Breaking the Silence

It has been seven weeks since my last post.

I don't have any good reasons for not posting. It's not like I haven't had anything to say. There has been plenty of opportunity to spend the necessary time to write an occasional post. Mostly, I just haven't felt like taking the time.

All-in-all, pretty poor excuses for a guy that perceives himself as a writer (or writer wannabe).

For some of the past few weeks, time has been the issue. I've had a couple of camp gigs, a few Sunday sermons to prepare and a fund raising show for a mission trip. Next week I'll be serving as camp pastor for a youth camp and really don't know if I'll have plenty of time to write or no time at all. I'm trying to get back to some book reading. (side note: I'm contemplating a tablet computer or Kindle Fire.) For now, I'm still pretty content to read an actual book, but there are advantages to a reader, too.

I'm not even going to attempt to catch up on all of the events that have happened over the last two months, that would be too much work. I'll just make the decision to get started again. 

I will say that a part of my not writing has been due to intentionally deciding to keep some of my opinions to myself. While I don't expect for everybody to agree with me on every topic, I also realize that it is not in my best interest to anger half (or more) of my friends that link to my rants from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or those that subscribe to my blog in some other manner. I'm pretty certain that previous rants have cost me opportunities to minister in a number of churches (even though I have never preached anything other than the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus and Jesus alone). I still believe that preaching is preaching and politics is politics. However, not everybody feels the same and some tend to believe that if we can't agree on one thing, we probably can't agree on anything else. 

I'll stop now before I get into trouble again.

I've been blogging for almost six years. I've only posted 17 times in a month four times--never more than that. 

As a personal exercise in writing, I'm going to try to post 18 times in a month during July. I'll apologize in advance for the nonsense that may show up and will make the effort to keep things positive and encouraging.

You've been warned...

I'm back!

John <><

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What Blessings Have I Missed?

After reading a story like the one that follows, I have to wonder what blessings, what ministry opportunities I've missed because of impatience. What would I have done if I was behind the wheel of that cab? Would I have driven on? Would I have hurried to the destination? Would I have missed the simple blessing of giving a moment of joy to another human being?

And am I missing blessings today because I am in too much of a hurry? Am I too focused on John that I'm missing the simple needs of the people that are silently waiting for a kind word or a kind touch?

If you are touched (or shamed) by this story, please share it.

John <><

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Full, but Unsatisfied

Do you ever get that feeling when you've been grazing or snacking because you want to eat something but don't really know what you want? Before you know it, you're full but you haven't satisfied yourself with anything that is good or good for you. You've eaten a bunch of garbage, you feel full but you wish that you had eaten something else. Then if something good does come to mind, it's too late. You're already full.

Yeah, I've done that -- too often.

It's easy to recognize when we do it in regards to food and feeding our bodies. I think that it's more difficult to recognize those same characteristics when it comes to feeding our intellect or our spirit but I believe that the same principles apply. If we load up on junk news, junk philosophy, junk theology, junk attitudes -- we just end up full of junk. Full, but unsatisfied.

We look to places like the news media --Fox News, CNN, MSNBC (pick your poison)--for our truth throughout the week, and then wonder why we're in conflict with what we hear in church on the weekend. We are willing to spend hours watching anything from sporting events to Ellen to a wide range of reality shows that take us from obese people losing weight to a race around the world, but we are unwilling to spend a few minutes each day reading our Bibles or even receiving a little intellectual stimulation from reading something from history or classic literature.

We allow the news events and the news reporters (along with politicians and preachers...Did I really just put those two in the same category?) to color our view of the world and that just gives us conflicting images of how our world is perceived by different people. I don't think that people are really interested in truth any more. I think that we just want to hear a truth that works for us. We've become spiritually obese and intellectually obese to go along with the physical obesity that plagues our country. We are fat and full (of something) but under nourished and under exercised. We've been filling our hearts and our minds with soft, fluffy junk (think Twinkies) and missing out on the good stuff.

I hear organizations like Focus on the Family and preachers like Richard Land get on the radio talking about a Christian world view and it makes me sick. I wish they would just call it what it is -- their own opinion, their own world view. In the fall of 2009 I wrote this piece expressing my thoughts on a "Christian world view." The comments on this blog weren't bad but I did receive some pretty harsh condemnation for my heresy in calling a Christian world view and oxymoron.

Perhaps the reason that these things come to mind is because I've slipped back into some old eating habits after a couple of months of doing pretty well. I can tell that my body reacts very negatively to junk food and pretty positively to good food. Sticking to good foods and appropriate portions takes some effort. The same is true for the spirit, the mind and the attitude. 

I'm going to take small positive steps in each area. Running a mile today would probably kill me. So I'm not going to. Reading the entire Old Testament today would probably put me to sleep. So I'm not going to do that either. 

But today...

I will eat no junk food.

I will get some exercise.

I will read some of my Bible.

I will have a good, positive attitude.

I will help a friend.

Yeah, this will be a good day. At the end of it, I hope to say that it was full and I am satisfied.

John <><

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Organized Religion: Is it an Oxymoron?

A short time ago, I wrote an article about church health. Since then, I've read a few more things and had several conversations with various people about churches, church organizations and about people that have been hurt by them. As a result, I've been thinking about the things that differentiate Christian denominations and about the things that bind us together. All-in-all, it's not a pretty picture. 

How can it be that the people that claim to follow the same God have so many different ways of following Him?  How can the readers of the same Bible be so different in their beliefs?

How is it that Christianity has fractured into so many different denominations that even non-denominational churches are like a denomination of their own?

One body of believers? I don't think so.

Different Christian denominations have some very different teachings and practices. I'm not talking about what kind of music they have or what day of the week they meet. I'm talking about everything from who is going to heaven (and how they get there) to the social practices and taboos of the organizations.

While all "Christian" denominations claim to be followers of Jesus, it would appear that He is leading us down different paths. There are some that believe that eternal life in heaven is attained through a personal commitment to trust Jesus as Savior and to follow His teachings. Others believe that you must have made the same commitment and be baptized. Some denominations emphasize works as a means of salvation. Some claim that works are evidence of salvation and some apparently think that good works are completely unnecessary and live lives that are void of any evidence of a change of heart.

Some denominations believe that the Holy Spirit resides in the hearts of all believers. Some believe in a second baptism of the Spirit. Some believe in the gift of tongues. Some explain it away as a misinterpretation of the Bible.

Some denominations have no problems with drinking alcohol and some even use it as a part of their worship. Others openly condemn the use of alcohol and harshly judge anybody that may have an occasional drink. 

Even though there are denominational leaders on both sides of the political spectrum and godly men and women that range from liberal to moderate to conservative (I know that some will say that's not possible), some church leaders and people still choose to judge a person's commitment to Jesus on the basis of how they vote or which political party they support. 

I wonder if "organized" religions will ever recognize how unorganized we appear to be.

Over the years, several ministers have expressed their frustrations by stating how they would just like to walk away from it all. 

...And some of them have done just that.

I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be a part of a completely authentic community of believers.

No denominational ties.

No organizational rules.

No ties to a building. 

No bondage to debt.

Just genuine followers of Jesus with only the Bible and the Holy Spirit to guide us.

I wonder...

John <><

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Good Things/Bad Things about a night at the races

Yesterday's night at the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland MO was a bit of a disappointment to me. There were plenty of good things about the evening, but also a few things that could have been better. And some things (like wind and technical difficulties) are not in our control.

I'd like to start by saying that the facility is a really nice place. If you're a race fan and in Missouri, you owe it to yourself to enjoy the races at the Lucas Oil Speedway. The staff was great! They did a lot to make sure that we had all of the things we needed for the night. I expected that the races would start with the singing of the National Anthem. I didn't expect that the Anthem would be preceded by a prayer!

The Speedway presented the local Raceway Ministries chapter with a nice donation to help fund their ministry. Then one of the guys from Find It Here ministries led the opening prayer, followed by the singing of The Star Spangled Banner. Well played, Lucas Oil!

I didn't have anything to do with the planning of the night's events and it was my first time to the races so I don't know if things were the way they were and there was little to be done about it or if there were just some things that could have been better planned and organized. We were given a great area to set up our games and tent, but I think that greeters at the entry points would have been helpful to direct people into the area and explain that it was a family area for everybody to enjoy. There were plenty of people that walked through the area and looked as they did, but they continued on without stopping to see what it was all about. The young people that were in charge of handing out the free bags of cotton candy did an excellent job of spotting the kids as they came into the area and making sure they got their treat.

I know there were several volunteers that came that didn't know how they might help and didn't know who to talk to about where they might be of service. It turned out that many of the people that were there in the event area were volunteers that didn't have a place to work. I know that lots of the people that came to my table were members at our churches because it came up in my conversations with them.

I was also disappointed that I didn't get to do any magic and message on the big "Jumbo Tron" viewer. It is the beginning of the season and there were still some technology issues to work out. They tried for quite some time, but couldn't get the feed from the remote camera to connect so that it would feed the big screen. In spite of that, it was a good night. There were giveaways to the race fans and I saw quite a few of them carrying the New Testaments that were handed out.

And there were a lot of volunteers! Thanks to everybody that showed up with a willing heart. Even if you didn't find a place to work, your presence was noted and your being in the event area also helped others to want to come over and see what was going on. It may be that other booths had some great successes and were able to minister to some people in need.

Another bonus of spending the evening at the Speedway was that I was spared from watching the Cardinals lose to the Pirates last night. Of course, I also missed the Blues come from behind win to take the series and advance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Ah well, that's just how it goes sometimes (and there is always Sports Center to catch the highlights!).

All-in-all, I was glad for the opportunity and learned a few things about how I might better prepare for the next similar event that I'm invited to take part in. It is always fun to share through magic and a great treat to see the reactions from the people that are watching. I need to increase my repertoire of effects for these venues and become more comfortable with building a small crowd. I'm sure that a more experienced street magician would have done quite well given the same same circumstances.

Live and learn, right?

Celebrate the day with friends. Worship our Lord. Give thanks.

John<><

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More (Questions) on Social Networking

A couple of weeks ago I wrote this post on Social Networking. Since then, I've continued to build my LinkedIn connections and tried to be more focused about both magic and ministry. I'm still a novice at the marketing part of networking so I'm looking for input from those that have been using social networks for promotional use.

I wasn't really expecting the calls and emails to start pouring in from the few connections that I've made. I'm just wondering if this type of marketing is worthwhile. So far, it would seem that I'm building good contacts; the kind that could actually call me directly or have some significant influence with those can. I also realize that many of the church organization decision makers are woefully behind the technological power curve and still consider email to be the advancement of the century. The generational gap in networking is growing greater with each technological advancement.

I am not (at all) a generational exception. I have a minimal cable package and no DVR. My home internet service is the slowest cable cable speed available and I rarely download anything that would require more bandwidth. I don't own a smart phone or an iPad or any other kind of tablet device. In spite of that, I am still taken by surprise when I request an address or information by text and am met with an "I don't have text messaging."

It's actually a little bit humorous that all of the Missouri Baptists Directors and employees seem to have LinkedIn accounts...but most of them have only a handful of connections, if any at all. It would appear that somebody is trying to get them connected but seems to be meeting with the old "you can lead a horse to water" problem. To be fair, there is a minority that is well "connected" but it is a very small minority.

Which leads me to my question(s)...
While social networking seems to be good for business, is it good for ministry?
Can sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and others be effective tools for evangelism?
Or are we (am I) wasting time using these tools (as well as blogging and others) for the purpose of reaching others with the gospel of Jesus?

I've always felt that the ineffective part of evangelism happens when we sound like we are pitching Jesus or marketing our faith. Using social networks somehow makes me feel like that's what I am doing. I don't want Jesus to be the latest, greatest thing until something else comes along. Jesus isn't a fad or a commodity to be sold or traded. Sometimes I feel that's what we've reduced the gospel to -- a pitch, and we are like carnival barkers or snake oil peddlers that are hired to gather a crowd in hopes that a few suckers will buy our wares.

Can I effectively market myself; my ministry of sharing the gospel, without marketing the gospel?

Just wondering...

John <><

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Time for Some Magic!

Next Saturday, the 21st of April, is the weekly series spring opener at the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland MO. It is a family event and the Missouri Baptist Convention will be there with games, bounce houses, face painting and give-aways for kids and all. There will even be a strolling magician that will be roving the crowd and having some fun. I just found out that in addition to the walk around stuff, I'll be featured on the Jumbo Tron sharing some effects from the booth! How cool is that!

I'm looking forward to this event as well as looking forward to the camps that are starting in June. It looks like it will be a pretty busy summer! I'm glad that I've been working on some new things that are outside of my normal venue of stand-up magic. I am excited about doing some of the new things and using some of the science of magic to share some real world truths.

We are having a Magic Show fund raiser for our church's Nicaragua mission trip on May 18th. I hope if you are in the Ozark area, you'll make an effort to attend and help raise the money to build a home (or two) in Nicaragua. Bring your friends and family and enjoy a great evening of fun.

I will be in northern Missouri the first weekend in June, two churches on Sunday (3rd) and a kids camp on Monday (the 4th). The TriCounty Association camp will be in session through the 7th, and I hope to make it for a night or two of that event, as well. The following weekend is the Hopedale Kids' Camp -- one of my favorite weekends of the summer! At the end of June I'll be at a youth camp for a full week. I am really looking forward to that camp as I'm working on some new material just for them. Mid July will find me back in northern Missouri for another Sun/Mon event, this time the Monday will be a one day event at another youth camp.

Although I don't have anything currently scheduled, I usually end up preaching for a vacationing pastor a couple of weekends during the summer.

I mentioned in a previous post about building towards retirement. If I could stay this busy through the spring and fall, I'd be about where I need to be to hang up the headset.

It is time to head to the Red Cross for a platelet and red blood cell donation. When was the last time you made a donation? I'm sure that you know of somebody going through chemo treatments. They will need platelets. Somebody will need blood for a surgery or perhaps because of an accident. You CAN make a difference!

John <><

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