Do you ever have those moments in life when you just somehow, far in the distance, could swear you hear the creak of an old, wooden door swinging shut?
That’s sound of your life bumping forward, another notch older.
I know because I heard that sound this weekend.
Holly and I decided to take the boys to see their most anticipated theatrical release of the summer. 6 and 3-year-olds don’t care about “The Da Vinci Code,” (and maybe nobody else does either, it turns out). They’ve been waiting for one move… “Over the Hedge.”
“Over the Hedge” is the story of a happy little family of misfit, North American woodland creatures who wake up from hibernation to find that their forest has been turned into a sprawling new subdivision. Ultimately, the raccoon among them produces a map of the development, showing that they are trapped in a 2 acre “green space,” surrounded by the mystical “hedge” that separates them from suburbia.
It’s a great movie…really funny, entertaining, and we had a great time. The music was even cool (yes, I know how much my definition of cool has shifted if it can apply to music from a kids’ movie), and when I heard the singer’s unmistakable voice, one from my fairly distant past, I knew that both he and I had rolled forward to another phase of life. Officially.
See, Ben Folds is a guy I associate with being young. Back in the ol’ college days, Ben Folds Five was one of the best bands going. They are a jazzy, rocking, funky bunch of dudes. Piano, guitar and drums. Edgy lyrics. Nerdy coolness.
Now, they write songs for kids’ movies. In fact, they have kids themselves. Several.
Creak…creak.
Here’s the thing – I like the creaky-ness.
Life, like Ben Folds’ music, keeps getting better with time. As we grow older, if things go as they ought to, we figure out that the things that used to scare us just aren’t that bad. In fact, they’re kind of fun.
Sure, the stuff Ben Folds did for this movie is a little softer than his old stuff, but hey, so am I. I think Mr. Folds is learning how to embrace the things he never thought he’d become. For instance, in his ode to modern life, “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” he reminds us to laugh at ourselves, and to keep our way of life in perspective. And, a song this accurate could only be written by somebody who’s living it…
“Let me tell you what it’s like,
watching Idol on a Friday night
In a house built safe and sound,
on an Indian burial mound…
We drive our cars most everyday,
To and from our work both ways
so we make just enough to pay,
to drive our cars back to work each day…
We're rocking the suburbs
Around the block just one more time
We're rocking the suburbs
Cause I can't tell which house is mine
We're rocking the suburbs
We part the shades and face facts
They’ve got better looking Fescue Right across the cul-de-sac
We're rocking the suburbs
Everything we need is here
We're rocking the suburbs
But it wasn't here last year
We're rocking the suburbs
You'll never know when we are gone
Because the timer lights come on
And turn the cricket noises on each night”
Here’s the thing. Life doesn’t get much better than holding the hand of your little one, his belly stuffed full of popcorn, leaving the theater while the credits roll. Life, if we can learn to live it, is found in each and every little moment of joy, goodness and God’s presence that we can experience each and every day.
And so we left the darkness of the movies and walked back into the light and heat of almost-June in “the suburbs” of Douglas County, Georgia.
So, Ben is right. Some of us might have to circle the block a couple of times to remember which house is ours. But life is here in this place. God is here, too. Next month, next year, the next ten years…they’re nothing to be scared of. The trick is to love this place where we’re planted while remembering that there is a whole, wide world over that “hedge.” Our call is to love the life we’re living today, while knowing that tomorrow will have to be different.
When the disciples and the early church gathered in the second chapter of Acts, God’s presence was made known through the fire of the Holy Spirit. They had plenty of reason to be scared. All the hedges came down. Divisions of language faded away as all people of faith could suddenly speak in foreign tongues. Peter was moved to quote the prophet Joel, reminding the people that no divisions would exist between young and old, man and woman, but that all people would be blessed and used by God for the great ministry that was about to unfold.
This Sunday, we will celebrate that first Day of Pentecost and consider how the Holy Spirit works in our hearts, and in the life of the church.
God is with us, in these suburbs, through the creaky notches of creeping time, and in all that is yet to be.
Let’s love today, and always look toward tomorrow. I think there’s some good stuff over that hedge.
Grace & Peace,
Adam
LIFE AT SOTH:
Thanks to our praise team for an awesome music Sunday this past Memorial Day weekend. Mara Cleveland coordinated an outstanding brunch with many volunteers, and thanks to Tim Potate, Lamar Gilstrap and Deena Canup for their dramatic and creative contributions.
Prayer Time: Did you know that Adam and SOTH members meet for a time of devotion, discussion and prayer every Friday morning at Jolty’s on Chapel Hill Road. 7 A.M.! Come on out and join us. Don’t worry, they’ve got coffee…it’s what they do.
Property Update: If you attended our informational session in late February, you know that many local developers have made inquiry into the possibility of buying our church property, and our church leadership has been hard at work in these past several months considering issues relating to our property and the possibility of relocation. Please continue to pray for this team as they sift the many facts and work on our behalf (Doug Dean, Church Council Chair; John Archer, Church Council Vice-Chair; Chuck Lightcap, SPR Chair; Tim Potate, Lay Leader; Kelly Smith, Financial Manager; Jeff Seymour, Finance Chair; Adam Roberts, Pastor).
This leadership team will make its final recommendation to Church Council very soon, and we will have another congregational informational/listening session after worship on Sunday, June 11th.
Pending congregational feedback and Church Council approval, we have tentatively scheduled a Church Conference for vote on a final resolution on Sunday, June 25th, after our 10:00 worship.
This is an exciting and potentially historic time in the life of our congregation. As we work toward decision-making together, please keep SOTH in all your prayers.
May 31, 2006
May 25, 2006
Idol
America could finally sleep well last night.
Taylor won.
My apologies for this Thursday edition of the ol' blog, but you know, I had to wait and see how it was going to come out. I was just too stressed to write. And, I had to walk my neighborhood handing out buttons and flyers in a last minute get-out-the-vote campaign.
All of you who voted for Taylor Hicks to win last night's American Idol competition also voted in the last Presidential election, right? Don't answer that. Please.
Understand, there's not a thing wrong with getting hooked by a talent competition. I openly (and just a little ashamedly) admit that at our house, we watched "Idol" from the first episode to the last. The best part of the show, of course, comes in the first few episodes of the season when tone-deaf, freaky people (whoops, I mean "beloved children of God") come out to audition from all over the country.
If you're going to watch Idol, I do highly recommend that you record each show and then use your fast-forward button to cut to the chase. None of us have enough minutes left in our lives to spend many of them on the couch, "entertained" by Ryan Seacrest. Eventually, you learn how to cut an hour show down to about 12.5 minutes.
Now, trust me, I hate it when preachers seem to rail against anything that might be, dare we say it....fun. My intent is not to rail against American Idol. Instead, I marvel at its ability to hold the public's attention and generate such an amazing level of interest. I marvel at the show's capacity to generate 60 million votes last night, and I'm more than a little jealous.
I'm amazed by the show's very name. American IDOL. In the context of the tv show, I think it simply means that great fame and fortune awaits the winner who bears that title. It means that the "Idol" won't be able to walk down the street without being seen and swamped. It means notoriety and record deals, and most of all...lots and lots of money.
But "idol" is such a Bible word. In the Bible, idols are those things that misdirect us, stealing our focus and attention, turning our worship away from the living, powerful God, and toward those things that are powerless and inanimate.
As I sat on my back porch this week, I witnessed the return of our little fast-winged, summertime friends. A brilliant green hummingbird buzzed by, taking its turn at the newly replaced feeder that hangs outside our kitchen window.
I was fascinated to see the little bird fly quickly down toward the backyard work bench that waits for me to return to an unfinished project. It hovered in front of a conical, orange crank handle, that, when turned, can clamp objects together, or hold them as you work.
Until that moment, I'd never realized how much a plastic, orange, crank-handle can look like a flower bud full of nectar. The bird inserted its long, needle beak. Its whole head then disappeared inside the handle. It hovered for a second, then another, and another.
Finally it flew away, disappointed.
Empty plastic handles will never feed hummingbirds, no matter how much they might look like they could.
Last night, 200 million people watched. 60 million people cast votes. We were all pretty much entertained, and the show was an easy, silly, fun way to pass an hour (we recorded and fast-forwarded, of course).
But you know, I can't say that my life is different this morning for the experience.
There's some good news for us churches in this year's American Idol. The sweet, pretty girl with the beautiful voice lost to the gray-haired, bar-singing guy with crazy eyes and wacky dance moves.
I guess he was a little more "real," and average people could identify.
At church, we ought to be about as real as it gets. We're not slick, not trying to be pretty, most of us aren't too sweet, and "wacky" would be a charitable way to describe my dance moves. But I can promise you there is real power when people who follow Jesus come together to pray and sing, to laugh and cry and worship and live the lives we've been given.
America is looking for an idol. Our call is to show them Jesus. Good thing he lives among us.
Grace and Peace,
Adam
LIFE AT SOTH:
We'll be having a great time in worship this Sunday, Memorial Day weekend. We'll gather for one service only, at 10:00 a.m. for a morning of music. Lots and lots of singing with the SOTH band, and we'll be expanding our hospitality with even more breakfast than usual. It will be a really fun morning, so if you're in town, make sure to be here!
Special thanks to Max Vincent for filling in as our guest preacher last Sunday, and doing an incredible job!
Our playground is nearly complete, and huge thanks are due to everyone who volunteered their time and energy to make it possible. We had a wonderful Kids' Day this past Saturday with many, many families from the community coming out to eat and play together. VBS signup and Preschool enrollment have both been very strong and this past weekend was a wonderful chance for SOTH to show the community the great things that we have to offer for kids.
Taylor won.
My apologies for this Thursday edition of the ol' blog, but you know, I had to wait and see how it was going to come out. I was just too stressed to write. And, I had to walk my neighborhood handing out buttons and flyers in a last minute get-out-the-vote campaign.
All of you who voted for Taylor Hicks to win last night's American Idol competition also voted in the last Presidential election, right? Don't answer that. Please.
Understand, there's not a thing wrong with getting hooked by a talent competition. I openly (and just a little ashamedly) admit that at our house, we watched "Idol" from the first episode to the last. The best part of the show, of course, comes in the first few episodes of the season when tone-deaf, freaky people (whoops, I mean "beloved children of God") come out to audition from all over the country.
If you're going to watch Idol, I do highly recommend that you record each show and then use your fast-forward button to cut to the chase. None of us have enough minutes left in our lives to spend many of them on the couch, "entertained" by Ryan Seacrest. Eventually, you learn how to cut an hour show down to about 12.5 minutes.
Now, trust me, I hate it when preachers seem to rail against anything that might be, dare we say it....fun. My intent is not to rail against American Idol. Instead, I marvel at its ability to hold the public's attention and generate such an amazing level of interest. I marvel at the show's capacity to generate 60 million votes last night, and I'm more than a little jealous.
I'm amazed by the show's very name. American IDOL. In the context of the tv show, I think it simply means that great fame and fortune awaits the winner who bears that title. It means that the "Idol" won't be able to walk down the street without being seen and swamped. It means notoriety and record deals, and most of all...lots and lots of money.
But "idol" is such a Bible word. In the Bible, idols are those things that misdirect us, stealing our focus and attention, turning our worship away from the living, powerful God, and toward those things that are powerless and inanimate.
As I sat on my back porch this week, I witnessed the return of our little fast-winged, summertime friends. A brilliant green hummingbird buzzed by, taking its turn at the newly replaced feeder that hangs outside our kitchen window.
I was fascinated to see the little bird fly quickly down toward the backyard work bench that waits for me to return to an unfinished project. It hovered in front of a conical, orange crank handle, that, when turned, can clamp objects together, or hold them as you work.
Until that moment, I'd never realized how much a plastic, orange, crank-handle can look like a flower bud full of nectar. The bird inserted its long, needle beak. Its whole head then disappeared inside the handle. It hovered for a second, then another, and another.
Finally it flew away, disappointed.
Empty plastic handles will never feed hummingbirds, no matter how much they might look like they could.
Last night, 200 million people watched. 60 million people cast votes. We were all pretty much entertained, and the show was an easy, silly, fun way to pass an hour (we recorded and fast-forwarded, of course).
But you know, I can't say that my life is different this morning for the experience.
There's some good news for us churches in this year's American Idol. The sweet, pretty girl with the beautiful voice lost to the gray-haired, bar-singing guy with crazy eyes and wacky dance moves.
I guess he was a little more "real," and average people could identify.
At church, we ought to be about as real as it gets. We're not slick, not trying to be pretty, most of us aren't too sweet, and "wacky" would be a charitable way to describe my dance moves. But I can promise you there is real power when people who follow Jesus come together to pray and sing, to laugh and cry and worship and live the lives we've been given.
America is looking for an idol. Our call is to show them Jesus. Good thing he lives among us.
Grace and Peace,
Adam
LIFE AT SOTH:
We'll be having a great time in worship this Sunday, Memorial Day weekend. We'll gather for one service only, at 10:00 a.m. for a morning of music. Lots and lots of singing with the SOTH band, and we'll be expanding our hospitality with even more breakfast than usual. It will be a really fun morning, so if you're in town, make sure to be here!
Special thanks to Max Vincent for filling in as our guest preacher last Sunday, and doing an incredible job!
Our playground is nearly complete, and huge thanks are due to everyone who volunteered their time and energy to make it possible. We had a wonderful Kids' Day this past Saturday with many, many families from the community coming out to eat and play together. VBS signup and Preschool enrollment have both been very strong and this past weekend was a wonderful chance for SOTH to show the community the great things that we have to offer for kids.
May 17, 2006
Millions
Somebody in Texas is $94 million richer today.
$94 million.
I know, I know. They won’t get all of it. Taxes will eat a good bit, and if they take the lump sum payout, they’re going to get more like $50 million. Somehow they’ll just have to carry on, right?
$50 million, earning 5% interest, equals $2.5 million annually.
Do you know how much money $2.5 million a year really is? It’s almost $7,000 in income ---- EVERY SINGLE DAY!!
That’s a lot of trips to the coffee shop. Heck, I might even buy everybody a round with that kind of cash flow.
I heard a preacher talking about the “mega millions” jackpot this week. “It’s $94 million, you know…I think folks look at that number and think, ‘all my problems would be over if the numbers on this ticket just hit…’”
All my problems would be over if…
That line of thinking is the path of destruction, down which we human beings are all too willing to walk.
What could $7,000 a day not fix, after all?
It would be fun to find out, huh?
Maybe not.
Just ask Bud Post. “I wish it never happened,” he says. “It was totally a nightmare.” The horrific experience he references is that of winning $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988. Poor guy.
I really mean “poor” guy. He’s poor again.
A former girlfriend sued him and took part of his winnings. His own brother hired a hit man -- yes, a hit man, to kill him so that he could collect inheritance money. He felt forced to fund failed business ventures for other siblings that lost more money and further worsened their relationships.
Within one year of winning the lottery, he was $1 million in debt.
Oh yeah, and he had spent time in jail for firing a gunshot over the head of an over-zealous bill collector.
Believe it or not, there are many, many more stories just like Bud’s.
“All my problems would be over if I…”
…ate that cookie/brownie/ice cream (sorry, my baggage)…
…bought that car…
…got that job…
…had that boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife…
…got that title…
…wore those clothes…
…made more money…
…had more power…
…made everybody like me…
…won that $94 million…
Wrong.
Doesn’t happen.
Sorry.
Peace of mind and a problem-free life aren’t for sale. You can’t buy them anywhere, not even Wal-Mart. Not even for $94 million.
Jesus said:
‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’
Please don’t think I’m trying to get preachy (not easy for a preacher). I cannot claim inoculation against the human temptation of thinking that enough of the right stuff can make life problem-free.
Money’s not evil. Learning how to live with it is one of the most important tasks we ever face. I’m convinced that the first step toward healthy living with money is realizing what it can and can’t do.
It can give you lots of options, but it can’t help you make the right choices.
It can fund a lot of good work, but it can’t make your heart right with God.
It can pay for some fun experiences, but it cannot make you happy.
It can bring lots of things into your life, but it can’t put them in the right order.
First things first. “…Strive first for the kingdom of God,” Jesus says. That kingdom is the one of grace, the one of forgiveness and redemption. It’s the kingdom of love and holiness and peace --- and that kingdom isn’t for sale.
Songwriter Bob Franke said it best…
“...But if god felt a hammer in the palm of his hand
Then god knows the way we feel
And then love lasts forever
Forever and for real.”
One thing can plug “the hole” in the middle of the best, most problem-free life. It’s God’s love, and it’s absolutely free for the asking.
With that gift, all the other stuff falls into place. Without it, all the “mega millions” in the world won’t do the job.
Now, ain’t that a kick in the pants? Yeah, it is.
Kick away, Lord. Drop kick us through the goalpost of perspective.
Grace & Peace,
Adam
$94 million.
I know, I know. They won’t get all of it. Taxes will eat a good bit, and if they take the lump sum payout, they’re going to get more like $50 million. Somehow they’ll just have to carry on, right?
$50 million, earning 5% interest, equals $2.5 million annually.
Do you know how much money $2.5 million a year really is? It’s almost $7,000 in income ---- EVERY SINGLE DAY!!
That’s a lot of trips to the coffee shop. Heck, I might even buy everybody a round with that kind of cash flow.
I heard a preacher talking about the “mega millions” jackpot this week. “It’s $94 million, you know…I think folks look at that number and think, ‘all my problems would be over if the numbers on this ticket just hit…’”
All my problems would be over if…
That line of thinking is the path of destruction, down which we human beings are all too willing to walk.
What could $7,000 a day not fix, after all?
It would be fun to find out, huh?
Maybe not.
Just ask Bud Post. “I wish it never happened,” he says. “It was totally a nightmare.” The horrific experience he references is that of winning $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988. Poor guy.
I really mean “poor” guy. He’s poor again.
A former girlfriend sued him and took part of his winnings. His own brother hired a hit man -- yes, a hit man, to kill him so that he could collect inheritance money. He felt forced to fund failed business ventures for other siblings that lost more money and further worsened their relationships.
Within one year of winning the lottery, he was $1 million in debt.
Oh yeah, and he had spent time in jail for firing a gunshot over the head of an over-zealous bill collector.
Believe it or not, there are many, many more stories just like Bud’s.
“All my problems would be over if I…”
…ate that cookie/brownie/ice cream (sorry, my baggage)…
…bought that car…
…got that job…
…had that boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife…
…got that title…
…wore those clothes…
…made more money…
…had more power…
…made everybody like me…
…won that $94 million…
Wrong.
Doesn’t happen.
Sorry.
Peace of mind and a problem-free life aren’t for sale. You can’t buy them anywhere, not even Wal-Mart. Not even for $94 million.
Jesus said:
‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’
Please don’t think I’m trying to get preachy (not easy for a preacher). I cannot claim inoculation against the human temptation of thinking that enough of the right stuff can make life problem-free.
Money’s not evil. Learning how to live with it is one of the most important tasks we ever face. I’m convinced that the first step toward healthy living with money is realizing what it can and can’t do.
It can give you lots of options, but it can’t help you make the right choices.
It can fund a lot of good work, but it can’t make your heart right with God.
It can pay for some fun experiences, but it cannot make you happy.
It can bring lots of things into your life, but it can’t put them in the right order.
First things first. “…Strive first for the kingdom of God,” Jesus says. That kingdom is the one of grace, the one of forgiveness and redemption. It’s the kingdom of love and holiness and peace --- and that kingdom isn’t for sale.
Songwriter Bob Franke said it best…
“...But if god felt a hammer in the palm of his hand
Then god knows the way we feel
And then love lasts forever
Forever and for real.”
One thing can plug “the hole” in the middle of the best, most problem-free life. It’s God’s love, and it’s absolutely free for the asking.
With that gift, all the other stuff falls into place. Without it, all the “mega millions” in the world won’t do the job.
Now, ain’t that a kick in the pants? Yeah, it is.
Kick away, Lord. Drop kick us through the goalpost of perspective.
Grace & Peace,
Adam
May 10, 2006
Little
There is little in modern American life more fascinating than Tee Ball.
12 weeks ago, I was an ignorant and idealistic. I was uninitiated in the realities of this fiery, parental rite of passage.
No longer.
Tee ball is baseball that was washed too long in hot water. Everything is shrunken, miniaturized, calibrated for the little arms and legs of 5 and 6 year old sluggers.
I have learned some interesting things this spring:
No, all people cannot, by instinct, find first base. Some will run toward third. Truly, I am not kidding.
A 5-man pile-up in the outfield will make you laugh out loud, no matter what kind of day you’ve been having. Oh yeah, and there are usually about 7 outfielders.
No matter how hard you work, infielders don’t know whether they should step on the base or tag the runner. They will do both, all the time, so just go with it. …At least, you hope they will.
...They might just stand there. It just depends which way the wind is blowing. The Holy Spirit blows where it will, you know.
I have learned that a grown man of 32-years-old might actually lose perspective in the course of the season so badly as to make a statement like: “man, the guys were really flat today. We’ve been hitting the ball so well the last few games, but today we just couldn’t put any hits together.”
Thankfully, I have a wonderful wife who always knows the right things to say, things like, “wow, you’d think 5 and 6 year olds would be more consistent, huh?”
In the silent moment that passes, I almost say, “yeah, really,” only to look up just in time to catch her eye and see that she’s laughing at me. Thank God.
I have also learned that the same grown man really can be reduced to scratching through a tee ball lineup over and over, trying to find the right mix of playing time for everybody while maintaining an outside shot at victory.
It is now true that there's a group of people out there who probably don't even know my last name, but they know me as "Coach Adam." That's actually even weirder for me than "Reverend."
It’s amazing, really.
Don't get me wrong, there have been some wonderful moments. There have been moments of brilliance when you see the first glimmer of pride in the eyes of a little player who just did something they didn’t think they could do. There has been laughter and celebration, some pain and tears (not mine, it hasn't gotten that bad), but generally a fun time for everybody.
But the most amazing part of teeball, bar none, is not the players on the field…it’s the parents in the stands.
I’ll confess, I’m coaching the team because I didn’t think I could bear the experience of sitting outside the fence, watching from a distance. “Tee Ball parent” is not an easy role for anybody.
Let’s just say that “calm,” “balance,” and “perspective,” are not concepts that thrive in a ballpark environment and leave it at that.
Most of us struggle for calm, balance and perspective when it comes to our kids, and that’s a shame. It’s a shame because the very biggest thing I’ve learned this spring is that the kids will do just fine, if we’ll let them. They’re usually having a blast in spite of us. I've become convinced that perspective is one of the best gifts we can give them, even though they don't usually want it.
Tournament time starts this weekend (pray for me), and we’ve got a big, killer practice planned for Thursday night. Coach Crazy here is actually already thinking of ways to motivate the troops.
I tried out my strategy last night on my own little slugger. “Will,” I said, “are you pumped up and ready to play tonight?”
“Yeah!” he said, really excited. I was so proud. “Man,” I thought, “ he can’t wait to hit the ball, run hard, play great.”
Then he told me the reason for his excitement. “Mom said she’s gonna buy me a hot dog tonight!!”
Right.
This morning, I had the privilege of making the welcome and praying at the SOTH Preschool Mother’s Day Tea. As a power point of photos from the preschool year played on our screens, “Let Them Be Little,” by Billy Dean played in the background.
I know, the lyrics are corny and you only like this kind of thing if you’re an old mom or dad, but you know what, sometimes corny is good:
“So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.”
Last night at our game, I took a moment to look at the stands on both sides of the field. They were full of parents who hung on every pitch, cheering for their kid, yelling and carrying on, some of them helping, some of them hurting.
As we left, I watched a few moments of the game that was happening on the “big field.” There, two teams of what looked like 16 and 17 year olds were playing a really competitive game at a high skill level. The pitcher was throwing off-speed and breaking pitches. The hitters were taking great swings, and the defenders made some good plays.
I looked at the stands down first base and third. For all the skill and dedication on the field, almost nobody was there to watch them and cheer them on. I counted 3 or 4 parents and a few, straggling younger teens who weren’t even paying attention.
What happens between 6 and 16? Lord help us when we put too much pressure on our little ones and forget our big ones altogether. Lord help those of us who take on this mighty task of parenting and grand-parenting. Lord, we really do need your help.
Luke 18:
"16But Jesus called for them and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs."
God bless all our kids, and God bless the Bill Arp Indians! Let's let 'em be little, and see if we can't try it for ourselves sometime.
Peace,
Adam
LIFE AT SOTH:
Don’t forget that this Sunday is Mother’s Day. Bring Mom to church and make her happy! In honor of Mom, we’re doing our best to make you feel guilty!
DaVinci Code Sermon Series concludes this week, Sunday at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. This week, “Where Did the Bible Come From” takes a look at the historical origins of the Bible. If you ever wondered where the Bible came from before it was bound on the bookstore shelf, come find out this week!
Playground Update: You’ve no doubt seen the playground work that’s taking place on the North side of the church parking lot. We have graded a place for a new, enlarged playground. Our fencing and mulch is going in this week, followed by new playground equipment, hopefully all in place for our “Kid’s Day” on Saturday, May 20.
That weekend, we will unveil the new playground and invite the community for free hot dogs and cokes, and we’ll have inflatable rides on the church grounds for kids to play on. It should be a great day, and we’ll be offering registration for our Preschool and VBS ministries.
Our playground improvement is being funded from our building fund and SOTH is taking on no debt in this project. 100% of the new equipment will go with us should we relocate to a new church site. The playground will add tremendously to the visual appeal of our church, and greatly enhance our commitment to quality ministry through our preschool and children's ministries. Thanks to all of you for the generosity and volunteer labor making this improvement possible.
12 weeks ago, I was an ignorant and idealistic. I was uninitiated in the realities of this fiery, parental rite of passage.
No longer.
Tee ball is baseball that was washed too long in hot water. Everything is shrunken, miniaturized, calibrated for the little arms and legs of 5 and 6 year old sluggers.
I have learned some interesting things this spring:
No, all people cannot, by instinct, find first base. Some will run toward third. Truly, I am not kidding.
A 5-man pile-up in the outfield will make you laugh out loud, no matter what kind of day you’ve been having. Oh yeah, and there are usually about 7 outfielders.
No matter how hard you work, infielders don’t know whether they should step on the base or tag the runner. They will do both, all the time, so just go with it. …At least, you hope they will.
...They might just stand there. It just depends which way the wind is blowing. The Holy Spirit blows where it will, you know.
I have learned that a grown man of 32-years-old might actually lose perspective in the course of the season so badly as to make a statement like: “man, the guys were really flat today. We’ve been hitting the ball so well the last few games, but today we just couldn’t put any hits together.”
Thankfully, I have a wonderful wife who always knows the right things to say, things like, “wow, you’d think 5 and 6 year olds would be more consistent, huh?”
In the silent moment that passes, I almost say, “yeah, really,” only to look up just in time to catch her eye and see that she’s laughing at me. Thank God.
I have also learned that the same grown man really can be reduced to scratching through a tee ball lineup over and over, trying to find the right mix of playing time for everybody while maintaining an outside shot at victory.
It is now true that there's a group of people out there who probably don't even know my last name, but they know me as "Coach Adam." That's actually even weirder for me than "Reverend."
It’s amazing, really.
Don't get me wrong, there have been some wonderful moments. There have been moments of brilliance when you see the first glimmer of pride in the eyes of a little player who just did something they didn’t think they could do. There has been laughter and celebration, some pain and tears (not mine, it hasn't gotten that bad), but generally a fun time for everybody.
But the most amazing part of teeball, bar none, is not the players on the field…it’s the parents in the stands.
I’ll confess, I’m coaching the team because I didn’t think I could bear the experience of sitting outside the fence, watching from a distance. “Tee Ball parent” is not an easy role for anybody.
Let’s just say that “calm,” “balance,” and “perspective,” are not concepts that thrive in a ballpark environment and leave it at that.
Most of us struggle for calm, balance and perspective when it comes to our kids, and that’s a shame. It’s a shame because the very biggest thing I’ve learned this spring is that the kids will do just fine, if we’ll let them. They’re usually having a blast in spite of us. I've become convinced that perspective is one of the best gifts we can give them, even though they don't usually want it.
Tournament time starts this weekend (pray for me), and we’ve got a big, killer practice planned for Thursday night. Coach Crazy here is actually already thinking of ways to motivate the troops.
I tried out my strategy last night on my own little slugger. “Will,” I said, “are you pumped up and ready to play tonight?”
“Yeah!” he said, really excited. I was so proud. “Man,” I thought, “ he can’t wait to hit the ball, run hard, play great.”
Then he told me the reason for his excitement. “Mom said she’s gonna buy me a hot dog tonight!!”
Right.
This morning, I had the privilege of making the welcome and praying at the SOTH Preschool Mother’s Day Tea. As a power point of photos from the preschool year played on our screens, “Let Them Be Little,” by Billy Dean played in the background.
I know, the lyrics are corny and you only like this kind of thing if you’re an old mom or dad, but you know what, sometimes corny is good:
“So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.”
Last night at our game, I took a moment to look at the stands on both sides of the field. They were full of parents who hung on every pitch, cheering for their kid, yelling and carrying on, some of them helping, some of them hurting.
As we left, I watched a few moments of the game that was happening on the “big field.” There, two teams of what looked like 16 and 17 year olds were playing a really competitive game at a high skill level. The pitcher was throwing off-speed and breaking pitches. The hitters were taking great swings, and the defenders made some good plays.
I looked at the stands down first base and third. For all the skill and dedication on the field, almost nobody was there to watch them and cheer them on. I counted 3 or 4 parents and a few, straggling younger teens who weren’t even paying attention.
What happens between 6 and 16? Lord help us when we put too much pressure on our little ones and forget our big ones altogether. Lord help those of us who take on this mighty task of parenting and grand-parenting. Lord, we really do need your help.
Luke 18:
"16But Jesus called for them and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs."
God bless all our kids, and God bless the Bill Arp Indians! Let's let 'em be little, and see if we can't try it for ourselves sometime.
Peace,
Adam
LIFE AT SOTH:
Don’t forget that this Sunday is Mother’s Day. Bring Mom to church and make her happy! In honor of Mom, we’re doing our best to make you feel guilty!
DaVinci Code Sermon Series concludes this week, Sunday at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. This week, “Where Did the Bible Come From” takes a look at the historical origins of the Bible. If you ever wondered where the Bible came from before it was bound on the bookstore shelf, come find out this week!
Playground Update: You’ve no doubt seen the playground work that’s taking place on the North side of the church parking lot. We have graded a place for a new, enlarged playground. Our fencing and mulch is going in this week, followed by new playground equipment, hopefully all in place for our “Kid’s Day” on Saturday, May 20.
That weekend, we will unveil the new playground and invite the community for free hot dogs and cokes, and we’ll have inflatable rides on the church grounds for kids to play on. It should be a great day, and we’ll be offering registration for our Preschool and VBS ministries.
Our playground improvement is being funded from our building fund and SOTH is taking on no debt in this project. 100% of the new equipment will go with us should we relocate to a new church site. The playground will add tremendously to the visual appeal of our church, and greatly enhance our commitment to quality ministry through our preschool and children's ministries. Thanks to all of you for the generosity and volunteer labor making this improvement possible.
May 3, 2006
Sick
“Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship, in the kingdom of the well and the kingdom of the sick. Although we all prefer to use only the good passport, sooner or later each of us is obliged, at least for a spell, to identify ourselves as citizens of that other place.” Susan Sontag
This afternoon, I have just had my “good passport” stamped once more. I am very glad to re-enter the “kingdom of the well.”
Last week, the kindergartener in our family missed his first day of school for this year. He’d awoken in the middle of the night, exceedingly ill from one mean little stomach virus.
Like any good family, we share whatever we have.
Three days later, I was home with his little brother who woke up from his nap, crying. He was pitiful, and as I picked him up from his bed, I felt his tight stomach and knew why. A few moments later, I placed a desperate call to his mother, detailing our 2-year-old’s transformation into a tiny Mt. Vesuvius. MAYDAY, MAYDAY!
Monday is my day “off,” and as I worked on backyard projects through the afternoon, I started to notice that I wasn’t feeling so good myself. By bedtime, I knew that my turn to fight the bug had come…and the bug was clearly winning.
Now, some of you out there reading this column have been really sick in your lives. Some of you are fighting serious illness even now. Understand, I don’t mean that you’ve been “stomach flu” sick, I mean “cancer” sick.
I have not. The truth is, that to this point in my life, I have been remarkably healthy, and can really only remember a handful of experiences like the one I had this week. To even talk of my 36-hour trial as “suffering” is to belittle the experiences of real suffering that many of you have had.
Even so, I’ve wondered if spending a whole day in bed yesterday, with no desire to get up and do anything, for any reason, can’t give me some small window in to how fragile and dependent we human beings really are?
And here’s one thing I know for sure: I do not suffer well.
Monday I was doing physical labor, king of my little backyard realm. Tuesday I was flat in bed, complete with fever and fatigue, in need of help and care. I didn’t like the experience one little bit.
I don’t like pain. I don’t like missing work. I don’t like daytime TV. I’m so thankful for a wife who stayed patient and put up with my whining, but I don’t like having to be a drag on the family.
I don’t like being dependent.
Too bad.
“Sickness,” just as surely as “health,” is a part of life. We are physical creatures, and these bodies do break down. For a time, the breakdowns are simply temporary inconveniences, and we believe that we can make assumptions about the good health that will always be ours.
But one day, sooner or later, we all must learn tough lessons about pain, suffering and our fundamental dependence upon God and one another.
As a pastor, I receive a deep and rare privilege as people of faith invite me into their most personal and private places of pain and suffering.
In only my second year of ministry, I watched “Ms. Pauline” die from cancer. She was a woman of great faith and incredible determination. Already sick when I met her, I looked on as she grew more and more dependent on her family and other caregivers.
I was 24 years old, and didn’t have a clue as to what to say to a dying woman, but I’ll never forget the things that she told me. “Adam,” she’d say, “I’m going to be alright. God is taking care of me. I have peace.”
In those days before she died, Ms. Pauline taught me more than the best classes in pastoral care ever could. She taught me that sometimes it’s ok not to know what to say because just being there is enough. She taught me that death isn’t the scariest thing a person of faith can ever face, because it isn’t the end.
She taught me that strength and weakness can’t be measured simply by how frail someone appears on the outside. She taught me that a good life and a good death have one big thing in common --- they both hang entirely on our ability to acknowledge and embrace our dependence, without shame.
Today, I’ve shaken off the illness that clung to me yesterday, and I’m going to be fine. My biggest problems are a little fatigue and a piled-high inbox of e-mail. In a few weeks, I won’t even remember being sick.
Although I know I probably I won’t, I hope I’ll remember the lessons. I hope that each of us, each day, can learn a little more of the key to living that Paul gives us in Romans:
“…let us also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”
However you’re feeling today, and whatever you face, you can rest assured that Ms. Pauline was right:
We’re going to be alright. God is taking care of us.
Grace and Peace,
Adam
LIFE AT SOTH:
Don’t forget that our Church family picnic will be at Clinton Farms this Saturday, from 10a.m. – 3 p.m. Bring a side-dish for a picnic lunch and enjoy a fun day together with the SOTH family.
Good to Great study concludes tonight with a look at our final two chapters, “The Flywheel and the Doom Loop,” and “Built to Last.” 6:30 pm at “The Ranch.”
The Da Vinci Code sermon series continues this Sunday at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. with Part Two: “Who Was Mary Magdalene?”
Baby Noor Update -- Adam, Debbie Stone and Jonl Steinke got to go out and see Baby Noor with her host family this past Friday. She weighed only about 8 pounds upon her arrival (at 3.5 months old). She is now 7.5 months, and weighs over 20 pounds. She was happy and very responsive, laughing and playing during the whole visit. She has undergone surgeries to repair her spina bifida, to improve flexibility in her feet, and received shunts to ensure drainage of fluid away from her brain. She does remain paralyzed below the waist and is not expected to recover movement in her legs. At this time, her return to Iraq is dependent upon how she continues to respond to treatment, and the date has not yet been set. Please continue to keep Baby Noor, her family, and her host family in your prayers.
This afternoon, I have just had my “good passport” stamped once more. I am very glad to re-enter the “kingdom of the well.”
Last week, the kindergartener in our family missed his first day of school for this year. He’d awoken in the middle of the night, exceedingly ill from one mean little stomach virus.
Like any good family, we share whatever we have.
Three days later, I was home with his little brother who woke up from his nap, crying. He was pitiful, and as I picked him up from his bed, I felt his tight stomach and knew why. A few moments later, I placed a desperate call to his mother, detailing our 2-year-old’s transformation into a tiny Mt. Vesuvius. MAYDAY, MAYDAY!
Monday is my day “off,” and as I worked on backyard projects through the afternoon, I started to notice that I wasn’t feeling so good myself. By bedtime, I knew that my turn to fight the bug had come…and the bug was clearly winning.
Now, some of you out there reading this column have been really sick in your lives. Some of you are fighting serious illness even now. Understand, I don’t mean that you’ve been “stomach flu” sick, I mean “cancer” sick.
I have not. The truth is, that to this point in my life, I have been remarkably healthy, and can really only remember a handful of experiences like the one I had this week. To even talk of my 36-hour trial as “suffering” is to belittle the experiences of real suffering that many of you have had.
Even so, I’ve wondered if spending a whole day in bed yesterday, with no desire to get up and do anything, for any reason, can’t give me some small window in to how fragile and dependent we human beings really are?
And here’s one thing I know for sure: I do not suffer well.
Monday I was doing physical labor, king of my little backyard realm. Tuesday I was flat in bed, complete with fever and fatigue, in need of help and care. I didn’t like the experience one little bit.
I don’t like pain. I don’t like missing work. I don’t like daytime TV. I’m so thankful for a wife who stayed patient and put up with my whining, but I don’t like having to be a drag on the family.
I don’t like being dependent.
Too bad.
“Sickness,” just as surely as “health,” is a part of life. We are physical creatures, and these bodies do break down. For a time, the breakdowns are simply temporary inconveniences, and we believe that we can make assumptions about the good health that will always be ours.
But one day, sooner or later, we all must learn tough lessons about pain, suffering and our fundamental dependence upon God and one another.
As a pastor, I receive a deep and rare privilege as people of faith invite me into their most personal and private places of pain and suffering.
In only my second year of ministry, I watched “Ms. Pauline” die from cancer. She was a woman of great faith and incredible determination. Already sick when I met her, I looked on as she grew more and more dependent on her family and other caregivers.
I was 24 years old, and didn’t have a clue as to what to say to a dying woman, but I’ll never forget the things that she told me. “Adam,” she’d say, “I’m going to be alright. God is taking care of me. I have peace.”
In those days before she died, Ms. Pauline taught me more than the best classes in pastoral care ever could. She taught me that sometimes it’s ok not to know what to say because just being there is enough. She taught me that death isn’t the scariest thing a person of faith can ever face, because it isn’t the end.
She taught me that strength and weakness can’t be measured simply by how frail someone appears on the outside. She taught me that a good life and a good death have one big thing in common --- they both hang entirely on our ability to acknowledge and embrace our dependence, without shame.
Today, I’ve shaken off the illness that clung to me yesterday, and I’m going to be fine. My biggest problems are a little fatigue and a piled-high inbox of e-mail. In a few weeks, I won’t even remember being sick.
Although I know I probably I won’t, I hope I’ll remember the lessons. I hope that each of us, each day, can learn a little more of the key to living that Paul gives us in Romans:
“…let us also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”
However you’re feeling today, and whatever you face, you can rest assured that Ms. Pauline was right:
We’re going to be alright. God is taking care of us.
Grace and Peace,
Adam
LIFE AT SOTH:
Don’t forget that our Church family picnic will be at Clinton Farms this Saturday, from 10a.m. – 3 p.m. Bring a side-dish for a picnic lunch and enjoy a fun day together with the SOTH family.
Good to Great study concludes tonight with a look at our final two chapters, “The Flywheel and the Doom Loop,” and “Built to Last.” 6:30 pm at “The Ranch.”
The Da Vinci Code sermon series continues this Sunday at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. with Part Two: “Who Was Mary Magdalene?”
Baby Noor Update -- Adam, Debbie Stone and Jonl Steinke got to go out and see Baby Noor with her host family this past Friday. She weighed only about 8 pounds upon her arrival (at 3.5 months old). She is now 7.5 months, and weighs over 20 pounds. She was happy and very responsive, laughing and playing during the whole visit. She has undergone surgeries to repair her spina bifida, to improve flexibility in her feet, and received shunts to ensure drainage of fluid away from her brain. She does remain paralyzed below the waist and is not expected to recover movement in her legs. At this time, her return to Iraq is dependent upon how she continues to respond to treatment, and the date has not yet been set. Please continue to keep Baby Noor, her family, and her host family in your prayers.
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