I don’t think I’ll ever walk outside the front door again. Yesterday Amy informed me that a big black snake noticed her as she came in from getting the mail. As I went out to look in the yard, I saw nothing. That is until out of the corner (or middle, perhaps it was the middle) of my eye, the black racer suddenly earned its name. It raced toward the front door where Amy was haplessly standing. It literally footed (‘inch’ isn’t a good word, it was moving too fast) right over Amy’s feet. It could have bit her if it wanted. And I’ve heard they can.

Amy jumped inside as it tried to literally come through the door. Then it turned its attention to me, heading straight toward me at about 45 mph. Easily that fast. I yelled out for help, or back-up, and ran for the garage.

We both survived this brief scare and our heart rate dropped down to normal exercise levels after 15 minutes. Fortunately Connar was inside with Grandma and slept through it all. Gosh I hate snakes.

I found him again and watched him as he slithered through to the back of the yard. I should have ‘shoveled’ him to death. But I guess he eats rats or something like that. He better eat his weight in rats, or else it wouldn’t have been worth it to let him live. Gosh I hate snakes. Hope you can stay snake free.

Sometimes I feel like a politician. Let me explain. I have several folks in my church that seem to scour the internet, magazines, and other resources, and bring stuff to my attention. I’ve never been a politician before, but I think that they have like tons of people who work for them, always keeping them abreast on what’s happening. Maybe I’m wrong. But they sure do have such teams on movies. Anyhow, one such folk who sends me updates throughout the week, sent this link to me a week or so ago.

It’s from the Colbert Report. N.T. Wright, an Anglican bishop, wrote a book called Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the mission of the Church. Colbert invited him on his show to discuss it. Click here to see the clip. You really ought to do so. Its both humorous and truthful.

I would not direct anyone to N.T. Wright to gain insight into the issue of “justification.” However, when it comes to a picture of heaven, resurrection, and the responsibility of the church to be engaged in building the Kingdom, I think he hits it on the nose. At least that’s what others I trust have told me. And certainly what he says in this clip seems to be “Wright on.” Sorry I had too. I really did. A muse was holding me at proverbial gunpoint, and looking quite trigger happy. Really.

Richard Pratt, a professor of mine, taught a lot of the same stuff about the kingdom as N.T. Wright, and did so without questioning the standard understanding of justification. And since he’s not a Brit, he gives it a baseball analogy (which I can’t expect from a cricket person). Heaven is like third base and the New Heavens and New Earth are the home plate: final destination for all believers.

In summary, I think Wright does a fantastic job getting this message out to the “masses,” fighting against the short time allotted him and Colbert’s intermittent disruptions (which do make it funny.) It’s worth your 5 minutes.

I went over to a friends apartment Sunday evening. She was having a housewarming party for her new place (which is why you have housewarming parties). Obviously I couldn’t pass up this chance to support her in her hospitality. That’s one of the drums I tirelessly beat.

So I got the OK from Amy and Connar to head over there for a bit. After some time, most folks had left with the exception of a smattering of youth and young adults. For some reason we began to talk about movies. And talk we did. I gained some more insight into Lars and Real Girl and got some recommendations for some other movies.

Then I realized that movies were one thing that this group of folks had in common. It wasn’t fishing. It certainly wasn’t football, or Rays baseball for that matter. Though it should be, since they just beat the evil chowder heads.

It was movies. I realized then that I probably needed to be more aware of what my flock, and my generation, was watching. Two thoughts. At least its not 3 points, like most of my sermons!

1.) I need to be know how to minister the timeless truth of the gospel to my particular cultural setting. Seeing movies and how folks interact with them aids in that process.

2.) Sometimes football is the great equalizer. Dudes can sit and talk about it for a while. But in my setting, football hasn’t been a big connecting point within my church. Yet no one (ages 16-30) was quiet on the topic.

My time that evening really challenged me to be not only a better interpreter of scripture but of my culture. One can’t have any impact if he/she does not become students of both.

Now if I were in Berkely, California, like some pastors I know, I would probably need to read more than watch. It is a highly intellectual post-Christian area and would require my reading stack to look differently than it does here. The pastors there are always referencing books I’ve never heard of. But they wouldn’t do the same thing if they were planting a church in Bradenton.

But since I live here, and now that Amy and I are fairly sequestered, I plan on renting a number of movies. My biggest problem is returning them on time….

BTW-when I got home to watch my Dateline special, I found this little joker in MY seat. I had to let it slide. This time.

Tonight, Monday June 30th, marks the first time the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays play since their infamous brawl a few weeks back. To make matters worse, Coco Crisp, who started the whole fracas, appealed his suspension and had it reduced from 7 games to 5 games. While a Rays player who was barely involved in the incident, received a 3 games suspension losing his appeal. Not really sure how that works.

Crisp will be serving his suspension, and wisely so, during this series. MLB has sent extra security to the game to stop any extra curricular activity. It should be fun to watch.

Adding fuel to the fire is a quote from one of the Boston pitchers: “Payback is a b%$*%.”

A few things. While sometimes I think it would be cool to be a professional athlete, I’m not sure I would be able to keep my cool and honor Christ in times such as these. I know my wife would attest. So I’m glad I’m not a professional baseball player. Or basketball, or football player for that matter. It would be harder in those more contact sports.

Another thing is simply a question: when will it end? I would have thought that an all out team fight would have ended the bad blood. But it certainly hasn’t. These teams will be hating each other for years. While it does make for exciting baseball (drama always does, though this is more like an action film), it does raise a question: when will bad blood end? What will it take?

The Jews and Palestinians will never not have bad blood. Neither will other violent racist groups. Forgiveness really can’t happen without some sort of payment; and neither side can afford to pay it. It’s a perennial “I got you last” game. No one likes to be hit last. We can’t leave it at that. Unless there is an atoning sacrifice.

And Paul believes that sacrifice has a racial and relational component, writing “for he himself is our peace, who has made us (Jews and Gentiles) both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility….” So if Christ is the common ground, there is hope because He has paid the price. He was the one who was “hit last.” And so the “I got you last game” can end. If only more Christians believed that.

Right now, as I’m writing this, I’ve reached a new level of multi-tasking. I’m blogging with my 4 week-old on my lap. That is until he wakes up. I’m not that good yet.

I preached last week on the Parable of the Seeds and the Sower. If you want to listen to it, click here. Anyhow, I thought about illustrating the seeds that fell on rocky ground with some well known folks. In the parable, these seeds fell on rocky soil, and had no roots. When hardship came, they withered away.

There have been some famous folks who have received the gospel message with joy at first, but then they seemed to have departed the faith (either through lifestyle or profession). Darryl Strawberry, my favorite baseball player at the time (also the player whose swing I modeled my left handed wiffle-ball swing after) had a huge conversion experience but since has been through several wives, numbers of arrests, and drug and alcohol treatments. Yet I researched him the other day and found he had started an autistic foundation. I think he’s still involved in a church.

Bob Dylan was another one who came to mind. He had the conversion experience and even recorded several gospel albums and used to preach at people in concert. Yet he retreated from this upfront Christian persona, and left to join some Jewish study group some years later. However, in a 2003 interview he explained that he had studied with this group as a Christian. Apparently he still performs some of his Christian songs in concert. Now I would rather hear him read than hear him sing. Certainly the best and most prolific song writer the world has known, Dylan’s voice has not aged like wine. I’d say its been more like milk.

Regardless it was encouraging to see that these two still professed faith. After researching them, I realized they would have made bad illustrations. And besides, the debate over whether or not their faith is legitimate faith is not our debate. According to the parable, the good seeds will land on fertile soil and there will be fruit. Though they may turn away for a time, they will persevere until the end. So if they are truly believers, they will repent and believe until the end. The same expectation we should have with ourselves.

A few weekends ago I watched a movie called Lars and the Real Girl. Its a different movie. Very different. But quite clever. Ryan Gosling’s character is a little loopy in the ahead and very aloof. That is, until he orders a life sized doll named Bianca who he begins to seriously date. And interact with. Seriously.

The reaction of this small northern town is surprisingly positive. Different folks have different reactions, but overall there is a beautiful picture of community. I highly recommend this movie. Its even fairly clean as far as I can remember.

However a few thoughts ran through my mind throughout this clever, yet bizarre movie: is it loving to go along with something that is simply not true (a doll being real)? If I were a bit messed up in the head (a bit MORE messed up than I am now) and I brought home a doll for a fishing partner (I’m already married so let’s nix that scenario) would you go along with it? Would there be certain circumstances which would mitigate certain responses? Would it be loving to go along with it for a certain time? Indefinitely? Forever? Would you suspend the truth for a time-if I couldn’t handle the truth at that time-and patiently bear with my idiosyncrasy?

Just some thoughts which popped into my head. If you’ve seen the movie, please respond. Even if you haven’t, go for it. But I do highly recommend it, for whatever that recommendation is worth. Even Christianity Today ranked it among their top 10 redeeming movies of 2007. Click here to read a review.

And if your name is Sonia, and haven’t seen the baby pictures, click here.

Yesterday marked something new in my life. I was too tired to fish. Amy said, “Don’t you want to get out and fish in the morning?” After the 2:45 am feeding, I had no gas left in the tank. I chose sleep over fishing. I can’t remember the last time that happened. I really can’t. Will this be a new trend for me? Perhaps as long as it takes to get Connar sleeping through the night, or at least simply sleeping period. Though he did sleep after the 12:45 am feeding last night, so maybe there’s fishing still in my future…

Since I didn’t kayak fish, I had some extra energy to spend doing yard work and working out. I brought my Ipod and listened to a sermon by Jean Larroux, pastor of Lagniappe Pres in Bay St. Louis, MS (where we went on our mission trip). He’s probably the best preacher I’ve heard, being passionate, illustrative, and concise. He has been preaching through a series on The Lord’s Prayer, and this one is on “Your Kingdom Come.”

His sermons are the perfect length to listen to on the computer or Ipod (only 25 minutes or so). So if you have a spare 25 minutes, I would highly encourage this one. It was quite challenging for me and much better than my sermon on the kingdom!

Click the link here to go to the church’s podcast, and then click on “Your Kingdom Come.” However all of them are great.

On Saturday I watched my brother run a triatholon. Watching people run/swim/bike is unique. It is one of the few times where there is actually more fun in spectating than there is in participating. At least from where I stood.

Anyhow, the organization of the event (by Sarasota cops) was a step below “incredibly poor.” There were no mile markers, bikes were spread out all over the place, and there was no map of the running route.

That lead to a few problems. The huge Red Bull arc was placed not at the finish line but instead just off the beach, about 1/6 mile from the finish. So people like my brother were encouraged by volunteers to sprint to a “finish line” that wasn’t even the finish line.

But the worst part was the fact that the home stretch overlapped with another part of the course. So as my brother was about to actually finish the race, he was instructed to go “another loop” by a volunteer. A different volunteer he talked to had no clue, so my sister-in-law and I actually had to chase him down in flip-flops and instruct him that he simply needed to cross the actual finish line.

Untrained volunteers made the run and race harder and longer than it actually was. No one needs to make tri-atholons any harder than they are. At least I would assume that’s the case.

That’s what folks have always done with the gospel. People have always tried to make the Christian life harder than it is (and its plenty hard without folks adding to it). It started with circumcision in Galatia and I’m sure each following generation has its own attempt to burden those young in the faith. (alcohol, schooling, specific child rearing, cultural retreatism, etc….)

But loving the Lord God with all of our heart, mind, strength and neighbor as ourselves is a 24-7 job. And not easy. Folks that try to add to it are actually forgetting these ‘simple’ words of Jesus. Why would anyone want to make the Christian life harder than it already is?

I have to brag on my Grandma. She’s probably the most loving and self-less person I know. She’s amazing. Yesterday she came down from St. Pete to give Amy a respite. And of course Connar blessed her with a few “blow-ups.” Not sure exactly where those ‘blow-ups’ landed. But since she arrived wearing a wetsuit, I think she was prepared. Actually she wore normal clothes, but was prepared nonetheless.

Anyhow, she has continually served us since we’ve moved to Bradenton. Often she would drive down once a week or every other week to help Amy out in her classroom. While she does live in a condo in St. Pete, with many 55 + neighbors, she has refused to adopt that secluded private 55+ retirement mentality.

She serves her church. Even helps out with refreshments at VBS. She is actually committed, not leaving when others have left. She serves her grandkids. But why do all these things, and just have everyone serve her? I mean, she is a widow. She wouldn’t have it any other way. She finds great joy in serving. She actually wants to hold my screaming, crying baby. Not just when he is cute, quiet, and easy.

Her service is really a win-win. It blesses us. But it also blesses her. She finds her life by giving it away, which is what Jesus promised. And that’s really the most joyful way to live, not to mention the only option that Jesus really gives us. Its a delight to see my Grandma serving us. Not simply because she is serving us (though that’s priceless), but because Jesus is continually filling her with joy.

And that’s the way serving others can be. So here’s to all of you 55+ who have continued serving faithfully (folks do notice it) and setting a good example for us young whipper-snappers. Though someone who can’t wear a visor without getting his head sunburn probably shouldn’t go by whipper-snapper. I hope we all can feel as blessed in our serving as my Grandma does.