NCAA Bracket

I do not usually spend time on my blog talking about sports, but the Final Four, March Madness, etc. is one of my favorite times of the year.  Of course, football season is the ultimate best, but March Madness is great.  So many memories.  NC State's Jim Valvano running onto the court after beating Houston in 1983 is a classic that really brought me fully into the sport.  I had always enjoyed watching Norm Stewart's Mizzou teams win with Jon Sunvold and Steve Stipanovich.  But watching Clyde the Glide get beat by the original Cinderella Team really caught the excitement of the tournament for me.  Then so many great moments, the best of which was trying to lead a youth event in a basement in Taylorsville, KY, in 1992 while Kentucky was playing the favorite Duke in what many call the best game ever.  We gave up the youth plan and watched the game.
   Now, I am having a great problem:  Kentucky is my second favorite team (behind Mizzou, but I cannot yet talk about Mizzou's performance in the tournament this year) and Kansas is my most disliked team.  If Kentucky wins, I lose my office bracket game.  If Kansas wins, and Kentucky loses, I win the bracket game.  So, how can a good Missouri boy every cheer for KU?  I know Jesus tells us to love our enemies, but I guess I will just sacrifice the bracket game.
  I know this is not too spiritual, but I have to admit, it is on my mind.  I hope anyone that actually reads this far will realize it does not even really matter.  I just enjoy the game most of all.  Shoot, I may even get my nephew a Norfolk State T-shirt since he is a KU fan.

Have fun in whatever lifts your spirit today!

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

Good article

I have just read a good article written by the wonderful historian, Dr. Bill Leonard.  He was the first church history professor I had at Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY.  He ignited a love for history in me.  In the article, he uses a historical look to see how we have "used" the scripture over the years.  It can be very difficult to read this kind of article and think, "Have I done that?"  Check it out:

                Opinion: The Bible Tells Me. So?
                  by Bill Leonard, Thursday, March 15, 2012
 I have had a number of questions recently about the bible, especially the Old Testament and how we can understand some of the things that do not seem to add up to God being like Jesus.  God seems so violent, Jesus brings peace.  God seems so distant, Jesus walks and talks with us (in the garden of course).  God seems to play favorites, Jesus invites anyone and everyone to come follow him. 

I have heard of two instances just this week where people feel that reading their bible has actually shaken their faith in God.  I would say that it is not God or the Bible that is ultimately shaking our faith, but how people have historically applied God's word in such abusive ways.  Then, even if we do not think we are doing it, we read the scripture through that understanding or that lens and it is very hard to actually see God being that way.  Especially if we see Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God.  Can you see Jesus ordering his disciples to kill every man, woman, child, and animal in a city just because they were not the chosen ones?  No!  When the disciples James and John wanted to rain down judgement on a Samaritan town just for not showing hospitality, Jesus rebuked them.

I have recently been reading Cecil Sherman's autobiography, By My Own Reckoning.  In it, he tells his life story, which is very linked to the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention.  The fundamentalists said they were defending the inerrancy of the bible.  The SBC formed a peace committee and put Cecil on it with fundamentalists like Adrian Rogers.  Here is a quote from page 189 of the book:

    Once when discussing the Bible in a morning session (of the Peace Committee), Adrian Rogers said, "I take the Bible literally.  I know there are places in the Bible that use figurative language such as 'the land flowed with milk and hone', but I always try to take the Bible literally."  That afternoon I was in the company of Adrian Rogers and Jerry Vines.  I referenced Adrian's statement about taking the Bible literally, and asked, "What do you do with those places in the New Testament that affirm slavery, like 1 Peter, Ephesians, and Colossians?"  He hesitated a moment then said, "Well, I believe slavery is a much maligned institution; if we had slavery today, we would not have this welfare mess."  I had never heard anyone speak a good word for slavery; I went upstairs and wrote it down.  Rogers was saying he believed slaves should be obedient to their masters just as he believed wives should be obedient to their husbands.  Such was the biblical literalism of the people who controlled the Peace Committee.  No other issue was half as important as the inerrancy of the Bible. (italics added)

 It hurts me a great deal to realize that so many people over the course of history have tried to defend the faith and the Bible, but have caused so much pain and hurt in the name of a God that calls us all to him for true salvation, in this life and beyond.  It must be a grave sin to build such stumbling blocks.  It makes me shiver with the thought that I might be doing that at times too.

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

Shadow Self

Richard Rohr said in the devotion today:

The shadow self is not of itself evil; it just allows you to do evil without recognizing it as evil! That is why Jesus criticizes hypocrisy more than anything else. He does not hate sinners at all, but only people who pretend they are not sinners!

Jesus’ phrase for the denied shadow is “the plank in your own eye,” which you invariably see as the “splinter in your brother’s eye.” Jesus’ advice is absolutely perfect. “Take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:4-5). 

 In some of his books, Rohr encourages us to not be afraid of our "shadow self", but make sure we bring it into the light, so that part of us is not in control.  It can be a bit frightening, but also an act of freedom.

God be with you in the Journey!

Kevin

Ash Wednesday

Led an Ash Wednesday service for the first time today.  It was a bit odd for some of us baptists, but after you got past all the unfamiliarity, it was a good time.  Unfortunately, there has been a lot of stuff reminding me of my "dark side" today.  All the things that need to grow and change in and around me.  This service was a great reminder that:
Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return,
but the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever.

I am just dust, but He loves this dust - AMEN!  And that gives me hope amidst all my stupid stuff today.

Check out Donald Millers blog today.  He has a guest writer talking about falling.  It is good.   McLaren has a bunch of stuff added on his blog today and he is coming to Norfolk next week!

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

Bosses Day

I sure do not feel like much of a "boss".  I do appreciate the gifts and cards I got today.  Many nice and encouraging things were said to me.  I feel honored to be chosen to be a leader of so many good people.  It amazes me how much God works to make all of the stuff happen here.  In just making a few decisions at the beginning of the day, I see Him showing me the way.  I sure cannot be the leader, without following our Great and Wonderful God!

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

End-Times

If your end-times theology trumps the clear commands in Scripture to love neighbors and enemies, then it's time to rethink your theology.

                     quoted from Carl Medearis 

Many of you that know me, know that I just do not get into all of the "prophecy" of how we are to interpret the Book of Revelations, the 7 year tribulation, etc.  This quote helped put words to why.

God be with you in the Journey,
Kevin

From a Wild Goose Festival attendee

The festival is still going on, but we had to leave today, Saturday, about 2:00 PM.  I really wanted to see Richard Twiss speak, but I got to talk to him personally before we left.

It is going to take a while to digest all that I experienced at the event.  Initially I can say that I was uncomfortable about many things and comforted by many things.  I found Phyllis Tickle, Richard Rohr, Tony and Peggy Campolo, Matt Prichard, Diana Butler-Bass, Mark Pierson and Abdullah Antepli all very interesting and helpful on Friday.  I also saw Jay Bakker and I will be working on that one for a while.  I talked to people from many different countries, including an artist, Pete, from New Zealand, that had created a very moving piece about the death penalty.  He had a bottle of wine constantly pouring out on a table with a loaf of bread beside it.  Then he had about 6 plates set around the table.  The wine had stained the table cloth and it looked like drying blood.  On each side of each plate was a spike like the ones used on Jesus and then on each plate was a card with the typed menu of a last meal of a convict on death row.  It was interesting.

Today, I was in a group that talked about rites of passage for men and boys and how we can live into a healthy manhood as Christians.  It was a great experience and something I will be working on quite a bit in the future.  I have had conversations over the years with many people about how the church needs to help our young men grow up with rites of passage.  I missed seeing Brian McLaren talk about his books.  I listened to Michael Jacobs, Cherokee, play some good music.  When he started playing a recording of an Indian drum, I had to find where it was coming from and I felt so at home when I got there and saw 3 Indian dancers.  That brought me peace and joy.  I even got a tear in my eye because it felt like a piece of me was back at Robert Francis' place or in Cherry Creek, North Dakota, watching Lance dance.  Then we listened to Ed Dobson talk about the end of life, as he is suffering with ALS and not expected to live much longer.  That inspired me because he talked so much about life with some great insight. 

I cannot thank Virginia and Ralph enough for letting us stay at their home!!!!  It has been a long week since we started out Monday by flying to Tampa for a Franciscan Prayer retreat with CBF that went through Wed. and then having the great joy of attending the 20th Anniversary Celebration of CBF.  I hope to write more about all of this.  Right now I am tired and have to preach in the morning.  Talk to you later!

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin