Foundations

Well . . . first things first . . .

* The Indians season is over finishing 81 - 81. .500 baseball. Well, there's always next year. I'm calling on all Indians fans to root hard for the Cubs so that the glory that is most years without a World Series Championship can be all ours!

* The Buckeyes won against an average Minnesota team. I'm a little put off by the incredible infatuation the national media has taken to the SEC. Georgia got smoked by Alabama and only falls a few spots because, goes the argument, well . . . I mean, they're in the SEC. Really the only basis for judgment you have between conferences is how they play outside of them, and then SEC doesn't, so why the love for them? The guys on CBS actually berated the Big Ten for their out of conference wins against Fresno State and Oregon State. Wait a minute? The SEC won a big one at Arizona State - big whip. The fact that its been 50 years since they went West to play football says something about their internal haughtiness. The argument that, "We're too good to play a good team outside the conference" is incredibly circular. Fact of the matter: anyone team can beat any other team on any given day. Finally, how could Auburn possibly jump Ohio State in the polls. It's not anything about propping up OSU as it is asking anyone, "Have you seen Auburn play?" Their offense is abysmal.

* The Browns won possibly the ugliest NFL game to be played in 25 years. They are bad, bad, bad. Only remedied by how bad the Bengals are. Apparently there's something in the water sheds running between Detroit, Cleveland, and Cincinnati because those three football teams are really not good - again. Maybe after the bye-week, it's time for Brady Quinn. The next Browns game is one week from tonight - and Mary Beth and I will be there! Exciting! Though, when we got the tickets, I honestly thought they would have a winning record going in (at least 2 - 2). Oh well, Monday night in Cleveland will be a blast!

* One week from yesterday the wife and I head to Maine for a romantic get away. A week away from the kids celebrating our final months before the baby comes, and officially ends our private relationship between the two of us, and celebrating, a year early, our ten year-anniversary. Ten years in 2009. Wow.

* Yesterday, it was announced at church that I am now officially the Family Life Minister for the Alum Creek Church. Nothing's really changed, but we're making official the way things have been running ahead for awhile now. We're taking someone else on part-time to work alongside me and I am excited about all that is ahead for us in that position and the church. We have been given the go-ahead to really open our minds to different possibilities of operating in our setting.

* Theologically finding a closer affinity towards post-liberalism, politically being sucked towards liberalism, socially understanding economics and society liberally - I feel more and more like a fish out of water every day. Try as I may to fight that feeling and challenge that ideology, it seems to settle in on me each day and I feel more at peace with it . . . it's just relating to others outside of the sphere that is a challenge. I try hard not to label myself, or anyone else for that matter, but the fact of the matter is, there is an ideological framework within which we all operate, and that seems to be more and more the parameters from which I work. But . . . God can redeem even that!

Avoiding Burn Out

From my first ministry class in college, warnings against ministerial burn out have been constant. Nearly every ministry-natured book I've ever read addresses it, any professional minister who has been in the business very long knows the potential, it seems to be nearly universally recognized as one of the greatest threats to full-time ministers (and full-time volunteers for that matter).

I began my first internship 10 years ago this past summer meaning I have now, officially been in ministry for ten years. That is a lot of time - 1/3 of my life to be exact. There are a couple of sides to this fact that I am particularly concerned with keeping tabs on. First of all, the longer I work as a full-time minister, the harder it is getting for me to empathize with people who have "real jobs." The fact of the matter is ministry just doesn't have a very compatible vocation from whence employers can empathize. Secondly, I constantly attempt to monitor the effect working for a church has on my family. I grew up in a family that went to church most of the time, but hardly ever as a family - my dad went very infrequently. What a difference to be part of a family that is at everything - before everyone gets there, and well after everyone has left. My great fear is that my children will grow to resent church. Thirdly, not only have I been in ministry for 10 years, I've been at the same place for 5 years. Looking at the typical longevity of ministers in the same locations, that's a pretty good time. However, when you do the same thing for so long, especially at the same place with the same people, creativity and freshness become and issue. I work very hard to try and re-invent the way I approach ministry as often as possible, and believe this to be one of the most difficult aspects of ministry. Fourthly, I'm worried about burning out.

As I started with, burn out is hardly something obscure. It's a reality for so many. The constant-ness of ministry can easily and quickly lead to burn out. I suppose I view burn out a couple of different ways. I have seen burn out lead to ministers that totally withdraw. They withdraw to the point of doing only what it takes to get by, believing they have no other vocational options, and reduce themselves to long hours of study and few hours of interaction or productive moving forward. There is a real side of burn out that leads to depression and a real dark night of the soul. While I've been on the brink of such a place, I have been fortunate to, as of yet, avoided the darker pit.

I've been especially fortunate to be at a place for 5 years that deeply cares for me and my family as well as our spiritual and all around well-being. I have a great deal of freedom and flexibility to care for myself. Ocassionally, I take mental health days. The reality is, we all need them. In our work-obsessed culture, we've largely lost the value of quiet, peaceful getaways - even in the midst of the week. This is where the disconnect between vocational ministry and secular work sometimes leaves me without a voice. I firmly believe most of the people I work alongside need to take more time off, to themselves, but I can hear the responses as quickly as I offer the suggestion - I can't: the work won't get done, my boss won't let me, etc. I am in a unique position where I work (I sometimes take time to write silly entries like this at the height of the day), so it's difficult to have a voice there, but, I believe all too often, they have sold out. They, as much as ministers, often wind up burned out.

The great balm for me has been football. Now, sports is a difficult topic and I believe a power (ie. the "powers" that Paul speaks of), and are one of our nation's greatest idols. However, I have found a great healing and medicinal value in officiating football games. I took the class five years ago, not long after I came to Alum Creek, and for two years did nothing but go through the motions to keep my license. Then, I decided I was either going to do this, or not. So, for the past three years I have officiated about 20 football games from middle school to junior varsity. I'll be taking my varsity test in November so I can do varsity contests next year. Early on, I decided I needed a hobby, a social setting, far away from churh work, and it has been more healing and therapuetic than I ever would have imagined. Here are some of the things I've found beneficial:

* It's something I enjoy doing. I love football, and enjoy the rules of the game.
* I still get to be around teenagers. Two years ago I did a couple of games with one of the teens in the youth group playing.
* It's a social setting with NO ONE from church! I love those folks, but it is nice to know people who don't go there!
* It's physically active. Contrary to what some officials look like, it is fairly active.
* I get to be outside! I love being outside and this gives me a regular responsibility out there.
* I get paid! The icing on the cake is that I make a few hundred extra dollars.
* I can live out my faith as average joe instead of Mr. Minister. Few people I work with know I am a minister, and that's nice. It gives me the chance to offer a life lived out as a football official and Christian. If there is ever a place that needs the light of Christ it's football coaches and players being reminded there is more to life.
* Working with the same crew each week, it's a good opportunity to meet new friends.

So . . . if you are in professional ministry, I hope you can find something like this that can offer the benefits I've listed. I believe that this is one of the most important things that keeps me from burnout. It is time consuming and takes away some of my time from church which is absolutely great! It gives me a reason to say, "NO!" on ocassion and let them know I have a life. I do think it would be too much to do other sports, but it gives me something to look forward to for three months a year, and then, back to life as normal!

A sad and depressing day

Sports are really not that important. I mean, I've said that a million times. I work regularly trying to convince the parents of the teens I work alongside. There is much more to life than sports. Many people say that it is the great idol of American culture, but I think it is much more powerful than an idol - it is its own religion. Sports as a religion is not that far off at all. Few areas in our culture evoke such passion as sports. My earliest memories of my sports experience was a Cleveland Browns game where I saw a guy with blood all over him being carted through the hallways.

That's really easy say: there's more to life that sports, but for me it is a real part of me. I grew up with sports as much as church - is that shallow? Of course, but I still have a great passion for sports - a passion I don't see dying out any time soon. I love sports. I constantly must be aware of the time and money I spend there because it is an easy escape from reality. I confess this not of something I am proud of, as much as something I continue to work through.

However, in light of recent events, sports has weighed its power in my life again. Today I am depressed. Not because anything significant happened to me or my family, but because I watched my childhood baseball obsession, the Cleveland Indians lose game 7 of the ALCS last night in Boston. I consider myself fortunate because the Indians have been to the World Series twice in my life - 1995 and 1997. However, they lost both series. As a matter of fact, there aren't many folks (and probably no one who will read this) who was alive the last time the Indians won the World Series . . . as a matter of fact, next season will mark 60 years - 60 years! The last time they won the World Series it was 1948. That's a long time.

Before you Cubs fans are about to post, you have to consider the difference between the Cubs current World Series drought, now at 100 years, you have to consider the agony we Cleveland fans have had to endure. I remember watching John Elway single handedly rip the heart right out of the city of Cleveland twice as a kid. I think my grandpa and I even recorded the game with the Drive so we could watch it again . . . we never watched it again.

The latest collapse of the Indians falls in a long line of disappointment in my sports history. The Ohio State Buckeyes are the one team that has brought home a national title in my nearing 30 years. I think, when considering all the sports teams in the state, that the success of the Buckeyes has multiplied their popularity even more because everyone is so hungry for a title - the Indians, the Reds, the Browns, the Bengals, the Cavs, the Blue Jackets . . . it's been awhile. And look this year . . . Ohio State twice loses to Florida in championship games, the Indians go the distance before losing to the Sox, one game shy of the World Series, the Cavs went to the championship only to lose . . . so many close calls, so much disappointment.

And now . . .

It continues . . .

And, with what has become more than a yearly reassurance, but a testament of identity for us Cleveland fans . . . next year . . . next year. . . next year . . .

Maybe when I've recovered from my post-ALCS depression I'll comment on how Cleveland basically got screwed by the man, how the starting pitcher of game #7 of the ALCS for Boston cost more than the Indians entire team . . . how the national media continues to slant towards the big two . . . how the officials calls didn't seem to go our way . . . but we'll have to save all that for another day . . . today is a day for moping and thinking about what it would be like to end the season with a win . . .

I wonder when Opening Day tickets are going to go on sale

Big Game

How about the Tribe? Coming home tied 1 - 1 in the series against the payroll bloated Red Sox. The best part about game 3 tonight - we're going to be there! I am juiced. It'll be my first playoff baseball experience. I'm excited. The guys in the national coverage of the Yankees series couldn't stop talking about the atmosphere at Jacob's Field. Now I'm glad to know that one of those screaming voices will be my own (and Clark's . . . seriously, this kid loves baseball (and Grady Sizemore). We should have good pictures to post from the big game! Go Tribe!

An Interesting Week

This week I had one of the most interesting weeks I've had in my years as a minister. Essentially, I had several different encounters back to back which were at totally different ends of the spectrum. That they happened so close to one anther has helped me in my thinking in regards to church, ministry, and, ultimately, the way I understand kingdom purpose here on earth.

Monday
In a series of events that are really unrelated, except in the sovereignty of God, I have struck up relationships with three different inmates at the Delaware County Jail. "Inmates" is a misnomer since one of them is out on parole currently. Two of the men I've been working with are sexual offenders. This has been timely as sex offenders have been the topic of discussion in the media lately as there are more and more restrictions on where they can live and now even work. On Monday, I had lunch with one of these guys and his girlfriend. Working closely with these guys has really opened my eyes to the "other side" of things and has taken what is often a political issue and made it a personal one. I have seen firsthand the hatred these guys are up against. Now, it goes without saying that what these guys have done is odious (both guys hooked up with teenagers when they were 19/20 years old so we're not talking Dateline To Catch a Predator stuff . . . but I'm not about to take lightly what they've done). So, as I said, working alongside them trying to help get them out of the circle of incarceration is a steep challenge. This ministry has brought me to new places - the Delaware County Jail itself, apartment complexes, a grandmother's trailer court, a body shop . . . and on and on. Quickly I am realizing how complicated people's lives are, and how much time and energy one soul can require . . . one . . . and how intertwined that one is with scores of others.

Tuesday
Once a month during the school year, a group of Church of Christ ministers meet in Marion, OH (about forty five minutes north of Columbus) to discuss different topics. As an aside, I will say that of about 20 full-time staff members of Churches of Christ in the greater Columbus area, there are only two or three of us that attend the meeting in Marion . . . that speaks greatly of the schism in our churches of the area. That's a post for another day . . . our topic on Tuesday was about why Churches of Christ are not growing in the state of Ohio. This state has had one of the greatest decline in church attendance for churches identifying Church of Christ heritage. The discussion stayed cordial and we batted several different issues around - the rural roots of our churches while people are flocking to urban areas, the lack of "contemporary relevance" in many church's worship assemblies, etc. However, the huge elephant in the room was probably a hermeneutical and theological impasse that prominently divides the thinking of our churches. This, again, is a post for another day, but I found myself in a quandary as the discussion centered on our quest for larger and more widely attended worship assemblies - our conversation never really got far from the Sunday morning assembly.

Wednesday
There is a group of pastors that meet from several different denominations in the Lewis Center area (Lewis Center is the suburb north of Columbus, OH where our church is located). I have attended these meetings before, but had lost connection until recently. The churches represented this past week were all conservative - Christian church, non-denominational, church of the Nazarene, Southern Baptist, and a few others I'm not exactly sure about. The superintendent of this school district was there to discuss a matter that had been brought up in the previous month's meeting (a local high school had written a highly controversial edition of their school newspaper regarding sex including stories about pig's orgasms, oral sex, etc.). The pastors had written a letter to him to which he responded and suggested he attended the next meeting. I found the meeting to be fascinating. The superintendent is a professing Christian and a member of a conservative mega-church. I was especially impressed by his wisdom, candor, and honesty. He really expressed how he struggled in his high profile career to rectify the right thing to do. This school district is the second most affluent school district in the state of Ohio according to property value. Second highest! A passing remark was made about the injustice of that, but the statement was made (not dismissively, but as reality) "That's the way it is." During the rest of the meeting I realized how out of step I am with conservative evangelicalism. Everyone in the meeting was so worried about their personal morality and the imposing immorality of the school district on their children. It was hard for me to connect with what they were saying. I come from a different cut. I'm not saying they attacked him, it wasn't like that at all . . . I just found so many of their comments incredibly telling of the current state of evangelicalism.

Thursday
As an abrupt about face, I spent lunch and a couple other hours with the pastor of an emergent church in the city of Columbus. I went looking for some service project potential for our teens, but found an active, organic, healthy socially conscience ministry thriving in the heart of one of the poorest neighborhoods of Columbus. It is led by a man who was impressive to say the least. He was encouraging and wise and I look forward to meeting with him again and learning more of his project. Their ministry is house church based and has moved totally to the other side of the attractional-based model I had been in the midst of on Tuesday and Wednesday. This ministry is much more in line with my model of thinking. Now . . . getting that to fit into my current ministry setting is the challenge. I am growing, I am learning, and I am slowly bringing this message to the church where I minister. It is a totally different way to think about church and many people are not ready. Hopefully we can get there.

This wide variety of experiences had an incredible impact on my thinking. Prisoners and brutalized urban settings versus superintendents and church growth strategies . . . I think I know which option Jesus would settle for. It is such a difficult sell in an American consumer-driven culture. Less is more. Authenticity over appearance. Organism over model. It's a total paradigm change. Are we getting it? I hope so.

Then . . . after such a busy and challenging week, we got to enjoy a baseball game . . . almost. For the third year in a row, we bought tickets to Cleveland's Opening Day. If you missed the story, you have no idea what we endured (here's a quick blurb. Here I was in Cleveland, OH with my 8 1/2 months pregnant wife and my two year old son in a blistery, blizzard-like, sub-freezing temperature weather trying to watch a baseball game. It is truly something we will never forget. There are plenty of stories to be told.

Ramblings

Well . . . I have a new favorite team to never root for, never wish anything good to happen, and generally despise in odious fervor . . . stupid Florida . . . gross . . . I especially like the way that their two wins over Ohio State have reignited the Civil War for so many SEC fans . . . stupid school . . . *&$%@#$ $#*^@ . . . that's all I'll say about that . . .

A disgruntled, but proud (and still true) fan!

Other exciting things:

* I have the task of drafting an Easter sermon for this Sunday. I'll post the script here soon.

* I got a sweet deal at the Cokesbury Press store down here in Columbus. It is always a highlight when they do their bag sale. I got 35 books for $15 - how sweet is that? Here's some of the highlights from the sale:
* The Reluctant Parting: How the New Testament's Jewish Writers Created a Jewish Book by Julie Galambush
* Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers by Christian Smith
* Millenials Rising: The Next Great Generation by Neil Howe and William Strauss
* Ethics by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
* Deep Religious Pluralism edited by David Ray Griffin
* Many Members yet One Body: Committed Same-Gender Relationships and the Mission of the Church by Graig L. Nessan
* How to Think Theologically by Howard W. Stone & James O. Duke
* And, perhaps the most bizarre find: Finding God in the Singing River: Christianity, Spirit, Nature by Mark I. Wallace

The bag sale makes my day a little brighter. I have plenty in the hopper going on . . . hopefully I'll have time to comment later.

Madness

So the madness begins today. Office servers will be overwhelmed by the streaming broadcasts. March Madness is really one of my favorite times of the year. One year soon my very own Lipscomb Bisons will no doubt make an appearance as productive members of the Atlantic Sun conference (their rival Belmont is playing this year. They are going to get rocked by Georgetown in the first round).

The Buckeyes have garnered a one seed and look to be a strong national championship contender. Best case scenario, they win the big one against Florida. Worst case scenario, they lose big one against Florida - and I mean worst case scenario. I would rather them lose tonight against Central Connecticut than go all the way and lose to Florida. After the national championship game in football I can't bear those colors and another lose would just be too much to bear.

Speaking of football, I was invited to go to listen to Jim Tressel talk at a luncheon near Cleveland today. That'll be nice. Look forward to hearing what he has to say. I have been really impressed with what he has brought to the football program. He's the real deal.

Also got a fortunate call last night to attend the first round NCAA games at Nationwide arena. Everyone around here is disappointed with the draw - Virginia vs. Albany and Tennessee vs. Long Beach St. That's the games we'll see tomorrow. Mary Beth is no doubt disappointed I get to see the Vols instead of her. I've never gone to the basketball tourney, and I'm really looking forward being there.

We're heading out for a retreat this weekend with the teens. It'll be lots of fun, though I will need some sleep by Monday. Just a few minutes to update on a few things. Reading through Yoder's Politics of Jesus is pretty slow going. Plodding more like. More to come later.

Close to Home

I've been thinking about a topic that hits pretty close to home. Sports. I love sports. Anyone who knows me well at all, knows how much I love sports. Football sits atop the highest pedestal, for me, but just about any sport I can sit down and watch on television. Mary Beth is astonished how I can sit and watch two football teams that I don't care much about, and be entertained. It's just who I am. Football season bleeds into basketball season, which is really my off-time for sports - not a big hoops fan, which satisfies us until spring training begins, and the "there's always next year" mantra, has come into reality for all Cleveland Indians fans. In short, I waste alot of time and money as a spectator and fan of sports.

I suppose that alone is enough to bring about a beef, however, there's more. There's the addiction that many have to playing sports. Working with teenagers, this has become an especially poignant issue in my thinking. I see parents shell out ungodly amounts of money to send their children to sports camps and even hire personal trainers to work with them. That's really when I started thinking.

Sports has become, for many, our modern day idol. In sports we place our trust, our faith. It becomes a brotherhood, a community. It, in many aspects, is where many go to fulfill the void left by not having a relationship with God. What else defines something that makes grown men take their shirts off in sub-degree weather, spend hundreds of dollars for a ticket, spend hours in the parking lot, and spend hours upon hours following the standings, statistics, etc. except faith. The American faith has become in athletics.

It has stolen the dreams of our parents. How many parents still vocally dream that their children might do something great in this world such as pursue science and continue the advances towards cancer and AIDS and other pandemic diseases? How many hope their children might pursue economics in seeking to address world poverty? How many wish they to be doctors and nurses helping their fellow men? How many encourage them on in any number of fields where they can better mankind? Far more set the ambitions of their children to playing in "the big game" and being the quarterback to lead the game-winning drive or being the batter with a full count with a chance to win the World Series, or kick the game-winning penalty kick in the World Cup or hit the game winning shot . . . or whatever it is, just make their mark of athletic prowess known.

Sports are no longer fun. They are work. Hard work. At least once you hit double digits. Upon a child's tenth birthday, they reach a landmark decision in their life - a life time decision that the previous generation didn't have to make until they were in high school. Is sports going to be y0ur life? Is that your number one pursuit? If it is, then we can work with you. We'll put you on some elite travel team that will cost your family thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours of time commitment, but you'll have the best training money can buy. If you choose to pursue something besides sports, but still wish to play, we have some rec leagues that you can play on, but no one really cares about them, and you may have trouble finding coaches and officials.

Our parents of young people need to take a step back and consider the message they are sending their children. If they don't succeed they are a failure. Just as long as you gave it your all . . . yeah, sure, but it's not nearly as good as if you had won. Upon selling your soul to the sports god, you're left with only a few choices (that is the 99.99999% of people in the world who don't get paid to play sports). You can stay in the game coaching, officiating, or painting your chest in the stands. You can turn your attention to your children . . . and the cycle continues.

Churches aren't helping matter here too well. Have you ever participated or watched a church league basketball game? Any differences between them and another league? Maybe a few less cuss words . . . maybe.

The church needs to offer a prophetic word in the area of sports. When it comes to sports, the question of what would Jesus do seems rather moot. Who cares, I wonder if that's what Jesus would say as he was strapping on his soccer cleats for the Nazareth High School JV team. "If we win, if we lose? Who cares? Maybe I can show these other guys through my example that this game is fun, and I have benn blessed to be able to play? But there are more important things to do. More important ways to spend your time. Maybe you should take this season off. For God. Now that'd be radical. People would notice that."

And . . . finally . . . a family portrait. We both really did have Indians attire on . . . we just weren't planning on wearing our heavier clothes.

This is our favorite from the game.