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Most Anticipated Movie of 2012

March 1, 2012 in Faith with 0 Comments

I love movies. I watch a lot of movies. I’m a huge fan of the Hunger Games trilogy and can’t wait for the movie release March 23. I’m also a Twihard (don’t hate), own each of the movies and am counting down to the fifth and final movie this fall. But even with these ah-mazing movies releasing in 2012, I’m most excited about the April 13 release of Blue Like Jazz.

The movie is based on the New York Time’s Best Selling book by the same name. This book changed my faith and the faith of thousands of others – in a great way. Written by Donald Miller, his semi-autobiographical work, subtitled “Non-Religious Thoughts on ChristianSpirituality,” is a collection of essays and personal reflections chronicling the author’s growing understanding of the nature of God and Jesus, and the need and responsibility for an authentic personal response to that understanding. Much of the work centers on Miller’s experiences with friends and fellow students while auditing courses at Reed College, a liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. There are so many people who have a similar story of being tired and even angry at the church and religion. For some, that anger and frustration was also directed at God. Blue Like Jazz spoke to these people. It helped exposed a lot of the baggage that religion had unfairly placed on God. My prayer is that the movie will only multiply the number of people who have been freed from religious baggage to truly embrace God.

The movie opens April 13 in theaters across the country. Make plans to see it!

Be Careful What You Wish For

January 29, 2012 in Church, Faith with 0 Comments

First Baptist Church, Jefferson City, Missouri
January 29, 2012
I Samuel 8:1-22
“Be Careful What You Wish for Cause You Just Might Get It”

"When I Grow Up" Just Dance 2

If you are a fan of the Wii game “Just Dance 2” than the title of this sermon may sound familiar. I would play part of the song for you this morning but I’m afraid a third of you would stand up and start doing the dance moves from the game. And while that might be incredibly entertaining for many of us and in some venues might be classified as charismatic worship, it probably isn’t entirely appropriate for this time or place.

The sermon title comes from the pop song “When I Grow Up”. The chorus goes like this:

When I grow up I wanna be famous,
I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies
When I grow up I wanna see the world,
drive nice cars, I wanna have groupies …

But be careful what you wish for cause
you just might get it

Have you ever wished for something, got it and then regretted it? Maybe not immediately but down the road. January often finds many people suffering from buyer’s remorse. In December you wanted it and had a justification for why you absolutely needed it. Then, the bill arrives in January and you regret it. Several years ago, I owned a dog. I got a dog on a Thursday, regretted it by Friday, and had my dad return it on Monday. Not one of my finer moments. But had you told me on Thursday that this wasn’t a smart idea and that a few chew toys and kibbles later I would regret it, I wouldn’t have listened to you. I was sure this was a great decision. Continue Reading…

Loose-Leaf

January 17, 2012 in Faith with 0 Comments

When your options are either
to revise your beliefs
or to reject a person,
look again.

Any formula for living
that is too cramped
for the human situation
cries for rethinking.

Hardcover catechisms
are a contradiction
to our loose-leaf lives.

“Loose-Leaf” by Gerhard Frost

The Road Repeatedly Traveled

August 23, 2011 in Faith, My Life with 3 Comments

People have told me that I should write a book. Since I am easily susceptible to praise and compliments, I decided I should write a book. But no one would tell me what to write about. I guess they assumed I could figure that out but I obviously have difficulty thinking for myself. I don’t consider myself an expert on anything – not that that is required but just my self-expected in order to be worthy to write a book.

I try lots of things and start a lot of things but I rarely finish anything. Like cross-stitching when I was in middle school. All the cool kids were doing it (did I mention my skewed perspective on reality?). From 7th grade to 9th grade, I started seven cross-stitch patterns. One about sisters, two that involved profile pictures of a Native American boy and a Native American girl, one of cute little puppies, one with a nice little Scripture reference to make me feel good and I can’t remember the other two. I didn’t finish one of those patterns. I’d quit the current project for one of two reasons.

First, as easy as cross-stitching might appear, you can make mistakes. Confusing, dumbfounding, no-way-I’m-getting-this-knot-untangled mistakes. It was at that point that I would give up. I’d put it in my bedside drawer and tell myself that I would come back to it tomorrow when I had more time to work out the problem. But we both knew, the drawer and I, that I was lying. I had not intention of coming back to it. Continue Reading…