Hey, it's the 25th Anniversary of being Minnesota State Curling Junior Champions!

I was just reminiscing here tonight, and realized that I am coming up on a major milestone. No lie, 25 years ago this next January I, along with 3 other good high school friends, won the coveted State Junior Curling Championship of Minnesota! Here's proof (look at 1982). What, never heard of the 2nd fastest game on ice ever? I'll pray for you.

What a great thought...

I'm taking a class in The History of Christian Preaching, so if you are a reader of this blog, you will find I will be dropping a few of my new friends quotes here and there. I came across this one, and I think it is profound, especially as we worry about all the things we are trying to do for God in our lifetime. If you trust in the absolute sovereignty of God, then Thomas Fuller's 17th Century quote gives you complete comfort:

"God’s children are immortal while their Father has anything for them to do on earth.”

Dude, for a heart like this!

“I need more grief, I plainly need more of it. I am far from that which I ought to have. I can sin much! I cannot repent much. My dryness! My dryness! Woe unto me! Would that I had such grief, or even more! But of myself I cannot obtain it. I am parched, I am parched like a potsherd [pottery fragment]. Woe is me! Thou, O Lord, O Lord, a fountain of tears. Give me a molten heart.”

~Lancelot Andrewes, from his devotional, Private Devotions.

Simply put, let's VOTE out cats

Why do we have cats? I have no idea what it is about them, but they simply HATE me! Every cat I have ever known has hated me with a passion. They hiss at me. Try to bite me. Purposefully look at me in a most disrespectful "I hate you, scumball" glance. Won't come and play, but just mock me with those "YOU go and get the ball, stupid" look when I throw it for them.

One of my very first memories in life is having my arms completly scratched up by a mad cat who didn't like me playing with it. To this day, I still have no idea what is wrong with the game "Pull the Cat's Tail Really, Really Hard." Why can't we all pass a UN resolution to just simply rid the entire planet of the things... I mean, if we live in such a civil society that we can vote out Pluto as a planet, create a coffeemaker that grinds AND brews our coffee, couldn't we figure out a way to have a catless society?

The best post EVER on the internet is from my friend Rebekah. Someone has to go to the powers that be and make this happen. We need an international relief effort to rid ourselves of this cancer.

I have the same problem in our neighborhood that Rebekah has. Cats everywhere. Breeding to make more cats. Thinking they own the place, especially all of my potted plants as their personal Port-a-Potty. Fighting with one another in the streets at 200dbs this past summer on a bi-weekly basis...(I'm serious, it's LOUD at 2am! I thought someone was being mugged in front of my house).

For all of those who love cats, let me just say this: your cat is fine - it's the rest of the entire world that I would like to root them out of. Yours are neat, playful and fun. The rest are pure evil.

I sure wish someone would have told me this when I had youngens!

My response to Andy

Andy (and all),

I now know why I am considering becoming Amish...

Whatever happened to just the old "family camping trip?" Or going fishing? Or talking with a group of friends? Or going hunting? Why is our vast prosperity leading us into more and more need for elaborate escapes from the realities of life?

I say this as I personally struggle with engaging in and understanding our current American culture so I might win some. I struggle with this. I own a larger home than my parents ever did, enjoy perks of living in the 21C (like the personal computer I am typing on now - and it's fast too, God forbid I would have to wait 1 extra second per web page...) and am remodeling my basement for a place for family and friend hangouts. I take a swing at our consumerism culture and find my self hitting myself square in the nose... I hate and love our American choices.

I think this is why I have fallen in love with fly fishing as of late. Its me, a river, a trout, and deciding who is smarter (I won't tell you who normally wins...) However, even as I went to a midwest fly fishing expo this spring, you can spend literally thousands of dollars on gear, trips, training, etc. Sigh... I thought this was to escape all of this, and yet there it is again.

I think part of it is that we are so stressed out living the incredibly fast paced life we live (mostly due to our consumerism and technology) that we will pay ANYTHING just for some rest (or what we percieve to be rest.) For instance, I bought a really nice chair to put in my bedroom a year ago SO THAT I would have a niche in the corner to read my Bible and pray. Not that this is wrong - I think it was a good decision - but it highlights the whole issue. I have in my wallet a card that goes behind my credit card that says: GOD HAS MADE ME A STEWARD OF HIS RESOURCES. Good reminder every time I pull that puppy out.

There is a fine, but very definate line, between ENJOYING things and experiences (1 Timothy 6:17) and WORSHIPPING things (Matthew 6:19-24). God help us all!

Help us, o guru of consumerism, Professor of Philosopy and stuff! What say you? As we rub the belly of this budda, what can you give to us to empower us? Heal our land and our habits!

I loved the description of the class. I'm sure it was life changing for those students, and a great reminder for you. However, American culture will quickly suck all the life out of their learning without the "eternal vigilance which is the price of freedom..."

Hope all is well with you out there in "fly over country." It is beautiful these days in MN. Will you be around at all this summer?

Take care, my friend,

Trike

An email from my friend Andy

Steve, Stan, and other friends at Hope,

When I was at Bethel, I started developing a course to go look at consumerism in Las vegas and Los Angeles, and once I got to Creighton I kept working on that plan and now I've completed my first version of that class, so I thought I'd tell you a little about the 18 day class. (I sent parts of this to other friends too)

The class was on how business and development affect culture and society, focusing on Las Vegas and Los Angeles, with a camping trip to Grand Canyon and later to Joshua tree national park. Issues we focused on were how business transforms and affects our values, and our vision of what the good life is; how development makes the quality of life better or worse for people in terms of new places to live and play, and the resulting sprawl, traffic issues, and ways to deal with that (public transport, smart growth, etc). We also thought about water issues, since we spent a lot of time in the southwest. Environmental issues were considered also.

We visited with city leaders in Las Vegas, LA, Boulder City Nevada and Ventura California. We visted companies in the LV and LA areas, talked with CFOs, managers, workers, a showgirl, an artist, a film critic, a hollywood historian, a biologist working on preserving wetlands fromdevelopment, a farmer near LA, firefighters, and a lot of other people.

Our focus was to consider consumerism, hyperreality creation and the commodification of values.

Consumerism: how people are encouraged to find their identity through consuming things: Vegas entertainment, Vegas commodities (Gucci Bags at Ceasars or Wynn Casino, purchasing bigger houses, ferrarris, hummers, LA hollywood consumerism, the materialism at Santa monica, Newport beach, etc...) Shopping centers are temples to this religion... Happiness comes through the act of consumption-- at restaurants, movies, bars, stores, taxis, etc etc...

Hyperreality: virtual realities which we create which are 'better' than reality: TV and Movies which present idealized realities which don't actually exist, edited versions of reality through the news, etc., cleaned up versions of reality like the 'grand canyon experience' on the disneyland railroad, or The Venetian casino, where the canals are filtered and chlorinated and the ceilings always have blue sunny skies with beautiful fluffy white clouds..much nicer than the original Venice, which is fairly dirty and has gross canal water.... and there are simulacrum as well-- realities which purport to be representations of another reality, but which actually have no real original-- like Cartoonland at Disneyland, where they have recreated a city which is based on fantasy (cartoon) or Excaliber casino, which is a replica of King Aurthurs Court-- something which previously only existed in legend and lore. Or consider the life of Celine Dion: Living in a Mansion on the artificial lake in the desert called "Las Vegas Lake" (as unnatural as a Sahara Sea or Death Valley Swim park) she is helicoptered daily to her workplace: a Roman Colloseum at Ceasars Palace, where she has a replica of part of her house so that when her son comes with her to work he won't feel like he isn't at home. Celine's life is a world of hyperreality, where experience is fantasy and the true reality is covered over in fiction.

COMMODIFICATION of values: the ways in which business finds ways to associate commodities with your values, so that to maintain those values, you must purchase commodities. For example: purchasing a $69 pass to Disneyland for each of your kids plus yourself becomes an essential part of the american family experience (plus the hotel stay, and really good parents will also provide the park-hopper pass so that the california park can also be experienced, etc etc) and when you are that close to Hollywood, a good parent would pay $50 more for a universal studios pass un in Burbank. To be entertained you NEED to lose money on the floor in Vegas, preferably at one of the nicer places, where you can have a "real vegas experience" in the standard 700 sq foot rooms. THis is entertainment, and now that Vegas has been dubbed the American City, this is an essential AMerican experience-- it is, in fact, an essential experience for anyone who wants to understand America, which is why it is filled with foreigners trying to understand America better. (It is, of course, the American which the 911 terrorists were fighting against-- an america of cheap easy sex without penalty, lavish opulence, no spiritual concern in the midst of total materialistic pleasure) In LA, it is essential to buy breast implants to be beautiful, the latest styles feel fit to be seen on the street, cars and gasoline to go to work, buy food, get home, see friends-- any movement at all requires purchasing a vehicle and gasoline, at the very least--- And then simply providing a house for your family where your two kids get their own room will likely cost well over 500,000...

So, thats a bit of what the class was about. It went well, and I look forward to doing it again next year. I think I will have them read: The Walmart Effect, The Tipping Point, Fast Food Nation and parts of THe World Is Flat, among other things.

I think that as Christians we often don't realize the ways in which our consumer culture affects our values. This class helped me think more seriously about that.

Hope your summer is going well so far. I'd love to hear from you, and hope to visit sometime this summer.

Andy

Happy Birthday to me!

Last night, Cor and I had a great opportunity to hang out with about 25 people from Macalaster College who love Jesus Christ. We were invited to come and share at the MCF (Mac Christian Fellowship) and it was great to see such a great turnout at a school that has prided itself in the past when it departed from it's Christian and Presbyterian roots in the 70's. Way to go, God!

Cor started the evening by asking for everyone's name, their major, and to share when it was that they started to take God seriously. Great questions, and it opened up some students to sharing some cool things about their lives and spiritual journeys with Jesus.

I didn't even realize it until my friend Leonard emailed me about 5 minutes ago this morning to remind me that it was today, at 6:30am in a shower stall on the fourth floor of Frontier Hall way back in 1983 that Jesus Christ became relevent to me. So, today marks my 23rd "spiritual birthday". You think I would know something by now... God is just too good and patient to be my friend.

I am very aware that not everyone has a "date" or time that they can say that is when they decided to follow Jesus. When did I fal in love with Carole? When did I decide to go to the U of M? When did we decide to have children. Most decisions are a long pattern at first questioining and then a series of processes, and when the exact decision is made is most likely over a long period of time of working through the issues. Most people that I have known have come to know and love Jesus Christ in this way.

However, I don't do things the way most people do... I pretty much had my questioning, processing and decision time all wrapped up into that 45 minute shower that morning. I know this: I went into that shower with serious angst regarding my uncertainty about where I stood with Jesus, and I left knowiwng that I had settled the issue.

Too bad I have become a Baptist in my theology of baptism...otherwise that shower might have counted!

On another note, it is my wife's birthday (physical) today! Kinda cool that on the day when I was born again into the kingdom, she was celebrating her birthday into the world. I love you, babe, and am so blessed to be your "main sqeeze" [anyone under 30, do a google search on what that means]. By the way, we are WAY past the time when we are counting the number of candles on the cake!! Happy Birthday, baby!

Trike

I know this is a spoof...

...but it is just too hilarious! Especially the line that explains the features of this game, "With network play enabled, you can steal members from other churches and earn points just like you saved them yourself." The description to this game is below. Perhaps we should go into the gaming business with church! Why not - to many Mega Church pastors, isn't really a game anyway?

Here's the description:

Features
Imagine if you could create the church you wanted, any way you wanted.
Put together a worship service exactly the way YOU want: hymns, no hymns, drums, no drums. Are you from Wisconsin, start Polka Mass! Start a building campaign, ask for donations.
Be the next Joel Osteen as you play Mega Church.
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #378 in Computer & Video Games (See Top Sellers in Computer & Video Games)
Yesterday: #131 in Computer & Video Games
Shipping Information: View shipping rates and policies
Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
ASIN: B000B659FE
Dimensions: 5.40 inches x 1.50 inches x 7.50 inches
Date first available at Amazon: August 24, 2005
Average Customer Review: Based on 9 reviews. Write a review.

Product Description
Pastor a simulated church and create your own Christian empire
Build a church from the ground up
Hire and fire staff
Deal with idiots, naive volunteers, and denominational egos
Attract fickle unchurched people with Bingo, revival meetings or fasting--it is all up to you!
Select a pre-loaded community
Xurban or suburban church plant (for those who want it easy or just starting out)
Or pastor an inner-city, multi-ethnic 80 year old church with 50 members and $1 million mortgage debt (for those who really want a challenge)
Choose a denomination (Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal plus many more obscure factions)
Or load a brand new emergent plug-in
Take weekly offerings and go over budget
Start your own radio or cable-access show
Attend the latest conference to hone your skills
Implement the latest ministry fad
Review weekly attendance and giving records
Earn points with God by winning souls for Christ
With network play enabled, you can steal members from other churches and earn points just like you saved them yourself.
The possibilities are endless! To grow your church, work on all the strategic variables,

Write a mission statement
Choose a logo
Get a billboard
Hire a professional musician
Buy plasma television for your PowerPoint presentations
Prayer, study and preparation get thrown in there too--and the mysterious (or fickle) will of God! Deal with real-life scenarios including,

Troublesome board members
Elderly donor who wants to buy a new organ
A son starts using drugs
Your trusted deacon sleeps with your secretary
The city starts a construction in front of your building
Offering stolen
Denominations and Bible colleges use it to prepare potential church planters or associate pastors. It is better than an internship!

Do it all without a degree, license or even the Bible! Just like Joel Osteen

Proverbs 23 to 31

I really enjoyed this "doing a book of the Bible together" thing. It was fun, and I plan to do another book together in May. Anyway, I had a bunch going on here at the end of the month and didn't get my postings in. Here's my verses from Proverbs 23-31:

4 Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. (Proverbs 23:4, NIV).

29 Do not say, “I’ll do to him as he has done to me; I’ll pay that man back for what he did.” (Proverbs 24:29, NIV).

9 If you argue your case with a neighbour, do not betray another man’s confidence, 10 or he who hears it may shame you and you will never lose your bad reputation. (Proverbs 25:9, 10, NIV).

7 Like a lame man’s legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. (Proverbs 26:7 and 9, NIV).

14 If a man loudly blesses his neighbour early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. (Proverbs 27:14, NIV).

14 Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble. (Proverbs 28:14, NIV).

11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. (Proverbs 29:11, NIV).

7 “Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: 8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:7-9, NIV).

8 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. 9 Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8, 9, NIV).

Hoping to become wise by living according to his word,
Trike

Jesus on a Tortilla Chip? Only in America

Check this out, if you need a laugh (but you have to do it soon - as the auction ends this next Friday and will only be posted for 30 more days)

Proverbs 22 - keeping your name

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (Proverbs 22:1, NIV).

In this age of "do whatever it takes to get ahead" very little is mentioned anymore about the value of your word, or keeping your name honorable. What am I doing right now to keep my "name" honorable for generations to come, so my great, great grandchildren have something honorable to look upon with a good memory? O Lord, you are the only one who can keep my name good, and you do it for the glory of Your Name!

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (Psalms 23:1-3, NIV).

Trike

Proverbs 21 - Marital Discord

Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. (Proverbs 21:9, NIV).

I'm sure this one could go both ways, husband or wife, but I couldn't resist the picture.

Trike

PS - this passage is NOT my experience. I am married to a wonderful, loving, kind, beautiful, caring and godly woman. (Is that how you wanted me to write that, honey?)

Proverbs 20 - the wisdom it takes to counsel others

The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. (Proverbs 20:5, NIV).

Lord, give me the wisdom, patience, and courage to be a friend to those who are needing me to "dive deep" with them. Lord, give others the same as they dive into my "deep waters" to help me become more like You. It will be painful, but the reward of You is worth it!"

Trike

Proverbs 19 - Disciplining children

Yes, I am back... for those of you who were following this daily, I apologize for the weeklong silence - we took a needed R and R trip to San Diego with the Chmieleski family. And it was wonderful! I really enjoyed hanging out, playing cards, swimming in the pool (ocean was about 33° F!) and going to Sea World. My kids favorite was a night at Dave and Busters, an INCREDIBLE video arcade that has all the latest and greatest games. Good times, and good memories.

I am caught up on my Proverbs reading, and will be catching up here online with you all as quickly as I can. From Proverbs 19, verse 18 hit me:

Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death. (Proverbs 19:18, NIV).

I know there has been a lot written about disciplining children, and it is not my intention to enter into a wild discussion about spanking here. However, biblically, disciplining and punishing children FOR THEIR GOOD is a common theme. Never is abusing, beating, or excessively carrying out anger condoned. Never is punishing a child because you are angry and need to lash out at them acceptable.

However, it is also not okay biblically to simply "reason" with a child. Children are not "reasonable" in the sense that you can rationally communicate truth to them. They need clear, loving, and certain boundaries. One thing my principal told me when I was an eighth grade teacher I have never forgotten. He said, "It is not the severity of the punishment, it is the certainty of it." That has been my philosophy with my kids since then. Kids do not need severity, but loving, certain, clear boundaries.

This proverb even goes so far as to say that if you don't provide these boundaries, you are contributing to him or her becoming a fool, and you become a "willing party to his death." Wow!

Trike

Proverbs 18 - Pride

Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. (Proverbs 18:12, NIV).

I fully believe that God has designed the human heart to run most effectively and sufficiently on Him. He is the one who is our "gas" for our tanks. He is the one who will satify the deepest longings of our hearts. He is the one who we were designed to worship - and not just for his own purposes. No, we are most satisfied and happy in life when we are in a dependent, loving, worshipful relationship with God. He gets the glory! We get the joy! Simple, yet incredibly important point that I need to remind myself of every day.

The pastor of the church where Hope was born, John Piper, has written very effectively about this. My favorite of all of his books is one of his first - "The Supremacy of God in Preaching". The title makes it sound like it is a book about preaching, but it is not at all really. It is a book about God, and how he desires to be the center of our lives. This desire of God to be glorified and our desire to be satisfied ARE NOT in conflict - they are beautifully harmonious.

However, each one of us is also hardwired by the great fall of our ancient ancestors (Adam and Eve) into thinking we can become self-suffient. We say to God, "No thanks, I've got it taken care of - I can fill myself up with accomplishments, family, sex, TV, March Madness, porn, and a whole host of other things. The god I have created in my own image is much better than the real deal because I am in control of this one."

The reality is, however, this "god" NEVER satisfies. As much as I struggle with all the things in life that I try to substitute for God, I know (and I am convinced all people do) that it never satisfies. Mick Jagger sings it. You can hear it on any secular love song, or especially any country song. The Beatles said, "All we need is love" and then they broke up. [Little Larry Norman quote there for anyone paying attention.]

Piper says in his book, The Supremacy of God in Preaching

We take the mirror of God's image, which was intended to reflect his glory in the world, and turn our backs to the light, and fall in love with the countours of our own dark shadow, trying desparately to convince ourselves (with technological advances or management skills or athletic prowess or academic achievements or sexual exploits or counterculture hair styles) that the dark shadow of the iimage on the ground in front of us is really glorious and satisfying. And in our proud love affair with ourselves, we pour contempt (whether we know it or not!) on the worth of God's glory.

My we learn to be humble, get honor and give God glory.

Trike

PS - I'm hoping to be able to blog in San Deigo as part of a family R and R trip - but if not, I'll post a bunch when I get back next Thursday. Peace out, for his glory and our joy!

Proverbs 16 & 17 - a two for one day!

Been insanely busy here as we are preparing to go to San Diego as a family with the whole Chmieleski clan. This is going to be a great time of connecting as pastoral families, and to get some R&R in light of the recent events at Hope. We are all pumped to be going.

Anyway, here's the two proverbs that impacted me and that I am working on memorizing/meditating:

4 The LORD works out everything for his own ends--even the wicked for a day of disaster. (Proverbs 16:4, NIV).

15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent--the LORD detests them both. (Proverbs 17:15, NIV).

God is just. He allows nothing to pass by that will not receive his justice - nothing. In fact, that's why the cross is so scandelous to some - God HAD to pour out his wrath upon Jesus (Romans 3:15) in order for his justice to be satisfied. No, this is not "divine child abuse" because the son willingly laid down his life (John 10:18). These proverbs encourage me to know that God is just - he will punish all sins, including mine! That is why Jesus Christ is so very, very precious to me.

Trike

Proverbs 15:17 - Proof that South Beach is better than Atkins...

Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred. ~ Proverbs 15:17

Seriously, great proverb! Read it last night before I went to bed at about 2am, so that's why the late post.

Trike

Proverbs 14 - The privitization of the heart

Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no-one else can share its joy. ~ Proverbs 14:10

In these recent days, I have given a lot of thought regarding the beauty, wonder and danger of our heart. Proverbs 4:23 tells us that we are to "Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." From it can come all kinds of things - beauty, wonder, love, creativity (as I sit here at Dunn Brothers typing this, there is a elderly man pouring his heart into a pencil sketch of a young girl [his grand-daughter?] - it is wonderful!), passion, and kindness. However, as I have seen all too frequently from myself and others, out of this same place, "the heart" as proverbs calls it, can come evil beyond belief, unbridled anger, lusts that would make Hugh Hefner blush, and bitterness and unforgiveness that will burn in hole in us and everyone around us if we let it.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to believe that bitterness and unforgiveness will ruin your social life, and your health. In fact, there is a whole organization called A Campaign for Forgiveness Research committed to the study and promotion of forgiveness for the enhancement of life and well-being here. This secular organization has promoted studies that show, among many other things, that "studies show that letting go of anger and resentment can reduce the severity of heart disease and, in some cases, even prolong the lives of cancer patients."

Why then, do we allow our "secret heart" to turn so black? Why then do we constantly return to the 'vomit' of dark thoughts, bitterness, lust and incredible selfishness? Is there any hope for our darkened hearts?

Yes there is, and it quite simple - Paul states in 2 Corinthians 10:4, 5

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The answer is to allow the Spirit of God, through the Word of God to TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT and make it OBEDIENT TO CHRIST!! This requires a daily dose of God's word and prayer (a devotional life - what a concept!) that will free us from the bondage of the waywardness of our private hearts. Is there any dark parts of your (and my) heart that needs the light of Jesus to shine on it? Let it go... Let Jesus absolutely transform you... Simply confess it to him, and allow him to change you. Repeat this process as long as it takes to let it go and receive healing. Be diligent about your heart, because it WILL WANDER AWAY if you don't!

"O God of my heart, transform and change my private heart of darkness into a valley of flowering, obedient thoughts to You!"

Trike

Proverbs 13 - Hope

12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. ~ Proverbs 13:12

Just think if we would have named the church Deferred Hope Community Church...sorry, it's late and I'm tired...