There is no free breakfast

Today I want to rant about something completely inconsequential. Recently I booked a hotel room online and in the description of the room rate, it read, "The room rate includes FREE BREAKFAST."
No it doesn't.
If you have to be a paying guest to eat at the breakfast bar, it isn't free. The price of the breakfast is included in the room rate. If the breakfast bar was open to the public at no charge, then it would be a free breakfast. Don't get me wrong. I like breakfast to be included in the room charge. I like it a lot better than paying $15 for the breakfast buffet at the nicer hotels. Just don't try to tell me it's a free breakfast.

It's kind of like the sign I saw once that read, "No unauthorized personnel without permission." If you have permission, aren't you authorized?

Balance- part 4

The balanced church sees the importance of ministering to its members. It sees its members as family, but a family with a mission. It constantly builds up its members and teaches sound Biblical truth. It offers fellowship where the members can build relationships that will withstand the rigors of mission. It will encourage its members to be there for one another in trouble, defeat and victory. But it realizes that the strong family has the ultimate responsibility to be involved in mission. Without mission, we are just a club. With mission, we are an eternal force. As we, as one body, participate in mission, we accomplish eternal goals while building life-long friendships. These missions come in many different forms; forms as varied as the people participating in them. A healthy missional church family is not as concerned with ceremony and program as it is with relationship with one another and relationship to the world.There aren't many of this type of church, so they really stand out when you see them. Where is your church?

Sushi Experience

Saturday evening I had my first true sushi experience. I've had assorted sushi bits from time to time, but I never depended on sushi to carry the meal until Saturday. We had a birthday dinner for my daughter in law, Taylor, and her choice was Sushi Nieko here in OKC. To tell the truth, I would have felt better about Ann's Chicken Fry, but as I proclaim in my profile, I am an adventure eater, so I plunged in head first. The picture is of the sushi dinner I ordered. After being warned that the green blob was wasabi, not avocado, I dived in. I ate it all, and it wasn't awful. I probably won't suggest sushi when asked to select a restaraunt, but I won't veto that choice, either. I'm glad to know that I needn't shy away from sushi in the future. Thanks, Taylor, for causing me to expand my horizons to a new food group.

Balance- part 3

The church that is overly focused on mission can seem like an awesome church to someone who is focused on evangelistic results. This church is constantly reaching out and trying new ways to reach the lost. They will post impressive numbers of conversions and have incredible stories of changed lives. They will tell exciting stories that challenge us and make us wonder if we should be doing that sort of thing. We all feel a little guilty when we hear from the totally mission focused church. However, without a balance of fellowship and community, the mission focused church can descend in pride in their focus. They can assume a feeling of superiority and feel that they are the only ones who are doing it right. They sneer at the fluffiness of church gatherings that are social in nature. They begin to withdraw from fellowship with other churches because they are seen as a waste of time.

Admittedly, there are not that many churches that fall into this camp. It is far easier to get into the comfort of traditions. Tomorrow I'll begin to talk about what a balanced church looks like.

Balance- part 2

What does a church look like when it is overloaded on the fellowship side? It will have many traditions that are not to be changed. These traditions can take the form of programs which have outlived their usefulness or have been duplicated by new ministries, but no one will pull the plug. The traditions can take the form of ceremonies that honor members, but have nothing to offer someone new or someone who is not part of the church culture. None of those things are inherently wrong, and may actually serve some good purpose, but are elevated to an unhealthy importance by virtue of their longevity. Churches need to look at their church calenders to see if opportunities for effective ministry have to remain untried because the historic traditions take precedence. Church members should take a hard look to see if they are missing opportunities to do effective ministry because their time and finances are all going to ceremonies and programs that serve only to honor the already saved.

I'll discuss the church with an unhealthy emphasis on mission, tomorrow.

Balance

Every church has to revisit its reason for existing on a regular basis. There has to be balance in ministry focus to remain healthy. Churches can get out of balance very easily and for easily defendable reasons. A church can get out of balance by putting too much emphasis on meeting the needs of existing members. What begins as a proper emphasis on community can become a transformation into a country club, where members pay tithes and expect good service. This happens when fellowship takes precedence over mission. On the other hand, a church can become so mission focused, it uses up the energy and goodwill of its members and leaves them worn out and disillusioned. When there is only mission, there is no community. When there is only community, there is no mission. Both are necessary for a healthy church.

I'll go into more detail tomorrow.

No Lack of Opportunity

Ministry opportunities are all around us. The past two weekends there have been fun outreaches at Vida Victoriosa and I saw a number of young people helping in very effective ways. We could be doing something there nearly every week if we wanted. We have a number of elderly widows who could benefit from having their cars washed or their grass mowed on a regular basis. Reaching out to the widows and orphans is the purest form of ministry we can do. There are small churches in the local area which would greatly benefit from the loan of some of our "excess" talent. There are large opportunities each year in the form of a short-term world mission trip such as our trip to Ireland this July. We will be really effecting the eternities of the people we will be ministering to there in inner-city Dublin. There is the Inner City church right here in town. We can be involved there at as great a level as we want to be. We are surrounded by opportunities to do actual ministry. Why do we put such a high priority on travelling cross country to participate in a "ministry" contest?

Coffee Conversations

I love visiting with young people who want to make a significant contribution with their lives. I'm not talking about stuff like curing cancer and baldness. I'm talking about people who will take what they have and make the most of it to make a difference for the Kingdom of God. I had coffee this morning with a young man who is both fully committed to God and enormously talented. I also visit with many who are not especially talented, but are sold out to God's direction for their lives. They aren't concerned about denominations or programs; they are committed to making a difference in their communities and areas of influence.
Those of my generation have been committed to organizations and programs. We placed great importance on structures and hierarchies; process and stragetic plans. I'm not saying that all of those things are inherently bad. I'm just saying that what I am seeing in the hearts of these young fully committed followers of Christ looks very attractive. I see a commitment to meeting real human needs while sharing the plain truth of the Gospel. I plan to do everything that is in my ability to encourage and resource them to do all that God is placing on their hearts.

There is nothing new under the sun

I have been involved in many different hobbies in my life and there is one constant to all hobbies- they each have at least one magazine dedicated to that hobby. One of the first things I do when I get involved in a new hobby is to subscribe to the magazine so I can learn the lingo, learn who the principle players are, and learn new techniques or trends in the hobby. Another common thread is that after you have subscribed for two years, you essentially have read everything that is pertinent to the hobby. You see the same old articles repackaged in a new way, but really there is not anything new or groundbreaking. Occasionally I have found old volumes from 5 or 10 years before I got involved and when I looked at them I found essentially the same subjects in those magazines I was reading in the current magazines. The only things changed were the new models the manufacturers were promoting this year which will make last year's innovations obselete.

With few exceptions, I am finding the same thing to be true with most Christian publications. I read something I think might be new, and make a note of it. Then I read something written by one of the theologians of the early 20th century and find the same truths, just phrased a little differently. The truth of the Bible remains the same. Read Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It was written in the 1930's and the truths contained in this small book read like those of the current day "innovators". When I read it, my first thought was, "Bonhoeffer was ahead of his time." In reality, it has been this time for a long time.

More Tyler Theology

It is cute right now that Tyler depends on others for everything. His constant asking for (and many times demanding) what he wants is endearing and there are many who stand at his beck and call. But there is an expectation of a changing relationship between he and us as he continues to grow and increase in skills. The ultimate desire for him is that some day he would have a child to care for and train up to be a responsible person.

Many in the body of Christ stay in spiritual infancy. The continue to require spoon feeding of the gospel. They need a message to pump them up and make them feel better every service. They never learn to find peace and comfort from the Word in their own time of devotion. As such, they never produce spiritual offspring and the church's spiritual "nursery" never promotes anyone.

The expectation from every believer should be to"...reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Eph. 4:13)

Laying in a pile of warm laundry is okay when we are little, but we should all expect to DO laundry as we grow up.

Tyler Theology

My grandson, Tyler has brought our family a lot of joy even though he can't do much very well. He can say a few words, but I can't have a discussion with him. He like to play with balls, but he doesn't throw well and can't catch at all. He can walk a little, but he is pretty unsteady and he seldom walks in the direction I want to go. How does someone who can do so little bring so much joy? It is because he is the newest addition to the family. We are watching and participating in his development. We enjoy our time with him today because we see progress in him from yesterday and, at the same time we see in him a promise of tomorrow. A little smile from him can get me to do anything for him.

That must be why God rejoices in us even though we don't do things all that well. He loves us because we are part of His family; he sees progress in us and he sees our promise for the future. He rejoices when we want to be with him and he has already done for us more than we will ever be able to understand.

The Non-Prom of 1974

It's prom time at high school. Time to rent tuxes and buy corsages, neither of which come naturally to high school boys. Way back in in 1974, back before the internet, cell phones, CDs or iPods, it was the day of 8-track players and big speakers in the back window of the car. It was the day of bell bottom jeans, plaid slacks and vested pastel polyester suits. There were only three VHF channels on television and a couple of UHF stations that were pretty cheesy.

My senior prom at Putnam City High School was in 1974. I took Carole Lewellen, who was my high school sweetheart (later to become my wife). I rented a tux from Sir Knight Formalwear and picked Carole up in my '67 Ford Galaxie 500. We had dinner at Fred Gang's Meat Market, and after a most enjoyable meal, I left my first dollar tip. I was high rolling. We headed for the Great Hall of the incomparable Myriad Convention Center in the downtown we knew before MAPS and Bricktown. When we entered, it seemed strangely quiet for a prom for a highschool of some 2400 students. We asked around and found that the the band which had been hired to play the prom was a no-show. The Myriad folks were kind enough to play the music stylings from radio station KKNG; the same kind of lively music normally reserved for long elevator rides. Needless to say, the prom wound down rather quickly. It has been remembered since as the "non-prom".

Does anyone else have any good stories about their prom?

It's Not Fair

In the 60's folk singing group "The Mamas and the Papas" there were two men and two women. One was thin, pretty and blonde. One was heavyset and somewhat homely. The larger girl had enormous talent and a wonderful and powerful voice. The pretty girl had not much of a voice at all. Who got the publicity and the men of her choice? Of course it was the pretty one. I imagine it had to be really difficult for Cass Elliott (who hated to be called "Mama" Cass) to be in the shadow of Michelle Phillips purely on the basis of looks alone. As time went on, Cass died prematurely.

That's the way it goes in our world today. If someone gives a good appearance, they will get the first shot at opportunities. Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, "I have seeen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all." I will not attemp to exegete this passage, but there is a simple message for us all.

If you place your life's importance on earthly achievement, it will not necessarily go the way you think it should. Your opportunity may very likely be given to someone who has not worked nearly as hard as you have simply because the other person has been gifted in ways that are purely an accident of birth. If you place all your self worth on these situations, you will be crushed and bitter and your life will be miserable. Remember that God looks on the heart. Place your trust in him and you will always get much more than you deserve.

I think I'm making this too hard

I don't want to make this too hard, but it is impossible. For the past several months I have been re-examining the things I believe so I can be more effective in defending them. In the past, people would agree that they were doing wrong, but they would decide not to change. Now, however, people have their own unique take on the gospel which allows them to believe almost anything and see it as putting them on the road to right living. I have never enjoyed debating spiritual matters and I don't like the "The Bible says it, I believe it, That settles it" defense of the gospel.

The gospel message is so simple that anyone can accept it, and so complex that world reknowned scholars cannot agree on many points. It can't be accepted without faith, and someone without faith thinks that the "accept by faith" argument is lame and without basis. As it says in 1 Cor. 1:18, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

Jesus' disciples were not scholars, but ordinary men. Scholars came later. But although they were ordinary men, they weren't goobers. When they received the Holy Spirit, they spoke with authority and layed down their lives for the cause of Christ. Many people were saved.Many churches were planted around the known world. Now I've touched a place that would take me pages to work out and I've run out of space. Another day.

Courtney Paris Owes Nothing

The OU ladies lost a heartbreaker in their national semifinal game against Louisville. They were emotional and undoubtedly embarassed after playing so well in the first half then going cold in the second. A last second potential game winning shot went in and out to end their season one game shy of their stated goal. They played their hearts out but came up inches short.

Standing just feet away from a jubilant Louisville team, an ESPN reporter (I didn't get her name) interviewed Courtney Paris. It was typical post game questions for the losing team until the last question. The interviewer asked Courtney would she pay up on her promise to pay back the university the value of her scholarship if they didn't win the championship. I couldn't believe that the interviewer was so heartless as to bring that up just seconds after the game when emotions were so fresh and hearts were so recently broken. That Courtney answered the inexcusable question politely came as no surprise to me. It just ran all over me. I would like to see the reporter reprimanded or fired, but then my emotions are also fresh.

Championships in basketball are almost impossible to win. Of the 64 teams in the tournament, 63 end their season with a loss. It was not many years ago that women's basketball was a non-topic at OU. The only ones who owe anyone anything are the fans; we owe a debt of gratitude to Sherri Coale and the players and staff of OU women's basketball for providing us with a team that we could think so highly of that we were disappointed when they didn't win it all. Keep your scholarship money, Courtney. You earned every bit of it.

Two Prayers

Two thieves hung on crosses next to Jesus. Both were enduring the same pain. Both saw the same things, heard the same sounds. Both heard Jesus' response to the taunting and jeering. They heard him pray that those who were tormenting him would be forgiven for doing it. Both recognized that there was something entirely different about Jesus. One turned on Jesus and said in effect, "Since you're so special, do something special and get us out of here." The other turned to Jesus and asked to be remembered when all of the events of the last moments of their lives had played out.

If the first thief had seen his request granted, the thieves would have been returned to their lives of violence, treachery and fear. When the second thief received the answer to his request, he received much more than he asked for. He received paradise.

Two people sit in the same church auditorium. They hear the same message and music. One prays, "God, I want you get me out the jam I'm in." The other prays, "God, I ask you to forgive me . I want to know you." Which is more likely to get more than he asked for?

A tale of two funerals

There are two funerals scheduled for today. One is for a minister who lived his life well in committed service to God. He lived to be a ripe, old age and his passing was not unexpected. Today's service will be a celebration of his life and the positive effect he had on a generation.

The other funeral is for a man in the prime years of his life who leaves a mom, a wife and two children with many questions. Just a couple of months ago he was involved in a serious car accident that left him comatose for several weeks. Miraculously he emerged from the coma and left the hospital a few days later with only a broken ankle separating him from complete recovery. If anyone has ever been given a second chance at life, it was he. Monday night he was involved in another car accident. He did not survive this one.

I have many more questions than answers. I am attending this funeral today.

Random Sports Thoughts

The Sooner men got about as far as they could get on Blake Griffin's shoulders. With a Scottie Reynolds, (who de-committed to OU when Kelvin Sampson left)they would still be playing and would be favorites for the national title. Jeff Capel did a good job and will most likely be hired away this year or next.

The Sooner women probably have one more win in them but they don't look anywhere near as dominating as U Conn. Everyone needs to let Courtney Paris off the hook if they lose the national title game and Bubba Paris needs to keep his mouth shut about Sherri Coale if that happens. It's been fun to have Courtney and Ashley at OU but parents should never get the coverage, even if they are former pro bowl players.

Scott Brooks should get NBA coach of the year honors. When he took over, he took a talented but uncompetitive team and turned them into a team that can play some basketball. Other teams know that they will not have a night off when they play the Thunder. They will be fun to watch next year.

The networks should be happy. Tiger Woods is back and winning tournaments with dramatic putts on the final hole.

I still can't watch a close game involving a team I care about.