Ode to Dreams

In honor of football season, I've selected some special music for the blog for this week. Please un-mute your computer and turn up the volume as you read the previous post.

The Power of Conversation

Conversations happen all the time. They occur in virtually every corner of the world; they are quite common. Sometimes, though, we may fail to realize the potential value of something so utterly ordinary. Sunday I had several unrelated conversations at church, each of which with special significance in its own right. Taken together, they seemed to act as a neon sign saying, "Pay attention! You've got something to learn here!"

1. On the way to Bible study I ran into a dear woman whose husband passed away this week. Though I was a bit shocked to see her there so soon, I went and gave her a hug and expressed our love and concern for her. She mentioned her appreciation, and then we relived a few good memories. It was a short moment, but it occurred to me that this sort of love and support is exactly what compeled her to get up and make the drive to church just 2 days after her husband's funeral.

2. Walking out the door, I passed one of our welcome team members. I don't know this man well, but I felt prompted just to let him know that I appreciated him serving in this way, and what a big help his service was to our guests. He seemed genuinely touched. He found me 2 days later to thank me personally for my word of encouragement.

3. In the hall, I ran into a woman whose son got back from Iraq months ago and is now preparing to go to Afghanistan in the near future. She asked that I remember to pray for the situation in that part of the world, that peace would come. She obviously bore the kind of burden I have never experienced, and she needed to share it with her church family.

4. After the service, I got to speak and pray with a friend having a particularly difficult challenge. When I asked how he was doing, he tested the waters to see if I really wanted to know. When I demonstrated my genuine concern, he invited me to join him in the struggle.

5. On my way out, I ran into a man who just started coming to our church earlier in the summer. He's had some tough times, and when he first showed up, he didn't look like he "belonged" in church. We talked and I showed him to a seat in the worship service. The next week he was back, and we got to talk again. This past week, he thanked me for welcoming him and speaking to him, explaining that he's not been good at relating to people throughout his life. He's now found a church home and is growing relationally as well as spiritually.

Frankly, this past Sunday was not the norm; too often I tend to focus on the next thing I need to get done. The Lord really used these examples to remind me that He works in those ordinary conversations, using ordinary folks like you and me to build His community of faith and expand his Kingdom.

Beijing: A Look to the Future

Like so many millions around the world, I was thoroughly drawn in by the 2008 Olympic Games, enthralled by the spectacles and inspired by the performances. In fact, never before have I been held with such rapt attention by an Olympiad. Perhaps it was the stunning Opening Ceremonies that captivated me so; possibly the Michael Phelps phenomenon is the reason for my unprecedented interest. Maybe I just finally realized the significance of the Olympics.

As I watched the Closing Ceremony last night, I was impressed at the wonder of such an event, not just in the remarkable artistic expressions, but in the global scope. For 17 days the nations of the world set aside their differences and had fun together. Certainly, the competition was fierce and national pride rose to new heights; yet, people came together and played games. Taiwanese athletes came to China to compete. The Putins and the Bushes sat in the bleachers together. And the little island nation of Jamaica wowed the world.

We saw that people really are people no matter what colors they wear. We heard shouts of celebration in languages we don't know, but we all could understand. We saw tears of heartache and disappointment, as well as tears of joy. We saw mistakes and failures, victories and stunning upsets. We saw fear and courage, sportsmanship as well as disrespect.

We also saw the yearning for more. Though with the Closing Ceremonies the politics and struggles of the world will again take center stage, we saw the hopeful vision of humanity expressed in Beijing. Deep down, we all long for that mysterious and majestic land, that place of wonder and delight. We long to peak inside the gates and get a look with our own eyes. We all long to gather with people from every tribe and nation and celebrate as never before. Yes, we long for something more.

Food for thought?

One of the great joys of American living is the countless number of buffets available around the country. One of the staples of our culture is the pizza buffet. From Chuck E. Cheese to CiCi's to Sbarro's, one can enjoy a multitude of styles, settings and economic tiers of pizza buffets in this great land of ours.

With that in mind, let me voice a deep disturbance in my mozzarella-loving soul: why are buffets always out of pepperoni pizza!?! Pizza buffets are among the most mismanaged arenas of consumption in the food service business. Think about it. Every time you go up for a slice of pepperoni, disappointment sets in as you see everything else but that which you were hoping to find. Oh, sure, there's always plenty of Canadian bacon and pineapple, an abundance of hamburger, and several slices of vegetarian. Not a sliver of beloved pepperoni.

Let me raise my voice on behalf of my fellow pie-obsessors. Pizza-pushers, lend me your ears! Is it really that hard to get it right? It's simple supply and demand. We demand pepperoni at the buffet; it's your job to supply us with the goods. Keep your trendy, creative attempts on the menu for those who enjoy a taste of the bizarre. I for one will stick to the classic.

Canoe Trip

This week I got to serve as Camp Pastor for a Men's (and Young Men's) Wilderness Canoe Trip. We headed down south for 3 days on the San Marcos River. It was a blast! A few of the guys had virtually no paddling experience, but by the end of the week, we all safely navigated some class 3 whitewater in our two-man canoes. All told, we ended up traveling 20 miles down the river.

On the more meaningful side of things, we spent our time focusing on Peter's call from Jesus to "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." All of the guys, young and old, responded well and were a great encouragement. Thanks for inviting me, guys!

(I'd love to post a picture, but we didn't take any. Ah, the freedom of an all-male excursion!)

Insights from a Homeowner

Just a few changes I've noticed about myself since we officially put down roots:

1. I have the superhero ability to notice every imperfection, even if it doesn't exist.

2. All I really wanted for my birthday was rain (and I got it!). I'm asking for the same thing for Labor Day and Christmas.

3. Having profanity-laced dreams about others breaking things in our house; starting to wonder about my mental health.

4. My slob instinct seems to have dissipated.

5. Blogging has become a much smaller priority.

And so we came to Rome

I've been waiting to post some pictures from my 4th of July weekend. Hopefully, I'll still get to that in the future. In the mean time, I would like to share an insight I received yesterday while doing my Bible reading.

Acts 28 records the last leg of Paul's trip to Rome, culminating in the simple statement at the end of verse 14, "And so we came to Rome." I've read through the book of Acts several times, and so I know that I've rushed past this particular verse before, without so much as a moment to ponder its power. Yesterday, however, I remembered that earlier in chapter 23 the Lord promised Paul that he would one day testify about Jesus in Rome. Acts 28:14 is the statement of fulfillment for that promise...3 years later.

When the Lord Jesus appeared to Paul and promised that he would preach in Rome, Paul had no idea that he would first spend two years in prison; that he would first share his faith with 3 Roman governors; that he would first be shipwrecked; that he would first declare God's promise to save all 276 passengers aboard that doomed ship; that he would first spend 3 more months ministering to the people on the island, and that only then would he be allowed to go to Rome.

We may hear the promise of God or sense where He may be leading us, but rarely do we realize the places He will take us along the way.