way. Abby Kate and Jackson played in their “cars” while Joshua hit baseballs off the tee. My proudest moment came when Joshua was finished — Jackson walked up, put Joshua’s ball on the tee, picked up the bat and swung from the heels. He corkscrewed himself into the ground, of course, but not before making solid contact. Who knows? Maybe we’ll have another little ball player on our hands here. (And don’t think I didn’t notice that he swung from the left side of the plate like his brother. ‘Atta boy.)

The afternoon playtime, however, pretty much eliminated any afternoon naps. Which probably wasn’t a good idea since I was supposed to be the devotional speaker for the Madison Academy football team at 5pm. I decided to take all 3 kids with me; I figured they’d enjoy seeing all the players on the field (which they did). When practice was over, I took all the kids with me into the locker room for the devo. I’d already asked Abby Kate to take care of Jackson, who was a little squirmy in his stroller. During my talk, at one of my more impassioned and animated moments where I’m really trying to drive my point home, Abby Kate gets up and walks right out in the middle of the floor, tugs on my shorts and says, in a full voice, “Dad! Jackson doesn’t want his Cheerios anymore! So I put them in the diaper bag!” Thank you, my earnest little child.

After pizza with our friends, we came back home, got our baths, picked up our toys, and went to bed. This is where the lack of nap caught up with us. Everyone got a little cranky, especially Jackson. But everyone was tucked in by approximately 8:30, which is close to on time. Then Daddy finished picking up the toys, fixed lunches for tomorrow, RSVP-ed to a kids birthday party invite, and finished folding the laundry that I began this morning. It’s 9:15 and I’m officially exhausted.

Now I think I remember why I never take all my days off!

Only 68 more hours until Sunny returns…

Posted in Baseball, Kids, Mommy M.I.A., Sunny | 2 Comments

Mommy M.I.A. Redux

Posted on September 18, 2008 by Jason

So today Sunny is going to the beach.

And I’m keeping the kids.

All three of them.

All weekend.

By myself.

Yeah. So pray for me.

Every year, some of the girls from our Sunday school class make a late summer trip to the beach. These ladies work long hours every week (as employees, as stay-at-home Moms) and they all look forward to this time together each year. Last year, Jackson will still a baby, so Sunny wasn’t able to go. But two years ago, when Joshua and Abby Kate were two years old, she was able to go and she had a blast.

I, on the other hand, have still yet to recover from what I lovingly refer to as “Operation Outnumber Daddy”. I decided to blog about what it was like to keep two toddlers by myself all weekend long. I dubbed the series of posts Mommy M.I.A. and I decided to go back through and read them in preparation for the weekend ahead. I couldn’t help posting them here to give you an idea of what’s in store for me this weekend.

Mommy M.I.A.

Mommy M.I.A. Day 2

Mommy M.I.A. Day 3

Mommy M.I.A. Day 3 Update

Mommy M.I.A. Day 4

Reading these makes me miss Sunny already! Like I said, pray for me.

Posted in Humor, Kids, Mommy M.I.A., Sunny | 4 Comments

Toward a Missional Ethic: Creation

Posted on September 17, 2008 by Jason

I found this image online the other day. I think it probably expresses well the pervasive attitude from within the Christian community regarding the environment. The implication here is that I shouldn’t care about environmentalism so long as unborn babies are still being murdered. While I don’t believe the two issues to be diametrically opposed, the message is clear: most Christians consider the environment to be of peripheral, rather than central, importance.

This is altogether unfortunate. The dialogue surrounding environmental issues tends to be couched in political terms that amounts to little more than posturing by those seeking our votes. If you believe the Religious Right, global warming is nothing more than a myth; even the term “environmentalism” bears much political freight these days. In the past 30 years, environmental issues have gotten little to no play among conservative evangelicals, written off as a leftist or liberal political agenda. And let’s be honest: much of the political rhetoric regarding the environment does come from the left. So it’s little wonder most conservative Christians hit the snooze button when the political discussion turns to environmental issues.

But I’ve come to the point where I want to divorce the issue from the unhelpful political baggage and the posturing of politicians and recover it for the deeply theological issue I believe it to be. (Better said, I consider myself an environmentalist on theological, not political, grounds.)

In the beginning, God created, as the Scriptures say. And this creation was called good. And God gave His little image-bearers dominion over the created order. God called humanity into a partnership. The Creator enjoins the created to tend His creation. To me, this is the grounds for a missional ethic of creation.

As Wendell Berry says, even the term “environment” is misleading. It tends to put too much distance between us and where we live. It sounds as though we think of earth as simply a place where we happen to be camping. The Biblical image of creation is so much more than this. As Eugene Peterson says, “Creation is not something apart from us; it is part of us and we are part of it. We don’t own this place and so we can’t do with it whatever we wish. We are this place, an identity that we have in common with all our earth-neighbors.”

I’m not saying we should all become vegans or never use the resources God created. But I am arguing for a greater sense of stewardship and responsibility among God’s people when it comes to creation. All I know is, if I were God and I made something and called it good and gave it to you to take care of and you treated it like garbage, I’d be ticked.

Back to the image at the top of this post: if I were forced to choose, obviously the life of a child has infinitely more intrinsic value than a tree. Trees aren’t made in the image of God. But I don’t see why this has to be an either / or issue. For too long, the discourse regarding “moral issues” has focused too narrowly on a couple of issues. And while the abortion issue is near to my heart, too, I think Christians also have a responsibility to make good stewardship of God’s creation a “moral issue” as well when casting their ballots.

Posted in Politics, Social Issues, Theology | 6 Comments

The God of the Outsiders

Posted on September 16, 2008 by Jason

Ever wondered why those genealogies are in the Bible? Yeah, me too. I’ll admit; it’s kinda hard to understand how these big long lists of random names and who begat who could really be “God-breathed and…useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

But today I was reading the genealogy of Jesus recorded in Matthew’s gospel. And a few things struck me. First, Matthew lists five women in the genealogy of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba (“the wife of Uriah”), and Mary. Very unusual move for a patriarchal society. We all know Jesus had a revolutionary attitude toward women. I think it’s just cool that Matthew makes a point to acknowledge the role these women played in His lineage.

But another thing struck me about these women: with the exception of Mary, they’re all Gentiles. Tamar, the Canaanite wife of Judah’s eldest son, Er; Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute from Jericho; Ruth, a Moabite; and Bathsheba, an Israelite who married a Hittite, which would’ve made her a Gentile according to later rabbinic law. All of these women are Gentiles, all outsiders when it comes to God’s special covenant relationship with Israel. Yet, as Matthew affirms, Jesus’ very birth is an act of identifying with these outsiders. In fact, Matthew is the Gospel writer that explicitly interprets Isaiah 7 in light of the Christ event: Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us”. He’s born to outsiders in order to reconcile us back to the Father. After his birth, his family flees to Egypt to avoid Herod’s threat. Upon their return, they choose to settle in “Galilee of the Gentiles (Matt. 4:15)” in a little backwater village called Nazareth. Once again, Matthew makes the point clear: this is no ivory tower, silver spoon Messiah. He willfully inserts Himself into the messy reality of human existence.

He is God with us.

God of the outsiders.

He became one of us.

That’s my Jesus.

Posted in Devotional, Jesus, Scripture | 3 Comments

Hail to the Chief

Posted on September 15, 2008 by Jason

So the big news here in the Rocket City (besides price-gouging gas stations) is that a certain Oval Office inhabitant is coming to town later this week. The reason for W’s visit: a fundraising dinner on behalf of two Alabama Republicans running for Congress. A $1000 donation gets you in the door; for a cool $10,000, you can score a Polaroid of your ugly mug with the 43rd POTUS.

Not that they’d even let me anywhere near the place, but all of this got me wondering: what would you say to the President if you had the chance to shake his hand and get a pic with him? I mean, how often do you get to speak to the leader of the free world? You’d have to have something to say in that moment. Do you talk politics? (“Hey, tough break on that ‘No Child Left Behind’ thing.”) Entertainment? (“So, what’d you think of the new Batman movie?”) Personally, I’d love to ask him what he thinks of Letterman’s “Great Moments in Presidential Speeches” (a classic bit, in my opinion).

Actually, I’d probably open with something like, “All this power and you still can’t do anything about the Rangers’ pitching?” I figure that’d get a laugh, you know, break the tension. Plus, this is my wheelhouse. I may not be able to talk foreign policy with him, but I can hold my own with anybody when the topic is baseball. Then I’d turn on a dime and get semi-serious and say something about his leadership in the wake of 9/11 and how much I appreciated it. While his administration will probably be remembered primarily for the debacle that is the war in Iraq, I’ll never forget the way he handled the immediate aftermath of 9/11: walking through the rubble at Ground Zero, addressing the nation that night, quoting Psalm 23. I’d tell him I think he was dealt a pretty tough hand there, but I’d want him to know that in those fearful, tearful days, he was just the leader we needed. And for that, I’d thank him.

Then I’d close with, “So, who ya votin’ for this year?” Then we’d chuckle and high-five and snap the photo and the moment would be preserved.

Now if I can just raise $10,000…

Posted in Huntsville, Politics, Scripture | 5 Comments

Heroic Courage to Trust

Posted on September 14, 2008 by Jason

Right now I’m reading Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning. I read his Ragamuffin Gospel years ago and loved it. I love what he says here about the heroic nature of trust.

Unwavering trust is a rare and precious thing because it often demands a degree of courage that borders on the heroic. When the shadow of Jesus’ cross falls across our lives in the form of failure, rejection, abandonment, betrayal, unemployment, loneliness, depression, the loss of a loved one; when we are deaf to everything but the shriek of our own pain; when the world around us suddenly seems a hostile, menacing place — at those times we may cry out in anguish, “How could a loving God permit this to happen?” At such moments the seeds of distrust are sown. It requires heroic courage to trust in the love of God no matter what happens to us.

Trust is our gift back to God, and he finds it so enchanting that Jesus died for love of it.

Posted in Books, Devotional, Quotes | 1 Comment

Cuba Relief

Posted on September 11, 2008 by Jason

If you’ve been watching the news, you’re aware that the island of Cuba has been decimated. Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which struck the island Aug. 31 and Sept. 8, created havoc in every sector of the communist nation. The Red Cross’ early estimate of total damage is app. $4 billion. Economists and veteran Cuba watchers don’t believe the island will ever completely recover, and even a partial reconstruction will take years. Many crops across the island were destroyed, and food warehouses were leveled. Hundreds of high tension electrical towers and power lines were down and the network of the water supply is contaminated, raising the possibility of epidemiological emergencies. Guarioné Díaz, president of the Cuban American National Council, said this is probably the worst economic disaster that Cuba has suffered in its history. “Just imagine your New Orleans/Katrina, but on a national scale that has effected an entire country,” he said.

Jesus told us to offer a cup of cold water in His name. This Sunday, our church family will have an opportunity to offer that relief in Jesus name. A special collection this Sunday will be hand delivered to Cuban church leaders for immediate aid to hurting Cubans the churches are trying to reach. If you’re interested in helping with this relief effort, you can make your check out to the Mayfair Church of Christ, marked “Cuba Relief.” Contact me if you’d like more information. Your gift to the churches in Cuba will equip church leaders to assist the hurting and care for people that may receive little or no help from their government.

Posted in Jesus, Poverty, Social Issues | 2 Comments

Remembering 9/11

Posted on September 11, 2008 by Jason

I know the blogosphere will be humming today with many a 9/11 tribute. Over at Jim Wallis’ blog, he’s posted Deny Them Their Victory: A Religious Response to Terrorism, his written response in the weeks that followed that terrible day. His post reminds me of the mixture of emotions I felt in those days: anger, fear, sorrow, pride. I submit it to you all today as we all take a moment to remember a day we all wish had never happened.

DENY THEM THEIR VICTORY: A RELIGIOUS RESPONSE TO TERRORISM

We, American religious leaders, share the broken hearts of our fellow citizens. The worst terrorist attack in history that assaulted New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania has been felt in every American community. Each life lost was of unique and sacred value in the eyes o f God, and the connections Americans feel to those lives run very deep. In the face of such a cruel catastrophe, it is a time to look to God and to each other for the strength we need and the response we will make. We must dig deep to the roots of our faith for sustenance, solace, and wisdom.

First, we must find a word of consolation for the untold pain and suffering of our people. Our congregations will offer their practical and pastoral resources to bind up the wounds of the nation. We can become safe places to weep and secure places to begin rebuilding our shattered lives and communities. Our houses of worship should become public arenas for common prayer, community discussion, eventual healing, and forgiveness.

Second, we offer a word of sober restraint as our nation discerns what its response will be. We share the deep anger toward those who so callously and massively destroy innocent lives, no matter what the grievances or injustices invoked. In the name of God, we too demand that those responsible for these utterly evil acts be found and brought to justice. Those culpable must not escape accountability. But we must not, out of anger and vengeance, indiscriminately retaliate in ways that bring on even more loss of innocent life. We pray that President Bush and members of Congress will seek the wisdom of God as they decide upon the appropriate response.

Third, we face deep and profound questions of what this attack on America will do to us as a nation. The terrorists have offered us a stark view of the world they would create, where the remedy to every human grievance and injustice is a resort to the random and cowardly violence of revenge – even against the most innocent. Having taken thousands of our lives, attacked our national symbols, forced our political leaders to flee their chambers of governance, disrupted our work and families, and struck fear into the hearts of our children, the terrorists must feel victorious.

But we can deny them their victory by refusing to submit to a world created in their image. Terrorism inflicts not only death and destruction but also emotional oppression to further its aims. We must not allow this terror to drive us away from being the people God has called us to be. We assert the vision of community, tolerance, compassion, justice, and the sacredness of human life, which lies at the heart of all our religious traditions. America must be a safe place for all our citizens in all their diversity. It is especially important that our citizens who share national origins, ethnicity, or religion with whoever attacked us are, themselves, protected among us.

Our American illusion of invulnerability has been shattered. From now on, we will look at the world in a different way, and this attack on our life as a nation will become a test of our national character. Let us make the right choices in this crisis – to pray, act, and unite against the bitter fruits of division, hatred, and violence. Let us rededicate ourselves to global peace, human dignity, and the eradication of the injustice that breeds rage and vengeance.

As we gather in our houses of worship, let us begin a process of seeking the healing and grace of God.

Posted in Social Issues | Leave a comment

My First Message

Posted on September 10, 2008 by Jason

For the past several weeks, Sunny and I have been reading the My First Message devotional Bible with our kids. I’ve written before about what a blessing Peterson’s work is to me. Now we get to share that blessing with our kids. If you’re looking for a good children’s Bible to read to your kids, I wholeheartedly recommend My First Message. The text is readable and easy for them to understand; the illustrations are excellent; and each Bible story has discussion questions, prayer exercises, and suggested family projects. It’s really great. My only beef so far: they completely skipped over the story of Abraham. We went straight from Noah to Jacob and Esau. I know parts of the Abraham story might get a little hairy for kids, but come on. How can you tell the story of God without Abraham? I dunno. Still, I think this is a great resource and I recommend it, especially if you have young children.

Posted in Blessings, Books, Kids | Leave a comment