Mezzamorphis

Another Christmas has come and gone, my 33rd here on this mortal coil. Like most people, this holiday season always brings about memories of when I was a child. Certain things stick out in my mind, things like…

… being at what was then Grandma and Grandpa Ginn’s house (now where my parents live), opening up the first Star Wars toy I can remember. It was an X-Wing, complete with stickers to simulate the moss of Dagobah. Regretted putting those stupid stickers on from the very beginning.

… what was probably my first Christmas at that house after we moved in, and we put the Christmas tree in the basement. Christmas morning I came downstairs to a Knight Rider big wheel that I rode all over the place. Something gnaws at the back of my head saying that I rode it down the stairs once, but surely I wouldn’t have been that stupid, would I?

… always having Christmas dinner (in Kansas, that means at noon) with my Dad’s family. As the years went on that family got progressively bigger and bigger, to the point where we had about 60 in one house one year.

… always having Christmas with Mom’s family the weekend before or after Christmas. This was fun because you were either getting presents early, or you had more presents to look forward to. Yes, I was a greedy little kid. Sue me.

… the clothes that I would often get from grandparents. They were very well meaning, but quite often they would pick out some phenomenally ugly stuff. Remember, this was the 80s and early 90s, so ugly takes on a whole new meaning. Occasionally they would hit a home run with one, but more often than not they would strike out and break the bat over your head.

… candlelight services at our church. It always seems like on of the most peaceful, serene times of year when the lights are out and the church is lit up only by candlelight. The most memorable was when I was 18 and Dad had some, er, difficulty blowing out the candle. I love my father, and I know he probably hates that story, but we laughed so hard that night. I’ll never forget that.

… the year we had pizza for Christmas dinner because I had sold everyone these stupid cards from Pizza Hut for a school fundraising thing. I think they were some kind of buy one, get one free thing that was unlimited. I don’t even remember what it was for, but my family dutifully ponied up for them, then proceeded to run Pizza Hut into the ground getting their free pizza. Never had that fundraiser again.

… playing pitch (a card game) or Trivial Pursuit with my mom’s family. The card games often involved accusations of cheating, mainly against my father and myself. There was also name calling, under-the-breath swearing, and out in the open swearing when someone lost. Oh, and laughter to the point of tears.

As I’ve gotten older, my memories shift from those of my extended family to those of my wife and our family. Memories like…

… our wedding. Our anniversary is December 14, and our wedding had some Christmas-ness to it, so that is always on my mind each year. And, weddings lead to honeymoons, which for us meant…

… Walt Disney World. You really can’t beat WDW at Christmastime. Collette’s dad spoiled us (ruined us, really) and paid for us to go to WDW for our honeymoon as a wedding gift. That turned into us wanting to go back constantly, and always at Christmas. The lights, the weather, and the magic were wonderful. Unfortunately, other people have discovered that as well and it’s a lot more crowded than it used to be. Still, a great place to celebrate the holidays.

… my own children. Ashlee’s first Christmas while we were living in Oklahoma. Alex’s first Christmas at the house we were renting in Kansas. Katie’s first Christmas last year, and David’s first Christmas just last week. Such great memories.

All in all, Christmas is probably the best time of year. I’m looking forward to next year already, but I’m also happy to be past the holiday season this year. I’m ready for the rest of winter, semester two of seminary, Easter, spring, storms, and summer to come back around.

This year, I’m thankful for…

…my lovely wife. As we close in on 13 years of marriage, I find that I love you more than the day we met. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world, the greatest mother, and my best friend. I can’t imagine life without you. God truly blessed me with the perfect helpmate. You allow me to do so many things, and support me in every one of them. I love you twice as much as yesterday and half as much as tomorrow.

…my beautiful daughter Ashlee. As you grow much too quickly into a young woman, it is my honor to watch you blossom. I love it when you’re silly, and love it when you’re serious. You are such a sweet and loving princess. I love that God made you so much like me. You’re my snuggle buddy.

…my awesome son Alex. You’re so funny to watch hop around when you play video games. You get more exercise in 20 minutes of Lego Star Wars than you would in an hour on a bicycle. Your sweet heart is a gift from God that I treasure and try to handle with care. Keep being awesome.

… my angel girl Katie. What do I say about you? When God made you he broke the mold, then banished the mold maker. Your fierce determination is matched only by your immovable will. I can’t wait to see what you are going to grow up to be. Every morning you greet us with a smile brighter than sunshine, then wish us goodnight with a snuggle and laugh. Even though you were unexpected, I can’t imagine life without you.

… my little David. I still feel like I barely know you. Just six months into your life, you push on through all the annoyances of being the youngest sibling. Your mom and I know the feeling and we empathize with you. You’re going to be the fair haired, blue eyed child, totally different from the others. God put a cute bow on our natural family.

… my parents. You’ve always been patient with me, letting me go my way with suggestions, but never making demands. I know you don’t get to see your grandchildren as often as you would like, and I wish that I could change that. We may disagree sometimes, but you’ve never held my opinions against me. You’re generous, loving, understanding, and the best parents a child could ever wish for. You make it easy to follow the fifth commandment. I’ll always be indebted to you for making me who I am. I’ll always love you.

… my church family. What do I say to such a wonderful group of people? Even with my mistakes, foibles, lack of confidence, and overbearing opinions, you all accept me. I’m humbled that you allow me to be a worship leader week in and week out. I’m emboldened by the work that you all do on a weekly basis. I’m so blessed to be part of a church family that truly cares for each other and the community around us, whether that community be Anna, Honduras, Ethiopia, or beyond. My family and I are supported in ways that we’ve never really experienced, and blessed because of it. This last year has been such a ride and I can’t wait to see where we go from here.

… my job. At a time when so many people are out of work, I’m blessed to have the job that I have. What makes it even better is that I’m able to thrive and grow in my position. Sure, there are the times of drudgery and fixing things that someone else broke, but overall I can’t be more pleased. Ray, you are as generous as you are kind and my family can’t thank you enough each month for my paycheck.

… my Lord and Savior. As I move forward in life, I realize that I can’t do it without the strength I get from You. I learn more about my faith through school, but I truly grow when I spend time with You. I pray that everyday I learn from my mistakes and I am able to turn those mistakes into successes for Your glory. Keep me humble, no matter my position. Keep me always looking to You. Really, just keep me. Each day is one more day closer to eternity, and I hope that I’m doing everything possible with the time I have to advance Your kingdom. I know that it can only be done through You, but You’ve given me my gifts and my ministry. I lean on you for the results.

I’ve always loved old church buildings. There is just something about the smell, the atmosphere, the feeling that you get inside an old church, especially when you are alone inside the building.

I’ll always remember the church that I grew up in. It was a new building, at least compared to the buildings around it in the little town I grew up near. A friend of mine and I were the first babies baptized in the new church building in 1976. The sanctuary still has the same carpet, the pews are the same, nearly everything is original right down the the big iron bell out front. That congregation has stood in some form or fashion for 125 years.

My grandfather’s funeral a few weeks ago was held at the church my mother grew up in, where my grandfather was a deacon. It’s a much older, much bigger building, built in the 1920s. Like most buildings in Kansas, this church has a very large basement where I remember having 4H banquets, family gatherings, and visiting my grandmother when she was quilting with other ladies from the church.

I think this is the primary reason why I fall in love with old church buildings. Each one of them has a such a unique history. These buildings were the dreams of the congregations that built them, who poured blood, sweat, tears, and money into them, often sacrificially so. These buildings were where the community came together at least once a week to share their joys, their sorrows, and many times their food. These buildings held the dreams of parents who wanted to raise their children in a Christian environment. These buildings represent the starting line for couples who were married there, and the finish line for those whose lives are celebrated at funerals. These buildings are where people first come to know Christ, and where people grow in their knowledge of Him. These buildings are more than brick and mortar, wood and nails. These buildings are the heart of communities, the single strand around which everyone’s life intertwines. These buildings are built to be houses of worship, a place where we commune with God and with each other. These buildings are special.

Our church doesn’t really have that sense. We meet in an old bank building, which is nice, but it doesn’t have the history, the gravitas that a church building does. Our church is growing more rapidly than our building can hold us. It’s painful, difficult, and frustrating, but it is the situation that God has us in. However, because of the people in our congregation, our building is special. Our building is where we worship together. Our building is where we’ve had small groups meet. Our building is where we fellowship, enjoying each others stories and recipes. Our building is where people have been baptized, where people have accepted Jesus. Our building has been the starting point of service to our community. If and when we move out of this building, it will be missed.

I guess my point is that the church building is important, but yet it isn’t. The place where we meet is only as special as the people who meet there. The heart of the church isn’t the building, it’s the people and the faith we share that makes the building what it is. The old church building is a representation of the Christian heritage that we all have, a demonstration of the faith declared by those who came before us. Each building is infused with the memories, the joy, the pain, the laughter, and the tears of the people who have passed through it. When this is combined with the Spirit of God, these buildings transcend their earthly materials and become beacons of light that shine into the darkness of the world around us. The church building is special because the people of God are special.

That’s why I love old church buildings.

Serving others isn’t something that is meant to be easy. Quite often, we must be sacrificial when we serve. Today, I’ve been reminded of that in a very real, physical way.

There are those who donate time in order to serve those inside or outside the church. Many sacrifice financially in order to keep churches, missions, and those in need afloat.  Some give up security and comfort in order to be missionaries to foreign lands. Others abandon the “normal” life most lead in order to do something radical for God. Sometimes the pain is physical, like mine is today.

I was blessed to be able to volunteer to help with Clothe-A-Child, a charity in our area that helps provide clothing for needy children. Everyone meets at Kohl’s and each child is able to spend $100 on shirts, pants, shoes, socks, any kind of clothes. Kohl’s trucks in a ton of items that are being cleared out and gives the kids phenomenal prices. Since the clothes are actually being purchased by a non-profit organization, there is no sales tax added on either. Volunteers walk around with the children and their parents and help keep track of how much they are spending, trying to get as close to $100 as possible.

I was nervous before we started this morning. I’m not really a terribly outgoing person and I was a little anxious about meeting someone new, then guiding them and their child through the store. I was blessed to be partnered with a mother and her five year old son. He was not much younger than my oldest son, so I had a pretty good idea what kind of clothes would fit and where to help them look. We were able to get him a pair of shoes, two pairs of pants, socks, and several shirts, totaling $99.47.

How was this sacrificial and painful? Well, we had to be there before 6AM. I’m not a morning person at all. Getting up at 5AM was not an easy thing for me. However, that wasn’t the part that hurt. After I arrived at Kohl’s at 5:45AM, I wasn’t able to sit down until I got back in my truck at 10:45AM. Five hours of standing in line, walking around, and moving furniture. I realize for most people this probably isn’t a big deal, but my day job is pretty sedentary. I sit in front of a computer screen for nine hours a day (most days) and don’t move around much or do any physical labor. Plus, I’m overweight and that doesn’t help. All this adds up to sore knees, ankles, legs, and a hip that hurts too.

Do I like the pain? Yes and no. Nobody likes to hurt, or to have difficulty moving around. However, I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. Being able to see Jesse’s face when he picked out his clothes and his mother’s thanks after they checked out more than makes up for the pain I’m feeling now. If receiving the blessing means going through this kind of pain, sign me up for more. Serving hurts, but knowing that what we were able to do through God’s abundance brought joy to the families of 700+ kids dulls the pain quite a bit.

After my last post (a book review of The Unlikely Disciple) I had a chat conversation with a friend from my hometown about my take on rules imposed on some college students. First, I’ll quote myself (the only time I’ll ever get quoted) from my previous article.

I understand from first hand experience that the rules can sometimes be bothersome. My response to that is tough. People who attend Christian colleges that have these rules in place can either live with it, or move on. You choose to attend, you choose to follow the rules. Don’t get upset when you get caught breaking those rules intentionally, and don’t get angry that you get punished for it.

I want to expand on that a bit. The rules that are typically in place are about things that we should be doing anyway. No, there is nothing in the Bible about having a curfew, but if we’re honest with each other, not much good comes from being out that late. As for the rules about drinking, smoking, etc., it’s their university. If those are the rules that they choose to institute, that is their decision.

Maybe I’m too hardline about it, but students who attend Liberty, SAGU, or any other university know the rules going in and sign a statement saying they will follow them. If you don’t agree with them, attend a different school. I’ve had someone say to me before “what if that is where their parents are forcing them to go, and if they leave then their parents won’t pay for it anymore?” My answer to that is suck it up. If doing the things that are verboten in the rules are more important to you than your parents paying for your education, attend a different school and pay for it yourself.

My friend who I was chatting with said that he felt that the rules contributed to legalism. I disagree, if only for the reason that I never looked at those rules as a big deal. Yes, I had to wear collared shirts and long pants to class every day. I had to attend chapel every day (which, by the way, Liberty students have it easy, having convocation three days a week), had to attend church somewhere, and had to go to dorm devotionals on Thursday. How are these things bad for me?

I couldn’t let my hair grow out long, grow facial hair during the semester, or dye it pink. I couldn’t drink, smoke, have sex, swear, or show lots of affection to someone I wasn’t married to. Tell me again why, as a Christian, I need to do these things?

I would love to discuss this more. Those of you who have attended colleges like Liberty or SAGU, what do you think? Those of you who haven’t, I want your opinion too. Are the rules unnecessary, outdated, and wrong?

I attended the Town Hall for Hope with Dave Ramsey tonight at our church. It was different than Dave’s usual things, as it was more of a pep rally than a straight up ‘how-to’ on managing your money. The main topic was the state of the economy in general.

What did I bring away from it? Actual hope and change. None of this hope and change promised to us from Washington (from either party for that matter), but hope that we can successfully make changes in our life to combat these kinds of economic issues.

Because of the baby we had last year and the one we are about to have, Collette and I have racked up some significant medical bills to the detriment of other debt we had. Being there tonight gave me a shot in the arm that we can actually overcome our bad habits and poor stewardship and turn it around.

Thanks to Dave Ramsey for the financial wisdom, and thanks to our church for making this available to everyone here in the community.

I’ve spent a lot of time on Facebook in the past few weeks. One of the fun things is reconnecting with high school classmates and friends. It’s interesting to see the direction that our lives have taken since graduation. Most of us are married, with children ranging from none to seven. Many appear to be happy with where they are, with the snowy exception here and there.

One of the most interesting things about it to me is that we are all still connected to our hometown in some way. Many of our parents or grandparents still live there, and some never left the area. The recent death of one of my friends grandparents made me think that we are all still connected by that single strand. Something will invariably draw each of us back home, whether it be a wedding, funeral, reunion, or holiday. We don’t all descend upon that little town on the Kansas prairie at the same time, but we all cross into the city at some point.

There are exceptions of course. A few don’t have any reason to go back. I’m sure that as the years go by, more will move from the connected group to the unconnected. Slowly, living connections to our hometown will disappear and the only thing remaining will be that we grew up there and that many of us graduated from high school together.

That web of connections grows and blends together with time. Each of us has new friends and maybe new places we live. Those new friends are added into our own web, connecting us to their past, and they to ours. Our children will develop their own connections to other people, as will our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and so on. Each person that my life touches will, knowingly or otherwise, have a connection to a small town in south central Kansas, a family farm, and a community of people willing to do anything for each other.

That’s pretty cool.

I’ve been fairly agnostic about Twitter. I didn’t really see a good use for it. I’ve been roughly of the same opinion on Facebook status updates as well.

However, in the last few days, I’ve gotten more of an idea of the usefulness of said tools. I’ve found that he Facebook status update provides a sense of community with others that you are friends with. It doesn’t replace face to face interaction, but it can help keep people closer who are separated by great physical distances. If the status updates are honest, you can get a feel for the highs and lows, the ebb and flow of a person’s life. You can encourage them when they are down, congratulate them when they report something good, and just generally keep in touch.

Twitter is a little more difficult to nail down. The best example of something useful I’ve found is a weather update that I get from the chief meteorologist at WFAA in Dallas, Pete Delkus. Mr. Delkus uses Twitter to send forecast information and severe weather updates. I found it fairly handy last weekend when we had storms rolling through, and Mr. Delkus would update with when the storms would generally arrive in Dallas or Fort Worth. That is useful, timely information that I like to have.

I don’t really get into the minutiae of daily life from others on Twitter. It doesn’t really hold my interest all that much. Are there other things that you find useful about Twitter and Facebook?

I’ve only been using my Facebook account regularly since the beginning of November last year. As of today I have 73 friends. 19 of them are from my hometown, 18 are from college, and eight of them are family. Most of them are people I’ve not seen in years, much less talked to. It’s really a pretty cool thing as we’re spread all over the country, from Key West, FL to Anchorage, AK, from Brazil to Hawaii, with some soon to be in Ukraine.

20 years ago, a long distance phone call was a luxury. Now, we can call anywhere in the US with no extra charge. 15 years ago email was just beginning to become prevalent. Just last week the kids and I sat down in front of the computer and talked to my parents in Kansas and saw them in real time. It’s not a substitute for the real thing, but it’s better than nothing.

It’s an interesting world we live in. A question before I go though. How can God use these technologies to further His kingdom? Are there any ways you know of?

Credit for this list goes to David Fairchild (h/t Evangelical Outpost). David writes:

Rodney Stark and other sociologists tell us there were 10 values of
early Christians that stood in stark (no pun intended) contrast to the
pluralistic pagan culture of Rome. Let’s prayferfully think through
these values and match them to the witness of our own churches. Do we
see the city existing for us or do we see our church and our lives
existing for the city?

What are the 10 values?

1. They refused to attend blood thirsty entertainment. They wouldn’t go to
   gladiatorial events because they believed it defiled humans who were
   created in the image of God. This made them appear to be anti-social.
   Tertullian and Augustine both write about these events in a negative
   light.
2. They did not serve in the military to support Caesar’s wars of conquest, which made them appear weak.
3. They were against abortion and infanticide. In this culture, both were
   considered acceptable. To throw your baby out on the dung heap if you
   didn’t want it was not taboo.
4. They empowered women by showing their value and dignity in places of
   learning and service which had previously been exclusively for men.
   Christians held women in high regard and treasured them rather than
   viewing them as just a step above expendable children and servants.
5. They were against sex outside of marriage. This fidelity was considered
   odd and against culture. Sex was viewed as nothing more than a desire
   like eating or sleeping. Christians held a high view of the bed and
   kept it pure and would not engage in sex outside of marriage.
6. They were against homosexual relationships. This was odd in a time when same sex practice was not frowned upon.
7. They were exceptionally generous with their resources. They shared what
   they had with one another and welcomed others in with a hospitality
   that was unparalleled.
8. They were radically for the poor. In a time when the poor and
   downtrodden were viewed as getting what they deserved, they were
   aggressively committed to loving and serving people in the margins of
   society.
9. They mixed races and social classes in ways that were unseen in their gatherings, and for it they were considered scandalous.
10. They believed only Christ was the way to salvation. This was in a time
    when everyone had a god and could believe something entirely different
    and it was totally acceptable to be polytheists and pluralistic.
    Christians dared claim that Jesus was the only way and refused to bend
    to other gods.

How does this apply to us today? Think about each item in this list.

The early church refused to see entertainment that they felt defiled humans. Think hard about that for a minute. Their rationale was not that it defiled God, but that it defiled humans created in the image of God. How much entertainment do we take in today that defiles people? Ever seen most reality shows? They parade both the willing and the unsuspecting out for us to make fun of. It's not bloody like the gladiatorial matches, but in many ways it is exactly the same. The biggest difference is that we don't have to go to the Coliseum to see it. Today we have it beamed directly into our homes. Movies like Jackass or gross-out comedies are just as bad. Ogling people doing stupid things on YouTube also. Yes, our flesh thinks it's funny, but so does everyone else that is not Christian.

I'm not sure how I feel about the military. I really need to flesh out what I think before just throwing it up here. It's complicated and I don't want to offend anyone.

I completely agree with 3, 5, 6, and 10. I agree to the point that I will not discuss them here, because they are so clear cut.

Number 4 I really think that we need to work on, same as 9. Are we including people, or generally tolerating them. In our church, which I remind you is quite small, we are predominately middle class white people, with only two or three families that are minority. I've never talked to any of them about it because I see it as a non-issue, but then I'm white and have never known anything different. We're all just people, and we're the same color on the inside. The same goes for women. There are women in the church whose opinions I respect more than I do some men. I hold my wife in the highest regard because she is doing a job that I don't think I could, and that's staying home with our children and homeschooling them. I don't think that someone should be looked down upon because they are a woman.

The trickiest issue on this list is number 8. I think that we have a good heart (and if anyone from the church reads this, know I'm including myself in it) but I just feel like we get so consumed by people that don't live in the United States that we ignore those in our immediate area. I'm just as bad about this. I don't know anyone in the area that I don't go to church with or serve on some city board with, and the poor are typically not those people. There is one ministry that the church does which is absolutely wonderful, and it helps out children all over the area. We hopefully can do more soon.

One quick comment about number 7. I think that we are insanely generous with our resources as a church, considering the size we are. We provide money for people in need, but many of us put in a fair bit of time to things that we aren't getting anything in return for, nor do we expect it. For some of us, time and willingness is the best way we can provide resources. I know that I can do more though.