October Baseball

In case you missed it on facebook. here is Ezra dancing during our post-game celebration of the Braves making the playoffs.



Don't stop believing!

28 Days Later

Four weeks. That's how long Corrie and I went without eating any meat.


I meant to blog more during that time, but with the semester getting started up last week, life got crazier by the day. But now we are on the other side of our Vegetarian Experiment, and I have some thoughts about these last four weeks.



The first 10 days were pretty hard. I caught myself several times beginning to fix myself a sandwich and realizing my choices were peanut butter or...peanut butter. I also craved chicken or burgers a lot during those first 10 days, especially when I could smell them.


Sometime around mid-month I found myself not craving anything anymore, and automatically looking at the vegetarian options in grocery stores and restaurants (which are often times very limited). My habits were changing, and with my tastes. Though I can't say that I tried a lot of new veggies in the last month, I can say that I am willing to order them and eat them a lot more than I was before.


And that is one of the primary reasons I did this: to change my habits. Habits are tricky things. They are a part of who we are, but they can also hold us back from being better than who we are. I am fortunate enough to have a metabolism that can handle grease, meat, and sugar pretty well, but just because I don't gain weight from fatty foods doesn't mean I should not eat healthy. What's really at stake is not so much my current health, but my long-term health. I would love to be as healthy at 40 as I am 30, but I won't be if I don't adjust some habits between now and then.


If you're wondering how we celebrated our four-week meat fast - we got take out from Five Guys Burger and Fries!

Change

A theme of our lives right now is change. We change diapers, we change little boys' clothes, the boys change/grow everyday. Our lives are revolving doors of change. Just when you get used to one thing, it is replaced by another.


And yet, amongst all this other change, there are even bigger changes ahead. Last week, I accepted the position of Campus Pastor at the Wesley Foundation of Macon in Macon, Georgia. This is not a change we saw coming. I mean, I did apply for the position and interview for the position, but if you had asked us in January if we thought we might move this summer, we would have said no.


So, why move? Why now? The boys are not the only ones changing these days. Corrie and I are changing, too. We're growing as people, as parents, as a couple, and in our faith just by living life. One major thing that has changed in our hearts since Ezra was born is a desire to be closer to our families. We are keenly aware of how far away our boys' grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins live - and that has changed us. The desire that grew in our hearts became a prayer, and that prayer became a way for us to be open for God's next movement for our family.


We are truly happy in Oxford. Each new day with this decision makes us aware of how much we will miss this place. Our friends have become our family, and we are beginning to grieve the loss of community we will experience when we leave. This is also an exciting time for the Wesley at Ole Miss. My time as campus minister here has been characterized by building and foundation laying for a ministry that needed to figure out who it was. That has happened, and good things are stirring. I feel like Moses looking over the promised land - seeing it from a distance, but not experiencing it in person (Deuteronomy 34:1-4).


But we are also very excited about what's ahead. We believe the new position will enable me to minister and grow in ways that complement and challenge who I am; we believe there will be good space for Corrie to write her dissertation; and we believe Macon will be a great environment to raise the boys (especially since we'll be closer to the Braves!).

Retreating

Our Wesley had a joint retreat this weekend with the Wesley from the University of Arkansas. My friend, Omar, is the Director there, and last fall we decided that a joint retreat would be a good idea for each our ministries. We had 32 students altogether, and it was everything we wanted it to be for them.

Our speaker was our friend JD Walt, Dean of the Chapel at Asbury Seminary, and alum of the Arkansas Wesley. He challenged our students to live Jesus' story, a story of down, versus the story of the world, the story of up. (See the Asbury Reader site for more on that.) I could tell the students were getting a lot out of each session, and I am very thankful for events like this that  complement and propel our everyday ministry.

But the retreat was also good for me personally. I needed time with like-minded pastors to remind me that I am not alone. Campus ministry is pretty lonely; no one understands what you do, there is sometimes minimal support from the surrounding community, and the fruit of ministry is not always immediately seen. I am also realizing that I think and minister in a different way from a lot of other pastors, which makes my job even more lonely. Omar and JD were such an encouragement to me this weekend - affirming me, praying for me, and just listening to me. 

(The picture to the right is just before parting ways today. I call it "Los Tres Padres.")

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Micah 5:2-5a

2 * But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

are only a small village among all the people of Judah.

Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you,

one whose origins are from the distant past.

 3  The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies

until the woman in labor gives birth.

Then at last his fellow countrymen

will return from exile to their own land.

 4  And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,

in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

Then his people will live there undisturbed,

for he will be highly honored around the world.

 5  And he will be the source of peace.

"I'll be Home for Christmas" is a popular song at Christmas because of the common desire to be with those we love during the holiday season. Many are fortunate to have a home to return to; many are not. Many will travel and find that home; many will stay put not having anywhere else to go.


No one understood the desire for home more than the Israelites in exile. Generations of God's people were born and raised in a land that was not their own, growing up hearing stories about the land God had given them, and the days when they had their own king ruling justly over them, instead of a foreign oppressor imposing his will.


It is this desire that the prophet speaks into; he speaks of life, freedom, and peace. But the source of this peace will come in an unexpected way, a child. He will be born in Bethlehem, a town so insignificant that it fails to appear in all the rest of the Old Testament. And there is no mention of this ruler vanquishing the enemies, but of leading the flock with the Lord's strength, and in the majesty of the Lord's name. This ruler will be different. This ruler will truly lead as God himself leads, and the people shall finally be "home".


Advent Action: Are you already home for Christmas? Look around your community and find those who have no one returning home to them for Christmas, and extend your family to include them. Invite them over for Christmas dinner, spend time with them on Christmas Eve, or take a group of friends caroling to their home.

Somebody's gotta do it...

People often wonder what I do and what it means to be a campus minister. There are many parts to my position, some of which seminary adequately prepared me for: preaching, teaching, writing, developing leaders, answering questions about about God and the universe, etc. etc.


There are other things that seminary did not prepare me for: fundraising, keeping budgets, house maintenance, computer problems, etc.


One of the most important parts of my job happens twice a year. Like Jesus teaching on the mount, crowds flock to the Wesley House with excited anticipation. The line extends throughout the house, everyone longing to see, but only a few being able to experience the wonder of it all. What is this holy event that I'm describing? The Pancake Exam Break, of course! And one thing seminary did not teach me, but I have learned with much practice is how to make a griddle-sized pancake. OR as someone said last night, 


"That's not a pancake. That's a MANcake!"

Second Sunday of Advent

Malachi 3:1-4

"I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the Lord Almighty.

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.

Christmas is usually considered a time of joy and celebration, and in many ways it is. But the words of the prophet remind us that Jesus' coming is not without heartache, too. The Lord is being sought by the people, who are looking for the age-old covenant to be fulfilled (see Gen 12:-13; 2 Sam 7:12-14); they are longing to be the people God promised they would be, dwelling in the land God promised them, and living in God's presence.

"But who can endure the day of his coming?"

Christ comes to keep the covenant, but like any promise, our side must be kept, too. God does not desire blind obedience, but heartfelt, life-changing devotion. To be refined like gold and silver means allowing all the old, corrosive elements of our hearts to be painfully removed in order to shine in the light of God's love. Will we heed the words of the messenger, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance" (Luke 3:8)? Will our lives reflect the life-changing devotion God desires from us?

May this Advent season challenge us to prepare our own hearts to receive God's promises by shedding the dross from our hearts, and filling them with God's love.

This post originally appears on theorchardadvent.blogspot.com

First Sunday of Advent

**This post originally appears on our church's Advent blog. Feel free to check in with that one as well throughout the season.**

Zechariah 14:4-9

On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives , east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake inthe days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.

On that day there will be no sunlight, no cold, frosty darkness. It will be a unique day - a day known only to the Lord - with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light.

On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterrean Sea, in summer and in winter.

The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.

The first Sunday of Advent represents the hope of redemption. We relive with the historic people of Israel the anxious waiting they did for the anointed one (Messiah). At the same time, we ourselves are waiting for the final redemption of all creation.

The passage from Zechariah illustrates the now and later aspect of redemption. Zechariah's words depict a deliverance from exile - a harsh reality for the Israelites - and yet something they've experienced before. (Note how God will part a mountain in order to deliver the people - eerily similar to how the Red Sea had been parted in Exodus.) But also in Zechariah's words are pictures of a day that needs no light and filled with living water, a day where God is God and no other name can stand. God would deliver his people from exile, but there is still more to come.

What are you waiting for this Advent season? Are you waiting in line to get the best deals? Are you waiting on the interstate in holiday traffic? Are you waiting on loved ones to come home?

As you wait, reorient your heart towards the One who is coming.

The Natural

As the baseball regular season draws to a close and we grieve the Braves so close yet so far last week *sigh*, the game lives on here in our backyard.


Isaiah received a tee ball set in May from Aunt Riri and then spent the summer hacking away at the tee (not the ball). This is no surprise because who really expects a 2 1/2 year old to be able to hit a ball off a tee.

To be or not to be...

I turned 29 last week. On my birthday I was talking to my friend Omar, who is also a campus minister, and he suggested that I make a list of 29 things to do before I turn 30. I think that is a really great idea, but in the week since I turned 29 I have not been able to come up with 29 things I'd like to do before I turn 30.

What I have come up with are things I'd like to be about. What do I mean by that? Well, I want it to be more than a to-do list. Corrie and I talk a lot about being vs. doing, that is, our lives are defined by who we are, not by what we do or accomplish. We live in a world of upward mobility, where moving up and doing more is what defines our lives. But is that what life is all about? And more importantly, as a follower of Jesus and lover of God, is that what God is calling us to be about as we live our lives?

So my list is centered around things I want to be in my thirtieth year, not just things I want to do. Here they are:

1. Run a marathon
2. Be a vegetarian for one month
3. Read one classic work of fiction every month
4. Take a 5 day monastic retreat
5. Get Corrie flowers for no reason multiple times
6. Take Isaiah to Braves opening day in April
7. Read through one book of the Bible every month
8. Be more organized and productive at work
9. Write something significant every month
10. Take a weekend away with just Corrie
11. Give Corrie more time to pursue her studies

**For more on being v. doing, read anything by Henri Nouwen.

Fall Magic

The Official Word

I just received the following email:

D.,

You have completed all of the requirements for the MDiv degree. I will be posting your degree this afternoon, and your diploma will be mailed in the next couple of weeks. It should arrive early to mid-October.

Thanks, and congratulations!

Cue Hallelujah Chorus....now!

Read Along

We are currently in the season of Kingdomtide in the Church Calendar. This is a time to focus on the ministry and person of Jesus. Every fall, Asbury Seminary publishes a common text reader for students with the goal that we will learn about the kingdom together by reading together. This reader is also published daily online at www.asburyreader.com. I encourage you to bookmark it and read along. Below is an excerpt:

p r e p a r e t h e w a y f o r t h e l o r d
a prelude to kingdomtide

Three hundred years of Heaven‘s silence. Not a word. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, enters the greatest prophet of them all, the forerunner of God, and the floodgates of Heaven open. Words literally begin falling from the sky like rain. John, “The Baptist" emerges at the river‘s edge declaring a message as hot as it was hopeful. His urgent message reverberates through the labyrinthine corridors of history, reaching back to Isaiah yet echoing from the locked gates of lost Eden.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

...click to keep reading.

The End of the Beginning, part 2

Our time Oxford started with a great deal of excitement, but also with a fair share of fear and trepidation. In a six month time period, we were going to experience a new home, new positions, new friends, new church, and a new baby. Somewhere there's a chart of the most stressful things that people have to deal with and I think all these are in the top 20 (if not 10). We will always look back fondly of that first year in Oxford, but I look back now and realize it was very much a honeymoon period for us.

This is especially true of the ministry at Wesley.

I came in with grand ideas, plans, and expectations. I had just come from seminary, after all, and I was feeling pretty confident in my ability to run a top notch ministry. All my ideas, though, quickly fell by the wayside when I realized what the ministry (and the running of the ministry) was versus what I had expected. There's not enough room to here to go in to detail, but suffice it to say that while I was excited about where God had led us that first year, I was also disappointed and frequently frustrated.

One expectation that did not match up has to do with how I perceived myself when we got to Oxford. In my overconfidence and naivete, I expected to be the teacher for the students, the one imparting wisdom and guidance, the one leading and inspiring. This is what it means to be a leader, right? While some of those things might have been true, I see myself now more as the student, not the teacher, a follower, not a leader, and a journeyman, not one who has arrived. My role as campus minister has more to do with listening to students than telling them things, and empowering them to be leaders by first being faithful followers...through my example as a follower of Christ.

Forty hours of classes, three years, and two kids later, I am finishing my seminary career. I am once again reminded of the seedbed, and now I understand what I didn't understand three years ago. While the seminary is a special seedbed, a unique season of learning and growing; the life of ministry is one as well. Sometimes we (as ministers) get so caught up in helping others grow that we fail to see how God is trying to grow us as well. But we need to see each ministry opportunity, each season of life, as its own seedbed and be asking God:

What are you trying to teach me? Am I being teachable? Forgive me for not seeing what you want me to see, or hearing what you want me to hear. Open my eyes that I might see, my ears that I might hear, my heart that I might be truly transformed in to the likeness of your Son.

The End of the Beginning, part 1

96 credit hours + 35 classes + 23 As + 9 Bs {3 classes were Pass/Fail - I passed all 3} + 5 years = 1 degree.

Five years ago, Corrie and I had just moved back to Wilmore, KY. We had been married just over a month, and within the next few days I would be going back to school. I had spent the previous year as an intern for Wesley here in Oxford as a way of confirming my call to ministry (and to be close to Corrie - whew, glad that worked). Now, I was about to start Asbury Theological Seminary - a more formal way of beginning my life as a vocational minister.

We lived in a basement apartment just behind

Asbury College. In fact, I even did laundry in my old dorm a few times because it was closer (and cheaper) than the laundromat. The basement was maybe 500 square feet, and as I started school, our income came from Corrie teaching adjunct English classes, and I working part-time for a church in downtown Lexington.

I remember listening to JD Walt during New Student Orientation talk about how seminary comes from the word seminarius, meaning "seed bed". He went on to say that seminary is much more than a place to learn about God, but it is a place where we begin a season of growth to really come to know God.

As I went to my first classes, I could see that what JD said was true. I sat in awe of my professors; they had spent their lives studying, writing, and living in their respective fields of study. They were so knowledgeable, so published, so well known, but more than that, I could tell that they really desired to know God.

My dad thinks seminary is a place that teaches you to grow facial hair to be more like Jesus. He's half right - it is a place to learn to be more like Jesus (I grew the goatee just because). Many think seminary is a place to learn theological terms, theories of biblical interpretation, ancient languages, and pastoral counseling skills. As if it's the vo-tech for pastors. But seminary is much more; seminary is place to be fed from the rich resources of Christian tradition, passed down from those who first heard, saw, and touched (1 John 1:1) the minstry of Jesus to those who faithfully give their lives to teaching it to men and women called of to God lead the Church.

Just after a year of living back in Wilmore, Corrie got the itch to start the process toward her PhD. Soon after that we received word that the Wesley position at Ole Miss was going to be hiring for the next year. We began to pray about our next steps. We didn't really want to live in Mississippi (10 and 12 hours away from our families), and I wasn't sure I was ready for a full-time ministry position. God called us anyway. With 56 of 96 hours complete, and no full-time ministry experience, we moved back to Oxford from Wilmore on July 1, 2006. Corrie received a full fellowship from Ole Miss to pursue her PhD, and we were expecting our first baby the following January.

to be continued...

40 Days of Prayer for Campus Ministry

Yesterday marked the beginning of 40 Days of Prayer for Campus Ministry. I hope you will join with us in praying for campuses, students, and ministers. A prayer guide can be downloaded here, and you can also follow it on facebook and twitter.

A Tale of Two Donalds

Today started as any other Monday would start at our house. Early.

I don't know if I had a case of the Mondays or just a lot on my mind, but I felt a little bit in a funk this morning. I was ready to spend some time in peace and quiet at the Wesley House, as well as get some tasks accomplished today. I was not expecting to have an adventure.

------------

One of the people I follow on twitter is Donald Miller. He wrote Blue Like Jazz several years ago and it was a pretty big hit in the Christian-verse. I've read it a couple of times myself, and I always thought it was a fun, thought provoking, and faith challenging read. Anyway, I follow him on twitter and I've been reading his blog quite a bit, too. He's been talking about his new book more and more, and upon reading some samples on the blog, I began to get pretty excited about it. I was even more excited when he announced that a promotion for the book would be hiding manuscripts all over the country for people to find - from hints and directions via twitter (and facebook).

------------

This morning I'm leaving Wesley's treasurer's office on campus and Corrie texts me, "Donald miller is hiding one in memphis today." Immediately I call her and ask, "Do you want to go?" She says, "Sure!" After a little more discussion we realize that taking the boys on this venture might be too hard, so my sweet, loving, and beautiful wife lets me go to Memphis to look for this manuscript. I traded in my blah of a Monday for a Quixotic adventure.

As I head out of Oxford, I realize that I could be driving to Memphis for nothing. It takes an hour and fifteen minutes to get there and what if the location is sent while I'm driving. I try not to think of that, and I just keep driving. I've already called my friend Michael who lives in Memphis; we're going to eat lunch together if nothing else, and since he lives there, he might be able to help me find it quickly.

As I drive I receive a text that says the location will go out around noon. Perfect. I'm due to arrive in Memphis around 11:30am. That gives me thirty minutes to find a place to station myself and also familiarize myself with the surroundings. Michael suggests a place just off I-240 on Union Avenue, close to the interstate but also just east of downtown. I find a spot in the McDonald's parking lot, and I wait.

...and I wait.

...and I wait.

Noon comes....and goes.

...and I wait.

...and I wait.

Finally, at 12:54pm, the location is sent, and I'm off. I need to get to

Marlowe's, a BBQ and ribs place just down from Graceland. AH. Of course! Graceland is an iconic place to hide something in

Memphis. Why didn't I think of that?

My station close to the interstate pays off since I have to head south 7-8 miles to get to the Graceland part of town (thanks Michael!). Corrie is feeding me directions over the phone. The race is on!

As I exit off the interstate, I realize I'm only 2.5 miles from Marlowe's and only 10 minutes has passed; I think to myself, "I might actually get this thing!"

I cruise by Graceland. I go through what seems like 20 stop lights (it was probably 5 of them). Then I see it. Marlowe's Ribs and Restaurant. Complete with, not one, but two pink cadillac limos in the parking lot. (Just call and they'll pick you up and bring you to the restaurant!)

I pull in, get out of the car, and walk in to the restaurant. There aren't very many people around. Could I be first? I look around for a book, package, anything that looks out of place, but I don't see anything.

There's a gift shop to the left. I walk in there looking expectantly. Nothing. An older gentleman walks in to the gift shop and goes behind the counter. I walk up and ask, "Do you know anything about a book that's hidden here?"

He responds, "I sure do." He reaches down behind him and picks up a bulky manilla envelope and says, "I'm supposed to give this to the first person who shows up." And he hands it to me!

YES! I found the book. I call Corrie - she is ecstatic. I call Michael - he laughs out loud. (Then says he'll meet me for lunch there at Marlowe's.)

I had gone out to the car to make those calls, and on my way back in to the restaurant, three other searchers are coming out. They congratulate me and then we talk for several minutes about ourselves, Donald Miller, etc. Turns out they're all musicians of some kind (one is even the violinist for Skillet - whoa!), and they were camping out on twitter today, too.

On the cover of the manuscript is a letter written by Donald Miller

extending his congratulations. He explains that this copy is numbered and signed, and that he hopes I will enjoy the read. Then he states,

"I'd love the opportunity to talk with you more, which is why I'm including my cell phone number, ***-***-****. I'd be most grateful if you didn't share this number with all your friends, but please do give me a call. I would love to "meet" you over the phone, learn more about you, and get your feedback on whether you think this book is any good. I look forward to hearing from you soon."

So, if you'll excuse me, I have some reading to do, and a phone call to make.

Excited like it's 1991

I feel like I'm in 6th grade again.

The summer of 1991 was a very exciting time for Braves fans. Even though I was only 11 years old, I was fully aware of The Miracle Season. At the All Star Break, the Braves were in last place in the division with a record of 39-40, 10.5 games back of the Dodgers, who were in first. By the end of September, the Braves had won the pennant and were on their way to the World Series. The Miracle Season lasted 14 years. It began a string of winning seasons for the Braves that lasted until 2005 – 14 straight pennants. Everyone in the world of baseball knows how special that is, so the last few years have been rough for me. The Braves have struggled, and just when there seems to be a glimmer of hope – a losing streak dashes my heart upon the rocks. What I tell people is that the past few years, it's like I've been dumped by the same girl over and over and over again – and yet I keep coming back for more.

And now, mid-August with 48 games left in the season, there is a glimmer of hope. At the All Star Break the Braves were 2 under .500, but since the break they are 8 over and have only lost one series. As of today, they are tied for second place in the division with the Marlins and 4.5 games back of the reigning World Series Champions, the Phillies. AND, this weekend the Braves play the Phillies in Atlanta. Best case scenario, the Braves are 1.5 back after Sunday night. Worst case scenario is my heart gets broken...again.

Pray for Campus Ministry

I am a campus minister. Many people try to describe what I do as "youth ministry". No offense to youth ministers, but NO. It's not youth ministry.

A campus minister picks up where the youth minister leaves off because we are on the college campus, where the students are taking the next steps in their journey. We're also different from youth ministry because many youth go to church because their parents want them to. The new found freedom of college life means not doing those things anymore, and (as statistics show) church/church-related activities are one of the first things to go. So I minister to students who truly desire to grow in their faith as well as those who are searching and wondering what this crazy life is all about.

There are campus ministries on every college campus in the United States, but they often fly under the radar, go unnoticed, and receive very little praise or attention. But it is these ministries that are producing the next generation of leaders in the church.

I am a campus minister with the United Methodist Church, and some of us are committing to pray for campus ministry for 40 days as we head in to a new school year. We are inviting you to pray with us, and if you'd like to lean more, please visit this site. The more we pray, the more students' lives will be transformed by God's grace through our ministries.

Aarrrgh

As a dad, I take it upon myself to teach my sons the really important things in life. Things like "touchdown", "you're out", "swing batta batta", and "Go DUKE!"

Isaiah and I have been reading a couple of pirate books lately. They are very entertaining and, it turns out, educational. For instance, did you know pirates don't eat spinach or change their socks?

The fruit of reading these books has been Isaiah learning a new phrase:

"Scurvy dog!"