What Is Wrong With Our People?

I have been generally supportive of the Obama administration with the exception of ramming the health care bill through. That being said, there was a CNN news story that sadly demonstrates how easily we USAmericans are willing to give up our freedom of speech.

In this story, a teacher in a poor, Hispanic school, hampered by assanine statistical assessments based off a dreamland understanding of learning, tied a string to the feet an effigy of President Obama holding a sign saying to fire all of the teachers in the school (mass firings are in the works).

It was not a "hanging" or "lynching" as the media are "innocently" suggesting by using the word "hang". The doll was hung by its feet. It is not a hate crime. It is a political statement against a bad policy. Yet, the superintendent is blazing a trail toward firing the teacher with as much media spotlight as possible. Granted, I've yet to meet a school superintendent that I liked, but the Gestapo is alive and well if a teacher can't argue against the President of the USA in his classroom...especially on behalf of his students well-being.

Even more appalling is that the media are giving this superintendent airtime. By shutting down free speech, marching lock step with popular opinion, and putting on a farce of a disciplinary action, this superintendent hearkens back to a different era...My hope is that the teacher fights for his rights in this case for this case is not about a teacher...It's about our freedom to Rage Against the Machine.

America is doomed if we so easily give up our rights and our thoughts.

NCAA Night #1

Phrase of the night...Phrase of the year...Phrase of the last two years...

The Big East is WAY overrated. Plain and simple, this league does not play disciplined basketball. Their defense is suspect, they turn the ball over, and they don't play smart. It really is a shame Villanova won, or it could've been a perfect start to the tournament.

So far my brackets are looking pretty good, though Vandy broke my heart and my Sweet 16.

Tomorrow, the Big Ten teams get some PT. I have two Big Ten teams in the Final Four (OSU and Wiscy), and I have a "shocker" if I'm correct: Five Big Ten teams in the Sweet 16. That's right. Five for the underrated conference that knows how to play ball.

Kudos to Ohio University...Only you thought you could do it, and you did. Great job!

Sick & Sicker

Well, the whole family is sick...Some of us have the respiratory stuff. Others of us have...well, the OTHER stuff!

I hate being sick, and I especially hate being sick to my stomach. It's funny how I haven't had "stomach flu" for years, and then we had kids. Bam! Every year now. Ugh. I wanted to commit seppuku at one point, but I think the worst is over now.

Poor Sophie was coughing so hard that she puked last night. Everywhere...Over everything...

Usually I'm the one to clean up the mess, but I had to defer to Steph. After a few failed attempts and a couple of heaves herself, I jumped into the fray, arms deep in puke and saved the night.

Moral of the story: Despite all this, I received a great treasure: A night spent on the couch holding my daughter, having her hug me and say, "You're the best daddy ever!" Despite the puke, the coughing, and the OTHER stuff, it was a precious moment.

Side note: I'm ready to not be sick.

Carl Jung & the Bible

I was looking for a quote attributed to Joseph Campbell. In reality, it was Campbell quoting Carl Jung, famous psychoanalyst. It comes from Campbell's The Power of Myth. It is so very wonderful: "Religion is a defense against religious experience."

If nothing else, that is the nugget for the day; however, in reading this article regarding an analysis of Answering Job by Jung, it dawned on me a very important point that I've always felt, but never heard articulated: The Bible must stay together, lest we turn God into a horrid beast, sub-human, something less than worthy of our worship.

Jung argues that the God of the book of Job is amazingly self-serving. God allows ha-satan, the adversary in Hebrew...something akin to " the prosecutor," to set a wager of Job's response. Jung uses the word "bamboozles." All in all, Jung, a believer in God (not necessarily the God of orthodox Christianity...but shaped by the Church and Scripture), makes some blasphemous statements...

But, I had a hard time arguing with him...I wanted to, but there are some really crazy things in that book. That got me started on the book of Joshua....more crazy things. Yet, each of these books have some beautiful things, too.

I think perhaps what Jung is pointing to is the incarnational nature of Scripture. Job was never meant to stand alone. It is a book of a community talking about suffering. Joshua was book of national identity and power. The book of Judges is about survival. The Gospels are books of hope and salvation. The Epistles are about community conduct (ironically so are Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy).

Taking a glimpse of God given to us by these inspired men and women allows us only to see in part...as St. Paul says, "We see through the mirror dimly..."

Looking at the Bible as such takes some faith because it's not neat, pretty, and concise. It takes work, hope, and faith to see the God of the Universe behind the pages, behind the stories.

It takes courage to sit through the argumentation of having a book like Ezra in the same Bible as Ruth....or the Epistle of James alongside St. Paul's writings.

Jung and Campbell are men I love to converse with (through their writings...they're both dead), and I often leave conversations with them provoked, disturbed, and questioning...

And for that I thank God for them, for their minds, and for their courage to write uncomfortable questions and thoughts...I also thank God for the Spirit giving me the courage to cling to faith and question at the same time.

Creativity and Busy-ness

I have been sparse in my blogging recently...busy-ness is a part of it, but to be honest, my creative juices just haven't been flowing.

I remember one of my senior pastors told me one time that associate pastors always have more creative ideas because senior pastors are immersed in the details while the associates get to sit back and look at everything from a distance. At the time, I scoffed, but I think I'm eating some of that scoff right now...

It kinda has me thinking...what is creativity? Where does it come from? Why are there some days when it all comes so easily, when there are other days that it's impossible to pull an idea?

I think being creative requires intentional, hard work. Last week I took three days to be intentional about laying out sermon series and schedules for the year. My first day I finished one series...ONE! It was frustrating, but rewarding. I was able to take time to really think through some issues we need to deal with, how God's Word applies to those situations, how do we apply that Word, and lastly, creative vehicles to communicate that Word in tangible and receivable ways.

I stayed at home to have total quiet, total concentration, and absolutely no interruptions. It was worth it because as I went, it got easier, and soon I had until September planned out...with some nifty sermon series in there I might add!!!

Perhaps, I just need to be more intentional about blogging now!

New District Superintendent Coming

Dale Mendenhall has been the Muncie District Superintendent for several years. Dale is a great guy, an awesome "boss", and a wonderful peer (in a profession that lacks peer sociality). I was very sad to see him moving back to the pastorate...but at least it's close!

That being said, we have a new DS coming. Click here to read more about David Byrum.

Haitian Disaster

The disaster in Haiti continues even though CNN coverage wanes...

Below are a few good links relating to the disaster that might be of interest:

• Why God? - A pastor's reflections on the Why's and So What's.
• UMCOR's Work in Haiti
• A Story of Song and Hope
• The Power of Compassion - A Girl's efforts to raise money for Haiti