Three Days, Six States, 2,315 Miles

Twelve guys and I decided that it would be a good idea to go on a road trip through the Midwest the weekend before final exams. Even though we spent approximately thirty-eight hours on the road between 1:00 pm Friday and 10:00 am Monday, I consider this trip a success. I slept on the floor of a church in Wichita, Kansas, got a milkshake from Braum's, bought banana bread from an Amish family in Missouri, played a baseball game where the movie Field of Dreams was filmed, slept on the cold cement basement floor at some stranger's house in Illinois, watched Derek Lee hit a grand slam in the Cubs' victory over the Marlins at Wrigley Field, took my picture beside the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and ate four burgers from White Castle. The only thing I regret is the last one.

One of my goals in life is watch a baseball game at every major league stadium, so when the idea of going to watch the Cubs play Wrigley Field was presented to me, I jumped at the opportunity. We decided to take a detour through Dyersville, Iowa, to the set of the movie Field of Dreams before driving to Chicago. I felt like a child on his way to the toy store as we got within a few miles of the field. I started playing baseball in second grade, and I have loved the game ever since. As a baseball fan, one can't help but also love the movie The Field of Dreams, so being able to play a game there will forever be one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Wrigley Field, built in 1914, is the ninth major league ballpark where I have attended a game, so I have twenty-one remaining. Even though I am not a Cubs fan, I could not help but cheer when Derek Lee hit his grand slam to put the Cubs up 6-2 or when the Cubs held the Marlins to scoring just one run with the bases loaded and only one out. The game was sold out, and by the roar of the crowd as the Cubs' right fielder made a diving catch for the third out in the top of the ninth inning, you could tell that there was not an empty seat in the house.

I returned to Abilene to face two final exams, a group presentation, and a three page paper - my last week as a college student. I took the exams, gave the presentation, and wrote my paper, so I am now finished with college. Some would call me a "young professional," others might call me a "grown up." I don't know how I feel about either one of those titles.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have really enjoyed the time I spent with my friends, and we lived moment as if it were the last time we would ever see each other. There's something special about that mindset - I didn't take my friends or anything else for granted. Life is better that way.

Twittering Christianity

Last Sunday afternoon, Max Lucado, famous Christian writer and former preacher at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, sent out a Twitter tweet to the world that he was on his way to a river baptism service. As one of Max's followers on Twitter, I always enjoy his spiritual messages that are summed up in less that 140 characters, but I was especially fascinated by this tweet. A river baptism service? I didn't know we still did those. Immediately, my mind bounced to the scene in O, Brother, Where Art Thou? when George Clooney and his fellow escaped convicts are interrupted by hundreds of people dressed in white robes singing "As I Went down to the River to Pray."

When I think of baptisms, I typically think of those that happen only in the church. When I was baptized, my church was under construction, so we didn't have a "normal" baptistry. I was baptized in a glorified bathtub, but it counted. The thought of river baptisms sounds old school, but it also intrigues me.

Sunday night, Max sent out a follow-up tweet: "We spent 2 hours in the river. 257 baptisms! Glorious!" For those of you keeping score at home, 257 is a pretty spectacular number for two reasons. First, 257 people had their sins washed away in one day. That just shows the power of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of those people. Second, that is just a huge number. It might take some churches four years to have that many baptisms. While no one really "keeps score" based on the number of baptisms that they have, I am amazed that something like that happened.

Max also tweeted that Bruce Bowen, who plays for the San Antonio Spurs, was down at the river baptizing people. I have heard a lot of great thing about Bowen as a strong Christian leader, a philanthropist, and a role model to young kids, but I was quite impressed that he was a part of the action last Sunday. Typically, we assume that professional athletes are egocentric millionaires that act like children when things don't go their way, but Bowen took a break from the NBA play-off atmosphere to impact the lives of hundreds of people down at that river.

The popularity of Twitter over the past four months has been astounding, and it is also pretty cool to see celebrities like Shaq, Ashton Kutcher, Barry Zitto, Lance Armstrong, and Max Lucado using it as a way to connect with non-celebrities. While Max may not consider himself a celebrity, his tweet last week was read by thousands of people. Max does write about some random things he does during the day, and with posts like the ones regarding the river baptism, he is able to use Twitter as a way to connect Christianity and culture.

Breakfast on Beech Street

This morning, I joined 15 volunteers to serve breakfast to 40 people from the Abilene community. Waking up at 5:00 am was definitely a struggle, but three hours later, I know that it was worth it. I might need some coffee to make it through the day, though.

Breakfast of Beech Street (BOBS) is a ministry of 5 churches here in town that serves approximately 12,000 breakfasts each year. For five days a week, volunteers from these churches and the community prepare breakfast and sack lunches for anyone who is hungry and needs some food. I first assumed that this ministry was just for homeless people, but the majority of people that got breakfast this morning were not homeless. They were just hungry and were not able to make breakfast for themselves at home. There are not any applications to fill out to make sure that each person actually needs food. There are no strict guidelines saying that only certain people can eat or that each person only gets one omelet. We make breakfast, people come, and they eat until it is gone (today we had some leftovers, though).

I do find it fascinating that BOBS serves out 12,000 breakfasts each year to people here in Abilene, but I am especially pleased that this is done through the work of 5 churches...of different denominations...working together...for a greater purpose. Episcopal. Methodist. Disciples of Christ. Church of Christ. Presbyterian. For centuries Christians from different denominations have argued about whose doctrine is correct, and we have strayed from the massage of the Gospel.

Mark 10:45 says, "For even the Son of Man [Jesus] did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." This verse points out two important truths of the Gospel. First, the part about the ransom refers to our salvation that comes through Christ's death and resurrection (See Easter post below). Second, Christ came to serve others, not to be served. The Gospel of Christ is not about doctrine and denominations. It is about serving those in our communities. Churches do a great job of spiritually edifying believers on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays, but people often forget that the role of the church is also to equip believers to go out and serve others and meet their needs - not our needs.

BOBS ministry is to spread the Gospel by feeding people, saying "Good morning," sharing conversations, and shaking hands. Yes, there was a prayer for the food at the beginning, and the meal was served in the kitchen of a church, but that was the only "churchy" thing about it. I worked in the kitchen and loaded plates with toast and omelets. I greeted people as they passed through the line, but I didn't say anything about becoming a Christian. I didn't hand out a tract of the five steps of conversion. I didn't share a testimonial of my faith. I just gave food to people that needed it. Jesus fed people, too. Lot's of them. Read this to learn more.

Happy Easter

Easter is only a few days away, and that means I will be hunting eggs filled with money and candy very soon. Truth: I am almost 22 years old and still hunt Easter eggs every year. Yes, I will go to Easter service at my church, and I will enjoy a nice Easter lunch with my family, but it seems like this "holiday" has lost its meaning somehow. Just like Christmas. The two major holidays out of the entire year that have been set apart for Christians to celebrate the Gospel have become secular.

For those of you not familiar with the story, Good Friday is the anniversary of Jesus' crucifixion for proclaiming to be the Savior/Messiah that was sent by God to the world. Three days later, Jesus was raised back to life. Easter is the celebration of his resurrection. In Spanish, Easter is called "Pascua" (PAH-skwah), which is literally translated to mean "Passover," not Easter. There's your fun fact for the day.

Going back to the Old Testament when God's chosen people, the Hebrews, were in Egyptian captivity, God sent plagues against the Egyptians so that they would let the Hebrews out of slavery. The last plague sent was that all of the firstborn children were to be killed in the night by the spirit of God unless the door to a family's house was marked with lamb's blood. At the sight of this blood, the spirit would PASSOVER the house, and those inside would be spared. Because of this, Passover is widely celebrated by Jews, but Christians tend to put the focus of the holy week on the resurrection day (Easter). [Thought: Why don't more Christians celebrate Passover, too? The first Christians were Jews.] Easter Sunday always follows Passover because Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection occurred while he was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.

I write this history lesson to give a better picture of what Easter is really for. It is great to take a break from work and school and spend time with the family, but I feel like at the dinner table on Sunday or at some point in the day, someone should mention the significance of this holiday. For Christians, the true purpose of this holiday is to represent Jesus' resurrection, which brings salvation to those who believe in him. But there is much more to this holiday.

I feel like the purpose of this holiday could also be to simply take a scheduled pause in our lives and spend time with our families. Honestly, we can celebrate the resurrection whenever we want. Easter is special because of what people do on it. This will be my 21st Easter, and I have only spent two Easters away from my family. Easter Sunday of my senior year of high school was spent in Hong Kong. Easter Sunday of my sophomore year of college was spent at a children's home in Montevideo, Uruguay. If I was in the US, I would have most definitely gone home for the weekend to spend Easter with my family. Sunday will be a special day because I will eat some great home cooking, and I will hunt eggs with my sister and cousin. But I will do it with my family. Celebrating the resurrection is important to me, but spending time with my family is important, too.

Faith Is a Highway

Over the past month, I have driven to and from Dallas, Austin, and Nashville, and in the coming weeks, I will be driving to and from San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. I got an oil change less than a month ago, and I already need another one (every 3,000 miles). Throughout my college career, I have taken many road trips to and from the same locations, and I have become so familiar with the routes, that these three, four, or five hour car rides are no problem for me.

Of all the metaphors that I hear about faith, spirituality, and relationships with God, the most common relates all of these to a journey. Some believe the journey started when we entered Sunday School. Others believe that the journey commenced on the day of our baptism. We start out as children of faith, and through teaching and studying we begin to grow and mature. The journey gets boring sometimes.

Have you ever been on your way to work or school, zoned out for a little bit, and thought, "Did I run that stop sign back there?" When we take the same route, do the same thing over and over, it becomes routine, and we go about the task absentmindedly. It sounds dangerous, but it is something that most of us have done. We go through the motions, but our focus is not on the what we are actually doing. On my trips to and from the different destinations listed above, I know all of the towns that I will pass through in order, where the state troopers usually hide, where the good places to eat are, where the exits are, and how long I have remaining in my trip.

The journey through life as a Christian becomes like one of those trips. Christians usually find themselves getting locked into a lifestyle or routine that defines their identity, and it gets boring (common). As a product of a Christian middle school, high school, and university, I have been steeped in Christian living - how Christians are supposed to live - and frankly, some Christians live very boring lives. There seems to be nothing new to spice things up, because we are told that the spicy things are probably sinful. Christians need spontaneous revivals for the same reason that travelers love to take random road trips. It is something new, unique, and exciting.

After my Sophomore year of college, my roommate and I took a road trip from Houston, TX, to Tuscon, AZ, to Tijuana, Mexico (we craved Mexican food for lunch), to San Diego, CA, to Los Angeles, CA, to Phoenix, AZ, to Abilene, TX, and back to Houston. It was quite the drive, but it was exciting because it was something new. I had never driven through the southern portions of New Mexico and Arizona. Even though there was not much to look at, it was still exciting. I had never even been to Arizona or California at all for that matter. The road trip was not a part of my routine. Traffic was terrible in LA, but it was fun, because I had never been in traffic that bad.

For Christians to grow to reach their full potential, we need to do something that is out of the ordinary - take a spiritual road trip. According to Crocodile Dundee, Australians go on walk-abouts for mental and physical rejuvenation. They come back with a renewed outlook on life - a renewed spirit. Christians can do the same thing. Some fast by abstaining from eating, while others go off by themselves for some solitude. These are just two examples, but there are many other things Christians can do to strengthen their faith without getting into trouble.

I feel like we'll enjoy the journey a little bit more if we break away from our routines for a while.

The Crescent Moon and the Cross

I attended a forum last night to hear Dr. Dan McVey speak on the topic of Islam from a Christian perspective. I expected to hear insight as to why Christianity is God's religion and that all Muslims are extremists, but that is not at all what was said. The purpose of this forum, as displayed on the opening slide of the Powerpoint presentation, was to achieve a better understanding.

To learn.

Of the 60 minutes that Dr. McVey had to speak, 45 of it was informative. Islam is this. Islam is that. Mohammed did this. Muslims do that. It was amazing to hear how much Dr. McVey, a Christian, knew about Islam. How and why did he know so much about this, and why do I need to know this? I'm not a Muslim, so why do I need to know the Arabic translation of the word "submit?" For your information, Islam is translated to mean "submit." Now you know.

Why does it matter?

The heart of the issue is that approximately 90% of Muslims have never met a Christian, but they claim to know a lot about us. On the other hand, a huge number of Christians have never met a Muslim, yet we claim to know a lot about Islam. How well do you know a person if you have never met them? How do I know if what I hear about Muslims is true? Knowledge suppresses ignorance.

The reason Dr. McVey knows so much about Islam was because he served as a Christian missionary in areas of Africa and Asia where the majority of religious people were Muslims. When I first heard this, I thought that he would have met heavy resistance because of the way Muslims are protrayed on TV, but that was not the case. He said, "Whenever someone approached me and found out that I was a Christian, they said, 'Praise Allah.'" Wait, I thought we were "infidels," but they are excited to see us? He had to know their religion to be an effective communicator with them. Knowledge suppresses ignorance.

Prior to this forum, I understood that not every Muslim is a terrorist, despite what several card-carrying members of the NRA might say, and Dr. McVey explained that of all the Muslims, the extremists we hear about so often on the airwaves make up the smallest population in the Islamic faith. Knowledge suppresses ignorance.

"What does jihad mean?" asked Dr. McVey. After a quick pause, the audience began to whisper, and a general consensus was reached that jihad is Arabic for "holy war," because that's what we have been told. Much to our dismay, we were wrong. Jihad means struggle, and this war that we often refer to in terms of jihad is actually a struggle against oppression, a retaliation of sorts. Knowledge suppresses ignorance.

Ultimately, I write this post as a declaration that I do not know everything about Islam, and my presuppositions on this religion and its followers is mostly flawed. I feel like it is reasonable to say the same for the majority of non-Muslims in this world. As Christians, we must begin converasations to bridge gaps between people of different religious, social, and racial backgrounds. We need to learn who they are and stop making judgements based on what they are. If we expect the same from them, we should start the process.

I also learned that is it written in the Qur'an that Muslims are encouraged to have civil discussions with Jews and Christians, so that we may all come to an agreement about our beliefs. Sounds reasonable. We did all start from the same spot.

The Content of His Character

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

These words, first heard by the nation on August 28, 1963, have been forever ingrained in the hearts of millions who have fought in the civil rights movement. Before our country's birth, social caste systems were established to set certain races, genders, and nationalities above others, and Dr. King challenged the status quo with his heartfelt speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Today, it may seem that race is no longer an issue worth debating or marching over; however, discussions of race and color have seemed to perpetuate through several generations, and discrimination and prejudice still disenfranchises many.

So many subjects for discussion can be derived from the statement above - racism, equality, segregation, prejudice - but the last line seems applicable to the discussion of Christianity and culture. By believing King's statement to be true, then we are judged by our character, but what defines our character? What makes my character different from the person sitting next to me? I act like a good person, but so does that guy. I live my life the right way, but she does, too. Are we all of good character then?

Our character is defined not by how we act, but by how we react. According to Sir Isaac Newton's third law of motion, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, motion and energy is continued through the reacting forces. When a baseball bat connects with the ball traveling toward home plate, the ball reacts in the opposite direction of its path in the direction of the motion of the bat.

What does this physics lesson have to do with Christianity?

Getting stuck in traffic makes us react a certain way - frustration, anger, annoyance, impatience - and the way we react gives glimpse into the framework of our character. When we hear about culture wars in Madagascar, we react another way - ignorance, compassion, judgment. When a loved one dies of an incurable disease, our reaction brings out a new set of emotions that have been tapped before. In each case, reactions shed light on character.

When bad things happen, it is human nature to wonder, "WHY?" That is a reaction. The reaction makes us ask more questions, and sometimes we become even more confused. As a Christian, my reaction tends to be a little bit different because of an awareness of the big picture; there's more to this life than what we experience. A God-follower's character shows differently.

In the same way, Jesus acted as a model of God's character on this earth, but his character was not defined by his actions. The content of His character was defined by His reactions. While thousands of people mocked him, he did not waver. While dozens of Roman soldiers beat him before his execution, he did not recant his confession to be the Savior. When he hung on the cross as onlookers rolled dice for his clothes, he asked God to forgive them.

His reactions portray the content of His character.

Oh, Dear Christian College

Currently, the university that I attend is under the microscope for shady actions by its students and faculty in three different areas. First, a student, who was arrested for the murder of his parents in the fall of 2005, is now on trial for these charges. Second, the NCAA has addressed numerous violations in the track & field and football programs. Third, our student congress president was impeached Wednesday for several integrity violations. This third issue was written up in a local newspaper, and a person on this article online saying, "Why is this even in the paper? Anytime someone at ACU even sneezes, it makes the front page." The reason it makes the front page is because we are called to a higher standard, but we are failing to keep up with what we profess.

The frustrating thing about being associated with a Christian institute is that it seems like someone is always out to find your mistakes, and when these slip-ups are exposed, the whole world knows how we have failed. For years, my university has pledge to be a light to the world around us, but it feels as if that light is beginning to fade - at least the problems we are facing have made me feel this way - and it has made me realize how difficult is it to profess Christianity in a culture that looks for reasons to condemn us we when make the wrong choices.

I know that I will receive my degree from a business college that has excellent accreditation, and I also know that I have grown as a Christian over the four years that I have been here. But as I prepare to graduate from this institution, I am worried that when people hear that I am a graduate from the university that was involved in several scandals, they will hold it against me. Granted, most people are unaware of what has been going on in recent months here, but the fact that I am associated with it still makes me nervous.

Ultimately, the challenge that our university must face everyday is that same challenge that any person that is associated with any given religious, moral, political, or social doctrine must face: how will you remain unwavering in your beliefs despite persecution. I understand that persecution might be a strong word in the case, but its sting presents imagery that we can all associate with. No matter what I profess, there will always be someone who professes opposite ideals. Through this, as Christians and as a university, we must reset the course and conduct ourselves in a manner that is exemplary to others. Everyone fails and is judged for it. Growth and maturity comes by working to get it right again.

iJesus

Thanks to Apple's innovation with iTunes, iPhones, and iPod Touches, we are now able to access thousands of games, news sources, and social web applications with just a few taps on a screen. Since I am a Verizon Wireless customer, I do not have access to an iPhone unless I switch over to the new AT&T system and pay a hefty price for it. Since I appreciate the value that iPhones have, I decided to drop some money on an iPod Touch, which has all of the same functions of an iPhone except the ability to make phone calls and send text messages. However, with its wireless internet capabilities, I have access to Twitter, Gmail, and pretty much any other channel of hand-held communication. I even have a Bible application.

I have never been the guy who gets excited about reading. I made it through high school and three and a half years of college by reading only three books from cover-to-cover that I was required to read . Many of my friends make fun of me for this, but devote my time to things that I do like, and reading is not one of those things. As a Christian, this has posed a major hindrance to my spiritual growth because God's word and instructions for life are written down, and to learn them, I have to...Read.

One of my friends with an iPhone is an elder at my church back home, and he showed me the Bible application on his iPhone. With this application, I can follow along with a daily Bible reading course, look up verses in nearly 15 different versions and 20 different languages, and find commentaries of any verse that confuses me just by tapping the screen of my iPod Touch. Just like Twitter and Facebook connect people to the social web, this application helps reconnect me to God. It's weird to think about.

My "get-my-life-right" initiative started Sunday night when I went to buy groceries at Wal-Mart. Whole grain bread, skim milk, Total cereal, 100% orange juice, and other items that are potentially beneficial to my health were on the list. I started training for a half-marathon. I wake up early to eat a bowl of Total cereal, drink a glass of orange juice and a glass of coffee, and pull out my iPod Touch to guide me through the day's Bible study. I have tricked myself into reading the Bible. Since I'm not holding a book in my hands, it just doesn't feel like reading, and I am now connected to God's Word again. I feel like I'm missing something, though.

Even though I am reading the Bible, I still feel like the personal aspect is missing. When I have the Bible application open, I am still one tap away from checking the weather with my Weather Channel application, tweeting my status on the Twitter application, checking the sports scores on the Sportacular application, and finding a movie to go see with the Flixter application. Instead of taking a timeout from my on-the-go lifestyle, I have simply implemented Bible study time into it, creating a false sense of pausing with God. I read, scroll down, read, scroll down, and even when I learn something new from reading I Corinthians, the process feels rushed, forced, and impersonal.

I suppose that one of the reasons why spiritual growth is a journey is because I not only have to figure out what path God wants me to take, but I also need to find out my method of transportation - how I will get from point A to point B. Reading is a tedious task for me, but I understand it to be a necessity for spiritual growth. iPhone or not, having a personal Bible study must be personal. I'm working on it.

The Gospel in LOST

Before the days of DVR technology, I would have to rush home from church to watch episodes of "LOST" every Wednesday night. Thanks to the power of SuddenLink's DVR capabilities, I can watch ABC's hit drama whenever I feel like watching it. Now in its 5th season, "LOST" has millions of people still baffled and asking, "What was that?!?" At each commercial break I have about 15 seconds to wonder what is going to happen next (before the days of DVR I had about 6 minutes), and I am still blown away that after watching this show for four years, I am still surprised every episode.

The episode that was extremely surprising was aired yesterday, Feb. 18, when the Gospel of Jesus was spoken through the character Ben. The setting is a sanctuary, and the scene opens with Ben, a shady character who seems to make everything topsy-turvy, sitting in a pew with his hands folded in front of his face. John Locke, a wise old man who was paralyzed from the waist down after surviving a fall out of a high-rise apartment but was then healed when his plane crashed on a mysterious island, walks in and sees Ben praying. They begin talking about doubting their current circumstances, and Ben walks over to a painting of Thomas reaching out to touch Jesus' wounds following the resurrection.

Ben refers to the story in John 11 when the disciples debate with Jesus about returning to Judea, a place where Jews where especially unruly toward the idea of Jesus being the Messiah. The disciples tell Jesus that he should not go because it is unsafe, and Ben quotes Thomas who said, "Let us go also, that we may die with him." Ben adds that, unfortunately, Thomas is not remembered for this statement of faith, but that he is remembered for his doubt. It was Thomas who did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus and stated that he would have to see and touch the wounds to believe.

Typically, all of the off-the-wall comments and occurrences that happen in "LOST" all fly together at this point - a secret government program to keep the island's experiment a secret, polar bears, human extermination, romance, a crazy French lady, a Scottish sailor, time travel - but this three minute scene stood out to me because it was the Gospel. It mentioned Jesus, his disciples, his death, and his resurrection.

This was not an in-depth look at the Gospel by any means, but I cannot doubt that someone watching "LOST" last night realized that he/she was Thomas, doubting the existence and divinity of God. That person could have been looking for something to fall into his/her lap as a sign of the Truth. Today is it more likely to hear Jesus' name in a derogatory fashion, and it is far more likely to hear $%@$# than the Gospel. It could be that the writers of "LOST" intended for this scene to fit into the list of crazy things that don't make any sense. Even still, the story of Jesus and his resurrection was revealed, and millions heard it.

Valentine's Day...Ugh.

Remember the days in elementary school when you would go to the grocery store, pick out some totally sweet Ninja Turtles or Barbie (gender appropriate, of course) Valentines cards, and give one to every person in your class during the Valentine's Day party? If you are a boy, then I'm giving you a Ninja Turtles Valentine. If you are a girl, then you're still getting a Ninja Turtles Valentine.

Luckily, my fiance is pretty low maintenance and told me that she didn't want anything for Valentine's Day. After conferencing with several of my peers, the results are in...When a girl says this, she is lying. That is why Nuns cannot get married or date. Every year for Valentine's Day, they would say to their boyfriends, "Oh, honey, I don't want anything for Valentine's Day." That is a lie, lying is a sin, and Nuns cannot sin.

I made cookies for my fiance for Valentine's Day. The recipe (yes, this recipe was on the side of the Betty Crocker box) said that I could make approximately 38 cookies. I only made 9. It is not like I got carried away and made them all the size of a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. I only made 9 because I burned all the rest of them. I blame my oven.

All the hopeless romantics out there and my good friend Krista might think, "Aww, that is so sweet. He made her cookies, and he even burned them. What a cute boyfriend." Thanks for the encouragement, but since only nine cookies came out right, I was only able to eat one. If I ate more, I would look like a slob. Eating 4 out of 38 cookies isn't a bad percentage, but 4 out of 9 will put you on Mauri with the fat babies.

We went to dinner and then went out to see He's Just Not That into You. As far as chick-flicks go, this one was pretty good. It had humor, and it made some valid points that could make life easier for every person on the planet. If a guy wants to date a girl, then he will do whatever he can to make it happen. No more waiting for the guy or girl to call, talking to your friends at work or school, or sleepless night thinking, "Is this person going to dream about me tonight?" President Obama should enact a social policy forcing schools to make the viewing of this movie mandatory for all eight grade students. That is a change I can believe in.

This post is also dedicated to my good friend, Krista.

One

As I drove past the campus yesterday, I noticed that our college had paid to put flags on each one of the light poles on the trail that wraps around the circumference of our campus. Even though our university is pretty small, we still have a large percentage of students that come from outside Texas and the United States. Each students comes with his/her own set of cultural beliefs, goals, and ideas, but the awesome thing about Christianity is that no matter where we are from, we still serve the same God and believe the same Gospel.

In Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul writes, "There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." There is a growing trend today that accepts multiplicity. It is ok to be wishy-washy in some situations. You can believe what you want as long as you let me believe what I want. This post-modern idea that there is no absolute truth makes it very difficult to understand what Paul wrote to the 1st Century Church in Ephesus.

Back when I was young and fat, I would but at least one donut at church every Sunday. For many years, there was no option - plain glazed or plain glazed? But then something magical happened. What's this? Chocolate icing?!?! It was a fourth grader's dream come true. I love chocolate...but I also love plain glazed. I was at a fork in the road, and both paths were very delicious.

Similar situations are found in other places, too, where we are forced to make a decision between two, three, or several options. McCain or Obama. Cheese or pepperoni. Organic or regular. Paper or plastic. Diet or regular. God or no God. Whenever a person makes a decision, he or she typically weighs the options before making a choice. A mental "pro/con" list is made, and an action is taken. There are usually benefits to both options, but each choice also has its weaknesses, and sometimes we simply take the easy path - right down the middle. In my case, I got one plain glazed and one chocolate iced. Did I mention I was the fat kid?

As Christians, we have to make choices everyday about our faith, but we see in Paul's writing that there isn't much room for debate. One. One. One. So, ultimately, we have two options. Do I believe what Paul wrote - YES or NO? No matter what flag flies over our homeland, the same holds true for all of us. There is one God over us all, and by making the choice to believe in Him and follow Him, we are united. As one.

News, Weather, Sports, and Church

Last night while watching the Lakers play the Celtics, a commercial came on advertising a local church. The preacher stood in an empty chapel and petitioned me to join him this Sunday either at the church or in the comfort of my own living room. The comfort of my own living room - interesting.

Seeing church on TV is nothing new to me. I am sure that most people are familiar with the ministry at Lakewood Church in Houston, and Joel Osteen has become a poster-child for this generation's "televangelists." His charisma is treasured by the thousands that attend his church and the thousands more that tune in from their couches. Because of this, when I think of church on TV, I think of a huge production.

The lights must be perfect. Camera angles must be perfect. The sound must be perfect. The audience must be perfect. Churches spend thousands of dollars on producing their services to be sent out through the cable lines, but no amount of money will be able to reproduce the essence of a church's community. I feel like the true picture of a church is jazzed up when the camera comes on, and the focus moves more to the tangible elements than the Gospel.

One of the greatest things about going to church the being reunited every week with a community of believers. Most of my friends are friends that I have grown up with at church. Going to church forms relationships, and these relationships are an integral part of spiritual growth. This is why I am critical of having church on TV, because it makes it too easy for a person to become complacent with their faith. With no personal contact, there is no accountability, discussion, or confession. It takes an entire dimension out of God's reason for establishing the church.

I would be remiss by failing to mention that church on TV has proven to send the Gospel to people and places that would have otherwise missed hearing it. Some people watch church on TV because they are physically incapable to leave their houses. Others watch it because they feel that they would face the judgment of hundreds upon walking through the back doors of the chapel. But at the end of the day, these people are still hearing God's message, and some of them eventually leave the house, go to church, and become a part of that community.

As a church, we should make more efforts to personally reach out to those who cannot/do not come to church. Putting our services on TV is one way, but going to where they are will have a better impact.

What Would You Have Done?

I first saw this video on an MSNBC special edition of "Caught on Tape," a full hour episode of crazy videos of police altercations, car accidents, and fist fights in pizza parlors. When we walked into the house of my friend Krista, she was watching this video. Immediately we were all intrigued, but it was dinner time. With the help of SuddenLink's DVR capabilities, we recorded the show, and a few of us went out to get some pizza. Luckily, there was not a fight at the pizza place. I almost started on after waiting 20 minutes for breadsticks, though.

We returned to the house to finish the show to watch several replays of this video clip. Feel free to watch the video as many times as you would like. Imagine yourself getting jacked in the face by an NFL offensive lineman (For the record, the attacker is not an NFL lineman - he's just huge). The guy getting beat up suffered some broken bones and a concussion, but what would have happened had that fat dude on the right part of the screen or the stocky guy behind him actually did something besides watch and pick their noses?

Now, I'm no Superman, but I know that when someone within spitting reach is getting beat up, something inside me will most likely drive me to do something. I'm sure my friend Krista would have pulled out a nightstick or some brass knuckles and beat the snot out of the attacker, but those guys in the pizza place just watch while an innocent guy gets beat up.

"Whoa, that guy is huge. Whoa, uh, he just punched that guy."

"Yeah, dude, that one looked like it hurt."

"Whoa, we should do something."

"Yeah, let's just stand here and wait on our pizza."

"Whoa, good idea, bro-man."

"Yeah, uh, no pepperonis please."

That is not at all what those guys said, but I'm pretty sure that's what they thought. Basically, when you are standing in line at a pizza place, or any place for that matter, and you see a dude getting beat up, do something about it. Even if they attacker jacks you up, too, at least you get put on TV as "the person who got beat up while trying to save a guy's life" instead of "the _______ that just watched as a guy got beat up."

This post is dedicated to my good friend, Krista.

Bush/Kerry Super Bowl

When I turned on the TV last night to watch the Super Bowl, I really did not care who won. However, in the interest of protecting the integrity of competition, I decided to root for the Arizona Cardinals. Spoiler alert. I was a little disappointed that they lost.

I somehow managed to muster up some genuine support for the Cardinals as they held the Steelers to a field goal after Big Ben was ruled down within a foot of the goal line. I also expressed disappointment as Holmes made an excellent catch in triple coverage to score the game-winning touchdown. But at the end of the night, my overall attitude was still apathetic.

As I pounded my brain to think of an insightful post regarding the Super Bowl, my thoughts bounced back to the Presidential election in 2004 between George W. Bush and John Kerry. I, like most Americans, found myself at a fork in the road, and neither path looked inviting. Both sides had valid ideas that I felt would benefit our country, and each man stood for things that I felt were completely absurd. Ultimately, this election was one where many Americans checked the box beside the name associated with "the lesser of two evils" or "_____ isn't as bad as _____."

I picked a favorite team last night in the same way. I am not a Cardinals fan, and I am not a Steelers fan. What is an American male supposed to do when the Super Bowl means absolutely nothing to him? Watch it for the commercials? Yes. But I finally decided that I disliked the Steelers more than I disliked the Cardinals, so I put my checkmark in the box next to the Arizona Cardinals. Things didn't work out, but in the end, it's not a big deal. At least the _____ didn't win (feel free to fill in the blank).

Remember the Sabbath

The other day I had a craving that I am sure you can relate to. I woke up, and the thought of a crispy chicken sandwich flooded my mind. My appetite wasn't calling out for a simple, generic chicken sandwich. It wanted a chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A...a medium waffle fry and a medium sweet tea also.

Unfortunately it was Sunday.

According to its website, "Chick-fil-A is the second largest quick-service chicken restaurant in the nation," but it is only open six days a week, as opposed to its competitors who are open everyday. In 2007, Chick-fil-A reported sales of $2.64 billion, but one can only imagine what this amount would be if they were open on Sundays. However, this is an issue on which Truett Cathy; founder, Chairman, and CEO; will not compromise his beliefs.

Since its creation in 1967, Chick-fil-A has remained committed to keeping its doors locked on Sundays, and this is a principle that nearly every American knows and respects. In many of its restaurants, one can find a timeline of the Chick-fil-A story as well as interesting facts about its scholarship programs, community involvement, mission, and commitment to closing on Sundays. To Truett Cathy, Sunday is a special day that is reserved for certain tasks; therefore, Chick-fil-A closes to allow its employees the opportunity to worship as they please and spend time with their families.

One cannot deny that this business model is based loosely on God's Commandment to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. At the onset, Chick-fil-A placed Christianity and family values at the heart of its business operations, and this attitude has carried over into other ventures. As previously mentioned, Chick-fil-A is involved in many charities, gives thousands every year to send its employees to college with scholarships, and sponsors every sporting event for the Big 12 and Southeast Conferences.

Chick-fil-A's mission statement is "to be America's best quick-service restaurant," but they have given new meaning to the word "best." Best not only means maintaining superior taste of its food, quality of service, and overall atmosphere. It now encompasses a deeper mindset that involves service in the community and a genuine respect for its employees and their spiritual lives. Because of this, it has established itself as a pioneer in the quick-service chicken restaurant industry and the fast-food industry as a whole.

Too bad I can't get that chicken sandwich on Sunday.

Faith on the Field

Today it is common to see athletes professing their faith on the field and the court, but Tim Tebow has taken this to a new level. Some take knee in the end zone to pray after scoring a touchdown, others point to the sky as they step on home plate after hitting a home run, and others cross their chests before shooting a free throw. All of these examples are designed to give glory to God, but I have always found myself questioning the motives of these athletes.

While preaching about Paul’s letter to the Philippians, David McQueen, the preacher at Beltway Church, used Tebow as an example because he wrote “Phil. 4:13” on his eye-black before the University of Florida’s football game against the University of Alabama. In its perfect form, eye-black is applied in a strip on the upper cheek to prevent stadium lights or the sun from reflecting into a player’s eyes, but Tebow found a way to make it a billboard for his faith.

It is difficult to question the motives of this 6’3”, 240-pound quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner because eye-black is not the only way that he professes his faith. A recent special on ESPN described Tebow’s passionate faith in detail as it followed him on a mission trip to Asia to get a firsthand look at the life of this quarterback off the field. Many will also note how Tebow always humbly acknowledges God’s power in his speeches and post-game interviews.

I find myself critical of on-the-field evangelists because, as an athlete, I am not one to take a knee or point to the sky after making a big play. Some may call it humility, but I simply never felt comfortable doing it. I pray before each game, but I do it standing behind the bench or in the pre-game huddle. My failure to understand the purpose of expressions of faith on the field should not discount its significance in the world today. Because of Tebow’s willingness to put “Phil. 4:13” on his cheeks, some young kid now has a good role model to look up to, and some grown man dusted off his Bible to see what Phil. 4:13 was:

I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.