The Aftermath of the Vote

My home state of North Carolina voted by a significant majority to preserve the traditional definition of marriage that has been accepted by mankind since God put Adam and Eve together.  Carolina is in the Bible belt, and while it is not by any means a "Christian" state, it still clings to long held beliefs.

What will happen next will be those who voted against the amendment will angrily fire shots at those who believe marriage is defined by the Almighty as "one man and one woman", calling them "ignorant", "bigots" and "hate-mongers".  This is an issue that has drawn deep lines because it is a reflection of belief.  And, by the democratic structure that makes America great, one belief was affirmed while the other rejected.  Likewise, some who savor the victory will use it to throw barbs at their opposition.

Sad is that those who see marriage as being broader than man and woman see hatred in the votes of those who disagree.  It's been made into an anti-gay mandate, mostly by the extreme left, as though those who voted "for" are Nazis, out to exterminate an entire people.  I personally know of no one wanting to exterminate anyone.

Reality is that those in same-sex relationships a generation ago chose to stay "in the closet" because they were viewed culturally as deviant.  Now, they are now increasingly main-stream, largely due to a very calculated effort to make acceptable what had been seen as unacceptable in most circles.  Reality is that homosexuality has taken great strides in being viewed as a "minority" deserving of the same rights and status of those in our society with skin colors of red, black and brown.  In that effort they have succeeded for the most part.

Someone has said that what is tolerated by one generation will be embraced by the next.  Those in favor of treating those with homosexual behavior as a minority, including the "civil right" to marry only need to be patient.  The vote in North Carolina, while it may have slowed the snowball's momentum, it will not stop it without a nationwide change in worldview.   And while that is a possibility, it is not likely.  Pandora's box has already been opened.

Those in my generation often wonder, "How did it come to this?".  I believe the answer is that we now live in a post-Christian America that holds no truths to be absolute.  "Faith of our fathers" has no relevance to the Millennial generation.  Therefore, it matters not that society since the beginnings of mankind  has consistently held to a man/woman view of marriage.  Nothing is sacred because God has either been reconstructed to our own making or relegated to being something previous generations needed as a crutch and who is unnecessary today.  Everything is up for grabs.

Absolutism says, "This is truth.  It does not change".  Our culture has shifted away from the absolutes of earlier generations of Americans to the absolute truth that nothing is absolute.  Therefore, anything goes.  Tolerance now means "no boundaries".  Formerly tolerance meant "I don't agree with you, but you have a right to freely practice or believe what you do as long as you don't try and force it upon me".  Now, if a segment of society...even a majority... seeks to maintain historically accepted absolutes they are viewed as intolerant. 

At stake is the very foundation of our culture, a foundation constructed by our Founding Fathers.  Imperfect men, they still held to the absolute that the Creator ordained certain things to be right and true, and that we as mere men have no right to usurp His almighty authority as the One who created us in His image and dismantle either the absolutes or the foundation.  That they held to such absolutes is undeniably evident in their writings, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  Historic Christianity and it's Judeo roots of Law and justice were accepted by all three branches of our founders' government.

That foundation has been eroded gradually over the past several generations like a slow but growing tide eats away a beach.  At first, it is so small that it is not noticed.  Then when it is discovered it is dissed as non-consequential.  However, when the houses begin falling into the surf it is virtually too late to make the attempt to rebuild.  Witness the fall of the mighty Roman Empire. 

There are those who spew hate on both sides of this vote's coin.  Even those who claim to be on God's side can be the most vitriolic.  And in that ugliness, the message that should be conveyed is lost in a muddled mess.  Those who genuinely base their opposition to a redefinition to the sanctity of marriage on an absolute belief should be anything but hatemongers.  Hopefully we voted for the amendment, not because we hate anyone, but because we truly believe that if marriage is tampered with, not only will our culture lose its moorings, but the doors will be opened to a host of other redefinitions that will prove detrimental in the long run to our future.

I wonder how much hatred would be displayed by the "for" voters had the vote gone the other way.  What would Jesus do in that scenario?  I suspect in either scenario He would show love and grace.

Let those who choose to hate not be those who name the name of Christ.  Rather, let those who follow His teachings and accept the Scriptures as the Word of God build bridges that demonstrate love to everyone.  Let us pray that the power of the Gospel to change men and women will be evidenced in the changes in our own hearts first, and then in the hearts of our friends and neighbors, regardless of their views.  May the God who created law, morality, sexuality and government, be revered as still worthy of acceptance by all.  Without Him we truly are adrift in a sea without an anchor or compass.

What is John 3:16 all about?

Click here and find out.

Christ is offensive. Accept it and move on.

Every year at this time the news gives us examples of tension between those who believe Christ is central to Christmas and those who do not wish Christ to be mentioned. Civil governments are often the ropes in these tug-of-wars.

This year is no different. And so, the never ending debate continues. Here's a link to an example playing out right now in Pitman, NJ.

As our nation drifts further away from the Judeo-Christian values of our founding fathers (read their stuff...even those who weren't devout still held to the sovereignty of an Almighty God) and moves at a more rapid pace toward human secularism as the norm, the once accepted and at worst tolerated celebration of Christmas becomes less relevant. Once relevance is lost it becomes easy to launch attacks and legal proceedings against anything Christian. Crosses. Manger scenes. Ten Commandments (Jewish, but accepted by Christians), even the word "Christmas".

Is it a battle worth fighting? I'm not sure. Maybe I'm wrong, but except for a supernatural intervention I'm inclined to believe we're crossing the point of no return. And honestly, Jesus and his earliest followers knew that He would be a point of offense to the non-Christian culture. We were warned this would happen. So we shouldn't be surprised.

Of course, I'm praying for that supernatural intervention. Hoping it will be sooner than later.

And Merry Christmas! Free speech still protects what I can say here.

A Gracious Response to the "Disciples of Intolerance"

Once again, those who want everyone else to tolerate them demonstrate how intolerant they are. This time they put pressure on a leading business executive to not speak at Willow Creek's Leadership summit. And he bowed out.

In the video, Pastor Bill Hybels graciously explains the position of his church. I hope you'll watch and listen carefully. I've used the same explanation, that at Nags Head Church we don't ask anyone at the door their beliefs or about their sexual lives. Everyone here, as they are at Willow Creek, is welcome to attend and hear the Gospel.

Remember Travel Agencies?

Years ago, if I had to take a trip that involved a flight, I found the simplest way to book the tickets was to go to a travel agent. My local agent would look on her computer at the airlines and find the flight that best suited my need. Since I either didn't have a computer at the time, the travel agent saved me time on the phone shopping with various airlines.

She would select my flight, book my rental car and make the hotel reservations right there from her desk. It was simple. All I had to do was either drive to her office or call her on the phone.

And there was an abundance of agencies in the area competing for my business. Every shopping center, it seemed had a travel agent renting a storefront.

Today I looked up Travel Agents in the yellow pages. Guess what? In our phone book there is one listed...something called "Cruises Inc". One, and they specialize in one thing. What happened?

Of course, you know the answer. The internet, with .coms like Travelocity, CheapSeats, Kayak, etc. put the travel agent out of business. Now I can book my flights, rent my car, and reserve my room or choose my cabin online in the comfort of my home at my convenience. I haven't been to a travel agent in years.

I'm sorry for the travel agents, but it's not a bad thing. It's just the way technology has changed how we do life. Convenience, as far as I'm concerned, is a good thing in my busy life.

And who writes checks anymore? Most of us no longer carry cash, but use a debit card. Our regular household bills are paid by automatic bank withdrawal. That's another way technology has changed how we do life.

Like most areas of life, the church is usually the last to catch on. (Are you still sitting on 17th century pews?) At my church we have web sites, blogs and more than one Facebook group. So, we're not totally in the dark ages. But, I'm pleased that starting this week our church has just made online giving an option for our congregation.

Why did it take us this long?

Oh, we'll continue to pass the offering bag around. Some prefer to bring their tithes to "the storehouse" in person, and that's cool. But for those of us who are apt to forget to bring it physically, we'll now be able to send it electronically. And that's cool, too.

Hate the sin; Love the sinner. Easier said than done.

If we denounce the sin, the sinner takes it personally. And why shouldn't he/she? No one wants to be judged as wrong.

If we dare declare something right vs. wrong we're told by the disciples of the religion of tolerance that we are intolerant, and that they will not tolerate that.

If we speak a word of disagreement with pop culture or political correctness we are told, "This is 2011!", as though a changing calendar makes changing morality right. I'm resolve to being a dinosaur.

I was recently told in a public forum where I shared my views (in a matter of fact but non-judgmental way), that if I wanted to live in a theocracy then I should emigrate! Believe me...I'm looking forward to that day. And I think it's sooner than later. At least I hope so.

The Mill

A good rule of thumb is whenever you hear something and your initial reaction is "I can't believe that!", you probably shouldn't.

Not long ago I was told a friend of mine had made some bad life-changing decisions that pretty much ruined his career and his marriage. I was shocked and in disbelief. But until I heard it from the horse's mouth I refused to believe it. So I asked him.

With the proliferation of email forwards (many that have been floating around for over a decade) about soft drink cans and efforts to remove religious broadcasting from television (a lot of it should be removed) I have learned to do one of two things: (1) Hit the delete key; (2) check it out on Snopes.com.

Same thing is true on Facebook. What was it a couple of weeks ago...Adam Sandler died in a skiing accident in Austria or something. Did I "pass it on"? No, I simply went to a couple of news outlets (legitimate ones) and saw nothing about Sandler. It's not that hard to find the truth.

Problem is, we seem to live in a culture that prefers to believe lies. Some are harmless. Others bring pain. It's like we want to see someone brought down.

Yesterday I was told of a rumor about my church that had no factual basis, but was created from false assumptions. Fortunately, the guy who told me is one of our partners, and he told the guy who shared the rumor with him the truth. I wonder whether he was believed.

But the fact that something false was being said about us that was concocted to hurt our reputation bothered me. Yet, I know those things happen.

Stay out of the mill. Be a truth-seeker, not a rumor spreader. And please don't send me any forwards.

Parenting by Proxy

Billy Ray Cyrus is an example of parenting by proxy. God gave your kids to you to instill within them (by your example) values that will take them through life. He did not give that responsibility to a ball coach, a dance instructor, the school system, day care or even a church youth pastor. It's not Disney's fault. The buck stops with parents. It doesn't take a village - too many idiots there. It takes parents. Parenting by proxy doesn't work.

Character counts in parenting probably more than any other facet of life, because it requires you to make the toughest of decisions, including having to say "No" when your begged by someone you love and don't want to lose to say "Yes". But hopefully parents have garnered wisdom from their life experiences to know what is good and what is not for their kids. They (kids) don't understand that - they don't yet have those life experiences. So they pout, argue, threaten, call you the worst names imaginable.

The time to establish those values and boundaries is not when they are old enough to start challenging them. So if you are parents of young children or not even a parent yet, now is the time to put those values down. Write them out. Hold yourself accountable. Be a team with your spouse - your values need to be the same or your kids will know how to team up with one of you against the other.

I'm no expert, but I am a parent who has survived rearing three children. How do you think I got this gray hair! I also learned young from those who had walked the path before me. Listen to your elders, parents. Gain wisdom from God and His Word. Surround yourself with other parents who have similar values and determine that you will be whatever it takes to love and protect the lives entrusted to you.

There are no second chances. Some things you can't control. But the things you can, you better. Wishing "Hannah Montana" never happened is a cop out.


And your heart will be achy breaky.

Smoke Signals

Not only is an extremist church in Florida threatening to burn copies of the Koran, our tax dollars are being used to burn Bibles in Afghanistan.

My thoughts are that neither will accomplish the goals of the match holders.

Sometimes you can't do nothing #3

Locally our summer labor force includes several hundred (I guess) international students. They come from all over the planet to work in the US, enjoy what we have to offer and to learn our culture.

Unfortunately some come here to either be killed or seriously maimed on our roads. Each summer accidents involving international students occur primarily because these young adults have not learned our laws or our culture as it pertains to traffic.

In Europe (where most of these students are from) bicycles and automobiles function together in a kind of chaotic harmony. If you've been to Europe you know what I mean. There are probably more bicycles on the roads than cars. But that's not so here in the US. And in a traffic heavy resort community where the majority of drivers are not local and are unfamiliar at best with addresses and locations, adding foreign bicyclers to the mix is an often deadly recipe.

American drivers are not accustomed to sharing the road with bicyclists. Ask any American biker. They understand that riding on the shoulder can be a toxic exercise. And when the road is US 158, a "highway" with a speed limit of 50MPH and 5 lanes of traffic, the dangers are multiplied.

Our internationals haven't learned the dangers. You can see them riding bikes, going against traffic (which is illegal) on narrow shoulders or in the right lane, at at any time, 24 hours a day. Many of them walk to work and home, and will cross a dangerous highway without the aid of a crosswalk or traffic light.

Two weeks ago another young eastern European student was seriously injured and had to be flown by helicopter to the nearest trauma center, which is 80 miles away. She probably didn't know what she was doing was foolish at best and life threatening at worst. Fortunately she survived. Barely.

I'm tired of seeing and hearing of these accidents. I'm tired of responding to them as a public safety chaplain. But being tired doesn't help lessen the carnage. So I'm moved to action. Once the dust settles a bit around here (meaning we're past summer) I plan to take steps to initiate some kind of bicycle/pedestrian safety training for these young people.

Hopefully the local businesses that employ them will get on board, as well as the police departments of our towns. But we've seen enough of them die or have their lives permanently altered because their ignorance of our laws and culture. Somebody's got to get the word out to them.

it might as well be me who is part of the solution.

Sometimes you can't do nothing #2

I'm having a summer of experiences that are pushing me into new territory. My previous post introduced this thread.

Now, a second experience and how I reacted.

Early the other morning I took my wife's car to the local convenience store to gas it up for her. It was on "E" and she had a trip to take later in the AM. I pulled in beside a pump and filled her up.

On the other side of the pump was a pick up truck being filled. The driver and passengers were painters, on their way (I assumed) to a day's work. They were guys from another country/culture. While filling up, several of them had gone into the store for drinks, snacks, etc. At that time of the morning the store is pretty crowded.

I couldn't help but notice a car parked a few yards away because of the loud "conversation" taking place. I paid no attention to what was being said, but watched out of the corner of my eye. In the car were a man and woman, likely husband/wife, and he was obviously agitated. My first thought was that they were having an argument, so I was going to watch just in case it escalated beyond words.

As I replaced the nozzle and started back into the car to leave, this parked car pulled in behind me to be the next to gas up. Nothing wrong with that. But then, as soon as he came to a stop, he began to curse and swear at the painters on the other side. Apparently he thought they were taking far too long to fill up. They were, after all waiting on some inside and enjoying a bit of conversation among themselves in the mean time. I don't know what all they were saying because I'm not fluent in their native tongue.

But I am fluent in English - even in redneck profanity. I know what all those words mean, and I also know they are inappropriate in a public place. Sorry, I'm old fashioned that way. So when he began his tirade from the driver's seat of his car, blasting these men with words about their relationships to their mothers (which I doubt he really knew anything about), I reacted.

It probably didn't occur to the painters to go ahead and move their truck from the pump while waiting on the rest of their party to come out from the store. For them, this was a time to socialize. They didn't know that we Americans are always in a hurry. (Maybe we should consider practicing "siesta"). So to the irate middle-aged man in his red, white and blue ball cap, these immigrants were being inconsiderate of his time.

But I can't help think maybe there was more bothering him than their lingering at the pump.

At any rate, I don't tolerate public profanity. It's a sickness in our society. So my reaction was quick. In a flash I was literally in his face as he still sat behind the wheel. I told him that if he didn't cease and desist I would call the police. And I would have.

He reacted in somewhat a state of shock (maybe that I would come to the defense of these foreigners) and hastily started to explain why he was so mad. I cut him off and said something to the effect that no one deserves to be talked to in that language and if he continued (as I reached for my cell phone) I would call the cops. And he and I are from the same generation, too, in case you might think he was a kid.

I guess he didn't need the gas because he backed away and drove off.

To me this was a cultural injustice taking place. Sure, they likely don't appreciate our American way of thinking because we're moving so fast. And sure, he probably never thought that in their country/culture they weren't doing anything wrong. But his verbal abuse was unnecessary and crass.

Sometimes I think you have to take a stand and do something.

Sometimes you can't do nothing

Lately I've been impressed by a few experiences about injustices and oppression based on cultural differences. I think I'll share them in a series of posts. Long posts tend to get passed by.

In France our American team of Christians (16 of us including a 3 yr. old) traveled from our initial stop in Paris to Grenoble via train. The trains are super fast and a comfortable means of transportation. And they are public transportation.

We were briefed by our host before the trip across the pond that among other things, the French consider Americans to be loud and boisterous. It's a perception based on cultural differences. We are loud. We like to laugh out loud and have fun.

So here we are on this coach with maybe twenty other passengers on an afternoon train ride that took something like 3 hours. Our team is just that, a team that enjoys being together. We were reminded (by yours truly) that we should be respective of a different culture. And for most of the trip we did our best to gag our Americanisms.

But you can't expect 16 friends to spend 3 hours on a train and act like strangers, not engaging in talk and fun. So we talked and laughed. A very non-French thing to do.

Most of the others on the train were keeping to themselves. My guess was they were either napping or reading or just looking out the window at the beautiful villages and countryside that zipped by.

Then the cultures clashed. A passenger in the rear of the coach stood up and in English said (so that we all could hear) something like, "Less noise, please!". Oops!

A hush came over our group. Busted! We did our best to keep it down. Not because we understood or even agreed, but because we didn't want to offend. Yet we felt like fish out of water.

I thought some of these thoughts...
It is public transportation. Who made him the decibel meter maid? Get your sleep somewhere else, Francois. Last I heard France was still a free country. Get a life!

In the US, on a bus or train I might have even expressed those thoughts. But this was a different culture and we were guests. So when in France, do as the French do. At least try. And we did.

I need to also say that by far our experiences in France were positive ones and the French we worked with and met on our trip were the greatest hosts and hostesses. Never did they make us feel unwanted or uncomfortable at all. So this isn't a criticism of the French or their culture.

But what I learned from that experience is that if we don't understand or adapt to another culture when we are within it we'll either create or be the recipients of criticism. And if we as citizens of the "host" country don't recognize that guests might bring their own nuances with them and give them some slack we can quickly allow prejudices to determine our ability to treat them with respect.

The minor incident on the train ride helped me mentally prepare for a couple of incidents here at home that I would engage soon.

Could stopping racism really be this simple?

People Are People

Today I wrap up 6 days in France. Much of the time has been spent interacting with the people here. Some of those interactions have been while walking the streets of Paris and Grenoble. Others have been in church events.

What I've discovered here is that some of my presuppositions about them have been colored by others' judgments. Now that I've met many and seen them up close and personal I have come to the simple conclusion that people in France are much the same as people anywhere else I've been, including in my own back yard.

I will say this for them: their food rocks. My favorite new French word is "patiserrie".

(Too bad their football team has had such issues. I'm told they are an embarrassment to the people they represent.)

"...under God..."

On this date (which also coincides with Flag Day) in 1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill putting that phrase into the Pledge of Allegiance here in the US after the words "one nation" and before "indivisible".

I wonder how long it will remain there?

Retrieving the First Amendment

Kerry Dougherty's editorial in today's Virginian-Pilot truly rings the Liberty Bell. I hope you'll take a couple minutes and read it. (They're a bit slow at the Pilot today with their links. As soon as they have it up I'll post it here. Or you can try to find it yourself at www.pilotonline.com).

Often I'm asked (because of the "controversy") if I pray in Jesus' name when my prayers are in a public setting such as town functions. Frequently I am asked to pray for ceremonies and now commissioners' meetings because of my dual roles as a local church pastor and as a chaplain with our fire department.

My answer is simple: "Praying in Jesus' name is the only way I know how to pray. Anything else would be something less than prayer." Thankfully we have a Constitution that not only protects us from government dictation of what we can or can't believe, but also guarantees us freedom of speech.

Even when that speech is to God.

Language and Law

Watching the news early this morning (a 6:30 phone call will wake you up) I was struck by several stories that indicate the direction our cultural world is spinning.

Goldman Sachs big wigs listened to Senate interrogators repeatedly use a word that has become a standard verbal staple these days. The Senators were reading emails from the Wall Street firm that seemed to incriminate GS in shady and less than honest stock dealing practices. If you were watching the hearings live on CSPAN you probably heard it sans beep.

As I recall its usage "in my day" it referred to fecal material, and was at times used as an angry expletive. But you didn't dare say it in front of adults (even though you knew most of them used it frequently) or in public settings. The word (like several others) was deemed too offensive. Monday, while subbing in a high school, I heard it flowing liberally in the halls and classrooms. Apparently it is no longer offensive to the American ear.

Recently I've gone on notice on Facebook that I won't tolerate my friends dropping the f-bomb on the online social network. Their posts appear on my page, and frankly, I don't want to read it. Call me old-school, but it still offends me. If you want to be my FB friend (and I'm glad to have you on my list), keep it clean. BTW, the only offenders thus far have been teenagers. That's a whole 'nuther post.

I remember clearly when the word "retarded" was commonly used in adolescent conversation. If something was considered dumb, out of the norm or senseless it was called "retarded". It was another word that made the older generation cringe because of its offense to some very special people in our world. In a round-about way it made fun of people who deserved much better than to be lumped with all things undesirable.

That word seemed to diminish in recent years - at least in my hearing, indicating maybe we have become a more sensitive nation. But this week I've seen it peek its head back up a couple of times. Once was by a Facebook teen friend - which indicates it is on a comeback as a trendy term. The other was in this morning's paper and used by a NFL player. Again, atheletes set the trends, even in our language. (I'm so tired of the phrase "It is what it is" that I first began to hear in post-game interviews ten years ago.)

Heck, we don't even know what "is" means anymore. Remember? And that leads me to my next pondering this morning.

In addressing the issue of illegal immigration, a fire being stoked by the state of Arizona's hard line, our current president, Mr. Obama, said (in a speech yesterday) words to this effect: "We'll let [illegals already in this country] go to the back of the [immigration] line and legally gain citizenship. Then we can go back to being a nation of laws."

Wait a second. I'm no Constitutional lawyer, but aren't we already a "nation of laws"? We don't have to "go back" to what we are. Seems to me we just need to enforce (the job of the executive branch of our government) the laws we have on the books. It sounds like our president is calling for a suspension of law. I'm all for immigration. I'm here because of immigration, for Pete's sake. I'm also about secure borders. And the purpose of the law is to protect if nothing else.

But to do that we have to go back to the subject of language. What part of "illegal" do we not understand? (To cover up our bias against law we tend to change terminology. Hence, "illegal" is changed to "undocumented". Oops. They just forgot to pick up their papers as they slipped across the border under the cover of darkness.)

And just as I'm no lawyer, I'm not an economist either. But I wonder...if there were no illegal aliens in this country where our current unemployment rate would be? I suspect it would be much lower if only those in this country legally, who have the "right" to work, competed for jobs.

Just thinking out loud. I hope my words didn't offend.

Sunday Flashback

Some of what's brewing in my head this Sunday night...

I attended a worship service at a local church of another brand to hear an old friend preach. What I heard and witnessed helped me understand the differences between us. It's just too bad that the 2,000 years of Christianity haven't kept Christ-followers on the same page.

The early service at the other church allowed me to worship with NHC at our second gathering. There's no place like home. Pastor Steve Wise told his story today and how a faithful witness shared Christ with him during "the dark ages" of his early adult life, changing him forever. Great message. Great worship.

How blessed Gail and I are to be grandparents! Today we celebrated Evaine's first birthday. These two little girls have no idea how loved they are by all their family.

I've had to drop a second teenage Facebook friend. These are kids professing Christ, yet who are somehow not building Christ-like values into their communication skills. It makes me realize how important my upcoming series on FAMILY needs to be in the lives of parents and their chlidren. Biblical values are hard to find these days in the homes of Americans. I wonder if parents have just given up, or if they're totally naive as to the influences their kids face each day.

This is my last week of Sabbatical. I'm well-rested and stress free! But there are still a lot of things I had hoped to accomplish that will have to wait for another time. I'll be back in the saddle next Sunday.

Sunday Flashback

So what does a pastor do on Sundays when he's away from home and his home church? I'll confess - visiting churches unknown to me isn't my favorite crap shoot. But I try to find a church that is at least attempting to think out of the box and not be content with the status quo, whatever that might be.

I'm all about learning from others. If someone has been where I'm trying to get to they've got something to teach me. I'm also about having a kingdom mindset - we're all part of the same family and we ought to share. At NHC we've adopted the role that God has given us as a teaching church. With so many (thousands each year due to our resort location) out of town guests worshipping with us, God has placed us in the position of at least planting seeds in their minds of different ways of "doing church".

On this trip we've passed through 3 different churches in three different cultures. All three are at different points on their journey. The first is in the early stages of transitioning from traditional and irrelevant to the current generation to contemporary and relevant. It was my second visit with them in 14 months and the changes were evident. The biggest differences were in the worship style and in the average age of the congregants in the service. With baby steps they're getting there!

The second church was already miles ahead of the first church. We attended the middle of three Sunday morning gatherings and the house was jammed full of young adult types. (That's where I want to be!) Their staff is young and their creative juices obviously flow. What particularly impressed me is that this church is also in transition. Last Spring their Lead Pastor left for another church in another state. Often when that happens there is a void in leadership and pulpit presentation resulting in sheep searching for another pasture. But not so here! Their Student Pastor has stepped up to the plate, handling the Sunday sermons and doing so with excellence. They brought on a new Worship Pastor who clearly has a passion for not only leading the church to God's throne, but doing so with exelllence. Whoever gets called to serve with this team better have his running shoes on already. This church hasn't slowed down a step.

The third church perhaps surprised me the most. Founded over 50 years ago and for most of that time in a very traditional, conservative brand of fundamentalism, they are reaching their city in a refreshing way. The founding pastor was there for his entire "career". They've had some challenges since his retirement with charismatic "senior pastors" giving them a bump then falling morally. And not just once. But they've overcome that and in doing so changed their leadership structure to one that is far more biblical than what they had in the past. A new building that features cutting edge technology and relevant teaching and outreach into the community has resulted in having a church with 3 Sunday morning gatherings with room to grow. This church reminded Gail and I very much of Nags Head Church in many ways.

I'm taking mental notes about what works well and what doesn't. I get to see church as a first time guest, and that helps me think through what our first time guests experience. It's not so much about the sermon or the music that is so vital that first time, although they matter in a big way. But simple things like how you're greeted; signage that shows you where to enter and where to take the kids; friendliness, not by those paid to be so, but by the congregants; and a good web site!

So just so you know, I'm on a mission these three months that I'm away. And hopefully God will stretch me and give me some fresh ideas to introduce when I get back in the saddle.

Pro-choice Liberal Gets It! - Sally Jenkins, Washington Post

Sally Jenkins, a former Sports Illustrated writer, now writing for the Washington Post and a self-avowed pro-choice feminist has written a most excellent editorial on the Tim/Pam Tebow Super Bowl ad "controversy".

Finally someone who is pro-choice understands that one of the choices has to be to allow the unborn to live. Going against the flow of the river left, she calls out the abortion rights activists groups for their hypocrisy.

There are some superb quotes in this piece.

While she admits she disagrees with the Tebows' position, she at least argues his position is worth supporting.

Here's the link to the column.

And if you applaud her for having the courage to set herself up for criticism from her own side, send her an email and thank her for being a voice of reason and intelligence on a moral issue.