Here’s a reflection of some Passover/Holy Week opportunities that one woman found very beneficial to her soul. The strange thing is that she doesn’t really believe in the reality they portray. To define existentialism is like defining breakfast, but you can click here to read an entirely existentialist view of the Passover and Easter (I sometimes use existential meaning “experiential” because that is part of the pie, just not the WHOLE pie as in existentialism).

For this woman, it doesn’t matter that the events of the Exodus as celebrated in the Passover Seder or Jesus’ actual bodily resurrection didn’t actually occur. That doesn’t mean anything. What matters is that through these symbols, you feel some sort of connection to God, the spiritual world, or yourself. There is no ultimate reality, just your own personal experience.

I encourage you to read some of the comments. Sad, but typical to many.

I wrote an article for the Bradenton Herald last week. In it, I draw a comparison between the Church and the creative world with America and Soccer. I like the analogy, but the title itself might put you to sleep. Nevertheless I don’t think it will be a waste of 2 your minutes (which are always non-refundable). Click here to read it.

The article is supposed to whet appetites for our Coffeehouse/Art Show at Hope on Friday May 1st and Sat May 2nd from 7-10 pm. We really have some quality musicians and artists, and over 3/4 of them come from outside the Church as far as I can tell.

I tend to be fairly pragmatic, but this seems a bit over the top. I’m all for efficiency and use of technology to help assist in discipleship and evangelism because my Protestant forefathers used every bit of technology to do the same thing. But I wonder if this is really the way to go about it. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Before you read this, please understand that I’m not a Rick Warren hater or “angry blogger guy;” he’s done way more stuff for Jesus than I have. Yet this method of church growth just makes me wonder a bit. Click here to encounter a different methodology that certainly elicits some reflection.

Well my attempt at being a Communist, and moderating comments has come to an end. Several people had posted some fairly sharp things on my feeding sea gulls post. You can read them here. I’ve come to the conclusion that if you think feeding sea gulls at the beach is a good idea, and you think I’m an actually an “idiot,” I can live with that. So eat some freedom fries and the two of you who posted under the communist regime, God bless you.

Sadly a 22 year-old Angels pitcher named Nick Adenhart was killed along with a few others in an accident a few days ago. Standard DUI hit and run, where the guy was driving with a suspended license from a previous DUI incident. Does suspending licenses really stop such accidents from occurring? I don’t have any solutions, like caning or anything, but man it’s a shame.

One fill-in host for the Collin Cowherd (sports talk) show tried to stay positive about this sad incident. He said the only thing a “positive” person could take from this was simply to find your passion and do it everyday. Somehow this can provide fulfillment and overcome the uncertainty of life?

I guess what really bothered me the most, is not that he didn’t say, “Well I guess I should become a Christian because I never know the day or the hour I could be taken, and I will bow my knee to Jesus one day, either it will be as a heaven-bound believer or a hell-bound unbeliever.”

I guess what I really hoped for was a slightly less self-concerned, less self-absorbed question of what life is really about. I realize that people are incredibly existential (no ultimate reality, just your own existence) but I was hoping for at least a deeper existential question like “Are my passions really worth it? Have I missed something completely? Do my passions really fulfill me? Is fulfillment found in giving rather taking?”

I mean the dude from Into The Wild was not a Christian but he wrestles with quite deeper existential questions that do find answer in the gospel.

The fact that such shallow and self-centered conclusions are being reached amidst a confrontation with our own mortality ought to concern everyone. At some point, Christians really need to answer questions that are being asked ( if it’s security, eternal fears, fear of future, significance, feeling judged, etc…).

But there is also a place to ask questions that haven’t been raised as well. A confrontation with our own or other’s mortality may (I know this dude is not a representative for everyone, but I doubt he’s in the minority) not simply raise the same questions I think it used to raise. It may take Christians raising them to their friends.

I and several pastor buddies have been reading through The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, by a Puritan named Jeremiah Burrows. I’ve been quite impressed with this book which seems to have providentially come to me at a very uncertain time in my life.

I really have no certainty of what God has for me down the road, how He’ll use the Henderson’s to build His Kingdom, or even how we’ll be provided for. Life has been incredibly precarious for me, as it has been for a number of people in this economy. And I find myself reading through The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment and preaching through Habakkuk. The book has been quite challenging and has moved me toward being more proactive in my journey of contentment.

Of course there is always the question of “how.” How is it possible to be content amidst trial or simply a precarious situation?

Here’s an encouraging excerpt: “……Oh we cannot bear them, we cannot bear such an affliction…..yet how can you tell what you will do with the strength of Jesus Christ? You say you cannot bear it? So you think that Christ could not bear it? But if Christ could bear it, why may you not come to bear it? You will say, Can I have the strength of Christ? Yes it is made over to you by faith.”

A helpful reminder that we do indeed have the strength of Christ in us in our journey of contentment. While not as eloquent as Burrows, but certainly much shorter, here is my final sermon in the Habakkuk series focusing on contentment.

This is a post, to be honest, that is partially, maybe 50-50, motivated by my love affair with the word “avuncular.” One rarely gets a chance to use it, so when this one does, he jumps out on it like a 4th quarter fumble. In case you’re not in the know, avuncular means “like an uncle.” That’s about it.

Yesterday Amy and I spent much of the day with my nephews, who are 7 and 9. I love those jokers; they’re a blast. Anyhow, the younger one opened my brother-in-law’s car door, the wind caught it, and it slammed into another car in the parking lot. After some quick teaching from my brother-in-law about wind and car doors, I figured we would be good to go.

Then an hour or so later, the older one opened our car door, and the howling wind did the same thing: door slammed into truck. No damage was done, but my frustration was verbalized a bit too much. So I had to apologize to their dad. When in the car, I felt convicted that I needed to apologize to my older nephew.

So I did, and he accepted it, and all was well. I think apologizing to little ones is very important. If we don’t model repentance before them-and we certainly screw up a lot-then I really believe we’ll see an even more silent generation spring up. After all, they’re not going to learn it from their friends. Even more, they’ll not see the power of the gospel producing repentance in our lives.

Avuncular repentance is good practice for fatherly repentance, which will soon be coming to a theater near me. It actually already has, though Connar doesn’t understand it quite yet.

I’ve been encouraged lately by some women in our church who’ve taken seriously the call to disciple other women. Some have done it through formal bible studies, Christian Ed, while others have used informal get-togethers or simply grabbing coffee. I’m also thankful for those who seek out new discipleship opportunities: either to lead or puting themselves in the path to be led. Here’s a thoughtful “take” (sorry, I listen to a lot of Jim Rome) on women’s discipleship from a blog connected with the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Just in case you were wondering, this is a ladyfish.

I’ve been trying to read through the bible in a year now, but I confess I’m a little behind. I’ve alternated old and new testament books and am just finishing up Numbers right now. Sometimes the Old Testament can be hard to read because it seems so immoral. I mean, killing kids is something that usually sets off our moral radars.

When the Lord avenged Himself and the Israelites by eliminating males (even the little lads) in Midian, it did seem a bit unfair on the kids. I mean these were kids, right?

I watched Lost last night, and somehow the main characters went back in time and found one the present characters named Ben when he was just a boy. One of the “good guys” shot the boy in the stomach and then there was a concomitant race to save young Ben’s life. I won’t give away the ending of the episode in case you actually watch the show and DVR’d it or something. But let’s just say that many were in favor of saving this child’s life. Even though he would grow up and kill loads of people mercilessly. Even though he would grow up and look like this: the dude looks way creepy and those in favor of saving his life definitely forgot that.

Those in favor of saving the child said, “I know who he turns out to be, but this is just a little kid now.” Very few could see the bigger picture, even the child’s Dad, who was later killed by his son Ben.

Now this episode doesn’t end all discussion, nor does it exhaustively explain God’s heart behind these tough commands. Nevertheless it helps me to see that God always has a bigger picture in mind. God knew what they would and of course did do when these cute little kids grew up and led people in all kinds of evil.

My dreams of the Buccaneers landing a quarterback with some real skills just took a dip toward potential reality. Now of course the owners who already own soccer’s premier franchise Manchester United, will not pay for a top tier quarterback, but there is no harm in dreaming.

Jay Cutler, current quarterback for the Denver Broncos has now declared that his relationship with the new head coach (who is a year old than me-that is just plain crazy by the way, but then so is the Bucs coach) is irreparable. Cutler has been angered since the team tried to trade him a month ago, so the new coach could be reunited with his previous year’s QB. Apparently both sides have handled the situation poorly, according to some thoughtful NFL analysts. The NFL is a business and Cutler needs to realize he is ultimately just a commodity to help sell tickets and jerseys.

But the main problem Cutler has with his new coach boils down to trust. He cannot work with someone who has allegedly lied to him. He cannot work with someone he cannot respect. He doesn’t need to like him, but he has to be able to respect and trust him.

Now to some Cutler seems like a winy little brat, and I can see that. But for a man, so much seems to come back to trust and respect. Not that we don’t want to love people we work with and for, but the desire to be loved or to love someone in authority seems to be of secondary importance. Respect for the guy is primary. To be disrespected or to not be able to respect seems like it hits guys harder even than not being loved or able to love.

That’s been my experience. And my experience seems to match up with what Paul says in Ephesians 5 concerning marriage. I think that’s why Paul instructed women to “respect” their husbands. Not that men don’t respect their wives (I Peter 3 tells us to), but the matter is one of primacy. So while I think Culter has acted somewhat like a crybaby-a crybaby I want to be the starting QB for the Bucs-I can understand his unwillingness to play for a coach he cannot respect. He’s also a man.