the    sides

While driving to a lunch appointment today, I got a first hand look at the disdain of Topeka…picket people. I’m not going to put his name on my blog or his church because he’s local and quite honestly, he doesn’t deserve the attention nor do I want any of his either.

Today I got to see them in action. It was disturbing and pathetic. Apparently a pastor at another church said something gracious or kind about homosexuals because surrounding this church were people with inspiring signs like… “God Hates Gays”, “God Hates Obama”, “Your Pastor Is Going To Hell.” I’m serious…that was one of the signs. Is it pathetic or disturbing that they use 5 to 9 year olds to hold their signs? Isn’t there some kind of law against that? What’s up with that?

I can honestly say that a cardboard sign has never changed my life or my mind. I was watching football before I read a Bible. The rainbow afro wig guy with the John 3:16 sign was humorous but it never moved me closer to Jesus. Same with political yard signs. I don’t get the point…if you have wonderful landscaping, I might vote for the same candidate you are voting for because it will help my lawn. Right?

Anyway, as I went to lunch…I prayed for that church, that pastor that is going to a place hotter than Topeka, and for those sign holders.

The Bronco Soap Opera
Has to be the biggest story of the offseason - Shanahan fired, McDaniels in, Cutler gone, Marshall in trouble with law…again, the questionable draft of the Broncos. Marshall not showing up for a mandatory camp was a stupid move by an immature player. Yes, he’s underpaid but there is no way any team is going to give him a larger contract right now with his track record with the law and his injuries. So his only real course of action right now is to shut up, show up, and grow up.

McDaniels as coach — I still don’t get it, honestly. I’m hopeful, just like the next fan but he’s got a lot to prove and he shortened his window to prove it in when the Cutler debacle went down. His draft wasn’t awesome either, neither was the offseason signings. Heck, one of the RB’s he signed didn’t even pass his physical. Trading a next year’s first for a this year’s second on an undersized CB…the list goes on but I also know that if Moreno turns out to be the next TD, everyone will forget the rest.

I’ll dance in the streets if the Broncos break .500 this year.

The Favre Chronicles
It could be argued that this is the number 1 story. I wouldn’t argue a whole lot. It’s just…it’s tiring. Just retire, 4. Look at how 7 did it and just quit. The Jet Experiment left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, going to the Vikings is just going to get worse. It would have been like Elway going to the Raiders. Unthinkable. Plus, the more he sticks around, the more he looks like a prima donna, the exact opposite of his legacy at Green Bay.

Brady Returns
I don’t fully understand the love affair with Tom Brady. He’s a great quarterback, don’t get me wrong. I’d love to see him in Blue and Orange given the options we’ve got. But Cassell took the team to 11-5. Not shabby. To be fair, Brady takes advantage of every mismatch ever on the field…due to coaching or talent or smarts - on one hand it doesn’t matter. He gets it done. On the other hand, I don’t think he’s the greatest ever, I don’t think the Patsies would be done if he got hurt or wasn’t there. Just saying…

Todd Haley at KC
Living in Topeka, I’m flooded with the Chefs info. It’s mildly irritating as they have little to no talent on this team. Their past drafts make Denver and Oakland look like geniuses…and that’s saying something. The biggest problem KC had was addressed this year - their GM and they got a great one. So over the next few years, I expect the Chefs to reach the level of annoyance that they traditionally have - having the ability to show up in your house and just hand it to you for 60 minutes. Making both the fans and the players that they’ve been in a car wreck when the game is over.

(As an aside - one of the most wicked hits I’ve ever seen was Dale Carter lighting up Elway on a roll out pass. It was a late hit, it got a yellow flag…but the entire stadium went silent waiting to see if 7 was getting up.)

But they’re not there yet. Most of the stories around here focus on Todd Haley - the fired up coach from Arizona. It’s been interesting to see the progression of him being a jerk, to just a tough guy, to a good guy who demands a lot from his players over the last few weeks on sports radio. Who knows what he’s really like, he’s in the same boat as McDaniels is in on one hand…but less pressure at this point, I think. Fans here are giving him the benefit of the doubt so far.

What’s been your favorite/least favorite moment of the offseason so far?

Why do the blueberries go to the bottom of the muffin? It’s kinda of a waste of the top part of the muffin. All that berry goodness sitting at the bottom of the muffin…

Just had a kid complain about having to make 9 pretend milkshakes. What do you do with that? Amy told the child that since it’s pretend, it shouldn’t take as long. You just can’t argue with that logic.

NFL Films listed Elway as the #2 all time clutch QB. He’s got the most come from behind QB of all time. How does that translate into #2? Joe Montana was #1. That’s a travesty. Montana was only behind in one game of his life…when he played for the Chiefs.

I thought Denver fans were delusional - imagining an above .500 season for the Broncos this year. That make Chief fans downright insane. Some pundits are talking the same thing for them…I’m not seeing it for either team.

Alabama had to forfeit wins because players got free textbooks. The NCAA kills me. They make millions, billions off the sports and then act like some holy protectors of college athletics. Athletes kill me as well but that’s a longer subject that just a random thought.

I think I’m going to get me some Keens with my birthday money.

A new Splinter Cell game will come out this fall…SC:Conviction. It will be about Sam Fischer going rogue trying to capture/avenge the killers of his daughter.

I’m trying to be patient with the SC crew, I really am. When the first Splinter Cell game came out - it was my favorite game until the second one came out until SC:Chaos Theory came out. Since then…while the graphics have improved, the story has gotten…dull.

One of the cool things about SC was you couldn’t just go around shooting things….you had to figure it out. Stealth was more valuable than just shooting stuff. These last two offerings - Double Agent and it appears Conviction will be the same - have stunned me with their graphics and artistry…frustrated me with an increased leaning to being just another shooter game.

Plus…the language has gotten worse from game to game. Why exactly bad guys have to use bad language is beyond me. But I will hold off on any official endorsement or condemnation until I play it.

Good night…I’m hoping this is just a season for me but I can’t seem to write anything worth posting lately.

Busy? Yeah, but who isn’t, right? It’s not really busyness that’s kept my blog quiet as of lately. Actually, pace has gotten better in the last few weeks. I’m getting my feet underneath me learning this new culture, new role, new town, new friends, new everything. And everything is new.

I’m not sure why the dry season in my writing right now. It just is. Been here before…doesn’t make it any less frustrating but at least I know in the back of mind it’s not going to last forever. Or will it?

That’s the real fear of dry spots - both in writing, in our marriages, in our work, in our walk with Jesus. The real fear and anxiousness isn’t that it’s dry in this moment. The real fear is ‘how long will this last?’ Is this it? Is this as good as it is ever going to get? Have I hit the wall?

I’ve responded in two different ways in that spot. Go backwards or go forwards. Remember the good old days? They really weren’t that good when I was there and I’m not that old. Let’s go back to what we know. Or - slam it forward. Do something to trigger this funk on up out of here. (Insert bass line here.)

Is this the point where a spiritual sage says - “Stay in the moment.” “Be still and know…” Maybe. I think there are times we’re still, I think there are times to spring forward through the dry times. Going backwards? No. And I don’t see backwards as repentance. Repentance is a course correction as we go forward.

Odd thing…not dry in my walk with Jesus…just dry in writing, putting thoughts on paper…or in HTML as it were. To steal a line from C.S. Lewis - time to go ‘further up and further in.’

We’re in week 2 of our communal disciplines series and I’m loving it. We’ve defined community this way…

A group of people who practice these key 5 disciplines with each other in an environment where healing is the goal and you know you are loved.

Authenticity
Application
Accountability
Guidance
Encouragement

Two common substitutes for community are mission/action oriented groups and study groups. Groups that are centered around doing something - ministry teams, compassion teams, committees - and groups centered around learning or head knowledge - Bible studies, Sunday School classes, small group - are both common substitutes for true community.

Here was the key point to understand - it’s not that either one of these groups are incorrect. We need them both. It’s just that by themselves, they are incomplete when it comes to the subject of life change and spiritual formation.

I hardly ever go to a Christian bookstore. In fact, the last time I went in one was….yesterday. But before that —- can’t remember.

We had a local Christian bookstore in Parker with a coffee shop and stage for live music. It was a great theory, great location, great vibe in the store. There were only a couple of problems.

The books were expensive. I could get the same books for 30% off Amazon or CBD.

It took forever to special order books. Especially when I could get it in two days from Amazon and CBD.

The coffee was the same price as Starbucks and was terrible.

The music was twice as expensive as buying it from iTunes.

So I had a half hour to kill in Topeka, I poked my head into our local Christian bookstore. I ended up picking up a Boice’s commentary on Ephesians. (His 3 volume work on Genesis is a must for any teacher.) I drifted over into the music/dvd section…I noticed that once again, a full priced CD was almost 50% more expensive that buying it on iTunes. The irony was I could buy a CD from my iPhone right there in the store cheaper off of their Wi-fi than walking 10 feet to the register.

I’m not sure how they stay in business. And while I’d love to have a Christian bookstore flourish, I’m not sure that’s going to happen while charging customers up to 50% more for stuff they can get online. They did have this huge gift section with paintings of lighthouses, crosses, and eagles. I’ve yet to see a Christian bookstore without these items.

It appears that all 3 of our kids are hitting a phase right now that has Amy and I looking at each other like - ‘what bus did we get on?’ You figure out early in parenting that each kid is different. So that’s not new to us. You learn pretty early on that what works with one kid won’t necessarily work with the others. So that’s not what is new either.

What is new is the intensity of the changes and how they not only start out different - they stay different, change different, handle everything different.

What isn’t different? How clueless I feel when faced with their differences.

I handled 18 years of youth ministry, change, culture shifts, other people’s kids, and other people’s problems. Faced with the defiance of my own 6 year old baffles me.

Why is giving grace and mercy to other people’s kids easier than mine own?

I’ve sat with many parents who were frustrated, angry, depressed, and shell shocked at the decisions of their children. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve encouraged parents - ‘It’s possible to be goldy, loving, wonderful parents and have kids that turn out to be hellions.’ I’ve seen the opposite as well.

But this rant has really less to do with my kids, more to do with me. My kids aren’t hellions. Far from it at this stage in life. They push the boundaries. They are in the middle of discovering who they are. They are just being kids…

It’s just I’m convinced that God has put these 3 in my life to point out how selfish I can be, how so not together I am and how ridiculously dependent I am on God’s grace…every single day.

I got up this morning and immediately noticed two things.

First, I couldn’t open my right eye. Swollen shut. I think Amy beat the snot out of me in the middle of the night. Either that or it’s allergies.

Second, I’ve lost my earring.

My eye - it will eventually heal. My earring - got it in Brazil…it’s more traumatic of a loss. I will continue searching.

One of things that I’m starting to see and feel happening at WH concerns eggshells. As in walking on them. I’ve never been very good around eggshells. (insert your sarcastic comment here, Wayne.) I don’t even like it as a color.

It’s loosening up here. That’s a good thing. But I’m surprised/not really/scared as to how much influence I have on that just because I’m the lead pastor.

I’ve read and heard all the leadership maxims that say “the leader sets the emotional tone for the organization.” I love Tom Peters and Seth Godin believed that…I just have never experienced it like this before.

I’m normally the first one to crack a joke, poke fun and in general goof off in a group. The larger the group, the more likely I’m the clown that’s being the distraction. I’m also normally the first one to be okay with my idea being tweaked, changed, or completely discarded. It’s the ADD. But these things are also the key components in creating an eggshell-less culture.

Is there room to push? Is there room to disagree in laughter? Is there room to get the desired outcome in a different way than originally thought? When I’m challenged, do I first think of self-preservation or think of what is going to better advance our mission at WH? Is there room for people to change their minds, surrender with laughter and honor? Is there room for ‘that’s better than my idea?’

If so - you’ve got the start of something special and wonderful. I do think this is one of those key areas of why I’m at Western Hills. Honestly, there were other guys that could teach better, look better, more organized and more experienced. But in terms of creating a culture where the vision wins, not personalities or titles? That’s my thing. When you constantly work with volunteers that are older, wiser, better, and smarter than you - you have to function that way or you’ll die without friends. And I’ve worked with some old people.

I’ve seen the other side as well. Easily offended, gets defensive fast, reacts quickly with little thinking, and responds with extremes - sets the whole thing to be Eggshell City. Besides that, people can’t/won’t stay in that kind of drama for very long. The only people that do are others that love the drama…and that’s a recipe for disaster.

So for a church that’s been wounded, it’s good to see the eggshell walking decreasing immensely. They are awfully hard to dance on.