Out of the mouths of babes
We were doing our weekly family lent time together and sharing things to pray for. Meg pipes up, "we should pray for kids who are slaves and aren't treated well." Her class at church had a visitor a month ago who had just returned from India where she had been a part of a relief effort there. The visitor shared with Meg's class about the children who are in prison, who are left behind, who are slaves. It has really stuck with Meg.
Meg says, "Dad, when I get money for my birthday, I'm going to use some of it to buy a kid or two and set them free." Jahred jumped in, "maybe my seven dollars could buy a slave to set free."
In that moment I saw and heard the heartbeat of Jesus in such a beautiful, faithful, and simple way.
God make our hearts, your heart.
We're going to do something. And our children shall lead us.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Monday, March 20, 2006
Check this out... a catch-up post
A short attempt at a lot of information:
1) Still sick - really tired of it. Believe me, those are all the details you could want.
2) Meg and Jahred spent some time pre-St. Patrick's Day talking about leprecaun's in school. Jahred made a sweet leprecaun trap and here is Meg's sign (remember that leprecauns only do the opposite of what they're told.
3) Last week the family were on spring break. They went to Carol's sister's and to my parents. Here are a couple of my favorite pics from the trip they brought home:
4) Carol is posting again! Check it out here.
5) I was in Boston for Eastern Nazarene College's Festival of Life. It was great to see people (Kevin Snow, Josh Kleinfeld, Brian Hancock and all my Bel Air peoples, and so many more friends). I only wished we had longer. Also met some new friends (Adam) and had some great conversations with Doug Moister. Here are a few pics from my trip.
A short attempt at a lot of information:
1) Still sick - really tired of it. Believe me, those are all the details you could want.
2) Meg and Jahred spent some time pre-St. Patrick's Day talking about leprecaun's in school. Jahred made a sweet leprecaun trap and here is Meg's sign (remember that leprecauns only do the opposite of what they're told.3) Last week the family were on spring break. They went to Carol's sister's and to my parents. Here are a couple of my favorite pics from the trip they brought home:
4) Carol is posting again! Check it out here.5) I was in Boston for Eastern Nazarene College's Festival of Life. It was great to see people (Kevin Snow, Josh Kleinfeld, Brian Hancock and all my Bel Air peoples, and so many more friends). I only wished we had longer. Also met some new friends (Adam) and had some great conversations with Doug Moister. Here are a few pics from my trip.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
A Wilderness all my own
I've been sick. very sick. Since Wednesday night. Just now getting some good food in me. Just in time for my family to leave this morning to spend time for the kids spring break with family. They're hitting Carol's sisters and family in Indiana, dropping by my brother Steve and his family in Indy, and also spending a few days in Michigan with my folks.
The reason I'm not with them (other than my illness of death that I wouldn't wish on anyone living or dead) is that I'm heading to ENC this week for their regional Festival of Life event. [if anyone cares, that was probably a cool name for it when it started, then it was lame, but now its oddly really quite appropriate and cool again].
So I'm the wilderness of sorts. I found something great in the midst of it too. Check it out here. It's always good to share what you're given, so I hope it helps someone else out there too in some way!
I've been sick. very sick. Since Wednesday night. Just now getting some good food in me. Just in time for my family to leave this morning to spend time for the kids spring break with family. They're hitting Carol's sisters and family in Indiana, dropping by my brother Steve and his family in Indy, and also spending a few days in Michigan with my folks.
The reason I'm not with them (other than my illness of death that I wouldn't wish on anyone living or dead) is that I'm heading to ENC this week for their regional Festival of Life event. [if anyone cares, that was probably a cool name for it when it started, then it was lame, but now its oddly really quite appropriate and cool again].
So I'm the wilderness of sorts. I found something great in the midst of it too. Check it out here. It's always good to share what you're given, so I hope it helps someone else out there too in some way!
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Welcome to youth ministry...
Had our good friend Jonathan Tullis over for dinner tonight. Great guy! He was in our youth group when we worked at KC 1st. It was great to laugh a bit over old stories, watch him interact with my kids and just catch up on life. It was just good to be together.
In other unrelated news - Nate from H-town, MD reports that fried twinkes are D-liscious. Can anyone else back that up?
I've not tried them, but as a general rule believe that frying things makes them better. But frying a twinkie is like taking something that has absolutely no nutritional value and putting it through a process that sucks out all the nutritional value... so that's like a double negative and I think the universe might implode on itself or something if this happens too often. Or worse, twinkies would cease to exist.
I'm hoping for quick responses because I might not be able to sleep tonight with worry.
Had our good friend Jonathan Tullis over for dinner tonight. Great guy! He was in our youth group when we worked at KC 1st. It was great to laugh a bit over old stories, watch him interact with my kids and just catch up on life. It was just good to be together.
In other unrelated news - Nate from H-town, MD reports that fried twinkes are D-liscious. Can anyone else back that up?
I've not tried them, but as a general rule believe that frying things makes them better. But frying a twinkie is like taking something that has absolutely no nutritional value and putting it through a process that sucks out all the nutritional value... so that's like a double negative and I think the universe might implode on itself or something if this happens too often. Or worse, twinkies would cease to exist.
I'm hoping for quick responses because I might not be able to sleep tonight with worry.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Lenten Worship in the Hull house
As a family we aspire to live what we call a "prophetic life". A life that is truly seeking the best kind of life for us and for the world around us. For us that means a Christian, missional and sustainable way of life. We believe that there are some rhythms to a year, a week and even a day that are really helpful in living this kind of life. Now, I could go on and on about more of this, but let me pause here to talk about only one of those rhythms: the season of Lent.
Many know of Lent because "you give something up", as a friend of mine recently shrugged. But for us and for other Christians for thousands of years, its about preparing your heart for Christ, opening up to what he might have for you, spending extra time listening to what he might be saying. The rhythm of fasting is one where you let go of something (preferrably something that you do often or has some control in your life) and in lent for us it is also a time of picking something up (like a new discipline of prayer). This is all in efforts to draw our hearts closer to the heart of Christ.
For our family we decided together that we would give up TV one day a week specifically and replace it that day with a time of family worship with songs, readings and a Scripture story. Today was our first day (every Monday from now till Easter). We put down TV and picked up family worship for a time. We loved it! We did our little service complete with dad strumming the ol' Gibson, Meg helping to lead singing, mom praying, Jahred doing the powerpoint, and Kate and Isaiah playing special roles in the reading and then we topped it all off with some coloring! Dynamite!
I don't share this to make you like us more, to dislike us more or to "show you how its done" (that's why we have Pat Roberston on tv so often!), but just to tell you something about our lives.
As a family we aspire to live what we call a "prophetic life". A life that is truly seeking the best kind of life for us and for the world around us. For us that means a Christian, missional and sustainable way of life. We believe that there are some rhythms to a year, a week and even a day that are really helpful in living this kind of life. Now, I could go on and on about more of this, but let me pause here to talk about only one of those rhythms: the season of Lent.
Many know of Lent because "you give something up", as a friend of mine recently shrugged. But for us and for other Christians for thousands of years, its about preparing your heart for Christ, opening up to what he might have for you, spending extra time listening to what he might be saying. The rhythm of fasting is one where you let go of something (preferrably something that you do often or has some control in your life) and in lent for us it is also a time of picking something up (like a new discipline of prayer). This is all in efforts to draw our hearts closer to the heart of Christ.
For our family we decided together that we would give up TV one day a week specifically and replace it that day with a time of family worship with songs, readings and a Scripture story. Today was our first day (every Monday from now till Easter). We put down TV and picked up family worship for a time. We loved it! We did our little service complete with dad strumming the ol' Gibson, Meg helping to lead singing, mom praying, Jahred doing the powerpoint, and Kate and Isaiah playing special roles in the reading and then we topped it all off with some coloring! Dynamite!
I don't share this to make you like us more, to dislike us more or to "show you how its done" (that's why we have Pat Roberston on tv so often!), but just to tell you something about our lives.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Happy Birthday Isaiah and Meg!
We just celebrated Isaiah's 3rd birthday this month and Meg's 8th. Great fun! For Meg's we went to St. Louis and to the City Museum (highly recommended for anyone in the city). For Isaiah's we went to his favorite place in the whole world... Chuck E. Cheese (which we also call "Kiddie Vegas"). You'll pick up on his birthday theme by the pic below!
We just celebrated Isaiah's 3rd birthday this month and Meg's 8th. Great fun! For Meg's we went to St. Louis and to the City Museum (highly recommended for anyone in the city). For Isaiah's we went to his favorite place in the whole world... Chuck E. Cheese (which we also call "Kiddie Vegas"). You'll pick up on his birthday theme by the pic below!
Friday, February 17, 2006
Cuz friends are friends forever...
No I'm not on drugs. No I will not ever use those words on purpose again.
A good friend stopped by my office today, Wes Buchanan. Wes's dad and I were on staff together in Bel Air when I first started there. Great family. Great guy. He seems to be doing well. We seem to share some kind of connection for not a ton of time spent together. This should make many of you worry for Wes.
Then my good friends from the Mid-Atlantic district are kickin' their Festival of Life this weekend. I'm missing them and the event. B-heezy Hancock is taking it to new levels this year. I think our friend Josh should be blogging it (hopefully with pics). [this is one of those times where you say something and hope it comes true]. Its at his church and all.
No I'm not on drugs. No I will not ever use those words on purpose again.
A good friend stopped by my office today, Wes Buchanan. Wes's dad and I were on staff together in Bel Air when I first started there. Great family. Great guy. He seems to be doing well. We seem to share some kind of connection for not a ton of time spent together. This should make many of you worry for Wes.
Then my good friends from the Mid-Atlantic district are kickin' their Festival of Life this weekend. I'm missing them and the event. B-heezy Hancock is taking it to new levels this year. I think our friend Josh should be blogging it (hopefully with pics). [this is one of those times where you say something and hope it comes true]. Its at his church and all.
Thought Stuck
I have this concept stuck in my head that is either of Jesus or something else, because it won't go away. In walking and talking with my friend Mark a couple weeks ago, he brought up his efforts in discipling those around him. He is taking a couple guys with him wherever he goes whenever he can. Mark speaks a lot, so this means that he takes them with him on his trips. For one it is a commitment to not being alone. It is also a commitment to share experiences and life in the way of Jesus. This is life in the mold of Jesus and Paul. Find a disciple (or two or twelve) and take them with you into life. On your dime. What would this look like for more of us?
I have this concept stuck in my head that is either of Jesus or something else, because it won't go away. In walking and talking with my friend Mark a couple weeks ago, he brought up his efforts in discipling those around him. He is taking a couple guys with him wherever he goes whenever he can. Mark speaks a lot, so this means that he takes them with him on his trips. For one it is a commitment to not being alone. It is also a commitment to share experiences and life in the way of Jesus. This is life in the mold of Jesus and Paul. Find a disciple (or two or twelve) and take them with you into life. On your dime. What would this look like for more of us?
Fantastic Reading
I stumbled upon a great book that I had read a while ago. It is Doug Paggit's book, "re-imagining preaching". In it he argues for less "speaching" and more progressional dialogue. I really love this concept from beginning to end. One reason is that I know Doug practices this every week. Another is that I think we've got to find ways to re-think (re-imagine?) how we share the story.
The easy part is agreeing with the model. The hard part is making this happen on a regular basis where we live. The harder part is transitioning a community to understanding the heart of this kind of progressional dialogue (not to ruin the book, but you do have to assume that everyone has something to offer). The hardest part may be figuring out how to do this with 10,000 teenagers in week long event.
This kind of thinking leads us to a place where we must confront the question: what is community really? It is obviously more than just being in the same place. It is also more than being in the same room as some other good things are going on. It definitely requires time and energy in listening to one another. It definitely isn't easy. It challenges the notion that we should listen to someone just because they have a title. It challenges the notion that a leader can be someone that we do not know personally.
I wonder if any of you have read the book? I also wonder in what ways some of us have tried some of this progressional dialogue.
I stumbled upon a great book that I had read a while ago. It is Doug Paggit's book, "re-imagining preaching". In it he argues for less "speaching" and more progressional dialogue. I really love this concept from beginning to end. One reason is that I know Doug practices this every week. Another is that I think we've got to find ways to re-think (re-imagine?) how we share the story.
The easy part is agreeing with the model. The hard part is making this happen on a regular basis where we live. The harder part is transitioning a community to understanding the heart of this kind of progressional dialogue (not to ruin the book, but you do have to assume that everyone has something to offer). The hardest part may be figuring out how to do this with 10,000 teenagers in week long event.
This kind of thinking leads us to a place where we must confront the question: what is community really? It is obviously more than just being in the same place. It is also more than being in the same room as some other good things are going on. It definitely requires time and energy in listening to one another. It definitely isn't easy. It challenges the notion that we should listen to someone just because they have a title. It challenges the notion that a leader can be someone that we do not know personally.
I wonder if any of you have read the book? I also wonder in what ways some of us have tried some of this progressional dialogue.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Monday, February 13, 2006
Taking the mouth to the Garage
Wisdom teeth out tomorrow. If this is my last post ever because I die or they accidentally to a frontal labotomy, I want to thank you all for hanging here from time to time.
If it's not the end for me... there could be some really interesting drugged up posts coming tomorrow. Stay tuned
Wisdom teeth out tomorrow. If this is my last post ever because I die or they accidentally to a frontal labotomy, I want to thank you all for hanging here from time to time.
If it's not the end for me... there could be some really interesting drugged up posts coming tomorrow. Stay tuned
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Last week...
Some good times last week. I was in San Jose and spent a lot of evenings in San Francisco making friends, telling stories, trying to throw parties and trying to give gifts. I think perhaps eating well should be added to this list. I definitely ate well.
Highlights:
- Learning to juggle
- New friends like Tic and Holli
- Spending time with friends like Dave, Danilo, Sandrine, Katy and Mark and his family
- walking San Fran with Mark just talking a lot and seeing the city, hanging out, getting great coffee, etc.
- winning some cool stuff like a portable DVD player, dig camera and a digiradoo
Lowlights:
- 8th grade magic show
- Ben Vereen live (to his credit or mine I only saw about half a song)
- being away from my awesome family
Just wanted to share a little of my week.
Some good times last week. I was in San Jose and spent a lot of evenings in San Francisco making friends, telling stories, trying to throw parties and trying to give gifts. I think perhaps eating well should be added to this list. I definitely ate well.
Highlights:
- Learning to juggle
- New friends like Tic and Holli
- Spending time with friends like Dave, Danilo, Sandrine, Katy and Mark and his family
- walking San Fran with Mark just talking a lot and seeing the city, hanging out, getting great coffee, etc.
- winning some cool stuff like a portable DVD player, dig camera and a digiradoo
Lowlights:
- 8th grade magic show
- Ben Vereen live (to his credit or mine I only saw about half a song)
- being away from my awesome family
Just wanted to share a little of my week.
Steelers are the World Champions!
In case you've been hiding underground for fear of nuclear fallout because you live in California and think that the West Wing is really the news... The Pittsburgh Steelers have won the Super Bowl and are the World Champions! They soundly defeated the Seattle Seahawks (did anyone really think a team with teal as an official team color could win the Super Bowl?). I will give extra praise to my main man, Hines Ward, who has oftentimes been underrated, under paid and undervalued by the press and others. Hines Ward plays like a football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers should play, with toughness, grit, hard work, no whining, and lots of smiles.
But off in the distance is the sound that kills me. If you've ever seen the Lord of the Rings and watched the flying Ringwaiths, you know how people react to their screams. They fall down, cover their ears and act as though someone has pushed an ice pick in their temple. The results are the same for me when I get around whining. So I've pulled myself up off the floor, uncovered my ears so that I could type this and have decided to share with you Seahawks fans a very well written article. Seahawk fans in case you didn't see it. Behind you is your chance to win the Super Bowl this century. Ahead of you the opportunity to quit whining and join a true football team worth rooting for, the Steelers.
In case you've been hiding underground for fear of nuclear fallout because you live in California and think that the West Wing is really the news... The Pittsburgh Steelers have won the Super Bowl and are the World Champions! They soundly defeated the Seattle Seahawks (did anyone really think a team with teal as an official team color could win the Super Bowl?). I will give extra praise to my main man, Hines Ward, who has oftentimes been underrated, under paid and undervalued by the press and others. Hines Ward plays like a football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers should play, with toughness, grit, hard work, no whining, and lots of smiles.
But off in the distance is the sound that kills me. If you've ever seen the Lord of the Rings and watched the flying Ringwaiths, you know how people react to their screams. They fall down, cover their ears and act as though someone has pushed an ice pick in their temple. The results are the same for me when I get around whining. So I've pulled myself up off the floor, uncovered my ears so that I could type this and have decided to share with you Seahawks fans a very well written article. Seahawk fans in case you didn't see it. Behind you is your chance to win the Super Bowl this century. Ahead of you the opportunity to quit whining and join a true football team worth rooting for, the Steelers.
USA Today Story
Okay so the last post was a little over the top. Yesterday there was a really interesting article, not having to do with football at all. You should read this article for an interesting perspective on film and Evangelical Christians. It raises the question of the heart of Christianity. Is it spirituality or redemption?
Okay so the last post was a little over the top. Yesterday there was a really interesting article, not having to do with football at all. You should read this article for an interesting perspective on film and Evangelical Christians. It raises the question of the heart of Christianity. Is it spirituality or redemption?
A GREAT story!!!
In the course of a lifetime few things are truly world changing and worthy of global attention. This article highlights one such event! I am happy to share this with you today and to gloat in my self-rightness.
In the course of a lifetime few things are truly world changing and worthy of global attention. This article highlights one such event! I am happy to share this with you today and to gloat in my self-rightness.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Another post to check out...
This is a great post from Mark Scandrette, done in a very helpful way that relates largely to what we have been discussing. Check it out!
This is a great post from Mark Scandrette, done in a very helpful way that relates largely to what we have been discussing. Check it out!
Let's Push this conversation further...
We've been talking and commenting quite a bit on the homosexuality issue here of late. It all started with an article from Brian McLaren, a hilarious response from Mark Driscoll and then the following explosion of people's responses to all of that (including ours here).
Allow me to push our conversation along even more. It's been brought out that homosexuality is a huge issue in our culture and especially in our church. What's a God honoring and loving response to homosexuality? Is homosexuality part of the best way of life? These and other questions are all valid and are part of what drives the conversation we're in here.
But I would push this issue to an even larger scale. Our culture has questions not just about homosexuality, but about sexuality as a whole. What is a healthy view of humanity and sexuality? What is a biblical view? A Christian view? How do we live this out? How do we teach/share this life (with focus in particular on language)?
I believe our answers to these questions help us formulate better our responses to anyone who has questions in regards to sexuality and homosexuality. Let's start by grabbing one or two of the questions above and working through them. I'd love to hear others thoughts.
We've been talking and commenting quite a bit on the homosexuality issue here of late. It all started with an article from Brian McLaren, a hilarious response from Mark Driscoll and then the following explosion of people's responses to all of that (including ours here).
Allow me to push our conversation along even more. It's been brought out that homosexuality is a huge issue in our culture and especially in our church. What's a God honoring and loving response to homosexuality? Is homosexuality part of the best way of life? These and other questions are all valid and are part of what drives the conversation we're in here.
But I would push this issue to an even larger scale. Our culture has questions not just about homosexuality, but about sexuality as a whole. What is a healthy view of humanity and sexuality? What is a biblical view? A Christian view? How do we live this out? How do we teach/share this life (with focus in particular on language)?
I believe our answers to these questions help us formulate better our responses to anyone who has questions in regards to sexuality and homosexuality. Let's start by grabbing one or two of the questions above and working through them. I'd love to hear others thoughts.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Pulled out of Silence!
It took an old friend who knows me well, or maybe just an opportunity to boast, but here is my short rant on football Americano!!!
My team, my favorite team, the team I've been cheering on since elementary school, is in the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh Steelers, the greatest team ever, is going to win their 5th Super Bowl on Sunday. I think it will be a pretty good game, but I just love their chances in this game. 10 years ago I thought they had an outside chance to win the Super Bowl against the Cowboys, but a lot had to go r
ight. This time, I'm far more confident. I cannot possibly express how excited and nervous I am about the game. I've kinda put it in the back of my mind for the last week because of the OVER coverage of the game, but it's just building up and building up and I'm getting giddy!
I'm including a post of the great and underrated wide receiver for the Steelers Hines Ward! Tizz you rock. (Comment on this and tell me how to get to your blog or shoot you an email.)
It took an old friend who knows me well, or maybe just an opportunity to boast, but here is my short rant on football Americano!!!
My team, my favorite team, the team I've been cheering on since elementary school, is in the Super Bowl. Pittsburgh Steelers, the greatest team ever, is going to win their 5th Super Bowl on Sunday. I think it will be a pretty good game, but I just love their chances in this game. 10 years ago I thought they had an outside chance to win the Super Bowl against the Cowboys, but a lot had to go r
ight. This time, I'm far more confident. I cannot possibly express how excited and nervous I am about the game. I've kinda put it in the back of my mind for the last week because of the OVER coverage of the game, but it's just building up and building up and I'm getting giddy!I'm including a post of the great and underrated wide receiver for the Steelers Hines Ward! Tizz you rock. (Comment on this and tell me how to get to your blog or shoot you an email.)
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Blog Drama
A lot of blog drama centered on Mark Driscoll's response to Brian McLaren. The latest updates are here. All in all, most people taking the issue and themselves too seriously. If you check the latest from McLaren make sure to scroll down and sort through the comments to find Driscoll's apology and question.
I have a friend who is on a drama fast. If there is any drama in it, then its gone. Tv shows. People. Music. Whatever. If it has drama its gone. That's how I'm feeling about this issue that's developed on the blog. I like the midrash on issues (which Driscoll is the king of - he just takes one side and loves to argue it). But I don't like the name calling, rash generalizations, assupmtions and unkind words. Good thing people who actually read this blog aren't like that (thanks both of you!).
A lot of blog drama centered on Mark Driscoll's response to Brian McLaren. The latest updates are here. All in all, most people taking the issue and themselves too seriously. If you check the latest from McLaren make sure to scroll down and sort through the comments to find Driscoll's apology and question.
I have a friend who is on a drama fast. If there is any drama in it, then its gone. Tv shows. People. Music. Whatever. If it has drama its gone. That's how I'm feeling about this issue that's developed on the blog. I like the midrash on issues (which Driscoll is the king of - he just takes one side and loves to argue it). But I don't like the name calling, rash generalizations, assupmtions and unkind words. Good thing people who actually read this blog aren't like that (thanks both of you!).
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