I don't know about you, but it seems like there has been one story that's dominated the headlines for the past month. Of course I am being facetious. The debt ceiling debate, talks, analysis and commentary has lead to temporary paralysis for our country as the rest of us wait for something to be voted upon, or dare we hope, passed in Washington D.C. No matter where your political ideals rest, most of us agree that we want something done and soon. And once it's finished, I submit that the phrase "debt ceiling" be officially banished from use in mainstream media.
But until then, what are we to do? Yes, we can call our Congressmen, Senators or the White House, but in the end, it's out of our hands. And that's the toughest part to swallow. Our future is, for the most part, out of our hands. It's disheartening and frustrating, and if you spend too much time reading and listening to the talking heads concerning this issue (as I have), then you end up worrying. Because when something big is on the line and we don't have any control, the natural tendency is to worry, be fearful and stew over it.
This is where I was on Tuesday morning as I surfed through articles online explaining, or rather reiterating that things haven't changed and we are still headed for crisis. I was worried. If this continues, how bad will things get? How should I prepare? Were the Mayans and John Cusack right about 2012, and the end is really near?
When I went into my extended prayer time, I was still worrying. It was hard to concentrate during prayer so I started sifting through scripture and ended up in Mark chapter 4. At the end of the chapter we find the disciples getting bombarded by the waves as Jesus was snuggled up to a pillow at the back of the boat. The disciples rushed to Jesus and woke him up to ask, "don't you care that we are all going to drown?"
After reading this a couple times, I had two questions. First, what kind of pillow was Jesus sleeping on? I have a new Tempur Pedic pillow that rocks but I'm not sure it would keep me asleep at sea during a storm. My other question was, did Jesus calm the storm to teach the disciples something about their faith or say "peace, be still" so he could hurry up and go back to sleep. Let's face it, being woken up from a nap or too early in the morning is quite possibly the most frustrating thing ever. I am slightly annoyed when my wife wakes me up a few minutes before my alarm is scheduled to go off. If I'm woken up to early and in the middle of a dream (where, let's say, I'm fixing pancakes for Warren Buffet), the only thought on my mind is how quickly can I get back to sleep and finish that dream? With that in mind, I have to believe that Jesus wanted to say, "you woke me up for this? Don't you remember who my Dad is?"
Even though we're amazed at Jesus, the subtle beauty of this story is that we all relate to the disciples. We all rush to the back of the boat and scream, "God, don't you care?" We all worry too much about anything and everything that we can't control. And if the crisis involves money, you can be sure that we will scream so loud that God and anybody near us would have trouble sleeping. This story reminds us though, that if we are riding in the ship with Christ, you don't have to worry. You don't have to scream. You don't have to fear. You can grab your favorite pillow, bean bag or snuggie and cuddle up in the back of the boat. Why? Because of faith. As the book of Hebrews puts it, "faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."
Jesus Christ is the reason for our faith. He is the only one who can bring real and lasting peace to any situation. Whether Washington DC figures out the mess that is before them or not, we can comfortably rest in the peace that Christ is with us. If a storm is just ahead, we can weather it with Christ's help. As the scriptures remind us, He wants our burdens and He really does care. In fact, with a storm on the horizon, we might as well stop worrying and move to the back of the boat. As the disciples learned the hard way, that's were its most comfortable.
Official blog of New Creation Church of Omaha
Friday, July 29, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Legacy of Star Wars
It's 5pm on Friday and I'm finishing up the day on my computer at home. I'm doing this with the sounds of Lego Star Wars echoing through my basement. My son is guiding Darth Vader through the various levels of his favorite game. Two years ago I dressed up as Darth Vader and delivered his 4 year old Star Wars cake to his birthday party. Not long after, we were looking through my old pictures and found a snapshot from my four year old party in 1979. I was wearing a Star Wars shirt and blowing out candles atop a R2D2 cake. Imagine that.
This is a familiar story for our generation. The love for "the Force" that is passed on (genetically?) from father to son. "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" is recognizable to young and old in America and beyond. When I passed on some of my old figures that I had saved - including the iconic Bobba Fett - my son was in awe. The awesomeness of Star Wars began in the 70's, elevated through the cheese of the 80's, was re-imagined at the end of the 90's, survived Jar Jar Binks at the turn of the century, and has cemented it's place in every toy aisle and video game store for the foreseeable future.
The vision of George Lucas for this amazing story is well chronicled and a great story within itself. United Artist and Universal Studios passed on the script (I wonder how much cooler Universal Studios would be if they hadn't!). Harrison Ford thought "A New Hope" was weird and that the lines in the script were...uh..."crap" that you could only type, not speak. An early private screening of the first installment with Director friends like De Palma, Milius and Spielberg produced only one positive review (Spielberg). The process for getting A New Hope to the screen was a stressful one for Lucas including a diagnosis of Hypertension, budget battles with 20th Century Fox and with last minute edits, including Obi-Wan's death (since he wasn't needed in the next two films).
Lucas and his producers didn't know what to expect on opening day. Producer Gary Kurtz was doing a radio call-in show when, to Kurtz's surprise, one of the callers raved in detail about the movie. The caller finally admitted, "I have already seen the movie four times." Lucas spent most of opening day in a sound studio and only realized it's fast start after being hit up for autographs at lunch time. Years later and billions of dollars later, Star Wars is recognizable on every continent and most countries. The logo is on toys, clothing, televisions, video games and much more. Despite it's humble beginnings, the vision of creating an epic story surrounding the journey of a lone jedi and his lost father would not only hit the screens, but also transform a generation and impact many more to come.
This had me thinking about the epic story found in the Gospel and the legacy of Jesus Christ. Over 2,000 years ago, God sent his Son to Earth, to the little town of Bethlehem, to walk among us, to teach us and to later die for all of us. More people misunderstood Him than embraced Him. He wasn't anything what people were expecting from a Messiah. The religious institutions hated Christ and were determined to kill Him. His ministry was only chronicled by a handful of disciples and yet years later, the life changing message of hope and grace was spreading like wildfire. The life saving vision of God through the life, death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ could not be contained.
Today, the legacy of Christ can be found in the slums of Calcutta, in mega churches in Seoul, Korea, in Cathedrals in Rome, in rural churches in Indiana and even in the jungles of South America. The teachings of Christ, although sometimes abused and used for greed, are still adored and embraced by billions around the world. The stories about Jesus that my Great-Grandfather shared with my Grandfather are the same I share with my son at the dinner table, in the car and before bedtime. The Christmas story has been shared from father to son and mother to daughter more than any other story. Passed on from generation to generation, the legacy of Christ will continue to transform lives until the very end. And the kicker? The end, with Christ, is not the end. It doesn't end with Vader saying "Nooooooo" (or with Rebels dancing at Endor for those who pretend the last three don't exist). What makes the legacy of the Gospel so special is that it includes this life and the next. Now, I'm not sure what to expect when the next life comes, but I am confident - because of Christ - that the awesomeness of it will far exceed that of Star Wars. And I'm very thankful for that.
This is a familiar story for our generation. The love for "the Force" that is passed on (genetically?) from father to son. "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" is recognizable to young and old in America and beyond. When I passed on some of my old figures that I had saved - including the iconic Bobba Fett - my son was in awe. The awesomeness of Star Wars began in the 70's, elevated through the cheese of the 80's, was re-imagined at the end of the 90's, survived Jar Jar Binks at the turn of the century, and has cemented it's place in every toy aisle and video game store for the foreseeable future.
The vision of George Lucas for this amazing story is well chronicled and a great story within itself. United Artist and Universal Studios passed on the script (I wonder how much cooler Universal Studios would be if they hadn't!). Harrison Ford thought "A New Hope" was weird and that the lines in the script were...uh..."crap" that you could only type, not speak. An early private screening of the first installment with Director friends like De Palma, Milius and Spielberg produced only one positive review (Spielberg). The process for getting A New Hope to the screen was a stressful one for Lucas including a diagnosis of Hypertension, budget battles with 20th Century Fox and with last minute edits, including Obi-Wan's death (since he wasn't needed in the next two films).
Lucas and his producers didn't know what to expect on opening day. Producer Gary Kurtz was doing a radio call-in show when, to Kurtz's surprise, one of the callers raved in detail about the movie. The caller finally admitted, "I have already seen the movie four times." Lucas spent most of opening day in a sound studio and only realized it's fast start after being hit up for autographs at lunch time. Years later and billions of dollars later, Star Wars is recognizable on every continent and most countries. The logo is on toys, clothing, televisions, video games and much more. Despite it's humble beginnings, the vision of creating an epic story surrounding the journey of a lone jedi and his lost father would not only hit the screens, but also transform a generation and impact many more to come.
This had me thinking about the epic story found in the Gospel and the legacy of Jesus Christ. Over 2,000 years ago, God sent his Son to Earth, to the little town of Bethlehem, to walk among us, to teach us and to later die for all of us. More people misunderstood Him than embraced Him. He wasn't anything what people were expecting from a Messiah. The religious institutions hated Christ and were determined to kill Him. His ministry was only chronicled by a handful of disciples and yet years later, the life changing message of hope and grace was spreading like wildfire. The life saving vision of God through the life, death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ could not be contained.
Today, the legacy of Christ can be found in the slums of Calcutta, in mega churches in Seoul, Korea, in Cathedrals in Rome, in rural churches in Indiana and even in the jungles of South America. The teachings of Christ, although sometimes abused and used for greed, are still adored and embraced by billions around the world. The stories about Jesus that my Great-Grandfather shared with my Grandfather are the same I share with my son at the dinner table, in the car and before bedtime. The Christmas story has been shared from father to son and mother to daughter more than any other story. Passed on from generation to generation, the legacy of Christ will continue to transform lives until the very end. And the kicker? The end, with Christ, is not the end. It doesn't end with Vader saying "Nooooooo" (or with Rebels dancing at Endor for those who pretend the last three don't exist). What makes the legacy of the Gospel so special is that it includes this life and the next. Now, I'm not sure what to expect when the next life comes, but I am confident - because of Christ - that the awesomeness of it will far exceed that of Star Wars. And I'm very thankful for that.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Thank you for raising your rates!
I wonder what the board room at Netflix is like today? After announcing a new pricing plan that raises rates 60% for anyone who wants both streaming online and dvds in the mail, the reaction has been less than enthusiastic. As of today, there almost 60,000 comments (and netflix is deleting hundred's by the hour) on the facebook page about the price change, most of which are very negative in tone.
Last night I checked out the page and spent a few minutes reading a few of these comments. I chuckled at some of the creative stabs at Netflix and their rate hike. I also checked Google news and the articles covering the backlash. On person commented that they had a four dvds at a time plan with online streaming that was going from 24.99 to 34.99 and had decided it was cheaper to buy the movies. I love movies, but who watches that many movies?
My wife and I discussed it as we are Netflix users. We'll probably drop having one dvd mailed to us. We're confident that life will go on since currently a movie will sit on the counter for days. But as I laid in bed last night and thought about it more, I really started to get angry. No, I wasn't angry at Netflix or "corporate greed" as one disgruntled customer put it. I was frustrated that 60,000 + people could be so angry about an issue that has no lasting value to our world. I shifted my thoughts to more important issues, and as my frustration built, I kept my wife up a little later when I started asking her what we could do to help children who were victims of abuse. Why is it that people can be so upset about meaningless issues in sports, pop culture and entertainment and practically ignore significant issues such as poverty and child abuse? I should know the answer to that question since I have been guilty of obsessing over the meaningless minutia in our world. When I lived in Springfield, MO, I wrote a letter to the editor of the News Leader about why Pete Rose shouldn't be allowed into the Hall of Fame. And they printed it. With my picture. Yikes. So I know that it's easy to get caught up in the less important issues and lose site of the big picture.
But we do this with countless big issues staring us in the face. What would happen if we transferred the energy we wasted into areas of life that mattered? If we stopped getting angry and motivated by the things that people won't be talking about one year from now? Instead, we could focus on issues that could really make a difference. For example, did you know that every 10 seconds a report of child abuse is made in this country? And that almost five children every day die from some type of child abuse (more than 3 out of 4 are under the age of four). Now that's something to get outraged about. That is what is keeping me up at night recently.
What if 60,000 people a day did something to prevent or raise awareness about child abuse (other than those already doing it)? What if 60,000 people a day started tackling poverty? God created us with the capacity to serve Him and serve others. And when we begin to discover and enlarge this capacity, God can use us to do great things for others. This is what Bill Hybles wrote about in his book, "Holy Discontent." The journey of following Christ should lead us to find that one aspect of our broken world that when we see it, touch it and hear about it, you are so troubled by it that you must get in the game and do something about it.
But our Adversary would like nothing better than for our redemptive energy to be wasted. For us to never uncover our "Holy Discontent." That's why we are tempted to go through the motions and get wrapped up into the petty things in life. All the fun, yet less than meaningful stuff in our lives are not worth hours on the computer or long rants on radio shows. Find a real problem and fix it. Choose a real cause and embrace it. Get involved in your local church and live out your faith!
I may sound outraged, but honestly, this is the stuff that saddens me. I Corinthians 2:9 reminds us that "No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no eye has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." The reality that there is so much more for people to experience in an active relationship with God makes it very difficult to see people wasting their energy on the mundane and meaningless. And after reflecting on the 60,000 posts and what really makes me angry, I find myself thankful for the 4-6 hours I won't be wasting because of Netflix's new plan. So, thank you Netflix for saving me time and energy. Time and energy that will be spent better elsewhere. And to the 60,000 people who commented, as the saying goes, there are indeed "greater tragedies in life." Find one.
Last night I checked out the page and spent a few minutes reading a few of these comments. I chuckled at some of the creative stabs at Netflix and their rate hike. I also checked Google news and the articles covering the backlash. On person commented that they had a four dvds at a time plan with online streaming that was going from 24.99 to 34.99 and had decided it was cheaper to buy the movies. I love movies, but who watches that many movies?
My wife and I discussed it as we are Netflix users. We'll probably drop having one dvd mailed to us. We're confident that life will go on since currently a movie will sit on the counter for days. But as I laid in bed last night and thought about it more, I really started to get angry. No, I wasn't angry at Netflix or "corporate greed" as one disgruntled customer put it. I was frustrated that 60,000 + people could be so angry about an issue that has no lasting value to our world. I shifted my thoughts to more important issues, and as my frustration built, I kept my wife up a little later when I started asking her what we could do to help children who were victims of abuse. Why is it that people can be so upset about meaningless issues in sports, pop culture and entertainment and practically ignore significant issues such as poverty and child abuse? I should know the answer to that question since I have been guilty of obsessing over the meaningless minutia in our world. When I lived in Springfield, MO, I wrote a letter to the editor of the News Leader about why Pete Rose shouldn't be allowed into the Hall of Fame. And they printed it. With my picture. Yikes. So I know that it's easy to get caught up in the less important issues and lose site of the big picture.
But we do this with countless big issues staring us in the face. What would happen if we transferred the energy we wasted into areas of life that mattered? If we stopped getting angry and motivated by the things that people won't be talking about one year from now? Instead, we could focus on issues that could really make a difference. For example, did you know that every 10 seconds a report of child abuse is made in this country? And that almost five children every day die from some type of child abuse (more than 3 out of 4 are under the age of four). Now that's something to get outraged about. That is what is keeping me up at night recently.
What if 60,000 people a day did something to prevent or raise awareness about child abuse (other than those already doing it)? What if 60,000 people a day started tackling poverty? God created us with the capacity to serve Him and serve others. And when we begin to discover and enlarge this capacity, God can use us to do great things for others. This is what Bill Hybles wrote about in his book, "Holy Discontent." The journey of following Christ should lead us to find that one aspect of our broken world that when we see it, touch it and hear about it, you are so troubled by it that you must get in the game and do something about it.
But our Adversary would like nothing better than for our redemptive energy to be wasted. For us to never uncover our "Holy Discontent." That's why we are tempted to go through the motions and get wrapped up into the petty things in life. All the fun, yet less than meaningful stuff in our lives are not worth hours on the computer or long rants on radio shows. Find a real problem and fix it. Choose a real cause and embrace it. Get involved in your local church and live out your faith!
I may sound outraged, but honestly, this is the stuff that saddens me. I Corinthians 2:9 reminds us that "No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no eye has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." The reality that there is so much more for people to experience in an active relationship with God makes it very difficult to see people wasting their energy on the mundane and meaningless. And after reflecting on the 60,000 posts and what really makes me angry, I find myself thankful for the 4-6 hours I won't be wasting because of Netflix's new plan. So, thank you Netflix for saving me time and energy. Time and energy that will be spent better elsewhere. And to the 60,000 people who commented, as the saying goes, there are indeed "greater tragedies in life." Find one.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Thanks for letting me smell your car!
When my wife told me we would be going to Swedish days in Holdrege, NE a few weeks ago, I began to wonder what kind of food they ate in Sweden. Scandanavian fish? Some type of blue and yellow dessert? Turns out they eat burgers, brats, burritos and funnel cakes. Frankly, I think I'd like the food in Sweden!
Surprisingly, the food they served at Swedish Days wasn't even the highlight of the event for me. After the parade, we made our way to the town square. Our first stop was the bouncy house for my son and his cousins (there was an age limit). Once my son got his fix in air time, I knew where I was going next - the car show. One half of the square was lined with classic cars. I picked up a voting ballot (for the top 5) and began my trek along the street of dreams.
Mustangs, Chevelle's, Camaros and Vettes. They were all represented well. I came across an amazing 60's Firebird from Cozad, NE. The owner was my age and had received the car for his 16th birthday from his Father. I was a little jealous at first. Then, I was thankful. I had a GMC Truck when I was 16 and two speeding tickets in the first year. A Firebird would have at least tripled that total.
After seeing most of the cars, I turned the corner to look at the last quarter of the show. That's when I saw it. A 1971 Mach I Mustang. The same car that my older brother owned when he was in High School. This one was royal blue and my brother's was competition orange. Other than the color difference, it was the same car that I rode to school in from time to time when I was 6 and 7 years old. Imagine that. Being dropped off at elementary school in a 71 Mach I Mustang. It didn't really help with the ladies, but what a rush!
I took a couple laps around the car, admiring the details and original body and look. Then, without knowing what was in store for me, I stuck my head in the passenger side window. It was unavoidable. The smell of the original interior. The combination of the leather seats and vinyl dashboard was unmistakable. I literally had goosebumps. It was if I was transported back to 1982. I stepped away from the car and almost got a little emotional. (Cars are one of the few things guys can get a little teary eyed about).
Quickly, I pulled it together and then shared the experience with the family. They admired the car and my story, and my son decided it was enough to vote #2 for this vintage hot rod. Before we moved on though, I had to thank the owner. I stopped and asked the closest person in a lawn chair - a lady in her late fifties from rural Nebraska - who just happened to be the owner. "Thanks for letting me smell your car," I said. She smiled big as I explained the thick memories that rushed back into my mind with just one whiff. She understood since she had purchased the car new, which gave her 40 years of these memories. I thanked her once more and swiftly made my way to the last set of lesser cars so she wouldn't think I was some creepy guy smelling her car. The smell and memories stayed with me most of the day, and even though I didn't get a funnel cake, it was definitely a good day.
As I gratefully reflected back on the Swedish Days car show, which, by the way, had no Swedish cars, I was thankful for a brother who took the time to drive me to school when I missed the bus (I'm sure it was occasionally intentional). And for the amazing gifts of memory and sense of smell. I mean, how awesome is it that one smell can take you back 30 years! God's creative design never ceases to amaze me.
Surprisingly, the food they served at Swedish Days wasn't even the highlight of the event for me. After the parade, we made our way to the town square. Our first stop was the bouncy house for my son and his cousins (there was an age limit). Once my son got his fix in air time, I knew where I was going next - the car show. One half of the square was lined with classic cars. I picked up a voting ballot (for the top 5) and began my trek along the street of dreams.
Mustangs, Chevelle's, Camaros and Vettes. They were all represented well. I came across an amazing 60's Firebird from Cozad, NE. The owner was my age and had received the car for his 16th birthday from his Father. I was a little jealous at first. Then, I was thankful. I had a GMC Truck when I was 16 and two speeding tickets in the first year. A Firebird would have at least tripled that total.
After seeing most of the cars, I turned the corner to look at the last quarter of the show. That's when I saw it. A 1971 Mach I Mustang. The same car that my older brother owned when he was in High School. This one was royal blue and my brother's was competition orange. Other than the color difference, it was the same car that I rode to school in from time to time when I was 6 and 7 years old. Imagine that. Being dropped off at elementary school in a 71 Mach I Mustang. It didn't really help with the ladies, but what a rush!
I took a couple laps around the car, admiring the details and original body and look. Then, without knowing what was in store for me, I stuck my head in the passenger side window. It was unavoidable. The smell of the original interior. The combination of the leather seats and vinyl dashboard was unmistakable. I literally had goosebumps. It was if I was transported back to 1982. I stepped away from the car and almost got a little emotional. (Cars are one of the few things guys can get a little teary eyed about).
Quickly, I pulled it together and then shared the experience with the family. They admired the car and my story, and my son decided it was enough to vote #2 for this vintage hot rod. Before we moved on though, I had to thank the owner. I stopped and asked the closest person in a lawn chair - a lady in her late fifties from rural Nebraska - who just happened to be the owner. "Thanks for letting me smell your car," I said. She smiled big as I explained the thick memories that rushed back into my mind with just one whiff. She understood since she had purchased the car new, which gave her 40 years of these memories. I thanked her once more and swiftly made my way to the last set of lesser cars so she wouldn't think I was some creepy guy smelling her car. The smell and memories stayed with me most of the day, and even though I didn't get a funnel cake, it was definitely a good day.
As I gratefully reflected back on the Swedish Days car show, which, by the way, had no Swedish cars, I was thankful for a brother who took the time to drive me to school when I missed the bus (I'm sure it was occasionally intentional). And for the amazing gifts of memory and sense of smell. I mean, how awesome is it that one smell can take you back 30 years! God's creative design never ceases to amaze me.
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